Aristotle believes that man has a function in life Research Paper Example

Aristotle believes that man has a function in life Research Paper Example Aristotle believes that man has a function in life Paper Aristotle believes that man has a function in life Paper if the function of man is an activity of the soul in accordance with, or implying, a rational principle; and if we hold that the function an individual and of a good individual of the same kind e. g. f a harpist and of a good harpist and so on generally is generically the same, the latters distinctive excellence being attached to the name of the function (because the function of the harpist is to play the harp, but that of the good harpist is to play it well); and if we assume that the function of man is a kind of life, namely, an activity or series of actions of the soul, implying a rational principle; and if the function of a good man is to perform these well and rightly; and if every function is performed well when performed in accordance with its proper excellence: if this is all so, the conclusion is that the good for man is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, or if there are more kinds of virtue than one, in accordance with the best and most perfect kind. Essentially, what Aristotle means by this is that the overall human function is the souls activity together with reason. The activity of rational thought is what makes us human since no other living thing has the ability of reasoning. It is the ability to reason that all humans possess, but not all human beings function according to it (some are ignorant whilst others are unable to make logical choices). Also, all human actions taken together make up the good and everything we do throughout our lives contributes to the overall function. If we live well, according to the proper virtues, this will allow us to achieve what Aristotle calls eudaimonia (happiness). It is important that our virtuous actions are driven by the virtues and not just in line with the virtues. For example, a lawyer who argues for a poor man in order to gain a good reputation is not acting from virtue; he is acting in line with virtue. Aristotles argument in basic terms is as follows: a watch has a function and its goodness resides in that function; if man has a function then his goodness lies in performing that function well. For a watch to perform its function it uses the mechanisms within itself to achieve this; each of mans bodily organs have a function and so therefore man must have a function and this function is mans distinguishing feature: rationality. The chief good for man is a life following or implying a rational principle and to use that reason together with certain virtues. A problem with Aristotles belief is his claim that each of a mans bodily organs have a function and so therefore man must have a function. Not everything in the world has a clear function or a determined end. For example, a rose does not have a clear function other than the functions we think of for it (its beauty and its fragrance) but this does not add anything factual to it. In comparison, the function of our eyes give us the ability to perceive the world but this adds nothing factually to simply saying that our eyes causes us to perceive. When we speak about function we give it a normative status to causation but this is subjective to every individual. This works for all teleological ideas and it reflects our own interests. As for teleological arguments, they can only be defended, mainly, by religion and also by anthropomorphic ideas of nature. For example, Thomas Aquinas believed that natural law was not made up by humans but rather an unchanging rule or pattern which is there for human beings to discover. Aquinas says that natural law is so complex that it had to have been designed by a higher power and he stated that the only plausible answer is God. However, using God as the answer to the existence and aim of human beings is a weak argument. Jean-Paul Sartre believes in the concept that existence precedes essence and that the idea that existence precedes essence means that a human being, as well as human reality, exists prior to any concepts of values or morals. A person is born a blank slate and humanity has no universal, fixed values or ethics common to all of mankind. Since no essence or definition exists of what is means to be human, a person must form their own conception of existence by taking control of responsibility for their actions and choices. Therefore, a human being gains their essence through their own choices and actions. It is solely through the process of living that a person defines themselves. He uses the example of a paper knife saying that one cannot suppose that a man would produce a paper knife without knowing what it is for. A paper knife has essence before existence because it is designed for a specific purpose. Human beings do not; they have existence before essence because they are not designed with a specific purpose. Consequently, this challenges the function argument in that human beings do not have a certain end or a definite function; our function in life is made up as we go through life. Another problem with the function argument is presented by the is/ought fallacy. David Hume argued that there is a philosophical problem in believing that because something is the case it ought to be the case; he calls this the is/ought fallacy. For example, slavery exists but the fact that it is a reality does not mean that it ought to be. Abortion is a reality and some would argue that it is right to abort in certain circumstances but that does not mean we ought to. In this case, it may be a fact that humans possess reason but it does not logically follow that we ought to exercise our reason to live a fulfilled life. Professor Richard Norman says: why then from the fact that rational activity is distinctively human should it follow that we ought to live according to reason? An additional problem is, there are many distinctively human things that animals cannot do, why is reason the only characteristic Aristotle focuses upon? For example, we can gamble, give to charity, make art and become intoxicated by drugs but that does not mean that any of these are our functions. On what grounds does Aristotle use that animals cannot use reason? Surely what we call reason is no more than instinctive response but on a conscious level than any action in the animal kingdom. Aristotle could simply argue that these are all examples of humans not using their reason well because a tyrant, terrorist or gambler is using their reason but not in conjunction with their virtues. A good example of this would be the terrorist Osama bin Laden who thought he was doing good for the world where in reality he was creating devastation. In conclusion, although Aristotles belief of mans function in life gives us as human beings something to aim for (eudaimonia) it does not mean that man definitely has a function in life. Just because our organs work in a certain way does not mean our body must work towards something, and if our bodies are indeed working towards something then why must it be towards eudaimonia? As Sartre says, our function could be made up as we go through life. Why must we live life according to reason? Also, why must it just be reason we function upon? It is these questions that pose a problem to Aristotles function argument and therefore make his claim flawed.

The Similarities between the Presidencies of Jefferson and Jackson

The Similarities between the Presidencies of Jefferson and Jackson Every one of the original thirteen colonies of America was founded for a slightly different purpose. Jamestown was founded in order to make money for The Virginia Company, The Plymouth Colony was founded because the Mayflower landed in the wrong place, Rhode Island was inhabited by dissenters from Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania was created to be a haven for Quakers. Each colony grew differently from one another. Whereas the Massachusetts Bay Colony became a large seaport, Pennsylvania profited by trading furs. The three primary regions of the east coast colonies also became distinct, and adjacent colonies tended to be more similar to one another. This is shown by the sharp contrast between the plantation culture of the south, and the Yankee capitalism in New England, caused by the rough soil. Each of the colonial areas, New England, the middle colonies, and the south, was founded and developed very differently, allowing for a diversity in origin and religion, and developing heteroge neous political culture in America.English: Seal of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyWhile most of the New England colonies were either founded for religious purpose, or developed tight religious groups, the majority of the middle colonies, including Jamestown, were founded for financial reasons, Baltimore being an exception. The reasons for the religiousness of the New England colonies vary for the most part. The Puritans of the Mayflower settled in Plymouth only because it was the most suitable location after they failed to land at Jamestown, but the Massachusetts Bay Colony was created as a haven for English Puritans who wanted to escape the anti-Puritan persecution of England. The Massachusetts Bay Colony also indirectly created Rhode Island because of its religious dissenters, and influenced other New England colonies such as New Haven. The colonies of the south, and to some extend the middle colonies, were founded to make money, with...

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Proposal - Essay Example Return venture projects or business organizations like most in Saudi Arabia as well faces a variety of risk and risk related phenomena like credit risks, Economic risks, financial risks, for big venture who deal in trades abroad also face exchange rates risks (Chong, 2004:246). Just by the mere fact that risks exist and are faced by every individual unit in the society in itself posses a threat to the existence of man. This is because man is always uncertain about the likelihood of success out of an involvement before actually it occurs successfully. According to, (Adams, 1995), a risk is the likelihood of a loss incase a hazard takes place. Such fears is what propels us to look at risk in the general perspective, its nature, kinds of risks, how to handle them or even ways in which we can try to do away with such risks so that man lives in if not completely risk free because this is not possible then at least at reduced levels of risk. In this study we are headed towards studying of risks as per the risks faced by business organizations in general, also its going to involve the study of the vast impacts of such risks and how to try minimizing the risks for the benefits of the businesses operations in terms of returns and reduced costs of operating such businesses. Risk management in this case is to be looked at through identification of the risks, looking for ways of assessing the risks in order to determine their intensity and then decision making on which ones the organization can do with and which are to must avoid so that the organization is able to maximize its chances or opportunities of maximizing business (Adams, 1995) 2.0 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Generally out of the study on risk management the researcher intends to find out on several aspects about risk and risk management. The study is geared towards finding out on:- a. What a risk is. b. What forms or type of risks that faces business organizations in general? c. What effects or impacts do these risk s have on the organizations and to what intensity do they impact on the businesses? d. How can the risks be mitigated or reduced in real practice? The study of all the above aspects of risk entails the assessment and categorization and risk components hence risk management as an area under investigation (Adams, 1995) 3.0 RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT As stated clearly under the background of the study and clarified further under the research objectives it is very safe now to state that the major problem under investigation is to find out more about the policy on risk, the policies and tools of risk management. Therefore, the driving factor is risk and its uncertainty in business management. The researcher is obliged to find out through this research the difficulties as a result of risk and how such challenges can be done away with under the broad topic of risk management (Mugenda, 2005:89). 4.0 LITERATURE REVIEW This section of the proposal on risk management is to look in the various articles that address the evolution of risk through since man started thinking about the existence of risk to date. It is also going to help us to identify fertile grounds for further active research on risk and risk management. 4.1 Definition of risks According to (Abkowitz, 2008), †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Risk is the likelihood of a loss occurring through the occurrence of an hazard that can be analyzed and measured into quantities’’.....he goes ahead to explain that its because of risks that men

La haine ( French Film) COMENTARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

La haine ( French Film) COMENTARY - Essay Example This paper will analyse a scene from this movie and describe why the particular scene has considerable significance in the film. The scene analysed here takes place in 9.3 to 10.10 minutes of the film. Scene Analysis The three young friends; Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Kounde), and Said (Said Taghmaoui), are the major characters in this movie. Among the three friends, Vinz is a Jewish and a character filled with rage. He keeps heroic notions of a gangster in his mind and therefore he tries to attain respect by killing a cop. In a scene, Vinz tries to impersonate the character ‘Travis Bickle’ played by Robert De Niro for the movie ‘Taxi Driver’. Vinz imitates Travis Bickle in front of a mirror and asks, â€Å"You talking to me?† Then he points his fingers like a gun and shoots. This imitation cannot be considered as just a sudden emotional expression because he repeats the ‘gun firing imitation’ twice during the film. I do believ e that this scene is of great importance in the movie for several reasons. First, this scene plays a crucial role demonstrating the character of Vinz. As mentioned already, he perceives himself as a gangster and tries to win respect through violence. In fact, Vinz is not such a heartless person but his worse life experiences have filled him with rage. As he is not involved in any gangster group, he tries to adopt the characteristics of an underworld hero and to transform himself into a cruel-minded person. He deliberately attempts to bring maximum brutality into his eyes while imitating the character played by Robert De Niro. Vinz has a gun and he is looking for an opportunity to kill a cop and thereby win respect among his friends. Hence, this impersonation can be considered as a preparation for his future actions. However, Vinz is scared of doing actions that he believed to be helpful to win respect as a gangster. To illustrate, in a scene, some anti-immigrant skinheads assault Vi nz’s friends Said and Hubert cruelly. Vinz rushes to the spot and brings an end to the fight by pointing his gun toward the skinheads. Although Vinz got one of them at his gun point, he becomes reluctant to execute his dream and finally Vinz allows the skinhead to flee. This incident later forces him to accept the fact that he cannot be a heartless gangster as he dreamed. Referring to this scene, it is clear that Vinz deliberately impersonates Travis Bickle so as to convince himself that he has the courage to kill someone. In other words, he tries to convince himself that killing someone is not such a difficult task and to make certain that the deed looks so cool. The beauty of this film is that it is shot in black and white. In fact, it reminds the viewer of the fact that instead of sharing the colours of life, Kassovitz clearly wanted to show the hard realities of life; black and white, or the contrast between virtue and vice. According to some reviews, the decision to show the film in black and white has even deeper meaning (La Haine, n.d.). In fact, the film was first shot in colour and then converted to black and white. As Siciliano (2007) points out, this black and white portrayal indicates the colourless life of people in France as a result of the relentless repression and suppression they faced from the French state (Loshitzky 2010). Yet another view point about the colourlessness, according to Siciliano (2007) is that the black and white portrayal helps understand the eeriness and dreariness surrounding the

Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players

Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players An Investigation into the Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players in the UK Introduction Bingo is a popular pastime in the UK, and has grown as an industry over recent years, moving away from local community centres to dedicated bingo halls and numerous online sites. As with all industries, to ensure that there is a continual renewal of customers, those in the bingo industry must be able to target their marketing strategies effectively. This means that they need to be able to identify who their target audience is for them to be able to deliver an effective marketing campaign which is aimed predominantly at those people (Aaker et al., 2000). Studies in the past have suggested that bingo is considered to be a rather low-level leisure activity. As a result, it has also been previously associated heavily with being a pastime of predominantly working class women (Dixey, 1987). In addition, it is generally associated with pensioners, largely due to the sedentary but social nature of the game (Cousins Witcher, 2007). Although this may have been the case a number of years ago, there is little recent empirical evidence to determine whether this is still the main market for bingo. Given the changing nature of the game and its delivery, it is plausible that changes in the main demographic of players may also be in a process of change. This study therefore uses pre-collected data to evaluate whether this may be the case. Rationale of Study Gathering information on the demographics of people who play bingo, or are interested in playing bingo, is likely to be useful to bingo halls for targeting their marketing campaigns. In addition, with the advent of online gambling, understanding whether current online gamblers would be likely to participate in bingo games if they were available may be important in design of online gaming sites. Marketing opportunities online may also be improved if evidence is available of the demographics of the target audience. Consideration will also be given to the expenditure of different demographic groups on bingo, as this information may be useful in the industry for determining customer value. Study Hypothesis Based on the previous literature, it is hypothesised that the main demographic of bingo players will be predominantly women, but that there will be a substantial number of younger players. It is also expected that there will be an association between those gaming online and those playing bingo. Finally, it is expected that there will be no difference in the expenditure on bingo between age groups. Methodology Origins of the Data The data which is used in this study was taken from the British Gambling Prevalence Study 2007, which was the largest study of its kind to be conducted in the UK to the present date. The study was commissioned by the National Centre for Social Research and aimed to collect information on gambling habits and demographics in order to assess the prevalence of problem gambling within the UK. Study Population The study was designed to be representative of all adults in the UK aged 16 years and older who were living within private households. Study Sample All residences in the UK were separated into Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and 317 of these were randomly selected for the study. The probability of selecting each was apportioned according to the number of addresses within them, but no other demographics were taken into account. For each PSU which was selected, 32 addresses were selected randomly, and this gave a total of 10,144 addresses. After non-completion, the total sample available in the data-set was 9003. Study Instrument The study was conducted using a multiple-choice questionnaire. This clearly explained at the beginning the goal of the study, and explained clearly how the survey form should be completed. A coding document was then compiled to code the answers into statistical software packages, and this was included alongside the data-set. A copy of the questionnaire which was used is available from http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=5836. The data which was included in the data-set was already weighted to account for non-response and bias, and this was completed by the researchers who completed the data collection and original analysis. Results Proportion of Bingo Players in the Sample The results of the analysis indicate that only a small minority of the population sampled had played bingo in the last twelve months, with a total of 7.5% of the sample. This is shown graphically in Figure 1. Table 2 then details the frequency with which that small group had played bingo. It may be seen that 45% of those who had played bingo in the last twelve months had done so less than once a month. A total of 36.4% of those who played bingo in the last twelve months had done so once a week or more, and a further 15.6% reported playing at least once a month. This information is then presented graphically in Figure 2. Table 1. The frequency with which respondents reported playing bingo in the last twelve months. For those who had played bingo in the last twelve months, the mean age was 47.78 with a standard deviation of 18.08, while it was 47.75 for those who had not played bingo in the last twelve months, with a standard deviation of 18.33. Performing an independent two-sample t-test on the data produced a p-value of 0.963, which indicates that the null hypothesis may not be rejected. This means that there is no significant difference between the mean age of the two groups at the 95% confidence level. Age of Bingo Players Table 2 displays the mean age of each group when those playing bingo within the last twelve months were grouped according to frequency of playing. Alongside the mean, the standard deviation is also given. This information is presented in the box-plot in Figure 3. This shows that the mean age of the players appears to increase as the frequency of playing increases. In addition, it would also appear that the variation in age is smallest in the group who play at least twice a week. Performing a one-way ANOVA analysis indicates that there is an association between age and the frequency of playing bingo and that the null hypothesis of no association may be rejected at the 5% level (p Table 2. Mean and standard deviation of the age of players grouped according to the frequency with which they play bingo. Gender of Bingo Players Of those who had played bingo in the last twelve months, 71.4% were female, and this percentage is show graphically in Figure 4. A chi-squared analysis indicates that there is evidence that the null hypothesis may be rejected at the 5% level (p Player Expenditure on Bingo Expenditure and Gender Analysis of the data shows that females who had played bingo in the last twelve months lost a mean of  £319 over the previous 7 days, with standard deviation 506. In contrast, males lost a mean of  £60.50 over the 7 days, with a standard deviation of 4.95. An independent samples t-test revealed that there is evidence at the 0.95 significance level against the null hypothesis of no association. This therefore indicates that there is a significant difference between the amount lost by males and females (p = 0.045). Expenditure and Age Figure 5 shows a scatter-plot of the total amount which each respondent reported losing at bingo in the last seven days plotted against their age. The black dots represent female participants while red dots represent males. It would appear from this plot that there is no association between the amount of money lost at bingo and the age of the player, for either males or females. A bivariate regression analysis of this data confirms this. It indicated that there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association, and so age was not found to be a significant predictor of the amount lost at bingo over the seven day period (p = .489). Figure 6 presents a scatter-plot of age against expenditure on bingo over the previous seven days when winnings are also taken into account in addition to losses. There was far more data available for this analysis, but it would still appear that there is no particular association between age and expenditure on bingo, for either males or females. This was confirmed by regression analysis, which indicated there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .187). Therefore it was concluded that there was no association between age and overall expenditure on bingo over the previous week. Expenditure and Frequency of Playing Bingo Figure 7 presents a box-plot of the amounts lost at bingo according to the frequency of playing bingo in the last twelve months. It would appear from this graph that those playing twice a week lost less than those who played less often, as the mean is lower and the variation is less. An ANOVA analysis however indicated that there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of association. This indicates that there is therefore no association between the frequency of playing bingo over the last twelve months and the amount lost at bingo (p = .925). Figure 8 presents a similar box-plot analysis which takes account of the winnings of players in addition to losses. When comparing the different frequency of playing groups it would appear that overall expenditure appears to be relatively consistent. The variation in expenditure does however appear to be somewhat larger in the group which play two times or more a week. One-way ANOVA analysis of this data confirms that there is no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .731). Therefore it may be concluded that frequency of playing bingo over the last twelve months did not impact on the overall expenditure of the player on bingo over the last week. Online Gamblers and Bingo Table 3 presents a cross-tabulation of the number of participants who reported having played bingo over the previous twelve months and those who reported having gambled online over the previous twelve months. This shows that of those who had reported playing bingo in the last twelve months, only 8% reported gambling online during that time (Figure 9). In contrast, 26.3% of those who had gambled online over the last twelve months reported that they had also played bingo during that period (Figure 10). A chi-squared analysis of this data indicates that there is strong evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p Table 3. The number of respondents who had gambled online over the previous twelve months and the number who had played bingo over the previous twelve months. Figure 11 presents a scatter-plot of the net expenditure on bingo in comparison to the net expenditure on online gambling, both over the previous seven day period. From this chart it would appear that there is no association between the two. A regression analysis confirms that there is no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .882). Therefore it must be concluded that there is no significant association between the total expenditure of the respondents on online gambling and their total expenditure on bingo over the same time period. Discussion From this study it may be seen that there are certain demographic characteristics which are associated with playing bingo. It would appear from the results that bingo players are in the minority, with only 7.5% of the population estimated to have played in 2007, and only 2.7% of the population playing once a week or more. As hypothesised at the beginning, there was no particular age group which was associated with playing bingo. There is however evidence that it is an older age group which is associated with playing bingo regularly, with the mean age being in the mid- to late-fifties for those playing once a week or more. Despite this, there was no association between age and the amount spent on bingo in a week. This indicates that older people are still the main demographic for the industry but that they are not particularly more valuable than younger people. They may however be more valuable if their spend is consistent week after week, when compared to younger players who may play only once a month or less. There was also no association between frequency of playing and expenditure within the week. This is an important implication as it suggests that customers who can be attracted to regularly play bingo will be consistent with their spending, and not reduce spending as they play more over the year. Almost three quarters of players were female, and it was also females who were associated with much larger expenditure on bingo. This finding is however somewhat limited, as only information on the expenditure of two males was available for analysis. Therefore this finding may not have a high statistical power. Finally, there is evidence that there is an association between bingo players and those gambling online. This is important as it suggests that there is potential in both advertising for bingo online and also in online bingo rooms. The extent to which an individual gambles online does not however appear to be associated with how much they spend on bingo. Therefore online players may not be more valuable than those attracted through offline methods. Although this study has provided some useful insights for those interested in the demographics of bingo players, there are some limitations. One of the main limitations is that there was little social information available in the study which related to income and social status of the respondents. It is possible that this may impact on gambling habits, including playing bingo (Barry et al., 2007). This may be important in areas where there are either large levels of population in higher or lower social classes. Therefore further market research in particular areas may be useful in determining the potential for marketing in that particular area. References Aaker, J.L., Brumbaugh, A.M. Grier, S.A. (2000) Nontarget markets and viewer distinctiveness: The impact of target marketing on advertising. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 9(3), 127-140. Barry, D.T., Maciejewski, P.K., Desai, R.A. Potenza, M.N. (2007) Income differences and recreational gambling. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 1(3), 145-153. Cousins, S.O. Witcher, C.S.G. (2007) Who plays bingo in later life? The sedentary lifestyles of ‘little old ladies’. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23(1), 95-112. Dixey, R. (1987) It’s a great feeling when you win: Women and bingo. Leisure Studies, 6(2), 199-214. National Centre for Social Research (2007) British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007. Available [online] from: http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=5836 [Accessed 12/12/2008].

Cruise Ship Vacation vs. Land Based Resort Vacation

Instead of taking an ordinary family vacation this year, consider the rewards of a cruise vacation. As opposed to just staying at the resort you are visiting, you could be visiting a different country almost every day. Even with time restrictions while in ports of call, cruiseship vacations are fun and educational because you can visit four countries in seven days. From weekend getaways to world cruises, there is a cruise available that will fit within your vacation schedule. Although the three and four day â€Å"getaway cruises† are very popular, the average cruise is seven days. You can book a romantic getaway cruise to the Bahamas or Mexico from ports such as Port Canaveral, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Miami, Florida, Mobile, Alabama, New Orleans, Louisiana, Galveston, Texas, San Diego, California, or Los Angeles, California. If you desire to visit the Virgin Islands of the Eastern Caribbean or a couple of the Central American countries in the Western Caribbean, seven to 10 day cruises are also available out of these same ports. When shopping around for a cruiseline, you will find that most cruiselines are very competitive with their rates, Carnival is usually the cheapest and Disney tends to be the most expensive. All cruiselines offer optional travel insurance at very low cost. I highly recommend purchasing this insurance. It covers a wide variety of situations ranging from canceling your vacation because of illness or family emergency, to becoming ill while onboard, to having to be airlifted off the ship because of medical emergency. On one cruise, I became ill the day before the cruise and was very ill by the time everyone was ready for supper that evening. I had to spend the night in the ships’ hospital where I incurred a bill of $995. The travel insurance I purchased paid the bill 100%. While I have been on a total of eight cruises between Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Princess, it is difficult to say which cruiseline is my favorite because each has individual perks that are unique to that particular company. Another factor that will affect the price of your cruise is the type of stateroom you will stay in. You have a choice of an interior room, an ocean view room, a balcony room, or a suite. The interior, ocean view, and balcony are all approximately 165 square feet each. The interior has no windows, the ocean view has one medium-sized window, and the balcony room has a private balcony (usually about 35 sq ft). My wife and I prefer the balcony room because it is so romantic to eat breakfast on the balcony every morning. The suites come in about four or five different sizes. Rooms also vary in price according to which deck you are on. The higher the deck your room is on, the higher the price will be. Taking a traditional land-based vacation to a resort allows you to spend your entire vacation in one locale where you may wish to venture away from the resort and do some sightseeing. Most resorts also have a variety of rooms to choose from. Whether you want to have your vacation on land or at sea, the first thing you need to do is decide where you want to go, then choose your accommodations for your stay. As the countdown begins toward your cruise, there are several items that must be taken care of. Probably the most important document each passenger must possess is a passport. This is required for all International Travel. A passport costs approximately $90 and is valid for 10 years. If you do not already have a passport, it will take approximately six weeks to receive one by standard mail. If your vacation is at a resort located within the 48 contiguous states, a passport is not required; however, one will be needed if you travel to Alaska or Hawaii no matter what method of transportation you choose. You will also need your driver’s license. Your driver’s license will be used for identification purposes when you board the ship after visiting a foreign country. Don’t forget to put your cruise tickets somewhere where you will not forget to take them. You would not be the first person to arrive at the cruise terminal only to realize that you left your tickets at home. Pack clothing suitable for the climate of the country you will be visiting. Alaskan cruises tend to be a little chilly even in the summer months. If you are traveling to the Caribbean, light, airy clothing will be the order of the day. Don’t forget to take a couple of formal outfits. Three to five day cruises have one formal night and seven day cruises have two formal nights. These are nights you dress up and act like royalty. Starting with your second cruise on the same cruiseline, you will also find yourself invited to the Captain’s Cocktail Party or Welcome Back Party! All medication that you will need on your trip should be packed in your luggage in its’ original container from the pharmacy. Any medication that you will need on the day you set sail should be on your person as you will not receive all your luggage until approximately eight p. m. If you are flying to the city of departure, make sure to check with the cruiseline for transfers from the airport to the cruise pier and also back to the airport after the cruise. These are available for a nominal fee and are usually cheaper than the local taxi’s. If you decide to drive to the cruise pier, you can expect to pay approximately $15 per day for a parking fee. Early preparation is the key to a relaxing vacation. If your travel documents are in order, pack your suitcases about a week in advance and avoid the last minute rush of throwing everything together, and possibly forgetting something. On the day you are to set sail, I suggest arriving at the cruise terminal around 10 a. m. This will allow you to beat most of the traffic, avoid standing in long lines, and you can be one of the first to board the ship, thus allowing you to be at the front of the line to eat lunch and sit at a table by a window. Approximately one hour before the ship sets sail, all guests and crew must be at their assigned lifeboat station for a mandatory U. S. Coastguard lifeboat drill. This drill usually only takes about 20 minutes. Next is the sail away party on the top deck with live music, dancing, and waving goodbye to the people standing along the shoreline. As soon as the ship is in International waters, the casino and onboard duty free shops will be open. Now it is time to prepare for dinner. You have a choice every night for dinner. You can eat in the main dining room (proper attire required) or you can eat on the top deck in a more casual atmosphere at the buffet. After dinner, why not take in a Broadway show in the ships main theater which is usually two to three decks high. A wide variety of bars and dance clubs will also be open to allow you to dance the night away. After a good night’s sleep, a full day of possibilities awaits you. Your first full day of vacation will either find you at your first port of call or spending a relaxing day at sea enroute to your first port. If you are in a port, please pay particular attention to what time the ship leaves and allow yourself plenty of time to return to the ship from your shore excursion. The ship is on a very strict schedule and cannot wait for people who do not make it back on time. If this is a day at sea, here is a list of some of the activities that are available onboard. Fitness center opens about six a. m. , trivia contests, scavenger hunts, men’s belly lop competition, champagne art auction, bingo, slot machine contest, ping pong tournament, karaoke, after dinner Broadway style show, spa, library, Internet lounge, shuffleboard, mini golf, yoga classes, rock climbing wall, and there are about a dozen bars to choose from including poolside bars, sports bars, themed bars, and several dance clubs to choose from also. You can also choose to do nothing and just lay by the pool and soak up some sun. The most hectic part of your vacation is over once you have made it through the traffic and waited in line to be processed as a passenger. Once you walk across the gangway and board the ship, you can leave all the stress and worries behind you. When you and your family sit down and try to decide where to go on vacation this year, think about how rewarding it will be to combine a world of fun with a learning experience the whole family will enjoy. Do you want to spend a week in a hotel with limited sightseeing available or would you prefer to spend a week visiting several countries with endless possibilities, and you only have to unpack your suitcase once. COM/155 Week Nine Final Draft

Corporate Personhood Essay

Corporate personhood is the concept that a company or business has legal recognition by the court; it simply means that the corporation has the power or ability to enter into contracts, to hire and fire its employees, to sue and to be sued, to make speeches freely and to hold property just like any other individual (Diamond, 2012). Corporate personhood was recognized first in the year 1886 by the Supreme Court of the United States in a ruling during a case between the Santa Clara County and Southern Pacific Railroad. The main reason that they were targeting then was to give corporations the legal rights of people in order to maintain minority rule and to avoid democracy. In this essay we get to discuss the challenges that have come with corporate personhood, its impact on other businesses and the community at large. We also get to look at the current affairs and state of corporate personhood. In comparison, of the two articles which are, The endangered public company and the Occupy Santa Clara Corporate personhood recognized, we get to see some of the points in which the two articles concur and those that they differ. We are also going to look at the Strength and Weaknesses of their decision or arguments. The title endangered public company comes into use because the corporations are being targeted for closure, some people are of the mind that corporations have been given too much power and they end up ruling us instead of us controlling them (The Economist, 19 May 2012). Corporations are doing a lot of damages and injustices to other small businesses and due to the fact that it cannot be punished or fined. It avoids justice which many people think or feel is not fair for the community. Everyone should be answerable for the mistakes they commit and no one is above the law. In one of the articles that critics are challenging corporate personhood, they are against it and would wish for it to be made illegal and all the issues regarding the corporation be directed to a particular individual, but the railroad barons and lawyers get away with their mischief’s by giving corporations personhood, we also get to see that people are accusing Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook directly, ignoring the fact that he is not Facebook as Facebook is now a separate entity that can sue and be sued. Although, Zuckerberg acts on behalf of Facebook; he cannot be held accountable for the deeds done under the umbrella of Facebook. (The Economist, 21 May 2012) In both of the articles, corporate personhood ends up being recognized as legal though some critics don’t like it. It is however, important that we get to see the strengths and weaknesses of a corporation personhood. Some of the benefits that a business or the individuals owners of the business may get from being in a corporate are. The ability of the corporation to carry all its liabilities incases of any calamity; in case of bankruptcy or any other unfortunate occurrence, the corporation will be responsible for the damages and not the individual owners. The railroad barons can now sit in comfort for the blames will not be put to them but directed to the corporation, Zuckerberg can also relax for the actions taken by face book are not answerable by him (The Economist, 21 May 2012). The ability of the corporation to sue and be sued; the corporation can take any person to court if aggrieved in any way and it can also be taken to court just like it is with Facebook, individuals have taken it to court for the treatment they have received in the social media, it is also clearly seen I the article of Occupy Santa Clara Personhood reconsidered that a number of corporation have been taken to court for one reason or the other, it is evident that most of the corporations always go scot free immediately their lawyers quote the decision made by the supreme court in the case of Santa Clara County Vs. Southern Pacific Railroad. This is because the court have to always uphold previous decisions or judgments’ made especially if it were made by a court that is of a higher authority that the one currently in question. A corporation can live forever, in case of death of any of the owners it just continues operating, a simple process of change of ownership is all that is required, and although the founders of the South Pacific Railroad are long gone their corporation is still functioning. Despite the fact that a corporation can be sued, an individual cannot take it to jail, this is because it’s just an abstraction, and this is seen clearly in the issue involving the railroad barons. (Diamonds, 2012) Despite a corporation being of enormous advantages and benefits, they also carry with them their disadvantages, Some of the weaknesses that can be viewed include the fact that the legal formalities of establishing the corporation are quite many and tedious, an organization will have to adhere to more sta te and federal rules and regulation. The fact that a corporation is expensive to form also gives it a negative touch, not every individual can just come and decide to form a corporation. The other issue is that since a corporation can be sued and taken to court, if found guilty of the charges levied against it the repercussion might be severe if the shareholders had not prepared themselves well for the consequences, the corporation might be rendered bankrupt or may be put under receivership which may not ogre well with the shareholders. Corporation personhood is an issue of great concern and many people in the current generation are trying to find a way to overrule the decision of the Santa Clara case that haunts many legal suits, they are of the opinion that the 126 years that corporation have been terrorizing people is enough. Historian Morton Horwitz is among the individuals who have been trying their level best to overturn the ruling of the supreme court of the year 1886, (Meyers, 2002) though it is evident that the court ruling at that time was aimed at protecting the interest of a big business and protecting the barons it will still be hard to overturn it because its benefits have been seen in the long run. So many countries have adopted the same and they have ripped the fruits of corporate personhood. It may have its side effects but for the record, corporate personhood is one of the best things that has ever happened for the benefits it has brought with it far much outweighs the negative aspects of it. People may magnify the negative aspects but it is evident that without corporate personhood there are a lot of things that would not have been achieved, starting with the railroad. References Meyers, W., (2002). The Santa Clara Blues, Corporate Personhood versus Democracy. Retrieved from http://www.iiipublishing.com/afd/santaclara.html Diamond, S. F., (2012, April 12). Occupy Santa Clara! Corporate Personhood Reconsidered. Dissent Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/occupy-santa-clara-corporate-p