The Great Awakening And The Enlightenment - 866 Words

The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment both profoundly impacted the American Revolution. Both ideas brought about a better understanding of the role of government in governing its people, the function of religion in the State, and a more general keener awareness of the rights of man. However, overall, the Enlightenment played the most pivotal role in bringing the American Revolution to fruition. The Great Awakening’s goal was to merely enhance the role of religion in people’s lives, and did not necessarily revolve around religious freedom. Nevertheless, the ideas it produced paved the way for greater religious tolerance in America. Basically, it was a struggle against the tyrannical nature of the established churches. The precepts of the Enlightenment did not concentrate simply on religious liberty. It concentrated on universal ideas such as limited government, popular sovereignty, private property and yet others. And in order to secure these civil liberties, it was first necessary to establish a government predicated on limited authority. As Jean-Jacques Rousseau said, â€Å"What, then, is the government? An intermediary body established between the subjects and the sovereign for their mutual communication, a body charged with the execution of the laws and the maintenance of freedom, both civil and political.† It is remarkable that at one stage or another, these two great philosophies actually clashed on core topics, such as faith itself. While manyShow MoreRelatedThe Enlightenment and the Great Awakening.1534 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Awakening and the Enlightenment were two historical events that shaped the thoughts of people and religion in America. The most important factor in both of these events is the common theme of reason behind the movements. The Great Awakening began about the 1930s and reached its climax ten years later in 1740. What exactly was the Great Awakening? It was a wave of religion revivals sweeping through New England that increased conversions and church membership. The beginnings of the GreatRead MoreEnlightenment And The Great Awakening814 Words   |  4 Pages In the 18th century, Enlightenment and the Great Awakening changed the idea of freedom for the colonists. The Great Awakening was a time of religious revival in the colonies. Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in the 18th century which emphasized economic and political freedom. American and British tensions grew in this time period due to Britain wanting America to be under the king’s control. Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, the Founding Fathers, and different social groups changed theRead MoreThe Great Awakening And Enlightenment991 Words   |  4 Pages The ages of Great Awakening and Enlightenment were two of the earliest movements in the early colonies. These movements proved that people can be influenced in many different ways in relation to politics and religion. The Great Awakening called for the revival of the evangelical movement, while the age of Enlightenment took the focus off of the traditional church and dared colonists to apply individualistic views of religion, thus birthing many new religious denominations that challenged traditionalRead MoreThe First Great Awakening And The Age Of Enlightenment1663 Words   |  7 Pagescharacters, feelings, and most importantly God. As the Age of Enlightenment gradually came to an end, the British American colonists were ready to progress beyond the ideology of human reason and depend solely on biblical revelation. During the eighteenth century, a great movement known as the First Great Awakening swept through Protestant Europe and America, leaving a permanent impact on Protestantism. Furthermore, during the First Great Awakening, American colonists gained a deeper sense of personal revelationRead MoreThe Enlighment and the Great Awakening Influence on the American Revolution741 Words   |  3 PagesBoth the Enlightenment and the Great awakening caused the colonists to alter their views about government, the role of government, as well as society at large which ultimately and collectively helped to motivate the colonists to revolt against England. The Enlightenment was vital in almost every part of the founding of America, which included everything from government, to politics itself, as well as religion. Many of the ideas from the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening shaped our country asRead MoreThe Founding Fathers The Politicians Who Led Colonial Assemblies And Congresses1522 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough events like the Great Awakening and Enlightenment, and the emergence of parties such as the Whigs. Meanwhile, they continued to hold close ties to their mother country through imitative actions caused by the mercantilist policies controlling trade and taxes. Although mercantilism imposed by the British brought the colonies and England closer, the ideas of individual liberty and choice that arose in pre-Revolutionary America including the Great Awakening, Enlightenment, and Whig ideologies dividedRead MoreA Leader Of Large Scale Boycotts On British Goods1445 Words   |  6 Pagesevents like the Great Awakening and Enlightenment, and the emergence of unique opinions like the Whig ideology. However, the colonists continued to demonstrate close ties to their mother country through sati sfaction with the mercantilist policies controlling trade in the colonies. Although mercantilism imposed by the British brought the colonies and England closer, the concepts of individual liberty and choice that arose in pre-Revolutionary America through the Great Awakening, Enlightenment, and WhigRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Revolution was not just a spontaneous revolt over taxes some may think . There were many things that led up to the outbreak of the American Revolution, such as the Navigation Act, the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre, and the Coercive Acts. It took many years for it to take place. This all started previously before 1775 with the first major event being the Navigation Acts of 1651. The Navigation Act of 1651 was an attempt to put moreRead MoreThe American Revolution And The War For Independence779 Words   |  4 Pagespolitics, culture, and religion. Politics were a significant cause because the colonist disliked the rules and regulations of the Charter that the King established. Culture also caused the Revolution due to the rational thinking of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment gave the colonist the thought of self governing instead of being under the royal leader. Finally, Religion also impacted the American Revolution because Religion contributed the idea that the church should voice their opinion on governmentRead MoreImpact Of The Columbian Exchange On The New World Essay1570 Words   |  7 PagesII the brother in law to England’s Queen Elizabeth. This defeat gave strength to the Protestant cause across Europe. It also confirmed England’s naval supremacy, and it gave way to further colonization in America. Queen Elizabeth was looked at a s a great rules after this defeat of her brother in law. 5. Describe the â€Å"Headright system†. - This system gave male English colonist who bought a share in the Virginia Company and also could pay for their passage to Virginia would be given 50 acres upon arrival

Acounting information system report Example

Essays on Acounting information system report Essay ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEM REPORT Executive Summary Rebecca Smith is the owner of a small business concern d â€Å"Ready To Eat† (RTE). RTE is primarily engaged in the business of preparing and distributing packaged meals for its customers. Its customers include the local residents and the visiting tourists of the place. The business is open on all days except for public holidays. Recently, there has been a sudden upsurge in the demand of its products and RTE is facing difficulties to cater to the huge demand. Moreover, lately there has been a new competitor of RTE who is taking away many of its customers. RTE is mainly facing problem in its management which is solely looked after by the owner herself. Hence, Rebecca is thinking of introducing new information systems into its business processes to increase the operational efficiency of RTE. The various impacts of the introduction of information systems have been critically assessed in this study. It has been found that it w ould be very much helpful for RTE if it implements its decision of introducing the new information systems. It would boost its performance and increase its operational efficiency as well. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Discussion 4 Information Systems 4 Introduction of Information Systems in RTE 4 Porter’s Competitive Forces Model 5 Information Requirements of RTE 5 Use of Computer Networks and Internet 6 Management Challenges affecting Organizational Change 6 Introduction of Information Systems – Security and Ethical Issues 6 Conclusion 6 Works Cited 7 Introduction â€Å"Ready To Eat† (RTE) is a locally operated small business firm owned by Rebecca Smith. It is engaged in the business of preparing and distribution of pre-packed meals for its customers. The owner is thinking to introduce information systems in its business processes to improve the management and performance efficiency of the firm. Various informational needs and the impacts of the introduction of information systems in the firm have been discussed in details in this study. Discussion Information Systems Information systems can be defined as a combination of formal procedures which includes collection of data, processing of these data into information and then distributing them to its users. Information systems in an organization can be subdivided into two broader divisions namely, Management Information Systems (AIS) and Accounting Information Systems (MIS). In order to have an efficient operational system, AIS and MIS functions are often integrated with each other in an organization (Hall 7). Information Systems can prove to be very much advantageous for business entities because all business activities can be accessed centrally. It provides an easy back up facility of the information records. The information can be centrally distributed across the organization. Information systems provide a means of record keeping that can be easily done in business organizations. Tax preparation becomes an easy task with the help of Information Systems. It also makes easier for organizations to identify the traits of the customers. Revenue forecasts, investment analysis, determination of best sources of funds and its utilization, performing audits, all can be made easy through the introduction of information systems in business processes (Stair, Reynolds Reynolds 31). RTE, being a small business firm, would require implementation of an accounting information system. It would help the organization to increase its operational efficiency through proper tracking of all the financial information related to its business activities. Introduction of Information Systems in RTE RTE is a small business enterprise engaged in the business of preparation and distribution of meals in packaged form to its customers. The packed meals are served mainly to the local residents and tourists who come to visit the place. The business is operated all through the week, except on public holidays. Rebecca Smith owns the firm and has the sole responsibility of managing the firm. Hence the implementation of accounting information systems in RTE would result in efficient management of the business. Information systems would help in providing financial reports of RTE on a daily basis. Moreover it would assist in providing information that could be utilized to measure the performance efficiency and proper monitoring of the decision making procedures of the firm. With the increasing demand of pre-packed meals, RTE can easily cater to such demands by implementing the information systems. It would help to keep a track of information like, the customer preferences, details of the ra w materials in use, its pricing information, and creating a proper communication channel with the customers. It would thus facilitate the improvement in decision making process by helping to know the exact requirements of the customers and improving the level of satisfaction for its customers. It would also enable to develop a proper strategic planning process for the firm (Gruben, Gresham Behara 1). Porter’s Competitive Forces Model Porter’s competitive forces model is a very well known model that is utilized to assess the competitiveness of a firm or industry in the market. The competitive edge of a firm can be enhanced through the development of strategies with the utilization of this framework (Turban 35). In case of RTE, Porter’s Competitive Forces Model Analysis can be utilized to identify the five forces in the following ways: 1. Buyer Power: RTE is facing a medium buyer power from its customers. It is so because the consumers have significant influence on the product but not so much significant influence on the prices of the products. 2. Supplier Power: Supplier power is weak for RTE because the low switching costs while changing suppliers of its raw materials like fruits, vegetables, etc. The market for these types of products is highly competitive in nature. 3. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants for RTE is quite high because of low investment required to set up a business like RTE. Another firm can easily come up with innovative ideas and new improved and developed products than RTE. 4. Threat of Substitutes: Threat of substitutes may be high for RTE because substitutes for pre-packed meals are available in plenty in the market and the customers can easily be influenced to go for substituted products. 5. Degree of Rivalry: The degree of rivalry is quite high in case of RTE. It is already facing competition from a newly set up business in the community. Customers do not incur high switching costs while moving from one firm to another related to the business in which RTE is involved. The proper utilization of information systems can help RTE in establishing a competitive edge over its competitors by being pro-active to the changing demands of the customers. Moreover it would help RTE to speed up the delivery process and cater to more orders of pre-packed meals on a timely manner. Information Requirements of RTE RTE requires information regarding the customer preferences. It also requires information regarding the prices of the raw materials like fruits, vegetables etc. RTE also needs to keep a track on the other overhead costs incurred in its operation. Information regarding its inventory is also important. Various business processes that RTE needs to take into consideration for converting them to a computerized system are: Customer order details, delivery details, inventory control systems, accounts receivables and payables, payroll information, raw materials details, prices of different meal packages, calculation of financial figures, competitor profiles Use of Computer Networks and Internet With the help of information systems it would enable to reduce the communication gap between RTE and its customers. Customers would have an easy access to the product varieties available in RTE and can place their orders over internet. Feedback from customers can also be easily obtained from the customers that would enable RTE to improve its products and provide greater satisfaction to its customers. The application of computer networks like intranets, extranets, and internet in business processes is termed as e-business (Gelinas, Dull Wheeler 4). The use of these computer networks by RTE can serve its need by introducing the facility of online order booking and payment for its customers. Moreover, it can be utilized to make information available for all the employees of RTE, so that there is no time lag in the flow of information and delivery is made on time. Management Challenges affecting Organizational Change Introduction of information system in RTE would require computerization of many business processes which were previously done manually. Hence, it would require an organizational change of RTE. Now, while implementing such changes RTE may face challenges in the form of various resistances to changes offered by the existing employees of RTA. Development of management staff and other employees would become necessary for the implementation of information systems in RTE. Introduction of Information Systems – Security and Ethical Issues Ethical questions are raised through information systems that are applicable for both the societies and individuals. It is so because it creates opportunity for significant changes that may possess a threat to the existing delegation of power, rights, money, obligations, etc (worldcomcs.org 128). With the introduction of information systems in RTE, it can lead to ethical issues like divulgement of private information of customers through internet. Key information of RTE’s strategy can also be available to its competitors with the increasing use of internet. Conclusion Hence, it can be concluded that with the rising demand of pre-packed meals, it is the right time for the implementation of information systems in RTE. Its owner, Rebecca Smith is already facing difficulties managing the business on her own. Moreover, RTE is losing customers to its competitors because of its decreased performance efficiency. Hence, the introduction of information systems will increase the operational efficiency of RTE and help in serving its customers in a better way, thereby helping to retain the existing customers as well. Works Cited Gelinas, Ulric, J., Richard B. Dull and Patrick R. Wheeler. Accounting Information Systems. 9th Ed. USA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Gruben, Kathleen, H., Alicia B. Gresham and Ravi Behara. The Role of Information Systems in Small Business: A Focus on Retailers. 2004. PDF File. . Hall, James, A. Accounting Information Systems. 7th Ed. USA: Cengage Learning., 2010. Print. Stair, Ralph, M., George Reynolds and George W. Reynolds. Principles of Information Systems. 9th Ed. USA: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Turban, Efraim, et al. Information Technology for Management. 6th Ed. USA: John Wiley Sons, 2008. Print. Worldcomcs. Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems. n.d. PDF File. http://www.worldcomcs.org/attachments/article/52/Ethical_Computing.pdf.

Contemporary Management Skills and Performance †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Contemporary Management Skills and Performance. Answer: Working as a good manager is about operating an organization while generating good and effective outcomes. The managers in organization are not only seen as a leader but they are also expected to become approachable and fair. For most of the managers, their duties and actions are limited to completing the required work responsibilities. However, completion of work is equally significant, but with this the managers have to develop their leadership skills. In this process, there is need of translating the personal values of managers in to the calculated action. This essay analyzes a statement, i.e. To become leaders, managers need to translate their personal values in to calculated action, which is given Joseph L. Badaracco in his article The Discipline of Building Character. In this article, the author describes three types of defining moments, which are very common in an organization. These are the practical and thought provoking practices, which are designed to translate the values and beliefs of managers into calculated actions. The practices can help the managers in taking out the time from bustle and hustle of the working environment. These defining moments happen when strong challenges force the great managers to develop the decisions for goodness of an organization (Badaracco, 2006). But there is a thing that creates differences between the great executives and ordinary executives, i.e. the great managers or executives always make efforts to remember these three moments intensely. In the given article, as the author writes that To become leaders, managers require to transform their personal values and beliefs into calculated actions. To understand this statement, it is necessary to understand the personal values. Personal values are the characteristics and qualities of individuals, which value themselves. Most of the people choose to leave the organization than violate their personal values and beliefs (Badaracco, 2006). Personal values and beliefs of a leader affect how you can lead and follow the leader. When the personal values are obvious and they are conscious of them, then it works as a strong foundation to think about the leadership style and its implementation to the business operations. There are some managerial skills, which are shown by the managers in organization. To become leaders, the managers have to enhance their personal values and beliefs (Fernandez et al, 2015). The managers as leaders should understand what they value. The managers should identify the significance of ethical behavior. The leaders should show both their ethics and personal values and beliefs in style of leadership and actions. This statement expresses the managers, who are able to resolve these moments successfully; according to this author these managers are able to manage and have the time from their daily busy lives and emphasizes on the major principles and values (Kerpen, 2017). From a study, it is uncovered that these principles and values refurbish their intelligence to work in the organization and perform as a facilitator for pragmatic, smart and politically shrewd actions. By doing this again and again in their work lives, these managers are able to create a strong and authentic identity on the basis of their own ability rather than of someone else. In this way, the managers start to develop the transition from a manager to becoming a leader. The article states that past of translation of values into action in the challenging situations is in the way with thinking of great learner from the times gone by, who also focused the significance of the actions as describing the leadership principles (Lichtenstein, 2012). In an organization, if the managers want to become effective leaders, so they have to develop the skills for effective decision making. In todays working environment, there are three moments, which can help the managers to become an effective leader. Understanding these processes can assist the managers in transforming their personal values in calculated actions, which can produce effective results with work completely done. First kind of moment is the problem of personal identity (Lichtenstein and Dade, 2007). This moment raises a question in the mind of executives, i.e. who am I? The second one is both personal and organizational as well. In an organization, both the behavior of a manager and behavior of groups are kept at stake. It puts the question, i.e. who we are? Furthermore, the third kind of defining moment is the very complex and difficult. This includes the role and importance of the organization in society and community. By defining and understanding these defining moment s, the managers can learn to convert their personal beliefs and values into effective and calculated actions. In addition, these practices can assist the managers to learn to direct the right decisions with proper strength and grace. In the process of transformation of values into actions, they have to analyze themselves by using these moments. In the first dimension, the individual can evaluate the intuitions and feelings, which can create conflicts in the business situation (Miller and Hutton, 2014). They should know about the values, which are in the conflict situation are deeply involved in individuals life. Furthermore, the managers should analyze about their own values and beliefs. In this process, the managers and executives require determining if the ethical mission and vision will be assisted by their employees and co-workers. After determining the vision, the top-executives should convey this ethical vision with the customers, employees and other stakeholders of the organization. In a company, the smart executives can utilize these three dimensions as a prospect to redefine the role of organization in building the society and its welfare (Schoemaker, Krupp and Howland, 2013). Furthermore, it can be stated that the managers also require taking a hard look on the organization in which they are working and creating a representative assessment of whose interpretation will be best at the end. It means recognizing competing interpretations is also an important part of this transforming process. In an organization, there are so many factors, which can determine about the prevalence of interpretation (Northouse, 2015). These factors are like; organizational goals, organizational culture, policies and regulations of company, group norms etc. For generating leadership qualities, there is a need for the managers that they should ask themselves about the point of view, which is most important in winning the competition of interpretations and impact the behavior and thinking of other people and followers. As a leader, the manager should be prepared for any situation. It is clear that future planning is at the heart of the work of managers (Rawwas and Isakson, 2015). As an effective leader, one needs to learn how to spot the issues and challenges before they pushes into crisis. This is the same and true for the above-defined three moments in the organizations. Effective managers should be appointed for successfully resolving the moments before they actually show themselves (Roland and Higgs, 2008). There are some of the most threatening defining moments, which are confronted by the managers motivate them for balancing their family and work. Work-life balance is an important aspect in an organization. The managers should know about the ways to deal with the issues of work-life balance. In addition, the leaders should inspire their followers to manage their work and family together. After reading this article, it can be stated that leaders perform their tasks and duties in an effective way. For example; in the situation of irresistible decisions, the managers generally call meetings, hire experts and lawyers and start the negotiation process in organization (Snyder, 2009). However, these steps can assist them, but they can take very much time by implementing these processes. From the strengths position, the leaders can carry forward their ethical vision of what is good for that situation. Before taking any action, the managers or leaders should ensure that their actions will not influence the health and well-being of the employees, organization, jobs of its employees and income and interest of stakeholders. At the end, it can be said that by engaging in the process of self-enquiry, the managers will with no resources be organizing an unproductive practice in escapism. Rather, using these three defining moments and other processes will aid the managers in better handling on most challenging, vague and important business and organizational issues (Fairhurst and Connaughton, 2014). Along with this, the managers should understand that what mixture of smartness, knowledge, creativity and persistence will help them in transforming their vision into reality. Thus from the above discussion, it can be concluded there are three major questions, which the people should understand in transforming the personal values into calculated actions. These questions are such as; who am I, who are we and what the company is. By considering and answering these questions, the managers can be able to perform and influence like leaders. The managers should pursue the behavior, which can impact the behaviors and characteristics of other people and followers. These are the major concerns for creating a disciplined character in the business environment. After reading the article, it can be stated that defining these three moments force the managers to find a balance between their hearts in all the idealism and work in their unclear truth. Thus, to become leaders, the managers can translate their personal values and beliefs by using above approaches and moments. References Badaracco, J.L, 2006, The Discipline of Building Character, Harvard Business Review. Fairhurst, G.T. and Connaughton, S.L., 2014. Leadership: A communicative perspective.Leadership,10(1), pp.7-35. Fernandez, C.S., Noble, C.C., Jensen, E. and Steffen, D., 2015. Moving the needle: A retrospective pre-and post-analysis of improving perceived abilities across 20 leadership skills.Maternal and child health journal,19(2), pp.343-352. Kerpen, C, 2017, How Personal Values Make You a Better Leader, Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/carrie-kerpen/how-personal-values-make-you-a-better-leader.html. Lichtenstein, S, 2012, The Role of Values in Leadership: How Leaders Values Shape Value Creation, Integral Leadership Review. Lichtenstein, S., and Dade, P, 2007, The Shareholder Value Chain: Values, Vision and Shareholder Value. Journal of General Management. Vol. 33, Issue 1, Autumn, pp. 15-31. Miller, P. and Hutton, D., 2014. Leading from within: towards a comparative view of how school leaders personal values and beliefs influence how they lead in England and Jamaica.Building Cultural Community through Global Educational Leadership, Ypsilanti, MI: NCPEA. Northouse, P.G., 2015.Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Rawwas, M.Y. and Isakson, H.R., 2015. Ethics of Future Business Managers: The Influence of Beliefs and Values on Ethical Attitudes. InProceedings of the 1998 Multicultural Marketing Conference(pp. 264-264). Springer, Cham. Roland, D. and Higgs, M, 2008, Sustaining Change: Leadership that Works. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Snyder, D. 2009, How to Hire a Champion:Insider Secrets to Find, Select, and Keep Great Employees: Easyread Large Bold Edition, ReadHowYouWant.com Publications. Schoemaker, P.J., Krupp, S. and Howland, S., 2013. Strategic leadership: The essential skills.Harvard business review,91(1), pp.131-134.

Star Wars May the Force Be With You Essay Example For Students

Star Wars: May the Force Be With You Essay After meeting up with Jed master Obi-Wan Kenton, Luke sets out on an adventure that involves everything from run-ins at a rough bar to shoot-outs aboard the Death Star and a climactic space battle at the end of the movie. One of the more memorable scenes in the movie is when Obi-Wan is showing Luke how to use a light saber while on their way to Alderman, Obi-Wan starts to teach Luke the ways of the Force, which he tells Luke is the source of a Seeds power, Its an energy field created by all living things, It surrounds us and penetrates us. We will write a custom essay on Star Wars: May the Force Be With You specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now It binds the galaxy together. I believe this is the scene where people really got dragged into the story, and it only got better from there. The dog-fights in space and light saber battles were so thrilling that I was literally on the edge of my seat the first time I watched it, and its a tribute to the movies brilliance that those same scenes are still thrilling to me now, 15 years later. In addition to the great storyline, the characters in Star Wars are some Of the most unforgettable and likable that I have ever seen in a movie. Luke Skylarked was played to perfection by Mark Hamlin and is considered one the most memorable movie heroes of the era. Besides having one of the most memorable heroes, Star Wars also features what is arguably the single best movie villain in all of movie history, Dearth Evader. Evaders character was voiced by one the most recognizable voices of our time, the iconic James Earl Jones. Evader, with his fanged face mask. Black cape, and hollow breathing, struck fear into the hearts of people everywhere and is one of the most mimicked characters ever (Bert. Star Wars (1977)). But, one of the best characters in my opinion is that of Princess Leila, played by Carrie Fisher. Most princess types before her were whining, whimpering, little snots who were incapable of anything beyond tripping and twisting their ankle in times to peril, while Fisher portrayed her character as a bold, brazen, yet sophisticated and educated woman who was aware of her surroundings and capable of defending herself and her realm with the utmost authority (Dramaturgy In his first major role, the now legendary Harrison Ford played the part of Han Solo. Han and his co-pilot Chewable, a 7 foot tall Woke, who Princess Leila refers to as a walking carpet, are smugglers who join Luke and Obi-Wan in their journey. Solo, with his cocky manner and sarcastic witticisms, has most Of the funnier lines in the movie, and the banter between him and Princess Leila is hilarious and keeps the conversations fresh. I found myself chuckling every time they got near each Other. Director and writer, George Lucas did an absolutely fabulous job casting the parts and I wouldnt dream of making one single change. Because Star Wars is such a popular movie, it has found its way into countless aspects of society and has changed the face of pop culture as we know it. According to Roger Bert, George Lucas space epic has colonized our imaginations, and it is hard to stand back and see it simply as a motion picture, because it has so completely become part of our memories. The idea of the Force added a whole new element to the already sic-if story, creating a new religion and belief system that have become a staple of modern pop culture. In tact, over 500,000 people stated their religion as Jed around the world in the 2001 census. While this was nothing more than a massive practical joke, it shows just how much Star Wars has been assimilated into peoples lives and culture over the years and how big of a fan base the movie really has. So big in fact, that every year thousands of fans show up at Star Wars conventions, most of them dressed as their favorite characters. Last year, Celebration Ill was held in Indianapolis, and was the largest convention ever held, with over 30,000 fans showing up at the 4 day event.