The effect of The Simpsons on our families Essay Example For Students

The effect of The Simpsons on our families Essay The effect of The Simpsons on our familiesmon/wed/fri,8:00AmThe Simpsons is one of Americas most popular televisionshows. It ranks as the number one television program for viewers undereighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveysare not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It isinevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children, but how bad. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a freeweekly newspaper. He began working on Life in Hell, a humorous comicstrip consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked upa copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hellgradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies andcollege newspapers across the country. It even developed a cultstatus. Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producerof works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms ofEndearment. Brooks originally wanted Groening to make an animatedpilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear ofloosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groeningpresented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with ablue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. We will write a custom essay on The effect of The Simpsons on our families specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Groening intended for them to represent the typical American familywho love each other and drive each other crazy. Groening named thecharacters after his own family. His parents were named Homer andMargaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bartwas an anagram for brat. Groening chose the last name Simpson tosound like the typical American family name. Brooks decided to put the30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Showon the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta andJulie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (laterto star in Hermans Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright didthe voice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for manycartoons, including Galaxy High, Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks,Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman lateradded Cartwright to her cast. Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, TracyUllmans producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their ownshow. The Fox network was looking for material to appeal to youngerviewers. The only show they had that drew a young audience wasMarried With Children. To Foxs pleasure, The Simpsons saved thenetwork from near failure. On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons gottheir break. The Christmas special, Simpsons Roasting on an OpenFire aired. In the episode, Bart got a tattoo, much to Margesdislike. She quickly spent all of the familys Christmas money toremove Barts tattoo with a laser. At the same time, Homer, still onhis morning coffee break at 4:00 in the afternoon, learns that he willnot receive a Christmas bonus. When he learns that Marge is relying onthe money for Christmas, he decides that he will do the Christmasshopping for the year. He quickly buys Marge panty hose, Bart paper,Lisa crayons, and Maggie a dog toy. When he realizes that he is notdoing very well, he gets a second job as a mall Santa for the extramoney. On the way home from work, he steals a Christmas tree. The nextday at the mal l, Bart sits on his Dads lap and pulls down his beard. Homer responds by choking Bart and making him help make Christmasbetter. On Christmas Eve, Homer receives his check, $13.70 for over 40hours work. Homer takes Bart to the dog track as a final chance forChristmas money. They discovered a gem in the third race, SantasLittle Helper. How could this dog loose on Christmas Eve? The oddswere 99 to one, they were going to be rich. Homer put all of his moneyon Santas Little Helper, and to his horror, he never even finished. .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .postImageUrl , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:hover , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:visited , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:active { border:0!important; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:active , .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473 .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7239dd6676efef0b38f30149dbac4473:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In the constructivist classroom EssayAs Homer and Bart were scouring the parking lot for winning ticketsinto the night, they saw the track manager throw out a dog. It was notjust any dog, it was Santas Little Helper. When Bart and Homer camehome to their worried family, they had a good Christmas after all. Nowthey had a dog. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was not thetypical Christmas story. It dealt with body art, sleeping in the workplace, sibling rivalry, stealing a Christmas tree, a misbehaved son,and gambling. Although it was unorthodox, it was very successful. TheFox network decided to air it again on Christmas Eve. In a little over a month, The Simpsons made its debut as aweekly show, Bart the Genius was the first regular episode. In themiddle of a feared assessment test, Bart switches his test with thecompleted one of Nelson Prince, Class Nerd. Bart and his parents arecalled into Principal Seymour Skinners office where they are toldthat Bart has a 216 IQ. (Homer thought is was 912.) Skinner requeststhat Bart attends The Enriched Learning Center for Children. Suddenly,Homer takes a liking to his son. They joke together, play balltogether, embarrass Marge at an opera together. (Toreador, oh dontspit on the floor. Use the cuspidor. Thats what its for. Bart singsalong with the opera Carmen.) Soon at Barts old school, SpringfieldElementary School, Barts graffiti is roped off and tagged, ThePrincipal. By Bart Simpson. IQ 216. Barts friend no longer like him,they refer to him as Poindexter. The kids at his new school trick himinto giving up his lunch. In frank, Bart is miserable. Then, afterturning h imself green in an uneducated science experiment, Bartreveals to his new principal that he cheated on the test. That night,as Homer is helping Bart clean himself off, Bart tells Homer the same. Homer instantly transforms into a murderous rampage again. The episodeends with Bart locking himself in his room and Homer trying to knockdown the door so he can tear Bart into pieces. Soon, Simpsons merchandise was all over America. Every kidwanted an Underachiever and Proud of It, Man or an Im BartSimpson, Who the Hell Are You? shirt. Hats could be seen everywherethat had Bart dressed like a devil saying Go For It, Dude! or withHomer, his arms open, lunging forward saying Why You Little. Themost popular shirt was a family picture with Homer choking Bart. During the first week of school in 1990, two thirds of the sixthgraders in America wore Simpsons paraphernalia. As the popularity ofThe Simpsons grew, so did parents fears. To their horror, BartSimpson became a role model. Aye Carumba! was a popular expressionamong kids. Almost anything a child did wrong was attributed to lastSundays Simpsons. Bad ideas continued to be broadcast into kidsminds. In the third episode, a baby-sitter robbed the Simpson householdof most of its belongings. In the fourth episode, Homer caused anuclear accident, got fired, and attempted suicide. Bart stole thehead off of the statue of Jebidiah Springfield, Springfields founderin the sixth episode. In the eighth episode, Bart took a picture ofHomer with an exotic dancer and distributed them to the entire town. Marge had an affair in the ninth episode. Homer stole cable, andalmost everything else imaginable in the fifteenth episode. This isclearly not the kind of behavior we want our children to learn. The Simpsons is often viewed as one of the biggest threats toChristianity. The Simpson family goes to church on a regular basis,but Bart and Homer loath it. A typical Sunday School conversation isas follows: Child: Will my dog, Fluffy go to heaven? Sunday SchoolTeacher: No Other Child: How about my cat? Teacher: No, Heaven isonly for people. Bart: What if my leg gets gangrene and has to beamputated? Will it be waiting for me in heaven? Teacher: Yes Bart:What about a robot with a human brain? Teacher: I dont know! Is alittle blind faith too much to ask for? The pastor, Reverend Lovejoyis a hypocrite. In 22 Short Films About Springfield he leads his dogto the Flanders yard to go to the bathroom. He praises the dog untilNed Flanders comes outside. He then acts angry and threatens the dogwith hell. When Ned leaves, he praises the dog again. In one episode,Homer quits going to church and falls in love with life. He claims tohave his own religion so he doesnt have to go to work on holidays ,such as the Feast of Maximum Occupancy. .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .postImageUrl , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:hover , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:visited , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:active { border:0!important; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:active , .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub76398977ee76d2060a0364a2414d18e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Diabetes Mellitus EssayThe Simpsons is not just an enemy of Christianity, though. Inone episode, where Krusty the Clown is reunited with his father, arabbi, almost the entire episode is spent making fun of Judaism. Lisaasks Bart, Do you know what a rabbis most valued possession is?Bart replied, I dunno, those stupid little hats. Hinduism isconstantly joked with by using East Indian, Kwik-E-Mart clerk, ApuMahasapeemapitalon. Apu is once asked is he is Hindu. He replied, Bythe thousand arms of Bishna, I swear it is a lie. Homer Simpsondefinitely has the worst influence on children. Once, Homer overheardRalph Wiggum say the he would do anything for Lisa. In the next scene,Ral ph is coating the Simpsons roof in tar. Ralph calls out, Mr. Simpson, the tar fumes are making me dizzy. Homer, relaxing in ahammock replies, nonchalantly, Yeah, theyll do that. Homer fits thegenera of the parent who pressures his kid to do well in sports. Inone episode, after Bart scored a winning goal, Homer congratulatedhim, Okay Bart, you won the hockey game. Now, just as I promised,heres your turtle, alive and unhurt.Personally, I believe that The Simpsons affects children, butnot necessarily in a bad way. Children never hurt themselves mimickingThe Three Stooges, nor do they with The Simpsons. Almost everyepisode ends with a family that loves each other. Some episodes haveanswered the question of them affecting children on their own. Once,Marge began to protest Itchy and Scratchy cartoons. Itchy is apsychopathic mouse whos only purpose is to kill and torture Scratchy,a cat. Nearing the end of the episode, Marge realizes that Itchy andScratchy is not hurting anyone. They take a satirical view to thesituation when a group of mothers try to stop Michaelangelos Davidfrom visiting the Springfield Museum of Art by means that it ispornographic. Unlike many sitcoms, The Simpsons is more likeeveryday life. Homer works in a power plant. In many other sitcoms,the father works a popular job, such as an accountant, or with atelevision studio. The Simpson family is not a wealthy family livingin a $300,000 house. Many children can relate to this. In some cases, The Simpsons is educational. Karen Brecze creditsHomer Simpson with saving her 8-year-old son, Alexs life. Bence, ofAuburn, Washington, says the boy was choking on an orange when his 10-year-old brother, Chris, used the Heimlich maneuver, which he learnedfrom Homer at the Bat, where Homer is choking on a doughnut. UnlikeAlex, Homer doesnt receive help and coughs up the doughnut as his co-workers look at the Heimlich maneuver poster. The Simpsons affects kids, just as anything around them will. Perhaps people fear The Simpsons because they can see a little ofthe Simpsons in themselves. We all have inner childs trying to getout that behave just like Bart. We all do pull a Homer sometimes. Itjust happens. The show doesnt make us do it. It just happens. If thisworld did not have The Simpsons children would behave in the samemanner, they just might laugh quite as much.

Free Essays on Security Vs. Freedom

What Are You Willing to Lose? In a blink of an eye, a piece of America’s heart came tumbling to the ground on September 11. Before we knew why and how, two symbols of our great nation and thousands of lives were gone. As we begin to rebuild and recover, we must decide what is more important to us as a country, security or freedom? House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) has already conceded, "We're not going to have all the openness and freedom we have had." Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) takes an even harder line, saying, "When you're at war, civil liberties are treated differently."(Pena) At the same time you hear people calling to keep their freedoms, they are asking for more security. What kind of securities are they looking for? Airports are definitely at the top of the list, since the attacks on September 11 did occur as a result of poor security at airports. The federal government proposes to step in and take over as airport security all over the country. They want to give the security guards the right to search everyone that goes into, and possibly out of, the airport. They also want to include an armed federal marshal on most commercial flights. They have already called up 50,000 National Guard soldiers for – among other things – â€Å"air and ground security, port security, and civil affairs.†(Pena) This will hopefully deter any more attacks on the nation’s airplanes or airports. Measures such as these make our free country look like a police state. Since the attacks people have been on heightened alert about other terrorist attacks such as chemical or biological attacks. These include the setting off nerve gasses such as VX or sarin and the threat of unleashing diseases such as small pox or anthrax. To prevent attacks the government has temporarily suspended the use of crop dusters and is asking many pharmaceutical companies to manufacture more antidotes and vaccines for various ... Free Essays on Security Vs. Freedom Free Essays on Security Vs. Freedom What Are You Willing to Lose? In a blink of an eye, a piece of America’s heart came tumbling to the ground on September 11. Before we knew why and how, two symbols of our great nation and thousands of lives were gone. As we begin to rebuild and recover, we must decide what is more important to us as a country, security or freedom? House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) has already conceded, "We're not going to have all the openness and freedom we have had." Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) takes an even harder line, saying, "When you're at war, civil liberties are treated differently."(Pena) At the same time you hear people calling to keep their freedoms, they are asking for more security. What kind of securities are they looking for? Airports are definitely at the top of the list, since the attacks on September 11 did occur as a result of poor security at airports. The federal government proposes to step in and take over as airport security all over the country. They want to give the security guards the right to search everyone that goes into, and possibly out of, the airport. They also want to include an armed federal marshal on most commercial flights. They have already called up 50,000 National Guard soldiers for – among other things – â€Å"air and ground security, port security, and civil affairs.†(Pena) This will hopefully deter any more attacks on the nation’s airplanes or airports. Measures such as these make our free country look like a police state. Since the attacks people have been on heightened alert about other terrorist attacks such as chemical or biological attacks. These include the setting off nerve gasses such as VX or sarin and the threat of unleashing diseases such as small pox or anthrax. To prevent attacks the government has temporarily suspended the use of crop dusters and is asking many pharmaceutical companies to manufacture more antidotes and vaccines for various ...

Apple Inc. Business Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple Inc. Business Analysis - Essay Example The organization’s current strengths are multi-varied. Perhaps Apple’s greatest current strength is its competitive advantages. From the earliest incarnations of Apple Computer the company sought to carve out a competitive advantage through horizontal and vertical integration that restricted external product licensing ("Apple computer, inc.," 2011). Today among Apple’s strongest products are the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and the Mac book. These elements have a strong presence in everyday recreation uses, artistic practices, and education. In addition, they are supported by Apple’s globally strong brand. Another prominent advantage is Apple’s attention to design elements. Building products from the ground up allows Apple to implement innovative design elements that create a loyal customer base. One considers the iMac released in 1998 with its eggshell design as prominently implementing this technique ("Apple computer, inc.," 2011). This design advantage al so extends into Apple’s image. Apple, Inc. increasingly cultivates an image that presents itself as the alternative choice to mainstream computer producers. This has allowed Apple to become a cultural force resulting in significant market advantage. The iPhone contains Apple’s unique operating system, allowing it significant quality advantage over competitors ("Apple -- iphone," 2011). Indeed, quality product design has become one of the driving forces of Apple’s success and has created a significant competitive barrier for outside manufacturers, such as Google (Gilbertson, 2010). One must also consider the iPhone’s competitive advantage in terms of its position in the Apple whole. In these regards, Apple has been able to leverage its competitive position in mp3 with iTunes and its compatibility with the Macintosh operating system as a means of encouraging user identification (Schramm, 2011). The Apple App Store also provides the organization with a uniqu e advantage over other smart phone suppliers. In addition, Apple’s implementation of Siri voice activation technology will surely drive an amount of future sales. Weaknesses While Apple, Inc. has a number of strengths one must consider their potential weaknesses. One of the largest questions of the organization is the extent that they can continue their current unprecedented streak of innovation and growth. Perhaps the greatest challenge in this realm of understanding considers that company founder Steve Jobs recently died; significant questions remain as to whether new CEO Tim Cook will be able to continue this past success. While the Apple App store is a highly important element in the iPhone’s success the Android Marketplace has begun developing a number of competitive applications as a means of threatening Apple’s smart phone sustainability (Wauters, 2011). In addition, Microsoft has developed a new smart phone design and will pose new challenges to Appleâ⠂¬â„¢s overarching market share. Still, the greatest weakness is that while Apple has leveraged market share through product innovation the open source models have been able to reengineer many of Apple’s innovations. While Apple has engaged in a series of patent lawsuits, notably a recent victory over HTC, the extent that this remains a viable strategy remains greatly questionable. Furthermore, Google’s position as a cornerstone of the Internet, coupled with the

Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your Essay

Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your area of interest - Essay Example 1048). The most common (30%) nosocomial infection is catheter-associated UTI, or CAUTI. The strongest factor in determining whether or not CAUTI will occur is the actual duration of catheterization. Other factors that can contribute to the development of CAUTI include age, diabetes mellitus, female sex, and elevated serum creatinine levels. Most patients with CAUTI do not show any symptoms, so treatment typically does not occur while the catheter is in place (Wazait, et.al., 2004). The recent surge in resistant antimicrobials has complicated the use of systemic antibiotics. Typically, no rationale based on evidence is in existence to support the use of prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the occurrence of CAUTI after catheters have been removed. "A recent national multidisciplinary survey of healthcare professionals (by the present authors) showed a vast diversity in the practice (unpublished data). The aim of the present pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to assess if a short course of ciprofloxacin starting at the time of catheter removal reduced the UTI rate after removal (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1048). It took a total of four months to recruit enough patients to take part in the study. These patients were taken from both medical and surgical wards in the authors' hospital. In order to qualify for the study, patients had to have been catheterized for 2-7 days. There were a number of exclusion criteria including the following: recent genitourinary surgery, the receipt of antibiotics within the preceding 48 hours, the inability to consent to the study, impaired renal function, pregnancy or breastfeeding, epilepsy, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a history showing disorders of quinolone-related tendon disorders, or quinolone allergies (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Age, sex, reason for catheterization, and comorbidity were among the background data collected from the patients participating in the study. Ethical committee approval on the local level was obtained for the study. Eligible patients provided written consent to take place in the study. "Patients were assigned randomly to receive a 48-h course of either ciprofloxacin (400 mg 12-hourly) or placebo tablets starting 2 h before catheter removal. Randomization was confirmed by a computer-generated list. The ciprofloxacin and placebo were packaged into identical containers by an independent pharmacy, and all staff involved at any stage of the double-blind trial were unaware of the medication given to the patients" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Just before the start of the medication, a catheter specimen of urine (CSU) was taken from each patient. "At the follow-up 7 and 14 days after catheter removal, patients completed a questionnaire for UTI symptoms, and mid-stream urine (MSU samples were collected. Patients who could not be seen in hospital were followed up by a home visit" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Standard collection and laboratory procedures to keep the samples pure and separate before, during, and after testing were followed in order to ensure accurate results (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Of the original 52 patients that were scheduled to take place in the trial, four had been excluded for one or more of the reasons listed above. 25 of the remaining 48 patients received ciprofloxacin, and 23 of them

Balanced Budget Amendment 1997 Analysis

Balanced Budget Amendment 1997 Analysis Balanced Budget Amendment Vu Luu Introduction In March 4, 1997, the balanced budget amendment was defeated in the United States Senate by just one vote. Fast forward to the present, the United States is facing a $17 trillion deficit versus the $5 trillion in 1997. The question that remains to be asked is had the balanced budget amendment passed the United States Senate and approved by Congress in 1997, would we be facing the debt crisis that we are facing today? Based on my conclusion, the answer that I believe is no, the debt crisis would not have been as severe as it is today. In this paper I will argue why the United States need a national balanced budget amendment in the constitution. In particular, I will discuss the following points to back up my claim; future implications if no changes in policies and solving government spending. As the United States’ federal deficit continues to grow, many are asking for a balanced budget amendment to be added to the constitution. A balanced budget amendment would require the federal government not to spend more than it receives in revenue. This means it would be unconstitutional and against the law for the federal government to accumulate budget deficits. THE NATIONAL DEBT ISN’T GOING TO GO AWAY According to the 2012 Congressional Budget Office report, our current policies will eventually lead to a federal debt that would eventually reach a 90% gross domestic product by 2022, 109% by 2026, and 200% by 2037 (CBO 11). These estimates are based on the assumption that our current laws remain generally unchanged and that our spending policies which is the cause of the accumulation of budget deficits remain the same. The CBO budget estimates are also based on forecasts of economic state, demographic trends, and past experience. The other interesting estimate that the CBO reported was that even if there were general changes in our current laws, they estimate that the budget deficit would reach about 60% of GDP by 2020 which is only 10% lower than our current situation (CBO 7). As indicated by the chart above, our annual deficit through 2021 would never drop below $1 trillion dollars under current policies. Although the main cause of the spike in deficit spending from 2008-2011 was mainly due to the recession, the Congressional Budget Office doesn’t believe the United States would recover under current laws. The balance budget amendment does allow exception, which in this case is the recession. If the national balance budget amendment was in place then after 2011, the annual deficit would only go down because of the radical budget changes in programs. It’s pretty apparent that the money we are borrowing is increasing more and more, but what will happen when it reaches that point when we have to start repaying these loans? The government textbook gives us a great example of what happened to Greece when they couldn’t pay off all their loans. The interest rates on Greek government went way up and by 2011, they had to pay 25% to obtain a two-year loan from private sector (Sidlow 6). Compared to the United States, we are paying a mere 0.44% compared to the 25% Greece had to pay. The ending results in the Greek government shut out of private borrowing and had to depend on other European countries. The Greece example and the CBO’s estimates are huge future implications and urge for huge changes in our policies which I believe is the federal balanced budget amendment. CALIFORNIA BALANCED BUDGET AND FEDERAL BALANCED BUDGET Although most states in the United States have a balanced budget amendment, the federal government does not and usually work with a deficit. California has struggled with the state deficit ever since the 2002 recession. They were in a deficit of more than $20 billion in 2003 and had to force drastic cuts to meet their budget (Gerston 104). In 2011, the state was in a $26 billion deficit and Jerry Brown had to take drastic measures and force more cuts in programs. All this summarizes to one thing and that is they took care of their problems with minimal support. The current federal government under the Obama administration doesn’t seem to be taking drastic measures to cut federal deficit. Instead, it seems the federal government is spending more than ever. One example of wasteful spending that I found is the building of an unused $75.5 million airport and a $29 million harbor with no roads in Alaska in 2012 (Yahoo). It’s really questionable for them to use stimulus money for these projects. The building of the unused airport and harbor is an indicator that not all politicians share the same view. The ones that run the country and the ones that run a state may have opposing views and that could bring up different priorities. According to the Government Accountability Office, the United States is on an unsustainable path because of the emphasis on Medicare and Social Security spending (Wikipedia). President Obama is known for his emphasis on Medicare and that could be contagious to other politicians. What I am trying to draw from this is that if President Clinton, who had a surplus during his administration, was still the president then I don’t think we would have an overspending problem. President Clinton attacked the deficit by balancing the budget through ordinary fiscal policy and raising taxes (Wikipedia), whereas President Obama doesn’t seem to be drastically cutting spending or raising taxes. WHY THE NATIONAL DEBT IS ONLY GROWING The United States would never recover from this deficit unless they fix one problem and that is overspending. The revenue the public generates is fine, so that isn’t the problem. The problem lies with the government and the excessive spending. Congress has three options concerning spending which are 1) they can cut it, 2)raise tax rates, or 3) pass it to the localized government. From my perspective, it seems like they did none of these and chose to spend money that isn’t budgeted which essentially only adds more to the deficit. The graph above shows the average spending from 1960-2009 which is 20.3%. Notice how when spending increase, revenue also increase. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the situation we are in. We are currently sitting at an all-time high spending of 24.7% whereas our revenue is at an all-time low of 14.8% (The Heritage Foundation). The sensible action to be taken in this situation is to decrease spending, which we obviously haven’t. If Congress is mandated to balance the budget, it would determine which programs are inefficient and would spend money more rationally. If the balanced budget amendment passes, I believe it would decrease overspending because it would require the president to submit to Congress a balanced federal budget each year. According to Steven Calabresi, a professor at Northwestern University and co-founder of the Federalist Society, Congress should be constitutionally required to hold a vote with the president’s projected budget in 3 months and with the president and Congress having a time period of up to six months to accept a final budget (The American Spectator). If they fail to adopt a final budget during the allocated amount of time, all federal spending except payments on the debt should be frozen. In conclusion, if we are to solve are national deficit then we should start focusing on the national balanced budget amendment. The balance budget amendment will force the president to submit and a balanced federal budget each year with the president and Congress both agreeing on the final budget. Overall, this will decrease overspending which is the main cause of our increasingly deficit. Works Cited 1.The 2012 Long-Term Budget Outlook. Publication no. 43288. N.p.: n.p., n.d.Congressional Budget Office. Web. 15 May 2014. http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43288 . 2.Sidlow, Edward, and Beth Henschen.GOVT, 4th, Student Edition. N.p.: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. 3.Gerston, Larry N., and Terry Christensen.California Politics and Government: A Practical Approach. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2014. Print. 4. National Debt of the United States.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 May 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_of_the_United_States . 5. Balanced Budget Amendment.Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_budget_amendment#George_H._W._Bush_and_Ross_Perot . 6. Pfeiffer, Eric. Alaskan Town Home to Airport with No Planes and Harbor with No Road.Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 May 2014. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/alaskan-town-home-airport-no-planes-harbor-no-230803871.html . 7. Riedl, Brian. New CBO Budget Baseline Reveals Permanent Trillion-Dollar Deficits.The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation, 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 May 2014. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/01/new-cbo-budget-baseline-reveals-permanent-trillion-dollar-deficits . 8. Calabresi, Steven. The Answer Is a Balanced Budget Amendment.The American Spectator. The American Spectator, Oct. 2011. Web. 15 May 2014. http://spectator.org/articles/36823/answer-balanced-budget-amendment .

Administrator Interview Essay

For class I was to find and administrator in charge of hiring CTE teachers and find the answers to ten interview questions. I am fortunate enough to be teaching at a CTE school and was able to interview my principal. I interviewed Principal Tom Ryan, who’s the main campus principal The interview was held face to face in his office on September 28, 2012. This interview was very helpful in learning an administrator’s views and thoughts of important issues associated with CTE teachers and CTE programs. Mr. Ryan was very detailed and honest during the interview. I started the interview by asking Mr. Ryan what strengths and weakness he has seen in new CTE instructors. He thought for a moment before giving a very thought out response. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay The strengths ; knowledge of subject content, familiarity with current pedagogy, compliant because not tenured, enthusiastic, recent employment in industry related field-familiar with real world operations, Weaknesses: uncertified –salary reduction, classroom management skills, not used to working in government bureaucracy, unrealistic expectations pertain to student enthusiasm and behavior, unfamiliar with operating procedures, typically experienced in field but not educated in effective teaching techniques and strategies. (T.  Ryan, personal communication, September 27, 2012). After reflecting upon his answer there was one point that stands out the most. I strongly agree with his thoughts that new teachers have a difficult time dealing with class management strategies. College prepares one academically for over three years but only offer a short time of practicum experience in the field. When teachers learn to effectively implement classroom management strategies and discipline they can engage students in learning activities for more than 90 percent of allocated time (Cangelosi, 1990, pp. 3-20). Mr. Ryan shared his thoughts of what skills he believed would best help newly hired teachers. Beyond subject knowledge a new teacher should be prepared to teach students life skill. Students must learn how to successfully interact with people in the work world 21st century skills. CTE teachers to become an asset for their schools must have enthusiasm, be a team player, willingness to go the extra mile, establish rapport with students and staff, and collaboration with colleagues. All of these qualities are needed in any job and are taught to our students under 1st Century Learning Skills. Next, I posed the question to Mr. Ryan if you had two applicants for a teaching position in your CTE department, what factors would you use to select any one of them and why? He responded that he would evaluate their ability to communicate, knowledge of subject matter, recent industry experience, ability to demonstrate skills, and ones perceived ability given in a 45 minute interview to fit into the educational environment –why? He simply stated, â€Å"Because these are the skills necessary to successfully teach† (T.  Ryan, personal communication, September 27, 2012). Before I could ask the next question Mr. Ryan spoke of how he perceived the purpose of CTE. We agreed that the purpose of CTE was to prepare students with entry level skills, and to expose them to current industry practices as well as to give them the soft skills 21st Century skills they will need to be successful in the work world or continuing education. One enrolls in a technical education center in order to gain employment upon graduation or move on to post-secondary education. Following the above conversation we switched gears and talked about reasons an educator would be relieved of their position. We discussed that there could be many factors that cause one to lose their job such as poor performance, layoffs due to economy, or program closures. A major factor in letting go of an employee relies on if the educator is tenured or not. Mr. Ryan stated there are three main reasons that would cause the dismissal of a certified teacher. The two he focused on was immoral or unethical behavior, and incompetence. I feel that these are fireable offensive for any job. A teacher must lead by example one should not ask others to do what they cannot Once a new instructor is hired they are assigned a mentor. A mentor’s job is to monitor the new instructors’ progress and provide feedback. This gives the instructor a forum to express the difficulties they encounter in adapting to the new work environment so that it becomes utopia. I shared that when I was first hired I found a mentor to be very helpful. When you first start teaching one has many questions that often the administrator does not have time for and/or the teacher feels uncomfortable asking. There have been many studies done that all show a well-developed mentoring program for new teachers can contribute to the quality of their practice. Moreover, many researchers state that these programs show the education system’s commitment to producing well prepared and successful teachers. Mr. Ryan spoke of the different ways that CTE programs could improve. Financing program was at the top of his list. This would allow programs obtain industry level equipment, provide proper staffing, and allow students the opportunity to participate in more internship opportunities by offering transportation. Transportation currently is the one factor preventing many students from obtaining internship positions. Financing would also provide academic support to help students gain the necessary job skills, life skills. Funding would allow for education of reading comprehension skills that will allow them to navigate new information and equip them with reasoning skills so they are able to apply critical thinking to new situations in an ever changing world. This just reiterates the fact of how important the Carl D.  Perkins Act was for CTE education. Lastly, we talked about reforms and what he would suggest for improving CTE programs and how teachers could prepare for such reforms. His biggest goal even though he thought was unlikely to occur was a shift the bureaucracy to allocating funds to actual instructional needs. Next, he felt it was important for our school to continue to strive for an instructional environment that would maximizes resources to allow all students to not be left behind.

Google ‘s mission statements Essay

1. How is Google’s mission statement related to its business strategy? Google is an organization that provide information to the world in which it can be accessible easily and letting people make use of the information and to make the world’s information universally accessible and useful. Google is always takes risk, because they really want to expand their market size so that it can reach the world. 2. How does Google’s information systems strategy support its business strategy? Google’s information systems strategy supports its business strategy. The implementing an innovation strategy in the firm for moderates the relationship between the market information system and organizational responsiveness. Innovation strategies value creative new ideas and promote risk taking to experiment with new ways or new approaches to various organizational activities. The sense-making process, the firm with an innovative strategy may construct  more novel or creative responses to the generated and shared information than the firm without an innovative strategy and firms without pursuing an innovative strategy, firms pursuing an innovative strategy are more willing to allocate resources to activities that respond to potential market opportunities and to test new ideas . So, the relationship between the market information system and organizational responsiveness is stronger in firms pursuing an innovative strategy than in firms that are not pursuing an innovative strategy. 3. How does Google’s organizational strategy support its business strategy? Google let data for a project that is going on and also let its systems to be accessible by all its employees through the help of company with Intranet. Intranet is an internal or private network of an organization based on Internet technology and accessed over the Internet. Google is let this be accessible because, they feel they might be other employees that may have idea of the work or project going on in other department. 4. Which of Porter’s three generic strategies does Google appear to be using ? There are three basic classifications strategy by Porter, which are cost Leadership , Differentiation and Focus, which target either a broad or a narrow market segment. Porter’s Three Generic Strategies Google is using Differentiation Generic Strategic , Google try to differentiate its search engine style different from other search engines and also how the ad style are been advertise is also different. The use of innovative processes for business is a unique business model. Google mission which is â€Å"to organize the world’sinformation and make it universally accessible and useful† shows that Google targeted to broad  market scope. Google also made its interface simple and easy touse compare to its rivals. Which most of it rivals have recently copied from Google.Google kept on investing on its employees so they can capture the big market or world. 5. Using D’Aveni’s Hypercompetitive Framework, analyze Google’s strategy and the type of market disruption it has created. D’Aveni’s Hypercompetitive Framework Google’s strategy and the type of market disruption it has created using a dynamic environment perspective. Google positions for speed and surprise by constantly innovating by setting limitations on how long it will take to make changes to its products and services. Through its new products and services Google gave, which are AdSense ( AdSense is a strategy for web advertesing which has gain money to web site owner without unpaid account) and GoogleApps, etc. Its low cost marketing its shifts the rules of competition by finding new and better ways to serve its customers.Google as an organization never stopped seeking new knowledge through its innovative management strategic and also they ready at all time to invest in risky projects that have a high-return potential. Beside of that, Google facing with critical problem in security of information system and Google puts security in the infrastructure and focuses more on detective and corrective control.