How the Internet Has Changed The Traditional Home Buyer †Business Paper

How the Internet Has Changed The Traditional Home Buyer – Business Paper Free Online Research Papers How the Internet Has Changed The Traditional Home Buyer Business Paper In today’s day and age it is becoming much more accepted to explore and complete nearly every aspect of the real estate process online. From researching, to touring the house, to figuring out how much and what type of mortgage is best, the consumer can undergo nearly all of the steps to purchasing a house without ever leaving their computer. Many commonly performed tasks such as driving to various neighborhoods, scouring the phone book for realtors, and going to various lending institutions for assistance with a loan are not nearly as stressful and time consuming. All of this has opened the door for a new type of â€Å"ambitious consumer† when it comes to buying real estate online. The internet has vastly transformed the average home-buyer. There are many characteristics that online real estate buyers have in common. A study was released by the California Association of Realtors titled â€Å"Internet versus Traditional Buyer Study† that gave interesting insight into who exactly is the â€Å"average internet real estate consumer?†. A few highlights of the study concluded that the online consumer was more self-motivated, wealthier, younger, and more likely to be married (housebloggers, 2005). Some of the key comparisons are as follows: The average age of Internet buyers was 39 compared to 46 for traditional buyers. 9 out of 10 internet buyers were married compared to 8 out of 10 non-internet. 85% of internet buyers had a 4-year degree, 11% completed post-graduate work, whereas only 78% of non-internet buyers had a bachelors, 4% had completed any post-graduate work. Internet buyers had an average income of $185,088.00 and non-internet buyers had an average of $151, 190.00. Internet buyers spend three times as much (5.8 weeks) time considering buying a home before contacting a realtor than non-internet buyers (2.1 weeks). Internet buyers took only two weeks to select a house instead of the seven weeks the traditional buyer took. Due to the use of virtual tours, internet buyers only looked at an average of 6.2 homes with a realtor compared to the 14.5 homes a traditional buyer looks at. This study shows the obvious changes that are taking place in the real estate world. Buyers are getting younger, smarter, and much more ambitious. They are spending more time researching on their own, and needing less assistance from a realtor. What is it exactly that attracts these younger, smarter, educated buyers to the internet instead of dealing directly with a real estate expert? It’s simple, there is literally an encyclopedia of information on how to handle every step of the process all over the internet. Every major realtor’s web site has sections that you can learn all about the real estate buying process without even talking to a representative (century 21). You can investigate neighborhoods, find information on exactly how much a mortgage would cost you, and even get in touch with a representative when you are ready to make that final leap. Site’s such as Century 21’s homepage has a complete First-time Homebuyer’s Guide that you can read to inform yourself on some of the less-known or confusing factors that go into purchasing real estate. Other web site’s such as the home loan learning center provide a step by step checklist to walk you through the rigors of determin ing the right type of loan for you (MBA, 2004). Not only does can you use the internet to educate yourself on the ins-and-outs of buying real estate, but it is also a valuable tool to direct you to the places you need to go when you’re ready. You can get in touch with a realtor, mortgage counselor, loan officer or a host of other individuals that can help answer any questions you still may have. This can save a lot of time searching through the phone book trying to distinguish what services each realtor can provide, or who really knows what it is you are looking for. When it comes to buying a house, there’s one word that causes more confusion, frustration, fear and anguish. That word is â€Å"mortgage†. For almost every individual out there, a mortgage is an essential part of the home-buying process. However, it may be one of the most confusing parts as well. With all the different types of mortgages, how does one know what is right for them? In the pre-internet days, a person would have to sit down with a mortgage consultant or loan officer or whoever, and be educated on how the whole loan process works. With the advent of internet real estate a whole new breed of sites have been born. Not only can you find tons of information about mortgages on any real estate company’s web site, but there are many sites dedicated solely to helping consumers understand mortgages and how they work. Fixed Rate Mortgage The most common mortgage in use today is what’s known as a fixed rate mortgage. A fixed rate mortgage is defined as a mortgage in which the interest rate and payments remain the same for the life of the loan (MBA 2004). The fixed rate mortgage is one of the oldest lending tools and still one of the most widely used. A fixed rate mortgage is comprised of the principal and the interest. When you set up your repayment schedule you will have a set amount that you must pay every month until the balance is paid off. Your monthly payment will be paying off only part of the amount you borrowed and part of the interest, or what you are being charged to borrow the original loan amount. This predetermined monthly payment is locked in or â€Å"fixed† for the entire life of the loan, regardless of changing interest rates, or how much you are willing to pay every month. The most common fixed rate mortgage issued is the 30-year mortgage (MBA 2004). You can, however, set up a m ultitude of fixed rate mortgages such as a 15 or 20 year fixed rate mortgage. The main reason that the 30 year fixed rate mortgage is the most common is because it offers the lowest monthly payments. This allows for a higher likelihood of being approved and is geared toward borrowers that will be remaining in the house for a long time and would also like to keep their housing expenses consistent (MBA 2004). Another fixed rate mortgage that can be obtained is a 15-year fixed rate mortgage. This is almost exactly like a 30-year mortgage except that you will have significantly less interest to pay. The drawback of the 15 year mortgage is that it does require a higher credit rating and a much larger monthly payment (MBA 2004). One more uncommon fixed-rate mortgage is the Bi-weekly mortgage. This type of loan is great if you have the budgeting skills to make a half-payment on your monthly loan amount every paycheck. By making a bi-monthly payment every two weeks, you are actually making the equivalent of 13 full monthly payments (MBA 2004). This loan is also typically a 30 year term, but allows you to have it paid off long before the 30 years are up. The example below illustrates the potential savings one can have by using a bi-weekly payment as opposed to a typical monthly payment. Example: You have a mortgage with a monthly payment of $997.00 Total interest paid over the 30 year life of the loan: $209,263.00 Half payments of $498.00 ($997.00/2) every two weeks would result in 26 equal payments per month. This extra month allows you to pay off the 30-year loan in 22-23 years. Total interest paid over the 22-23 year life of the loan: $155,938.00. Total savings over the traditional loan: $53,325.00! Adjustable Rate Mortgage A far less common and more complicated lending tool is an adjustable rate mortgage. An adjustable rate mortgage is defined as a mortgage loan or deed of trust, which allows the lender to adjust the interest rate in accordance with a specified index periodically, and as agreed to at the inception of the loan. Also called variable rate mortgages (VRM) (MBA 2004). ARM’s can be a bit more confusing because they require an understanding of a few more terms that dictate exactly how and how much the monthly payments of the mortgage can change. Some of the key terms to understand before getting into an ARM are as follows: The adjustment period: The length of time which dictates interest rate adjustments on an adjustable rate mortgage. A six-month ARM would have an adjustment every six months. The index: A published interest rate, such as the prime rate, LIBOR, T-Bill rate, or the 11th District COFI. Lenders use indexes to establish interest rates charged on mortgages or to compare investment returns. On ARMs, a predetermined margin is added to the index to compute the interest rate adjustment. The margin: In an adjustable rate mortgage, the spread between the index and the mortgage interest rate. Index rate + Margin = Your ARM Annual Percentage Rate (APR): A term defined in section 106 of the federal Truth in Lending Act (15 USC 1606), which expresses on an annualized basis the charges imposed on the borrower to obtain a loan (defined in the Act as finance charges), including interest, discount and other costs. Interest Rate Cap: A limit on interest rate increases and/or decreases during each interest rate adjustment (adjustment period cap) or over the term (life cap) of the mortgage. *Definitions come from the home loan learning center web site ARM’s come with many different adjustment periods, margin rates and caps. It is important to consider each of these variables when selecting the right type of ARM for you. Hybrid and convertible ARM A hybrid and convertible mortgage is a mortgage that interchanges between a fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage. One convertible is a mortgage that starts with a fixed rate for a period of time (2,5,10 yrs) and then converts to an annual adjustable-rate mortgage for its remaining life. Conversely there is the convertible mortgage that begin as an adjustable rate mortgage and can be converted into a fixed rate after an agreed payment period. You typically have to pay a fee when you convert the mortgage and most of the time the fixed rate you pay is slightly higher than the going rate for fixed loans (MBA 2004). To sum it all up, here is a list of the most common mortgages used today. Below the type of mortgage is some pro’s and con’s for each. Fixed-rate mortgages 30-Year Fixed Pros: Lower monthly payment Most affordable More cash/savings because payment is lower; easier to bear if the homeowner has repairs to make or comes upon hard times; extra cash allows homeowner to make other investments since cash isn’t tied up in the mortgage Cons: Longer term Pay more interest Costs more than shorter term mortgages over the life of the loan 15-year fixed Pros: Shorter term, own your home in half the time (allows you to own your home before your children start college or before you reach retirement) Often the total interest paid over the life of the loan is lower, less than half the total interest of a 30 yr Cons: Bigger monthly payment Qualification may be difficult because the income requirement is higher Bi-weekly Pros: Loan is paid off much more quickly Interest savings is significant Often automatically deducted from your checking account Cons: Must be able to budget and make the half-mortgage payment every two weeks Adjustable Rate (ARM) Pros: When interest rates go down, payment goes down Initial interest rate can be as much as 2 to 3 percent lower than a comparable fixed rate mortgage Homeownership is more affordable Qualifying is easier Lower initial interest rate compared to fixed-rate mortgages, which can make homeownership more affordable and make qualifying for a mortgage easier. And if interest rates decline, your mortgage payments decline as well. Cons: When interest rates go up, payments go up The potential for higher monthly payments if interest rates increase Requires more budgeting discipline Convertible Mortgages Hybrid and convertible ARMs Pros: Advantages of an ARM with the ability to convert to a fixed-rate mortgage If you don’t convert, it’s a regular ARM Cons: If interest rates are at a higher level, when its time to convert, you may not want to go with it *Info from home loan learning center Research Papers on How the Internet Has Changed The Traditional Home Buyer - Business PaperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Project Managment Office SystemHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanStandardized TestingResearch Process Part One

A philosphical essay on Utilitarianism.

A philosphical essay on Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a way of looking at ethics, it focuses on trying to ensure the maximum happiness in many different ways. There are many different forms of utilitarianism, the four I will discuss are act, rule, naive and preference utilitarianism.Rule utilitarianism tries to give the greatest overall benefit to society, the best rule/law of conduct is found and everyone is found an a rule utilitarian will follow it. However, this can cause problems if you use this rule in a place where it is not generally followed as problems will be caused if you differ from the general population. Another difficulty is that all the best rules would be very complicated and this would make them hard to follow and many people would not bother to follow them at all.Examples of rule utilitarianism: A man needs a lot of money to get a lifesaving operation on his heart, he doesn't have the money and contemplates robbing a bank for it.From http://hypernews.ngdc.noaa.govBecause he follows rule utilitariani sm he decides to let himself die because robbing a bank is against the rules that he believe are for the benefit of society. Another example: A man from the USA comes to Australia to live, one of the rules he believes is for the greater benefit of society s driving on the right side of the road. He is forced to go against his rule utilitarianism because of the fear of a car crash.Preference utilitarianism tries to satisfy peoples' preferences. The best action is the one which satisfies the highest amount of peoples' preferences. These preferences must only count for preferences about oneself or people might have preferences that cancel out other peoples preferences (for example: A person wishing to be rich and a person wishing for everyone to be poor),

CONSUMER LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CONSUMER LAW - Essay Example Despite the defence offered by the respondent the court of appeal found in favour of the claimant on the basis of strict liability, even though the court accepted that the respondent had not been negligent. (a) the product could not be regarded as defective as there had been no previous instances of this type and therefore they had no reason to believe that there was any need to change the design to prevent such a thing from happening the state of scientific and technical knowledge at the relevant time was not such that a producer of products of the same description as the product in question might be expected to have discovered the defect if it had existed in his products while they were under his control In the first hearing the court held Mothercare liable for the injuries and also rejected any claim for contributory negligence on the part of the claimant. It was not made clear at the first hearing whether the ruling had been based on negligence or strict liability or both which led to Mothercare lodging an appeal. At the appeal hearing the court clarified the position, stating that the ruling was based on the defectiveness of the product and not the negligence of the producer. The appeal court rejected the defence offered under s4(1)(e) of the CPA 1987 in relation to the development risk defence. In reaching their decision the court found that Mothercare had not breached their duty of care to the claimant and that no prudent producer could have anticipated the risk. Liability therefore hinged on determining whether the product could be deemed to be defective. (1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, there is a defect in a product for the purposes of this Part if the safety of the product is not such as persons generally are entitled to expect; and for those purposes "safety", in relation to a product, shall include safety with respect to products comprised in that product and safety in

Customer relationship management and Enterprise resource planning Essay

Customer relationship management and Enterprise resource planning - Essay Example CRM assists in managing accounts, prospects, and territories (Pakroo, 2012, p. 213). It identifies what type of communications and outreach were conducted to the individual contracts. In addition, it enables the sales team to determine the best prospects. CRM provides pertinent information that assists the sales team into transforming such prospects into paying customers. In addition, it allows the sales team to follow-up contracts to make sure that customers are satisfied. The sales department can also improve its operations when it utilized user-friendly call center to manage customer’s inquiries and complaints (Pakroo, 2012, p. 213). A marketing department can improve its operations through employing CRM to determine trends and evaluate the popularity of the services and products of the company. It assists the marketing team to develop appropriate marketing messages and campaigns (Pakroo, 2012, p. 213). CRM can only improve the marketing productivity of a company when it manages to enhance marketing effectiveness and increase marketing efficiency. It can increase marketing efficiency through collaborative and cooperative processes that help reduce transaction cost and the overall cost for the company. Thus, it is important to build partnering relations with valued customers and promote proactive customer business development (Sheth, 2001, p. 6). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) employs a common software infrastructure and single database that presents up-to-date and broader scope of information. It enables the management to come up with good decisions, which are beneficial to the entire supply chain. ERP is fairly robust in presenting real time information (Wisner, Tan, & Leong, 2008). It communicates information pertaining to operational changes with minimal delay to supply chain members. In addition, ERP systems are created to fully take advantage of Internet technology; thus, it allows users

Epistemology Essay Essay Example for Free

Epistemology Essay Essay Descartes uses epistemology and metaphysics to frame his famous cogito argument. But in order to understand how that works, first, we must discuss the differences between an epistemological and a metaphysical question. Epistemology is a facet of philosophy interested in knowledge. And an epistemological question is a question concerned with something relating to knowledge, apprehension of knowledge, knowledge-world correspondence, or the origins of knowledge. What is knowledge? Is knowledge even possible? If so, how do we get it? Does knowledge correspond to reality? How do people acquire knowledge?Is it from the world or from our experiences in the world or do we have it before we experience the world? Metaphysics is a division of philosophy interested in figuring out exactly what being is. Basically any kind of question about what is, natural or supernatural, including science and religion, is a metaphysical question. Some of their perennial questions are what is the difference between particulars and individuals? Is there a reality out there? What is reality? Is there a god? What is god? Is free will a possibility? Is change possible? What is identity? How much control do agents have control over their actions? And though these two philosophies overlap in some places, they have three major differences. First, epistemology is almost always focused on being a living thing, because even if one investigates whether or not knowledge corresponds to the world, an agent is still necessary to see uncover the knowledge there. Second, metaphysics is very often focused on the differences between things, and while you could ask the question Is there such a thing as knowledge? in both an epistemological and a metaphysical context, your answers could be very similar, but will likely be different. Theyd differ because epistemologically, asking the question will usually break down into questions about the justification for beliefs and knowledge; whereas a metaphysical question will focus on locating the conditions to declare knowledge existent. Third, epistemology with very little exception is focused on human beings; metaphysics in its very nature is about everything including human beings. But, metaphysics and epistemology have a lot of similarities. One particular way both epistemology and metaphysics can be approached is mind/pure thoughts and body/material being. And this is how Descartes approaches it in his cogito argument. While looking for the ultimate grounds of knowledge, Rene Descartes came into despair because nothing seemed grounded and it was as if the Empiricists had won. But then a brilliant revelation finally dawned on him: no matter what, in order to have any experiencein order to behe must think. He says that even if its the case an evil deceiver made up the universe just to trick us, and everything weve ever known is an illusion, we must exist as thinking things in order to be deceived (otherwise we wouldnt be able to be deceivedthings that cant think, e.g. rocks, cant be decieved). In fact, if I didnt think I couldnt do anything or have any experienceI wouldnt exist! Descartes method uses a very interesting train of logic. First, he takes a metaphysical stance: nothing is real. Next, he looks for things he can trust as real. This step uses epistemology (systematically verifying the contents of his knowledge) to ground a metaphysical question (what is real? What am I?). (So, its not a big surprise he ended up finding an epistemologically grounded first truth.) Finally, he uses a thought experiment, the evil deceiver, to uncover his first truth: I must think in order to exist. Once he formulates the cogito, he uses it to argue the metaphysical point that mind is separate from the body. After all, thoughts arent tangible, temporal, or destructible, whereas a body and things in the world are in space, exist in time, and can be destroyed. So, because of this, he makes a sharp metaphysical distinction between the mind and body, leaving philosophic room for religious beliefs like the afterlife and answering some questions about the mind. So, for Descartes, what I am is a thing that thinks because epistemologically, there cant be thinking without an agent to think. (And by thinking, Descartes really means understands, grasps things, has beliefs or knowledge.) Because of this, he thinks that I am separate from my body, which is a metaphysical claim. So, his idea of mind-body dualism needs both metaphysical and epistemological claims in order to function.

Lesson Plans and Curriculum Essay -- Education School Teaching Classro

Lesson Plans and Curriculum Students often learn best when they can experience the interrelatedness of subjects within their curriculum. This unit about the Food Guide Pyramid is designed to be taught to a class of third grade students through several different disciplines within the school building. The students’ goal is to become familiar with the Food Guide Pyramid and to understand its importance in helping them to eat healthy. As the unit begins these third grade students will gather a working knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid in Health Class. They will then learn to plan a healthy menu by referring to the food guide pyramid and local restaurant menus. The nutritional values of vegetables will be explored in Social Studies and Science as will the necessity of being able to read nutritional labels on food cartons. In the Media Center, the students will become familiar with Eric Carle and his story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book will become the motivation for original stories to be written in Integrated Language Arts. During Math class the students will create forms on which to gather data about their own eating habits. Using this data, the students will design and then analyze charts about the class’ and their individual eating habits. For a more in depth look at these activities and their objectives, please refer to the attached lesson plans. The activities within this unit begin as behaviorist in nature, but become more constructivist as they progress. For example, in Lesson Plan 1 the teacher begins by questioning the students about foods they have eaten at local restaurants. The students are directed to answer by naming a food and the food group to which it belongs. They are also asked to chose a h... ...to follow Dewey’s philosophies. In choosing, to show how a unit could be taught throughout the curriculum in a number of different disciplines, we emphasized Dewey’s premise that curriculum topics should be integrated. As expressed by John Dewey, our desire with this unit and all education is â€Å"†¦to prepare him for the future life means to give him command of himself; it means to train him that he will have the full and ready use of all of his capacities.† (1897, paragraph6). By creating an integrated unit, we attempted to provide relevant, meaningful activities to encourage the students intellectually, as well as to provide them with life long skills. Works Cited Dewey, John. (1897).â€Å"My Pedagogic Creed†. In The School Library Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3 (January 16, 1987), Pages 77-80. [9 December 2004].http://www.infed/org/archives/e-texts/e-dewpc.htm.

“No One’s a Mystery”

Jessica Ulrich Essay 2 Intro to Literature The story I am completing and analyzing is â€Å"No One's a Mystery† by Elizabeth Tallent. â€Å"No One's a Mystery† is a brief, sharply detailed distillation of a doomed relationship between two people of contrasting personalities. The question I ask is who the characters are, and what parts of the story lead me to deem and back up my feelings about that certain character. To start off I feel that Jack is a hard one to analyze while reading it in a critical way.This is what I picked up on him Jack being a very cynical man who drinks heavily, doesn't clean his truck, and has no obvious respect for women (Mexomorph). Jack and his young lover not only come to terms with their relationship but also illuminate aspects of their own characters of which they themselves are not fully aware. The story is more of a character sketch than a traditional tale containing a beginning, middle, and an end. The sequence of events is less importan t than the specific detail and the dialogue between the couple. Esch, 2009) He is currently cheating on his wife with a barely-legal girl he has been having an affair with since she was sixteen. I think he is a man who doesn’t know what he wants. In the story when she is talking about marrying him and having his children down the road, he doesn’t seem to be much for it at least not as much as her. I think he really feels bad for what he is doing but he is caught up in the moment of the relationship and how easy it is, but doesn’t think through the consequences.I think he drinks so much to forget about what he is doing to his wife and he knows it is wrong, so drinking helps him cope with the last 2 years of having an affair, and soon to be a divorce that he states at the end of the story. He also seems to very demeaning towards women and it seems as if again he is not happy with his life he has lead on. Another thing is when he talks about his wife feeling safer when the lights are on when he's not home makes me think he still cares for her and is fine talking about her with his secret relationship in which she has no problem with him talking about.So again Jack is a hard one to understand but I think I got the gist of it. Aside from these generalities, he makes no judgments and demands no commitment, even mocking the narrator's version of their future together. His remark that the sky is empty carries a double meaning: In the context of the dialogue, Jack is referring to the absence of aircraft monitoring the speed of traffic, but in the light of his own character, it is a statement of unbelief, of detachment from social, emotional, and moral values.The young narrator, by contrast, has already acquired a set of values that make her a more sympathetic character. Her sharp eye for detail, her specific observations, lend her a solidity, a steadiness of purpose that is missing in Jack's life With all of this information I have gathered on the next character I would like to analyze would be the eighteen year old girl who is dating Jack. This eighteen year old girl seems to be very in love with Jack. She is planning their lives together with marriage and children.I feel that her character is an unsure about herself, or she hasn’t felt real love before and that’s why dating a married man and have it feel ok for her. Even though it doesn’t state much about their feelings on the relationships in the story I think it comes out the words they use within their conversation. The narrator counters to the contrary she will always love Jack. This exchange has some hidden meanings. The author is trying to show the reader that Jack knows they will not be together a year from then.The author is also trying to show the innocence and naivete of the girl in comparison to the knowledge of Jack. This diary encounter again brings out an emotional response in the reader by its imagery. When Jack mentions about how his wif e leaves the light on in the house because it helps her feel safer, it seems as if it doesn’t bother her talking about his wife, or having her duck in the truck when his wife passes alongside the road just so they don’t get caught. You think that would bug her with having to consistently hide from her especially since she is wanting and fantasizing about marrying him at age eighteen.I think she is deprived from having a relationship that can go to movies, dinner, hold hands in public, and been seen and known as a couple, and I think she feels some hurt due to the fact she knows it will never happen because when she talks about a year from now writing in her diary † I wonder what I really saw in Jack†, † I wonder why I spend so many day just riding in his truck†, or writing â€Å"I wonder what that old guys name was†. She states that she writes that but she will write â€Å"I love Jack and this diary is my birthday present from him. †Å"I can't imagine anybody loving anybody more than I love Jack. † So she goes back and forth of what she is feeling and what can happen in the future. She talks about not knowing Jack in a year but then also talks about having his kid and waiting for him to come home to make love to him. It was a very confusing ending with her and her feelings, very hard to read and interpret. I did get thought that both of them are caught up in the moment. That is what I felt the characters where, and what parts of the story lead me to deem and back up my feelings about that certain character.The visual and verbal images of this work are the key elements. The characters are not round characters but rather flat and stereotypical as the title No One's A Mystery suggests (Esch, 2009). But the way the characters are used, the straightforwardness of language and setting are meant to bring the reader to an emotional edge. The filthiness of the truck, the youth of the narrator and the exchange betwe en Jack and the girl over the diary help to reinforce the negative emotional response that the author was looking for.I wish this story was a little bit longer so it could help explain things that I thought had double meaning, but I like making up my own real end to the story and how I want to think of how those two ended up in a year. Works Cited Esch, J. (2009, Dec 4). Notearama. Retrieved from Notearama: http://notearama. blogspot. com/2009/12/on-no-ones-mystery-by-elizabeth-tallent. html Mexomorph. (n. d. ). Write Work. Retrieved from Write Work: http://www. writework. com/essay/no-one-s-mystery-elizabeth-tallent-english-1302-literature

Hypocrisy and Vanity in Joseph Andrews Essay

In his novel, Joseph Andrews, Henry Fielding uses various type characters to create a satire on the vices of men, finding that, â€Å"The only source of the true Ridiculous†¦is affectation,† which â€Å"proceeds from one of these two causes, vanity or hypocrisy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fielding 10). These two chief vices reveal themselves through the words, actions, and lifestyles of several of Fielding’s characters, some in more harmless forms than others, and often coming hand in hand. A shining example of hypocrisy is displayed while Mr. Adams is travelling with a gentleman who gives a bold discourse on courage and â€Å"the infamy of not being ready at all times to sacrifice our lives to our country.† During his lecture, the screams of a woman are heard, and Mr. Adams reaches for a weapon to assist. The gentleman is shocked and, trembling, says, â€Å"This is no business of ours; let us make as much haste as possible out of the way, or we may fall into their hands ourselves† (115). As Adams dashes off to the woman’s aid, the â€Å"man of courage† escapes to his own home, â€Å"without once looking behind him,† where the author leaves him to â€Å"contemplate his own bravery, and to censure the want of it in others† (115). However, Mr. Adams is not himself altogether virtuous, and, although perhaps more harmless, demonstrates a revealing combination of vanity and hypocrisy. Adams is frequently found making a vain display of his learning and evaluating the quality of others’ educations, often speaking in Latin and chastising others for not behaving according to the Scriptures. He makes himself ridiculous with his high opinion of his accomplishments. When the character Wilson relates his life’s tale, Adams searches for a sermon he wrote on the subject of vanity, declaring it so admirable that he would walk five miles to fetch it. He claims he had â€Å"never been a greater enemy to any passion than that silly one of vanity (181),† thus exposing his own hypocritical tendency for vanity. Fielding also makes an intentional display of vanity by inserting a story within the story: â€Å"The History of Leonora.† Leonora is a beautiful young lady, heir to a fortune, with a â€Å"greedy appetite of vanity, with the preference which was given her by the men to almost every other woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (84). Not long after Leonora has settled on a suitor to marry than her love is tested by the appearance of a fine stranger arriving in a â€Å"dear coach and six.† She ultimately concedes to his enticing riches, denying her former lover, but her father refuses to pass on his fortune while he lives, and her new lover leaves. Thus the vanity of Leonora leaves her alone as the miserable subject of ridicule. One hypocritical character who enters, perhaps solely for the purpose of his ironic behavior, is the Roman Catholic priest encountered by Mr. Adams at an inn. The gentleman gives a lecture on the value of riches, saying, â€Å"Do not riches bring us solicitude instead of rest, envy instead of affectation, and danger instead of safety?† (214). But, no sooner has he finished his speech on the evils of riches, than he asks Adams for a loan to pay for his lodgings, and subsequently asks the host to pay his debt later. The host points out the hypocrisy, saying, â€Å"I thought by his talking so much about riches, that he had a hundred pounds a least in his pocket† (216). But the scene is not complete without Adams adding his own hypocrisy; he chides the host for his suspicions and then retires to bed without a thought as to how he will pay his own debt. Through these instances and many others, Fielding purposefully and humorously exemplifies the vices of vanity and hypocrisy. His ridiculous, flawed characters, their actions and lifestyles, and even the stories they tell are ripe with patterns of these traits, to the point of absurdity. But it is the painfully ridiculous that Fielding uses to bring hypocrisy and vanity to the reader’s attention and show what vices they truly are.

Essay Sample on Life Journey My Own Experience

Essay Sample on Life Journey My Own Experience Each persons life is a journey on a contorted road dotted with bumps and craters. At certain points, the bumps could seem as high as mountains and the pits as deep as lots, making this journey called life appear quite despondent. Although occasionally, your predicaments are entirely fates blunders, but perchance, they are your own. Your personal characteristics roughly resemble a steering wheel for your journey. They could be positive traits, which could steer you on a more decent path; or negative traits, which could steer you to a path thats, well†¦ not so decent. Although you have no control over fate, you have power over your own driving skills, and could thus widen or narrow your chance for a smooth, prosperous journey. Also, it is beneficial to remember that you are not alone, for there are many other roads that coincide with yours, where others are conducting through their own journeys and floundering through their own bumps and craters as well. Drive together, and you co uld purvey support and encouragement for one another, and thus institute milder paths for all of you. Most prominently, no matter how harsh the terrain of your road becomes, just remember that you will pull through and be transformed for the better because of it. This optimistic philosophy that Ive adopted had been much solace to me in my own journey in becoming a successful high school student. It was not at all easy. Although fate has been overall lenient to me, it was my driving skills that tended to direct my course towards huge bumps. Despite my awareness of my own flaws and omissions, I still compulsorily reproached others and sought ways to exonerate myself. This was one of the worst traits I retain. It precluded me from obtaining responsibility for my choices and learning from past oversights, thus impeded my maturing process. For example, my projects were oftentimes undone till the last minute (including this one). I would think to myself, I dont feel like doing it today, so Ill work on it tomorrow. Thus the project was delayed further and further until there was no tomorrow for it anymore, and then I would end up working well over midnight while secretly scowling at the teacher for giving out such a tedious and inane assignment. Imm aturity and refusal to admit my errors caused me to plunge into countless pits in my journey. The one positive trait that had proved to be highly efficient in boosting me out of these pits is ambition. I know that too much of it could corrupt a person, but so far it had only empowered my spirit with much-needed optimism. My greatest ambition is to become a renowned novelist; therefore every hardship and pain to me befits an inspiration for a potential novel. It is a most optimistic perception of things, and it had succoured me through many phases of emotional turmoil. Although my own choices and personal characteristics had prompted many of my dilemmas, a certain number of large bumps on this road did bluntly materialise without my causing them. An example of that would be my kindergarten teacher. Back then, I was excessively shy and timid. (I still am, but not as much). I mainly kept to myself and was far too apprehensive to participate in class activities. Consequently, I might have appeared to be rather slow or mentally challenged. That was exactly what my teacher assumed. She would openly denounce me as a retarded child in front of myself and all my peers, and I was at that stage in my life of accrediting whatever adults told me. Thus for a long time, I subconsciously retained the impression that I was somehow less than other kids. The lack of self-esteem had often induced me to fail before I even try. The other major obstacle that Ive contended with was during my first years in the States. I had moved to Philadelphia, PA at the age of nine wi th primitive English comprehension. In addition, we were coerced to dwell in one of the most delinquent and precarious districts in West Philadelphia due to our low budgets. The despicable socio-economic status of my neighbourhood could be seen from the school I attended, which had metal detectors installed at its doors. I underwent a great deal stress both academically and socially due to problems of communication. Plus there were a number of students that discriminated against me because I had the lightest skin colour in my school. As a result, I developed paranoia towards my peers, which ensues me even now. Nevertheless, everybody undergoes their own adversities, shed their own tears, and abide their own pains. At these times of needs, friends, family, and other favourable resources are to be treasured more highly. I was never alone on this road, for many other roads that coincided with mine have brought much joie de vivre upon my journey. One of which who was always there behind me was my dad. I am not abashed to say that he is my best friend. There was a period in my childhood when he was not there for me. However, he made up for it by being the best father one could have. Not only did he did take the time to assist me with my homework when needed and spent plenty of quality time with me, he was always there with wisdom, encouragement, and consolation. The other momentous source of benefit is Canada. Moving across the Atlantic Ocean was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to me. The reason is that the education system in China is not only relentlessly harsh; it is sadistical ly cruel. Society has deemed that if you failed to attain a university degree, youd be a disgrace. Your career and marital opportunities would be despicably downtrodden. In addition, China possesses an enormous population and too few universities to match, thus eliciting nervous breakdowns among many high school students, some were even impelled to commit suicide due to the immense pressure. I, on the other hand, am indescribably glad to be here in Canada, where I am much more likely to do well in high school and thus hold a promising future. Now here I am in grade 10 with a tolerable grade average and a healthy attitude towards school and life in general. Although this journey had been difficult and even toilsome at times, I pulled through. One of the merits that I have acquired from my past experiences is strength. (Im not referring to muscles, of which I have none). Strength in mind and spirit is like steel, and the most sublime of its quality can only be heated through suffering. I do not mean to pity myself, but I do believe that Ive suffered more than many other teenagers have. There are certain things that I have not mentioned in this assignment, deeper pits in the hidden trails of my memory. Nonetheless, each time I fall, I was obliged to obtain strength in order to rise. Thus each time I rose, I was a little stronger than before. My kindergarten teachers abuse, for example, had brought me much self-loathing, but not anymore. Whats left is a searing urge within me to spite her by proving her wrong. Another lesson that Ive learned through my journey up to this point is to appreciate all that life has to offer. Life is short, and my road could abruptly come to a halt at anytime. Thus it is prominent to savour each and every moment of it by focusing on the positive things. My struggles and desolation have procured me to value what I have in order to overcome depression. My family, friends, and other fortunate events in my life have been lights in times of darkness, reminding me that the world is not completely forlorn and bleak. Optimism, along with strength, is all that I need to carry on. And thus I go forth on this journey with the memories of all the people and places Ive left behind. I know that as long as I possess a goal, I will never be lost. My goal as a successful high school student had been so far adequately accomplished, however, as always, there is much room for enhancement. It had been a most arduous but rewarding journey. My friends and family, especially my father, had made this journey much easier. Also, I would not overlook Canada, which is such an enlightening and lenient learning environment. All of these allies and resources have presented me with guidance in the right course. However, some of my personal characteristics, like irresponsibility, were inclined to steer me astray. Then again, other traits that I possess, like ambition, succoured me in the continuance of my journey. The bumps and craters that Ive met along my journey held a large role in constituting the person that I am now. I have fallen so many times into the seemingly abyss of desp air and struggled against the mirror for just a speck of self-esteem, but I have survived. I understand that there will be greater obstacles and barriers in the future, but I personally believe that pain is a thing to be prized. Someone who does not know pain would not appreciate joy, nor would he obtain the strength to make his journey worthwhile.

Critical Essay on The Glass Menagerie

Critical Essay on The Glass Menagerie Critical Essay on The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie is about undergoing the transition from childhood to adulthood and the decision to leave home and become independent. The decision is made with the understanding of the difference between reality as well as illusion. Tom makes the decision to leave home, aware that there are things in life he can control and others which are beyond his control. This story revolves around persons who are not aware of themselves or their true identity. Paul tries to encourage his family members to be more aware of their true selves. People tend to run away from reality and create illusions that they believe in. These illusions blind them, encouraging them to live in a dream world. So many people live this kind of life, and by the time they become aware of reality, they are too late or unable to revert to their true selves. A major them in Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is that people live a dream life by making any effort to understand their potentials and capabilities. Throughout the play, the characters try to create illusions because they find reality very painful. This makes the characters believe too much in their illusions, which results in them being accepted by their society in a way that they should not be accepted. Believing in illusions is a psychological problem because these people are no longer in control of their senses. Illusions cause, people to become more of dreamers and this can affect their relationship with the family members who perceived life from a different perspective. A dreamer is unlikely to agree on many issues with a person who bases his life on reality. A dreamer will always remain a dreamer, and his or her ideas are unlikely to produce anything important. It is not good to encourage people to live in a dream world because this affects their social, economic, and civic responsibilities. It is important to take life seriously by doing what is realistic. An individual can begin by identifying realistic goals and a doable plan to achieve those goals. When dreamers make up the majority in a society, then many important issues are likely not to be addressed because no one will take such issues seriously. Society always encourages its members to take responsibility for themselves and those around them to some extent. Parents encourage their children to be courageous in life by facing reality. These are the core principles that shape the community and make it a good place to live. Illusions, thus, are not part of a society. Those who are perceived as dreamers often find themselves as social outcasts. This is why Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie is considered so important. It shows how life can be wasted by living in a dream. Tips on Writing a Critical Essay: People often think that being critical means being negative. That is not so. When writing a critical essay on anything, one examines the strong and the weak points in a work and discusses those points in reference to some aspect of the work. In the case of a story, for example, the reader might identify a major idea that the story is expressing and then analyze how well the writer did in presenting and supporting that idea throughout the story. Regardless of what kind of essay you are writing, be certain to begin with a thesis statement. Gather your evidence from the story you are critiquing. Then, refrain from presenting that evidence according to the order in which it occurs in the story. Remember, you are not retelling the story. Instead, organize your arguments in the order that makes sense for your paper and draw on the evidence as needed to support your arguments. Welcome to our custom essay writing service to get professional essay help from academic experts. guarantees high quality and plagiarism-free in our papers!

Integration of Faith and Learning I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integration of Faith and Learning I - Essay Example To begin with, one might point out that in spite of the fact that the above mentioned verse does not define what â€Å"a good name† is, it clearly states the supremacy of character over temporal values such as money. In other words, this verse urges a person to put emphasis on personal spiritual development and have a sound, well developed character instead of a bank account full of money. This means that working on oneself is more preferable than spending time on earning additional money. The logic behind this is quite simple: while money is a resource that can be destroyed easily (spend or inflate), good character as well as a good name that comes with it will never spoil. Secondly, the same verse might also be applied to a firm. In this case, a good name should be understood as reputation and riches – financial funds. Indeed, the above mentioned abstract of the Bible teaches firms to pay attention toward building a good reputation in stead of accumulating financial resources. The logic that this guideline features is similar to the one that was discussed previously: a firm should not consider money to be basis of its prosperity, but rather a good reputation that can last for many years, while money can be arrested or blocked, leaving a firm helpless. Finally, one would make no mistake suggesting that the above mentioned verse might be interpreted in terms of marketing and management. Thus, the Bible argues that it is highly beneficial for a company to contribute to its reputation in different ways. For example, it is important to avoid involvement in scandals and make sure that every employee is working on strengthening firm’s positive image which will later be used as a competitive advantage when it comes to positioning on the market. Having examined all the points mentioned in the paragraphs above, in spite of the fact that the Bible is largely considered to be a sacred book of a particular religion, the ideas that it embraces may not

5 Star Men Grooming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

5 Star Men Grooming - Essay Example The Art of Shaving was established by Myriam Zaoui and Eric Malka during the year of 1996 and in 2009, the company was acquired by Procter & Gamble (The Art of Shaving, 2013). The Art of Shaving has expanded its distribution operation to 66 locations nationwide and the company has the mission â€Å"to be a household name for generations to come† (The Art of Shaving, 2013a). In 2009, Art of Shaving was acquired by Procter & Gamble (promoter of Gillette brand). Five of the existing stores of the company were redesigned by Procter & Gamble and new style quotient like pictures, furniture was added in order to reflect The Art of Shaving’s upscale, men’s club brand image (The Art of Shaving, 2013a). Product portfolio of The Art of Shaving has seven verticals such as 1- Shaving Products- Pre-Shave item, Shaving Soap, Shaving Cream, Shaving Bowls and After-Shave; 2- Shaving Brushes- Silvertip, Fine and Shaving Stands; 3- Razors- Fusion Razors, Straight Razors, Electric S havers, Mach 3 Razors, Blades, Safety Razors; 4- Shaving Sets- Fusion Chrome Collection, Power Shave Collection, Contemporary Shaving Sets, Compact Shaving Sets, Chelsea Collection; 5- Kits & Gifts- skin care kit, 3-piece manicure set, 7-piece manicure set; 6- Grooming & Skincare- Skin Care, Grooming Accessories, Hair Care, Fragrance and 7- Travel- Shaving Products, Lather Goods, Travel Kits (The Art of Shaving, 2013b). ... n those locations where customers can easily find the shops and the company invested significant amount in developing the infrastructure within the store that can grab the attention of customers (Wohl, 2009). After the company has acquired by P&G, it has got the financial backup to finance its strategic and marketing activities such as expanding distribution channel, promoting product offerings etc. After the acquisition, P&G advised The Art of Shaving to offer more customer friendly products and increase privacy of customers visiting the retail store (The Art of Shaving, 2013a). For example, on the basis of advice of P&G, The Art of Shaving improved display containing razors, oils, lotions and started using richer & darker colours in order to attract customers (Wohl, 2009). At present, The Art of Shaving has more than 80% of retail outlets located in big cities or suburban shopping mall locations and the company has also opened outlet inside the upscale stores such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale (Wohl, 2009). According to report published by Wohl (2009), The Art of Shaving opens on an average 20 to 40 stores in a year and has the plan to expand the brand out of USA within next 5 years. Even before the acquisition, The Art of Shaving worked with P&G for significant number of years and the luxury man grooming company simultaneously used Gillette blades as part of their portfolio (Wohl, 2009). The Art of Shaving uses premium pricing policy in order to reflect the elegance and luxury feelings associated with the brand in some cases, products offered by the company might be dearer by 40 to 50 times. For example, The Art of Shaving sells razor handles at a price range of $100-$500 while customers can buy the complete razor sets at less than $10 from Wal-Mart Stores Inc