Be Happier by Consuming Less Free Essays

Andres Martinez Garcia Section 1010 03/18/13 Prof. Cheryl L. Flanigan Essay 2 Be Happier by Consuming Less Consumerist is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever greater amounts. We will write a custom essay sample on Be Happier by Consuming Less or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the American consumption, people do not know how much is enough, do we really need all we buy? Or we just buy it because everyone else has it? Does it make us any happier? In the article â€Å"The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More That They Need† Juliet Schor shares with us her point of view about American Consumption. In Schor’s article says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Also that â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). Finally she believes that â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. Much of what we purchase is not essential for our survival or even basic human comfort but is based on impulse, a momentary desire, and there is a hidden price that we, and future generations will pay for it too. The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods, not better health care, education, housing, transportation, but to provide more stuff to consumers. First, in Schor’s article she says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Nowadays people have to work longer hours than 25 year ago, to be able to pay all their desires. Having more and newer things each year has become not just something we want but something we need. The idea of more, ever increasing wealth has become the center of our identity, and this looks like an addiction. For example, my aunt Maria works 5 days a week to be able to pay all her bills and sometimes does overtime. She might have a lot of new and cool things, but she doesn’t even have time to enjoy all these things because she has to be working just to pay all she has. My aunt has a salary of $9. 25 per hour and getting a check of $740 biweekly which she have to use to pay her car $200, plus her phone $85, personal stuff $150, and the list keep going. I have worked 40 hours a week, going to classes full-time with little satisfaction. Without working that long, I am less stressed, and I prefer to learn how to spend less money, than spending more, and live stressed all the time. People should take more responsibility for themselves and their families and think outside of the box when it comes to life. Working less hours and buying fewer products is a good way to start. Also, Schor says, â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). People try to be in the same level that everyone else; if they see that somebody bought something, they will try to have that, just because that person has it. An example is the iPhones people are obsessed with them. The first iPhone was the 3G, then 3GS, 4, 4S, and the 5 that is the last one that just came out. All of these iPhones do almost the same functions; they just changed the size, and some other little things. People spend a lot of money buying the iPhones; the prices are between $300 and $500. The point is that people want to keep up with the newest things, just because other people will have it. For example, my cousin Heysus who is 23 years old, have been buying all the iPhones, because all his friends have them, and whenever came a new iPhone, he ordered it immediately to keep up with what his friends have. Another point is that people with less income, tend to watch more TV, in Schor’s article says, â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Television and marketing are a big influence of how people spend their money. We watched an example of it in the movie of Super-Size Me, of how the companies spend a lot of their money on marketing, because they know that people is going to buy their products. We need to make people conscious about the problem that we all have as a society. Without our consumer impulse to buy the newest, coolest things on the market, there would be no market. People should think more about what they buy, and should not do unnecessary purchases I think that some people keep worrying more about what they can buy, and how they can have better and newest things instead of be worrying about how they can live happier, and less stressed. An individual does not necessarily have to live as a rich person to be happy. The thought of shorter hours working is a wealth of opportunity and adventure that no Disneyland or Las Vegas vacation can offer. It is actually stress-free and can help us to have time to more valuable parts of our life, like having more time to spend with our family and friends. Finally, as a student that works and studies at the same time, I have to be a smart consumer. I ask myself what I need and what I really don’t. Why do I need a car? Is it necessary to have a laptop when we have a library full of computers? We all need to learn that how to spend our money in a better way, and know that we do not need to have the newest and coolest things that the market offer us to be happy. As we saw in the article â€Å"The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So More That They Need† Juliet Schor shares with us her point of view about American Consumption. In Schor’s article says â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Also that â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). Finally she believes that â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). We need to learn that how to be a smart consumer, and do not spend more of what we can afford. Works Cited Schor, Juliet. â€Å"The New Politics of Consumptions: Why Americans Want So Much More Than They Need. † Searching For Causes. New York: Harper. 1999. 410-414. Print. â€Å"Consumption. † Wikipedia. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Super Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlcok , Daryl Isaacs. 2004. DVD. How to cite Be Happier by Consuming Less, Essay examples

Poetic Analysis of Song Lyrics Essay Example For Students

Poetic Analysis of Song Lyrics Essay Poetic Analysis of Song Lyrics I chose Bullet with Butterfly Wings by lyricist and lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins Billy Gorgon as my song for the poetic analysis essay. I seemed to Identify with the song the first time I heard It on the radio. The lyrics describe how many teens felt growing up in the asss, myself included, hating everything around us and facing adulthood with hopes that some contentment in life will come. Bullet with Butterfly Wings is one of those songs that make you shake your head when you really listen to the lyrics. The mood of the song is dark and filled with rage. Billy Gorgon as a lyricist draws you into his world of thumping darkness, into a dark dungeon with a possible exit in the ceiling, the skies above, though gray, may offer up a chance to get out. In his lyric the world is a vampire, sent to drain, he is telling us we are drained, every day. That external forces are draining us of everything, even though we are struggling to succeed and define our lives. He even, through his lyrics, Implies that we dont want to escape the darkness, that we may have created It ourselves. The tone of the song or overall feeling Is horrific and macabre with the ending chorus of and still I cannot be saved almost desperate and pleading. Throughout the song, Gorgon has pronounced his frustration with the fact the he is destined to be damned. The progression of the song takes us from being very frustrated with our position in life and the hand weve been dealt so to speak, but by the end of the song in the lyric tell me Im the chosen one there is a sense of acceptance and that acceptance slowly turns into something to own and be proud of, a very valuable life lesson. Rock. Repairing. Com). In this essay I will endeavor to show owe Mr.. Carbon uses simile, metaphor, and symbolism In his song Bullet with Butterfly Wings as poetic devices to convey his message of his own personal struggle within the music Industry and also relate to his listeners with a broader meaning of their own personal life struggles. The first line of the song, The world Is a vampire, sent to drain symb olizes the world as a monster, a vampire thats sole purpose is here to take everything away that we have dreamed of or worked towards. Gorgon is driving home the point that no matter how hard you may try, it will never be enough, s the world (vampire) is going to take it away or drain it all from you. (rock. Repairing. Com). For Gorgon personally, I believe he is explaining the trade-off between his art and commerce, in line two Secret Destroyers symbolize for him the critics, executives and the like using him and making him betray his art, Just for the alternative movement and fame. Contacts. Com) as described in line 4 Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game. Line 18 Despite all my rage, Im still Just a rat In a cage Is a metaphor, stating that no matter how mad one might be about their life tuition, they are still Just trapped In the world they live In, trying feverishly to find an escape, but caught In a cage. Gorgon uses this metaphor to show his frustration with the limitations that are put on him within the music industry itself as well as As stated in the web site Angelfish, Billy Gorgon Biography, it is also possible that Gorgon is referring to his own life and the rage that he felt when other children treated and looked at him differently because of the large birthmark he had on his arm and hand and his feelings of being on display in a cage. All my cool and cold, eke old Job, line 17, uses simile to compare Gorgon himself to the biblical character Job, a man who had everything but then lost it all. .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .postImageUrl , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:hover , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:visited , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:active { border:0!important; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 { 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; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:active , .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .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; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890 .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7a897fb1e464183864c3cfe809077890:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pre-1914 Poetry EssayGorgon is saying in this line that no matter how cool and calm he is, everything still falls apart, the struggle never ends. (Rock, Repairing. Com) This is perhaps, the authors attempt to continue some rhyming, another poetic device throughout the song. It does tend to lend a little more to the overall song meaning of humans being stuck in a dysfunctional broken world, apparently incapable of salvation from our own minds and may perhaps make omen listeners think a bit more deeply about the meaning. (Contacts. Mom) Billy Carbon used many poetic devices in his lyrics of Bullet with Butterfly Wings including simile, metaphor and symbolism. All of these de vices help us to understand in our own way what the song is trying to tell us. The title itself is a metaphor comparing a bullet with a real animate object, a butterfly wings. Is he trying to tell us that we must live our lives like a bullet on the fast track to get somewhere, but alas we have butterfly wings that can easily be crushed or broken by a world that can be cruel and against our own human nature?

John Milton Essays - Sonnets, When I Consider How My Light Is Spent

John Milton On his blindness John Milton was born in 1608 to a Puritan family. During his service to the Commonwealth, in 1652, Milton became blind and it became necessary for others to share in his labors. His blindness occasioned one of the most moving of his sonnets, "On his blindness," written in 1655. It records his fear that he will never be able to use his God-given gift for poetry again. Yet God may demand an accounting of his righteousness. And his entry into Heaven will depend upon how well he has used the gifts that God gave him. The sonnet ends with Milton's acceptance of the fact that what God wants of him is obedience and resignation. He can then serve God even if he cannot write poetry, for "they also serve who only stand and wait." The most effective of the personal sonnets is #19, usually called "On his blindness. "This allusion to his blindness is the first of many in his poetry. When I consider how my light is spent When I judge how my ability to see has been taken away Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, After I have only lived half of my life And that one talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent This is based on the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) in which the unprofitable servant was punished for burying, not using, the talent his master had given him. Milton is pondering whether he will be punished for not using his ability that is useless and will weigh down his final judgment. To serve therewith my maker, and present My true account, lest He returning chide, Milton cannot serve God by using his ability to see and now he must face God in his "true account" of being blind. And if God was to reprimand Milton because he has not served God well he will say the following: "Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?" I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or his on gifts. Who best bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. Milton wonders, now that blindness has fallen upon him before half his working life is spent, whether God will still expect him to use his talent. Milton now says that with patience his murmur of spite against God, "Doth God..." will be avoided. And patience replies: God does not need men to serve Him nor to serenade Him, whoever carry His burdens without complaint, serve him finest. The term "mild yoke" is a double-entendre. The "Yoke" blindness as the burden, is not so bad a punishment. Proof that the punishment of loss of sight was not as bad as conceived was that Milton, while blind, continued to accomplish what most people who are privileged to see cannot do, to write to well-known epic poems: Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. The second meaning is that one should bear God's burdens (yoke) in a mild manner and not complain of the suffering and serve God as best as one is able. His state Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait." God is kingly and omnipotent. Thousands serve Him at His beckoning. Milton is answered with the idea that there are angels of contemplation as well as of action; similarly, some men may serve God best who humbly accept His decrees, waiting in faith on His will. Patience replies that while God does not really need "Either man's work or his own gift," He wants obedience and resignation. Thousands of angels serve Him, but men "also serve who only stand and wait." There are many scriptural passages that Milton may have had in mind, such as "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:7). This poem appeals to me because Milton says that at first he was concerned that he would not be admitted into heaven because he did not serve God, but later he concludes that one may go to heaven through faith in God. I can apply this to my own life and serve God with the abilities that I have, but even if that fails, I can always serve God with my faith. Milton saw himself as the prophet who had failed, the man of the Lord to whom no one listened, that he completed the epic

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buy custom Mittle Electronics essay The profit making organization works toward making profit and winning the competition against the organizations which provide the same products in the market. The main aim of business is to benefit and expand its products in the market, and this is achieved by marketing and taking business positively. The managers of each business make sure the set goal and target of each year are achieved, and when they fail to do that they reorganize and formulate new strategies. There are some employees who promote the business and make it more profitable by sales promotion. In case with Mittle Electronics, Brain Abernathy has increased companys sales and income to a great extent. Due to him, the companys yearly account was $27 M. This showed that the strategies he applied could help the business to grow. Analysis Brain had outstanding clients who promoted the business by making large sales and after his death Kimberly Rowland replaced him as a new sales representative of the company. Kimberly should handle all the duties of the sales representative agent. She should work to promote the sales and keep the name of the company safe before the public. Brain did business which brought favorable results as he contacted illegal affairs with some clients in order to achieve outstanding results. Kimberly should ensure that she protects the name of the company and keep clients trust. She should also do everything possible to retain prominent clients in the business. My role as a sales manager is to promote the business and ensure that the company has made more sales and achieved the target. The income from the business was $27 M, however, taking into account the depreciation this result can be termed as a failure. The work as a sales manager is to make sure that the returns does ot go below the target level set by Brain (Raymond, 2003). Kimberly does not want to work like Brain and that is why she has asked about Anwar, an outstanding customer who worked with Brain. Kimberley should put efforts and ensure that the business target retains should remain the same. The sales of the electronics must be fixed and customers should get discounts in order to keep buying from the company because many people prefer working with a certain individual and if they do not find Brain they may quit or address to another company. The provision of discounts to the outstanding customer will make them to remain loyal to the company instead of liking Brain. Then, Kimberly will befriend the entire client base who has worked with Brain to have them trust her as they have trusted him (Michel, 2008). It is a well known fact that the customer is always right in business and should get full respect since he provides employment for a number of managers, directors and other companys employees. The company will not have money to keep going without the customer. The latter buys products and makes the business generate the money by investing and developing the business and increasing the profit. Basing argument for this concern of how to keep Anwar is to give him full respect even if what they did with Brain was unethical. This may be achieved by listening to his demands and showing him other means of doing business if applicable. Anwar has trusted the company and has exposed all what they did to Brain. This can prove that they contacted business with trust. The openness of Anwar means that he will respond to whatever the company tells him since he wants to make more money and continue developing the business (Raymond, 2003). The best way to handle Anwar is to ask Kimberley to talk to Anwar in a polite and careful manner, sinnce she represents the company as a sales manager and holds the same post as Brain. Anwar has a perception that doing business in an unethical way brings more money and income, but he only supports this idea as nobody has told him that clean business can bring the same amount of money. Kimberly will explain to Anwar the approaches of contacting business and make sure that he understands that getting into such an unclean business can bring trouble to an individual and the company. Handling Anwar with respect and polite way will make him change and accept the manner of carrying out the clean business in the right way and will be aware of the mistakes which have been made while cooperating with Brain. On the other hand, if he refuses to do clean business we will have to find another client to replace him because if the unclean business is exposed, the company loses all the clients and tr ust of the public (Michel, 2008). Kimberley will be reporting on the work on a daily basis and describe all the actions taken concerning what she has done and the type of customers she has approached. This will make her do clean business and not to get tempted to follow Brains strategies. All the clients will operate directly from the head office, and they will get their products issued by the company with a receipt and rubberstamp. A special commission will be created that is to control her actions and financial stability to prevent her from adopting unclean business (Waymack, 1990). Conclusion Many people who engage themselves in a corrupt business get a lot of income in return, but the business collapses at a time. It does not last long enough to benefit from it. The time comes when the truth exposes and all customers quit. The best way to succeed in business is to have open relationships with customers and public. Buy custom Mittle Electronics essay

The Legacy of Ruth Ginsburg or Significant Women's Rights Research Paper

The Legacy of Ruth Ginsburg or Significant Women's Rights Contributions of Ruth Ginsburg to the Twenth Century - Research Paper Example It is not possible to fully cover Ginsburgs contributions to womens rights in a paper of this limited scope. However, it will highlight her most importatnt work, and show how the progression of her legal reasoning has become the cornerstone of todays womens movement. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of womens rights foremost advocates, and she has earned a place in history as a woman that has led by example as well as action. Ginsburg immersed herself in womens issues at an early point in her professional life, and they became a hallmark of her career. Ginsburg was a groundbreaker, and at Harvard Law School she was one of only eight women out of a class of 500. She transferred to Columbia, where she graduated at the top of her class, though gender discrimination overshadowed her academic achievements.1 Ginsburg joined the faculty at Rutgers, and became "only the second female on the schools faculty and among the first 20 women law professors in the country".2 She became the first law professor at Harvard, directed the Womens Rights Project at the ACLU, and by 1973 Ginsburg was arguing a Supreme Court case regarding equal benefits for men and women in the armed forces.3 Ginsburg gained the attention of President Jimmy Carter by winning 5 out of 6 Supreme Court cases, and consistently arguing that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment applied to gender as well as race.4 Carter appointed Ginsbur g to the United States Court of appeals for the District of Columbia, and in 1993 she was "confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 96 to 3, becoming the 107th Supreme Court Justice, its second female jurist", and an outspoken advocate for womens rights on the bench.5 Since that date she has been instrumental in furthering the cause of gender equality in America. Her early work with the ACLU on the Womens Rights Project prepared her legal skills for writing the Supreme Court decision on United States v.

EasyJet Airline exam note Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EasyJet Airline exam note - Essay Example A PEST analysis of the organisation is carried out to establish the macro-environmental impact on the firm. EasyJet operates in more than 30 countries that have do not have trade restrictions. This increases revenue since the firm can cover more areas. Due to the global terror threat, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, and Spain among other countries have put restrictions to ensure passenger safety. This has reduced travels to some extent. Governments have also put baggage restrictions for airlines along with passengers (Taneja, 2012, p.56; easyJet, 2013). The firm complies with various tax policies in its areas of operation. Most of the tax regulations are favourable to the firm, thus impacting positively on the flight operations. For example, the corporate tax policy in Europe is business-friendly. This has also enabled the process of optimisation in service delivery to meet the customer needs and requirements regardless of existing precedents and territories on implementing the system (Jones, 2012, p.34). The reduction of fuel costs have made the firm increase its revenue due to reduced operational costs, thus reducing the cost of capital for the firm (easy Jet, 2014). The reduction in fuel costs has also increased competition in the aviation industry as various airlines have reduced the ticket prices, thus making more customers use service and also leading to price wars (Katie, 2013, p.123). Besides, globalisation is projected to boost air traffic in the long run. More people are projected to travel due to increased interconnection among people across the globe. In the same way, as Europe becomes integrated; the introduction of the single currency is expected to bring more business to easyJet (easyJet, 2014). The Euro is used in over 19 nations among the member states of the European Union. The financial reports evidence that the firm is improving economically. At the moment, pound is against the

Idealistic vs. Naturalistic Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Idealistic vs. Naturalistic Art - Essay Example In contrast, some artwork focuses more on depicting the naturalistic qualities of the subject. Artists do this in order to capture the raw emotion of the scene and give the viewer an accurate, unbiased image that reflects the reality of their time. People viewing the artwork can determine which type of art it is, idealistic or naturalistic, based on specific elements seen within the painting. During my visit to the Utah Museum of Fine arts, I chose two pieces of art that I believe show the difference between naturalistic and idealistic qualities. By examining the Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV by Jacques-Phillippe Bouchardon as an example of idealistic art and the painting "Preparation for Dinner" by James Taylor Harwood as an example of naturalistic art, it becomes easier to discuss the differences between these two painting styles. The Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV by Bouchardon now on display at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is a reduction model of a seven-meter statue built by Fr ancois Girardon and installed in 1699 at the Place Louis-le-Grand in France, what is today the Place Vendome (Louvre). Converting that into American measurements, the original statue was almost 23 feet tall not counting its pedestal, which added another 10 meters or almost 33 feet. The original statue was built in 1685 when Louis XIV’s war minister created a new square in Paris and chose Girardon to sculpt a full-scale statue of the king. His choice of artist and his intentions for the square were mostly influenced by his desire to create a more magnificent square than that created to celebrate the king's earlier victories in the Dutch War of 1679 (Louvre). The large square in Paris was the perfect setting for such a marvelous statue of the king to stand. King Louis XIV holds the merit for being the longest reigning king in European history, governing for seventy-two years. Unfortunately, the original statue, which took two years to create, was destroyed in 1792 with the firs t wave of the French Revolutionary wars (Art Tribune), but several smaller models had been made. The sculpture has many idealistic qualities to it that aid in celebrating the royal image of king. For example, the piece shows Louis XIV as a Roman emperor, calling on the authority of the ancients to equate him with the heroes of the ages. He is shown wearing a contemporary curly wig and sitting atop a strong steed, further demonstrating his ties to authority and nobility. The quality of the horse is also intended to reflect on the quality of the man as the head of a wealthy and prosperous nation. Louis sits the horse without saddle or stirrups. This can have a few interpretations. First, it shows that the rider has enough grace and agility to be able to remain on the back of such a powerful horse without having to be buckled in place or hold on to some kind of strap. Second, it proves his mastery over all things in that he can presumably convince the horse to do what he wants with ver y little effort. The horse itself stands majestically in a walking position with one leg raised and one leg standing on the shield and sword of a defeated enemy. As a result, the artist has captured the king as an active participant in the wars he has led, shows the horse to be a warhorse (adding yet more prestige to the idea that the king is controlling him without stirrups), and demonstrates the king