Photochemistry of Ruthenium Complexes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Photochemistry of Ruthenium Complexes - Essay Example In packed systems, this will lead to two events: the transfer of excitation energy or the transfer of the electron itself to a neighboring complex that has a lower energy level. Eventually, the series of reactions will result in the production of NADPH and ATP. The net photochemical reaction involves the splitting of water, which is the ultimate electron donor, to  ½ O2, 2H+ and 2 electrons (summarized in Mathews and Van Holde). The photochemical reaction in photosynthesis was the basis for developing inorganic systems that can make use of the high potential of solar energy. This is especially important now that supply of fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel is affected by political, climate and environmental events. The recent erratic changes in price and supply coupled with the high demand for fossil fuels increased the search for renewable and cheap sources of energy. Sunlight is free and harnessing solar energy is one of the main objectives for developing photochemical technologies. In this context, ruthenium complexes have very important roles to play. Ruthenium complexes have long been studied for their many uses in the energy, chemical and lately, in the medical industry. Ruthenium (Ru) is a rare transition metal which falls under the platinum group in the periodic table of elements. Its atomic number is 44, and has oxidation states ranging from -2 to +8 but the most common are +2, +3 and +4. In its elemental state, ruthenium is easily oxidized by air to form ruthenium oxide, RuO4. It does not react with acids but easily reacts with bases and halogens. Small amounts of Ru are added to platinum, palladium, gold and titanium to produce hard and tarnish-resistant alloys. Ruthenium, as part of an alloy or when complexed with other compounds, is also utilized in other applications like catalytic reactions, electrolytic protection, optic sensors, microelectronics, organic and polymer synthesis (Dragutan and Dragutan), anti-cancer agents

Php Login Script with Remember Me Feature Essay Example for Free

Php Login Script with Remember Me Feature Essay I wanted to include the popular Remember Me feature seen on a lot of websites that basically keeps users logged into the website, even after theyve closed the browser so that the next time they come, they wont have to login again manually. I found this tutorial Creating a PHP Login Script to be very helpful in writing this script, in fact, a lot of the code presented here is very similar to the code presented in that tutorial. The differences are seen with the new Remember Me feature, the use of cookies in addition to sessions, and with slight modifications in the design. Goals The ultimate goal is to create a PHP login script with the capability of remembering logged-in users. I also hope this tutorial will serve as a way to introduce people to user sessions and cookies in PHP. Notes Although this tutorial uses a MySQL database for storing user information, it has been written so that the data accessing code is separated from the main code through specific functions, so it would be easy to instead use a flat file database system, simply by changing the code in those specific functions, without messing with the rest. This tutorial uses the latest and greatest of PHP 4, which means super globals are used, such as $_POST, $_SESSION, etc.. This tutorial will aim to teach you about sessions and cookies through example, however if you need to know more information, go to the official website . Database For those of you planning on using a flat file system, you can skip this section. For the rest of us, we want to create a MySQL database table that holds user information, here it is: CREATE TABLE users ( sername varchar(30), password varchar(32)); Of course this table can be modified according to your needs, however the password field must not be less than 32 because it has to store the md5 encrypted versions of passwords which are 32 bytes. database. php This file will contain the code that connects you to your MySQL database and the functions that access user information, you need to modify this to show your MySQL username, password and database. Allow Users to Sign-Up Before we can login users, we need users. Here we will focus on the code that allows users to sign-up, registering their username and password. register. php Registered! Thank you , your information has been added to the database, you may now log in. Registration Failed Were sorry, but an error has occurred and your registration for the username , could not be completed. Please try again at a later time. Registration Page Registration Page Register Login Username: Password: Remember me next time Join

Causes And Minimization Of Soybean Flavour Via Enzymes

Causes And Minimization Of Soybean Flavour Via Enzymes Lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals are main food ingredients that are responsible for flavour in vegetables. These compounds may give rise to volatile and non volatile compounds that give vegetable its characteristic odour and taste (Sessa, 1979). Soybean is very popular and unique in its ability to be cholesterol free and lactose free, and also because it provides good source of nutrients at low-cost such as proteins, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals (biological active components derived from plants) and also is a source of oil and therefore it is classified as an oilseed and has a reputation of being natural and good for health (Martin et al, 2010). Soybean originated from Asia, was first cultivated in china and is most common in Asian countries and is grown by farmers since centuries. Soybean is a good source for providing useful protein especially in countries where people are protein deficient, or lack of proteins from animal source, or for th ose people that are lactose tolerant and cannot consume cows milk for them soymilk is available, which is made from soybean and is healthy and rich in protein. Soybean is used to produce many food products such as soymilk powders, flour, oil, soybean curd, chocolate, ice-cream, etc (Martin et al, 2010; Stephan et al, 2000). Although in many western countries acceptance of soybean has not been much successful due to its strong grassy/beany flavour which is unpleasant in taste and is unfavourable according to most consumers. Therefore, much research has been done to improve soybean flavour. According to many studies done on soybean flavour, lipid oxidation (lipoxygenase) an iron containing enzyme which is common in plants and animals, which undergoes Fe2+ to Fe 3+ transitions during per oxidation of fat catalyses the peroxidation of unsaturated fats to hydroperoxides is said to be responsible for the off flavour which breaks down during hydration, which will be further discussed in th is review. Causes of beany Flavour During cultivating soybean, it is found that it is beneficial to environment in terms of nitrogen and other minerals that benefit the soil by increasing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous contents in soil. Unpleasant flavour such as beany /grassy flavour of soybean are generated from the lipids through lipoxygenase during the process of roasting, fermentation and germination, the lipoxygenase breaks down the oil into a number of chemicals including hexanal, and methanethiol and these chemicals result in off-flavours which are described as beany and grassy primarily in soybeans ( Suratman et al,2004; Wszelaki et al, 2005). Lipoxygenase in soybean seeds is present in the form of three isozymes ( Lox-I, Lox-II and Lox-III) (Kumar, et al, 2003). Soybean is an iron containg enzymes which catalyzes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with cis,cis-1,4-pentadiene units to produce conjugated unsaturated fatty acid peroxides which are rensposible for the off flavour in soybeans as well as bitter taste (Li et al, 2008; Wang et al, 2008). It comprises of enzymes that are commonly found in soybean, can arise by either hydrolysis of fatty esters or oxidative fat corrosion. Naturally occurring enzymes such as lipid acyl-hydrolases, directly hydrolyze the fatty ester bonds of triglyceride s and phospholipids, producing free fatty acids. Lei and Boatright, 2005, revealed the importance of methanethiol to the characteristic odour of soybean which could give rise to a volatile sulphur compound; dimethul trisulfide is responsible for the off odour. Although the means for the effect of lipoxygenase on the formation of methanethiol is not well known, but is thought to be due to release of the free radicals formed during oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Methionine residues in soy protein products are aggregated by such free radicals, resulting in the formation of methionine sulfoxide which generates methanethiol as a final product as proposed by Lei et al 2005.Therefore, the data from current studies suggest that lipoxygenase not only catalyzes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the formation of volatile aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, but also promotes formation of methanethiol (Lozano et al, 2007). Flavours developed depend on the composition of the fat with short chain fatty acids to C 10 having particularly disagreeable odours flavours and those above C1O possessing waxy or, at alkaline pH, soapy flavours. Hydrolytic fat corrosion is not much important in terms of flavour formation when compared with flavours from oxidative deterioration of free fatty acids. Strong soybean-like flavours have been found in model systems consisting of hydroperoxides generated by the oxidative action of soy lipoxygenase on pure linoleic and linolenic acid. Volatile Compounds produced contribute to the grassy and beany flavours, while non volatile compounds cause bitter and astringency. In addition, scientists have found that lipid hydroperoxides produced by Oxidation readily form in soybean seeds when compared with other vegetables. Once formed, hydroperoxides undergo decomposition to both volatile and non volatile compounds. Many volatile Compounds generated either by the action of enzymes or by autoxidation of polyunsaturated lipid. A volatile synthetic compound, 2(l-pentenyl) furan also was found to contribute to the beany and grassy notes of soybean oil. It was hypothesized to arise from autoxidation of linolenic acid. According to Zhou et al, 2000, 2-pentyl pyridine (2-pp) has the largest flavour value of any other flavour volatiles found in soybean products. While volatile compound contribute to beany flavour, non-volatile oxygenated fatty acids impart a bitter taste to soybeans and dried peas. For example, trihydroxy fatty acids generated by the action of soy lipoxygenases on linoleic acid is responsible for the bitter tastes but due to its low concentration it is unlikely to be the main cause off odour (Stephan et al 2000) . According to many studies peroxides, lipoxygenase, and phospholipids are the main cause of off odour in soybean and many studies show that pH and temperature may also have influence on the flavour impact causing undesirable taste. According to Iassonova, removing lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes can reduces the amounts of volatile off-flavor compounds in soybeans and soy products drastically, but are not completely eliminated. The present work presents evidence that lipoxygenase-null (LOX-null) soybeans contain a LOX-like enzyme that is responsible for the offflavors in LOX-null soybeans. Volatiles production in triple LOX-null soybeans was terminated by heat treatment, which suggests an enzymatic cause to the off-flavors. The source is LOX-like in that the volatile compounds produced are similar to LOX-generated products of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oxygen was consumed when a LOX-null protein solution was incubated with crude soybean oil suggesting that the enzyme catalyzed oxygen con suming reactions. The generation of flavour compounds was inhibited by the typical LOX inhibitors propyl gallate and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). The enzyme appears to be more active with phosphatidylcholine than with other lipid substrates. The cause of the off-flavors in LOX-null beans appears to have enzyme-like characteristics (Iassonova et al, 2009). Strategies adapted to reduce beany flavour Although soy is rich in its nutritional value, it has not been much popular due to its beany unpleasant flavour; therefore many methods have been considered in order to get rid of this lipid derived beany off flavour in soybean which is due to lipoxygenase activity. Soybean proteins can be readily be modified by chemical, physical and enzymatic treatments changes the functional properties of the protein such as leading to flavour change. Methods such as heat treatment, pH adjustment, hydrolysis, enzyme treatment, ingredients addition, thermal modification, and breeding of soybean with low beany flavours have been used to eliminate/ reduce unpleasant beany flavour of soybean (Heywood et al, 2002; Suratman et al, 2004). According to Heywood et al, 2002, value enhanced soybeans (genetic modified/breed) have transformed fatty acid/ protein composition which means volatile compounds are removed that cause unpleasant beany flavour. According to Iassonova et al, 2009; removing lipoxygenase (LOX) isozymes can reduces the amounts of volatile off-flavor compounds in soybeans and soy products drastically, but are not completely eliminated. Temperature also has significant effect on soybean protein where significant decrease in unpleasant flavour compound was observed at lower temperature around 5.5 C (lower than room temperature). In many studies it was investigated that at higher temperatures the methanethiol increased and vice versa (Heywood et al, 2002). Also heating increases the digestibility of soy protein. Similar results were reported by Rehman et al, 2007, according to him soymilk prepared by heating soybean grains at least 15min at 100 C soaking in water at pH 8, (soybean water extract) improved the flavour and taste to some extent but did not completely eliminate the unfavourable flavour, it only had less beany flavour and more protein solubility and also improved colour consistency. Similarly Machado et al, 2008 reported that the anti-nutrients in soybean such as Kunitz (protease inhibitor that reduces the nutrient level of soybean) can be inactivated by heat treatments (wet) or biochemical treatments or ei ther by selecting soybean varieties (could be modified/ genetically grown) that lack these protease inhibitors along with heat treatment such as wet heat rather than dry heat. Soybean was heat treated for 15 minutes ( as excess heat could completely denature the protein i.e. decrease the solubility and nutrition value) and as a result the trypsin inhibitors (which was seen to be dependent on moisture level) were inactivated without affecting the quality of soy protein the in terms of nutrition value. Thermal treatment the most common old method used to modify soy bean flavour without affecting the nutritional value. This treatment is used to eliminate lipoxygenase activity in soybean which produces volatile compounds responsible for off odour. Enzyme modification are conducted to eliminate undesired flavours (beany) caused by hexanal. Alpha-tocopherol and isoflavones, both naturally occur in soybeans. Are antioxidants which inhibit enzymic oxidation of linoleate with lipoxygenases . Methods are developed to free naturally occurring antioxidants of enzyme inhibitors. Cysteins under aerobic conditions interacts with the catalytic site of lipoxygenase and induces irreversible inactivation of the enzyme. Cysteine reacting with linoleic acid prevents formation of volatile flavour compounds. In line with Li et al, 2008, and Wang et al, 2008, although the thermal treatment inactivates effectively soybean lipoxygenase (LOX), it denatures soybean proteins, results in amino acid degradatio n and other deteriorative reactions. Although there are concerns over the affects of flavours, texture, colours, vitamins and nutrients by thermal treatment, therefore, inactivation of soybean LOX by non-thermal treatment is aimed in order to avoid quality loss of soymilk by thermal processing and new techniques are introduced such as high pressure techniques for better quality and taste. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) a non-thermal food preservation method and become increasingly a promising option to thermal pasteurization. In comparison with traditional thermal pasteurization, PEF dramatically lead to inactivation of LOX activity and denature of enzymes in soymilk PEF not only can kill microorganisms and inactivate enzymes, but maintains taste, colour, texture, vitamins, and nutrients, of foods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to determine the content of methanethiol in soybean which occurred in every sample of soybean tested (Lei et al, 2005) which gives out unpleasant odour. It also was observed that if pH levels were increased the amount of methanehtiol also increased due to breakdown of methionine. Cyclodextrin, which masks beany flavour molecules by reducing or changes the food flavour overall have been used to eliminate the molecules responsible for the off flavours in soybean. Hexanal is reported to be the main sources of beany flavour have been used to inactivate soybean lipoxygenase activity but it is found that it lowers the protein solubility. Another method is soaking soybean in ethyl alcohol and PH adjustment. Off-flavour is only observed when the soybean cells are borkendown/ or during cooking where many chemicals (e.g. linoleic acid; ketones, aldehydes, and alcohol) are released which give off odour (Rehman et al, 2007). According to Stephan et a l, 2000 saturated free fatty acids (FFAs) did not produce any bitterness in the concentrations investigated, and were able to influence the bitter taste of emulsions essentially even if they are present in concentrations that are only slightly above their thresholds. Fig.1.Improved soybean products (Bay, 2006) Various methods have been employed to inhibit lipoxygenase. Enzyme inactivation by blanching whole soybeans before grinding of soaked soybeans prevents formation of oxidized flavour in the production of bland-flavoured soy milk. Heat inactivation of lipoxygenase by extrusion cooking yields full-fat flour with improved odour, flavour, and stability. Further low pH inhibits lipoxygenase in soybeans and other legumes. Thereby minimizing the formation of volatile compounds for example flavourless tasting slurries free of lipoxygenase- induced off-flavours and odours were produced by grinding and fractionating raw soybeans under pH 3.8 for enzyme inactivation with saturated monohydric alcohols. Flavour of soy flour should be improved with alcohol or heat treatments. Alteration of flavour causing aldehydes to alcohols by means of an enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase could reduce flavour because alcohols generally have higher flavour thresholds than corresponding aldehydes. .Alcohols produced by this reaction can act as enzyme inhibitors in the meals, or they can be more readily extracted from meals unlike aldehydes because alcohols do not bind to proteins .Present processes for preparing soyflour, concentrate, and isolates generally involve solvent extraction, aqueous extraction, drying, and toasting. Products with improved flavours through these procedures are commercially available. One current method is used to achieve soybean with acceptable flavour, better quality, and reducing any undesirable characteristics. (fig.1.).In this method soybean is mixed in an heated aqueous salt solution to form a mixture, heating leads to deactivation of enzymes that are responsible for beany flavour. This improved misture is further processed (drying, roasting, powdering, and flavouring) so can be used in a variety of food products. Conclusion Although soybean milk is recognized as a nutritious beverage, it contains much lower calcium than cows milk. To eradicate the off flavour, scientists throughout the world have been in an attempt to find soybeans that lacked lipoxygenase enzymes thought processes such as mutation, hybridization and selection they were able to find few that few of the enzymes. These soybeans are now being used in soymilk production and other food products and no longer have the off flavour (beany flavour). Therefore, according to Rehman et al, 2007 soybean in water at pH8 showed to have less beany flavour and more protein solubility, similarly according to Wang et al 2008 high pressure was found be effective in slightly reducing off flavour by deactivating lipoxygenase in soy products such as milk and gave improved taste and flavour , these results were also in line with the finding with Li et al, 2008 who studied the inactivation of soybean lipoxygenase due to thermal treatment but is shown to affect the quality of food and similarly results reported by Wang et al, 2008. Although there are concerns about reduction in protein content or health affect when soybean is modified in order to eliminate the unacceptable odour, since consumers concern has always been on quality, appearance, taste, smell, and texture. According to Lei and Boatright, 2005 little is known about factors that influence occurrence of methanethiol in soy products.

Concealed Weapons :: essays research papers

Concealed Weapons, Concealed Risk Do you feel safer sitting next to someone carrying a gun? / Many people say no to that question,/ for many valid reasons. Carrying Concealed weapons have nothing to do with your dad or uncle owning many firearms. / This issue relates solely on allowing individuals to carry these weapons/ almost anywhere in the community:/ including football games,/ restaurants,/ stores,/school buildings/ and other many other places where firearms should strictly be prohibited./ There are 7 states in the nation including Missouri/ that does not let any private citizens carry these weapons. Most people who have permits to carry concealed weapons in their proper states are people who are not law enforcement officials/and have limited training and undergo less testing than even the most basic police recruit./ Even law-abiding citizens/ with the best intentions/ do not know how hard it is to use a gun in successful self-defense. Even highly trained police officers often lose control of their weapons; /acc ording to the National Institute of Justice/ an average of 16% of police officers killed in the line of fire/ are killed by a fellow officers bullet. Yet, they are lead to believe/ that if given a dangerous situation/ they will use the weapon with the proper safety and care that law enforcers will. You cannot ignore the fact that out of the thirty-four thousand and forty firearm deaths in 1998,/ only 212 were justifiable homicides out of self defense /by private citizens with firearms. The gun lobby claims that only law-abiding citizens get permits/. According to statistics this is false./ A recent study done by the Violence Policy Center/ demonstrated that in the first six months on 1997, /the weapon related offense rate among Texas concealed weapon license holders/ were more than twice as high as that general population of Texas. / We know that concealed weapon holders are committing crimes/ as a matter of fact/ 946 crimes were committed by Texan Concealed Weapon holders/ in the f irst 6 months of 1997. The full story on this has not yet been told because the Gun Lobby prohibits public accessibility to the lists of concealed weapon permit holders. (www.handguncontrol.com/facts) The carrying of concealed weapons were prohibited/ or severely limited in most states/ prior to the mid-1990s./ Then here comes the National Rifle Association,/ pleading that ordinary people carrying hidden handguns will reduce the nation’s crime rate./ Their first year of this new campaign they were fairly successful,/ and many states changed their laws to allow the widespread carrying of concealed weapons.

Japanese Surrender Essay

The Japanese surrender marks the end of World War II. Though the Japanese believed there is more honor in death than surrendering, the Allies (Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States) gave them no choice. â€Å"By the end of World War Two, Japan had endured 14 years of war, and lay in ruins – with over three million dead (David Powers, 2011). The major defining factor in the Japanese defeat was the United States’ use of the atomic bomb. The United States’ President Harry S.  Truman warned Japan that America would use this â€Å"new and terrible weapon† if Japan did not â€Å"surrender unconditionally† (The Atomic Bomb and the Surrender of Japan, 2008). President Truman knew that American casualties would be high if they invaded Japan without the use of the atom bomb. On August 6, 1945 a uranium bomb nicknamed â€Å"Little Boy† was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. The total dead surpassed 68,000 from the blast at Hiroshima. Just three days after this explosion, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people (The Atomic Bomb and the Surrender of Japan, 2008). These essentially were the final blows to Japan’s ability to continue this war. At this point it was obvious Japan’s spirits were crushed. Japan was no longer able to do the things it needed to keep its army afloat. The depleted naval force inhibited Japan from importing grain, coil, and other raw materials needed to sustain its war efforts. On Aug 14, 1945, Emperor Hiroito announced Japan’s surrender. The Document of Surrender was signed on September 2, 1945. This document was prepared by America’s War Department and approved by President Truman. The signing ceremonies were held on the battle ship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The second paragraph of the Japanese Document of Surrender best sums up Japans compliance the United States demands. â€Å"We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under the Japanese control wherever situated† (U. S. National Archives & Records, 1945).

The Meanings and Variations of Mother

The Meanings and Variations of Mother The Meanings and Variations of Mother The Meanings and Variations of Mother By Mark Nichol Mother derives from the Old English term modor, which is cognate with the Latin word mater and the Greek word meter. (From the Latin term such words as maternal and maternity are derived.) The term refers not only to a female parent but also to a woman in authority, such as the head of a women’s religious community; it was also long employed as a respectful term of address for an elderly woman (as in â€Å"Mother Goose†), though this use is almost obsolete. It may also apply to an origin, precursor, or source, as in the expression â€Å"Necessity is the mother of invention.† A stepmother is a woman who marries one of one’s parents, and a mother-in-law is the mother of one’s spouse. Motherly describes maternal behavior, and motherlike alludes to a resemblance to the qualities of a mother. Motherhood describes the quality or state of being a mother. The verb mother pertains to the act of producing biological or figurative offspring. Motherland describes one’s home country, although the term is most prevalent in Russia and adjacent nations as well as some in the Near East and seldom used elsewhere. Mother Nature is the maternal personification of nature as the source of all that exists in the natural world. Mother also appears in a compound word ending with an obscene term; in this form and by itself it can be, depending on context, a mild epithet or an extreme insult. Open compounds that include the term mother include â€Å"earth mother† (meaning â€Å"a maternal figure†) â€Å"mother cell† (â€Å"a cell in an organism that produces usually different types of cells†), â€Å"mother hen† (â€Å"an overly protective person†), â€Å"mother lode† (â€Å"a primary mineral lode or vein† or â€Å"a primary source or supply†), â€Å"mother wit† (â€Å"natural intelligence or wit†), and â€Å"mother ship† (â€Å"a ship that serves smaller vessels†). â€Å"Refrigerator mother,† a label once applied to cold, distant, unmaternal mothers, was coined as part of a since-rejected theory for the cause of autism. A stage mother, meanwhile, is one who pressures a child to participate in the performing arts and demands special treatment for him or her; the term is derogatory, with the implication that a she is living vicariously through the child. Compounds employing the informal variant mom include â€Å"helicopter mom,† which describes an overly protective mother, as well as â€Å"soccer mom,† a sometimes pejorative term for a specific demographic- a suburban mother who pushes her children to participate in extracurricular activities such as youth soccer leagues- and the related phrase â€Å"hockey mom,† which pertains to inhabitants of geographic regions where ice hockey is prevalent. Expressions that use the term mother follow: a face only a mother could love: said of an unattractive person at (one’s) mother’s knee: alluding to learning something as a child every mother’s son: an evocative way of saying â€Å"everyone† everybody/everyone and (one’s) mother: a hyperbolic expression referring to a crowd the mother of all (blank): a hyperbolic reference to the best or greatest of a type of thing swear/swore on (one’s) mother’s grave: a hyperbolic reference to a solemn confirmation that one is telling the truth because of the association with the sanctity of a parent’s gravesite tied to (one’s) mother’s apron strings: said of a man who has not asserted his independence from his mother Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Free Essays on A Mans World

Chris Thomas Stephanie Lenox Eng. 101 April 20, 2002 Final Copy WA#4 A Man’s World How many times have you turned on the television and heard about a violent episode involving a young man? This seems to be the trend these days. Why is this? There are many different factors that could be the cause of these incidents. Is it race, poverty, neighborhood, family, drugs, or media? Whatever it is, we need to find the root to this problem. Why are males between the age groups of 20-24 committing these severe crimes? I believe poverty can have a huge influence on the family life and vice versa. Lack of family support, love, or discipline can cause great amounts of emotional stress. Poverty can drive people to do things they would not normally do. People will perform terrible acts when they are desperate. Therefore I believe family and poverty are the two main causes for violence among young males. I believe that everything starts with the family, which can have a major influence from poverty. Everything we do is a reflection of family. The way we talk, our manners, our tempers, and our personalities. That is why I believe that the family is one of the main factors that young males are so violent. If people are not getting the support and care they need from home, then where are they supposed to get it? Neglect can cause emotional stress, which can make people think and act unlike themselves. It is vital for kids to have parental guidance. Kids look at their parents as role models. If the parents are violent than there is a good chance that the children will develop this trait. Author Mike A. Miles talks about kids living in abusive environments and being abused. He states that â€Å"350,000 children and adolescents are inflicted with physical brutality every year by the adults they should be able to trust the most, their parents†(381). This is a great amount. If kids are abused at home they are going to grow... Free Essays on A Man's World Free Essays on A Man's World Chris Thomas Stephanie Lenox Eng. 101 April 20, 2002 Final Copy WA#4 A Man’s World How many times have you turned on the television and heard about a violent episode involving a young man? This seems to be the trend these days. Why is this? There are many different factors that could be the cause of these incidents. Is it race, poverty, neighborhood, family, drugs, or media? Whatever it is, we need to find the root to this problem. Why are males between the age groups of 20-24 committing these severe crimes? I believe poverty can have a huge influence on the family life and vice versa. Lack of family support, love, or discipline can cause great amounts of emotional stress. Poverty can drive people to do things they would not normally do. People will perform terrible acts when they are desperate. Therefore I believe family and poverty are the two main causes for violence among young males. I believe that everything starts with the family, which can have a major influence from poverty. Everything we do is a reflection of family. The way we talk, our manners, our tempers, and our personalities. That is why I believe that the family is one of the main factors that young males are so violent. If people are not getting the support and care they need from home, then where are they supposed to get it? Neglect can cause emotional stress, which can make people think and act unlike themselves. It is vital for kids to have parental guidance. Kids look at their parents as role models. If the parents are violent than there is a good chance that the children will develop this trait. Author Mike A. Miles talks about kids living in abusive environments and being abused. He states that â€Å"350,000 children and adolescents are inflicted with physical brutality every year by the adults they should be able to trust the most, their parents†(381). This is a great amount. If kids are abused at home they are going to grow...

Caperucita Roja‘Little Red Riding Hood’ in Spanish

Caperucita Roja‘Little Red Riding Hood’ in Spanish Here is a public-domain version of Caperucita Roja, a Spanish version of the fairy tale known in the English-speaking world Little Red Riding Hood. Grammar and vocabulary notes follow for the aid of Spanish students. Caperucita Roja Habà ­a una vez una nià ±a muy bonita. Su madre le habà ­a hecho una capa roja y la muchachita la llevaba tan a menudo que todo el mundo la llamaba Caperucita Roja. Un dà ­a, su madre le pidià ³ que llevase unos pasteles a su abuela que vivà ­a al otro lado del bosque, recomendndole que no se entretuviese por el camino, pues cruzar el bosque era muy peligroso, ya que siempre andaba acechando por allà ­ el lobo. Caperucita Roja recogià ³ la cesta con los pasteles y se puso en camino. La nià ±a tenà ­a que atravesar el bosque para llegar a casa de la abuelita, pero no le daba miedo porque allà ­ siempre se encontraba con muchos amigos: los pjaros, las ardillas listadas, los ciervos. De repente vio al lobo, que era enorme, delante de ella. -  ¿Adà ³nde vas, nià ±a bonita? - le preguntà ³ el lobo con su voz ronca. - A casa de mi abuelita - le dijo Caperucita. - No est lejos - pensà ³ el lobo para sà ­, dndose media vuelta. Caperucita puso su cesta en la hierba y se entretuvo cogiendo flores: - El lobo se ha ido - pensà ³ - no tengo nada que temer. La abuela se pondr muy contenta cuando le lleve un hermoso ramo de flores adems de los pasteles. Mientras tanto, el lobo se fue a casa de la abuelita, llamà ³ suavemente a la puerta y la anciana le abrià ³ pensando que era Caperucita. Un cazador que pasaba por allà ­ habà ­a observado la llegada del lobo. El lobo devorà ³ a la abuelita y se puso el gorro rosa de la desdichada, se metià ³ en la cama y cerrà ³ los ojos. No tuvo que esperar mucho, pues Caperucita Roja llegà ³ enseguida, toda contenta. La nià ±a se acercà ³ a la cama y vio que su abuela estaba muy cambiada. - Abuelita, abuelita,  ¡quà © ojos ms grandes tienes! - Son para verte mejor- dijo el lobo tratando de imitar la voz de la abuela. - Abuelita, abuelita,  ¡quà © orejas ms grandes tienes! - Son para oà ­rte mejor - siguià ³ diciendo el lobo. - Abuelita, abuelita,  ¡quà © dientes ms grandes tienes! - Son para...  ¡comerte mejor! - y diciendo esto, el lobo malvado se abalanzà ³ sobre la nià ±ita y la devorà ³, lo mismo que habà ­a hecho con la abuelita. Mientras tanto, el cazador se habà ­a quedado preocupado y creyendo adivinar las malas intenciones del lobo, decidià ³ echar un vistazo a ver si todo iba bien en la casa de la abuelita. Pidià ³ ayuda a un segador y los dos juntos llegaron al lugar. Vieron la puerta de la casa abierta y al lobo tumbado en la cama, dormido de tan harto que estaba. El cazador sacà ³ su cuchillo y rajà ³ el vientre del lobo. La abuelita y Caperucita estaban allà ­,  ¡vivas! Para castigar al lobo malo, el cazador le llenà ³ el vientre de piedras y luego lo volvià ³ a cerrar. Cuando el lobo despertà ³ de su pesado sueà ±o, sintià ³ muchà ­sima sed y se dirigià ³ a una charca prà ³xima para beber. Como las piedras pesaban mucho, cayà ³ en la charca de cabeza y se ahogà ³. En cuanto a Caperucita y su abuela, no sufrieron ms que un gran susto, pero Caperucita Roja habà ­a aprendido la leccià ³n. Prometià ³ a su abuelita no hablar con ningà ºn desconocido que se encontrara en el camino. De ahora en adelante, seguir las juiciosas recomendaciones de su abuelita y de su mam. Grammar Notes Habà ­a una vez is a common way of saying once upon a time. Its literal meaning is there was a time. Habà ­a is the imperfect tense of the very common hay, which means there is or there are. Muchachita is a diminutive form of muchacha, a word for girl. The diminutive is formed here using the suffix -ita. The diminutive form can indicate that the girl is small or can be used to indicate affection. Abuelita, a form of abuela or grandmother, is another diminutive found in this story. In that case, it is probably being used as a term of affection rather than referring to her size. The name of the story itself is another diminiutive; a caperuza is a hood. The dashes beginning in the fifth paragraph function as type of quotation mark. Words such as verte, oà ­rte, and comerte wont be found in dictionaries, because they are infinitives joined with the object pronoun te. Such pronouns can either be attached to infinitives or be placed before them. Such pronouns can also be attached to gerunds, as in dndose. The opposite of a diminutive is an augmentative, and an example here is muchà ­simo, derived from mucho. Vocabulary Definitions in this list are not complete; they are designed to give primarily the meanings of these words as they are used in the story. abalanzarse sobre- to fall on top ofabuela- grandmotheracechar- to stalkahogar- to drownde ahora en adelante- from now onanciano- old personardilla listada- chipmunkatravesar- to go acrossbosque- forestde cabeza- head firstcambiar- to change capa- cape castigar- to punishcazador- huntercesta- basketcharca- pondciervo- deercuchillo- knifeen cuanto a- with regard todar media vuelta- to turn halfway arounddesdichado- unfortunatedespertar- to wake updevorar- to devourdirigirse a- to head towardechar un vistazo- to check things outenseguida- very soonentretener- to get sidetrackedgorro- bonnetharto- full of foodjuicioso- sensiblejunto- togetherllenar- to filllobo- wolfmalvado- wickeda menudo- frequentlymeterse- to entermientras tanto- meanwhileoreja- earpesar- to have weightpiedra- rockprometer- to promiseprà ³ximo- nearbyrajar- to slice openramo- bouquetde repente- at onceronco- hoarsesacar- to take outsed- thirstsegador- harvesterseguir- to follow, to continuesuave- softsusto- frighttratar de- to try totumbado- lying downvientre - belly

Team Empowerment Through Effective Communication Case Study

Team Empowerment Through Effective Communication - Case Study Example With this type of set-up that allow creative and innovative juices to flow through the constant sharing of information, people could appropriate division of labor among the members of the team can lead to the more effective, more efficient and less stressful workplace. Their high levels of performance with regards to quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results can contribute to their sense of satisfaction, addressing a psychological and motivational need. With incessant exposure to each other, team members and their superiors could ascertain whether they have a team that can continue working together with synergy or their togetherness poses a detrimental effect on their output and interrelationships. This is why effective communication is very crucial in a group or a team. Lack of communication could sometimes produce unfavorable working environments. For example, Susan had worked in supply-chain management of a certain company for three years. She enjoyed her work in large part because her boss, Tim McGuire, was a great guy to work for. Then Tim got promoted six months ago and Chuck Benson took his place. Susan says her job is a lot more frustrating now. "Tim and I were on the same wavelength. It's not that way with Chuck. He tells me something and I do it. Then he tells me I did it wrong. I think he means one thing but says something else. It's been like this since the day he arrived.

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Management - Essay Example Accumulating precious metals like gold and silver were considered to be one of the most important indicators of wealth. As a result of this, heavy duty was imposed on exports of gold. Thus the aim of nations is to accumulate more and more precious metals. Trade in the modern world is entirely different from those centuries. Economists had understood that precious metals cannot be set as a benchmark as their reserves are limited. Moreover, colonialism which was one of the major strategies of wealth creation cannot be practiced in the present world. Imports cannot be controlled in the present economy. Nor can the exports be penalized with heavy duties. For an effective balance of trade, a proper import and export level is required. The assumptions of mercantilism are totally against globalization without which economic development cannot happen in the modern world. Mercantilism also involves forceful sales of goods to consumers leaving them no better option. Such practice cannot be ado pted in the modern world. Therefore, it can very clearly be concluded that mercantilism is a bankrupt theory. Falling dollar and rising exports A falling dollar means that dollar is being undervalued against other major currencies. Such a phenomenon will have a huge impact on the export figures. In the case of exporting, dollars are received for the goods that are exported. â€Å"A lower dollar increases the price competitiveness of US exports.† (Economics Help, 2011) When dollar is devalued, more dollars will have to be paid for transactions. Therefore, from the US perspective more dollars will be received in terms of the payments made by importing countries. As a result of this, there will be a temporary increase of revenue for the exports sector. This scenario is highly beneficial for the manufacturing and exporting companies and a little unfavorable for the importing companies. â€Å"A weaker dollar makes it easier for foreign investors to acquire key U.S. assets, such a s manufacturers.† (Duesterberg, 2008) The weak dollar makes American goods cheaper in the global markets. As a result, American exporting companies will reap huge benefits. Companies can generate more profits in this scenario and thereby accumulate more greenbacks in their reserves. This will help the US manufacturing companies to be highly competitive against their Peers. For example, Proctor & Gamble, which produces majority of its products in US, will see an increase in profits when the dollar falls. At the same time, its archrival Unilever, which belongs to Europe, will see its profit diminishing. Therefore, a series of decline in dollar value will benefit the US companies while at the same time hitting the importing companies. Importing companies will have to pay more greenbacks for the goods that are imported into US. This will lead to low profitability for them. Organizational issues of transnational of transnational strategies A transnational strategy is defined as a c ommon strategy that is suitable or acceptable for various markets. â€Å"When employing a transnational strategy, the goal is to combine elements of global and multidomestic strategies.† (Enotes.com, 2011) Transnational strategy was being introduced in order to eliminate the limitations of global strategy. A global strategy may not be suitable for

Definition of a Hero Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definition of a Hero - Assignment Example It also happens in television dramas and series where a character may be a hero. However, he could be a hero for either good or evil deeds. Such kind of a person is mostly known as anti-heroes. In most cases, anti-heroic always uses all their means in order to achieve their target even if it means hurting or compromising with an interest of other parties. This is according to Garrett views. Simon sees Matthew Weigner as a baby boomer for a number of reasons. Firstly, his creativity on the role of each character is unique. The setup involves the liberal-minded and the conservatives in the town. When the liberal-minded citizens speak their minds, they call them bloomers because they criticize all that is wrong for a common citizen. Both groups address madmen as people who work against racism and sexism. Don Dropper is the man in the grey suit. He represents the conservative’ who want business to be done like in the old days. With these, he means in the early 1950’s. This is an excellent series that brings out the real message and theme. The book tries to bring out the world of homosexuals in the country. One of the characters in the book is innocent, but he is blindly attracted into it by his friend. Hence the title, ‘seduction of the innocent’. This is a harmful vice that affects our society today. However, it is legalized in some states, giving these people all the freedom they need. Medhurst demonstrates that Batman has a gay character in a number of ways. His dressing code says it all in the first place. He argues that this helps them to identify their fellows in a crowd. Further, they have secret signals and language which they typically use to communicate with each other. According to him, Batman exhibits all these features. However, this is just an illusion from Medhurst of what gay people go through in this world. Â  

Understanding the experiences of special education students who did Dissertation

Understanding the experiences of special education students who did not complete high school - Dissertation Example The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the common experiences of special education students who decide to drop-out of high school and the common factors that contribute to the decision to drop-out of high school. The case study will be comprised of male and female special education high school students who dropped out of school at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) during their third and fourth years in the school years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The sample population will consist of students between the ages of 16-20. The sampling size will be 15 although 33 students will be initially contacted. The study will be a phenomenological study and will therefore be conducted by virtue of semi-structured interviews designed to identify the common experiences of students who dropped out of school close to graduation. The results of the semi-structured interview will be compared and analysed by virtue of a qualitative data analysis. The results wil l be coded and categorized generally using a phenomenological reductionism method. Once the data are collated and sorted and commonalities are identified, all possible conclusions will be analysed so that a final conclusion can be drawn. Using information from interviews with recent dropouts from Ridgeville High School, in conjunction with findings from current literature, this study will contribute to the development of recommendations for more effective dropout prevention programs for special education students. Descriptors: Achievement gap Disability Drop-out Drop-out prevention IDEA 2004 Dropping out IEP Inclusion NCLB QDA Special Education Student Engagement ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii CHAPTER ONE 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Background 2 Problem Statement 12 Purpose of the Study 15 Research Questions 15 Scope of the Study 16 Limitations and Delimitations 17 Definition of Terms 19 Research Plan 21 CHAPTER TWO 24 LITERATURE REVIEW 2 4 Introduction 24 Overview 25 Institutional reasons for dropping out 38 School belonging and dropout rates 44 Special education services and dropout rates 47 Exit exams 49 Inclusion: Does it reduce dropout rates? 54 Teachers and inclusion 64 Dropout prevention programs 71 IEP programming 74 Transition programming 76 Programs attending to social and academic elements of student lives: Finn’s participation-identification model of school engagement-belonging 79 School belonging and engagement and special education 91 Case studies of best practice school engagement programs that have improved the retention level of special education students in high school 98 Conclusion 102 CHAPTER THREE 104 METHODOLOGY 104 Introduction 104 Research Questions 105 Design 106 Active Observation 112 Intensive Interview 113 Data Collection Procedures 116 In-depth Interviews 117 The Researcher’s Role 120 Qualitative Data Analysis 120 The Coding Process

Structured bimanual actions and hand transfers reveal population-level Article

Structured bimanual actions and hand transfers reveal population-level right-handedness in captive gorillas - Article Example Studies conducted of a similar nature have shown that approximately 95% of the population that predominantly uses the right-hand show language control and development in their left hemispheres. Recent hypothesis have suggested that an initial evolutionary section of cognitive function has assisted in the emergence of a left hemisphere inclination for human beings conduct supported by well-structured series of actions. The human left hemisphere bias for language development and handedness has promoted a perception of human brain lateralization functions. Some of these studies have suggested that there exists a direct relationship between handedness and linguistic development, such as spoken word. Different studies have however shown contradicting results and significant debate. In the present study, the author sought to investigate the naturalistic impulsive conduct of a biological group of gorillas (Tabiowo & Forrester, 2013). Data compiled from the study involved the observation of 13 Gorillas of a biological family in the UK. The gorillas were housed at Port Lympne Park in the UK. The Gorillas were given access to a wide range of tools that were used in assessing them throughout the duration of the study. The tools included ropes, tree stumps, a pile of boulders, and a couple of climbing frames. Different types of feeds were administered to encourage the usual scavenging behavior. The Gorillas were observed, and their behavior recorded in a motion video founded on a focal-sampling model. The average focus time on each subject was recorded low at between 55-215 minutes. Low visibility prohibited desired focal follow periods. For the two observable elements, namely handedness and actions that were bimanual in nature, frequencies rates, and sizes were computed. Statistical measures were employed to establish consistency of the results across a wide range of mathematical preferences. In particular, rates an d sizes

The Idea Behind The Veneration of Relics Research Paper

The Idea Behind The Veneration of Relics - Research Paper Example According to the New Testament, an old woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for quite a while found a way out. â€Å"Seeing Jesus in the crowds, she told herself "I only need to touch the hem of his garment, then I will be healed" and Jesus, who felt the power leave from him, turned to the woman and told her that her faith had healed her† (â€Å"The origin of relics†). Relics are present in almost every religion. Christians, Muslims, and Hindus have their own relics that have huge significance in the historical literature of these religions. Muslims consider the Holy Water of Zam Zam as sacred. It is also considered as an antidepressant. Hindus bathe in the River of Ganges because they believe that doing so would make them free of their sins and would purify their souls. People believe relics to be solutions for their problems as human beings. Relics are considered as the blessings of God Almighty. They are not just objects but are actually means of spiritual revival and enlightenment. For example, the Holy Water is thought to have many positive effects on the people who drink it. The veneration of relics People has huge regard for the relics as they are the belongings or in some way connected to the people they revere. People who possess relics show respect for them in many ways, which include placing the relic at an elevated place in the house and decorating the relic in beautiful and costly frames. Most people feel honored and blessed to have a relic while others are ready to pay any cost to attain one. The veneration of relics has sustained through history as a custom, which originally encouraged people to visit the martyrs’ graves in the reign of the apostles. It was and is still believed that God shows miracles related to the relics. â€Å"In all, relics remind us of the holiness of a saint and his cooperation in God’s work; at the same time, relics inspire us to ask for the prayers of that saint and to beg the grace of God to live the same kinda faith-filled life† (Saunders cited in â€Å"What is a Relic?†). However, some people go so ahead in their veneration for a relic that they overlook the significance of the Creator, whose obedience gave the saint the status that his relics are being preserved by people, and give the relic more importance. This makes it rather a sin. First class relics are composed of a saint’s physical body. It could also be the physical body of any individual whose sainthood cause is meant to be fostered. First class relics can be a range of features in the physical body that include but are not limited to a hair, fragment of a bone or dust collected from the coffin of the saint or the individual. The relic is held in place with the help of melted wax. â€Å"Any relic related to Our Lord is also considered first class. A splinter of the True Cross upon which Our Lord died is an example. The Eucharist is considered the highest first-class relic but it is never housed in a theca† (â€Å"First, Second, & Third†). Rather it is offered as Holy Communion to the people who practice religion.

Understanding the experiences of special education students who did Dissertation

Understanding the experiences of special education students who did not complete high school - Dissertation Example The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the common experiences of special education students who decide to drop-out of high school and the common factors that contribute to the decision to drop-out of high school. The case study will be comprised of male and female special education high school students who dropped out of school at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) during their third and fourth years in the school years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The sample population will consist of students between the ages of 16-20. The sampling size will be 15 although 33 students will be initially contacted. The study will be a phenomenological study and will therefore be conducted by virtue of semi-structured interviews designed to identify the common experiences of students who dropped out of school close to graduation. The results of the semi-structured interview will be compared and analysed by virtue of a qualitative data analysis. The results wil l be coded and categorized generally using a phenomenological reductionism method. Once the data are collated and sorted and commonalities are identified, all possible conclusions will be analysed so that a final conclusion can be drawn. Using information from interviews with recent dropouts from Ridgeville High School, in conjunction with findings from current literature, this study will contribute to the development of recommendations for more effective dropout prevention programs for special education students. Descriptors: Achievement gap Disability Drop-out Drop-out prevention IDEA 2004 Dropping out IEP Inclusion NCLB QDA Special Education Student Engagement ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii CHAPTER ONE 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Background 2 Problem Statement 12 Purpose of the Study 15 Research Questions 15 Scope of the Study 16 Limitations and Delimitations 17 Definition of Terms 19 Research Plan 21 CHAPTER TWO 24 LITERATURE REVIEW 2 4 Introduction 24 Overview 25 Institutional reasons for dropping out 38 School belonging and dropout rates 44 Special education services and dropout rates 47 Exit exams 49 Inclusion: Does it reduce dropout rates? 54 Teachers and inclusion 64 Dropout prevention programs 71 IEP programming 74 Transition programming 76 Programs attending to social and academic elements of student lives: Finn’s participation-identification model of school engagement-belonging 79 School belonging and engagement and special education 91 Case studies of best practice school engagement programs that have improved the retention level of special education students in high school 98 Conclusion 102 CHAPTER THREE 104 METHODOLOGY 104 Introduction 104 Research Questions 105 Design 106 Active Observation 112 Intensive Interview 113 Data Collection Procedures 116 In-depth Interviews 117 The Researcher’s Role 120 Qualitative Data Analysis 120 The Coding Process

The Idea Behind The Veneration of Relics Research Paper

The Idea Behind The Veneration of Relics - Research Paper Example According to the New Testament, an old woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for quite a while found a way out. â€Å"Seeing Jesus in the crowds, she told herself "I only need to touch the hem of his garment, then I will be healed" and Jesus, who felt the power leave from him, turned to the woman and told her that her faith had healed her† (â€Å"The origin of relics†). Relics are present in almost every religion. Christians, Muslims, and Hindus have their own relics that have huge significance in the historical literature of these religions. Muslims consider the Holy Water of Zam Zam as sacred. It is also considered as an antidepressant. Hindus bathe in the River of Ganges because they believe that doing so would make them free of their sins and would purify their souls. People believe relics to be solutions for their problems as human beings. Relics are considered as the blessings of God Almighty. They are not just objects but are actually means of spiritual revival and enlightenment. For example, the Holy Water is thought to have many positive effects on the people who drink it. The veneration of relics People has huge regard for the relics as they are the belongings or in some way connected to the people they revere. People who possess relics show respect for them in many ways, which include placing the relic at an elevated place in the house and decorating the relic in beautiful and costly frames. Most people feel honored and blessed to have a relic while others are ready to pay any cost to attain one. The veneration of relics has sustained through history as a custom, which originally encouraged people to visit the martyrs’ graves in the reign of the apostles. It was and is still believed that God shows miracles related to the relics. â€Å"In all, relics remind us of the holiness of a saint and his cooperation in God’s work; at the same time, relics inspire us to ask for the prayers of that saint and to beg the grace of God to live the same kinda faith-filled life† (Saunders cited in â€Å"What is a Relic?†). However, some people go so ahead in their veneration for a relic that they overlook the significance of the Creator, whose obedience gave the saint the status that his relics are being preserved by people, and give the relic more importance. This makes it rather a sin. First class relics are composed of a saint’s physical body. It could also be the physical body of any individual whose sainthood cause is meant to be fostered. First class relics can be a range of features in the physical body that include but are not limited to a hair, fragment of a bone or dust collected from the coffin of the saint or the individual. The relic is held in place with the help of melted wax. â€Å"Any relic related to Our Lord is also considered first class. A splinter of the True Cross upon which Our Lord died is an example. The Eucharist is considered the highest first-class relic but it is never housed in a theca† (â€Å"First, Second, & Third†). Rather it is offered as Holy Communion to the people who practice religion.

Apple Price Cut Essay Example for Free

Apple Price Cut Essay To what extent the iPhone pricing strategy is similar to the iPod pricing strategy? How do you explain that the iPod price cut did not lead to such a level of customers’ protest? Answer: Both iPhone and iPod have experienced a large amount of price cut in their product lifecycle. In this document, we can find that iPod was launched in October 2001. Tough relatively high priced for an MP3 player, it was hugely demanded and remains popular till date though there was a price slash in 2005. Similar to the price cut of the iPod, two months after the launch of the iPhone, Apple lowered the price by 200 USD. However, regarding the price strategy, a big difference between two products is the timing of price cut. iPod adjusted its price after experiencing a 4-year success from its launch in 2001, whereas iPhone drop in price in only 2 month, which is the main explanation of why the iPod price cut did not lead to such a serious level of customers’ protest. Although both price adjustments were designed for the aim to further expand in the mass market and improve the sales, we can find that the main reason for price cut of iPod is to sell more products in its declining period of product lifecycle. By contrast, the objective of price cut of iPhone is to rapidly monopoly the smart phone market in its growing period of product lifecycle, which resulted a part of Apple fans’ profits since they bought the product in a high price. 2. â€Å"Market analysts pointed out that Apple had created a strong brand and customer loyalty which it capitalized on by adopting a skimming strategy in pricing. They also felt that customers accept its highly priced products with equanimity. To go a step further, they consciously expect it to be so. What does this tell you about the value of iPhone own-price elasticity, cross-price elasticity and income elasticity? Answer: The practice of ‘price skimming’ involves charging a relatively high price for a short time where a new, innovative, or much-improved product is launched onto a market. Obviously, due to the reason that Apple had created a strong brand image by its innovation of technology and creativity of design, and loyalty of customers, particularly those Apple crazy fans, the price skimming strategy was able to work extremely well when iPhone was launched onto the market. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone entered the highly volatile cell phone market combining telephony, MP3, Web surfing and video watching, which completely revolutionized the tech-savvy market and was most awaited by both the technology enthusiasts and mainstream media. Therefore, the success of this strategy was largely dependent on those first adopters’ inelasticity of demand for the product either by the market as a whole. However, in the cell phone industry, where the product lifecycle is relatively short and the market is highly competitive. Before some other competing products or substitutes emerging on the market, iPhone could enjoy its high price and benefit from its â€Å"monopoly profits† in a short term where demand is relatively inelastic. Whereas in the cell phone industry, the demand from mass market is price elastic, which is the main reason that Apple needs to drop its price to increase its sales according to its mass-market strategy. In terms of cross-price elasticity, we can think about this question from two aspects: complements and substitutes. Firstly, due the reason that the demand of iPhone is price elastic in mass market, price of iPhone decrease, quantity demanded of components increases, which leads Apple to get a lower price of components from its supplier and further guarantee its gross margin of iPhone. In addition, the increase of sales also means the increase number of customer buying and renting apps from Apple’s online store. Secondly, considering substitutes, price of iPhone decrease, and quantity of competing products demanded decrease. Since the demand is price elastic, the lower production cost and increase revenue from Apple softer ware are able to recuperate the loss from cost cut. We can make the conclusion that regarding to the income elasticity, a decrease of price of iPhone has a positive impact on its total revenue. 3. Based on the information provided in the case would you say that the market for smartphone is closer to monopoly or to monopolistic competition? Justify. Answer: Yes, base on the information provided in the case, I regard the smartphone industry as a monopolistic competition. Monopolistic competition  is a form of imperfect competition  where many competing producers sell products that are  differentiated  from one another. Smartphone industry has following characteristics: * There are several producers like Apple, Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola etc. , and many consumers in the market, but no company can total control over the market price. * Consumers perceive that there are non-price differences among the competitors products. * There are few barriers to entry and exit. Producers have a degree of control over price. 4. Is the price cut decided by Apple two months after iPhone initial launch consistent with the smartphone market structure described above? Answer: Yes, the performance of iPhone is consistent with the smartphone market structure. Firstly, the MC firms sell products that have real or perceived non-price differences. However, the differences are not so great as to eliminate other goods as substitutes. Technically, the cross price el asticity of demand between goods in such a market is positive. In this case, iPhone perform the same basic functions but have differences in qualities such as design, style, reputation and appearance. Secondly, independent decision-making is another characteristic of monopolistic competition. The firm gives no consideration to what effect its decision may have on competitors. In other words each firm feels free to set prices as if it were a monopoly. Lastly, Apple has some degree of market power. Market power means that the firm has control over the terms and conditions of exchange. An MC firm can raise it prices without losing all its customers. The firm can also lower prices without triggering a potentially ruinous price war with competitors, which is the reason why iPhone was able to largely cut its price in two months. 5. Knowing the price cut affected negatively Apple reputation, do you believe Apple adopted an opportunistic pricing strategy initially selling the iPhone at a high price to take advantage of holiday season high spending habits and then dropping the price to stimulate market growth? Is this consistent with Apple pricing strategy in its other product lines like computers and iPod? Answer: I don’t entirely believe that iPhone lunched at a high price was due to it attempted to take the advantage of â€Å"holiday season high spending habits†. From my point of view, there are two main reasons why iPhone priced high at the beginning: Firstly, the core consumer groups of iPhone are enthusiastic fans of high-tech gadgets; and some of them are loyalty customers of Apple. These parts of people are not sensitive for iPhone’s price. What attract them are its quality, design and innovation. The first adopters’ inelasticity of demand is a good opportunity for using the price skimming strategy. Secondly, high price strategy is an effective method to build a high-end brand image. It’s much easier that a high brand image product cuts its price for promotion than a low brand image one raises it. For the tech-savvy market, the product lifecycle is short. We can often find on the market that a product of Apple or other brands cuts its price when it has been launched for a period of time. But iPhone dropped its price only 2 months after it had been introduced onto the market. This strategy is quite different from other products of Apple. For instance, iPod depreciated 2 years after it came into the market. Seeing the price of iPhone must be in line with iPod Touch, this strategy is â€Å"special† for Apple, comparing with other products. 6. â€Å"According to Apple executives the move had been planned long ago and felt that the pricing strategy was conceived in part to keep the iPhone’s pricing in line with its new iPod touch. † Explain to what extent a high-priced iPhone could be an obstacle to the success of the new iPod Touch. Based on what you know about Apple late development do you find that explanation convincing? Answer: In terms of the features of these two types of products, iPod Touch is like a simplified version of iPhone, without the function of a â€Å"phone†. This determines that the prices of these two types of products must be â€Å"in a line†, which means, for a reasonable consideration, the price of iPod Touch must be lower than iPhone but not too far away. If iPhone had not cut its price, iPod Touch must have had been priced at a higher level than the realistic one. We assume that, if iPhone 4 GB continued being sold at 499USD, iPod Touch may be sold at 400 or 450USD. As an mp3 player, it would be much more expensive than its competing brands. On the contrary, if iPhone had kept a high price level but iPod Touch had been set at a low one, the customers would have had been confused for â€Å"why a simplified version of iPhone is so much ‘cheaper’ than iPhone? † That would have had a negative impacts on the sales of both iPhone and iPod Touch, even would have had impaired Apple’s brand image. Combining with what I know about the late development of these two types of products, I found although the price cutting had a temporary harm on customer’s trust, iPhone and iPod Touch both performed well on the market. It proved the importance of keeping the price of iPhone and iPod Touch in a line. 7. â€Å"But the sharp price cut suggested that even Apple, which has long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers, is not immune from the brutal pressures of the cellular phone business. † Does this statement mean that the personal computers market is different from the cellular phone business in other words, the cellular phone market is more competitive than the personal computer market? Why? Do you share this view? Justify. Answer: From this statement, I can’t make the conclusion that the cell phone market is more competitive than the personal computer market. Apple is one of the earliest personal computer manufacturers in the world. Its personal computer products are behalf of the most advanced PC technology of the world. Especially its graphics processing technology and operating system have high reputation. Thus, Apple’s PC products long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers. That means Apple has definitely strong market power on PC market. Its high price doesn’t mean there is less competition. Furthermore, the technical innovation, appearance design, and function combination of cell phone products are updating so fast. So the lifecycle of a handset product is shorter than a computer. The price cutting often occurs when a mobile phone has come onto market for a period of time. The objective usually is for making price room for a new generation of product, which isn’t caused by competing activities. In conclusion, I don’t share this view. 8. â€Å"Keeping in mind Apple’s range of high priced products which gives it an â€Å"aura† of exclusivity, was Jobs decision to reduce the price a right one? With a 50% gross margin, Apple is setting itself up for aggressive price declines going forward†. Do you believe that Apple move is a sign that it is ready to enter a price war? Would this mean that Apple is leaving the niche market position it held for decades to go after mass market? What would be the pros and cons of that strategy? Do you believe it? Answer: The characteristics of Apple’s products are novel design, fashionable appearance and the combination of music, game, music, web surfing and other functions. It determines the positioning of iPhone must be high, and the main target consumer group is high income, music ; digital amateurs. This segment of consumer has low sensitive for price. Pure price war will not yield more market shares for iPhone. So, the price cutting strategy doesn’t mean Apple is ready for the price war. The product’s features determine Apple’s niche market strategy. But a cell phone product innovates relatively faster than other cargos. When a product successfully attracted some first adopters, how to sell them to more followers should be the core problem. Cutting the price and going in to the mass market is a universal method. Apple also adopted this strategy on iPhone. Pros of going to mass market: * iPhone can attract more followers. Some of them are sensitive to the price, their demands are elastic. Before the price cutting and entry of the mass market, some of the non-owners didn’t buy it just because of the high price. * iPhone can expand its market share quicker, and establish the competitive barriers. Its market power will be stronger. * The expanded customers would have had bought more online products, which would have had a big growth of income. By this strategy, iPhone can consolidate their customer-friendly brand image, and increase the loyalty of the customers. * The cooperation with AT;T can get a synergy between these two brands, and can receive a sum of bonus revenue from the carrier. Cons of going to mass market: * It made the brand image be lower than before. * Decreased the gross margin of iPhone. * Hurt some die-hards’ loyalty. * Increased the degree of monopoly, made the competition imperfect, and harmed the balance of the benign competition with its rivals. But a cellular phone product such as iPhone goes into the mass market is usually a temporary strategy when the product comes into the mature or declining period in its lifecycle, or when the company wants to make some price room for a new product. Apple cut iPhone’s price was just for keeping the iPhone’s price being in a line with iPod Touch’s. It didn’t mean Apple changed its main branding strategy to go into the mass market. For that time, I assume that it was a reasonable strategy for Apple to cut iPhone’s price.

Kangxi And Louis XIV | Comparison

Kangxi And Louis XIV | Comparison Absolute monarchy or absolutism means that the sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed to rule by divine right. Kangxi and Louis XIV were both shining examples for absolutist rule. Age of Absolutism was between 1610 and 1789. Absolutism is a term used to depict a type of monarchical power that was not at all restrained by institutions, for example, legislatures, social elites, or churches. Both Kangxi and Louis X1V were absolute monarchs associated with the coming to power of professional bureaucracies, professional standing armies, and the coding of state laws. They possessed ideologies that justify the absolutist monarchy. As absolute monarchs they spent significant sums on flamboyant homes for themselves as well as their nobles. It is mandatory in an absolutist state, by the monarchs for nobles to live in the royal palace, although in their absence, state officials ruled the nobles lands. This would effectively decrease the power of the nobility, thus causing nobles to become dependent upon the generosity of the monarch for their source of income. Emperor Kangxi became known as one of Chinas greatest emperors. He suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, forced the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan to submit to Qing rule, blocked Tzarist on Russia on the Amur River and extended the empire to the northwest. The compilation of the Kangxi Dictionary was just one primary example of the emperors many accomplishments pertaining to the subject of literature. During Kangxis reign his country experienced long-term stability and relative wealth after having suffered many years of turmoil and war. He was responsible for the initiation of the Prosperous Era of Kangxi and Qianlong era, which prolonged for generations after his own. As his reign ceased, the Qing Empire had full control over the entire Chinese region, Manchuria, as well as part of the Far East region of Russia and many other regions. Emperor Kangxi, whose father Emperor Shunzhi was the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper, was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. As he reached age 8 years old on February 17, 1661, Kangxi succeeded imperial throne; twelve days after his fathers death. His rule consisted of at least 61 years from 1661 to 1722, making him the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history. When Kangxi was eight, he ascended the throne. As a child, Kangxi was very talented in literature and he worked diligently. Since he was too young, his father hired four ministers to assist him with the administration of the country. Ao Bai was the name of one of them who furtively assigned his own henchmen to oppose the young emperor. As Kangxi became of age to rule the nation, he ingeniously voided Ao Bais plot. In 1643 Louis XIV became king at age four upon the loss of his father Louis XIII. Louis XIV, also recognized as the Sun King, was among the greatest of significant monarchs in history. He reigned for 72 years, from 1643 until his death in 1715. This made his time as King the longest known reign of any European monarch. He is responsible for taking France from savage medieval to one of the most appealing cultures in the world. He claimed total control of the French Government for 54 years out of the 72 years that he reigned for. The 17th century was labeled as the age of Louis XIV, due to his supreme reign of absolutism in government. Louis began independently governing France as of 1661 after his prime minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin passed away. As an advocate of the theory of the divine right of kings, Louis continued his predecessors work of creating a Centralized Government, governed from within the capital. He sought the elimination of the remnants of Feudalist parts of France. Under his rule, France represented the mainstay of European power, involved in three major wars: the Franco Dutch War, the Nine Years War, the League of Augsburg War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. A highly skilled politician and statesman Louis X1V supported and profited from the work of major political, military and cultural figures such as Mazarin, Colbert, Turenneaud, Vauban, Moliere, Racine, Boileau, La Fontain, Lully and Le Notre to name just a few. Days before his seventy-seventh birthday after death, Louis was succeeded by his great-grandson who became Louis XV at age 5. Both Kangxi and Louis XIV were shining examples for absolutist rule, and they both were effective absolutist who did a great job governing their kingdom. However, in my opinion Kangxi was the more effective Absolutist of the two. Whereas Louis XIV relied heavily on collaborating with other great men in order to achieve effectiveness, Kangxi relied on utilizing his supreme intellect and succeeded exerting his own true absolute power which was his intelligence.

Essay examples --

Addiction: Anabolic- Androgenic Steroids Anabolic steroids, technically known as anabolic-androgenic steroids, are drugs that are related to the cyclic steroid ring system and have similar effects to testosterone in the body. They increase protein within cells, especially in skeletal muscles. They address the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics such as the growth of the vocal cords, testicles and body hair. Anabolic steroids were first made in the 1930s, and are now used therapeutically in medicine to stimulate bone growth and appetite, induce male puberty and treat chronic wasting conditions; such as cancer and AIDS. The American College of Sports Medicine acknowledges that AAS, in the presence of adequate diet, can contribute to increases in body weight, often as lean mass increases and that the gains in muscular strength achieved through high-intensity exercise and proper diet can be additionally increased by the use of AAS in some individuals. Health risks can be produced by long-term use or excessive doses of anabolic steroids. These effects include harmful changes in cholesterol levels, acne, high blood pressure, liver damage, and dangerous changes in the structure of the left ventricle of the heart. Conditions pertaining to hormonal imbalances such as gynecomastia and testicular atrophy may also be caused by anabolic steroids. Ergogenic uses for anabolic steroids in sports, racing, and bodybuilding as performance-enhancing drugs are controversial because of their hostile effects and the potential to gain unfair advantage is considered cheating. Their use is referred to as doping and banned by all major sporting bodies. Mechanism of action The pharmacodynamics of anabolic steroids are unlike peptid... ...ses the production of red blood cells. Through a number of mechanisms anabolic steroids stimulate the formation of muscle cells and hence cause an increase in the size of skeletal muscles, leading to increased strength. The androgenic effects of AAS are numerous. Depending on the length of use, the side effects of the steroid can be irreversible. Processes affected include pubertal growth, sebaceous gland oil production, and sexuality. Some examples of effects are growth of the clitoris in females and the penis in male children, increased vocal cord size, increased libido, suppression of natural sex hormones, and impaired production of sperm. Effects on women include deepening of the voice, facial hair growth, and possibly a decrease in breast size. Men may develop an enlargement of breast tissue, known as gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, and a reduced sperm count.

iPhone Security Essay -- Mobile Technology, Computer Forensics

iPhone Security Nowadays, technology is speeding our way of communication and the way in which we handle our personal lives. Zdziarski (2008) described, â€Å"How the iPhone has quickly become a market leader in technology and has been a big success around the world† (preface.iX). The iPhone has become a very useful tool in many aspects of people lives. However, people should be aware that this device can store a great amount of data in its memory and that if you ever lost or had it stolen all off your personal and professional information can be available to whoever has it in their hand. Today many companies do their business directly from the iPhones. Business people and non-business people alike are using the iPhone in order to achieve most of their office work or maintain contact with their family and friends. For example, in the commercial sectors most employees nowadays execute many of their tasks from anywhere and not necessarily have to go to their office and login into their computers. By using the iPhone employees can create important documents, save important announcements and do important transactions by using the iPhone. On the other hand, people who are not in the business sectors use the iPhone for their personal use. For example, talk with their family, friends, or spend time doing web searching in different areas that they are interested in. Nevertheless, the iPhone contains sensitive information in their memory that belongs to the owner and information that can belong to other people with who the owner of the iPhone had established a conversation or any type of chat in the network. Zdziarski (2008) described, â€Å"that the information saved in the iPhone memory can be e-mails, photos, documents, text messages, phone... ...iminals are getting benefits from the iPhone. Engdahl (2011) described how the police and forensic investigators have to work together in order to find all the complete evidence that the criminals left in the iPhone before they committed their crime (p. 15). With the techniques, the skills, and knowledge of law enforcement officers and forensic investigators they will be able to confidently prosecute those criminals involved in fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices and criminal acts. Judges and prosecutors have to have all the evidence before they condemn any person to jail. The job of law enforcement and computer forensics will never end because the criminals are using new tools to commit their crime. In fact, the job of law enforcement and forensic is to reveal the hiding information of the criminals who commits crimes to those who are innocent people.

Thomas Hardy Notes on Hap

Author: Thomas Hardy First Published: 1898 Type of Poem: Sonnet Genres: Poetry, Sonnet Subjects: Suffering, Despair, God, Pain, Good and evil, Gods or goddesses, Fate or fatalism, Life, philosophy of, Life and death, Time, Joy or sorrow, Luck or misfortune The Poem Thomas Hardy has structured â€Å"Hap† to meet all the requirements of the form of an English sonnet: Its fourteen lines are written in iambic pentameter, the rhyme scheme abab, cdcd, efef, gg is complied with, and the three quatrains are followed by a rhymed couplet to conclude the poem. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Hap – Thomas Hardy *If you need to find something quickly, I suggest you hit CTRL + F and type in what you are looking for. * Hap(1) If but some vengeful god would call to me From up the sky, and laugh: â€Å"Thou suffering thing, Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting! † Then would I bear it, c lench myself and die, Steeled by the sense of the ire(2) unmerited; Half eased in that a Powerfuller than I Had willed and meted(3) me the tears I shed. But not so. How arrives it joy lies slain,And why unblooms the best hope ever sown? -Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain, And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan†¦ These purblind Doomsters(4) had as readily strown Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain. References: 1 – Chance (aka Casualty @ line 11) 2 – Anger 3 – Given 4 – Half-blind judges Author: Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928) His works usually show the struggle between nature of man, inside and out, to shape human destiny. only through endurance, heroism or simple act of good can his characters overcome the adversity of unknown forces guiding them through life blindly.Explanation: (My professor once said, â€Å"To truly enjoy what we have before us, we must not be gluttons. We must be mannered beings who adhere to the rules of society an d take in, what we have before us, a morsel at a time. â€Å") {Essentially what he meant was, â€Å"Don't try to understand the entire thing at first. Take it in by sentences, then stanzas and then you will have arrived at the entire idea. But for this poem, we need to look at it semi-collectively} Let us begin with the first 2 stanzas: 1st STANZA If but some vengeful god would call to me From up the sky, and laugh: â€Å"Thou suffering thing,Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting! † 2nd STANZA Then would I bear it, clench myself and die, Steeled by the sense of the ire(2) unmerited; Half eased in that a Powerfuller than I Had willed and meted(3) me the tears I shed. So†¦ what did we just read? A lot of mumbo jumbo at first glance. But I promise that there is a meaning here. Our friend Thomas wishes for an angry god to peer down at him and laugh. Because god is such a powerful being that rains down misfortunes on humans, Hardy w ould have someone to target his anger towards.Hardy would know that God made him suffer and so Hardy would be completely alright dying hating god. 3rd Stanza But not so. How arrives it joy lies slain, And why unblooms the best hope ever sown? -Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain, And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan†¦ These purblind Doomsters(4) had as readily strown Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain. Hardy finishes off this poem by hinting that his anger towards god would be unjustified. God does not bring forth only sadness, he also brings forth happiness and hope. If god gives us both, then why does Hardy need to be so depressed?Why can not he be extremely happy? Hardy's answer to his own philosophical question is: It is not some supreme being giving me happiness and then giving me sadness based on my actions. It is just random chance. It is random chance that I have been extremely happy and extremely depressed. Summary: Hardy wishes that god exist but sadly, he doesn't. Because all the good things and bad things that happen to us aren't based, created or assigned by a powerful being at all. It all depends on luck, chance or Hap. My Opinion: Not particularly my favorite poem aesthetically. The idea however is quite challenging.It reminds me of a young philosopher who is questioning why bad things happen to good people. Surely it is chance, but what Hardy is hinting towards is what if it is a bad thing only because we THINK it is a bad thing? It is almost circular. I do not know much about Hardy but what I do know is that he tried really hard to believe in god but in the end, he came out completely agnostic. This poem shows that struggle. ————————————————- â€Å"Hap† is a poem by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) that he wrote in 1866, while working as a trainee architect, and for which he could not find a publisher.It did not reach the general public until 1898 when Hardy included it in his first collection, which was entitled â€Å"Wessex Poems†, which only appeared after he had concluded his career as a highly successful novelist. The poem is a sonnet, although it is presented as three stanzas in that the traditional octave is split into two stanzas each of four lines and the sestet is a stanza on its own. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEFFE, which is a variant on the Shakespearean form, although the clean break between octave and sestet is more associated with the Petrarchan sonnet form.The poem can be seen as Hardy’s reaction to the basic thinking that underlies Darwin’s â€Å"The Origin of Species† which had been published in 1859. Hardy understood Darwin to imply that the mechanism that drove natural selection was mere accident and chance. Although this is generally held to be a misinterpretation of Darwin’s theory, it was one that was widely held and it was also a re ason why many Victorians regarded Darwinism as being a version of atheism and therefore to be condemned.Hardy had no wish to reject what he understood to be Darwin’s theory, but he wanted to come to terms with it, and â€Å"Hap† is one such attempt. The opening quatrain is headed by â€Å"If† and the second by â€Å"Then†; thus they can each be regarded as separate clauses of the same sentence that seems to propound a statement of logic. The â€Å"If† clause represents a somewhat Old Testament view of â€Å"some vengeful god† who delights in causing sorrow to mankind and to the poet in particular.It appears that the poet has had a love affair go wrong: â€Å"Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy, / That thy love’s loss is my hate’s profiting! † The â€Å"Then† clause states that the poet would have accepted the idea that his misfortune was caused by a supernatural force, or would at least have been â€Å"Half-easedà ¢â‚¬  by the knowledge that he was the victim of one who was â€Å"Powerfuller than I†. His attitude seems to be similar to that of Gloucester in Shakespeare’s â€Å"King Lear† when he says: â€Å"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport†.However, the â€Å"volta†, or turning-point, of this sonnet presents the reality which the poet now appreciates in the post-Darwinian world, namely that human misfortunes are not willed by the gods but happen by chance. Hardy can only blame â€Å"Crass Casualty†, and â€Å"dicing Time† which act as â€Å"purblind Doomsters†. The point he makes is that these forces are not vengeful like the gods in most mythologies but are completely indifferent. This is clear not only from his choice of adjectives (â€Å"crass† being used here to mean â€Å"insensitive† or â€Å"without thought†) but from the poem’s conclusion: â€Å" †¦ had as readily strown / Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain†.So the question then arises as to which world-view is preferable, that which supposes that the gods are set on destroying man’s happiness, or the cosmos revealed by Darwin in which the forces of nature are mechanical and purposeless and man has as good a chance of happiness as of despair? There is evidence that Hardy stressed to his critics that he was not replacing one source of cosmic oppression with another, and he was in fact quoted as saying that: â€Å"The world does not despise us; it only neglects us† (See â€Å"The Life of Thomas Hardy†, by Florence Emily Hardy, p. 8). The implication of this is that man has been dealt an even hand and must play it the best way he can. The new order is therefore a bestowal of freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility. There is a mystery in this poem as to what Hardy meant by â€Å"why unblooms the best hope ever sown? † As mentioned above, the misf ortune that prompted Hardy’s thoughts sounds as though it was a blighted love affair, but, although Hardy had several lady friends who came and went at this time in his career, there were none who were, as yet, potential marriage partners.This suggests that â€Å"the best hope† had more to do with Hardy’s failure to get his poetry into print. Hardy believed himself to be a talented poet and was surprised and disappointed that none of the journals to which he sent his work were willing to buy it. Perhaps there is a clue to this failure in the line quoted above – an editor who saw â€Å"unblooms† instead of â€Å"blooms not† might have considered that this was not poetic enough.It was certainly not a word that Tennyson would have chosen, and Tennyson was at that time Poet Laureate and the leader of poetic taste in England. An aspiring poet who did not conform to the standard set by Tennyson would no doubt struggle to find an audience. — ———————————————- â€Å"Hap† would probably not strike the modern reader as being anything particularly remarkable. It is well constructed, with a single train of thought that does not depart down any side tracks. The language is well-controlled, with every word making an impact.However, by not being Tennysonian enough, and expressing a view that seemed to side with Darwinism against the religious orthodoxy of the day, Hardy’s surprise at not being able to publish poems such as this should surely not have been as great as it was. Hardy unveils his determinism in this poem as a refreshing start to the Twentieth Century. This poem seems to take the shape of an altered sonnet. Divided into the three stanza, the poem has a scientific feel due to the start of each stanza sounding like an equation: â€Å"if†, â€Å"then†, â€Å"but not so†. The first t wo stanzas are very formulated in an abab rhyme scheme and are very direct.This structure seems to contradict the theme of the poem quite nicely by contrasting form versus the random. The third stanza, however, feels much more colloquial, and is more abstract and personal than the first two stanzas. Hardy uses a caesura, an ellipses, and a rhetorical question to add to the scepticism contained in his argument, and to make the stanza feel more conversational that the other two. The first stanza creates an imaginary being by arguing that IF there was a god to blame for wrongs against him, it would be a vengeful god that rejoices in pain, rather than the opposing notion of a benevolent god.In this poem, Hardy rejects the religious standard of God, and imagines one who delights in loss and suffering. It seems to pervert the previous notion of a divine god by imagining one who states â€Å"know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy†. By using â€Å"if†, Hardy seems to be wishing fo r such a god, for reasons explained in the following stanzas. In stanza two, Hardy describes the presence of this imagined vengeful god as a relief by ‘knowing’ the truth as to why he is allotted pain. It is because of this ‘knowing’ that Hardy would be able to â€Å"bear it, clench myself, and die†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"half-eased†.His mention of the unmerited seems in reference to religion again, as it is believed that God’s mercy is unmerited to the human race, just as Hardy’s vengeful god’s anger is unmerited to him. ————————————————- Finally, in stanza three, Hardy seems to give his own world view in a colloquial nature. The image of ‘unblooming’ symbolizes hope falling to pieces as a rose may unbloom. Hardy also names fate â€Å"Crass Casualty†: chance, and â€Å"dicing Time† : either mean t as fragmented time, or a gambling of time.Hardy states that the â€Å"Doomsters†, or half blind judges of fate (Crass Casualty and dicing Time) randomly allot both pain and pleasure, and with that, he accepts the uncertainty of fate. Thomas Hardy's â€Å"Hap† After reading Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"Hap,† I was left confused and curious with feelings of doom and questions of life’s sufferings. I could not quite grasp what it is the author is trying to say due to either my unfamiliar with the language or the obscurity in his riddles. With some research, I was able to better understand, or better come to an understanding of, Hardy’s message in this piece.Beginning with the title of â€Å"Hap,† and considering it the piece of â€Å"happening,† I read that this word was an archaic simile of â€Å"chance,† or â€Å"luck† (http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/hap). This is quite important in trying to dissect this po em in that Hardy questions whether the existence of such a â€Å"vengeful† god is the reason for life’s cruelties. Hardy presumes that only with the existence of such a god could there be justification for allowing such evils in the world for their own pleasure and â€Å"ecstasy, that [the character’s] love’s loss is [the god’s] hate’s profiting. (1073) However, uncertainty in such the existence of a god is displayed as we identify the structure of the three stanzas (credit to danamercer. blogspot. com for seeing this). The â€Å"If,† â€Å"Then,† â€Å"But not so† structure is like that of an argument, leading up to a conclusion. The first stanza states that â€Å"If† there is such a god that has pleasure in his â€Å"suffering† and â€Å"sorrow,† â€Å"Then† he would â€Å"bear it, clench†¦ and die† meaning he would accept it for he must submit to that which is more â€Å"Power fuller† who has â€Å"willed† his â€Å"tears. â€Å"But [it is] not so. † Concluding that there does not exist such a God or any God for suffering is but many of nature’s â€Å"Hap† events, and thus the importance of the title. To the character, all of life’s pain and suffering is but a â€Å"dicing† or roll of the dice, a gamble rather. He doesn’t believe in the existence of a god that has â€Å"joy [in life’s] slain† and that allows the â€Å"unblooms the best hope ever sown. † What is the purpose of idolizing and turning to such a God that hates us so?How can there be such a god that is so unjust and morbid? The final answer is that it is just â€Å"Crass Casualty [that] obstructs the sun and rain† due to only chance itself. This belief is reinforced as Hardy identifies the â€Å"Doomsters† as â€Å"purblind† as well as their reasons for his â€Å"pains. † Why is â€Å"doomà ¢â‚¬  what he encounters although he is searching for the light of god (â€Å"my pilgrimage†). He is unsatisfied with the existence of such a god as he states â€Å"Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited. † He feels so strong in the rongness of a â€Å"vengeful† god that only by â€Å"bear[ing] it† and â€Å"die[ing]† would he accept this. The poem is very dramatic as it represents the authors fight with faith and the existence of a God that could allow the sufferings of life. Conversely, how can there be a God that controls everything, including the free will of humans. That’s just one of many arguments against a God that would only allow evil as well as good in the world. Because we are human, and because we have free will, we will always have two sides of the coin, good and evil.And one cannot exist without the other, for they are dependently defined. Hardy’s remaining answer is his realization that chance or â€Å"Hap† is t he defining justification for life’s â€Å"Crass Casualty. † Hardy’s style is indeed representative of the transition from Victorian/Romanticism to modernistic views in that the â€Å"good† does not always win and that â€Å"things [doesn’t] always happen for a reason† since he considers chance as one of the answers much traditionalist overlook when they consider â€Å"purpose† for the answer of all unanswered questions.