Five Steps to a Five: AP English Language Essay

The three types of essays mentioned in â€Å"Five Steps to a Five: AP English Language† are analysis, argumentative, and synthesis. An analysis essay is complied of different parts, it explains how the many parts can come together to produce a complete result. To have an argumentative essay you must acknowledge what you are defending and have sufficient and accurate information to support your claim. A synthesis essay should contain the main points of compared and contrast, cause and effect, and analysis of the writer’s topic. An analysis essay must analyze the author’s point of view, rhetorical devices used to achieve his or her purpose, stylistic elements, tone, real or imagined experience, and a discussion. To ensure that these points are made, simple tasks are recommended; for example spending one to three minutes reading and working the prompt, five minutes reading and making marginal notes regarding the passage, ten minutes preparing to write, twenty minutes writing the essay, and three minutes proofreading. To write an argumentative essay you must understand the nature of the position taken in the prompt, taking a specific stand with the assertion, and clearly and logically supporting the writer’s claim. When given an excerpt or statement you must understand what the passage is stating, then ask yourself if you agree or disagree. When you have successfully decided, the next step is to find information to support your opinion. Helpful tasks that can be taken to ensure that your essay is a success are to spend one to three minutes reading and working on the prompt, three minutes deciding on a position, ten to twelve minutes writing your essay, and three minutes proofreading. To have a presentable synthesis essay the writer must be able to read critically, understand the text, analyze the texts, develop a position on a given topic and support the position it, incorporate outside sources into texts of the essay, and always cite sources used in the essay. Before writing the author must read all prompts, deconstruct the synthesis, read and annotate each of the given texts, and decide how you will address the synthesis prompt. The tasks recommended for a excellent essay is to spend five to six minutes going back to the texts and deciding which you will use in your essay, eight to ten minutes planning the support of your position, twenty minutes writing the essay, three to four minutes checking to make certain that you have included the minimum number of sources and correctly cited them all, and three minutes proofreading. Analysis, argumentative, and synthesis are all excellent forms of essays in which you can state your opinion and support it in different ways. Analysis will allow the writer to read through and discover the main points that is needed, argumentative is a more aggressive statement in which the writer may defend his or her position. Whereas the synthesis essay is a way for the writer to compare and contrast different positions.

How Macbeth Lost His Morals Essay

Macbeth is a very controversial character in many ways. Many believe he was an evil man from the beginning. While some believe he became evil over the course of the play. Macbeth’s morals gradually deteriorated throughout the play. Macbeth’s soliloquy’s, conversations, and his actions show how he lost his morals bit by bit in after each murder. In act I, Macbeth was confronted with the thought of killing King Duncan and stealing the throne. His soliloquy (I.7.1-28)is his response to the possible actions he is about to take part in. He basically said he felt bad because as his kinsman and his host he should protect him, not kill him. Also the fact that he was such a good king made him hesitate at the thought of killing him. In his discussion with Lady Macbeth after his soliloquy, Macbeth states, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business. / He hath honored me of late†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (I.7.31-32) Macbeth was talking about how King Duncan has honored him recently and how he cannot go through with killing him. Then at the end of act I, Lady Macbeth convinces him to go through with the murder. Then after the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth flips out and begins to rant and rave. He said after the murder talking with lady Macbeth, â€Å"To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.†(II.2.73) This showed his extreme guilt and regret of the crime he just committed. Then, in act III, Macbeth’s soliloquy (III.1.47-72) he stated his fears and hatred of Banquo because he was so good. He then called for two murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth needed no motivation for this action other than fear, and he had no hesitation in this decision as with the murder of King Duncan. But after Macbeth knows Banquo is dead, he saw his ghost at his dinner party, taunting him (III.4.40-105). This was a form of his conscience making him feel guilty for what he did. Though his reaction to Banquo’s murder is equally as volatile as King Duncan’s, the build up preceding the murder shows a stark contrast. Before the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth had resisted the thought much longer than with the murder of Banquo, which he had no major moral dilemma’s before hand. It seemed as though it was becoming easier and easier for Macbeth to kill without remorse. Finally, in act IV Macbeth makes a statement that showed his moral deterioration very well. After talking with Lennox about how Macduff had fled to England, Macbeth said in his soliloquy, â€Å"†¦From this moment/ The very firstlings of my heart shall be/ The firstlings of my hand.†(IV.2.146-148) Macbeth said that now the first thing that came to mind would be the first thing he did. The next thing he said was, â€Å"The castle of Macduff I will surprise,/ Seize upon Fife, five to the edge o’ the sword/ His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .(IV.2.150-152) The first thing that came to his mind was to kill Macduff’s family. He had no second thoughts like the first two murders, no last minute guilt trips either, just cold blooded killing. When Macbeth meets Macduff in the battle field he said, â€Å"Of all men else I have avoided thee./ But get thee back, my soul is too much charged/ with blood of thine already.(V.8.4-6) That was a litt le sign of remorse by saying that he has too much of Macduff’s family’s death on his soul, that he doesn’t want another. Macbeth’s moral deterioration throughout the play is very evident if one looks at the moments preceding and following the murders. In the first quell, there was a long build up and many moral objections by Macbeth. Also after the murder, Macbeth was extremely disturbed by what he had just done. Then, before the second killing, there was less of a build up and no moral objections by Macbeth. After the murder of Banquo, Macbeth still felt some guilt, which manifested itself in the hallucination of the ghost. Finally, prior to the third murder, there was no moral dilemma about about killing Macduff’s family. Following the murder, he showed almost no remorse, except for the comment made to Macduff. Macbeth was a good man in the beginning of the play, but his morals deteriorated more with each murder he committed.

Investigative Technology Review and Critique Essay

Dr. Derek Paulsen examines geographic profiling methods and technologies. The findings are the result of a research grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The purpose of this research is to analyze the accuracy of and suggest methods for increasing the effectiveness of geographic profiling technologies. The research emphasizes the importance of making the distinction between commuter or marauder offenders prior to geographic profiling. Dr. Paulsen demonstrates that by improving the commuter/marauder prediction early in the process and by conducting more targeted research in the field, geographic profiling technology can be more effective and results can be more accurate. Geographic profiling has been used in crime analysis since the early 1990s. It is an investigative methodology that relies on location of connected crimes series as a means of determining the next probable location known as an offender anchor point. According to Dr. Paulsen, 20 to 60 percent of crime series are committed by commuters, and geographic profiling is highly inaccurate in predicting these series. Therefore, it is important to analyze variables and methods used to classify commuters and marauders prior to geographic profiling. This study analyzed 106 crime series gathered from 25 U. S. jurisdictions. This study differed from traditional methods in the use of variables applied to classify offenders as commuter or marauder. Traditional models use residence as primary variable to determine classification. Paulsen modified this method to look at any of 14 known variables which might classify as marauders where traditional models may classify as commuters and performing logistic regression with SPSS software. Since profiling is inaccurate in predicting commuter series, Paulsen’s results improved the accuracy of prediction rate from 60% to 81% by changing the classification process. The findings are significant in that they are at odds with traditional theories of offender patterns and characteristics. Traditional theories state that marauders commit offenses closer to home. However, Paulsen’s research shows that commuters operate in smaller geographic areas with more locations while marauders operate in larger more dispersed areas. Three important implications arise from this study. Further research is needed to develop a method for determining commuter/marauder classification that can be used in multiple geographic profiling systems. Research is needed to determine if methods and results are accurate in various jurisdictions with differing demographics and crime characteristics. Alternative profiling and forecasting methods must be weighed against this and other existing research. Previous studies were limited in number, only two, and in scope, focusing on software platform features and case studies and covering limited jurisdictions. This study more extensive in size and scope. The primary limitation of this study is that the entire sample consists of previously solved crimes. This underscores the need to conduct similar research on unsolved crimes to determine the accuracy of this model when all variables are not known. Additionally the case selection process for this study is limited by the police departments’ rationale for selecting cases to send for the study which is not addressed. Geographic profiling is a widely used crime analysis methodology which can and should be more effective. By analyzing existing results and modifying components of the profiling process crime prediction rates can be significantly improved. Improving results of geographic profiling will depend on continued research of adequate size and scope that focuses on alternative classification methods, a range of geographic locations, and solved and unsolved crimes. Reference Paulsen, D. (2007, September). Improving Geographic Profiling through Commuter/Marauder Prediction. Police Practice & Research, 8(4), 347-357. Retrieved March 11, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

The politics of Southeast Asia (Crisis, Conflict, and Reform) Essay

The politics of Southeast Asia (Crisis, Conflict, and Reform) - Essay Example Where have they been less contentious? How would you account for the success or failure of multicultural politics in Southeast Asia? The development of discrimination worldwide has been a phenomenon that cannot be easily controlled; in fact, this problem occurs not only to developing but also to developed countries; of course, in countries where the quality of life is lower compared to the Western developed countries, the effects of discrimination on people’s daily activities are more severe. Current paper focuses on the examination of the aspects of discrimination in Southeast Asia; the cases of Cambodia and Indonesia are used in order to highlight the main aspects of this social problem. The ethnic and identity politics used in the specific countries are presented and critically analyzed – at the level that they are found to be responsible for the expansion of discrimination across the specific countries. Both countries mentioned above have similar social and political structure and could be used as a basis in order to identify the current status of discrimination in the region and the expected pr ospects in the future – referring to the potential limitation of the phenomenon either in the short or the long term. At the next level, the potential success of multicultural politics in Southeast Asia is examined; it is proved that the development of these politics is possible and could lead to the limitation of discrimination in the greater region; however, it would be necessary that these politics are critically evaluated – in terms of their expected duration taking into consideration the strong political and economic turbulences that characterize the greater region. In order to identify the role of ethnic and identity politics in the development of discrimination in Southeast Asia, it would be necessary to refer primarily to the main aspects of these politics; the examination

Amazon Deforestation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amazon Deforestation - Essay Example Global warming is one of the major concerns of the world today. The problem is caused by the increased greenhouse emissions coming from different countries worldwide. However, findings show that about 15% of carbon emissions come from tropical deforestation. This level of emissions is more than the total emissions from all automobiles combined. Therefore, preservation of forests is one of the surest ways of slowing down global warming. This begins by preserving Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, which is at threat of disappearance due to deforestation. Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is one f the world’s largest tropical rainforest. However, the forest has been at threat of deforestation, which began in 1970s. Report indicates that before the deforestation of the forest began, Amazon forest cover was estimated at about 4,100,000 square kilometers. The forest at the time consisted of different types of trees and acted as home for several species of birds, animals, microorganisms, and even human beings.The high forest cover also acted as water catchment area for major rivers in Brazil and neighboring countries.At the same time, the forest received an estimated half of the country’s annual rainfall. However, all these have significantly been lost through deforestation. The World Bank report indicates that an estimated 745,289 square kilometers of Amazon forest has been lost since 1970s to 2011.Despite there being a slight decline in the destruction in the recent times following conservation initiatives put by the Brazilian government, more still needs to be done to preserve the forest. As a result,only about 3,354,711 km2 of the forest cover remained by 2011 down from 4,100,000 km2 of the forest cover in 1970 and earlier.... A number of factors have been noted as the leading causes of destruction of Amazon. Top of the causes according to a study is the clearing the forest for pasture. Report indicates that about 38% of the deforestation that took place from1966 to1975 was due to large-scale ranching. This figure has since increased to about 60%, according to the country’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). This is reverberated by the fact that Brazil’s economy depends hugely on beef products exported to different parts of the world. However, much of the ranching expansion has taken place in Amazon, which has more than 80% of heads of cattle. Presently an estimated 214,000 square miles of land have been cleared to give space for pasture. This space is larger than the size of France (Butler par.3). The destruction has also been caused by subsistence agriculture being undertaken by the poor farmers in the forest after the Brazilian gov ernment provided land to the landless poor through the country’s land policy. According to Brazil’s land policy, every citizen has a right to use any government piece of land for a period of at least one year and a day. The squatter has the right to acquire ownership of the land after five years hence the right to sell the land. Report indicates that the Brazilian government granted land ownership in Amazon to about 150,000 families from 1995 to 1998. Poor farmers typically have the tendency of clearing land-using fire. In fact, satellite images taken on the forest show numerous images of fires burning across the Amazon (Campari 21). The deforestation of Amazon has also been increased by the move by the Brazilian government to clear the land for purposes of improving its

Interpret Research on Decomposition Analysis Paper

Interpret on Decomposition Analysis - Research Paper Example The relationship between return on assets and return on equity is that return of assets shows how profitable a company is before they consider giving advantage to investments, hence two thirds of the DuPont equation of measuring return of quality is comprised up of return on assets. (Peppers, 2005, pp 124) Net Income ROA = Value of assets Return on assets and return on help in calculating the rate of growth of a company. The value of return on assets helps in calculating the internal growth rate of a company. Internal growth rate is the maximum rate of growth that a company can achieve without getting help from external financing. It therefore tells how independent a company is. The value of the return on equity helps in determining the sustainable growth rate of a company; this is the maximum attainable income of a company with the inclusion of assets and investments. This gives the potential of the company with the exploitation of all avenues of income generation. Capital intensity is the current status of funds available in the company with the consideration of other factors in the company such as labor and other forms of production. Companies that use heavy machinery and have many laborers do work that is more effective; hence, an increase in the capital intensity increases the labor productivity. Companies that use so much initial investment always get lower return on assets than those, which use less initial investment funds; however, increased productivity makes the company have a greater growth rate. Quantitatively, capital intensity is the ratio of total value of capital equipment to the total potential output of the company. (Masterman, 2007, pp 47). The world’s leading car-manufacturing company, Toyota, use the JIT production method. The JIT production method involves, the processes of waste elimination participative culture of work, and, continuous improvement of quality of production hence by using this system, Toyota reduce the need for raw materials, this in many ways increase the returns on quality of the company because less money is used in the production expenses of the company. This also minimizes wastes hence more economical in that the company does not spend on ways of ways of waste disposal. The Kanban system is the control unit of the JIT it implements everything that happens in the system. This helps in making sure that there are no any early or late productions in the company. The efficient method of production that Toyota uses makes it the largest vehicle producing company in the world. Though there has been a falling trend in the sales of the vehicles, this is mainly due to external causes in the market, the sales mainly fell in the country, and the drop in production was by 11.7%. Outside Japan, the sales improved and went up by 6.2%. The policy of minimum wastage and efficient production ensures that the production and sales remain high. The return on quality remains high (Tracey, 2008, pp 54). Honda i s a Japan based motor p[production company. recently Honda made their all time biggest production quantity of all time. Hondas strategy of production and marketing is different from that of Toyota, while Toyota mainly majors in the production of motor vehicles, Honda, on the other side has a diversity of products from vehicles to motorbikes, they even produce robots, in fact, Honda produced the only human robot that can walk up and down a

Toni Morrison Is Adulthood inevitable Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Toni Morrison Is Adulthood inevitable - Essay Example She stated that each phase of individual’s life is very important and has to be experienced with the greatest enthusiasm. Since she herself is an adult now, and she practices what she preaches, so there is nothing more satisfactory than becoming the adult in mind and heart. Morrison explained brightly that adulthood is about being content with the present, happy with the rewards one gets, and also work hard every day to make ones adulthood fulfilling. I completely agree that an individual needs to be in the present moment and be happy in that because the present is what matters the most since the past is gone and future is yet to be experienced. Living this way not only enlightens the present, but also the past and the future since one has lived every moment happily as the past and such a philosophy lays the basis of a bright future ahead as well. Morrison defined true adulthood in terms of the ability of an individual to take responsibility for his/her actions. This only can be achieved if people understand their role in the society in addition to just thinking about their personal well-being. It is not the chronological age, white hair or time period that defines adulthood. Adulthood is defined by an individuals attitude and approach towards life. As individuals, we have to choices. First; we can be selfish and take care of our own needs, and safeguard only our own interests, and second; we can live for more than ourselves, that is to say that we live for others and try to make a positive change in their life. If we adopt the first approach towards life, adulthood for us does not get inevitable. But if we choose to adopt the second approach towards life, adulthood for us gets inevitable. Hence, to say that adulthood is inevitable and generalize it for all people is wrong because there are many people who live and care only for themselves, so they are not included in this category. However, for the rest, who live and care for others, it can

Accountability and KPI in M-Form Organization Essay

Accountability and KPI in M-Form Organization - Essay Example    Accountability means being answerable to the consequences of one’s actions in the business organization by virtue of the exercise of power given. Personal accountability is preparedness to have responsibility for the consequences of a person’s actions.The leaders and managers of organizations need the same in order to be able to deliver results. They could do the same by first setting a measurable a target to investors that would amount to a promise or commitment. This is where the concept of accountability would have its value at is would mean the leaders and managers can be considered reliable, dependable, or trustworthy in their promises. That what they speak or tell or promise as the organization takes risk its activities would come about. Thus, accountable people are known to have integrity. Investors would, therefore, expect prudence, competence, and wisdom from leaders on how they will deliver on their promise. If they promise a too rosy or optimistic pictur e, they could lose their reliability to investors. They would lose their being honorable. In effect to have accountability is to have honor which must be had in the responsibility, to tell the truth and to have fidelity to their promise. A corporate report that something external and went beyond their control could be acceptable to still to investors and stockholders if such was the truth and these leaders or managers have indeed been faith to their commitments but investors would understand if them if the latter have integrity.   

Nursing Theory Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nursing Theory Critique - Essay Example The significant influence of the theory is the need for congruency in therapy as well as empathetic understanding to the client. The theorist provided a logical statement on the problem-solving approach that can be easily used by practitioners to show different activities within their nursing practice. The method is general to clients with particular health needs and specific health needs and specific nursing problem. The theory is much practical and helpful to the healing process by providing a concept of problem-solving techniques. The theory provides an understanding and a way of predicting outcomes by recommending treatment regimens that people should follow to achieve good health conditions. The theory suggests that a correct diagnosis and effective medical treatment are significant activities to survival and the quality of life of an individual. The theory has guided great deal of research on coping with health threats. The theory focuses on personal cognitive understanding of health problems and ways of solving them. The research done by the Leventhal’s Common Sense Model in 1984 is an example of this theory. The strength of this theory includes the fact that various nursing activities its approach. The language used in this method is also simple and clear. The theory pays little attention to what the client achieves when provided with client care. The theory also fails to offer a perspective on humans and

PETITION FOR UNSPONSORED LEARNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PETITION FOR UNSPONSORED LEARNING - Essay Example We raised her and provided all her physical and emotional needs. Unfortunately, my wife and I separated in March 2006. In the intervening period, we tried our best to sort out the seeming differences between us. Nevertheless, all the efforts failed to bear fruit. Consequently, the marriage was finally dissolved a year and seven months after the initial separation. Just like my wedding seven years earlier, my divorce in October 2007 was a fundamental event in my life with wide-ranging effects on my young family. After the conclusion of my divorce, I was awarded full custody of my minor child. Although I was ecstatic at the opportunity of raising Jordan to maturity, I was aware of the fact that such a monumental task would run me to the ground. Nevertheless, I was determined to do my utmost so as to fulfill all my obligations. There are various significant events that influenced the experiences discussed in my learning assignments. The first major event came after my graduation from high school in June 1998. In August 1999, I formed my company and gained my first shot at autonomy. The beginning of my work experience formed the first step in a long line of employment positions that I was privileged to hold from then onwards. Another significant life event that shaped my life was my marriage in May 2000. My wife and I had been acquainted since childhood, and the sense of attraction had grown over a long period. Therefore, it was extremely satisfying to tie the knot finally and have her as my wife. The start of my marriage coincided with the beginning of my professional career. I teamed up with my wife and formed a business called Accurate Answers. The company began operations in January 2001, barely a few months after our wedding. The corporation offered DNA and drug testing services. Accurate Answers provided onsite drug testing for county courts, consumers, and businesses. The success of our marriage coincided with the

The point in my career Essay Example for Free

The point in my career Essay I never thought of myself as being confident or even reliable.   It sounds worse than it is, I actually never committed to a job or a project that I felt I could not complete.   But I was at a point in my career or even in life in general where I was ready for a major challenge.   I applied for a job with a large school district in the area for an Associate Director position.   This was a big step for me since I always felt my work was nothing out of the ordinary. Part of the interview process was to answer the question, why should we hire you.   In my thought process I began realized the great achievements I have had in my previous jobs.   I talked about my duties and responsibilities, my projects and accomplishments.   I told them how I completed a 5 year back log that no one wanted to touch on my first three months of my first job.   I recalled how appreciative school administrators were when I was able to help them understand their school budget and financial condition. I explained my participation in developing an integrated financial system for the largest school district in the State.   As I answered this question and many more like it, I realized that I am a reliable person that can take on challenges and be sure to complete them.   I also told them about a 2 year program I completed in School Business Management.   I am knowledgeable, innovative and dependable.   My interview was beginning to be impressive.   My confidence during the interview was obvious but appropriate. I ended up getting the job as Associate Director and I entered that position with great confidence.   I knew I had the skills and determination to succeed in that position. I no longer doubted my reliability because in retrospect, I have been extremely reliable exceeding all expectations.   I was able to accomplish major projects in that position and serve my employers and community well.

Dating Single Parent Essay Example for Free

Dating Single Parent Essay Dating and the Single Parent is a book five star book, because Deal has done a marvelous job presenting useful steps for single parents who are divorced and is thinking of re-entering back into a dating relationship, or even remarrying. The book is divided into sections of dating to present a sequential sequence of steps to determine whether the single parent is ready, and what right decisions they need to make if they have children. The book is honest, and practical when it comes to addressing situations that every single parent goes through while trying to reenter the dating life. The book presented questions along with real life realties of dating when there are children involved in the mix. Deals admiration how the book as written from a strong biblical perspective. Deals main goal in this book is to motivate its readers to do the necessary work of a relationship building. The Appendix 2 of the book begins with a sample purity pledge. This section of the book organized activities for dating couples to involve in, such as flirtation and hugging, without having to be sexual involved with one another. Section one of the book focuses on dating with kids and dating willingness. Before an individual is ready to date the individual must have a goal in dating. Deals helps single parents determine whether or not they are ready to re-enter back into the dating world. Some single parents are single due to previous marriages that failed, which lead to divorce. Deal describes divorce as a traumatic experience. Yet some single parents never really get over the horrifying experience of divorce and remain single. But Deal has puts together a checklist to help single parents determine whether or not they are ready for the dating world Deal presents biblical principle throughout the book reminding single parents to always put God first in any relationship decision they decide to make. The part that stood out to me the most in this section was the discussion on when children are involved, how dating gets complicated. Ron Deal gives excellent advice on how to determine if kids are ready for dating, what to expect when dating a single parent, and things to consider before getting engaged, and growing the family into a step-family. Section two gives people supportive advice on right places to capture love. The section is split up into chapters labeled as â€Å"yellow light,† â€Å"red light, â€Å"and â€Å"green light.† Deal provides warning  signs that people should take into consideration when trying to date the opposite sex. Signs that single parents should take into consideration is â€Å"how will this person influence the kids?† â€Å"Is the man willing to date the person and their kids?† Last section Ron Deal provides readers with valuable guidance on marriage commitment, and step families. Deal’s has developed an interest ing perception on step-families. Throughout schooling many people have been taught that blended families were made up of step-families. But Deal argues that step-families should not be looked upon as blended families. Deal encourages single parents to take their time on dating and to trust in God for pursing a health Christian based relationship. Dating and the Single Parent Book so remarkable, because often time’s single parents suffer with trying to regain love, along with trying to find someone to accept their children. Deal offers awesome pointers to finding a relationship with kids, dating, and finding long lasting love. Discipline should always be done with love and with Gods approval, but not to make the children angry Ephesians 6:4(King James Version). Potential Use for Premarital Christian Couples The book, Dating and the Single parent does an excellent job at studying the difficult process of finding love in the center of having children and trying to date. Ron Deal does a marvelous job at citing biblical principles for single parent to follow while dating. I believe it’s unique that Deal offers biblical insight throughout the book. For example Deal refers to Christianity and faith in god when discussing learn all you can about stepfamily living. For example I’ve personally herd family members and friends say that stepfamilies are not Gods ideal for the Christian house hold. Many people believe this tale because they feel as though stepfamily ministry lessen to what God intended. I believe that Deal presents valuable content to premarital couples in the church, since church is the place where all types of families meet to hear spiritual teachings. Deal encourages couples to lean all you can about how stepfamilies function, operate best, and why they have the uni que complexities that they can do. Blended step families seems to be a growing trend in the United States of America. In fact blended families have been around since Christ created earth. Remarkable fact Jesus Christ was a part of a blended family. Remember Mary  and Joseph were in a commitment when she told Joseph she was pregnant. Mary and Joseph had not been sexually intimate when Mary told Joseph she was with child. At times Joseph thought about leaving Mary, but did not. Joseph chose to sick by his pregnant fiancà ©e, who he thought had betrayed him. Joseph was willing to go through the battle of scorn and believed in God. Joseph accepted Gods calling for him to love and care for Mary and Jesus. Ironically when you look at family dynamics point of view you can recognize that Christ, Joseph, and Mary were a blended family, a non-traditional unit. It’s very interesting to study that Christ came into the world experiencing a blended- family. In addition, Deal discusses how it is important for singles to take a good look at themselves in the mirror before trying to date again. When self is able to look, examine them they are able to piece together their motivations for dating, fears, loneliness, and unresolved hurt. In order for an individual to move forward in a healthy relationship one must be able to trust God when making future dating decisions and choices during dating process. Ron Deal teachings in his book presented challenges that face today’s modern Christian blended families. Deal presents awesome techniques to help strength relationships. Ron deal helps single parents and those who are dating understand unique family dynamics. Ron Deal help parents recognize that their families are lobed and favored by God. Critique As a future professional counselor, and friend to others, professional counselors should recommend this book to any person who is single with children, and or someone who is dating an individual who has children. Ron Deal has developed a straightforward spiritual guidebook for Christian single dating. The book Dating and the Single Parent opened up my eyes about the truths of relationship and family compatibility, by presenting scenarios to help me make decision.. It was great the way the author Ron Deal incorporated biblical teachings. Like Ron Deal teaches when a single parent is dating or thinking about remarrying someone, they should choose someone who involves setting a godly example for children and blessing them as God blessed us. Deal suggest all throughout the book for single parents whom are dating to â€Å"trust in God to manage the relationship.† Building a family after being single for so many years takes courage, perseverance,  tough skin, and determination. As mentioned earlier the bible presents many teachings of blended families, like Christ family with Joseph being Christ stepparent. I believe that Ron Deal book goes into great deal about giving guidelines for Christian families experiencing dating, and second marriages, while following biblical principles As Christian stepparents, it is important that they love children who are involved in the family unconditionally. Ministry teaches that it’s important that you don’t marginalize your step kids. It is important that the family that it is forming has some kind of respect and acceptance form one another in the family. As a new parent (step) entering the family they must submit themselves to the children with their heart. Another important principle that Deal discusses is educating oneself on stepfamilies. When single parents blend to create stepfamilies, sometimes the progress is not so successful. Many children do not want change and will become angry and frustrated with new family members. Even though remarriage is supposed to be a wonderful joy, many kids are often not as excited as parent and new stepparent. Deal has put together foundations for building a stepfamily. Deal suggests that single parent should take their time, and give everyone a chance to get to know one another and get use to the idea of marriage. Overall Dating and the Single Parent is a great read for single parents who are dating or who are thinking about entering the dating world. The book focuses on dating, and stepfamily relations. Deal sets forth approaches towards building romantic relationships on a Christian basis. References Demo, D. H., Acocl, A. C. (2006). Singlehood,marriage,and remarriage the effects of family structure and family relationships n mathers well being. Journal of Family Issues, 17(3), 338-407. doi:10.1177/019251396017003005 Sweeney, M. M. (2010). Remarriage and stepfamilies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 667-684. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00724.x

Short Medium And Long Term Sources Of Finance

Short Medium And Long Term Sources Of Finance There are many sources of finance, which would all provide the business with a quick source of money, which will have to be paid back. But the amount the company needs can limit them to a range of sources of finance and methods of repayment e.g. interest. The sources of finance can be split up into three types; long term, medium term and short term. Long term finance is mainly for companies who need a large sum of money, which would be difficult to be paid back, this would be used to provide start-up capital to finance the business for its whole lifespan, finance the purchase of assets with a longer life, such as buildings and provide expansion capital for large projects, such as building a new factory or taking over another business. The repayment as it is so much would be paid over a number of years rather than straight away. Medium term finance is again for high sums of money needed but not as high as long term, these usually would be used to finance the purchase of assets with a two to five year life, such as vehicles and computers, to replace an overdraft which is difficult to clear and is proving expensive and to finance a change in strategy, such as to switch marketing focus from Britain to the whole of Europe etc. But the repayment would be faster than long term, such as in a couple of years etc. Short-term finance is when a company needs money quickly for immediate things, which are temporary; the repayments are much quicker than the others. They would be used to bridge temporary finance gaps, to get through periods when cash flow is poor and to cover temporary needs for extra funds due to unexpected problems or opportunities. There are possible sources of finance, which available to a Limited company. Sources of Short-term Finance There are a number of sources of short-term finance which are listed below: 1. Trade credit 2. Bank credit Loans and advances Cash credit Overdraft Discounting of bills 3. Customers advances 4. Instalment credit 5. Loans from co-operatives 1. Trade Credit Trade credit refers to credit granted to manufactures and traders by the suppliers of raw material, finished goods, components, etc. 2. Bank Credit Commercial banks grant short-term finance to business firms which is known as bank credit. (i) Loans When a certain amount is advanced by a bank repayable after a specified period, it is known as bank loan. . (ii) Cash Credit It is an arrangement whereby banks allow the borrower to withdraw money upto a specified limit. This limit is known as cash credit limit. Initially this limit is granted for one year. This limit can be extended after review for another year. However, if the borrower still desires to continue the limit, it must be enewed after three years. (iii) Overdraft When a bank allows its depositors or account holders to withdraw money in excess of the balance in his account upto a specified limit, it is known as overdraft facility. This limit is granted purely on the basis of credit-worthiness of the borrower . (iv) Discounting of Bill Banks also advance money by discounting bills of exchange, promissory notes and hundies. When these documents are presented before the bank for discounting, banks credit the amount to cutomers account after deducting discount. 3. Customers Advances Sometimes businessmen insist on their customers to make some advance payment. It is generally asked when the value of order is quite large or things ordered are very costly. Customers advance represents a part of the payment towards price on the product (s) which will be delivered at a later date. 4. Instalment credit Instalment credit is now-a-days a popular source of finance for consumer goods like television, refrigerators as well as for industrial goods. 5. Loans from Co-operative Banks Co-operative banks are a good source to procure short-term finance. Such banks have been established at local, district and state levels. District Cooperative Banks are the federation of primary credit societies. 18.5 Merits and Demerits of Short-term Finance Short-term loans help business concerns to meet their temporary requirements of money. They do not create a heavy burden of interest on the organisation. But sometimes organisations keep away from such loans because of uncertainty and other reasons. Let us examine the merits and demerits of short-term finance. Merits of short-term finance a) Economical : Finance for short-term purposes can be arranged at a short notice and does not involve any cost of raising. The amount of interest payable is also affordable. It is, thus, relatively more economical to raise short-term finance. b) Flexibility : Loans to meet short-term financial need can be raised as and when required. These can be paid back if not required. This provides flexibility. c) No interference in management : The lenders of short-term finance cannot interfere with the management of the borrowing concern. The management retain their freedom in decision making. d) May also serve long-term purposes : Generally business firms keep on renewing short-term credit, e.g., cash credit is granted for one year but it can be extended upto 3 years with annual review. After three years it can be renewed. Thus, sources of short-term finance may sometimes provide funds for long-term purposes. Demerits of short-term finance Short-term finance suffers from a few demerits which are listed below: a) Fixed Burden : Like all borrowings interest has to be paid on short-term loans irrespective of profit or loss earned by the organisation. That is why business firms use short-term finance only for temporary purposes. b) Charge on assets : Generally short-term finance is raised on the basis of security of moveable assets. In such a case the borrowing concern cannot raise further loans against the security of these assets nor can these be sold until the loan is cleared (repaid). c) Difficulty of raising finance : When business firms suffer intermittent losses of huge amount or market demand is declining or industry is in recession, it loses its creditworthiness. In such circumstances they find it difficult to borrow from banks or other sources of short-term finance. d) Uncertainty : In cases of crisis business firms always face the uncertainty of securing funds from sources of short-term finance. If the amount of finance required is large, it is also more uncertain to get the finance. e) Legal formalities : Sometimes certain legal formalities are to be complied with for raising finance from short-term sources. If shares are to be deposited as security, then transfer deed must be prepared. Medium term finance Bank term loan This is possibly the simplest form of loans available to businesses. The average bank manager dealing with a medium sized firm and responsible to head office for the performance of the branch uses a set of well-defined criteria when making a loan. A bank loan is for a fixed amount at a fixed rate of interest. There is likely to be a demand for regular payments. The advantages of a bank term loan is that financial planning is made easier as repayments are made in regular instalments and the interest rate are often fixed, but the disadvantages are the smaller the business the higher rates paid due to presenting a higher risk of things going wrong. Long term Finance Sale of Shares This is the issuing of shares of the business to other investors who want to buy into the company. The main advantage of issuing shares is that the shareholders have limited liability if the business fails. Personal possessions are not at risk and their liability is limited to the actual capital invested. Also the capital is raised by issuing shares (which are a proportion of what the company is worth) to investors, who are encouraged to buy by the promise of receiving dividends or profits on their shares. Also shares can be sold as preference shares which offer a fixed return as profits change from year to year, according to how well the company has done. The disadvantages of selling shares are the administrative costs of issuing shares are high. Also it is difficult to estimate the market price of shares, though this problem can be avoided if tender issues them, where investors state how much they are willing to pay for them. Also the price of the shares can go up or down and shareholders may have to sell at a lower price than they bought it. Also the shares of an Ltd will have to be sold privately, which costs money and investors would might not want to invest due to the lack of hassle from buying into a Plc. Reinvested Profits This is the money that the business makes being re-invested into the business to aid its plans. The advantage of this is capital can be raised by the company reinvesting or ploughing back the profits made at the end of the year, after expenses and dividends to shareholders have been paid. The disadvantage of this is profits may be scare or non-existent, especially in times of recession. Mortgage Loans This is a loan where the lender insists on some asset of the business being tied to the repayment of the loan. In the event of bankruptcy or liquidation that lender will then have priority on the money from the sale of that asset for the repayment of the loan. The asset is always land or property. The advantage of this is capital is often supplied by pension or insurance funds for a loan over 25 30 years for buildings or land, with the asset as security. The disadvantage of this the loans are usually only given when large sums are required. Venture Capital Loans Venture capital is risk capital, usually in the forms of loan and shares as a package, to provide a significant investment in a medium or large business. The advantages of this are capital is supplied by venture capital firms who accept a certain degree of risk being inevitable. Also most venture capitalists also provide help in the form of back up management and financial expertise. Also the governments Enterprise Investment Scheme offers incentives to private investors willing to invest in unquoted companies. The disadvantages are that most venture capitalists are only interested in loans for more than  £50000 and some only consider ventures where more than  £250000 is involved, as the administration costs are not worthwhile on smaller projects. Also they charge a negotiation fee for arranging the finance and they generally expect a non controlling equity stake of 20 40% in the firms capital, as a return of their investment. Debenture Loans A debenture is a long-term loan, which does not have to be repaid until an agreed date. Debenture holders are entitled to a fixed rate of the return year and have priority over all the shareholders. The advantage of this is that individuals can supply capital to a company in the form of a long-term loan called debentures, which have to be repaid on an agreed date. These payments take priority over payments to all other shareholders. The disadvantage is that the company has to offer some security for the loan, which can be sold if the company cannot meet the payments. In the case of a fixed debenture this is a specific asset such as a building or land. (Source Advantages/Disadvantages Understanding Industry by Ian Marcousà © pg 85-86, Definitions Business Studies Pg 297 301 Susan Hammond A-Z Business Studies pg 148, 167 David Lines, Ian Marcousà © Barry Martin)

Native american Essay -- essays research papers

People had already been living in the Americas for thousands of years before the Europeans â€Å"discovered† the Americas. When the Europeans invaded this land they brought with them diseases such as smallpox, malaria, yellow fever, plague, typhus, and influenza contagions that repeatedly spread through the Native American peoples, killing them in high numbers. At the time the United States was settled by Europeans, it was abundantly populated by dozens of separate nations with diverse civilizations and cultures. Despite their initial confusion to their situation after the arrival of Europeans, the Native Americans did not take their disenfranchisement from their own land lying down. Native Americans have a long history of "fighting back" against invaders encroaching on the land that they had lived on for as long as they could remember. Before the arrival of white people to the continent, Native Americans still engaged in war between the various different tribes. Their reasons for fighting each other were drastically different than the reasons they had when fighting non-Native Americans. Some Native American battles were fought for revenge. The most common cause of war between Native American groups was probably to defend or enlarge tribal territory. Later, their conflicts with white people were fought for trying to prevent the theft of their land, or in raids for food and supplies they were denied. When the Europeans invaded this country the native American people we...

Rudyard Kipling :: Essays Papers

Rudyard Kipling Rudyard Kipling, born in Bombay, India, on December 30, 1865, made a significant contribution to English Literature in various genres including poetry, short story and novel. His birth took place in an affluent family with his father holding the post of Professor of Architectural Sculpture at the Bombay School of Art and his mother coming from a family of accomplished women. He spent his early childhood in India where an "aya" took care of him and where under her influence he came in direct contact with the Indian culture and traditions. His parents decided to send him to England for education and so at the young age of five he started living in England with Madam Rosa, the landlady of the lodge he lived in, where for the next six years he lived a life of misery due to the mistreatment - beatings and general victimization - he faced there. Due to this sudden change in environment and the evil treatment he received, he suffered from insomnia for the rest of his life. This played an im portant part in his literary imagination. His parents removed him from the Calvinistic foster home and placed him in a private school at the age of twelve. The English schoolboy code of honor and duty affected his views in later life, especially when it involved loyalty to a group or a team. Returning to India in 1882 he worked as a newspaper reporter and a part-time writer and this helped him to gain a rich experience of colonial life which he later presented in his stories and poems. In 1886 he published his first volume of poetry, "Departmental Ditties" and between 1887 and 1889 he published six volumes of short stories set in and concerned with the India he had come to know and love so well. When he returned to England he found himself already recognized and acclaimed as a brilliant writer. Over the immediately following years he published some of his best works including his most acclaimed poem "Recessional" and most famed novel "Kim". In 1907 Kipling won the Nobel prize in literature in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterized his writings.

Free College Admissions Essays: Responding to Future Challenges :: College Admissions Essays

Responding to Future Challenges    As the world grows so do our challenges. Not only are our problems growing in number but they are also growing in complexity. There is scarcely a day that goes by when I don't hear about some new problem that will soon threaten us all. While some of these problems such as El Nino, earthquakes, and other natural disasters cannot be stopped -- there are other challenges such as the spread of racial hatred, rising risk of disease spread, and the growing levels of civil unrest throughout much of the world which threaten many lives everyday. Most of the future's challenges will only be made possible if all people, regardless of race, color, or nationality, attempt to work together for a stronger world. There are many ways in which I believe that I can help society meet this future challenge of coming together as a united world.    While I was an exchange student, I saw the world from a different point of view. For the first time, I realized that the people of the world have so many similarities in comparison to the few and insignificant differences. To make the people of the world unite would merely take time in convincing people of the world that we are all in pursuit of the same basic goals. All that it would take to show that this could be done is two different cultures to unite and then the rest of the world what can come by the strength all gain by coming together.    I believe that I can help in solving some of the barriers that hold us back from completing the task that we all desire which is unity. I served as a miniature version of a diplomat when I was an exchange student. I helped people in another country see that we all have common goals and I also helped sever the bonds to racial hatred by providing them insight into the American way of thinking and they did likewise for me. I have done everything to help sever these ancient bonds and will continue to do so in the future as I feel I am called to do.    Many suffer problems on a much less grandiose scale. Although these problems may not seem to be as big as world peace or global warming, they are however present.

Marijuana research paper Essay

In today’s society there are a list of many banned drugs which in coincidence are the five most used drugs by most individuals. These drugs are methamphetmine, cocaine heroine, ecstasy and marijuana, out of all five of these drugs one that I believe to be the most scrutinized is marijuana, known also as cannabis. I believe this drug is the most harmless illegal substance in the world, especially when compared to its counterparts. Marijuana not only has the least negative side effects to your body but it is also the only drug that is used in a social, musical, medical and cultural manner. The most popular of all recreational drugs, Cannabis, or Marijuana, Grass, Hemp, Weed, Pot, Hash, Dope or a variety of regional names has been cultivated for thousands of years. Derived in various forms from the Cannabis plants, Cannabis Indica or Cannabis Sativa, is native to central Asia but its cultivation and use is global. It is a Psychoactive and a Psychedelic. It can be smoked as leaves or flower buds, it can be ground down to isolate the crystallized sap and then pressed into a solid, or the resin extracted by collection via contact with the sticky plant parts.(http://listverse.com) This excerpt from listverse.com explains why marijuana use is so commonly used not only in America but across the globe. What makes this drug adorn by many of it users are also the proclaimed â€Å"negative† side effects, constant smoking or overdosing on marijuana results in â€Å"being forgetful, over sleeping, not getting things done, concentration difficulties, neglecting work or duties, loss of balance or dizziness, problems with performing tasks, and nausea (Hammersley, R. and V. Leon, 2006).† These side effects may not be looked too as negative by on the user, especially when compared to its counterparts. An overdose of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroine will almost always lead to â€Å"seizures, coma, and loss of a life† (http://mental-health.emedtv.com) Marijuana is acclaimed by many of its users as the â€Å"ultimate stress reliever† and what better place relieve stress than at college, a place where for four to five days out of the week students are overwhelmed with the stresses that come from the many classes they take. This explains why college is a perfect example of marijuana being used in a social setting where one can obtain the drug in a calm environment with little authority from parents or the police. Through my college experience I have met students who enter college deciding they will never smoke a day in their life, I have also met students who admit they were peer pressured into at least trying the substance and I have met students who have said they tried marijuana out of straight curiosity. In an interview held with a female Old Westbury student, who’s name is preferred not to be mentioned, I asked the student â€Å"how long have you been smoking marijuana?† student replied â€Å"I would consider myself a newcomer to smoking pot, I started this semester.† I then asked â€Å"why did you choose marijuana out of all illegal drugs to use?† she replied â€Å" I honestly choose marijuana because all of my friends were doing it, I saw after smoking many of them would go from uptight to calm and funny, not having a care in the world, I wanted to feel for myself what the â€Å"hype† was and depending on how I reacted to pot would determine if I would continue smoking or not†. My last question before ending the interview was the big one, â€Å"Do you still continue to smoke marijuana†, with a smirk on her face she said â€Å"yes I do, not often like my friends but on Thursday after a long week of homework and classes I smoke one to ease my mind and forget about my tough week, plus it puts me to bed (laughing)†. Marijuana use has and still continues to be a cultivating driving force in the music industry, specifically hip hop. During the 80’s and 90’s many of the great hip hop legends; Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Notorious Biggie Smalls all have been known for there outstanding musical abilities but also for their public habit of smoking or as the street term calls it â€Å"getting high.† Many individuals look at these artist and automatically assume ignorance when in fact when under the influence of marijuana these artist have said some of the most prolific lines in hip hop. Tupac Shakur is quoted saying I believe that everything that you do bad comes back to you. So everything that I do that’s bad, I’m going to suffer from it. But in my mind, I believe what I’m doing is right. So I feel like I’m going to heaven. This quote spoke meant allot to me and I’m sure to many young adults that are just like me who live a life of violence and chaos. Often as teenagers we feel that since we are not living the supposedly â€Å"Godly† way that includes attending church regularly, helping other and praying at night that we ourselves don’t hold a place in heaven, that we are the scums of the earth. Lines such as these mentally help us make it through our days and allow us to understand that they are other people out there who are going or have went through our daily struggles. Hearing words like that from your icon, you can only imagine the relief that boy’s and girl’s feel knowing someone who made it out a bad situation was going through exactly what you were, simple words can really make an outstanding difference to an individual. Marijuana in the music industry is not only used through the rappers who say the lyrics but it is used also by the producer’s who come up with the beat and flow, the core of the song that sometimes allows you to feel the music in a way that no rapper may be able to get across. Famous producers such Pharell and rap mogul Dr. Dre are both Grammy winners who make their music while under the influence, the drug puts them in a calming place were their mind can roam and listen to each instruments and bring them together in harmony, yes this task can be done sober but these two producers have made some of the beast beats in the world, it only goes to show once again marijuana is not as self destruction drug as it rivals cocaine or heroine . Medical Cannabis refers to the use of the drug cannabis as a physician-recommended herbal therapy, most notably as an antiemetic. Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for approximately 4,000 years. Writings from ancient India confirm that its psychoactive properties were recognized, and doctors used it for a variety of illnesses and ailments. These included a whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia,  headaches and as a pain reliever frequently used in childbirth.In the 1970s, a synthetic version of THC, the primary active ingredient in cannabis, was synthesized to make the drug Marinol. (Why Is Smoking Cigarettes Bad For You? | LIVESTRONG.COM) Marijuana is yet again used as a beneficial part of our society but instead of the individual users who use it for leisure or to have fun, marijuana is used for the sick and impaired. Known by its correct term as medical marijuana, the drug is used to relieve muscle spams, chronic pain,glaucoma, weight loss(in smoking marijuana one of the few side effect is called â€Å"the munches† during this time the user will crave to want food. People who don’t often eat will more than likely have a good portion plate of food or a snack) Aids and Cancer. Having a grandmother who was prescribed marijuana for her excessive swollen feet conditon I personally saw the positive effects the drug had her. Marijuana allowed my grandmother to relax and focus less attention on her feet, being under the influence put my grandmother in a happy place where her pain no longer bothered her as much as it would if she was sober. What she always enjoyed about marijuana was that she could smoke it, coming from the Caribbean’s smoking marijuana was a normal thing, something she had grown accustomed too. She much rather smoke instead of swallowing pills, being old fashioned she thought the side effects of pills would be detrimental to her health. Smoking marijuana has had an impact on the lives of those who suffer from depression and low self esteem. Joan Bello, author of The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological & Spiritual, is quoted saying; Marijuana will not tolerate repression. Tranquilizers and depressants relax the body and release tension, but the state of mind associated with these drugs is â€Å"unconsciousness† whereby we escape rather than resolve our dilemmas. Alcoholism is an extreme need of both the body and personality sometimes to release the nervousness that has accumulated and continues to build up to an unbearable degree. It serves the same function for the collective personality for the society, as well A culture in which alcohol and tranquilizers are the prevalent form of release prefers not to witness  internal confusion and actually choose to act without conscious participation, maintaining a semi-numb condition. Mr. Bello not only speaks about the positive of marijuana use but he also speaks on how smoking puts you at a better state than one of its many counterparts alcohol, who when under the influence liquor individuals tend to act angry or in rage, marijuana users are always put in a calm statement, which is reason to why after smoking one side effect the user may feel is tiredness. Marijuana usage has not been secluded too only America, it has made a huge cultural impact on the tropical island community, specifically Jamaica. Jamaicans have a subset group of people on the island that participate in a religion known as Rastafri, as Catholics partake in the Eucharist and Muslims participate in Ramadan, the Rastafarian lifestyle usually includes ritual use of marijuana, avoidance of alcohol, the wearing of one’s hair in dreadlocks, and vegetarianism. Rastafrains look at marijuana as the hold plant and have scriptures in the bible to prove that they aren’t making it up, Psalm 104:14: â€Å"He causeth the grass for the cattle and herb for the service of man.† The marijuana or as they call it gangja is also used for social and medical purposes. Marijuana is used primarily during the two main Rastafari rituals: reasonings and nyabingi. The reasoning is an informal gathering at which a small group of Rastas smoke ganja and engage in discussion. The ritual begins when one person lights the pipe, or â€Å"chalice,† and recites a short prayer while all other participants bow their heads. The pipe is then passed around the circle until all of the people have smoked. The reasoning ends when the participants depart one by one. Rasta’s do not condone any other drug beside marijuana because it is the only God given plant, it is not tainted with any human contact unlike alcohol methamphetamine cocaine or heroine. These rastas normally live long healthy lives, which only proves that the drug does not do serious damage to your body. So far they are eighteen legalized marijuana states in the United states. Regardless what the majority may say I believe marijuana has made a positive impact on the world. . The amount of deaths that occur from smoking cigarets or drinking alcohol is in the millions and yet it is still being used, marijuana has had zero deaths in its history. The next time you see someone high or in the act of smoking think about the pros and cons and then make your decision.

Birth Control for Teenagers

The term birth control is generally defined as the â€Å"deliberate prevention of pregnancy using any of several methods† (â€Å"Birth Control†). It is sometimes referred to as contraception (â€Å"Birth Control†). A deeper view of the term would reveal that it ranges from the most popular, which is the pills, up to the traditional, which is the method of abstinence (Avert. org). Its definition alone does not prescribe anything about the age group as to whom this should be administered. Recent studies would place better light on the administration of birth control for teenagers as early as their age and the benefits would bounce back on to them.Likewise, the purpose of birth control is not the prevention of pregnancy alone but also includes health safety reasons and for medical purposes. It serves as a means of preventing the spread of HIV diseases among teenagers who are especially at risk for unprotected sexual intercourse. Moreover, pills, as one of the method s for birth control, are sometimes prescribed by doctors for â€Å"medical reasons, such as excessively heavy periods, severe menstrual cramps, or acne† (Greenfield).These purposes stated above places birth control means with a lot of uses and does not solely mean the prevention of pregnancy, as it is commonly referred to. The benefits of providing birth control for teenagers exceed the moral speculations attached to it. The speculations and allegations of the harm that birth control would bring would certainly place the teenagers at a very disadvantaged position. A primary benefit of birth control being given to teenagers is that it would increase their awareness at a very early age.Awareness of the birth control methods through proper education is not a means of preparing them to have sex. Rather, it is a means of preparing them to live healthy and responsible teenage lives. This would enable them to instill a sense of heightened awareness before they decide to engage in se x. The act of engaging into sexual intercourse by teenagers could not be avoided because of the stage of puberty they are going through. This is especially true with teenagers with teenagers with weak social support groups.Likewise, the awareness they receive at an early age would become a tool they could use to decide whether they would want to engage in sexual intercourse or not. With the use of the information they are properly provided, they would have the chance to enhance their decision-making skills and would give the chance to make informed decisions. In addition to an informed judgment, birth control would prevent unwanted pregnancies and would reduce the number of teenage parents. This would provide a great benefit for the USA in relation to the latest statistics on teenage pregnancies.According to the report, â€Å"The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $9 b illion annually† (Teenpregnancy. org). With the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies today, it is best to mitigate the impact of such and help these teenagers as early as possible. It should be taken into account that the introduction of birth control to teenagers should be accompanied by several other factors for it to be considered as a successful one.First, it should have with it the proper information as stated earlier. Factors that should be considered when making the awareness campaign would have to be that it contains the proper use of such, its importance especially to the teenage group, the purpose behind it, and the persons or organizations to whom teenagers could talk to about this. It should be clearly shown that the purpose for giving them birth control is not to persuade them into having teenage sex. Rather, it is to prepare them and inform them about the risks and importance of planning for their future.Second, the important social support groups should constant ly give teenagers with advice with regard to sensitive issues related to birth control. They would serve as the ones who would reinforce the values laid down by proper information dissemination. Third, trust should be given by parents to their children when it comes to birth control. Along with trust should be the constant reminder of the things they need to do. More often than not, barriers to communication between the parents and the teenagers result to disagreements between the two and would even bring them dissatisfaction and rebellion.There is nothing wrong with teenagers receiving birth control especially so that abstinence is a form that is advocated by both religious and civic groups and is included in the list of birth control methods. This brings further light to the fact that birth control does not enhance the sexual activity of teenagers. Being the most vulnerable of them all, the opportunity to be protected, educated, and provided with birth control methods should never be taken away from them. It is a right which should be given to all women and men alike and to all age groups. Works Cited Avert. org.Birth Control and Contraception for Teenagers. 26 June 2007. Avert. 22 August 2008 [http://www. avert. org/cpills. htm]. â€Å"Birth Control. † In Microsoft ® Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006. Greenfield, Marjorie. Myths and Realities about Giving the Pill to Preteens, Teens. 2 August 2008. The Dr. Spock Company. 22 August 2008 [http://www. drspock. com/article/0,1510,6127,00. html]. Teenpregnancy. org. General Facts and Stats. November 2006. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. 22 August 2008 [http://www. teenpregnancy. org/resources/data/genlfact. asp].

French Revolution of 1789 Was a Major Cause of the Haitian Revolution of 1791

The French Revolution of 1789 led to the development and insertion of new political forces such as democracy and nationalism which was inspired by the Enlightenment of the mid-eighteenth century. It questioned the authority of the King, priests, nobles and religion on a whole; namely Catholicism. The revolution gave new meaning to the political ideas of the people. France’s involvement in the American Revolution had left the country in a massive financial crisis.Debt, inflation a lack of food and King Louis XVI lavish spending and heavy taxation on the Commons of society served to anger the people and so they demanded a new system of government. The Old Regime and Social Stratification in France Under the system of the Old Regime the King was seen in society as being the absolute monarch whose rule was ordained my God. The King had centralized power in the Royal Bureaucracy. In unison the King and the bureaucracy preserved royal authority and maintained a system of social stra tification stipulated by the Old Regime.The society in France was legally stratified by birth, divided into three Estates. The First Estate consisting of the clergy, the Second Estate; the nobility and the Third Estate the Commons which consisted of the bourgeoisie, city workers and peasants. The First Estate, the clergy which was also made up of members from the nobility enjoyed various privileges which were unavailable to those below their station in society. They paid no taxes and to support activities of the church collected tithes or taxes on income. The Second Estate, the nobility hardly paid taxes despite their great wealth.Their source of income came from rents and dues collected from the use of their farms and estates. The Third Estate resented the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and nobility. They were forced to pay taxes, tithes to the church and rent and dues to landlords for the land they occupied. This served to cause an upset in the society as it prevented the common s from entering into upward social mobility which was primarily based on the order in which one was born. Due to these occurrences the Commons wanted to have some form of equality in the French society. Thus they were in constant negotiation with the Crown for better and more privileges.The Estates-General (1789) As a result of King Louis XVI was forced to call a meeting on Estates-General on May 5, 1789 at Versailles. This was the place where representatives from each social Estate could be represented and their grievances voiced. Social tension plaguing the Old Regime was the central grievance of those representing the Third Estate. Because the First and Second Estates were primarily made up of citizens of the nobility they were allowed to override the Third Estates as they contained two out of the three votes available. As a result the Third Estate was left voiceless.The Third Estate offered a vision that privilege in society was to be determined by usefulness rather than birth. Writers of the Enlightenment; Voltaire, Montesquies and Rousseau served to be an encouraging factor to those seeking equality in society as they viewed these privileges enjoyed by the nobility as being rooted in tradition. As a result the Third Estate invited the other estates to join a new legislature. They eventually renamed themselves the National Assembly which was based on the people rather than Estates. By doing this they revealed their intention of becoming the official legislative body of France.In the summer of 1789the National Constituent Assembly declared itself the full authority of the nation. This led to the abolition of feudalism and the system of privileges under the Old Regime. Figure 1. The Estates-General inFrance The Role of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment of the mid-eighteenth century was a philosophical movement that proposed that talent replaced birth as the main determinant of ones social standing. They believed that methods applied to studying the natura l science could be used to correct the problems of society. Advocates of this movement concerned themselves with ‘reason’ and ‘liberty’.The Enlightenment caused people to consider the view that knowledge could only be acquired through careful study and ones reasoning abilities. In order for this to be achieved religious ideology and traditional beliefs had to be forsaken. Thus they encouraged the concept of liberty which they defined as being freedom from religion, press and unreasonable government. These ideas not only inspired the Commons in France but also the politicians and Heads of State. This was what eventually inspired French revolutionaries to construct a declaration that would serve to mold a society based on reason rather than tradition.The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789) This Declaration insisted on the freedom and equality of man and gave birth to the revolutionary triad; ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’ . Pu t in place by the National Constituent Assembly; was encouraged by the philosophical and political ideas of the Enlightenment. The declaration puts in place the ideology of Natural rather than religious doctrine and authority. The rights of man were to be secured and recognized by a government of elected representatives. This therefore meant an ending to privilege and feudalism; and equality in France.Clergy, nobles, judges and even ordinary tax payers lost whatever special standing they once had. Each person was now seen as being ‘identical’ before the law. Figure 2. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Ciizen Saint Domingue prior to French Revolution The society in St. Domingue was a replica of the society in France plagued by the Old Regime of social stratification in France. This was introduced to the colony as the Royalist/Metropolitan Whites brought with them to the colony the traditions held by the Old Regime. Conflict between each social group was based on r ace and the acquisition of capital.Tensions between the Whites, Mulattoes and Blacks and more specifically within the white society; tension between the Royalists, Grand and Petite Blancs was plaguing the society in St. Domingue. This segregation within the colony can later be credited as one of the contributing factors of the revolution in 1791, as the French Revolution of 1789 left each group seeking equal rights and privileges within society Social Stratification in St. Domingue The Metropolitan Whites/ Royalists: These were whites who came directly from France to St.Domingue as members of the bureaucracy whose purpose was to see to the Governance of the colony. They enjoyed the commercial privileges of the French bourgeoisie and brought with them to the colony the traditions held by the Old Regime in France of absolutism of the monarchy and the ideology of feudalism. At the head of the bureaucracy was the Governor and Intendant. The King’s representative in the colony was the Governor who was a soldier and aristocrat. His duty in the colony was that of granting concession, being an agent for European merchandise in the colony and colonial merchandise in Europe.The Intendant in the colony had judicial responsibilities as well as seeing to the finance and general administration of the colony. The Metropolitans had extensive privileges and power in the colony that could not be enjoyed by whites below their station. The Grand Blancs: These were wealthy plantation owners, top civil and military officers of St. Domingue. Some of whom had aristocratic origins in France while others were known Creoles. Their ambition in the colony was to regain enough wealth to return to France despite the fact that they were the most prominent of social groups within the society.The Petite Blancs: These were the poor whites of St. Domingue; primarily shop keepers, book keepers and merchants. They were seen by other superior whites as being unproductive within the society, performing no important role within the economy of the colony. It was often thought that the Mulattoes and Blacks could carry out the tasks performed by Petite Blancs if they were to be deported. They were also excluded from privileges enjoyed by the Grand Blancs, however, because they were white it was easier for them to fit into the society. The Mulattoes/Affranchis: These were the children of white planters and slaves.They were exceptionally numerous within the society with the fate of their freedom resting in the hands of their white fathers. By the mid-eighteenth century their economic advances had began to overshadow members of the white society. A number of them participated in the purchase of land and slaves, they ran their own plantations and some were allowed the privilege of being educated in France. It is argued by historians David Barry Gasper and David Patrick Geggus, that the affranchise owned one third of the colony’s plantations, one quarter of the slaves and one quarter of the real estate property.Slaves: The treatment of black slaves in St. Domingue was the worst endured by slaves of the West Indies. Planters had been making immense profits in the colony to the detriment of the slaves. They were worked excessively hard, harshly punished and poorly fed. Because of this every five years the slave population of St. Domingue had to be replenished as the colony held the highest death rate of blacks within the region. Racial Tension and Discrimination in St. Domingue Prior to 1791 The Metropolitan Whites/Royalists looked upon the Grand Blancs with arrogance and disdain despite their wealth and status in society.They too however, were also resented by the Grand Blancs as they thought the Royalists to be wasteful and extravagant. They also hated the fact that they could not hold civil service positions held by the Metropolitans which meant that they had no power over the running of the colony. Similarly the most notable tension between whites can be found between the Grand and Petite Blancs. Although they were of the same colour, the Grand Blancs resented the Petite Blancs as they thought them unproductive to the economy of the colony. Due to their status in society the Petite Blancs were not able to partake in privileges enjoyed by the Grand Blancs.Voting, for example within the colony was based on the amount of property one possessed, thus the Petite Blance were exclude from the administration due to lack of land. The economic advances of the Affranchise within St. Domingue was viewed by whites as being a dangerous trend that could eventually undermine the superiority of the white plantocracy. Thus it became increasingly important to both Colonial Whites and Royalists to enforce white superiority in St. Domingue by legislating against Mulatto equality with whites by repressing their political ambitions and placing them in degrading positions n society despite their wealth and education. This was done to ensure that th e Affranchise remembered their slave origins which made it impossible for them to be equal to whites. The Mulattoes were hated by the Blacks as they showed resentment for their genealogical ties to blacks and slavery. They tried very hard to imitate the lives of the whites and saw to drown out all traces of their origin. Thus the slaves hated them as well as the whites. Due to this the slaves were feared by both the Whites and the Mulattoes as they were vastly outnumbered. Impact of the French Revolution on St.Domingue The events of the revolution in St. Domingue can be credited to the influence of the French Revolution in 1789 as it was the factor which inspired the events in St. Domingue. All social classes in the colony were greatly affected by the French Revolution as the Grand and Petite Blancs, the Affranchise and the Slaves saw the events taking place in France as an opportunity to seize liberty and equality. The Grand Blancs saw the opportunity to secure independence in the colony from the restrictions of the Mother country retarding their economic growth.Thus liberty to the plantocracy meant the removal of Metropolitan controls over the affairs of the colony. For the Petite Blancs, the impact of the ideologies of the French Revolution meant social equality with the Grand Blancs and liberty meant ‘active citizenship’ allowing them to vote freely without the acquisition of land standing in their way. For the Mulattoes in St. Domingue they thought that the revolution in France gave them the opportunity to demand civil and political rights which were denied to them because of their black origin.For the slaves equality and liberty reinforced their aspirations for personal freedom. The Revolt of the Grand Blancs The white planters in St. Domingue had began demanding political representation. The calling of the Estates-General in France in 1789 left them determined to get their interests and grievances voiced in France. Because of this the Grand Blancs supported the revolution taking place in France as for them it meant liberty from the shackles of the Mother country. For them the revolution meant freedom of trade and political control of St.Domingue at the expense of the Petite Blancs, Mulattoes and slaves. However without authority from the National Assembly, the Grand Blancs called elections in St. Domingue for a General Assembly in 1790. As a result the Petite Blancs were excluded from participating in the Assembly due to the lack of land they obtained; the Mulattoes were also excluded from partaking in the Assembly due to their lack of civil and political rights within the colony. Due to their newly found power the Grand Blancs had begun disregarding the authority of the Metropolitan whites and the National Assembly in France.Because of this the Royalist and Petite Blancs and to some extent the Mulattoes untied to crush the revolt of the planters as they preferred the Colonial ties with France and obedience to the Nat ional Assembly. Due to the defeat of their cause the Grand Blancs then turned their fury upon the Affranchise of the colony because of their role aiding the suppression of their revolt. The Revolt of the Affranchise Because of the occurrences of violence by the Grand Blancs against Mulattoes; questions concerning their civil rights and social equality were brought to the attention of the National Assembly.As such there was an attempt made to pacify the Mulattoes in the colony by allowing them equality with the Whites in the Militia. Thus in 1790 a decree was passed by the National Assembly granting voting rights and the right to hold office to all Mulatto ‘persons’ owning property over the age of twenty five who met the income requirements stipulated. However, the decision to ensure the rights of these ‘persons’ was left within the hands of the Grand Blancs who hated Mulattoes and refused to give them the right to vote.Because of this the Mulattoes were for ced to appeal to the Governor complaining that their rights were not being secured. The leader of the Mulattoes, Vincent Oge? threatened to use force if their demands were not met. Thus they encountered violent opposition from the colonial whites which eventually caused the movement to escalate into an armed revolt. Unfortunately the revolt was violently suppressed and leaders executed; however, as a result of the revolt a proposal was put forward by the Colonial Assembly that granted political rights to those born of legally free parents. The Revolt of the Slaves in 1791Figure 3. The revolt of the slaves The question of slavery in France was one of a complicated nature due to the fact that French commerce greatly depended on the production of their colonies which was facilitated by slavery. Thus revolution and resistance in St. Domingue became possible when slavery was challenged in France by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The colony was under the instruction of French laws yet these rights did not relate to the blacks. To the National Assembly the exploitation of slaves was a profitable business as such they had no intention of granting them freedom.The news of the French Revolution and its triad, ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’ was dispersed throughout the colony and slave population via ships and their sailors as well as French revolutionaries who believed in the equality of all. The sailors spoke in excitement to blacks unloading and loading cargo into the ships of the events taking place in France. Upon hearing this, the slaves then realized that they had witnessed similar events that had occurred in the colony to what was happening in France in the name of liberty and equality.The Grand Blancs revolt against the Bureaucracy and in 1790 the revolt of the Mulattoes to the Grand Blancs. Thus upon hearing of the success of the French bourgeoisie the slaves took it as an example which would enable them to gain freedom from their masters. The first sign of unrest within the slaves occurred when they believed that their masters were withholding three free days that the King himself had given them. The first attempt of slaves to gain their free days originated in Port-Salut in the South province.Because the masters refused to comply, the slaves were forced to engage in a conspiracy which was aimed at ensuring their masters granting the rights the King had given them. The conspiracy was however discovered and ringleaders arrested. These occurrences signaled the beginning of the revolutionary struggle of the slaves in the South Province. The slaves of the North were also greatly affected by the occurrences in the South and thus prepared a massive revolt. Simultaneously slave gatherings in the West also appeared similar to the ones in Port-Salut.After a religious ceremony headed by voodoo priest Boukman the revolt aimed at liberty for the slaves began in the North Plain District of Acul in 1791.B I B L I O G R A P H Y Books Bayan, Patrick. ‘The Haitian Revolution and its Effects. ’ Heingmann. 1998 Brians, Paul. ‘Reading about the World: Volume 2’. American Heritage Custom Publishing. 1998 Censer, Jack and Hunt, Lynn. ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution’. American Social History Production Inc. 2001 Gasper, David B. and Geggus, David P. A Turbulent Time: The French Revolution and the Greater Caribbean’. Indiana University Press. 1997 Greenwood, Robert and Hamber, Shirley. ‘Emancipation to Emigration’ Macmillan Publishers Limited. 2003 James, C. L. R. ‘The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Overture and the San Domingo Revolution’. Random House Inc. 1963 Websites Bromley, Jason. ‘Resistance and the Haitian Revolution’. scholar. library. miami. edu. 2008 Chavis, Jason. ‘The Estate-General of 1789: Foundation of the French Revolution’ french-history. suite. 101. com 2009

History of Gaming Essay

Gaming has been around since the late 1960’s far later than I had thought, for me I had always thought that the Atari 2600 was the first gaming system known to mankind, and after starting my research I found out how wrong I was. In this part of the teams paper I will discuss the different types of this technology thought it history. In 1967 the first gaming console ever was created and was named the â€Å"Brown Box.† A German born television engineer Ralph Baer and his colleagues created the Brown Box which worked on your basic standard television set. Working with a firm called Sanders Associates, Baer along with co-workers drew up schematics for a game which was called the chase game, and they built a vacuum tube circuit that connected to the television. Two players controlled two squares that basically chased each other on the screen, at that point in time gaming was born. Baer and his associates later added a light fun and developed a total of 12 games for the Brown Box. Fast forward five years after Baer and his associates created the Brown Box, Magnavox began production of the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey was called the first commercial video-game console and was marketed in Magnavox TV dealerships. The Odyssey used six cartridges to play up to twelve games. The Odyssey downfall is that many TV dealers didn’t see any potential in it and along with the false rumor that it only worked in Magnavox televisions hurt the popularity of the gaming systems. In 1972 Nolan Bushnell founded Atari and three years later in 1975, they had their first smash hit with an arcade game called Pong. Atari sold a home version of the game Pong through Sears under the Sears Tele-games label. What made Pong unique was that it produced an on-screen score and sound all by single chip. With his first system Nolan Bushnell and Atari shot to the top of household gaming. Knowing that some of not anything last forever especially a single game system popularity, Nolan Bushnell and Atari started working on a cartridge based system, one that could play multiple games. In 1976 Bushnell Sold Atari to Warner Communications, and Warner immediately backed the Atari project, and the Atari VCS later renamed the Atari 2600 was introduced. The Atari was a big hit and had multiple game hits to go along with it, hits like the ever popular Spaced Invaders, Breakout, Missile Command, and Combat just to name a few. Atari was the first ever massed produced home video gaming system, selling 400,000 systems and hitting sales figures of $120 million dollars during the first Christmas season in 1977. In 1980 Mattel released Intellivision, and was the first to take a run at Atari’s gamming thrown. This sparked what some would like to call a console war between Atari and Mattel. Intellivision featured better game graphics and synthesized voices in video games. Both systems brought on other game developers like Coleco and Activision, but with so many of the games being unlicensed games and no household system lead to gaming industry crash in 1983-84 cause in many companies to file bankruptcy. Nintendo, a Japanese based company became part of the gaming industry in 1985 with its release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. With some of the most popular titles ever like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda and that of third party games like Tecmo Bowl and RBI baseball, the NES turned the non-believers that didn’t think it was a good idea to get into gaming after a crash, into believers. In 1987 Sega released its gaming system which dwarfed the capabilities that its predecessor, the NES, had offered. It was called the MasterSystem but it didn’t make the splash that many in the Sega camp had thought it would make, due to its lack of third-party games and other things it was the demise of the MasterSystem and the first failing of Sega. Sega went directly back to the drawing board and soon after released its first hit the Sega Genesis in 1989. Backed by many game developers like Electronic Arts, the Sega Genesis opened the door for the first ever battle for supremacy for gaming dominance. Four years after the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo released its second smash hit, with the Gameboy. Gameboy was dubbed the as the first ever handheld gaming console and had a black and white screen. Tetris one of the most popular Gameboy games ran the Gameboy sales through the roof. With many make-overs throughout the course of history Gameboy continued to stay relevant in gaming. 1990 was the release of SNK’s Neo-Geo a 24 bit home gaming system that was said to be many years ahead of its competitors and its time. The Neo-Geo had one problem, it wasn’t 2-D graphics those were great, it wasn’t its arcade level quality that was what everyone wanted, it was neither of those two things that helped the Neo-Geo fail it was its $650.00 price tag and its $200.00 games that took the Neo-Geo from great innovation to under achiever. In 1991 Nintendo releases the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Beaten to the punch by Sega with its gaming system the Sega Genesis, the 16 bit SNES had some catching up to do. It wasn’t long before the SNES thanks to its technological superiority, had overtaken the Sega Genesis thanks to its big name games like Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and Zelda. By the end of the 90’s Sega Genesis was no more than an afterthought for SNES who had taken over the 16 bit era and the gaming industry. It wasn’t till the year 1995 that Nintendo again was challenged for its gaming dominance. Sony introduced the Sony PlayStation a 32 bit CD-ROM based technology and has been said to be the most popular gaming system ever. The games had three dimensional gameplay much better than the 2-D of the past. What was the most attraction to any gamer was the price of the games which dramatically dropped compared to those of cartridge based games. It was also in 1995 the second day of September that the Sega franchise basically started its demise. This day marked the release of the Sega Saturn, which was dubbed the best worst system, according to many. Because it was pushed up to get out ahead of the newly announced PlayStation 2, it gave the Sony corporation time to sit back and polish the upcoming PlayStation 2 and learn from the mistakes that the Sega Saturn was making. In 1996 the Nintendo franchise countered the PlayStation with the Nintendo64, the last cartridge based system. Although the cartridges loaded faster than the CD-ROMS of PlayStation the Nintendo64 couldn’t even keep up with the amount of games that were released for the PlayStation, leaving the PlayStation on top of the gaming for the time being. It was in 1998 when Sega made its final push as a contender in the world of gaming with its release of the CD-based system Dreamcast, which incorporated a 128-bit processing system. The Dreamcast was the first system that had a modem which allowed for internet connectivity that brought on the ability to play online, download extra content and updated to the system itself. This would be the last time that anyone would here from the Sega franchise in the console industry. In 2001 Sega discontinued the Dreamcast and announced that it would be leaving the console market for good and taking its Sonic franchise with them. Four years after the release of the Nintendo64 and five years after the first initial PlayStation, Sony releases its second version of the PlayStation 2. The first 128 bit system featured backwards compatibility allowing the PS2 to play the older PlayStations games, and also could be used as a DVD player. Not only was the PS2 named most popular 128 bit system but with its release it marked the rise of console popularity played over the internet. 2001 was the introduction of the old guy with a new system and the new kid on the block in gaming. Nintendo hit the gaming market again going away from its usual cartridge based systems and introducing its first ever CD based system. The GameCube was marketed more for the younger demographics and is said to be what made the system flop and sell short. Along with the inability to connect to the internet it was called a one trick pony and was behind in the gaming world and home entertainment systems. The now new kid on the block Microsoft introduced its own gaming system the X-box. The PC giant used PC technology when building the X-Box which allowed for greater performance. Although the X-Box’s technology proved greater performance when compared to that of the 128 bit PS2 it still remained behind the number of sales that the PS2 had leaving Sony alone at that top of the gaming world. In 2002 Nintendo stepped back in with the Gameboy Advance and again in 2004 with the Nintendo DS. Some would argue and go as far as to say that all Nintendo did was step on its on toes with how they released the two versions so closely together. By doing so experts say that they made the Gameboy obsolete by releasing the DS so soon. Playstation soon joined Nintendo in the hand held gaming evolution, challenging Nintendo’s dominance. The PlayStation Portable like the Gameboy and DS featured wireless capability, high graphics and non-gaming functions mimicking PC-based devices. 2005 also marked the release of the Microsoft X-Box 360. The processing power of the X-Box 360 was said to be unrivaled, and all came with an internal hard drive, played DVDs and had the ability to connect four controllers at one time wirelessly, as well as connecting to the internet. The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006 and featured a built in WiFi for online game play, wireless controllers and Bluetooth. The wireless controllers weren’t new to gaming but what Nintendo did bring to the table with their wireless controllers was the motion sensor technology, allowing the game to mimic the performance of the actual player. 2006 is also when the Sony franchise again exerted its dominance and rivaled back against Microsoft X-Box 360 with the PlayStation 3. The PS3 came with an internal hard drive as well and the ability not only to play DVD’s but also Blue Ray DVD, along with its ability to connect to the internet wirelessly and connect multiple controllers wirelessly, it is said to be still atop the gaming industry, but again that’s all in who you ask. These two systems, PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360, along with the Nintendo Wii brings us to where we are now with gaming in what is called the 8th Generation of gaming. Every year the three gaming giants Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continue to wow us with different and greater gaming innovation that keeps the rivalry for gaming dominance going on and going strong. In the last few years the X-Box 360 stepped up the gaming war and has released technology that gets rid of the hand held controllers all together! The Kinect from Microsoft has really stepped up its technology and has gotten rid of the controller period. The Kinect set the Guinness Book of World Record for the fastest gaming system ever and comes highly recommended by many consumers and game developers. Recently it was reported that Microsoft X-Box 360 is looking to compete with cable television providers announcing that its consoles will allow the gamer to watch television through it. All of the consoles allow you to watch things like Net Flicks and get on the internet and surf the net, but rivaling cable providers that’s a big step. I look for Sony and Nintendo to sit back and wait to see where this goes before they follow in the footsteps of Microsoft, as they have previously done, but I don’t think they will jump right on board with this because of fear of failure and losing money. If you are a gamer a hardcore gamer you have to be excited for the future of gaming, from a standpoint it looks bright and exciting. With rumors of Sony releasing the Playstation 4 and the system having touch screen technology; it has all the gamers grinning from ear to ear about what the future of gaming actually may be. Gaming has already developed full 3D gaming technology and 3D moti on sensors and powerful graphics and they look to continue to improve upon these technologies. Many have argued that consoles in the future will eventually fall by the wayside making way for hand held portable gaming to be the dominate gaming systems in the future. Of course this upsets many hardcore gamers because they don’t see that as being a plus since many like to play their games on a larger scaled screen. With that being said many say the IPhone 8 will probably be the future of gaming and going as far as to say it although it is a hand held device it will be able to plug into a television set or even connect wirelessly to continue to give that big game experience. Many say that the future of gaming is mobile, digital, and cloud gaming. The better gaming system is said to be one that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Most of the time even of if home many gamers are even using mobile gaming at home, some experts say up to 47% of gamers are mobile gaming even at home. Mobile gaming is not just the casual gaming it used to be and has changed the way all gamers vi ew games. Spending approximately 16 hours a week compared to that of the 18 hours of traditional gaming some say digital is the way of the future and hardware doesn’t matter anymore. The type of hardware you use never really ever did matter, it has always been about the software. Hardware will be less and less relevant in the future and it will be more about the software. With cloud gaming it is becoming more and more of a reality and with two client services already launched it is coming along full circle. The angle of cloud gaming is to offer high definition gaming on any television or device that can receive a broadband signal with even high-end games that can be played on devices that get low power. In a CNNTech report back in September of 2008 had reported that a future release of the Emotiv EPOC headset. The Emotiv EPOC headset is said to be the first Brain Computer Interface and would be able to pick up on over 30 different expressions all by processing real time brain activity. With this technology many enthusiast say that this type of technology makes movies like The Matrix and the Star Trek Holodeck more of a reality in the future. Me personally I am kind of skeptical about that type of technology, and even though experts say that being able to control a computer with your mind is the ultimate quest of human to machine interaction, I still don’t feel any better. In those movies, well all except Star Trek, the machine had a way to take over. So all I see is me playing the video game and the machine taking over my mind and it controlling me and then the earth being run by machines. Well that is how it works in the movies hopefully this won’t be the case. The goal of this though is for the interactions of machines to mimic the way interaction with humans and they say it will ultimately bring communities closer together, so I guess that is one thing we will have to wait to see in the future. So with that being said there is no clear cut way to know which way the future of gaming is actually going, but seeing how far it has come since the Brown Box it is very interesting to sit back and see what the technology produces. At one point in time it was all about transistors and diodes and now it’s about multiple processors, internal memory, and real life graphics. What’s more gaming consoles are no longer just gaming consoles they are now the full true definition of Home Entertainment, with internet connection, streaming music and video and HDD, it is truly a new age for gaming. Social media and social networks has become a big part of many of our lives, well I really should say all of our lives. With that gaming has also being a part of that as it is being input into the Social Medias like Facebook. Many game makers look to theses Social Medias to see exactly what the gamers are taking to and what they are not taking to. World of Warcraft is one of those who uses social media to help them develop more of what they think users want to see and how they want the game to operate and it is actually one of the largest virtual game worlds due to just that along with Second Life which heralds itself as a virtual social world. Social Medias focus on building blocks, identity, conversation, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups, and many gaming systems that can connect to the World Wide Web can do just that. These gaming technologies give you the opportunity to engage with others from around the world no matter where they may be. Facebook has gaming that lets you connect with others and build a farm or a city and share with each other and allows you to help keep up someone else’s farm, building relationships with people anywhere anytime. No matter what you think about gaming and the gaming technology it has come a long way from where it started and there is no telling where it will go. It is a mainstay in the lives of many of people and I am sure that the technology will only get better or more interesting from here into the future. I do myself wonder what is next will the whole computer to brain interaction ever come full circle or is it just a past thought. Will Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo continue to stay on top or will a unknown company come along and knock all of them off the throne. I guess all we can do is sit back watch wait and see what that next big technology is and who will be the first to come out with it. Right now it’s more or less of a waiting game, the Kinect was a big jump and gaming technology and, I love to sit and watch my kids play on it, I have even been known to play on it myself, gaming technology is what keeps many of us known and connected so there is nothing wrong with that. Works Cited Admin. (2012). The History of Video Game Consoles. computergameoffer.com. Bellis, M. (n.d.). Computer and Video Game History. About.com. Edwards, B. (2009). 30 Years of Handheld Game Systems. PC World. Johnson, J. (2008). From Atari Joy Board to Wii fit. BBG. Melanson, D. (2006). A Brief History of Handheld Video games. engadget.