LAY CONCEPTS OF HEALTH Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Particularly, Herzlich (1973) discovered that lay people linked illness and health to lifestyle: the participants shared the belief that stress, fatigue, and other adverse tensions associated with urban living could either exacerbate an illness caused by other factors or generate an illness on their own. Based on this finding Herzlich (1973) justified the lay concept of duality of health. According to that concept, health is an endogenous (within a person) thing maintaining of which requires constant struggle against a variety of exogenous (external) factors that cause illness. A series of subsequent studies further explored the links revealed by Herzlich (1973) across a range of ages, sexes, occupations, social classes, cultural backgrounds and other variables to discover the most essential features of lay beliefs about health and illness. Most of these studies exposed the variation between lay perception of health and illness and direct social and material conditions of participants. The origins of lay conceptions of health were also identified. These findings were brilliantly summarized by Stacey (1988) in the following statement: â€Å"Ordinary people develop explanatory theories to account for their material, social and bodily circumstances. We will write a custom essay sample on LAY CONCEPTS OF HEALTH or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now These they apply to themselves as individuals, but in developing them they draw on all sorts of knowledge and wisdom, some of it derived from their own experience, some of it handed on by word of mouth, other parts of it derived from highly trained practitioners. Thus lay explanations go beyond common sense, in that explanations beyond the immediately obvious are included† (p. 142). Perception of health as functional capacity is also a common characteristic of lay health beliefs (Blaxter, 2004). Lay people treat ‘good health’ as the ability to normally fulfill the duties inherent in their social and/or economic roles. This means that health may be perceived as the absence of illness on the one hand and as the ability to successfully cope with one’s duties despite illness. Such concept of health is predominantly shared by representatives of the middle class and the elderly who, therefore, viewed health as a sort of reserve e nabling them to cope with illnesses. By contrast, those people who have poor health are less likely to adopt the functional conception of health (Blaxter, 2004). The notion of so-called ‘candidacy’ is an important feature of lay health concept. This notion is used by lay persons to explain relative risk of illness and effectiveness of preventive behaviours.

Technology And Technology - 1218 Words

Technology may sound like a modern and futuristic term, but it has existed as long as innovation has existed. A cave man using a stone to grind up wheat is just as much an application of technology as Tesla’s implementation of self driving cars. The invention and utilization of the wheel is as technological as the invention of the smartphone. Every type of innovation and invention can be traced back to a point in time where someone saw a way to apply their knowledge to something. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of technology is the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area. For the longest time I always thought of technology as strictly being associated with electronics. That’s before I actually†¦show more content†¦While technology can play a beneficial role in the way it affects our society, there are also some aspects of innovation that have a negative effect on our well being. Innovator and inventor, Alfred Nobel was a swedish man who specialized in construction. You may know him by his last name which is used for one of the most prestigious awards on our planet. Most people don’t know why this man decide to create this peace prize, but the answer to that is how he used technology. Nobel found out that by mixing two certain chemicals together he could create, you guessed it, dynomite. This was a great thing for Nobel as his company was essentially based on construction and dynamite really helped out when things needed to be blown up. The only problem with this was it was quickly used as a weapon and took many lives, especially in that time era. So Nobel decided to create the peace prize to balance out the damage he inflicted on our society. Some people may argue whether or not this is a good example of ‘technology gone bad’, but it just goes to show that innovation and advancements could have negative side effects. Nuclear weaponry is another prime example of â€Å"dangerous† technology. Yes, nuclear weapons helps our military maintain a sense of deterrence, but what happens when the bad guys get smart enough to get their hands on the technology as well?Show MoreRelatedTechnology And Technology907 Words   |  4 PagesOther Name With the advancements of technology, what past generations have defined as traditionally being ‘intelligent’ is outdated in today’s age and Millennials have found new ways to be just as capable as the old generation. Elevating learning in a way that was once unimaginable in the past, technology is forging a path to open a brighter future built on achieving knowledge by technology and Millennials are taking wide strides across that path. Has technology truly been nothing, but a detrimentRead MoreTechnology And Conversation : Technology971 Words   |  4 PagesRyan Fletcher 09/21/2015 Essay 1 Technology and conversation It is amazing how everyone’s life is changing by through us of technology. â€Å"Technology by definition means, the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science†(Technology). Today people use different kinds of technology like: cellphones, iPods, laptopsRead MoreTechnology And Modern Technology1392 Words   |  6 PagesWhen I see children as little as two using technology, I get worried. My niece Savanna loves having touch screens in her little hands, but it makes me wonder if her childhood could be wasted on the constantly developing technology of today. When I was a child, it was typical to go outside, get a little dirty, run around and have fun outside. Sadly, not all children are the same. How will these children feel? Will they be glad they were a part of the â€Å"app generation† or will they regret it later onRead MoreTechnology And Application Of Technologies Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesNew technology and application of technologies can enhance your professional Personal, and academic productivity in many ways. In the professional hospital setting technology has greatly increased patient satisfaction and safety. In a personal setting technologies have changes the way many people live, care for their families and pay bills. New technology has also greatly improved the academics with online classes, research, and. These new technological advances have greatly improved the way I canRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Technology957 Words   |  4 PagesAre we becoming way too dependent on technology and allowing it to take over our lives? The majority of people own at least one or more of these devices: a computer, laptop, tablet, or a cell phone. So man y people seem unable to function through their daily routine without having access to some form of technology device. I’m willing to bet that you have at least two of these devices in your home, too. Now, stop and think about how often we use technology devices throughout the day. As a result ofRead MoreTechnology And Technology Essay780 Words   |  4 Pages Technology Men who were exposed to electromagnetic radiation from laptop Wi-Fi for four hours had sperm with DNA damage and decreased motility. Technology can be good but as the saying goes, a little too much of something can be bad. Technology is great but can have a huge impact on an individual. Too much technology can even affect families and the way people communicate and socialize with them. All of this can also affect people in the long run. How would someone’s life be if all they do is surroundRead MoreTechnology And Its Effects On Technology1411 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology and its Effects The term technology originated from the Greek word ‘technologia’. Technology refers to the use of machines and various tools that make our daily work lives simpler, easier and organized. The word also refers to the different tools, gadgets, and resources used by humans so as to help them control and adapt to their environment appropriately (Bridgman, 5}. Technology also refers to the knowledge of techniques and processes and is embedded mostly in machines used as factorsRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Technology971 Words   |  4 Pagesme, the technology is just like a door which brings me to an absolutely new world. It is also like a wire that connects me and the outside world. The first thing that I do before getting up and the last thing that I do before going asleep is checking my cell phone. Every day, I do homework, write blogs, send and receive emails, take photos, know about the latest news, and chat with friends with the aid of technologies. My attitude toward technology is complex. I am obsessed with technology which makesRead MoreTechnology And Society : Technology888 Words   |  4 PagesTechnology and Society Technology has played an integral part in shaping society in many different ways. Throughout history, technological inventions have changed everything from the way humans are clothed and fed to the very ways we communicate and interact as a species. Examining the effects technology has on society illustrate both how technology shapes culture and society and how society can affect future technology. This can be seen by examining a few of the major technological innovations inRead MoreEssay On Technology And Technology787 Words   |  4 Pages Technology affects todays work environment greatly and effectively. As the years go on, more jobs become available everyday in many work forces. Not only the job itself can require technology, but the job application is mostly recommended online. Even as the generation goes on, kids these days are being brought up with the technology as well. This is bringing the up rise of technology to the work force and military currently. Applications being online now have its pros and cons. Its very accessible

Current Issues Or Challenges Faced By Resort-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Current Issues Or Challenges Faced By Resort? Answer: Introduction This study deals with analyzing the current issues or challenges faced by resort and spa industry in and across Australia (Zeng and Gerritsen 2014). In this particular assignment, proper emphasis has been given on understanding each of the issues in detail and providing proper recommendations at the same time. The current segment elucidates emerging trends or future opportunities in resort and spa industry. One of the key insights that had been noted in the study is increase growth rate in resort and spa industry. This industry faces increased competition as compared to other sectors. There are various reasons for increased competition in resort and spa industry (Vila, Darcy and Gonzlez 2015). A majority of resort and spa business attribute industry growth that links with growing foodie culture captivating Australians. Other factors that are mentioned in the study are promoting a growth in competition that is local population growth as well as higher consumer demand. The growth in re sort and spa industry and increased competition could be a contributing factor in the hospitality business that has the ability to attract as well as retaining customers. Tourism is one of the sources of income for Australia and continues to grow in terms of scale as well as scope (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). There is significant rise in resort and spa industry development over few past decades as it is one of the most social, cultural phenomenon and economic factors in Australia. Current issues or challenges that affect Resort and Spa Industry in Australia The resort and spa industry is booming but research shows that there are still lots of factors that limit the success of Australian hospitality business. Individuals such as owners, managers as well as head chefs and staff members has lot to say about their own restaurants, nightclubs and pubs. There are various issues that affect the functioning of resort and spa industry such as increased competition as well as operating costs that impact the success of resort and spa industry as a whole (Weir 2017). There are various challenges that are faced by resort and spa industry and these are mentioned below: Labor and skill shortage- One of the issues or challenge that affects the operations of resort and spa industry in Australia is shortage of labor and essential skills. It is noted that there had been an issue to attract and retain qualified workers in resort and spa industry in an isolated markets and become a global challenge (Vila, Darcy and Gonzlez 2015). Technology- The major factor that governs technological issue faced by resort and spa industry is the complexity that is present in the hotel environment. There is lack of awareness of how much efficiency can be improved by use of modern integrated systems (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). Capital availability- It is noted that capital provides asset liquidity as well as help in developing resort hotels in Australia. Increased resort and spa industry enhances the asset values as well as lowering returns. Most of the factor affects the amount, capital availability and timing at the same time (Vila, Darcy and Gonzlez 2015). Solution and recommendations for each issue identified The above issues mentioned can be reduced to some extent and elaborated as under: Resort and spa industry need to develop internal programs for creating attractive career paths so that the potential candidates can see this industry as a professional development opportunity. (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). This industry need to recruit for entry level position that is easy to recruit when the recruiter outline the career path as well as point the mangers the key responsibilities for the line position. Australia and many other nations believe in offering guest worker programs that recruit seasonal workers for a period of 10 months. Resort and spa industry is a labor intensive business as well as automation opportunities that are limited by nature. It needs to reconfigure work process and then sharing the benefits of increased productivity that can have positive results (Vila, Darcy and Gonzlez 2015). Both cross-training as well as cross-utilization are nowhere a new concept but they are good one. Here, employees are expected to master the skills for their own positions but receive pay rise when they have become certified in other jobs. The employees who are trained can fill in the place wherever needed by the industry during peak times and have their own horizons through cross departmental training. In recent business environment, operators are finding ways for competing with the workers as hard as they compete with the customers (Smith and Puczk 2014). It is important to develop a positive work environment with real opportunities for advancement as well as combined with creative strategies for recruiting and improving employee productivity that increases the essential skills where the workforce continues to shrink in the near future. With the emergence of technology, the resort and spa industry is able to grow in the present environment where people are aware of the services any resort provides. Online booking as well as mobile applications should be used by resort companies (Smith and Puczk 2014). Use of these applications will enable the guests to leave digital footprints and get accessed to data for targeted promotions as well as individualized messaging. Most of the spa industry today pride themselves on being high touch rather than high tech but they mainly engages the guests through use of social media as well as online booking capabilities that enhances relevance (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). Efficient flow of capital into the resort and spa industry will help he industry to overcome the difficulties. In addition, supply, demand as well as profitability and yields relatively and get access to positive consequences on the operating as well as asset sides of the market. Furthermore, maturation of the expansionary cycle of Resort and spa industry that result in a moderation in capital availability as well as increase in capital costs. It is important to be aware of the present trends that enable investors for planning ahead as well as taking advantage of capital market conditions (Baum 2016). Emerging trends within the Resort and Spa Industry Resort and spa industry belong to challenging economic climate where the companies aims to deliver quality customer service as well as producing a positive bottom line. Existing and future trends of Resort and spa industry in Australia are listed below with proper justification: There is significant shift on the part of consumers towards wellness as well as preventive health that is an alternative to pampering that drives according to the needs of consumers (Mok, Sparks and Kadampully 2013). This takes into account increased comfort level that follows spa procedures as well as incorporates this for preventing treatments and services. The services provided will help in driving a collaborative approach with the Resort and spa industry. Nowadays, consumers are more concerned about their health and sensitive to price as well that drive a closer collaboration between spas as well as healthcare sector. Therefore, Resort and spa industry continue to increase the role in wellness to provide spa offerings in the near future (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). Recently, consumers expect proactive approach from Resort and spa industry after addressing environmental concerns (Buhalis and Crotts 2013). The Resort and spa industry trend will not disappear anytime soon. The majority of delegates from Resort and spa industry report that environmental responsibility will have a significant influence on the future business activities. New and innovative ways are present in Resort and spa industry that is used for relaxation as well as delivering services for promoting business that are increasing at rapid pace. In addition, the use of spa credits help in increasing the bookings or building into the room rate where spa treatment is becoming more viable (Cheer and Lew 2017). Most of the consumers that go for spa treatment actually want to de-stress. Here, spa menus reflect the ongoing trend through their offerings such as Yoga, relaxation massages and meditation that is more viable and this trend will continue well in the near future (McPhail et al. 2015). Consumers will show interest in getting access to value-added deals that include discount on services. It is important for getting involved in new and innovative promotions that mainly focus on creating a full-day experience. It is important for setting menu pricing of consumer awareness as well as local competition (Chon 2013). Justification of effects of trends on the future of the resort and spa industry The future trends in resort and spa industry is greener as well as eco-lodgings. In addition, it is important to develop more resort and spa services (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). The resort and spa industry should use advanced technology by using guest virtual footprint for performing all the operations in the most appropriate way. This sector has the opportunity for employment and should increase the salaries for retention of existing staff members. It is important to put more emphasis on internet as well as technology (Leung et al. 2013). Furthermore, virtual as well as physical social network of guests will be the best distribution channels. There is a global increase in resort and spa industry in term of tourist arrivals as well as tourism expenditure. In addition, the future trends will affect resort and spa industry in various ways such as increased concern with guests safety and security, diversity in the workforce composition as well as significance of outstanding services that leads to additional opportunities for increase revenue (Cocolas, Walters and Ruhanen 2016). Resort and spa industry have evolved into sophisticated as well as disciplined tools that is capable of helping guests and generate revenues as well as reaching much improved level of efficiency (Frost, Laing and Beeton 2014). The impact of changing demographics on resort and spa industry on travel trends in the sector that remains unaffected. There are recent changes in the demographic environment that holds for main implications for resort and spa industry. There are various factors identified that affect the profitability of resort and spa industry that is in control of individuals such as hotel owners and operators for mitigating the impact. The greatest challenge will be to move from consciousness based on fear as well as separation based on love and connection (Wirahardja, Turner and Richardson 2016). Australian need to work hard for improving its tourism infrastructure as well as revamping in hotels and boosting service standards so that resort and spa industry cope with the i nflux of tourists over years. Fast changing consumer habits as well as attitude had kept resort and spa industry for bringing changes for attainment of future goals and objectives. Resort and spa industry grew out of the desire that attracts both consumers as a genuine career opportunity. It is important to highlight wide variety of entry paths to resort and spa industry as well as enables potential recruits for hearing from leaders in the industry for deciding over the career paths (Fletcher, Pforr and Brueckner 2016). Conclusion At the end of the study, it is concluded that resort and spa industry face strong competition from other forms of accommodation. In addition, increased inbound tourism actually benefits the industry players over the past 5 years. On analysis, it is noted that China has become Australias most valuable inbound market as far as expenditure is concerned. Resort and spa industry has rebounded over past 5 years that recovers from a period of sluggish growth during previous years. In addition, the depreciation in Australian dollar as well as rising discretionary incomes have encouraged a greater number of Australian residents for travelling domestically over the period of 5 years that had boosted demand from domestic leisure tourists. Furthermore, business tourist nights increase as it is increased and rising due to optimism during financial conditions that reflects in a large positive business confidence index for past 5 years. The most important for resort and spa industry are having loya l customer base, proximity to key markets as well as access to multi-skilled and flexible workforce. Reference List Baum, T. ., 2016.Human resource issues in international tourism. Elsevier. Buhalis, D. and Crotts, J., 2013.Global alliances in tourism and hospitality management. Routledge. Cheer, J.M. and Lew, A.A.., 2017.Tourism, Resilience and Sustainability: Adapting to Social, Political and Economic Change. Routledge. Chon, K.S., 2013.Tourism in Southeast Asia: A new direction. Routledge. Cocolas, N., Walters, G. and Ruhanen, L., 2016. Behavioural adaptation to climate change among winter alpine tourists: an analysis of tourist motivations and leisure substitutability.Journal of Sustainable Tourism,24(6), pp.846-865. Fletcher, C., Pforr, C. and Brueckner, M., 2016. Factors influencing Indigenous engagement in tourism development: an international perspective.Journal of Sustainable Tourism,24(8-9), pp.1100-1120. Frost, W., Laing, J. and Beeton, S., 2014. The future of nature-based tourism in the Asia-Pacific region.Journal of Travel Research,53(6), pp.721-732. Leung, D., Law, R., Van Hoof, H. and Buhalis, D., 2013. Social media in tourism and hospitality: A literature review.Journal of Travel Tourism Marketing,30(1-2), pp.3-22. McPhail, R., Patiar, A., Herington, C., Creed, P. and Davidson, M., 2015. Development and initial validation of a hospitality employees job satisfaction index: Evidence from Australia.I Mok, C., Sparks, B. and Kadampully, J., 2013.Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Smith, M. and Puczk, L., 2014.Health, tourism and hospitality: Spas, wellness and medical travel. Routledge. Smith, M. and Puczk, L., 2014.Health, tourism and hospitality: Spas, wellness and medical travel. Routledge.nternational Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(8), pp.1814-1838. Vila, T.D., Darcy, S. and Gonzlez, E.A., 2015. Competing for the disability tourism marketa comparative exploration of the factors of accessible tourism competitiveness in Spain and Australia.Tourism Management,47, pp.261-272.d Hospitality: The Impact of Emerging Markets and Emerging Destinations, p.632. Weir, B., 2017. Climate change and tourismAre we forgetting lessons from the past?.Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management,32, pp.108-114. Wirahardja, F., Turner, G. and Richardson, S., 2016. Who will stay in the hospitality industry?: A blue mountains international hotel management school case study.CAUTHE 2016: The Changing Landscape of Tourism an Zeng, B. and Gerritsen, R., 2014. What do we know about social media in tourism? A review.Tourism Management Perspectives,10, pp.27-36.

Paradise Lost Censorship and Hypocrisy free essay sample

I love movies. I especially adore those films with an artistic, literary quality that is timeless and classical. In my experience, Italian movies seldom fail to evoke such feelings in me, and Cinema Paradiso was no disappointment. This heartwarming story about a little boy’s love affair with movies, and his subsequent coming-of-age in the repressive environment of ecclesiastical censorship and hypocrisy stirred great emotion in me, as I expected it would. The young Toto made me feel his awe as he attempted to see the forbidden film images hidden from him by his friend Alfredo at the behest of the town priest. The issue of censorship ran deep throughout the film. I believe censorship can actually provide a valid function in a community in some circumstances and situations, such as the protection of children from harmful imagery, literature or speech. Pornography, for example, can and should have its availability limited only to consenting adults. We will write a custom essay sample on Paradise Lost: Censorship and Hypocrisy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Falsely holding oneself out to be someone else, fraud, is also certainly not a protected form of free speech and should be censored. As a staunch civil libertarian, I have always believed that communities should set their own standards on censorship as much as possible. However as Rosenblatt (2002) points out in his persuasive essay about Cinema Paradiso, without the neutral and objective oversight of outsiders – such as the United States Supreme Court – even well-intentioned censorship can become repressive. Even in the movie, little Toto’s friend Alfredo felt that the local priest’s strictures were repressive. He told Toto, â€Å"You leave [the village] or you will never find your life in so narrow-minded a place. † The priest’s attempts to protect the town from movies’ love scenes were presented in a comical manner in the film, and certainly they were ridiculous, but not only for the way the scenes were produced. The censorship struck me as hypocritical and nonsensical if viewed as necessary to protect the morality of the community. For example, very early in the film we see young Toto stealing peeks into Alfredo’s projection booth. The boy sees many of the very scenes he is not supposed to be seeing. Later, he views by candlelight some of the frames the censor/priest demanded Alfredo remove from the films. But Toto does this in full view of his mother who seems more concerned with the fire hazard Toto creates than in his viewing of forbidden imagery. Clearly the priest’s attempts to protect Toto from the sordid scenes were ineffective. In at least one place in Cinema Paradiso, the omitted kiss scene was followed immediately by violent slapstick comedy. The teacher at Toto’s school severely beat and emotionally abused a young man named Boccia because he was poor at math. Toto’s mother physically abused Toto when she discovered he had spent the milk money on movies. In both cases, it seemed that no one had any problem with physical violence, even against children. Frequently in the movie several men in the audience laughed and jeered at the missing love scenes in the movies they were watching, knowing exactly what was missing from the film. It struck me as hypocritical that a community would see fit to strike scenes of love – kissing – from movies (even though everyone knew exactly what was being struck) while having no problem with actual physical violence. Lastly, I found it hypocritical that this town’s people would publicly vilify a family for being nominally â€Å"Stalinist† or â€Å"Communist† while ignoring the actual Stalin-esque repression in their midst. The scene in which the people wanted very much to see the movie playing at the Cinema Paradiso, but were turned away, was a good example of this. The filmmakers clearly wanted to portray the inappropriateness of the town’s hypocritical censorship and repression because they gave us such powerfully symbolic clues. As a result of Alfredo’s defiant act of projecting the movie into the street for the people, he inadvertently started a fire that burned down the old theater and cost him his sight. The man who defied the censorship of the town, symbolized by the refusal of the cinema’s owners to allow people in the street to see the film, and who provided them the vision of the movie (and Toto’s vision of becoming a filmmaker) – lost his vision. And his vision he lost in a fire, an intense symbol of purging, repression, or censorship.

Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor

Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor Essay on English Portfolio Metaphor Yasmine Shahbazi English II Mr. Paulsen 15 May 2013 English Portfolio Metaphor Sophomore year has definitely been peculiar to say the least. It has come with great challenges, some overcome, and some not; one thing for sure, it was no walk in the park. Managing to get through this year has been like a poker game. You deal or are dealt to. It includes skill and luck. You bet, check, bluff, and raise. You learn from those you play with. Sometimes you win with a pair or lose with a full house. But whatever happens, it's best to keep on shuffling along. (tying in metaphor to this year don’t know where to put it in essay)******Sophomore year required times when I had to deal with certain situations solely by myself and yet there were other times when I had the reliability of my teachers to help me. This year made me study to the point where my brain physicaly hurt to get a successful grade, or I wouldn’t study at all and somehow do fine. I took risks, yet there were moments when I was insecure. I relied immensely on my peers who always encouraged me to try the best I could. There were tests I would get A’s on, and tests I would fail. But finally by the end of the year, I learned to let whatever happens happen as long as I tried my hardest.**** Over this past year, I know I have truly changed as a whole. I used to be so insecure, and the things that used to be so important to me before are completely irrelevant now. I remember the struggles I had when I was a freshman, not my best time. I was doing horribly in school and no matter how hard I tried, my grades continued to tumble. I remember sitting there with my friends after first semester was over having ended with a 2.8 gpa, and one of my friends was claiming it to be the end of the world because she had one A- along with the rest of her A’s. I was so embarrassed knowing I was by far the dumbest one in that room, I remember sitting there thinking could I quite possibly be the stupidest person in our grade? I feel like Sage is the complete opposite of the typical stereotype of highschool, that if your not smart at sage your a loser. I just always felt people thought I purposely wasn’t trying when I want nothing more than to have good grades! And then theres t he annoyance of people who don’t try at all and get perfect grades while I am studying as hard as I can to only do at best mediocre. For example, my friend and I both had a science test the next day. I had been sitting in my room for ours studying the material ready to have a nervous breakdown when I get a call from that friend asking if I want to go to dinner and the mall that night. When I ask her about the test, she said she hasn’t studied yet and shes just going to fail. Next day, I get an 80 and she gets a 98. This is so frustrating to me and when I am at my worst it seems like the most unfair thing in the world to me. These thoughts and frustrations continued to fluster my mind for the rest of freshman year. I constantly put myself down and was always severly stressed out about my future. Hearing all of my friends talking about all of the extracurricular activites and community service they already have as freshman when I had none. I had very overdramatic days w hen I honestly thought I would not get into college. After a long summer break, going into sophomore year was a way easier transition than I thought. Everything that I was constantly worried and stressed out about freshman year never factored in and I still don’t know why. I have been trying my hardest and for the most part, it has proved to be successful! Not going to lie, I feel a lot better about myself when I hear my friends saying how they think sophomore year is a lot more challenging than freshman year when I feel that I am doing okay! I do not mean to downplay it, however. Sophomore year is slightly less challenging, but its still not easy. And I don’t think that the

Biography of Brian Cox, Physicist

Biography of Brian Cox, Physicist Physics has had a number of figures who have not only advanced scientists understanding of the universe but also pushed forward a greater understanding of complex scientific questions among the general population. Think of Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, and Stephen Hawking, all of whom stood out from among the crowd of stereotypical physicists to present physics to the world in their distinctive styles and found an audience of non-scientists for whom their presentations strongly resonated. Though not yet as accomplished as these iconic physicists, British particle physicist Brian Cox certainly fits the profile of the celebrity scientist. He rose to prominence first as a member of British rock bands in the early 1990s before ultimately transitioning to work as an experimental physicist, exploring the cutting edge of particle physics. Though well-respected among physicists, it is his work as an advocate for science communication and education in which he really stands out from the crowd. He is a popular figure in British (and worldwide) media discussing matters of scientific importance, not only in the realm of physics but also more broadly on subjects of public policy and embracing secular principles of rationality. General Information Birthdate: March 3, 1968 Nationality: English Spouse: Gia Milinovich Music Career Brian Cox was a member of the rock band Dare in 1989 until the band split up in 1992. In 1993, he joined the UK rock band D:Ream, which had a number of hits, including the number one Things Can Only Get Better, which went on to be used as a political election anthem in England. D:Ream disbanded in 1997, at which point Cox (who had been studying physics all along and earned his Ph.D.) went on to practicing physics full time. Physics Work Brian Cox received his doctorate in physics from the University of Manchester, completing his thesis in 1998. In 2005, he was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. He splits his time between work at the University of Manchester and at the CERN facility in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the Large Hadron Collider. Coxs work is on both the ATLAS experiment  and the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. Popularizing Science Brian Cox has not only performed extensive research, but has also worked hard to help popularize science to lay audiences, especially through repeated appearances on the BBC programs such as The Big Bang Machine. In 2014, Brian Cox hosted a BBC Two 5-part television miniseries,  The Human Universe, which explored humanitys place in the universe by exploring the history of our growth as a species and also tackling existential questions such as Why are we here? and What is our future? He also released a book, called  The Human Universe  (co-authored with Andrew Cohen), in 2014. Two of his speeches are available as TED lectures, where he explains the physics being performed (or not being performed) at the Large Hadron Collider. He has co-authored the following books with fellow British physicist Jeff Forshaw: Why Does Emc2 (And Why Do We Care?) (2009)The Quantum Universe (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does) (2011) He is also a co-host of the popular BBC radio program Infinite Monkey Cage, which is released worldwide as a podcast. In this program, Brian Cox joins with British actor Robin Ince and other guests of renown (and sometimes scientific expertise) to discuss subjects of scientific interest with a comedic twist. Awards and Recognition International Fellow of The Explorers Club, 2002Lord Kelvin prize from the British Association (for his work popularizing science), 2006Institute of Physics Kelvin Prize, 2010Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), 2010Institute of Physics Presidents medal, 2012Royal Societys Michael Faraday Prize, 2012 In addition to the above awards, Brian Cox has been recognized with a variety of honorary degrees.

Agents and Representatives in Budgeting Process Research Proposal

Agents and Representatives in Budgeting Process - Research Proposal Example The role of agents in budgeting is of great significance and, hence, should not be overlooked. During the preparations of the annual budgets and reports from all the state organs, profit, and non-profit enterprises, all the stakeholders are represented via agents. The representing agents should be individuals with deep understanding of finance and knowledgeable in accounting. It is the participation of all the agents representing the relevant institutions in the budgetary process that is commonly referred to as departmental agency budgeting (Goodman and Clynch, 2004). This process entails four major stages, namely: i. Comprehensive Fiscal Policy Formulation Under this umbrella, the overarching institutional objectives are formulated and determined. It is these policies that regulates the decision making process regarding aggregate expenditure and revenue of the firm. ii. Preparation and Enactment of the Budget It is in this stage that the government decides on proportions of financia l allocation to be advanced to each agent, and also the government outlines the purpose for which the funds are allocated to a given agent. The guiding principles relating to these are set out clearly by the legislations enacted by the state. iii. Budgetary Execution This is the actual stage in budgeting. It involves carrying out the stipulated expenditure as developed in the budget plan. It is in this stage that contractual agreements are signed between the budgetary committee and the contractors (Goodman and Clynch, 2004). iv. Accounting, Auditing, and Reporting This being the final stage in budgeting, it is the post-ante process of preparing the accounting records regarding revenues and expenditures executed by the organization within a given fiscal period. These records must have been audited by both internal and hired external experts/auditors to ensure that they meet the international accounting and auditing standards. The final reports (audited reports) are then presented to the financers, government agencies, ministers, the public and the parliament. Objectives of Budgeting The following are the key objectives of budgeting: Sound Macro-Fiscal Result: This forms the backbone to aggregate fiscal policy objective in budgeting. To ensure fiscal sustainability, sound fiscal policies must be put in place to regulate financial operations and to ensure that organization short-term debts are paid when they fall due. This policy also acts as macro-stabilizer to the economy by regulating taxation policies during boom and recession. Appropriate Expenditure Prioritization: This policy advocates for effective allocation of resources to those projects that are deemed socially profitable. The corollary under this objective is to avoid misallocation of resources especially to least priority sectors of the economy, but instead to maximize on the social gains. Service Efficiency and Effectiveness: This implies that the state services delivery is made more efficient and e ffective in a manner that is socially justifiable and acceptable by all the stakeholders. 1. Budget Overview Taking an example of HIV/AIDS funding program, during the financial allocation process, all the departments involved must have their representative on board.

Treasury, Foreign Exchange and Financilization Essay

Treasury, Foreign Exchange and Financilization - Essay Example & O’Connell 2001) Therefore the PPP of country C with respect to the US dollar is as follows: Year PPP of country C with respect to US dollar 2003 1.02 2004 1.01 2005 1.01 2006 1.02 2007 1.01 The inflation rates for country D from 2003-2007 are as follows: (Mathis, Keat & O’Connell 2001) Therefore the PPP for country D with respect to the US dollar is: Year PPP of country D with respect to the US dollar 2003 0.99 2004 1.01 2005 0.98 2006 0.98 2007 0.99 Thus, these were the respective inflation rates of the countries A, B, C, D and their purchasing power parities calculated with respect to the US dollar. (b) The Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Theory states that the exchange rate between the currencies of two countries is in equilibrium when their purchasing power is equivalent in both the countries. Let there be a fixed basket of goods and services and then let us determine the price of this common basket in both the countries. Then the exchange rate between the currencie s of the two countries should be equal to the ratio of the price levels of the two nations. PPP theory also states that when a country is subject to inflation i.e. there is a continuous increase in the level of domestic prices of the country, there should be depreciation in the country’s exchange rate in order to restore PPP. (The University of British Columbia 2011) We can see from the data in the case study, that while country A has experienced inflation from 2003-2007, the exchange rate of its currency with respect to the US dollar has depreciated during the same period (except for 2007). Thus, the PPP theory held true for country A. In country B also, as it was experiencing inflation during 2003-2007, the exchange rates of its currency with respect to the US dollar has devalued over the period (except for 2005). Thus the PPP theory held true in the case of country B also. As country C was going through a period of inflation from 2003-2007, the exchange rate between its cu rrency and the US dollar also underwent devaluation during the same period (except for 2005). Thus, for country C also, the PPP theory held good. In the case of country D, as it experienced inflation during 2003-2007, the exchange rate between its own currency and the US dollar remained the same in 2004 but devalued after that during the successive years. Thus the PPP theory also held good for country D. Therefore, the PPP theory held good for all the countries A, B, C, D. (c) The US dollar prime lending rate during 2002-2007 was as follows: Year US dollar lending prime rate 2002 4.67 2003 4.12 2004 4.34 2005 6.19 2006 7.96 2007 8.05 (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 2011) The

Why Teens Smoke Cigarettes Essay Example for Free

Why Teens Smoke Cigarettes Essay According to the BaiDu, more than 80,000 young people around the world start smoking every day. Most people start smoking when they are teenagers, which make it more difficult to quit. The earlier the habit begins, the harder it is it to stop, although many teenagers make multiple attempts to stop smoking. There are three main reasons why teens start smoking which is boredom, lose the weight and as a response to the stress of school and family life. Just like the teens like to act as if they are someone special or dangerous. By smoking they can act on those feelings. Because it is so forbidden it becomes more alluring to teens. The problem is that when they take that first, they can become addicted. The idea that they are breaking the law or going against their parents and schools is an addiction within itself. Kids like to get attention; it does not matter if it’s good attention or bad attention. They crave attention and by smoking they get big attention. The other teens look at them in all kinds of ways and the adults get upset and don’t know what to do. As the research, some teenagers, especially girls, smoke in an effort to lose extra pound. Quit.org states that the nicotine in cigarettes can suppress a teenagers appetite, satisfy her cravings and keep her busy so that she does not think about food. In a culture that obsesses over how someone looks, smoking may allow teens to achieve the appearance needed to gain social acceptance. â€Å"Some teens begin smoking because their friends smoke and they want to be liked and accepted,† according to the CBC News. Many adults who began smoking as teenagers acknowledge that their friends gave them their first cigarette and that they began smoking because it was acceptable behavior. Many teenagers fear rejection, so to avoid embarrassment that they may smoke as a way to appear tough and be rebellious. In some cases, teenagers use smoking as a way to declare independence from their parents. Also having a family member that smokes is another main reason that teens start smoking. Anna Gilmore, professor of public health at the University of Bath, states in a September 2010 BBC News Health article that teens who have a family member who smokes are 90 percent more likely to start smoking. Teens often emulate the behaviors of their parents and older family members. Teens may start smoking simply because they see their parents or older siblings smoking. On the other hand, some teens may start smoking to rebel against family members or  authority figures who tell them not to smoke. Teenagers who smoke usually become addicted faster and on lower levels of nicotine than adults. Teen smoking can become a lifelong habit or a one-time case, depending on the individual. It affects almost 54 percent of high school students in the China every year. One in three people who begin smoking during their teenage years will later die of smoke related conditions, according to the website Teen Smoking. So boredom, lose the weight and pressure are a variety of reasons why a teenager may begin smoking.

The Benefits of Education :: Importance of Education

Education is as important as the air we breathe. It is the most important possession a person must have. Education is beneficial in many aspect of life especially, personal and social it is the only possession that cannot be taken away from you. Education is important because it will open up the windows of opportunities. In this competitive world having a good education is as important as the air we breathe because it is our weapon to conquer the world. Education will help you grow as an individual because the more knowledge you have the better understanding you will have in any given problem that will come your way. It will give you self satisfaction and will boost your self confidence. As an individual I know it will help me in a lot of aspects in my life. It will give me a financial stability because I will be able to land a good job and a high paying salary. I will learn how to spend my money and will learn how to invest it wisely. The more education I have the more respect and acknowledgement I will get from people. Knowledge is really important that is why we need to take it seriously. It is the strong weapon you can have to conquer this complex world. If you have a good education nobody can fool you and you will not tolerate any mistreatment from people. It will give you a better views in life if you are well educated. In the social aspect of my life education will give me a better understanding on how to communicate to people effectively. I will understand what is happening around me. For example voting, I will have enough knowledge to carefully choose the candidate I will vote for. I will know what to consider in choosing the right candidate to serve and protect our country. I will be able to understand the social issues that our country is facing and will be capable to help in my own little way. However, it is apparent in this competitive world that most of the successful person have the proper education especially the higher position in society they have proved that education will give you the edge in life.

Monsoon cripples life in Mumbai Essay

Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai and coastal Maharashtra for the second consecutive day Monday, disrupting normal life in the region, officials said. Many parts of the city and suburbs have been waterlogged and some areas were flooded Monday morning, hampering smooth movement of people and vehicles, said officials at the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s Disaster Control Cell. Flooding was reported from Malad, Andheri, Versova, Dadar, Parel, Chembur, many parts of the key LBS Marg in the eastern suburbs, and Marol-Saki Naka belt. Two important subways at Malad and Andheri were flooded, with about three feet of water, rendering them inoperational for the east-west traffic movement. Local trains were delayed. Central Railway trains ran late by 20 minutes, Western Railway ones by 15 minutes and trains on the Harbour Line by 30 minutes. Peak morning hour commuters and businessmen were left inconvenienced. In the 24 hours preceding 5.30 a.m. Monday, South Mumbai recorded 9.04 cm rain, while the suburbs notched a staggering 18.01 cm rain, a weather bureau official said. The forecast for Monday and Tuesday is â€Å"heavy to very heavy rains† in many parts of the coastal areas including Mumbai, with accompanying strong winds and advice to fishermen not to venture into the Arabian Sea. The torrential, virtually incessant, rain since Saturday night has resulted in traffic moving at a snail’s pace on the Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway, the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and other important roads and junctions. Though Mumbaikars enjoyed the monsoon with parties and picnics during the weekend, the grim reality dawned Monday, as schools reopened after the summer break and many office-goers returned to work. The monsoon also set in over other parts of the state, offering welcome respite from water scarcity and intense heat wave conditions. Till date, there have been 11 monsoon-related deaths in different incidents across the state.

Job Description Essay

In today’s job market there are a lot of demands from employers. The business environment is constantly changing. Your knowledge, skills and abilities have to be able to meet the demands of the job market. Showcasing yourself and the familiarity and the experience with the procedure detail of the job is very important The Job Analysis. Goes hand in hand with a job description. A job description identifies characteristics of the job to be performed in terms of the tasks, duties and responsibilities to be fulfilled. (Youssef, 2010). It is basically a â€Å"snapshot† of a job. The job description needs to communicate clearly and concisely the responsibilities and tasks. (Lindenberger,2011) There are a lot of people competing for the same job. Ultimately who gets hired depends on the most qualified applicant. I would use a job description to make sure I get the most qualified person for the job. The person job fit has to be right has to definitely be compatible. Your skill highlights and the ability to successfully perform the job is a key factor. I would use a competency-based analysis. The potential employee definitely has to be competent enough to perform the qualities and requirements needed to effectively carry out a job like mines. My job description was to me very detailed. It was somewhat intimidating at first but once I got hired, I understood why. I am currently working as Assistant payment worker for the State of Michigan. The tasks and responsibilities is what my job duty requires of me from day to day. Which was very much detailed. It is assisting clients with getting the help they may need and providing resources for them. I assist client’s help with Food, Shelter and medical resources. I often go above and beyond what my tasks and responsibilities that are required of me, because of my human character I often feel sorry to see what people have to go through in this world. Sometimes in the job description you will see what the responsibilities include but are not limited too. So I would want someone dedicated to what there job is, but also a team player and don’t mind going the extra mile. In the end it’s all about customer service. The tools and technology used are also a key factor. Most jobs often require training once hired. But you at least need the basic skills of using computer software. Educational requirements would also be very important on a job analysis. A degree is preferred most of the time when applying for any job in the business field. If not a degree it is important to me, to at lease have a certain amount of college credits. Which is what needed to obtain my job. In order to gain some valuable information about candidates, there are different selection methods that should be used. Selection methods can narrow down potential candidates. (Youseef,2010) The approach and selection method I would use is testing, I think is a good method to use, especially when there are so many applicants applying for the same position. Testing will help to eliminate clients that are not qualified for the job. Testing will reveal how much knowledge a person has with general competency and knowledge needed for the job. The scores will tell it all. The Interview method is also another good method I would consider. Almost any job you apply for, you will have to have an interview, weather its in person or over the telephone. I have to interview clients everyday at my current job, to see if the fit the qualifications of receiving assistance. Being able to look at a person, and have direct interaction is important. When questions are being asked it will sometimes portray how honest a person is. You can tell by the body language or sometimes how directly a person answers a question if they are being truthful or not. It will show confidence. However there are different types of interviews. The one I would use is a panel discussion interview, which is having several interviewers asking questions. That can sometimes make a person really nervous. I know I was, but again if you have the skills and knowledge to prove it, then it shouldn’t be a problem A job description is just what it says, it describes the job. As a competitive employee, make sure you fit that description the best you can.

How to Cite a Source and Why Citations are Important

How to Cite a Source and Why Citations are Important What is a Citati​on? A citation is something that you include in your writing when you use information provided by another person. The purpose of this is to give the other person fair credit for their work and insight. It is also to give readers information on the source you used, in case they want to do their own investigating. The particular way in which you cite a source depends on the citation format/style you are using, and how you are using the cited information. There will be more about that later as we discuss how to cite a source. Why is it Important to Cite Your Sources? In addition to giving your readers important information and giving proper intellectual credit, citing a source gives your paper additional credibility. The first and most obvious point is that you are not taking credit for another persons work. The second is that you backing your writing up with evidence and inviting your readers to verify what you have said. Then, there is the matter of academic honesty. Using another persons work and not giving them credit is plagiarism. It doesnt matter if you dont use any direct quotes. If you have an uncredited summary, you are at risk of being accused of plagiarism. What is the Best Way to Learn How to Cite Your Sources Several years ago, this advice would have been different. We would have advised students to simply buckle down and learn the various citation requirements for inline citations, works cited pages, footnotes, and bibliographies. This would have also included learning to write annotations. Today, this is no longer necessary. Modern technology has made it easy to figure out how to cite your work. Academic Databases and Citations When you log into an academic database, either your schools or an external database, and access an article to read you will be given information on how you are to cite that source. In many cases, you even have the option to select your citation format and you will be provided with the citation that you can simply copy and paste. Many articles that are stored on these databases also have notes in their text on how you should cite them. Scholarly Articles and Citations If you use a search engine to search for scholarly articles, you will often get the same results as you do when accessing an academic database. All of the work of writing the citation is done for you. All you need to do is copy and paste the citation in the proper space. Apps for Citing Sources Finally, there are many services available that will help you cite your sources. With these websites, all you need to do is find your service online, and they will format your citation for you. If you are using a hard copy of a source, you can scan the barcode, and a source will be created for you. How could things be any easier?

30 Best Marketing Books to Get Remarkable Results in 2019

30 Best Marketing Books to Get Remarkable Results in 2019 Leaders are readers. Top CEOs read a book per week. A study of 1,200 incredibly successful  people showed they had one thing in common: They self-educate by reading. When asked how he learned to build rockets, Elon Musk said, â€Å"I read books.† Bill Gates says  he learns by visiting interesting places, meeting with scientists, and watching lectures online†¦   Ã¢â‚¬Å"But reading is still the main way that i both learn new things and test my understanding.† You’ve heard the crazy stat about Warren Buffet, too right? The billionaire investor reads 500 pages  every day. Check this out, 42% of college grads  will never read a book again after college. So, you want a competitive advantage? Buffet recently explained the value of reading  this way: â€Å"That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.† World-class leaders read broadly  (and often). Marketers are no different. We’re a breed who lives in a fast-paced, rapidly-evolving, wickedly high-stress world. If you stop growing (or even slow down) the few who apply their minds to master new skills and assimilate knowledge will outpace you. It’s just how things work. Since you’re reading this, I know that isn’t you. So, if you’re the kinda’ marketer who is: Competitive and wants to achieve real marketing success†¦ Hungry  for personal and  professional development†¦ Ready to outpace your competition  (and even yourself) Then I have two amazing things for you. First, I have this curated list of the 10 best marketing books for you to read this year. Second, I’m going to give you a shortcut in the line to your next promotion. You can grab the first chapter of 10x Marketing Formula: Your Blueprint For Creating ‘Competition-Free Content That Stands Out And Gets Results  for free! in oneplace. Save 20 hrs this week alone and every weekafter. If youve ever kicked the tires on , nows the time to see what its reallylike. Schedule Your Demo Success! Your download should start shortly. Clean up the chaos with your editorial calendar! With , youll Save time with blogging, social, and email think HOURS every week Schedule your social posts in batches and increase your posting frequency super easily Get your sht together and hold yourself accountable to publishing like the boss you are! Now’s the perfect time to start your 14-day free trial to see for yourself! Start Your Free Trial

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age Essay

Bringing Back Traditional Toys in the Technological Age - Essay Example As the study discusses in preschools where learning areas divide the classrooms, children gravitate to those areas where more possibilities in play are foreseen.   Usually, these are in the Make-believe area, filled with housekeeping toys like kitchen furniture, telephones, tea sets, cooking sets, tool sets, doctor kits, and the like which encourages creative imaginings.  From this research it is clear that one of the most popular areas in the classroom frequented by children is the Block Area where children spend time building their own constructions with wooden block pieces of many sizes and shapes.   During block play, children seem to get lost in their own imaginative world as they plan, design and build the structure one block at a time, carefully choosing the right block to stack on a particular place. This paper will thoroughly discuss the value of block play in the early childhood education setting.   Despite the widespread availability of new educational tools and te chnology, the traditional blocks developed nearly a century ago by Caroline Pratt, remain one of the most enduring mediums for early childhood education and even in the primary grades.  Unit blocks are those small hardwood blocks filled with potential for creative play.   These blocks are designed in a 1:2:4 size proportion emphasizing the size relationship among the different blocks.   Aside from rectangular and square-shaped blocks, there are cylinders, archs, half-circles, ramps, and many more shapes in the set.

Why is freedom important Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Why is freedom important - Essay Example Society has lived this way for eons and, although there have been efforts from certain sectors to try to curb these logical and natural freedoms, we have always lived our lives free of any constraints. Unfortunately, we oftentimes fail to acknowledge this fact which is why we end up taking the freedoms that we have in our lives for granted. While other countries struggle for a semblance of democracy and their people are crying out for freedom, we simply go about our free lives without a worry or care in the world. That is why there is a need for us, as a collective society, to come to an understanding as to what the true meaning of freedom is and why it is important to all of us. It is perhaps best to begin the discussion of the importance of freedom on the basis of the Harm Principle. According to Oliviera (2006), under this principle, the actions of individuals should only be limited once it is proven that the person will cause great harm to those around him. This is the basis of t he laws that govern our land. I cannot stress the importance of the Harm Principle in our daily lives for this is the principle upon which all our other freedoms are based upon. I do not doubt that this is also the principle upon which arrest and imprisonment of people doing harm to others comes from. After all, if you cause harm to another human being, you end up in jail. That is what the Harm Principle is all about and that is why it is the most important basis of our most basic freedoms in our society today. The Harm Principle presents us with a maxim that has allowed people to develop their sense of freedom in a responsible manner. This is known as the Liberty Principle which, allows people to develop their individuality through freedom of choice. By allowing people to have options in life, a person is forced to view the pros and cons of his possible decisions and then go with the decision that he feels will best serve his individual identity. He has the freedom to choose from a ny number of outcomes, hence the Liberty Decision. He makes his decision free of guilt and responsibility to others. His sole responsibility in this respect, it only to himself thus making his decision absolute. Without the Harm Principle to consider, we would not have encountered the need for positive and negative liberty among our people. Carter (2011) thoroughly explains that the Harm principle is possibly what gave way to the emergence of the positive and negative liberties of man. Simply put, the negative liberty is one that offers no obstacles to living a life secure in the freedom that he is experiencing. It was Isaiah Berlin (Carter, 2011) who explained that negative freedom is simply the absence of obstacles in life that prevent one from living life. Negative freedom is a sense of liberty that we all experience if there are no external interferences from groups that could hamper our freedom of movement and choice. Whereas positive freedom is one that exists due to need to c ontrol a certain situation or event due to the internal factors being the basis for individuals and groups to act independently of each other. Having said that, it seems only logical, after having developed an understanding of the importance behind positive and negative liberty, we come to a discussion Rousseau's Theory of freedom. As per Simpson's (2006), understanding of Rousseau's Theory of Freedom, there are actually 4 kinds of freedom that should be deemed relevant to politics. These freedoms are: 1. Natural freedom 2. civil freedom, democratic freedom, 3. moral freedom. This is supposed to be the social contract that supposedly binds us all to humanly treating each other regardless of personal sentiment. It is believed that the aforementioned freedoms are the basis that we as a people use to

Women's Rights in voting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Rights in voting - Essay Example Women have enough intellect to decide the kind of leader they want, one that will stand for this country. Denying women the right to vote is discriminatory. It is stealing away their voice, hushing them to the realities they face. However, I believe that one day; women will celebrate their victory in this. I believe that soon, liberation is coming for the womenfolk of this country. Men have chained women, and dominated over them today. Women attempting to vote are arrested, while men vote freely. I refuse to believe that men alone are capable of choosing good leaders. I stand up to challenge fellow women to stand up for their rights, and not languish under this psychological oppression. It is time for women to rise above male dominance today, and be advocates of their own rights. I believe in the future. Although voting is a crime for women today, I challenge all women not to despair, one day we will be smiling our way to the ballot box. One day, our daughters will choose the leaders of their choice. One day, women will rise above male chauvinism, taking up great leadership positions in this important country. No matter what, I believe, and see a day when this nation state will put the needs of women first. This is the day, manipulation of women and gender inequality will be history. This day, women will be heroes for the many challenges and oppressions of the past, which they have withstood. A little more patience and advocacy will bring us this

Democracy Is A Political System Politics Essay

Democracy Is A Political System Politics Essay Nowadays we can always hear the word democracy in everywhere. What is actually democracy. Democracy is a political system which involves multiparty elections, representative government and also freedom of speech. In other words, we can say that it is a form of government that the citizens are directly or indirectly participate in the state ruling. The citizens in democratic countries have the equality and freedom in social, religion, culture and economic. They are also allowed to elect the state representatives whom they more preferable through elections. Origins of democracy can be traced back to the Greek of sixth century B.C. The word originated from the combination of two Greek words, demos which means the people and kratein means to rule. This system was first appeared in the Greeks politics in the city state of Athens. Cleisthenes was the one who started this democratic system. He was known as the father of Athenian democracy. The Greeks seen dictatorship as the worst form of government, so they evolved to a totally opposite system which is democracy. The political system in Greek was the true perfect democracy in our worlds history. The Greeks civilization was broken down into smaller city-states with small population. The citizens were directly involved in the state government. The citizens were selected randomly to occupy the seats in government, judiciary offices and legislative assembly. They voted on all issues through regular assembly which means that they actually controlled the entire politics of their state. Although t his was a total democracy system, women and slaves were excluded from the system. They were not considered as the citizens and not allowed to vote. Male below 20 and foreigners were also not counted. The idea of democracy was implemented in the politics of Roman but with some different extent. The Roman Empire took the democracy concept from the Greeks government but they were representative democracy. Their system actually worked in the way which had representatives from the wealthy and noble families in the Senate and representatives from the commoners in the Assembly. The Roman Statesman, Cicero was one of the politicians who fond of democracy. In Athens, the right for individual was not secured by the Greeks constitution. In the ancient Greeks, there was no word for right. They were just enjoyed the liberties which not opposed to the government but also not subject themselves to the rules of another person. Cicero suggested that all people have certain rights that should be preserved. He and other political philosophers of the time taught that governmental and political power should come from the people. After the trend of democracy was started by the Greeks and carried on by the Romans, it has been seen in many later governmental systems throughout history. Today modern democracy imitates the Roman model more than the Greeks model as the people believe that there has to be an elected leader or representative. The democratic ideas in the Middle Ages were started to be understood by the people and instituted through Christian. Christianity taught the people that men are all equal. This thinking was deeply ingrained into the society of Middle Ages. In 1215 , the Magna Carta started a more democratic system in England. English Parliament was created, the written laws held a higher power than the king, thereby limiting the power of the Royal family and giving some of that power to the people. The power of Parliament increased in stages over the succeeding centuries. Parliament gradually gained more power until the monarch became largely a figurehead. In North America, the English Puritans who migrated from colonies in New England whose governance was democratic contributed to the democratic development of the United States. (Barr, Rankin, Baird) Most of the countries tend to be democratic due to several reasons. On the path to modern democracy, the American Revolution and the French Revolution were some of the major events. In America, the pursue of democracy was the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which was written by Thomas Jefferson. While in France, the people overthrew the king and set their right to liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. In the following years, revolution began to rise up against monarchy and the democracy government started to develop all around the world. With the growing success of democracy in the United States and in other countries throughout the world, democracy became more and more popular. In this 21st century, there are 25 countries listed as full democracy according to Democracy Index 2011. The examples are United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and so on. While there are another 53 countries are categorized under Flawed democracy such as Malaysia, Thailand, Slovakia and many others. Although democracy is said to be the best political system, there are still countries which practice authoritarianism or even totalitarianism due to the conditions of their countries. Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time, said by Winston Churchill during the speech in the House of Commons on 11th November 1947. One of the issues of democracy is freedom of assembly. Freedom of assembly is forming of associations and organizations gather together peacefully in order to protect their human right. Freedom of assembly is usually occurs as there are some displeasure among the people which have mutual interest and goals. There are some country like Canada, France, India, and United States allows their citizen have freedom of assembly. Under freedom of assembly, people have the right to having public meetings as it does not influence public safety and usually some fees is need in order to get the permits. By having the right to assembly, people can gather in a group sharing and debating on certain issue and exchanging their opinion as long as there are not create any disturbance to the society. (Smith) However, there also still have communist countries such as China, Laos, and North Korea except from given their citizen freedom of assembly. The political system in China is totally different from de mocracy as they are strongly emphasis on total control to their people. Therefore, there was group of people wishing to organize demonstration during the 2008 Summer Olympics. (Gammon, 2012) We have choose freedom of assembly to be discuss in our assignment as this topic seems to become one of the hot political issues discuss by the citizens and the same goes to politicians in our country as well as other countries. Our fourth prime minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad also gave his own opinion to the issue. There are few points to support his opinion. Government must liable to a minority group and same goes to majority group. When there is full freedom given to people will form issues on other will lose their freedom as they are encroached by the freedom one. Government will loss control their citizen as they are given fully freedom. Although it is good to giving the right for people assembly but it cannot use as a force to the government as it will influence the quality of decision they make. (Freedom of assembly should have limits, says Dr Mahathir, 2012) Although the citizens have the rights to assemble freely, there is also a law to restrict them. The Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) is the law introduced on year 2012 in order to handle the demonstrations or public protest in Malaysia. (Lim, 2012). This Act contains 27 Sections and 4 Schedules to provide restrictions deemed necessary or expedient relating to the right to assemble peacefully and without arms in the interest of the security of the Federation or public order. This act has replaced the Section 27 of Police Act. The permit of police for mass assemblies is no longer needed. (Gathering in Peace, 2011) Maina Kiai, a Kenyan lawyer who is a United Nations of special rappoteur said that it is important to have freedom of assembly to give chance for the citizens to voice out their opinion. However, he criticized that the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) is more toward control instead of facilitating the assembly. (UN special rapporteur pans Peaceful Assembly Act, 2012). Besides, thi s PAA is being opposed by the Bar council, civil leaders and also the opposition. In Malaysia, there are few cases such as LYNAS and BERSIH relevant to the freedom of assembly. Same goes to other country like United States and Taiwan. In United States, there are thousands of people gathered in Wall Street, New York in order to oppose their government to protect their own economic interest as their government just support system reward for rich class people. Besides, there are demonstrations named Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go led by Taiwan politician, Shih Ming Te. The purpose of the protest is pressured the President Chen Shui Bian to resign due to the corruption. These cases will be further discuss in the following parts. 2.0 Rally In Malaysia 2.1 Case 1: Bersih 2.0 Bersih 2.0 also shows the individual right such as human right, political right and civil liberty. The  Bersih 2.0 rally was a demonstration that held at Kuala Lumpur on 9th July 2011 to protest for  free and fair elections. Bersih demonstration was agitated to build a better electoral system that will enable Malaysia to elect a better future leader. Bersih also known as Walk for Democracy. There were around 20,000 to 50,000 people attended the Bersih 20.0 rally. The rally was organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election. Why did Bersih establish? What did they want and what were their objectives? There were 8 demands that claim by the Bersih. These demands have also become the objectives of Bersih that successfully injected into all Malaysians mindset. The 8 objectives were shown below: Clean the electoral roll The electoral roll is spoiled due to some irregularities such as deceased person or multiple persons registered under a single address. Therefore, the electoral roll must be updated from time to time. Next, Bersih 2.0 also demand that Election Commission (EC) to implement an automated voter registration system to prevent any irregularities. Reform postal ballot The current postal ballot has to be reformed to make sure that all nations are able to vote includes Malaysians citizen that living abroad, police, military and civil servants. Use indelible ink Indelible ink should be used in all elections to prevent voter fraud. In the past, voters may accidentally smudge the ballot paper with ink, and hence casing the ballot paper to be invalid. Other countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt and Iraq also practice using this kind of ink. Minimum 21 days campaign period A longer campaign are able to provide more time for voters to gather information, more time to consider and more time to vote. Free and fair excess to media Bersih 2.0 suggests that EC press on all media agencies such as radio, television, newspaper and magazine to promote the objectives for all parties. Strengthen public institution Public institutions must act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights as Malaysia is a democratic country. Stop corruption Bersih 2.0 insists to end corruption. The only way is serious action is taken against all allegation of corruption, such as vote buying. Stop dirty politics Bersih 2.0 demands to wipe out all dirty political parties and politicians in order to build a better society and country. 2.1.1 What were the governments views on this and what actions they have taken? On 2nd July 2011, Barisan Nasional government has announced that Bersih was an illegal organization because it is a convergence of Non-Government Organization (NGO) group whereby it formed by many registered group who come together and share the same agenda and purpose. Therefore, they were not allowed to do any demonstration. During that day, Malaysians polices claimed that they vowed to stop any illegal rallies in which without police permission. At first, Bersih planned to march through the streets of Kuala Lumpur with some propaganda such as Walk of democracy, We want fair democracy, We hate the Government, Say no to Corruption, Reformasi and others more, but then Bersih decided to congregate at Merdeka stadium to have a peaceful demonstration. No one was out to throw stones, burns cars and injuries which result in Bersih rally 1.0 in 2007. However, the protestors were still not able to gather successfully at Merdeka Stadium because many of the people were forced by the police who were heavily deployed throughout the city. Police act violently by arresting around 1,600 peaceful demonstrators, hurling tear gas and firing water canon directly towards protestors just to stop the Bersih 2.0 gathering in the stadium. There was a case that a 56-years-old man, which is a participant of Bersih 2.0 and also a protestor, collapsed near the Petronas Towel while fleeing tear gas and was announced dead later in hospital. Next, many protestors were beaten by the police and officers of the Federal Reserve Unit to suppress mass public assembly. It also found out that the police fired tear gas near the hospital compound which put the health of patient at risk. Bersih 2.0 results that almost all protestors arrested during 9th July 2011 now have been released without charge. But there are still 40 people facing prosecution. For those protestors who caught wearing Bersih T-shirts have been charged under Section 49 of the Societies Act for possession of illegal material. 2.1.2 Oppositions stand The opposition, Pakatan Rakyat which comprises Democratic Action Party (DAP), The Peoples Justice Party (PKR) and Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS) has expressed their approval to the Bersih 2.0. In their opinion, it is a new way for Malaysian to voice out their dissatisfaction on corruption and to tell the government not to rig the election again and again. Lim Guan Eng, the secretary-general of DAP said that DAP has reiterated its support to the Bersih 2.0s eight demands. Besides, DAP strongly condemned the actions and warnings by the government, especially Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, to ban this peaceful sit-in protest by instilling fear of untoward incidents (Chooi, 2012). He also mentioned that it is time to ensure a bright and clean future for free from fear. Apart of this, PAS also gave their full support to the rallty. Their president, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang has urged all the party members to take part in the Bersih 2.0 for demanding a real free and fair election. Nearly all of the leaders from opposition parties joined the rally on 9th July but most of them were arrested on the spot. 2.1.3 NGOs stand Overall, there were 24 non-gvernment organizations (NGO) which expressed their objection towards Bersih because they felt that it may cause chaos. They also declared about the stubbornness of the organizer which backed by the opposition to involve in the demonstration. Some of the NGO that against Bersih include Yayasan Pendidikan Cheras (YPC), Persatuan Teksi Eksekutif Malaysia, Persatuan Penjaja Kuala Lumpur, Pertubuhan Suarakan Kehendak Rakyat Malaysia (Sedar) and Pertubuhan Gerakan Memartabat Pejuang Negara Malaysia. Next, the NGOs also submit a memorandum to the Home Ministry to act against the organizers who support Bersih. There is a case in Kampar, Perak where the president of Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) Mohamad Maliki Mohamed Rapiee claimed that the council would take action towards the members who take part in the gathering. We urge youths to guard against being influenced to participate in the gathering, he told the reporters. However, there are also some of the NGO which support Bersih. For example, All Womens Action Society (AWAM), Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisations (PRIMA), Persatuan hak asasi manusia (hakam) and Womens Aid Organisation.The participants that support Bersih are required to wear yellow clothes or yellow items. 2.1.4 The role of mainstream media The mainstream media which were controlled by the government have not focused their report on the rally. Like TV1, TV2 or TV3, it was very hard to find out the detail about the rally on their news, even the print media also hided some truths. It has made Malaysians disappointed and has felt the rate of media freedom was down-grading. 2.2 Case 2: anti-Lynas protest Another example which shows the individual right which includes human right, political right and civil liberty in Malaysia is Lynas cases. The Lynas Corporation Limited (LYC)  is a rare earth mining company from Australia. It mainly focused to become a global rare earths producer and supplier by focus on RED (Rare Earths Direct) branding. Their main asset is Mt Weld rare earths deposit in Western Australia. They digging the rare earth ore from ground at Mt Weld, then process a bit at Laverton and tricking to Fremantle. Lastly, it will be shipping to Gebeng Industrial Estate, Pahang, Malaysia. for the final process. The product, which means the rare earth oxides, will be selling to other country such as America. Why Malaysia has been chosen to be the destination to further process of the rare earth ore into rare earth oxide rather than in Australia? Actually, Lynas came to Malaysia is based on economic reasons and also its proximity to customers. The availability of cheap skilled and unskilled labour, chemicals and fresh water make the company choose Malaysia. It also makes better business sense to be close to global customer because they meet all the regulations and approval to build Lynas plant in Australia. 2.2.1 The reason of having rally Remove of radioactive element from the rare earth mineral by Lynas processing plant in Pahang can produce those electronics such as  iPhones, iPads, hybrid cars and wind turbines. In result, the remaining will become as a dangerous waste which resulting in a humongous amount of radioactive to be released in form of gas, liquid and solids. The bad effect all disposed in Malaysia, and cause nothing toward Australia country and thus make most of the Malaysian assemble to against the approval of government. This action makes a strong rebound from most of the Malaysia citizen. The trust of Malaysian towards government was spoiled and might cause political risk in Malaysia. Voters will tend to vote against the ruling party during election held every five years. Besides, Australians are becoming quietly  hated  by Malaysians. (Ryan, 2012) The aim of the anti-Lynas campaigns and demonstrations formed is most of the Malaysian want to expel Lynas out from Malaysia. On their opinion, this Lynas plant will bring a lot of bad effect which includes humans health and also destroy the environment. They stand out and assemble together to speak out their view and hope the government will be further consider about the built of a uncontrollable time bomb within the country. 2.2.2 Oppositions stand The Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP), Lim Guan Eng has opposed the build of Lynas. That the BN government has no hesitation to issue the TOL to Lynas even before the general election showed its commitment towards Lynas and profits over the peoples health, he said (Guan Eng: Vote out BN to shut Lynas plant, 2012). He claimed that the government did not concern about the bad effect for citizen that caused by this Lynas plant while just concern about the profit of the country gained. 2.2.3 The views of NGOs For some of the non-government organization which is involved in developing the states business and entrepreneurial sectors, they actually supported the approval of the government that allowed the Lynas built within the country (LYNAS PLANT: Study can silence opponents, 2011). It is because they were more concern about the economy of the country. They thought that the Lynas project did not have harmful health risks based on the evident from the feedback that have been received from local entrepreneurs which were involved in the plant from the start (Lim, 2012) . But for some other non-government organization, for example, Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat (KOMAS), Center Policy Initiative (CPI) and Lawyers For Liberty (LFL), they opposed the Lynas by supporting the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) to immediately delay the license issued to Lynas and to limit any shipment of rare earth ore concentrate into Malaysia. 2.2.4 The governments actions The police usually use tear-gas grenade to deploy the protesters. The protesters really dissatisfied with the actions of the government that are trying to ignore and prevent them to resist the decision that they have made. They claimed that government has not listening to the people at all. 2.2.5 The effect of the rally As a result, the citizens have assembled for at least five times to oppose the build of Lynas plant. This create riot within Malaysia and it shows unstable of the country. But from other view, it shows that all the citizen have their right to oppose government decision. Citizens have their authority to evaluate the decision which make by the government. Is the Lynas plant will bring more advantages or disadvantages? This is an intricacy question for all of the Malaysian. Every people have their own view to make their decision. Citizen can speak out what they need, what they think and what they want. It is one of the characteristic of democracy country which strongly shows that the freedom of people. 3.0 Rally in foreign countries 3.1 Freedom of assemble in United States The right of the people peaceably to assemble for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a redress of grievances, or for anything else connected with the powers or the duties of the National Government, is an attribute of national citizenship, and, as such, under the protection of, and guaranteed by, the United States. The very idea of a government, republican in form, implies a right on the part of its citizens to meet peaceably for consultation in respect to public affairs and to petition for a redress of grievances.  (Supreme Court, United States v. Cruikshank, 1876) .In America, governments are accepting the people to have freedom of speech and religion; they have the rights or freedom of assembly to voice their opinion out to the government. They have rights to resist the commands of government they deem wrong or unreasonable. In United States, government officials cannot prohibit all demonstrations in public forums during controversial events. Police only can have a protecti on to avoid the violence happen during the event for the interest of public. The official cannot refuse the constitutional rights for protesting on public streets, public parks, and other public venue. People can have a demonstration outside a federal courthouse but the leader needs to discuss their plan with the U. S. Marshall. This shows US country is democratic to accept the view of citizen. The government may not restrict the actual content of speech place, and manner of speech. When the people face by law enforcement, they still need to obey their orders even people believe their action is improper. In large protest activity, people can have fair legal observers to be present. Legal observers cannot participate in the demonstration, but they only can go under some action by demonstrators and by law enforcement. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The right to peaceable assembly is a right cognate to those of free speech and free press and is equally fundamental. (Supreme Court,  De Jonge v. Stat e of Oregon, 1937). Assembly is a way that people show support for an idea or dispute from the government. America that support the democracy not only promote for people freedom or worker right, it also create a more stable and blooming arena which United State can get its national interest. Citizen creates a non-government organization (NGO) or interest group loyal to single issues. The NGO will be an effective way to focus people interest in the country. The group use to demand something and politicians generally listen. 3.1.1 Tea Party movement (USA) For example, tea party movement in United State is one of the organizations or parties represent the voice of people. They try to oppose the high taxation, immigration and government intervention in private sector. Speaking by the floor of Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Santelli heatedly stated that the bailout would subsidize the losers mortgages and proposed a Chicago Tea Party to protest government intervention in the housing market. Tea party uses the power of social media such as Facebook to coordinate the protest event. This prove that the country is under the free mass media, people can have their individual right to share the information or news about protest government. The first action of tea party movement was a nationwide series of assembly on April 15, 2009, more than 250,000 people take part this protest event. Tea means Taxed Enough Already. All the party members at congressional town hall meetings to protest the proposed reforms to the American health care system. 3.1.2 Occupy Wall Street American people are trying to against the financial mafia that taken their country and protect their own economic interest by taking people welfare and lives. They are fight for truth democracy, people empowerment, an equality and fair society. Citizen in United State voice the dissatisfied that they have keep in silence for long. Citizens hope their government can have a real change that they can believe in, the right of people are not trampled under the feet of money and power-wielding financial elite of the Wall Street silk. The movement, thousands of people gathered on September 17 in Wall Street, New York which is the centre of American banking and finance industry started the Occupy wall Street . The movement has now spread to other cities across the United States and inside the U.S. and across the world has got the attention of people. The system of government that unfair and unjust to the citizen cause they feel despair toward the government. In economics of US, the system an d government only support system reward the people in super rich class and ignore the middle class and the poor. The inequality of national wealth distribution and people income in United State are worse than other country. Since 2008, economic condition of USA has a sharp turn for worse. The middle class of American are stay in high rate of unemployment, rising cost of living and decreasing incomes. The political system of American increasingly failing short of challenge of the time and this cause the government cannot give an effective solution to the problem that face by American and America. For example, Obamas job creation plan which broke to pieces as a result of the Republican-Democrat animosity. The high unemployment level in United State cause destruction of people, families and some Americans who cannot even afford their daily food spend. American people against the financial mafia because the acknowledged fact is that the growth and rise in power of finance capital over the years particularly in the U.S. has meant that the whole economies and societies have been taken hostage by a predatory financial oligarchy. In Middle East, people are against their oppressive dictatorships. In United State, their government, economic, society and their very lives are taken as a hostage and this are now against by people. They are fight for individual right, social and economic equality. 3.1.3 Non- government organization stance toward the America protest activity U.S. and international NGOs (non-government organization) actually represent every conceivable political cause, religion, social issue, and interest group. About 1.5 million NGO operate in United State. NGO in America are engage in some activity such as election, women rights and economic development. NGOs always feel they cannot ignore the immediate practical problems of people in their policy domain. Human rights NGOs and womens NGOs will end up having programs to assist the victims of discrimination and injustice. Some of the NGO are support people to have rights of protest government activity. For example, the tea party government also involved the Occupy Walk Street to support the people fight for their economic interest. 3.1.4 Effect of media to protest activity Media is one of the things that can influence the democracy of America. Ask by a sociologist Herbert Gans, What can Journalists actually do for American Democracy? the point of journalism to journalist is an important thing to democracy. The role of democratic journalist is to inform citizen and allow more citizen participate politically because the more participate of citizen will come out a more democracy country. The journalist only can show the truth of politic to the citizen. But the tea party in the United State is criticizing the media of country try to coverage the Occupy Wall Street protest activity. Media are try to ignore negative point of the Occupy Wall Street protests while it play up suspicious charges against conservative activists last year. The co-founders of the Tea Party Patriots Mark Mecker say that when the tea party protest begins, they are ridicule, ignored and attack by the media. Media are using Astroturf, fringe, racists and Nazis word to describe them. Fro m this event, we can know that sometime United State also will have a limit freedom of media because they want to cover the bad image of America to other country or citizen. 3.2 The Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go protest in Taiwan In Taiwan, there was a protest named Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go in 2006 which led by Shih Ming Te, the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, to pressure President Chen Shui Bian to resign due to corruption. President Chen and the DPP came to power in 2000 promising reform and an end to money politics, or black gold, after more than half a century of one party rule by the Kuomintang (Gluck, 2006). However, lots of his supporters were disappointed as there are scandals that indicated his son-in-law, Chao Chien Ming, was accused of insider trading. The same year, his wife, Wu Shu Chen, was charged with corruption and forgery. It was proven that she had wired $21million in campaign funds to banks in Singapore, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, There were charges that Chen himself had misused his authority as well (the Editors of Publications International, 2007). 3.2.1 Peoples responses The mass protest was obviously fully backed up by Taiwanese. It can be seen when Shih has decided to launch a fundraising campaign to finance for the rally, a lot of people gave their quick response and donated a symbolic NT$100 as requested. Within six working days, more than a million people signed up to support him (Gluck, 2006). The speed and scale are surprised to everybody, including Shih. On 9 September 2006, the rally started in front of the Presidential Building. The protesters dressed in red to highlight their anger, gestured thumb down and chanted Ah Bian step down! to show their disapproval and dissatisfaction. The organizers said that more than 200,000 people had joined the rally but the police put the number at 90,000. They also said that the protest was the first mass grassroots movement to remove a president that had not been organized by ma