Literary Analysis with Complete Commentary from Authors

Other Literary Analysis Topics

The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower

The Age of Empire

Fake Baby for a traveling companion. Looks Real, Feels Real.

Babybuntins Nursery - They actually make them!

Reborn baby Clothing

Reborn Babies, Real Dolls, and the People Who Buy Them

My Fake Baby on the Today Show

Just for Families: The imitation baby craze

Premature Reborn Babies? I am serious! This is Baby Rihanna

Read this ‘International Herald Tribune’ article for a detailed article on the topic

Pashe Keqi recalls the day nearly sixty years ago when she decided to become a man. She chopped off her long black curls, traded in her dress for her father’s baggy trousers, armed herself with a hunting rifle and vowed to forsake marriage, children and sex.

Had she been born in Albania today, says the 78-year-old sworn virgin, who made an oath of celibacy in return for the right to live and rule her family as a man, she would choose womanhood. [Read More]

With these tougher sanctions in place the EU along with the United States hope to force Iran into a situation where they pretty much have to compromise their nuclear program in order to preserve the health of Iran’s economy.

Read this Reuter’s article for more information:

“The economy of Iran will be more dependent on Chinese markets,” he added of a growing shift in Iran’s focus to Asia that has seen Europe’s share of the Islamic Republic’s trade dwindle to 25-30 percent from twice that five years ago. [read more]

Here’s the Top 10 (No surprises here!):

1. Somalia
2. Sudan
3. Zimbabwe
4. Chad
5. Iraq
6. D.R. Congo
7. Afghanistan
8. Cote d’Ivoire
9. Pakistan
10. Central African Republic

By the way…give it up for Scandinavia because Sweden, Finland, and Norway are the bottom three nations on the index, making them the ‘least failing’ nations in the world.

These are the twelve indicators The Fund for Peace uses to rank nations into the Failed States Index:

Social Indicators
• I-1. Mounting Demographic Pressures
• I-2. Massive Movement of Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons creating Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
• I-3. Legacy of Vengeance-Seeking Group Grievance or Group Paranoia
• I-4. Chronic and Sustained Human Flight

Economic Indicators
• I-5. Uneven Economic Development along Group Lines
• I-6. Sharp and/or Severe Economic Decline

Political Indicators
• I-7. Criminalization and/or Delegitimization of the State
• I-8. Progressive Deterioration of Public Services
• I-9. Suspension or Arbitrary Application of the Rule of Law and Widespread

Violation of Human Rights
• I-10. Security Apparatus Operates as a “State Within a State”
• I-11. Rise of Factionalized Elites
• I-12. Intervention of Other States or External Political Actors

Check out The Fund for Peace ‘Failed States Index’ at their website here.

That’s all fine though…the marketing was great…and even though Consumer Reports found holes in the plan I don’t think this is a tough one to push past a sizable amount of consumers. This campaign sure sounds less shady than the ‘employee pricing’ ploys.

I just wish American auto manufacturers modernized their advertising a bit…we’ve been watching the same commercials for the past two decades: A shiny car that speeds through back roads and handles curves with ultimate precision…all to a great all-American soundtrack featuring some flavor a bad-ass classic rock jam. And let’s not get started on the truck commercials! The new Acura commercials are a good example of a change of pace, they highlight lifestyles that appeal to their target market - hip 25-40 year olds that strive to achieve a balance between luxury, sport, and fun.

This article made me laugh: Why Local Car Dealers Ads Suck

So how much will you get? When will you get it? How will you get it? The answers are here:

How much will I get? Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million households. To receive a payment, taxpayers must have a valid Social Security number, $3,000 of income and file a 2007 federal tax return. IRS will take care of the rest. Eligible people will receive up to $600 ($1,200 for married couples), and parents will receive an additional $300 for each eligible child younger than 17. Millions of retirees, disabled veterans and low-wage workers who usually are exempt from filing a tax return must do so this year in order to receive a stimulus payment. (irs.gov, Mar 08).

When will I get it? As long as you filed your taxes before April 15 you can live by this payment schedule:

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Last two SSN digits:	Payment will be transmitted:
00 through 20	May 2
21 through 75	May 9
76 through 99	May 16

PAPER CHECK

Last two SSN digits:	Payments will be mailed by:
00 through 09	May 16
10 through 18	May 23
19 through 25	May 30
26 through 38	June 6
39 through 51	June 13
52 through 63	June 20
64 through 75	June 27
76 through 87	July 4
88 through 99	July 11

How will I get it? If you specified a bank account for direct deposit on your 2007 tax return you’ll see the money in your bank account soon enough. Otherwise, you’ll receive a traditional paper check in the mail.

Hagel expresses support for Bush’s efforts in Iraq and Iran and respectfully points out that our current policy towards Iran is not producing results:

I am increasingly concerned, however, that this diplomatic strategy is stalling.

Hagel continues to explain that this hostile situation can erupt at any time if it is not handled appropriately:

Unless there is a strategic shift, I believe we will find ourselves in a dangerous and increasingly isolated position in the coming months.

Here is the text of Chuck Hagel’s letter to George Bush:
Click Here to Download the Original Letter

October 17, 2007

The President

The White House

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I write to urge you to consider pursuing direct, unconditional and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.

In the last two years, the United States has worked closely with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, Japan, and other key states as well as the UN Secretary General and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency to pursue a diplomatic strategy regarding Iran’s nuclear program. I have supported your efforts. Maintaining a cohesive and united international front remains one of our most effective levers on Iran.

In the last year, you have also authorized our Ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to hold bilateral talks with Iranian officials regarding the situation in Iraq. I have also supported this effort. Although Iran has continued dangerous actions in Iraq, this channel for dialogue is important.

I am increasingly concerned, however, that this diplomatic strategy is stalling. There are growing differences with our international partners. Concerns remain that the United States’ actual objectives is regime change in Iran, not a change in Iran’s behavior. Prospects for further action in the UN Security Council have grown dim, and we appear increasingly reliant on a single-track effort to expand financial pressure on Iran outside of the UN Security Council. Iran’s actions, both on its nuclear program and in Iraq, are unchanged. Iran’s leaders appear increasingly confident in their positions vis-a-vis the United States.

Unless there is a strategic shift, I believe we will find ourselves in a dangerous and increasingly isolated position in the coming months. I do not see how the collective actions that we are now taking will produce the results that we seek. If this continues, our ability to sustain a united international front will weaken as countries grow uncertain over our motives and unwilling to risk open confrontation with Iran, and we are left with fewer and fewer policy options.

Now is the time for the United States to active consider when and how to offer direct, unconditional, and comprehensive talks with Iran. The offer should be made even as we continue to work with our allies on financial pressure, in the UN Security Council on a third sanctions resolution, and in the region to support those Middle East countries who share our concerns with Iran. The November report by IAEA Director General ElBaradei to the IAEA Board of Governors could provide an opportunity to advance the offer of bilateral talks.

An approach such as this would strengthen our ability across the board to deal with Iran. Our friends and allies would be more confident to stand with us if we seek to increase pressure, including tougher sanctions on Iran. It could create a historic new dynamic in US-Iran relations, in part forcing the Iranians to react to the possibility of better relations with the West. We should be prepared that any dialogue process with Iran will take time, and we should continue all efforts, as you have, to engage Iran from a position of strength.

We should not wait to consider the option of bilateral talks until all other diplomatic options are exhausted. At that point, it could well be too late.

I urge you to consider pursing direct, unconditional and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.

Thank you for considering my views.

Best wishes.

Sincerely,

Chuck H.

Chuck Hagel
United States Senator

cc: Condoleezza Rice

Robert M. Gates

Stephen J. Hadley

And so…
Obviously, foreign policy and international relations are not simple orders; nevertheless, common sense is often overlooked for the sake of personal/political interests. The idea that ‘we do not negotiate with terrorists’ is one that will very likely cripple our ability to negotiate for our interests in the present and even worse, in the future. If current events are any indicator of the drama to come, we need to put on the thinking caps and prepare.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
- Tags: Latest Pakistan News - Latest Iran News - News from Iran

Victim Did Not Press Charges - Attacker goes Free

The victim and her family, perhaps afraid of consequences, declined to press charges and the local judge let the attacker go home, with no criminal charge. Spain’s main anti-racism and civil-rights groups are hoping to appeal the judge’s decision and demand jail time for the attacker’s actions. I wrote some commentary in Spanish below.

The attacker denies he is racist…

Fue un Crimen Contra La Humanidad
En los países Latino-Americanos no existe el racismo de la misma forma que se observa en los Estados Unidos y en Europa. Será por que todos somos una mezcla verraca de tantas razas; la mayoría de la gente en Sudamérica son criollos y mestizos de alguna manera, y comparten sangre con los Europeos, Africanos, Anglos, Árabes, etc. No estoy hablando del racismo natural basada en riqueza/pobreza que es común en las clases sociales pero el racismo que es mas peligroso. El que se desarrolla dentro del mismo grupo social y cultural. Este es el tipo de prejuicio que ocurrió en Barcelona y es indicador de falta de educación y éticas morales.

Un fenómeno que se presenta hoy día y que no ha recibido atención es el aumento de grupos racistas en Europa y en los países de Sudamérica. Los Skinheads, traídos a los países Hispanos por la música Oí y Punk se esta evolucionando al estado den los Nazis de Hitler. Estamos en el mejor tiempo para empezar a combatir el racismo en los países Latinos. Si los eventos actuales son alguna indicación de lo que viene en el futuro hay que prevenir con educación ahora antes de que no se pueda controlar la situación.

Para mas comentario en Español sobre el ataque visite este enlace

“We have informed Iran that we are prepared to transfer Iran’s gas to China through this pipeline should India decide not to join the gas project.” [ Associated Press of Pakistan, Oct 2007 ]

Though India has assured that it will take part in the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline - it is clear that the TAPI pipeline is not a replacement for the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, and their lack of an absolute decision in light of U.S. pressure is proof that the IPI pipeline stands to bring benefit to the Indian economy.

U.S. Threatens Sanctions on Pakistan if they seal the deal with Iran - Who Cares?
Check out this Business Week editorial from June of 2005 that demonstrates the United States’ declining ability to ‘demand’ U.S.-friendly international policies. The U.S. perhaps using scare tactics, has mentioned that investment sanctions are a possibility for India and Pakistan should they join hands with Iran on this business deal - But who’s economies are at stake on a local level? There was a time when the U.S. could influence just about any nation to favor U.S. interests - either by the diplomatic efforts of our 20th century leadership or brute force.

Russia doesn’t care.
“Russia’s Gazprom has established a branch office in Islamabad to participate in IPI project (Press TV Iran, Oct. 2007)” Furthermore, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin issued a statement last week to confirm that he will continue to cooperate with Iran on their nuclear program, identified as a deadly threat by the United States.

China doesn’t care.
Chinese officials continue to insist that sanctions are not the solution and will only complicate the situation - and as a permanent U.N. Security Council member they have rejected any and all U.S. involvement in Iran.

And of course…Iran doesn’t care.
Mr. ‘what me worry?’ himself, President Ahmadinejad, is not worried about U.S. sanctions. As a matter of fact a senior Iranian military commander has warned that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard will carry out suicide bombings throughout the Persian gulf if “necessary.”

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Armenia’s president, Robert Kocharian, is adamant at proving his point - whatever it is! He’s looking to bring accountability to Turkey’s government for facilitating the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians…and he wants these evil acts ‘acknowledged fully in U.S. policy toward Turkey’. So on Wednesday, October 11, the bill to condemn the massacres was voted on by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the majority supported the measure.

Turkey feels insulted. They sent a U.S. envoy home and forced him to leave the country, insisting that the action was not to indicate a deterioration in relations between the two nations. And many people, including president George Bush disapproved of this action - perhaps not for the same reasons but the disapproval was there.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry insists that “it has been accused of something that never happened in history.” With such statements coming straight from the horse’s mouth - what kind of diplomacy is possible? Damage control is possible.

The U.S. has mission critical supply routes that run through Turkey and provide crucial strategic support to U.S. troops in Iraq. The Bush administration strongly disapproved the genocide resolution and insisted that national security interests are at stake. The warnings of the top strategists in Turkey and the U.S. were ignored and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed that the Armenian Genocide measure will go forward.

Resources:

• Armenian National Institute - Armenian-Genocide.org: Exhaustive details of the ‘Armenian Genocide’ and support for the Armenian lobby
• Armenian-Genocide-Lie.com: The ‘Armenian Genocide’ is a sham and a lot of people died as a result of war
• The Armenian Genocide Wikipedia Page: Supposedly Impartial (not always the case with wiki)

Employees will hurt before Chrysler’s financial burden begins.
The employees at GM “are angry and they’re scared,” in the words of Paul Thayer, a welder repairman at Chrysler’s stamping plant. Anyone would be weary of striking if they lived in Michigan - it ranks 51st with the worst unemployment rate in the nation at 7.4%. Perhaps they can afford to strike for a week…but what about two weeks…or worse, what about a month? Chrysler can use some down time anyway, they’ve already shut down half of their plants because they have too much inventory - they have three months worth of inventory and their number one selling ‘Jeep Wrangler’ is assembled at a non-UAW plant in Ohio.

Michigan: The Worst state for a strike
The UAW will pay striking employees $200 per week. I can’t speak for every employee…but a lot of people I know have ZERO saved up for a rainy day. If the UAW forces its workers to strike for a long time - we can expect to see some of those workers go back to work…being a ‘scab‘ is better than being broke and homeless. Michigan’s economy is in horrible shape. It was the only state whose GDP actually fell, its poverty level is higher than the national average, its the worst state for foreclosures, and the list goes on.

The poem “The Force That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower,” by Dylan Thomas, has to be read attentively at least twice to begin to grasp its meaning. In the poem Thomas handles all of the literary elements with dexterity, which is why there are so many possible interpretations. But the general theme of the cycle of life is evident through his skillful use of imagery, symbolism, and connotation.

In the first line of the first stanza Thomas introduces “The Force,” the omnipotent element that is ever-present in the poem.

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever. (1-5)

The “green fuse” represents the stem of the flower, but through connotation “fuse” is thought of as something explosive, contrary to a gentle flower. The word “green” implies youth, exuberance, and growth as he describes his age. In the second and third lines the force that produced life in the flower and himself is described as the same force that destroys life. The fourth line shatters the beautiful image of a rose, a symbol of healthiness and vigor, when it is described as crooked, inviting negative connotations. Just as the rose is feeble, he is also weakened and the seasons of his life change from springtime liveliness to “wintry fever.” The image of a frail, hunched over old man comes to mind.

The second stanza resembles the first stanza in set-up and message.

The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks. (6-10)

Once again “the force” is brought up. The “force” here extends the flow of the stream as it drives it along, similar to the first stanza in which the force extended the growth of the flower. “Red blood” is homogenous to “green age” from the first stanza – they both represent life and vivacity. In lines seven and eight “the force” becomes destructive again as in the first stanza. The force that pushed life along becomes the very force that takes away life as it “dries” the stream and turns the speaker’s blood to “wax,” which represents the speaker’s stiff corpse after embalming. As in the first stanza he is unable to communicate his feelings. An attempt to explain the situation to his body would be futile, since it is already lifeless.

In the third stanza the force is replaced by “the hand,” and like the “force” in the previous two stanzas it has the power to control and alter nature.

The hand that whirls the water in the pool
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind
Hauls my shroud sail.
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man
How of my clay is made the hangman’s lime.

The “hand agitates the normally calm waters of the pool and the generally motionless quicksand, and it is so powerful that it also controls the wind. The third line of this stanza is a double entendre. The speaker can be referring to a ship where the “shroud” is one of the ropes that support a ship’s mast; in this case the “hand’s” power is demonstrated as it controls the ship’s course. Another interpretation of the third line is similar to the third lines in the previous stanzas in which he states his demise; in this case the “shroud” would be the sheet used to wrap a dead body for burial. In the fourth and fifth lines the speaker find it senseless to communicate his feelings with the “hanging man” since they both share the same fate. The speaker’s body, his “clay,” will be in the hangman’s pit, which is doused in “lime” to nullify the smell of rotting corpses.

While the first three stanzas illustrated the abilities of “the force,” the fourth stanza identifies the force as being “time.”

The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather’s wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.

The denotation of “fountainhead” is an original source, therefore, where life begins, time leeches the fountain head just as age exhausts life. The line can also interpret as the “lips of time” symbolizing the genitals of a female and the “fountain head” as the phallus of a man. The latter interpretation ties in well with the rest of the poem because of its significance in the cycle of life; the speaker is playing his role in reproduction. The next line also leads on to sexual connotations but leans more towards the reoccurring theme of death where “fallen blood” represents a dead person. The speaker brings another life into being through reproduction in line one and in lines two and three he explains that the burden on society will be offset by his death, “fallen blood.” Time is referred to as “her” and the burden on society is represented by “sores.” He is incapable of explaining to the wind how time works because the wind already knows the nature of time. The “weather’s wind” has been to the heavens and the stars and has seen all possible weathers.

Wal-mart is the world’s biggest company according to Fortune’s top 500 and in the top three of the world’s most extendible brands according to Cheskin’s Brand Extendibility index. Wal-Mart has gained its high rankings by being ridiculously affordable through immense economies of scale, the more consumers purchase their cheap goods the more value they will receive - like the addition of high-quality organic foods.

Back to Mind Control - This company is so confident with its brand’s positioning that they can get away with just about anything…they have already banned labor unions, taken advantage of cheap foreign labor, and forced supplier ultimatums.
And the Question … Is this the brand positioning climax?

The county’s decision to pursue appear impulsive and have created a sort of sugar-coated state of emergency in the entire Northern Virginia area that surrounds the D.C. Metro area. Whether the desperate measures are as superfluous as they seem is subjective, at least at this early stage.

These actions, though they might prove an effective means of reducing illegal immigration, carry an ethnocentric stigma - simply because of the fuel behind the flames. My point is based on the principle that the means to achieve a goal for the good of society at large must be led by well-intended people - unfortunately these efforts are being supported by people that are essentially anti-immigration…regardless of legality. They prefer a last ditch, seek-and-destroy approach that forgoes conventional diplomacy and progressive community involvement.

In the words of Joseph W. Budzinski, spokesman for Help Save Loudoun:

‘I think this is the first step of Virginians taking back their state’ (Washington Post, July 2007).

This influx of Latino people, mainly from Central American countries, has created a sort of hysteria amongst Prince William’s largely conservative voting base. The ‘migrant workers’ gathered at 7-11 convenience stores (waiting for work), the boom of Hispanic shopping centers (food & ‘back-home’ goods), and not to mention the neighbors next door - since Hispanic homeownership has risen 2.2% from 2000 to 2005 in the United States.

The polemic here is that a large amount of Hispanic immigrants to Prince William are illegal - this is putting a large socio-economic strain on the county’s infrastructure. The new county law, passed yesterday, is aimed towards getting those illegal immigrants deported. The method: demand proof of lawful presence from any individual that can be detained on probable cause of violation of federal immigration laws. (Washington Times, July 2007)

Many civil rights organizations such as the ACLU take offense to the new ordinance, claiming that it can only lead to “the denial of essential, legally required services to undocumented immigrants” (ACLU, July 2007). There is no doubt that the majority of people detained for questioning will be of Hispanic origin - and there will be violations of basic civil rights - but is it for the greater good? That is indeed the County’s justification of the ordinance, and its officials stand by the unanimous decision.

The County’s legal (non-Hispanic) residents for the most part feel that these illegal immigrants are breaking the law, and letting them go on without reprimand represents a flaw in the justice system. Proponents of the ordinance insist that illegal immigrants come to this country only to usurp resources and take their tax-free earnings back to their home country.

Opponents demand recognition of the arduous and diligent work that is performed by illegal immigrants. There is also fear that legal residents of Hispanic origin will face increased discrimination and scrutiny from public officials as well as fellow residents. To avoid scrutiny of the law-abiding Hispanic community at large there are many other ways to go about controlling illegal immigration in Prince William county. One method is to only check the immigration status of arrested individuals.

Latinos are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, but not just in headcount, their economic power is increasing substantially every year. Hispanics are the minority group with the most spending power, estimated at $863.1 billion (Terry College of Business, September 2006).

This new law has a scary air to it. Perhaps we are coming to a point in time where porous borders were a thing of the past.

After the removal of Saddam Hussein in December 2003, the United States’ most immediate goals in Iraq became the elimination of the pro-Hussein insurgency and the installation of a functioning democratic government.

In March 2003 the majority of Americans (72%) supported armed involvement in Iraq to achieve these goals; nevertheless, conditions have become more realistic and the Gallup poll conducted on July 8th reported that the majority of Americans (62%) believe this whole Iraq situation was a ‘mistake’ (Iraq War Gallup Poll, July 2007).

Nearly four years after the removal of Iraq’s dictator it seems that we are back on square one. No democracy. Constant Violence. Political in-fighting. This is what happens when you allow distinctly volatile elements to interact without introducing a stabilizing compound - which in Iraq’s case, was the constant oppression and genocide of innocent people by the now-deposed dictatorship.

The U.S. strategy is to establish a democracy that brings together the varied peoples of Iraq under one central government for the greater good. George Bush, though his approval rating is at a record low of 29% (President’s Approval Gallup Poll, July 2007) still insists that he’s a “strong believer in advocating the march of democracy in the Middle East” (Bush Speaks in Cleveland, Ohio, July 2007).

This approach, exporting the U.S. brand of democracy to Iraq, though well-intended, must be carefully implemented so as to not appear ethnocentric. This is especially true when viewed from a socio-economic and socio-political standpoint. Iraq, home to the world’s first known civilization, has been ruled by a tradition of monarchs and religious caliphates - never has it been organized with modern democracy.

In her book ‘World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability,’ Amy Chua suggests that the abrupt introduction of democracy into third world countries can have negative results, and among other things bring about sectarian violence. Whether Chua’s theory applies to the situation at hand is an entirely separate analysis. There is, however, proof of sectarian violence, civil disorder, and a depressed economic landscape. The religious factions (i.e. Shi’a, Sunni) and ethnic groups (i.e. Kurds, Arabs) all want to secure a good future for their respective communities, and find themselves fighting each other over deeply-ingrained & ancient differences.

One cannot expect tranquility to set in on Iraq any time soon - not so much because of civil fighting but more because of the destabilization of an organizational system, though regressive and inhumane, that kept each of these different groups separated by forcing each to accept roles assigned by the dictatorship.

There are many causes for and against foreign intervention in Iraq. Some argue that poverty and the disenfranchisement of the lowest classes are central issues, which can be solved by progressive initiatives such as the Grameen banking system; while others believe that multilateral efforts to impose a democratic system will pay off in the long run, though it seems like tough love in the short-term.

All of these strategies sound great in heated speeches and printed editorials, but for the better good, we should put our differences aside and work together by developing one solution that is a hybrid of several strategies. That’s collaboration for the greater good.

1. The Sources of Funding
2. The Socio-Political Location where funds are applied
3. The Specific Causes that receive collected funds

1. The Sources of Funding
In an attempt to increase community goodwill and gain good P.R. points, a private company may choose to donate money to a nonprofit. It is important to the stability and success of the nonprofit to screen the monies received from corporations - as opposed to accepting all incoming donations.

Example: Gold Rush Casino donates money and forms a strategic partnership with the local Counseling Center for Gambling. The deal turns sour for the Counseling Center when the casino is accused of defrauding and taking advantage of slot machine users. The local community may very well correlate the Casino’s actions with the reputation of the well-intending Counseling Center for Gambling. The Center then stands to lose it’s members’ support - then sponsorships - then operating funds - and the rest is history.

2. The Socio-Political Location where funds are applied
While conducting fund raising rallies and drives, nonprofits must consider the possible adverse effects of cultural misconceptions. Failure to realize the receiving community’s cultural values, norms, literacy rates, religious beliefs, and other sensitive topics can be disastrous to the organization’s operations. It is important to be as diplomatic as possible so as to avoid community resentment; furthermore, it is crucial to conduct well-rounded market research to confirm the viability of serving any particular community or cause.

3. The Specific Causes that receive collected funds
Another issue that can create an ethical dilemma is the allocation of donated funds without proper planning. Some corporations may want their contributed funds to be used solely for a particular purpose and possibly in a manner that is not in line with the nonprofit’s mission. Such a case requires special attention from the nonprofit’s officers - it is vital to the organization’s sustainability to remain ethical and maintain the integrity of the organization’s mission. Improper allocation of funds will create discontent sponsors and donors and as a result funding becomes compromised.

Craigslist.org appears to be using a Classified Advertising e-business model – perhaps in the simplest form possible on the net, requiring little to no viewer information input and minimal user information input – it should be noted that Craigslist has been intended as a non-profit site, and the creator has established a non-profit programming and developing community.

The “Best of Craigslist” section of the site is a snapshot of the average Craigslist user. User is defined as the person posting a classified ad onto the site and viewer, alternatively is the person viewing that ad. The average user on Craiglist is someone that has been using the internet for over 1 year and has relied on e-mail for communication; in addition, most users are familiar with internet marketplaces and they tend to be between 30 and 45 years of age.

The owner of Craigslist is a computer programmer that had an idea for an easy-to-use website that would allow people to exchange classified ads similar to the ease of picking up a newspaper. This simplicity is the very strength of Craigslist.org – there are a plethora of ‘paid’ classified advertisement websites – eBay is an example – but obligatory registrations and entry of credit card details sway many from getting involved with those paid websites.

Bizrate.com

Bizrate.com is a marketplace of sorts – but classifies most accurately as an affiliate type e-business model. Businesses give Bizrate.com a catalog of goods they would like to make searchable through the site’s search engine, when a prospective customer clicks on a product they are redirected to the corresponding merchant’s website, if a purchase is made this click-through and purchase resulted from the listing on Bizrate.com, so the merchant will be billed a fee (sort of an agent/finders fee in the brick and mortar world). Note that Bizrate.com has changed to Shopzilla.com – it is still accessible through the original domain name.

Bizrate does not generate direct revenue from the rating system – they provide this as a free service for merchants, and give them detailed reports of all ratings and clicks. Of course, Bizrate, is not a community service, they do make revenue indirectly by convincing merchants to sign up for premium services and I am quite certain the information collected from customer ratings and merchant inputs is of value and can generate revenue.

Sneakers.com

It appears that Sneakers.com is earning revenue from advertising by simply creating a portal-type e-business model. It looks like the owner of this website has simply compiled a catalog with images that link to merchant websites, for the most part Zappos.com. I didn’t see any affiliate codes or breadcrumbs in the redirected URLs which are signs of affiliate programs. Sneakers.com is in the business of making money from Google Ads placed on their site.

I was surprised that a Google search for “sneakers” did not display sneakers.com in the first few pages. So most people find this site perhaps directly, by typing sneakers.com in their browser address bar. The site only has a google page rank of 4/10 – clearly the owner’s haven’t dedicated much time to search engine optimization.