A Rose For Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Rose For Emily - Essay Example In While the theme of the past versus the present assumes numerous forms in this story, as in the clash between the two or the way in which the one intermingles and intersects with the other, this essay will focus on Faulkner’s modes of symbolizing the past and the theme of the past’s subsuming of the present. The past assumes various symbols in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† with the most predominant being the past as the Old South. The story may be interpreted as a narrative about the Old South, a South which has been battered and defeated by the North and by abolition. It is, however, a South which stubbornly and quite illogically insists on clinging to its former glories and, indeed, one which refuses to accept the passage of time or confront the changes which have been wrought upon it. The South is Miss Emily, personified in her refusal to pay taxes and her failure to acknowledge the new reality which surrounds her, culminating in her dismissive treatment of the town’s authorities and her rejection of the very concept of the mailbox/postal services. The South is also the decaying mansion; the mansion which is falling into disrepair but, despite the ravages of time, maintains its haughty, superior demeanor. Last, but not least, the South is Miss Emily’s â€Å"negroâ₠¬  servant; the man who silently goes about his duties, keeps Miss Emily’s darkest secrets and when she dies, disappears. The implication here is that the past, as represented in this story, is personified in Miss Emily and her servant and symbolized in the house. She is, as the unnamed narrator insists, â€Å"tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.† Miss Emily is, thus, symbolic of the South’s traditions and heritage. In his symbolization of the South as the old, isolated and alienated woman and her

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Example for Free

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. genes in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistanceCrop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t.corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide toleranceFor some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9. Cold toleranceUnexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.) Drought tolerance/salinity toleranceAs the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. NutritionMalnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15. PharmaceuticalsMedicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. PhytoremediationNot all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18. How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U. S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources. Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio.org/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organismsLast year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further. Reduced effectiveness of pesticidesJust as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target speciesAnother concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not receive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive. Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone. Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human healthThere is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health. Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate. Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy seed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants. Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables. Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population. Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries.

The Yellow Wallpaper -- essays research papers

"The Yellow Wallpaper", A Descent Into Madness In the nineteenth century, women in literature were often portrayed as submissive to men. Literature of the period often characterized women as oppressed by society, as well as by the male influences in their lives. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents the tragic story of a woman's descent into depression and madness because of this oppression. The narrator's declining mental health is reflected through the characteristics of the house she is trapped in and her husband, while trying to protect her, is actually destroying her. The narrator of the story goes with her doctor/husband to stay in a colonial mansion for the summer. The house is supposed to be a place where she can recover from sever postpartum depression. According to Jennifer Fleissner, "naturalist characters like the narrator of Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is shown obsessed with the details of an entrapping interiority. In such an example we see naturalism's clearest alteration of previous understandings of gender: its refiguration of domestic spaces, and hence, domestic identity according to the narrative of repetitive work and compulsion that had once served to distinguish public life from a sentimentary understood home" [Fleissner 59]. "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a fictionalized account of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's own postpartum depression. Gilman was a social critic and feminist who wrote prolifically about the necessity of social and sexual equality, particularly about women's need for economic independence. According to critic Valarie Gill, "Gilman attached the nineteenth century's configuration of private space as woman's domain and its attendant generalizations about femininity. Gilman seeks to blur the distinction between private and public life. Gilman unflaggingly urged her audience to consider their logic in assigning women to the home. The composition of home life altered radically between the beginning and final decades of the nineteenth century" (17). The narrator loves her baby, but knows she is not able to take care of him. "It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a deer baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me nervous" (Gilman 359). The symbolism utilized by Gilman is somewhat askew from the conventional. A house us... ...ver been written to show why so many woman go crazy, especially farmers' wives, who live lonely, monotonous lives. A husband of the kind described that he could not account for his wife's having gone insane – 'for,' said he, "to my certain knowledge she has hardly left her kitchen and bedroom in 30 years" (60). Critic Sharon Felton says, "Even if we should remove every legal and political discrimination against women; even if we should accept their true dignity and power as a sex; so long as their universal business is private housework they remain, industrially, at the level of private domestic land labor and economically a non productive, dependent class . The wonder is not that so many women break down, but so few" (273). Critic Sharon Felton "Even if we should remove every legal and political discrimination against women; even if we should accept their true dignity and power as a sex; so long as their universal business is private housework they remain, industrially, at the level of private domestic hand labor and economically a non productive, dependent class ….The wonder is not that so many women break down, but so few."(273)

Free Antigone Essays: The Human Condition :: Antigone essays

Exposing the Human Condition in Antigone  Ã‚   Heroism entails several things; a selfless act, courage, or the accomplishments of bold and daring expeditions. A hero can also mean courage in the face of death. Others may view this type of hero as stupid, or a martyr. Every hero has faults and these faults along with heroic deeds make the man or woman; a hero, heroine. "Antigone" would be considered a hero in the sense of being a martyr. Because of her love for her family Antigone wanted to give her brother a proper burial, and even though he did evil deeds, she respected him. She believed that all of the dead were in a state of equality. When faced with the decision to obey the King or obey her heart, she says on page 23, in lines 86-90: â€Å"I will bury him myself./If I die for doing that, good:/I will stay with him, brother;/and my crime will be devotion.† This decision, to bury her brother, was very heroic in that even though she knew death was at stake, she knew where her loyalties lied. On page 39, lines 560-575, Antigone stands up to her uncle and tells him to his face that he has disobeyed the Gods decrees. In line 562, 563, and 564 she says: â€Å"I did not intend to pay, before the gods,/for breaking these laws/because of my fear of one man and his principles.† Antigone accuses Kreon of overstepping the laws of the gods, by relying on his own thinking. As is brought out later, Kreon never listened to other peoples advice until it was too late. In the above passage Antigone heroically faces up to the most powerful man, the King, knowing he could kill her in an instance, but still she tells him he is wrong. Being strongly tied to a family, where you would risk death is one thing, but as in any family a person usually takes their anger and frustrations out on individual family members, as in this passage on page 24, lines 100-103: â€Å"Then weakness will be your plea./I am different. I love my brother/and I’m going to bury him, now.† Antigone, non-heroically, accuses Ismene of not loving her brother, but of course Ismene loved her brother, Ismene was just afraid of the king. Antigone, in the heat of the moment, took Ismene’s frightened state as a sign of the lack of love on Ismene’s part.

Sneaking Out: a Personal Memoir

It wasn’t the first time I had felt that crisp breeze hit my face. I closed the door behind me hoping my parents wouldn’t hear it squeak as it sealed off my family room. I took a deep breath in letting the adrenaline run through me, and letting out the anxiety of getting caught. What would happen if they had? I have only been grounded once my whole life and that was when I was five years old. I’m not saying there wouldn’t be any repercussions but nothing more severe than a warning to be careful, but neither parent would say â€Å"You are forbidden to sneak out of this house. I hoped my dogs hadn’t woken from their snoring slumber. I imagined Lincoln clamoring down the stairs, his collar jingling, to investigate the disturbance.It didn’t matter the consequences, my parents knew I was a responsible young adult. I heard Drew’s mustang coming down the street and I stepped off the old deck. The anticipation of getting away with this mischi evous act was enough to propel me over the fence. Drew and Randall were waiting in the cul-de-sac, the car’s engine purring me from the side yard and into the backseat. â€Å"Will your parents wake up? Drew asked, I replied with a shake of my head no, and he drove the speed limit back to his house. Even though it was just a mile down the road I was too scared to walk there in the dark by myself. I let the wind hit my face and the music hit my mind and enjoyed the presence of two guys who don’t care when I wear my glasses, men’s boxers, and look like a wreck. Drew’s garage was open as we pulled into the driveway, with three chairs lined up waiting for us. Drew and Randall smoked their cigarettes and talked about fast cars, races, and other automotive topics.I pretend I’m listening, but I tuned them out the moment my legs stuck to the black leather. Yes, I liked spending time with them, and that’s why I always called them up, but sneaking out had become so much more for me. Sneaking out was sitting in a garage and just letting my mind wander. It was Nothing crazy like TPing someone’s house, drinking, or a chance for me to be a crazy rebel. It was more than just â€Å"fun†, it was that adrenaline rush, the anticipation of getting caught, and a retreat for my over worked mind.On this particular night Randall and Drew were hungry for some â€Å"4th meal. † I being a Taco Bell virgin just went along for the ride. We drove along, and after seeing the fast food restaurants down Main Street, my tummy started rumbling. We pulled into Taco Bell’s drive through. The boys were anticipating some greasy delicious food. By this point I was too. I was advised to go with something original. I chose to get two soft tacos with lettuce. It was one of the best life decisions I had made. The juicy meat and melted cheese had my taste buds yearning for more.Randall and Drew will forever be credited for taking my Ta co Bell virginity. None of us wanted to go to sleep after our glorious food rendezvous. Instead we went to a local park to relive our childhood moments on the swings and playground. Drew pulled in, and I dashed to my favorite swing. It was the best because it was in the middle, never squeaked and I always thought it was longer than the others, giving me the most height. I realized now that it was the same length, but somehow I always flew higher.The swings, like sitting in the garage and driving around, let the world fall away. I pumped my legs harder and harder all three of us making the swing set jump a little out of the ground. I threw off my sandals allowing the wind between my toes. When it came to hopping off the swing, I landed farthest away from the play- set. After we relished our memories, we all calmly swung and talked about cars and the girls in their lives. They asked for my advice on what a romantic date would be and about boys in my life, I said â€Å"nothing, really . That was one component of my life that I didn’t want to think about didn’t matter. After about an hour and a few cop look – a – likes we headed back home. Drew dropped me off, and asked, â€Å"Do you want to come again tomorrow? † I answered sarcastically, â€Å"Is that even a real question? † As I snaked back through my side yard I relived the past few hours over and over again in my head. I relished the moments of laughter, complete confusion, and successfully not getting caught.After many nights like that one I realized that â€Å"sneaking out† has a negative reputation. Yes, some teens decide to do stupid things that could end very badly. But, why did they sneak out in the first place? They, like me, wanted to escape, wanted to feel that adrenaline pumping through their veins and the wind in their hair. Now in college, I don’t really have to sneak, but just go. Though â€Å"the guys† aren’t here with me, and there are no swings or cars to drive, walking around seems to satisfy any craving for private reflecting.Sometimes I walk with another person, other times it’s just me. It’s not necessarily, what I’m doing or who I’m with as long as I get to reflect on my life and let myself de- stress and relax. Then again, that’s all sneaking out has ever really been, not a rebellious act, but a therapeutic session. subject of the paper is your personal memory, not anyone else’s not about anything else, it is only about you sneaking out how you felt, why, who with. Self: this is not about history, this is about story. Extraordinary not boring. Smithmag. net/sixwords

A Magical Dream Essays

A Magical Dream Essays A Magical Dream Essay A Magical Dream Essay My heart is pounding faster than a drum line during a college football game and I have a feeling inside my stomach as if there is a dancing leprechaun doing back flips. My family and I have arrived! I walk in slow motion with tiny steps through the tall magical gates with my head held high reading the glistering sign that says, â€Å"Welcome to the Magic Kingdom. † I whisper under my breath â€Å"I can’t believe I am here† as if I just stepped into a land of imagination. Before I could blink, I had stumbled upon the most popular character in existence! He waddles over to ruffle my hair, I yell with excitement, Mickey! I hug him as if there was no tomorrow, with a grip that could only be released if my arms were cut off. There are a total of seven themed lands in the Magic Kingdom according to the official map I hold in my sweaty palms when I extend it out towards the blistering sun for better light. I follow the arrows carefully on the signs while my eyes are glued to all the glamour around me of what is a magical dream. I stagger into the first land; Main Street USA. The more I walk, the more it seems as if I had just taken a time machine back into the early 20th century small-town America, which by the way, is inspired by Walt Disney’s boyhood and the classic movie Lady and the Tramp. As I am strolling down Main Street, I can see an old fashioned movie theatre and the smell of absolutely terrific freshly cooked dough being wrapped into a pretzel; the scrumptious taste of cotton candy disintegrating in my mouth as I feel my teeth beginning to decay. Along these old fashioned brick roads are bizarre little shops, and an antique barber shop that had just reminded me, I need to get my staggering long hair cut. The best part of this long stroll through Main Street USA is what stands at the end, Cinderella’s enchanting castle that marks the center of the park! The day has just begun and I am in the center of the park where six flawless pathways await me that lead to other additional lands. During my traveling experience through these lands, I slowly begin to see how my magical dreams are now becoming reality as I learn how to be a pirate in an encounter with Captain Jack Sparrow, playing games with obnoxious looking monsters and conquering mountains that have me reaching for the sky. My list that I have carefully well thought out and planned, is in detailed order that I must follow it accordingly. Next to visit is Liberty Square where I hear Patriotic music combined with delicious, stomach craving aromas of famous New England dishes. I now work my way through the Hall of Presidents that features every American president from past to present. The presidents are having debates with there strong-willed demanding voices as if they were still alive today. To the next stop, I climb aboard what is called the â€Å"doom buggy† and I ride through pitch blackness of happy haunts. As I am trailing through the Haunted Mansion, I hear sounds of howling and strange creaking noises. The floor beneath me is trembling while loud crackling of thunder is coming from all around me. Suddenly a mysterious Ghost host pops out who looks incredibly realistic with a green glow transparency. This jolly ghost then introduces me to his closest amusing, yet creepy looking friends. The next bridge I cross into is Fantasyland, which is the gateway to a world of make-believe and if you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. Here there are nearly three-hundred brightly costumed dolls singing and dancing making my day filled with gleaming smiles. Next, I gently glide on one of ninety prancing stallions with the wind blowing in my face as I hear magical Disney music filling the air and I whisper beneath my breath, â€Å"I can’t believe I am here. † Over the next bridge awaits Frontierland, where I discover the American pioneer spirit by land, water and rail through the mountains of the Magic Kingdom. I plunge down Splash Mountain and get utterly submerged by water, but I don’t seem to mind because it is nothing but a grinning good time. Another bridge leads to a place that has me thinking futuristic thoughts, Tomorrowland. Yes, it is a glimpse into the future! Spaceships are zooming around the extravagant illuminated galaxy and I am now piloting my own rocket ship into another galaxy that is filled with distinctive friendly aliens while we soar through space trying to save the universe with our high powered beaming lasers. Finally I reach to the last bridge of which leads to enchanted experiences, Adventure land. I journey through the channels of Pirates of the Caribbean. This is where I meet up with gnarling pirates that are trying to bring down our boat with their blaring cannons! The thick cloud of smoke that the gunpowder leaves behind, keeps my eyes narrow searching for what is next to come! It has been one long exhausting day, fulfilled with laughter and enjoyment of what I thought could only be a dream. This magical dream is ending with brilliant fireworks that paint a mesmerizing story with every aspect of color. They blaze the pure night sky of loud crackling shooting stars of wishes and magical dreams which had now come true, and I say to myself once more, â€Å"I can’t believe I am here. †

Supreme Court Justice Selection Criteria

Supreme Court Justice Selection Criteria Who selects United States Supreme Court justices and by what criteria are their qualifications evaluated? The President of the United States nominates prospective justices, who must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before being seated on the court. The Constitution lists no official qualifications for becoming a Supreme Court justice. While presidents typically nominate people who generally share their own political and ideological views, the justices’ are in no way obligated to reflect the president’s views in their decisions on cases brought before the court. The president nominates an individual to the Supreme Court when an opening occurs.Typically, the president picks someone from their own party.The president usually picks someone who agrees with their judicial philosophy of either judicial restraint or judicial activism.The president might also choose someone of a varied background in order to bring a greater degree of balance to the court.The Senate confirms the presidential appointment with a majority vote.While it is not a requirement, the nominee typically testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee before being confirmed by the full Senate.Rarely is a Supreme Court nominee forced to withdraw. Currently, of the more than 150 people nominated to the Supreme Court, only 30 - including one who was nominated for promotion to Chief Justice - have either declined their own nomination, been rejected by the Senate, or had their nomination withdrawn by the president. The latest nominee to be rejected by the Senate was Harriet Miers i n 2005. The President's Selections Filling vacancies on the Supreme Court of the United States (often abbreviated as SCOTUS) is one of the more significant actions a president can take. The U.S. presidents successful nominees will sit on the U.S. Supreme Court for years and sometimes decades after the presidents retirement from political office. Compared to the appointments the president makes to his (or her- currently all U.S. presidents have been male although that surely will change in the future) Cabinet positions, the president has a great deal of latitude in selecting justices. Most presidents have valued a reputation for selecting quality judges, and typically the president reserves the final selection for himself rather than delegating it to his subordinates or political allies. Perceived Motivations Several legal scholars and political scientists have studied the selection process in depth, and find that each president makes his choices based a set of criteria. In 1980, William E. Hulbary and Thomas G. Walker looked at the motivations behind presidential nominees to the Supreme Court between 1879 and 1967. They found that the most common criteria used by the presidents to select Supreme Court nominees fell into three categories: traditional, political, and professional. Traditional Criteria acceptable political philosophy (according to Hulbary and Walker, 93% of the presidential nominees between 1789–1967 were based on this criterion)geographical balance (70%)the right age- appointees in their mid-50s, old enough to have proven records and yet young enough to serve a decade or more on the court (15%)religious representation (15%) Political Criteria members of his own political party (90%)placate certain political interests or improve the political climate for the presidents policies or personal political fortune (17%)political payoffs for groups or individuals who have been crucial to the presidents career (25%)cronyism, people with whom the president has a close political or personal relationship (33%) Professional Qualifications Criteria individuals with distinguished credentials as practitioners or scholars of law (66%)superior records of public service (60%)prior judicial experience (50%) Later scholarly research has necessarily added gender and ethnicity to the balance choices, and the political philosophy today often hinges on how the nominee feels about the Constitution. But the main categories are still clearly in evidence. Kahn, for example, categorizes the criteria into Representational (race, gender, political party, religion, geography); Doctrinal (selection based on someone who matches the political views of the president); and Professional (intelligence, experience, temperament). Rejecting the Traditional Criteria Interestingly, the best performing justices- based on Blaustein and Mersky, the seminal 1972 ranking of Supreme Court justices- were those that were chosen by a president who did not share the nominees philosophical persuasion. For example, James Madison appointed Joseph Story and Herbert Hoover selected Benjamin Cardozo. Rejecting other traditional requirements also resulted in some great choices: justices Marshall, Harlan, Hughes, Brandeis, Stone, Cardozo, and Frankfurter were all chosen despite the fact that people on the SCOTUS were already in those regions. Justices Bushrod Washington, Joseph Story, John Campbell, and William Douglas were too young, and L.Q.C. Lamar was too old to fit the  right age criteria. Herbert Hoover appointed the Jewish Cardozo despite there already being a Jewish member of the court- Brandeis; and Truman replaced the vacant Catholic position with the Protestant Tom Clark. The Scalia Complication The death of long-time Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 set off a chain of events that would leave the Supreme Court facing the complicated situation of tied votes for over a year. In March 2016, the month after Scalia’s death, President Barack Obama nominated D.C. Circuit Judge Merrick Garland to replace him. The Republican-controlled Senate, however, argued that Scalia’s replacement should be appointed by the next president to be elected in November 2016. Controlling the committee system calendar, Senate Republicans succeeded in preventing hearings on Garland’s nomination from being scheduled. As a result, Garland’s nomination remained before the Senate longer than any other Supreme Court nomination, expiring with the end of the 114th Congress and President Obama’s final term in January 2017. On January 31, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to replace Scalia. After being confirmed by a Senate vote of 54 to 45, Justice Gorsuch was sworn in on April 10, 2017. In total, Scalia’s seat remained vacant for 422 days, making it the second longest Supreme Court vacancy since the end of the Civil War. Updated by Robert Longley Sources Blaustein AP, and Mersky RM. 1972. Rating Supreme Court Justices. American Bar Association Journal 58(11):1183-1189.Hulbary WE, and Walker TG. 1980. The Supreme Court Selection Process: Presidential Motivations and Judicial Performance. The Western Political Quarterly 33(2):185-196.Kahn MA. 1995. The Appointment of a Supreme Court Justice: A Political Process from Beginning to End. Presidential Studies Quarterly 25(1):25-41.Segal JA, and Cover AD. 2014. Ideological Values and the Votes of U.S. Supreme Court Justices. American Political Science Review 83(2):557-565.Segal JA, Epstein L, Cameron CM, and Spaeth HJ. 1995. Ideological Values and the Votes of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Revisited. The Journal of Politics 57(3):812-823.

Politically Correct essays

Politically Correct essays For some reason it seems so true. The truth in the statement you never know what you have until you do not have it anymore is so over-powering. It almost turns around to just slap you in the face. When you have what you never knew meant so much you always wonder why it is there, and sometimes you even start to ponder over its existence. When these times occur you have to stop and look the world in the eyes to see the differences that portray themselves as being politically correct. As for being politically correct. Only politics can truly be politically correct. If you just look at the word politically, it in itself states politics. Therefore does that not mean that it pertains solely to politics? If politically correct simply sticks with the political state then should so many people use it within papers like this one? No! They should not because a paper of this standard has nothing to do with politics. Politics have a lot of meaning in society, although most of politics are one hundred percent bullshit anyway. (pardon my French) With this in mind we must search the meaning of government. The governmental party is full of lazy academically successful people that have nothing better to do then sit around in an oval office trying desperately to find a corner. Seriously the government is most likely hurting everyone more then helping us. What is the current national debt of the United States of America? That is right another pathetic rhetorical question. While the government is in their little oval office sitting in their measly made up corners they ask each other these pathetic rhetorical questions hoping to find a solution to the problems of the world. Terrorism is being solved with this genius attack of action. While the government tries to comfort us about how they are sending all the soldiers we have to fight against terroris ...

Ethics application( the effects of dance in primary schools) Essay

Ethics application( the effects of dance in primary schools) - Essay Example It will assist them to figure out if the dancing activity is important in the educational system. The outcome of the research would be very broad. Parents will become active in monitoring their childrens activities. Furthermore, the teachers would understand both the negative and positive effects of dance. With the latter in mind, they will know how to nurture the dance talents into greater heights. In addition, the government will allow dance to be part of the curricular, provided it promotes a level of education. The primary school children would be the main beneficiary of this research. The dance instructors and teachers will properly train them to maximize their talents. They will learn the positive sides of the dance, which may benefit them in the future. Most talented people in dance fail to reach the greatest stages because of poor foundation. The research would give recommendations to teachers on how to lay the best foundations for these pupils. There are various ways of obtaining the participants contacts. The sponsor of the research identifies and enlists the participants. The research targets to enlist about 200 people. It is the best sample that would estimate a target population of the research. The sponsor will place notices around various schools to keep them aware. It would be easy to obtain the participants details because they will be aware of the proposed research (Doku, 2010, p. 1). The selection criteria would consider schools that have more than 1000 pupils. The schools should also offer dancing lessons. The schools should offer consent to participate in the evaluation. The exclusion criteria would concentrate mainly in profession and age. The research would not involve participants who work outside the education department. Furthermore, it will exclude people who are over 40 years, parents included. There are procedures that would involve participants in this research. There would be day-to-day

Compare Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will with Humphrey Jennings' Essay

Compare Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will with Humphrey Jennings' Listen to Britain' in their function as propaganda fi - Essay Example A scrutiny of these phenomena shows that most of them have resorted to propaganda to manipulate their constituencies into believing that their rules were the best for the people and the country. In the early 20th centuries, with two wars closely following each other, both the Allied and Axis Powers resorted to propaganda to persuade the world and their constituencies to their positions. The ubiquitous use of propaganda was closely associated with Hitler and the Nazi Party, but Great Britain was not excepted as it also dabbled in propaganda produced by a film outfit attached to one of its agencies to help in the war efforts. Two brilliant examples of wartime propaganda are Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of Will, which was released a little before WWII, and Humphrey Jenning’s Listen to Britain. These two documentaries can be differentiated by their artistic approaches and perspectives: one presented a stunningly visual, technically revolutionary film with intense and graphica lly powerful scenes whilst the other projected a laidback style with sequences that lingered more on leisurely activities rather than the frenzy that usually accompany war. Propaganda: Definition Propaganda, which comes from the Latin word ‘propaganda,’ literally means ‘to sow’. ... Jowett et al defines it as â€Å"the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.†1 As a powerful tool to shape public perception, propaganda had been used in the various periods of history to persuade the public to support politicians and governments, change faith, initiate and sustain wars, campaigns and revolutions, restructure societies and justify expansionism. In ancient of Athens, propaganda was employed by Pisistrasus, who feigned victimisation to gain the support of the public, and subsequent rulers as well as philosophers. During the Middle Ages to the Age of the Enlightenment, monarchical power was advanced through favourably written history, wandering minstrels, pilgrims and legal philosophers. Propaganda became prevalent and took a modern form during the French Revolution where committees were established by the revolutionaries to handle the different aspects of propaganda. French revolutionists employed the strategy naming of official enemies of the people to consolidate public perception, encourage revenge and compensate inadequacies. This technique was later adopted by Hitler with the Jews and Lenin against the Kulaks.2 A Comparative Analysis: Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl and Listen to Britain by Humphrey Jennings Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl and Listen to Britain by Humphrey Jennings are two documentary films that have each earned a reputation as well-crafted propaganda for their respective countries. The first was released in 1934 in Germany prior to World War II at the time the Nazi Party was gaining popularity and was used to portray a

20th Centry Music history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

20th Centry Music history - Essay Example g seems concluded at the end of the piece (which is not to say it is in any way bad.) During much of his life Glass has collaborated with other artists: some of them actors and playwrights, some of them movie directors, and others comedians or painters. Certainly this cross-pollination has effected and improved his music immeasurably. Many people consider his masterpiece to be an opera called Einstein on the Beach, which is about five hours long and without an intermission. In this very interesting piece, the music is like a repeating cycle that does not resolve the existential anxiety at the centre. It is both an exhilarating and saddening piece of music. But Philip Glass is most famous for introducing art music to the general public and expanding the range and modes in which it can be communicated to people. This can especially be seen in his collaboration with the director Godfrey Reggio in the movie Koyaanisqatsi, a Hopi word meaning â€Å"life out of balance.† The purpose behind the film is to show how the world of human beings and their machines is very different than the natural world and may even be a blight on the natural world. In this magical film, the contemporary world’s technologies and mechanisms are filmed at various speeds and set to a strange and repetitive music that seems in some way to inspire and provide a counterpoint to the endless motion. The camera takes a wide-angle so as to capture as much life as possible. Some scenes show rockets taking off, others depict factory workers, others show huge parking lots full of cars, still other endless sunrises and sunsets. The effect, when combined with Glas s’s music is overwhelming, but somehow neither euphoric nor depressive. As the New Yorker critic Alex Ross wrote in 2005: Composers usually enter the filmmaking process late in the game. They’re given a few weeks to add music to the mix, often under strict instructions as to mood and style; they’re essentially applying a finishing coat of

Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center Essay

Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center - Essay Example Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center However, they expressed a concern on the more active involvement of educators and industry leaders in the state-wide effort of improving the public school curriculum, with the current emphasis on high schools. They have also informed me that they would want Sedgefield to be among the first schools to have its teacher-training program updated, and its learning and assessment systems enhanced. The group has already finalized its action plan to reinforce participation with this program, focusing on their critical role as media specialists in promoting information literacy. They also stressed their strong intent to take an active, collaborative role in specific initiatives that require the center’s support. Another matter which is worth noting is the group’s plan to strengthen our corporate social responsibility efforts. We have decided that while our role as library media specialists may seem remotely connected to corporate social responsibility, we can in fact, create a noteworthy impact, especially in the realm of education. Towards this end, we have already set our objective and action plans for CSR programs that have a particular relevance to education, for the latter half of the year. We have agreed that through these programs, we are not just helping the underprivileged through scaled-up corporate giving or through financial assistance – rather, we are implementing programs that are directly and meaningfully linked to our mission; that is, ensuring that students are successful users of all types of information.

Should the federal government provide health care for all citizens who Research Paper - 1

Should the federal government provide health care for all citizens who cannot afford their own - Research Paper Example President Obama has put forward measures to adopt such a system but it has not been welcomed by the judiciary and other stake holders of the nation. This move by the president is under scrutiny, in this writing we will focus on whether US can adopt such a system or they are better off without it. The above graph shows that the benefits provided by employers to their employees in private organizations with US has declined, and there has been a steep decline in the amount of health benefits provided by these companies to their employees (Mauersberger 2012). Those in the favor of such a system state that the number of people within US who are living without health care insurance has elevated to the figure of 45 million (Washington, 2000). Organizations are even trying to cut their cost by not providing health coverage in their compensation plan to the employees. Decrease in the rate of wages and layoffs have even promoted individuals and employees of US to live without an insurance plan. All these events have taken place because insurance providers have increased the rate of premiums associated with health plans. Citizens of US do get free medical services for those diseases and illnesses that are not covered by health insurance providers. But there are those who can not purchase insurance services, these people need to be covered by the government otherwise their quality of life will continue to deteriorate. Those individuals and businesses that have already purchased health insurance have to end up paying very high rates of premium. If businesses continue to spend huge amount of their money as premiums, they will have lower amount of money to conduct investment activities and provide employment. Individuals who are paying loads of money as premium for health coverage are spending less on food and other necessities which is resulting in failure of businesses. Thus

Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center Essay

Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center - Essay Example Sedgefield Elementary School Media Center However, they expressed a concern on the more active involvement of educators and industry leaders in the state-wide effort of improving the public school curriculum, with the current emphasis on high schools. They have also informed me that they would want Sedgefield to be among the first schools to have its teacher-training program updated, and its learning and assessment systems enhanced. The group has already finalized its action plan to reinforce participation with this program, focusing on their critical role as media specialists in promoting information literacy. They also stressed their strong intent to take an active, collaborative role in specific initiatives that require the center’s support. Another matter which is worth noting is the group’s plan to strengthen our corporate social responsibility efforts. We have decided that while our role as library media specialists may seem remotely connected to corporate social responsibility, we can in fact, create a noteworthy impact, especially in the realm of education. Towards this end, we have already set our objective and action plans for CSR programs that have a particular relevance to education, for the latter half of the year. We have agreed that through these programs, we are not just helping the underprivileged through scaled-up corporate giving or through financial assistance – rather, we are implementing programs that are directly and meaningfully linked to our mission; that is, ensuring that students are successful users of all types of information.

Effective Legal Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effective Legal Study - Essay Example The exchange of ideas can be done online in the course of legal study and research. 1 The purpose of a legal study and research will ensure the students the skills and knowledge required for a barrister. The assistance of IT in learning will enable the law students and researchers to speed up their study. According to Claire of University of West of England, web based guide can enhance the legal research skills in tutoring the law students. The guide must be useful to campus based and distance learners. The use of multimedia to enhance law teaching cannot be ignored. This results in growth of institutional repositories and open access journals will take place expanding the scope of knowledge reach. Every University and Law school can develop a web interactive guide for law students. This can enable not only campus based students to study law but also the distance learners can fulfil their quest for studying the law. This can even help the researchers who research for a particular project or assignment regarding Law. The project officer who monitors the development of interactive guide and its updating must monitor atleast for 2 to 3 days a week. The universities and law schools must consider the lack of budget for enhancing IT skills and web interaction for their students. The lack of budget problems can be addressed by the management and this interaction can make inter university discussion possible. The staff shortages due to lack IT skills must be addressed by the appropriate training for the present staff or by recruiting new staff who are IT savvy. 2 The librarians in the law faculty must be made involved in the development of web interactive guide for law students. This guide must be useful to law practitioners also if it is upgraded in a timely manner. The academic standards will improve if the web interactive guide was upgraded according to the time. The teaching hours can be increased by making teaching possible in leisure hours and holidays by online teaching and interacting methods. The personal contact programmes can be used for advanced research if the lessons and guidance was given online. The assignments correction and receiving can be done online and the evaluation of the student can be done in personal interaction at the end of the module. This type of approach is more sustainable to attract more students and making them successful in their law study and research. 3. Advantages of IT in Law Study and Research The complex nature of legal research can be made simpler by applying search IT skills for the research purposes. This can enhance efficiency and speed of the research. The IT skills and online presentations can address the staffing constraints in Law schools and Universities. The lack of enquiry on law floor can be addressed

Super Size Me Essay Essay Example for Free

Super Size Me Essay Essay SuperSize Me shows that the food industry is to blame for the obesity epidemic in America. Do you agree? –Agree. Throughout the film, SuperSize Me shows that the food industry is to blame for the obesity epidemic in America. After watching the film, one would evidently come to terms with the fact that these industries are to blame. Spurlock presents information, outlining that these companies are only out to get your dollar, regardless of how they achieve their profits. As they continue to grow, these fast food industries find new ways to mass produce their food, quickly and cheaply. This in turn, sacrifices the quality of the food, as SuperSize Me emphasizes the cheap and health threatening ingredients they inject into their food though cartoons and other visual aids to help illustrate. Advertising also plays a major role in the companies’ scheme to inculcate their messages in your thinking, so you buy their product the next time you pass their stores. The film also goes on to highlight that the convenience of these stores along with the addictive elements appended to them, will only have a short term effect on the consumer, stating if these â€Å"trends† continue for the average obese American, the average obese American may not be around for much longer. As one of the highlights of the film, SuperSize Me continually brings up the danger of fast foods has on our health. Spurlock shows the audience this each time he goes for his regular check up with his recruited army of doctors. Each time he attends, his heath clearly declines from its point of origin when the only dependent variable changing his body, is the food he consumes. Until the end of his diet, his ‘glorified’ poor health is accentuated through the words of his health experts as a result of the food he had been consuming. From a point of view outlining film technique, Spurlock ‘intimidates’ the audience with a disturbing 20 lbs. (9kg) jar full of fat placed on the table. This was a confronting move he played in order to get his audience thinking about the reality of the danger in fast food when it is placed in front of the individual. Even more so, Spurlock consumed 30lbs. of sugar by the end of his diet. Mostly in the coke, the sugar also accounted for about 10% of the meal, that is, the buns, meat and fries. The poor quality of the food also adds to the problem, in one snippet of the film, Spurlock continues about the â€Å"McFrankenstein† elements of meat they compose together to create foods â€Å"not utilised by the home cook. In this case, chicken nuggets were the issue. SuperSize Me also informs the audience of the use of advertising, and its psychological effects it can have on individuals. Fast food giants have learned that inculcating their messages into consumers’ minds; will get them in their stores and purchasing their products more often. They have seen advertising as an investment rather a waste of money as they spend â €Å"1. billion dollars on direct media advertising worldwide in 2001† By repetitively bombarding individuals with their brand or logo essentially brainwashes the way they make calculated decisions, next time meal time comes around. This is known as â€Å"brand imprinting† and the film focuses on how this infiltrates the minds of children in particular, stating each child will see â€Å"at least 10,000 advertisements on fast food alone each year. † Children chanting about the fast food brands at the start of the film is a great example of this; the repetitive chant effectively inundates the mind with constant thought of food. These brands aren’t just a food service; they are a basis of comfort as children conduct in playful games around these brands as if they are a part of their life. Spurlock conducted a small experiment on a handful of children to test this brand imprinting. He showed the kids multiple flash cards, each with an icon or image on it such as Wendy’s, Jesus, etcetera. Each time McDonalds came up, every child was able to identify it. Essentially, the bottom line of brand imprinting is to create a positive experience for the consumer at a young age. By doing so you create a safe haven for the customer experience, and as they become adults free to make their own decisions they are then hooked on the products of the company produces, and continues to purchase them. As the generations progress, this can pose a new problem with obesity having an echo effect on the generations to come. The convenience of these stores also contains contributing factors to the obesity epidemic. SuperSize Me shows fast food companies have made it too easy for consumers to get their hands on their products through the plethora of ways you can get your food. All too many times the audience is shown Spurlock receiving his food through the drive-thru or home delivery, but in some cases he will get it himself generally when McDonalds is just down the stairs from the sky rise he is in. The availability of these restaurants is also quite remarkable, Spurlock states â€Å"McDonalds operates over 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries on six continents† not to mention most of them never close up shop. On the other hand, some people seem to think that exercising personal responsibility can be the answer to the obesity casualty. This may be possible; however it is short-sighted thinking to overlook the facts about how these food giants have achieved to get to where they are now and continue to do. If we could exercise personal responsibility, then why didn’t we do so when these companies were at their weakest? They are where they are now because they worked around our will power with subtle plans of attack. SuperSize Me has given clear evidence that these food industries are a problem, and has taken an unfortunate turn to result in the harm of our general wellbeing. We can stop them by demanding change, rather than suing them for our problems we can go to our government and demand guidelines by which these companies has to follow by to serve fresh, healthy food that’s not loaded up with sugar and fat. By eating these foods, â€Å"we are part of the problem, but we are also part of the solution. † Wether chose to take action depicts the quality of life we bestow upon ourselves and future generations. â€Å"I guess the big question is, who do you want to see go first? You? Or them? †

A History and Overview of Translation Techniques

A History and Overview of Translation Techniques The art of translation reaches the times of antiquity, therefore is nearly as old as the introduction of writing, since every written text enhanced the need to distributing it to other nationalities. First writings, however, were written mainly in Latin or Greek and introduced to educated people. The lower classes, perceived as simple and uneducated, were neglected as far as writing and reading was concerned. The major twist in the field of translation studies emerged due to the outbreak of the First and the Second World War. People, especially connected with army and government, were interested in knowing enemies plans. Some schools devoted to translation were established in order to train soldiers in understanding foreign languages, both written and spoken. However, the need for translating enemy texts lasted till the invention of coded messages. Decrypted texts had nothing in common with proper texts written in a particular language. Over the last three decades serious attempts were made to create a translation theory which would have included all answers connected with the human language. As Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (2006:28) have stated all of the previous translation theories were based chiefly on structuralist linguistics. The aim of the theories was not to present detailed description of the translation phenomena but to provide scholars with sentence structure rules. The 1970s and early 80s brought a breakthrough in understanding the language universals, which in turn influenced perceiving translation as a tool helpful in understanding language. These major changes occurred due to the work of Wilhelm von Humboldt and the introduction of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Refreshing for the understanding of the language though it was, Sapirs famous statement, quoted in Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (ibid), no two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality gave str aightforward answer that the translated text (i.e. target text; henceforth: TT) will on no account match with the source text (henceforth: ST). Sapirs statement led to neglecting translation and, simultaneously, to raising scholars interest in linguistic studies. Changes which occurred in the past thirty years had cast away translation from the academic discourse. However, nowadays one can observe growing interest in the art of rendering texts as well as the thorough investigations in the multiple translation theories in order to provide both teachers and students with one comprehensible theory. Translation theory As has been mentioned in the previous sub-chapter, scholars devoted to the field of translation studies have failed to establish a single and the most accurate definition of the translation theory. The reason for this is that a great number of the academic teachers are still engrossed with the linguistic approach towards translation theory. Majority of them still claim that translation is and will be an inevitable part of linguistic studies. Therefore, all aspects concerning translation theory are examined by means of linguistic theories. Those theories aim to create a view that the translation theory is an integral part of linguistics and must be used in accordance with linguistic rules and theories. The multiplicity of theories that are associated with translation were conceived on the basis of the human language studies. Bell (1991:4) points out that there are supporters of the view that translation should be perceived as a part of linguistic studies. Surprising as it may seem, th ere are also those who claim that translation should not be connected with language studies but, above all, with an art of taking the meaning from ST and converting it so as not to loose the main message. The choice of wheather one should perceive translation as an art or a science is dictated mainly by personal preferences. According to Bell (ibid) the theory is supposed to answer the question why?, which in turn is an explanation to the subject-matter under focus. Bell (ibid) presents three aspects which may be considered as separate translation theories or as logically-connected components to establish one logical theory. These include: A theory of translation as a process the theory of rendering a text A theory of translation as a product the theory of a rendered text A theory of translation as both process and product the theory of rendering and rendered text The linguistic approach towards translation theory suggests only a description of the phenomena. On the basis of it one can only find the answer to the question what?. Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (2006:26) support Bells statement suggesting division of the theories into two categories: a category that aim to describe the phenomenon or category set to prescribe some restrictions and rules which are meant to be obeyed. Savory (1957:49) enumerates at least twelve rules for a translator to follow in order to render a text in a proper manner. The rules are as follows: A translation must give the words of the original. A translation must give the ideas of the original. A translation should read like an original work. A translation should read like a translation. A translation should reflect the style of the original. A translation should posses the style of the translator. A translation should read as a contemporary of the original. A translation should read as a contemporary of the translator. A translation may add to or omit from the original. A translation may never add to or omit from the original. A translation of verse should be in prose. A translation of verse should be in verse. The above mentioned rules are but a small fraction of rules that professional translators are supposed to follow in order to fulfill the requirements of the target audience. It may be concluded that it depends on the personal preferences of the translators to coin their own theory which corresponds to their work as professionals. This will eventually lead to the multiplication of translation theories. Unfortunately it is the only possible solution, since there is a lack of one which is comprehensible and covers all the aspects of translation phenomena. 1.3. The definition of translation Trask (1997:299) states that translation is either the process of rendering the Source Language (henceforth: SL) into the Target Language (henceforth: TL) or the tangible outcome of this process. What is more, Trask (ibid) fails to provide a division between spoken and written translation. He, therefore, puts spoken and written rendition into the same category, which is translation. Tomaszkiewicz (2006:101) however, disagrees with Trasks view on the subject of translation definition. She draws the attention to the division into oral and written translation. She states that rendering texts by means of writing should be referred to as translation (Fr. Traduction), whereas oral rendition of a speech is to be called interpretation. Similarly to the translation theory, the definition of translation has caused different people from different spheres of study to coin their own definitions of translation phenomena. There appeared not only strictly scholarly definitions but more emotional, as well. Bassnett (1991:13) defines translation as a tool assembled to (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) transfer meaning contained in one set of language signs into another set of language signs through competent use of dictionary and grammar, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) involving a whole set of extra-linguistic criteria(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Newmark (1982:7) states that every attempt to translate a text from one language to another causes some minor losses and modifications in the translated text. A more emotional definition of translation is presented by Margarita Brandes, quoted after Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (2006:25). She states that there are some (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) spiritual and practical (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) elements involved in the process of translati on. Additionally, she relates translation to communication, making it an integral part of social relationships. She advocates that the process of translation must be associated with reproductive and secondary activity. Catford, quoted after Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (2006:25), presents a contrary view on the definition of translation. His own definition disagrees with the previous definitions since it suggest that the translation must under no circumstances transfer the meaning of the SL into the TL. He emphasizes the need to differentiate transfer from substitution. The former should be perceived as an integral part of translation. With so many definitions of translation it is very difficult to choose the most appropriate one for the future professionals. This problem must be dealt with by individuals, since not all translators share the same view on this subject. The best definition is the one that matches with translators knowledge and skills. 1.4. Translation or interpreting? Apart from different types of translation, the notion of rendering texts from one language to another can be divided into two distinct subgroups. These are, translation and interpreting. 1.4.1. Translation The main aim of this sub-chapter is to briefly examine both of the subgroups. Let us first focus on the translation phenomena. It has been stated in previous sub-chapters that translation should be mainly associated with written rendition of a text. HrehovÄ ik (2006:23) draws ones attention to the fact that there are some authors who believe that the term translation (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) is an overall category which encompasses both oral and written forms of mediated bilingual communication (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). He himself supports Tomaszkiewiczs view that only a written text translated into a written text in another language should be referred to as the translation. Tomaszkiewicz (2006:101) emphasizes the fact that translation is not a productive activity per se but merely a reproductive one. She maintain that a translator is not the author of the text for his task is to grasp the main message conveyed in a ST and to reformulate it by means of stylistic devices present in a TT so as to match with the original text. Great stress is put on the notions of equivalence and faithfulness as far as translating or interpreting. The notion of equivalence may be particularly ascribed to the translation and translator since it requires a vast knowledge in the field of lexical items. In this connection one should bear in mind that written rendition of a text must be as faithful as possible. When translating a written text the translator has some time to process his thoughts and ideas, whereas interpretation requires quick thinking and lack of hesitation. 1.4.2. Interpreting The notion of interpreting deals with the conversion of spoken language from one into another. When dealing with interpretation, there emerges the problem of bits of information to be received, processed, converted and distributed so that the message is not altered at any level. HrehovÄ ik (2006:24) points out that even though translation and interpreting are language-related they involve the use of different spheres of human brain. He, thus, maintains that people who are considered capable of thinking fast would find interpreting as a better way of rendering texts. Analogically, people considered as detail-oriented and devoted to scholarly activities would prefer translation, since it enables them to refer to a number of dictionaries or other reference books. Moreover, translation is mainly done in isolation when there is a time to rethink some problems before making a final decision. Interpreting is a tool for people who are not afraid of working under pressure, both time an d surrounding. There is no time for an interpreter to refer to any sources because thinking may lead to loosing the main idea of the utterance delivered by a person. The high range of vocabulary as well as grammatical structures is of the utmost importance in order to fulfill the task of rendering spoken text orally. Contrary to translation, interpreting can be categorized into at least eleven types. HrehovÄ ik (2006) lists those types accordingly to their importance, though he maintains that simultaneous, consecutive and whispering interpretations are the major ones. An attempt will be made to briefly discuss all types of interpreting. Suggested types are as follows: Simultaneous interpretation, considered as the most important can be best described as a real-time interpreting. The interpreters task is to listen to the speakers utterance and while listening the interpreter is supposed to provide the audience with the rendered speech. There is no time for the person involved to hesitate for even a single moment since it may cause that she will be at a loss. There is a possibility that the speaker may be in a different room, therefore it is required that the interpreter be a fast-thinking and decisive. Consecutive interpretation, considered a second important type of interpreting which differs from simultaneous interpreting in such a way that the speaker delivers the speech in fragments, they can be either sentences or paragraphs. The interpreter has to grasp the main idea of the passage, convert and deliver it to the audience. The speaker waits for the interpreter to finish. She then continues with another passage. It is advisable that the speaker should make a pause every 1-5 minutes so as not to overload the interpreter with the data. Interpreters are advised to develop their own way of making notes during the speakers presentation. It is done mainly by some symbols so as not to waste time for noting the entire speech. As HrehovÄ ik (2006:25) believes, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦)the output is more idiomatic and less source-language bound. Whispering is a third type of interpreting. It corresponds, to some extent, with the simultaneous interpreting. The major difference between these two types is that whispering requires sitting close to the speaker and listener. The conversion of an utterance is done by means of listening to the speech and subsequently whispering already rendered text to the listeners ear. The need of using whispering is best performed during short meetings when there is the lack of specialized equipment to carry out simultaneous or consecutive interpreting. The following types of interpreting are chiefly connected with conference interpreting. Relay is a type of interpreting which involves the use of the third language. The interpreters task is to connect with a language booth that covers a language used by the speakers. It happens when the interpreter does not cover the language used by the speakers. She may connect with other interpreter, who covers the language in question, via audio link. There is no loss of the interpreted text because of the rapid connection between booths. Pivot takes place when the language used by the speakers is less widespread. Interpreters who do not cover this particular language connect with those who cover and relay from them. The basic idea of a pivot is the ability to distribute a speech even though the audience and some of the interpreters do not cover the language. As can be observed there occurs a mixture of two types of interpreting. One might state that they complement each other. Cheval (Fr. horse) is a very difficult type of interpreting since it requires a mastery of two languages on equal levels. Cheval is a person who is asked to interpret between two booths in two different languages. She must be able to shift between languages when there is a need. The idea of employing chevals aims to reduce the costs because it requires only one interpreter for two separate presentations. Due to the development in the sphere of communication technologies such types of interpreting have recently been conceived: Teleconferencing may simply be defined as a form of communication by means of audio stream even if the people involved are in different cities, countries or even continents. This type of interpreting enables all people to listen to the speech. Audioconferencing this type of interpreting is based only on audio signal. There is no possibility to see the participants. Videoconferencing requires the use of a video stream. It is vital that this type of conferencing require audio stream as well. This term comprises three separate types. They are: Videophony includes a mixture of a speakers image with a telephone call Whiteboarding can be either the electronic exchange or the ability to edit documents on a number of computers Desktop videoconferencing images delivered via PC camera; may as well include whiteboarding Studio or room videoconferencing requires at least two, though more are possible, studios that are linked together by means of audio and video streams. The use of more than two languages leads to creating so called multilingual conferencing. Sight translation is performed when an interpreter is given a text with some information in it and his task is to convert the text and deliver the content orally in a TL. These texts are mainly memos distributed at meetings and are to be rendered at a moments notice. Although there is a great number of interpreting types, one should not be deceived that interpretation is more acknowledged than translation. Both types are equally perceived as vital in communicating between nationalities. Translation as well as interpretation have both its supporters and people with opposite views. The skills that are required are basically the same. The only difference, apart from the written or spoken form, is the individual predisposition of a person to render a text in a way she is able to. 1.5. Types of translation Similarly to the types of interpreting, translation as well includes a number of subtypes. There are, of course, spheres of life which impose the translator to choose the most appropriate one. The most popular is, beyond any doubt, the sphere of commerce due to its rapid development. Korzeniowska and Kuhiwczak (2006) suggest also: the tourist trade, science, arts or even catering; as the most popular nowadays. However, the spheres that require a comprehensible translation are not going to be dealt with in this chapter. It is hoped that the following examples of types of translation will be thoroughly scrutinized. HrehovÄ ik (2006), provides a list of nine types of translation which find their applicability in every day translating. The list includes: Word for word translation the main goal of this type of translation is to render a text in such a way that the TT words match as close as it is possible with their counterparts in ST. Another characteristic feature of this type is that words connected with culture are rendered literally. Literal translation here, emphasis is put on finding grammatical equivalents in TT so as to convert the text from ST. The lexical correspondents are of minor importance. Moreover, they are very often out of context. Faithful translation it may be considered as the most desirable type of translation since it attempts to render a SL text so that it is comparable with a TL. All language deviations are transferred from one language into another. Semantic translation contrary to faithful translation, semantic one seeks not only faithfulness but also the aesthetic aspects of language. Not even the slightest language deviation is allowed. Communicative translation it aims at converting a text in such a way that the (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) exact contextual meaning of the original (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) is preserved and the text itself contains comprehensible and acceptable language and content. Idiomatic translation this translation type encompasses both the appropriate grammar structures and well-chosen lexical items. If a text should be translated by means of idiomatic translation, it would definitely sound like original one. Free translation the basic goal of this rendition is to convey the meaning without paying closer attention to the choice of words or grammatical structures. Some scholars advocate that the translated text is usually much longer than the original writing. Adaptation used mainly for poetry and plays, this translation type is considered to be free of rules and restrictions. The freedom of interpreting a text in whatever way the translator desires is referred to as unduly free. In addition, adaptation serves very often to invoke humor by changing, for instance, historical facts or characters name. Screen translation the most common type of translation nowadays. It includes providing subtitles for films and dubbing original voices in a film with native ones. Subtitling is done even by inexperienced people who are not trained translators but merely gained some knowledge connected with foreign languages. In some cases they are able to create a flawless translations but very often their versions are feeble and full of mistakes. Dubbing, on the other hand, is done by professionals and simply read by actors assigned to a particular character. The multiplicity of translation types gives a wide range of possibilities. However, one should bear in mind that mastering a particular type is not enough to convert a text. Other vital skills are required as well. They may be ascribed to various roles that a translator must choose in order to maintain the originality and faithfulness of the translated text. The roles of a translator will be examined in the next sub-chapter.

Such A Long Journey Essay -- Literary Analysis, Mistry, Character Anal

Rohinton Mistry’s â€Å"Such A Long Journey† is the story of turbulent life of Gustad Noble and his family, who lives in Khodadad Building north of Bombay. The story portrays the series of events such as his son Sohrab’s refusal to attend Indian Institution of Technology, hardships faced by his friends and family, political turmoil and chaos caused by the war between India and Pakistan. Gustad transforms from a stubborn, materialistic and awful person to an open-minded and more adaptive to circumstantial changes in his life. Ultimately, Gustad Noble journeys to a greater understanding of his role as a father, friend and citizen of India. In the story, Gustad is shown as a loving and caring father who is passionate about the future of his eldest son, Sohrab. He bears many grievances from past which have limited his possibilities of becoming successful in his life and wishes to fulfill his unaccomplished desires through his son. Sohrab’s intelligence and brilliance at home and school assure his parents that their son is very special and is capable of doing anything in his life. His father starts making predictions that someday his son is going to become an aeronautical engineer, architect or research scientist. In addition, Gustad is glad that his son also shows interest in family tradition of furniture building when he says â€Å"it must be in the blood, this love of Carpentry† (Mistry 65). He endures all the hardships and encourages his son to comprehend the idea to study at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). â€Å"And the Indian Institute of Technology became the Promised Land† (Mistry 6 6) indicates the extent of Gustad’s predetermination and resolution about the future of his son. The attempt made by Gustad to protect and save his s... ...andhi and Shiv Sena. Gustad learns that his friend is a profound thinker â€Å"It occurred to Gustad he had been doing his friend a grave injustice all these years, regarding him merely as a joker† (Mistry 74). Gustad plays with sentiments of Dinshawji and motivates his friend to help him in bank deposits as â€Å"the worse Gustad felt at having to dupe his sick friend who was now willing to break banking laws and jeopardize his job and pension this close to retirement† (Mistry 144). He blames Dinshawji for his provocative behaviour towards Laurie. He warns Dinshawji that if he doesn’t stop bothering Laurie, he will lose his job and pension but Gustad was more concerned about his deposit. Dinshawji shows great resolve and courage in withdrawing the money five days ahead of schedule, then collapses and dies in hospital. Gustad is apologetic to Dinshawji for exploiting him.

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay -- John Milton Paradise Lost Essays

John Milton's Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost is filled with fantastical tales from the depths of Hell, extravagant descriptions of the fallen angels, and a curious recitation of the council of demons in their new palace. How did Milton dream up such vivid depictions of such horrible demons as the ones we see in Book I? Most of his fallen angels originate in the form of Pagan gods condemned by the Bible, with actual historical backgrounds which Milton cites in his lengthy descriptions. Firstly, a few words about Satan would seem prudent, as he is the first of the fallen angels, the leader in the revolt, and the first to venture to earth to corrupt mankind. He is Milton’s main character, and the only one to extend outside of strict biblical interpretations of his character. He appears first in the Bible (if you discount the snake in the Garden of Eden) in the Book of Job, in which he convinces God to test Job by taking away all his worldly possessions and bringing harm to himself and his family. He is addressed with the angels and named as Satan, so his status as an angel who helps bring pain and suffering is no stretch from the ‘biblical truth’. Old Testament Books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel refer to what appears to be Satan, but are in the midst of passages that reflect upon wicked, fallen kings. In Isaiah 14:12 it is written, â€Å"how you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!† Most speculation is that this directly refers to Satan, although in no other passage is he referred to as Lucifer. The passage is actually concerning a Babylonian king, as is Ezekiel 28:14-15, which laments (for the King of Tyre), â€Å"you were the anointed cherub†¦ till iniquity was found in you.† These passages are about wick... ...of the Memphian Kings (Egyptian Pharoah’s at the great city of Memphis) who built the Great Pyramids, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but whose city Memphis sustained much damage throughout the years (the city decayed and the capital eventually moved to Thebes). These are the players of Milton’s epic of light and darkness, good and evil, Heave, Hell, and everything in between. Expounding upon popular beliefs of Satan and his rogue angels and borrowing Pagan gods from old Palestine and Jordan enable the creation of almost Protagonist demons. Though it’s easy to relate to Satan as a rebellious child dealing with punishment, the poem preaches that you strictly obey God. God is omnipotent, omniscient (he even sees Satan’s approach from the depths of Hell), he has conquered countless false and pagan gods, his word is not to be questioned as Adam and Eve did.

Introduction to Business Assignment Essay

AIM: I have been requested by Peter Eskesen to look at two contrasting business organisations and one of who must operate in the secondary/manufacturing industry and the other corporation must be a service provider from the tertiary sector. I must then look at the activities that each of them fulfil and look at the effectiveness of them within each organisation. I have decided to look at the activities of G. E lighting which is an American company and a direct division of the biggest company in the world G. E and the second company of which I have decided to look at is Sainsbury’s who is amongst some of the most dominant market leading companies operating in the U. K in the supermarket sector. Both of the companies that I have decided to look at are both owned by shareholders which means that people have bought shares into them. However having said that, as G. E lighting is an American company it means that it will not be listed on the London Stock Exchange but will alternatively be listed upon the New York stock exchange market. If a person wanted to buy shares in GE lighting then they would have to contact a broker. Furthermore, Sainsbury’s is also a Public Limited Company because it is like before, listed upon the London Stock Exchange. Today General Electric is made up of many departments/divisions. For example G. E Lighting in Enfield is part of a Global Business, which operates in over 100 worldwide countries and also holds work for over 300,000 people worldwide too. Television programming, Plastics and G. E Aircraft Engines for example, is the biggest engine maker and supplier in the world with operations in over 40 different countries. 1 On the next page you will find GE’s product portfolio. Sainsbury’s supermarkets employ over 145,000 people (including Savacentre). Of these 145,000 people, 60% are part – time based workers and 40% are full – time workers. 62% of the labour forces are women which show that since the 19th Century equal opportunities have shifted and women have the same rights as men – to be able to work. Furthermore, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets serves well over 11 million customers a week and as from May 2003, had 535 stores open throughout the UK. Nearly 60% of their stores are located upon town centres and others built on the edge of centre locations – in the greenbelt areas where land is cheaper and have better connections. Like GE, Sainsburys also have sub divisions or Subsidiary companies that they own. For example the other activities that they operate or run besides Groceries, include a chain of Sainsbury’s Banks, Shaw’s, JS Development and Sainsbury’s Property Development. Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc. has been a completely owned Subsidiary of J Sainsbury’s plc since 1987 and partly owned since 1983. Shaw’s serves over four million customers a week, and as at May 2003 had 193 stores open in New England, USA. In June 1999, J Sainsbury’s plc acquired the entire share capital of Star Markets for a total consideration of $497 million dollars which is the equivalent to i 313 million British pounds. Star Markets operates in the Metropolitan Boston area, Washington DC. The acquisition took Shaw’s Supermarkets to the number 2 position in New England and as the dominant market leader in Houston, Massachusetts. Like Sainsbury’s Supermarkets, the US operations place an emphasis on high quality food at value for money prices, and are persistently recuperating and improving their range of fresh foods. The corporation offers approximately 50,000 different lines, up to 35,000 per store at any one time. Some 5,000 popular brand products account for 40 per cent sales and as at June 2003, Shaw’s employs some 28,400 associates.