Comparing Attentional Capture By Rare And Constant, Novel,...

Attentional Capture by Rare and Constant, Novel, Sudden Onset Stimuli Samuel Tong (450472150) ABSTRACT Novel and rare sudden onset stimuli are known to attract attention in different situations. Previously Yantis Jonides (1990) have shown novel sudden onsets capture attention mainly when attention is diffuse, and Neo Chua (2006) have shown rare sudden onsets capture attention so long as attention is not already pre-deployed to a stationary target. The current study aims to examine the interaction between rarity of a novel, sudden onset and attention pre-deployment by cues or stationary targets, and how this interaction affects the attentional capture of novel sudden onsets. In doing so, a better understanding of how these stimuli affect attentional processes may be established. Based upon the experimental findings, it is proposed that when a sudden onset stimulus is both rare and novel, the attentional capture processes when perceiving these stimuli are influenced by perceptual load and modes of attention. Implications of these findings are discussed further in the paper. Attentional Capture by Rare and Constant Novel Sudden Onset Stimuli Attentional capture is controlled by top down, goal orientated processes, or by bottom up, stimulus orientated processes (Wolfe, 1994, as cited by Emerson Kramer, 1997). Stimuli that appear suddenly, or sudden onset stimuli, are known to attract attention in a bottom-up fashion (Donderi, Zelnicker 1996, asShow MoreRelatedOcd - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment131367 Words   |  526 Pagespoints out that there are important differences between OCD and other anxiety disorders, including possible differences in biochemistry, presence of greater functional impairment in OCD, and the increased complexity and vagueness of the fear-eliciting stimuli in OCD. Others suggest that OCD may share a common etiology with chronic (multiple) tic disorder and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (see review by O’Connor, 2001). It is also possible that the greater symptom variability and abstract nature of many

Essay about Descartes And Locke - 1518 Words

Descartes and Locke One of the most important branches in philosophy, is Epistemology, which means, theory of knowledge. So far, philosophers have made many attempts to discover the source of knowledge, the standards or criteria by which we can judge the reliability of knowledge. We tend to be satisfied with think what we know about almost everything, even though sometimes we are shocked to discover that something that we thought it was sure and certain, is instead proved dubious and not sure. For example, suppose that one person that you know and trust tells you that the moon landing in 1969 is only a lie, and the pictures and film were made in a laboratory. We might distrust our friend maybe or think that in fact there were no prove†¦show more content†¦He finds it plausible that we are all living in a dream and we have never experienced reality. He can no longer give any credence to his senses and finds himself in a place of complete uncertainty. Descartes comes to the conclusion that nothin g can be perceived more easily and more evidently than his own mind. He has discovered that even bodies are not accurately perceived by the senses or the faculty of imagination, and are only accurately being perceived by the intellect. He also realizes that they are not distinguished through being touched, smelled, or tasted, but by being understood alone. (An apple is an apple because our mind tells us that it is an apple.) It is the faculty of reason that gives the knowledge and lets the mind know the truths and essences of objects. Descartes assumes that all of us can be decided by our senses, someone can see something far away, and then discover that is not what we thought it was. Or even a oar when is immerse half in water attempt to be bent, but instead is straight. Descartes think that we cannot always be sure of what we sense, and gives the example of himself seated by the fire. Locke instead is an empiricist, and therefore he directly critiques Descartes epistemic system and tries to establish his own foundation of knowledge. Locke believes that our knowledge of the world comes from what our senses tell us. Locke’s theory state that we are all born with a blank slate, tabula rasa, before weShow MoreRelatedDescartes vs. Locke1175 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy Essay (Descartes vs. Locke) Socrates once said, â€Å"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.† Several philosophers contradicted Socrates’ outlook and believed that true knowledge was in fact attainable. This epistemological view however had several stances to it, as philosophers held different beliefs in regards to the derivation of true knowledge. Rationalists believed that the mind was the source of true knowledge, while in Empiricism, true knowledge derived from the senses. ReneRead MoreDescartes vs Locke Essay1191 Words   |  5 PagesPhilosophy Essay (Descartes vs. Locke) Socrates once said, â€Å"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.† Several philosophers contradicted Socrates’ outlook and believed that true knowledge was in fact attainable. This epistemological view however had several stances to it, as philosophers held different beliefs in regards to the derivation of true knowledge. Rationalists believed that the mind was the source of true knowledge, while in Empiricism, true knowledge derived from the senses. ReneRead MoreEssay on Descartes vs Locke1257 Words   |  6 Pagesby experience, observation, and sensory perception. Renà © Descartes and John Locke, both seventeenth century philosophers, are often seen as two of the first early modern philosophers. Both Descartes and Locke attempt to find answers to the same questions in metaphysics and epistemology; among these: What is knowledge? Is there certainty in knowledge? What roles do the mind and body play in the acquisition of knowledge? Descartes and Locke do not provide the same answers to these questions. In thisRead MoreDescartes And Locke : The Existence Of Knowledge867 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes and Locke; The Existence of Knowledge Rene Descartes, the Father of Modern Philosophy, based his beliefs off of one piece of knowledge that he found to be absolutely certain; â€Å"I now know that even bodies are perceived not by the senses or by imagination but by the intellect alone, not through their being touched or seen but through their being understood; and this helps me to understand that I can perceive my own mind more easily and clearly than I can anything else† (Descartes, 1639Read MoreJohn Locke And Rene Descartes1442 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophers are individuals who address critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs with underlying theories of their own. John Locke and Rene Descartes were both classified as modern philosophers in the seventeenth century who sums up the subject about personal identity and its determents in reference to our own existence, such as who are we? The personal identity theory states that the philosophical confrontation with the ultimate questions of our own existence, such as who are weRead MoreRene Descartes And John Locke997 Words   |  4 PagesRene Descartes and John Locke each produced pieces of philosophical responses to the questions posed in epistemology which resulted with very different answers. Descartes relied on God and the mind as the only reliable and trustworthy sources to prove the existence of things other than ourselves. Locke, in contrast, made arguments for the existence of things in the external world via our innate ability to recognize and process sensations that are derived from subjects that exist in the material worldRead MoreRene Descartes and John Locke698 Words   |  3 PagesRene Descartes was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist and writer. Many elements of his philosophy have precedent in late Aristolelianism and earlier philosophers like St. Augustine. Descartes was a major figure in 17th century continental rationalism, later advocated by Baruch Spinoza and opposed by th e empiricist school of thought consisting of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. His most famous statement is: Cogito ergo sum, translation in English I think therefore I am.Read MoreJohn Locke And Rene Descartes Essay1444 Words   |  6 Pagesfield of philosophy, many philosophers have had theories on personal identity and a person’s â€Å"self.† These people have gone down in history books for their theories on a person’s identity: John Locke and Rene’ Descartes. These are two of the most famous philosophers of their time and all time. â€Å"John Locke was one of the philosophers who were against the Cartesian theory that soul accounts for personal identity (Nimbalkar, 2011).† His theory was that your â€Å"self† was your consciousness. He believedRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Descartes On The Affirmative, And John Locke2123 Words   |  9 PagesAre ideas innate or not? First, I will present the debate on innate ideas as argued by Descartes on the affirmative, and John Locke on the negative. Descartes view that we do indeed have innate ideas which comes from his meditations concerning the idea of god. While Locke would argue that we do not have innate ideas and that is rooted in his belief that all knowledge is a result of our experiences. Descartes was a French philosopher who was a rationalist. Rationalists believe that all ideas areRead MoreCognative Development: Therories of Locke and Descartes2328 Words   |  10 Pagesbetween John Locke, and Rene Descartes. John Locke, a seventeenth-century English philosopher, argued against the belief that human beings are born with certain ideas already in their minds. He claimed that, on the contrary, the mind is a tabula rasa (in Latin, a blank slate) until experience begins to write on it. He was quoted in saying: the human mind begins as a white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas. (The Blank Slate, n.d.) However, according to Renà © Descartes, a seventeenth-century

Paycom Marketing Plan Free Essays

The Obama administration’s proposal for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, which was released as part of its â€Å"Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy,† is intended to give users more control over how their personal information is used in commercial transactions (Klosek, 2012). This type of framework is geared toward technologies such as mobile apps. Mobile app technology is capable of cloning personal information from a mobile device such as ID numbers, email address, current location, texts messages, calendars and personal photos. We will write a custom essay sample on Paycom Marketing Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Companies such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL have agreed to not track consumer browser use. These companies have been critized in the past for not doing what is required to protect the privacy of its consumers. They have been tracking their information without any consent or providing information to the consumer regarding how the data will be used. Now with the CPBR, consumers will now have the right to control what information is used, how it will be used and monitor the accuracy of the data collected. In order to use the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for future litigation, seven general principles have been developed to use as a guide. â€Å"Individual Control: Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal companies collect from them and how they use it (Kloesk, 2012). † Going forward, companies will have to present consent as well as choices to the consumer about the data that is being collected, whereas before, consumers have been unaware of what type of data was being collected and how it was being used. Transparency: Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices (Klosek, 2012). † There are many privacy risks in regards to mobile devices. With the CPBR, consumers with be informed about the most recent and relevant information regarding what personal data can be used. Mobile apps are an example where this information can be critical. â€Å"Respect for Context: Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data (Klosek, 2012). This generally translates into a deeper guide to increased disclosers to the consumer. In the case that information or data is collected from a consumer and used for anything else other than for the use of the company, the consumer will be notified before and given the opportunity for consent prior to the information being used. They will also be informed what the data will be used for in relation to what is being shared. â€Å"Security: Consumers have the right to secure and responsible handling of personal data (Klosek, 2012). In summary, any data collected will be encrypted and secured when being moved from the consumer’s device to the companies servers. â€Å"Access and Accuracy: Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate (Klosek, 2012). † This describes the consumer’s rights to ensure t hat the data being collected is accurate. If they information is incorrect, then they will have the right to correct anything in error. In order for the consumer to ensure accurate information, they will also be granted access to the data being collected. â€Å"Focused Collection: Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain (Klosek, 2012). † Companies cannot collect data from any devices, unless it is relevant to the need or purpose of the original use. Any information collected will be used for a specific goal that is to be accomplished relevant to the need for it to be collected. Accountability: Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure that adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights (Klosek, 2012). † Data retained will be handled appropriately. This means that employees will be properly trained on how to ensure information collected is secure and relevant. These seven guidelines are intended to act as a plan to improve consumers’ privacy protections. In addition, it act s as a tool to ensure that information being used from the internet is used to promote economic growth. It will also allow consumers to have increased involvement of their personal information and â€Å"help businesses maintain consumer trust and grow in the rapidly changing digital environment† (Obama, 2012). In the past, the internet has not been secure enough to protect consumer’s personal information. With added protected, consumers can feel more confident to use the internet which will enhance the opportunities for job creation and business growth. The seven guidelines more specifically provide a foundation to protect consumers and grant a greater self-certainty for businesses. American Consumers can’t wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online† (President Obama, 2012). In order for a consumer to feel secure, they need to have confidence that their information being used is accurate and used for relevant purposes related to the companies purpose and mission. Daniel Weitzner, who is a former White Hou se deputy chief technology officer for internet policy, is now an advisor to the Coalition for Privacy and Free Trade. He states, â€Å"I believe really strongly that the privacy tends to make progress when there are broad coalitions† (Weitzner, 2013). The Coalition for Privacy and Free Trade welcomes companies that collect, use and transfer personal data (Liebelson, 2013). Prior to the CPBR, companies have been accused of using information for unjust purposes. Apple has been caught storing users’ address books. Google was found tracking the search engines on users’ iphones. Overall, online privacy has been an issue since the internet was created. With the CPBR, consumers can feel for confident in their internet use. Because of these alligations over internet companies, the Federal Trade Commision as prompted companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL to commit to using the Do Not Track technology top prevent user browsing behavior from being tracked (Dharapak, 2012). Leadership is the key to being a successful manager. Peter Northouse (2001) defines leadership as a process whereby one individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. If you want to become an effective leader, a manager must guide employees in a positive manner in order to accomplish a goal as it relates to the company’s mission. There are two types of leaders. There is the transformation leader and the transactional leader and people may argue which leadership role is best for their company. As a manger myself, I believe that the transformational manager can better take the pulse of a group, understand its unspoken currents of thought and concerns, and communicate with people in terms they can understand and embrace. The transformational leadership approach can help managers become exceptional leaders. These types of leaders must develop a skill that will make individuals want improve, change, and be led. You not only have to know their wants, but you must also be able to identify their motives as well as needs. There are four factors to transformational leadership in which are known as the four I’s. The four I’s include: Idealized Influence describes managers who are role models that can be trusted, respected, and able to make good decisions for the organization. Inspirational Motivation is a way of motivating associates to commit to the vision of the organizations, while encouraging team spirit to reach goals that increase revenue and market growth for the organization. Intellectual Stimulation describes mangers who encourage innovations and creativity through challenging the normal beliefs or views of a group. These types of managers promote critical thinking and problem solving to make the organization better. Individual considerations describe a manager who can act as a coach and advisor. This helps not only the associates but the organization as a whole as well (Hall, Johnson, Wysocki, Kepner, 2012). The strengths involved with the transformational approach is that you can effectively influence employees on all levels and identify the needs an values of personal as well. However considering no individual is perfect, there are weaknesses identified by the approach. The weaknesses are that there are many components that seem too broad, treat leadership more as a personality trait than as a learned behavior, and have the potential for abusing power. Although, the strengths of the transformational leader empower individuals to do what is best for the organization. They also have strong role modeling skills that develop high values. In addition, they are active listeners that develop spirit and cooperation, create vision, and helps the organization by helping others put forth to the organization. Transactional leadership styles are more geared towards maintaining the normal flow of operations. They do what it takes to keep the lights on. They use discipline and incentives to motivate employees to perform. They tend to exchange rewards for high performance. A Transactional leader tends to not look ahead in strategically guiding an organization to a position of market leadership; instead, these managers are solely concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly today (Ingram, 2013). Transactional leaders can provide advantages in their abilities to address small operational details very quickly. They manage the things that build a strong reputation in the market. Transformational leaders shoot for ambitious goals while trying to achieve success through vision and team-building skills. Overall, different management styles are suited for different situations. One may needs to possess the skills of both leadership roles. Many times for minimum wage employees, the transactional approach would be more effective. Shift supervisors may also benefit from the transactional approach because they will need to pay attention to the small details. However, a COE with exempt employees will benefit more from a transformational leadership style. They need to have the ability to communicate, plan strategically, and pass missions down to implement details. Marketing Channels is similar to the ways that services and products are distributed. These concepts can be applied to channels in marketing and used as promotional channels. These channels include both direct and indirect marketing. Both of these concepts are extremely vital for various reasons, mainly because companies have to focus particularly on these. Direct marketing can allow a consumer to buy a product by communicating with several advertising media without having to meet in person with a salesman. This includes mail-order selling, direct mail sales, catalog sales, telemarketing, interactive media, and televised home shopping. Examples include distribution channels because they increase the convenience on a product or services to a customer. When customers have easy access, in most cases the demand of the product increases. It is because of distribution channels, that most retailers are wholesalers in the market. Marketing channels are also essential to the marketplace. These channels make the company aware of the needs and demands. Going back to direct and indirect marketing channels, they may sell to wholesalers, who in return, sell to retailers, or sell directly to retail stores. Companies can also use dependent or independent marketing channels. An example of an independent marketing channel would be a manufacturer’s representative. They usually sell the same or similar products to several different manufacturers. These people try to push better selling brands in retail stores, but they are not dependent on sales of the brands and can sell other brands because they are still profiting (Suttle, 2013). However, dependent channels such as small manufacturers rely on wholesalers to market their products to retailers. They also strongly rely on retailors to properly execute their promotions and sales. In the United states, channel members collectively earn margins that account for 30 to 50 percent of the ultimate selling price (Kotler, 2006). There is a very high cost involved with the marketing channel process. Most business are more likely to use several different channels, whether one would think of them as a channel or not. These include but are not limited to print advertising, email campaigns, pay-per-click marketing, direct mails, and banner ads. All of these are used to promote different products and services. The main concept to gather from a marketing channel is that it is a set of interdependent organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for the use or consumptions by the consumer or business user. Marketing channel functions are performed by intermediaries. This includes a transitional function that is a result of buying, selling, and risk taking. Then there is the logistical function which involves assorting, storing, sorting, and transporting. Last, the facilitating function is incorporated by financing, grading, and marketing information and research. An industrial distributer in involved with a variety of marketing channel performances. These include selling, stocking, and delivering a full product assortment and financing. In smaller words, they act like wholesalers. When making the decision of what marketing channel to use, differential advantages can occur when a company retains a long-term advantage positions in the market that is relative to competitors. IT is important to choose the correct channel design because it directly influences all other marketing decisions and is also the key external resource for many manufacturers. When making these choices, one must ask three questions. 1. How close a relationship should be developed witht the channel members? In question 1, the factors to be considered include: distribution intensity, targeted markets, products, company policies, middlemen, environment, and behavioral dimensions. Who is doing the buying? Where, when and how end users but? 2. How should the marketing mix be used to enhance channel member cooperation? In questions 2, the company must have a firm grasp on the marketing mix. This include the product strategy such as quality branding, pricing strategy such as wholesale/retail/consumer, promotions strategy rather it is push/pull, and a distribution strategy. 3. How should the channel members be motivated to cooperate in achieving manufacturer’s distribution objectives? In question 3, a company needs to know the motivation of the channel members. They need an idea of what portfolio concept they will use for motivating ifferent types and sizes on channel members. Berman, B. Marketing channels: John Wiley Sons Inc. , New York, 1999, ISBM-13; 978-0471362616. Delton, L. E. , Strutton, D. Marketing Channels: A Relationship management Approach. New York: Prentice Hall, 1997. Frazier, G. L. Organizing and managing channels of distribution// Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 27, No 2, Spring 1999, p. 226-241 Guibert, N. Network governance in marketing commitment in business-to-business channels// Journal of Marketing Intelligence Planning, 2004, Vol. 2, No 6, p. 636-651. Remaining a small business is not easy. However, remaining small can have its advantages when it comes to business. One question many entrepreneurs ask them self is whether to stay small or expand. In some cases this decision can have its advantages and disadvantages. Why keep your business small? Staying small keeps the founder in close contact with the business, enables personalized service, enables flexibility, and you can make a profit sooner. Small keeps the f ounder in close contact with the business. You have the opportunity to be more personal and interactive with the customer. You can stay more attentive to feedback and hands-on interaction. This enables you to make decisions more quickly and carefully. When you have a larger business, decision can sometimes take too long and too can leave you with damaging results. Small enable personalized service and flexibility. A majority of communication in small businesses is between the customer and the company. There is usually not a chain that a customer has to go through when they need something. If they have an area of concern or need an answer quickly, small businesses make the process much more friendly to the customer. When you are small, you are much more flexible to adapt to change. You can tweak rules and policies that better benefit customers. Small also allows for a faster profit. You can save money in overhead much easier along with salary and benefit cost while keeping expenses low. By doing this, profit adds up at a much faster rate. When your company is just ran a few or a handful of people, there are opportunities that can be offered to you that you would not typically get in a larger business. You have more customer contact which gives you the leg up when dealing with customer objections and ways to overcome the challenges. A small business can also be cheap. The internet has cut many overheads of running a business. In the past, business owners needed to buy phones, land lines, offices, office equipment etc. These days, all they need is a website and a few business cards. â€Å"People make the mistake of believing that being bigger and more complex makes them better. This can be the opposite: the more simple and small your business is the better you product or service is going to be (Westbrook, 2011). Actor Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight on the popular sitcom The Office. Wilson is the co-founder for soulpancake. co, which is a social networking site for people who are interested in debating life’s big questions. They ask questions and then have discussion with others on the site. This creates a platform for interaction rather that a traditional content site. It also allows users to define the content and enables soulpancake to be more malleable as a business (Elliott, 2013). Rainn enjoys keeping his business small and is not concerned with expanding the business. By keeping this website distant from networks such as twitter and facebook, he feels that the users can feel freer to express their philosophical thoughts with each other. Vector Resources, Inc. is a woman-owned small business that provides a variety os technical support services to the government as well as the private sector clients. Their small business success has been geared around their commitment to customer satisfaction. They work in partnership with their customers to understand their needs and priorities and provide responsive, value-added support (Weisband, 2002). Vector has remained a successful small business because they keep the company in close contact with the business, they enable personalized services, enable flexibility, and they make their profits sooner. Instead of being afraid, Vector embraces the fact that they are a small business. They are not ashamed and do not try to go large. They grow off the idea that a business will only be small once so take advantage and appreciate it while it lasts. Owning a small business also has its advantages when it comes to fraud controls. In 2012 only 56% of small business experience external audits, whereas larger business had 91% audited. Small business received fraud training at 18. 5% compared to nearly 60% at larger organizations. â€Å"The percentage of small organizations that have formal controls in place is just so dwarfed by the large organizations,† Andi McNeal, CPA said. He also goes on to say â€Å"We noticed a real opportunity for small organizations to invest in simple measure, even a code of conduct, which frankly shouldn’t cost more than a handful of hours of employee’s time. † With this being said, training for employees is reduced as well as the risk that larger businesses have to maneuver past. How to cite Paycom Marketing Plan, Papers

Commercial Law Assignment for Contract Laws

Question: Hamid is a refugee from Afghanistan who was recently released from the detentioncentre in PNG and is currently living in Adelaide. While walking in Rundle Mall oneday he was approached by Kathy who was selling internet access contracts for anewly formed internet company Speed Connect Pty Ltd. Hamid speaks very littleEnglish and Kathy is aware of this. Kathy explains the terms of the contract which isessentially that Hamid would be bound to a 2 year contract and if he breaks thecontract anytime before the 2 years he will incur a $1,200 penalty. The contractcomes with a free Samsung tablet. Kathy uses some technical language to explain theterms to Hamid, aware that he doesnt understand the full extend of the contract terms.There is a telephone translation service available but Kathy choses not to use this asthis translation service usually takes twice as long. Kathy works on a commissionbasis. The more contracts she sells the more she earns. She wants to sign up thiscontract quickly as she is keen to sign up three more contract before close of business. Hamid has been thinking of getting internet connection as he wishes to Skype hisfamily back home in Afghanistan and also to do a free on-line English course. He isunder the impression that he can terminate this contract anytime he wants without anypenalty and all he has to do is give Speed Connect one months notice and return thetablet. Three months into the contract Hamid finds that he is unable to cope with thefinancial demands of this contract as there are many hidden costs which he wasunaware. When he contacted Speed Connect to give his termination notice he wasshocked to learn that there is a $1500 penalty.Advise Hamid if this contract with Speed Connect is valid? Can he get out of thiscontract? Use the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application Conclusion) method to answer yourquestion. Answer: Issue In the particular context, we notice that the central plot is based around Hamid, an immigrant from Afghanistan who was under suspicion put behind the bars for a considerable period of time in the PNG Detention Centre. At present, Hamid is approached by Kathy, a sales agent with the newly formed internet services company called Speed Connect Pty Ltd. Hamid does not understand English properly, and taking advantage of the situation, Kathy engaged in transferring of communication of information about the product and its terms and conditions to Hamid in English despite having the option of using the telephone translation services. The actual contract with Speed Connect came with a lot of hidden costs, and along with a 2 year contract which came with a violation penalty of $1,200. The violation penalty would arise if a customer would leave the services before the completion of 2 years, and along with the internet services came along a free Samsung Tablet. Kathy, despite the knowledge that Hamid would not understand the technicalities of the contract and its terms, spoke in technical languages with Hamid about the contract, therefore not being able to deliver the terms and conditions of the contract to Hamid correctly (purposefully). Also, Kathy states that the telephone translation services would consumer double the time, and hence she chose not to use it. Moreover, the fact worth noting was that Kathy works on a contractual basis and hence wanted to close the deal as soon as possible as she had to sell more three packages, before putting a full stop to the business. It must be noted that the issue herein is that Hamid is under the impression that the contract he is about to enter into can be terminated anytime with a 1-month-notice to the Speed Connect Pty Ltd, wherein all he has to do is return the tablet to the company. There is no knowledge about the inclusion of the $1,200 penalty which comes along with the termination of the contract before 2 years. Within three months, Hamid finds it difficult to cope up with the other hidden costs included in the service cost per month, and is communicated to charge a penalty of $1,500 when he goes to stop the service to the company. Rule The primary rule to structure a contract is the presence of offer and acceptance, by two or more parties to the contract. This is the first prerequisite to validate any contract as per the Australian Contract Law (Clarke 2012). The decision of the standard form consumer contract is governed by the three-limbed test for unfairness governed under Sch 2, s24(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and s. 12BG of the ASIC Act (Commonwealth of Australia 2010). 1. A massive imbalance is created in the obligatory rights of any party to contract 2. One or more of the conditions is not mandatory enough to be constituted as a condition, in favour of the legitimate interests of any party to the contract. 3. It would be resultant in a financial loss to one of the parties, in case such a condition is applied. The rule which would be relevant herein would be in the context of pre-contractual misrepresentations which may provide contractual remedies to the consumer through the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), which was previously known as the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth). The Australian Contract Law is the guiding law suit which would be relevant herein, and the relevant sections are sections 23 and 24. Section 23 defines the unfair terms of consumer contracts whereas section 24 deals with the meaning of unfair in the context of section 23 (Clarke 2013). The provisions of a consumer contract being unfair also state that if certain information is not passed on to the consumer, in a manner which is clear to the consumer, whether be it financially rewarding or detrimental, it results in an imbalance in the information provided. The ACL clearly prohibits transactions or dealings which are unconscionable, and these are transactions which are clearly unfair and unreasonable. Any term which penalises one of the parties to the contract, and remains to be biased toward the other party in case of a termination of contract is said to be unfair in nature. The penalty so imposed must not be in the arbitrary interest of just one party. Also, any variation in the contract by one party only renders it to be an unfair contract. Application Now, if there needs to be the applicability of the Australian Contract Laws guidelines as mentioned in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) on the given case of Hamid, we would have to analyse whether it was a case of unfair grounds or not. Herein, it is clearly mentioned that the unclear communication of information makes the contract unfair, as per s. 25(1)(c) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Kathy did not take the heed to make sure that she would make Hamid understand the intricate details of the contract, rather than that she took advantage of the situation that Hamid, having lack of knowledge about understanding English, sold him the product with the misrepresentation of terms and conditions. Moving on to the application of the given guidelines in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), the provisions ensure that Hamid can move the Australian courts of law, and file a case against the Speed Connect Pty Ltd, for the unfair grounds in which the terms conditions were expressed to Hamid by Kathy. The governance of Sch 2, Part 5-2, s. 250 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and s. 12GBA of the ASIC Act provide Hamid with the option to file a case against Speed Connect in the Australian courts of law. The case stands strong in favour of Kathy considering that the telephone translation services from Kathys instruments were not put to use to ensure that the communication of information was made on honest grounds, because it would require double the time to make the deal with Hamid otherwise. Also, it must be noted that the deal would not have materialized had the translation services been used considering the heavy penalty charges of $1,200 if the contract is ter minated within 2 years. Thus, overall, the contract remains strongly in the favour of Hamid, since the unfair grounds of misrepresentation of product/service information was put to use by Kathy to convince Hamid to buy the internet services from Speed Connect Pty Ltd. Moreover, the variation of the penalty from $1,200 to $1,500 by Speed Connect also makes it an unfair act. Hamid has the options of nullifying the entire contract since the grounds on which the contract was formed by Kathy are unfair and unconscionable. Therefore, on the presence of the right form of witnessed and proofs, Hamid stands strong to terminate the contract with Speed Connect without having to pay any amount of penalty. Conclusion I would like to conclude the assignment by restating the above mentioned acts, statuses and presenting key facts from the case of Hamid vs. Speed Connect. First of all, one could question the valid contract forming between Kathy, representing Speed Connect Pty Ltd. and Hamid, a refugee from Afghanistan who barely understands English. The medium of interaction is unreliable and thus, the contract is in the first glance based on ill grounds. It has clearly been mentioned, as well as one could notice the absence of the application of telephone translation services which were at the disposal of Kathy while making the new contract between Hamid and Speed Connect, against the purchased internet services by Hamid to brush up his English speaking capabilities, as one of the reasons. Therefore the provisions of the Australian Consumer Laws through the Consumer and Competition Act 2010 (Cth) and the ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission) are present to assist Hamid in reversing the contract, since it was made out of ill reasons and does not stipulate to be based on moral grounds. Thus, Hamid does not have to pay any penalty. References Attorney-Generals Department (2015). Contract Law and Consumer Law. [Online], available at Attorney-General Australia Website: https://www.ag.gov.au/Consultations/Documents/ReviewofAustraliancontractlaw/Contractlawandconsumerlaw.pdf (Accessed January 17, 2015) Attorney-Generals Department (2015). Contract Law and Small Business. [Online], available at Attorney-General Australia Website: https://www.ag.gov.au/Consultations/Documents/ReviewofAustraliancontractlaw/Contractlawandsmallbusiness.pdf (Accessed January 17, 2015) Clarke, J (2013). Carlill vs. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co. [Online], available from Australian Contract Law Website: https://www.australiancontractlaw.com/cases/carlill.html (Accessed January 17, 2015) Clarke, J (2012). Agreement. [Online], available from Australian Contract Law Website: https://www.australiancontractlaw.com/law/formation-agreement.html (Accessed January 17, 2015) Clarke, J (2013). Misleading or deceptive conduct. [Online], available from Australian Contract Law Website: https://www.australiancontractlaw.com/law/avoidance-misleading.html (Accessed January 17, 2015) Clarke, J (2010). Overview of Australian Contract Law. [Online], available from Australian Contract Law Website: https://www.australiancontractlaw.com/law.html (Accessed January 17, 2015) Clarke, J (2013). Australian Contract and Consumer Law. [Online], available from Australian Contract Law Website: https://www.australiancontractlaw.com/ (Accessed January 17, 2015) Commonwealth of Australia (2010). A guide to the unfair contract terms law. [Online], available from Consumer Law Website: https://www.consumerlaw.gov.au/content/the_acl/downloads/unfair_contract_terms_guide.PDF (Accessed January 17, 2015) Flitzroy Legal Services. (2013). Elements of a contract. [Online], available from The Law Handbook Website: https://www.lawhandbook.org.au/handbook/ch12s01s02.php (Accessed January 17, 2015) Monash University (2015). Commercial Law. [Online], available from Monash University Website: https://guides.lib.monash.edu/contract-law (Accessed January 17, 2015).

8 Great Writing Tips for Kids

8 Great Writing Tips for Kids 8 Great Writing Tips for Kids 8 Great Writing Tips for Kids By Ali Hale I’m 33 now (which feels very old!) but I’ve loved writing since I was a kid myself. The very first story I remember writing was about a mouse, when I was five or six. I spent a lot of time writing stories throughout my childhood, and I had a go at my first novel when I was thirteen. Writing has always been one of my favourite things to do and for the last ten years, it’s been what I’ve done for a living. When I was at school, a lot of the writing I did was as part of my school work. At school, your teachers are probably keen for you to know lots of things about writing – like where to put commas, and what nouns and verbs are, and so on. There are lots of great tips out there about how to get things like that right, and I’ll link to some of those for you in this post. I wanted to focus on some tips, though, about enjoying writing and having fun with it and about becoming a better writer overall (not just a better speller)! Here are my best tips on how to keep growing and improving as a writer, however young you are: #1: Have a go at some writing exercises – you can find lots of these online, or you could have a go at them in workbooks or school books. Lots of adults find writing exercises helpful, too, so that they can get better at writing. You can find some great ones to try here. #2: Read a lot. Almost every writer I know is also a keen reader. Try to read a wide range of different things – like classic story books as well as modern ones, non-fiction (factual) books, magazine or newspaper articles, and so on. You’ll come across lots of different ways to write, and you might learn some new words. #3: Keep a little book of new words you learn. Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t understand a word the first time you read it. Sometimes you can guess from the rest of the sentence what it means, but if not, you can just look it up in a dictionary. You might want to ask an adult how to say the new word, too – you could write down how it sounds. For instance, â€Å"matron† is pronounced â€Å"may-tron† (with a long â€Å"a† sound) not â€Å"mah-tron† (with a short â€Å"a† sound), which is how I thought it was said when I first read it in an Enid Blyton story. #4: Try writing stories for children younger than you, or stories that involve children younger than you. This is a great thing to do when you’re still quite young yourself, because you can remember what it’s like to be six or seven. (Adult writers find it hard to remember, and often they create young children characters who are too babyish for their age.) If you have a little brother or sister, or a younger cousin, you could read your stories out to them. #5: Remember that even adults don’t get things right first time. Sometimes I get a spelling wrong, or I write a sentence that’s confusing for my reader. And I’m a professional writer! It’s fine to make mistakes, so don’t worry about getting everything perfect in your first draft. Just make sure you leave a bit of time to go back and edit afterwards (just like adult writers do) so that you can fix any mistakes. #6: Have a go at different types of writing. When I was young, I like to make pretend magazines or newspapers. That’s something that children have enjoyed doing for a very long time – in one of my favourite classic children’s books, The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit, the children in the story make their own newspaper filled with things they’ve written. Maybe you could have a go at making a newspaper to share with your family and friends – or maybe you’d like to write poetry or a play script, or something else entirely. #7: Keep a journal about your day to day life. There are lots of ways to do this – you could write a sentence or two each day, for instance, or you could write a longer piece once a week. You could write about what you’re learning at school, who your friends are, the games you’ve been playing even what you had for lunch! Details that might seem boring now could be really interesting when you read your journal when you’re 20 or 30 or even 80! #8: Ask for help if you get stuck. If there’s something you don’t understand in what you’re reading, or if you can’t work out if something you’ve written is quite right, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most adults will be very glad to give you a hand. You could try a teacher, or a librarian (either at your school library or your local library). If you get to meet any adult writers, perhaps through school or at an event, think up some good questions for them too! I hope you have lots of fun with your writing. It can feel like theres a lot to get right, but (outside of school time) the most important thing is that you enjoy writing. I hope the ideas above help you to get even more out of writing. If you’ve got any tips of your own, why not share them with us in the comments? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Broadcast vs Broadcasted as Past Form5 Keys to Better Sentence Flow

Inspirational, Famous Quotes About Change

Inspirational, Famous Quotes About Change We have always validated change as the only constant in the world. We approve of change, as change leads to improvement. But what if change leads to a lowering of standards? What if change means more pollution, more poverty, and more destruction? Should change always be welcomed? Read these quotes carefully to understand why change is inevitable. Jawaharlal Nehru The wheel of change moves on, and those who were down go up and those who were up go down. Barack Obama Change doesnt come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Winston Churchill There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction. John A. Simone Sr. If youre in a bad situation, dont worry itll change. If youre in a good situation, dont worry itll change. Faith Baldwin Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. Publilius Syrus A rolling stone can gather no moss. Washington Irving There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift ones position, and be bruised in a new place. Heraclitus Nothing is permanent, but change. Nelson Mandela One of the things I learnt when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself I could not change others. Henry Brooks Adams Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit. H. G. Wells Adapt or perish, now as ever, is Natures inexorable imperative. Isaac Asimov It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be. Herbert Otto Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life. Arnold Bennett Any change, even for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. Helen Keller Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable. Spanish Proverb A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.

Project Time and Quality Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Project Time and Quality - Coursework Example Also, a project has a definite product or service that it creates at a given point in time. This defines the uniqueness of projects in the world of business. Projects come with inherent issues and problems. First of all, a project is temporary and due to that, the team members and project stakeholders are not used to working with each other. In practical terms, most projects entail the collaboration between complete strangers who are unified by the need to work together to attain certain defined objectives. Secondly, a project aims at creating a specified deliverable and measurable end and this demands specified processes and activities that must be completed to attain this specific end. Also, projects involve resource constraints. This means that the time, budget and resources for the execution of the project are not infinite but limited. To ensure that these three issues are controlled and optimum results are attained from the project, there is the need for proper planning, co-ordi nation and monitoring (Woodward, 2009). In other words, there should be a plan that will ensure that all team members, irrespective of their diverse backgrounds can work together and attain the objectives of the project. Secondly, there is the need to use planning to ensure that the specific deliverable is created and created according to specification. Finally, there is the need to plan to ensure that resources are judiciously and optimally used for the attainment of the objectives of the research. Thus from the onset of a project, there is the need for the project plan to draw the bottom line or yardsticks and define the scope of the project. This should be spelt out clearly in unambiguous terms and preferably in writing. Personally, I identify three main planning stages in projects. There is the initial planning phase, the contingent planning stage and the monitoring/corrective planning phase. These three planning stages are important in the proper management of projects in organ isations. Initial Planning Phase Project Management is about initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and control and closing processes (Portny, 2010). However, for the attainment of all these stages of project management, there is the need for good planning and monitoring of the project. â€Å"Project Management Plan is a document used to co-ordinate all the project planning documents and help guide the project's execution and control† (Schwalbe, 2010). This means that the Project Management Plan is an integrated set of documents that accommodates all the sub-plans of the project (Knutson, & Bitz, 2006). It is a centralised plan that includes all the various plans for the handling of issues pertaining to the project at hand. Aside being an integrated document, it contains certain centralised matters like the identification of project planning assumptions, decisions on choices and the definitions of resources and constraints (Schwalbe, 2010). So the Project Management plan sets the benchmarks for operations and activities in a project. It identifies the yardsticks and defines 'Where We Are† (WWR) and â€Å"Where We Want to Get† (WW2G). It creates the standard measures for the various activities related to the project at hand. As it sets the standards for what must be achieved through the project, it spells out and clarifies stakeholder rights and responsibilities. In other words, the Project Manag

Live Performance Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Live Performance Review - Essay Example Currently, The Blind Tiger stands out as the best live music venue in the state of North Carolina. It is committed to bring out the best out of regional, local and national music. Almost all the local talents that reside in Greensboro attribute the exposure and discovery of their talent to the Tiger (Coston 56). With twenty five years of supporting live music, the club anticipates to remain indisputable in offering the best entertainment in the region. The summer Breeze Concert was conducted by the Jazz Revolution band. The band consisted of Letron Brantley on saxophone and flute, Mark Catoe on acoustic Piano, Wilbur Thompson on acoustic Electric Bass and Upright, Kristin Randals as lead vocalist, Adam Snow on the drums and Mayhue Bostic on the guitar. The six piece jazz ensemble performed on a small stage at the one of the ends of the Tiger club. The concert was set in a small and intimate space to provide the best setting for jazz hearing. Half of the stage is taken by a baby grand piano. The band performed a mixture of modal and hard bop jazz. Just like any other genre of music, jazz music entails the telling of a story (Ake et al 2010). The jazz revolution band collectively performed ten of their pieces; however, only four of them were different in terms of style, allowing the audience to get diversified sounds of jazz music. The band performed â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon â€Å", an upbeat standard with a consonance, Latin –inspired, at the beginning of the song that set out the romantic mood, initially. A saxophone-piano served as an alteration to the song’s melody, creating an impression of two lovers flying to the moon. The rhythm of the song was initially steady but fastened up as the song was approaching its climax. With an increased passion for the song, the texture had a new twist as the saxophone carried on the melody while the piano and other instruments accompanied. At the climax, the dynamics of the song seemed to get

Back to reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Back to reality - Essay Example The primary focus of this paper, therefore, is to examine potential challenges that organizations may encounter while developing sourcing strategies and the issues they would need to consider developing relationships with key suppliers, and providing suggestions about how these problems might be addressed or mitigated. Background The firms in Europe and US often outsourced Asian countries with lower production cost such as china which is estimated to host over 6600 companies which have been outsourced there (Wright, 2009). As such, it is common to have a firm dealing with electronics, but it has subcontracted and outside source to handle the transport and logistics of the finished products to the market, another case can be a firm dealing with vehicles, but it only supplies the parts and subcontracts an outside source to deal with the assembling. This, however, does not come without challenges, a firms relationship with its suppliers is hence vital in promoting productivity and effec tiveness, having a third part supply resources or services that are critical in the final products of the firm requires considerable mutual trust and understanding. It is hence incumbent of any organization to apply the best and most practical sourcing strategies to meet their goals and objectives. Sourcing strategies by definition are the process an organization undertakes to ensure they have the best suppliers and they nurture the supplier relationships to maximize the value for the firm (Rendon, 2005). As such, most organizations have sourcing programs that are unique to their needs, services or the goods offered, notably while, some have deliberately puts these strategies others use them without being aware of it. Such is to say that organizations have sourcing strategy whether they know it or not, this is because owning to the nature of their business, over the year a firm will repeatedly uses the strategies that have proven successful in retrospect and by so doing will be foll owing a covert sourcing strategy. Like any other strategy, a sourcing strategy can be; â€Å"Strategic†, ergo effective, goal and objective oriented, on the other hand, depending on the competence of those managing the firm, it can be ineffective and inefficient. Naturally, each is an ideal extreme since no firm can be very efficient and neither can any firm be fully inefficient and yet continue to exist (Wheaton, 2008). As such, most strategies lie somewhere between with the best being closest to efficient and vice versa, sourcing program can either be â€Å"strategic† or meet its goals and objectives or it can be unproductive, ineffective, and poorly planned (Wheaton, 2008). Considering that the cost, quality and effectiveness of the goods or raw materials a firm is supplied with is directly reflected in its financial and operational results, it is only natural that thought and effort and time be devoted in the understanding of the various challenges that firms may e ncounter in the process and their possible solutions. Challenges and Solutions Creating Competition One of the considerations a firm needs to make before it commences any business transaction with supplies or outside sources is the potential for the supplier to become competition in posterity. This is because by taking these contracts,

Why did Hitler become a Chancellor?

Why did Hitler become a Chancellor? On 30th January 1933, President Hindenburg invited Adolf Hitler in public and appointed him as the chancellor of Germany. Whilst some believed that Hitlers rise to power was inevitable, to others it came as astonishment. Many assumed that Hitlers rise to power was only due to his political brilliance and his witty Nazi tactics. Yet, there are many that believe that it had everything to do with the weakness of Weimar Republic and after the rising level of unemployment the German people were ready to accept a dictator. There are many reasons behind the rise of Adolf Hitler. The Munich Putsch was a major event in the rise of Adolf Hitler. Although the Nazis had progressed well from the end of World War One in 1919 to 1923 they did not have much support in Germany. There main support was in Bavaria and was no use to Hitler in Germany. So Hitler, along with the Nazis attempted to seize power 1923. Hitler believed that even though he only had three thousand members in the Nazi Party, he had a chance to win over Weimar Republic Government. However on 9th November 1923 Hitler and the Nazis were defeated. Although many say that this was a big defeat for the Nazi Party, others stated that even though the Putsch itself might have failed, it had launched the Nazis and Hitler into a national frame along with making Hitler famous. It was the main building block of Nazis success. Two days after the Munich Putsch, Adolf Hitler was captured and put to trial. Hitler was sentenced to five years imprisonment, but se rved less than nine months before he was released. Although the years after the Munich Putsch there were many difficult times for the Nazis, Hitler said, ‘it was the greatest good fortune for us Nazi that the putsch collapsed because the Nazis were not yet prepared to face the great difficulties at the time. He also thought that the putsch ‘had proven the most effective propaganda for National Socialism. Hitler also had an opportunity to write his thought and vision in a book called, ‘Mein Kampf. The collapse of the Munich Putsch persuaded Hitler that the only way of seizing power was ‘legal means. He introduced his own tactics into the Nazi Party system. He decided to reorganise the party and make it more effective for elections. Throughout the late 1920s the Nazis ran public meeting and worked on winning over the working classes. They had soon discovered that the anti-Semitism propaganda worked best amongst the working class. Propaganda worked best with them because it is ‘brainwashing of public and altering their viewpoint. There were many different Nazi Propagandas including posters, radios, films and newspapers. Though the Nazis had many different methods of propaganda, Hitler believed that posters were the best means of propaganda for various reasons. Posters were cheap and easy to distribute and was used for constant reminder of ideology. Hitler was finding it difficult to win over the middle classes. He finally realised that he had to focus more on his mes sage because the anti-Jewish message did not work well with the middle classes. He decided to criticise the government. There were many posters published criticising Gustav Stresemann and the Dawes Plan suggesting that there were holding Germany on ransom along with the Jewish bankers. The Nazis also held public meetings in various different parts of Germany in order to evoke the same feelings in the German citizens as the Nazi Members. Using this method, the Nazis developed a very accurate and sensitive system of propaganda. The Wall Street Clash in October 1929 was the beginning of a great depression but for the Nazis it was the biggest gift they could have ever received. Germany had been hit badly by this because they had to pay back the entire loan they had acquired from the USA as part of the Dawes Plan. In Germany, the depression affected different people in different ways. It was as if Germany had lost another World War. Unemployment had risen massively in Germany and even the businessmen, who always kept themselves well-protected, felt the impacts of the Great Depression. Everyone in Germany was suffering apart from the Nazis. Everyone, from Businessmen to factory workers and farmers were hoping that the government, Weimar Republic would help them. Six million German people were unemployed and others were hanging on to their hinges. But the Weimar Republic had no idea what to do about the problem of rising unemployment and poverty. It was the second major economic devastation for the Weimar Consti tution. They had resisted themselves from printing more money and increasing government expenditure due to the impact it had on Hyper-inflation in1923. Instead they increased taxes, cut benefits and reduced unemployment benefits. They were not winning the support of German people. Weimar Republic seemed to have made a hopeless mess of handling the situation. They were already struggling due to the consequences Germany had to face after the end of World War One in 1919. Germany had lost land and their army had to be cut down to 100,000 men only which meant that many ex-soldiers who had fought in World War One were unemployed. They were angry with Weimar Constitution for accepting defeat and were eager to get back their revenge. And now Weimar Republics policies had given too much power to the President, the States and the army which weakened the Reichstag as well as dividing them into different groups. Many more inhabitants of Germany, who didnt vote before became more interested in politics because they needed someone who can better the situation. Extremists parties like the Communists part and the Nazi Party became better known among those who were desperately in need of help. The Nazi said that the Weimar Republic is to be blamed, the treaty of Versailles and the Jews. They assured the angry Germans that Hitler was their man. The Nazis promised to reduce unemployment by putting them back to work on road building and public works. Hitler had his plans on how to attract many sections of society. Some of his ideas that attracted the Germans included ‘Rip up the Treaty of Versailles, Work Freedom and Bread and Germany as a national and prideful state. Hitler clearly knew the desires of the Germans and was quick to promise anything that would help the Nazis gain vote in the Reichstag. Whilst, on the other hand the Communists Party said that the Depression showed the capitalist system has doomed and that the only answer was communism. Hitler became aware of the strong oppositions and thus along with Ernst Rohm and Hermann Goring he introduced his own set of men to destroy the opposition, the SA. They wore brown uniform and knew how to deal with the Communists. They were not only used to intimidate opponents but also to gain support for the Nazi Party. During this time Hitler mostly used his leadership skills and tactics to gain as much supporter and power as possible. He was an excellent public speaker and was easily able to put his points across with his powerful and moving speeches. Along with getting his views to his crowd he also demonstrated to them his excellent and strong leadership in the ‘Great German tradition dating back to Kaiser and beyond. His strong personality and powerful ideas seemed to outwit the Weimar Republic. This had a great impact on the elections in 1930. The Nazis made their first great breakthrough when they gained a total of 107 seats in the Reichstag. They were suddenly the second biggest party and at the time, they seemed likely to take over. They were seen as a major force in German history and politics. But what got them these seats? The Nazis were ex-soldiers who felt as if the Treaty of Versailles was a ‘stab on the back and what they brought with them was decisive. There excellent te amwork and obedience enabled Hitler to work through the whole of Germany. Another of Hitlers main tools was his henchmen; Joseph Goebbels was an effective piece of propaganda. He was well trained and used every means to pass his message across. Though he wasnt as good as Hitler, he was intelligent and new how to bring up hatred for the Communists and Jews. He created excellent poster that created fear and disgust not only for the Jews but also the Communists. Hitler was then able to point out that the Nazis knew how to deal with the Communists and their records showed this. The Nazi Party also had support from rich industrialists. Usually rich industrialists voted for the Conservatives Party but after the elections in 1930, they started supporting the Nationalists. Hitler agreed to make a deal with the right wing nationalists and the two parties agreed to co-operate. Hitler used this deal as a financial backup. This showed the Nazi Party was quite flexible. If they realised that if a proposal was not working for them they would change it. Not only did Hitler use tactics but weakness of opposition parties supported them along with the elections and uprising of the Nazi Party. Other opposition like the Social Democrats underestimated the Nazis. They saw that there support was constant and so they were not willing to change their policies. In 1932, the weakness of Weimar Constitution was clear to all Germans. The Weimar Republic was already unpopular amongst the Germans because they had agreed to sign the Treaty of Versailles and this had left many Germans and ex-soldiers bitter. The Germans were also largely affected by the Depression because they were already damaged by having to pay large sums as part of the reparation. They were then attracted to extremists groups like the Nazis and the Nationalists. Germany was run by an 84 years old man, President Hindenburg. No political leader was strong enough to rule Germany. At the time, the Nazi Party was the largest party and normally the leader of such party was likely to become leader. In this case it was Adolf Hitler. But the only thing that stood in between Hitler and him becoming the chancellor was President Hindenburg. He disliked Hitler along with other Reichstag members who would not work with Hitler. In July 1932 elections, the Nazis won 37.3% of the votes (230 se ats) and had once again proved to be the largest party. Hitler demanded to be appointed as the Chancellor but Hindenburg refused and he said, ‘I cannot give all the power to an unorganised and intolerant and violent party. Though after this event, many industrialists and politics wrote to Hindenburg and persuaded his to give Hitler dictatorship. After high pressure, Hindenburg appointed his favourite man, Franz con Papen to be the chancellor of Germany. Von Papen had no support but had hoped to create a right wing coalition government with the support of the Nazis. Hitler was furious that Hindenburg had selected Franz von Papen to be the dictator and thus refused to co-operate with von Papen. Hindenburg decided to call another election. However, this time it was a bad time for the Nazis. They were facing the financial crisis. Though surprisingly help came from two men, General von Schleicher and Franz von Papen. Von Schleicher had stopped supporting Von Papen and decided he hi mself should become Chancellor. So in December 1932 von Schleicher was appointed the chancellor of Prussia. Unfortunately, this triggered off a power struggle between these two men. Schleicher admitted defeat and Hindenburg wanted to re-appoint von Papen but he refused. Instead he suggested that Hindenburg should appoint Hitler instead because as long as the numbers of Nazis in the cabinet are limited the most extreme of Nazi policies could easily be resisted. Following this, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany and von Papen as the vice-chancellor of Germany. They (Hindenburg and von Papen) believed that Hitler would be tamed. In conclusion, I believe that the main reason behind Hitler becoming the Chancellor of Germany is the political manoeuvring between Franz von Papen and General von Schleicher. After von Schleicher had failed, von Papen persuaded Hindenburg that another option now existed. The Nazis together Nationalists would have a realistic chance of gaining the majority number of seats in the Reichstag. However Hindenburg was still a little bit cautious, he wasnt very enthusiastic on appointing Hitler as chancellor due to his extreme ideas. He had on a previous occasion refused to appoint Hitler. The Nazis were also suffering from a big problem. They were running toward bankruptcy and were gradually losing seats in the Reichstag. Many of their supporters have left and this could be due to Hitler failing to become the chancellor on various occasions. The Communists votes were increasing and the Nazis were going towards the biggest landslide they would have to face. I believe that if the political p ower struggle wouldnt have occurred then Hitler would not have come to power. I believe that economical power was Hitlers and the Nazis backbone and in 1932 their backbone was due to break. This is basically what helped in revealing the great frame in Hitlers rise to power in Germany in January 1933 as he was appointed as Chancellor and the rise of ‘Great Evil began. The Monk by Matthew Lewis | Summary and Analysis The Monk by Matthew Lewis | Summary and Analysis Introduction The monk which is an historical novel written by Matthew Lewis in 1796, is noted as one of the most complicated among the classic gothic novels that were published in those times; between 1764 and 1820). From the begging, the novel portrays reveals sexuality and the meaning of catholic lust and incest. The novel later overted the complicated and homoerotic nuances of sexuality which have shocked and intrigued those readers who believe in the more chaste and faithful oeuvres of Radcliffe Ann. The thesis of the novel which can be regarded as the black legend of monastic Catholism was agreed to and upheld by those individuals who were hostile to the Catholic Church in France and England (Steven Blakemore, 1998). According to Steven, Catholism avoided the pure religion which in turn promoted deviant sexual practices which came from the unnatural vows of chastity that violated nature. The sexual repression of catholic stimulated the obscure insincerity that covered the orgiastic sexuality carried out in unnatural and convents and monasteries. In England, the demonization of sex by the aberrant catholic other was part of the ideological formation of national identity of protestants in England. Moreover the monk was published at a time when france was at war with England and the French revolution was still linked with the terror. As a result there were a series of political and sexual anxieties, in particular anxieties concerning feminine men and masculine men. These anxieties are also involved in the contexts and texts of The Monk. According to Steven, although the critics have for along time focused on the erotic dimensions of the novel, its many inversions in sex and religion as well as the ideological implications of the attendants, have not yet been systematically evaluated. Lewis in his writing of the monk, he performs linguistically the equivalent of a black mass, while subverting and inverting the traditional purposes of sex and religion, which is an ironical correspondence of the satanic ceremonies in the novel. This paper concentrates on the significance of sexual and religious inversions in the novel The Monk while making references to the gendered language of femininity and masculinity. The paper also extends its research to the way these inversions inform about the connection between misogyny and feminine, catholic Other in the protestant discourse of the eighteenth century. Sexual and religious inversions in The Monk The idea of anti-Catholicism in the monk is basically portrayed through Ambrosio; who was a chief catholic villain. Ambrosio was discovered as an infant at the door of abbey, raised by the church, but latter became flair. Having been brought up by the church, Ambrosio rose to the position of abbot and was celebrated in the whole of Madrid while being respected for his virtue particularly his strict respect for chastity. Since the beginning, Ambrosio is put in a feminine position, as a young virgin who is sheltered and protected so that she can maintain her virtue and innocence. More so Ambrosio is not familiar to the world and its temptations. In the monk, the emphasis on monastic male chastity by the catholic, which is normally a condemned issue in the literature of Protestants, has its base in female virtue and virginity, which has been an issue in most of the novels and conduct books of the nineteenth century. In t this context, Ambrosio is particularly related to Antonio who is also a sheltered and protected young virgin and equally unknown to the world and its temptations just like Ambrosio (p.12). In this story, Antonio and Ambrosio are a sister and a brother but both of them are not aware of the blood relationship since they had been separated during their early ages. On the other hand both Antonio and Ambrosio seem to have a sublimated, mutual incestuous attraction. An admirer of Antonio, who was known as Lorenzo, identified Ambrosio to Antonio and her aunt Leonella while thematically presenting Ambrosio as a virgin by referring to his story; where he was found and how he was brought up. Ambrosio was found/ discovered at the capuchins door and was therefore largely believed to a present from Virgin Mary (p.17). Ambrosio who was thirty years at that time, had lived in seclusion from the outside world and therefore knew nothing about sex, actually he was a strict observer of chastity and knew nothing of what consisted the difference between a man and a woman (p.17). His character was undisputable, and had not been stained. The author of the monk uses suggestively gendered language, to make the male monk appear like a holy virtuous female and then connects him with Antonio a female who is also ignorant of sex. Leonellas ridiculous reply that Antonio, just like Ambrosio does not know the difference between an man and woman and that she views everybody as being of the same sex with herself, happen to connect the same brother and sister together (pp17-18). The authors point in using metaphors and suggestively gendered language is to show that the vows of chastity in catholic feminize monks who then are made susceptible to hypocrisy and temptation by their sexual ignorance. This is emphasized when Rosaria, a fiend camouflaged as a young male novitiate, discloses that he is actually a woman. Rosaria, whose real name was Matilda had reformulated Leonellas unworkable imperative. Just like Antonio, Ambrosio was supposed to forget that Matilda was a woman because she had disguised her sex so that she could be fr iends with Leonella and shield him from sexual knowledge (p.63). The fact that Matilda is actually an evil spirit (demon), who pretends to be a woman while she is a man, exploits the sexual controversy as well as brings confusion of gender roles in the novel. Sexual knowledge in the novel is viewed as the forbidden apple which makes which tempts allusively the feminized monk to fall. Matilda is at the same time archetypal fatale woman who later corrupts the virtues of Ambrosio. However hi devilish seduction is enhanced by Ambrosios ignorance on sexual matters which then makes him very susceptible to Matildas seduction. Ambrosio evaluates his repressed attraction to Matilda by repeating her seductive arguments after showing her nakedness to him; may I not safely credit her assertions? Will it not be easy for me to forget her sex and consider her as my friend and as my disciple?, She strove to keep me in ignorant of her sex.. She has not made attempts to rouse my slumbering passions, nor has she ever conversed with me till this night on the subject of love (PP.66-67). According to Lewis (), prelapsarian ignorance and innocence of knowledge about sex is an illusion, hence Ambrosio is easily lured into sexual relationship with the deceiving Matilda: the sexual repression lastly ends up in the very knowledge which the monk was denying. Ambrosio is also further feminized by vocabulary that is specifically gendered which contextually differentiated by the female from the male sex, but them its averted and reapplied by Lewis to the central catholic villain of the novel. In the eighteenth century such words like virtue, innocence, shame and honor, had a gendered significance. For example a, word like virtue came from a Latin word vir which means man, while virtus implied masculine strength, excellence and courage. Generally the word meant male virtue. Although it had other meanings, when applied to the sexes the word signified sexual division of labor. In the monk, just like a gendered virgin of the eighteenth century, Ambrosio is respected for his virtue, particularly his chastity which on the other side makes him susceptible to temptations of sex. In the early part of the book, Lorenzo indicates that although the character of Ambrosio is undisputable since he had grown up in the monastery for his whole life, he is therefore not ready to face the world together with its temptations. Lorenzo noted that being a monk the ecclesiastical duties of Ambrosio will make him enter into the outside world where his virtue and righteousness will be put to test. The Monk’s numerous sexual, religious interventions and their attendant ideological implications have not been systematically explored.† He goes on to say, â€Å"In this context, I focus on the significance of the novel’s sexual and religious inversions with reference to the gendered language of â€Å"masculinity† and femininity,† Works cited Steven Blakemore 1998 Matthew Lewiss black mass: sexual, religious inversion in ‘the monk. (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1g1-54196880.html)

Steamboats In Louisiana :: essays research papers

STEAMBOATS IN LOUISIANA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robert Fulton started the very first commercially successful steamboat service in America. His steam-powered paddleboat, the Clermont, sailed up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany in August of 1807. This trip lasted 32 hours The first steamboats were demonstrated in1787. They were used on the river ways to bring cargo, cotton, sugar, and people to their destinations. The steamboat played a major part in the population growth. The steamboats were usually made of wood and were all kinds of sizes. They looked like giant floating houses with large smokestacks and paddlewheels. They were used for carrying people and supplies up and down the river.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steamboats were later used as show boats for entertainment. The purchase of Louisiana in 1803 made New Orleans a part of the U.S. and opened the door to gamblers. The high life so popular in New Orleans spread north which ushered in the era of the riverboat gambler. By 1820, 69 steamboats were operating the western rivers. And by 1860, that number had increased to 735. These steamboats were christened â€Å"floating palaces with luxurious quarters, world class food well stoked bars and wealthy passengers. In1937 riverboat travel entered the passenger boat era. Calliopes were used on the boats to let people know that the boat was docked. The name â€Å"calliope† comes from the Greek goddess â€Å"muse of sound.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The paddle wheels were mounted either on the side or back of the boat. After the Civil War, the stern (back of the boat) paddle wheel was most popular. Although the paddle wheel is very large it draws just a few feet of water. The wheel spins about 18 times a minute with only four planks in the water for best speed. A steamboat travels about 15 miles an hour and 16 to 17 miles an hour on a swift river.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The very first paddle boats ran on wood. Coal replaced wood in 1860 and oil replaced coal in 1950. Many of the earl steamboats burned up because the fire used to create the steam would burn the boat. It took 250 pounds of steam just to blow the whistle. Maintenance for a 120 ton steamboat was $1,800, 36% of it was for wages paid to officers and crew members, 18% of it was for provisions, 12% of it was for incidentals and insurance, and the rest of it was for 25 cords of wood per day, at $2.

Religion and Politics Essay

In the world today, there are several pillars of trivial issues that hold it together in spite of the several challenges. Issues like humanitarianism, peacekeeping, politics, religion, international negotiations or even conflict resolution have been on the frontline of such important tenets. However, the ever growing influence of politics and religion since time immemorial has made it one of the most outspoken subjects of all time with much spotlight being continuously placed on these two â€Å"twin† issues. Epley (40-48) articulates that the advancements in both religion and politics have astoundingly shot sky high over the recent times. This has led to an increased interest of scholars and researchers in issues to deal with religion and politics. As of today, a wide range of researches have been conducted to this effect and several volumes of academic material written so as to clearly define the relationship between the two aforementioned precepts. In a different study, Lerman supports Epley’s sentiments by saying that most of these researches tend to focus on the relationship between religion and politics with much emphasis being made on how the two can concurrently run together. He however goes ahead and opines that in as much as such studies have been quite informative, very little has been done by these researchers to fundamentally outline the elementary issue of whether the two should be interrelated and viewed together in the first place—as most scholars have done in the previous studies. It is therefore from this concern by Lerman that this study is going to not only focus on vigilantly highlighting whether both religion and politics should interchangeably influence each other-as they have been doing- but also on projecting on how such a study could be conducted if funds are made available. Theme for the study As partly glimpsed by the above writings, the theme for this proposed study is going to be Religio n and Politics. From the several research materials used in this study, most scholars amass that religion has had a great influence on politics just in the same way that politics also affects religion. To begin with, Cox (2) says that â€Å"Religion has influenced politics in America from the very beginning, religion continues to influence politics, and religion will continue in one way or another to influence politics for as long as we can anticipate.† Delcore adds that both religion and politics have greatly impacted one another. This has however come with the main challenge of pluralism since America is a pluralist state that allows freedom of worship, freedom of association and freedom to choose what to believe in (Murrin). In addition, there has been constant struggle between forceful religions like Christianity and Islam on who is the most domineering. As per the United States’ constitution, democracy fundamentally functions to protect both the minority and majority. However, it is common knowledge that the majority normally gets more decisions going their way based on numbers. And based on the alleged 55% Christian population in America, other religions have been silently complaining that most decisions seemingly favor them (Lormel). This problem is however not just faced in America; many other countries attest to challenges regarding religion and politics. The constant struggles between the Sunni and Shiite in Iraq or the religion versus politics conflict in Sudan are just but a few examples of such. Several other examples exist in many other areas around the world. It is therefore with great urgency that this subject is addressed; and that is the main purpose of our theme. In spite of the many achievements by law (whether religious or civil), a balance needs to be established so as to ensure that this dual partnership gives ultimate output (Murrin). Similarly, there have been numerous concerns raised on the use of religion to exert control over others. This is exhibited by the allegation of the wide involvement of the church in various campaigns both in the U.S and other countries (Simon). Based on the many positive issues associated with the religion-political relationship, Zeleny documents that Senator Barrack Obama, in his bid to woe voters, expanded George Bush’s program of investing federal money in religious institutions. This money was targeted at the low income earners and to help in alleviating the high levels of poverty by performing community aid work. This move greatly paid off as later indicated by the huge support Barrack O bama received from the religious background thus propelling him into power as President. On the other hand, it is important to note that it has not been a smooth ride for the relationship between politics and religion. According to Mella, most of the religious people who claim to be ardent followers of particular religions do not even have confidence in their religions. From the most elementary level of perception, this lack of confidence in one’s religion primarily discredits the church’s role in politics as being false. Again, there has been an escalating accusation of governmental institutions using their collaboration with various religions as a cover-up for their hidden agendas. For example, Zeleny documents that Obama’s involvement with the Christian community was considered as a fraudulent way of obtaining votes since his background clearly state that he is a Muslim. 2. Analytical question: Should religion influence politics or should the two facets be viewed independently Several questions can be raised from the theme. However, our focus is going to be on answering the question â€Å"Should religion influence politics or should these two facets be viewed independently?† in answering this, it is important to get a background knowledge on the relationship between religion and politics; then from there on we can focus on getting the appropriate answers. Preliminarily, Religion is an abstract concept and thus cannot be viewed as an entity on its own (Lerman). In order to ardently define religion, it is vital that we circumspectly view the context of definition, which people we are making reference to, among many other considerations. According to Connelly, the most representative definition of religion is: A mysterious manifestation of power and presence that is experienced as both primordial and transformative, inspiring awe and rapt attenti on. This is usually an event that represents a break or discontinuity from the ordinary, forcing a re-establishment or recalibration of perspective on the part of the experience. Connelly further adds that religion can be something done in an ordinary way but astoundingly leads to a large following of believers. In most cases, some mystique kind of perception is felt by the members who are then propelled into belief. On the other hand, Politics according to BrainyQuote.com is: The science of government; that part of ethics which has to do with the regulation and government of a nation or state, the preservation of its safety, peace, and prosperity, the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals. In relations to the question, different views are advanced by different scholars in trying to give a way forward. First, there are those of the opinion that religion and politics should both relate and help one another like they have been doing in the other past. Second, there are those who totally oppose this relationship and advocate for separation of the state politics and religion. Third and lastly, there is a group of scholars who are somehow in the middle and advocate for a balance between the two facets. We are therefore going to view all these arguments one by one. Starting with the group that propionate influence of religion to politics and vice versa; Lerman says that religious people have the right to offer their genuine opinion on politics. In U.S for example, freedom of speech and religion is protected and legalized under the constitution. This, however, should be done in a cautious way to avoid conflicting with other groups. With respect to this, a religious group like Buddhism, should behave in a way tantamount to their group, but still not be in conflict with either the constitution or openly condemn other religions. In addition, neither of the religious groups should use the authority and freedom bestowed to them to impose their rule on others. The scenario of imposing one’s authority is allegedly common with Islam states as well as Christian states. An example is the domineering influence of Catholic influence in the Roman Empire which has been alleged to overstep its boundaries just in the same way Islam is said to impose-through jihad- its religious fundamentals to people in the Middle East (Cox 6-8). Cox (3) further advances that there should be an increased influence of religion on politics since politics-by itself- cannot adequately stamp moral authority which is very essential for a country’s g rowth. This, he exhibits with the various cases like that of Martin Luther junior who-in spite of not directly routing for a particular political figure- greatly cultivated morality in politics through his numerous inspirational speeches (4-5). In making his contribution to this debate, Lormel asserts that the democracy in United States stipulates freedom of religion and this should not be deterred by any political authority-or individual for that matter- since it is a constitutional right. However, it is not clearly stipulated on whether religion should or should not affect politics; and in his interpretation, Lormel sees this as a go-ahead for the influence of religion on politics (3). Additionally, religion’s influence on politics is a moral obligation of keeping the politicians in check. It also serves a voice for the voiceless in the society who-more often than not- are always at the mercy of superior political classes and thus get frequently downtrodden on. Cox (7) strongly supports this idea by saying that: There is a larger moral purpose to public policy which goes far beyond brokerage and has to do with seeking a justice which is measured by how this society deals with those who are most vulnerable, its weakest members, and how they are dealt with. This is why it is not only the right but the responsibility of religious leaders, and of lay people in religious communities for whom this tradition is the basis of their lives, to remind those in power of this vision and to do so in such a way that the pretentiousness which is often present in kings and emperors and in public policy makers is punctured. The important role played by religion in various elections-like in the aforementioned case of President Barrack Obama’s catapult to office- is seen as very fundamental by many scholars and thus greatly encouraged by them Montanaro. To such political scientist, religion plays a fundamental role in vesting of power and should therefor e this role should not be stemmed out by alienating politics from religion. Lormel (4) says that religion provides platform for building a morally upright political environment just in the same way politics present a forum for instituting laws governing a country. This dual partnership is very healthy and essential for a country and therefore, doing away with this bond through separation of powers can be very detrimental not just to a country as an entity but even to the globe as a whole. In highlighting the views of those opposed to the relationship between politics and religion, Lormel (1-3) articulates that in spite of being religious, the founding fathers of America-who were responsible for creation of constitution- saw the need for separation of religion and politics no wander they ensured that the constitution allowed for pluralism. This, they did, despite the fact that most of them were religious. Again, to the proponents of separation of politics from religion, this independence ensures that both of these key aspects of the state run autonomously and thus ensuring maximum output from them (Shattuck 16-30). Epley (44-55) explicates that the separation also creates an ample environment for growth by the separate units since they themselves know how to handle their problems. In other words, religious organizations best know how to solve their problems just in the same way that political organizations know how to ardently solve their challenges or problems. Moreover, Simon reiterates that â€Å"There are many countries whose governments see religious resurgence posing a serious challenge to the future shape of their societies.† As a point of caution therefore, separation of religion and politics would consequently inhibit the threat for this alleged challenge. Shattuck says that the issue of separation of the church from politics is not a new thing. Based on his circumspective studies that involved various subjects, Shattuck documents that issues like the state funding religious organizations has been greatly objected as it is viewed as inhibiting liberty and encouraging favoritism. Simon goes ahead and exemplifies this alleged favoritism by saying that in spite of George Bush’s funding of religious groups was said to be fair, most of it was-indeed- fraudulent since there is surmountable evidences that the policy greatly favored some particular people who were allied to the president—George bush. Lastly, there is the group of scholars who tend to believe that striking a professional balance between religion and politics is the ultimate solution. Proponents of this idea propose two ways of making this happen. First, they opine that there should be a balance in the intrinsic relationship between the various religious movements. For example, there should be a balance in the way Hindus treat Christians and similarly, M uslims should also treat atheists with the same kind of respect they would treat their Muslim brothers. By ensuring a balance between the various religious affiliations, the perilous competition between them will be toned down and thus making them able to speak in one voice when addressing the political arena. History abounds with several examples where people of different religious backgrounds have come together and thus resulting in a unified resounding voice from them which has many times led to positive change in politics. Generally speaking, the church (whether Pentecostal or catholic) have always come out strongly in United States to oppose the implementation of laws like gay marriages which is an abomination in most religions. Lauritzen exemplifies this mutual relationship between different religions by citing the Evangelicals and Catholics merger-commonly abbreviated as ECT-in the fight against the institution of the volatile law on abortion. In spite of the political class shortchanging the religious organizations in the fight against legalization of abortion, it can be duly noted that-for once-, a clear and unified stand was taken by the pious world. Secondly, the balance between religion and politics is proposed to take shape inform of a mutual relationship between the two facets. So while religion will be charged with the responsibility of offering moral guidance in the political word, politics will on the other hand function to ensure freedom of religious organizations while encouraging unity between them. This should be done in a fair way rather than discriminating against a particular religious group or imposing a religion just because of the relative dominance it enjoys in a region. This type of imposition-as cited earlier-is very characteristic of Christian and Islamic states. In effect, the very essence of democracy and freedom of worship or choice gets corroded away by such actions. If the abovementioned guidelines are observed, there will be positive output from both ends without necessarily getting into each others’ way but rather complimenting the growth of one another (Shattuck 12-14). In summary, most scholars and researchers that I studied tend to support the continuity in the relationship between politics and religion. A good percentage of this proponents advocate for balance, while the rest believe that there has been a relatively good relationship between the two facets in the past and this should just continue in the same way. Of course there is the group that opposes the mutual relationship between politics and religion through the separation of roles between the two. In as much as this proposition has not landed on deaf years or has not been greatly opposed by their counterparts; the alleged positive results associated with continuity of the mutual effect of religion and politics tends to outweigh the positives associated with separation of po wers thus making the latter option less popular. 3. Importance of the research This research not only offers immense insights into politics and religion, it pans further into highlighting several other essential issues which-in effect makes it very important. A number of the significances of this research have been in-part mentioned or addressed above. Some other significance includes: Fundamentally, this study mentions and offers insights key issues like abortion, gay (same sex) marriages, terrorism, religiously branded killings e.g. Jihad among other essential subjects which are in great contention in the current world and have been threatening to tear the victims-like America-apart (Shattuck17-18). This is far much better than just burying our heads in the sand-like the proverbial Ostrich-hoping that the problems will fade away instead of wisely dealing with them head-on! In fact, it is by highlighting such challenges that it becomes easy to find a way of getting forward. According to the Manila Bulletin, issues to do with religion and politics were swept below the carpet by most people and thus making it difficult for a way forward to be found. But based on the ever increasing urgency and prolificacy of these two facets with regards to other current fundamental issues; it is the duty of everybody to contribute towards fostering a better world—be it by separation of the two or their continuity. With that in mind, this study addresses this issue of politics and religion in an in-depth way thus laying a platform for others to follow suit. In addition, Simon documents that â€Å"The end of the cold war left the world without an overarching narrative of good and evil and created a free market in ideas in which any group that is sufficiently assertive and has access to media can communicate its prescriptions for the common good.† As a result, some religious and political organizations have been enjoying unchecked freedom. This research therefore highlights methods in which this regulation can be done—with a balance between the two facets being the most proposed solution. This study therefore does not stop at showing where the problem is but goes further into proposing a solution thus making the research inherently vital. Finally, this research is richly endowed with authoritative facts, examples and even opinions which lay a foundation for future studies to be conducted by other people.   Education is a continuous process and based on this proposed study, someone else might just decide to pick up on a par ticular area and continue with researching thus fostering an academic empowerment. 4. How does the research connect to the literature? A wide variety of literature was used in this research. Different styles are employed in each piece of literature that is used. Some tend to take a laid-back position by talking on a general way about the concerned theme. Others however go ahead and opine of what should or should be done based on evidences which they present. Yet still, some literatures are purely factual and the writers base their arguments on attested concepts. In order to exemplify the ultimate connection between the study and the literature, it is inherent to note that most of the materials used here either emanated from political scientists or religious circles. As a result, most of the writers tend to support what they subjectively view as ideal to them and only a handful of them circumspectly address the theme of politics and religion. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that modernism has paved way for paradigm shifts; with more complex paradigms replacing the simple ones that were previously held. This shift has also had an effect on the literature with most of the current writings being more informative, incorporative and taking a certain pattern. Gabler tries to aptly represent this alleged change by noting that: Perhaps the single most profound change in our political culture over the last 30 years has been the transformation of conservatism from a political movement, with all the limitations, hedges and forbearances of politics, into a kind of fundamentalist religious movement, with the absolute certainty of religious belief. In exemplifying those who take a laid-back position, Shattuck (9) says that people should not worry about the mutual relationship between religion and politics since everything done by both of the facets have to be passed through the constitutional sieve which rarely goes wrong. Mella (2008) also softly contributes to the issue of religious influence in politics and social issues by saying that â€Å"There is a wide range of views on this, but our take is that the application of precepts such as sacred Scripture or the Catechism of the Catholic Church to our politics and society is healthy to the degree it isn’t manipulated or distorted in service to a political end.† To the second category of those offering their opinion, Senator Danforth is quoted by Shattuck (8) saying â€Å"I don’t think people who have deep religious faith are expected to check their faith at the door when they leave their church or mosque or synagogue. Religion is something that infuses all of our lives, hopefully our personal lives, our family lives, our business lives, and our political lives.† The third group that represents the factual scholars is the most the trusted source of information. This is because facts are normally from authoritative sources thus giving more credibility and accuracy to the information. An example of factual material analyzed and used in this research is the verity that a good balance between religion and politics leads to an overall goodwill in the society (Orens 20-23). Shattuck (56) also taps into the use of facts by authoritatively stating that Martin Luther King greatly changed America in spite of never endorsing any politician from the various pulpits he was in. 5. How I would conduct the research Coffey denotes that religion and politics is a fundamental pair not just in America but also in other parts of the world. It is therefore not just enough to highlight the problems associated with politics and religion but also look at the prospects of making the dream of making both percepts fully actualized. If I had funds, time and opportunity to meet the sources relevant to my study, this is how I would conduct the research: My studies would mainly be focused on circumspectly highlighting the theme in question from a worldwide perspective. I would therefore select at least 5 countries from each continent and do an in-depth analysis of the various religious and political systems in place. In addition, I would ensure that amongst the five countries, there is a good representation of developed and developing countries. This is very important in knowing what roles religion and politics have played in such countries. Yet still, I would make sure that the countries selected are polytheists or have several religious groups so as to ardently get accurate, informative and representative results. In Africa for example, I would select South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. With the exception of Zimbabwe, all these countries are still developing with South Africa being the most developed. The choice of a country like Nigeria is based on the many religious factions that are present in the country and the constant debates that have been allegedly going there in the recent past so as to either join or separate religion and politics. The political system of governance in such countries is also very important for the studies i.e. whether dictatorial, authoritarian or autocratic. In Zimbabwe for instance, the political leadership of Mugabe has been greatly criticized for negatively impacting social and religious aspects of the country; the choice of such a country for this study would therefore provide a very interesting analytical angle for the research. There are various data collection methods that are normally used in various studies. However, since this research is highly prolific and requires substantial answers, it is very important that the methods used for data collection are highly inclusive. Primarily, I would conduct a survey on the countries in question so as to get adequate knowledge and information that will help me in the study. These interviews would be focused on religious and political leaders as well as historians who are viable and credible sources of information. The reason for the preference of interviews and questionnaires during the survey is because they allow for easy referencing and sufficient future analysis (Cano). Of course the nature of questions used in data collection will be simple so as to elicit lucid answers from the interviewees. Secondarily, I would use library materials-books, articles, journals-, online resources, governmental and non-governmental archives among many others. In order to ensure that the research gives as much information as possible to readers, I would make certain that neutrality and objectivity is ardently observed throughout the study duration. This is because any minor lapse in concentration can interfere with whole process thus jeopardizing the success of the study. Conclusion In my opinion, both politics and religion play important roles to each other and thus delinking them would rather destroy rather than build countries. Of course the collaboration between the two also has some relative negative effects (Simon). This should however not stand in the way of the immense benefits that the mutual relationship between the two precepts. In addition, despite the norm in life that the majority always gets things done their way, a balance should exist between the various religious factions just in the same way a balance should exist between the dealings of politics and religion. If this is done, there will be ultimate respect between all he involved parties thus fostering an environment for growth in each country.