Similarities Between Cleopatra And Cleopatra - 1523 Words

Eckhardt 6 Caesar’s guests until his murder, Cleopatra tried to get recognition for her son as rightful heir, but to no avail.†(Cinnone) â€Å"Cleopatra s family ruled Egypt for more than 100 years before she was born around 69 B.C. The stories and myths surrounding Cleopatra s tragic life inspired a number of books, movies and plays, including Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Cleopatra has become one of the most well-known ancient Egyptians.†(Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator.) â€Å"In 59 Caesars, with this backing, secured his first consulship, in which he ruthlessly overrode the opposition and disregarded the vetoes of his pro-senatorial colleague. Then, between 58 and 51, he conquered the whole of central and northern Gaul as far as the River Rhine, which he briefly crossed.† (Grant 29) After Caesar and his army crushed Gaul, both parties became exceptionally affluent. In 49 BC, Caesar attacked Pompey and his men later deserting them. Caesar was victorious, Pompey flees to Egypt and is later pursued by Caesar.(â€Å"Republic of Rome†) The quote by Julius Caesar â€Å" I came, I saw, I conquered† was addressing the Roman senate After Defeating King Pharnaces II after the Battle of Zela in 47 BC. (Hagopian Institute) Julius Caesar himself fought in the Punic wars. Conventional wisdom has it that the Roman Empire consisted of what would now be known as Western Europe. The Romans and the Carthaginians had their first of three consecutive battles in 264 BC, which was known as theShow MoreRelatedAntony And Cleopatra Relationship Essay1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe relationship between Antony and Cleopatra is something we can only speculate about after analysing the writings from ancient history. The main written accounts of the couple come primarily from Roman writers, therefore are largely based on the cultural, political and possibly personal beliefs of the individuals who wrote them. An important similarity between the two passages would be that both were originally ‘written in the early part of the second century CE, more than 150 years after theRead MoreAntony and Cleopatra - Love Story or Tragedy Essay1265 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion `Shakespeare doesnt organize his tragedy as a drama of love between Antony and Cleopatra, but as a drama of the rise and fall of Antony in the struggle for world leadership. What is your view? Answer Fundamentally, I disagree with this interpretation of the play. Indeed we do see the fall of the great Marc Antony but the play never actually depicts scenes of his rise to prominence. `Antony and Cleopatra is renowned as one of the greatest love stories of all time and I align myselfRead MoreLove Styles of Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet1701 Words   |  7 PagesLove Styles of Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet The heart of many of Shakespeare’s works is love and tumultuous relationships. It is not a difficult task to attempt to analyze the relationships of his protagonists. Many of his characters would fit into at least one of the â€Å"love-styles† presented by John Alan Lee. There are many different types of relationships and John Alan Lee aims to categorize them, or breaking them down into â€Å"different colors,† (Lee, 40). The love-styles can beRead Moreaa100 assignment 1. octavian versus plutarch on anthony753 Words   |  4 Pagesrelationship with Cleopatra, they are both guilty of putting their own negative spin on the situation. They both use different approaches to the subject but the end result is the same. Anthony is portrayed as a man who has lost his way and in doing so, has sunk to the lowest levels of society .The one thing they both agree on, is that Cleopatra had a very negative effect on Anthony and is responsible for his decline. To answer the above question we need to explore the relationship between Anthony and CleopatraRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Presentation of Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra1625 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Presentation of Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra Shakespeare portrays Octavius Caesar as a very complex character in Antony and Cleopatra. Shakespeare shows the audience how he has very strong feelings about War, leadership, the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, and his sister Octavia. These attitudes can be seen as being too rational, too ambitious, and too efficient. However it is these characteristics which in some ways, formRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Presentation of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra2014 Words   |  9 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Presentation of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra The presentation of Cleopatra in Act three Scene thirteen is quite ambiguous. Her presentation in the rest of the play is also very contrasting and distinct. I believe Shakespeare concentrated on demonstrating Cleopatras personality and ambiguity to emphasise that, being the only central female in the play, it is even more surprising that she manages to act the way she does, with such an alarming range Read More Cleopatra as a Historical Figure Essay2549 Words   |  11 PagesCleopatra as a Historical Figure In hieroglyphs, the name reads â€Å"Kleopadra†. It is a name which in Greek means â€Å"Glory of Her Race† (Weigall, 44). It is a name belonging to a woman who has transcended the boundaries of time so that we may know her story. What better way to describe Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, Ruler of the Nile, sent from the Gods themselves to lead her people, than â€Å"Glory of Her Race†? Cleopatra, the last ruling descendant of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, has arguably unparalleledRead MoreInspirational Women in History The role of women throughout mankind has been a dynamic and ever1900 Words   |  8 Pagesbrothers for access to the throne! Cleopatra, a Hollywood phenomenon, actually partnered with Caesar of Rome and led her land to great prosperity. Joan of Arc, who continually inspires literature and works of art today, started as a peasant woman in France. At the young age of sixteen she became the commander of the French army. All three of these women took very different paths to reach their positions of authority. And yet, one of the most prominent strands of similarity they hold stems from the placeRead MoreModern Day Red District Chicago2152 Words   |  9 PagesLysistrata is not only present in Chi-Raq but also in the modern day film Is That a Gun in Your Pocket? and unsurprisingly the films have commonalities. Since Chi-Raq and Is There a Gun in Your Pocket? are both adaptations of the same play, there are similarities the first being the use of guns. The male characters in the movies use guns as a way to fight, or just to show a power which in turn adds a dangerous aspect. Since there is so much gun usage there is a characteristic of child endangerment. AlthoughRead MoreShakespeare vs Dryden3975 Words   |  16 PagesSEMINAR ANTONY CLEOPATRA AND ALL FOR LOVE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Introduction:- The following study is based on the plays Antony and Cleopatra which is written by William Shakespeare and All for Love which is written by John Dryden. Both writers are the most prominent playwrights in the history of English literature. We can see that both writers through their respective works have focused on the relationship between two prominent characters

Aztec Culture Essay - 1402 Words

Name: Yu Zhao Student ID: ZHYUD13 Course Title: ANTH1220 Date: 1st July 2013 Introduction Horticulture, as an industry, is divided on the basis of crop and plant use. Horticulture can be divided into two groups including edible plants and aesthetic plants which means those grown for their beauty. Floriculture is the cultivation and management of cut flowers, flowering plants, and foliage plants. When the horticulture or intensive agriculture performed by women, they are recognized as less important. However, historically women’s roles were equally if not more important than those of men. Women were given high respect and equality in horticulture ancient societies like Trobriand amp; Kapauku. Aggregate data shows that women comprise†¦show more content†¦Aztec community was experience and knew how to maximise the production by following crop rotations on highlands where less irrigation treatments are available, also exchanging in inter-cities to have different availability of vegetation (Peters-Golden 2002a: 21).In the form of occupation the status of women was limited on some extents, as the entire section of croft practiced by women of all classes only. Women of the lower rank used to produce simple goods for household where Nobel women were engaged in producing ceremonial capes, by using finest cotton, rabbit fur and feathers(Peters-Golden 2002a: 22). This division of labor amongst women represent status-run going the empire with less equalities. A boy was declared a soldier(Peters-Golden 2002a: 29) and the only way a women n get honor in warfare is only if a women dies while giving birth a boy. The high involvement of men in warfare resulted in handling of agriculture and small level horticulture by women, as they used to cultivate cotton and decorative herbs which were used in making clothes. The Kapauku Culture The Kapauku culture was based on a belief that universe is made and designed by Ugatame which means The Creator in the form of males and females, like the sun and the moon and also believed in the flat surface of earth which has water on the sides and it goes as down as far as there is to go(Peters-Golden 2002b: 137). KapaukuShow MoreRelatedThe Aztecs And The Aztec Culture939 Words   |  4 PagesThe Aztecs are often perceived as a merciless society who increased their empire through bloody conflict. Furthermore, they are most remembered for religious sacrifice of humans. This included elaborate ceremonies culminating with the removal of organs while the sufferers were still breathing. Although violent sacrifice is intolerable in modern times, it wasn’t uncommon less than a millennia ago. It was practiced throughout the world on every continent. This includes Mesopotamia which is a cradleRead MoreAztec Culture And The Aztec Civilization1637 Words   |  7 PagesAztec culture flourished in the highlands of central Mexico between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, AD. As the last in a series of complex urban civilizations in Mesoamerica, the Aztecs adopted many traits and institutions from their predecessors such as the Maya and Teotihuacan. The Aztecs also devised many innovations, particularly in the realms of economics and politics. Aztec civilization was destroyed at its height by the invasion of Spanish conquerors under Hernando Cortà ©s in 1519. TheRead MoreThe Aztec Culture Of America1236 Words   |  5 PagesThe Aztec culture was one of the biggest tribes to emerge in the Meso-America era. Their empire was known to be one of the strongest, and consisted of brave soldiers ready to fight. The Aztec culture was the dominate force in Mesoamerica they were apart of the pre-columbian civilization. The Aztec are said to be descendants of the Olmecs who are known as the Mother Culture of Central America. This culture reign and control many tribes/cit ies which showed the power they had, their legacy still livesRead MoreThe Culture Of The Mayas, And The Aztecs1693 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the humanities course, I have been intrigued by a vast amount of information on different cultures. However, there was a particular section that truly caught my attention, and has piqued an interest in me that has caused me to do my own research aside from this paper. The culture of the Mayas, and the Aztecs has been extremely fundamental in understanding my ancestry, being that I am Mexican American. I took an interest in their beautiful architecture, their ritualistic and sacrificialRead MoreThe Aztec Culture of Sacrifice3018 Words   |  13 Pagesof the community ensuring a supply of animal protein, while the other perceives it as a cultural construct fostered by a violent society. This essay will argue, through an examination of the role of human sacrifice in the religious practices of the Aztec civilization, that human sacrifice sh ould be interpreted primarily as a cultural activity that is firmly integrated into the signification and value system of the community as a whole. Human Sacrifice (a) - Theory To individuals operating withinRead MoreAztec And African Cultures : Similarities And Differences2356 Words   |  10 PagesHarell Mitchell III Mr.Clark Ant 101 12/05/16 Aztecs and African cultures Aztec and African are two distinctive cultures with many differences. The two cultures are on different continents that are far away from each other, and there is a wide difference between the two cultures. The beliefs and practices of the people are different in both of these cultures. However, as the world becomes more global, and as people become more exposed to different cultures, the differences between them seem to be narrowingRead MoreWhat Does Aztec Culture Mean For Mexican People?917 Words   |  4 Pages What does Aztec culture mean for Mexican people? The Aztec culture was the beginning of the Mexican culture along with other Indian territories in Mexico. The Aztecs were known because they ruled and most of the southern part of Mexico for a long period of time, but like everyone knows everything has to come to an end. Even though Aztec society is gone, their society levels, religion, and architecture can still be seen and analyzed today. The Aztecs were Mesoamerican people from the early centuriesRead MoreCompare and Contrast Maya, Aztec, and Inca Culture Essay677 Words   |  3 PagesCompare and contrast Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture In history we the people have found to realize that the Maya, Aztec, and Inca culture was one of the most incredible findings of their accomplishments. The Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations were really smart in topics of engineering, writing, agriculture and astronomy. Also all three had their beliefs, and good with agriculture. All three cultures used great technologies in their agriculture like slash and burn, terrace farming. They all huntedRead MoreInevitably, Death is Only the Beginning in Egyptian and Aztec Culture687 Words   |  3 Pagesand decay. There are many dark deities in mythology. Male and Female deities in every different culture in the world. Two of the most interesting deities of death and darkness are Micteacaihatl the lady of death in Aztec culture, and the famous Anubis, guardian of the dead, and afterlife in Egyptian mythology. In Egyptian culture they believe that death is only the beginning, much like Christian cultures today. If you were a pharaoh or of some importance, or rich in the world you were mummified, andRead MoreThe Three Different Cultures in Aztec Empire2158 Words   |  9 PagesAztec Culture There were a variety of different cultures of people who were part of the Aztec empire. Social Classes of the Aztec Empire: The Aztec society was organized into tightly structured groups or classes. There were three main classes that formed Aztec society. The nobles, the intermediate class, and the commoners. Each class was divided further. At the top was the emperor who belonged to the noble class. His power came from control of the military and was supported by Aztec religious

Mergers Acquisitions and Corporate Restructurings †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Mergers Acquisitions and Corporate Restructurings. Answer: Introduction: It becomes obligatory for an analyst or the stakeholder of a company to analyze the position, stability and performance of the company in terms of finance. In this report, the performance of JB HI FI has been evaluated on the basis of the various tools and techniques. In this report, financial strength, performance, stability and profitability of the company has been evaluated. This report would brief the user about the performance of the company so that they could make a better decision about the company. Data of last 5 years has been analyzed to get better result. Mainly, the financial figures, stock price and the annual report of the company have been concerned for this report. The company, JB HI FI LIMITED carries out its functions and the operations into the entertainment and music industry. In 1974, this company has come into existence. John Barbuto was the co founder of this company and this company has been opened at East Keilor, Victoria. In addition, this company has registered its stocks into the Australian stock exchange to trade the securities of the company (Home, 2017). Currently, JB HI FI is recognized as the biggest firms of music and entertainment industry in the Australian market. The main products and services of this company are DV Movies, video games, music CDs, games etc. In this report, performance of the company has been evaluated so that the users could make a better decision about the company. Data of last 5 years has been analyzed to get better result. Annual report has been concerned to analyze the report in a better way. The term financial analysis depict about the analysis which is done over the financial figures and financial statement of a company to analyze the performance and the stability position of a company. Various tools are used by the financial analyst to identify the position and performance of the company (Dotson Hyatt, 2005). Ratio analysis, vertical analysis, horizontal analysis, debt analysis, equity analysis etc are the part of this analysis. Usually, this study is done to identify and evaluate the liquidity, stability and solvency position of a firm. For analyzing the financial performance of the company, ratio analysis study has been conducted: Financial analysiss main part is ratio analysis. Ratio analysis study depict about the various level of a company. This process depict about the liquidity, stability and solvency position of a firm (Du Girma, 2009). This study briefs the users about the financial performance of the company. Study of ratio analysis is as follows: The study of profitability ratios have been done to evaluate the position of the profit of the organization. Normally, these ratios are based over the financial matrices that could be used by the users to identify and evaluate the performance of the company on the basis of total expenses and the revenue of the company in a specified period. Various profitability ratios such as ROA (return on assets), ROE (return on equity), turnover of asset, earnings per share and financial leverage have been evaluated to classify the position of JB HI FI (FIRER et al, 2012). 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Profitability Return on equity Net profit/revenues 0.0305615 0.0384421 0.0375137 0.0367394 0.03507 Return on assets Net profit/Equity 0.2014052 0.3753086 0.3994169 0.4338983 0.47737 Financial leverage EBIT / EBIT - Interest 1.0428016 1.0184332 1.0307692 1.0494505 1.05952 Asset turnover total assets / total sales *365 159.0876 91.665402 89.450986 90.097589 93.0154 Earnings per share Net income - pref div / shares outstanding 0.3917995 3.1020408 2.4035088 2.2068966 1.84127 According to the above calculations, it has been evaluated that the JB HI FIs financial position has became better from last few years. The performance of the company has become better due to the new strategies, polices and projects of the comapny (Annual report, 2017). The study of liquidity ratios have been done to evaluate the position of the stability of the organization. Normally, these ratios are based over the financial matrices that could be used by the users to identify and evaluate the obligation position of the company on the basis of total current assets and current liabilities on a particular date (Fulin, 2011). Various liquidity ratios such current ratios, cash ratios and quick ratios have been evaluated to identify the position of JB HI FI. Liquidity cash ratio cash equivalents + cash / current liabilities 0.0823928 0.1163311 0.1289474 0.1221591 0.15158 Current ratio Current assets/current liabilities 1.32 1.57 1.62 1.64 1.28 Quick Ratio Current assets-Inventory/current liabilities 0.35 0.35 0.36 0.34 0.31 Receivable turnover Receivables/ Total sales*365 29.31 36.02 33.03 30.13 27.71 Inventory turnover Inventory / cost of goods sold *365 71.37 64.52 61.26 61.03 59.57 According to the above calculations, it has been evaluated that the JB HI FIs financial position and the short term debt of the comapny has became lower from last few years. But the management of the working capital of the company is quite impressive. The position of the company has become better because of the industry position (Annual report, 2017). The study of solvency ratios has been done to evaluate the position of the debt and equity of the organization. Normally, these ratios are based over the ability of the company that could be used by the company to manage and identify the level of the optimal capital structure of the JB HI FI Limited (Gaughan, 2010). It helps the company and the top level management of the company to enhance the position of the company on the basis of total equity and total debt on a particular date. Various solvency ratios such current cash coverage ratios, debt equity ratios and times interest earned ratios have been evaluated to identify the position of JB HI FI. Solvency Times interest earned EBIT / Interest expenses 24.363636 55.25 33.5 21.222222 17.8 Cash coverage ratio EBIT + non cash expenses / interest expenses 269.00 222.00 202.00 192.00 179.00 Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/ Equity 1.87 1.45 1.61 1.92 2.47 According to the above calculations, it has been evaluated that the JB HI FIs solvency position and debt and equity relationship has became better from last few years. the management of cost and risk factor has also improved the performance of the company. Through these calculations, it has been analyzed that the performance of the company has become better (Morningstar, 2017). The study of market based ratios has been done to evaluate the position of the stock of the company in the market. Normally, these ratios are based over the current stock price, book price and the dividend offered by the comapny. It helps the investors and the financial analyst to make a better decision about the investment and divestment from the company. Various market based ratios such as dividend yield ratios and price / earnings ratios have been evaluated to identify the position of JB HI FI in the marketplace. Market based ratios Price / earnings ratio Market value per share / earnings per share 60.90 Dividend yield ratio dividend / current share price 4.99 According to the above calculations, it has been evaluated that the JB HI FIs market based position and dividend and sock price relationship has became better. The management of stock price and dividend has been done by the company in a better way through managing the supply and demand of the securities (Cravens and Piercy, 2006). Through these calculations, it has been analyzed that the performance of the company has become better (Corporate shareholders, 2017). According to the evaluation over the stability, position and profitability of the company, it has been evaluated that the JB HI FI is performing better in the industry. The profitability position, liquidity position, market position and the solvency position of the company is in the favour of the company and thus the return provided by the company would also be better (Lacalle, 2017). Thus this depict that it is a good choice for the investors to invest into the company to enhance the level of the invested amount. The investor could invest for long and short term as well in the comapny to get a better result (Dean Yunus, 2001). Conclusion: To conclude, JB HI FI is the biggest company in the industry. This company is the leader of the industry and falls under FTSE 100. The performance of JB HI FI has been evaluated on the basis of the various tools and techniques for this report. Financial strength, performance, stability and profitability of the company have been evaluated to reach over a conclusion about the investment and divestment. Data of last 5 years has been analyzed to get better result. Mainly, the financial figures, stock price and the annual report of the company have been concerned for this report. The report concludes that it is a better choice for the investors to invest into this company for long and short term as well in the comapny to get a better result. Thus this depict that it is a good choice for the investors to invest into the company to enhance the level of the invested amount. References: Annual Report. (2013). JB HI FIltd. Retrieved from https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/J/ASX_JBH_2013.pdf as on 27th Oct 017 Annual Report. (2017). JB HI FI ltd. Retrieved from https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/J/ASX_JBH_2017.pdf as on 27th Oct 017 Cravens, D.W. and Piercy, N., (2006). Strategic marketing (Vol. 7). New York: McGraw-Hill. Dean, E. Yunus, K. (2001). An overview of strategic alliances. Management Decision, Vol. 39 Iss 3 pp. (205 (218. Dotson, M.J. and Hyatt, E.M., (2005). Major influence factors in children's consumer socialization. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 22(1), pp.35-42. Du, J. and Girma, S., (2009). Source of finance, growth and firm size: evidence from China (No. (2009.03). Research paper/UNU-WIDER. FIRER, C. et al. (2012). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. 5th Edition.Berkshire.McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Fulin, S. (2011). Preface by SHANG Fulin. Corporate Governance of Listed Companies in China, 9-10. Gaughan, PA. (2010).Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructurings. John Wiley Sons. JB HI FI. (2017). Corporate shareholders. Retrieved from https://www.jbhifi.com.au/General/Corporate/Shareholder-Matters/Financial-Annual-Reports/ as on 27th Oct 017 JB HI FI. (2017). Home. Retrieved from https://www.jbhifi.com.au/General/Corporate/Consumer-Matters/About-Us/ as on 27th Oct 017 Lacalle, D., (2017), Credit?rating agencies.Life in the Financial Markets: How they really work and why they matter to you, pp.95-98. Morningstar. 2017. JB HI FI. Retrieved from https://financials.morningstar.com/cash-flow/cf.html?t=JBHregion=ausculture=en-US as on 27th Oct 2017

Medical Ethics Essays (2946 words) - Medical Ethics,

Medical Ethics Medical Ethics ? Bioethics comprise every possible aspect of health care, medical, moral, social, political, religious, legal and financial? (Weiss 3). This includes the questions raised by new research. It takes a look at the results of that research that is used on patients. It takes into consideration contemporary ideas of personal freedom and human dignity. It deals with growth in medical services available in the United States and the sky rocketing cost. Bioethics also deals with the medical advances in technology that has reshaped traditional medical ethics. Medical ethics have changed drastically over a period of years. From old commandments to new commandments, guidelines that provide structural framework, classic experiments that challenge that framework, or even how things are defined in medical ethics. ?Medical progress goes on, and the perils of progress must be heeded? (Leone 165). Changing times have in turn changed our codes of ethics. There are five old commandments o f ethics and five new commandments of ethics. These commandments come from many years of heavily advised dictates from various people. A commandment by definition is, ? ... a dictate or a strongly advised piece of advice? (Halsey 201). The first traditional commandment is, ? Treat all human life as of equal worth? (Singer 190). This statement is very difficult to follow; almost no person believes this statement whole-heartedly. The statement makes more sense on paper or just being heard, but its application in life is almost impossible to ensure. In comparison to the first old ethic, the first new ethic states, ?Recognize that the worth of human life varies? (Singer 190). This statement allows for variation and livability in society. It gives way for someone to say, if a person is a vegetable, has no vital capabilities, this person?s life is of no worth anymore. Without this sort of change in today?s advancing civilization, it would make it ethically wrong to ?pull the plug? (Rothst ein 1698.) The next commandment of old ethics is, ? Never intentionally take innocent human life? (Singer 192). If a doctor or any health care professional just stood by during the birth of a child and both the child and the mother were dying, how could that doctor stand there and watch both the mother and the infant die without taking some method of action. However, if that physician were to save either patient while sacrificing the life of the other, that health care professional would be considered unethical and scorned by the standard of this ethical commandment. In comparison, the new commandment states, ?Take responsibility for the consequences of your decisions?(Singer 195). By the token of this declaration a physician can make a choice based on his/her best judgment, yet; be held accountable for their actions. This gives a doctor the power to use his/her best judgment and knowledgeable skills, to do what they believe is best for the patient. This statement allows for a perso n?s right to free will, even a person who is a Christian may more fully agree with this statement just for the pure reason that they want to believe more in God?s promise of free will in their life. Commandment number four states,? Be fruitful and multiply? (Singer 198). This biblical injunction has been a part of Christian ethics for thousands of years. ? Augustine said that sexual intercourse without procreation ` turns the bridal chamber into a brothel (Singer 198). Some laws in America concerning contraceptives survived until the mid- 1960?s when the Supreme Court declared them invasion of privacy (Madsen 325). The revised commandment number four, ?Bring children into the world only if they are wanted? (Singer 199), allows for population control as well as prevention of children who were never wanted and not loved. From 1930 when the population was two billion to today where the population is over five billion and is expected to rise above eleven billion by the middle of the nex t century. With these kinds of statistics revised dictates, such as this fourth one, are essential. The final of these five old commandments state, ? Treat all human life as always more precious than any non-human life? (Singer 201). If we compare a severely defective human infant with a

Websites and the Internet essays

Websites and the Internet essays Throughout time man has constantly been trying to process and send information. Before the Internet we used mail and telephone. In order to get information about any topic people would have to travel to a library and research a lot to find things for a paper. With the Internet becoming constantly bigger the world is at your finger tips. Through Websites people find information that would take hours at a library now takes seconds. The point of a Web site is to get information to people. Web sites also provide entertainment and just plain fun. Web sites are fun to look at and make. But their history goes farther back then most people realize. Before starting to design a Web page you must know the history of Web sites, you must realize how they operate, and you must understand why you are making the site. You must know who youre making it for and what is going to go on the site. The modern day Internet evolved from a study from the U.S. Department of Defense. In 1969 the Department created a network of computers so if one failed, the information could be re-routed in case of an emergency. By 1972 this networking of computers was revealed to the public and had about fifty universities linked. At this point it was called the Advanced Research Projects Agency network. And a year later the first international computer link was made to England and Norway. In the early 90s the project was renamed the World Wide Web, then turned into a private sector. The Internet was in control of the people. In 1993 the Internet took a big boost in popularity. In 2000 it was estimated that over 100 million adults in the USA used the Internet. But even with all of this information, how does a Web site work? A Web site is a document just like a word document except a Web site has much more than a simple word document. The computer reads the Web site from a server in a computer language called HTML (Hypertext Mark U ...

Socialization of Drugs

Socialization of Drugs Free Online Research Papers Substance abuse in America has become an overwhelming problem considering the numbers of people who use today compared to fifty years ago. Today, drugs are used commonly by the rich and successful, the disadvantaged, middle class and a majority of the student body. America has become a drug culture, the marketplace of an international flow of drugs on an unprecedented scale. (Long, 1986) One of the main foundations of this social problem is the intense availability of drugs in neighborhoods where crime is prevalent. This whole issue can be regarded and defined through the conflict perspective and the basic conflict approach can be utilized as a tool to dissect the problem even further. There are many reasons why drug/substance abuse can be defined as a social problem. Kornblum and Julian developed three criterions for a condition to be considered â€Å"a social problem†. The first criterion is that the condition must be defined as a problem. If any American on the side of the street is asked if he or she thinks that substance abuse is a problem, the majority of them will answer, yes. Therefore, because majority believes it is a problem, then it fits the first criterion. The second criterion for defining it as a social problem is that it must affect everyone. â€Å"Agree that although this condition affects a segment of the population directly and/or disproportionately, it also affects the society as a whole or is ‘caused’ by something beyond the individual’s control.† (Sayegh, 2001) This rule can be applied to substance abuse because it affects all areas of class and society. The final criterion is to propose a solution. S ociety has done this through developing â€Å"say no to drugs† programs, rehab services, psycho/addiction therapy, offered many lectures, etc. to help keep people young and old off drugs. Now that substance abuse has been recognized as a social problem it can further be explained and categorized though the conflict perspective. The conflict perspective was developed by Karl Marx as a reaction to industrialization and capitalism. Although it is perceived as a radical perspective it is still efficient when dealing with substance abuse. In many ways, drug abuse can be attributed to the access of wealth and power, depending on the type of drug. Many statues of inequality, such as class, race ethnicity, gender, age, physical/mental capabilities, and sexual orientation, cause clashes in values and interests between different groups in society. Some of these groups are religious groups, political groups, men/women, and homosexual/heterosexual. Drug abuse affects all of these groups, both dominant and subordinate. (Sayegh 2001) This approach can also best be expressed through statistics. An estimated 14.8 million Americans were current users of illicit drugs in 1999, meaning they used an illicit drug at least once during the 30 days prior to the interview. 10.9% of youths age 12-17 reported current use of illicit drugs in 1999. The difference in gender is of those youths was 11.3%-male and 10.5%-female. For ethnic groups, the rates for illicit drug use were 3.2% for Asians, 6.6% for whites, 6.8% for Hispanics, 7.7% for African Americans, 10.6% for American Indian/Alaska Natives, and persons who claimed mixed race was 11.2%. The total percentages for large metropolitan, small metropolitan, non-metropolitan and rural were 7.1, 7.0, 5.2, and 4.2 respectively. Almost a 3% increase in users is found when going from rural to urban areas. (www.samhsa.gov/oas/NHSDA/1999/Highlights.htm) Although these statistics were for illicit drug users, it still expresses a lot in the way of drug abuse being a social problem. In some instances it even presents a conflict within itself. Some of the social inequalities are portrayed through these statistics. One is a clash between male and female. It is often true that men are more likely to be drug users than women. As time progresses this becomes less and less true. However, currently there are more males using than there are females statistically. (McDonald, 1994) In the instance of age, there are more youths becoming users at even earlier ages. This can be attributed to the pressures put on young children at an early age to do well and succeed, as well as pressures from peers. This can be found mainly in large metropolitan areas where classes are mixed in schools. It is obvious that the Bourgeoisie-the ‘Haves’ and the Proletariat-the ‘Have Nots’ are affected for several reasons. Considering the racial statistics, it is apparent that the most discriminated groups have the highest abuse rates as well as lower incomes. One exception to this is the Asian statistics. This, however, can be attributed to deeply rooted traditions from the societies they come from. Many cultures believe that drug addiction is a fault found in a person’s psyche and thus they are considered unclean. This is mostly due to the belief that addiction is a choice. â€Å"Absolutely crucial to disease-model thinking is the theory that when addicts are taking their drug, they have ‘lost control’. They supposedly cannot help themselves; they have no option but to go on taking the drug. It’s easy to see that this theory is indispensable to the disease model. Without this loss of control, how could anyone claim that the decision to take or not to take some drug was not a genuine choice? ‘Loss of control’ has been repeatedly sought by researchers and has never been found. All the evidence we have supports the view that drug addicts are conscious-yes, even calculating –responsible persons, in full command of their behavior.† (Shaler pg. 21) Alcoholics control their drinking, marijuana smokers control their smoking , cocaine users control their cocaine consumption, heroin addicts control their use of heroin, etc. (Schaler, 2000) Although what Schaler says is all found to be true to a degree, he isn’t writing from a social science perspective. Users do control the intake of their drug of choice, however who is chosen and who is not is more up to society with some psychological influence. The psychological influence, however, has been directly affected by society as mentioned before with inequalities of status. On a meso-level there is a system that has developed an ideology that drug addiction is a choice and that it is wrong which is the judicial system. They have developed a set of norms and values for society to follow with laws. Because they carry out the law and have their hands full of substance abusers, they are reliable sources for statistics on drug abuse related crimes. Every year they publish a Uniform Crime Report, otherwise known as the crime index. It is an â€Å"official† statistic report for crimes including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. In this particular report the statistics for Drug Abuse violation arrests is recorded. Drug abuse violations are defined as State or local offenses relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs including opium or cocaine and their derivatives, marijuana, synthetic narcotics, and dangerous nonnarcotic drugs such as barbiturates. (ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/briefing/basedrug.htm). There have been many different attempts at ending drug abuse related crimes by having a â€Å"war on drugs† and â€Å"locking all of them up†. Some problems with these solutions are that people find them intrusive into their personal lives and the cost of funding the war on drugs is about fifteen billion dollars a year. Some other arguments that go against the war on drugs are: â€Å"Because criminalization makes drugs expensive, addicts are forced to commit crimes to continue their habits† and â€Å"Because drug trade is illegal, highly profitable [it causes] turf wars and or disputes between drug dealers [which causes] increased violence.† (Sayegh, 2001) The trend in drug arrests among adults and juveniles has increased dramatically over the last 30 years as well. In 1970, 100,000 juveniles and 350,000 adults were arrested on drug related charges. In 1999, 1,350,000 adults and 250,000 juveniles were arrested on drug related charges. (ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/drug.htm) Perhaps these numbers have increased due to population growth, and perhaps they could be reduced with better drug education programs. To widely educate the risks and facts about drug abuse, the community must make an effort to come together and help those in need. These people must be students- in grades K-12; educators- teachers, school administrators, other members of school staff; and adult members- of the community, parents and friends of school children. After all of these groups make an effort to come together, and then the environment they create is a solution-oriented and safe one. (Bedworth, 1973) This helps all of the groups come to better understandings of the needs young people have when faced with uncomfortable situations. It also opens up communication pathways and allows the groups to trust one another. There are programs in every community that do this, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, United Way, and even some psychological hospitals offer one-on-one free counseling. Another way the community has tried to help young people is by putting up the â€Å"safe place† signs on their win dows. If a community comes together to help itself, then there eventually could be a drop in substance abusers. Throughout history, drugs have been used to medicate physical and emotional ailments. However, when the user becomes dependent, more serious problems develop. This is not just an individual problem, but also a social problem. (Brandeis University, 1993) It is an issue everyone faces because it is seen everywhere and affects every class, race, creed, sexual orientation and gender. Not only does it affect these groups, but creates larger problems in society, such as violence, illegal drug trafficking, and smuggling. All of these examples, society pays for, whether with tax dollars or with personal sacrifice. Perhaps through better drug education and a better understanding of the relationships individuals hold in society could it one day become utopian. â€Å"Clearly the concept of pure justice produces an infinite regress†¦We are all the descendants of thieves, and the world’s resources are inequitably distributed, but we must begin the journey to tomorrow from the point where we are today.† (Garrett Hardin) However, while there are many authors supporting the view that substance abuse is more sociological, there are others who may see it as nothing more than a criminal act. â€Å"The use of illegal drugs in America is viewed as a criminal behavior rather than a social problem† (Staton 148). The declaration of the war on drugs in the early eighties further emphasized the idea of users being criminals when in fact, users are no more criminals than the authority over them. A common definition of a criminal act is one that harms society, an action done deliberately for whatever motive that causes another person harm. Albeit, the statistical increase of drug related violent crime cannot be refuted, it can be directly correlated to the mishandling of drug users. We see a drug offender as a person who is a societal burden and even an outcast but the problem is much more complex than that. Our methods of handling a drug user have long been focused on incarceration followed by relea se with or without parole. Clearly an outcast and possibly a burden on society, but where did he choose this fate? To incarcerate a person who clearly needs rehabilitation creates a criminalized social deviant. The chance we have given the convicted drug offender to lead a successful life is non-existent. â€Å"Drug users must be looked at in a continuum, a progressive behavior that quickly escalates into a lifestyle that is not socially acceptable in our society. The road to disaster is paved with the first high, thats not in dispute. The teenager who smokes marijuana cigarette has done no more harm to society than a person J-walking across an empty highway† (Staton 149). Problems arise when the occasional joint turns into cocaine addiction and eventually, violence or crime. The good thing about our society is that that can be prevented quite simply. We have the most advanced law enforcement system in the world and also one of the best communication networks as well. It is very unlikely that our teenager who experimented with pot will see the sunrise before he is bombarded with media information and advertising. And, if he does not heed the advice of the wise, it is even more unlikely that in his predicted continued use of marijuana he will have a run in with the law bef ore he becomes that cocaine addict that mugged an elderly woman. This is where we fail. Lets assume that our teenage boy is a white, middle class freshman in college. He is picked up for possession of marijuana and given a court date. Our justice system will spend several hundred dollars prosecuting this delinquent child. He will acquire a criminal record and possibly be placed on a restricted lifestyle of some sort. Here we can see that he has not been treated, he has not been helped and in fact, our justice system has taken the first step in creating a social burden. With this standard method of adjudication, considering that a minimal after care program was completed (random drug testing), there is a sixty-two percent chance he will be in front of a judge in less than three years. Lets follow this particular teenager throughout his life. He may choose to use marijuana, drink alcohol and become the stereotypical college student. Depending on his personality, he may go on to try harder drugs, drugs that carry a much heavier penalty. Suppose his grades are slipping and he loses his girlfriend, he decides to use heroin and likes it. He is soon addicted, worsening his depression, and deals a little for some cash to buy more and an undercover officer arrests him. Again, our justice system comes so close to helping this guy out. The state spends a good deal of money on operations to seize drug dealers and they are surprisingly successful. Our boy will now go to jail. The federal government spends approximately six million dollars every year on federal inmates. The state spends about eleven million on its inmates, of whom forty percent are drug offenders. The boy is now kicked out of his college and will spend an average of nineteen months in a state prison. Here he will receive the benefits of a mere two million dollars allocated to rehabilitation and education resources available to him. He has a forty percent chance of not using marijuana while incarcerated and only a ten percent chance of being tested f or it. The main source of education becomes the inmates and a heavily used law library. The state prison has successfully educated a young, impressionable inmate how to fight, cheat, and swindle his way through our legal system and further, society itself. After nineteen months of jail the number of inmates charged with possession, has increased by almost eight percent over. In less than a decade the prison population of inmates charged with a drug offense has increased from seven hundred thousand to over one million. Despite the increases in the budget of over the last decade and a half from a little over one million dollars to 15 million per year, we have accomplished nothing. The man is released and goes out into our great land of opportunity. His parole officer advises him to stay clean and there is nothing more in the world that man wants to do than to stay off drugs. After being in a jail for a year and a half he is ready to start his life over. He suddenly realizes that he has no money, no job and no credit. We, as a society, have been influenced into thinking that a convicted drug offender with psychological problems is as bad as a violent offender. In a way, once released from a prison he is no better off. A man who may have beat his depression in jail on his own has now hit rock bottom. He now realizes that steady job is out of the question, friends are hard to come by and he has no place better to sleep than in a half-way house. His chances of receiving counseling in jail were only twelve percent and now its virtually impossible. He now has a seventy percent chance of staying clean for more than a year. For the twenty-five thousand dollars per year that we spent on his prison term, he was given nothing, spoke to no professionals in addiction and ironically becomes a new statistic. According to Kaminer, The poverty line in America is an income around sixteen thousand dollars a year. Our tax dollars pay twenty five thousand per year per inmate and he now has an income, if any, of about twelve. What has our prison system done for him? What has it done for society? With our increased spending and decreased rehabilitation efforts it seems as though we are moving backward. A drug user is not a criminal in the sense that our society deems him to be. We need to further explore our options for dealing with this social behavior to curb it before it escalates beyond our grasp. It is the politicians of this era that are hurting our society the worst, with their fears of not being re-elected outweighing their fears of a growing criminalized drug offender population. Bedworth, Albert E and D’Elia, Joseph A. 1973. Basics of Drug Education, Farminghale, NY: Baywood Publishing Company. Bureau of Justice Statistics Drug Arrests by Age. ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/drug.htm Drug Abuse Violation Arrests Data Sources. ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/briefing/basedrug.htm Garrett Hardin. lrainc.com/swtaboo/stalkers/hardin.html Highlights. samhsa.gov/oas/NHSDA/1999/Highlights.htm Institute For Health Policy, Brandeis University. 1993. Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem, Key Indicators For Policy, Princeton, NJ: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Kaminer, Y. (1994). Adolescent substance abuse: A comprehensive guide to theory and practice. New York: Plenum. Long, Robert Emmet. 1986. Drugs and American Society, New York, NY: The H.W. Wilson Company. McDonald, Maryon. 1994. Gender, Drink and Drugs, Oxford, UK: Short Run Press. Sayegh, Aaron. 2001. â€Å"Measurements of Crime†. Sayegh, Aaron. 2001. â€Å"Sociological Buzzwords, Social Problems†. Schaler, Jeffrey A. Ph.D. 2000. Addiction Is a Choice, Peru, IL: Carus Publishing Company. Staton, M., Leukefeld, C., Logan, T. K., Zimmerman, R., Lynam, D., Milich, R., Martin, C., McClanahan, K., Clayton, R. (1999). Risky sex behavior and substance use among young adults. Health and Social Work, 24(2), 147-154. Research Papers on Socialization of DrugsThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Effects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

Management - Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management - Change Management - Essay Example The restaurant’s menu is designed to meet all taste and the purchasing power of the customers. The company has been a global operator and its experience in the market and well-established services make the company market structure moral stable. From the large number of the customers who feed in the restaurant every day and well management of the funds the company financial situation is extremely stable. In order to meet the competition in the industry, Cafe de Coral Company has commenced planning, leading and implementing management changes needed to improve effectiveness and performance. Change Management Change management is never a choice between technologies, organizational or employee oriented solutions, but it involves combinations for best strategies designed to produce results. Hughes (2006, P. 180) indicates that the future scenarios are dynamic as they depend on the company’s abilities to manage them properly. According to Kam and Ming (2006, P. 217), the effe ctive and progressive management of change can assist in shaping a future that will better the enterprise’s survival prospects. The managers and companies operating in public or private will continue to be evaluated depending on their capability to manage change efficiently. Cafe de Coral Company has a larger global market place that has been made smaller due to the enhanced technologies and competition from abroad. Hughes (2006, P. 129) claim that Companies should note that planned change management is not impossible, but it is difficult. The significant point is that change management is an ongoing process, and it is incorrect to think that visionary Cafe de Coral Company can be reached in a highly programmed way. The growth of the company from the local operator to a global operator it shows the company is a different from what it was ten years ago. Kam and Ming (2006, P. 217) indicate that the company has developed strategies that have assisted in responding to competitiv e pressures so that it can transform the company. The Cafe de Coral Company has tried to manage and organize it human and technical resources in order to respond promptly to issues they encounter. The company has achieved the change of taste and preferences of client via harnessing the analytical skills and imagination of all company personnel to improve and introduce new products and services. Various factors have contributed to positive and negative changes in the Cafe de Coral Company. The significant change has transformed both internal and external situation of the company that was initiated due to the discomfort with the status quo. The change of Cafe de Coral led to changes in the internal organization and difficulty of operations in the company. The company noticed there was a gap between the set target and actual result in terms of market share and employee productivity. Therefore, there was a need for the company to reduce the gap and handle the forces of change. Adamson ( 2005, P.358) claim that the Cafe de Coral competitive strategy, and leadership shape has contributed a lot in the change of preference and the taste of the product and services. Meanwhile, the Cafe de Coral wanted to meet the employees’ needs and values that made them change their policies. For instance, it introduced attractive financial incentives that motivated employees and provided autonomy at work to attract and retain its effective employees.

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum Essay

Three things you can do with a pack of chewing gum - Essay Example Firstly, chewed gum can be used as an assistant tool for drawing contour lines. In most cases, contour lines are irregular, and they cannot be drawn by common tools. Designers usually leave the traces of mistakes visible to use as references for drawing the correct lines. However, being slightly confused by these reference marks is a common phenomenon during the process of professional drawing. Instead of using tentative care, chewed gum can be competently used as references in this context. The main ingredient of chewing gum is gum base. When the chewing gum is in people’s mouths, it gains elasticity with the help of saliva and bodily temperature (Saverson). This feature of elasticity means that the chewed gum can stretch to a long and narrow line. One interesting example of using the stretched chewed gum, is drawing contour lines on topographical maps. To do this, the individual must arrange the stretched chewed gum on the paper to show valleys hills, and the steepness of sl opes. After the process of adjustment, they must then trace along the stretched chewed gum with pen. Finally, if they remove the line of chewed gum a neat curved line will remain. The flexibility of the chewed gum makes the adjustment much easier while the stickiness of it helps to adhere to the paper. Another interesting and potentially useful characteristic of chewed gum is its stickiness. Some people use this characteristic for a special hobby – collecting insects. During the process of making insect specimens, an insect needle is a vital piece of equipment. However, sometimes the insects are physically too small to pitch the needle through. To keep the integrity of insect bodies, the stickiness of chewed gum can help to reach this goal. When making the specimen, the collector must first place the chewed gum into the prepared container. They must then use a lighter to burn the chewed gum for two to three seconds until the gum starts to melt.

Interest Initiates Learning Essay Example for Free

Interest Initiates Learning Essay In Gerald Graff’s essay, Hidden Intellectualism, one is exposed to the author’s view of different means of intellectualism. Graff gives the reader an uncommon perception of what it means to be an intellectual. He expresses his views by stating that a person can be an intellectual in fields that have nothing to do with academia, such as street smarts or particular interests. He also states that if you incorporate these particular interests in the classroom, students deemed as unintellectual would be more likely to grasp the taught materials. These students could then perform to their true potential. To begin with, Graff uses many forms of logic to persuade the reader into his point of view. By employing logos into his writing he states logical arguments of how many students are street smart or interested in other things. Graff guides the reader into the realization that if a student is interested in a subject, it is only logical that when the subject is incorporated into the learning material then the student will comprehend the concept more easily. Graff states that â€Å"they would be more prone to take on intellectual identities if we encourage them to do so at first on subjects that interest them rather then ones that interest us† (Graff 199). Next, Graff uses his personal experiences to help the reader connect with his ideas through pathos. He tells us how, as a young man, he did not consider himself an intellectual and was not interested in scholarly matters. â€Å"I offer my own adolescent experience as a case in point. Until I entered college, I hated books and cared only for sports.† (Graff 199) He later reflects his newfound thoughts on intellectualism as he states, â€Å"I have recently come to think, however, that my preference for sports over schoolwork was not anti-intellectualism so much as intellectualism by other means.† (Graff 200) He then allows the reader to sympathize and relate by informing us that he â€Å"grew up torn, then, between the need to prove [that he] was smart and the fear of a beating if [he] proved it too well.† (Graff 200) Last but not least, by using ethos, Graff establishes his credibility. He writes extremely well and refers to other well known authors in his essay such as George Orwell, â€Å"Students do need to read models of intellectually challenging writing—and Orwell is a great one—if they are to become intellectuals themselves.† (Graff 199) He also speaks of the 1950’s, a time period when opinions on intellectualism varied and reinforces his statement by supplying a real life example when Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller after divorcing baseball star Joe DiMaggio. It was â€Å"the symbolic triumph of geek over jock [and] suggested the way the wind was blowing.† (Graff 201) Overall I personally agree with Graff. As a student myself I feel that learning would be much easier if it was associated with things that I found to be interesting and enjoyable. I feel at times that the education system is very set in its ways. Times and people are changing, and so should the methods of teaching and involving students in the classroom. Many people with great potential might be limited by their lack of interest and may never be able to display to the world what they are capable of without Graff’s vision.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Spatial Needs of Homeless Drug Users L

With homelessness levels rapidly increasing in the UK (Fitzpatrick et al., 2012), the necessity for a study analysing the spatial needs of homeless individuals who suffer from drug abuse and are housed in hostels/night shelters was paramount. The task of the critical appraisal is to firstly, summarise the research article A Qualitative Exploration of the Spatial Needs of Homeless Drug Users Living in Hostels and Night Shelters (2013), discuss the methodology presented throughout it and further examine if whether it was appropriate for the topic. Towards the end, the research findings will be discussed and an assessment of whether the article is beneficial for the housing sector or not, will be provided, along with any possible recommendations. The subject matter of the aforementioned journal article is an exploration of a sub-category of homeless individuals, namely drug users homeless. The correlation between homelessness and drug abuse and the vicious impact that each issues has on the other one, is sought throughout the article, reinforcing the need to tackle each one separately in order to reach an effective end result. After defining terms such as homelessness, drug use and night shelters, it continues to present a seven-fold categorisation of spatial needs that seem to not be met entirely by homeless accommodation providers. It argues that, according to Fitzpatrick and LaGory (2000), every individual requires a sense of privacy, safety, personal space and reasonable human interaction in order to maintain a healthy life and follows to provide definitions for the concepts of privacy and personal space. After presenting the layout of the article, it proceeds to discuss the methods applied for its research analysis and i ntrodu... ... Greg Guest, Emily E. Namey, Marilyn L. Mitchell (2013) Collecting Qualitative Data, A Field Manual for Applied Research, Sage Publications Given, L.M. (2008) The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. Sage Publications Markle, D. T., Richard E. West & Peter J. Rich, Markle, D. Thomas; West, Richard E. & Rich, Peter J. (2011). Beyond Transcription: Technology, Change, and Refinement of Method [49 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12(3), Art. 21, Wholey, J.S., Hatry H.P., Newcomer K.E. (eds.) (2004) Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation , 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Patton, M.K (2002) Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, 3rd Edition. Sage Publications . Maslow, A. H., A theory of human motivation Psychological Review, 50(4), Jul 1943, pp. 370-396. doi: 10.1037/h0054346

Inclusive Education in Hong Kong Essay

Nowadays, when we talk about students with special education needs (SEN), we are no longer focusing on how special education schools treat the SENs for their learning. We address to the issue inclusive education because the public believes every child should share the same fundamental right to learn in a ‘normal’ classroom and education should be provided to cater the wide diversity of learners’ characteristics and needs (UNESCO, 1994). As a result, inclusive Education has been introduced to the Hong Kong Education system since the pilot study carried out in 1997. Now, there are different in-service and supporting schemes for schools (e.g. the 3-tier intervention model and Learning Support Grant since the school year 2004/05) to cater the learning needs of these groups of students. However, Inclusive education has been a controversial topic among the scholars and the educators owing to the lacking support and the contradictions with particular schools’ learning culture and parents’ expectations, in particular among Asian parents. It is believed that every student has the same rights to learn in the same context, and it is the schools’ responsibilities to provide students with special education needs with fair chances in the school for them to learn and live. In this essay, the teacher’s role and responsibility under the current Hong Kong education systems, especially for its inclusive education will be discussed. In unveiling the attitudes that teachers share in facing the challenges, suggestions are given to provide more comprehensive teacher’s training for pre-service teacher to tackle SEN students in their prospect career. About inclusive education Inclusive Education, which can be defined as the system ‘about embracing everyone and making a commitment to provide each students in the community, each citizen in a democracy, with the inalienable right to belong’ (Villa & Thousands, 2005). In other words, all students, no matter they are brighter in academic achievements, looks better in appearance, or have special education’s needs are treated in the same way in order to provide them with same education chances. The inclusion of schools was first introduced to the school systems for handicapped students and later on developed to most SEN  students with different psychological or physical impairments. In this way, schools have been changed to cater the learner diversities. Physically, more equipment and machinery aids, e.g. lift and FM receivers, have to be fixed in the school for some physically impaired students’ need. In terms of the teaching content, the school has to modify the curriculum and pedagogy; the allocation of SEN students in different classes would also be considered. A lot more technical issues in relation to the administration and the teaching strategies in the school would be affected. However, there are some opponents towards inclusive education because students do encounter problems when they are admitted to the mainstream schools. Some students still find being discriminated owing to their special need in the classroom; some feel that they could not communicate with other people in the school context (Shelton, 2006). Some even might find difficult to catch up with the study and give up. Different social problems might exist and bring about the drawbacks of the inclusion of schools. History of Inclusive Education in Hong Kong Prior the discussion of the teacher’s role, the historical background of inclusive education in Hong Kong is first addressed. The idea of inclusion has been started since the 1970s in Hong Kong when the government tried to mainstream learners with disabilities to public education, in accordance to the learners’ rights (Poon-McBrayer & Lian, 2002). Years after in 1997, a pilot project was funded and facilitated by the Education Department to explore the most effective way to involve SENs in mainstream schools. After years of experimentation, the government and educational specialists, together with the schools, have developed a series of in-service and support programmes, for instance, a 30-hour introductory course on integrated education. After that, The Education Department released the ‘Inclusive Education Implementation Guide’ to endorse the importance of inclusive education foe SENs. The term and perspective has changed from ‘Integrative education’ to ‘inclusive education’ which is a more adaptive approach for the whole school to adapt to SEN students’ needs. It is  suggested that special education curriculum should be built on the foundation of mainstream curriculum so that inclusive education can be later enhanced more effectively and smoothly (Education Department, 2000). Up to now, the theorist and practitioners are still seeking the way to search and reach the consensus from among congenital differences. More stakeholders are involved in this process, which includes more educational psychologist, parents and teachers (Lo, 2003). Importance of Teacher’s role In learning and teaching, students has become the main character of the context under the learner-centredness philosophy has been arisen in this generation. However, teachers’ role is another important issue in providing suitable education to students. They are the direct agent who are in touch with students and can foster students’ learning during and after the lessons. Hence, the perceptions of teachers in inclusive education is worth digging into. In the early ages of inclusive education, it was found ‘that the attitude of the regular education teacher toward a handicapped child can influence the climate of the classroom’ (Stoler, 1992, p.61). Similarly, the attitudes of teachers of the regular education toward any kind of SEN can influence the climate of the classroom. When the teacher can treat every student fairly, accept the difference of every one and be positive to the difference, students would find the learning climate easier and have better learning atmosphere in the classroom. Hence, better teaching and learning efficiency is expected. Moreover, ‘teachers’ support for inclusion in their classrooms is crucial for its successful implementation since they are playing an important role in implementing and facilitating any innovation at the classroom level (Ching, 2007, p. 162)’. Since teachers are the ones who teach in the classroom, the whole concept of inclusive Education would be meaningless if they do not support. Only when teachers share the same vision with inclusive education, they would perform consistently with the policy in order to pursue the best quality of teaching and learning in Schools. Factors that would affect teachers With teachers’ support to the inclusive education, they have to tackle with a few changes in relation to their work. They are the namely the curriculum and pedagogical changes (MacDonald and Hardman, 1989). In catering learners’ diversity, teachers are expected to vary the level of tasks for different lessons. Learners’ diversity can be of very wide range because there might be the existence of gifted and mentally retarded students (in extreme cases) in the same class. Curriculum should be changed to be more flexible for both high and low achievers to learn the most efficiently with reference to their own ability. Teacher should also varies the different teaching methods to cater for students’ need. For students in autistic spectrum disorder, teacher might consider their difficulties in getting along with a big group of new friends and offer him/ her a quitter place in the classroom. Less group work is assigned in particular lesson so that every students will gain the sense of achievement in the lessons. In addition, teachers have to be more sensitive and careful to students’ unusual behaviours owing their special needs. For examples, some ADHD students could not control themselves to sit properly in the classroom. If teachers have grasped the basic knowledge of the symptoms of different SEN, they would feel easier to go through the lesson and hence design suitable strategies to tackle these students. Difficulties that teachers would encounter However, it is never easy for teachers to reach these needs. In terms of teachers’ training, many on-job teachers expressed their worries in handling SEN students because they did not have enough training (Slavica, 2010). With only the 30 hours introductory course, teacher might not have enough understanding of the different education needs. This might lead to the mismatch of teaching methodologies in tackling students’ needs. This situation might still exist in the current teachers’ training programmes. In Stoler’s (2010) research, it was stated that ‘regular education teachers normally do not take these classes (courses about SEN), due to time constraints in completing the degree requirements in their content areas. As a result, regular education teachers are out of their areas of expertise when students who would normally be taught by special education teachers are  placed in their classrooms. Most schools do not attempt to fill this gap in the regular education teachers’ background by offering in services and seminars on teaching and coping with the special needs student’ (p. 61). This situation is similar to the Hong Kong context as there are no specific undergraduate programmes for special education and SEN course is not the graduation requirement of the degree. Though student teachers might have been immersed to the teaching environment with the existence of SEN students, some might not have adequate training to tackle with them, and the case would be similar after graduation. On the other hand, some teachers owns the understanding of different strategies to handle SEN students and are coherent with the view of inclusive education, but still, they would face some difficulties when they tried to apply new types of inclusive teaching methods to their teaching. They would be challenged by ‘the traditionalism of their students, parents and colleagues in the Chinese culture’ (Forlin, 2010). Students in the Chinese society tend to be more high achieving and they expect more direct teaching than other students in the world. They might be reluctant to adapt to new learning methods because that might give them the impression of lower learning efficiency. The lacking understanding from parents and regular students would be a very strong barrier for teachers to carry out lessons in an inclusive setting school. Solutions Concerning to the teachers’ training, it has been found that pre-service training would be the best time to address teachers’ concern, and their negative attitudes towards learners disabilities and their perceptions about inclusive education can be changed and modified at this stage (Ching, Forlin and Lan, 2007). Teachers should be trained since their early age of teachers’ training. It is suggested that appropriate field experience should be provided to pre-service teachers so that they can expect what they will finally face in their prospect careers. They can be exposed to the types of diversity, prejudice and disadvantages that they have not encountered before (Kosnik & Beck, 2009). If they are learning from the observation in the field, their experiences can enhance their skills in teaching (Ching, Forlin and Lan, 2007). From Ching, Forlin and Lan’s (2007) research on unveiling the change of mind after pre-service teachers are introduced to an SEN course, they found that continuous training is required. It is important for in-service teachers to go for continual profession development to alleviate their sense of adequacy in SEN. This is valid for the current teachers as well, as some teachers who started teaching for decades might not have the professional knowledge to cater special psychological behaviours, despite their experience and handling students’ emotions and misbehaviours. Providing continuous professional development for them would be beneficial to both novice and experienced teachers to refresh their understanding of their students. They can therefore provide more suitable learning activities for students to attain higher teaching and learning efficiency. Teachers’ attitudes Going back to teachers’ attitudes to inclusive education, it is mainly driven by two big areas, one is the teachers’ teaching philosophy while the other is the teacher’s understanding of inclusive education. For the teacher’s own teaching philosophy, it is suggested that not all teachers in tended to be a teacher in the beginning of their career, but they did owing to different practical reasons, for example, having higher salaries than other jobs in China (Feng, 2010). They have no particular feelings towards teaching SENs, it is stated that if there is choice, they won’t choose to but it is acceptable. For this group of teachers’ attitude, we cannot bother too much. However, some teachers, both in-service and pre-service ones, would tried their best to teach for students’ good, but they hesitate and feels negative to adapt to the inclusive education owing to the lacking understanding of different SENS. And they would finally prefer not to teach the schools with more SEN students. As stated in the previous paragraphs, adequate preparation during the teacher’s training is essential for teachers to be psychologically ready to face different SEN students in their classroom. The better they can  understand them, the more confident and positive they are. With the accumulation of experiences, teachers are hoped to be more positive in addressing to this issue. What’s more: broader sense of inclusive education and suggestions After all, we as teachers should not narrow our perspective in teaching to only ‘mainstream’ students. The term ‘inclusive education’ can be broadened to a wider sense that we should not only accommodates academic difference owing to SEN. We also should be ‘sensitive to differences of gender, class, race, ethnicity, language, physical ability and so on’ (Kosnik & Beck, 2009, p. 104). Every student has their own uniqueness in characters as well as learning styles. In order to provide the best education quality to students, we should not only look at the academic performances that students perform. Enhancing teacher and students relationship is one of the ways for teacher to understand their students more. In general, it is crucial to effective teaching, and it is far more important in inclusive education (Kosnik & Beck, 2009). SEN students take more time than other students to build up close relationship with others, including the teachers, and they do not tell their own feelings to others easily as well. Therefore, teachers should build up close relationship with them on the basis of trust, so that they can share their feelings and needs with you for better implementation of teaching methods in the lesson. Teachers can hence develop better connection with them and hence be able to provide prompt and immediate help. It is of paramount importance for teachers to be well-prepared for learners’ diversity and understand the uniqueness of students. Impose more appreciation than judgment on students, and they will find the students’ problems easier to handle. Conclusion In short, with the introduction of inclusive education since nearly 15 years ago in Hong Kong, the school management, teachers, parents as well as students are striking for the balance among different benefits of students. Teachers tend to be quite passage and negative in this policy owing to their lacking experiences and knowledge in catering the needs of SEN students. The  also face the traditional pressure from regular students and parents. It is strongly suggested that teachers should be exposed to the inclusive education setting since their pre-service era, this could help them better adapt to the prospective working condition and accumulate more teaching experiences. It is hoped that their attitudes can be changed with the adequate amount of preparation given. After all, it is believed that teachers should have a broader sense of understanding inclusive education because everyone in the world is unique and worth appreciation. By building up close teacher-students relationship, teachers can provide suitable teaching and learning activities and offer timely help to every single students’ need. It is hoped that inclusive education can finally benefit all the parties in the system. References Ching, S. S. C. , Forlin, C. and Lan, A. M. (2007). The Influence of an Inclusive Education Course on Attitude Change of Pre-service Secondary Teachers in Hong Kong. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. 35(2). pp. 161 179 Education Department. (2000). Towards integration. [Compact disk] Hong Kong: Curriculum Development Council-Committee on Special Education Needs. Forlin, C. (2010). Developing and implementing quality inclusive education in Hong Kong: implications for teacher education. Journal of Research in Special Education Needs. 10 (1). pp. 177-184. Feng, Y. (2009). Teacher Career Motivation and Professional Development in Special and Inclusive Education in China. Rotterdam/ Boston/ Taipei: Sense Publishers. Kosnik C. & Beck C. (2009). Inclusive Education. Priorities in Teacher Education: The 7 key elements of Pre-service preparation. pp.86-104. Lo, N- K.L. (2003). The continuous development and maintenance of inclusive education. Hong Kong Special Education Forum. 6(1). pp.97-113. McDonnellA, . P., and M. L. Hardman. (1 989). The desegregation of America’s special schools: Strategies for change. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps. 14 (1). pp. 68-74. Poon-McBrayer, K., & Lian, M-G.J. (2002). Special Needs Education: Children with Exceptionalities. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press Slavica, P. (2010). Inclusive education: Proclamations or reality (primary school teachers’ view). US-China Education Review. 7(10). pp. 62-69 Stoler, R. D. (1992). Perceptions of Regular Education Teachers toward Inclusion of all Handicapped Students in Their Classrooms. The Clearing House. 66(1). pp. 60-62. Shelton, E. (2006). Why can’t they figure out? In Elizabeth B. Keefe, Veronica M. Moore, and Frances R. Duff (Eds.), Listening to the experts:students with disabilities speak out. (ed 1, pp. 3-8). Baltimore : Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework on Special Needs Education, UNESCO, Paris. Villa, R. A. and Thousand, J. S. (2005). Creating an inclusive school (2nd Ed.). Alexandira, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Amazon.Com’s European Distribution Strategy

Amazon Amazon is one of the biggest and most famous online stores in the world. It is divided into several independent organizations like Amazon Europe, Amazon US and Amazon Japan. Amazon was founded in 1995 by Jeff Bezos. At the beginning it was just a platform for selling books at soon it became the world’s biggest bookstore with up to 2,5 million different titles. Their strategy was clear and easy: hold modest inventories and rely on wholesalers. The wholesaler can fulfill the order quickly while Amazon employees pick and pack the order and ship it to the customer.In 1996 Amazon grew really quickly by expansion of their distribution center, increasing number of titles and software development. In 1998 they were not longer a bookshop any more but expanded their product lines to music and videos. However, they had to face tough competition, especially in 1998. So remain the leader of theonline stores Amazon decided to pursue a â€Å"get big fast† strategy to increase t heir revenue. Therefore they added new product lines and adapted its supply chain and distribution network.One big decision was also where they should locate their distribution center and how many they should build. Amazons pick was a distribution center in Nevada, Kansas and Dallas. Soon also three more centers were added to serve the Midwest and the Southeast. The next step was to choose which product types each of the distributions centers should carry. After that they had to make a decision regarding the equipment in the new distribution centers and the technology used in their warehouses.Finally, to maintain high levels of quality and productivity in its distribution centers, Amazon developed key metrics to measure worker performance, including number of items picked per hour, free replacement rate, inventory accuracy, number of hours from order confirmation to shipment, and cost per unit shipped. Performance information was routinely shared with individual workers. In 2000 the new Vice President of Operations Wilke started with teaching the staff to use a special method to reduce variations and defects.This approach was later also used to improve the inventory record accuracy. Moreover, Wilke hired staff to stimulate holiday season conditions and he made arrangements for additional storage capacity. On top of that Wilke also focused on inventory optimization in the fulfillment network. To have the products at the right time available will easily decrease Amazons inventory costs. There were several ideas to improve the inventory management: 1)Refine the software used to forecast customer demand )Establish buying rules to better allocate volumes among wholesalers 3)Integrate its supply management system with its own inventory, warehouse and transportation system 4)Implement buying rules to determine which supplier offers the best price and delivery options 5)Having â€Å"drop ship† orders which means that the product is directly shipped to the custo mer without going through an Amazon distribution center 6)Partner with other companies, with Amazon handling order fulfillment and the partner covers the costs for the inventoryThe last two points were just idea and never realized. Amazon entered Europe through the two countries Germany and the UK. To enter those markets Amazon acquired a leading online store in each country and the two sites were re- launched under the Amazon brand. In 2000 Amazon continued its expansion and entered France. They did not use the same strategy as in Germany and the UK, but build their site from scratch. However, there were several challenges to enter the European market. They had to be aware of the cultural differences in Europe.First, Amazon adapted their website always a little bit to the needs of the country; secondly, they needed to address the selling regulations in each country. Another very important point was the payment options. Because there were not many people in Europe using credit card they had to offer local paying possibilities. On top they recognized that it was impossible to replicate the US procurement strategy in Germany and France because of different supplier market factors. To implement these strategic choices Amazon in Germany, France and the UK were managed as independent Amazon subsidiaries.Each country has its own organizations and was headed by a country manager and every country has its own warehouse. Amazon also was evaluating opportunities to expand in other European countries. Amazon Europe needed to build up its infrastructure to support this ambitious vision. In June 2002, Tom Taylor was transferred from Seattle to London to address some of these issues. In the longer term, Taylor wondered which infrastructure would best support Amazon Europe’s growth potential. Amazon’s decentralized fulfillment model seemed to offer opportunities for rationalization and cost savings.One option was to link all distributions centers. The other opt ion was to keep the three distribution centers. There were also different options about the inventory in these three centers. One could hold the inventory in all three centers or just in selected ones. Another question was regarding the location of the distribution centers. Solution First there was the option of only one distribution center in Europe. This strategy certainly has advantages with regard to lower overhead costs, simplified internal communication, and increased bargaining power due to higher allocation volumes.Considering only the difficulties already encountered in attempting to coordinate national postal carriers for a trustworthy delivery service to international customers, the option to centralize delivery from the UK to all European markets would be a step in the wrong direction. This was a clear difference to the US market; where there was only one postal service serving the entire nation. Express delivery would further complicate matters, as European markets vari ed with regard to provider and service, another problem not encountered in the US.Since delivery time and quality are crucial to success at Amazon, this restructuring option was quickly eliminated from the list of alternatives. The division of Europe into North/South or East/West sectors, to be served by two Distribution Centers, would likely reduce delivery times in many markets and eliminate some of the difficulties associated with the single DC alternative. Compared to the current structure, cost savings could be achieved and activities could be bundled according to regional demands or opportunities (i. e. egal or financial flexibility). This structure would emulate the solution realized in the initial growth period in the US, where a DC was located on each coast, however there would be similar problems as noted above with the coordination of national postal carriers. Another primary difference compared to the US market could be seen with regard to regional consumer preferences a nd tastes. While the US product selection was largely similar, and a common language was used throughout, product selection and language differs from country to country in Europe.Expectations with respect to delivery time, service, payment methods, etc. also vary greatly among European markets and do not compare to the credit card-friendly and on-line purchase-accustomed customers in the US. A two-DC solution may likely not be able to offer the flexibility needed to serve the individual European markets properly. Considering that the three European locations are fully-functional, another alternative would be to simply keep the existing facilities while reallocating services and processes according to cost and service factors.One obvious advantage would be recognized in not needing to relocate or build/acquire new infrastructure. Activities could be spread among the three locations, for example books, media and smaller items in France, Marketplace headquarters in the UK, and bulk or special order items in Germany. This would allow for specialization of services and a clear distinction of functions for management of operations in Europe. In contrast, all services could continue to be provided in all locations, with the addition of products and Marketplace activities in each of the three.Expansion into further markets may be allocated to one of the DC's according to geographic proximity or if applicable, according to financial or logistical aspects. Disadvantages include duplication of activities and infrastructure, increased demand for management and personnel, and the administration/coordination of multiple and varying IT systems (including the integration of manual and automated systems). Our team of analysts proposes a solution which integrates components from each of the aforementioned alternatives.Due to the fact that consumer preferences and expectations vary significantly among markets, and since delivery systems are also not consistent from country to co untry, each market should be served as locally as possible. This does not exclude the option of bundling some functions in specific locations; in fact this should be undertaken. Marketplace activities, for instance, shall be centralized in the UK, since this activity mainly is based on and requires IT functionality.The central functions Customer Service and Procurement also shall be allocated to the UK. With respect to the expansion of product lines, this should be done according to regional/international classification. Items which are non-country or language specific, such as CD's, electronics, hardware, etc. can be allocated and administered at a central European location; in this case France may be selected. Bulk items would be the responsibility of a continental-based facility as well, preferably Germany due to its central location.Any country or language-specific items, i. e. books, fashion apparel, home decor, etc. shall be administered in mini-DC's located within each market . This would assure the â€Å"local touch† required by customers, and would allow for more effective negotiations with local market suppliers. Newly added markets could first be served from the existing three, with the establishment of a mini-DC in the market as soon as the product volume, logistic opportunities and demands, as well as customer buying behaviors are sufficient to justify local investment.Without a doubt, the solution our group has provided leads to higher costs and increased complexity in a number of areas. However, the underlying principle was to devise a way to build the brand and company image in a similar way that was successful in the US market – serving the customer in a quick and simple way. At the same time, the bundling of core functions offers an opportunity to reduce costs and redundancy.

Inspiration and Advice About Divorce

Inspiration and Advice About Divorce You must have heard the famous proverb, The road to hell is paved with good intentions. All marriages are fraught with problems. Show me a perfect match, and I will show you the worlds greatest illusion. So if you are getting out of the marriage because it did not work out the way you envisioned your perfect life to be, wake up to the real world. Divorce Affects the Whole Family If  there seems to be no chance of reconciliation, divorce may be  inevitable. A relationship devoid of love is no relationship at all. If your spouse and you have decided to go ahead with the divorce, you need to make sure to handle the breakup sensitively. Not just assets and money are at stake; your near and dear ones are also going to bear the brunt of the breakup. Hence, keeping your emotions at a neutral level, you need to ensure that others are not hurt by your decision. Divorce will have an irreversible impact on your family. Children and even ​pets go through emotional upheaval and mental trauma. You need to treat them with great sensitivity, keeping their interest and well-being in mind. Whether you choose to move to a new house, city, or town, make sure that your family does not suffer due to a change of surroundings. Shake Off the Post-Divorce Gloom If divorce has affected you, take some time off work to heal yourself. Join a yoga class, learn a new  language, go out with friends, or even rekindle your childhood hobbies. The loneliness after separation may initially seem unbearable, but be optimistic about moving on. Remind yourself that you are now in control of your life, and you will depend only on yourself for your happiness. Don’t feel guilty about the divorce. Accept your mistakes, and be generously forgiving of yourself. There is no point living in self-pity or condemnation. How to Cope With Loneliness If you are feeling low, read these quotes about moving on. Vent your sadness with sad love quotes. Hang out with friends who are supportive and caring. Make new friends, even though you dont feel ready for a commitment. Dont feel guilty about having fun. You are entitled to happiness, just as everyone else is. Renew Your Life With Optimism Divorce may be the end of a relationship, but it could also open avenues for new relationships. You  also have the chance to reinvent yourself. Take this opportunity to learn more about yourself. Reflect on your life and past mistakes. If you are moving into a new relationship, learn lessons from your previous relationships. Dont carry the baggage of old memories into your new relationship. They can only add to your woes. Instead of living on regrets and nostalgia, look ahead with optimism and dreams. Get inspired to challenge your limits and aim high. Your enthusiasm can help renew your life. Use these divorce quotes as good counsel. You may not be able to undo your past or avoid the divorce, but you can at least ensure that your future relationships don’t suffer in the same way. These divorce quotes provide you with adequate food for thought along with some invaluable insight on relationships. Quotes Robert Anderson: In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. Walt Whitman: Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul. Mark Gungor, Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage: Marriage problems are relationship problems, they are the result of how two people interact with each other. You may abandon a troubled marriage, but you will still bring the way you interact with others along with you. Nora Ephron: Marriages come and go, but divorces are forever. Christina Aguilera: My parents divorce and hard times at school, all those things combined to mold me, to make me grow up quicker. And it gave me the drive to pursue my dreams that I wouldnt necessarily have had otherwise. Evan Esar: Divorce is the price people play for playing with matches. Rita Mae Brown: Divorce is the one human tragedy that reduces everything to cash. Helen Rowland: When two people decide to get a divorce, it isnt a sign that they dont understand one another, but a sign that they have, at last, begun to. Roseanne Barr: Take this marriage thing seriously it has to last all the way to the divorce. Zoe Stern: Divorce can sometimes be for the better. You may end up with happier parents, and you will definitely learn a lot about yourself! And thats the whole point of growing up. So if you think about it, there are reasons to be happy about this experience, if you can learn and grow from it. Jack Benny: My wife Mary and I have been married for forty-seven years and not once have we had an argument serious enough to consider divorce; murder, yes, but divorce, never. Suzanne Finnamore, Split: The snag about marriage is, it isnt worth the divorce. American Proverb: The easiest way to get a divorce is to be married. Helen Rowland: Nowadays love is a matter of chance, matrimony a matter of money, and divorce a matter of course. Gerald F. Lieberman: Divorce is a declaration of independence with only two signers. David Arquette: People that go through what I went through and people going through divorce, its really a difficult  process; its heartbreaking and it hurts really bad. It can really mess with your head. Joan Rivers: Half of all marriages end in divorce and then there are the really unhappy ones. Voltaire: Friendship is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce. Al Goldstein: If you cannot work on the marriage or the women is a moron, staying married and cheating makes the most sense because divorce is disruptive to the family life and your bank account. Erica Jong: There is a rhythm to the ending of a marriage just like the rhythm of a courtship only backward. You try to start again but get into blaming over and over. Finally you are both worn out, exhausted, hopeless. Then lawyers are called in to pick clean the corpses. The death has occurred much earlier. Zsa Zsa Gabor: Getting divorced just because you dont love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do. Robert Conklin: Its not the situation. Its your reaction to the situation. Margaret Trudeau: It takes two to destroy a marriage. Gary Chapman: Divorce is the result of a lack of preparation for marriage and the failure to learn the skills of working together as teammates in an intimate relationship. Oliver Stone: Anybody whos been through a divorce will tell you that at one point theyve thought murder. The line between thinking murder and doing murder isnt that major. Jewish Proverb: When two divorced people marry, four people get into bed. Jennifer Weiner: Divorce isnt such a tragedy. A tragedys staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of divorce. Frank Pittman: Bad marriages dont cause infidelity; infidelity causes bad marriages. Ambrose Bierce: Divorce: a resumption of diplomatic relations and rectification of boundaries. Fred Rogers, Mister Rogers Talks With Parents: For a couple with young children, divorce seldom comes as a â€Å"solution† to stress, only as a way to end one form of pain and accept another. Joseph Campbell: When people get married because they think its a long-time love affair, theyll be divorced very soon, because all love affairs end in disappointment. But marriage is a recognition of a spiritual identity. Frank Pittman: Fidelity is the single most important element in solidly enduring marriages. Mary Kay Blakeley, American Mom: Divorce is the psychological equivalent of a triple coronary bypass. Margaret Atwood: A divorce is like an amputation: you survive it, but theres less of you.