Road Warrior Essay Example

Road Warrior Essay Example Road Warrior Paper Road Warrior Paper Morons in Miami (and Other Cities and Countries, but Mostly Miami): Analysis of Dave Barry’s â€Å"Road Warrior† While driving on any road in America, and perhaps any other road on earth, motorists are not calm, not cool, not collected. They disobey the rules of the road by driving slowly in the left-hand lane; they disobey the rules of the road by trailing in extremely close vicinity behind the drivers ahead of them (so close that their front bumper occasionally collides with the alleged normal driver’s rear). Oblivious â€Å"MORONS† (76) would be a well-deserved name for these people according to Dave Barry and the â€Å"opinion-makers in the news media† (75). In the essay â€Å"Road Warrior,† Barry intertwines the use of a humorous and sarcastic tone as well as exaggeration to construct his argument that rage is an unnecessary, yet common, issue on the roads (in Miami) and beyond. Barry’s comical and satirical tone indicates the absurdity of the anger and hostility felt while traveling the highways. Beginning with a completely bizarre statement, Dave Barry writes: â€Å"If you do much driving on our nation’s highways, you’ve probably noticed that, more and more often, bullets are coming through your windshield† (75). Unless on an on an episode of Cops, Barry’s statement is truly fabricated. He explains that this effect of Road Rage is caused mainly by â€Å"the realization that many†¦motorists have the same brain structure as a cashew† (76). Seeming irrational, Barry reveals that even the National Institute of Traffic Safety believes that most motorists are MORONS. To continue his sardonic attitude, Dave Barry declares that these MORONS â€Å"drive in the left-hand†¦lane, even though they are going slower than everybody else† (76). In Barry’s mind, there is a possibility that â€Å"[these moronic drivers] belong to some kind of religious cult that believes the right lane is sacred and must never come in direct contact with tires,† or there is another possibility that at one point, while driving in the left lane, â€Å"their favorite song came on the radio;† since then â€Å"they’ve driven over there†¦in hopes that the radio will play that song again† (76). Barry’s rib-tickling thoughts of Road Rage transform into sidesplitting views of Shopping Cart Rage and Way Too Many Product Choices Rage. He clarifies that Shopping Cart Rage is generated by â€Å"the same people who always drive [slowly] in the left-hand lane† (77). These people accidentally place their cart in such a way that it â€Å"[blocks] the entire aisle† (77). Yet again, Barry utilizes his ysterical tone and jokes that â€Å"if [the government] really wants to keep illegal immigrants from entering the United States, [they] should employ Miami residents armed with shopping carts†¦to block the Mexican border† (77). Way Too Many Product Choices Rage adds to the congestion in supermarkets. Barry personally knows that this rage results from the fact that â€Å"every product†¦comes in an insane number of styles and sizes† (77). He highlights a recent situation in which he needed Tropicana Orange Juice: I had to decide whether I wanted Original, HomeStyle, Pulp Plus, Double Vitamin C, Grovestand, Calcium, or Old-Fashioned; I also had to decide whether I wanted the 16-ounce, 32-ounce, 64-ounce, 96-ounce, or six-pack size†¦I would have called Tropicana and complained, but I probably would have wound up experiencing Automated Phone Answering System Rage (â€Å"†¦For questions about Pulp Plus in the 32-ounce size, press 23. For questions about Pulp Plus in the 64-ounce size, press 24. For questions about†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) (77). Here, Dave Barry demonstrates how too many choices can easily lead to anger. When all the heart desires is a container of Tropicana Orange Juice and thirty-five choices exist, all different styles and amounts, the heart becomes confused. In the end, confusion leads to frustration and Way Too Many Product Choices Rage. Barry hints that in the supermarket, Way Too Many Product Choices Rage is a serious problem: â€Å"If you do much† shopping in today’s supermarkets, â€Å"you’ve probably noticed that, more and more often,† hazardously thrown cereal boxes are flying through the air (75). These boxes are thrown by MORONS (the same people who perfectly position their shopping carts to block the entire aisle). Still remaining sarcastic and witty, Barry adds in a little exaggeration. He first labels himself as one of the few â€Å"Miami drivers who actually† uses the passing lane correctly (76). Barry writes mockingly that while wandering the highways he â€Å"[finds himself] constantly†¦trapped behind people drifting along on the interstate at the speed of diseased livestock, while at the same time [he is] being tailgated and occasionally bumped from behind by† unstable adolescents and their sound systems (76). Other drivers are too busy â€Å"[holding] family reunions, [barbequing] pigs, [and playing] volleyball† to notice their slow speed (76). His replica rage begins to surface when Barry complains that â€Å"nobody EVER signals or yields, and people are CONSTANTLY cutting [others] off† (77). Creating a unique hyperbole, his capitalization illustrates the rage felt by many drivers on the highway and in parking lots. While searching for a spot to park, drivers usually â€Å"see people get into their car, clearly ready to leave, so [they] stop [their] car and wait for [the person] to vacate the spot, and†¦nothing happens! (77) At this point, Dave Barry describes extreme Parking Lot Rage as the point when the waiting driver shrieks: â€Å"WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING IN THERE!! COOKING DINNER † (77) The capital letters and repeated punctuation create a successful overemphasis of Parking Lot Rage. The so-called normal (not insane) response to a dilemma similar to t his would almost certainly consist of nothing but the question: What’s taking so long? Dave Barry effectively proves that road rage is avoidable, while still confirming its inevitability. While pulling into their driveways, motorists are calm, cool, collected. They become relieved to be off the dangerous roads where MORONS tailgate while idiots drive too slowly. Dave Barry pointed out in his essay that â€Å"there are many causes for rage in [the] modern world† (77). He makes one last witty and contradictory statement by explaining how all drivers need to â€Å"avoid unnecessary violence† in order to â€Å"keep [their] cool† (77). And what if they don’t listen? â€Å"[He] will kill [them]† (77).

Visions and Visits

Visions and Visits Visions and Visits Visions and Visits By Mark Nichol Vision and visit both pertain to seeing something, and that’s no coincidence, because they are cognates, both stemming from the Latin verb videre, meaning â€Å"see.† A discussion of the words, their variations, and some related terms follows. The word vision describes the literal ability to see and the figurative sense of something conjured by the imagination as if it is seen or even merely contemplated (the original connotation), as well as the act or power of seeing or imagination. In addition, the word refers to the quality of discernment or foresight, a sense that arose only about a century ago. A vision is also something seen, including a particularly charming or lovely person, place, or thing. Little-used adjectival and adverbial forms are visional and visionally. Someone with discernment or foresight is called a visionary. Other words in the vision family include envision, a verb meaning â€Å"picture.† Something that can be seen is visible (the adverbial form is visibly), and the quality of being able to be seen, whether on a practical level or in the sense of celebrity, is visibility; the antonym is invisibility. The adjective visual refers to the faculty or process of sight, and the adverbial form is visually. Visualize is the verb form, and something visualized is a visualization. (The British English spellings are visualise and visualisation.) Something that does not involve sight is nonvisual. Related compounds are television (a compound of the Greek word tele, meaning â€Å"far off,† and vision), audiovisual (an adjective referring to technology that enables sight and sound), and proper nouns such as VistaVision, the brand name of an obsolete form of wide-screen cinematography. Several words referring to the face include the syllable vis, which stems from videre and refers to one’s appearance or face, including visage, a noun that is a synonym for â€Å"face,† and visor, originally a reference to the part of a helmet covering the entire head that protects the eyes (and later to an eyeshade). Envisage is a synonym for envision. (A related term is the adopted French term visvis, meaning â€Å"face to face,† which in English is a preposition meaning â€Å"face to face with† or â€Å"in relation to† or â€Å"compared with.† Less commonly, it is a noun referring to a counterpart or a person one is on a date with, or an intimate conversation, as well as an adverb meaning â€Å"together.†) Visit began as a verb describing someone attending on another to benefit or comfort and later came to refer to one or more people paying a call to one or more others, as well as the sense of afflicting or coming on to (as in the biblical verse â€Å"The sins of the fathers are visited on the sons†). Later, it became a noun describing the instance of paying a call. One who visits is a visitor (the term, for example, refers to members of a sports team coming from somewhere else to compete with the home team), and a visitation is an instance of an official visit (or is an adjective referring to such a visit). Visit, visitor, and visitation also have a connotation of an examination or inspection of a place of religion. To revisit is to consider something a second time; it is generally not used to mean literally â€Å"visit again.† The verb advise and the noun advice, referring to recommendations given, ultimately derive from videre by way of the Old French term avis, meaning â€Å"idea,† â€Å"judgment,† or â€Å"view.† Advisory is the adjectival form as well as a noun referring to a report that gives advice or suggests a course of action. (Despite that spelling, adviser is favored over advisor to describe someone who does so.) To supervise is literally to look over, to manage or monitor an area or a procedure; the act of doing so is supervision and the actor is a supervisor, and the adjectival form is supervisory. Meanwhile, revise means â€Å"look again† and refers to changing something- generally, something written- that one (or someone else) has produced; the adjective is revised, and the noun for the act is revision. (There is no direct actor noun, although one might be referred to as a reviewer.) To improvise is to do something unprepared or to make something using available resources; the act is improvisation. Words from other languages that stem from videre include visa, from the Modern Latin phrase charta visa, which literally means â€Å"paper that has been seen† and refers to a document or to a sticker or stamp in a passport that confirms authorization to visit a foreign country, and vista, from the Italian word for â€Å"sight† or â€Å"view,† which refers to a prospect or a view of a landscape or seascape. A subsequent post will discuss words stemming from videre that do not include the element vis. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should Know8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesThe Difference Between "Shade" and "Shadow"

Should fighting be banned from hockey Explain your reasoning Essay

Should fighting be banned from hockey Explain your reasoning - Essay Example Recently NHL has been banning fights, but as said earlier, the fights remain to be a main attraction in hockey games. While the NHL does not necessarily approve of the violence in the game, there are some unwritten rules in hockey and most of them have something to do with fighting. On the other side of the coin there are also written rules when playing hockey, and some of it are (McNaughton 1): 1) not being the third man in; 2) not leaving the bench to join the fight and 3) dropping of gloves and stick if someone intends to enter into an altercation. There are definitely penalties for getting into fights like being ejected or suspended; and all players must adhere to the rules or they are subjected to additional penalties which are generally known as misconducts. Another article claims that hockey fighting should not be banned in the game because hockey is a physical sport and things are expected to get rough now and again. But nobody likes to see a player get seriously hurt during or after a brawl (Ruth 1). Revising the rule calls for imposing correct restrictions that if a player gets out of line or intentionally hurts another player, then â€Å"he must be put in his proper place.† John Buccigross says he finds it hard to believe that hockey fans merely go to the games and watch it because of the expected fights, which if they do happen is usually short lived (1). He goes on to suggest that to avoid head and face injuries, hockey players should wear full facial protective gears. Buccigross also pointed out that enforcers within the games are needed to protect the star players who play in order to win the game. He likewise states that even if the NHL bans fighting in the games, there would still be fights due to the tensions and expectation of the players. Rick Sadowski of Rocky Mountain News similarly commented that there will always be fighting in hockey games even if the league officials impose sanctions like automatic

Business Ethics on Software Piracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics on Software Piracy - Essay Example Piracy is very difficult to stop, and software companies are at a loss as to how to stop major offenders. Although new measures are continually being tested, so far these have proven either cumbersome to paying clients or ineffective altogether. According to Mitchell (2003), "the illegal copying of software is considered by some international business experts to provide an interesting glimpse into the overall maturity of the business ethics of a region" (p.136). Historically, this inference holds true particularly in relation to the socio-economic development of a region. While locations such as Vietnam and China had a near-frivolous 100% piracy rate, in North America it was a much more acceptable 25%. Given these facts, it is illustrated that the better developed a country, the less prone it would be to software piracy. Perhaps it may be connected to the fact that the protected delivery of technology is so easily sidetracked that so many people are tempted to get a free copy. After all, who would say no to a freebie right In today's rapidly changing information highway, software is so readily accessible that anyone can do it. A few clicks on Google and one would be on his merry way. For the heavier protected software from the bigger companies, a more tech-savvy individual could source out illicit versions from numerous hacker websites which have proliferated the Internet. Actually some computer software companies have given up on curtailing piracy and instead utilize a concept called "shareware", where software is distributed for free but consumers are enjoined to make a small "donation" in good faith. As more and more users are switching to these free downloads, the situation is slowly becoming a serious business ethics issue that is both awkward and tricky to address. Existing piracy laws are lackadaisical at best, and only target users on a large scale. But for the small business, the prospect of saving a couple thousand dollars for relevant office software is quite appealing. - more so if the likelihood of getting caught is next to nil. Given the relative ease that one can download illicit software online, the morality and ethics of the matter comes into the forefront. Armed with the fact that some full-scale business in such countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam run completely on pirated software (Mitchell, 152), how does one exactly regulate this when officials in these countries turn a blind eye, and piracy is slowly becoming an accepted part of the culture Perhaps these Southeast Asian countries should follow the lead of the United States, who has been at the short end of the stick of the entire piracy industry. As mentioned earlier, the country has the lowest piracy rate and yet is the hardest hit. Is this short of saying that the level of business ethics and compliance is miles away compared to developing countries Can it be argued that what we are seeing is an illustration of stringent ethics being practiced as a whole from a cultural perspective, and that other locales simply lag behind and do not give much importance to it In the U.S., an April 2001 survey showed that 82 percent of corporations monitored employee communication, 82 percent had a formal written policy on email usage and 77 percent had one on Internet use ( Mitchell, 137). These same companies cite legal liability as the top reason, but recognized that banning personal

History of Football Essay Example for Free

History of Football Essay Football, American, distinct type of football that developed in the United States in the 19th century from soccer (association football) and rugby football. Played by professionals and amateurs (generally male college or high school teams), football is one of the most popular American sports, attracting thousands of participants and millions of spectators annually. The forerunner of American football may have been a game played by the ancient Greeks, called harpaston. In this game there was no limit to the number of players. The object was to move a ball across a goal line by kicking, throwing, or running with it. Classical literature contains detailed accounts of the game, including its rougher elements, such as ferocious tackling. Most modern versions of football, however, originated in England, where a form of the game was known in the 12th century. In subsequent centuries football became so popular that various English monarchs, including Edward II and Henry VI, forbade the game because it took interest away from the military sport of archery. By the middle of the 19th century football had split into two distinct entities. Still popular today, these two sports included the football association game, or soccer (the word being a slang adaptation of the three letters, s-o-c, in Association), and rugby, in which players ran with the ball and tackled. Modern football evolved out of these two sports. The Playing Field and the Ball The football playing field is rectangular in shape, measuring 100 yd (91. 4 m) long and 53. 5 yd (48. 9 m) wide. At both ends of the 100-yard dimension, white lines called goal lines mark off the entrances to the end zones. Each team defends one end zone. A team must carry, pass, or kick the ball into the 10-yd (9-m) end zone on the opponents half of the field to score. Lines parallel to the end zones cross the field at 5-yd (4. 5-m) intervals. These lines give the field a resemblance to a large gridiron. Another set of lines, known as the sidelines, runs along both sides of the field. In addition, two rows of lines, called hash marks, run parallel to the sidelines. The hash marks are 53 ft 4 in (16. 3 m) from each sideline in college and high school football, and 70 ft 9 in (21. 6 m) from each sideline in the National Football League (NFL). Each play must begin on or between the hash marks. Before each play, the officials place the ball either between the hash marks or on the hash mark closest to the end of the previous play. Situated in the middle of the rear line of each end zone are goalposts, consisting of a 10-ft (3-m) vertical pole topped by a horizontal crossbar from which two vertical upright posts extend. In college and professional football, the posts are 18 ft 6 in (about 5. 6 m) apart. The football consists of an inflated rubber bladder encased in a leather or rubber cover. The ball is an extended spheroid, having a circumference of 28. 5 in (72. 4 cm) around the long axis and 21. 25 in (54 cm) around the short axis. It weighs between 14 and 15 oz (397 and 425 g). Playing Time A game of football is divided into four periods, known as quarters, each consisting of 15 minutes of playing time. The first two periods constitute the first half; the second two comprise the second half. Between the halves, a rest period, usually lasting about 15 minutes, is permitted the players, who may leave the field. The teams change halves of the field at the end of each quarter. The clocks stop at the end of each quarter and at certain other times, when particular events occur or when designated by the officials. The Players Football is played by two opposing teams, each fielding 11 players. Each team tries to move the ball down the field to score in the end zone defended by its opponents. During a football game the teams are designated as the offensive team (the team in possession of the ball) and the defensive team (the team defending a goal line against the offensive team). Players involved in kicking situations are known as the special teams. The 11 players of the offensive team are divided into two groups: 7 linemen, who play on the line of scrimmage (an imaginary line designating the position of the ball) and a backfield of 4 players, called backs, who stand in various positions behind the linemen. The lineman whose position is in the middle of the line is called the center. On his left is the left guard and on his right is the right guard. On the left of the left guard is the left tackle, and on the right of the right guard is the right tackle; similarly, on the ends of the line are the tight end and the split end. The back who usually  stands directly behind the center and directs the play of the offensive team is known as the quarterback. In a balanced backfield formation, or â€Å"T-formation,† the fullback stands behind the quarterback, and the left and right halfbacks stand to either side of the fullback. Teams often use wide receivers in the place of tight ends, split ends, halfbacks, or fullbacks. Wide receivers line up on the line of scrimmage but wide of the rest of the formation. The defensive team consists of a row of linemen, who comprise the defensive line, a row of linebackers, and a collection of defensive backs, known as the secondary. The defensive line can use any number of players, though most teams use three or four linemen. Defensive linemen principally are responsible for stopping the oppositions rushing attack and, in passing situations, putting pressure on the quarterback. The linebackers line up behind the defensive line and, depending on the situation, are used to stop runners, pressure the quarterback, or cover the oppositions receivers. Teams usually employ three or four linebackers. The secondary is comprised of cornerbacks, who cover wide receivers, and safeties, who cover receivers, offer support in stopping the rushing attack, and pressure the quarterback. The secondary commonly consists of two cornerbacks and two safeties. Protective Equipment To protect themselves from the often violent bodily contact that characterizes football, players wear elaborate equipment, including lightweight plasticized padding covering the thighs, hips, shoulders, knees, and often the forearms and hands. Players also wear plastic helmets with guards that cover most of the face. The Officials Play is supervised by impartial officials. Professional and major college football programs use seven officials: a referee, an umpire, a linesman, a field judge, a back judge, a line judge, and a side judge. The officials carry whistles and yellow penalty flags. They blow the whistles or throw the flags to indicate that an infraction of the rules has been committed. The referee is in charge of the game at all levels of play. The referee supervises the other officials, decides on all matters not under other officials specific jurisdiction, and enforces penalties. The referee indicates when the ball is dead (out of play) and when it may again be put into play, and uses hand signals to indicate specific decisions and penalties. The umpire makes decisions on questions concerning the players equipment, their conduct, and their positioning. The principal duty of the linesman is to mark the position of the ball at the end of each play. The linesman has assistants who measure distances gained or lost, using a device consisting of two vertical markers connected by a chain or cord 10 yd (9 m) long. The linesman must particularly watch for violations of the rule requiring players to remain in certain positions before the ball is put into play. The field judge times the game, using a stopwatch for this purpose. In some cases, the stadium scoreboard has a clock that is considered official. Game Procedure At the beginning of each game, the referee tosses a coin in the presence of the two team captains to determine which team kicks off or receives the kickoff. At the start of the second half, these conditions are reversed—that is, the team that kicks off in the first half receives the kickoff to start the second half. During the kickoff, the ball is put in play by a place-kick from the kicking teams 35-yd (32-m) line, or the 30-yd (27. 4-m) line in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL kickoff was moved from the 35-yd line in 1994 to increase the importance of the kickoff return. The kicking team lines up at or behind the ball, while the opponents spread out over their territory in a formation calculated to help them to catch the ball and run it back effectively. If the kick stays within the boundaries of the field, any player on the receiving team may catch the ball, or pick it up on a bounce, and run with it. As the player runs, the player may be tackled by any opponent and stopped, known as being downed. The player carrying the ball is considered downed when one knee touches the ground. Tacklers use their hands and arms to stop opponents and throw them to the ground. After the ball carrier is stopped, the referee blows a whistle to stop play and places the ball on the spot where the runner was downed. Play also stops when the ball carrier runs out of bounds. A scrimmage (action while the ball is in play) then takes place. Before scrimmage begins, the team on offense usually gathers in a circle, called a huddle, and discusses the next play it will use to try to advance the ball. A coach either signals the play choice  to the team from the sidelines, or the teams quarterback chooses from among the dozens of rehearsed plays in the teams repertoire. The defensive team also forms a huddle and discusses its next attempt to slow the offense. Each play is designated by code numbers or words, called signals. After the teams come out of their respective huddles, they line up opposite each other on the line of scrimmage. If the quarterback analyzes the defensive alignment and decides that the chosen play should be changed, the quarterback can call an audible and shout the coded directions for a new play. Play begins when the center crouches over the ball and, on a spoken signal, snaps it—generally to the quarterback—by handing it between his legs. Based upon the chosen play, the quarterback can pass the ball, hand it off to a teammate, or run with it. During the scrimmage, the players on the offensive team may check the defenders using their bodies, but they are constrained by specific rules regarding the use of their hands or arms. The player running with the ball, however, is allowed to use an arm to ward off potential tacklers. The offensive players check defenders, or try to force them out of the way, by performing a maneuver known as blocking. Good blocking is considered a fundamental technique in football. Perhaps the most spectacular offensive play is the forward pass, in which the ball is thrown in a forward direction to an eligible player. The ball is nearly always thrown by the quarterback, and those who may catch it include the other three backs and the two ends. A forward pass may be made only during scrimmage, and then only from behind the line of scrimmage. A lateral pass may be made anywhere on the field anytime the ball is in play. The defending team tries to prevent the attacking team from advancing the ball. The defending players may use their arms and hands in their attempt to break through the opponents line to reach the player with the ball. The defending team tries to keep the offense from gaining any distance, or to stop the offense for a loss by tackling the ball carrier before the ball carrier reaches the line of scrimmage. The offense must advance the ball at least 10 yards (9 m) in four tries, called downs. After each play, the teams line up again and a new scrimmage takes place. If the team on offense fails to travel 10 yards (9 m) in four downs, it must surrender the ball to its opponent after the fourth down. A team will often punt on fourth down if it hasnt gained at least 10 yards (9 m) in its previous three tries. In punting, the kicker drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. By punting, a team can send the ball farther away from its own end zone before surrendering it, thus weakening the opponents field position. Methods of Scoring. The object of the game is to score more points than the opposing team within the regulation playing time. In college football, a game can end in a tie if both teams have scored the same number of points at the end of regulation time. In case of a tie in an exhibition or regular-season professional game, the teams play an overtime period, known as sudden death, in which the first team to score is declared the winner. If neither team has scored at the end of this 15-minute overtime period, then the tie is allowed to stand. In professional playoff games no ties are allowed, and the teams play until one scores. A team scores a touchdown when one of its players carries the ball into the opposing teams end zone or catches a pass in the end zone. A touchdown is worth 6 points. After a team has scored a touchdown, it tries for an extra-point conversion. This is an opportunity to score an additional one or two points with no time elapsing off the game clock. In college football, the offensive team lines up 3 yd (2. 7 m) from the goal line of the opponents and passes, kicks, or runs with the ball. A running or passing conversion in which the ball crosses the goal line counts for 2 points. A conversion by place-kick that propels the ball between the goalposts and over the crossbar counts for 1 point. In professional football, the offensive team lines up 2 yd (1. 8 m) from the goal line. A conversion attempted by place-kicking the ball is worth 1 point. In 1994 the NFL introduced the running or passing 2-point conversion. On offense, teams may also attempt to score by kicking a field goal, which counts for 3 points. A field goal is scored by means of a place-kick, in which one player holds the ball upright on the ground for a teammate to kick. For a successful field goal, the ball must be kicked between the goalposts and over the crossbar. After each field goal and extra-point conversion, the scoring team must kick off to its opponents. Finally, a defensive team earns two points for a safety when it causes the team on offense to end a play in possession of the ball behind its own goal line. If the offensive team downs the ball behind its line intentionally, in certain situations, such as after receiving a kickoff, the play is known as a touchback and does not count in the scoring. When the offensive team suffers a safety, it must punt the ball to the opponents to restart play. Modern Football American football was made popular by teams representing colleges and universities. These teams dominated the game for most of the first 100 years of football in the United States. Even today, despite greatly increased interest in professional football, intercollegiate contests—played by some 640 team—are attended by more than 35 million spectators each year. Many college stadiums hold more than 50,000 spectators; one stadium, at the University of Michigan, holds more than 100,000. Many of the major universities are now grouped in conferences, such as the Big Ten (northern midwest), the Big Eight (midwest), the Pacific Ten (western states), the Southeastern Conference, and the Ivy League (northeast). The birth date of football in the United States is generally regarded by football historians as November 6, 1869, when teams from Rutgers and Princeton universities met in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for the first intercollegiate football game. In the early games, each team used 25 players at a time. By 1873 the number was reduced to 20 players, in 1876 to 15 players, and in 1880 to 11 players, where it has remained. In the 1900s, college football became one of the countrys most popular sports spectacles. Ranked among the greatest United States sports heroes of the 20th century are such student athletes as Jim Thorpe of Carlisle Institute; George Gipp of the University of Notre Dame; Red Grange of the University of Illinois; Tom Harmon of the University of Michigan; Doak Walker of Southern Methodist University; Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, the â€Å"Touchdown Twins† of Army (the U. S. Military Academy); Joe Namath of the University of Alabama; and O. J. Simpson of the University of Southern California. In 1935 the Downtown Athletic Club of New York City established an award honoring one of the outstanding college football coaches in the country, John William Heisman. Heisman is credited with legalizing the forward pass in 1906. The John W. Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the outstanding college player of the year, as decided by a national poll of sportswriters. After World War II ended in 1945, college athletes began to receive football scholarships, often paying the players room, board, tuition, and incidental expenses while enrolled in college. College Bowl Games and National Champions. College teams generally play about 11 games during the fall. The best college teams are awarded trips to so-called bowl games, matching outstanding teams in games that conclude the seasons competition. The tradition was begun in 1902 at Pasadena, California, when Stanford University invited the University of Michigan to come to California for a New Years Day contest. This event soon became the celebrated Rose Bowl game. Bowl games now represent the climax of the college season. Other notable bowl games include the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas; the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida; and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana. In recognition of the great public interest in these games, major corporations now sponsor many of the bowls. Today, the champion college team is selected by national polls of coaches and sportswriters. In the accompanying table, the teams from 1889 to 1923 were Helms Athletic Foundation selections; from 1924 to 1930, Rissman Trophy winners; from 1931 to 1935, Rockne Memorial Trophy winners; from 1936 to today, Associated Press (AP) poll selections; and from 1950 to today, United Press International (UPI) poll selections. In cases where two teams won the honor in separate AP and UPI polls, a note has been made. Many members of the football community debate whether a poll of writers and coaches should determine a champion or whether the colleges should institute a more formal playoff system. Detractors of a playoff system argue that with such a system, the popular bowl games would lose their identity. In addition, players seasons would extend by one or two months, cutting into academic time. However, advocates for a playoff point to the controversial 1993 season in which the Florida State Seminoles won the number-one ranking over Notre Dame, a team that beat the Seminoles convincingly earlier in the season. Beginnings of Professional Football The first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between a team representing Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania. In the following ten years many professional teams were formed, including the Duquesnes of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Olympics of McKeesport, Pennsylvania; the Bulldogs of Canton, Ohio; and the team of Massillon, Ohio. Among noted college players who took up the professional game during its early years were Willie Heston (formerly at the University of Michigan), Jim Thorpe (Carlisle Institute), Knute Rockne (University of Notre Dame), and Fritz Pollard (Brown University). The professional game attracted only limited public support during its first 30 years. The first league of professional football teams was the American Professional Football Association, formed in 1920. The admission fee was $100 per team. The teams pledged not to use any student player who still had collegiate eligibility left, as the good will of the colleges was believed to be essential to survival. The teams also agreed not to tamper with each others players. Jim Thorpe, a player-coach for one of the teams, became president of the league during its first year. The American Professional Football Association gave way in 1922 to the National Football League (NFL). Red Grange, the famous halfback from the University of Illinois, provided a tremendous stimulus for the league when he joined the Chicago Bears in 1925 and toured the United States that year and the next. His exciting play drew large crowds. Thereafter, professional football attracted larger numbers of first-rate college players, and the increased patronage made the league economically viable. Strategically, the early NFL game was hardly distinguishable from college football at that time. There was no attempt to break away from collegiate playbooks or rule books. For 13 years the NFL followed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee recommendations. In the leagues early years, players considered the low-paying NFL a part-time job and held other jobs during the day. Thus, while college coaches could drill their players daily for hours, professional football coaches arranged practices in the evenings, sometimes only three or four times a week. Development of Offensive Strategies The offensive techniques and formations prevalent in the contemporary game developed from the ideas of early and mid-20th century coaches such as Walter Camp, Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding â€Å"Hurry Up† Yost, Bob Zuppke, Knute Rockne, and Paul Brown. Following very few historical precedents, these men innovated unique strategies that changed the nature of football forever. Stagg, operating out of the early T-formation, originated the between-the-legs snap from center to quarterback and put a player in motion in the backfield before the snap of the ball. In 1906 Warner unbalanced his line, placing four players on one side of the center and two on the other side, while shifting the backfield into a wing formation. The quarterback functioned as a blocker, set close behind the line and a yard wide of the center. At the same depth, but outside the line, was the wingback. Deep in the backfield was the tailback, who received most of the snaps, and in front and to the side was the fullback. This formation became known as the â€Å"Single-Wing,† and it remained footballs basic formation until the 1940s. From the Single-Wing emerged Warners â€Å"Double-Wing,† with wingbacks set wide on either side of the line. This formation forced the defense to spread itself across the field in order to protect against the pass, thus creating favorable conditions for the offense to execute unexpected running plays. The strategy is the same as todays â€Å"draw† and â€Å"end-around† concepts, but Warners teams could also pass from the formation. Warner would also open up the lines completely, splitting the ends into modern â€Å"slot† positions, inside the wingbacks. This was a four-receiver formation that evolved into the â€Å"Shotgun† offense, popularized by the San Francisco 49ers of 1960. Like the double-wing, the â€Å"Shotgun† utilized two wideouts and two slot players, with the passer set deep in the backfield next to a running back. The NFLs newest formation of the 1990s, the â€Å"Run and Shoot† offense, also resembles Warners formation. With Warners innovations, wing formations came to dominate the NFL. Coach Zuppke at Illinois ran single- and double-wing formations, often sending four or five receivers downfield in pass patterns. Some teams would use a short-punt formation, with the quarterback and wings set on different sides, providing a more balanced look. At Notre Dame in 1923 and 1924, Rockne instituted his famous Four Horsemen offense. At the beginning of a play, Rockne set up the backs in a four-square, box alignment on one side. Then, in the famous â€Å"Notre Dame Shift,† the backs would shift out of the box and into a single or double wing. In later years, other coaches imitated Rocknes innovation and achieved similar success. For example, former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs implemented an offensive strategy called the â€Å"Explode Package. † Modeled after Rocknes Notre Dame Shift, the Explode Package helped the Redskins defeat the Miami Dolphins in the 1983 Super Bowl. In Gibbss system, the backs and receivers would jump into new positions before the snap, thus unsettling the defense. Although talented, the quarterbacks of the 1930s and parts of the 1940s seldom completed 50 percent of their passes, while many were even less successful. A major cause of these low percentages was the primitive nature of pass-blocking schemes. With little protection, passers always had to throw while avoiding incoming rushers. In the 1940s Paul Brown, the coach of the Cleveland Browns, installed a blocking system which transformed the passing game forever. Brown changed the system by arranging the linemen in the form of a cup. They pushed most incoming pass-rushers to the outside. Anyone who penetrated the line was met by a firmly planted fullback named Marion Motley. From that point on, the passing game achieved a new significance. Other teams implemented strong blocking lines, providing the quarterback with more time to release the ball. The contemporary game of the 1980s and 1990s is noted for its exciting and effective passing plays in both the professional and college ranks. Artificial turf, the surface in many of the nations stadiums, provides excellent footing for quarterbacks and receivers. With strong protection, talented quarterbacks make a perceivable difference to a game. For example, quarterback Joe Montana keyed the San Francisco 49ers three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Montana, who benefited from good protection, could instinctively read defenses and had the ability to deliver the ball accurately to his receivers while on the move. In college football, the University of Miami Hurricanes dominated the game in the late 1980s with a flashy passing game and a quick defense that could react effectively to the pass. Development of Defensive Strategies One striking aspect of modern football is its emphasis on defense as well as offense. This trend began after World War II (1939-1945), when college teams were allowed free substitution of players—that is, a player could enter and leave the game an unlimited number of times, as long as the ball was not in play during the substitution. This feature of the game led to the modern two-platoon system, in which one group of 11 players enters the game to play offense and a second group enters to play defense. Such a system has fostered the development of individual skills and specialization among players. Defensive football has acquired an extensive terminology of its own. In some ways defense is more complicated than offense, because defensive teams have fewer restrictions on their manner of lining up. Generally, however, the defensive formation is determined by the way the offense lines up. For example, when defending against opponents who are expected to throw many forward passes, a team might use a formation with a four-player line of two ends and two tackles. Three linebackers would stand directly behind the front four. In addition, two cornerbacks placed wider and farther back could defend against mid-range assaults. Two safeties would position themselves deeper to protect against longer aerial attacks. Most of the innovative thinking by coaches in the NFL during the 1970s came on defense. Offensive statistics plummeted as defenses dominated. The newer game demanded speed at every position, in addition to strength and bulk. Great linebacker units with catchy names such as Doomsday in Dallas, Pittsburghs Steel Curtain, Minnesotas Purple People Eaters, and the Rams Fearsome Foursome dominated offenses. Teams turned the free safety position over to ferocious hitters such as the Raiders Jack Tatum and Dallas Cliff Harris. Rough, physical cornerbacks such as Pittsburghs Mel Blount and Oaklands Willie Brown employed tight bump-and-run techniques on receivers downfield. Professional Football Today. The present-day NFL game is immensely popular. It is played during the late summer, through autumn, and into January. Professional teams play 4 exhibition games before the start of the regular season, followed by 16 games in the regular season and then playoff games, when they qualify for the playoffs. Teams play one game each week, using the time between games to recover, practice, and prepare for the next game. Each team receives one week without a game, known as a bye, during the season. The NFL is a big business for players, owners, advertisers, and other industries tied to the sport. NFL franchises generate huge revenues for host cities, in addition to promoting civic pride and national exposure. Thus, cities often compete for teams, offering prospective teams bigger and better stadiums, guaranteed fan support, and various economic incentives. In the 1980s three NFL teams relocated: the Raiders moved from Oakland, California, to Los Angeles in 1982; the Colts moved from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1984; and the Cardinals moved from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1988. Other teams have agreed to stay only with the promise of new facilities by their host cities. Throughout the years, other consortiums have sought to capitalize on the economic potential of the sport. For three years in the 1980s a new professional spring league, the United States Football League (USFL), competed with the NFL. The NFL lost players to the USFL, and NFL teams had to pay higher salaries to keep other players from leaving. However, the USFL soon folded, with much of its more talented personnel entering the NFL. Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the final contest of the professional season and determines the leagues annual champion. Currently the Super Bowl routinely finishes among the all-time top 50 programs in television ratings, and the 1994 game reached an estimated 750 million viewers around the world. Now probably the most important single-day sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl had more modest beginnings. In 1967 the champions of the American Football League (which merged with the NFL in 1970) and the NFL met in what was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The name was later shortened to Super Bowl, named after a childs toy, the Super Ball. In this first game, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. The Los Angeles Coliseum, site of the game, fell far short of a sellout, although tickets were only $10 each. In comparison, the highest ticket price at the 1994 Super Bowl reached $250, with scalpers illegally charging more than twice that much. Rule Changes and Modern Developments The game of football has a history of constant rule changes. Rule changes have been implemented to bolster the excitement of the game of football and to increase the games safety. By 1906 the game was extremely rough, and many injuries and some deaths had occurred. Educators considered dropping the sport despite its popularity on campuses. United States President Theodore Roosevelt, an ardent advocate of strenuous sports, declared that the game must be made safer. As a result, football leaders revamped the game, and many of the rougher tactics were outlawed. In a constant attempt to maintain public interest in the game, NFL rulemakers review trends in their sport. For example, in the early 1970s, the rulemakers brought the hash marks in closer to the center of the field to give offenses more room to throw wide. The move, which increased scoring and made the game more exciting, also helped bolster the running game. Ten NFL runners gained more than 1000 yards in one season (1972) for the first time in history. During the next season, Buffalo Bills running back O. J. Simpson rushed for more than 2000 yards, the first time a player had gained that many yards in a single season. However, the passing game eventually suffered as defenses quickly adjusted. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a stranglehold on the NFL during the 1970s, with four Super Bowl victories. The dominant defensive athletes the Steelers put on the field shut down the wide-open passing attacks that had developed in the previous era. By 1977 scoring was the lowest it had been since 1942, while offensive touchdowns had fallen to their lowest levels since 1938. The rulemakers enacted serious measures after this low-scoring 1977 season, fearing a loss of public interest in the defense-dominated game. They established a zone of only five yards from the line of scrimmage in which a bump by a pass defender was permitted.

Inconsistency in Hamlet Essay -- The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

William Shakespeare undoubtedly achieved one of his greatest characterizations when he created the role of Hamlet, in the tragic play Hamlet. Hamlet's appeal to audiences almost certainly stems from his many human weaknesses. The one for which he is best known is indecisiveness, but his inconsistency may well be an even more outstanding characteristic. T. S. Eliot, in 1932, wrote an essay on Hamlet that is still cited as a noted critique of Shakespeare's great tragedy. Eliot argued that Hamlet is an artistic failure, due to a basic weakness in the play. It was his contention that a playwright owes a duty to the audience to write dialogue appropriate to characters as they have been developed in the drama. Eliot made the point that in the "Closet Scene," when Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude, his mother, in her bedchamber, his words demonstrate an animosity and a vindictiveness for which the audience is totally unprepared. Since Eliot's charge against Hamlet is self-evidently valid, actors and directors attempting to stage Shakespeare's tragedy have struggled with the problem Eliot's essay highlighted, both prior to and after its publication. The conventional approach in the 20th century has been to imply, on Hamlet's part, a frustrated, incestuous love for his mother, which may justify the words Hamlet speaks, but for which Shakespeare gives no background whatsoever. As a result, rather than solving the problem, this approach creates yet another inconsistency. Still, in spite of these inconsistencies, and in spite of Eliot's accusation of artistic failure, Hamlet continues to walk the stage and fascinate theatergoers. If it is justifiable to look for logic and consistency in Hamlet, as Eliot did, one can find a far gre... ... times illogical and inconsistent. All of these examples suggest, however, that the logic and consistency advocated by T. S. Eliot are not essential to a play's success, nor to its greatness and immortality. Eliot's conclusion that Hamlet is an artistic failure is based on logic even more specious than that of the indecisive Prince of Denmark. A play succeeds because of its ability to stir the feelings of the audience, to transport the members of that audience to places beyond the bounds of the theater and their daily lives. Audiences, whether those of today or of Shakespeare's era, do not judge a play by its logical perfection. Hamlet, with all of its inconsistencies, evaluated on the basis of its emotional power, the majesty of its language, and by its seemingly timeless ability to move and enthrall audiences, remains one of the theater's ultimate masterpieces.

Consumer Behavior Final Project Essay

Target Corporation is a retail store based out of America, its headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Target’s goal began with creating an upscale alternative to Wal Mart, while remaining a discount store. They have since become the fourth largest retailer and second largest discount retailer in the United States, Wal Mart being the first. Target’s first retail store was opened in 1962, in Minnesota. The company has continually grown to its present day size, operating 1,916 stores in the US. In 2013 Target began operating in Canada, and has since opened 127 stores throughout. Target offers clean, spacious and guest-friendly stores. Their motto is â€Å"Expect More, Pay Less,† indicating you will find good quality, at low prices. They have a variety of their own in store brands. Target has made â€Å"cheap-chic† accessible to everyone, in the form of furniture, fashion and household items, offering designer products at affordable prices. Target reaches younger customers with higher incomes than its competitors. Target aims for high-end buyers, in part because the middle class is shrinking. In general they reach moderate to better income families with active lifestyles and a multitude of hobbies. A Target customer’s median age is 40, and median household income is $64,000. Eighty percent of Target customers are female and thirty-three percent have children at home. 50% of consumers are employed in professional or managerial positions. Around fifty-seven percent of Target customers have completed college. Generally Target’s consumers are interested in buying higher end, quality products. Their primary market is females ages 35-45, therefore this demographic should be the focus of their marketing efforts. Secondary customers could be the spouses of these females who use the products their wives shop for but are not the primary customers making the purchasing decisions. Tertiary consumers could be children in families, using the product but not yet making direct purchasing decisions. These children may become primary consumers later in life, if they associate the brand with positive experiences. Target offers a customer loyalty program which helps generate  and keep customers. This program helps identify customer purchasing trends which enables marketers to create effective, targeted promotions, decreasing advertising costs. The key behind Target’s success is their positioning as a high-end brand despite their low prices, which attracts a group of consumers who normally would not seek discount retailers. Target provides knowledgable, friendly staff that is happy to answer questions and assist customers. A report by Time Trades showed that 85 percent of consumers purchase more when helped by a knowledgeable sales person. Target successfully associates it’s brand with a younger, edgier, hipper and more fun image that it’s discount retail competitors. Most consumers that shop at Target don’t see it as a discount store, but as a superstore where you can buy everything you need conveniently in one place. Target spends 2.3 percent of their revenue on advertising, in comparison Wal-Mart only spends 0.3 percent. Target has been smart with their marketing efforts, especially by partnering with many high-end design oriented suppliers over the years. Target uses bright and eye-catching advertisements with creative presentations. Target puts a lot of work into their displays and understands the power of them, capturing more sales as a result. An example of this is the bins Target strategically places near the front entrance with items under five dollars. This catches consumers’ attention when they first enter the store and right before they head to the checkout. Most consumers identify with Target’s symbol, a bulls-eye and their store color, red without even seeing or hearing the Target name. Target continues to improve their mobile app, which is an in-store shopping tool for consumers. The app includes a section for weekly ads that uses location to show consumers a weekly ad for a nearby store. There is a section in the app that allows consumers to prepare a personalized shopping list. Target’s guest wi fi network which lets consumers see special services and deals for each store also allows Target to monitor where in the store consumers are and what products they are looking for. They have created an online magazine called â€Å"A Bulls-eye View.† Its purpose is to tell stories behind Target’s partnerships, products, events and other things going on with the  company. It does not pitch products but instead stays true to an old-journalism outlook, â€Å"show don’t tell.† For example, an article may be written about how to decorate your home using a Target product line, but will not promote a specific product. â€Å"A Bulls-eye View† attracts 100,000 unique visitors each month. The Target spokesperson, Hausman says Target’s marketing efforts are heading towards building stronger relationships with consumers through social media. This is what â€Å"A Bulls-eye View† is designed to do, build relationships with consumers that will eventually lead to sales. Target has a packaging operations team to ensure products have an appealing structure that holds the product with eye-catching graphics. Target’s advertising and in-store promotions strive to convey the message that they are clean, fresh and offer in style products. They send the message that products are priced well and convenient to buy. Target uses assortment, placing complementary items, commonly purchased together near each other. Through intelligent, consistent marketing Target has turned it’s bulls-eye logo into a lifestyle symbol recognized by ninety-six percent of American consumers. Strivers represent active consumers and are the primary VALS type that shop at Target. Shopping allows these people to demonstrate to peers their ability to buy, and is a social activity. Strivers can be compulsive buyers, depending on their financial circumstances. Strivers tend to like stylish, trendy products, and love fun, which are qualities Target represents and personality traits they aim to appeal to. I think Target’s secondary market is Experiencers, who are generally young and eager consumers. They like self-expression and excitement, and are attracted to new offbeat brands. Target tries to appeal to young, hip, fun consumers. Experiencers tend to spend a lot of their income on entertainment, socializing and fashion, and strive to accumulate trendy possessions. Even though these consumers are young and most likely do not yet have large entertainment and clothing budgets, they are attracted to Target because it is a discount store. Those that follow terminal values of social recognition may be attracted to Target, Target markets it’s company as providing high-end products for a high-end lifestyle. Those that value an exciting life may be attracted to Target’s brand since its image is exciting  and fun. Other-directed consumers may be more likely to shop at Target; they observe their peers to decide what is acceptable. Many of Target’s advertisements demonstrate social acceptance portraying groups. Target shoppers use routinized response behavior for most of the items they would purchase. Most Target guests are shopping for every day household items, which are items they have experience purchasing. They do not need more information or time spent researching the product. Those that use routinized response behavior have experience purchasing the product, and a clear idea of their expectations. The more a product becomes routine to buy for a consumer, the less reactive they will be to advertising efforts and discounts for similar products of different brands. Consumers at Target may use limited problem solving, occurring when shoppers are thinking about purchasing new versions of previously purchased products that may have additional features. Another instance when limited problem solving would be used is when a consumer is undecided about which brand or version of a product to purchase. Consumers may need more information to understand the differences between product brands. Limited problem solving is often used with occasional purchases like clothing, movies, and cosmetics. Since Target has such a wide variety of items for sale, there are many different decision-making processes used. Extensive problem solving is probably the least common decision-making process used by Target shoppers. Extensive problem solving is used when purchasing a product in a new category that is not well known or when purchasing a high-risk item that is more expensive or presents a psychological risk. With extensive problem solving there is no consumer preference for a certain brand or product. The purchase process in long and a lot of time is spent on research. There are few products sold at Target that require extensive problem solving, perhaps electronics like computers, televisions and video game consoles. The same product may not produce the same decision-making process in every consumer. A Target shopper that is accustomed to a certain product will have routinized response behavior, whereas a consumer who is new to a product will probably use limited problem solving for the same purchase. Survey: 1. How many times in the past year have you shopped in a discount retail store? 2. How many people live in your household, and how many of these individuals are children (under 18)? 3. What is your yearly household income? 4. What industry do you work in? 5. Do you make most of your purchases in a physical retail store or online? 6. What is your age range? 7. What city do you live in? 8. What is your level of education? 9. What are your hobbies and interests? 10. If you could create a retail store personalized to your wants and needs what would it be like? Consumers enjoy shopping at Target because it is a one-stop shopping experience with a large selection. It offers a fun, comfortable and safe shopping environment with low-prices on high quality, well-designed items. Target is process-oriented, focused on getting their work done with integrity towards employees and customers. They have a deep concern for their employees, providing a fair, positive work environment and fair wages. Target is dedicated to meeting their guests’ needs and always catering to the guest experience, which contributes greatly to their success and the positive consumer attitude towards their brand. Works Cited 1. â€Å"History: Target’s Shopping Experience Over Time | Target Corporate.† Target. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. . 2. Target Stores. (2014, August 3). Retrieved September 26, 2014. . 3. Abramovich, Gisele. â€Å"Target’s ‘Show Don’t Sell’ Content Strategy – Digiday.† Digiday. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. . 4. â€Å"Target Careers: Advertising & Marketing Jobs | Target Corporate.† Target . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. . 5. Barwise, Patrick, and Sean Meehan. â€Å"Bullseye: Target’s Cheap Chic Strategy – HBS Working Knowledge.† Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. N.p., 16 Aug. 2004. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. . 6. Schiffman, Leon G., and Leslie Lazar Kanuk. Consumer Behavior. Pearson, 2010. 7. Johnson, Lauren. â€Å"Target Tightens Focus on Mobile as In-store Shopping Tool.† Mobile Commerce Daily RSS. N.p., 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2014. .

Original Writing: How Grave Am I

How grave I am, for sprouting the seed of my loins, little knowing the ill fate that you would ultimately suffer, my son. If I was able to gather my thoughts and brag to how life was golden, I wouldn't be able to, as your life ended as soon as it started in a way, as you were not even given the opportunity to live it; now you leave me with a loneliness feeling like a long descent into nothingness – I am empty. No justice, no peace, the pain and suffering have forcibly left me unable to eat or sleep; as with each passing moment I cannot stop thinking about you and missing you. The attempts to block out this ache have been in vain because of the fact that I cannot and will not stop thinking about you and that day. Let's face it; my own guilt has been the driving force behind my state now. My ignorance was your downfall and I blame myself; now you are up there with your head in the clouds looking over me, a broken man. You're looking over me and seeing that the one father you used to look up to has been influenced into an all but complete state of insanity since I am now finding myself sitting in a room as dark as where this nightmare lives within me. Stuck in between a rock and a hard place, is what I am, this has given me the feeling that death is a necessity and a journey should not last forever. However, death can be an end; a time to let go. The latter of which is easier said than done, as whenever I see your pictures on the wall, it's drowned out into the weeping walls. Your eyes in these photos have been gone to be filled with hope and innocence into vicious oceans of darkness and sorrow. Your death has broken my heart and the border between my guilt and regret, but one thing that that the passing of you cannot break is the memories of all those happy times we had together and the bond we have. From this, I'm left thinking to myself, why did it not happen to me? I remember him at the tender age of six, his smile and eyes aglow, he was the light from the sun. What I wouldn't give to have you in my arms again, I reminisce over when you were younger, the days where I watched you sleep to see your chest fall and rise and how I always used to feel your heart beat underneath my touch as you slept, to hear the harmony that would also send me gently to slumber; the rhythm was magnetizing. At this age you were so very innocent, hadn't a clue about the world around you. I recall the days where I could hear you playing outside and your childlike giggling would make my heart melt like the steel at a blacksmiths. And after a hard day, seeing your face and the smile you softly used to fill the silence like a speech made my day a whole lot better. But as they do, his heart grew cold as if it were the cold breath of his grave. With age comes detachment, by the time he was in his teens we were two separated souls; it was like the end of infinity. It was as if the chapter of all our memories and brilliant times together had been finished and disposed of as if it were a book that was slashed and torn like a broken saw. But, I had to respect that an unwritten chapter had began for him, until that fateful day. All I could imagine what had happened was that the memories of his smile and his face filled with bliss had reverted into a shadowy face, which showed his emotions in a whirlwind of his worst nightmares. I'm left to dwell over, why did it not happen to me? I got introduced to heartbreak on that day. I was so proud of him, when he was alive he had the heart of a lion, however I suspect on that day, he had that heart trod on and spat out by his own fear. I blame myself. If it hadn't been for my own ignorance and plain stupidity, he would still be here right now. If I had not argued with him that morning, then it may not have happened. Over an insignificant argument, he went to college that day and didn't want to come back home, and paid for it, as did I. It is so unjust; it reminds us, of just how worthless our lives are to the justice system. When will scum like this get off the streets? Getting caught up in someone else's business is the worst way to die – dying from crossfire of bullets during a petty gang war. How could this happen? He was only seventeen in a mad man's dream and an innocent boy's nightmare. His life had just begun; all of a sudden it was taken away, fading like a cloud in the horizon. Only God could see what happened to him, but I can imagine the vicious blood-curdling scream of anguish, set out to break his soul. A sense of fear must have run through his nerves like the chill of an icy wind, it must have felt like a moment of obscurity, where all of his worst nightmares were realised in a blur, sending him into his grave. Thinking about the way you died, will drive me even closer to insanity and my eventual demise, it has left me reeling. Your nightmare has become my most horrible nightmare which will never leave me as it is engraved within my soul. I will never stop thinking about you and missing you, and thinking about the way you died, it was so unfair. This nightmare is breaking the bond between me and you, but I will not stand down, as I will remain a soldier until the war is won, and your spirit will live long in the memory. If only it wasn't a memory. You could still have been here reminding me of the hopes I had for you, with your face lit up by a smile like a pale wintry sunshine. But I'm left pondering, why did it not happen to me? I am in a state of darkness where negative thoughts of pain and sorrow are clouding my judgement; I'm being forced to sit in a room and dwell on my regrets. This state of darkness is all I know at the moment. All I hope is that he is in a better place; at Heaven's Gate which is made of the finest threads of gold, glistening into the shimmering silver which lines each and every cloud in this picturesque place. I envision the face of God himself as clear as I would in a mirror, taking care of my son in a manner in which I'll be proud of. God and death are similar; they both come forth to carry you home, so I thank you God for that. However, there is another face to God and death; it's a velvet cloak, impossible to resist thus disguising the revealing truth that being with gods in the clouds can bring such misery and sadness to the people below them that can break down any man. I ask you God, why did have to be him? I wish it was me now. I wish it was my soul resting up there. Hope is sometimes all we have and that is when people look to you God. But, you always give people false hope as the truth is, you have the grimmest face, like a carved mask and all you bring to people is misery and sorrow as sad as seeing your own son die. Coping is something I am unable to do. My state is one of insanity and it's been expressed in this entry. To end my son, your spirit will always live on in the memory and I will endeavour to not let your death phase me, and I will live my life in peace and harmony. I will never forget the times we had together, even though we drifted more and more apart, I still can never forget your face at that young age, so full of hope and promise. I love you.

Personal Pronouns in Japanese

Personal Pronouns in Japanese A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. In English, examples of pronouns include I, they, who, it, this, none and so on. Pronouns perform a variety of grammatical functions and are thus heavily used is most languages. There are many subtypes of pronouns such as  personal pronouns,  reflexive  pronouns,  possessive pronouns,  demonstrative pronouns, and more. Japanese vs English Pronoun Usage The use of Japanese personal pronouns is quite different from English. They are not used as often as their English counterparts, though there are a variety of pronouns in Japanese depending on the gender or the style of speech. If the context is clear, the Japanese prefer not to use the personal pronouns. It is important to learn how to use them, but also important to understand how not to use them. Unlike English, there is no strict rule to have a grammatical subject in a sentence. How to Say I Here are the different ways one can say I depending on the situation and to whom one is speaking to, whether it be a superior or a close friend. watakushi ã‚ Ã£ Å¸Ã£  Ã£ â€" - very formalwatashi ã‚ Ã£ Å¸Ã£ â€" - formalboku (male) Ã¥Æ'•, atashi (female) 㠁‚㠁Ÿã â€" - informalore (male) ä ¿ º - very informal How to Say You The following are the different ways of saying you depending on the circumstances. otaku 㠁Šã Å¸Ã£   - very formalanata 㠁‚㠁 ªÃ£ Å¸ - formalkimi (male) Ã¥ â€º - informalomae (male) 㠁Šå‰ , anta 㠁‚ん㠁Ÿ- very informal Japanese Personal Pronoun Usage Among these pronouns, watashi and anata are the most common. However, as mentioned above, they are often omitted in conversation. When addressing your superior, anata is not appropriate and should be avoided. Use the persons name instead. Anata is also used by wives when they address their husbands. Omae is sometimes used by husbands when addressing their wives, though it sounds a little bit old-fashioned. Third Person Pronouns The pronouns for the third person are kare (he) or kanojo (she). Rather than using these words, it is preferred to use the persons name or describe them as ano hito (that person). It is not necessary to include gender. Here are some sentence examples: Kyou Jon ni aimashita.ä »Å Ã¦â€" ¥Ã£â€š ¸Ã£Æ' §Ã£Æ' ³Ã£  «Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â€"㠁Ÿã€‚I saw him (John) today.Ano hito o shitte imasu ka.㠁‚㠁 ®Ã¤ º ºÃ£â€šâ€™Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Do you know her? Additionally, kare or kanojo often means a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Here are the terms used in a sentence: Kare ga imasu ka.Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã£ Å'㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Do you have a boyfriend?Watashi no kanojo wa kangofu desu.ç § Ã£  ®Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£  ¯Ã§Å"‹è ­ ·Ã¥ © ¦Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢My girlfriend is a nurse. Plural Personal Pronouns To make plurals, a suffix ~ tachi (é â€) is added like watashi-tachi (we) or anata-tachi (you plural). The suffix ~ tachi can be added to not only pronouns but to some other nouns referring to people. For example, kodomo-tachi (Ã¥ ­ Ã¤ ¾â€ºÃ© â€) means children. For the word anata, the suffix ~ gata (æâ€" ¹) is used sometimes to make it plural instead of using ~ tachi. Anata-gata (㠁‚㠁 ªÃ£ Å¸Ã¦â€" ¹) is more formal than anata-tachi. The suffix ~ ra (ら) is also used for kare, such as karera (they).

Writing Contests and Competitions

Writing Contests and Competitions Writing Contests and Competitions Writing Contests and Competitions By Daniel Scocco This page will be updated regularly with the latest writing contests and competitions from around the web and the world! Make sure to bookmark it. If you are promoting a writing contest, or are aware of one that is not listed here, please send the details to info@dailywritingtips.com and well include it here as soon as possible. Last update: 08/24/2016 Upcoming Contests and Competitions Name: Atlantis Short Story Contest Prizes: $450 total, first prize is $300 Entry fee: starts from $10 Deadline: November 30, 2016 Description: Authors from all around the world are welcome to enter the one and only contest that offers a criqitue for every participating story! Name:

NAFTA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NAFTA - Essay Example Reduction of Tariffs and other Controls Basic economics predicts that the reduction of tariffs and other controls on imported goods will probably lower domestic production and employment in these sectors. There should also be a corresponding increase in activities oriented towards exports (MacArthur 33). In principle, one can investigate the net effect of liberalization on output and employment. Currently, this question has important ramifications in both Canada and Mexico, even though the contexts are quite different--Canada has lowered some barriers as part of the Free Trade Agreement signed with the United States, while Mexico's adhesion to the GATT required a unilateral tariff reduction, much larger than that of Canada. In both these countries, the tariff reduction has been accompanied by a recession, which has been sharper in Mexico. Neither case is an ideal test of liberalization. Canada has been lowering tariffs for some time, while Mexico's recession had begun before the GAIT accord, as a result of the debt crisis. With regard to Canada, the tendency is that more of the coefficients on the liberalization dummy variables in the labor demand equation are large and statistically significant. This is the case for the following sectors; food, leather, textiles, wood, printing, transport equipment, and electrical equipment. This finding is robust to changes in the specification of the equation. Thus, even given the level of production, there still was a strong tendency for labor use to fall.