Postmodern condition

Postmodernism can be called â€Å"a condition of contemporary culture†, It Is a modern movement which is strong, ambiguous, very popular and controversial. However, It is very difficult to explain the term because there Is no full clarity what the term really means. As one can read in The Condition of Postmodernist It Is â€Å"a mine-field of conflicting notions† and â€Å"a battleground of conflicting pollens and political forces†.There are so many Interpretations, definitions and evaluations of the term that It Is hardly possible to build a coherent definition, or to be brave enough to attempt to scribe It. Almost everyone has a different pollen about It, advocate â€Å"for† or â€Å"against† or are simply tired of all the fuss around It. For some researchers, the reference to postmodernist is equal to the attempt to recall something impossible to recall. Or to express the inexpressible, incomprehensible and unnecessary. In their eyes, talking abo ut post-modernism is the intellectual blindness, or at least a desperate search for something â€Å"new† and â€Å"different†.Some might think that postmodernism is a fashionable set of â€Å"new ideas† (postindustrial, postindustrial). But these ideas increased with time. Other researchers believe that postmodernism quite openly supports relativism, because it has some ability to explain certain things and at the same time is the enemy of the idea and the sole objective truth. Truth is elusive, polymorphous. Nevertheless, according to Frederic Jameson, postmodernism â€Å"creates more problems than solves†, and he also wonders if any other concept can dramatist the discussions so thoroughly and so effectively.Jean Baudelaire, the main initiator and most influential authority on the sociological reflection on the post-modern breakthrough in the society and culture, thanks to the saute diagnoses tries to warn us about all kind of threats that technological advances could cause. According to Baudelaire, they turned the post-industrial social world in hyper real reality shaped by the media codes and models, which were reproducing â€Å"simulacra† (the images of the world devoid of real prototypes).One of the hyperthermia images and the world of Imagination (Baudelaire writes) Is Disneyland, which is the perfect model of all those confusing orders of simulation. It Is primarily a game of illusions and phantasms. Imaginary world of Disneyland Is neither true nor false. It Is a space of regeneration of the world of Imagination, reminiscent of a recycling factory. Thus, the world of the Imagination of children and adults Is a rubbish, the first great collocation hyper real pollution. Disneyland Is a prototype of this new feature on the mental area.As one can read In Simulacra and Simulation â€Å"It Is no longer a question of a false representation of reality (Ideology) but of concealing the fact that the real is no longer real, an d thus of saving the reality principle†. Another example of† flipping † a deeper reality by its overriding, and hen hiding its deficiencies, through breaking any relations with it and finally achieving the status of its simulacrum, completely emancipated from the power of intellectual reliability in some American humanistic academic circles.That is why he decided to do the â€Å"experiment†, which consisted in checking whether the leading American Journal dedicated to cultural research will publish a text full of nonsense, if it only sound good. It turned out that publishers without a hint of discomfort printed the text devoted to quantum physics, not making the trouble to its decision to consult any specialist in this field. This has caused a storm of controversy not only on the pages of periodicals industry, but also the daily press. Shoal meant to indicate â€Å"abuse†, whose plenty, as it turned out, in the literature.

Nature in Literature Essay

Nature is one of the most powerful forces that has ran through literature throughout human history. Ever since the first recorded dramas and philosophical works, man could not avoid being in contact with the world around him, and so his connection to the earth must inevitably be part of his story. In literature, when nature is addressed, it is often in praise or awe, of its terror or of its beauty. Nature can represent the real and visceral as well as the sublime and the mystic. If one examines the work of the Transcendentalists, the Romantic Poets, and certain novelists, it is evident that the underlying feeling is that Nature provides inspiration and bliss, as well as a much-needed refuge from society. One of the best known schools of thought which dealt with Nature in literature is Transcendentalism. The Transcendentalist movement began in America in the 1800s. Transcendentalists believed that the divine could be reached through nature, by any man. The hallmark work of the movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature. The most famous section of the work is when Emerson recalls an experience he had in the woods, and says â€Å"I become a transparent eye-ball. . . . I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. † (Cromphout 210) Emerson tapped into an experience of non-being, connecting on a purely spiritual level through nature, without need of church or religion. Equally famed is Henry David Thoreau’s work Walden. In this classic, Thoreau captures the spirit of nature, solitude, and finding joy in both. As an experiment, Thoreau left society and went to live in a cabin on Walden Pond. In this famous statement, Thoreau sums up the mission of his experiment: â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. .. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms. † (Thoreau 5)He was making a stand against the materialism and convoluted nature of society- â€Å"Our life is frittered away by detail, simplify, simplify,† he says. For him nature represented the bare essentials- trees, rock, hunger, thirst; the things that lay behind the trappings of society. He took immense joy in the solitude and beauty of his life at Walden Pond. He farmed, observed, and lived in harmony with nature. Walden opened people’s eyes and inspired them, and might be the most classic example of nature in literature. Another Transcendentalist, the most radical and wonderfully incendiary, was Walt Whitman. His most famous work, Leaves of Grass, was written in free verse and was seen as controversial and even obscene by the uptight intellectuals of the day. The essence of his work is a deep oneness with nature, having no shame in being, and joy in what can be seen and felt. In Song of Myself, he says, â€Å"I am satisfied†¦ I see, dance, laugh, sing. † â€Å"The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag†¦ The feeling of health†¦ the full-noon trill†¦ the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun. † (Whitman 12) For Whitman, nature is all he needs, he takes endless joy in being, tempering the intellect with natural physical pleasures. An equally important school of thought was the Romantic movement in Europe. Romanticism grew out of a rebellion against the Enlightenment and its stark intellectualism. Instead, romanticism revolves around passion, emotion, nature, mystery, turmoil, and all the qualities of life that were not constrained by reason. â€Å"Nature mysticism† was one of the most important aspects of the movement. (Micale 140) The romantics preferred the country and the wilderness to the city, and loved both gentle, pastoral landscapes as well as the turbulent, sublime, dramatic, and exotic. (Micale 150) Of course, literature was at the core of the Romantic movement, and the love of nature is reflected in its works. An excellent example of the â€Å"sublime† side of nature is found in the work of the mysterious literary figure Ossian, who influenced so many of the romantic writers. Ossian was actually the Scottish poet James Macpherson(1736-1796) who wrote a collection of ancient Scottish poems, claiming to be word-of-mouth folk tales, but it is supposed that he wrote them himself. (Simonsuuri 192) The poems involved misty, windblown, rocky landscapes and moonlight, and the romantic images and ideas he brought about captured the imagination of society and of individuals such as Goethe, Napoleon, and Jefferson. (Simonsuuri 287) People were drawn to this exotic, wild side of nature and the worlds that it conjured. An example of the green, pastoral side of nature in romantic literature is found in William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. In the poem Laughing Song, he says:â€Å"When the green woods laugh with the voice of joyAnd the dimpling stream runs laughing by,When the air does laugh with our merry wit,And the green hill laughs with the noise of it. † (Blake 28) In Songs of Innocence, Blake connects the lovely landscape with youth, joy, and happiness. In his poetry, the countryside represents â€Å"innocence† and all things good, while the city represents â€Å"experience† and disillusionment. In conclusion, nature is one of the strongest forces found in literature. Men have written about the natural world and how it affects them for centuries, and will continue to do so. In Europe, Nature was at the core of the Romantic movement. Their works reflect both the stormy and sublime side of nature as well as the peaceful and pastoral. Either way, the romantics were moved to bliss and rapture by the beauties they saw around them. In America, a similar movement took place with the Transcendentalists, who believed that the unifying spirit in all things could be reached directly through nature. In literature, nature is often perceived with some amount of mysticism. To man, nature represents all that is not machine and society, it represents a state of freedom, passion, and beauty. If one examines the work of the Transcendentalists, the Romantic Poets, and certain novelists, it is evident that the underlying feeling is that Nature provides inspiration and bliss, as well as a much-needed refuge from society. Word count: 1100.

Beauty (unlike ugliness)

Beauty (unlike ugliness) cannot really be explained and it was also quoted that â€Å"Like a God (and as empty), it can only say: I am what I am. 1 The path to beauty is what we are all trying to find and to follow. To define beauty as that which is sought, as it appears in imagination, is sufficient that everyone is seeking beauty, for it cannot be denied that everyone is looking for something and dreaming about it. 2 To dispute taste is futile, because beauty varies for different people and for the same person.The vulgar have their beauty, the lofty theirs. But the vulgar have moments in which they may appreciate another beauty, and so have lofty. Beauty is not entirely a personal affair, because the most subjective things are an objective part of human nature which is universal; as the hidden arrangements in one house are like those other houses. Ideas we take into our heads differ hardly more that food we consume. Seldom is there reason to suppose more individuality in our thoug ht s than in our behavior and apparel.We happen to have access to our own physical and psychical quarters, and can shut the door on the rest of the world; but there is no mysterious cleavage between this subjectivity or what is objective or out in the open. 3 The sameness of human wishes in their most subjective state is made public on screen of the movie, in the human interest stories of the newspaper magazines and novels, in window displays and on billboards. Advertisers write the open text on aesthetics that all may read.They know that men and women are enough alike to want the same things, to admire the same beauty; and they are so sure of this that on it they stake their fortunes. It would be idle to argue that each person has not a different idea of beauty, were not the illusion of uniqueness rather universal. According to Ames, people are richer or poorer in appreciation, but as, as in their belongings, they are luxurious or lacking in similar things, so that their very diffe rences are same.He added that, imaginations and predilections are as objective as hair and eyes, and equally dependent upon heredity and environment. Given a certain nature, education and experience, certain wishes will be inevitable which will necessarily reflect in appropriate beauty. Precisely because variation is rare it is magnified. Each person cherishes what personality he has, and is glad that in being conditioned to seek his own he can reject what is foreign to him and call it as ugly, though he is also happy to belike other people and to share their enthusiasm.Based on Ames, there are fewer disputes about beauty than is often assumed, because most people accept the standards of their country and sex, class and set. Western philosophers and psychologist have always been interested in the nature of art, the appreciation of art, and the psychology of artist. 4 Plato argued that aesthetic experience _____________________________________ 1. â€Å" Pacteau, F. (1994). â€Å" T he Symtom of Beauty. New York: Reaktion Books, 1-232. ISBN 094846254X. 2. Ames, V. M (1968). â€Å" Introduction to Beauty.New York: Ayer Publishing, ISBN 094846254X. 3. Ibid. 4. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. 1 2 involved the apprehension of the good in nature. The non-sensuous pleasure, perhaps awe, of aesthetic feeling resulted from the reflection of ideal form in the object that only hinted at the profound perfection and beauty of its higher model. Hagman said that, for Plato, it was the apperception of this hint, the glimpse of the ideal, which was the source of aesthetic experience.Later, religious thinkers believed that aesthetic experience was linked to the revelation of divinity in the world, the sense of the worldly beauty being a reflection of the eternal beauty of God. Similar to Plato’s view was the belief that some objects, most especially art, expressed Godâ⠂¬â„¢s love and perfection more than others – or at least, the divinity was more easily glimpsed in some objects than in others according to Hagman. He also added that, it was not until the eighteenth century that a true psychology of aesthetic experience began to emerge.Starting with David Hume and Immanuel Kant, these modern thinkers tried to explain aesthetic experience in psychological terms. The objective nature of â€Å"the good† and â€Å"the beauty of God† came to be replaced by psychological processes by which our experience of the world is given aesthetic qualities and values5. Hume argued that aesthetic experience was associated with sensitivity to the association between a perception and a feeling. The particular aesthetic feeling s were those of refined pleasure, delight, awe, admiration, joy, and so on – in other word, the effects and passions considered to be special, positive value.Hume believed that certain type of experiences, those poss essing beauty, attained higher qualities in the formal expression of these feelings. Thus, for Hume, human’s sensibility and emotion replaced divinity and ideal form of aesthetic experience. Art, as opposed to natural sources of beauty, expressed certain associated feelings in refined and highly valued ways6. Hume argued that a person could develop his or her critical judgment in aesthetic matters by means of experience and study.He also stressed the need for the audience to keep â€Å"his mind from all prejudice and allow nothing to enter into consideration but the very object that is submitted to examination†. Hume claimed that the audience must be comfortable and without other intentions when viewing something aesthetically; this was one of the initial argument for the role of disinterest in aesthetic experience. What Hume was describing was type of empathy, an ability to put aside one’s normal position and needs and to â€Å"place oneself in that point of v iew that the artwork supposes†.Thus, aesthetic experience assumed a special form of relationship with the object in which the audience members would approach the experience with benign neutrality and willingness to give themselves over to the experience without prejudice. This relationship would then ideally result in a pleasant emotional state evoked by the specialness and refinement of the object ______________________________________ 5. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. 6. Ibid 3Immanuel Kant postulated that aesthetic experience was a type of subjective judgment distinct from other human emotions, referring to this as taste. Essentially, taste was a type of universal and natural human capability similar to other modes of perception. As one experiences something aesthetically, there are sensations of pleasure within an attitude of disinterest. In fact, for Kant, taste was close r to reason than to emotion or sensation; it constituted recognition of a priori truths (such as beauty) in the concrete, â€Å"objective purposiveness†. Nonillusions and some Persistent MysteriesOne of the most curious phenomena that simply cannot be understood in terms of their primary cause sat the present time is the close relationship between certain mathematical series (e. g. , the Fibonacci numbers in which each successive term is the sum of the two preceding numbers) and the extreme vaguely defined cognitive experience we call visual pleasure or beauty. 7 If each Fibonacci numbers is then divided by the one previous to it, this new series converges on what has become a magical number – 1. 615838†¦, otherwise known as the golden ratio.The golden ratio appears ubiquitously in a wide variety of biological systems including the arrangements of seeds on a flower, the structure of fruits and vegetables, and the shape of the spiral shells of a Chambered Nautilus. 7 Most interesting in the present context, however, is the fact that if an observer is asked to identify the width and height of the most beautiful rectangle, the usual answer is close to the golden ratio. They said that this phenomenon appears through the history of art with the pyramids, Greek temples, renaissance art, and the contemporary views of female beauty all showing evidence of golden ratio.It is also observable in musical compositions. 8 Thus, there appears to be a close relationship between a subjective aesthetic judgment and a fundamental number appearing in a mathematical expression. 9 The problem is that this is a purely empirical observation; there is no theory of why these two domains should be linked in this manner. This mysterious relationship suggests, however, that mathematics and human aesthetic is intimately tied together for totally obscure reasons. Perhaps it is due to evolutionary forces of which we are only beginning to understand, but even this is the lo osest kind of speculation.Nevertheless, there are some well – established links that are considered. Aestheticians themselves are in surprising accord as to the nature of beauty and art. They usually agree that beauty is a value and that art is the means of realizing the value. They say that beauty lifts us out of littleness to understanding of the meaning of existence. In beauty we see the finish and finality toward which our efforts tend the poise to which our wobbly lives aspire. In beauty we behold our desire without ceasing to desire it, for the most satisfying beauty is the more it arouses longing.The classic ideal of beauty is more calm, the romantic more vehement, ______________________________________ 7. Uttal, W. R. (2003). â€Å"Psychomythics: Sources of Artifacts and Misconceptions in Scientific Psychology. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805845844. 9. Ibid. 10. Ibid 4 while the modern tends to be wild and madcap; yet there is a passion in the classi c ideal, composure in the romantic, and some restraint in the modern, else none of them could be beautiful. From Sublimation to RegressionIn 1961, Robert Fleiss published an interesting elaboration of Freud’s sublimation model of aesthetic experience. Fleiss believed that in aesthetic experience, especially in the sense of beauty, there is a normal regression to an â€Å"early perceptory relation† involving the modality of primary perception,† which he conceived of as the combinations of perceptions of the labyrinth – outer skin, hands, and mouth unified into a single, nondistinguishable experience. According to Fleiss, in aesthetic enjoyment there is a muscular discharge of neutral energy.Rather than cannibalizing the object, the person experiences emphatic introjections of it. 12 Fleiss located the developmental level of aesthetic experience in the first oral phase prior to the mobilization of aggression that results in incorporative actions and fantasie s. He argued that the sublimation of this neutral oral libido is â€Å"inseparable from aesthetic enjoyment† and includes muscular discharges involved in the â€Å"modality of primary perception† – â€Å"a modality that continues to function throughout life.Thus, for Fleiss, sublimation is not simply a defense, but a normal aspect of the vicissitudes of libido that re essentially neutral during the first oral phase. It is the activity of this libido throughout life that accounts for the ubiquity of aesthetic experience. In an interesting series of case reports, Fleiss illustrated the relationship between sex and aesthetic enjoyment, and even argued for the simultaneous experience of both in mature, healthy sexual relations. ConclusionFor centuries, beauty has been considered a feminine attribute, and its pursuit a feminine responsibility. In fact the word beauty itself reflects the intimate connection between beauty and femininity. Even the most recent revision of the Webmaster’s New World Dictionary has as one of it’s definitions of beauty â€Å"a very good looking woman. † Thus we postulate that women’s preoccupation their appearance is consistent with the feminine sex-role stereotype. There are at least two additional aspects of beauty that may fuel women’s effort to emulate their culture’s beauty ideal.First, beauty often is associated with moral goodness, with being virtuous. Second, beauty can contribute to being powerful. _________________________________________ 11. â€Å" Santayana, G. (1955). â€Å" The Sense of Beauty: Being the Outline of Aesthetic Theory. New York: Courier Dover Publications, ISBN 0486202380. 12. Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aesthetic experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ames, V. M (1968). â€Å" Introduction to Beauty. New York: Ayer Publishing, ISBN 094846254X.Hagman, G. (2005). â€Å"Aestheti c experience: beauty, creativity, and the search for the ideal. New York: Rodopi, ISBN 9042018569. Pacteau, F. (1994). â€Å" The Symtom of Beauty. New York: Reaktion Books, 1-232. ISBN 094846254X. Santayana, G. (1955). â€Å" The Sense of Beauty: Being the Outline of Aesthetic Theory. New York: Courier Dover Publications, 1-168. ISBN 0486202380. Uttal, W. R. (2003). â€Å"Psychomythics: Sources of Artifacts and Misconceptions in Scientific Psychology. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805845844.

Past Does Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Past Does Matter - Essay Example The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin can be considered as a most valuable treasure not only for the American society of this century but also for generations to come. The writer gives different interpretation of the concept of success in this work. The author is one of America’s founding fathers but he is not a born leader. He has attained success of such a magnitude by dint of his hard work and strength of character, â€Å"having emerged from poverty and obscurity† (Franklin 3). His success story is a saga of incessant hard work and dedication by which Franklin has been able to rise from humble beginnings to a world renowned leader and the younger generations of this nation can draw a lot of inspiration from his exemplary life. Though born into the poor family of a candle maker, Franklin had a passion for reading and writing right from the early stages of his life. His unabated zest made him read each and every book he could lay his hands on, with the intention of be coming a writer. His family did not have the resources to afford proper education for their children. However, this did not drench his spirits and he became a self taught man. He began writing anonymously at the age of fourteen because he was sure that his brother would not publish him in his newly started newspaper.

Analyze the Sociological Contexts of Economics, Influence, and Power Coursework

Analyze the Sociological Contexts of Economics, Influence, and Power - Coursework Example However, the extent of this participation is greatly influenced by the changing sociological contexts within the community. As a state, Arkansas is endowed with lots of lucrative natural resources. Over the years, they have been tapped to help in promoting the economic progress of the nation. In particular, the Liberty community has been actively involved in the agricultural, tourism and mining industries. The production of meat, milk, lettuce, cotton, cauliflowers, sorghum, broccoli, copper, molybdenum, sand and cement has positively impacted on the development of this community. However, just like the rest of the society, this community is quite dynamic. It has now shifted to the manufacturing sector with concentrations in electronics, publishing and printing. With the increased research on Information Communication Technology (ICT), the members of this community have shifted their attention to this sector. Thus, there are increased scientific research and innovations embraced by the community. This has indeed strengthened the school-community relationships in many ways. Through engagements in such activities, the local populations get employment opportunities. This enables them to get income which they in turn invest in the education of their children. At the same time, they can use such funds to initiate various development projects in the local schools. At the same time, the local businessmen can be relied upon to supply the school with books, laboratory equipments, boarding facilities and other essential materials. This helps to strengthen their relationships (Delgado-Gaitan, C., 2013). With the rampant innovations in the field of ICT, this community is rapidly shifting from the traditional agricultural and mining to manufacturing and tourism industries. The members of this community have been compelled to change their attention and focus on these progressive sectors because they have a place in the

American History between 1820-1920 Research Paper

American History between 1820-1920 - Research Paper Example The paper shall analyze aspects related to art and culture, business and economy, books and literature and immigration and migration (Barney). 1820-1830: This decade holds immense significance because it marked the start of a new era in politics. It was the decade of growth as a country and progress in politics. The decade saw the formation of the democratic and the national republican parties. Furthermore, it was also famous for being the time when the first woman was nominated for the presidency. There was progress in fields of art, literature, and the economy during this period as well. Economic and Business Activities: The federal land law was passed in 1820, which led to expansion into new territories as settlers could now purchase 80 acres of land for $1.25/acre. Enormous advancements in trade routes including rail lines and river routes helped the expansion of trade and commerce between new territories and established communities. The decade also saw the growth of gateway citi es such as Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Chicago providing urban markets that tied the new territories to the Atlantic states. Art and Architecture: The 1820s saw the starting of the revival of the American Greek style and federal style of art. The statue of George Washington was sculptured by an Italian named Antonio Canova. The widespread demand for portraiture helped sustain American art. The wealthy valued portraits and spent sums of money on them. Some of the beneficiaries of this spending spree included Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Sully (Barney). Books and Literature: Irving and Cooper were the most revered literary individuals of the decade. The readers grew in pride during the decade, which was a major reason why Cooper’s literature became popular. A good illustration of the love affair for that form of literature is the novel American Hero which sets America as an individual country, culturally different from England. The romantic treatment of Indians was another famous and loved literary theme of the decade (Jones). Immigration and Migration: The province of Tejas in Mexico saw the formation of the first Anglo American settlement in the aftermath of the panic of 1819. The federal government began the practice of collecting statistics of immigration by 1820 and estimates suggest that 151,000 new residents entered the United States during this decade. The majority of these residents hailed from the British Isles followed by individuals from Germany. The surge in foreign born residents had an impact on American politics. The democrats, who were considered to be friendly towards immigrants, gained an upper hand with the same (Jones). 1830-1840: This decade saw the passing of laws that granted married women the right to own property. Books of immense prominence and legacy were printed, included Book of Mormon and Nature. Texas gained independence from Mexico and several other events occurred that made this decade one of immense importance in Americaâ €™s History (Rozek). Arts and Architecture: The Hudson River artists continued to grow. These artists included Thomas Cole, George Innes and Thomas Doughty. The fancy chairs also emerged as 8200 American makers created fancy chairs in Robert Adam, Sheraton, Directoire and Empire styles. The decade also saw the inception of the idea of the Grace Church by James Renwick (Athearn). Economy and Business: The steamboats were introduced during the decade as goods travelling to the west of St. Louis were

Critically evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of expansion via Essay

Critically evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of expansion via organic growth versus expansion via acquisition. using real - Essay Example This global business related news is encouraging in the context of financial downturn of the year 2008, still casting its shadow on the global growth of large businesses. Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007) attempt a statistical analysis of the expansion via acquisition strategy becoming a trend, as in 2005 only, 29,585 acquisitions got materialised. Companies prefer to grow and expand through acquisitions rather than organically because it is the quicker way of growth relatively to internal growth as the aimed company is well positioned with its production, distribution and customer base. It also minimises the risk of investing for the increasing growth of the company. Otherwise also, expansion via acquisition could prove to be cost-efficient way out relatively to organic growth, especially when the replacement cost of assets is higher than the concurrent worth of the aimed assets. Another benefit of the expansion via acquisition is that in comparison to organic growth, it can be acquired by paying through the stock as well. It can be a way-out for companies facing cash-crunch or for those companies already deficient in debt power. Literature reveals that during flourishing stock market behaviour, bidding companies prefer to pay for the acquisition through stock. Irrespective of this fact, expansion via organic growth and via acquisitions is mutually inclusive investment decision for a firm; it can be an added advantage to choose any of the expansion methods rather than selecting a single alternative. Before taking a decision to go either for internal expansion or expansion via acquisition, thorough research needs to be made to gather industry impact and aggregate market variables for opting out external expansion. There might be the possibility that firm size may artificially hold the impact of industry concentration whereas the market-to-book ratio may reveal the comfort of bidding firms to reward aimed shareholders with stock if stock markets are flourishing. Ind ustry features are crucial factors like the potential for economies of scale, industry concentration, sales growth and deregulation, and aggregate market variables, like historical volume of merger and acquisition, stock prices, GDP growth and the output spread (Luypaert & Huyghebaert, 2007). In a mutually inclusive relationship between internal growth and expansion via acquisition for making investment, a company may opt for growth via expansion additionally to organic or internal growth. Financially sound companies with enough investment possibilities would prefer to practice both options of growth for leveraging from competitive advantage as early as possible. In case, firms face cash crunch, they might prefer an alternative of the two. Strategies for both kinds of growth options need not to be necessarily related. Statistical research on the connection between external and internal growth is limited with complicated outcomes. Hay and Liu, as cited by Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007 ) evaluate M&A in the UK across 1971–1989 and find that M&A and organic expansion are supportive to each other. On the opposite side, Dickerson et al., as cited by Luypaert & Huyghebaert (2007), employing data on UK listed companies in manufacturing during 1948–1970 and 1975–1990, note that the connection between organic growth and the possibility of expansion through acquisition is surely negative, which underscores that these growth strategies are to be used alternatively (Luypaert & Huygh

Electrical Cars Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electrical Cars - Research Paper Example It is estimated that more than one third of the total energy such as natural gas, diesel, and gasoline in the world goes to driving automobiles. Today, auto industries are in the toe-tip of enhancing transition into electrical cars. This is because of several forces that limit growth of the oil industry and automotive businesses. These limiting factors have made engineers implement varieties of propulsive systems that require other forms of energy instead of oil. General Motors has, therefore, come up with very promising configuration of battery electric vehicles (BEV) to supplement combustion engine. An electric car is an automobile design that uses electrical motor to power the car with electricity provided by the batteries. Batteries used in these cars have varying designs with lead-acid and lithium ion sillier as compared to the ones used in mobile phones and laptops. Evolution of electric vehicles has been met to address depression of fuel resources and prevention of air polluti on. Emission of harmful hydrocarbons has been a major global issue that has mitigated car manufacturers to invent and adopt less harmful machineries. In addition, over the years there has been an increase in awareness among people across the world to adopt eco-friendly means by going green due to the recent dangers of global warming. Electric vehicles have, therefore, been the potential option to save the world from harmful gases emitted by petroleum driven cars. These modes of cars have taken a long journey since 1996 when General Motors produced the first modern electric car in the world. The recent electric cars that have been introduced are Chevrolet Volt, Tesla Roadster, and Nissan Leaf. These cars have made a very great stride in the current technology and acceptance of the consumers. This is because they have been considered as a major step of reducing dependency on petroleum products, protecting the environment, and improving sustainability of transport across the world (Ebe rhard & Tarpenning, 2006). It is estimated that electric cars can cover a distance of 100 miles per hour, which makes them the fastest cars in the world. This has given these cars higher popularity and sales in various countries like the United States and United Kingdom. In 2011, sale of electric cars in the United States has risen to about 350 thousand units. Many customers purchased these cars so as to qualify for tax incentives that were imposed by federal governments on petroleum products during economy recession. Despite General Motors’ willingness to combat global warming, the company always faces a barrier of electrifying car industries due to the limited range of the electric cars. This barrier is mainly observed on the consumers’ side – they are afraid of getting stranded alongside roads with empty batteries (Haaren, 2011). Although there is great emphasis on protecting the environment through using environmental friendly cars, people need to be realist ic about their benefits. This is because electric cars have very significant disadvantages that create limitation to their use and wide spread availability. In addition, these disadvantages give reasons why people tend not to use electrical vehicles across the world. The research in this paper, therefore, aims to provide insight on how General Motors should increase its interest in electrical cars by making electrical cars more fan, fixing the

EXAMINING THE U.K EXPERIENCE OF NATIONALIZATION BETWEEN 1946 AND 1986 Essay

EXAMINING THE U.K EXPERIENCE OF NATIONALIZATION BETWEEN 1946 AND 1986 AND INDICATING WHAT FACTORS IGHT BE CONSIDERED AS RELEVANT WHEN MAKING A DECISION TO NATIO - Essay Example (Cairncross, 1986) The fragmented coal industries were nationalised and so were the railway, steel and telecommunication industries. Utilities were also nationalised by the Labour government. (Tomlinson, 1982; Durbin, 1985) The ideological basis for nationalisation in 1946 U.K. could be summed up in Attlee’s words: â€Å"a mixed economy developing toward socialism.... The doctrines of abundance, of full employment, and of social security require the transfer to public ownership of certain major economic forces and the planned control in the public interest of many other economic activities.† (quoted by Yergin and Stanislaw, 1998 p.27) Tomlinson (n.d.) on the other hand views the ideological basis for nationalisation in the UK as reflective of two different epochs – the 1930s-1940s reflecting the socialist planned economy paradigm, and the 1950s-1970s reflecting a social democratic economic paradigm. Thus, Attlee’s vision of nationalisation in the UK could be categorised under Tomlinson’s 1930s-1940s socialist ideological era. It was held that the fragmented nature of privately owned industries (like the coal industry which then provided about 90 per cent of the UK’s energy needs) were inefficient, had experienced under-investment, and lacked scale. (Hannah, 2004) Nationalisation was thus seen as a medium for pulling together resources and implementation of new technologies on a national scale for the functioning of industries. This, it was envisaged, would result in efficient running of industries culminating in the â€Å"achievement of the national objectives of economic development and growth, full employment, and justice and equality†. (Yergin and Stanislaw, 1998 p. 25; Robson, 1962) Nationalisation was thus also a means for salvaging a non-performing and failing private sector so as to harness resources for economic development. It can be argued that nationalisation became a

Truman Capote Essay Example for Free

Truman Capote Essay Capote, the 2005 movie directed by Bennett Miller, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins, Jr., Chris Cooper and Bruce Greenwood, is the story of the making of Truman Capote’s 1966 non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood. Hoffman, playing Capote as a fish-out-of-water, a mincing homosexual researching his opus in a small Kansas town in 1959, shares screen time with Keener’s Harper Lee, a childhood friend of the author. The true story of how Capote researched his book is not as compelling as the story he actually wrote. Keener, playing Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird makes a more interesting figure and the viewer sometimes wonders why the movie isn’t about her and the making of her own opus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Keener, as Lee, is the key to Capote being able to access the rural people of the little Kansas town. They are amused by, and wary of the little man with the lisp and extravagant dress. It is she who opens the doors for him and permits the work to be researched. Hoffman, as Capote, is technically on the mark, but his portrayal is still that of a hollow man. The audience is supposed to feel empathy for this tragic individual but there is little compassionate or passionate about him. The tragedy of the story is, in reality, the Kansas farm family who was slaughtered like animals by the socio-paths who will be exploited by Capote. The audience is supposed to care that the soulless sophisticated and dapper homosexual is attracted to the cold-blooded killer, and, most likely, is in love with him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The film is bleak and also runs out of steam by midpoint. The acting is good but the subject is borderline disgusting. Capote exploited the community and the slain family.   The film version of the actual Capote work, In Cold Blood, is a much better movie.

Moral Complexity in Kieslowskis the Decalogue (1989)

Moral Complexity in Kieslowskis the Decalogue (1989) Although the moral stories that constitute Polish director Krzyszto KieÅ›lowskis The Decalogue (1989) were inspired by the Ten Commandments (as per the films umbrella title), the way they relate to Gods Law as revealed to Moses is by no means straightforward or clear-cut; nor is the rich symbolism which Kieslowski weaves throughout the films. As this paper shall demonstrate, the ideas and themes in The Decalogue are complex and often ambiguous, especially with respect to two primary and recurring symbols: the huge apartment complex where the various characters reside and occasionally cross paths and an unnamed, mysterious male figure who hovers on the periphery of the action, silent and observing. KieÅ›lowski uses these two symbols to illustrate and develop the metaphysic that lies at the heart of the film. The films [that constitute The Decalogue] should be influenced by the individual commandments to the same degree that the commandments influence our daily lives†, KieÅ›lowski notes in the introduction to the published script of The Decalogue (quoted in Cunneen, 1997). Joseph Cunneen suggests that this influence is subtle and indirect. It is significant that the films do not have separate titles that contain text of the commandments; as a result, the viewer is â€Å"often unsure of the relationship between a film and a particular commandment; to the director, if the numbers of some episodes were reversed for example 6 and 9 it would make no difference† (Cunneen, 1997). KieÅ›lowski thus encourages intellectual guesswork on the part of his audience. â€Å"I merely announce, for example, Decalogue 1. The spectator looks at the film and . . . begins to think about the commandment(s)†. (KieÅ›lowski, as quoted in Cunneen, 1997). For example, in Decalogue VI th ere seem to be no reference to any one particular commandment, though it does contain references to stealing (the peeping-tom protagonist steals a telescope to spy on a female neighbor) and killing (the same character slashes his wrists near the end of the film). This â€Å"thoroughly un-didactic† approach enables KieÅ›lowski and his co-screenwriter, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, to develop their themes with subtlety and restraint (Porton, 50). In The Decalogue, as in life, nothing is cut and dried. â€Å"Each episode can be likened to a moral parable that suggests . . . how we can live ethically in a world where the false comfort of either a belief in God or dialectical materialism is unavailable†, states Porton (Porton, 48). Jonathan Rosenbaum would seem to agree that the films power is suggestive rather than didactic: â€Å"The finely sculpted scripts of these films become suggestions of how we might think about these people, not directives about how we should judge them† (Rosenbaum, 159). He goes on to say that the decision to produce a series of films that correspond to the Ten Commandments in name and number is essentially â€Å"a packaging idea, successfully designed to give KieÅ›lowski an international reputation and made in part for export† (Rosenbaum, 155). By the directors own admission, he and Piesiewicz avoided any overt political references to the Poland of the mid-1980s in order that the films could be marketed in other countries (Stok, 145). Yet none of this detracts from The Decalogues intellectual, moral and aesthetic stature. KieÅ›lowski is a serious artist whose ultimate concern is integrity that of his characters and also of himself, as a filmmaker. He does not teach morality (in the sense of â€Å"thou shalt not†) but rather contemplates and probes lifes so-called â€Å"grey areas†. According to him, â€Å"integrity is an extremely complicated combination and we can never ultimately say ‘I was honest or ‘I wasnt honest. In all our actions . . . we find ourselves in a position from which theres really no way out and even if there is, its not a better way out [but only] the lesser evil. This [choosing which way out to take], of course, defines integrity† (Stok, 146 149). The notion, then, that a set of ten rules is all we need is simplistic to the point of absurdity. The decisions we all must make in our lives are often difficult and painful; they are also dependent on a host of different factors which have to be weighed and taken into account. Where morality is concerned, perspectives have to be altered and sometimes replaced with new ones. Mario Sesti suggests that the complexity of the ideas at play in The Decalogue is symbolized, in part, by the high-rise apartment complex which is the central setting for all the episodes. â€Å"Throughout the work a system of hints, correspondences and allusions imperceptibly laces together the tangled plights of the characters who live in the [same] apartment block. Everyone either knows or ignores one another, but everyone is aware (however reluctantly) that they belong to the same narrative† (Sesti, 183). Portman remarks that KieÅ›lowskis signature theme in virtually all his films (not just The Decalogue) is â€Å"the ineffability of human experience through chance encounters or near-encounters of protagonists whose paths would never ordinarily intersect† (Portman, 2001). Locating most of the action in and around the huge apartment building where the various characters live, and where their paths occasionally cross, allows KieÅ›lowski to stage such chance encounters and near-encounters while â€Å"(weaving the) single episodes into an overall tapestry† (Sesti, 183). The director notes that the idea of choosing characters at random and observing how they act and interrelate is well-served by the apartment building setting: â€Å"We had the idea that the camera should pick somebody out, . . . then follow him or her throughout the rest of the film†, he says, adding that since the apartment building has â€Å"thousands of similar windows framed in the establishing shot†, it was an ideal setting for his purposes (Stock, 146). Cunneen explains that the apartment building helps â€Å"unify the series† since we see the same few buildings again and again (that is, from episode to episode), adding that â€Å"in such a context it becomes natural for a character we see on the stairs in one episode to become a major figure in a later one† (Cunneen, 2001). By extension, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the apartment building symbolizes the unity and interrelatedness of experience. Despite the interrelatedness, Michael Wilmington argues that all the characters in the series think of themselves as essentially â€Å"isolated† (Wilmington, 2001). Occasionally, to some minor degree, the setting shifts away from the Warsaw suburb and into the city, and even the countryside, yet the director has a nostalgic idea of a return the monotonous high-rise blocks (Wilmington, 2001). The symbolism of the notion to portray such areas of Warsaw is that only in those tall grey buildings can the audience get familiar with many different emotions of the inhabitants: love, hate, friendliness, politeness, curiosity and more. There is constant interaction between the neighbors, making KieÅ›lowskis series very realistic and simple to understand for his viewers. The apartment building is, in effect, an objective correlative to this very malaise. The â€Å"deliberately gray or brackish colors† of the building â€Å"capture an edifice that signifies both the State and the monotony of life in ‘Peoples Poland† (Porton, 2001). In a similar vein, Agnieszka Tennant makes reference to the â€Å"mass-produced, colorless buildings†, â€Å"cheerless wintry outdoors†, â€Å"cold flats† and â€Å"impersonal stairwells, elevators and offices† that constitute the films mise-en-scà ¨ne (Tenant, 2001). Another function of the apartment-building setting is that it allows for an open narrative structure a structure which â€Å"invites the viewer to interpret the actions of [the] protagonists, to follow their struggles with destiny in an abundance of chance encounters† (Haltof, 79), while serving as a convenient symbol for voyeurism and shifting perspectives (that is to say, the viewers as well as the directors gaze). Cunneen is correct to stress that KieÅ›lowskis camera is â€Å"fond of windows, mirrors, or any objects that offer possibilities of reflections† (Cunneen, 2001). This tendency opens new perspectives on the protagonists of the film series. They are viewed from behind the glass, lens or mirror which highlights that their actions could not be what they seem and have more dimensions to them. In KieÅ›lowskis films, glass serves to self-consciously foreground the act of looking†, according to Annette Insdorf (Cunneen, 2001, quoting Insdorf in the latters Double Lives, p. 91). In Decalogue V, Piotr, the lawyer of Jacek the killer, is â€Å"framed in a mirror† before we actually see him. As well, â€Å"the driver [victim] is presented as glass reflects the apartment complex† and â€Å"Jacek is introduced in the street, reflected in a mirror as well† (Insdorf quoted in Cunneen, 2001). Sesti refers to KieÅ›lowskis themes of â€Å"uncertainty† and â€Å"bewilderment†, noting that â€Å"the most typical image in The Decalogue is a shadowy interior, a character at the window, or a gaze without rancor, happiness or hope† (Sesti, 187). A case in point is Decalogue VI, which begins with Olaf, the peeping tom character, spying on Magda, the older woman who is his neighbor, but ends in reverse, with Magda spying on him. KieÅ›low ski concedes that this â€Å"change in perspective† is essential to the episodes structure (Stok, 169). Other examples of the gaze may be found in Decalogue I when the boy Pawel watches a pigeon on his windowsill in the beginning. Later, after Pawel drowns, his aunt watches slow-motion memorial footage of him on a TV screen in a shop window. In Decalogue V the gaze is noticed during the murder of the cab driver when the killer Jacek hesitates for a brief moment when the victim â€Å"looks up at him and Jacek sees his suffering†; he responds by covering the mans head (Hogan, 2008). Curiously, KieÅ›lowski here seems to be equating the gaze with death. Another significant and symbolic link between the episodes is the presence of the mysterious, silent young man whom the audience sees only occasionally. He is absent from episodes 7 and 10. This omnipresent figure â€Å"with searingly watchful eyes and an Old Testament intensity† (Cunneen, 2001) usually shows up â€Å"just before [a] character makes a difficult ethical decision, or just before something unexpected happens† (Tennant, 2001). He can be observed in Decalogue I sitting at a campfire; in Decalogue V, as a road inspector and also as a painter in prison; in Decalogue VI, as a man in a white suit; in Decalogue VIII, as a student listening to the lecture of one of the two main characters; and in Decalogue IX, as a cyclist who watches the protagonist try to kill himself. This mysterious man can be identified with a guardian angel or the â€Å"walking consciousness†. He is present at the times of crucial decisions by the protagonists, but he never judges. On the contrary the â€Å"angel† is trying to push the troubled heroes to a better moral choice, as with Jacek in Dekalogue V he shakes his head to silently protest the murder or in Dekalogue IX saving Roman from succeeding in his suicidal attempt. The figure is still puzzling because he seems to have very little to no influence on the action and therefore cannot be considered a character in the proper sense. Tenant believes he â€Å"symbolizes Gods presence among us, Christian conscience, or at least for a secular audience fate† (Tenant, 2001), while Haltof sees him as an â€Å"Angel of Fate† who â€Å"adds an almost metaphysical dimension† to the films (Haltof, 81). As Sesti explains, although the figure â€Å"never interferes with the action, [he is] perfectly aware of it to the point of foreseeing its conclusion†. He never utters a word but rather â€Å"looks directly into the camera, and his disquieting silence seems to comment on the story†. Sesti agrees that this â€Å"kind of chorus figure† acts as a unifying link for the episodes but points out that â€Å"we do not identify with him, for his presence suggests the inflexibility of fate and the vulnerability of every individua l. . . . [His gaze is] the gaze of some divine figure, distressed by his uselessness and by the impossibility of redeeming the world† (Sesti, 184). The ambiguity and symbolic richness of the â€Å"angel† figure and of the apartment complex testifies to KieÅ›lowskis mastery as a filmmaker. The Decalogue does not lend itself to a reductionist reading; quite the opposite. A â€Å"vast fresco of private emotions and subtle interactions† (Wilmington, 2000) on the one hand, it is also a work that is rich in themes and ideas. As Wilmington observes, these themes are in fact common to all of KieÅ›lowskis films: â€Å"Choice is fate. Pain underlies beauty. Isolation is an illusion. Disparate are we. Sin is inescapable. Soul is flesh. Film is life. The Decalogue, [KieÅ›lowskis] prime act of cinematic voyeurism, draws those threads together† (Wilmington, 2000). By turning to such methods as a common setting of high-rises in Warsaw and a small trace of a mystic messenger from God, KieÅ›lowski is able to unite and add coherence to ten short films from his Dekalogue series. The films are complex and deep. They require thorough analysis and knowledge of the Biblical context. The author is making it easier to understand for his audience by bringing in common threads to each episode and opening the conclusions for different interpretations and room for opinions. References Cunneen, Joseph. â€Å"‘Being Alive is a Gift: Krzysztof KieÅ›lowskis ‘The Decalogue†Ã‚  Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality. 1:1. 2001. pp. 79-85. John Hopkins University Press. (Note: Cunneen quotes KieÅ›lowski in the introduction to the  published script of The Decalogue, for which, see bibliographic entry.) Cunneen, Joseph. â€Å"Kieslowski on the mountaintop†. Commonweal. 124:14, Aug. 15,  1997. New York, N.Y., 1997. pp. 11-14 Haltof, Marek. The Cinema of Krzysztof KieÅ›lowski: Variations on Destiny and Chance.  Wallflower Press: London. 2004. pp. 75-107. Hogan, Patrick Colm. â€Å"Tragic Lives: On the Incompatibility of Law and Ethics. College  Literature. West Chester: 35:3, Summer 2008. 30 pp. KieÅ›lowski, Krzysztof. â€Å"Introduction†, in KieÅ›lowski, K. and Piesiewica, P., Decalogue The Ten Commandments [translated by Phil Cavendish and Suzanna Bluh].  London: Faber and Faber, 1991. Kieslowski, Krzystof and Krzysztof Piesiewicz. The Decalogue. VHS. Distributor:  Band à   Part. 10 episodes on 5 cassettes. Directed by K. Kieslowski. 1987. Porton, Richard. â€Å"The Decalogue†. Cineaste. New York: Summer 2001. 26:3; pp. 48-50. Rosenbaum, Jonathan. Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons. John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore. 2004. pp. 152-159. Sesti, Mario. â€Å"DEKALOG 1 10†. In The Hidden God: Film and Faith. Mary Lea Brandy and Antonio Monda, eds. The Museum of Modern Art: New York, N.Y.  2003. pp. 183-187. Stok, Danusia, ed. KieÅ›lowski on KieÅ›lowski. Faber and Faber Limited: London, 1993. Tennant, Agnieszka. â€Å"The Ten Commandments become flesh†. Christianity Today.  Carol Stream: 45:2, Feb 5, 2001. pp. 75-76 Michael Wilmington. â€Å"Long decades journey into light†. Film Comment. New York,  N.Y.: 36:2, March/April 2000. pp. 9-10

Habits That Hinder Thinking :: essays research papers fc

John and Julie, your two best friends, have just read an article about the death penalty. It explains the reasons why death by lethal injection is a legitimate punishment for certain crimes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Julie reads the article, she strongly agrees with what the author has to say. â€Å"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,† she imagines. Without examining the ideas that are involved, she’s satisfied with everything the article says because, â€Å"It’s only fair.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John, on the other hand, is deeply offended before he’s even finished reading the article. He leans heavily on the feeling that God has the only power to decide someone’s fate, not man. â€Å"It’s not right to interfere with another person’s existence on Earth,† he thinks to himself as he keeps reading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What Julie and John don’t know is that they’ve both used some habits that hinder thinking to come up with their opinions. They both had strong initial feelings about the death penalty. And they both finished with those same feelings because they were the most satisfying. But Julie and John failed to try to learn about their opposing opinion. Without even realizing it, they both became victims of thobbing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henshaw Ward termed thobbing for considering and evaluating ideas. â€Å"The term combines the th from thinking, the o from opinion, and the b from believing† (qtd. in Ruggiero 53). You can be aware of when you are thobbing by paying close attention to your initial opinions, especially the ones that are very strong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many habits that can hinder one’s thinking, causing their mind to fall victim to thobbing. Julie and John both used conformity and resistance to change, and rationalizing habits when coming up with an opinion about the death penalty article.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Art of Thinking, Ruggiero states that â€Å"harmful conformity is what we do instead of thinking in order to belong to a group or to avoid the risk of being different. Such conformity is an act of cowardice, a sacrifice of indepedence for a lesser good(49).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julie and John may have been conforming when they developed their opinions about the article on the death penalty. They had probably dealt with the argument before and were exposed to other people’s opinions. Then when they came across this article, they were most satisfied with the belief they were familiar with. They remembered the other people’s attitudes and conformed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John belongs to a church where he practices his belief in Christianity.

Cultural Expectations for Women within America :: essays research papers

Cultural Expectations for Women within America Every year about a million immigrants come to America in hope to start a better life for their family. They leave with virtually nothing, just the clothes on their backs and a few, hard earned coins. As they start a new life here in the United States, most immigrants tend to notice the drastic differences that are present between their culture and Western society, particularly in the way women are supposed to talk and behave. In the excerpt from â€Å"Memoirs of a Girlhood among Ghosts,† Maxine Hong Kingston addresses these hardships as a Chinese girl who is searching for her voice in America. During the excerpt, Kingston portrays fitting into these â€Å"cultural expectations† as absolutely necessary, as shown in the last paragraph in Page 10. She says things like â€Å"If you don’t talk†¦ then you can’t be a house wife.† Or â€Å"Don’t you ever want to be a cheerleader?† (Kingston 10) At the time of this scene, the narrator was so sure that the American way was the right way, that she bullies a younger student into changing. Alas the student never changes and the narrator falls sick for a year and a half because of her ill actions. However, plenty has changed since that time of the Korean War (1950’s.) Nowadays, these expectations of what is an American woman are changing. Compared to the 1950’s, women currently are holding much more power, and are viewed as a superior sex symbol. In the 1950’s, a woman’s life path was pretty clear cut, graduate from high school and find a good man while your ultimate goal is to start a family and maintain an orderly house. This is shown when Kingston says to the little girl â€Å"Some one has to marry you before you can become a housewife.† She says this as if becoming a housewife is a top priority for a woman. However presently, most women in America hold very respectable jobs and the role as housewife is slowly disappearing from American culture. Another example of modern day women showing strength is portrayed when the narrator’s mother goes on a cultural rampage and forces the narrator to go to the drug store and demand a piece of candy simply because the druggist missed the address of the house. This scene is shown in pages three, four, and five. By doing so the narrator comes off as poor and illogical.

Elementary School Teaching Essays -- essays papers

Elementary School Teaching Elementary School Teacher Elementary school teachers teach pupils at levels kindergarten through sixth grade or, in some cases, through eighth grade a wide range of academic, social, emotional, and motor skills. They plan and present programs of instruction using methods and materials to meet the needs of the students. In order for all this to happen though, Elementary School Teachers must have a passion for educating as well as love children. Education requires dedication, organization, and thought out lesson plans on a daily basis. To ensure that the students get top-notch education, teachers attend staff meetings, serve on committees, and attend workshops or in-service training activities. When students get restless of being indoors, they have a special designated spot in their schedule reserved for outdoor activities, which they are responsible for. They must be willing to Prepare bulletin boards, correct papers and tests, and keep records and reports of the student. Every year, a teacher must evaluate student performance, and when need be, counsel pupils with academic and adjustment problems. Parents are always so interested in what happens in the school aspect of their child’s life, so teachers involve themselves in a Parent-Teacher conference day, in which they meet with the student’s parents to discuss the student’s progress and performance. Many of these tasks are done at the teacherâ€℠¢s home, not in class. Therefore, the teacher brings home more than an average career profession. As a result, they must not mind to take the papers home to read, check, and grade. But in class, they have an important job. Teachers may have up to 30 students looking up to them as an inspiration and... ...s, a teacher may teach one special subject usually involving music, art, reading, science, or physical education to a number of classes. Teachers often work with students from various ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. I am going to complete my studies for Elementary School Teaching at Schoolcraft College. Then from there, I am going to transfer either to the University of Michigan or Eastern Michigan University to finish up my remaining years required for the four year degree. When I transfer, I am going to get my major in my career and use it, to teach little children and open there minds, as well as inspire them in life. When I do get my degree in teaching, I am going to have it so I can teach at any level from K-12. With my drive of determination and my passion to make a difference, I believe that I will make a reliable Elementary School Teacher.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized-Canada

For Many years there have been debates on the possibilities of legalizing marijuana. There are many different opinions on this touchy subject. The opinion many have on marijuana being legalized in Canada would be a lawful act. The fact that marijuana is not as harmful as alcohol and other legal drugs would make it acceptable, and how taxing marijuana would bring in more money to Canada’s government. Also legalizing marijuana would free up police and court recourses, to fight against more serious crimes, and also how marijuana is a gateway drug is a false implication.The drug marijuana in general, is not more harmful than alcohol or other legal drugs such as tobacco (If used in moderation). Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from were determined to be a dangerous drug. But in reality it is not a dangerous drug, marijuana is no harmful than alc ohol or tobacco. To get to this conclusion has taken many tests and research. Studies have found that 69. 1% of marijuana users are from age 12-17 years old. Only 9% out of that category ecome dependent with the drug (meaning they become addicted to that substance and need it). By contrast, 15% of alcohol users and 32% of tobacco users become dependant[1].There were over than 800,000 arrests in Canada in 2008 for marijuana use and possession. We force them to go to rehab and then use those statistics to show how marijuana is dangerous and addictive. Over one third of those in treatment for marijuana â€Å"abuse† or was â€Å"dependant† did not use marijuana at all in the month period prior to admission, and more than half used it three times or less[2]. Would you call someone who rank three beers in a month an alcoholic? Like any substance marijuana can be abused, but it is impossible to overdose on. The most common problem associated with marijuana abuse is lethargic behavior, but does not cause serious health or social concerns.Overuse of alcohol will result in an inability to walk, stand, or even death, whereas overuse of marijuana will simply put a person to sleep. 40% of all fatal car accidents are caused by alcohol while no car accidents ever have been directly caused by marijuana[3]. Alcohol induces violent behavior and is often attributed to wife beating and ther violent behaviors. Someone under the influence of alcohol will experience fits if rage which has often led to their own demise or the death of others, while someone who got high from marijuana will stroll around pleasantly with a smile on their face in search of the nearest McDonald’s. It is as the iconoclast Bob Marley once said, â€Å"Herb is the healing of the nation, alcohol is the destruction†[4]. Cigarettes are another legal substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana. Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of lung cancer in America.Tobacco cigarettes are filled with harmful chemicals uch as nicotine, rat poison, formaldehyde, ammonia, and arsenic. Both cigarettes and alcohol are immensely addictive phenomenon’s that lead to very serious health problems, predominantly cancer, and ultimately death. Marijuana is considered by many to be a dangerous substance but in reality many of our legal drugs are far more portentous. The studies of marijuana are still yet inconclusive and contradictory. But still, many doctors would agree that marijuana is not harmful if used in moderation. Dr. Hamilton is a specialist in drugs such as marijuana at the Institution of Medicine; he says â€Å"Comparing arijuana to alcohol is like comparing one apple to another apple†[5]. One apple is not different from another apple, meaning that marijuana should not be different from alcohol.Being told this from a specialist in drug’s you would think it is acceptable to legalize marijuana. Problems only accrue when you abuse the drug, but i s the abuse of almost any substance a problem? If you abuse alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, or even food, health problems are sure to follow. This follows along the same path as marijuana. There is very little evidence that smoking marijuana as a means of taking it epresents a significant health risk. Although marijuana has been smoked widely over Canada for more than four decades, there have been no reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema attributed to marijuana. Many would suspect and believe that a days breathing in any city with poor air quality poses more of a threat than inhaling a days dose of marijuana. Most doctors would believe that marijuana is no more addictive than alcohol or tobacco. But even if the drug is shown to be harmful, is it not the right to every person to choose what harms him or her?Marijuana use is generally thought of as a â€Å"victimless crime†, in that only the user is being harmed. You can not legislate morality when people disagree about wha t is considered â€Å"moral. † Legalizing marijuana can also be a new source of additional tax revenues. Billions of dollars each year of tax’s come from alcohol and tobacco. Research from Jeffrey Miron, an economic professor at Harvard University says that the Canadian Government would be saving 7. 7 billion dollars a year if it did not have to spend money on policing and prosecuting marijuana activity. Then if the Canadian government legalized marijuana nd taxed it at a rate comparable to cigarettes and alcohol, another 6. 2 billion dollars would be collected by the government[6]. This is a huge amount of money raised threw government taxation. The legalization of marijuana would create another item that could be taxed.The government would have no problem spending all that extra money. Seeing how the war on drugs is an expensive battle, why would the not legalize marijuana and tax it? John Berick is from the liberal party and he says â€Å"it is an opportunity for u s to legalize marijuana and gain money from the taxation of it to help our current economic ituation†[7]. This quote proves that taxing marijuana would be a smart idea for the government; it would bring in more money to go towards helping our current economic situation. The government would be saving there time and money from trying to win a battle that can not be won on the street’s and in the end, legalizing marijuana would be free money to them. From further research, the government is spending about 7. 7 billion dollars a year on capturing the users and dealers. A great deal of expenses goes into catching them, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. In common sense, it ould seem to make sense for the government to legalize marijuana and tax it.Legalizing marijuana would free up police and court recourses to fight more serious crimes. Many consider the war on drugs an expensive failure. Recourses for DEA, FBI, and border security are only the tip of the iceberg. You must add in the cost of police officers, judges, public defenders, prosecutors, prison guards, and so on. Officer Micelle Howard from the Victoria, BC police department (department number 468) says that â€Å"We spend to much time everyday fighting against this drug (marijuana), I would ather be out fighting against a more serious unlawful act†[8]. This quote proves that the people who fight against this drug feel the same way. Legalizing marijuana would free up those people to concentrate on more important things like terrorism, harder drugs, rape, murder, and so on. In addition, an already overloaded civil court would be improved.Leading into time being eliminated to help and fight more serious court cases. But sometimes with the police force when it comes to street control, there is no police to call or lawyers to higher if you get stiffed or screwed over in a drug deal. Meaning you re left to settle the dispute by yourself, often leading into cycles of retal iatory violence. Legalizing marijuana would save time and money, also settle disputes properly. Many people also believe that marijuana is a gateway drug and will lead into other more dangerous drugs. It’s true that most people who do hard drugs didn’t immediately start out snorting cocaine or shooting heroin, but smoking marijuana every now and then does not condemn you to be some cracked out heroin feign. As it stands right now only a small portion of semi smokers go on to harder drugs and I’m sure that number will go own if marijuana is legalized.If kids could run down the street and pick up some marijuana their interest in other drugs would be diminished. The only way that marijuana could be considered a gateway drug is if it is sold alongside hard drugs. True some marijuana dealers sell harder stuff but legalizing marijuana completely negates that argument. If marijuana were legal there would be no need for side street dealers who might have hard drugs on t hem, it could be sold in any convenience store across the country. Many would say for a fact that teenagers would much rather get high legally han break the law to do so. The problem is legal highs are not readily available, the closest you can get is with cigarettes which not only taste disgusting but are extremely deleterious to your health and the health of others. Implying that smoking weed always leads to harder drugs is like saying that anyone who has ever stolen something will go on to armed piracy of oil tankers. People who steal probably did steal in their youth but that does not mean everyone who steals will end up like them. There is only scant evidence that marijuana produces physical dependence and withdrawal in humans.When human subjects were administered daily oral doses of 180-210 mg of THC – the equivalent of 15-20 joints per day – abrupt cessation produced adverse symptoms, including disturbed sleep, restlessness, nausea, decreased appetite, and sweat ing. The authors interpreted these symptoms as evidence of physical dependence. However, they noted the syndrome's relatively mild nature and remained skeptical of its occurrence when marijuana is consumed in usual doses and situations. Indeed, when humans are allowed to control consumption, even high doses are not followed by adverse withdrawal ymptoms. Signs of withdrawal have been created in laboratory animals following the administration of very high doses.Recently, at a NIDA-sponsored conference, a researcher described unpublished observations involving rats pretreated with THC and then dosed with a cannabinoid receptor-blocker. Not surprisingly, this provoked sudden withdrawal, by stripping receptors of the drug. This finding has no relevance to human users who, upon ceasing use, experience a very gradual removal of THC from receptors. The most avid publicizers of marijuana's addictive nature are treatment providers who, in ecent years, have increasingly admitted insured marij uana users to their programs. 65 The increasing use of drug-detection technologies in the workplace, schools and elsewhere has also produced a group of marijuana users who identify themselves as â€Å"addicts† in order to receive treatment instead of punishment. The Myth; Marijuana is a â€Å"Gateway† to the use of other drugs . Advocates of marijuana prohibition claim that even if marijuana itself causes minimal harm, it is a dangerous substance because it leads to the use of â€Å"harder drugs† such as heroin, LSD, and cocaine.The Fact, Most users of heroin, LSD and cocaine have used marijuana. However, most marijuana users never use another illegal drug. Over time, there has been no consistent relationship between the use patterns of various drugs. As marijuana use increased in the 1960s and 1970s, heroin use declined. And, when marijuana use declined in the 1980s, heroin use remained fairly stable; Marijuana as a gateway drug is a false implication and canno t be used in a serious discussion about legalizing marijuana. Many people also insinuate that marijuana leads people to a life of crime.The only way to test this theory is to study the results when pot is legal. Amsterdam, where marijuana is legal, has a lower crime rate than any major U. S. city. I think that soundly disproves that theory and clearly shows that smoking marijuana is not a gateway to anything illegal[9]. Through these subjects of explaining why legalizing marijuana would be acceptable, should change you outlook on legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is no harmful than alcohol nor tobacco, 47% of alcohol and tobacco users become independent, with marijuana only 9% become dependant; and taxing marijuana would bring in over 14 illion dollars into the government (from saving 7. 7 billion dollars in fighting against it, and gaining 6. 2 billion dollars in taxing it). Also legalizing marijuana would help officers to fight against more serious crimes (not spending half their da y tracking marijuana users and addicts).And finally how marijuana is a gateway drug, these are all subject that the people protecting marijuana from being legal use to persuade our minds. Legalizing marijuana would be an acceptable idea; from tests and research this statement is true. There are far more serious crimes to be worried about than a â€Å"victimless crime† uch as marijuana.Bibliography Books: John A. Benson, Stanley J. Watson, and Janet E. Joy, eds. , Marijuana and Medicine: Assessment of the Science Base. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999. Alan Bock, Waiting to Inhale: The Politics of Medical Marijuana. Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press, 2000. Richard J. Bonnie, and Charles H. Whitehead II, Marijuana Conviction: History of Marijuana Prohibition. New York: Open Society Institute, 1999. Elizabeth Russell and Beth Connolly, Through a Glass Darkly: The Psychological Effects of Marijuana and Hashish†¦.

Renaissance Architecture as the Pinnacle of Genius Or Brunelleschi’s Dome

Architecture is the evolution of beauty in the fourth dimension. Art has continuously been about the creation of something beautiful, intrepid, and ingenious. Although there are many great art movements such as Baroque, Pop Art, Gothic, Avant-Guard, none are more striking in architecture as that of the Renaissance era. With the Renaissance convalescence to beauty, the color combination and the presence of the classical nude incorporated into a lot of the decor, it is with the Renaissance art era that art history was witness to the best possible architecture. The following essay will seek to prove this point using the geniuses of the Renaissance period and using their works as examples of this thesis. The Renaissance took its cue from the elegant forms of architecture and beauty from the Greeks and Romans. The idea of symmetry and shapes and elegance are staple features in Renaissance architecture. Thus, a viewer can see a lot of Rome represented in the Renaissance architecture such as columns, pediments, arches and domes. It was through Vitruvius’s writings on architecture that inspired many Renaissance artists to embrace the Roman ideal of beauty, harmony, and symmetry (Architecture in Renaissance Italy paragraph one). This is Vitruvius’s idea of symmetry as is presented in Renaissance architecture and conceptualized by Vitruvius in the human body, The measurement pertaining to the body being designated by headlengths is emphasized by Vitruvius in this manner, â€Å"For the human body is so designed by nature that the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead and the lowest roots of the hair, is a tenth part of the whole height; the open hand from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger is just the same†¦The other members, too, have their own symmetrical proportions, and it was by employing them that the famous painters and sculptors of antiquity attained to great and endless renown† (72). Some of the famous architects of the Renaissance era included Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Battista Alberti and Palladio. Each had their own style and power to not only engineer great feats of architectural beauty but to also bring forth their vision of classical Roman design with symmetr y as the focal point. Though Vitruvius speaks of symmetry his nature of the term also gives leeway, â€Å"Therefore, since nature has designed the human body so that its members are duly proportioned to the frame as a whole, it appears that the ancients had good reason for their rule, that in perfect buildings the different members must be in exact symmetrical relations to the whole general scheme† (73). This is especially seen in Brunelleschi’s brilliant masterpiece the dome of the Florence Cathedral or duomo as the Italians call it. The genius of the duomo was that it is a dome built within a dome. Bruniselleschi realized the weight issue of this dome, and thought that another structure to hold most of the weight would allow for the architecture to last longer without future engineering. Along with the genius of building this dome within a dome, Brunelleschi also used less material at the top of the dome where the oculus is located in order for the issue of weight to have less of a detrimental effect on the design, â€Å"As the total weight of the structure was thereby lightened, he could dispense with the massive and costly wooden trusswork required by the older method of construction† (Janson 1997, 419). Among Brunelleschi’s other major accomplishments and contributions to architecture is he renewal of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns in their proper places. Another recognized accomplishment of Brunelleschi is his system of proportions; although his architecture seems simple to the layman, his intricacies lie within his use of appropriate measurement inducing harmony in his overall structure such as the Ospedale degli Innocenti. This modular cube building is pristine in its measurements between columns, and the height and space are especially p roportioned (Architecture in Renaissance Italy paragraph two). There is a definite sense of these elements intermingling in architecture so much so that the physical is being eclipsed by the virtual and when this happens the most important element of architecture which will lead the evolution is light. The Renaissance was an era of individuals. The art movement occurred in the 1400s at which time the world was succumbing to great travesties. The one hundred years war was happening, the bubonic plague had killed at least 50% of the population among such countries as France, Germany and England, but Italy was spared. Due to Italy’s political system, which is a series of city republic states with not king, no true peasant class, and so there is room for social mobility, and capitalism has made the culture a commercial society. Merchants, such as the Medici’s, ran this commercial society and all of these circumstances put together gives way for the Renaissance, â€Å"In 1419, while he was working out the final plans for the Cathedral dome, Brunelleschi received his first opportunity to create buildings entirely of his own design. It came from the head of the Medici family, one of the leading merchants and bankers of Florence, who commissioned him to add a sacristy to the Romanesque church of S. Lorenzo† (Janson 1997, 419). . In order for artists to have observed the world around them, leisure time must have been pursued and because Italy did not so entirely succumb to the great plague, the entire culture was left to flourish. They flourished in everything, mostly art. This era of individuals allowed for self-made millionaires who would commission artists to create whatever they wanted. One of the main contributors to the Renaissance was the Church. The ability of a Renaissance artist to create and invent hinged on the indulgence of the commissioner. Thus, many great religious art works were also the focal point of the artist. , and so, by observing the world around them Renaissance artists created a plethora of religious structures. By seeing the world around them and inventing necessary objects with which to engage in that world or to improve life, Renaissance artists proved that invention was key in discovering the world. Thus, the Renaissance did not only give the world great art, but the artistic genius and fortitude to create great monuments and inventions. By simple observation, artists such as Brunelleschi could give the world new forms of sculpture, architecture, and design implementations involving grand scale construction. Observation is the key to artistic genius, and it is through observation that art and invention collide. The genius of Brunelleschi was able to flourish because of religion. His work on the duomo was not limited to just the architecture, but the engineering as well, â€Å"Instead of having building materials carried up on ramps to the required level, he designed hoisting machines† (Janson 1997, 419). Thus, not only was architecture thriving but also other avenues of art such as engineering. It was financial freedom which lead to the greatness of the duomo, and Brunelleschi’s stamp in art history.

French and Indian War DBQ Essay

For many years, throughout the 1600s and early part of the 1700s, the British pursued a policy of salutary neglect toward its colonies. Britain enacted a series of Navigation Laws, but these attempts to regulate trade were minimally enforced. The colonists had a generally friendly attitude toward the British overall since they enjoyed the benefits of an imperial relationship without accompanying restrictions. However, this relationship was dramatically altered by the French and Indian War. The course of the war itself significantly affected the political and ideological relationship of the colonists to their mother country, in as much as the colonists found the British imposition of restrictions and its hierarchical army to be repulsive to liberty, while the British saw the need for greater imperial control. However, it was the economic aftermath of the war, which left British with a staggering war debt and a need to raise new colonial revenues that militated most heavily against col onial cooperation with the British. The French and Indian War, called the Seven Years’ War in Europe, had its antecedents in the settlement of the French and the British in the Ohio Valley, region of the American continent. Both the French and British sought to control lands in the region, while Native Americans resisted the attempts of both to settle. The Indians largely played off of both sides to maintain an uneasy balance of power, but one group eventually decided to grant trading concessions to the British, giving England greater access to the interior of the continent. France saw this as a threat to its own territories and summarily constructed forts of defense, like Fort Duquesne. The British followed suit, building forts of their own. One such effort was to build Fort Necessity near Fort Duquesne, which George Washington led. At the fort, however, Washington became embroiled in a conflict with the French forces there he was captured and forced to surrender. Thus began the French and Indian War. The colonists had a largely friendly and amicable attitude toward the British at the outset. For example, General Washington praised the British General Braddock in a 1755 letter a man of â€Å"abilities and experience† (Doc. C). The long British policy of salutary neglect allowed the colonists to enjoy the benefits of trade with and protection from the British without the discomfort to frBigid control. However, this changed as the war progressed. In the second stage of the French and Indian War, beginning in 1756, Britain sought to impose greater control on the colonial war effort. British Prime Minister William Pitt tried to control the contact of the fighting himself,† â€Å"impressing† (forcibly enlisting) colonists to fight and imposing other restrictions on colonial freedom. A colonial soldier, for example, wrote in 1759 of how he was unlikely to get liquor or clothing and of how he was subject to martial law.† He protested that he, too, was a man of E nglish blood, but that he was not afforded the â€Å"Englishman’s liberty† (Doc. D). This political control by Britain led to riots and colonial resistance; pretty soon, the consequences of it overwhelmed any befits it may have offered, and William Pitt was forced to back down. However, for the rest of the war, the political legacy of repression remained in colonial minds and produced hostility to British control. Another ideological aspect of the interaction between Britain and its colonies furthered this hostility. The colonists themselves were organized into voluntary units of men fighting with relative equality. The British, meanwhile, were organized into hierarchical divisions in which rigid order was maintained. The Massachusetts soldier who protested political repression also noted this when he observed that the British troops â€Å"are but little better than slaves to their officers† (Doc. D). This ideological idea of a righteous American army together with a rigid British one further augmented the colonial resistance to British oppression. The colonists not only saw British political interference in their affairs as illegitimate; they also resented British hierarchy. The British, however, took from the war an entirely different perspective. The colonists may have seen themselves as great aid in the struggle; one sermon by Reverend Thomas Bernard in 1763 portrayed New England as the greated helper of Britain in the effort. However, the British saw the colonists as lazy and unhelpful. England was further outraged by the fact that some American merchants had actually sold supplies to the French West Indies during the war against France. The political and ideological lessons learned by the British, therefore, were that the colonists are too independent and must be made to act properly. The conlusion, then, was that greater imperial control was necessary. While political and ideological differences may have contributed to the change from a friendly relationship to a hostile one, economics was a major factor as well. The 1763 Treaty of Paris gave Britain all of France’s territory east of the Mississippi, except Canada (Doc. A). This doubled the size of the British Empire and augmented the necessity of stationing British troops on the border to protect against Indian raids. This was at the same time that Britain faced a staggering war debt from the seven years of fighting. Yet, the colonists largely refused to contribute to a war fought for their own defense. A 1763 British Order in Council found that the revenue from the colonies couldn’t even pay a fourth of the cost of collecting it. It also reported that â€Å"neglect, connivance, and fraud† had hampered revenue collection in a time of greatest need (Doc. F). The British, thence, saw it as justified to seek new sources of revenue from the colonies. The principle vehicle for doing so was the 1765 Stamp Act, part of Prime Minister Greenville’s program to exert greater control over the colonies. The Act required that all paper products – from wills and deeds to playing cards – have a stamp on them. This was the first direct tax (a tax paid outright, rather than an indirect one incorporated into the full price of a good) imposed by Britain. All previous taxes could be construed by the colonists as ones imposed by Britain to regulate commerce. However, this act could not be interpreted that way; it could only be seen as an unequivocal attempt by Britain to raise revenue. This provoked outrage from colonists all over. Lawyers and influential members of society were affected; newspaper publishers, one of the most influential groups on public opinion, were outraged by the tax. The Pennsylvania Journal even announced that it would â€Å"expire† because of the â€Å"dreadful† tax (Doc H). A Stamp Act Congress was formed to resist the revenue increase, while the Sons of Liberty terrorized collection agents. Such colonial protests continued as Britain further attempted to impose control, until these events eventually produced the American Revolution. The French and Indian War transformed relations between the colonies and Britain from one of friendly respect to one of hostile distrust. During the course of the war, political repression by Britain and ideological opposition to Britain’s hierarchical army produced the seed of American protest; at the same time, Britain saw the necessity of imposing greater control on its recalcitrant colonies. The economic results of the war, however, were even more disastrous. The costs of the fighting and protection of a newly enlarged territory forced Britain to impose new revenue like the 1765 Stamp Act so the colonists would pay their own share. However, the colonists bitterly resented this unequivocal British attempt to raise revenue without the consent of their colonial assemblies. In this way, the French and Indian War soured the rapport between Britain and its colonies that eventually produced the American Revolution.

Ancient China Essay

Q1. How did China’s environment help a civilization to develop there? Because of the areas with a good climate and rich soil, China’s civilization was able to flourish. Although most of china is made up of mountains and deserts, there are some places like the river valleys with good climate and soil that is perfect for farming. These river valleys are formed by the Huang, Yangtze, and Xi Rivers. When they knew they could farm there, people began to settling along the Huang about 5000bc. They learned to make dikes and irrigation systems and started jobs like herding sheep and cattle. Sometimes, the dikes created would not be enough to hold the water, and the Huang would destroy towns and crops. The trials and rewards that the Huang River brought gave it its name, The River of Sorrows. Along with civilization came invasion. China’s civilization was invaded many times by nomads from Mongolia and Manchuria. But even if some of these invaders worked their way up to government, they kept the Chinese culture because it was so strong. Q2. What do we know of China’s first historic dynasty? The Shang Dynasty was China’s first historic dynasty. It began in the Huang River Valley at about 1500bc. They started off only ruling a small portion around the city of Anyang, but even though they didn’t rule certain places, they still promised to fight against all invaders. They had bronze weapons and chariots to help in battle. They slowly gained more power as the population grew, and by 1200bc, the Shang rulers became great. Q3. How was China governed during the Zhou Dynasty? The Zhou Dynasty began at about 1027bc and because of their strong dynasty, they ruled for 800 years. They took over the Shang Dynasty with the help of a few Chinese city-states whose leaders where very powerful, so the ruled their city-states independently. The Zhou Dynasty weakened because of small wars within kingdoms. By 400s bc the Zhou Dynasty was so weak the only ruled over their own city state. These years of weakening were called the Years of the Warring States. China’s government developed the Mandate of Heaven which said that each dynasty would have their own government. A dynasty could rule only as long as it kept its mandate. When a dynasty’s mandate was taken by the gods, the new ruler would have to defeat the old to begin his own dynasty.

Job Automation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Automation - Essay Example in an article named Automation and the healthcare cost curve dated April 2012 reports how the Dallas-based Parkland Health & Hospital System adopted automation in the pharmacy. The hospital has a robotic pick-and-pull system which can locate, prepare, and package pharmaceuticals for each patient. This helps the hospital reduce the number of staff required to furnish the orders. Another important area is the evidence-based care where automation is visible. An example is the Atrius Health which has nearly 1000 physicians employed at nearly 30 locations. The group was finding it difficult to keep its al physicians well-informed of the new developments in evidence-based medicine treatment protocols. For that purpose, the physicians had to rely on an online service from a clinical decision-support system named UpToDate. However, as it required the use of web browsers, the physicians had to leave the electronic medical record to conduct any search. However, presently, this service is installed as an additional button with the Epic EMR system. That means it is easier and more convenient for the physicians, thus saving a lot of time. At this juncture, it becomes necessary to go back to Parkland Hospital to see how it reduced its financial counselors by 35% through the adoption of automated eligibility rechecks. Earlier, people used to come back again to see a counselor to requalify to receive public assistance for medical care. However, presently, the system has introduced automation in this area, which allows 100% automation in eligibility rechecking. Another area is the labs of hospitals. Admittedly, present day labs are capable of receiving specimens, and centrifuging and loading the specimens onto an analyzer. The automation continues till the result is released. It is accepted by most healthcare experts that such labs are free from issues associated with human errors like mixing up specimens, interchanging results, and misplacing specimens. One cannot ignore the