Should Social Security Be Privatized Essays - Economy, Finance

Should Social Security Be Privatized Should Social Security be Privatized? Many people dont understand how the Social Security system really works. There are no separate Social Security accounts set up for each taxpayer to which he contributes his Social Security tax each year. Many people believe these accounts exist, that the money they pay into their accounts grows each year until retirement, and when they retire they get back what they paid in with interest. This is not true. Most people are unaware of the fact that our current Social Security system is a pay-as-you-go program, which means that the revenue the federal government raises each tax year for Social Security benefits is paid out that same year to beneficiaries. Many economists believe that our Social Security system is in need of a major overhaul if today's workers are to receive future benefits. Thomas R. Saving, Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M University says, What is wrong is that the Social Security system was never set up to be a sound investment-based retirement system. Karl Borden, professor of financial economics at the University of Nebraska recently wrote, Social Security is an unfunded pay-as-you-go system, fundamentally flawed and analogous in design to illegal pyramid schemes. Government accounting creates the illusion of a trust fund, but, in fact, excess receipts are spent immediately. Robert M. Ball, former commissioner of Social Security said, Some of the trust fund money should be put into the stock market. I want to do it to get a better return for the Social Security system. Historically, long-term government bonds have had a real return, after inflation, of 2.3 percent a year, compared with 6.3 percent for stocks. Paul W. Boltz, economist for the T. Rowe Price mutual fund said, When we examine the pending financial crisis of our Social Security system, we find, in effect, the characteristics of a government sponsored Ponzi-type scheme. Michael H. Cosgrove, of the Dallas-based newsletter, The Econoclast says, People need to take the responsibility of investing their own funds for their retirement. The Social Security system assumes people can't make that decision and government can do it better. The result is a bankrupt Social Security System. These economists believe that by investing in the private market, someone currently entering the labor force and retiring at age 65 can expect to receive an inflation adjusted retirement benefit from 1.5 to 5.5 times the current social security benefit. Increasing life expectancy and decreasing birth rates have combined to create the crisis the system is now facing. For example, in 1950 there were 16 workers for every social security retiree, while presently there are only 3.3 workers for every retired worker drawing benefits. Estimates are that by 2030 there will be fewer than two workers for every retiree. Privatizing social security sounds extreme, but it has been done successfully in other countries like Chile. Jose Pinera, who was Chile's minister of labor, privatized the state pension system in 1981. It is now giving retirees generous pensions while fueling investment, growth and improving living standards in that country. The heart of the Chilean system is a mandatory savings plan. All workers under age 45 contribute 10 percent of their monthly earnings in special accounts, known as AFPs (Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones). Workers between ages 45 and 65 could shift to the new system at their option. The funds in AFPs are professionally managed and invested in stocks and bonds. The money may not be touched until retirement, at which time the worker may begin phased withdrawals or purchase an annuity. At the end of 1995 more than $25 billion was invested in AFP accounts. The old Social Security system is being phased out. By 2030 Chile's Social security will entirely be privatized. This system ensures the money a taxpayer pays for retirement goes to helping that taxpayer retire (not others). It ensures the money paid in taxes is invested and grows. It also gives taxpayers choices over their plans and the age at which they want to retire. If the US were to adopt a system like Chile's, we could save our own failed Social Security system and provide real security and peace of mind to everyone. The money paid into these individual retirement accounts is invested, meaning more capital is available to the business sector for investment. An individual would have their very own pension, with their name on it. The government would no longer control the money that the individual paid in to it. It is the individual's account, just like an IRA. It is essentially a government mandated IRA. Only

Describe the cultures of the various mound builders- the Ade essays

Describe the cultures of the various mound builders- the Ade essays Burial mounds were especially common during the Middle Woodland period (c.100 B.C.A.D. 400), while temple mounds predominated during the Mississippian period (after A.D. 1000). The greatest concentrations of mounds are found in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys. The term Mound Builders arose when the origin of the monuments was considered mysterious, most European Americans assuming that the Native Americans were too uncivilized for this accomplishment. The Adena culture began near the Ohio River Valley area during the technological period of about 3000 BP. They lasted for a relatively short period of time, from 1000 B.C. to around 1 A.D. This culture is most famous for its practice of burying its dead in large burial mounds and its people have often been termed the "Mound Builders". Most of what we know about this culture comes from examining what was buried with the dead. The culture's main identifying features, the burial mounds, most are conical in shape and vary greatly in size. Many tools have also been found within the burial mounds. Stone hoes, flint blades, projectile points, and stone scrapers are among the most common items found. The typical projectile point was long, straight, and did not differ from the archaic prototype by that much. Axes, or Celts, were also found within the burial complexes. Shells that were found within the burial complex also served a specific function. They used the shells as spoons and ornamental objects. Bone and antler were used to make combs, beads, and gargets. A few copper axes have been found, but most copper artifacts were for ornamental purposes. Tobacco pipes have also been found within the gravesites. The pottery made by the Adena peoples was not buried with the dead. It was made form the grit of crushed limestone, and somewhat plain looking. Designs found on the pottery were usually made from fabric, although some do have a nestled diamond shape pressed in to...

The issue of national or international importance which have an impact Essay

The issue of national or international importance which have an impact on society - Essay Example This research tells that terrorism has had a lasting impact on the society in more ways than one. It must be understood here that there are only negatives attached with terrorism and absolutely no positives could be drawn from such a heinous issue. The wave of terrorism sparked much debate and controversy after the 9/11 attacks on the US soil. After this, the world scenario started to change for the worse, so much so that terrorism seems to be the only constant amongst the different international issues of the current times. This essay discusses that the turn of the new century has meant nothing else but sheer terrorism with terrorist activities breaking headlines with each passing day, in different regions of the world. Taliban and Al Qaeda have been credited with most of these terrorist activities and there is enough evidence to suggest that these two outfits have brought much harm to the ranks of global peace and sanity than any other terrorist wing. In the coming times, terrorism will continue to pose as a major problem. It will haunt the lives of the people and destruct their property and wealth just like it is doing in the present times. It does not guarantee peace to prevail in the near future. The world is plunged into a fighting zone, with non-state actors fighting it out for their own ulterior motives. Some state-level terrorism is also being given air and this has meant disaster and nothing else in the long run.

Managing Change- Strategies for mergers and acquisition AOL and TIME Essay

Managing Change- Strategies for mergers and acquisition AOL and TIME WARNER - Essay Example In both the cases of mergers and acquisitions, two separate entities decide to come together; a change is certain to happen in the new amalgamated set-up. The change is expected in the company policies, management hierarchy, and customer relations among other major things. And if the merger is that of the largest merger till date, we can understand the proximity of the change. Merger of Time Warner with America Online proves the fact. Beginning its journey with the name of Quantum Computer Services, America Online (popularly known as AOL) has been one of the most successful brands in the world of internet. Proving the fears of many experts wrong, AOL was successful even after the free internet service providers entered the market. AOL also successfully survived the dotcom bust when many of its competitors had to shut their business. For a long time Time Warner has been a part of various mergers and acquisitions. The company, Time Warner, was formed in 1990 when Time, Inc and Warner Communication decided to merge together. It has a wide array of business initiatives ranging from producing films, publishing books, broadcasting, etc. Some of its leading brands are Time, CNN, Warner Brothers. It was early January of the year 2000 when the biggest corporate merger was announced as an all stock transaction. But there were certain issues to be settled before the deal saw day’s light. After about a year, on 11th January 2001, with the approval of FCC, the deal was signed of making AOL Time Warner, the largest media and entertainment company in the world. Though, both the companies claimed it was ‘a merger of equals’, but actually AOL shareholders owned 55% stake of the new company and the remaining 45% stake of AOL Time Warner belonged to the shareholders of Time Warner (McCullagh D., December 2000). The new company initially traded at the New York Stoke Exchange with

Video game review- BE CAREFUL IS NOT A MOVIE REVIEW BUT A VIDEO GAME

Video game - BE CAREFUL IS NOT A BUT A VIDEO GAME - Movie Review Example The game is interactive in that the player assumes the role of God and seeks to prevent the humans’ quest of constructing the tower. This is done through punishing as many workers achievable using electric bolts, using wind to blow them away, killing them with fire and drowning the workers in floods. The game creators clearly tried to incorporate elements evident in the original story. The control options in the game are varied, but the gamer is encouraged to employ the kinect hardware (Venter, 2012). This is, however, cumbersome that the use of hand controls since the player is engrossed in determining how to move their body when issuing commands. This is because motion controls are employed as opposed to standard controllers. It is, therefore, more practical to use the standard controllers. The games strong points are in its unique story line and its impressive graphics depicting the workers are expertly animated. The action and the employment of strategy by the player also gives the game an edge. It, however, has its low points with the music being monotonous since it is repetitive. The multiplayer option also fails to impress since the game becomes cumbersome to see. The game overall is engaging, but becomes tiresome as one plays it for a

Role Of Women In Pride And Prejudice English Literature Essay

Role Of Women In Pride And Prejudice English Literature Essay This phrase probably remains many topics related to the English society that the novel Pride and Prejudice represented: The approval of the society, seek of wealth and well-being more than love, and the role of women. As the quotation says, all men in possession of a good fortune seek for a wife, for the reason that he wants the approval of the society, everything was about appearances. In the other hand, women did not have any options at that time, and the maxim goal or dream that they expected for their lives was to get married, if it is possible with a wealthy man in order to have a comfortable life. Marriage was a market, it was based principally in economical arrangements; where unfortunately, a woman did not have chance to decide for herself. Pride and Prejudice is based specifically in the early 19th century under the Victorian Age. Even when a female representative was ruling the country, women did not have many options for their lives, they were seen as ideal, pure and saintsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and as saints they had no legal rights. During this essay, role of 19th century women will be developed, but first of all I would to mention a bit of Jane Austen, who is the author of this fantastic and romantic novel. Secondly, life of English society in the 19th century will be discussed, talking about marriage and courtship. Thirdly, women role at that century will be developed, relating those with the different characters that we noticed in the book. Jane Austen was an English novelist who lived among 1775 and 1817. It is possible to find Austens works since they are very famous and important for English literature. Her novels still remain in our century, thanks to the adaptation of several novels into movies, which is the case of Pride and Prejudice. That fact allows us, to new readers of her work, to feel closer to that time and century and to know how people used to live and confront life. We have to keep in mind that Jane Austen despite of all the historical events that England was going through, for example Napoleonic Wars, she inspired her work on women and her living conditions. Principally, that was all she knew about: how difficult was to be a woman, all the pressures, injustices and prejudices that women faced. Pride and Prejudice was a novel about how love can go through many awkward, hard and difficult situations and still can win after all, which is reflected in the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen made people believe that despite of many rules and prejudices of society there is always something that moves the world; there is always something inside of any human which is pure feelings such as love. Love is like an illusion and it completes the happiness of every human being. However, in this novel it is likely possible to see all the dark side of this male- centered society. I said likely, because this story is covered with romantic scenes and love illusions, facts that every girl would like, for example in the following quotes, where Mr. Darcy appears like a gentleman that every girl, after all, would be in love with: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.- Darcy to Elizabeth. (Jane Austen 1813:236) You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever. Darcy to Elizabeth (Jane Austen 1813:451) Nevertheless, this story was under a male-centered society, where men were the biggest favored here: they could choose and take the decisions they wanted, they could earn money and have privileges if their wives were wealthy, they could study and make business and keep being successful. This type of thinking (male centered) kept happening even when a queen was in charge of the country. Anyways it is not many time ago that this situation started to change thanks to the bravery of women that wanted a change, but that is definitely another topic. According to the society in the 19th century, ruled by Queen Victoria, was a society where appearances and social class were really essential. Money had the real power there: to classify people thanks to appalling social conditions. As it is possible to notice in the book and in the movie as well, it was everything about impressing the social order with the well being and money you had, in order to form a family and to be considered for the society as somebody important, to gain respect and honor as well. Regarding women, they were seeing as ideal for the most part of society: her bodies were pure and they were labeled as saints, cleanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦her role was to raise children, to tend the house and they did not have legal rights, for example: women could not vote and could not own a property. Talking about marriage, it can be said that it was more an economical arrangement than an institution where love was the principal issue. For many women, to get married it was the salvation to have a comfortable life thanks to the well being that a husband can provide. Pride and prejudice reflected this situation in Charlotte Lucas case: Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. Charlotte Lucas. (Jane Austen 1813:27) As Charlotte said, marriage was a matter of chance, to have a better life, since a woman for itself could not own anything. Love was not important as long as you live well and with the acceptance of society. That is why Mrs. Bennet wanted her girls to get married so soon, since the business of her life was to see all her daughters marriedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for what? For maintain her, as well. Nevertheless, all the possessions of a woman passed to her husband at the moment to get married. To be more specific, to be a woman was very difficult; you expected to be perfect and pretty and all that stuff but it was a situation where you can feel a prisonerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a society prisoner. Furthermore, a woman depended, of course, of her husband and consequently, she has to obey him. It was a life little better than slavery, to say it in some way. When a woman was married and her husband was wealthy, she had to organize parties to meet new people in order to bring prestige to her husband and her family as well. Those social parties were the opportunity to establish new economical relationships. Another point about women and marriage, it was that they must have certain knowledge in different areas to help and educate children. In addition women in Victorian Era were seen like this: Sweetness is to woman what sugar is to fruit. It is her first business to be happy a sunbeam in the house, making others happy. True, she will often have a tear in her eye, but, like the bride of young Lochinvar, it must be accompanied with a smile on her lips. (Victorias past) As it is possible to notice in the quotation, women seem to be happy and perfect, but what was happening inside it might be really different, regarding to the phrase she will often have a tear in her eye. Women were really suffering, but in that harsh society nobody could ever hear them. A woman was expected to be perfect, but what about her life, her decisions, her thinking and her feelings? Nevertheless, not everything was so bad for women; this era leaded some space to romanticism in term of courtships. Pride and Prejudice reflect that in its plot, a love story of a wealthy man and a poor woman. People in England are recognized as polite, so courtship was followed by codes. Love always was under moral codes, specific ways to treat people, rules of etiquette and so on. As I said rules of etiquette were very strict, and sometimes it seem like people attitudes were not real, due to the fact that there were so many rulesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ you do not even know if they are serious or they are playing courtship. Consequently, a woman here plays the role of being so perfect and pure, just like jewelry, even more those women belonging to upper classes, but as I have explained beforeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ these terms are possible to notice in the book, and all that code and etiquette issue. According to Victorian Past: Queen Victoria and her family were role models in Victorian society. Subsequently, the perfect marriage became the socially acceptable goal of courtship. (Victorias Past). Talking about female characters of the novel and their relation with the role of woman in the society of 19th century, there is a lot that can be said. Regarding Elizabeth Bennet, she was the main character of Pride and Prejudice, being in my opinion, the bravest one. She did not mind what to say in order to express herselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ no matter what. She and her sisters were under the pressure of her mother in terms on seeking a husband. Elizabeth understood all the stress and difficulty of her family if she did not find a husbandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but despite of all the facts, she disagreed to go against her feelings, she wanted to be happy after all. When Elizabeth did not want to get married with Mr. Collins, her mother was so angry and disappointed of her, due to the fact that being single was a totally social disapproval. If a man was single, it was not seeing so badly as a woman single. At least a man could raise a business and find a wife so easily, but a single woman did not have options. Elizabeth was not very worried about it, but her mother was. Consequently, Charlotte Lucas who was Elizabeths best friend was worried about being single. As I mentioned before, she saw marriage as an opportunity and she was conscious about the little options she had at her age. She was not in love with Mr. Collins, but she knew that in some way love may come afterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as long as she has a comfortable life and to feel accepted by the harsh society as well. She was very poor, and keeping with the idea, she did not have many options. Sometimes, you can feel that in these novels there is all about love, well in some way it could be, but not all the time. Love in this era was a secondary termà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ since the society and the approval and appearances and having a respectable well being was the essential issue. Women could stay single, but only those who were very wealthy. Lady Catherine was not single, but she was alone. Her husband died leaving her with a daughter. In the case if Lady Catherine was a poor woman, all her possessions would have been under a man hands. She was very powerful and wealthy; that fact allowed her to be totally independent. That was acceptable, for the society due to the fact of her social position. Everybody was worried about pleasing her; just take an example the behavior of Mr. Collins. By the way, we do not have to forget that Lady Catherine was also arranging a marriage between her daughter and Mr. Darcy. In that case marriage was not about loveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it was just an economical relationship, just an arrangement. Nevertheless Lady Catherine, when she knew about Elizabeth and her relationship with which she wanted her daughter to get married Mr. Darcy, she was so angry, because Lady Catherine had the knowledge of the economical situation of Bennet famil yà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she thought that Elizabeth was interested just in money and to save her life economically, just to say it in some way. Do not forget that Lady Catherine belonged to the upper class, where social standing and appearance was truly important. If we talk about appearances it is essential then to mention Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bingley. Unfortunately, the role of many women was to be accepted by the society no matter how. In the case of Mrs. Bennet, she was always faking being in some ways educated and intelligent. She was very sillyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she always used to say to her daughters to act naturally, but that was all a false; it was just to impress Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Benner had the need to show herself and her family as a probable and a noble choice for wealthy men in order to arrange marriages. According to Miss Bingley, she was very snobby; always worried about her image, her social standing and her prestige. She did not like the idea to be linked with people from middle class. This attitude toward life, and the fact of impressing was really superficial, she was not real at all if we compared her with Elizabeth Bennet, at least Lizzy was real. This behavior in women in 19th century was very common. Situatio ns were demanding a lot of rules codes and etiquette, fake and superficiality. Another topic which was very vital was the honor to the family. The family, despite of all the false that a marriage would be was very important. It was the base of the society at that time. It was not accepted at all, for example, that a single woman escapes with a man without being married. That was the case of the younger daughter of Bennets family: Lydia Bennet. She committed a mistake that was very horrifying for her family, she run off with Wickham. Since, the English civilization was all male-centered, men could do anything they wanted, they could have many affairs or being free, just as simple as that. However, if a young girl acted like Lydia did, that fact would bring many bad consequences to her family. Bennets family would have loss the prestige at all if people would know that one of the daughters escape with a man. Nowadays, that situation would not matter, because peoples minds have changed, but in that eraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people in general were all close minded. Regarding Jane Bennet, what can be said, is that she was the ideal woman. She was respectful, discrete, beautiful and she had grace. Even though Jane belonged to a middle class family, she never made a mistake that put into risk her familys prestige. She was in love with Mr. Bingley, a marriage which was seen for most of the people as something economical, but they really were in love. Janes attitude towards life represented the romanticism that women lived in that era, even more if they were into a courtship. Even though, Jane as well as Elizabeth knew about the real intentions of her silly and snobby mother, Jane was real. She was in love at least, and she was very lucky to be engaged and to be married later with a wealthy man: Mr. Bingley. Mrs. Bennet was so pleased when she knew about this, because in some way she and her family were safe. In conclusion, Pride and Prejudice reflected the English society during Victorian ages. Money used to rule the world, in terms of shaping and labeling people into social classes. Appearances were really essential at the moment to establish different kinds of relationships. As a male-centered society, women were the basis of the family, but they did not have voice or vote. Her options were pretty limited by the rules code imposed by the people. Role of women were really different as we can notice actually. They were pure but with no rights. Life seemed to be really unfair for them and that was what Jane Austen wanted us to think about. Even when Pride and Prejudice was a novel about love and how it can go through many barriers, women had a very poor role. During the novel and the story reveled, we can see several type of women: single women, married, powerful and poor. All of them had something in common: how difficult was for them to face life in general. Sometimes society and codes restricted them to be real and to fight for a fair life. Jane Austen in some way also showed how false is people in several situations: when they tried to impress and to be accepted by the harsh English society, in order to have a comfortable and happy life. This novel make us think about women situation in nowadays, things have changed and show us that during time there were noble and brave women that wanted a change, and that women after all are strongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ they are the basis of the family and the basis of the society. However, nobody said that being a woman was a easy task but it is admirable how they face life.

Polar ice palace :: essays research papers

Polar Ice Palace What Bill needs to do is restructure the weekend and evening public skating sessions. Its is clear that he will be more profitable with public skating that hockey skating, and this is a numbers game. If he were to weave the hockey times with the public skating times he may find himself in a better position. For example, if he were to add an early morning hockey game in on Sundays and have open skating for the â€Å"kid-sitting† group in the afternoon, during the winter, this would be a solid investment. Although come the summer and fall, limit the â€Å"kid-sitting† ice time and have more hockey league play. To contend with the Friday-Saturday dating market, what Bill might want to do is enforce a strict 18 or 21 age requirement by serving alcohol and marketing this age concept through advertisement to this target market. It may be very difficult to get the same age market 2 nights in a row, so he may want to have one night for adults and the other for teens/ young-adults. The idea of creating a nightclub atmosphere is excellent and should be done, on both nights and the implementation of â€Å"party games† is a great way to bring people together, especially â€Å"adult† games. As far as the young boys feeling threatened by the â€Å"couples only† music, this might be addressed by adding a â€Å"singles† party every now and then so he can diversify his audience. Bill cannot see his investment of $2000 into lighting as a loss or his advertisement to the youth; both are long term investments that may take a while to see returns. In conclusion, he must do market research in order to justify the need to target certain groups at specified times and the financial research that will grow the greatest returns. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a) Susan is purchasing the fax machine for her home while Greg’s is for business. Susan may purchase hers to send a receive faxes at home for both work and pleasure, and Greg needs several machines for all the offices at his large work place. Susan may purchase hers through a retailer or wholesaler and Greg will purchase through a corporate B2B contractor or directly from the producer. Susan can purchase any time she is ready, Greg may be waiting for proposals from vendors and approval of the purchase order. Susan may purchase through any form of payment, and Greg will most likely do this on credit (accounts payable)

Is Music is purely for relaxation Essay

â€Å"Music is purely for relaxation.† Do you agree? In every corner of the world, people play and listen to music. † Music is everywhere is man has ears.† Music so often defies definition. Music is often considered as one of the two most precious gifts from God. For the sake of clarity music is often defined as the organisation of sounds and silences into interesting and meaningful patterns. Music is ubiquitous and has existed since time immemorial. Man simply cannot imagine life without this divine gift. But to say that music is purely for relaxation is very lopsided. This is so because music has a multitude of functions. Music is a sine qua non in a man’s life and has an amazing power. It works miracles on the human psyche. Music has the ability to alter the brain chemistry. That’s why music is important for our psychic equilibrium. We have various types of music to appeal to various people who have various temperaments. Music has a soothing effect on man. After a hard day of work, music brings a welcome relief. Music has the ability to relax both our mind and muscles. Also, music is used in therapy as it has a therapeutic value. Music relaxes patients and it’s a way for them to get over their pent up feelings. Altogether, music plays a central role in the way we relax. Lots of people go to nightclubs and discotheques to have a break from humdrum life as music and dancing make us feel refreshed. Though lots of people consider music as a medium of relaxation, it is often used for human solidarity. Music is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end. Music is the best way to demonstrate human solidarity. Musicians use music to raise funds for laudable purposes and also to sensitise the world on the sufferings of other fellow earthlings. Some examples if great music for such causes are: ‘heal the world’ for children’s right; ‘imagine’ by John Lennon for world peace and lately, ‘ live for love united’ written by Desmond Child and Pascal Obispo and sang by well known footballers to raise funds for the combat of aids. Likewise, music plays an important role in mass consciousness. Music is used as a vehicle to vent out human misery. The jazz composed by the black  people; the reggae of Bob Marley is a way for the black to express themselves in the teeth of white domination. There is the Sega by the slaves and now the ‘ Sega engage’ a way to denounce and fight social and political injustices. Furthermore, music is used to reinforce religious faith. In the England church’s music and songs are used to remobilize believers. In Mauritius, Father Grà ©goire shows the way of God through music. Even the pope once symbolically displayed a guitar just to show that music has a spiritual dimension. All religion in the world has a distinct type of music. An example is the Gregorian. Gregorian chant is the a cappella liturgical chant of Occidental Christian churches. Moreover music is associated with patriotism. Each country in the world has its own national anthem. Music has its place in the sports world and fathers international goodwill. In some sports disciplines like ballet dancing, ice-skating and synchronised swimming music is of great importance as music together with such sports disciplines express human grace in its best form. The Olympic committee even has its own music and so does the champion’s league. Football team like Liverpool has its own music which is † you’ll never walk alone.† The film industry has gone a long way since the silent movie. Nowadays, music and film making go hand in hand. India is the biggest producer of films and music occupies a fundamental role. As a great Indian producer once said that action, love and the most important of all music forms part of all Indian films. Also he added without music Indian film would have been simply boring and this industry would not have lasted long. In Bollywood, A.R.Rahman is one of the best music composers. Also the film ‘Taal’ which means ‘beat’ is based on music and this film is simply extraordinary. In Hollywood, the music directors are extremely professional because music becomes part of the movie. Films like Saturday night fever; Grease and Dirty dancing are magnum opus. Films and songs together help each other to become hits and the most lately appropriate example is Titanic with the song ‘My heart will go on’ by Celine Dion. Nevertheless, music is also used for evil purposes. Martial music is written especially to mobilise troops before going in a battle and to incite soldiers. This type of music helps and makes them mentally strong to face their enemy. Also music is a vehicle for propaganda. In U.S.S.R music was used to brainwash people in order to make them believe in communism as religion. With the help of music, musicians can express their hatred. Eminem usually express hatred in his songs for gays and lesbians. Music is a gift of God and has become part and parcel of the human life. We simply cannot imagine life without it. It is everywhere and without it, we all would surely die of boredom. Its incredible effect is beautifully summarised by Congreve when he said: â€Å"Music hath the charm to soothe the savage beauty, to smoothen the rock and to bend the knotted oak† and Shakespeare: † If music is the food of love, play on.†

The Legacy and Works of Lu Xun

The Legacy and Works of Lu Xun Lu Xun (é ² Ã¨ ¿â€¦) was the pen name of Zhou Shuren (å‘ ¨Ã¦  â€˜Ã¤ º º), one of China’s most famous fiction authors, poets, and essayists. He is considered by many to be the father of modern Chinese literature because he was the first serious author to write using modern colloquial language. Lu Xun  died on October 19, 1936, but his works have remained prominent over the years in Chinese culture. Early Life Born on September 25,  1881, in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, Lu Xun was born into a wealthy and well-educated family. However, his grandfather was caught and nearly executed for bribery when Lu Xun was still a child, which sent his family tumbling down the social ladder. This fall from grace and the way once-friendly neighbors treated his family after they had lost their status had a profound effect on the young Lu Xun. When traditional Chinese remedies failed to save his fathers life from an illness, most likely tuberculosis, Lu Xun vowed to study Western medicine and become a doctor. His studies took him to Japan, where one day after class he saw a slide of a Chinese prisoner being executed by Japanese soldiers while other Chinese people were gathered around happily taking in the spectacle. Appalled at his countrymen’s apparent callousness, Lu Xun abandoned his study of medicine and vowed to take up writing with the idea that was no point in curing diseases in Chinese people’s bodies if there was a more fundamental problem in their minds that needed curing. Socio-Political Beliefs The beginning of Lu Xun’s writing career coincided with the beginning of the May 4th Movement, a social and political movement of mostly young intellectuals who were determined to modernize China by importing and adapting Western ideas, literary theories, and medical practices. Through his writing, which was extremely critical of Chinese tradition and strongly advocated modernization, Lu Xun became one of the leaders of this movement. Impact on the Communist Party Lu Xun’s work has been embraced and to a certain extent co-opted by  China’s Communist Party. Mao Zedong held him in very high esteem, although Mao also worked hard to prevent people from taking Lu Xun’s sharp-tongued critical approach when it came to writing about the Party. Lu Xun himself died well before the communist revolution and it’s difficult to say what he would have thought of it. National and International Influence Widely recognized as one of China’s best and most influential authors, Lu Xun remains strikingly relevant to modern China. His socially-critical work is still widely read and discussed in China and references to his stories, characters, and essays abound in everyday speech as well as academia. Many Chinese people can quote from several of his stories verbatim, as they are still taught as part of China’s national curriculum. His work also continues to influence modern Chinese authors  and writers around the world.  Nobel-prize-winning author KenzaburÃ…  Ã…Å'e  reportedly called him the greatest writer Asia produced in the twentieth century. Noted Works His first short story, â€Å"A Madman’s Diary†, made a huge splash in China’s literary world when it was published in 1918 for its clever use of colloquial language juxtaposed with the stilted, hard-to-read classical language that â€Å"serious† authors were meant to write in at the time. The story also turned heads for its extremely critical take on Chinas dependence on tradition, which Lu Xun uses metaphors to compare to cannibalism. A short, satirical novella called â€Å"The True Story of Ah-Q† was published a few years later. In this work, Lu Xun condemns the Chinese psyche through the titular character Ah-Q, a bumbling peasant who constantly considers himself superior to others even as he is relentlessly humiliated and ultimately executed by them. This characterization was on-the-nose enough that the phrase â€Å"the Ah-Q spirit† remains widely used even today, nearly 100 years after the story was first published. Although his early short fiction is among his most memorable work, Lu Xun was a prolific writer and he produced a wide variety of pieces including a large number of translations of Western works, many significant critical essays, and even a number of poems. Though he only lived to be 55, his complete collected works  fill 20 volumes and weigh over 60 pounds. Selected Translated Works The two works mentioned above,  A Madman’s Diary† (ç‹‚ä º ºÃ¦â€" ¥Ã¨ ® °)  and â€Å"The True Story of Ah-Q† (é˜ ¿Qæ ­ £Ã¤ ¼  )  are available to read as translated works.   Other translated works include  The New Year’s Sacrifice,  a powerful short story about women’s rights and, more broadly, the dangers of complacency. Also available is  My Old Home,  a more reflective tale about memory and the ways in which we relate to the past.

Gifts to boo radley Essays

Gifts to boo radley Essays Gifts to boo radley Paper Gifts to boo radley Paper At the end of the novel of Heaper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird, many things unravel. An adult Scout says, Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into that tree what we took out of it: we have given him nothing, and it made me sad. Scout is wrong. Scout, Gem, and Dill eave Boo Raddled various gifts as well he gave them. Throughout the novel, Scout gave Boo friendship, a connection to the outside world, and privacy. Although the gifts may not have been material, they are very meaningful to Boo. Nobody can deny that Scout and Boo Raddled had a special bond. Scout and Boo had secret friendship. Neither of them may have realized how much they cared for each other, but the readers they knew. Boo Raddled was a huge part in scouts childhood. In this hidden friendship, Boo had given scout material, and a slight interaction with her. : Scout, she gave Boo the opportunity for Macomb to not see him s the monster they think he is. She wanted to interact with him in more than the childish ways Gem and Dill and various other children were intending. She didnt Just want to go and touch the Raddled house, and at the time she didnt know she actually wanted to see more of Boo Raddled, she wanted to befriend him not Just be the cause of him bursting out of the front door in an annoyed tone for a 10 second glance. She also gave him the experience of watching her and Gem grow up from his own front porch. The chance to see a six year old girl and two ten year old boys fascinated bout his existence, reenacting his personal life, and as they slowly matured Into adulthood. These gifts may have seemed Like nothing to Scout but to a man who spent his life hiding they were his everyday life, his vague connection with the world. Nonetheless, Scout gave Boo a connection to the outside world. He spent all these years concealed in the security of his home. Undoubtedly, Boobs attempts in interacting with them, and watching them, he started to participate in outside world. His first act of participation took place when , Gem and Scout found the knothole in the tree. Boo had been placing these gifts there as an act of kindness, and friendship, proving that he isnt as strange as Macomb presents him as. The gifts were a major part of Scout and Seems day. They were delighted and intrigued by them, until Nathan Raddled filled the knothole with cement. Ending all communication with Boo and the children. Without a doubt Boo found other ways to communicate and show kindness towards the children. Such as wrapping a cold and shivering Scout In a blanket, as she and Gem watched Miss Muddies house being eaten In flames. In addition, Boo also gave Scout and Gem the gift of salvation. He cared enough to save Gem, as a pure act of kindness. Boo was no longer a stranger human being to them. But a friend, a friend who needed distance, a friend who needed privacy, but a friend. Moreover, as Boo was becoming a known person to Scout and Gem, he needed his distance. Even if he did save the childrens lives, he wanted privacy. Scout and Gem they gave him that, they did not tell a soul about what had happened. They kept being saved from Bob Lowell a secret. They kept Boo killing Bob Lowell a secret. If the people in Macomb had found out about how nice of a guy Boo actually was; the owns people would overwhelm with kindness and gifts. Which is why as soon as the danger of Bob Lowell was overcome he went back into his shell. He vanished from the childrens lives once again. As stated in the novel He gently released my hand, opened the door, went inside, and shut the door behind him. I never saw him again. Boo had done his part in having the children grow up. They didnt need him anymore. They had everything they had desired. In the long run, Scout may not have given Boo material gifts but she did give him psychological gifts. She gave him the gift of friendship, by showing him the world isnt as cruel as it seems, and interacting with him. She gifted him a slight connection with the world by exchanging kindness and curiosity. Nevertheless she gifted him the gift he was most pleased with and that was privacy. She never told a soul about him killing Bob Lowell. She left him alone, and he left her. Boo Raddled shaped Scouts childhood, and Scout she formed a smile on a Boo Readers face. A smile and happiness is the best gift anyone could give somebody. Scouts completely correct, she didnt give him a gift, she gave him the experience of a lifetime.

Bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Bullying - Essay Example Bullying means repeated aggressive behavior shown by a person with the intention of hurting somebody physically or psychologically. The intention of every bully is to gain power over a person whom he considers to be weak. A bully may do so by physically hurting or threatening such person. Yet, bullying is not always physical. A bully may also scare or inflict pain on a person by hurting or scaring one emotionally. People usually think that bullying is all about physical violence and they simply ignore the emotional aspects of bullying. The thing is that some bullies harass their victims physically by engaging in acts like pushing, punching, hitting and other forms of direct violence. Then there are bullies who emotionally harass their victims by verbally abusing or insulting them, by spreading rumors about them or by gossiping about them. Both forms of bullying that is physical or emotional could cause extreme pain to a victim. In a majority of the cases bullies manage to get away because many victims do not resist. Some victims of bullying tolerate such injustice because they think that bullying is normal. They need to really understand the fact that bullying is not at all a normal thing. The chances are that if a victim does not resist a bully or complain about one to the appropriate authorities, the bullying will get worse with time. The only way to check a bully is to resist one or to complain about one. Then there are victims who are too scared or ashamed to complain about bullying. They believe that if they do so, things will get even worse. This is a wrong belief. It has been seen that the most effective way to stop bullying is to bring it to the notice of the adults and the teachers. The one big thing that encourages a bully is the failure of the victim to complain against one. The thing that needs to be understood is that bullying is an act of violence. It needs to be checked by all the healthy mi nded

Skin cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Skin cancer - Essay Example This assignment will focus on signs, causes, types, stages, prevention, and treatment of skin cancer. Sun exposure is the major cause of skin cancer (Nouri 22). It begins in the skins top layer that has been exposed to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation found in sunlight as well as in the lights used in tanning beds. There are other factors that can contribute to the disease including exposure to toxic substances or experiencing conditions that weakens the immune system. There are various signs of skin cancer ranging from pale color and unnecessary growth of skin. Skin cancer has two main types, keratinocyte cancers  and melanomas. Keratinocyte skin cancers  are further divided into basal and squamous cell skin cancers. Basal skin cancer is by far the most common cancer of the skin. Both of them are often found in the skin areas that are exposed to the sun. Such as head, neck, and arms.Although they are very common but they are treatable. Furthermore, melanoma skin cancer is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. This form of skin cancer develops when unrepaired DNA damages the skin cells. An estimated 76,100 new cases of invasive melanoma have been diagnosed in the US in 2014(American cancer society). Moreover, there are other skin cancer types that are not quite critical. For example, Markel cell carcinoma, Kaposi sarcoma, Lymphoma of the skin, etc. Success of the treatment of skin cancer depends on how early it is diagnosed. The stages of skin cancer is one of the most important factors in evaluating treatment options and through it can be identified how far the disease have spread.Mostly the staging of skin cancer depends on the type of it. There are four stages of skin cancer. During stage one, the cancer is 2cm across or less and has 1 or no high risk features. During stage two, the cancer is more than 2cm across, or has 2 or more  high risk features. During stage 3 it has grown into the bones in the face, such as the jaw bone or the