Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Comparison of Two Top Selling Sales Contact Management Software Essay

The Comparison of Two Top Selling Sales Contact Management Software Company - Essay Example Every company is aiming for results and to be way ahead of its competitors. The company's goal upon buying contact management software is to efficiently manage large number of contact information as well as minimize cost by starting-up with low operations and training costs. Two of the top selling contact management software companies are ACT! by Sage Software Inc., and GoldMine Software UK. Over the years, it has always been an argument as to which company provides better products. These two companies have long been tough rivals in the contact management software world. Sage software has been developing automated support in business management for over 25 years. With a wide range of front office and back office solutions including accounting, human resources, payroll, fixed asset management, customer relationship management, and e-commerce software - Sage Software offers award-winning products and services that have revolutionized the way small and mid-sized companies do business in today's marketplace. (Company overview) Sage software is catering to the small scale business establishments with 25 employees or fewer and medium scale business establishments with over 500 employees in North America. Act! By Sage is the contact management solutions software which the Sage Compa... These are: Act!, which caters to companies with 1-10 users, Act! Premium for Work Groups, which provides for companies with 5-50 users, Act! Premium for Web, which can be accessed anytime, anywhere, ACT! for Palm OS and ACT! Link for Use with QuickBooks. Its latest version for ACT! Contact management is ACT! By Sage Version 8.0 which was launched in Manchester last December 13, 2005 (Onsite Marketing Solution). This version allows the company to use its built-in sales process system or customize its own system to track down, monitor and maintain the customer relationship and communication as well as the accuracy of sales forecasting and trends. With the use of this system, companies can analyze the trends of sale and profile of their customers thus, making it easy for them to plan an effective marketing and sale campaign. Through this system, communications from customers such as mail shots, letters and meetings are easily tracked down. GoldMine Software Corp. GoldMine Software company is a private company founded in 1989 by president Elan Susser and executive vice president Jon V. Ferrara. (Schupbach et al, 1999) The company was first known to be Elan Software but sometime later, the company changed its name to GoldMine Software and then after a merger with Ben Data, which owned the HEAT products, ultimately became FrontRange Solutions. (2003) The first ever designed software for GoldMine was Business Contact Manager. This software is designed for Insurance, Legal Services, Real Estate, Engineering, Government or other leading professions of small scale and medium scale business firms and the mid-market. GoldMine Software assures a fast return on investment and low operational cost but provides a wide range of easy to implement

Monday, October 28, 2019

Analysis of the short story Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the short story Essay `This essay will discuss certain reaction to the story ‘Examination day’, as well as reviewing the lifestyle and world Dickie lives in. The Jordan family are not rich but they are part of the working class society. The accommodation is quite small, they’re ‘little apartment’ is described in line 21: ‘The boy †¦ wandered to that part of the living room which had been ‘his’ from infancy. ’ This shows that things have not changed in terms of housing since he was young and probably their wealth has not increased as much as they would have liked. In the ‘little apartment’ Mrs Jordan mentioned ‘the Exam’ which was why the tension was quite high in the room. ‘The Exam’ is the ‘Government intelligence test they give to children at the age of twelve. ’ This examination was to make sure that there is no-one clever enough to overrule the current government. This test shows an example of what a dictator ruled government is like. This government is a totalitarian government in terms of not wanting to lose power or authority of any sort. These citizens are stuck in an unwanted dictatorship. The examination room was just as restricted as the lives they lead. The room was very dim which represents amount of information they know about the world and their current government. Also in Dickie’s eyes the room doesn’t look very inviting or welcoming even if it was an examination room. Although Dickie could not really see the ‘gray-tunicked attendant’ he knew that this was a very serious matter. The dimness of the room also shows the secretiveness of the government and how much they want their citizens to know. On the day of Dickie’s examination his parents’ were very anxious to see whether or not their son was allowed to come home or not; there were ‘†¦ not speaking, not even speculating. ’ They were so apprehensive that when the phone rang they both tried to reach for it. This shows that they had a feeling that things were not going to work out perfectly for them. When Mr Jordan answered the phone to the ‘Government Educational Service’ he was told that his son’s ‘†¦intelligence quotient has exceeded the Government regulation. ’ This information was a shock to Mr Jordan that even his wife had read the expression of disappointment on his face. The government had announced that Dickie was going to die because he had breached the ‘intelligence quotient’. This shows that the government are too scared to let the clever people live their own lives or even work for them at their young age. This shows that the dictator is not as strong as he portrays himself to be. This shows that he is insecure and that if anyone clever was around he would probably crumble from having lack of authority. I think that the Jordan family live in a completely totalitarian world where they have no freedom to do what they like when they feel like it; unless they are in their own home. Their dictator is too worried about anyone overruling him; he feels the need to get rid all of the clever citizens to be secure in his position. This shows that this dictator is too unsecure to be head of the government. He needs to step aside and let someone else do the job properly.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

John Steinbecks East of Eden - The Gift of Free Will :: East Eden Essays

East of Eden - The Gift of Free Will An excellent benefit of choosing to major in English is that it has allowed me four years to dig deeply into my love of the written word. This involves looking beyond the surface of literature and studying its effects in the course of my everyday life. Some books are easy to read quickly, enjoy, and forget, but others exert an influence that is not easily discarded or forgotten. In my mental library, the classic American novel East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, falls into this category. I believe East of Eden has helped shape me morally by illustrating the power of free will in a world caught between a constant battle of good and evil. I decided to read East of Eden after hearing a friend share a short passage from it in his valedictory address. Although I do not remember the contents of that particular passage anymore, I remember that it was the power of Steinbeck's simple, direct language that urged me to take it on as my next big foray into what my high school English teacher called "real literature." The Cain and Abel story, possibly the most enigmatic story of good and evil in the Bible, is the basis for East of Eden. Although allegorical elements are scattered throughout the whole novel, the most evident theme struck me as three of the main characters discussed the ramifications of God's words to Cain after Abel's death. Lee, a Chinese servant to one of the novel's main families, explained to his two companions a little-known conflict between the translations of Genesis 4:7 in two versions of the Bible. In one translation, God tells Cain that "thou shalt" rule over sin. In another, God says to Cain, "Do thou" rule over sin. The first is a promise, and the second is an order. Lee concluded that the ambiguity presented by the two translations is at the heart of the universal human story. I agree. I know some people who surrender themselves to the fatalistic belief that everything in life has been mapped out by God. I also know people who believe that God is a harsh drillmaster who issues demands under the constant threat of damnation. Until I read this book, however, I never wondered where the dispute originated. As the characters in Steinbeck's novel discussed the discrepancy of Genesis 4:7, I also wondered at the intended meaning of the verse.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Catherine morland presented

Catherine being traced re the social, psychological, emotional and intellectual, in addition to her growth as a fully functional lady of society. The first chapter focuses on the Catherine's practicality, her intelligent, but not brilliant mind and her lack of experience in the world. Austen introduces Catherine as a realistic character, while contrasting that realism to her role as the heroine of a novel. Jane Austen presents Catherine Morland at the beginning of the novel, this opens the novel to a very interesting and yet peculiar start to the Northanger Abbey, â€Å"No one who had ever seen CatherineMorland in her infancy would have supposed her to be born an heroine†. This opening sentence leaves the reader expecting her to become a heroine as her life progresses. The author's careful diction characterises Catherine, â€Å"No one who had ever seen,† as though her outward appearance cannot righteously represent her true inner nature. The description of Catherine's a ppearance typifies this. When Austen describes Catherine in the opening of the novel, she suggests that she is an unlikely gothic heroine.Catherine isn't described as a stereotypical child, nevertheless, she ad a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features, â€Å"so much for her person and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind†. Austen presents Catherine to be as boring and plain, while at the same time encouraging the idea of her strong and courageous nature. By introducing her as a possible heroine, the contrasting description of her external features and the image of her heroism create a concept in the readers mind.In Chapter one of Northanger Abbey, Catherine is presented as naive and innocent, as Catherine is stereotyped as person who â€Å"never could learn or understand anything before she was taught. † This helps to paint a picture of Catherine being helpless and dependent for extended emphasis or exaggerat ion of the trials she must go through to reach maturity and independence. For if Catherine learns through the guidance and teaching of others, her gullibility in what she is taught is heightened, therefore she may be inclined to believe everything that she hears or reads.Austen describes Catherine, â€Å"She was fond of all boys, playing and greatly preferred cricket†. This relates to Mary Woolstone Craft, whereas Catherine's imagination runs away with her childhood because â€Å"she is kept in a state of perpetual childhood†. Austen presents Catherine's childhood as marked by energy, vitality and good temper, â€Å"She was moreover, noisy and wild†, Catherine wasn't interested in learning music or art she held the characterises of a young child who is immature and not very grounded on life. Young children at that age, however, are expected to be witty and charming.Catherine, however, is not accomplishment for 19th century women. Every household that could affor d one had piano, and the daughters of the house would be expected to learn to play and sing, so they could entertain the family and any visitors. Sketching and painting were considered elegant female accomplishments. Sewing was another one; girls would learn to do elegant embroidery. Speaking foreign languages was considered an accomplishment; girls would learn French and German and how this education plays a role in her position within society.Catherine Morland was the complete opposite of the stereotypical child; Jane Austen presented Catherine at the beginning of the ovel to the broad conflicting on how a heroine should act. Catherine Is more apparent when she turns fifteen years old, we gain an insight that Catherine has developed into a different character, â€Å"her love for dirt gave away' and â€Å"grows quite a good looking girl† this shows the maturity of Catherine and the stages into adulthood. Catherine's appearances change completed as, â€Å"her features were softened, by plumpness and colour†.Also, Catherine was â€Å"reading books of information†, Catherine is now showing traits of the â€Å"accomplished women† and the qualities of a eroine, nevertheless at the start of the novel Jane presents Catherine as nothing but a heroine and this shows how Catherine grows up and becomes more mature. In the first part of the novel, Catherine finds herself in the fashionable Bath where she is eager for adventures. She meets people who are in Bath for different reasons but mainly to find a suitable partner in life.Already after a couple of weeks in Bath, far away from her family, she is starting to mature. Her introduction to Bath society makes Catherine lose a little of her childish innocence. At one moment in Bath she is larmed and surprised at seeing Henry accompanied by another woman: â€Å"Catherine sat erect, in the perfect use of her senses and with cheeks only a little redder than usual† though Catherine does not reveal any emotions, quite the opposite of a Gothic heroine. When she meets Henry Tilney, instead of fainting with pure Joy she welcomes him quietly.Jane Austen presents Catherine Morland different around certain characters, as when we are first introduced to Isabella Thorpe she is presented as a admirable character at first, she comes across friendly, elegant and eautiful, as Catherine says in the novel, â€Å"her eldest daughter had great personal beauty'. Catherine's character changes when she meets Isabella Thorpe, Catherine admires her as a role model as Austen writes how Catherine, â€Å"most admirable girl† this helps Catherine's character to grow as she soon learns the social rules of how to behave whilst in Bath.As we know Isabella is four years older than Catherine so Catherine perhaps perceives Isabella as an older sister figure to Catherine. Catherine and Isabelle gain a friendship quickly which could suggest how Catherine is naive as he has not let herself get t o know Isabella as quick as she should have, â€Å"The progress of the friendship between Catherine and Isabella was quick as its beginning to get warm†.Isabella comes across as very manipulative character and also seeks male attention, when Catherine and Isabella catch the eye of two young men, † they set of immediately, as fast as they could walk, in pursuit of the two young men†, Catherine, however, doesn't want to follow the two young men and doesn't crave the male attention which Isabella does, this shows that Isabella manipulates what Catherine thinks and Jane presents this by showing that Isabella however Is in charge eventually drops her superficial friendship with Isabella in favour of a more mature friendship with Eleanor.In many ways, the mature and reasonable Eleanor represents the type of adult that Catherine makes some progress towards becoming an responsible adult. Eleanor is, after all, rational, kind, well-mannered, well-rea, and is capable to kee ping up with her brother's wit and if she's not as exciting and wildly entertaining as Isabella, well, that's probably a good thing. After all, she does get ewarded with her very own Viscount in the end, which Just proves that good deeds, like putting up with her difficult father, really can be rewarded.Catherine, who grows up considerably over the course of the novel, eventually drops her superficial friendship with Isabella in favour of a more mature friendship with Eleanor. In many ways, the mature and reasonable Eleanor represents the type of adult that Catherine makes some progress towards becoming, She is described as having a â€Å"good fgure, a pretty face and a very agreeable countenance† and is also described as having good anners and a good sense this foreshadows later on in the novel where Eleanor gives Catherine money to go home when General Tilney banishes Catherine from Northanger Abbey.Eleanor Tinley comes across as more of a heroine than Catherine Morland. Wh ereas the friendship between Eleanor and the characters also contrast in the way that Isabella enjoys having attention, whereas we are told that Eleanor is at the ball â€Å"without wanting to fix the attention of every man near her† which shows she is a much more mature character and would make a better role model to Catherine rather than Isabella. Overall the novel follows Catherine Morland's progress from innocence and delusion to understanding and clear sight.She never loses her honest and unaffectedness, which is what, makes her an attractive heroine despite being neither clever nor witty. At the beginning of chapter one Catherine isn't presented as a typical heroine and doesn't have the typical heroine traits as she does not bother to learn or has any talent at all, however, when Catherine grows to be older she begins to realise her maturity and she begins to have the qualities of an ‘accomplished women' traits about her.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Long-Lasting Hostility Among Indians Towards British Rule Essay

How far do Sources 10, 11 and 12 suggest that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule? Sources 10, 11 and 12 suggest that the Amritsar Massacre, the incident in which British troops under the order of General Dyer fired at a crowd of Indian protesters on the 13th April 1919, did create widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards the British. Creating the British government to be portrayed as repressive and irresponsible. However, the alternative view presented by the sources is that Indians were not hostile towards the British, but they were in fact appreciative of their help and did not feel that they were repressive. The view of which the Amritsar Massacre did create widespread and long-lasting hostility amongst Indians towards British rule is presented in Source 11. ‘The Empire have become dishonest and unscrupulous, with no regard to the wishes of the Indian people.’ This article was written by Gandhi in 1920, which is shortly after the Amritsar Massacre, and the reliability of it is not that high as it is published in his own newspaper. Although it is still useful as Gandhi was a highly influential figure and supported by the masses so what he said would be key. Using strong words such as dishonest and unscrupulous, suggests strong feelings of hostility towards British rule. Also Gandhi feels as though the British are almost cheating the Indian people, meaning that the British are doing what they want without consulting the people they are ruling over. This source shows that the hostility felt by Indians was in fact widespread as it is written by Gandhi, a man who represented and was supported by the masses within India. This source does suggest that the Amritsar Massacre did create widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule. This theme of hostility towards British is also shown within Source 10, ‘Irresponsible government†¦ rights of human beings are denied to us.’ This extract is from a speech made by Motilal Nehru at the meeting of Congress a few days after the Massacre occurred. The usefulness of this is not as high as source 11 as we cannot be sure if the hostility was long-lasting as it is the same year as the Massacre itself. Although the reliability is still high Nehru was addressing the whole of Congress meaning he could not lie and also as it a few days after the Amritsar Massacre would increase the reliability as it will show the true feelings of Nehru. This extract shows that the Indians once again felt that the British were doing as they pleased without Indian voices being heard, which is also shown in source 11. However, as this source is written by Motilal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress, it is difficult to say from this source that hostility was in fact widespread as Nehru only represents the Indian National Congress which has the high caste community as a significant majority. Although this source does not show that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians, however it does suggest that it was leading to this point. However, the alternative view shown within source 12 is that Indians were not hostile towards the British, but they were in fact appreciative of their help and did not feel that they were repressive. ‘Without British protection we would not be completely oppressed by their majority.’ This extract was from a Muslim shoe merchant, Hafiz Hussain, investigating Hindu-Muslim riots during the civil disobedience campaign in 1931. This extract is useful and also reliable as it is from a common Muslim who would have no reason to lie and would give an overview and insight into the situation. As Hafiz Hussain is talking about the pressure the Hindus put the Muslims under to close their shops as a mark of respect for an executed terrorist, he is glad that the British are protecting them as they would have no choice in closing their shops as the majority would oppress them into doing so. This shows that this hostility towards the British was not caused by the Amritsar Massacre but that of the execution of a terrorist. This suggests that the Amritsar Massacre was not the only reason widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards British rule was created, it shows that other factors came into play. The view that the Amritsar Massacre created widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians towards the British is shown mainly within source 11, as it is the most useful and reliable source, but also source 10 as well. Although source 12 does suggest that there were other factors leading towards the hostility among Indians towards the British its provenance is not as great as those of sources 10 and 11 combined. As source 10 is the most useful and reliable at showing the widespread and long-lasting hostility among Indians due to the Amritsar Massacre it outweigh the points given by source 12. Suggesting that that the Indian people did have widespread and long-lasting hostility towards British rule because of the Massacre.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Gypsies essays

Gypsies essays Our history books are full of ethnic and religious groups who have been mistreated. However, these books say very little, if anything at all about the Gypsies. In this paper I am going to discuss a few of the many hardships and prejudices that Gypsies have faced, and continue to face today. Throughout time Gypsies have suffered disproportionately from poverty, unemployment, interethnic violence, discrimination, illiteracy, and disease (Lewy 1). One may wonder exactly who these people are who seem to be the targets of so much violence and hostility. Well, the Gypsies are an inclusive group, they have their own language and they are nomadic, which means that they travel around in clans, usually looking for work and pay. It is extremely difficult to learn the origin of these people, because they have no written or oral history. The number of Gypsies in the United States alone estimates to be between one hundred thousand and one million, however their names still do not Many of the hostilities that Gypsies have faced are due to the prejudices that others have against them, simply because they are different. This is similar to the way that African Americans were treated in America, on the fact that the color of their skin is a different . In fact a 19th century French observer referred to them as Europes negroes ( A Gypsy Awakening 1). Actually, African Americans seem to be more well off, because over time they have established a better way of life for themselves, and overcome many hardships and prejudices; whereas the Gypsies remain as they have always been. These people can also relate to another group, the Jews who were victims of the Holocaust; for they too were victims of this horrible occurrence in history. But unlike many of the Jewish families who were able get their life back on track, after the war, with help from ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Effects of the Pact of Steel Agreement on World War II

Effects of the Pact of Steel Agreement on World War II Introduction Definition and Characteristics Fascism is a political ideology that promotes high expressions of nationalism and aggressive approach in the defence of one’s nation (Passmore 72).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of the Pact of Steel Agreement on World War II specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is characterised by a one-party rule usually under a dictator and denial of individual rights. The basic principles of a fascist nation include authoritarianism, a deep understanding of state being more important than the individual, presence of an enigmatic leader and action oriented governance. Unlike communism, fascism did not strive for a class-less society. Rather, it was supported by industrialists, lower middle class and the military. Great examples where fascism existed are Italy under Benito Mussolini, Germany under Adolf Hitler and Spain under Francisco Franco among others (Payne 15 ). Dr. Britt Lawrence (22) found fourteen distinct defining characteristics common to every fascist regime. These were powerful and continuing nationalism where symbols and patriotic slogans were used in public displays; disregard for the recognition of human rights which led to executions and torture; identification of a perceived common enemy which was used as a uniting cause like communists and socialist were used as scapegoats; the military is highly idealized with great amounts of government funding going to them in the expense of domestic agendas; most fascist nations are male-dominated hence rampant sexism; censorship of mass media, where the government directly controls the media content; fear and intimidation is used to motivate the masses towards National security under fascism rule; they use a common religion that supports their ideals and uses it to manipulate public opinion; the industrial and business upper classes which form corporate power enjoy government protection ; in fascist nations labour unions are either banned or harshly suppressed; contempt for intellectuals and the arts with hostility to academia; occurrence of a police force that has limitless power showing fascination with crime and punishment of opponents; rampant corruption and eventually fraudulent elections. Fascism in Italy and Germany The First World War had a great impact and devastating consequences for Italy, although it was among the winning powers. The war brought inflation which increased greatly due to military expenses; there were political divisions and frequent social unrest, and unsatisfactory peace treaty because it received a small portion of the territory they wanted. There was mistrust in the Liberal politicians leading to the rise of Fascism. As Martin Blinkhorn puts it, one cause of the rise of fascism in Italy was the problems it faced after World War 1, which are post war economic crises, mass demobilisation and acute social unrest (Blinkhorn 34). After the unification in Italy, which was dominated by the elite, the south was neglected leading to chronic poverty that was worsened by limited spending and soaring taxes. The Liberals failed to transform the economy which was severely suffering from post-war depression after World War 1, giving fascism a chance to increase its mass backing.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The western powers which included Britain and France, failed to fulfil the agreement after World War 1 and Italy felt the land they were promised was not given to him; hence Italy did not want to corporate much with them. These gave Mussolini a great opportunity to grip the power and he set up a Fascist Party which promised to have solutions to Italy’s problems Alexander De Grand cites the opportunistic nature of Italian fascism when he says that Mussolini recognised that the Liberals did not create peace with the church and he lessened anti-clerical feelings in the Fascist Party (De Grand 89). This created an influential ally and improved the appeal of the Party. Fascism looked to be an easy answer to immense economic and social problems. Mussolini undertook to restore Italy and reinstate the Roman Empire. He organised armed gangs called the â€Å"black shirts† which helped him come to power in 1922. King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini as the Prime Minister of Italy to prevent a communist revolution. The famous 1922 March on Rome took place to institute Mussolini and the Fascist Party as the most significant party in Italy. The rise of Mussolini to power instigated the birth of Versailles and combat communism. Mussolini as the leader (II Duce) ended democracy and banned all other political parties except the Fascists (Macdonald 19). The government was run by secret police that he controlled and often jailed his opponents. The Fascist Government took over the me dia and ensured only Fascist doctrines were broadcasted or published. He outlawed strikes and allayed the Fascists with the industrialists and large landowners. In Germany, the group, Nazi (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), had policies like fascism, hence Nazism- the German brand of fascism. Hitler as the Nazi Party leader was impressed by Mussolini’s March on Rome, and he plotted for Nazi’s to seize power in Munich in 1923, but the attempt failed and he was arrested. He was tried for treason and sentenced to five years in jail but only served less than nine months (Woolf 18). Just as in Italy, the great depression caused the German economy to collapse and civil unrest broke out. Hitler’s Nazi party looked to be the solution to the economic crisis. As a chancellor and by winning majority of parliament, Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state. Just like Mussolini, other opponent political parties were banned. Being against Hitler meant th at one was an enemy to him and his loyalties, and arrest and murder would follow. The Nazi secret police, Gestapo, used brutal action and terror to shock many Germans to total obedience.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effects of the Pact of Steel Agreement on World War II specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite their aggressiveness, the Nazis under Hitler had several achievements such as they constructed factories, built highways, manufactured weapons, served in military thus dramatically reducing the number of unemployed. Beyond his economic and political power, Hitler also took control over the media; both print and press making them his propaganda tools. He was successful in raising the Germany economy from the great depression, giving him popularity with the middle class (Blamires and Paul 16). It is worth noting that Mussolini never had the total control in Italy as achieved by Adolf Hitler in German y. Effects of Fascism in Italy and Germany Some effects of fascism were World War II, preservation of social classes and dictatorship. As in all fascist governments there was absolute dictatorial government. The citizens were oppressed it was not acceptable to speak against the dictator. The dictators become the only men who had the authority to make any decisions. Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany were among the main causes of World War II. Fascisms ideals were aggressive in nature hence it led Italy and Germany directly to war. Labour unions were banned besides political parties. Education was reviewed to favour the fascist government. There were similarities in Italian fascism and German Nazism in the following respects. In both cases individuality was rejected and emphasis was on role will power in individuals to protect their state. There was a negative view if the masses human understanding and the dictators used propaganda to manipulate them politically. They viewed that the leader was from the elite and there were great differences between the intellectual capabilities of the masses and the political elite. Liberals and social democrats were viewed as the enemies in both cases. However several differences were evident between the German Nazism and Italian fascism. Firstly, racialism was strongly evident with the Nazis and less evident with the fascist. Moreover, Italian foreign policy objectives were limited to gaining additional territories, while German foreign policy objectives were huge and were driven by their biased attitudes especially toward the Jews. Generally, there were positive effects in both fascist governments in that they stabilized the economy after the great depression, and there were great cuts in unemployment levels as well as decrease in social unrest.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mussolini political agenda Benito Mussolini is best remembered as the father of Fascism. He began his political career as a Socialist. He is well admired by his fellow fascist in the successful execution of the March on Rome which bestowed him the powers he wanted. After Mussolini became the Prime minister, he did not have control over the parliament hence he formed a coalition government (Smith 17). Mussolini and the Fascists party were highly successful in their efforts to promote a growing economy and industrial powerhouse. Mussolini wanted to model his government after the Roman Empire and saw himself as Julius Caesar. He was a strong believer in the strength of the people as the backbone of the country and not the strength of the individual. He felt that his country would be the strongest if the citizens of Italy would come together as one, under a central idea and philosophy and be allied by the bonds of nationalism. This government primarily pursued economic policies which in cluded balancing the budget through several cuts to the civil service. At the same time he reinforced his control over the Fascist Party by forming an executive body for the party, the Grand Council of Fascism, responsible for governing the party but whose agenda he was in full control. In addition, he formed corporations for every single line of work to reinforce both economic and social control. This ensured labour unions had no power hence minimal workers’ strikes or social unrest. Mussolini’s supporters carried out operations of violence towards opposing political parties and against anyone who did not agree with their ideals. He was successful in changing the election procedure to favour him and assumed dictatorial rule in 1925-26 by dissolving all other political parties (Townley 52). Mussolini’s foreign policy of anti-imperialism commanded an extreme form of nationalism with the attack of Corfu in 1923 marking his policies (Lowe and Marzari, 81). The fasc ist Italy pursued an aggressive foreign policy which led to attacks in several nations such as Albania, Ethiopia and Libya, to fulfil Mussolini’s ambition of expanding the Italian territory. It also planned attacks on Turkey and Yugoslavia. These lead to mass killings and forced starvation of thousands of people. Mussolini was dedicated to solidifying Italy’s army, while tirelessly supporting that war was essential in keeping the economy alive. Mussolini did this with flawless effort and succeeded on the highest level by tweaking the media in his favor, and using force to persuade the citizens of Italy to support him and their country. The fascist government made improvements in various sectors in Italy. This included; Increase in acreage of cultivated land, irrigation was introduced in the marshes found on the Northern part of created more employment opportunities. To win the support of the Roman Catholic Church, Mussolini reached an agreement with the Papacy (Lateran Pact), which gave the Pope full authority over the Vatican City (Macdonald 21). Mussolini was able to gain power since he had a following from the middle class Italians who supported fascism due to general anxiety, fear and insecurity. The pact of Steel The Pact of Steel was Mussolini’s name used to refer to the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Nazism Germany and Fascism Italy (Kallis 20). He had originally named it ‘the Pact of Blood’ but was advised that it was likely to be received poorly in Italy if it went by that name hence ‘the Pact of Steel’. It was signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers, Count Ciano for Italy and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Germany, in Berlin in May 1939. The Pact of Steel was an agreement in which Germany and Italy entered into an alliance, pledging neutral support in war. Generally, the Pact of steel obliged Italy and Germany to co-operate in military and war production. They would aid each other in t he occasion of a war starting, militarily or otherwise (Tonge 39). The agreement was divided into two parts; the first part was an open declaration of continued mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries; the second section was a ‘Secret supplementary protocol’ which encouraged a union of military and economic policies. Within its clauses it stated that the validity of the pact within the time of its completion until 1949. It also urged the two countries to maintain relations with nations that were only friendly towards either of them. An enemy of one was to be perceived as an enemy of both. The ‘Secret Supplementary Protocols’ part was further divided into two sections; the first section pressed hasty joint action on military and economic cooperation; the second section urged the two countries to promote power and image of fascism through propaganda via media. This part as the name depicts was not made public during the signing of the agreement (Gregor 23). The agreement made sure that neither nation was able to make peace without consent from the other. The Italian’s, mistakenly, signed on the verbal understanding that neither power would start a war before 1943. The understanding was that Italy would direct Mediterranean strategy, leaving Germany free to conquer Europe. The signing of the pact of steel It was after World War 1 that Italy and Germany underwent different problems in governance that led them to look for support in one another. Both countries were unsatisfied with the status quo imposed on them after World War 1. Germany was on the losing side of the Central Powers during World War 1. Germany lost significant portions of its territory including border lands along the Polish borders and critical sectors along the western French border (Payne 45). It was Germany’s ambition to regain its military might that led Nazism to power. Italy on the other hand was on the victorious Allied side, which incl ude Britain and France in World War 1, paying a heavy price in its involvement to the victory. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost fighting for the Austrians and Italians were seriously unhappy at the marginal gains they were rewarded compared to the heavy cost they paid. To them they received a raw deal after the end of World War 1. Italy became ambitious to expand the territory. Like Germany, the western powers lost good will with Italy due its aggressive conduct. Between 1936 -1939, Italy and Germany cooperated in the Spanish Civil War where they fought on the same fascist side to help the authoritative regime of Franco to achieve victory over the Socialist opposition. This really encouraged their relationship. Mussolini withdrew from the League of Nations in December 1937 after receiving sanctions by the United Nations, and in the same year he visited Germany when he was captivated by the splendour and ceremony of Hitler. This drew the two countries together and given they had two similarly driven powers, Hitler and Mussolini developed a close relationship. Hitler, in a Munich conference, impressed Mussolini further with his boldness and aggressive stand on the weakness on the West (Gregor 47). The ambitions of the two fascist leaders lead Germany and Italy to conquer territories each felt were rightfully theirs. Hitler decided to move his military into the Rhineland, a de-militarized zone that was protected by the Treaty of Versailles in in order to protect France. It was when Hitler occupied the devastated Czechoslovakia in March 1939, that Mussolini’s pathetically poor reaction was to invade Albania where he acted individually, making it impossible for any reunion with the other western powers. In fact the Allies responded with strong threats of military response if territorial conquests continued. By May 1939, Mussolini’s concern was to safeguard his alliance such that Hitler could not abandon him and hence Italy was propelled into t he Pact of Steel with Germany. Italy and Germany being under dictators Mussolini and Hitler respectively ensured the two countries’ shared comparable fascist ideologies and an antagonistic view on governance hence the signing of the Pact of Steel. This sparked the beginning of World War II and the beginning of the Mussolini- Hitler era. The effects of the agreement on Italy and Germany Italy During World War 1 Italy had lost many men while fighting along Austria along its borders, since it was among the Allies. Having fallen apart with the Allies, and found new alliance with Germany, Mussolini abandoned Austria, whose independence he had avowed to secure by agreement, letting Hitler to gain a great strategic victory. In 1936, army general Franco attacked the republican government leading a Spain into a civil war between the republicans and the Nationalist whom he lead. Mussolini saw yet another opportunity to expand his power and influence by getting involved in the war in Sp ain. He joined with Hitler to support Franco in the Spanish Civil War, provoking armed conflict in Europe. Back at home, his reputation was falling. Mussolini’s stock in the League of Nation fell further when Britain and France eventually revealed that he was pretending to be neutral arbitrator at the Munich conference while he was aiding Hitler achieve his goals. Mussolini did not support a Europe-wide conflict, but he was powerless to influence events, when Hitler decided on military action and invaded Poland. The League of Nations finally imposed economic sanctions on Italy (Reich 197). As Hitler’s influence over Mussolini increased, Mussolini become unpopular among the Italian people who did not have their hearts in Hitler’s wars and wanted nothing to do with the persecutions of the Jews. As much as Hitler’s assistance was valuable to Mussolini a number of times when Italians found themselves in trouble, the end result was utter defeat on all fronts. Mussolini popularity diminished and he was eventually removed from power, and eventually executed. Germany It was after the great alliance with Mussolini that Hitler felt confident enough to initiate his aggressive moves. Without Mussolini, he would have been isolated diplomatically, he would have not taken over Austria and the Munich Conference would have been a flop. The Munich conference gave Hitler a great chance to denude the Czechs giving him a strategic position to invade Poland (Tonge 67). Without the Alliance of the two fascist leaders, may be World War II might well have been avoided. World War II led to Germany’s total defeat and it was Mussolini who enabled Hitler in his pursuit of the war. Hitler advanced to conquer France and when Mussolini realized that Hitler was defeating France, he mobilised his troop to invade France, only his forces were soon pushed back and Hitler’s forces were to come to his rescue to save Mussolini’s ‘honour’. Mussolini went ahead and invaded Greece without consulting Hitler and once again found himself in trouble. Hitler was again forced to send troops to assist the Italians, necessitating him to divert from Barbarossa costing him another necessary victory. Hitler was also forced to sacrifice troops which would have been utilised in the Eastern front to rescue Mussolini in his African adventure. In the end, Italy’s Military alliance was more of a hindrance to Hitler’s conquests and Mussolini proved himself to be more of a liability than a valuable reinforcement though his assistance was of great value to Hitler’s pre-war diplomatic manoeuvring. There were adverse effects to both nations in the quest to fulfil the agreement in the hope of achieving their goals. In the end, the pact of steel became a great disaster for the two fascist leaders and their countries and lead to their eventual fall and defeat in the World War II. Significance of the Pact of Steel on the Wo rld War II In view of his understanding of the Pact of Steel, the eruption of war between Germany and the Allied western powers in September 1939, following Hitler’s conquest of Poland come as a surprise to Mussolini ( Blamires and Paul 56). It definitely offered him some food for thought, and from uncertainty he opted for neutrality. He felt that Hitler had bitten more than he could chew by provoking the hostility of Britain and France and he had slim chances of defeating them. He was also unhappy with the direction that the Germany foreign policy had taken since the pact of steel. Since the agreement minimized the possibility of reconciliation between Mussolini and his former allied friends, the western powers, Hitler pursued to protect his position in the Eastern part of Europe by the Non-aggression Pact with Stalin in August 1939 which opened the way for a successful invasion and defeat of Poland (Tonge 29). This may be when Mussolini seriously suspected Germany duplicity . Mussolini supported his ‘non-aggression’ to the Germans with the fact that Italy was totally unprepared to engage in war in September 1939. The Italian armed forces were awfully ill-equipped to fight a major war due to enormous expenditure of military resources in their quest to conquer Ethiopia, Spain and Albania as well as the underlying economic weakness (Townley 78). However, Mussolini frequently reiterated his moral and Diplomatic support for Hitler, and continually insisted that he intended to enter the war just as soon as the circumstances would permit. As the Germans occupied more countries, Mussolini felt the urge to join the war so as to share the spoils of victory alongside Hitler and his army. Mussolini’s original hesitancy turned into an urge for war as Hitler’s armies advanced in their invasion of France and it didn’t take him long to declare war on Britain and France. Many writers who sided with fascism claimed that Mussolini did wa s unwilling to engage in a war against Britain and France in 1940 but was forced into the decision by the slip-ups, inflexibility and antagonism of British diplomacy. This picture of Mussolini does not fit the circumstances given that Mussolini being a fascist opportunist wanted to acquire domination over the Mediterranean at the expense of Britain and France, and he saw the opportunity to do so in a splendid, warlike manner. Mussolini’s war aims were very predictable from the creation of a new Roman empire to the hazier goal of Italy becoming a world super power. He also had a secondary agenda where the Fascist Italy were to conduct its military operations parallel to and free of Nazi Germany, and with a clear line of separation between their relevant spheres in Europe. By this he hoped to establish the power balance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. However Mussolini did not have a very articulate or coherent plan to rival that of Hitler. The Post WWII Era World War I I was viewed by many to be the last good war with a clear purpose of abolishing Nazism and Fascism and all the horrible ideals they stood for. The triumph of the Allies in the World War II was the greatest defeat of Germany and Italy. It marked the downfall of fascism and the victory of democratic ideals and values over totalitarianism and dictatorial rule. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy were transformed into unthreatening democracies. Prior to World War 2 Italy had completed two conquests in Ethiopia and Albania, and despite the Pact of steel, it did not join the war until1940, planning to get a share of the Allied territory. With the defeat of France, Italy’s war efforts went poorly resulting in defeats in Greece, North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea (Payne 110). In 1943, Italy was invaded by Allies and Mussolini’s government collapsed. Though the Germans kept to the agreement and helped him back to power, it was only for a while before he was removed from power ag ain. Italy was also split an occupied allied South and the remnants of the fascist government in the North. Eventually Italians embraced democracy and Italy became a member of NATO after the war. After the war, German was divided into four occupied zones among France, Britain and America. Conclusion After World War 1, there was extensive damage in all countries across Europe, both for the winning allied side and the losing central powers. Italy having been on the victorious allied side had high expectations after the peace treaty that ended the war, but when it came to sharing the territories it didn’t get its share as expected. They felt the other western powers, United Kingdom and France, had short-changed them, and hence began their own ideals to fulfil their enormous ambitions of being a super power. The great depression was a perfect chance for the fascist Mussolini to acquire leadership and preach the doctrines of fascism. On achieving this, he impressed his fellow fasc ist Hitler, in the neighbouring Germany, which was on the losing side after WWI and was looking to regain its military powers. Hitler borrowed a leaf from Mussolini and used the same fascism doctrines, in the version of Nazis to take control of Germany. The relationship of the two fascist, Mussolini and Hitler, grew to greater lengths having been driven by similar ambitions for their countries and fascist ideologies that gave them power as sole decision makers. Their growing ‘friendship’ and mistrust with the Allies (Britain and France) led them to make an Alliance of friendship and military assistance in the form of the ‘Pact of Steel’ agreement. This was to fulfil their own selfish goals of territorial conquest to be powerful empires. This was to be the poorest decision for them and their countrymen. They did not know they were signing a ticket to their downfall. Both were too ambitious to be cautious of the aftermath. After terrible defeats in the World War II for both Italy and Germany, fascism was replaced by democracy. In my own informed view, both countries would have been better off without the Pact of Steel agreement, and just may be World War II would never be in our History books. On the other hand, it was a great lesson for most countries in Europe on Fascism and its effects. Blamires, Cyprian, and Jackson Paul. World Fascism: A Historical Encyclopedia; Vol.1. California, USA. ABC-Clio Inc, 2006. Print. Blinkhorn, Martin. Mussolini and Fascist Italy. New York, USA. Lancaster Pamphlets, Routledge, 1984. Print. Britt, W. Lawrence. â€Å"Fascism Anyone?† Free Inquiry Magazine 15 July. 2003: 2-4. Print. Woolf, S. J. Fascism in Europe. London, UK. Methuen Co. Publishers. 1981. Print. De Grand, J. Alexander. Italian Fascism: Its Origins and Development. USA. University of Nebraska Press. 1989. Print. Gregor, A. James. Interpretation of Fascism. Morristown, New Jersey. General Learning Press. 1974. Print. Kallis, A. Aris totle. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945. New York, USA. Routledge. 2000. Print. Lowe, and Marzari, F. Italian Foreign Policy 1870-1940. New York, USA. Routledge. 2001. Print. Macdonald, Hamish. Mussolini and Italian Fascism. United Kingdom. Stanley Thornes Publishers Ltd. 1999. Print. Passmore, Kevin. Fascism: A Short Introduction. United Kingdom. Oxford University Press. 2002. Print. Payne, G. Stanley. A History of Fascism: 1914-1945, Digital Printing Edition. England, UK. Routledge. 2005. Electronic. Reich, W. The Mass Psychology of Fascism. New York, USA. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. 1970. Print. Smith, D. Mark. Modern Italy: A Political History, United States of America. University of Michigan Press. 1997. Print. Tonge, Neil. Battles of World War II. New York, USA. The Rosen Publishing Group Inc. 2009. Print. Townley, Edward. Mussolini and Italy. Bristol, UK. Heinemann Educational Publishers. 2002. Print.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Overview of Watersheds and Watershed Management

Overview of Watersheds and Watershed Management A watershed, also called a drainage basin in North America, is an area in which all water flowing into it goes to a common outlet or body of water, such as the same estuary or reservoir. Watersheds themselves consist of all surface water and include lakes, streams, reservoirs, and wetlands, as well as all groundwater and aquifers. The water in a watershed originates via precipitation that is collected on the surface and groundwater. However, it is important to note that not all precipitation falling in an area exits the watershed. Some of it is lost through evaporation and transpiration and some is used by people and some soaks into the soil and groundwater. At the boundaries of watersheds, there are drainage divides usually in the form of ridges or hills. Here the water flows into two separate watersheds and does not always end up in a common outlet. In the United States, for example, there are many different watersheds, but the largest is the Mississippi River basin which drains water from the Midwest into the Gulf of Mexico. This water does not enter the Pacific Ocean because the Rocky Mountains act as the drainage divide. The Mississippi River basin is an example of an extremely large watershed, but watersheds vary in size. Some of the worlds largest ones contain smaller watersheds within them depending on where the final water outlet is. Types of Watersheds The second is called a major drainage divide. In this situation, waters on each side of the boundaries do not meet via the same river or stream, but they do reach the same ocean. For example, there is a drainage divide between the Yellow River (Huang He) basin and the Yangtze River in China but both have the same outlet. The final type of drainage divide is called a minor drainage divide. In these, waters separate at the divide but later rejoin. An example of this situation is shown with the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Key Features of a Watershed The second feature is the drainage divide or watershed boundary, such as a mountain range. This plays a role because it helps in determining whether the water in the watershed is flowing toward or away from an area. The next feature is the topography or terrain of the watersheds land. If the area is steep, the water there is likely to flow quickly and cause flooding and erosion, whereas flat watersheds have often had slower flowing rivers. The final feature of a watersheds physical landscape is its soil type. Sandy soils, for example, absorb water quickly, while hard, clay soils are less permeable. Both of these have implications for runoff, erosion, and groundwater. Significance of Watersheds By studying the key watershed features in addition to activities along waterways scientists, other researchers and city governments can work to keep them healthy because a small change in one portion of a watershed can drastically affect other parts. Human Impacts on Watersheds Watershed pollution occurs in two ways: point source and nonpoint source. Point source pollution is pollution that can be traced to a specific point such as a disposal site or leaking pipe. Recently, laws and technological advances have made it possible to detect point source pollution and its problems are being reduced. Nonpoint source pollution occurs when pollutants are found in water running off of crops, parking lots and other lands. In addition, it can also be caused when particulates in the atmosphere fall onto the land with precipitation. Humans have also impacted watersheds by reducing the amount of water flowing within them. As people take water out of a river for irrigation and other city-wide uses, the rivers flow decreases and with this decreased flow, natural river cycles such as flooding, may not occur. This could, in turn, hurt ecosystems depending on the rivers natural cycles. Watershed Management and Restoration Watershed restoration, on the other hand, is aimed at restoring already impacted watersheds to their natural state through the monitoring of pollution and regulations to reduce further pollution. Watershed restoration programs also work often to repopulate the watershed with its native plant and animal species. To learn more about watersheds in the United States, visit the Environmental Protection Agencys Surf Your Watershed website.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The effects of media on new generations Research Paper

The effects of media on new generations - Research Paper Example Digital media mainly comprises of television. Television is mostly used by young generation to spend most of their time. Watching violent programs can cause violent behavior in young generations; excessive use of digital media leads to decrease in academic performance, certain programs can result in unnatural sexual behavior among young generation. As per a data analysis it has been found that a youth on an average watches 12,000 violent acts annually in a television including acts of rape and murder. There have been about 1000 reports that confirm that watching heavy doses of violence in television leads to aggressive behavior in young generation. Extensive watching of television has adverse effect on nutrition. For an example the amount of advertisements shown for fast foods, presweetened cereals and candies is much more related to healthy food which advertises only 4% of the total advertisements. Due to extensive watching of sex related programs it has been recorded that sex between unmarried couples is 24 times more than married partners. It leads to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A report mentions huge increase in sex related interactions during family hours (NCBI 1). Alcohol and smoking consumption has increased a lot among young generation in a last couple of years solely due to advertisements and promotion of beer and other liquors in television and hoardings on street. Apart from television and hoardings there is music videos which causes equal impact now-a-days. More than 70% videos include sexually explicit items and more than 80% of videos contain violence. This affects mostly the male population to grow aggressive. Video games are equally responsible to cause mental and physical hazards in young generation, most youths prefer to sit back at home and play video games instead of going for out-door games. This results in physical imbalance and

Friday, October 18, 2019

Intro Political Science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro Political Science - Research Paper Example In adopting the normative approach, politics is considered as the study of power to establish the "right" values. The normative approach in the study of politics is actually founded on value. As stated by Jayapalan, the normative method is a value-laden method (21). In this approach, emphasis is placed on "what ought to be" and not "what it is" (Jayapalan 21). This means that in applying the normative method, the values that politics should uphold are stressed. It is more on formulating ideals. It can also be asserted that this approach is idealistic in a sense. In this context, certain disadvantages have been attributed to this method. First, it is claimed as not analytical (Macridis and Brow, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). It only poses ideas which are ought to be practiced and observed in politics. It is purely descriptive (Macridis and Brow, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). It is already contented in making suggestions and does not entertain a critical way of analyzing political events and behavio rs. Second, it has a very legalistic approach and demonstrates an outlook that is very narrow (Ball and Lauth, qtd. in Jayapalan 21). For the political scientists who use this method, the study of politics is ought to be legalistic. The problem on being legal is that it is restrictive. Third, it puts emphasis on values.

Legal system and method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal system and method - Essay Example Subsequently, Laroche made a claim in the High Court of England and Wales, for personal injury against the defendant, which was dismissed. Laroche appealed against this decision in the England and Wales Court of Appeal. The High Court had held that his claim had been extinguished, on the basis of Schedule 1, Article 29 of the Carriage by Air Acts (Application of Provisions) Order 1967. Thereafter, the Spirit of Adventure underwent voluntary liquidation, but it was appropriately restored, so that Laroche could claim damages for the injury caused to him. In England, all claims are subjected to the application of the Non – International Rules and they also fall within the scope of the Warsaw Convention on International Carriage by Air 1929. Thus, the concept of exclusivity of claims is governed by the Carriage by Air Act of 1961. In this case, the claim was made under article 29 of Schedule I. Under this article, the parties have to make a claim within a period of two years. Thus, the claim in this case was not valid, since two years had already transpired. The claimant could not invoke his right to action. Section 651 of the Companies Act 1985 sets aside such limitation. Nevertheless, article 29 could not be excluded in order to invoke the doctrines of estoppel or waiver under English law1. It was held by the court that Laroche’s claim was governed by Schedule 1 of the 1967 Order. This Order provides an exclusive cause of action; and Laroche could invoke this schedule to his claims. However, he had failed to make a claim within two years. Thus, he was precluded from invoking Schedule 1 article 292. This is a landmark case in the area of accidents, during carriage by air or sea. It served to establish that the provisions of International Conventions will be applied to claims in such accidents. The provisions apply to claims in domestic or international accidents. The conventions provide remedies to the claims for damages, and are

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Media reporting and child sexual abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Media reporting and child sexual abuse - Essay Example The United Nation’s 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child states that the child needs special care and protection including appropriate legal protection due to his physical and mental immaturity before and after birth. In the UK, children and young people are offered protection by two important pieces of legislation: the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Act 1998.There have been plentiful and varied challenges involving children and young people, in particular under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act(Curtice and Tim,2010,p.361). The Children, Schools and Families Bill has taken some initiatives concerning publishing the family proceedings information. The measures are subject to controversy as there is need to strike the right balance between right of press to report court proceeding under Article 10 ECHR and right to privacy and its respect for children under Article 8 ECHR in addition to their best interest under the UN Convention on the Righ ts of the Child. Relaxation of limitation on media reporting of family proceeding has raised concerns over limiting children rights and providing them insufficient protection (JCHR, 2010). According to media laws, accredited journalists are permitted to observe family court proceedings; however, they are under strict reporting regulations that allow certain level of details for print. The limitation of print reporting are imposed in order to ensure privacy and well-being of children involved in the cases (Silk, 2009).Furthermore, according to Justice Secretary, Jack Straw (cited in Silk, 2009) the limitation will be relaxed in an effort to convey the case substance while children identity and lurid details about family must not be published. The modifications will permit the publication of expert witness reports, including those incorporating details of child abuse. The relaxation will ensure transparency in family justice system and increased public confidence on its services. The legislation has broaden the amount of information that can be reported which include child or parent’s medical, psychological, or psychiatric details in addition to the   information given by a child to his or her parents. It permits the publication of information regarding the case which is not â€Å"personal sensitive information† but the limitations are not clearly defined. The act ensures that names and identities of parties involved remain hidden to maintain lifelong anonymity of children (Baksi, 2010). Recently, numerous high-profile celebrities have accused media of intruding into their privacy during their cases in UK. Most cases are reported against the stories by ‘kiss-and-tell’ tabloids and photographs taken by freelance paparazzi. For instance, celebrity footballer David Bekham and pop star Victoria Bekham and members of British monarchy consistently tried to limit press interference into their personal lives (Drake, 2007, p.220). Apparently, Privacy limitations seems to be defined clearly, however, there is no statute in either English or Scottish law that can be attributed as Privacy Act. In addition, the publicity or personality rights are also not evident. Contrary to defamation or copyright laws, under no specific law we can hold some newspaper responsible for intruding into any individual’s or celebrity’s privacy. This scenario has led to extending the existing legislation in order to contain privacy related cases and to establish the concept in English law courts (Drake, 2007, p.220). Lacking legislation triggered the attempts to define privacy in UK AND Calcutt Committee defined it as â€Å"the right of the individual to be protected against intrusion to his personal life or affairs, or those of his family, direct physical means or by publication of information† (1990, p.7 cited in Drake, 2007, p.221). Absence of a general law for privacy led to the utilization of common law in such cases. I t includes; the 1998 Data Protection Act, 1997

Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Curriculum - Essay Example teaching), the information which is used to facilitate such a process is the second most important determinant on the extent and scope to which education will indeed take place. In this way, designing a curriculum necessarily involves the attention and participation of several key participants. Although it is rarely the determination of the end educator as to the precise means by which he/she will attempt to engage the students and effect the determined end, the educator has no small part in engaging with the other shareholders within this process and voicing his/her concerns/beliefs/desires with reference to seeking to provide a better and more fully nuanced vehicle for the impartation of knowledge to the student (Hinde 2005). With regards to how this student approaches the issue of curriculum, this can be understood as a function of two distinct responses. Firstly, the curriculum that I am faced within my own institution is something that is outside of my control and something that has been predetermined by shareholders to impart the very best level of education and knowledge onto me the student. In much the same way, it is my eventual intent to seek to have at least some stake in this process as I complete my degree and begin to practice teaching as an educator. In this way, I will then be able to exact a small amount of direction upon the way in which my students will be introduced to certain key elements of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Media reporting and child sexual abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Media reporting and child sexual abuse - Essay Example The United Nation’s 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child states that the child needs special care and protection including appropriate legal protection due to his physical and mental immaturity before and after birth. In the UK, children and young people are offered protection by two important pieces of legislation: the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Act 1998.There have been plentiful and varied challenges involving children and young people, in particular under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act(Curtice and Tim,2010,p.361). The Children, Schools and Families Bill has taken some initiatives concerning publishing the family proceedings information. The measures are subject to controversy as there is need to strike the right balance between right of press to report court proceeding under Article 10 ECHR and right to privacy and its respect for children under Article 8 ECHR in addition to their best interest under the UN Convention on the Righ ts of the Child. Relaxation of limitation on media reporting of family proceeding has raised concerns over limiting children rights and providing them insufficient protection (JCHR, 2010). According to media laws, accredited journalists are permitted to observe family court proceedings; however, they are under strict reporting regulations that allow certain level of details for print. The limitation of print reporting are imposed in order to ensure privacy and well-being of children involved in the cases (Silk, 2009).Furthermore, according to Justice Secretary, Jack Straw (cited in Silk, 2009) the limitation will be relaxed in an effort to convey the case substance while children identity and lurid details about family must not be published. The modifications will permit the publication of expert witness reports, including those incorporating details of child abuse. The relaxation will ensure transparency in family justice system and increased public confidence on its services. The legislation has broaden the amount of information that can be reported which include child or parent’s medical, psychological, or psychiatric details in addition to the   information given by a child to his or her parents. It permits the publication of information regarding the case which is not â€Å"personal sensitive information† but the limitations are not clearly defined. The act ensures that names and identities of parties involved remain hidden to maintain lifelong anonymity of children (Baksi, 2010). Recently, numerous high-profile celebrities have accused media of intruding into their privacy during their cases in UK. Most cases are reported against the stories by ‘kiss-and-tell’ tabloids and photographs taken by freelance paparazzi. For instance, celebrity footballer David Bekham and pop star Victoria Bekham and members of British monarchy consistently tried to limit press interference into their personal lives (Drake, 2007, p.220). Apparently, Privacy limitations seems to be defined clearly, however, there is no statute in either English or Scottish law that can be attributed as Privacy Act. In addition, the publicity or personality rights are also not evident. Contrary to defamation or copyright laws, under no specific law we can hold some newspaper responsible for intruding into any individual’s or celebrity’s privacy. This scenario has led to extending the existing legislation in order to contain privacy related cases and to establish the concept in English law courts (Drake, 2007, p.220). Lacking legislation triggered the attempts to define privacy in UK AND Calcutt Committee defined it as â€Å"the right of the individual to be protected against intrusion to his personal life or affairs, or those of his family, direct physical means or by publication of information† (1990, p.7 cited in Drake, 2007, p.221). Absence of a general law for privacy led to the utilization of common law in such cases. I t includes; the 1998 Data Protection Act, 1997

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Development of U.S Policy towards Native Americans and Tribal Essay

Development of U.S Policy towards Native Americans and Tribal Government - Essay Example The civilization followed by the Native Americans is ancient, but this ancient civilization and old traditions have changed by time and the Native Americans have also changed their way of living and lifestyle with the changing world and environment. The written record of the 10 million populated Native Americans can be found with the European conflict because the conflict era between the old and new world cultures came with the advent of European colonization. In that period of time, the philosophies of the cultures were clashed, religious institutions and centers were challenged, old world cultures were changed, and modern technologies were changed; so this changed the entire picture of the historic value of old and new world of history. As the colonial era of England was revolted and the United States established, Native Americans also got the chance to enroll as natives and original habitants of their homelands. Native Americans have an exceptional association and liaison with the government of united states, and they have found their individual independent rights and provisions from the government of the united states to live according to their rights and beliefs in the form of bonded groups, nations and tribes so that they could maintain their own dignity and civilization to full extents. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 grants the right of being U.S. citizens to all the Native Americans so that they could live independently and enjoy their lifestyles with full freedom and justification. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all non-citizen Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby, declared to be citizens of the United States: Provided, That the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Native American to tribal or other

Monday, October 14, 2019

Causes for the french revolution Essay Example for Free

Causes for the french revolution Essay There were many causes for the French Revolution, which started in 1789. However there were three main causes that affected the decision to have a revolution the most which were the weak economy, a bad harvest, and King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette. These were the main reasons that lead to the French Revolution because these events were the ones that affected France the most during 1789. The weak economy was one of the causes of the French Revolution because at that time France was in debt. France was in debt due to helping the colonist become independent from Britain in the American Revolution. For example, in The French Revolution Begins reading it states â€Å"And he borrowed heavily in order to help the American revolutionaries in their war against Great Britain, France’s chief rival. † This is one of the reasons that started the French Revolution because due to being in debt King Louis XVI’s solution was to raise the taxes on the nobles. This was surprised the 2nd estate which consist of the nobles because they paid the least taxes of the 3 estates. Due to this action the 2nd estate called a meeting called the Estates General. In these types of meetings each estate would usually only get one vote but due to the fact that it would be unfair to the 3rd estate. So for this reason every person who was at the Estates General would be granted a vote. The Estates General was to basically approve the new tax. This meeting then caused the National Assembly, which was what the third estate was now called. The third estate pledged a tennis court oath that stated that they wouldn’t leave until a new constitution was made. They drafted a new constitution, which now made France a constitutional monarchy. In conclusion, this is how being in depth was one of the reasons that started the French Revolution. Another cause for the French revolution was the bad harvest in the 1780’s. This was one of the causes for the French revolution because people could grow their food or grain, which is the ingredient to make bread. â€Å"The price of bread doubled in 1789, and many people faced starvation† (French Revolution Begins). In my opinion, I believe that this is one of the reasons to start the revolution because the people back then were poor. They were poor due to the reason that most of their money went to taxes so, if their money went to taxes and they barley had enough to pay for how much the bread used to be hoe are they expected to pay for bread when the price is doubled. I also believe that this is inequitable due to the fact that it isn’t their fault that there was bad weather I believe that the king was just trying to get money. Doubling the bread price made people not have enough money and many people died because of starvation. In conclusion, this is how a bad harvest was another one of the major causes to the French Revolution. The last main cause to the French Revolution had to do with King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette. This I believe was the main reason for the French Revolution because the king and his wife were spending money on unnecessary things. For example â€Å"†¦she spent so much money on gowns, jewels, gambling, and gifts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (The French Revolution Begins). Based on this evidence we could see how the money was being misused and how the queen didn’t even care about the situation happening with the people. Another example showing how Antoinette was a bad queen was â€Å"One year she lost the equivalent of $1. 5 million gambling in card games† (The French Revolution Begins). This example shows us how the queen spent money and when it came to help people put they were in depth. An example of how King Louis XVI was being a bad king was â€Å"However he lacked the ability to make decisions† (The French Revolution). In my opinion I believe that this is how King Louis XVI was a cause to the French Revolution because this quote shows how he did not know what was right for the people and did not know how to deal with all of the things that were going on in France like people wanting a revolution. This was a good thing for France because they saw that the King could not make any good decisions so they saw that it was a good idea to overthrow the monarchy and become a limited monarchy. In conclusion there were many things that lead to the French Revolution but only 3 things were the main causes. The 3 main causes were the fact that the French were in depth due to the American Revolution. The fact that there was a bad harvest in the 1780’s. Lastly the fact that King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were spending money in a useless way and that they were making bad decisions.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Strength And Weaknesses Of Oracle Company Information Technology Essay

The Strength And Weaknesses Of Oracle Company Information Technology Essay The company Oracle is particularly keen to keep all its newly acquired customers happy and convince them to buy into its Fusion roadmap. For enterprises making strategy software decisions, the company believes that it has the richest most complete portfolio of applications and middleware. The company also complies with all the ethical guidelines that law has placed and it also has its own ethical guidelines that the entire work force follows. Oracle is the only company that is capable of implementing complete global e-business solutions that extend from the front office customer relationship management to back office operational applications. Larry Ellison saw an opportunity that other companies missed more than three decades ago. This was a description of a relational database. There was no company at that time that committed itself to commercializing the technology, but Ellison and co-founder Bob miner and Ed Oates realized the business potential of the relational database model. The company is headquartered in Redwood Shores, California. Throughout history, the company has proved that it can build for the future, meeting all demanded and changes in trends. The intimate knowledge of customers and successes analysed by the best technical and business minds in the world, made the company what it is today. The main focus of the company is to fulfil its customers needs and implement key technology and business decisions that upend conventional wisdom and take its products and services in new directions. If one looks at companies that are similar to Oracle, it has become a standard for database technology and applications in enterprises throughout the world. The products of the company can be found in nearly every industry, and in the data centres of 100 of the fortune Global 100 companies. Oracle was the first company to develop and deploy 100% internet -enabled enterprise software across its entire product line: database, business applications, application development, and decision support tools. (Wikipedia) Strength and Weaknesses Oracle being the first company to introduce relational database, had the first mover advantage. It helped businesses improve their organization of information and also helped them improve their business processes. It is the worlds leading supplier of software for information management, and it is the worlds second largest independent software company. It has annual revenues of more than $10.1 billion. The company offers its database tools, application products, along with related consulting, education, and support services, in more than 145 countries around the world. Oracle is the only company that is capable of implementing complete global e-business solutions that extend from the front office customer relationship management to back office operational applications. Oracle software runs on PCs, workstations, minicomputers, mainframes and massively parallel computers, as well as on personal digital assistants and set-top devices. This makes its product the best in the market. The attribute of compatibility is what gives Oracle an edge over the other companies being its major strength. Oracles internet-enabled solutions provide a cost-effective way to expand market opportunities and improve business process efficiencies, and attract and retain customers. This is especially for the small and medium businesses that need an IT infrastructure in their organization that would help them get an edge over their competitors. With Oracles help, these companies are able to replace expensive, unwieldy client/server computing models with the efficiency and reach of the internet, companies can deploy a wealth of innovative applications that can be accessed with a Web browser. A weakness of the company that hurts its market is the way it markets its product. Because of the image perception that it has, it is always trying to gain market on the basis of this brand recognition. And this brand recognition has badly affected it in the past. The company markets most of its products using the slogan Cant break it, cant break in, or Unbreakable. (Wikipedia)What this signifies is the increasing demands on information safety. People expect the software to be unbreakable. The company also stresses on reliability of networked databases and network access to databases as major selling point. But two weeks after its introduction in 2002, David Litchfield, Alexander Kornbrust, Cesar Cerrudo and others demonstrated a whole suite of successful attacks against Oracle products. (Poulsen, 2002). Then the commentators criticized the slogan as unrealistic and as an invitation to crackers, but the companys chief security officer Mary Ann Davidson portrayed the criticism as unfair. Environmental factors Competition It is a fact that IBM dominated the mainframe relational-database market with its DB2 and SQL/DS database products, it delayed while entering the market for a relational database in UNIX and windows operating systems. What this did was that it opened the door to Sybase, Oracle, and Informix then eventually Microsoft to dominate mid-range and microcomputers. This was the time Oracle lagged behind Sybase and in 1990-1993 Sybase became the fastest-growing database company and the database industrys darling vendor, but soon it merged mania and to technical issues with System X. But in 1993, Sybase sold the rights to its database software running under the windows operating system to Microsoft Corporation, which now markets it under the name SQL Server. Informix Software overtook Sybase in 1994 and became Oracles most important rival. But eventually Oracle defeated Informix in 1997. And in November 2005 a book detailing the war between Oracle and Informix appeared. This book provided a detailed background on what happened and how Informix Softwares CEO Phil White landed in jail because of his obsession with overtaking Ellison. But once it overcame Informix and Sybase, it enjoyed years of dominance in the database market. But everything changed when Microsoft SQL Server became widespread in the late 1990s and IBM acquired Informix Software in 2000. It is still the same today as it competes for license on UNIX, Linux, and Windows operating systems primarily against IBMsDB2 and Microsoft SQL Server. In 2004 was the year when Oracles sales grew at a rate of 14.5% to $6.2 billion, giving it 41.3% and the top share of the relational-database market. (InformationWeek March, 2005). Oracle Corporations main competitors in the database arena remain IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server and to some lesser extent Sybase and Teradata. With open source databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL, has recently made inroads by claiming that its product delivers Oracle compatibility features at a much lower price point. The software-application market tells the same story. Oracle Corporation primarily competes against SAP. And on March22, 2007 Oracle used SAP, accusing them of fraud and unfair competition. But due to the expanding market for business-intelligence software, many other software companies have successfully competed in quality with Oracle and SAP products. But more products will appear within the next 10 years. Oracle Strategy The company Oracle is particularly keen to keep all its newly acquired customers happy and convince them to buy into its Fusion roadmap. For enterprises making strategy software decisions, the company believes that it has the richest most complete portfolio of applications and middleware. The companys breadth and depth is a big plus and it has helped it in earning a good reputation for supporting acquired best-of-breed products. Furthermore, the company capitalizes on these amassed solutions, Oracle will need to further develop its ISV partner-friendly, solution-centric ecosystem a d continue to chip away at its historically less than customer focused perception. (Duncan Jones) Corporate Governance Oracles Board of Corporations has always developed a corporate governance practice in order to fulfil its responsibilities to the Oracles Corporation stockholders. There are certain guidelines that the board must follow to help ensure that it has the necessary authority and procedures in place to oversee the work of management and to exercise independence in evaluating Oracle Corporations business operations. These guidelines help them align the interests of directors and management with those of the company stockholders. The company continually applies good corporate governance principles to multiple areas. Director The major members of the Board of Directors of Oracle must qualify as independent directors in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The person to be selected as a Director will possess certain attributes including business judgment, management, economics, accounting and finance, legal, marketing, industry and technology knowledge, international business, leadership and strategic vision. 2. Director Responsibilities One of the basic responsibilities of the directors is to exercise their business judgment to act in a manner they reasonably believe is in the nest interest of Oracle and its stockholders and in a manner consistent with their fiduciary duties. The directors can conduct any type of investigation as they deem appropriate, and may reasonably rely on the information provided to them by Oracles senior executives and its outside advisors and the auditors. The board is also responsible for overseeing managements efforts to assess and manage material risks and for reviewing options for risk mitigation. It also reserves the right of overseeing the major risks facing Oracle and may delegate risk oversight responsibility to committees of the Board. Directors are expected to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders and to regularly attend Board meeting and meetings of committees on which they serve, to spend the time needed in preparation for such meetings and to meet as frequently as they deem necessary to properly discharge their responsibilities. In addition to this the directors should stay well-informed of Oracles business and markets and as appropriate, meet with Oracles customers or attend events or take other actions they deem appropriate to enhance Oracles business and its effectiveness as directors. The board also believes that the management speaks for Oracle. Individual Board members may, from time to time, expressly represent Oracle in meetings or otherwise communicate with various third parties on Oracles behalf. It is expected that Board members will do this with the knowledge of the management. The most important thing is that all the directors are expected to comply with the Oracle code of Ethics and Business Conduct. (Oracle, The Oracle Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, 2010) Conflicts of Interest The director also has the responsibility to ensure that other commitments do not conflict or materially interfere with the directors responsibility to Oracle. 11. Performance Evaluation There is a Board that is led by the Nomination and Governance Committee that will periodically conduct a self-evaluation to determine whether the Board and its committees are functioning effectively. The Board with the assistance of the nomination and Governance committee shall periodically review these Corporate Governance Guidelines to determine whether any changes are appropriate. (Oracle, ORACLE CORPORATION CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES, 2010) Finance and Audit Committee The purpose of this committee is to provide advice with respect to corporations financial matters, to oversee the accounting and financial reporting process of the Corporation and the audits of the financial statements of the Corporation, to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities regarding finance, accounting, tax and legal compliance, and to evaluate merger and acquisition transactions and investment transactions proposed by the Corporations management. Decision making: There are three types of decision making all of which are distorted and affected while in the state of crisis. Intelligence Identify conditions that are required for decision making Design Invent, develop different courses of action and analyse them Choice Choose the best alternative, make a choice Structured decision making: This is defined which becomes unstructured when in the state of crisis and when it is not managed properly. Unstructured decision making: Non-routine decision making (this is not defined) TYPES OF SYSTEMS: There are four types of system which we have covered in this (MIS) course which I will be discussing here with their importance in the Crisis management: Transaction Processing System: This system serves the manager at operating level. This system helps to record the transaction that took place within the organization as well as outside the organization. Management Information System: This system serves the managers at the middle level. This system is used to control and monitor the business functions. The input it gets is from the T.P.S. this system is not flexible and it is used for routine decision making. Decision Support System: This system also serves the manager at middle level. This system uses the analytical models to show the performance and it is used for non-routine decision making. This system gets it input from T.P.S and M.I.S. This system has flexibility to change data/information. Executive Support System: This system serves the manager at top level. This system is used to dig out information from big stores. This is used for non-routine decision making, and uses graphical representation of data. Its input sources are M.I.S and D.S.S. But it does not use analytical models for it representation. This means that the decision making processes within the organization get distorted. And because the decision in any company is vital to its operations, hence it is important to have IS as a supporting tool in crisis management. The company uses all these software in its IT infrastructure. It does not need to do anything in order to change this or to improve this. All it needs to do is to maintain a place where all the information of the organization could be accessed easily. This would reduce the time of data retrieval and would also help them in improving them customer relations and their business. Oracle and Ethics Internet technology has posed new challenges for the protection of individual privacy. Information sent over this vast network of networks may pass through many different computer systems before its final destination. Each of these systems is capable of monitoring, capturing and storing communications that pass through it. It is possible to record all online activities of literally tens of millions of people, including which online newsgroups or files a person has accessed, which Web sites and Web pages he or she has visited, and what items that person has inspected or purchased over the Web. Much of this monitoring and tracking of Web site visitors occurs in the background without the visitors knowledge. Tools to monitor visits to the World Wide Web have become popular because they help organizations determine who is visiting their Web sites and how to better target their offerings. Some firms also monitor the Internet usage of their employees to see how they are using company network resources. Web retailers now have access to software that lets them watch the online shopping behaviour of individuals and groups while they are visiting a Web site and making purchases. The commercial demand for this personal information is virtually insatiable. Information technology has made it difficult to protect in tellectual property because computerized information can be so easily copied or distributed on networks. Intellectual property is subject to a variety of protections under three different legal traditions: trade secrets, copyright, and patent law. Oracle takes this into account and makes sure that these things are kept in mind and that the company name is not amongst the ones that are not known for their services. All the products produced by the company are up to customer standards and they try to fulfil them by being true and not being fraudulent.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Wedding Traditions Across Different Cultures Essay -- Weddings Marriag

Wedding Traditions Across Different Cultures When it comes to planning a wedding, people have to worry not only about food, flowers, and what they wear, they also have to honor many traditions, even if they don't understand their origins or meanings. However, to not follow these traditions, understood or not, might mean bad luck for the marriage or, at the very least, disgruntled wedding guests. Every culture cherishes its own marriage traditions and superstitions. Many are not understood but are still seriously followed because 'it's always been done that way'; (Kendrick). Even people not normally superstitious wouldn't think of violating these traditions. Many traditions originated from old rhymes, folktales or tribal traditions whose origins are lost in time. For example, one of the original meanings of the word 'wedding'; was to gamble or wager. This comes from the time when a bride price was required before marriage. This bride price could include land, social status, political alliances or money. Thus, the 'Anglo-Saxon word 'wedd' meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also referred to the bride price (money or barter) to be paid by the groom to the bride's father'; (Kendrick). There are equally surprising origins for such traditions as the ring finger, wedding ring, engagement ring (and its diamond), and wedding cake. For example, the finger used as the ring finger differs from culture to culture. In Greece during the third century the index finger was used. In India they used the thumb. The 'modern'; ring finger started being used in the fourth century when the Greeks originated the belief that the third finger was connected to the heart by the 'vena amoris,'; or the vein of love. (Kendrick). Use of a wedding ring can be traced back to Roman times, and even back then it was made of gold. Roman rings were often decorated with a carving of two hands to symbolize two people journeying through life together as one. Early women's rings also had keys carved in them, symbolizing that women were able to unlock the hearts of their husbands. It was 'Pope Nicholas I [in 860 AD, who first] decreed an engagement ring become a required statement of nuptial intent,'; (Kendrick). He insisted that this ring also be ma... ...untie these knots (Kendrick). The honeymoon is considered a time for the new couple to escape all of the pre- wedding stresses and just enjoy relaxing with each other before the pressures of married life set in. Karl says the 'moon'; part of the honeymoon was because customarily the bride and groom would go away for a whole month, or from full moon to full moon (132). A honey-flavored wine was frequently enjoyed on the getaway. 'Honey was the ancient symbol of life, health, and fertility,'; (Karl132). The two words eventually were combined to denote the honeymoon we know today. Wedding cakes and diamond rings, white gowns and garters, veils and ring fingers. These and other traditions of the modern wedding all have their origins in beliefs and superstitions that are centuries old. Planning a modern wedding can be a hectic, nerve wracking experience, and the chaos can often blind the young couple to the true meaning of the ceremony they are about to share. Perhaps if a modern couple took the time to understand some of the ceremony's customs and traditions their wedding day would have even greater meaning for them.