Consumer Behaviour and Decision Matrix Assignment

Essays on Consumer Behaviour and Decision Matrix Assignment The paper "Consumer Behaviour and Decision Matrix" is a worthy example of an assignment on marketing. The decision matrix used in this context has seven evaluative criteria, namely; relaxation, excitement, physical challenge, mental challenge, romance, share with friends and the desire to be outdoors. The scale used is a 1-5 scale. The weights used range from 1-4, with four showing the highest importance and one the lowest importance.The decision matrix works by the addition of the values obtained from the calculation of the values of the respective leisure activities based on their score on the evaluative criteria scale. The totals obtained are as a result of the addition of the values obtained after the multiplication of the score with their respective weight value. The leisure activity with the highest total score is rated as the one which is most preferred.Respondent 1Â  RelaxationExcitementPhysical ChallengeMental ChallengeRomanceShareWith friendsTo be outdoorsTotalRugby2252133 44.5Cricket133214444.5Surfing553313465.5Drinking231125346.5Shopping542214461.5Watching Sports542334466.5Fishing532113453.5Â  RelaxationExcitementPhysical ChallengeMental ChallengeRomanceShare with friendsTo be outdoorsWeight43221.532Respondent 2Â  RelaxationExcitementPhysical ChallengeMental ChallengeRomanceShareWith friendsTo be outdoorsTotalRugby542334466.5Cricket532113453.5Surfing542214461.5Drinking225213344.5Shopping553313465.5Watching Sports225213344.5Fishing231125346.5Respondent 3Â  RelaxationExcitementPhysical ChallengeMental ChallengeRomanceShareWith friendsTo be outdoorsTotalRugby542214461.5Cricket225213344.5Surfing231125346.5Drinking133214444.5Shopping542334466.5Watching Sports553313465.5Fishing133213344.5From the above decision matrix, respondent one prefers watching sports, respondent two prefers rugby and respondent three prefers shopping as leisure activities. The results from the decision matrix for respondent one are in line with the respondent one's preference. T he results for respondent two are not in coherence with his preference because the respondent could not round up other people who would love to indulge in rugby at that particular moment. Respondent two would have liked to go drinking instead. The results from the decision matrix are in line with respondent three’s preference of shopping as a leisure activity.Part BPersonalityThe leisure decisions made by the respondents are dependent on the respondent’s personality and personal characteristics which include; consumer’s age, occupation and economic situation (Edward William). Personality is the unique and continuing pattern of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that characterize a person’s adaptation to the situation of their lives. In a nutshell, it is an individual’s consistent self-representation.

How Does Music Effect Human Emotions Free Essays

Music is any sound that is artistically created and presented. It is said that we need food so that our body may survive, but we need pleasure that so that our mind may survive. And no one gives you more pleasure and peace than music. We will write a custom essay sample on How Does Music Effect Human Emotions? or any similar topic only for you Order Now When we listen to music, not only hear it, we establish a spiritual connection with any one who is a part of creation of music. All the time we hear any piece of music we feel that its creators are a part of us. It is one the most powerful medium that quite effortlessly is able to influence our emotions. Interpretation of music Those who listen to music can interpret a piece of music in different ways. Even it is a same piece of music, it will convey different message, a different sentiment and it is totally dependant upon the message that its creator wants to convey. A glimpse of the past It is a well known fact that right from time historical immemorial, people have been using music to increase the glory of war. Music has been used to motivate people to fight for their freedom and win wars as well. Almost every country has their own music/ anthem for their country and army. Music has its own merits Ask any doctor, consult any health expert, you will be told, music helps to increase concentration, memory. It is an essential aspect of curriculum in the schools. Practicing music helps to increase brain power. It increases their IQ level, reasoning and logical skills. So the next time someone says that they used to take some piano lessons and found it easier to concentrate in their studies, trust me, they are speaking the truth. A knowledge base named music Knowledge of music brings in a lot of awareness about people ,cultures , history and even societies. For example, if you want to learn Asian music, it will be impossible to do so without understanding the concerned culture. How to cite How Does Music Effect Human Emotions?, Papers

The Person I Admire Most free essay sample

The Person I Admire Most| | The person I admire most is a woman named Francesca. She has an extraordinary job as a secretary in a law firm at Raffles Boulevard. This job makes high demands on her time. But what astounds me about her is not her job, but her unconditional love for animals. I first got to know her when I visited the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to get a cat. Francesca was there, tending to one of the dogs which had a swollen paw.It was only a tender pup so I approached her to ask about the animal. I became increasingly disgusted as she told me the story of how the puppy was ill-treated. It was a kindly passer-by who took the puppy to the SPCA after realising that its owner ill-treated it. I then asked if she was a vet and I was surprised to find that she was an SPCA volunteer. We will write a custom essay sample on The Person I Admire Most or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was moved by her devotion to her cause and asked if I could become a volunteer myself.We became good friends as she sat down to give me some details on what it was like helping to look after these loveable animals. Since then, she has inspired me in many ways. I have not only learnt how to thoroughly care for my cat, but my interest and love for animals has grown since meeting her. I find it incredible that despite her busy schedule as a secretary, she still finds the time to go there more than three times a week to see to the animals. Perhaps I will do the same in future, as I only volunteer at the SPCA during the weekends now. | The Person I Admire Most free essay sample The person I admire the most. There are quite a lot of people I admire but the person I admire the most is my mom. My mom is very pretty and she cares a lot about me, which is why I admire her the most. My mom is tall and has black hair. She has dark brown eyes. My mom has a very decent and friendly personality. Being selfless is a great quality that my mom has because whenever I am sick she stays up all night to look after me. She sacrifices her own needs for my requirements. My mom is also very protective about me. She gives away all her pleasures for my sake and wants me to be happy all the time. My mom does a lot of hard work with me with my schools work because she dreams of me being the top student in my class. We will write a custom essay sample on The Person I Admire Most or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She also cooks the best food for me. My first and best teacher and guardian is also my mom because she taught me when I was small and still teaches me and works very hard with me. She corrects me where I am wrong and also scolds me sometimes for my betterment. She is very understanding and knows everything in and out of me. There is no generation gap between me and my mother. My mom is also the best friend I ever had. My mom does not have many habits. She is very good at doing Arts and also has some interest in designing clothes. She also loves cooking and baking things with me and my brother. I love my mom very much and she also loves me. Ten maids cannot even do as much work as my mom does. Mostly every woman can be a mom but it takes a lot of courage and hard work to be like my mom.

The Integration of Various Leadership Styles

According to Sharlow (2004), various settings demand leadership styles that successfully enable managers to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Work place leadership presents a variety of challenges that can best be addressed through the integration of various leadership styles. That was the case at university with leader-subordinate relationship discussed below.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Integration of Various Leadership Styles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The responsibility of the subordinates was to ensure university flower beds were watered on a daily basis. The supervisor was to ensure that assigned tasks were effectively done. By establishing strong subordinate leader relationships, the supervisor’s leadership abilities were effective. Challenging as situational leadership is, the supervisor, in the course of duty realized that different strategies could help him be an effectiv e leader to address the ever changing leadership needs and challenges presented at the work place. One specific challenge in executing daily duties was assigning duties. The supervisor had to assess the situation on the ground, create strong and good relationships with the employees to counter the specific challenge and likelihood of flower gardeners feeling inferior or incompetent. Effective situational leadership, according to the case study was a success since it was goal specific, relevant to the task at hand, and spanned around the supervisor’s experience and education. The supervisor demonstrated personal responsibility and learning and accumulation of knowledge. Many theories and models explain situational leadership approaches. One of these is the Goleman model. The model integrates â€Å"self awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills† (Sharlow, 2004). These aspects of leadership determine the manner in which the supervisor communicates with subordinates, how subordinates buy into the leadership process, determines individual and group participation, and how the supervisor delegates duty and supervises the manner in which duties are executed. Learning outcomes In the execution of duty, the supervisor could understand the effort required to establish a strong relationship with subordinates while role playing by directing employees on what they are required to do, when and how, and the need to design a work framework for efficient utilization of the workforce. Situational Leadership (2002-2010) affirms that leaders learn group dynamics and best strategy of group cohesiveness and group development. In addition to that, the leaders could appreciate the most effective approach of seeking for resources and effectively utilizing them and the support needed to efficiently run and manage the group. Another learning outcome is to understand group behavior in different societal settings, conflict resolution methodologies, and group motivational factors.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tapping on the strength of a group and defining roles for each member forms an indispensable learning outcome. The leader could comprehend the need to integrate other leadership models in effective group management. In addition, the leader could understand the effects of groupthink, the decision making process, and the morality principles upon which groups are founded. Learning objectives Learning points include effective leadership style, the influence of a leader’s knowledge referred as coaching groups, approaches to employee motivation and the role of a leader in exemplifying required subordinate behavior, the ability to motivate subordinates, variables in leadership approaches to meeting new challenges such as authoritative approaches to solving crisis situations, and the best approach in implementing si tuational leadership style (Situational Leadership, 2002-2010). Group dynamics, motivation, integration of individual education and experience, leader and led relations are among the learning outcomes for the supervisor. References Sharlow, B., 2004. Situational Leadership, Web. Situational Leadership. 2002-2010. Web. This essay on The Integration of Various Leadership Styles was written and submitted by user Spirit to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Royal Enfield Essay Essays

Royal Enfield Essay Essays Royal Enfield Essay Essay Royal Enfield Essay Essay The Enfield Cycle Company made bikes. bikes. lawnmowers and stationary engines under the name Royal Enfield out of its plants based at Redditch. Worcestershire. The bequest of arms industry is reflected in the logo consisting the cannon. and the slogan â€Å"Made like a gun† . Use of the trade name name Royal Enfield was licensed by the Crown in 1890. Royal Enfield bikes were being sold in India of all time since 1949. In 1955. the Indian authorities started looking for a suited bike for its constabulary forces and the ground forces for policing responsibilities on the country’s boundary line. The Bullet 350 was chosen as the most suited motorcycle for the occupation. In 1957 tooling equipment was besides sold to Enfield India so that they could fabricate constituents and get down fully fledged production. The Enfield Bullet dominated the Indian main roads and with each go throughing twelvemonth its popularity kept lifting. Enfield Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Got dissolved in 1971. But they were still produced in India with the name Bullet. and were subsequently on exported to states like U. K and USA. In 1990. Enfield India entered into a strategic confederation with the Eicher Group. and subsequently merged with it in 1994. It was during this amalgamation that the name Enfield India changed to Royal Enfield. In 1996. when the Government decided to enforce rigorous norms for emanation Royal Enfield was the first bike maker to follow. a tradition which has stuck on therefore doing emanation norms being one of the most of import factor the company focuses on.

Adolf Hitler Essays (2045 words) - Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, Fhrer

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler did not live a very long life, but during his time he caused such a great deal of death and destruction that his actions still have an effect on the world nearly 50 years later. People ask what could've happen to this small sickly boy during his childhood that would've led him do such horrible things? For Adolf it might have been society, rejection from his father, failure as an artist or was he born to hate? Adolf was born in Braunau, Austria in 1889. His father, Alois was a minor customs official, and his mother was a peasant girl. Adolf attended elementary school for four years and entered secondary school at the age of eleven. Adolf's dreams of becoming an artist did not match the government official job his father wanted him to have. These fights over what he wanted to be, lead Adolf to lose interest in getting good grades and dropped out at the age of sixteen. When his father died Adolf roamed the streets of Linz dreaming of his future as an artist. He attended a great deal of operas and loved the musical work by Robert Wagner. At 18, Hitler tried to enter the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna but was rejected twice. His failure put a great deal of frustration on him. He saw himself as an artist who was rejected by "stupid" teachers. Adolf later moved to Vienna to find a way to make a living. Hitler would rather do odd jobs such as shoveling snow, or beating rugs instead of getting a regular job. Since he had no set income he was forced to move into the ghettos and became somewhat of a bum. He finally got a job painting postcards and advertisements. He had little money still, and spent most his time reading and thinking about what he read. While Hitler was in Vienna, he learned things which he later used to destroy the world. He learned that the finest thing for man to do was to conquer foreign countries, and that peace is a bad thing because it makes man weak. He was also convinced that Germans are the master race, even though he himself was Austrian. Hitler also took part in political ideas which were later used in Germany. He believed a political party must know how to use terror. He also discovered the value of appearance in politics. He thought only a man who could attract masses of people by his eloquence could succeed in politics. Hitler later became the greatest public speaker in Europe. In Vienna Hitler also learned of his hatred for Jews. "Wherever I went I began to see Jews, and the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity. I grew sick to the stomach, I began to hate them. I became anti-Semitic."(1) In the spring of 1913 Hitler left for Munich, Germany at the age of 24. He left Vienna to get away from the mixture of races and to escape the military that he had to serve in with Jews. The First World War in 1914 was Hitler's chance to let go of his frustrating childhood. Hitler proved to be a brave soldier and was wounded twice and decorated twice for bravery with the Iron Cross. Hitler, like many other Germans didn't believe they were defeated by Great Britain and the U.S. in 1918. They thought they had been stabbed in the back by the Jewish slackers. After the war Hitler found himself unemployed once again and began looking for a place in politics because he felt he could do something for the country. Shortly after Hitler returned to the army and was assigned to spy on political parties which the generals thought were communist, socialist, or pacifists. Hitler was ordered to investigate a small political group called the German Worker's party. The next day he received an invitation to join the group. He decided after two days of questioning himself that he should join. After enrolling, Hitler later made it the largest political party in Germany, and became known as the Nazi Party. In 1921, the two years after he joined the party, he

BAE Systems-EADS Merger Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BAE Systems-EADS Merger Plan - Essay Example However, unification of two struggling companies may not always guarantee their resurrection. This paper will specifically discuss whether or not mergers make economic sense with particular focus given to the reaction of UK, French, and German governments to the BAE/EADS merger. BAE Systems-EADS merger plan In the last year, Britain’s BAE Systems planned a â‚ ¬38bn (?30.4bn) merger with its rival European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co (Franco-German maker of Airbus civilian jets). According to a Telegraph report by Ebrahimi and Monaghan (2012), the planned merger would have formed the world’s second biggest aerospace and defence company after Boeing. If the merger had become successful, the merged entity would have achieved combined sales of ?60bn and employed 220,000 people worldwide (ibid). In addition, the planned venture would have contributed to Europe’s military efforts, developed British nuclear submarines and own airbus, and attained the status of bigg est plane manufacturer in the world (ibid). Many industry analysts supported this deal as they believed that the planned merger would provide the companies with the synergies of combined operations. Proponents of this strategic plan pointed out that BAE systems have strong presence in the US market where the government is one of the largest and potential customers. Hence, EADS can take advantage of this potential strength of BAE Systems. At the same time, the planned deal might also benefit BAE Systems to improve its earnings by spreading its operational area to commercial aircraft and space satellites. The shrinking Western Defence market was also cited to justify the planned merger. The 60/40 split in favour of EADS was a major controversial term of this merger. From another view point, â€Å"the mathematical flipside for BAE shareholders is that the merger is a no-brainer at 60/40† (Boland & Kirk 2012). Anyhow, the talks over the BAE-EADS merger did not reach a mutual agre ement and hence the initiative was called off later. Reaction of UK, French, and German governments UK and French governments took a favourable stand toward the BAE Systems-EADS merger whereas the German government opposed this strategic move. According to a BBC report (2012), while evaluating the approach of Britain toward this merger deal, the country particularly wanted its counterparts to restrict their influence in the new company so as to keep the strong relations with the US government. Hence, the British government needed to obtain a dominant position in the merged company. However, it must be noted that Britain’s officials took huge efforts to make this deal a reality. In a close observation, it seems that the British government emphasised more on its personal interests rather than the continent-wide interests. To illustrate, the British government particularly wanted to maintain BAE’s strong position in the huge US market and the country was never willing to spoil its good relationship with the US. The British government believed that obtaining a strategic control over the merged company would assist the country to continue its strong business relationship with US. In sum, Britain tried to decrease other countries’ political influence over the new venture. While analyzing the stance of France in the BAE-EADS merger, it seems that France was interested to make this deal

US History and Society - Mexican War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

US History and Society - Mexican War - Essay Example The Mexicans considered Texas to be a province in a state of rebellion while America considered Texas to be a part of its growing western frontier (Heidler & Heidler, 2006). The war was also a party issue as Whigs in the American congress opposed the war while the democrats supported the war by taking it a sign of the manifest destiny of the Americans to have dominion over the entire continent as discussed by Thoreau (1998). While America had previously offered to purchase the territory of Texas in a manner similar to the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican government did not want to part with any territory belonging to it. Texas also had internal issues of control for the Mexican government as Americans who had moved to Texas were accustomed to the freedom of religion which was present in America but not in Mexico since it was a largely Catholic country. The Texas rebellion led to the creation of an independent republic which quickly established diplomatic ties with other countries but these ties and the status of Texas as an independent country were not recognized by Mexico (Heidler & Heidler, 2006). The political situations in all three regions made war inevitable and after many battles between forces from both sides, America stood victorious and brought Mexico to the negotiations table. Mexico not only lost Texas in the war but also lost large portions of other parts of its dominion in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in 1848 (Bauer, 1974). While the war was over with this treaty, the after affects of the treaty only became clear when the dust had settled. America gained new states which were formerly controlled by Mexico and these included regions which are known today as California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming. Mexico was given $15 million and some debts which the Mexicans owned to Americans were assumed by the United States government. This settlement was actually

Feasibility Study Essay Example for Free

Feasibility Study Essay 1. 1 Tourism Profile Long Meadows is located in Mahabang Parang , Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Mahabang Parang is1. 0466 squared kilometer and as we saw the ranking of barangays in Sta. Maria we saw that Mahabang Parang is in the 19th place. First it was owned by Mrs. Luzviminda Aguirre. When Mrs. Luzviminda Aguirre past away, her husband Mr. Bonifacio Aguirre and their children Armine Aguirre Garcia and Jayson Adlai Aguirre manage the resort. Established in 1988, Long Meadows Country Resort started as a private Guest’s house and opened to the public as a resort. It is less than 30 minutes away from Balintawak toll Entry going to North It sits on a 3-hectare property, more than a hectare of which is properly developed. The resort features two (2) adult Pools, two (2) kiddie Pools, a private Pool with Villa, 17 air-conditioned rooms and open cottages, Bowling Center and Restaurant and Praderas Garden Pavillion The place exudes that rustic yet charming appeal of a countryside resort complete with quality service and facilities. Long Meadows Country Resort is also Affiliated with Bulacan Association of Resort Owners ( BARO ), Sta. Maria Business Association ( SMBA ) and Tourism Projects.. 1. 2 Geography Mahabang Parang is generally flat. The source of living here in Mahabang Parang are agriculture and sewing or tailoring. And also this is the best place to build a resort. CLIMATE Santa Maria has a climate â€Å"first type† which is defined as having two pronounced seasons: Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. During the dry months, precipitation is less because of the prevailing easterly wind blow to produce rainfall in its leeward side. Santa Marias most perceptible months start from May and may have its maximum in August, which gradually decreases until December. During these most months, thunderstorms and rain showers causes precipitation in May and June while the rest is primarily due to the southeast monsoon that prevails on this particular part of the year. Others which occur in November and December are caused by tropical cyclones that pass through the area. Temperature The annual mean temperature in the area is 27. 7  °C. The warmest month is May with mean temperature of 29. 9 0 C while the coldest is January at 25. 2  °C. 1. 3Demographics Language As it is part of the Tagalog cultural sphere (katagalugan), Tagalog is the predominant language of Bulacan so in Mahabang Parang we used Tagalog. Population During the census year of 2010, there were 3,411 people residing in Mahabang Parang and grew to 3,628 in 2013. CHAPTER II: OBJECTIVE SETTING To rehabilitate Long Meadows Country Resort because we want this to be on the popular tourism spot located in Sta. Maria and to grow the economics of the town. Also to set up and develop new amenities of this resort and meet customer needs. To construct recreational resort to gain more guest. We construct new and relaxing amenities to provide relaxation and recreation to the guest. To rehabilitate recreation and leisure because we want to develop new amenities and meet customers need. Also to construct resort and gain more guest, visiting the resort. Having the marketing strategies to increase the sales of recreational activities and accommodation of the resort and to be as one of the competitors here in Bulacan. Lastly, to become â€Å"catchy† in terms of different new trending activities and known the resort through this. CHAPTER IV: FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION (Including 30% labor) Pool 2 Slide concrete stair 150,000 Wall Climbing 50ft. 120,000 Bowling Center 1,500,000 Gate 2 26,000 ______________ Total Amount:1,796,000 CHAPTER V: APPENDICES MAIN GATE ENTRANCE ONE OF THE COTTAGES POOL 1 PRIVATE POOL JACCUZI VACANT LOT FOR WALL CLIMBING POOL SLIDE POOL STAIR GATE 2 BOWLING CENTER INSIDE BOWLNG CENTER.

Essay on the Metamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice -- Pride and Prejudi

Metamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice   Ã‚   As the story develops in Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, the reader is witness to a shift in attitude between the principle characters. The chapter in which Elizabeth Bennett's reactions to Mr. Darcy's letter are explored provides valuable insights into this metamorphosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first description of Elizabeth's state upon perusing Fitzwilliam Darcy's revelatory missive is characteristic of Austen when relating heavy emotion: she doesn't. "Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined," she tells us (Austen 233). Of course, all this negation of representational skills is purely for dramatic effect, and Miss Austen goes on to provide a full account of every aspect of Elizabeth's emotional upheaval per her reading of the letter, but not, however, without using the device again in the second paragraph, in treating the subject of the truth about Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth's feelings are conveyed as having been "...yet more acutely painful and more difficult of definition." Said difficulty is indeed short lived, as the next sentence reads, "Astonishment, apprehension, and even horror, oppressed her" (Austen 233).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Wickham segment of the chapter, spanning pages 234, 235, and the better part of 236, is significant not so much in its development of Wickham's character, as in what it does to Elizabeth. After the aforementioned astonishment et. al., Elizabeth momentarily engages in denial ("This must be false! This cannot be! This is the grossest falsehood!" (Austen 233)) but eventually her intellectual faculties regain their footing and she settles down to a second "mortifying perusal of all that related to Wickham, and command[s] herself ... ... character about whom we can care, in the midst of a narrative which is not a chore to read. Works Cited Auerbach, Nina. "Waiting Together: Pride and Prejudice." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 336-348. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. Harding, D. W. "Regulated Hatred: An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austen." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 291-295. Johnson, Claudia L. "Pride and Prejudice and the Pursuit of Happiness." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 367-376. Mudrick, Marvin."Irony as Discovery in Pride and Prejudice." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 295-303.

Humor in Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay

Historical records from the late sixteenth century are marked by the severe outcomes of the plague, which spread throughout most of Europe. The increased death rate and famine suppressed cultural development and thus very few works of art or literature were produced. During these devastating years, the young poet William Shakespeare refused to travel to the provinces, away from London, where the plague had reached enormous extents. On the contrary, in 1593 and 1594 he composed the poems Venus and Adonis and Lucrece which were both met by great interest and excitement. These positive responses encouraged Shakespeare and with even stronger efforts he wrote the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the beginning of 1595, when the plague was brought under control. This work not only marks the end of famine and suffering in London during the late sixteenth century, but also signifies that the Master is now â€Å"confident in his art, at ease with it, as a man in his dressing-gown†. Categorized as a festive comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a considerable advance in Shakespeare’s work. The most remarkable evidence for this advance is the skilful usage of different variations of humor in one play. Another distinctive aspect of the work is the incorporation of another play within the borders of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Analysis of different characteristics of the work should inevitably focus on the story of the craftsmen performing â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe†, since this part is a representative of Shakespearean comedy and all of its patterns. Therefore, it also portrays the impressionable usage of humor, or more specifically, of literary devices and social characteristics, not only in A Midsummer Night’s Dream but also throughout all Shakespearean comedies. The poet’s works can be roughly categorized in four categories: tragedies, comedies, histories, and romance. All of them are having separate characteristics, tone and style, involving different literary devices and mechanisms. Comedies are usually stories with happy ending, lighthearted patterns and often involving a marriage. They all have a distinct usage of humor, which can be defined as innovative and typically Shakespearean. The plays usually present the struggle of young lovers who have to get over many obstacles in pursue of their feelings and often involve mistaken identities,  separation and unification, heightened tensions within a family, and multiple plots. One very significant trait of the poet’s comedies is that they do not involve any satire, which makes them more lighthearted and easy to process. The common setting of the plots tends to be nature, more specifically the â€Å"green world†. This is one of Shakespeare’s preferred cites since it creates a more casual atmosphere, where jokes and puns easily find their way to the public, unbound by the social norms present the city. Another significance of the setting is the current time period, which constitutes the pattern of the society, its expectations and rules, and its literacy. The poet carefully takes advantage of the prejudices and the ideologies of the public and hence makes his comedies very contemporary, discussing topics that are relevant to the time period. Shakespearean comedies imply the participation of the audience and therefore they are dependent on people’s way of viewing life and way of expression. A play performed during the period of its setting would be far more funny and entertaining than the same play performed nowadays because of the evolved human way of thinking. Nonetheless, Shakespearean comedies contain certain literal devices creating humor, which function in the same way now, as four centuries ago. The story of the amateur and awkward actors in A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains a great deal of those devices, which make it independent upon the public, still involving it in its plot. One of those devices is the use of prose throughout the play within Shakespeare’s work. The poet removes the whole rhyme pattern in order to emphasize the puns and jokes in the course of the plot. When the actors are talking in a plain manner the humor is more easily transferred to the public, since they do not have to perceive the rhyming. Furthermore, the prose contributes to the image of the craftsmen. Their illiteracy and simple-mindedness can be identified easily through their way of expression. The artisans speak in a simple manner, corresponding to their social class standing. Although they are striving to use a more sophisticated language, they mix up grammar and spelling in a very comic way: â€Å"Have you the lion’s part written? Pray you, if it be, give it me; for I am slow of study†. The usage of prose in the play also creates plain humor, which does not need to be interpreted in any way. This is simple poetic device that creates comedy, which is equally funny now and four centuries ago. Sentences as â€Å"I will undertake it† bring about the same reaction of the public regardless of the time period. This mechanism may be the most frequently used one in the part with the artisans, but probably the most efficient device is the word play, created through the misspellings and wrong pronunciations of the craftsmen. Shakespeare takes advantage of the sound similarities between words with completely different meanings and adds the alternatives to the mechanicals’ speech. In their efforts to sound more sophisticated, the artisans mix up words as â€Å"obscenely†(Shakespeare, 68), â€Å"parlous† (Shakespeare 87), â€Å"disfigure† (Shakespeare 88), â€Å"savours, odours† (Shakespeare 89), â€Å"translated† (Shakespeare 91), â€Å"presently† and so forth. Those confusions create different connotations and meanings, thus entertaining the audience. For example, Bottom misuses obscenely, meaning seemly, or more precisely, â€Å"fitly†; instead of â€Å"parlous† Snout should have said â€Å"perilous†, and Bottom completely mixes â€Å"odours, savours, odorous†. All these mistakes build a very efficient humor mechanism that Shakespeare uses in most of his comedies. Another effective literary device that Shakespeare had mastered is the mix of short and long sentences, presenting the interrupted lines of thought of the artisans, their inability to express themselves and their lack of education. It also contributes to the authentic tone of their natural conversation: â€Å"A calendar, a calendar! Look in the almanac – find out moonshine, find out moonshine† (Shakespeare 69). Bottom’s excitement disables him to form complete and meaningful sentences; he wants to express himself as fast as he can, regardless of the way of expression. The frequent usage of â€Å"and†, instead of â€Å"if†, in the beginning of the sentences, shows that the artisans’ thoughts and ideas are flowing during the course of their speech: â€Å"Thus hath he lost sixpence a day during his life: he could not have ‘scaped sixpence a day. And the Duke had not given him sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I’ll be hanged† (Shakespeare 122). The obvious repetition here also signifies the awkwardness and narrow-mindedness of the mechanicals. Their personalities are also involved in the creation of the remarkable comedy. Except for their illiteracy, simple and narrow mindedness and their awkwardness, the artisans have more traits that build their image of comic characters. Nick Bottom, for example, is a overconfident weaver, who is the central figure in the plot of the story. He has an incredible belief in his abilities and skills and pretends to  dominate over the other mechanicals. Bottom does not accept the fact that he is illiterate and therefore his confused words make him sound ridiculous. He loves to exaggerate and over-dramatize, praising his own self-esteem. The weaver does not realize that the others are not taking him seriously and is not aware of his foolishness. His image may seem absurd and worthy of pity, but it also gains the public’s attention and sympathy. In this way the audience is in the same time laughing at his words and perceiving them as something honest and simple. Bottom is always ready to undertake anything that would make him important. From the play it can be derived that he developed a complex of inferiority, which, nonetheless, does not seem dispiriting but comic. When Peter Quince is giving out the roles for â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† Bottom is repeatedly showing his will to act for everyone. After every single role is announced, he is awkwardly trying to portray himself as the most appropriate actor for it: â€Å"That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes: I will move storms, I will condole, in some measure. †( Shakespeare 65). There is an interesting comic reference here to one of the main themes of the play, the use of one’s eyes in love. This is evidence that the story of the amateur actors is representative of the whole play and the humor used is relevant to the main course of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Finally, Bottom is assigned the role of Pyramus, who is â€Å"a lover that kills himself, most gallant, for love†. There is an obvious contradiction between the images of the mechanical and Pyramus, which adds funny absurdity to the comedy. â€Å"Gallant† is probably the least appropriate description of the tall and clumsy craftsman. Bottom’s confidence often diminishes the role of Peter Quince, another character that entertains the public through his speech and attitude toward the future performance. He is an ordinary carpenter who is not experienced in anything else than his craft. He tries to be the leader of the group that is attempting to put together the play â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe†. Even though his directions are respected, they usually meet the disapproval of the other artisans. Peter Quince takes advantage of the short-mindedness of his fellows and comes up with irrational justifications of his decisions, which, nonetheless, seem true to the craftsmen: â€Å"That’s all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will. † (66 Shakespeare); â€Å"You can play no part but Pyramus; for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man, a proper man as one shall se in a summer’s day, a most lovely, gentlemanlike man† (68 Shakespeare). This is how Peter Quince succeeds in convincing Bottom that he is perfect for the role of Pyramus – using his high self- esteem and need to be granted recognition. Peter Quince further contributes to the comedy by selecting Francis Flute, a bellows-mender, for the role of Thisbe. Even before the actual performance, the audience imagines how the ordinary craftsman is speaking in a â€Å"small† voice, wearing a mask which is supposed to hide his beard. Flute’s determination to overcome his sense of masculinity, which is ridiculed in the play, is a remarkable sacrifice for the success of the performance. His extreme readiness fascinates the public and presents the seriousness of the artisans. Also from this scene it can be derived that the craftsmen are putting all their efforts into the performance. Robin Starveling, first chosen to play Thisbe’s mother, readily accepts his role, which would make him more than an ordinary tailor. Later on in the play, he is assigned the role of the moonshine, which does not discourage him. The same comic enthusiasm is also shared by Tom Snout, the thinker who is chosen to play Pyramus’s father but later on receives the role of the wall separating Pyramus and Thisbe. Together with Snug, the joiner chosen to play a lion, they both feel they have significant parts in the performance, and every one of them is concerned about his role. For instance, Snug is worried that his roaring may frighten the ladies in the audience. He is determined that his acting will convince the public that he is a real lion and the other craftsmen agree with him. Their funny concerns are followed by even more comic solutions – there will be a Prologue who will reveal the true personalities of the craftsmen before the performance, and Snug will show a part of his face to comfort the ladies in the audience. In this way the suspense of the whole performance will be ruined, but the artisans are afraid that their acting skills may be too sophisticated. The craftsmen’s low level of education, short and narrow mindedness and awkward speech play a great role in the development of the comedy. They are all ordinary characters, from the low working class who have one and the same goal – to achieve something remarkable and worthy of respect. Despite their comic lack of sophistication, they succeed in entertaining the audience in another, more original and funny way. The play of â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† is a tragedy but their performance can be more precisely defined as a tragic comedy. The actual performance is played during the celebrations of Theseus’s marriage and even though it is inappropriate for such occasion, it turns out to be successful. In the beginning the audience is confused by the strange and amateur acting, but finally the craftsmen appear to be the culmination of the whole festival. The performance is welcomed by a â€Å"flourish of trumpets†, which are very inappropriate for the following fiasco. There is a distinct comic contrast between the flourish of the trumpets, usually meant to signify a glamorous work, and the impressions following the play. Peter Quince, taken the role of the Prologue, confidently steps onto the scene and starts reading from the scroll, unintentionally changing its meaning by mistaking its punctuation: â€Å"That you should think, we come not to offend, but with good will. To show our simple skill, that is the true beginning of our end. † Although this seems funny to the reader, the audience in the play is first confused by the illiteracy of the Prologue: This fellow doth not stand upon points† (Shakespeare 129), meaning that he is not â€Å"punctilious†. At first, Theseus is embarrassed by the awkward performance of Quince and wonders if there is a reason for his mistakes. Without being worried about his weak performance, the determined craftsman continues his important speech, full of comic sentences, as â€Å"he bravely breached his boiling bloody breast†. The true meaning of â€Å"breached† is actually stabbed but Shakespeare uses this word to create a comic alliteration. After the Prologue has reassured the audience, the reader encounters another comic effect of the play – the characteristics of the Wall, played by Snout. It is intentionally described as alive and moving: â€Å"Wall parts its fingers† (Shakespeare 130). The Wall is personified which makes the whole performance even more ridiculous and funny. As the other craftsmen, Snug also wants to be noticed in the performance and thus overacts, making his role more than absurd. Robin Starveling and Snug, acting as the moonshine and the lion, also take their parts more seriously than they should have and contribute to the comic tragedy that the play â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† eventually becomes. The audience, although confused by the whole performance, is entertained and the efforts of the craftsmen are justified. They reached their goal of producing something for which they will be acknowledge and respected, even though their intentions were not fulfilled. The story of the artisans performing the play â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† contains plenty of humor devices and comic scenes, which make it representative of Shakespearean comedies in many ways. First of all the small play represents the struggle of young lovers to overcome the difficulties set by the circumstances in pursue of their feelings, which is a typical theme for a tragedy, but after the performance it is also associated with humor and comedy. Furthermore, the amateur actors represent the illiteracy of the low class. Shakespeare recognizes the importance of this widespread for the particular time period problem, but in the same time he portrays the comic part of it and praises the artisans’ strive to achieve something meaningful. By his usage of humor he is not criticizing the artisans; he rather justifies their difficulties with grammar and expression in general. The play â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† is not a lyrical digression from the main topic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It presents another outcome of the situation with the lovers, more undesirable and lacking a happy end. Shakespeare produces a play within the play to further entertain the audience and show the comedic character of his work. Another interpretation of the story of â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† may be the initial intention of Shakespeare to write a tragedy, not a comedy. By the time he writes A Midsummer Nights Dream, he has mastered to an extent the tragic genre, and feels more comfortable producing such pieces of literature. The occasion though, a marriage celebration, requires from him to create a rather entertaining work. Maybe through the incorporation of the small play, Shakespeare implies that his original idea was to create another tragedy. He does not allow the audience to feel the tragic nature of â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† by using a great deal of humor in it. Even though Shakespeare produces A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a period of time when people are not concerned about art and literature, but about their survival, the play has great success ever since then. The conventional humor used to portray the lovers’ struggles seems untouched by time and the evolving human way of thinking. Four centuries after it was written, the work still fascinates with its characteristics and mechanisms. Comedies are generally a very hard genre because what is funny today may not be funny at all tomorrow. Despite that fact, Shakespeare’s genius manages to create a universal humor, using comical devices that are still interesting and entertaining. By those devices he creates a parallel world where time is a relative term and where humor and laughter are the driving forces – world where people are entertained in spite of the social norms and rules. Bibliography Biscay, Matt. â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Comedy. † Skyminds. net. 2006. Skyminds. net. 08 Nov 2006 . Mahony, Simon. â€Å"Simon Mahony Academic Stuff. † Pyramus and Thisbe in Shakespeare and Ovid. 2002. King’s College London. 5 Nov 2006 . McFarland, Thomas. Shakespeare’s Pastoral Comedy. North Carolina, USA: The University of North Carolina Press, 1972. Parrot, Thomas. Shakespearean Comedy. New York, USA: Russel & Russel, 1962. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 2003. Editor: Brian Gibbons. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Teague, Francis. Acting Funny: Comic Thoery and Practice in Shakespeare’s Plays. London: Associated University Presses, 1994.

Evangelium Vitae or the Gospel of Life Essay

Imagine yourself, man or woman, feeling as though you’re in love with somebody. You feel not only a great obligation, pressured by society, but an urge to be sexually active with this individual. You go along with this urge, and the next thing you know, you’re expected to have a child as a result of your actions. You’re young, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, scared, poor; whatever the situation may be. You don’t know what to do. You’ve never thought that you would ever put yourself in this situation and you’re extremely frightened. You have heard about some people that have had abortions before, and they turned out to be fine. You have also heard that you can get an abortion in secret and on top of that for free, while also being completely legal. On the other hand, you have been raised to be pro-life and to never even think about having an abortion. You have to make a choice. Do you have the ethics, morals, and in essence, the faith to make the right choi ce; the right choice of course being the realization that abortion, in actuality, is murder, and to go against that sin and to have the child. I reflected upon these questions and asked myself if I had the faith myself to make the right choice. I wondered if I would really, truly be able to make the right decision. I thought that I could decide on the right thing, but I still didn’t fully understand everything about why the church teaches this. After doing research about this topic I got much better insight about understanding fully why we believe this. I don’t believe this now. Just because I’m supposed to, but I now believe this because I understand the wisdom and knowledge put forth to this subject over thousands of years. I know now that, besides not even getting into the situation itself, but that I would be able to make the right choice if I, or somebody I knew, was ever involved in a situation like that. I would be able to make the right choice and back up my conscience with knowledge. â€Å"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly† (Jn 10:10). These words are the epitome of the revealed truth of God. It reflects all that we believe about life, death, and the power of the sanctifying Spirit. This eternal life, the life in which we are all called to live and protect, is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is at the dawn of our salvation, calling us to live righteously. In the first Chapter of Evangelium Vitae, or the Gospel of Life, written by Pope John Paul II in 1995, we see the good news of Jesus Christ itself. It reflects upon the present day threats to human life. Along with it, there is a parallel with the story of Cain and Abel, which is the root of violence against life. In today’s society, there are extremely numerous amounts of threats to human life, which the Gospel of Life spells out. It is impossible to catalogue the vast array of threats to human life because there are so many different forms. These forms are, much of the time, hidden. The most obvious is the legal right itself to perform certain procedures that are immoral and against our beliefs. Violence against life does not just include abortion. Violence against life can be a number of differing subjects. Euthanasia, murder of any type, slaughter, war, genocide, etc. are major types of violence against life as well as abortion. Furthermore, there are threats in today’s society, such as children forced into poverty, malnutrition, and hunger because of unjust distributing of resources between social classes. This goes along with violence of wars, which much of the time is bloody. There is also the spreading of death caused by reckless tempering with the world’s ecological balance, by the criminal spreading of drugs, or by the promotion of certain kinds of sexual activity, which is socially unacceptable, but also the many diseases that go along with this is dangerous and a threat to one’s life. The problem with our society today is that the immoral and life-threatening acts which are acted out are no longer considered unjust â€Å"crimes† anymore. They are, in today’s society, considered â€Å"rights†. This example can be shown through the acts of being pro-life or pro-choice. A pro-choice individual may feel that they have a right to choose what is good for them. The truth is veiled and hidden from them. It is not necessarily their fault that they do not know what they’re doing is wrong and sinful, but it can be a problem that lay within our culture. Our culture hides the sin and makes the woman believe that it is her right to choose what she wants. She doesn’t realize that it is really a crime that she is committing. She doesn’t understand that it is not her right to choose what she desires; it is God’s choice to choose what is right for her. By directly disobeying the Lord, She is committing a serious sin. Our culture, through our government, is hiding this and underplaying this sin by disguising it with words that have fallacious euphemisms as â€Å"rights† instead of â€Å"crimes†. At this basis, we find the source of the predicament our society is in today. Our culture openly practices these things, causing the immorality of it to be disguised or hidden. This is an â€Å"eclipse† of sin, which is very alarming in my eyes, to our culture today. We are headed in the wrong direction, a direction where justification, acceptance, and the proliferation of wrongdoings is becoming more and more prevalent from decade to decade. Human beings today attack life as if it were nothing and this spreading can crash our culture into a spiral fall into sin and ultimately spinning out of control into hell. The fact that attacks on life are spreading greatly and are receiving great support from the general culture is a powerfully despondent thought. This is also supported by broad, widespread legal approval of the involvement of certain sectors of health-care personnel. The reality of it is, the twentieth century will have been an era of massive attacks on life, or endless series of war, and a continual tacking of innocent human life, unless we put an end to these sins and make it known the evil, depravity, and corruption of these ideals. The two most flagrant enemies of present day threats to human life are abortion and euthanasia. Abortion is well-known, and is the work of the devil himself. Many have a feeling of constraint when talking about abortion because it is such a touchy subject. The fact of the matter is abortion is killing. It is paralleled with how Cain rose up against his brother and killed him. It is the same as taking a gun and shooting your baby daughter, brother, son, sister, mother, father, anybody. It is a complete sin, attacking God himself. For the Jewish people, blood is the source of life, and life, especially human life, is in the hands of God and belongs to God alone. By this fact, when one attack’s life, he or she in some way is attacking God himself. Just as Cain tried to justify his means of killing his brother and hiding it by saying â€Å"Am I my brother’s keeper?† many justify their means of killing and hiding it by acting naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve toward the subject. Cain does not like to think about his brother that he killed and refuses to accept responsibility for it. This can be the same way that we, in society as a whole, refuse to accept responsibility for our brothers. Again, just as God did not leave the crime of Cain unpunished, he also punishes us, accept our price we will pay in the heavenly kingdom. Euthanasia goes along with these hidden crimes of violence. Euthanasia is murder as well, just as is abortion. Our culture tends to include the lack of solidarity towards the weakest members of society. We sometimes have a misleading thought that pain and suffering should not be associated with death. We think that just because one is able to end a life to avoid suffering that he or she should avoid it. We think that, if the life would require greater recognition or time, that love is considered useless, and is actually considered a burden. This leads to the rejection of the life. A person who, because of a certain illness, being handicapped, or just because they are existing, makes one think that it compromises the well-bring or life-style of those who are living without assistance. This is a lie from the devil and you cannot fall into his trickery. Sometimes, the Catholic Church is accused of being pro-choice, and pro-abortion, just because it is against the use of contraception. This may be that many people use contraception with a view to stop the temptation of abortion. In fact these thoughts themselves strengthen this temptation when an unwanted life in conceived because of its negative values that go along with it. The pro-abortion culture is especially strong when the Church teaches that contraception is bad. When reflecting on these two acts, the church teaches that contraception and abortion are two different and distinct evils. Contraception is a contradiction to the real truth of sexuality as an act of proper conjugal love of a married man and woman. It is opposed to the virtue of chastity in marriage and it warps the minds of individuals to make them believe that, just because they can have intercourse without being married means that they should. Abortion on the other hand destroys the life of a human being. It directly disobeys God’s commandment â€Å"You shall not kill.† Life starts at the moment of conception, not when the baby starts to grow. But, even though these two ideas are evil, they are still closely connected as â€Å"fruits of the same tree†. Contraception and abortion are practiced with the pressures of your peers, real life situations, and a society that accepts these things are â€Å"normal†. These things have to be taught from the beginning that they are wrong. Another present day crisis that is used against life is the demographic question. There are many different parts of the world with different cultures, but it is still a sin to kill, no matter where the killing is taking place. In some poorer countries over-population occurs. Programs of cultural development and distribution of anti-birth policies are being formed. Contraception, sterilization, and abortion are certainly part of the reason why in some cases there is a very steep decline in the birthrate. It is not hard for these cultures to use the methods that attack lives when there is a situation of â€Å"demographic explosion†. An example of where this is prevalent is China. China has a one-child policy of birth planning. The Chinese government puts it under the pretext of a â€Å"Family planning policy†. It officially restricts the number of children married couples can have to one. A spokesperson of the Committee on the One-Child Policy has said that about 35.9% of China’s population is currently subject to the one-child restriction. The Chinese government introduced this policy to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China. Authorities claim that the policy has prevented more than 250 million births from its implementation to the year 2000.1 This goes against everything we believe. This is because of the negative economic and social consequences the policy introduces, such as forced abortions and female infanticide, which is the probably cause of China’s significant gender imbalance. This shows that the government is a huge concern for the future of our culture. The Pharaoh of the Old Testament did the same thing. He ordered that every male child born of the Hebrew women were to be killed (Ex 1:7-22), due to the increase of children in Israel. These sins are very prevalent throughout our world and for the sake of our future, need to be stopped. God asks Cain, â€Å"Where is your brother Abel?† Cain answers â€Å"I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?† (Gen 4:9). The answer to this is yes. Each of us has a moral obligation to take responsibility for watching over our brothers. This is because God instructs us to watch over our brothers. He gives us the freedom to choose to watch over our brothers. Humanity today is given great freedom, and we need to use our freedom wisely. We cannot waste our freedom by being tricked into sin. We need to watch out for the other side of freedom that we do not know about. This is the freedom that destroys ourselves and becomes the factor leading to the destruction of others. It no longer recognizes and respects its essential link with the truth. When our freedom is used to follow others, our freedom is dead. When our freedom is used to follow the Lord, our freedom is living. If we follow the will of others all the time, we tend to just look for the easy way out of things, and much of the time we look for the thing that will be more helpful to us. This is a selfish way to live, and if we always live in this way, we will not live in eternal happiness with the one who gave us this freedom to begin with. Our life was given to us by the Lord. With this life we are given a freedom to choose and make the right decisions. Sometimes our society and culture may lead us down the wrong path, and hide the truth about what is right and what is wrong. What we don’t understand is that this is really Satan trying to do his work and cause us to sin. He doesn’t want us to achieve total happiness with our Creator. He wants us to suffer with him, so he makes up lies, and covers up the truth to cause us to sin. Our society as a whole needs to realize these things. Our present culture needs to realize that life is not in our hands, but in the hands of God our Creator, and that he wants us to spread the truth about life and the truth about present day threats to human life. 1 1 Rosenberg, Matt. â€Å"China One Child Policy – Overview of the One Child Policy in China.† Geography Home Page – Geography at About.com. 14 May 2009 .

The 14 Best Low-Carb Fruits to Help You Lose Weight

The 14 Best Low-Carb Fruits to Help You Lose Weight SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While fruit has a reputation for being a healthy food group, many types of fruit are actually high in carbs. If you're on a low-carb diet, you may be wondering how you can eat fruit and also stick to your diet. Do you need to give up fruit completely? Absolutely not! You just need to know which fruits are low-carb. In this guide we explain what low-carb really means and what the benefits of low-carb fruits are. We then go over the 14 best low-carb fruits to eat, as well as four types of fruit you should avoid if you're on a low carb diet. What Are the Benefits of Low-Carb Fruits? What's so great about low-carb fruits? Low-carb diets have become very popular in recent decades as a way for people to lose weight. Carbohydrates not immediately used by the body are converted to fat, and eating lots of carbs can cause a spike in blood sugar which can cause cravings for more carb-rich foods. Because of this, many people try to limit the number of carbs they consume, and numerous low-carb diets, such as the Atkins and Paleo diet, have sprung up, emphasizing foods high in fat and protein over carb-rich foods. Carbohydrates do have benefits though. They are the brain’s main fuel source and are necessary for your body to run properly. Therefore, your goal should never be to cut out carbs completely from your diet, but instead to consume a healthy amount. While foods like pasta, potatoes, beer, and soft drinks are the usual suspects when looking for carb-rich foods, many fruits also have a significant amount of carbohydrates. So even if you’re used to thinking of fruit as a completely healthy food group, some types of fruit can derail your low-carb diet. Therefore, it’s important to know which fruits are low-carb. Fruits provide many important vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to function properly, so you don’t want to eliminate them from your diet, even if you’re trying to be low-carb. The solution is to learn which fruits are low-carb and eat more of those. Fruits low in carbs provide nutritional benefits while still allowing people to stick to their low-carb diets. What Does â€Å"Low-Carb† Actually Mean? Before we dive what fruits are low-carb, let’s first discuss what â€Å"low-carb† means. If you’re not sure what the definition of low-carb is, you’re not alone. There is no set definition for â€Å"low-carb† and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not set any regulations as to what low-carb means. Since there is no official definition for â€Å"low-carb,† any food can be labelled as low-carb. Usually low-carb foods have been altered in such a way as to reduce the amount of carbs they would normally have (such as low-carb beer), or they naturally have fewer carbs than many other foods. In this guide, we define a low-carb fruit as any fruit that has 15g or less of carbs per serving. This is a low enough amount of carbs that you can likely still eat these fruits and keep to your diet, but it also gives you a decent variety of fruits to choose from. The 14 Best Low-Carb Fruits So, what fruits are low in carbs? We’ve done the hard work for you, and below is a list of the 14 best low-carb fruits. If you’re trying to stick to a low-carb diet, these are all great choices for you. The fruits are ordered from lowest amount of carbs per serving to highest. For each fruit on this low-carb fruits list, we’ve included the serving size, how many carbs it contains, how much sugar it contains, and any important health benefits the fruit may provide. All the nutritional info comes from the USDA’s National Nutritional Database. When reading this list, pay close attention to the serving size of each fruit. They aren’t all the same, and not paying attention to serving size can seriously derail your diet. #1: Starfruit Serving Size: 1 medium starfruit (about 90g) Carbs: 6g Sugar: 4g Health Benefits: In addition to having one of the lowest amounts of carbs for any fruit, starfruit is also a good source of fiber and vitamin C. #2: Tomatoes Serving Size: 1 regular-sized tomato (about 180g) Carbs: 7g Sugar: 5g Health Benefits: Tomatoes are very high in lycopene, an important antioxidant. Eating tomatoes regularly may also reduce the risk of prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. #3: Avocados Serving Size:  ½ an avocado (about 100g) Carbs: 8g Sugar: 0.5g Health Benefits: Yes, avocados are indeed a fruit, and they’re high in Vitamins K, C, E, and several B vitamins. Avocados are also high in folate and potassium, as well as healthy fats. They’re also very low in sugar compared to other fruits. #4: Plums Serving Size: 1 plum, about 70g Carbs: 8g Sugar: 7g Health Benefits: Plums are high in antioxidants and Vitamin C, and they may increase iron absorption in the body. #5: Clementines Serving Size: 1 clementine (about 75g) Carbs: 9g Sugar: 7g Health Benefits: Clementines are high in Vitamin C as well as calcium and potassium. #6: Coconut Meat (Raw) Serving Size: 1 cup shredded (about 80g) Carbs: 12g Sugar: 5g Health Benefits: Raw coconut meat is a good source of healthy fats and fiber. It’s important to eat raw coconut meat though. Dried coconut has more than double the carbs per serving as raw coconut. #7: Strawberries Serving Size: 1 cup (about 150 grams) Carbs: 12g Sugar: 7g Health Benefits: Like other berries, strawberries are high in antioxidants as well as vitamins A, C, and E. Strawberries also have high levels of anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids that can reduce the risk of heart attacks. #8: Watermelon Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (about 150g) Carbs: 12g Sugar: 10g Health Benefits: As their name suggests, watermelons are mostly made of water, but this high water content will help you feel full faster. Watermelon also contains Vitamins A, B6, and C, as well as the antioxidant lycopene. The more red the watermelon you’re eating is, the more lycopene it contains. #9: Cherries Serving Size: 10 cherries (about 80g) Carbs: 13g Sugar: 10g Health Benefits: Cherries are high in antioxidants and can reduce inflammation in the body. #10: Peaches Serving Size: 1 small peach (about 130g) Carbs: 13g Sugar: 11g Health Benefits: Peaches are high in a number of minerals, including calcium, potassium, and magnesium. #11: Cantaloupe Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (about 150g) Carbs: 13g Sugar: 12g Health Benefits: This fruit is high in potassium, and it’s a good source of B vitamins. #12: Blackberries Serving Size: 1 cup (about 120 grams) Carbs: 14g Sugar: 7g Health Benefits: Blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant concentrations of any fruit. They are also high in Vitamin C, as well as tannins, which can help with digestion issues. #13: Honeydew Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (about 170g) Carbs: 14g Sugar: 14g Health Benefits: Honeydew is a good source of potassium, and its high water content means that you feel full faster. #14: Raspberries Serving Size: 1 cup (about 120 grams) Carbs: 15g Sugar: 6g Health Benefits: Raspberries are high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and E. 4 Fruits to Avoid If You’re Low-Carb In this section are the four fruits that have high amounts of carbohydrates and sugar. You don’t need to completely avoid them, but you should definitely limit the amount you consume if you’re trying to stick to a low-carb diet. #1: Bananas Serving Size: 1 medium banana (about 120g) Carbs: 27g Sugar: 15g #2: Mangos Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (about 160g) Carbs: 25g Sugar: 23g #3: Pineapple Serving Size: 1 cup, diced (about 160g) Carbs: 22g Sugar: 16g #4: All Dried Fruit There’s a reason all the low-carb fruits in the list above are fresh/raw. When fruit is dried, the amount of carbs and sugar it contains per serving drastically increases. For example, while a cup of fresh strawberries only contains 12g of carbs and 7g of sugar, one cup of dried strawberries contains, on average, 96g of carbs and 82g of sugar! In addition, many dried fruits have sugar added to them, which makes them even more unhealthy. Definitely keep away from dried fruit if you’re on a low-carb diet. How Much Fruit Can You Eat on a Low Carb Diet? Does being on a low-carb diet mean you need to cut out fruit completely? No! As you can see from the list above, fruits provide many important nutritional benefits, and eliminating them from your diet completely can do more harm than good. The USDA recommends about two cups of fruit per day in order to maintain a healthy diet. Depending on how many carbs your diet recommends, you may be able to meet this goal, especially if you choose low-carb fruits. For example, a plum and a cup of strawberries together only contain 20g of carbs, but they provide many nutritional benefits. How much fruit you can eat depends on the diet you’re following and how many carbs you’re getting from other food groups, but you should still aim to regularly eat different fruits. Recap: Low-Carb Fruits Even though fruit is typically thought of as a â€Å"healthy† food group, certain fruits can be very high in carbohydrates, which can make it difficult if you’re following a low-carb diet. Low-carb fruits give the nutritional benefits of fruits without a lot of carbs. Our low-carb fruits list helps you pick out what fruits are low in carbs. This list includes several types of berries, melons, and other fruits. You should avoid high-carb fruits like bananas, dried fruit, and certain types of tropical fruit. Even if you’re on a low-carb diet, it’s still possible to eat fruit if you make healthy and smart choices about the type of fruit you eat and eat mostly fruits low in carbs.

Movie Half Nelson Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Half Nelson - Movie Review Example All these make up the indifferent urban dramas. Dan and Drey are teacher and student with significant varying age differences but are faced with similar crisis. They are both looking for something to believe in and rely on. (Halliwell123) Dan does not only do drugs but is a successful history teacher at Brooklyn high school and finds time to coach girls basket ball team. He believes in the essence of history being the Hegelian dialects and this theory is seen to reflect in his own life. He is neither a good man with negative habits nor a bad man with positive habits. Rather he is both sides of himself at all times and this conflict is what is pulling him apart. (Halliwell128) Drey is also familiar with the world of drug abuse as her brother is in prison for related charges. With the realization that Dan is a user, both of them are alarmed with the possible negative or positive changes that they may not be capable to prevent or encourage. Frank is also a drug dealer and has ties with Drey's family. He seemed to be an intelligent and mediocre caring man.Drey knows that drugs are evil but does not view frank as a dangerous man (Halliwell130) Dan is a dedicated teacher, full of ideas and a skeptic, who devotes his life to improve others while destroying himself an

Radio Shack Strategic Management Research Paper

Radio Shack Strategic Management - Research Paper Example RadioShack is primarily focused on the US market where as at the end of 2011 it employed 34,000 people, and owned and operated 4,476 stores under its brand and an additional 1,496 stores under the Target Mobile centers brand. RadioShack’s products and services are categorized into four platforms: mobility, signature, consumer electronics and other sales. The mobility platform consists of prepaid and postpaid wireless handsets, commissions and residual income, tablets and e-readers. The signature platform includes home entertainment, wireless, computer, and music accessories; general purpose and special purpose power products; headphones; technical products; and services (RadioShack 3). The consumer electronics platform includes personal computing products, laptop computers, digital music players, residential telephones, GPS devices, cameras, digital televisions, and other consumer electronics products (RadioShack 3). Other sales include sales generated by the Target Mobile centers, sales to independent dealers, sales generated by RadioShack’s Mexican subsidiary, sales from www.radioshack.com website and sales to other third parties through the company’s global sourcing operations (Rad ioShack 22). The contribution of each of these product platforms in 2011 is displayed in Figure 1 below. In 2011, RadioShack net sales increased by 2.6%, to $4,378 million over its 2010 revenues. However, the company’s gross margin went down by 3.5% to 41.4% within the same period. This was largely attributed to change in the company’s sales mix within its largest product platform, the mobility platform, towards lower margin smartphones and tablets (RadioShack 20). The company has sound financial strength depicted by its quick ratio of 1.61 and current ratio of 2.73. Figure 1: RadioShack Product Platforms (RadioShack Corp 1) 2.0. Strategic issues There are two major strategic management problems facing RadioShack Corporation: merchandise mix and growth strategy. To begin with, RadioShack established its mobility platform as the more attractive unit and has continued to steer corporate resources towards it. Figure 1 above, shows mobility devices accounted for 51.4% of the company’s net sales in 2011, up from 46.1% in 2010 and 35.3% in 2009 (RadioShack 22). Howev er, the high competitive rivalry in the retail consumer mobility industry, short product cycles, and its much lower margins has made the company vulnerable to weak consumer spending. For this reason, on March 2, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on RadioShack to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-’, with outlook also moved from stable to negative (FitzGerald Para 2). This downgrade lowers investor and creditor confidence on the organization. Ultimately, the lowered rating may affect RadioShack’s ability to raise financial capital for any major investments that it may seek in future. RadioShack’s senior management