Ethical Hacking the three shades White Hat, Black Hat, Gray Hat Research Paper

Ethical Hacking the three shades White Hat, Black Hat, Gray Hat - Research Paper Example 2010; Snyder, 2006; Mahmood et al., 2010; Smith et al., 2002; Pashel, 2006; Raether, 2008) II. Introduction Hacking has become the stuff of national security talk in the US and other countries recently, with the proliferation of news with regard to accusations that China is leading a concerted effort to hack into very critical systems owned by the US government as well as private enterprises around the world. Some of the most recent reports tie the concerted hacking efforts to the Chinese military, indicating that not only is the hacking sanctioned by government, but is being done with its active support, with the intent to gain from the vast intelligence that can be had from the hacking exercises. This recent spate of news has put hacking in a bad light. Clearly this kind of hacking is unethical, because of the intent to gain from illegally breaking into global information systems, and without the permission of the system owners. From the point of view of international law, this is unethical and clearly criminal (Sanger, Barboza and Perlroth, 2013; Navarro, 2013; Olson, 2012). On the other hand it is worthwhile to note that ethical hacking is offered as a course in some universities, as in the case of a course offering in Northumbria University, entitled Ethical Hacking for Computer Security Bsc. It is an honors course. The goal of the course is to be able to produce ethical hackers who are adept at penetrating into systems with the use of tools to hack into them, so that the weaknesses and flaws of those systems may be identified and strengthened/addressed appropriately (Northumbria University, 2010). This testifies to many things, among them being that ethical hacking is a mainstream, legitimate activity, rather than something that can be deemed as criminal. The intent here is to bolster security rather than to breach systems with malice and with an intent to commit crimes. This is reflected as much in the Oxford Dictionary definition of the term, which also underlines the growing importance of ethical hacking and ethical hackers to be able to make systems more secure (Oxford University Press, 2013). That ethical and unethical hacking both exist, as typified by the two contrasting examples above, is further reflected in the way these two types of hacking are immortalized in the literature, via the contrasting designation of black hat hacking representing the practice of unethical and criminal hacking, and white hat hacking, or ethical hacking. There is also gray hat hacking, which, as the term connotes, is part ethical and part unethical. This latter term also denotes a hacker who has had experience with doing hacking on both sides of the fence. The arguments against hacking in general point to the aspect of the debate with regard to whether hacking has any place at all in legal society. This line of thinking says that all hacking is potentially illegal. Those in favor of ethical hacking, on the other hand, admit as much, but then posi ts the example of the locksmith. If one is locked into a house, for instance, because one lost the keys to the door, then it makes sense to call a locksmith to create new

Wk 1 Case Study Essay Example for Free

Wk 1 Case Study Essay Economic development in the midsouth did not always have reliable access to transportation. This was devastative because much of their growth depended heavily on transportation. Midsouth Chamber of Commerce, MSCC, was formed by a group of legislators who wanted to push for more access to transportation. Midsouth Chamber of Commerce started off strong. They were an aggressive advocacy for their business community. Their growth over the years helped them turn their organization into a business, hitting the million dollar mark. It wasn’t long, however, before their growth took a turn. The company relied heavily on the sales and marketing functions. MSCC lost many contracts with corporations because they could not keep up with the wide spread use of the internet. That was when MSCC decided to hire Leon Lassiter to take control of their sales and marketing functions. Leon Lassiter joined the MSCC in the year 2000. According to the case study â€Å"Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems† Lassiter’s first task when joining the team was to review all of the programs, processes, and procedures of the company (par. 9). Right away he noticed that the information system was so  limited no one had access to do anything but the limited amount required by their job function. â€Å"No staff member had access to all the data necessary to operate the marketing and sales activities† (par. 9). Processes were done in steps starting from the lowest job level and then working its way to the top. To get one data request it would take approximately three days. Lassiter began to work with Wilson who was in charge of the operations division at MSCC. Though they did not agree with each other’s proposed plans for how the financial division should run, they both agreed to control costs. As time passed, the information systems of the company Kissell 3 grew. This brought necessary organizational changes. Staff changes were made to fall in line with the informational upgrades throughout the company. When this happened, the concern for top management arose. Lassiter and Wilson agreed that they would invest in the new information system created by a former consultant named Kovecki. Management and staff took well to the new work station arrangements. The new system, UNITRAK, helped reduce the costs of software. Unfortunately, this did not last long. They system continued to need upgrading and was never able to be implemented into the business. Lassiter continued to see disappointment with the UNITRAK. The time spent training employees on the system cost thousands of dollars, just for the materials to be forgotten. This case outlines the importance of a business and its technology. A company should always be prepared for change. MSCC did not seem like they were readily able to adapt to the change in information systems. The current situation is that the company is losing money each day the new software is not implemented. Kovecki is currently looking for a new job, but was hired by MSCC to build the companies new information system. In the future if MSCC continued to wait on Kovecki’s information system, money would be wasted. He was given months to provide MSCC with a process that worked, but has only been breaking down and not staying up to date. With the rate that MSCC is losing clients and money, waiting on Kovecki would be a mistake. He is clearly looking for a new job which implies that he has no interest in helping MSCC. It would he highly recommended that Lassiter and Wilson review their contract with Kovecki. If Kovecki does not complete the requested upgrade of the information software, they Kissell 4  will need to terminate working with Kovecki and look to a new informational software. MSCC was not prepared for the wide use of the internet. They used old processed from the time they originated which caused them to lose money. Although it was costly to implement a new information software, Lassiter was looking toward the best interest of MSCC’s future. Kissell 5 Work Cited Martin, E. , Brown, C. , Dehayes, D. , Hoffer, J. , Perkins, W. (2002). Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems. In Managing information technology (7th ed. , pp. 10-16). Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Prentice Hall.

The Old Man And Sea :: Essays Papers

The Old Man And Sea Manzanares, March 21th of 1999. The Old Man And The Sea What is the title of the story? A= The Old Man and the Sea. Who is the main character? A= . Santiago (The Old Man) is the main character of The Old Man and the Sea. His occupation is a fisherman. Unlike the rest of the fishing community, Santiago continues to fish using traditional methods. These methods, however, do not allow Santiago to catch many fish. Thus, he is forced to live a semi-impoverished life Who is the secondary character? A= Manolin (the young boy) is a young man and good friend of Santiago. Santiago has spent several years teaching and instructing Manolin in the traditional methods of fishing. Where and when the story takes place? A= In Cuba and out in the Gulf Stream, in the 50’. What is the climax of the story? A= During the last few moments of the Marlin's life. Santiago battles furiously with the huge fish as it thrashes about in the water. The danger to Santiago is immense because the size of the mar lin is much greater than the Santiago's boat. Did you like the story? Why? A= Yes because is about the hard existence of the man fighting against his destiny, conditioned by the social and cultural structures that mark his life. Do a summary of the story A= The story is about Santiago a Cuban fisherman who goes through many conflicts with nature and himself. He experiences poor luck in the latter part of his life which leaves him poor and destitute, relying on a boy to feed him and to be his only true friend. In spite of his skill as a fisherman, only his diligent perseverance ended his eighty-five day drought of fish. In this time of need, Santiago's pride prevailed over his hunger and need of supplies. While fishing in solitude, Santiago's eighty-five day ordeal ended with the snaring of a marlin. During the contest between himself and the fish, Santiago had to endure many physical and emotional conflicts. Santiago's physical conflicts include his hunger, fatigue, and the cramping of his hand. His body required nutrition and became tired and thirsty, inflicting great pain and demanding his attention. The obtaining of nourishment was a task which required all his skills and physical strength while at the same time holding a line with a marlin larger than any he had ever seen.

Vietnam War Impact on New Zealand

The Vietnam War had several social effects in New Zealand. The New Zealand publics’ opinion was polarized due to New Zealand’s involvement in the war, and public debate was generated over New Zealand’s foreign policy in particular how it relied on an alliance-based security. An anti-war movement developed in New Zealand, who disagreed with the strategy of forward defense. They also questioned the validity of the domino theory, and thought communism in south-East Asia did not in any way threaten New Zealand.The members of the anti-war movement also condemned the western intervention in Vietnam; they argued that they should not support a corrupt regime such as Ngo Dinh Diem, that it was immoral. The anti-war activists urged the New Zealand government to get a more independent foreign policy, instead of being submissive to the American government. The anti-war movement grew steadily, by the 1970s mobilizations that involved thousands of New Zealanders marching to pr otest the war where occurring in cities all over New Zealand.Young and highly educated New Zealanders made up a most of the anti-war war movement, which was also supported by church groups, students, and growing numbers of the public. This was a large social effect the Vietnam war had on New Zealand as it meant people where coming together to protest the war, and it caused New Zealanders to be more aware of politics and become more politically involved. The Vietnam War also had large political impacts in New Zealand.While New Zealand troops where in Vietnam the political ideas of National and labor towards the war became markedly different. Initially both parties supported sending troops, national publically stating New Zealand had a duty to support its ally, but as the war continued Labor began to adopt the ideas of the anti-war movement. From 1969 labor promised if they were elected New Zealand troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam. Labor supported a more independent foreign poli cy, which would reflect New Zealand as a small multicultural country situated in the south pacific.Labor hoped it would be able to achieve this and keep New Zealand in its alliances. National however remained committed to an alliance based foreign policy, arguing a small country such as New Zealand had to rely and co-operate on powerful allies. New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam War lead to the end of the earlier Bipartisan cold war consensus between National and Labor on foreign policy, marking it a significant turning point in the development of a new direction for New Zealand’s foreign policy.The Vietnam War had both long term impacts on the New Zealand soldiers involved and more immediate impacts. A more immediate impact was while in Vietnam New Zealand soldiers were put under a lot of stress. The Viet Cong were an â€Å"invisible enemy† who fought using guerilla tactics. New Zealand soldiers also patrolled in silence, using hand gestures to communicat e, so as to not reveal their position to the enemy. This meant the soldiers did not know where the Viet Cong were, and knew they could appear at any moment.This would have frightened the soldiers and put more stress on them, as they were never sure when they would run into the Viet Cong, knowing that each time they went round a corner they could run into the Viet Cong. Veterans recall â€Å"endless fear, tension and adrenalin. † during their time in Vietnam. Some of the missions New Zealand soldiers were required to go on resulted in the deaths of Vietnamese women and children, many soldiers suffered psychological damage as a result of seeing the bodies and realizing who they had killed.Upon returning home soldiers faced hostility from the public, who described them as â€Å"war-mongers† and â€Å"baby-killers. † This had an emotional effect on soldiers, who had been an expecting a hero’s welcome, many where surprised and hurt by the public’s react ion. This was one of the factors that caused veterans to think of themselves as â€Å" cynical† and â€Å"distrusting. † New Zealand soldiers also suffered from long term affects from the Vietnam war, in particular many suffered from exposure to the defoliant agent orange.Agent Orange was a dangerous toxin used by the US to kill the foliage the Viet Cong hid in. it was sprayed by air and by hand. Zone three, where New Zealand soldiers were serving had over 20 million liters of Agent Orange sprayed on it, more than the other zones got combined. Exposure to Agent Orange caused high rates of cancers such as liver, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and lung cancer among veterans, around 30 to 40 years after they left. Agent Orange also had an intergenerational impact, affecting the veteran’s children.After the war many of their wives had still or premature births. One soldier’s wife had seven miscarriages. Agent Orange caused genetic mutations to occur; the women who did manage to have kids gave birth to children with deformities and disabilities. Initially the New Zealand government refused to acknowledge the effects of Agent Orange, and would not give recognition of the harm that had been done to New Zealand soldiers. However after incontrovertible proof was provided to a governments select comity it was officially agreed that New Zealand soldiers had been put at risk.

Rgthjy,k

As this Idea being applied to Frost's writing career, Frost Is being drawn to wildness and darkness In life and forgets about his responsibilities of writing poems. In ‘Gathering Leaves', â€Å"but a crop is a crop† (ALL) has two levels of interpretation. The first â€Å"crop† refers to the gathered leaves and harvested crops while the second â€Å"crop† refers to reward and value. This suggests that the value lies in the effort of gathering leaves. As for Frost's poetic creations, the effort in gathering ideas is its own value.He confirms his value in poetic creations and finds his motivations to carry on. Moreover, the two poems have stated that Frost has to go on with his life and work hard to fulfill his responsibilities in life and work. In Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening', â€Å"l have promises to keep† (L 14) refers to Frost who has to keep his promises to fulfill responsibilities in real life. Also, â€Å"miles to go before I sleep† (ALL-LA 6) has two levels of meaning. On the surface, it means that Frost still has a long way to cross the woods before he can rest.Frost deep down wants to express that he has a long Journey before his death. In ‘Gathering Leaves', â€Å"and whiffs to say where the harvest shall stop? (LOLL) Is a rhetorical question which Is used to show that the harvest shouldn't stop. It symbolizes Frost's work as a poet. It tells that Frost should not stop but get on with his Job and collect ideas for his writing instead to fulfill his responsibilities as a poet. Next, I'm going to discuss about the three differences In content between the two poems by Robert Frost.Firstly, the durations of the two actions, stopping by woods and harvesting, are different. For Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening', Frost is Just attracted by the nature and stop by the woods to observe the beauty of the nature. He will soon leave and continue his Journey in life to fulfill his responsibilities of writin g. However, for ‘Gathering Leaves', it Is a continuous working routine. It symbolizes the repeating routine of writing, Including gathering Ideas and poetic creations. Frost won't stop because he knows that he has to get on with his life as a poet.Secondly, the reasons to go on are different in the two poems. In ‘Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening', it is said that Frost has miles to go before he sleeps (Al 5-ALL) which indicates that he has to continue his Journey in life to fulfill his responsibilities. Is hard work in L 16. â€Å"But a crop is a crop† (ALL) suggests the value of gathering leaves lies in the effort itself. Therefore Frost carries on with his Journey because he finds it rewarding. Thirdly, the emotions throughout the two poems differ.In ‘Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, the repetition of â€Å"and miles to go before I sleep† in L 15 and L 16 suggests a tired tone of the speaker. However, Frost has to go on to fulfill his respo nsibilities and resist the attraction from the darkness. As in ‘Gathering Leaves', â€Å"but a crop is a crop† (ALL) suggests a determined tone of the speaker since he knows he he can get the reward by putting effort in gathering ideas for writing. To discuss about the similarities in form between the two poems, there are two. To begin with, the two poems are quatrains.They have regular patterns which suggest that Frost has to take regular steps to move on the Journey. Also this indicates the routine tasks of the writer as a poet. Besides, the two poems used the poetic device of enjambment. In ‘Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, the use of enjambment suggests that Frost goes on with his journey as a poet. While in ‘Gathering Leaves', it suggests the continuous routine asks of gathering ideas as a poet and also the movements of light leaves when they try to escape from the catch of Frost.The last word on the second line rhymes with the last word on the fou rth line in each stanza. This suggests the continuous routine tasks of a poet again. In addition, the lengths of line and rhythms are different. ‘Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening' has longer lines and the rhythm is comparatively slower. It is because Frost enjoys admiring nature and he is not rushing through his Journey. For ‘Gathering Leaves', it has a faster rhythm and the lines are shorter. It is use to mimic the movements of leaves. The leaves are very light in weight. Hey keep escaping and running away fast.

Smoking in Public

Smoking in Public Free Online Research Papers Should smoking in public areas be allowed? Have you ever gone to a restaurant or to the bowling alley and come home smelling like cigarette smoke? And while you were there, some people are sitting there smoking by you and you can’t stand the smell of it. So you go out side and to get some fresh air and what do you know there’s some more people lighting it up and smoking but they are polite enough to go outside. Doesn’t this annoy you, that you can barely go anywhere without people smoking in your presence. This leads us to the question, Should smoking in public areas be allowed? Smoking in public areas is something that could definitely be dealt without. The things I will cover with you are the effects of smoking, the effects of second hand smoke, and some policies that are against public smoking. First I’ll start with the effects of smoking. To make cigarettes, tobacco leaves are dried and shredded, and then they are rolled into tubes. The smoke from tobacco in these cigarettes contains more than 4,000 gases and chemicals many of them are poisonous. Some of theses substances include ammonia, which is used in cleaning fluids, carbon monoxide, the deadly gas in car exhaust fumes, and tar. When cigarette smoke is inhaled, these substances are injected into the body. A smoker breathes smoke directly through the mouth in the bronchial tubes, which lead to the lungs. Tiny particles stick to the walls of the tubes, causing irritation. Then the smoke passes into the lungs and it leaves behind a brown tar. This tar contains chemicals, which lead to lung cancer. Nine out of ten deaths from lung cancer are caused by smoking. The American Lung Association says cigarette smoking kills 11,000 lung cancer patients a year and 13 percent of these patients survive more than 5 years. Currently in the United States, approximately 26% of adu lts smoke cigarettes. Cigarettes don’t only cause lung cancers but can also cause other problems to the heart and blood vessels. Some other cancers associated with smoking include larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, and some other organs. Smoking also causes some serious respiratory diseases. Emphysema is a disease that robs a person of their ability to breathe. This disease is terminal and it kills you. It destroys a little bit of your lungs at a time so you don’t even realize there is problem. Patients who have emphysema can survive for many years with the help of oxygen tanks and special breathing exercises. Everyday activities, like shopping, cleaning, or exercising are some things that you can’t do in the later stages of emphysema. Elaine Landau says in her book â€Å"Cigarettes† that one cigarette lessens a smokers life by 7 minutes. Overall smoking is very dangerous a deadly it causes over 300,000 deaths a year in the United States. So if you’re ever offered one just remember how dangerous it is even if it only lessens your life by 7 minutes. However you don’t have to smoke to be harmed by cigarette. This leads us to the effects of secondhand smoke. Inhaling smoke from others is called passive smoking. There two kinds of secondhand smoke, mainstream and sidestream smoke. Sidestream makes up 80 percent of secondhand smoke and mainstream 20 percent. Sidestream is the more dangerous of the two because it has higher concentrations of poisons than mainstream smoke. This smoke is from the lit end of a cigarette that never passes through the filter. It flows into the air between the smoker’s puffs. Mainstream is the smoke exhaled by the smoker. In early 1993, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released a report that showed the respiratory health effects from breathing secondhand smoke. In that report it stated that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adult nonsmokers and impairs the respiratory health of children. About 3,000 American nonsmokers die each year from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke, of these; the estimate is 800 from exposure to secondhand smoke at home and 2,200 from exposure in work or social situations. It is clear that those who work or li ve with smokers have a greater risk of lung cancer than those who are less exposed Every year, an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 children under 18 months of age get pneumonia or bronchitis from breathing secondhand tobacco smoke. 50 to 67% of children under the age of five live in homes with at least one adult smoker. Secondhand smoke is a risk factor for the development of asthma in children and worsens the condition of up to one million asthmatic children. Children exposed to secondhand smoke damage their developing tissues. Children that breathe in secondhand smoke visit the hospital for breathing problems more often than those who are not exposed. According to the National Institutes of Health, children who breathe in secondhand smoke are at risk for a number of other health concerns. They are more likely to experience middle ear problems, coughing and wheezing, and worsened asthma conditions. Overall about 53,000 people in the world die each year because of secondhand smoke. Now you might be asking yourself how you avoid secondhand smoke. Well there a couple thi ngs you can do. The first thing you can is stop smoking if you do and consult your physician if you need help. The second thing is if you have household members who smoke, help them stop. If it is not possible to stop their smoking, ask them, and visitors, to smoke outside of your home. The third thing you can do is Do not allow smoking in your car. And the final thing you can do is to make sure your school or your children’s school is smoke free. In fact many restaurants, work offices, and public areas prohibit smoking in their building areas. If only there were a law that stopped smoking all together millions of lives would be saved and you wouldn’t have to worry about secondhand smoke. This brings us to some policies that are against public smoking. Smoking in the world is being prohibited in more and more places. Many forms of transportation, such as trains, some buses, and airplanes, do not allow travelers to smoke on board. It is also banned at most job sites, public buildings, airports, and many restaurants. The movement to stop smoking is international many of similar steps have been taken in numerous countries. Laws to control or prevent cigarette sales and smoking have been passed by many states and local governments. Over 42 states and 400 cities and towns limit smoking in public places such as city hall, stores, and elevators. Eleven states require restaurants to offer separate seating for non-smokers. Ten states have passed laws to control smoking in the workplace. In response of the objection the Tobacco Institute has tried to fight back. However, Minnesota was the first state to enact a law protection for the non-smoker. In 1975 the Clean Indoor Air Act was passed. This act made it illegal to smoke in all public places, unless an area was set aside specifically for smoking. Smoking is not allowed in city buses, grocery stores, offices, and many other locations. Minnesota’s law is considered a model because it inspired other states to pass similar laws. In 1980 voters in Florida and California went for the same movement Minnesota went through. However the proposal was rejected. So instead they had laws passed that didn’t allow smoking on trains, buses, grocery stores, health care centers, and many other places. California hit smokers by having a law passed to raise the tax on cigarettes. This would cause sales to go down. All these laws were being passed just so more lives would be saved and the air would be cleaner. If a single cigarette is such a killer I don’t know why you would continue to smoke if you know it is tearing away at your lungs. While progress has certainly been made in reducing exposure to smoking and secondhand smoke and much more is needed to be done. Thousands of employees at their work are exposed to harmful levels of secondhand smoke on a daily basis. All Americans need to recognize and protect themselves from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke because no matter where or what you do there will always be smokers in your life. So if you know somebody who smokes encourage him to stop and it might change or even save his or her life. So now you know some more things about Second Hand Smoke, the effects smoking has on your life, and some current policies against Public smoking. And I hope that your opinion on smoking has changed and have realized that it is a killer even if you’re not a smoker. So now when you go to a restaurant with smokers, be sure you sit in the Non-smoking section because that decision can save your life. Bibliography Gano, Lila. Smoking. San Diego, California: Lucent Books, Inc., 1989. Landau, Elaine. Cigarettes. Danbury, Connecticut: Franklin Watts, a Division of Scholastic Inc., 2003. Moe, Barbara. Teen Smoking and Tobacco Use. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2000. Myers, Steve and Pete Sanders. Smoking. Brookfield, Connecticut: Alladdin Books, Ltd., 1996. Schaler, Jeffrey and Magda. Smoking Who Has the Right? New York: Prometheus Books, 1998. Williams, Mary E. Smoking. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. Williams, Mary E. Tobacco and Smoking. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1998. Research Papers on Smoking in PublicUnreasonable Searches and Seizures19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayGenetic EngineeringThe Hockey GameArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Standardized TestingThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and Autumn

Title IX Research Paper

Title IX Research Paper In 1972 Congress passed the Educational Amendments. One section of this law, Title IX prohibits discrimination against girls and women in federally funded education, including in athletic programs. Since its arrival, in regards to athletics, there have been arguments for and against the many aspects pertaining to this law. Title IX has had a large impact on high school and college athletics in the attempt to give females an equal opportunity, but the means by which they are achieving this goal is an ongoing debate.The basic Title IX statute provides: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance (DeHass 2002)." Two years later the "Tower Amendment" was proposed. This was introduced by senator Tower and was an amendment that would allow revenue-producing sports to be exempt from being calculated int o Title IX Compliance.Women, Sport and Title IX PanelThis amendment was eventually rejected. There was other attempts made at altering Title IX coverage when it came to athletics but they all died before reaching the House or Senate floors. In 1975 the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare had drafted the regulations for Title IX, including one section, which dealt with athletics. It requires institutions to "effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of members of both sexes(Cooper 2003)." This required drastic changes. Athletic facilities and support services for men and women now had to be provided on an equal basis. No longer could you focus all your marketing on male sports while ignoring the female sports. The same went for the facilities requiring that all locker rooms and playing fields be equal in quality.Since the acceptance of Title IX the entire scope of high...

Toltec Empire - Semi-Mythical Legend of the Aztecs

Toltec Empire - Semi-Mythical Legend of the Aztecs The Toltecs and the Toltec Empire is a semi-mythical legend reported by the Aztecs that appears to have had some reality in prehispanic Mesoamerica. But the evidence for its existence as a cultural entity is conflicting and contradictory. The empire, if thats what it was (and it probably was not), has been at the heart of a longstanding debate in archaeology: where is the ancient city of Tollan, a city described by the Aztecs in oral and pictorial histories as the center of all art and wisdom? And who were the Toltecs, the legendary rulers of this glorious city? The Aztec Myth Aztec oral histories and their surviving codexes describe the Toltecs as wise, civilized, wealthy urban people  who lived in Tollan, a city filled with buildings made of jade and gold. The Toltecs, said the historians, invented all the arts and sciences of Mesoamerica, including the Mesoamerican calendar; they were led by their wise king Quetzalcoatl. For the Aztecs, the Toltec leader was the ideal ruler, a noble warrior who was learned in the history and priestly duties of Tollan, and had the qualities of military and commercial leadership. The Toltec rulers led a warrior society that included a storm god (Aztec  Tlaloc or Maya  Chaac), with Quetzalcoatl at the heart of the origin myth. The Aztec leaders claimed they were descendants of the Toltec leaders, establishing a semi-divine right to rule. The Myth of Quetzalcoatl The Aztec accounts of the Toltec myth say that Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl [reported by the Aztecs in the 15th century to have been born in the year 1 Reed, 843 AD and died 52 years later in the year 1 Reed, 895], was a wise, old humble king who taught his people to write and measure time, to work gold, jade and feathers, to grow cotton, dye it and weave it into fabulous mantles, and to raise maize and cacao. He built four houses for fasting and prayer and a temple with beautiful columns carved with serpent reliefs. But his piety excited anger among the sorcerers of Tollan, who were intent on destroying his people. The sorcerers tricked Quetzalcoatl into drunken behavior that shamed him so he fled east, reaching the edge of the sea. There, dressed in divine feathers and a turquoise mask, he burned himself up and rose into the sky, becoming the morning star. Aztec accounts dont all agree: at least one says that Quetzalcoatl destroyed Tollan as he left, burying all the marvelous things and burning everything else. He changed the cacao trees to mesquite and sent the birds to Anahuac, another legendary land at the edge of the water. The story as recounted by Bernardino Sahagunwho certainly had his own agendasays that Quetzalcoatl fashioned a raft of serpents and sailed across the sea. Sahagun was a Spanish Franciscan friar, and he and other chroniclers are today believed to have created the myth associating Quetzalcoatl with the conquistador  Cortesbut thats another story. Toltecs and Desirà ©e Charnay The site of Tula in Hidalgo state was first equated with Tollan in the archaeological sense in the late 19th centurythe Aztecs were ambivalent about which set of ruins was Tollan, although Tula was certainly one. French expeditionary photographer Desirà ©e Charnay raised money to follow the legendary journey of Quetzalcoatl from Tula eastward to the Yucatan peninsula. When he arrived at the Maya capital of Chichà ©n Itz, he noticed serpent columns and a ball court ring that reminded him of those he had seen at Tula, 1300 kilometers (800 miles) northwest of Chichen. Charnay had read the 16th century Aztec accounts and noted that the Toltec were thought by the Aztecs to have created civilization, and he interpreted the architectural and stylistic similarities to mean that the capital city of the Toltecs  was Tula, with Chichen Itza its remote and conquered colony; and by the 1940s, a majority of archaeologists did too. But since that time, archaeological and historical evidence has shown that to be problematic. Problems, and a Trait List There are lots of problems trying to associate Tula or any other specific set of ruins as Tollan. Tula was fairly large but it didnt have much control over its close neighbors, let alone long distances. Teotihuacan, which definitely was large enough to be reckoned an empire, was long gone by the 9th century. There are lots of places throughout Mesoamerica with linguistic references to Tula or Tollan or Tullin or Tulan: Tollan Chollolan is the full name for Cholula, for example, which has some Toltec aspects. The word seems to mean something like place of reeds. And even though the characteristic traits identified as Toltec appear at many sites along the Gulf Coast and elsewhere, there isnt much evidence for military conquest; the adoption of Toltec traits appears to have been selective, rather than imposed. Traits identified as Toltec include temples with colonnaded galleries; tablud-tablero architecture; chacmools and ball courts; relief sculptures with various versions of the mythical Quetzalcoatl jaguar-serpent-bird icon; and relief images of predatory animals and raptorial birds holding human hearts. There are also atlantean pillars with images of men in the Toltec military outfit (also seen in chacmools): wearing pillbox helmets and butterfly-shaped pectorals and carrying atlatls. There is also a form of government that is part of the Toltec package, a council-based government rather than a centralized kingship, but where that arose is anybodys guess. Some of the Toltec traits can be traced to the Early Classic period, of 4th century AD or even earlier. Current Thinking It seems clear that although there is no real consensus among the archaeological community about the existence of a single Tollan or a specific Toltec Empire that can be identified, there was some sort of inter-regional flow of ideas throughout Mesoamerica that archaeologists have named Toltec. Its possible, perhaps likely, that much of that flow of ideas came about as a byproduct of the establishment of inter-regional trade networks, trade networks including such materials as obsidian and salt which were established by the 4th century AD (and probably much earlier) but really kicked into gear after the fall of Teotihuacan in 750 AD. So, the word Toltec should be removed from the word empire, certainly: and perhaps the best way to look at the concept is as a Toltec ideal, an art style, philosophy and form of government that acted as the exemplary center of all that was perfect and longed for by the Aztecs, an ideal echoed at other sites and cultures throughout Mesoamerica. Sources This article is part of the About.com guide to Aztecs, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. The collected articles in Kowaleski and Kristan-Graham (2011), based on a Dumbarton Oaks symposium, are highly recommended for getting a grasp on the Toltecs. Berdan FF. 2014. Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory. New York: Cambridge University Press. Coggins C. 2002. Toltec. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 42(Autumn, 2002):34-85. Gillespie S. 2011. Toltics, Tula, and Chichà ©n Itz: The Development of an Archaeological Myth. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 85-127. Kepecs SM. 2011. Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic/Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World System. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 130-151. Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C. 2007. Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and Tollan: Chaning Perspectives on a Recurring Problem in Mesoamerican Archaeology and Art History. In: Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. p 13-83. Kowalski JK, and Kristan-Graham C, editors. 2011. Twin Tollans: Chichà ©n Itz, Tula and the Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks. Ringle WM, Gallareta Negron T, and Bey GJ. 1998. The return of Quetzalcoatl: Evidence for the spread of a world religion during the Epiclassic period. Ancient Mesoamerica 9:183-232. Smith ME. 2016. Toltec Empire. In: MacKenzie JM, editor. The Encyclopedia of Empire. London: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Smith ME. 2011. The Aztecs, 3rd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. Smith ME. 2003. Comments on the historicity of Topoilzin Quetzalcoatl, Tollan, and the Toltecs. Nahua Newsletter.

A Model of International Company that Trades with Lubricants Term Paper

A Model of International Company that Trades with Lubricants - Term Paper Example A multinational company is a company that conducts its trade between two or more countries. To conduct the business, a set of rules and regulation are laid down by international organizations and the countries where these organization conduct business. One common effect is the fluctuation of different currencies. The volatility affects the profitability of international trade. Also due to the currency volatility, there is a very high probability of the traders incurring loses on future sales. The formation of any multinational company is rigorous and most of the companies are run as joint ventures, mergers between two companies, private limited companies, public limited companies, licensing agreements among others. Corporate finance deals with the making of an appropriate financial decision for the company. These decisions are made using analytical tools. These tools help in the maximization of corporate value and in the management of the firm's financial risks. The decision made may be classified as short term or long term. Long term decisions involve capital investments decisions while short term decisions involve managing the working capital. Financial risk management, aids in evaluations of risks and developing strategies to manage these risks. In risk evaluation, the nature of the risk is determined by evaluating the impact of the exchange fluctuation on the corporation and the nature of the currency one is trading with. Risks can be managed/hedged using financial instruments. These instruments include interest rates, commodity prices, stock prices, and foreign exchange rates. The most effective way to manage financial risk is by the use of derivatives that trade on the financial markets. These derivatives are traded using instruments such as futures contract, Forwards contracts, swaps, and options.

Sarbanes Oxley Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sarbanes Oxley Act - Essay Example It is a law for all public that set the standards for all the United States of America’s public companies board, the management and all the public accounting firms. This has set the standards for all who hold management position to give out accurate financial statements and information, while making external auditors more independent. The Act contains 11 titles. Scenario 1 which tries to establish whether a chief financial officer(CFO) or the CEO is liable certify report that contain misrepresentation can be explained by title III of the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX).this title contain eight parts and states that those in high ranking of management should be individually responsible for accurate and complete financial statements. The title is specific in that it demand that corporate officers e.g. the CFO, or the CEO to be responsible for accurate and valid financial records (SOX section 302) ( Guy 45).4 Scenario 2 wished to establish whether or not a CFO or CEO is liable for using their respective position to influence an "audit report" of a public corporation. This can be explained by title XI on fraud accountability. It specifies that tampering and fraud of financial records either by overstatement or understatement attracted a penalty. This may lead to an extent of freezing payment which seems either overstated or understated. (SOX section1101)(James 128). Scenario3 wishes to find out whether or not an outside auditing firm must report directly to the "internal auditing committee" of a public corporation.... . Scenario 6 looks at whether or not a public corporation can make loans to managers and executives. This can be explained by title V which has nine sections that shows reporting on any transaction whether it is an off the balance sheet or any financial transaction. This means that they can make loans to the managers but it is a requirement to report on all those transaction that were involved (James 310). The last scenario wishes to tell whether or not a person who conspires with other to engage in fraudulent activities will receive the same punishment as those who actually engage in the fraudulent activity. Title III specifically states that every officer s will take his her individual responsibility for accurate and valid reporting. In case of fraud each officer takes his/her own responsibility and receives his /her own penalty (Guy 103). It is for a fact that Sarbanes Oxley Act is applicable in many activities of the firm. It seeks to set the standards for all who hold management position to give out accurate financial statements and information, while making external auditors more independent. Work cited. Guy Lander ,What is Sarbanes-Oxley? McGraw-Hill, 2003 James Hamilton, Ted Trautmann,Sarbanes, Oxley Manual: A Handbook for the Act and SEC Rules, CCH Incorporated, 2008 Question A Uniform commercial code Uniform commercial code was first enacted in 1952 and aimed at harmonizing sales law in the United States of America. Uniform commercial law was enacted to deal with transactions and contracts. It was created to create uniformity while transacting. It is subdivided into articles but of importance to this question is article 2 of the uniform

Greed, not Grievance is the True Cause of Civil Wars Research Paper

Greed, not Grievance is the True Cause of Civil Wars - Research Paper Example Although there is a lack of common agreement regarding the exact causes of a civil war, it is nevertheless emphasized that the potential of civil war becomes less if a state has the capacity to maintain peace. A strong state has powers to exert control over citizens by positively addressing their grievances. On the other hand, a weak state can have inefficient bureaucratic power and lack of political and military strength. Such inefficiencies and weaknesses make it difficult to implement laws and regulations in order to maintain peace in the region. Therefore, a weak state has the possibility to create conditions to induce grievances among citizens. The state also experiences various challenges in discouraging and restraining dissent within citizens thus laying the foundation for potential civil unrests leading to a civil war. Other factors that affect a civil war can be economic disparities between different regions or between different social groups, class and religious frictions, government policies and international trade. Civil war has been defined as â€Å"an internal conflict where there have been at least 1,000 combat-related deaths per annum and where both government forces and an identifiable rebel organization have suffered at least five percent of the fatalities† (Nathan, 2008, p.263). The prevalence of civil wars in the form of widespread violence has become a matter of international concern, and therefore researchers focus on what makes countries prone to civil wars. This is one of the major issues for foreign policy leaders. Although at the beginning of the twenty-first century several violent civil conflicts ended, there still existed 30 internal armed conflicts in 24 places in 2002. Among these conflicts, 15 existed in Sub-Saharan Africa while 5 existed in Asia. During the second half of the twentieth century, there existed 127 civil wars among which 40 occurred in Sub-Saharan Asia while 30 took place in Asia.  

Management and auditing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and auditing - Article Example iability of the information that IT system supports and the system operate with the required intention to produce reliable outputs (GFS Consulting, 2014). ITGC comprises of the following control types: Secondly, I recommend that the agency adopt IT Application controls. The application is designed and operates automatically in ensuring accurate and complete processing of data. They vary with the type of business and the purpose. Similarly, they are very essential in ensuring the privacy and security of information which are transmitted between applications (GFS Consulting, 2014). There are many types of IT applications and they include: Moreover, there is a need to have IT controls and Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who will oversee the accuracy, security as well as the reliability of the systems managing and reporting the organizational data. Enterprise Resource Planning System and financial accounting are integrated with the initiation and authorization, processing as well as reporting of financial data. Therefore, they may involve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance to mitigate particular financial risk that the agency may face (GFS Consulting, 2014). I believe additional IT control of the 22 employees will benefit the organization as it will be able to control access to the organizational data. Authorization will be essential in controlling the personnel who are required to access company information. Additionally, the agency will be able to have an automated system which detects and fix problems hence minimizing human interference. Every personnel will have a history on how he or she uses the system, hence helping in making further recommendations and adjustments on how to control the agency

The Magna Carta and the Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Magna Carta and the Constitution - Essay Example Magna Carta also protected certain rights of the King’s subjects which includes due process. The Magna Carta also provided the framework of the idea of a â€Å"law† that cannot be altered by a ruler or any of his any acts which is now embedded in the Constitution of the United States and many countries. Perhaps this is the most important concept of the Magna Carta that was adopted by the Constitution. In the original document (Magna Carta), it was worded as â€Å"we will not deny or defer to any man either justice or right (Magna Carta). In the Constitution, this â€Å"justice or right† is elaborated as the inalienable right of speech (first Amendment), right to worship, assembly, petition for redress, to be free from illegal search and seizure etch (Hazeltine). Another very important feature of the Magna Carta that was adopted or embedded in the Constitution is the guarantee of these inalienable rights by prohibiting the ruler, or the President or any of his legislative acts to alter or make any law/s that will undermine these inalienable rights. These rights are protected by the Supreme Court whereby any acts or laws made or enacted that will undermine these inalienable rights can be invalidated. The inalienable rights of the subjects or citizens are guaranteed further by the concept of the right to due process contained in the Magna Carta which is embedded in the present Constitution. The right to due process meant that no rights, can be deprived from the subjects or citizens without the process of being heard by a competent court (Gedicks). Specifically, this right is enunciated in the Magna Carta as â€Å"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land† (The Magna

Management and auditing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and auditing - Article Example iability of the information that IT system supports and the system operate with the required intention to produce reliable outputs (GFS Consulting, 2014). ITGC comprises of the following control types: Secondly, I recommend that the agency adopt IT Application controls. The application is designed and operates automatically in ensuring accurate and complete processing of data. They vary with the type of business and the purpose. Similarly, they are very essential in ensuring the privacy and security of information which are transmitted between applications (GFS Consulting, 2014). There are many types of IT applications and they include: Moreover, there is a need to have IT controls and Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who will oversee the accuracy, security as well as the reliability of the systems managing and reporting the organizational data. Enterprise Resource Planning System and financial accounting are integrated with the initiation and authorization, processing as well as reporting of financial data. Therefore, they may involve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance to mitigate particular financial risk that the agency may face (GFS Consulting, 2014). I believe additional IT control of the 22 employees will benefit the organization as it will be able to control access to the organizational data. Authorization will be essential in controlling the personnel who are required to access company information. Additionally, the agency will be able to have an automated system which detects and fix problems hence minimizing human interference. Every personnel will have a history on how he or she uses the system, hence helping in making further recommendations and adjustments on how to control the agency

Chinese people and Classical Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese people and Classical Music - Essay Example Music is one of the most fundamental elements of the culture and reflects the various trends which are typical of a nation. And when it comes to China that is for sure one of the oldest civilizations of the world, carrying out research in this area seems even more reasonable because of the fact that China is viewed as the pioneer in the fields of music, sculpture, art and poetry, and the Chinese have introduced divergent forms of music in the history specially during the Zhou and Han regimes, which won applause and popularity in different areas of the world. Having said this, the significance of the topic can easily be estimated. This is principally a qualitative research. The methodology was based on such research tools as interviews, desk study and brainstorming. As you can see on the poster, I started my research on the association of the youth of China with the Classical music of the past in two ways. First, I started to study and analyze the research conducted by various scholar s in the past in the same area. I believe it is always a good idea to refer to the history of literature about the areas of knowledge you want to explore. For this purpose, I tried my best to work out all related researches from the past and somehow, I managed to lay my hands on quite a lot of the required stuff.

Ancient Egyptian Art and Ancient Japanese Art Essay Example for Free

Ancient Egyptian Art and Ancient Japanese Art Essay Ancient Egyptian art during this time was a big time of this civilization. Ancient Egyptian Art usually depict god, goddess and animals, because of their high religious ways. Egytian art is still today recognized as some the most sophisticated works man has ever seen. I chose to works of art to compare and contrast Egyptian and Japanese art. I will start with Egyptian Art first. The Statue of Memi and Sabu Pair is a three dimensional work of art depicting husband and wife standing together These statues was placed in a serdab, the hidden statue chamber found in no royal tomb chapels of the Old Kingdom. This period of art was Egypt most innovative times because of Pyramids and works like this being made. The Egyptians believed that the spirit of the deceased could use such a statue as a home and enter it in order to benefit from gifts of food that were brought to the offering chapel of the tomb (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). The material used Giza Painted Limestone as part of Old Kingdom, Dynasty 4, between 2575–2465 b. c. This goes in with the time of what I discuss early that Egyptians having religious belief they often idealize and symbolize there dead. The pose is unusual because Memi is returning Sabus embrace by draping his arm around her shoulders showing a relationship between the two (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Second work of art I chose is Ancient Japanese Art. Japanese Ancient Art is one the most dynamic art periods. They were the first to develop pottery. Ancient Japan pottery Go far back as the 11th BC. The work of art I chose to compare and contrast is Storage jar made of earthenware clay unglazed in Middle Jomon period between 2500–1500 B. C. The earthenware food vessel, which came from the Aomori Prefecture in northeastern Japan, is remarkable for the fine quality of its clay and its sophisticated decoration. The cord-marked herringbone pattern was reproduced by cords knotted together and twisted in opposite directions (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Like the Egyptians they had very detail of work that symbolizes the culture. Japanese use these potteries to store food and eating. The reason for their vast use of pottery was probably so vast because the culture was always on the go at that time. In conclusion both works of both works of art show vast sophistication and symbolize a style based off their culture beliefs and needs. Egyptian Art may have more vast terminology than Japanese Art. Both have made an impact on society today.

Marketing Mix For Diet Coke Marketing Essay

Marketing Mix For Diet Coke Marketing Essay It allows the preservation and improvement of an organisational competitive position in the market. It is an advantage that allows business to stay alive against its competition. See Coca Cola Companys competitors and positioning in (Appendix1) See Porters competitive advantage and cost advantage in (Appendix 2). When a company brings a new product into a market they must think about who is the product aimed at, what advantage will customers expect, how does the company plan to position the product inside the market and what benefit will the product proffer over their competitors. According to Kotler product have three levels, core product, actual Product and augmented product, see Coca Cola product levels in (Appendix 3) When companies introduce new product, it takes some time to be extensively accepted, at which point its sales and incomes will begin to rise. This will attract other competitors into the market, cause the market to mature. Finally, the market will decline as companies start to introduce the next product, and customers switch to that product. See Coca Cola product life cycle in (Appendix 4) Coca Cola Company provides different type soft drinks like Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Fanta etc. There good image makes the organisation more strong. Coca Cola Company provides good quality products with good taste. They are specialised in soft and fizzy drinks. Coca Cola have created good image in customers mind, their image is reputable and reliable, and it has one of the most well-liked soft drinks available. They have well-known which is why customers feel comfortable in buying Coca Cola products. Coca Cola can market too many different segments. Coca Cola can market their product to teenagers much easier than older people, because teenagers are their target market. See Coca Colas mission statement in (Appendix 5). Distribution in marketing acts importantly to attract customers convenience and organisations use method of distribution to see their ability. Two types of channel of distribution methods are available. Distribution is underneath the group of place, therefore organisations create a precise distribution method so that its readily available to the customers and it can improve possible sales for an organisation. See Coca Cola distribution channels in (Appendix 6). The Coca Cola Company sell its products with bottling and canning operations. The distributors get to the Coca Cola to the wholesalers and the wholesalers get it to retailers and at final the customers buy Coca Cola from retailer shop. If Coca Cola does not work on its distribution services then their bottles are just reachable at their factories then customers may not be keen to get them. Its more appropriate for the customer to buy Coca Cola from a close seller as compared to getting it from factory. Therefore distribution system of an organisation can be both its weakness and strength. Companies should know that their products are available at retailer shops and stores where customers can easily buy it. One of the parts in the marketing mix is pricing. This part of the 4Ps are the one making returns and which is also why it is important that an organisation chooses the right price. Pricing is one of the most significant parts of the Coca Cola Company marketing mix, which makes revenue for them. Coca Cola use different types of pricing strategies. The pricing strategies are standing much on what aims the company has put itself to achieve. See (Appendix 7). Owing to the accessibility of wide variety products the pricing is complete according to the market and geographic segment. Each sub-brand of coca cola has different pricing strategy. Their pricing strategy is base on the competitors pricing, Pepsi is one of their competitor in soft drink industry. The Coca-Cola Company choose their pricing objective they believe will be most effective in dispensing their brand to customer, to do this Coca-Cola use market-skimming pricing. Coca Cola Company use marketing-skimming as there is a enough number of purchasers that have a high demand, also Coca Cola sets an primary high price and then lower the price to make the product available to a extensive market. Coca Cola Company use penetration pricing strategy as they want to hold maximum share of the market by maximum profit. Coca Cola use discount pricing, where their products prices are often become down during sale periods and special occasions, like Christmas, Easter etc. Also Coca Cola use competitor pricing, where to meet the competition pricing, their products pricing are set about the same level as it competitors. Promotional activities are important element because, these activities are performed in order to inform customers about the product and it includes personal selling, adverting, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing etc. An advertisement, for instance helps a buyer to get to know about the company and it is products, this can be done by bill boards, banners or posters. The benefit of advertisement is that it informs people about different products and services, their utilities, cost and other requirements. The disadvantage is cost because advertising is more expansive. In personal selling companies use their staffs to sell their product after face-to-face communication with the customer and seller efforts to convince a customer to purchase the product. Personal selling is one of the ways to keep good customers relationships, but this method is expensive. Here are some examples of sales promotions activities and it includes buy-one-get-one-free, bonus points, free gift cards, vouchers and coupons, competitions and prize draws, etc. The advantage is that sales promotion can help companies to provide right information to customers, also it encourage repeat purchases and customer loyalty, but the advantages are that it increase price sensitivity and it is generally for a short duration Public relations play an important role in promotion. It can be used to create a good image of the company for example magazines, TV or radio etc. PR is inexpensiveness of the cost, but it is hard to predict about the responses and it increase the risk. Direct marketing is where a company selling their products directly to people such as fliers or street advertising. It allows targeting specific customer and it can be measureable, but it is difficult to get it is direct impact and it can be quite expansive. Coca Cola use different methods of advertisement and the company spends a lot in order to be seen on billboards, radio, magazines, television, and on the internet. The Coca cola Company uses advertising as its key source of increasing buyer consciousness. It mostly uses the television; this source allows the companys products to attract more customers. Coca Cola uses the radio as another method of advertisement and this is a cheaper then TV. They use personal selling, where the company train their sales staffs, which they preform as a representative of the company to the shops. Newspapers and magazines are other forms of advertising that is extensively used by Coca Cola. Moreover, Posters, signs and billboards are also broadly used as an important part of the Coca Cola promotion. Coca Cola billboards are normally placed at the city centres and their posters are usually displayed at the shops, public transport and restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, etc. In addition, Internet is another method where different forms of Coca-Cola advertisements are placed. Specially, the brand online advertisement is assumed through the wide use of banners, on-site sponsorships and several other formats of online advertisements. Marketing mix has three additional elements: People, Process and Physical Evidence People are one of the elements of service marketing mix. People define a service. This mentions to the people who are in straight contact with the customer such as staff. One of the important parts in selling a product is the companys staff because most customers rely on a decent service before purchasing a product. For example, the employees in Coca Cola Company have a standard uniform. The companies always focus on friendly and quick service to its customers from their staffs. The process of the product is essential in marketing. This determines the capability of the product to supply the demand of the consumers. The process at Coca Cola Company is hidden and it is not visible to the customers. Coca Cola has two types of processes which is involves bottling and labelling solutions. The most important stage that Coca Cola consider is control of the company to get products at the agreed time and good quality, and the last step they consider is, the selling of beverage for target customers of distributors. Physical evidence is an important element of marketing mix where customers will base their decisions based on the service which intangible. Companies physical evidence is supported by signs, symbols and artefacts of the business itself. Examples of this would be the signage in Coca Cola which reassures the customer through branding. Coca Cola Company is focusing on target market; when it markets a product it mainly consider on demographic and physiographic segmentations; where demographic segment before it markets it identify the consumer groups in: age, sex, education, race, and occupation, and in physiographic it divides the market into different levels as: lower class, middle class, and upper class to identify their customers. Coca Cola segments different ages. The company focus on whole population in the world, but young generation is the target marketed of the company. Also Coca Cola segments different income levels by packing, where for small income people they has returnable glass bottle, for middle people they has small non returnable bottle and for rich and higher income people, the company has Coca Cola tin. Marketing mix for Diet Coke: Coca Cola developed a new product. This product is a diet drink by the name of Diet Coke. They have designed the marketing mix of product which is detail in below: Product: Diet Coke is a very fresh and tasty diet drink and provide energetic feel with good taste. Diet Coke is available in different sizes of which start from This drink is mainly for the Price: Price of Diet Coke is very suitable as compared to its main competitors. Place: placement has an important role to play in the products success and failure. That is why the company makes sure that the Diet Coke is place in such a way in market that its in reach of every customer. They have very strong distribution channel and their product is available on maximum stores in the city. Promotion: For a product of such high standards like Diet Coke it requires good promotional activities. For this purpose the Coca Cola Company have chosen following promotional tools: for advertisement the company have use different types of media like television, newspaper, magazines, internet and radio. There are some characteristics to a service such as: lack of ownership, intangibility and inseparability. Each of these taken into account when marketing a service, see (Appendix 8). A product is something which is tangible where as a service is intangible. A product is much easier than the service because after marketing and selling a product there is something tangible to be seen by the customers for they are satisfaction but in services they cannot because its intangible. On the whole, the marketing of product is focused on 4Ps in marketing mix i.e. product, price, place, and promotion. The Coca Cola Company consider on their customers demand in order to find out a product that can respond the market demand. First of all, Coca Cola Company focuses on the strength as well as eliminates the weaknesses of marketed products in order to improve products to meet customers demand as much as possible. Secondly, they focus on the pricing factor in product marketing because the price must be set to match with the buying authority of target customers. Thirdly, the Coca Cola focus on place because place of product marketing refers to distribution channels to deliver and sell the product to customers. Finally, they create promote the product in order to convince customers and inspire the sale in a short term. On the other hand, a service is the action that provide for customers. The service marketing is generally use 7Ps which is extended from 4Ps by including people, process and physical evidence. It is important for any business to employ suitable staffs or people. Employing and training of staffs have good impact that is why the Coca Cola Company gives training to their staffs because most of customers will judge the quality of their service from staffs. Therefore, Coca Cola employ staffs that have good and interpersonal skills. Conclusion: The essay shows that marketing mix (4Ps and 7Ps) is a very important part of creating marketing strategy, also it is crucial for a company to implement their marketing concept successfully. The Coca Cola Company develops their product or service to meet the customers needs and wants; then they seem into determining how their consumer going to receive the product and they consider direct or indirect channels of distribution. The Coca Cola Company will decide a price for their products that ensures a profit. Finally, they promote their product by using different advertising methods to attract customers.

Disparity Between The Passion Of The Christ by Mel Gibson and The Bible

"The Passion of the Christ" by Mel Gibson, recounts the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, portraying his arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. One of the most popular religious movies in modern times, it therefore becomes susceptible to criticism. Although the film is based upon the stories within the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there are many exaggerations and non-biblical elements present in the movie. This is not unexpected, since it is a movie, but the vivid detail of the brutality in the movie as well as the Anti-Semitic theme are the most publicly criticized elements of the movie. The Passion emphasizes the brutality Jesus endured to give himself for his people, but at the same time in the movie the Jews are the ones that cry for his death. During several scenes of The Passion of the Christ, there are elements such as characters, themes, and motifs that are not found within the gospels, but are in the movie to add more dramatic elements. One of the most common arguments about The Passion is that it is focused on the intentional blaming of the Jews for the death of Jesus Christ. Throughout the movie, and in particular the scenes where he is held before Pontius Pilate and Caiaphus, Jesus is berated and blamed for blasphemy by his own people, a notion that is not explicitly talked about within the Bible. It is obvious in the movie and the Bible though, that Jesus has no bad intentions or threats to anybody, yet he becomes the enemy. The implied reason for this is that the Jews rejected Jesus and God. But why are the ideas of love and freedom that Jesus is promoting, in the movie and the Bible, so evil and unacceptable according to the people and high priests? At most of t... ... that the whole Earth experiences the consequences of his crucifixion and death. Also, in the gospel of Luke, it is noted that one of the thieves being crucified asks of Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom", and Jesus accepts his recognition. In the movie, the other thief just laughs at this conversation, and a raven lands upon his cross and pecks out his eyes. This is not detailed in the gospels, but is added into the movie as a sign of karma. The slight differences in The Passion of the Christ and the gospels' accounts are made to create a more dramatic feeling for the viewer. The addition of devils and Satan to the story adds more emotion, and stresses the dedication Jesus had to his people. Overall, the differences between the stories are to show a more creative depiction of the sacrifice and determination that Jesus gave for his people.

Cultural Background Paper Essay

The fusion of cultures has been ever growing and I would like to say- being multiracial these days is not a new phenomenon. There are many of us who come from a similar status where we share different ancestors from different cultures. For instance, my own friend has a Hispanic father and an African-American mother. Both the parents come from different cultures and the instances have been increasing. However, I share an Indian background with a Hispanic background. The fusion of the two cultures was unthinkable but I believe it has to happen sometimes that way. The main reason why I believe we have cultural fusions is because of the increased ethnic and racial diversity in the United States of America. It is interesting to note how different parents from different cultures actually bring in their stories and traditions into our lives. I believe it is easy to distinguish characteristic traits from an Indian background and a Hispanic background. There are a few traits that make one easily recognizable and distinguishable from others. Importance to family ties and bonds is extremely crucial. I remember my father (who obviously shares an Indian background, American-Indian) who stressed on the importance of relationships. Grandparents, uncles, aunts and every relative had to be respected and served on their occasional arrival. Indians are particularly fond of spicy food with their own kind of spices which includes lots of chili, cumin powder and other so-called â€Å"masalas† in their food (Gawle, 2003). There is an obligation and responsibility that the Indians exhibit in their mentality which makes them extremely family-oriented. As Jean Bacon in his book, â€Å"Life-lines: Community, Family and Assimilation among Asian Indian Immigrants† states regarding this stance, â€Å"The notion of obligation perhaps encourages members of the second generation to follow the wishes of their parents regarding issues such as educational choices or choices of marriage partners more often than would be the case if this sense of obligation were not present. It was very surprising to me that none of the children in these families ever defied his or her parents’ desires. No one ever decided to move away and become financially independent in order to pursue his or her own, as opposed to his or her parents’, desires. No one took out educational loans to secure the education of his or her choice† (Bacon, 1996). The system of joint-families and extravagant weddings with lots of food and numerous ceremonies is synonymous with them. Their music sense with the sitar and the classics by well-known singers was their favorite. Religion and spiritual obligations were also taken seriously. As Charles A. Moore in his book, â€Å"The Indian Mind: Essentials of Indian philosophy and culture† states regarding Indian culture, â€Å"It is common ground in Indian thought that the adoption of secular means and methods do not lead to freedom or salvation. It may be held that, if we could conquer Nature and fully exploit her resources, we might satisfy all our wants, and as soon as they arise. The modern man in the atomic age with his immense faith in technology is prone to think that the solution lies this way. But wants may still outstrip our ability to satisfy them; a leap-frog race may result. The root problem is left untouched. Technology cannot provide the wisdom and the good will necessary to make a wholesome use of our power. Control over Nature without control over oneself (self-restraint) can lead only to rivalry, domination, conflict, and suicidal warfare. The human problem is basically spiritual; it lies in self-control and self-education† (Moore & Morris, 1967). The following quote from the book on the Indian culture shows the immense spirituality in the Indian community and how they try to resolve their problems through the means of self-control. Their religion and their belief in spirituality play a vital role in bringing out these characteristics. My mother who is a Hispanic lady submitted to the Indian culture as they shared a few common ideologies. On the whole, the Indian trait in my family background is dominant. An interesting study was done by Shamita Das Dasgupta on the gender roles and cultural continuity in the Asian Indian Immigrant community in the United States of America where she evaluates the attitude of women and dating in the Indian culture. Her revelation is as follows, â€Å"Where attitude toward women was concerned, there seemed to be great intergenerational similarities between parents and children. The belief in gender equality of both mothers and fathers was positively correlated with that of their children regardless of age. However, mothers’ egalitarianism seemed to be mitigated by their children’s age. That is, the older their children, the more conservative mothers became regarding women’s roles. Since mothers’ own age was not linked to this relationship, it can only be speculated that as adolescents grew older, their mothers started to experience the pressures of socializing them in traditional gender roles. In the process, they themselves turned toward conservatism† (Dasgupta, 1998). Another interesting trait that can be drawn in the Indian culture is regarding the relationship between a boy and a girl. The Indian culture places an immense importance on the physical chastity. In other words, there is nothing like sex-outside-marriage for them. As Shamita Das Dasgupta in her journal article states, â€Å"Undoubtedly, a reason for instilling inhibitions about dating in girls more than boys is due to Asian Indian parents’ obsessions with maintaining sexual chastity. Dr. Prasad, a professor of engineering conducting a youth forum in New Jersey, stated, â€Å"From an Indian Culture point of view, dating involving physical relationships before marriage is not permissible. † Segal (1991) notes this fear in Asian Indian parents and believes most Indian immigrants who are not quite familiar with the practice tend to conflate dating with sexual activity† (Dasgupta, 1998). The idea of physical chastity plays an important role in the Indian community and any kind of illicit relationship outside the framework of marriage is taboo for them. It means absolute disgrace on the family if any such kind of an act is indulged by either the boy or the girl. In Hinduism particularly, such girls are exiled from the communities and their family members are disgraced and humiliated to a great extent. My parents value their own cultures and traditions. Though I come from a bi-racial background, my family has most of the Indian traditions in it as my mother had very willingly given herself to the Indian heritage. The freedom stories as well as the Indian history are still known to my father. My father stated in a brief conversation, â€Å"Indian culture imbibes its traditional roots from the Vedas. We have a deep attachment to it and we cannot forget what our country has done for us to bring us so far. Our Indian tradition and culture is our identity to who we are. Indian culture promotes an inner sense of brotherhood and unconditional love- something that I witness lacking in the West but we have a small world of our own here. I still value the Indian norms and I am proud of it as well. I cannot forget the freedom fighters that fought for our beloved country. I believe that is how we are here. I cannot forget the sacrifices given by our country’s soldiers to protect India from foreign invasion. The emotions are far too many to be forgotten†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (John K. Ram Prasad, personal communication, May 15, 2007). John Y. Fenton, in his book entitled, â€Å"Transplanting Religious Traditions: Asian Indians in America† lists some of the important characteristics that are found in the Indians and are most desired to preserve. He lists family as the most important trait and dominant in the Indian culture. Secondly, he states Indian character (pious and chastity) and thirdly, he states religion as the inherent trait amongst Indians. Fourthly, he finds cultural arts and language as important traits in the Indian culture. (Fenton, 1988). There are some hints on the Hispanic culture in my family background as well. Though they are not very dominant, they are worth looking into as the character traits are identifiable in their own way in my family. I believe the reason why it was easy for my Hispanic mother to accept the Indian traditions as her own was because they shared many similarities, one of them being their conservative or traditional lifestyle. Furthermore, the Hispanic culture also places immense emphasis on the family, religion and community (Sutherland, 1997). My father also exhibits similar characteristics as discussed above but he has evolved in some sense. As stated in several literatures above regarding religion, my father keeps his religion in his own personal space and allows his children to make their own decisions (which are very unlikely to happen in a typical Indian culture). Adapting to the American environment came easy on him and adapting to the Indian culture came easy on my mother. I have witnessed many occasions when my father gave his first priority to family and then on building a perfect human character in his children. His children and wife were always his first priority over everything and he made sure they received the best of education and lifestyle. Furthermore, his moral stories enlightened us to be good humans and be of good human character. His teachings also revolved on the aspect to respect our grandparents as well as our great-great-ancestors that he so proudly talks about. Though an American now, his Indian values are still present and he vows to pass it on in every way he can through us and though his grand children, as he says. He still celebrates all the festivals and all the Indian rituals. I have personally witnessed these traits in my family that show that my parents are indeed very knowledgeable about their culture. As we saw above, the traits of the Indians are very dominant in my family and most of them have been discussed and stated as being visible in my family. Yes- the traits have also been found visible in my close Indian relatives as well as grandparents who value their Indian culture and still prefer to eat chapattis, curry, sweets and love Indian music and ghazals (Ghazals are slow Indian songs with Urdu lyrics, sort of a beautiful poetry on subjects like love, life and sadness). Old Indian movies and soap operas still occupy a prominent status in my grandparents’ menu through which they cherish their Indian culture and the traits are obviously noticeable. As my grandmother stated a few days ago, â€Å"We cannot forget where we are from†¦ we cannot forget our land, no matter how long we have lived here. We cherish our cultures through centuries and no matter where we are, we will continue to cherish it till our death and pass it on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jodha Ram Prasad, Personal Communication, May 20, 2007). Racism has been an old tale in the history of United States of America and still continues in different manners with different thinking patterns today. They label people like my parents and grandparents as â€Å"typical stereotypical characters† though they have lived all their life to this country. Personally, I have never had any racist experiences but my relatives who have been here for over three decades did. They had problems getting enrolled into American institutions and they would often be looked down as from the â€Å"third-world countries,† though they hold the American citizenship. My uncle states his story that depicted racism exhibited in his own words, â€Å"I was 18 when I had finished my high school and lived all my life in the United States. Even then, we had our house in such a locality where only immigrants lived. It was difficult for us to buy or rent houses in those locations where whites would live. Once I tried getting a house in a typical white locality and found that they gave me rates that were twice expensive than what they charged the white people. This would eventually force us to buy homes in immigrant localities, hence depicting discrimination. We were discriminated based on where we came from. We would be paid lower than the whites in our era when the fight against racism was still in its beginning stages. It was difficult to get the law in our support either. We were eventually marked as weak and powerless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hardy Lewis Choudhry, Personal communication, May 21, 2007). There are many such stories that we would get to hear. These were not new then and are not new even now (though we have several legislations and agencies protecting us from racism). Our grandparents, parents and relatives have a lot more to say than anyone else as racism was extremely common when they immigrated to United States than it is now. Today, we have our rights protecting us from discrimination and racial profiling (that previously didn’t exist). Even today, as I see, Indians are marked stereotypically as foolish and old-fashioned thinking people. There are quite many things that I have learned about my family’s culture through this research and this includes the Indian philosophy and culture, including the racism stories and several other experiences from my primary care-givers. The American culture that I have blended in and the Indian culture that still persists in my family are poles apart in their philosophies and so are their lifestyles. I have witnessed that the conservative Indian thinking is actually a trait that is passed on and I have seen that the Indian culture values a person by his character. Earlier, my focus was never laid on my family’s culture as we lived the way as every American family would live but it was interesting to note the rich characteristics of Indian culture in my family, including my parents, grandparents as well as relatives who gave a tremendous insight into several notions of the Indian philosophy and Indian traditional values. I believe and I respect the traditional cultural values of my family (earlier to which I was not exposed to) and I have learned how spirituality plays a vital role in the making of a person’s character and mind. On the whole, the experience has been quite enriching as India is truly a country with diverse cultures and an interesting history. I am still reminded about Mahatma Gandhi and the times of the Mughals (ancient rulers of India) by my grandparents which show that the traits still exist in them and they want those traits to prevail in me as well which they hope I will pass on to my progeny too†¦ REFERENCES: Moore, Charles A. , Morris, Aldyth V. (1967). The Indian Mind: Essentials of Indian Philosophy and Culture. East-West Center Press. Page no. 323-389. Dasgupta, Shamita Das (1998). Gender Roles and Cultural Continuity in the Asian Indian Immigrant Community in the U. S. A Journal of Research, Vol. 38, 1998. Bacon, Jean (1996). Life-lines: Community, Family and Assimilation among Asian-Indian Immigrants. Oxford University Press. Page 242. Gawle, Rupa (2003). Ask not what your family can do for you†¦ Is obligation an exclusively Indian trait? India Abroad. Published on the 13th of June, 2003. Retrieved online on the 22nd of May, 2007 at http://www. highbeam. com/doc/1P1-78807655. html John K. Ram Prasad, Personal Communication, May 15, 2007. Fenton, John Y. (1988). Transplanting Religious traditions: Asian Indians in America. Praeger Publishers, Page 201. Sutherland, Jean (1997). Understanding Hispanic/Latino culture and History through the use of Children’s literature. Yale-New Haven Teacher’s Institute. Retrieved online on the 22nd of May, 2007 at http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1997/2/97. 02. 06. x. html Jodha Ram Prasad, Personal Communication, May 20, 2007 Hardy Lewis Choudhry, Personal communication, May 21, 2007

Wrestling

Today anyone that watches professional wrestling knows that it is sport mixed with entertainment. Over the years the sport has become popular worldwide but nowhere more than North America, Europe, and Japan. All the way into the 1920s professional wrestling was very much considered a sport that was real. It was after the 1920s that professional wrestling became associated with what we call fakery, which in other words is theatricals or admitting to fake outcomes. For a while it seemed that because of fakery, competition became low key and its popularity took a deep fall.It was hard for promoters to stand up for a sport that was admittedly not real. There was actually a bigger fight in the back rooms of professional wrestling, where the hosts and promoters wouldn't admit the fakery while all the sponsors knew exactly what was going on. (Professional Wrestling) In today's professional wrestling no one denies the fact that wrestling has predetermined matches, but they also do a great jo b of keeping the outcome a secret. In the 1950s the television opened a lot of doors for a lot of opportunities and professional wrestling was no exception .It was at this point that the face of professional wrestling was changed forever. Now it was being run to adapt to television and its growing viewers. Characters and story lines were being built bigger and better. Pro wrestling has been a form of entertainment for a very long time, and has seen its share of ups and downs, but the storylines that have been used in the WWF have become legendary and something similar to the soap opera of the sporting world. Wrestling began in the early days as a hot television product.Over time, they lost their spot on the air, and became highly regional in nature. Each area of the country had their own â€Å"stable† of wrestlers, and their own championships. Professional wrestling carried on for many years just gaining popularity until 1980 when professional wrestling blew up like nobody wo uld have ever thought. In the 1980’s, a time known as the 1980s â€Å"wrestling boom† represented professional wrestling's greatest period of televised entertainment, reaching widespread popularity among American youth, as well as producing some of its most spectacular characters.In comparison to the declining support of media outlets during the 1960s and 1970s, professional wrestling, notably the emerging World Wrestling Federation, received great exposure through its reappearance on network television. The WWF expanded nationally through the acquisition of talent from competing promotions and, because it was the only company to air televised wrestling nationally; it became the same with the industry, monopolizing the industry and the fan base.The WWF's owner Vince McMahon revolutionized the sport by coining the term â€Å"sports entertainment† to describe his on-screen product, downplaying the still claimed athletic competition in favor of entertaining viewers as well as enhancing its appeal to children. Most notable was the muscular Hulk Hogan, who marked the 1980s with his â€Å"all-American† persona. His sheer size, colorful character, and extravagance made his main events into excellent ratings draws. By 1984, Hulk Hogan's legions of fans and his dominant role in the industry were termed â€Å"Hulkamania. With â€Å"Hulkamania running wild Vince McMahon decided to have a super bowl of wrestling called â€Å"WrestleMania† in 1985. By WrestleMania 3 in 1987, over 93,000 fans showed up for the event. (The McMahons: Vince and Family) On April 1, 1990 WrestleMania VI took place and is recognized as the end of the 1980’s â€Å"wrestling boom†. The event saw the last wrestling appearance of the legendary Andre the Giant, who had become barely mobile in the ring due to his real life condition.One last time Nikolai Volkoff played his standard part as the evil Soviet Russian before turning face and embracing Ameri ca, reflecting the end of the Cold War. The main event not only put the WWF's two greatest good guys against each other, but was intended as the passing of the torch from Hulk Hogan, the star of the 1980s, to The Ultimate Warrior who was extremely popular and considered Hogan's successor. Hogan's clean pin fall loss to the Ultimate Warrior signaled the end of an era.However, the Warrior did not live up to expectations and Hogan lingered on in the WWF for the next three years, winning the title three times more. The fans who were kids in the mid and late 1980's were teens by the 1990's, and many eventually grew bored with the comic book style of wrestling of the 1980's, turning their attention away from their childhood favorites such as Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, and â€Å"Superfly† Jimmy Snuka in favor of newer and grittier wrestlers like The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Triple H.This started a new attitude era movi ng forward into the 90’s and Vince McMahon took center stage. As the ratings kept soaring McMahon kept getting edgier. The 90s proved to be even bigger with professional wrestling setting all kinds of records when it came to viewership, and finances earned. It seemed that the WWF were the big boys on the block. Protesters claimed that the WWF’s shows were filled with violence, obscenity, and simulated sex. McMahon claims that movies have more sex and violence, and that his shows simply reflect the world at large. The McMahons: Vince and Family) McMahon said that it was his job to entertain, and it was the parent’s job to be responsible for what their children watch.The television ratings also opened many doors in many other ways for numerous professional wrestlers. Such stars as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin moved on from being the top guy in the business to building great movie careers. By 1998 some of the topnotch guys like Stone Cold Steve Austin and B ill Goldberg from the WWF’s predecessor WCW were making over five million dollars a year. Pro Wrestling) Twenty years prior to 1998 professional wrestling wasn’t even worth five million dollars. Next, through wise business deals made by WWE owner Vince McMahon, pro wrestling became primarily run by the WWE. The World Wrestling Federation was easily the richest company, and began to completely dominate television. Their primary competition would be from the WCW, which evolved from Georgia, North Carolina, and the old NWA of the region. Billionaire Ted Turner purchased the WCW, and the Monday night wars began. The WWE had the ever popular Monday Night Raw, and WCW countered with Monday Nitro.Turner began using his cable muscle and money to lure some of the biggest stars in WWF history such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, and many others. It looked as though the WCW would overtake the WWF as the powerhouse in pro wrestling. Eventually, however, WCW was completely destroyed by poor booking, finances, and leadership. The upstart competitor was buried by the WWE, and they once again stood head and shoulders above the wrestling world. As the professional landscape of wrestling stands today, their are two major players.TNA wrestling has taken on the mantle of battling the giant WWE, though they are having less success than their WCW contemporaries. TNA may yet figure it out, but for now the WWE is the only major wrestling organization at the top. Although professional wrestling is a lot different today then it was forty years ago, greats like Gorgeous George and Lou Thesz during the mid 1900’s paved the way for today’s wrestlers to be on television. George and Lou wrestled, and they were glorified as being modern day gladiators who went to war with their enemy.They were seen as a superhero or a role model to kids. Today’s wrestlers although still considered super heroes to kids, now play a different role in being a role model for children. Now being a professional wrestler is like being a rock star. You travel all around the world, you’re seen on television on a weekly basis, and now you even get paid like a rock star. WWE programming is now beamed to 120 countries and translated into 11 languages. (Professional Wrestling) Wrestling today is so different from the traditional roots of professional wrestling, but maybe in a good way.The wrestling world has evolved in a way were the WWE’s show Monday Night Raw is now the longest running show in television history. Vince McMahon, whether you love him or hate him, he must be doing something right to be known as the man who took professional wrestling into the twenty first century.Work Cited Gerdes, Louise I. Professional Wrestling. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2002. Print. Greenberg, Keith Elliot. Pro Wrestling: from Carnivals to Cable TV. Minneapolis, MN: LernerSports, 2000. Print. Kaelberer, Angie Peterson. The McMahons: Vince McMahon and Famil y. Mankato, MN: Capstone High-Interest, 2004. Print.

“Eve’s Diary” by Mark Twain Essay

â€Å"Eve’s Diary† is a satirical account of the days in the Garden of Eden. Twain recounts the well-known tale of Genesis through a series of journal entries written by Adam and Eve; these personal accounts make for an entertaining and thought-provoking read. Twain’s personifications of gender stereotypes are easily identified but lead the reader into a further exploration of Twain’s deeper purpose. Twain’s writing style explicates the paradoxical relationship between men and women. Furthermore, Adam and Eve’s conflicting perspectives within the journal entries provide an illustration of their magnetic reliance on one another, despite their polar differences. The story begins with Eve on the day after her creation; Twain creates a tone of despair as Eve ponders her situation and existence. â€Å"That is what I AM-an experiment; just an experiment, and nothing more† (Twain 10). As Eve deducts that there must be a counterpart to her existence, her disposition abruptly changes from anguish to optimism. Through this character development, Twain portrays companionship as Eve’s salvation and furthermore, mocks the modern idea of the contingency of a woman’s survival on that of a man’s. Eve’s perception changes as abruptly as her disposition. Once her mind is at ease, she becomes conscious and appreciative of her surroundings. â€Å"This majestic new world is indeed a most noble and beautiful work. And certainly marvelously near to being perfect, notwithstanding the shortness of the time† (Twain 14). Twain uses Eve’s passionate and enthusiastic mentality as a personification of the model of femini nity according to nineteenth century stereotypes. The diction and timing of Adam’s introduction exaggerates Eve’s naivety and sets a precedent for Twain’s exploration of their paradoxical relationship.  Eve’s entry reads, â€Å"All the week I tagged around after him and tried to get acquainted. I had to do the talking, because he was shy, but I didn’t mind it. He seemed pleased to have me around, and I used the sociable ‘we’ a good deal, because it seemed to flatter him to be included† (Twain 35). Though it is told from Eve’s perspective, Twain wants the reader to negate Eve’s idealization when reading of her interactions with Adam. When one does so, Adam’s annoyance with Eve is apparent. In addition, Twain makes a considerable effort to portray Adam as haughty, cynical, and drastically unattached in comparison to Eve; Twain uses Adam as a personification of stereotypical conception of masculinity. â€Å"During the last day or two I have taken all the work of naming things off his hands, and this has been a great relief to him, for he has no gift in that line, and is evidently very grateful† (Twain 178). If interpreted in the manner Twain intended, it is clear that Adam has no concern with naming the creatures and is equally indifferent towards Eve. Twain develops these satirical personifications even further to serve two slightly less superficial purposes. Twain uses these conceptions to delve into the profound relationship between men and women but also to denounce them through his diction. Twain’s defiance begins with his decision to give Eve, a woman, the predominant voice in the narrative. He shows further disregard for popular opinion when he tells of the creation of fire. â€Å"I had created something that didn’t exist before; I had added a new thing to the world’s uncountable properties; I realized this, and was proud of my achievement, and was going to run and find him and tell him about it, thinking to raise myself in his esteem-but I reflected, and did not do it. No-he would not care for it† (Twain 67). Twain’s decision to credit such a pivotal aspect of human survival to a woman exhibits either an immense reverence for women or a severe distain for unoriginal thought. Regardless, Twain’s upheaval of the hierarchy of traditional Western gender roles transcends time and leaves the reader to contemplate the validity of gender roles. Ursula LeGuin, a published and renowned author of short stories herself, discusses the prevalence of personification of stereotypical gender roles  within _Adam and Eve’s Diary_. LeGuin argues that Twain’s personifications of gender stereotypes are the most important aspect of any literally analysis of works by Mark Twain (LeGuin 32). Deviating slightly from the focus of LeGuin’s analysis, the most important purpose of â€Å"Eve’s Diary† to be the paradoxical relationship between men and women. As the journal progresses, so does the connection between Adam and Eve. Although their differences remain vast, Adam and Eve demonstrate a dynamic reliance on one another. They compliment one another in a sense of discord; their stereotypical personas seem to become less obtrusive as they grow together. Through Eve, Adam is humbled and learns to be appreciative and observant of his surroundings. Adam has a similar effect on Eve; her interest in aesthetics diminishes and while she remains optimistic, she is not so dangerously naà ¯ve. The story digresses to forty years later, with Adam at Eve’s grave. Adam’s eulogy for his lifeless wife is ingeniously engineered to resonate with nearly every reader. He says, â€Å"Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden† (Twain 129). Adam, and therefore the male gender collectively, possessed a magnetic dependence on Eve that was as involuntary as the polar differences between the two. Twain accomplished a feat that the laws of nature could not; through â€Å"Adam and Eve’s Diary,† Twain provides an unprecedented look into why men and women attract in circumstances that should naturally repel them from one another. Works Cited LeGuin, Ursula K. Introduction. The Diaries of Adam and Eve. By Mark Twain. New York: Oxford UP, 1996. XXXI-XLI. Twain, Mark. _Adam and Eve’s Diary_ â€Å"Eve’s Diary, Complete.† Project Gutenburg. 14 June 2004. PDF iBook.