Media & Culture - Sign Symbol essays

Media & Culture - Sign Symbol essays A sign system is representation through communication which in turn leads to a shared meaning or understanding. We hold mental representations that classify and organise the world (whether fact or fiction), people, objects and events into meaningful categories so that we can meaningfully comprehend the world. The media use sign systems through newspapers, magazines, television,internet, and the radio etc. The conceptual map of meaning and language are the basis of representation. The conceptual map of meaning, are concepts organised, arranged and classified into complex relations to one another. The conceptual map of meaning although allows you to distinguish your own individual interpretation of the world, at the same time as holding similar views to that of other people in your culture. As the meaning is produced and constructed and in turn learned by a particular group of people. Therefore sharing conventions and codes of their language and culture. Signs can only convey meaning if we possess codes which allow us to translate our concepts into language. These codes are the result of social conventions which lead to the shared maps of meaning. These shared meanings are learnt unconsciously as we become members of a culture.If we have a concept of something in our minds we can say we know the meaning of this concept. However we cannot express or communicate this meaning without the second system of representation, language. Language is the only way in which meanings can be effectively exchanged between people, as people within the same culture are able to interpret the sign of language in the same manner. As the meanings become natural through the conditioning of culture. For example the word white in Australia represents a colour of purity, however in China it is the colour of death. Demonstrating that different cultures have not only have different meanings in their shared conceptual maps, but a different language to express i...

Start Your Novel

Start Your Novel Start Your Novel Start Your Novel By Maeve Maddox Writers can be insecure creatures. For many, the thought of beginning a novel, a project requiring the production of from 60,000 to 100,000 words, can be overwhelming. For the writer who tends to linger over every sentence, the prospect can be especially daunting. This year’s NaNoWriMo has already begun, but it’s not too late for a writer who has been flirting with beginning a novel to register. Not everyone who participates in the online event completes the challenge, but taking part for just one or two weeks is an enlightening writing exercise. If you’ve never heard of NaNoWriMo, you may be the only writer who hasn’t. The acronym is for National Novel Writing Month. Don’t let the name fool you. The online event has become a worldwide phenomenon. The name will no doubt remain the same because it’s so much fun to say â€Å"naa-no-wry-mo.† The value of this worldwide writing exercise is that it encourages writers to recognize the duality of the writing process. Every writer wears two hats: the Creator’s hat and the Editor’s hat. (Nowadays most writers must don the Marketer’s hat as well, but that’s a subject for another post.) NaNoWriMo forces the writer to leave the Editor’s hat in the closet for 30 days. It’s a great discipline. Not everyone who signs up stays the course, but the experience of doing this kind of focused writing for even a week can teach a writer a lot. Go ahead. Jump in. Register for the 2013 NaNoWriMo and watch those words accumulate on your daily progress tracker. Even with a late start, you can expect to crank out 30,000 words or more by November 30. Your writing will be far from perfect, but you’ll have a draft, or at least the beginnings of one. A draft to a novelist is what a lump of clay is to the sculptor. Every novel begins with an imperfect draft. Once the draft is in hand, the writing can begin. 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 Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartCannot or Can Not?3 Types of Essays Are Models for Professional Writing Forms

Fruit Delight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fruit Delight - Essay Example They want to look and behave like the celebrities who have high influence on them. Hence, as described by Kelman, source attractiveness would be an important characteristic of our communication messenger (Egan 2007). Word Of Mouth marketing using the brand’s current customers would also influence the target audience as they are highly image-conscious and trust their peers more than others. Fruit Winders already has a positive image (especially with the mums) as far as health benefits are considered. Using these indirect customers to propagate the benefits of the product can be effectively used for viral marketing as was done by â€Å"Dove†. They used the real customers in their ads to spread a credible word of mouth (Dahlen, Lange and Smith 2009). Critique of current/recent campaigns to the same target audience The target audience of Fruit Delight overlaps that of Fruit winders for the 10-12 year olds. This can have both favorable and unfavorable implications. A major d isadvantage of this can be the confusion it can create in the minds of this age group. So, far this group of audience has been used to the symbols and self-association with these symbols. With the introduction of the new product which would propagate a different image association, the target audience would not know which one to adopt. There will be a symbol clash in this kind of brand extension. This will erode some customers from the Fruit Winder’s basket which may or may not fall into the Fruit Delight basket as they might get attracted towards other brands in the same product range. This is because they have already perceived this brand as one for smaller kids and they may not be able to associate with the new one as being for older kids. This is what happened with the global brand â€Å"Pierre Cardin†. The company diversified into so many product lines that people did not associate with the core line of business. The brand eventually died (Mininni 2006). Thus, we c an see that any failure of strategy implementation by inappropriate transfer and linkages of brand associations of the parent brand to the new product can lead not only to the failure of the new brand but also that of the parent brand (Juda 2007). However, a major advantage of this brand extension is that it is not moving very far away from its core brand values. This is an important factor to consider before going into a product line. Positive images and strengths of the current brand, Fruit Winders, can easily be leveraged to achieve a successful brand launching into a new segment (Juda 2007). This is one of the ways of â€Å"increasing the rate of new acceptance and purchase intention of customers† (Juda 2007). It can help in penetrating into a new segment while achieving advertising and promotion expenditure efficiencies. Thus, using viral marketing can be a very easy strategy to launch the new product using old customer base. Using the same TV commercials with extra info rmation on the new product can help in promoting the Fruit Delight through the younger siblings of the target audience. Current websites can be used to promote the product but content of the websites for this audience can be designed according to their interest. Using the same billboards and TV commercials to promote websites will help in promoting the product to a great extent. Positioning statement Positioning consists of two main factors –

Entrepreneur Interview Paper (small business) Essay

Entrepreneur Interview Paper (small business) - Essay Example At one point in the interview, he defined an entrepreneur as â€Å"Someone who works ninety hours a week to avoid working forty hours a week for someone else†. It takes a lot of stamina and patience. â€Å"Entrepreneurs are not easily discouraged† (Schramm cited in Petrecca, 2010). The first and the foremost challenge an entrepreneur is exposed is of the management of cash. There has to be adequate cash flow particularly in the initial four to five years as they are very intensive in terms of cash flow. To achieve this, the entrepreneur must have stable and reliable sources of funds identified at the outset. Starting a new business is a risky process as on the entrepreneur’s part, as it requires him/her to be determined and consistent. Good business takes time to evolve. Still, not all businesses grow with time. It depends to a large extent upon the entrepreneur’s fortune. If circumstances are unfavorable, and the business does not yield the intended benef its, the entrepreneur’s time, money and often repute are at stake. However, if the business turns out to be successful, rewards included profitability, success and psychological satisfaction. Another factor that carries immense tendency to destroy the business is the influence of generations on it. Originally, the person from the first generation starts the business in a certain way following certain principles that become the secrets of the company’s success. The following generations tend to run the business in their own ways and often have inadequate knowledge or understanding of the fundamental principles that helped the first generation take the business to the level where it stands. While it is advisable for the future generations to gain proper schooling and education in business,... The paper tells that to start a new business and make it successful also requires the entrepreneur’s passion which fundamentally drives his/her motivation to chase the goals. However, for an entrepreneur to be successful, there are certain things that need to be taken serious care of. The entrepreneur must have done sufficient homework on such aspects of the business as demography, capital required, sources of capital and the insurances involved. Alongside, the entrepreneur needs to assess how much time he/she can reserve for his/her personal life apart from work. Outright and rational assessment enables the entrepreneur to make informed decisions along the way. Every business has an obligation towards the society. While a business is meant to be profitable for the entrepreneur, it needs to play a positive role in enhancing the economic strength of the country. Small businesses have a huge contribution in the national economy. Particularly, in the contemporary society, when th e notions of corporate social responsibility and green working are being much emphasized upon, entrepreneurs are expected not only to be more ethical in their works, but also make the world a better place to live in by producing useful services and products. The Saver Systems achieves this by providing people with high quality and cost effective solutions for their masonry chimneys.

All of our Choices are Predetermined Essay Example for Free

All of our Choices are Predetermined Essay The Universe appears to be governed entirely by laws, studies of physics seem to show that atoms follow an extremely predictable pattern of cause and effect. This presents a difficult problem for philosophy; if all physical matter is governed by the laws of cause and effect, and we ourselves are comprised of physical matter, how could it be so that any choices we make could be seen to be free? The suggestion that our choices are set out by cause and effect is known as Determinism. Philosophers such as Ted Honderich have argued for determinism and for the consequences that it cancels out free will. It seems insensible to argue that we are not in the least bit determined, and almost all people know from personal experience that people act in a relatively stable and predictable way. For example, if I were to ask my father if he wanted tea or coffee, I would know that he would want coffee based on his love of coffee, and hatred for tea. This preference could not be argued in any way to be a choice made by him, we do not choose what we like, but simply do. Whether our preferences are based on nature or nurture is an ongoing debate, but regardless of the final conclusion, as long as our opinions are based on either of the two options, we would be seen to be determined. Nature is not in our control, neither on the other hand, is nurture. If our personalities are based on environmental or genetic factors and nothing else then our actions are surely determined. This position is extremely convincing and was famously used by Clarence Darrow to prevent two murderers from receiving the death penalty, he argued that they where a product of their upbringing and as such could not be held morally responsible for their actions. This meant, while they could be jailed to prevent threat to society, they could not be punished with the death penalty. The viewpoint of Determinism, while convincing, is by no means universally accepted. The argument seems to go against our intuitions that we are free -although it is notable at this point that our intuitions themselves are philosophically worthless, we cannot argue for an element of truth on the grounds that we feel it is true- and is seemingly incompatible with the view of a God who punishes and rewards his creations with heaven and hell. If our actions are predetermined, then it seems that punishment in hell would be arbitrary. God would simply be creating people in a flawed way, and then punishing them for his poor skills of creation. Needless to say, this viewpoint is not accepted by many Christians and so there have been many arguments for a lack of determinism in philosophy. The belief of Libertarianism, is that we are completely free; in the words of Jean-Paul Sartre I am not free not to be free. Though Sartres beliefs on free will were more assertions than arguments of proofs, he summarises the Libertarian view point perfectly. All our actions are completely freely chosen, our only confinement is that we cannot be confined. Libertarianism has the difficult task of explaining how it is possible to defend non-determined choices in an environment where all things seem to be determined by cause and effect. As already stated, if our personality is held to be nothing but a result of nature of nurture, then determinism must be accepted as a matter of logical consistency. From this, many Libertarians would stipulate the existence of a super-natural element to our personality. For example, if one were to believe in a soul, then it is possible to argue the physical laws of cause and effect have no bearing on our actions. This does seem to contradict fairly obvious observable evidence. Psychology has frequently found causes for human behaviour, and it is difficult to explain the consistency and successes of this particular scientific discipline if we do not accept that our choices are determined in some way. One of the more successful attempts of Libertarianism to discredit Determinism is the pointing to laws of physics that do not seem to obey causality. Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle shows distinct examples of elements of nature acting randomly, and not due to cause and effect. There are two main criticisms that can be made of this argument; One, that this principle only functions on an minute level, while actual objects such as people still obey determined laws of physics (although science has proven the principle can be amplified to affect people), and; Two, that even where actions random, there would still not be free will, while we would not live in a predetermined environment, we would still live in a (randomly) determined environment. If one was to roll a dice in order to decide the actions a prisoner should take, they would not be considered free by any means. The fundamental flaw of Libertarianism, is that when we examine how it would work, it seems to collapse. As all choices are made according to our personality, a serial killer, is only so because he has a serial killers personality. This statement would suggest determinism and could only be argued against in two ways: Firstly, we could state that the serial killer has no personality, this however, seems nearly impossible to uphold. Without personality, we would have no preferences and without preferences we could not make any choice at all. Asking someone who has no preference of good over evil, or pleasure over pain, to make a moral decision would be rather like asking someone whether they prefer white to white. Without personality, we would not be able to make any choice at all, as no options would appeal to us over others. It could be argued, that decisions can still be made according to rationalism, but as rationalism and logic are consistent discipline this would make our actions even more predictable and un-chosen than determinism suggests. So this argument cannot be used to defend Libertarianism. Secondly, we could suggest that the Serial-Killer was in some way in control of his personality. That he chose his preference of evil over good. This again fails. As we have already stated, choices cannot be made without personality, so to choose a personality we would require a personality for us to choose, this initial personality would determine the personality we chose. We could attempt to argue that this initial personality was chosen, but very soon we would have to give way to infinite regression. With this in mind, Libertarianism and the suggestion that our choices are anything but pre-determined or random, is not only completely incompatible with the current model of physics and psychology, but more importantly is incompatible with choice itself (as choice requires preference, preference designates personality which in turn suggests determinism). Libertarianism is a self defeating system in that it requires an absence of will to prove free will, which would be rendered useless without will. There is also a logical argument against Libertarianism. J.J.C Smart points out that there are two possible states of things, i.e. determinism or indeterminism. Either determinism is true, or indeterminism is true, these exhaust all possible philosophical options. Determinism would prevent a Libertarian view as our choices are predetermined, indeterminism would seem to prevent Libertarian view also, as our choices are random and thus not controlled or free. From this argument, we can see that a Libertarian argument for free will is impossible. It seems undeniable therefore, that all our choices are pre-determined -or in the least part random, whether our choices are in fact pre-determined or random is largely down to physicists to discover, currently it seems to be that we are in fact pre-determined, but this cannot be assured without knowledge of all physics. Even if our choices are not predetermined, what they are not -as has been argued in the course of this essay- is freely chosen, at least according to the viewpoint of free will presented by libertarianism. But what would the effects of this be? Hard determinism would argue that we cannot claim to possess free will in a deterministic environment. The problem with this position seems to be that we have defined free will incorrectly. The view of free-will as indifference, has in the course of this essay been demonstrated as problematic, and if we adopt this view of free-will then hard determinism would seem an agreeable viewpoint, the problem is, that this seems an utterly meaningless way of discussing free will. Free will does not appear to refer to the ability of will to change itself, when we refer to a free lion, we do not mean it is free to change to a tiger or a bird, we simply mean it is free to act according to its nature. It would therefore seem to be more useful to discuss free will in the sense of a will being able to act itself out, we are free if we could have chosen otherwise HAD our will been different. This Compatibilist approach adopted by David Hume seems to allow us to discuss free will in a meaningful way, within what seems to be a predetermined environment.

The Controversy of Deforestation Essay -- Environment Nature Papers

The Controversy of Deforestation Environmental issues affect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. There are many resources that humans and animal needs to survive; some of the most obvious resources come from the forests. Forests make up a large percentage of the globe. The forests have global implications not just on life but on the quality of it. Trees improve the quality of the air that species breath, determine rainfall and replenish the atmosphere. The wood from the forests are used everyday form many useful resources. Moreover, thinning the forests increases the amount of available light, nutrients and water for the remaining trees. Deforestation (forest thinning) is one of the most critical issues of environmental problems that are occurring today. Deforestation is a widely used term, but one with different meanings. Disturbance deforestation refers to all man made disturbances that alter a forest, these are the most common. This argumentative essay discusses the positive and negative aspects of deforestation. In the first part of the essay the pro arguments of deforestation will be discussed. For example, the issue of Global population and how forests are being used, land use and the ways forests contribute, wood use, forest growth, destruction and the reasons for cutting down the trees. The second half of the essay will cover the issues that are harmful to the environment because of deforestation. Many environmental issues take place everyday; a big question that arises, is if the global economy will ever finds middle on the issue of forest thinning. If deforestation was used only in the most crucial of times, the world might become a better place. Some of the most po... ...o enforce programs that used recycling, the need for disposable products would be diminished. When I started this argument project my feeling were leaning more toward the side of non deforestation. But after doing lots of research on the topic of deforestation and forest thinning, I have found that my opinion has changed. I still don’t feel strongly about trees being cut down. But there is logical reasoning behind almost every issue. Weather it is cutting down damaged trees or trimming them because of fire danger, the reasons will help the human economy in the end. But I think that the government should be more aware of the areas that they are clearing. So that tribes are not lost, and communities are not affected. I also think that they should only cut down the amount of lumber that is desperately needed. Therefore, eliminating how many forests are destroyed.

Dining Plan Proposal

Project 2 – Drexel Dining Plan Proposal As a freshmen and an international student at Drexel University, most of my free time is taken up in becoming accustomed to a new country, a new city, and to the culture of Drexel University. Despite attending an International private school back in Delhi and despite having traveled the world, it is only normal that I find the transition from living back home to living at Drexel University, a difficult one. Getting familiar with the system of being a college student in general is an added struggle.And at first though, most non-vegetarians may not take this into consideration due to a plentiful amount of non-vegetarian food available, but I can tell you from personal experience, food is one of the main factors contributing to homesickness. The day -to-day food available on Drexel’s campus is not varied or appetizing enough for vegetarians, especially international vegetarian students. Each student who purchases the meal plan can di ne at certain designated locations on campus.The available dining options on the Drexel University campus consist of the following: a mini cafe in the main building, Ross Commons Take 3, Creese Cafe, Chick-fil-a, Currito, Subway, Kelly Deli, Southern Tsunami Sushi, and Starbucks. This may sounds like many options, but that does not overlook quality, or the fact that vegetarians may not have as many options as those who eat meat. As Drexel has ascended in its rankings, so have the number of students from different states and different countries.This year itself, the percentage of international students at Drexel University went up about twenty-eight percent and is expected to grow next year. (Facts and Figures) A student that purchases any meal plans spends an average amount of around five thousand & two hundred dollars throughout his or her university education. A relatively large percentage of these students, whether from the states or international students, are vegetarian as one of the most frequently asked questions on Drexel’s dining website. Drexel Campus Dining) I myself know up to ten vegetarians in the freshmen year itself. The number one complaint I tend to hear, or coincidentally eavesdrop on, in the dining center is about the food. According to my survey these complaints are usually voiced by international students and sometimes by vegetarian, American citizens. I also concluded from my survey that those who dislike the food and live nearby do not feel the need to complain as homemade food and favorite restaurant visits with the parents are just a train ride away.I summarized my issues with the available dining service at Drexel by carrying out confidential surveys of a sample of students who eat at the Handschumacher Dining Center. Of course my survey was favorably given out to international students and it consisted of open-ended questions that cover a few valid issues I personally wanted to know more about. On an average, the survey revea led international students dissatisfaction with the amount of vegetarian or vegan food available at the Drexel dining locations.Although the survey revealed complaints students had about the staff, quality of food, and such, I chose to concentrate on the vegetarian food options. Students explicitly expressed their concern with the fact that vegan food was often confused with vegetarian food. A few students stated their issue with days where more of a variety of vegetarian food was made and other days where more vegan food was made, always more options of one over the other. Of course, non-vegetarian food always seems to be plentifully available.One student wrote on her survey, â€Å" although there is a pasta station that is vegetarian on the whole, the options are very limited. Vegetarians at the dining center can only eat pasta, on certain days very bland vegan wraps are available, and French fries, and the same vegetarian fried rice. â€Å" Another student said, â€Å" the pas sport section hardly ever has vegetarian or vegan food, which is sad because so many international students are vegetarian and we have to make do with salad and pasta every single day. To this I would like to add an observation I made at the Dining Center and Subway: most of the times, the staff uses the same gloves to touch vegetarian food as they do meat. This is very disturbing to me as I am vegetarian for religious reasons and cannot technically even have meat touched to my food. When I asked students about the other Dining options, Starbucks and the cafe in the main building were immediately opted out of consideration as â€Å"dining. † This leaves the unhealthy options of Ross Commons cheese Pizza and Chick-Fil-A fries. Two other options are Creese and Subway.The two of these are relatively healthier options, but again Subway has only one veggie patty. And Creese Cafe serves only two to three options for vegetarian paninis. But out of all the times I have been to Creese , they are out of one ingredient or the other, which limits the vegetarian options further. For example, when I asked for the Capri panini at Creese, I was told they were out of basil and hence, could not make that panini for me. Out of all the dining options Currito landed up being a favorite for vegetarians on my survey because of its many vegetarian varieties.Even though Currito is one stall that serves good vegetarian options, what about the rest? Vegetarian students I surveyed unanimously agree upon the conclusion that there is not enough variety out of the entire dining service on campus for vegetarian students. It think it is safe to say that a certain percentage of Drexel University students is dissatisfied with the vegetarian dining options on campus. I know I am. Yet, these students are paying for the dining services the same price as any non-vegetarian student. I propose a solution, or many solutions.Firstly, I think the staff should be educated on how to handle food for vegetarian or vegan students. For example, they should start with using different gloves and utensils for meat. Second, I believe the dining hall would be a good start for more vegetarian options as hundreds of students dine here each day. For example, the staff can make sure they do not compromise on the food for vegans or vegetarians. Both these categories should have a plentiful amount. Also, the passport section that serves international food can make sure they have one vegetarian alternative to each non-vegetarian dish they make.And the Asian food section can start searching into more feasible Asian recipes for both vegans and vegetarians. Coming to the options besides the dining center, it may be difficult to open more dining options on campus, so instead each service can find ways to increase its creativity and variety with vegetarian food. Currito can find more than just tofu to substitute meat, or they can cook the tofu in different ways and serve it. Chick-fil-A can look i nto making breakfast sandwiches. Subway can create more than just the veggie patty, or it can give more vegetable options to choose from.Ross Commons can start serving pizza with diverse vegetarian toppings. Such minor changes may go a long way. This idea may seem new, but it has been done before. Every time a fast food chain opens in different countries, it is altered to cater to the taste and customers of that country. I feel like Drexel should look into doing the same with its chains opened on campus as Drexel is an international University and the vegetarian population deserves first-rate food. (Vegetarian Subs & Different Countries, Different McDonalds) (A Picture of other Asian recipes that can be made)

My stepmother

I have a perfect family now.   Like all proud parents, I have my mother to thank for everything.   Unlike all proud parents, however, I have my mother to thank for showing me the perfect example of how not to be a parent.   This â€Å"mother† that I refer to of course is not my birth mother but rather my stepmother.   She was forever the bane in my life.   She is, however, the reason why I am a good parent and why I have always strived to become a good parent.Now that I have two children of my own, I realize just how important it is for their upbringing to have a solid family around to support them and parents who encourage instead of discourage.   I like to think of my own family as a â€Å"can do† family and not a â€Å"don’t do or else† type of family.   I show my children the same love and affection that I received from my father and my birth mother and perhaps, I may even show my two children more love and affection because I know what i t feels like to live in fear and cower in terror.As I lay here recovering from my latest battle with my terror of a stepmother, I recall how I sensed it from the moment that I met her that we were never going to get along with each other.   While I did sense the animosity as our eyes met each other on that fateful day when I was but a child of six years old, I have never understood why my stepmother resented me so much.   There seemed to be nothing that I could do right.   This latest emotional battle that I and my stepmother had but a day ago has left me so drained.   It was not even a big deal.   It was only with regard to me wanting to speak to my father since I had not heard from him in a while and it soon heated up into full blown mud flinging.I was never this brave, for lack of better term, towards my stepmother.   I remember a time when I was six years old.   This was the same moment that I met her and I saw how she pretended to be very nice and kind towards my father and his family, meaning me and my siblings. From her mouth spouted all sorts of sweet nothings and words of praise and admiration for how fine a parent my father was and how lucky we all were to have a dad like him.   I heard from her the honeyed words of praise but saw deep in her eyes the petrifying glance of a medusa.   I was correct in my assumption as soon after my father left to attend to an errand and the monster that was lurking beneath began to emerge.The succubus who had seduced my father had now set her sights upon me, the only other woman in my father’s life and I was to be her next victim.   She pounced upon me swiftly and caught me off guard.   I was taken abrupt as she began to terrorize me and likening my appearance to that of various parts of the anatomy that I shall not mention.   To top it all off, she even dared call my own birth mother a woman of ill repute to whom I would most likely turn into.   Suffice it to say that from that moment on there would never be peace when my stepmother and I would meet.That moment in my childhood changed my life not only because from that point on I had somebody there to terrorize me but also because of the fact that it taught me a valuable lesson about parenting; never leave your children in the hands of a stranger even if other people trust them.   One can never be too cautious these days with all those veiled demons lurking and waiting for you to leave your children alone and then they pounce and harm and terrorize your children.   While that experience did turn me into a stronger person and a better parent, I firmly believe that my children do not have to undergo the same mental and emotional torture that I encountered in order to learn their lesson.It used to take me awhile to recover from the battles that me and my stepmother used to have.   There were times when I would be in shock for an entire month and would spend several days just hiding in my room and refusing to speak to anyone.   This type of experience is something best left in stories about monsters or evil stepmothers.   This is the reason why I have asked God to make me strong for my children and to give me a long life so that I can be there for them always to ensure that nobody will ever make my two children suffer.   I also ask that God make me a good mother so that I will always be able to provide for my children to keep them with me and keep them happy.Being God fearing, I felt that I could change the way my stepmother treated me by doing what Jesus told the apostle Peter and turn the other cheek.   Though my stepmother was a hypocrite, I tried my best to carry on a working, if not good, relationship with her.   I thought that my efforts had finally paid off when I heard that my stepmother had spoken to my other asking her in a very nice and friendly manner if she would be amenable to letting me stay with her.   She said that she would bring me to the United States and give me a life that was better than the one I currently had.   She could declare me as her daughter and then, together with my father, we could all go to the â€Å"Land of the Free†.   I will never forget those exact words because those were the ironic words that she chose to use when she was explaining all of this to my birth mother.It did not take a lot of convincing to make my mom amenable to the idea and soon I found myself in my room preparing for that long trip to the â€Å"Land of the Free.†Ã‚   As I packed the last of my belongings I heard my father telling my birth mother that everything would be alright and that she had nothing to worry about regarding my safety.   I was on my way to a better place and better life.   The thought made me smile yet little did I know that I this day would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another one, a life of fear, terror but ultimately happiness.My stepmother never intended for me to have that good life in the â€Å"Land of the Free.†Ã‚   She had ulterior motives at that time and simply wanted to punish my mother by taking me away from her.   The reason for her vengeance was because I was born to my birth mother while my father was married to my stepmother.   Since my stepmother could not directly go against my birth mother for fear of incurring my father’s wrath, she turned to making me suffer.   She was convinced that I was to blame for all the trouble and anxiety that she was going through and she intended to make me feel what she was feeling and more.Of course at that time, all of these ulterior motives and malicious plans were beyond my comprehension.   As a little girl I always tried my best not to hate or resent her for anything that she did to me.   I always tried to do my best to make her feel good and happy with me and to ultimately make her feel proud and happy of me.   As I eventually learned, however, such a scenario was never meant to happen.   Instead, with every act of good that I attempted, I was to be chastised and embarrassed in front of strangers and treated like I was the lowest life form on this planet.If there is a lesson to be learned from all of this, it is probably that fear is a good teacher.   If it were not for the fear that my stepmother instilled in my heart, I would not probably be the good mother that I am now.   While it is arguably a terrible feeling that I always need to fear for the safety of my children, I always tell myself that one can never be too cautious.Another lesson that I learned from all of this happened when I was around 18 years of age.   Now, my father never had any idea of the abuses that I suffered at the hands of my stepmother.   He always assumed that we were happy that way and I kept it that way since I did not want to tell on my stepmother for fear of making my life worse than it already actually was.   It was early morning when one of life’s lessons hit me sma ck on the head.   I awoke to the fists of my stepmother on my face as she berated me for not attending to some of my chores.   Apparently I had neglected to make sure that the dishes in the kitchen were as clean and shiny as she wanted them to be.   My stepmother was determined to make me pay for such an oversight and took justice in her own hands and began pummeling me with her fists.For the first time in my life, I felt an intense hatred towards my stepmother.   Nobody has ever laid a hand on me.   Not in anger.   Not in frustration.   My father was never around to console me and help me cope with my situation since he had no idea that such an atrocity was being committed under the roof of his own house.   It was that day, however, that I decided that I would no longer put up with any of this and I decided to leave home.   It was the best decision to make at that time and the worst decision to make in hindsight as I left with some guy that I had recently just met .Things soon turned bad as I fell into a string of failed relationships but just as quickly my fortunes began to improve as I met good people during the times that I needed it the most.   These recollections pain me because as I traversed this journey called life and served my sentence I met other people; people who were good unlike my own stepmother.I ask myself sometimes whether I had done anything to deserve the treatment that was receiving from my stepmother.   I asked myself if I indeed was the cause of all her troubles.   I realize that I never really asked to be born into this world.   All children are supposed to come into this world as innocents but I entered this world pronounced guilty and destined to serve my sentence from the moment that I took my first breath.My birth mother has no idea what I have been through and I don’t intend to tell her about it.   I guess that it how things should be.   As a mother, I do not want to know that my own children ha ve suffered or been hurt.   I guess the warmth and glow that overcomes a mother as she first hugs her child is the reason for that.   I was born and I too have given birth.   I was born into this world a slave, a victim of a vengeful demon.   I have been emancipated by the birth of my own children and I know that when my time comes I will have enough good memories with my own children to last me till eternity.

The eNotes Blog Scholarship Spotlight September2016

Scholarship Spotlight September2016 Every month, we select some of the best scholarships around and post them here on our blog. When you are ready to apply, check out our tips on  how to write a scholarship essay. Visit   Essay Lab  if you’re looking for a writing expert  to review and provide feedback on your scholarship or college application essays! National Security Agency Mathematics and Computer Science Student Scholarship Amount:  $500 Eligibility:  Students currently enrolled and working toward a degree in computer science, computer engineering, or mathematics Requirements:  Complete application with Personal Details, Education, Work Experience, Honors/Awards/Scholarships, Skills and Languages Due Date:  September 30, 2016 Learn more and apply Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship Amount: $500 Eligibility:  Age 16-25, GPA of 2.5 or higher Requirements:  Submit answers to the selected essay questions available in the application Due Date:  September 30, 2016 Learn more and apply Paymaster Scholarship Amount:  $2,500 Eligibility:  18 or over, enrolled in college, business major or minor Requirements:  Submit a 650-800 word response that describes four steps people can follow to earn more with the shared economy. Due Date: September 30, 2016 Learn more and apply Review It Scholarship Amount: $1,000 Eligibility:  Be attending college or university no later than September 2017, have a 2.5 GPA or higher in your last academic year, attend a school in the US Requirements:  Submit a review of your favorite movie in less than 1000 words. Due Date:  September 30, 2016 Learn more and apply Digital Responsibility Dont Text and Drive Scholarship Amount:  $1,000 Eligibility:  High school, college, or graduate school student. Must be US citizen or legal resident. Requirements:  Complete application including a 140-character message about texting while driving. Due Date:  September 30, 2016 Learn more and apply

Multiplication Tricks and Tips for Faster Learning

Multiplication Tricks and Tips for Faster Learning Like any new skill, learning multiplication takes time and practice. It also requires memorization, which can be a real challenge for young students. The good news is that you can master multiplication with as little as 15 minutes of practice time four or five times a week. These tips and tricks will make the job even easier. Use Times Tables Students usually begin learning basic multiplication by second grade. This skill will be essential as kids advance in class and study advanced concepts like algebra. Many teachers recommend using times tables to learn how to multiply because they allow students to begin with small numbers and work their way up. The grid-like structures make it easy to visualize how numbers increase as they are multiplied. Theyre also efficient. You can complete most times tables worksheets in one or two minutes, and students can track their performance to see how they improve over time. Using times tables is simple. Practice multiplying the 2s, 5s, and 10s first, then the doubles (6 x 6, 7 x 7, 8 x 8). Next, move to each of the fact families: 3s, 4,s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 11s, and 12s. Start by doing one sheet and see how long it takes you to complete it. Dont worry about how many right or wrong answers you get the first time you complete a worksheet. Youll get faster as you become better at multiplying.  Do not move to a different fact family without first mastering the previous one.   Play a Math Game Who said learning multiplication has to be boring? By turning math into a game, youre more likely to remember what youre doing. Try one of these  games  in addition to times tables worksheets. The 9 Times Quickie 1. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out.2. For 9 x 3 bend your third finger down. (9 x 4 would be the fourth finger)3. You have 2 fingers in front of the bent finger and 7 after the bent finger.4. Thus the answer must be 27.5. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10. The 4 Times Quickie 1. If you know how to double a number, this one is easy.2. Simply, double a number and then double it again! The 11 Times Rule #1 1. Take any number to 10 and multiply it by 11.2. Multiply 11 by 3 to get 33, multiply 11 by 4 to get 44. Each number  to  10 is just duplicated. The 11 Times Rule #2 1. Use this strategy for two-digit numbers.2. Multiply 11 by 18. Jot down 1 and 8 with a space between it. 1__8.3. Add the 8 and the 1 and put that number in the middle: 198 Deck Em! 1. Use a deck of playing cards for a game of multiplication war.2. Initially, children may need the grid to become quick at the answers.3. Flip over the cards as though you are playing Snap.4. The first one to say the fact based on the cards turned over (a 4 and a 5 Say 20) gets the cards.5. The person to get all of the cards wins!6. Children learn their facts much more quickly when playing this game on a regular basis. More Multiplication Tips Here are some easy ways to remember your times tables: Multiplying by 2: Simply double the number that youre multiplying. For example, 2 x 4 8. Thats the same as 4 4.Multiplying by 4: Double the number youre multiplying, then double it again. For example, 4 x 4 16. Thats the same as 4 4 4 4.Multiplying by 5: Count the number of 5s youre multiplying and add them up. Use your fingers to help count if you need to. For instance: 5 x 3 15. Thats the same as 5 5 5.Multiplying by 10: This is super-easy. Just take the number youre multiplying and add a 0 to the end of it. For instance, 10 x 7 70.   Want more practice? Try using some of these fun and easy  multiplication games  to reinforce the times tables.

Organizational Analysis paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Analysis paper - Assignment Example The board of directors was however behind the scenes and the principal was the leader. The principal spent most of her time communicating with the parents, students and teachers about issues to do with the vision of the school as well as the policies. She was in charge of calling for faculty meetings in case of any miscommunication, indiscipline cases or other matters concerning the teachers that needed to be passed to the students. Her effective communication skills with the stakeholders of the school led to an increase in funding and donations to the school as a way to appreciate her work. Everything was not always smooth despite the effectiveness of the communication. This was evident in a few cases where there was failure in communication due to various barriers. The most common of these barriers were brought about by channels used to pass the information to the students and teacher as well as other staff in the school which at times proved to be problematic. Most of the time the communication to students was carried through the school’s public addresses system that was connected from the principal’s office to the hallways, classrooms, recreational schools and even the cafeteria. There are times the system failed and especially when there was power blackout as it was not connected to the backup generator. The leadership of the institution was very coordinated based on the fact that the information and decisions came from the board of directors to the principal who carried out the disbursements role very well that the board did not have to worry about finding another channel to pass the news. In fact the effectiveness of the leadership was obvious from the fact that not many people knew about the existence of the board or who were the board members as everyone dealt with the principal. The principal and the deputy principal who were the leaders were not managers but rather servants as well as

Magazine ad analysis 1-1.5 page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Magazine ad analysis 1-1.5 page - Essay Example The other half of the ad features a large picture of the product and three small close-ups of portions of Parker’s face on a black background and explained with a good deal of text. As a result, the ad is presented in a split vertical panel allowing one side to ‘speak’ to the consumer on an emotional level while the other side ‘speaks’ on a more scientific level to try to convince customers to purchase this product. This presentation makes it clear that the Elaboration Likelihood Model is being used to persuade customers to purchase the product. The Elaboration Likelihood Model consists of two routes of thinking. The first of these is the central route. The central route uses high elaboration to encourage extensive issue-relevant thinking. This route is taken on the right side of the advertisement in the black panel. Here, the consumer is shown close-up specific areas of the face that the product is intended to improve. While the text promises that with use of the product â€Å"skin looks dramatically younger†, the close-up pictures illustrate where it improves appearance by plumping the skin such as around the mouth area, how it improves appearance by filling in lines such as those usually found on the forehead and how it smoothes skin with a close-up of Parker smoothing the product over her cheek with a carefully manicured hand. The final piece of information provided in this panel is a circle divided into three equal parts, each of which is filled with a symbol or segment of a main ingredient used in the product. This suggests that the product is all-natural and thus presumably healthier than other products that are built with more chemicals. This high degree of information forces the intended consumer to consider the various issues involved in her choices for skin care products, promising desired results in a healthy, all-natural material. The second route of thinking used in the Elaboration Likelihood Model is the