Foundations of Economics For Finance FR1001 Essay

Foundations of Economics For Finance FR1001 - Essay Example Governments are controlling the fiscal policy to stabilize and maintain the flow of the economy. This way, a country can achieve economic stability and growth. In United States, the government controls the fiscal and monetary policy in order to achieve a good economic development. Economy is good in case of low unemployment rate, low fiscal deficit, controlled inflation rate, high gross domestic product (GDP), maintained exchange rate, high export and low import of goods, balanced cash inflows and outflows, and a good investment portfolio. Based on the graph below, the US output gap between the early 1980s up to the last quarter of 1984 and 2001 to 2006 is negative. The worst recent output gap of US was back in 2003 when they have reached negative 1.1. With the proper use of fiscal and monetary policy, despite the Asian crisis in 1997, the US was able to control inflation rate and the fluctuation of exchange rates. The control of inflation resulted to a more stabilized prices and economic growth. The negative output gap is most likely to be the after effect of the high inflation and interest crisis in 1980s, Mexican crisis in 1994 and globalization in year 2000 onwards whereby many of the US businessmen started to cut on their operational costs by subcontracting most of their needed services from the skilled workers from developing countries. The US is aiming to reach a zero output gap by year 2008. (IMF, 2007) Since most of these businessmen are downsizing their businesses in US back in the early twentieth century, many of the US local citizens were affected by mass lay-offs. Some companies even had to declare bankruptcy because of the tight competition coming from the global markets. The increase in the unemployment rate affects the consumer spending in the long-run. This is the main reason why the real domestic output of the US has been constantly declining since 1999. (See Table 1 below) Notice that the graph above indicates that

The Quest for Identity Essay Example for Free

The Quest for Identity Essay In some point of our lives, we all try to find our identities; try to find a place that we can fit in completely. Most people struggle, some does not. The question of identity is especially difficult for immigrants and their coming generations since they have different cultures and different views. In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character Gogol struggles with his cultural identity due to the ideological difference between him and his parents on the concept of name. According to Bengali naming traditions, everyone has two names, a pet name and a good name. The good name is for the public to use, the pet name is for family and friends to use in private places, it is also â€Å"a persistent remnant of childhood, a reminder that life is not always so serious, so formal, so complicated. They are a reminder, too, that one is not all things to all people† (26). Different traditions represent different cultures; In the United States, many people name their son after the father or the grandfather to honor the elders and also act as a symbol of heritage. On another hand in India, every name is sacred and cannot be inherited. Ashima and Ashoke decided to name their first child Gogol, this name doesn’t just represent the life of this child, it also represents the life of the father-Ashoke. However, this shapeless and weightless name has become a burden of Gogol’s life for a long long time. The first lesson that Gogol learns about his names is at the town’s public elementary school. At first, he does not want to go to kindergarten because his parents have told him that he will be call a new name-Nikhil at school which he does not want and does not understand. He is afraid to be Nikhil, someone he doesn’t know† (57). Of course, he is not the only one who doesn’t understand about the pet name and the good name. When Ashoke tries to explain to the principal Mrs. Lapidus about why they want her to call Gogol Nikhil, Mrs. Lapidus tries to understand, but ends up in confusion due to the cultural difference. â€Å"I’m not sure I follow you, Mr. Ganguli. Do you mean that Nikhil is a middle name? Or a nickname? Many of the children go by nicknames here† (58). She has never deal with this issue before, even with the other Indian students at school. And the big problem with this is that Gogol does not respond to the name Nikhil. Therefore, Mrs. Lapidus decides to ask Gogol about his own opinion towards this new name, Gogol shakes his head as his answer, so Mrs. Lapidus writes a note to Ashima and Ashoke telling them Gogol will be known as â€Å"Gogol† instead of â€Å"Nikhil† at school due to his preference. In here, Gogol is just a kid who doesn’t understand about his culture, but at the same time, the author is trying to hint us that even though Gogol is an Indian looking kid, he is Americanized; his thoughts are very different from his parents who are typical Indians. And in the United States, his parents’ thoughts are not so accepted which increases the gap between Gogol and his parents. As Gogol is getting older, he then realizes how unusual his name is. As an Indian-American, his name is neither Indian nor American, but Russian. He does not know about the story behind his name yet, all he knows is that he starts to hate his name. Before he goes to college, he decides to change his name to Nikhil officially. It seems like he believes that changing his name would make him who he wants to be. So he goes home and asks for his parents’ opinion and complaints about his name. â€Å"I don’t get it. Why did you have to give me a pet name in the first place? What’s the point? † â€Å"It’s our way, Gogol,† his mother maintained. â€Å"It’s what Bengalis do† (99). Until this point, Gogol still doesn’t accept this naming tradition because he feels inferior for his name. However, â€Å"The only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the only person who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol† (100). The conversation ends with a sentence by Ashoke, â€Å"In America anything is possible. Do as you wish† (100). This sentence sounds normal, but it is filled with helplessness and sadness. Ashima and Ashoke can’t change anything, they are just two Indians living in America, no one cares about them, not even their son. They have no choice but to give in† (60). Now, he is officially â€Å"Nikhil†, but â€Å"Gogol† is still like a splinter in his heart. He doesn’t want to touch it, doesn’t like to talk about it, but the dull pain inside his heart always reminds him that it’s there. After Ashoke’s death, he learns to seize the time with Ashima. But when he knows that Ashima is planning to move back to India, he suddenly realizes that â€Å"Without people in the world to call him Gogol, no matter how long he himself lives, Gogol Ganguli will, once and for all, vanish from the lips of loved ones, and so, cease to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all (289). He finally realizes that as he gets mature, his love once are getting older too. His name will die just like the people. This shows that finally accepted himself as a whole, and this name is part of him. Maybe â€Å"Gogol† is not who he wants to be, but â€Å"Gogol† is who he really is. Ashima and Ashoke are the first generation immigrants, they consider themselves Indians, but learning to adjust their minds and live like Americans. Struggles are parts of their daily lives. Gogol, as an American born Indian, he has an Indian appearance, but growing up in America and getting American education make him a real American inside. â€Å"Living with a pet name and a good name, in a place where such distinctions do not exist-surely that was emblematic of the greatest confusion of all† (118). No wonder, the quest for identity is exhausting, but eventually, you will get to the destination. Open your mind, accepts who you really are, life is beautiful.

Josephine Bakers Monologue Essay -- Josephine Baker Composition Monol

Josephine Baker's Monologue I’m Freda Josephine Baker born to Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson on June 3rd, 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri, but most of you may know me as Josephine Baker. At the age of 12 I dropped out of school to become an entertainer, yes yes, I remember it like it was yesterday, I was young and ready to become a star. I grew up cleaning houses and babysitting for white families, and they always reminded me â€Å"be sure not to kiss the baby†. When I was 13, I got a waitressing job at the Chauffeur’s Club, which was where I met my first husband, our marriage was very brief; I had never hesitated to leave anyone, never depended on any man for anything, that’s for sure. I was married five times, never again never again, I keep telling myself, hah hah I make myself laugh, but then again I did get lots of things from them. I gained French citizenship from one of my husbands, another one of my husbands helped to raise my 12 adopted children, and I kept my last name of my 2nd husband, Willie Baker. I never had children of my own instead I adopted twelve child...

Macbeth †Hunger & Humility Essay

Some say that when offered power, a man would do anything to get it. For example, when Hercules finds out he is a god he didn’t even know his own strength, and he used it in ways that other people didn’t believe were very helpful but soon proved them wrong when he grew up and became more mature and powerful. Hercules wanted to use his newfound power for the well-being of others; however, Macbeth had other plans for his use of power. In William Shakespeare’s tragic novel, Macbeth, a brilliant peacekeeper, Macbeth suffered from the same problem that befell many of the tragic Greek heroes like Oedipus. Despite his eager and insightful vision; he is unable to see himself or the future as clearly as he sees the battlefield before him. Macbeth proves in the story that he is a warrior model, ambitious, arrogant, and masculine all to a fault. Ambition, the hunger for the purpose-driven achievement, takes Macbeth to stunning extremes. At once intoxicated with his own slyness, he decides to stage a rebellion of his own, and to take the throne promised him by the Three Witches. Stoked by his wife’s ruthless passion, he reaches his high point – and melts down thereafter. â€Å"But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep where to the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory, the warder of the brain† (I.VII. 60-65). Hunger turned ruthless, he finds he has little taste for absolute murder in cold blood, no matter how many he has slain in his path. Confused and pressed towards action, he must engage in dishonesty following the discovery of Duncan’s death, leaving him caught up in self-doubt shortly after. His character has ambition, but lacked the ability to understand the trace of what acting on that ambition may have meant. Others, knowing him as they did, took advantage of him, leading Macbeth to go on a rampage. Arrogance plays a large role in this play, driven by confidence and internal conspiracy. Also, defined as an offensive display of self-superiority, here we may take arrogance as a confidence absent the ability to self-affirm. This definition can be seen in many scenes throughout the play. As mentioned before, Macbeth had the courage to commit the deed that started it all, but only when traumatized by his wife. After her support edged away into a nervous craze, he himself falls into doubt, despair, and ultimately a reckless brand of destructiveness. It can be seen again, when the Three Witches play upon his ambition and arrogance, hidden promises slipping through the light armor of his doubt to play upon his heart’s desires. A time when the lack is most clearly seen is when Macbeth drives himself mad, unable to argue successfully with Banquo’s ghost. â€Å"Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too† (III. IV.70-71). Unable to con firm his feelings when none but he can see what infect him, he collapses. Seeking support, he finds that the best option is to return to his element and bring himself back to the battlefield, where he can die gloriously doing that which he was always best at. Maleness was Macbeth’s trademark as the standing alpha male. In this case, masculinity has a collection of traits and habits surrounding it. As the alpha, there are expectations to be met from others, a responsibility to those in his company, and dominance to be maintained for his own sake. Given his arrogance, ambition, and masculinity, he uses these traits to emphasize his character onto the world around him. Assertion, and almost never careful judgment, is his primary tool in the performance. Due to this, Macbeth is sadly unprepared to deal with the events happening around him after his wife dies, whose talent what he lacked. â€Å"She should have died hereafter; there would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time; And all of our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.† (V. V. 17-23). As his reliability dies, doubt is cast upon him both by oth ers and himself. The great lord remains unable to turn his once-sharp intellect inward to look at and create himself, or to moves desperately on, and it is almost too difficult to watch; none enjoy seeing great men fall to their death, especially Macbeth. Macbeth makes the tragic figure in that he embodies all that is typically asked for in a great hero. He has a sharp ambition that drives the action, pride for years on well-deserved honor, and the ability to force him with the strength needed to uphold the sensational shine around him. And then as the story progresses, because of the same things those we so admired him for, it all turns to dust in a flood of desperation. Unable to manage his emotions or regulate his actions, he is then incapable of dodging or deflecting the consequences that drove him into the ground and over the edge. Macbeth therefore shows that he is a warrior model, ambitious, arrogant, and masculine all to a fault. It is tragic, and it is also heroic, and this is what truly makes Macbeth the perfect example of a tragic hero.

The Guide to the Perfect Date

Kendra Okey The Guide to the Perfect Date Do you think the perfect date would be going to taco bell? Or how about White Castle? The perfect date, as we all know it to be, would not be either of those two places. The perfect date would be something that was heartfelt and was meant to impress your date. The three things that would make the date perfect would be the occasion of the date, the location for the date, and most importantly the gift that was appropriate for the occasion.First, impress your girlfriend/boyfriend by planning the date on a day that has a special meaning to you and your date. Yes, we all go on those little dates with our boyfriend/girlfriend, but the perfect date would be for an event that means something. A special occasion could be an anniversary, Valentine’s Day, or maybe even a proposal. The second thing that would make the date perfect would be the location of the date. For instance, if you were going out for an anniversary, you would not take your dat e to White Castle.You would probably take them to a nicer restaurant like Applebee’s or Olive Garden. On the other hand, if you were going to propose to your date, you would probably take them to a really fancy restaurant like Eagle’s Nest. The third, and most important thing to make a date perfect, would be the gift you get for your date. For example, if you were going out for your two year anniversary, you would probably get your date a card with a sweet little not inside and a bouquet of flowers.However, if you were going out for your two year anniversary, you would probably surprise her with a card, a bouquet of flowers, and box of chocolate, and maybe even â€Å"pop the question† by the end of the night. Now that you know a little about the perfect date, I hope you can impress your girlfriend/boyfriend on your next special occasion. Just remember the perfect date is a special date that is meant to impress your girlfriend/boyfriend. Make sure you take them o n a special day, take them somewhere that is appropriate, and make sure you bring the perfect gift. If you do these things, you are sure to impress your date.

the graduate essays

the graduate essays The film 'The Graduate' was made in 1967 by Embassy Films. Directed by Mike Nichols with the help of cinematographer Robert Surtees, and co-producer (with Nichols) Lawrence Turman, 'The Graduate' was a number one hit of 1968. From the novel by Charles Webb, Calden Willingham and Buck Henry crafted this superb screenplay. The major players include Elizabeth Wilson, Murray Hamilton, William Daniels, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross and Dustin Hoffman.. Benjamin Braddock, raised in a comfortable middle-class home, never having dealt with any major problems in life, graduates from college, and is now left feeling empty and unsatisfied with his accomplishments. His past in uninteresting and his future is uncertain. So, he turns to the first thing offered: an affair with his father's business partner's wife, a woman twice his age, also searching for some relief from her vague, dead-end, wealthy existence. The director has manipulated elements of the frame to suggest confusion and emptiness within the affair. Elements playing significant roles in the mise en scne of this sequence include the placement and staging of the characters in the frame, and the framing techniques. In many places throughout the movie, Benjamin is placed on the far right or the bottom of the frame. He is depicted as insignificant, small, and lost. In other shots, the camera captures him from behind an obstruction, framed, sometimes nearly obscured, by a piece of furniture or another character. In this short display of Benjamin's enjoying his leisure, his face with its blank expression is the dominant image which draws the viewer's eye and fills the screen. Usually when a character is center, it is to draw attention to his impending actions or his power. Staging of the characters and props suggest a lack of human connection and intimacy. The proximity of Ben to other characters is constantly shifting. He floats in the pool, isolated-an island aw...

Title 1 Schools Summary essays

Title 1 Schools Summary essays A Title 1 school is a school that serves low-income children. A Title 1 school might also be a low-performing school, because poverty and low school performance are highly correlated. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is one of the largest federal aids to education programs. It was originally passed in 1965 to provide financial assistance to local school districts in planning and operating special programs for educationally disadvantaged children. Most educators refer to this as the Chapter 1 pullout program where students went to a designated "lab" and received limited math or reading instruction. From 1981 until 1994, Title I was called Chapter 1. In October 1994, President Clinton signed into law the "Improving America's Schools Act" (IASA). This reauthorized law provides parents, advocates, and school communities with a new opportunity to use Title I as a tool for broader school reform. Schools that receive this assistance are presently identified as Title I School-wide Project Schools. Title 1 schools have several positive effects on the communities as the use of federal grants can be used to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning to the children of low-income groups. Also, by attending Title 1 Schools, low-income students can create positive expectations about themselves. In addition, one of the aims of the Title 1 School is to provide strong and effective school leadership. There have been several negatives associated with Title 1 schools also. The first and foremost is that the quality of education that is provided in these schools is low and most of the schools have become the centers of student violence and drug uses. One of the reasons for it is the lack of the parental guidance. Because most of the students who attend these schools are not expected to compete nationally, the expectations that the ...

Order of States in Ratification of the US Constitution

Order of States in Ratification of the US Constitution The United States Constitution was created to replace the failing Articles of Confederation. At the end of the American Revolution, the founders had created the Articles of Confederation as a method to allow states to keep their individual powers while still gaining of the benefit of being part of a larger entity. The Articles had gone into effect on March 1, 1781. However, by 1787 it became apparent that they were not viable in the long term. This especially became clear when in 1786, Shays Rebellion occurred in western Massachusetts. This was a group of people who were protesting rising debt and economic chaos. When the national government tried to get states to send a military force to help stop the rebellion, many states were reluctant and chose not to get involved. Need for a New Constitution Many states realized the need to come together and form a stronger national government. Some states met to try and deal with their individual trade and economic issues. However, they soon realized that this would not be enough. On May 25, 1787, the states sent delegates to Philadelphia to try and change the Articles to deal with the issues that had arisen. The articles had a number of weaknesses including that each state only had one vote in Congress, and the national government had no power to tax and no ability to regulate foreign or interstate trade. In addition, there was no executive branch to enforce nationwide laws. Amendments required a unanimous vote, and individual laws required a 9/13 majority to pass. Once the individuals who met in what was to become the Constitutional Convention realized that changing the Articles would not be enough to fix the issues facing the new United States, they set to work to replace them with a new Constitution.   Constitutional Convention James Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution, set to work to get a document created that would still be flexible enough to ensure that states retained their rights yet created a strong enough national government to keep order among the states and meet threats from within and without. The 55 framers of the Constitution met in secret to debate the individual parts of the new Constitution. Many compromises occurred over the course of the debate including the Great Compromise. In the end, they had created a document that would need to be sent to the states for ratification. In order for the Constitution to become law, at least nine states would have to ratify the Constitution. Ratification Was Not Assured Ratification did not come easily or without opposition. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, a group of influential colonial Patriots known as the Anti-Federalists publicly opposed the new Constitution in town hall meetings, newspapers, and pamphlets. Some argued that the delegates at the Constitutional Convention had overstepped their congressional authority by proposing to replace the Articles of Confederation with an â€Å"illegal† document - the Constitution. Others complained that the delegates in Philadelphia, being mostly wealthy and â€Å"well-born† landowners had proposed a Constitution, and thus a federal government, that would serve their special interests and needs. Another often-expressed objection was that the Constitution reserved too many powers to the central government at the expense of â€Å"state’s rights.† Perhaps the most impactful objection to the Constitution was that the Convention had failed to include a Bill of Rights clearly enumerating the rights that would protect the American people from potentially excessive applications of government powers. Using the pen name Cato, New York’s Governor George Clinton supported the Anti-Federalist views in several newspaper essays, while Patrick Henry and James Monroe led the opposition to the Constitution in Virginia. Favoring ratification, the Federalists responded, arguing that rejection of the Constitution would lead to anarchy and social disorder. Using the pen name Publius, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay countered Clinton’s Anti-Federalist Papers. Beginning in October 1787, the trio published 85 essays for New York newspapers. Collectively titled The Federalist Papers, the essays explained the Constitution in detail along with the framers’ reasoning in creating each section of the document. To the lack of a Bill of Rights, the Federalists argued that such a list of rights would always be incomplete and that the Constitution as written adequately protected the people from the government. Finally, during the ratification debate in Virginia, James Madison promised that the first act of the new government under the Constitution would be the adoption of a Bill of Rights. The Delaware legislature became the first to ratify the Constitution by a vote of 30-0 on December 7, 1787. The ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified it on June 21, 1788, and the new Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789.   Order of Ratification Here is the order in which the states ratified the US Constitution. Delaware - December 7, 1787Pennsylvania - December 12, 1787New Jersey - December 18, 1787Georgia - January 2, 1788Connecticut - January 9, 1788Massachusetts - February 6, 1788Maryland - April 28, 1788South Carolina - May 23, 1788New Hampshire - June 21, 1788Virginia - June 25, 1788New York - July 26, 1788North Carolina - November 21, 1789Rhode Island - May 29, 1790 Updated by Robert Longley

Structural Fires and Structural Failures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Structural Fires and Structural Failures - Essay Example Efforts started in 1980 to keep track of fires and take measures to reduce structural failures and after three decades, the damages in casualties as well as property reduced by almost fifty percent. Structures were classified into different types to better access the parameters and predict the time the fire takes to consume the structure. This classification also gives firefighters better assessment to fight or counter fires. The speed by which fires spread throughout the structure depends on three major factors; oxygen source, fuel and the heat source. Oxygen is necessary for burning and air is the primary source, the interior of the structure provides fuel source for burning and different components burn with different speeds, and finally; some elements of the structure contribute towards the heat source which raises the air temperature to a point where everything bursts into flame and it is known as flashover. Structural fires reaching flash point are almost impossible to control and often lead to structural failure. Structure Types Structural fires are classified as per type of structures, depending on their external and internal composition of construction materials. Since every material burns with a different rate and in turn produces heat as well as smoke. Heat released contributes towards raising temperature of local air, which results in flash over. Every structure has different set of materials and that is why each structure takes different time to reach flash over. The structures are classified into five types with ascending rates of burning. Type I consists of structures with steel and concrete used to provide structural strength, making it the most resistant to fires. Type II uses steel to reinforce the structure of the roof, which provides additional support for the structure and in particular delays roof collapse. Type III is ordinary structures with exterior and interior made of brick and mortar, which are non-combustible. The interior may also have laminated or fire retardant wooden floors. Type IV is heavy timber structures which rely on timber to reinforce the structure, however, the exterior walls are made from bricks. Type V are wooden structures with wood used to form the basic frame of the structure, as well as, exterior and interior (Dunn, 2013). In simple, structures with steel and concrete, that is Type I and II, are the most resistant to fire as they are capable of handling heat generated for longer durations, whereas, structures with wood, either interior or exterior are destroyed at a faster rate, which includes Type IV and V. Occupancy Types Occupancy type involves type of activity the structure is designed for and therefore, classified accordingly for fire hazards. Structural fires are a result of human actions and the type of occupancy dictate regulations for a specific structure. Some of the groups among this classification include Assembly, Business, Education and Factories. These groups are subdivided de pending on type of activities carried out within the structure. In general, fire hazard increase with increase in the number of occupants within the structure as well as the scope of activity. Factories are more susceptible to fires than any other group, because, they involve manufacturing and storage. The materials involved are much more hazardous and chances of fires are much

Cultural Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cultural Music - Essay Example What we are going to explore in this paper are the values, cultural music uphold, its historical significance, where it came from and the factors that distinguishes the cultural music from that of popular culture. We would put light across factors like religious rituals, social rituals, materialism and how it developed. Cultural value becomes a relative idea today because it is everywhere turned into something quantifiable, as the principle of exchange value (i.e., price) is extended into all spheres of life. Music when considered on a broad spectrum, is an art, and the value of art becomes a shifting term in an economy of cultural meanings, defined by its relation to other signifying elements in the cultural system, not to anything "real" to which it might ultimately refer. But when it comes to musical judgments, cultures are never explored in the context of social values. Though the formation of "taste cultures" has always been socially defined. Participation in certain genres of music say, grand opera, street ballads, or rural folk music was historically determined by a person's social position, not by a purely independent aesthetic choice. Indeed, from a sociological perspective, cultural taste is always a social category rather than an aesthetic one; it refers to the way we use cultural judgments as social "currency, " to mark our social positions. This may be less clear today, since contemporary society is characterized by the fragmentation of older taste cultures and the proliferation of new ones. In this context, cultural musical transactions take place with increasing rapidity hence the heating up of the cultural economy and its rapid turnover of new products. Not only are taste cultures themselves shifting, but people now tend to move between them with greater ease. These factors contribute to a sense of the relativity of any single position. Contemporary musical choices enable us to make selection from among umpteen choices, such choices refer to the pluralism, and the effect of that plurality is inevitably to confirm that, in matters of musical judgment, the individual can be the only authority. (Johnson, 2002, p. 7) Musician Perception Musicians are perceived as "speaking on behalf" of the cultures they perform. As Harnish says, "For those of us teaching in geographic areas of little diversity, we are charged with or charge ourselves with the task of representing the music and culture of the ensemble". (Solis, 2004, p. 14) Debate about music, even technical debate between musicians, has always been an attempt to wrestle with this conundrum: music flows from individuals to other individuals and yet seems to be shaped by supra individual forces. The basic model of that conundrum does not change. Music teachers, however, are the only

Speech 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Speech 101 - Essay Example It is normal that when people interact, they give and receive wordless signals. The gestures people make during communication send or portray strong messages. What people talk by word of mouth is distinct from what gestures portray. Therefore, the speaker needs to understand that vocal and physical speech is very significant in sending the message to the audiences. The use of physical signs or nonverbal communication has the ability to demonstrate our feelings, thoughts, and can emphasize on our points (Dozier 32). During speech delivery, the speaker needs to make use emblems of emblems since they enable him or her to translate the information to the audience who does not understand the language. It is important to note that emblem is related to sign language than daily body language. For instance, sometime when speaking about Greece mythology, the speaker could hold his or her arm with all fingers sealed in, apart from the second and index fingers, which are wide apart, may signify victory or harmony of the ancient Greeks. Additionally, the speaker needs to use a gesture called illustrator or iconic gesture, when complementing a Greek heroes such as Aristotle and Plato for what they did especially in the field of philosophy and politics. When presenting a speech about Greece, the speaker needs to deliver clear information or messages that are matching both in verbal and nonverbal dimension. They have organized ideas or thoughts, pay attention to what he or she want to say and ensure that they win the attention of the audience. It is important for the speaker to focus on public speaking because he or she will be delivering a message to many people. Therefore, the speech will be organized on five aspects, speaker, speech, occasion, audience, and effect (Dozier 46). The speaker should build a suitable speech for distinct audience on distinct occasion or time and for distinct

The impact of globalization and multinational companies on labour Essay

The impact of globalization and multinational companies on labour markets - Essay Example Due to the rapid improvements on communications technology, economic freedom and the continuous promotion of trade liberalization2 (World Trade Organization 2008), modern business trend has gradually shifted from multinationalism to globalization. It is also crucial for businesses today to actively participate in the trading of goods and services in the world market. In reality, globalization is not only focused on the continuous global movements of goods and services from one country to another but also the global traffic of human resources3 (Steger 2003, p. 37). With regards to the large supply of available work force in the labour market, a lot of medium- and large-scale businesses have been taking advantage of the opportunity to hire competitive employees at a minimum wage. To enable the readers to fully understand the impact of globalization and multinational companies on labour market, the definition and main purpose of globalization will first be provided. In response to globalization, the impact and some of the common HR strategies used by multinational companies in response to globalization will be identified and thoroughly discussed. Eventually, ways on how globalization and the HR strategies used by most multinational companies trigger either positive or negative impact over the labour market will be identified. To enable us to maximize the positive impact of globalization on labour market, recommended solutions on how we can effectively counteract the negative impact of globalization and ways in which most multinational companies are currently treating employees will be provided. Globalization is â€Å"a process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments of different countries which is driven by international trade and investment through the use of information technology†4 (The Levin Institute 2008). Basically, globalization allows business people to maximize their available financial

Plasmodium Falciparum - Causative Agent of Severe Malaria Research Paper

Plasmodium Falciparum - Causative Agent of Severe Malaria - Research Paper Example Even in today’s medically advanced world, malaria remains one of the primary concerns of researchers and health practitioners in areas where the disease is endemic. Despite immense research and availability of advanced healthcare facilities, malaria has a high mortality rate causing a million deaths each year and infecting a total of 300 million people around the world. The purpose of this research paper is to provide information on structure, aetiology and other aspects of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Plasmodium Falciparum Mode of transmission The female Anopheles mosquito serves as a vector and a definitive host for Plasmodium falciparum. The two phases of the lifecycle of plasmodia are the sexual cycle and asexual cycle. The sexual phase occurs in female mosquito and asexual phase is completed in Humans. Due to the production of sporozoites, the sexual cycle is known as sporogony while on the other hand, the asexual cycle is known as schizogony because of the pr oduction of schizonts. Plasmodium sporozoites are introduced into intermediate host i.e. humans, through the saliva of the infected mosquito when it bites an individual. Within 30 minutes, the sporozoites enter the hepatocytes where multiplication and differentiation are initiated resulting in the conversion sporozoites into merozoites (Levinson et al 1999). Physiology and lifecycle The merozoites produced in the liver are released into the peripheral circulation. Once released, the merozoites enter the red blood cells in order to mediate the erythrocytic phase of the disease. In erythrocytic phase, merozoites transform into a ring shaped trophozoite. Later, the trophozoite develops into an amoeboid form which further grows into a schizont. Each schizont is filled with several merozoites. The red blood cells burst and release the merozoites into general circulation where they infect other red blood cells in a similar manner. The release of merozoites into the blood is the cause of r ecurrent typical symptoms seen in malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The development of male and female gametocytes leads to the initiation of a sexual cycle of P. falciparum in the human red blood cells. When a female Anopheles mosquito takes a blood meal the gametocytes are sucked up and lead to the production of female macrogamete and eight male microgametes which have an appearance similar to that of sperm cells. The male and female gametes undergo fertilization to form a diploid zygote. The process of differentiation occurs and converts the diploid zygote into a motile ookinete. The ookinete forms a hole in the gut wall and converts into many haploid sporozoites. The sporozoites leave the gut wall and enter the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito. Once, the sporozoites enter the salivary glands their sexual cycle is completed and they are now ready to cause malaria when the mosquito bites a human (Levinson et al 1999). Diagnosis Thick and thin Giemsa stain smears ar e observed under the microscope in order to determine the presence of the parasite in the blood. To determine the presence of the parasite, thick Giemsa smear is used while on the other hand thin smears are used for the identification of parasite species. The blood sample from an individual suffering from malaria show characteristic ring shaped trophozoites residing within the erythrocytes.     

Energy production in Britain and its impact on environment and health Essay

Energy production in Britain and its impact on environment and health - Essay Example Energy is one of the most essential needs of human beings. Today, it is used to light up our houses, cook and preserve food, transport people and goods, and many other works.Energy consumption is increasing day by day and is different in developed, developing and underdeveloped nations. In the UK, as in the rest of the industrialised world, an enormous amount of energy is used. The Department of Trade and Industry estimated that final energy consumption by different sector in UK include 36 per cent of energy by transportation sector, 30 per cent by domestic sector, 21 per cent by the industry and 13 per cent by others (Waste online, 2004).The increasing use of energy is not only putting pressure on the economies but also have an irreversible impact on health and the environment. The current modes of energy production are a major source for emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere which is a direct cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect that is responsible for global cli mate change. In the UK about 70% of industrial emissions of SO2 are due to power industry (CMEAP 1997). Besides, it is estimated that the amounts of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emitted by power industry are also large (Strupczewski, N.D.).There are various methods of energy production available in UK for the generation of electricity. About 38 per cent comes from gas, followed by coal (32%), nuclear energy (21%), renewable sources (4%) and oils and others (3%) (Waste online, 2004). ... Its usage releases greenhouse gases and other harmful particulates into the atmosphere causing enhanced global warming and acid rain. These are a finite source of energy that will eventually run out and the cost of retrieving them will increase significantly, making this form of energy production more expensive than others. Recent estimates say that in 2006 gas provided 39% of electricity in UK. In 1990 this figure was only 1% and it is predicted to grow further. Gas is also used to heat approximately 70% of homes. One-third of the UK's electricity is produced by coal-fired stations. This figure has come down from two-thirds in 1990. Besides, decisions have been made that one third of existing stations will close by 2015 to comply with European law restricting emissions of sulphur dioxide (Waste online, 2004). Nuclear power is another source of energy for UK. It is generated from the fission of uranium, plutonium or thorium, or by the fusion of hydrogen into helium. The nuclear fission generates heat, which is used to heat water to produce steam. The steam drives turbines which turn generators to produce electricity. The best part of using this fuel is that it releases very low greenhouse gas, the energy generated is very low-cost compared to other sources, and the process is generally clean in relation to fossil fuel use. Though this is a much cleaner fuel than fossil fuels, the risk of using this is that of accidents. An accident at a nuclear power station could result in the release of enormous amounts of highly radioactive material into the atmosphere. Besides nuclear waste can stay dangerously radioactive for thousands of years, and there is still no solution for dealing with it safely. There is also a risk of proliferation of nuclear material. Nuclear waste

Plasmodium Falciparum - Causative Agent of Severe Malaria Research Paper

Plasmodium Falciparum - Causative Agent of Severe Malaria - Research Paper Example Even in today’s medically advanced world, malaria remains one of the primary concerns of researchers and health practitioners in areas where the disease is endemic. Despite immense research and availability of advanced healthcare facilities, malaria has a high mortality rate causing a million deaths each year and infecting a total of 300 million people around the world. The purpose of this research paper is to provide information on structure, aetiology and other aspects of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Plasmodium Falciparum Mode of transmission The female Anopheles mosquito serves as a vector and a definitive host for Plasmodium falciparum. The two phases of the lifecycle of plasmodia are the sexual cycle and asexual cycle. The sexual phase occurs in female mosquito and asexual phase is completed in Humans. Due to the production of sporozoites, the sexual cycle is known as sporogony while on the other hand, the asexual cycle is known as schizogony because of the pr oduction of schizonts. Plasmodium sporozoites are introduced into intermediate host i.e. humans, through the saliva of the infected mosquito when it bites an individual. Within 30 minutes, the sporozoites enter the hepatocytes where multiplication and differentiation are initiated resulting in the conversion sporozoites into merozoites (Levinson et al 1999). Physiology and lifecycle The merozoites produced in the liver are released into the peripheral circulation. Once released, the merozoites enter the red blood cells in order to mediate the erythrocytic phase of the disease. In erythrocytic phase, merozoites transform into a ring shaped trophozoite. Later, the trophozoite develops into an amoeboid form which further grows into a schizont. Each schizont is filled with several merozoites. The red blood cells burst and release the merozoites into general circulation where they infect other red blood cells in a similar manner. The release of merozoites into the blood is the cause of r ecurrent typical symptoms seen in malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The development of male and female gametocytes leads to the initiation of a sexual cycle of P. falciparum in the human red blood cells. When a female Anopheles mosquito takes a blood meal the gametocytes are sucked up and lead to the production of female macrogamete and eight male microgametes which have an appearance similar to that of sperm cells. The male and female gametes undergo fertilization to form a diploid zygote. The process of differentiation occurs and converts the diploid zygote into a motile ookinete. The ookinete forms a hole in the gut wall and converts into many haploid sporozoites. The sporozoites leave the gut wall and enter the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito. Once, the sporozoites enter the salivary glands their sexual cycle is completed and they are now ready to cause malaria when the mosquito bites a human (Levinson et al 1999). Diagnosis Thick and thin Giemsa stain smears ar e observed under the microscope in order to determine the presence of the parasite in the blood. To determine the presence of the parasite, thick Giemsa smear is used while on the other hand thin smears are used for the identification of parasite species. The blood sample from an individual suffering from malaria show characteristic ring shaped trophozoites residing within the erythrocytes.     

Position Statement (outline) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Position Statement (outline) - Essay Example II. Another reason for decriminalizing marijuana may be the benefits the government will receive. This is through the amount of capital they might save in terms of the war against drugs. Billions of dollars are used in this expensive battle to catch, prosecute and house those who purchase and sell drugs (Gerber 59). When dealing with marijuana, the costs are soaring high, and it is no more harmful than other regulated drugs. III. There is also the issue of the capital lost in terms of tax collection when it comes to drugs. Revenue lost because the government cannot tax illegal drugs is proving costly in modern day. By decriminalizing marijuana, the government may earn tax revenue from legalizing marijuana than fighting it off the market, losing revenue in the process (Gerber 64). I. The implications of legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana are tremendous. Like anything else legalized in the economy, the government is likely to get involved in the stakes of marijuana production, harvest, and sale. This means that; it would be just like any other drug in the economy at the moment; controlled to profit of a few corporations (Morgan 79). The economy should not be controlled by these few corporations, and neither should the production, harvest, and sale of this drug. II. Just like any other drug, legalizing marijuana may lead to the growth of other trades. Other drugs may make their way into the market, which leads to rise in illegal and illegitimate trade. This implies that, the government might use extra capital annually to fight and combat other drugs off the market (Morgan 98). A. Through decriminalizing marijuana, it is highly likely the revenue a state may receive annually will benefit it tremendously. This is through tax collection, and reduction in costs incurred trying to fight the drug (Gerber 64). B. Decriminalizing marijuana also means the growth of employment opportunities. Many people will get employment through the

The Significance and Role of the Theme of Hospitality Essay Example for Free

The Significance and Role of the Theme of Hospitality Essay In Ancient Greece, when the world was still young and vastly unexplored, people relied on good faith in welcoming strangers in their lands hoping that the favor shall also be repaid in kind in the future when they too shall travel. There were poor means of communication between tribes, cities or small communities separated by a wide expanse of empty land and the open sea. Anyone who decides to set out on an epic voyage to uncharted territories can only trust the unspoken tradition of hospitality among people scattered in unknown places. One can not depend solely on personal renown to be allowed access in strange lands. Similarly, while the fame and reputation of Odysseus did precede him throughout the lands, it was not so much because of his prominence that helped him through his voyage. Rather it was due to the practice of unconditional altruism which played an important role in Odysseus’s travels. It is the principle of doing to others what one wishes that others do in return. It is the unspoken bond of humanity among individuals who were then too few in the world and had each other to ask for assistance as brothers and comrades in the nascent world The theme of travel and wandering prevails in the Homer’s Epic, the Odyssey. After the fall of Troy, Odysseus with his small army set out to sail for home. However, he was destined to suffer years of torment and agony because Poseidon, among a number of other gods, wanted to prevent him from ever succeeding while the rest of the gods in Mount Olympus pitied him and wanted him to succeed. Just like the harsh and uninviting ocean storms, Odysseus’ fate was tossed and turned by the whims of these gods. He was subjected to numerous trials and tests during his protracted journey home until he finally reached Ithaca and proved to be seaworthy, so to speak, in all respects (Aylen, 1964). Yet travel only underscores the salient theme of hospitality during the ancient era. Travel was prevalent during that time of exploration and the growth of Western civilization. People traveled for commerce and trade including the exchange of goods and ideas. Trade routes were established specifically to satisfy a society’s needs to go beyond their borders and establish different friendly relations with other states (Aylen, 1964). Trade routes were also developed to make sure that voyage to and fro is very convenient, safe and fast. Along trade routes and other important nautical highways were small tribes peppered along the shorelines. One or two may be hostile and unaccommodating to seafarers but even if most of them are highly suspicious of strangers, they still treated them with kindness even extravagance (1964). To everybody’s minds, it is most likely that people will continue to pass by routes and highways of exchange and its better to treat them well as opposed to driving them away and creating feud than friendship. A visitor today may be one’s host in the future. Likewise, a stranger that passes now might become a good friend eventually. Hospitality, the ready and willing cordial welcome of guests from strange lands, made voyage in the ancient world possible and better. The desire for adventure, to travel and to discover new places will have been a nightmare if people did not practice amicable attitudes to strangers. The benefits of being hospitable to seafarers outweigh the risks of treating strangers like friends into one’s home. Put differently, the risk in turning away visitors is more costly resource-wise than providing feasts and unlimited assistance to whoever is need of help (Aylen, 1964). It is true that the host, in order to show goodwill, have to go the distance of putting up expensive festive celebrations or sacrifice the best of what little resource he may have in his storehouse, but these things are necessary costs before reaping the benefits of being kind to a stranger who might later turn out to be a king or some rich merchant. Hospitality, in other words, is an investment in the future (1964). Ties of blood and friendship are created or destroyed by the practice of this tradition. Odysseus’ adventures and other incidental stories in Homer’s Odyssey evince the importance of hospitality in the sparsely populated ancient world. The different ways in which he and his men were welcomed in strange lands spelled either good tidings or disaster for them as the guests of honor and for the hosts. The mythical undertones that gird the motives of the hosts to give assistance in an ostentatious fashion merely attribute the sense of the divine in an otherwise natural and practical way to create stronger and long-lasting friendships. Book III of the epic, where Athena goaded Nestor to assist Telemachus in his business, was an adornment. It supports the traditional claim that hospitality was completely sanctioned by the gods. Anyone who fails or transgresses this tradition had to answer to the gods. In the same vein, Nestor provided food, shelter and a decent means of transportation for Telemachus, who was out in an important errand, upon the advice of the mentor god (Kitto, 1990). The fact that Nestor gave without question is instructive on the point that any material gifts to the hosts are just as good as altar sacrifices to the gods. In other words, Nestor showed his best form of hospitality in consideration of accumulating favors from the gods, if not militate the possibility of incurring the wrath of the gods. Being hospitable had a two-pronged effect, one that redounds positively to the host as a friend to the guest and the host as a favored individual in the eyes of the gods (Kitto, 1990). Subsequently in Book IV, Homer reveals subtly another good reason why hospitality was an important element in the epic. At first, upon the arrival of Telemachus and Nestor’s son, a messenger reported to Menelaus that â€Å"there are two strangers here, two men who look as if they are descended from great Zeus† and asked politely, â€Å"so tell me if we should, on their behalf, take their fast horses out of harness, or send them off to find some other host wholl welcome them as friends† (Book IV, Lines 31-40). The herald was both being courteous and cautious at the same time. He apprises to Menelaus that visitors, who looked like Greeks, were at their doorsteps and awaited the king’s instructions whether or not to accept them as guests or send them off to another place where they shall also be welcomed. The fact that the herald seemed a bit hesitant to allow the visitors in does not lessen the sense of hospitality in the epic. If anything, the question was addressed to the king taking into account the fact that they were presently engaged in other festivities. At any rate, Menelaus, hurriedly dispatched the notion and with playful chiding, told the messenger to tarry no longer in calling Telemachus and his companion and letting them in, saying: â€Å"Before today, Eteoneus, son of Boethous, you havent been a fool. But now you talk just like a silly child. For both of us often feasted on the hospitality of other men before we got back here, hoping that Zeus would give us some relief from later suffering (emphasis supplied). So unhitch those horses the strangers brought, and bring the men inside, so they may dine† (Book IV Lines 42-50). The lines in italics bespeak Menelaus anxious anticipation to finally have the opportunity to repay the favors he had been getting ever since he left for Troy. Indeed, he has enjoyed the hospitality of strangers in different lands and now is the best time to return the favor to another stranger. It is in the hope of perpetuating the cycle of hospitality as a tradition which turns full circle in his acceptance of two strangers and shall be repeated in the future when Menelaus himself shall travel again. Also, it bears stressing that Menelaus had no idea who these strangers were before welcoming them in with such gusto. It was only when the strangers had entered and set properly before the tables of festivity before Menelaus started to asked who they were and what brings them to his place right after they shall have dine with him. To wit: â€Å"enjoy our food and once youve had your meal, well ask you who you are. For in you two your parents breeding has not been destroyed—since you are from a royal human stock, from god-nurtured kings who wield a scepter [†¦] Worthless men could not father men like you† (Book IV, lines 61-67). More importantly, when Menelaus invoked Zeus in kind and in favor to justify the need to welcome the strangers in, the epic reveals yet another layer in the theme of hospitality (Kitto, 1990). Zeus was actually in fact the god of travelers and of hospitality (1990). He favors those who treat visitors well and guests who behave themselves properly while being accommodated (1990). This reciprocity of kindness and courteousness is embodied in the traditional concept of the Xenia, where both the host and the guest follow certain predetermined divine rules in terms of hospitality. The host must provide necessary assistance to his guests and treat him as a part of the household, whilst the guest must not desecrate the honor granted to him. The host must not ask impertinent questions or if he must, out of polite curiosity, it can only be done after the guest has fully settled himself in and satisfied his needs. When the time comes for the guest to depart, the host shall, or regularly will, give a parting gift to bid the guest farewell and god-speed in his journey. Xenia is a Greek ancient custom of treating strangers as friends in the household. The practice of which has been so pervasive that it has partaken the nature of a ritual that still bears persuasive force even among modern societies in the Western world (1990). Otherwise, a person who does not observe the rite of the xenia or practically of hospitality, the consequences are dire either with respect to the gods’ fury or men’s retribution (1990). On another note, a perusal of Menelaus’ and his subjects’ attitude towards their guests, who had an air of royalty and superiority, will uncover another dimension of the concept of hospitality. Curiously enough, both the messenger and Menelaus noticed a semblance between them and the two strangers. They both automatically assumed that Telemachus and his companion were of divine and royal origin. As such, they were moved to treat them to which their station in life properly deserves. A whole feast befitting a king was given in honor of Telemachus. In addition, arguing that Telemachus was not a king, his Greek appearance perhaps inspired a sense of kinship with Menelaus being both Greeks. Indeed, if men had a tendency to behave altruistically towards individuals who physically resembled them, they might indirectly be doing their own kind a huge favor by being hospitable to Greek strangers. Menelaus, like other Greeks, had a kin-like tendency to identify with strangers who closely resemble oneself physically. This kind of natural response would lead to the providential growth of one’s race. At a time when Greeks moved around little or heavily throughout the region, chances are high that any random individual that pays a visit may be close kin to the host, not just in terms of ties of friendship but even through blood-lines. Thus, being nice to any stranger who look similar or appears to share the same qualities as one may possess, could have a positive survival value in the long run. In this sense, Homer seems to imply that being hospitable to strangers is more than just showing good manners and courtesy. In a time when the Greeks were holding off invaders from their lands it is but wise to know your allies and treat them well, for in the off chance that the nation-states have to unite in battle against foreign belligerent armies, the person you welcome today might be the very person fighting with and for you in war. Menelaus, being a warmonger himself, knows this too well and at the sight of a fellow Greek in need of help, he had no qualms in giving him what he, as a member of a race, rightly deserves. Homer continues to wax different dimensions of hospitality in Books V-VIII which stresses the importance of Xenia and the concept of hospitality in the survival of Odysseus in his journey. At around this time, Odysseus has recently departed the place of Calypso. He set out to sail in a raft but was constantly being harassed by Poseidon who determined to kill him. Odysseus had been washed over to alien shores but was lucky enough to find people willing to give him some assistance. However, Homer casts a shadow of doubt as to the genuine motives of the people who came to the aid of Odysseus. Upon Odysseus’ unplanned arrival at the land of the Phaeacians, he was met with several people who were wondering who he was. There is an air of foreboding and caution since in all appearances and circumstances Odysseus was a total stranger. Athena while disguised as stranger admonished Odysseus that: â€Å"The people here are not fond of strangers—they dont extend a friendly welcome to those from other lands, but put their trust in their swift ships to carry them across vast gulfs of the sea† (Book VII, lines 40-45). Nonetheless, after Odysseus, who was then covered in mist which later dispersed, prostrated himself before the attendants inside the palace, he was welcomed to dine and sleep in the palace if only because they were wary of strangers but had a heart for those who pay homage properly viz. by being pious suppliants. The attendants of the palace were not as welcoming as the Greeks. Yet they gave him something to drink, clothe himself and sleep on until Alcinous the king would pass wise judgment on the best way to treat Odysseus. Thereafter, king Alcinous bid the Phaeacians to extend a little warmth of kindness to Odysseus before he sets out for his home again with a sacrifice to be made to Zeus. The king made it clear that in no way was Odysseus to be ill-treated or harm precisely because for such a long time the gods have yet to show their true form and the stranger before them might be one of the gods. Odysseus was quick to reply that he was an ordinary man stranded and lost at sea. The wise and timely words of Odysseus gained the approval of everyone in the majestic palace. King Alocinous even offered his daughter in marriage so then their line would continue to produce wise men like him. At this point, Odysseus, with his cunning and resourcefulness, had finally earned not only the respect of the Phaeacians but his keep during his stay at the palace (Book VII, Lines 380-400). Later in Book VIII, the brand of hospitality shown by the Phaeacians is beginning to look more obvious. Athena knows well that the Phaeacians were not good with strangers and as such, in order to compel respect and awe among them, Athena â€Å"poured an amazing poise on him [Odysseus], across his shoulders and his head and made him look taller and more powerful, so the Phaeacians would welcome him, and he would win from them respect and awe (Book VIII, Lines 18-24). Indeed, as it were, people are moved to show generosity and courtesy in varying levels of motivation. It could be purely out of the kindness of one’s heart, the desire to be repaid in turn in the future, to help a kinsman, or it could well probably be shown out of respect, fear and awe. As in the case of Odysseus’ stay with the Phaeacians, he had nothing else but his wisdom and the guidance of Athena to merit the approving welcome of his hosts. Although the Phaeacians were not famous for being so accommodating to strangers, they still observed the rituals of hospitality and Xenia by offering their guest a means to get back home—fifty handpicked men of the finest caliber and a ship to sail with as well. On the part of the Odysseus as the guest of honor, when provoked into an experiment of skill and strength, did show some remarkable feats but spurned suggestions of having to wrestle with his host lest his fortunes may turn (Book VIII, 40). Thus far, Homer has shown how people of the ancient world have embraced and perceived hospitality as a part of their customs and way of life. Hospitality was presented as a tool to earn favors and forge relationships among men, and as an unconditional gift to which the reward is the sense of satisfaction from being able to lend a hand to those in need. However, hospitality may lend itself to abuse what with the fact that people seem to be kind and generous all the time. Such abuse of hospitality is not without a fitting punishment at the instance that a guest desecrates the honor of the host. Book IX of the epic, narrates Odysseus’ experience with the Cyclops. He recounts that when he left to check their ship his men wantonly killed a number of sheep in the midst and casually ate what they could grab their hands on. Odysseus had a share in the loot as well and even went inside the cave which was the house of the terrible Cyclops. But when the master of the house arrived, in trembling and fear-inspiring fashion, none of the supplications of Odysseus neither his wise and calculated words had an effect to the Cyclops (Book IX, Lines 331-339). The Cyclops was angry because uninvited strangers ate some of his prized sheep and even slept on his abode. The Cyclops bellows that he was not afraid of Zeus. Thus, he had no business whatsoever neither had he any divine obligation to show kindness to the trespassers. He can do whatever he wanted with the strangers who were presently trapped inside the cave (Book IX, Lines 300-310). In the same breath, Homer attributed the inhospitality with the fact that Odysseus and his men failed to pay the proper respects to their host. They went on pillaging resources without asking for permission. The Cyclops would have been more lenient had they observed the rites as visitors. At any rate, the Cyclops is a being beyond the control of established rules and laws of men. This was a creature who did not answer to the gods. It was an independent and free-thinking uncivilized brute that could do as he please without fear of incurring the wrath of the gods. Furthermore, the Cyclops did not fit the ideal host precisely because he had nothing to gain from feeding, clothing and accepting into his home strangers who come his way. At the least, strangers who pass by are nothing but piecemeal desserts to him. The Cyclops was only interested in entertainment and food, and cared little about the problems of stranded seafarers. Then again, as a host who had performed poorly in attending to his visitors, the Cyclops suffered his just punishment. Odysseus and his men crafted a scheme to escape and in the process gorged the only eye of the Cyclops, depriving him totally of the sense of sight. What worse punishment can there be to a Cyclops than to take from him his one eye for being inhospitable? The lack of hospitality in Book IX of the epic and in other parts signifies the untamed and wild aspects of the ancient world. It is true that there are many who are willing and able to render aid to strangers with such generosity and kindness. Yet it is equally true that there are some who are not so keen in helping out people in need. The ancient world has a collection of creatures and beings of this sort. Driven by selfishness and self-serving interest, they see little benefits in spending resources, time and energy to outsiders. Not even the divine and universal laws of gods and men’s customs and traditions have the power to compel them to do the right thing. Such creatures are uncivilized and nothing can be expected from them but hostility and danger. Wise words can not trick them to do something against their brutish nature. As independent creatures, they rely on themselves for support and livelihood. Anyone who intrudes into their domain is readily met with a poor or lack of kind treatment.

Love And Marriage In Restoration Comedy

Love And Marriage In Restoration Comedy A comedy is usually a light, rather amusing, play that deals with contemporary life and manners. Such a drama often has a satirical slant, but ends happily. Among the many sub-genres under comedy, one can find the comedy of manners, which originated in France with Molieres Les Precieuses ridicules (1658). Moliere saw this comic form as a way to correct social absurdities. In England, the comedy of manners is represented by the plays of William Wycherley, George Etherege, William Congreve, and George Farquhar. This form was later classed Old Comedy but is now known as Restoration Comedy because it coincided with the return of the Charles II to England. The main goal of these comedies of manners in the period of Restoration is to mock society, or in other ways lift up society for scrutiny, which could cause negative or positive results. In the end, audience will laugh at themselves and society. The definition of comedy and the background of the Restoration Comedy help to explain the themes that run throughout these comedies of manners. One of the major themes is marriage and the game of love. However, if marriage is a mirror of society, the couples in the plays show something very dark and sinister about order. Many critiques of marriage that we see in the play are devastating, but the game of love is not much more hopeful. Although the endings are happy and the man invariably gets the woman, one can see marriages without love and love affairs that are rebellious breaks with tradition. This study will focus on two plays of Restoration comedies, William Wycherleys The Country Wife (1675) and William Congreves The Way of the World (1700), to show how dramatically society has progressed. A dramatic change, in moral attitudes about marriage and love has taken place. In Wycherleys Country Wife, the marriage between Pinchwife and Margery represents a hostile marriage between an old (or older man) and a young woman. The couple, Pinchwife, is the focal point of the play, at least as couples go, and Margery affair with Horner only adds to the humor of the play. Horner runs around cuckolding all of the husbands, while he pretends to be a eunuch. This pretension brings the women swarming to him. He is a master at the game of love, though he is emotionally impotent. He cannot love, which makes him an interesting character for analysis. The relationships in the play are dominated by jealousy or cuckoldry, with the exception of the gay couple, Alithea and Harcourt, but they are really pretty boring. The element of jealousy in marriage seems to be especially prevalent in the play. In Act IV, scene ii, Mr. Pinchwife says, in an aside: Mr. PINCHWIFE. So, tis plain she loves him, yet she has not love enough to make her conceal it from me; but the sight of him will increase her aversion for me and love for him, and that love instruct her how to deceive me and satisfy him, all idiot as she is. He insults her, not to her face of course, but hes serious. He wants her to be stupid, not able to deceive him. But even in her obvious innocence, he doesnt believe she is innocent. To him, every woman came out of natures hands plain, open, silly, and fit for slaves, as she and Heaven intended em. As he says, No woman can be forced. But he also says, in another aside: Mr. PINCHWIFE. Why should women have more invention in love than men? It can only be because they have more desires, more soliciting passions, more lust and more of the devil. Mr. Pinchwife isnt especially bright, but in his jealousy, he becomes a dangerous character. He becomes passionate in his mad ravings, thinking Margery had conspired to cuckold him. Little did he know that he was correct, but if he had known the truth, he would have killed her in his madness. As it is, when she disobeys him, he says: Mr. PINCHWIFE. Once more write as Id have you, and question it not, or I will spoil thy writing with this. I will stab out those eyes that cause my mischief. He doesnt ever hit her or stab her in the play (such actions wouldnt make a very good comedy), but Mr. Pinchwife continually locks Margery in the closet, calls her names, and in all other ways, acts like a complete jerk (to put it nicely). Because of his abusive nature, Margerys affair is not a surprise. In fact, it is accepted as a social norm, along with Horners promiscuity. At the end, the whole scene with Margery learning to lie is also taking in stride because the idea has already been set up when Mr. Pinchwife voiced his fears that if she loved Horner more, she would conceal it from him. And with that, social order is restored. In Congreves The Way of the World, the trend of restoration continues, but marriage becomes more about contractual agreements and greed, then about love. Millamant and Mirabell iron out a pre-nuptial agreement before they agree to marry. Then Millamant, for an instant, seems willing to marry her cousin, Sir Wilful, so that she can keep her money. It is a battle of the wits; it is not a battlefield of emotions. In that way, The Way of the World can be likened to Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing, where Beatrice and Benedict play at love in their battle of wits. Its comical to see the two wits going at it, but, when we look deeper, there is an edge of seriousness behind their words. After they list conditions, Mirabell says: MIRABELL. These provisos admitted, in other things I may prove a tractable and complying husband. Love may be the basis of their relationship, as Mirabell appears honest; however, their alliance is a sterile romance, devoid of the touchy, feely stuff, which one should hope for in a courtship. Mirabell and Millamant are two wits perfect for each other in the battle of the sexes; nevertheless, the pervading sterility and greed reverberates as the relationship between the two wits becomes much more confusing. But then, that is the way of the world. Confusion and deception are the way of the world, but compared to The Country Wife and other earlier drama, Congreves play shows a different kind of chaos, one marked with contracts and greed instead of the hilarity and mix-up of Horner and other rakes. The evolution of society, as mirrored by the plays themselves is apparent. Sources 1. Drabble, Margaret , The Oxford Companion to English Literature 2. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Authors, Sixth Edition 3. Abjadian, Amrollah, Dr., A Survey of English Literature (II) 4. Patterson, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of Plays 5. Abrams, M.H., A Glossary of Literary Term, Eighth Edition 6. William Wycherley, The Country Wife, 1675 7. William Congreve, The Way of the World, 1700

California SB 1386 Essay examples -- essays research papers

On July 1, 2003, California enacted an electronic data privacy law to protect residents from one of its fastest growing crimes: identity theft. SB 1386 (Civil Code 1798.29) requires businesses to notify California residents if a security breach results in disclosure of personal electronic data. All businesses are subject to this law regardless of size, location, or operations. Business owners should be aware of the problems associated with identity theft, the steps required to comply with SB 1386, and the preventative measures available. Identity theft is a significant problem to both citizens and financial institutions. The FTC estimates that over 27.3 million Americans have been the victims of identity theft in the past five years. The U.S. financial impact is staggering; in 2002 alone, losses were estimated at $48 billion to financial institutions and $5 billion to victims. The FTC reviewed trends from 214,905 cases reported in 2003, and California accounted for the highest number of incidents (39,452). In 20% of all cases, the source of the information breach involved disclosure of personal data over the internet or other electronic sources. In 55% of all cases, the identity theft resulted in credit card, bank, or loan fraud. Federal and state laws address this growing problem. The FTC provides some protection by aggressively enforcing existing federal laws. Under the unfair and deceptive trade practices law, a website operator must adhere to the company’s own privacy policy or face prosecution for failing to exercise a reasonable standard of care. Reasonable care includes addressing potential system vulnerabilities such as viruses and encrypting personal information so that it cannot be viewed. The FTC recently ordered several large corporations to implement stronger privacy controls after breaches exposed personal information. In January of 2001, Eli Lilly settled with the FTC after accidentally releasing the e-mail addresses of nearly 700 consumers who were using the company’s anti-depressant Prozac. Seven months later, Microsoft was targeted by the FTC for misrepresenting the security of its â€Å"Passport Wallet† web service. More recently, in April of 2004, Tower Records faced allegations for allowing and failing to correct a breach that disclosed consumer information including names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and ... ... 2003. http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/IDT_CY03/California%20CY2003.pdf January 18, 2002, â€Å"Eli Lilly Settles FTC Charges Concerning Security Breach†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/01/elililly.htm August 8, 2002, â€Å"Microsoft Settles FTC Charges Alleging False Security and Privacy Promises†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/08/microsoft.htm April 21, 2004, â€Å"Tower Records Settles FTC Charges†. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/04/towerrecords.htm Articles: Cheryl A. Falvey, â€Å"Disclosure of Security Breaches Required by New California Privacy Legislation†. http://library.lp.findlaw.com/articles/file/00008/009186/title/Subject/topic/Antitrust%20and%20Trade%20Regulation_Unfair%20Trade%20Practices/filename/antitrustandtraderegulation_2_237 Whole Security, â€Å"Facts on Identity Theft†. http://www.wholesecurity.com/threat/identity_theft.html Auxillium West, â€Å"California SB 1386 – Personal Information: Privacy†. http://www.auxillium.com/californiaSB1386.shtml StrongAuth, Inc., â€Å"California’s SB 1386 – Frequently Asked Questions†. http://www.strongauth.com/regulations/sb1386/sb1386FAQ.html Legislation: California SB 1386 http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/sen/sb_1351-1400/sb_1386_bill_20020926_chaptered.html

Punishment Research Paper

In this paper I will be discussing the effects of four justifications which include retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and social protection. I will be showing you the relation to these types of justifications to today’s American society. I will be discussing which type of punishment deters crime most effectively. I will be discussing if the consequences of punishment provide many benefits for crime and society. When it comes to the perception of punishment it involves the state to inflict damage on criminal offenders.However that main question is whether or not punishment should be destructive but whether the presumption of punishment makes sense (Golash 2005). Retributive punishment states that offenders who commit a crime deserve some type of punishment. Validation is resulting from the wrongfully of the crime devoted by the offenders. The punishment that is the deliberate and necessary cause of harm works to terminate the crime (Golash 2005). Punishment is only measu red for the wrongfully of the act, not to prevent future unlawful activity.It is believed by Golash that punishment is used to justify victims (Golash 2005). Punishment is a symbolic termination giving attention to the public that a specific crime was immoral rather than a particular termination of the criminal act. Punishment is believed to be an illustration of vindicated anger by the victim’s because of the breach of trust commanded by society (Golash 2005). Those who profit from the law have approval to punishment according to the law it is a social dissimilarity among society and its members.As of this social dissimilarity, it would be unjust to allow specific citizens to profit from society without restrictive their own bad desires (Golash 2005). Retributive punishment does not invalidate the crime except the will of offenders that are offenders will be free lacking self-control and consequently punishment direct the will of offenders toward unlawful activity (Golash 20 05). In other words, the victims are never fully return to the position they were prior to the criminal act. The conclusion is that a victim has no right apart from their own right to vindicate the offender’s illegal behavior to them (Golash 2005).Criminal wrongs cannot be undone, and doing additional harm to an offender only compounds certain social ills that may be highly correlated with the offender’s need for criminal fulfillment. Punishment is not the only alternative to handle criminals (Golash 2005). Retribution demands a consequence, but that consequence does not necessarily implicate punishment (Golash 2005). In the end if the system demands punishment for those who deserve then why those who are are deserve good not receiving good.Retribution is also known as the moral vengeance to satisfy a society to make the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused (Golash 2005). This type of justification for punishment is the oldest of the four different types of punishment (Golash 2005). This type of punishment was designed to satisfy the people’s need for a type of closure that satisfied the moral of society (Golash 2005). In principal punishment should be equal in severity to the deviance itself. It all comes down to equal justice and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.The second of the four justifications for punishment is deterrence. Deterrence is the attempt to discourage crime by punishment (Britannica 2012). This idea came about during the eighteenth century. Deterrence is a type of punishment that relies upon examples of punishment made known to everyone ahead of the times before they choose to do an unlawful activity (Britannica 2012). This concept is based on idea that citizens will not break the law if they think that the pain of the punishment will outweigh the pleasure of the crime.Deterrence theory has established difficult to validate however largely because the presence of many intervening factors makes it difficu lt to prove unequivocally that a certain penalty has prevented someone from committing a given crime(Britannica 2012) There have been a few examples where some sentences can have a strong deterrent effect. For example laws that are designed to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol and setting a maximum legal limit of blood alcohol levels can have a temporary deterrent effect on a wide population especially when coupled with mandatory penalties and a high probability of conviction (Britannica 2012).There is another form of deterrent that is called denunciation which utilizes public condemnation as a form of community moral education (Britannica 2012). In this approach a person found guilty of a crime is denounced that is subjected to shame and public criticism (Britannica 2012). Its objective is to reinforce their rejection of law-breaking behavior. General deterrence through fear is aimed at those who avoid law-breaking behaviors not on moral grounds but on the basis of a c alculation of the potential rewards and penalties involved (Britannica 2012).This type of punishment is much informal and rationale. Theoretically the effectiveness of individual deterrence can be measured by examining the subsequent conduct of the offender (Britannica 2012). Theories of deterrence and retribution share the same idea that punishment should be proportionate to the gravity of the crime, a principal of practical importance (Britannica 2012). If all punishment were the same there would be no incentive to commit lesser rather than the greater offense. Rehabilitation is a more permanent fix in deterring crime (Larrabee 2006).Rehabilitation through community supervision can have a more lasting effect on individuals and deter them from committing future crime if they learn how to adapt in society by gaining academic or trade skills (Larrabee 2006). These programs can help offenders find employment and secure an important role in the community and give them them a sense of b eing. Therapy is another form of rehabilitation needed to help deter individuals from committing future crime (Larrabee 2006). Rehabilitation is based on creating a change in criminal’s attitudes or resources so that crime is neither a desired nor necessary activity (Larrabee 2006).Some punishment includes work to reform and rehabilitate the wrongdoer so that they will not commit the offence again. This is distinguished from deterrence, in that the goal here is to change the offender's attitude to what they have done, and make them come to see that their behavior was wrong (Larrabee 2006). Form of rehabilitation through community supervision may also benefit a victim or their families such programs and have high hopes of deterring individuals from committing such acts (Larrabee 2006).By allowing criminals to be rehabilitated instead of incarceration it helps to eliminate problems that inmates experience once released from prison. Allowing someone to probation instead of jail time allows families to stay together. When people are incarcerated it causes families to go from two parents to a one parent family, causing hardship, stress, and problems in the family structure. This program was designed to reform the offender to prevent later offenses (Larrabee 2006).This idea rose among social sciences in the nineteenth century that proved to be an effective solution. If you can control the environment that criminal or lawbreaker of some sort lives in, you can deviate from their normal society (Larrabee 2006). Reformatories or houses of correction provided setting where people could learn the proper behavior. One example of rehabilitation is when someone is caught and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol they are sentence to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings rather than jail time (Larrabee 2006).Once they have completed the rehabilitation through the proper reformatory chosen for them they can choose to stay on the same path of freedom contribu ting to society or go back to their old habits (Larrabee 2006). Rehabilitation is the most forgiving and positive punishment of the four justifications discussed because it promises the offender a second chance at life (Larrabee 2006). Unlike retribution, which demands that the punishment fit the crime, rehabilitation tailors treatment to each offender. The final option for a justification for punishment is the term societal protection.This favors the society by rendering the offender incapable of further offenses temporarily through imprisonment or permanently by execution (Stephens 1990). This option of punishment differs from rehabilitation in that no special treatment is given to the offender in hopes to change him. His surrounding is a set area in a cell or execution chamber that many have used before him which protects society (Stephens 1990). This method can help be helpful to the offender giving the offender a chance to reform and a promised second chance.The United States c urrently incarcerates close to 2. 2 million offenders in jail. As â€Å"in the Times explains, the crime rate has gone down in recent years, but the number of offenders locked up across the country has gone up, tripling since 1980 (Stephens 1990). This type of punishment does what is necessary to protect society as a whole from the criminal. This could mean death, or complete removal from society (Stephens 1990). So the question is which one of these deters crime the most efficiently in today’s society.With the different views available as well as my personal views, it is difficult to choose just one type of punishment as the most effective method of determent. I can say however, that I would like to see Rehabilitation efforts made more widely available for Juvenile Offenders as I feel that this will enable them to have a much better grasp on what life is as well as allowing them to change their lives positively. While for adult offenders (serious crimes), I would not mind s eeing harsher penalties in many cases.Certain punishments are more effective on certain crimes. And certain punishments are more effective on certain people (Black 1998). Some criminals should be punished to remove their incentive for committing crimes. But there are some criminals who just need to be removed from society to prevent them from preying upon society (Black 1998). Obviously for lesser crimes, lesser punishments should be delivered. Punishments (if at all possible) should reflect the crime committed — such as scrubbing walls for â€Å"graffiti artists†, picking up trash for litterers, etc.Not enough of this is done. Punishments should not punish society if alternatives are available (Black 1998). Jailing everyone (as is now practiced extensively in the U. S. A. ) also punishes society — tax money is used. Whippings and public service are excellent punishments and (at least whippings) are not practiced in the U. S. A (Black 1998). But where they are p racticed, crime is lower. These forms of punishment also do not cost the taxpayers a lot of money. For most criminals, the threat of â€Å"adequate† punishment will deter them. Adequate† does not include sitting on one's bum all day with free meals and a warm place to sleep — not to mention watching television and playing video games (or whatever else jails provide these days) . But then, on the other side of this argument is the fact that far too many people are made criminals for things which should not be a crime. I once heard of a woman being jailed for overdue library books — beyond absurd (Black 1998). And, at least in one municipality, they wanted to make jay walking a jail able offence — again way beyond absurd.Real criminals belong in the jail not jaywalkers, people who get into fights, marijuana smokers, etc. Do punishments for murderers and rapists and the like provide any benefits for the criminals and society? Absolutely it does. It kee ps violent criminals off the streets. Does it provide benefits for those convicted of drug crimes? While they're in prison, they've got a roof over their heads, food, and other things. Don't get me wrong: people are treated like animals in prisons. But if you come from violent, hard knock surroundings anyhow, I dunno†¦ maybe in some cases.Does sticking people in prisons who are convicted of drug crimes provide benefits to society? It gets drug users and small time dealers off the streets, but we have to pay for their food, clothing, and housing for 15+ years. My personal opinion: When even hard drugs like coke and heroin are cheaper than most medicines, then maybe our definition of â€Å"criminal† needs a harder look. In conclusion the four types of justification for punishment including retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, and societal protection are all effective ways our society deals with lawbreakers.Each of these justifications is an attempt to protect society b y ensuring proper punishment is carried out. Since crime has statistically dropped in the past 20 years we can conclude that our justice system has a positive effect on crime REFERENCES Stephens (1990) High-tech crime fighting Futurist, Jul/Aug90, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p20-20, 6p, 3 Black and White Photographs, 2 Illustrations received on October 28, 2012 Black (1998) Do Right-to-Carry Laws Deter Violent Crime? Journal of Legal Studies, January 1998, v. 27, iss. 1, pp. 209-19 received on October 28, 2012 Larrabee (2006) Punishment vs.Rehabilitation in the criminal justice system received on October 27, 2012 from http://voices. yahoo. com/punishment-vs-rehabilitation-criminal-justice-119962. html? cat=17 Britannica(2012) General Deterrence received on October 27, 2012 from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/483544/punishment/272339/General-deterrence# Golash (2005) The case against punishment: Retribution, crime prevention and the Law New York: New York University Press, 2005. 24 0pp. Vol. 15 No. 3 (March 2005), pp. 234-237 received on October 26, 2012 from http://www. bsos. umd. edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/golash305. htm

Importance of Book of Romans to the History of the Church Essay

The Book of Romans is the one of the Letters in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.The Writing is   simply reffered as the Romans and is currently one of the undisputed work of Paul.The book has been described as a masterpiece which overwhelms the reader by the sublimity and the density of the topic which are discussed,the justification of the gospel and the revealing of the uprightness and the grace of God to all the people ,both Jews and the Gentiles. The book is a letter which is written in a Greek first century traditional letter writing style. During this time the writers started by identifying themselves and then names of the person they were sending the letter and then followed by the greetings. The letters usually closed with the final greeting and blessings. The book of Romans followed the same style (Barth, K 1968) There existed a group of believers in Rome who trusted in Jesus as Messiah long before Paul had planned to visit this town. There was a conflict between the Christian Jews and the new group up to the point that the Roman Emperor expelled them from Rome. More often there was a disagreement between the Jews and the gentiles concerning what made one an acceptable person to God and the way the followers of the Christ should conduct their lives. Having noticed the differences that characterized the church in Rome Paul decided to shed some light as far as the differences were concerned. There were people who were going from door to door teaching doctrines which were confusing and misleading to the faithful. There are some who were saying that for one to be accepted in the kingdom of God one has to refrain from eating particular kind of food and had to strictly follow the Law of Moses. These are issues that the book of Romans aimed at addressing so that this confusion that existed in the church can be cleared. Therefore to the church in Rome the book was basically a tool of reference as far as what was expected of them was concerned. One of the reasons for Paul writing this book was to answer some of the question that emerged between the two groups. He boldly put it out in the book that the word of God was for all whether Gentiles or Jews. (Moo, D1996) The book of Roman is basically a treatise which is addressed to the church in Rome where Paul was introducing himself before he made his visit. Justification of the faith was the central theme for his letter. He was delivering the message that it is only through salvation that a man can have a good relationship with God. Anything else did not matter. What was expected from every Christian whether Jews or Gentiles was the faith in God and through this salvation will be achieved. He explained that the Mosaic Law was not enough to make the Christian righteous. This works serves as an eye opener to the early church as some of the issues that were controversial at this time were clearly explained by Paul. The differences that threatened to tear apart the church were tackled in this writing. To the Jewish Christians Paul explained that God had not completely broken his promise with them but he was working towards redemption of all the people in the universe.   For a long time Paul was planning to visit Rome but he was hindered from making such a move. Now he was determined to do it, he wanted to greet them and introduce himself before he made that journey. This visit was very important to him and the church in Rome as both were anxious. Paul was not sure how he was going to be received in this city and the some people there had criticized him before as they did not think he can be the leader of the church which was led by the Gentiles. The book of Romans serves as the assurance to the church in Rome that they are accepted in the kingdom of God like any other group despite them being Gentiles. Therefore Paul was mainly writing this book to assure this group that they also had a right and a share in the kingdom of God. He assures them that Jesus died for all regardless of their status. The most important thing for any Christian was repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ and leading a holy life. (Moo, D1996) Paul believed that the culture of Romans was very important as far as the church was concerned. It was the most powerful empire in the world and was located in the middle of the world at the time of Paul evangelism. This fact made the Church of Rome very important to the world at large. He understood the great effect this church would have on the rest of the world especially the so called civilized world of that time. He clearly saw the need of systematic and full presentation of the good news in this city. The people in Rome were looking forward to Paul visit in Rome as it would serve a great role as far as their church was concerned. This visit was taken as a formal recognition that a church that was led by the Gentiles. They had for a long time wondered how he can be an apostle of the church yet he fail to visit their church in Rome. This gave the church leaders an opportunity to gauge and judge his courage and honesty as far as the church was concerned. The book of Romans clearly explains the doctrines of the Christian faith. Paul in this book defended the gospel from those people who were claiming that salvation was for a chosen group. The church in Rome was to serve as a pillar where the Christianity would be spread to other regions in the world. The book clearly assures that the Roman church was as legitimate as the other despite the fact that it was led by gentiles. This served as a boost to this church as Paul was taken as the messenger of God and he was presenting the God word to the people who had chosen to follow Christ yet the society was not keen to respect them. Paul addresses them as his brethrens a clear indication that he had accepted them as one of them and they were on the right track as far as faith was concerned. (Moo, D 2002) The book of Romans had a great impact on the early church and the western civilization at large.Scholars has argued that the book is the most influential in Christian history. It is in this book that Paul gives a detailed exposition of the word of God. It is the most fundamental and systematic discussion as far as the whole plan of salvation is concerned. To the Romans the book touched on what they were supposed to do so that they can be saved. This applies to all the Christians and was largely quoted by the protestant reformers as they assured the faithful that the kingdom of god was reserved for all those who had faith in Him and they did not need the blessing of any man on earth for them to be allowed access into this Kingdom. The book was universal in application despite the fact that it was directed to the Church in Rome. (Moo, D1996) The book of Romans had greatly influenced many people in the history of the church. The prominent theologians like Martin Luther had studied the book making them aware of what God expected from them. Martin Luther found the teaching of salvation by the grace clear and he used it to spearhead the reforms in the church where he assured the faithful that it was through faith and grace alone that they were to be saved not from paying indulgences and other kind of injustices that existed in the church during the middle ages. (Dillenberger, J 1961) The protestant reformation was basically a recovery of the right and pure gospel which resulted in the increased gospel spread to the different parts of the world. It was a revival of the Apostle’s Paul work where he made a journey to various parts of the world taking the good news. Through studying the book of Romans Martin Luther’s life was completely changed and so is the history of the church. The protestant reformation was as a result of this great theologian reading the book as the teaching was made available to the public. Lives were changed as the message of hope and righteousness was spread far and wide. The book clearly states that there is no Christianity without Jesus, he who comes to know him shall be saved. Martin preached the same message that Paul wrote to the people of Rome and the early church. Martin Luther described the book of Romans as the purest gospel which is worth and every Christian should understand it clearly. He advises the believers not to take the word law in human terms as through doing this they will be confused as the people in the early church and they will be serving the church rather than living according to the will of God. He teaches them that God judges his people according to the heart. His law can not be satisfied by the works but rather on the inner most heart. He got these ideas from reading the work of Paul to the Romans. A book that he describes as full of inspiration to him and his search for the truth .Paul says that all people are sinners in the eyes of God and for us to be saved we have to seek the kingdom of God through following his teachings rather than following the law or the traditions as was the custom with the Christian Jews. If believers accustom themselves to the language described by Paul in the book of Romans Martin Luther says that they will find that there exists a difference between what the traditions of the church prescribe and what God really expects. (Dillenberger, J 1961) Through the inspiration he received from the book of Romans Luther was able to challenge the church. The evils that characterized the church at this time has made him very disturbed and he set out on a mission to discover what can bring him close to God. The message he got was derived from the book of Romans where he realized that it was only through the grace of God that all will be brought close to God. The church was extremely corrupt where things that were going on were contrary to God’s expectation. Through the inspiration he was able to revolutionize the church and brought the light just as Paul shed the light to the people of Rome concerning what God expected from them. Martin Luther described Romans as the main book in the New Testament .His wish is for every Christian to use the book as a guide in our daily lives. As the systems are bound to confuse them as far as their faith is concerned just like it happened during his time when the Roman Catholic Church used the teachings to justify some of the evil things that were happening. The letter of Paul to the Romans would serve as the guide to the church and the believers if they are interested in the righteousness. Luther says that people should be ready to confess Jesus with their mouth and in such a deed they will lead a righteous life as they will always aspire to do what God expects from them. Good deeds alone do not make a man righteous rather he should have faith in God. The book of Romans has been described as the one that changed the course of the church history right from the early church to the protestant reformation. Therefore it is in order to say that this book contains message which are inspirational and can bring a complete change in ones life. It changed the life of the Augustine together with John Wesley people who had led a life that was not pleasant before the eyes of God. They had struggled with the evils ways up to a point when the word was revealed to them changing their lives completely. John Wesley had set out to preach without being converted, after some years of struggling and failing he heard the teaching of Martin Luther describing the book of Romans. Listening to the true words of Luther the man was inspired and he was converted. He went to preach in many corners and has been described in the history of the church to have played a great role in the evangelical work of awakening the believers. (Moo, D 2002) The kind of life that God expects from every person is what has touched many people in the course of the church history. From martin Luther to John Wesley there was realization that God expects us to be righteous before his eyes as Paul maintained in the book. On the same line God’s wrath does not discriminate, it is expressed impartially to all the sinners neither does He discriminate between the Christian Jews and the gentiles. Before Paul sent the letter to the church in Rome the Jews prided to be the privileged people in the eyes of God but this notion was clearly explained by the book that set out to put the facts straight. On the same line the book of Romans came to be used in the protestant Reformation showing clearly that no one was too holy before the eyes of God to help in pardoning of the sins. Only God had the power to forgive the sins. The book as described by Luther addressed the issue clearly stating that no amount of payment towards indulgences was enough to forgive ones sins. (Moo, D1996) The book of Romans influence to the church has been enormous right from the time Paul wrote the letter to clear the differences that existed in the Church of Rome. It is as a result of that explanation that the Gentiles faith was strengthened after understanding what God stood for as far as righteousness was concerned. The book deals with the issues of sin, progressive sanctification, practical service and the gracious salvation issues that could have divided the church in Rome as Christian Jews and the Gentiles had different views regarding these issues. The book addresses God great plan for saving mankind by his grace. It clearly states that it is only through the grace of God that all those who believe in Him shall acquire this salvation. The book has been described as the comprehensive statement of faith and Christianity as a whole. It has been used by many believers to show what is expected of us and the church in general. The basis of the Christian faith is based on this book and this explains why the book has in many cases changed the course of the church history especially when some people are out to mislead the believers in the matter of faith. Martin Luther used the book to show how the church had turned to be evil and led a revolution that came to bring openness in the church allowing people to read the word for themselves. (Hodge, C 1994) The book of Romans importance to the Christian faith can not be underestimated; it has been relied on several occasions to shed light where misunderstandings have existed. The book has shaped the church making more responsive to the needs of a believer, trying as much as possible to reconcile the two issues of law and righteousness. The strong foundation of the Christian faith is found in this letter of Saint Paul to the people of Rome. Reference Dillenberger, J (1961) Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, New York, Doubleday and CO Moo, D(1996)The Epistle to the Romans. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company Moo, D (2002) Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological Exposition, Michigan, Baker Academic Barth, K (1968) The Epistle to the Romans. Oxford University Press, 1968. Hodge, C(1994) Commentary on Epistle to the Romans. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company