the simpsons :: essays research papers fc

When Matt Groening and James L. Brooks created The Simpsons, a cartoon, family, they had no idea that it would become as big as it has now. There are many reasons the show has become very popular with the American public. Dumb and simple humor makes in enjoyable for people on all levels, and for the more sophisticated audience, there is some political satire in the show. It all started 1987, when Groening and Brooks created short cartoons for the Tracey Ullman show. If you were to compare these shorts to today’s show, there is a major difference in the quality of the show and the plots. This is due to better technology, more money, and a change in the things that can be said on television. (Groening) The show features five main characters. As stated by the show’s title, they are the Simpson family. The father, Homer, has had a very eventful life. Even though he is not very smart, he has led a life that is envied by many in Springfield. His job is the Nuclear Safety Inspector at the Springfield Power Plant. He has met presidents Gerry Ford, George Bush, and Bill Clinton, been an astronaut, and met bands such as the Who, the Smashing Pumpkins, U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and REM, been a professional baseball mascot and numerous other jobs. His wife Marge has not led as an exciting life as Homer. She spends most of her time taking care of their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, and playing second fiddle in many of Homer’s adventures. Bart has become a 1990’s version of Dennis the Menace. He carries a slingshot in his back pocket and likes to cause havoc for his teachers and his father. Lisa is the brightest of the children. She has straight A’s i n the second grade, plays first chair saxophone, but is more like her mother, not getting involved in many adventures. Maggie is the baby and is mostly there to complete the family. (Holtz) The first full length episode was on December 17, 1989. This was the Christmas special entitled â€Å"Simpsons’ Roasting on an Open Fire.† The plot of this episode is that Bart gets a tattoo and Marge has to spend the family’s Christmas money getting it removed. She planned on having Homer’s Christmas bonus to buy presents with but he finds out that bonuses won’t be given out that year.

Home Schooling and Public Schooling

Never before in the United States have parents been so disgruntled about their children†s education. The main reason behind this massive disruption seems to be that public schools are not living up to parent†s standards. Because of this, parents are taking their child†s education and future into their own hands. Many parents are turning to an â€Å"alternative† means of educating known as home schooling. Home schooling is simply education of school- aged children at home rather than at school. Parents are choosing home schooling over public schools because public schools are not meeting their child†s academic, individual, and/or disability needs. First, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student†s academic needs. Parents expect their child will learn to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate. However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic academic skills. Recent studies appear to show that many who graduate, as many as 25%, cannot read or write at an eighth grade level. This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to gain an education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence seems to shows that the United States rank at the bottom of industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, students are said to be ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests. Children who attend public schools rank in the â€Å"average zone† whereas, home schooled children typically score above average. To add to this common bit of knowledge the press has recently reported the startling news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or more years ahead, of their formally trained peers, in their ability to think. These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in all academic areas compared to children attending public schools. Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking a student†s individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school year, or worse yet, passed on without ever gaining the needed skill. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to repeat the same grade or will be passed on continually without ever learning how to read. If students were properly tutored in the areas they are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades or graduate without the tools necessary to be successful. Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer have time to work one on one with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach in a style and at a pace that best fits their child†s needs. Home schooled children are not held back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects. Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects they are having trouble with. Children who are home schooled also get individual attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for their teacher to find time to help them. It is becoming apparent to many parents that home schooling meets the individual needs of their child better than public schooling. Finally, parents of children with physical and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their child†s handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time as other students. Teachers are not taking these children†s handicaps into consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments. This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of disabled children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions to teach their disabled children at home. By teaching their children at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development. For instance, children with ADD are in an environment where they will not be influenced by the action of other children and cannot be as easily distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments, as well as have all of their assignments tailored to fit their abilities and needs. By home schooling, children with learning disabilities are given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise would not get in public schooling. Public schools may have been the center for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children†s academic, individual, and disability needs. As a result, parents are choosing to educate their children through home schooling. Reports show that home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools by a noticeable degree. In addition, disabled children are having their needs met better at home than in public schools. They are being given an equal chance at succeeding in their academic endeavors. Parents are choosing home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems.

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes Essay

John Locke and Thomas Hobbes were two important philosophers from the seventeenth century. The two were born nearly 50 years apart – Hobbes in 1588 and Locke in 1632 – and yet, they each managed to have a major impact on their time and our own. The philosophical viewpoints of Locke and Hobbes are, in most cases, in strict opposition of each other. There are certain points at which the theories of both men collide; however, their synonymous beliefs are exactly the point at which their theories begin to diverge again. John Locke is considered to be the first of the British Empiricists, who believed that in order to truly gain knowledge of a certain thing, any individual would first have to experience something from which they would gain that knowledge. He is thought to be one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and contributors to liberal theory. His writings influenced many other famous philosophers, such as Voltaire and Rousseau, as well as the American revolutionaries. The Declaration of Independence clearly shows his influence. Locke attended the Westminster School in London under the sponsorship of Alexander Popham, a member of British Parliament. He would later attend Christ Church at the University of Oxford. It was here that Locke became heavily interested in the works of Modern philosophers, such as Descartes. Locke and other Empiricists rejected the notion of innate ideas – that is, the belief that human beings are born with ideas that are â€Å"otherworldly,† or known to us before we enter this life. Locke indulged in a theory which he dubbed tabula rasa, or â€Å"blank slate† in Latin. Following this theory, an individual would be born knowing nothing, and would therefore, only learn and gain knowledge by living and experiencing many things in their everyday life. Thomas Hobbes was raised by his uncle, Francis, as were his three siblings. He attended the Westport Church at age four for education, and then moved to the Malmesbury school, and further, onto a private school kept by a man named Rober Latimer, who was a graduate of Oxford University. Hobbes later attended Hertford College, a constituent college of Oxford University. He became fast friends with the son of William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire, with whom he attended a grand tour in 1610. During the tour, Hobbes and Cavendish were exposed to European scientific and critical methods, which were in contrast to what Hobbes had been taught in his time at Oxford. Although Hobbes was closely linked to figures such as Francis Bacon, he did not become heavily involved in philosophy until after the year 1629. Hobbes lived during a time of great disturbance in Europe. The Thirty Years’ War lasted from 1618 until 1648. During this time, soldiers were rampant throughout villages, and they acted as they pleased –raping women, destroying entire villages and cities, and leaving any living beings who were lucky enough to live without shelter or sustenance. In consequence of the fact that Hobbes bore witness to these types of situations, his outlook on human nature was understandably somber. Locke and Hobbes were able to agree on one point: all men are equal by nature; yet, their reasoning for this statement varies. Like Hobbes, Locke believed that human nature allowed men to be selfish. However, in contrast to Hobbes’ theory that men will choose violence over peace, Locke insists that human nature is characterized by reason and tolerance. In his publication in 1651, Leviathan, Hobbes proclaimed that while man does voluntarily commit some acts of goodness, man is not, naturally, good. The object of those voluntary acts, he believed, was essentially to do some good to the individual who performed them. Locke’s outlook on human nature was somewhat optimistic. He believed that each individual person has the will and the freedom to think and do as they please, and that people are naturally inclined to live according to reason. Therefore, one can ultimately assume that Locke definitely believed in humans existing in harmony with one another. Locke believes that all men are created equal because they are born into a state of freedom that allows them to be equal; Hobbes believes that all men are equal because they are all equally despicable. Both Hobbes and Locke believed that there was a sort of â€Å"social contract† between individual citizens and the ruling government. This Leviathan, as Hobbes proposed, would define the rights and duties of each party. Hobbes believed that once the contract was instituted, it would be irrevocable. No individual would be able to change their individual rights at a later time, and the government would ultimately have power over them from then on. Locke saw the agreement as less binding. Because he believed that each individual was born with certain natural rights that no other human being could revoke, the contract between the individuals and the state would always be conditional – meaning that individuals retained the option to withdraw their consent and preserve those natural rights whenever they saw fit. I believe that Hobbes and Locke both had ideas that were based on their own experiences in their lifetimes. Being a person that has come after both of them, I have had the chance to read and try to understand both viewpoints, and I can see where their opinions would differ, and speculate as to why. Even today, living conditions in certain areas differ greatly, and can have a dramatic effect on a person’s view of things. It is even quite possible for two neighbors to have opinions differing as greatly as Hobbes’ and Locke’s. Because the majority of Hobbes’ life was spent experiencing pain and anguish inflicted by other humans, he believed other humans to be evil. Locke did not see such wrongdoing in his time; rather, he saw a time of peace and prosperity. Therefore, he would not have assumed that humans were naturally evil beings. I think that we are lucky to have lived after so many great thinkers have. Both Hobbes and Locke proposed viewpoints that we are free to combine and contort, if we so choose, and we already have some of the thinking laid out for us by those men. Humans may or may not be naturally good beings; we probably will not be able to say for sure until we have left this world. However, we may not have had much to ponder if it were not for John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.

Study Case

CHAPTER 2I HUI4AN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 903 Case Office Equipment Company (OEC) director (a U. S. national) of the office Equipment Company (oEc) in Lima, Peru (see Map 2l . l), announced suddenly that he would leave within one month. The company had to find a replacement. OEC manufactures a wide variety of small office 1997, the managing ln equipment (such as copying machines, recording machines, mail scales, and paper shredders) in eight different countries and distributes and sells products worldwide. lt has no manufacturing facilities in Peru but has been selling and servicing there since the early 1970s.OEC first tried selling in Peru through independent importers but quickly became convinced that in order to make sufficient sales it needed to have its own staffthere. Despite Peru's political turmoil, which at times has bordered on being a full-scale civil war, OEC'S operation there (with about 100 employees) has enjoyed good and improving sales and profitability. OEC is construct ing its first factory in Peru that is scheduled to begin operations in early 1999. This factory will import components for personal computer printers and assemble them locally.Peru offers an abundant supply of cheap labor, and the assembly oPeration will employ approximately 150 people. The government will allow up to I0 percent of the output to be sold locally. By assembling locally and then exporting, oEC expects to be able to ward off trade restrictions on the other office equipment it imports for sale within Peru. This plant! construction is being supervised by a U. S. rechnical ream, and a U. S. expatriate will be assigned to direct the production. This director will report directly to OEC's U. S. eadquarters on all production and quality-control matrers but will rePort to the managing director in Peru on all other matters, such as accounting, finance, and labor relations. OEC, by policy, will replace the exiting managing director with an internal candidate. The company employs a combination of home-, host-, and third-country nationals in top positions in foreign countries, and managers commonly rotate among foreign and U. S. locations. ln fact, it has been increasingly evident to OEC that international experience is an important factor in deciding who will be appointed to top corporate positions.The sales and service facility in Peru reports to a Latin American regional office located in Coral Gables, Florida. A committee at this office, charged with selecting the new managing direc- tor, quickly narrowed its choice to five candidates. Tom A thirty-year OEC veteran, Zimmerman is well versed in all the technical and sales aspects required in the job. He has never worked abroad for OEC but has visited various of the company's foreign facilities as part of sales teams. He is consid- Zimmerman ered competent and will retire in about four and a half years.Neither he nor his wife speaks Spanish. Their children are grown and living with their own children in th e United States. Zimmerman currently is in charge of an operation that is aboutthe size of that in Peru after the new factory begins operating. However, Zimmerman's present position will become redundant because the operation he heads is being merged with another. Brett Harrison Harrison, 40, has spent fifteen years at OEC. Considered highly compehas tent and capable of moving into upper-level management within the next few years, he 904 PART 7 FUNCTIONAL I'. ANAGEI'1 ENT, OPERATIONS. AND CONCERNS PERU Population 22. 3 million Monetary unit New sol Major languages Span ish Quech ua Aymara Largest city Lima Major industrial areas Arequipa Chimbote Cuzco lquitos Lima Talara Map 2l. l Peru never been based abroad but has worked for the last three years in the Latin American regional office and frequently travels to Latin America. Both he and his wife speak Spanish adequately, and their two children, ages I 4 and I 5, are just beginning to study the His wife holds a responsible marketin g position with a pharmaceuticals company.Carolyn language. Moyer Moyer joined OEC twelve years ago after getting her MBA from a pres- tigious university. 4t37, she has already moved between staffand line positions of growing responsibility. For two years, she was second in command of a product group that was aboutthe size of the newly expanded one in Peru. Her performance in that. postwas considered excellent. Currently, she works on a planning staffteam. When she joined OEC, she indicated her interest in eventual international responsibilities because of her undergraduate major in international affairs.She has recently expressed interest in international duties because of a belief it will help her advancement. She speaks Spanish well and is unmarried. Francisco Cabrera Cabrera, 35, currently is an assistant managing director in the larger Mexican operation, which produces and sells for the Mexican market. A Mexican cit- for OEC in Mexico for all his twelve years with the company. He holds an MBA from a Mexican university and is considered to be a likely candidate to head the Mexican operation when the present managing diiector retires in seven years. He is married with four children (ages 2 to 7) and speaks English adequately.His wife does not work izen, he has worked outside the home or speak English. CHAPTER 2I HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 905 Juan Moreno At27, Moreno is assistant to the present managing director in Peru. He has held that position since joining OEC upon his U. S. college graduation four years ago. Unmarried, he is considered competent, especially in employee relations, but lacking in experience. He had been successful in increasing OEC's sales, in part because he is well connected with local families who can afford to buy new office equipment for their businesses. Questions l.Which candidate should ihe committee choose for the assignment, and whyl 2. What problems might each candidate encounter in the position? 3. 4. How might OEC go about mi nimizing the problems that each candidate would have in managing the Peruvian operations? Calculate an estimated compensation package for each candidate based on the following additional inf6rmation: Present annual salaries: Zimmerman, U5$70,000; Harrison, US$75,000; Moyer, US$65,000; Cabrera, M$ I 24,000; Moreno, 557,000 a Exchange rates: $ I: M$3. 1 (Mexican pesos);$ I: S 1. 9 (Peruvian new sols) o f income for a family of one, 40 percent for a family of two, 45 percent for a family of four, and 50 percent for a family of five or more: Washington, D. C. : 100; Lima : 86;Mexico City :77 U. S. Department, of State foreign-service premiums for Peru: hardship : l5 percent; danger: l5 percent U. S. Department of State cost-of-living index based on items covering 35 percent a a o Schooling allowance: age 6-12 : US$5000;age 3-18 : US$9000 Average tax rates: Mexico : 20 percenq United States : 25 percent; Peru : I Housing allowance (nontaxable): single : US$ 12,100;family : US$ 15,000 0 p ercent Chapter Notes l. The data for the case were taken from Edwin McDowell, â€Å"Making lt in America: The Foreign-Born Executive,† New York Times, June I, 1980, Section 3, p. l+; Don Whitehead, The Dow Story (New York McGraw-Hill, I968); â€Å"Lundeen Urges More Aid for Universities,† Chemrcal Marlceting Reporter, Yol. 224, No. 19, November 7, 1983, p. 3+;Paul L. Blocklyn, â€Å"Developing the lnternational Executive,† Personnel, Vol. 66, March 1989, pp. September 14,1992, p. 5; â€Å"Popoffon Challenges for Dow and for the lndusvy|' Chemical Wee( May 18, 1994, pp. 26-28; and Susan J.Sinsworth, â€Å"lssues Management ls Central to Frank Popoff's Globalization Strategy,† Chemlcol Engineering News, Vol. 72, No. 21, May 23, 1994, pp. 25–29. 2. Gary R. Oddou and Mark E. Mendenhall, â€Å"Succession Planning for the 2 l st Cen- European Management lournol, Yol. I 4, No. 4, August 1996, pp. 365-373. 4. â€Å"Globesmanship,† Across the Board , Yol. 27, Nos. l, 2, January-February 1990, p. 26, quoting Michael Angus. 5. Daniel Ondrack, â€Å"lnternational Transfers of Managers in North American and European MNEs,† Journol of lnternailonol Business Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3, Fall 1985, pp. l-19;andJohn M.Hannon, lngChung Huang, and Bih-Shiaw Jaw, â€Å"lnternational Human Resource Strategy and Its Determinants: The Case of Subsidiaries in Taiwan,†Journal of lnternotionol Business Studies, Vol. 26, No. 3, Third Quarter 1995, pp. 53 l-554. 4447; â€Å"Globesmanship,† Across the Boor4 Vol. 27, Nos. l,2,January-February 1990, pp. 24-34;William Storck, â€Å"Dow Chemical Changes Executive Lineup,† Chemical ond Engineering News, tury: How Well Are We Grooming Our Future Business Leadersl† Business Horizons, January-February I 99 I, pp. 26-34. 3. Gordon Petrash, â€Å"Dow's Journey to a Knowledge Value Management Culture,†

Prisoner's Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prisoner's Rights - Essay Example (Cruel and Unusual Punishments). By taking away the rights of such activities from the inmates would be going against the law imposed under the First Amendment. When we consider the First Amendment, it clearly and legally provides the rights of freedom of speech to the citizens. Therefore, being a prisoner also comes under the category of State’s citizen. Being the part of the State, prisoners do hold the right of freedom of speech, to openly claim for their rights, because free and legal rights of humans cannot be abandoned. But, on the other hand, it is also correct that Court impose such restrictions on the prisoners to maintain the terms of security. So, taking away their rights comes under legitimate punishment too. Therefore, today Court is making sure to include such restrictions on inmates, which are considered correct by looking in all the aspects. The Civil Rights Act of 1871 also states that the prisoners are free to question their prison life on the basis of constitutionality. This act came into being to protect the rights of every individual on the basis of official legitimation. This act makes sure that the rights of the people are protected equally. Leburd’s suit does hold a complete legal effect under the dilemma of today’s prison life. Prisoners hold equal right to challenge the Court, if their rights are being prohibited to them. (Prisoners Rights ). Supreme Court expanded the individual’s rights in relation to the state as a whole. That is why Federal Courts role have become essential in protecting the rights of those people who are not powerful, for an example; politicians. Here comes the prisoner, who comes under such category of people who are poor, helpless and needs protection of the courts to safe them. This expansion of law by the Supreme Court has protected the freedom of speech, violence , bill of rights, civil rights and prison conditions and practices in the federal court. Due

Matrices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Matrices - Essay Example It remains to determine if any of the 33 sub matrices of the augmented matrix (B) have a non – zero determinant. For example in a square sub matrix of order 33 of [B], namely, These system of equations are inconsistent, because the rank of the coefficient matrix [A] in which det(D) = 0. Moreover, a 3rd order square sub matrices of [B], namely, , and are such that their corresponding determinants are zero. In other words, all the 3rd order square sub matrices of the augmented matrix [B] have a zero determinant. Therefore, the rank of the augmented matrix [B] is less than 3. Since, there exists a 2nd order square sub matrix of matrix [B], such that det(H) = -120≠ 0, the rank of the augmented matrix [B] is 2. The rank of the coefficient matrix [A], whereis to be determined. Det(A) = 0. Hence, the rank of the coefficient matrix [A] is less than 3. is a square sub matrix of matrix [A] and det (J) = -3 ï‚ ¹ 0. Therefore, the rank of the coefficient matrix [A] is 2. Hence, rank of the coefficient matrix [A] = rank of the augmented matrix [B], accordingly the system of equations given by [A] [X] = [B] is consistent. Nevertheless, the rank of the coefficient matrix [A] = rank of the augmented matrix [B] < 3, therefore there are only 2 constraints; consequently, these equations have infinitely many

The Current State of the Post-Recession Global Economy Research Paper

The Current State of the Post-Recession Global Economy - Research Paper Example Additionally, there is always a shift in supply and demand. The needs of nations and individual differ making it complex to preserve the steadiness of the economy. An ideal situation can never exist in the world economy making recession inevitable. Consequently, the recession that took place in 2008 was expected. Recession has significantly influenced the global economy as apparent in trade, unemployment and relationship amid countries. The current state of the global economy after recession According to Foroohar & Schneiderman (2010), recession refers to a situation when the economy has experienced inflation for quite a long period. Recession affected most nations in the Western hemisphere in 2008. Before the recession began, Japan and the US were controlling most part of the global economy. Consequently, countries in the West were experiencing a boom in the property market. The rates of unemployment were at the lowest level for a long period, and banks were charging lower interest rates for loans. The decrease in lending rates contributed to the increase in investments. However, the gains came to a halt after the recession in 2009. Presently, the United States and Japan have limited control on the activities taking place in the global market. The two countries no longer influence trade directly because they are facing competition from China. The influence they had has shifted to countries like China, Brazil and South Korea. However, the US is still the global economic powerhouse. According to Avantika (2011), countries like India and Brazil are beginning to exert their influence on trade globally. As a result, growth is on the decline in Japan and America. This is making investors shift their plans by investing in developing economies. It is clear that Malaysia and Singapore are formulating innovations to counter the dynamics of trade. Concurrently, the US in coming up with policies to correct the decline of their economies. Consequently, the recent president ial debate in America focused on measures for reviving the global economy. According to Avantika (2011), there is stagnation in the growth of the economy of China at 7 per cent. This is a decline from the double-digit growth realized in the same time last year. This is an indication that the global economy is unpredictable. Schaeffer (2009) adds that uncertainties in the global economy have made nations readjust their plans. For instance, South Korea is deploying their resources towards energy production to avert the energy crisis. This is because most of the economic activities in the global economy are dependent on fossil fuels. Developing economies in Asia are opting to trade with African countries. This is affects global trade by reducing the demand of commodities from developed economies. Indeed, African nations have increased their demand for products from the markets in Asia. Besides, China is encouraging domestic consumption to reduce their dependency on exports. Moreover, C hina has reformed their pension scheme to cater for the needs of the middle-class citizen who constitute the majority in the populace. According to Neumark & Troske (2012), it is necessary to review trade policies for economies of Asian countries. New policies will bring changes in the healthcare and the education sector in developing eco