Causes and Effects of Poverty

Causes and Effects of Poverty In the U. S. , there have been statistics that show that 15 to 25% of the population is living in poverty. Poverty is known as not being able to provide bare minimum requirements to survive, such as food and shelter. There are many causes that associate with poverty, that could include unemployment rates or people believe that some people are just lazy. The effects of poverty can be substantial. It effects people’s health, environment, and causes deprivations. The unemployment rate is still high today, which means there are people who still live in poverty.Some people are not just lazy; it just seems that it is difficult to find employment right now. Many people that are in poverty are because they did not continue their education after high school and many jobs are requiring degrees. Another reason some people are in poverty, is because they made mistakes in their past and when they try to make their life right they have difficulty finding employ ment. There are many reasons for poverty, but most of the causes are the unemployment rate. An effect of poverty is malnutrition.Malnutrition during infancy and childhood years can cause many great complications with development. Many children that suffer from malnutrition could have poor immune systems, developmental problems with their nervous system, or even brain damage. Compared to children that are not poor, children in poverty are two to three times more likely to have some sort of mental or physical disability from malnutrition. Children who grow up in poverty are also usually unlikely to finish their education. Many children in poverty are about 75 percent less likely to graduate high school than a child that is not poor.Even if a child that grows up in poverty does graduate high school, they are less likely to continue their education with college. As a matter of fact, less than four percent of children in the lowest quartile of family’s income do not graduate colle ge. In today’s world education is important. Many jobs today will not hire people without an education or even without a college degree. All in all, poverty is a big issue. It has been for a long time, just maybe one day the government will help fix the issue. It is not fair for all the children that live in poverty to suffer because their parents work so hard just to make ends meet.Education is the key to success these days, and we should all make sure our children are aware of that at a young age. Works Cited Chitranshi, Mansi. â€Å"Cause and Effects of Poverty. † Articles Wave (2009). Hill, Lewis E. â€Å"The Institutional Economics of Poverty: An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of Poverty. † Journal of Economic Issues (1998): 279-285. Hunt, Matthew O. The Individual, Society, or Both? A Comparison of Black, Latino, and White Beliefs about the Causes of Poverty. September 1996. Lamson, John. â€Å"Exploring the Ecology of Poverty. † Human Ecology (2009): 4-9.

Presence of Symbolism Imagery in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf Essay

The Presence of Baby Symbolism in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee is packed with baby imagery. Albee seems to add an image of a baby to almost every page of the play. The reason for this type of imagery is to symbolize babies, which has great importance throughout the course of the play because it connects with the characters and themes in the novel. The direct repetition of the word â€Å"baby† becomes very apparent at the beginning of the play and stays consistent throughout. George and Martha call each other â€Å"baby† numerous times. â€Å"Let me tell you a secret, baby† (p.29) is just one of the many instances where George calls Martha â€Å"baby† and vice versa. Martha tends to use baby talk when speaking with George, especially when she’s begging him for a drink. In addition, Martha and George also like to refer to Nick and Honey as children. They treat them with an attitude as if they were little kids in their house. An example of this is when George greets Nick and Honey with â€Å"you must be our little guests† (p.20) while Martha directly says â€Å"c’mon in, kids† (p.20) to the couple. George continues to use baby imagery towards the guests, especially when he’s describing Honey on the bathroom floor. â€Å"Peaceful†¦so peaceful. Sound asleep†¦and she’s actually†¦sucking her thumb†¦.rolled up like a fetus, suckling away† (p.184) demonstrates how George uses a baby-like diction when describing Honey. Honey is even described as â€Å"slim-hipped† (p.44) a few times in the play, suggesting that she can’t bear children, giving the reader an imagery of pregnancy. Babies are one of the most dominant symbols in the play. Both couples have had pretend children in their lives. Honey had a hysterical pregnancy, giving Nick the sense of being forced into marrying her. However, Honey’s pregnancy was just made up in her mind, and the reason for that is because she truly wants a child of her own. This becomes apparent when she cries â€Å"I want a child, I want a baby!† (p.236). George and Martha’s child is made up as well, because they’re incapable of having children but most importantly, to fill the void in their lives. They’re covering up their marriage with the illusion of this child of theirs because they can’t handle to face the solitude that overcomes their pathetic lives. Then George decides to â€Å"kill† their son, and Martha is completely devastated. The last few lines of the play reveal that Martha is truly afraid of living without illusion, which was her son. The symbolism of babies parallels a few themes in the play. The â€Å"Visions of America† theme is present since the reason why both couples want a baby is so that the child can bring meaning to their lives as well as finalize the missing piece of the puzzle to the American Dream. The baby imagery also connects with the theme of â€Å"Marriage† by suggesting that a baby will create a successful marriage for both the couples. Nick married Honey because of her hysterical pregnancy, and now it’s almost as if they’re stuck with each other with no passion present. George and Martha have been married for a long time now, and their marriage started out with love but now they seem bitter and unhappy, and the reason for that could be because they have no child present in their lives. Nevertheless, the symbol of babies connects greatly with the theme of â€Å"Illusion vs. Reality.† The son was just an illusion for George and Martha because they were incapable of having a child and facing the reality of their lonely lives. Babies symbolize a various amount of things in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, such as truth, illusion, happiness and even the American Dream. The lives of both couples have changed drastically over the illusion of babies, even when they don’t have any yet. Honey’s hysterical pregnancy landed her in a marriage with Nick that didn’t start out with love and passion. George and Martha have been masking the truth of their lives with their son for a long period of time. This has caused damage to their lives, and now they’re going to have to make some changes in order to face the hard desolate lives that they’ve been trying so hard to escape from. The message that Edward Albee is trying greatly to convey is that human beings must learn to live life without illusion obstructing the view, that way human beings can live their lives with full honesty.

An essay identifying and exploring the factors impacting on childrens

An identifying and exploring the factors impacting on childrens physical and psychological development in the present day - Essay Example Some philosophers during the ancient times believed that the neonate possessed some inborn character traits. The philosophers noted that people recollect the knowledge, which remain dormant in the brain. However, some philosophers contradicted the old philosophers saying that the brain of a born child was like a blank slate. They believed that the human experience moulds their behaviour. Apparently, more philosophers stack to nature as the determinant for human behaviours. Even so, some philosophers stood concrete on their decision that the environmental influence influenced human traits. Nevertheless, conclusions have that interaction between nature and nurture typically explains human character traits. Psychology founding fathers for instance, John B Watson, Albert Bandura and BF skinner. Both psychologist discussed the psychology behind behaviour of people. Each father had different though. However, they relied on a similar platform which is behaviour develops either through nurture or nature. John B major theory of behaviour was behaviourism theory. Through the theory Watson explained that it is possible to mould behaviour of a child as a person pleases. Explains that when a child is born, he/she does not know anything. Therefore, a person can teach them any skill that the want. According to one of Watson’s famous quotes, he said that he can mould a child to a lawyer, doctor or anything he pleases. Bandura’s theory was social learning theory. He explained that a person can learn a behaviour through observing, he called it observational learning. He added that human beings think of consequences of a behaviour before developing it. Therefore, according to Bandura man is conscious of the behaviour he develops or he learns. Unlike bandura, Skinner believed that man did not consider the impact of behaviour they learn. Skinners explained his behaviour perspective using operant conditioning. He

Should Teenagers be subject to the Death Penalty Research Paper

Should Teenagers be subject to the Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Hence, the idea of death penalty as a deterrent to crime becomes quite controversial. Most of the countries have ceased applying death sentences to deter crime. Today, more than half of the nations across the world have stopped death penalty either by rule or through practice. They have reported that death sentence is not a solution to deter crime. The social and economic environment of the criminal directs crime. The first nations to have put an end to capital punishment were Venezuela, San Marino, and Costa Rica in the mid-nineteenth century. Other countries like Yugoslavia, Montenegro Serbia, Turkey and Chile have also abolished death penalties from 2000. Executions are prevalent in China, Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. (The European Union is united against Capital Punishment, 2007). The sentencing of youths who have been convicted of violent crimes to execution again depends on the extent of atrocity of the crime. The Juvenile Courts have long protected most of th e young offenders from the full-fledged application of criminal law and have also allowed them to enjoyment of their special rights and immunities. The special rights mainly include protection from publicity, imprisonment only to 21 years of age, no imprisonment with adults, and shelter from the consequences of adult punishment like the loss of civil entitlements, the exercise of adjudication against the juvenile convict in the following proceedings and debarment from public employment. The reason for drafting such rights and immunities is to provide the young convict with guidance and rehabilitation so as to ensure the child’s future as well as the protection of the society. Nevertheless, there are some youngsters who are extremely perilous and do not respond to efforts taken to reform them. The use of death penalty under such circumstances would actually depend on the nature of the crime and on the mental state of the offender. However, giving another scope to the youth to rectify and straighten oneself out is desirable (Laurence and Scott, 2003, pp. 1009-1018). Human rights groups have constantly argued against the death penalty inflicted upon a juvenile offender on the grounds of immaturity and vulnerability of impulse. This has especially taken a positive turn after the mentally retarded people were barred from such penalties (Bender, 2002, p. 20). Public consensus already has spoken against the death penalty for juvenile offenders. For instance, a Chicago survey of 2001 showed that while 62 percent favored death penalty for capital crimes, only 34 percent support the same for the teenagers under 18 years of age. The present research centers on the death penalty inflicted upon teenagers and attempts to argue against the moral and practical viability of such steps taken. B. Problem Statement and Purpose The execution or imposition of death penalty on offenders with mental retardation is against the prohibition of â€Å"cruel and unusual punishmentà ¢â‚¬  as enforced by the Constitution. The three states of US, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia have carried out 82 percent of all the death penalties in the nation (American Bar Association, 2004, p. 2). Human rights groups and the director of Amnesty International argue that even the imposition of death penalty on teenage offenders was unconstitutional. Hence death penalty might lead to contradiction of human rights especially in case of children or teenagers despite the adults who might be responsible for the actions of the vulnerable,

Asian history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Asian history - Essay Example se reading of the text could represent many thousands of different truths, such an interpretation and discussion would be too broad for the scope of this particular assignment. In this way, the following discussion will be mainly concentric upon three core interpretations that this author has determined to be of the greatest overall worth with regard to understanding Asian history. These are: the impact of religion upon the norms of society, the degree and extent to which international interaction took place within Asia, and the formative impact that non-violence played in determining social and political order within the ancient societies of Asia. Through such an analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding of the relevance that this particular chapter has to Asian history as well as a more specific interpretation of the actual events that culminated in the period in question. Further, although the impacts of nonviolent movements have been powerfully felt within the 20th and 21st centuries, this particular form of expression was not something that was unique to individual such as Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King. By much the same token, the nonviolent resistance was not something that was initially â€Å"thought up† near Walden Pond. Instead, the chapter helps to denote the fact that nonviolent protest play a powerful role in affecting a political change within ancient Chinese culture. Naturally, it would be foolish to assume that the text in question provides one of the first historical accounts of nonviolent resistance. However, notwithstanding this fact, it must not be ignored that nonviolent resistance in such a period was something that far exceeded the norm that could have been found elsewhere throughout the world. Says the text: â€Å"Seeing that he would be obtained by force and opposition to his original design, [Xuanzang] declared with an oath that he would eat nothing, in order to affect the

Human Resources Management, The Learning Process and Practice of Essay

Human Resources Management, The Learning Process and Practice of Training & Development - Essay Example But other organisations prefer the traditional one coupled with a new and modified system. In the manufacturing world, they call it ‘hybrid’. Although theorists seem to have faded, their ideas and theories which have long been formulated a long time ago remain significant and useful in the modern world. Training and development have to be applied in a systematic way. The organisation is viewed as a system, and training as a subsystem. We can find the usefulness of training as ingrained in the system through our different readings and in the literature. But I also want to add experiences and real-life situations from our organisation. We consider training and development as very significant for the success of our mission as an organisation and as individuals with careers to nurture, along with our respective families who expect from us and support us, as well. Knowledge of learning theory is indeed significant in workplace training in practice for we can use this as a bas ing ground for successes in training and development and the outcome of it. ... Training is a subsystem and looks up to the organisation as the reference point. It would then be easy for a comparison of the different sub-systems because all the other branches and departments are inter-related. The outcome of a particular training becomes easy to distinguish and measure whether it has been effective or whether the outcome of the training meets the objectives of the organisation. From this systems theory, Buckley and Capley developed the 14-stage model to expound the effectiveness of the systems theory, as against Harrison’s (1997) 8-step model. Background of my Organisation I belong to an organisation which is international in scope. At present we are tackling the challenges of globalisation and the effects of inter-culture and diversity in what commentators call the global village. Based from our initial approach of the systems theory, our organisation conducts periodic training but also a needs-assessment for training and development; meaning we also con duct training when the situation demands. For example, the organisation conducts cross-cultural training (CCT) annually. But there are times that aside from the regular CCT, we also conduct training when a manager or employees are being sent abroad or to a subsidiary, i.e. in addition to the regular CCT. Trainings are systematic, regular and conducted in accord with the organisation’s objectives. There is no regular period, or time frame, when a manager or employee has to be sent abroad, for there are various situations when a manager, or department head or employee, is needed in foreign countries. These situations include, a) when a branch has just been opened in another country, b) when a manager has just

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring Article

Finland's school success what Americans keep Ignoring - Article Example However, some of the best campuses are private owned, and they are profit making institutions. They charge high costs for tuition and can only be afforded by the select few in the country (The Atlantic). Unlike American system of education that focuses on standardized tests, Finland has only one exceptional exam; the National Matriculation Exam, which is the equivalent of a high school test,. Although pupils and students in Finland are given report cards, the teachers base the performance on individual assessments. The Finland teachers are trained to evaluate the performance of the pupils and students at independent and personal perspective. The Government only confirms the progress of the students by carrying out periodic tests with few groups of the teachers (The Atlantic). The American education policy rests on the theme of the competition (The Atlantic). This is not the case with Finland. The institutions in Finland are merited according to how well they cooperate with other and not in regard to their competitive advantage. The country does not list the best of the best in curriculum performance. The approach to giving quality education t its residents, all students from whichever backgrounds are treated equal. All the pupils are awarded free meals, health care and personalized guidance. What the Americans keep ignoring from the success of Finland schools is that they are using the wrong approach to improve the level of education. The Americans need to look at equity in providing education, award less homework and more creativity tests, stop the competitive attitude and foster cooperation and evaluate performance of the students from an independent view. The Americans have not yet adopted the Finland system since they are focusing issues that are just the opposite of what Finland supports such as private sector involvement and competition. A similar state

Film Study - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Study - - Essay Example His interaction with the world will lay basis of the analysis and will portray interpersonal communication ability of the actors. The events in Hunting’s life indicate how childhood exposure may affect interactions between individuals. The mother son relation between Hunting and his mother indicates the nature at which he perceives persons of the opposite sex hence affecting his relationship with Skylar. This concept is also visible when Hunting attacks on a man who wronged him during his childhood life. The concept can be replicated in an organization setup where conflict resolution and consultation becomes important when averting a recurrence of a negative event. The ability to communicate becomes effective once a person uses it to solve complex issues. The complex nature of communication provides avenues in which individuals may approach a conflict. In Will’s situation, alternative avenues are provided for him hence behavioral therapy advised rather than years in solitaire. Hunting displays traits that result to conflict hence demining the essence of interpersonal communication. The negative emotions that Hunting displays towards a man who once assaulted him and the police officer indicate the nature in which negative emotions may escalate into a conflict and that it may affect relations between two individual. The motive of Will Hunting is to seek revenge thus ignoring the essence of dialogue and consultation as a means of resolving conflicts. Communication is a vital tool while discovering mistakes and indicating ways in which individual may journey themselves towards change. The willingness to change is evident once Hunting begins his therapy recommended to him by the professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The therapy sessions are aimed at providing Hunting with an insight on behavioral change hence acting as a tool of conflict resolution. The therapy allows will to rediscover himself through a second

Financial management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial management - Term Paper Example By international standards, this indeed was a phenomenal growth. The balance sheets of commercial banks exhibited rapid increase during the entire eighties decade but started showing signs of slowing down in the first half of nineties as interest differences tended to taper off and banks started depending more and more on fees as their primary source of income. There was another tell tale sign of continuous increase in the size of the international financial superstructure and that was a marked increase in the volume of securities outstanding (mainly in the form of bonds and money market papers) in the total quantum of financial claims while there was an almost parallel decline in deposits and loans. However, what all analysts and financial experts preferred at that moment to turn a blind eye to was the increased specter of massive amounts of bad debts. Things were further complicated by the fact that while household sector balance sheets started exhibiting an increase in both assets and liabilities, there was a marked decline in deposits within gross household assets and an almost comparable increase in net financial wealth in the form of securities. (Blommestein 1996) This was possibly a direct offshoot of the remarkable innovativeness that was witnessed in the financial markets during this decade when one was overwhelmed by the sudden spurt in derivatives markets and advent of commercial papers in a very big way. Practically all forms of regulations and restrictions that were considered vital for maintaining stability in international financial markets were given a go by as almost all OECD countries abolished exchange controls. The banking sector also got rid of almost all forms interest rate controls and controls over credit expansion. The capitals markets also witnessed removal of controls over fees and commissions. In some countries, the existing

Daily Checklist Safety Essay Example for Free

Daily Checklist Safety Essay When planning healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services, there are certain factors which need to be considered for example, the setting needs to take into account the risks and hazards around the setting inside and outside -outside, to ensure there are no poisonous plants, berries and sharp objects and inside that all the doors and gates are locked. Risk assess the setting for broken toys, the floor needs to be clean and clear, plugs are covered and fire exit doors are clear. The layout should have space between each activity and display. Health and Safety is monitored and maintained in the setting by (is there a checklist for example where you have a list of daily/hourly checks to do on the premises to ensure you are maintaining a healthy and safe setting?) following a Health and Safety Checklist provided to us by our manager which includes tasks such as check the doors are locked, that there is a safety gate to the kitchen area, practise fire drills and ensuring hazardous substances are locked away in cupboards. By following these checklists we are also made aware of the risks and hazards not following the checklist can cause and this encourages us to work safely. Current guidance for planning healthy and safety environments and services can be sourced from the Playgroup Manager, Slough Sure Start ,Ofsted, The Dept of Education, Health protection agency and the EYFS. Following the current guidance in the health and safety at work act 1974, gives the responsibility for health and safety to the employer and employees. The premises must be well maintain and safe, accidents and indents form must be fill in when any accident occurs. Health and safety at work regulations 1999, childcare act 2006, and the 2008 act that covers the early years and legislation on safeguarding. The EYFS 2008 ensures that there is an adult/child ratio in place, a first aid qualified person in the setting at all times and all staff have a qualification of about level 2. The setting follow the policies and the guideline of the EYFS. We risk assess when taking the children off the setting premises by filling in a trip planner with the name of the child and the contact number of the child parent with they permission form. Name of all the staff that are going on the trip. (This is an example, you need to explain more about how staff are made aware of the risks and hazards in the setting and encouraged to work safely, give examples like, posters, staff meetings. How does Sharon monitor you guys on HS or how does she give HS information to you).

Prostate Cancer Causes And Treatment Health And Social Care Essay

Prostate Cancer Causes And Treatment Health And Social Care Essay This paper will investigate several different academic journal articles and some popular media articles that are about prostate cancer. These articles discuss prostate cancer causes, (hypothetical and known), detection methods, and treatment options. A couple of the articles also focus on the cost of treatment for patients, as well as the risks involved with the differing methods of treatment. Several treatment options for prostate cancer are still being studied. This essay will critically analyze and compare prostate cancer detection methods, (such as Prostate-specific antigen or (PSA) tests) treatment options, and the differing success or failure of each method, as well as focusing on the increasing cost of treatment that patients are forced to pay. Some of the articles also suggest that more resources and more education are needed to help lower the mortality rate from prostate cancer. This paper will explore what is being done to help lower the mortality rate as well as what is be ing done to help increase the rate of early detection of prostate cancer. Keywords: Prostate-specific antigen Prostate Cancer: Causes and Treatment Options Available in Todays Scientifically Advanced Society According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, creating small tumors. The term cancer refers to a condition in which the regulation of cell growth is lost and cells grow uncontrollably. Prostate cancer is a disease of epidemic proportions. 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and new cases are diagnosed every 2.7 minutes (Charles 2009). As prostate cancer poses such a threat to men worldwide, more time and money should be spent to improve upon the existing methods and technology as well as invested towards education and awareness programs. The fact that these statistics are real is why prostate cancer awareness and education is so essential because many deaths could have been prevented if the cases had been detected at earlier stages of the cancer. Prostate cancers specific cause is still unknown, however scientists hypothesize that genes play a role, because the risk factor for getting pro state cancer is substantially higher if you have a family history of it. The two main methods used for prostate cancer screening are rectal examinations and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing. Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) remind men 50 years and older that the American Cancer Society recommends that men receive annual rectal examinations and PSA blood tests. Treatment methods for prostate cancer are limited, but new technology has allowed for a higher survival rate because of early detection. The first point of interest is that the costs of prostate cancer treatment have gone up substantially in the last 20 years according to USA Today reporter Lisa Szabo. In her article entitled Patients bear brunt as cancer spending hits $90 billion she discusses how these rising costs have been driven by forces such as new drugs, robotic surgeries, and radiation techniques (2010). In her findings she discovered that from 1991 to 2002 the cost of treatment for cancer doubled. These increases are unsustainable claims John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society. Because of the increasing costs of treatment the American Cancer society can only help 1 out of 6 patients as opposed to in the past when they were able to help 1 in 5. When one takes into account how many cancer patients are in the United States, then they can realize how many people are forgoing treatment because they are uninsured and cannot afford treatment. It is tragic that the rising costs are resulting in preventable deaths. In another article reviewed, Krahn, Zagorski, Laporte, Alibhai, Bremner, Tomlinson, Warde, and Naglie, (2009) set out to discover healthcare costs in relation to prostate cancer. They researched direct medical costs for around 42,000 men over the progression of the disease. The costs they found were between $2,000 to around $16,000 dependent on where the individual patient was in the treatment process and how advanced their cancer was. The resulting conclusion was that prostate cancer costs are highest around two events, cancer diagnosis and cancer death (Krahn et als. 2009). The second point of interest is that drug company Roches Avastin a prostate cancer drug recently hit headlines and not in a good way. According to the Wall Street Journal, Roche Holdings released a statement that said that Avastin had failed in late stage prostate cancer trials. This news was not good for stockholders who are estimated to have lost projected sales of 7.48 billion dollars. The other bad news is that people who have been using Avastin an antibody for treatment of cancer, are also paying for something that is not as effective as they have been lead to believe. The third point of interest is that although scientists know what causes cancer, new steps are being made to discovering what specifically causes prostate cancer, and other types of cancer. In an exciting article in Science News, author L. Sanders reviews a new study that suggests probable links between self-renewing stem cells and prostate cancer (2010). The study suggests that genes are the culprit. Think about cancer as a disease of stem cells, Mutations in these cells can cause normal stem cells to lose their regularized behavior and instead turn into an incipient cancer (Sanders 2010). The researchers also found that prostate tissue cells called Basal stem cells are the most likely culprit in laboratory tests done on mice. In all the research they have done, Basal stem cells are what drives the cancer, regardless of the type of mutation says Owen Witte, a researcher at the University of California. A specific gene called Bmi-1 plays a significant role in Basal stem cells renewal process, when Bmi-1 activity was reduced, the cells were no longer able to self renew, nor did they form tumors (Sanders 2010). The fourth point of interest is that studies show family history of prostate cancer as one of the leading risk factors associated with prostate cancer. As Damber and Aus (2008) discovered while researching prostate cancer, family history is a large factor when assessing ones individual risk factors. They hypothesize that one apparent reason for this is that genes are passed down biologically from father to son. They also believe that the cancer causing genes mutate, but the reason(s) why are still unknown. According to the textbook authors, Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) consuming high amounts of animal fats has been shown to increase ones risk of getting prostate cancer. They also discuss how the chances are higher in black males than in white males. One thing Damber and Aus (2008) did note in their study was that the number of cases of prostate cancer was higher in men in urbanized nations as opposed to Asian men. The resulting studies showed that lifestyle differences as well as exposure to radiation were the reasons for the different statistics between Asian men and those in more urbanized nations. They also discuss how PSA and other screening methods are still being studied too analyze just how effective they actually are. Once men are suspected of having prostate cancer, the most common method of diagnosis is a biopsy which is surgically removing a small portion of the suspected tumor for testing. Most patients once they are diagnosed with the disease, are concerned with how concentrated the cancer is, because it is this factor more than any other that determines how long they have to live. In other words, the disease establishes the prognosis more than the choice of treatment. (Damber and Aus 2008) Treatment methods are varied and all have risks involved, but as the authors pointed out, most treatment plans are based on factors such as the PSA number, (how high or low) the level is, the size and placement of the tumor, as well as the patients individua l life expectancy. Treatment plans also vary depending on if the cancer is localized to just the prostate, or if it has advanced (grown) within the prostate, or if the cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body more serious treatment options will be considered. Damber and Aus (2008) theorize that treatment methods for both localized and advanced prostate cancer will remain the same for the time being. The fifth point of interest is the actual treatment procedures that are currently used. According to K. Charles in her article about prostate cancer in the Daily News, NY, she discusses the three major ways to treat prostate cancer. Surgery, external beam radiation, and radioactive seed implant therapy. A fourth new and radical treatment option is known as active survellaince, which is basically doing nothing but constantly monitoring the cancer. She discusses in her article that doctors have not yet been able to decide which treatment option is more effective than another, as they say that the results of each treatment option vary case to case. These variants also depend on how progressed the cancer is and how healthy the patient was before they got cancer. The sixth point of interest is a possible prostate cancer treatment that is still being researched called Cryotherapy. In an article by A. Gardner, she discusses how several prostate cancer patients had successful cryoblation and their tumors were successfully thwarted. The method is still in research however, and as Dr Debra Monticciolo said, The concept is good, but we need a bigger study with longer follow up. It takes a while for a couple of tumor cells left behind to gather enough steam to be noticed (Gardner 2010). One of the most controversial methods of treatment is to do nothing and just check in on the cancer frequently, to ensure that it has not grown or spread. In an article by Johnsun and Treurnicht, they claim that, The majority of men with low-risk prostate cancer will die of unrelated causes (2009). They also discuss how this newer method of treatment, officially known as active surveillance challenges the old method of radiation, and instead theorizes that attentive non-action, with only minimal treatments is possibly more effective. Johnsun and Treurnicht researched a group of 549 cancer patients who were offered active surveillance or surgery. The patients chose the surgery. Over an 8 year time span, it was discovered that the only way to ensure if active surveillance is an effective method of treatment is by repeated studies of men who have had biopsies. In another article I reviewed, author R. Lane and C. Metcalfe looked into a study that is being conducted in the UK. The study is a randomized controlled trial evaluating different prostate cancer treatments (2008). In the article, they claim that repeat PSA testing is one of the most effective methods for deciding if one needs surgery. According to the article, men whose PSA levels are between 3.0 and 19.99 ng/mL are all candidates for treatment and most likely, a biopsy. Also according to Lane and Metcalfe, in the trial referred to in the article, the participants were between 50 and 70 years old. The conclusions of the authors was that repeat PSA blood testing, particularly in men aged The seventh point of interest in regards to Prostate Cancer detection methods is the conflict over PSA testing and its accurate results, or is it as accurate as one would hope? Nogueira, Corradi, and Eastham (2009) explore other biomarkers besides PSA tests. They believe that although PSA is the best cancer biomarker available, it is not perfect. It lacks both the sensitivity and specificity to accurately detect the presence of prostate cancer (Nogueira et al., 2009). In their article, they evaluate the progress that is being made towards being able to use newly discovered biomarkers to help screen for prostate cancer. The studies that they review show that Human Kallikrein 2 or (hK2) is a serine protease that is closely related to PSA in sequence. The studies have revealed however, that (hK2) is not ready to be used yet as it can indicate that there are cancer cells active in the blood, but not accurately enough. This is similar to the problem that researchers run into with PSA test ing. Several other membrane antigens and antibodies are also being studied, but none of them are yet ready to be used as further research and testing is still needed. In the textbook, Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) agree with this article that PSA testing is the best method available. This should not be seen as though no progress has been made however, because as Dr. Richard Stock said, The past 40 years have seen a revolution in prostate cancer treatment. Not only are 90% of cases caught before they metastasize, but doctors have vastly improved technology for fighting cancer in the other 10% of patients (Charles 2009). The eighth point of interest is the recent news that the American Cancer Society has released new guidelines on prostate cancer screenings. In the article by A. Gardner, it discusses how the American Cancer Society is now putting less emphasis on routine PSA testing and more emphasis on doctor-patient conversations and decisions. These new guidelines are issued as a result of research and the ongoing conflict over how accurate PSA testing really is. According to a statement issued by the American Cancer Society, men with no symptoms of prostate cancer who are in relatively good health and can expect to live another 10 years should make an informed decision with their doctor about prostate cancer screening after learning the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits associated with such screening (Gardner 2010). These new statements disagree with with what Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008), state in the textbook, The American Cancer Society recommends that men receive annual digital rectal examinations beginning at the same age as PSA tests (Rathus et al. 2008). They are now suggesting that PSA testing should not be a requirement for all men over 50. The ninth point of interest, however, is that many agree that PSA testing is still not a very reliable or effective method of detection. In an article in Practical Nurse, urologist Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London, states that, PSA testing is hugely controversial because the number of false positives and missed diagnoses of prostate cancer generated by the test raises questions about its usefulness (2009). In the article Kirby also points out that although PSA testing is so sketchy, that unfortunately men do not have many other options for detection. He calls for more research into alternative testing methods for the presence of cancerous cells in ones blood. He also calls for more education among men, to make them aware of their risk of contracting prostate cancer. Personal education and personal awareness are key elements in fighting the mortality rate of prostate cancer. The tenth point of interest is the progress being made towards educating the public on prostate cancer. In the European Journal of Cancer Care, contributing author S. Bowen, discusses a public health program in Ireland called the National Cancer Information Service. It was developed because of the National Cancer Forums, concern that high quality, accurate information and resources should be available to the public (Bowen 2010). The majority of people who called in to the service concerned about prostate cancer were men in their 50s to mid 60s. The service also found that most men were calling to find out how and where to get screened for prostate cancer. Bowen thinks this is due to not enough public awareness of prostate cancer, he believes that, as the public becomes increasingly aware of cancer, it is important that they have access to clear unbiased information from a responsible quality service informed by ongoing evaluation (2010). Overall, the popular media articles that I reviewed did seem to agree with the academic journal articles. In regards to the cost of prostate cancer treatment, the textbook did not really go into depth on the topic, but the two articles that I reviewed did seem to agree with the consensus that prostate cancer treatment is expensive, and that the cost of treatment is rising. Another issue that I reviewed was also not really covered by the textbook, but the article that I reviewed was convincing in that it shows that more research is needed for prostate cancer drugs. Another issue that I reviewed was also not covered by the textbook, but I found it fascinating that scientists are coming so close to finding a way to cure cancer. Another issue I reviewed was agreed upon in my textbook, the academic article and the popular media that risk factors for prostate cancer are pretty consistent. Another issue that I reviewed was the actual procedures which did agree with my textbook. Another issu e I reviewed was Cryotherapy, which is an experimental method, not covered in the textbook. Another issue was conflict over PSA testing, and I found that the academic and popular media did agree mainly when it came to this issue. I do not feel that anything was left out in these articles or the textbook. I did feel that the academic studies were and are legitimate. I believe that future studies should focus on prostate cancer detection and treatment. The articles that I reviewed were very promising as they show that a lot of progress has already been made in reference to prostate cancer treatment and detection. I think that scientists and researchers should continue what they are doing, especially with the research on stem cells and their direct connections to cancer. I think that finding the cause of prostate cancer should be the number one priority of researchers. I also feel that finding the future cure to cancer can only be done if much more extensive stem cell and gene research is conducted. Until that cure is found howver, I believe it is important to focus todays research on finding more accurate methods of testing, as PSA blood testing has been shown time and time again to not be as reliable as medical professionals would like it to be. The new findings that I discussed are quite exciting though, and the possibility of finding a 100% ac curate test for cancerous cells in the bloodstream is most likely soon to be a reality. The discovery of a new and more accurate testing method for prostate cancer would help increase the number of survivors as well as decrease the number of false readings and wrong diagnoses. I feel that the important message throughout the articles and research that I conducted is that men need to be more educated and more aware of prostate cancer and its symptoms and that doctors need to spend more time with their patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. I think that families with a history of prostate cancer need to have father-to-son discussions about prostate cancer and that they might want to cut down on their intake of animal fats and their exposure to radiation as that raises their risk. Black men who consume a lot of red meat with a family history of prostate cancer should be especially concerned. The other important thing is that men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer need to be informed of all their options, not just the options that benefit and are profitable to the medical institution providing the treatment, or the drug company providing the drugs for treatment. The new active surveillance prostate cancer treatment method is still under scrutiny as to whether it is as effective as medical professionals are hoping it will be. I also think that reform is needed in regards to the outrageous cost of treatment, which for the average person, is very hard to afford. The general public needs to be more aware and educated; more societies such as the American Cancer Society are needed to help raise awareness and to provide valuable information, resources, and support to those who are affected. The financial burden on those with prostate cancer is also something that needs to be addressed. The future of prostate cancer is one that is hard to predict however, because cancerous cells and genes are constantly mutating and changing generation from generation. The sheer amount of time, money, and resources that have been put into cancer research and treatments is incredible. I think that the future of prostate cancer will hopefully be cut short by the discovery of a way to prevent the cancerous cells from mutating, whether it is from radiation, antibodies, or removal of the cancerous cells. I also feel that the important message to anyone reading this is personal responsibility and personal awareness and education. It is not groups such as the American Cancer Societys responsibility to educate and help those who are fighting prostate and other forms of cancer, it is the individuals responsibility to do all that they can, within reason, to prevent and detect cancer early, before it is too late. Fear, procrastination, ignorance, and lack of health care and coverage are big issues when it comes down to the truth. The fact of the matter is that many people who are dying and have died from prostate cancer could have been saved if they had detected it earlier. The importance of getting routine screenings for men over 50 years old is crucial. The testing methods may not be 100% accurate, but it is better to be informed than to just take a chance with your life.

Humanity in Brave New World Essays -- Literature

Humanity in Brave New World For years, authors and philosophers have satirized the â€Å"perfect† society to incite change. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley describes a so-called utopian society in which everyone is happy. This society is a â€Å"controlled environment where technology has essentially [expunged] suffering† (â€Å"Brave New World†). A member of this society never needs to be inconvenienced by emotion, â€Å"And if anything should go wrong, there's soma† (Huxley 220). Citizens spend their lives sleeping with as many people as they please, taking soma to dull any unpleasant thoughts that arise, and happily working in the jobs they were conditioned to want. They are genetically altered and conditioned to be averse to socially destructive things, like nature and families. They are trained to enjoy things that are socially beneficial: â€Å"'That is the secret of happiness and virtue – liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people lik e their inescapable social destiny'† (Huxley 16). Citizens operate more like machinery, and less like humans. Humanity is defined as â€Å"the quality of being human† (â€Å"Humanity†). To some, humanity refers to the aspects that define a human: love, compassion and emotions. Huxley satirizes humanity by dehumanizing the citizens in the Brave New World society. Huxley deletes love from society to satirize humanity. In the society, in order to maintain stability, â€Å"'The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving any one too much'† (Huxley 237). If you have no loved ones, you have no one to mourn. When a citizen dies, life continues on as usual; there is no loss in efficiency. Huxley learned at a young age that grieving for a loved one is part of being a human: â€Å"At the age of 14 Aldous... ...dure the hardships of life in order to enjoy the blessings. Sadness is a defining characteristic of a human being: â€Å"In spite of their sadness-- because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another-- the three young men were happy† (Huxley 242). Sadness is a symptom of joy. Loss is a symptom of love. But Huxley knew that it is worth it to feel both pain and happiness instead of nothing. Without these defining characteristics of humanity, all that remains is a stable, well-oiled machine, certainly not a group of human beings. Works Cited "Aldous Huxley – Biography." Egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Brave New World Theme of Suffering." Shmoop. Shmoop. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Humanity." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros, 1932. Print. Humanity in Brave New World Essays -- Literature Humanity in Brave New World For years, authors and philosophers have satirized the â€Å"perfect† society to incite change. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley describes a so-called utopian society in which everyone is happy. This society is a â€Å"controlled environment where technology has essentially [expunged] suffering† (â€Å"Brave New World†). A member of this society never needs to be inconvenienced by emotion, â€Å"And if anything should go wrong, there's soma† (Huxley 220). Citizens spend their lives sleeping with as many people as they please, taking soma to dull any unpleasant thoughts that arise, and happily working in the jobs they were conditioned to want. They are genetically altered and conditioned to be averse to socially destructive things, like nature and families. They are trained to enjoy things that are socially beneficial: â€Å"'That is the secret of happiness and virtue – liking what you've got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people lik e their inescapable social destiny'† (Huxley 16). Citizens operate more like machinery, and less like humans. Humanity is defined as â€Å"the quality of being human† (â€Å"Humanity†). To some, humanity refers to the aspects that define a human: love, compassion and emotions. Huxley satirizes humanity by dehumanizing the citizens in the Brave New World society. Huxley deletes love from society to satirize humanity. In the society, in order to maintain stability, â€Å"'The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving any one too much'† (Huxley 237). If you have no loved ones, you have no one to mourn. When a citizen dies, life continues on as usual; there is no loss in efficiency. Huxley learned at a young age that grieving for a loved one is part of being a human: â€Å"At the age of 14 Aldous... ...dure the hardships of life in order to enjoy the blessings. Sadness is a defining characteristic of a human being: â€Å"In spite of their sadness-- because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another-- the three young men were happy† (Huxley 242). Sadness is a symptom of joy. Loss is a symptom of love. But Huxley knew that it is worth it to feel both pain and happiness instead of nothing. Without these defining characteristics of humanity, all that remains is a stable, well-oiled machine, certainly not a group of human beings. Works Cited "Aldous Huxley – Biography." Egs.edu. The European Graduate School. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Brave New World Theme of Suffering." Shmoop. Shmoop. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. "Humanity." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2012. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Bros, 1932. Print.

Taser Technology Essay -- Law Enforcement Weapons

Taser Technology For years law enforcement has been searching for more effective less lethal options to apprehend suspects. One of the newest technologies available is the Taser, also known by industry standards as an electronic controlled device (ECD). The Taser uses electricity to override the central nervous system, an effect referred to as â€Å"neuro-muscular incapacitation (NMI), to cause temporary incapacitation to allow officers to gain control of a subject. Electronic controlled devices basically use high voltage, low wattage electrical charges to induce involuntary muscle contractions that cause a subject to be temporarily incapacitated. The weapon system is designed to fire two probes, or darts, that are attached to insulated wires. When the probes make contact with a person, the Taser will produce 50,000 volts of electricity, but only .0021 amps. According to Taser International, Inc. â€Å"it is not the volts that are dangerous it is the amps.† Volts are simply the rate the electricity is moving, but amps are the measure of current in the electricity. Taser International (2006) In 1993, two brothers, Rick and Tom Smith along, with Taser inventor Jack Cover, began working together on a non-lethal self-defense device. In 1994, they developed a non-firearm version of the Taser. This original Taser was known as a â€Å"stun† system, which used electricity to jam the central nervous system with electrical noise. This system used approximately five to fifteen watts of power and was more of a pain compliance device rather than overriding the central nervous system. Two serious issues occurred with these â€Å"stun† systems: The officer had to be up close to make contact with the subject; and since it was a pain compliance device... ... Batons also tear skin, break bones and require officers to get up close to subjects to apprehend them. The Taser has a more effective rate than other less lethal options with less chance of injury to all involved. References Amnesty International (2007) Amnesty International. (2007). USA: Amnesty International's concerns about Taser use: Statement to the US Justice Department inquiry into deaths in custody. doi:AMR 51/151/2007 Taser International (2006). Instructor Certification Lesson Plan (Version 13.0 ed., Rev.). Scottsdale, Arizona: Taser International. Vilke, G. M., Sloane, C., Levin, S., Neuman, T., Castillo, E., & Chan, Tc. (2008, January). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram monitoring of subjects before and after voluntary exposure to the Taser X26. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18082773?dopt=Citation Taser International (2006) Taser Technology Essay -- Law Enforcement Weapons Taser Technology For years law enforcement has been searching for more effective less lethal options to apprehend suspects. One of the newest technologies available is the Taser, also known by industry standards as an electronic controlled device (ECD). The Taser uses electricity to override the central nervous system, an effect referred to as â€Å"neuro-muscular incapacitation (NMI), to cause temporary incapacitation to allow officers to gain control of a subject. Electronic controlled devices basically use high voltage, low wattage electrical charges to induce involuntary muscle contractions that cause a subject to be temporarily incapacitated. The weapon system is designed to fire two probes, or darts, that are attached to insulated wires. When the probes make contact with a person, the Taser will produce 50,000 volts of electricity, but only .0021 amps. According to Taser International, Inc. â€Å"it is not the volts that are dangerous it is the amps.† Volts are simply the rate the electricity is moving, but amps are the measure of current in the electricity. Taser International (2006) In 1993, two brothers, Rick and Tom Smith along, with Taser inventor Jack Cover, began working together on a non-lethal self-defense device. In 1994, they developed a non-firearm version of the Taser. This original Taser was known as a â€Å"stun† system, which used electricity to jam the central nervous system with electrical noise. This system used approximately five to fifteen watts of power and was more of a pain compliance device rather than overriding the central nervous system. Two serious issues occurred with these â€Å"stun† systems: The officer had to be up close to make contact with the subject; and since it was a pain compliance device... ... Batons also tear skin, break bones and require officers to get up close to subjects to apprehend them. The Taser has a more effective rate than other less lethal options with less chance of injury to all involved. References Amnesty International (2007) Amnesty International. (2007). USA: Amnesty International's concerns about Taser use: Statement to the US Justice Department inquiry into deaths in custody. doi:AMR 51/151/2007 Taser International (2006). Instructor Certification Lesson Plan (Version 13.0 ed., Rev.). Scottsdale, Arizona: Taser International. Vilke, G. M., Sloane, C., Levin, S., Neuman, T., Castillo, E., & Chan, Tc. (2008, January). Twelve-lead electrocardiogram monitoring of subjects before and after voluntary exposure to the Taser X26. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18082773?dopt=Citation Taser International (2006)

The Purpose of Dreaming While Asleep Essay -- Neurology Sleep

Dreams are a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. In our dreams we can portray ourselves as anything, we can go anywhere and do anything. There are many types of dreaming methods such as, daydreams, recurring dreams, nightmares, epic dreams, prophetic dreams, and lucid dreams and so on. You spend six years of your life dreaming. There are five reasons why we dream: so we can satisfy our wishes, to file away memories, to develop and preserve neural pathways, to make sense of neural static, and to reflect cognitive development. We satisfy our wishes through dreaming. Dreams present a psychic protection valve that releases otherwise unacceptable feelings. If dreams are symbolic they could be understood any way you wish while on the other hand, others state dreams hide nothing. While you dream you file away your important memories and new skills. You also dispose useless information from your day. Sleep deprivation has affected many people and have resulted in impaired speech, memory lost, and problem solving skills. If you don’t get decent night of sleep after you learn new materials, you won’t incorporate it efficiently into your memories. We dream to develop and preserve neural pathways. A neural pathway attaches one part of the nervous system with another and typically consisted of bundles of elongated myelin-insulated neurons. A number of researchers hypothesized that dreams may also serve a physiological meaning. There was a possibility that the brain activity connected with rapid eye movements (REM) sleep presents the sleeping brain with interrupted motivation. We dream to make sense of neural static. Other assumptions suggest that dreams go off from neural ... ... to be with his significant other, Sofia. Dreaming is a complicated instrument used by the best of our civilization to make themselves and this world a better place. To dream is a powerful method. Visions and thoughts come from your dreams. Novelists, writers and poets make their dreams into stories. Artists and musicians discover dreams for their motivations. Dreams assist us to discover answers to our everyday dilemmas and view things from a different viewpoint. References Myers, D. G. (2004). Exploring psychology Dreams, New York: Worth Publishers. Lucid dreaming. (1994). In lucidity Institute. Retrieved November 10, 2010, from Lucidity Institute: http://www.lucidity.com/LucidDreamingFAQ2.html#LD Dreaming. (1994). In Dream Information. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from Lucidity Dream Moods INC.: http://www.dreammoods.com/dreaminformation/

Republican Motherhood

Kaley Ganey and Allie Linaugh October 15, 2012 Stuart Harmening APUSH The Republican Motherhood and Education for Women The republican motherhood was essentially the beginning of the new era for women. Before, women were not allowed to go to school, and we not educated as they were thought to belong in the home. Before the late eighteenth century, their role was to God and the care of the home and their children.However, Enlightened thinkers knew that it was the role of the mother to make sure her sons morals and values were in pace, and also they knew the future of the United States was dependent on mothers. For these reasons, the education of women became more important and more accepted. Women were responsible for instilling proper values, and an education in the principles of liberty and government into their sons. What didn’t make sense was, women were not educated well enough, sometimes they were able to write their names, and read small stories, but not all the time.Dur ing the late eighteenth century, the idea of educating women became more and more practical. If a woman were to educate their children, the future leaders and government officials of America, shouldn’t the woman be well educated themselves? After much thought and consideration, it was believed that women should be taught to read, write, do simple math, and also should be knowledgeable about the English language.With their education, women were better able to educate their sons, which was better for the country in the long run. People justified the education of women by saying that it was a woman’s duty to her country to educate her sons; therefore she should be educated as well. Putting the responsibilities of children in the hands of the women essentially put the future of America in their hands. The women were the ones filling the heads of children with knowledge, and teaching them how to better serve their country.

Investor Ratio Analysis

Investor Ratios There are various ratios that are designed to help investors who hold shares in a company to assess the returns on their investment. These are: Dividend per Share The dividend per share ratio relates the dividends pertaining to an accounting period to the amount of shares in issue during the period. The ratio is given as follows: Dividend per share = Dividends pertaining to a period Number of shares in issue The ratio provides an indication of the cash return a shareholder receives from holding shares in a company.Although it is a useful measure, it must be remembered that the dividend received will usually only represent a partial measure of the return to an investor. Dividends are usually only a portion of the earnings generated by the firm and available to shareholders. A business may decide to plough back some of its earnings back into the business in order to achieve future growth. These ploughed back profits belong to the shareholders and should in principle inc rease the value of the shares. Thus w h e n assessing the total return to an investor we must look at both the dividends received and any movement in the share price.The dividend per share for Alexis Ltd is given as follows: Page 1 of 5 Dividends per share can vary considerably between companies. A number of factors will influence the amount that a company is willing or able to issue in the form of dividends to shareholders. These factors include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The profit available for distribution to investors The future expenditure commitments of the company The expectations of shareholders concerning the level of dividend payment The cash available for dividend distributionComparing the dividends per share between companies is not always useful as there may be differences between the nominal value of the shares issued. It may be more useful to monitor the trend in dividends per share over a period of time. Dividend Yield Ratio This ratio relates the cash return from a share to its current market value and is given as follows: Dividend Yield Ratio = Dividend per Share Market Value of a Share * 100 1 The ratio for Alexis pic is given as follows: Page 2 of 5 In essence this ratio measures the real rate of return on a share.Investors can compare the returns from a company's shares to the returns that could be earned by investing either in another company or by investing in another form of investment. Dividend Cover Dividend cover (for ordinary shares) looks at how many time a firm's profits (after interest, lax and preference dividends) cover the ordinary dividends. Dividend Cover = Profit after interest, tax and Pref Share Dividends Ordinary Share Dividends For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: Interpretation: Alexis plc profits covers ordinary dividends 3. 96times.Dividend cover is calculated using the profit after interest and tax figure because banks, government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the pro fits of the firm. This ratio is of particular interest to ordinary shareholders. Earnings per share The earnings per share relate’s the earnings generated by the company during a period and available to shareholders to the number or snares in issue. For ordinary shareholders the amount available will be net profit after interest, tax and preference dividends because banks, the government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the profits of the firm.Page 3 of 5 Earnings per share = Earnings available to ordinary shareholders Number of ordinary- shares in issue For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: The EPS is regarded by many investment analysts as a fundamental measure of share performance. Tracking the EPS over time can help assess the investment potential of the company's shares. Care must be taken when comparing EPS from different firms as capital structures differ from one firm to the next. Price Earnings (P/E) R a t i o The price earnings ratio relates the market value of a share to the earnings per share.It is calculated a s follows: P/E Ratio = Market value per share Earnings per Share The P/E Ratio for Alexis is calculated as follows: Page 4 of 5 The ratio reveals that the capital value of the share is 9. 4 times higher than its current level of earnings. The ratio is essence is a measure of market confidence in the future of the company. A high P/E ratio means that relative to profits the price of the share is quite high. Why would this be the case? The higher the P/E ratio the greater the confidence in the future earning power of the company i. e. lthough current earnings are low investors expect them to increase in the future and therefore investors are prepared to pay a high price for the share in relation to the current earnings of the share. A low P/E ratio means that the share price is quite low compared to earnings – this implies a pessimistic view of the future. Nobody will be willing to pay a high price for a share in a company that has unexciting trading prospects. Because the P/E ratio gives a guide as to market confidence in a share it can therefore be helpful when comparing different companies although P/E ratios per sector will vary. Page 5 of 5

A Doll’s House

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, portrays the lives of people who are dreadfully bound in their social settings. Nora is considered the typical example of feminine standards during this period. In the play, she is considered powerless and bounds herself to patriarchal expectations, which signifies women's social role as wife and mother. The plot format, characters, and theme play a vital role in contributing to the social hierarchy of this play. A Doll's House is written in three acts; instead, of the traditional five-act plays. The plot construction of this play is characterized by exposition, complication, and resolution. For example, in act one exposition takes place when Nora's character is exposed. She is determined to take care of her family; however, is also extremely conceded and completely dependent upon her husband, Torvald despite the way he treats her. The main events take place one after another with complication along with rising action occur in act two; the last act involves the steps to resolution as soon as the catastrophe takes place. â€Å"Listen, Torvald. I have heard that when a wife deserts her husband's house, as I am doing now, he is legally freed from all obligations towards her. In any case, I set you free from all your obligations.†(act III, 79) In Act III, Nora, finally, has the courage to leave her husband which leads to the resolution taking place.During this play, the audience is exposed to a variety of characters which result in the story being told from different perspectives. Nora is the protagonist of the play, and as the play goes on the audience views a mature in her. Torvald sees Nora as easily controlled like a pet or child. However, as the play goes on Nora emerges as a fully independent woman who abandoned her marriage and the burden of motherhood. Torvald is seen as unsympathetic and stiff throughout the play; as well as avoiding interaction with his children. Dr. Rank is introduced to the audience and is seen as corrupt when he expresses his desire for Nora. At the beginning of the play, Nora borrowed money from Krogstad without her husband's knowledge. Krogstad is the ultimate description of corrupt, he saw a chance to save his job at the bank when it becomes jeopardized by blackmailing Nora. All the characters described play a role in contributing to the social hierarchy of the play. A Doll’s House INST 2608-02 A Doll’s House response paper The two main characters in A Doll’s House that I am going to focus on are Torvald and Nora. They are a married couple living in a middle class home with three children and maids. Torvald has secured a position with a bank, after the New Year he will â€Å"get a big salary and earn pots and pots of money. † (Page 8) Nora has kept a large secret from Torvald regarding money borrowed to take a trip to Italy so Torvald could recuperate in a warm climate from an illness. The story centers on Nora trying to keep the secret from Torvald.Krogstad loaned the money to Nora and she forged the signature of her father as the co-signer on the contract. The plot thickens when Krogstad shows up at Nora’s house to blackmail her. Torvald refers to Nora as a little bird and talks to her like she is a lovely little doll. â€Å"What do we call little birds that like to fritter money? † (Page 9) Nora plays right along with all t he references to a lovely bird that needs her husband to approve everything she does. I was annoyed with their relationship because of the way he treated her and because she allowed it to happen.Nora is a strong, smart and independent woman, who allows her husband to dominate. She acted this was because society expected this of woman. She did not think for herself in fear of the men becoming angry. When Torvald discovers Nora’s secret and realizes he may be ruined by the blackmail of Krogstad, he turns on her. â€Å"I’ve really had my eyes opened, in all these years. You who were my pride and joy, a hypocrite! A liar! Worse! A criminal! † (Page 58) Nora realizes Torvald would not sacrifice his integrity for her. She proclaims that thousands of women sacrifice their integrity for men and she could not live with a stranger any longer.I was elated she made the decision to leave and stand up for what she believes. Nothing Torvald said would change her mind. She real ized her father had treated her like a doll and now her husband was doing the same thing. Nora walked away from everything in order to gain her independence and find out what she believed to be the truth. This took a very strong woman, because women were to be at home and raise the children. They were to look pretty and do as they were told. They were not to think or give opinions. Nora sacrificed everything to be free.

Corning Incorporated : the Growth and Strategy Council

CORNING INCORPORATED: THE GROWTH AND STRATEGY COUNCIL Company Background : Corning Glass Works was founded in 1851 by Amory Houghton, in Somerville, Massachusetts. The company was known as Corning Glass Works until 1989, when it changed its name to Corning Incorporated. Corning Incorporated is an American manufacturer of glass, ceramics, and related materials, primarily for industrial and scientific applications. In 1998 Corning divested itself of its consumer lines of Corning Ware and Corelle tableware and Pyrex cookware.As of 2008 Corning had four business segments: Display Technologies, Environmental Technologies, Life Sciences, and Telecommunication. Innovation was the core of corning’s Identity, because coning is a science based company, Innovation is the engine for the company. Fact 1 : The Formed of Growth and Strategy Council Corning has formed the Growth and Strategy Council (GSC) in 2001 the core group member are CEO, COO, CTO, heads of research, development and engi neering and the head of HR. The role of GSC is varied from making decisions about pacing and investment, advising businesses on pricing strategy etc.The GSC is about establishing best practices and getting all innovation programs to the same level of rigor. Lesson learned 1: GSC as Change Agent Management. Corning needs to maintain their performance in a long term condition. It needs strategy and great people who involved and have willingness to improve the performance for sustainability. The individual or group that undertakes the task of initiating and managing change in an organization is known as a change agent and that what’s corning did when fomed GSC.In many innovative-driven companies, managers and employees alike are being trained to develop the needed skills to oversee change (Tschirky, 2011). My experience I am working at bank bjb which the ownership is 100 % by the government of west java province and Banten province. By 2010 the company had their IPO so some of t he ownership goes to public. And it makes change to the company business overall. To make the company keep sustain my company formed change agent management program that include the director, Groups head, and Branch Managers that made decision about varied company problems. Fact 2 : Corning’s Stage Gate Innovation ProcessInnovation at Corning followed what was called the ‘innovation recipe’ its involved the management that used Corning’s gate innovation process that’s are : Stage I : Gather Information, build knowledge Stage II : Determine feasibility Stage III : Test Practically Stage IV : Prove Profitability Stage V : Manage the life cycle Advancing to the next stage required meeting deliverables and advancing through the ‘Decision Diamond’ Lesson learned : Innovation as a Process and Philosphy For Corning Innovation was as much a set of principles as it was a process, innovation is about idea creation.Innovation at Corning also about being willing and able to take failed ideas and apply them elsewhere Innovation is much more than invention – the creation of a new idea and its reduction to practice and it includes all the activities required in the commercialization of new technologies (Freeman and Soete 1997) Others company experienced We can learned from 3M company that produce the product Post It from accident. A man named Spencer Silver who worked in the 3M research laboratories in 1970 was working on developing a strong adhesive to incorporate it to some of 3M’s current products.After some trial and error he finally developed an adhesive, but for his own disappointment, it was even weaker than what 3M already manufactured at the time. It stuck to things but could easily be lifted off. A couple of ants could lift it up. Then four years later, another 3M scientist named Arthur Fry was singing in his church’s choir. He used markers to keep in the hymnal but they kept falling out of the boo k. Then he remembered Silver’s weak adhesive and used to coat his markers. With the weak adhesive the markers stayed in place, yet lifted off without damaging the pages.Fact 3 : The Concept of Patient Money in Corning Key businesses Corning lost money for 14 years before becoming profitable in 1999. And optical fiber took 20 years to become profitable despite the hundreds millions of dollars the company invested during the 1960 – and 1970s. In 2001 the company approved the appropriations request for a $250 million new factory for the diesel business at a time when telecom business was crashing and the emission regulations for 2007 were not yet in place.Lesson learned : Sustainability investment on Technology Innovation . Innovation at corning meant being willing to make significant. Sustained investments knowing that the payback would likely be well into the future. Corning’s Emphasis on innovation and its long term outlook-made the company unique. Unlike conven tional investments in plant and equipment, which generally have declining returns over time, technological investments are argued to produce positive returns through creating new knowledge, options and opportunities (Arthur 1990). My ExperienceIn early 2011 bank bjb cooperate with western union to facilitate customers who wants to transfer their money to other countries. One of the problems sometimes the transfer didn’t get on time and many system failure. So to solve that problem bank bjb do the research to choose another vendor that more appropriate. Bank bjb also develop their own Information Technology system to create independent remittance to other countries. The result are bank bjb has cooperate with BNI in remittance and also will launch independent remittance system in 2013 that will serve customer better in the future.

Reflective Report Reassessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Report Reassessment - Essay Example I found it difficult dedicating reasonable amount of time doing the module because I was engaged in other additional activities. They tended to take much of my time leaving very little to read the module. Secondly, I failed because I was working on the project that also had a definite period and requirements. I was unable to balance the project by doing it and at the same time reading the module and doing the reflective report. Thirdly, examination contributed to my failure in the module because I was preparing for it. Examination is one of the core activities that a student is expected to do while in school and I gave it a priority at the expense of the module. It contributed to my failure. One of The three things I could have done better is time management through developing a timetable for all my activities. Secondly, I could have read the module by dedicating time and sobering up. Thirdly, I could have consulted the tutor. This is so because it could have eased my understanding of the module to stop the failure I encountered. Tutors play a vital role in helping students overcome their reading difficulties and weaknesses. It is my wish and of any student in the school to have a proper understanding of the module as well as to graduate within the time frame of the course. However, many fail to achieve the dream because of unpreparedness and failing of examinations. One of the ways of overcoming all these is by developing a better way of understanding the module or subject. Understanding the subject enables a student to familiarize himself or herself with the concepts as well as the contents. Hence, it becomes easy for one when tackling examination or talking about the subject since facts are in the finger. International relation is one of the subjects in political science that keeps on changing every day hence the need to update oneself with latest information. One of the learning activities I plan to embark on

Algoeithm Design, Analysis and Implementation Assignment

Algoeithm Design, Analysis and Implementation - Assignment Example This is done by choosing a comparison element and placing all the elements that are less than the comparison element in the first group and the rest of the elements in the second group. This procedure is repeated recursively until the elements are sorted (a part consist of only one element). T(n) = (n-1) + ?1 ? i ? n ti As 1,2,....k-elements are already sorted, we can say that ti =0, where i = 1,2, 3... k. Then, the contribution of quick sort when early stopping is used can be given by, T(n)=(n+1)( ?k ? i ? n ti + ?(1)) = (n+1)( n lg +?(1)) =2n lg +?(n) Thus, T(n) for quick sort =O(nlg(n/k)). Given that, insertion sort is done on a partially sorted array (unsorted k-elements). In general, running time of insertion sort is O(n2 ), where n is the length of the array (total number of elements). In order to provide a solution to this problem, the total array is divided into subarrays of k-elements each, such that k/2? n ? k, then n = O(k) and the running time of insertion sort is O(k2). The total number of such subarrays (m) would then be n/k ? m ? 2n/k., which implies m = O(n/k). The total time spent on insertion sort would then be O(k2)* O(n/k) = O(nk). T(n) for insertion sort = O(nk). Therefore, the total time for this sorting algorithm is as follows: T(n) = O(nk + nlg(n/k) ). ... Solution: From the above problem (1), we find that quick sort sorts k-elements of an n-element array O(n log(n/k)) time. Quick sort sorts by partitioning the given array A[p...r] into two sub-arrays A[p...q] and A[q+1... r] such that every element in A[p...q] is less than, or equal to, elements in A[q+1... r]. This process is repeated until all the elements are sorted. Algorithm for quick sort is given by: A[P] is the pivot key upon which the comparison is made. P is chosen as the median value of the array at each step. If the element is less than, or equal to, the pivot key value, it is moved left. Otherwise, it is moved right. Assuming the best case scenario where each step produces two equal partitions, then T(n)=T(n/2)+T(n/2)+?(n) =2T(n/2)+ ?(n) By Master’s Theorem case 2, T(n) = O(n lg n) In other words, the depth of recursion is log n and at each level/step, the number of elements to be treated is n. If only k-elements are sorted, then the depth of recursion would be n/k and the number of elements would be n at each level, the time taken by this sorting algorithm is given by T(n) = O(n lg (n/k)). 2.2 Show that we can sort a k-well-sorted array of length n in O(n log k) time. As the array is already sorted for k-elements, the remaining steps required to complete the sort would be k (using the results from 1), then T(n) = O(n lg k). 3. Computing the k-th smallest element in the union of the two lists m and n using O(lg m +lg n) time algorithm: Approach 1: Merge sort can be used in this case. It splits the list into two halves, recursively sorts each half, and then merges the two sorted sub-lists. In the given problem, the lists are already sorted; hence, the

Communication and Culture Issues over disrupted Software management Assignment - 1

Communication and Culture Issues over disrupted Software management - Assignment Example However, to achieve this, there is a need for a globally organized team to handle the production and the distribution of software. Considering that a single organization cannot afford to undertake the production and distribution of the software globally on its own, the collaboration with other partners to achieve this is inevitable (Andreessen, 2011). It is this collaboration with other business partners that makes the coordination of the business more complex, threatening to affect the software development project negatively. As observed by Lee, Delone and Espinosa, the factors that creates major barriers to the coordination between the software producers and their partners include geographic distance, time separation, cultural differences, language differences and organizational boundaries (Lee, Delone, & Espinosa, 2006). To add to this complexity is the fact that, businesses rarely understand what makes the global software business successful. Thus even when confronted by such challenges, businesses are not in a position to dissect and clearly identify the appropriate strategies that would see them overcome these challenges (Gonsalves, 2011). Nevertheless, there are certain strategies that can be applied to overcome such challenges, which include building a common platform, where the business partners should share an initial understanding of the suitable framework that would drive the collaboration between these business partners successful (Rosenberg, 2012). Labor organization is yet another strategy applicable to overcome the challenges of global software business partners’ communication since it entails the allocation of specialized duties to each of the partners, which ensures that they do not duplicate or overstep their operations thus avoiding the confusion that would ensue (Hoffman, 20 13). The creation of understanding is yet another vital

Mitral valve prolapse and treatment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mitral valve prolapse and treatment - Term Paper Example This paper shall discuss mitral valve prolapse, its causes, incidence, and risk factors, as well as interventions and treatment measures. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of the condition, its impact on the health, as well as related nursing interventions. The mitral valve is the valve which ensures that blood on the left side of the heart flows in one direction (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011). In effect, it prevents backflow of blood during heart contraction. Mitral valve prolapse manifests when the mitral valve fails to close properly, thereby causing the back flow of blood during contraction. Mitral valve prolapse can be caused by a variety of things, mostly by physical changes in the valve (WebMD, 2011). Physical changes, including the thickening of the valve can cause the prolapse. The causes of these physical changes are not entirely known. It may also be genetically inherited by family members. Health issues which affect the mitral valve, connective tissue and heart muscles can also cause mitral valve prolapse, however, these are very rare. Related conditions, including osteogenesis imperfecta and hyperthyroidism are also considerations in this condition (WebMD, 2011). For the most part, this condition is harmless and sometimes patients are unaware that they have this heart condition. In fact, about 10% of the population is known to have minor mitral valve prolapse, however, most of the time it does not affect their lives. In some instances, this prolapse can cause blood back flow. This is known as mitral regurgitation, and may sometimes require surgery and medical treatment (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011). Mitral valves which have structural issues have an increased risk for bacterial infection. It is a condition which often impacts on thin women with minor chest deformities, scoliosis, or related disorders (University of Maryland

Autism in Qatar Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Autism in Qatar - Term Paper Example Despite various governments not heeding this noble advice, the effect of such ignorance presents easily foreseeable outcomes. Such inclusion is no doubt one of the many reasons through which poverty and social disruptions can be endured, in addition to reducing the burden of disability to the society. The arising question then is â€Å"can inclusion of the people with disability in various aspects of the society contribute to their empowerment and hence reduced level of depependence in Qatar.† Like many other nations in the Middle East and the world at large, the problem of autism in Qatar has attracted substantial attention. Autism, like other forms of disabilities has been touted to ramifications on both the social and economic aspects of various countries across the globe. Their non-inclusion in day to day activities, more especially social and economic activities has been found to not only have negative consequences on the affected individuals but also on the families as well as the community. Baron-Cohen & Bolton (1993) found that integration and accommodation of people with disabilities into the work force are a critical way of public expenditure reduction, reduction of cost incurred by the families, and also ensuring that the ASD affected persons are able to engage in productive work. Formulation of policies and plans that integrate persons with disabilities into each and every aspects of social and economic life, ranging from education, vocational rehabilitation a s well as employment will no doubt offer immense benefits to both that affected individuals and the society at large (Bertrand et al., 2001). The recent past has seen more and more people getting diagnosed with ASD and consequently extreme emphasis is being placed on their social inclusion and involvement in aspects of social and economic life. Sadly, in various nations, Qatar inclusive, the disabled persons among them the disabled, are

Catholiicism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Catholiicism - Assignment Example Another form of modern religious discrimination is generalization of traits, where an isolated case of irresponsibility is used to judge an entire religion. An example can be given of the child abuse scandal committed by catholic priests that was used to express disapproval of the entire Catholic Church and its teachings (Taylor 1). This case demonstrated that despite the tremendous efforts made by both the government and the various religious groups in the country, religious discrimination remains prevalent and there is need for increased efforts to sensitize people on the implications this form of discrimination has on the peaceful coexistence of communities. Although I have not experienced discrimination because of my religious beliefs, there remains a possibility of it happening. However, I plan to use the chance positively, to sensitize the other party on the importance of accommodating the beliefs of others even when those beliefs contradict with ours. It is only through continuous education that sustainable interventions on eradicating religious discrimination will be achieved. Taylor, Pamela. Catholics More Likely to Face Ethnic Bias than Religious Discrimination. Onfaith, 16 March 2007. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

In-Depth Audience Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

In-Depth Audience Analysis - Research Paper Example The Chamber has more than 200 companies affiliated with it which are the employers for more than 280,000 people. The Chamber aims to support and mentor its members at a very low cost through its various programs and benefits. The Chamber has contributed to the growth of working women and small business enterprises through their low cost or no cost educational supports systems. The major volume of the members of the Chamber constitutes of small business enterprises and the Chamber aims at tapping in every business decision maker as their potential member. The Chamber pays particular attention to make the most of the investment of the small businesses so that the businesses can utilize the benefits of their membership fully. The Chamber provides different benefits to its member companies including wellness and health solutions, communication solutions and business solutions. The cost saving benefits programs are especially suitable for the small businesses. These programs help to support and develop the businesses in the area and thus improving the economic conditions of the area. The Group Health programs are directed at the employees and their family. The benefits of group term life, Health savings Account, and Discount prescription Drug Cards help to save the money of the employees in the member businesses. This provides facilities for the business as well as the employees. The chamber also supports various business issues through their business solutions like the Fuel Protection Program that helps the businesses to minimize their fuel costs at an affordable fee to the Chamber. The accounts receivables solutions are helpful in improving the cash flows and reduce the collection costs, thereby helping the member businesses to expand (Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, 2013). The Chamber offers specific programs for the different types of businesses to help the businesses and their employees

Justice or Free

Justice or Freedom of Speech Essay 1. When do the concerns of national security cross the line to infringing on personal freedoms in regards to activities such as data mining? 2. Are people prepared to give up certain civil rights in order to assure safety in the new age of terrorism? 3. Is the government being completely open about the various programs that are  being used under the â€Å"drift net?† 4. What is actual definition of the â€Å"targeted† part of society that is being observed  and tracked? 5. Should the government be able to â€Å"mine† personal data such as financial,  phone and related records? 6. Does the Patriot Act give too much power to the FBI and related government  agencies without judicial oversight? 7. Who is providing checks and balances to the agencies that have been given this  extra power under the Patriot Act? 8. What is the margin for error in defining who is a suspect and who is not? 9. Is there appropriate due process for those targeted by National Security letters  whose records have been requested? 10. Is racially profiling considered a violation of people’s civil rights, and does  the government have a right to use this as a basis for targeting civilians as  possible terrorists?

The Rhetoric of “Yes We Can” Essay Example for Free

The Rhetoric of â€Å"Yes We Can† Essay Darà ­o Villanueva outlines the history and significance of the rhetorical tradition and highlights the striking persistence of the power of the word in American politics. Even in our high-tech age, a three-word tagline -Yes We Can- carries devastating clout. The Greek sophists -the original masters of rhetoric, notorious for their appetite for influence rather than truth- would be both impressed by the abiding power of their art, and dismayed that, in the Gutenberg Galaxy, it has become a blunt instrument. Centuries before our time, the Greeks considered the question of how to speak so as to sway the hearers mind with the power of words. The first to examine the ways in which we relate to one another through language, the Greeks wrote detailed treatises laying bare the sinews of human communication, and their experience of language and the laws they inferred from it gave rise to Rhetoric, the art or science of the public speaker. The father of rhetoric was said to be Corax, who lived in the closing third of the fifth century BC in the Greek city state of Syracuse in Sicily; his disciple Thysias was credited with bringing his rhetorical discoveries to mainland Greece. Once there, rhetoric was appropriated by the so-called sophists. The history of the term is riven with self-contradiction. Etymologically, sophist means bearer of truth, but its modern meaning is the exact opposite: a sophistry-the stock-in-trade of politicians-is a plausible but spurious argument in support of a falsehood. True rhetoric, however ─Aristotle urges in the introduction to his Rhetoric─ is by no means sophistic. Discussing the uses of the discipline, Aristotle begins with the proclamation that rhetoric educates the common citizen and shapes his spirit, and is a useful way of advancing truth and justice, which in the natural course of things would prevail over their opposites if it were not because their advocates are sometimes inept.[1] Going back to the root of the matter, however, G.B. Kerferd, a scholar concerned with the earliest Greek sophists,[2] divided the school into three distinct types:  sages, such as Solon, whose wisdom was embodied as law; statesmen, who applied their pre-eminent talents to practical affairs, such as Pericles and Themistocles; and teachers of wisdom, skilled in passing on their learning and teaching eloquence, such as Protagoras, Gorgias or Socrates. If we view this classification in Montesquieus terms, the first group would stand for the legislative and judicial powers of the state, while the second group makes a good fit with the executive power. The third group, however, comprising masters of wisdom and oratory, embodies the time-honored marriage of interests and skills between scholars and rulers, sustained by the old but evergreen art of rhetoric. American rhetoric Leaving aside any objective or partisan judgment one might pass on his politics, which is irrelevant to our concern here, Barack Hussein Obama, a university academic, senator, and President of the United States, provides a fascinating example. He makes a perfect fit with a society as sharply characteristic as the American New World, the promised land where the political principles that were later to inspire the French Revolution of 1789 gave rise to an eclectic community, a melting pot of different ethnic origins-not all of them European-and open to all the innovations brought forth by the spectacular advance of science and technology from the Enlightenment to our own day. This was the New Democratic Nation that, ushering in modern poetry, Walt Whitman sang in his book, Leaves of Grass. One of the singular features of that New World is the somewhat astonishing survival, at some fundamental level, of the power of the word. The contrast may seem improbable, but in America the flourishing of technology and all its rich resources ─the central theme of a book that is in no way complacent, but in fact hypercritical, by Marshall McLuhan and his disciple Neil Postman[3]─ enables oratorical endeavor to thrive. Greek rhetoric, largely brought into being by the Sophists, who ─we must not forget─ were more interested in winning over the masses than the furtherance of truth, now has its promised land in the United States. A recent case in point is the impact of President Obamas Yes we can speeches. Again, it was Marshall McLuhan who reminded us that electric systems of communication ─radio and television particularly─ facilitated a revival of oral expression in human communication and cultural transmission after a period of relative tyranny of the eye over the ear: the written word, with the printing press as its handmaiden, had reigned supreme over the five centuries of what McLuhan dubbed the Gutenberg Galaxy.[4] Technopoly ─Postmans unflattering name for the United States of America─ is a locus particularly amenable to the use and development of new technologies, but, even in the twenty-first century, bears the hallmarks of a vast human community in which, as in the ancestral tribes discussed by McLuhan, the spoken word still harbors real power. An undeniable influence is exerted here by the religious bedrock that continues to underlie American society. Though fragmented and diverse, the Protestant churches visibly predominate, and in their communities the biblical and evangelical word breathes life into individual and collective spiritual experience, which draws further nourishment from the often impassioned eloquence of Protestant ministers. Barack Obama himself, a devout Christian, partakes of this culture of liturgical oratory; and, far from keeping this within the private sphere, he has no qualms about putting it on public show as one facet among many of his political personality. His beginnings as a Chicago activist in the late 1980s saw him as a leader of the Developing Communities Project, run by the Church Association on the South Side. Whats more-and this was the subject of a serious controversy, adroitly handled by Obama when his presidential campaign was in full swing-he was an active member of Chicagos Trinity Church, a congregation shepherded by the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The importance of rhetoric has been a feature of American democracy since the Founding Fathers. Its earliest master was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and first Republican President, who  proclaimed the Emancipation of black slaves in 1863. Obama brought this to the fore in his Victory Speech when he called upon his political adversaries, members of Lincolns own party. The man who in January 2009 became the 44th president started his campaign two years earlier in the state capital at Springfield, Illinois, where in 1858 Lincoln had delivered his landmark House Divided speech. Some political commentators have not hesitated to draw a parallel between the two by dint of their common gift for oratory. Lincolns most celebrated rhetorical legacy is a prodigious speech delivered on November 10, 1863, at Gettysburg. Running to only 246 words, what might have been no more than the close of a posthumous tribute to the heroes of a battle fought four months earlier on the fields of Pennsylvania became the historic proclamation that, after the Civil War, the American nation would be consecrated for ever as the realm of freedom: government of the people, by the people and for the people. The election campaign We can readily appreciate in Barack Obamas election campaign speeches-available at http://obamaspeeches.com-that these principles, and the more effective ways in which they have been put into words, survive today; more importantly, both the principles and the words retain their power to move and engage the citizenry. This is the power of words which Obama invoked at the end of his speech announcing that he was running for President at the same place where, 149 years before, Lincoln had spoken on a House Divided. It is accurate to point out that a decisive factor in his campaign was the recruitment of all the Internets rich resources: blogs, chat rooms, social networking and, above all, the availability on YouTube of some of the candidates key speeches, which I shall later be parsing from the rhetorical standpoint. Nevertheless, in the beginning, as in the biblical Genesis, was the Word, the foundation of the oral communication that marks us out as rational beings and as social animals. So one might say that Obama simply used the new technological possibilities offered by what some now call the Internet Galaxy,[5] just as one of his predecessors in the Oval Office had  done with what McLuhan called the Marconi Constellation. I am of course referring to Franklin D. Roosevelts fireside chats, a series of 30 radio talks broadcast from 1933 to 1944. Political scientists have claimed the chats played a vital role in getting the American public to understand two major presidential initiatives: first, the New Deal, which Roosevelt undertook to combat the Depression of the 1930s; secondly, Roosevelts decision to take America into the great war then afflicting Europe. Roosevelts radio talks have gone down in the history of communications as a great oratorical achievement. They would begin with an affable Good evening, friends, and went on for 15 to 45 minutes. 80% of Roosevelts words were among the thousand commonest in the English language. Though he shares the gift of oratory with Lincoln and Roosevelt, in Obama we have a modern-day speaker addressing twenty-first-century citizens and using hitherto unthinkable technologies to enhance what, in the last instance, is little more than the outcome of applying the principles of rhetoric and its main genres of discourse: deliberative-i.e., political-discourse, and demonstrative, epideictic discourse. The epideictic mode includes the encomium, by which one describes a person, a pattern of behavior or a state of affairs with the aim of dispensing praise or censure; one of its characteristic figures ─of which, as we shall see, Obama is a consummate master─ is evidentia, a particularly vivid form of description. Obama was no stranger ─rather the opposite─ to the forensic rhetorical genre, having first majored in political science at Columbia and later progressed to a doctorate at the no less prestigious Harvard Law School. In fact, his media debut was a consequence of his being elected editor of the Harvard Law Review, the prelude to a distinguished career as a jurist which was later to elevate him to the chair of constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Communication strategies In the American system of higher education, even at the foundational level of training imparted at college up to the attainment of a bachelors degree,  much is made of communication strategies: students are urged to study and practice them, on the view that they are of crucial import for their proper development as citizens. The significance accorded to applied rhetoric is taken to an extreme in graduate study in the social sciences and, in particular, at law school. When I first experienced life in the United States, thirty years ago now, I was struck by how versatile and broad-ranging modern American rhetoric can be. In all facets of society rhetoric is close at hand, especially in the media; television has not yet lost its entrenched primacy, although it is doomed increasingly to share its viewership with the Internet. Tellingly, you can find sites on the web specifically concerned with this phenomenon, such as American Rhetoric (http://www.americanrhetoric.com), providing a selection of 100 major speeches, or Great Speeches Collection, at http://history places.com. Rhetoric is of course present in the political discourse of members of the executive and of congressmen and senators; rhetoric is heard in the courtroom, and Hollywood has built an entire movie genre on it; rhetoric even runs through the informal, jocular acknowledgements given at showbiz awards ceremonies, and provides the sinew of Jay Lenos and David Lettermans late-show spiels; to particularly striking effect, rhetoric animates church sermons, designed and produced as television spectaculars that have now cornered weekend morning prime time. It was in this culture of the revival of the word that todays President of the United States was born and bred, and this is where he still operates today. His university training refined a number of talents that are no doubt innate. These were qualities that also graced Ronald Reagan, for instance, whose acting career proved a good fallback in the face of communicative and political challenges (the same cannot be said of George W. Bush), such as his famous debate with Walter Mondale broadcast from Kansas City towards the end of the 1984 campaign. But commentators and biographers have unanimously hailed Obama for the further distinction of oratorical fire and literary talent. In 1995, after months of writerly seclusion in Bali, Obama published  an excellent autobiographical account that met with high critical acclaim: Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.[6] On reading this memoir, one perceives that the author is touched with literary passion and possessed of wide and varied learning, ranging from Shakespeare, Melville and Emerson to Nietzsche and Saint Augustine, from Toni Morrison and Doris Lessing to the great novelist of the Deep South, the Nobel laureate William Faulkner, who merits mention in Obamas vibrant speech delivered at Philadelphia in March 2008, A More Perfect Union. Barack Obamas rhetorical flair is also in evidence in his ability to empathize with his audience by his skillful actio, the austere but forceful gestures with which he delivers his speeches. He displays fine judgment in his choice of speechwriters, and is able to convey to them the guiding ideas-the rhetorical inventio, or core content of the message-to which his writers must then give the right words-elocutio-arranged into the most effective structure, or dispositio, for the intended purpose of the address. Logographers, ghostwriters, negros The history of Greek rhetoric devotes a short paragraph to memorialize the modest but indispensable figure of the logographer: in the fifth century BC exemplars such as Antiphon or Lysias worked as mercenary speechwriters. Their modern counterparts find no shortage of work as members of the teeming campaign outfits put on the road by the typical American presidential candidate, whose frenzied activity and ethical quandaries were taken to the screen by Mike Nichols in the 1998 movie Primary Colors, starring John Travolta and Emma Thompson. Obamas leading logographer is Jon Favreau, a 27-year-old prodigy who devoted two months to write the twenty-minute speech that his boss gave at the Lincoln Memorial at the start of his campaign. In addition to writing the Victory Speech for November 4, 2008, Favreau also penned the words that would have been spoken if Obama had lost. The President and his logographer understand each other so well that Obama calls Favreau a mind-reader, crediting him with almost telepathic empathy. This is the key to being a  good ghostwriter, the English term for what we in Spanish call a negro, a writer on anothers behalf. The outturn of this fruitful partnership is a corpus of oratorical pieces that already deserves a place of honor in the canon of American rhetoric. These fine, poetic speeches are also sharply effective in stirring their hearers to action. Another matter-and this is the vital challenge standing in the way of rhetoric, an art shaped, we ought not to forget, by the Sophists-is whether these beautiful pieces have any performative force, as a linguist might say. Put another way, the tough reality is that a wide gap yawns open between saying and doing; as the Spanish adage goes, obras son amores y no buenas razones, good works, not fine words, are the stuff of love. How to Do Things with Words is the title of a series of papers given at Harvard (and published posthumously in 1962) by John Langshaw Austin, a linguistic philosopher concerned not so much with the descriptive capacity of language as with its ability to affect reality, to shape the facts. Hillary Clinton, in the heat of the primaries, mischievously said, My opponent gives speeches. I offer solutions. Obama risks being stigmatized as a purveyor of hot air in the wake of his winning the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2009. Rather than an accolade warranted by the laureates actions, the prize seems merely to recognize the esthetics of Obamas mentions of peace in his speeches, already acclaimed by some journalists as some of the most brilliant ever spoken by a President of the United States. The American canon of oratory also includes a number of pieces delivered by statesmen who never rose to the highest office. The oratory of Barack Obama is indebted, in my view, to one in particular. I have a dream I am of course referring to the dazzling address that Martin Luther King delivered in Washington on August 28, 1963, at the crowning moment of a march on the federal capital by black civil rights campaigners claiming entitlement to work and freedom. Luther Kings speech went down in the  annals of rhetoric under the title of its core phrase, which, by dexterous use of anaphora, operates as the central motif: I have a dream. Martin Luther King, like Barack Obama 44 years later, first turns his hearers attention to the figure of a great American, President Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves. But that promise of work and freedom-the orator then continues with vibrant diction-has been dishonored by the American nation, and the black community is now to raise its voice in protest, like a man given a bad check. Following this apt simile, so close to the heart of a money-driven society like America, the speaker offers a short but powerful list of demands with which the movement has come to Washington. He uses this moment to identify with his audience, as if he were no more than another participant in the march, and, addressing his brothers and sisters in the second person, he urges them, Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And, as a proactive expression of his exhortation against discouragement, Martin Luther King then spoke the prophetic phrase that became the title of the entire speech, and that structures the final stretch of the oration by the figure of anaphora, the intermittent repetition of a single idea expressed in the same words: I have a dream. The speakers dream is rooted from the outset in the so-called American dream, the attainment of which is presented as still in the future. It is the dream of seeing realized Thomas Jeffersons proposition in the Declaration of Independence of 1776, that all men are created equal, as applied to the racial discrimination that at this time, 1964, still reigned. The dream is then particularized into a number of direct phrases that build up to a climax of hope propitiated by the repetition of the same form of words by a roused audience. And the first fundamental anaphora, I have a dream, several times repeated, now gives way to a second anaphora that will serve to end the speech. If America is destined to be a great nation, it will see that dream come true and liberty will prevail for all its children. To conclude his speech, the orator applies the figure of anaphora to the refrain of a popular song, written in 1832, titled America: Let freedom ring. This phrase is repeated no fewer than ten times. Martin Luther King then links up this phrase with another, drawn from a well-known black spiritual: Free at last. Almost half a century after I have a dream, the emblematic phrase of the leading figure of the Afro-American community-who tragically died in 1968, long before a black citizen reached the presidency of the United States-Barack Obama, in the speeches that were to raise him to the Oval Office, shared a number of features with Martin Luther King (who incidentally also won the Nobel Peace Prize). In the key speech on the New Hampshire primary night, the man who was to become Americas first black president had heartfelt words of reminiscence for the black preacher who took us to the mountaintop and pointed us the way to the Promised Land. Both orators share a recognition of the legacy of Jefferson, Lincoln and the Founding Fathers; both use the language of the Christian community, gathered round the warmth of the Bible; both are masters of oratory, and successful rhetorical performers in front of their respective audiences. Obama even shares Kings recourse to the figure of anaphora, this time with a phrase which was likewise to achieve outstanding resonance: Yes we can. Yes we can One of the forms taken by the emergence of new communicative technologies now in the service of political discourse is exemplified by the fascinating way in which Obamas slogan was made into a song produced by Will.I.Am (William James Adams), a member of the hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas, who then broadcast his work via YouTube and dipdive.com in February 2008 under the username WeCan08. Obama and his speechwriters were not wholly original in coining the phrase. The direct precedent of the yes we can tagline was Hispanic. In 1972, the Chicano human rights leader Cesar Chavez, who with Dolores Huerta and Philip Vera Cruz founded United Farm Workers, used the slogan Sà ­, se puede, which translates into English as Yes, it can be done. The difference between these two phrasings in English, Chavez and Obamas, has vital rhetorical significance. Yes we can contains a veritable compendium of expressive virtues, from the standpoint of the core idea, or inventio, and in terms of its dispositio and elocutio. More, it is easy to remember, and the speakers actio or performance can readily arouse a collective response, as seen on YouTube: the entire audience put their voices together as a univocal chorus echoing the soloist. The crux, however, is that Chavez slogan was impersonal, whereas Obama transformed it into a form of words unambiguously encompassing the joint will of leader and people, united by that inclusive we. The illocutionary and perlocutionary impact of the slogan can be elucidated by looking back at the tagline used for Dwight Eisenhowers presidential campaign of 1952. A marketing expert, Peter G. Peterson, who later rose to be Richard Nixons Trade Secretary, crafted a phrase which, unlike Obama, Eisenhower for obvious reasons never included in his own speeches, but his followers chanted non-stop; it was touted relentlessly by the whole propagandistic armory of Republican billboards, rosettes, medals, flags, banners, signage and badges. Peterson, the mind behind all this, lighted on General Eisenhowers nickname: Ike. Playing chiefly with the rhetorical figure of alliteration, Peterson tied Ike to the first-person pronoun, I, thus eliciting the speakers full engagement with what he or she was saying. Finally, the third alliterative term, linking the subject-the I instantiating each potential voter-to the object-the candidates nickname, Ike, was a verb with a similar vowel sound: the present indicative of to like. I like Ike became a round declaration by whoever spoke the slogan of his preference in the presidential race. I like Ike: therefore, my vote for the Presidency of the United States goes to Dwight Eisenhower, and no other. Obamas slogan is doubtless more resonant than Eisenhowers, and even more compact. Its three monosyllables make it memorable and give it prosodic, rhythmic and perlocutionary force. In those speeches in which Obama actually spoke the phrase yes we can, his audience would echo the same words, the  meanings of which range over a mass of politically charged domains. The first monosyllable of the tagline has the robustness of the affirmative. The speaker starts with an affirmation, with all that that implies as a positive bid to mobilize. And that yes forthwith engages with an inclusive we, the first-person plural pronoun that embraces both speaker and hearer, unlike Cesar Chavez precedent, yes, it can be done, which, as we have seen, has an impersonal tenor. Finally, the verb can carries power, strength, determination. An audience thus roused by a leader partakes in the meaning of these three monosyllables, which they can readily chant. The import of this is to say, aloud and in unison: We affirm that together we shall achieve our aims, because our combined strength enables us to do so. Rhetorical figures The apostrophe is one of the figures classified in the art of rhetoric as pathetic, in the technical sense that these were devices appropriate to venting the passions. An apostrophe consists in expressly calling upon the audience, in a bid to create the climate for achieving the orators perlocutionary ends. With his yes we can, Obama peremptorily urged his followers to take on and successfully resolve the decisive challenges facing the health of the Republic. Yes we can burst onto the scene of Barack Obamas presidential campaign in the course of his speech at Nashua on January 8, 2008, the night after the New Hampshire Democratic primary, which Obama lost to Hillary Clinton, his main rival. From the standpoint of rhetorical analysis, however, we should look at the full sweep of the future Presidents twelve key speeches, from his candidacy announcement at Springfield on February 10, 2007, to the Victory Speech in Grant Park, Chicago, on November 4, 2008. The first speech to feature Yes we can, the New Hampshire address, was the third of a series that repays consideration as an integrated whole, in so far as, to different degrees and modulated in different ways, it contains the doctrinal message that Obama, as a presidential candidate, sought to convey to the American people. To this end, his speechwriters put in play a vast and powerful arsenal of rhetorical resources. The first text I have chosen ─Obamas announcement that he was to run for President─ is indisputably significant for its inventio, its content, its choice of venue (the Lincoln Memorial, erected on the site where the eponymous former president gave his famous House Divided speech) and its ingenious rhetorical design. Obama draws inspiration from the founders of the Republic to promise what all politicians promise at the start of their campaigns: change. He lists the grave challenges faced by the nation, and deplores the dearth of leadership and the pettiness of politics. In response to these blights and challenges, he ties together a chain of proposals, each starting with the anaphora, Lets be the generation that Lets be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age that ends poverty in America that finally tackles our health care crisis that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. There are no fewer than six uses of this same form of apostrophe, in which the leader stands shoulder to shoulder with his fellow citizens in the will to be the generation of change. One of these anaphoric devices engages another that already points to the main catchphrase with which we are concerned. We can control costs we can harness homegrown, alternative fuels we can work together to track terrorists down, the speaker continues. One can make out the outlines of the rhetorical blueprint of the whole campaign, which was soon to find its ideal slogan in the Yes we can phrase. At Springfield, when Obama was still one of eight Democratic candidates competing for nomination, he affirmed that there is power in words there is power in conviction. The anaphoric repetition of we can is the antidote to skepticism, of which the speaker is not unaware: I know there are those who dont believe we can do all these things. He, however, does believe it, and his faith is reinforced by the certainty that he is not alone. Hence he makes an urgent call to action: That is why this campaign cant only be about me. It must  be about us, it must be about what we can do together. We cannot know whether at that early stage on the long road that was to take Barack Obama to the White House the yes we can phrase was already in his and his speechwriters minds, but what was present was the belief that together, leader and people, they could. Sparks began to fly at the beginning of the following year. The second text with which we are concerned is Obamas speech on Iowa Caucus night, January 3, 2008. Before the party assembly at Des Moines, the candidate started his short but powerful speech with an announcement of imminent change, a change he was ready to lead. His belief is again expressed in a string of four anaphoric paragraphs: Ill be a President who finally makes health care affordable Ill be a President who ends the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas Ill be a President who [frees] this nation from the tyranny of oil Ill be a President who ends this war in Iraq. The speech concludes with a finely judged rhetorical and emotive gradation. Again using anaphora, the speaker prophesies the moment of change he is confident of achieving with his followers and the American people at large. This was the moment, he says, when America remembered what it means to hope. At this point, Obama and his logographer resort to the rhetorical figure of thought technically termed recriminatio: For many months, weve been teased, even derided for talking about hope, the candidate complains. But, turning the accusation against the original accusers, he reminds us that hope is the bedrock of this nation, an allusion readily grasped by the audience in that it looks to one of the founding myths of the United States. Obama himself embodies the truth of that foundational myth: Hope is what led me here today, with a father from Kenya; a mother from Kansas; and a story that could only happen in the United States of America. The leader uses his own self as a specific model of what he proclaims, enlisting another rhetorical figure already used in that same speech and featuring in several later orations. Hypotyposis or evidentia consists in a detailed description of a specific example that illustrates the speakers argument. Before using  himself as such an example, Obama had evoked several instances of hope for change, which he had read in the eyes of the young woman in Cedar Rapids, whose night shift was not enough to pay health care for her sick sister, or had heard in the voice of the New Hampshire woman whose nephew was fighting in Iraq. This same hope had inspired a handful of colonials to rise up against an empire, and driven the American civil rights movement, led by James Bevel and Martin Lut her King, to march from Selma to Montgomery, in the racist Alabama of the Ku Klux Klan and Governor Wallace. Given these precedents, everything was in place for the candidates third landmark speech, the New Hampshire address at Nashua on January 8, 2008, to bring to light the slogan that was to usher Barack Obama into the White House and become a motto of universal resonance. With admirable rhetorical skill, this speech lays out a range of political arguments-anticipated by earlier speeches-and naturally culminates with the emblematic phrase yes we can, three words which the speaker predicts will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea. Those political propositions herald a change wrought by a new majority that desires to end unaffordable health care, end tax breaks for companies that ship [American] jobs overseas, end schools blighted by corridors of shame, and put a stop to pattern of energy use that harms the planet and humanity. By the figure of speech termed anadiplosis, Obamas oration at Nashua rounds out each of these propositions with a repeated urge that we can, always attributed to the new majority: we can do this with our new majority. His words flow like a cascade until a final apostrophe to the audience arouses the response of a chorus speaking with one voice. Returning to the figure mentioned earlier, recriminatio, the leader places blame on an opposing chorus, the chorus of cynics who insist we cannot do this. Those who deny the possibility of hope in a nation in which hope is never vain: But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. A number of domestic evidentias are then  mentioned: the struggle of the Spartanburg textile worker, the plight of the Las Vegas dishwasher, the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon and the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA. On this rugged foundation that befits the nature of the American people, Barack Obama raises his slogan like a standard, and with the choral approval of his audience he recites the phrase no fewer than nine times, before closing the speech with the final words: yes we can. Once the phrase was firmly coined, Obama did not actually utter it even once in his next speech, a long and closely argued address. This was A More Perfect Union, which Obama gave on March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia, the city which for Americans is something like Cadiz is for us [Spains first democratic constitution was proclaimed in 1812 at Cadiz], for Philadelphia was where the Constitution was enacted on September 17, 1787, twenty-five years before Spains La Pepa. The first sentence of its preamble gives Obamas speech its title, and expresses one of the core ideas of his whole campaign ─the union of all Americans─ but, in particular, it opens with an emphatic We, echoing Yes we can: We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect union do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America. Obama again gives the lie to the naysayers who dismiss his candidature as a mere exercise in affirmative action, but he devotes the lions share of the address to a harsh recriminatio directed against his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whose radical invective against the United States, as his reaction to the survival of racial discrimination, had compromised Obamas electoral outlook. The candidate makes use of this sensitive juncture to assert that, for him, too, amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas, [Plato is my friend, but truth is the greater friend]. He publicly professes his religious faith and at the same time evinces an outright rejection of extremism, always confident that America can change, and that only if we do as the Scriptures would have us do ─be brothers to our brothers─  Americans will bring truth to those words of the Constitution as to a more perfect union. To illustrate his argument, nothing could be better than a fresh evidentia: the homely heroism of Ashley Baia, a 23-year-old woman volunteer working for the Obama campaign in Florence, South Carolina. Obama acknowledges having already told this anecdote at an event commemorating Martin Luther King at the Baptist church of Ebenezer, Kings own parish in Atlanta. This display of religious faith-which would be unthinkable in a European politician, for instance-comes to the fore in the next piece I propose to examine: Obamas talk given on Fathers Day, June 15, 2008, at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. As though he himself were in holy orders, Obama begins his speech with a quotation from the Sermon on the Mount, as told by St Matthew. He follows this, again, with a mention of Martin Luther King, and then holds himself out as a statesman and father, advocating the education of his children as a responsibility not only of government officials but also of their own parents. He ends the address by characterizing his words as a prayer or call which he hopes will come true for his country in the years ahead. A specific, chiefly economic theme runs through the immediately subsequent speech, delivered by Obama at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, on June 16. The title tells the story: Renewing American Competitiveness. This was not an occasion for the emotive force of a political harangue, but the candidate nonetheless refers to the Founding Fathers, who, having won independence, created a common market by fusing the economies of the first 13 states. He follows this up with a with a fierce attack on the neoliberal, militaristic and ultraconservative politics of George W. Bush and the Republican Party. In stark opposition to their approach, he proposes as pillars of an economy that is to become more competitive in the globalized world a reinvigorated school system, innovative energy strategies, a more efficient health system and new investment in fundamental research and infrastructure. His closing words, however, point back to the central theme of his campaign: Because when American s come together, there is no destiny too difficult or too distant for us to reach. Ich bin ein Berliner The second-to-last speech that Barack Obama gave in the year in which he won the presidency was also tightly focused on a specific subject, but for that very reason ─and, in particular, because of its venue─ it brings to mind another piece of oratory that has its place among the most memorable ever spoken by a President of the United States in the twentieth century. Obama only revealed his foreign policy blueprint on the occasion of his visit to Berlin, on July 24, 2008. Under the title A World That Stands as One, he sets out his understanding of cultural diversity, national interests, nations and the attitudes of all the worlds peoples. Facing a different audience-not his usual hearers, American electors-he presents himself as a citizen of the United States and fellow citizen of the world. He refers to the responsibility that attaches to global citizenship, and acknowledges that the United States closest ally is still Europe, placing on record his hope that Europe will remain united. In our continent, he says, it is likewise meaningful to invoke that yearning for a more perfect union, in the words of the preamble to the American Constitution, which Obama mentions here in Berlin. In a Berlin riven by the Wall, fraught with the intolerable tension of the Cold War and the partition of Germany, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had roused his German hearers when, on June 11, 1963, he opened his speech, delivered from the steps of the Rathaus Schoneberg, with a seeming paradox, spoken in German: Ich bin ein Berliner (nowhere in the speech was Kennedy to utter the English phrase I am a Berliner). The effect of these words was electrifying: the people of Berlin, besieged and alone in a redoubt of Western democracy behind the Iron Curtain ─an expression popularized by another great modern orator, Winston Churchill─ enthusiastically identified with the president of a power which only 18 years before had driven the Nazi regime to defeat. The audience gladly accepted Kennedys closing argument, in the manner of an epiphonema: All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. Therefore, as a free man, I proudly say these words: Ich  bin ein Berliner. This belated review of a small selection from the oratorical corpus of Barack Hussein Obama, brilliantly crowned by his Victory Speech of November 4, 2008, in Chicagos Grant Park, reveals, among other rhetorical features like those discussed earlier, a consistent theme, developed over the course of the entire process in response to the emerging circumstances of the campaign and the venues of Obamas rallies, in conjunction with an overarching strategy, which scholars of Baroque literature have often characterized as the coming together of two movements: first, the dissemination of arguments; secondly, a complementary gathering of arguments. This is precisely the characteristic tenor of this final oration, the Victory Speech. The President Elect opens with an affirmation of the continuing force of the dream of our Founders and other great men, such as Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, a preacher from Atlanta. Those doubting the dream have finally been put right by American votes. To flesh out this concept of electoral vindication, Obamas logographer again resorts to the figure of anaphora, four times repeating the same clause: Its the answer The answer is change, still the true genius of America. The winning candidate, via the figure of apostrophe, then directly addresses his hearers- whether listening to him in Grant Park itself or by the medium of electromagnetic waves-as the you that has made all this possible. This apostrophe does not disclose a recriminatio, like that which even on this joyous occasion Obama has cast in the direction of the cynics, but a veritable encomium or panegyric of those who have raised him to office, with their donations, their supportive looks and applause, and their votes, which are decisive for Obama to take on challenges as vast as two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. To personify the unanimous people as an individual, he proposes a new evidentia, Ann Nixon Cooper, who that afternoon had stood in line to vote, 106 years of life behind her. The cold shower of reality nonetheless encourages Obama to rebuild the strong  bonds of alliance between President and people invoked by yes we can, the slogan which now, looking forward, takes on the shape of a rhetorical variatio: I promise you, we as a people will get there. YouTube provides a record of how Obamas promise was met by the audiences chorus of yes we can. This was precisely the closing phrase of the entire campaign, at the very moment at which the candidate was invested with the charisma of victory. His speech was again a masterpiece of that effective communicative technology that is none other than ancient rhetoric, as revived in the Internet Galaxy. Today, Obamas speechwriters continue to exploit all the resources of the art of rhetoric, including the play on words that contrasts the interests of Wall Street-the inner sanctuary of capitalism-with those of Main Street, which stands for American towns and small cities, the emblem of the common citizenry.