Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Noah And The Flood

The Great Flood or Just Scattered Showers? â€Å"So God said to Noah, â€Å"I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out† (Genesis 6: 13-15). â€Å"You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive† (Genesis 6: 19-20). â€Å"Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made† (Genesis 7: 4). For various reasons, many people today find the story of Noah’s Ark quite difficult to believe. From both believers in God and non-believers, there have been many objections to the credibility of the stor y of Noah and the Ark. For as long as the Bible has been in print, creationists and skeptics have debated the issue of a cataclysmic flood. Historical records from such ancient civilizations as the Chinese or the inhabitants of the Indus valley show no period of time where these civilizations were suddenly wiped out by a global flood, to be slowly repopulated later. There is simply no evidence whatsoever from archeology, geology or history, which indicate a worldwide flood that wiped out all but eight people. For many reasons the account of Noah given in the book of Genesis simply cannot be literally or historically true. One obvious problem results from the building of the boat itself. According to the Bible, the Ark had dimensions of 300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits tall. This is four times the size of any wooden ships constructed during the time period and is roughly the size of today’s oil tankers. It was not until the year 1... Free Essays on Noah And The Flood Free Essays on Noah And The Flood The Great Flood or Just Scattered Showers? â€Å"So God said to Noah, â€Å"I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out† (Genesis 6: 13-15). â€Å"You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive† (Genesis 6: 19-20). â€Å"Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made† (Genesis 7: 4). For various reasons, many people today find the story of Noah’s Ark quite difficult to believe. From both believers in God and non-believers, there have been many objections to the credibility of the stor y of Noah and the Ark. For as long as the Bible has been in print, creationists and skeptics have debated the issue of a cataclysmic flood. Historical records from such ancient civilizations as the Chinese or the inhabitants of the Indus valley show no period of time where these civilizations were suddenly wiped out by a global flood, to be slowly repopulated later. There is simply no evidence whatsoever from archeology, geology or history, which indicate a worldwide flood that wiped out all but eight people. For many reasons the account of Noah given in the book of Genesis simply cannot be literally or historically true. One obvious problem results from the building of the boat itself. According to the Bible, the Ark had dimensions of 300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits tall. This is four times the size of any wooden ships constructed during the time period and is roughly the size of today’s oil tankers. It was not until the year 1...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

7 Unique Valentines Day Gift Ideas

7 Unique Valentines Day Gift Ideas Valentines Day can instill fear into the heart of even the best gift-givers. But as a college student, your funds and options might be limited. What can you give your girlfriend or boyfriend that still gets your message across without seeming too boring and traditional? 7 Unique Valentines Day Gifts Serve breakfast in bed:Â  Instead of a dinner out, surprise your boyfriend or girlfriend with breakfast in bed. It can be as simple as hot coffee and a muffin or as fancy as homemade pancakes and bacon.A picnic with your favorite foods: Does your boyfriend or girlfriend love cereal, for example? Pack their favorite kind in a bag along with some milk, 2 bowls, and 2 spoons, and voila. Youve got yourself one amusing but sweet Valentines Day picnic.Handmade paper flowers:Â  The usual flowers are, of course, a sweet gesture, but they do die after a week or so and can be outrageously expensive around Valentines Day. Instead, make your own flowers out of paper (some craft stores even have kits) for a present that will last a long time and remind your partner how much you care.Buy a kids book with a sweet message: While kids books are, of course, written mostly for kids, they can have sweet messages about loving someone. Find one that works well with your particular relationship for a uni que present that will undoubtedly be cherished for a long time. Make a donation to charity: If your partner isnt into traditional gifts but you want to get them something anyway, consider making a donation to charity. It can be a donation to a local organization, Doctors Without Borders, or even Heifer, which allows you to give enough money so that someone in a developing country can, for example, buy a flock of chickens. (Because who doesnt like getting chickens for Valentines Day?)Bake something homemade: Everyone loves homemade goods; luckily, even if youre not good in the kitchen, you can still give a unique homemade good with a little coordination. You can always order something from a nice local bakery or even make something from a box/mix that you got at the grocery store. Add a little of your own decorations and youll be good to go.Pack a huge box filled with lots of tiny things:Â  Does your partner love a certain kind of candy bar? Little boxes of cereal? A certain kind of cookie? Find the smallest sizes you can of your boyfriend or gir lfriends favorite treats, wrap them all up individually, and then present them all in a big box. Opening up that many presents, even if theyre all similar products, will definitely be one Valentines Day to remember.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the Essay

To what extent does contemporary critical media theory illuminate the recent mass media coverage of the local government led mil - Essay Example Advancement in communication technologies have worked towards changing the very connotation of power play in global politics, the strategies used in global politics for achieving objectives, and the type and number of players in the global political processes. Owing to the transformations brought in by the new age media, governments worldwide have been deprived of their monopolist control on dissemination of information, while individuals, activists and various other non-state actors have sprung into prominence within international relations, as regards conflict or warfare resolution. At present both state and non-state actor are looking towards using soft power that amalgamates diplomacy with soft power, and works towards changing the advantages of soft power into tangible activities (Nye, 2004, 4-5). In the contemporary form of media communication, the critical theory plays an important role in criticising the applied principles in any unfolding event (like the role played by the n ational government during a civil war), in order to judge the situation and bring about a positive change. Despite, the importance of critical media during the time of conflict/warfare and peace resolution, the area remains neglected by modern researchers, with major focus being given to the adverse effects of media in starting a conflict (Hume, 2000). This is owing to the fact that mass media, like television, radio played a major role in fomenting violent conflicts in various parts of the world like, Bosnia and Rwanda (Malley, 2009). The negative effects were also observed in the Danish cartoon controversy where media gave rise to a violent conflict within the Islamic world. A majority of the researchers have observed that the media tends to aggravate conflict situations with recommendations that media must reverse its role and contribute positively towards conflict resolution and transitional justice phase (Gilboa, 2009). In this context, we will examine the role of media, during times of conflict and during the post-civil war transitional phase, and examine it under the lens of contemporary critical media theory, with special focus on the recently concluded government led military warfare in Sri Lanka. Discussion Critical theories in human communication The classical theory of Marxism: In the twentieth century political realms, Marxism based social theory (loosely based on notions theorised by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels) formed to be one of the most important pillars of social sciences, that in theory defied the controlling social order (as regards, the contemporary ideological, political and economic orders). This is evident in The Communist Manifesto  published in 1848 where Marx contended that within the realms of society, the ways of production decides the nature of the social order. They further theorised that economy (along with its institutions) forms to be the basic social structure (simple-base superstructure). In capitalist social orders ec onomic profits motivates production and those that make profits control the worker classes. To obtain liberation the workers must rise against the prevailing economic order, the associated institutions and the dominant

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Idenfity major literacy requirements of the PDHPE 7-10 Syllabus Essay

Idenfity major literacy requirements of the PDHPE 7-10 Syllabus - Essay Example The syllabus helps the students to participate in enjoyable physical activities. Besides, PDHPE equips the learners with the necessary skills that are essential for promoting active and healthy lifestyles in the community. This program would be essential in changing student’s attitude and value on healthcare and life skills through willingness to participate in a supportive healthcare and health-enhancing personal transformation and behavior change, and developing personal commitment to social justice health principles. However, the approaches advanced to promote this program is ineffective in all sectors. For instance, students with physical challenges and disability often suffer from being excluded in the healthcare and promotion programs proposed by the curriculum. Therefore, it is important for the special needs of the students with physical challenges to be considered. It is only through this exclusive program that the success in health and promotional program will be att ained. Therefore, it is important for the curriculum developer to identify the key academic needs of the students that would enhance their understanding and life skills and equip the learners with the skills and technical literacy knowledge in order for the students to develop deeper understanding of the concept of health and physical education (Literacy skills for the knowledge society, 2007) The main requirements for advancing student’s understanding of the literacy skills with respect to personal healthcare are increasing the students’ communication skills, problem-solving techniques, decision-making, planning, and interaction skills. These skills would be essential in increasing the students’ knowledge and understanding of the key subjects and literacy standards especially for the PDHPE 7-10 learners. To promote social justice principles in accordance with the syllabus, it is important for the institution to take care of personal and specialized needs of ind ividual students. A learner-emphasized education and training is therefore preferred for the PDHPE 7-10 students owing to the differences in the learners. The first step in developing literacy skills is effective communication skills. Students must be in a position to communicate effectively so as to enhance their interpersonal and academic skills. This calls for effective expression of ideas, concepts, and personal opinions either by verbal or non-verbal techniques (Antonacci, 2011). A combination of written and verbal communication skills is essential for the learners. Since education or learning is all about communication of ideas, it is therefore important for the learners to develop such interaction skills and technical knowledge that would make them better speakers and learners by being able to communicate or express themselves. In addition, communication and expression are not only important with the classroom but also in non-learning environments including social arena. Lear ners therefore must apply effective communication skills that are appropriate in resolving conflicts and effectively responding to others in their interaction. Effective communication skills are often demonstrated by the learners in a number of contexts including formal presentation, movement settings, informal interactions, social interactions and advocating physical and health activity within the learning environmen

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Influence of Surfing in Skateboarding Essay Example for Free

The Influence of Surfing in Skateboarding Essay Skateboarding began in the year of 1950, when all over California surfers suddenly got the notion that they could try surfing on street, it was partly this reason why no one could really tell who first made or discovered skateboards. There are several assertions that they are the ones who made the very first skateboards however, none of those could really be verified. During these times, skateboarding is considered to be fun, yet it is only second to surfing. â€Å"The first type of skateboards which dates back to early 1900s was actually more like a scooter† (Brooke, 16) with the undercarriage made up of roller skate wheels fastened to a two by four, once the push bar of the scoter like apparatus was broken off, it was only then skateboarding came into existence. Around the late 1950s, open-minded Californian surfers began to realize that these-scooter-minus-the-handlebar contraptions†¦could be used as a kind of alternative to surfing†¦ (Books and Phillips, p.11)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was by the year of 1950 that the surfing fad became very popular. It was only then that people recognized the fact that skateboarding could be almost similar to riding a wave or surfing and this particular association with surfing which gave skateboarding, a course which would affect everything regarding the sport which was just about to come. This includes a series of maneuvers, style terrain, as well as stance. It was basically at some point in this time that changes were done to the apparatus in order to make them easier to use or handle. By the year of 1959 the very 1st Roller Derby Skateboard was put up in stores. Basically, it was the surfers who first thought of the idea that surfing could be done on streets (Cave, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As was already mentioned, the 1st skateboard was manufactured by the year of 1950 and it happened during the surfing or riding in wave was in vogue in California. The very first skateboards were made at home and built on even wooden boards fastened to roller skate trucks and wheels, skateboarding were initially named â€Å"sidewalk surfing† and the very first skaters imitated some methods and moves from surfers. It is even argued if skateboards really developed from â€Å"crate scooters†, which in turn came before skateboards did and they were basically the same saved that they have a crate made of wood fastened to the front, which made up elementary handlebars (Cave, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entrance of the year 1960 paved way to skateboarding going on mainstream. There are also those surfing companies like Hobie and Makaha who began manufacturing skateboards which looks a lot like minute surfboards and accumulating groups to endorse their manufactured goods. The fame of skateboarding at this point in time generated a national magazine which is called a â€Å"Skateboarder Magazine and the 1965 international championships were publicized on national televisions, the development of skateboarding during this times could also be observed in Makaha’s sales records which stated $4, 000, 000 worth of skateboard were sold from the year of 1963 up to 1965. It was also in the year of 1963 that skateboard was at the highest peak of its fame and thus Makaha, among other companies commenced in giving off tournaments on skateboarding. During this year skateboarding are usually done, downhill, salom or freestyle and skateboarders such as Torger Johnson, Woody Woodward and Dany Berer became famous on the sport however, one should take note of the fact that skateboarding is very different from what it is today and thus one should not expect them to be doing things skaters of today’s times are doing. During those times â€Å"freestyle† their favorite style in skateboarding seems as though they are doing some ballet or they are ice skating, not exactly the same as it looks like today. However, by the year of 1966 sales had not been as good as before and it plunged down considerably. It was also about this time when Skateboarder Magazine had ended their publications, and hence skateboarding’s fame plunged down and continued to remain low until the coming of the year, 1970 (OldSchoolSkateboarding, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The early 1960s is the time when companies like Makaha and Hobie’s started to mass produce the very first and genuine surfing enthused skateboards. A number of the first advocates of surf-style skateboarding are Bill and Mark Richards, Danu Bearer, and so on. Skateboarding became very trendy in an instant and manufacturing companies have had to work hard in order to sustain the demands of the customers. More than 50, 000, 000 skateboards were bought within the span of three years. The very first contests on skateboarding took place on Hermosa Beach, California in the year of 1i963. It was in 1965 that a swing supposedly safety specialists asserted that skateboarding is not safe, forcing the stores to stop selling skateboards, and parents to stop buying them. The skateboarding trend died immediately in the same way it had been an instant fad before (OldSchoolSkateboarding, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the early years of 1970, Frank Nasworthy began to make skateboard wheels from polyurethane. Nasworthy’s invention looks closer to what skateboarders use nowadays.   The development in footing and execution was so great that the reputation of skateboarding began to increase quickly once more. Companies began to spend more in product advancement. A large number of companies began to produce trucks principally intended for skateboarding. As the gear develops and began to be more maneuverable or easier to handle, the decks began to get broader which provides the skateboarders even more room to maneuver Nasworthy’s company was called Cadillac wheels and his inventions caught the interest of surfers among other people which is another development on skateboarding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skateboards made up by polypropylene were called banana board; these boards are thin, supple, with beams on the underside for structural foundation and they are also very famous until the mid-70s. These skateboards are available in many colors; however yellow is the most famous of them all, hence the term banana boards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the year of 1975, skateboarding unexpectedly received an evolutionary improvement and it is almost similar to what skateboards and skateboarders do and look like nowadays. In Del Mar wherein a salom and freestyle competition was held , the Zephyr team amazed the world to the things skaters and their skateboards could do and it was the start of whence the sport was treated seriously and not just as a mere past time. Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Tony Peralta were the three most well-known and celebrated skateboarders at that time and all of them are members of the Zephyr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By the year of 1978 skateboarder, Alan â€Å"Ollie† Gelfand made a noteworthy invention which gave skateboarding another boost. The Ollie is a technique wherein one would slam one’s back foot on the tail of the skateboard and then the skater would be seen boarding the air.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Producers began to experimenting with more interesting combinations such as fiberglass and aluminum; however, the typical skateboards were structured with maple plywood. The skateboarders made use of the better handling of their boards and they commenced on creating and discovering new tricks with their skateboards. Skateboarders, especially the Z-boys, commenced in skating the vertical walls of swimming pools and this began the vertical trend in the said sport. With amplified improved control vertical skaters could skate faster and execute more risky tricks like slash grinds and the like. This founded liability apprehensions and intensified insurance charges to skatepark owners. During this period, the â€Å"freestyle† movement in skateboarding started it could be distinguished by the growth of a broad variety of flat-ground tricks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skateparks progressively had to debate against high-liability expenses which led to many parks closing down. Vertical skaters thus, began to make their own access ramps and freestylers are no longer in need for skate parks. Therefore, by early 1980s skateboardings popularity diminished once more (YourLeisurelyTime, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was by the year of 1980s that the VCR suddenly materialized into the picture and they paved way to kids all over the world who wants to skate. Stacey Peralta along with George Powell made a team of gifted skateboarders and called them the Bones Brigade, it was also Stacey who made skateboarding videos which he called â€Å"The Bones Brigade Videos†. Their team includes Steve Caballero, Tony Hawk, along with other famous skaters, most of which one could see in â€Å"Freestyle† (a playstation game), and it was by this time that skaters began to be famous and made their own clothing styles which others tries to imitate even up to this point in time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 3rd generation of skateboards which is by the early 1980s up to early 1990s was stimulated by skateboard manufacturers which were managed by skateboarders. The main concentration was originally on vertical ramps skateboarding. The creation of the no-hands aerial by Allan Gelfand in the year of 1976 made it feasible for skateboarders to execute airs off of vert ramps. Whereas this wave of skateboarding was generated by commercialized vertical ramps skating, a great number of individuals who skateboarded during these times do not use or ride vertical ramps. Since majority of this individuals do not have the financial means to construct vertical ramps or they do not have access towards the ramps in the vicinity, street skating obtained a great deal of popularity. Freestyle skating continued to be popular all throughout this time with founders like Rodney Mullen formulating the fundamentals of contemporary street skating. The effects thiese freestylers had on street skating became pretty much obvious by the middle of 1980s. However, skateboarding progressed rapidly in the late 80s to adapt with the street skaters. Because only a small number of skate parks are accessible to skaters during this period, street skating urged skaters to search for shopping centers as well as public and private property they could call their place on which they could skate. The public resistances as well as dangers of bringing matters to court compelled businesses and property holders alike, to prohibit skating on their properties. By the year of 1992 just a small number of skateboarders continued to be a specialized adaptation of street skating, merged with the deterioration of vertical skating, generated a sport that is lacking of the mainstream allure to draw new skateboarders (DiMartino, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 4th as well as the present generation of skateboards is dominated mainly of street skating. Typical boards are approximately 71/4 up to 8† wide and 30-32† long. .Tthe wheels are composed of exceptionally hard polyurethane, durometer, also, very high durometers provides the advantage of lessened hindrance on hard areas which produces in an general a speedier ride. The sizes of the wheels are comparatively minute so that the boards are does not weigh much in comparison to the wheels of the 80s. Most decks are still made up from Canadian Maple, with 7 plys being the manufacturing average for depth and sturdiness. Skateboards designs have been altered noticeably since the year of 1970. However it is still the same since the middle years of the 90s. The modern form of the skateboard is obtained from the freestyle boards of the 1980s with a mostly symmetrical figure and moderately slim width. It was by the year of 1990s that ramps or vertical skateboarding popularity started to dwindle. However, it was also in the 1990s when Mike Vallely and Natas Kaupas came into the picture and started boosting street skateboarding and it was basically this reason why they are highly responsible for skateboarding rising in fame again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, skateboarding is very similar to surfing from which it is known to have originated. The vertical ramps used by skateboarders could be seen to be almost the same as the vertical waves surfers have had to ride when they are doing the sport. Ollie, as well as the other techniques is also similar in skateboarding and surfing. The people who find fascination in the two sports were all diverse and drawn up to the said sports because of sheer exhilaration and feeling of adventure. Both sports are very risky or dangerous and it is primarily the reason why there are those devil may care individuals who finds themselves irresistibly drawn to the sport.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The present sequence of skateboarding as well as surfing has been stimulated by many things as well as new companies, more wide-ranging and tricky terrains, a daredevil attitude, and most significantly by a new generation of youngsters who have found out the excitement of feeling of rolling along boards, may it be surfing boards or skateboards. A number of people who apply heavy pressure on the said sports are former pros who have started their own companies. The Ollie has come about into its own as the basis for eighty percent of street tricks and also about sixty percent of vertical tricks, which as had mentioned earlier is almost the same to that of surfers riding vertical waves, on which their main concentrations were on more technical and superior tricks. Also, â€Å"improvement in skateboarding like all sports takes countless hours of physical practice† (Werner and Badillo, p 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skateboarding regained more popularity in 1995, mainly because of the exposure it has had from ESPN’s 1st Extreme Games in Rhode Island which served to bring skateboarding, which like surfing is categorized as a rebel and dangerous sport, maybe because of the perils and hazards and intermittent illegality of the enterprise,   closer to the majority of people. In the year of 1996, the extreme Games took place, once more on Rhode Island, once again rendering the sport into another exposure to millions of individuals (DiMartino, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The influence of media exposure towards the sport has made it a spectator sport instead of the underground sport it had been for the last decades. It has caused an invasion of companies which provided the sports a great sum of money for advertising, which had until that time disregarded skateboarding, as a means for promotional reasons. Advertisers and promoters have seen that skateboarding developed into a major sport on which they could have access to their preferred demographics, young males. Skateboarders and surfers alike have been in constant existence in campaigns for manufactured goods starting from soft drinks up to other kind of junk foods, sweet delicacies and even phone corporations. Therefore, majority of the phenomenon in skateboarding and surfing in present time came not from the skateboarders or surfers themselves; rather they came from company’s supports as well as from the media exposures ([emailprotected], 2007). The main concentration of the skateboarding continues to be on street skating, as is evident allover the editorials and publicity sides of the chief skateboarding magazines, wherein street skating pictures still dominates majority of the pages. On the other hand, vertical skating is about to return in the picture, owing in some ways to the great number of new skate parks being constructed all over the place. The said skate parks have also amplified the skating areas in numerous settlements. These numerous and assorted ramps, pipes as well as bowls offered at the said parks have paved way to a modification in gears. These technological alterations put on the skateboard products have better or enhanced skateboarding progressively in the course of the last two decades, and whereas in the early 90’s small boards and tiny wheels reigned all over the place, in today’s time there is a broad variety of skateboards and wheels which could be seen in use by many skateboarders. Wheel diameters are bigger, deck breadth continually develops, and long boards are advancing in fame particularly in beach communities (in the same manner that surfing is very popular in surfing communities) and amongst those that just desires to make use of their boards as a vehicle or some kind of a means for transport. Downhill skateboarding is also being revived for the past few years partly because of the visibility of the street sled (YourLeisurelyTime, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among the leading fads at work is amongst soft goods. In the past few years, clothing trends have steadily mirrored the alterations wrought by those who people who skates, (Avril Lavigne for one used to wear what other labels as punk or skaters apparels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Today a pro can make anywhere from $1000 to $10,000 a month,† stated Danielle Bostick of World Cup Skateboarding and the X Games. These salaries are depends mainly on winnings of the professional skater. This is also one of the pulls why skating had been such a fad even up to this point in time (surfers are also drawn by the amount of earnings one could obtain depending on the wins he would bring his team). Most skateboarders who are sponsored by companies also earns good money provided that they meet up with these companies expectations and they carry the name of the company as some kind of an advertisement. This is a substantial transformation from the past when professional skaters need to work in other jobs in order to earn their money for skating (The Concrete Wave, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skateboarding could be enjoyed by anyone (even by people two years of age) however the bulk of professional skaters vary from early teenagers up to individuals who are in their twenties. Majority of skaters do not train in any customary meaning one could denote from the word, in fact they do not even worry about their diets. Skaters like surfers simply do what they like to do best, skating. In fact, skateboarding is a lot of fun and it is largely the reason why we often see people of different nationalities, ages, or groups loitering around on their skateboards. Basically, the same thing could be said with surfers. Try going on a beach and there you could also see different people of all age surfing with the waves. Both sports are enjoyable and both are not picky when it comes to performing them. Works Cited Books, Carlton, and Skin Phillips. Skateboard Ramp: History. Carlton Books; 1 edition, 2002. Brooke, Michael. The Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding Warwick House Publishing, 1999. Cave, Steve. â€Å"A Brief History of Skateboarding.† 2007. OldSchoolSkateBoarding, â€Å"Interview with Makaha Skateboards founder Larry Stevenson† 2007. Werner, Doug, and Steve Badillo. Skateboarding New Levels: Tips and Tricks for Serious Riders Tracks Publishing 2002.   YourLeisureTime, â€Å"Skateboards: Skateboarding, Skate Parks.† 2006.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Progressive Insurance :: Progressive Mutual Insurance Company

Abstract On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company. They wanted to provide vehicle owners with security and protection and they thought an insurance company was a good investment for a couple of lawyers who were just getting started. Since its beginning, Progressive has taken an innovative approach to auto insurance. They offered drive-in claims service before any other auto insurance company and in another industry first, they allowed customers to pay their premiums in installments. An appealing option for those who could not afford annual payments. Progressive wanted and still wants to make auto insurance accessible and easy so more people could protect their vehicles. Progressive began in 1937, and over the years, they have worked hard to build a superior proposition for auto insurance consumers through competitive pricing and by continuously improving our products and services. Today, they offer competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person and online services to all drivers throughout the United States. Today, Progressive customers can purchase auto insurance directly from them online or by phone, or they can purchase from independent insurance agents. Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive has 28,000-plus employees in more than 450 offices throughout the country. Progressive people enjoy a casual dress code and a unique work environment where all are required to risk, learn, grow and perform. Progressive's larger locations house one of the country's largest, most eclectic contemporary art collections. Communicating a clear picture of Progressive by stating what they try to achieve, how they interact with custom ers, and what guides their behavior permits all people associated with Progressive to understand what they expect of each other and ourselves and how we conduct our business. Progressive has been in business since 1937 and currently is one of the largest auto insurance groups in the United States. They have more than 10 million policies in force and growth continues as more people choose us for their vehicle insurance needs. They sell insurance directly to customers online and by phone, and offer insurance through more than 30,000 local independent agents. In addition to auto insurance, Progressive offers the following types of insurance to customers throughout the country: boat/personal watercraft insurance, commercial auto insurance, homeowners insurance, motorcycle insurance, RV insurance and Segway insurance. Policies are available for people who choose to shop for auto insurance online at progressive.com or by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE 1-800-776-4737. You also can compare rates for other top companies when you shop for a Progressive auto policy. Progressive Insurance :: Progressive Mutual Insurance Company Abstract On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company. They wanted to provide vehicle owners with security and protection and they thought an insurance company was a good investment for a couple of lawyers who were just getting started. Since its beginning, Progressive has taken an innovative approach to auto insurance. They offered drive-in claims service before any other auto insurance company and in another industry first, they allowed customers to pay their premiums in installments. An appealing option for those who could not afford annual payments. Progressive wanted and still wants to make auto insurance accessible and easy so more people could protect their vehicles. Progressive began in 1937, and over the years, they have worked hard to build a superior proposition for auto insurance consumers through competitive pricing and by continuously improving our products and services. Today, they offer competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person and online services to all drivers throughout the United States. Today, Progressive customers can purchase auto insurance directly from them online or by phone, or they can purchase from independent insurance agents. Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive has 28,000-plus employees in more than 450 offices throughout the country. Progressive people enjoy a casual dress code and a unique work environment where all are required to risk, learn, grow and perform. Progressive's larger locations house one of the country's largest, most eclectic contemporary art collections. Communicating a clear picture of Progressive by stating what they try to achieve, how they interact with custom ers, and what guides their behavior permits all people associated with Progressive to understand what they expect of each other and ourselves and how we conduct our business. Progressive has been in business since 1937 and currently is one of the largest auto insurance groups in the United States. They have more than 10 million policies in force and growth continues as more people choose us for their vehicle insurance needs. They sell insurance directly to customers online and by phone, and offer insurance through more than 30,000 local independent agents. In addition to auto insurance, Progressive offers the following types of insurance to customers throughout the country: boat/personal watercraft insurance, commercial auto insurance, homeowners insurance, motorcycle insurance, RV insurance and Segway insurance. Policies are available for people who choose to shop for auto insurance online at progressive.com or by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE 1-800-776-4737. You also can compare rates for other top companies when you shop for a Progressive auto policy.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily”

The Symbolism in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† â€Å"I want the best you have†¦ I want arsenic. † Emily was purchasing rat poison. Did she really have rats? Or did she poison her husband Homer Barron? William Faulkner used a few ciphers in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† to get his readers to explore their imagination. It is an extremely suspenseful, on the edge of your seat, story with a shocking ending. It is a short story about an old women who loses her father and eventually her husband; she is the talk of the town and after she dies, everyone realizes exactly how insane she was.Faulkner uses many symbols that have meanings of their own and also for something else. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† has numerous symbols. Some more important the others, a minor symbol would include her father’s whip. It symbolizes his control and domance over her. It was as if he was fighting off all the men in Emily’s life with his whip. It may also suggest that he is incred ibly strict with her and didn’t want her to have much of a social life. When Emily’s dad died, Emily was devastated; she did not want to leave his body. Shortly after, Emily took comfort in a man named Homer Barron.The death of Emily’s father left her miserable, when Homer left town for a few days, she thought she might loose him like she did her father. When he returned home, everything went down hill. â€Å"And that was the last we saw of Homer Barron and of Miss. Emily for sometime. † A slightly more important symbol would be the old, creepy house where Miss. Emily lived. The house symbolized a mystery; the whole town thought Miss. Emily was bizarre and that house just added to their suspicion. The house had a distinct smell. It was a kind of rotting smell, as if something, or maybe someone, had died in there and was never disposed of properly.It got so bad the mayor, along with a couple other residents of the town, snuck onto the property and put deod orizer on her front lawn. After Emily’s death, the towns people were finally able to explore the house. What they found wasastonishing. Everything seemed somewhat normal up until they got to the locked door. The men broke it down and found a room that looked as if to be prepared for a wedding covered completely with an inch or two of dust. When they turned around, they found a decomposing body! The last symbol was definitely the most important.Next to the body was a long gray hair. To some it might not mean anything; but to other intellectual readers, it might have great importance. If you look deeper into it, Emily had long gray hair, she was tremendously insane, and bought rat poison that would â€Å"kill anything up to an elephant. † Could she have killed Homer? Could that long gray hair symbolize Emily going up to the room at night and cuddling up with Homer’s dead body? Faulkner leaves it up to us to decide. He uses the power of symbolism to test our mind a nd really make us think about what we are reading.The symbols in this story make it what it is, a fine piece of literature. Faulkner really puts the power of symbolism to work in â€Å"A Rose for Emily. † In this story, through the use of symbolism, Emily is exposed as the true crazy person that Faulkner met to portray her as. If you put your mind to work, Emily may have used arsenic to murder her husband, kept his body locked up in a barricaded room, and slept with his rotting corps night after night. Symbolism can make or break a story; in this case it made â€Å"A Rose for Emily† great. It constantly tests the mind and keeps the reader guessing what will happen next.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Economics Exchange Rates Commentary Essay

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)–The dollar continued its slide Wednesday, touching its lowest level in 12 months against the euro and flagging against the yen as rising equities battered the greenback yet again. The dollar has lost key legs of support over the past two weeks as encouraging global economic data has led investors to assume more risk and buy higher-yielding assets. With the recession receding and financial markets in recovery, investors have become more confident there’s no longer a need to hold their money in a safe-harbor currency like the dollar. Because of the Federal Reserve’s need to stimulate the economy, the dollar’s ultra-low interest rates have made it the lowest-yielding major currency. The cost of borrowing U.S. dollars in the London interbank market continued its slide Wednesday. The key three-month London interbank offered rate marked its lowest level since the British Bankers’ Association first introduced its Libor fixings in 1986. The dollar hit its lowest level against the common currency since September 2008 in New York afternoon trading, with the euro touching a 12-month high at $1.4738. If the euro is able to sustain levels above $1.4720, a key technical level, it could be on a march to $1.50, said Carl Forcheski, vice president for foreign exchange at Societe Generale in New York. The dollar’s losses were broad, sinking to new 13-month lows against the Australian and New Zealand dollars as well as lows for 2009 versus other widely traded counterparts. The U.K. pound also piggy-backed off the euro’s gains to advance on the dollar. The yen had been the so-called â€Å"carry trade† currency of choice, but with U.S. interest rates expected to remain feeble until 2010, analysts anticipate the dollar to continue funding riskier bets. A carry trade involves buying a lower-yielding currency to fund purchases of higher-yielding assets. The dollar was also burdened Wednesday by comments from Japan’s incoming finance minister, Hirohisa Fujii, who said he saw no need to intervene in currency markets to weaken the yen. In the past, the dollar had received support from the belief that Japan would intervene to prevent unwanted appreciation of its currency. â€Å"There’s no change in my thinking† that it’s not the time to consider foreign-exchange intervention, Fujii said at a news conference. Though he wouldn’t rule out intervention in what he termed â€Å"really abnormal situations,† Fujii said â€Å"the idea that the yen should be cheaper for the sake of [Japan’s] exporters is wrong.† Wednesday afternoon in New York, the euro was at $1.4729 from $1.4667 late Tuesday, according to EBS via CQG. The dollar was at Y90.78 from Y91.06. The euro was at Y133.72 from Y133.60. The U.K. pound was at $1.6506 from $1.6495, while the dollar was at CHF1.0306 from CHF1.0340. U.S. economic data released Wednesday, including as-expected August consumer price index and better-than-expected industrial production numbers, pointed to a continuing recovery, leading stocks to rally. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 108 points, lending support to the euro and other high-yielders. The dollar looks likely to continue its broad-based slide through the rest of the year, analysts said. As long as the buck doesn’t fall too far too fast, dollar weakness is expected in a time of loose monetary policy, said Adnan Akant, a currency specialist at money manager Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, a New York unit of BNP Paribas. Right now, the euro and other higher-yielding currencies are reaping the benefits of a global economic turnaround and stock market rallies, but within the next 12 months, the dollar should start benefitting from a recovering U.S. economy, said Wells Fargo analysts. The Canadian dollar ended higher near its strongest levels of the day Wednesday, reflecting another sustained flight into riskier assets like stocks and commodities at the expense of the slumping U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar was trading at C$1.0666 late afternoon, from C$1.0721 late Tuesday. Strong gains for oil, gold and other commodities as well as rising North American equity markets underpinned the Canadian dollar’s gains, although the currency again failed to mount a serious challenge of its year-to-date high at C$1.0639, achieved in early August. Commentary The article refers to a depreciation of the dollar against major currencies due to â€Å"ultra-low interest rates† and increased risk by investors. The Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates in an attempt to boost aggregate demand and stimulate the economy. High interest rates in an economy generally encourage investment in that currency as the value of the investment will increase over time. Currently US interest rates set by the Federal Reserve are around 0.25% compared to the European Central Bank’s 1%. Because of this, investors have switched to higher yielding currencies, such as the Euro, and to a lesser extent the Pound, causing a fall in the Dollar’s exchange rate. This is shown in Diagram 1. As the diagram shows, a right shift in the supply of the Dollar leads to a fall in its price relative to the Euro. In addition, the aforementioned cutting of interest rates is an expansionary monetary policy used to manipulate aggregate demand. The trade off of this policy is increased inflation. A high rate of inflation might further decrease investment in Dollar assets as the real value of the investment would decrease over time. During times of economic crisis, investors tend to invest in low risk assets such as generally strong currencies like the dollar. However with signs that the global economy is exiting the recession and in recovery, not only does the demand for safe-harbor currencies like the dollar decrease, but there is an increased demand for high risk investment due to bullish speculation. In addition, some consumers, firms, or foreign central banks might believe that despite the improving economic situation, the Dollar will continue to fall as the article mentions and sell dollar assets. This bearish speculation would further increase the supply of the dollar and perhaps lead to self-fulfilling prophecy. As shown above, the combination of the three factors leads to a sharp fall in the exchange rate. As previously mentioned, this depreciation could cause a self-fulfilling prophecy in which the initial bearish speculation leads to depreciation, which in turn causes more bearish speculation causing the exchange rate to enter a downward spiral. Initially, the Federal Reserve might not intervene but if the depreciation continued, it would be forced to buy back Dollars to counteract the increases in supply. This would slow the depreciation, discouraging people from selling dollars. It might even create bearish speculation as some might assume the dollar market will bottom out and start to appreciate. The depreciation of the Dollar should benefit the US economy by means of an improved current account deficit. Initially, the deficit will worsen as the demand for imports and exports is inelastic in the short run, but eventually the current account balance will improve as US exports become more competitive. US export revenue will increase while expenditure will fall. This improved current account situation will boost AD leading to economic growth. This is shown below in Diagram 3. Diagram 3 However, as the diagram shows, in the long run, there will be the trade off of inflation as AD rises. This might encourage Federal Reserve to strengthen the Dollar to reduce imported cost-push inflation. In addition, the increased demand for US exports will increase the demand for the Dollar causing appreciation. Foreign nations might eventually implement import controls such as tariffs on US goods in order to preserve their own current account balances. Eventually, the Dollar should regain its status as a high-yielding currency ——————————————– [ 1 ]. The value of one currency expressed in term of another [ 2 ]. A period in a business cycle following a recession, during which the GDP rises. [ 3]. Believing that a particular security, a sector, or the overall market is about to rise [ 4 ]. Revenue from the exports of goods and services and income flows is less than the expenditure on the import of goods and services and income flows in a given year

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Gravity essays

Gravity essays Hypothesis-When a constant force is put upon an object the object will then have a constant velocity in movement. Background-In order to conduct these experiments knowledge of gravity and resistance towards gravity had to acquired. Also graph matching with the computer program Logger Pro had to be used to give accurate graphs. Experiments-To conduct the various experiments it was required that you have a computer running Logger Pro that is also connected to a Vernier Motion Detector. Also many objects showing a direct relationship with the laws of motion. For example a board is needed to be used as an incline with a dynamics cart to show that gravity has a constant force on the cart causing constant acceleration. This is shown very well when the cart is rolling down the incline and can be measured precisely when using a motion detector. However the force might not be perfectly constant because of too much friction caused by bumps in the board and bad bearings for the wheels on the dynamics cart. Comparison-When comparing the predicted distance vs. time graph against the actual graph for the pendulum experiment the percentage of error was .018. For the velocity vs. time graph the percentage of error was .038 these results were shown by using the comparison of both graphs by using an algebraic curve. Conclusion-The experiments all can clearly show how motion and its laws affect everything around us. Also these experiments bring more truth and support my hypothesis stating constant force makes constant movement. ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Public Administration Degree and Career Options

Public Administration Degree and Career Options What Is a Public Administration Degree? A public administration degree is an academic degree awarded to students who have completed a postsecondary college, university, or business school program with a focus on public administration. The study of public administration typically includes an examination of government organization, policies, and programs. Students may also study government decision-making and the behavior of elected and non-elected officials. Types of Public Administration Degrees Students who major in public administration have a number of degree options available to them. The most popular degree options include: Bachelors Degree - A bachelors degree in public administration, business administration, management, or political science can help graduates get entry-level positions in the public administration field. Bachelors programs typically take four years of full-time study to complete. However, accelerated and part-time programs are also available.Masters Degree - A masters degree with a focus on public administration, public policy, or a related topic is the next step for students who have earned a bachelors degree. Students may choose to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on public administration or management or a Master of Public Administration (MPA), which is the equivalent of an MBA in the public administration field. Some students may also choose to pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP), which focuses on analyzing and solving public policy issues. Masters, MBA, MPA, and MPP programs usually take two years to complete. One-year and part-time programs are also available. Doctorate Degree - The two most advanced degrees in public administration are the Doctor of Public Administration and the Ph.D. in Public Administration. Both are research degrees with a focus on the practice of public administration. The amount of time it might take to complete an advanced research program varies depending on the school you choose. Choosing a Public Administration Degree Program There are many different schools that offer a public administration degree. When choosing a program, you should consider rankings (U.S. News and World Report offers a list of the best public affairs schools) as well as school size, faculty, curriculum, cost, location, and career placement. Here are 8 tips for choosing an MPA School. NASPAA Accreditation Accreditation is always important when choosing a school. Accredited programs have been evaluated for quality. Many different agencies accredit schools. One organization, the NASPAA, focuses specifically on public administration accreditation. NASPAAs Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation is considered the authorized accreditor of graduate-level public administration programs in the United States.   Public AdministrationCareer Options There are many different career paths available to students who have earned a public administration degree. The majority of grads take public service jobs. They may work in local government, state government, or federal government. Positions are also available in non-profit administration and management. Other job options include careers with independent or government agencies, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, or positions with business and healthcare organizations. Another career path involves politics. Grads can run for political office or offer political support through lobbying and campaign management. Common job titles for public administration grads include Budget AnalystCity ManagerCounty ClerkLegislative SupportLobbyistNon-profit ManagerPolicy AnalystPolicy ConsultantPolitical ScientistProgram ManagerSocial Services AdministratorSocial Worker Learn More About Earning a Public Administration Degree Click on the links below to learn more about earning a public administration degree and working in the public administration field. ASPA - The American Society for Public Administration is a professional association for public administration. They focus on advancing study and practice of public and non-profit administration. You can view various publications on the ASPA website and learn more about student opportunities and careers in public administration.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The most significant events in the decades following World War II Essay

The most significant events in the decades following World War II - Essay Example On one hand, the United States tried desperately hard not to let communism spread across the borders. On the other hand, the Soviet Union, having risen to the position military ascendancy, wanted to make sure it had a hold over other countries’ foreign, military and defense strategies. Additionally, the threat of a nuclear warfare became imminent with the respective centralizations of power in two regions that were geographically far apart. Europe became a focal point of contention for both the nations as neither of them was ready to forsake the advantages gained during the Great War. The Soviet Union assumed control of Eastern Europe courtesy of German’s defeat. The United States had political ambitions far greater than any other western countries in that it wanted to extend its military laterality to far and wide. Under these circumstances, developments on the political upfront following World War II were closely interlinked with one another. One event somehow heralde d and legitimized its succeeding chain of events. Moreover, each major event was conditioned by the situation leading up to it. This essay is going to elaborate on the major political events that took place in the next five decades following World War II. The events to be discussed are the rise of consumerism in the 1950s, the Vietnam War in the 1960s, Iranian revolution in the 1970s, the fall of Berlin Wall in the 1980s and global terrorism in the 1990s. Differences of opinion between the Soviet Union and the United States had existed for a long time, much before the Great War broke out in 1939. The great economic depression in the 1930s following the labor movements in Canada had already had a detrimental effect on American political idealism. An overwhelming sense of disillusionment and despair hovered upon the general psyche in the country. However, this difference of opinion did not surface much as both the nations formed allies to defeat the Axis forces. But once the War was