Children Don’t Need To Learn More Languages Essay

With technology progress advances communication between foreign countries. Nowadays everybody has to know english, because it’s some kind of international language. And it’s recommended to know some other languages: french, german, chineese as example. But our children don’t need to learn more languages in the future. Why? We will find the answer from the text below. Some people say: â€Å"_Those who know many languages live as many lives as the languages they know_†. It’s obvious that it’s silly to argue with this statement. It’s really necessary, because language is the soul of intellect. But people are very slothful. And we know, that progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things. Nowadays we have electronic dictionaries in our smartphones, some of them have voice recognition. Who could imagine that ten years ago? And who can imagine, what will we have in ten years? I will try. Everybody has installed dictionary in his gadget: phone, PC, Tablet PC, even in clocks. And this dictionary can translate all languages, even unimportant, like languages of small african villages. All the devices have voice recognition, so you don’t need type text. And they can translate not only words, but phrases, sentences and even texts. But people learn languages, because you don’t use dictionary while having conversation. Though in other 10 years mankind will get rid of this problem. Everybody will have small ear-device, which will translate all the words, all the languages, all the accents. People will just hear some echo of people, and the main thing – they will hear the translation instantly. Nowadays such devises are used on international meetings, political conventions. But they are far from perfect, there are  still little mistakes, so programmers need some time to do ideal ear-translator. There are a lot of words, which have several meanings. As example phrasal verbs: â€Å"call†, â€Å"run†. Or such words like ‘break†, â€Å"like†. How computer will distinguish such words? Computers become better and better, their power and capacity increases every day. Nowadays computers can analyse information and change it’s own algorithm. In the near future such computers will be open to general use. And computer will see, what words people use, and use the most appropriate words. Somebody can say, that computer is just a programm, script. And you must have intellect and mind to translate languages, that computer will never replace human. But who could imagine robots, playing the piano and violin? Who could imagine planes without pilots and cars without drivers? Artificial Intelligence becomes more intelligent, more smart. So electronic dictionaries are really possible to supplant interpreters. However US author Elbert Hubbard said: _†One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man†_, that’s why there will be several linguistic scientists who will translate books, but all the world will use digital translators. But there is another scenario of world evolution. Nowadays all international political meetings are held in english, a lot of computer programms are written in english. There are several companies in Moscow and some other big russian cities, where all the stuff speaks on english. New generation use english more and more often. Sometimes it seems, that they know english better, than russian. So, english becomes international language. In this way, do we need other languages? Of course, people will speak their native language, and english will be the secondary one, for international communication. It will be enough to have a good command of just two languages (three or four in some countries like Austria). So we can draw a conclusion: thanks to technological progress we and our children have no need to learn more languages in the future. We will learn  only two languages, our native and international one. Everything else computers will assume.

Sabrina Charatain Essay

Supreme Court meets for the first time at the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City on February 2. The court, made up of one chief Justice and five associate Justices, hears its first case in 1792. The nation's first census shows that the population has climbed to nearly 4 million. In 1791, first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified on December 15. In 1793, Washington's second Inauguration Is held in Philadelphia on March 4. Ell Whitney Invention of the cotton glen greatly Increases the demand for slave labor.In 1797, John Adams Is Inaugurated as the second president In Philadelphia on March 4. In 1800, the U. S. Capital Is moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D. C. On June 15. U. S. Congress meets in Washington, DC, for the first time on November 17. Gabriel Prosper, an enslaved African American blacksmith, organizes a slave revolt intending to march on Richmond, Virginia. The conspiracy is uncovered, and Prosper and a number of the rebels are hanged. Virginians slave laws are consequently tightened.In 1801, Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the third president in Washington, DC on March 4. In 1803, Mammary v. Madison: Landmark Supreme Court decision greatly expands the power of the court by establishing its eight to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional on February 24. United States agrees to pay France $15 million for the Louisiana Purchase, which extends west from the Millponds River to the Rocky Mountains and comprises about 830,000 square miles. However, the treaty was signed May 2. As a result, the U. S. Nearly doubles In size.In 1804, Lewis and Clark set out from SST. Louis, Missouri on an expedition to explore the West and find a route to the Pacific Ocean on May 14. Jefferson had his second inauguration on March 4. In 1 805, Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean on November 15. In 1809, James Madison is Inaugurated as the fourth president on March 4. The War of 1812 Is when U. S. Declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime slipping and westward expansion on June 18, 1812. Madison later has his second Inauguration on March 4, 1813.British capture Washington, DC, and set fire to White House and Capitol in August 1814. Francis Scott Baltimore. Treaty of Ghent is signed, officially ending the war in December 24, 1814. In 1820, Missouri Compromise was an effort to maintain the balance between free and slave states, Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) is admitted as a free state o that Missouri can be admitted as a slave state; except for Missouri, slavery is prohibited in the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 36030†² on March 3.

Library research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Library research - Essay Example WoK provides bibliographic content as well as online tools for accessing, analyzing and managing information resources, wherein the search function can be perform simultaneously within multiple databases (ISI Web of Knowledge, 2005) Nexis is a Website which offers resources from thousands of news organizations, intelligence reports in the company and industry levels, reference and bibliographic sources, and intellectual property and public records, as well as legislations and regulations filings and legal resources. Information provided by Nexis apply to the accounting, academic, corporate, government, law enforcement, legal and risk management context (LexisNexis UK, 2011). Full text databases are those in which the complete content of the source of information is provided. For example, if the source is a dissertation, the complete material is provided and not just the abstract or a condensed version of the dissertation (Gravetter and Forzano, 2009). A citation database is a repository of bibliographic citations which enables a researcher to locate and get details about a certain work such as author, title, publisher, date, volume number, issue number, and number of pages (Benedictine University, 2006). The factors to be considered when evaluating a Web source include: (1) authoritativeness and authenticity, which may be verified from the URL or the source of information and the credentials of the person / organization publishing the content; (2) reliability of information, where editorial and referencing procedures and the basis of the information are the best validators; (3) content, which may be compared from similar Web pages for notable omissions and other indicators of accuracy of information (Ely and Scott, 2007; Donyai, 2009). As a rule of thumb, if a statement or a fact is not common knowledge, or if the researcher is unsure, it is best to cite the source of the information (Marquez, 2011).

Vegetarian Diets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vegetarian Diets - Essay Example In looking at the dietary construction of a vegetarian lifestyle, the purpose of the choice is as important as the results of that choice. The choice to avoid animal products can have benefits to the body and also contribute positively to the environmental impact that processing animal products has on the Earth. There are categories of vegetarianism in which food choices are eliminated according to the decisions that an individual makes about their eating habits. Maurer defines a lifestyle that still includes some animal products such as fish and dairy as a semi-vegetarian lifestyle. An ovo-lacto vegetarian will not consume fish, but still consume eggs and dairy. A vegan will eat nothing that comes from animals and limit their intake to those products that come from plant life. Vegans will typically not use any product that comes from an animal for any purpose in their life, including wearing clothing that has an animal based textile. The choice to be vegan is very often as much a social choice as it is a nutritional choice. Becoming fully vegan is very difficult in the modern world as even something as simple as a magazine will use gluten as a part of the process of creating the photographs within its pages (Maurer xxi). Maurer contends that vegetarianism should become social because vegetarian groups are essential to having the latest information on ways in which animal products are used in daily life. Although the social issues that surround vegetarianism are important, Maurer states that â€Å"In North America, most people begin the path to vegetarianism for health reasons† (4). She further quotes from a study done by Yankelovich, Clancy and Shulman conducted in 1992 in which 46% of those interviewed chose vegetarianism for health reasons, 15% for animal rights reasons, 12 percent for other ethical reasons, and the remaining for

Social Cognitive Theory of gender development and functioning Essay

Social Cognitive Theory of gender development and functioning - Essay Example Though there are both positive and negative effects of classification through gender, it can be considered as the main basis in the segregation needed in different aspects of life (p. 92). Gender differentiation is another influential concept that has effects on the social functions and roles of a person. This can be attributed to the fact that the society often presents a double standard on the genders resulting to prejudice on the basis of being male or being female. The stereotypical notion, that males are stronger, more capable and have higher status, can be considered as the effect of such view. Although gender differences can evidently be based on the physical attributes, it is the socio-cultural aspect which can greatly affect the development of a person (p. 92-93). There are different theories through the course of history include the Freudian psychoanalytic theories, Kohlberg’s cognitive theory, the gender schema theory and the social and biological theories (p. 93). The study undertaken is focused on the discussion of the Social Cognitive theory which constitutes different aspects namely biological, cognitive and social. The said theory can be considered to have the important applications in the different scenarios in the society due to its recognition the complex interaction of functions that can constitute the gender development of a person. In terms of the basic point of view of the theory, it can be considered as a synergy of the concepts of personal, behavioral and environmental theories which include the different interactions between the said factors can be considered as the main strength of the Social Cognitive Theory (p. 94). It can be analyzed that from the main cause and origin of the said theory, the cognition and the analysis of the different issues and concerns within the social realm is the main

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions Research Paper - 2

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions - Research Paper Example From this study it is clear that  nearly every respondent attested to the fact that McDonalds is a big market player in food products. This is because with regard to the food products that do well in the summer across the various market segments, every respondent gave an indication of having bought them in less than a week. The young market has a higher preference for McDonalds’ products than in the older market segments. It is clear that the older age segment still has a significant attraction to the McDonalds’ range of products. The most elaborate choice for McDonalds’ ice cream products in the summer has however been among the children, youths and young adults. All the respondents had a recent purchase experience with a McDonald’s product.  This paper outlines that  in order to find out the actual brand preferences that the respondents had for the various products offered at McDonalds, personal opinion was from each of the respondents. A question was asked regarding the specific brand choices and the decision making process behind them from each of the respondents. The three children and one adult bought vanilla ice cream cones from McDonalds while one young adult and two adults had chocolate dipped ice cream products.  Two of the remaining young adults bought strawberry yoghurt from McDonalds. Some of the reasons behind the decision to purchase the preferred product from McDonalds included identity with the company for all the children while one of the adults was having fun with his young son.

Health Care PublicPolicy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Care PublicPolicy - Assignment Example During the mid-2000s, the American Hospital Association (AHA) predicts that the United States would experience a shortage of employees serving the healthcare department. These workers include physicians, nurses, dentists, and medical interns. The healthcare workers shortages observed is due to the increased growth seen in the population, the high number of aging patients such as the baby boomers and the rise in the number and occurrence of chronic diseases. This essay will explore the causes, which are responsible for the shortage of healthcare workers in the US, and remedies that have been put in place to help alleviate the shortage. It is important for the government to understand and identify the causes of healthcare workers shortages. Identifications of such shortages enable for effective planning and coming up with solutions to curb the rise in healthcare workers shortages effectively. The following are some of the causes that were determined to contribute to the scarcity of healthcare workers in the US. The increase in the demand for healthcare in the US is a great contributor to healthcare workers shortages. The demand increase is due to the rising population numbers (putting more pressure on the strained healthcare services), a large number of the US population growing old, and a large number of chronic diseases recurring often. For instance, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that the population growth of the U.S. will increase by 13 percent while the aging population will compromise 20 percent of the population by 2030. On the other hand, 50 percent of the population will be suffering from chronic diseases (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2010). These statistics show the massive demand for the healthcare givers that will be required in a few years. The current shortage being experienced will thus be magnified in a few years time. There is an inadequate growth

Culture, Modernity and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture, Modernity and media - Essay Example This is because the idea of a nation state or the concept the every human belongs to one or more nations has been very influential in the course of human history. A nationalistic ideology forms the basis of creation for a nation state which determines its friendly or even hostile relationships with other nations of the world. Being a part of nations entails to some extent a positive belief in the ideology of the nation and upholding certain customs which are part of the national culture (Miztal, 2003). Strangely enough, there sometimes appears to be no basis of creating a nation since in historical terms nations were formed simply because a group had a different accent from another, while at the same time, people from across races, religions, cultural and backgrounds as well as those who speak different languages can call themselves part of one nation (Giddens, 1994). This is particularly the case with western democracies like America or Britain, where the diversity of the nation is celebrated as much as the union (Bhaba, 1989). In fact, celebrations are significant in helping to create a national identity and infusing a sense of belonging to a nation without internal discrimination. The celebratory role of a particular incident in history is often connected with war and struggle. Incidentally, the celebration seldom looks at the atrocities committed by the nations involved in the war but rather at the positive, heroic, self sacrificing and noble acts which ‘deserve’ to be commemorated. For instance, the American celebration of Veteran’s Day is a celebration of all the war heroes who fought for America in the many wars the nation has conducted over its comparatively short history (Gillis, 1994). Of course there is little mention of America being the only nation in the world to have ever used a nuclear attack on another nation. The atrocities which were committed by American soldiers in Vietnam and the crimes of war they

Professional Development and Research Dissertation

Professional Development and Research - Dissertation Example The main purpose of this dissertation proposal is to determine whether outsourcing has any effects on cost and labour in an organisation. Outsourcing has many effects to both the organisation and the consumer. The effects can be both negative and positive. This mainly depends on the considerations made by the organisation before it embarks in outsourcing. Enough inquiries should be made before a company decides to outsource to another firm. This research will help industries decide on when it is necessary to outsource, the benefits and the limitations. Though there might be short-term price benefits, there are lasting costs connected with reduced edification of workers, less devotion of the employer and reduced employer devotion. This research seeks to understand the effects of outsourcing on cost cutting and labour. Outsourcing depends on the different business situations that different industries have. Before any organisation sets-off for outsourcing, assessment and careful plannin g are considered a necessity for any industry. In conclusion, empirical results on the relationship between outsourcing to cut costs and labour present that there are mixed results and impacts on different industries. The expected performance result of outsourcing was tested and the outcome illustrated efforts by industries to slash costs by mechanizing the business tasks in existence. The results showed unenthusiastic irregular returns. The analysis has shown incompatible outcomes on how tactically stimulated outsourcing influences an industries presentation.

The ethical principles and teaching of one religion Essay Example for Free

The ethical principles and teaching of one religion Essay Examine the ethical principles and teaching of one religion, focussing particularly on what is believed about the nature and value of human life, and the relationship between humans and the environment. Most religions have similar ethical principles and beliefs on the value and nature of human life; however this essay will be focusing on one religion in particular, Islam. Islams main principles about the human life are quite similar to the other religions, and the fact that life is sacred. This underpins all issues dealing with medical ethics such as Abortion and Euthanasia. Muslims believe that all human life is sacred because it is given by Allah, and that Allah chooses how long each person will live. Human beings should not interfere in this, which is why Islam would most definitely favour sanctity of life over quality of life, as the Islamic view is based on the very high priority the faith gives to the sanctity of life. The Quran states: Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind. (Quran 5:32) It is a manifestation of the dignity of man that Islam has placed an infinite value on human life. This is expressed in the Quran in the following terms: We ordained for the children of Israel that if anyone slew a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew the whole of mankind. And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of a whole people. (Al-Maida, 5:32) If Euthanasia is taken as an example, Islam believes human life is a value to be respected unconditionally, irrespective of other circumstances. The concept of a life not worthy of living does not exist in Islam. Justification of taking life to escape suffering is not acceptable in Islam. Prophet Mohammad taught: There was a man in older times that had an infliction that taxed his patience, so he took a knife, cut his wrist and bled to death. Upon this God said:My subject hastened his end, I deny him paradise. All these teachings are derived from the Holy Book of Islam, The Quran, which is said to be the word of Allah. There are many other quotes from the Quran which support the argument of the sacredness of life. If anyone kills a person unless it be for murder or spreading mischief in the land- it would be as if he killed the whole people. (Quran 5.32) When their time comes they cannot delay it for a single hour nor can they bring it forward by a single hour. (Quran 16.61) And no person can ever die except by Allahs leave and at an appointed term. (Quran 3.145) Destroy not yourselves. Surely Allah is ever merciful to you. (Quran 4.29) There is a vast amount of emphasis put on the sacredness of human life, and how it should be protected at all times, however Islam permits killing, under very strict circumstances, in a war called Jihad, and is often mistranslated to mean holy war, however its true meaning can be anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. The Prophet Muhammad has given clear instructions about the behaviour of the Muslim army. He observed: Set out for Jihad in the name of Allah and for the sake of Allah. Do not lay hands on the old verging on death, on women, children and babes. Do not steal anything from the booty and collect together all that falls to your lot in the battlefield and do good, for Allah loves the virtuous and the pious. So great is the respect for humanly feelings in Islam that even the wanton destruction of enemys crops or property is strictly forbidden. When thinking of the nature of life, it is natural to ponder upon creation. For example how would Islam manage to answer lifes unanswered questions such as, When does life begin?, Where does life come from?, and What happens at death?. As with all religions Islam tried to answer them, with help from the Holy Scriptures, such as the Quran and Hadith. The question of when a human life begins is a profoundly intricate one, with widespread implications, ranging from abortion rights to stem cell research and beyond. A key point in the debate rests on the way in which we choose to define the concepts of humanity, life and human life. Islam states that human life begins at the moment when a male sperm penetrates a female ovum and becomes united with it. The impregnated ovum constitutes the first cell that contains a full genetic record of the human kind in general and of the individual foetus itself that will distinguish it from any other being at any point of time. This first cell will then start reproducing itself throughout the various developing stages of the conception period until the moment of birth. The moment a woman conceives and the conceptions said to be stable in the uterus, the life shining in this uterus has full respect and is protected by established Islamic law provisions. If the foetus reaches the stage when a soul is breathed into it (some say after 120 days, others after 40 days), its sanctity becomes greater as agreed upon, and this results into certain provisions of the Islamic law. Islam also believes that all types of life were created by Allah, from water. Let us look at what Allah has said in the Quran about our creation to back up this theory: Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from A drop emitted Proceedings from between the backbone and the ribs: Surely (Allah) is able to bring him back (To life)! The Day that (All) things secret Will be tested, (Man) will have No power, and no helper. (Quran 86:5-10) As Allah has given life, he can also take it away, and has a plan for us all. Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless. Islam teaches that after death there will be a Day of Judgement. When people die they remain in the grave until the Day of Judgement. When the Day of Judgement comes, Allah will decide what happens to people and his decision is final: To Allah belongs the knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth; and the coming of the Hour of Judgement is like the twinkling of an eye, or even quicker. Surely, Allah has full power over everything. (Quran 16:77) Allah will also judge all believers, not just Muslims: Those who believe in the Quran, and the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians, any who truly believe in Allah and the Last Day and act righteously, shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Quran 5:69) People who have followed the teachings of Allah will go to Paradise, which will be a perfect world of rest and pleasure. Here they stay forever. This is called akhirah or in other words life after death. People who have ignored Allahs teachings will go to hell where they will be punished. Those who have believed and acted righteously will be made happy in a splendid Garden. Those who disbelieved and rejected Our Signs and the meeting of the Hereafter will be brought face to face with punishment. (Quran 30:15-16) Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam has no teaching about reincarnation. Muslims have only one chance to live their lives and they are judged on how they do this. When researching the value of human life there are many reasons not to destroy life in Islam however Islam does not always see destroying life as wrong. For example there are many quotes in the Quran, as mentioned beforehand, as to why life is so sacred, and only Allah has the right to take it away. If we look at the issue of abortion, Muslims regard abortion as wrong and haram (forbidden), but many accept that it may be permitted in certain cases. All schools of Muslim law accept that abortion is permitted if continuing the pregnancy would put the mothers life in real danger. This is the only reason accepted for abortion after 120 days of the pregnancy. The Islamic view is based on the very high priority the faith gives to the sanctity of life. This passage has been stressed many times by myself, for it is the main valid point for backing up the sanctity of life and in the Quran it states: Whosoever has spared the life of a soul, it is as though he has spared the life of all people. Whosoever has killed a soul, it is as though he has murdered all of mankind. (5: 32) Most Muslim scholars would say that a foetus in the womb is recognised and protected by Islam as a human life although. Islam allows abortion to save the life of the mother because it sees this as the lesser of two evils and this is a general principle in Sharia (Muslim law). Abortion is regarded as a lesser evil in this case because, The mother is the originator of the foetus, the mothers life is well-established, the mother has with duties and responsibilities, the mother is part of a family, and allowing the mother to die would also kill the foetus in most cases. Islam also regards the relationships between humans and the environment very highly. The world Earth appears no less than 485 times in the holy book of the Quran. Sharia, the word for Islamic Law, literally means source of water. In the words of Allah, There is not an animal in the earth, nor a creature flying on two wings, but they are nations like you. (6:38) The question of the creation of human beings is relevant; to understand the role of religion in the environment the Holy Quran states Blessed be He, in whose hands are all sovereignty. He has power over all things. He created death and life that He might put to test and find out, which of you acquitted himself best. He is Mighty, Forgiving One. (67:1-2) Life is thus, a brilliant demonstration of Gods wisdom and knowledge. He has shown the humans a right path of life. Theres complete stability and unity in the laws of the universe. Man being a part of the whole system must also operate justly in the sphere over which he is given control and power; otherwise, he is working against the natural laws of the Universe, as well as his own nature. The result of which can be destruction in the environment. In conclusion, as with many other religions, Islam has similar concepts and principals about human life and the environment which are clearly outlined in Holy Scriptures such as The Quran and may influence our personal morals and views on ethical issues. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1) http://www.islamweb.net 2) http://www.bbc.co.uk 3) http://www.earthisland.org 4) http://www.muhajabah.com 5) The Puzzle of Ethics Peter Vardy Paul Grosch 6) Understanding Islam Duncan Baird Publishers

The Once and Future King by T. H. White | Symbolism

The Once and Future King by T. H. White | Symbolism The importance of symbolism in literature should not be underemphasized because it links the concrete everyday experiences of our lives with more significant interpretations the author applies to those experiences. Symbols are a major element in how literature works.(Oldham) Symbolism is used by T. H. White throughout The Once and Future King, and each of the symbols used enhances and adds depth to the story. The Questing Beast is more than a monster; it represents meaningless quests.(Ogden-Korus) The sword is more than a weapon; it is a symbol for all that is honorable and courageous in Arthurian legend.(Lozon) The Round Table is not merely a piece of furniture that King Arthur chose to place in his castle; it is a symbol representing the ideals of knighthood and Arthurs leadership style.(Lupack) The Holy Grail is not only a pursued treasure; it represents a promise of a new beginning.(Howard) Symbolism in The Once and Future King is important because of the enhanced depth and meani ng it gives to the story as can be seen in the Questing Beast, the sword, the Round Table, and the Holy Grail. Symbolism is often difficult to interpret in literature because symbols can have complex meanings which go beyond their literal or a single meaning. In truth, the most expressive symbols in literature do represent a range of meanings. This often confuses and frustrates readers and results in them failing to appreciate the full meaning and depth of a literary work.(Ricouer) For example, a flag can be much more than a symbol representing a particular country. For many people, a flag can symbolize abstract ideas about the ideals of what that country represents to them.(Ohio University) When the complex meanings of the symbols in The Once and Future King are discovered, a new level of understanding is gained by the reader. It becomes apparent that not only is the story about the Arthurian legend, it is about the spirit and ideals that are represented by that legend. The Questing Beast is an iconic symbol of Arthurian legend.(Batt) As implied by its name, its function is to be the object of quests. This beast, with a monstrous barking noise coming from its stomach, is often described as having a leopards body, a serpents head, a lions hindquarters, and a deers feet. In The Once and Future King, T. H. White uses this misunderstood creature to explain Pellinores quest for the beast and to symbolize that there is really no good reason for Pellinore to spend a large part of his life in this quest. Pellinore holds no real personal anger against the beast, and pursues him only because everyone in his family has always done so. Pellinores long search symbolizes all the pointless knightly pursuits encouraged by chivalry ungrounded in the belief might makes right. The unlikely body parts which form this beast symbolize the chaos of those pursuits.(Ogden-Korus) When the reader understands the symbolism in the Questing Beast, a new meaning and depth is give n to the story. The life depicted by the knights and, in turn, many quests sought by people are often fruitless endeavors with no real purpose. While the symbolism in the Questing Beast represents fruitlessness, the symbolism in the sword is much different. The mystical sword of King Arthur is a weapon of great physical and magical powers, and is one of the most famous items associated with Arthurian legend. It, however, is more than a weapon. In the sword is symbolized everything that is noble and valiant in the world. It is a symbol of strength, pride, power, and the authority one man can command to bring an entire nation under his rule.(Lozon) Such swords are made so that only a few or one specific person can use them effectively because they are a symbol of divine kingship. In T. H. Whites The once and Future King, the words engraved on the sword are Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of All England.(p. 197) Arthurs ability to pull the sword from the stone proves his worthiness as a leader and his acceptance of all the responsibility that such leadership entails.(Lai) The sword i s really a test used to distinguish outer physical strength from an inner morality, and only the worthy posses that quality.(Lai) Understanding the symbolism of the sword in The Once and Future King gives depth to what are the true qualities of power and leadership in the world and the responsibilities that accompany that leadership. Comparatively, the true qualities of power and leadership are further symbolized in The Once and Future King by the Round Table. In the story, the table is not merely the physical object around which Arthur and his knights sit, it is the physical representation of the equality among them. Its round shape symbolizes fairness and justice for all. When seated around the table, no one could claim more importance than another. (Lupack) The great sense of equality depicted by the Round Table can be found in Robert Waces poem, Le Roman de Brut. Arthur fashioned the Round Table Of which many tales are told There sit his knights, Each one equal to the next: They sit equally at the Table And are equally served. None of them can boast That he sits ahead of the next. None has a favored position, And none is excluded.(9751-60) An understanding of the sense of equality symbolized by the Round Table enables the reader to realize the importance in the shape of the table. Further symbolized in the shape of the table is the entire order of knighthood and the code of chivalry to which the knights committed themselves in their lives and in the pursuits they followed. This code of fairness was expressed by many characteristics including courtesy, honor, and loyalty.(Lupack) Each of these characteristics stress the importance of leading a moral and righteous life. Through an understanding of the symbolism in the Round Table, the reader gains a deeper appreciation for the importance of right makes right and the necessity of equality in life and its quests. Regardless of ones quests in life, the aim of each is to obtain a treasure. In The Once and Future King, an important treasure sought is the Holy Grail. Reading the story without understanding the symbolic meaning of the Holy Grail leads one to believe that it is simply a cup. Understanding the symbolism, however, leads to a much deeper appreciation of the significance of this treasure: its promise for a new beginning in life. The hardships involved in obtaining that promise are reflected in the degree of difficulty it takes to achieve it. Most people would prefer to cling to the familiar, no matter how unsatisfying it may be, rather than face the new. The desire and the ability to strive for change distinguishes the hero from the rest of humanity. (Howard) Looking at the symbolic meaning of the Holy Grail gives the reader a better understanding of all that can be achieved through the quests in ones life. In conclusion, although it is often difficult to interpret symbolism in literature, it is important to do so in The Once and Future King because of the enhanced depth and meaning the reader can gain from the story. From the Questing Beast, the reader learns that might does not necessarily make right. The qualities of honorable and valiant leaders can be discovered in the sword. The Round Table supports the ideal that right does means right. Finally, the symbolism in the Holy Grail uncovers a new meaning to the quests that one attempts in life. Indeed, symbolism in literature should not be seen as frustrating. Instead, it should be viewed as exciting because it opens doors to additional reading, rereading, and discussion. This, in turn, gives a further insight and meaning to literature. Symbolism, through the many layers of meaning it conveys, gives literature its deep and lasting qualities.

Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Essay -- Christina Rossetti Goblin

Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market One of the strongest emotions inherent in us as humans is desire. The majority of the time, we are unable to control what we crave; however, with practice, we learn not all things we want are necessary. As a result of this mature understanding, we are able to ease our feelings and sometimes even suppress our desires. Something even more mature is understanding that when we give in to our desires, we become vulnerable. In a harsh, brutal world, vulnerability will not work to our advantage. In Christina Rossetti’s â€Å"Goblin Market,† she writes about a sister who succumbs to her desire and pays dearly for it while the other sister resists her desires and receives the ultimate reward of her sister’s life. By creating such a spectacular tale, Rossetti stresses the importance of being in touch with one’s desires and being able to prevail over their strong hold because in the harsh world we live in, we cannot afford to let our desire get the best of us. Of the two sisters Lizzie and Laura, Laura is the one whose curious desires get the best of her. She and her sister encounter the goblin men and Lizzie just â€Å"thrust a dimpled finger / In each ear, shut her eyes and ran† (67 – 68); however, Laura’s curiosity gets the best of her and she chooses to stay: â€Å"Curious Laura chose to linger / Wondering at each merchant man† (69 – 70). These goblin men are selling fruit, and once Laura gets her hands on it, she is hardly able to stop herself. Quenching her desire is overwhelming for her, so much so that when she is finally done she â€Å"knew not was it night or day† (139). When she arrives home later, she tells her sister, â€Å"I ate and ate my fill, / Yet my mouth waters still; / Tomorrow night I ... ... men’s fruit. Because of this, she suffers premature aging. Rossetti is conveying the importance of being aware of the possible peril that waits in the outside world, and controlling one’s desires in order to keep oneself from being vulnerable. If one gives in to their desires and makes oneself vulnerable, one will ultimately suffer. Lizzie does not succumb and does not do what the goblin men want her to do. As a result of this refusal, she has the power to bring her sister back to normal and take away her premature aging. Christina Rossetti is conveying the importance of maintaining control over one’s self: if one keeps oneself from becoming vulnerable, resists desires, and chooses the right path, one will remain safe and be rewarded handsomely. Works Cited Rossetti, Christina. Goblin Market. Illustrated by Laurence Housman. 1893. New York: Dover, 1983.

Melvilles Characters/comparison Of Captain Ahab And Billy Budd :: essays research papers

Melville’s Characters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Melville’s characters are distinct individuals that have some similarities and differences. There are three traits that tie Captain Ahab and Billy Budd together even though they are on different sides in the fight between Good and Evil. They each have communication problems that play a part in their deaths. Neither of them can see an issue from another point of view, nor can they be influenced by others, although for entirely different reasons. Ahab and Billy share a few traits even though they are generally opposite characters. Communication problems are one of the factors that lead to Ahab’s and Billy’s deaths. Ahab never tells the entire truth to his men. He only tells them the parts that he thinks will motivate them to help him catch the whale. If the entire crew had been told before they signed on to help that they would be hunting the most dangerous whale in the sea none of them would have gone on the voyage and died. Also, Ahab is so inflexible that no matter how heated the conversation gets, he won’t change his opinion. Starbuck can’t talk any common sense into Ahab, he’s just too stubborn. If Ahab had listened to Starbuck, he might have died an old man instead of the way he did. Billy’s communication with others helps and hurts him. When Billy talks to people they almost always come away from the conversation with good feelings about Billy. He makes a lot of friends that way. However, Billy has troubles communicating too. He cannot sense if the person he is talking to is truthful or not. He talks to Squeak several times but never even guesses that Squeak is talking to him for mischievous purposes. Billy also stutters when he’s overcome, when he can’t find words to describe the emotions he is experiencing. He ends up dying because of this character flaw.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neither Ahab or Billy can see more than one side of an issue. Throughout the entire trip, Ahab never thinks of chasing the whale as something dangerous, something that shouldn’t be done. Nearly everyone else on the ship, excluding Fedallah, thinks that chasing after one whale, the most dangerous whale in the entire ocean, is crazy and that it’s an unnecessary risk of the crew’s lives. But Ahab, because of his inability to consider his crew’s views about the hunt and because he can only think of the whale as pure evil, condemns them all to death.

Healthcare Finance Essay

Like with any household, businesses have some expenses that are the same each month, and others that fluctuate based on utilization. The mortgage, car note, and insurance premiums for the most part are the same throughout the year, but the utility bills, credit card bills, and cell phone bills may increase or decrease monthly based on usage. In health care organizations, several types of cost can be classified according to the amount of services provided. This can be referred to as activity, utilization, or volume (Gapenski, 2012). Reference for Business (2012) says, â€Å"Fixed and variable expenses are the two main components of a company’s total overhead expense† (p.1). This paper will address how costs in healthcare organizations are classified according to their volume, and the importance of cost allocation. â€Å"†¦for healthcare providers, a cost involves a resource use associated with providing or supporting a specific service† (Gapenski, 2012, p. 14 8). With fixed and variable cost classification the range of volume should be specified (Gapenski, 2012). In health care organizations, the actual future volume is uncertain for the number of patient days, number of visits, number of enrollees, or the number of diagnostic tests (Gapenski, 2012). However, a general idea of the volume range over a particular period of time is usually known (Gapenski, 2012). Fixed costs are known and are not related to volume within a relevant range (Gapenski, 2012). Unless the volume deviates excessively in a positive or negative direction, fixed cost is not affected. Basu (2012) says, â€Å"Fixed costs remain constant within a specific range of activity. However, if volume increase or decrease past certain levels, fixed cost may change† (p.1). For example, if a physician’s office staff can handle up to 10,000 patient visits, as long volume stays within the relevant  range of 8,000 to 10,000 defined by the office, the fixed costs remains un changed (Gapenski, 2012). Although most fixed costs such as equipment, weekly payroll, and rent are fixed for a period of time, an increase or decrease in volume in the future could mandate changes/adjustments to the fixed costs (Gapenski, 2012). Fixed costs dose not fluctuate with volume changes within a relevant range, but variable costs does. â€Å"Costs that are directly related to volume are called variable costs† (Gapenski, 2012, p. 150). Reference For Business (20120 says, â€Å"Variable costs are those that respond directly and proportionately to changes in activity level or volume†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 1). Using the physician’s office above as an example, some of their variable cost could be gloves, tongue depressors, disposable exam gowns, and needles. As patient volume fluctuates, the cost associated with these supplies will also fluctuate in relation to the volume changes. Because some costs are organizational and some are specific to a subunit, it is necessary to create a system that a llocates costs (Gapenski, 2012). â€Å"A critical part of cost management at the subunit level is the assignment, or allocation, of direct costs. Costs allocation is essentially a pricing process within the organization whereby managers allocate the costs of one department to other departments† (Gapenski, 2012, p. 188). Overhead cost such as, facilities management personnel, financial staffs, and housekeeping and maintenance personnel, must be allocated to the money generating departments of an organization (Gapenski, 2012). Cost allocation assigns the costs of an organization to the entities that incurred the costs. Cost allocation data allows the organization to make better decisions in, tracking, assigning, and controlling costs, as well as the offering and pricing of services. (Gapenski, 2012). Cost allocations can also assist with reducing cost, because departments are held accountable for the full cost associated with running their department. As a result, mangers will use costs saving methods to keep c osts down, since evaluations, compensation, and promotions are sometimes dependent on economic results (Gapenski, 2012). Costs can be fixed or it can be variable. â€Å"Peavler (2012) say, â€Å"Fixed costs are the costs associated with the product that have to be paid, regardless of the volume of the product you sell. Variable costs are directly related to sales† (p.1.). â€Å"†¦some cost are more or less predictable because they are independent of volume, while other costs are much less  predictable because they are related to volume† (Gapenski, 2012, p. 150). Whether fixed or variable, costs are usually allocated within an organization. Averkamp (2012) says, â€Å"The goal is to assign the costs based on the root cause of the common cost instead of merely spreading the costs† (p. 1). Knowledge and utilization of these concepts, helps with current and future planning for an organizations financial success. References Averkamp, H. (2012). What is cost allocation?. P. 1. Retrieved from http://blog.accountingcoach.com/what-is-cost-allocation/ Basu, C. (2012). Effects a Sales Volume Increase or Decrease Will Have on Unit Fixed Cost. P. 1. Retrieved form http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-sales-volume-increase-decrease-uni†¦ Gapenski, L. C. (2012). Healthcare Finance: An Introduction to Accounting and Financial Management (5th ed.). Chicago, Illinois : AUPHA Press / Health Administration Press. Peavler, R. (2012). Fixed and Variable Cost. P. 1. Retrieved from http://bizfinance.about.com/od/pricingyour product/qt/Fixed_Variable_Cost†¦Ã‚ ­ Reference for Business. (2012). Fixed and Variable Expenses. P. 1-4. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Eq-Inc/Fixed-and-Variable-Ex†¦

International Crime

Throughout the term we have encompassed an array of information pertaining to international criminal justice practices. The examination of past, present, and future trends facing global justice systems has led us to embark on research and topics for many different countries. This paper will cover the topics of social phenomenon, social behavior, legal traditions of contemporary society, Interpol and Europol, and what is forthcoming for future trends in international criminal justice practices.The difference in studying crime as a social phenomenon and in studying crime as a social behavior is that crime as a social phenomenon deals with the crime itself and crime as a social behavior deals with the person committing the crime. The person committing the crime tells the social behavior of the individual as well as the environmental status. The phenomenon deals with the crime itself not who committees it. â€Å"Comparative criminological thoughts do affect social phenomenon through soc ial behavior individuals place on others† (Reichel, 2008). The comparative criminological ideas help with the study of different criminal element through domestic, international, and transnational crime. These concepts, theories, and ideologies help researchers to come up with different methods to help for resolving the issue of social disorder. Criminal behavior helps contrive summaries on the issue of social phenomenon on transnational to international crime; furthermore, â€Å"crime as a form through social behavior does as a social phenomenon through different identities through patterns and summaries in countries worldwide† (Reichel, 2008). A great example of a social phenomenon would be the twitter phenomenon The recent announcement that social-networking phenomenon Twitter â€Å"has agreed to settle FTC charges that Twitter engaged in inadequate privacy and information-security practices illustrates some simple mistakes social media and other online companies can make† (ftc. gov). The crime that was committed by twitter was the releasing of information pertaining to an individual’s sense of privacy. In order to understand the magnitude of the social phenomenon on a more global scale we can look at myspace, twitter, linkedin, and facebook as resources. These social networks gather information from clients in order for individual companies to keep track of their consumers and are also used as informational portals for blogging, networking, and file sharing. With young people being able to watch satellite television or the Internet to see the pro-democracy uprisings in other countries, and could communicate with activists across social networks that the secret police have difficulty controlling, governments across the region have reason to fear of contagion. One recent example of the power of social phenomenon was the revolution that began in Egypt on the 25th of January 2011. â€Å"The protest consisted of street demonstrations, acts of civil disobedience, riots, marches, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, labor strikes, and violent clashes throughout Egypt as part of a longer-term campaign of civil resistance† (law. com). Millions of protesters from a variety of social economic backgrounds and religions demanded the overthrow of the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, along with an end to corruption and police repression, and democratic reforms of the political system. On the 11th of February, Mubarak resigned from office as a result of determined popular protest. These spiraling events were the end result of a facebook group who attracted 80,000 attendees. This goes to show how powerful social phenomenon’s were, can be, and will be in the future. Nigeria utilizes these social phenomenons for criminal purposes to gain access to important information like American birthdates, social security numbers and other vital information. The majority of the information gathered from these countries usually is gathered from social networks. Because lately Nigeria has been one of the top countries that has been listed in the forefront of the news for scams that have cost many individuals across the world money a closer look have been taken to prohibit these types of cybercrimes. Crimes people place among others throughout any organizations and society does affect the social and psychological motives on the person. The issues of international crimes help to explain the social and psychological motives throughout the globe. The images of social behavior help improve both theoretical and psychological motives that created individuals organizations to help to prevent violence throughout society. According to Reichel the comparative criminology does focus through social and psychological behaviors through community. The future of these cybercrimes is uncertain; furthermore, the more technology seems to increase the more technical and savvy criminals become. When considering the legal traditions of contemporary society a person would have to take into consideration many different attributes to determine the legal traditions. With reference to my personal opinion the three primary legal traditions are Common law, Religious law, and Contemporary law. â€Å"An argument can be made that a fourth tradition, socialist, exists on its own right but can also be considered and argued to be a part of civil law† (Reichel, 2008). Common law had its basis formed in Western Europe whereas civil law had its foundation in Roman times (Reichel, 2008). An apparent difference between civil and common law was the existence of common law in its relation to civil law. Common law was based on religious decisions from the Christian Church (Reichel, 2008). Islamic law has its foundation in a divine source but also incorporates the use of reasoning as well as â€Å"reasoning by analogy† (Reichel, 2008). Religious laws would be considered are religious law these are laws with that hold ethical, and moral standing. A great example is Hindu, Islamic, and etc. which rule by the basis on religion and old law. In simple religion and custom are laws. Contemporary law means the present and prevailing law. This states that laws will be referred to laws that are already in place in order to obtain a mutual consensus throughout the court system. The difference between legal systems and legal traditions is that legal systems are comprised of â€Å"legal institutions, procedures and rules† (Reichel, 2008). Legal traditions deal with the culture and historical attitudes of a society regarding law and how it should be applied (Reichel, 2008). â€Å"Common law had its basis formed in Western Europe whereas civil law had its foundation in Roman times† (Reichel, 2008). An apparent difference that I read between civil and common law was the existence of canon law in its relation to civil law. â€Å"Common law was based on religious decisions from the Christian Church† (Reichel, 2008). Islamic law has its foundation in a divine source but also incorporates the use of reasoning as well as â€Å"reasoning by analogy† (Reichel, 2008). In lament terminology common laws help to develop a better democratic form of governments; that helps prevent any acts of individual’s violation of his or her rights. Therefore, traditional laws help to develop a stronger republic to help protect an individual’s rights and liberties throughout modern world. Religious laws help to determine the action that came from the churches and how their ideological approach does help to improve society. Interpol in short stands for International Criminal Policing Organization. Its sole purpose is to oversee internationally crime trends and crack down international wrong doing. Interpol plays a major roll on the international scene in regards to policing because it’s the world’s largest international police organization. It encompasses approximately 188 countries globally and was created in 1923. â€Å"Interpol aims to facilitate international police co-operation even where diplomatic relations do not exist between particular countries. Action is taken within the limits of existing laws in different countries and in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Interpol’s constitution prohibits any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character† (inter. int). Europol in short stands for â€Å"European Law Enforcement Agency which aims at improving the effectiveness and co–operation of the competent authorities in the Member States in preventing and combating terrorism, unlawful drug trafficking and other serious forms of organized crime† (euro. ur). Europol is the law enforcement agency of the European Union. Our aim is to help achieve a safer Europe by supporting the law enforcement agencies of European Union member states in their fight against international serious crime and terrorism. More than 620 staff at Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands work closely with law enforcement agencies in the 27 European Union member states and in other non-EU partner states such as Australia, Canada, the USA and Norway† (euro. eur). These two different but very similar methods of trying to police in an effort to prevent and stop crime I feel is very beneficial globally. These two organizations contribute very greatly with regards to international policing. One focuses on European countries while the other focuses on international countries. Sharing vital statistics, crime trends, and data is the Achilles heel for both organizations. They both rely on information sharing with local agencies to produce productive results. For the prevention of international crimes both play major and important rolls with information and data sharing. This is a great system in place because now there isn’t really any criminal that can abscond from justice. Interpol /Europol concentrate on three broad categories of international criminal activity. â€Å"Both contributes to providing information terrorism and crimes against people and property, including crimes against children, trafficking in human beings, illegal immigration, automobile theft, and art theft; economic, financial, and computer crimes, including banking fraud, money laundering, corruption, and counterfeiting; and illegal drugs and criminal organizations, including organized crime† (inter. nt). Interpol’s everyday operations are managed by a General Secretariat under the direction of a secretary general, who is appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly. Interpol was reorganized in 2001 following the September 11 attacks on the United States. The new post of executive director for police services was created to oversee several director ates, including those for regional and national police services, specialized crimes, and operational police support. In conclusion, the international criminal system does have its ups and downs. Based on the readings and discussions up to this point, it becomes very apparent that the futures of international criminal activities are uncertain. â€Å"There’s no question that terrorism, the growth of multicultural populations, massive migration, upheavals in age-composition demographics, technological developments, and globalization over the next three or more decades will affect the world’s criminal justice systems† (ojp. gov). The research predicts that global trends will play a significant role in how criminal justice is delivered throughout the world. This can be because of the dramatic growth in the number of foreign born Americans and suggests that increasing diversity in populations will have a significant impact not only in the United States but worldwide. Such growth has the potential for disharmony; furthermore, in South Africa, for example, the court system now recognizes eleven official languages. â€Å"As a result, lawyers may speak one language, the judge another, and the defendant, a third. Often, the only two people in the courtroom speaking the same language are the victim and defendant with the judge, prosecutor, and defense lawyer relying on interpreters† (ojp. gov). The lack of similarities extends beyond language to social norms and expectations can prove a huge problem for the future of international criminal justice. Ultimately, the priority over the next couple of decades should be to develop policies and technologies that will help policymakers, decision makers, and citizens establish a criminal justice system that is fair, equitable, and respectful.Reference http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/06/twitter.shtm http://www.interpol.int/public/icpo/default.asp http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/journals/255/2040.html

Academic Skills Plus Essay

Atwood writes: â€Å"What I mean by ‘science fiction’ is those books that descend from H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, which treats of an invasion by tentacled, blood-sucking Martians shot to Earth in metal canisters – things that could not possibly happen – whereas, for me, â€Å"speculative fiction† means plots that descend from Jules Verne’s books about submarines and balloon travel and such – things that really could happen but just hadn’t completely happened when the authors wrote the books. I would place my own books in this second category: no Martians.† (From In other worlds, p.6) With these remarks in mind, is it useful to distinguish between science fiction and speculative fiction? In answering this question you might consider Le Guin’s suggestion that people who refer to their works as ‘speculative fiction’ rather than ‘science fiction’ are simply trying to protect themselves from some of the negative connotations associated with science fiction (see In other worlds)? Discuss in relation to at least two works. ‘Science fiction’ is often defined as a wide literary genre related to fictional stories. It contains many subgenres, such as space opera, cyberpunk, utopia, dystopia, alternative histories and speculative fiction. Although there are an extensive number of subgenres, some writers, as Margaret Atwood, have been trying to differentiate ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’. Maybe this wideness of subgenres existing under the genre ‘science fiction’ is exactly the reason why Atwood found interesting to present this differentiation. When we consider science fiction stories, many different things can came up to our mind, such as aliens, intergalactic travel, artificial intelligence and utopian (or dystopian) societies. Considering that, as we can notice in these examples, these topics can differ a lot from each other and it might be understandable that Atwood  wanted to differentiate (more than just defining different subgenres) the kind of fiction related to more ‘plausible’ things (things that could really happen, as she says). Definitely, ‘speculative fiction’ books have a completely different scenario from cyberpunk, aliens or space opera works and this could awake a desire to disconnect them in a more significantly manner. However, it is possible to affirm that this distinction between ‘science’ and ‘speculative fiction’ is not useful and that there is no reason for making it, especially considering that speculative fiction is just one more subgenre of science fiction. This thesis will be supported by a number of points presented throughout this essay. Firstly, it will be argued that the subgenre ‘speculative fiction’ fits perfectly into the definitions and requisites related to ‘science fiction’. Secondly, it will be discussed that Atwood’s definition of ‘speculative fiction’ is vague and can change according to interpretation, and also that it can be used to define as speculative fiction other books that she clearly had classified as belonging to ‘science fiction’. Thereby, her definition can be seen as not clear, which makes it not useful at all. Finally, it will be presented that Atwood seems to reinforce this division specially because distinguishing ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ is convenient for her. There are some evidences for that, for example, Le Guin once said Atwood was trying to protect herself from negative connotations associated with ‘science fiction’. This is even noticeable considering that many of her attempts to define the genre contained irony and clichà ©s. Firstly, it will be discussed that ‘speculative fiction’ fits perfectly into the definitions and requisites related to the ‘science fiction’ subgenres, which makes unnecessary and not useful the distinction between them. It was stated before that ‘science fiction’ has a big number of subgenres and it is clear that they differ considerably from each other. However, despite their singularities, all of them have one kind of cohesive element in common, which brings each subgenre to be defined as part of the genre ‘science fiction’. To define this common element noticed in all the science fiction subgenres, it is useful to consider two Suvin’s definitions about science fiction: â€Å"SF is, then, a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition,  and whose main formal device is an imaginative framework alternative to the author’s empirical environme nt† (Suvin 1979, p. 7) and â€Å"Science Fiction is distinguished by the narrative dominance or hegemony of a fictional ‘novum’ (novelty, innovation) validated by cognitive logic† (Suvin 1979, p. 63). Considering these two definitions, it is possible to affirm then that the necessary and sufficient conditions to identify one science fiction work are: the presence of a ‘novum’ and the presence of a ‘cognitive logic’, the logical consistency which makes the ‘novum’ become part of our knowledge about real things. With this in mind, we can analyse the book The Handmaid’s Tale from Atwood. She clearly have classified this book as not being ‘science fiction’, however, it is easy to identify the ‘novum’ and also the ‘cognitive logic’ in her book. The ‘novum’ is represented by the whole system of political organization in the Republic of Gilead described on the book and the ‘cognitive logic’ is given by some similarities that can be noticed between our society and the society described on the book. In the same way, for the book of H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, we can also identify the ‘novum’, which is given by the Martians and their technology; and the ‘cognitive logic’, given by the similarities existing between both societies. Thus, it can be affirmed that both books The Handmaid’s Tale and The War of the World belongs to the genre ‘science fiction’, contradicting Atwood’s previous proposition. This proves that although Atwood’s book can be classified as ‘speculative fiction’, it truly belongs to ‘science fiction’, leading us to verify again that ‘speculative fiction’ is just one more subgenre of ‘science fiction’. It makes clear then that the division between ‘science’ and ‘speculative’ fiction is not useful and not justifiable. Secondly, it will be presented that Atwood’s definition of ‘speculative fiction’ is imprecise and also can be used to define as speculative fiction other books that were categorized as ‘science fiction’ by her. In order to illustrate these points, we will analyse Atwood (2011) definition about ‘speculative fiction’ as â€Å"things that really could happen but just hadn’t completely happened when the authors wrote the books.† This is a vague and inaccurate idea. It could encompass different definitions because the range of things that could really happen is highly dependent of each person’s  beliefs and ideas, what makes this definition extremely subjective. Also, with just a few exceptions, it is not possible to say for sure what is and what is not going to happen. Besides, Atwood even gives us another definition: â€Å"Oryx and Crake is not science fiction. Science fiction is when you have chemicals and rockets.† (Watts 2003, p. 3). Considering both definitions given by her, it could be understood that she considers rockets and chemicals as things that really could not happen, as they belong to science fiction. However, it is known that rockets and chemicals are not things impossible to happen, especially because nowadays we can see some examples of them. Both definitions become contradictory then. Considering her first definition, books about this theme would be classified as speculative fiction; however, she decided to use these two themes to exemplify ‘science fiction’. Atwood’s definitions about ‘speculative fiction’ are imprecise, therefore, what is the purpose in using an imprecise and cloudy definition? It is simply not useful to distinguish ‘science’ from ‘speculative fictionâ €™ then. Thirdly, it will be presented that Atwood seems to reinforce this division specially because distinguishing ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ is convenient for her. Le Guin (2009) states that Atwood was trying to protect herself from negative connotations associated with science fiction and also â€Å"from being relegated to a genre still shunned by hidebound readers, reviewers and prize-awarders†. Considering Le Guin’s remarks, it is possible to observe that ‘science fiction’ was not a literary genre with considerable prestige in the intellectual audience. This could reduce her reputation on the high literary society. One possible reason for ‘science fiction’ being underestimated is that science fiction could be related to some works produced for mass audience like Star Trek and Dr Who and intellectuals would associate her books to these works. Then it would be interesting for her to dissociate the connecti on between her books and the genre ‘science fiction’ once it was not so appreciated by the intellectual audience. And this is also noticed by considering that some of her remarks about ‘science fiction’ contains irony, as she frequently uses clichà ©s to refer about it, such as ‘rockets’, ‘chemicals’, ‘blood-sucking Martians’, ‘talking squids in outer space’, and ‘skin-tight clothing’. Thus, it is possible to verify why Atwood reinforces the division between ‘speculative’ and ‘science’ fiction. And  considering her reasons we can see that they are not justifiable and strong enough to make the distinction between ‘speculative’ and ‘science fiction’ useful. Finally, this essay discussed a number of points in order to support the thesis that the distinction between ‘speculative’ and ‘science’ fiction is not useful. Firstly, it was stated that although it may be hard to define some literary genres it is noticeable that ‘speculative ficti on’ fits perfectly in most of definitions of science fiction, making it a subgenre only. Secondly, it was presented that Atwood’s definition about ‘speculative fiction’ is vague and could classify as ‘speculative fiction’ some books that she clearly classified as ‘science fiction’. Thirdly, it was discussed that is convenient for her to separate ‘speculative fiction’ from ‘science fiction’ since the genre of ‘science fiction’ was not so appreciated by reviewers and prize awarders and was associated to some mass audience works. She does not want to be linked to this image so she tries to put her works under a different literary classification. This point shows us clearly that there is no consistent and general reason for her to do the distinction. In conclusion, this essay illustrated that is not useful to distinguish between ‘science fiction’ and ‘speculative fiction’ and the reason for this was explained by all of the arguments stated previously. References Atwood, M 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale, Anchor Books, New York. Atwood, M 2011, In Other Worlds – SF and the Human Imagination, Doubleday. Le Guin, U 2009, ‘The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood’, The Guardian, 29 August. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/29/margaret-atwood-year-of-flood Suvin, D 1979, Metamorphoses Of Science Fiction, Yale University Press, New Haven Watts, P 2003, ‘Margaret Atwood and the Hierarchy of Contempt’, On Spec, vol. 15, no. 2, summer, pp. 3-5. Wells, H 1898, The War of the World, New York Review Books, New York.

Different Between Vietnam and Us

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE U. S I am an immigrant person who came to the U. S under family sponsorship. Living here for 4 years, I have learned a lot of interesting things in this country. There are so many differences between Vietnam and the U. S as relationship, weather, religion, fashion, language†¦. but the most three obvious differences between them are country size, education system and culture. Country size is a great difference between these countries. Vietnam is very small country that has S shape .It is bother to the North by China and to the East by Lao and Cambodia. The total land of Vietnam is only 127,276 square miles . it is lightly larger than New Mexico stare of America. On another hand, the United States is the third largest country in the world, which has 3,536,274 square miles. It is located in North America between Canada and Mexico. Another difference is education system between these countries. Vietnamese students face with more difficult than U. S students. They have to wear uniform going to school.They should obey and show respect to their teachers. Tuition in Vietnam is very high. Parents have to pay for their children. Government doesn’t help for poor people attending school. In the contract, the U. S education system is more comfortable. Students can wear whatever they want to school. In class ,they can say what they think in their mind, discuss equally with their teacher. Government pays all tuition for students form fist grate to the twelve grade . After graduating form college , they have more opportunities to get a job .Today more people around the world come to the U. S to have better education The last obvious difference between Vietnam and The U. S is culture. Vietnam’s culture is suffered form China. There are two to there generations living together in the same house. Man is leader in the family, which has more power. They go out working and doing business while woman in Vietnam stay home, take ca re family. Children must listen to their parents. Unmarried people living together is unacceptable . However, American culture is pposite and it was strange to me when I came here . Man and woman are equally. American families are smaller. Adult people like to move out living with their friends when they finish high school . Children can decide what they want to do . They are independent from their parents . Man and woman can live together without getting married In conclusion, Vietnam and the U. S have a lot of differences. I cannot tell which one is better because each country has advances and disadvances. It depend on each person’s life so they can choose where is the best for them .

Silver Ships

Silver Ships Facilities Silver Ships is located on 16 acres in Theodore, Alabama just South of Mobile on Bellingrath Road. After moving into a 15,000 square foot building in 1996, they soon after expanded a second time. Since then, they have added over 12,000 square feet of additional production space and they have built additional office spaces. All aspects of the vessel construction, from the custom design to the final assembly, are conducted in an enclosed production facilities and the location gives the company convenient access to Mobile Bay, where it conducts extensive sea trials. Silver Ships uses state of the art welding equipment and laser cut parts in the construction of our aluminum boats. History Silver Ships, Inc. was founded by Mike McCarty after a successful career in the commercial fishing industry in 1985; it was originally intended to be a small scale operation but eventually grew. In 1988, Silver Ships began using computer automated design (CAD), which expanded its capabilities as a boat design company. In 1990, Silver Ships built its first aluminum rigid hulled inflatable boat. In 1996, Silver Ships moved its operations to Theodore, Alabama, where it is currently located. In 1997, Silver Ships began contracting for AMBAR Marine, which is currently associated with. In 2000, Silverships purchased Ambar Marine, but due to the factor of name recognition of AMBAR Marine, it chose to keep its name. In 2002, Silver Ships added 12,000 sq ft. of space in order to be able to increase production within the company. Generic Strategy Silver Ships ‚a„? generic strategy involves a narrow, differentiated scope. The company does not try to enter into other markets and focuses on providing aluminum boats for governmental agencies. The way Silver Ships differentiates itself is by providing customizable boats for its customers. SWOT Analysis Strengths Some of Silver Ships ‚a„? strengths include its relationship with customers, maintaining an efficient workspace and an employee-friendly atmosphere. SilverShips employs many ex-military members. This is a definite strength providing a direct channel to military customers. This is helpful in bids on jobs provided by Silver Ships. Secondly, SilverShips work area is efficiently layed out. Currently there are three buildings that provide a flow of work that is not only cost-effective, but also very efficient. This allows for employees to specialize in certain aspects of the boat building process. In addition to the relationships with customers and the efficient workspace provided, Silver Ships also has strong management expertise. All managers and department employees have the experience and skill that is hard to duplicate. Coupled with the employee-friendly environment, that allows employees flexible schedules, allows for an efficient, friendly workplace. Weaknesses In addition to strengths, Silver Ships also has weaknesses. Some of these include location, transportation and size of facilities. Silver Ships is located in south Mobile County in Theodore, AL. The location is very inconvenient for the transportation of boats. The highway it is located on is very narrow and provides difficulty for moving boats to and from customers. Opportunities Silver Ships is located in a growing area. The southern Mobile County area is growing rapidly, and it is expected to move more towards the Theodore area in which SilverShips is located. This can possibly increase the amount of business that is received by Silver Ships and allow for future growth. Threats With Mobile ‚a„? recent acquisitions of companies such as EADS and ThyssenKrupp, Silver Ships may face increased turnover from employees that are relocating to larger companies such as EADS and ThyssenKrupp. Labor Market In the coming years, the labor market in Mobile, AL will become increasingly more competitive. As of now, there are two new, large companies that will be entering the Mobile area and bring with them an esti mated total of 29,000+ construction jobs, 4,200 direct jobs, and 15,000+ spin off jobs. This huge influx in the demand for labor will put a strain on existing companies to retain and attract employees. Alabama Industrial Development and Training (AIDT) should help to provide the Mobile area with a skilled labor force to meet this demand. AIDT was ranked the #1 state sponsored training program by Expansion Management in 2006. They provide training, at no cost, for employers and trainees, and they are fully customizable. AIDT was the first training program in the United States to be ISO 9001:2000 certified for their Quality Management System. They also provide consultation and training for companies that wish to become ISO 9000 certified.

Ethical issue, or issues, affecting the construction indistry today Research Paper

Ethical issue, or issues, affecting the construction indistry today - Research Paper Example These problems are getting more serious everyday because proper framework is not present to avoid ethical issues. In this essay two of the most prevalent ethical problems in the construction industry will be discussed that is use of low quality material and employee related issues. Use of Low Quality Material The use of low quality material is prevalent in construction industry because it is difficult to account for the materials beings used in constructions of buildings, houses, roads or bridges. Contractors and firms can use low quality material without any chance of being caught by the relevant authorities and this is why compromising quality is quite common in the construction business. The main focus of the construction companies is on cost cutting and as they attempt to crib expenses they are enticed to use low quality materials in their constructions. The article by Yosoff et al. (2006) explains that construction companies are prone to quality issues. The article explains how construction firms are coming under enormous pressure from authorities to mend their ways and therefore they are trying to adopt total quality management. The ethical issues like use of raw material are prevalent in the industry because of absence of any international standard. This leads to subjective decision making where room for unethical practices exist. It is also suggested that focus should be on changing the culture of construction industry in order to improve quality standards in the industry. Top level management should see quality management as essential and only then malpractices can be eradicated. Construction industry is also more likely to get affected by ethical issues because it spans over a large geographical areas. Especially in the developing countries construction is happening at a great speed therefore it is difficult to track problems. The use of low quality material in industries only gets noticed when there is a calamity. The earthquake in China revealed tha t low quality bricks were used in many buildings which caused many deaths and injuries (Krishnan, 2011). Use of low quality material also exists because people are poor and cannot afford to comply with safety standards (2011). Human Resource Management Issues Constructions industry is also known to deal with human resource in unethical ways. Many problems have been seen including low wages, lack of better safety standards and long work hours. These problems are a violation of employee ethics but they are ubiquitous in construction industry. This is because mostly unskilled workers are employed in construction firms therefore managers have a higher degree of bargaining power and can force workers to work for longer hours at a lower wage. The ethical issues the industry is facing are growing because no framework is present to reduce these problems. There is a divide between organizational and individual needs in construction industry (Yankov & Kleiner, 2001). This causes many employee related problems in the construction industry. Construction firms are reducing the number of skilled employees and are hiring unskilled worker who cost less for companies. The relationship between less skilled workers and management are destined to be volatile because they both have different preferences. Low skilled worker can only be motivated to work hard by giving monetary benefits while managers are trying to reduce costs all the time. This forms the basis of ethical issues related employees in the construct

Respond to 2 students papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Respond to 2 students papers - Essay Example The fact that the Black friend did not mean to underpin the White guy shows that racial perception are deeply integrated into our society, and the elimination of the same is difficult. On a higher and sexual orientation level, it provides a crucial understanding of the racial differences when it comes to the LGBTQ identity. A similar assertion on microaggressions is adequately covered and properly researched. Indeed, you claim that it is difficult to point out when this practice occurs correct according to research. Your integration of gender and race in the same is an attractive way of showing your understanding of the topic and the factors around them. In your claim of the most prevalent type of microaggressions, government and workplace depict the primary sources of the same. Specifically, this shows that you are up to date with the modern society and concerned with the events around you. Finally, you conclusion about our socialization about gender perception and identity is profound. Celine, the truth in your post is captivating, and it got me thinking of how many times I have had a non-verbal thought about the disabled and the LGBTQ individuals. For this reason, I have to congratulate you for not only triggering my thought on the same, but also expressing a reality in the society that most of us find it hard to accept. Indeed, most people act what they do not think because the social values and norms prohibit some behaviors. Additionally, as you argue about sexual orientation, gender, gender identity,  transgender, and gender nonconforming  microaggressions, I agree that each person has a right to choose their personality. Although there is the social stereotype based on race and gender, every person is equal and has an independent conscious to make their private choices. Your cultural competence and racial acceptance is exceptional and illuminates what the society should look like. Although not everyone can learn

Microfinance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Microfinance - Essay Example The government gains significantly as its efforts to improve the living standards of its citizens are boosted through the efforts of microfinance. Lastly, for microfinance that goes public, stockholders are another major stakeholder and their concern is gaining dividends from their shares. There is no one stakeholder that may be considered more important than the others. Microfinance charges very high-interest rates but paid over a very short period of time. The rates are multiple times higher than even those charged by contemporary commercial banks. Further, the rate of repayment is extremely high despite not being secured tangible. This ensures that through the issuance of loans, microfinance is able to make huge profits which sustain them. To deal with life cycle issues, microfinance offer loans with different interest rates. For those who are extremely poor and unable to pay interests, they are given loans with no interest charged. This helps them to build business stamina, especially during hard economic times. One governance mechanism that microfinance use is social security in loans issuance. Since members are poor and do not have property to offer as security against loans to be acquired, collateral for borrowed money is assured intangible communally. As such loans are acquired only through groups. Each member of a group is liable for a loan borrowed and this alone provides an impetus for a member to persuade each other to pay their share of the loan without defaulting.

Where does Europe end and why Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Where does Europe end and why - Essay Example The boundaries which constitute Europe are thus vague, rather dynamic as Delanty and Rumsfeld (2005) indicate, i.e. Europe is still going through an economic as well as political transformation whereby it is struggling to incorporate the spaces surrounding the traditional Europe as buffer regions, stability of which is crucial for the sustainability of European states. The European Union is consistently going through a transition which is further expected to enlarge after the incorporation of Turkey into the European Union. In this case, according to the social theory model of EU proposed by Delanty and Rumsfeld (2005), the boundary in further going to be enhanced creating a further confusion about the end of Europe. The paper aims at answering the question in geographical as well as in economical, political and sociological perspectives to give the most valid explanations about where does Europe actually end. The paper intend on arguing that the boundaries of Europe in its true sens e extend beyond the Russian as well as Turkish borders. To further draw patterns and conclusions across variables, it is important to assess the traditional borders of Europe which the geographers have relied upon for years. According to the geographers, Europe is divided from Asia at the East from Ural Mountains and seas, whereas it is surrounded by watersheds on other sides. By this explanation, Europe ends somewhere around Russia at its East, and in Turkey around it`s South East where Asia or rather Middle East begins. This is where the problems still lie. Russia and Turkey both are located about halfway in Europe, thus it becomes difficult to assess where the other continents begin. Geography can`t be studied keeping political and sociological angles aside, thus when these factors are also considered it becomes difficult to decide where Europe ends. It can however be concluded, for the purpose of eliminating confusion that Europe ends

What was Socrates accused of and why What can we learn about Athenia Essay

What was Socrates accused of and why What can we learn about Athenia the outcome - Essay Example Socrates was accused by Meletus of two crimes, namely that he was guilty â€Å"of corrupting the young and of not believing in the gods in whom the city believes†. This means that there were both moral and religious reasons behind the charges brought against them. A closer analysis of the documents written by Plato reveals, however, that these two charges reveal a great deal about the state of Athenian democracy at that time, and they demonstrate how much of a danger Socrates and his teaching represented to those in power. The first charge of corrupting the young relates to the habit that Socrates had of gathering his pupils around him and engaging in long discussions about a wide range of subjects. His method of teaching was to construct dialogues with his pupils, urging them to question everything and use their minds to think through the issues of the day and their implications. He did not write things down, or require his students to repeat his ideas, but instead he concent rated on helping people to formulate their own ideas. He taught a method of arguing that led people into illogical conclusions, so that they could learn about how to think and argue. This necessarily brought Socrates and his students into conflict with people who had high status and authority. D’Amato (1975, p. 1082) explains that the type of radical training that Socrates offered was perceived as a way of encouraging young citizens to challenge their elders. This was frowned upon because it caused embarrassment when these supposedly clever elders did not have the counter-arguments to defeat their younger critics. It seems, then, that Athenian society was not ready for the wit and courage that the young people acquired from Socrates, and that this was one of the main reasons why he was brought to trial. Young people were expected to defer to the wisdom of their elders, and to adhere to the long traditions of the city, whereas Socrates was perceived as a disturbing element who threatened to upset the natural order. The second charge relating to the way that Socrates allegedly did not adhere to the worship of the gods of the city suggests that there was a fundamental issue in the teachings of the philosopher which ran counter to the prevailing ideology of the city. Socrates attempts to clarify whether he is being accused of atheism (Plato, 2000, p. 29) which he denies, or of teaching students to worship a wider range of gods than the ones preferred in Athenian society. It is confirmed that Meletus accuses him of â€Å"impiety† (Plato, 2000, p 37) which implies a denial of the existence of the gods altogether as well as bad behaviour resulting from this alleged lack of respect for the traditional gods. This accusation reveals that it is the practice of philosophy itself which is perceived by the authorities as a crime. Socrates argues that here have been many different gods in Greek history, and many different thinkers have suggested a myriad outlan dish ideas which do not necessarily fit exactly with prevailing opinion (Plato, 2000, pp. 9-10). The dialogues which Plato records show Socrates as a man concerned precisely with â€Å"moral virtues like justice, courage, moderation and wisdom (the four â€Å"cardinal virtues† of the Ancient Greeks)† (Roochnik, 2004, p. 82). By bringing these matters into a debate, he suggests that the truth is not yet truly known about them, and this in turn can be interpreted as a criticism of the prevailing customs and habits in the world around him. Greek society was not perfect by any means, and Socrates was trying to encourage reflection, rather than promoting immoral conduct. Socrates taught more than just the obedience to the laws and traditions of Athenian society, or literal belief in every point of the old stories about the gods. He wanted his students to think about what it actually meant to lead a virtuous life and to turn that theoretical knowledge in to practice by chang ing the way that

Winchester Model 1873 carbine .44cal Research Paper

Winchester Model 1873 carbine .44cal - Research Paper Example The present paper will describe the features of the Winchester Rifle model 1873 carbine .44 caliber. It will refresh and rediscover how such rifle model had been historically found with the classification who, where and when it was originally made. Moreover, the present paper would like to dwell more on its functions and how it is intended to use for. In addition, this paper will evaluate its features and its historical background. The shape of the rifle model is medium. The physical of the .44 caliber rifle model is brown that is somehow rusty. The texture itself is solid, which is wood and steel part. Chicoine indicated some physical features the Winchester Rifle model 1873 carbine .44 caliber has which includes the tubelike magazine that is used for the barrel and an â€Å"ironframe† that is used as a casing for the bullets (16). The current condition of the said artifact rifle model 1873 is great, and it is still very effectively functional. The Winchester model rifle 1873 .44 caliber was made and advertised last 1878-1879 (Chicoine 16). This rifle is also intended for the purpose of one’s safety and defense protection (Schwing, â€Å"Winchester Pocket Guide† 19). The manufacturing techniques of the Winchester Model based on how it was made and designed with the emphasis on its â€Å"barrel, butt, and furniture† that it shaped its unique features with the use of iron that is said to be â€Å"ferrous† (Jack). It also has musket form in which its barrel is round-shaped (House). Henshaw clearly depicted the general features or materials that are used to made the Winchester model rifle 1873 .44 caliber (15). Accordingly, this includes its style, which was intended with the sporting rifle (24 inch, round, octagon) and with muskets that are angular or saber bayonet (15). In addition, its carbine measured at least 20-inch and is round with a musket that is

How to get a Grant up and Running Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to get a Grant up and Running - Essay Example a Seriousness, the co-chairperson of the Grants Committee said that, â€Å"We need to use this grant money to fund studies and to create pilot programs which can become self sustaining with regard to prevention and education concerning the problem of underage drinking in the Air Force†. Jack Notso, the co-chair of the grants committee was briefer in his statement when he said, â€Å"We finally got the money. Let’s see who deserves it†. This is likely to be an important question since there are individuals within the organization who have presented their own ideas with regard to what could be done with the money for the grant. A poster and media campaign targeting the Air Force had been suggested earlier but was turned down on account of being too broad. Another plan for implanting experimental medical monitoring chips within the bodies of underage Air Force officers was also turned down when ethical and privacy related questions came into play. The grants committee is looking for workable solutions which will have the least impact on the lives of Air Force officers while giving them awareness about the issue and teaching them the idea of responsibility with regard to underage drinking. This is certainly a problem which needs a solution but no quick fix or partial solution will be acceptable to the organization. It is clear that the organization is looking at the long term when it comes to solving the problem of underage drinking in the Air Force and that the projects or studies conducted under the grant should be self sustaining after the initial funding has been provided. More information about the grant and the application forms are available from the website or the offices of the organization. The grant request statement has to explain why the grant is being requested as well as give a detailed outline of what the money would be used for. Practical solutions that can sustain themselves for a number of years are to be given priority over studies and research