The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S Research Paper

The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S - Research Paper Example For commercial coverage, a pregnant woman to deliver by vaginal birth will incur average payments of $12,500 while for cesarean childbirth the patient has to pay $16,983. In Medicaid, payments are down: vaginal births cost $6,117 and $7,983 for cesarean births. For both Commercial and Medicaid, payments are 25% lower. Commercial insurers have a record of 100% payment than Medicaid. (Truven Health Analytics, 2013, p. 17) Payments for both vaginal and cesarean methods go to professional services, surgical fees, therapeutic fees, and so on. Payments for maternal care are higher than childbirth. These payments go to facility fees, professional fees, laboratory charges, and payments for drugs, among others. (Truven Health Analytics, 2013, p. 18) Will Affordable Care Act (ACA) solve this problem of rising cost of childbirth? The ObamaCare wants to expand the responsibilities and benefits of Medicaid by discarding the preconditions and cover more benefits for pregnant women. If the Obama ad ministration is able to fully implement the ObamaCare, then this might solve the problem. The Medicaid program can solve the problem by expanding the benefits and by strengthening its imbursement rate. One of the complaints against the Medicaid was its imbursement rate which was too low (Chua, 2006, p. 2). Enrollees had to search for private insurance to have more benefits. But if this discrepancy is corrected, then American women might change their minds. Through the Affordable Care Act, the administration has put more investments for health insurance in the amount of $10 billion annually for the next five years. The first goal is to digitize the health information system. The next step is to scratch away the... The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S. The problem with cesarean births and the needed medicine has first to be addressed because of its high cost. The ObamaCare has also increased the coverage of Medicaid. This is one of the most significant phases of the law since Medicaid has a reputation of low imbursement rate. Added to this is the fact that it covers the poor and most vulnerable sector of society. Putting more emphasis on financing, the government can improve the performance of Medicaid and Medicare in order to improve quality of healthcare. High cost of medicine, hospitalization, and all the other allied expenses can be addressed adequately and fairly. The ObamaCare must provide immediate help to the four million childbirths every year. The cost for this human phenomenon can be lowered to ensure that our young mothers and new-born babies receive the best quality-healthcare possible. Young pregnant women don’t know where to go. The government should address this by redirecting local governments to help solve the problem. Present costs of vaginal and cesarean childbirths, from $32,093 and $51,125 respectively, have got to be reduced through government financing. The situation – that young pregnant women have nowhere to go and are struggling of the high cost of laboratory tests – can be reversed. The world must again feel that the American healthcare system is the best. That can only happen if Americans feel safe about their health.

Internet for Business Assignment Personal Statement

Internet for Business Assignment - Personal Statement Example And this event has been my chance. Having had Thortons' chocolates every day of my life here in UK, I am excelled at the chocolate tasting quiz and almost guessed all the chocolates presented to us. We spend the whole Saturday morning touring the locality and taking pictures of the lush gardens and other sceneries. During the afternoon, we attended a series of interactive workshops which includes sampling the dessert gallery collection which features some of my favorites from Thorntons. The highlight of the day was the opportunity given to the guests to create their own chocolate sculptures. I personally enjoyed this part of the weekend as I was able to experiment. However, the sculpture didn't turn out the way I want it to be. The presenters also educated us about the origins of the chocolate, how cocoa beans are transformed into chocolate bars as well as the process of making some Thorntons masterpieces. Our Saturday ended with a three course private dinner as we are serenaded by classical music which dates back from the time of Mozart and Beethoven. The last day of our Chocolate Lovers Weekend commenced with a sumptuous breakfast. I am surprised as one of the hotel staff brought free chocolates into our room together with fruits to be dipped in the chocolate fountain. I have always believed in you... Subject: Thornton's Chocolate Lovers Weekend at Hilton Tewkesbury Dear Sir Mike, I have always believed in your commitment in maintaining the leadership of Thorntons in the confectionery industry. The launch of Thorntons Chocolate Weekend at Hilton Tewkesbury which you envision to add more customer value proves to be correct having experienced the fun myself last week. The activities designed for this event highlights truly highlights the company's quest in making Thorntons a part of the consumers' daily life. Acquainting our customers on how they can make their own chocolate sculptures and fountains at home gives them the chance to delight their guests and loved ones using our products. Also, the incorporation of leisure, good music, and sumptuous meals further stress and link Thorntons chocolates with relaxation and indulgence. With all these good points however, I believe that the event can still be improved by designing different activities according to each guest's preferences. Having a different set of activities per weekend will not only customize experience but will enable the company to know more about the inclination of its customers. Having a weekend for teens will also be possible noting the fact that teens' spending on confectionery is increasing rapidly. I believe that with the number of people joining the event, the Chocolate Lovers Weekend will have an impact on internet business trends especially because the primary publicity used is online advertisement. Thorntons should continue informing customers about these events through websites that they visit. Sincerely, Your Name

Validity and Reliability of Selection Interviews

Validity and Reliability of Selection Interviews When Organisations are recruiting to find a suitable individual for a position they currently hold, it can be difficult to monitor and ensure that all possible steps are being taken to ensuring that each interview carries the same validity and reliability. This is to ensure that each individual who is being interviewed is given the same equal opportunity, alongside the organisation employing an individual who suits the job specification best. Validity and reliability of structured interviews can have a large impact on type of person that is employed and also affect the actual security that the person employed is the best suited from all the applicants. Selection interviews traditionally consist of a candidate interacting with one or more people from the organisation who have assessed the candidate as meeting the criteria which the role requires. The interviews generally last between 15 and 60 minutes and help the organisation decide whether or not an individual should be offered a job. In general, interviews follow one of three structures (Unstructured; Semi-Structured and Structured). The three vary by the amount of prior preparation for the interview in regards to questions to be asked and how the answers should be assed. Often the more specific answers required from an interview will be shown by the more structured approach an interviewer will take in preparation of the questions. Reliability of the interview is argued to often be low, in that interviewers do not follow the same methods of questioning or method of evaluating each individual interview. Additionally, it has been noted that interviewers support the end decisions on different criteras, different standards, and alter in the amount the final decision is based upon the original intended criteria (e.g., Graves, L.M. and Karren, R.J., 1996. The employmentselection interview: A fresh look at an old problem. Human Resource Management 35, pp. 163-180. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (14)Timothy A. Judge, 2000: 384]). It has also been found that job performance is a lot more reliable and foretelling from structured interviews opposed to unstructured interviews. Research reviews of employment interviewing have concluded that carrying out an interview following a set structure can add to the reliability and validity of interviewer evaluations (e.g., Therese Macan, 1999: 2 09). Natural instinct to cast a first impression on a person is a major factor in trying to ensure an interviewer casts an unbiased decision which follows the original selection criteria. During interviewing it is vital that each applicant is each given a fair and open opportunity and the end decision on whether or not they are offered the place within the organisation is based entirely on how they performed against the role criteria. Ensuring that Gender, Race, Disability and appearance do not hold any restrictions on each individual interview. A study was carried out which looked into how interviewers can cast a bias opinion based on appearance, finding that applicants which were moderately obese (in particular female applicants) were less likely to be considered for employment despite meeting the required criteria of a role including required qualifications (Timothy A. Judge, 2000: 384). Further from this negative information often appears to become more memorable for an interviewer than positive information. Research has outlined that it often requires upto twice as much positive information to change any negative information the interviewer may have initially cast of an individual. . As a result, the unstructured interview has been labelled a â€Å"search for negative evidence (Timothy A. Judge, 2000: 384). This simply highlights the importance of an interview to have the ability to focus on information passed during an interview to ensure that each applicant is assessed following the same criteria to avoid natural instinct having a major impact on each applicants interview. With interviews being generally an unnatural environment applicants generally spend time preparing for the interview, looking into the company history, preparing answers for generic answers that are usually asked for job roles of that criteria. This would inevitably lead to the answers given being unrealistic responses of how an applicant may act in a role within an organisation. This simply highlights the importance of interview containing questions which are going to show a realistic response to show an applicants approach and ethos towards their working life. During the interview this can be achieved by adding unstructured questions which will allow the interviewer to add and expand on answers given to try and get a more realistic and honest response which will further add to the value of the responses given from a candidate. This can also work well within a structured interview situation, as having an opening for several unprepared questions, can give a candidate further chance t o show their true capabilities. Taking into account unavoidable effects (e.g. Anxiety, signs of being Nervous and body language) of environments like Interviews, consideration needs to be taken by the interviewer to account for these. Often anxiety levels can be raised for an applicant during interviews which can an effect on the responses and conduct during the interview which may result in the applicant not showing their full capabilities. A selection of Undergraduates took part in a mock interview model with peers, which shows sustained levels of raised anxiety before and during the interview, followed by a significant decrease directly after. (Therese Macan, 1999: 209). During an interview it has to be taken into consideration that responses given can sometime be not a true reflection of a candidates natural response in any other situation, so allowing time and a chance to develop an answer is crucial to maintaining a high level of validity from the responses given. All of the elements within this essay which highlight possible affects on an interview fall part of what can be seen as a ‘halo effect. With judgements and stereotyping being cast too easily without looking at each interviewee directly on how well they are suited to the role criteria of which their hiring for. Training for any interviewer is crucial, as they need to learn the ways in which they might cast these judgements subconsciously; avoiding these spontaneous biases is one of the most crucial parts of carrying out interviews to ensure that the most suited candidate is chosen. By following more structured interviews situations like the halo effect can be more easily avoided. By offering each candidate the same set of questions and time for their interview then they each will have as open an opportunity as possible to give their best response. In more recent years, human response management specialists have become more involved within the interviewing process as they have to ensure all interviews are following the orangisations equal opportunities policy. Following these latest changes it has opened more opportunities for minority groups which previous may have been of more of a disadvantage to have a fair and equal opportunity when applying for any role, and how they are assess during the selection interview stage. Overall trying to maintain a high level of validity and reliability within an unnatural environment can be difficult and hard to maintain. It is crucial within any interview environment to try and place measures which can both account for these abnormalities and a way to take them into account. If they are not fully considered then an organisation may end up employing an individual for a role which they are not the best suited from all the candidates. One of the most important factors to avoid is an interviewers personal opinion on a candidate as shown from the research in this essay; they often can cast subliminal opinions on candidates because of personal opinion, anxiety and from misinterpreting responses during an interview. The employment of any individual for an organisiation is timely and costly exercise, ensuring all steps are taken to make the right decision on choosing a candidate is important. Make the wrong choice due to errors during the selection interview stage and a n egative impact may be felt by the organisiation afterwards.

History Of Racquetball :: essays research papers

HISTORY OF RACQUETBALL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1940’s a man named Joseph G. Sobek got tired of how hard handball was on his hands. He was dissatisfied with the indoor sports. He worked at a rubber factory in Bridgeport, CT when he decided to start a new sport. He lived in Greenwich, CT and was professional tennis player and a pro squash and handball player.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that in 1949, Sobek and a partner began playing with a paddle and combined the rules of handball and squash to play what they called â€Å"paddle racquets.† He then decided to change from a paddle to a racquet itself using a tennis racquet as a model. He made 25 to sell to his friends to start the sport. There was one problem though; there were faults in the ball. Sobek then found a Spalding ball made for children that work well. He bought a lot of them and sold him to his friends in 1950 to keep his sport from dwindling out. Sobek eventually started his own company to make his own ball to his exact specifications for the game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952 Sobek started the Paddle Racquet Association. He then put together a set of rules and printed them out and started putting together a promotional package for his Paddle Racquet to different YMCA’s to promote the sport. He also set up clinics so that new players could learn how to play the sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1968, Sobek started talking to the head of the US Handball Association, Robert Kendler. In 1968 the National Paddle Racquet Association held the very first racquetball tournament called the Gut-Strung Paddle Rackets National Championship. It was held in Milwaukee. The next year Kendler started the International Racquetball Association, and racquetball got its official name.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To help get the name of the sport out and bring more players in Sobek kept doing his clinics to teach the new players. Kendler used the Handball magazine, ACE, to advertise the sport and tell people about the game in articles and advertisements. Then the International Racquetball had their first tournament in St. Louis in 1969. Then after the tournaments the sport saw a lot of new players in the 1970’s. The games equipment sale went through the roof and more and more companies began making the equipment. By 1974, there were over 3 million racquetball players in the U.S.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1973, Kendler separated himself from the IRA, do to disputes in the board, he went on to start the National Racquetball Club and the US Racquetball Association, which both of them went bankrupt in the early 1980’s though.

Biology level

This causes a decrease in lung pressure, (intrapulmonary pressure) which establishes the pressure gradient from the atmosphere (1 59 meg) to the alveoli (105 meg) which then results INSPIRATION. As oxygen is inhaled it enters the external mares (nostrils), from the external mares it moves into the nasal cavity which functions in moistening, filtering and warming of the air. After the nasal cavity the air moves into the internal mares which is located behind the soft pallet of the roof of the mouth.Once the air moves through the internal mares it moves down into the pharynx which is the passageway for food and IR, it then moves down into the larynx which is the first part of the trachea. The larynx contains the epiglottis which is a cartilage flap that restricts food from going into the air pipe, and vice versa. As air moves down from the pharynx into the larynx the epiglottis closes the esophagi and opens the passageway for the air, to go through the glottis into the trachea. The tra chea is lined with a mucous membrane which catches any debris that is left in the air.The trachea then forms 2 primary bronchi, one for the left lung and one for the right lung. The primary bronchi attach he trachea to the lung. The primary bronchi then branch out into secondary bronchi which form the lobes of the lung. The left lung contains 2 secondary bronchi resulting in 2 lobes and the right lung contains 3 secondary bronchi which result in 3 lobes. The secondary bronchi then branch into tertiary bronchi, these then branch into smaller tubules called bronchioles.The first part of the bronchioles is known as the terminal bronchioles, which then sub-divide into respiratory bronchioles. The respiratory bronchioles then sub-divide into alveolar ducts; around the recurrence of the alveolar ducts are numerous alveoli and alveolar sacs. Alveolar sacs consist of two types of alveoli which share a common opening. The two types of alveoli are type 1 and type 2 cells. Type 1 cells have a continuous lining of the alveolar wall, and type 2 cells are called septa cells and are found between type 1 cells, they are also fewer in number.Type 1 alveolar cells are the main alveolar cells for gas exchange. Once 02 has reached the alveolus it can then diffuse into the capillaries. The process of diffusion is when pressures move from a higher pressure to a rower pressure through a pressure gradient. Oxygen is able to move from the atmosphere to the alveoli because it has a APP of McHugh and the Alveoli has a APP of McHugh. Once the oxygen moves from the atmosphere through the air passage into the alveoli it can then diffuse into the capillaries where APP is McHugh. 2 is able to move from the alveoli into the capillaries due to the process of diffusion (high pressure to low pressure through a pressure gradient). Once the 02 enters the capillaries it is then picked up by erythrocytes (RUB ‘s) where it attached to the hammed portion of the hemoglobin. APP in the blood is Mc Hugh. Once the 02 is in the Orb's it can then diffuse into the tissues where the APP is 40 meg. As oxygen is being inspired, CO is being expired in the opposite direction. CO starts off in the tissues at a APPC of 45 meg, it then diffuses into the capillaries where its APPC is might.Once the CO is in the capillaries it can then attach to RUB where the degenerated blood now has a APPC of might. Once in the red blood cells the CO can then diffuse into the alveoli where APPC is might. Once the CO enters the alveoli, the respiratory muscles then relax. Which then leads to the decrease in the size of the thorax, increase in thoracic pressure, decrease in lung size, and increase in lung pressure, which established the pressure gradient from the alveoli to the atmosphere, which the results in EXPIRATION.Once oxygen enters the capillaries from the alveoli it attaches to the hammed portion of the hemoglobin. A hemoglobin molecule consists of a protein called globing. Globing is made up of 4 polypeptide chain, each polypeptide chain contains a hammed portion, and at the center of each hammed portion is an iron molecule that oxygen can attach to. Therefore each hemoglobin molecule consists of 4 oxygen molecules. The oxygenated blood will then travel from the lungs, through the pulmonary veins, back into the left atrium of the heart.The AS node will then send an impulse to the VA node. The AS node functions as a ‘pacemaker' of the heart which sets its rhythm. The AS node makes sure that the ventricle and the atria do not contract at the same time. Once the impulse is sent to the VA node, it is then passed on to the VA bundles, also known as the Bundle of His. The VA bundles then branch in to 2 different ranches, the right and left, which then move down the septum into the pureeing fibers.Forcing the blood through the bicuspid valve, into the left ventricle, which then open the aortic seminar valve, forcing the blood through the aorta, into the abdominal aorta, then into the common iliac artery, through the external iliac artery, to the femoral artery, which will then lead the blood to the deep artery of the thigh. The blood will then flow into the quadriceps of the muscle where there is an open wound, and this is where the blood will begin to clot. Blood Clotting or Coagulation is a complex sequence of events (chemical reactions) that causes blood to go from liquid to gel.Consistency of blood is due to the formation of a network of fibers consisting of fibrin protein and it involves more than a dozen chemicals called clotting factors. Clotting factions include Ca ions phosphoric associated with lipids and a mixture of lepidopterist and phosphoric released from damaged tissues. The blood clotting process involves three major stages. 1) formation of praiseworthiness, 2) formation of thrombi, 3) and the formation of fibrin. For this specific case there is an open wound in the quadriceps, which triggers the body to use the extrinsic clotting mecha nism.The extrinsic clotting mechanism is used when there is tissue damage, bleeding and when the body is in need of rapid clot formation, this occurs within a few seconds. The damaged tissue then releases a ‘ 'tissue factor' ‘ known as thermoplastic into the blood. The thermoplastic then activated a protein in the plasma called factor x, with the aid of calcium this then forms the enzyme known as praiseworthiness. Praiseworthiness is an enzyme that converts promoting to thrombi.Promoting is an inactive enzyme in the plasma, with the help of praiseworthiness it can be converted to thrombi which is an activated enzyme. For thrombi to be active ca+ must be presence. Thrombi is an activated enzyme which converts forefinger to fibrin. Forefinger are soluble clotting proteins in plasma, this is then converted to fibrin with the help of thrombi. Fibrin are insoluble thread like proteins, which form across the wound, which form a net like structure that traps platelets and RUB à ¢â‚¬Ëœs which creates a plug across the wound, which results in a stoppage of bleeding. Question 2:

Living As If God Does Not Exist Essay

Since ancient times, alongside society’s development is the widespread proliferation of the religious consciousness of mankind. Although primitive small-scale societies had always been depicted as animists and polytheists, the concept of the High God is a common theme that has already been discovered. Studies of ancient societies have revealed in the belief of a Supreme Being, although this was also coupled with worship of lesser spiritual entities since the Supreme God seems distant and uninvolved in daily concerns of men. Compared with modern men, people of the ancient past were mainly agricultural communities. They are basically more aware of their natural surroundings and the different forces which affect his sustenance and survival. Many of these forces are beyond his control and understanding. Early man was therefore more inclined to acknowledge the existence of a Great Being who is responsible for the existence of the world and the one who is in complete control over all. Worship, whether to God or lesser spirits, has often been closely associated with receiving favour and positive results, or to ward off negative conditions like sickness. But current mode of attitudes and perspectives that pervade modern men has increasingly being held under the spell of beliefs that exclude God and the invisible world from the realm of reality and day to day living. Such an approach to life however, is not entirely exclusive in modern times. This was already present in the distant past where there were critics of religious beliefs — for instance among some of the ancient Greek philosophers and the Roman Lucretius; in India, where most see it as a rich place of religious practices, materialism has already flourished at the time of the Buddha and for many centuries afterward which basically rejected all belief in a transcendent world; and in China, rationalist Confucianism often involved a rejection of religious doctrine. But these protests against the existence of and reliance of a Supreme Being or of spirituality in general, are only sporadic and never gained majority allegiance during its time. But this is now greatly pronounced in the modern period than ever before, since the powerful restatements of atheism and agnosticism have found a wide success in acceptance and following. The rise of the scientific discoveries and inventions, as well as the increase of intellectuals has made it more ideal to reject the existence of God and other religious values. Man sees himself as the ultimate controller of his destiny, as he experiences more control of the things that affect him. As greater understanding of the world around him is achieved, man sees a greater lack of importance in relying on an unseen and somewhat ‘distant’ God. Modern man is also pressed with many concerns. The large masses of manual workers that were born of out of industrialization in the big cities of northern Europe have caused them to become largely alienated from the faith of their fathers. It is both the social and intellectual forces which have thus combined to promote a widespread practical atheism. There are mainly anti-religious ideologies of modern man which has come to influence modern day thinking. First, was the growth of liberal humanism that principally influenced the western world. This philosophy is rooted in the scepticism of the eighteenth century; it received a greater momentum from the religious controversies of the nineteenth century. Second, was the spread of German type of atheism which were popularized by the writings of Feuerbach, Marx, and Nietzsche. Nietzsche even pronounced the death of God in one of his writings. He announced the death of God, as man is ‘awakened’ to the ‘reality’ that God is only a creation of the human mind. Today’s society is very much influenced, although mostly indirectly, by the banner of humanism that fiercely denounces the existence of God and His requirements. Humanism passionately proclaims that the acknowledgement of God is a declaration of war against life, against nature, against the will to live; and that Christianity is the formula for every slander against this present world and guilty of proliferation of ‘lies’ of a world beyond or afterlife. Out of this, came the atheistic Communist ideologies, which for some time in the past, has pronouncedly divided the world. Then, there were also the philosophical movement known as Existentialism, which ironically had Christian origins through the work of Kierkegaard, has nurtured within it a newer type of atheism, popular since the Second World War. Such a deluge of assault on the Christian faith would seem overwhelming and puzzling to those who profess faith in it. God and Christianity seem to have often called down upon strong denunciations. But it is not entirely out of reason. There has been the spectacle of inter-denominational strife, the growing cynicism towards the authenticity of those who were key figures of the Christian faith as against their extravagant lifestyles, memory of persecutions, and the political conservatism of many Christians — all these must be taken into consideration. However, what could be considered a more major reason for rejection is because of the more common association of Christianity with Puritanism. There have, indeed, always been pronounced ascetic elements in the Christian experience, although they are considerably less than in most other of the world religions. It can be said though, that Puritanism and ascetism obviously have important place in certain kinds and phases of different religions. Puritanism demands the population at large to conform to it. Central to the Christian belief is the submission to the Supreme Being, and His instructions. The world, as symbolized by Nietzsche, continuous to express a strong reaction against such beliefs. God and his laws are often received as restrictive, since man’s experience show that he possess desires and instincts which often goes in conflict to what God approves, and must therefore contend with it for most of his time. For most men, this seems to constitute a kind of conspiracy to confine human self-expression and freedom. It is not surprising then, to see an abundance of decay in wide areas of society, since unwillingness to submit to God’s authority is more appealing in order to gratify the self. God is therefore seen as an enemy against the fulfilment of the desires and plans of the self. In addition to this, many simply suspect that those â€Å"kill-joy† Christians, do make those impositions on others condemning jollification and gaiety, as an unconscious repressions and anxieties which stems from Freudian influence. The rejection of the divine and supernatural is not just a mere intellectual scepticism about the truth of God and Christian beliefs; it has also been an emotional rebellion as well. Social factors have contributed. As we have seen, the dislocations caused by industrialism in many Western countries, have produced the alienation of much of the working masses from Christianity. In addition, social forces have brought a distrust of the older forms of authoritarianism. This was already demonstrated between the World Wars, the rejection of being ruled by a higher force. Moreover, this has been heightened after the war where many younger folks have opportunities of work and spending that often creates a sense of being relatively independent. This new found independence rewards man’s desire to be the sole controller of his own life. Such an attitude was already displayed since man’s creation. Self-rule, the rebellion against God’s authority has become the norm. With this development, the traditional forms of Christian teaching and preaching and the presentation of the ethical side of Christianity as something fixed and God-given have not had a widespread effectiveness. What is more popular in many folks of today’s generation is the adherence to anti-authoritarianism and which continuous to stimulate anti-Church feeling, even to the political level. Various advocacies that are being presented with much militancy and following today (i. e. same sex-marriage) run in complete opposition to God- declared laws. It is therefore not an unexpected condition that those who support such advocacies will reject God’s authority and existence. God’s ‘in-existence’ would mean that man can do whatever seems right in his own eyes. Truth and right is therefore relative. Also, aside from the agnostics and anti-religious atheism, are those within the so-called Christian societies, are a large number of people who simply do not attend church or religious ceremonies (Smart, pp. 558-573). They are not necessarily lacking in religious belief, but nevertheless they do not feel themselves called upon to belong to any religious organization. They are people who live in a large, gentle twilight zone between religiousness and agnosticism. They have inherited much of the humanist movement, but they do not share the intellectual presuppositions. They include many, therefore, who, when asked, profess belief in God — or more vaguely in a Power which controls the cosmos. But they are not convinced of actively participating in worship of such a Being as something essential of one’s existence. They are not inclined to pray, seek God, read the Bible, though they might possibly do so in times of stress or great danger. They are, for the most part, alienated from the fellowship with God and the fellow believers. They are aware of the differences of teachings in different denominations, and are thus mistrustful of dogma. They have no wish to deny God’s existence outwardly, but they do not desire to seek and know Him. They have reverence for a Creator; but they feel that God is distant and detached. They respect Christian moral values, but they reject Puritanism. They do not have much sense of sin, but they admire saintliness. They are worried by death, and they hope to live for a better afterlife. But the division between heaven and hell they do not feel. Such people far outnumber the committed atheists and the explicit agnostics. For many members of society today, science possess greater prestige derived from the practical benefits of technology and the awesome mumbo-jumbo surrounding the expert, has superseded that of religion. The current civilization can be depicted in such a state. Although the blatant atheists and agnostics have been relatively few, the influence of their thinking has been formidable. Despite the ‘advancement’ in knowledge, man has generally been ignorant of God and His ways. What is generally esteemed as ‘wise’, those who reject God, does not see the pointlessness of their argument. Creation itself speaks as a witness to His superiority and existence. What is evident in creation is the presupposition of a Creator. If the world and the universe came out of chaos, scientific discoveries show that everything in it has a purpose and held with much order, which could not basically flow in congruence with the ‘accident’ theory. Also, the amazing functions of the human body, also defy such a premise that man was created by chance. For man to reject his Creator and His authority is one of the most miserable and worse thing that has occurred to man. Man indeed is very much in need of redemption from the futility of his own way of thinking. Reference: Smart, Ninian. (1984). Contemporary Religious Experience. The Religious Experience of Mankind. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons

Free Essays on Language And Communication In Culture

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease" Which means it is best to speak up according to Americans. But a saying in Japan the goes; " The nail that sticks out gets hammered back in" which implies that it is better to keep quiet. That is one difference that you can find between cultures but there are also similarities in the way we communicate. The way families communicate are pretty similar wherever you go, Other types of groups have their own way of communicating also. In America it is usually better to be more direct in most situations than in other cultures. If you don't tell people what you want you are seen as being insecure or lacking in confidence. A man especially in today's society must be certain of his statements or he is thought to be soft. Whereas a woman can get away with more indirect way of talking because we are thought to be a weaker sex any way and a woman who always asks for exactly what she she wants is too bossy or a bitch even. Both genders use indirectness but in different situations if they are talking to a boss, co-worker or an employee there are different ways to say and get what you want out of the person(s) being asked. In Japan there is a lot more use of indirectness because it is impolite of a person to demand with directness something even if they are below your status. You are expected to know what you are supposed to do as a person of lower status so you do not really need to be asked but rather state the situation and let them know through indirect statements that they are to take over. In Japan they often give greater value to silence and that some ideas are best communicated without being clearly stated. One of the basic values of the Japanese culture is that of the omoiyari which means "empathy" so you are expected to be in tune to others emotions. "Only an insensitive, uncouth person needs a direct, verbal, complete message", said by a Japanese anthropologist Takie Sugiyama Lebra. Another type of ... Free Essays on Language And Communication In Culture Free Essays on Language And Communication In Culture "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" Which means it is best to speak up according to Americans. But a saying in Japan the goes; " The nail that sticks out gets hammered back in" which implies that it is better to keep quiet. That is one difference that you can find between cultures but there are also similarities in the way we communicate. The way families communicate are pretty similar wherever you go, Other types of groups have their own way of communicating also. In America it is usually better to be more direct in most situations than in other cultures. If you don't tell people what you want you are seen as being insecure or lacking in confidence. A man especially in today's society must be certain of his statements or he is thought to be soft. Whereas a woman can get away with more indirect way of talking because we are thought to be a weaker sex any way and a woman who always asks for exactly what she she wants is too bossy or a bitch even. Both genders use indirectness but in different situations if they are talking to a boss, co-worker or an employee there are different ways to say and get what you want out of the person(s) being asked. In Japan there is a lot more use of indirectness because it is impolite of a person to demand with directness something even if they are below your status. You are expected to know what you are supposed to do as a person of lower status so you do not really need to be asked but rather state the situation and let them know through indirect statements that they are to take over. In Japan they often give greater value to silence and that some ideas are best communicated without being clearly stated. One of the basic values of the Japanese culture is that of the omoiyari which means "empathy" so you are expected to be in tune to others emotions. "Only an insensitive, uncouth person needs a direct, verbal, complete message", said by a Japanese anthropologist Takie Sugiyama Lebra. Another type of ...

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America

Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America Introduction The Allstar Brands Corporation was founded in 1924 and is among the leading makers of packaged goods around the world (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). Over the years the company has merged or acquired several smaller packaged goods companies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today the company is made up of three divisions namely Consumer Products, International and Pharmaceuticals. The Consumer Products division is primarily concerned with a number of packaged goods including laundry detergent, bar soap and shampoo. The International division is in charge of the distribution of Allstar products in international markets around the world. The Pharmaceutical division is in charge of the production and marketing of ethical and over the counter medications (James, Deighan and Spotts 19). The primary product curre ntly offered by the Allstar brand is an over the counter cold liquid known as Allround. The products designed as combat remedies are designed to relieve several basic symptoms including aches and fever, nasal congestion, chest congestion, runny nose and coughs. It is common for allergy remedies to be grouped together with cold remedies due to the fact that these address many of the same symptoms as cold remedies (James, Deighan and Spotts 21). In the current over the counter cold and allergy market the Allstar brand has four other competitors. The cold and allergy industry is divided into five different product categories namely cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The five firms offer a total of 10 brands that cater for these product categories. Based on current statistics the Allstar brand currently accounts for 12% of the total sales in the industry (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).Advertising Looking for r esearch paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current financial statistics indicate that Allround which is the company’s only product is performing fairly well within the market. Based on statistics from the last period the product managed to report sales of $ 214.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The company reported a gross margin of $132.5 million and after making deductions received $ 50.7 million in net profits for the same period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). It is the belief of the senior management that the OCM group will continue to make even more significant contributions in the coming years. For this reason it will be wise to consider what goals the company intends to achieve to improve its current position in the future. Goals In this section some of the crucial goals will be highlighted and some insight will be shed on how to improve. For example, one of the goals tha t Allstar will have to focus on includes maintaining the drive within the company as far as product development is concerned. According to the company report there are expected to be a released reformulations of the Allround brand within a year. In addition to that it has been reported that three new products are expected to be released by the beginning of the third period (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This drive to continue production of new and competitive products is crucial because one risk associated with the industry stems from the fact that new competing products can be launched at any time within the market. To push this point further home, it has been reported that Curall announced the introduction of a new drug called cold cure in the same period (n.p.). This is of special concern to the company because this new drug is the second drug by Curall to be launched into the market suggesting a loss in the market to this drug.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Report for Allstar Brand to enter Latin America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition to this it has been observed that prior to this launch Curall had only a cough liquid which did not affect the market for Allround whereas cold cure may have a direct effect on sales in the following period (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). The company must therefore focus on research and release new products drugs to be more competitive. Another important goal for the company to focus on in the coming period is that of increasing expenditure on advertising. The main reason for this is due to the fact that advertising plays a major role in creation of awareness among a product’s consumers. In addition to that it has been reported that advertising can be used to shape consumers perception about products (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). Based on that information it is clear to see that the company risks losing business by not advertising adequately. In addition to the above information highlighting the importance of advertising it was reported that in the just concluded period the total expenditure on advertising went up by $19.6 million whereas promotional expenditure increased by $ 6.3 million (n.p.). This fact proves that competitors are increasing spending on advertising and thus the company should make efforts to also increase expenditure on advertising. The focus on increased advertising expenditure should also be driven by the fact that when listed against 10 competitors it was noted that the company expenditure on advertising had it ranked between 5th and 6th (n.p.). In addition to focus on advertising it would appear that in order to improve its competitive position the company will need to consider increasing its focus on the mass merchandiser sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that during the last period mass merchandiser sales showed the strong growth with 8% (n.p.). Thi s statistic indicates that it is likely that with more emphasis sales from this sector can grow even further. Given the increase in mass merchandiser sales it is possible to see that the company risks losing business if it does not increase the sales force in this area. Upon observation of the company sales force it was noted that only 10 of the sales staff were mass merchandisers (James, Deighan and Spotts 27). When this figure was compared with competitors it was noted that the number was very low and for this reason the number of mass merchandisers for the next period should be increased. It may be that the competition has not yet identified this potential loophole thus giving the company a head start.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to the sales force it would also be prudent to focus on ways to increase retail sales. This is due to the fact that it was reported that retail sales increased by 4.6% for the ended period (n.p.). In order to achieve this there is a need to reassess the current prices of products. It has been observed that the current Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Allround is $5.49. In addition to this retailers receive an allowance of 13% and a volume discount of 30%. It has already been observed that the current price was significantly higher than that of its competitors (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). To increase the retail sales further it would appear wise to make reductions on the MSRP. Overall Competitive Strategy Situation Analysis: As it has been mentioned earlier in the report Allround has so far been a successful and profitable brand with sales exceeding $200 million at the manufacturer’s level during the last period. These sales figures transl ate to net income of slightly over $50 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). However it has been observed that the company urgently needs to increase it expenditure due to trends within the industry. It has already been reported that competitors have launched competing products into the market that are likely to affect the sales figures of the company in the coming period (n.p.). This matter causes a lot of concern and needs urgent remedial action due to the fact that the product in question is in the same category of products such as Allround. In addition to the competing products in the market it has already been observed that there have been significant increases in advertising and promotional expenditure in the concluded period (n.p.). Given the crucial role played by advertising in shaping customer perceptions it would appear that the company will need to increase its expenditure on advertising in response. Also to be given consideration in the upcoming budget is the need to increase the sales force. This comes in light of the fact that mass merchandiser sales had increased significantly (n.p.). This report comes when the company is ill equipped to deal with this sector of retail sales and such some money needs to be spent on this sector in the upcoming budget. It has also been observed that despite the good performance in the just ended period, Allround’s prices were comparatively high (n.p.). At the same time it has also been observed that trends within the market indicate that retail sales were increasing. It has therefore been suggested that with a view to improving sales further, the MSRP be reduced and the allowances and volume discounts be increased as an incentive. SWOT: In the case of Allround its main strength stems from the fact that the company has no competition in the manufacture of cold liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In an overview of the industry it is noted that the company is in competition with four other firms. The fir ms all produce products that can be categorized into cold liquid, cough liquid, allergy capsule, cold capsule and nasal spray. The five companies offer a total of 10 brands within the market and only Allstar provides cold liquid from this list (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). In the market a brand can be availed in three forms namely liquid, capsule or spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). The consumer’s selection of a product with regard to form is usually based on personal preference. For this reason those who prefer liquid form the only available option is Allround. Being a relatively new market the company will also exhibit some weakness in comparison to the competition. This is because it has been observed that advertising plays a major role in creation of brand awareness among consumers (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The entry into the market suggests that brand awareness is comparatively low and therefore will require much more expenditure to build. Another weakness th at the company has within the new market is a lack of resources. It has been reported that the company senior management will only make budget increases based on results from sales and profitability (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). This leaves the company at a disadvantaged position when compared with its competitors. This is the case given the significant financial input that is required to address the current financial demands for the next period. However, there are some opportunities that the company can exploit to improve its position in the market. It has been observed the United States Food and Drug Administration regulate the amount of medication for various periods of relief. Based on this a drug can be made in a 4 hour formulation such as Allround or in 12 hour formulation (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). This presents an opportunity for the company due to the fact that it can still produce 12 hour formulations of the same drug to improve its product range. In addition to cha nging the formulation to increase product range another opportunity exists in making different cold formulations. It has been reported that a brand can be made available in one of three forms namely liquid, capsule and spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). It has been reported nasal sprays typically provide faster relief than other forms of drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). In addition to that it has also been reported that most consumers find the capsule form more convenient than liquid (James, Deighan and Spotts 23). The production of a nasal spray or capsule for relief of cold and flu symptoms presents an opportunity. In order to have a complete marketing plan the company also has to prepare to deal with threats. The main threat to the company exists in the form of its competitors and the likelihood of their releasing similar products within the market. The current statistics places the number of competitors in the market at 5 (James, Deighan and Spotts 20).It has already bee n observed that one of the competitors released a product that may affect sales for the coming period (n.p.). Basis for effective competition: In order for the firm to remain competitive in the coming periods it would have to increase its expenditure on advertising and promotions. This comes in light of the fact that the market indicates spending on advertising is increasing (n.p.). In addition to this it has already been established that advertising plays a crucial role in product awareness. For these reasons the marketing plan for the future would require this change be made. It has also been noted that there has been a significant increase in retail sales (n.p.). For this reason the company will need to consider means to increase these sales further. It has been reported that Allround’s MSRP was significantly higher than competing brands (James, Deighan and Spotts 24). It would appear that to improve the company’s competitive position a reduction should be made on t he MSRP and some incentives such as increased promotional allowances and volume discounts. Finally it would appear that the company will need to increase the number of mass merchandisers on its sales force. This comes in light of the fact that there was significant increase in the sales volumes from mass merchandisers (n.p.). To maintain a competitive position would thus require that the company increase the numbers involved in mass merchandising. It is also crucial that the company continue research on new products and release them into the market as soon as possible. This comes in light of the fact that competitors are constantly producing new products to compete with existing company products (n.p.). Resources and Capabilities: Based on the results from the previous year it was reported that the company made a net income of slightly over $50 million. Using the available resources to improve the company position to allow it be profitable in the coming years requires some adjustmen ts to be made. It was observed that an increase of funding for promotion was required and after calculations it was reported that promotion would now be worth 19% of the budget. Advertising expenditure also had to be increased to meet the current demands. This saw the expenditure on advertising rise to 38% of the budget. It was also observed that the company required adjustments on its sales force in order to meet the demands of the market. The sales force adjustments suggest the sales staff will now consume 41.3% of the budget. In addition to this it was observed that the company needed to work on production of new products. This required a budget allocation of 1.7% to finance research. The total amount for this budget came to $29.1 million. The previous budget for the period was $28.3 million (James, Deighan and Spotts 30). Given the amount of net income made from the previous period it would appear that the company has the resources to finance this budget and the associated incre ments. Segmentation, Target, Positioning Segmentation options and final analysis: The industry selected is basically divided into segments based on the way products are branded (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). There are three standard product categories in the OTC market namely cold, cough and allergy. As earlier mentioned since the company currently has only one product in the market the segment that it will operate in is the cold segment. This segment produces 59% percent of the revenue from sales of OTC drugs (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). This represents a very large segment of the OTC market. Within the segment the company has to compete with 5 competitors. Of the five competitors currently only one company has a product that generated more revenue than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). Target: The target group for the company represents 59% of the current OTC market (James, Deighan and Spotts 28). However, since the company is only selling a single product the remaining 41% of the market also exists as a potential target market for the company’s future products. Based on the sales in relation to brand awareness it would appear that if the company increases expenditure on advertising there is bound to be a significant increase in sales. This is based on the fact that all the companies that report greater brand awareness than Allround also report greater sales (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). Positioning options: As it has been mentioned above all the companies that have reported greater brand awareness have also recorded greater sales than Allround (James, Deighan and Spotts 29). The positioning strategy for Allround therefore is to spend more on advertising to create greater brand awareness and greater sales. In addition to that the company also intends to spend an increased amount on increasing the sales force to improve overall sales. Marketing Mix Product: It has already been observed that the company’s strength stems from the fact that it has the only cold liquid product currently available. All the remaining competitors either produce a cold capsule or a nasal spray (James, Deighan and Spotts 20). For this reason the company intends to take full advantage of this position to market its product. It is the only product that alleviates several symptoms with one drug. This fact has been reported to be the reason many consumers prefer the brand (James, Deighan and Spotts 22). At the same time the company also intends to increase expenditure on research aimed at producing new products to be released in the near future. Promotion: Another essential aspect catered for in the marketing plan was the promotional approach. The approach that will be used with regard to advertising will be the same as before just that there will be more spending on each segment. It has been observed that the previous budget allocated 25% for primary demand adverts, 25% for benefits approach adverts, 25% for comparison approach adverts an d 25% for a reminder approach adverts (James, Deighan and Spotts 25). The marketing plan suggests similar allocations for the new amount. However, the message of the advertisements needs to be changed to reflect greater maturity than those of the previous period. The increased retail sales suggest that there should be an increase in the amount of promotional material within the stores. Price: Based on the significant increase observed in retail sales the marketing plan suggests price reductions for the coming period (n.p.). Due to the trends within the market it would appear that there is a need to encourage sales to increase further. To achieve this there is going to be a reduction in the MSRP to reflect this need. In addition to that there are going to be reductions made in the promotional allowances and volume discounts. This is aimed at increasing the revenue earned from sales of Allround and act as an incentive for sellers of the product. Place: In addition to the increased adv ertising in retail stores and incentives to sell the product the marketing plan will also include shift of focus on the marketing place. In the analysis of the business for the next period it was observed that sales from mass merchandisers reported a significant increase (n.p.). It has been suggested that an increase is made in the number of mass merchandisers. James, Stuart W., Michael Deighan and Harlan Spotts. MarketShare: The Marketing Principles Simulation. Virginia: Interpretive Simulations, 2005. Print. n.p. The MarketShare Case. Interpretive Simulations. n.d. Web.

Recipe for Fake Blue or Green Blood

Recipe for Fake Blue or Green Blood ​This is a recipe for an edible fake blood which you can color blue or green for insects, spiders, and other arthropods, or perhaps for aliens. Spiders, mollusks, and several other arthropods have light blue blood because their blood contains the copper-based pigment, hemocyanin. Hemoglobin is red; hemocyanin is blue. Ingredients for Blue or Green Fake Blood This simple recipe only requires a few basic kitchen ingredients: Light corn syrupCorn starchBlue or green food coloring or unsweetened drink mix Make Fake Blood How much fake blood do you need? Pour that amount of corn syrup into a bowl.Stir in corn starch until you achieve the desired blood consistency. The blood will thicken as the water in the corn syrup evaporates, so if you are using the blood for a Halloween costume, for example, expect the blood to be thinnest when you first prepare it.Add food coloring to achieve the desired color. A variation of this recipe is to make a fake blood gravy, in which you heat the corn syrup to boiling and add a corn starch dissolved in a little water. This produces a translucent blood. If you cook the blood, be sure to wait until it has cooled before you use it. Make It Glow While spiders and mollusks dont have glowing blood, you might want a glow-in-the-dark effect for show. To get the fake blood to glow, stir in some phosphorescent powder (available online or in craft stores). Note the the original recipe is safe enough to eat. Glowing blood is non-toxic, but should not be ingested. Fake Blood Clean-Up This fake blood can be cleaned up using warm water. Since it contains food coloring, avoid getting it on surfaces which would stain, such as clothing or furniture.

Systems Analysis and Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

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Marketing Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Report - Case Study Example Support 11 D. Conclusion 11 References 13 I. Analysis A. Marketing Challenge The marketing challenge is to grow revenues and to find the perfect marketing mix for the new product to be launched in June, to aid in the achievement of the revenue growth targets for Mackenzie and Marr Guitars (Finnbogason, 2013). B. Internal Analysis B.1. Finance The company is working on a tight cash flow situation, with some budgetary constraints emanating from that cash flow restriction. While they pay suppliers cash, deliveries for orders only occur about 90 days after the payment. This has implications on the ability of the company to convert capital to revenues, and has a bearing too on the ability of the firm to generate cash flow from inventories. Inventories take time to reach the trade, and this compounds the problem of not being able to turnaround capital into cash. All these things besides, the company is still open to increasing the promotions budget from $1,000 to $4,000, and though this is miniscule in comparison to the overall sales target of $1 million dollars for the whole year, from a cash flow perspective this can be a significant amount especially if the revenue targets on a monthly basis are not met, and the margins cannot justify the added promotional expense (Finnbogason, 2013). B.2. ... On the other hand, where the company lacks muscle in terms of promotions budgets, it makes up for with word of mouth and focusing on the price and the product attributes of the marketing mix for its guitar lines. The main positioning being high quality and low price, this positioning strategy is complemented well by its chosen promotions, place and general advertising strategies (Finnbogason, 2013). B.3. Operations One can glean from the way the company is set up that the online presence handles orders processing including payments processing, while orders fulfillment is done via third party logistics and fulfillment services. Product manufacturing meanwhile is outsourced to suppliers in China. That supplier has enough capacity to be able to run the projected volume sales of 100 guitars per month of Mackenzie and Marr Guitars, but may have problems doing so if any new customers engage them. That aside, the rest of the operations is concentrated on marketing, as well as product design , which are basically handled by the CEO John Marr. The other partner, Jonathan Mackenzie, is understood to have a hands off role in daily operations, leaving that to John. One can see that this operations model leaves the physical handling of the processed goods to third parties, from manufacturing to orders fulfillment, leaving the core operational functions of processing orders and payments, doing the promotions and marketing, doing the strategy work and doing product design work for new launches as the core operational competencies of the company itself (Finnbogason, 2013). B.4. Human Resources Outside of the partners, there are no significant personnel in the organization. All of the third party

Employee Recruitment and Selection Research Paper

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ABC ImmigrationImmigration Legal Services and Counseling Research Paper

ABC ImmigrationImmigration Legal Services and Counseling - Research Paper Example Management Summary 7. Financial Plan 1.0 Executive Summary The purpose of this brief business plan is to present the reader with the pursuit and stated intention of ABC Legal with reference to its goal of entering the market for legal counsel with regards to immigration counseling. Similarly, the piece will seek to detail the goals, targets, and developments that ABC Immigration would like to experience over the next two years of time. All of this is done with the intention of providing a discernible yet flexible framework by which the shareholders can consider the strengths and weaknesses that ABC Immigration provides as well as helping the firm to avert and/or minimize risk and maximize its key assets and/or strengths. 1.1 OBJECTIVES This particular business plan has a two-fold objective which is listed below: 1. Firstly, the business plan will act as a guide by which the shareholders of the firm will be able to manage and direct the growth and activities that will take place. As s uch, the guidance and framework which will be put forward, as well as time sensitive goals and metrics, will assist the aforementioned shareholders in developing a comprehensive business plan suited to addressing many of the needs that will doubtless present themselves to the business. 2. By providing such descriptive metrics, the business plan will guide the growth and development of the firm in a way that an abstract and non-measurable idea, or set of ideas, could not. Similarly, the objectives of ABC Immigration have been detailed below: As with any business, the overarching objective of ABC Immigration is to provide a wide and diverse array of legal and counseling services that will serve the client base with the peculiar needs that any and all immigration related questions and concerns would likely generate. Furthermore, the eventual goal will be to become something of a market leader within the geographic region with regards to immigration issues. 1. Profit: As with any firm, the primary motivator is to provide a profit to the shareholders by a means of sufficient growth and development of the firm and the services that are offered. In this way, the profit objective fits in with the following objectives as the ultimate end towards which the others work. 2. Growth: As a means to differentiate the business, add services, and provide a higher quality of services to the customer as well as providing a higher profit margin through differentiation of services, the growth of the firm is a secondary objective. 3. Market dominance: As a way to realize the two previous elements of listed objectives, the firm will attempt to obtain market dominance within the field. 1.2 MISSION As with many service industries, the mission of the firm is straightforward and relatively simple: Purpose: The purpose of the firm exists to provide professional, helpful, affordable, and timely legal counseling to the customers that seek such services. In this manner, the company exists fo r the sole purpose of providing the aforementioned services to the individuals companies that avail themselves of the services that ABC Immigration offers. Vision: The firm envisions itself as successful only by providing the highest quality of services to its customers. By providing such a high level of quality and at market leading prices, ABC Immigration aims to satisfy the needs of those it serves by providing both high quality, individualized access, and affordable rates to the clients who have honored the firm with their patronage. Mission: The mission can be summed up in two parts. Firstly, the firm has a short-term mission objective which will see the company constitute itself in a farily rapid manner; all the while

Choose at least 4 classic political theorists to discuss in depth. Are Essay

Choose at least 4 classic political theorists to discuss in depth. Are their theories still influential today - Essay Example Aristotle’s views on politics were based upon the politician as the main player in a political system. In this sense, the biggest role for the politician is the creation and putting in place of laws. The laws collectively make up the constitution that governs the people of any given state. The constitution contains the laws, institutions, and customs of the people and shall determine the courses of action that shall be taken in the cases of conflict. The politician’s role after the constitution is in place is to maintain it, introduce reforms when necessary, and to prevent any developments meant to subvert the political system in general. Aristotle calls this the province of legislative science and holds it in higher regard than politics as it is exercised in the normal sense with the passing of mere decrees. Aristotle’s political theory is very influential and still has influence on today’s political landscape. It is evident that today’s politician s craft laws besides defending the course of the constitution. Any efforts that may subvert the political system in place are usually dealt with by the politician through bills and debates which involve voting just as Aristotle theorized. Plato was Aristotles teacher and their political theories are similar in many ways. His major political work was â€Å"The Republic† and it contained his ideas on an effective and efficient political system. His political system was majorly concerned with justice and defined every state in terms of its levels of justice. An efficient Platonian political system comprised of a merchant class that dealt with the economic structure, a military class that handled security and a political structure in the hands of philosopher-kings. People’s classes should be determined by the educational process in place and available to the specific individual. Those who would have completed the educational process in whole would become philosopher kings and they

Alzheimers Disease Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alzheimers Disease - Research Paper Example Alzheimer’s disease, also known as Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT), is a progressive and irreversible neurological disease of the brain that results in loss of memory. It is known to impede intellectual and reasoning skills and cause changes in personality and behavior thereby affecting daily life and activities (Nordqvist, 2009). Dementia is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain disease and conditions. It therefore affects ones social and occupational functioning. It is estimated that nearly 35 million people worldwide from all racial, economic, and educational backgrounds suffer from Alzheimer’s (Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, n.d.a). Out of these nearly 5.3 million people live in the United States of America (Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, n.d.a). This disease is mostly known to affect people over the age of 60 years but it may also affect people who are in their 50s and rarely those younger than that.This disease has been named after a German neuropathologist and psychiatrist called Alois Alzheimer who first identified ‘presenile dementia’ in 1906. Emil Kraeplin, who was one of the foremost German psychiatrists of that era, later coined the term ‘Alzheimer’s disease’ – naming it after his colleague (Maurer, Volk, & Gerbaldo, 1997). Alzheimer’s is a term that is still used to refer to the most common cause of senile dementia.   It is believed that plaques and tangles develop within the structure of the brain. during the course of this disease which causes the brain cells to die (Nordqvist, 2009). These abnormal changes in the brain worsen over time, eventually affecting many functions of the brain. The disease is known to advance in stages, progressing from mild forgetfulness and cognitive impairment to extensive loss of mental abilities (Nordqvist, 2009). In the advanced stages, people tend to be come fully dependent on others for every area of their daily needs. The most common cause of death among those affected by this disease is infection like pneumonia and pressure ulcers ((Nordqvist, 2009). People suffering from Alzhiemer’

Choose at least 4 classic political theorists to discuss in depth. Are Essay

Choose at least 4 classic political theorists to discuss in depth. Are their theories still influential today - Essay Example Aristotle’s views on politics were based upon the politician as the main player in a political system. In this sense, the biggest role for the politician is the creation and putting in place of laws. The laws collectively make up the constitution that governs the people of any given state. The constitution contains the laws, institutions, and customs of the people and shall determine the courses of action that shall be taken in the cases of conflict. The politician’s role after the constitution is in place is to maintain it, introduce reforms when necessary, and to prevent any developments meant to subvert the political system in general. Aristotle calls this the province of legislative science and holds it in higher regard than politics as it is exercised in the normal sense with the passing of mere decrees. Aristotle’s political theory is very influential and still has influence on today’s political landscape. It is evident that today’s politician s craft laws besides defending the course of the constitution. Any efforts that may subvert the political system in place are usually dealt with by the politician through bills and debates which involve voting just as Aristotle theorized. Plato was Aristotles teacher and their political theories are similar in many ways. His major political work was â€Å"The Republic† and it contained his ideas on an effective and efficient political system. His political system was majorly concerned with justice and defined every state in terms of its levels of justice. An efficient Platonian political system comprised of a merchant class that dealt with the economic structure, a military class that handled security and a political structure in the hands of philosopher-kings. People’s classes should be determined by the educational process in place and available to the specific individual. Those who would have completed the educational process in whole would become philosopher kings and they

Jamie Oliver - Spoken Language Essay Example for Free

Jamie Oliver Spoken Language Essay Jamie Oliver is a chef who has made a number of television programmes for Channel 4; in most of these programmes he is cooking and instructing the audience, although he is sometimes part of documentaries about food, for example in schools. His style of speech is very different to many of his contemporaries: he uses his distinctive style to present himself as a down to earth, friendly TV chef. Oliver is the only person talking in this transcript because he is cooking and explaining his actions for the TV show. The fact that he is cooking while talking means that there are numerous pauses in the transcript, for example ‘†¦Your burger (2) and then some rosemary’. The two second pause indicates that he is demonstrating this action on the programme; it is important in his role as a TV chef that he doesn’t just sit and talk through a recipe because viewers want to see the recipes being made and they also want to be entertained and kept interested by Oliver moving around in the kitchen. Other pauses suggest that, although this programme is probably scripted to some degree, Oliver is not reading from an autocue but retains an element of spontaneity to his speech. The pauses at the start of the transcript, ‘Hi guys (.) welcome to ministry of food (.)’, are indicators of this spontaneity, as is the non-fluent ‘er’, which is presented later on in the show. Although sometimes a sign of nervousness, in this case I think the pauses help Oliver to appe ar normal, like his viewers, so they are more likely to attempt his recipes and, of course, buy his books. Jamie Oliver’s Estuary accent and his accompanying use of London slang are also distinctive features of his talk. A Word such as ‘bash’ is a colloquial and is not a word we expect to hear on a cooking programme. We are used to words from the cooking semantic field such as ‘whisk’, ‘bake’, ‘stir’ but Oliver’s language use again makes him seem very normal, approachable and relaxed. As well as specifically accented words such as the dropping of the ‘h’ in ‘orrible’, Oliver’s elisions ‘gonna’, ‘wanna’ and ‘kinda’ demonstrate his relaxed tone. As well as using these to build a successful TV persona, Oliver could be using this informal language because he is concentrating more on the actual cooking and explaining the key details of the recipe rather than the functional language he uses. It is important that Oliver does not appear too bossy to his audience: they need to feel like they can relate to him; it is therefore important that he moderates his use of imperatives. Throughout the transcript, he softens his instructions to viewers: ‘†¦about a tablespoon of oregano (1) you want about’; ‘an egg some rosemary some (.) mustard’; this lack of precision is encouraging to people watching his because it suggests this recipe is easy to follow. The self-deprecating suggestion that Oliver is not entirely sure of what he is doing, just guessing, means that he does not assume a too-powerful position in relation to his viewers. The word ‘;literally’ implies that the solution is simple and easy, so Oliver maintains his persona as the ‘friendly, easy’ TV chef in contrast with someone like Gordon Ramsay and his very technical, scientific recipes that cannot be replicated in ordinary kitchens. In conclusion, Jamie Oliver uses many features of talk that are typical of TV chefs, such as numerous pauses and imperative instructions which are essential in his role, but he also has a very distinctive personal style of talk, characterised by his accent, use of slang and colloquial vocabulary. He uses his own idiolect to create a successful TV personality that viewers can relate to and follow as a cooking role model.

Signs in Linguistics

Signs in Linguistics A problem that typically troubles the humanities is the ambiguity of primitive terms. An inquiry into their meaning is usually undertaken only after a period of time when they are used un-critically, possibly under the presumption of their complete self-evidence. A closer scrutiny reveals that this belief is hardly warranted. The boundaries of their meanings are so fuzzy that critical analysis turns into a partial reconstruction from ground-zero. That is what this essay will attempt with the notion of the sign and its extra-linguistic connotations. This essay locates this re-construction at the moment when Ferdinand de Saussure sought to carve out the discipline of linguistics, reformulating the existing notion of the sign. The simultaneous heralding of the related, larger discipline of Semiology that for Saussure would subsume linguistics meant that the notion of the sign also got branched. Saussures contemporary, C.S. Peirces ideas of signifying construction as an unlimited sign-ex changing process- the idea of the unlimited semiosis- announced an alternative approach to conceptualizing the sign. The present essay will trace the evolution in meaning of the sign in both Semiology: the study of signs based on linguistics; and Semiotics: the study of signs based on logic. Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacans understanding of subjectivity as constructed in and through language, discounting the possibility of connecting words and things will then be evaluated. Lastly, Ronald Barthes idea of the photographic image, borrowed from Peirce but reworked through the advertisement will be considered. A modern advertisement is then used to substantiate Barthes premise that though the photographic message seems like a message without a code, it ends up being highly coded. The crux of the essay is that the extra-linguistic reality that is ascribed to the sign is just that- extra-linguistic. The linguistic sign which encompasses all semiological systems is nothing but the unity of the Sr and the Sd. The precise moment at which Saussure signals his disinheritance, as it were, from erstwhile linguistic traditions is where he criticizes existing and erstwhile analyses of language as a naming process. This disinheritance of his marks the crucial juncture which sounds the birth pangs of the discipline we now conceive as linguistics and signals the heart of the present investigation. Hence, it is this moment which needs elaboration and scrutiny. What this essay will attempt to analyze is how Saussures conceptualization of the linguistic sign has influenced thinkers, psychoanalysts, philosophers, co-(and later) linguists. The influence has resulted in several different understandings of the linguistic sign that Saussure envisaged, the rationale(s) behind which will form the core of this discussion. For Saussure, an understanding of the linguistic sign as a naming process assumes that ready-made ideas exist before words, it does not tell us whether a name is vocal or psychological in nature, and assumes that the linking of a name and a thing is a very simple operation. (Saussure, Pg 65) Nevertheless, he does credit the erstwhile conceptualization of the linguistic sign as bringing him near his eventual formulation of the linguistic unit as a double entity. For him, this unit unites a concept and a sound-image. Saussure seems at pains to emphasize the non -physicality of the sound-image, calling it the psychological imprint of the sound, the impression it makes on our senses. (Saussure, Pg 66) The only sense in which the sound-image is sensory, or as Saussure calls it, material, is when opposing it to the other term of the association- the concept. Not only does Saussure re-conceptualize the existing constituents of the linguistic unit, he refashions the very idea of the sign as it was understood in his time. Contemporaries used sign to designate just a sound-image. But the profound implications of this for Saussure are evident from his comments as relayed by the diligence of his earnest, and might I add, generous students, in the Course in General Linguistics. Saussure uses his favourite example to demonstrate this. For him, one forgets that arbor (Latin for tree) is called a sign only because it carries the concept treeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the idea of the sensory part implies (the) idea of the whole. (Saussure, Pg 67) It is to resolve this that Saussure says that the definition of the linguistic sign poses an important question of terminology. For him, the prevailing ambiguity could be resolved if three terms were to be chosen to designate the linguistic unit and its two components. He chose sign to designate the whole. Signifier (Sr) and signified (Sd) replaced the sound-image and the concept. This was done because Sr and Sd had the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and the whole of which they are parts (emphasis mine) (Saussure, Pg 67) Immediately after this radical reformulation, Saussure said something that pre-empted the genesis of the present discussion. He stated that the sign is arbitrary because the choice of the signifierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is unmotivated, i.e., arbitrary in that it has no natural connection with the signified (Saussure, Pg 69) Many thinkers (like Hjemslev) since have maintained like Saussure that language cannot be reduced to extra-linguistic factors, whether in the nature of things or of thought, in other words, that it is arbitrary. Others, like Benveniste, argue that it is partially or totally motivated by these same factors. For Benveniste, Saussures arbitrary argument is falsified by an unconscious recourse to a third term which was not included in the initial definition- the thing itself, the reality. (Benveniste, Pg 44) Benveniste attacks Saussures logic and finds the contradiction inherent in Saussures formulation. He believes that if one states like Saussure does that language is a fo rm, not a substance, it becomes imperative to leave the substance outside the realm of the sign. However, it is only when one thinks of the animal ox in its substantial particularity that one is justified in considering arbitrary the relationship between bof (French for ox) on the one hand and ox on the other to the same reality. (Benveniste, Pg 44) The tension that Benveniste alerts to in Saussure stems from the way Saussure defined the linguistic sign and the fundamental nature he attributed to it. This is elaborated upon by Benveniste through a systematic refutation of Saussures justifications for refuting objections to his (Saussures ) calling the relationship between Sr and Sd arbitrary. The first of these is the use of onomatopoeias and interjections. Saussures refutations to these objections to the arbitrariness of the sign are predicated on the notion of conventionality and these words similar relations (as other ordinary, non-onomatopoeic words) to the syntax of a particular grammar, and the difference in interjections across languages. Moreover, mutability and immutability of the sign are possible solely due to the arbitrary relationship between the Sr and Sd, according to Saussure. For Benveniste the arbitrary relationship is between the sign and the object, not the Sr and the Sd. He accepts Saussures propositions for the process of signification, not the sign. Benveniste is equally critical of Saussures notion of the linguistic value. For Saussure the identity of a given signifier or a given signified is established through the ways in which it differs from all other signifiers or signifieds within the same system. (Saussure, Pg 115) This relative value stems from the arbitrariness of the sign. For Benveniste, however, the choice that invokes a certain idea for a certain slice of sound is not at all arbitrary. In reality, Benveniste believes, Saussure was thinking of the representation of the real object and of the unnecessary and unmotivated character of the bond which united the sign to the thing signified (emphasis mine) (Benvensite, Pg 47) The crux of Benvenistes argument is that the sign, the primordial element of the linguistic system, includes a Sr and Sd whose bond has to be recognized as necessary, these two components being consubstantially the same.. linguistic values maintain themselves in a relationship of opposition which is, therefore, necessary. The description of a sign in Saussure, as the discussion on Benveniste and the following discussion on Peirce indicate, involves only the relation between its two components, Sr and Sd, and not that between the unit resulting from their union and what it stands for or refers to in the extra-linguistic world. This tension in taking or not taking the thing from the extra-linguistic world itself into consideration when defining the sign, or else, not talking of language as pure form, has manifest itself in several subsequent philosophical and linguistic debates. C.S. Peirces classification of signs is one such. Peirce defines the sign in the following way: A sign is something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity. It addresses somebody, that is, creates in the mind of that person an equivalent sign, or perhaps a more developed sign. That sign which it creates I call the interpretant of the first sign. The sign stands for something, its object. It stands for that object, not in all respects, but in reference to a sort of idea, which I have sometimes called the ground. (Peirce, Pg 99) What is pivotal here is the quality of thirdness that Peirce bestows on the sign relation. Thirdness is that quality which allows translatability. For Peirce, the only way in which the relationship between Representamen (closest to Saussures Sr) and the idea of the Object (Closest to Saussures Sd) can be understood is if they are in a context. This is what the quality of thirdness enables (closest to Saussures sign). It allows the possibility of interpreting the relationship between the Representamen and the idea of the Object. The Interpretant, imbued with this quality, therefore, awakens the potential of sign generation and intelligibility. Peirces conceptualization seems to indicate that signs are not what one sees/hears but what one infers from what one sees/hears. This is the realm where the Interpretant assumes primacy and the debate on whether the sign actually refers to a name-thing relation is brought to a head. Thirdness for Peirce is that which is general. And it is, for Peirce, real too. However, it does not exist. Making a distinction between existence and reality, this essay argues, is a first step towards understanding Peirce and his contribution to the debate Saussure unfurled. Peirce seems to believe that signs exist exclusively due to their replicas, i.e. due to concrete sounds, inscriptions etc. So conceived, signs are individual objects. Nevertheless, that way of being of a sign is derivative only from its genuine being as a general object. (Peirce, Pg 76) That second way of being is essential for a sign. A sign is a kind of ideal object, general, timeless, and independent of subjective thinking. (Peirce, Pg 77) Peirce ascribes to generality the real mode of being. It constitutes the special level of being which he calls thirdness. And, nothing that belongs in thirdness can exist because only individual things are capable of existence (Peirce, Pg 77). Thus, each replica as a tempo rary individual object has to be a derivative of the genuine general sign through the context and the possibility of translatability (or, inference) that the Interpretant enables. It has no self-subsistence of its own. Physical phenomena are potential replicas of signs. However, they become signs only by entering into the triadic relation. Aside from pre-empting Lacans argument, what this triad establishes for Peirce is a multiplicity of signs. As the essay has just argued, the Interpretant constitutes the third indispensable element of the triadic relation. Nevertheless, the Interpretant is a sign in itself and needs at least one more sign as its own Interpretant, and so ad infinitum. This multiplicity of signs is for Peirce logically prior to a single sign. The system creates the necessary condition for any particular sign. However, Peirce, fully aware of this self-creative power of the universe of signs, does bring in some limitations on it in his pragmatic manner. The trichotomy of icon, index and symbol allows the universe of signs to be dependent upon the empirical world of things. In Peirces universe of sign generation, the emphasis in the icon is on the Representamen; in the index, it is on the idea of the object and in the symbol, it is on the Interpretant. The icon is a sign determined by its object by virtue of its own internal nature (a quality) and is hence, immediately intelligible. Peirces idea of the qualisign comes closest to this idea of the icon. The index is a sign by virtue of a relation of co-presence it shares with the object, an existential relationship with the object, as it were. It signifies in virtue of a relationship of contiguity with its referent. The obvious counterpart for the index is the sinsign. But it can come to have an existential relationship only through its qualities. So, an index involves a qualisign or several qualisigns. The symbol is a sign by virtue of its conventional mediating abilities (as in Saussures sign, in fact). While conventionality indicates the legisign properties of the symbol, it must also be kept in mind that every legisign signifies through an instance of its application- through a replica of it. The replica is a sinsign. So, every legisign requires sinsigns only after the law/convention renders it so. (Peirce, Pgs 100-102) For Peirce, every algebraic equation is an icon, in so far as it exhibits, by means of the algebraic signs (which are not themselves icons), the relations of the quantities concerned. Any material image, as a painting, is largely conventional in its mode of representation. In itself, without a legend or label, Peirce calls it a hypoicon. This he divides into three categories- firstness, secondness and thirdness. Images are those which partake of first firstness or simple quality. Diagrams are dyadic as they represent parts of one thing by analogous relations in their own parts. Metaphors represent the representative character of a representamen by representing a parallelism in something else. (Peirce, Pg 105) What is amply evident from Peirces deliberations is that the representational character of signs as icons can be, and often is, mixed or heterogeneous. Peirce, thus, emphasizes the overlapping and flexibility of the sign categories in signifying practices. Barthes provides an analytical system to discuss the reading/interpretation of an image. Some of the questions he explores are- If the image re-presents, can it shape meaning? And how does meaning get into the image? Can an analogical representation produce true systems of signs or is it just a container of free floating information? It is here that a Lacanian understanding of the Sr and Sd relationship within the sign will not be out of order in understanding Barthes image. The crucial break that Lacan announces from Saussures formulation of the signification process is his focus on the bar separating the Sr and the Sd. Lacan introduced a new emphasis on the bar as a formula of separateness rather than of Saussurean reciprocity. This move of Lacan calls into question any theory of correspondence between words and things, thereby serving to strengthen Saussures arguments. Lacan uses the Restroom example to demonstrate his central hypothesis- we fail to pursue the question of meaning as long as we stick to the illusion that the Sr answers to the function of re-presenting the Sd. (Lacan, Pg 150)An exploration of the example will reveal that meaning that insists in the signifying chain is itself attributed to the Sd. This only happens after the meaning is inscribed in the Sd. The inscription (Sr of Ladies or Gentlemen) constitutes the Sd as such by enabling a disjunction- by making material reality differ from itself to the children. The restroom doors, it ought to be remembered, are identical on all accounts until a Sr, Gentlemen or Ladies, enters into its material constitution to make it what it is. This is how meaning enters into the image, for Lacan. The possibility of this meaning entering in to differentiate otherwise analogous material reality lies, for Lacan, in the movement of language along a chain of Srs. The other related possibility of signifying something quite other than what the signifying chain says is achieved through the act of speech. This is precisely where Lacan locates the agency of the letter. Instead of settling for the contemporary psychoanalytical view that speech masks ones thoughts (Lacan, Pg 155), Lacan thinks of the subject producing through his/her speech a truth that he/she does not know about. In order to reconcile this ( the subjects radical ex-centricity to itself) the other I can be recognized as the Other. This Other stands at a second degree of otherness which already places him as a mediator between the subject and the double which is brought to life through the language process. This Other is invoked with every lie (or, as Lacan would call it, repression of truth) as the guarantor of the truth in which it (the Other) subsists at the level of the subjects Unconscious. (Lacan, Pg 172) The similarity with Peirces notion of the mediating Interpretant, awakening the potential of inference and sign generation is obvious here. In Lacan, the Other is language itself. Language and the Unconscious are therefore parallel systems in Lacans framework, with the necessary corollary of the Unconscious residing in language. The reason for the emergence of this Other (language as the locus of signification) lies in Lacans chain of signification. This truth residing in the signifying chain gets repressed as the Sd slides under the Sr, and meaning gets continually veered off. The truth, he says, is always disturbing. We are used to the real. The truth we repress. (Lacan, Pg 169) Thus, with the sliding of Sd under the Sr, the stress as hinted at earlier in Lacan is on the bar separating the Sr and the Sd; and the Sr of outrunning the Sd in its meaning generating potential. As if to diagrammatically show the primacy of the Sr over the Sd, Lacan uses S for Sr and s for the Sd. His eve ntual formulation is thus: S/s. This discussion on Lacans conceptualization of the sign therefore brings to light two crucial points- firstly, that the meaning of material reality is shaped by the chain of signification consisting of Srs. Secondly, the agency of the letter manifests in discourse/ the act of speech, as the dimension of truth of the subject is manifest (unconsciously) only through the message that speech allows. The message that Lacan speaks of harks Saussures distinction between langue and parole. A linguistic code is a set of prefabricated conventional possibilities which the speaker uses to communicate with an addressee: i.e. to create messages. It is in the nature of language that there is a dialectic tension, as Saussure points out and as Barthes elaborates, between code (langue) and message (parole), where the code only exists because of its ability to create messages. This message is only understood because of its relation to a given code. A message is a singular, meaningful unit of discourse. A code is an abstraction created by the analysta logic reconstructed from the materials provided by the message. Living in a certain environment we internalize sets of codes that affect our semiotic behaviour, whether we are aware of it or not. Drawing / painting is always coded because it requires a set of rule-governed transpositions, that are historical (perspectives, rules, etc). Drawing requires apprenticeship, learning. Drawing, hence, is a culture of a culture, according to Barthes. He agrees with Peirce in as much as he considers it a re-presentation. However, Barthes claimed that there is only one seeming exception to the rule no message without a code: the photographic image, because it shows us something reproduced without human intervention (by means of a mechanical-chemical process) as if certain aspects of nature were being communicated through a photographic message without any loss. The photographic message, for Barthes, is then a sign which can be a very complex structure that mixes forms (code) and materials (message) of representation. While Peirce would say that a photograph as an icon would be immediately intelligible without codes, Barthes emphasis is on the illusion of reality that a photograph seemin gly perpetrates, the photographic paradox, as it were. An example to substantiate Barthes argument is in order. The essay will use an Indian Wills Navy Cut (year, 2001) advertisement to rethink the formal organisation of texts and images in terms of the active comprehension of texts and images in context. This is the context that the idea of an advertisement enables. Barthes clarifies the denotation of the photograph thus- Certainly the image is not the reality but at least it is its perfect analogon and it is exactly this analogical perfection which, to common sense, defines the photograph (Barthes, Pg 14). The photograph is a mechanical analogon whose message is the scene itself, literal reality. In the image above, the very point of advertising cigarettes is to sell them. The main obstacle to selling cigarettes is consumers beliefs that cigarettes ruin their health. The most relevant thing a cigarette advertiser can do, given the point of advertising, is to attempt to modify, eliminate, or repress that belief. The linguistic caption with overtones of a sustaining reciprocity (between the cigarettes and the buyer at one level) made for each other- signals this repression. According to Barthes, there are two kinds of relationships between text and image: anchorage and relay. The caption made for each other anchors the meaning of the image by ca lling forth the intended denoted meanings of mutual sustenance. On the level of connotation, the linguistic message guides interpretation. The principal function of connotation is ideological: the text directs the reader through the signifieds of the image (towards a meaning chosen in advance- persuading the buyer to believe in the reciprocity hinted at, while conveniently sidelining the dangers of smoking). According to Barthes, ideology or myth consists of the deployment of signifiers for the purpose of expressing and justifying the dominant values of a given society, class or historical period (the signs express not just themselves, but also all kind of value systems that surround them). (Barthes, Pg 46) This is precisely what anchorage allows for. It ensures that the connoted message is not missed. In relay the text and the image are in a complementary relationship. Here, the text provides meaning not found in the image. This works at the level of a psychological arm-twist, forgive the metaphor, with the company more or less dictating the kind of residual impression an audience will take away from the advertisement. Both the words and images are fragments of a more general syntagm and the unity of the message is realized on a higher level. (Barthes, Pg 41) The message is loud and clear- committing the reader or viewer to acceptance of the relation of reciprocity communicated. Of particular significance here is the denotation- a statutory warning relegated and literally sidelined- Cigarette smoking is injurious to health. Denotation is the literal or obvious meaning or the first-order signifying system. It connotes the pressure on cigarette companies to seem socially responsible. Connotation refers to second-order signifying systems, additional cultural meanings we can also find from the image or text. The meaning garnered from this warning is firstly, a veneer of social responsibility that the company seeks to don and secondly, the pragmatic aim to not highlight something that is evidently counter-productive to the purpose of selling cigarettes. Peirce would call this a legisign in as much as it is a convention hinted at- that of self-interest in sidelining the warning combined with the legislative bindings on the company to include a statutory warning on its package. The coded message is thus the functioning of the advertisement within a larger moral uni verse dictated by conventionality. The anonymous and non-reciprocal nature of advertising makes it generally impossible for the consumer to challenge the advertisers relation to the linguistic claims made and connotations produced, though this is a handicap to advertisers as well as an asset. The impersonality results in connotations being hazardously attributed just because they are pragmatic implications. The image, for Barthes, is a series of discontinuous signs. It is possible to read the image (as Barthes does), to understand that it collects in a certain space (the cigarette pack) certain identifiable objects (a couple joyous at the prospect of a sumptuous and, importantly, healthy, meal). The coded iconic message that one takes away is joy, health, domesticity and vitality. The background colour- green- rich with its organic overtones continues with the act of repression. The photographic paradox, according to Barthes, lies in the spectators fascination with the here-now, for the photograph is never experienced as an illusion its reality [is] that of the having been there, for in every photograph there is always the stupefying evidence of this is how it was, giving us, by a precious miracle, a reality from which we are sheltered (Barthes, Pg 41). The repression is meant to achieve this for the company. The reality sheltered thus is the imminent danger of cigarette smoking. It should be stressed that however obvious it may be that something is an advertisement, there is always an inference to be made from the cue provided to the decision that something does indeed fill an advertising slot (i.e. count as an advertisement). What I want to stress is the (minimal) knowledge about advertising which the non-coded iconic message conveys. This message is that no matter what the symbolic connotations hinted at are, the products that are being marketed are cigarettes. It is a literal message as opposed to the previous symbolic ones. But it functions as the support of the symbolic messages. (Barthes, Pg 39) The crux of Barthes assertions seem to be that a photographic message ends up being extremely coded though initially one might conceptualize it as a message without a code. This recapitulates Lacans restroom example where meaning comes to reside in the enamel doors only when the Srs (inscriptions) intrude the doors material reality (apparently without any distinguishing codes prior to this linguistic intrusion). What the essay has sought to demonstrate in all theorists considered is that the linguistic system as a whole is not a representation of some extra-linguistic reality. What has also been shown is that there is one aspect of language that is representational. This has to be located within the larger debate that Saussure sparked when he said that Language is a system of signs that express ideas, and is therefore comparable to a system of writing, the alphabet of deaf-mutes, symbolic rites, polite formulas, military signals, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I shall call it semiology (from the Greek semeion, sign). Semiology would show what constitutes signs, what laws govern themà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Linguistics is only a part of the general science of semiology; the laws discovered by semiology will be applicable to linguistics. (Introduction to Saussures Course in General Linguistics, Pg XIV) Moreover, according to Saussure, the use of language has two dimensions which are activated simultaneously. When forming a sentence we make choices from existing paradigms (lists of alternatives, such as words or grammatical forms) and arranging them in syntagmatic relationships (word after word, etc.). There are rules that govern both. A signs value is determined by its paradigmatic and syntagmatic associations. (Saussure, Pg 123) According to Barthes, this principle can be extended to all kinds of sign systems, such as fashion (dressing up, we choose the clothes from different alternatives and create a syntagm, the combination of the clothes we wear). Hence, for him, every semiological system has its linguistic admixture. He inverts Saussures dictum saying instead that semiology is a part of linguistics. (Barthes, Introduction to Elements of Semiology, Pg 11) The problem then lies not in seeing objects as necessarily semiotic and extralinguistic facts, but, as the essay has shown, rather in assuming that these objects also have a linguistic facet in the sense that the Sr in the linguistic system either stands for them or the Sr points to them. The real problem lies, as Benveniste preempted, in discerning the inner structure of the phenomenon of which only the outward appearance is perceived (Benveniste, Pg 45) The reason why we believe that in ordinary discourse language represents reality is because the linguistic world is so powerful a force for us and the linguistic world seems so natural to us, that we assume that it must mirror some sort of non-cultural or non-linguistic reality. Because of the links between language and reality that Peirce, Lacan and Barthes alert us to, and because language seems for certain nouns to be simply nomenclature (a set of names for phenomena existing in other semiotic systems), the assumption that becomes rife is that all linguistic phenomena correlate with some sort of reality. But as Lacan tells us, in such cases the object is created by the word: the object exists and is differentiated from other objects because the word exists and not the other way around. Referents in this argument exist because they are creations of the linguistic system, a way of linguisticizing our semiotic experience- as both Saussure and Barthes envisaged in their divergent ways . The linguistic sign, then, is an intrinsically linguistic combination of a linguistically created Sr and a linguistically created Sd.