Holiday Customs in Victorian England :: essays research papers

Holiday Customs in Victorian England Although Christ's Nativity has been celebrated since the 4th century, most of the English customs we are familiar with today are as recent as the mid-19th century. Many of the early ceremonies were started with pagan beliefs. â€Å"The Protestant Reformation condemned most of these pagan customs as superstitious and banned public celebrations of Christmas.† Michelle J. Hoppe. It wasn't until Prince Albert married Queen Victoria and brought many German customs with him that Christmas began to gain popularity again. â€Å"One of the first signs of Christmas was the arrival of the Christmas card in the post. John Calcott Horsley designed the first Christmas card in 1846 for Sir Henry Cole, Chairman of the Society of the Arts. Only 1000 cards were printed that first year and were expensive, but the pattern for the future was formed.† Encyclopedia. Then in 1870, postage was reduced. Thus began the real spread of the Christmas card. By the early 1870s, the custom had reached the United States. Christmas decorations sometimes appeared well before the holiday, also, but many still held to the old superstition that it was bad luck to put up a evergreen (Christmas Tree) before Christmas Eve. †The most favored plants were all 'magical' because of the mid-winter berries they produced--mistletoe, holly and ivy. The red berry of the holly was believed to protect one against witchcraft.† Encyclopedia. The sprig had to be carried into the house by a male, as the berry is on the 'male' holly plant. One use for holly sprigs was to decorate the Christmas pudding. The 'female' ivy symbolized immortality. â€Å"Mistletoe, because of its pagan origins, was not allowed in any church. Kissing under the mistletoe was English custom and only as many berries as were on the mistletoe, could there be kisses. For after every kiss, a berry had to be removed from the sprig.† English Customs. The Christmas tree can truly be called a Victorian innovation. The custom of a lighted tree began in Germany then made its way to America. â€Å"It wasn't until Prince Albert, of German descent, brought the Christmas tree to England in 1840 that it gained popularity there. By 1847, the trees at Windsor Castle were laden with presents as well as wax candles.† Michelle J. Hoppe. The tradition spread as English citizens followed the Royal example. The trees and other decorations were removed on Twelfth Night (January 6).

Confronting Death in Poetry Essay -- essays papers

Confronting Death in Poetry Raised fists and a fading smile usually follow the confrontation of death as we experience the first stages of denial in the grieving process. We not only grieve at the loss of a loved one, but at the loss of our own life as well. When death rears its ugly head, it demands this response. Whether through art or science, humor or ritual, mankind marks and confronts this passage with both defiance and trepidation that eventually turns into acceptance and submission. The fear of death seems to be based on two things: the finality of death and the uncertainty of what follows. Many works have been written on the topic, some to offer consolation, others hope, and still others to urge readers to correct their behavior during life itself. The conflicting views put forward by different societies may never be reconciled, since nobody comes back to tell of an afterlife. Robert Frost successfully delineates this process in his poem, "Out, Out -" as he describes how the boy in the poem experiences the first stage of impending death - that of denial. Frost paints a picture of school age children doing the household chores of adults. Death with children is especially disturbing because in our unconscious mind we are all immortal, so it is almost inconceivable to be openly confronted with the reality of death. For children, this thought is especially implausible because of their youth. It is much easier to turn our attention to less frightening possibilities. The boy states this to his sister after crying out in a rueful laugh, "Don't let him cut my hand off / The doctor. When he comes. Don't let him sister!" (Frost 25, 26) Step two and three of the grieving processes when confronting impending de... ...od's eternal reward. All three authors deal with and do a good job of portraying the stages of grief that impending death brings, no matter what form it comes in. There are allusions in all three poems of earlier years when life and death were narrower spans in time than they are today as our life expectancies rise. A true sign of the times each author lived in. Bibliography: Work Cited Dickinson, Emily. "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1138. Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1730. Frost, Robert. "Out, Out -." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1774. Confronting Death in Poetry Essay -- essays papers Confronting Death in Poetry Raised fists and a fading smile usually follow the confrontation of death as we experience the first stages of denial in the grieving process. We not only grieve at the loss of a loved one, but at the loss of our own life as well. When death rears its ugly head, it demands this response. Whether through art or science, humor or ritual, mankind marks and confronts this passage with both defiance and trepidation that eventually turns into acceptance and submission. The fear of death seems to be based on two things: the finality of death and the uncertainty of what follows. Many works have been written on the topic, some to offer consolation, others hope, and still others to urge readers to correct their behavior during life itself. The conflicting views put forward by different societies may never be reconciled, since nobody comes back to tell of an afterlife. Robert Frost successfully delineates this process in his poem, "Out, Out -" as he describes how the boy in the poem experiences the first stage of impending death - that of denial. Frost paints a picture of school age children doing the household chores of adults. Death with children is especially disturbing because in our unconscious mind we are all immortal, so it is almost inconceivable to be openly confronted with the reality of death. For children, this thought is especially implausible because of their youth. It is much easier to turn our attention to less frightening possibilities. The boy states this to his sister after crying out in a rueful laugh, "Don't let him cut my hand off / The doctor. When he comes. Don't let him sister!" (Frost 25, 26) Step two and three of the grieving processes when confronting impending de... ...od's eternal reward. All three authors deal with and do a good job of portraying the stages of grief that impending death brings, no matter what form it comes in. There are allusions in all three poems of earlier years when life and death were narrower spans in time than they are today as our life expectancies rise. A true sign of the times each author lived in. Bibliography: Work Cited Dickinson, Emily. "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1138. Robinson, Edwin Arlington. "Richard Cory." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1730. Frost, Robert. "Out, Out -." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Francis Murphy. New York: Norton and Company, 1995. 1774.

Multimedia The Wide Spectrum Essay -- Essays Papers

Multimedia The Wide Spectrum In this paper, I will endeavor to provide you with a basic overview as to what multimedia consists of. I will also delve into the visual aspect in the wide spectrum of multimedia to show what it consists of and for a better understanding as to how it fits in. Multimedia first began with games but Web pages, interactive courses, and catalogs with sound and video have now dominated the stage. Not long ago, the term â€Å"multimedia† referred to a room full of slide projectors, tape decks, and movie projectors. Multimedia presentations were hard to put together and even harder to run. Many of them took weeks of preparation and they were then shown only once (Curtin 217). The computer has changed all of that. With multimedia, it is easier to stitch together the various elements and, once finished, the multimedia presentation is available to be shown over and over again. Multimedia is widely used in the entertainment and education fields. For entertainment, you can play computer games that seem almost alive with sound and motion. In education, interactive multimedia programs allow you to study and progress at you own pace and branch into areas of interest when you want to. You can even be a multimedia developer simply by using traditional office applications. Sounds and videos can be embedded in spreadsheet or word processor documents so when recipients click an image or click an icon they get and explanation of key points. Multimedia has entered and clung to the mainstream because of its attention-holding capabilities and effectiveness. It is used everywhere from business presentations to museum exhibits. Holiday Inn, for instance, uses it to train employees. When they click on topics, the system â€Å"talks† to them. It has reduced training time on a new property management system from 14 to 6 days (Curtin 218). Though history, and over recent years, various media have been developed that inform or entertain: paintings, books, magazines, newspapers, movies, radio, and photography ("Multimedia"). Using computers, multimedia fuses two or more of these media together on the premise that the combination is better than any of the individual components. Hence the term â€Å"multi† media. Multimedia can be used for entertainment, corporate presentations, sales presentations, education, training, kiosks, digital publi... ...oth. When done as a series of steps, an animation shows the girl growing old. To make morphing realistic, certain areas of the image, such as the eyes, must be overlapped on the first and last images and locked into place. This way, other parts of the image seen to transform around these fixed points (Curtin 223). Works Cited Curtin, Dennis P., et al. Information Technology: The Breaking Wave. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 1998. Geiken, C. â€Å"Multimedia Design for the World Wide Web.† NCSA. 17 Dec. 1998. 1 Dec. 1999 http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Training/AdvHTML/multimedia.design.html. Hajicek, Donald J. Design Post. 1 Dec. 1999 http://www.designpost.com/defaultflash.htm. â€Å"Integrated Services Digital Network.† Bell Atlantic. 1999. 3 Dec. 1999 http://www.bell-atl.com/federal/html/isdn.htm. â€Å"Multimedia.† PC Webopaedia. 1998. 2 Dec. 1999 http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/m/multimedia.html. â€Å"Partial Project List.† Platinum Pictures Multimedia, Inc. 1999. 4 Dec. 1999 http://www.3dcafe.com/ppm/projects.htm. â€Å"Platinum’s 3D Art Gallery.† Platinum Pictures Multimedia, Inc. 1999. 4 Dec. 1999 http://www.3dcafe.com/ppm/gallery.htm.

Feminism of Poverty Essay

The feminism of poverty can be described as a movement in political, economic and social equality for women, and is closely related to Liberalism. Feminism sees discrimination as a distinction of unequal treatment from all social, political and economic access for women. Feminism of poverty reaches all women, Black, White, Asian or English. It has been around since the beginning of time. Women have taken the role of mother, maid, cook and lover. They did not have the right to vote, own property nor work. It was not until 1848, when women demanded the enfranchisement for the ballot (vote), became vociferous. In 1869 2when Black men were given the vote in the 15th Amendment, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton refused to endorse the amendment, because it did not give women the vote and to become equal to their counter parts. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/suffrage/history.htm Even back then women were reduced to mere servants and those that did not have a family or husband lived in poverty both black and white. Women suffrage and poverty did not only exist here in the United States, these social political and economic inequalities were felt around the world; Such as in Great Britain, Europe, Finland and Africa, other third world countries also had social issues pertaining to poverty. Those most likely to live in poverty in the U.S. are women and children. This is referred to as the feminization of poverty; increasingly the poor included unwed mothers, separated and divorced mothers, serving as the head of households (Basirico, et al, 2010). It is Known that women are much more likely to be poor than men, and that the impact of fiscal policy on the distribution of income is the main reason that women in the U.S. are more likely to be poor than women in other countries www.questia.com/search/feminization-poverty In the United States, in many communities there are individuals who live in poverty and cannot take care of themselves and their children especially women. So they become homeless living in shelters, cars, cardboard boxes, live on the streets, sleep on park benches, doorways or in major cities they may sleep in subways, because they have no income to support themselves. For example women have become prostitutes and shoplifters in order to feed themselves and their family/families. Of the adult poor who do not, about forty percent work at jobs that pay so little that they fall below the poverty line and one-third of their children are poor also. Because they do not have viable jobs they cannot support their children or themselves, so they are still under the umbrella of the feminism of poverty. From 1951-2008 of the women who worked in the U.S. their pay gap was 64-71 cents for every dollar earned by men http://www.infoplease.com Women have fought for equal pay & rights since 1848, and as of 2009, 30 percent of women who are heads of families with no husband present have income below the poverty line. Demographics have shown that these individuals are the most likely group to be chronically poor. The U.S. Census, Labor and the Economics Statistics of the Department of commerce shows in a study that the trends and conditions of women( two to three tim es)are still lower than men and the feminism of poverty is still a growing concern today as of March 2011 (Basirico, et al, 2010). With these continued disparities we will continue to be faced with the Feminism of poverty, because society has turned a deaf ear on the issues of women and children, they look the other way when it comes to providing for those within their own country, but they are quick to jump on the band wagon in the plight for other countries. We as a society have our priorities mixed up; if we are rich the attitude is according to Newt Gingrich â€Å"I don’t care about the poor†. If we are middle class we have the mentality that I’m just surviving myself. And if we are already poor we have the tendency to share. The same can be said about the church every Sunday we go to church and take up a benevolence offering to help the poor and when they need help in most cases they are turned away. The church is supposed to help those in need through the giving of food, shelter, clothes and money. But we have become so modernized and have forgotten to obey God’s laws that we ha ve lost sight of the word give. From the many issues that involve the feminism of poverty the best theory that applies to this particular issue is the conflict theory a social theory that views conflict as inevitable and natural and as a significant cause of social change (Basirico, et al, 2012). The feminism of poverty relates to the two classes that Marx saw those who own the means of product (rich) and those who provide the labor (poor), in an economic system that supports inequality, the exploited eventually revolt. Women were submissive for so long that they began to demand equal rights just as their counter part and black’s had. They had a need to become their own person, but throughout history even though they made progress they still were under played, poor and were listed as most likely to remain that way as they are today. In the scope of feminism of poverty it can be said that society is ion a state of constant change. Male against female and workers against employer, those that have power, wealth and prestige will always be in conflict with others (poor) that do not. Because there are limited commodities and demand exceeds the supply, those that are in control of those desirable goods, services and resources will defend and protect their interest. Those who are poor and living in poverty especially (women & children) are a threat to the rich and middle class. So they are suppressed through the lack of jobs, education, money, welfare and healthcare. Women social status of wages disparities, ownership (men) and motherhood result from degradation and exploitation by men and eventually is/was a cause of the feminism of poverty. If our society (government) do not put in place laws that will protect, serve and help our women and children who live in poverty. Though more workforce programs, jobs, healthcare and education we will eventually become as other third world countries. If Canada can do this why can’t we the riches country in the world do so? Reference Basirico, L.A., Cashion, B.J. & Eshleman, J.R. (2012). Introduction to Sociology. (5th ed). Redding, CA http://www.infoplease.com/html http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/suffarge/history.htm www.questia.com/search/feminization-poverty

Maquiladora Industry in United States

In this paper I will discuss the history and practices of the Maquiladora industry. I will discuss its background, its problems, the benefits it offers to United States companies, and the impact the NAFTA has and will have on the industry. In addition, I will make a suggestion on a possible strategy the Maquiladoras can adopt in order to address the challenges brought on by the NAFTA, to ensure it remains a strong force in the future. Mexican agricultural workers had been granted temporary work visas allowing them to work in the United States† agricultural industries through a program called the Bracero Program until 1965 when this program was terminated. As a result of this termination, the unemployment rate had exceeded 70% in certain border cities. In May of 1965 the Border Industrialization Program was established as a replacement for the Bracero program. It was later renamed the Maquiladora Program. The program was established by the Mexican government to provide employment for Mexico†s rapidly growing population along its border with the United States. This program was utilized to keep Mexicans from entering the United States. The idea was that Mexican workers would be kept on the Mexican side of the border if they were given factory jobs on the Mexican side. The Maquiladora program also wanted to attract foreign manufacturing facilities, technology, and know-how by giving a permanent tax holiday to manufacturing companies that would set up â€Å"twin plants† on the Mexican side of the border. In the beginning of the program, all foreign-owned operations had to be located within a 20-kilometer strip along the US-Mexican border. Since 1972 they can be located anywhere in Mexico. In 1996 there were around 2,500 Maquiladoras – 35% of them were located in the interior states of Mexico. Last year there were over 3,000 and more and more of these operations are being located outside of the border regions. Each of Mexico†s 31 states has at least one Maquiladora. Maquiladoras, also referred to as â€Å"in bond† or â€Å"twin† plants, are allowed to temporarily import into Mexico (free of tax) machinery, equipment, replacement parts, raw materials, and just about anything that was used in the assembly or manufacture of semi-finished or finished products. Once assembled or manufactured, the Maquila products must be exported unless special permission is obtained to sell a limited amount of output in the Mexican market. When these products are imported back to the United States, import duties are levied on the foreign value-added only. If Maquila products stay in Mexico, the are subject to applicable Mexican duties. The largest issue surrounding the Maquiladora industry is the exploitation of cheap labor. The working conditions are often unsafe, workers are not compensated adequately for their labor, attempts to unionize are discouraged; and sexual discrimination and harassment are too common. The conditions in and outside the Maquiladoras are terrible. Workers perform tasks such as welding without protective masks, leather gloves, or goggles (in many instances) and industrial accidents and toxic exposures are common. This, along with malnutrition caused by low salaries, produce skin illnesses, cancer, irregularities in menstruation, abortions, tumors, intoxication and birth of undernourished or disabled babies. Of the employees, many are young girls and women ranging from the ages of 14 to 20. They work 6 days a week in 10-hour shifts. The average weekly salary for a Maquiladora worker is US$35 – $45 even though the average monthly rent for a house with public services such as running water and electricity is around $200 a month. For the most part, Maquiladoras are unorganized. In those that are organized, state-controlled unions represent the workers. Although some companies are unionized on paper, the unions, for the most part, function to reinforce management policies rather than for the benefit of workers. Then there are what are called â€Å"phantom† unions. These unions do not fight for the worker†s rights. The workers do not even know them and have never seen their union leaders. When a conflict arises in a factory, management informs the worker that their unions have accept these or those conditions. Not only are they not protected by existing unions, those that attempt to unionize and are often threatened or bribed by plant managers and the government. In many companies, discrimination against and harassment of the female employees is very common. Female job applicants are required to produce urine samples to be used for pregnancy test, while some have company doctors and nurses examine the applicants or ask confidential information concerning their contraceptive practices. This is done because pregnant women are refused employment. Sexual harassment is often the rule rather than the exception. Rapes occur frequently and few are reported because women fear being fired or blacklisted. Shame and humiliation also keep them quiet. In Mexico, men and women are equal before the law, but the law does not recognize discrimination as a problem to be solved. The Pollution Brought on by the Maquiladoras The increased pollution, accompanied by the dumping of tons of hazardous wastes, poses a serious health threat to the residents of Mexico as well as the resident of the bordering US states. There are several canals that are â€Å"black† with chemical wastes that have been measured at levels that greatly exceed permissible standards. One factory was caught dumping drums of paint, solvents, and shellac into a drain. In other areas there are abandoned lead smelters and air full of soot and dust from brick-making ovens and smoldering tire dumps. Main Advantages for the United States† Companies For the United States companies this was a great advantage since Maquiladoras operates at very low costs in places where the currency is weaker than the dollar–such as Mexico. The less a currency is worth, the more relative value the dollar has. Since Mexico†s peso is relatively week, companies can trade their dollars for pesos with which they pay workers and expenses. The products they manufacture, however, are sold for dollars, increasing their profits by huge margins whenever the local currency falls. They could enhance competitiveness, reduce their costs, and maintain quality by placing their labor-intensive operations in the less developed Mexico, benefiting from the lower wage rates there. For many US companies, manufacturing in Mexico has become necessary to battle overseas competition. Since many manufacturers are moving to â€Å"just-in-time† inventory systems, the quick delivery possible from Mexico†s border towns offers a substantial advantage over Asian alternatives. The NAFTA†s Impact on the Maquiladora Industry Traditionally, Maquiladoras offered foreign businesses several advantages over other forms of direct foreign investment. Since the signing of NAFTA, however, many of these advantages are either being phased-out or granted to all Mexican companies. The most significant advantages of operating as a Maquiladoras include: 100% foreign investment, operation without ownership of assets, tax sheltering of cost centers, and 100% duty-drawback or waivers for temporary imports. Furthermore, the NAFTA attempted to address the labor exploitation and environmental problems associated with the Maquiladora industry. One of the benefits of the Maquiladora program is 100% foreign investment of Mexican operations, which formerly was not allowed. However, Mexico†s Foreign Investment Law has changed through the years (most significantly in 1989 and 1994)-full investment is now allowed in most business ventures. Operation Without Ownership of Assets Another advantage that Maquiladoras have is that they can receive production materials and capital goods as loans from their parent and client companies. As a result, most Maquiladoras have little of no inventory of fixed assets, eliminating the need to pay the Mexican asset tax of 2% of all assets. In January 1995, the Mexican IRS reported that Maquiladoras would now have to factor the depreciation of â€Å"loaned† assets in price-transfer calculations, which is the first step toward phasing-out this advantage by 2001. When Maquiladoras are structured as cost center (providing manufacturing services for a foreign parent) the foreign corporation has traditionally paid the Mexican company for operating costs plus negligible profit. By doing this they avoid Mexico†s 34% corporate income tax, 10% mandatory profit sharing, and asset taxes. Now the Mexican IRS is changing the way Maquiladoras must declare assets. Over the next few years, Maquiladoras will be forced to raise their declared profit percentage to a rate that is comparable to that of two unrelated companies performing the same transaction at â€Å"arm†s length†. This is the type of transfer pricing procedure that is implemented by most trading blocks, like the EC. It will soon be effect throughout North America. 100% Duty-Drawback or Waivers for Temporary Imports Maquiladoras have always allowed Mexican companies 100% duty drawback or waivers in imported components that are exported as final goods. Since 1994, this has provided many Maquiladora programs a way to use non-NAFTA materials within products without the need to pay the corresponding duties over those materials when importing or exporting goods to other NAFTA nations. On January 1, 2001, Maquiladoras that manufacture goods for export to NAFTA partner countries will no longer be allowed to take the waiver. The waiver will still be available for goods that are going to non-NAFTA countries. In 1995 the NAFTA†s of Labor created the National Administrative Office (NAO) as well as the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). Both were intended to stop labor abuses. The NOA was established to monitor labor complaints that NAFTA critic†s voice regarding unfair labor practices. The NAO can recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations† as well as imposed heavy sanctions against Mexico. Unfortunately, the side agreements proved useless. The NOA cannot force Maquiladoras to allow unions-the most they can do is recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations.† Sexual harassment and discrimination continues as well. The NAFTA has also created side agreements covering the environment. One of them is the North American Development Bank (NAD Bank). Its purpose was to finance wastewater treatment projects along the border in the poorer communities. However, the most important criteria that needed to be met in order to receive funds were meeting certain market considerations. With this program NAFTA â€Å"encouraged† growth without regard for the environment through its practice of placing market consideration above environmental protection. Another is the Commission for Economic Cooperation (CEC). The CEC was established to investigate governmental non-enforcement of environmental laws. Unfortunately it has no power to enforce ,they can only investigate-and they can†t even do that until Mexico collects the data on the pollution for them. Possible Strategy for the Maquiladora Industry As long as the Mexican currency is weaker than the US dollar I don†t think that the changes are going to dramatically effect the flow of US companies to the south. However, the Maquiladora industry cannot count on this for continued growth. By the year 2001 the Maquiladora industry as we know it now will have significantly changed when the phasing out is complete. Maquiladoras will no longer be â€Å"tax break† establishments; they will be just like other foreign investments. In order for them to fully compete in the near future they must become more efficient and leaner. The impact of globalization is forcing manufacturers to produce more rapidly and cheaply than ever before and to continuously improve. Because there will be no differentiation between the non-Maquiladora and Maquiladora industries I feel the inefficient producers will be wiped out. Therefor, Maquiladora employees will need better training, education, incentives as well improved working conditions and higher wages. Operations will also have to be streamlined in order to reap the benefits of economies of scale and scope. In addition, Mexicans as well as US citizens will start to demand more accountability from the Mexican government and the Maquiladora industry. They need to be more responsible for their actions. What will the U.S. corporations do when human rights activists and environmentalists start lobbying and protesting on their US sites? Do they want to risk losing their shareholders to this type of negative attention?

What is Post-Modernism, functionalism and Marxism?

What is Post-Modernism, functionalism & Marxism? What is ‘The Matrix'? And what have these three got to do with ‘The Matrix'? These questions are very difficult to answer some would say and others wouldn't have much of a problem. Firstly, Post-Modernism, some claim, is replacing modernity. It's being done by the loss of faith in science and rationality. These types of thoughts developed mainly from the 1980's onwards and increased sceptism about theories of a better future. However these thoughts are in a relativist position, which denies that there are absolutes in any area of human knowledge. People believe that social positions of the informer are informed. Secondly, Functionalism means â€Å"structures, which fulfil the objective to maintain a system†. This basically means functionalists try and maintain order and peace in society. Lastly there's Marxism. This is totally the opposite to a functionalist perspective. Marxism tries to create conflict between people and it always picks up on the negative views within society or organisations. You're probably thinking what has all this got to do with ‘The Matrix'? Well, ‘The Matrix' as we all know was one of the biggest hit films in America and the UK. It is all about the future and what the world is really like. How it's seen through selected individual's eyes. Keanu Reeves stars as ‘Neo' in the movie, and ‘Neo' means the one in a foreign language. The Matrix is known as a system, a computer. The Matrix basically being the Planet Earth. At the start of the movie ‘Neo' is an ‘everyday' individual, working with computers for his living until he begins to receive eerie messages on his PC and peculiar phone calls. This shows a functionalist and working class perspective as he's an ordinary guy and lives a normal life earning money for his living. After this Neo is given an instruction which said to ‘Follow the sign'. The sign being a white rabbit on a females shoulder. Here we can see that this is completely un-natural, who hacks into computers and telephone lines to show a dull message? At first he was totally against going further with the matter but then he didn't no what to do. This shows a Post-Modernism type of view as he's undecided in what he wants to do. However ‘Neo' was very curious and he decided to follow the sign. This again shows a form of Post-Modernism as he wants to know what's behind all these ‘Signs'. Having followed the white rabbit he's led to a club where he meets a lady called Trinity who begins to show Neo things he's never seen before. After all this Neo wakes up in his bedroom, as if nothing has happened but he still remembers everything. So this is a type of modern view, bringing Neo back to the ‘Truth' and ‘Reality' part of the universe. The following day he meets again with this lady named Trinity and she shows him ‘The One', Morpheus. Morpheus is the leader of the group at present. Neo is taken into a room where he is given two options, one where he has the option to take a red pill or the other where he takes a blue pill. The red pill keeps Neo in the ‘fantasy' land and the blue which takes him back to his normal life where he forgets everything. Neo decides to take a really big chance and stay in the land of fantasy and takes the red pill. This shows a major type of Post-modernism, wanting to know more, wanting to know about other realms, and basically being really curious. It also shows a modern view as it didn't take much time for him to decide what he wanted to do. Having taken this pill Neo is ‘Re-Born' in a totally different way and is picked up by this strange looking creature and is thrown down this shoot to the other crew members. A number of people would definitely say this is creating a Jesus like sense; being ‘Re-Born' and again this could cause conflict between some groups. So Neo decided to leave his ‘modern' style life and live in another ‘Realm'. A few tests are run on Neo and he is given the all clear through Morpheus. Neo meets all his other crew members, some of their names being Tank, A-Poc and Switch. After this Neo is taken to a computer program where he battles with his leader Morpheus, Neo begins to realise he can do things he had never done before, such as fighting Kung-Fu style. Some may argue that this is a type of conflict or Marxism as he is being taught how to fight. Neo is also taken into a computer program where he is told to jump between two buildings which a really high and really far apart. Morpheus shows him how to do it, Neo tries to believe he can do and jumps. However he was unsuccessful, so this is trying to make Neo believe something he cannot do at the moment. So he fails the jump but is still alive as it was only a computer program. Neo begins to believe even more. Neo is taken back to the crew where he sleeps. Later on Neo is taken on a mission with his crew into ‘The Matrix' where they are attacked by ‘Agents', these are people who are against Morpheus and would take any measure to kill any one of them. In a way this shows reality because there are some people out there who are willing to kill an individual at any expense. The group could be a Marxist group because all they want to do is create conflict between each other. Again some can argue that Neo's group are doing the same. Neo and the rest manage to escape excluding Morpheus, who is beaten and taken away with the Agents. Again this is a Marxist perspective as the agents are trying to create conflict. The only way of exiting ‘The Matrix' is by receiving a phone call on selected telephones. These phones take them back to the ‘Real World'. This is a post modernist point of view as this wouldn't normally happen in the world as we know it. Tank manages to get back safely and decides to cause a big problem. He agreed with the ‘Agents' that he would do anything to get out of the ‘Real world' and return to ‘The Matrix'. This is definitely a Marxist view, as he is trying to create conflict whereas the other crew members are trying to create some form of order in the ‘Real World' while they battle it out with tank. Unfortunately for tank he is defeated and the rest manage to get back safely. They all begin to panic about Morpheus because they know that if anyone dies in ‘The Matrix' dies in the ‘Real World'. Neo decides its time for him to shine and takes the matter into his own hands. This again can be seen as a functionalist perspective as he wants to create order but in order to do this he is going to create conflict. He returns to ‘The Matrix' along with Trinity and seeks out Morpheus. The two groups battle it out and finally they reach a result. Neo defeats the ‘Agents' and realises he had powers which he never knew he had. However, Morpheus dies and Neo takes over the role of being ‘The One'. Overall we can see that there are functionalist, Marxist and Post-Modern perspectives throughout the whole of the film. Some for good, some for bad, but which are which is for you to decide. At times it's about your own personal views or opinions.

Effects of syntax bill to student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology Essay

It is our great honor and respect for those persons who acknowledge to our study about â€Å"The effects of Syntax Bill to selected student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology, SY. 2012-2013†. That we researchers are very thankful to the following: To our English 20 professor Dr. Erly M. Maglangit, for helping we finish our study. And for giving also this very interesting topic with regards to the student smokers here in our School or in this University. To my group who gives their ideas about our research and for their cooperation and teamwork for us to finish our study. To overall students who gives their moral support with regards to this study. To my classmate Genevieve Tagolimot for allowing me to used her laptop. To the parents above all that who are very supportive to their sons and daughters and keeping those sending school every day in this constitution which is the Mindanao University of Science and Technology. Once again, we are very thankful to all of you, without your moral support our studies will not be finish. Abstract For the past days, weeks, and months, SIN-tax Bill has been the content of the news reports on television, radio, and newspapers. It also garnered different reactions and views from different group of citizens, smokers or not. This bill was called SIN-Tax Bill because it proposes additional tax collection to bad vices such as cigarette and liquors. The proponents of the bill have said that it will give large amount of profit to the country as per the Department of Finance. This study purposes to know what the possibilities effects of House Bill 5727 are or what we called Sin Tax Bill. This law was approved by the congress and our President Benigno Simeon Aquino III for this law gives a higher tax or price will be given to the liquors or alcohols and especially to the cigarettes. Our study focuses to the selected student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology and asking question to them on what are the effects of Sin Tax Bill to them as a Smoker. Most of the student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology are not affected of House Bill 5727 or what we called Sin Tax Bill implementation. We also found out that one of the effects of Syntax Bill is the reduction of cigarettes stick of the smokers. That Sin tax bill helps to minimize the students smoker in smoking due to higher price of cigarettes. Even if House Bill 5727 is implemented students smokers in this University are able to continue their studies while others are not able able to focused their lessons if they can’t smoke cigarettes or tobaccos. Lastly, researchers also found out that there is no significant effects of House Bill 5727 or Sin Tax Bill. Though, most of the student smokers passed in all their subjects, but it is wise for them to quit or leave smoking for their health’s sake. Since, Sin Tax Bill reduces spending of the student smokers it will better for them to quit smoking so they can save spent their money to a very important projects in school. Lastly, it will be better for the school administration to conduct weekly SMOKING SYMPOSIUM about the harmful effects of smoking.   When Sin tax Bill was implemented in the Philippines, tobacco and cigar consumers were stunned whether the said law is in full implementation. Of course, those whose puffs are unavoidable and uncontrollable might oppose to this law. The only interest on their part is the money spent for the cigar. Others smokers disliked the law for it means additional â€Å"TAX INCORPORATED IN THIS BILL BUT THERE IS NO WAY TO ESCAPE THE LAW. SMOKERS MUST COMPLY WITH THE LAW†. They are not banned to smoke but they will only compromise the increase or value of the cigarette. This is the only means to control the additional burden of the Philippine government. The Philippine government spends billion a year for medicine for those who suffer lung cancer cited from Manila Bulletin, dated January 14, 2013). Based from the DOST, second hand smoking is so dangerous that it will take only few months to notice cancer sickness. This means to say that cancer cells will be triggered when nicotine enters the body direct to the lungs. The usual sicknesses for those who smoke are lung cancer, throat cancer, prostate cancer and anal cancer. Mindanao University of Science and Technology where the study was conducted about the effects of Syntax Bill to the selected student smokers’ wherein the selected students’ of MUST are involved. Since, sicknesses and no matter how posts of information in TV and in school campus on SMOKE FREE ZONE school, still without the monitor of the school administration, students’ smokers continue their journey towards smoking and the unseen effect in the future. Syntax is a tax levied on a certain goods and services that are seen vices, such as alcohol, tobacco and the like. Syntax is used for taxing activities that are considered undesirable. These types of taxes are levied by the government to discourage individuals from partaking in such activities without making the use of the products illegal. Like other taxes, sin tax also provides a source of government revenue. According to our research, Syntax Bill is often called â€Å"SIN TAXES,† because these taxes are, likewise, aimed at trying to â€Å"dissuade consumers from excessive intake of these potentially harmful products. â€Å"There is no disputing the â€Å"what†: House Bill 5727 is a measure that seeks to unify and increase the excise tax rates for alcohol and especially for cigarettes. This is also incites and provokes different responses, simply because this bill, if passed, would mean different things to different people. Manufacturers argue against the measure, primarily, on the following points: (1) it is the low-income earning earner consumers (who can only afford the lower-priced products) who will feel the pinch; (2) the decline in sales (from this segment of the market) will result in decreased production; (3) and that the decrease in production will inevitably lead to massive lay-offs. Smoking is an important risk factor for the three diseases that cause most deaths: heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. It is responsible for around 80% of all lung cancer deaths and 20% of all cancer deaths. Smoking has also been linked to cancers of the mouth, bladder, kidney, stomach and cervix, among other. Smokers are also at increased risk at having reduced lung function from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Using tobacco has been linked a variety of 3 other conditions, such as diabetes, peptic ulcers, some vision problems, and back pain. Smoking in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, still birth or premature birth. Statement of the Problem The following are the statements of the problem: 1. What are the effects of Syntax bill to the student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology? 2. What are the effects of Syntax bill to the non-smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology? 3. What is their stand as to smoking and studying done simultaneously? 4. Is smoking not a problem of the student smokers’ studies? Importance of the Study Syntax bill is House Bill 5727 which means— a measure that seeks to unify and increase the excise tax rates for alcohol and especially for cigarettes. Is it important that we know the effect syntax bill to the selected student smokers of Mindanao University of Science and Technology. This study also asks the students on how the cigarettes, tobacco, and etc. affect their daily life, especially in the field of their studies.