My Yoga Experience

In the contemporary world, life can really be hectic and stressful. The influx of schedules for work, school and others have taken most of the time of people's daily routine. Leaving them with little time for themselves to unwind and relax. This is the point when people start to get saturated from their lives thus the feeling of lethargy and void. They tend to look for an escape to the world of routines and deadlines. But vacations or leaves should not be just once or twice a year, these activities should be embedded into people's everyday lives. I, for one, have experienced overworking myself to the point that I have neglected the state of my health. I was too busy that I have forgotten to eat regularly and to sleep on time. Basically, I was so engrossed with my work that I became unaware of the negative effects of my actions. As a result, I was exhausted all the time, I got sick more often and my body began to deteriorate externally and internally. When I realized that these consequences could really harm me, I started to modify my schedule. I gradually lessened my work load and allotted more time for wellness and relaxation. I found yoga as the best method for natural healing. Ever since I became involved in this kind of physical exercise, days of restlessness and fast-paced itineraries were long gone. Yoga have really changed the way I live my life. It is not only the toning of the physical body but of the mind and spirit as well. Yoga is holistic experience that strengthen all the aspects of being human. For centuries, yoga have been practiced as a form of relaxation and exercise that emanated in India. According to Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, yoga means â€Å"union. † It is presumed that the term â€Å"union† describes the relationship between the â€Å"mind, body and spirit. † More so, yoga is also called â€Å"asana† which refers to the â€Å"practice of physical postures or poses. † It is part of â€Å"eight ‘limbs’ of yoga wherein the â€Å"the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity† (Pizer, 2007, â€Å"What is Yoga? †). Moreover, based on advaita vedanta, a yoga philosophy, the goal in life is to determine true origin or nature of oneself which is also typically called by many as â€Å"self realization or God realization† (Advaita Yoga Ashrama, 2008, â€Å"Four Margas or Paths of Yoga†). To fully appreciate the world of yoga, I also studied its history and fundamental principles. Yoga originated from the â€Å"Indus Valley civilization. † The term yogi is accredited to those who practice yoga. For the yogis, yoga techniques are actuated to attain amplify spirituality. Also, they â€Å"encourage the union with the finite jiva (transitory self) and with the infinite Brahman (eternal self) which is also used to refer to ‘God'. † Yogis believe in Pantheism which teaches that â€Å"God is everything† wherein God is an an impersonal, spiritual substance, coexisting with all of reality. Through this doctrine, human beings can be considered as a God but because of ignorance people cannot comprehend they are God. In order to resolve this dilemma, enlightenment or an experience of union with God is needed (Allaboutspirituality. org â€Å"History of Yoga†). Before I started to practice yoga, I was a little bit apprehensive. I thought from what I saw on the television and magazines that doing yoga would only entail stretching and meditating. Also, the testimonials who have tried yoga have affected my judgment about it. Most of them disclosed that yoga is a form of physical exercise that tones the body. I was skeptic that it would bring me relaxation and tranquility because my mind usually wanders whenever I am idle and physical activities are not my idea of leisure. I finally tried yoga when my friend insisted that my preconceived notions are incorrect. So to end our bickering about the subject, I decided to attend a class. After only one session, all my assumptions were falsified. It came to my surprise that yoga is nothing what I have imagined. In an instant, I fell in love with yoga and I clamored for more so I took it up regularly. The practice of yoga had really improved my body, health and even my outlook in life. What sets yoga apart from other natural healing methods is that it aims for perfection. Practitioners of yoga must try to naturally attain perfection to achieve enlightenment. However, in order to get there, one should eliminate being self-centered. The path to perfection must be free from hurdles that would make practitioners of yoga deviate from their original goal. So, intense discipline of the mind, body and spirit are the fundamental factors needed to make perfection materialized. At a cost of $12 to $16 per session, attending yoga classes is really cheap. But there is a more inexpensive way of doing yoga which is by taking bundle sessions that cost about $50 to $190 for 10 sessions. I chose the bundle sessions because achieving the effects of yoga do not happen overnight, it will take some time, effort and dedication before a practitioner can see and feel the results. During the beginner's phase of my yoga classes, my instructor taught us different positions and the seven â€Å"chakras† or energy centers. The first chakra is â€Å"Muladhara†which is located below the spine. This brings stability and solidity to yogis. The proper posture for this chakra is the â€Å"setu bandhasana† or â€Å"bridge† which revitalizes the thigh and abdominal muscles. The second chakra is called â€Å"Svadhisthana† which connotes sweetness and it is located at â€Å"the lower abdomen and womb area. † The â€Å"Bhujanasana or The Cobra† is the appropriate position for this chakra which starts with a lying position then the upper body is slowly drawn upwards. The third chakra is called â€Å"Manipura† which when translated refers to yellow lustrous gem. â€Å"Manipura† chakra can be found at the area of the solar plexus and the navel. This chakra can channel will and power if the correct posture is used. The â€Å"Dhanaurasana â€Å" or â€Å"The Bow† position concentrates on the belly. It massages the muscles for easy digestion. The fourth chakra is â€Å"Anahata† which is situated at the heart and its function is anything that concerns with love. â€Å"Ushtrasana† of â€Å"The Camel† is the best position to open this chakra. â€Å"Visuddha† is the fifth chakra which is positioned at the throat. This chakra can purify the body using its corresponding posture called â€Å"Matsyasana† or â€Å"The Fish† which is good for â€Å"opening and calling attention to the throat. The sixth chakra is called â€Å"Anja† which means â€Å"to know, to percieve, to command† while the last chakra is â€Å"Sahasrara† that means thousandfold. â€Å"Anja† is located at the head around the area of the third eye while â€Å"Sahasrara† is the crown o r the topmost part of the head. Both chakras can be opened using the seated yoga Mudra which will bring attention to the head of the body (About. com â€Å"Chakras and Yoga Postures). All of these postures can vary depending on the yogi. It must be balanced with proper body postures and breathing to feel the healing power of yoga. More so, it is important to note that there are several stages of yoga and practitioners must know their body limits to avoid straining the muscles and accidents as well. Yoga have helped me in many ways to improve my self. I joined yoga classes unaware of the many benefits that I could gain from it. My lifestyle is now free from stress and tension. Moreover, yoga have trained me to be more disciplined in keeping my body, mind and spirit healthy. Now, I can enjoy life at my own pace without any worries and insecurities and I can also appreciate more the beauty of nature. Works Cited â€Å"Chakras and Yoga Postures.† 2008. About.com. 22 July 2008 ;http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm? zi=1/XJ/Ya;sdn=healing;cdn=religion;tm=264;f=20;tt=14;bt= 0;bts=0;zu=http%3A//members.tripod.com/%7Ekira_lis/chakra1.html; â€Å"Four Margas or Paths of Yoga.† 2008. Yoga108.org. 22 July 2008 ;http://yoga108.org/pages/show/7-four-margas-four-paths-of-yoga;. â€Å"History of Yoga.† 2008. Allaboutspirituality.org. 22 July 2008 ;http://www.allaboutspirituality.org/history-of-yoga.htm;. Pizer, Ann. â€Å"What is Yoga?† 26 November 2007. About.com. 22 July 2008 ;http://yoga.about.com/od/beginningyoga/a/whatisyoga.htm;.

Bartleby I Would Prefer Not Too

Herman Melville's â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener† scrutinizes the impersonal, harsh, and isolating labor conditions in America soon after the industrial revolution. Bartleby is presented as a foil to his repressed and ignorant coworkers: Turkey, Nippers, and Gingernut who participate, however dysfunctionally , in the brutal system. In contrast, Bartleby distinguishes himself to the narrator and the reader as â€Å"the strangest [scrivener] I ever saw or heard of†( ) by rejecting the mundane work of copying legal documents and proof reading them.He embodies passive resistance through the repetition of the response â€Å"l would prefer not to† when faced with a command from his employer. Through the use of key words such as â€Å"would† and â€Å"prefer†, Melville gives Bartleby the appearance of submitting to his employer's, the lawyer's, judgment and authority. This display of subordinance, however, is only an illusion. Bartleby rejects the capitalis t hierarchy on which Wall Street is built and thus also rejects the lawyer's authority. What exactly does Bartleby â€Å"prefer not to do†?He prefers not to comply with the dehumanizing reality of the American capitalist economy. As scriveners, Bartleby and his coworkers live an automaton-like existence, robotically reproducing documents written by others. Unlike Bartleby, however, his coworkers have been indoctrinated into conforming through the never-fully- satisfying reward of wages. As stated by Karl Marx, a German economic revolutionary, â€Å"Capital is dead labor, which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labor, and lives he more, the more labor it sucks. (Marx) By â€Å"preferring not to† , Bartleby protests against alienating, mundane labor. The life- sucking effect of capitalism is also demonstrated by Bartlebys previous occupation as â€Å"a subordinate clerk in the Dead Letter Office† ( ). This Job consisted ofa â€Å"pallid hopelessnessâ⠂¬ ( ) of â€Å"continually handling these dead letters and assorting them for the flames†( ). Both of Bartleby's jobs provide no outlet for communication, individuality, creativity or growth.The apitalistic economy has stripped him of his humanity, and he would â€Å"prefer not† to continue taking part in it. By using the phrase, â€Å"l would prefer not to†, Bartlebys also causes the lawyer â€Å"to stagger in his own plainest faith† (1 1 and to doubt the rules upon which his own society is built.

Bone loss †A Silent Pain

Bone loss – A Silent Pain This paper will highlight the problem of bone loss. I have tried to gather as much information as I can and have created a paper and a PowerPoint. The teaching strategy used is called strategic learning. This learning is based on strategy and I have presented a PowerPoint that will present my concept in a better way. The goal of my study is to highlight the causes and effects of bone loss which is often neglected. My teaching resource (PowerPoint) and this paper will help in spreading awareness about this issue. Bone loss is quiet condition. It doesn’t’t knock on the front door, it doesn’t forewarn, and it creeps on quietly over the years. Large number of people have no idea that they have suffered from bone lose until one day they trip, fall and fracture a bone. There are many misconceptions about bones. People think of bones to be hard and durable, but studies have shown time and again that bones are living tissues that grow and change throughout our lives sort of like always work in progress. Old bones are constantly removed, and new bones formed. In childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, new bone formation constantly outruns the removal of old bone (Astray, 2017). As we get old, however, that process reverses. Bone lose affects both men and women as they age, but women suffer the health consequences in very high numbers as compared to men. In US, it is estimated by 2020 over half of all Americans could have weak bones due to bone loss. Osteoporosis – The disease resulting from bone loss – causes one and half million fractures every year, including 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures of other bones (Juois, 2014). According to the 2009 Canadian community Health Survey, estimates that approximately 1.5 million Canadians aged 40 years and over have osteoporosis. Among these people women were four time more likely to report having osteoporosis than men. Women are at more risk than men because they start with lower bone density and they lose bone mass more quickly as they age. Women reach peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30 (Jess, 2011), after that it’s downhill for bones. When women lose the protective effect of estrogen, bone loss often accelerates at menopause. Five to seven years after menopause women may lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass. Evaluation Risk Factors Numerous factors influence women’s risk of bone loss, osteoporosis and fractures. Age : Older you are greater the risk.  · Body size : small, thin-boned women are at greater risk. Genetics : If your grandmother, mother, or sister had osteoporosis, you are at higher risk. Ethnicity : White and Asian women are at higher risk. Personal history : Any bone fracture after age 50 increases your risk of osteoporosis. Smoking : Among many downsides, it also produces adverse effects on bones. Diet : Inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D and exercise and consumption of alcohol increases your risk of osteoporosis.  · Slot : A sedentary lifestyle weakens bones (Jess, 2011). Medication use : Long-term use of glucocorticoids and some other medication can promote bone loss. Reduce your risk of developing Osteoporosis  · Physical activity/Exercise : Regular exercise that involve weight-bearing aerobics and resistance training is beneficial to bone development and maintenance. Vitamins and Minerals  · Calcium*: Calcium rich is diet is best for the bone development which include good sources of milk products such cheese and yogurt, fish, products containing bones and calcium beverages such as soy and orange juice. Other food sources include tofu, leafy greens and legumes such as soybeans or chickpeas. It’s very important to find out how much calcium you need per day.  · Vitamin D*: Vitamin D is also very important for bone development because it supports body’s ability to absorb calcium. Vitamin D can be made in the skin following exposure to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight, however, many factors such as winter season, use of sunscreen, darker skin tone, older age and extensive clothing coverage can reduce the amount of vitamin D our skin makes. **In a recent study conducted by department of Orthopaedic surgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, china and Department of Orthopaedic surgery, Hebel province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated traditional and western Medicine, Cangzhou, China (Natiel, 2016). In a meta-analysis of 33 randomized clinical trials that included 51145 participants, use of supplements that included calcium and vitamin D, or both was not associated with a significant difference in the risk of hip fractures compared with placebo or no treatment (risk ratio, 1.53, 1.21, and 1.09, respectively.) (Astray, 2017) Meaning: These findings do not support the routine use of these supplements in community-dwelling older adults. Bone loss and Cancer Cancer survivors have greater risk of osteoporosis and fractures. A premenopausal who goes through chemotherapy may experience early menopause. The patient is at risk of bone loss because of the shorter duration of exposure to the bone-preserving effects of estrogens. Treatment for bone loss Drugs like bisphosphonates are good for the treatment for osteoporosis and low bone density (Jess, 2011). Additionally, Fosamax (Alendronate), Acetonel and Boniva work by slowing down the rate at which body breaks down bone.

US-EU Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US-EU Relations - Essay Example Except for the wars after the separation of Yugoslavia, a spot removed from the concerns of most Europeans, arrangements and bargain have determined all intra-European question for more than 50 years. The nations of Europe have lost the propensity of considering war. The United States, by complexity, is a worldwide force. It works in parts of the world, strikingly the Mideast, where arrangement, bargain, and peace do not predominate. America need to play by the nearby governs to secure its diversions in spots like the Mideast, along these lines discovers war a more conceivable strategy than the Europeans do. Since the Europeans see no compelling reason to go to war to secure their premiums, they have not put resources into the intends to do so (Michael Mandelbaum 2). Furthermore, because they need usable military strengths, they do not need critical worldwide issues to be settled by the utilization of power, for that would lessen their impact. While the hesitance to go to war influences European nations overall, France and Germany have their specific purposes behind restricting an American-headed war against Iraq. French resistance is focused around patriotism. The German position on the war originates from a strain of pacifism in German popular assessment, itself a legacy of the heartbreakingly forceful German outside arrangements in the first 50% of the twentieth century. Ending up in an unstable political position before a year ago general race, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder turned out contrary to the war against Iraq. It was a method for assembling radical notion for the benefit of his constituent prospects (Michael Mandelbaum 3). The strategy succeeded, he was re-chosen, and he repeated his hostile to war stance in reckoning of provincial races held a weekend ago, in which his gathering did gravely. In the impending weeks, France, at any rate, cannot drift closer to the US position on Iraq. The

Living in new country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Living in new country - Essay Example The second effect is learning how to incorporate the new culture into one’s daily life as well as accepting the new society. It is therefore hard to fit into a new society as new set of cultural practices may change a person’s view on various aspects of life. This notion can also create positive encounters as one tend to discover new things (HÃ ¼seyin & Hassan, 15). The adjustment helps in mental development since it promotes self internal and external discovery. A new life away from home creates a sense of independence. The new changes build a character in a person due to the challenges that the person encounters during the adjustment process. However, the notion of inevitability in change helps a person to settle quickly (Ronald & David, 33). Living away from home is an important experience as it held in the adaptation of cultural diversity. It protects breaks the home monotony by creating new experiences in an environment that is different from home (Palffy, 12). Living in a new country promotes mental nattering as it fosters maturity and self

Practice based learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Practice based learning - Essay Example In Ethiopia, there is a coffee growing region called ‘Yirgacheffe’ where these farmers start their work from the early hours of the day. The raw coffee cherries that enclose the coffee bean grown by the hard work of the farmers are sold by them in a local farming cooperative market. The farmers are paid in accordance with the weight of the raw coffee beans they have brought in their sacks. If the farmer happens to be selling the coffee cherries many times to the local farming cooperative market, the cooperative then advances the farmer’s capital to invest before the harvest. Sometimes the farmer accepts advance cash from a middleman who is willing to buy his harvest below market price. The farmer does that in order to be able to invest on his farming activities and also be able to feed his family with that amount of cash. When the farmers have harvested the coffee cherries, the cherries are taken to his home and kept for drying outside. The pulp on the coffee cher ries are removed in order to get the enclosed coffee beans out. This task is done by the female workers. The coffee bean is fermented in water and then scoured. After that it is kept outside for getting dried and become ready for further processing. The farmers’ main concern is to harvest and sell quality coffee to Starbucks so that their customers remain satisfied. They involve themselves in the careful picking out of coffee cherries from their farms which meet the criteria put forth by Starbucks in order to maintain the standard of quality coffee that Starbucks has always provided to their customers. When Starbucks purchases coffee beans from the farmers, they first critically evaluate the beans in order to make sure that they meet the quality benchmark. Starbucks work with farmers who are consistently providing them with quality coffee beans and secure their jobs. Community of Practice Concept in Business Functions A Community of Practice (coP) concept is a collection of p eople sharing a common interest or a profession. The group can have a variety of purpose. It can also include just the goal of gaining knowledge related to their area of interest or it can grow as time passes by and with experience. The main idea of this concept is that the members of the group help each other to grow and develop. A coP can exist online also. In case of the Starbucks farmers’ issue, a coP can be established in order to help the farmers learn more about quality standards. Kim, Park and Prescott (2003) in their book discuss about business functions. They discuss about the manner in which multi-national companies’ businesses are assimilated, how global industries synchronize and monitor research and development (R&D), marketing as well as manufacturing functions across the borders that have high potential for performance. According to their recommendation, global industries should use definite integrating modes as it will be more operative than other mode s in comprehending and incorporating a business function globally. Each business function has a different combination of integrating modes. Taking example of global R&D, people based and information based modes are more operational than formalization based and centralization based modes. Such involves the coP concept as in R & D, people based an

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - Essay Example Air pollution has been further divided into indoor air pollution and outdoor air pollution. There are many causes of each of these types. Outdoor air pollution results due to the release of gases from the industries into the air. This results in contaminating the air. This is also true for the emissions from motor vehicles. Furthermore, the usage of insecticides and pesticides also serves to add contaminants to the air. Accidents in nuclear power plants may also result in the release of toxic gases which may pollute the air. Indoor air pollution results due to the burning of coal, oil and wood in the houses. It mainly implies for the rural areas of the developing nations of the world. Cigarette smoking is another factor which leads to the addition of harmful gases to the atmosphere (Park 2007). Air pollution is a serious global issue that needs to be tackled. Different methods and ways have been devised to overcome this problem. The World Health Organization has presented with differ ent solutions that need to be put into action to overcome air pollution.

Response to Intervention Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Response to Intervention - Assignment Example This is a, â€Å"Tiered system designed to integrate assessment, instruction, and data-based decision making to improve the outcomes for all students in both regular and special education classrooms† (Kubiszyn & Borich, p. 57). There is a set purpose to RTI, along with various benefits and challenges, that are worthy of study and this forms the basis for this paper. The Purpose of RTI Response to Intervention is designed to provide the classroom teacher with a tiered approach to managing classroom instruction. This method is designed to differentiate students and allow teachers the opportunity to determine what interventions, or instructional modifications, might be needed for their students based on past performance. The RTI system is actually geared to combine the areas of assessment, instruction, and data based decision making in an effort to improve outcome for all students, no matter if they are in a regular or special education classroom (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2009, p. 57). Students that do not respond well to the first tier of services would then be monitored according to the second tier. This is usually about 15% of the student population (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2009, p. 57). The second tier would involve teachers monitoring those students and providing them with more intensive instruction. The monitoring of this instruction would be ongoing and would be supplemented with regular formative assessment

Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example This huge group contained people from every aspect of life and of different occupations, particularly the musicians and those who study literature. There was also unskilled labor that was forced to move in big cities due to the problematic situation caused by war. Hence there was actually a form of migration by the Negro community from their hometowns to big cities as there were fewer opportunities in their local areas. This whole situation was named as the great migration which started in 1910s originally but resulted in a great New Negro Movement, or the Harlem Renaissance. During this time, the blacks from the American community came in front and took every respectable position in the society of whites by their skills and education. Harlem became the centre of black professionals who belong from every class of the society and started to recognize themselves and their community in the post slavery culture of US. Since that time, Harlem has the dominant population of blacks1. In rea l meaning, Harlem Renaissance originated from the participation of Negros in local theatres. Before that, it was a common conception that black faces and skins cannot convey the human emotions as good as a white face. This participation of Negros in plays boasted their moral and the event was termed as the most important event for Negros of US of their entire history. Another mild stone was the war poems written by different white poets which were taken by the Blacks as the right time to end the unequal treatment they face from the white community and the racial injustice. The whole movement was led by first African American Rhodes scholar, Alain Locke, a professor of philosophy at Howard University at that time. The movement blossomed in 1920s, particularly in the year 1925, when there had been a flood of literary articles and different artistic performances by the African Americans, who drew attention of white intellects to their culture and their participation as active and benef icial members of the society2. The Harlem Renaissance was indeed a blossoming time for the African American culture, particularly in the field of creative arts. It was considered to be a literary movement which laid the basis for all later African American literature and had noteworthy impacts on the overall black literature. Many famous names are attached with the movement, which include Jean Toomer, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Jessie R. Fauset, Claude McKay, Arna Bontemps, Rudolph Fisher, Alain Locke, Wallace Thurman and Zora Hurston. All of these African American novelists and writers evoked the spirit of pride into black community with their writings and literary works. Some of the above persons publish journals of their own which were full of black literature depicting the black culture and their lives. In this way, several people contributed their best towards the revival of black literature and its introduction to modern society3. The Harlem Renaissance was not only limi ted to the publications and literature activities. From its beginning it was associated with every form of art, whether it is music or some other form of creative art. The Negro migration from the south towards north during the war times was not only due to earning purpose, but also to find a better place where skilful and intellectual people can really flourish apart of their color and race. Harlem provided

Ceremony- Rewrite Essay Example for Free

Ceremony- Rewrite Essay Tradition is the illusion of permanence. It defines who people are and gives them a place in their community; it is an expression of belonging and individuality at the same time. In Ceremony, Leslie Marmon Silko exposes throughout the novel many Native American characters. Some follow the traditions and others are ashamed of them. Silko expresses that only the ones that follow them are the ones that find themselves. They know who they are and are stronger and wiser. Because of this, they are the ones that will survive in this horrible modern world. Tayo is a boy that is proud of his origins and follows the traditions of his tribe. Rocky, on the contrary, tries to avoid the traditions and follow the white ways. Consequently, he thinks it will give him an advantage. He considers that white people are better. Both boys are influenced by their family and events that occur during their childhood. Both Rocky’s parents are Native Americans. Auntie, his mother, is one of the most negative characters in the novel. She does not follow the morals of the Native Americans; she is instead Christian and is close-minded. She influences Rocky to the white ways; she is the one that tries to make everything possible for Rocky’s success as a white. She even takes him to white school. â€Å"You drink like an Indian, and you’re crazy like one too—but you aren ´t shit, white trash. You love the Japs the way your mother loved to screw white men.† Tayo is the child of a Native American woman and an uncertain white f ather. Tayo is bullied by this all the time since he was young. In school, he said â€Å"Mexican eyes, the other kids used to tease me.† Tayo’s mother name is Laura. Laura was confused with the mixing of both cultures and ends up being ashamed of both. In addition she becomes an alcoholic and abandons Tayo. People assault Tayo for looking different. They accuse him of thinking he is better because he is half- white. In contrast, he tries to fit in and be accepted in his community. He feels rejected. Native Americans live together, all with their brothers and sisters. Auntie is bother when Tayo shows up in her house. Grandma and Josiah do not because they are accustomed to live all together. Auntie raises Rocky and makes him her own way. On the other hand, Tayo is raise by Josiah and Grandma. They teach him the traditions and storytelling. The key is there, that makes Tayo and Rocky different: the way they are raise. It develops their feelings for their origins and makes them proud or ashamed of where they belong and who they are. Also, when Tayo and Auntie are alone she makes it clear that he is different in a wrong way. Auntie wants no success for Tayo, only for Rocky. This makes Tayo feels like an outsider in the family and gives the sentiment of not belonging anywhere, but he never loses faith. Yet, family motivates Rocky to act white. Tayo has to make an effort to be noticed in the family; he has to take care of the cattle and even decides to join Rocky in the army. While Rocky has to do nothing and family members support him the most. Going to war is something that Tayo does for belonging. It has some success; Rocky calls him â€Å"brother† and not â€Å"cousin†. In white school, teachers teach them that storytelling is pure superstition; it which is science they have to believe in. Tayo and Rocky are taught the same, Rocky succeeds and Tayo does not. Despite the fact that the teachers tell Tayo that traditions and storytelling are nonsenses he stills believes. Nevertheless, Rocky, After their first year of boarding school in Albuquerque, Tayo saw how Rocky deliberately avoided the old-time ways. Old Grandma shook her head at him, but he called it superstition, and he opened his books to show her. Rocky through Auntie’s previous influence, gets easily motivated by the white teachers. The teachers’ goal is to eliminate their beliefs, so Native Americans would start thinking â€Å"white†. Watching Rocky’s success in school â€Å"he listened to his teachers, and he listened to his coachThey told him, Nothing can stop you now except one thing: dont let the people at home hold you backAuntiewanted him to be a success. She could see what white people wanted in an Indian, and she believed this way was his only chance.† Rocky now thinks as a white man, but Tayo is still loyal to his Native American beliefs. Rocky’s decision to go to the war is driven by the goal of being as a white man and â€Å"belonging in America†. Rocky dies in war. Tayo and friends that attended white school together come back. All of them are suffering from an internal conflict, post traumatic effect. Tayo wants to cure himself and starts a traditional ceremony. The other men are like Rocky, they want to be white and reject their own culture. â€Å"So they tried to sink the loss in booze, and silence their grief with war stories about their courage, defending the land they had already lost.† The ones that are like Rocky, consequently, automedicate themselves with alcohol because they believe in nothing else. If Rocky had returned from the war he would have found in the same situation. In war they triumph, they are equally important as white men. â€Å"She looked at these Laguna guys. They had been treated first class once, with their uniforms. As long as there had been a war and the white people were afraid of the Japs and Hitler.† Without their uniforms, without being recognized as American soldiers, the Native Americans are again found discrimination. So they drink even more to remember that belonging â€Å"Here they are, trying to bring back that old feeling, that feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during war Belonging was drinking and laughing with the platoon, dancing with blond women, buying drinks†¦ They repeated the stories about good time like long medicine chants† . They are killing themselves with alcohol, the same way Rocky would do if he had back from the war. Because they prefer alcohol over medicine plants, or anything that is from their own culture. They already feel white and they like it more. In spite of this, Tayo cures himself and starts even a better life, the ceremony makes him a survivor. Leslie Marmon Silko between Tayo and Rocky shows the reader, even when Rocky is dead, how traditions can save the souls of who believe. Rocky and the other men modernize everything and eliminate their own origins. The people that they really are inside. Tayo, instead, combines the traditions and creates a new ceremony that includes white culture, but preserves the origins of the Native Americans. The other men are dead alive. Tayo is like that after the war, but ceremonies save him and make him a true survivor. Also, he has the function of a connection between the older and younger generations of Native Americans. The author concludes that in this modern and horrible world, only the ones that adapt and accept the change positively will survive and be happy. People should never forget their roots because that is what they purely are. Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York: Penguin Books, 1977. †Tradition is the illusion od permanence.† – Woody Allen

Evaluating The Banality Of Evil Thesis

Evaluating The Banality Of Evil Thesis The word evil exists in many cultures universally around the world. The word evil was previously, on the whole, limited to religious and secular beliefs. However, although the word exists around the world, the meaning of evil is not collective. James Waller (2002:12) argues that part of the reason for this is because the word has been overused. Waller explains that people replace wrong or shocking with the term evil. Waller notes two types of evil: human evil and natural evil. Natural evil occurs due to natural processes of changes and is not due to human involvement. An example is an earthquake resulting in loss of lives. Human evil occurs as a result of conscious intentions and decisions made by humans. Introduction to Arendt and the book The origin of the term the banality of evil is the caption from the American philosopher, Hannah Arendts book published in 1963 called Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. In 1961, Arendt was present at the Adolf Eichmann trial in Jerusalem whilst working as a reporter for The New Yorker newspaper. She held an interest in the trial as she wished to understand what led an ordinary person to become involved in the mass murder of Jewish citizens during the Holocaust. Arendt examines the actual trial and other issues related to the trial such as; the personality of Eichmann, nature of evil and she also wrote a considerable amount regarding the flaws of the trial. Arendt stated the trial is show trial where the trial was just a formality as Eichmann was already convicted. Arendt mentions throughout the book that Eichmann was not appropriately defended nor was he allowed adequate access to his lawyer. Eichmann was hanged on May 31, 1962 after being found guilty by the I sraeli courts on fifteen counts of crime against the Jewish people and humanity. About BON Evil takes place due to excessive thoughtlessness by those who are not evil as a nature. Eichmann did not possess the ability to think independently therefore he did not question the moral activities of the state (Arendt, 1961). Eichmanns weakness was that he was extremely shallow and therefore he was unable to think from another individuals viewpoint. Due to this, he was unable to understand that by following Nazi orders, he became involved in the bloodbath which ultimately led to his death sentence. Eichmann strived for a work promotion and therefore, Arendt summarised that there were no motives at all. Clarke suggests that Arendt planned to contrast with Kants notion of radical evil and to suggest Eichmanns as a thoughtless individual with no satanic or other shockingly evil aims. Arendts study of the Eichmann trial assured her that Eichmann was ordinary and that his banality was apparent in his thoughtlessness. The phrase the banality of evil is mentioned once in the book and this is during the last chapter of the book. Arendt did not elaborate on what she meant by the phrase but readers can understand what she meant due to hints throughout the book. The banality of evil thesis is the notion that ordinary people commit barbaric acts without realisation of what they are doing. About (thoughtlessness) However, it is clear from Arendts report of Eichmann that he had knowledge, and that he was able to rationalise and showed willpower. Eichmann would face difficulties in common social situations if he did not possess these senses. Due to no known difficulties in using his judgement to will and reason, Eichmann had success in the Third Reich. There is theoretical implication in the claim that Eichmann did not think. This is indeed a fundamental element of her analysis of the threats of modern civilisation. Arendt believed that Eichmann was an extreme illustration of the risks of thoughtlessness. Arendt argued that thoughtlessness was a common feature of this time period and she therefore proposes, that it is important to think what we are doing (Arendt, 1958: 5). Arendt deemed the psychology of thinking, willing and judging as independent components and supports Hume with the view that reasoning alone cannot influence the willing (Arendt, 1978: 70). Arendt commonly treated thought and action as separate components which were a key to understanding her political beliefs. Arendt explained that judging is simply reflecting on thoughts and viewing situations to create judgements but this does not tell you how to act. (Arendt, 1978: 58). According to Arendt, although action is always social and collective, it is the will which is the most unique of all the human capabilities. The will is what presents the foundation for characterisation of the person. This characterisation caused by the will then creates problems for the concept of freedom. According to Arendt, freedom without any barriers is frightening (Arendt, 1978: 195-6). Support for BON Historian Dick de Mildts review supported the banality of evil thesis. De Mildt studied individuals on trial for alleged involvement with the Nazis. He explained that the individuals he studied were not killers by conviction but somewhat killers by circumstances. Eichmann was unable to view the consequences of his decisions. It appeared that he could only understand that he was doing his job. During the trial Eichmann asserted that he simply sat in his office and completed his work, Ich sass am Schreibtisch und machte meine Sachen (Papadatos, 1964: 29). Carnahan and McFarland (2007) note that there is a general understand, that evil only prevails because normal and honest human beings become fiends when they are in egregious situations; particularly, when their judgment is sabotaged by compliance to a more authoritative mass. This view is epitomised in the notion of the banality of evil thesis. Lozowick (2002) notes the banality of evil thesis has become a lasting aspect of understanding in the West, and is therefore a gist of what occurs in the present society. At the same time that Eichmann was appearing in court for his crimes, Stanley Milgram (1963, 1974) was carrying out his studies on obedience. In his study, normal and psychologically stable men participated in a false memory test, as the role of teachers. These men were willing to administer electric jolts of increasing level to another person, who acted as learner, whenever the latter answered incorrectly. Every single participant was ready to deliver powerful tremors of 300 volts. Sixty-five per cent complied with all the experimenters requirements, distributing shocks of the highest voltage at 450 volts. Milgrams conclusion therefore supports Arendts argument that ordinary individuals can be responsible for harmful acts, but also, his reasoning reflected hers too. Milgram explained that when people are faced by authoritative individuals, they surrender responsibility for their actions to those in charge. Critics state that the explanations from Arendt and Milgram are merely coinci dental but further evidence suggests otherwise. Blass (2004) noted that Milgram worked without any influence from previous theories during his 1963 study. Further support comes from the field of psychology in the form of the Stanford Prison Experiment. This experiment was conducted by Philip Zimbardo in 1973. In this study, participants were randomly allocated to the role of a prisoner or a prison guard. The aim was to monitor the group interactions which developed over a two weeks period. The study had many intricate details, but the main point that is of relevance for this essay is that the guards embraced their positions with violence and therefore the study was discontinued after six days. There were increased fears about the safety of the prisoners, who were restricted by the guards to a continuous cycle of mockery, deprivation, and ill-treatment. As with Milgrams work, the influence of Zimbardos ideas has also been strengthened by their correlation with supports from other academic fields. An example is, Brownings (1992) review of the actions of Reserve Police Battalion (RPB) 101 between 1942 and 1943. Members of the RPB would travel around Poland and gather the groups of people targeted by the Final Solution- predominantly Jews. The battalion was responsible for the murder of at least 38,000 Jews (Browning, 1992). Browning emphasises that the members were not extremist nor anti-Semite who were aware that their action was not obligatory. Browning agrees with Milgram that these ordinary mens moral judgement suspended after entering an agentic state. Browning agrees with Zimbardo that this happened without leadership. Browning uses the Stanford Prison Experiment to suggest that the situation in Poland in the 1940s was adequate to turn ordinary people into mass murderers (Browning, 1992: 168). Against BON Psychologists and medical analysts who examined Eichmann had formerly maintained that he was a man obsessed with a dangerous and insatiable urge to kill who had a dangerous and perverted personality (Arendt, 1963: 21) According to Arendt, Eichmann was merely ignorant of his own evilness. He believed he had neither murdered anyone himself, nor had he instructed anyone to be murdered. Arendt also believed that Eichmann seemed alarmingly normal. Ardent explained that Eichmann was not a serial killer whose intentions were evil but that he was determined to stringently follow rules and obey orders. According to the Israeli investigators who interviewed him, Eichmann showed no dislike for the Jewish people. Although he ordered the death of many, Eichmann did not feel emotionally involved in the incident. Arendt (1963) notes that Eichmann killed people instinctively and obediently. Ardent noted the fact that Eichmann had lost his ability to make moral decisions. Due to a passion with perfecting the practical aspects of the holocaust (e.g. organising vehicles to carry the Jews), Eichmann and his colleagues had no understanding that what they were doing was immoral. Michael Selzer (1977) is an American researcher who sent images drawn by Eichmann to six psychologists. Their job was to analyse the images using personality tests, such as the Bender-Gestalt and the House-Person-Tree Tests. The psychologists were made aware of the age, sex and the importance of the person who drew the pictures. The majority of the psychologists concluded that the subject had a violent and a neurotic personality. Once the psychologists were presented with the name of the person who drew the images, Selzer concluded that the psychologists were not surprised to learn that his name was Adolf Eichmann. Thomas Litwack (1977), however, criticised the study as the researchers may have been aware who they were evaluated. Litwack explained that as Michael Selzer, a renowned psychologist was in charge of the tests, the psychologists who were examining the images may have guessed that the subject may be a figure who is well-known. Furthermore, as a psychometric test was require d, the subject may be mentally unstable or may have committed something inhumane. These hints may have led the psychologists to guess that the subject is Adolf Eichmann. Stephen Whitfield (1981) notes that the results would have been more plausible if the psychologists chose Eichmanns drawing from a selection of other subjects, who may also have also committed atrocities or be alleged to be psychologically unstable. Nevertheless the psychological tests did not create a relationship between his destructiveness and the intolerance towards Jewish people, which the prosecutor ascribed to him (Whitfield., 1981). To challenge the notion that Eichmann was not banal, Cesarani (2004) observes that Arendt only attended the first few days of Eichmanns trial in 1963, in which he gave a statement. Cesarani argues that Eichmann used this opportunity to weaken the claims made by the prosecution team that Eichmann was an evil extremist, thus he purposely appeared ordinary and dull. Due to an early departure from the trial, Arendt did not witness the evidence from victims who indicated that Eichmann was anything but a banal member of the government. Vetlesen (2005: 5) claims that by suggesting that Eichmann was thoughtless, Arendt only believed his portrayal of himself in court. A thorough inspection of evidence from the past also approves the negative image of Eichmann. Haslam (2007: 618) points out that Eichmanns views changed after becoming more involved with the Nazi movement. Above all, his views on how to deal with the Jewish people changed from one of leaving the country voluntarily to one of implementing and organising transportation to the death camps. Haslam argues that Eichmann had more involvement in the deaths of many, instead of merely following orders; that is, Eichmann developed new ways to carry out deportations, to such an extent that he was appraised and acknowledged by his superiors. Haslam provides evidence that on an occasion, Eichmann was involved in a conflict with his superior (by the name of Himmler) due to Himmler adopting a more pacific strategy to the one recommended by Eichmann. Haslam concludes that Eichmann was aware of his actions and in court displayed no repentance not remorse as he was not banal. Rees (1997) notes that the orders issue by superiors in the Nazi movement were vague, in terms of what was expected. Therefore, Eichmann had to use his imagination to impress the FÃ ¼hrer. This explanation is supported by Vetlesen (2005) who reviewed evidence showing that Nazi members were consciously aware of what they were doing, believed in the cause and once the orders were followed, celebrations were held. Vetlesen provides an example in Schutzstaffeln (SS) officers ensuring every member was involved in the ethnic-cleansing at least once; therefore administrators working in offices were also involved in the crimes. In this way, previous views of Eichmann, the banality of evil and the holocaust are challenged with evidence suggesting that these incidents are not normal and do not occur due to thoughtlessness. Rather Haslam points out that sheer determination and planning is needed. Further support discrediting the banality of evil is from Lozowick, (2002: 279) who states that, Eichamnn and his fellow bureaucrats worked hard and thought hard, over a lengthy period of time, over how they would carry out their crimes. Goldhagen (1996) questions Brownings (1992) attempts to make the Reserve Police Battalion (RPB) 101 appear banal. Goldhagen (1996: 168) categorises battalion members into three groups: enthusiastic killers, shooters and ghetto clearers and refusers and evaders. Goldhagen notes that the enthusiastic killers were actively looking for ways to receive more involvement in their tasks. Although their acts are not entirely due to the civilisation and group contexts in which they took place, neither Hitlers agents, members of the battalion, Milgrams participants, nor Zimbardos guards became insensitive machines. Therefore, the true shock is not that those involved in the holocaust were unaware of the nature of what they were doing. It is actually that they genuinely believe what they are doing is right. Rees (1977) argues that their actions occurred not due to a mechanical compliance but due to ingenious and fanatical reasons. By arguing that Nazi criminals were not banal, means that there are attempts to disregard Milgrams research on obedience. It is unclear whether the participants in Milgrams obedience and Zimbardos prison study entered in an agentic state due to the presence of an authority. This explanation does not explain why the participants in Milgram study experienced chronic doubts and showed conflicts in their moral judgement as a result of their role as a teacher. Self-categorization theory states that what people learn about particular groups, before deciding to join them, leads them to understand more about themselves. Turner Oakes (1986) use this theory to explain that groups play a role in transforming its members by changing the personality of their members and the way they express particular moods. Therefore when members behave according to group norms, they are less likely to speak out and express their true beliefs. Therefore Eichmann held authoritarian views before being involved with the Nazis but as involvement increased, his views became extreme and to a different depth. However, it is not enough for effective tyrants to be more violent, they need to hold a certain degree of social influence so that individuals holding similar but less radical views do not attempt to interfere or oppose them. As social circumstance change, individuals who were insignificant previously, begin to be seen as symbolising group values. This leads them to take a position where they order other group members on what is right and what (Turner, 1987). From this, they become leaders who achieve the authority to manipulate activities through their control over others (Turner, 2005). Moreover, leaders do not just take advantage of the transformed social context; they actively try to change the social context in order to suit their needs (Reicher et al., 2005). This demonstrates the expansion and the success of the Nazis. Nazi members in the early days made various attempts to weaken the Weimar Republic and to create a civil unrest. Later, they were also able to claim power by providing a solution to a problem created by them. The Nazi regime offered authoritarian solutions promising that such solutions would bring back traditional german values. As Nazism was accepted as the way forward, the political system and the legislative system changed according the Nazism requirements. Ardent initially attempted to explain the banality of evil through the concept of radical evil; this was the highest form of evil. She believed that radical evil was the reason for concentration camps; the victims were treated as valueless not as human beings. Criticism of Zimbardo The key feature from Zimbardos study was that, the acts of aggression by the guards occurred, as a consequence of constantly dressing in the attire of a guard and delivering the authority which is intrinsic to this job. (Haney et al., 1973: 62) note that people do not essentially need the pressure of strong leaders (as Milgram previously stated) in order to stop using their sense of moral judgement and commit atrocities. Alessandra Stanley (2006) agreed with Haney et al. because the participants in the Stanford Prison Experiment were instructed to play the role of a guard not to be abusive. Therefore by being abusive, the participants conformed to their own ideas of how a prison guard should behave and of how to hold authority. Similar criticisms have been made of Zimbardos study. It was found that Zimbardo instructed the guards that the prisoners must sense fear and must be under constant surveillance. By doing so, Zimbardo gave ideas to his guards on how he would like them to torment the prisoners. This does not show Zimbardo as a neutral experimenter (Haslam, 2007: 620). Carnahan and McFarlands (2007) conducted a study to understand which types of people are attracted to tyrannical groups. They studied the Stanford Prison Experiment and noted that those participants who volunteered to participate in this study were not necessarily ordinary individuals. These individuals tended to be aggressive and egotistical by nature, than the individuals who volunteered for controlled and safer experiments. This explanation fits in with Vetlesens (2005) understanding that the individuals who were drawn to the Nazism or similar extremist groups do so as they feel a connection with the groups principles and believe this will give them an identity. Vetlesen also highlights the importance of tactical issues and career enhancement when analysing individuals who were linked with the Nazis. This explains why doctors and engineers were amongst the Nazi members as they believed it gave them unlimited opportunities to follow their aspirations. Hence he argues that for organised evil to work there needs to be a mergence between individual and institutional factors to work towards a similar goal. Radical Evil Arendt argues that radical evil is perpetrated through a three step process. Firstly, all of the individuals legal right are taken away. Concentrations camps fulfilled these criteria as the inmates held there were not recognised as individuals who hold legal rights. The ability to make moral judgements is the second criteria, which is also taken away. As the person lacks a moral self, he is unable to choose good over bad. The final step to the radicalisation process is spontaneity. According to Arendt the concentration camps depicts how human spontaneity can be destabilised by the occurrence of dictatorship. Conclusion: Arendt suggests that evil is not limited to callous individuals. Cesarani (2004) notes that although on one hand there was nothing from Eichmanns life before the Nazi, which could suggest his reasons for committing crimes, but he was nevertheless different. It was his personal background which attracted him to Nazism; the more involved he became, the more callous his actions were. According to Cesarani this meant he had more role in the Nazis than Arendt understands; he was involved on a creative dictatorial level which demands deeper level of thinking. Looking at tyrarny and group dynamics it can be argued that evil can appear banal in these situations. However, the developments of the groups and their motives are a complex process. Therefore, Haslam argues that the normalisation of evil is not banal. The phrase banality of evil is left to interpretation due to a lack of clarity by Arendt. This has rendered the phrase open to interpretation and attacks by critic. This theory has instilled the view that every human is capable of committing evil. This means that those who commit evil acts are not different from normal human beings. From Arendts work, it is possible to understand that ordinary individuals can commit evil acts depending on the correct circumstances. From this insight it is learnt that the ability to commit evil lies in everyone. However, it does not explain how so people commit evil. Browning (1992) thus assumes that as the members of Reserve Police Battalion 101 were capable to commit mass murders; all other men are also capable to do this under the right circumstances. This theory has powerful and convincing support from multiple disciples (eg., Haney et al., 1973; Zimbaro et al., 1973; Milgram, 1963). To understand the Banality of evil thesis, its important to acknowledge that when humans are banal it does not mean that they are simple. As previous examples (e.g. Milgram; Zimbardo) have demonstrated, humans do not act decidedly and mechanically. For those who do act in an evil way, they are consciously aware and are involved in a moral conflict.

New Jersey Vs. T.L.O. :: Legal Essays

Decision : Reasonable standard held to be proper standard for determining   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   legality of searches conducted by public school officials. On March 7, 1980, a teacher at Piscataway High School in Middlesex County, N.J., found two girls smoking in the school lavatory, which was a violation of school code. The teacher took them to the Principles office where they met the Assistant Vice-Principle Theodore Choplick. Under questioning the first girl admitted smoking in the lavatory. The second girl, 14 year old freshman T.L.O., denied that she had smoked in the lavatory. Mr. Choplick then asked to search the girl’s purse. He found a pack of cigarettes. Upon pulling the pack of cigarettes out Mr. Choplick discovered cigarette rolling papers, which is closely associated with marijuana. He proceeded to search the purse to find a small amount of marijuana, a pipe, small empty plastic bags, a substantial amount of money all in one dollar bills, and two letters that implies that she is a dealer. Mr. Choplick notified her mother and the police and told her mother to take her to the police headquarters. A New Jersey juvenile court admitted the evidence, saying that the search of the purse was reasonable under the standard of enforcing school policy and maintaining school discipline. The court found the student, T.L.O., to be a delinquent and sentenced her to a years probation. The appellate Division affirmed the courts decision that there had been no Fourth Amendment violation, T.L.O. New Jersey Vs. T.L.O. :: Legal Essays Decision : Reasonable standard held to be proper standard for determining   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   legality of searches conducted by public school officials. On March 7, 1980, a teacher at Piscataway High School in Middlesex County, N.J., found two girls smoking in the school lavatory, which was a violation of school code. The teacher took them to the Principles office where they met the Assistant Vice-Principle Theodore Choplick. Under questioning the first girl admitted smoking in the lavatory. The second girl, 14 year old freshman T.L.O., denied that she had smoked in the lavatory. Mr. Choplick then asked to search the girl’s purse. He found a pack of cigarettes. Upon pulling the pack of cigarettes out Mr. Choplick discovered cigarette rolling papers, which is closely associated with marijuana. He proceeded to search the purse to find a small amount of marijuana, a pipe, small empty plastic bags, a substantial amount of money all in one dollar bills, and two letters that implies that she is a dealer. Mr. Choplick notified her mother and the police and told her mother to take her to the police headquarters. A New Jersey juvenile court admitted the evidence, saying that the search of the purse was reasonable under the standard of enforcing school policy and maintaining school discipline. The court found the student, T.L.O., to be a delinquent and sentenced her to a years probation. The appellate Division affirmed the courts decision that there had been no Fourth Amendment violation, T.L.O.

Analysis of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

?The Raven? by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves. Within the poem Poe divides the characters and imagery into two conflicting aspects of light and dark. Almost everything in the poem reflects one world or the other. For example, Lenore, who is repeatedly described as ?radiant? epitomizes the world of light along with the angels she has joined. Another image of light would be the lamplight the character uses to light his chamber, his refuge from the darkness of the outside. However, The Raven, as well as the dreary December night shows signs of darkness. These images of light and darkness go even further to represent life and death, the man?s hope of an afterlife with Lenore and his fear of everlasting loneliness. The poem consists of an undeniable narrative structure. Told from the third person, Poe also uses symbolism to create a strong melancholy tone. For instance, both midnight and December symbolize an end of something and the hope of something new to happen. Another example is the chamber in which the narrator is placed, this is used to show the loneliness of the man. Along with imagery and symbolism, Poe incorporates many poetic elements to express his feeling. These include assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. For example ?For the race and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore.? This repeats the vowel sound of ?a?. Poe also used a lot of alliteration. For example, ?Doubting dreaming dreams no mortal level, dared to dream before?. Notice the repetition of the ?d? sound. One last element used in ?The Raven? is rhyme.

Canada and The Great Depression of the 1930s Essay -- Canadian Histor

1929-1939- The Great Depression The depression years of 1929 - 1939 proved to be the worst, and some of the best years for Canada and Canadians. It was a time of extreme highs and lows socially, emotionally, and economically. It was a time that Canada came into her own being on the world wide stage. During the worst depression years in Canada, there were many people who tried tirelessly to get Canada out of the crisis she was in more quickly and efficiently. William Aberhart and his group of supporters had a plan that they were sure could help and even end the depression and its horrible effects. His theory was if a twenty-five dollar cheque was given monthly to each family, it would alleviate their financial fears and jumpstart the economy. Having confidence in his idea, he went to share it with both political parties. Unfortunately, both parties rejected the idea; saying money would only become more worthless. Even after running and being elected as Premier of Alberta, the resolution was not accepted because of the overwhelming responsibility towards the federal government. Even though Aberhart’s plan was not put into action, there were many others like him whose voiced opinions and ideas encouraged the end of the depression. William Lyon MacKenzie King was a main contributor towards leading Canada out of the depression. When the depression started, King was still in the position of Prime Minister; so when the election of the 1930’s came, King had a new opponent. His opponents name was Richard Bennett. Bennett suggested that tariffs should be raised, and that the wealthy and stable should give to the poor; while King was campaigning for lower tariffs, attempting to help those who were poor and needy without taking from ... ... and it was to operate just like any other kind of insurance, such as life or fire insurance. Premiums and benefits were to be carefully calculated and paid out to those who required assistance. The Act also created the National Employment Service to help the unemployed find work. Overall, the Great depression was a hard time for most Canadians, and the concept of unemployment insurance brought Canada to the world wide stage. Whether it is Prime Ministers opening relief programs, events which supported the upbringing of our country, the inventions which boosted our economy in giving us more trade, or the Depression in general, the whole period of time starting from the market crash to revival was the event which Canada showed the world that we are strong and not easily crushed. Therefore, the key event in this decade is the Great Depression and the acts towards it.

Reading Maketh a Full Man Essay

Did you know that there are nearly 800 million people around the world today who cannot read? All 320 of us can, but so many others can’t. And that’s when we realize just how important reading really is. Good morning, respected judges, teachers and dear friends. My name is Merlin Raphael and I’m here to talk about how reading makes a man. There was a time, without any screens, when reading was a popular leisure activity. People would spend hours reading and travelling to distant, exotic lands -in their minds, with only a leather bound book. But somewhere along the road, the passion to read is lost. And that’s just sad because reading offers a completely new life. Sir Francis Bacon, once said, and I quote, â€Å"Reading maketh a full man.† And he couldn’t be more correct. Reading involves a considerable level of concentration and thus, nurtures patience. Such an indulgence constantly elevates one’s vocabulary and knowledge. In fact, the habit can become a healthy addiction and helps us to stay in-touch with contemporary writers as well as those from the past. It also helps us to deal with issues of the modern world. Reading different types of texts make an even fuller man. What I mean is that he kind of knowledge you get from news articles is very different from reading stories. Being ignorant can be prevented with reading. It opens this huge wooden window and we finally start understanding other people and their lives. And a deeper awareness leads to tolerance and respect, creating a more civilized society. Furthermore, when one is caught up in a book, one comes across an array of emotions and somewhere in the middle; we find the sheer happiness of the reader. Lack of reading in one’s life can hinder gaining new knowledge, professional growth and the pure pleasure of reading. After all, no reading might even disturb one’s integrity. According to Confucius, we must find time for reading or surrender to â€Å"self-chosen ignorance†. You guys, reading is not merely a process of examining and understanding a text. There is a certain aura of finesse around one who reads. If a person can obtain so much from it, I think it’s safe to say that reading make a man.

Self-esteem and gender

The purpose of this finding is to understand the relations between gender and self- esteem using the method of convenience sample survey Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. This survey included 6 male and 21 female college students, total n=27 to predict self-esteem levels of each gender. In this study, the PV= gender, the OD= self- report and demographic, the CV= self-esteem, and another OD= score on survey.Researchers will use data collected to analyze self-esteem levels in both male and female college students. In relation to past studies, the hypothesis for this research s that male college students have higher self-esteem than female college students. However, survey results showed no relations between scores in self-esteem and gender. We cannot predict self-esteem levels based on gender because it is not the main factor. One implication for this study is to have larger representative sample to obtain stronger validity and rule out sampling bias.Keywords: self-esteem, gender role , Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, predictor variable (PV), operational definition (OD), criterion variable (CV) Introduction Past researches have shown that self-esteem plays an important role in etermining the academic achievement and health levels of both genders. Researchers predicted that there is a relation between gender role and self-esteem. Therefore, many studies have been done to predict the possible outcome of the above hypothesis.When we try to find out if gender really does play an important role in one's academic achievement and levels of health, we can try to develop new ways to improve these conditions for both genders. Self-esteem creates huge impacts in each individual living standards and performance, for learning to compare self-esteem level in both genders will help researchers to acquire knowledge about ach gender behavior. Researchers could then apply alternative ways to analyze these behaviors and conduct further psychological studies which will benefit th e learning of people's behaviors in general.In The Relationship between Gender Type of Sport, Body Dissatisfaction Self- esteem and Disordered Eating behaviors in Division I Athletes (Milligan & Pritchard, 2006), it is shown that women with eating disorders behaviors have body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem where as men with disorders eating behaviors only have body dissatisfaction. This shows gender is a factor that proves women do not have strong coping skills as men.Next, the article Linking self-differentiation and mental health in lower grade college students with different genders: Moderating role ot selt-esteem (Yao & explores the association between the selt- differentiation and mental health in both genders, and the results indicate that male students have higher levels of self-esteem than female students. Female students are at higher risk to not seek help for their mental health problems. However, one source disconfirmed these researchers' earlier hypothesis.From th e Gender differences in domain- specific self-esteem: A meta-analysis (Gentile et, al. 2009) hich examines gender differences in ten specific- domain of self-esteem across one hundred and fifteen studies, there was no relationship in gender differences in academic, social acceptance, family and affect self-esteem. These results rejected our current hypothesis in terms that gender is not a factor in determining individual's self-esteem levels which cause better achievement in academic and in health. To conclude, gender role has no relationship with self-esteem.Discussion Our group research finding hypothesis was not supported because we predicted that there is a relation between gender role and self-esteem. After we calculated our onvenience survey Coppersmith Self-esteem Inventory results taken from twenty seven students, both male and females college students at the age of eighteen to thirty five, here are our results: gender, OD = self-report and demographic, CV= self-esteem, OD = CSEI score on survey. Our r value is . 054, df is 25. The critical value for r at a significance level of . 05 (middle column, two-tailed on page 411) is . 3809.Our r value of . 054 is less than the above r value of . 3809. Our r value is not significant and is very close to zero. This means that there was no relation between our variables, for our results were not significant. Therefore, we found no relation between gender and self-esteem; we cannot predict participants' self-esteem based on their gender roles. The only source that would support our result finding was the last article in Gender differences in domain- specific self-esteem: A meta- analysis (Gentile et, al. 2009), which we thought it would disconfirm with our earlier hypothesis.As a result, our prediction was incorrect, for this article supported our current finding. This article indicates gender is not valid predictor variable that can be used to manipulate/calculate the criterion variable, which in this case is a tudent's self-esteem level. Therefore, gender differences have no impacts on students' academic, social acceptance, family relationship and affect self-esteem. Since we had a small sample of participants, it was hard to generalize our finding because there was not much to analyze and we also thought this factor affected our results.Besides, participants' agreement with the CSEI questionnaires did not guarantee their truthful emotions at the time they were taking the inventory because they had a handful of surveys to complete. The likelihood for participants to have responsive bias in this survey is high. For future studies, we would definitely try to get larger and equal number of participants whom would actually be a representative sample that represent both gender populations. This will help us to obtain stronger validity for the study and rule out sampling bias.In sum, we feel that understanding self-esteem levels in each individual is very important because it will help us to de velop better ways to improve our conditions and adopt new ways to cope with our obstacles. As we learn how self-esteem affects our behaviors, we will have more awareness and perception of our own selves and between both genders. It is significant to note that self-esteem has no relationship with gender because this will help people to eliminate stereotypical views tor botn genders in determining their success in academic, mental health, and physical satisfaction.

Ethical and Legal System Essay

For many years healthcare industries all over the world are known for operating under various legal regime systems, which often threaten hospitals, health plans as well as physicians with very severe and stiff sanctions for any violations they perform on the standards that are set for the healthcare industries. In this case, legal systems in the healthcare industries have managed to eliminate waste in uncontrollable healthcare industry systems. The legal systems have also managed to maintain the high standards offered in many healthcare industries today and not allowing them to ever go down as well as impending the reliance that healthcare, industries may make on private contracts which they do so in order to escape the tyranny caused as a result of inefficient standards (Feldman, 2000). Health providers on the other hand possess broad powers collectively or individually under industry connections that are mostly supported by the legal systems in the healthcare industry. These powers held by health care providers assist them to declare without cost constraints the types of services that patients should receive at the expense of the society. Under the legal system in the healthcare industry, certain situations especially those that involve the well being and physical health in relation to the quality of life-saving diagnosis as well as their availability are the most common compelling subjects that majority of juries and judges usually face. In the American economic activity, the annual representation of healthcare is approximately $ 2 trillion. The expenses cover innovations under diagnosis in surgery, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. There is also heavy government involvement in the health care industry. Moreover, a number of difficult issues that include expenditure, individual rights and equity often result in the attraction of attention from the public and frequent debates and this is mainly because this industry constitutes such a rapidly part of the American economy (Feldman, 2000). This paper will focus on Premier Inc. an organization in the healthcare industry, discussing its ethical and legal systems as well as the strengths and weaknesses of these systems available at Premier Inc. Premier Inc. is one of the strategic healthcare alliance organizations in United States today. It is owned by at least 200 leading healthcare systems and hospitals in America and its operations are mainly affiliated with almost 1,500 hospitals as well as other healthcare sites. In addition, Premier Inc. rovides resources that assist in the delivery of healthcare services in areas such as comparative data, insurance, group purchasing, benchmarking as well as supply chain improvement. Its main goal is to improve the communities’ health and brings forth nationwide knowledge with the aim of improving local healthcare (Voien, 2000). This is done through gathering financial and clinical data from its organizing committees as well as over hospitals that are its members in order to assist in decisions for sponsoring seminars, conferences and alliance with the main purpose of sharing the available practices that are good and effective. As a result, Premier Inc. is able to bring together any chaotic, inefficient and fragmented health care system hence enabling the provision of high-quality services in healthcare industry at the least costs. Facts are also applied by Premier in order to bring about best products and practices which result in patient outcomes that are of high quality. The organization shows its commitment in improving its operational and clinical performance by offering assistance to its members and providing performance informatics, supply chain service, insurance programs, resources that relate to performance improvement as well as group purchasing programs. The organization’s headquarters is located in San Diego with its offices in Washington, D. C. Chicago and Charlotte Premier Inc. is also dedicated to fulfilling three of its six indicators and one of the best indicators in its sample is the Code of Conduct in the company, which is thorough as well as easy to follow (Voien, 2000). Among the issues that the code highlights include the guidelines in the conflict of interest in the company, through this code, employees are often shown on how to contact the manager of the Ethics Compliance. In addition, people who call the manager are confident since, their phone numbers are not displayed as the organization has a potential phone violations code. The organization is also committed in providing the best workplaces in United States and this is mostly done by the company’s efforts in creating an organizational culture which aims at rewarding employees, behavior that is value-based, training which is essential in assisting employees to attain their maximum full potential, rewarding assignments as well as feedback. Employees at Premier are also treated with respect and this is mostly done by respecting their privacy, respecting the employees’ confidentiality records and also aiming to aid the aspirations of their employees especially those that are related to their work. (Voien, 2000). Employees at Premier are also urgently informed on any issues that affect them and listening to their concerns and ideas that they recommend. The organization also shows its commitment in promoting and protecting the safety and health of all of its employees and it forbids any use of illegal drugs by its employees. A dismissal is issued to anyone found possessing, using or even selling illegal drugs anywhere within the company’s property. Premier Inc. of the United States has several responsibilities that it aims to provide to its employees as well as patients in America. The organization aims to effectively make use of the available resources of the organization in order to support all of its members. In cases whereby there is emergence of conflicts in the organization, Premier has its responsibility focused on the avoidance of any conflicts of interest. The organization also aims at conducting its business with a lot of integrity, seeking guidance in situations whereby the organization is unsure of how to go about an impending problem and lastly the organization also has the responsibility of reporting any business practices that are unacceptable in the organization. For instance, premier has been aiming to implement the organization’s new code of conduct of Group purchasing since early 2002 (Voien, 2000). In addition, Premier organization has a number of ethical standards that help in its everyday operations. Among its ethical standards include the integrity of the enterprise and all individuals at Premier. Another ethical standard refers to the creation of real value that concerns the stakeholders as well as heading the place and a bias for any action and performance passion and also innovations at Premier. This means that the company aims at seeking a number of breakthrough opportunities, initiating any change which is meaningful as well as taking risks. Lastly, focusing people through respecting and showing concerns for all its employees, establishment of relationships with the entire community by building collaboration and this also applies to Premier’s business associates, workers and customers is also an ethical standard at Premier (Voien, 2000). In its ethics policy, Premier urges all its employees to exercise faith that is good in nature while undertaking all their responsibilities including various duties. They should also administer all of the company’s affairs economically and honestly as well as carrying out best care, judgment and skill so as to benefit the company. In addition, Premier Company forbids any activities that employees may be carrying out with the aim of gaining their personal advantage either in the way that they use their positions in the organization or also the knowledge that they gain while still at the organization and this also applies to financial gains. The organization also urges all its employees to carry out their duties as well as acts and these should adhere to the best interest of the company. In order to ensure that the company is committed in establishing best business practices that are ethical, Premier has set out to communicate to stakeholders and also providing important information which is useful to them especially in understanding the organization’s commitment in providing high standards of conduct. Moreover, Premier assists all of its employees by giving them additional guidance that will help them in decision making which is ethical. In 2002, Premier instituted an Ethics And compliance program whose main objective was to demonstrate the company’s strong commitment in providing high standards as relate conduct in the organization and this is mainly done in order to preserve the reputation that the company holds as well as enhancing the quality of the service delivery in the health care system that is offered to the community (Feldman, 2000). This program is a product of all the employees in the company who often work in order to put into practice the company’s principles. There other are other units at Premier that work hard to ensure that the high standards that relate to the company’s conduct are well infused in many business activities that take place at Premier. They include Human resources, Advocacy, Legal, Corporate communications as well as ethics and compliance units among others. The central support for the program is provided by the ethics and compliance office that often with employees, suppliers, owner members as well as the senior management at Premier in order to ensure that premier’s business practices are able to constantly meet all those standards that are set in the existing Group Purchasing Code of conduct at Premier as well as the Guidelines of the Business Conduct hence establishing the company’s commitment to the ethical conducts that are set. Lastly, the Board of Directors at Premier in 2006 altered the code relating to the company’s Group Purchasing Conduct which aimed at clarifying the provisions in the conflicts of interests in a better way especially in regarding established relationship among vendors and businesses. The legal system at premier is mainly seen at the premiers Legal Department which monitors and ensures that everyone at the premier acts according to the stated established federal laws (Feldman, 2000). These systems at Premier have had quite a number of positive implications to the organization. One advantage is that it has been able to establish integrity and trust among the employees because of the organization’s commitments to its employees and as a result it has out –performed many organizations in the healthcare industry in the United States as well as establishing a good reputation for the company. The legal systems have had a positive a positive impact on employees especially in relation to the codes of ethics o0f the organization. Doctors, Physicians and Nurses have maintained high standards in the way that they offer services to patients by offering quality and best practices as a result of the improved delivery systems in the healthcare services. Another advantage is that members have been able to get the right products and at the right prices hence enhancing the outcomes of patients who utilize the resources available at Premier. However, these systems also pose a major weakness to those who are directly or indirectly linked into it. The main weakness is that the policies lead to the creation of a monopoly whereby it is the organization that decides on the price and value that it can offer to its consumers and this directly affects the other organizations under the health care industry that are kept out of competition. It is therefore essential that the organization strives to openly communicate with all stakeholders, as well as meeting all requests that are reasonable so as to gather the required information. In conclusion, it is also essential to remember that an organization’s ethical conduct is as a result of collective conducts as relates its officers, board of directors and employees as well as enhancing open communications with these groups. As a result, this leads to a transformation in the healthcare delivery system of an organization.

Contemporary Issues in Food and Nutrition for Adolescents Essay

Contemporary Issues in Food and Nutrition for Adolescents The importance of establishing health promoting practices during childhood and adolescence has long been recognized by nutritionists and other health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to investigate further the issues relating to adolescents’ diets and contributing factors. Contributing factors include the increase of fast food consumption, unconventional meal patterns and lack of exercise. During adolescence, the influences on eating habits are numerous. The growing independence of adolescents, increased participation in social life and a generally busy schedule of activities have a great impact on food intake.? In the September 2007 issue of ‘Health Promotion International’, a survey of 18,486 secondary school students at 322 schools across all Australian states (except Western Australia) has found that a significant proportion of students fall short of current, national dietary and physical activity recommendations for teenagers. A new study suggests that as teens enter adulthood, they are more likely to skip meals, resulting in a very unconventional meal pattern. Breakfast is frequently neglected and omitted more often by teenagers as they enter high school as they see it as an unnecessary hassle. These diets are likely to be bizarre and unbalanced. Though appetite is great, meal times tend to be irregular due to pre-occupation with school, other social activities or even a part time job. Therefore snacking in between meals is common. Skipping breakfast, for example, can lead to greater levels of hunger later in the day, causing overeating, or the choosing of heavy foods that fill you up faster, but may lack nutritional values. For teenage girls, lunch is usually skipped as a way of controlling weight. As adolescents go through puberty, they are bound to feel more pressured by their peers about the shape and size of their body, sexual development, and their general appearance. Due to this pressure, they are more likely to be self-conscious, resulting in unstable diets. These diets are usually also caused by the increasing amount of junk food consumption. The increase in junk food consumption is an important factor in a teen’s diet. This could be due to the increased independence and responsibility for food preparation that adolescents face during this developmental transition. Fast food, such as McDonalds, is a quick, easy and tasty option for aging adolescents who may have a busy day-to-day schedule and who may be used to relying on parents to prepare their meals. Also published in the September issue of Health Promotion International, a survey indicates that secondary school students between the ages of 12 and 17 are consuming far too much junk food and not enough vegetables and fruit. The survey found that only 20% of students were meeting the daily requirement of four serves of vegetables while 39% were eating the recommended three daily serves of fruit. â€Å"Our survey found consumption of unhealthy/non-core foods was high, with 46% of students having fast food meals at least twice a week, 51% eating snack foods four or more times per week, and 44% having high-energy drinks four or more times per week,† states Dr Victoria White, from the Centre of Behavioural Research in Victoria. The survey findings also highlight the need for secondary students to spend more time being physically active and less time in front of the television and computer. The problem of childhood obesity has recently skyrocketed, mainly in the Western nations. Established in an online article on the website ‘For Parents, By Parents’, approximately 16-33% of children and teens are considered obese. While obesity is one of the easiest medical conditions to diagnosis, it can be one of the most difficult to treat. The same online article also states that poor diet and lack of exercise results in over 300,000 deaths every year. â€Å"We found that only 14% of students engaged in recommended levels of physical activity and about 70% exceeded recommended levels of sedentary behaviour,† Dr Victoria White once again states. Current recommendations state teenagers should do at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every day and spend no more than 2 hours per day using electronic media for entertainment. Unhealthy weight increases during adolescence have been associated with fasting insulin, increased levels of cholesterol and risk factors for heart disease and systolic blood pressure in young adulthood. Since adolescent obesity is a significant predictor of overweight status in adulthood, it is important to identify dietary behaviours early on that are associated with unhealthy weight gain in order to create effective interventions. It has been investigated that the three of the largest factors in adolescents’ diets include their unconventional meal pattern, increasing of junk food consumption and lack of exercise. The increased snack food intake and lack of required exercise result in a very disproportioned and unbalanced diet, which eventually leads to other fatal diseases such as risk of heart failure. Therefore, adolescents’ diet should be observed carefully to avoid an unhealthy epidemic.

Fly Guys Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fly Guys - Research Paper Example The author of the research paper "Fly Guys" analyses the operations of Fly Guys that fit excel and access operations. Both spreadsheets and databases are essential in the daily functions of many businesses including Aircraft operations. While it is not necessarily essential to select between databases and spreadsheets, they are frequently suited to diverse types of tasks. Comprehending the key diversities between excels and access is fundamental if one want to make the optimal use of either or both. Spreadsheets and databases share a number of features, but they comprise of different technologies (Smith 2015). Databases commonly involve an elevated level of the technical procedure. Both spreadsheets and databases provide a range of processing capabilities. Using these, an individual or organization can manipulate, arrange and filter statistics. Databases provide a greater variety of complexity in considering data exploitation, but this must be provided in SQL code or scripting format (Smith 2015). However, for fundamental data applications, spreadsheets offer users with a variety of automated capabilities, which are available to users who do not have a great deal technical experience. A number of data organization needs are only potential using databases, but wherever this is not the scenario; a worksheet may offer a more usable alternative. Access to a spreadsheet is at times imperfect to one individual at a time. With database organization systems, however, many people can acquire the same statistics set.

The Toyota Kluger Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Toyota Kluger - Assignment Example This car caters for families needs primarily the children. Long drives have no fun particularly when the children get bored. This vehicle comprises of an inbuilt DVD player (Toyota) that provides the children with adequate entertainment. It is worth denoting that this vehicle boasts of style both inside and outside. It immensely appeals to those individuals searching for a superior quality finish on the family vehicle. It is imperative to state that the outer design of this vehicle appeals to all the members of the family. The rangy profile and chrome accents give this car a superb finish, making it ideal for traveling with style for either business or corporate use. Moreover, it constitutes of alloy wheels with stylish luscious looks (Toyota). This vehicle boasts of foldable seats that give further room for shopping items. However, this vehicle comprises of advanced inbuilt car technology (Toyota) that twists every family drive into a bona fide experience. The Bluetooth capability p ermits the individual to make calls safely through the audio system while still driving. It is imperative to say that this technology aids in delivering an improved and secure driving experience. Entry 2 Gifted hands, is a book by Ben Carson, a famous neurosurgeon (Phillips). It is imperative to say that he gained global recognition for his role in the initial successful severance of Siamese twins. The immensely multifaceted and fragile operation constituted of a surgical plan that Carson aided to initiate. It is worth denoting that Carson pioneered again in an odd procedure known as hemispherectomy (Phillips). This involves offering children with no hope a second chance to live through a courageous operation in which he plainly extracted some part of the brain. It is worth denoting that these breakthroughs are usual. It is imperative to say that he has been beating odds since childhood. He lacked motivation because a mother, who had a third grade education, raised him. He scored po orly in school, but his mother convinced him that he could achieve a lot so long as he was positive with life, and did not allow the current circumstances to prevent him from achieving his goal. However, a persistent belief in his capabilities, trust in God, and absolute determination catapulted him from failing grades to being the top in class. He holds twenty doctorates, possesses a variety of awards, and honors (Phillips). It is imperative to state that gifted hands, is an inspirational story of a person’s secret to success, challenged against disheartening odds, and prompted by an implausible mindset that dares to take risks. This book enables one to learn of surgeries that made history globally, and into the clandestine mind of a kindhearted physician who lives in order to help others (Phillips). Throughout the book, it all reveals a humility and quick wit style that makes this book unforgettable. It is worth denoting that he never fails in each chapter to mention someon e particularly God, to whom he owes gratitude. Entry 3 Hold my hand is a collaborative song done by Michael Jackson and Akon (Aiyanna). It is imperative to say that this song is largely autobiographical in nature as Michael describes his own personal life to the world around us, hoping that we would discover and comprehend the significance of holding an individual's hand and walking the world jointly instead of walking alone as he did. It ultimately resulted to his fate

Continental Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Continental Airlines - Research Paper Example Part of this success is attributed to the huge investment in employee management and training. This, in turn, leads to better customer care management realized from the employees of the organization. Introduction The story behind Continental Airlines is inundated with many successes and challenges that have characterized the company since its formation. Like any other operator in the turbulent airline industry, these challenges have, over the years, affected the operations of the company and often became the basis for the strategies that have enabled the company to sail through. In any case, Continental Airlines is today regarded as one of the best performing airlines not only in the United States but across the world. Founded in 1934 with a single aircraft in Texas, Continental has grown to become the fifth largest airline in the United States and the seventh largest in the world. This is realized through an annual passenger figure of 50 million across five continents. Presently, th e airline operates over 2,300 daily departures to over 200 destinations across these continents (Burlingham, 2005). Indeed, Continental operates in an industry dominated by several market players which are always on the watch for any strategy to outdo their competitors. The company has faced several financial quagmires over the past few years but has always managed to sail through these challenges. Through continual fleet modernization and an effective employee management program, the company has always been at the forefront in the provision of quality services that transcend the very borders of culture and distance. Although the company has faced bankruptcy twice in its turbulent history, these downfalls have acted as an impetus for success and triggered a new wave of novel strategies that define the company’s overall success. Continental’s Business Strategy At the dawn of this century, Continental was normally ranked in the tenth position among the major airlines in the United States. The major focus of the management was, therefore, to create a new business strategy that would shift the fortunes of the organization. This led to the adoption of a new series of business strategies that were focused on improving industry performance through improved customer service. The first strategy was labeled Fly to Win and was meant to ensure that all the employees in the organization clearly understood what the customers actually wanted in terms of service. This would facilitate an effective response mechanism in order to avail the right products to the right clients. Secondly, Fund the Future strategy was intended to relook into the cash flow and costs incurred by the organization, in order to bail it out of its financial quagmire. The focus in this case was cost management as a way of eliminating some of the unnecessary cost centers previously realized by the organization. The third strategy, Make Reliability a Strategy, was geared towards ensuring that customers were delivered to their destinations safely and without any delays (Ray, 1999). This was also to limit any loss of luggage that was often realized in the company. In a way, reliability was seen as the best way to create customer confidence which would ultimately enable the airline to widen the customer base. The fourth strategy, Working Together, was mainly focused on employee managemen