Our First President, George Washington, was a Magnificent Man

George Washington!!! This magnificent man was our first president. He was the first born child of his mother but not his father. His father was Augustine Washington, but had two other boys and one girl with his former wife Jane Butler who died in 1730. Augustine remarried Mary Ball in 1731 and on February 22, 1732 they had George Washington. In 1743 Augustine died and left Mary to take care of all the children they had together and the children he had with Jane. He had a total of ten children. George was only eleven when his father died and had to look up to his older half brother Lawrence for guidance. Lawrence tutored and tried to give George as much of an education he could. George was excited and ambitious to start†¦show more content†¦Joining in Lawrences place ranked George up to major. Washington was eager to prove he was good enough and that perspective is what leads to what he means to us today. He was so eager to prove himself he joined in a dangerous mission to the Ohio terr itory in 1753. George was supposed to carry a warning message to the French from the governor . After Washington soon arrived he had to inform the governor that the French would not listen to the message and would not leave Ohio. After Washington did that he was promoted to the lieutenant colonel. Soon after he traveled back to the northern frontier were unpremeditated fighting resulted in the death of Joseph Jumonville, one of the French officers. Washington and his troop continued to work on a fort in Great Meadow, Pennsylvania. The French who were angry about the death of Jumonville decided that they were going to attack back. The surrounded George and his troop at the fort, but Washington could only surrender showing he would not fight and get his men killed. The French and Britain both wanted the Ohio territory which is what made the war known as the French and Indian war to Americans and the seven year war to the Britain start. After having to surrender the fort to the F rench George resigned his appointment with the Virginia regiment and bought his sister-in-law Annes Mount Vernon estate close to Alexandria, Virginia. Even though George bought the house he wanted to expand his military experience GeorgeShow MoreRelatedThe History of Art at Iowa State University Essay776 Words   |  4 Pagesthe magnificent art that is located on campus? Iowa State is home to one of the largest campus public art collections in the United States. There are over 2,000 works of public art (George Washington Carver). The foundation of the contemporary Art on Campus Collection and Program began during the Depression in the 1930s, when Iowa States President Hughes envisioned that, The arts would enrich and provide substantial intellectual exploration into our college curricula† (George Washington Carver)Read MoreI Consider Myself A Great Patriot1324 Words   |  6 Pageseverything that I do to be purely inspired by patriotism, why do we assume that the founding fathers of America thought this way (class notes)? The traditional picture of our founding fathers usually reflects a group of unfairly treated renegades who assemble a magnificent revolution and break free from the horrors of Great Britain. Patriotism was in their every bone and they would do anything for their country. There is also an element of rags to riches, that these poorly treated people became the great leadersRead MoreThe Revolutionary City Is Not Just An Area1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe Revolutionary City provides its visitors with an adorned sense of place. Although Williamsburg was restored from its original structures, with some changes implemented by the modern centuries, an American faith has bestowed on the Tidewater town of Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg adequately portrays how the area incorporates the cultures, hopes, aspirations, and conflicts of the American people of the time period. The Revolutionary City is not just an area that is composed of colonialRead MoreSummary Of It s Such A Big Dre am I Can t See It All1532 Words   |  7 PagesRasheta Washington Photo History 1 Instructor Rafferty May 4, 2014 Edward Curtis â€Å"It’s such a big dream, I can’t see it all†. — Edward Sheriff Curtis Edward Curtis was born in 1868 in Whitewater, Wisconsin. His nationality is Caucasian American and his occupation a Photographer. Growing up as a kid Curtis would accompany his father (a preacher) on long journeys to visit members of his congregation. Being out in the wild, prepared Edward and helped him on his journey that was coming laterRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin By Harriet Beecher Stowe2969 Words   |  12 Pages I have recently read the magnificent book â€Å"Uncle Tom s Cabin† which was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This truly beautiful piece of literature was inspiring while filled with the gut-wrenching truth about the sin we call slavery. As I read I was filled with more and more hatred towards the cruel slave owners of our country and couldn’t put it down. I am sickened every time one of my patients speaks of slavery as if it is a wonderful holy thing benefitting our stupid stupid country. We asRead MoreWalt Disney: the Quintessential American2275 Words   |  10 Pageswithout the man behind all this greatness. Walt Disney was a man full of charisma, joyfulness, and positivity. He never backed down or felt discouraged after failing. He was a man who knew what he wanted and ended up getting it; he was a go-getter. His legacy is celebrated every year by the making of new Disney movies and he is appreciated throughout the world. If you ask an average person who is the quintessential American, his or her response would be someone like George Washington, Theodore RooseveltRead MoreRevisiting, Revising, and Reviving Americas Founding Era6252 Words   |  26 Pagesprompted her American colonists to resist, and then to reject, imperial rule. Having declared independence and defeated the British, American patriots then drafted the constitution that remains the law of the land to this day. With George Washingtons inauguration as president in 1789, the story has a happy ending and the curtain comes down. This time-honored script renders the road from colonies to nation clear, smooth, and straight, with familiar landmarks along the way, from Bostons Massacre and TeaRead MoreA Comparison Between Booker T. Washington (19th century) and Martin Luther King Jr. (20th century)5383 Words   |  22 Pagesdecades, Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was the major African-American spokesman in the eyes of white America. Born a slave in Virginia, Washington was educated at Hampton Institute, Norfolk, Virginia. He began to work at the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 and built it into a center of learning and industrial and agricultural training. A handsome man and a forceful speaker, Washington was skilled at politics. Powerful and influential in both the black and white communities, Washington was a confidentialRead MoreAmerica s Greatest Weapon Against The Nazi Regime1890 Words   |  8 Pagesabout his country’s greatest weapon against the Nazi regime, Winston Churchill didn’t hesitate to respond. He said, â€Å"It was what England’s greatest threat had always been†¦ hope.† What Churchill knew, and what all great leaders know, is the most empowering thought a person can receive hope. It is unquestionably the strongest motivational force in all the earth. When hope fills our heart, we dream of a better future. We begin to see possibilities that otherwise would have not been seen. It makes theRead MoreImportance of West Point During the American Rev Essay2246 Words   |  9 PagesRevolutionary War Project: West Point General George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, the Continental Army commander, and later the first president of the United States of America during the American Revolution declared West Point, as â€Å"the most important military position in America†[i]. West Point is located in New York, along the Hudson River and 50miles from New York City. West Point was a very strategic point during the American Revolution, due

John F. Kennedy s Assassination - 1739 Words

John F Kennedy grew up in a wealthy and very political family. His assassination was a shock to many. It was a time of Cold War and the peak of US involvement in Vietnam. It is important to understand the John F. Kennedy regime including both its national and foreign policy. You also need to look into his personal life. This would help to create motives, and find the primary aspect to consider when looking into any homicide, assassination or murder. He was the first president who was a Boy Scout, the youngest ever to be elected president, He won the Pulitzer Prize in history for the book Profiles in Courage, and He was credited in starting the Peace Corp. Would all of this and perhaps more be the cause of his own death? Did Lee Harvey†¦show more content†¦He learned very early in life to hate the world, learned early that he had to sink or swim on his own resources. It is sad that a child had to go through this at a young age but that is no excuse for him to do what he did If he did it or is this a conspiracy too? According to Mel Ayton â€Å"Oswald’s mental state does not have crisp, sharp-edged concepts†. It has also been said that he Shot John F Kennedy because he looked similar to his wife (marina’s) ex-boyfriend. Marina states that† Lee had no moral sense at all . . . only egotism, anger at others on account of his failures.† Lee Oswald had physiological issues as well.† Psychologically, Oswald had always been a loner and an outsider. He had always been attracted to things that would provide enhanced self-esteem, becoming a Marine, learning Russian, defecting to Russia, inventing a fictitious chapter of a radical political organization. But it was the attacks on his psyche in childhood – his father dying, his experiencing only sporadic and detached associations with his mother’s boyfriends, his relationship with an angry, unstable and domineering mother – that helped turn Lee’s ps yche in adulthood into an embittered, angry misfit.† (AYTON) At last the most basic and dooming story originated from Marina Oswald, Harvey s wife. In addition, her English was extremely poor and so some contend that it would not have beenShow MoreRelatedJohn F Kennedy s Assassination2993 Words   |  12 PagesNovember 22nd, 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy s assassination, America stopped and stood still. This tragic day in American history will never be forgotten. John Fitzgerald Kennedy had high hopes in the United States for different amounts of things. The 35th and youngest president to this day of the United States was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, other conspiracies say that the CIA, Lyndon B. Johnson or the Mafia could have done it too. John Fitzgerald Biography John F Kennedy was born in BrooklineRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s Assassination1482 Words   |  6 Pagesdiffering opinions on John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Some even believe that his assassination was a conspiracy. Today I will be explaining three different historians’ views on the matter, but all serious historians didn’t think that there was a conspiracy. I have randomly selected three historians who’s names follow: Michael Rivero, Daniel Czitrom, and Oliver Stone. These are three very credible historians, and have done thorough research on President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. I will first startRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s Assassination2651 Words   |  11 PagesJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Assassination On the tragic day of November 22nd, 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy s assassination, America stopped and stood still. The 35th president of the United States was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, other conspiracies say that the CIA, Lyndon B. Johnson or the Mafia could have done it too. The Life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. He was born in Brookline Massachusetts, to Rose and Joseph Kennedy. He was also the grandson of JohnRead MorePresident John F. Kennedy s Assassination2463 Words   |  10 Pages President John F. Kennedy s assassination has plagued the nation for over fifty years. America has come to associate death, conspiracy, and change with the tragic events of November 22, 1963. John and Jackie Kennedy traveled from the White House to the state of Texas to began a campaigning tour for the upcoming presidential election. Kennedy began his trip with hopes of securing votes to help him secure a victory for the 1964 election. John F. Kennedy began his tour through Texas to regain supportRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s Assassination1354 Words   |  6 Pagesfifty-one years since President John F. Kennedy’s (JFK’s) assassination, but there are still several unanswered questions lingering in the minds of the American people. For example, there are a large number of conspiracy theories floating around on the internet describing President Kennedy’s murder, along with mistakes made due to various flawed government agencies. Along with all of the publicity, there are quite a few rumors surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination, however, various articles andRead MoreThe Cia Planned John F. Kennedy s Assassination1101 Words   |  5 Pagesthe credibility of the persuader. Logos is used to appeal to logic using maps, detailed facts, and charts. Finally Pathos, which is used to show sympathy and empathy a reader feels while reading the essay. In the essay, â€Å"The CIA Planned John F . Kennedy’s Assassination,† author Steven Hager, editor of High Times magazine uses many examples of the three elements to help illustrate the specific details in his article. To begin, Hager used ethos in his essay to help his readers be convinced the readerRead MoreConspiracy Theory of John F. Kennedy ´s Assassination1945 Words   |  8 PagesPresident John Fitzgerald Kennedy arrived in Dallas to an excited crowd of people lining the streets hoping to get a glimpse of the President. At 12:30 in the afternoon, the President’s car made the last, fatal turn. As the car turned left onto Elm Street, past the Texas School Block Depository and headed down the slope that leads through Dealey Plaza, Governor Connally’s wife said, â€Å"Mr. President, You can’t say that Dallas doesn’t love you† (Report of the Presidents Commission on the Assassination ofRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s Assassination1193 Words   |  5 PagesJohn F. Kennedy s assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, left the country in a condition of flabbergast and grief. Kennedy s vice president, Lyndon Baines Johnson, was sworn into office on board A ir Force One. Johnson promised to commit his administration to the satisfaction of Kennedy s legacy. Johnson had ascended from poverty, yet ended up a tremendously powerful politician. His personality was larger than life; he used his intimidating in your face management tactics known asRead Moreâ€Å"Forgive Your Enemies, But Never Forget Their Names.† –John1302 Words   |  6 Pagesforget their names.† –John F Kennedy This quote was said by a man who was once someone that the American people would call the 35th President of the United States. John F. Kennedy was a very young President, as well as a very good looking president. Women would swoon over the idea of John F. Kennedy but also be jealous of his wife that he was married to at the time. John F. Kennedy is well known for his affair with Marilyn Monroe the world’s leading bombshell blonde in the 1960’s. This President isRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy982 Words   |  4 Pages O’Reilly and Dugard’s book, Killing Kennedy, is about the events leading to President John F. Kennedy being shot, as well as what happened after the assassination. This book also describes the rise and fall of John F. Kennedy. The authors also wrote about the Cold War, Kennedy dealing with communism, and threats of crime. January of 1961, the cold war was growing stronger and Kennedy was struggling with communism. During all of this happening, he was learning what it meant to be a president. He

Northern NGOs Free Essays

In this research paper we look at the involvement of Northern NGOs with the developing countries. They are prime donors of most developing countries programs which are geared towards alleviating the welfare of the masses such as improve health and living condition. Local NGOs have been involved as intermediaries between government and the people. We will write a custom essay sample on Northern NGOs or any similar topic only for you Order Now The northern NGOs serve their specific agenda and mandate contrary to what the poor rural urban expect. NORTHERN NGOS Northern NGOs represented international organizations who are donors to developing countries that are are donors such as World Bank and private agencies. Their relation with the south makes it the subject of this research paper. The relationship with governments and nongovernmental organization with them plays a critical role in understanding their mandates and objectives in helping the population in the rural and urban regions. The urban and rural populace has diverse needs ranging from health, unemployment, education, poverty and access to other services. In this respect governments have been unable to provide these services to their community in an effective and wider coverage manner. For instance, in South Africa, 30 % of the population are unemployed and for the 20% of the poorest households, 53% ere unemployed (Adato Haddad 2001, p.1). It is also reported that there is need for job creation in all regions inhabited by the poorest households i.e. urban, metropolitan and rural. Based on these facts the governments of countries in the developing world have focused their programs to alleviate these problems e.g. the welfare of the masses, improve living condition, health and service provision (Li 2005). The programs have achieved different success margins and limitations. Most of government programs are constrained in reaching the people because of bureaucracy, authoritarian rule and high cost of implementation. Since most of the programs are financed by international community (Northern NGOs) and governments. For instance, in Indonesia the World Bank has developed social development programs to help them achieve their mandate and objectives. In order to do these, they have used analysis of the needs of the regions to come up with the plan. Due to constraints in working with the government directly they have supported and strengthened the local NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) to advance their objectives (Li 2005). The rationale use includes improving transparency in village planning level, conflict resolution and step sponsorship of NGOs. However NGOs have their own limitations such as the leaders use as a vehicle for reformation of social and political life. The World Bank has used neo-liberal system to ensure ‘good governance’ by instituting a competitive process based on administrative and decentralized structures (Li 2005). More so in order for the region to be eligible for support from World Bank it had to proof that it is pro-poor and is supervised by the World Bank team. According to Arya (1999) he explains the role in which NGOs have worked with their government under the funding of donors (government agencies, private agencies and governments). The common objectives for the collaboration include; access to technical resources, gain legitimacy or recognition from the people, obtain appropriate solution and developmental problems, enhance people’s participation and provide   better accountability, transparency and public reform system (Arya   1999). Donors view NGOs as intermediaries or transitory to government links to people and use them to as instruments of improved service delivery and outreach to the government. The donors see their task as completed when NGOs are involved in the project programs with the government. Most private donors do not support or supervise the selection criterion even when there is resistance from the government. However, they can play a key role in establishing mechanism to bring NGOs so that they have a beneficial effect on service delivery, participation and decentralization (Arya 1999). Northern NGOs for the past decade have increased funding to southern NGOs with due to limitation effectiveness of delivery, reforms, cost efficiency, sustainability and participation from the government. DeGabriele (2002), when studying about improvement of community based management projects. He previewed the World Health Organization commitment to provide access to safe and clean water. But from the experiences gathered two challenges emerged; water accessibility could not be achieved with the rate of population growth and the intended improvements to health were not realized within 1980 – 1990 decade. This becomes the redefinition of the concept of community management within water sector. It was realized that water accessibility could only be achieved with participatory role implemented (DeGabriele 2002). AED (1998) elaborates on the participatory approach used to i.e. the participatory learning and Action approach which involves communities to analyze their needs, identify possible solutions and develop, implement and evaluate the plan of action. In contrast NGOs can have negative implication to the poor because they can use them to legitimize their existence, solicit funds and raise their profile for the disadvantage of the poor. Changes in their positive attitude will go way to bring positive results (AED 1998, Kaiser 2000, p. 6). CONCLUSION Northern NGOs play critical role in financing development programs to developing countries. They have been involved directly or indirectly with government depending on the nature and intensity of the resources used and the origin of the donor. Most private agencies finance the local NGOs who are viewed as intermediaries or transitory link between the government and people. The donors have used them to enhance their agenda and mandate to ensure good governance of project- programs they agree with the government. REFERENCE Adato, M.; Haddad, L, 2001, Poverty targets, community-based public works programs: a cross-disciplinary assessment in South Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Available from: http://www.ifpri.org/divs/fcnd/dp/papers/fcndp121.pdf [8 April 2008] AED, 1998, Empowering communities: participatory techniques for community-based programme development, Academy for Educational Development, Washington DC, Available Arya, V, 1999, Towards a relationship of significance: lessons from a decade of collaboration between government and NGOs in Rajasthan, India,   Agricultural Research and Extension Network (AgREN), Available from: http://www.odi.org.uk/agren/papers/agrenpaper_97.pdf [8April 2008] DeGabriele, J, 2002, Improving community based management of boreholes† a case study from Malawi Land Tenure Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Available from http://www2.irc.nl/manage/debate/malawi.html [8April 2008] Kaiser, T, 2000, Participatory beneficiary-based approaches in evaluation of humanitarian programmes, Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU), UNHCR, Available from : http://www.unhcr.org/research/RESEARCH/3c7527f91.pdf [8April 2008] Li, T, 2005, The government through community; the World Bank in Indonesia, University of Toronto, Available from: http://www.law.nyu.edu/kingsburyb/fall05/globalization/Li_paper.pdf [8April 2008] How to cite Northern NGOs, Essay examples

A Man On The Moon Essay Example For Students

A Man On The Moon Essay A Man on the MoonApollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to walk on the Moon. The United States and more over the world, reveres astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong for walking on the Moon. But if all we do is remember their moonwalk, then we will have missed the most important mission objectives. Indeed, there is more to begotten from the Apollo Space Program than just an edge in the space race. There is a high set of values to be exemplified. What happened on July 20, 1969, was undoubtedly one of mankinds greatest achievements. Just eight years earlier, in May 1961, John Kennedy had challenged the nation to landing a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth by decades end (Chaikin, 1.) The purpose was simple: Space was the new battleground of the Cold War, and the Soviet Union was in the lead when in April 1961, when Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the earth. This was an embarrassment for the Kennedy administration, save the Bay of Pigs (Chaikin, 2.)Some 400,000 Americans in government, industry, and academia formed the teams of Project Apollo, the largest peacetime effort in history (Chaikin, iii.) For the better part of a decade they labored to make Kennedys vision a reality. Through teamwork and an iron work ethic, these people all reached for the Moon. Finally, one July Sunday in 1969, the world listened, spellbound, as Armstrong and Aldrin descended in their lunar module Eagle toward the pockmarked surface of the Moons Sea of Tranquility. With only 20 seconds of fuel left before the mandatory abort limit, Eagle touched down safelyand on Earth, 400,000 people celebrated their triumph (Chaikin, 200.)Hours later, a television audience estimated at 600 million saw Neil Armstrong take his one giant leap for mankind, followed moments later by Buzz Aldrin (Chaikin, 209.) Together, the two astronauts took photographs, collected rock samples, and planted the American Flag on the ancient dust of the Sea of Tranquility. Two human beings were walking on another world. All of their selflessness, determination, and courage had paid off. When Armstrong, Aldrin, and Michael Collins splashed down in the Pacific four days later, the United States had completed its commitment to Kennedys challengeand won the race to the Moon. Five more landings followed Apollo 11, each more complex than the last, all dedicated to lunar exploration, to pushing our limits. It is now impossible to imagine the sense of hugeness that must have accompanied Kennedys challenge. But optimism was one of Apollos key ingredients: It fueled our dreams and sent us to the Moon. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldine were the first humans walk on the Moon. The world needs heroes like astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong (Apollogies to the other 399,997 or so others who made the Manned Lunar Program a success.) But if all we do is remember their moonwalk, then we will have failed to live up to the example that they have set for us, through self sacrifice, determination, hard work, optimism, honor, courage, and commitment. Indeed, there is more to begotten from the Apollo Space Program than just a W in the space race. There is a high set of values to be mastered, and some very giant leaps to follow.

Role Of Greek Gods In The Illiad Essays (999 words) - Trojans

Role of Greek Gods In the Illiad With our view of God, it can sometimes be difficult to comprehend the actions and thinking of the Greek deities. The Christian God does not tend to take such an active role in the affairs of people's lives, where, on the other hand, the Greeks regarded direct involvement by the gods as a daily, uncontrollable part of life. Needless to say, divine intervention was a major variable in the equation of Homer's Iliad. The gods picked who they would favour for different reasons. Except Zeus: As the symbol of supreme authority and justice, he makes judgement calls as to the other gods' involvement in the war, remains impartial, and doesn't seem to get caught up in picking favourites. Even when his own son, Sarpedon, was about to die, Zeus chose to let the outcome go unaltered. On the other hand, Zeus's wife, Hera, displayed the more typical actions of a god. After Paris, a Trojan, judged Aphrodite the fairest over Hera, and, after her daughter Hebe was replaced as cupbearer to the gods by a young Trojan boy, she was quite resentful towards Troy and its people. Obviously she sided with the Greeks and would stop at no length to express her will. Scheming and manipulating she even dared to trick her husband, King of the Gods. Hera, along with Athena, who was also passed over by Paris, is seen as the chief divine aid to the Greeks. Being the god of the sea, Poseidon was another strong supporter of the ocean-faring Greeks. Whenever Zeus turned his back Poseidon tried to help the Greeks in the fight. Poseidon felt that he was somewhat Zeus's equal as his brother, but recognizing Zeus's authority and experience, he looked to Zeus as an elder. There were also Gods who favoured the Trojan side of the conflict. Both Apollo and Artemis, twin brother and sister, gave aid to the city of Troy. Although Artemis takes a rather minor role, Apollo, perhaps angered by Agamemmnon's refusal to ransom Khryseis, the daughter of one of his priests and was constantly changing the course of the war in favour of the Trojans. Responsible for sending plague to the Greeks, Apollo was the first god to make an appearance in the Iliad. Also, mainly because Apollo and Artemis were on the Trojan side, their mother, Leto, also helped the Trojans. Aphrodite, obviously supporting Paris's judgement, sided with the Trojans. Although she was insignificant on the battlefield, Aphrodite was successful in convincing Ares, her lover and the god of war, to help the Trojans. One view of the gods' seemingly constant intervention in the war was that they were just setting fate back on the right course. For instance, when Patroklos was killed outside of Troy, Apollo felt no guilt for his doings. It had already been decided that Patroklos would not take Troy, he should never have disobeyed Achilles in the first place. As a god, he was just setting fate on a straight line. Achilles laid blame on Hektor and the Trojans. He did not even consider accusing Apollo, who never came into question, although he was primarily responsible for the kill. Apollo's part in the matter was merely accepted as a natural disaster or illness would be today. This general acceptance of a god's will is a recurring trend throughout the poem. A prime example of this trend is in book XXIV. Achilles, angry over the death of Patroklos brutally disgraced Hektor's body. Tethering Hektor's corpse through the ankles, Achilles dragged him around Patroklos's tomb every day for twelve days. This barbaric treatment was uncalled for and displeased the gods greatly. Achilles mother, Thetis, was sent by Zeus to tell him to ransom the body back to the Trojans. One may think Achilles would be possessive of the body and attempt to put up a fuss as he did before with Agamemmnon in Book I. But, Achilles showed humility and respect for the gods and immediately agreed to ransom the body to the Trojans, showing that all mortals, even god-like Achilles, were answerable to the gods. This ideology would seem to give the gods a sort of unlimited freedom on earth,

Pronouncing the Spanish W

Pronouncing the Spanish W Unlike most letters of the Spanish alphabet, the w (officially called the uve doble and sometimes ve doble, doble ve or doble u) does not have a fixed sound. That is because the w is native to neither Spanish nor to Latin, from which Spanish evolved. In other words, the w appears only in words of foreign origin. As a result, the w is usually pronounced similarly to its pronunciation in the words original language. Since English is the language most commonly used as a foreign source of words in modern Spanish, the w is most frequently pronounced like its common pronunciation in English, the sound the letter has in words such as water and witch. If you come across a Spanish word with a w and dont know how its pronounced, you can usually give it the English w pronunciation and be understood. It isnt uncommon for native Spanish speakers to add a g sound (like the g in go but much, much softer) at the beginning of the w sound. For example, waterpolo is often pronounced as if it were spelled guaterpolo, and hawaiano (Hawaiian) is often pronounced as if it were spelled haguaiano or jaguaiano. This tendency to pronounce the w as if it were gw varies with region and among individual speakers. In words of Germanic origin other than English, the Spanish w is often pronounced as if it were a b or v (the two letters have the same sound). In fact, this is often true even for some words that come from English; wter (toilet) is often pronounced as if it were spelled vter. An example of a word usually pronounced with the b/v sound is wolframio, a word for the metal tungsten. For some words that have been part of Spanish for several generations or more, alternative spellings have been developed. For example, wter is often spelled as vter, whisky (whiskey) is often spelled as gà ¼isqui, and watio (watt) is often vatio. Changes in spelling are uncommon with recently imported words. Reference sources used for this lesson include the Diccioinario panhispnico de dudas (2005) published by the Spanish Royal Academy.

Macroeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Macroeconomic - Essay Example Climate change may no longer be ignored and new policy points to carbon tax to deter carbon emissions. Immigration is another pressing issue where major reform may soon be in the works. The Democratic from Latinos signify a possible policy change in their favour. Finally, Mideast tension is a complicated problem where the author said that â€Å"Obama’s biggest second-term job is avoiding World War III† (49). A fiscal policy that promotes revenue generation through taxes paves the way for government to have an increased budget for government expenditure and avoid budget deficit. Federal expenditures account for â€Å"(1) pension and income security, (2) national defense, (3) health and (4) interest on the public debt† (McConnell and Brue 85). The taxes that may be accumulated from carbon tax will address the prevalent environmental issues and these funds will most likely be used to promote environmental measures in avoidance of natural disasters. Allowing a lenient immigration policy is perceived to reduce employment opportunities to resident citizens. However, this issue is more often a matter of social justice and existing illegal immigrants settle for unsatisfactory working conditions. An increase in population concurrently leads to a parallel increase in federal expenditures. The same assessment is true for engaging in war which accounts for large budget deficits and public de bt since it reallocates economic resources for war goods such as military spending for their personnel and armaments (ibid

Information based decision making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Information based decision making - Assignment Example Again, to retain the competitive position in the market, companies have to analyse the strategy used by its competitors and thus respective changes should be made in ones business strategy. With growing inter-relation in all these factors, the decision making process is getting complex day by day. In the contemporary business environment, the management is hardly left with time to conduct an in-depth analysis while making a decision. Therefore, the management prefer to use an information based decision making model. These models make the process of decision making more systematic and transparent. One may argue that such information based methods of decision making requires a lot of managerial time and effort. However, in the era of information technology one can easily extract required data from the central database and using the computer, complex calculations can be done within fraction of minutes. On the contrary, management can also determine beforehand all the possible negative c onsequences if the decision taken proves at any point of time. In the below give section, information based decision making concept as well as some of the commonly used models will be discussed in-depth. Nature of data and information The success of an information based decision making process highly depends on the quality as well as on the authenticity of the data used. Therefore, while developing the decision based information model, attention should be devoted towards nature of data and information to be used. Generally, while deciding about the nature, one should understand the core reason for which the data will be used. It means the nature of data should be finalised after considering the final use of the result derived from it. For example, if a company is developing an information based decision making process for its new project, then it will prefer to collected financial information to check the cost incurred in the production process. Again, quantitative as well as qualit ative data regarding the operational activities will be collected and used to analyse progress of the project. There are certain other factors that need to be ascertained while finalising the nature of data. The team that developers the decision making model should be conscious about authenticity and reliability of the data. A small little alteration in the data can disturb whole of the decision making process. For example, if the data regarding number of units sold in a particular region gets distorted (either willingly or unwillingly), it will effect whole of the marketing decision making model. Considering the wrong data about the sales figure, the marketing manager will provide a misguiding sales forecast for the next month. On the basis of this wrong forecast, the production department will set its schedule and it will pass this information to the purchase department to supply the required material. As a result the schedule of the purchase department will also get disturbed. In general, whole of the monthly schedule of the organisation will get disturbed and

Criminological Theory - The Virginia Tech Massacre Essay

Criminological Theory - The Virginia Tech Massacre - Essay Example Popular Medias like television, film, video games and comic books have played a great role in increasing the violence among the young generation. Modern films are filled with scenes of violence; murders, rapes etc. Video games and other entertainment software include various aspects that encourage children and minors to engage in various types of violence. When children see their comic hero killing several people, they feel murder as a simple activity and dare to carry it out in schools and families. They resort to various forms of violence. Youngsters simply shot down their school and college mates for no reason. Violence is a hobby of the modern world. Pressure and stress can take adolescents to violence as they are not mentally strong to deal with the struggles in life. Public schooling is notorious for the pressure it puts on students. Students are forced to wear the ‘right’ clothes, do the ‘particular’ assignment, and are pressured to be interested in v arious things which they are not naturally interested in. Individualism is ignored in this type of environment. Children are pressured to conform to certain rigid standards and rule. This rigidity is strong enough to disturb the psychological stability of children. They are increasingly affected by stress and anxiety that are caused by the pressures and work loads in their schools. This increased stress and anxiety creates undesirable behavior in children that lead to incidents like school shooting. Adolescents are highly vulnerable to anxiety and depression. In today's high-pressure corporate world, anxiety is a common feeling. People naturally become anxious. The emotional price of staying on top is always very high. Anxiety is unavoidable in such circumstances. As the person reaches the highest level of anxiety, a failure or an unexpected event can make him easily depressed. Anxiety disturbs the normal thoughts of an individual. The present world is the world of competitions. Edu cation and career filed have become highly competitive. ‘Survival of the fittest’ is the theme of the modern academic field. Even little kids are out to achieve something in life. This generation is characterized by its excessive, exaggerated and disproportionate anxiety. A silly disappointment would finally push children into violence, depression, suicide and various other actions. Pressure and stress play a major role in incidents like school shooting. Adolescents are involved in majority of the school violence cases. Problems faced by the adolescents makes them resort of violence. They drink most, smoke most and have sex at very early age. They hate schools, neglect their health, and are least satisfied in their life. They don’t have any fellowship with their parents and hate their classmates. They lack good company and guidance. Adolescents are highly vulnerable to drug abuse and various other problems. Almost one third of the juveniles aged 12-to 20 use alco hol in US. According to the estimates nearly 11 million children or juveniles are alcohol consumers. According to the study conducted by the federal Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly children and juveniles consume 20% of the alcoholic drinks in United States. More than 7000 children in United States start drinking alcohol everyday. All these culminate in events

An Essay on the Magna Carta

An Essay on the Magna Carta The Magna Carta is widely considered to be one of the most important documents of all time, and is seen as being fundamental to how law and justice is viewed in countries all over the world. Prior to the Magna Carta being created there was no standing limit on royal authority in England. This meant that the King could exploit his power in whatever way he saw fit, as he was not subject to any laws[1]. This paper will examine the Magna Carta, the reasons for its creation, its impact on England and whether it fulfilled its purpose or not. I will be making the argument as to why it has gone above and beyond its original intentions and has over time paved the way for liberty. The most important part of the Magna Carta is clause 39, and is as follows â€Å"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or striped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled. Nor will we proceed with force against him. Except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice[2].† Now given at the time this wasn’t considered particularly important but over time it became interpreted as guaranteeing individual rights and liberty. This has also been exported into other nation’s constitutions, particularly Western countries namely the United States in the form of the Bill of Rights. The Magna Carta finds its roots in early 13th century England under the rule of King John. Traditionally considered to be a ruthless, authoritarian king[3], John had a myriad of issues facing England when he took the throne and it seems that much of the resentment towards him is unwarranted. It is worth noting that England was practically bankrupt due to John’s brother, King Richard incurring exuberant costs from going on Crusade and later ransom from captivity at the hands of the Holy Roman Empire[4]. After Richards’s death due to injuries sustained while fighting in France, King John faced adversity from the French and English nobility who had supported John’s nephew the young Arthur of Brittany. When Arthur was killed in an altercation while under the custody of John, many implicated John in the killing. Soon afterward the French attacked and took Normandy from English hands[5]. As a result of this John began to raise taxes to build an army to re-take Normandy . The end result of the war was disastrous, the English army was left in ruin and country had all but run out of money. Upon returning to England King John was faced with rebellion from his barons and found that he had very few allies left. In 1215 these baronial rebels forced King John to sign the Magna Carta[6], literally meaning the â€Å"Great Charter[7]†. These 25 barons sought to outline the unwritten customs that had in effect governed the country for centuries and put them into written law that would have to be observed by the king. Now at the time of its inception the charter wasn’t meant to be a principle of law that would apply to everyone, it was simply a way that the ruling elite of the time, the barons could put some limits to the king’s power. The charter itself was really the product of difficult back and forth negotiations between King Johns government and the barons, both really wanting to avoid civil war and trying to find a compromise. The en shrinement into law of feudal custom and the operation of the legal system, one which even the king would have to abide by was the driving force behind most of the clauses. Once brought into law it was made clear that certain aspects were to be made more important and are considered to be the main reason why the barons wanted such legislation in the first place. The biggest issue was the oppressive taxation that King John imposed to fight against the French. Despite making significant advancements in the revenue system within England there had been a general sense of growing discontent with the arbitrary way the royalty imposed heavy taxes. In truth there was little John could do given how the coffers had been drained from his aforementioned brother and from his father, Henry II’s forays into France[8]. As such it isn’t very surprising that more periods of high taxation was all that was needed to incite the barons to revolt and force John into signing. The charter made it clear that the monarchy would have to follow some set of rules regarding taxation and other customs according to the nobles. These included the protection of the English church, the special significance of London and the rights accompanying its status. Others are concerned with family law, transportation across England and what I see as being the most important the clauses dealing with justice. Again I will refer back to clause 39 which is interpreted today as being concerned with what is known as habeas corpus. The immediate impact of this clause was not felt by a great many people, for at the time it was of course intended for those of high privilege. As such at the time it was more of a settlement between the royal head of state and England’s most powerful families. The barons wanted a kind of safeguard against a reckless king having seen far to much of what can happen when one spends with abandon as many kings before John had, while not wanting to go so far as to repl ace the king himself. The Magna Carta itself was in a rather precarious situation as only weeks after being signed by King John it was denounced by pope Innocent III as having been forced on the king[9], and John was happy to agree and renounce it as well. This lead to the barons inviting the French king, Philip to invade and take the crown. A civil war ensued and the fate of the charter was in question. The rebellion ended with the death of King John in 1216, this left the throne to his son 9 year old Henry III. The nobles agreed that young Henry should be the one to take the throne, as despite being the son of the king whom they had despised, they weren’t about to abandon the lines of succession with regard to heredity. The Magna Carta was reaffirmed by Henry with the key focus being on a good reliable government led by the king. Eventually Henry began to deviate from the guidelines the charter had laid out for him and once again the barons went into open rebellion. The reb ellion was put down but only on the condition that the king would adhere to the charter once again. This is important as it set a precedent by which other English kings could not simply ignore the Magna Carta and do as they pleased, out of risking open rebellion. The charter comes in prominence again with the reign of Henry III’s son, Edward I. Once again frustration mounted over the heavy tax burden the king set upon the country and Edward had to admit that he was in fact bound by the Magna Carta, thus giving concession to the nobles. By this time the charter had become prominent enough that certain clauses pertaining to individual liberty were become common practice. As free men in England could enjoy the rights set forth in the Magna Carta. The structure of the charter is as such that it has an open-ended nature allowing for small tweaks and revisions at times when it is warranted. Over time we see events of great importance in England with the Magna Carta being the backbone of the movements. This is apparent with attempts to limit the royal powers of kings following Edward I. It isn’t until the late 14th century do we see however the charter being used in such an all-encompassing way. Under King Edward III the Magna Carta was proclaimed to be the law of the land and that no other law present or future could challenge it. We also see the first instances of the Magna Carta affecting general law, including the expansion of clause 39 making it in effect the due process that all men would be condition to if subject to the justice system. It is around this time that we see the gradual shift from the charter serving only the purpose of giving power to the nobles against the crown, to a general defense of human liberty in England. This can only be seen as a good thing as until this time the charter by and large only served the privileged few. The common people were subject to mistreatment at the hands of those in power in England for a very long time, the idea that they now have rights was an entirely new concept but one that gradually began to take hold, as the Magna Carta was reinterpreted. When taking into account the Magna Carta the role the English church played is one of great import[10]. It is explicitly stated in the charter that the church be given full freedom and unimpaired liberty, the fact that this is mentioned long before any mention of liberties for the freemen of England is important to take into account[11]. Of course it is hard to say that King John considered these clauses a concession, as the church already possessed many liberties given their unique position within England. The church had an expectation that they could practice their spiritual tasks without interference from the king. Society in this period had many dependencies on the church and as such it made sense for the king to observe the freedoms the church enjoyed rather than infringe upon them and threaten the peace that the church held in the kingdom. King John seemed to regard the freedom of the church as something of paramount import in England, even deferring to the pope on several occa sions. The evolution of the Magna Carta can also be attributed to the privileged status of the church itself. The type of freedom that those within the church enjoyed was outlined in the charter and a connection was made between this and the clauses dealing with the freemen, or the individual. This is important because without the church there would simply be no precedent for liberty in England. The Magna Carta then can be seen as a very important step towards liberty, especially considering the time when it was written. Its evolution from a document which was originally intended to force King John to consult the nobility on issues pertaining to taxes and justice in the realm, to the cornerstone of individual liberty is of great importance. The novel view that a king should be respectful of the rights of the nobility and church would be extrapolated into one in which all people regardless of birthright would be protected by law. As such I would say that yes the Magna Carta has indeed served its purpose and then some. Its continuing influence can be seen even today, enshrined in constitutions all over the western world[12]. The gradual shift in England towards individual rights and movement of government towards democracy can be attributed to the Magna Carta. As because individuals gained more rights including the common people this lead to the rise in the democratic process, including the creation of the English parliament where commoners could participate in government. Looking back however on its inception it is hard to say that the barons really had a specific goal in mind with the Magna Carta’s creation. The extent to which King John was an evil, tyrannical king seem to have been blown way out of proportion, given the circumstances I don’t see how he could have changed much of what he did during his reign. The idea that the barons were these visionaries thinking well ahead of their time is laughable, and seems more likely that they were simply distrustful of King Johns rule and were looking out for their own short-term interests. That is not to say of course that there weren’t some good ideals enshrined within the charter as it is apparent that there were, only that the majority of what was actually included seemed to be a result of various motivations on the part of upset barons. One of the most important aspects of the Magna Carta, and its most enduring is the idea of due process. Now granted due process and the subsequent trial by jury were not of any great importance to the barons at the time of the charters writing, although given the framework it is hard not to say that a few of them weren’t thinking ahead of what may become of it. This malleable framework provided just what subsequent generations needed to reinterpret certain clauses within the charter and make them take on a more general meaning apply to a much larger spectrum. The effects of continued reinterpretations have been profound on western society, first in the form of Habeas Corpus which served to strengthen what due process had already given the general populace. The point being that after Magna Carta and all its various iterations people had a series of natural rights and liberty by law, these influences have helped shape constitutions and how countries are governed today. [1] Jenkins, â€Å"A Short History of England,† 65 72 [2] â€Å"Magna Carta 1215† [3] Warren â€Å"King John† 174 181 [4] Jenkins â€Å"A Short History of England† 65 72 [5] Warren â€Å"King John† 76 93 [6] â€Å"Roger of Wendover:Runneymede 1215† last modified June 1997 [7] DanzigerGillingham â€Å"1215 The Year of Magna Carta† 255 277 [8] Jenkins â€Å"A Short History of England† 57 65 [9] Thorne E. Samuel et al â€Å"The Great Charter† 16 17 [10] DanzigerGillingham â€Å"1215 The Year of Magna Carta† 137 153 [11] â€Å"Magna Carta† 1215 [12] Hindley â€Å"The Book of Magna Carta† 193 201

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and Our Love Now by Martyn Essay

To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and Our Love Now by Martyn Lowery both see men trying to use methods of persuasion to get what they want. How successful are they? I have recently studied ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell, written in the 17th Century and ‘Our Love Now’ by Martyn Lowery, written in the 19th century. Attitudes to love have changed a lot since the 17th Century. When ‘To His Coy Mistress’ was written, men were in charge of the relationship. It would take a lot longer for this relationship to progress than it would today. The man would court the woman for months before anything progressed. He would write her letters and poems, and then eventually, if he loved her, he would ask her to marry him. They would not make love until they were married, as sex outside of marriage was frowned upon. However, today a relationship before marriage can be any length of time and there is no one in charge of it as men and women are more equal in today’s society. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is a poem about a man trying to persuade a shy woman to have sex with him. In the first section he romances her, convinces her that he respects her, tells her she is beautiful and how he adores her. In the second section he scares her. He says that life is short and all they have to look forward to is death. In the third part he persuades the woman by telling her that she should make the most of time and to speed it up, not waste it. ‘Our Love Now’ is a poem about a man trying to persuade a woman that they should persevere with their relationship. He uses metaphors as a key method of persuasion. However we have the woman’s reply, and she clearly does not feel the same way, she thinks their relationship is over. Ev... ... very strong, consistent argument, allowing no time for the woman to sort out in her own head, her feelings for him. The way the argument is constructed implies he is forcing her to have sexual relations. He does not give her a choice, but uses his power over her to get his own way. I think he almost bullies her into making love to him as he never stops bombarding her with his opinions. In ‘To His Coy Mistress’ the poet uses a variety of methods. The way the poem is constructed makes it sound as if it is written flippantly, but the reader can see through him. I don’t think the woman would see this as it is covered by clever examples. However, after studying the poem you can see this. He makes her feel secure, makes her think he loves her and tells her what he wants yet does not put it so bluntly that in undermines his otherwise very successful persuasions.

Building Up Brand Awareness in a Social Media Context

Building up brand awareness in a social media context Tag: Social media, brand awareness, micro blog, weibo Nowadays, we live in an era of information and communication bloom, not just locally but also on a global basis, in which each of us venerably is exposed to enormous messages, news reports, commentaries and features from different kinds of medium. Moreover, we not just the passive passengers of the information turmoil, in fact we do proactively participate into the game and become part of what we called social media, which changes the way how we perceive and shape the world around us.There might be many definitions about social media, given the nature and broaden perspectives of it. According to ESOMAR (The European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR), a global association for market, social and opinion researchers. ), social media is defined as â€Å"internet based platforms and technologies that permit users’ interaction and/or facilitate the creation and exchange of user generated content. † Whilst the scope is evolving, the following format is focused and discussed: * Multi-person/group communication and/or collaboration platforms (e. . Twitter) Note: arguably Sina. com might say Weibo is more than Twitter, but to make it simple we quote Weibo here is similar to twitter in some sense. * The urgency of connecting consume thru social media With the emerging of social media and the growing popularity across different regions, we can now keep in touch with each other all the time, share photos and messages simultaneously to thousands or millions, and it’s also allowed brands to interact much more closely to their consumers – you and me. Marketing in this way has forever been changed by social media.Marketers can engage with and influence existing and potential consumes through adverts or other format of effective communication tools specifically tailored to that type of person, all based on information the consumer has given out on a voluntary basis. Furthermore, if the instinctive nature of Social network is taken into the consideration which is the networking expansion down to different level, the brand messages received and responded by consumers would cast substantial influence over their peers in the network.One of the key and productive initiatives or requirements for a marketing manager is to increase the awareness that could lead to preference, purchasing motivation or even brand loyalty. With the feature of easy access, speedy and broaden coverage and most important of all, the lower cost of average reach, marketing manager is now equipped a new perspective to market a brand to thousands of consumer, increasing its public awareness through pages and helping to cement the brands image with regular updates, photos, articles and more. * The increasing outreach of social mediaSocial media witnesses its popularity or taking over around the globe in the past few years. Especially in China, a country with growing potential in internet usages and mobile internet, based on the statistics from <The 29th China Internet Development Statistics Report> from CNNIC, by the end of Year 2011, the number of internet user in China exceeds 500 million in which one-quarter of net users use microblog(Weibo). Basically, it’s hard to find someone not signed up to one social media page or another, and so it makes sense that companies have set up pages to market their products and services.The first step is to increase the brand awareness over this interactive platform. In short, social media has access to all. On the other hand, many brands in China also rush to build up their corporate microblog to have the first trials of interaction with consumers. According to the statics from Sina. com, till the end of Feb, 2012, totally more than 130,000 companies have set up the official weibo over Sina. com. Interesting thing is that among these companies, around half of them are co ming from the dinning, i. e. restaurant, cafe or dining outlets.Not surprisingly, when being asked in the survey about the intentions of stepping into the stage of launching the corporate weibo, 100% of these companies responded that the first priority is brand building, with PR and CRM on the second and the third places to follow respectively. * Interactive way of exchanging brand information flow When communicating the messages, some of the key distinctive features about social media include two-way dialogues, interactive creation and speedy response. In the past, marketing managers frequently use the pre-set messages that fit into different segment to target their consumers.Under these so-call old fashion ways of consumer communication, the messages are fixed and tailed made already, even the marketing managers could modify and even alter some fractions of the messages based on the judging of the change of the different situation. More importantly, this kind communication would b e mostly in one direction, regardless the feedback from the receiver. In one way, social media allows users to interact with people and companies like never before, while also acting as an outlet to channel information about people and their opinions.On the other hand, it enables consumers to talk directly to one another, which means, over the social media platform, the topic, the tone, the timing and the frequency of these conversations are now outside the marketing managers’ direct control. As a consequence, marketing managers of today must not just focus on the provision of the traditional messages, they should also understand the way of consumers speak of their mind to shape their discussions in such a way that it is consistent with the company’s strategy and communication paradigm.When marketing managers set up a page on a social media site and people begin to follow it, they can ask these followers their opinions on the company’s products and services. On the very first stage, the information that can be gathered on these topics is invaluable, as it is essentially market research with the real information. Social media is a good platform with the mixed but advanced technology and full scaled of media features that enable instantaneous, real-time communication and applies multi-media formats, such as audio and video mediums.All these, not just coming from local market anymore, it comes with global reach capabilities. An interesting fact reveals that so-called high carihighly educated All this information can easily be put to use in better marketing to customers, helping marketers appeal to their audience in much better ways than before. Promoting a positive image Any social media agency will tell you that keeping your brand image up on your social media page is crucial. Word spreads fast, even faster with social media, so when negative comments are posted about a particular brand on the page it can be swiftly tackled and the problem s orted.Better yet, all of this being public will show other potential customers how your brand deals with problems. Facing off negative comments is great, but don’t forget that positive messages will also be posted. Marketing to the target market Today and in the past, marketing has been done through publications, signs, television and radio adverts. The target markets for these adverts are broad to try and appeal to as many people as possible as easily as possible.While this is still effective, marketing through social media can be targeted towards a much more niche audience. Using the information that users post on their social media profiles, adverts can be made to target from either a broad range of people, all the way down to a specific group. This allows for a greater personalisation of adverts, appealing more towards people who’d ignore the normal adverts. At the opposite end of the scale, setting up adverts to easily avoid users that’d have no interest in the product or service is also possible.

How to Find the Stated Main Idea

How to Find the Stated Main Idea How to Find the Stated Main Idea First of all, before we get into the stated main idea strategies and tricks, you have to know what the main idea is in the first place. What does it mean when a professor or teacher asks you to determine the main idea of a paragraph, essay, chapter or even a book?  The main idea of a paragraph, essay, or chapter is the point of the passage, minus all the details.  The main idea is the big picture. Its what you tell people when they ask you what you did last Saturday. You might say, I went to the movies, instead of saying, I hopped on the train to go to see Channing Tatums new movie where he blows up the planet and teams up with his long-lost love to start a new life on Pluto. I ate popcorn, used the restroom, washed my hands, then left the theater and went back to my apartment. The main idea is the general  instead of the specifics.  Ã‚     Its the Solar System vs. the planets. Its the football game vs. the fans, cheerleaders, quarterback, and uniforms. Its the Oscars vs. actors, the red carpet, designer gowns, and films. So, how do you find the  stated  main idea? The good news? Its really easy compared to figuring out the implied main idea. Read on for the details.   More info on how to find the main idea What Is a Stated Main Idea? Sometimes, a reader will get lucky and the main idea will be a stated main idea, which is the easiest to find in a passage. It is written directly in the text. Authors sometimes come right out and write the main idea in the passage for a variety of reasons – they dont want you to miss the point, they are new writers and have not figured out the art of subtlety, they like clear, informational writing. Whatever the reason, its there waiting for you; you just need to find it.   How To Find the Stated Main Idea Read the passage of textAsk this question to yourself: What is this passage mostly about?In your own words, explain the answer in one short sentence. Do not includes details or examples from the text. Do not extend your idea beyond what is written in the text, even if you know a ton about the topic. It does not matter for this exercise.  Look for a sentence in the text that most closely fits with your brief summary. Stated Main Idea Example:Because the Internet exists in a world that is already regulated with policies and laws, government officials, upholders of current laws and the voice of the people, should be ultimately responsible for the regulation of the Internet. With this responsibility comes the enormous task of managing the protection of First Amendment rights along with honoring social and public interests across the world. That being said, the ultimate responsibility still rests in the hands of Internet users who vote – they, along with the officials elected to serve them, make up the global community. Voters have the ability to elect responsible individuals to the appropriate posts, and the elected officials have the responsibility to act on the will of the people.. The main idea here is †¦government officials†¦should be ultimately responsible for the regulation of the Internet. That is a stated main idea because it is directly written in the text. The sentence fully encapsulates the passages meaning as a whole. It does not go beyond the text making inferences outside the scope of the passage, nor does it use the specifics of the passage inside it, either.   How to Find an Implied Main Idea Main Idea Practice Want to flex those main idea muscles? Here are some worksheets to practice!

Amazon.com Vision, Mission and Strategy

Amazon.com Vision, Mission and Strategy Introduction Amazon was started by Jeff Bezos as the worlds biggest bookstore but slowly changed from this single-product model to a multi-product enterprise which deals with a wide array of products satisfying an even broader base of consumers. Rosier (2002) concedes that Amazon.com has established itself as a household brand in the USA and is arguably the best-known online brand.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Amazon.com: Vision, Mission and Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since its birth, Amazon.com has moved from solely dealing with books to involving a myriad of other products. Kalakota and Robinson (2001) assert that an organization must continually strive to fulfill customer needs which include; convenience, consistency and reliability. Amazons venturing into different products thus complements the customer’s needs as opposed to sidetracking the original customer by offering them mor e convenience in that they can get not only books but also other products from the same place. Despite its diversification strategy, Amazon.com still engages in strong online branding so as to foster loyalty and a feeling of trust among its consumers (Arvidsson, 2006). In its book section, the company encourages people to write reviews on books thus offering a community-like interaction which generates emotional ties. This move underscores the fact that the company still holds the book section as one of its core entities and care is taken to maintain and increase its consumer base. These qualities and strategies have enabled the company to attain its goals and vision of being the world biggest bookstore and satisfying its client needs. Vision statement According to Hill and Jones (2009), a vision statement is a phrase that describes a desired outcome. The authors state that a vision statement should inspire, energize and help the reader develop a mental picture of the set target. As such, this is the proposed vision statement for Amazon.com: Acts as a foundation from which every aspect of our business is developed. It guides our operations by highlighting what is needed to accomplish our goals and objectives of achieving sustainable and quality growth.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People: provide a favorable working environment where people are inspired to realize their full potential. Portfolio: bring to the global market a range of online services that foresee and satisfy our client’s needs and desires. Partners: foster a successful network of clients and suppliers with whom quality and enduring value can be created. Planet: influence positive change that will facilitate in building and supporting sustainable communities. Profit: maximize long-term benefits to shareholders, all the while maintaining ethical practices in all our operations. Productivity: be an effective and proactive organization. Mission statement Hill and Jones (2009) define a mission statement as a written affirmation that outlines the core purpose of an organization and its focus. The authors state that in most cases, a mission statement remains unchanged over time. With this in mind, a satisfactory mission statement should be: Our mission is to run the best online bookstore, irrespective of the products and services that we offer. Considering the nature of our business, our ambitions must coincide with the principles that govern the products that exist in our stores. To state that our mission does not depend on the products and services that we offer is to undermine the importance of being an online bookseller. As online booksellers we aim to be the best in this line of business, no matter the size, nature and affiliations of our competitors. We will be at the forefront when it comes to innovating new and better styles and app roaches to bookselling. Our strategy will be in line with the set and evolving aspirations. Above all, we expect to be a benefit to the communities that we cater for, a useful resource to our clients, and an avenue through which different stakeholders can grow and prosper. Not only will we be a listening and caring partner to our clients and booksellers but also promote the idea that we are always at their service. Recommended implementation strategy While offering of † free shipping plans† and express shipping services is expensive and does cut into the profit margin of the company, Amazon.com should continue to offer these services to its clients. Competition in the online retail market is every increasing and as such, a company needs to give itself a competitive advantage over its competitors. These â€Å"super saver shipping† scheme offers one such means since it proposes to offer the consumers value added services thus setting Amazon.com apart from its compet itors. Considering that Amazons marketing strategy is pegged on an increase in customer traffic so as to promote repeat purchases and strengthen the brand name, the free shipping plan appeals to customers thereby leading to an increase in the traffic on the site. Pasiuk (2006) confirms that Amazon considered its free shipping offer as a marketing expense whose primary objective is to attract and retain customers.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Amazon.com: Vision, Mission and Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While there is no doubt as to the increase in cost that Amazon.com incurs due to this schemes thus leading to decreased profitability, the increased traffic leads to increased turnover for the company. This leads to increased profits which compensate for the relative cost incurred in the provision of the services. Membership plans lead to loyalty and a sense of affiliation to the company by the consumers. These plans involve increased customization which entails tailoring of services so as to suit the unique case of the customers (Hill and Jones, 2009). While this does come at the cost of having to offer customized services which lead to rise in cost structure, it enables Amazon to respond to customer demands very quickly to the advantage of both the customer and the company. By upholding these strategies, Amazon.com will be able to meet and fulfill its mission and vision statements all the while maintaining a stable competitive advantage against its aggressive and ever-increasing competitors. References Arvidsson, A. (2006). Brands: Meaning and Value in Media Culture. USA: Routledge, 2006. Hill, C., Jones, G. (2009). Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach. New York: Cengage Learning. Kalakota, R., Robinson, M. (2001). E-business 2.0: Roadmap for Success. California: Addison-Wesley.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pasiuk, L. (2006). Vault Guide to the Top Internet Industry Employers. USA: Vault Inc. Rosie, B. (2000, February). Amazon Leads Race to Expand Web Services. Retrieved from: ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 50804851).

IS PROPAGADA A TECHNIQUE OR A PHENOMENON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IS PROPAGADA A TECHNIQUE OR A PHENOMENON - Essay Example on, the analysis will seek to determine whether or not the presence of propaganda throughout the modern world is merely something that exists naturally or whether or not it is an purposeful and authored process. Firstly, it should be understood that the nature and definition of propaganda itself lends the reader to assume that the process of information distribution and purposeful deception is not something that merely â€Å"happens†. 1 Of course there are many instances throughout the world in which incomplete information is transmitted to the media participant; however, these inadvertent instances do not accurately define the conventional definition of â€Å"propaganda†. Ultimately, the use of propaganda, by its very definition and nature, is to deceive or mislead the media participant to understand the world or a particular situation within a given construct or manner. As such, it is painfully obvious that the majority of propaganda that exists is most certainly a technique by which entities, individuals, or governments attempt sway the opinions of societal stakeholders. Therefore, the reader can adequately assume that the types of â€Å"propaganda† under discussion is more likely than not an authored process that is intended to be misleading, untrue, or inaccurate.2 As with a legal discussion of motive, the question that has thus far been represented ultimately reduces to the intention of the way the information is represented. In the event that a particular entity, government, or individual represents information in a willfully deceitful manner as a means of swaying individual opinions, then it is clear and apparent that the process is a technique which is engaged as a means of effecting a particular goal.3 Yet, in the event that incomplete, untrue, or inaccurate information is represented to a group or an audience with no intention to deceive or mislead, then it cannot be said that such a process is propaganda; rather, it is an inadvertent process that

Xi Jinpings Negative Effect on China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Xi Jinpings Negative Effect on China - Essay Example This paper examines how subsequent Chinese leaders, through China’s Communist Party (CCP) have helped the country reclaim its lost glory. In essence, former leaders such as Deng Xiaoping advocated for decentralized and non-personalistic leadership as the only way through which China could prosper. However, Xi Jinping, the current State President, and Party leader seems to be deviating from this ideology and is leading China to a darker period than that witnessed in the Mao era. Prior to the 1800s, China was experiencing an economic boom as a result of silver inflow into the country in exchange for Chinese exports. However, according to Naughton the British felt threatened by the Chinese and started importing excess amounts of opium into China1. The attempt by China to stop the influx of opium led to the opium war during which China suffered degrading defeat and severe economic meltdown Naughton2. Consequently, Chinese leaders started formulating ideologies that were geared towards regaining national pride. However, as Naughton writes, most of these strategies continued concentrating on centralized and personalistic leadership especially during the Maoist era3. These are the same strategies that Xi Jinping is continuing to advance on China, thus leading China on a dark retrogressive path. Deng Xiaoping is one of the most celebrated Chinese leaders credited for bringing about reforms aimed at controlling the abuse of power by the Party’s general secretaries. As a supreme leader, Deng was able to ensure the decentralization of power within the government, going as far as removing secretary generals whose policies were in conflict with national interest. For example, according to Lawrence and Martin, before his death in 1997, Deng had removed Jiang Zemin and Zhao Ziyang from the Party secretariat for leading the Tiananmen massacre4.However, China today has no such supreme leader with such powers. As such, when an opportunistic leader such as Xi Jinping comes into the office and tries to amass personal power, there are limited avenues of stopping controlling such personal interests.

Str Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Str - Essay Example Trends in the alcohol market Because Pernod Ricard produces many branded products, it is necessary to focus only on the alcohol industry which makes up the majority of their business success and market share against competition. As the business extended into more foreign markets, as identified by the case study, Pernod Ricard required a new structure philosophy to ensure that the business could operate effectively and competitively against large-scale alcohol producers. This required a decentralisation strategy in order to create an environment where sub-units of the company were empowered to act as their own consultant businesses. Taking ownership of individual development with a cross-functional ability to inter-link independent, self-managed divisions was in response to labour-based trends for productivity and support as well as producing a world-class business capable of revenue growth. Heavier emphasis on branding as identified in the case leads to the logical conclusion that th is business relies on marketing and operations in response to consumer trends. A detailed PESTEL analysis identified key competitive or non-competitive activities at the social level that impact consumer buying perception about consumer products. Heineken, a brand operating in the adult liquor markets internationally, refocused its previous position on quality as a competitive tool and adopted new packaging concepts to gain consumer interest, such as the mini-keg bottling format (Beverage World 2009). Even though this is not a direct competitor, the beer brand experienced a 100 percent increase in sales whilst other companies that did not restructure packaging experienced only a dismal 1.7 percent increase in sales volume (Beverage World). This is driven by consumer sentiment and their current buying trends that makes advertising through innovation a success factor for alcoholic beverage producers. However, this is problematic for Pernod Ricard due to the high regulatory influence t hat exists in foreign and/or domestic markets regarding the responsible use of advertising that depicts alcoholic products. â€Å"The Group (PR) has signed several voluntary self-regulation codes, which impose restrictions on the advertising of and promotions for alcoholic beverages† (pernod-ricard.com, 2010, p.3). The business recognises not only the restrictions placed on advertising, a key success factor for many of today’s businesses in multi-national markets, and places an emphasis on voluntary corporate social responsibility. Similar CSR efforts as an adaptation to existing business strategy has been identified in Anheuser-Busch, a leading alcoholic beverage producer, that â€Å"takes its role seriously†¦(and) has long invested in the communities where (they) live and work† (anheuser-busch.com, 2007, p.3). The efforts undertaken by this non-competitive entity only reinforces that business must restructure and change their strategic focus in order to r emain in control and flexible to meet key trends that impact buying behaviour. Like any other business, it is often in a servant position due to economic trends that affect customer disposable income and their product preferences. The technological

Persuasive Writing Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Writing Essay The next type of writing we will do is the persuasive essay. In this essay, you will be working to convince your reader of the rightness of your point of view on a specific topic. As I have already said, in some ways every type of writing is a form of persuasion: you are always trying to make your reader see the correctness of your opinion. In this assignment, however, you will stake out your position on a particular topic and argue forcefully and explicitly in favor of it. As always, you want to state your opinion explicitly in your thesis statement (of course, without saying, â€Å"I think that. . . .†). As always, you also want to pick a topic that is fairly focused, narrow, and specific: pick a topic that you can adequately discuss in four to five paragraphs. I will say it again: it is always better to say a lot about a small topic than to try to say a little bit about many aspects of a large topic. (For those who are counting, that is the 3,248th time I have said that this year.) Use the first paragraph to state and fully explain your thesis. The rest of your essay should then be the marshalling of evidence in support of your thesis statement and an explanation of and commentary on your evidence. Facts are necessary to support your thesis, but by themselves facts are not enough. You need to explain and comment on them fully; show how these facts support your view and not the view of the opposing side. Try to find three or four really strong pieces of evidence to support your opinion. There is no way you can say everything or think of every point; choose the strongest evidence you can. While arguing in favor of your position, you should also include arguments against the opposing view. For example, if I am writing about the wrongness of capital punishment, I should also include arguments showing the wrongness of arguments made in favor capital punishment. Try to anticipate the other side’s arguments. That will show you are thinking and will also strengthen your argument. In general, it is best to work from your weakest to your strongest argument. As usual, conclusions are difficult. End with a strong, powerful concluding paragraph that brings together your various ideas but does not merely restate them. Certainly do not end by saying something like, â€Å"For all these reasons . . . .† I have listed below a few sample thesis statements and a number of possible topics. Please do not be  limited by my suggestions. As with any piece of writing, you will do the best job if you write about something you care about. I will give you a sample essay. Your essay should be 1-2 pages typed or 4-5 sides handwritten, double-spaced either way. The essay is due Tuesday, 30 January. It is worth 100 points. We will work on the essay in class; you can always show me drafts. Do your best. SAMPLE TOPICS the dress code (or, better yet, some more significant and meaningful issue at school!) your allowance or curfew or some other family issue gun control, abortion, capital punishment (or any other political issue) your view on dating or relationships advocating for a particular religious or spiritual practice: for example, meditate everyday the need for more late-night activities for teenagers the war in Iraq of course, anything else you feel strongly about SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS Limiting civil liberties is not an appropriate way to keep this country safe from terrorism. Capital punishment is an unjust and immoral way to punish criminals. A vegetarian diet is a sensible and meaningful response to world starvation and environmental destruction. The dress code provides a meaningful way to minimize the economic competition between students and unite them in their common academic purpose. A vegetarian diet is a sensible and meaningful response to world starvation and environmental destruction. So many Americans are often caught up with finding the â€Å"perfect† diet. While such a diet does not exist, a vegetarian diet provides significant health, environmental, and political benefits. Choosing such a diet is a simple but significant way to make a real difference in one’s own life and the world. First of all, a vegetarian diet is far more healthful than the traditional  American diet that emphasizes meat. A meat-free diet is higher in fiber, lower in saturated fat, and richer in a wide range of vitamins and minerals than a meat-based one. While we do hear conflicting evidence about the various health claims of different diets, nutritionists and scientists seem to agree that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides the greatest health benefits. Some people might say that a vegetarian diet is boring: quite the contrary. Compared to the relatively few kinds of meats and ways to prepare them, there are scores of vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes and almost countless ways to prepare them. A meat-based diet also puts far too much protein into the body, taxing the kidneys and wasting expensive food. As it is, Americans eat too much protein; eating a vegetarian diet is one way to reduce our intake of excessive and expensive protein. Eating a diet based on fruits and vegetables also creates less environmental havoc than a meat-based diet. Raising the animals necessary for the traditional meat-laden diet requires large amounts of land, mountains of processed feed, and the disposal of tons of waste. But a family of four could, if necessary, live for a year off the fruits, grains, and vegetables produced from a few acres of land. And, once the crop is taken, there are few or no ill effects. If the agriculture is done organically, vegetarian eating has even fewer harmful effects upon the land. In an age of diminishing arable land and resources and increasing populations, we need to find ways to get the most nutrition from our land use. A vegetarian diet provides such efficiency. Finally, a meat-rich diet consumes many more scarce resources than a vegetarian diet. It takes about 800 pounds of cattle feed to produce one pound of beef. In a world in which nearly one-fourth of the planet’s population is malnourished or starving, a meat-based diet is simply a luxury we can no longer afford (if we ever could have). In good conscience, it only makes sense to eat lower on the food chain – as we do with a plant-based diet. If everyone in the world ate a vegetarian diet, there would be an immediate surplus of food available to feed people at far lower cost and with wiser use of precious resources. In this way, vegetarianism becomes a moral choice. For reasons of politics, environment, health, and justice, vegetarianism is the only intelligent and compassionate choice in a world of scarce resources and increasing population. It may take some getting used to, but the benefits and rewards of a vegetarian diet – for the planet, the self, and the human race – far outweigh whatever minimal sacrifice may be involved. sentence in bold: thesis statement underlined sentences: topic sentences for each paragraph

Technology Essay -- essays research papers

Executive Overview There is a definite desire for better traffic data to give drivers more choice and control for avoiding traffic congestion. And what’s more, today there is no viable solution to alleviate the unnecessary aggravation and minimize the loss of valuable time & money. Interviewing a sample of commuter, taxi, and package delivery drivers identified a demand for timely and readily available traffic related congestion information. Package delivery, taxi/shuttle, rental car, and commuter drivers will benefit from a real-time system that provides accurate updated traffic condition information and offers alternative routing recommendations integrated with an existing in–vehicle navigation device. TAS © (Traffic Avoidance System) involves software that will integrate seamlessly with multiple hardware systems. It will be introduced to the time-sensitive package delivery companies that operate in the most traffic congested cities in the U.S. This device will benefit customers by saving them time and money. TAS will help these companies achieve competitive advantage by improving their services, reducing penalties, and improving customer retention. Business success and gaining competitive advantage are thus the compelling reason to buy, making TAS a highly desirable solution. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problem Statement Most, if not all would agree that traffic congestion is a common problem in and around large, highly populated cities in the US today. Everyday in the US millions of people get into their vehicles and drive – some to get to and from work or school, others running errands, or traveling to close and far-away vacation destinations. Many are on the road all day and/or night because their jobs consist primarily of, or require extensive driving. People from different walks of life (who we have interviewed to-date ) share a common outrage from poor traffic conditions and a â€Å"helplessness† in their inability to avoid â€Å"being stuck† – most say they â€Å"hate traffic,† â€Å"wish they didn’t have to ever get on the road during rush hour,† â€Å"can’t wait until I start working from home to avoid the hours in traffic hell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Rush hour / peak travel times, accidents, road construction, and detours are among the most common reasons for traffic problems, but regardless of the cause and impact, traffic jams always lead to frustra... ...traffic advisory system that provides accurate updated traffic conditions information and offers alternative routing recommendations at one’s vehicle, at every driver’s fingerprints in a proactive way. This system will be integrated with an existing in–vehicle navigation & information device. TAS is such a solution. To develop such a solution, our company has conducted a number of customer interviews as a crucial starting point for our (initial) market research and this paper will further explore the findings and study the market opportunity to launch TAS for success and alleviate many people’s traffic related frustrations, lost time & money. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Market Analysis In analyzing the market opportunity we have focused on the classic model of estimating market size, deriving macro & micro segmentation and settling on selection criteria that would best match with trends suggested from customer feedback. XIII.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion Market research has demonstrated a need for TAS. The product will be piloted with a small package delivery/courier company to ensure feasibility and customer satisfaction.

Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America :: American America History

Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon "sap the virtue of public life" (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become aimed at the satisfaction of individual needs, rather than the greater good of society. Alexis de Tocqueville viewed participation in public affairs, the growth of associations and newspapers, the principle of self-interest properly understood, and r eligion as the only means by which American democracy could combat the effects of individualism. Given that despots have every interest in keeping people isolated, the individualism resulting from equality makes despotism a great danger to equality. "Despotism... sees in the separation among men the surest guarantee of its continuance, and it usually makes every effort to keep them separate" (399). Exercising freedom through participation in public affairs is therefore extremely vital because it gives people a personal interest in thinking about others in society. Local self-governments are important because they draw people together, and it is therefore more likely that they will exercise their liberty. Tocqueville states that "as soon as a man begins to treat of public affairs in public, he begins to perceive that he is not so independent of his fellow men as he had first imagined, and that in order to obtain their support he must often lend them his cooperation" (400). When people act together they frequently form dependencies on one another, especially when they are working for the good of the entire community. Another means by which Tocqueville believes it is possible to contest individualism is to form associations and write newspapers. He believes that like local governments, associations help people to realize their dependence on their fellow citizens and take interest in public affairs. It is crucial to have institutions and civic duties which force people to look beyond their own interests and think about the problems of the community.

Cultural Landscape Essay

A cultural landscape is a piece of land that possesses natural and cultural resources related to an historic event, person, or group of people. They are usually man-made lexis of relationships with the nature and/or society or culture. These can include grand estates, public gardens and parks, educational institutions, cemeteries, highways, and industrial sites. Cultural landscapes are also humanist works of art, texts and narratives of cultures that express regional and cultural identity. They also present relationship to their ecological perspective. Human activities have turned out to be a major cause of shaping most cultivated landscapes on the surface of Earth. Human, animal and machine labor expended in using the land can create outstanding cultural landscapes with high aesthetic, cultural and ecological value such as the paddy-field rice terraces of south-east Asia, but may as well result in land degradation as is the case in some regions in the Mediterranean. The distribution of landforms such as steep slopes, fertile plains, inundated valleys in a landscape sets the frame for land use by determining factors such as accessibility, water and nutrient availability, but may over long periods of time also be changed through land use. On the other hand, land use serves distinct socio-economic purposes: land may supply materials and energy through hunting, agriculture or forestry, it may host infrastructure, or it may be needed to absorb waste and emissions (Haberl et al. , 2004). Landscapes can be seen as the contingent and historically variable outcome of this interplay between socio-economic and biophysical forces. During the evolution of cultural landscapes throughout the world, humans have developed adaptive land-use techniques and created specific patterns of fields, farmsteads, remnant woodlots and the like that depended on both natural and socio-economic conditions. In European agricultural landscapes, the long history of land transformation has led to regionally distinct regular patterns of geometrically arranged landscape elements, reflecting the historical and cultural background of the prevailing land-use system of a region (Bell, 1999). The spatial distribution of ecotopes, the so-called landscape structure, has therefore often been regarded as a mosaic of ‘frozen processes’; i. e. landscape structure assumedly mirrors the processes which had been going on in a landscape. This perception has even become a central paradigm in modern landscape ecology. While many ecosystem processes are difficult to observe directly, landscape structure can be derived from mapping as well as from remote-sensing data; therefore, landscape structure was often not only used to evaluate the ecological value of landscapes, but also to judge ecological aspects of the sustainability of land-use patterns (Wrbka et al. , 1999b). The Influence Of Land Form On The Intensity Of Land Use Cultural landscapes have, in contrast to natural and semi-natural landscapes, special characteristics. The disturbance regime as well as the major material and energy fluxes in these transformed landscapes is controlled to a large extent by humans. This is done by the different land-use practices applied for meadows, arable land or forests. Decisions about land use are made according to the local agro-ecological characteristics which are nested in a hierarchy of social, economical and technical constraints. Cultural landscapes can thus only be understood by analyzing the interplay between biophysical and socioeconomic patterns and processes. Landscape Structure And Intensity Of Land Use Odum and Turner (1989) found that the landscape elements of the Georgia landscape in the early 1930s had a higher fractal dimension than the elements of the same region in the 1980s. During the same period of time the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other agrochemicals increased dramatically. This illustrates that the growing human impact on the land may result in a landscape with decreasing geometrical complexity. Human activities introduce rectangularity and rectilinearity into landscapes, producing regular shapes with straight borders (Forman, 1999; Forman and Moore, 1992). Various studies suggest that the rate of landscape transformation is a function of land-use intensity (Alard and Poudevigne, 1999; Hietala-Koivu, 1999; Mander et al. , 1999; Odum and Turner, 1989), and that the geometric complexity of a landscape in particular decreases with increasing land-use intensity accompanied by a decrease of habitat heterogeneity and an increase of production units. Applying the thermodynamic laws to landscape structure, Forman and Moore (1992) suggested that the concentrated input of energy (e. g. , by tractor ploughing, plant production, wildfire) decreases the entropy of patches compared to adjacent areas and produces straight and abrupt boundaries. In other words, energy is required to convert natural curvilinear boundaries into straight lines and energy is required to maintain them. The reduction of the energy input increases entropy and revegetation convolutes and softens landscape boundaries. This means that the ‘landscape structure’, in the sense of Forman and Godron (1986), can be regarded as ‘frozen processes’. Landscape Structure And Biodiversity Many surveys show that species richness of vascular plants and bryophytes normally decreases with land-use intensity (Luoto, 2000; Mander et al. , 1999; Zechmeister and Moser, 2001; Zechmeister et al. , 2003). As the link between landscape structure and land-use intensity could be established, shape complexity as a measure of land-use intensity seems to be also a good predictor of species richness (Moser et al. , 2002; Wrbka et al. , 1999a). Accordingly, higher species richness in areas with high LD and richness values can be expected. The use of shape complexity indices as indicators for plant species richness is based on an assumed correlation between geometric landscape complexity and biodiversity (Moser et al. , 2002). Obviously, this correlation is not mechanistic but it is supposed to be due to congruent effects of land-use intensity on landscape shape complexity and species richness. Moser et al. (2002) gives a good literature overview about the driving factors responsible for the decrease of landscape complexity with increasing land-use intensity, which resulted in the following key findings: * The majority of landscape elements in agricultural landscapes are designed by humans as rectangles with straight and distinct boundaries (Forman, 1999). * Outside boundaries of semi-natural or natural patches are straightened by neighboring cultivated areas (). * Increasing land-use intensity is accompanied by a decrease of semi-natural and natural areas (Alard and Poudevigne, 1999; Mander et al. , 1999), resulting in a decrease of natural curvilinear boundaries. * Intensification in agriculture tends to increase the size of production units (Alard and Poudevigne, 1999; Hietala-Koivu, 1999). In addition to that intensification of land use on the production unit, e. g. , by fertilizing or increased mowing intensity, also leads to a dramatic decrease of the species richness (Zechmeister et al. , 2003). The description of the degradation of semi-natural and agricultural landscapes shows clearly the interdependence of biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity, induced by closely interwoven ecological, demographical, socio-economic and cultural factors. For an effective conservation management of biodiversity and landscape eco-diversity, a clear understanding of the ecological and cultural processes and their perturbations is essential. Intermediate disturbance levels lead to a highly complex and diverse cultural landscape which can host many plant and animal species. Landscapes, with ‘eco-diversity hotspots’, can be regarded as hint for ‘biodiversity hotspots’. Landscape pattern indicators therefore play an important role for landscape conservation planning. The understanding of landscape processes is crucial for the conservation of both, landscape eco-diversity and biodiversity. Conclusions From a conservation biology point of view, the ongoing process of genetic erosion and biodiversity loss as well as the replacement of specific recognizable cultural landscapes by monotonous ubiquistic production sites will continue. The biophysical characteristics and natural constraints of the investigated landscapes are interwoven with the regional historic and socio-economical development. This interplay is the background for the development of a variety of cultural landscapes which have their own specific characteristics. Geo-ecological land-units provide one solution. This is of special importance when the relationship of landscape patterns and underlying processes is under investigation. Works Cited Alard, D. , Poudevigne, I. Factors controlling plant diversity in rural landscapes: a functional approach. Landscape and Urban Planning, 1999: 46, 29–39 Bell, S. , Landscape—Pattern, Perception and Process. E. &F. N. Spon, London, 1999 Forman, R. T. T. , & Godron, M. Landscape Ecology. Wiley, New York, 1986. Forman, R. T. T. , & Moore, P. N. Theoretical foundations for understanding boundaries in landscape mosaics. In: Hansen, F. J. , Castri, F. (Eds. ), Landscape Boundaries. Consequences for Biotic Diversity and Ecological Flows. Springer, New York, 1992, pp. 236–258. Forman, R. T. T. Horizontal processes, roads, suburbs, societal objectives in landscape ecology. In: Klopatek, M. , Gardner, R. H. (Eds. ), Landscape Ecological Analysis: Issues and Applications. Springer, New York, 1999, pp. 35–53. Haberl, H. , Wackernagel, M. , Krausmann, F. , Erb, K. -H. , Monfreda, C. Ecological footprints and human appropriation of net primary production: A comparison. Land Use Policy, doi:10. 1016/ j. landusepol. 2003. 10. 008. , 2004 Hietala-Koivu, R. Agricultural landscape change: a case study in Y lane, Southwest Finland. Landscape and Urban Planning , 1999: 46, 103–108. Luoto, M.. Modelling of rare plant species richness by landscape variables in an agriculture area in Finland. Plant Ecology , 2000: 149, 157–168. Mander, U. , Mikk, M. , Ku. lvik, M.. Ecological and low intensity agriculture as contributors to landscape and biological diversity. Landscape and Urban Planning , 1999: 46, 169–177.