E-cigaretee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-cigaretee - Research Paper Example The smoking cessation industry is led by the USA in terms of the market size, which is the followed by UK, Germany and then Russia. However, almost in all the developed countries and even in many other countries globally, the smoke cessation industry has been growing rapidly. While the most known method for helping in smoking cessation traditionally has been nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), new methods products are now rising, which targets the smoking cessation industry (Wikinvest, n.p.). The market is segmented into two broad categories of the cessation therapy consumer segment and the smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment. The therapy market segment consumer segment constitutes the consumers who are seeking the services of medical professionals to assist them in the cessation of their smoking habits, with such consumers having access to 17 different smoking cessation therapies, but one of the therapies, the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), remains the most predominant therapy that many smokers are seeking (Wikinvest, n.p.). The smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment comprises of the consumer segment that is purchasing the products manufactured by the smoking cessation industry, such as the smoking cessation pills, which are widely applied towards helping the smokers quit their habits. The use of the smoking cessation pills is highly adopted in the UK markets, with the product generating  £720m in revenue in the year 2011 alone (Steele, n.p.). The smoking cessation industry is relatively small in size, considering that it is an industry that is relatively new in the market, and its products are yet to be known very well. However, the industry is poised to grow in the near future to a substantial market. While the current market share of the smoking cessation industry is estimated at between 3 and 4% of the overall, the growth rate of the industry is

Writing Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Writing Assignment 3 - Essay Example s entail the cost incurred by the investor/borrower whereby, the borrower pays back the principle amount and additional cost for borrowing (interest rates). Therefore, an increase in market interest rates influences incentives to invest in numerous ways. For example, it makes the cost of borrowing to an investor to increase and hence, discouraging borrowing and investment. Further, increase in market interest rates causes the aggregate demand to shrink which further discourage spending and investments. In addition, higher interest rates may leads to higher monthly payments on mortgages. This reduces consumer’s levels of disposable income making it difficult for consumers to have something to invest. Therefore, however, it can be observed that higher interest rates discourage investment as it increases the cost of accessing loans. This influences incentives to invest (DSouza, 2008). Based on the above model, it can be observed that large government budget deficits year after year will have an impact on the equilibrium interest rate. This is because large government deficit causes the amount of loanable funds supplied to be below the equilibrium point. This means that the quantity of loanable funds demanded will be higher than quantity supplied. This in turn causes an automatic increase in interest rates (DSouza, 2008). 4). The reason why McKinsey Global Institute conclude that long-term fiscal sustainability is important for economic growth is because long-term fiscal sustainability helps to pull together required amount of financial resources that may be utilized for investments and establishing long term economic growth (DSouza, 2008). Coombs, G., & South Australian Centre for Economic Studies. (2001). Essays on regional economic development. Rundle Mall, SA, Australia: South Australia Centre for Economic Studies in association with Wakefield

History of computing Essay Example for Free

History of computing Essay Way back in early history, when people relied mainly on their brains to perform calculations, people used their fingers, pebbles, and tally sticks for computing purposes. Various attempts were made to build general-purpose programmable computers from the same mechanical devices used in calculators. But the problems posed by the lack of technology at the time were not satisfactorily solved until the introduction of electronic computing techniques in the mid-20th century. Between Pascals invention and around 1820 there were about 25 manufacturers of calculating machines; most of them were the work of one man. Few of them worked correctly and even less actually reached the manufacturing line. In the mid-19th century Charles Babbage, a visionary British mathematician at Cambridge University, designed the first computers to perform multistep operations automatically. The technologies were entirely mechanical. He called this first computing machine the Difference Engine, and it was intended to compute and print mathematical tables automatically. The Difference Engine performed only one arithmetic operation: addition. Babbage constructed a small portion of his first Difference Engine in 1832, which served as a demonstration prototype. The first widely known general-purpose electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) that John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert built at the University of Pennsylvania. The primary motivation for the ENIAC was the need to construct ballistic tables for the U. S. Army. Work began on the ENIAC in 1943 and in 1946 it was completed. It was an enormous machine weighing about 30 tons and filling a 30 by 50 foot room. It contained 1,500 electromechanical relays and over 18,000 vacuum tubes and when it was switched on it consumed 150,000 watts of energy. Despite its enormous size it stored only the equivalent of 80 characters of information. However, it was substantially faster than any previous computer. The idea of storing programs and their data in the same high-speed memory the stored-program concept was first put forth by von Neumann in a publication entitled, First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Computer). The IAS machine in its overall design is quite modern, and can be regarded as the prototype of most subsequent general-purpose computers. It had the general structure depicted in Figure 4. It had a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing instructions, a main memory for storing active programs, a secondary memory for backup storage, and miscellaneous input-output equipment. The IBM PC series was introduced in 1981 and quickly became the de facto standard for this class of machine. IBM made a smart decision by making the architecture of the PC open, meaning its design specifications were available to other manufacturers of computers and software. As a result of this decision the IBM PC became very popular and many versions of it, PC clones, were produced by others. Many other significant achievements have occurred in the PC era and continue to occur with the widespread use of the Internet and networked computers. Here are a few other notable historical achievements having to do with PCs: o 1976 The Cray 1 Supercomputer was the first commercially developed supercomputer. It contained 200,000 ICs and was cooled by Freon. o 1977 Apple II computer introduced. o 1979 Commodore Pet released, with 1 MHz computing power, 8K RAM, cassette deck, and 9 monitor displaying monochrome text. o 1979 The compact disk was invented. o 1982 The TCP/IP network communications protocol was established and the Internet was formed as a connected set of networks using TCP/IP. o 1982 Commodore 64 released, costing just i 595. o 1982 Compaq releases their IBM PC compatible, the Compaq Portable. o 1983 The IBM XT is released. This machine had a 10MB hard disk, 128KB of RAM, one floppy drive, a mono monitor, and a printer, all for i5000. What a bargain! o 1984 Apple Macintosh released. o 1985 Microsoft Windows launched, but not really widely used until version 3 in 1990. o 1987 IBM introduced its PS/2 System which was very successful, selling over 2 million machines in less than 2 years. o 1989 The World Wide Web (WWW) is invented by Tim Berners-Lee who saw the need for global information exchange that would allow physicists to collaborate on research. The Web was a result of the integration of hypertext and the Internet. Hyperlinked pages could not only provide information but could provide transparent access to other pages of information as well as other Internet facilities such as ftp, telnet, Gopher, WAIS, and USENET. The Web started out as a text-only interface but NCSA Mosaic, an early browser, later presented a graphical interface for it and its popularity exploded as it became accessible to the novice user. The explosion of the Web started in earnest during 1993 and in a single year Web traffic increased by 300,000%. o 1990 Windows 3. 0 introduced by Microsoft. This graphical user interface OS offered true multi-tasking, meaning you could run multiple programs at the same time. o 1993 The Pentium microprocessor released by Intel. It was only available at that time in 60 and 66 MHz versions. o 1995 Windows 95 operating system released by Microsoft. o 1995 Pentium Pro microprocessor released. o 1997 Pentium MMX (166 and 200 MHz) released. o 1997 Pentium II (233, 266, and 300 MHz) released. o 1998 Windows 98 released. o 1999 Linux, a free alternative operating system to Microsofts Windows, is estimated to be running on over 10 million computers worldwide.

Role Of A 1950s American Housewife History Essay

Role Of A 1950s American Housewife History Essay Throughout the 1950s housekeeping duties and taking care of the family was considered a role of the women. Majority of the girls got married at very tender ages and some even ended their opportunities to study in order to get married. They quickly became wives and they established their families by giving birth to many children and becoming young mothers. However, during the Second World War, there was a work force shortage and therefore women were required to take up factory jobs. Immediately after the Second World War the number of women who were working drastically dropped. All the single women who were working were required to quit their jobs in order to get married. The television offered different shows that represented the appropriate gender roles. Being a housewife was the fashionable thing to do and those who followed their careers were considered unwise. This trend did not last for a very long time as there raised a group of feminist movements. These movements influenced ho w women viewed the existing gender roles.  [1]   In the 1950s women received very little say and respect within the society. The women had specific roles that were centered within the household. Women were expected to perform house chores such as keeping the house clean and tidy and taking care of their children. They cooked food and baked bread while also sewing their own clothes. The women ensured that they prepare a warm and delicious meal for their husbands to eat after a long and tedious day at work. This was seen as a sign that they cared and often thought of their husbands. The women also made sure that they cleaned and refreshed themselves just before their husbands arrive. They applied makeup and dressed up in pretty dresses with ribbons in order to look appealing to their husbands. They also ensured that they clear the house of any kind of clutter so that their husbands would return to a clean and comfortable environment. The housewives were also required to make sure that they washed up and dressed all their children and ensure that they had neatly combed hair just before their fathers arrival. On the husbands arrival, the housewives made sure that the home did not have unnecessary noise. It was important that they warmly welcome their husbands with a kind embrace. The housewives were expected to maintain the childrens discipline while enjoying a meal. The women avoided arguments with their husbands and they barely complained even when displeased. Their responsibility was to ensure that they offered their husbands a quiet time to unwind. They gave their husbands a listening ear and gave them soothing refreshments.  [2]   The women in the 1950s were so inclined to their house chores, their children, and husbands that they hardly thought about their own careers. During this period, any woman who did not conform to the housewife role was faced with immense criticism. The women in this era were not provided with equal opportunities as the men. Women were expected to be fully dependent on the men for the provision of all their needs and requirements. The women were required to stay at home in order to take care of their homes, children, and even husbands. No woman received any recognition or credit for being learned or for holding a good job position. It was just important for them to be available in the home for their children and husband. It was very important for them to be present in all the development stages of their children. They also got the opportunity to monitor their childrens learning process and their health conditions. This role was considered an especially difficult task for the women who opted to go to work. This is because of the limited time available to cater for their homes and children and many husbands did not admire such wives. Women were required to be well spoken to their children, husbands and the public. Especially in public, the housewives were expected to introduce themselves properly and not to engage in intelligent conversation. They were not expected to actively talk in the presence of men. In case they disagreed with a certain topic, they were not allowed to voice their opinions. They were expected to be careful about their language content while ensuring that they avoid profanity. Women were in many cases judged according to their homes. The society measured how clean their houses were, their childrens behavior, how happy their husbands were, how they spoke and carried themselves in public.  [3]   During this period, women were required to remain in their marriage setup despite the challenges. Housewives never considered divorce as it attracted a lot of stigma from the society. Women who opted for a divorce were unwelcome within the society and they were faced with huge difficulties. This was especially because they had limited education levels and they unavailability of decent jobs for women. This essentially made it difficult for women to get a home to live in and food for them and their children to eat. Marriage was actually considered a huge incentive for all women and their children. Women sacrificed their happiness and instead worked very hard to ensure that their husbands were happy. They did this in order to maintain a happy home and marriage and to avoid chances of a divorce. Housewives at times had to deal with physical abuse from their husbands and even cater for alcoholic husbands. Despite all this, the women had to persevere in their sad marriages due to stigmatiz ation. Women were also responsible for childbearing despite how they felt. Once a woman got pregnant, she was obligated to give birth. The women gave birth irrespective of whether they were mentally, physically, or psychologically unprepared. The option or act of abortion attracted immense stigmatization even though they had a right to do as they pleased. The stigma caused many women to carry pregnancies that they were not interested in carrying to maturity.  [4]   Women were comfortable with being housewives and barely pursed any form of higher education. After completing their high school education, many women were married and stayed at home. The number of men who attended school for their higher education was far greater than that of women. The education policy that was available in the 1950s was unfair since the education of women was not equally promoted and encouraged. Women were not offered equal opportunities as compared to the men. The womens roles and purposes in the social and economic environment were very limited. The few women who opted to work in the any available position were not considered good wives. This is because there was an assumption that they could not take care of their families properly and work at the same time. This assumption is due to the huge amount of work both at home and at work. Women who chose to work would be inclined to concentrate on one side and neglect the other. In most cases, a family would require a home assistant to take care of the children. The children would miss a mothers love, care, and attention. Therefore, women who pursed a career path in the 1950s usually ended up single since men were more interested in women who could take care of them bear children and personally take care of them children.  [5]   In the 1950s toys such as the Barbie were used to depict the specific gender roles. Most of the toys that were made for little girls were used to mould them into desirable women. The toys allowed the young girls to have a good imagination of how their lives were required to turn out. The toys offered imitations of items and equipments that adult women used within the home. This was in order for the girls to have a feel of what exactly it meant to be a housewife and the chores involved. The boys on the other hand had toys that characterized men as strong and courageous. The color television also strongly affected the roles of women with the shows and advertisements that aired. The color television had impact due to the availability of color that made advertisements more appealing. The television aired advertisements that promoted sexism in the direction of women. The advertisements assumed that women were expected to take up certain roles such as cleaning, childbearing and, cooking. S exism towards women is today considered discriminatory but in the 1950s it was considered a very normal thing. Women were in those days trained to accept the stereotype that assumed women were meant to be housewives. Other adverts portrayed women as dependants on men who fully controlled them and influenced their behaviors. The advertisements confined the women within the home environment and to their household chores. They also offered women with the ideal image of a beautiful housewife and the desired beauty products. Books and magazines written by influential writers also offered a reference point for all housewives in the 1950s.  [6]   Iconic figures seen in televisions, magazines and written in books also influenced the role of women. Individuals such as Marylin Monroe, Lucille Ball and Grace Kelly were amongst the most influencial women in the 50s. Merylin Monroe was a sex symbol and women all over the United States worked very hard to imitate her behaviors to get attention from their husbands. It was important in the 1950s to look appealing and desirable to ones husband and sexual demeanor played an essential role. Its greatest role was to ensure that every husband was comfortable and fully satisfied within the marriage. It also assisted to enhance closeness, faithfulness, minimize arguments, and ensure that no divorces occur. Grace Kelly was a fashion icon and women were inclined to follow her fashion trends. It was important for the 1950s woman to dress up and look pretty. After a long day from work or while attending social functions it was important for men to find and show up with smartly dressed women. The women would always want to look fashionable at every time and season. It was therefore the responsibility of every housewife to be on the high alert for any changes and new trends. Lucille Ball on the other hand acted in a famous television show called I love Lucy. The show p portrayed Lucy as the classic 1950s housewife. She acted as the major character that was very loving and caring for her husband Ricardo. However, Lucy defended herself and did not allow anyone to direct her actions. She worked hard to portray an independent housewife who did not accept to be shoved around. Her acting opened up and influenced other housewives behaviors while ensuring that they remained to be loving and caring to their husbands.  [7]   The 1950s Housewife Influence on Feminism The 1950s have been referred as the bleak era of feminism. After the end of the Second World War, there was a new emphasis on the nuclear family as the basis of the welfare state in Britain. During the War, women were allowed to work outside their homes and took part in the War efforts; however, after the war elapsed, they were encouraged to take the roles of mothers and wives. The government aimed to reestablish the two as the primary occupation for women.  [8]  By 1985, 75 percent of the adult women were married; more specifically, 84.8 percent of women between 45 and 49 years were married.  [9]  At the time, married had become even more popular than before the prewar period. Furthermore, in the post war era, childcare facilities were closed, and there was a limited aid being advanced to working women. However, the state implemented social reforms, which were aimed at providing family allowances that were meant for subsidizing families. More specifically, the subsidies were aimed at supporting women in their roles as wives and mothers.  [10]  Despite the numerous efforts targeted at helping women, they were not satisfied by the position they were accorded. Sue Bruely observes and laments that the progressive vision adopted in the New Britain after the war was fundamentally flawed in its conservative view on women.  [11]  The media: films, radio, and womens magazines had a significant role in shaping the society, these include the attitudes of women towards formal employment. The media had a regressive attitude and positively sought to discourage women from combining employment and marriage. The media embarked on discouraging women from pursuing ca reers and laid emphasis on the womans domesticity and dependence, and encouraged women to return to their noble duties in the kitchen and nursery. Furthermore, television and radio aired womens programs that were dogmatic, and aimed at reinforcing the woman as a successful housewife. Despite the tremendous efforts being laid to return women at their noble duty of being a housewife, the 1950s witnessed a massive stride towards attaining parity for women. This included parity on such issues as equal pay for teachers in 1952, and in male and female positions in the civil service in 1954. The achievement can be traced to the various efforts of feminist movements. For instance, Edith Summerskill fought for the rights of women both in parliament and through the conventional non-party pressure groups throughout the 1950s. furthermore, the feminist writers at the time, such as Viola Klein and Alva Myrdal argued that women could juggle both employment and household jobs well. The era of 1950s has come to be referred to as welfare feminism. The majority of the feminists leaders argued that they adopted a position, which could be termed as reasonable modern feminism; the position advocated for sexual diversity and sought to establish the social contribution by women rather than call for impartiality or equality of gender. During the 1950s, feminism was mainly concerned with social responsibility, and aimed to promote the general welfare of the society. The 1960s fall in the second wave of the feminist movement, and it aimed at putting an end to the social and cultural inequalities between sexes. The achievements made by feminists in the second wave can be traced to the efforts made in the 1950s. The 1950s have seemed like a tranquil moment regarding the traditional notions of the family; however, various trends and events that took place in this period had significant contributions to the liberation of women that gained momentum in the 1960s. In the years following the Second World War, the number of college students grew significantly. However, a significant number of women who had attained college education were married soon after or were married before completing college. In their adopted new roles as housewives, they were soon to be bored and frustrated by the repetitive household jobs and became unsatisfied with their responsibilities as mothers. These women contributed greatly to the feminist movement that took route in the 1 960s. Additionally, though traditional wisdom dictated that the responsibility of women was restricted at home, a significant number of women made a valuable contribution in supplementing their husbands incomes. The Life magazine reported that women held a third of all the jobs available in the United States in 1956. A significant number of these women enjoyed their professions, sought promotion, and equal pay; however, the few rewards and legal resources that were available for women disappointed them  [12]  These discriminatory practices increased the number of women who opted to join the feminist movement. Furthermore, the successes in the civil right movement cases such as the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954, which outlawed racial segregation in public schools, persuaded women to believe that reforms were indeed possible. The Lessons the Modern Woman Can Learn From the 1950s Housewife For many years, women suffered a sense of dissatisfaction; however, each woman struggled with the problem alone.  [13]  The materials that were published on women emphasized on enlightening women to seek their fulfillment as wives and mothers. Repeatedly, women were subjected to conventional voices and Freudian sophistications, that they should not desire a greater destiny than their own femininity. The published articles emphasized on educating women on catching and keeping a man, breastfeeding, handling toilet training, coping with sibling rivalry, and breastfeeding; how to purchase a dish washer, bake, and to cook gourmet snails. Furthermore, women were taught on looking, dressing, and making their marriage successful by acting in a feminine manner; and on how to keep their husbands youthful and their sons from becoming delinquents. The lessons also emphasized that women should pity rather than envy the irrational, unfeminine, and unhappy women who sought to be poets, psychiat rists, and presidents. Women learnt that a true feminine did not pursue professions, higher education, political rights, and the opportunities sought by the old-fashioned feminists.  [14]  Therefore, a significant number of the 1950s women devoted their lives from an early age to seeking to find a husband and bearing children. The end of the 1950s was marked with a massive decline in the number of women attending college while the average marriage age dropped to 20 years. Additionally, by the age of 17 years, a significant number of women were engaged. Many women were unhappy with what was commonly referred to as the problem with no name, or the housewifes syndrome as referred by some doctors; however, women continued to have more babies. More so, college students were engaged in having more babies, as opposed to pursuing careers. The women had no career goals, and their aspirations were limited to being married and raising a family; however, they were overly dissatisfied, desperate, and lacked a personality. Women were mere food servers, putter-on of pants, and bed makers. The housewife was unappreciated. The 1950s woman was a stereotypical woman-in-distress, who is always dependent on her husband for survival. She is also perceived as an inept woman; the woman-driver, the extravagant wife who cannot budg et and is the primary cause of the mans downfall. Women were not expected to attend college and most women were married straight after high school and assumed the traditional roles. Women who showed braveness and continued to college were not taught science and mathematics; rather, they were allowed to pursue home economics and cooking. More so, women were not allowed to join in conversations, and men feared learned women due to their tendency to think of their interests and to disagree with the men. Despite the hard and unhappy life of the 1950s women, they have valuable lessons for the modern-day woman. Citing the problems faced by the housewives, the home economist suggested a lack of proper preparation for the housewife; thus, he suggested a more realistic preparation for the housewives, such as high-school classes in home appliances. The home economics class was designed for the female students, and the contents of the course reflected the larger social cultural context in which the home economics was situated in the 1950s. Furthermore, college educators came up with suggestions on increasing the number of discussion groups on home organization and family issues, and on the preparations of women on their adjustment to fit domestic lives and its subsequent roles. These were valuable suggestion for the benefit of both the 1950s woman and the modern woman. The role of women in the 1950s was a retrospective role in various ways. The society had massive expectations on womens behavior both at home and in public. Women had certain roles and the society expected them to fulfill the roles without failure. A woman was expected to be an industrious homemaker, and an obedient and caring wife to her husband and family. Home The ideal wife was expected to be restricted at home, and to nurture her family to gain respect from the society. A hard-working wife had the dinner ready by the time her career husband returned home from work, and a wife was only a valuable and respectable if she obeyed her husband, carried out his orders, and agreed with the husband without question. Even in instances where a woman wanted to voice her opinion, her lack of education would restrict her. The modern-day society is significantly different from that of the 1950s; however, the roles and responsibilities of the 1950s woman, though burdensome, are valuable to some extent. The home economics lesson offered to the 1950s women is valuable to the modern-day housewives. The course taught the preparation of meals; however, it taught more than just the fundamentals of food preparation. The class contained other valuable lessons, which included the principles of food buying and food handling. Furthermore, there are valuable lessons in choosing the most cost-effective and healthy boxed meals from the supermarket, this is perceived as a symbol of success in Americas capitalism.  [15]  Furthermore, housewives of the 1950s were taught on buying such household appliances like the refrigerator and microwaves, these were valuable appliances in food handling and preservation. The lessons are structured to change and shape the minds of young American women. They blended the gender roles and technical issues involved in food preparation, and the marketers interests in asserting a society, which was increasingly influenced by mass consumption agents. The modern American society possesses similarities with the 1950s society. The society is marked with numerous agents of mass consumption and promotional events that are aimed at promoting mass consumption. Furthermore, the increased cost of living and advances in technology have necessitated budgeting and an increased need for budgeting. Therefore, the 1950s housewife offers numerous lessons for the modern-day housewife. The modern-day housewives can learn the principles of food buying and food handling, choosing the most cost-effective and healthy boxed meals from the supermarket, and buying such household appliances like the refrigerator and microwaves. These were critical lessons learned by the 1950s housewives and are of significance to the modern-day housewife.

Essay --

Connor Peterson Miss. Cota Survival October 19th, 2013 The Tools of a True Survivor Jeannette Walls had a horrific childhood that truly brought out the survivor in her. Jeannette had troubles with her family, friends and siblings but she was not hindered by the difficult situations and the choices that she had to make. In order to survive she to had be resourceful and use what she had to her advantage and also learn to adapt to any situation. Through it all she had the drive and purpose of a true survivor. Her survival tools of Ingenuity, Adaptability and Purpose helped her to grow into the person she is today. Ingenuity is one of the survival skills that Jeannette possessed throughout her childhood. She continued to find new ways to accommodate herself in different situations. One such example is when she made herself braces because her parents could not afford them. Since she did not have the money to get them, Jeannette invented a clever way to make homemade ones. These braces (worn only at night so no one would know) were made from rubber bands and a coat hanger. In the survivor tool kit it describes ingenuity with, â€Å"you find novel uses and applications for everyday objects†(324). Jeannette’s braces clearly exemplify this quote. Ingenuity is also described as, â€Å"Bricolage: the art of building things from whatever materials are available.†(324). Jeannette used everyday objects such as rubber bands and a coat hanger to make a complicated set of braces. Besides from making braces, she also made her own catapult. Bullies would throw rocks at Jeannette and her brother on their walk home from school and then ride away on their bikes. Having limited resources, Jeannette used an abandoned mattress and some springs she found as ... ...n high school and she was striving for big goals, working hard to achieve them, and overcoming countless obstacles. Even when her father stole that piggy bank money she did not give up. Her purpose in life helped transfer her into adulthood. Without this determination and sacrifice, seceding into a successful adult would have been much more challenging. Each survivor has a set of tools at their disposal that can be used throughout their lifetime. Jeannette was able to overcome staggering odds to with her ability to use almost anything to her advantage and by being able to bend to the situation around her and constantly change. And finally, by having a drive in life that is simply incomprehensible, a drive and purpose so deep we cannot even begin to fathom its depth. Jeannette used these techniques to conquer her life and overcome every obstacle that stood in her way.

Ann Frank :: essays research papers

Ann Frank was a bright happy 13-year-old Jewish girl. She was born in Germany. Ann lived with her Father, Mother and Sister. Her father owned his own business. He sold herbs and spices until 1940, when Hitler came into power. Ann’s father Mr. Frank was a kind man. He did not want to see his family go to a prison camp or be murdered because they were Jewish. Mr. Frank decided to take his family into hiding. He had a friend named Mipe, who hid his family in the annex of the building she had a business in. Mr. Frank also invited another Family the Van Dann’s to go into hiding with them. The Van Dann’s had one son. His name was Peter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ann Frank was an average looking girl. Her hair was short and dark. She loved to play outside, ride her bike. She had friends at school. Ann was sometimes annoying to her family because she was so full of energy. She talked a lot and always stated her opioion about things even when her opinion was not asked for. Sometimes Ann would hurt her mothers feelings because she did not listen. Ann said she didn’t mean to be bad or hurt her mother. She felt like the good Ann was inside her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ann was compassionate she cared about other people’s feelings. She wanted to make Hanukkah special during their time in the annex. Ann had no money so she had to use her imagination to come up with special gifts. She thought about each person individually and made a personal gift for each one in her family and the Van Dann’s family. They were all very surprised and treasured the gifts because they realized it came for Ann’s heart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ann Frank was a special person. She made the best out of a bad situation. She was trapped in the annex of a building for a very long time. She couldn’t do the simple everyday things, like go for a walk, listen to the radio, smell the air outside or even go to the bathroom when she needed to. She made life very interesting for the people in the annex with her. Weather they realized it not she brighten their days and made things exciting with her outgoing personality. The fact that she wrote in her diary each day shows that she had a caring soul and she wanted to remember and share her experiences.

Monsanto — Appointing, Legislating, and Lobbying Its Way to the Top

Interest groups are defined as an â€Å"organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals† and they can have a profound effect on our government and society (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 419). These groups represent their interests in the political arena in a variety of ways; they can get government officials appointed to government positions, lobby government officials, and fund media to advertise their message to mobilize public opinion and sway voters. Businesses interest groups in particular utilize these strategies, because there is an economic incentive in passing favorable laws and conveying a good image to government and the public. One business interest currently benefiting from their interaction with the Obama administration is Monsanto. Monsanto is a billion dollar company responsible for genetically modified seeds, the chemical Roundup and its associated Roundup ready crops, the toxic chemical substance Agent Orange, bovine growth hormones (rBGH), and the synthetic sugar substitute known as aspartame—to name a few. As a business interest group, it has been a terrific success in using government to push its agenda, much to the dismay of environmental activists, scientists, and concerned citizens who want their government to regulate businesses and protect the public. This paper will examine how business interest groups like Monsanto have been able to further their agenda under the Obama administration through the appointment of employees to federal positions, lobbying, and use of media to mobilize public opinion. ) Appointment to Federal positions The appointment of employees in business to positions in government is a common occurrence today and is often referred to as â€Å"The Revolving Door†. This is the shuffling in and out of government and private sector jobs, and it is bad because it leaves these government officials with biases and the high chance of being favorable to their former employer. In the Obama administration, there are currently many revolvers from private industry (â €Å"Revolving Door†). One current revolver from Monsanto who is now making policy decisions regarding our food safety is Michael Taylor. Michael Taylor was named deputy commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration in January 2010 and is a former Vice President of Monsanto’s Public Policy(â€Å"Meet Michael R. Taylor, J. D. , Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine†). This obviously creates a bias when making decisions about policies regarding products manufactured by Monsanto, such as genetically modified foods or the bovine growth hormones used in milk. When Monsanto employees like Michael Taylor get into these agencies, they are usually favorable to their former employer Monsanto when making decisions. They also ensure direct access for lobbyists to the agencies they are in control of; â€Å"many of Washington’s top lobbyists have close ties to important members of congress or were themselves important political figures, thus virtually guaranteeing that clients will have direct access to government officials† (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 414). Taylor is a former lobbyist and current government official who now gives Monsanto full access into the decision making of many of American’s decisions about food. Unfortunately, he is just one in a litany of government officials who have vested interests in the private sector while still being allowed to make decisions affecting the health and safety of the American public. By getting employees into federal positions, businesses increase their chances of creating a strong iron triangle system that supports their interest group. The iron triangle is a â€Å"stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups† (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 418). This iron triangle system is powerful in creating favorable legislation and regulation for Monsanto; their good working relationship with legislative committees and executive agencies allows them to support their agenda and further their business by directly shaping policy outcomes. 2) Lobbying members of congress Lobbying is a critical part of how interest groups represent their agenda in government and seek passage of favorable legislation. A lobbyist’s goal is to influence policy in a certain direction by â€Å"mobilizing individual citizens to contact legislators (grassroots lobbying), testifying at hearings, submitting written comments to an agency or committee, press releases, and other activities† (Hasen 217). Lobbyists also take full of advantage of their direct access and â€Å"personal contact with legislators and taff members† to influence policy decisions (Hasen 217). Monsanto is incredibly adept in all these areas, and was the top lobbying client in the agribusiness sector with $8,831,120 spent in 2008 and $5,970,000 in expenditures in 2012 (â€Å"Annual Lobbying on Agricultural Services†). Business interest groups often lobby congress and the executive branch to promote their agendas and enact favorable laws and regulations. They do this by gaining dir ect access to members of Congress and federal agencies and making their interests heard. This is even encouraged by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) that â€Å"requires most federal agencies to provide notice and an opportunity for comment before implementing proposed new rules and legislation† (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 434). This allows businesses like Monsanto to meet with agencies like the USDA, FDA, and EPA to weigh in on issues that affect them, such as the merits and safety of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), discouraging labeling of GMOS’s, or enforcement rules on chemicals and pesticides. Research shows that business interest groups have gained legislative success through directly influencing the bureaucracy. According to research, the â€Å"significant trait in interest group influence is the privileged, institutionalized integration of some groups into public decision making† (Binderkrantz 177-78). Because of Monsanto’s high level of activity with government agencies and their ability to get access and lobby officials directly, their opinion is often integrated into public policy. Another way Monsanto lobbyists gain influence is through the information they have to offer the government. Research says â€Å"the most important factor governing the influence of a group was the ability of a group to provide lawmakers with both technical and political information† (Smith 235). Monsanto provides busy government officials with information about the issues that conveys authority and touts research backing, making policy decisions easier for a government official who may know nothing about the subject otherwise. In fact, many politicians say lobbyists are an essential part of government; in response to a 1978 bill expanding lobbying disclosures, Senators Edward Kennedy, Dick Clark, and Robert Stafford issued the statement that â€Å"Government without lobbying could not function. The flow of information to Congress and to every other federal agency is a vital part of our democratic system† (Ginsberg, Lowi, and Weir 431). This quote exemplifies how politicians rely on lobbyists as an essential source of information regarding policy issues. Lobbyist’s role as conduits of this information to government is crucial because they are in complete control of how information is presented—and thus how their agenda is received. One recent piece of legislation that Monsanto benefited from because of the information their ability to directly access lawmakers was House Resolution 933, an emergency spending bill passed to fund government operations through September and avert a government shutdown. The bill, signed by President Obama on March 26th 20013, will continue to protect this multi-billion dollar corporation from legal ramifications of the safety of its products. The budget bill, now dubbed the â€Å"Monsanto Protection Act†, inserted an unrelated provision that grants Monsanto against legal injunction for the next year and the ability to continue planting seeds and harvesting crops even if there are problems found with genetically modified organisms. Because they were trying to rush this bill through to avoid government shutdown, these shady provisions were able to sneak through. The Missouri Senator who added in the bill, Roy Blunt, admits he worked with Monsanto in creating the details of this legislature (â€Å"New Law Spurs Controversy, Debate Over Genetically Modified Crops†). This piece of protective legislation shows how corporations can use their direct access to government officials to alter policy changes. Because of this advantage of access and authority, business interest groups like Monsanto are extremely successful in transforming their agenda into public policy. Overall, research does indicate that there is a bias towards businesses. When comparing comments from business to nonbusiness commenters in federal agency hearings, there was a clear winner in policy outcomes. Agencies are more likely to be persuaded by lobbyists for business interests because of â€Å"the number of comments coming from business interests† and the fact that the â€Å"comments from business-related interests provide more information and signal a greater level of commenter expertise, causing agencies to respond to the requests made†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Webb 128). This research shows business interest groups have the advantage both in the amount of input, and the sense of credibility the information has coming from a large industry. Monsanto educates these government officials through their company’s own agenda and thus often succeeds in getting the policies it wants passed. This bias towards businesses undercuts the effectiveness of pluralism. Pluralism is the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government, with the outcome of this competition being compromise and moderation. The idea is that people will belong to interest groups that affect them and let their voices be heard by government, so that their needs can be met. Unfortunately, business interest groups often have a much greater voice than other interest groups through their existing ties to government via federal appointments and because of their financial power to fund lobbyists. Because they have a greater presence, the corporation’s needs are met while the needs of the public become secondary. While â€Å"interest group pluralism presumes that public policy outcomes are determined principally through a contest for influence among organized pressure groups†, we can see that it isn’t a very fair contest when Monsanto’s lobbyists have millions more dollars to spend. Stephenson and Jackson 7) It is clear that there is a negative implication of lobbying when legislation begins to favor elite interests rather than the public good. Because business interest groups are able to influence government in a disproportionately higher rate than citizens, â€Å"legislative outputs no longer reflect the outcome of reasoned deba te, promoting the common good, or the preferences of the median voters. Instead, public policy reflects the preferences of lobbyists’ clients† (Hasen 219). 4. Mobilizing Public Opinion Through Media Monsanto, like other interest groups, often uses media to further its cause. It can be used to rally support for the products it makes or it can be used to oppose policies that could affect the company negatively. Because it is a multi-billion dollar company, it is able to spend an inordinate amount to advertise their agenda and gain public favor more easily than companies that are not as well off financially. Research shows the effectiveness of an interest group’s use of media is correlated to its money and size: â€Å"the best predictor of an interest group's ability to use the mass media as a political tool is the level of organizational resources (money, members, staff, etc. it enjoys† (Thrall 417). This shows that the advertising messages the public receives is determined by who has the most money to market themselves, and companies like Monsanto are obviously a dominant influence due to their resources. A recent example of Monsanto’s use of the media to further its agenda was the attempt at labeling genetically modified organisms (G MO’s) that failed because of Monsanto’s supreme ability to mobilize public opinion. The California Proposition 37 added to the ballot in 2012 was an initiative to label foods that contain genetically modified organisms. Even with mounting concerns about public safety, Monsanto was able to control this issue through media and advertising and ensure that California voters would not let the proposition pass. They were successful because large companies were able to out fund non-profits and other groups who donated a fraction of Monsanto’s budget. Because of their resources and ability to advertise, Monsanto and other agribusinesses were able to easily sway voters with their carefully crafted ad campaigns. By paying to run millions of dollars on ads that threatened rising food costs if food labeling was required, they swayed many Americans worried about tough economic times. Their use of the media convinced citizens that labeling genetically modified foods was against their self-interests financially, and this threat prevented many people from voting the proposition through. It was a big comment on the state of consumer affairs in the country that a simple labeling law could not be passed; though the administration could follow many other countries leads and mandate GMO labeling, Monsanto is left deciding the fate of food with its money, power, and influence. 4) Conclusion: reaffirms your thesis statement, discusses the issues, and reaches a final judgment: your conclusion based on your research and your reasoning. Business interest groups are a powerful force in the decision making process of our country and will continue to exert force over policy as long as they have resources and access. To make their interests known and accepted, they utilize the attainment of federal positions, lobbying, litigation, and funding of media. To get their agenda expressed through the government, they use federal appointments in a process called the â€Å"Revolving Door†. This leads to biased decision making throughout branches of the government that can negatively affect policy outcomes for the public. If this continues, citizens will become alienated and distrusting of the federal government which seems to be only serving the elite interests of corporations. Lobbying is another way that citizens are rightly beginning to lose trust in the system. While in theory all interest groups are supposed to be able to lobby the government, only those interests with large amounts of money, access, and connections will have a good chance at having their interests be heard. Though there are regulations on how much lobbyists can spend and laws requiring them to register, it is still clear that lobbyists for billion dollar corporations are experiencing a higher level of success than public interest groups with little funding. This shows that in government, those with the most money and access will prevail. Unfortunately when â€Å"businesses and trade associations make up more than half of the Washington lobbying community†, it is unlikely citizens will fare as well as corporations (Baumgartner 1194). This has major implications when research shows that â€Å"some special interest lobbies frequently influence legislation and regulation in ways that†¦are detrimental to the public good† (Baker 53). Regulations made from information presented by lobbyists doesn’t serve the public good—it serves Monsanto’s. The use of the media is another area in which Monsanto has dominated its competition. It was the highest contributor in advertising against Proposition 37, and the over seven million dollars poured into the cause was effective in squashing the issue of labeling genetically modified food. When a group like Monsanto is able to pour that amount of funds into mobilizing public opinion, they have complete control over the issue and how they want it to be seen and voted on by the American public. With enough money they were able to assuage concerns over the safety of genetically modified foods and managed to convince people it would actually go against their own self interests in terms of cost. The elite team of advertisers Monsanto has the funds to hire enables them to spin their issues in any way they need to in order to gain both governmental and public support for their agenda. By gaining support they can ensure individuals vote to Monsanto’s benefit and don’t actively oppose the company, leaving their profit motive as the single determiner of important public policy.