Alternative Energy and the Alberta Economy Assignment

Alternative Energy and the Alberta Economy - Assignment Example Many of these alternative sources of energy do not have the polluting effects as they do not produce any armful gases or waste in to the atmosphere. This is the fundamental reason why they are considered to be green sources of energy (All-recycling-facts.com, 2014). Cost effective: The plants utilized in the production of these sources of energy commonly require less management as compared to the plants that burn fossil fuels (Brown Paper Bag, 2014). This is essential in reducing the operational costs of producing and supplying energy to the region, a factor that makes them more cost effective than the fossil fuels. Reducing dependency on fossil fuels: As the sources of fossil fuels continue to diminish, there is an increased need to reduce the dependency on them as the main source of energy. The application of alternative energy sources presents an opportunity to reduce this dependency (All-recycling-facts.com, 2014). Reliability: Many of the alternative sources of energy depend on factors that cannot be controlled by humans, and that are natural, for example, solar depends on the sun and on wind on wind, while hydro power depends on rain to fill dams (Brown Paper Bag, 2014). This makes it impossible to predict the sources’ dependency in supplying a constant energy should these factors become unavailable or reduced. This makes them inconsistent and unpredictable. Easy production: The setting of fossil fuel plants remains relatively easy and the element of technological limitations has little effects (Scheid, 2014). This enables these energy sources to empower economic development because of the ease in setting up energy plants. Generation of large quantities: The production capacity for energy plants using fossil fuels commonly has a large output. The alternative sources of energy require stepping up to reach some desired

What Turned My life Around Essay Example for Free

What Turned My life Around Essay MY WATERSHED MOMENT 2 My Watershed Moment There are many memories that have happened in my life that are important to me. It is very hard to select one that has really changed or impacted my life as an individual. Considering I am just about half way through my illustrious life building a bank of historical memories that I would like to recall and some that I would like to erase for good. As I look back, I think the one event that really turned my life around was joining the Navy, 20 years later and I must say it was a decision well made. As I graduated high school my thought process was to be the first person in my family to go to college. Here I am an 18 year old boy from Queens, New York having to travel more than an hour to college, taking two buses and a train. Now this does not sit well with someone when it is in the middle of winter and you feel like the city is just eating you up. It was at that point where I figured college life was not for me. Transitioning from a place where I knew plenty of people to an environment that was completely made of strangers also contributed to my decision on leaving college. Now here I am attending college, it feels like things have come full circle; I am now laying the foundation for my children setting the example that I did not have while I was growing up. As for my future, I am looking forward to gaining more experience through more watershed moments and hopefully I have the awareness to enjoy the transition from the ending to the new beginnings. Situation Analysis When I was 18 years old going to college living with my parents, I have made  up my mind to drop out of college and join the military. I did not know which service I was going to join but I know college was not for me. The one thing that surprised me was the reaction of my MY WATERSHED MOMENT 3 parents; it was a reaction of being more supportive than disappointed considering I was going to be the first in the family to go to college. As I went to each recruiting stations, I could feel nothing but anxious, scared, and sadness. The next step was to explain my decision to the rest of my family and friends. No matter how they took the news, all I knew was things were not going to be the same. After all I was going to start a whole new lifestyle and end connections with friends that I have had for the past 10 years. This was the first step to a new beginning and I knew it was going to affect many people especially myself. The Five Stages of Endings In William Bridges’ book Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes (2004), he states that a life transition is the psychological process where we slowly recognize the details that are within situations we are faced with. According to Bridges (2004), when faced with life transitions we go through three distinct processes: Endings, The Neutral Zone, and New Beginnings. Endings being the first stage which is broken down into five stages: disengagement, dismantling, disidentification, disenchantment, and disorientation. I will try to explain how I went through each of the stages of endings. 1. Disengagement: When I first thought about the meaning of disengagement I truly did not understand it. As I thought of the moment of disengagement, it would have to be when I stepped onto the bus for boot camp. As soon as stepped through the bus doors and hearing the doors close behind me, it felt as though I stepped into a whole new world, I was in a place where I knew no one. It was more apparent when we arrived at boot camp. When we stopped in front of the processing center I can already hear the company commanders yelling, something I was MY WATERSHED MOMENT 4 not use to. This was definitely a culture shock for me, one that I was not use to and comfortable with. I thought this would be an easy transition  because my cousin had entered the Army just months before I joined the Navy. So I figured if he can do it, than I can do it. 2. Dismantling: Even though heading to boot camp was a shocking experience, I was in for a rude awakening. My dismantling started to take place when the recruiter took me to hotel where all the new recruits were staying for the night so we can all go to the airport together. This took me away from what was the normal routine of going home and sleeping in my bed. My dismantling continued when they sat me in the barber’s chair. I was known amongst my friends as the guy with the â€Å"good hair†, not any more. When the barber picked up those clippers I knew it was not going to be good. As the clippers buzzed through my hair, I felt like a new person. Than the next step was to take off all our civilian clothes, put them in a bag and label it with our last name. It felt as though they were stripping me down of my identity in order to mold a new person or sailor. 3. Disidentification: I believe my disidentification began within the dismantling stage. Once my personal possessions were taken away from me and my hair cut I knew I had to start and find my new self. I remember trying to hang onto who I was throughout boot camp but slowly realized that was not going to happen. I quickly came to my senses seeing that this was the company commanders’ world and they were there to make you that new person. Once I have come to my senses I was willing to let go of my identity that I used to have and started to become the new me. â€Å"That is when it is important to remember the significance of disidentification and the need to loosen the bonds of the person we think we are so that we can MY WATERSHED MOMENT 5 go through a transition toward a new identity† (Bridges, 2004, p.117). As boot camp went on I found myself becoming more mature and dependable within my unit. I was designated master at arms by the company commanders, this was the first time I have ever been in charge of anything and I was proud of myself the accomplishments that I have achieved so far. 4. Disenchantment: Starting with the first day of boot camp is when I believe I encountered disenchantment. â€Å"The disenchantment experience is the signal that the time has come to look below the surface of what has been thought to  be so† (Bridges, 2004, p. 121). As I lay in my bunk, my mind would race about my family, friends, and significant others. I knew my family would want what was best for me but I did not know if that was the case for my friends. I would always wonder if my friends would be there for me if I ever needed them in time of need. As for my significant other, was she truly going to wait for me whi le I was trying to make my life better? At that point I had to get them out of my mind in order to make my experience in boot camp the best it can be. I knew if I was preoccupied by the thoughts of untrustworthy friends back home my training and experience in boot camp would be a wasteful 8 weeks of training. 5. Disorientation: My disorientation goes back to the first day I stepped off the bus at boot camp. It was cold, the snow was up to my shins, and I had three to four company commanders yelling at me for no apparent reason. It was a whole new world for me. I kept on repeating in my head, â€Å"What did I do?† I did not have my family and friends to turn to for encouragement, I really felt as though I was in another world. When it would be time for lights out that is when it occurred to me that I was all alone. The next two months in boot camp were MY WATERSHED MOMENT 6 very difficult, especially at night when I had time to reminisce about the great times I spent with family and friends. Even though the toughest part of the military was boot camp, it was the beginning of my new life. The constant comparison of what my life used to be and what my life was going to be like made for a very difficult transition. When I reported to my first submarine is when things started to get better. I started to open up to crew members; they essentially became my second family and new friends. I was in an environment that allowed me to express myself and it made me feel like accomplished something when my ideas were utilized to make things better within my division. My Neutral Zone I believe I reached my neutral zone when I decided to join the Navy. When I arrived at boot camp, I automatically noticed the way people acted and the surrounding area was different from what I was used to. While boot camp always had the hustle and bustle of activity I found myself in the neutral zone while in my bunk. Every time they would say lights out, I would think  about my future plans and how am I going to make the best of my time in the military. Another aspect I thought about is the new friendships I will be developing and old ones that will become a memory. As I returned home from boot camp, I visited some old friends and it seemed as though they were all strangers to me. They all were doing things that were not familiar to me and were recalling things that happened while I was away. It made me feel secluded from what was going on in the old neighborhood. At that moment I started to realize the experiences of boot camp, reporting to my first submarine, and the people I h ave met throughout the process, I MY WATERSHED MOMENT 7 have come to appreciate the structure and the way the everyday life of the military is conducted. I realized that my old self had to come to a close and a new chapter in my life needed to begin. I knew a better lifestyle was waiting for me in the future which included independence, opportunity, and freedom in making the decisions based on my own thought process without interference from friends and family. New Beginning I knew a new beginning has occurred for me when I woke for the first time on a submarine while underway. For the first time in 19 years I was not able to say good morning to my parents, sleep in my own bed, and say hello to my friends on the phone. I was anxious to learn new things not only from the technical aspect of submarines but to learn from other people. It felt as though I was reenergized in the way I saw life and the goals I had set for myself were becoming reality. I knew people were counting on me to make decisions that will not put them in jeopardy while I was on the boat. I also had to reinvent the way I acted towards others, especially to the higher ranking people. Before, I was in the military I would call people no matter who it was by their first name as though we were friends. As my new beginning started, I think back of all the time thought about how things should have been instead of taking in and acknowledging the transition to a new beginning and new life I was encountering. Reflective Analysis In my lifetime I have experienced many watershed moments that have played a  big part of my evolution from a young boy to adulthood. When I was faced with difficult times and decisions as I was growing up, I could do nothing but learn from those experiences and share MY WATERSHED MOMENT 8 them with my children. We have to prepare ourselves for new opportunities that come our way and move on with whatever we are facing. Change will always be peeking around the corner and no matter how hard we try to stop it, it cannot be done. So, I have learned whatever change you are faced with it is not worth the stress that comes with it. Just make the best of it, adapt to it, and challenge it only if you feel it jeopardizes safety and well-being. References Bridges, W. (2004). Transitions: Making sense of life’s changes, revised 25th Anniversary Edition: Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing.

Funeral Homes Studies: Overcharging

Funeral Homes Studies: Overcharging Running head: FUNERAL HOMES Abstract The overcharging of consumers by funeral homes was investigated to prove to consumers that they are being overcharged, and to show them some ways to avoid being overcharged. The goal was to show precisely when the funeral homes are taking advantage of the consumer, and to show that consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have more than one way of taking advantage of them and overcharging them in large amounts. The effects of this severe problem were determined by looking over a law that has been put into place to subdue the crime, ways the crime is committed, and also an interview that was conducted to gather information on one of many alternatives to using the traditional funeral service. There are many alternatives to the traditional funeral; most people just dont know where to learn about them. Funeral Homes: The Overcharging For Services and Distrust Behind It It is not easy to lose a loved one. In addition, it is not always easy for a person to find out how much it is going to cost them and their family to give their loved one the proper burial they deserve. During the time of grieving, the family of the deceased is not really concerned with the costs of the funeral, for all they are looking for is a proper burial or funeral ceremony for their loved one. The cost of a typical funeral in the United States in 1983 was around $2,500.00 (Darmstadter, 1983). Solomon (n.d.) states that â€Å"the average funeral in the United States costs $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The true sum can easily reach $10,000 once a burial plot, flowers and other costs are included, the AARP says.† This price is from around 2004; consumers need to be aware that the prices are steadily rising, and that if they dont watch out for those funeral homes that try to get more money out of them, they could end up losing thousands mor e dollars than is necessary to spend on a funeral service. The crime of funeral homes taking advantage of consumers has been around for many years, and in 1984 The Funeral Rule was put into place in order to put a stop to it. â€Å"On September 24, 1982, the FTC published a ruling known in the Federal Register as the Funeral Rule† (Schwartz, Jolson, Lee, 1986). â€Å"Under the Rule, the FTC mandates that funeral homes allow customers to buy only those things they choose† (Mark, n.d.). Many people do not realize that during these times of vulnerability, the funeral home they have trusted the care of their loved one with, could be taking advantage of them; overcharging them for already expensive services. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers for their services. They are taking advantage of them while they are most vulnerable in an emotionally distraught state as they are preoccupied in grieving for the loss of a loved one, and when they are in a hurry to plan a funeral for a sudden death. Funeral homes have several ways of overcharging consumers, and two of the most prominent ways they do this is by teaming up with hospice care centers and by quoting the wrong prices if they will even quote them at all. Discussion Taking advantage of vulnerability. The funeral homes of America take advantage of the bereaved when they are most vulnerable. One of the most common times that a funeral home will take advantage of the bereaved is when they are in the middle of grieving, trying to set up a funeral while they are emotionally distraught. Schlozman and La Grand (1985) state that â€Å"death in a family is a personal, emotional experience that can have long term emotional and physical consequences for survivors (cited in Butler, 2007, p. 95). Funeral directors look for the best chance that they can get to get a grieving person to agree to buy something or to set up an expensive funeral; while the bereaved are emotionally distraught, which is mostly in the beginning of the funeral planning process, is when this happens the most. Many funeral directors will say that funeral homes are not taking advantage of consumers when they are â€Å"most vulnerable,† they are simply taking the necessary steps to make sure that the consumer gets what they need and what they ask for so as to get the funeral done in the most complete way possible. When a consumer is preoccupied in grieving for the loss of a loved one, they may be emotionally distraught and kind of out of their norm, however this does not mean that all funeral directors are low enough to take advantage of consumers. Most funeral directors deal with so many emotional people everyday they are at their workplace, that most of them know what it is like for a person to fe el the way they do therefore they will not go out of their way to take advantage of them for that little bit of extra money. As one can see, this is clearly not the case. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one at times when they are most vulnerable, and with pre-planning, this can be partly eliminated. The funeral homes of America also take advantage of the bereaved when they are in a hurry to get the funeral set up. There is not much time between when a person passes away, and the time the funeral needs to be set up and followed through with. â€Å"Most of the major decisions regarding funeral arrangements must be made within 24-48 hours (Sommer, Nelson, and Hoyt, 1985). Many people do not know that their loved one is going to pass on when they do, so they are in a frantic hurry to get the funeral set up and that is what gets them into such a bind with the funeral homes taking advantage of and overcharging them. One thing that a person who is in a hurry to set up a funeral typically does is calls funeral homes in their area asking for price quotes. When a person uses the phone to contact funeral homes about prices, they can â€Å"compare prices among funeral providers,† this may eventually help them to decide which funeral home and arrangement they would like to consider (USA Funeral Homes Online, 1999). Also, when a person is in a hurry to set up a funeral for a loved one, it is advised that they gather â€Å"price lists† from some of the funeral homes in their area â€Å"to compare pricing and options† (Wilke, 2005). Mark (n.d.) states that â€Å"the funeral rule also requires that GPLs (â€Å"General Price Lists†) list the prices of up to 16 items if they are services that the funeral home offers. . . .† If a person were to go around to funeral homes in their area, a general price list is a good tool that the funeral homes are required to give them, so t hey know the prices, thus promoting smart decision making, and the possibility of preventing being overcharged and taken advantage of. It is often though that when a consumer has a sudden death in the family and they are in a hurry to plan a funeral, most funeral directors are not going out of their way to overcharge them to get that little bit of extra money. They may indeed be overcharging them; however, they may simply be charging the prices they do because they want to be sure to get the consumer everything that they need since the process is so hurried in this type of situation. These thoughts are obviously not relevant because, as one can see, if the funeral directors were as caring as they make them seem, they would give any unused money back to the consumer when the funeral is all said and done. Shopping around for the best priced funeral home, and ignoring any suggestions given by hospice care centers, could be one of the most important ways for a consumer to greatly decrease the chance of being overcharged. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one, at times whe n they are in a hurry to plan a funeral for a sudden death, and with pre-planning and smart decision making, this can be partly eliminated. Teaming up with hospice care centers. Consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have different ways of overcharging them. One of the main ways this happens is when funeral homes go together with hospice care centers. The Hospice Patients Alliance (n.d.) states that: One of the major scams committed by such rogue hospices is to refer the family to one particular funeral home, if they havent made arrangements beforehand with another funeral home. The funeral home then charges their very highest rates for funeral home services and the family has no idea that they have been scammed, because they trust the â€Å"compassionate† hospice people. If individuals go to that funeral home directly inquiring about charges for funeral services, they get offered discounted rates, but hospice referrals get charged the highest rates. When funeral homes team up with hospice care centers, they can overcharge consumers large amounts of money, and they can do it very discreetly. Many people would not suspect a hospice care center to refer them to a high priced funeral home; this is why consumers need to be aware that this could happen. Consumers need to be aware that shopping around for a funeral home with the best prices is one of the best things they can do to prevent being overcharged, even if a hospice care center that their family trusts recommends a funeral home, or they are pressed with time and any other issue that may come their way. The Hospice Patients Alliance (n.d.) states that â€Å"you do not have to use the funeral home â€Å"recommended† by a hospice. They should not be recommending any funeral homes that is a decision for you to make, not the hospice.† Many funeral directors will say that funeral homes may indeed be teaming up with hospice care centers in being sure that the funeral ho me will have a steady flow of business on account of the recommendations given by the hospice care centers; but this does not mean that they are doing it to overcharge the consumers. They may in fact be doing this simply to help the family eliminate the hassle of finding a funeral home and going through the process of looking for price quotes, etc. This is clearly not the case as one can see, simply because if funeral directors were as caring as they seem, they would not be trying to get consumers away from looking for price quotes and things like that, they would help them find the funeral home they are looking for, or be sure to accommodate their needs as best they can. Also, if a funeral home has that much trouble getting business, something needs to be done, and that funeral home should probably be looked at as a fraud. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Many people do not realize that it may not only be the funeral home that is in on the scam; hospice care centers play a major role in this deception of the consumers also. Quoting the wrong prices. Another quite common way that funeral homes overcharge consumers is by quoting the wrong prices over the phone, or not quoting any at all. There are many people that are pressed for time when it comes down to planning a funeral, and most of them resort to calling funeral homes to inquire about prices. What many people do not realize, is that the funeral homes may not be giving them the right price quote, and many of them quickly find out that the funeral home may not give them a price quote at all. The reason that some funeral homes do not give any price quotes at all, would be so they could adjust the prices accordingly to each and every funeral they conduct. â€Å"The funeral home is required to give you a free copy of the price list when you visit. Its also required to tell you its prices over the phone. If a funeral director refuses to do so, suggesting instead that you come in for an appointment, That should be a warning sign, Slocum says† (Block, 2006). Many consumers do not know this important piece of information. The laws that regulate the funeral homes of America are not posted around the nation as are the everyday laws that the people of America are required to follow. This is why, when shopping around for a well priced funeral home; consumers need to be aware of the laws so as to catch the hints that are thrown at them. The hints that should make them think that perhaps they should not trust some funeral homes that they have come in contact with. When a person that is frantically trying to set up a funeral calls a funeral home, they do not expect to be taken advantage of and overcharged because most Americans would agree that this is a very serious business, and that most every funeral home should be trustworthy. However, that is not the case. When consumers are calling funeral homes over the phone, they need to be aware of the potential dangers that it entails. Common thought of consumers is that when a consumer contacts a funeral home over the phone seeking quotes on prices for their services, the funeral directors may quote the wrong prices; this does not mean that is what will be charged. Many funeral directors care enough to provide the consumers only with what they need or would like to have for the funeral, so the prices they quote may only be a ball-park figure for the general funeral service. When a funeral home does not quote a price at all, this may be to eliminate the problem of quoting the wrong prices, or even to eliminate competition between them and other funeral homes. Consumers may be frustrated by this, but in all reality this may be something that could help them because if they went with a funeral home that does not quote a price, they may actually end up spending less money than they would at a funeral home that quoted a price that was too high. The thoughts are clearly irrelevant because if funeral homes were quoting ball-park figures, they would most likely state that the prices they are giving are ball park. Also, if a funeral home does not quote a price at all and others do, it is most obvious that they are planning on giving prices when the funeral is over with so as to inflate the prices and not be detected. Funeral homes overcharge consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. If consumers are aware of the potential dangers of calling funeral homes for price quotes, and the laws that are supposed to regulate them, this could greatly decrease the risk of being overcharged. Ways to avoid being overcharged. There are many things that can be done for a person to prevent being overcharged when they are working with a funeral home to set up a funeral. The most prominent of all alternatives is full body organ donation, which many people participate in. As Carol Wright (personal communication, February 29, 2008) described, full body organ donation is when a person chooses to donate their entire body to an organization of choice before they die. When they die, the organization will pick up their body from wherever they are, and ship them to where the body will be used. After the organization is done using the body for all intents and purposes, they cremate it and send the remains to a family member for a $25.00 shipping fee. Another well-known alternative to being overcharged by a funeral is by using traditional organ donation. This will give the family time to plan the funeral as the hospital or some other form of medical personnel removes the organ(s) the deceased has agreed to donate after death, thus slimming the possibility of being overcharged by the funeral home because it gives the family time to look around and find the best prices available to them. One good thing about organ donation is that there have been, for the families of people who donate while they are alive and after they have died, some â€Å"financial and health care-related reimbursement incentives widely debated† (Boulware, Troll, Wang, Powe, 2006). Many people dont realize that without these alternatives, nearly every person in the United States would be taken advantage of at some time or another by a funeral home. The Federal Trade Commission (2000) stated that: To relieve their families of some of these decisions, an increasing number of people are planning their own funerals, designating their own funeral preferences, and sometimes even paying for them in advance. They see funeral planning as an extension of will and estate planning. If someone in a family dies, and there has been no planning for a funeral whatsoever, the family members that are to do the planning for the funeral are left in a bind. If a person plans their own funeral, the surviving family is left with â€Å"the precedent, information and moral support needed to get the type of service it wants† (Bender, 1974). To eliminate funeral homes taking advantage of and overcharging the bereaved, as The Federal Trade Commissions and Bender state, a person should think about planning their own funeral so that it is set in stone, and the surviving family has much less of a chance of being pressured into meaningless spending while they are most vulnerable. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. Review Major issues. There have been two major issues discussed in this writing about how funeral homes overcharge consumers; the first being that many funeral homes take advantage of consumers when they are most vulnerable. There were two times in which this happens quite often that were discussed here. The first is when consumers are tied up in grieving and pre-occupied with the whole funeral planning process, and getting things organized and followed through with. The second is when the consumer is pressed for time trying to plan a sudden funeral, and the funeral home takes this hurried process to their advantage. The second major issue discussed is that consumers need to be aware that funeral homes have different ways of overcharging them. There were two of the most common ways discussed here; the first being that funeral homes overcharge by teaming up with hospice care centers, and the second being that the funeral homes either quote the wrong prices over the phone, or in person, or they simply do not give prices at all, so as to inflate them accordingly with each and every funeral they conduct. Expenses. The most popular way for consumers to recognize the death of a loved one is to plan for a traditional funeral. Traditional funerals can be very costly, and often times not exactly what the consumer was looking for when it is all said and done. Most people would agree that the traditional funeral is the best way to go about putting a loved one to rest; however, when funeral homes are overcharging for these services that are already overpriced, it is hard for some consumers to follow through with it because of the fear of running out of money before it is all done with. Darmstadter (1983) stated that â€Å"the purchase of a funeral is the third largest single expenditure after a home and a car, that many of us will ever have to make.† Alternatives to the traditional funeral service. There are many alternatives to the traditional funeral service, and the most prominent one of those is organ donation. Full body organ donation and traditional organ donation were discussed earlier in the writing. Full body organ donation is when a person has agreed to donate their body to science after thy have passed on. Traditional organ donation is when a person agrees to allow any of their organs that are useable, to be donated to another human being after they have passed on. These are two of the most prominent ways for consumers to avoid being overcharged by funeral homes; and they are used most commonly by people who did not do any pre-planning for their funeral. What many consumers do not realize is that these options are readily available to anyone who would like to take advantage of them; they are just not advertised since death is such a sheltered topic in the United States. Funeral homes are overcharging consumers while they are grieving for the loss of a loved one. When a consumer is looking around trying to plan a funeral, one of the best ways to avoid being taken advantage of is to be aware of what is happening, and how funeral homes are actually taking advantage of consumers, and what they can do to avoid being take advantage of. A solution to the problem of funeral homes taking advantage of consumers would be for the consumer to shop around for funeral prices and arrangements in advance when anticipating a funeral. Sure, not every person will have time to do this since not all deaths are anticipated; however, this problem will be greatly eliminated if those consumers who are anticipating the death do in fact plan the funeral ahead of time, so as to have the time to go around and shop for the best prices and have the funeral set up the way in which they so desire. Planning a funeral is can be an overwhelming time for the consumer; however, following the simple suggestions that have been given throughout this writing may in fact make the job a lot easier. People need to be aware that in times like these where life just seems like it is not worth living, life will go on. As long as consumers are aware of what is happening out there in the funeral service industry, and they plan for things ahead if possible, problems like these may be wholly eliminated all together.

Arthur Millers Comparing of Similarities in The McCarthy Era and The S

â€Å"She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands.† John Proctor says this to Danforth in the movie â€Å"The Crucible,† which is a fascinating, and disturbing story based on an important event in history. This event was the Salem Witch Trials. The author Arthur Miller wrote this story in response to the major event the McCarthy Era. The Crucible showed the similarities between the McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials. In 1956 Arthur Miller was subpoenaed by HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) and refused to identify writers that were believed to hold communist sympathies. Due to his refusal he was convicted of contempt of congress. The next year, however, the United States Supreme Court overturned this conviction. Under the leadership of McCarthy the committee had so much power that just knowing someone who was suspected of having ties to the communist party was a danger. The lives and careers of hundreds of Americans were ruined because of being blacklisted. Prison, bankruptcy, passport revocation, unemployment were threats made against people for them to testify and â€Å"name names.† The McCarthy Era was a period of history that began in the late 1949s and ended in the mid late 1950s. This was also called the Second Red Scare in the United States. The McCarthy Era had many innocent victims and many of them were imprisoned. Several authors, actors, civil rights activists, and physicists were among the many victims that were blacklisted. Due to McCarthy’s witch-hunt many victims’ reputations were destroyed and their families ... ...I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!† Besides similarities between â€Å"The Crucible†, Salem witch Trials, and the McCarthy Era there are differences. The Crucible/ Salem witch trials had people being hung that were believed to be witches compared to people just being put in prison when they were accused of being a communist in the McCarthy era. Also, anyone was able to charge someone else in â€Å"The Crucible† where during the McCarthy Era Joseph McCarthy was the one charging people, and no one else had any say about who was charged. In conclusion Arthur Miller saw the similarities in The McCarthy Era and The Salem Witch Trials, and portrayed them in â€Å"The Crucible.† The lives of many people were destroyed during these times in history.

William Butler Yeats

To Yeats, his ideas of the Irish politics of his time were never far from his modernist poems. He makes the political world seem a place of passion and contradictions, like art, requiring of us not to understand history in moral terms, such as â€Å"good and bad† but, rather, in seemingly emotionally artistic terms, like â€Å"pity† or â€Å"terror. † For example, in the poem, â€Å"Easter 1916,† Yeats fixes on the horror and captivation of the considerably devastating event of the Irish uprising. In the first stanza, the line â€Å"Being certain that they and I/ But lived were motley is worn,† signifies and emphasizes Yeats strong idea of â€Å"Irish-ness†. It is as if these men and women that he speaks of, such as Pearse and MacBride, share essentially nothing with him, nothing with each other really, except for their Irishness – the â€Å"motley† that they wore and their passion for Irish Independence – their â€Å"hearts with one purpose alone†. He recognizes and glorifies their â€Å"number in the song,† their part in the war and this brings in a technique in which Yeats quite often used which was that of encompassing classical allusions within his poetry. For example, the line, â€Å"This man had kept a school/and rode our winged horse† invites the image of Pearse, the man, riding Pegasus, a mythical beast or, it transforms Pearse into an ancient Irish hero, Cuchulain. By using classical allusion, Yeats is effectively ascending his characters into an almost intangible and iconic state. They are more than human and thus glorified, which is then ultimately sculpting Irish politics into an almost mythical state. In addition, the paradoxical line, â€Å"a terrible beauty is born,† returns in the poem like an impersonal chorus, suggesting an almost strangely impersonal event. The line, â€Å"All changed, changed utterly/ a terrible beauty is born† is a lyrically artistic buildup of stress that becomes almost chime- like in the poem, calling and announcing the coming of the birth of a new and terrible age.

Youth Culture in the last 20

Youth Culture in the last 20 Introduction Youth culture has been described as the tendency by the youth to differ from their immediate and cultures. Youth culture sprang out as a reaction to the educational, political and economic changes after World War II in Western civilization (Helping youth conference, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Youth Culture in the last 20-30 years: New York, London and Tokyo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also, pop culture is the short form of popular culture and can be categorized as the values, language, attitudes, music and entertainment of the masses. Today, popular culture is depicted in the major media which include movies, radio, television and the World Wide Web or the internet. However, different regions will have slightly different pop culture depending on the evolution that took place in time (Cooper, 2000). In the paragraphs that follow, are the descriptions of how youth culture within t he last 30 years influenced New York, London and Tokyo cities. New York City and Pop Culture The youth culture became an accepted form of life in several developed nations and was easily emulated by other nations. Changes in the youth culture manifested itself in strange behavior and lifestyle such as strange dress codes by the female youths and funny haircuts by the males. An example, Punk, used the â€Å"do it yourself† aesthetics with a message that any person can become a musician to attack to the previous generation of the hippie subculture (Faqs.org, 2008). Punk tried to negatively impact the society’s mass marketing, but surprisingly, it also turned into a style for shoppers around the globe. The availability of records and dressing styles was welcome among most of the youth who would adopt the lifestyle even without joining particular subcultures (Faqs.org, 2008). Youth culture has become younger and older at the same time by assuming new meanings. As such, som e people take on their youth culture into their adulthood in a move that tries to explain the situation as a lifestyle (McRobbie, 1999).Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident that youth cultures in the last 30 years have had a strong influence in the current lifestyle of people in New York City. Some of these influences are depicted in the media like film, popular music, television, and the internet. Alternatively, youth has been defined as post-adolescent and pre-adult groups, or as the 1.1 billion young people who are between the ages of 15 and 24 years according to the United Nations (Kett, 1977). It has been noted that the youth form the largest portion of the most media and technologically literate people of their society. As a matter of fact, the youth are considered as the primary engine for the growth of global media culture and are targeted a s a consumer class by multinational corporations (Klein, 2000). As noted earlier, youth movements like punk from 1980s onwards led to the rise of the hip-hop culture, and the violent rap subculture styles called â€Å"gangsta†. Past youth culture has influenced most of the activities that currently takes place in New York City in several ways. This influences range from the type of music, movies, dressing styles, TV shows and languages among many more. For instance, most of the youths and adults in New York prefer certain music to others due to influence by culture. As such, rap and hip-hop music have taken the top like in most of the fan beyond the than other genres of music like country and R B (The Youth Popular Culture Institute, 2004). Movies that undermine religious values and the use of crude language on Television can also be associated with culture (Savage, 1988). Culture has also influenced the dressing style of most of the youths and adult due to the adoption of s trange and unique designs. London and Pop Culture In the British society, Industrialization, urbanization and the development of an information-based society started in the late period of the 18th century.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Youth Culture in the last 20-30 years: New York, London and Tokyo specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After its establishment in the region, it spread to the United States and Europe. When most of the world nations achieved almost the same status of power in the 1980s, the rise of centers such as European, United States and Japan occurred. This is the same to the cultural values, political systems, and economic institutions that exist in different nations (Hebdige, 1979). In London, the influence of youth culture is mild considering that the adult culture is firmly established. As a result of this influential factor, there has been an associated maturity in character of the Lo ndon youth as compared to the same youth culture from Tokyo. In New York, the yuppies form new elite; therefore, they form part of a dominant class and a new setting. Tokyo and Pop Culture The youth culture in Tokyo naturally differs from that in London in various ways. The key difference, however, is that youth culture was established late in Tokyo as compared to the time it developed in London. In addition, it is inevitable to note that the youth in Tokyo received far less support from their population when compared to the same from the Western regions. A strong influence by Japan’s farming and military cultures existed and shaped the culture significantly (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). Below are the generations of youth cultures that developed in the 1980s and helped to shape the existing cities. Characteristics of Contemporary Youth Culture The youth culture shall be analyzed using generational analysis starting with the comparison of Shinjirui and Yuppies â €“ New Youth Culture in the 1980s. Shinjirui is defined as a new type of youth which had a vague social character (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994).Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unlike the baby-boomer generation, the media had much more interest directed to this youth category. The group was also targeted by the consumer market due to its shown potential. This category of the youth was identified by strong individualism, expressionism, and predilection toward consumer behavior. The shinjirui were the first generation of the youth to be brought up in an affluent consumer society that was not crude but an advanced consumer culture (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). On the other hand, the yuppie culture from the 1980s had high educational achievement, with high income and industrious. The second youth culture is the Baby-Boomer Junior Generation – New Youth Culture in the 1990s. During the 1990s, the youth culture underwent another change to the junior generation of baby boomers who has a more adaptive social character as compared to the shinjirui culture. The adaptability is considered in three situations as in fluid adaptability, flattering a daptability, and anticipatory and clear adaptability (UCLA Center for East Asian Studies, 1994). Flattering adaptability is where a one will try to adapt to the environment if there is a difference between the environment and the subject. On the other hand, fluid adaptability is one in which another choice is made when the individual does not match with the environment. Lastly, anticipatory and clear adaptability is where a different alternative is provided where an individual cannot select any of the above options. They are identified as a group which were natured in an in the information age world. Comparative Analysis From the early 1980s, there has been an increased resemblance of the youth cultures in Japan and America. For instance, mutual understanding which includes tourism and direct exchange, and consumer life has increased significantly making the two tendencies much clearer. Despite the similarities, there still exist many differences due to geographical conditions and h istorical differences. The class culture in New York has a similar function to the uniform culture like it or not in Tokyo. Western European and U.S culture are usually considered as the ideal culture for the Japanese and these reflects to Tokyo City. In the recent future, there has been a great influence on television gaming in the Asian youth culture. Conclusion In all the three cities, youth culture has had a significant influence in various dimensions. The most influence is on the music, movies, television programs, dressing styles among many others. Since the youth culture is targeted by consumer corporations, it has formed the basis for increased economic growth, industrialization and general development in these cities. Technological advancements and the internet has increasingly expanded due to the youth culture in social networking, online purchasing and gaming by the youth. In summary, youth culture can be taken as a vehicle that has stirred up positive success in develo pment in all the three cities. List of References Cooper, D. (2000) Period. New York: Grove Press. Faqs.org (2008). Youth Culture. [online] Faqs.org. Hebdige, D. (1979) Subculture. The Meaning of Style. London and New York:  Metheun. Helping youth conference (2005). Helping our youth. [online] Helping youth conference. Kett, J. (1977) Rites of Passage: Adolescence in America 1790 to the Present.  New York: Basic Books. Klein, Naomi (2000): No Logo, London: Flamingo. McRobbie, A. (1999) In the Culture Society: Art, Fashion and Popular Music.  London: Routeledge. Savage, J. (1988) ‘The Enemy Within: Sex, Rock, and Identity’, in Facing the Music:  Essays on Pop, Rock and Culture. London: Mandarin. The Youth Popular Culture Institute (2004). Understanding Youth Popular Culture (YPC)  and the Hip-Hop Influence. [online] The Youth Popular Culture Institute. UCLA Center for East Asian Studies (1994). Japanese Youth and Popular Culture.  [online] UCLA Center for Eas t Asian Studies.