Perseverance: Harriet Tubman

reedom, and in her quest for freeing others. I will also describe the obstacles she overcame, and who supported her in her cause of being free. Harriet Tubman was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. Her biggest accomplishment was her escape to freedom, and not only did she free herself, but also others. She was the most famous â€Å"conductor† of the Underground Railroad. Throughout a 10-year span, Tubman made more than 20 trips down to the South and led over 300 slaves from bondage to freedom.Perhaps the most shocking fact about Tubman's journeys back and forth from the South was that she never lost a single passenger. This is the most shocking because there were more obstacles facing her then, that a murderer now! Her biggest fear then, was being caught. The only way she could persevere through this, is going on regardless. Regardless of what happened, regardless of what she or anybody else believed, she went on becaus e she had the courage and will power to do it. Throughout her journey, she overcame many obstacles. Fear being the biggest one and her priorities the next.As stated before, I believe that she overcame fear by going on, no matter how hard she tried, or how tired she grew, she kept going on. Her next obstacle in line was taking care of her followers. It has been stated that, there were many times, when her passengers wanted to turn around, give up. They were tired, they were hungry, and there was no way, that she could take care of them alone. I firmly believe that the Underground Railroad was a gift from God. I believe he saw that she struggled, he saw that she was tired, but he also so the cause of her going on and fighting.The Underground Railroad was her way through her obstacles. It was a safe haven for not only her, but her passengers too. She had the will power, and the faith to do it, but faith without work to me, is dead. The Underground Railroad also allowed her to meet vari ous people. Being a slave in the South, you'd think that all Caucasian men were slave owners, but it surprised and inspired her, when she met Caucasian men in the North. She was surprised because these men were standing against and standing for what she hoped and believed in, freedom.It was men like former President John Quincy Adams, William Lloyd Garrison, and Thomas Garrett. They took part in speaking against it, and abolishing it. Most abolitionists were Caucasian, but the ones who actually valued freedom most, were the ones who escaped. It was people like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass who inspired her to go on, and fight against what was right. In her lifetime, Harriet Tubman showed perseverance by not only freeing herself, but also over 300 passengers. She overcame many obstacles, but with the help of her supporters in her cause of being free, she made it through.

Elephant Man †Otherness Essay Essay

In Victorian London, Dr. Frederick Treves with the London Hospital comes across a circus sideshow attraction run by a man named Bytes called â€Å"The Elephant Man†. In actuality, the creature on display is indeed a man, twenty-one year old John Merrick who has several physical deformities, including an oversized and disfigured skull, and oversized and disfigured right shoulder. Brutish Bytes, his â€Å"owner†, only wants whatever he can get economically by presenting Merrick as a freak. Treves manages to bring Merrick under his care at the hospital – not without several of its own obstacles, including being questioned by those in authority since Merrick cannot be cured. Treves initially believes Bytes’ assertion that mute Merrick is an imbecile, but ultimately learns that Merrick can speak and is a well-read and articulate man. As news of Merrick hits the London newspapers, he becomes a celebrated curiosity amongst London’s upper class, including with Mrs. Kendal, a famed actress. Despite treated much more humanely, the question becomes whether Treves’ actions are a further exploitation of Merrick. And as Merrick becomes more famous, others try to get their two-cents worth from who still remains a curiosity and a freak to most, including to Bytes, who has since lost his meal ticket. The movie is loosely based on the real story of Joseph Merrick, known as â€Å"The Elephant Man†, who was thought to have suffered from elephantiasis and was perceived as being abnormal and different because of it. As portrayed in the movie, â€Å"The Elephant Man† was not classifyed as human but inhuman; a stranger to most. But who establishes what abnormal is? Do humans really believe they have that power? The Elephant Man† is just another example of someone different. To me he isn’t a monster, just misunderstood, and to label him like that suggest that there’s something within him that makes him less human that the rest of us. What I found hard to grasp was trying to understaning what lies in the concept of being abnormal in order to have an idea of what being no rmal means. I mean the notion of â€Å"us† suggests that there must be a majority to differ from; a range of normality that constitutes the abnormal. But who decides who’s normal and who’s not? What is normal anyways? I mean all it does is overrule, distort, and oppress everything that cannot meet it’s certain demands and qualifications. I rather be anything BUT normal. The main reason â€Å"The Elephan Man† was shund out of society was because of his physical features and â€Å"deformities†. But why should a physical difference come to mark a psychological one? In the movie the audience/spectators come to represent normality or the unit of ‘us’, standing in opposition to John Merrick. Because of his difference they see fit to classify themselves as ‘normal’ and different from him. And in a way they are. You see, unlike them, Merrick was highly capable of civilized behaviour. The characteristics of his physical appearance are not regarded as simple features but as deformities, as abnormal, even monstrous. Why do the spectators react so strongly towards something they find not to resemble themselves? Why do they, the unit of normality, need to point out that he is being different while they get to be normal? Why does the representation of normality feel an urge to define itself through what it is not? I believe that the process of othering in the movie could be explained by the simple idea that we don’t know what we are. I mean it seems that there is an infinity of things we could be as human beings, so why does society try and control something it has no power over? Is it affraid of what we can achieve, or does it not want us to achieve in the first place? I mean in Merricks case he wasn’t really classified as either one thing or the other. Just†¦ abnormal. In our world those we find not to fit into our group are left as objects of either exclusion, repulsion, repression, oppression; or of a kind of fetishism which nonetheless seems to limit the object of obsession. In â€Å"The Elephant Man’s† case he was neither desier nor wanted but feard. No one wanted to be-firend him, love him, see what he was like or even just say the odd hello. He was a freak, a caged spectical for people to point and laugh at. Treves, a doctor at London Hospital, stumbles upon and discovers â€Å"The Elephant Man† at a circus sideshow attraction run by the cruel and repulise Bytes and appoints himself the his owner so that he could present him to the members of his medical society. He’s given many detailed, scientific examination before being returned to his owner, but, being subject to his frequent beatings, he falls ill and is hospitalized in secret where Treves works. Treves discovers that â€Å"The Elephant Man† can talk and begins to referred to him as John Merrick. When the director of the hospital warns to have Merrick removed, Treves helps him and he is given permission to stay. Merrick’s stay in the hospital is mentioned in the papers, and soon curiosity leads a famous actress to visit him. The London nobility follows and Queen Victoria herself takes an interest in Merrick and starts protecting him. However, Merrick is not safe: his former owner forces Merrick back on the road with him and brings him to France. The dwarves and other â€Å"freaks† of this show free Merrick from his abusive owner. After being freed Merrick finds his way back to England and collapses in a train station, chased by a mob attracted by his deformity. Treves brings Merrick back to the hospital, which is now his home, and an actress who earlier showed her interest in him arranges the most beautiful night of his life: an attendance to the theatre where she works. After this experience, Merrick deliberatedly goes to sleep while lying down, though he knows this will suffocate him because of his condition. He dies in his sleep. From being â€Å"The Elephant Man† he’s turned into John Merrick, both characters who held the ability to frighten and horrify people by his mere look. In his appearance people recognize their own humanity, but apparently a distorted humanity. As the movie goes along, John Merrick is quietly humanized. He was dressed up, called upon by name (not nickname) and given conditions allowing him to show creativity. He read poetry, went to theatres, and drank tea like a true Englishman, you might say. Indeed, the monster more and more resembles a well taught pet. The recognition of Merrick as a human being, the terrible necessity to identify with this deformed edition of a human, makes us turn him into a monster; something we do to make the identification less obvious. It leads us to conclude that he is not human. He cannot be human, and if he is human, than he must be dumb, as the doctor assures his colleague. The doctor in this way removes Merrick from the field of humanity all over again. The doctor bases his notion of humanity on the presence of intellect, while according to the public it has to do with physical features. By saying this, the doctor distances Merrick from him just as the public does; there is only a small difference of procedure. But when Merrick starts talking and reciting the Bible he suddenly he belongs to our race again? How that makes sense, i’ll never know. Maybe, locked up behind the face of a monster, rests a human being. Reading Merriam-Webster dictionary defination of ‘normal’ it’s interesting to note how normality is also given a physical and mental connotation. And because of that we can therefore see how visible factors that differentiate an individual make him or her a possible target of othering.

British Homes

There are 22 million places in Britain # 8212 ; large places and little places, old bungalows and new edifices, houses and flats. ( Americans say apartment but British people say level ) . Many British people love old houses and these are frequently more expensive than modern 1s. They besides love horticulture and you will see gardens everyplace you go: in towns, small towns and out in the state. Some are really little with merely one tree and a few flowers. Others are tremendous with plentifulness of flowers and adequate veggies and fruit trees. Two tierce of the households in Britain own their houses. Millions of these houses are the same with two or three sleeping rooms and a bathroom upstairs, dining room and kitchen downstairs. To pay for their house, place proprietors borrow money from a edifice society and pay back a small every month. There are a great many different sorts of places in Britain, but there are non plenty! It is frequently really hard for immature people to happen a place when they want to get down a household. British places are normally smaller than American places. 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The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C. and the Pantheon, 117-125 A.D Research Paper

The Parthenon, 447-438 B.C. and the Pantheon, 117-125 A.D - Research Paper Example Parthenon was constructed entirely using marbles. The marbles used were very strong, which is arguably the reason why the building has survived up to today. Wijesinha reveals that the Greeks strongly believe in simplicity. According to the Greeks, an understatement is elegance, which means that genuine fashion must be simple. The Parthenon was arguably built with the saying in mind according to Wijesinha. In this regard, the Greeks used very tall columns made of three architectural designs namely Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian. Despite the fact that the Parthenon’s pillars were slanted little inwards, it is very difficult to notice since the pillars just appear straight. This architectural design was meant to symbolize perfect straightness since if this could not have been achieved, then the pillars could have appeared as if they were slanting outwards. The Parthenon also has friezes and statues beautifully painted with bright colors to symbolize scenes from Greek arts. The building is also surrounded with Peristyle. It is reported that inside the building stands a 12-meter high Athene statue, who is the Athenians goddess. This statue is made of gold and ivory. The statue also appears to hold a Nike figure on one of its hands while in the other hand is a sword. Behind the statue is a room where the Athenians used to make jewelry offerings to the Athene, their goddess. In addition, the Parthenon also has alter where animals and birds were scarifies. This altar is located outdoors where worshipers remained .

Little Big Horn 1876 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Little Big Horn 1876 - Research Paper Example Little Big Horn 1876 Combined forces of Arapho, Northern Cheyennie and Lakota tribes won the battle of Little Bighorn. This combines force was led by several major and popular war leaders, such as Chief Gall and Crazy Horse. These two leaders were impressed and inspired by the thoughts and visions of Sitting Bull. On the other hand, the United States Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment was led by another major leader named George Armstrong Custer. This particular force of the army of the United States of America included 700 battalions. However, despite the unique warfare tactics, the United States Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment including the battalion of Custor lost the battle to the opponent combined force. Custer was killed during the battle. Total 268 US battalions were dead during this battle (Greene, 2008). On the other hand, 55 US battalions were injured during this battle of the Little Bighorn. Developing tension between the Great Plains’ native inhabitants and the intruding settlers caused a series of critical conflicts. This particular conflict caused the war that is recognized as popular as the Sioux Wars. Despite the developed tensions, several inhabitants agreed to relocate to the ever-shrivelling reservations. On the other hand, some inhabitants were resisted. In the year 1875, Sitting Bull established an alliance between the Cheyenne, huge number of agency Indians and the Lakota tribes based on the developed conflicts and tensions in this area.

Air Transport in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Air Transport in the UK - Essay Example According to the report  there are two key drivers of air transport demand in the UK economy. One is growth in income in the long-term and the other one is fall in the real cost of fares of air transport. With the decline in air fares and rise in income, the passengers are expected to increase their air travel. However, with fall in the air fares, the airlines are unable to cut down operational costs and due to this, the sector has to meet increasing cost for emission of fuels. The figure below shows the key factors of air transport demand in the UK.This research highlights that  income elasticity of demand in economics is used to measure the responsiveness of quantity demanded of a good with respect to the income change of the individual demanding the good, holding all other things constant. Mathematically, it is calculated by taking the ratio of change in the percentage of quantity demanded to the change in percentage of income.  Income elasticity of a good which is greater t han 1 (luxury good) is considered to be highly elastic. The good whose elasticity lies in the range of 0 to 1 (normal or necessary good) is considered to be elastic and the one with elasticity less than 0 (inferior good) has negative elasticity. Also, goods having income elasticity equal to 1 is unit elastic. The figure below shows different types of elasticity.  Therefore, income elasticity differs with the nature of goods. The demand for inferior good is negative, less elastic for normal good and that for luxury good, it is highly elastic.

International Sports Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Sports - Assignment Example All these problems were because of insufficient funds and resources to equip the facilities and reward the participants. The Olympic sponsorship began in various nations like Greece, where its cities could sponsor participants. They played various roles that included the provision of equipment, trainers, and athletic facilities. Some of the major sponsors include Xerox Company, Lenovo Computer Company, and Kodak. The sponsors from different nations came into improve international sports like Olympics. In addition, the rewards given to the participants were improved, and the participants were motivated to perform well in the sports. On the other hand, the officials were comfortable in delivering their duties when organizing the Olympics. It is important to realize that the Olympic sponsorship contributed much in employing experts who could deliver quality services to improve sports in a professional manner. Technology was also brought in through the Olympic sponsorship where various a ctivities like timing were improved by dropping manual system of recording (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011). The International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Partners received various mutual benefits from the sponsorship. In this regard, the interdependence and interconnection between the participating nations and sponsors was enhanced. Olympic Games also received substantial profits and smooth movement of the Olympics. The major challenges that International Sports such as Olympic went through is over-commercialization and ambush marketing. This led to the formation of marketing initiative where a limited number of sponsors would be given special benefits and treatment. CRITIQUE The relationship between Olympic Games and sponsorship is longstanding. The first Olympic Games initiated it in 776 BC. It is noteworthy that the cities in ancient Greece started by sponsoring participants through provision of training kits, trainers, and some athletic facilities. At the time, the winners toget her with their cities were awarded only Olive leaves but their performance made them be renowned (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011). The first modern Olympics were in Athens in 1896 where most of the donations were from private organizations like Kodak. International marketing was first shown by Games in Helsinki where eleven companies came in to give support like flowers for participants winning medals and food for athletes. The number of sponsors increased gradually that, by 1976 in Montreal Olympics, the sponsors and suppliers were 628. Although, there were many sponsors, financial status was still a disaster for the hosting city and the organizers. This made the organizing committee implement marketing program where 34 sponsors, 64 suppliers, and 65 licensees were introduced together with sponsor hospitality centers for the first time. This marketing program enabled the organizing committee to allow corporate sponsors to associate themselves with the Olympic movement in different ways. O lympic sponsorship enabled the International Organizing Committee to realize that corporate sponsors provided substantial profits to the Olympic movement. These profits are important for the expansion of activities and space used during the Olympic Games (Bravo & Maclntosh, 2011). In addition, the funds can be used to improve the reward schemes offered to the winners and their respective States. This will motivate them hence make them improve their performance. The

Operating system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Operating system - Assignment Example The program responsible for this task is known as traffic controller. Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface, or GUI. A GUI allows one to use the mouse to click icons, buttons, and menus, and everything will be displayed on the screen in combination of graphics and text. Traditionally, computers had a command-line interface, which meant users had to type every single command to the computer and the computer would only display text. (Anonymous, 2010) I. Mac OS X.It was created by Apple and it comes preloaded on all new Macintosh computers, or Macs. All of the recent versions are known as OS X  and the specific versions include  Yosemite 2014, Mavericks 2013, Mountain Lion 2012, Lion  2011 and Snow  Leopard 2009. Apple also offers a version called Mac OS X Server, which is designed to be run on servers. (Anonymous, 2010) II. Microsoft Windows. Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s.The different versions of Windows are  Windows 8 (2012), Windows 7  (2009), and Windows Vista  (2007). Windows comes preloaded  on most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world. (Anonymous, 2010) III. Linux. This OS can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This is different from proprietary software  like Windows, which can only be modified by the company that owns it (Microsoft). The most popular versions include Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora. (Anonymous, 2010) Normally, the operating systems of mobile phones are designed specifically for mobile devices. Operating systems for these mobile devices are usually not fully featured like those of desktop and laptop computers. However, one can still do a lot of things with them, like watching movies, browsing the Web, managing your calendar and playing games. Examples of these mobile operating systems include Apple iOS, Windows Phone, and Google Android. (Anonymous,

Catastrophic Cyberattack Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Catastrophic Cyberattack - Essay Example A cyber attack has been defined as a computer-to-computer attack that undermines the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a computer or information resident in it (O’Shea, 2003). Cyber attacks involve virus and worm attacks delivered through vulnerable exploit engines, denial-of-service attacks (DoS), web defacements of informational sites, and unauthorized intrusions into systems (Colarik, 2006, p. 84). According to the CSI/FBI 2005 Computer Crime and Security Survey, rate of losses from attacks are: viruses (33%), unauthorized access (24%), theft of proprietary information (24%), DoS (6%), net abuse (5%), laptop theft (3%), and financial fraud (2%) (Colarik, 2006, p. 83). But for a cyber attack to be successful, phases of attack must also be successful. The five phases of cyber attacks are reconnaissance, penetration, identifying and expanding internal capabilities, intruder damages the system, and removal of evidence of penetration or theft (Colarik, 2006, p. 83). Cyber attack penetrates the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of a water supply system and poses detrimental effect over the system. Cyber Attack on a Water Supply System During the late 1990s, medium to large water utilities integrated IT and SCADA system.

Summary of Equity Securities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary of Equity Securities - Essay Example Equity security investments that do not form the part of the trading securities are referred as available-for-sale (AFS) securities. This are reported at the fair value with gains and losses that are unrealized and are excluded from the earnings of the company. The investments made in the equity securities are recorded at the cost that takes into account securities transaction taxes, brokerage fees and other costs that are related to the procurement of securities (Subramani 12). The investors invest in the company shares hoping to receive higher return on their cash outflows. The demand of the investors in the financial markets has invariably changed with the passage of time. The companies motivate these investors by providing higher future expected returns on the assets (equities). The equity securities and its features differ in case of different types of companies. The types of companies and the features of stocks are explained henceforth (Fabozzi 6-7). Defensive companies have th e ability to withstand the economic downturn and the future earnings are not affected. Hence, the business and financial risk is low in this case. Examples of such defensive companies are grocery chains or public utilities, which aims at providing its customers with necessity products. The rate of return of defensive stocks does not decline when there is an overall market decline. According to the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), the relevant risk of an asset has covariance with the market portfolio of risky assets. Hence, stocks with negative or low systematic risk (beta value) are considered as defensive stocks according to the theory of CAPM; the stock returns are not affected by the significant changes in a bear market (Scott 102). The earnings and sales of cyclical companies are significantly influenced by business activities. Examples of these

Know the benefits of an online presence Essay Example for Free

Know the benefits of an online presence Essay In this assignment I have to identify and describe five principal benefits that businesses gain by having a simple online presence. Remote locations The internet is a boon to anyone who lives miles away from a main shopping centre because they can simply select the items they want and order them online. This is vastly increases the choice of goods and services available to someone who lives in the highlands and Islands of Scotland for example. Customers with travel difficulties Even people who live in urban areas may not be able to get around as easily as they would wish from mothers with young babies to the elderly. In this case, it is far more convenient to buy online particularly when the whether is bad. Poor transport links In many rural areas bus services are very limited and train services may be non-existent or mainly available during the rush hour. Whilst it may be worthwhile taking a long or tedious journey on a special occasion, most people would prefer to make routine purchases quickly and easily online. Marketing Benefits Marketing benefits relate to those gains a business makes in a relation to knowing more than its customers, being able to target its products, services ad the website itself to meet Their needs. This will also make there company well known to other foreign countries and will be willing to do a transaction knowing of there prestige Compete with competitors The aim here is to prevent competitors getting online edge. This may be improving on the products, or services offered, the speed of delivery, the cost of delivery and/or constantly reviewing the style and design of the website itself to utilize new technological developments. It is quicker and easier to understand and compare competitor activities online than by visiting their stores or obtaining information on their products and services offline. Market research There are several ways in which organizations can obtain information from users of its website methods which you can do this is Through log files and cookies both log files and cookies collect information on site usage and provide valuable marketing information. Users can set their browsers not to accept cookies and not al sites have these. Every site, though, produces log files. These are the data records created by the web server that hosts the site Website activity software provides more detailed analysis of the log files than ISP would provide. Subscribers can find out which search engines drive traffic to the site, which pages are the most popular and particular page, that might be significant. Online Market Research this can range from a small pop-up questionnaire that asks a user to assess their online experience to comprehensive customer survey sent by an e-mail to registered users of the site or to volunteers who have agreed to form an online focus group. Rapidity of response to customer interest A web presence provides the opportunity to respond quickly to customers but not all firms take advantage of this. A website can provide several opportunities for customer contact, such as call me buttons and e-mail messages, but speed of response is vital Research has shown that internet users expect a faster response than customers who enquire by telephone or letter.

Teacher and Confucius Essay Example for Free

Teacher and Confucius Essay What kind of person was Confucius in everyday life? Focus on the following: his clothing and diet, his possessions, his pastimes, the company he kept, and anything else that is relevant. In everyday life Confucius was a relaxed and cheerful man who was constantly in search of new knowledge. He studied the Chinese Classics mainly focusing on the Books of Odes, History and Rites. In his spare time, however, he liked to relax in his manor. He was very picky with the people he chose to keep around. They had to love strategy and the possible success you could get from it. He taught culture, conduct, conscientiousness and good faith and was also picky about who he let in to his school. They had to be modest and willing to listen because he didn’t repeat lessons. He loved music. He would sing in the company of those who were singing. When passing through Ch’I he heard their music and said, â€Å"I did not imagine that music had reached such perfection. † (Confucius 35). This having been said he also traveled with his students and neglected his family duty. Once when his son saw him in passing and Confucius asked him if he had â€Å"Studied the Odes? † (Confucius 102) His son said no so Confucius told him that he would have nothing to use in conversation. So his son left determined to study the book of Odes. On a different day his son saw him again and a similar thing happened only this time Confucius asked about the Rules of Ceremony. The result was exactly the same as the first time. This goes to prove that those who can teach don’t always put their own teachings in to practice. Why is Volume One, Book Two entitled â€Å"Concerning Government† but barely mentions government? Hint: the contents of Book Seven may assist you in answering this question. You can’t teach someone how to run a government but you can teach them how to be a better person in hope that they will be able to better govern the country. One must correct themselves before they try to correct others. This is exactly why Volume One, Book Two says little about government and a lot on how to be a better person. Confucius said â€Å"If a man put himself aright, what difficulty will he have in the public service; but if he cannot put himself aright, how is he going to put others right? † (Confucius 75) This saying is basically saying one must correct themself first and others later, but if one can’t correct themself then they have no right to attempt at correcting others. In some senses Confucius was a very straight forward man and in others he was just plain confusing. This was one of the areas that he was straight forward with his teaching. It was very important to him that one knew how to act. Despite his reputation as a charismatic teacher, Confucius makes no claim to originality—in fact, it is hard to discern exactly what his teachings are. Why is this the case? He himself did not claim to be a teacher at all. It was his disciples who made him so. He had people who followed him and listened to what he said and this was enough to make him a teacher, whether what he was saying was original or not made no difference. What mattered was that he had a group of students who were willing to listen to what he said and put it into practice. His teachings, however, were hard to understand. This was because he didn’t want just anyone to be able to follow and understand what he was saying. They had to be smart and make an effort to understand. This was also because sometimes he just spoke in riddles and didn’t give a simple answer. When he did this it would seem that what he was saying was completely unrelated to the question asked, but in some roundabout way it was actually the answer to the question all along. His students just had to think it over a lot before they understood. Confucius himself had no desire to be a teacher but because so many people liked his teachings, it just sort of happened that way. What contrasts does Confucius present with the religious figures of ancient Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China, etc.? Does he strike you as a particularly â€Å"religious† figure? Why or why not? In contrast to the religions of the ancient world Confucianism is more about teaching someone how to live justly. Confucius teaches his students to respect their family and honor their ancestors not about the gods and the afterlife; this is probably the biggest difference. He teaches about what it means to live in this life and how one should go about doing so. In the religions of ancient Egypt, India and Mesopotamia there has always been a priest like figure who would perform religious and sacrificial ceremonies. This figure also had the task of letting everyone know about their religion and how to follow it properly. Sometimes these religious leaders were the head of their country/city/empire and if they weren’t, the leaders had almost always practiced the same or a very similar religion. Confucius was neither the king nor a particularly important person in society (or at least that’s what I gathered from the Confucius Analects). He was just an ordinary man who just so happened to know what he was talking about and how to teach others how to properly live their lives. One could do this by honoring their ancestors and by living a virtuous life. In these other religions, however, there has always been some form of afterlife, be it cheerful or gloomy, and most of these ancient civilizations buried their dead (especially those who were important) with luxury items for them to take to the afterlife. Confucius never taught about the afterlife though. Once a student of his asked about death and Confucius replied, â€Å"Not yet understanding life, how can you understand death? ’ (Confucius 61). Confucius does not seem like a religious figure at all. In fact, there is some debate about whether or not Confucianism can actually be considered a religion. What Confucius taught was how to live a moral life as a human being. He taught that one should study the Chinese Classics and follow a few basic rules of life. This is why he does not seem like a religious figure or to have been a religious man.

The Decline of Education in America

The Decline of Education in America The United States is the greatest country in the world is a clichà © asserted everywhere. One would reasonably expect the greatest country in the world to have the worlds most educated citizens-except just one thing: that simply is not true. Author Mark Bauerlein in his book The Dumbest Generation lays out a compelling argument backed with a dizzying number of statistics that America is on the decline educationally, threatening the future of our country. How can United States be the greatest country in the world when it is ranked 29th in math and science? Or when 53% of high school seniors scored below basic in historical knowledge on an NAEP history exam (Bauerlein 17)? Think of what will happen when those high school seniors meet the real world. They will be the voting block and pool to draw from to become our elected officials who make life and death decisions for our country, and what will happen then? Bauerlein blames these seemingly terrifying statistics on the digital age mil lennials were born in, and how students today no longer feel the need to retain as much knowledge when they can just flip out their iPhones and go look it up online when they need to. This is a symptom of the declining social and political potency Neil Postman talks about in his book Amusing Ourselves To Death, and that the value of knowledge on the decline. The generation of today does not care as much today about the Arts, Science, History, and Math; they are more interested in things like what Kim Kardashian is doing today, or when Beyonces new album is coming out. You can ask almost any millennial who the Kardashians are and they will almost always give you the correct answer, however when you ask serious questions such as what powers the executive branch holds-many will draw a blank. This is because the millennial generation requires advanced stimuli due to our digital age. The human brain has plasticity in the sense that it will adapt to the environment it is placed in, and the millennial brain has molded to the instantaneous access of knowledge from our computers, televisions, and phones; because of that millennials demand that same level of stimulation everywhere else in their lives. In Steven Johnsons book Everything Bad Is Good For You, he argues for what he calls the Sleeper Curve: that the digital age of popular culture and w ith it the internet, movies, tv, and video games are actually intellectually nutritional (9). The technological popular culture of today can be very beneficial, such as how videogames can improve problem solving, or how television dramas can improve critical thinking. That probably seems like it is in stark contrast to what was said previously, however the arguments of all three authors are not mutually exclusive. Bauerlein, Postman, and Johnson all ultimately represent extremes. They do however get a few things right; Bauerlein is correct in stating there is a growing overall knowledge deficit, Johnson is correct in saying popular culture has positive benefits, and Postman is right about our increasingly connected society diminishing the value of information. Reality is within a happy medium of all three. In short, the digital age is not necessarily bad for you; however, it is impossible deny the educational decline in our society. In Mark Bauerleins book The Dumbest Generation, one of his dominant pieces of evidence to show our decline in knowledge is how fewer people today read than ever before, and he is partially correct; according to Pew Research the percentage of Americans who read at least one book in the last year fell from 79% in 2011, to 71% in 2015. Not only that, 27% of the people polled had not read a single book in the last year (Raine). These statistics seem troubling, book reading is declining, however overall reading is not, rather it has increased. Reading does not necessarily have to come from a book, and this is what Bauerlein misses. Young adults in 2015 spent twenty seven hours and thirty six minutes a week online a week on average, triple the mere ten hours and twenty four minutes a week recorded in 2005 (Anderson). To be a proficient user of the internet you have to be reading constantly; the main reason reading of traditional books is declining is because books are being supplemented by other forms of reading. Mark Bauerlein is incorrect in stating reading as a whole is declining, however the fact people are steering away from books is in itself a serious concern. Even Steven Johnson, the author by far most supportive of digital media out of the three of them, says in his book Everything Bad is Good For You: The very fact that I am presenting this argument to you in the form of a book and not a television drama or video game should make it clear that I believe the printed word remains the most powerful vehicle for conveying complicated information (21) Johnson is one hundred percent correct; books are the best medium for conveying complex ideas, as well as strong detail and content. Not only that, the ease of access to books cannot be matched as of yet by any other form of media. For movies, television, video games, and the internet you need to buy all kinds of hardware and services which limits the potential recipients of those forms of media. With books, all you need to know how to is read; even money is not necessary to read, anyone can go to their local library and check out a book for free. Books are still ultimately the heart and soul of culture, without them the other forms of media would not be possible; somebody had to write a book on how to make movies, television, video games, and how to code for the internet. While books are still the best medium for passing on information to the next generation, other mediums are getting more advanced to the point where they can be true fulfilling compliments to books, rather than a re placement for books, such as video games. Video games are the newest medium to enter our digital age, and what started as a simple a few pixels on the screen bouncing around in virtuality like in the game Pong, has blossomed into a full fledged new form of media capable of endowing knowledge, and cognitive benefits such as improving problem solving, attention, memory. This is the narrative Johnson supports; Bauerlein and Postman would balk at that assessment, saying video games infringe upon a proper education or that the information in games has no real world use and is a pseudo context. However, a study done by RMIT University lends a great amount of support to Johnsons claims. The results of the study indicate that online gaming can sharpen math, science, and reading skills amongst teenagers. RMIT Associate Professor Alberto Posso investigated the study results, stating: Students who play online games almost every day score 15 points above the average in math and 17 points above the average in science When you play online games youre solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in math, reading and science that youve been taught during the day. (Science Daily) Going even a step further, he said Teachers should consider incorporating popular video games into teaching so long as theyre not violent ones. This is a rather stunning assessment which supports Johnsons Sleeper Curve argument that television, movies, and video games are in fact good for you after all (9). Video games can stimulate the mind in similar ways books do, and perhaps in some ways far more than books. Video games tend to have a non linear structure in the sense that you can go from point A to point B however you want, unlike books you are fully immersed in the experience not just mentally, but audibly and visually as well, and you must make choices that affect the outcome of the game. This is the key as to why video games have all of these positive benefits. Let us take a look at a strong example of a video game series that truly stimulates the mind: Metal Gear. The Metal Gear storyline is one of the most complicated in any game, rivaling many books, movies, and TV shows; the lore stretches from 1964 to 2014 taking place in a slightly alternate reality across nine canonical games, each of which take many hours to complete in addition to hours devoted to cutscenes explaining the story. One of the games, Guns of the Patriots, has a guinness world record breaking seventy hours of cutscenes and over 400,000 words in the script, more words than some books; to fully comprehend the depth of the story, the characters, the factions and all the relationships between them, the player has to think very critically and very deeply. The games deal with complex and serious themes such as race, revenge, language, nuclear proliferation, genealogy, global politics, etc. to name a few and the games pull off those themes in meaningful ways. Not only is the s toryline mentally stimulating, so is the gameplay. In the newest iteration, The Phantom Pain, players are placed in an open world sandbox and are tasked with missions to complete, ranging to everything from collecting intelligence on the enemy, to rescuing prisoners of war. The open world nature and the plethora of weapons and tools gives the player freedom to conquer any objective as they see fit. Should the mission occur during the day or at night? Is going in silent with suppressed weapons and choosing a path of least resistance best, or is going in and out as fast as possible guns blazing preferable? These are all questions posed to the player. To achieve desirable outcomes the player must exercise his or her brain and think critically to employ an effective strategy. As Steven Johnson says in his book, this critical thinking exercises the brain similar to how algebra does and translates to reality in the form of improved planning skills, problem solving, attention, logic, and m ore (40). It is clear that video games do offer meaningful benefits, though video games are not always totally beneficial in nature. To give an example, a hot topic of debate that has gone on for many years is whether or not violent video games contribute to violence, aggressive behavior, and desensitization to violence in the real world. The American Psychological Association came out with a report in 2015, stating: The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in prosocial behavior, empathy and sensitivity to aggression (Calvert) In all fairness, the report does not link video games to criminal behavior, and does not include outside factors such as pre-existing psychological conditions and the environment the person playing the game lives in, all of which may have been influential to the outcome of the report However, it establishes a link between violent video games and aggressive behavior, though indirect at best. Another important factor not included in the study is the age of the player. Children are very easily influenced; a child growing up is learning important skills like how to determine right from wrong, empathy, and moral values. It is fairly easy to see how incredibly violent games like Grand Theft Auto where a player can go carjacking and run over as many pedestrians as possible in a crowded city on a whim can have a negative effect on a child growing up. To reduce this effect, young children should not play video games, and video game developers should be careful in how they utilize violence. Th at being said, violence can have a positive impact on a storyline if there is a good reason for it to be there, such as to make the death of an allied character more impactful; unlike games such as Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat which have violence for the sake of violence with no real purpose to it other than for pure shock value. The deciding factor as to how video games will benefit society depends on how they are utilized, the medium in itself is not foredoomed. One of the mediums that preceded video gaming was television, and it provides many of the same benefits video games do such as improved planning skills, problem solving, attention, logic etc.. Television engages the viewer to think with its programming with everything from documentaries, to dramas. In talking about the television drama 24, Steven Johnson argues in his book you have to focus to follow the plot, and in focusing you are exercising the part of the brain that maps social networks (115). Again, this is much like algebra in a sense; most people will never need to know things like the quadratic formula in their lifetime, however those things are still required material in high school because they are a mental exercise, improving reasoning skills, problem solving, and more. It isnt so much about the content of these shows as it is about the cognitive exercises involved in watching them. Mark Bauerlein does not acknowledge these benefits, arguing essentially that television is merely a distraction from real educational subject matter. Neil Postman has a similar view, stating in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death: televisions way of knowing is uncompromisingly hostile to typographys way of knowing; that televisions conversations promote incoherence and triviality; that the phrase serious television is a contradiction in terms; and that television speaks with only one persistent voice-the voice of entertainment. (80) Perhaps this is a correct assessment regarding some televised media like reality shows and cable news, though the blanket assessment that all television is incoherent and trivial is wrong. Sure it is true one of televisions goals is to entertain, however so are literary works of fiction that have been around for millennia. What makes novels sold for profit not incoherent and trivial? For the most part, excluding programming like news and sports, television is just literature put on the screen. Think of how many shows and movies you could rewrite as a book; in fact, many of the greatest works of television originated from books. For example, the 1962 novel The Man in The High Castle by Philip K. Dick was adapted as a television drama by Amazons streaming service in 2015, and it is far from being incoherent or trivial. The show takes place in alternate reality 1962, where the Germans and Japanese win World War Two and conquer the United States, with the victorious axis powers splitting up the country between the Greater Nazi Reich and the Japanese Pacific States. The show goes to great lengths to display the brutality of the Germans and Japanese people have come to expect with no political or personal freedoms, torture, summary executions, persecution of minorities, etc. brilliantly showing the struggle for everyday Americans to survive. It punches the viewer right in the gut reminding people of what could have been, and the harrowing path fascism leads us by drawing out our emotions. Sure all of it is done for entertainment, however the messages are nutritional, positive, and even educational. The underlying message is coherent and never trivial: be grateful for the world we live in, even with all its problems. Television can be an incredible tool to provide people with knowledge, though it can just as easily be a poor influence. The entertaining tint of television can have negative effects depending on the content, Neil Postman was not entirely wrong in his assessments. Take for instance reality television with shows like Keeping Up with The Kardashians, these shows are marketed as being reality unlike shows such as 24 which any viewer knows is entirely fictional.An article from Scholastic Scope had this to say about some of the false stereotypes propagated by reality television: And then there are the stereotypes. Are all girls obsessed with clothes and spray tans? Are all boys obsessed with getting toned abs? Thats what many of the most popular shows would have you think. Plus, some experts say these shows send a dangerous message: that being stupid and selfish is fun. It can make you rich and famous! (Scholastic Scope) This is the reality of reality television. Now what happens when your average teenage girl sees the plastic surgery laden figures of the Kardashian sisters? They can get the false ideas on how the female body is normally supposed to look, contributing to things like eating disorders and other psychological issues: the very same issue modeling magazines have struggled with for years. This is just one of many examples of how television can be dangerous and send the wrong messages when used improperly, especially to our youth. So if technology is ultimately not the cause of our downhill spiral in knowledge, what is? The answer is our millennial generation is so seemingly dumb because they feel they can afford to be dumb. Neil Postman, Mark Bauerlein, and Steven Johnson all miss the larger historical context; they focus too heavily on immediate societal trends. Our decline in knowledge and education is merely a small part of a generational cycle of societal moods in what is called The Strauss-Howe Generational Theory; a theory of generational phases called turnings in American history outlined in the book The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe. According to the authors, there are four turnings each lasting an average of twenty years; the high, the awakening, the unraveling, and finally the crisis, after which the cycle is reset and an enlightened high generation is born. To see how this ties into our educational decline, let us go back in American history to The Great Depression and World War T wo. Due to a series of poor political decisions building on themselves and outright ignorance to the issues of the world, The Great Depression and World War Two came to be; life was tough with people crowding soup kitchens, shortly followed by men going off to Europe and the South Pacific to fight and die- a crisis. The generation who lived through those hardships vowed never again, and valued knowledge and culture as a means of never repeating the mistakes of the past- a high . Next, the baby boomers were born, and they were raised having not experiencing just how terrible life can be like their parents did; this ended up becoming an era of peace and enlightenment. We know this generation best for the hippie movement, John Lennon, Woodstock, the civil rights movement, etc.- an awakening; a time of spiritual exploration and rebellion against the now-established order (Hines). These baby boomers had children, whom we now call generation x. An unraveling began, with an increasingly tr oubled era in which individualism triumphs over crumbling institutions (Hines). The very foundations of our culture were questioned with ignorance and political extremism on the rise. Today with the millennial generation, Strauss and Howe claim we are now entering the fourth turning- the crisis, a time of turmoil and uncertainty. We saw a glimpse of this play out most recently in the 2016 presidential elections, one of the most hotly contested elections in American history; both sides of the political aisle spewed ignorance, and extremism with the result dividing our nation further apart to an almost unprecedented level. In short, hard times create strong people, strong people create good times, good times create weak people, and weak people create hard times; and perhaps Bauerlein would agree that the millennial generation is weak. The strength and educational ethic of every society in the world is directly tied to the hardships that society has had to endure, and the lessons learn ed from them. There may be no better example of this than with the Jewish People; a people that have quite possibly endured more hardship than any other culture over the course of thousands of years. Today less than .02% of the global population is Jewish, yet 22% of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish (Schuster), and the tiny country of Israel puts out more engineers and scientists per capita than any other country in the world (Florida). As a Jewish person myself, I was taught from a young age that education and respect for the past is ingrained in our culture because if it werent, the consequences could be catastrophic. History shows us that education is essential for the continuity of any society. Perhaps Strauss and Howes ideas are somewhat simplistic; however they do show an unmistakable pattern in history, and how these cultural and educational declines form. Bauerlein was correct when he said in his book If you ignore the traditions that ground and ennoble our society, you are an incomplete person and a negligent citizen(233). Respect for history and culture is an integral part of any healthy society, and we are ignoring the past and the cultural traditions that grounded our United States. As the hardships of history seem more and more distant, we end up feeling entitled, and with that sense of entitlement the drive to do better and learn more decreases. Ultimately our digital age is not the cause of our decline in knowledge, as the cycle will manifest itself in any way it sees fit. That is not to say our downward spiral in knowledge is uncorrectable; Neil Howe when asked of the implications of the turnings on education, offered his solution as to how education should chan ge for the millennial generation: The answer lies in getting away from at-risk and damage control in education, and moving to a new model based on confidence and teamwork and mastery of the future. Thats what young Millennials want. Thats where we all should want to go. (Howe) Perhaps this is the basis for our happy medium between Bauerlein, Postman, and Johnson. An educational system tailored for the specific needs of the millennial generation, in which basic academics such as the arts, math, science, and history are sustained and taught while keeping in mind the technologies of today so we can be the masters of our future. One thing however, is clear: if we do nothing, our societal knowledge deficit will only increase, and therefore our hopes and dreams for a prosperous future will decrease. Works Cited Anderson, Elizabeth. Teenagers Spend 27 Hours a Week Online: How Internet Use Has Ballooned in the Last Decade. The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 11 May 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/11597743/Teenagers-spend-27-hours-a-week-online-how-internet-use-has-ballooned-in-the-last-decade.html. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future: or, Dont Trust Anyone under 30. The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future: or, Dont Trust Anyone under 30, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, New York, NY, 2009, pp. 17-233. Calvert, Sandra, et al. APA Review Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and Aggression. American Psycological Assosiation, 13 Aug. 2015, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/violent-video-games.aspx. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. DeSilver, Drew. U.S. Students Academic Achievement Still Lags That of Their Peers in Many Other Countries. Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 15 Feb. 2017, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/02/15/u-s-students-internationally-math-science/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Florida, Richard. The Worlds Leading Nations for Innovation and Technology. CityLab, The Atlantic Monthly Group, 3 Oct. 2011, www.citylab.com/tech/2011/10/worlds-leading-nations-innovation-and-technology/224/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Hines, Andy. Generational cycles predict a coming crisis. The Futurist, July-Aug. 1997, p. 14+. Academic OneFile, libproxy.pcc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.pcc.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=pccv=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA19980267asid=38e088024faf67596109c7bf0061be90. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017. Best-selling generations author: Neil Howe to speak and release new book at ACTE Orlando Convention. Techniques, vol. 78, no. 6, 2003, p. 50+. Academic OneFile, libproxy.pcc.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.pcc.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=pccv=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA107896862asid=07a32adf7390680b62b43a336c026119. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017. Johnson, Steven. Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Popular Culture Is Making Us Smarter. Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Popular Culture Is Making Us Smarter, Riverhead Books, New York, 2005, pp. 9-115. Schuster, Ruth. Why Do Jews Win so Many Nobels? Haaretz.com, Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd., 9 Oct. 2013, www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.551520. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. Postman, Neil. Chapter 5: The Peek-a-Boo World. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, Penguin Books, New York, 1985, p. 80. Rainie, Lee, and Andrew Perrin. Slightly Fewer Americans Are Reading Print Books, New Survey Finds. Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center , 19 Oct. 2015, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/19/slightly-fewer-americans-are-reading-print-books-new-survey-finds/#. Accessed 21 Mar. 2017. RMIT University. Online gaming can boost school scores: Video games sharpen math, science and reading skills among 15-year-olds, but social media reduces test results. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 August 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160808115442.htm. Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?. Scholastic Scope, vol. 59, no. 3, 11 Oct. 2010, pp. 14-15. EBSCOhost, libproxy.pcc.edu/login?qurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ebscohost.com%2flogin.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26db%3daph%26AN%3d54315625%26site%3dehost-live.

A Patriarchal World Essay -- essays papers

A Patriarchal World John Bodnar says it well when he suggests that "the center of everyday life was to be found in the family-household. It was here that past values and present realities were reconciled, examined on an intelligible scale, evaluated and mediated." This assertion implies that the immigrant family-household is the vehicle of assimilation. I will take this assertion a step further and examine more specifically the powerful role of the patriarchal father within Anzia Yezierska's book Bread Givers and Barry Levinson's film Avalon. Yezierska's theme vividly depicts the constraint of a patriarchal world, while Levinson illustrates the process of assimilation and the immigrant, now American, family and its decline. In this paper, I will exemplify how the patriarchal father, Sam Kochinsky (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and Reb Smolinsky are the key determinant of the dynamics by which the family assimilates. In assimilation, you are said to conform to your surroundings. Assimilation is a process by which you reconcile the ideal with reality. Dealing with virtually three generations of an entire Jewish American immigrant experience, Levinson illustrates not necessarily the merging of two cultures, but possibly the tainting of authenticity, clouding (memories of) the familiar-the villain being the television. The happy community of extended family is, in the end, supplanted by the glowing idiot box that kills conversation and turns its suburban audience into zombies. In Yezierska's work, she epitomizes the struggle between the Old World and the New World. The patriarchal father, representing traditional Jewish ways, and Sara Smolinsky, the heroine, struggling against her father with the desire to reconcile with reality. In Bread Givers, Yezierska symbolically depicts Sara as the immigrant parting her ways as she embarks anew on the journey that was given to her when she arrived by which to transform her life-dealing with the daily transformation as she struggles to hold together the wants of society and her (families) authenticity in these days of deep troubles. The head of the family, Reb Smolinsky is an immovably Orthodox Jewish rabbi, who lives by the Holy Torah, and expects his family to do the same. His reign over the family reinforces Old World, traditional values and beliefs. Reb holds to the Torah belief that "if they [women] let... ...ggested an adaptation in the hopes that Jules would simply have a better life than that of a wallpaper-hanger. In putting television in place a New World, Levinson portrays how a cheap, gaudy, poor substitute somehow seduced and enraptured the family. Perhaps Levinson is saying that although it may be the easier to converge, assimilation is too costly. On the other hand, you have Reb whose stubborn beliefs and male superiority coupled with a passive wife allow him to claim control over his daughter's lives. Resentment is quite damaging and separates families as well. Either way you look at it the outlook is favorable for neither assimilation nor isolation. And so I conclude in saying that the patriarchal father has an especially important role and while he needs the strength found in Yezierska's character, Reb, (in order to hold the family together) he must also be willing to adapt to a changing reality. Immigration is neither a call for assimilation nor isolation. Indivi duality is important, but why resist change when you can better yourself in the process. Bibliography: Levinson, Barry. Avalon. 1990. Yesierska, Anzia. Bread Givers. Persea Books: New York, 1999.

Frederick Jackson Turner’s Reliance on the Myth of an Unoccupied Americ

The Frontier Thesis has been very influential in people’s understanding of American values, government and culture until fairly recently. Frederick Jackson Turner outlines the frontier thesis in his essay â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier in American History†. He argues that expansion of society at the frontier is what explains America’s individuality and ruggedness. Furthermore, he argues that the communitarian values experienced on the frontier carry over to America’s unique perspective on democracy. This idea has been pervasive in studies of American History until fairly recently when it has come under scrutiny for numerous reasons. In his essay â€Å"The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature†, William Cronon argues that many scholars, Turner included, fall victim to the false notion that a pristine, untouched wilderness existed before European intervention. Turner’s argument does indeed rely on the ide a of pristine wilderness, especially because he fails to notice the serious impact that Native Americans had on the landscape of the Americas before Europeans set foot in America. Turner fails to realize the extent to which Native Americans existed in the ‘Wilderness’ of the Americas before the frontier began to advance. Turner’s thesis relies on the idea that â€Å"easterners †¦ in moving to the wild unsettled lands of the frontier, shed the trappings of civilization †¦ and by reinfused themselves with a vigor, an independence, and a creativity that the source of American democracy and national character.† (Cronon) While this idea seems like a satisfying theory of why Americans are unique, it relies on the notion that the Frontier was â€Å"an area of free land,† which is not the case, undermining the the... ...icans lived in and tamed the land around them millennia before European settlers arrived. Works Cited Cronon, William â€Å"The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature† ed., Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature, New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1995, 69-90 Denevan, William M. "The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the Americas in 1492." The Pristine Myth: The Landscape of the. Northern Arizona University, Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Krech, Shepard. The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. New York: W.W. Norton &, 1999. Print. Solnit, Rebecca. "Spectators." Savage Dreams: A Journey into the Hidden Wars of the American West. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1994. 228-47. Print. Turner, Frederick Jackson. "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," Learner: Primary Sources. Annenberg Learner, Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

Chaucers View of Women Exposed in The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Geoff

Often, the most memorable female characters are those who break out of the stereotypical â€Å"good wife† mold. When an author uses this technique effectively, the woman often carries the story. In Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, he portrays the Wife of Bath, Alison, as a woman who bucks the tradition of her times with her brashness and desire for control. Chaucer effectively presents a woman's point of view and evokes some sympathy for her. In the author's time, much of the literature was devoted to validating the frailties of women. However, in this story, the Wife is a woman who has outlived four of five husbands for â€Å"of five housbodes scoleying† (P50) is she. She holds not her tongue, and says exactly what she thinks, even if she contradicts others, even Jesus. For in the Bible it states that Jesus â€Å"Spak in repreve of the Samaritan:/‘Thou hast yhad five housbondes,' quod he,/‘And that ilke man that now hath thee/Is nat thyn housbonde'† (P16). Despite this quote from the holy writ, the Wife states that ther are no other arguments â€Å"Eek wel I woot he [Jesus] saide that myn housbonde/Sholde lete fader and moder and take me,/But of no nombre mencion made he [Jesus]--/Of bigamye or of octagamye† (P30). She maintains her position and dismisses the one contention in the Bible by stating in relation to the above quote â€Å"Wat that he mente therby [she] can nat sayn,/But that I axe why the fifthe man/Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?/How manye mighte she han in mar...

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay

Some people believe that it is instinct to act peacefully and caring, but others think just the opposite. Often, there is a mislead of human nature and people act upon instinct. William Golding believes that human nature is lead towards evil and destruction. The boys in The Lord of the Flies acted on the first one to make a decision, in which this case was Jack. Golding’s fundamental belief about human nature is strongly lead towards evil actions. This reminds me of the Vancouver fans article that occurred about 3 months ago. There are many reasons to why Golding’s belief is what it is now. Many examples can be seen in Brian Hutchinson’s Vancouver article. Golding uses strong examples of his belief in Lord of the Flies including when people started seeing Jack act savage, they began to think it could be okay to act savagery also. As in the Vancouver article, as soon as a few people started rioting, destroying property, and going wild, everyone else realized that they should begin to do the same because it looked okay from their perspective. Golding’s belief can clearly be seen as human nature is evil in all cases. One important reason that Golding makes about human nature in the Lord of the Flies is that there was a lack of law enforcement which forced the boys to lose mortality and act on instinct. In the beginning, the boys made rules and followed them, but eventually, one person spoke out against the rules. As soon as one person acts differently from everyone else, emotions may change for them, forcing them to lose a sense of civilization and go into savagery. â€Å"But I shall! Next time! I’ve got to get a barb on this spear! We wounded a pig and the spear fell out. If we could only make barbs—† Jack’s interest of getting saved is no longer in his mind. He has now focused on hunting with his crew. The Vancouver article was no different. Obviously the people of Vancouver didn’t kill one another but, they did terribly hurt one another. When Vancouver had lost, people began to riot, and once one person does something different, everyone else begins to wonder that maybe it’s okay to act as they are. The people of Vancouver did not realize what they were doing until it was too late. A lack of law enforcement was beginning to be seen at the streets of Vancouver. People began to realize that they could get away with looting, robbery, and destruction of their own city! The police of Vancouver did not  realize how bad the rioting was about to come. They thought that people would slowly start to stop, but the exact opposite occurred. More and more people began to destroy police vehicles, rob stores, and break windows of buildings. There was no sense of civilization in Vancouver, people acted on instinct, in which this case was turned towards evil. Civilization did not only fade away because of the lack of law enforcement. It also began to fade away because of a desire for power and control. In the beginning, the boys voted for a leader, and they voted for Ralph because he knew how to make decisions and what things needed to be done first. Jack did not like the idea of having Ralph as leader, he felt he should’ve been leader, but he went along with it until he had the opportunity to take it. Jack knew that Ralph couldn’t survive without him because Ralph relied on Jack for food. Once everyone had gone to Jack’s group, Jack took the chance and gained control of everything eventually. He wanted what was rightfully his, being the leader. Jack had this obsession with being in control that he went to the extreme of killing his own friends. There is no excuse for murder. Once Jack had control, he felt powerful. He only went on with hunting, but took everything from Ralph until he had nothing. He did this because Ralph was the only thing stopping him of being evil. So without noticing, Jack took everything away from Ralph until it was just him, and when that occurred, he tried to kill him. Jack wanted power, so Jack did whatever he had to do to become leader. The people of Vancouver acted similarly to the boys. The Canucks fans wanted the power to do whatever they wanted. They did whatever was necessary to have that feeling of control over the city. They went as far as destroying their own city, burning vehicles, and even killing one another! Law enforcement needs to be much better when in a situation like this, but there also needs to be a certain degree of control in the city. The most important reason to why Golding’s belief is evil for human nature is because of the hunger for freedom from the constraints of civilization. The boys had been living there lives following rules by their elders. They felt it was time for change. Ralph was appointed leader but the boys felt that they’d had enough of rules and orders. The boys were completely by themselves. They were getting their own food, they were making shelters, and they appointed roles for everyone to keep up with. Jack was tired of following rules, and he especially didn’t want to follow rules from someone younger than him. Jack stepped up and made his group of hunters. Slowly, more people began to see Jack as the better leader, but Ralph had been appointed leader, so there was no change to that. They were all alone on an island; there hunger for freedom had grown the longer they stayed on the island. Jack felt that on the island, there were no rules to abide by. There needed to be freedom from laws. Jack showed them that it’s better to act wild than to act civilized, which is morally wrong but was a lot more fun. In Vancouver, the citizens felt that the riot was an excuse to act differently, to act wild. People were lighting cars on fire, destroying stores, and vandalizing not anymore because Vancouver lost, but now because it was the excuse to break rules. The people of Vancouver were following rules their entire lives. This was simply an excuse to break the constraints of society and feel freedom. In conclusion, law enforcement was needed to be done in order to keep the people from becoming worse, power and control was wanted from everyone in the city because of rules set to stop everyone from wreaking havoc. â€Å"Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally.† Vancouver used to be seen as one of the safest cities in the world. This goes to show that even the worst of places can become the worst of places.

Genetically Modified Food: Pros and Cons Essay

A few years ago, I was invited to give a talk at the English Salon, a weekly seminar series sponsored by the YWCA Language School in Nagoya, Japan. My topic was genetically modified (GM) food and my stance was distinctly supportive. (Don’t start throwing the rotten tomatoes now! ) Despite my hour-and-a-half long presentation, I was unable to convince most of the audience that GM foods were safe to eat and had many environmental benefits as well. GM food seems relatively benign if it’s the result of cross-breeding two organisms of the same species, such as crossing strawberry plants with a deeper red color with those that have larger fruit. The type of genetic modification that causes the greatest ire amongst consumers and activists, however, is when genes from two totally unrelated organisms are combined. For example, â€Å"Roundup Ready† soybean crops have been genetically engineered to carry a gene from a bacteria that is resistant to Roundup, a weed killer. When Roundup is sprayed on these crops, every plant in the vicinity dies except the soybeans. Sounds frightening and unnatural, but consider the positive effects genetically modified crops would have on health, farming methods, and the environment. Current and future GM products include: †¢Food that can deliver vaccines – bananas that produce hepatitis B vaccine †¢More nutritious foods – rice with increased iron and vitamins †¢Faster growing fish, fruit and nut trees †¢Plants producing new plastics Jonathan Rauch wrote in The Atlantic Monthly, Recall that world food output will need to at least double and possibly triple over the next several decades. Even if production could be increased that much using conventional technology, which is doubtful, the required amounts of pesticide and fertilizer and other polluting chemicals would be immense. If properly developed, disseminated, and used, genetically modified crops might well be the best hope the planet has got. The Human Genome Project summarizes the controversies surrounding GM foods: †¢Potential human health impact: allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects †¢Potential environmental impact: unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other organisms (e.g. , soil microbes), and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity. †¢Domination of world food production by a few companies †¢Increasing dependence on Industralized nations by developing countries †¢Biopiracy – foreign exploitation of natural resources †¢Violation of natural organisms’ intrinsic values †¢Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species †¢Objections to consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa †¢Stress for animal †¢Labeling not mandatory in some countries (e. g., United States). †¢Mixing GM crops with non-GM confounds labeling attempts †¢New advances may be skewed to interests of rich countries There’s no doubt that the GM food supply should be closely monitored and regulated, but that doesn’t mean it should all be banned. I believe that genetic engineering of plants, animals, and humans has much to offer as long as we are aware of potential benefits and side effects. And that’s true even for more traditional methods of farming, animal husbandry, and medicine.

The Role of Stakeholders

Role of Stakeholder MGT/ 420 November 1, 2012 Roger Ellis Role of Stakeholder Quality management is an approach to managing a business that focuses not only on customers and profits, but also takes into consideration anyone who can influence the business to be more profitable. These might include employees, suppliers, investors, market analysts, government regulators and trade associations. These entities need to have a positive working relationship with one another and collaborate with each other to promote the business.Lack of collaboration between them can cause issues with the success of the business itself (Susienes & Vanegas, 2005). Quality management considers the actions of stakeholders to be very important in the overall success of the operation. R. Edward Freeman defines a stakeholder as â€Å"anyone that can be affected by a company’s actions, objectives, and policies. This includes both internal stakeholders, such as employees and managers, and external stakeholde rs, such as shareholders, suppliers, customers, surrounding communities, creditors, the government† (DowellDoGood, 2012).Stakeholders Stakeholders can be divided in two groups: internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are the employees, from the upper managers to the production workers – anyone who works in the company and is a part of the business structure of the company itself. Internal stakeholders are also customers, suppliers, and shareholders. All of these groups make a difference in the growth of the company. Balancing these relationships that provide satisfaction in the long run is the focus of quality management structure.Employees need satisfaction with fair salaries ad benefits packages, customers need quality products and fair prices, suppliers need the opportunity to sell and make a profit, and, finally, shareholders want a return on their investments. Organizing meetings, communicating through E-mail, letters, and seeking con sensus on decisions made to facilitate each group’s needs, enable the business to have a common goal and smooth all internal and external conflicts. External stakeholders are the community, the government, business associations and political groups.All of these groups can have a strong influence on a business, regulating policies, laws and influencing customers to buy a product or service. Also, they can influence shareholders to be investors in the business, making a difference in the value of the company itself (Susienes & Vanegas, 2005). Two Examples The Department of Health and Human Services provides regulations to govern care in hospitals, medical centers, etc. The stakeholders in this organization are: patients, providers, payers, and public health professionals. The patients’ interest is to be provided with excellent care.FACCT (Foundation for Accountability) is an entity that addresses health care needs for the patient, and it is founded and lead by patients. IOM (Institute of Medicine) is a corporation that regulates the care delivered by providers. Medicare and Medicaid have programs that help patients to receive care and providers to be paid in order to continue operations. In addition, the National Committee of Quality Assurance and National Quality Forum assist in developing programs to improve health care, along with public health professionals who provide support by suggesting policies to improve care (HRSA, 2012).Another example of stakeholders being very proactive and an integrant part of an organization is the Watershed issue in the United States. Natural resource organizations for all the states involve stakeholders as their staff and to foster support in the community. Stakeholders include local organizations tired of being inactive when their water reserves in the city are being contaminated or ruined by discharge from farms or wastewater treatment plants. Other stakeholders are national environmental groups that support the organization by traveling around the States and motivating people to support their cause.Another organization of stakeholders is the business community – helping to save the environment by changing business operations to be environmentally safe and preserve water waste. Stakeholders also include government agencies which work as partners to preserve the watershed (Tonning & MacPherson, 2010). Conclusion Quality Management includes stakeholders in its structure as a vital element in the success of the business or organization that they are a part of.Stakeholders are any person or group who can aid or are a part of the organization with the purpose of bringing greater success to the business. Quality Management utilizes both external and internal resources as stakeholders to ensure that their organization has the necessary support and aid, which would cost more money and time if these resources were purchased outright. Instead, due to the common interest in making the organiza tion or business successful, this support is giving freely and with enthusiasm.This kind of help is priceless, considering the ramifications of knowledge and networking that it can bring to an organization. Involving stakeholders is brilliant and very useful.References Definition of Shareholders & Stakeholders. (2012). Do Well Do Good. Retrieved from http://dowelldogood. net/? p=545 HRSA U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). What are the roles of key stakeholders in QI? Retrieved from http://www. hrsa. gov/healthit/toolbox/HealthITAdoptiontoolbox/QualityImprovement/whatarerolesofkeystkholders. tml Susniene, D. , & Vanagas, P. (2005). ISSN 1392-2785 Engineering Economics2005. No 4 (44) Commerce of Engineering Decision- Integration of Total quality management into Stakeholders management Policy and Harmonization of their Interests. Retrieved from http://internet. ktu. lt/lt/mokslas/zurnalai/inzeko/44/1392-2758-2005-4-44-71. pdf Tonning, B. , & MacPherson, C. (2012). G etting in Step: Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Waterwaste. Retrieved from http://cfpub. epa. gov/npstbx/files/stakeholderguide. pdf

The Appeal and Popularity of the Bournemouth Beach

Bournemouth ranks as one of the most popular resorts on the south coast of England. It has much to offer any holiday-maker, as the town can boast a range of attractions and facilities to cater for nearly every taste. Bournemouth also possesses some beautiful beaches, with golden sands and safe bathing which are frequently backed by majestic cliffs and a promenade. The main features The core feature of the Beach is of course the Sea with its seven miles of golden sand. Bournemouth beach has a high standard of bathing safety, as there are ‘KidZone' areas and emergency lifesaving Perry buoys at regular intervals. RNLI Beach Rescue provides 7 day a week lifeguard service from Southbourne to Sandbanks between May and September, which is augmented by 5 voluntary lifesaving clubs at weekends and public holidays. The beach is patrolled by beach wardens over the summer and by full time, first aid trained inspectors throughout the year. During the bathing season 2003 the Environment Agency was monitoring bathing water quality all along the coast on a weekly basis; the Partnership's main interest, of course, is the quality of the bathing water at Bournemouth Pier. The beach is cleaned daily during the summer, weekly out of season. Areas of the beach have been designated glass free and can-recycling bins are provided. Dogs are allowed on parts throughout the year though they are banned from certain areas from May to September. The secondary features Beach Facilities There are many excellent facilities available along Bournemouth's beaches. These include toilets with access for disabled visitors, first aid posts, lost children centres and information offices. Catering facilities like â€Å"Harry Ramsden's World Famous Fish and Chips† (Restaurant and Takeaway), â€Å"KFC† and â€Å"Hot Rocks† serve drinks, hot and cold snacks and meals. Other entertainment features include the Amusements Arcade, where you can find all sorts of gambling and computer games. Thrill seekers can hop on the Simulator ride by the Pier. The leisure simulator uses the sophisticated technology previously developed for the training simulators used by tank drivers and astronauts to provide a new form of entertainment, which is enjoyable, exciting and yet completely safe. The Oceanarium is a fully interactive experience with touch screen games, feeding demonstrations and talks, plasma screen documentaries, walk-through underwater tunnel and exhibits to help you discover more about this fascinating underwater world. It brings you face to face with marine life from the furthest reaches of the globe. The IMAX offers the most advanced and compelling film experience in the world. Seeing a film at an IMAX theatre is the perfect group event – whether it is a birthday party, corporate outing or school trip. Every year more than 70 million people visit an IMAX theatre to see a film and over 96% would recommend it to their friends and family. The Pier Theatre, Bournemouth is a purpose built proscenium theatre completed in 1960. The foyer houses a small confectionery kiosk, box-office and public toilets. Disabled access is possible by arrangement through the box office. A Deaf Loop (induction) System is in operation. A unisex disabled toilet is available. Disabled Parking is available by arrangement with the manager. The Pier Bar is adjoining the Theatre and is operated by Bournemouth Services. One of the most popular and certainly most distinctive features of the Seafront is the land train, which carries more than 260,000 passengers a year. Six Zigzag paths connect the beach to the service road above. Three pairs of Cliff lifts run up and down the cliff all day long throughout the season. Visible from literally miles away, there are exciting opportunities to brand the lifts – and the lift stations. With 2100 Deckchairs, you have an exceptional opportunity to improve the bottom line, with advertising that can't fail to be noticed. Located at intervals along the beach, there are 28 Bastions with free shower facilities. Close to the beach are the Gardens, which are an idea haven from the bussing streets of Bournemouth. Candle light displays and lights lead you down to the seafront where in the summer months you can see the firework displays. The ‘Free spirit of Bournemouth' balloon ascends above Bournemouth to give you a birds eye view of Bournemouth town centre and the beach. The gardens also have a pavilion where brass bands play daily to an audience in the gardens. The Russell-Cotes-Museum is a very individualistic gallery, containing the personal collection of art formed by Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes presented to the town of Bournemouth and opened to the public in 1919. Seaside Activities Swimming (watercraft free zones at certain beaches), sailing, fishing, surfing, canoeing, jet skiing, windsurfing, power boating, pedalo hire, beach hut hire and water skiing. Areas or the beach have been zoned as No Smoking, Kidzone, and Can-zone recycling areas. Firework displays are held on Bournemouth Pier every Friday night between July 26th and August 30th. Bournemouth Carnival and Regatta is traditionally held during the first week of August. Wildlife and Walks A three-kilometre undercliff walk leads from Fisherman's Walk east to Hengistbury Head. The seafront promenade is 10km long stretching from Southbourne to Alum Chine and then on to Sandbanks. A cycle route has been introduced along the promenade. Pedestrians always have right of way and from June to September and cycling is only permitted between 7pm and 10am. The Bournemouth cliffs provide an ideal habitat for the nationally rare sand lizard and smooth snake, as well as many plant species. Parking Roadside parking along the overcliff drive. Various pay and display carparks, including the Undercliff Car Park on the beach with access at Boscombe Pier. Public Transport Bournemouth coach and train station is linked to the town centre and all of the beaches by yellow buses. Once at the seafront a land train service operates along the promenade between Hengistbury Head and Alum Chine, stopping at all beaches and also the cliff lifts. Visitor numbers and Types of visits: â€Å"Bournemouth Seafront is, and has always been, a major tourism attraction. Bournemouth as a resort attracts around four million visitors each year (2.3 million day visitors; 1.7 million staying visitors). It is estimated that over 20,000 people are directly employed in tourism related businesses and that tourism is worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½350 million a year to Bournemouth's economy.† â€Å"The main tourist season begins with the Spring Bank Holiday and peaks during the school summer holiday period of mid July to early September. All other public and school holidays, such as Easter, are also busy tourist periods on the Seafront.† Types of visitors: At present, 70% of seaside visitors are elderly and less affluent, which means that they spend very little money during their stay, so Bournemouth had to attract a different type of customer. Many small attractions were opened, in order to serve different types of tourists, in particular children, as they brought together people from all different backgrounds, so places such as Putlake Adventure farm and the Oceanarium were opened. Bournemouth also has 2,000 acres of formal gardens, which are frequently judged as the best in Britain, and serve as an attraction for the older generation of visitors. The present pier, which was built in 1880, incorporates a theatre, restaurants, a disco and amusement arcades, which together form Bournemouth's most popular attraction. Bournemouth has relied upon its reputation to bring in the tourists and therefore it has a very good record: In 1996 it was named as â€Å"The World's Cleanest and Greenest City. It has also received Blue Flag Beach Awards every year since 1990 and since 1999 has been awarded the Green Flag Award. Three times since 1991, it has been the winner of Britain in Bloom and was Europe's Floral Champion in 1995. With the building of the Bournemouth International Conference Centre, many important conferences have brought attention to the town, these include several political party conferences, and brings in lots of business for the hotels and shops. The main problem with seaside resorts is the fact that their custom is seasonal, this can be seen in the newspapers where there are advertisements for cheap rates in the hotels, for example Sun Court Hotel offers à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 per person per night at the moment, as it is the end of the season. The way this is combated is by the use of the conference centre, which tries to bring business in almost all year round, for example, the Conservative party conference is always held at the end of the season, as the season is then extended for an extra week. Poole relies on recreation in its harbour for its business. 60,000 new houses are to be built in the area by 2010, as it is doing so well. Lots of visitors go across on the sandbanks ferry to Studland where 95% of visitors go to beach. In Poole Harbour, sailing and windsurfing take place, while conservation also takes place with SSSI's for the dunes, mudflats and mines, which bats have inhabited. Swanage has also suffered a decrease in its custom since the 1970's: a total of 3,200 beds in hotels and guesthouses have now been reduced to a total of 1,900. With a population of 9,170, there are a total of 9355 beds available for visitors, with a quarter of a million visitors capable of being accommodated in the whole year, although the main season is 26 weeks long. Despite a large number of visitors, although decreasing, the average day visitor spends à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9, which is not enough to keep a community running. Therefore, the total number of beds is still set to decrease, as the only real attractions are the Swanage railway, which is now being used for park and ride to Corfe castle, and Durlston Country Park, which receives 150,000 visitors. Despite not being a National Park and a decreasing popularity of seaside resorts, except among the retired population, Dorset seems to be surviving. Some areas do seem to be â€Å"thriving†, although a question of their future does hang over areas such as Swanage. Dorset has a number of attractions that keep it a popular location for visitors, however, whether it is thriving or not is a big question, as whereas places such as Bournemouth are doing very well, others are not doing so well.