Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Alcohol and Drinking - Challenging the Legal Drinking Age...

Challenging the Legal Drinking Age Do the current laws involving the age at which adults can start drinking really make sense? There are many reasons why the government changed the legal drinking age to 21, but has this actually caused a decrease in the amount of alcohol consumed by persons between 18 and 21? Alcohol related crime and traffic accidents have gone down in recent years, but the source of this drop may not simply have to do with raising the drinking age, as the government would like you to believe. There is a theory in psychology called the Reactance Theory, which disagrees with the idea that by making more restrictive laws, drinking will slow down. The governments intent to lowering the†¦show more content†¦The proportion of underage drivers on the nations highways on Friday and Saturday nights, who tested positive for alcohol, has decreased from 10.9% in 1973, to 4.6% in 1986 and 2.8% in 1996 (Roeper Voas 755). In a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, Roeper and Voas try to focus on whether these drops on drinking and driving are due to young drivers drinking less, or by separating drinking from driving. The results of this study showed that even though drivers under the age of 21 were far less likely to drink and drive, they were also significantly more likely to have more than 6 drinks in one sitting then older drivers (Roeper Voas 756). This shows that although people drivers under 21 drink more, they still drive less. The reduction of drinking and driving probably has more to do with the zero tolerance laws, rather than having to be 21 years old to drink. The zero tolerance laws would still be a good idea even if the drinking laws were raised back to 21. As anyone who drinks alcohol somewhat regularly knows, when you first start drinking you feel it more and lose control faster. It would make sense to restrict driving even more when someone first starts drinking because of a persons low tolerance, but the age limit on when someone can first start drinking can be an independent law. Many psychologists argueShow MoreRelatedChallenging The Legal Drinking Age1689 Words   |  7 PagesMackenzie Schultz Mrs. Hamilton AP English Language 25 July 2014 Challenging the Legal Drinking Age The Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) has been challenged since the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 that raised the drinking age to twenty-one in all fifty states (Ogilvie). Advocates for lowering the MLDA to eighteen years of age argue that this change will eliminate the thrill of breaking the law for young adults entering college and boost the national economy. SupportersRead MoreThe Debate Over A Proper Legal Drinking Age1243 Words   |  5 Pagesover a proper legal drinking age has been ongoing for decades. Some people believe twenty-one is the right age for legally consuming alcohol, while others believe twenty-one is too old. There are many supporters of an age limit of eighteen on alcohol consumption, but it has not been enough to sway Congress away from their set age of twenty-one. One major advocate for the age of twenty-one is the organization MADD, or â€Å"Mothers Against Drunk Driving†. This organization supports the age of twenty-oneRea d MoreTeen Alcoholism Is Driven By Example1150 Words   |  5 Pagessees someone else drinking, for whatever reason, and they imitate them to either save he or she’s pride and be â€Å"cool† or use is as e remedy to try to feel better about a situation they are in or to numb an unpleasant emotion they do not know how to deal with. affects the physical state of a young person, but also one’s current situations and relationships, and the outcome of he or she’s futures. â€Å"People who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence at someRead MoreThe Problem Of Driving Under The United States1332 Words   |  6 PagesWhen an individual consumes a drink, the alcohol is directed to the blood stream, there are tests that measure how much alcohol is in the system with an approximation percentage. Having 8% percent of alcohol in your body is already considered over board and the person is guessed to be a danger to society if driving a vehicle. DUI is considered to be the nations most committed crime up to date, back in the 80’s people started supporting ways to fight drinking and driving, and were willing to give upRead MorePros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age1822 Words   |  8 PagesAlthough not always the case, the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old. However, the minimum legal drinking age drastically varies across the rest of the globe, with some countries allowing legal al cohol consumption before individuals have even turned 18 years old. Since the legal drinking age was changed to 21 years, it has been a controversial issue in the United States. For decades, there have been debates on the pros and cons of lowering the legal age. In fact, there have even beenRead MoreEssay on Drunk Driving as a Social Issue1693 Words   |  7 Pagesbut unsafe to operate an automobile if you are under the influence of alcohol. When a person drinks, the alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream and various tests have been designed to measure the level of alcohol in a person’s blood. In most states, if a person has a blood alcohol level greater than .10%, that person is presumed to be too intoxicated to safely operate an automobile. Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime, andRead MoreHow The Cage Can Be Treated For Adults And Adolescents Over The Age Of 16 ( Aertgeerts )874 Words   |  4 Pagesalcohol in the morning to elude withdrawal and to steady their nerves (Aertgeerts, et al., 2004). These transitional questions, in spite of missing discriminative value, are beneficial for familiarizing the subject, as well as making the consultation less threatening (Aertgeerts, et al., 2004). Item responses are scored zero to one, with a higher score a suggestion of alcohol problems. The total score can range from zero to four (Aertg eerts, et al., 2004). This screening apparatusRead MoreKeeping A Diary Doubles Diet Weight Loss980 Words   |  4 PagesThe Experiment on Alcohol effect on Opposite Sex Attractiveness The independent variable in the experiment was alcohol intake. This variable was manipulated by having the control group drink flavored water and by having the experimental group drink the actual alcohol drink. The dependent variable was level of attractiveness, which was affected by alcohol intake. The level of attractiveness depended on drink served (alcoholic or nonalcoholic). The conclusion that alcohol makes people ofRead MoreThe Diagnosis Of Addiction Clients1576 Words   |  7 PagesGolden Age: 38 Date of Examination: August 18, 2015 Ethnicity: Caucasian Gender: Male Presenting Problem: Mr. Thomas is a married 38 year old Caucasian suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder. Although married, he and his wife constantly argues about his drinking, and she has even stopped sleeping with him when he drinks. He was recently arrested for drinking and driving (DUI/DWI), and was advised by his attorney to quit drinking andRead MoreChildhood Alcoholism And The Effect Of The 12 Step Program For Alcoholics Anonymous As A Form Of Treatment1147 Words   |  5 Pagesdoes, result in illnesses and deaths. â€Å"Alcohol is the world’s third largest risk factor for disease and contributes to 4 [percent] of the global burden of disease† (Marshall, 2014). In relation to alcoholism, specifically adolescent alcoholism is a growing concern in the United States. The age at which young people are starting to experiment with alcohol is younger than ever. Dr. Don Macdonald explains that this may most likely be due to the fact that it is legal for the majority of th e population.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Key Pieces of Academic Essays

Key Pieces of Academic Essays What Needs to be Done About Academic Essays When you are requested to compose an essay, attempt to locate some samples (models) of similar writing and learn how to observe the craft of the writer. At our essay assistance, essays are always delivered in a brief moment. When you begin writing an essay you have to have an idea on where to begin and the way to begin, the subject of the essay is the initial guide which assists in further writing. Since academic essays are popular in the industry of education and research, you have to make sure your writing is both logical, interesting and informative. An academic essay is a rather important work for each and every individual. It always has to be relevant. Always bear in mind your academic essay ought to be playful it must not bore your audience. An important academic essay is going to be cited and discussed in academic writings and function as a stimulus for different essays on this issue, etc.. If you wish to understand how to compose persuasive speech or any other type of academic writing, our essay writing services is the very best place for you. The academic essays is an unaffiliated institution that was started with the goal of helping students in their academic studies. Actually, a seasoned writer can do the job much faster than any student as they've been writing academic assignments during their entire life. Finding a preferred writing an essay website is an important worry to all students on account of the essay writing competition that has developed from many internet businesses that have emerged. The academic essay should read as a cohesive argument so fantastic links from 1 paragraph to the next are crucial. Topic sentences are usually located at the start of each paragraph. The previous sentence provides the response to the essay question. At any time you get writing an essay services from our company be prepared to receive your essays punctually. With our custom made essay offer, you can be certain to find any kind of essay help you are searching for. There are various kinds of academic essay but most follow the identical layout. If you wish to make an academic essay which is both outstanding and relevant, always set the items that we've discussed above in mind. The Fundamentals of Academic Essays That You Can Learn From Beginning Right Away You've got to lean on a dependable, professional, and knowledgeable essay writing service from USA that will fulfill your expectations. The main reason is that some individuals have excellent writing skills while some don't. If you want an academic writing editing solutions, you should turn your focus to our website and take a good look at it eventually paying for support! Academic writing in our organization is usually customized to the instructions supplied by the customers. Based on the gist of the subject the psychology research paper structure will definitely be vary. You want to present primary ideas in short form. Essay content and emphasis starts to differ based on the demands of the subject and the function of the essay, and there are recognizable patterns for ordering paragraphs that we're able to pick out for assorted purposes. The course materials you want to speak about within an academic essay can reflect your degree of understanding about the discipline. The Advantages of Academic Essays Essays ScholarAdvisor is an excellent writing service which follows your requirements and delivers precisely what you demand. Order our professional and totally legitimate support and find all your papers don e fast! It does not have to be just good. Research paper is a sort of essay that's written in your style. What to Do About Academic Essays Before You Miss Your Chance Therefore, clients intending to cover the writing of their academic essays need not fret about how to create their payments since there is an assortment of options provided via which a customer can make their payment. Your academic essay should evoke an emotion that is needed to spark different ideas, opinions and other types of responses. An academic letter isn't only a document that can showcase your mastery when it regards a distinct academic subject. The motive of your essay is vital to be regarded as as it can identify whether it's possible to be of help to the folks who want a specific educational reference.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Labor Crunch of Construction Sector in Singapore

Question: Develop a research proposal (it may be real or hypothetical) which would satisfy the requirements of the MBA Project. It should therefore address a practical problem which organizations face. Answer: Literature Review Historical Overview During late 50s, construction industry in Singapore experienced both structural and systemic problem like present developing countries. In the post-independence period, construction industry is booming nature strengthens overall numbers of the economy. However, by the end of 1984, the construction industry became saturated. This has resulted into recession of 1985 (Eresources.nlb.gov.sg 2014). Construction industry is a major sector that plays key role in national and economic development. This sector is highly labor-intensive in nature, this indicates that construction firms require more labor relative to capital. Labors are required to operate the tools and machineries for the construction purpose. This sector engaged 114,500 workers during 2003 that were significantly lower than 200,000 in 1999 (Stjobs.sg 2012). The GDP of this country declines due to fall in employment. The unemployment rate in 2003 was highest in this country and most of the unemployment has been found in the co nstruction and manufacturing sector. In 2014, the employment rate has fallen by 0.5% between first half of the year. This has led to drop in production by 0.4% during the same time (TODAYonline 2015). The manpower crunch in the construction sector has been leading to closure of the firms. The winding up of the construction firms started since 2007. In 2013, the 27 firms and in 2014, 51 firms filed application for liquidation (Heng 2015). The following diagram represents how decline in the labor caused fall in productivity. Source: Todayonline.com 2015 Research Theory The theory of general demand and supply can be used in the context of labor crunch in Singapore. It is interesting to note that, there are sufficient numbers of jobs but there is no one to take that opportunity. The following diagram can represent this. Source: Created by Author At the prevailing wage rate, the workers are not willing join the construction sector, as a result of this the demand for labors in the construction market is less that supply for construction labor. This has generated shortage of labor in this industry. Theoretically, the shortage of supply will be eliminated by providing higher wage. However, here the market fails to increase the labor supply as the supply curve for the construction industry is highly inelastic. The review of the past and current performance of this industry in Singapore also supports that Okuns law, which states that one percentage rise in unemployment causes fall in the production by two percent. This theory is evident in the case of Singaporean construction industry (Kim, Park and Jei 2015). This is because; lack of labor engagement in this sector is leading to closure of the firms that adversely affecting the economic growth of the country. The relationship between unemployment and output level is thus negatively related. The following diagram can represent this. Source: Created by Author Common Problems Faced By Construction Industry There are various challenges that are faced by the construction industries in Singapore. Labor crunch in Singapore leads to deficit in labors in the construction industries. Singapore being a developing country, the people of Singapore get proper education than their ancestors. These educated people prefer to do white collar jobs (Hwang et al. 2014). They do not want to get perform any labor class work and subject themselves to physical exhaustion. This had led to decrease in number of labors in the construction industry of Singapore. Construction sector used to recruit labors from the foreign market and relied significantly on the supply of foreign labors. However, due to tighter foreign labor policy regarding hiring foreign workers, companies are limited to get necessary labors from the foreign market. Labors of construction industry get less payment than the people who do white collar jobs. The payment criteria attracts more youths into better jobs than the jobs of labor in construction industry. Moreover, there are various dangers being a labor in the construction industry. The labors of the construction industry in Singapore had to work in various dangerous situations (Hwang et al. 2014). They have to work in unhealthy situations and they risk their lives to do their work. The labors of construction industry face various physical damages, which sometimes cost their lives. This had been a serious fear among the youths of Singapore and they do not want to risk their lives and work in unhealthy situations in Singapore. Another disadvantage that the youths of Singapore face in construction industry is the political influence and the presence of union. These influences land them into various troubles and can destroy their career as well (Ofori and Toor 2012). They do not want to fall into trouble and instead live a peaceful, happy and comfortable life. Thus, these disadvantages of the position of labor in construction industry in Singapore, do not encourage the youths to get a job in this industry. This leads to lack of efficient labors in the construction industry of Singapore. Research Methods Adopted by Other Researchers There has been few literature has been found that has conducted studies regarding the labor crunch in the construction sector of Singapore. However, within the limited research papers, it has been found that to measure the decline of labors and its impact on the productivity, quantitative research has been conducted (Yi and Chan 2013). By looking at the correlation coefficient, it has been evident that the relationship negative. However, to be sure about the significance of their association, the studies have conducted regression analysis. The shortage of labor has been obtained through personal interrogation with the higher authority of the respective firms (Tan 2015). In addition to this, productivity can be obtained in the annual reports of the respective companies. Hence, researches are mostly conducted based on both primary and secondary data. Previous research philosophy follows positivism as they relied on the fact and the figures obtained, rather than any subjective human foc uses. The research approaches of the studies are exploratory in nature, as they are not postulating any theory at the end of the research (Panneerselvam 2014). The research designs of the other researchers are mostly inductive in nature, as they focuses on answering the questions like how construction industry is affected due to labor crunch; what are the reasons for labor crunch in this industry; how much foreign labors are engaged in this industry and so on. However, some of the articles are also deductive as they tested hypothesis like: there is no significant relationship between labor engagement and productivity. Recommendations From the literature review, it can be concluded that labor crunch in the construction sector has mostly caused due to youths interest in the white-collar jobs rather than work that is physically strenuous, like the one in the construction sector. They are becoming highly educated due to the higher standards of education level. Moreover, the remaining workers are unskilled to join the construction sector. Hence, it is recommended that, the low skilled workers should be given proper training so that they can get a job in the concerned sector (Finkel 2015). It is also recommended to increase the wage rate potentially in order to attract the labor force to join this sector. Another thing that can be suggested is that, policy that tightened the foreign labor engagement should be relaxed to a certain level to increase migration in the construction sector. References Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. (2014). Singapore experiences its first post-independence recession - Singapore History. [online] Available at: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/9f9489cf-5432-4797-bf66-fd1b3bab7a2b [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Finkel, G., 2015.The economics of the construction industry. Routledge. Heng, J. (2015). More construction firms join winding-up list. [online] The Straits Times. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/more-construction-firms-join-winding-up-list [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Hwang, B.G., Zhao, X. and Goh, K.J., 2014. Investigating the client-related rework in building projects: The case of Singapore.International Journal of Project Management,32(4), pp.698-708. Hwang, B.G., Zhao, X. and Toh, L.P., 2014. Risk management in small construction projects in Singapore: status, barriers and impact.International Journal of Project Management,32(1), pp.116-124. Kim, M.J., Park, S.Y. and Jei, S.Y., 2015. An empirical test for Okuns law using a smooth time-varying parameter approach: evidence from East Asian countries.Applied Economics Letters,22(10), pp.788-795. Ofori, G. and Toor, S.U.R., 2012. Leadership and Construction Industry Development in Developing Countries.Journal of Construction in Developing Countries,17. Panneerselvam, R., 2014.Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Stjobs.sg. (2012). Tackling Singapore's labour crunch, HR Updates, Singapore Jobs, Job Resources - STJobs. [online] Available at: https://www.stjobs.sg/career-resources/hr-updates/tackling-singapores-labour-crunch/a/85874 [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Tan, W., 2015. Knowledge management in the construction industry: The strategy of Singapore.International Journal of Construction Management,15(1), pp.10-16. Todayonline.com. (2015). Productivity stuck in reverse amid labour crunch. [online] Available at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/productivity-stuck-reverse-amid-labour-crunch [Accessed 15 Jul. 2016]. Yi, W. and Chan, A. (2013). Critical Review of Labor Productivity Research in Construction Journals. Journal of Management in Engineering.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Restaurant feasibility report free essay sample

The information has been provided on ‘as is where is’ basis without any warranties or assertions as to the correctness or soundness thereof. Although, due care and diligence has been taken to compile this document, the contained information may vary due to any change in any of the concerned factors, and the actual results may differ substantially from the presented information. SMEDA, its employees or agents do not assume any liability for any financial or other loss resulting from this memorandum in consequence of undertaking this activity. The contained  information does not preclude any further professional advice. The prospective user of this memorandum is encouraged to carry out additional diligence and gather any information which is necessary for making an informed decision including taking professional advice from a qualified consultant / technical expert before taking any decision to act upon the information. For more information on services offered by SMEDA, please contact our website: www. We will write a custom essay sample on Restaurant feasibility report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page smeda. org. pk SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST The objective of the pre-feasibility study is primarily to facilitate potential entrepreneurs in project identification for investment. The project pre-feasibility may form the basis of an important investment decision and in order to serve this objective, the document / study covers various aspects of project concept development, start-up, production, marketing, finance and business management. The purpose of this document is to facilitate potential investors in Restaurant Cum Fast Food Restaurant (Take Away) business by providing them with a general understanding of the business with the intention of supporting potential investors in crucial investment decisions. The need to come up with pre-feasibility reports for undocumented or minimally documented sectors attains greater imminence as the research that precedes such reports reveal certain thumb rules; best practices developed  by existing enterprises by trial and error, and certain industrial norms that become a guiding source regarding various aspects of business set-up and it’s successful management. Apart from carefully studying the whole document, one must consider critical aspects provided later on, which form basis of any investment decision. 3. INTRODUCTION TO SMEDA The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) was established in October 1998 with an objective to provide fresh impetus to the economy through development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). With a mission to assist in employment generation and value addition to the national income, through development of the SME sector, by helping increase the number, scale and competitiveness of SMEs, SMEDA has carried out ‘sectoral research’ to identify policy, access to finance, business development services, strategic initiatives and institutional collaboration and networking initiatives. Preparation and dissemination of prefeasibility studies in key areas of investment has been a hallmark of SME facilitation by SMEDA. Concurrent to the prefeasibility studies, a broad spectrum of business development services is also offered to the SMEs by SMEDA. These services include identification of experts and consultants and delivery of need based capacity building programs of different types in addition to business guidance through help desk services. Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loan for young entrepreneurs, with an allocated budget of Rs. 5.0 Billion for the year 2013-14, is designed to provide subsidised financing at 8% mark-up per annum for one hundred thousand (100,000) beneficiaries, by designated financial institutions, initially by National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and First Women Bank Ltd. (FWBL). Loans from Rs. 0. 1 million to Rs. 2. 0 million, with tenure up to 8 years, inclusive of 1 year grace period and a debt: equity of 90 : 10 will be disbursed to SME beneficiaries across Pakistan, covering; Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwah, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). 5. The fast food restaurant is proposed to be established at a location that has a continuous stream of traffic, convenient parking, and is in proximity to other businesses, preferably near densely populated middle income areas or flat complexes. Major cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Multan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Hub and Quetta etc. are suitable to house the project. Common menu items at the proposed fast food outlet include sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, Chinese soups, Chinese rice variants, French fries, salad and cold drinks. The fast food restaurant will have an installed capacity to serve 335 clients per day; however, the restaurant would initially start business with 140-150 clients. 10 personnel would be required to manage the operations of fast food restaurant. Total Cost Estimates are Rs. 2. 20 million with a fixed investment of Rs. 1. 88 million and an initial working capital requirement of Rs. 0. 32 million. Given the cost assumptions, internal rate of Return (IRR) and payback are 54% and 2. 25 years respectively. The most critical considerations or factors for success of the project are: 1. Choosing the right location for the fast food outlet 2. Creating the right menu and menu pricing 3. Hiring experienced cooks and staff 4. Knowing the competition SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST 4 Pre-Feasibility Study Restaurant Cum Fast Food (Take Away) 6. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT AND PRODUCT Fast food is a name given to food which is prepared with preheated or precooked ingredients and served to customers in a packaged form for take-away or dine in. Many fast-food restaurants operate chains or franchise operations, where standardized foodstuff is shipped to each restaurant from a central location. There are also simpler fast-food outlets, such as stands or kiosks, which may or may not provide seating arrangements for customers. As capital requirements to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively low, individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become popular and common throughout Pakistan. Market growth largely depends on demographics, urbanization, changing lifestyle patterns and demand for convenience. Thus all these variables determine the potential of fast food business. The proposed setup with used fast food cooking machinery including fryers, grilling machine, soup containers and pre-processing equipment would serve popular fast food and Chinese cuisine. †¢ Location: The business is envisaged to be established as a fast food takeaway/outlet, with limited seating capacity on rented premises/shop of around 500 sqft. , near a densely populated area suitable for fast food. Major cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Multan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Hub or Quetta etc.  soups, have been selected to be served separately or as combo meals through the outlet. The restaurant is proposed to have an installed capacity of serving 335 customer per day but is estimated to start with 140-150 customers per day. †¢ Target Market: The middle income segment of major cities such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Multan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Hub or Quetta etc.  is the target market for the business. †¢ Employment Generation: employment to 10 people. The proposed project will provide direct 7. CRITICAL FACTORS Whether an entrepreneur is opening a one-of-a-kind no-frills fast food restaurant or trying to expand an existing fast food outlet into a multi-unit chain, there are SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST 5 Pre-Feasibility Study Restaurant Cum Fast Food (Take Away) winning principles that can improve the chances of success. Some key success factors are as follows: Selecting the right location and layout Hiring well experienced staff especially cooks and servers Quality Hygiene Creating the right menu Menu pricing Operational food quality consistency Knowing the competition 8. INSTALLED AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITIES In the fast food restaurant business, the installed capacities are mainly dependant on the location and layout of the outlet, service style, food concept and the target market. The proposed fast food business is envisaged to be established as a take-away outlet with limited seating capacity around it. The restaurant is expected to serve around 335 customers in a day. At start up, the operational capacities are estimated to be around 140-150 clients. Once the fast food gains popularity and acceptance, sales are expected to increase with the same installed capacity. 9. GEOGRAPHICAL POTENTIAL FOR INVESTMENT In recent years, much of the expansion in the fast food business has been in the form of satellite outlets. These tend to be smaller in size, with little or no seating capacity, and are often in nontraditional locations, such as office buildings, department stores, airports, and gasoline stations i.e. locations chosen specifically to maximize convenience and consumer accessibility. It is important to find a location that has a continuous stream of traffic, convenient parking, and is in proximity to other businesses or densely populated middle income areas / apartment buildings, where the target market is available. Here are some factors to consider when deciding on a location to e stablish a fast food outlet: †¢ †¢ Anticipated sales volume. Estimate the sales potential of a location. Accessibility and visibility. Consider how easy it will be for customers to get to the outlet. If an entrepreneur is relying on strong pedestrian traffic, it SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST 6 Pre-Feasibility Study Restaurant Cum Fast Food (Take Away) should be considered whether or not nearby businesses will generate foot traffic. †¢ The rent-paying capacity of the business. Sales-and-profit projections give a fair idea of how much revenue can be generated. This information can be used to decide how much rent can be paid. †¢ Restrictive ordinances. Unusually restrictive ordinances can encountered that make an otherwise strong site less than ideal. †¢ Traffic density. Two factors are especially important in this analysis: total pedestrian traffic during business hours and the percentage of it that is likely to patronize the food service business. †¢ Customer parking facilities. The site should provide convenient and adequate parking and easy access for customers. †¢ Proximity to other businesses. Neighboring businesses may influence the fast food’s sales volume, and their presence can have both positive and negative implications. †¢ History of the site. The recent history of each site under consideration should be ascertained before making a final selection. †¢ Terms of the lease. All the details of the lease must be carefully read, as it is possible to encounter unacceptable lease terms for an otherwise excellent site. †¢ Future development. The local Development Authority / Planning Board should be consulted to check if any development is planned for the future that could affect the business, such as bridges, underpasses or any construction restricting accessibility. be 10. POTENTIAL TARGET MARKETS / CUTOMERS The fast food restaurant market is a growing segment in Pakistan relying heavily on the changing lifestyle patterns, population growth of the target age group and increase in employment of women. The fast food consumption has also increased due to increase in the employment rate of male / female population aged between 20 to 45 years (fast food goers). In todays hectic urban lifestyles, demand for convenience dominates all other preferences. People want quick and convenient meals. They do not want to spend a lot of time preparing meals, traveling to pick up meals, or waiting for meals in restaurants. As a result, consumers rely on fast food. However, the major chunk of fast-food goers, the middle income segment, prefers visiting outlets that offer fast food at affordable prices. Fast Food outlets tend to focus on the â€Å"work while you eat† or â€Å"shop while SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST 7 Pre-Feasibility Study Restaurant Cum Fast Food (Take Away) you eat† philosophy and fast food restaurants are rapidly becoming the eateries everyone can agree on, with many featuring menu combos for children, play areas and fancy branding campaigns, designed to appeal to younger customers. 11. PROCESS FLOW The service delivery diagram of the proposed fast food restaurant is as follows. Service Process Drive through customer Place order ? Front desk ? Walk in customer Meal preparation Main course (Grill/Fry meat Fry rice curry Prepare/heat soup Order in queue Takeaway Assembling order Server Sideline preparation SMEDA Services / Information related to PM’s Youth Business Loan are FREE OF COST Dine-in 8 Pre-Feasibility Study Restaurant Cum Fast Food (Take Away) 12. PROJECT COST SUMMARY A detailed financial model has been developed to analyze the commercial viability of this project. Various costs and revenue related assumptions along with results of the analysis are outlined in this section. The projected Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement and Balance Sheet are attached as annexure. 12. 1 Project Economics The following table shows internal rates of return and payback period for fastfood restaurant starting operations with 140-150 clients. Table 1 Project Economics Description Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Payback Period (yrs) Net Present Value (NPV) Details 54% 2 . 25 years Rs 6,997,879 Returns on the project and its profitability are highly dependent on the location, quality of food and service, efficiency of the service team, interest of the owner manager and competition. Waiting area Total Area Area (Sqft. ) 350 100 25 25 500 Cost of Renovation Amount (Rs. ) 175,000 30,000 20,500 7,500 233,000 The proposed premise would be acquired on rental basis with 3 months deposit and 3 months advance rent after which, rent will be payable every month. The monthly rent is estimated at approximately Rs. 85 / Sq. feet amounting to Rs. 42,500 per month for the proposed fast food outlet (500 Sq Ft. ). The premise renovation costs of Rs. 233,000/- would be depreciated at the rate of 10% per annum using diminishing balance method. Machinery and Equipment Fast-food machines are easily available in the local market but the entrepreneur also has the choice to select from international brands such as Spinzer, Frymaster, Henny Penny, Lincoln, Ayrking, Keating, Mirror, Carpigiani, Lincat, Morretti, Ilsa, Round-Up, Sanyo, Elettrobar etc. Chinese brands have gained popularity over the years and can also be considered. The machines can be purchased through international vendors with a minimum delivery period of 3 months while refurbished / reconditioned machines are also available.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on My Life

Reflection paper In a world where people are murdering, stealing and harming each other, it’s hard to find the good in people now a days. The people who are doing these behaviors need help. That’s where I step in hopefully when I am certified to be a counselor. I think that people are generally created innately good and then go create their own nature. I could prove this by just want I learn about God in all my religion classes. â€Å"GOD DOESN’T MAKE GARBAGE†. Now some of us have it better than other, which can really hurt our chances to do well in this world. If you where born a thug, in a bad neighborhood and then hung out all with a bad crowd, chances are you will become a bad person. That why these kids or adults need direction in the right way. This is an important knowledge to have when you are trying to get in to counseling. If you don’t have hope for these people then I wouldn’t think you would make too much of a change to the world or you clients. I think when you are sitting down looking at your client you need to have in back of your mind; this is a good person, who just made some mistakes. I think it is imperative that you need a view people like when you are helping. No matter how impossible it seems, I think everyone can change his/her own way of thinking, it just takes a lot of time and tears sometimes. God created this human being for good not bad, that what were here to help them find out. Also I know some people don’t like Catholicism with their counseling, but I think you need to have some kind of faith in your background if you are going too help other or at least a good judgment of moral good. Having a good moral judgment means you have values in your life. Values are beliefs you have in life that are worth a lot to you. For example, I value life more than anything in this world. I think murder and suicide is terrible. We are built on this world for life, when someone takes that a way; I think t... Free Essays on My Life Free Essays on My Life I work at a place called Kid Zone. Kid Zone is a children’s party place. At Kid Zone I am a floor girl. A floor girl’s job is very easy, but it can wear you out. There are two floor girls to an average party. Once the party starts, one girl stands by the door, greets the guests, and takes the shoes, jacket, and gifts of the guests. Then gives the children a nametag. The other floor girl stands on the mats and keeps the children who have already arrived, under control. About fifteen minutes into the party, we start with some games. Usually hot potato, limbo, and musical chairs. By this time the pizza should have arrived. We then serve the adults and children their food and a beverage. When everyone is finished eating, one girl cleans off the tables while the other girl plays freeze dance. Everyone who plays wins a prize. After freeze dance, the character of choice will come out and perform three dances with the children. The character then sings happy birthday and leaves while the girls serve the cake. The girls then have about fifteen minutes to play another game, usually potato sack races, and start cleaning for the next party. â€Å"It is not a hard job, but organization skills are very important in throwing a smooth flowing party.† quotes Christina Messina, a hostess at Kid Zone. This is necessary because you have a set amount of things that have to be done in a certain amount of time. Also I believe patience is another quality you must possess to do this job. Patience according to the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as demonstrating uncomplaining endurance under distress. You have to be very patient. Working with loud, out of control children all day can be very stressful. You have to deal with children not listening to the rules, fighting, climbing on ropes and walls, throwing toys and balls from the ball pit. When you are dressed up as a character, the pull your tail or your ears, try to unzip the back of the ... Free Essays on My Life My intention was to study art from my country El Salvador. El Salvador is located in Central America. As I did my research, I found out that we belonged to the Pre-Columbian Times and from there we derived with new material. Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture, the art and architecture of the indigenous civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Andes and of neighboring cultures before the 16th century AD. For 3000 years before the European exploration and colonization of the western hemisphere, the Native Americans of Latin America developed civilizations that showed the artistic and intellectual accomplishments of ancient China, India, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean world. The quality of these accomplishments is even more impressive because much of the essential technology of eastern hemisphere civilizations was unknown to the Native American. The elaborate sculptures and intricate jade ornaments of the Maya, therefore, were accomplished by carving stone with stone. The Maya, a Native American people of Mexico and the northern part of Central America, produced intricate relief carvings (sculpture in which the figures project from a background surface). Maya sculpture frequently depicted rulers and gave dates and other information about these rulers. Sculpture and other art forms were also used to record important events and to portray deities and their activities. Pre-Columbian cultures are grouped according to general geographic area. The Mesoamerican Area, a major cultural region, includes the present countries of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Peru and Bolivia make up the Central Andean Area, the other major cultural region. Constituting the Intermediate Area are the lower Central America and the northern South American nations of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. The Peripheral Area compri ses the rest of South America, as well as the Caribbean islands. Although these areas were initially regarde... Free Essays on My Life Reflection paper In a world where people are murdering, stealing and harming each other, it’s hard to find the good in people now a days. The people who are doing these behaviors need help. That’s where I step in hopefully when I am certified to be a counselor. I think that people are generally created innately good and then go create their own nature. I could prove this by just want I learn about God in all my religion classes. â€Å"GOD DOESN’T MAKE GARBAGE†. Now some of us have it better than other, which can really hurt our chances to do well in this world. If you where born a thug, in a bad neighborhood and then hung out all with a bad crowd, chances are you will become a bad person. That why these kids or adults need direction in the right way. This is an important knowledge to have when you are trying to get in to counseling. If you don’t have hope for these people then I wouldn’t think you would make too much of a change to the world or you clients. I think when you are sitting down looking at your client you need to have in back of your mind; this is a good person, who just made some mistakes. I think it is imperative that you need a view people like when you are helping. No matter how impossible it seems, I think everyone can change his/her own way of thinking, it just takes a lot of time and tears sometimes. God created this human being for good not bad, that what were here to help them find out. Also I know some people don’t like Catholicism with their counseling, but I think you need to have some kind of faith in your background if you are going too help other or at least a good judgment of moral good. Having a good moral judgment means you have values in your life. Values are beliefs you have in life that are worth a lot to you. For example, I value life more than anything in this world. I think murder and suicide is terrible. We are built on this world for life, when someone takes that a way; I think t... Free Essays on My Life JOURNAL NO. 2 ~ â€Å"The Need to Belong is the Most Powerful Human Need† ~ The quote, â€Å"The need to belong is the most powerful human need†. In other words, life is empty without a companion. In addition, material things are easy to have, however, without a company in your life is not complete. In most cases, without anyone by your side it’s not easy. Family, friends and relatives are someone you can lean on for the time of sorrow. Moreover, having a company in each individual, our life becomes more exciting, convenient, has light which lights up our life. From my own experience, family, friends and people I have known for years are my best company. First of all, family is my life saver. By the time I feel bother into something I most likely to struggle and feeling bother. They would cheer me up and provide me all the comfort that I need in order for me to lighten up. Additionally, friends are god’s way of loving and care of us. My friends would help me out with my projects when I falling behind and into nay particular assignments that is scheduled on a certain day. Not only they help me, but they are treating me as one of their family members. We lean on each other and make a great companion in life. Furthermore, this wonderful people I have with me will help me pass through all the obstacles that come on my way to achieve my purposes in life. They are the ones that provide the strength that I need to get over with my problems and make me feel that anything is possible in life as long as you pull yourself together and think about your positive and negative perspective towards the situation....

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Social Contract and Its Impact on American Politics

The Social Contract and Its Impact on American Politics The term social contract refers to the idea that the state exists only to serve the will of the people, who are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. The people can choose to give or withhold this power.  The idea of the social contract is one of the foundations of the American political system. Origin of the Term The term social contract can be found as far back as the writings of the 4th-5th century BCE Greek philosopher Plato. However, it was English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) who expanded on the idea when he wrote Leviathan,  his philosophical response to the English Civil War. In the book, he wrote that in early human history there was no government. Instead, those who were the strongest could take control and use their power over others at any time. His famous summation of life in nature (before government) is that it was nasty, brutish, and short. Hobbes theory was that in the past, the people mutually agreed to create a state, giving it only enough power to provide protection of their well-being. However, in Hobbes theory, once the power was given to the state, the people then relinquished any right to that power. In effect, the loss of rights was the price of the protection they sought. Rousseau and Locke The Swiss philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) and English philosopher John Locke (1632–1704) each took the social contract theory one step further. In 1762, Rousseau wrote The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, in which he explained that government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty. The essence of this idea is that the will of the people as a whole gives power and direction to the state. John Locke based many of his political writings on the idea of the social contract. He stressed the role of the individual and the idea that in a state of nature, people are essentially free. When Locke referred to the state of nature, he meant that people have a natural state of independence, and they should be free to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature. Locke argued that people are thus not royal subjects, but in order to secure their property rights, people willingly give over their right to a central authority to judge whether a person is going against the laws of nature and needed to be punished. The type of government is less important to Locke (except for absolute despotism): Monarchy, aristocracy, and republic are all acceptable forms of government as long as that government provides and protects the basic rights of life, liberty, and property to the people. Locke further argued that if a government no longer protects each individuals right, then revolution is not just a right but an obligation. Impact on the Founding Fathers The idea of the social contract had a huge impact on the American Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) and James Madison (1751–1836). The U.S. Constitution starts with the three words, We the people..., embodying this idea of popular sovereignty in the very beginning of this key document. Following from this principle, a government established by the free choice of its people is required to serve the people, who in the end have  sovereignty, or supreme power, to keep or overthrow that government. Jefferson and John Adams (1735–1826), often political rivals, agreed in principle but disagreed about whether a strong central government (Adams and the federalists) or a weak one (Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans) sufficed best for supporting the social contract. Social Contract for Everyone As with many philosophical ideas behind the political theory, the social contract has inspired various forms and interpretations and has been evoked by many different groups throughout American history. Revolutionary-era Americans favored social contract theory over the British Tory concepts of patriarchal government and looked to the social contract as support for the rebellion. During the antebellum and Civil War periods, social contract theory was used by all sides. Slaveholders used it to support states rights and succession, Whig party moderates upheld the social contract as a symbol of continuity in government, and abolitionists found support in Lockes theories of natural rights. More recently, historians also have linked social contract theories to pivotal social movements such as those for Native American rights, civil rights, immigration reform, and womens rights.  Ã‚   Sources and Further Reading Dienstag, Joshua Foa. Between History and Nature: Social Contract Theory in Locke and the Founders. The Journal of Politics 58.4 (1996): 985–1009.Hulliung, Mark. The Social Contract in America: From the Revolution to the Present Age. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007.  Lewis, H.D. Plato and the Social Contract. Mind 48.189 (1939): 78–81.  Riley, Patrick. Social Contract Theory and its Critics. Goldie, Mark and Robert Worker (eds.), The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Political Thought, Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 347–375.White, Stuart. Review Article: Social Rights and Social Contract- Political Theory and the New Welfare Politics. British Journal of Political Science 30.3 (2000): 507–32.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Impact of Guilds on Medieval Life Research Paper

Impact of Guilds on Medieval Life - Research Paper Example Guilds were the early associations of skilled workers that originated in the European countries – mostly, France, Germany, England and Italy – which had the written consent of the authority of their region to manage the workforce relevant to the requirements of job owners. Guilds had their advantages of working as collective union whereby ensuring employment opportunities to all the members with reasonable wages and social respect. They held high regards from the monarchs and clergymen for the unique knowledge they possessed for accomplishing the required merits at their desired fields of work. This essay focuses on the influence of guilds in industry, trade and economy across the world during the medieval period. Origin and Extend Guilds were probably the first organized group of individuals set for contributing money and effort towards a common goal in the history of mankind. They comprised the involvement of people from all walks of life which had the original root f rom the Anglo-Saxon civilization throughout Europe. According to Staley, as early as the period of Roman Empire, trade unions were formed with the association of men of similar age, interests, instincts and employment skills and trained for the purpose of the wellbeing and the moral guidance of the society (33). Early guilds were effectively trained by the trade schools for the military purposes and for the constructive requirements of kingdoms. Trained guilds were able to handle jobs in organized sectors, and most of them provided employment to individuals working from their homes. Organized activities of guilds had their influence greatly on the administrative sectors of revenue and merchandise in the early European economy. Since the ancient trade involved international transport of commodities, merchants had formed guilds that operated their business mainly through sea-routes. These trade gilds were the founders of sub-classes of business processes like wholesalers, retailers an d business agents in their domestic as well as international commerce. The foremost of all their achievements was the formation of colonies in foreign countries for the easy access to international business. A clear reference of the proceedings of the early merchant guilds focus the light to the centralized business management applications they employed in the international commerce. Some studies like that of Richardson show that these guilds had a strict regulation of a contractual relationship among members by which they were collectively responsible for the default of each member; and in case of the goods being forfeited at a foreign port for alleviating bad debts, the owner could claim for compensation from the actual defaulter at his home country. Craft guilds, on the other hand, focused on the promotion of particular trades and owned small work units that usually operated from home. Their basic segment of work related to conversion of agricultural commodities to consumable goo ds and their sales in the open market. Bakers, butchers and brewers were the most important category that held the profession in the consumer goods trade. More durable goods were the elements of manufacture guilds that produced goods and sold them in distant markets besides meeting the demands of the local buyers. Under the durable’

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Planning,Control, and Risk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning,Control, and Risk - Research Paper Example In 2011, Steve Jobs unveiled the iCloud, which is an online storage for music, files, photos and software in place of MobileMe. The company is also looking forward to the environmental issues that emerge during the production process. Thus, the company has come up with the initiative of reducing the carbon emission during the production process. In spite of the rise in the revenue of the company over the years, the greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by 15.4% since 2008 in terms of per dollar revenue (Apple Inc., 2012). Rate of Return Apple Inc. is a US based company and, therefore, deals in the US dollar value. Internationally, dollar is considered to be the standard scale in understanding the present status of the market. Therefore, both local as well as parent currency returns for Apple Inc. would be in terms of the US dollar. If the company invests in developing countries where the market is huge, then the foreign direct investments made by the Apple Inc. will turn out to be fr uitful, as the exchange rates of foreign currencies with respect to US dollar are variable over the market. On taking a closer look we can observe that, as per the present US market, the rest of currencies of the countries in which Apple has invested are of a comparatively lesser valuation. Thus, a deviation occurs with the gross margin and the net sales of the company when computation is done in terms of other foreign currencies. As inflationary pressures are faced by the economy at large, it is quite normal that exchange rate fluctuations occur. So the risk of exchange fluctuations still remains even if the company makes majority of its investment in the US dollar. Since the company has generated a maximum return from Asia Pacific, there remains a probability that the foreign direct investment made in this region of the world will tend to bring about more returns for the company. The market of Asia Pacific still remains untapped in a lot of sectors which, if invested in, can gener ate profitable returns for the company. However, before investing in FDI’s, Apple Inc. needs to measure all the elements of the financial statement operating in functional currency. The company should also translate the current exchange rate from the functional currency to the reporting currency. Most importantly, the company should be able to assess the economic changes that are responsible for affecting the exchange rates over the net investment. The changes that are generally observed are on each item of assets and liability of the company over the years (FASB, 2012). Role of Accountants in Managerial planning process The accountant of an organization has a very important role in the operations of the company, based on which the managerial decisions are taken. In the process of accounting, the details of the most useful data related to the transaction of the business are recorded. If the accounting seems to have flaws, the decisions taken by the management may go against t he success of the company. However, if all the rules of financial recording of a company are taken into consideration in the accounting of the organization, the managerial decisions taken on its basis may turn out to be fruitful for the company. The most vital role of an accountant is maintaining the books of accounts for the future planning of the organiz

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Interpreting Poetry Essay Example for Free

Interpreting Poetry Essay Ballads have been a popular invention of troubadours since the inception of poetry. A ballad is a folksong typically with a tragic ending or a lover’s getting married ending. This paper will break down the ballad of Bonnie Barbara Allen in a stanza by stanza presentation, as well as present how the ballad’s story pertains to modernity through folk singing. Ballads are an interpretation of a common emotion. In Barbara Allen the main characters are Barbara and Sir John Graeme. Sometimes the ballad shifts in the man’s name; in other versions of this same ballad the man is called Willie Grove, sweet Willie Graeme, Sweet William, Jemmye Grove (Diary of Pepys paragraph 4). With such differences in names to describe the man in this ballad, and by use of the adjective ‘sweet’ to describe him, it may be surmised that the sympathies of the ballad-singer as well as the audience, lie with the man in the story and not with Barbara Allen. It is no doubt that in this ballad, the female is given the characteristic of being cruel. This is shown as her eventually leaving Sir John Graeme on his deathbed without returning his love. She spurns him because he slighted her in a public tavern (some versions are different) and it is this slight which makes her maintain her cruelty. Sir John Graeme dies, and Barbara Allen is so stricken with grief that she too dies (in some versions of the ballad, either lovers grave grows a rose and a thorn and they intertwine, and in another version Sir John Graeme dances on Barbara Allen’s grave). The theme of the ballad is quite perceptibly about forgiveness. In essence, as with most ballads, Barbara Allen tries to moralize the story under the cruelest conditions. In analysis the creativity of the ballad through use of word choice, setting and narrative, the reader is bombarded with Old English (for the ballad was created in the 12th century when it was written into Pepys’ Diary of Ballads, but had been travelling through England, Scotland and Ireland via oral tradition hundreds of years prior to it being written down). The first stanza places the listener or reader in a timeframe (Martinmas time, or November 11th (Wollstadt 315)). In the setting of the scene the singer goes on to describe that the ‘green leaves were a falling’ (Pepys paragraph 1). Although the first stanza tells of John’s love for Barbara, there is an immediate swift change of scene from love to death between the 1st and 2nd stanza (Oliver 10-11). Barbara is bid to come to the ‘my master dear’ (Pepys paragraph 1). The symbolism of the green leaves falling and of John’s body being so close to death represents a great use of metaphor by the writer. What should also be noted is that typically when a leaf falls, it is not in fact green, but of various colours including red, yellow, orange. This is because the chlorophyll has been ‘sucked’ back into the tree for the winter (it’s like the tree harvesting health for the upcoming colder months). Thus, for the green leaves to be falling would suggest that the tree has suffered some plight instead of them falling simply because of the season. This allusion of the ballad mirrors John’s broken heart (Oliver 11-12). He is a young man, in the prime of his days, but he dies of a broken heart. What is of further interest is that a tree will keep the green in its leaves, even when the tree is dying of what is called ‘heart rot†. Thus, the reader is prepared for the upcoming scene of sorrow for both John and Barbara. The 3rd stanza reveals a somewhat cold Barbara Allen. She does go to John’s side, on his bequest, and when she arrives, all the ballad says, she says, â€Å"’Young man, I think you’re dying’† (Pepys paragraph 1). The motions with which she uses to go to John’s deathbed are very revealing to the reader. The stanza relays that she slowly (hooly) got up upon being requested to John’s side. We must assume she knew he was dying, or that she was reluctant to see him, because of the way she feels he slighted her. However, upon the true revelation of John’s state of death, all she can say is â€Å"Young man, I think you’re dying† (Pepys paragraph 1). It is in the 4th stanza that the reader is revealed to John’s state: He’s dying of a broken heart. This is an actual medical concern known as of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome. It may safely assumed that this is indeed what is the death of Sir John Graeme, for, upon Barbara Allen leaving him, without returning his love, the death toll rings. In turn then, Barbara Allen may also have died from takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Sir John’s statement further supports this notion as in the 4th stanza he states, â€Å"I’m sick†¦/And tis a for Barbara Allan† (Pepys paragraph 1). If John’s heart truly is breaking, it does so in the 5th stanza as Barbara states that she doesn’t love him (or hides it because she’s angry with him) because of the injustice she feels she suffered at the tavern when John ‘slighted’ her. The 4th and the 5th stanza’s are full of dialogue and not much narrative. This is done in order to get the back story of these two people and to know the emotional reasoning for Barbara’s actions. The narrative of the 6th stanza reveals more the dialogue between the couple as revealed in their actions. John turns his face to the way when Barbara tells of why she doesn’t love him. This action may be interpreted as being shame on John’s part for what he did while drinking at a tavern. The entire 6th stanza in fact reads like a domestic dispute reconciliation (or what may be a reconciliation). What is interesting to note is that John doesn’t ask for forgiveness from Barbara for what he may or may not have done while he may or may not have been drunk. Thus, in turn, Barbara doesn’t forgive him. Thus, the theme of forgiveness comes back into play; meaning, if either one had forgiven the other, perhaps their hearts would not have broken. However, both characters have too much pride to ask for forgiveness and thus they inevitably befall a tragic ending. It is interesting to not however that while John is dying his last request is for people to be kind to Barbara Allen, which signifies his fault as well as her stubbornness. (i. e. because she wouldn’t grant a dying man his last wish). The repetition in the 7th stanza of Barbara moving slowly leaving John was seen early in the ballad when she slowly came to see him. Thus, once she was slow to see him and now she is reluctant to leave him. It is in the 7th stanza that the reader begins to see the human side of Barbara Allen appear. It is with this movement and her statement in the 9th stanza of dying tomorrow, that the reader may begin to sympathize with the woman. Her cruelty can only be redeemed through her dying as well, and it is in her death that the reader realizes that she did love John, but could not forgive a man who did not ask for forgiveness. Works Cited Diary of Samuel Pepys. Barbara Allen. (2009). Online. 29 March 2009. http://www. pepysdiary. com/p/9570. php Oliver, Mary. Poetry Handbook. (1994). Harvest Books. New York. Wollstadt, Lynn. Controlling Women: â€Å"Reading Gender in the Ballads Scottish Women Sang† Western Folklore, vol. 61, no. ? (Autumn 2002). Pp. 295-317.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

John Dryden :: essays research papers

Research Essay on John Dryden John Dryden was born on an unsure date in 1631 in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire. He was born the oldest of 14 children in a landed family of modest means. His parents sided with the Parliament against he King. There is some question to whether or not he was raised in a strict Puritan environment. His father was a country gentleman of moderate fortune. He was given the opportunity by his father to be educated at Westminster School and at the University of Cambridge. Around 1657 he went to London as a clerk to the chamberlain to the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. The death of Cromwell in 1659 inspired Dryden to write his first important poem, Heroic Stanzas. After the Restoration Dryden became a Royalist and celebrated the return of kin Charles II. During the celebration he wrote two more famous poems, Astraea Redux and Panegyric on the Coronation. The rest of his life was then devoted to being loyal to Charles and his successor, James II. In 1663 he became happily married to Lady Eliza beth Howard, a sister of his patron. Until then he had no real source of income. He began writing plays as a source of income. His first attempt failed, but his second attempt The Rival Ladies, a tragic comedy, was a success. During the next 20 years he became an important and well-known dramatist in England. Some of his most famous plays included names like Ladies a la Mode, Mock Astrologer, and An Evening’s Love. Another play that was famously known because it was banned as indecent was Mr. Limberham. This was unusual for this time period for a play to be banned because of it’s indecency because the Restoration was a time of change. He was also a master of writing the heroic rhymed couplets. They were extravagant and full of pageantry. One of his later tragedies, the World Well Lost, was written in blank verse and was considered one of his greatest plays and one of the masterpieces of the Restoration tragedy. Throughout his career he wrote several "occasional poems," which celebrated particular events of a public character, a military victory, a death, or a political crisis. What made these poems he wrote special was the fact that they were written not for the self but for the nation. In 1670 he was appointed poet laureate and royal historiographer.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Miss Ever’s Boys Film critique Essay

Miss Ever’s Boys is a docudrama film that was produced by the HBO cable network. The movie explores ethical and social issues involved in the infamous Tuskegee Study. The study was about untreated black men with syphilis. The U.S. Public Health Service is said to have conducted a study among 600 black Americans from the years 1932 to 1972. This study was done in Macon County. This paper will exclusively explore the critique the Miss Ever’s Boys film using ethical frameworks. The ethical framework includes beneficence, justice, and respect for persons, duty-based ethics, virtue-based ethics, and the right’s-based ethics. The paper will identify how the above listed ethical principles were or were not portrayed in the film. Analysis of the ethical frameworks The concept of beneficence states that the welfare of the participants should be every researcher’s goal of any clinical trial. The movie â€Å"Miss Ever’s Boys†, the U.S. Public Health Service did not mind the welfare of the participants. To start with, this study was to study a sexually transmitted disease called syphilis but not to provide its cure. Before involving anyone in this study, the U.S. Public Health Service should have sought people consent with full explanation of the study to the participants. If U.S. Public Health Service minded the welfare of the people at all, they could have explained the study to the participants in order for them to choose whether they will be involved or not. However since they knew the consequences of the study, the U.S. Public Health Service was afraid that the people will not participate since the study was not offering any cure at all. This is against the bioethics of medical practice that requires the beneficence concept to be respected in any clinical research. So basically, it will be right to say that beneficence ethical principle was not met in this film (Stripling, 2005). The concept of justice in research ethics requires that researchers need to make a fair selection of participants. Therefore, there should be an ideal distribution of benefits and risks and benefits while conducting a clinical research. In the movie, â€Å"Miss Ever’s Boys†, only blacks were included in the study. The study recruited 600 black men and none white person. To start with, this was discrimination of the highest order. This means that only the black men were at the risk of dying, considering that they treated them with placebos. This means that only the black men’s lives were endangered while the bioethics requires that the risk to be distributed equally (B. Miss Evers Boys and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, 2013). Respect for persons means that people have a right to fully exercise their autonomy. Here, people need to be given a chance to make their own choices. In the film, Miss Ever’s Boys, it is clear that the participants were not respected at all. The first show of disrespect was when the U.S. Public Health Service decided to conduct a study and lie to the participants that they were going to offer them cure to syphilis. The second disrespect shown was the discrimination in the study where only the blacks were selected. Lastly, the U.S. Public Health Service disrespected the participants knowing that it was dangerous. Therefore, the respect for person ethical principle was not meet in the movie â€Å"Miss Ever’s Boys†. Duty-based ethics are based on duty or obligation. Kant argues that there are higher principles that are good in no matter the time, situation, or culture. Therefore, when faced with an ethical dilemma, it’s important to know that we have a duty to meet. In this movie, the U.S. Public Health Service was faced with a situation which was the rising prevalence of people suffering from syphilis. However, the U.S. Public Health Service had an obligation to meet which was to find the cure of the disease without necessarily having to put people through so much pain for 40 years. One thing that was very sad was the fact that even after discovering that penicillin could cure syphilis; the U.S. Public Health Service did not give the sick black men. This led to the death of 160 people (B. Miss Evers Boys and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, 2013). Virtue-based ethics helps us in deciding the necessary actions to take depending on the kind of person we want to be. Here, the recognition of human dignity is very important. All humans have a right which is either positive or negative. The positive right means are those given to human beings while the negative rights are those human beings have and cannot be taken away from them. Human dignity was not considered in the movie â€Å"Miss Ever’s Boys†. The black men had a positive right which was respect of their lives. This positive right was taken away from them by the U.S. Public Health Service (Houser, 2012). It will be right to, therefore, say that the virtue-based ethics principle was not met in this movie. Summary

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Cybercrime & Computer Crime Research Center

The internet has increasingly become a convenient avenue for commitments of crimes in the ever sophisticated information age. This is due to the defining characteristics of the online world where one can interact without physical contact. A computer consultant in Utah was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing 2 million dollars from a credit company where he worked (Computer Crime Research Center).In another incident, Jeffrey Lee Parson who pleaded guilty to charges of unleashing part of a worm that caused chaos in the internet in 2003 got off with 18 to 37 months in jail (Computer Crime Research Center) In most cases of cybercrime, the punishment does not fit the crime. The damages by computer users in the hands of cybercrime offenders are very real and so the penalties should also be as real. This paper will attempt to discuss and draw more light on this issue. This paper will attempt to discuss and draw more light on the issue of cybercrimes and some of the proposed soluti ons that have been suggested to counter the cyberterrorism.Problem Definition According to the Computer Crime Research Center, the penalty for illegally accessing a computer ranges from 6 months to 5 years. The penalty for illegal system access ranges from 5 to 10 years of imprisonment. Communication interception, offensive material dissemination and telecommunication piracy crimes carry punishment of 1 to 5 years. Individuals who hack computer and computer devices get an imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine (Computer Crime Research Center. An act of trying to gain access to a government protected system, results in a 10 year imprisonment and a heavy fine.Over the years this penalties have been made more severe, but the question still remains on whether they are still too lenient (Computer Crime Research Center). Cybercrime is the criminal exploitation of the internet. According to research carried out by the National Computer Security Association (NCSA) in 1996 two out of three U. S. companies were affected greatly by viruses. 3-5 billion dollar losses were incurred in the United States annually in the late 1980s as a result of computer abuse. With advancement in technology, newer and more complicated crimes have emerged which usually go unprosecuted.Cybercrime can be categorized into violent or potentially violent criminals, and nonviolent crimes (Shinder & Cross, 15). Types of violent or potentially violent crimes include: Cyber stalking, cyber terrorism, and child pornography. Cyber terrorism refers to deliberate politically motivated violence committed against innocent people by individuals, group(s) of people through computer networks. It involves use of the internet to convey information to be used in violent activities as well as recruiting members to terrorist groups through Web sites.In extreme cases, it could include interrupting computer systems used in air traffic control to cause planes to crash or collide; sabotaging the computer system contr olling water treatment so as to cause contamination of water supplies. It also includes hacking into hospital database and deleting or changing information that could result in incorrect or dangerous treatment of patients (Shinder & Cross, 15). Cyber stalking is a form of electronic harassment which involves implied physical threats which create fear in the victim. It mostly targets people in a certain race, gender, religion or social status.Paparazzi use the internet to stalk celebrities and get unauthorized access to confidential information on them in order to blackmail them. People from a particular race are harassed by distribution of hate e-mails through the internet; this often occurs in chat rooms and news groups. Child pornography becomes a cyber crime when computers and networks are used to create, distribute and access pornographic materials that use minor children. Child pornography is considered a violent crime because sexual abuse is practiced in order to produce porno graphic materials.Any related activity to enhance child pornography is considered to be a crime. Pedophiles use the internet to distribute and access pornographic material involving children through the internet (Shinder & Cross, 15). Most cyber crimes are nonviolent offenses. The perceived anonymity of virtual experiences is one of the elements that make cyberspace an attractive â€Å"venue† to commit crimes. Nonviolent cyber crimes include: cyber trespass, cyber theft, cyber fraud, destructive cyber crimes and other cyber crimes.Cyber trespass refers to accessing of a computer’s or networks resources without authorization just for the fun of it. The individual may not damage or misuse the data; nonetheless, cyber trespass is a crime in most jurisdictions. Most of these cases are dismissed by law enforcers because no damage is done (Shinder & Cross, 18). Copyright infringement is another method of nonviolent cyber crime. This is unauthorized use of works covered by co pyright law, in such a way that it violates the owner’s exclusive rights.These rights include; the right to reproduce the work. For electronic media copyright infringement is also referred to as piracy. Piracy is mainly done for music and film works, where cyber criminals hack into entertainment websites and download original works. They then, create copies which they sell as their own (Shinder & Cross, 19). Cyber theft is the use of a computer and network to steal money, information or other valuables. It is one of the most popular cyber crimes; this is because stealing from a distance reduces the risk of getting caught.Cyber theft includes embezzlement; an example is where an employee may use his/her legitimate access to a company’s computerized payroll system to change the data so as to move funds out of a company bank into his own account. A person may also gain unlawful access to an organization’s information and misappropriate funds. Another example of cyb er theft is industrial espionage, where a person from outside the company uses the network to steal trade secrets and marketing strategies for competitors (Shinder & Cross, 19).Plagiarism is another case cyber theft. Plagiarism is stealing of someone’s original writing and then passing it off as your own. Cyber fraud on the other hand is the variation of network data so as to obtain benefits. An example is when one hacks into the police database so as to remove arrest records. Destructive cyber crimes include: electronically vandalizing web pages, hacking into a system and deleting data, introducing worms, viruses or other malicious codes into a computer system or network (Shinder & Cross, 21).Viruses, worms and malicious codes cause damages worth millions of dollars (Shinder & Cross, 23). Virus writers and hackers are highly active and continuously creating and modifying new viruses, making it difficult for antivirus software to detect them. Other nonviolent cyber crimes inc lude: soliciting prostitution over the internet, gambling through the internet, internet drug sales and other contraband goods that are banned in some countries (Shinder & Cross, 24). An important question arises on how these crimes can be prevented.Approaches to Counter Cybercriminals Use of antivirus and anti spyware software is one of the solutions which are currently in use. The antivirus software contains a program that attempt to identify and eliminate viruses, worms and other malicious codes. Backdoor programs and Trojans are restricted by the anti spy wares. Firewalls are also other effective ways of preventing unauthorized access to a computer network. Network firewalls may be software programs, hardware devices or a combination of both.The firewall protects internal computer networks from outside access by malicious intruders (Shinder & Cross, 532). Cryptography is another very effective method of dealing with cyber crime. Cryptography is the science of encrypting and decr ypting information. This is where, when one is sending information through the internet, software decrypts the information and encodes it. The information is sent in coded form which can only be decoded by the recipient who has the decoding software. This is a very effective method that crackers find hard to hack (Shinder & Cross, 512).Awareness can also be raised on the issue of cyber crime. Youths are increasingly getting drawn into cyber crime because most of them are not aware of its legal consequences. This can be done through informative advertisements on the internet which will attempt to inform them on the dangers of cyber crime. People should also be encouraged to report cyber criminals to authorities through links on the web, so as to use the internet as a weapon against cyber crime perpetrators (Shinder & Cross, 551).Cyber ethics and laws are being formulated to combat cyber crime. It is the responsibility of service providers to provide high level of security to their cl ients so as to keep them safe from malicious programs. Laws have been passed over the years which have attempted to curb the problem of cyber crime. One of the most effective laws which were passed in the USA is the USA Patriot Act which increases penalties and allows the prosecution of individuals who intend to cause damage. It was pushed through the U.S Senate after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. This law gives authority over monitoring personal communications and private information (Shinder & Cross, 10). In August 2007 President Bush, signed into law Patriot II Act. This act gives authority to the government to: conduct domestic wiretaps without a court order for 15 days after an attack on the country or congressional authorization, access citizen credit reports with a subpoena and criminalize use of encryption software that was used in planning of a felony.This act was put in place to address the shortcomings of the law that don’t deal with modern technology (Shinder & Cross, 10). In USA it is a federal crime to advertise or knowingly receive child pornography. The child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) expanded the definition of child pornography to any visual depiction of sexually explicit behavior in which the production involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This has made it illegal to distribute and access child pornography on the internet (Shinder & Cross, 16).The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also developed a cyber program to deal with cyber threats. Over the years, the FBI has developed a Cyber Division whose main goal is to address cyber crime. It has employed the use of highly specialiazed personnel made up of agents and analyst who are able to identify cyber crimes. They have also employed the use of state-of-the-art-technology and resources to deal with this menace. Partnerships have also been developed with the Department of Defense and Homeland Security which enable them to share i nformation on cyber crime.The Cyber Crime Treaty: Preferred Approach It has become clear that a well-developed network of international cooperation is required to fight cyber crime, due to its ever changing nature. I think an international Cyber crime treaty is the best solution. Many countries have united their anti- cybercrime efforts through a proposed treaty known as the â€Å"Convention on Cyber crime†. Australia, Canada, Japan, USA and 43 member nations in the Council of Europe were involved in the drafting process.The Cyber crime Treaty is an internationally accepted law, which has made it easier to get help and evidence from other countries to prosecute foreign nationals within the country (Shinder & Cross, 548). The treaty has three features, whose target is to set basic cyber law standards for all nations. First, it requires all nations to outlaw unauthorized usage of protected computer; the usage of a computer to commit fraud, computer infringement (piracy), distri bution of child pornography or terrorism.Secondly, it is a requirement to standardize procedures used to capture and retrieve information online. There is also need to capture the origin and time of all traffic on all networks. Thirdly, national governments are required to cooperate and share electronic evidence across boarders. This is the most effective means by which cyber criminals can be deterred as they won’t find refuge in any country (Shinder & Cross, 548). Conclusion Even though cyber crime is getting the recognition it deserves, it is not going to be curbed easily.It is actually more likely that perpetrators will continue upgrading and developing so as to stay ahead of the long arms of the law. It therefore becomes very important for governments and organizations to keep consulting and coming up with more advanced and updated methods of detecting and dealing with cyber crime, in order to curb this ever growing menace. Works Cited: Computer Crime Research Center. Leg islation. Web: August 17, 2010 from, http://www. crime- research. org/legislation/ Shinder Debra L. & Cross Michael. Scene of the cybercrime. Burlington, MA: Syngress Publishing, Inc, 2008

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Three Waves Of Ska Essays - Jamaican Music, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae

Three Waves Of Ska Essays - Jamaican Music, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae Three Waves of Ska Music is one medium through which a generation can express itself. For a generation of suppressed, restless, working-class youths living in early 1960's Jamaica, this voice was a genre of music known as ska. Since its original appearance, ska has resurfaced twice. Ska music has been presented to three generations of fans in three separate "waves." Its humble beginnings lead to one of the most influential styles of music present in the world. By 1962, Jamaica was no longer under British rule. Jamaican culture and music began to reflect the new found optimism in its independence. Since the early 1940's, Jamaica had adopted and adapted many forms of American musical styles. The predominantly black inhabitants of Jamaica took a liking to rhythm and blues music (Davis and Simon 38), and with imported American records, "enterprising businessmen attempted to string up small sound systems consisting of radio, turntable, and independent speaker boxes" (Davis and Simon 38). These portable sound systems provided entertainment at dance halls. Owners of different sound systems competed against each other at the halls. The sound systems were run by two individuals, the deejay and the selector, dressed in "spangled waistcoats, black leather Dracula capes, imitation ermine robes, Lone Ranger masks, and rhinestone-studded crowns" (White 4). The deejay job was to introduce each record and to enhance the rhythm of the music! by chanting along with the record. Selectors chose records and used the controls to increase or decrease bass, treble, or volume. Musicians picked up on the elements of the rhythm and blues and combined it with traditional Jamaican mento music. The result was the first wave of ska. Musically, ska is "a shuffle-rhythm close to mento but even closer to the backbeat of the r&b, with the accent on the second and fourth beats, often moving in a 12-bar blues-frame. The afterbeat, strummed by a rhythm guitar or played on the piano . . . came to be characteristic of the form" (Davis and Simon 38). A horn section, usually consisting of trumpets, trombones, and saxophones, was vital to the music. Skilled musicians began to team up. Classic bands, such as the Skatalites, were formed and backed up vocal groups and singers. The Wailers (including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Livingston), Desmond Dekker, the Maytals, and Laurel Aitken were the most popular performers at the time. Songs written about Trench Town (the ghettoes), rude boys (street thugs), and about romance were prevalent, however, religious themes could also be found in the songs. In 1965, the Skatalites disbanded, and slowly ska transformed into another type of music, rock steady. Rock ste! ady is more dependent on the rhythm, provided by the bass guitar and drums, than ska was. For the meantime, ska took a backseat to the new styles sweeping the country. After ska had been developed in Jamaica, it was "exported" by artists traveling to Great Britain. There it was known as "blue beat." By the mid 1970's, early British punk bands were infusing reggae, a style of music that came from rock steady, into their music. Near the end of the decade, bands began to use ska instead of reggae because of its upbeat, danceable rhythm. This faster paced ska came to be known as 2 tone. One of the messages of 2 tone ska was the promotion of racial harmony. One of the symbols of 2 tone was a cartoon character named Walt Jabsco, a man in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, sunglasses, pork pie hat, white socks and black loafers. The use of black and white in the drawing was supposed to symbolize the peaceful coexistence of different races. As Strauss noted, "The attitude of ska music has always been one of having fun in the face of oppression, as encapsulated in a warning made famous by the Jamaican legend Prince Buster: 'Enjoy yourself! . It's later than you think.'" (n. pag.). The third wave of ska began around 1990 in America. Bands influenced by the 2 tone ska scene began to use more punk and metal music. The combination is much faster than 2 tone, and sounds very different from the original Jamaican brand of ska. The sound has transformed much since its

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Goddesses and Sexual Assault in Greek Myth

Goddesses and Sexual Assault in Greek Myth Everyone knows the stories of Greek gods sexual encounters with mortal women, such as when Zeus stole Europa in the shape of a bull and ravished her. Then, there was the time he mated with Leda as a swan, and when he turned poor Io into a cow after having his way with her. But not only human women suffered violent sexual attention from the opposite sex. Even the most powerful females of them all - the goddesses of ancient Greece - fell victim to sexual assault and harassment in Greek myth. Athena and the Snake Baby Patroness of Athens and all-around brilliant divinity, Athena was rightly proud of her chastity. Unfortunately, she ended up enduring harassment from fellow gods - there was one, in particular, her half-brother, Hephaestus. As Hyginus recounts in his Fabulae, Hephaestus approached Athena - whom he says agreed to marry her brother, although that’s doubtful. The bride-to-be resisted. Hephaestus was too excited to keep control, and, â€Å"as they struggled, some of his seed fell to earth, and from it, a boy was born, the lower part of whose body was snake-formed.† Another account has Athena coming to her blacksmith brother for some armor, and, after he attempted to rape her, he â€Å"dropped his seed on the leg of the goddess.†Ã‚  Appalled, Athena wiped his sperm off with a piece of wool and dropped it on the ground, inadvertently fertilizing the earth. Who was the mother, then, if not Athena? Why, Hephaestus’s own ancestress, Gaia, a.k.a. Earth. The child resulting from Hephaestus’s attempted rape of Athena was dubbed Erichthonius - although he may have been one and the same with his descendant, the similarly-named Erechtheus. Summarizes Pausanias, â€Å"Men say that Erichthonius had no human father, but that his parents were Hephaestus and Earth.† Dubbed â€Å"earth-born,† as in Euripides’ Ion, Athena took an interest in her new nephew. Perhaps that was because Erichthonius was an interesting fellow - after all, he was to be king over her city of Athens. Athena stuck Erichthonius in a box and wrapped a snake around him, then entrusted the child to the daughters of Athens’ king. These girls were â€Å"Aglaurus, Pandrosus, and Herse, daughters of Cecrops,† as Hyginus says. As Ovid recounts in his Metamorphoses, Athena â€Å"ordered them not to pry into its secret,† but they did anyway†¦and were either repelled by the snake and baby snuggling - or the fact he mightve been half-snake - or were even driven insane by Athena. Either way, they ended up committing suicide by jumping off the Acropolis. Erichthonius wound up becoming king of Athens. He established both his foster mother’s worship on the Acropolis and the festival of the Panathenaia.   Heras Hardly on Cloud Nine Not even the Queen of Olympus, Hera, was immune to disgusting advances. For one, Zeus, her husband, and the king of the gods may have raped her to shame her into marrying him. Even after her wedding, Hera was still subjected to such horrible incidences. During the war between the gods and the Giants, the latter stormed their rivals’ home on Mt. Olympus. For some reason, Zeus decided to make one giant in particular, Porphyrion, lust after Hera, whom he was already attacking. Then, when Porphyrion tried to rape Hera, â€Å"she called for help, and Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt, and Hercules shot him dead with an arrow.† Why Zeus felt the need to jeopardize his wife in order to justify his murder of a giant - when the gods were already slaying the monsters left and right - boggles the mind. This wasn’t the only time Hera was nearly raped. At one point, she had an ardent mortal admirer named Ixion. In order to satisfy this guy’s lust, Zeus created a cloud that looked exactly like Hera for Ixion to sleep with. Not knowing the difference, Ixion had sex with the cloud, which produced the half-human, half-horse Centaurs. For presuming to sleep with Hera, Zeus sentenced this man to be strapped to a wheel in the Underworld that never stopped turning. This cloud-Hera had a long career of her own. Named Nephele, she ended up marrying Athamas, a king of Boeotia; when Athamas’s second wife wanted to harm Nephele’s children, the cloud lady popped her kids onto a ram - who just happened to have a Golden Fleece - and they flew off. In a similar episode to Hera and Porphyrion, the giant Tityus lusted after Leto, the divine mother of Apollo and Artemis. Writes Pseudo-Apollodorus, â€Å"When Latona [Leto in Latin] came to Pytho [Delphi], Tityus beheld her, and overpowered by lust drew her to him. But she called her children to her aid, and they shot him down with their arrows.†Ã‚  Also, like Ixion, Tityus suffered for his misdeeds in the afterlife, â€Å"for vultures eat his heart in Hades.† Holding Helen and Pursuing Persephone Apparently, sexual assault on the divine ran in Ixion’s family. His son by a prior marriage, Pirithous, became best friends with Theseus. Both guys made vows to abduct and seduce (read: rape) daughters of Zeus, as Diodorus Siculus notes. Theseus kidnapped a pre-teen Helen and may have fathered a daughter with her. That child was Iphigenia, who, in this version of the story, was raised as Agamemnon and Clytemnestra’s kid and was, of course, sacrificed at Aulis in order for the Greek ships to get good winds to sail to Troy. Pirithous dreamed even bigger, lusting after Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter and wife of Hades. Persephone’s own husband kidnapped and raped her, ending up forcing her to stay in the Underworld a good part of the year. Theseus was reluctant to try to abduct a goddess, but he had sworn to help his friend. The two went into the Underworld, but Hades figured out their plan and chained them down. When Heracles trotted down to Hades once, he freed his old pal Theseus,  but Pirithous remained in the Underworld for eternity. Ancient Greece as a Rape Culture? Can we actually identify consent or rape in Greek myth? In some colleges, students have requested trigger warnings before discussing particularly violent Greek texts. The incredibly violent circumstances that appear in Greek myths and tragic plays have led some scholars to deem ancient Greek tragedy a â€Å"rape culture.†Ã‚  It’s an interesting notion; a few classicists have argued that misogyny and rape are modern constructs and such ideas can’t be used effectively when evaluating the past. For example, from one perspective arguing  for terms like â€Å"seduction† and â€Å"kidnapping† over â€Å"rape,† negates the character’s anguish, while other scholars see rape as an initiation rite or identify victims as the aggressors. The above hypotheses can be neither confirmed nor denied but can present different arguments for the reader to consider both sides and to add a few more stories to the repertoire of seduction or sexual violence in Greek myth. This time, there are stories of the highest ladies in the land - goddesses - suffering as their female counterparts did.