The Good Life in Epic Narratives :: Odyssey Iliad Essays

The Good Life in Epic Narratives Classic literature juxtaposes two ways of life that illustrate the poles of true happiness: a life of adventure, exemplified by Odysseus (The Odyssey), and the life at home, which poets and farmers represent. In The Iliad, Achilleus chooses to live a short, glorious life, even though he could have chosen to live a long life in anonymity. Arguments have been put forth that the life of adventure is a living hell, as Achilleus testifies from Hades after his death - in hindsight, he would have settled for the life of a slave and given up his glory, if only he could have lived longer. Alternately, the life of the (metaphorical) farmer has been despised as simple and ordinary, when true immortality is only attained with great accomplishments, such as sacking Troy or surviving heroic adventures which are then recorded. In a modern day autobiography of the 1996 ascent of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha to the Nepalis, or â€Å"goddess of the sky†), Jon Krakauer reveals the human motivatio n behind adventure and tells the story of the men and women who lived and died on the expeditions to the summit during that spring (Into Thin Air). With epic literature and a recent epic, I will illuminate the values of a reflective life as well as the life of adventure, and delve into the necessary components of the ‘good life.’ The Choice of Achilleus I carry two sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting; but if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly. -Achilleus (Iliad, IX.411) The decision of Achilleus is a crucial moment in understanding how fate works in epic (Homerian) literature. Thetis tells Achilleus of his opportunity to win renown as the greatest warrior of all time, earning glory through his fearless acts in battle against a foe who is sure to overcome the Achaians. The fate of ten years of attack on Troy hinge upon the decision of Achilleus, who is given the choice to win glory for the Achaians and, more importantly, himself.

Are Books Better than Films? Essays -- new images, overlook of material

According to the article, â€Å" Are Books Better than Films?†, â€Å"Films can bring whole worlds to life before our eyes, make characters into living, breathing fleshing blood, but books let you live everything† (â€Å"Are Books Better than Films?†). Very often book lovers are unsatisfied with the movie adaption of their favorite book. No doubt there have been great book based movies but that does not take the place of reading the actual novel. Reading books is better than watching the movie. This is better because often the movie tends to misinterpret information, which changes the plot, and lack sufficient character development. One of the many famous movie adaptions is from the teen novel series The Twilight Saga. Written by Stephanie Meyer, it has been extremely successful. The series is about a male vampire (Edward Cullen) and human female (Isabella Swan) who fall in love and struggle to keep their relationship. Teens ran out and got the books hot off the press and staked out movie theaters the first weekend it came out. The first weekend the movie came out in theatres it made over $69,637,740. It also ranked the number one movie in 3,419 across America ("Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo."). In movie versions, the director seems to overlook material that the reader finds vital to the plot. In the first Twilight book, when Edward and Bella get out of the car he does not touch her because he does not want to risk losing control (Meyer). In the movie, Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, he swings his arm around Bella shoulders and states he was going to hell anyways (Hardwicke). When the director did this he changed the plot because in the book none of the other characters knew Edward and Bella talked. Then all of a sudden Edward and Bella w... ...the chance to increase vocabulary and knowledge. Movies do not equate to books because they lack the following criteria. They do not have full character analysis as the book does nor do they stick to the story line of the book. Directors tend to take their creative liberties too far and begin to alter the plot and create new images of the story. Readers would love to see a great novel come to life but keep it the way the book has written it. "Are Books Better than Films?" Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. "Are Movies Better than Books?" The Premier Online Debate Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. London: Atom, 2007. Print. "Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo." Twilight (2008) - Box Office Mojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Twilight. Dir. Catherine Hardwicke. Paramount Pictures,2008. Film.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the HPV Vaccine in Adolescent Girls: An Ethical Essay

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a group of more than 40 types of viruses that infect the genital areas, throats (recurrent respiratory papillomatosis), and mouths of males and females and is the number one most common sexually transmitted disease (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009). It is spread by genital contact. It is most easily spread by vaginal and anal sex, but also through oral sex and even just genital-to-genital (skin-to-skin). In 90% of people that contract HPV, their own immune system clears it up within two years, most never even developing any symptoms from it (CDC, 2009). Out of the many types of HPV types, most end up causing warts on one of the above-mentioned areas, while a certain few are known to cause cervical cancer. Lockwood-Rayermann & McIntyre (2009) state that â€Å"[t]he most common oncogenic/high-risk virus types worldwide and in the United States are Types 16, 18, 31, 45, and 52; 11% of invasive cervical cancers in the United States are caused by Types 16 and 18 (55% by Type 16 and 22% by type 18). HPV Types 31, 45, and 52 comprise another 8% of all cases.† Cervical cancer is usually not detected until it is quite advanced, which is why women should get screened for cervical cancer regularly. There is also another precaution women can take. The Food and Drug Administration approved the very first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer by the types of HPV that cause it in June of 2006 (Thomas, 2008). This vaccine, being new, and therein little is known about its long term effects, has caused ethical debates about the use of it, particularly in adolescent girls. Thomas (2008) mentions that the CDC recommended, by a unanimous vote, that girls aged 11 to 12 years old receive this new HPV vaccine. This may seem  young, but in order for the vaccine to be effective, it must be administered before a person has been exposed to HPV, which happens during sexual encounters. Since few girls are sexually active at this age, most of whom haven’t gone through puberty yet, this is an ideal age to have them be vaccinated (Thomas, 2008). Thomas (2008) also goes on to say that this vaccine has been administered to 11,000 girls around the world with no serious side effects. Their ages ranged from 9 to 26 years old. This vaccine is given by a series of three shots over the course of six months and it’s important that they get all three to be effective, since little is known about the effectiveness of people who only receive one or two (2008). But is it ethical for a girl as young as nine years old to be receiving such an invasive procedure in order to avoid a sexually transmitted disease? After all, what nine year old is even thinking about sex and STDs? That is why this issue is one that is left for the parents to decide, and opinions are unsurprisingly mixed. One of the main arguments against vaccinating young girls with the HPV vaccine is cost. Thomas (2008) lists the total cost of this vaccine, for all three shots, as around three hundred dollars, relatively inexpensive considering the detrimental consequences of contracting one of the types that are known to cause cancer. There is another issue to take into consideration, though, when accounting for the price of this vaccination; the effects for protection are only estimated to be four or five years (2008). If a young girl were to be vaccinated at nine years old, and again at ages twelve, sixteen, and twenty, you are looking at close to one thousand dollars in total. How are parents with poor health insurance coverage or none at all supposed to protect their daughters for this virus that can cause cervical cancer? A parent can also anticipate losing a day’s pay to take their child to the doctor’s office or the clinic on three different occasions to receive all three shots. Because of the cost, and the limited duration of effectiveness, a lot of women decide not to get vaccinated and not to vaccinate their daughters, hoping that a better, longer lasting, and less expensive alternative will â€Å"arrive on the pharmaceutical market† at some point in the near future (2008). Another popular argument against HPV vaccination is that some parents view it as a green light for their daughters to behave promiscuously (Thomas, 2008). Much like condom distribution at high schools, there are those that view HPV vaccination as another way to promote, and cause a rise in irresponsible sexual behavior (2008). Thomas (2008) goes on to describe a conservative political group called the Traditional Values Coalition and how they have publicly denounced the HPV vaccine and claim that genital warts, cervical cancer, etc. are not a national health concern, and â€Å"that HPV can be prevented through abstinence and marital fidelity.† This group attributes â€Å"monetary gain† by pharmaceutical companies as a motive for the mandate for HPV vaccination. Like most every ethical or moral dilemma going on in this country, this issue rests in the parents’ religious and personal beliefs. Studies have shown that despite abstinence programs, teenagers still engage in sex, proving that something as insignificant as a vaccine is not going to encourage kids to have sex—they are having it anyway. Thomas (2008) cited a study that showed that 90% of teens are using condoms when they engage in sexual intercourse, but condoms alone cannot protect you from HPV, making the vaccine all that more important for young girls to receive. If a parents cannot set aside their religious and personal beliefs long enough to acknowledge that this vaccine has the potential to save their daughter’s life, then they may require a lot more than just education. Each year 6.2 million new cases of HPV come about and currently, 20 million people in this country are infected with HPV. The vaccine that is available has the potential to save 70% of the people it would otherwise infect from cervical cancer in young women (Thomas, 2008). â€Å"In 2008, an estimated 11,070 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 3, 870 women will die from the disease† (Lockwood-Raverrmann &McIntyre, 2009). Lockwood-Raverrmann & McIntyre (2009) go on to explain that the prevalence of HPV in peaks in women in their early twenties, and also go on to say that even younger women, i.e. teenagers, are more susceptible to the virus. They describe one possible explanation for this is because in younger women, it â€Å"could be the changing histology of the cervix following the commencement of puberty.† They go to say that â€Å"during this period of time, large populations of cells are undergoing maturation and are more  suscep tible to the development of an HPV infection† (2009). With all of this statistical data, it is confusing to think that some little girl’s parent’s are prepared to deprive her of a vaccine that could potentially save her life should the opportunity arise and she chooses to have sex. Again, said girl wouldn’t even have to have vaginal intercourse to contract Type 16 HPV, which would years later cause cervical cancer in which she could quite realistically die from. It is a frustrating and infuriating thought—that this girl could die because of her parent’s ignorance and/or their undyin

Pharmasim Preliminary Market Strategy Essay

Allstar Brands’ over-the-counter cold and allergy remedy Allround will continue to be the market leader among OTC cold medicines and continue to increase its stock price over the next decade in order to remain not only competitive, but the premier stock choice among competitors in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. To further grow the Allround product it is essential to build upon the current strengths of the brand, but also seek additional areas for opportunity and growth. These goals will be accomplished by evaluating competitors entering the OTC cold and allergy remedy market and through careful planning and execution to enhance our current product to meet the desires and needs of consumers. Allstar Brands’ Allround product holds a strong position in the over-the-counter cold and allergy remedy market by being the market share leader, but there is no guarantee this trend will continue. Allround recognizes the need to continue to diversify and reformulate its current product line in order to remain competitive in light of an influx of competition. Allround competes in one of four product categories in the OTC market with no emphasis in the cough, allergy, or nasal categories. We will be better enabled to meet the desires and needs wanted most by consumers by enhancing the current Allround product line. Allstar Brands’ Allround product has been a profitable brand with manufacturer sales of over $355 million in its most recent period. To further increase sales it is crucial to ensure the Allround brand is being sought by all consumers in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. Recent surveys show the Allround brand did not receive the best shelf space placement and this is a great concern to the future of the brand. It is important Allround reallocates its resources appropriately to maximize the efficiency of our channels of distribution in order to promote our brand to its fullest potential. Allround’s brand effectiveness and high recognition have allowed it to be among the price leaders in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. This current trend is a great concern to the management team at the OCM group of Allstar Brands. In order to remain competitive Allround must closely monitor all pricing aspects associated with manufacturing and selling the brand. To ensure Allround can maintain a price leadership role in the market it must continually adjust its pricing tactics to better suit its consumers in periods of growth and decline. Allround’s success depends on the consumers who buy its product. To ensure consumers are purchasing our product Allround must offer the greatest value. By promoting our product to the appropriate demographics we can develop more sales and grow our customer base. Allround brand recognizes the need to promote its product through all types of mediums including coupons, point-of-purchase vehicles, and trial-size packages in order to maintain customer loyalty. If Allstar Brands is able to understand its customers on a more intimate basis then it can better provide for desires and needs sought by those purchasing medicine in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. Situation Analysis The following is a situational analysis of all pertinent aspects of the current state of the market and of the Allround product. Using the â€Å"5 Cs† we have developed an overview of the current situation and hope to present it in a clear and concise manner. This covers the current external factors, major competitor factors, projected customer’s information, fellow distributor’s and retailer’s factors, and current company outlook. -Context: External factors -Collaborators: Who are we using to promote our product, and how do we motivate them? WhoWhyMotivate PharmacistsCustomers value and trust the opinions of pharmacistsMarket that boosting the sales of Allround will also boost drugstores sales Chain DrugstoresStatisticaly a high volume of sales come from thesePromoting this product will boost sales and garner more customers for both Allround and the drugstore Grocery StoresStatisticaly a high volume of sales come from theseConvince that this is the best OTC cold medicine and that stocking this will increase store sales DoctorsDoctors could recommend product to patientsDistribute samples to local doctors to encourage recommendations to patients -Company: Goal? Strengths and weaknesses? GoalsMetricsStrengthsWeaknesses Increase Stock Price10% increase per yearBrand awareness, market share, product quality, high potential growthUnacceptable budget allocation Increase Company Net Income10% increase per yearHigh income, high price, brand awarenessWeak portfolio Increase Company Annual Net Income~$74MBrand awareness, company growth, inelastic pricingSales coverage, Unused R&D capacity Increase Company Utilization~93%#1 product in market, new product line and reformulation optionsAlcohol additive in current formula, budget Increase Shelf Space Rank#1 product in retailBrand awarenessSales coverage and promotion, diluted advertising plan, budget constraints Target Market: The Allround initial marketing plan will be focused on four core groups. The four groups include empty nesters, mature families, singles, and retirees. The main marketing focus will be on singles and empty nesters, as those are our core customers. Singles and empty nesters is Allround’s primary demographic. These 2 groups are the perfect candidates due to their age. Young singles are defined as young adults living alone; Allround was made for fast relief for adults. Young singles, being largely independent, require fast and effective relief from cold symptoms. Empty nesters are classified as older people whose households are now empty. Mature families are also a large group of interest. Mature families usually have older children and are less cautious of the side effects on a teen. The parents of the household are also usually middle aged and still in the workforce, this is a perfect demographic for a fast relief cold medicine. Retired is an important, but already established, market for Allround. Due to this fact the company should focus less advertising on retirees. People past the point of retirement have already been largely exposed to the product. The chance of acquiring new customers from this demographic is low, and the advertising opportunity is past its prime. The marketing team has decided against advertising to young families, at least for the moment. Young families are especially concerned with side effects of medicine. Many families with young children won’t be as interested in adult cold medicines. Therefore, advertising efforts should be focused elsewhere. Allround should look into developing a child’s cold medicine in the future; bundle that with the original formula and market it to young families. Recommendations: Our recommendations are focused on the initial four major company expressed at the beginning of this report. First we will discuss how to improve our product, and by extension customer satisfaction, as well as possible new product lines. Second, we will focus on product placement and improving distribution channels. Third, we discuss possible pricing options and contingencies. Finally, promotion plans and increasing our circulation through major markets. The Allround product is a well recommended and widely trusted OTC cold and allergy medication. To maintain this image we need to further show our customers that we are listening. A major issue with current customers is the alcohol content, and resulting side effects, of the current Allround formula. To improve Allround’s image even further we must reformulate the current product to rid it of alcohol while still maintaining its effectiveness. Customers have also expressed interest in chest decongestant; by again reformulating the product we can add expectorant to further the overall quality of cold symptom relief. A final possibility would be to explore new product line options, such as an improved Allround product or a child’s cold medicine, to diversify the company and reach more markets. Allround has a very high shelf stock, however due to a large number of new competitors this number is decreasing. The first recommendation regarding placement of the product would be to increase the number of detailers to increase support of wholesalers and merchandisers; it is recommended that the number of initial detailers be at least doubled. Secondly, support must be shown for independent drugstores, therefore it is advised that the company allocate more of its sales force to that resource. Finally, more advertising and trial promotions need to be focused on chain drugstores and grocery stores. Allround has consistently been one of the higher priced OTC cold and allergy medicines, justified by its proven quality. Price is more mercurial than other factors in marketing; pricing must be determined on a yearly basis. Inflation rate and marketing forecast must be closely monitored to determine the companie’s actions regarding price. If the market outlook is favorable then price increase should match that of inflation rate; if the market outlook is not favorable the price increase must stay below inflation rate. Following this plan should ensure sales will follow a steady or upward trend, minimizing loss. Allround tries, and largely succeeds, at being a household name. To ensure this stays true promotion must be increased to compete with the influx of competition into the market, to do this we go back to reformulating the product. Due to Allrounds alcohol content, and subsequent side effects, doctors are more apt to recommend competitors with alcohol-free products. Removing the alcohol content would go great lengths in increasing doctor and pharmacist recommendations. More focus needs to be placed on trial promotions, while couponing should stay the same for the base product. Promotion funds need to be more targeted toward our major retailers, chain drug stores and grocery stores, as these largely use circulars and other promotional strategies.

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

History - Essay Example In the 1890 and 1915 elections in the Unite States, the republicans and the democrats joined to draft state laws prohibiting third party candidates from having third names on the ballot in presidential elections. Third party candidates are more likely to win elections easily at the local level which may cost a lot in other aspects of the elections according to Bibby and Schaffner (278). In avoiding this, the American government adopts a unique electoral system of winner-takes-all which allows the domination of two parties only. The third party candidate is said to add more weight on either of the two candidates in an attempt to improve their political agenda after elections. Although these third party candidates rarely emerge as winners, they may have an impact on the elections. For instance they mostly accused with issue of spoiler impact. This is because they it is likely for them expose issues which majority parties may ignore. If the issue is accepted by the voters, the major par ties may adopt it into their party platform. Another impact of third party candidates is that they can be used to pass a protest vote as a type of referendum on a significant issue. This may have the effect of an important issue being voted against due to disagreements between the major parties.

International Dispute Settlement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Dispute Settlement - Essay Example This paper will even focus on the difference between municipal courts and methods for settling international disputes. Body Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR is an umbrella term used for various methods used to settle disputes in the international arena (August, 2009). These methods are used when two international parties end up disagreeing with each other; these methods are used when parties want to solve the dispute without going to courts. There are various advantages and disadvantages associated with this sort of dispute settlement process. International parties resort to this sort of dispute settlement because this method saves money. When dispute cases are taken to courts, a lot of cost is involved. These costs include: fees for hiring and deploying a lawyer, fees of creating and obtaining documentation and court fees. When ADR is used as a method to resolve dispute, cost of hiring lawyers and court fees is eradicated. This method is best for those parties who are in a conflic t in which too much money is not involved. When cases go to municipal courts, the cases catch the eyes of the public and media. Due to this the positive impression of good companies that trade internationally is hampered. This benefit of ADR secures the privacy of the parties involved and due to this method; companies do not have to be held accountable for sharing their private information with the public. Disputes that are taken to the court experience heavy amount of wastage of time, it takes years to settle a dispute in courts. In case of ADR, disputes end up being solved in as low as two to three weeks time period. The time period spend on solving a dispute through ADR is dependant on how soon parties are ready to sit with a panelist to resolve the conflict. Hen disputes are settled in courts, the entire process is controlled by the supreme one that is the judge. In ADR the parties have certain control over the process selection and selection of the panelist which is conducted a fter reviewing a list of experienced panelist. The main advantage of this type of dispute settlement is that this method can lead to a win situation for both the parties; this feature of ADR is rarely present in municipal court cases (August, 2009). There are several upsides of resolving dispute through ADR, but this method is not short of downsides. One of the major downsides of ADR is that it is not enforceable by law, this means that the parties have a free will whether to abide by the resolution or not. On the other hand, disputes resolved in the court of law are enforced and the law ensures that the parties involved abide by the decision. Secondly, equally justice may not take place because the stronger party may be able to direct the resolution in his favor which will result in a loss for the other party. The panelist of ADR might not have expertise equal to the expertise of a judge; therefore he/she might not be able to resolve the conflict in a highly professional manner (Au gust, 2009). International Tribunals ADR is a dispute solving method which is not processed under legal circumstances; on the other hand there are ways through which international problems can be resolved through judiciary procedures. These methods are recognized as international tribunals, there are various such courts including the WTO and the ICJ. The advantages of such tribunals are that

Domestic Terrorism History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Domestic Terrorism History - Term Paper Example The terror acts carried out include violent demonstrations destroying property, using any weapon that harms life especially use of grenades, poisonous gases, machine guns and others. Domestic terrorism can have gross effects on a nation as those carrying out the attacks are living among the people they want to attack. A government should be aware of the possible risk of terrorism from within and take the necessary precautions. The American government is wary of domestic terrorism more than any nation. The government comprises of several states coming together to form one hierarchical ruler -ship. The issue of mixed race also increases the chances of occurrence of domestic terrorism as one race rises against the other (Hewitt, 2003). Different religions all demanding a voice exist .Human right activists are very assertive and can stage demonstrations to air their grievances or influence one group of people against the other. With all these possible risks of terror from within, the int elligence unit has a responsibility of ensuring that the people enjoy security and peace. Domestic terrorism therefore still poses a great threat to America’s security. In the recent past, several cases of domestic attacks appear in police reports. There was the case of a man who tried to harm people in a large building with poisonous gas. Luckily, police arrested before he could execute his mission. A different case in record was when a group of people broke windows of democratic offices expressing their dissatisfaction with the services they offered. These people demanded more from them. Reported also are several other cases of people plotting out attacks and making orders for materials for use in such attacks. Other Americans reported to oppose some military activities staged a protest. According to Cleto (1999), other reports of domestic violence are cases whereby scientists face accusations of engaging in bio-terrorism either intentionally or accidentally. In such cases, chemical toxins or harmful biological materials are released into the environment, harming human or the environment. These scientists compromise on the rules of bio-security and therefore leak material. In other cases, potential terrorists gain entry into laboratories and access hazardous material. According to the rules of bio-security, such material should be inaccessible. This type of terrorism can cause gross negative effects on the environment and on man. Scientists are educated on the procedures or ensuring responsibility. In addition, they should be more aware of the people gaining entry into research laboratories. The research laboratories are fitted with a tight security system to minimize entry of unauthorized personnel. Despite all these prevention measures, bioterrorism poses a risk of harm in America. After America managed to defeat al-Qaeda, a new form of domestic terrorism evolved. Members of this group have been attempting to buy Americans, train them, and supply th em with weapons. These Americans can therefore plot terror attacks in their own country with little suspicion. Non-patriotic Americans can agree to an agreement of this type and therefore pose a threat to society. A terror attack of this type is risky as it is not easy to identify such individuals. Another form of domestic terrorism occurs when the military are involved in extra-judicial killings. In this case, the military that is supposed to protect the people harms the people. Cases like these may occur