Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Write a journal assignment (Have you been bullied, bullied someone

Write a journal (Have you been bullied, bullied someone else or stood by while someone was bullied ) - Assignment Example When the victim passed by, the bully looked at him with hatred and the boy almost immediately hung his head to avoid his intimidator’s gaze. Suddenly, the bully sprung on the victim, boxed him on the head twice and kicked his side then, he hurriedly run away. The attack was abrupt and unexpected that the victim had nothing else to do but lift himself up and cry quietly. Surprised myself, I did not know what to do. I just watched the victim with a pathetic heart as he slowly walked home with his head bent with embarrassment, perhaps trying to hide his tears. Remembering this event, I think that if the incident did not happen so fast, I still might not have done anything to stop the bully. He was a big person and he could have easily harmed whoever went against his will. Moreover, he was the son of a well-known person and I do not think that I could have the guts to fight against a prominent person’s

Monday, October 28, 2019

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif Essay Example for Free

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif Essay Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is an amazing book (in my opinion) that was created by Rick Riordan. I enjoyed this book a lot because of all the detain that Mr. Riordan had put into the book and with all of the facts about Ancient Greek myths, I picked it out in the first place because I had became really interested in finding out about different cultures which included Greece . The main character, Percy Jackson, lives in New York city with his mother, Sally Jackson his lazy step-father, Gabe Ugliano. Later on in the story, Percy finds himself living in Camp Half-Blood with his best friend, Grover Underwood. Camp Half-Blood is for children with Greek Godly parents. All children who go to the camp have ADHD Dyslexia. The camp is on Long Island Sound and is funded by a strawberry farm that the camp takes care of. I think that the book is placed in the modern days. You can figure it out because in the camp, you are forbidden from bringing any electronics, such as cell phones since it can easily attract monsters. One of the main events in the book is when Percy and his class are on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History. As his history teacher, Mr.  Brunner babbles on about the museum, Ms. Dodds (a teacher who came along) pulls Percy away from the group and into the Roman Greek center. Just after entering the room (no one else is in there), Ms. Dodds turns into this hideous monster with glowing red eyes, wings long fingers. Obviously, she wasnt human. Ms. Dodds lunges at Percy (who was still confused and shocked) until Mr. Brunner comes running into the room. The history teacher throws a pen at Percy and out comes a sword that Mr. Brunner used in class during special events. Percy kills Ms.  Dodds after that (she turns into gold dust) and later returns to the school bus. Nobody in his class remembers Ms. Dodds when Percy asked Grover, he looked very nervous before replying. Obviously, something was going on. A second major event is when Percy and his mom go to Montauk stay in a cabin at the beach where his mother and father had met. Later at night, a hurricane is starting to form Grover suddenly shows up with (as Percy describes it) Shag carpet pants on . Grover urges Percy and his mom to leave immediately the three of them hop into Sallys car. Percy soon learns that Grover is actually a satyr though he had called him a half-goat at first which offended Grover. As their car speeds away from the cabin, a strike of lightening hits the car which makes the car swivel into a ditch giving them an image of a beast of some sort charging towards their car. The three of them escape the car and run (Though Grover was unconscious). The beast was actually a minotaur (half-man, half-bull) and it kills Sally. Percy builds up his strength and pulls out its horn and stabs it, turning it into dust. He soon passes out. That event gave Percy the urge to go rescue is mother from the Underworld. . Later in the story, Percy finds out who his father really is. The camp decides to play capture the flag. Percy is assigned to patrol a small creek by Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena) is suddenly attacked by a group of Ares children, Clarisse La Rue her siblings. They came back for revenge because he had humiliated her and her siblings by shooting toilet water in their faces just as Clarisse was about to shove his face into the toilet. Clarisse charges at Percy with her electric spear given to her as a gift and Percy stumbles into the creek. Instead of feeling weak, he suddenly feels a sudden surge of power go through his r his head. Poseidon. . . Earth shaker, Storm binger, Father of horses, Hail Perseus Jackson. son of the Sea God. body. But then something happened. The water seemed to wake my senses, as if Id just had a bag of my moms double-espresso jelly beans . Percy, suddenly feeling a lot of strength, fights back against Clarisse her siblings until they are all defeated. Percy even snaps Clarisses spear in half. Luke Castellan (son of Hermes) captures the flag for Percys team Percy tries to step out of the water, suddenly feeling weak again. Suddenly, a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers appears out of nowhere and attacks Percy, ripping through his armour. Chiron (Aka: Mr. Brunner and centaur) shoots several arrows at it and Percy staggers back into the water and an image of a trident appears ove Another main event is when Percy finds out who had stolen Zeus Master Hades Helm of Darkness before returning to camp half-blood, Percy had gotten into fight with Ares, the God of War. The war God had given Percy a backpack in the beginning of his quest inside of it was Zeus bolt the entire time. Ares confesses that he stole the Helm of Darkness and Lightning Bolt from the original thief, planning on making a war between Hades Zeus. Percy and Ares get into a fight Percy eventually wins, earning the Helm of Darkness, A helmet of Hades that was stolen from him. Percy, Annabeth Grover fly to New York from California to return the bolt to Mt. Olympus on the top of Empire State Building. Percy returns the lightning bolt alone while Annabeth Grover go back to the camp. After returning the bolt, Percy meets his father and who had acknowledged him as his son. Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood as a hero at the end of summer, Luke Castellan confesses to Percy that he had stolen the bolt helm before attempting to kill him with a scorpion. Luke runs away while Percy is saved by a group of wood nymphs . The main character is of course, Percy Jackson . He is described fairly tall, good looking with bright green eyes and jet black hair. Percy is introduced as a troubled twelve year old. His green eyes often remind his mother of his father. Percy is considered very troubled. He gets irritated when called by his first name which is Perseus and has been expelled from every single school that he had been to. Throughout the book, Percy becomes stronger in both physical and mental ways. He becomes more brave, confident, and learns that he is a natural leader. Percy is also very willing to risk his life for others. He showed that trait by journeying to the underworld to get his mother back. Percy hopes that he can bring back Zeus Master Bolt get his mother back before its too late. Percy is described the protagonist in the book while the antagonist isnt exactly shown until later in the book. While Percy, Annabeth and Grover do the best they can while out on the quest, Luke Castellan was the unsuspecting villain. Luke always acted nice towards Percy, trying to get close. When he had given Percy flying shoes to help him in the quest, Luke had meant it to lead Percy to his death. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I give it a nine out of ten. The book is filled with lots of adventure (theres never a dull moment) comedy things that people now a days would consider, fake or untrue even though it is very interesting. I recommend this book to all ages but a bit more to people ages 10 to 12, even teenagers. I recommend it around that age because thats around the age where you start to become more curious about things out there in the world. You start to become more open and realize what you really are interested in and Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief is a great book to realize what types of book genre youre interested in it helps show you that there is always a hidden potential inside of you.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Essay --

The Third Phase of the war was the Danish intervention. Christian IV of Denmark had a strong interest in Germany. He was Lutheran so supported the Lutheran rulers of Lower Saxony. But he also had land in German. He was Duke of Holstein and the ruler of Hamburg, and his second son was made bishop. As a result Christian had himself appointed war leader and raised an army of 20,000-35,000 mercenaries, partly funded by France. The Protestants were suddenly inspired with fresh hope as Denmark became the first major European nation to enter the war (Thomas). In the 27 of August the Battle of Lutter-am-Bamberg began with a Catholic League army under Count Tilly. Tilly defeated the forces of Christian IV of Denmark at Lutter am Barenberge in the Imperial Circle Estate of Lower Saxony. Both armies had approximately 20,000 men. Three times the imperial infantry broke through the Danish line only to be driven back by a cavalry counter-attack. However, when the Catholics captured the Danish artillery, the Danes panicked and retreated. The Danish losses were roughly 4,000 dead, 2,000 wounded, and 2,500 prisoners (Richard). It was a significant loss of the protestant forces of Denmark. The Danish army had eventually been whittled away by catholic forces in further wars ending with a treaty binding Denmark to stop its support of the protestant German states, thus, ending the Danish intervention. The next phase, known as the Swedish intervention, began with Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden; he was the next foreign ruler to come to the aid of the German Lutherans and to seek political and financial advantage in Germany. Both France and the Dutch sent subsidies. In 1630 Gustav landed 13,000 men at Peenemunde. From 1630 to 1634, Swedish-led armie... ...ear later the French government was distracted by a rebellion, and the Spanish saw an opportunity to retake the city. The Prince de Condà © rushed from Catalonia to Flanders and cobbled together an army of 16,000 men and 18 guns to face the Archduke’s 18,000 men and 38 guns. Cavalry dominated both armies, with more than half the troops being horse. The Spanish deployed on high ground so Condà © decided to withdraw. This encouraged the Spanish cavalry to skirmish with the French rear guard. The fighting escalated into a full battle. The Spanish infantry drove their French counterparts back, breaking the regiment. However, French cavalry re-routed and enveloped the Spanish center. The French lost 3.500 casualties, but inflicted 3,000 dead or wounded and took 5,000 prisoners (Thomas). The war ended in Prague after the swedes snuck in ransacked and looted the Prague castle.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Russian Avant-Garde Essay -- Russian History, Artists, Russian Revolut

Russian Avant-Garde was born at the start of the 20th century out of intellectual and cultural turmoil. Through the analysis of artworks by Aleksandr Rodchenko and El Lissitzky this essay attempts to explore the freedom experienced by artists after the Russian Revolution in 1917. This avant-garde movement was among the boldest and most advanced in Europe. It signified for many artists an end to the past academic conventions as they began to experiment with the notions of space, following the basic elements of colour, shape and line. They strove for a utopian existence for all benefited by and inspired through the art they created. They worked with, for and alongside the politics of the time. The equality for all that they sought would eventually take from them the freedom of their own artistic individuality. The Russian Revolution energized the artists to expand their social influence to produce statements that could inspire human aspirations. Rodchenko and El Lissitzky approached their avant-garde art practice in visually similar ways, but theoretically they varied considerably. Victor Margolin (1997) explored the two artists’ principal approaches to building their art and their commitment to the political influences of the time within his first essay in The Struggle for Utopia. Rodchenko felt the objects produced should ‘both facilitate change in people, making them more ideally Soviet, as well as represent Soviet ideals through their materials and construction’. Both artists sought to design architectural structures. Rodchenko was a Constructivist who strove to produce new, functional, material objects. His designs were not constructed around aesthetics; they were intended to be a catalyst for social change. Works like The Fut... ...sts will be remembered for the mastery in which they applied the principles of Constructivism and Suprematism within their graphic design rather than the political ideologies they were required by the regime to promote. It is difficult to ascertain the political commitment among the Russian Avant-garde artists. Rodchenko and El Lissitzky were both sympathetic to the socialist cause. The Bolsheviks continued to consolidate their authority, increasingly dictated artistic policy and freedom to think and act independently was substantially curtailed during the 1920’s (Mayakovsky 2000). In 1934 Joseph Stalin decreed the end to the practice of Socialist Realism and the period of avant-garde experimentation and innovation ceased. Rodchenko and El Lissitzky would both become disillusioned, as their utopian vision became a struggle to maintain their own individual identity.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

First Amendment to the United States constitution Essay

Do videogames really need to be censored by the United States’ Government? Over the past several years there has been a controversial court case under discussion to censor videogames. This case is trying to get the United States’ Government to prohibit the selling of all videogames that may include graphic violence, virtual sex, violent and gory scenes, partial or full nudity, portrayal of criminal behavior or other provocative and objectionable material (Mears, Para 1). There are numerous arguments why videogames should or should not be censored. Videogames should not be censored because parents should show responsibility in raising their children, it is unconstitutional, videogame companies take enough steps to already censor their products already, and censorship would impact the videogame industry tremendously. During the past years there has been the first ever videogame court case called Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, trying to pass a law against selling or renting violent games to minors (Scholssman, Para 1). This case has been going on for several years and has recently escalated all the way to the Supreme Court. The morning of November 2, 2010, the United States Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments for this case. During the oral arguments; both sides gave their reasons of why they thought the bill should be approved or thrown out. During the oral arguments of the Californian Representative; Justice Scalia brought up the point that even Grimm’s Fairy Tales, a series of German household and children fairy tales, are violent and could these be excluded by the law. This brought up instant argument weather or not could this be broadened to just video games or all sources of entertainment that could be considered violent that minors have access to (Attack of the Show, 2010). This case goes all the way back six years to 2004, with the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas: Hot Coffee scandal where players could download a mod that allowed characters to have sex with each other. This case could result in videogames being classified in the same way as extreme pornographic material. Another game that is used to support the court case it Postal 2. This game is a horrible example to represent the videogaming industry, because of the fact this it is arguably the most violent and intense videogame. Postal 2 is a first person shooter released in 2003, which brought up an enormous amount of controversy. Mears says, â€Å"Postal 2 features the adventures of the ‘Postal Dude,’†¦must confront everyday tasks. But how he handles these errands—with the power to behead girls, shoot police and urinate on victims† (Para 1). Due to the amount of graphic violence in the gameplay Postal 2 has been banned in several countries. The Californian State Senator Leeland Yee targeted the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for not putting an adult only rating on the game. Yee’s comment on the scandal brought back up the controversial topic of censoring certain videogames. Yee introduced a bill that will criminalize the sale of â€Å"ultraviolent† videogames to minors. This bill will result in videogame retailers to keep adult title games separate from other games on the market. The bill would fine retailers as much as one-thousand dollars per-sale for any game they sold to minors. In 2004 Yee’s bill was signed by Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger into law and prohibiting selling games containing adult content to any minor. This law was fought in court and ruled unconstitutional (Ishimoto, Attack of the Show). Banning the rights to a consumer to purchase and play specific types of videogames violates the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution. This court case is still ongoing and the Supreme Court can go either way with their final decision. Adam Sessler from Attack of the Show says that the opposing argument of this bill is that this is a very broad law. In the California State Government’s own words, â€Å"ultraviolent entertainment† is what a huge piece a content that is has brought up controversy, but in this bill they are very vague of what that constitutes. They have listed â€Å"killing, maiming, torturing of human beings†, but does not specify if a game like Call of Duty or a more violent game like Postal 2 is the problem. To counteract this Yee, says that this bill is not directed towards all violent videogames, but only the â€Å"interactive ultraviolent† types of games. This brought up the point that all games are interactive in some way. As of now Yee does not think his bill will pass in the way it is written because it is not specific enough (Attack of the Show, 2010). After the oral arguments, almost all of the justices thought this bill was too vague and can be broadly applied. They said that it would put too much of a restriction on game publishers and writers with their First Amendment Rights. One of the biggest arguments against this case is that it is none of the government’s business what children can and cannot watch. From the CATO Institute Adam Thiere says, â€Å"In a free society parents should decide what their children see, hear, or play; Uncle Sam should not serve as a surrogate parent† (Para 7). Thiere is saying that parents can and should be able to decide what their children do. Thiere believes that the government already regulates enough in society and that parent should be able to choose what their children can do in their own personal time. Under the Representative Democracy form of government parents should be allowed to set their own limitations on their own children. If the government regulated how parents raised their own children, it would mirror a communist dictatorship. All children should be raised differently under their parent’s standards. Thiere says, â€Å"All ‘one-size-fits-all’ forms of content regulation are unlikely to recognize that different parents have different definitions of what constitutes acceptable for their children. The eye of the beholder makes a difference and in a free society it is the eyes (and ears) of parents that should decide what is in the best interests of their children† (Para 7). Parents should be able to mold and bring their child up the way they want. This law would put limitations on what parents can and cannot do with their very own children. Videogames are what children do for fun as a hobby. Videogame censorship is a topic serious enough to require a written law for parents to monitor their children. Even if the bill is passed, parents that do not mind their kids playing these games will just purchase the games for their children anyways. The government does not need to have laws to censor what minors buy and play since videogame producers look out for what happens to the children that play their games. Joe Sapp from the International Game Developers Association says that, â€Å"The IGDA stands behind informing parents about their media decisions and allowing them, rather than governmental bodies, to decide for their children† (Para 6). The Entertainment Software Rating Board helps parents monitor what their children play. One of the last steps that’s taken before a game is released is, â€Å"Game publishers submit responses to a detailed written ESRB questionnaire (often supplementing such responses with lyric sheets scripts, etc. ), specifying exactly what pertinent content will be in the game. Along with the written submission materials, publishers must provide a DVD which captures all pertinent content† (Para 1). Both the game producers and the ESRB take these steps to inform the public of the content of their games. After the questionnaire has been submitted, staff members from the ESRB play a version of the game and the game material and DVD are reviewed by at least three professional game raters. The ESRB says that â€Å"game raters must be adults and typically have experience with children, whether through prior work experience, education or by being parents or caregivers themselves† (Para 2). This qualification for being a game rater is so that they generally know what children at different age groups can experience under the common standards in society. After reviewing the DVD, the raters recommend a potential rating. Raters can look at similar games’ previous ratings. The raters all deliberate until they all reach an agreement. After the agreement an official rating certificate is presented to game producer to be accepted or appealed. The Appeal Board is a group of publishers, retailer, and other professionals. Once the game is completely finished it is sent to the ESRB to be reviewed again and to make sure it is given the proper rating (ESRB, Para 3). The possible ratings are: Early Childhood, Everyone, Everyone 10+, Teen, Mature, Adults Only, and? Rating Pending. The ESRB is responsible for the enforcement of the ratings. I disagree with videogames being censored because they are unconstitutional. Adam Sessler says, â€Å"As a gamer you have the right to buy and play violent videogames. They are covered by the First Amendment just like R-Rated movies, controversial books, or obscene music† (Attack of the Show). The First Amendment prohibits any law that restricts the establishment of religion, interfere the freedom of press, speech, petition, or assembly. By this law buyers can and should be able to purchase and play videogames as they please. The First Amendment not only protects spoken speech but symbolic speech as well. The only kind of speech that is not protected by the First Amendment is speech that harms another person’s reputation, obscene speech, and speech that violates criminal laws. In the Washington Post, Justice Scalia said, â€Å"I am concerned with the First Amendment which says Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, and it was always understood that freedom of speech did not include obscenity. It has never been understood that the freedom of speech did not include portrayals of violence† (2010, Para 13, 14). In this situation a videogame is considered speech that is protected by the First Amendment. The rating system, partnerships with retailers and warnings do a good enough job censoring videogames. All of the steps that the ESRB take to rate the games and give ratings should be all that is needed in censoring videogames. Just about every game retailer has a partnership with the ESRB. This partnership controls and regulates which games are sold to specific age groups. All of these partners have a policy of being 18 or older to purchase games that are rated Mature or higher. After purchasing a game that contains adult content, there are warning labels informing the gamer before the game play begins. There are several myths and theories that state violent videogames are linked with aggressive and violent youth. These theories are what brought this whole case up. This science in the case has already been up for debate. Many doctors have said there is not enough sufficient data to prove a direct correlation between aggressive videogames and making kids aggressive. Adam Thierer says that, â€Å"While the videogame industry was exploding between 1994 and 2000, juvenile violent crime arrest dropped by 44% and you adult arrests dropped by 24% according to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention†¦Further a major study on youth violence by the U. S. Surgeon General’s office in 2001 also confirmed that youth violence has declined significantly nationwide and noted that academic research had not shown any significant correlation between videogames and youth violence† (Para 4). This does not mean that there is no connection between violent children and teenagers with violent videogames because; violent people are attracted to violent things. This just means that violent videogames do not make people violent. If this bill is passed then it will tremendously affect the videogame industry. The International Game Developers Association has criticized California’s bill. Trent Nouveau quoted the IGDA by saying, â€Å"Limiting forms of expression in video games limits the expression of game creators, which violates their constitutional rights to free speech in the United States abroad as specified by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the United Nations† (2010, Para 2). The IGDA is arguing that singling out videogame from other forms of media is unconstitutional and puts unnecessary limitations on one of the largest industries in our economy (2010, Nouveau). The Video Game Votes Network say â€Å"government regulation based on games’ content will stifle creativity, and will have a chilling effect on game publishers who may feel the need to dilute content due to the threat of government action and fines† (2010, Para 2). These regulations will put vast limitations on videogame producers that producers of other forms of media don’t face. This case is still going on and under dispute in the Supreme Court. The fact that Entertainment Merchants Association has won all of the cases in the lower courts gives them a huge advantage in the Supreme Court ruling. They are expecting to hear a ruling in late February or early March of 2011, but in June at the latest because that is when this term of the Supreme Court ends. When a ruling is made there will be no warnings and once the ruling is dropped everyone will have to go from there.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Motion

Motion Motion-sensing Game Controllers Essay Mara Drake-Shoffner Mr. Morgan Business Software 1A September 23, 2013 From One Controller to Another Video games and computer games use a game controller as the input device that directs movements and actions of on-screen objects. Two commonly used game controllers are gamepads and motion-sensing game controllers. Game controllers not only enrich the gaming experience but also aid in the movements and actions of the players. A gamepad is held by the player with both hands, allowing the player to control the movement or actions of the objects in the video or computer games. Players press buttons on the gamepad, often with their thumbs, to carry out actions. Some gamepads have swiveling sticks that also can trigger events during game play . Some gamepads include wireless capabilities; others connect via a cable directly to the game console or a personal computer. Motion-sensing game controllers allow the user to guide on-screen elements or trigger events by moving a handheld input device in predetermined directions through the air. These controllers communicate with a game console or personal computer via wired or wireless technology. A variety of games, from sports to simulations, use motion-sensing game controllers. Some of these controllers, such as baseball bats and golf clubs, are designed for only one specific kind of game; others are general purpose. A popular, general purpose, motion-sensing game controller is Nintendo’s Wii Remote. Shaped like a television

Monday, October 21, 2019

Patriarchal Society Defined According to Feminism

Patriarchal Society Defined According to Feminism Definition: Patriarchal (adj.) describes a general structure in which men have power over women. Society (n.) is the entirety of relations of a community. A patriarchal society consists of a male-dominated power structure throughout organized society and in individual relationships. Power is related to privilege.  In a system in which men have more power than women, men have some level of privilege to which women are not entitled. The concept of patriarchy has been central to many feminist theories.  It is an attempt to explain the stratification of power and privilege by gender that can be observed by many objective measures. A patriarchy, from the ancient Greek patriarches, was a society where power was held by and passed down through the elder males. When modern historians and sociologists describe a patriarchal society, they mean that men hold the positions of power and have more privilege: head of the family unit, leaders of social groups, boss in the workplace, and heads of government. In patriarchy, there is also a hierarchy among the men.  In traditional patriarchy, the elder men had power over the younger generations of men.  In modern patriarchy, some men hold more power (and privilege) by virtue of the position of authority, and this hierarchy of power (and privilege) is considered acceptable. The term comes from  pater  or father.  Father or father-figures hold the authority in a patriarchy. Traditional patriarchal societies are, usually, also patrilineal - titles and property are inherited through male lines.  (For an example of this, the Salic Law as applied to property and titles followed male lines strictly.) Feminist Analysis Feminist theorists have expanded the definition of patriarchal society to describe a systemic bias against women. As second-wave feminists examined society during the 1960s, they did observe households headed by women and female leaders. They were, of course, concerned with whether this was uncommon. More significant, however, was the way society perceived women in power as an exception to a collectively held view of womens role in society. Rather than saying that individual men oppressed women, most feminists saw that oppression of women came from the underlying bias of a patriarchal society. Gerda Lerners Analysis of Patriarchy Gerda Lerners 1986 history classic,  The Creation of Patriarchy, traces the development of the patriarchy to the second millennium B.C.E. in the middle east, putting gender relations at the center of the story of civilizations history.  She argues that before this development, male dominance was not a feature of human society in general.  Women were key to the maintenance of human society and community, but with a few exceptions, social and legal power was wielded by men. Women could gain some status and privilege in patriarchy by limiting her child-bearing capacity to just one man so that he could depend on her children being his children. By rooting patriarchy - a social organization where men rule over women - in historical developments, rather than in nature, human nature or biology, she also opens the door for change.  If patriarchy was created by culture, it can be overturned by a new culture.  Ã‚   Part of her theory carried through into another volume, The Creation of Feminist Consciousness, is that women were not conscious that they were subordinate (and it might be otherwise) until this consciousness began slowly to emerge, starting with medieval Europe. In an interview with Jeffrey Mishlove on Thinking Aloud, Lerner described her work on the subject of patriarchy: Other groups that were subordinated in history - peasants, slaves, colonials, any kind of group, ethnic minorities - all of those groups knew very quickly that they were subordinated, and they developed theories about their liberation, about their rights as human beings, about what kind of struggle to conduct in order to emancipate themselves. But women did not, and so that was the question that I really wanted to explore. And in order to understand it I had to understand really whether patriarchy was, as most of us have been taught, a natural, almost God-given condition, or whether it was a human invention coming out of a specific historic period. Well, in Creation of Patriarchy I think I show that it was indeed a human invention; it was created by human beings, it was created by men and women, at a certain given point in the historical development of the human race. It was probably appropriate as a solution for the problems of that time, which was the Bronze Age, but its no longe r appropriate, all right? And the reason we find it so hard, and we have found it so hard, to understand it and to combat it, is that it was institutionalized before Western civilization really, as we know it, was, so to speak, invented, and the process of creating patriarchy was really well completed by the time that the idea systems of Western civilization were formed. Some Quotes About Feminism and Patriarchy From bell hooks: Visionary feminism is a wise and loving politics. It is rooted in the love of male and female being, refusing to privilege one over the other. The soul of feminist politics is the commitment to ending patriarchal domination of women and men, girls and boys. Love cannot exist in any relationship that is based on domination and coercion. Males cannot love themselves in patriarchal culture if their very self-definition relies on submission to patriarchal rules. When men embrace feminist thinking and practice, which emphasizes the value of mutual growth and self-actualization in all relationships, their emotional well-being will be enhanced. A genuine feminist politics always brings us from bondage to freedom, from lovelessness to loving. Also from bell hooks:  We have to constantly critique imperialist white supremacist patriarchal culture because it is normalized by mass media and rendered unproblematic. From Mary Daly: The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-,’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a [person] trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to sin. From Andrea Dworkin: Being female in this world means having been robbed of the potential for human choice by men who love to hate us. One does not make choices in freedom. Instead, one conforms in body type and behavior and values to become an object of male sexual desire, which requires an abandonment of a wide-ranging capacity for choice... From Maria Mies, author of  Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale, linking the division of labor under capitalism to the division of the sexes: Peace in patriarchy is war against women. From Yvonne Aburrow: The patriarchal/kyriarchal/hegemonic culture seeks to regulate and control the body – especially women’s bodies, and especially black women’s bodies – because women, especially black women, are constructed as the Other, the site of resistance to the kyriarchy. Because our existence provokes fear of the Other, fear of wildness, fear of sexuality, fear of letting go – our bodies and our hair (traditionally hair is a source of magical power) must be controlled, groomed, reduced, covered, suppressed. From Ursula Le Guin: Civilized Man says: I am Self, I am Master, all the rest is otheroutside, below, underneath, subservient. I own, I use, I explore, I exploit, I control. What I do is what matters. What I want is what matter is for. I am that I am, and the rest is women wilderness, to be used as I see fit. From Kate Millett: Patriarchy, reformed or unreformed, is patriarchy still: its worst abuses purged or foresworn, it might actually be more stable and secure than before. From Adrienne Rich,  Of Woman Born:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"There is nothing revolutionary whatsoever about the control of womens bodies by men. The womans body is the terrain on which patriarchy is erected.†

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Custom Essay Help

Custom Essay Help Custom Essay Help Welcome to custom writing service! We are not the market leader in terms of the first positions; however, we are the leader in developing a very flexible system that brings together a professional approach to writing, adequate customer support, reasonable prices, and exceptionally high quality of every custom essay we deliver. Our writers complete custom essay orders for clients from any English speaking country. It is not a secret that English has already become a global language. Custom essay help is your chance to receive a professionally written custom essay which meets all of your requirements and expectations: Custom Essay Help Your tutor has told that you while writing term paper you have to organize your ideas. Many students prefer to create a traditional outline. By the way, every client is welcome to request free outline writing service while placing an order. However, there is another way of organizing custom essay writing. When you do have a sense of how events or things relate to each other and you can put them in a narrative structure or show cause-and-effect relationships, then you can illustrate these relationships by drawing a topic tree. The primary advantage of the topic tree is that it helps you determine whether essay ideas are related to each other and the overall topic. As with cluster diagrams, topic tree allows you to represent your thinking pictorially. However, rather than drawing essay ideas in a random, disorganized fashion, you can impose order on them, placing them from general to specific or vice versa. However, there is another way to get an essay you need - order custom essay help. Every time you place an order, you receive 100% plagiarism free custom essay written in accordance to your requirements. Every time we have an order, we assign only qualified writers to provide custom essay help. Custom Paper Writing is not a paper mill. We do not resell delivered custom essays and we do not have a database. Custom essay help is individuals. You can communicate with the writer directly, ask questions, request progress updates, and ask for free plagiarism report. We appreciate your trust and devote all of our efforts to meet your requirements. Our custom essay writers have access to libraries and can locate relevant publications very quickly. Moreover, we guarantee full and proper references and the issue of plagiarism is totally avoided. We deliver only 100% plagiarism free custom essays prior to deadline! Popular posts: Writing a Research Paper APA University Research Proposal Shakespeare Research Paper Topics Research Proposal Guidelines Research Paper Topics

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A report which describes a business scenario which will benefit from Essay

A report which describes a business scenario which will benefit from investment in the web - Essay Example The application of eCommerce facilitates a business for collection of data, analysing customer base and nature of industry, electronic fund transfer, supply chain and inventory management, online transactions as well as sales and marketing activities very swiftly. The system also allows consumers from any corner of the global village to derive benefits arising out of the products and services introduced by the company applying eCommerce in its business. In this paper, application of eCommerce will be incorporated to a real business in order to monitor how the business can be benefitted from increasing utilization of internet based, web-facing information technology system. For the purpose of analysis, a hypothetical company â€Å"XL Learning Solutions† has been selected for evaluating how the company’s business standards transform through application of web, more specifically eCommerce in its business process. XL Learning Solutions is a famous tutorial and private educational institution situated at Southampton, United Kingdom. The tutorial is run by a group of 5 eminent professors of the city and is well known for its application oriented learning approaches. Apart from dealing with educational curriculum, it also strives to enhance behavioural skills and personality development lessons in order to ensure overall development of the students. Basic technical skills such as application MS Office and other relevant software are also trained in order to enable the students to have a fundamental idea on computer applications so that the students’ foundation of knowledge can be strengthened. The tutorial is so popular in the city that its wide ranged student base has been generated only through referral system, without any promotional activities or any other efforts from the management of the organization. However, the management is noticing since long that many students from other part s of the country are longing to take services provided by

Friday, October 18, 2019

Punishment and Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Punishment and Morality - Essay Example There are and always have been two sides to this issue. What follows is an inquiry into issues which are integral to the cause of giving the punishment to offenders; both sides shall be represented therein, and the most plausible option shall be elucidated. Essentially, giving the punishment is considered as a moral obligation in almost all cultures and theologies around the world. It is taken as a compulsory act of reprimand, without which the integrity of the justice provider is lost, and essentially the entire process of equality suffers an emotional blow. The act of kindness is hence lost, and there surfaces an immense feeling of betrayal and anguish on part of the victim. Conversely, the other side presents an equally convincing argument. For one, many offenders around the world do not have the exposure and luxury to understand and deal with the environment they live in. To add, an offender goes through several ups and downs during his life, which psychologically turns him into a law-breaker - so does he actually deserve retribution Though this may jeopardize the act of beneficence, but it is deemed necessary. After all, the true beneficence lies in the cure of the offender, and if this cannot be actualized at the end of the day, then the utilitarian process would have drastically failed. The judiciary frequently ignores their offenders' wishes when they consider the appropriateness of punishment giving.

Epidemiology and communicable disease Assignment - 1

Epidemiology and communicable disease - Assignment Example The first case of Ebola outbreak was recorded in Sudan and Zaire in 1976 with a mortality of more than 200. In 2000, another outbreak of the disease occurred in Uganda with an incidence of 425 and a mortality of 224. In 2014 March, the WHO made a report of Ebola outbreak in West Africa, originally in Guinea, but rapidly spreading to Sierra Leon and Liberia. In Europe, 24 cases of Ebola infection have been treated with most of the cases being aid workers who have a history of traveling to West Africa. In November 2014, the latest case of Ebola in US was recorded with the victim dying within three days during the treatment process at Omaha biocontainment center (Muyembe-Tamfum et al., 2012). Ebola epidemic increases the disease burden in the health care system not only to the affected country but also to other states, which must take contingency measures to prevent the spread of the disease within their regions. Nevertheless, management of Ebola virus demands a collaboration in the health care system at international level. This ensures that different countries coordinate efforts to conduct research and surveillance on how the disease can be treated and prevented. Collaboration at a global stage can be achieved through harmonization of funds and human resource from different countries to engage the disease at the Centers of outbreak before it is transmitted to other regions (Preston,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Artwork Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Artwork Analysis - Research Paper Example This research paper not only describes Impressionism as a direction in French painting art, but also compares the artwork of two painting artists, which were Henri Rousseau and Camille Pissarro, who had contributed their skills and paintings in this period. Paintings, that are entitled Exotic Landscape and Landscape with Flock of Sheep were analyzed in details by researcher of the paper. First of the paintings of Henri Rousseau is entitled â€Å"Exotic Landscape† which was painted in the year 1910. Some visual elements of this work are duscussed, such as it's colors, horizontal lines, diagonal lines, straight lines and vertical lines, that were used to represent the plants and leaves. The meanings of the shapes and colors used by the artist are also discussed by the researcher. Second painting analyzed was by Camille Pissarro, and is entitled Landscape with Flock of Sheep. In visual elements of this painting, it is obvious that he didn’t used lines like Henri Rousseau but used colors in dots or patches. In the conclusion of the essay, the differences between the paintings are given. First, it is the way the two artist used their brushstrokes. For Pissarro, it can be perceived that his brushstroke was used in a quickly manner while in the work of Rousseau we can perceived that he uses his brushstroke in a smoothly manner. The colors of the two paintings are also very different. To sum up, the painting of Rousseau is more on imaginary tropical landscape but for Pissarro, it is more on the real image of the rural life of French.

Persuasive speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Persuasive speech - Essay Example We decided that we needed to help such women in Africa who had no access to health facilities and who had no way of reaching facilities due to pours roads and poverty. We called some friends back in Kenya who informed us that the problem of woman not having access to health facilities was a chronic problem in the country and infect in the whole continent and that the lady in the video was infect one of the luck few who survived due to the elephants and tourists help. This set us on a fact-finding mission, which put us in connection with the ministry of Health as well as the ministry of gender in the Kenya who were very willing to facilitate and coordinate for us so that we could start up mobile clinics and build health facilities in remote areas of Kenya. They were also willing to give us the free immunization kits for babies and mothers as well as free family planning kits provided by the government. They also promised to give us some medical personnel who would be on government pay. The need for funding was all that remained and this is where we will need our partners help. We concluded that the best way to go about this was to raise money through a website and to seek assistance from other like-minded organizations in order to help the women of Africa. We also decided to seek the help of the WHO were very willing to assist us. To enable this great work we had to be registered as a nonprofit organization. Our name is â€Å"African Sister†. This is the vehicle through which we will work to help our sisters in Africa. A non-profit organization that we have started will enable you to contribute to society by giving of your resources in terms of money and labor. It will also give you the opportunity to travel and interact with new cultures. We shall be giving a certificate of participation for all those who will take part in the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Artwork Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Artwork Analysis - Research Paper Example This research paper not only describes Impressionism as a direction in French painting art, but also compares the artwork of two painting artists, which were Henri Rousseau and Camille Pissarro, who had contributed their skills and paintings in this period. Paintings, that are entitled Exotic Landscape and Landscape with Flock of Sheep were analyzed in details by researcher of the paper. First of the paintings of Henri Rousseau is entitled â€Å"Exotic Landscape† which was painted in the year 1910. Some visual elements of this work are duscussed, such as it's colors, horizontal lines, diagonal lines, straight lines and vertical lines, that were used to represent the plants and leaves. The meanings of the shapes and colors used by the artist are also discussed by the researcher. Second painting analyzed was by Camille Pissarro, and is entitled Landscape with Flock of Sheep. In visual elements of this painting, it is obvious that he didn’t used lines like Henri Rousseau but used colors in dots or patches. In the conclusion of the essay, the differences between the paintings are given. First, it is the way the two artist used their brushstrokes. For Pissarro, it can be perceived that his brushstroke was used in a quickly manner while in the work of Rousseau we can perceived that he uses his brushstroke in a smoothly manner. The colors of the two paintings are also very different. To sum up, the painting of Rousseau is more on imaginary tropical landscape but for Pissarro, it is more on the real image of the rural life of French.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Replace airport Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Replace airport - Assignment Example The official advice to the Mayor and City Council is to go ahead and relocate the existing airport for funding and safety purposes. The major obstacle to this plan seems to be where to build the new airport. The consensus seems to be to locate the new airport in the Aladdin area and the articles mention no other possible locations, so perhaps that is the best option. If not, the location of the new airport must be fully considered first and foremost. According to Aviation eBrief (2010), the cost of the new airport could be up to $22 million. Selling the current airport could raise a portion of those funds. The main funding for the project would come from the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. The selling of the Woods House across from the airport could also raise a portion of those funds. One of the pros of the new airport is that it would contain a 5,000-foot runway, which is longer than the one at the current airport. According to AOPA (2010), â€Å"We assume that the city will have to establish funding relationships with other agencies in order to succeed with this project and that the sale of the current airport and airport properties would be used to generate city revenues. We also estimated that the operations and maintenance for the relocated airport facility would break even, with about $160,000 in annual expenses and $156,000 income.† The pros would also include added revenue to the city, more funding options, and a more functional airport that could truly benefit the city. A con of the project is that the city would have to foot the remaining bill of the airport, which could be up to $840,000. Another con is that it is impossible to predict exactly where the funds would come from for every single portion of the project. There is also no guarantee that the Federal Aviation Administration would fund

Creating a sense of community Essay Example for Free

Creating a sense of community Essay Introduction Organizations, leaders and employees often need to be commended on a job well done and celebrate it with some exceptional time off from work. This is a positive step for the organization because it not only shows appreciation for those individuals who come to work every day to make sure that their organization achieve all of its goals, but illustrates the organizations appreciation for it valuable staff and employees. This can be done by simply honoring most federal and calendar year holidays throughout the year, company holidays including time off for birthdays and banquet celebrations as well. In addition, on a dismal note, sometimes an organization may have to honor its employees and staff for tragic circumstances that may occur throughout the year. Celebrating the community is key for an organization in terms of keeping their employees motivated and excited about giving their best effort on each task at hand. Kouzes Posner mentions that celebrations serve as important a purpose in the long-term of an organization as does the daily performance of tasks ( Kouzes Posner, p.310, 2013). Celebrating the community serves as a medicine that brings an organizations and its employees together in each prospective shared values and commitments. Overview of community building practices Kouzes Posner states that In acknowledging the community (†common unity†) that individuals share with each other, a sense of team spirit is created among leaders who build and maintain the social support that is required for individuals to thrive and excel during tough times ( Kouzes   Posner, p.310, 2013). Organizations must have in place an supportive structure that will support the employees and enhance their opportunities for appreciation for their hard work. Communities that have a strong commitment for connecting celebrations, community and commitment will set themselves far above average organizations. An outstanding leader who has made the vow to help renew those employees’ commitments will be headed in a positive direction. This approach will serve as a motivational and retention tool for the leaders and organization. Organizations should commit themselves on building fun activities and socials that are fitted for those employees, it’s a celebration of appreciation and respect. Celebrating those outstanding deeds that each employee exemplified should not be kept in house. The good news should be shared with the community, the public. Kouzes Posner suggest that private rewards do little to set an example for the organization ( Kouzes Posner, p.313, 2013). However, having the opportunity to share someone’s story of success is worth celebrating and it will also highlight the individual and the organization in a positive manner. Organizations that connect celebration, community and commitment for the long haul will undoubtedly be successful. Organizations that ensure that their employees understand that they are part of the big picture know that shared values, destiny and victories are important to securing a sense of community. Leaders should make sure that all employees have the opportunity to play a functional role in the celebrations and the framework that support the organizations values. Celebrations can come in all forms such as cyclical celebrations, celebrations of triumph, personal transitions, workplace altruism, events and ritual for comfort and letting go. Not every celebration is upbeat and enjoyable. There are times when a employee may have a sick family member or even suffered a loss of a loved one. Author Colleen Young mentioneds that in ttoday’s organization, the fledgling, but active, community continues to grow, providing peer-to-peer support and information for a very specific point in the health continuum, namely for people living with life-threatening disease, for friends and family who care about and for them, and for people dealing with grief and loss (Young, C. 2013). Different cultures There are many different cultures all around the world that handle  their employees differently. Individuals take time to celebrate their prospective cultures that have a particular meaning for them. Leaders that do not implement group interactions or celebrations could lack the reinforcement of a common purpose for different cultures. The organization have to get involved in each culture collaboration. The cultures in communities are many, such as the Chinese community which is the largest and the fastest growing group among Asian and Pacific Islander populations. It also has many different dialects that a leader and organization must understand. Furthermore, there’s the African American Community and the Central American Community. The African American Community has a group history of oppression and survival also affects the way it is organized. The networks and organizations that form to protect the rights of their members influence the way in which members of the group organize for self-help. It is important for an organization to know about their history and celebrated it accordingly. Lastly, there is the Central Americans who fled from poverty and oppression in their countries to seek a more secure and better life in a new place here in the United States. Challenges that leaders face in respecting the cultural differences Some of the challenges that a leader may encounter are not knowing the unknown and how to deal with tension among the groups when resources are limited. Another challenging situation that will likely to confront the leader is struggling with immigrants whose culture, institution and tradition are not readily familiar to most mainstream groups. Some of those cultures may not have community groups with leaders. Therefore, there is no organization or guidance. Culture typically refers to a set of symbols, rituals, values, and beliefs that make one group different from another. Culture is learned and shared with people who live or lived in the same social environment for a long time. Provide best practices for overcoming these challenges There are several best practices that can help the leader to overcome those cultural challenges. Kouzes Posner discusses that Reflection and Action can help when social interactions required to uphold individuals or groups to a high standard. People are asked to go beyond their comfort zone, so as a leader you should set the example by getting personally involved in the celebrations of varies cultures ( Kouzes Posner, p.329, 2013). Some other  best practices may include Plan a celebration today, reinforce core values in your celebrations. A leader need to start the celebration right now and don’t procrastinate. Understanding those cultures now will make for a better transition of understanding. Lastly, a leader should understand the cultures values and what they aspire to realize ( Kouzes Posner, p.331, 2013). Being innovative and obtaining values and loyalty are key factors that will enable a leader to be successful in dealing with multiple cultures. SDLP I will implement my understanding of connecting celebration, community and commitment to my professional career. I have a clearer picture of how to bond and recognize those employees who work hard and treat them like an individual should be treated. I will go a step further in implementing a framework that will celebrate the key values of my staff when they go the extra mile to achieve their goals. My commitment to them will highlight and reward them not just internally, but publically as well. I know that this will be a motivation tool that can help shape the future of me as a leader and my organization. I will document my newly found knowledge of celebrating a community in my SDLP.

Monday, October 14, 2019

How Culture Language And Tradition Are Affected Cultural Studies Essay

How Culture Language And Tradition Are Affected Cultural Studies Essay A countrys culture, language and tradition are a very big component to the structure and well-being of the people. So, when this country has been taken over or conquered, all these factors change. The language will be destroyed and so will the culture. This might sometimes result to a bad beginning, especially looking at the factors that differs the country from the others such as the culture, the tradition and language. These factors are very important as they show the countries independency and uniqueness. In any event, colonization and the grant of lands were provincial matters. Albert Bushnell Hart. Globally, when a country is conquered, it might be very good for the country itself and also the people, looking at it in an economic perspective. Over a hundred new nations were born during the process of de-colonization. Most of these new nations, however, had not existed at all as nations before colonization, or they had not existed within the post-colonial borders. Mark N. Katz. Collapsed Empires. In Managing Global Chaos: Sources of and Responses to International Conflict. Looking at it socially, the culture will be forcefully changed or altered, which will affect the people. Also a colonised country createssituations that encourage a group to its rivalry. This enabled the Soviet authorities to continuously be called upon by the people of the region to help them manage conflicts that were bound to emerge as a result of these artificial divisions.-Randa M.Slim The Ferghana Valley: In the Midst of a Host of Crises. In Searching for Peace in Central and South Asia: An Overview of C onflict Prevention and Peace building Activities. Around the world many countries are colonised, however that means that greater countries such as America and United Kingdom are having more and more power of their culture being spread out. This gives these countries an upper hand, especially when compared to less economically developed counties. Looking at the country that is being colonised perspective, this country is losing its individuality. Sometimes the country gets to keep it culture but since its colonised, some part of the culture is going to be altered or even forgotten once this new culture has been introduced. Countries under foreign command quickly forget their history, their past, their tradition, their national symbols, their way of living, often their own literary language. Slobodan Milosevic At the same time we can see that globally the western culture is spreading and many people and countries live with this culture. The western civilisation has taken over our world and this has a lot to do with the fact that globalisation and colonised countries are a root to the western countries. Whatever you see on TV, listen on the radio or even buy clothes from the store is what the western civilization wears, listen to, and even acts. All this is spreading over our world and everyone is being infected. However, if we all held on to our cultures, wherever we are, whatever we are doing it will always be part of us. So for our cultures to still be intact, we should try individually to maintain and not forget what our country was once proud to be part of. This all starts by first respecting and loving to be part of the culture. After that, we wont only not forget but teach others who have forgotten their tradition. Locally, Ethiopia has many different cultures and languages. It takes pride to its individuality of the local People. Ethiopia is one of the only countries in Africa that is not conquered by another. For this reason, its culture is still intact. Even if globalisation is taking place, the different culture of the people still stays strong. I am not implying that people still live the same as they did in the olden days, but even if children or even students live with the latest technology, they still speak their traditional language everywhere, and their parents reinforce their culture to be intact. In my experience, I live in a country where tradition contributes to the way we live, talk and even act.Your culture and language take a big part in who you are. Wherever you go in Ethiopia, there are no local people that are not culture oriented. The people also know how important that their culture is and so for this reason many people tend to hold on their heritage their parents taught t hem. Since the people in Ethiopia are one hundred per cent devoted to their culture, I dont believe that we will lose our touch. One main reason that Ethiopia is like this is that it is not colonised; the cultures that have been living for the past hundred years are still living strong. Personally I think that a countries culture and language are extremely important. This shows the tradition of the local people. Since I live in a country focused on culture, I know how important it is. My parents worry sometimes that I a forgetting my tradition because of the school I go to and globalisation, that we go visit my cultural town, Harar. They also try to speak to me in my language, Haderegna.Since my culture is a big part of me, I am interested to always know moreabout my culture. This also is because my grandmother was the niece of the last king of Harar. Knowing that my great uncle was royalty got my attention. I believe as I grow older I will tend to want to know more and will try to teach my children are family the significance of Harar. Globalisation is affecting the way people think about their cultures. Since modern technology has taken over our world, what once was thought of as a tradition is now forgotten. In the past, marriage used to be very important in someone lifes, now people are striving more to get a good education and job then thinking about settling down and starting a family. This goes for many traditions that are now not thought of as important. I understand why this is happening. These generations get that if we dont have a good job then we will not succeed in life. Colonisation brings globalisation, and so more and more people are forgetting about their culture to try to live a successful life. However, when now thought of our future, we all think the western way. Globalisation also takes a big part in this. Everything on TV, to the clothes in every modern shop is filled with westernized products. All this new ways of a better living is thought of the only way of living and so encouraging us to fo rget about our traditions. When a country is colonised with MEDCS, the will improve economically which means they will be more civilised and westernised. So globalisation would have taken place in that country, making people move further away from their original culture and tradition. The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization. Slobodan Milosevic. We all need to understand that even if globalisation is happening all around us, we will always have to try to keep our cultures intact for our own purposes. It might seem easy to fit into or live in a western civilisation, however later on we will feel as if we are missing something, like that taste of our cultural food or the sound of our cultural music even that language we didnt seem to understand in our childhood. So overall, for us to be truly happy and not live someone elses life, we will need to hold on with a strong grip on the culture that will always be a part of each and every one of us.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Tracing the Rap/Hip-Hop Dichotomy in Popular and Underground Music Essa

Tracing the Rap/Hip-Hop Dichotomy in Popular and Underground Music Rap music has experienced a radical increase in popularity in the last five years. In the year 2000, rap became the second-best-selling genre in music, capturing 12.9 percent of the year's $14.3 billion in total record sales ("Rap/Hip Hop" Sc 1). Though rap is no stranger to criticism, that criticism has increased in both quantity and vociferousness at about the same rate as the number of rap albums climbing the charts. And the growing evidence that, apparently, in order to achieve commercial success, each rap album must be more negative and offensive than the last does not help to address these criticisms. Unfortunately, the critics miss most of the rarely-seen other side of the genre: Hip-hop, rap music that is true the art form's roots of black empowerment and social progress. But black empowerment and social progress don't sell nearly as many records as the themes of mistreating women, abusing substances, and accumulating vast piles of wealth, so these are the messages that rap/hip-hop has come to embody in popular perception. However, as an introductory piece on a web site called The Hip Hop Headrush clearly states: "Hip-hop is not violence, misogyny, and narcotic substances—if you believe that, then the media and commercial mainstream music buyers have you sadly confused" ("Mindless Music" Sc 1). I will attempt to flush out this rap/hip-hop dichotomy by indulging a brief history of the musical form, examining criticisms and defenses of the branch of the form I'll define as "rap," and investigating a few hip-hop groups that present thoughtful, positive worldviews rather than the sex/drugs/money/violence messages of their rap counterparts.... ... to the Mainstream: The Political Power of Hip-Hop.† Media, Culture, and Society 20.2 (1998): 219. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Stern, Jane. â€Å"Rap.† Jane & Michael Stern’s Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. New York: Harper Perennial, 1992. 412-15. Turkish, Tavia Nyong’o. â€Å"Who’s Afraid of Marshall Mathers?† Gay & Lesbian Review 8.3 (2001): 14. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Tyler, Robin. â€Å"Eminem: Pied Pier of Hate.† Gay & Lesbian Review 8.3 (2001): 12. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001. Wahl, Greg. â€Å"’I Fought the Law (And I Cold Won!)’: Hip-Hop in the Mainstream.† College Literature 26.1 (1999): 10. Academic Search Elite. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 26 October 2001.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Essay --

Introduction of the topic: 1. Significance of topic a. GM Foods are those derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in such a way that it does not occur naturally in the environment i. http://www.who.int/topics/food_genetically_modified/en/ b. Also ties into 2. Scientific background a. Commercialized in 1992; Monsanto was one of the first firms to take advantage of biotechnology in commercial farming; Green Revolution, i. APA: Mclure J. BACKGROUND. CQ Researcher [serial online]. August 31, 2012;22(30):726-732. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. ii. MLA: Mclure, Jason. "Background." CQ Researcher 22.30 (2012): 726-732. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. 1. This article also has: issues, background, chronology, current situation, outlook, next step b. Genes are copied via PCR and inserted into target plant tissue to create new plants i. AMA: GM foods: the real story. Australasian Biotechnology [serial online]. March 2012;22(1):41-44. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. ii. MLA: "GM Foods: The Real Story." Australasian Biotechnology 22.1 (2012): 41-44. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. 3. Scientific and societal issues a. Controversial: concerns of negative environmental and health effects, corporatization of agriculture, unethical to manipulate life in the laboratory i. AMA: Bennett A, Chi-Ham C, Barrows G, Sexton S, Zilberman D. Agricultural Biotechnology: Economics, Environment, Ethics, and the Future. Annual Review Of Environment & Resources [serial online]. November 2013;38(1):249-279. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. ii. MLA: Bennett, Ala... ...y modified (GM) foods: the importance of an holistic, integrative approach. Journal Of Biotechnology [serial online]. September 11, 2002;98(1):79. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 13, 2013. ii. MLA: Cockburn, Andrew. "Assuring The Safety Of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods: The Importance Of An Holistic, Integrative Approach." Journal Of Biotechnology 98.1 (2002): 79. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Other Interesting Things 1. http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=21274652&site=ehost-live 2. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/ 3. http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=11501712&site=ehost-live 4. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-genetically-modified-food-products.htm

Commerce Clause & Health Care

The Commerce Clause was merely placed in our Constitution to ensure that states couldn’t establish laws or regulations that would hinder with trade and economic commerce, in result gave Congress the power â€Å"to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes. † To me, the Commerce Clause was once legitimate in the sense that the economic activity was mainly trade based and to prevent the intense rivalry among states, Congress needed to have the power to control interstate commerce to render conflicts. When creating and establishing the Commerce Clause I believe it could have been thought through and furthermore written in a more distinct and detailed way to accommodate the issues we have had. Because it wasn’t stated, U. S. Supreme Court ruled Congress to control intrastate commerce as long as the commerce significantly affects commerce involving more than one state, resulting from Gibbons v. Ogden. Sometimes I wonder if it’s realistic to think Congress will get to the point of controlling every aspect of our life, until something like the Affordable Care Act comes into consideration and keeps me questioning, what will be next. The Government’s argue is, under the Commerce Clause that Congress has the power to mandate the Affordable Care Act. Their philosophy is that Congress can demand people to buy health insurance, and if they refuse, then it would be affecting interstate commerce weakening the Act’s other developments. Their reasoning is that there are individuals who currently do not have medical insurance that are making a remarkable amount of visits to the doctor. In result, leaving hospitals reaching out to insurance companies to recover what they didn’t get paid for treating the non-insured. Consequently, insurance companies will start raising premiums higher and higher which will penalize those who already have insurance and those who reach out for insurance where premiums have raised to a point that it is unaffordable for the average citizen, then the problem will get worse. The argument against the Affordable Care Act is that it violates the Commerce clause regarding the fact that Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce and intrastate commerce as long as the conflict in commerce is among more than one state. Some states, like Virginia, have passed or are in consideration of declaring a law that the Affordable Care Act can’t be enforced in their States. In the article on the Reuter’s website it says, â€Å"State legislators in Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming have introduced bills that establish penalties, including fines and jail time, for any agent seeking to enforce the healthcare law within their states’ borders. Congress has the power to do most of which they feel capable of doing and if they can prove a good enough argument to the Supreme Court that inactivity affects interstate commerce then I think no matter what the States arguments are going to be shut down. Regarding tax, the Government argues that if their power under the commerce clause doesn’t support the mandate, then they will implement the power of Congress to tax. The mandate was Congress’s solution to those who decided they weren’t going to get health insura nce, preventing cost shifting. Cost shifting was their answer as to why they can force the individual mandate and it’s because the â€Å"failure to purchase insurance has a substantial and deleterious effect on interstate commerce. † The Government believes that health care at some point in life is unavoidable, whether it’s an emergency or through insurance, that’s why they have created the individual mandate penalty to refrain from premiums rising. The main argument against the mandated tax is that when lobbying for the bill, President Obama stated that there would not be a new tax involved with the individual mandate requiring coverage. But the penalty will be collected through tax filings and the Federal Government says that the fine is in their power to levy. From the Reuter’s article it says, â€Å"States say the U. S. Government does not have the authority to charge the fine and point to the discrepancy between Obama’s statements and the U. S. Government’s arguments. † Government regulation in business is everywhere, from advertising, employment and labor, privacy, environmental, and safety and health issues. The ultimate reason there are so many regulations is so that consumers are protected and it helps businesses to thrive at the same time. What is so interesting about the law is that we have a firm foundation, but the law will always be changing because with time there will come a new circumstance with no precedent that will cause a controversy like the Affordable Care Act itself. I just hope it doesn’t get to the point that the Government abuses its powers given to them by the framers who created our Constitution to resolve conflict, not create it.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

American Education Systems

Imagine a world without words: no reading, no writing, no communication. It is difficult to imagine such a place existing. Surely in this day and age when technology is advancing at a rapid pace and knowledge is the key for success, such a â€Å"communication-less world† has been eliminated. Yet for some people, this imaginary world without words is still a reality. A world of darkness and suffocating ignorance presses in around them leaving few and narrow possibilities for survival in a success-driven society. How do adults and teens end up in circumstances such as these? They simply slipped through the gaps of the American education system, the largest of which is the absence of emphasis on literature. The value of great literature extends far beyond simply reading printed words on a page. Of course the primary focus of reading books, especially at an early age, is to learn how to read. However, as students learn these basic, everyday skills, the possibilities become endless. Great works of literature contain much more than words. Incredible insights into the time period of the author†s life or of the subject on which the author has written are readily available. It is a history lesson without the textbook. History comes alive through reading. Literature also presents the opportunity to learn about new ideas and cultures previously unknown to the reader. Possibly the greatest advantage gained through literature is that students learn to write by constantly reading excellent writings. Overall, a strong emphasis on literature produces a well-rounded individual. The problem with the public education system in this country is that somehow student graduate from high school without ever reading great works of literature. It happens time and time again. Either teachers do not assign students to read excellent literature, or students find one of the many loopholes to escape actually reading anything. The results can be disastrous. It is amazing how many high school students can not write a paper. Some can literally not even write a sentence. There is absolutely no reason why any student in high school should not possess the ability to write a cohesive sentence and even an intelligent paper. Yet it still happens, and it is because students have not read enough and seen enough examples from great authors. The best way to teach students how to write is to show them through literature. It is almost impossible to be a well-read individual and not be able to write well also. Throughout the majority of the twelve years spent in school, my personal education was based primarily on literature. During those seven years, incredible emphasis was placed on reading and also on writing. The schooling received at home was and continues to be invaluable in various ways. Specifically, the study of literature has been invaluable in school and in everyday life. It has been of great assistance in writing all of the many compositions required, and also in recalling specific aspects of history, science, cultures, and more. It is amazing how much easier it is to succeed having this knowledge gained through much reading. The most important change that could ever be made to the public school system is to place a much larger emphasis on literature at all levels of education. All of the difficulties students are experiencing in high school with reading and writing could be avoided if the right steps are taken. Literature must become a main focus. It will greatly aid students in all aspects of school and learning simply to be required to read more. Perhaps they will even begin to love the written word and dive into great literature all on their own.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Principle of Managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Principle of Managment - Assignment Example Jose Jurdo executed his managerial expertise in the completion of the planned Food Eatery construction. The Food Eatery meant to offer both the staff plus the student quality balanced meals due to its location at the campus’ center. Additionally, the group scrutinized the project chart to ensure Jose Jurdo’s controlling function keenly kept the project’s deadline coupled with effective performance. In addition, there was task plan for each member coupled with time allocated for completion of the given tasks, so that the project’s results compilation is timely and of exceptional quality. Regarding the results of the undertaken project, there are attachments to this memo, where we are ready to expound further if the need arises. Feeney, Mary, and Leslie Sult. "Project Management In Practice: Implementing A Process To Ensure Accountability And Success." Journal Of Library Administration 51.7/8 (2011): 744-763. Web. 12 Feb.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Schoen Ultimatum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Schoen Ultimatum - Essay Example Visibly, there is a lack of coordination which is profoundly desired for smooth system running and increased firm output. (Shin, 2003, p. 126). Centralized function required out of Ms. Schoen by CEO of HR management seems to transform into a potential pitfall and this transformation can be suppressed by providing strong central leadership through engaging themes, motivations, and suggestions which would inspire the employees to join in the head manager’s thinking, as suggested by (Hussey, 1990, p. 225). As for the front-line leadership development program which only an embarrassing number of business managers attended in the case, Ms. Schoen is seen requesting the CEO to either accept her resignation or strictly instruct the supervisors to act upon her orders instead of meeting head-on with them. The need to communicate is critically important as is justifying plans or orders to the subordinates in an efficacious central authoritative style. According to (Brophy, 2010, p. 42), communication can lead to increased persuasion and can help a leader in developing his/her vision and expressing his/her desires. Effective head-on meetings arranged with business managers individually and strengthening the central leadership by providing the supervisors with persuasive explanations can prove to be vitally important solutions that Ms. Schoen might explore in an attempt to combat with high level of defiance and insubordination shown by the business managers. According to (Apqc, 2005, p. 59), â€Å"soliciting feedback and providing constant communication are important tools that help foster trust between HR and the business units.† Constructive criticism should be practiced by Ms.... Considering the nature of problems faced by Ms. Schoen in the case presently analyzed, I would highly recommend tackling all the troublesome setbacks with negotiation and head-on meetings so that practical efforts could be made to take all the business managers in confidence. The actual problem is that the head HR manager in the case is seen excessively relying on issuing notifications and essentially requiring all the supervisors to attend the leadership development program without arranging head-on meetings with the chief supervisors beforehand so that the vision of the leader could be related in an explanatory and persuasive manner. According to, the survival of any type of business depends hugely on how effectively the leaders are able to share their knowledge and express their visions to their subordinates. Combining the potential of the supervisors and employees and the quality of the experience-based knowledge shared by the leaders throughout the organization is an effective s trategy to handle the destructive scenarios cropping up in any business. Willingness to share knowledge and communicate personally should be the vital features of a leader’s personality while not getting infuriated and suppressed by the antagonizing behavior displayed by the employees helps in tacking the problematic issues in such a way that misconceptions can be highlighted and proposals can be made, thus every person can be engaged in the process.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Elevating Brand Values Through Corporate Social Responsibility in Essay

Elevating Brand Values Through Corporate Social Responsibility in China A Study on Sporting Goods Companies - Essay Example On the other hand, advocators of CSR say that companies exhibiting social responsibilities can gain the trust of customers thereby increasing sales. In China, the CSR activities are conducted more for serving the interests of the government than the consumers and therefore companies mostly focus on ethical issues that are initiated by the government. This paper is based on a survey conducted on 200 Chinese consumers and also representatives from Nike and Adidas to assess their perception on CSR activities of their companies. The survey result showed that although majority of people are aware of CSR activities, almost 65 percent of the respondents’ purchase decisions are not affected by a company’s CSR activities. In contrast, the company respondents generally felt that although CSR activities are necessary for positive responses from customers, only 22 percent of them felt that CSR activities are responsible for their companies’ success. Corporate social responsibility is one of the main aspects that almost all the organizations in the world now focusing at. In its earlier stage, the performance of any organization was always measured by its overall business volume, its awareness among the people across the globe and by its innovativeness. But in modern age, along with the business performance, corporate social responsibility also plays an important role in creating value for the organization in the society. Moreover, different organizations across the globe now use CSR strategies as one of their branding and promotional activities to reach out to more consumers across the globe. The Cone Communications/Echo Global CSR Study organized by The Cone Communications, 2013, carried out a clear fact about the test to enterprises in present world’s continuously challenging and ever changing market place, and that is: the challenge of creating a â€Å"real and meaningful impact†. In modern world the question is not about engaging in Corporate

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Impact of Class Size on Students' Achievement Thesis

Impact of Class Size on Students' Achievement - Thesis Example Since education is the understanding, wisdom and the information that any individual elucidate and illuminate in order to become proficient in a particular area of interest. However, there are abundant of students especially in the underdeveloped countries who do not even get the opportunity to get the elementary or primary education due to their poor financial statuses. Whereas, the developed nations are providing the students with quality education that helps them in making them live a better and standard life with the power of knowledge (Saracho, 2002). In view of the fact that education and learning is a critical and vital process that determines the future of any individual and how the person will shape his entire life with the knowledge that he will get. Therefore, education is one principal factor that cannot come under ignorance. Nevertheless, like any other field, the domain of education also has numerous problems that the students may encounter in their academic lives. Howe ver, the problems may come across with the teachers as well either with the administration department or in coping up with students (Saracho, 2002). By means of the rising population in the modern world in conjunction with the significance of education, the design, plan, and initiative for the development and enhancement of academic programs have escalated the proportion of students for each class. There are several reasons due to which elementary schools tend to have larger number of students per class without considering the fact that this is making a huge impact on the students’ accomplishments and achievements in their academic careers (Jepsen &Â  Rivkin, 2002). The relationship of students’ achievements caused by the class size has come under numerous researches and exploration since couple of decades; the aftermaths and findings have elevated this matter of subject into many discussions and arguments. In addition, the arguments provide the evidence for the fact that how the suggestions can contribute and influence to the improvements of the students’ performances. Moreover, the suggestions also propose the idea that how all students can get individual attention that can lead to a positive impact on to their achievements (Jepsen &Â  Rivkin, 2002). One of the leading obstacles that are under debates and arguments in the current times that catch the attention of one’s mind is the size of the class that the students study in, as it is one of the imperative subjects that give rise to the problems in the field of education. It has come under surveillance that the class size has a direct impact where it persuades on the learning and accomplishments of the students. In addition, the class size plays a great deal of value and prominence in the essence of learning and education that a student acquires and gains (Franciosi, 2004). Another query arises with the class size concern is that whether the students tend to perform better, gain additional and supplementary knowledge and have high level of achievements and success? This question is in comparison to the students who study in class where there are more students and

Saturday, October 5, 2019

UK Security Management Practice and Regulatory Acts Essay

UK Security Management Practice and Regulatory Acts - Essay Example This essay stresses that the role of the private companies in breaching the gap made by inadequate public security forces to curb crime and insecurity especially in the face of new threats including terrorism, cyber crime and juvenile delinquency including drug abuse and malicious damage provide a valuable service to the country. However, the PSI Act seeks to regulate the sector to ensure conformity with the rules especially regarding privacy and other human rights infringements that may be easily possible under an ambiguous setting. Investigative security agents within the private sector must therefore perform their duties in total compliance with these regulations and guidelines. Within organisations, internal investigations are often the subject of much controversy especially due to the likelihood of violating employee human rights when intruding on their personal information. This paper makes a conclusion that security management as practised by both public and private investigators is thus confronted by many obstacles as they seek research or information on individuals in addition to when doing other security duties particularly due to the proliferation of many indistinct rules that grant much advantage to subjects under investigation and even criminal elements that are protected by these legislative Acts. Although these Acts are primarily aimed at protecting intrusive and unsolicited violations of individual privacy and human rights, they inadvertently hinder proper investigation, research and crime prevention.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Actions Speak Louder Than Words Essay Example for Free

Actions Speak Louder Than Words Essay A gossip between a passenger and Software Engineer in Shatabdi Train ..An interesting and a must read! Actions may not actually speak louder than words but they do prove things better. Like the saying, A picture is worth a thousand words. an action shows that someone is genuine. Someone may say that they will help the hungry people of the world, but when they actually get out there and feed them, we believe it. Here is an example: If you say you are going to donate a million dollars to a school then that is all good and well, but if you actually do it (the action) then it will make much more of an impact that just saying it. Basically it means that you have to walk the walk not just talk the talk. Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man.. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do!! He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use. Are you from the software industry sir? the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop. Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car. You people have brought so much advancement to the country, Sir. Today everything is getting computerized. Thanks, smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look. He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stockily built like a sportsman.. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass. You people always amaze me, the man continued, You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside. Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naiveness demanded reasoning not anger. It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it. For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. It is complex, very complex. It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid, came the reply. This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence crept into his so far affable, persuasive tone. Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing. He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point. Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrently; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing and coding such a system? The man was awestruck; quite like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. You design and code such things? I used to, Vivek paused for effect, but now I am the Project Manager. Oh! sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, so your life is easy now. This was like the last straw for Vivek. He retorted, Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday. Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realization. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. My friend, he concluded triumphantly, you dont know what it is to be in the Line of Fire. The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek. I know sir,.. I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time. There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tri-colour at the top only 4 of us were alive. You are a? I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 JK Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment. But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier? On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety. But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded .his own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker.. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me . I know sir.I know, what it is to be in the Line of Fire. Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a Word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes. The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight. It was nice meeting you sir. Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tri-colour. Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country. PS: The incident he narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nations highest military award. Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn! BE POLITE EVERYONE U MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE!