Analysis of diane arbus Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967 Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Analysis of Diane Arbus’ â€Å"Identical Twins† The identical twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967, was taken and organized bythe United States’ photographer Diane Arbus. Arbus is recognized after her photographs including â€Å"the people on the finger of the society† and â€Å"the outsiders†. In most occasions, Diane Arbus shot her photographs primarily using the Rolleiflex medium format that contained twin lens reflex. These features of the lens provided her photographs with features that were distinct. For instance, most of her photographs, including the â€Å"identical twin, † have waist level viewfinder as well as the aspect of the square ratio. The application and perfect adoption of the techniques of applying the viewfinders facilitated Arbus to connect with her subject perfectly, and beyond the stands of normal eye level viewfinders were able to synchronize the intended photograph. The photograph, identical twins portray the images of t wo young girls namely Colleen and Cathleen Wade. These two girls are equally portrayed standing side by side juxtaposed to each other with the aim of reviling their underlying identity. Moreover, the girls are addressed in similar attires of matching corduroy dresses with white lase around their necks and about their wrists. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of diane arbus Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967 or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Additionally, the photograph clearly indicates that both girls have white headbands about their heads trapping their dark hair. Notably, they are coherently staring at the camera with one of them posing with a slight slime about her face while the other showing a slight indication of sadness. The indicated nature of state of each girl’s face depicts a state of parallelism among these twins. Furthermore, the parallelism may be as well been defined, or portrayed by the haunting nature of the portrait. In summary, it may be certain to say or note that the photograph reveals the photographer’s vision. Some of the photograph scholars had once noted that Arbus was suffering from identity issues. According to Patricia Bosworth, a biographer, Arbus in her career had ever been involved with the question of identifying her identity by comparing herself with other. She once had wanted to determine who she was and who others were. Therefore, the photograph of the twin image is a clear expression that cruxes the vision Arbus ever had. Alternatively, one may argue that Arbus was representing the content of the photograph in the form of normality being freakishness, and freakishness being normality (Krauss 12). According to Arbus, this photograph, of identical twins, was photographed at their tender age of seven years old each.

Condoms Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies And Sexually...

Condoms: Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections Two women: each with two very different stories. One woman is single and enjoys her independence. She is not promiscuous but she enjoys the company of men from time to time. She doesn’t want to risk her own health, and she doesn’t want to risk the chance of becoming pregnant. She knows that many options exist but isn’t sure which is right for her. Another young woman enjoys her life as a mother of two. She is married and loves her husband but neither of them are ready for a third child. She too is looking for an effective option to keep her and her family protected. For both of these women condoms can help them in their life. Condoms are effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and the stop the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Condoms are not only easy to obtain but they are easy, quick, and effective to use. While, condoms are not 100% effective in preventing unwanted howe ver, they are a viable option for anyone who is sexually active in protecting themselves. Condoms are typically made out of latex and are comparable to a glove for the male penis. After being taken out of its foil wrapper the condom is rolled down the male’s erect genitalia. Planned Parenthood’s website (Planned Patenthood Federation of America Inc., 20015) offers a how to video and step by step instructions of proper use: †¢ Put the condom on before the penis touches the vulva. Men leak fluids from their penisesShow MoreRelatedThe Spread Of A Sexually Transmitted Infections942 Words   |  4 Pages In the world today almost everyone knows what a sexually transmitted infection is. People know that these are infections caused by risky behavior and can stay with someone for the rest of their life. Although people know what a sexually transmitted infection is they may not know the proper way to prevent such infections or they may be unware of what their community offers to help prevent unwanted pregnancy and infections. I ventured to my local grocery store, Standale Meijer, to see what varietyRead MoreAbstinence-Only vs. Comprehensive-Based Sex Education1301 Words   |  5 Pagescontroversial topic and many people have pushed for abstinence-only programs. The United States has alarmingly high rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence when compared to other advanced countries. Even though there may be minimal differences in the amount of sexual activity in other countries, the U.S. still prevails in high rates of teenage pregnancy, births and abortions (Kohler, Manhart Lafferty, 2008). Providing education about both abstinence and birth control canRead MoreSexually Active Teens1161 Words   |  5 PagesThere are many factors that may influence a teens decision to become sexually active or to remain sexually abstinent. These factors can include gender age, physical and mental maturity, religion, parental and personal values, peer pressure, social interactions, a nd education. The best way to promote abstinence is through knowledge and educating teens on the risks associated with sexual activity. Teens need to understand the risks and know that there are other ways to express their emotions, as wellRead MoreUnsafe Sex Practice3833 Words   |  16 Pagesthat takes place in the absence of a condom normally used in preventing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV (Chambers, 2010). The World Health Organisation (2004) considers all the consequences that can arise from unsafe sex practice and came up with a broader definition stating that any sexual contact that can lead to unwanted pregnancy, abortion, infertility, unstable mental conditions and cancer arising from certain sexually transmitted infections is also termed unsafe sex. MembersRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy Essay1133 Words   |  5 PagesTeenagers insist on having sex at a very tender age resulting to an increase in pregnancies in some countries, especially in developing c ountries. However, in the developed countries such as the United States of America, there is a decrease in teenage pregnancies in accordance to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. However, parents are leaving in denial that the teenagers are not having sex (Guilamo-Ramos et al, 15). The parents, as well as teachers, are trying very hard to raise the childrenRead MoreSex Education, Why Should We Care?1310 Words   |  6 Pagesbut also about a safer sex practice. Indeed, these types of programs have been included because of the increasing number of sexually-active teenagers, which are a matter of serious concern. Sex education helps teenagers to make better decisions – to either be abstinent or to practice a safer sex – allowing the prevention of unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections and having a great impact on the health of society. Debates about including sexual health education have taken place amongRead MoreHIV and AIDS: The Epidemic Essay example1640 Words   |  7 Pagesthe spread of it, and knowing what treatments are available. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a progressive disease that attacks and weakens the immune system causing the HIV-positive person to become more susceptible to any ailments and infections. Human Immunodeficiency Virus is caused by the transfer of bodily functions including blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions. Sex, including oral, vaginal, and anal, is the most common way of obtaining HIV. It can also be acquired byRead MoreSafe Sex Courses Should Be Taught2334 Words   |  10 Pages(Steinmetz) Not only can it cause an unwanted pregnancy but it can also cause sexually transmitted diseases. Americans ages fifteen to the age of twenty four contract chlamydia or gonorrhea at four times the rate of general population, and those in their early twenties and older are more likely to contract syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Those who are having sex are more likely to have multiple partners, which increases the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease. (Steinmetz) . Read MoreHiv And Its Effects On The United States1440 Words   |  6 PagesHalf of all new human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV infections in the United States and two thirds of all sexually transmitted diseases (STD) occur among young people under the age of 25 (Starkman, Rajani). It’s estimated that by the end of high school, nearly two thirds of American’s youth are sexually active, and one in five has had four or more sexual partners (Starkman, Rajani). Despite these alarming statistics, less than half of all public schools in the United States offer informationRead MoreAbstinence Only Programs For Public Schools1383 Words   |  6 Pagesadvocatesforyouth.org, â€Å"abstinence only education teaches students to abstain from sex prior to marriage.† These program has been proven to be ineffective. Abstinence only education is ineffective because it is not conducive in reducing teen pregnancy rates and sexually transmitted diseases rates. Abst inence only programs are less likely to teach students about birth control and contraception and how to access it. These programs has not been shown to reduce teen sexual activity. Abstinence only programs became

Beane Curriculum Review Free Essays

The editor of this text presents a range of authors concern about the state of curriculum in K-12 schools of North America in the 21st century. Beane describes the collection of reviews as critiquing curriculum as â€Å"disconnected, fragmented, and incoherent†. Eighteen professional writers contributed their perspectives of working with current curriculum that seeks to â€Å"Leave no child behind†. We will write a custom essay sample on Beane Curriculum Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now Authors work in a range of education areas; professors, teachers, lecturers and administration staff. Each author shares their way of engaging with curriculum in a meaningful way so as to relate to the day to day existence of students. The book was written to fill the gap observed by the authors, which is that there is a lack of curriculum that truly prepares students for lifestyles, careers and personal development suited to live in this the globalized millennium. Throughout the ideal â€Å"educated† person is explored, incorporating a diversity of themes that highlight the integration of curriculum, within and between subjects and across cultures. Importantly, it comes across, is the critical need to research more authentic assessment forms, to establish broader goals and standards and to be more fully inclusive of students. 2. Write down striking words, images, phrases or details. The Search for Coherence is the title of Chapter One is a striking phrase in that it implies that the concept of coherence, as it applies to curriculum, is dearth. This is surprising given the governments push for a â€Å"No Child Left Behind Policy† which has seen a radical shake-up of curriculum. The image this casts for me are teachers and lecturers using a torch to look high and low for an elusive â€Å"something†; all the while becoming more and more frustrated. Coherence for me describes a state of understanding that allows practical application of knowledge and comprehension. I love the term â€Å"inclusiveness† because it reflects basic human rights to freedom of thought, values and speech. It facilitates the cultivation of discussion to find answers and to listen to each party who is involved. A multi-perspective can only enrich decision-making processes, and better enable critical analysis and monitoring of existing processes and protocols in the delivery of education services to ensure best practices. Critical Analysis 1. Ask yourself questions about the text: What perplexes you about a particular passage? I am having trouble understanding how a coherent curriculum will ensure a general standard of delivery while tailoring itself to the ever changing individual needs of students, teachers, education institutions and the workforce. The relevance or usefulness of a curriculum must be dynamic in order to provide what is needed as defined by all stakeholders. However, how to be confident that there is an equal access to opportunities and resources that comprise a basic education that will allow students to become functional community members, that contribute as well as take care of their personal well being. Also, the phrase â€Å"repositioning [of] learning experiences into meaningful contexts† (p. 8) comes across as vague and not really saying anything. How the context that is being suggested is quantitatively or qualitatively different form what currently exists is left unclear. 2. Try agreeing with the writer. I agree with the need to develop a more meaningful and purposeful curriculum for our children, young people, and professionals-in-training. A multidisciplinary approach to discussing and problem-solving the issue is a clear approach to aid in the differentiation of concepts and actual facts with regard to current curriculum practices. I concede as well that education needs to go beyond â€Å"mug and jug† and contribute to the motivation, engagement and facilitation of continuous learning and self-discovery of both the student and teacher. The weaving of theory and tried education delivery practices are the best way to provision students and teachers with unambiguous explanations that cultivates applied knowledge. The collection of articles encourages the reader to reflect on their own practices and to determine where flexibility, creativity and change could be of benefit. However, the authors leave out one set of very important stakeholders – the caregivers of the students. More and more literature is encouraging the inclusiveness of caregivers in the education of their child. The authors tended to ignore directly engaging caregivers in the determination of what is missing in curriculum and most importantly, how to best develop a more coherent form. This is contended to be a loss for any curriculum development as caregivers have intimate knowledge of the needs, desires, fears and capabilities of their children. Also, many parents are in the workforce or contribute to the community in some other capacity and so also have first hand knowledge of the skills and attitude that is needed for citizens of the future. I anticipate that I will seek continuous development in policy analysis and research work, to be able to monitor and evaluate my practices and the organizational culture and values I am working with. As well I will start a reflective journal to record my own practices and views toward student responses, and my satisfaction with meeting the goals to aid in â€Å"educated person How to cite Beane Curriculum Review, Papers

Martin Luther King Jr Vs Malcolm x Essay Example For Students

Martin Luther King Jr Vs Malcolm x Essay Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X grew up in different environments. King was raised in a comfortable middle-class family where education was stressed. On the other hand, Malcolm X came from and underprivileged home. He was a self-taught man who received little schooling and rose to greatness on his own intelligence and determination. Martin Luther King was born into a family whose name in Atlanta was well established. Despite segregation, Martin Luther Kings parents ensured that their child was secure and happy. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 and was raised in a completely different atmosphere than King, an atmosphere of fear and anger where the seeds of bitterness were planted. The burning of his house by the Klu Klux Klan resulted in the murder of his father. His mother later suffered a nervous breakdown and his family was split up. Joining the Nation of Islam, he started a career as a Muslim minister in 1952. He felt that blacks should abandon all hopes for integration and instead should separate themselves from the white Americans as much as possible. Malcolm X believed this should be achieved by any means necessary, even actions resorting in violence. Obviously these men had very different viewpoints on how the issue of integration should have been handled. I believe Dr. King had the right idea, even though he was pushed around a lot and thrown in jail. Malcolm X and his idea that violence can lead to happiness in the black American community I feel was the wrong way to go because, as history can show, violence never leads to anything ultimately good. Bibliography: .

Comparative Analysis of Hilton Hotel and Marriot International Hotels

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth analysis of two leading companies in the hospitality industry- Hilton Hotels and Marriot international. The aim of this analysis is to identify the major factors affecting their strategic direction and predict their future performances and possibility of existence in a rapidly developing and highly dynamic industry.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Comparative Analysis of Hilton Hotel and Marriot International Hotels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Comparative SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis of Hilton Hotel International Strengths Hilton Hotel international is a global leader in the industry, being the world’s second largest group of hotels after Marriot International1. This means that the company has an advantage of size and global presence, which allows it to maximize its profitability2. The company has a diversified corporate portfolio, with a wide range of products based on both price and service3. In fact, the company has about nine different brands- the Hilton, Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Conrad Hotels and Resorts, Embassy Suites, Hilton Grand Vacations, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Suites, the Doubletree and Homewood Suites by Hilton4. Thirdly, the company ha a focused development that allows it enter into and consolidate new markets. The company has been pursuing its growth strategy with aggressiveness with an aim of consolidating its presence throughout the world. In addition, it aims at capitalizing on the dynamic and booming hotel, travel and tourism industry as well as the emergent world markets such as India, Brazil and China. For instance, the company announced a major plan of building more then 300 outlets in the Asian Pacific region alone beginning 2008.5 A loyalty program, the â€Å"Hilton HHonours† established at the company is one of its major advantages and strengths6. With this program, th e company has become a well-recognized partner in the travel and tourism industry. In 2007, the company announced its plans to extend this loyalty program to include Experience Rewards, which aims at offering its more then 17 million customers with personalized and experience-oriented options as a reward and appreciation7. In addition, the company extended its blackout dates in 2008, which made it more valuable in the eyes of its customers throughout the world. From an analysis of the company, it is worth noting that a strong loyalty program is important in retaining its customer and crating brand loyalty among the new customers in order to boost its revenues in the future. Weakness A focus on domestic market is actually a problem at the company. For instance, the company’s presence in the United States accounts for more than 80% of the company’s entire hotels8. In fact, poor diversification of presence seems to be a problem because it makes it vulnerable to any econom ic crisis that may hit the American market. Secondly, the company has been quite late and slow in its international expansion. In fact, the company started late in expanding into other markets, first concentrating on its American presence and giving its rivals a smooth time for operating and investing in foreign markets9. Due to its lateness, the company is finding its difficult to penetrate foreign markets, especially where its rivals have consolidated and invested widely prior to its entry.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is also worth noting that the cost of real estate investment is hurting the presence of Hilton Hotels in various parts of the world such as China, India and Russia. Due to its lateness in entering these new markets, the company is finding it hard to establish itself due to increasing cost of real estates, especially because these areas are hot spots f or investment due to the good economic progress demonstrated by these countries. Single ownership is another weakness affecting Hilton Hotels. As a privately owned corporation, the company is susceptible to any problem associated with poor decision-making and corporate handling. Opportunities The dynamism of market growth in emerging economies such as India, China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa provides the company with an opportunity to expand its foreign presence and take the advantage of low presence of foreign companies in these areas. Secondly, the presence of Luxury brands provides Hilton Hotels with an opportunity of redefining its brand and expanding its portfolio. Technological dynamism and revolution provides Hilton Hotel with an opportunity to take the advantage by developing unique global brands to compete with its rivals in the industry. Threats The presence of individual consumer price has increased the demand for unique lodging experience, which is in turn driving t owards the establishment of independent hotels. This is common in the United States, which presents a major threat to Hilton that operates as a chain of hotels. Secondly, the company is threatened by a major downturn in business travel, especially after the world economic crisis of 2007-2010 and its aftermath. Moreover, the invention of e-commerce and internet technology has greatly reduced the need for business travelling, which in turn affects hotel companies. SWOT analysis of Marriot International Strengths Marriot International Inc is a global leader in hotel and travel industry, taking more than 5% value share as at 2010. It is the largest company with a wide geographical presence in the world. Unlike Hilton Hotels, Marriot has an unhampered hotel ownership, owning less then 1% of its portfolio. This means that it has the capacity to avoid price and market fluctuations as well as major and minor economic crisis in a given region.Advertising We will write a custom report sa mple on Comparative Analysis of Hilton Hotel and Marriot International Hotels specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Like Hilton, the company has a focused pipeline development, where it is pursuing a growth strategy to consolidate its presence in the emerging world markets and to capitalize on the dynamically booming hotel, travel and tourism industries. It is also worth noting that the company has taken the advantage of the internet technology, with a strong and effective website that guarantees a good online trading, advertisement and communication with its customers. Weaknesses Like Hilton Hotels, Marriot International Inc is likely to suffer an economic blow due to its heavy presence on the American market. In fact, it has a strong focus on domestic market. Secondly, the company’s focus on luxury brands leaves it vulnerable to any potential global economic crisis. In addition, it is evident that the company’s focus on Cou rtyard Brand is a major weakness because the brand is losing its core customers, with experts arguing that business revitalization is not enough to lure the company’s customers back because there is already a fierce competition in the industry. it is also worth noting that the company lacks a low-cost lifestyle brand, instead, it focuses on luxury brands. This leaves the company les popular among the low and middle-income earners and the most common and largest group of customers. Opportunities The presence of emerging markets in Asia, South America and Africa means that companies like Marriot are set to use their massive resources to enter these markets and lock out smaller companies. Secondly, technological advancement places companies with massive resources at a better position to use new technologies as a competitive advantage over upcoming corporations with less resources. Threats Consumer confidence is a general threat to companies like Marriott due to its impact on the income levels of the potential customers. In addition, credit crunch remains a threat to multinational companies like Marriot. Comparative PEST analysis Political: The two companies share a common political environment, especially because they are located in the United States. However, the wider geographical presence of Marriot over Hilton means that it has diversified its risks associated with localized political threats. Economic: The two companies have invested heavily in their international presence, thus diversifying their ability to cope with economic hurdles in various nations10. However, Marriot’s wider presence means that it beats Hilton on this ground.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Social factors: social aspects of world population are likely to affect the companies both positively and negatively11. Population growth in foreign markets is likely to favor Marriot due to its heavy presence in foreign markets. Technological: Internet technology seems to favor Marriot because of its heavy presence on the internet and a focus on e-commerce. Environmental: Both companies experience similar economic effects in their business due to similarity in location and operation. Legal factors: in the United States and Europe, the two companies share a common legal environment. However, in some foreign markets, they differ sue to their differences in locations. Conclusion From the comparative analysis, it is evident that the two companies have a better future in terms of their performance. However, Marriot seems to have a number of advantages over Hilton, which means its future is much better then than of Hilton. Bibliography Abraham, P, International Encyclopedia of Hospitalit y Management, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 2011. Armstrong, M, A, Handbook of Personnel Management Practice, 8th edn, Kogan Page, Milford, 2010. Barrows, C T Powers, Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2008. Belch, G, Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective, Publisher McGraw-Hill, London, 2008. Bowie, D B Francis, Hospitality Marketing, CRC Press, New York, 2011. Brotherton, B, An introduction to the UK hospitality industry: a comparative approach, Butterworth-Heinemann, New York, 2010. Cathy, A, The Cornell School of Hotel Administration Handbook of Applied Hospitality Strategy, SAGE, New York, 2010. Cho, E, Greening hospitality: A comparative analysis design of furniture, fixtures and equipment in a hotel guestroom, Cornell University Press, Cornell, 2009. Nick, D, Frommer’s England and the Best of Wales 2012, John Wiley Sons, New York, 2011. O’Fallon, M, D Rutherford, Denney, Hotel Mana gement and Operations, John Wiley and Sons, London, 2011. Pizam, A, International encyclopedia of hospitality management, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 2011. Footnotes 1 Barrows, C T Powers, Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2008, p. 19 2 Cho, E, Greening hospitality: A comparative analysis design of furniture, fixtures and equipment in a hotel guestroom, Cornell University Press, Cornell, 2009, p. 98 3 Belch, G, Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communication Perspective, Publisher McGraw-Hill, London, 2008, p. 59 4 O’Fallon, M, D Rutherford, Denney, Hotel Management and Operations, John Wiley and Sons, London, 2011, p. 21 5 Bowie, D B Francis, Hospitality Marketing, CRC Press, New York, 2011, p. 52 6 Cathy, A, The Cornell School of Hotel Administration Handbook of Applied Hospitality Strategy, SAGE, New York, 2010, p. 43 7 Armstrong, M, A, Handbook of Personnel Management Practice, 8th edn, Kogan Page, Milford, 20 10, p. 57 8 Abraham, P, International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 2011, p. 87 9 Nick, D, Frommer’s England and the Best of Wales 2012, John Wiley Sons, New York, 2011, p. 38 10 Pizam, A, International encyclopedia of hospitality management, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 2011, p. 129 11 Brotherton, B, An introduction to the UK hospitality industry: a comparative approach, Butterworth-Heinemann, New York, 2010, p. 134 This report on Comparative Analysis of Hilton Hotel and Marriot International Hotels was written and submitted by user Renee Becker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group

Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group The left-wing terrorist group Red Army Factions main objective was to protest what they perceived as fascist-leaning and otherwise oppressive, middle class, bourgeois values of West Germany. This general orientation was coupled with specific protests of the Vietnam War. The group pledged allegiance to communist ideals and opposed the capitalist status quo. The group explained its intentions in the RAFs first communique on June 5, 1970, and in subsequent communiques in the early 1970s. The group was founded in 1970 and disbanded in 1998. According to scholar Karen Bauer: The group declared that ... its aim was to escalate the conflict between the state and its opposition, between those who exploited the Third World and those who did not profit from Persian oil, Bolivian bananas and South African gold. ... Let the class struggle unfold! Let the proletariat organize! Let the armed resistance begin!(Introduction, Everybody Talks about the Weather...We Dont, 2008.) Notable Attacks April 2, 1968: Bombs set off by Baader and three others in two Frankfurt department stores cause significant property destruction. At trial, Gudrun Ensslin, Baaders girlfriend and a committed activist, claimed the bombs were intended to protest the Vietnam WarMay 11, 1971: A bombing of US barracks killed one US officer and wounded 13 others.May 1972: Bombing of police headquarters in Augsburg and Munich1977: A series of killings designed to pressure the German government to release detained members of the Group take place, including the assassination of chief public prosecutor Siegfried Buback; the assassination of Dresdner bank; Hans Martin Schleyer, abduction of the head of the Germany Association of Employers and former Nazi party member.1986: Siemens executive Karl-Heinz Beckurts is killed. Leadership and Organization The Red Army Faction is often referred to by the names of two of its primary activists, Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. Baader, born in 1943, spent his late teens and early twenties as a combination of a juvenile delinquent and stylish bad boy. His first serious girlfriend gave him lessons in Marxist theory and later provided the RAF its theoretical underpinnings. Baader was incarcerated for his role in setting fire to two department stores in 1968, briefly released in 1969 and re-imprisoned in 1970. He met Ulrike Meinhof, a journalist, while in prison. She was to help him collaborate on a book, but went further and helped him escape in 1970. Baader and other founding members of the group were re-imprisoned in 1972, and activities were assumed by sympathizers with the groups imprisoned founders. The group was never larger than 60 people. The RAF After 1972 In 1972, the groups leaders were all arrested and sentenced to life in prison. From this point on until 1978, the actions that the group took were all aimed at gaining leverage to have the leadership released, or protesting their imprisonment. In 1976, Meinhof hung herself in prison. In 1977, three of the original founders of the group, Baader, Ensslin, and Raspe, were all found dead in prison, apparently by suicide. In 1982, the group was reorganized on the basis of a strategy paper called, Guerrilla, Resistance, and anti-Imperialist Front. According to Hans Josef Horchem, a former West German intelligence official, this paper †¦clearly showed the RAFs new organization. Its centre appeared at first still to be, as hitherto, the circle of RAF prisoners. Operations were to be carried out by the commandos, command level units. Backing Affiliation The Baader Meinhof Group maintained links with a number of organizations with similar goals in the late 1970s. These included the Palestine Liberation Organization, which trained group members to use Kalashnikov rifles, at a training camp in Germany. The RAF also had a relationship with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was housed in Lebanon. The group had no affiliation with the American black panthers but announced their allegiance to the group. Origins The groups founding moment was in a demonstration in 1967 to protest the elitism of the Iranian Shah (king), who was visiting. The diplomatic visit drew large grounds of Iranian supporters, who were living in Germany, as well as opposition. The killing by German police of a young man at the demonstration spawned the June 2 movement, a leftist organization that pledged to respond to what it perceived as the actions of a fascist state. More generally, the Red Army Faction grew out of specific German political circumstances and out of broad leftist tendencies in and beyond Europe in the late 1960s and 1970s. In the early 1960s, the legacy of the Third Reich, and Nazi totalitarianism was still fresh in Germany. This legacy helped shape the revolutionary tendencies of the next generation. According to the BBC, at the height of its popularity, around a quarter of young West Germans expressed some sympathy for the group. Many condemned their tactics, but understood their disgust with the new order, particularly one where former Nazis enjoyed prominent roles.

Time-Travel Made Easy--An Entrepreneur from a past era arriving in Essay

Time-Travel Made Easy--An Entrepreneur from a past era arriving in mordern time - Essay Example Let us discuss three things a time-traveling manager should consider when managing today’s business workforce. Workforce diversity is one of the most important things that a time-traveling manager should consider today. The manager who has come into mind belongs to 18th century when there was no concept of workforce diversity and the managers did not have to face any sort of problem related to diverse workforce management. However, due to globalization, today almost every company has diverse workforce, which needs to be managed effectively by the managers. In the 18th century, the companies did not have advanced technology that they could use for production purposes. Therefore, managers of that time did not need to provide technology-based training to the employees. However, today technology is advancing rapidly and managers need to be able to provide proper training to the employees to make them proficient in the use of latest technology. In the 18th century, employees used to be more committed to their jobs as compared to today. Today, people have become more status-conscious. They keep on looking for new jobs, which can provide more benefits to them. Therefore, a time-traveling manager must be able to develop effective incentives policy in the company to retain key employees. McCrimmon, M. (2010). A New Role for Management in Today’s Post-Industrial Organization. Retrieved from

Case write-up Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Write-up - Case Study Example In this case, what the music industry needed to do was to look for ways to monetize the mass market for the music, especially the younger generation that tended to think that music should be free. One of the issues that were present in the music industry in 2006 was the fact that there was no concerted effort to deal with the issues. Instead of the major players coming together to develop a solution, they were busy fighting each other. In cases where the players attempted to come together, this was only done in the form of mergers and this did not help in solving the problems. The biggest weakness that the music industry had in 2006, and still remains a problem, was the inability for the industry to realize that internet technology was to stay and that it would shift the way things were done in the this industry forever. Instead of adopting the new ways, the players in the industry were too busy trying to fight off the use of technology. This did not work very well for the industry. Wells and Raabe (1) indicate that the industry lacked foresight in this area and therefore faced a difficulty in making the new technology (internet) an opportunity instead of a threat. Ironically, the very source of weaknesses was also the very source of advantage. The same internet technology that was threatening to decline the CD sales was the same technology that was increasing digital sales (Wells and Raabe 6). The internet provided the music industry with a new way to deliver the music to the consumers. The internet could be used in so many ways, including promoting the sale of single songs instead of depending on selling whole albums like it was done in the traditional CD sales. The use of internet would also minimize cost by cutting so many costs such as the cost of producing the CDs and DVDs. It also eliminated that need for third party sellers, meaning that the users could get the music at a cheaper price. The new trends for such music products

Job Description and Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Description and Appraisal - Essay Example My Job Description I have my job in Pediatric Emergency Department. I received a job description when I joined the department. According to the job description, the important duties involved performing physical examinations and giving medicines prescribed by the doctor, encouraging and comforting the little children to conduct necessary tests and treatments procedures smoothly, starting intravenous medications, collecting samples for laboratory tests, and educating the parents about how to take care of their children. Most of the tasks I do in my department are included in the job description in receiving on joining. However, there are certain other tasks which we undertake when necessary. For example, when there is no unit clerk or secretary, it becomes necessary for me to do secretarial and clerical tasks like entering orders in the computer, faxing, and paging. Another important task is the cleaning of the room. There are times when the cleaning service becomes unavailable for imm ediate cleaning of the room. In such emergencies, it becomes necessary to clean the room for immediate use. Yet another task that deserves to be mentioned is the stocking of supplies. In fact, stocking of essential supplies is very vital in an emergency department. Proper stocking helps nurses save a considerable amount of time. When equipment and supplies are not easily available, there will be an imbalance in the delivery of care. Though it is the duty of stocking technician to take care of stock levels, there are times when the nurses are made to go directly and get the supplies. This results in considerable loss of time. Employment Promotion In fact, the promotion process is rather complicated in my department. Selecting employees for promotion involves a lot of factors ranging from performance, politics, and interest. When there is a vacancy, some employees refuse to apply for the same despite their qualification because they hate to take up management positions which involve r esponsibility. On the other hand, some less qualified employees manage to get a promotion through influence. Admittedly, the first reason why the employees are not seriously concerned about promotion is that there is a nurses’ union which ensures that the nurses are protected from unreasonable termination. One can see that these things go against the ‘best practice guidelines’. It is pointed out in the Nursing Best Practice Guidelines (n. d.) that organizations/nursing employers should establish such organizational practices that foster mutual responsibility and accountability by individual nurses and organizational leaders to ensure a safe work environment. First of all, one can see that the organization has failed to make a close and cohesive relationship with the employees. As a result, the qualified do not feel the responsibility or accountability to take up management positions. Moreover, through politics, the management often gives promotion to less qualifi ed ones. This seriously affects the quality of the care offered. It is clearly mentioned in Best Practice Guidelines 3.2 that it is the responsibility of organizations/nursing employers to employ qualified individuals with knowledge and expertise in leading roles and for training and education programs. Pay for Performance Compensation Program In fact, there is no pay for performance program. Instead, the hospital has a standardized salary

The Benefits Of Marijuana Legalization

The Benefits Of Marijuana Legalization The economic recession that began around January 2008 has taking its toll on several fronts. The recession has affected the U.S. labor markets as seen in the rapidly rising unemployment and underemployment issues. U.S. jobs have declined by over 5 million over the past 12 months and the unemployment rate has risen to over 9%. The recession has also caused a steep decline in state tax revenues. As a result states are beginning to see very large budgets deficits. States are struggling to find other ways to shore up the loss in revenue that is needed to support public services. California, the Golden State has reported a $20 billion budget deficit. The state is currently spending $400 to $ 600 million more a month that they are collecting in revenues. As the reality of the deficit becomes apparent to the leaders of California, the governor has asked for solutions to their problems. What you can expect generally is no taxes and terrible cuts, absolutely terrible cuts, said Governor Schwarzenegger to press secretary Aaron McLear. Were not going to get through the deficit we have without making some really tough decisions. (www.sacbee.com) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, and the states two Democratic U.S. senators have said new federal aid was unlikely, given that California has already received billions of dollars from the stimulus package.The federal government is not responsible for the state of Californias budget, and we look forward to hearing a sustainable plan for the state to get its house in order, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi said after the budget was released Friday May 14, 2010. (www.wstj.com) While the state administration debates ways to reduce the large deficit one solution has been mentioned, the legalization of marijuana. It has been estimated that a legal market for marijuana could yield revenue of $1.5 to $2.5 billion a year. Total retail sales would result in a total economic impact of $8 to $13 billion a year. The state would also save over $160 million a year in law enforcement cost for arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment. Additional benefits would arise from more sales taxes from spinoff markets such as smokehouses, industrial hemp facilities and larger amounts of tourism. (www.canorml.org) Over 1.6 million Californians have smoked marijuana within the past 30 days, according to the most recent National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, which found 5.6% of all Americans over the age of 12 are current marijuana users. According to the survey, one-third of this population, or 530,000 Californians are daily users. Taking this survey into consideration, the California administration believes there will be sufficient demand for this product. (www.canorml.org) California has now added the Tax Cannabis Act to its November ballot which will be to legalize the cultivation, possession, and recreational use of marijuana. So why not legalize marijuana? There are several moral arguments that need to be considered: rights, justice, utilitarianism, caring, virtue and Christianity before any decisions can be made. Rights Marijuana was banned by The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 in the U.S. in 1937after 162 years of use. In 1937 Anslinger testified before Congress in favor of Marijuana Prohibition by saying: Marijuana is the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind. Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. Marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes. (www.hempcar.org) Many supporters of legalization of marijuana believe that the prohibition laws were passed based on discrimination and lies therefore violating human rights. In general, a right is an individual entitlement to something. (pg 73, Velasquez) Rights are a powerful device according to Velasquez, when they are used to enable the individual to choose freely whether to pursue certain activities and to protect those choices. (pg 74) Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a mans appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded. Abraham Lincoln (1809-65), U.S. President stated during a speech on the 18th of December 1840, to Illinois House of Representatives. Allowing the government to control what individuals freely choose to do when they pose no threat to their community than they are letting the government violate their basic constitutional rights. Justice The production, distribution, and use of marijuana is a criminal offense under the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act. Retributive justice refers to the just imposition of punishment and penalties on those who do wrong. (pg88, Velasquez) In 2007, police in Californian made over 60,000 felony and misdemeanor arrests of individuals possessing marijuana. If charged with possession of marijuana it will carry large penalties for offenders in the United States. The first offence could be a fine of $500 or up to 20 years imprisonment for third or more offences. These arrests create permanent criminal records that could disqualify individuals for schooling, student loans, housing and most importantly jobs. The cost of law enforcement of the marijuana laws in California contribute to the economic problem by over $150 million per year. (pg 97) So the moral question is: Does the crime fit the punishment? How fair is this action? These questions of distributive justice arise when different people put forth conflicting claims on societys benefits and burdens. (pg 88) Utilitarianism There are no arguments that there are a several side effects that come from smoking marijuana. The advocates for marijuana use believe the only side effect is it elevates the feeling of happiness. Jeremy Bentham states that, the theory which accepts as the fundamentals of morals, utility or the greatest happiness principle, holds that ones actions are right if those actions promote happiness and wrong if they produce negative effects. The happiness is intended to produce pleasure and not pain. (pg 62) This ethical theory insists that the desire for happiness motivates human conduct. Taking into consideration the utilitarian calculations, by using marijuana in the privacy of the individuals home serves to increase their pleasure or greatest happiness principle. The government, therefore, has no right to prohibit what is ethically justifiable conduct. On the other hand for those individuals who argue against legalizing of marijuana believe that the use is wrong because marijuana destroys brain cells and could also be a gateway drug to more lethal drugs and narcotics. These advocates have successfully enacted prohibition laws banning the use of marijuana. Utilitarians stress, however, these advocates are acting unethically because they are decreasing the greatest happiness principle covered in the shield of upholding what is an essentially contested concept (pg 60), namely, the common good. Utilitarianism is also the basis of the techniques of economic cost-benefits analysis. This type of analysis is used to determine whether its present and future economic benefits outweigh its present and future costs. (pg 63) The California administration believes that by legalizing marijuana they can tax it which will help eliminates the states budget deficit problems. This will also eliminate the $150 million dollars that are spent each year by enforcing the ban on marijuana. Caring Drugs that are deemed politically, socially, medically, or religiously unfit for recreational use are often banned. Ethic reasoning based on caring sees our communities and communal relationships as a fundamental value that should be preserved and maintained. (pg 103) The position on the legalization of marijuana is different for each individual. Those positions range from blanket prohibition to permitting use in small doses. Advocates believe that legalizing the drug would be a good thing because it forces manufactures to meet regulation guidelines just like the manufactures of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Currently legal drugs must have ingredients lists, warning labels and purity levels clearly stated on the containers. By providing a legal supply chain of the currently illegal drug the prices will fall which would theoretically lead to the collapse of the current illegal drug industry and also lead to a reduction in crimes committed by those illegal organizations. They also argue that there will be no change in the amount of demand for marijuana due to the inelasticity of the demand. On the other side of the argument, advocates believe the state should not be involved in the distribution of substances that are considered unhealthy. They believe it is the states job to protect each citizens health and not contribute to exposing them to risky items. These advocates truly care for their communities by exhibiting the virtues of concern and love. (pg 103) These advocates are very concerned that the marijuana use will be dangerous to others beside the user. They are worried that it will contribute to the rise in health costs, create more violence that is always accompanied with drug use and most importantly contribute to the neglect of children that is always seen in drug-addicted parents. Virtue The debate going on in California over legalization marijuana has been a very controversial issue. It has been debated by both advocating sides of the issue. The advocates for legalizing marijuana argue from Aristotles moral virtue point of view. A person lives according to reason, Aristotle argued, when the person knows and chooses reasonable middle ground in his actions and desires: Moral virtue is a mean between two vices, one of excess and the other of deficiency and it aims a hitting the mean in desires and actions.(pg 110) With respect to consumable goods, temperance the virtue of being reasonable by indulging the desire but not in excess. Marijuana advocates reason that as long as it is used only for recreational purposes and not abused there should be no issues from Aristotle point of view for not legalizing it. The advocates against legalizing marijuana argue from another moral virtue point of view. They argue that economic institutions or governmental administration make people greedy and large bureaucrat organizations make people less responsible. These organizations are morally defective because they tend to create morally defective individuals. (pg 113) These advocates fear that the State of California only concern is to fix its budget deficit problems at the expense of its citizen well being. Christianity The advocates against legalizing marijuana argue that the use of any mind-altering drug is morally and spiritually damaging therefore should be kept out of reach. The book of Galatians 5:19-21states, The acts of sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debaucheryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Keeping this scripture in mind, by participating in these deeds of the flesh will excluded one from the kingdom of heaven. This scripture also proves that smoking marijuana would not be a good Christian activity one would want to participate in. The bible predicted that people would want to participate in bad behavior in a letter the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 which states, There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of moneyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦without love, self control, not lovers of goodà ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã‚ ¦lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. The argument is made that people will be lovers of the pleasures in life rather than lovers of God. The final argument is how can an individual focus on doing good works if their minds are clouded with marijuana smoke. On the side of the debate advocates for legalizing marijuana argue that the current laws are an invasion of individual rights to make their own moral decisions concerning what they do in their own homes. Prohibition is allowing the government to make moral decisions for individuals and not allowing ones to be morally accountable for their own actions. The scriptures do talk about keeping church and state separate in Luke 20:25 which states, He said to them, Then give to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods. Jesus also talked about this separating in John 15:19, If you belong to the world, it will love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you. It is also argued that although marijuana is not directly mentioned in the bible it does talk about how God gave humans plants and herbs to use for food. Then God said, I give you every herb bearing [seed] plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it .They wil l be yours for food. (Genesis 1:29) The legalization of marijuana appears to have a lot of support in California. Activists believe that taxing marijuana production and sales would bail out the cash-strapped state. The point has been made that prohibition law has been a big disaster because it has wasted billions of dollars in law enforcement resources and made criminals out of normally law bidding citizens. There are on the other hand still a lot of activists that oppose decrimalizing marijuana. They argue that with recreational marijuana use comes impaired driving, crashes and injuries to innocent parties. Critics also worry social costs far outweigh the revenue it will bring in to the state. There are several measures that need to be met in order to grow support. First sales should not be outright legalized but regulated. Next the state would need to create laws to manage the production, distribution, and sales of marijuana. Finally marijuana should be managed and controlled using the guidelines the alcohol and toba cco industries follow.

The Medieval Church, The Book of Margery Kempe and Everyman :: Book of Margery Kempe Essays

The Medieval Church, The Book of Margery Kempe and Everyman While the Reformation is generally regarded to have begun with Martin Luther’s famous treatise of 1517, the seeds of dissent sown in the 14th century had already taken full root in England by the middle of the 15th century. War, disease, and oppressive government led to a general anger toward the Catholic Church, believed to be â€Å"among the greatest of the oppressive landowners† (Norton 10). John Wycliffe, whose sermons preached against abuses in the church and attempted to shift the focus of religious faith away from church rituals and onto scriptural interpretation, was persecuted. Renaissance Humanism’s notion of individual agency was filtering across the Channel. The medieval texts The Book of Margery Kempe (probably written in the late 1430s) and Everyman (after 1485) are therefore products of turbulent religious times. Everyman, in that it highlights the importance of the sacraments and the clergy, can be seen as a response on the part of the Catholic Church to the challenges it faced. The Book of Margery Kempe gives hints into the nature of these challenges. Both texts reveal a medieval concern about the role of the clergy in England. The Book of Margery Kempe, while presented as spiritual autobiography, was also a story as transcribed by a priest. Although the manuscript was not â€Å"discovered† until 1934, it shows evidence of having been read and studied much before this time. Annotations by four additional hands, probably â€Å"monks associated with the important Carthusian priory of Mount Grace in Yorkshire† fill the margins of the British Library MS (Staley 2). Believed to retain â€Å"much of the characteristic form and expression of its author†, it nonetheless must be remembered that Kempe’s story was interpreted and presented through a very specific (clerical) lens (Norton 367). Lynn Staley, who studied the early annotations made to the original manuscript, notes that the marginal comments and underlining â€Å"are directed toward elucidating the â€Å"affective† emphasis of the text† (5). â€Å"The challenge to authority implicit in Margery’s experiences,† Staley continues, â€Å"is downplayed by highlighting those characteristics that link Margery to the conventions of spiritual ecstasy† (6). Staley suggests that Kempe’s narration is shaped â€Å"to guide subsequent readers towards a carefully controlled response, one that obviates the radical social gospel submerged in Kempe’s Narrative† (6). Given that this â€Å"radical social gospel† is nonetheless present in Kempe’s story and that it contains an ambiguous picture

Medal of Honor

When President Ronald Reagan presented Roy Perez Benavidez with his Medal of Honor in 1981, the President told the media that if someone had written a fictional story with a hero like Benavidez, nobody would have believed it. And, in fact, in his autobiography Medal of Honor: One Man’s Journey from Poverty and Prejudice, the story Benavidez tells is the stuff that movies are made of. Benavidez was an orphan in south Texas, a half-breed Indian and Hispanic in an era when neither was acceptable.He dropped out of school before even making it to high school, but as a staff sergeant in the Army during the conflict in Vietnam; he saved eight other men and prevented classified documents from falling into the hands of the enemy. (â€Å"Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient†) In essence, Benavidez is a true American success story. He was born to migrant farm workers and received the highest commendation that the United States offers for bravery in conflict. However, it may have b een Benavidez never say die attitude that did more to establish his positive contributions to American society than his war record.As the medevac chopper landed the wounded were examined one by one. Staff Sergeant Benavidez could only hear what was going on around him. He had over thirty seven puncture wounds. His intestines were exposed. He could not see as his eyes were caked in blood and unable to open. Neither could he speak, his jaw broken, clubbed by a North Vietnamese rifle. But he knew what was happening, and it was the scariest moment of his life, even more so than the earlier events of the day. He lay in a body bag, bathed in his own blood. Jerry Cottingham, a friend screamed â€Å"That's Benavidez. Get a doc†.When the doctor arrived he placed his hand on Roy's chest to feel for a heartbeat. He pronounced him dead. The physician shook his head. â€Å"There's nothing I can do for him. † As the doctor bent over to zip up the body bag. Benavidez did the only thi ng he could think of to let the doctor know that he was alive. He spit in the doctor's face. The surprised doctor reversed Roy's condition from dead to â€Å"He won't make it, but we'll try†. (Rouse) These were the wounds that Benavidez received the day he save eight men and won a Medal of Honor, but the reality is this was not the first time he had been gravely wounded in Vietnam.Four years earlier, in 1964, Benavidez was hit with shrapnel from a land mind and doctors said he would not recover. They said he would never walk again. They were wrong. In an exerpt from his book, Benavidez explains, Night after night, I bailed out of bed, crawled for the wall at the head of my bed and pulled myself up. I pushed the nightstands ahead with my arms, pressed my feet against the cold tile floor, and dragged my dead body along until my arms were under me again. Then I'd start all over again. Finally, I was moving about two tiles at a time. . .I had learned that if I got knocked down, I had to get up and keep fighting until I knocked my opponent down, and he didn't get up. Every night I got knocked down. Every night I got back up again. . . The pain was like nothing I could have ever dreamed about. Every night it would suck the sweat and tears from my body and my soul. Every day I would go back to that little chapel and sit alone and restore my soul. I went through all the stages of blaming God, accusing, doubting, and arguing, but he never deserted me. He'd never let me leave that chapel until I was ready to try again.After chapel, I went to physical therapy to try to restore the rest of my body for my nightly battle. In therapy I'd sit with the guys with no legs, or the true paraplegics, and learn how to live in the chair. I was not a good student. I wouldn't give in to the chair. At night I was beginning to win my battle, and I wasn't going to let the therapists convince me that it was a lost cause. (â€Å"Vietnam Medal of Honor†) That strength of spirit is perhaps the most lasting contribution Benavidez made to his country. Years later, as he lay dying, Benavidez had the same attitude.With two pieces of shrapnel still in his heart and a collapsed lung and diabetes, he reportedly said â€Å"quitters never win and winners never quit,† in his last interview, saying that he wanted to recover so he could continue working as a motivational speaker. (Mishalov) Another of Benavidez’s lasting contributions to the country came in the form of his activism after winning the Medal of Honor. During the Reagan Administration, Social Security attempted to cut his disability benefits, saying that the disabled war hero should find work.Though he regretted using his Medal for political purposes, he wore it as he testified to a Congressional committee regarding the unfairness of their Social Security budget cuts (Mishalov). Benavidez’s contribution are numerous, based mostly around his attitude of try, try again. He has an elemen tary school named for him and the U. S. Navy named a ship in his honor, a rare occurrence for the Navy to honor a member of another branch of the service. But Benavidez set all the honors and praise aside, saying that he did not consider himself a hero for his actions the day he won the Medal of Honor.The heroes, he said, were the men who lost their lives for their country. His actions were simply â€Å"his duty. † (Mishalov). Benavidez died of diabetes-related complications in November, 1998. Works Cited Mishalov, Neil. â€Å"Medal of Honor: Roy P. Benavidez† June 14, 2007. Rouse, Ed. â€Å"Roy P. Benavidez† , June 14, 2007. â€Å"Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient† http://www. medalofhonor. com/RoyBenavidez. htm>, June 14, 2007.

Free Essays on Crabbing Regulations

INTRODUCTION The water of the Chesapeake Bay is the home of one of Maryland’s most economically important animals: Callinectes sapidus. This unique creature, commonly known as the blue crab, enjoys the warm, shallow waters of the Bay which provide the perfect environment for all stages of its life (Wesche 2002). The mix of fresh and salt water is optimal for life and for submerged aquatic vegetation located in the estuary supplies a safe haven for developing crabs (Wesche 2002). The overall richness of the environment contributes in creating the idea habitat. The blue crab is a vital part of the ecosystem as well as the culture in Maryland, which is known for its crabbing industry. Chesapeake blue crabs are understood to be some of the most delicious in the world. Each year tourists come to this region just to taste the fresh meat (Greer 2002). Wesche (2002) summarizes the background of the blue crab. Early settlers documented the utilization of the blue crab by the native people of the Chesapeake Bay. The tasty meat was a staple in their diets, and the colonist soon shared the same craving. Use by individuals became the norm; however commercial marketing of this resource was sluggish due to the inability to ship the crabs to non-coastal communities without spoiling. The first big break occurred with the invention of refrigeration. As the crabbing industry began expanding, it became necessary to implement management techniques for harvesting, including regulations. For over a century these â€Å"rules of the trade† have evolved. New restrictions have been created each time the need for better management arises. Recently, a drop in the crab population and yield has led to new regulations on commercial crabbing greatly affecting the industry. This paper will focus on the controversial implementation of Maryland’s most recent crabbing regulations. This will identify the reasons for the managerial actions, as wel... Free Essays on Crabbing Regulations Free Essays on Crabbing Regulations INTRODUCTION The water of the Chesapeake Bay is the home of one of Maryland’s most economically important animals: Callinectes sapidus. This unique creature, commonly known as the blue crab, enjoys the warm, shallow waters of the Bay which provide the perfect environment for all stages of its life (Wesche 2002). The mix of fresh and salt water is optimal for life and for submerged aquatic vegetation located in the estuary supplies a safe haven for developing crabs (Wesche 2002). The overall richness of the environment contributes in creating the idea habitat. The blue crab is a vital part of the ecosystem as well as the culture in Maryland, which is known for its crabbing industry. Chesapeake blue crabs are understood to be some of the most delicious in the world. Each year tourists come to this region just to taste the fresh meat (Greer 2002). Wesche (2002) summarizes the background of the blue crab. Early settlers documented the utilization of the blue crab by the native people of the Chesapeake Bay. The tasty meat was a staple in their diets, and the colonist soon shared the same craving. Use by individuals became the norm; however commercial marketing of this resource was sluggish due to the inability to ship the crabs to non-coastal communities without spoiling. The first big break occurred with the invention of refrigeration. As the crabbing industry began expanding, it became necessary to implement management techniques for harvesting, including regulations. For over a century these â€Å"rules of the trade† have evolved. New restrictions have been created each time the need for better management arises. Recently, a drop in the crab population and yield has led to new regulations on commercial crabbing greatly affecting the industry. This paper will focus on the controversial implementation of Maryland’s most recent crabbing regulations. This will identify the reasons for the managerial actions, as wel...

Demographics, Psychographics and Personality Essay Example

Demographics, Psychographics and Personality Essay Example Demographics, Psychographics and Personality Essay Demographics, Psychographics and Personality Essay Individual Differences Important tools for segmentation They include: Demographics, psychographics and personality Consumer Motivation (Chapter 8) Consumer Knowledge (Chapter 9) Consumer Beliefs, Feelings, Attitudes and Intentions (Chapter 10) Analyzing and Predicting Consumer Behavior Demographics is the size, structure, and distribution of a population Marketers use demographic analysis as market segment descriptors and in trend analysis I- Demographics A- Structure of Markets B- Geographic Factors C- Economic Resources D- Global Markets A- Structure of Markets Market analysis requires information about People with needs Ability to buy Willingness to buy Authority to buy Affected by: Birthrate Immigration (30% of annual growth in the US) Increasing life expectancy Structure of Markets Affects demand for products and services Marketers can adapt product features, packaging, and communication strategies messages depending on changing age structure of markets Marketing to Children Children make purchases themselves Parents buy for children Marketing to Teenagers Growing in number Greater need for peer acceptance, which often guides product and brand choice More likely to switch brands quicker than other segments (Variety Seeking) Like the social aspects of shopping with friends Marketing to Young Adults 20-34 years Growing Need to buy products to set up households and for young children With many needs and greater financial constraints, they often shop at value-oriented retailers Marketing to Baby Boomers Growing in number Good market for spas, luxury travel, health clubs, cosmetics and healthy food This group may be â€Å"aging† but doesn’t want to be reminded Marketing to â€Å"Young Again† Market Referred to as mature markets, seniors elderly (65 years) Growing substantially Many in this segment are feeling, thinking, and buying younger than previous generations Many have adopted â€Å"young again† lifestyles and attitudes Cognitive age: the age a person perceives himself or herself to be. It can be used for targeting segments within this group, developing more creative content, and selecting more effective media 1. Demographics Age Structure of Markets Geographic Factors Economic Resources Global Markets Geographic Factors Geo-demography: Refers to where people live, how they learn and spend their money, and other socioeconomic factors The study of demand related to geographic areas assumes that people who live in proximity to one another also share similar consumption patterns and preferences Cities are the most important unit of analysis in most marketing plans 1. Demographics Age Structure of Markets Geographic Factors Economic Resources Global Markets Economic Resources Income: money from wages, salaries, interest, and welfare payments Wealth: a measure of a family’s net worth (assets minus liabilities) Net worth influences willingness to spend but not necessarily ability to spend, since many assets are not liquid and difficult to use How much people accumulate over the year is more a function of how much they save rather than how much they earn Targeting the Up-Market Print-oriented communication Simple ads that promote image Credibility of source selling product Product reviews influence this group Targeting the Average â€Å"Down† Market Good products at reasonable prices Promote value in ads and in store Limited services to keep prices low 1. Demographics Age Structure of Markets Geographic Factors Economic Resources Global Markets Global Market Analysis The most attractive markets are countries that are growing both in population and in economic resources Which countries will grow the most in the future? Which countries have the highest per capita income? 2. Personality Personality: consistent responses to environmental stimuli An individual’s unique psychological makeup, which consistently influences how the person responds to his or her environment 3. Personal Values Values: Represent consumer beliefs about life and acceptable behavior Unlike attitudes, values transcend situations or events and are more enduring because they are more central in the personality structure 4. Lifestyles Lifestyles: Patterns in which people live and spend time and money Reflect their AIO Measures: Activities, Interests, and Opinions Since lifestyles change readily, marketers must keep research methods and marketing strategies updated Lifestyles can affect which goods are sold and how they should be positioned Lifestyles are a very popular tool for segmentation AIO Categories of Lifestyles Psychographics An operational technique to measure lifestyles Can be used in qualitative and quantitative research methods Demographics focus more on who buys products; psychographics focus on why they buy them Lifestyle Segmentation Develop a deeper understanding of a segment or define segment (Compare to Demographics) Gain understanding of which lifestyles influence purchase and consumption behaviors Marketers can develop communication packaging strategies accordingly

REGIME CHANGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

REGIME CHANGE - Essay Example Coup de tat involves forceful transition where a leader comes into office by overturning or rebelling against the government. In such a case, the leader has authority, but lacks legitimacy/ claim to his or her title. In most cases, regime changes towards an authoritarian regime are characterized by totalitarian actions which inhibit peoples’ freedoms (Goerman, et al., 2009). The other one involves external forces, which are characterized by external pressure from non governmental bodies such as the United Nations and NATO. The UN may pass into law interventions that are aimed to kick out a certain regime in a country (Gilligan & Sergenti, 2008). A good example is the global communities’ involvement in ousting the current regime in Syria, which is being accused of going against its peoples’ wishes and lacking legitimacy. Examples of significant regime changes across the globe include Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and even Syria. Political history of Libya Libya has a real distinct history, which dates back to the 16th century with the decline of the Berbers dynasties, to the takeover by the Turks, then the French, and then under Italy in 1912; up to the time they gained independence in 1951 (History World, 2012). During the Italian rule between 1914 and 1945, there was the introduction of fascism, which should be noted distinctively as a new method of administration of Libya back then. Italy appointed fascist governors who operated with extremes measures to the point of setting up concentration camps to subdue resistant from two major Libyan areas. Major regimes in Libya After the second world war, and under a United Nations resolution the three major regions of Tripolitania, Cyrenacia and Fezzan come together to form the present day Libya, under the leadership of King Mohammed Idris I. His term in the throne was a huge shift from the fascist rule embraced by Italy during the colonial period. His style of governance involved ruling Libya as an old fashioned monarch. This meant that democracy was thrown out of the window. This kind of rule was retrogressive to the economy of the region since the royalty used up most of the resources impoverishing the population. Eighteen years into his rule as king, King Mohammed was deposed in a bloodless military coup by the then twenty seven year old Muammur Gadaffi, a captain in the air forces. He immediately becomes the commander in chief of the armed forces. Gadaffi ruled Libya with a firm grip, creating a reputation of being a hard stance dictator who was very unpredictable, and the world over. He developed a philosophy which he used in governing Libya which he wrote in a book titled ‘The Green Book’ which was published in two volumes, one in 1978 and the other in 1980.The book highlighted a political philosophy based on Islam, Arab nationalism and socialism. Gadaffi’s reputation on the international stage suffered a significant blow due to his unpredictable nat ure. He was many times accused of supporting financially extremist groups across the globe. The use of Libya’s oil wealth in meddling in other countries affairs made the international community set up measures of controlling his influence. In April 1986, in his government’s commitment against international terrorism, Ronald Reagan the then president of the United States authorized airstrikes in Libya,

Text Analysis 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Text Analysis 2 - Essay Example Theodore of Sykeon, 1.2). The Lord Christ accepted the plea put forward by the icons and granted St. Theodore an extension of fifteen years in life. After the icons’ imploration was accepted St. Theodore soon regained his health and was able to live the life which he nearly lost. The icons played the role of an intermediary on behalf of St. Theodore pleading to God to grant him more years of life, which was accepted. This is why the Byzantines attached great importance to icons as religious figures, as evident in their art, because of their piety and role as mediators between God and humans. This story shows how the icons’ pleading convinced God of granting more life to St. Theodore and hence, this explains the importance of icons in Byzantine. Icons were held in great respect in Byzantium due to its religious symbolism. Icons represented sacred images or symbols of saints, Christ or Virgin Mary and were constructed out of a variety of media. The icons were so pervasive in Byzantium that they were found in different sizes and forms. Icons represented religious figures and were given much admiration. It can be observed that icons occupy a central place in Byzantine Art due to their connection with religion. Icons had great religious importance because of their association with holiness and divinity. From the story of St. Theodore, it is evident that icons played a central role in bringing back the saint from the edge of death by pleading to God. So, icons portrayed religious figures who were essentially holy and sacred. By the life granted to him by God, St, Theodore continued to do many miracles. He gained the support and admiration of various people who left their homes and journeyed their way to his monastery to serve him. All those who were healed refused to go home and stayed with St. Theodore. After the workmen let the demons free from the hill, the village fell into

Provide a briefing note to the Secretary of State for Energy and Essay

Provide a briefing note to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in advance of the preparation of a new Energy Bill - Essay Example s relied on the provisions of the Energy White Paper of 2007, Energy White Paper of 2003, the Energy Review Report of 2006 and the Low Carbon Transition Plan of July 2009 Previous energy Bills in the United Kingdom have contributed to sustainable use of energy through various means. The energy laws have helped to regulate the taxation and use of energy in terms of both renewable and non-renewable energy. They have provided the legal provisions that have regulation extraction of energy resources, manufacturing, transportation and selling of energy products in the country (Makuch & Pereira, 2012). This means that the energy marketers and distributors in the country operate within limits of energy laws ensuring that they do not exploit citizens or overuse energy resources that could lead to environmental problems and energy depletion. Previous laws have helped in the above issues as energy use has increased over the years as shown in the chart below An important aspect of the previous energy laws and bills is that they have helped in providing an environment that provides for competition in the energy sector among energy firms, both large and small. This has helped in stabilizing prices of energy products for the consumer because the competition has ensured that companies provide competitive prices to woo consumers to buy their brands. The energy laws recognize that energy is required in all sectors of the economy and takes into account issues of production and distribution of various forms of energy and future requirements of the same. The challenges that the previous energy bulls have failed to address include Previous energy bills in the UK have met several criticisms with regard to a variety of issues. First, UK energy bills have been criticised for encouraging waste of energy. Energy laws in UK have been insufficient in ensuring that it meets the standards of the EU energy-saving laws. The main reason for this has been poor implementation of the bills put in

Economical Analysis Essay Example for Free

Economical Analysis Essay In this section, an economical analysis will be carried out to compare the generation cost of electricity from two different sources. The generation cost of electricity ($/kWh) from PV system as well as gas turbine will be considered. The computation for cost of electricity irrespective of the source depends on several factors such as the cost of capital, the productivity and the life of the plant as well as the fuel and operation and maintenance costs. Renewable sources have distinct characteristic of eliminating fuel cost and, as a consequence once the plant is setup, the energy costs are largely fixed and inflation has a slight affect. However, productivity is highly dependent on the site or location; hence the cost of energy cannot be uniquely defined. Generation of electricity by burning fossil fuels incurs elements of costs, which conventionally are not directly attributed to these processes. These costs are termed â€Å"External â€Å" costs. They originate, for example, in subsidies such as additionally provided infrastructure and Research and Development and environmental pollution. In contrast, renewable energy technologies incur marginal external costs. Generation costs may simply be evaluated as follows: G = C R + f + m E where G is the unit cost of energy ($/kWh) C is the initial capital cost ($) R is the annual charge rate (%) E is the annual energy yield (kWh/kW) f is the fuel cost per unit ($/kWh) m is the operation and maintenance cost per unit ($/kWh) The capital recovery factor varies according to the period over which the capital is to be recovered, n years, and the test discount rate, r, thus R = r / (1-(1+r) –n) The cost of electricity from a particular source of supply is therefore dependent upon the particular combination of value of these variables. Table (2) estimates the cost of kWh production from PV systems and Gas Turbine unit. To calculate the generation cost of the Gas Turbine, we assumed 25 years of unit’s lifetime, 8% discount rate, and the unit will operate at its rated power for 8 hours for 9 months a year (2,160 hrs). On the other hand, the generation cost of the PV cells was estimated using PV arrays with panels facing south (Tilt angle 25o), the yearly estimated generated energy was about 1964 kWh/m2/yr and the panel cost of $5/Wp. The calculations indicated that under the assumed rates of interest and capital cost the unit generation cost using PV cells is more than three folds the generation cost of the Gas Turbine. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by varying installation capital cost, and discount rate, Table (1). The results indicate that PV generation can be competitive to that from Gas Turbine when the capital cost drops to $2/Wp and at 8% interest level. The capital cost of PV generation is 30% higher than that of a gas turbine system for the specified parameters. This is contributed to the high installation cost of the PV system and the low conversion efficiency. Further sensitivity analysis of some parameters, namely, conversion efficiency and installation cost were carried out. The results are illustrated in table (2). The results suggested that a reduction of installation cost to 4 $/Wp the generation cost can be competitive to that of a gas turbine. Concluding that: 1. The mathematical modeling indicate that the optimum tilt angle for a plane facing south is 25oC in the State of Qatar, and the year average total daily radiation was a bout 5. 295 kWh/m2. day for 25oC compared to 5. 062 kWh/m2. day for a horizontal surface. 2. Using a photovoltaic system can be more expensive than buying power from the local utility, through the electrical outlet in your wall. However, it is dramatically less expensive than running a power line to a remote area that is currently with out service. 3. Finance rate and loan term are critical economic elements because photovoltaic is capital intensive. The formation of solar bank that makes capital readily available for solar energy systems and below market interest rates with more than 20 years terms should be pursued. 4. The basic economical evaluation of electricity generation in the State of Qatar suggests that photovoltaic technology is not far from being economically feasible. The advanced technology and wide market demand of photovoltaic systems result in improved conversion efficiency and lower unit cost. However, it should be emphasized that photovoltaic systems are clean source of energy and their positive impact on the environment should be taken into consideration. PV systems produce power intermittently because they work only when the sun is shining. More electricity is produced on a clear, sunny day with more intense sunlight and with a more direct light angle, as when the sun is perpendicular to the surface of the PV modules. Cloudy days can significantly reduce output, and of course no power is produced at night. PV systems work best during summer months when the sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer. Because of these variations, it is difficult for PV systems to furnish all the power you need, and are typically used in conjunction with utility-supplied electricity Renewable Resources In 1987, a United Nations commission chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the then Norwegian Prime Minister, was formed to determine how to reconcile economic development with environmental protection. The term sustainable development was first used in the commissions report, Our Common Future. The report recognized that renewable energy sources are essential for sustainable development because they provide us with constant sources of energy with fewer effects on the environment. It also identified that globally, there was the need for more efficient use of energy and that the industrialized world, especially, had to improve its conservation efforts to lessen the impact of economic development on the environment. Renewable energy sources have been used for centuries. Until the mid-1800s, most of our energy came from two biomass sources, wood and peat. The location of many large plants and mills during the industrial era in Europe and North America was determined by the availability of fast flowing streams to generate power. It was not until the latter stages of the Industrial Revolution, the mid-1850s, and following the widespread incorporation of the steam-engine into factories, that fossil fuel use, mainly coal and oil, became commonplace. By incorporating fossil fuels into the manufacturing process instead of using water, industrialists were not limited to locations by rivers or streams. Plants could be located closer to sources of raw materials, markets or major shipping ports Renewable energy sources has been constantly being sought upon to replace dwindling fossil fuel reserves. The main question is where to look for these renewable energy sources. Some of them, like biomass, have already begun to contribute significantly to power generation in several developed nations like the US. Photvoltaic cells are economically viable in some locations and wind energy, though so far contributing only a tiny fraction, is rapidly expanding in the US and several European nations. The search for renewable energy sources points to photovoltaics, wind, solar thermal electricity, and biomass-produced electricity. These are highly prized due to the ease at which electricity can be transported and converted into othe forms, with the none or low polluting energy that these bestow and because of the potential that these sources may contribute in the near future. The earths atmosphere acts like glass in a greenhouse: sunlight can pass through, but the resulting heat cannot escape. Gases, such as carbon dioxide, are particularly effective at trapping heat. When burned, coal, oil and natural gas increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the earths average temperature is raised. Renewable energy initiatives will result in reduced demand for fossil-fuelled electricity generation, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions These renewable sources once proven to be technically practical and economically feasible to provide required quantities of power, then there is no doubt that they would be greatly preferrable replace existing energy generation methods. An energy source can be classified as renewable provided the passed the following criterias: 1. there should be and indefinite supply or at least can be harnessed for an extreme length of time. 2. there would be a great reduction in the world pollution. Or at least the pollution released by the manufacturing and generation of power using these resources would not add up to current contributors to pollution. 3. and lastly, the must be able to provide energy self-sufficiency or at the very least provide a great reduction in the energy dependency.

Hagia Sophia: Architecture Description

Hagia Sophia: Architecture Description Basilicas were used for commerce, as public meeting places and for courts of law. The Hagia Sophia was built as the Byzantine Emperor, Justinians personal imperial church. It was built in the hopes of competing with the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The Forum was built from a vast stoa-lined piazza measuring 660 by 390 feet (200x120m) with exedrae on two sides. The main entrance to the forum is on the southern side, a triumphal arch surmounted by a statue of Trajan in a six-horse chariot. The Basilica Ulpia lies at the north end of the piazza, which was cobbled with rectangular blocks of white marble and decorated by a large equestrian statue of Trajan. On either side of the piazza are markets, also housed by the exedrae. Justinians basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Cathol ic, and Muslim worlds alike. The largest columns are of granite, about 19 or 20 meters high and at least 1.5 meters in diameter; the largest weigh well over 70 tons apiece. Under Justinians orders, eight Corinthian columns were disassembled from Baalbek, Lebanon and shipped to Constantinople for the construction of Hagia Sophia. The vast interior has a complex structure. The nave is covered by a central dome which has a maximum diameter of 31.24meters (102ft6in) and a height from floor level of 55.6meters (182ft5in), about one fourth smaller and greater, respectively, than the dome of the Pantheon. The dome seems rendered weightless by the unbroken arcade of 40 arched windows under it, which help flood the colorful interior with light. Due to consecutive repairs in the course of its history, the dome has lost its perfect circular base and has become somewhat elliptical with a diameter varying between 31.24m (102ft6in) and 30.86m (101ft3in). The dome is carried on pendentives — four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base.[15] At Hagia Sophia the weight of the dome passes through the pendentives to four massive piers at the corners. Between them the dome seems to float upon four great arches. These were reinforced with buttresses during Ottoman times, under the guidance of the architect Mimar Sinan. At the western (entrance) and eastern (liturgical) ends, the arched openings are extended by half domes carried on smaller semi-domed exedras. Thus a hierarchy of dome-headed elements builds up to create a vast oblong interior crowned by the main dome, a sequence unexampled in antiquity. Despite all these measures, the weight of the dome remained a problem, which was solved by adding buttresses from the outside. All interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marbles, green and white with purple porphyry and gold mosaics, encrusted upon the brick. This sheathing camouflaged the large pillars, giving them, at the same time, a brighter aspect. On the exterior, simple stuccoed walls reveal the clarity of massed vaults and domes. The yellow and red color of the exterior was added by the architect Fossati during the restorations in the 19th century. Looking at the plan of Trajans Basilica, there seems to be good balance and symmetry in the design. The plan shows that the structure was huge, holding thousands of people if needed. The Hagia Sophia, while a large building in its right, to me still looks smaller and less grand because of its closed dome. Trajans basilica was open, giving it an even more open and expanse feeling. Hagia Sophia is also very symmetrical in design. In both cases, these structures were fully functional as community meeting places or religious places of worship. They reflected the wealth and power of their emperors who commissioned their construction. Each structure is huge and larger than life in their design: the Hagia Sophia was adorned with gold and beautiful mosaics on its interior walls while the Trajans Forum was large, open and had several statues and monuments built inside to honor Trajan. Wikipedia contributors. Trajans Forum. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 May. 2010. Wikipedia contributors. Hagia Sophia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 May. 2010. Web. 10 May. 2010.

The Poems of Richard Wilbur :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Poems of Richard Wilbur Richard Wilbur's New and Collected Poems is full of poems that cover a huge multitude of subjects. The four poems this assignment covers represent that variety, with the topics including love, juggling, grace and music. Wilbur's poems take experiences and ideas (even a juggler) and through his mastery of the English language force the reader to take another look at what his preconceptions are. His poems allow for many different interpretations, and this paper will take a different angle to some of his works. "Love Calls Us to the Things of This World" sets up, in the first stanza, the feeling that something otherworldly is going to be in the picture. "The morning air is all awash with angels" brings in the image (or concept) of heaven, which Wilbur refers to again later in the poem. In the 2nd stanza, again the concept of not-of-this-world is brought into play with the mention of the halcyon, which is a mythical bird. One literary device that Wilbur seems to draw upon heavily in this poem is the use of oxymorons, contradictory terms together. The angels are rising together in "calm swells." When I think of swells, calm is not necessarily the word that comes to mind. He also states that the angels are "flying in place...moving/ And staying like white water." Flying implies movement, so "flying in place" is not a phrase that is commonly heard. Later in the poem he uses the term bitter love, and while I understand that this concept does in fact exist, it is still two words which are somewha t contradictory. In the last stanza he mentions the "heaviest nuns" trying hard to keep their "difficult balance." This reminded me of that concept of funambilism that we discussed in class. This work seems to utilize the idea of balance (indirectly) in many aspects. The use of the contradictory terms that I discussed earlier could be thought of as balancing each other out. This poem overall was very well put together, with sentences that caught your attention, and my favorite sentence was "The soul shrinks/ From all that it is about to remember." "Juggler" was probably the most elegant of the poems that were assigned. The other two discussed the concepts of love and grace, but "Juggler" made juggling a very beautiful act. I must state that the fact that I'm able to juggle probably had some influence on my understanding of this poem.

Character Traits of a Teenager

Someone asked me why does hate, anger, love, curiosity, admiration, etc. exist in the world. It was a very innocent yet important question that I would like to address. Seekers of the Spirit throughout time have noticed that the Divine Reality expresses in various ways, including Peace, Oneness, Wisdom, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Goodness, Love, Delight, Power, Timelessness, and Infinity. These are also qualities that the Supreme seeks to manifest in the forms of creation. We humans are the means by which they take shape on earth. Interestingly, though the Intent of the Supreme was/is to spread these spiritual aspects throughout the cosmos, they initially took shape in their opposite form, as an inversion. For example, life first emerged in the universe as unconscious physical matter; and only after, emerged higher, more conscious forms. Thus, life, and indeed we humans have roots in unconsciousness mixed with the consciousness. And we have come to embody them in the form of both positive and negative character traits — expressing the physical, vital, and mental levels. An obvious question is why would a Divine Reality allow for both formations of darkness and light? Why not just manifest Its own, infinitely positive spiritual attributes? The answer is that it did so to enable the greatest variety, multiplicity, and possibility of experience. If there were only good traits, the diversity and depth of our life experiences would be limited. Thus, over time, a vast array of positive, neutral, and negative physical, vital, and mental traits came to be. For example, feelings like fear, anger, hatred, are negative expressions that originate in the vital plane of our being. It turns out that not only are these negative expressions inversions of their positive spiritual counterpart of Oneness, Power, Love, etc. , but inversions of our own positive human traits. For example, people who hate, secretly harbor love, but through circumstance inner and outer, have inverted to its darker side. A child might hate a parent because of their abuse, but secretly harbored intense love that reversed itself. In fact, the more intense the hate, the greater the possibility of love when the obstacles are overcome. In humanity's evolution we emerged from physical existence where our physical traits predominated, such as hunting and other survival skills, to the development of more complex vital feelings and relationships, such as trade, cooperation, and affinity toward marriage, to sophisticated traits of the mind, such as analyzing, synthesizing, calculating, rational thinking, etc. These are positive or neutral characteristics developed over the course of human evolution. And yet there are also negative qualities that developed, such as mental ignorance and falsehood. At the vital and physical levels there are far more and more virulent forms of negative character traits because as you go lower in human consciousness, the wanting characteristics tend to appear. Anger, hate, intense desire, lust, jealousy, etc. are negative vital traits; while domination, tendency to violence, etc. are examples of negative physical characteristics. And so we see how life evolved both a plethora of qualities in the human, both positive and negative, to enable the greatest variety of experience, from which we can evolve our nature and through that discovery experience delight.