One share one vote Essay

In 30% of Europe’s major companies, inadequate capitalist equality has strengthened middle power-holding groups and limited alternative shareholders’ kingdom of action. That is the close of a study by research firm Deminor, equipped on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The study condemn the reality that 35% of all companies in the choose FTSE Eurofirst 300 index have some kind of method in position for defensive themselves next to the standard of ‘one share, one vote. Business reformers who want to put off corporate scandals have not embark upon this dilemma, in spite of the fact that parity is the most basic principle in politics. In Europe, this breakdown is a particularly solemn problem since the majority governments have opted to take out the proposals of the European Union, by means of the method of ‘obey or give details. ’ This classification has allowed them to keep away from writing set of laws that wrap all the ins-and-outs of good quality governance. As a substitute, companies that fall short to obey with a corporate principle have to clarify why they are doing so, and depiction themselves to likely penalty by their shareholders. If the ballot vote rights of minorities are limited, a comparatively useless reprimand is functional. â€Å"The formula of ‘obey or explain’ is merely feasible if all shareholders can work out their rights,† warns Mary Francis, general manager of the ABI, in the opening to the study. In her view, if authority holders in a high proportion of companies carry on to accumulate more power than they deserve, they could countenance lawful penalties from Brussels. Though, Vicente Salas, professor of economics and business organization at the University of Zaragoza, doesn’t consider it will be likely to inflict such penalties. Whilst empirical data is missing, Salas argues that this kind of behavior â€Å"will not be regulated until we arrive at the point where the standard (‘one share, one vote’) is severely imposed on every openly traded company in each country of the European Union. † (Guido 16-18) When voting rights are concerted in the groups that sprint the company, it distorts the actuality of the soak. Along with the 300 major companies in Europe, 35% of every voting right is given to those who possess 22% of the total shareholdings. There are more than a few ways this is gifted, and it depends on the country. Though, the preferred means to attain this attentiveness is to generate shares that have manifold voting rights. That occurs in 20% of Europe’s most important companies. Fairly a small number of companies (10% of the total) choose to border voting rights, and 5% of all companies favor to impose confines on share ownership. With that kind of loom, shareholders need to own a least amount number of shares [previous to they can vote. ] In contrast, â€Å"Golden Shares† [a golden share gives its shareholder refusal authority over changes to the company’s charter] have been trailing fame because they have frequently been fated by Brussels. In spite of the resistance of European regulators, a few companies uphold this method. Examples comprise BAE Systems and Rolls Royce, in which the British decision-making has a Golden Share. Similarly, the Portuguese chief executive has a Golden Share in Portugal Telecom. In Spain, the government does not have its own â€Å"Golden Shares. † though; it has maintained the authority to veto definite activities in Endesa, Repsol-YPF, and Telefonica, in spite of the reality that the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg affirmed such vetoes against the law in May 2003. Study demonstrates that there is still an extended road in front before there is a self-governing system for all shareholders in European markets, director of investments at ABI. In his view, if companies make growth beside this road, they will shun the jeopardy of being subjected to stricter set of laws, such as those in result in the U. S. The solution to achieving this objective is to admiration the rights of shareholders, and build up just one market for [all] European shares,. Jean-Nicolas Caprase, a partner of Deminor, is not sure that companies will respond fast. There are a lot of exceptions to the standard of ‘one share, one vote,’ and the circumstances are altering too slowly. That marginal shareholders’ aptitude to take act is the principal bludgeon for avoiding the mistreatment of authority by groups that are in control. â€Å"The basic thing is to get better the performance of shareholder groups since that is one of the lone places where corporate directors are feeble. Bebchuk and Hart 11) Justifications and Exceptions Salas defends the idea of impending this from the point of view of self-regulation. Though, he recommends â€Å"prescribing standards that, as maintaining the liberty of companies, as well defend the interests of minority shareholders. When companies issue shares, they should be compelled to notify shareholders, in a completely translucent way, about the relationship between control over corporate incomes (where the parity principle applies) and have power over decision-making (where there may be a short of fulfillment because voting is biased. This association derives from the constitutional norms that each company establishes when it issues its shares. Formerly a company has gone public; any changes in pertinent statutes have to be approved by the general meeting of shareholders. Just then, if a transform is approved by preponderance, the company should offer to purchase out its dissenter shareholders, contribution them a fair price. † Companies protect their rights to carry on intent additional voting rights in just a few hands. They say this practice gives stability to their company’s shares, and prevents conjecture [in their shares]. Though, if we should inquire ourselves if insiders are more truthfully owners than alternative shareholders are, from a business point of view. After all, in many cases, minority shareholders invest today and put up for sale tomorrow. We should even ask ourselves if they are owners in terms of their obligation. (Edwards 7) Gratitude to a 1959 law, the German state of Lower Saxony controls 20% of the voting rights in Volkswagen, in spite of the truth it owns just 14% of the automaker’s shares. To promise shareholder constancy in the company, 80% of all votes were necessitate for adopting significant decisions. Additionally, the law set a 20% boundary on the voting rights of any single shareholder. Effectively, this guaranteed that no shareholder has a larger voice than lesser Saxony. Although this rule might have made sense 47 years previously, it has been fated by Brussels, which suppose that the state is using the innovative justification to assurance its control over the company. Companies offer another good reason for deploying mechanisms that set confines on corporate democracy. They say these requirements make investors more faithful to the company. For instance, in France, where 69% of all companies have some type of restraint, quite a few companies offer double voting rights to those investors who have held their shares for more than two years. The objective is to formulate these investors more faithful. Nevertheless, the Deminor study is decisive of this practice, at variance that it is being used to strengthen the position of groups that hold authority. Still if they want to alter, there are almost certainly some factions surrounded by the companies who fall short to fulfill with the principle, and protect the status quo, â€Å"One great example of disobedience with this principle is the survival of shares that have no voting rights. No one questions this put into practice, and no one qualm they can survive. † Shares with no voting rights are common between companies that are family owned; where the founders carry on to manage the majority of the shares, or a large portion. In such a case, the main goal of issuing shares is to gain right of entry to capital, with no altering managerial power of the company. Though, there are a number of economic reimbursements from owning shares that have no voting rights, together with special access to extra payments. (Berglof and M. Burkart, 172) Countries economic analysis All over Europe scholars have been discussing and researching on pros and cons of economic benefits, many have explained the positive side of it. In the economic side the public and private values are very important of any company. We can take an explain of it, as if a company has share ratio of 50 half of that relates to private value and half goes to public value, but public value becomes 40 if there is less competent team deficient. When Even though the in general landscape is fairly negative, there are important differences from country to country. Belgium provides the best instance of corporate democracy. No company in that country compel restrictions on minority voting rights, in spite of the fact that Belgian law recognizes some customs that such a objective could be achieved. Neighboring Holland is one of Europe’s most translucent countries, and a title holder of good governance. Though, Holland is the country that imposes the most limits on minority shareholders; 86% of every Dutch company has a number of systems for preventing minorities from imposing their views. They do this, very frequently, by issuing shares with manifold voting rights. Sweden, wherever 75% of all companies are â€Å"equipped† next to minority shareholders, is between the slightest democratic countries when it comes to corporate governance. In adding up, every Swedish company that sets restrictions on voting rights also has shares that have manifold voting rights. Germany is an individual case. German companies have two councils. One is composed of executives of the company. In the next council, partially of the members represent the workers. This set-up explains, in part, why no German company apart from Volkswagen sets limitations on voting rights. In most cases, this is because employees are also shareholders in the company. The United Kingdom, measured the example of good governance in Europe, is also one of the countries with the majority corporate democracy. This is true in spite of the information that 12% of all companies have some sort of restraint, largely from side to side limitations on ownership. We consider that if you make a market based on business governance, as caring the interests of minority shareholders, it is a superior thing for each entity market; for the European financial system, and for the millions of entity savers whose money we use yet, wouldn’t it be promising to validate limitations on voting rights beneath a few circumstances? (Gilson 29) Pros and cons The primary suppositions in the law and economics literature concerning shareholder voting and the one-share/one-vote rule are faulty in many ways. The typical outlook is that share possession is essential and enough to make voting rights and those rights should be straight relative to share possession. We display that this supposition is groundless, both for shares that are economically burdened (supposed by investor who are not pure left over applicant; e. g. , a investor who owns one share and is as well tiny one or more shares) in addition to shares that are lawfully laden (alleged or connected with more than one investor; e. . , shares that are loaned to a little, who put up for sale that share to a new buyer). The one-share/one-vote rule is not merely economically sub-optimal, but grades in considerable harmful cost. Quorum and dogmatic needs are distorted; mergers and acquisitions are also effortlessly accepted; securities class performance are undervalued and at the same time under- and over-recompense; insolvency distributions are over- and under-broad; and fixed-ratio stock offers are favoured over economically greater alternatives. These consequences all get from a groundless dependence ahead the one-share/one-vote standard and the faith that yet economically or lawfully laden shares are allowed to vote. On the other side the public value side has been flawed by the system in its depth, which has already been mentioned above. Conclusion Since the enactment of the federal securities laws, the number of public investors who directly own equity securities in this country has grown to over 47,000,000, and the additional number of individuals who own stock indirectly through pension plans, life insurance policies, and other accounts exceeds 133,000, 000. These public investors have relied on a congressional policy that links fair corporate suffrage to the trading markets for equity securities. An increasing number of publicly-held corporations have determined to break this link to foreclose takeover threats. Differing sets of listing standards have permitted companies to engage in regulatory arbitrage, moving from one exchange to another in a search for the least regulatory environment. The resulting competitive pressures felt by the exchanges and the NASD have caused a deregulatory crisis over stockholder voting rights, a crisis that ultimately may extend to other qualitative standards imposed on listed companies) Although the SEC believes it has the authority to act, EU has provided no clear guidelines for the implementation of its fair corporate suffrage policy. The resulting lack of certainty could be harmful to corporate enterprises, the investing public, and the markets EU has sought to protect. Substantial damage already has occurred, but that harm is inconsequential when future prospects are considered. Presently, only 200 of the 6500 publicly- held corporations have undertaken to break the link between voting and trading. One exchange official has predicted that â€Å"the floodgates will open. † Another commentator has warned that â€Å"eventually all companies will be controlled by some small, inside group; public stockholders will not have any role or significant voting rights† if the one share, one vote rule is taken away. In the words of a former SEC Commissioner, we should â€Å"question the legitimacy of vesting so much of our nation’s wealth in the hands of what would be self-perpetuating managements. † (Kraakman 95) The idea of a federal corporation law has been suggested since the beginning of the Republic. James Madison recommended the idea during the Constitutional Convention. ’ Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft promoted the idea in the early part of this century as a way to combat monopolistic practices. In the 1970s, Ralph Nader and others urged federal chartering as a means to effect social reforms)

Abortion: One of the Most Argumentative Topics

One of the most argumentative topics with our court today is the topic of abortion. Abortion has been practiced in the United States since the founding of the Republic according to You debate. It all began when married woman moved to lower their fertility rates after 1830. it became a widespread practice held in the United States. According to You debate, doctor’s estimated that in the 1960’s through the 1970’, there was at least one abortion every four birth’s. One common worry that congress had was the safety of the mother’s during the abortion progress. Before 1973, â€Å" abortions were preformed illegally, and in unskilled ways, many woman died from the awful infections and intense bleeding. Hangers and other sharp objects were one of many objects used for illegal abortions† (you debate, 2). There are numerous reasons as to why someone would be for abortions, or against abortions. In my own personal opinion, I believe that a woman has a right to decide what she would like to do. This essay will consist of both pro’s and con’s of abortion. Also, it will include certain cases that been brought to the congress’s attention. Abortion is a topic that several Americans have expressed their concerns with. People have the right to their own opinion whether they are pro or con for abortion. There are several reasons for pro-choice. One according to WCLA, is that â€Å" we support reproductive freedom† which means that an individual woman should be able to make her own choice whether or not she is going to give birth to the child. Also, laws have never stopped abortion. When illegal abortion was the leading killer of woman in the United States, there was no right to life choice. Most people in the United States believe that abortion may be the morally right choice under certain circumstances. Some of those circumstances are for example when a woman is rapped. If a woman gets rapped, I believe that is she is pregnant by the man, that she does have a right whether or not to birth the child because of the circumstances. According to WLCA, â€Å" Many people who are personally opposed to abortion for religious or moral reasons also believe that it’s wrong to impulse their values by civil law on everyone. You don’t have to like abortion to respect the right of choice. Another argument that congress has had to face is whether the baby is considered a alive, or is not. According to WLCA, â€Å"The fetus is totally dependent on the body of the woman for it’s life support. The health of the fetus is directly related to the health of the pregnant woman. Only at birth are they separated. † A woman named Margaret Sanger said, â€Å" No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body. † Almost all legislatures who oppose abortion rights also support the death penalty. One might ask if they think that people who are are convicted of murder are no longer human. According to the WLCA, The Constitution protects various rights that are not specifically mentioned. The constitutional right of privacy has been interpreted repeatedly to include matters of marriage, sex, and family, specifically â€Å"the right to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear a child or beget a child. † The agreement among the people of the United States has grown in support. In 1982, an NBC poll showed that 77% agreed to abortion should be between the woman and the doctor only. Another poll showed that 5. 4% of rape victims become pregnant. This poll proved that people are becoming more sympathetic towards women who are being rapped and getting pregnant. Also, most medications are not completely 100% effective for getting pregnant. Because of this, abortion should not be a problem because all medications are not 100% effective. Also, some people cannot afford to pay for medications. Therefore, abortion would be necessary. According to WLCA, â€Å"The increase in teen sex has complex society causes, including sexually orientated such as TV, movies, and ads. Birth control and abortion don’t cause sex. † The Supreme Court, in 1976, reaffirmed that the privacy allows woman to be free of governmental interference in decisions about childbearing. The court struck down the law that the father of the child does not have a say so in the decision of his unborn child. The court came to the conclusion that the person who is physically bearing the child is more affected by the pregnancy. Another reason for abortion is that most unwanted babies are usually battered or even killed by the immature parents are not ready to raise a child. The parents may not want the baby, so there fore they do not show or give the baby the love that he or she needs. Most abortions are done for health reason. When is a woman is with child, there are several cases in which the mother could in fact become in danger is the mother does decide to bear the child. In some cases, the babies that are being aborted are unhealthy babies. The parents can try again for a healthy baby. Also if we have abortion clinics, there will be a less percent of â€Å"abortion mills†. These are places in which woman have high risks of being hurt by the people actually doing the procedure. One last reason according to WLCA, why abortions should be accepted in the United States is that when a child is in the wound, the brain and sensory waves do not develop until the 30th week. Most abortions do not accrue usually after the 24th week. There are several reasons as to why people do not accept abortion in the Untied States. People believe that human life begins when there is conception of a child. Therefore, it would be calling abortion murder. According to WLCA, â€Å"abortion is morally wrong. † wrong. † They believe that if you think abortion is morally wrong, you are obligated to work to make abortion illegal. People also believe that it is a sense of â€Å"decay† towards Americans. People believe that the fetus is not just part of the mother, but actually another separate human being. The argument that argues a woman’s rights to her own body are argued with the statement, â€Å"The right of the unborn to live supersedes any right of a woman to control her own body† (WLCA, 1 ). Abortion could also be wrong because it is described as taking a human life. Also, if abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution, then why is it considered a constitutional right? People in the United States declare that we add an amendment that describes it as the human life amendment. This would consist of declaring a fetus a full person. Also, abortion should not be legal because of a rape situation. They believe this because the percent of woman who get pregnant after being rapped are very low. The question will always remain â€Å"If you are having sex, you should be able to pay for consequences. † Most Americans feel that if a woman is old enough to have sex, then she is able to take care of a child if she is aware of the idea of getting pregnant. According to DEBATE, â€Å"Teenagers are being les and less capable of saying no. Having the option of abortion increases the sexual experiences of teenagers. † People think that the teenager who is considering having an abortion, to consult their parents first. They believe that the parent will be able to help guide the teenager’s decision to a more moral outcome. Another argument is that most parents, who do not want the child at the time, want the child later on in life. There are several other negative effects of abortion such as woman who have died from legal abortion verses those who have died from illegal abortions. Study shows that if a woman has an abortion, then it could possibly affect her pregnancy later on in life. Adoption affects are also a strong case in congress with the subject of abortion. They want people to know that they could give birth to the child, and then give it up for adoption. There has also been a shortage is adoptive children because of the high numbers of abortion each year. In conclusion, there are several opinions on whether a woman has the right to carry her pregnancy to full term. There are several pros and cons about the topic abortion. In the United States, people battle with abortion everyday. This is a topic that may take several years to finally resolve with the Supreme Court. Is it that we are murdering a human being? Does a woman have the right whether to bear and have her child? Should the Supreme Court be for or against it? Both sides have very strong points of view about the positive and negative affects. With the case of Madsen V. Woman’s Health Center, the people protesting do have the right to their freedom of speech because it was not trespassing. But will it do any good or have any affect on the woman going in and out of the clinic? Who knows? This is a difficult decision that the Congress will have to decide. We may never be alive when this conflict is resolved.

Coffee Crisis Essay

Introduction Stephen Quinlan and Jose Gomez-Ibanez describes, in â€Å"The Coffee Crisis†, that in 2004 the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to rapid decline to coffee prices. In 2001, coffee prices hit a forty-year low, which resulted in extreme hardships for the local farming communities. On that note, this decline in coffee prices was considered â€Å"the coffee crisis. † The coffee crisis came to be thanks in part to coffees: overproduction, under-consumption and oligopoly market structure. International Nature and Structure. At best, coffee should be grown in an area with a warm climate and an abundance of rain. Coffee is centrally grown near the equator; however, it is primarily consumed in the northern hemisphere. It is traded in 60-kilo bags and the annual crop exceeded 100 million bags in recent years. â€Å"In 2003, for example, 101 million bags were produced of which roughly 95 million bags were consumed and the remaining 6 million added to storage in the hopes of fetching higher prices in later years†(Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 1, 2004). Coffee is comes in two types: Arabica, which is milder in flavor, and Robusta, which is acidic. Robusta, which is grown in Asia and some countries in Africa, is easier to grow and is primarily used to make instant coffee, espresso and local consumption in the producing countries (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). Arabica, which is grown primarily Latin America makes up, historically, two-thirds of the coffee produced and is the longest to produce. The long production time begins with a two year period before the coffee seedling can bear fruit followed by several more years before reaching full production (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). Supply and Demand Analysis There was a rapid decrease in coffee consumption due to an increase in soft drink consumption. In the U. S. , it is estimated that coffee consumption fell from 36 gallons to 17 gallons per person and soft drinks increased from 23 to 53 gallons per person (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 2, 2004). As U. S. coffee consumption began to slow down in the 1990s, due in part to the increased liking to premium coffees thanks to Starbucks, Pete’s and other coffee chains, European coffee consumption increased along with other countries helping offset the U. S decline. Beginning in 1962, the International Coffee Organization (ICO), an association of coffee exporting and importing countries, managed the coffee market by negotiating exporting and import quotas to support target prices (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). The ICA collapsed in 1989 and this opened the door for non-traditional suppliers like Vietnam and traditional supplier Brazil. During this period, Brazil had always been the world’s largest coffee producer, growing Arabica by traditional labor-intensive methods in frost-prone areas (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). Since most Arabica coffee is grown on steep slopes, Brazilians utilized new plantations on leveled ground; developed new large-scale coffee plantations in less frost-prone areas, mechanical harvesters along with other cost-cutting devices to replace donkeys in how they produce coffee. Vietnam, who had never exported coffee before through government assistance, was able to build irrigation systems to help in the production of Robusta coffee beans (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). These beans produced in Vietnam had a poor quality, less flavorful and were processed at lower quality standards than traditional Arabica. Within a couple of years Vietnam had become a top supplier and was setting the price in which all other Robusta producers would have to compete. By the end of the decade, Vietnam had become the largest Robusta producer in the world, although its costs were rising as the rapid growth in the Vietnamese economy was increasing local income and wages (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p. 3, 2004). Market Structure The overall coffee market resembled that of an oligopoly, which is defined as â€Å"a market dominated by a few large producers of homogeneous or differentiated product. Because of how few exist, oligopolies had considerable control over their prices, but each must consider the possible reaction of rivals to its own pricing, output, and advertising decisions† (McConnell, Brue & Flynn, 2012, p. 223). Oligopolies are also characterized by barriers to market entry (McConnell, Brue & Flynn, 2012). Although there were many countries producing and exporting coffee, the market was largely dominated by a few countries (i. e. , Brazil, Colombia, and later on, Vietnam). Oligopoly, by its very nature, limits transparency in the market place. Within ten years this country grew from a relatively insignificant producer to the world second largest – ahead of Colombia (producing ~11 million bags accounting for 10% world export) but behind Brazil (producing ~35 million bags accounting for 35% world export) – producing well over 11 million bags annually and accounting for approximately 12% of world exports (CRB, 2006). Factor Markets From the ICA collapse bringing forth Vietnam’s entrance into the coffee market to the quality degradation, the coffee crisis affected more than just the market. With a drop in coffee prices, the farmers not being able to cover all of their costs so grower’s families many had to remove their kids in order to help out at the farm (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, 2004). There was the merging of coffee blends and the experimentation of new ways of creating low quality coffee beans in an effort to meet demands. As a result many of the beans were of poor quality, which caused the coffees to taste cheap. Furthermore, such an increase in low-quality beans causes the price to drop in order to remain competitive (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, p.3, 2004). Many major roasters experimented with technical advances in finding new ways to mask the bitterness of the acidic bean. They even went as far as combining Robusta and Arabica beans together. This line of production caused the price of coffee to decrease, which hurt many producers because the profits weren’t enough to cover most of their overhead (roughly 65-90 US cents per pound) (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, Exhibit 6, 2004). This caused the quality of coffee to diminish because many roasters were using beans that should have been discarded. It also caused countries whose costs were high (Central America, Colombia and Mexico) with average or lower quality coffee to be in trouble (Quinlan & Gomez-Ibanez, 2004). Reference: Commodity Research Bureau (CRB). (2006). The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2006. [eBook] Retrieved from http://books. google. com/books? id=GmzxkvNhxnIC&printsec=frontcover McConnell, C. R. , Brue, S. L. , & Flynn, S. M. (2012). Wage Determination. Economics (19th ed. ), (pp92-114). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Quinlan, S. & Gomez-Ibanez, J. (2004). The Coffee Crisis. Capella University. McGraw-Hill.

Price and Demand Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Price and Demand - Research Paper Example the change in quantity demanded will be different for an equal change in price of substitutes as compared to compliments. With substitute goods such as brands of cereal or washing powder, an increase in the price of one good will lead to an increase in demand for the rival product. Cross price elasticity will be positive. With goods that are in complementary demand such as the demand for DVD players and DVD videos, when there is a fall in the price of DVD players we expect to see more DVD players bought, leading to an expansion in market demand for DVD videos [1]. In case of substitutes people abandon an expensive product to get its substitute at lower rate. It is so because substitute is a good which is indistinguishable in use from another. If two goods are perfect substitutes, their prices must be the same if both are to be used: the elasticity of substitution between them is infinite, and any price difference will lead to all consumers choosing the cheaper [2]. But, complimentary goods will see an increase in demand for both of the goods as people have to buy both of them to get benefited. But weak compliments will have inelastic cross elasticity of demand and close compliments will have elastic cross elasticity of demand. With an increase in demand, price of a product moves in the upward direction. ... But, complimentary goods will see an increase in demand for both of the goods as people have to buy both of them to get benefited. But weak compliments will have inelastic cross elasticity of demand and close compliments will have elastic cross elasticity of demand. All this implies that an increase in price in one market leads to an increase in demand in another market but the amount of change will be always be different for compliments and substitutes. 1. http://tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/elasticity/cross_elasticity.htm 2. JOHN BLACK. "perfect substitute." A Dictionary of Economics. 2002. HighBeam Research. 17 Apr. 2009 Part b) Explain why an increase in supply in a market has different effects in the short run and the long run. Use a diagram and relevant examples; refer to the concept of elasticity. (50%) With an increase in demand, price of a product moves in the upward direction. Considering this increased price, producers start to produce more goods to earn more profit. When looking at things from other direction, you can say that producers have to deal with an increased marginal cost of production to increase the output and they can produce more things only if they get more money to cover their marginal cost of production. However, the increase in supply usually creates an impact on the overall market but the amount of increase is different due to different factors. Following are few of the factors affecting supply of a product. Price of relevant resources Price of substitutes State of technology Expectations of producers Number of producers available in a market Now, these are the factors other than the price of a product that can affect

The effects Hip Hop have a society, money, and cars today Research Paper

The effects Hip Hop have a society, money, and cars today - Research Paper Example They formed the DJ Africa Bambaataa, a hip hop collective and  later  the Zulu Nation.  Since its emergence from Bronx, hip hop  style  has spread to the urban and remote communities throughout the world.  There are four  collective  elements of hip hop, comprising; hip hop dance, rapping, graffiti arts and  Deejaying. Rapping This is the  primary  ingredient of hip hop music. It comprises spoken and rhyming chanted lyrics. It is different from spoken word poetry in that it gets synchronized in time to a beat. There are different types of rap; the old school rap (1979-1984) characterized by relatively easy raps with no lyrical technique. The golden  age  rap; period in which the greatest  transformation  took place,  complex  word  play  and  lyrical  kung fu introduced. Moreover,  rap  contains  flow; the rhythm and rhymes of hip hop music and how they interact. Flow also refers to elements such as  volume, timbre and pitch (Price 26 ). DJ (Disk Jockey) Rap music began with the Deejaying from the beginning rappers accompanied by a turn tablist who scratch to create a percussive sounds that are in sync with the rapper on the stage. The turn tablists are able to  create  a  beat  that ensures the rapper’s  pitch, flow and  rhythm  are all integrated (Price 30). Hip hop dance This refers to the dance styles performed to hip hop music. It  becomes viewed  as evolved as a part of hip hop  culture. Most notably styles include; popping, breaking, and locking created in the 1970s. Developed by  dance  crews, it gave hip hop mainstream exposure. Graffiti and Emceeing Graffiti involve writings or drawings always scribbled or sprayed on the wall or any other surfaces. It is a  part  of the hip hop  culture. Hip hop artists and fans have used graffiti to  express  underlying political and social messages throughout the world. Graffiti also  express  a  whole  genre  of hip hop. Moreover, the next element of the hip hop culture included emceeing, an individual in sync with the artist and deejay who stimulates and teases the  crowd. It is the far most successful  element  taking different forms from spoken  word  to  free  styling (Price 31). The most significant aspects of hip hop culture are being  authentic. There are three methods in which  artist  establish  authenticity; being original (true to themselves), reflecting the  society  from which they come from and having respect and  understanding  for the origins and styles of the  early  hip hop. Hip hop has not escaped controversies in this modern era. Hip hop  particularly  gangster rap has often been criticized because of  many  reasons enumerated bellow. Glorification of Violence Hip hop  has become criticized  by many people on the basis of promoting violence amongst the youths and hip hop lovers. After the murder, of Tupac Shakur and many violent scenes created by hip hop rap music has promoted ugly scenes of violence among the youth and children. Today cable channels and satellite  television  portray  rap videos of  primarily  young black men swaggering, group like, through estates projects and pulling imaginary triggers with their fingers. They perceive violence to be  cool, and that should be embraced by kids and teenagers. Most recent case involved the killing of a London rap fan Alex Muamba stabbed to death in the streets. Many young people  get attracted  to danger; rappers describe their

Context Analysis and IMC Recommendation Assignment

Context Analysis and IMC Recommendation - Assignment Example Mainly Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) technique will be used to serve the purpose. Different techniques of marketing communication can be used by VOLVO, but selecting a communication strategy which has right blend of clarity, large communication impact and consistency can be a challenging task. The next half of the project will discuss about the features of the product. VOLVO MOVE is a seven-sitter MPV which has already won NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) status according to European safety standard. Fuel consumption rate is very low for this car and applications like satellite navigation and park assist facilities are also offered along with their standard model. Moreover, the product is also priced at an affordable rate of ?24, 995. VOLVO has also successfully positioned itself as a car that offers safety and durability to the customers. SWOT analysis for VOLVO MOVE Strength VOLVO is perceived as a reliable and durable brand that manufactures durable cars. The company gives high value for safety and. Likewise in the process of manufacturing MOVE; the company has implemented all such measures. VOLVO has already created a group of customers who strive for safety and in the same way their new product can target the families and elderly people. Weakness Factor like traditional design can create a negative image in the mind young people and unknowingly VOLVO is de-marketing their product for their target young customer (D'Amico, â€Å"Demarketing e turismo sostenibile†). VOLVO lacks the technology to design stylish cars which is the reason why they cannot compete with the car brands like BMW, Cadillac and Lexus in terms of style quotient. Opportunity VOLVO MOVE can change its marketing strategy by using social media marketing to fulfil the primary intention of spreading their message for test driving. VOLVO MOVE can enhance technical features along with better design. VOLVO can use their previously satisfied customer groups to generate word of mouth promotion via online social interaction. Threat VOLVO is not a premium car brand and rather it competes with car brands like Infinity, Lexus and others. VOLVO MOVE has to change their marketing communication strategy constantly otherwise their competitor can copy their move. VOLVO MOVE needs to improve their research and development program on a regular basis to match with customer’s requirement. There is a threat for the car brand in the form of its old fashioned design. However it needs to change with respect to time. Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) IMC is a strategic marketing communication technique and it represents four types of marketing communication modes. 1. General Advertising-General Advertising creates awareness about the brand and provides information to customers about different aspects and applications of the product. 2. Direct Marketing- This is an approach to create relationship with customers and delivering information about products to the customers. Direct marketing also helps to close sales cycle in a structured manner. 3. Sales Promotion-It is not a long term process. Incentives are there for both consumers and traders. 4. Public Relation- Companies can go for organizing public

Say-on-Pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Say-on-Pay - Essay Example And will it reduce the situations where pay for failure takes place?† Shareholders are the owners of any given firm or company and the interest of the operations of the firm is always at their heart. They would not wish to impact negatively on the firm’s performance at any time, as this is likely to translate into losses. Furthermore, this is not a good happening for shareholders as they are interested in the returns that their investments are likely to bring. A talk on the aspect of say-on-pay is much in place since it has become a daily activity among investors to lay check on their employees. Most companies are today acting to ensure that the performance of their employees is commensurate to the returns they expect. Moreover, excellent performance results from an employee; this depends on how they are handled in terms of their welfare, remuneration and work environment. This study in its efforts to respond to the statement laid down above has to undergo a series of testing procedures of the hypothesis. This will involve a study on the thesis; the study will take varied approaches and methods. Since the practice is still new, it means there are no adequate secondary data hence observations of the few companies, which have employed the practice, would aid us in making deductions about the raised questions. Strict rules have to be laid down against executive compensation; this is because without this the executive are capable of embezzling shareholders’ funds. The fact that executives normally take the advantage of the separation that exists between the ownership and the management makes this even worse. Therefore, such a study is important for the following reasons. One, the study will give us the clear relationship that exists between pay and performance. Moreover, strategies or required changes are recommended in the process. The study will also clear the air as to whether there is any significant change when shareholders conduct a voting system to

Childcare Education as a Entrance to the Society Assignment

Childcare Education as a Entrance to the Society - Assignment Example In this specific case, I would consider a child who has received impartial warmth and affection from his parents and family. The child is the victim of ignorance, and therefore his overall influence and participation in the social and family affairs is minimum. Under Circle of Courage Philosophy, it is important to incorporate belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity in the child. The child shall have a sense of association and belonging, this will make a child more responsible and adaptable towards the society. The sense of leadership is an important trait of personality, and the child shall be trained to lead and play a significant role in the activity. It is important that child shall act independently; the emotions and actions of the child should be independent and should be based upon his personal understanding (Larry, 2005). It is important that under no circumstances, the child shall get under the influence of another person except for parents. The mentoring of parents is instrumental in inflicting the sense of leadership. ... It is important that the child is protected from the social injustice, alienation, vanity, and conviction (Larry, 2005). At the very early stage of his early, the mind of the child is the fluid form which takes the shape of the bowl it is poured into; therefore it is important to be careful in the treatment of such child. It is important that such child shall be protected from the troubled and difficult situation. Often parents put their children in a troubled situation to assess their reaction and approach. This is an incorrect approach, it is recommended never to put the child to any test. With reference to this specific case of a neglected child, it is important that the child shall be given love and affection, rather such child shall be the hub of love and affection from all the family members, in particular, the parents (Frederick, 2008).

Title 5 response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Title 5 response - Essay Example In order to ensure that the requirements of the tittle are actually fulfilled, there is the Congress which is an arm of the government mandated to the role of checking not only the Executive branch but also that the rest of the government is in accordance with the provided laws and guidelines. Title 5 is also not only a clear indication of the well-oiled systems of government but also a form of guidelines to the employees themselves who are in government service including those in federal work. These guidelines also act as their job security in case of any disputes regarding the issues discussed in the title such as terms of employment like training, educational qualifications, pay, code of conduct among other issues which are not usually paid much attention to by employers and employees in the private sector. The title also shows evidence (in the lack of rigidity) of the flexible nature of government when it comes to accommodating and implementing changes in the

Summary, Analysis, and Response Paper for Media Studies Assignment - 1

Summary, Analysis, and Response Paper for Media Studies - Assignment Example The film explores the impact of technology on the generation born in the age of the internet and other similar technologies. The film examines how people have changed their lives in the face of the new technologies. This includes examining issues such as multitasking and the impact that overreliance on technology has on human development. Essentially, the documentary is an investigative report on the impact of technology on human life in the 21st century. The movie is organized in terms of various episodes that report on different matters regarding the implications of technology. There are five episodes discussing issues such as living faster as a result of relying on technology, the implications that technology has on human relations, the impact of technology on military development and wars, the emergence of virtual worlds, and finally the impact of technology in education and the learning process. The directors of the film interviewed different professionals in various fields including psychologists and technology experts, as well as delving into the lives of specific correspondents who relied on technology for most of their lives. In the first episode, the main argument raised is that people are increasingly spending more time on the internet and other similar technologies. Surprisingly, most of the people who spend the most time on the internet are children aged between 8 and 18. Therefore, this episode poses the question as to where the future of man is headed to if such children continue to spend an average of 50 hours on the internet. In the second episode, the documentary argues that technology has changed relationships among human beings in terms of how people view parenting and the concept of love. The film follows up in the third episode by discussing the impact of technology on waging war in the contemporary world.

The Painted Door Essay Example for Free

The Painted Door Essay â€Å"No man is an island, entire of itself†. This quote from John Donne, states that no person could live there life without cn from people around them. They must live in an environment where they can communicate freely with someone even if it would be just one person; but what would happen to someone who does not receive or give proper communication? In the story, The Painted Door a wife named Ann lives in a deserted country side where communication with other people is hard to come by. Her husband, John, is the only person who she has by her side on a day to day basis, yet he does not put Ann as his first priority due to his obsession with working hard to pay of his debts. Due to this she feels as though she is locked out of society and resorts to secluding her own personal feelings from anyone around her. Even though she is unable to find the love that she once had for John she is able to see that Steven is able to provide her with the many necessities that John is unable to give her. Throughout the story, Ann struggles to find the love she once had for John causing her to break her bonds with him. She begins to break her bonds through lack of attention, Seclusion of personal feelings as well as finding new love in Steven. Throughout the story Ann always talks bout how she is unable to receive the attention she desires and is simply not cared for by John. Due to her lack of social interaction within the environment she lives in she tries to seek attention from anyone. When talking to John just before he leaves for his fathers farm, Ann begs him to stay and keep her company yet he refuses to do so. â€Å"It isnt right to leave me here alone. Surely Im as important as important as your father[John] But there is nothing to be afraid of even if it does start to storm. You wont need to go near the stable.Ill be back at the latest by seven or eight†,(Ross,288). Despite Anns plea for John to stay, she is completely ignored and all of Johns attention is focused on his father. Instead of trying to comfort her he tries to change  Anns mind by telling her that she will be alright even if the storm hits and that she does not even have to go outside and do any work. This shows how John does not take into consideration how scared Ann might be during the storm . Instead he puts the job of taking care of the farm into far greater priority evidently showing how Ann receives little to no attention at all from John. As a result of this Ann get put aside so that John can take care of his father. Later on in the story, as John is getting ready to leave he tells Ann how committed he is to get to his fathers house and brings up the past where he claims that he never missed helping his father every time he needed it. â€Å"You ought to know by now I wouldnt stay behindno matter how it stormed. Twice a week before we were married I never missed and there were bad blizzards that winter to,†(289). John has made it clear that he doesnt intend on staying. He shows Ann how committed he was to visit his father whenever he could even before he was married to her. His commitment to his father is far more important to him than staying at home to keep Ann company. Now Ann is certain that Johns care for her is very little in comparison to his father. Due to Anns lack of attention from John, Ann begins to break her bonds with John. Ann believes that no one is truly there to give her the attention that she desires. John has set his eyes on helping his dad and refuses to stay no matter how much Ann begs of him. Due to this Ann tries to do the same and starts to seclude her own personal feelings from him in hopes of trying to get him to show the least bit of care for her. She does this by sarcastically telling him how all her needs have been met just as he is heading for the door. â€Å"Yes – of course – I heard youPlenty to eat – plenty of wood to keep me warm – what more could a woman ask for?†,(288). Instead of directly telling him how she feels about him leaving, Ann makes this sarcastic comment in hopes of attaining some kind of sympathy from John however John responds trying to defend his father.â€Å"But hes an old man – living there all alone. What is it, Ann, youre not like yourself this morning†,(288). Instead of getting John to care of her she causes a bit of tension between the two of them. She does the exact opposite of what she intended to do and begins to put distance between herself and John. When John finally leaves to go and help his father Ann begins to talk to herself  showing how she truly feels about John. â€Å"Thats all I need – someone to talk to. John never talks. Hes stronger – he doesnt understand†,(295). Ann begins to tell herself that all she needs is someone to talk to. Ann knows that John doesn’t need attention from anyone because â€Å"hes stronger† but Ann knows that she isnt â€Å"strong† like John is. Instead of addressing these problems directly with John she keeps these thoughts to herself. By doing this she is unable to tell John how she wishes to be treated allowing more room for John to ignore her true feelings. Through this Ann breaks her bond with John due to the shadowing of her personal feelings. Although Ann hides her personal feelings from John she is not afraid to show her true colors as soon as Steven comes over. Steven is viewed by Ann as someone who can fill the gaps that John could not. He is someone who cares for her and is willing to give her the attention she wants in order to make her happy. Later on in the story Ann begins thinking to herself how Steven may not come to visit Ann. She makes herself believe that Steven would not come because he knows that John would come home to comfort his own wife in this gruesome storm. â€Å"It would be only natural for him to think that when the storm rose John had turned again for home. Another man would- would have put his wife first†,(295). However despite the treacherous storm raging outside, Steven comes to aid Ann in her time of need. Ann is is truly captivated by Stevens determination and begins to find comfort in Steven. â€Å"At the assurance of his touch and voice the fear that had been gripping her gave way t o an hysteria of relief. Scarcely aware of herself she seized his arm and sobbed against it†,(297). Ann is so overjoyed by Stevens arrival that she begins to cry in Stevens arm. She is relieved of all the loneliness the storm had caused her and is able to find comfort in Steven, something she could never truly find in John. As Steven proceeds to do his chores Ann begins to analyze Steven more carefully. She begins to compare John and Steven in her mind. â€Å"Swiftly she was making comparisons again; his face so different to Johns, so handsome and young and clean-shaven. Swiftly, helplessly feeling imperceptible and relentless ascendancy that therby he was gaining over her, sensing sudden menace in this new, more vital life, even as she felt drawn towards it†,(Ross,298). Ann starts to accept now that she has fallen for Steven she is drawn towards this â€Å"new,  more vital life† even if she feels that it puts her and Johns relationship in danger. By making these â€Å"swift† comparisons she is quickly able to see how much greater Steven is in comparison to J ohn. Steven is able to pick up where John is unable to finish. He is able to provide to Ann the care she needs and so much more. Due to Ann immediate attraction to Steven she begins to break her bonds as she is drawn into this â€Å"new, more vital life† where she wishes to stay forever. Ann was unable to find the love and care that she had been searching for in John. She had been given no attention despite the fact that she had needed so much of it from John. She found that John had not given much of a care to her feelings and therefore had begun to hide her own feelings from John. Although John was still not able to provide Ann with the basic love and care she needed from her husband she was able to find this love and care through Steven who provided her with exactly that and much more. Through these series of events, Anns bonds with John are broken as she approaches a new life that will provide her with the necessities she had been lacking in the previous one. She no longer has to seclude her personal feelings and she can now look forward to a new spring in which everything will blossom a new. She now does not have to worry about the lack of attention she will receive from John and no longer has to worry about John making it home in time. Now she can sit with Stev en and enter into the new vital life that awaits

Ethnicity and language Essay Example for Free

Ethnicity and language Essay 1. Ethnicity Ethnicity is not a clear-cut term. It usually describes someone’s racial or cultural background but has a whole host of other connotations connected with appearance, dress, food, lifestyle etc. The ethnic majority in a particular place are, not necessarily those with the largest numbers, but those with social and political power. It is also the case that often terms describing race are fairly meaningless. People from the ‘British race’ for example originate from many other cultures and countries, depending on how far back you trace their family trees. 2. Prejudiced language Language can be used to make certain ethnic groups appear to be outsiders, or different from the ethnic majority. Markedness It is often assumed that immigrants, and people from ethnic minorities, must fit in with the ways and traditions of the ethnic majority. When this happens, the ethnic identity of the majority begins to appear normal and invisible, whilst that of the minority appears, strange, worthy of mention and marked. We often find in the media that people’ ethnicity is only mentioned when they are not white. So, we hear things like â€Å"the murdered black teenager Steven Lawrence† even in instances where the description of ethnicity is irrelevant. Negative labelling People are often labelled according to their colour, race or ethnicity. The problem with such labels is firstly that they may stop us seeing other aspects of the person as we are focussed on the attribute that the label describes. The second problem is that very often these labels are associated with negative stereotypes. We often find that the most marginalized groups in our society have the largest numbers of offensive terms to describe them. In addition, the media runs relatively few stories about those from ethnic minorities, and those that are included tend to reinforce the negative stereotypes by being about crime or disorder. 3. Marking Ethnic Identity Language can also be used as a powerful marker of ethnic identity. The language that we speak, and how we speak it, shows the ethnic group to which we believe we belong and claim solidarity with. British Black English People of West Indian and African Caribbean origin in England use many different varieties depending on where about they live and how long their families have been in Britain. Those born in Britain usually speak a variety of English and also a variety of Jamaican Creole, known as Patois. Linguistic features of Patois ?Lexical items (lick (hit), kenge (weak), bex (angry) ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Plural forms without /s/ suffix (e. g. many cow) ?Verbs not marked for tense (walk in place of walked) ?Simplified pronouns ([mi] for I, me, my and [dem] for they, them and their) ?Use of ‘fi’ in place of ‘to’ before infinitives. African American Vernacular English In the USA, the distinct languages of people of African American origin disappeared centuries ago. Nevertheless, a distinct variety of English, called African American Vernacular English (AAVE), has developed which acts as a symbol of ethnicity. AAVE is most often heard in cities in the North of the states. Linguistic features of AAVE ?Absence of standard copula be (e. g. ‘she very nice’, ‘that my book’) ?Use of copula be to signal recurring actions (‘she be at school on weekdays’) ?Multiple negation (‘I don’t want none’)? Consonant cluster simplification (‘aks in place of asks’) ?Existential it (where standard English has ‘there’, ‘it’s a boy’ for ‘there’s a boy’) Maori English In New Zealand, it is not clear if a Maori dialect of English actually exists. What is certain is that the features listed below occur more often in the speech of Maoris than Pakeha (non-Polynesian New Zealanders, usually of European origin) Linguistic features of Maori English ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Use of vocabulary items such as kia ora (greeting) and kuia (old woman)? Vernacular verb forms (walk for walked) ?Present tense forms with /s/ ‘I sees you’, ‘we gets home’) 4. Social Networks Social networks can help us understand speech patterns as the language and variety we use is influenced by the people we spend time with. You can draw a simple social network by considering the four or five people you speak to most often and drawing lines from their names to yours on a map. If any of those people know each other independently of you, connect them with lines (preferably of a different colour) too. Then add their two or three best friends, and so on.e. g. Tom Richard Bob Barbara Sandy Dave Features of social networks Density Density refers to whether members of a person’s network are in touch with each other separately. In the example above, only Richard and Bob know each other independently of Tom so his network is not a dense one. Plexity Plexity refers to the type of transactions that we are involved in with other people. If, for example, Tom only ever plays squash with Barbara, the relationship would be considered a uniplex one. If however, Tom and Barbara lived, worked and socialised together it would be a multiplex one. Language and Networks The language or variety we use is influenced by the people we talk to and what we talk to them about. We may change the language or variety we are using depending on which part of our network we are currently interacting with. For example, we may be more formal at work than at home. This type of language/variety shift is probably more likely if our social network is not very dense and our relations tend to be uniplex. If our networks are dense and multiplex, the whole network is more likely to use the use the same language or variety.

The Breaking Point: Woolf’s Views on Stael Essay -- women writers

No person is capable of perfectly articulating Virginia Woolf’s opinions on certain matters. However, through the observation of her works one might be able to gather her thoughts and form a more accurate description of her ideals. A Room of One’s Own contains Woolf’s ideals dealing with women in the arts, especially those associated with liberal arts. In this piece Woolf always describes a lack of strong women writers for her research but does name a few she deems worthy. It seems odd that Woolf would overlook Germaine de Stael while researching women with literary talent. The reasons for why Stael was disregarded could range from a language barrier at the time, Stael’s ideals on how a woman should behave within society, political propaganda, or Stael’s works might have simply gone unnoticed at the time. If Woolf had read Stael’s, On Women Writers, surely she would have mentioned it somewhere in her novel. Why would it be required tha t Woolf write about Stael? To simply answer this question, Stael was an intelligent woman in her time and many of Woolf’s main arguments coincide with Stael’s. Gender Inequality is one of these major themes where Stael shares similar views. They would both agree that this inequality feeds the other motifs described in their own works, such as: the individuality of truth, the importance of monetary means, or the hatred and ridicule that society directs at women writers. Woolf might not have agreed with all of Stael’s beliefs, but she would find Stael’s views on gender inequality and the causes of these inequalities to contain the essential oil of truth she was desperately searching for. Gender Inequality was what Woolf emphasized as the major downfall of women writers and Stael shared thos... ... Both Woolf and Stael were extraordinary authors of their times, especially when one considers the hardships they faced. Woolf would indeed find much of her arguments written within Stael’s work. In her reading she would be pleased to find agreement with many of the arguments brought up by Stael, but of course she would not agree to them all. The pity Stael says women should be shown would not consist in Woolf’s vocabulary. She would insist that women be treated as equals instead of looked down upon and pitied. â€Æ' Works Cited Stael, Germaine de. On Literature Considered in Its relationship to Social Institutions: â€Å"On Women Writers.† Trans. Vivian Folkenflit. Eds. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007: 55-60. Print. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. Ed. Mark Hussey. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. Print.

Edwin Hubble :: essays research papers

Edwin Hubble was a man who changed our view of the Universe. In 1929 he showed that galaxies are moving away from us with a speed proportional to their distance. The explanation is simple, but revolutionary: the Universe is expanding. Hubble was born in Missouri in 1889. His family moved to Chicago in 1898, where at High School he was a promising, though not exceptional, pupil. He was more remarkable for his athletic ability, breaking the Illinois State high jump record. At university too he was an accomplished sportsman playing for the University of Chicago basketball team. He won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford where he studied law. It was only some time after he returned to the US that he decided his future lay in astronomy. In the early 1920s Hubble played a key role in establishing just what galaxies are. It was known that some spiral nebulae (fuzzy clouds of light on the night sky) contained individual stars, but there was no consensus as to whether these were relatively small collections of stars within our own galaxy, the 'Milky Way' that stretches right across the sky, or whether these could be separate galaxies, or 'island universes', as big as our own galaxy but much further away. In 1924 Hubble measured the distance to the Andromeda nebula, a faint patch of light with about the same apparent diameter as the moon, and showed it was about a hundred thousand times as far away as the nearest stars. It had to be a separate galaxy, comparable in size our own Milky Way but much further away. Hubble was able to measure the distances to only a handful of other galaxies, but he realised that as a rough guide he could take their apparent brightness as an indication of their distance. The speed with which a galaxy was moving toward or away from us was relatively easy to measure due to the Doppler shift of their light. Just as a sound of a racing car becomes lower as it speeds away from us, so the light from a galaxy becomes redder. Though our ears can hear the change of pitch of the racing car engine our eyes cannot detect the tiny red-shift of the light, but with a sensitive spectrograph Hubble could determine the redshift of light from distant galaxies. The observational data available to Hubble by 1929 was sketchy, but whether guided by inspired instinct or outrageous good fortune, he correctly divined a straight line fit between the data points showing the redshift was proportional to the distance.

All About Nothing: The Story Of My Life Essay -- essays research paper

All About Nothing: The Story of My Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most important thing that has happened in my life is the fact that nothing really big or important has ever happened in my life. For example, my parents are still happily married, and nobody really close to me has evr died. All of this is very unfortunate, I am sure, because if one of these things had happened I would have been able to find a topic for this very essay which I am writing very easily, and would not have had such a hard time getting this essay in to my teacher on time. Nor have I rescued a little kitten from a tree, which when I think about it is really unfortunate because then not only would I have had a topic, but I might also have gotten my picture in the â€Å" Hillsborough Beacon,† or even in the â€Å"Somerset Messenger Gazette,† which, in the lingo of those in the news paper business, is the ‘big time.' But there is little point in even mentioning these things, because they have not happened, and thus, I am left topicless. I could try to fool you with some far out, totally unbelievable story about how I was in a car wreck involving at least two dozen cars, including the president's limousine, and how despite having broken two legs, an arm, in addition to various other body parts too numerous to mention, I managed to drag myself out of the wrecked car (A job for the Jaws of Life, for sure, had it been any other person but me in that car), and then how I managed to haul all of the other survivors, among them the president himself, out of their cars, and to safety, only moments before a small fire that was caused by the crash reached the gas tank of one of the cars causing a breath- taking chain reaction of explosions and fires seen and heard for miles around I could...but I will not. In fact, I would not have it any other way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a highly important meaningful event had happened in my life, the chances are that I would be a completely different person today than the Bill that I am sure you know and love, and probably even worship. It could for example have made me realize how important a proper education is (Do not ask me how.). And, because of this, I could be a diligent hard working student. Thankfully, it didn't and I am not, but the point is, it could have. A scary thought indeed. My parents aren't divorced and do not abuse me, givin... ...ng him of his great failures, even if they are trying to be nice abouit it, although a great many most likely ae not, and can probably get downright mean. Even if he had won those Super Bowls his life would still be a wreck. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, the only quarterbacks ever to win as many Super Bowls as Kelly has lost, still can not go out in public without being mobbed by fans, even though both have long since retired. And although it was most likely fun and exciting to begin with (I find excitement to be much over rated any way.), the novelty of celebrity has most certianly worn off by now, and not being able even to go to the supermarket has most likely turned in to a large pain in the neck. So, as I feel I have just proved, exiting and important events bring nothing good no matter how extremely good or bad they seem to be. This is why I enjoy my average uneventful life. However, as a personal note, if the good and kind reader of this essay would extend the deadline a few years, I could give her a really good reflective essay about the feelings that I have for the people who I have literally and figuratively crushed on my way to power as the Supreme Ruler of the World.

Genetic Engineering Is the Key to a Better Future

In February 1997, Dolly, the first mammalian clone was born in Edinburgh, Scotland (Wilson, 2003, p104). With this achievement, the public starts to give attention towards the study of genetic engineering and recombinant of DNA. Since that successful achievement onwards, people, governments and organizations had been aroused by the genetic engineering issues. The consequences of this debate had been a public protest against the use of such experimental procedures – genetic engineering. The exploration of genetic engineering is just the beginning and this field of study should not be protested because it has a lot of advantages to improve the quality of life for all. The discovery of DNA was the very beginning of genetic engineering. Before that, what is genetic engineering? Genetic engineering is also known as genetic modification which is the human manipulation of organism’s genetic material in a way that does not occur under natural conditions. It involves the use of recombinant DNA techniques, but does not include traditional animal and plant breeding or mutagenesis. Besides that, it is also the use of various methods to manipulate the DNA (genetic material) of cells to change hereditary traits or produce biological products. The techniques include the use of hybridomas (hybrids of rapidly multiplying cancer cells and of cells that make a desired antibody) to make monoclonal antibodies; gene splicing or recombinant DNA, in which the DNA of a desired gene is inserted into the DNA of a bacterium, which then reproduces itself, yielding more of the desired gene; and polymerase chain reaction, which makes perfect copies of DNA fragments and is used in DNA fingerprinting (Arora, 2007). This new technology of genetic engineering dates back to the 1950’s. In 1951 three scientists, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and James Dewey Watson, were credited with the discovery of DNA (Wilson, 2003, p1 & p11). Later, they were presented the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine in 1962 (Lewin, 1984). DNA is also known as deoxyribonucleic acid and it carries a living organism’s genetic code. The discovery of DNA was the very beginning of genetic engineering. Later they were presented the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine in 1962. In 1972 Paul Berg created the first recombinant DNA molecules by combined DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with that of the lambda virus. The first genetic engineering company, Genentech, was founded by Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson in 1976. Genetic engineering could be used to enhance people’s lives by its application to plants and animals used for food (Wilson, 2003, p115). Genetic engineering should be allowed to progress because of the potential benefits for the human species. For example, it will be possible for cows to will be genetically engineered to produce pharmaceuticals in their milk. This means that vaccination shots and pills would become obsolete. Babies could be brought up immune to diseases by simply being fed this milk. Imagine the impact on the quality of life for people who live in third world countries like Somalia. Countries could be made healthy and immune to disease. Malnutrition, a common problem in many third world countries â€Å"where impoverished people rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet† (Whitman, 2000), could also possibly be cured with genetic engineering. Rice does not provide all of the nutrients that the body needs in third world countries and other food is very scarce. If rice or bread, another major staple, is genetically engineered to contain additional necessary vitamins and minerals then we could go a long way towards wiping out malnutrition all over the world. In addition, farmers who breed plants and animals specifically can be engineered to produce more meat or fruit, faster and easier than normal, then food would become cheaper and more plentiful. Furthermore, better tasting and more nutritious foods, fruits and vegetables with desired qualities can be produced. The area that stands to benefit the most from genetic engineering is medicine. Organ transplants and cosmetic procedures, like silicone breast implants, that may cause disease would soon cease to exist. Instead of using materials foreign to the body for such procedures, doctors will be able to manufacture bone, fat, connective tissue, or cartilage that match the patient's tissues exactly, thus ensuring that the needed tissue will be free of rejection by their immune system. Victims of terrible accidents who deform the face and body would be able to have their features repaired with new and safer technology. Limbs for amputees would be regenerated and anyone would be able to have their appearance altered to their satisfaction without the risk of leaking silicone gel into their bodies, or the other problems that occur with present day plastic surgery. Because genetic engineering will insure acceptance by the body, those in desperate need of organ and other transplants will one-day have their prayers answered by cloning. Using one's own cells to grow whole organs will eliminate the need for organ donors and waiting lists. Skin, brain cells, hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys could all be produced. Those who suffer from spinal injuries, like Christopher Reeve, might one day be able to get out of their wheelchairs and walk again. Genetic engineering also has the power to cure infertility, which a painful reality that many couples throughout the world face. â€Å"The current options for infertile couples are inefficient, painful, expensive, and heart breaking† (Human Cloning Foundation). Many couples run out of time and money without successfully having children. According to the Human Cloning Foundation, less than 10 percent of the current infertility treatments are successful. Genetic engineering could make it possible for many more infertile couples to have children than ever before by boosting success rates through nuclear transfer of sperm from the father into the mother's egg, thus creating a beautiful unique child. The exploration of genetic engineering is just the beginning but most of the society is totally against this field of study. Most of them states that genetic engineering is not part of the natural order of things. The concept that society needs to understand is that with the right amount of time and money, genetic engineering will help to reduce diseases and save many lives. Many people do not realize that genetic engineering plays a vital role in many lives throughout the world. Genetic engineering includes artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, sperm banks, cloning, and gene manipulation (Goetz, 1990). Synthetic insulin is now available for use to treat diabetes. This man made insulin has many positive aspects, which include its life span, the cost to manufacture it and the amount that is available. The synthetic insulin lasts for two to three times longer than its natural form and costs substantially less to manufacture than to extract it from an animal. One other benefit is the amount that can be manufactured. In animals, the scientists need to wait for it to mature to extract the insulin. The synthetic source is completely man made and any amount can be manufactured in large quantities. The replication of insulin is not the only way biotechnology is being utilized. Today, people receive synthetic hormones that their body cannot produce such as growth hormones, thyroid, estrogen, and testosterone. Vaccines are also another form of genetic engineering that has been used for many years. Vaccines already protect against disease to a certain extent, but for a virus like HIV, it is too risky to inject somebody with a vaccine. The reason for this is because a vaccine is a solution that contains a dead or weakened virus that has been synthetically prepared. Further work on a HIV vaccine could save many lives and possibly eliminate the disease. With the technology genetic engineering, this biotechnology makes it possible for more people to live. Other than insulin, plants are also being genetically engineered. This type of genetic engineering is more commonly accepted, but why? It is no different for a plant to be able to fight off pests then it is for a human to be able to fight off diseases. This is a contradiction, because society is saying that it is all right for a plant to be genetically engineered but not a human. Besides part of the natural order of things, people do question about the moral aspects. The moral question of genetic engineering is answered by looking at the advances in medicine. Today the advancements in medicine are evolving at high rate. If the science of genetic engineering is wrong, then so are the rest of the advances in medicine. The reason is because genetic engineering is just another form of medical advancement. Gene manipulation is not going to be used for any other purpose except for the treatment and elimination of disease. The one thing that people need to realize is the potential of genetic engineering. Try to visualize what parents of a child is dying from a disease like multiple sclerosis think about the benefits of genetic engineering. Do they think that it is morally wrong or right? They think that it is right because it is going to save their child’s life. Cloning is another form of genetic engineering that is not accepted as morally right. According to Gunter Kahl (2009), â€Å"Clone is a group of genetically identical cells or organisms originating from one single ancestral cell or organism. The term ‘Clone’ originates from Greek word ‘Klon’, which means ‘twig’ †. For example, to clone a human heart, scientist does not have to clone the whole person. They only need to clone the heart by itself. There would be no purpose in cloning a person, because it offers science little or no benefits. If somebody is cloned, it does not mean it will be the same person in every way. It only means that their genetic makeup will be exactly alike. The environment in which they grow up plays a major role in the development of the person’s personality. Safety of genetic engineering is also something that presents as a concern. Today the Federal and State Governments set many limitations on biotechnological industries. The FDA and State Governments impose limits such as the illegalization of human cloning and limits on other genetic engineering processes. The only legal forms of genetic engineering that are used today are in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, and sperm banks. Another form of genetic engineering is the use of gene therapy. Gene therapy is illegal because people should not be able to create the perfect child, but they should be able to correct a gene in a child if it has a chance of being born with Down syndrome. The safety precautions are the effect in order to save the lives of unborn babies. Gene therapy cannot be used on humans until it is perfected and when there is not even little or no chance of failure. These sciences are not perfect but giving it a few years to improve it then it will be a great benefit to the human race. Cloning is also related to the safety issue in genetic engineering. In terms cloning, it is not safe to clone a human. It took 277 trials to successfully clone Dolly the sheep. This should not stop scientists from trying to clone organs that could save many lives. Currently three states banned the cloning of humans. Among the states are Michigan, Rhode Island, and California. The state banns will stay in effect for five years in California and Rhode Island. In the state of Michigan, if convicted of attempting or cloning a human there is a number of penalties, including a ten-year prison sentence. With this amount of time, the scientists will have perfected the process of cloning and it will be accepted more than it is now. The safety regulations of cloning only extend to human cloning at the present time. This is due to the fact that cloning is not perfect and some abnormalities and failures may have come about in this new technology. Society cannot expect to be perfect the first time it does something, but merely get better as they practice. The more tests that are done on bacteria, plants, and organisms the more effective genetic engineering will benefit human life in the future. Scientists are also able to detect abnormalities in the cloned organism before it has even started to develop. By monitoring the DNA of the organism, scientists can decide if the clone will be able to further develop. If it is not able to then the process can be terminated. With all the benefits mentioned earlier, genetic engineering does bring a lot of advantages for all. However, most people throughout the world still feel that the issue of genetic engineering is unethical (Wilson, 2003, p133). Even though genetic engineering is a new aspect of our technological research, it should, at all costs, be allowed to develop further. The possible benefits from genetic engineering are endless. Genetic engineering, then, is a tool that humans can use to cure many of their problems. The possibilities are endless if only we do not let ourselves be restricted by those who are afraid of the unknown. The people of the world should ease up on holding back the evolution of science and realize its possibilities for future generations.

Analytical Essay About the Little Mermaid and the Wild Swans

The Affection of Vanity; behind the scenes of â€Å"The Little Mermaid† and â€Å"The Wild Swans† I believe that the stories †The Little Mermaid† and †The Wild Swans† are fundamentally about vanity and the craving for self-satisfaction by main characters in each story. Hans Christian Andersen was born on the 2nd of April, 1805, in the city of Odense outside of Copenhagen in Denmark. He was a Danish author who wrote lyrical poems, fairy tales and novels. He was known as H. C. Andersen throughout the world since he preferred using his first two initials instead of signing his whole name.He succeeded in writing over 200 fairy tales and 1000 poems during his lifetime and his stories and poetry have been translated into more than 150 languages inspiring different plays, ballets and movies. H. C Andersen passed away on the 4th of August 1875. People still, even after H. C Andersen’s death, reminisce about how he lit up the world with his amusing children’s stories and unbelievable fairy tales, such as for example â€Å"The Little Mermaid† and â€Å"The Wild Swans. The main character’s choices in each story is an action of vanity and these are the ideas from which my essay will emanate and give me the possibility of laying the fundamental proofs of my thesis statement by indicating the patterns of vanity throughout both stories. â€Å"The Little Mermaid â€Å" is generally about a young mermaid whose dearest wish is to become a human being so she could fall in love above the waters with a prince. She is even willing to precede her identity as a mermaid and leave her life and her family behind, at the darkest bottoms of the ocean for the sake of turning this dream into reality. The Wild Swans† is on the other hand a story about the sacrifice which one princess makes in the hope of rescuing her eleven brothers who have been cast under a spell. These two stories do not differ so much from each oth er since the main character in â€Å"The Little Mermaid† is willing to give up her life and make bodily sacrifices for the sake of love, while the princess in â€Å"The Little Swans† believes that she is able to save her brothers by making bodily sacrifices as well and all of this for the sake of her own love, believing they are able make it on their own by their abilities.Vanity is the excessive reliance on one’s ability to impress others, either by looks or abilities. According to many, vanity is a bad characteristic and can be related to egotism and arrogance. Vanity is often portrayed as a peacock in the artistic world, except for in the Bible, where it is represented by the Whore of Babylon according to The Free Encyclopedia. (Section: The symbolism of vanity. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vanity). Vanity falls together with arrogance and presumption into the context of pride as one of the seven deadly sins.There are different references to this theory in the Bible where the classical example for this sin is shown in the story of the Tower of Babel which can be found in Genesis 11:5-8 in The Holy Bible. The characters in â€Å"The Little Mermaid† have in general been self-centered throughout the whole fairytale by questioning their abilities of beauty and possibilities. They have kept on battling the chase of beauty by trying to glamourize themselves. The biggest factor which leads me into making these kinds of assumptions about the Mer-people was the fact that their will to be different was far more important than showing compassion for each other.Evidence can be found in on page 136 of the booklet where H. C. Andersen is describing the Mer-King’s mother as an old and typical posh lady which has settled in the big palace and adapted her way of living to the needs provided by the services of the house. Andersen has also given her the characteristics of believing that she is far better than the rest of the inhabitants of the sea and to prove it she is described wearing twelve oysters on her tail, while the rest of the mermaids in the ocean are only allowed to wear six.I believe that this is what influences the little mermaid into committing these superficial decisions such as wanting to live on land because of love, later on throughout the story by being influenced by factors of her surroundings such as for an example, her home. The palace where the Mer-Kings family lives has walls out of coral, high pointed windows of amber, and roofs made out of mussel-shells which are described as glittering pearls. This is what causes the little mermaid to feel eccentric and full of herself by believing that no one is as good as her since no one has a house as beautiful as hers.This is a psychological remark of the mind of the mermaid, since she is affected by the environment around her she is bound into developing as a person thinking that she deserves nothing but the best. This behavior is obviously caused by the fact that she is described as the most beautiful child out the 6 children and as the loveliest one. When living in such an environment as the little mermaid is she is clearly affected by the fact of living in a place as gorgeous as the palace is. Their home is described as the most beautiful building at the bottom of the sea.I think that the house was a compensation for the loss of the Mer-kings wife since he made it this big and remarkable. This story has its resemblance to the story of the Taj Mahal, when the Sultan built the building in honor of his late wife. Since her father had been a widower for many years and the little mermaid had no mother-figure to look up to and to rely on, so her grandmother had to take that role upon herself and raise the little mermaid and her 5 sisters. It is noticeable throughout the whole story how the little mermaid’s affection for her grandmother is absurd since she constantly asks for the tales off the world above waters.The grandmot her is her only source of knowledge of the upper world and she is always asking her about the land above and how it is like. The little mermaid had a special love for dry land and could not wait to turn fifteen since that was the age when a mermaid was considered mature enough to rise to the surface of the world above. By having such a classy grandmother and by growing up at a home such as the palace, H. C Andersen had no choice but to create the character the little mermaid as rather a alone child and very â€Å"high-thinking† of herself.This high standard of life and the high expectations of life drove the little mermaid into believing that she was able to do impossible things, such as start a life on dry land and being able to win over the prince’s heart by getting him to love her more than he loved his mother and father. The little mermaid’s voice is mentioned multiple times as an unbelievably beautiful voice throughout the story. She thinks of her voice as the best attribute. Another evidence of the mermaid’s high expectations of herself and her demeaning look upon the mermaid people is shown on page 145 of the booklet, where it says: â€Å"†¦.She wished that she were one of them. Their world seemed to her much larger than that of the Mer-people. † I interpreted this as meaning that she once again doubted her place in life and felt as she deserved more than just being an imprisoned of the ocean. Her hopes for her abilities of becoming something better were once again showing her own lust of the affection for the bigger world. She believed, she wanted and she felt as she deserved something better than the life she had below the surface and was ashore that she could change it on her own.The little mermaid is once again showing signs of vanity by craving self-satisfaction which is in this case the love and life above waters. She was willing risking her own life for the sake of getting an immortal soul so she could live in happiness for the rest of her life by proving to the prince that she was more deserving of his love than his parents were. It is clearly stated in the story, on page 149, that she is determined to go to the enchantress whom she has feared so much before for the slightly chance of making her dream come true.Even though the path to the enchantress was dangerous and frightening, she was still confident enough to rely on her abilities of surviving the horrible way to the witch in the hope of finding a way to spend her life with prince. One of the obstacles on the path were the whirlpools which the little mermaid was bold enough to believe that she could survive, the description of this horrible obstacle can be found on page 149 as well, â€Å"†¦ she had to traverse an extent of bare grey send till she reached the whirlpool, whose waters were eddying and whizzing like millwheels, tearing everything they could seize along with them into the abyss below. This proves the trust whi ch the little mermaid had in herself by being able to get to the enchantress on her own. Even though few mermaids had made it through to the witch, the little mermaid forced herself into believing that she could make it. Not once did she stop to think if the prince would return her love with blessings of his own, she just assumed that he was going to love her as much as she loved him. That she was beautiful enough for to make him fall in love with her.The theme of vanity within the story â€Å"The Little Mermaid† is greatly focused on the abilities of the little mermaid, if she is bold enough to endure the pains for which she has to go through in the hope of being loved by the prince. Her plan was to find a way of spending the rest of her life on dry land with the prince and this is what caused her to go to the enchantress looking for answers. She hoped that the enchantress of the sea would have a way of letting her spend her life above waters, which proved to be right.The wi tch had a potion which would enable the little mermaid to grow legs and to be able to walk but she warned her that the transformation would be very painful. The witch described it as â€Å"letting a knife cut through your body†. On page 151 the enchantress is telling the little mermaid that it will even hurt when walking, the description of this so called â€Å"lucrative† solution was described as; â€Å"†¦it will seem to hurt you as though you were walking on the sharp edges of swords, and your blood will flow†. Even when being warned, the little mermaid did not get scared of the fact that she had o endure such pain. She would not abandon her dreams. The witch mentioned as well that if she does not succeed in making the prince fall in love with her, the little mermaid would be turned into foam and vanish. When the witch mentioned a repayment for the potion, the little mermaid became stunned. She then bared the thought of asking what the enchantress wanted from her. â€Å"Thou hast the sweetest voice of all the dwellers in the sea, and thou thinkest by its means to charm the prince, this voice, however, I demand recompense. The best thing thou possesses I require in exchange for my magic drink. The little mermaid agreed to these demands and proved that she still believed that she was beautiful enough to charm the prince even without her wonderful voice. This is the mental affection of vanity, the little mermaid was still bold enough to believe that her beauty and body would make the prince fall in love with her. This turned out to be true, since she amazed the prince with her wonderful eyes. The evidence of this is on page 155, â€Å"If I were obliged to choose, I should prefer thee, my silent foundling, with the speaking eyes. This was what the prince told the little mermaid after she glanced upon him with her beautiful eyes. While the prince was enchanted by the little mermaid’s eyes he was indirectly strengthening her bad characteristic by making her believe that she was pretty enough and able to make him fall in love with her, even though she was not able to speak. The little mermaid did unfortunately not succeed into being loved by the prince, since he married another princess from another kingdom. The little mermaid had to face the destiny from which the enchantress warned her about.The enchantress told the little mermaid that if she did not achieve to be loved by the prince, she would turn into foam and die. Since this unavoidable outcome was destine to occur, the little mermaid got a visit from a transparent figure, probably an angle. It appeared in front of her and told her that the blessing of an immortal soul was not necessary to obtain from the love of the prince but from the suffering of a soul and the acutance of their good deeds. The moment right before the little mermaid was about to die, her sisters swam up to the surface to tell her that there was a way to become a mermaid again and su rvive.They went to the enchantress and she told them that the only way of saving the little mermaid, was if she stabbed the prince right in the heart and waited for his red blood to touch her feet and as repayment of for the enchantress answer the sisters had to cut off all of their hair. The little mermaid refused to do so because she loved the prince far more than she loved herself and would not let him die instead of her. She waited for the sun to rise, for it was when the first rays of light would hit her that she would die. So, the little mermaid sacrificed allot with in the hope of achieving her biggest dream.She managed to fulfill half of it by being able to live a life on land, but she failed to make the prince fall in love with her. She was able to suffer through everything for the sake of love and with the help of vanity. Vanity is referred to as something negative but the choices she made due to this sin, resulted into benefiting her in the end since she changed her desti ny. â€Å"The Wild Swans† had a similar beginning as the story â€Å"The Little Mermaid†, since they both explained which types of characters we were being introduced to. The Wild Swans† expressed right at the beginning of the story that both Elise and her eleven brothers were far different from the other people and citizens of their kingdom. H. C Andersen had done a great job of getting this point across by describing that the eleven brothers went to school with stars on their breasts and swords on their sides. Feeling pride while they wrote on golden tables with diamond pens and could read fluently. By letting the elven brothers differ from the â€Å"regular folk† H. C Andersen created barriers between the different characteristics associated with this situation.By showing them acknowledgment you are proving to the princes that they are better than others. I think that this is the concept that H. C. Andersen wanted to convey. This incident is related to â€Å"The Little Mermaid† where the principals of the scenario are identical. The grandmother had put 12 oysters on her tail to show status and differ from the rest while the eleven brothers are distinguished by their star, sword, golden tables and diamond pens. Elise is separated from the people in a different way, H.C Andersen did this by letting her have a picture-book which was worth as much as half the kingdom. By letting a child have an expensive possession like this for her pleasure of playing with it, one is clearly marking the fact that she is something special and I think that by this cause that H. C. Andersen, as in the â€Å"The Little Mermaid† did not have another choice than to give Elise and her brothers the flaw of vanity. While letting them believe that they are far more different than the rest of the citizens with their possessions they are mad e into believing that they are of a bigger mportance. One thing which shows the affection of Elise’s beauty is seen page 14 of the booklet with â€Å"The Wild Swans† story, where she asks the roses; â€Å"Who is more beautiful than you? † and receiving the answer; â€Å"Elise†. This evidence is showing Elise’s obsession for her beauty by going around asking these questions. One similar scenario can be found as well on page 14 of the booklet where she asks the hymn-book; â€Å"Who is more pious than thou? † and receiving the same answer back as before; â€Å"Elise†. While the same problem is repeating itself throughout H.C Andersen’s stories we can draw the similarities between the little mermaid and Elise. The little mermaid was betrayed into a sort of vanity where she was blinded for all the possible outcomes except for when it came to the love of the prince. While the little mermaid was seeking around getting approval of her beauty by singing with her beautiful voice, or succeeding in making persons fall in love with her she could strengthen the fact that she was beautiful while Elise on the other side is striving for the acknowledgment for her beauty by being more direct and asking things and people about her appearance.Something that is noticeable throughout this story is that it is very religiously affected and implied to influence someone on spiritual level by repeatedly referring to the powers of God, and that the good inside of someone can overtake the evil. Since H. C Andersen was a very religious man who had a strong belief in Christianity it was not so surprising to find these kinds of references to the holy powers above us but the thing which did make me think was that the fairytale of the little mermaid had no religious or faithful statements throughout the story.The only explanation I can have for this is because the Mer-people were not humans and could not possess a soul, but after the little mermaid became a human and was about to die, the transparent figure appeared itself in front of her and e xplained that the soul of a human and a mermaid were not dependent on if they had legs or fish fins, it was dependent on the good deeds preformed during a lifetime and the suffering experience for a loved one. , but there was still no mentioning of God nor heaven as in this story.Elise decided as the story went on to search for her brothers which her evil step-mother had casted a spell on and turned them into eleven swans. The obstacles which Elise had to go through resemblance the obstacles which the little mermaid had to go through for the sake of reaching the enchantress house. The little mermaid had a more selfish cause for going through these big obstacles such as the whirlpool. She did it just to get an answer to how she would be able to fulfill her dream, while Elise went through the darkness of the woods and being sent out into the world all alone.The cause of her searching for her brothers and enabling herself to surviving these obstacles was the fact that she was searching for her eleven lost swan brothers. She was risking her own life for the benefit of her brothers while the little mermaid risked hers for her own good. They both believed that their own abilities were enough to survive and take them self’s through these horrible obstacles when being driven by love. To express Elise’s beauty H. C Andersen has let the animals in the woods show it symbolically by letting the sunbeams play upon her and make a golden veil.The birds preached as well on Elise’s shoulders. These moments just strengthen her both spiritually and in the belief of that she could make it by her own. Andersen has described her moments as that God would never forsake her. I think that H. C. Andersen focused on writing about God and because of this resulted into making this story a little more believable since a human being often turns to God in though times. It says on page number 17 of the booklet; â€Å"†¦that she saw the Angel of God looking down upon her with gentle aspect, and a thousand little cherubs all around him. I assume that by this sentence it is described that Elise is meant to get some faithful guidance and as a sign to show her that God is on her side. By this it is meant that she should be strengthen and believe more in herself since she has the help of God on her side. This scenario may refer to the similarities of the little mermaid where she got a visit from a translucent figure, probably an angle. Even though this scenario occurs at a different place in each story I am still assure that it has some resemblance to one and each other.When Elise finally meets her brothers they start to talk, she is informed that they need to allocate to another site in two days, because they are not allowed to be in this side of the world for more than eleven days a year. So, they start to discuss what to do since Elise does not want to leave them and her brothers want to bring her with them. We can see on page 21, the sign of van ity, when her eldest brother is in a discussion concerning the topic of carrying Elise on their wing by their own strength. â€Å"My arm I strong enough to bear thee though the forest; shall we not have sufficient strength in our wings to transport thee over he sea? † This is referred to in the belief of that the eldest brother is strong enough to carry her by his shear strength and ability. Elise risked as well her brothers’ lives for her own satisfaction by agreeing to let them fly her over the open ocean for two days, when she knew the that the consequences would be big. The little mermaid experienced the same things as Elise even though sometimes throughout the story the actions taken by Elise were the opposite behavior of the little mermaid. The different choices resulted into experiencing different kinds of pain.Elise had to go through a lot of mental problems in the story by being told in one of her dreams that to save her brothers she needed to pick sting-needl es by hand and trample on nettles with her bare feet to get the yearn from which she was going to weave eleven shirts for each brother. But from the moment of when Elise begun her work till the day she finished it, she was not allowed to speak, not even a word. If so much as a syllable came out of her moth daggers would fall right through the hearts of her brothers.So Elise had to give up her voice, the same sacrifice the little mermaid had to give up and they both did it for the sake of love. These actions which were taken resulted into each character reaching self-satisfaction by the help of vanity throughout the story and the pattern of vanity can be clearly shown throughout both stories. When the stories are analytically picked apart it is easier to notice these kinds of causes, which are common in H. C Andersons writing, since he involves Christianity and God into his work.He wrote much about the different sins which fall into the category of â€Å"religious writing† alo ng with his talk about the church and life beyond death. Analyzing the writing of H. C Andersen based on these two stories I can claim that his personal background had a huge impact on the outcome of these stories and that his affection of religion resulted into the affection of vanity in each main character. Sources: Andersen, H. C â€Å"The Little Mermaid† (Hempstead: Purnell 1977) Andersen, H. C â€Å"The Wild Swans† (Hempstead: Purnell 1977) http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Vanity The Bible