Out of My League

How many people do you know that have broken up with someone and later wanted them back because they were jealous of their new girlfriend? Or perhaps, have you ever lacked the confidence to approach someone? Well the movie She’s out of my League is all about that. The movie is about a guy name Kirk who is played by Jay Baruchel. He is an average Joe who can't believe his luck. Although he's stuck in a seemingly dead-end job as an airport TSA security agent, against all odds, Molly which is played by Alice Eve, a successful and outrageously gorgeous babe, has fallen for him. Not only is Kirk stunned, but his friends, family and his ex-girlfriend, too. Now he has to figure out how to make the relationship work, even though he'd be the first to admit she's totally out of his league. She’s out of my League was a well-structured film in my opinion. This film was unified around a central theme. The theme of the film is that it is ridiculous to rate people based on looks and decide that you can't be with someone based on some rating of 1 to 10. In the beginning of the movie, Kirk is having a confrontation with is ex-girlfriend Marine. Marine had ended her relationship with Kirk for more than 2 year and she was extremely contemptuous of his continued romantic interests after his latest pursuit. The producers of this movie couldn’t have thought of a better way to open the movie. The plot and the events, conflicts, and characters that constitute it must be carefully selected and arranged so that their relationship to the theme is clear (Boggs, & Petrie, 2008). This was the most important scene of the movie because it leads the way for other events to happen naturally and logically. In this scene, the producers wanted to get the viewer to see two points. One point making it clear that Marine didn’t want to be in a relationship with Kirk and that it was over. Another point being that Kirk was really crush about the break up so his self-esteem is really low at this point. This also made an early impression of what type of person Kirk was called characterization thought appearance. He seems to be a fairly dorky and dumb type of person. Later in the movie, one morning while Kirk was at work, a beautiful woman name Molly arrives at the passenger terminal for her flight to New York. While she was proceeding through security, her striking looks attracted unwanted attention and harassment from several male employees. Kirk is the only employee to treat her courteously. I really like this part because Kirk was just being himself and Molly saw the him for the person that he really was. In this scene, the producers wanted us to believe that Kirk didn’t have a chance with Molly because it seems that she was out of his league. But, who would have thought that Molly would be the one to be coming on to Kirk. After Kirk finally hooks up with Molly, the successful and outrageously gorgeous babe, Marine finds herself jealous and wants Kirks back. The only reason that Molly has this sudden interest in Kirk again is because she feels upstaged by Molly’s looks. In this scene, it makes the saying, â€Å"a woman doesn’t want a man until someone else has him† a true statement. With those two senses that were mentioned, it gives you a lot to think about. One being that you really don’t appreciate something until it’s gone. In this movie Kirk was a type of person that needed to be with a person that would help and motivate him to achieve his goals. Marine wasn’t that type of person. When Molly came along, she really brought out the best in Kirk. As Kirk begins the better himself, Marine begins to see all the things that Kirk was capable of, but by this time it was too late. Personally, I really did find this movie meaningful. There were a lot of points that could have been taken from this movie. The two points that I retrieve from this movie is that it is ridiculous to rate a person based on looks and decide that you can't be with that someone based on some rating and it is true that you don’t see what you have until its gone.

Documents of American History Essay

John Adams is an important figure in the history of this country at the most important time in its history: the time of its birth. He is a towering figure in American History and his accomplishments speak to protecting the rights of his fellow men, even if those men were British soldiers accused of shooting Americans as was the case with the Boston Massacre of 1770. John Adams served as minister to France in 1777 when at that time, the colonists badly needed French intervention if they ever hoped to win the American Revolution. Adams also had a contributing role in America’s Declaration of Independence as he was a vocal member of the Continental Congress. Adams also wrote the Massachusetts State Constitution, including its Bill of Rights. All of the above mentioned speak to the love of freedom and the protection of these rights to which Adams spoke so dearly. So then why during the 20th century, was Adams almost vilified compared to his friend and one time enemy Thomas Jefferson? It is peculiar how History seems to take sides over one issue of vilifies or glorifies one person above his real role in life.   Both Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln enjoyed such an honor during the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th. Only recently, when it is almost certain, that Jefferson fathered children of a mixed breed, yet still owned 200 slaves at a time, when Adams spoke to the emancipation of slavery, does the playing field become more level. This is especially true with David McCullough’s book John Adams, which actually sparked a Congressional insight into the importance of John Adams and a rethinking by the American public, spoke about the legacy of a man who was vital to the survival of this new experiment called the American Republic. Adams is vilified to a certain degree for two actions: forcing his bitterness over the loss of the 1800 election, not to greet the incoming President as is the custom now, and the dreaded Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 which horrified Thomas Jefferson and helped lead to the one time best friends, not to speak to speak to each other for another twelve years. Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson will be forever linked together in American history. The 2nd and 3rd presidents of The United States and one time best friends, who later became political rivals and has the distinction of dying on the same day; the 50 anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, were giants in the quest for American Independence. John Adams, twice, served as a diplomat to France both during the American Revolution as well as in the years immediately following the war. â€Å"Both Jefferson and Adams were very important times since historians later hailed French involvement in the American Revolution as what helped turned the tide of the war in the favor of the colonists.† (McCullough, 2001 p. 322) And as the war was nearing its end, John Adams wrote his state’s Constitution as well as its Bill of Rights. This Constitution, more than any other of its time, expanded these rights, to a greater degree than had been seen previously. Adams was instrumental in procuring the freedom of African Americans, who in Jefferson’s Virginia, would continue to be slaves or live in slave like conditions well after the end of the Civil War and despite the passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. But it would not be until the 20th century that such ironies were given their proper attention. â€Å"But it would be the passage of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Act that would puzzle and infuriate all those that had been a part of the construction of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights in 1791 and specifically, the 1st amendment which protected, among others, a person’s right of free speech.† (Burns, 1997) This meaning has been expanded over the years but then as well as now, its first usage was to protect one who criticized the government, from reprisal. The 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts seemed to come in stark contrast to this most sacred of rights within the American Constitution. It said: â€Å"That if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are or shall be directed by proper authority, or to impede the operation of any law of the United States†¦ Shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or a term in prison between five months to six years.† (Commanger, 1947 p. 177) This Act would later be repealed only to see the light of day again in 1918 during WWI. But such measures, horrified Thomas Jefferson and in response, wrote along with his friend James Madison, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions which were in direct response to the Sedition Acts and portrayed the further split between the Federalist and Democratic Parties, made even wider by the personal disunion caused by Adams and Jefferson. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions stated that: â€Å"no power over freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or freedom of the press being delegated by the   United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, all lawful powers respecting the same did of right remain, and were reserved to the States, or to the people.† (Commanger, 1947 p. 179) This meant that Jefferson, always distrusting of big government and in line with his belief in states’ rights, proclaimed that the federal government had no jurisdiction in enforcing the Alien and Sedition Acts as well as the fact that such restrictions on human freedom was in express contradiction to the Constitution and the ideals in which the American Revolution was fought in the first place. Everyone who had been locked up or fined under the Alien and Sedition Act was either set free or reimbursed by the federal government along with written apologies when Thomas Jefferson took over as President in March of 1801.The feud between Jefferson and Adams, made even larger by the ugliness of the 1800 Presidential election, lasted until 1812, when both were out of public office. Jefferson started a correspondence with Adams in what would become one of the most poignant and heart filled pieces of American literature. They both reminisced about their time together, hoping that this experiment in human democracy called the United States was actually going to work or not. Apologies were not given but rather regret that so much time has been lost to two people that were so important to the nation as well as to each other, were expressed in the correspondence. And what has to be one of the greatest coincidences in American history, two giants of American freedom who did not always practice what they preached; Adams’ enforcement of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and Jefferson personally owning more than 200 slaves for most of his lifetime, but still responsible for the expansion of human rights in America, died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each died while saying that the other still lives. They were both right in that respect.   

Andy Warhol and His work on the Contemporary Art Essay Example for Free

Andy Warhol and His work on the Contemporary Art Essay Andy Warhol (1928-1987) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, less commonly known as Andrew Warhola, was a central figure in the pop art category. He is an American artist who reigned around the world as a painter, author, avant-garde filmmaker and as a public personage for his connection to many people of different fields of work and status. Warhol studied in Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as the Carnegie Mellon University) to hone his artistry (www. artgallery. com, 2008). Warhol unify his works through the Keatonesque style which is aritistically and personally affectless. In his work s a Pop artist, conceptual aspects were always there as a key factor. His art was known for its irony, in most of its sense. Campbell’s soup cans was probably his most famous work. The mundane images he made were turned to the so-called ironic art through enlargement, hand-painting or silk-screening. He always mentioned that the idea of his work is always at the surface of his work, obvious, apparent. Other attributes of his work were slight color changes using ink spots (www. pbs. org, 2007). His work reveals contemporary art in such a way it concerns some human desires that never ceases to revolve around. He even made his film where he was an international celebrity and a pop artist. His experiences with many people brought him the ideas of what is contemporary, and made sure that no traces of the artists can be recognized from his artwork. Andy Warhol and His work on the Contemporary Art. (2017, Feb 14). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Systematic review for informed consent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Systematic review for informed consent - Essay Example Based on these factors every systemic review research is prone criticism, in addition, the same principle applies to primary research. Apart from the possibility of making unintentional errors, researchers conducting systemic reviews may make mistakes which are largely influenced by the publication aspirations. This is referred to as publication bias, and often involves the alteration or misguided opinion on results by researchers as they attempt to attain positive results for their work to be published (Petticrew & Roberts, 2006). Researchers also have the professional obligation to constantly update their knowledge as there are constantly new developments in science and certain information may be out of date. Therefore, recommendation by the Cochrane Collaboration state that reviews should be updated every two years and if an update is not conducted there should an explanation why updating was not carried out. According to Higgins and Greens (2009), the Cochrane Collaboration body states that researchers should search the literature for related subjects twice a year. Reviews are very strenuous and require a large amount of time and commitment hence there are also financial costs that must be considered. (Hopewell et al., 2007) as well as other resources have indicated that the financial costs include staffing and time allocation. The nature or type of study is also at the researcher’s discretion; these are mainly determined by the researcher’s personal beliefs or

The Economic Structure Of Trusts And Fiduciary Obligation Essay

The Economic Structure Of Trusts And Fiduciary Obligation - Essay Example The inflexibility of the no conflict rule and the no-profit rule seems hardly fair in the field where discretion requires the utmost flexibility in decision-making. The no-profit rule has also been segregated from the no conflict rule6 and the rationalization of the no-profit rule makes sense. In Swain v Law Society Oliver LJ stated that no profit rule is predicated on the distinct principle that obtaining a profit without authorization is a breach of fiduciary duties because the profit itself is actually trusted property.7 The no-profit rule is therefore not entirely inflexible as trustees may make a profit out of the trust with the proper authorization. 8 However, should a beneficiary complain of a breach of trust pursuant to the no-profit rule, it may be difficult for the trustee to claim that the profit was authorized.9 The no profit rule is intricately tied to the no conflict rule as the operation of the no conflict rule is often applied to the making of profits.10 For instance, in Industrial Development Consultants Ltd. v Cooley it was held that the trustee must account for profits made in his competing business.11 Although the ruling was obviously made pursuant to the no conflict rule, the case clearly related to making profits and thus the no-profit rule. It would, therefore, appear that the no-profit rule is ultimately unnecessary as any conduct amounting to the making of a profit can properly be dealt with under the no conflict rule. As for the no conflict rule, there is considerable debate over whether or not the rule should be stricter or more relaxed or constructed with greater flexibility.12 However, the House of Lords’ ruling in Boardman v Phipps makes it clear that the no conflict rule is strictly applied.

Research paper about the life of a swordfish in the Medditerrean

About the life of a swordfish in the Medditerrean - Research Paper Example It uses its jumping skill to stun targeted preys such as the barracuda, the flying fish, small  tuna and the squid. It usually hunts its food at night. It also uses its sword-like snout to injure or kill preys and, if needed, to defend itself. While the greatest known predator of the swordfish is the shortfin mako shark, there are also the killer whale or the orca, larger sharks and the sperm whale. A very powerful fish, which can defend itself well against predators, the swordfish always keeps distance from its own kind and, though very agile, it has become a favorite catch among fish catchers. It also distances itself from small boats, though it has become an easy harpoon target to bigger ones and, though there has never been any news of attacks to humans, it remains to be a dangerous fish due to its pointed snout. Until the use of fishnets in catching the swordfish, as well as other fish, there has been a great decrease in its number. In fact, in 1999, a restaurant owner wrote to urge her peers to stop or put a strict control over the serving of this healthy and delicious fish meat. She claimed that in the North Atlantic alone, â€Å" nearly 2/3 of swordfish caught . . . are too young to breed, . . . the average size . . . is just 90 pounds, . . .† and the â€Å"North Atlantic swordfish are now at the lowest levels ever recorded (Pouillon). Up until now, the swordfish is a favourite cuisine across the East Coast of the United States. This popular fish can be served in a variety of ways. Its meat, which is more tough than other fish, is usually grilled and served as steak. At present, the swordfish is no longer included in the list of endangered

China and Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

China and Japan - Essay Example It has evolved and changed, during the 20th century. Many ethnic groups have existed in China. The pre-eminent ethnic group is the ‘Han Chinese’. Most social values are derived from Confucianism and Taoism with a combination of conservatism. Reincarnation and rebirth is the connection between real-life and the next-life. Spoken Chinese consisted of a number of Chinese dialects. The ancient written standard was Classical Chinese and it was used for thousands of years, but was mostly reserved for scholars and intellectuals. A large part of Chinese culture is about finding the balance of Yin and Yang in relation to Qi, in order to find harmony. Chinese medicine consists of a number of treatments including Chinese herb logy and acupuncture. Other forms of health improvement include meditation. Japanese culture has evolved from the ‘Jomon’ culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Archaeological research indicates that people were li ving on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic period. Japanese is written with a combination of three different types of scripts: Chinese characters ‘Kanji’ and two syllabic scripts, ‘Hiragana’ and ‘Katakana’. The Hindu-Arabic numerals are generally used for numbers, but traditional Sino-Japanese numerals are also commonplace. Japanese sculptures mainly settled on the subject of Buddhist images. Wood has traditionally been used as the chief material. The oldest sculpture is a wooden statue of 'Amitabha'. 'Chanoyu' and 'Ikebana' are the traditional rituals. The most popular professional sports are Sumo, Judo, Jujutsu and Kenjutsu. Political view of China and Japan:- The deadlock of the Chinese Civil War has resulted in two political states: the People's Republic of China (PRC), known as China, which controls "China proper" as well as Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Xingjian, Hong Kong, and Macau; and the Republic of China (ROC), known as Taiwan, which controls the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islands. The PRC is governed under the one-party system by the Chinese Communist Party, but the ROC has moved towards democratic government. After the founding of the PRC, both states claimed to be the sole legitimate ruler of all of "China". The ROC had more international support but most international diplomatic recognitions have shifted to the PRC. Both regimes use diplomatic and economic means to compete for recognition in the international arena. Currently, the PRC is recognized by most world organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee. Today, there are 24 U.N. member states that maintain official diplomat ic relations with the ROC while the majority of the U.N. member states maintain official diplomatic relations with the PRC. Japan is recognized as a liberal democracy with free and fair elections, has operated with a dominant-party system known as the Liberal Democratic Party. It takes place in a framework of a parliamentary- representative- democratic- monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Japan is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Japan is generally considered a constitutional monarchy, based largely upon the British system with strong influences from European continental civil law countries such as Germany and France. The Emperor of Japan is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" and exercises a purely ceremonial role without the possession of sovereignty. The constitution is called "the Pacifist

Module 4 BHM415 (AUG2014-1) (CASE)Consumer Driven Health Care (SLP) Essay

Module 4 BHM415 (AUG2014-1) (CASE)Consumer Driven Health Care (SLP) - Essay Example Moreover, CDHC create an awareness of health care to consumers. With this awareness, consumers are able to weigh prices from different providers and select medical service that best suits them financially and as a result, service providers will re-price and re-package their services, in competition of patients, determined by quality and price and in the long-run the services become quality and affordable (Catherine, 2010). Furthermore, the American patients are able to utilize the internet in browsing the medical journals freely as well as the libraries for information that was not previously available to them. The parents can comfortably test their children for any ear infection while at home. This is made easy since the parents can make use of the over the counters do it yourself diagnostic kits and this assists is saving the parents from unnecessary trips to the healthcare providers. CDHC offer several services like health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement agreements (HRAs) where in each account; there is a function for deposit, accumulation, and withdrawal of payments. With health savings accounts (HSAs), the contribution deposited into the account is tax-advantaged and various medical costs are covered by the account thus cutting down on consumers healthcare cost. On the other hand, health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) are employer-sponsored and allow employees accumulate funds to cover their health care expenses. These expenses are employer-funded and the employer define how much to set aside for each employee, based on how much he can afford (Hughes, Root, & Roehrig, 2007). Nearly half (45 %) of the population in the U.S are estimated to have been infected with some type of chronic condition. Using the CDHC systems, these patients who are infected with the chronic infections can control their healthcare as well as manage their conditions e asily something that was not possible in

Insurance case studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Insurance case studies - Essay Example I would not approve Mr. Farid’s application for income protection insurance because he already had a heart valve disorder. Considering the nature of his job and the insurance cover he is taking, I would not accept his application because he does not abide by the principle of utmost good faith. Also, Mr. Farid provides information that is not in accordance with his daily tasks. Prudent Insurance Inc. should deny the claim and not pay Mr. Farid. Mr. Farid took advantage of the broker’s lack of knowledge about his job description and the various tasks that he executes. Mr. Farid does not obey the doctrine of utmost good fait, and even says he is a director at general merchandise Selling Company. The policy compensates the insured against accident and illness that makes him or her to terminate work. In the case of Mr. Farid, his condition may have resulted form the fact that his heart valve was already ill at the time he was taking the insurance policy. He did not stop working as a result of the insured risks. The number of activities Mr. Farid submitted, with their corresponding hours are not enough to cause him terminate his job. The principle of utmost good faith requires the insured to disclose all material facts to the insurer or broker. This applies regardless of the fact that the insurer asked specific questions or not. Mr. Green is bound by this doctrine of insurance to have provided all details concerning himself, including a domestic dispute that took place in January 2009. The contract law requires the policyholder to disclose all information particularly that which may affect the decision of the prudent insurer (Skipper & Kwon, 2007). The underwriter would have reconsidered accepting to cover Mr. Green, as well as the amount of premium to charge on the risk (UNLOCK, 2011). Also, the underwriter may rule the contract null and the

Drilling at the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve Essay

Drilling at the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve - Essay Example Nonetheless, it is high time that people agreed on drilling on the refuge. The U.S should drill in the ANWR because it would add economic value, reduce dependency on foreign petroleum, and because the plan has immense support from Alaskans. An essential reason to drill in the ANWR is to add economic worth of the US. It is of immense profit not only to Alaskans but also to all American to explore the area for economic value. Economic and other remuneration of ANWR oil are of much implication that even conservationists should concur to consent drilling since even they might profit directly from the venture. America’s reliance on oil from countries that are constantly either politically unsteadies, or at variance with the U.S subjects. The U.S economy irregularly delivers disruptions, price hikes and trouncing of wealth. In the recent past, U.S has spent over 7 trillion defending hefty foreign oil, money that is more than what the U.S has spent in all the wars it has fought since the revolutionary war. America’s cost of Middle East oil is projected at fifty billion dollars each year. From all these expenses that stretch the U.S economy subjecting the citizens to grave economic crisis it is vital to explore the ANWR oil. By drilling the ANWR, this will enable the American economy to progress, as several costs will be minimized. Therefore, quick response should be taken to start exploring the oil reserves in ANWR to ease the economic burden on the American citizens. This will also take off the emotional stress, placed on the U.S, due to frequent loss of lives of soldiers’, things that are not always reflected on the imported oil price tags. The constructive significance on the U.S economy is enormous. More than 80 percent of the theoretically recoverable gas is commercially developable at a gas price of around $25 per barrel. The recoverable oil in Alaska generally, is presumed that, creation from Alaska would reduce oil imports by an equal amou nt. The latent ANWR oil improved would have a worth between $125 and $350 billion (kitchen & Burger, 1). Another critical reason to drill in the ANWR is to help the U.S to reduce its dependency of foreign oil manufacturers. It is vital to sustain drilling in this hefty area in Alaska as a method of reducing dependence on foreign, and often hostile, sources of petroleum. Taking into consideration the U.S’s present political intervention in conflicts, in the Middle East, as well as the shortage of other practical supply of petroleum, it is inevitable drilling in the ANWR as a requisite to secure and defend the interests of the country (Corn, 97). Supporters also include organizations that facilitate support extensive employment, including factions such as the Teamsters, was in favor of drilling in ANWR since it would generate a bulky sum of newly formed jobs. It is a monumental step in designing new jobs in a country facing several layoffs and recession problems, which hugely a ffect the Americans lives. Drilling for oil and natural fuels would create numerous jobs for the American public in a time where work is abundantly needed. Jobs would not only be available in the state of Alaska, but in every single state across the United States (Trapp 76). A further reason to drill in the ANWR is that many Americans are in support of the initiative. One of the main arguments against

Truth and the characters in this act Essay Example for Free

Truth and the characters in this act Essay Arthur Miller wrote this play in accordance and reference to the persecution placed upon him and many others by the committee of un-American activities. He was persecuted for his way of thinking, and this inspired him to write the book The Crucible to make people realise that history is repeating. In his mind, the way he and the other communists were treated bared a great likeness to that of the witches of Salem and the way the Jews were treated during the holocaust. This, I think, is why the book and then the play had such a large effect on the country and the way the un-American activities committee treated the so called Comunists. In the sixteen hundreds Salem was ruled by a theocracy so their ideas of truth and justice would have varied from ours. The puritans ideology was that if the bible says its so, its so. Most of us are now aware that most of the bible is not to be taken literally, but symbolically. With relevance to the witch-hunt the puritans believed that no one would lie about something of such importance as witchcraft, after all god damns all liars and what puritan in their right mind would wish damnation upon themselves. Of course we know that the girls had no fear about lying to ensure they get their own way. So if anyone was accused they had to be guilty, and the only way they could save their lives would be to confess to witchery. If they did not confess they would be hung or killed by other means. This to me is a queer justice, as I should hope it is to you or any other fellow human. This however was not the case and many people died, these people can thank a foolish ideology for their death. In my mind the way and personality of the people of Salem did nothing to help the matter, in particular John Procter and Abigail Williams. Again the matter truth and honesty arises. John and Abigail, having had an affair were both adulterers, if they were to confess this their name would be blackened. However if the truth was to arise John and Elizabeths names would be cleared of the crime of witchery and Abigails true motives would have been made clear. So if John and Elizabeth had been entirely truthful with the court they both would have survived. On the other hand if Abigail and the other girls had been truthful from the outset, the only punishment that would have been administered was a public flogging. But we must not overlook the fact that regardless of the previous lies one more lie would have saved them all. If they had confessed to the crime they would have been free. It seems that the epiphany of honesty struck at the wrong time. As the maid to the Proctors, an official of the court and one of the accusing girls, Mary Warren had the power to stop all this foolishness. In act III Mary, with a little encouragement from Procter, does confess and tells the judges that it is all a false but she soon withdraws that claim when she herself is accused. There is a great change in Marys character from acts I and II through III and IV. I think this is probably due to her supreme maturity to the other girls, she realises exactly how foolish she had been and what problems her lies were causing. Proctors behaviour affected the people of Salem in a great many ways. Primarily he was considered somewhat of a heretic due to the fact that he very rarely attended Holy Communion. He put this down to his dislike of Paris and his preaching of bloody hellfire and damnation I dont know how many believed this excuse. Secondly Proctor was not afraid to stand up to the court and tell them how ludicrous they were being about the witch-hunt and trials. He was also the first to admit false confession. In general I believe he was a big influence on the people of Salem. If proctor had confessed to his adultery earlier as his wife Elizabeth beckoned him to, things would have been very different, he would have been a sinner but he would be free. In my eyes there is no justice in Salem. I put this down to mostly one person and that persons judgement and ideology, Head judge Danforth. This is the main interrogator throughout the whole trial. He does his job very well, too well. He has a talent at getting somebody to say something and then he twists this into a confession or accusation. He is very manipulative. Towards the end of the book it starts to show how hell bent he is on killing people. The other judges notice this and when they attempt to prove him wrong or attempt to show him how foolish he is being, he interrupts them. He believes everything Abby says simply because he wants to kill people. He is obsessed with the pain, death and social rejection of others. Of course he is going to snap up every inkling of a hint of witchcraft. Perhaps he is mentally retarded or just I psycho. Another very manipulative character is Abigail. She is very successful, perhaps even more so than Danforth, at changing the way people think and even getting them to see things that arent there or Hallucinate. There are many examples of this. A good example of her mind-manipulation skills is in act III when Mary confesses the false of the accusations. She manages to get the other girls to think that the devil is present and that Mary is bewitching them. This convinces the Judges and Mary is accused of witchcraft and the confession falls through. Abigails methods are very cleaver she is a very good actor. She knows many sure ways of getting people to believe her. When she is trying to make out that Mary Warren is bewitching her, she knows exactly how to convince the judges. She is able to convince herself things are actually happening when they are not. This is why the look in her eyes, her screaming and her cowering etc. are so convincing, because she believes that the devil is there. In the final moments of the last scene the whole truth is revealed and the audience are manipulated to fell sorry for the Proctors and hate Abigail. And ultimately loose faith in goodness and perhaps even God. The scene is one of great emotion. Another very dramatic scene in the play is when Mary warren confronts the court to confess that the whole thing had been a lie. Not only does the sheer idea of the court finding out that they had convicted so many innocent people make it dramatic. In a desperate attempt to save themselves Abigail and the other girls claim that they can see Mary warren with the devil beside her. They start screaming and fainting and pretending to be cold, of course this is all a false but it makes the scene very dramatic.

Dawn of the (Evil & Symbolic) Dead Essay Example for Free

Dawn of the (Evil Symbolic) Dead Essay Over the past decade, interest in zombies in pop culture has sky rocketed. There have been over 100 games and movies featuring the living dead. George Romero’s 1978 film Dawn of the Dead, sequel to Night of the Living Dead, gives its audience insight into these evil symbolic structures known today as zombies. In this film, there are four survivors that take refuge in a huge shopping mall, sealing the doors and creating a zombie-free hideout. This movie is often referred to as one the best horror films of its time and a door way to today’s interest in zombies. Throughout the film, the four survivors deal with hundreds of zombies and at the climax are also having to deal with a biker gang. Although not all four of these characters survived, the mall was a perfect spot for the movie to take place according to a review done by the Spinning Image Company. â€Å"The mall is a brilliant location, not just for the satirical possibilities it offers Romero, but also for creating some clever, unsettling imagery,† said Daniel Auty in his review. Auty is speaking of the several times throughout the film where Romero would cut to a scene of just zombies roaming random parts of the mall. These zombies were different than what we see today however. â€Å"[The zombies] look silly, they fall over a lot, and Romero mostly shoots them in either broad daylight or the stark fluorescence of the mall† (Auty). The zombies in Dawn of the Dead appeared from the first minute without Romero giving any sort of insight on how it happened. So in order to understand the body in its monstrous state, one must know the origins of the zombie. Many scholars agree that the term zombie originated from the voodoo religion in Haiti. In â€Å"Slaves, Cannibals, and Infected Hyper-Whites: The Race and Religion of Zombies†, writer Elizabeth McCalister discusses these origins in great detail. â€Å"The word zonbi appears in writing as far back as colonial Saint- Domingue, glossed by travel writer Moreau de Saint-Mà ©ry as the slaves’ belief in a returned soul, a revenant†(3). The Haitians still heavily believe that this is a part of the spiritual world. They say that these entities separate the body and the soul and compel one to work without the other, in this case the body without the soul. Over the years, however, these origins have begun to vanish due to new forms of the zombies. In the early 20th Century, films began to show Eurocentric ideas that created African-Americans to be viewed as these zombie creatures. Films such as White Zombie (1932) and I walked with a Zombie (1943) â€Å"invariably cast black sorcerers plotting for conquest of and control over white women, and blackness is unmistakably linked with primitive menace, superstition, and the diabolical† (5). These views began to change by the time Romero’s films came out. Now this monstrous creature is as simple as â€Å"a ghoul who lumbers around trying to eat people.† Today’s society is used to seeing these ghouls in pop culture. Because of the more than 100 shows, movies and video games on the market now, people are more accepting of this idea of a â€Å"zombie apocalypse.† In many places, they have held events, such as 5K races and obstacle courses, that center around a zombie theme. In Muskegon, Michigan they held a zombie apocalypse day where civilians dressed as zombies and chased after those that were dressed as civilians. â€Å"Zombie participants got creative and tore up and stained their clothing. They also added scars and bloody makeup,† said an article in the Muskegon Chronicle. This goes to show how immune today’s society has become to the idea of these flesh-eating monsters. Not everyone is taking it lightly though as some have plans set in stone for when the apocalypse may happen. The CDC, Center of Disease Control, has its own website dedicated to a zombie outbreak. The blog includes a brief history of the creatures, a list of survival tools for a kit and their own plan for survival if it would ever happen. â€Å"If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak.† The CDC tells us that it would be taken just as seriously as any other disease, and thanks pop culture and today’s society in helping to prepare for that day. Christopher Moreman takes a look past the plan in his book Zombies Are Us: Essays on the Humanity of the Walking Dead. The author looks into a world that is already ruled by the dead and sees how society would have to live to survive. He speaks for society as a whole through one line by referencing the graphic novel The Walking Dead: â€Å"In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living† (5). The creatures in Romero’s Dawn of the Dead may not be the scariest or deadliest of monsters, but it is when they are in large numbers that they can cause havoc. It is hard to deal with hundreds of flesh eating monsters at once no matter how fast or intelligent they may be. Much of the films’ audience saw Romero’s zombie as a symbolic structure of other things that could take down America. McCalister analyzes all of Romero’s films on the living dead and the time frame that they were made. â€Å"Night of the Living Dead attacks the nuclear American family, patriarchy, and racism; Dawn of the Dead fastens its attention on the deadening effects of rampant consumerism; and Day of the Dead offers an indictment of militarism and American misuse of science and technology† (17). These things were on the minds of Americans in the time the movies were made. Now they can be related to something different such as the events going on in the Middle East. Stephen Asma takes a look into the torturing of Iraqi soldiers and how the Americans may be the ones viewed as the evil creatures. In his book On Monsters, Asma references Dr. Philip Zimbardo and his theory called The Lucifer Effect. This idea helps to explain how good people can become evil in specific ways. He focuses on the torture of Iraqi soldiers. â€Å"The fact that seemingly normal American soldiers engaged in torture and degradation techniques on Iraqi detainees offers more evidence, Zimbardo thinks, for his view t hat abuse and aggression are not the results of inner character flaws† (Asma 413). He goes on to explain how Zimbardo believes these soldiers were not just a case of just one spoiled apple, but a bad barrel that spoiled anything put into it. In the case of the zombies, one can make the case that everyone on this planet will eventually fall to the disease and it is not because of the one zombie who started it all, but because everyone is infected to begin. These kinds of ideas are what bring the monstrous view of zombies into society. Kyle Bishop writes in his book American Zombie Gothic about how the use of the zombies in Dawn of the Dead creates a connection with the audience. He says that because the zombies look very similar to just another regular human being, it can make the audience feel terrified of the creatures. However, the way that the zombies act can tell the audience obvious differences between one that is still human and one that has turned. â€Å"Romero’s monsters are primarily ‘othered’ creatures, possessing virtually no subject ive, human qualities and encouraging almost no psychological suture with the audience† (Bishop 159). The comparison of zombies to human qualities can go on forever. Asma continues to analyze the psyche of the monstrous through the Id. â€Å"Rage is a powerful force that, along with other socially deleterious impulses, lives like a frustrated virus in the dark cellars of the Id† (354). The Id is the part of the personality that can make decisions unconsciously based off of desire and instinct. In the case of the zombies, all they want and need is food and in this case, the flesh of the protagonists. The zombies in Romero’s film were often times the ones being killed, whether it is a gunshot to the head, a bat to the head, a car hood to the head or a screwdriver through the ear. However, Romero kept scenes where humans were eaten by these creatures to give the audience a clear understanding of what to expect from the movie and who would be the good guys. In David Gilmore’s Monsters, the author discusses of ways on how to approach the monster. â€Å"Mythologistsâ € ¦ have written much about the theme of the Epic Hero who goes out to fight monsters in order to rescue maidens or to save society as a whole† (12). The monster is obvious in film but no Epic Hero is there to save the day. Taken this perspective into Dawn of the Dead, the audience can tell that it is society as a whole trying to fight the monsters to save the world from the dead. There are several ways to see why Romero’s Dawn of the Dead was up for awards. Much of it was not based off the effects and acting but what thought and background was put into the project. The study behind the zombies was thorough and began giving more meaning to the story. The symbolism of these creatures and how the good human being became an evil, flesh-seeking monster were just two of the things to write about. When all is said and done, the zombies may never come, but if they do, it is because of films like this that could help with survival. Works Cited Asma, Stephen T. On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print. Auty, Daniel. Dawn of the Dead. Rev. of Dawn of the Dead. n.d.: n. pag. The Spinning Image. Web. Bishop, Kyle William. American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture. Jefferson, NC: McFarland , 2010. Print. Gilmore, David D. Monsters: Evil Beings, Mythical Beasts, and All Manner of Imaginary Terrors. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2003. Print. Haiti and the Truth about Zombies. Www.umich.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. http://www.umich.edu/~uncanny/zombies.html. McCalister, Elizabeth. Slaves, Cannibals, and Infected Hyper-Whites: The Race and Religion of Zombies. Anthropological Quarterly 85.2 (n.d.): 457-86. Web. Public Health Matters Blog. Public Health Matters Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/.

Progression of economic value for coffee

Progression of economic value for coffee Chapter 3: The origin of the idea Progression of Economic Value for Coffee â€Å"Goods and services are no longer enough. To be successful in todays increasingly competitive environment, companies must learn to stage experiences for each one of their individual customers. We have entered the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which all businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers that engage each one of them in an inherently personal way.† Pine Gilmore, 1999 This is undoubtedly also true for the coffee industry. The economic value of coffee begins with extracting the commodity. Companies that harvest or trade coffee, receive about a 1 euro per pound. When a manufacturer grinds, packages, and sells those same beans to a grocery store, turning them into goods, the price to the consumer is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8 per pound, or about 7 ¢ to 18 ¢ a cup, depending on the brand and package size. When the coffee is brewed in a diner it will sell for about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 per cup. Businesses offer the coffee in an experience such as a fine restaurant orStarbucks get à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 a cup. This means that atStarbucks, the customer is not only paying for the coffee, but also for theStarbucks experience. Interestingly, when you move a product up the progression of economic value to an experience, as can be seen in figure 1, you rarely see discounting.This is because Starbucksdoes not need to offer price cuts in order to generate business. Consumers expect better quality when willing to pay a higher price. Retailing is therefore facing an increased challenge from the experience economy. The problem being that there is a great amount of shops in the world, all basically selling the same things, causing only stores that sell values and experiences to stand out. According to Pine and Gilmore (1999), Starbucks has succeeded precisely because it is not limited to only selling a good, being coffee beans, or a service, such as a cup of coffee to-go. Instead, as a Third Place, being not the home or the office but the place between, Starbucks strives to sell a one-of-a-kind experience, which it hopes to keep its customers satisfied enough to want to keep coming back for more. Karababa Ger (2011) argue that pleasure and leisure are two important characteristics of todays consumer culture. Masses of consumers enjoy leisure away from home and work in these so-called â€Å"third places†. Nowadays there are many different cafà ©s, all with different styles. Some are global-branded like Starbucks, while some are more local. Most local coffee houses are defined as either being anti-corporate, or are a hybrid of multiple local and global traditions, such as our own business case example, the Dutch coffee house Doppio-Espresso. The origin of Starbucks Several factors contributed to the opportunity for Starbucks to develop a new, successful retail chain, with the most important one being the fact that founder Howard Schultz had an insight that the other players in the coffee market did not. He realized that Americans were lacking a relaxed, social atmosphere where they could savor a good cup of coffee. After a trip to Italy in 1987 he purchased Starbucks, because he was convinced that Americans were ready to embrace the Italian coffee house culture. Prior to that time, coffee consumption in the US was gradually declining, while the three major coffee manufacturers, Proctor Gamble, Nestle, and Kraft, fought for market share in a saturated market, all the while decreasing the quality of the beans in their blends in order to maintain profits (Berry et al., 2006). The Starbucks brand has since then become ever-present, so much so that it may be hard to remember a time when coffee houses were not part of every major city in the world. Even though coffee houses existed in abundance before Starbucks came along, the quality of both the coffee and the customer experience has never been as consistent as today. Since the beginning, the company aimed at offering a better experience for coffee lovers. They did this by brewing coffee of uniform quality and developed the idea of charging premium prices for coffee drinks. But most importantly, they focused on creating a relaxing atmosphere for the customer. Tables were purposely spaced apart in order to ensure the customers their privacy. More specifically, round tables were used since research indicated that a person can sit alone at a round table without having to feel secluded or awkward. Furthermore, Starbucks aimed at opening as many stores as possible as a way to make each new store just a few steps more convenient for new customers. The stock value of Starbucks has since then increased by more than 3,000% (Berry et al., 2006). The origin of Doppio Chapter 5: Experiential Services Incremental improvements are added to services all the time, but few companies succeed in creating service innovation that create new markets or convert existing ones. To move in that direction, it is important for companies to embody the capacity to successfully implement the nine drivers of successful service innovations as can be seen in figure 2. In the case Starbucks, one of the most important success factors, which aided in creating a new service market, is their comprehensive customer-experience management. According to Zomerdijk Voss (2010), services differ from manufactured goods, because they generally offer many more distinct experiences to the customer. These experiences are called â€Å"touchpoints†, and they depend on three â€Å"experience clues†. The first one are functional clues, which point to the technical quality of the offering; the second being mechanical clues, which relate to nonhuman elements such as the design of the store; and the third being human clues, which come from the behavior and appearance of employees.When these three clues are combined, a total experience is created that has direct influence on how the customer will assess quality and value. The reason that Customer Experience Management is so crucial to the success of inseparable services, is due to the fact that with these kinds of services the customer is directly exposed to the production as well as the delivery of the service, and can thus experience everything that occurs there (Berry et al., 2006). Therefore, the success of Starbucks has to depend the quality of the product (functional clues), a relaxing atmosphere in the store (mechanical clues), and service-oriented employees (human clues). To implement its core strategy, Starbucks must therefore excel in managing all of these customer experience clues. In addition to serving sit-down coffee drinkers, Starbucks also serves another big market segment, namely, takeout customers who want fast service. In order to cater to both consumer groups Starbucks is constantly trying to find new ways to reduce the average waiting time without reducing quality. Some of the companys timesaving innovations are providing customers with special paying cards for fast transactions, more efficient coffee machines, and creating a way for employees to able to shift through the store to wherever he or she is needed at that time (Berry et al., 2006). Some Starbucks shops are also strategically located in areas where there are a lot of potential takeout customers. When Starbucks first started out in The Netherlands they focused solely on placing small shops located near public transportation areas, such as train stations, to cater almost exclusively to these takeout customers. Customers visiting a Starbucks store, however, do not only buy coffee, but they also buy the company brand. The way they experience the service has direct influence on how they perceive the brand. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz quickly realized that in order to achieve brand power in a service business, the employees must take center stage. When a product is sold in a supermarket, there is no personal interaction, but in a Starbucks store, you are presented with real people who produce and deliver the product as a service in a friendly and exclusive manner. As was explained in Chapter 4 with the Zomerdijk Voss (2010) model, employees are thus utilized at the frontstage of the experience. Starbucks success proves that a multimillion-dollar advertising program isnt a prerequisite for building a national brand; it can be done one customer at a time, one store at a time, one market at a time (Berry, 2000). Values-based Service Quality The four dimensions of the Values-based Service Quality model proposed by Enquist et al. (2007) are the technical, functional, experiential, and the human resources (HR) corporate climate dimension. According to the model Starbucks is a values-based company becomes it encompasses a strong commitment to all its stakeholders; customers, shareholders, employees, its suppliers, strategic partners, local communities and global society in general. The four dimensions can also be seen through the strong Starbucks concept, which relies on the premium coffee, and the â€Å"Starbucks experience†. More specifically, the first two dimensions technical and functional quality relate to the quality of processing and producing the coffee bean. High-quality coffee beans are purchased, roasted, and sold as fresh, richly-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages. Starbucks also offer a variety of foods, and coffee-related accessories in its stores. They also ensure that all parties in their value chain are operating at optimal quality, and sometimes even take over some of the manufacturing duties, such as roasting plants (Enquist et al., 2007). With Starbucks expanding throughout Europe and Asia, the company has strategically chosen Amsterdam for building a roasting plant, since the industrial area is relatively small and self-contained, providing specialized service. The facility houses equipment and operations to receive, roast, package and ship Starbucks coffee to retail stores in current and emerging markets. As with all Starbucks roasting plants, the Port of Amsterdam Roasting Pla nt also has a tasting room, which serves as the main center where Starbucks coffee experts taste and test the Starbucks coffee (Burnson, 2002). This further stresses the importance and commitment Starbucks places on innovating and improving its products and services throughout the value chain. The experiential quality dimension can be symbolized by the concept of the Starbucks experience, which amounts to more than just the store. It provides the customer with a â€Å"Third Place†, where he or she can relax away from home and work, and enjoy the services offered. The fourth and final values-based quality dimension HR corporate climate is related to workplace and society. One of the main goals of Starbucks management is to maintain a safe, productive and diverse work environment for its employees, and to provide them with opportunities for training and career growth. Starbucks also provides incentives for its employees to become shareholders of the company, and thus introduced the title of ‘partner instead of employee. Starbucks has also ventured into the sustainable service business by introducing a code of conduct in 2001, labeled C. A. F. E. Practices (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices), which promises to â€Å"deliver a premium coffee farmed, distributed and cultivated in an ethical, social and environmental way† (Enquist et al., 2007). The Future of Starbucks Starbucks led by the visions of Howard Schultz, has revolutionized the coffee industry and the perception of coffee when they first introduced their coffee experience concept, and has since then been setting industry standards. However, this radical way of offering coffee has in general become so widely accessible and common to consumers, that it no longer seems special. Furthermore, some strategic decisions made by Starbucks have caused the brand to become less flexible, and more standardized, compared to smaller, local and independent competitors. Aggressive expansions, and attempts to deal with intensified competition from the fast-food sector, have created negative associations with the Starbucks brand. This has caused Starbucks to be perceived by some as a mainstream and standardized brand, which no longer possesses the distinct character of a local authentic coffeehouse.

Buddhism Essay -- essays research papers

Buddhism Buddhism, one of the major religions of the world, was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India from 560 to 480 B.C. The time of the Buddha was one of social and religious change, marked by the further advance of Aryan Civilization into the Ganges Plain, the development of trade and cities, the breakdown of old tribal structures, and the rise of a whole spectrum of new religious movements that responded to the demands of the times (Conze 10). These movements were derived from the Brahmanic tradition of Hinduism but were also reactions against it. Of the new sects, Buddhism was the most successful and eventually spread throughout India and most of Asia. Today it is common to divide Buddhism into two main branches. The Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," is the more conservative of the two; it is dominant in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand (Berry 23). The Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle," is more diverse and liberal; it is found mainly in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and among Tibetan peoples, where it is distinguished by its emphasis on the Buddhist Tantras (Berry 24). In recent times both branches, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, have gained followers in the West. It is virtually impossible to tell what the Buddhist population of the world is today; statistics are difficult to obtain because persons might have Buddhist beliefs and engage in Buddhist rites while maintaining folk or other religions such as Shinto, Confucian, Taoist, and Hindu (Corless 41). Such persons might or might not call themselves or be counted as Buddhists. Nevertheless, the number of Buddhists worldwide is frequently estimated at more than 300 million (Berry 32). Just what the original teaching of the Buddha was is a matter of some debate. Nonetheless, it may be said to have centered on certain basic doctrines. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha held, is suffering, or duhkha. By this, he meant not only that human existence is occasionally painful but that all beings; humans, animals, ghosts, hell- beings, even the gods in the heavens; are caught up in samsara, a cycle of rebirth, a maze of suffering in which their actions, or karma, keep them wandering (Coomaraswamy 53). Samsara ... ...bsp; The heart of Zen monasticism is the practice of meditation; it is this feature that has been most popular in Zen's spread to the West. Zen meditation highlights the experience of enlightenment, or satori, and the possibility of attaining it in this life. The strict training of Zen monks, the daily physical chores, the constant wrestling with koans, the long hours of sitting in meditation, and the special intensive periods of practice, or sesshin, are all directed toward this end. At the same time, enlightenment is generally thought of as being sudden. The meditator needs to be jolted awake, and the only one who can do this is his Zen master (Davids 113). The master-disciple relationship often involves private interviews in which the Zen trait of unconventionality sometimes comes to the fore; the master will allow no refuge in the Buddha or the sutras but demands from his disciple a direct answer to his assigned koan (Davids 114). Conversely, the master may goad the disciple by remaining silent or compassionately help him out, but with the constant aim of trying to cause a breakthrough from conventional to absolute truth (Corless 131).

Comparing the Book and Movie Version of The Secret Garden Essay

The Secret Garden: Book vs. Movie The Secret Garden is a film based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's book bearing the same title. This movie is about a young girl who is literally shipped off to her uncle's English castle after her parents are killed in an earthquake. The main character, Mary, is played by Kate Maberly. She is tossed into a world where sunlight and cheerful discourse seem as rare as the attention she receives from the sour-pussed housekeeper Medlock, played by Maggie Smith. She helps her crippled cousin to see past his hypochondria and into the wonders of a long forgotten garden hidden beyond the confines of Misselthwaite Manor. While one critic dislikes the slight deviations from the book, another is content to relish in the imagery and scenery of The Secret Garden. Megan Rosenfeld, a Washington Post staff writer, is obviously distressed at the modifications made by director Agnieszka Holland to the original story. Ms. Rosenfeld asserts, "If it ain't broke, don't rewrite it." She refers to some specific changes, including the use of an earth...

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925. The novel is in general about middle and upper class American citizens. The novel tells about their lives after World War I had ended. The setting is Long Island, New York.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In chapter one, the book introduces Tom Buchanan and his wife, Daisy. Nick, the narrator, and Tom knew each other. Nick and Tom had gone to Yale together. Nick and Daisy are distant cousins. Tom is an adulterer. During dinner, Tom receives a phone call from his mistress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. J. T. Eckleburg is on a billboard overlooking the Valley of Ashes. Tom’s mistress is a woman named Myrtle. Myrtle is exactly the opposite of Daisy. The only reason Myrtle is with Tom is to move up into a more sophisticated class. Myrtle’s sister tells Nick that the only reason Tom and Myrtle will not marry is because Daisy is catholic. The real reasons; however, is because Myrtle is not the â€Å"arm ornament† that Daisy is. Myrtle says Daisy’s name and Tom hits her. Myrtle’s nose starts bleeding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A man named Jay Gatsby lives beside Nick. Nick does not know anything about his neighbor. Gatsby is always having parties. Finally, Gatsby invites Nick to a party. Nick thinks that Gatsby’s parties are wild and not very organized. Nick and Jordan Baker become attached at this party. Nick and Jordan hear that the host may have killed someone. They have never met Gatsby, so they do not really know what kind of person he is. Nick and Jordan hear that Gatsby was a German spy during the war. They also hear that Gatsby was in the American army during the war. Nick and Jordan begin wondering around. They go into Gatsby’s library. In the library, they meet â€Å"Owl Eyes.† â€Å"Owl Eyes† is a very strange person with glasses. He is always drunk. â€Å"Owl Eyes† can not believe Gatsby’s books are real.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Nick finally meets Gatsby, he finds out the rumors were not true. Nick learns that him and Gatsby were in the same division during the war. They were also stationed near each other. Gatsby was not at all the person Nick thought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The date is now July 5, 1922. Gatsby and Nick begin to get closer. Gatsby tells Nick a little about his past. Gatsby tells Nick that his world travels were a way to forget a sad event.

Marriage and Taxes Essay

Marriage and Taxes Introduction: Bill and Mary plan to marry in December of 2012. Bill’s salary is $32,000 and he owns a residence. His itemized deductions total $12,000. Mary’s salary is $39,000. Her itemized deductions total only $1,600 as she does not own a residence. Assume that 2013 tax rates, exemptions, and standard deductions are the same as 2012. Task(s): Answer the following questions: a. What will their tax be if they marry before year-end and file a joint return? The file joint of returns will be $12,000. b. What will their combined taxes be for the year if they delay the marriage until 2013? The combined taxes will be $13,600 if they delay the marriage. $12,000 + 1,600 = 13,600. c. What factors contribute to the difference in taxes? Some of the factors that can result a difference in the taxes would be based on your itemized deductions. Examples a itemized deductions are mortgages that you own, have done any charitable donations, medical expenses, Long-term care services, and relocating for new employment. For a marriage case they can us the marriage penalty, Examples of a marriage penalty: (1) Both of the earns $80,000 a year mas two single individuals, the marginal tax rate will be 25% However, if you are a married couple, the marginal tax rate on a $160,000 annual income is 28%. 2) If you are married you are allowed to write off a total of $3,000 in losses, if filing separately, each only has a $1,500 limit; whereas two single individuals can write off a total of $6,000. (3) When it comes to IRA contributions, they are phased out at income levels between $178,000 – $188,000 for married couples versus a range of $112,000 – $127,000 for single taxpayers. Ingenuity. Empathetic.

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April 1889 at the Gasthof zum Pommer, a hotel in Braunau am inn in Austria. He was the fourth child in the family of six children. Adolf Hitler had a very troubled relationship with his father but was close to his mother.His father, Alois Hitler, was an authoritarian figure who frequently beat his son. He is said to have told his secretary that he once resolved never to cry when his father whipped him. Hitler was a relatively poor student, a fact that he later attributed to his rebellious nature towards Alois. In his early years lived a life characterized by the love of intellectual and artistic tendencies.From 1905, Adolf led a bohemian lifestyle in Vienna, Austria. He applied twice in the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected. The Academy cited that he was unfit to paint and was told to try architecture instead. Apparently, he had fascination for architecture. It was in Vienna that Adolf Hitler became an anti-Semite.Vienna had a large Jewish com munity among them Orthodox Jews who had fled Russia. It is said that those who may have influenced Hitler during his early years include politician Karl Lueger, anti-Semite ideologist Lanz von Liebenfels, Georg Ritter von Schonerer, and composer Richard Wagner. (Lukacs 110)First World WarAdolf Hitler served in the sixteenth Bavarian Regiment in Belgium and France in the First World War. By the end of the war he was the equivalent of American army private first class. A private first class, or a Gefreiter in German, was a runner and was frequently exposed to enemy fire. Though his position was dangerous, Hitler served in key battles on the Western Front. These include:First Battle of Ypres Battle of the Somme Battle of Arras Battle of Passchendaele The first Battle of Ypres gained the name Massacre of Innocent and about forty thousand men were killed in twenty days. Between October and December, Adolf’s company of two hundred and fifty men was reduced to forty two men. His bio grapher noted that the Battle of Ypres made Adolf withdrawn and aloof for the remainder of the war.He was however rewarded for his bravery by being awarded two decorations. He was awarded the Second Class Iron Cross in 1914. He also received the Iron Cross, First Class in the year 1918. This honor was rarely awarded to a private first class.The regimental staff though thought that he lacked leadership skills and was never promoted to the position of corporal. Another reason cited for lack of promotion was because his citizenry was in question. While at his regimental headquarters, Hitler found time to practice his artwork. He contributed to the army newspaper by drawing cartoons and instructional drawings.During the Battle of Somme, Hitler was wounded in the groin area. This was in 1916 but by 1917 he had returned to the front. Due to his injury, Hitler received a wound badge in 1917. Adolf Hitler was temporarily blinded following a mustard gas attack and was admitted to a field hos pital.Some people later suggested that Hitler was blinded as a result of a conversion disorder. According to him, the blindness experience led him to be convinced that his life’s purpose was to save to Germany. Some scholars indicate that his objective and intention to eliminate Jews in Europe was formed in his mind during this time. (Lukacs 118)PoliticsAdolf Hitler was a passionate German patriot and had admired Germany for a long time. He however became a citizen in 1932. He regarded war as his greatest experience and received many praises for his bravery from various commanding officers. Hitler was shocked and angered by Germany’s agreement to surrender in November 1918.What made him angrier was the fact that their army still held enemy territory. As a staunch nationalist, he believed in the ‘dagger stabbed legend’. The legend argued that the undefeated Germany army in the field had been betrayed (stabbed in the back) by Marxists and civilian leaders. T hese Marxists and civilian leaders were later branded November Criminals.The German capitulation deprived the nation a number of territories and demilitarized the Rhineland. The Treaty of Versailles also imposed economically damaging sanctions on Germany. The Versailles treaty restored Poland, a move considered an outrage even to a moderate German. It also criminalized Germany for all horrors experienced during the World War One.Since Germany was culpable, reparations were imposed on the nation. The Treaty of Versailles humiliated Germany in a number of ways. The German army for instance was almost fully demilitarized. They were not allowed to have submarines, an air force, armored vehicles, and were only allowed six battleships and an army of a hundred thousand people.The treaty played a significant role on Germany’s political and social conditions. It was an important basis on which the Nazis and Hitler sought power.Adolf Hitler remained in the army after the end of the Fir st World War. He went back to Munich and attended the funeral procession of the murdered Prime Minister Kurt Eisner. He was part of the ‘national thinking’ courses led by the Bavarian department of propaganda and education.Hitler and those of the same sentiments be regarded Germany woes to be as a result of international Jewry, politicians, Communists, and Marxists. In 1919, Adolf Hitler was appointed as a police spy of the Intelligence Commando of the Reichswehr.The Reichswehr was later formed the defense force of Germany. He was required to infiltrate the German Workers’ Party (a small party then) and influence other soldiers. The factors that impressed Hitler to join the party include: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-Semitic ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was nationalistic ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-capitalist ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-Marxist ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The party favor ed a strong and active administration ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The party advocated for   a non Jewish version of Socialism ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Solidarity for all members of the societyThe above beliefs and characteristics guided Adolf Hitler for the rest of his life and administration. Adolf Hitler was made the seventh member of the executive committee of Anton Drexler’s German Workers Party. This was mainly due to the fact that the party founder was impressed by his oratory skills. Hitler also met another founder of the party Dietrich Eckart who will become his mentor.Dietrich taught Hitler how to dress and speak exchanged ideas with him and introduced him to many people. So as to improve the party’s appeal, it was renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party. After being discharged of his military duties in 1920, Hitler together with his former superiors concentrated his efforts in the party’s activities. He became very effe ctive at speaking to large crowds. (Lukacs 110)Adolf Hitler was a gifted orator and used his talent to the maximum. In February 1921, he addressed nearly six thousand people assembled in Munich. He advertised the gathering using two truckloads filled with supporters holding swastikas and throwing leaflets. He used polemic and rowdy speeches to criticize the Treaty of Versailles, politicians, Marxists and Jews.His party was based in Munich (a German nationalist’s hotbed then) and was determined to undermine the Weimer republic party and end Marxism. Some of his party members considered him to be domineering. This group formed alliance with other socialists leading to the resignation of Adolf Hitler from the party in July 1921.The exit of Hitler meant the end of the party. He however declared his return if he was given the position of chairman of the party with unlimited powers. Some original members of the party were infuriated by Hitler’s decision. They wrote a pamphle t attacking Hitler as a traitor and criticizing him as power hungry and violent. Hitler sued for libel and was awarded a small settlement.The party members were later made to vote on Hitler’s demand. He won through landslide victory with five hundred and forty three votes against one. On July 29 1921, he was declared the Fuhrer of his party. This was the first time the term Fuhrer was used.He made enemies by attacking communists, capitalists, Jews, liberals, and reactionary monarchists. His initial followers include army captain Ernst Rohm, air force pilot Herman Goring, Rudolf Hess and wartime General Erich Ludendorff.Adolf Hitler together with his wartime general friend staged a coup on November 8 1983. Hitler and the NAZI paramilitary organization SA stormed a public meeting led by Kahr. The following day Hitler and party supporters marched from a large beer hall in Munich to the Bavarian War Ministry.Their intention was to overthrow the Bavarian government. This event is popularly known as the Beer Hall Putsch. They were however dispersed and sixteen party members killed. Some scholars indicate that Hitler contemplated suicide after the beer hall putsch event. Adolf Hitler was later arrested and charged with high treason. His trial transformed Hitler from a local Munich figure to a national figure.He used his unlimited time during the trial to voice his nationalistic sentiments in the defense speech. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment on 1st April 1924. The Bavarian Supreme Court handed Hitler an early release on 20th December 1924. He dedicated his time at Landsberg Prison writing an autobiography and explanation of his ideology titled Mein Kampf. It sold close to a quarter million copies between 1925 and 1934.Rise to powerHitler faced various obstacles in his efforts of rebuilding his party. Some of these obstacles included improved economy in Germany, collapse of the putsch and his ban on public speaking. He devised a new ‘legalâ⠂¬â„¢ strategy of gaining power. Hitler’s turning point came when Germany was hit by the Great Depression in 1930.The Centre Party of Chancellor Heinrich Bruning lacked majority in parliament leading to instability. The premature elections of 1930 saw the Nazis win unexpected 107 seats and eighteen percent of the vote. They rose from one of the smallest party in the parliament to the second largest.Hitler appealed to war veterans, the middle class, and German farmers. His niece Geli Raubal committed suicide using Hitler’s gun in September 1931. Geli, who was nineteen years younger than Hitler was believed to have been in a romantic relationship with him.This event was a source of intense and lasting pain to Adolf Hitler. After attaining citizenship in 1932, Hitler ran for president against the incumbent Paul von Hindenburg but came in second with a remarkable 35%. (Rees 62)After Bruning resigned in1932, the July election saw the Nazis become the largest party in the pa rliament with 230 seats. The parliament was later dissolved and new elections were called. The Nazis lost some seats but still remained the party with the majority seats. Through a power sharing deal, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of the German government and sworn in on January 30th, 1933.On February 1933, the parliament building was set on fire leading to the government Reichstag Fire Decree. The Nazis used their paramilitary unit to spread violence against communists. The Enabling Act gave the Hitler administration legislative and executive powers.He used this position to suppress any remaining opposition and on July 14 1934, his party was declared as the only legal party in the nation. He used the SA paramilitary power to force for Hugenberg’s resignation and the abolition of state governments. After the death of the president, new elections were not held.His cabinet passed a law making the office dormant. Hitler transferred all the powers to himself and declared himself the Fuhrer and Reichskanzer or the leader and the chancellor. He therefore became the commander of the German armed forces.

If I were the Finance Minister of India Essay

In the economy of a developing county like India, the role of the Finance Minister is a crucial one. This is more so in the case of the country which has chosen the path of planned development, as Indian has done. If ever I become the Finance Minister of the country, my first effort would be to root out the demon of back money. It is black money which leads to inflation and to the rise in prices, and this makes financial control almost impossible. Since black money is the money on which tax has not been paid, I will see to it that that evasion is reduced to a minimum. With this end in view, tax structure will be rationalized. The taxation rate will be brought down so as to provide relief to the salaried people as well as to the business community. With a more reasonable tax – structure, the temptation to evade taxes, would no longer be there. Those who still avoid payment of direct taxes, plugged, so that tax-evaders are not able to escape the clutches clutches of the law. Black-markets hoarders, ect, who run a kind of parallel economy, would also be severely dealt with Laws in this respect would also be made more stringent, and the concerned Government officials would be given more power to deal with such offenders. In this way, the inflation rate would be brought down, and relief provided to the people, groaning under the burden of rising prices and increasing taxation. I will also see to it that credit facilities are liberalized. Banking services will be extended to the rural areas. With this end in view, Banks will be encouraged to open their braches even in remote villages. Indian farmer is proverbially poor, and owning to his poverty and illiteracy he has always been exploited by the local money lenders. Instructions will be used to the banks (through the Reserve Bank of India) that the needy farmers be given loans on easy and liberal terms. This will enable them to purchase good quality seeds, fertilizers, tractors, etc. Agriculture would thus be modernized and this would lead to increase production. Construction of tube-wells would also be encouraged and villages would be rapidly electrified, so that agriculture production is no longer at the mercy of rains. While I will continue to encourage large scale industries, the growth of small industries would also be encouraged. They would also be provided with soft loans by the nationalized banks, and if need be more banks would be nationalized. Technicians, live T.V and Radio mechanics, Internet, professional people like Doctors and other self-employed people, would also be given financial help by the banks. Non-plan Government expenditure would be brought down whenever possible. Wastage would be reduced to a minimum by appropriate measures. I will see to it that, while the just demands of the employees are met with, they also work honestly and sincerely for the good of the nation. All these measures, I hope, would be brought down whenever possible. Wastage would be reduced to a minimum by appropriate measures. I will see to it that, while the just demands of the employees are met with, they also work honestly and sincerely for the good of the nation. All these measures, I hope, would go a long way toward revamping the Indian economy. Still, if considered necessary, I will not hesitate to accept foreign aid or to take loans from International Financial Institutions like the I.M.F Funds would also be raised through borrowings from the public. However, I am hopeful that such measures would not be necessary. Public sector undertakings are already showing large profits which are likely to be larger still in the next years. These earnings should be sufficient to fill any budgetary gaps. Those which are running in a loss will be wound up and replaced by private industrial concerns. In the interest of rapid, increased production even multinational concerns will be invited to set up industries in the country. The employees of the sick public sector undertakings would be absorbed in these private industries. Thus a massive programme of privatization would be undertaken to encourage competition and promote production. In short, as the Financial Minister of India, it would be my earnest endeavour to see that there is an overall increase in production, that the hardship of the people are reduced to a minimum, and through proper fiscal control Indian Economy becomes more and more self-reliant.

Monologue of a Serial Killer

How was I supposed to know that this was wrong, when it felt so right? Everything my father has taught me is wrong†¦ He taught me not to love, taught me not to feel, have no compassion for others. How†¦how could this be wrong, my whole life a lie; that’s what it was, that’s what I could reduce it to, a lie. Where had my mother been when my father had been teaching me these things? Where had aunts, uncles, grandpas, grandmas, cousins†¦ teachers, anybody been to tell me, to show me that†¦that all of this was wrong. Wrong†¦that word doesn’t seem real now, and it will never truly seem real, because I’ve never known anything else. I sound like I’m trying to shoulder the blame but I’m not, I’m truly not; I just†¦I felt so accepted by him, and loved, so loved that I didn’t really need anyone else†¦you know, the kind of love where†¦where anything could happen, and that one person would still be there; still there listening to everything you ever have to say, any problems and they say one word, two words, a sentence and everything is better†¦everything is fixed. My father is the kind of person I always wished I was; strong, capable, a true man†¦a real man†¦someone I would never be. My father says my mother held me too much when I was a child; he had to get me away from her quickly, so†¦so he found something to bond us together, found something that my mother could never be a part of, would never be a part of. And my mother, my mother didn’t seem to notice how I changed. I changed so drastically in the space of about 5 months; my perspective on life changed, suddenly I started to view everyone as a victim, as an outsider, and eventually the only person I could trust was my father, the only person I believed was him; my father, my best friend, my partner, my mentor, the one person who I could go to, who I knew could never judge because his crimes are worse than mine, much worse. I’m told that I’m a victim in all of this; a victim of my environment, a product created by my father for his own means. How can I believe that? How†¦how can that be true after everything he said, everything we’ve done together, always together. I told him we shouldn’t have taken her, that last one; she was wanted, she had friends, she had a family, she had a future, she†¦she was somebody†¦loved. But he had to have her and I couldn’t tell him no, he was the master he’d say, and I was his student†¦a student still after 12 years, 12 long years stretching out behind me. When I look at those years now I see there was no love there, how could he ever love anything more than what he did to those girls? He was alive when I watched him do that; his eyes, they sparkled and twinkled in the night. I try to remember a time when I’ve seen him happy like that with my mother and I can’t†¦I can’t. I’ve seen him smile, obviously I’ve seen him smile, but happiness is something a child should witness from a parent in normal circumstances†¦but then again what’s normal? They say normal is gardening, cooking, cleaning, washing, golfing†¦perhaps driving, stalking, watching, learning, catching, cutting, killing, digging†¦burying†¦none of that is normal, so I’ve been told. My mind†¦my mind is mixed up and all I can hear is my mother crying†¦crying trying to convince herself that she didn’t know what was going on. I want to see my father, but I’m not allowed. As if anything he could say would influence me more than he has done already; there’s nothing they can say now to make me confess, to speak a bad word about my father. I am his†¦forever his†¦but he will never be mine.

Strategies for responsible business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategies for responsible business - Assignment Example For instance, employees may hold sarcastic approach towards the fact that their organization is externally engaged in social work while management is not doing the needful to improve their working conditions. Therefore, the exact definition of CSR can be explained by the overall approach of an organization. A firm that engages in sharing information with its employees regarding probable downsizing, and then helps the displaced employees with new job opportunities is essentially involved in CSR. Likewise, another firm that emphasizes on customer interest by providing them safe, reliable and innovative products is also engaged in a strategic CSR (Waldman et al., 1). The concept of CSR emerged in the aftermath of World War II, and it gained actual foothold in the business world from 1960 onwards (Carroll & Shabana, 85). CSR essentially means that a company performs its certain activities for a larger purpose of social, economic and environmental benefits over its economic and legal goals. Traditionally a business is known for its profit making strategies and its product or service innovations. In this modern age, CRS activities add brand value to an organization. In fact, many organizations promote their CSR activities so as to gain the confidence of more number of people across the globe. The essence of CSR lies in thinking above profit maximization objectives, and striving towards the goal of performing in a viable social and environmental setup. In truth, a company does not legally have any social responsibilities that are not integral part of its business objectives. The need is to put in best efforts to minimize adverse impact on society an d environment; nevertheless the trick lies in balancing such efforts with the core financial objectives. This paper has attempted to critically discuss the following statement: â€Å"Companies engage in CSR because, for a number of reasons, they think it will be good for their profit

Sexual harassment in the workplace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexual harassment in the workplace - Assignment Example According to the Equal Rights Advocates, sexual harassment is defined as â€Å"unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment.† When reading this definition it is difficult to understand how people would do this within the workplace, but it is important to understand that this happens on a regular basis. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that in 2008, 13,867 cases of sexual harassment were received by them and 11,731 of those cases were resolved; 15.9% of these cases were filed by men. The Alliance Training and Consulting group found that in 2010, there were 11,717 cases filed with the EEOC and the eventual resolution of cases cost companies $48.4 million in damages. These statistics show that sexual harassment is not only a problem for the people who experience sexual harassment, but it also is very costly to the companies that are in volved. The challenge for many companies is that they do not know that there is training available for their employees which can help them resolve some of these issues before they begin. According to Pamela Mahabeer, a writer for AOL Jobs, although seminars are done to teach people about sexual harassment, it still is happening. ... Ellie Mystal, a writer for Above The Law, states that many men file sexual harassment claims when they are fired from a job because they are seeking a reason for their firing; many of these cases claimed that men were sexually harassed by other men. Another issue with sexual harassment is that it can be claimed that it creates a hostile work environment. In order to claim that this happens, it must meet two criteria: First, what is going on must be â€Å"subjectively abusive† to the person or persons affected and it must be â€Å"objectively severe or pervasive enough† to create an environment that other people would also find abusive (â€Å"Preventing†). This can happen in many instances and this often indicates that there are many incidences of sexual harassment that are being ignored, or that it is a constant harassing that happens over time. Sexual harassment is a very important issue in the workplace that needs to be challenged when it happens so that everyo ne can be in a safe environment when they are working. Works Cited Alliance Training and Consulting. â€Å"Harassment Statistics the Latest EEOC Statistics.† 2010. 29 June 2011. http://www.alliancetac.com/index.html?PAGE_ID=2702 Equal Rights Advocates. â€Å"Know Your Rights: Sexual Harassment at Work.† 2011. 20 June 2011. http://www.equalrights.org/publications/kyr/shwork.asp Mahabeer, Pamela. â€Å"Sexual Harassment Still Pervasive in the Workplace.† AOL Jobs. 8 January 2011. Web. 11 June 2011. http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/01/28/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace . Mystal, Ellie. â€Å"Sexual Harassment: It’s Not Just for Women Anymore.† Above the Law. Web. March 24, 2010 http://abovethelaw.com/2010/03/sexual-harassment-men

Ethics Perspective in Applied Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics Perspective in Applied Leadership - Essay Example The author of the paper states that in the Kant categorical imperative perspective, the company should do what is right. Matters considered right always have benefits to the people that require showing concern to other people. Besides, what is right for the company requires acceptance from the majority hence considering their opinions.  Communitarianism deals with considering the responsibilities in the community rather than a single individual. In the organization, this ethical perspective focuses on promoting the values that people share in addressing differences in the cultures. In the process of addressing the cultural difference and using only universal values, leaders always show concern for every individual and implement altruism in the process. Considering others rather than a single individual is an action that is in altruism. The showing of concern before and in the process of trying to promote communal values is an act of altruism. Hence, it is justifiable to state that altruism is the prerequisite of other ethical perspectives such as utilitarianism and communitarianism. The process of using these ethical perspectives requires consideration and concern to other people before taking actions.

The Role of a Military Officer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of a Military Officer - Essay Example The paper tells that although work in the military is perilous, stressful, demanding and a non-lucrative occupation, nevertheless, there is no better reward than to be regarded as someone of service to the community wherein we and our loved ones are living in. That objective alone establishes a sufficient motivation for me to go through this challenge. He is aware that being a Military Officer carries with it a great responsibility and requires utmost devotion and determination. It is his aspiration to gain knowledge and expertise in this field to be of efficient service. He believes that every man has his own destiny. And in his heart, this is what he is committed to pursue. As a Military Officer, he is expected to possess the necessary qualifications to fulfill this delicate function. Society must be assured that he has a keen understanding and appreciation of the true nature and significance of the military profession and have a thorough awareness of the social responsibilities it entails. It is important to be trained to be an effective leader in all aspects of army life and to be responsible for a team of soldiers and other personnel under my command. Aside from possessing high degrees of self-discipline and excellent physical and mental fitness, he is required of expertise, broad liberal education and technical knowledge to effectively apply military force in an orderly manner. Society expects that its Military Officers are committed, competent and capable of taking any mission whose objective is to protect and defend the country.

Basel Accords Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Basel Accords - Essay Example These recommendations sought after ensuring that the higher the risks to which bank are exposed, the greater the amount of capital the bank require to hold for it to safeguard its economic stability as well as its solvency. The Basel Accord 3 attempts to accomplish security by capital and risk management requirements to ensure that there is adequate capital in banks. Its primary focus was to ensure that there was sufficient consistency of regulations to reduce the competitive inequality that exist among internationally active banks (Milne, 2001). There are significant lessons that are that are learned from the Basel’s Accord. Through these regulations, managers will acquire adequate skills to handle adequately risks within banking organizations. The Basel Accord also comes accompanied with an opening for the insurance industry to evaluate the weaknesses, success as well as shortcomings experienced by banking sectors. This knowledge is considerable important for managers in running the operations of banking institutions (Milne,

Pragmatic War Mod 5 Disc 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pragmatic War Mod 5 Disc 2 - Essay Example The election was followed the immediate secession of South Carolina on December 20, 1860. Other states that had the same perception of Carolina followed suit and these included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas (James M. McPherson, 2009). The American’s perceptions at the time of the civil war were different as compared to what they think today. This is because the effects of the civil war made them change their minds about what is democracy and what is not. As much as the north wanted to free the slaves and end slavery, Lincoln had to go against democracy in order to succeed in his mission. The rights and freedoms of individuals and the press were suspended in order win the civil war. Democracy at that time was seen as an impediment to the success of this mission. The impact of suppressing democracy was both positive and negative as it led to the end of the slave trade which was positive but the rights and freedoms of individuals were neglected. After the war people began to advocate for democracy as lack of it had led to the suffering of many people (James M. McPherson, 2009). The impact was lasting as is evident today. There are many things that changed in the American way of life and have continued to promote democracy. America has been on the fore front advocating for the abolition of all forms of slave trade and campaigning for the respect of all humans. It has also gone way ahead by trying to advocate for democracy in foreign nations and this has been part of its foreign policies. There are established systems in the United States that promote citizen participation, the constitution recognizes the importance of freedom and therefore it has been extended from the human freedom to other areas including the press. Democracy at times is not also seen as good because some institutions till discriminate people, there is no equity and

Reproductive Rights ( healthcare ethics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reproductive Rights ( healthcare ethics) - Essay Example though in the Moschetta case, the biological as well as gestational mother is one and the same, the custody of the child is denied her for that was not the intent with which she entered pregnancy. Having looked at the precedents, it is important to note that in the domain of reproductive rights, broad generalizations cannot be made. The rulings will have to be made on a case by case basis considering the legal and ethical complexities that such cases present. Course A: If John and Jane conclude that it is unfair to abandon the baby and decide to act as agreed in the contract, then Gina will play no subsequent role in all decisions related to the child. Common sense would dictate that the issue of gender reclassification should be postponed till puberty, which would allow the child to better cope with the impending confusion and distress. Course B: But, if John and Jane are no longer in the picture after the fourth month of gestation and Gina decides not to abort as per her religious instructions, then obviously, she will be the sole custodian and hence has all parental rights. But there is another important factor to be taken into account – the mode of settlement. If both parties (John & Jane on the one hand and Gina on the other) amicably agree to dissolve the contract, then Course B will play itself out. Even if the disagreement escalates into a lawsuit, Course B is the only likely outcome. In the latter scenario, Gina will in all likelihood have her medical expenses covered during the gestation period. The fact that the pregnancy is in the fourth month (second trimester) makes abortion an unreasonable option. An abortion at this stage is painful for both mother and fetus. Irrespective of whether life begins at birth or at conception, the mere fact that the life of the mother will be jeopardized in a second trimester abortion is a strong ethical reason to not abort. As to the question of whether age should be a factor in Assisted Reproductive