Compare And Contrast Frederick Douglass And Malcolm X

In spite of the fact that Sherman Alexie, Plato,Frederick Douglass, and Malcolm x, the four experienced childhood in various eras, in various conditions, and at last in various universes. The trio confronted distinctive battles and had diverse victories, yet at last they werent generally all that extraordinary. In spite of the fact that they experienced childhood in various circumstances they both had similar perspectives on the significance of a training. The considered training to be opportunity and as a feeling of self-esteem and however they accomplished their instruction in various ways they both had a solid will and a solid feeling of self-inspiration. Regardless of the diverse methods for acquiring their education or the†¦show more content†¦Malcolm X can relate to this, when in prison he would read around night time at the foot of his bed by a light from the passageway and when reconnaissance came through, store away in his bed to stow away. Frederick would attempt and advance his learning as regularly as possible, conveying bread to the nearby white young men around the local area in return for information, which was a far more prominent exchange the eyes of Douglass. Not at all like Douglas with no educational basis at all, Malcolm then again had gotten a training that of an eighth grader however time passed and soon did he overlook his lessons. He could figure out how to read yet couldnt pass on his words onto paper. In jail, he had time, time to restore his training and strengthen it. He started to compose, beginning with the dictionary he started adapting word for word, page for page, area by segment beginning with the Ans and completing with the Zs. In his entry, Malcolm gives an announcement to set up a thought of what sort of training he persisted, Between what I wrote in my tablet, and composing letters, amid whatever is left of my time in jail I would figure I composed a million words. Not at allShow MoreRelatedHow are Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass Alike and Different810 Words   |  3 PagesCompare Contrast Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass both came from an African American background but the time difference of these two men when they were brought to the world changed. Malcolm X had a rough life. His dad was mysteriously murdered and his mom was mentally ill and with no parent figure he got in to the street life. He got in to selling illegal substances and burglary. He was struggling financially as well. In 1946 Malcolm X age twenty at the time was sentenced to prison for 10 yearsRead MoreReading And Writing Is Essential For Understanding And Comprehending Warning Signs And Instructions On A Medicine Bottle1753 Words   |  8 Pagesor higher education, one must be dedicated and have the drive to reach their goals. For Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass, gaining an education was very different for them as it was difficult and it was almost an impossible goal to achieve. Both of these men never stopped working towards their dream of one day learning how to read and write and this should b e an example to young adults of today. X and Douglass foreshadowed the difficulty of gaining an education. In this essay, I will described howRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagestransformations in where humans lived, how they earned their livings, and their unprecedented ability to move about the globe. Moya and McKeown set the patterns of migration in the twentieth century against those extending back millennia, and they compare in imaginative ways the similarities and differences among diverse flows in different geographical areas and across ethnic communities and social strata. They consider not only the nature, volume, and direction of migrant movements motivated primarily

An Analysis of Ode to the West Wind Essay - 1353 Words

An Analysis of Ode to the West Wind Shelleys Ode to the West Wind appears more complex at first than it really is because the poem is structured much like a long, complex sentence in which the main clause does not appear until the last of five fourteen line sections. The poems main idea is held in suspension for 56 lines before the reader sees exactly what Shelley is saying to the west wind, and why hes saying it. In the first four sections Shelley addresses the west wind in three different ways, each one evoking the winds power and beauty. And each section ends with Shelley asking the West Wind to hear, oh hear! The readers curiosity is therefore both aroused and suspended, because we know the west wind is supposed to†¦show more content†¦We only know that Shelley cries out, Destroyer and preserver: hear, oh, hear! (14) The second stanza shifts emphasis to another image, not the dead leaves of autumn and the wingà ¨d seeds that will germinate in the spring, but the roiling autumn clouds that promise storm and rain. This image is less complex than the wind that drives the leaves and seeds, because little is evoked except for the terrific power of the wind. It shakes the clouds from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean (17). Here, the clouds take on a leaf-like aspectemdash;a clever technique Shelley uses to connect the west wind of part one with the west wind of part two. The image in this second stanza focuses more clearly on the death of the year proclaimed by the powerful storms that the wind blows in. The clouds are Angels of rain and lightning (18) and, torn to shreds by the fierce wind, look Like the bright hair uplifted from the head/ Of some fierce Maenad (20, 21). The ominous, death-like aspect of the winds sound to Shelley like the dirge/ Of the dying year (23, 24). All of this emphasize s death, but also the power of the west wind to bring about vast change. So two features of the west wind have become clear in the first two stanzas: it destroys and preserves; it profoundly changes things. It is clear that Shelleys apostrophe is addressed to a powerful force, but we do not yet know why he asks it oh, hear! The mystery is only deepened in stanzaShow MoreRelatedEssay on Analysis of Ode to the West Wind1129 Words   |  5 Pagespentameter in terza rima formation. The rhyming pattern follows the form aba bcb cdc ded ee. According to Shelleys note, this poem was conceived and chiefly written in a wood that skirts the Arno, near Florence, and on a day when that tempestuous wind, whose temperature is at once mild and animating, was collecting the vapours which pour down the autumnal rains. They began, as I foresaw, at sunset with a violent tempest of hail and rain, attended that magnificent thunder and lightning peculiar toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Ode Of The West Wind 1855 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Ode to the West Wind†, using various literary devices, proposes the question: How does the speaker, or Percy Shelley, perceive the west wind and what relationship does Shelley wish to obtain with the west wind in order to achieve his main goal? In Shelley’s â€Å"Ode to the West Wind†, metaphors and similes, tone, and imagery reveal Shelley’s perception of the west wind as a powerful force of nature and his dire need to become like the wind in order to inspire the world that surrounds him. The firstRead More Ode To The West Wind Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pages Theme :- Inspiration in amp;#8220;Ode to the West Wind; amp;#8220;When composition begins, inspiration is already on the decline; - P. B. Shelley nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Shelley deals with the theme of inspiration in much of his work. However it is particularly apparent in amp;#8216;Ode to the West Windamp;#8217; where the wind is the source of his creativity. The cycles of death and rebirth are examined in an historical context with reference to The Bible. The word inspiration hasRead MoreAnalysis Of Percy Shelley s Frankenstein, Thomas Love Peacock And Lord Byron1486 Words   |  6 Pagesconcepts were not marginal based. The success of his works perhaps could be explained as to be able to occur by the time of his death when most people particularly the literature society of the English people began looking in to them in in-depth analysis. He is one of the people who failed to enjoy his works at the time of his life and his success now comes by to be seen at the time and three generations after his death. Just like everything good goes by, things have to have strengths and weaknessesRead Morecritical appreciation1066 Words   |  5 Pagescertainties... Context- The context gives us the time and location of the poem. It is what prompted the poem. The context might be an event of great political significance like the French Revolution. It prompted P.B. Shelley s famous, Ode to the West Wind. The poem beautifully upholds the spirit of the revolution and heralded the dawn of a new age. Language- The language of a poem is the very vehicle of its thoughts and ideas. Study the language in terms of the use of figures of speech,Read MorePercy Bysshe Shelley : Nature Poet Guided By A Rebellious Heart1918 Words   |  8 Pagesused them as a basis for his long poem Prometheus Unbound.16 In his poem The Cloud, he becomes the cloud. He symbolized his love for nature by manifesting himself as a part of nature.17 In Ode to the West Wind, Shelley likened his mind to that of leaves falling. The leaves fell, but then were lifted by the wind of thought. He knew and sought for the Divine, and he prayed for the energy of life.18 In his famous literary work The Defence of Reason, he distinguishes between reason and imagination.Read More Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Kerouac’s On the Road – The River and the Road3035 Words   |  13 Pagesdivision between east and west, between old and new, between complacency and hope. Sal Paradise reflects: â€Å"There is something brown and holy about the East, and California is white like washliness and empty headed† (Kerouac 79). The promise and hope of making an imprint upon the clean white pages of Californian history appeals to Paradise and is recognized as soon as he crosses the Mississippi River. For him the river is â€Å"the dividing line between the East of my youth and the West of my future† (15). Read MoreRhetorical Devices3007 Words   |  13 Pagesis part of classical rhetoric and a number of rhetorical devices are worth considering in any analysis of style. For the analysis of literature a knowledge of rhetorical devices is indispensable, since there is often a considerable density of rhetorical figures and tropes which are important generators and qualifiers of meaning and effect. This is particularly the case in poetry. Especially the analysis of the use of imagery is important for any kind of literary text. (For further details see AnalysingRead MoreExtensive Reader4330 Words   |  18 PagesNevertheless, recognizing the beauty in the simple brain of this skylark, the speaker would be happy to know only â€Å"half its gladness,† seeking the ability to inspire others the way he was inspired by the bird. This poem goes hand-in-hand with â€Å"Ode to the West Wind† in that Shelley uses objects in nature as a catalyst for both inspiration and introspection as to what his own purpose is as poet. Immediately referring to the skylark as a â€Å"blithe spirit† makes the bird a supernatural object Shelley is dotingRead MoreEssay on The Gothic Genre and What it Entails6177 Words   |  25 Pages its intentional political relevance. Much of the canonical Romantic literature is inspired or informed by socio-political events. We need only look at Blakes work or key poems by second generation Romantics like Shelleys Ode to the West Wind or The Mask of Anarchy to verify this. The same is true of Romantic Gothic which arose around that unique period in European history posthumously defined by the French Revolution but significant for its trans-European massive

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn †3 Free Essays

Ernest Hemingway probably summed it up best when he said, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn† (source). We’re dealing with quite a book here. Published in 1885, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s follow-up to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, carved new territory into the American literary landscape in several ways. We will write a custom essay sample on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – 3 or any similar topic only for you Order Now As one of the first novels to use a specific region’s vernacular in its narration, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn set a precedent for many other distinctly American works to follow. Some readers didn’t exactly â€Å"get† this new colloquial style, however. Accustomed to the proper prose of Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson, some readers didn’t know what to do with Huck’s particular way of storytelling. Aside from the novel’s new style of writing, Twain’s decision to use thirteen-year-old Huck as the narrator allowed him to include certain content that a more civilized narrator probably would have left out. At first, Twain’s novel was labeled crass by some readers. The book was even banned in schools for its use of the n-word which is ironic, given that the novel is up in arms over slavery. Even today, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes â€Å"Banned Books† lists. Twain’s novel jumped head first into one of the biggest issues of its day: racism. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed over two decades before Huckleberry Finn’s original publication date, African-Americans everywhere were still victims of oppression and racism. They were technically â€Å"free,† but often by name only in Reconstruction-era America. Many southerners were bitter about the outcome of the Civil War. By guiding his characters through several states of the Confederacy, Twain was able to reveal the hypocrisy of many pre-war southern communities. As a southerner himself, Twain had first-hand experiences to draw on, and he was able to walk the fine line between realistic depiction and ironic farce. Not to mention, Twain created the now-iconic character of Jim, a runaway slave who convinces Huck that African-Americans are deserving of freedom, and that equality is a goal for which we all should be fighting. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is now considered to be one of the Great American Novels, mostly due to how it so heartily champions the American ideals of freedom, independence, and rugged individualism. Huck’s dedication to his own moral standards and his bold sense of adventure and self-sufficiency have earned him a place in the All-American Hall of Fame. In addition, Twain is a hilarious storyteller, and the plot of this novel is a roller-coaster ride of moral dilemmas – so trust us when we say that if you haven’t taken the ride yet, you probably should. Why Should I Care? Mark Twain wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn twenty years after the American Civil War. Slavery had been abolished, and the North and South were making up (albeit with some residual anger). So why publish a highly moralistic tale about a system that was no longer in place? Weren’t race issues a moot point once slavery was out of the picture? Hardly. Freedom didn’t mean equality by any means – not legally, socially, or practically. (See Shmoop History’s â€Å"Jim Crow in America† for more. ) Actually, come to think of it, this isn’t an outdated notion at all. Rules and laws often don’t accurately reflect what’s really going on. From a legal standpoint today, we have equality of race; yet racism is still a problem. Men and women are equal, yet many still see a â€Å"glass ceiling† for women in the workplace, meaning they often have invisible boundaries to advancement. That doesn’t mean laws are useless. Laws may not immediately effect change, but we’ve seen that they do precede change. While laws can affect how people act, it takes more to change the way we think. We can’t rely on laws alone. That’s where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn comes back into the picture. We need people like Mark Twain to remind us not to be self-congratulatory for starting a process in motion, How to cite Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – 3, Essay examples

Hidden cost in banking and financial services

Question: Discuss about the Hidden cost in banking and financial services. Answer: Introduction Banking field is very strong in UAE from both perspectives Capital Assets. There are different type of banks in UAE and they were robust in case of any vary in economics. On the other hand, resignations number increased which led to shut many other banks. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi they try to continually recruit individuals in order to enhance the UAE economy. That's why the number of Banks in this city grows rapidly. To be more precise, there are two types of banks in UAE; Commercial and Representative. Currently, there are 48 Commercial 7 Representative Banks distributed in all over UAE. The usual and major services that these banks provide are Personal Loans, Car Loans, Credit Cards, Corporate or business loans, corporate facilities Fixed Deposits act.https://emiratesdiary.com/uae-tips/list-of-banks-in-dubai-uae-abu-dhabi-uae#ixzz4XMIIF4D5 Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) is one of the leading Islamic banks in UAE. They consider themselves "champions of morality, equality and transparency in everything" they do. They harmonize their goals with UAE evolution. As well as, they are strong competitor as their assets are more than 1 trillion US Dollar globally. https://www.dib.ae/about-dib/overview One of the most wanted bank service is the personal loan. However, the people who request for such service usually end up with regression. The reason is banks customers usually ask about the rate and installments. However, some procedure requires' service cost, monthly charges, postponing installment charges, and these are not clear for customers. This report will clarify these hidden charges. From my perspective, these charges and extra costs are somehow manipulation as the bank doesnt take the responsibility to clarify it for personal loan customers. Literature review: According to Gebba, (2015) it is stated that banking and financial institutions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have come long way from the time when charges and other processing fees charged were only processing fees and other stipulated payment. Now banks in UAE has developed its functioning in sophisticated way and increased hidden charges so that more clients be grabbed by not disclosing their actual cost of capital. Throughout the time there are several changes have been made by UAE monetary authority in its unreasonable high fees and services charges. UAE bank federation is the responsible authority in establishment of code of conduct for the UAE banking sectors so that it could build professional and transparent business environment to serve customers interest and their right (Paltrinieri, 2015). As per the views of Wanke, Azad, Barros, Hassan, (2016) it is stated that The central banks of UAE as a part of its commitment to promote economic and financial stability has actively engaged in foster financial system by providing efficient central banking services. However, with the increasing ramification of business changes, banks and financial institution are introducing several charges and hidden expenses which are charged by banks from the general public in their banking services. These hidden charges and expenses have become new ways for banks and financial intuitions to make money in determined approach. At the time of taking loans from the banks borrower tend to neglect several hidden charges. However, interest rate and tenure time of loan amount are the basic tools which are used by borrowers while taking loan from the banks and financial institutions. There are other hidden charges which are put under the carpet by banks. Moreover, website and other portals of banks in UAE do not disclose the details of these hidden charges. According to Button Gee, (2013) it is stated that there are following charges given below that are charged by banks and financial institutions in UAE in Dubai. Hidden charges Service fees These fees are the charges which banks and financial institutions in Dubai charges for their banking activities. it is further observed that even if banks gives guides regarding the services fees on its website but it is hard to spot the actual amount which would be charged by banks and financial institutions for their services. Some time these hidden service charges vary with changes in transaction in determined approach. (Al-Ali, (2008). Conversion fees Campello, Gao, Qiu, Zhang, (2015 provides that it is the amount of fees which is required to be paid by customers for reducing rate of interest during loan tenure. For instance, if a client has taken loan @ 14% e.g. 12% basic rate and 2 % mark up rate. Then in the later time bank revised its mark up rate to .25%. In this case clients will revise their bank rate or mark up rate from 2% to .25% and has to pay conversion fees to banks. MODT charges According to Goddard, Molyneux, Williams, (2014) it is depicted that these are the charges which are required to be paid by clients while submitting their documents with the banks in order to create charge on their assets for their loan amount. However, in Dubai, it is called memorandum of deposit of title deed which vary from .1% TO 0.2% of the loan amount. Personal loan fees As stated by Al-Tamimi Hussein, (2010) it is stated that it is charges which vary with the doubtfulness of repayment of loan amount. As in the case, if clients are making payment for their online shopping or e- payment then banks would charge additional expenses as overdraft rate apart from its banks rate. These fees are hidden and vary with the unsecured amount of client in his transaction. It includes e.g. credit card loan amount fees, online payment fees, and fees for placing orders on the behalf of clients. Pre closure charges As per the views of Al-Marri, Moneim, Baheeg Ahmed, Zairi, (2007) it is stated that these charges are completely hidden and could be identified at the time of happening of event. For instance If a customer in banks and financial institutions in UAE want to apply for pre closure then bank would charge additional interest at the certain rate on the outstanding principle amount as pre closure charge. EMI bounce charges As stated by Goddard, Molyneux, Williams, (2014). It is divulged that these are the charges which will be levied on clients if he failed to make installment amount of loan in stipulated time period. Ideally these charges include EMI bounce amount, services charges, penalty and other taxes levied on the same. This cost aroused when borrowers make default in payment of his EMI for borrowed amount. Retrieved charges These are the charges which are to be paid by clients at the time of closure of loan amount. It is ideally charges which are related with satisfaction of loan amount. These charges are collected by banks from the clients at the time of satisfaction of their loan amount. however, these charges could be avoided by banks if bank has entered into agreement with the borrowers to not to charge retrieved cost. Administrative charges As per the views of Campello, Gao, Qiu, Zhang, (2015) provide that there are two charges which are charged by bank administrative charges, processing charges. Ideally banks in the starting of providing loan to client do not disclose but it is deemed that clients would be ready to pay off all their document handling and other processing fees. However, waving of processing fees could be made by banks if clients and banks are satisfied at the same terms and conditions. Legal fees According to (Ariff, Lewis, Mohamad, (2014). It is depicted that Banks in UAE before providing loans amount to customers indulge in preparing search report of clients property. Search report reflects all the property details of clients so that proper valuation could be made for the loan amount based on the assets charged by banks. This legal fee is charged by banks from the clients without any prior intimation. Switching loan package In case if clients have made application of fixed loan amount and now they want to switch their loan amount as floating loan amount then bank and financial institutions in UAE will be charging switching loan charges from clients. These cost arises when borrowers want to make changes in his existing loan amount. Recovery charges It is the charges which are required to be paid by customers in case if he made default in payment of loan amount. These charges based on the expenses made by banks on the recovery of their loan amount. Late payment charges It is stated by Hassan, (2014) that these charges are emerged due to delay in EMI payment by the clients. Ideally in UAE banks and financial institutions charges 2% additional interest as penalty amount on the amount due. Prepayment loan fees It is the amount of charges which aroused as client makes payment of loan amount before loan tenure. In this case, clients in order to close their account have to certain amount of money to banks so that their account could be settled down in determined approach. Getting list of documents As stated by Ariff, Lewis, Mohamad, (2014) it is depicted that charges which are imposed on the clients if he asks for certain documents and of the details from the banks. For instance, if a person has taken loan from banks and financial institution in UAE by then he could ask for the copy of current documents of his assets then for these banks charges certain amount for its services from the clients. Forcing borrower to buy expensive insurance products In this case banks and financial intuitions force their borrowers to take certain insurance products by dictating them that it is covered in their banking policies. However, these are the amount which banks use to earn as a commission on the sale of these insurance products. Charging money on credit card Banks and financial institutions charge certain amount of rate from the borrowers if they cross primary limit of their credit card. However, these charges are collected by banks either monthly, quarterly and on yearly basis. Documents retrieval charges On the application of loan, borrowers submit important documents to banks and financial institutions. Then Commercial and Representative Banks deposit these documents in their central storage units to assure safety. In the end of full payment by the borrowers banks charges a certain amount from borrowers for transferring these documents from the repository to borrowers. Reason behind hiding these charges by banks As per the views of Miles, Yang, Marcheggiano, (2013) it is given that with the increasing competitions and strategically working system of several banks in UAE it has become mandatory to reduce cost of capital for clients. Persons who want to take loan are ideally interested in taking loan from the banks which are providing loan at very low interest rate and with long tenure loan. Banks and financial institutions in UAE are more concerned about increasing their customers and spreading liquid money in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi at large. However, in order to increase their bank loan amount in general public all the banks have to hide their certain charges otherwise all the customers who want to take loan will go somewhere other place for the loan amount. There are other several charges which would not emerge if borrowers do not attempt to do these activities. In addition, banks and financial institutions in UAE work on the strategy of providing the best services to clients. Therefore, it is observed that there would be several hidden charges which are paid by borrowers if they avail banking services from banks and makes default in same. As per the views of Lagoarde-Segot, (2016) it is divulged that there are several services which banks and financial institutions provides to their clients at free of cost such as mobile banking, online installment payment, availability of credit card, support services to help borrowers to counter their queries, life insurance of borrowers, making payment on the behalf of clients orders and round the clock banking at several places including airports, and hospitals. Competition in baking sector of UAE As stated by Paltrinieri, (2015) it is given that UAE has strong competitive baking sectors accompanied with various banks providing banking and financial services in determined manner. It not only has largest banking sector amongst all the Arab states but as well boast of top two of Arab economy. Currently UAE has around 140 foreign exchange firms and 25 investment firms. However, all the commercial banks and other financial institutions are subject to rules and regulation given by central bank of UAE. It is observed that all the banks have developed their financial products to the extent which could satisfy client needs and demand in sophisticated manner. There are two ways which are used by banks in UAE to attract clients keeping rate of interest as low as it could and keeping banks charges less. Therefore, these are the two factors which results into emergence of hidden charges for the borrowers in later time. Borrowers turned down due to hidden charges As per the perception of Boot, Ratnovski, (2016).There is several hidden charges and fees which are charged by banks from the borrowers. It is observed that borrowers are divulged a complete schedule of notes of charges which would be charged by banks from borrowers. However, due to high complexity it is hard for borrowers to estimate the total amount of hidden charges. In this case borrowers feel that banks are taking advantage of them which results into increment in their cost of borrowed money taken from banks. Moreover, some time banks and financial institutions apart from taking extra money for their services also indulge in imposing penalties and other fines on borrowers due to failure of payment of some installment. Results in failure of transparency Banks and financial institutions in UAE has to face failure of transparency in their banking and financial services. Hidden charges and other additional cost imposed by banks on borrowers result into less transparency in their banking and financial services. Nonetheless, these charges are uncertain which could only be identified on the happening of certain events. It is further observed that in order to increase the transparency all the banks should divulge all the terms and conditions while lending money to borrowers. Measure to reduce the hidden cost in banking sectors According to (Hassan, (2014) it is stated that there are several measures which could be implemented by banks and financial institutions in banking and financial sectors such as all banks could indulge in following standardized rules and regulation which would assist borrowers to understand banking system in very easy and determined approach. It is further observed that banking sectors should indulge in following international policies of transparency in order to win the trust of clients in determined approach. Consideration of cost of capital As per the views of Button Gee, (2013) it is depicted that Banks and finical sectors are indulge in providing banking and financial services such as lending money, deposit of money, other banking services. Banks and financial intuitions need to consider all the cost of capital before lending money to borrowers. However, there are several banks which compensate their cost of capital money by charging hidden cost on borrowers. Therefore it could be inferred that hidden charges are completely based on borrowers act. If borrowers make default in making payment of borrowed amount then there will be emergence of hidden cost. However, banks and financial institutions should make complete disclosure of all the terms and condition while lending money to borrowers. Conclusion: In this report various facts and figures have been collected which depicts that banks and financial institutions viability in their business functioning in UAE. However, banks in UAE are trying to reduce their hidden cost in their loans amount. Hidden rate is the rate which is not disclosed at time of granting loan to borrowers but charged in later due to occurring of some events. It is further observed that banks and financial institutions are complying with all the rules and regulation issued by center bank of UAE in their banking and financial services. However, it is true fact that all the borrowers are more concerned about taking loans from the banks at cheapest rate with high tenure. It is required by central authority of UAE to disclose all the charges and hidden information on their registered website so that all the clients could be kept vigilant. It could be inferred that if banks and financial institutions would made proper disclosure of all the relevant information includ ing data regarding hidden cost then it would help borrowers to monotones of their confident in banking and finical services in UAE. It will result into less bad debts, timely payment and increment in clients satisfaction in baking and financial services. It could be easily said that hidden charges in banking system of UAE are the major concern for the borrowers in raising loans from the banks and financial institutions. It is concluded that banks and financial institutions need to increase transparency in their banking and financial services in order to provide best quality services to borrowers in case of lending. Hidden costs are uncertain amount which is imposed due to some happening of events. It is up to borrowers to avoid this cost. If borrowers fail to make installment amount of borrowing money then it would be imperative that bank will impose hidden charges on borrowers. Now in the end it would be inferred that hidden cost which are required to be charged by banks and financ ial institutions. However, banks and financial institutions providing banking and financial services should make complete disclosure of their hidden cost at the time of providing loan to borrowers. References Al-Ali, J. (2008). Emiratisation: drawing UAE nationals into their surging economy.International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy,28(9/10), 365-379. Al-Marri, K., Moneim M. Baheeg Ahmed, A., Zairi, M. (2007). Excellence in service: an empirical study of the UAE banking sector.International Journal of Quality Reliability Management,24(2), 164-176. Al-Tamimi, H., Hussein, A. (2010). Factors influencing performance of the UAE Islamic and conventional national banks. Ariff, M., Lewis, M. K., Mohamad, S. (2014). 17. Development needs of the Islamic banking industry.Risk and regulation of Islamic banking, 301. Boot, A. W., Ratnovski, L. (2016). Banking and trading.Review of Finance, rfv069. Button, M., Gee, J. (2013).Countering fraud for competitive advantage: the professional approach to reducing the last great hidden cost. John Wiley Sons. Campello, M., Gao, J., Qiu, J., Zhang, Y. (2015).Bankruptcy and the (hidden) cost of organized labor: evidence from union elections. Working paper. Gebba, T. R. (2015). Corporate Governance Mechanisms Adopted by UAE National Commercial Banks.Journal of Applied Finance and Banking,5(5), 23. Goddard, J., Molyneux, P., Williams, J. (2014). Dealing with cross-firm heterogeneity in bank efficiency estimates: Some evidence from Latin America.Journal of Banking Finance,40, 130-142. Hassan, M. K. (2014). Risk narrative disclosure strategies to enhance organizational legitimacy: Evidence from UAE financial institutions.International Journal of disclosure and Governance,11(1), 1-17. Houle, J. N., Berger, L. (2015). Is Student Loan Debt Discouraging Homeownership among Young Adults?.Social Service Review,89(4), 589-621. Lagoarde-Segot, T. (2016). Financialization: towards a new research agenda.International Review of Financial Analysis. Miles, D., Yang, J., Marcheggiano, G. (2013). Optimal bank capital.The Economic Journal,123(567), 1-37. Owens, L. A. (2015). Intrinsically Advantageous?: Reexamining the Production of Class Advantage in the Case of Home Mortgage Modification.Social Forces,93(3), 1185-1209. Paltrinieri, A. (2015). Stock exchange industry in UAE: An assessment of potential merger between Dubai financial market and Abu Dhabi securities exchange.International Journal of Emerging Markets,10(3), 362-382. Paltrinieri, A. (2015). Stock exchange industry in UAE: An assessment of potential merger between Dubai financial market and Abu Dhabi securities exchange.International Journal of Emerging Markets,10(3), 362-382. Panetti, E. (2016). A Theory of Bank Illiquidity and Default with Hidden Trades.Review of Finance, rfw066. Wanke, P., Azad, M. A. K., Barros, C. P., Hassan, M. K. (2016). Predicting efficiency in Islamic banks: An integrated multicriteria decision making (MCDM) approach.Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money,45, 126-141.

The Scarlet Letter The Forest Essays - English-language Films

The Scarlet Letter: The Forest In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels; otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not permit this kind of expression; thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of shelter for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his undying love for her. It is also here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. Finally, it is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. The forest itself is the very embodiment of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior, thus it is here that people may do as they wish. To independent spirits such as Hester Prynnes, the wilderness beckons her: Throw off the shackles of law and religion. What good have they done you anyway? Look at you, a young and vibrant woman, grown old before your time. And no wonder, hemmed in, as you are, on every side by prohibitions. Why, you can hardly walk without tripping over one commandment or another. Come to me, and be masterless. (p.186) Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects that would never be mentioned in any place other than the forest. What we did... she reminds him, had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other! This statement shocks Dimmesdale and he tells Hester to hush, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can openly express his emotions. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible. Yet here, in the forest, they can throw away all reluctance and finally be themselves under the umbrella of security that exists. In Puritan society, self-reliance is stressed among many other things. However, self-reliance is more than stressed- it is assumed. It is assumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should have no emotional necessity for a shoulder to cry on. Once again, for people in the stations of life which Hester and Dimmesdale hold, it would be unthinkable for them to comfort each other. Yet, in the forest, these cares are tossed away. Be thou strong for me, Dimmesdale pleads. Advise me what to do. (p. 187) This is a cry for help from Dimmesdale, finally admitting he cannot go through this ordeal by himself. With this plea comes an interesting sort of role-reversal. When Dimmesdale asks for help, he is no longer sustaining the belief that he is above Hester. He is finally admitting that she is an equal, or even that she is above him. This is possibly one of the reasons that Puritans wont accept these emotional displays- because the society is so socially oriented. Hester, assuming a new position of power, gives a heartfelt, moving speech. The eloquence of her words cannot be overemphasized, and a more powerful statement had yet to be made in the book. Hesters speech turns out to bear a remarkable resemblance to one of Dimmesdales sermons. Begin all anew! ... Preach! Write! Act!(p. 188) The questions she asks are also like the articulate questions which Dimmesdale would pose during his sermons. The

The Deficit for Those Economics Classes Essays - Fiscal Policy

The Deficit for Those Economics Classes Essays - Fiscal Policy The Deficit for Those Economics Classes here's one on the deficit for those economics classes Subject: the deficit good or bad Deficit Spending Spending financed not by current tax receipts, but by borrowing or drawing upon past tax reserves. , Is it a good idea? Why does the U.S. run a deficit? Since 1980 the deficit has grown enormously. Some say its a bad thing, and predict impending doom, others say it is a safe and stable necessity to maintain a healthy economy. When the U.S. government came into existence and for about a 150 years thereafter the government managed to keep a balanced budget. The only times a budget deficit existed during these first 150 years were in times of war or other catastrophic events. The Government, for instance, generated deficits during the War of 1812, the recession of 1837, the Civil War, the depression of the 1890s, and World War I. However, as soon as the war ended the deficit would be eliminated and the economy which was much larger than the amounted debt would quickly absorb it. The last time the budget ran a surplus was in 1969 during Nixons presidency. Budget deficits have grown larger and more frequent in the last half-century. In the 1980s they soared to record levels. The Government cut income tax rates, greatly increased defense spending, and didnt cut domestic spending enough to make up the difference. Also, the deep recession of the early 1980s reduced revenues, raising the deficit and forcing the Government to spend much more on paying interest for the national debt at a time when interest rates were high. As a result, the national debt grew in size after 1980. It grew from $709 billion to $3.6 trillion in 1990, only one decade later. Increase of National Debt Since 1980 Month Amount 12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00 * 12/31/1981 $1,028,729,000,000.00 * 12/31/1982 $1,197,073,000,000.00 * 12/31/1983 $1,410,702,000,000.00 * 12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 * 12/31/1985 $1,945,941,616,459.88 12/31/1986 $2,214,834,532,586.43 12/31/1987 $2,431,715,264,976.86 12/30/1988 $2,684,391,916,571.41 12/29/1989 $2,952,994,244,624.71 12/31/1990 $3,364,820,230,276.86 12/31/1991 $3,801,698,272,862.02 12/31/1992 $4,177,009,244,468.77 12/31/1993 $4,535,687,054,406.14 12/30/1994 $4,800,149,946,143.75 10/31/1995 $4,985,262,110,021.06 11/30/1995 $4,989,329,926,644.31 12/29/1995 $4,988,664,979,014.54 01/31/1996 $4,987,436,358,165.20 02/29/1996 $5,017,040,703,255.02 03/29/1996 $5,117,786,366,014.56 04/30/1996 $5,102,048,827,234.22 05/31/1996 $5,128,508,504,892.80 06/28/1996 $5,161,075,688,140.93 07/31/1996 $5,188,888,625,925.87 08/30/1996 $5,208,303,439,417.93 09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 10/01/1996 $5,234,730,786,626.50 10/02/1996 $5,235,509,457,452.56 10/03/1996 $5,222,192,137,251.62 10/04/1996 $5,222,049,625,819.53 * Rounded to Millions Federal spending has grown over the years, especially starting in the 1930s in actual dollars and in proportion to the economy (Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). Beginning with the "New Deal" in the 1930s, the Federal Government came to play a much larger role in American life. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to use the full powers of his office to end the Great Depression. He and Congress greatly expanded Federal programs. Federal spending, which totaled less than $4 billion in 1931, went up to nearly $7 billion in 1934 and to over $8 billion in 1936. Then, U.S. entry into World War II sent annual Federal spending soaring to over $91 billion by 1944. Thus began the ever increasing debt of the United States. What if the debt is not increasing as fast as we think it is? The dollar amount of the debt may increase but often times so does the amount of money or GDP to pay for the debt. This brings up the idea that the deficit could be run without cost. How could a deficit increase productivity without any cost? The idea of having a balanced budget is challenged by the ideas of Keynesian Economics. Keynesian economics is an economic model that predicts in times of low demand and high unemployment a deficit will not cost anything. Instead a deficit would allow more people to work, increasing productivity. A deficit does this because it is invested into the economy by government. For example if the government spends deficit money on new highways, trucking will benefit and more jobs will be produced. When an economic system is in recession all of its resources are not being used. For example if the government did not build highways we could not ship goods and there would be less demand for them. The supply remains low even though we have the ability to produce more because we cannot ship them. This non-productivity comes at a cost to the whole economic system. If deficit spending eliminates non-productivity then its direct monetary cost will be offset if not surpassed by increased productivity. For example in the 1980s when the huge deficits were adding up the actual additions to the public capital or increased productivity were often as big, or bigger than the deficit.

Synthetic Higher Learning with Three Branches Research Paper

Synthetic Higher Learning with Three Branches - Research Paper Example It was the only one offering graduate training in public administration, urban planning, and architecture among others. In addition, special health schools such as pharmacy, dental, physical therapy were also located on this campus. Its management process has experienced a lot of issues. To begin with, managing university budget had been a great area of contention between the involved bodies. Tension began growing between Owens, the university system and the higher education commission on this effect and consequently, the Board of Regents increased tuition fees by 28%. On the other hand, the state cut its appropriations. While Owens believed in independent university governance, he made a serious campaign for Referendum C that led to the suspension of Tabor restrictions and later, a state legislation that restricted any tuition increases to not more than 2.8 percent. However, more recommendations were made to other sectors of the university system whereby propositions ensured that se gments such as the transport system and healthcare got more appropriations. This left an implication of a collaborative approach to budget management (Dale, 2008). Arrival on financial management decisions on the board has not been spontaneous but rather evolving. For instance, TABOR, amended in 2000 and followed by a veto in 2003 made it difficult for the system to manage its own funds and thus budget. There was the imposition of expenditure limits, abilities to expand and any appropriate tax refunds when there was a necessity for such arising from financial surplus. However, the twenty-third amendment in 2003 under bill SB 264, the university system was exempted from TABOR and thus brought about greater flexibility in the financial management process. While discussing these issues, it is important to incorporate each of them into the appropriate discussion as done below. Planning Policy drawing within the institution is one of the most complex processes since it entails creating a foundation for the management process and thus a good ground for planning. Policies have largely been delegated as a duty to the Board of Regents, the president, and the state legislature. While the mandate of the president and the state legislation are limited to observation of implementation of policies, a direct influence from these two can have an equal impact on the creation of new policies. This is evident when Owens drew a policy that accentuated on efficiency and productivity within the institution. Thus the structure of planning is divided into layers. Implementation of these policies is executed within the institution. In this regard, the president, who is an internal element to the institution, becomes solely responsible for implementation of policies drawn by the Board of Regents (Daft, 2010). However, policies by the Board are limited in some aspects. For instance, the board can not have a sole authority to handle cases of financial uproars. In one scenario, happening in 2001, the Board of Regents had to be backed up by the joint budget committee, a state body, and the university system in order to raise influential concern on several issues such as continual increases of tuition fees, the rigidity of the system and state appropriations to higher education.

BORDER SURVEILLANCE USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK Research Paper

BORDER SURVEILLANCE USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK - Research Paper Example The troops guard the border according to prearranged route as well as the time interval (Ammari 12). Border patrol has widely depended on human participation. On the other hand, the relative cost for the growing number of workers as well as the retreating precision through human-only supervision has called for the contribution of high-tech devices in border patrol (Ammari 36). Amongst these, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for mid-air surveillance have lately been used to track routinely and detect track unlawful border crossing. Due to the outsized coverage as well as high mobility of the UAVs, the concentrated human participation in low-level surveillance practices can be minimized. In applications of border patrol, the established supervising network ought to cover a considerably large monitoring region. On the other hand, the radius of sensing of a single sensor node is usually limited. Consequently, many sensor nodes are expected to complete the coverage need. In addition, different kinds of sensor nodes like underground, camera, ground, and mobile sensors provide dissimilar coverage potentials. In addition, every sensor type has a special cost, sensing radius, as well as sensing accuracy (Aykanat54). As a result, a most favorable deployment approach is required to settle on the number along with locations of sensor nodes with varied capabilities. The primary objective of the deployment is to get the deployment tactic using the bare minimum number of each category of sensors to cover the entire surveillance area furthermore to accomplish desired intrusion detection likelihood. The aim is sensing the surroundings as well as communicating the findings to the data gathering center (Aykanat54). Most employment areas are envisaged for WSNs ranging from military surveillance to the monitoring of endangered species of animal populations. The research on the node placement together with coverage issues deals with effective use of

Oil in the middle east Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oil in the middle east - Research Proposal Example What is a good measure of oil dependency? What will the Middle East in general do as oil begins to run out? In particular, what will Kuwaits response be? First, I want to identify the likely date of peak oil. Peak oil is defined as the point where oil production is maximized. Peak oil does not mean that oil has run out, but it does mean that all subsequent attempts to get it will be more and more expensive, raising the price of oil ever and ever higher. Second, I want to determine the economic mix of the Middle East in terms of imports and exports, as well as look at the history of the Middle East to determine what has historically made it so oil-dependent. Marcus Noland and Howard Pack. "The East Asian Industrial Policy Experience: Implications for the Middle East" Industrial Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Ahmed Gala. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008.

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society Since becoming a prominent part of modern human society, the media has always been a source of controversy. In particular, the media has often been accused as playing a significant part in the so called dumbing-down of society. The term dumbing-down is used to describe the lack of a clear distinction between high culture and popular Pop culture in society today. While high culture were activities, usually relating to the classical arts, that were held in the highest regard by society in the past, and usually practiced by the rich upper-class, it has evolved to appeal to the masses now. Similarly, popular culture which are considered ephemeral and commercial, thus inferior to high culture have gone on to invade parts of our upper-class societies today. In this essay, I am going to investigate the blurring line between the differences in high and popular culture and use this as a pivot to critically assess the medias role in this phenomenon and ultimately determine if the media is inde ed responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Dumbing-down is believed to be present in many spheres of contemporary society, from the arts to even the quality of education that our generation are getting today. This is based on the premise that the Arts such as Theatre Productions and classical music have become more and more commercialised and overly-simplified in order to appeal to larger audiences. Similarly, the study of certain university courses ranging from Sociology to Media Studies and Animal Management have been labelled as inferior to the more traditional courses such as Law, Medicine and Politics. These so called Mickey Mouse degrees (which coincidentally were first made public by the media tabloids), coined by the then UK education minister Margaret Hodge were deemed to be less rigorous and thus unworthy of an actual University degree. Modern media itself is often criticised for putting ratings and audience popularity ahead of quality. Media institutions are run as businesses and are therefore more focused in creating productions that attract widespread interest and thereby maximise the chances of the sell rather than actual high quality productions. This can be seen through a number of examples, notably through news circulating productions such as Newspapers and News Broadcasting. The 1980s saw a sharp rise in the popularity of Tabloid Newspapers. Tabloids are based on the newspaper format seen in traditional Broadsheet Newspapers, but are smaller in size and feature exaggerated and often sensationalised stories. They often include much less hard news such as politics and global affairs to their Broadsheet counterparts, instead focusing on human interests and entertaining news stories (i.e. Celebrity Gossips, Scandals). There are also much fewer words and more pictures in a Tabloid than a Broadsheet. This form of junk food news is best described by researcher and writer Professor Bob Franklin in his book Newszak and News Media as being More bitesize McNugget journalism, which is small, tasty, bright coloured and easy to digest (Marr in Franklin, 1997: 5). Frankin came up with the term Newszak and asserted that there was a growing compulsion within British journalism to retreat from the publishing of hard news in favour of light hearted softer news. The popularity of tabloids has resulted in many broadsheet newspapers adopting numerous characteristics of tabloids. This is evident in UK newspapers such as The Independent, The Times and The Guardian who have switched to the more compact Berliner format used by most tabloid newspapers. Reasons given to this change include that it allows people who commute to easily hold and read it on public transports, and that smaller-sized newspapers would allow for easier reads for other readers as well. These changes have however been criticised by loyal broadsheet readers who have argued that the loss of the traditional broadsheet format have led to a loss in quality of the publishing of news. They reiterated that with Broadsheets adopting tabloid-like characteristics, there is slowly becoming less and less differences between the 2 types of Newspapers. In a 2007 interview with then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Blair commentated about the ongoing struggle in which Broadsheets and Tablo id face to gain readership by becoming more similar to one another. In his words Broadsheets today face the same pressures as tabloids; broadcasters increasingly the same pressures as broadsheets. The audience needs to be arrested, held and their emotions engaged. Something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. (BBC News, 12 June 2007) While the tabloid-like changes that many broadsheets have undergone is a controversial topic even today, Tabloids have also evolved and have become even more tabloidized in recent years. In their study of the Tabloidization of British Tabloids, Rodrigo Uribe and Barrie Gunter discovered that the emergence of tabloids can be attributed to a dominance of soft and home stories. By analysing issues of The Sun and The Mirror that were published between the years 1991 and 2001, Uribe and Gunter learnt that tabloids themselves had become even more simplistic in recent years. They wrote that the amount of column space allocated for text had decreased substantially, whilst the size of space allocated for visuals and pictures had instead increased. (Uribe and Gunter, 2004: 399) Looking back at what I have learnt so far, I believe that when considering whether the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing-down of society, one has to look at the problem from two different perspectives. Yes, the media, owned by giant conglomerates aim to increase financial gain and therefore create products that are popular and sellable to their target audiences. However, one must also note that the reason broadsheets started adopting tabloid-like characteristics in the first place were partly due to the rising popularity of tabloids. In a highly competitive economic market as we have today, the media was simply responding to the ever growing demand for a particular product, in this case, tabloids; and therefore evolved its production of broadsheets to satisfy audience demand. It is therefore unfair to lay the blame solely on the Media when in this particular case; I believe that society is responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Broadcast media is another area within the media that is nowadays criticised as playing a role in the dumbing-down of society. News Broadcasting is often accused as being no longer truly informative and lacking the journalistic quality that was present in the past. With Broadcast Media prioritising audience and consumer ratings today, News Broadcastings are becoming more entertainment orientated, in that part of the appeal of watching the news nowadays is the entertainment value one gains from it rather than the traditional hard news journalistic approach seen in the past. This form of Infotainment, a term used to describe media programmes that combine information with entertainment is seen in numerous News Broadcasting Productions. Many have expressed concerns that the emergence of infotainment has led to an over exposure of soft news, news that often lack importance but are entertaining to audiences at an expense of actual important serious hard news. A clear example of this can be seen on a February 2004 edition of CNN News where the lead story was a feature of the Super Bowl XXXVIII incident in which Janet Jacksons breasts were exposed onstage. The story was then followed by the news of a chemical attack on a member of the US Senate. (Anderson B, 2004: 33) The basis of Infotainment is the assumption that viewers are no longer concern about the informative quality of such programmes but are rather driven to watch and consume something due to superficial reasons such as the entertainment that the programme provides or even by how visually attractive the product looks. The aesthetics of modern News programmes also serves as a means of entertaining viewers. News broadcastings nowadays contain expensive visuals, flashy animations and often elaborate filming sets. The use of such technology in modern news broadcasting allows for more contemporary looking visual presentations and thus attracts audience appeal. In a vastly competitive industry in which different Media Networks vie for control over audience viewership, the quality of presentation often plays an important part of the process. Networks which benefit from higher production values often score higher in viewership numbers and audience share. This would explain why the Big 4 televisi on networks in the US consisting of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX have a significant edge over other smaller networks such as The CW Television Network. In terms of actual substance and quality, there is little difference between one News Channel to another; rather the difference in popularity is often determined by insignificant reasons. An excellent example that clearly illustrates the importance of infotainment in todays Media is the ongoing ratings/ popularity war between two of the most popular News Networks in the US, FOX News and CNN. Though the CNN News Network has had a longer and more illustrious history (est. 1980) compared to the FOX News Network (est. 1996), ratings for CNN has fallen in recent years whilst FOX has seen a steadily increase in audience viewership. In 2009, FOX News officially supplanted CNN to become the No 1 News Network in the US. FOXs ratings increase has been attributed to the fact that it provides opinion and personality-driven programming. FOX slanted views to favour the republican (conservative) party in the US is no secret. It is however ironic that a network that bills itself as Fair Balance, whose slogan happens to be We Report. You Decide does not provide impartial and balanced news reporting. The appeal of FOX News lies in the entertainment it provides for its audience. The ne ws that it broadcast is often colourful, and interesting to audiences. Unlike CNN that features a more global perspective on news stories, reminiscent to the more traditional broadsheet news format, FOX has been known to employ tabloid-like tactics to gain audience receptions and stir controversies. Whilst CNN is in no way a haven of quality and unbiased news reporting, there is a fine line between biased information presented in a fair and proper manner and that of a piece of pure synthesized propaganda (DuBach J 2005, Fox V. CNN: An Observational Comparison). An example in which FOX has deliberately created news-stirring controversy to further its political agenda can be seen in several news reports during the Obama Presidential Campaign in 2008, in which FOX News provided highly bias opinions against Obama and his campaign team, even going as far as to compare him to Joseph Stalin. News Reporters and Journalists are no longer detached personalities from the audience but are instead groomed to become popular and celebrity-like. Rather than employing real hard-line journalists and political analysts (McChesney R), News networks are more interested in hiring celebrity pontificators to provide news commentary as a cost cutting solution that also ensures maximum audience appeal. This is evident by the growing number of so called special guest experts that regularly provide their views on the news at hand. News Commentators such as Bill OReilly, Gleen Beck and Jerry Springer have gone from being news readers to become well respected and popular television personalities that hosts their own talk shows and are regularly watched by a loyal viewership. As a matter of fact, OReillys political commentary program titled The OReilly Factor that airs on FOX News was the most watched cable show between 2007 and 2008. Despite the level of media saturation and the wealth of info rmation we have at our disposal, it is still in the hands of each individual to decide whether consuming a particular media text is indeed beneficial. However, with audiences seemingly enjoying such a skewed and biased view on everyday news reporting, its no wonder that some people believe that the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing down of society. The belief that the media is responsible for the dumbing down of society is rooted in the fear that the audience lack the perception to tell what is right and what is wrong when consuming a media text, thus believing whatever the media projects. It is therefore important to understand the concept of Audience Reception in order to determine how media viewers interpret a particular media text differently from one another. The basis of Audience reception is the understanding that there are two different kinds of audiences; active and passive audience. Active Audiences are people who are not drawn to whatever the media tells them, who constantly filter out what they see in the media and possess the strength of mind to decide whether what they see in the media is true or not. In contrast, Passive Audiences are people who are vulnerable to the words of the media and are seemingly accepting of whatever the media tells them. The belief that the media has the ability to alter audience percept ion and in a way control the way we make decisions and live our lives is one that has existed for decades. The Hypodermic Needle Model, conceived in the 1940s was perhaps the earliest form in our attempts to understand audience reception. The model was based around the assumption that mass media (e.g. the radio and television) had a direct and often profound effect on its viewers. It was believed that the media was able to send messages directly to the viewer thus gaining some measure of control on the viewer. Today, the model is almost unanimously considered obsolete as it perceives all media consumers as passive audiences, and thus believes that the media has the same effect on all people. It perceives on the assumption that people were uniformly controlled by their biologically based instincts and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever stimuli came along (Lowery DefFleur, 1995: 400). More to the point, the hypodermic needle theory is an outdated Audience Reception model that however flawed, reflected the social situation during that time. In an era of political upheaval an d social unrest, fuelled by the World Wars, propaganda emerged as a form of communication utilized by nations to persuade the general public to unite behind the actions of their countries and allies alike. The power of propaganda was regarded as a powerful tool by many, with countries using propaganda to achieve many different aims, from enlisting more men to become soldiers to even attempting to promote public outrage. A more efficient audience reception model which does take both passive and active audiences into account is the Uses and Gratifications Model. Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Model that interpreted its findings based on what the media did to people, the Uses and Gratifications model took a different perspective by placing focus on the viewers instead of the media and basing its findings on what did people do with the Media. The Model was conceived in the 1970s by critical theorists Blumber and Katz, who originally used it to investigate the social and psychological needs of people. The model was based around a more consumer/ audience centred approach whereby it was believed that people consumed media as a form of satisfying their own individual needs. Rather than basing its study that all media viewers were passive audiences who are unable to resists the words of the media (as the hypodermic needle theory had suggested), the theory was based on the belief that the audience did in fact p lay an active part in choosing the type of media text that they were consuming based on their individual needs. The needs of individuals were varied and included but not limited to things such as gaining entertainment (diversion) from the text t or perhaps even gaining more of an insight into themselves (personal identity). Despite the consensus that the Uses and Gratification model is a far better representation of audience reception, compared to the Hypodermic Needle Theory, it has also been criticised by many who state that viewers nowadays do not have any means of control over what the media produces. In my opinion, I would actually argue with that statement, as I believe that the audience make educated choices on the type of media they consume. I believe that the types of medium that are produced today are developed specifically to satisfy the needs of people. Due to the different trends and genres that go in and out of fashion today, media companies create productions that the y know would attract a sizable audience market. Similar to how many Broadsheet Newspapers are adopting the more popular Tabloid-like format and the use of Infotainment in todays News Broadcasting Programmes, the media is simply responding to the audience preferences. In conclusion, I believe that although the media does play a part in the Dumbing down of society, it is not directly responsible for this, and is often conveniently made a scapegoat of the problem due to people take comfort in having someone or something to blame, in this case the media itself. Rather, I think that the media acts as a catalyst for the true culprit behind the degradation of society humans. The dumbing down of society is caused by us; modern people have grown lazy, becoming interested in trivial things and finding quality activities and productions a chore to do and consume. We prefer the simplifying of things as it makes it easier for us to understand and

Balancing Inequality Essay -- Education

The California public school system is failing in educating children state-wide. One of the most difficult problems is budget, which affects tremendously children in poor areas. Children from these areas should have equal access to resources, programs and opportunities as those from more propitious communities. In order to close the gap of inequality, we all need to change the way California school system’s funding is allocated and put into use. First, we must increase the income tax of the richest people or the top two tax brackets and divide that extra tax money we collected to public schools in poor areas. This idea was mentioned in a research by professor Picus from University of California Rossier School of Education. Although the idea does not sound very fair to the richest people, it is what needs to be done for California school system to improve statewide. The gap of expenditure per student in higher and low-income districts is too great. According to Just Schools California, districts like Palo Alto spend more than $10,000 per pupil, while largely low-income communities like Lynwood spend around $6000 per pupil. There are rich people who donate a large amount of money to schools every year because they have a lot of extra money and they like to do their part for the society. In fact, the wealthiest Californians have a lot of extra cash even after they bought their Lamborghinis and holiday mansions. Increase the inc ome tax of these people by as little as 1% or 2% will not affect them much, but will benefit a lot to all Californian students, especially those in the poor areas. The reason this extra money will be given to only schools in low-income areas is because the current taxes on wealthier areas is high enough to gi... ..., we could provide every child in California with a better education and equality. Works Cited Picus, Lawrence O. Funding California's Schools: Past, Present and Future? Rep. 2006. Print. "$1B in Teacher Compensation under Attack | California Watch." California Watch | Bold New Journalism. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. . "Prop 13 Facts | Close the Loophole." Close the Loophole | Close the Prop. 13 Loophole. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Moore, Michael. Idiot Nation. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. By Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 128-46. Print. Conditions, Opportunities and Outcomes in California Public Schools. UCLA IDEA & UC/ACCORD, Jan. 2010. PDF.

Qualitative Research and Respondents Essay

1.1. Introduction Leptospirosis is one of the deadliest bacterial infection that I commonly acquired in tropical countries. you can get the disease when you were exposed to soils and waters that is contaminated by leptospira bacteria. Rodents such as rats are the primary carriers of the leptospirosis bacteria. It is important to identify the signs of rodent infestation at home. If you regularly see rodent droppings around food packages, in drawers, cupboards, under the sink, then your house is infested. Whenever you see such droppings or boxes of food, or wirings that has rodent bites, you must take an action. Symptoms can take 2 – 26 days (average 10 days) to develop this may include: dry cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, shaking chills, less common symptoms include: abdominal pain, abnormal lung sounds, bone pain, conjunctivitis, enlarged lymph glands, enlarged spleen or liver, joint aches, muscle rigidity, muscle tenderness, skin rash and sore throat. (Dugdale III, 2010) Test to be done to find if you contract leptospirosis are the following: CBC (Complete blood count), creatine kinase, urinalysis. Medications are given to the patient but complicated cases however are life-threatening if not treated promptly. The fatality rate of the disease is 5-40. (Dugdale III, 2010) Here in the Philippines one of the most common cause of leptospirosis is flood water. Leptospirosis cases goes up in the rainy period. In Metro Manila, improper disposal of our wastes such as plastics, domestic wastes, and others blocks the water pass on the sink or to the drainage system. This causes floods even in just a small amount of rain. And garbage attracts rodents that carry a letpospira bacteria and it contaminates the flood water that leads to acquiring the leptospirosis. 1.2. Background of the study Flash floods are common throughout the Philippine archipelago during the monsoon seasons, which runs from the June to December. They are particularly common in Manila, the country’s sprawling capital and home of 14 million Filipino’s. The awareness of the people is very much important especially when flash floods or typhoons occur. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease which could be contracted by humans when exposed to flood waters containing urine infected animals like rats, dog, and pigs. The leptospirosis cases was caused by the widespread flooding caused by the typhoons that affected the Luzon areas. In Quezon City one barangay, barangay Gulod, has encountered many cases of leptospirosis. Barangay Gulod is located near the Tullahan River and Kaybuktot Creek. The barangay itself is along the Quirino Highway. The barangay is big but because of poor urban development program the drainage system is still a problem during the rainy seasons they have the most number of incidents of leptospirosis cases in the past 3 years. In 2009 the disease, according to the record of Department of Health (DOH) has afflicted more people in Metro Manila, attributing the â€Å"Outbreak† to large numbers of people wading in flood waters carrying the bacteria. The DOH had recorded 1,027 leptospirosis patients, wherein 89 died. There were 122 cases in Quezon City alone with 14 cases in Barangay Gulod. (Quezon City Health Department [QCHD], 2011) In 2010, leptospirosis was noted as the fourth on the list of the top disease outbreaks in the Philippines. The DOH has recorded over 400 leptospirosis cases in the first half of the year (Department of Health [DOH], 2010), which includes 26 deaths with 1 case in Barangay Gulod. (QCHD, 2010) Recently, the Department of Health released an announcement that casualties from leptospirosis has increased 247% in 10 months (January-October) in Metro Manila with number of 131 cases of Leptospirosis in Quezon City with 5 cases in barangay Gulod. It usually takes two weeks after the infection to manifest flu-like symptoms. If not diagnosed early enough, it can lead to more severe symptom and may cause death. Mild infections can be treated by antibiotics like doxycyline, but for severe infections generally, they require Intravenous Penicillin which is still dangerous because the patient might encounter the Jarisch-Hexheimer reaction. This disease needs prompt medication upon its contraction. (Uy, 2011) 1.3. Theoretical Framework Systems design approach is interconnected, interdependent and interacting problems that seeks to create an action to take the entity as a whole. It implies that we take the responsibility of the whole thing to be able to create future better by understanding the nature and saving the environment by fulfilling its requirement on saving it. (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998). Living in this planet, there are things we need to maintain. The Systems Design is said that it is interconnected and interacting problems. Meaning every problem we do, creates another one and relates to another, everything is a chain from small to the biggest. Just like what is happening here in the Philippines right now the people who throws their trash everywhere creates a bigger problem. Systems Design is participatory by nature (Bethany, 1996), meaning everyone from the society can make a change on how the problem will be solved by making small steps on providing a remedy on their problems. They can engage themselves by becoming an active participant on change and they can be more resourceful. Bela Bethany (1996), a Systems Theorist characterized the systems design focusing the humanities to be, experience oriented, rational, neutral, and it has concerns on future generations . (Banathy, 1996, pp. 34-35.) Here in the Philippines we believe that systems design by being participatory makes people move on their own on the time of calamities. Disasters are made by simple forms of action. Nowadays when it rained a little it floods the city and that would make people alarmed and take actions. And by that they will learn from their mistakes and try to solve their problem as a â€Å"system† and functioning as one. Because being in a societal systems human beings actively apply their skills to the analysis of the design of socially and ecologically sustainable systems by becoming active participants of their community on shaping their future. (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998) 1.4. Conceptual Framework This part of the paper will serve as a guide to study systems approach of the input-process-output devised by Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert Jr. (1995). The system has flows of information, materials and energy, including human energy that enter as an inputs then transform the processes on the system and exit as an output. A feedback is considered as a key to systems controls . Leptospirosis prevention on barangays are being followed in the subject matter. The following protocols followed by the local government is preventing leptospirosis: â€Å"Policy-Making† it refers to the concept of operation and the tasks for execution of the organization’s programs by the respective staffs and officers, ths directs the functions and responsibilities of the personnel to strict guidance and compliance. (Leveriza, 1983) â€Å"Access† it is the portal of each citizen to the city government on the services of the city government. On every projects and information about the services they need. This would let them have the power to know and accumulate certain information. (Dr. Cruz, Personal Communication, 2011) â€Å"Social Participation† is the extent of the participation of the people in both formal or informal group activities. (Leveriza, 1983) These inputs undergo the process of assessment to determine whether the existing policy and procedures being implemented by each of the subject government institutions are sufficient to protect the network resources from any unlawful acts, as well as identify problems in relation the said review of the prevention of leptospirosis cases on the barangays. (Stoner et al., 1995) The dynamic process in the framework shall contribute, as output, to a significant improvement of the review of leptospirosis cases, including the measures that should be adopted by each respondent government agency. Given the foregoing system’s model, the research paradigm of the study id presented in Figure below for a clearer understanding and appreciation.   Selected Government Institutions.City Health Government-Policy procedures-Access-Society Awareness| | Analysis of-Leptospirosis cases in Barangay Gulod, Quezon City. | | A significant review of Leptospirosis prevention on the barangays.| FEEDBACK Research paradigm As shown in paradigm, the input variables include the profile of the network of subject government institution. It is the city health department of the Quezon city is the department of the city from which the programs and developments are made while encountering this leptospirosis cases. 1.5. Scope and Limitations This study would focus more of Leptospirosis cases in Barangay Gulod, Quezon City from the year 2009 – 2011 who had recorded the most of the cases of the said disease for the past 3 years. This would include the citizens of the barangay in all age groups. We would also investigate the programs (if any) implemented to prevent the Leptospirosis cases in the Barangay before, during and after the floods, and the projects aimed at eliminating the floods and rats that caused the disease. 1.6. Statement of the Problem This study would like to the answer the following problems about the strategies of the City Government towards the leptospirosis cases encountered in Barangay Gulod Q.C.: 1. What are the efforts made by the City Government before, during and after the typhoon? 2. Are the efforts effective enough? 3. What are the programs and projects implemented on the said Barangay? Does the programs and projects help the citizens of the Barangay? 4. What are the steps of the City Government to empower its people on the time of floods and rains? This study would like to help the barangays and the Quezon City on preventing the leptospirosis cases during the time of typhoons and floods. 1.7. Importance of the Study This study is important to the following: Quezon City Government – to help them on implementing: rules, programs and projects to prevent Leptospirosis on the barangays that is said to have a large scale of Leptospirosis cases. This hopefully would help them on the ideas of the other barangays and cities to prevent and hopefully stop the spread of the disease. Barangay officials – to give them knowledge on the status of the leptospirosis on their barangay. Barangay Citizens – to help them and their families on contracting the disease. 1.8. Definition of Terms 1. Afflicted – being troubled with pains. 2. Ceftriaxone Injection- injection used to treat certain infections caused by gonorrhea (a sexually transmitted disease) and infections of lungs, ears, skin, urinary tract, blood, bones joints and abdomen. It is also given to some types of surgery to prevent the development of another disease after the operation. 3. Chemoprohylaxis – use of a chemical agent to prevent a development of disease. 4. Creatine Kinase – The mitochondrial creatine kinase (CKm) is present in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, where it produces phosphocreatine (PCr) from mitochondrially-generated ATP and creatine (Cr) imported from the cytosol. 5. Disease – disturbed or abnormal structure or physiological action in the living organism as awhole or in any of its parts. 6. Dopamine – an important neurotransmitter in the brain. 7. Doxycyline – this is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections or to treat the trave ler’s diarrhea. It acts by inhibiting the growth of bacteria 8. Fatality – a state of how bad the disease is 9. Flashflood – an event caused by heavy rain   10. Furosemide- this is used to treat high blood pressure. Furosemide reduces fluid accumulation by increasing the elimination of sodium and water through the kidneys. 11. IgM ELISA – is a fast test for a qualitative detection of IgM anti Bodies. 12. IgM leptospira Dipstickâ„ ¢ – is a fast test for a qualitative detection of IgM anti Bodies against Leptospirosis. It is used to determine the leptospirosis cases in Yucatan, Mexico. 13. Input – something put into a system or device as energy into a machine, food into the body, data into a computer, etc. 14. Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction – reaction caused by organisms (bacteria) dying off and releasing toxins into the body faster than the body may comfortably handle it. 15. Meningitis – an inflammation of the meninge, the membranes that covers the brain and spinal cord. 16. Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) – a test to determine if you are infected by leptospirosis. 17. Outbreak – a sudden and violent breaking forth; said of passion or of disease affecting large numbers of people. 18. Output – the quantity put out or produced in a specified time 19. Sanitation – making something sterile or clean. 20. Seropositivity – showing positive reaction to a serological or test on blood serum for a disease. 21. Serovars Manilae – sample Vaccines used for Leptospirosis 22. Spirochetes – any of a genus of typically saprophytic bacteria commonly found in water and sewage and characterized by spiral flexible filaments with apparently rotary movements. 23. Thrombocytopenic – relative decrease of platelets in blood. 24. Urinalysis – also known as Routine and Microscopy (R&M), is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis. 25. Vasodilatation – dilation of blood vessel, as by the action of a nerve drug. 26. Vax-SPIRAL ® – Trivalent AntiLeptospirosis Vaccine for Human use. 27. Zoonotic – a developed individual of a compound animal or of a simple egg CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES This portion of the research gives some additional information that have been made both local and foreign researchers which are in one way of the other related in the research under taken in this study. 2.1. FOREIGN LITERATURES According to www.Leptospirosis.org (2010) a reference archive on the internet for Leptospirosis information, the Leptospirosis bacteria can’t live on saltwater. We cannot get Leptospirosis by taking a bath on a beach. Contaminated fresh waters and flood waters are usually the bacteria carrier. They also said that you can get Leptospirosis by swallowing, swimming with open wounds on contaminated water. It is never air borne. It also said that the bacteria can’t survived by acid, heat, disinfectants, and alkali’s. Thus cooked foods are safe. Everything in your house should be clean most especially if your house is infested by rodents. Doxycycline offers some protection against severe illness and is the best and normal medication to be given in these situations, but it cannot guarantee protection and a mild illness may still occur. Therefore, protection is all we need. We should be aware that the disease is existing and might cause death. According to an Indian heath portal www.aarogya.com gave some guidelines on how to prevent the Leptospirosis infection. The first step is sanitation, of course cleanliness is the first step. Then protect your self with gloves, masks, boots, when going to a water area that might be contaminated by the Leptospirosis. (S. Pallavi, 2008) You should also keep your open wounds from the contaminated water, and also wash your hands after touching an animal. Do not touch rats. Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, we should educate people from the disease, do not let them swim on a possible contaminated fresh water. Get rid of rats and throw your waste properly. Waste management repels rats. The Medicenet.com states some implications or symptoms of the Leptospirosis, he said that at the first phase the patient would experience some flu like symptoms like fever, headaches, muscle pains, cough and colds. Then the redness of the eye would develop on the ninth day. Then it will develop some aching with stiffness of the nerves then some inflammations. This disease is somewhat connected to liver and kidney disease. That would take the disease to another implications. (Cunha, 2009) That is why whenever you experience the first types of symptoms then you should do something about it right away before it’s too late. Vaccines are developed already which are given to some explorers but it is not that advisable for some research are not yet done about the vaccine. According to www.nlm.nih.gov there the procedures to cure Leptospirosis, this would include the intakes of medicine, such as Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone, Doxycyclne, and Penicillin. He said that complicated cases need to be taken care in ICU (intensive care unit). Leptospirosis is curable, but serious and complicated cases maybe life-threatening. There are also other complications that the patient can get in Leptospirosis. There is the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is a reaction of the body when the is an intake of Penicillin, there is also Meningitis, and severe bleeding. Therefore, although the Leptospirosis is life threatening there are still hopes that is coming out, there is a vaccine developed in Europe and in Asia that might not stop but at least freeze the Leptospirosis spread. Still prevention is better than the cure. We must manage our surroundings to stop the infestation of the rodents on on our households. And we should learn to clean our environment to stop the flooding. (Dugd ale III, 2010) 2.2. LOCAL LITERATURES Sison, (2009) said that â€Å"the Philippines is facing a serious problem of Leptospirosis. Poor sanitation and the increase of the urban slums along with frequent typhoons and expansion of flooding areas in the country have exacerbated the risk of infection. Leptospires are said the cause of the Weil’s disease in Japan, where it was common in coal miners. Leptospirosis can affect many species of of wild and domestic animals, including marine mammals. Prompt scientific treatment is essential, and aggressive support care with strict attention to fluid and electrolyte is a must. Some severely ill patients may require dialysis.† So with a clean surroundings, and a better prevention of the disease is a Leptospirosis free community even those people in the slum area, if know how to clean and sanitize their belongings they can’t get leptospirosis. So whenever there are contaminations in the place they should be alert. Cause prevention is better than cure. (Sison, 2009) (Medenilla et al., 2009) Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a bacterial infection when humans get contact in flood waters contaminated by animal urines from dogs, cats, pigs and specially rats. It takes 5 days t o 2 weeks before you can see the symptoms. During that time the leptospirosis cases hits a large amount of cases in Luzon with 1,027 cases with 89 fatalities. Sec. Duque said that the widespread cases were caused by the two tropical storms that hit the country. The Government warned the public to avoid flood water to prevent getting infected by the bacteria. The government that time prepared P 4-million pesos for the leptospirosis victims. Phrophylaxis, a drug which cures leptospirosis. This medicine is given immediately to those admitted cases of Leptospirosis. However, Prophylaxis is not suitable for children and pregnant women. The PCP (Philippine College of Physicians) and PMA (Philippine Medical Center) released a guidelines on an antibiotic â€Å"Prophylaxis† to people in leptospirosis-affected communities. They said that Prophylaxis is not recommended to those individuals unless they confirmed that they have visited a leptospirosis contaminated area. Ii is said that to prevent this disease, sanitation and protection is the best. Flood water is one of the risk factors that would infect you a leptospirosis. By just wearing boots, goggles, overalls, gloves and others. 2 capsules of Doxycycline is given once weekly for those who were exposed and should be continued through out the end of the exposure period. Then, the use of Prophylaxis is not 100% effective. It is said that it would depend on the quality of the drug and the timing of the intake. (Manongdo, 2009) If the rat’s urine was mixed in the flood waters, what comes next is the Leptospirosis. There lots of rats in metro manila, Rats are the largest group of mammal in the world. Their population is even greater than humans. The dirtier the place the more they would get in to your households. (Editorial: Pilipino Star Ngayon; 2009) For the past epidemiological research the Leptospirosis cases in the Metro manila especially in the Quezon City, were reported to have a high case of Leptospirosis. One of the reasons of this disease is the improper waste management. Many of Filipinos are not disciplined enough to throw their waste properly, some were just throwing their garbage on the river. And some doesn’t separate the biodegradable and the non biodegradable. So by keeping the discipline everywhere and not just throwing waste every where we can at least refrain the floods that brings the Leptospirosis.

The world of classical art Essay Example

The world of classical art Essay Example The world of classical art Essay The world of classical art Essay Essay Topic: Classical Orlando In a city known for artifice and family-friendly pleasure seeking, it seems to make sense that the world of classical art would collide with the world of the strangely fantastic.   While there are some that claim buildings such as the ones in Las Vegas, with its full-size replicas of pyramids and Venetian waterways, are devoid of artistic value or significance.   To a large degree, this perception is true, for there is little artistic value in simply copying the work of another for mass marketing purposes.   However, the building that houses Wonderworks in Orlando, Florida is far more than a mass marketed copy.   It is an original structure used to pique interest in science, and its building surely reflects its function.Walking down the tourist strip in Orlando is always an interesting thing to do, to see all the shops, restaurants, and various other attractions designed to pull the eye and the money of entertainment seekers.   While many think that Orlando is nothing but a n ode to Disney, the strip on International Drive is touristy, but largely free of the Disney magic.   However, there is a little magic on the strip, and it was on a trip down this stretch of artificial structures that I saw the most original structure of all in the form of the building created as the educational/recreational playground known as Wonderworks.Amongst the many other cookie-cutter tourist traps on the strip, Wonderworks sticks out like a sore, but highly interesting, thumb.   It is not meant to harmonize with its surroundings at all, but rather seeks to call attention to itself and the types of things that go on inside its walls.   The structure itself is situated right along the road, a multistory plantation-style white building, complete with four columns in the front and large arched windows.   It looks similar to the White House, and its tight symmetry suggests a heavy neoclassical influence.   A few special touches are the few palm trees positioned in the front and along the sides that give it a tropical feel so indicative of its Florida home, with all eyes drawn to the top of the building, which also just so happens to be its bottom.The building for Wonderworks is made to look like a giant colonial mansion dropped at a canted angle on top of a smaller, one-story brick warehouse from the 1930s.   The entrance to the main building is ground level, and cut into the top of the upside-down building.   Artistic embellishments such as cracks in the columns and the face of the building, along with a few feet of foundation at the top of the building make it seem as if it were just uprooted and slammed down.   The palm trees hang from this upside-down foundation, as well as lampposts near the upside-down door.   Real palm trees and manicured grass surround the entire structure, which faces one corner of the intersection, while the warehouse faces the other.   The fact that it is a perfectly normal-looking building that may be nothi ng more than a striking, old mansion on the strip is completely turned on its head, just like the building.   The result is something similar to the wonder that its name suggests, and the fact that it is so different is part of its disharmonious appeal.The nature of the Wonderworks building, as well as its location in the middle of tourist heaven, suggests that it was designed most likely by an anonymous designer working for a large firm sometime in the past few decades.   As there are a few other Wonderworks buildings scattered across the country, the design suggests that its form was consciously designed to echo the many scientific and interesting things that happened within its walls.   It is an example of form perfectly matching function, and makes the view question not only the creativity and architectural science that went into it, but also the line between art and homogenized culture.   Indeed, Wonderworks can be argued to be art or lowbrow entertainment, but the natu re of what it tries to accomplish can only be respected in its ideals, and therefore the building itself becomes far more credible and charming than any of the buildings by Vegas or Disney, as impressive as both locales are.Inside the Wonderworks building, there are many things, scientific and entertaining, that kids and adults will find interesting and educational.   The interior of the main building is also upside-down, and adds to the overall feeling of eccentricity and whimsy.   There are exhibits inside that allow a person to make giant bubbles, lay on a bed of nails, wear an astronaut suit, and scores of other interesting activities.   The unusual design of the building compliments perfectly its unique position the most offbeat attraction on the tourist strip, as well as the strange information it provides through its exhibits, like the number of teeth a mosquito has.   Though the building for Wonderworks was built in 1998, it recalls the classical style, and then turn s it upside-down in a post-modern way.   The fictional story behind the building is that it was once a top-secret lab from the Bermuda Triangle brought by a tornado to its final spot on top of the brick building.   While the story may be fictional, the impact the building has on those who see it is very real.Seeing the upside-down building immediately makes people feel happy when they see it, young and old, and it is difficult not to try to figure out exactly how they built it.   Because the attraction is in the middle of the touristiest part of Orlando, Florida, it is surrounded by a plethora of other attractions, including the many famous amusement parks only short drives down the highway.   However, the building for Wonderworks provides an experience that makes it one of the hidden gems of the area.   It is hard to visit Wonderworks and not come out feeling gratified that the day was spent exploring its interesting exhibits and architecture.Not only does the building in side and out echo its true purpose, but the nature of the building itself echoes its location in the middle of a city known for artifice, special effects, and entertainment.   But, still, Wonderworks manages to become something far more than another amusement for tourists, almost in the way a poem takes on different meanings to different readers.   Some may see it as an amusement park, a fake building, a mass-produced symbol of homogenized entertainment, while some may see it as an allegorical about American society.   And, even still, some may just see it as an interesting place to visit.