Religious Commitment Essays - Confirmation, Holy Spirit,

Religious Commitment Religion is considered a very important part of life by a large part of the world's population. Determining moral issues and influencing every day decisions, it resides in everyday life and gives people something in which to believe. Often, the aspects of religion are passed down from parent to child, and the child automatically believes that which his parents believed. I too experienced this influence, as I grew up in a family with the Roman Catholic religion. I was baptized as a baby, and as long as I can remember I attended mass every Sunday with my family no matter how much I contested going or the number of tantrums I would throw. I received my first communion and went through years of Sunday school, which I thought was torture. At an early age I knew and understood the "routine" that Catholics follow. I later realized the true seriousness which was far more than just going through the learned motions. The arguments between my parents and I had diminished as church was now becoming an enjoyable experience for me. I started looking forward to the sermons of the priest, wondering what new topic he would bring about for discussion. Soon I went through a process that is custom in Catholicism, known as confirmation. This is the transformation from a child to an adult in the eyes of the church. My older sister went through the same process before me and I never really truly understood the experience when she went though it. Along with the others I attended special classes taught by the priest. I became much more involved in what went on in the church, helping out with seasonal functions for the younger children in the parish and helping to create an active youth group at the church. When the actual confirmation occurred the different feelings inside of me were captivating. The mass itself actually helped me realize the awesome responsibilities of being a Catholic and even the benefits it had to offer. In reality I was a slightly nervous about the whole thing. The Catholic Church places very high expectations upon its young people, and I now had more responsibility in the parish. After going through the whole confirmation process I feel as if I have grown as a member of the Catholic Church, and as a person. The wisdom that I have gained from my faith is immense. Whenever I am uncertain my faith will help guide me in the right direction. I am very grateful for my parents for not giving into my whining or fits when I was younger. In the end all of the advantages of being an active Catholic are well worth it. Without my commitment to my religion I do not think I would be nearly as strong of a person as I am today. To me the Catholic Church provides direction along with a true friendship that will last a lifetime.

Foundations of Grammar in Italian

Foundations of Grammar in Italian For many Italian language speakers- even for those whom Italian is their madrelingua- the phrase parti del discorso might seem foreign. English speakers know the concept as parts of speech, but its probably a term vaguely remembered from grade school grammar. A part of speech (whether Italian or English) is a linguistic category of words generally defined by the syntactic or morphological behavior of the lexical item in question. If that definition intrigues you, then an introduction to Italian linguistics might be a jumping off point. Suffice it to say that linguists have developed a classification system that groups specific types of words according to their roles. For anyone whose primary goal is to speak like an Italian, perhaps its enough to be able to identify each of the parti del discorso to facilitate learning the language. Per tradition, grammarians recognize nine parts of speech in Italian: sostantivo, verbo, aggettivo, articolo, avverbio, preposizione, pronome, congiunzione, and interiezione. Below is a description of each category with examples. Noun / Sostantivo A (sostantivo) indicates persons, animals, things, qualities, or phenomena. Things can also be concepts, ideas, feelings, and actions. A noun can be concrete (automobile, formaggio) or abstract (libert, politica, percezione). A noun can also be common (cane, scienza, fiume, amore), proper (Regina, Napoli, Italia, Arno), or collective (famiglia, classe, grappolo). Nouns such as purosangue, copriletto, and bassopiano are called compound nouns and are formed when combining two or more words. In Italian, the gender of a noun can be male or female. Foreign nouns, when used in Italian, usually keep the same gender as the language of origin. Verb / Verbo A verb (verbo) denotes action (portare, leggere), circumstance (decomporsi, scintillare), or state of being (esistere, vivere, stare). Adjective / Aggettivo An adjective (aggettivo) describes, modifies, or qualifies a noun: la casa bianca, il ponte vecchio, la ragazza americana, il bello zio. In Italian, there are several classes of adjectives, including: demonstrative adjectives (aggettivi dimostrativi), possessive adjectives (aggettivi possessivi), (aggettivi indefiniti), numerical adjectives (aggettivi numerali), and degree of comparison adjectives (gradi dellaggettivo). Article / Articolo An article (articolo) is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the gender and number of that noun. A distinction is usually made between definite articles (articoli determinativi), indefinite articles (articoli indeterminativi), and partitive articles (articoli partitivi). Adverb / Avverbio An adverb (avverbio) is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverb types include manner (meravigliosamente, disastrosamente), time (ancora, sempre, ieri), (laggià ¹, fuori, intorno), quantity (molto, niente, parecchio), frequency (raramente, regolarmente), judgment (certamente, neanche, eventualmente), and (perchà ©?, dove?). Preposition / Preposizione A preposition (preposizione) connects nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. Examples include di, , da, , con, su, per, and tra. Pronoun / Pronome A (pronome) is a word that refers to or substitutes for a noun. There are several types of pronouns, including personal subject pronouns (pronomi personali soggetto), direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti), indirect object pronouns (pronomi indiretti), reflexive pronouns (pronomi riflessivi), possessive pronouns (pronomi possessivi), (pronomi interrogativi), demonstrative pronouns (pronomi dimostrativi), and the particle ne (particella ne). Conjunction / Congiunzione A conjunction (congiunzione) is the part of speech that joins two words, sentences, phrases or clauses together, such as: quando, sebbene, anche se, and nonostante. Italian conjunctions can be separated into two classes: coordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni coordinative) and subordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni subordinative). Interjection / Interiezione An interjection (interiezione) is an exclamation that expresses an improvisational emotional state: ah! eh! ahimà ¨! boh! coraggio! bravo! There are many types of interjections based on their form and function.

MSc International Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MSc International Marketing Management - Essay Example ise has two--and only these two--basic functions: marketing and innovation." Chadwick (1998) predicted that marketing research would evolve from the role of merely providing ‘market and opinion research’ to a more vital function of furnishing a company’s tactical data, consultation, and communication with clients. Marketing research is a superior management technique that collects and analyses customer requirements and desires within the marketplace in an effort to ascertain how to satisfy them. Higgins (2008) defines marketing research as, â€Å"all techniques used to provide information that assists the firm in all of its decision-making processes relevant to customers or clients† (Higgins 4). Marketing research is one of the main branches of marketing which the American Marketing Association (2007) describes it as, "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."(AMA 1). AMA characterizes marketing research as ‘the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about problems relating to the marketing of goods and services.’ Kumar (2000), classifies international market research as â€Å"market research conducted either sim ultaneously or sequentially to facilitate marketing decisions in more than one country† (Kumar, 2000 p2). An exceptional export market research therefore involves collecting appropriate market information that enhances the export decisions to be undertaken. This includes unearthing the economic, socio-political and cultural factors that either encourage or hinder market penetration in the foreign market. Comprehensive market research assist the corporation correctly decide on, the fragmentation, zero in or position their merchandise in a foreign market appropriately. Market research consequently embraces the creation of goals, collecting information, analyzing and disseminating the

Marketing management- next Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing management- next - Article Example It is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products. In India the growth of retail business is at its budding stage. Organized retail business has a grasp of nearly 7% in Indian Market and there is umpteen opportunity for its development. Off late big brands and fashion houses are aiming towards the Indian market. Due to the immense cross culture factor or globalization, trends from across the globe are getting accepted by far and large. Even in India, people are getting influenced by various other cultures and the Indian crowd is happily embracing it. Apparently growth of retail business in Indian market is at its best. Under such circumstances, it would be the accurate time for Next to hit the Indian market. Even though it has three branches in India, it should start eyeing other locations in India. Not many people are aware of Next plc, so Next should keep in mind of having phenomenal launch in India. Lot of retail chains are getting established in India. Indian players like Future Group, RPG Group, reliance Retail, and global players like Wal-Mart, Metro etc are having their presence in India. Still the organized retail sector in India is not very big. Hence Next can enter into Indian market and it has lot of potential to grow with its wide product range. I have considered area of study to be clothing. There is lot of competition in apparel industry because people have started becoming more brand conscious in clothing segment. Hence it is very important to position yourself well in such an industry. B - PLC Stage PLC (Product Life Cycle) is the course of product’s sales and profits over its lifetime. It involves five distinct stages. Product Development Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Clothing is a necessity for every human being. In a country like India the scope for branded product (in clothing) is very high. India is a country which is fast developing and the purchasing power of people in India is increasing. So the share of wallet for branded apparels is surely increasing. That is the reason why all big names in the clothing segment exist in India. But the entry of these companies has happened recently and they have still not captured the market. Next in India is at introduction stage. As it has entered the Indian market recently and at the moment has only three stores in India. As far as Boston’s Matrix is concerned â€Å"next† has low market share but the market they are in has high growth. So â€Å"next† is in the question mark quadrant. C - Target Market India is one of the emerging markets and it is becoming more and more important buyer in our global economy. India has a nice percentage of world total population so if not right now, in few years, India will be one of the most important buyers in the world (sayeconomy.com). Hence it is very important to choose the right segment in Indian market to succeed. â€Å"Next† has three stores in India (Two store s at Delhi/Gurgaon and one store at Mumbai). This clearly shows that the segment they have targeted is the urban/metro segment. The purchasing power of people in these area is comparatively more than those who stay in small cities and villages. â€Å"Next† has also targeted the middle class and upper middle class. When you sell products which are luxurious item and not necessarily necessities, then an organization usually target middle class and

The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Reagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Reagan - Essay Example Animal rights violators have argued that not all living things have equal rights and that humans are superior to the others. They state that human beings have the rights while the other living things, especially animals, have rights only in the right view of the human being responsible. Reagan accounts for the need to have animal rights on the following arguments and sets of theories. First, the violators base their argument on the contractions theory, where the human beings are said to have signed a voluntary contract to ensure rights on themselves and close persons. The rights also cover what the human beings have sentimental value, and what interests them in the society only. Reagan argues that this does not adequately cover the rights of animals in the society from the actions of human beings. He states that in case the animal in question does not have any relevance or value to the human being, then he/she is not morally obligated to uphold or enforce the rights of the animal (Re agan, 1989). The second argument is considered as the cruelty-kindness theory that states that every human being has the duty to be kind to all the animals in the world, whether they have sentimental value or not; we also have an indirect duty not to be cruel to the animals in the world whatsoever. ...The same theory also argues for the statement ‘the end justifies the means’; moreover, Reagan uses the rights view to contradict these statements by egalitarians, by stating that the end does not justify the means, in the upholding animal rights. Reagan’s criticism is valid in light of clearly rational arguments and analysis on some other theories on animal rights. He seeks to bring balance between the animal’s rights and human rights in the world. The sense of belief that animals have no feelings and humans have no moral obligations towards them is clearly misplaced. There needs to be a balance between actions to animals and the results, in that animals are living things too and have emotions and rights that we need to uphold in society, if we are to be rational.

Essay --

Recently, the topic of oil consumption and production has been thrust onto the world stage. As demand for oil increases internationally, the role of major producers will change dramatically. As a representative of Saudi Arabia, I will offer my position on these topics, and I will represent the views of my nation as clearly as possible. The first topic I’d like to address is OPEC’s control on global oil production, supply, and pricing. Right now, OPEC member nations control nearly 81% of crude oil reserves, compared to 19% of non-OPEC member nations (EIA.gov). Because we control such a large percentage of the total amount oil reserves in the world, we can effectively control prices through production. If we decrease production, prices rise, and if we increase production, prices fall. As a representative of both Saudi Arabia and OPEC as a whole, I believe that our control over world oil production and supply is both justified and correct. My country in particular controls nearly 1/5 of total world oil reserves, and acts as the largest exporter and producer of petroleum (EIA.gov). Therefore, we should have a significant amount of control over world oil prices, because we control such a large percentage of world oil reserves. We should be able to essentially control international oil prices, and cut off supply to any country we see fit. On the topic of our cooperation with OPEC, the current member nations need to reorganize and reassess our goals. Although we have set oil production allocations for each nation to ensure price stability and adequate supply, nations like Iran and Iraq have skewed production due to their unstable oil output and refusal to adhere to production quotas. In terms of my country’s position on non-OPEC produ... ...my, because OPEC has such a large influence on world oil supplies. Therefore, although Iraq and Iran have, in the past, taken action contrary to OPEC policy, we have to continue cooperating with them. These points of opposition against my country, although they may be justified, do not take into account Saudi Arabia’s political and economic situation. Because of this, they are short-sighted and unreasonable. At this conference, we hope to resolve outstanding foreign relations issues with countries around the world to both ensure continued oil exports and stable oil prices. We will not, however, make any concessions in terms of oil production and greenhouse gas emission, as any decrease in production would stunt our economy growth. Hopefully, we will be able to achieve our goals of mending foreign relations issues while sustaining our control over world oil prices.

Comparison of Roman and Greek Architecture

Comparison of Roman and Greek Architecture Architecture has been a fundamental cornerstone for building societies throughout the entire human development. Architecture in general is constantly changing but the ideas that have been formulated tend to come back and influence the next. They say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it and we can see how we are constantly repeating ourselves in terms of architecture. I shall compare and contrast the Greek and Roman ideal styles of architecture, by breaking down both of their discoveries and similarities.Greek architecture has several qualities that mark its work as a fundamental cornerstone in architecture. The Greeks had introduced several interesting factors; the scale of building was now proportioned to that of the human body. Greek architecture had a seemingly positive outlook on things, unlike its predecessors like the Egyptians which brought out the death in architecture. Greek architecture was considered the celebration of life. The most prestigious architectural achievement set forth by the Greek ancestry was the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena.According to The Humanistic Tradition, written by Gloria K. Fiero, the Parthenon represented the apex of a long history of post-and-lintel temple building among the Greeks. The Greeks had introduced three of the five basic columns in classical architecture which are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. Opposed to the Greeks, the Romans had never created their own columns rather re-invited the one the Greeks had made, rendering them different in comparison. The Roman’s had created the Roman Doric columns and the Roman Tuscan columns. Both of which are enhanced version of the Greeks’ Doric column.Like most of Rome’s architectural achievements, their work was merely a rendition of past works. Another prime example which was taken from the Etruscans was the Arch, which was fortified by the Romans and in term led to the Barrel Vau lt; according to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia, it is a ceiling consisting of a series of semi-cylindrical arches. Many may say that the works of the Romans were un-original but to the contrary, they had brought forth the use of concrete, walked us through to the introduction of 50,000 miles of road and provided us with fresh flowing water from the aqueducts they had constructed.The beacon of Roman architecture is the Pantheon, according to The Humanistic Tradition, is Roman technical ingenuity and dramatic spatial design. Architecture in general is constantly changing but the ideas that have been formulated tend to come back and influence the next. Through the comparisons of these two major architectural influences we see that my theory of expansion in architecture is in fact true.Through the comparison of Greek and Roman discoveries and similarities we notice the link between adapted to change in architecture and the influence one civilization has on the other. Work Cited: -F iero, Gloria k. ‘The Humanistic Tradition’, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2006 â€Å"barrel vault. † Encyclop? dia Britannica. 2010. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online. 07 Dec. 2010 â€Å"The Five Basic Greek and Roman Columns and Arches. † Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.. 2002. Web. 07 Dec. 2010.