How Many Days Congress Works - Annual Total and Average

How Many Days Congress Works - Annual Total and Average Members of Congress work fewer than half of the days in any given year, But those account for only the legislative days, defined as an official meeting of the legislative body to do the peoples business. The House works about one day out of three, and the Senate works a little more than that, according to federal records. Youve probably heard the phrase do-nothing Congress at least once in your life, and its often a jab at the inability of lawmakers to reach common ground and pass important spending bills. Sometimes its a reference to how little Congress appears to work, especially in light of the $174,000 base salary for its members - more than three times the amount of money the median U.S. household earns. Heres an explanation of how many days Congress works every year. Number of Days Congress Works in Session a Year The House of Representatives has averaged 138 legislative days a year since 2001, according to records kept by the Library of Congress. Thats about one day of work every three days, or fewer than three days a week. The Senate, on the other hand, was in session an average of 162 days a year over the same time period. Technically a legislative day in the House can span more than 24 hours. A legislative day ends only when the session is adjourned. The Senate works a little differently. A legislative day often stretches beyond the boundaries of the 24-hour workday day and sometimes week. That doesnt mean the Senate is meeting around the clock. It just means that a legislative session merely recesses but doesnt adjourn after a days work. Here are the number of legislative days for the House and Senate each year in recent history: 2016: 131 in the House, 165 in the Senate.2015: 157 in the House, 168 in the Senate.2014: 135 in the House, 136 in the Senate.2013: 159 in the House, 156 in the Senate.2012: 153 in the House, 153 in the Senate.2011: 175 in the House, 170 in the Senate.2010: 127 in the House, 158 in the Senate.2009: 159 in the House, 191 in the Senate.2008: 119 in the House, 184 in the Senate.2007: 164 in the House, 190 in the Senate.2006: 101 in the House, 138 in the Senate.2005: 120 in the House, 159 in the Senate.2004: 110 in the House, 133 in the Senate.2003: 133 in the House, 167 in the Senate.2002: 123 in the House, 149 in the Senate.2001: 143 in the House, 173 in the Senate. House Averages 18 Hours of Work a Week Theres a little more to this analysis than just the number of days lawmakers are scheduled to cast votes. A 2013 analysis conducted by The New York Times found that the House was in session for 942 hours that year, or about 18 hours a week. That level of work, The Times noted, was the least by any Congress in a non-election year in nearly a decade. By comparison, the House worked 1,700 hours in 2007,1,350 hours in 2005,and 1,200 hours in 2011. The same went for the Senate, which had 99 voting days in 2013. Some attempts have been made to force members of Congress to work full weeks. In 2015, for example, a Republican lawmaker from Florida, Rep. David Jolly, introduced legislation that would have required the House to be in session 40 hours a week when members of the House were in Washington, D.C.A work week in Washington should be no different than a work week in every other town across the nation,† Jolly said at the time. Jollys measure failed to gain traction. Constituent Services Theres much more to being a congressman than voting. One of the most important aspects of the job is being accessible and responsive to the people who voted them into office. Its called constituent service: answering phone calls from the public, holding town-hall meetings on important issues, and assisting members of the 435 congressional districts with their problems. The nonprofit Congressional Management Foundation has reported: Members work long hours (70 hours a week when Congress is in session), endure unequaled public scrutiny and criticism, and sacrifice family time to fulfill work responsibilities. The 70-hour work week reported by members of Congress is more than twice the average length of the work week for Americans. When Congress Adjourns Congressional sessions begin in January of odd-numbered years and typically end in December of the same year. Congress adjourns at the end of each session. There are two sessions for each sitting of Congress. The Constitution forbids either the Senate or the House to adjourn for more than three days without the permission of the other chamber.

Integrated Marketing Communication The WritePass Journal

Integrated Marketing Communication Abstract Integrated Marketing Communication : 123). There is a distinct drift in the evolution of the IMC and the marketing theory practice. For instance, Luck and Moffat (2009: 318) outlines that there is turf war and tension between control of â€Å"communication† development and strategy and coordination of marketing communication. Ewing (2009: 109) acknowledges that the most valuable customer should be considered first. This state differs from the reality where there is little evidence of differential customer value. It is also clear that there exists an undefined relationship between different marketing communications and consumers. However, there is an emerging synergistic effect on the combination of print and television advertisements. 1.4 Empirical study on IMC Duncan and Everett (1993: 35) state that it is quite difficult to take a perfect research on IMC as it comprises both the processes and the concepts. The concepts also differ based on the type of the organization and the researcher. Research on IMC focused on several aspects such as cooperation within an organization, compensation systems employed, and an organizational strategic development.   This therefore posed a huge hindrance on the implementation of the IMC in UK. In UK and USA, there is minimal evidence on the IMC prescription in various corporate and marketing communications. Cornelissen and Lock (2000: 12) asserts that 81% of the largest corporate in US have arranged their external communication into separate marketing departments and public relations. On the other hand, Eagle, Kitchen and Bulmer (2007: 968) reported that out of 323 organizations in the UK, Canada and the USA, public relations was more effective when communication function is equal to marketing communication. In addition, Eagle, Kitchen and Bulmer (2007: 966) study also looked at the effectiveness of an organisation of central public relations against the various independent units of communication programmes like marketing communication. This study stressed that there is little evidence about delegation of communication â€Å"responsibilities† and there are no negative consequences on the structural dispersion of communication disciplines to form separate units. Kitchen, Kim and Schultz (2008:540) acknowledges that IMC is quite prevalent in USA and UK as compared to other countries. It is predetermined in the global communication â€Å"techniques† despite suggestions by Luck and Moffat (2009: 315) that media integration and advertisement are the major instruments in global promotional and marketing campaigns. In addition, Yeshin (2006: 89) opines that IMC is contingent on an individualised behavioural database which hinders an active organizational process in developing a sophisticated marketing communication network. 1.5 IMC and Contemporary Marketing Communication Percy and Elliot (2012: 190) confirms that there is little empirical proof about marketing communication and IMC shift from mass marketing communication to the impending IMC practices. The IMC concept has been proven to be ambiguous as it is still underdeveloped. The marketing communication organization has however set up a clear description of change as integrated configurations have now replaced the functional structures in an advertising agencies and companies. Traditionally, IMC has a holistic system which fosters zero based thinking; this is a state where most cost effective solutions to communication are critically chosen.   Hartley and Pickton (1999: 99) argue that integration is the sole solution to foster cross-functional cooperation in varied disciplines. In addition, Ewing (2009: 113) posits that integration is considered as the merger of barely all the marketing communication. 1.6 Conclusion Validity is one of the descriptive theories that marketing communication management has established. Recent reviews on IMC research in UK and US have suggested that IMC has been periodical and as such; little evidence has been posed to validate contemporary marketing communication processes. I have therefore argued for IMC concept to be considered rhetorical. IMC is also less practical in UK and US as IMC concepts is considered ambiguous. Changes in market trends have also hindered the incorporation of IMC in today’s advertising. The paper has also critically analysed the rhetorical reasoning. In addition, past and contemporary marketing communication researches have been clarified. Bibliography Cornelissen, J. (2001). Integrated Marketing Communications and the Language of Marketing Development. International Journal of Advertising, 20(4) pp. 483-498 Cornelissen, J. P. and Lock, A.R. (2000) ‘Theoretical Concept or Management Fashion? Examining the significance of IMC’, Journal of Advertising Research, 40 (5), pp.7-15. Duncan, T. and Everett, S. (1993) ‘Client Perceptions of Integrated Marketing Communications.’ Journal of Advertising Research, 33 (3), pp.30-39. Eagle, L. , Kitchen, P. , and Bulmer, S.(2007). Insights into Interpreting Integrated Marketing Communications. European Journal of Marketing, 41(7/8) pp. 956-970. Eagle, L., Kitchen, P.J. and Bulmer, S. (2007) ‘Insights into interpreting Integrated Marketing Communications: A Two-Nation Qualitative Comparison’ European Journal of Marketing, 41 (7/8), pp.956-970. Ewing, M. (2009). Integrated Marketing Communications Measurement and Evaluation. Journal of Marketing and Communications, 15(2-3), pp. 103-117 Hartley, B. and Pickton, D. (1999). Integrated Marketing Communications Requires a New Way of Thinking. Journal of Marketing Communications, 5. Pp 97-106 Kitchen, P. and Schultz, D. (1998). IMC-A UK ad’ Agency Perspective. Journal of Marketing Management. 14, pp. 465-485. Kitchen, P., Kim, I. and Shultz, D.E. (2008) ‘Integrated Marketing Communications: Practice Leads Theory’, Journal of Advertising Research, 48 (4) pp.531-546. Luck, E. and Moffat, J. (2009). ‘IMC: Has Anything Really Changed? A New Perspective on an Old Definition’, Journal of Marketing Communications, 15 (5), pp.311-325. Percy, L. and Elliot, R. (2012). Strategic Advertising Management. Fourth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Yeshin, T. (2006). ‘Advertising’. London: Thomson learning.

The Chevron USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Chevron USA - Essay Example In this connection, the EPA framed regulations in 1981 enabling the nonattainment states to adopt a ‘bubble approach’ to comply with the prescribed standards of air quality. The bubble concept treats the entire plant with multiple sub-plants as one single bubble and permits variations in emission levels as long as the total emissions do not exceed the permissible levels. The moot point is what stationery source means. Whether each subunit is a stationary source or all of them in an industrial grouping? The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) opposed the bubble concept in the Court of Appeals alleging that the bubble concept was unlawful. Although the Appeals Court agreed with the NRDC’s stand, the Supreme Court where in Chevron an affected party impleaded itself along with the EPA, held that since there was no particular reason adduced in the legislative history of the relevant provision of the Clean Air Act, EPA’s interpretation in a reasonable manne r cannot be found fault with by the judiciary. The Supreme Court held that the â€Å"bubble† theory was a matter of policy which should be rather addressed to legislators or administrators and not the judiciary. The decision is considered a land mark in the administrative law since it allows greater flexibility for the administrative agencies to interpret law which until the decision was the job of judiciary alone. Post Chevron, government agencies enjoy greater freedom in interpreting the law which the Congress has left any issue unexplained or ambiguous (Shultz). The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) 1946 is a federal law governing the manner in which the federal agencies frame regulations and it provides for judicial review of agency decisions. (BarnesGreenBook). Section 706 (2) (A) of the APA provides for the reviewing court to hold any decision as â€Å"arbitrary capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law†. (BarnesGreenBook) The C hevron case is not only a land mark decision in administrative law but also in the domain of ‘separation of powers’. The case which dealt with the issue of meaning of ‘stationary source’ has now become an oft-cited decision ever since. The bubble concept or plant-wide concept has resulted in calculation of plant emission as a whole instead of calculating the emission of pollutant from each pollution-emitting equipment. This enables industrial units having more than one source of pollutant emitting devices to sustain an increase coming from one device through a corresponding reduction in another device within the same industrial unit. It has been rendered possible due to the Apex court’s examining the bona-fides of an agency through a two-step test. First step is to check whether the legislative history speaks of Congressional deliberations on the precise question at issue. If the legislative intent is clear, the Court must give effect to the Congress ional intent which is unambiguously clear. If not, instead of arriving at its own conclusion, the Court should see whether the agency’s interpretation is ‘based on a permissible construction of the statute’. Thus in the instant case, Justice Stevens examined the statutory text of the Clean Air Act and its legislative history. He found there was no evidence to show that the Congress had

Dr. Pepper Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dr. Pepper - Research Paper Example vices  (HHS), Department of Agriculture  (USDA), National Institute of Standards and Technology  (NIST), United States Department of Commerce among others (National Research Council, 2002). These governmental agencies, especially FDA and HHS, are directly responsible for overseeing the health aspect of the food industry (National Research Council et al, 2010). The agencies oversee that food industries such as Dr. Pepper provide the best food products to the population using the stipulated guidelines. On the other hand, NIST, and United States Department of Commerce oversee that any business related activities are done in accordance with the stipulated guidelines, rules, and regulations (National Research Council, 2002). Dr. Pepper being a business entity has to be bound by the regulations of these commerce and standards agencies. The above agencies would be of utmost importance when doing research on Dr. Pepper. They would provide profound information both in health and commerce aspect of Dr. Pepper. However, gathering information about Dr. Pepper from any of the aforementioned agencies would require proper authorization from each agency. Although the requirements for different agencies may be different, research ethics protocols may be needed from any of the

The Mexican Revolution Essay Example for Free

The Mexican Revolution Essay In the Mexican Revolution multiple ideologies were involved at once, all competing with each other. None of them was clearly associated with an image of triumph or defeat, which downplays the image of ideology associated with this process, or rather, has made a nebulous identification of them. Catholics and those clericals who were related to the church, clashed against the property of land and against the traditional oligarchy (francisized and bourgeois), often addicted to Porfirio Diaz. This process commonly describes the oligarchy as the big loser and victim of the process of modernization caused by the revolution. For instance, the current level of popularity of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the number of times that the Pope (John Paul II) visited one of the largest Catholic nation on earth. Mexico remains perhaps, today in the XXI century, as Catholic as on early twentieth century. Another ideology that starred in the revolutionary process, and possibly suffered the biggest defeat was the positivist thinking. Dominant in Mexico since the second half of the nineteenth century, it served to provide of theoretical grounds to the extensive dictatorship (more than three decades) of Porfirio Diaz, and helped to justify (with its racist determinism) the inferiority of the natives and the mestizoes, or the Mexican. In fact, Porfirio considered the people of Mexico as immature for democracy, which was another argument for his more convenient and permanent re-election. Positivism was also tied to the landowner oligarchy, but more to the urban and conservative bourgeoisie, which was a permanent aspirant to social advancement. It was common to find their exponents in the huge state apparatus loyal to Diaz, in the universities and in the army. This thought often decanted in other ideology that is liberalism, also dragged from the nineteenth century, but which takes a great strength in the new urban middle classes and in part of the bourgeoisie that was jaded of the eternal dictators regime, it is liberalism which articulates the initial criticism to the Porfiriato, being hostile to the excessive exploitation by which the Mexican countryside was being submitted. It is this ideology that accelerates, according to general opinion, the revolutionary process. It is from this speech that, after the dialogue had failed, the mass was led to rise against the tyranny of the dictator, an invocation which proved to be for the sole purpose of the use of force and rage of the people, because it didn’t empathize with the demands of the peasants (most of the Mexican population of the time) or those of the emerging urban industrial working class or of the mining class in the province (usually linked to oil). With a marked influence of American liberalism (as opposed to European positivist ideas), liberalism enables to articulate and launch the first serious calls for uprising (for example, the San Luis Plan was launched by Madero from his exile in San Antonio, Texas). In addition there was a presence of anarchist ideology and to a lesser extent of socialism, which in some way guided the illiterate peasant forces, without actually entering them (there were only sketches of these ideologies in the proposed policies and actions of the major peasant leaders, namely Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata). Anarchism and socialism, sometimes separately, and many other times combined, strongly caught on the working class of Mexico City and other industrial centers of the country, they helped enormously in the turmoil of the pre-revolutionary process of 1910, usually operating from exile (for instance, associations of anarchists in California and socialists in Mississippi) and then vaguely reflected in the agreements of the Convention of Aguascalientes, which approved the Ayala Plan, a cornerstone of the subsequent Mexican agrarian reform. And finally we can define a last ideological factor, often ignored or downplayed, always misunderstood from the classical analysis, this is the native-peasant thought that is present throughout the whole history of Mexico and is the main foundation of the current Mexican nation. Many believe that without the discontent of these masses, accumulated over centuries of exploitation and absolute subjugation, the outbreak would not have occurred with the magnitude that it had. Most of the military conflict was made up of disgruntled peasants (in the case of the rebels) or peasants enlisted by the drafts (federal army). The main slogan of the armies led by Zapata and Villa is the division of land, not by ambition, but for their attachment to it. It is the awareness that all is owed to it, the place to which they have always belonged to, that has always been in the atavistic memory of the community, and is also the land which gives the fruit, which represents the yoke of slavery, that ties to the employer, to work for others. The land represents the entire universe of native peasants; everything good and bad that can happen to them is linked to it. But if we must define the ideology of revolution, or the one that has mobilized and convinced the masses to revolt, to slaughter, to fight, and often to death (1,000,000 approximately), this is not definable, even non-existent for many. Because the Mexican peasantry faithfully and blindly followed to warlords, who were not clear how to design a speech or an organization to legitimize their demands. This is reflected in the attitude of Zapata and Villa to take and occupy Mexico City, when they have taken hold of the city they don’t know what to do, they do not locate in that place that represents the power and therefore appoint a lawyer as president, which was Gutierrez, to enact laws to carry out their demands. But the peasants followed their leaders with almost messianic devotion, without a clear ideological conscience. It can be said that there was not a revolution in Mexican politics. There was a rearrangement, a modernization, but the resulting political system merely replicated and deepened, in a more sophisticated way, the old monopoly of power that was criticized to Porfirio Diaz. The PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) ruled the country for nearly seventy years, and as its name suggests, it proclaims by itself the institutionalization of the revolutionary process. During the lengthy period of years that this party dominated, there were countless electoral manipulations for the sole purpose of retaining power. It is true that land reform was carried out, but access to the command remained restricted to many and split between a few. Peasants did not access to this apparatus of power, and they were who, basically, carried out the revolution (after their leaders Francisco Villa and Emiliano Zapata). The Mexican politics did not follow the expansive course usually followed after a revolutionary victory, to put it briefly; there was not even an attempt to export the revolution. In fact, Mexico remained in the relative seclusion in which it was. Society, in contrast, showed a little better this revolution. Peasants agreed, but not throughout the country, to own the land for which they fought and yearned for so long. The modernization is evident in several aspects, the country gradually loses the image of rural indigenous nation that traditionally held, and becomes one of the most modern in Latin America, not yet being clear whether this is because of the magnitude of its population, or due to a real modern vocation of Mexican society. Mexico is a society of contradictions and polarizations, where indigenous communities coexist with rich ancient traditions (perhaps prosperous) with developed urban communities, which in turn contrast with very poor and extensive slums, which often receive indigenous and mestizo peasants from uprooted and impoverished communities. But it is doubtful to believe that the Mexican society and its political expression did assimilate the revolution, or inherited a tradition of this. Mexico is a fairly conservative country in many respects, being perhaps its ultimate expression the passivity with which it accepted and took over half a century of institutional revolutionaries in power, but very early it became clear that these â€Å"revolutionaries† only reproduced the political corruption that was previous to the revolutionary period. Mexicans seemed to assume with usual indifference the electoral manipulations and political gatopardisms. The revolution seems to be more an expression of a highly curbed energy, which springs from the bowels of the earth after centuries, a release that does not mostly renew the landscape, which covers with its centenary magma, but it gives to it more vigor in the germination of an order within the apparent chaos that is the Mexican society. Mexico did not change radically its political and social order, as in other post-revolutionary societies. What actually happened is that Mexican society shocked its dust off (during the revolution) in order to fully receive the coming century, leaving behind those most unpleasant elements inherited from the colony. The Mexican Revolution was a conservative revolution, which really did not intend to renew the Mexican society, as they didn’t know clearly what they were fighting for, or more simply, there was no clarity about general goals.

Nuclear Power is a Dangerous Waste of Time :: Argumentative Essays, Persuasive Essays

Nuclear power has been around since the first atomic plant was made operational on December 2, 1942. These plants are an efficient way of producing electricity. They can power every electric item we use today, from TV’s to computers and every thing in between. As great as they may seem, how do we deal with the radioactive waste left over? The answer is, we don’t. Until we, as a civilization, find a better way of dealing with this waste, we should hold off on converting fossil fuel plants to nuclear. As of today, there is no real way to dispose of nuclear waste. While theories of ridding our earth of this harmful radioactive substance vary, the many attempts, have included every thing from simply burying it, to sending it out of our orbit into space. The most popular method to date seems to be â€Å"long term storage.† But what, exactly, does the â€Å"long term storage† mean? It means storing air tight barrels of nuclear waste in facilities until they lose their potency. As good as this method may sound on paper, the process I’ve just described to you can take up to 20,000 years. This means that the waste storage facilities will have to be secured from robbers, terrorists, and the effects of nature for a period of time in which not only their designers will die, but also, quite possibly the countries in which they are located will crumble. Other, more reasonable methods include transmutation: a process in which toxic elements are transformed into less toxic substances. For instance, plutonium can be turned to uranium. This is done by using â€Å"fast consumer† reactors, which use the discarded radioactive isotopes of nuclear reactors and â€Å"consume† them, leaving isotopes which are less dangerous and have only about half the life and potency of the original waste.

Effect of Texting on Teens Essay

Cell phones are becoming a modern day necessity, to the point that they are a must have for every teenager and adult. Human beings are growing increasingly attached to these devices, depending on them more and more for their communication with other people, job duties, and other daily activities that they must accomplish. One way that we are taking advantage of cell phone technology at a rapidly growing rate is through the use of text messaging. It seems that anywhere you are likely to see people glued to phones screen, fingers typing away. In schools, malls, and cars we see them. On sidewalks, streets, and in crosswalks we see them, heads down typing away. Sometimes we may be one of those people with our fingers glued to our phones keyboard or touchscreen. Does this really affect our day to day activities? This research paper, against contrary belief, concludes that texting does not affect teenagers adversely. Many people believe that texting affects teenagers in many ways. On the contrary, teenagers believe that they can keep a balance between texting and social interaction. They know when to use text language and when to use regular English (Edutopia). Noting that there are some negative aspects of texting, such as- phone addiction, social awkwardness e.t.c. It has many positive aspects to it also. Many would argue that texting has dampened their children’s ability to interact on a face-to-face level with their peers, but others would argue against that, and say that it allows people more freedom to contact those that they do not see regularly. Many teenagers have cell phones now and that is seen as a blessing and curse by both parents and children. Often, a child will get a cell phone as a means to communicate more easily with their guardians, which gives them some measure of freedom that they hadn’t had before. Teens appreciate that freedom and they also feel a sense of being connected to their parents, since they can be contacted at any time. Parents are thankful that they have that connection. When parents feel that their children are using their phone  too much, they may put restrictions on the usage of phones. This keeps, both the parents and the children happy. With the uprising of technology many are concerned about the social ramifications that texting holds, particularly on younger generations. Between teenagers and their friends â€Å"cell-phone texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication† (Lenhart) and it’s becoming commonplace for children at younger and younger ages to communicate with their friends via text messaging as opposed to phone conversations or even face-to-face. A majority of modern teenagers, defined by the Pew Research Center as ages 12-17, will text their friends at least once a day. A smaller percentage call theirs friends daily and an even smaller number talk to friends face-to-face. Though texting might take some kids away from social interactions, it also opens the door for many other children to communicate with their peers through a way that makes them feel safer. Texting can be a good alternative for children that suffer from: * Social anxiety * Loneliness * Shyness As texting does not looking at the person you are talking to, directly, it boosts confidence of children and helps them to become socially active. â€Å"I think it’s possible to say that the electronic media is helping kids to be in touch much more and for longer. It is also helping lonely children to make more friends and making children feel socially involved† (Hilary Stout) After discussing several points raised above, one major question arises, does texting have any negative effect on literacy of teens? The answer to this question is very debatable, but using two studies, this research paper will prove that texting does not have any negative effect on literacy of teens. The first study, â€Å"The effect of text messaging on 9- and 10-year-old children’s reading, spelling and phonological processing skills† proves that there is no significant evidence that texting was good or bad when the researchers compared the two groups that were tested. However, it did find  that by using texting, children improved their spelling skills when compared to other children in the intervention group. It also found that the number of messages sent and received was positively correlated to lexical retrieval skill. (Wood, C) The second study, â€Å"Txt lang: Texting, textism use and literacy ability in adolescents with and without specific language impairment† Forty-seven typically developed (TD) and 47 adolescents with specific language impairment (SLI), all age 17, were used in the study. The adolescents with SLI had developmental problem in understanding and expressing language that were not related to other developmental disorders, such as mental retardation. The study was conducted by K. Durkin, A.J. Walker, and ContiRamsdent from the School of Psychological Sciences and Health. All adolescent completed tests that included the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence to test for their IO. To test their language ability the CELF-4 was used. Reading was assessed by the Test of Reading Efficiency test. And lastly, to test their reading and spelling abilities, the sub-tests of the Wide Range Achievement Test were used. Evaluation of texting frequency was done by asking how often the participants texted per week and marked on a five–point scale. The participants were also sent a text message asking them what they usually do on Saturdays. After receiving their response, it was coded for structural characteristics, such as number of messages. The study found that the adolescents sent fewer text messages than their typically developed peers. They also responded in lesser amounts. Sixty-eight of the SLI adolescents compared to 87% of the TD adolescents responded. The adolescents with SLI that responded scored higher in reading than the non-senders. The study also found that the senders and non-senders in the TD group were similar in language and literacy.(Durkin, K) Majority of people thought that text messaging would have a negative impact on students writing and literacy, however, the studies analyzed show a different story.If taken as a whole, these studies seem to indicate the opposite of the concern that text messaging is bad for literacy. Both the studies found a positive relationship between reading and spelling. The first study found that those who used texting had better spelling skills, and the number of text messages sent and received was related to the ability to retrieve words from memory. The second study found that those with specific language impairment sent less text messages. This suggests that in order to get into texting, you have to have better reading skills. In the end, these studies don’t support the concerns that texting is harmful to literacy. After scrutinizing the positive and the negative aspects of texting, It is very clear that the positives weigh more than the negatives. texting may not always make teens socially awkward, but can help any children to be socially more active and confident. If the amount of phone usage of children can be regulated to an extent where both the parents and the children are happy, it can be very helpful for the both of them. children can always stay connected with the parents and parents can know the whereabouts of their children. Texting is also very important as it does not disturb a person as much as a phone call would. Teens have to socialize, and phone calls are much more distracting than sending text messages, both for the children and the people around the children. â€Å"Teens tell us how texting is more efficient, how they don’t have to go through the preamble and niceties of a phone conversation.†(Lenhart) It is a very clear from the above discussion, that if texting can be regulated, it helps a lot. children do not feel unsafe while travelling alone as they can text their parents anytime, they do not get disturbed by phone calls, they can contact people they do not see regularly, texting also helps improve spellings, e.t.c. Against popular belief, texting does not harm teens adversely, rather, it helps teens in many ways mentioned above. So, if done in a regulated manner, texting is not bad for teens. Bibliography Internet sites: Hafner, Katie. â€Å"Texting may be taking a toll.† The New York Times, May 26, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?_r=0 Lambert, Victoria. â€Å"Docs’ fear for text mad teens.† The SUN, November 30, 2010 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/parenting/3251846/Studies-look-into-risks-and-effects-of-texting-for-children-and-teenagers.html â€Å"Teens, Cell phones and Texting.† pewresearch.org, Pew Research Centre, April 20, 2010 http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teens-cell-phones-text-messages Elyse,Toribio. â€Å"Textings effect on grammar.† NorthJersey.com, August 13, 2012 http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/tech_news/165943756_Texting_s_effect_on_grammar_is_debated.html â€Å"How has texting affected the social life of teens.† Livestrong.com, Livestrong, September 1, 2011 http://www.livestrong.com/article/532976-how-has-texting-affected-the-social-lives-of-teens/ Stout, Hilary. â€Å"Antisocial Networking?â⠂¬  The New York Times 30 Apr. 2010: ST1. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. . Does text messaging harm students’ writing skills, No publisher, edutopia.org http://www.edutopia.org/poll-text-messaging-writing-skills Lenhart, Amanda. â€Å"Teens, Cell Phones, and Texting.† Pew Research Center Publications. Pew Research Center, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1572/teenscell-phones-text-messages Studies/ Researches: Wood, C., et al. â€Å" The effect of text messaging on 9- and 10-year-old children’s reading, spelling and phonological processing skills.† Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (Feb. 2011): n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. Durkin, K., G. Conti-Ramsdent, and A.J. Walker. â€Å" Txt lang: Texting, textism use and literacy abilities in adolescents with and without specific language impairment.† Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (Feb. 2011): n. pag. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2011

Death Penalty Essay

Roy Brown is a conservative who believes in individual rights and the right to life. He believes there is no deeper violation of a citizen’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than the government killing them when they’re actually innocent. With the use of the death penalty, mistakes are highly inescapable (Brown 1). More than one hundred and forty death row inmates had been set free after evidence was revealed proving they were wrongfully condemned and this often happened decades after they were sentenced to die. Sometimes the mistake was not caught and a few innocents have been put to death. Brown states that the death penalty is also somewhat bad for the victim’s families. The families are brought along to this drawn out legal process and appear in many court sessions reliving the tragedy as it is impossible to make capital punishment quick (Brown 1). Another negative about the death penalty is its cost. Legal expenses alone make each death penalty case much more expensive than a case where a criminal is sentenced to life without the likelihood of parole (Brown 2). Brown values human life and believes that everyone should die a natural death. The same principles that motivate him to oppose abortion also motivate him to oppose the death penalty. All life is valuable and the only way that the citizens can be sure an innocent person is never executed is by ending the death penalty completely (Brown 2). Roy Brown has a type of bias with his opposition of the death penalty. He is a Catholic so his religious views get in the way of his perspective on the use of capital punishment. Catholics believe that the fundamental respect for human life includes even those guilty of crimes. So Brown, as a Catholic, grew up disliking the death penalty as he has been taught in his religion to love human life. So his view with Catholicism might blur out how he truly views the use of the death penalty without religion involved. Brown, Roy. â€Å"Why Conservatives Should Oppose the Death Penalty.† The Daily Caller. The Daily Caller, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

The War in Uganda Essays

The War in Uganda Essays The War in Uganda Essay The War in Uganda Essay The War in Uganda â€Å"We make war that we may live in peace. † This is a quote that the famous Aristotle said but is this always true? The civil war that is currently going on in Uganda is a case that the war being made is not so the people can live in peace, but rather live in a country that is completely divided. The war in Uganda is driving the people of this country to vast extremes and far away from peace. Throughout this war, it has always been the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) against the government which causes more heart breaks and separation. But who is the LRA consisting of? How are the people of Uganda being affected? Can a country like this ever live in a state of peace? Is there anything that we, as Americans, can do? Are you wondering what happen in Uganda that started this ever-lasting war? Well it can be traced back to a woman named Alice Lakwena. (Invisible Children) Lakwena claims that the â€Å"holy spirit† came to her one night and told her to over throw the Ugandan government. After saying such an outrageous thing like this, the Ugandan government exiled her, and this is when things started to take a turn for the worse. A man by the name of Joseph Kony would become Lakwena’s understudy and would now pick up where she had left off, only this time the Ugandan government would not be strong enough to exile him. Kony claims that he was possessed by spirits, the same spirits that had â€Å"talked† to Lakwena soon before this. War would officially be on the horizon. Kony soon became hated by many, even by Lakwena. But if he was Lakwena’s understudy then why would she hate him? This is because the vision that Lakwena had was to over throw the government, not to kill the citizens of Uganda. Kony had officially made his own plan and nothing was going to stop him or get in his way. Imagine one day you and your sister are running around your village, your mom is making dinner in your hut, and your dad has been working all day to support the family. Things seem fine until the LRA come rampaging into your village; they kill your mother and father, rape your sister, and kidnap and force you to be a part of their army. This is what has been going on for almost thirty years, that’s Africa’s longest running war. But who is the LRA and how do they have so much power? The LRA is an army that Kony himself created. Their values were based on those that came from many sources, Christianity, Mysticism, various African faiths, and witchcraft. Kony took it upon himself to do everything in his power to make sure that the Ugandan government would be overruled. (Invisible Children) But wait, a man that was hated by many has an army that has caused a thirty-plus year war? How is this possible? Remember the fact I said about how they â€Å"kidnapped you and made you fight for them† well it turns out the 90% of the LRA are abducted children; this is how Kony supplies his army. This has brought nothing but devastation to Uganda as a whole. What is this doing to the country as a whole? Well the government forced the citizens of Uganda to evacuate their villages and homes and move to displacement camps where they would be safe. (Global Security) Although this was a step in the right direction, the children of Uganda have to walk over 3 miles to shelters just so they do not become yet another number added to the LRA. Another issue that has caused a serious state of depression and desperation is that these camps were, and still are, in horrible conditions where everyone is packed in like sardines. World Vision) How are the people of Uganda being affected? Just imagine your child being abducted and then coming back to your village and being told that he/she will be killed if they don’t kill you. After a while this would take a beating on one’s health and well being. Again one has to ask, can a country that seems to be centralized by war ever have p eace? Peace? Does Uganda even know what this word means anymore? Can and will there ever be peace again? As time goes by, year by year, Uganda is slowly inching closer to total peace. Since 2008, there have been many peace attempts, but full peace has not yet been achieved. The United States is finally taking action and realizing that this war must stop, not just for the sake of humanity but for the sake of the world’s peace. (Global Security) With the help of the United States and support from thousands and thousands of people who are involved in an organization called ‘Invisible Children’ (which does nothing but work with the Ugandan government to advance peace talks and treaties), the peace treaties are becoming more and more realistic. One has to be realistic and think can the LRA and the Ugandan government exist in the same proximity? Considering there have already been so many attempts at peace treaties, I think that sooner or later they will be able to live in harmony together again. Kony is realizing that he is vastly losing support and members of his army. One can clearly see that the war in Uganda can be ended and stopped for good, but it will take time and patients. The citizens of Uganda, excluding those involved in the LRA mean well and want what is best for their country as a whole. We, as Americans, can show our support for this country in need and show them that we will not walk away and act like this is not happening. Just think if you were in their shoes, no family, no clean water, packed in so tightly into a hut, and being forced to live in fear; wouldn’t you want someone to come and help you! This is a picture of a young boy who is in the LRA This is a picture of one of the displacement camps†¦. notice all the small cramped huts! These are members of the LRA planning where they will invade next.

1984 Summary

'1984' Summary There are few novels as influential as George Orwell’s 1984, which permeated pop culture with concepts like Big Brother and doublethink, while exploring the bleak future Orwell saw in totalitarianism. Part One 1984 begins with Winston Smith coming home to his small, run-down flat. At 39, Winston is old beyond his years and takes his time walking up the stairs, greeted at each landing by a poster stating BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. In his small flat he can dim the wall-sized telescreen and lower the volume but cannot turn it off. He keeps his back to it because it is a two-way screen. Winston lives in what is known as Airstrip One, formerly Britain, a province of a large nation-state known as Oceania. He looks out his window at the Ministry of Truth where he works revising historical records to conform with the new versions of history the government is always producing. Winston works hard to appear a dutiful and fervent member of the Party, but privately despises it and the world he lives in. He knows this makes him what is known as a thoughtcriminal and assumes he will inevitably be exposed and punished. Winston has purchased a diary from a shop in a proletariat (the lower class of people referred to as proles) neighborhood, and has discovered that the placement of the telescreen in his apartment allows for a small area where he cannot be observed. He skips lunch at the canteen in order to come home and write his forbidden thoughts in this diary out of the telescreen’s range. It is a small act of rebellion. Winston admits to a sexual attraction to a woman at the Ministry of Truth, Julia. He has not acted on his attraction because he thinks she might be spying on him, and suspects she would inform on him. He is also paranoid about his superior, a man named O’Brien whom he suspects is part of the Brotherhood, a resistance movement led by the famous terrorist Emmanuel Goldstein. Part Two When Winston goes to work the next day, he sees Julia with her arm in a sling. When she stumbles, he helps her, and she passes him a note that reads I Love You. He and Julia begin a sexual affair, which is forbidden by the Party; Julia is even a member of the Anti-Sex League. Their first encounter is in a rural area. Later they begin renting a room above the shop where Winston purchased his diary. It becomes clear to Winston that Julia despises the Party as much as he does. The affair sparks memories in Winston of the civil war and his ex-wife, Katharine. At work, Winston meets a colleague named Syme who tells him about the dictionary he is working on for the new official language, Newspeak. Syme tells Winston that Newspeak is designed to make it more difficult for people to think in complex ways. Winston expects that this sentiment will cause Syme to disappear, and a few days later Syme is gone. Winston and Julia create a private sanctuary in the rented room, and tell each other that they are already dead. They believe that the Party will discover their crimes and execute them, but that it cannot take away their feelings for each other. O’Brien contacts Winston, confirms his involvement with the Brotherhood, and invites him to be a part of the resistance. Winston and Julia go to O’Brien’s large, well-appointed home and take an oath to join the Brotherhood. O’Brien gives Winston a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein’s book. Winston and Julia spend their time together reading it, learning the truth behind how the Party maintains its hold on society. They also learn about the use of a technique called doublethink, which allows Party members to believe contradictory concepts with ease, and how history has been changed to support perpetual warfare, which is used to keep a permanent state of emergency in place for crowd control purposes. Goldstein also argues that a revolution would be possible if the proles rose up en masse to oppose the government. While in their rented room, Winston and Julia are denounced by the shop owner, a member of the Thought Police, and arrested. Part Three Winston and Julia are taken to the Ministry of Love for punishment, and learn that O’Brien is actually a loyal party member who poses as a supporter of The Brotherhood in order to expose the disloyal. O’Brien begins torturing Winston. O’Brien is very open about the Party’s desire for power, and tells Winston openly that once he is broken and forced to change his thoughts in support of the Party, he will be placed back into the world for a time as an example, and then killed when his usefulness in that capacity is exhausted. Winston endures horrific pain and psychological stress as he is forced to adopt obviously untrue positions, such as stating that 2 2 5. The goal of the torture is to force Winston to abandon logic in favor of absorbing and repeating whatever the Party tells him. Winston confesses to a lengthy list of imaginary crimes. Winston breaks, but O’Brien is not satisfied, as Winston defiantly tells him that he still loves Julia and O’Brien cannot take that away from him. O’Brien tells him he will betray Julia in Room 101. Winston is taken there, and O’Brien reveals that they know everything there is to know about Winston- including his greatest irrational fear, rats. A wire cage is fitted over his face, and rats are placed in the cage. O’Brien tells Winston that the rats will gouge out his eyes and Winston loses the last bits of his sanity in terror, and just as the rats are coming for him he tells O’Brien to substitute Julia. Having betrayed Julia completely, Winston is truly broken. He is re-educated and released. He spends his days drinking heavily at a cafe. A few days later he meets Julia in a park, and they discuss their torture. Julia admits that she broke as well, and betrayed him. They both realize that their love for one another has been destroyed. They no longer care for each other as they once did. Winston goes to a cafe and sits there alone as the telescreens report an important victory for Oceania in the war against Eurasia. Winston is happy and has no more thoughts of rebellion, thinking that he loves Big Brother, and cannot wait to finally be executed.

Implementation of Online Contract Regulations in Turkey Dissertation

Implementation of Online Contract Regulations in Turkey - Dissertation Example 28 2.2 Why does EU require such Distance Selling Directive and EC Regulations? 30 2.3 Are these Regulations up to date? 30 2.4 Are there any international conventions or Cases regarding Online Contracts and Terms & Conditions? 2.5 Are the articles of regulations protective enough for consumers and Tradesmen? 30 3 Conclusion 32 4 Bibliography 33 List of Case Laws Appliance Zone LLC v. Nextag, Inc Baillie Estates Ltd v DuPont (UK) Ltd C R Smith Ltd v Toolcom Supplies Ltd and F Hines v. Overstock.com, Inc Dailymotion v Nord Quest Production Dailymotion v Ronald Magdane, eBay v L’Oreal Fisher v Bell Frank Peterson v YouTube, Google France v Louis Vuitton Malletier SA Hadley v Baxendale Hines v. Overstock.com, Inc Mackenzie Patten & Co v. British Olivetti Ltd, PDC Laboratories, Inc v. Hach Co Pharmaceutical Society v Boots Photo Production Ltd v. Securicor Transport Ltd Salvage Association Salvage Association v. Cap Financial Services Ltd Saphena Computing Ltd v. Allied Collection Agencies Ltd Scherillo v. Dun & Bradstreet St. Albans City St.Albans City v. International Computers Ltd Telecom Italia v Dargaud Lombard Thorton v. Shoe Lane Parking Ltd Youtube v Telecinco List of Statutes International Laws The United Nations Conventions on Contracts for International [Sale of Goods (CISG) UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communication in International Contracts, 2005 UNICITRAL (United Nations Commision on International Trade Law ) UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contract Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (UNCITRAL, 1980) UK Laws Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulation 2000 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990 Sale of Goods Act, 1979 The Data Protection Act 1998 Regulations Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 EU Directives and Laws Consumer Rights Directive (EU Directive 2011/83/EU) EU Council Directive on Unfair terms in contracts EU directive 2000/31/EC EU Directive of Electronic Commerce 2000 2000 EU Services Directive, 2010 EU’s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive The Consumer Protection ( Distance Selling) The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 The European Directive on Distance Selling (Directive 97/7/EC) 1. Rules relating to incorporation of Terms & Conditions for Online Contracts in the UK 1.1. â€Å"What is Online Contract?† In this era of e-commerce and the internet, online contract has become very common. Now, people from any part of the world can buy a product or service from the supplier from another part of the world like Amazon.com or e-bay. Online contracts are those that are being entered through a technological medium or through the internet. The terms and conditions of online contracts are almost analogues to that of offline contracts. Online contracts are also referred as e-contracts or electronic contracts. Online cont racts must cater the same fundamental needs of a valid contract like offer, acceptance, valid agreement, price or consideration, capacity to contract and legality. The same obligations have to be

Technology and Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Technology and Human Resources - Essay Example These laws clearly stipulate that the applicant’s proposal to be included among those being evaluated for placement as front desk position be justly considered without focusing on age or disability; but on similar requirements and qualifications (educational background, skills, work experiences, etc.) noted for the identified position. In no way should be employer disregard the applicant’s intention to apply due to neither age nor disability. Likewise, if the position expressly require escorting visitors to identified departments within the hospital setting, the reasonable accommodation clause addresses any challenging concerns by making sure that despite being confined in a wheelchair, the applicant could, in fact, escort visitors since the hospital has been designed to ensure that â€Å"existing facilities used by employees (are) readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities† (U.S. EEOC, n.d., p. 1). Therefore, the applicant’s application should be handled based on qualifications deemed essential in undertaking â€Å"the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires† (U.S. EEOC, n.d., p. 1) without disregarding the application due to age nor