Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Puppy Mill, By Oprah Winfrey - 1900 Words

Imagine what life would be like living in a cage. Imagine being enclosed in a space that barely clears 6 inches of room in either direction, not allowing any area to stretch out, sit, or even sleep comfortably. Imagine not being able to shower, or feel the underfoot sensation of soft wisps of grass, or embrace the comfort of a bed. Now, imagine living like that for an entire decade. For dogs raised in puppy mills, imagination is not necessary to experience these conditions. As proven through Oprah Winfrey’s special exposà © of puppy mills, the aforementioned depictions are nothing but factual about the conditions of the puppy mills inspected in the nationally-broadcasted episode, as well as the standards that the 10,000 other puppy mills in the United States run on (Oprah Investigates). The puppy mill problem has universally been established as a horrid, unethical way of supplying animals to the pet buyers of the world, but the problem is never solved. While the government ca n write down law after law of standards for ethical animal treatment, nothing will change because it is so loosely enforced, as many other issues take priority over inspecting the millions of pet breeders producing in America. Instead, this issue can be taken into the hands of the caring individuals who make up the population of pet consumers in America. Since 99% of pet store puppies are actually supplied by puppy mills, any business that is given to pet stores will, in turn, support the puppy mill

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Baby Boom free essay sample

America pledged to stay neutral in foreign affairs, but on December 7, 1941 hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked an American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 2,000 soldiers and sailors died in the devastating attack, and another 1,000 was wounded. [] This is influential because it pushed America to go to war and send soldiers abroad. According to ABC-CLIO â€Å"Half a generation of young men came of age overseas during World War II. † When they returned to the United States, they were ready to take the next step in their lives. [] For most of the soldiers that next step was to rekindle old flames and start a family. This time period was known as the â€Å"Baby Boom† due to the increase in childbirth between the years 1946 and 1964. [] The â€Å"Baby Boom† affected American history by producing a counter culture, suburbs and the need to reform the social security system. The culture with values and morals that ran counter of soci ety is only one way to describe the counter culture that the â€Å"baby boomers† brought to America. By the 1960’s majority of the new born babies were now young adults and the typical american life had shifted. When the war in Vietnam began many Americans believed that defending South Vietnam from communism was in the public interest but as the war dragged on, more and more Americans grew tired of the exaggerated conflicts and high cost. [] As a result it lead to an anti-war movement which involved peace rallies. According to Penny Sidoli â€Å"The 1960s Peace Movement became the first successful mass protest that stopped a war. They were characterized by marches, sit-ins, teach-ins and civil disobedience†. ] The anti-war movement was significant to American history because it helped shine a light on the importance of putting an end to the Vietnam War and the fight for civil rights. Also, it showed that the younger generation had a large impact on their government. Thanks to the anti-war movement by the counter culture many troops returned home and families got their young men back. The counter culture also pushed for peace and love. For example, Woodstock was a three day music and a rt fair that pushed for nonviolence. Woodstock was more than sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Woodstock was a event where the counter culture could define themselves as a generation that didnt want anything to do with the values of their uptight elders. [] Before Woodstock, most adults looked at the counter culture as hippies with long hair who took drugs and listened to rock music not as a peaceful generation who wanted to make a change. According to ABC-CLIO, â€Å"Depending on whom you talked to at the time, young people in the 1960s were seen as passionate idealists seeking to establish a more equitable and loving world†. [] As a result of the new babies there was a higher demand for housing. William Levitte began to cater to this demand during the 1950s and 60s. He built many new communities and became known for his mass production of housing. [] These Communities were built on the outskirts of cities called suburbs. Cars made it accessible for people to commute from home to their jobs in the cities. According to Aamp;E Television Networks â€Å"The G. I. Bill subsidized low-cost mortgages for returning soldiers. †[] This reveals that the government was helping soldiers so they can move, also this gave thousands of struggling new families a chance to own their own homes. The baby boom and the rise of suburbs went hand in hand. If it werent for the baby boom the demand for housing wouldnt have been so high. These houses were perfect for young families because they were a place where they could raise children and take their family to that next step. The people who moved into these places initially werent in the professions: doctors, lawyers, bankers, says Gary Cross, professor of history at the Pennsylvania State University. [] This affirms that the people who lived in these communities were average middle class citizens. Leave It to Beaver is an American television show about a boy named Theodore The Beaver Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood. []Television shows such as Leave It to Beaver mimicked the typical american life in the suburbs. â€Å"Popular culture began to glamorize the life that young couples could live in suburbia†says Kim Kenney. [] The television showed people living in the cities what suburban life was like. The suburbs soon became apart of the American dream. As a result of the suburbs becoming the american dream more people moved from cities and the number of suburbs raised. Suburbs were important to American history because a new social class was formed, and thousands of affordable homes were produced. The baby boom has created many challenges with social security. To this day the baby boom generation is now going into their late 60s, and the need to reform social security is critical. Social security is a social insurance program that provides income security to senior citizens through retirement benefits. Part of their paycheck goes into it then when they are at retirement age they can start collecting money back from it. By 2030, about one in five Americans will be older than 65, and some experts believe that the aging of the population will place a strain on social welfare systems. [] About 80 million baby boomers are going into retirement and will cause a serious conflict that could result in my generation getting fewer benefits. Social Security is funded mostly through payroll taxes, with present-day workers funding the payouts for retirees, but since there have been so many Boomers in the workforce for so many years, there were a lot more people putting money into the system than taking it out. ] This causes a conflict because a large group of seniors will be taking money out of the system, and the generations that come after them will not be able to afford the high cost. Soon social security will start spending more than it collects. According to Fox News â€Å"The U. S. government currently borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends and is expected this fiscal year to draw a deficit of more th an $1. 3 trillion. At the rate of current spending, interest on the debt alone will cost the U. S. $1 trillion by 2020†. [] This shows that America is already in debt. The need to reform social security is important to American history because it could leave my generation of Americans without old age insurance. If it were not for the Baby Boom American history would be much different. The counter culture, and suburbs might not exist. We would also no longer need to reform the social security system because there wouldnt be so many seniors using it. Woodstock would not have been a massive event and, the antiwar movement wouldnt have been as powerful. The increase in childbirth had both its negative and positive affects.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Writing tips for the new MBA admissions essays

With MBA admissions essay requirements rapidly changing as schools and universities overhaul their MBA applications, one thing has become incredibly clear: the essay just isn’t what it used to be. So how are MBA applications changing? Some schools have added new components to their  MBA application  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ like the Kellogg School of Management’s  new mandatory video essay  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ or removed, reduced, or made optional portions of the essay segment. Why the new formats and new lengths? Soojin Kwon, director of admissions at Michigan’s Ross School of Business, told US News World Report: â€Å"So many people were spending a lot of time on the essays and probably not as much time thinking about the other thingsthe whole purpose of the essay and the interview is to just get a better understanding of where they’re coming from and where they want to go to. And I don’t need to read 1,000 words, 2,000 words, to understand that.† So how does an applicant get these new changes to work to his or her advantage? The prospect of a shorter essay – or one in a completely different format – can be daunting. But with the right attitude and approach, these new MBA admissions essays can actually provide a significant advantage. In her blog, Kwon wrote that â€Å"our total maximum word count has been reduced by 450 words, and hopefully you’ll be able to use that found time to craft the most compelling essays possible.† How does the MBA applicant adapt? Avi Gordon, is the author of MBA Admissions Strategy: from Profile Building to Essay Writing. In his opinion, the most important things for an  MBA applicant  to remember while writing an essay or MBA cover letterespecially in one that is short, and therefore in which every word must be made to have the maximum impact – are as follows: The Dos †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DO remember to check spelling and grammar †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DO actually respond to the question †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DO write several drafts of each essay †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DO tell stories from actual work experience †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DO make sure that you accurately express your motivations and overall fit for the program The Don’ts †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DON’T praise the school (they know theyre good) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DON’T repeat items on your rà ©sumà © †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DON’T denigrate anyone or any organization †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DON’T whine about lifes obstacles or blame others †¢Ã‚  Ã‚     DON’T state the obvious if you are talking about water you neednt add that it is also wet Remember: keep your MBA cover letter and admissions essays unique Jia Ma is IMBA marketing and admissions director at Beijing’s School of Economics and Management. He reflects that, â€Å"candidates always impress me most by [delivering] quick and genuine answers with great wisdom or humor.† The essay is one of the best opportunities for an MBA applicant to truly showcase character and distinguish him or herself as a valuable candidate. That’s why it’s important to avoid uniform  MBA cover letters  and MBA admissions essays, despite the temptation to re-use them – particularly when other aspects of the MBA application process, such as GMAT preparation, appear to demand more time and attention. â€Å"Standardized letters sent out to different schools are really obvious,† says Dirk Buyens, academic dean at Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School. â€Å"They show a lack of dedication.† Essay space is not for reiterating information easily gleaned elsewhere in your MBA application; it is for highlighting the fit between the MBA applicant and the school. Be sure to craft each MBA cover letter and essay with the school and program you are applying to in mind. Most importantly, says Lynn Thornber, marketing and development coordinator at Durham Business School, â€Å"A failure to properly address the question asked is probably one of the most common mistakes, along with too much embellishment.† Since space is at a premium, now more than ever it is necessary to practice succinct and thoughtful expression.