Response to Toni Morrison’s Home Essay

Toni Morrison’s use of language throughout the novel gives her writing a sense of wit; it is easily understood by the reader, and acts as a subtle hint into the minds and emotions of the characters. Her use of innuendo speaks to a sexual theme, a common tension found among the main characters of the story. The final passage of Chapter 4 depicts a dialogue between Cee, and Sarah, sharing a ripened melon on a hot afternoon. The language used in this passage juxtaposes sexual vocabulary with the ruthlessness of Dr. Beau, as well as foreshadowing Cee’s abuse. Additionally, in the passage Morrison reflects upon Prince’s manipulation of Cee’s naivety. This passage represents Cee’s inability to form a healthy relationship with a male character. Portrayed as a â€Å"female melon,† Cee is â€Å"soft† in the hands of her former husband, and employer. Her vulnerability leads to her reconnection with Frank, relating to the overall idea of relation ships throughout the novel. The strength of the relationship between Cee and Frank drives this reconnection, which fuels the plot. The only form of love Cee feels is found platonically, through the genuine relationship with her brother, Frank. The language used to portray Cee as a ripened melon in the passage alludes to her helplessness. After Frank had deployed, a young Cee attempts to form a relationship with a visitor from Atlanta named Prince. The unique name of this character is not assigned at random; Cee’s naà ¯ve perception of Prince identifies him as an almost fairytale-like figure. She became impressed with his experience of places outside of Lotus, and with his conviction. He eventually â€Å"rescues† Cee from Lotus, and brings her to the city with seemingly little convincing necessary. Cee becomes under the impression that Prince is â€Å"too good for her,† and for these reasons, she is willing to tolerate â€Å"the great thing people warned about or giggled about,† despite her lack of interest (Morrison 48). She is, in fact, â€Å"[a]lways the sweetest,† a phrase Morrison employs which may refer to her willingness, and trust in others; this is a sign of adolescence. Cee†™s lack of experience with male melons led to her obedience towards Prince. It only took Prince’s word to convince Cee that she was pretty, a woman, and old enough to get married. Not long after moving into the city did Cee realize Prince’s true intentions. Cee’s first relationship was nothing more than an overplayed scheme to gain an automobile. She had been used. Sarah and Cee mention that one â€Å"[c] an’t beat the girl for flavor,† and â€Å"[c] an’t beat her for sugar† (66). Prince understands this concept. Morrison uses the word â€Å"beat† to relay the message that nothing can compare to the qualities of a woman; however, in juxtaposing the melon with Cee, the word â€Å"beat† refers to abuse. Prince understands that in order to carry out his true intentions, he cannot be malicious to Cee. He must win her trust with kindness. He cannot â€Å"beat† her for her flavor (body) or her sugar (car). Cee blindly trusted her first relationship and was manipulated, which commences her trend of abusive relationships with men, other than her brother. The last sentence of the passage is the most graphic, and the language used gives the reader a sensation of Cee’s traumatic incidents with Dr. Beau. Morrison foreshadows Cee’s fate as her language in this last sentence provokes thoughts of sexual abuse in the reader’s mind. The â€Å"sliding† of the knife from the drawer and the reference of â€Å"intense anticipation of the pleasure to come,† indicates Dr. Beau’s experimentation on Cee, and his twisted enjoyment of abusing the girl (66). For a moment, Morrison becomes less subtle with her warning to the reader and explicitly mentions how Sarah (and Dr. Beau) â€Å"cut the girl in two.† Cee, much like a ripened melon, is soft and almost defenseless. Her relationship with men in the novel is consistently abusive; Prince and Dr. Beau have both taken advantage of her adolescent innocence. When Dr. Beau would perform his â€Å"examinations,† Cee would wake in pain, and often times s ee blood; however, she would attribute her symptoms to menstrual problems (122). Once again, Cee had trusted a man, and was hurt, physically in this case, for doing so. Her relationship with her brother is made stronger through the malicious relationships she forms with other men. Frank was a constant source of platonic love, one of the only men in the novel whom she is able to trust. The concept of family and relationships is a key theme throughout Home. The plot is driven by the strength of Cee and Frank’s relationship, and the platonic love between them. Cee’s susceptibility to other male characters is captured in her comparison to ripened honeydew; however, Frank masks Cee’s frailty and is able to protect her. After Frank liberates Cee, within weeks her health improved dramatically. After her traumatic events, Frank noticed â€Å"how healthy she looked— glowing skin, back straight, not hunched in discomfort† (126). From a young age, Frank was able to protect Cee, and their connection provides the foundation for the novel. It was only the strength of their relationship that could convince Frank to travel back to Lotus. In reminiscing about when he enlisted, Frank states that â€Å"[o]nly my sister in trouble could force me to even think about going in that direction† (84). Frank is the only male in the novel who truly cares for Cee, and their relationship is the only honest bond Cee has with a male. The scene of Sarah sharing a ripened melon with Cee on a hot Sunday afternoon gives the reader a deeper look into Cee’s characterization. The language Morrison uses, and her association of Cee with the melon, alludes to Cee’s vulnerability throughout the novel. In her attempt to form a healthy, non-abusive relationship, Cee finds herself being manipulated and physically abused. As a young girl, her adolescence was taken advantage of by her former husband who leaves her and takes her vehicle. When Cee becomes employed, she finds herself in the hands of Dr. Beau, who physically abuses an anesthetized Cee. Ycidra can only find love platonically in her brother, which relates to the overall theme of relationships in the novel. The final passage of chapter 4 graphically foreshadows and reflects on these events through Morrison’s use of subtle innuendos and language.

Defining Modernity in America

When I think of modernity I think of change. Modernity is the act of how and why things progress, move forth and new ideas emerge throughout history. It is also the effect of these changes. Such changes can be seen from about 1400 to now. It is these changes that have occurred that allow us to live in a post modern society. Modernity is the act of change throughout history. Religion is constantly changing. This force unifies and separates people. Changes in religion occur for many reasons. Some may see any particular aspect of their religion overlooked and set out to tell people why we should reexamine our beliefs and change the method in which we worship. Martin Luther was on person who had seen how his method of worship should change. Ultimately he established a new form of Christian religion called Lutheranism. This movement and movements similar to his has changed the way some will worship for centuries. Of all the things that bring about new ideas and change discovery has to be perhaps the most influential to change. There are two ways in which discovery is accomplished one is to search for something new and the other is to make findings purely be accident. Both methods of discovery often happen through observation. The finding of Charles Darwin and his observation of finches is one of the most influential and controversial discoveries of our time. If not for his observations science and religion would be very different than they are today. If discovery leads to change then education must as well. Once education was only for the rich and powerful. But as education spread man has changed. Education has helped lead man to towards more knowledge changing how society and the individual thinks, acts, and socializes. This knowledge has allowed man to recreate him/her-self, it has given man the ability to logically act on choice and decide what is write or wrong. Many have said that education is the key. Believe this because imagine how many doors would still be locked without it. Becoming a global civilization is also an important part of our society. This has often been a goal of main stream culture throughout most of history. Through trade we have succeeded. International trade has allowed the world to communicate with each other. It also gives all countries around the world an standard idea of many cultures, who they are, how to interact with these cultures, the value of many resources and product. It also allows us to share ideas, learn, and make friends and unfortunately make enemies with other cultures. Technology has also changed our way and standards of living. It has changed how we live in the world that it has made. First from an agricultural society to an industrial society. What had come from industry is specialization and the standard work day. No longer were farmers the majority of the workers Many didn't work from morning to night, instead getting paid for what they produced people got paid for how long they worked. With this new technology there were such creations as the television, weapons of mass destruction, and eventually the computer. Now we have come from a society that produces things to a society that produces thoughts. Through technology of life styles have changed and will continue to change. Modernity is the process of change through out history. It how and why we as a society change. It is also how and why things progress, discovery effects us, and new ideas are born throughout history. Modernity is why we are effected by these changes. It is also these changes through out history that allow us to live in a post modern society. Modernity is the process and act of change through out history.

A Interview On A Job Interview

Hello sir, thanks for your message i 'm very grateful. I over stressed my self while going for the interview for midwifery job and also disobey God that is why He is punishing me for that. He instruct me to visit some families and pray for them but it is outskirt of our region and i was too tired to go. Though they are not our church members but they do attend the Friday prayer meetings so i did not go and decide to rest a bit before i slept off. Unfortunately one of the family member that was sick†¦ Appropriate Posture in a Job Interview Setting Nonverbal communication includes posture and posture is a component of body language that is important in business, especially during a job interview. A person’s success is impacted by his or her posture and begins once someone lays his or her eyes on the person (Bjorseth, 2002). Rane (2010) states that individuals have their own unique ways in communicating his or her thoughts through the various kinds of body language, including posture. Nonverbal†¦ If you want to succeed at a job interview, you should not go unprepared. After all, job seekers went through the process of filling out an application using an online resume builder. A skillful interviewer will ask questions related to a variety of work-related subjects, so if you want to succeed, you have to come prepared. An interviewer will probe into your past performance to learn of clues about how you will perform on the job. The interviewer may ask you about something illegal or inappropriate†¦ Appropriate Posture in a Job Interview Setting Posture is a form of nonverbal communication and is also a component of body language that is important in business, especially during a job interview. A person’s success impacts his or her posture and begins once someone lays his or her eyes on the person (Bjorseth, 2002). Rane (2010) states that individuals have their own unique ways in communicating thoughts through various kinds of body language, including posture. Nonverbal cues are crucially important†¦ Getting a job can be a life changer, but in order to be hired an interview must be conducted first. No matter how many times a person has been to a job interview it can be nerve-racking, but it doesn’t have to be. What a person does before and during an interview can make all the difference. Some steps a person can take to prepare for a successful interview is to be prepared for the interview, dress for success, make a good impression, ask questions, sell yourself, and close the deal. First make†¦ The purpose of the interview is the most important part in the hiring process in discovering if a candidate matches what was presented by their resume and to determine whether they can fit into your organization. A person can tailor their resume so that it matches all the points mentioned in the job posting but all the qualities a company wants may not be indicated there. A background check can be performed in order to verify that the technical aspects of a job applicants resume match the advertised†¦ Shrek Interviews for a Job â€Å"No, sir. I still cannot see you. Did you enable the video on your webcam?† A woman dressed in a drab, grey suit was appearing on the screen. She was looking over a couple of papers, and writing things as she tried to instruct a person she could not see. â€Å"Arg! DONKEY!† yelled the large, green ogre. â€Å"I don’t know how to work this†¦ thing!† â€Å"Shrek! I thought you didn’t want my help on the computer?† said the sassy, talking donkey walking into the office. Shrek rolled†¦ Job interviews are the most important step in the challenging course of finding a job. A job interview is often a chance to make a first impression with a company or organization, which can make a huge impact on whether or not one is offered a job. Job interviews also serve as a two-way street for the exchange of information (Joseph). The interview provides a selling opportunity for the organization as well as the candidate (Joseph). The interview allows for one to explain to the company exactly†¦ actions; however, they know nothing about that individual’s lifestyle and what they are going through. In the poem â€Å"The Job Interview† by Darcie Dennigan, Dennigan portrays the character by having a job at a church, but the character does not have faith; however, she claims is good job; once the reader continues the rest of the poem, we are led to believe that she does not like her job. In comparison to Keetje Kuipers â€Å"Drought,† Kuipers portrays a character to be living a good life speaking of dandelions†¦ went for a job interview today and the interviewer asked me same question†. â€Å"What would you answered? Can you name your biggest personal weakness instantly?† I asked him. He replied, â€Å"That is why I am upset today. I am honestly told everything, now I am worried, that he might judge my abilities on, what I answered to him.† Our conversation for that night went into a deep, judging night for both of us. I have never thought somebody will ask that straight forward question for a job interview. We discussed†¦

Latin American History and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Latin American History and Society - Essay Example Hegemony and transculturation were majorly brought about by the colonization and importation of the slaves to provide labor in Latin America. European entry had both economic and political motivations, but also allowed cultural contact and exchange among Europe, Africa and America (Chasteen 6-118). Colonization by the European resulted to the enslavement of the natives to work for the Spaniards who provided all orders concerning the activities to be carried out. The main aim of the colonizers was to establish administrative dependency in which the local people were directly ruled. They also imposed social-cultural, religious and linguistic structures on the conquered population. They believed that their morals and values were superior. All population under colony had to be converted to Christianity. All those who were opposed to these introductions of beliefs and religious practices faced severe penalties and death, to some extent. Also, their lands were taken and given to those who converted to Roman Catholicism. This mobilization of the natives was to create labor force that was used to meet production quotas. Enslavement resulted to death of many since these were activities that they were not accustomed to. Spanish treatment of the indigenous population sparked fierce debates at their home regarding the issue of entailment of basic rights to mankind. This debate touched on religion being questioned, if those enslaved had souls (Chasteen 6-118). The enslavement of the Africans in the Spanish Americas started in 1502. This was after the abolition of the native enslavement. The monarchs gave permission to the colonist to import African slaves. Most of the blacks were migrated to Europe by the transatlantic trade. Although some of the blacks born in Spain were not slaves they still were subjected to cruelty and hard labor. The replacement of the natives slave by the Africans was accepted by time the Spaniards. Later on the slaves escaped to various destinations, some ended up in Florida where they were granted freedom after they converted to Roman Catholicism. In those sections they went to, they were given protection by the governments therefore making it hard for their masters to retake them. Settlement and protection of the slaves contributed to ending of the slavery. This resulted to linguistic and cultural links in the community they settled in. Acceptance of the Negros into the communities they ended up in constituted to sharing and mixing of various issues like marriages and creation of laws, that both protected the freed slaves and also the natives of the Latin America. Finally, the colonization helped to crease consciousness of an inter-dependent world community shared by everyone. 1b After European colonizing the Americans, they imposed all their morals and values to all those subjected under them. The Catholic Church and the Roman Empire ruled the Europe by the 1500. All the colonies of Europe therefore had to spread this religi on to all the natives regardless of their beliefs. This was evidenced by the crusades spread in the colonies. This was referred to as the divine right of conquest. Considering the fact that the Islamic religion had widely spread, it made it difficult for other people to change to Catholicism since many were already Muslims. The end result was the merging of the catholic monarchies in Spain and giving Catholic Church control power of religion

Principles of sovereignty and human rights Essay

Principles of sovereignty and human rights - Essay Example The principle of sovereignty holds that no nation may intervene in the affairs of another. On the other hand, international humanitarian laws hold that nation states must govern within the limits of respect for the human rights of their populace and upon the blatant violation of those rights, is rendered vulnerable to international humanitarian intervention. Even though, the previous phrasing lends to the assumption of an inherent conflict between human rights and sovereignty, this is not necessarily the case. In brief, as long as nation states adhere to the internationally recognized principles of human rights which they agreed upon and adopted through membership in the United Nations, their right to self-determination and autonomy are inviolable. It is only when they transgress upon the aforementioned do they become vulnerable to legitimate humanitarian intervention, implying infringement upon their sovereignty. Human rights and sovereignty are, accordingly, compatible and not nece ssarily contentious and conflicting principles. As one moves from the realm of theory to practice, however, one finds that the concept of humanitarian intervention has often been misused and abused for the purposes of justifying transgression against the sovereign rights of nations. . A critical analysis of the concepts of the right to self-defence, justice and morality on the international stage, indicate that all of the aforementioned have repeatedly been employed as justifications for the transgression against the independence of sovereign nations, with the implication being that while not necessarily contentious, the concepts of humanitarian intervention and sovereignty have been rendered such. Following the September 11th attacks on the United States, the British government, as did the American, sought the justification of the violation sovereignity of nations through a liberal interpretation of the doctrine of self-defence. Already, before September 11th the world's view of the justification of military action had been changing. The only clear case in international relations for armed intervention has been self-defense But the notion of intervening on humanitarian grounds had been gaining currency. I set this out, following the Kosovo war, in a speech in Chicago in 1999, where I called for a doctrine of international community, where in certain clear circumstances we do intervene, even though we are not directly threatened. I said this was not just to correct injustice, but also because in an increasingly interdependent world, our self-interest was allied to the interests of others So, for me, before September 11th was already reaching for a different philosophy in international relations from a traditional one that had held sway since the treaty of Westphalia in 1648; namely that a country's internal affairs are for it and you don't interfere unless it threatens you,

Mexican History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexican History - Term Paper Example Of course, the Spaniards’ military superiority is well documented. Moctezuma’s warriors were bewildered by the firepower Cortes’ men brought to bear and the Aztec population was decimated by the smallpox pandemic. It all happened with shocking speed: Cortes made landfall at the Gulf of Mexico in 1519; two years later, he and his men entered the smoking ruins of Tenochtitlan, masters of Mexico.1 In so short a time, the Aztec empire was completely shattered. â€Å"Conquered by Cortes, the Indians of central Mexico had to come to terms with a radically new society.†2 What would follow was a cauldron of ethnic, social and political change. The conquest of the Aztecs was the great drama that raised the curtain on Mexico’s colonial epoch. The Spaniards had adroitly forged alliances among the peoples of Central Mexico, yet these fared little better than their Aztec victims. The Tarascans, among others, benefited in the short term from the conquest of Tenoc htitlan, but they were no more impervious to the ravages of smallpox than their ancient oppressors. They didn’t have long to wait before discovering that the Spanish, who had promised so much, were to become their new oppressors. 2 The first Audiencia, established by decree in 1527, established a pattern of corruption that would become a hallmark of the Spanish occupation. It was also illustrative of the struggle between church and government over a number of issues, not the least of which was the treatment of the natives. Juan de Zumarraga, first bishop of Mexico, wrote a letter to King Charles V of Spain complaining of the depredations committed by the administration of Nuno de Guzman. Zumarraga’s letter addressed everything from illegal land grabs to outright murder. He writes that since the Audiencia was established, â€Å"they have declared vacant many and very good encomiendas of Indians, more than thirty of them, either by exiling those who held them, or by con fiscation†3 Zumarraga proceeded to list the encomiendas the Audiencia itself had bestowed on the native population. It got worse: Zumarraga went on to list breathtakingly immoral behavior by Guzman and his cronies. On one occasion, â€Å"the lords of Tlateloco of this city came to me weeping so bitterly that I was struck with pity for them; and they complained to me saying that the president and oidores were demanding of them their good-looking daughters, sisters, and female relatives.†4 Things had gotten so bad, Zumarraga reported, that an Audiencia official demanded that the Indians provide what amounted to a personal harem for Guzman. The president had also wasted little time engaging in a slave trade at the expense of the natives. Zumarraga reached the end of his rope when the Audiencia forced him to desist from acting in the capacity of defender of Indian rights. Eventually, Zumarraga’s complaints and the opposition of Guzman’s 3 political enemies, su ch as Cortes, were enough to convince the authorities of Guzman’s guilt. In 1538, he was arrested for treason and for abusing the government’s subjected Indian populations. One may question the veracity of some of Zumarraga’s charges, but there can be no doubt that Guzman and the oidores of the Audiencia had been told to treat the natives with respect and

Living as a Jain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Living as a Jain - Essay Example I was touched and gave him my only sweater to make him warm. In addition, I gave him 20 dollars to cater for his food. I had turned compassionate to the situation, something which Americans ignore. That day, I vowed to return to a nearby homeless station and donate some of my old clothes. The idea of doing well to the less fortunate warmed me up as I went to school. During lunch break, I met with a boy whom I have hated since my first day in school for being a bully, by remembering Jainism teachings; I opted to forgive him for his wrong doings and went forth with my other activities. It really felt nice after 10 years of hating him. In the afternoon, in having an impromptu exam which I had not prepared well for it, while most of my classmates were copying through their iPhones, I opted to stay ethical and do the right thing by not lying to myself. As the day ended, I decided not to accompany my girlfriend to her place and refrain from any romantic feelings just like any Jain would do. All in all, as the day ended, I was pleased to be part of the Jain

Civil Rights Movement Around 1960s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Civil Rights Movement Around 1960s - Essay Example What appears to be beneficial to one segment of society is sentimental to another. It was depicted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) ending racial segregation in public schools. The doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ was no longer adopted sweeping aside 88 years of sound judicial precedent. No doubt there was resistant expressed by politicians and one expressed his case by using his power of office to uphold the internal affairs of the Georgian state.Moreover, there were other resistance groups such as the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi which tried to maneuver the cause of white college students volunteering in what was known the Mississippi Freedom Summer. These students traveled to Mississippi to stand the cause of blacks in casting their votes and teaching them their history. It turned out that despite the intensity faced and resistant encountered the cause contributed to the success of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Other philosophers that have stood the test of time were Mahatma Gandhi who proved non-violence against war as the key to gaining peace and freedom for Indians. His conviction enabled different sects in India to march through cities. Likewise Martin Lurther King did not use violence in his fight for the black people in America. In August 28 of 1963 he led the largest civil rights demonstration in history with nearly 250,000 people in attendance delivering his famous speech of I have a Dream.

Company law Reform Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company law Reform Bill - Essay Example These directors together are called the Board of Directors. Since all the directors cannot execute individually they elect one among them as a Managing Director. The board of Directors will take all policy decisions in the Board meeting and the Managing Director executes the decision taken by the board. The proviso 741(1) deals with the definition of directors, this proviso is an inclusive provision which says the directors include properly appointed directors, "de jure" directors like "governor", not properly appointed directors such as "de facto directors" and "shadow" directors. [Charlesworth & Morse, Company Law (1999)] a De facto Directors: De facto Directors are those who act openly as directors and they claim to be directors on they being performed the functions of the directors, though they are not properly appointed. These directors are recognized as de facto directors for only that period during which they acted so. [Charlesworth & Morse, Company Law(1999)] b It is a decided law that person who claims to be director by de facto has to make a plea and establish that he has undertaken such function of the company which would have been undertaken by the director only, but not simply to show that he has under taken the and discharged the functions which the management below the directors could not be under taken and discharged. Re Richborough Furniture Ltd 2 In this case it was held that De facto director should satisfy either of two tests such as (a) he is sole person directing the affairs of the company or (b) he was acting on par with other directors in directing the affairs of the company, if there are other properly appointed directors. Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v. Lating 3 In this case while approving the two tests it was held that by simply satisfying either of the two test is not sufficient to claim as de fact director, but he should be still acting as such, which means that the de facto director is recognized as director only during the period in which he is acting as per the two tests. Once he ceased to be acting as such he would be ceasing to be de facto director. The court in another case Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v. Hickling 4 approved this Shadow Directors: Section 741(2) of the companies act 1985 defines shadow director as 'a person in accordance with whose directions or instructions the directors of a company are accustomed to act'. Professional persons on whose, advise the directors act are excluded from this definition. Shadow directors are vicariously liable for the action of the directors whom they appoint or control. This provision aims at preventing the persons escaping from the liability under the shelter of a board of marionette. The directors of a subsidiary who are working under the directions of the directors of the parent company then the directors of the parent company are called the shadow directors. (LS Sealy, Cases and Materials in Company Law) c Re Hydrodam(Corby)ltd 1 The court held in this case that one has to satisfy the four conditions for adjudicating a person as shadow director such as (i) he is properly appointed or de facto director (ii) the director directs the other directors in which manner they have to function in relation to the company (iii) the other directo

How can management make nurses feel they are respected and needed when Research Paper

How can management make nurses feel they are respected and needed when money is managements main concern - Research Paper Example Some will be more interested in having their opinion considered, or may want their input to be included more in the running of things. A promotion or promise of more time off to spend with families also shows them that their interests are held valuable (IOM, 2010). Nurses are human, and they all display the human need to feel and be treated special. They need to be shown that their contribution to society is valued and appreciated (Graban, 2009). The management can appreciate nurses in non monetary ways that will motivate them. A study revealed that nurses feel like the martyrs in their organizations (IOM, 2010). They are always the last group to be furnished with information, the first to have a reduction of their training days and yet expected to be available always to ensure new initiatives work smoothly with minimal disturbance to patients’ safety and experience (IOM, 2010). Management can appreciate them by ensuring they get timely information alongside other healthcare workers, and scheduling enough time for their training for them to gain confidence. Nurses should not always be the group to take instructions, but need to be allowed to speak for themselves to management. A listening management encourages nurses to build their self worth, which works well to make them feel useful and appreciated (IOM, 2010). Most nurses do not speak out their monetary grievances in fear of losing their jobs (Kotter, 1996). Management should be liberal and allow them to speak. No one should be bullied or removed from the job for speaking for themselves or group in general. Another reason nurses do not speak out is because most of the time they will not be listened to, or no action will be taken (Graban, 2009). The management simply ignores their grievances. The Unions, hospital management and governing body need to act swiftly on complaints raised by nurses to give them an assurance that their presence is acknowledged even during

Animal Testing for Medical Purposes Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing for Medical Purposes Essay To persuade the audience that animal testing is only ok if it is used for medical purposes only. Outline I. Introduction: A. Attention-getting device: Do you know anyone that has or had cancer? Or some other deadly disease? These diseases could be cured with a little more research and experimenting. How about painkillers? Have any of you had surgery and been under anesthesia? B. Preview: Those painkillers and cures could be or are thanks to researchers and their animal testing. I know what you’re thinking. Animal testing; bad and cruel. But, it is only cruel and unethical if it is used for useless, unimportant things, such as cosmetic testing. By using animals for MEDICAL purposes only, we could be saving millions of lives. II. Body A. Animal testing is something that a lot of Americans fear. However, they don’t know that in order to save people, it must be done. They need to know that it can benefit us and help us so much in the medical field. 1. Every year, thousands die from diseases, which could be prevented. a. Helps many medical issues such as cancer (Breast cancer, childhood leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, lung), HIV/AIDS, Heart Disease/Stroke (Statins, â€Å"Clot-busting agents), Diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, Hepatitis C, Birth Defects, Bioterrorism Medical Countermeasures, Epilepsy, Spinal Cord Injuries, Cystic Fibrosis b. A 2001 report from the National Cancer Institute stressed the dire need for research relying on mouse models of lung cancer and focusing on understanding, preventing, and detecting lung cancer and developing novel targeted therapies for treating the disease. . A total of 1,660,290 new cancer cases and 580,350 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States in 2013. This number could be cut drastically. 2. Animal testing can help not only those with diseases, but ordinary people. a. When some drugs aren’t tested, they can be very harmful, and often deadly to us. i. In 1937, a pharmaceutical company in the USA created a preparation of sulfa nilamide, using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a solvent, and called the preparation ‘Elixir Sulfanilamide’. DEG was poisonous to humans, but the companys chief pharmacist and chemist was not aware of this. He simply added raspberry flavoring to the sulfa drug, which he had dissolved in DEG, and the company marketed the product. The preparation led to mass poisoning causing the deaths of more than a hundred people. No animal testing was done. ii. .Another tragic drug fiasco occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s with thalidomide. It was found to act as an effective tranquilizer and painkiller and was proclaimed a ‘wonder drug’ for insomnia, coughs, colds, and headaches. It was found to have an inhibitory effect on morning sickness, and hence, thousands of pregnant women took the drug to relieve their symptoms. Consequently, more than 10,000 children in 46 countries were born with malformations or missing limbs. The drug was withdrawn in 1961 and 1968 after a long campaign. (Transition: You can now tell that it is a crucial step) B. I’m not saying that animal testing should be used for everything, just for medical purposes. 1. People automatically assume that the animals are hurt a. The NIH funds over half of the medical research conducted in the US and regularly visits research facilities to ensure that staff are following animal care regulations. b. The USDA surveys the total number of animals being used for research and how many of these animals experience pain. According to them, only 6% of animals being tested experience pain. c. The Animal Welfare Act of 1966 is one of the laws that regulates animal care in research and exhibitions. This act is enforced by the USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. . Some animals even benefit from it themselves. a. Animal research has been also able to benefit cats and dogs in certain ailments. Moreover, nutrition of cats and dogs has been improved after repeated animal tests. (Transition: Both humans and animals are helped by this. As you can see†¦) C. Animal testing could be the solution to the deaths of thousands. 1. If animal testing occurred, cancer, HIV, Heart disease, diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis , and many other conditions wouldn’t be a tragedy. a. nimal research is essential to tackling major 21st century health problems such as cancer and heart disease. Without the use of animals it would be impossible, in many cases, to develop drugs or any sort of medical treatment. Professor Sir George Radda (Transition: People like Professor Radda know all the pros and cons of animal testing, and has decided that it is very helpful. ) D. It’s important that you also know your facts about animal testing before you disagree with it 1. Do more in depth research on your own, and decide if we could’ve gotten this far, medically, without it. 2. If you research what kind of drugs and painkillers from the drugstore were tested on animals, you’ll see that you use some of those on the daily. a. Think about it: your allergy medicine, Advil and Tylenol, other painkillers, any asthma treatments†¦ All things that you would use daily are tested on animals b. If animal testing wasn’t done what would you do when you got a migraine, or an asthma attack, or itchy, puffy eyes from allergies? Would you be able to withstand it alone without any medicine? (Transition: You now know that†¦) III. Conclusion A. Summary: Animal testing is something that can help us greatly. People automatically assume that it is bad, but when it is used in the right situation, it can be really helpful. In the medical field, it has helped many issues such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, Heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, cystic fibrosis, and many more. B. Concluding Device: We must do what we need to, even if everyone doesn’t agree, in order to advance in the medical field.

Designers Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Designers Portfolio Essay 1. A brief summary of the play Two tramps named Estragon and Vladimir meet on the road, beside a sick looking tree. They are happy because they didnt see each other for a long time. Estragon has a sore foot and is having troubles taking his boot off. The two men remember that they are supposed to wait for a man named Godot. In the play it shows that they do not remember the man named Godot really well, but they think he is going to give them an answer. But they cannot remember the questions. While they are waiting, estragon falls asleep. Vladimir suddenly fells lonely, so he wakes Estragon up. Tired of going nothing, they begin to talk about the tree and the wait. And they talk about their condition- homeless and lack of money. After a while, a master with his slave appears whose names are Pozzo and Lucky. Pozzo sits on a stool, relaxes a little and enjoys some chicken and wine. He is really rude to his servant. Eventually Lucky dozes off to sleep, but is weakened by jerks on the rope from his master. The master then tell the tramps that Lucky is pitiful and old, and he would like to get rid of him soon. On hearing all of these words, Lucky cries. Estragon tries to comfort him, but Lucky gives him a hard kick in the leg in return. Later, the master and slave leave the tramps, and they continue their wait of Godot. A litter later, a young boy brings in a message that Godot might seem them the nest day, at the same time and the same place. Meanwhile, night falls and the tramps decide to leave and come back the next day. Instead, they remain. The act ends. The next act begins in exactly the same set as the first one: the two tramps meet on the road beside a sick looking tree. Nothing has changed except that the bare tree has five or six leaves. Vladimir is singing a song about a dog that has been beaten. Estragon reveals that he has been beaten as well. They keep waiting for Godot, though Estragon seems to have forgotten the events of the day before. Vladimir tries to remind him about something happened yesterday. But Estragons only memory is about the bone that he was given to chew. Bored with waiting, Vladimir spots Luckys hat, and the tramps begin to play with it. But they still feel bored, they discuss suicide again, call each other names, and wait for Godot. After some time, Pozzo and Lucky appear again. Buut this time, Pozzo is blind and being led by lucky. They are still bound up by a rope. Pozzo falls to the ground and cannot get up. In the process of helping him, Estragon and Vladimir also fall to the ground. Finally they are able to get up. The suns sets and the moon rises. The same boy shows up with the same message that Godot will not come today but the day after. He leaves the two men again contemplate suicide. Later, they decide to come back tomorrow with a rope, and if Godot does not arrive, they will hang themselves. They decide to move on, but as in the previous act, they stay where they are and the act ends. The setting and the overall mood in the play. In this play, the setting actually is really simple. A country and a sick looking tree. No visible horizon exists. The setting is constant. The time frame is most likely two days. The only visible reference to the passage of time occurs at the end of Act II when the sun sets and the moon rises. After reading the play, we can feel that there is no horizon, no sign of civilization. For a moment, this play might be considered comic. But as the story unfolds and a mood of despair appears on the stage. Characters are beaten, cursed, and wondered-all without any sign of relief. But as we know that the tramps do not see the man that they are waiting for, it shows the eternal hopelessness of life. Based on the reasons, actually this play can be considered as a tragedy. 2. A serious of quotations that comments directly on the aspects of the design. 1) The play opens on a totally surreal note, with a tramp trying to pull off his boot on a lonely road under a leafless tree. ( From- Sam I Am Becketts private purgatories by Benjamin Kunkel in The New Yorker) 2) But yesterday evening it was all black and bare. And now its covered with leaves. (From- the play Waiting for Godot Act II, line 1, by Samuel Beckett) 3) A country road. A tree. Evening. Estragon, sitting on a low mound, is trying to take off his boot. He pulls at it with both hands, panting. (By Samuel Beckett at the beginning of Act I) 4) A terrible cry, close at hand. Estragon drops the carrot. They remain motionless, and then together make a sudden rush towards the wings. Estragon stops halfway, runs back, picks up the carrot, stuffs it in his pocket, runs to rejoin Vladimir who is waiting for him, stops again, runs back, picks up his boot, runs to rejoin Vladimir. Huddled together, shoulders hunched, cringing away from the menace, they (By Samuel Beckett, Act I, line 359) 5) Next day. Same time. Same place. Estragons boots front center, heels together, toes splayed. ( By Samuel Beckett, the beginning of Act II) 6) Luckys hat at same place. The tree has four or five leaves. Enter Vladimir agitatedly. He halts and looks long at the tree, then suddenly begins to move feverishly about the stage. He halts before the boots, picks one up, examines it, sniffs it, manifests disgust, puts it back carefully. Comes and goes. Halts extreme right and gazes into distance off, shading his eyes with his hand. Comes and goes. Halts extreme left, as before. Comes and goes. Halts suddenly and begins to sing loudly. (By Samuel Beckett, Act II, line 5) 3. Props in the play 1) a sick looking tree 2) a pair of boots 3) a stool 4) a hat 5) a rope 4. A color scheme for the play Main colors used in the play 1. Grey In the play, we know that the tramps are waiting for Godot, but he never shows up. Grey in some point can represent their feelings. They keep waiting, but they cannot see the people they are waiting to see. They might be in great sorrow. It seems hopeless for them to see Godot. 2. Brown It is the color appeared in many settings in the play. Say, for instant, the road, the tree. Other colors used in the play 1. Dark blue and black These two colors represent day and night. From the two colors, we can have a clearly view in the changing of time. And for black, it also can represent the fact that the act of waiting is never over, and there is little hope that people can get. 2. Dark green It is the color of the leaves in the tree appeared in Act II. 3. Sienna It is the color of a stool that Pozzo used. 5. A visual collage for the play Explanations: 1. Wood The tree and the stool appeared in the play are both belonging to wood. 2. Wool The blanket that the two tramps used is made of thin wool. 3. Canvas The two tramps clothes are made from the canvas. In other ways, it shows the characteristics of tramps- homeless and lack of money, have to travel to many places, cannot settle down. 4. Hemp The rope that used in this play is made of hemp. 6. Photographs for the play 1. A circle When I finish reading this play, a circle suddenly appeared in my mind. As we know in the play, the act is never over, and yet it mysteriously starts again each day. But no one knows when the waiting is end. The action, in the same way, describes a circle. Each day is the return to the beginning. Nothing is completed because nothing can be completed. 2. A long road that you can never see the end The road belongs to the setting part of the play. The reason that I think the road is associated with the play is because it represent one of the themes of the play. In the play, we know that it talks about two tramps are waiting for man named Godot, but he never comes. No one knows whether he will come or not. All they can do is keeping waiting. Think deeper about the waiting; I think the play want to show us the two men are waiting for hope. Godot is symbolic. Back to the road, we can see from the picture the characteristic of the road is long and you can never see the end. It reflects on the play about waiting for hope. All they can do is waiting, but no one knows whether there is hope or the future is hopeless. The future is unknown. 3. A bright moon The concept of the passage of time leads to an irony. Each minute spent waiting brings death one step closer to the character s and makes the arrival of Godot lees likely. The moon in some point, actually represent the changing of time. When the moon comes up, it means one day is finished. And another is coming. But there is no sign of hope appeared for the two tramps. When you see them standing in the moon, a really sad and hopeless feeling will naturally comes out from my mind.

Bicycle Frame Materials

Bicycle Frame Materials Introduction Throughout history the concept of the bicycle has been used and manipulated with materials from all over the spectrum exercised. In recent years, machining methods have become advanced enough to manipulate all different grades of metals, from the most popular being steel, to alloying titanium based alloys, however not only metal materials are being used. Carbon fibre, a generic term of the composition of carbon fibre weave and epoxy resin, is the worlds most recent popular material to be used on practically everything in the automotive industry, from gear knobs to the complete chassis on the Porsche Carrera GT for example, which is slowly expanding into the bicycle market and beyond. Nowadays bicycle manufacturers have an apparent unlimited array of materials, joining processes and finishing techniques, which should theoretically be able to produce the best bicycle frame on the market. Taking modern day complications into account, the best bicycle frame material(s) are perhaps inappr opriate in terms of manufacturing price and market sale value. Despite this, using Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES Software), by setting up engineering constraints, looking at material selection indices and loading patterns on components; a single best material is to be determined. Product Definition As not all bicycles are aimed at the same user market, with the intention to design a bike for different purposes such as; mountain bikes, city bikes, leisure bikes, road bikes, race bikes, etc. the constraints and objectives of how the bicycle frame should react under pressure during use are different. It is because of this, the best material can differ from bicycle type, and therefore a category of bike must be specified. The bicycle category to be specified is a small sub-category of road bikes called fixed gear bikes or fixies. This category of bike has recently sprung up all over the world, with its major uprising leading back to Brooklyn, New York; however a cult following has arisen in major cities around the globe. This type of bike and cycling style lends its origins back to track racing, where the same style of bike is used in the Olympics and other bike sporting events. The fixie style has become popular on the road for its agility and acceleration around town for commuting as well as its fitness affiliation for of course only having one gear. This sub category of bike is often used for part recreation, part fitness use, yet mainly as a means of transport in and around town. This recent uprising has uncovered many different materials of bike frame, from old 1980s track bikes made from steel to recently manufactured aluminium and carbon fibre composite frames which are used on this type of bike and style of riding. Materials Selection Possible Constraints The frame components will be subject to different forces, of which several will experience the same force depending on different loading conditions. The seat tube will experience constant compression forces from the weight of the rider as well reactions from road pushing back up towards the rider, whereas the down tube will experience tensional forces holding the crank area together with the fork assembly; however braking will give rise to compression. Other features such as the seat stays will experience constant compression and lateral stress from the braking mechanisms, of which stiffness is a vital property of the material. Youngs modulus or stiffness is also very important in the design of the forks due to instantaneous braking encouraging the forks to bend. Density The density of the material will affect highly the efficiency and feel of the bike when ridden. More energy is required to brake or accelerate the bike that has a high density frame, consequently making the bike hard to control and manoeuvre. A lightweight material is vital to create the ideal bicycle frame to improve manoeuvrability, braking and acceleration performance. This is why a constraint of density is to be limited at 5000 KG/M^3. This encompasses common frame materials such as aluminium and titanium alloys. [4] Youngs Modulus The stiffness of the frame is vital to prevent plastic deformation of the frame when ridden over obstacles, however if the frame is too stiff there will too much vibration from road surfaces. A constraint of materials above 30GPa are acceptable for the intended use, however materials above 400GPa are considered too stiff and will result in a harsh incontrollable bicycle. [4] Tensile and Compressive Stress Tensile stress occurs on many of the components of the bicycle frame and is a common failing property by overloading the frame which consequently makes it a high priority factor. Materials above of tensile stress value 300MPa and above are acceptable. Compression is also a major stress force abundant in the bicycle frame, in places such as the rear seat stays and seat tube from gravity pulling the weight of the rider toward the ground. Poor compressive forces will translate into a mess of buckled piping. [4] Yield Strength The yield strength determines the amount of force required to plastically deform the material of which the material is permanently deformed after yielding. This can be applied to sudden impacts or over loading of the frame which can lead to failure of the frame, perhaps resulting in injury when ridden. The higher the yield strength, the higher force the frame will be able to withstand which is favourable in frame design. [4] Elongation Elongation relates to brittle and ductile properties of a material, where high percentage elongation leads to ductile properties and low percentage elongation leads to brittle properties. If a material is too brittle, it theoretically could fracture into small parts which are to be avoided when cycling. It would be preferable for the material to plastically deform to a large extent before failure as this will prevent injury if a sudden stop is experienced. A material with a very high percentage elongation is also to be avoided as the frame will not keep its shape and deform with the weight of the rider. Materials below 40% elongation will provide favourable elongation properties. [4][5] Fatigue Strength The maximum cyclical stresses can be examined and applied to a bicycle frame directly, mimicking the repetitive stresses when ridden. This can therefore extrapolate the life of the bicycle frame given the amount of repetitive load applied when ridden. [4][5] Torsion Stress Torsion loading occurs upon acceleration of the bicycle where the frame is moved from side to side under the lateral forces applied by the rider from the torque applied. The usual lateral loading on the frame is transferred to slight longitudinal loading. The torsion capabilities of the material must be taken into account which also highly affects the joining processes of the bicycle frame. [4][5] Material Objectives Set-up and Index Selection To find the best material for a fixed gear bike frame, the main objective is to prioritise engineering performance; reducing weight, increasing stiffness. The agility of the frame is the main characteristic of which turning reactions, acceleration and deceleration performance are vital to a successful fixed gear bike to be used in and around town as well as for training purposes. The indices used to input into CES will define stiffness-limited design at minimum mass. The frame features that are tensile loaded, creating a tie between two other frame beams will use the index Youngs Modulus / Density, E/ à Ã‚ . Increasing this index will locate suitable materials that exert stiffness, combined with low density, however also giving the best tensile properties. The compression index, for components loaded in compression, is (Youngs Modulus ^  ½)/Density, E1/2 / à Ã‚  will also locate the best materials for that type of loading. For components loaded in bending the index (Youngs Modulus ^  ½)/Density, E1/2 / à Ã‚ , will also be used. For strength limited design, locating the best material for tensile strength before yielding and plastic deformation of the frame occurs, the index yield strength/density, à Ã†â€™f / à Ã‚ , is to be used. Locating the best material for compression strength will also use this index. For the seatstays and fork components, loaded in bending, the index à Ã†â€™f2/3 / à Ã‚  will be used. Maximising these indices will locate the best materials for each specified type of loading. [6] Outcomes using CES Function: Bicycle frame Constraints: Must not fail under rider weight and road reactions. Objective: Overall mass of bicycle frame is to be reduced, without sacrificing stiffness and strength. Variables: Material choice, material section shape, finishing techniques. Before inputting constraints, the graphs of Youngs Modulus over density and yield strength over density appear as follows using education level 2: Figure 5. Youngs modulus over density CES. Figure 6. Yield strength over density. CES. Inputting the constraints, CES outlines groups of materials that meet the constraints: Figure 7. Youngs modulus over density using constraints. CES. Figure 8. Yield strength over density using constraints. CES. CES software has outlined different materials from the groups: composites, metals and alloys, and technical ceramics. These materials are: Aluminium alloys Titanium alloys Beryllium alloys Carbon fibre composites Magnesium alloys Silicon based technical ceramics Aluminium alloys Aluminium alloys are extremely light and shows signs of high elongation, these factors direct aluminium toward being a good candidate for a bicycle frame, however aluminium has a low youngs modulus value and certain alloys exhibit low tensile strength values. These properties may give the bicycle frame flexibility, however current aluminium bicycle frames are certainly not flexible as they tend to have a larger diameter top tube and general radii over the frame components to counter act this. The fatigue values for aluminium alloys are very low, which indicates that after a while the frame will crack and fail, which is definitely something to avoid. Current bicycle frame manufacturers use butting technology in aluminium frames to combat this, by increasing the thickness of the tube at where the material is needed most. [4] Titanium alloys Titanium alloys are around double the weight of aluminium alloys, yet around half that density of steel alloys, making up for this are the high tensile strength and Youngs modulus values which enable to frame to be manufactured from thinner tube sections than aluminium which reduce overall weight. The fatigue values are also high which means that the frame will last for a long time. [4][7] Magnesium alloys Magnesium alloys are even lighter than aluminium alloys and have a slightly better fatigue value. Magnesium alloys also have a low Youngs modulus value, lower than aluminium which indicates flexible frame properties which will have to be yet again solved using tube section thickness design. Magnesium alloys look promising and have good properties that can be applied to a bicycle frame, however they have low corrsosion resistance which has to be overcome by surface treatments. On the current market, few frames have been made from the material as they tend to be very expensive. [4][7][8] CFRP, Carbon Fibre Re-enforced Plastic CFRP, a composite material, is lighter than all the metals previously mentioned as well as having high a Youngs modulus, tensile value, and relatively high fatigue strength values. This material is currently being used all over the bicycle market, from strictly track bikes to road racers, complete frames or part CFRP frames, and components used in mountain bike off road frames. The modulus of the epoxy resin is extremely low, resulting in a brittle material; which consequently affects the method of which the CFRP layers are applied. CFRP has good tensile properties, however not very high compression or torsion properties, so the angle at which the carbon fibre layers are applied must be taken into consideration, otherwise turning bends could turn the frame into a fractured mess. This is also evident in the extremely low elongation value, 0.032% 035% [3][4][8] Technical Ceramics, Silicon Carbide Silicon carbide, unlike ceramics in general has a good tensile value similar to that of titanium, aluminium and CFRP, and a youngs modulus value four times that of titanium. This implies that silicon carbide has a positively good outlook on a perspective bicycle frame, displaying high fatigue values and having a slightly lower density than titanium. Silicon carbide does however have a low percentage elongation at 0% [3] which boasts the potential for producing a hybrid material to increase this value. [4][11] [10] Beryllium Beryllium is often used as an alloying material to increase hardness properties, however it also has a very high youngs modulus value and is lightweight. Beryllium could not be used to solely manufacture a bicycle frame as it is poisonous, especially with inhalation. [12][5][4] It is visible to see the groups of materials commonly used on bicycle frames from the graphs produced; however there are not any specific materials shown. Enabling education level 3, the database of materials becomes more specific and materials that do not meet the constraints are ignored. By maximising the indices, individual materials can be identified. CES software has located Cyanate ester/HM carbon fibre UD composite 0 ° lamina by maximising the indices as the best material for a bicycle frame. The unidirectional lamina allows the tensile and youngs modulus values to be uniform within the material, rather than have a directional flow providing room for failure by torsion. The composition of 30-40% polymer and 60-70% carbon fibre maintains a high level of stiffness and fatigue strength from the carbon fibre and reduces the brittle properties of the polymer resin. The CES outcome may have located the best material for a fixed gear bike frame, with the objective minimise the weight of the overall frame, without sacrificing stiffness and strength, however joining processes, surface treatments/coatings and shapes need to be considered. Joining processes Current CFRP frames are either manufactured by using tubular lugs of aluminium or titanium, and then pre-made CFRP tubes aligned and stuck into place with further layered CFRP and epoxy adhesives. The joining between the two different types of materials has led to corrosion and failing, which has directed manufacturers to create frames solely using CFRP. Continuous laminating can be used to cover a mandrel of which the removal of the mandrel gives rise to a shaped tube or hollow section necessary for the specified component. One method used to create low batch numbers of CFRP frames is autoclave moulding, which builds up the CFRP layers by hand, this technique creates a monocoque CFRP shell which has superior stiffness, strength and is extremely lightweight; frames lower than one kilogram have been produced. [8] Shape Factors Cyanate ester/HM carbon fibre UD composite 0 ° lamina has a maximum shape factor value for elastic bending (Max à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢eB) of 12.3. By using this value, the shape efficiency can be compared against other materials determining if other materials exhibit better stiffness and resistance to bending properties. Using CES a graph can be drawn of Youngs modulus over density with the index à Ã‚  /E1/ 2, which will show the maximum bending stiffness whilst reducing weight. As the shape of the material is not fixed, in general materials used for lightweight structural objectives require low à Ã‚ /(à Ã¢â‚¬  eBE)1/2 values. The materials will be selected as they provide the best properties. [10] By comparing alloys used frequently in the manufacture of bicycle frames against the CFRP based material CES located, it is possible to see the benefits of firstly the shape factor attributed to aluminium, giving it good structural properties despite its low youngs modulus value. However the lower value of the determined CFRP material means that it has better shape efficiency and will have better in service properties at providing a lightweight stiff bicycle frame, resistant to bending forces. The titanium, given its stiffness will be able to produce a lighter frame than one made of steel and aluminium, yet does not have a better bending shape factor shown by the aluminium alloy. Magnesium, despite having the lowest modulus has a maximum bending factor lower than the aluminium alloy, which is one of the reasons why it is becoming an increasingly popular base alloy for bicycle frames. [10] Hybrid Bicycle Frame The extreme stiffness of the Cyanate ester/HM carbon fibre UD composite 0 ° lamina bicycle frame will create a very stiff ride, of which the road surface will be felt through the frame to the rider. One way to prevent this is to use larger or thicker tyres, which will reduce vibration, however will significantly increase friction and reduce top speed and acceleration times. A method to reduce these problems would be to develop a frame that utilised a couple of materials and blended them together to give longitudinal damping properties yet maintain the transverse stiffness and lightweight properties. This could be achieved by using titanium on the main triangular frame due to its 5-10% elongation property, extremely high fatigue, tensile and lightweight properties; and using the CFRP on the chain stays, seat stays and fork components for its extremely high shape factor and bending stiffness value. This will also create a high fatigue resistance of the frame making it last for m any miles of riding, however problems may occur with the joining of the two materials when using acrylic based or epoxy glues to bond the two sections together as this interferes with the structure and could lead to corrosion or failure from loading. [8][7][6] A hybrid material could be answer to creating the perfect bike frame using silicon carbide, boron carbide and aluminium, also known as MMC duralcan alloys, or alumina B4C alloys. Alloys using these materials have already been created, making use of silicon and boron carbides mechanical properties and combining them with aluminiums structural advantages. The aluminium carbide composites exhibit good bending factor values as well as high Youngs modulus values, fatigue strength, tensile strength and very high compressive strength, which makes the material promising for use as a bicycle frame. Surface Treatments Surface treatments such as anodizing are common in todays current bicycle market, for example on aluminium where the reactive surface is covered with an oxide layer and the thickness controlled using anodizing. This prolongs the life of the frame by reducing the risk of corrosion. Electroplating is also used for corrosion resistance or to improve hardness, this method is usually used on metals; however non-metals can be plated once painted with an electrically conductive material. This can give metals shiny mirror finishes, synthesizing the look of commonly expensive materials such as gold or silver. For metals and non-metals, organic solvent based paints are widely used to give the frame exciting colours and finishes. Organic solvent based paints are usually applied to carbon fibre; however it is sometimes preferred to show the craftsmanship of the carbon fibre in its natural form showing the weave pattern. [4][10] Conclusion The best materials for a fixed gear road bike come in the form of carbon fibre re-enforced plastics; this is because of the lightweight, high modulus frames they create. The shape factor contributes highly to the success of the material by creating stiff tubular sections that are resistant to bending and plastic deformation also improved by their high yield strength values. The tensile and compression properties shown by the material are very high and work well at absorbing shock, distributing the stress throughout the frame. The orientation of the carbon fibre is very important as this affects the tensile and compression values that the material can take before fracture in the longitudinal and transverse directions, vital to the frame staying in one piece when turning, decelerating or accelerating rapidly. A uni-directional laminate is preferable as the fibres provide optimum stress and strain abilities. The metals mentioned provide lightweight solutions to the bicycle frame; however each has issues, whether it is low youngs modulus or fatigue limits that need to be addressed. These issues are usually solved by means of alloying or using shape factors to increase or decrease tube thicknesses or use of butting and other joining processes.

How Children Carry the Weight of Child Abuse Essay -- Long Term Impact

The spirits of children are shattered, tender hearts broken with words, and precious bodies riddled and limp from abuse. Eyes that should glisten with wonder and excitement are enveloped with dismay and destruction. Fathers physically beat their little girls. Mothers leave newborns in locked cars, and some parents degrade their children with verbal daggers. Child abuse is much more serious than people want to believe. Child abuse comes in different forms: neglect, physical, and verbal abuse. But what are even more serious are its effects: inability to properly function in society, fear of trust, and a broken self-esteem. We should all be there to help these children, by holding their hands, or even giving them a sincere smile. First, someone who suffers from neglect or other abuse as a child often has an inability to properly function in society. Parents who show little or no interest in their children's lives make them feel unimportant and often portray a distorted view of love. Their parents tell them that they will be at their basketball game and then fail to show up. They put social events, their jobs, or even their own lifestyle before their children. This continual act can cause the child to grow up feeling that they can depend on no one and that they are unworthy of love. They have problems making or even keeping friends, because they feel they will always be let down. Often in adulthood they tend to over compensate the loss they felt in their own life into their child's. They move heaven and earth, often to their own neglect, to be at every activity. They become driven by their own loss inside. Others who have gone through this often don't know how to love or even care for someone else in a relati onship. Their parents ... ...think about her and tries to act exactly like they want her to. It is as if she is like glass; you have to be very careful about what you say to her, because she could break and fall to pieces at any moment. Degrading remarks, time and time again, often leave people with a broken backbone, a shattered self-esteem. This part of them, the part that makes them believe in themselves, usually never heals to the fullest. People need to be aware that what happens to children, as they are growing up, can affect them in many different ways. Children should have wonderful memories of their life, but unfortunately the ones that suffered from abuse growing up, still struggle today. The memory of the mind works in mysterious ways and often never allows one to forget the past. They struggle throughout their life in dealing with society, fear of trust, and a broken self-esteem.

Comic Art: The Seduction of the Innocent Essay -- Comics Art Artistic

Comic Art: The Seduction of the Innocent In 1991, at the 13th Annual World Fantasy Convention, an issue of the comic book series The Sandman was selected by a panel of experts in the field as the Year's Best Short Story. This was not the first time that a comic book has been nominated for a prestigious literary prize (the first and only previous one being Art Spiegelman's retelling of the Holocaust in animal fable form Maus for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1987), but it was the first to have won. The ensuing uproar at the awards ceremony and the umbrage that many took at a mere comic book winning instead of a standard-print story resulted in the rules of the awards being changed. Henceforth, no comic book could be nominated, much less win. Like the people at the World Fantasy Awards in 1991, most of us would not think that a comic book could reside on the same level of artistic creativity as a paintings, epic novels, poems or concertos. Were the eminencies at the awards right then, in rejecting the notion of The Sandman as literature? For the comic to have been selected, by a panel of blue-ribboned experts, no less, surely there has to be something in The Sandman to render it worthy of the honour of receiving the award. For us to understand what it was about The Sandman that caused such a reaction, indeed, such fear, we have to know what, in the first place, a comic is. When we speak of "comics" we generally mean either the funnies -- comic strips in the newspapers - or of superheroes, spandex optional, who fight crime and save the world on a regular basis. The comics can be loosely defined as "a narrative in the form of a sequence of pictures - usually, but not always, with text" (Sabin, 5). A graphic ... ...eil et al. The Sandman #29: Distant Mirrors - Thermidor. Canada, Vertigo/ DC Comics, 1991. Gaiman, Neil et al. The Sandman #63: The Kindly Ones - Part 7. Canada, Vertigo/DC Comics, 1995. Inge, M. Thomas. Comics as Culture. University Press of Mississippi, 1990. Lent, John A. Pulp Demons: International Dimensions of the Post-war Anti-Comics Campaign. London: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1999 McKean, Dave. Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1997. Canada, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1997. Plato. Republic X, The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Including the Letters. Ed. Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns. Trans. Paul Shorey. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1961. Romemesko, James. The Mike Diana Saga. http://php.indiana.edu/~mfragass/diana_obsure.html. 1994. Sabin, Roger. Adult Comics: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 1993.

The U.S. Constitution and The Patriot Act Essay example -- Government

George Washington once said, â€Å"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.† The first President of the United States knew that the Constitution was and still is the greatest and most important document in America. He said that he would never abandon it and he would never deny it. He would follow it, like it was a guide. The Constitution is supposed to be a guide, which would never be neglected. However, the current government has deserted and almost discarded the United States Constitution. George Washington and the rest of the founding fathers would roll over in their graves if they knew that The USA Patriot Act was an Act now being followed. As Abraham Lincoln said, â€Å"Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties†. The Constitution should not be hindered, and it should never be disregarded. This country was built on the base of the Constitution and the founding fathers wo rked hard to come up with just the precise way to run a republic. The USA Patriot Act is a controversial Act that was made to prevent and penalize all terrorist acts in the United States of America as well as all around the globe. This act was made in order to improve law enforcement investigations, the tools used in those investigations and more. The USA Patriot Act stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The USA Patriot Act was passed to create some sort of a huge surveillance superstructure. This act was signed into law in 2001 by President George W. Bush and then extended in 2011 by President Barak Obama (Electronic Privacy Information Center). The Patriot Act was largely passed becaus... ... May 2012. . Drucker, David. "Bipartisanship Forms on Both Sides of PATRIOT Act Extension." Roll Call. An Economist Group Business, 03 23 2011. Web. 13 May 2012. . Electronic Privacy Information Center, . "USA PATRIOT Act." Electronic Privacy Information Center (2010): n.pag. EPIC. Web. 13 May 2012. . Ramasastry, Anita. "Explaining the U.S.A. Patriot Act." CNN. (2002): n. page. Web. 13 May. 2012. . Savage, Charlie. "A Patriot Act Surprise." New York Times. (2011): n. page. Web. 13 May. 2012. .

Children and young people developent

There are many transitions a child or young person will have to go through in their lives, this will start from a very early age and continue through to adulthood. The first time away from a main career or parent is a huge transition and can be very traumatic for a child, especially if they are left with someone they don't really know very well. Babies form attachments with mall careers and people they see on a regular basis.It is important for them to realize that their career is going to return, this cannot be explained to a young baby so it is only by the career leaving and then turning that a baby would realize they are going to return. The baby receiving positive attention, cuddles and someone talking to it In a calm manner would help to reassure the baby whilst the career was away. If this was handled negatively within the first few months of a babies' life then it could have a negative impact on their feeling of security and self-worth at a later date.Those children who have e xperienced an Insecure attachment where sensitivity to their needs has not been met or understood respond to challenge with less confidence and face adversity with rater uncertainty. The ability to tolerate and manage change is essential to healthy living and development; however, those children who have experienced an insecure attachment will be less equipped to manage changes than others. (Young minds in school) The birth of a younger sibling is another huge transition for a child and can cause confusion, possible feelings of being pushed out or ignored as oppose to feeling happy and content.When a new baby is born Into a family unit it Is very Important that any existing children are not made to feel left out. If the new baby was to receive instant attention the existing child could begin to feel unimportant, ignored and ultimately unloved which could lead to the child having conflicting feelings about the new sibling and long lasting emotional affects. Although they may be overj oyed at having a younger sibling they could also have conflicting feelings and feel jealous of all the attention the new baby receives.This could cause the child to display anger and Jealousy at times towards the baby which could later lead to problems for the siblings In building a close, positive relationships, fighting to take attention from each there and being overly competitive. It could also have a negative impact on a chills feeling of self-worth and confidence which could cause in-security issues which could last into adult hood. Starting nursery, changing schools, moving house or to a new area can be traumatic and emotional for a child or young person of any age.The feeling of the unknown entity, not knowing what to expect, settling Into a new environment and possibly not knowing anyone and having to make new friends can be a very emotional and upsetting time. It can be very worrying for a child wondering If they are going to fit In, will people like them, are they going t o get bullied. All these Issues can feel overwhelming to a child and If the transition Isn't handled or dealt with sensitively then this could lead to insecurity issues and affect their feelings of self-worth and confidence. Toilet training and completing simple personal tasks like achievement for a young child.Not all children find this as easy to master as others. It is important to praise and encourage any progress the child makes, no matter how small or it could again affect the chills feeling of self-worth and confidence if they re made to feel like a failure or constantly compared with the progress of another child. A child will need constant encouragement in any area they are learning to do things for themselves no matter how small the progress may seem. This will help them to have confidence in their choices and achievements, assist in building security, self-worth and individuality.Choosing study options ready for entering higher education can be a very worrying time for a young person. Support and guidance during this time, choosing what will be relevant to their long term plans ND what they are realistically capable of achieving is very important. This should be handled sensitively so the young person feels they have made their own decisions and confident they are capable of achieving their goals. Negative comments when receiving guidance and support could cause them confusion around how they feel regarding their academic capabilities and leave them feeling unsure and self- conscious.Parental divorce or grief can cause a child or young person huge emotional trauma. It will often cause feelings of blame and maybe even feelings of abandonment. Sometimes when parents become divorced a young person can feel they have to support the parent that is left at home or maybe feel guilty about the parent who has left the family home and maybe lives alone. If a family member has passed away the parents or even siblings may not appear to be coping and the young p erson may again feel responsible for their family members.Their own needs may not be met due to caring for others and their possible feelings of abandonment or blame may not be dealt with. It is crucial a young person feels supported during this transition and receives any help or counseling they may require. If this support is not received then the child could carry feelings of abandonment and blame into adult hood which could have detrimental effects on a young person. They may have issues around trust and struggle building positive relationships.A young person being away from the family home into care is a massive transition and can cause major trauma for a child or young person. The thought of going to live with potential strangers, often only being able to see their family periodically and contact possibly having to be supervised is a huge transition for a child or young person to have to go wrought. They will often have come from homes where there is little or no structure and often no real boundaries for them to follow. This can be very distressing when they are suddenly placed in an environment surrounded by structure, boundaries and routine.If this transition isn't handled sensitively it can have detrimental effects to the young person and their feeling of belonging. Although the home they have left may have been unsafe or unstable it was still their home and what they have been used to. The transition period can often be an unsettled period of time while they lid positive relationships and learn to trust the people caring for them. Building these relationships will hopefully have a positive impact on their future outlook and enable them to have confidence in themselves and any choices they make.It will also help with their self-image and self-esteem and show them that they can rely on someone else to help them with situations they may find difficult. Eventually they will they want does actually matter. Ultimately we aim to not only show a child what is deemed acceptable and appropriate behavior but also that they are as important as anyone else and deserve all the same life chances. Their wishes and feelings are very important and people do care. Along with these changes there are a number of others, such as puberty, sexual awareness and activity.There will be a change in their body and possibly emotionally which isn't always easy for a teenager to understand or deal with. Confusion surrounding sexuality and the unknown entity of sex and discovering who they are can be a very troubling and unsettling for some. Leaving home and adapting to being alone and having to think and do everything for homeless. Budgeting as well as shopping, cooking and cleaning. Not having someone there all the time. The need for developing independent skills such as budgeting and proportioning can be a very traumatic time.Realizing how much things cost when they haven't been used to having to pay for many items within the home. The loss of mobility for some children can be a massive life changing transition. The need to learn new skills in order to complete tasks or even Just to manage getting about, often in a different way to what they have been used to. A number of the above transitions could affect a child's confidence, feelings of security and self-worth if they were consistently handled in a negative way. As we have explored there are many transitions a child or young person will go through.Many can have long lasting effects and if not dealt with appropriately as the transitions arise can be detrimental to a young persons' feelings of self-worth and confidence later in their life. Handling transitions in a positive manner and having support, guidance and someone to turn to they can trust can have a huge positive impact on their future choices in life, giving hem confidence in themselves and hence improving their feelings of self-worth, Many of the children I look after have not been positively supported in many of the above transitions which has resulted in them lacking self-confidence, security and self-worth.They often have very low self-esteem and don't really have the ability to handle emotional situations in an appropriate manner. Instead of being able to discuss feelings they will become abusive or even violent at times. Often seeking comfort by self-harming or running away from any issues and putting themselves in unsafe situations and participating in risk taking activities. We strive to educate the young people and arm them with coping strategies to help them deal with things in a safer, more appropriate manner.By staying firm, not giving up on them and showing them that we care and are there to help them deal with any issues or situations that may arise we will hopefully show them that it is safe for them to trust, build positive relationships and rely on someone else for support. This is often hard for a young person to understand when they have felt constantly let down, unworthy and insecu re. They may have been abused or sexually exploited which has added to their lack of self-respect and self worth.Never really had the chance to build positive, appropriate relationships and don't really understand how to do so. They show promiscuous behavior and can use sex to either get what they want or as a form of personal control or release. The support and secure home base they receive, along with the non-judgmental positive relationships they will be encouraged to build once living in our home will start to equip them with the security and confidence they lions.

Free and Open Elections Are the Cornerstone to Any Democracy Essay

Free and open elections are the cornerstone to any democracy. The citizens of the United States have fought for years to increase this right to everyone, but also keep each vote as strong as the next. However, it has become obvious to many that their voting power is being shortened each election cycle. Money and influence from powerful, wealthy interest groups and corporations have made their way into politicians’ coffers in the form of major campaign contributions. This system has resulted in voters calling for further campaign finance reform including more regulation of election funding and a higher level of transparency. When it comes to financing presidential campaigns, an entirely new playbook is being written. The traditional yardstick, the money raised by individual candidates, may countless this time. Instead hundreds of millions of dollars may come from a relatively new political animal, the Super PAC. This financing vehicle sprang up in the wake of a 2010 Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, which wiped away limits on corporate and labor union campaign spending (1). Super PAC is a term to describe the new independent-expenditure-only committees that form to fund issues and specific canidates. Basically, the Citizens United decision said that labor unions and corporations could spend unlimited amounts of money independently of candidates to convince voters to vote for or against someone. There is a lot of money that can be raised and spent on independent advertising along with other things. A very important point is this can all be done without coordinating with the candidates (1). A candidate’s ability to raise money on his or her own does still count for a lot. Financial reports released this weekend show Texas Gov. Rick Perry outpacing his Republican rivals, hauling in more than $17 million for the third quarter. With $15 million in the bank, he put away half-a-million dollars more than former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who pulled in $14 million during the same period 2). No other major GOP contenders raised as much. Ron Paul was next with more than $8 million, but the rest raised substantially less and also had far less cash on hand 2). As for the man they all hope to replace, President Obama brought in nearly $43 million last quarter. And by the end of September, the incumbent Democrat had $61 million in the bank, more than all the Republicans combined 2). Some of that will likely be spent responding to attack ads from the new super PACs, like this one from the conservative group American Crossroads airing in North Carolina and Virginia (2). In just the last three months, according to the filings, the Obama campaign has spent more on payroll, more than $4 million, than several of the Republican candidates have raised 3). Fundraising in a post Citizen United world is characterized by a system of public secrecy and private disclosure 5). There are no current laws that prohibit any organization from spending large sums of money supporting a candidate and remaining private, while keeping the public in the dark. The most significant innovation is the rise of so-called Super Pacs, which can solicit unlimited contributions. These Super-Pacs would have happened without Citizens United. The organizational entrepreneurs that pioneered the Super Pac form, Speech Now, came up with this idea in 2007 and pursued this strategy long before Citizens United (1). A majority of the candidates campaigning in Iowa for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination are associated with at least one super PAC — one candidate had seven at last count 4). They are expected to pump hundreds of thousands — possibly millions — of dollars into political advertising leading up to Iowa’s Jan. 3 Republican Party caucuses and through other presidential primary contests continuing into next year 4). Fundraising numbers are important because they help generate buzz and excitement, and because in politics, money makes more money. It is unclear what problem, increased corporate disclosure is designed to solve, and given the past track record of campaign finance reform, there is good reason to be skeptical that disclosure will improve the political process at all. Research shows that campaign finance reform typically fails at achieving its intended ends 4). To give just one example, â€Å"clean elections† laws, under which candidates receive government subsidies in exchange for forgoing private contributions, did not change politics in states like Maine and Arizona, and earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled that the most popular version of these laws to be unconstitutional (1). It has been said that to evaluate the political effects of Citizens United (CU) by itself is a fool’s errand. It was the latest (and not the last) in a series of libertarian campaign finance cases from the Roberts Court (1). Much of the alleged consequences of that case are activities (such as unlimited spending by corporations on candidate related ads that shied away from specific messages of endorsement) these ads were also legal the day before the Court decided that case. Though certain activities by corporations may have been allowed even before CU, the extent of the decision has made such activities more likely (1). These ads are now sanctioned as core First Amendment activity. This decision points the definition of corruption away from inconsistent access and toward bribery. This seems to remove the appearance of corruption as a compelling target of campaign finance reform (1). The Court’s post-CU decision in the Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett struck down a public campaign funding scheme that also showed the broader implications of this ruling. Those cases have will have consequences beyond campaign finance because they raise important questions as to how and when laws burden on speech (1). The firestorm of public criticism that followed CU was unique. Campaign finance decisions do not usually rise to a level where the public pays attention to such cases (let alone to have a case mentioned in a State of the Union address) (1). One of the effects that the Citizens United decision had on politics worth mentioning is the almost flawless transition of â€Å"good government† groups from advocating for more direct limits on speech (1). Large, publicly traded corporations might be less likely to get involved in election financing than many people tend to assume – particularly if that involvement must be publicly disclosed (1). A recent study concludes that sixty percent of companies in the S & P 100 Index have already responded to CU by prohibiting spending corporate money on politics or disclosing their direct polit ical spending (1). Such spending could alienate potential customers; it could also trigger a shareholder backlash. Privately-held companies or those controlled by a single shareholder, are probably more likely to engage in election spending. On the other side, those who favor the status quo argue that tighter rules on these funds constitute a clear violation of First Amendment rights. The one good thing about this law is Justice Anthony Kennedy, reading from his majority opinion, emphasized that â€Å"Congress may not censor or regulate political speech, whether it is a person doing the talking or a corporation or union.† â€Å"At the core of the First Amendment,† Kennedy said, â€Å"and laws banning speech, infringe those basic constitutional protections.† Kennedy also pointed out that â€Å"under those laws,† â€Å"Congress also could diminish the voice of the media business if it chose.† â€Å"Government,† he said, â€Å"may not suppress political speech based on a speaker’s identity† 7). One group that supports Texas Governor Rick Perry, known as Make Us Great Again Inc., started the flow last week, buying nine days of advertising spots on local television to introduce the governor to Iowa Republicans 4). Des Moines television stations WHO, KCCI and WOI sold advertising slots that began Nov. 2 and ran through Friday for a combined $60,000 4). The Des Moines purchase was part of an overall $200,000 spent to air the 30-second spot in television markets across the stat. Meanwhile, the 9-9-9 Fund, a Super PAC aligned with former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, reported last week to the Federal Elections Commission that it had spent $5,000 for Internet advertising in Iowa and another $20,000 for contact calling to Iowa voters(4). And it isn’t just the Republican presidential candidates getting support from super PACs. Priorities USA Action, a committee formed by supporters of President Barack Obama, raised $3.1 million in its first six months and has spent $1.3 million. That super PAC recently began airing advertising on the Internet that is highly critical of Mitt Romney (4). Super PACs have much more muscle than other types of political action committees they have unlimited money-raising potential. Presidential campaigns can raise no more than $5,000 from an individual donor — $2,500 each for the primary and general elections, under federal election rules (4). Super PACs don’t have such restrictions, allowing them to raise and spend significantly more money. Obama campaign officials say their goal is to raise a combined $60 million in contributions to the campaign and the Democratic National Committee (3).That figure will likely top all of the Republican candidates combined. While they are courting large donors, campaign officials also are hoping to show that Obama has the same kind of broad appeal he did in 2008, when a record four million people donated to his campaign. President Obama is using his early lead in campaign fund-raising to bankroll a grass-roots organization and information technology system that is critical in general election battlegrounds. He is doing so even as the Republican candidates conserve cash and jockey for position in what could become a drawn-out nominating battle(3). Since the beginning of the year, Mr. Obama and the Democratic National Committee, for which the president is helping raise money to finance his party’s grass-roots efforts, have spent close to $87 million in operating costs, according to a New York Times analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (3). That amount is about as much as all the current Republican candidates together have raised so far in this campaign. In recent months, that money has helped open campaign offices in at least 15 states. In contrast, the best-financed Republican candidates, Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, have physical presences in just a handful of early primary states like New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida (5). Mr. Obama has spent millions of dollars investing in social media and information technology, applying a savvy and brute technological force to raising small-dollar donations. This same system is also firing up volunteers and building an infrastructure to sustain his re-election campaign for the next year (5). Mr. Obama brings unmatched financial resources to the campaign trail, and a team that is knowledgeable of where and how to deploy money, people and technology. Though the Republican National Committee has enjoyed strong fund-raising in recent months, it is also still paying down large debts incurred during the 2008 cycle. At the end of September, the committee was still $14.5 million in debt, according to campaign reports (3). Independent spending on negative or positive advertising has proven effective in making some races more competitive. Traditional fundraising by political parties has helped develop the traditional grass-roots organizing essential to winning elections. The United States does not have the kind of disclosure system that would inform the public about exactly who provided for the ads, but existing law do require each sponsor of such ads to disclose how much was spent. The movement for more reform has taken a sudden and drastic turn back due to the recent Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee ruling. This ruling has thrown decades of reform out the window, and opened the door for a flood of election money this country has not yet witnessed. Also, the lack of oversight into nonprofit organizations has hampered the transparency in elections. This decision will ultimately hurt the U.S. economy, allow greater corporate and non-profit political influence, and cause increased political indifference within an already weary general public (6). Because of corporate money funding campaigns, it is nearly impossible for an unknown to run in any major election. With all the money donated to front-runners, someone from the general public doesn’t stand a chance. In addition to the amount of money spent, it has become increasingly difficult to trace its origins due to non-profit organizations not having to disclose who their donors are. It is imperative that we as voters be informed.