Moral Values swings the election essays

Moral Values swings the election essays On November 2, 2004, the American people were faced with one of the most important elections of our time. Previous days before Election Day, it seemed as if John Kerry had the popular vote. In the aftermath of the elections, President Bush won the Electoral College vote as well as the popular vote. Before and after the elections, many polls where conducted on which was the major factor for choosing a candidate. It turns out that moral values was a hidden but a major factor. To understand moral values, one must analyze what issues fall under this category and why it cost John Kerry the title of becoming President. Conservatives will say that a same-sex marriage goes against moral values. President Bush is even trying to ban same-sex marriages nationwide. John Kerry on the other hand, supports gay marriages and would leave the constitutional amendment for the states to decide. In exit polls conducted by The Associated Press, 79% of Bush voters choose moral values. If moral values were the major factor among Bush voters, this would imply that about half of the people in this country are against gay marriages. Kerry would have the disadvantage on this issue. Another issue that is brought up when talking about moral values is abortion. Although they have always stirred up controversy, it can not be compared to the Partial Birth Abortion. It was banned in this country by President Bush. Kerry, however, was against banning the partial birth abortion. Kerrys position of being personally opposed to abortion but supports abortion rights is the very thing that contradicts his personal view. This is one of the main reasons why many Americans believe he is a wishy-washy. A candidate should stand firm in what he or she believes, not try to fit into mainstream culture. Finally, the way the candidates projected their faith was also important. Ke ...

Biography of Murasaki Shikibu

Biography of Murasaki Shikibu Murasaki Shikibu  (c.  976-978 - c. 1026-1031) is known for  writing what is considered the worlds first novel, The Tale of Genji. Shikibu was a  novelist and a court attendant of Empress Akiko of Japan. Also known as Lady Murasaki, her real name is not known. Murasaki means violet and may have been taken from a character in  The Tale of Genji.   Early Life Murasaki Shikibu was born a member of the cultured Fujiwara family of Japan. A paternal great-grandfather had been a poet, as was her father, Fujiwara Tamatoki. She was educated alongside her brother, including learning Chinese and writing. Personal Life Murasaki Shikibu was married to another member of the extensive Fujiwara family, Fujiwara Nobutaka, and they had a daughter in 999. Her husband died in 1001. She lived quietly until 1004, when her father became governor of the province of Echizen.   The Tale of Genji Murasaki Shikibu was brought to the Japanese imperial court, where she attended the Empress Akiko, Emperor Ichijos consort. For two years, from about 1008, Murasaki recorded in a diary what happened at court and what she thought about what happened. She used some of what shed recorded in this diary to write a fictional account of a prince named Genji - and therefore the first known novel. The book, which covers four generations through Genjis grandson, was probably meant to be read aloud to her main audience, women. Later Years After the emperor Ichijo died in 1011, Murasaki retired, perhaps to a convent. Legacy The book  The Tale of Genji  was translated into English by Arthur Waley in 1926.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Assignment Example The total liabilities amount is $ 8,300 during the same accounting period. The total Capital end is $ 32,810 during the same accounting year (Black, 2009; Crosson, 2009). The balance sheet is based on the accrual basis of accounting. The accrual basis accounting states that the records its revenues or sales during the accounting period they were earned, not on the day they were paid by the customers. Consequently, the sales made to current and future customers on account are debited to Accounts receivable or Notes receivable. In like manner, the Sales or Revenue account is credited. On the other hand, the cash basis accounting records revenues or sales only during the time when the sales amounts are paid by the customers, not when the revenues or sales were earned. Similarly, the accrual basis of accounting records expenses during the accounting period when they are incurred (Nikolai, 2009). ... ted to sell the same products or services, receive payments from customers, pay its creditors, and do other business transactions until the next several years (Nikolai, 2009). Savannah Enterprise Income statements                      Savannah Enterprise       Income Statement       For the year ended December 31, 2012 (thousands)             Sales 75.00       cost of sales       inv beg       Purchases 43.84       Goods for sale 43.84       inv end 1.60 42.24       Gross Profit 32.76       Selling & Admin Expenses       Advertising expense 2.40       Depreciation Expense (Delivery Equipment) 5.00       Depreciation Expense (Computer) 1.00       Utilities expense 4.50       Commission expense 1.50       Miscellaneous expense 4.90       Taxes & Licenses (Business rates) 1.50       Repairs & Maintenance expense 2.80       Postage & Packing expense 0.95 24.55       Net Profit 8.21                      The above income statement is based on the matching concept of accounting. Under the matching concept of accounting, the costs of producing the products shall be deducted during the accounting period when the products were sold or revenues were earned (Nikolai, 2009). Under the matching principle of accounting, the cost of sales amount is deducted from the sales account. Consequently, the cost of sales $ 42,240 is deducted from the $75,000 revenue. The result of the mathematical computation is $ 32,760 gross profit under the matching principle of accounting (Weetman, 2009). In order to arrive at the accounting period’s net profit, the operating expenses are deducted from the gross profit figure. The operating expenses include the marketing expenses and the administration expenses. The marketing expenses include the advertising expense and the commission expense. On the

Food, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Food, Inc - Essay Example coli is the corn that the cows are fed. It is quite cheap and dangerous for health. The content of E. coli in the cow’s guts increases when they feed on the corns. In order to regulate the effect of increased E. coli level, the meat packers often tend to cleanse the meat by treating it with ammonia so that it becomes suitable for human consumption. Food borne illnesses resulting from the consumption of contaminated food are increasingly putting millions of Americans in hospitals every year. The number of Americans that are admitted into hospitals every year is 325,000 approximately and those who die because of the diseases caused by contaminated food consumption every year are about 5000 (The Center for Ecoliteracy 39). The toddler Kevin in Food, Inc. who is only two years old becomes sick because of Escherichia E. coli. Escherichia E. coli is a bacterial group which is found in the intestines of many birds, animals and also humans. Usually, many E. coli benefit us by decompos ing the food that we in-take and facilitate its digestion, though serious infections may be caused by some strains that may in turn, cause bloody diarrhea, cramps in the stomach, failure of kidney and sometimes, it may result into the death of the affected person. People may acquire the bacteria of E.

Problem Solving Paper Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Paper Essay There are many steps in solving any problem at hand. People think that it is an easy process, unfortunately it’s not. A process was created in aiding in overcoming obstacles that may arise whenever an individual has to solve a problem. Solving any problem requires creativity in finding exactly what the challenge is in order to find a remedy to the problem. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the numerous stages in the creative process and select a personal challenge that I had to deal with throughout my life and venture through the creative process in order to solve the problem. Brainstorming is very important when it comes to solving a problem. By brainstorming it allows an individual to have many remedies to a problem no matter how difficult it may be. A person’s mind must be creative but in order for it to accomplish this there must be a challenge. Looking at chapter 5 of the course textbook I found that there are four stages of the creative process which are searching for challenges, expressing the problem, investigating the problem, and producing ideas. Stage one- searching for challenges: Serving my four years in the United States Marine Corps provided me with a challenge when it came to leading and solving problems quickly. One of my personal challenges that I had to deal with was when I was in Manama, Bahrain. I was a team leader with second fleet antiterrorism security team also known as FAST. We were tasked with having to provide security at the United States embassy. Upon arrival I knew that we were going to be faced with some challenges. I was a squad leader in charge of 25 Marines under me. In the military there is no point in planning because at the end of the day  plans fail and a person must improvise. Five days into providing embassy security my guys under me including myself was getting very sick from going outside into the heat and coming back into the freezing air of the embassy. I quickly had to make a decision on what I had to do to solve the problem fast. I set up a three-day post rotation splitting half my guys located at the outside and the other half located at post inside. I did this so it would minimize the exposure to the temperature changes that we were dealing with. A decision had to be made quickly on what needed to be done because protest was taking place outside the walls of the embassy and there could not be a lack when it came to security. Stage two- expressing the problem: For an individual to express a problem it takes a lot. At times it can be very difficult to point out a problem because of fear of getting into trouble. Bringing the issue up of my guys getting sick to leadership was a bit of a challenge because the Marine Corps do not like weak leaders. Leadership expects professionalism out of the squad leaders and they must depend on squad leaders to make good sound decisions. When I looked at the issue at hand it was a no-brainer I knew I would probably look weak but I was making a smart decision. If I wouldn’t had made a decision to prevent my guys from getting sick there would have been a lapse in security and that was an issue that was unacceptable to me and my leadership. Expressing the problem to my leadership gave me the confidence to go through with the plan and feel like I did the right thing. Stage three- investigating the problem: Looking at the problem I knew that it would be easy to implement the fix but I had to see if it was going to actually work. Now that we knew that going in and out of certain temperatures would make people sick we would know how to set up security positions with personnel that was available. The first three days didn’t go so well but after four days I noticed a dramatic difference in in the welfare of my Marines, including me. When I came to my leadership with the problem at hand and proposed the fix, they told me to really look at the problem and see if my plan would work. Upon investigation I concluded that the problem was fixed even though it took a little sacrificing. Fortunately, at the end of the day there was never a lapse in security and leadership was happy. Stage four- producing ideas: When coming up with a solution to the problem I checked with the leadership to make sure it was okay to implement my plan. Leadership told me not to over think the problem at hand, just come up with a quick fix to the problem considering we were only here for six months. Producing many ideas helped me have a choice of what I wanted to do. For an individual to come up with more than one idea gives an individual a broader choice, which makes solving a problem a whole lot easier. Being a leader is not hard to do; it’s about coming up with ideas, implementing them and leading from the front with integrity. Conclusion: Looking at and implementing each stage of the creative process gave me the opportunity to come up with a solution to the problem at hand. Making the right decision was important for me because it showed my leadership that I could perform under pressure. The creative process made me think of many ideas to the problem and what I had to do to fix the problem. If I would not have used the creative process the issue would not have been resolved. When you ask other people what their opinion is on an idea it shows a willingness to fix a problem at hand. Brainstorming is critical because it helps you come up with a solution and gives the individual many ideas on what they can do to fix the problem. Without the critical thinking process it would be difficult when it comes to solving problems. People depend on other people, but as long as you go through the steps of the creative thinking process anyone can find a fix to any problem that they may face in life. References Ruggiero, V.R. (2009). The Art of Thinking: A guide to critical and creative thought (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Darwins General Summary and Conclusions of the Descent of Man and Sele

Darwin's General Summary and Conclusions of the Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex In the "General Summary and Conclusions" of The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin argues that man is not the work of a separate act of creation. Rather, he believes that humans evolved from a lower being to what we are today. Darwin looks at the "whole organic world" [i] when finding evidence to support his argument, using the evolution of plants and animals to illustrate his points. Darwin claims that natural selection and sexual selection are two modes of evolution and explains both in detail. However, Darwin does not just cover science; he also looks at how social behavior affects evolution and sexual selection. In this way, non-epistemic values have a great influence on Darwin's theories. Darwin's main argument is that "man is descended from some less highly organized form"[ii]. As evidence for his claim, Darwin looks at the similarity between the features of humans and other animals during embryonic development. He finds that there are "innumerable points of structure and constitution" [iii] that are similar. Anyone who disagrees with him would be forced to conclude, "man is the co-descendent with other mammals of a common progenitor"[iv]. He also explains the differences between natural selection and sexual selection, as well as how sexual selection is important to evolution. First, natural selection depends on how well an organism can adapt to its environment. If it doesn't have the means to survive in its ... ... values, especially when dealing with the human social condition and the differences in superiority between civilizations. It is also interesting to see how others have interpreted Darwin's theories, and created their own theories based on Darwinism. Overall, Darwin's ideas, while originally scientific, have been impacted by social factors and in turn have influenced social theories. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [i] Page 386 [ii] Page 385 [iii] Page 385 [iv] Page 386 [v] Page 403 [vi] Page 390 [vii] Page 393 [viii] Page 394 [ix] Page 395 [x] Vol. I, Page 169 Works Cited Darwin, Charles. â€Å"From The Descent of Man.† Change and Tradition: Cultural and Historical Perspectives. Dubuque, Iowa; Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1998.

Fences: Black People and Wilson Essay

August Wilson’s Fences is a play about life, and an extended metaphor Wilson uses to show the crumbling relationships between Troy and Cory and Troy and Rose. Troy Maxson represents the dreams of black America in a majorly white world, a world where these dreams were not possible because of the racism and attitudes that prevailed. Troy Maxson is representative of many blacks and their â€Å"attitudes and behavior†¦ within the social flux of the late fifties, in their individual and collective struggles to hew a niche for themselves in the rocky social terrain of postwar America† (Pereria, 37). Much of the tension in the play comes from Troy Maxson, and his inability to change, his, â€Å"refusal to accept the fact that social conditions are changing for the black man† (Pereria, 37). Troy’s wife, Rose, recognizes this early on, saying to him, â€Å"Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world’s changing around you and you can’t even see it† (Wilson, 40). This inability to change diversely affects Troy’s relationship with his second son, Cory, who is a promising athlete. Sports provide the arena for the continuing conflict and foreshadows the characteristic that will eventually lead to Troy’s downfall. There is a constant struggle between Troy and Cory because Troy will not allow his son to pursue his athletic dreams, telling him instead to keep his after-school job. This comes from Troy’s past, when he was a promising baseball player who was prevented from playing because he was black. Troy’s fears carry into the new generation when he prevents his son from pursuing a football scholarship because of his past, even though the world was changing at this time, and colored people were expanding into new areas. Troy admits to Rose that his decision regarding Cory’s future comes from his past when he states, â€Å"I decided seventeen years ago that boy wasn’t getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me in the sports† (Wilson, 39). Troy, unable to change with the times, is, â€Å"convinced of no professional future for black athletes, he is determined to direct his son into a more practical career† (Pereira, 37). The title of the work, Fences, acts as an extended metaphor throughout the play. Troy builds fences between himself and virtually everyone in the play, isolating himself further and further as he clings to the past and refuses to adapt to a world changing around him. He builds a fence between himself and his friend Bono when he takes a promotion at work, and then puts a fence between he and Rose when he goes outside of the confines of their marriage with Alberta. He also builds a fence between himself and Cory by his refusal to acknowledge his son’s dreams. As Bogumil states, â€Å"By drawing a strict boundary around himself regarding familial relations, Troy loses virtually every sense of affection and bond between himself and his son, causing Cory to conclude that his father does not even like him† (48). When Cory alludes to the question of his father liking him, Troy responds, â€Å"†¦. cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw. † He continues with, â€Å"You my flesh and blood. Not ’cause I like you! Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! (Wilson, 38). Later in the play, in the end of Act Two, Scene Four, Troy and Cory fight physically, and after Troy tells Cory to leave his house, and Cory says he will return for his things, Troy tells him, â€Å"They’ll be on the other side of that fence† (Wilson, 89). Troy has not only put Cory out physically, but has metaphorically put his son on the other side of the fence, away from him. Troy Maxson builds a fence so strong he thought he could keep death himself out. In the end of Act Two, Scene Two he tells Death, â€Å"See now†¦. I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I’m gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side†¦ You stay on the other side of that fence until you ready for me (Wilson, 77). There is also the literal fence in the play, which Rose wants Troy to build around their yard. Troy wonders why Rose would want a fence when they have virtually nothing of value to steal. Bogumil believes that, â€Å"A fence to Rose has spiritual significance, solace to comfort her during the times she must intervene in the dysfunctional relationship between her son Cory and husband Troy†¦ (48). The beginning of Act One, Scene Two begins with Rose singing to herself, â€Å"Jesus, be a fence around me every day†¦. † (Wilson, 21). While Troy is building fences to keep people out, Rose builds a fence to keep them in, as she, â€Å"dearly desires to preserve the family she has never had† (Bogumil, 48). Rose herself says to Troy, â€Å"†¦ you know I ain’t never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half†¦.. Can’t hardly tell who’s who (Wilson, 68). Alan Nadel believes that Wilson is making a political statement with the metaphor of a fence. He sets up his argument with the assertion that. â€Å"the idea of a fence is inextricable from the idea of property† (86). He continues in this vein, linking property to humans, linking humans as a form of property to the days of slaveholding. He then says that one of the human ideals of freedom was in ownership; ownership of property. He states that in previous times, â€Å"Race or skin color was just such a fence. It served to separate blacks from humans, denying blacks the properties of humans and giving to humans property rights over blacks† (87). He claims that in the North, â€Å"The boundaries were less clear, the fences less sturdy† (87). Nadel believes that legally, the Dred Scott decision and the Fugitive Slave Law decided that property rights were universal while human rights were local. The Mason Dixon line resulted from the Missouri Compromise and was in violation of the fifth amendment. Because of this, Nadel states that, â€Å"these laws and decisions mandated that the humanity of blacks be treated as a metaphor, while their non-humanity-their condition as property-be treated as literal† (87). The fence then, in August Wilson’s Fences, according to Nadel, was the opposing attitudes held towards blacks during these times, that their freedom was, â€Å"not literal but figurative† and that. † The Mason-Dixon line†¦ became the universal metaphoric fence that marked the properties of race as criteria for inhumane treatment† (88). Nadel relates this to Fences by saying that Troy Maxson’s struggle to build a fence around his property, making it human, is really Wilson’s way of showing the internalization of the metaphoric Mason-Dixon line. He also believes the name Maxson, â€Å"suggests a shortened Mason-Dixon† and that Troy’s â€Å"character similarly embodies the personal divisions that come from living in a world where the Mason-Dixon line exists as the ubiquitous circumscription of black American claims to civil rights. † (89). The vital element to keep in mind while reading Fences is that while Troy Maxson is a tragic character who ultimately alienates himself from family and friends because of his inability to adapt with the changing world, he has good intentions and actually believes he is doing the right thing for his family. Peter Wolfe categorizes Troy’s character perfectly when he claims that, â€Å"his greatest enemy remains himself† (65). Responsibility plays a large role in Troy’s beliefs. This is reflected when Cory asks Troy if he likes him. Troy’s response is violent, and heartfelt, when he exclaims, â€Å"It’s my job. It’s my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family† (Wilson,38). It is important to Troy to instill this sense of responsibility in his sons. When he is speaking to Rose about this outburst he explains, â€Å"He’s got to make his own way. I made mine†(Wilson, 39). Troy also wants his sons to have opportunities he did not. He does not want Cory to get his hopes up, and then dashed down as he did when he tried to enter the athletic arena. Again, he tells this to Rose when he says,†I don’t want him to be like me! I want him to get as far away from my life as he can get† (Wilson, 39). When Bono confronts Troy about his increasing interest in Alberta, Troy defends himself with the words, â€Å"I ain’t ducking the responsibility of it† (Wilson, 63). And when he tells Rose of his infidelity he says, â€Å"Rose, you ain’t the blame†¦. I’m responsible for it’ (Wilson, 69). Although Troy does not always do what is right, as Elkins states, â€Å"With both his sons, Troy tries to promote responsibility to family over responsibility to personal pursuits† (Elkins, 167). This is his reasoning for not allowing Cory to try for the football scholarship, for wanting him to keep working at the A&P, as this is his reasoning for offering Lyons a job working with him at the garbage company. Wolfe claims that, â€Å"Duty for him always outranks love† (Wolfe, 66). Troy values work more than personal pursuits because his own dream of being a major league baseball player was denied him. He is looking out for the best interests of his children, hoping they do not choose the wrong path as he did, out of genuine care, and a sense of responsibility and duty to his family. Wilson himself defends Troy’s resolution regarding his decision of not allowing Cory to play football, stating, that, † When blacks went to universities on athletic scholarships, they were in fact exploited. Very few got an education. Troy is correct when he tells the kid that the white man ain’t gon’ let you get nowhere with that football. As a man born in 1904 and illiterate he’s telling his son to get a job so he won’t have to carry garbage† (Elkins, interview with Wilson, 168). Fences is a masterpiece! An extended metaphor about a black family. A black family trying to find a place for themselves in the late fifties and early sixties It is a play about Troy Maxson, who builds so many ‘fences’ around himself that he succeeds in alienating himself from everyone he cares about and from the world that is rapidly changing around him. Wilson shows this more specifically by Troy’s disintegrating relationship with his son, Cory, and his wife, Rose. As Bono said, â€Å"Some people build fences to keep people out†¦ and other people build fences to keep people in† (Wilson, 61). Troy Maxson built them to isolate himself and to keep out the people he loved the most. Works Cited Bogumil, Mary L. Understanding August Wilson. University of South Carolina Press, Colombia:1999. Elkins, Marilyn. August Wilson: A Casebook. Garland Publishing Inc. , New York: 2000. Nadel, Alan. May All Your Fences Have Gates: Essays on the Drama of August Wilson. University of Iowa Press, U. S. :1994. Pereira, Kim. August Wilson and the African American Odyssey. University Of Illinois Press, Chicago:1995. Wilson, August. Fences. Penguin Books U. S. A. Inc. , New York:1986. Wolfe, Peter. August Wilson: Twayne’s United States Authors Series. Ed. Frank Day. Twayne Publishers, New York:1999.

”The happiest days of your life” by Penelope Lively Essay

This is an analysis of the short story â€Å"The happiest days of your life†. The short story is written by Penelope Lively, who was sent away from her home to a boarding school in the rainy England. The short story is with an omniscient narrator, and takes place in the southern England – or more preciously in a area called Sussex. The story stretches over a day while a boy named Charles and his parents is going to visit an boarding school. The Sussex area is a part of the upper class, which indicates that the environment is rich. The boarding school (St. Edwards’s Preparatory School) is very big and luxurious. That can also be seen in the fact that the school is a big mansion with a swimming pool. It’s very formal inside the school, and the parents meets the maid who is all done up – which the mom approaches a lot (page 56, line 15). The school is very expensive, which tells that it’s not middle class area. In the end of the story the parents mentions that the school is a bit pricey, which indicates that they aren’t entirely upper class, but more upper middle class. Something that underlines, that they are upper middle class is that they uses a very formal language. There is no slang, and they are very correct in what they say and with their grammar. In page 56 they are talking about cricket, which is very upper class. They uses direct speech, but most of time the short story are in is past tense. Charles is the main character in the short story, and from the text I would say that he is an only child, since the parents want to send him to a expensive boarding school. Charles parents are both very self-centured. They think they care about Charles, and his feelings but without noticing they don’t see that Charles is not very happy or positive about the boarding school. Charles parents are very positive about the boarding school. The parents have a conversation, where Charles father says â€Å"Wilcox says quite a few City people send their boys here. One or two of the merchant bankers, those kind of people. It’s the sort of contact that would do no harm at all†. Those lines dedicates that Charles’s father is a businessman. The â€Å"City† is probably London, and thinks a lot about his career and to earn money. I think one of the main reasons the father sends his son away to that particular boarding school is to get contacts, because he know that the kids at that school has great families (page 56, line  25-30). He actually mentions that he could play cricket with them, which I already mentioned, is very upper class. The mother is kind of the same way. Also very self-centered, but she don’t have the same reason as Charles father. She is concerned about her son, but not as much as she is concerned about her own image and others opinion about her and their family. When the mother first entered the school she thought about her friend Sally, who bought an entirely new cream-linen-coat just for coming there, so now she has to be fine and live up to the standard. The mother corrects the headmasters wife, when she says â€Å"You live in Finchley, is that right?†. The mentions fast, that they don’t live in Finchley, but in Hampstead instead. Hampstead is for the upper class and rich and important people, when more normal families lives in Finchley. She don’t want the headmasters wife, to get an wrong impression about them. We don’t know much about the headmaster and the headmasters wife, but we know that they are fine people. The kids at the school probably likes the headmasters wife, because when she entered a room they became quiet and when she leaves they hold the door for her. Charles might be about 6-8 years because he is about to start at a preparatory school. Charles doesn’t like the situation and he is very uncomfortable. This can be seen in the beginning of the short story, when Charles sits in the back of the car with an unopened box of chocolate and a folded comic book. That isn’t a normal behavior for at child in that age, because usually they like sweets and comic books. Charles is very quiet, so he doesn’t say much at the boarding school. In the end when he sits in the car he hears the echo of the boy who said they shall mash him next term. The boys seems to appear nice, so maybe it was a joke but Charles really takes it to him and becomes afraid. That really indicates that he is insecure, because he even don’t want to tell his parents about that episode in the short story. The main conflict in the short story is that conflict between Charles and his insecure personality. He can’t say his opinion about the boarding school to his parents. Maybe he can feel that his parents are more interested in business contacts and their own reputation instead of him being happy, and that creates a misunderstood parent-child relationship who can serious consequences later in Charles life. The short story is called â€Å"The happiest days of your life† and that is something you usually says  about the time on a boarding school, but maybe in this case it could mean that those days are over. The time in the story changes, and all before the headmaster’s wife is taking Charles away is in past tense, but after that it goes to present but in this case it could mean that those days are over. The happiest days were until the time at the boarding school and now it is over. The time until the headmaster’s wife takes Charles away is in the past tense and that is what was and is no more. The boarding school is now and in present. The beginning of the boarding is the ending of his happiest days of his lives. Penelope Lively maybe had it at the same day, when she was forced to a boarding school and her life is an inspiration to this short story.

Lateral and Vertical Thinking Essays

Lateral and Vertical Thinking Essays Lateral and Vertical Thinking Paper Lateral and Vertical Thinking Paper Lateral and Vertical Thinking De Bono (2010) in ‘Lateral and Vertical Thinking’ explains the positive and negative features of the two ways of people’s thinking, and he tries to clarify it by giving examples. The core advantage of the lateral thinking is the overcoming styptic assumptions and understanding the problem in an completely different way (De Bono,2010). On the other part, vertical thinking is the way of thinking by exact and logical reasoning of the situation. So, the vertical thinkers do not try to see at the problem from different viewpoints, it is easier for them to see straight to the problem; otherwise, the lateral thinkers prefer to study the problem from all possible angles and usually very quickly. Therefore, the lateral thinking gives more probable solutions; it means more advantages for thinker. Once I heard the interesting for me theory that first group of dancers focuses on definitions and rules, categorizing then standardizing the categorization. And they always ask themselves questions:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœDoes it belong in this box or that box? Which style is correct? So, there is understandably an emphasis on technique, more specifically on defining and enforcing one  correct  technique. Therefore, the second group focuses more on the way dance feels - the subjective experience of dancing. And accordingly ask themselves other questions: ’How does it impact us? How can we enhance the experience for our partners? ’   This group’s thinking therefore embraces more creativity and flexibility, to adapt to partners who are different from our own style. Does it really true? Does it really two types of dancing? As it turned out, no; there is no types of dancing divided by these criteria. So it is a difference between  vertical thinking  versus  lateral thinking, which can happen anywhere. According to the dictionary, lateral thinking is idea generation  and  problem solving  technique  in which new concepts  are created by looking at things in  novel  ways. Whereas the vertical thinking carries a chosen idea forward, the lateral thinking provokes fresh ideas or  changes  the  frame of reference. And, while vertical thinking tries to overcome  problems  by  meeting  them head-on, lateral thinking tries to  bypass  them through a radically different approach  ( usinessdictionary. com/definition/lateral-thinking. html). I want to conclude that vertical thinking is selective, lateral thinking is generative; and importance for vertical thinking is a correctness, whereas for lateral is a richness. According to original Whiteys Lindy Hoppers superstar Leon James, ‘Want to dance Lindy Hop correctly? Then dont be real concerned ab out correctness! ’(Judy Pritchett Frank Manning,2003). But lateral thinking is not better for  all  kinds of dancing. As I wrote, I believe that both vertical and lateral thinking are valid where appropriate. Rule-based vertical thinking makes perfect sense for ballet and competition ballroom dance for example. You cannot hold a competition unless everyone agrees on the rules. But one of the strangest mismatches you will find in the dance world is when someone applies a rigidly vertical thinking attitude to a lateral thinking dance form, like Lindy hop, Argentine tango, West Coast Swing, salsa or blues. Those dances were born and bred in cultures which valued spontaneity, flexibility and personal variations. The original spirit of those dances is lost if their freedom is replaced by an emphasis on rules and restrictions. So, the types of thinking have a place to be even in the dancing. The exact, logical vertical thinking is for dances with very strong techniques, but the lateral thinking gives more emotions to the dance. And always the most fascinating part of dancing is the individuality of the dancers. Keep the spirit alive. List of References Business Dictionary, nd, viewed 19 October 2011, businessdictionary. com/definition/lateral-thinking. html Marlys Mayfield, 2010, Thinking for yourself, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, USA Judy

The Spanish Conquistadors

The Spanish Conquistadors From the moment of Christopher Columbus discovery of lands previously unknown to Europe in 1492, the New World captured the imagination of European adventurers. Thousands of men came to the New World to seek fortune, glory, and land. For two centuries, these men explored the New World, conquering any native people they came across in the name of the King of Spain (and the hope of gold). They came to be known as the conquistadors. Who were these men? Definition of Conquistador The word conquistador comes from Spanish and means he who conquers. The conquistadors were those men who took up arms to conquer, subjugate, and convert native populations in the New World. Who Were the Conquistadors? Conquistadors came from all over Europe. Some were German, Greek, Flemish, and so on, but most of them came from Spain, particularly southern and southwestern Spain. The conquistadors typically came from families ranging from the poor to the lower nobility. The very high-born rarely needed to set off in search of adventure. Conquistadors had to have some money to purchase the tools of their trade, such as weapons, armor, and horses. Many of them were veteran professional soldiers who had fought for Spain in other wars, like the reconquest of the Moors (1482-1492) or the Italian Wars (1494-1559). Pedro de Alvarado was a typical example. He was from the province of Extremadura in southwestern Spain and was the younger son of a minor noble family. He could not expect any inheritance, but his family had enough money to purchase good weapons and armor for him. He came to the New World in 1510 specifically to seek his fortune as a conquistador. Armies Although most of the conquistadors were professional soldiers, they werent necessarily well-organized. They were not a standing army in the sense that we think of it. In the New World, at least, they were more like mercenaries. They were free to join any expedition they wanted to and could theoretically leave at any time, although they tended to see things through. They were organized by units. Footmen, harquebusiers, cavalry, and so on served under trusted captains who were responsible to the expedition leader. Conquistador Expeditions Expeditions, such as Pizarros Inca campaign or the countless searches for the city of El Dorado, were expensive and privately financed (although the King still expected his 20 percent cut of any valuables discovered). Sometimes the conquistadors themselves chipped in funds for an expedition in the hopes that it would discover great wealth. Investors were also involved: wealthy men who would provision and equip an expedition expecting a share of the spoils if it discovered and looted a rich native kingdom. There was some bureaucracy involved, as well. A group of conquistadors could not just pick up their swords and head off into the jungle. They had to secure official written and signed permission from certain colonial officials first. Weapons and Armor Armor and weapons were crucially important for a conquistador. Footmen had heavy armor and swords made of fine Toledo steel if they could afford them. Crossbowmen had their crossbows, tricky weapons which they had to keep in good working order. The most common firearm at the time was the harquebus, a heavy, slow-to-load rifle. Most expeditions had at least a few harquebusiers along. In Mexico, most conquistadors eventually abandoned their heavy armor in favor of the lighter, padded protection the Mexicans used. Horsemen used lances and swords. Larger campaigns might have some artillerymen and cannons along, as well as shot and powder. Loot and the Encomienda System Some conquistadors claimed that they were attacking the New World natives to spread Christianity and save the natives from damnation. Many of the conquistadors were, indeed, religious men. However, the conquistadors were far more interested in gold and loot. The Aztecs and Inca Empires were rich in gold, silver, precious stones, and other things the Spanish found less valuable, like brilliant clothes made of bird feathers. Conquistadors who participated in any successful campaign were given shares based on many factors. The king and the expedition leader (like Hernan Cortes) each received 20 percent of all loot. After that, it was divided up among the men. Officers and horsemen got a larger cut than foot soldiers, as did crossbowmen, harquebusiers, and artillerymen. After the King, officers, and other soldiers had all gotten their cut, there was often not much left for the common soldiers. One prize which could be used to buy off conquistadors was the gift of an encomienda. An encomienda was land given to a conquistador, usually with natives already living there. The word encomienda comes from a Spanish verb meaning to entrust. In theory, the conquistador or colonial official receiving an encomienda had the duty of providing protection and religious instruction to the natives on his land. In return, the natives would work in mines, produce food or trade goods, and so on. In practice, it was little more than slavery. Abuses The historical record abounds in examples of conquistadors murdering and tormenting native populations, and these horrors are far too numerous to list here. Defender of the Indies Fray Bartolomà © de las Casas listed many of them in his Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies. The native populations of many Caribbean islands, such as Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, were essentially wiped out by a combination of conquistador abuses and European diseases. During the conquest of Mexico, Cortes ordered a massacre of Cholulan noblemen. Only months later, Cortes lieutenant Pedro De Alvarado would do the same thing in Tenochtitlan. There are countless accounts of Spaniards torturing and murdering natives to obtain the location of the gold. One common technique was to burn the soles of someones feet to get them to talk. One example was Emperor Cuauhtà ©moc of the Mexica, whose feet were burned by the Spanish to make him tell them where they could find more gold. Famous Conquistadors Famous conquistadors who have been remembered in history include Francisco Pizarro, Juan Pizarro, Hernando Pizarro, Diego de Almagro, Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Juan Ponce de Leon, Panfilo de Narvaez, Lope de Aguirre, and Francisco de Orellana. Legacy At the time of the conquest, Spanish soldiers were among the finest in the world. Spanish veterans from dozens of Europeans battlefields flocked to the New World, bringing their weapons, experience, and tactics with them. Their deadly combination of greed, religious zeal, ruthlessness, and superior weaponry proved too much for native armies to handle, especially when combined with lethal European diseases, such as smallpox, which decimated native ranks. Conquistadors left their marks culturally as well. They destroyed temples, melted down golden works of art, and burned native books and codices. Defeated natives were usually enslaved via the encomienda system, which persisted long enough to leave a cultural imprint on Mexico and Peru. The gold the conquistadors sent back to Spain began a Golden Age of imperial expansion, art, architecture, and culture. Sources Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. The Conquest of New Spain. Penguin Classics, John M. Cohen (Translator), Paperback, Penguin Books, August 30, 1963. Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. The Civilization of the American Indian Series, First Edition Edition, University of Oklahoma Press, September 15, 1995. Las Casas, Bartolomà © de. The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account. Herma Briffault (Translator), Bill Donovan (Introduction), 1st Edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, February 1, 1992. Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. Paperback, 6/28/09 edition, Bantam, July 28, 2009. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Cortes, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico. Paperback, Reprint edition, Simon Schuster, April 7, 1995.

The Weed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Weed - Essay Example The story elucidates the cultural traits had been in vogue in the Indian rural areas for centuries, predominantly in respect of the exploitation of women at the hands of male dominant society. In the traditional Indian villages, the women do not have the right to choose the spouse of their choice. Instead, they have to submit to the will and commands of their father in order to enter into matrimonial relationship. Consequently, the majority of the woman folk has to spend the entire life with a person with whom they do not any record of meetings altogether. The same is also applied to Angoori, the protagonist of the story under examination. The short-story revolves round the life and activities of the only protagonist, who has recently got married in the street where the narrator/authoress resides. Her strict observing the veil, as per the traditions of the Hindu women of India, portrays her to be a conventional wife, who does not have any concern with the outer world consists of strangers belonging to both the genders. Hence, the protagonist appears to be a shy and cowardly young girl confined to her husband as well as the domestic chores and responsibilities without taking any notice of the developments being made in her social environment. Since Angoori has not entered into interaction with the outer world, she is taken to be a secluded type of girl by the narrator. Angoori had developed the habit of sitting under the neem tree at noon by the well, where the narrator also used to sit with some reading material. Her refusal to learn reading and writing, and declaring reading as a sin for the rural women was taken as a surprise for the narrator, though she got the point that Angoori was just refusing her offer of teaching her because of her indifference to the same. Hence, she appeared to be in internal conflict between her desire to learn reading and the traditions she had been imitating since her childhood, applying restrictions on the females’ seeking education. However, her inner desire to learn the same at the end of the story, where she expressed her inner longings to learn how to read and write before the narrator. The protagonist views the female desire of seeking union with male of her choice to be an outcome of the weed consumption, which the males keep with them and craftily make the girls eat the same by secretly putting it in betel. Since betel is traditionally consumed in Indian cultures, it is very popular among the males and females alike. Somehow, simplicity demonstrated by Angoori is really startling for the narrator, which could not be expected by any grown-up individual of urban area altogether. Thus, Angoori’s s presenting her to be an extremely simple girl is the rising point, which has been supported with her description of the arranging of marriages at villages by the father, elder brother or guardian of the brides. Somehow, her description of the elopement of girls after consuming weed by some male contradicts her previous statement about marriage phenomenon. Sitting idly and in a gloomy mood is quite unexpected for the narrator, who has always found her in a jovial disposition and smiling face. In addition, her silver ornaments have also been disappeared from her body along with her giggling from her lips. Thus, her disclosure about the departure of Ram Tara, the night watchman, is the climax of the story, which has not only snatched her jubilance and joys, but also created an urge in her to sing sad songs depicting lamentation on the departure of someone most desired. Her hidden longings for learning reading and writin

Local lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Local lawsuit - Essay Example In one of such incidents, Monsanto had incorrectly advertised its herbicide as being biodegradable and further asserted that it left the soil clean. The event happened in the year 2009 and it had to pay a fine of 15000 Euros (BBC, 2009). It has also been identified that the senior manager of Monsanto ordered one of the consulting firms which is in Indonesia to offer a bribe of $50000 to a top bureaucrat working with environment ministry of Indonesia in the year 2002. Therefore, in this regard, Monsanto had to pay a fine of $1.5m (BBC, 2009). Risk Management Strategies Companies often face with lawsuits as they tend to violate the governments’ requirements or tend to break the criminal laws. Once the companies have identified the risks, it becomes significant to minimize the risks and thus manage them to a greater extent. The company needs to ensure that there is better supervision and therefore there must be clear communication of the policies. The key to reduce the risks of w orkplace related lawsuits is to be proactive. It becomes significant for the companies to execute policies and trainings which are designed to avoid the lawsuits (Pakroo & Pakroo, 2011). Risk management can be identified as a procedure meant to prevent any sort of physical, financial and time loss in an organization (Chan, 2010). Monsanto should not have advertised wrongly since doing so not only leads to lawsuits but also ruins the reputation of the company. The company could have ensured that the staffs are made aware of the problems of such illegal activities and therefore should have provided the staffs with proper information on risks and consequences of such illegal activities. Such risks could have as well been avoided if Monsanto was capable of identifying the critical point in the business processes where such illegal activities are likely to occur. The company could as well designate internal structures so that the staffs can report problems, risks and people those are sus pected with such activities. If all these strategies were adopted by Monsanto previously, then lawsuits could have avoided. Ethical Considerations Reflected In the Laws Applicable To This Case The case is related to fraudulent trade practices and bribery. Therefore, the laws related to these two illegal trade practices need to be considered. The ethics and anti-bribery rules try to raise the problems of ethical and moral attitude towards both bribery and corruption. In the ethical considerations related in the laws, offering bribes is as offensive as receiving it (Sosnow & Narayanan, n.d.). According to US law of deceptive advertisement, it is unethical if any company communicates a deceptive claim to 20-25 percent or greater than this amount of the target audience. Deceptive advertising is considered as wrong since it harms competitors, consumers as well as society as a whole. Deceptive advertisement is considered as wrong since the person practicing it tends to violate the need of morality (Carson, 2002). Sources of Law The cases are related to bribery and deceptive advertising practices. Therefore, bribery law of US has been demonstrated under 18 U.S. C. Â § 201 (United States Office of Government Ethics, 2011). It has been found that both the state and federal laws are responsible to regulate deceptive advertising. It is the Lanham Trademark Act that controls false advertising at the federal level. The Federal Trade Commission and state consumer protection agencies are mainly