Choose a suitable topic for this paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Choose a suitable topic for this paper - Essay Example Facebook is the only alternative to all other social portals like AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Gmail, Hotmail, Flickr, YouTube, and MySpace, etc. and provide its users a single login ID for all their social interaction needs (Bilton, 2012). While on the other hand, Twitter also provides its user with chat and messaging facilities to stay connected with each other. Twitter is more like an open forum for all where anyone can make their network and connect with each other to share their views. Twitter also allows its user to follow anyone unless the user blocks the other user. Generally Twitter is considered as blogging platform. Both of the websites are pure communication tools in which users can easily update their views and status and can also get quick response from their network. These social websites are also use for marketing purpose and many of the individuals and companies get effective results by promoting their products (Bilton, 2012). In Facebook, it is easier to find friends and family as compared to Twitter. Facebook also suggests its users to find friends by matching their personal attributes and preferences with others, while Twitter does not give suggestions for friends; in fact, users have to find their friends themselves. In Facebook, users are fully equipped to control or to expand their networks but the permission is required from other users to become friend with them. In Twitter, a user can follow other members and for that no permission is required, however, when one user does not want to be followed by another he or she can easily block each other (Bilton, 2012). In Twitter, one user can be followed by everyone and anyone can comment and share their views with all their followers, whereas in Facebook user is only restricted to its own network of friends and communities and can only share their views among them. Facebook allows its user to share images and videos and to comment on these videos and images. On the other hand, there is no such

The murder of Duncan on Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The murder of Duncan on Macbeth Essay To what extent is it fair to place the main blame for the murder of Duncan on Macbeth? It is obvious that Macbeth did actually kill Duncan, but is Macbeth really to blame for his actions? There are many other factors to take into account. One reason for Macbeths actions is that he was under a lot of pressure from other people and changes in his life. Also there maybe a supernatural element to take into account for the killing of Duncan by Macbeth, which may have influenced Macbeths decisions. There also maybe of coarse, no-body else that could have influenced Macbeth and just Macbeth himself. Or maybe all of the different pressures and influences combined together, making one mass attack on Macbeths mind. The blame for the murder of Duncan could be placed on anyones shoulders, but who do we blame specifically? Do we blame Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, The Three Witches, or was it the atmosphere and society of the 11th century? The most obvious person to blame for the murder of Duncan is Macbeth. This is because he actually took hold of the knife and stabbed Duncan. Therefore he should be and feel responsible for the murder. His motives for the murder are that if he kills Duncan then he will be made king of Scotland. He believes strongly in the afterlife, but still doesnt care about what happens to him when he dies, may it be of old age, or of murder also. All he cares about is becoming king. He backs that up by saying: Wed jump the life to come. It is his high ambitions that drive him into murdering Duncan. But, surely Macbeth knows that killing Duncan is a treasonable offence, and he could also be killed for it. He would lose everything because it would be obvious that Macbeth killed Duncan. This is because no-body else would have the right motives. He would lose his titles of Thane of Glamis, and also when he became Thane of Cawdor, he would lose that too. So he cannot really afford to commit the murder. This is where the argument of whether Macbeth is mentally ill comes into play. A sane person wouldnt risk his life and livelihood like that. His normal personality is that of a human being that hasnt got it in his personality to kill someone who hasnt done anything to harm him. Macbeth is able to kill a man on a battlefield, but that is a totally different situation. On a battlefield you dont know the person you are about to kill, and he is also prepared to kill you also, so it is like killing in self-defense. But by killing Duncan, it is killing in cold blood, someone that is asleep and has no defense. A split personality perhaps, where one minute he is nice, and wouldnt hurt a fly and the next minute he is a cold-blooded killing machine. You could even say that he is slightly sycophantic towards Duncan. Even Duncan himself says that Macbeth is loyal: What he hath lost noble Macbeth has won The word noble says it all in that line. Macbeth has the respect of the King, and so has won the position of Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth or The Three Witches could also have influenced Macbeth into killing Duncan. The Three Witches prophesised that Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor, and then King. They say: FIRST WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! SECOND WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! THIRD WITCH: All hail Macbeth, thou shalt be King here- after! Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis, so that doesnt count as a prophecy, but he wasnt Thane of Cawdor when The Witches spoke to him, but then Ross and Angus came from the battle with the Norwegians, and told Macbeth that he was Thane of Cawdor because Sinel had been killed in battle. So the witches first prophecy had come true. That is when Macbeth fell into The Witches trap, or spell, or whatever you wish to call it. He decided to trust The Witches, so he expected that Duncan would die soon, whether it be of old age or by murder, but the prophecy did not come true. So Macbeth decided to kill Duncan himself, to make the prophecy come true. He was greedy, because the witches forced Macbeth into killing Duncan through temptation. But, Macbeth could have backed out at any point along the road to the murder. Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth by putting so much pressure onto Macbeth to kill Duncan, to give her and Macbeth a better life. Macbeth gets pushed around by her, and does whatever she tells him to. This may have caused Macbeth to murder Duncan, but again, Macbeth could have backed out at any point. Lady Macbeth first finds out about The Witches prophecies when he writes her a letter. He writes this letter because he knows he needs somebody to push him to kill Duncan. She drives him to the crown, and therefore acts as a catalyst to Macbeth. She bullies his and uses emotional blackmail against him. She knows that he has good positive morals, and so she has to push him. She ridicules him by saying: When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. This basically means that when he dared to do it, then he was a man. This is insulting towards Macbeth, because she knows he is a warrior and is mocking his bravery. She also answers every objection that Macbeth has against the murder, and tries to motive his with her answer. Macbeth says this: If we should fail Lady Macbeth then immediately jumps in by saying: We fail? There is a hint of surprise in that reply, surprise about Macbeth, of him thinking that they will fail. But Lady Macbeth could also be implying that if they get caught, then Macbeth should get all the blame. Macbeth also doesnt believe that they will be able to cover up the murder successfully. Lady Macbeth objects to this lack of optimism by saying: Who dares receive it other, As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death? This suggests that no one will dare believe anything else (this is referring to the daggers planted on the soldiers), because Lady Macbeth and Macbeth will mourn so much that everybody will think that the couple is genuinely upset. Lady Macbeth also organises the finer points of the murder. When Macbeth come back from the murder scene with the daggers, she is annoyed with him because he is being careless. She then has to plant the daggers onto the soldiers herself because Macbeth is too scared of getting caught. The reason why Lady Macbeth is pushing so hard is maybe because she is possessed. She actually asks to be possessed by Demons or Spirits. She says: And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty She is asking to be possessed because then she will be able to lose here feminine side and become cruel and greedy. These evil spirits may be connected to The Witches. Macbeth first meets The Witches after the battle with Norway, and they predict that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and then King. When the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth and Banquo are extremely surprised. We can tell this because Banquo says: Can the devil speak true? This shows us that they did not expect The Witches to be telling the truth. Then Macbeth goes into deep thought about the second prophecy. Banquo tells us this when he says: Look how our partners rapt We could say that Macbeth is thinking that it is his destiny to be King, and therefore King he must be. After this point Macbeth is always thinking about the second prophecy and whether to do anything about it or not. The Witches made him fell like this and so must take some of the blame. The Witches also may have contributed to the murder of Duncan because they were making some kind of spell onto Macbeth at the start of the play. There is obviously some kind of sorcery going on in this first scene because the First Witch says: I come Greymalkin! A Greymalkin is a greycat, which is a spirit associated with the Devil. The Witches would not call to this demon if they werent planning on evil spells, and in this context Macbeth is surely going to be involved. Also, The Witches obviously arent bluffing about their power, because they then hovered off, which is a tricky thing to do if you arent a witch. This proves their power and their strength for the rest of the play. We fist get an idea of what the atmosphere is like in 11th century Scotland when Macbeth and Banquo appear. Macbeth says: So foul and fair a day I have not seen. There is a contradiction here, because a day cannot be foul and fair at the same time. But what he may mean is that the weather is bad, but because of the victory over the Norwegians, it has made his day good. Perhaps The Witches made the weather bad with their evil presence. In the 11th century, it was not unusual for highly respected people to get murdered, so that other people could climb higher up the ranks. Macbeth may have just been following the custom of that time. The atmosphere of the 11th century is evidently that of an evil, brutal place. I conclude that Macbeth should take the main blame for the murder of Duncan. He actually committed the murder and let ambition and greed rule him, despite knowing the consequences. I think that the other three factors are less important, but acted as catalysts, working alongside the main factor. If the other three factors were taken away, then the murder would have still occurred, but not as quickly.

Lesbianism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer :: TV Television Show Essays

Given that lesbian desire has often been associated with the monstrous in horror and vampire genres, and that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is seen as having reworked the conventions of these genres, it is worth considering how the narrative of lesbianism is dealt with in this series to contemplate if and how this desire has been resignified. This paper is concerned with critically analysing the overt representations of lesbian desire and identity as they are manifested through the Willow (played by Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the coming out narratives as they unfold in Season Four. It attempts to address several questions: How has Buffy the Vampire Slayer reworked the representation of lesbians in the vampire genre? How are the themes of lesbian desire and coming out as lesbian dealt with in the series? Finally, has the show challenged stereotypical representations of lesbianism, or merely perpetuated them? I start this paper with a sense of ambivalence about how the lesbian characters and lesbian desire are constructed in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because on the one hand I gain pleasure from watching these representations, but on the other hand I suspect that the series perpetuates some homophobic concepts about lesbianism. I am mindful that representations in horror and fantasy television programs and films are creative images and manifestations of ideas, mythologies and narratives. They are not perfect reflections of society, although the writers may attempt to deal with some social issues and identity politics within generic frameworks. However, fictional representations are still important sites where viewers negotiate personal and cultural concepts of sexuality and subjectivity. This queer reading of Buffy the Vampire Slayer investigates the disguised homo-erotic tensions between the out lesbian characters in the series. It avoids an elaborate search for homoerotic and non-normative sexual couplings between other characters in the series. If I were to do such a queer reading, I would probably concentrate on the Willow and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), or Faith (Eliza Dushku) and Buffy relationships as Farah Medlesohn has done in her essay, "Surpassing the Love of Vampires"(2002: 45-60). Alternatively, I might focus on the sadomasochistic relationship between Spike (James Marsters) and Buffy, or the bizarre love triangle between Andrew, Warren and Jonathan in Season Six. Instead, this paper is more concerned with analysing the blatant representations of lesbian desire and sexuality as they are constructed through characterisation, metaphors, narrative and stylistic devices in particular episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to consider how these themes have b een integrated into a youth-orientated, television program.

Interest Groups and Government Policies Essay

Interest groups help communicate and legitimize government policies in several ways. As instability is sure to attract political activity[1], it also attracts interest groups to meddle in such political activity. When certain government policies conflict with the specific interests of these groups, they can call the attention of the government through public demonstrations or protests. They can also use mass media to inform the general public about their views on certain government policies, thereby communicating not only their position on the issues involved but also the government policies being addressed. On the other hand, when certain government policies support the interests of these groups, they can further enhance the legitimacy of such policies by conducting a public forum designed to increase the public’s awareness on such policies, thereby gathering more public support. Even without interest groups, communicating and legitimating government policies can still be achieved. For the most part, people can still organize themselves without holding a collective interest other than the inclination to either support or protest an existing government policy. Since a more developed country is most likely populated by more interest groups[2], governments faced with the task of issuing specific policies in order to foster economic growth are most likely to face opposition from certain interest groups who oppose such policies. One example is when a government decides to issue a policy of free trade in response to the need of increasing the country’s trading activities so as to stimulate the economy. Interest groups opposing the government policy of free trade can stage demonstrations in public locations. Doing so can increase their chances of being heard by the government and, in consequence, compelling the government to adjust its policies accordingly. At the same time, these interest groups will openly communicate to the public the reasons why they oppose the policy without forcing them to join their cause. At the least, public demonstrations serve the purpose of informing the public and the government that a sector of the society opposes certain government policies. Mass media plays a key role in communicating the views of interest groups towards government policies. Since individuals interact with issues emphasized in media coverage[3], there is reason to believe that interest groups can reach and influence public perception through mass media in general. Interest groups can publish their articles through paid newspaper column space on a specific date of issue that they feel will have a lasting and strong impression on readers. Interest groups opposing specific provisions in government policies on healthcare, for instance, can pay for a space in a major newspaper where they can state their reasons for opposing the provisions and the alternatives that can be done. The method will most likely reach a large part of the population due to the large circulation of a major newspaper, thereby informing a broad segment of the public. Television and radio shows also provide avenues for interest groups to communicate to the public their position on government policies. For example, an interest group opposing the existing government policy on carbon emissions can either make a request to television networks to provide them with a show where they can air their views or accept invitations for discussions or interviews on television. Whether or not these interest groups are able to convince the viewing public, it is likely that they are still able to communicate a portion of the substance of the government policy on carbon emissions. On the other hand, interest groups can also legitimize government policies, especially those that are aligned with their concerns. One way of achieving it is to conduct a public forum where people can participate or simply listen to discussions about the policies. For instance, interest groups can hold a public forum in the town hall and discuss immediate concerns regarding the current government policy on immigration. With the immigration policy favoring their side, these interest groups can disseminate the information about the benefits of the policy which can eventually translate to more public support. Since the key principle is that the people is the source of the government’s power, public discussions conducted by interest groups which are able to gather public support for government policies further legitimize such policies. The pressure of interest groups to their Congressional Representatives can also legitimize government policies. Letters to Congressional Representatives coming from interest groups can help inform these representatives that a portion of their constituents are in support of a government policy that the representative may or may not actually favor. Through such letters, interest groups can put a pressure on their dissenting representatives to favor the government policy regardless of political affiliations. Signature campaigns when taken together with letters to Congressional Representatives can add more weight to the support given to government policies, giving these representatives more reason to align their positions with the public perception. Nevertheless, government policies can be communicated or legitimized to a certain degree despite the absence of interest groups. Other ways to achieve the goal of communicating and legitimizing government policies include signature campaigns, public dialogue with government officials and infomercials sponsored by the government. Through the initiative of a few individuals, signature campaigns can be launched in support of or opposition to certain government policies. Signature campaigns of this nature do not necessarily require the leadership of interest groups since private individuals can also gather public signatures even without an affiliation to any specific interest group. The purpose is to simply gather signatures as many as possible without attempting to form a formal group out of the total number of participants. Public dialogue with government officials can also be a way to inform the public about government policies. The dialogue can be sponsored by the office of the concerned government official or the local members of the community. Through dialogue, government officials are able to discuss in detail the purpose and nature of certain government policies. People are also given the chance to ask relevant questions to the government official whose response can further inform the public. Airing infomercials over the television or radio is also a way for the government to communicate its policies to the public and to further show the legitimacy of such policies. Since an infomercial is basically a â€Å"one-way† type of communication, it can simply inform the public about government policies at best. Government policies communicated to the public through radio or television infomercials are already assumed to be legitimate; the government is presumed to disseminate information about government policies that are lawful and approved by the concerned government agency. Despite the possibility of communicating and legitimating government policies in the absence of interest groups, it is better if interest groups are still able to challenge or reaffirm government policies especially when taken in the context of a democratic society. The presence of interest groups can indicate the health of the political activity in any country. In their absence, the legislature and the government in general may possibly overlook vital social and political concerns or abuse their power to create and enforce policies. Bibliography Bischoff, Ivo. â€Å"Determinants of the Increase in the Number of Interest Groups in Western Democracies: Theoretical Considerations and Evidence from 21 OECD Countries.† Public Choice 114, no. 1/2 (2003): 197-218. Domke, David, Dhavan V. Shah, and Daniel B. Wackman. â€Å"Rights and Morals, Issues, and Candidate Integrity: Insights into the Role of the News Media.† Political Psychology 21, no. 4 (2000): 641-65. Levmore, Saul. â€Å"Voting Paradoxes and Interest Groups.† The Journal of Legal Studies 28, no. 2 (1999): 259-81.

Overcoming the Five Dysfunction of a Team Essay

The majority of Patrick Lencioni’s work The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is a fictionalized account of a very typical management challenge. The fictitous company is DecisionTech, a 150 person software start-up in Silicon Valley. The company, thanks to the efforts of Jeff the company’s firstCEO, is well funded and staffed with top level executives. However, the company is lagging behind several competitors and the board has replaced Jeff with Kathryn. Kathryn immediately begins a careful review of the situation and determines that the senior management team isn’t much of a team at all. Utilizing a series of exercises and off-site meetings, Kathryn begins an aggressive team building (and team thinning). She opens ever meeting of her direct reports with the following speech: â€Å"We have a more experienced and talented executive team than any of our competitors. We have more cash than they do†¦We have better core technology. And we have a powerful board of directors. Yet in spite of all that, we are behind two of our competitors in terms of both revenue and customer growth. Can anyone here tell me why that is?† In fact, Kathryn goes on to open every executive team meeting with this very quote. In time, Kathryn observes the personality traits of her team and their short comings clearly illustrate the 5 dysfunctions of a typical team: Teams need trust to communicate honestly and openly > Absence of Trust   Fear of Conflict Teams must commit together > Lack of Commitment. (Trust is a Prereq) Avoidance of Accountability Inattention to results Kathryn succeeds in righting the ship and turning DecisionTech around but not without some trials and tribulations on the way. The newly invigorated executive team is much much stronger. More Key Points Common team goals lead individuals to making better decisions, seeing beyond their own potentially narrow self interests and really moving the needle in the corporate world.   The catch is simple: building and maintaining a team is hard work and can force even the most seasoned professional well outside of their traditional comfort zones. Professionals have disparate work habits, communication styles and levels of emotional intelligence. Getting everyone to pull in the same direction can be tough work! This book also includes pages of worksheets, self-assessments and more. This work is a quick one or two hour read. Recommended Resources For a more in-depth, comprehensive summary of Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Free Essays on The Parent Trap

â€Å"The Parent Trap† The sinister thing about being an overprotective parent is that we often harm the ones we are trying to protect. For the most part that ends up being our children. In â€Å"The Parent Trap,† an article in Home Life magazine, Gary Thomas writes about â€Å"missing out on the best for fear of the worst.† He also writes that cowardice generates from being selfish, that fear is focusing on what might happen, and how to not be afraid and follow God’s call. You will actually have less to worry about if you quit worrying about these things and progress in life. We have all seen the domineering parent who will not let their child climb a tree for fear of falling; go skiing for fear of breaking a leg; or even eat certain foods for fear of choking. These parents think they are being a â€Å"cautious parent,† but in reality they are depriving and even harming their children. Parents use legitimate concerns as a veil and drive these thoughts to such an extreme that well-being becomes the absolute priority. Cowardice, born of selfishness, seeks to protect the coward first. When your children are babies you worry about fatal illnesses or high fevers, as toddlers it is the fear of them eating something they found on the floor and choking, in elementary school you fear them being kidnapped, and as teenagers it is drug abuse or premarital sex and unplanned pregnancy. â€Å"The fear of ‘what-ifs’ has stopped more good work cold than moral failure has.† Fear focuses so heavily on what might happen that it becomes blind to the good that might result. This method of parenting is not just â€Å"short-sightedness; it is pessimistic-sightedness: vision obscured by worry and blurred by fear.† Cowardice is enticing for anyone who is called to do God’s work. Think of how often God, Jesus, or an angel preceded a call to serve with, â€Å"Do not be afraid.† For example, in Matthew 14: 27, Jesus says, â€Å"Take courage! ... Free Essays on The Parent Trap Free Essays on The Parent Trap â€Å"The Parent Trap† The sinister thing about being an overprotective parent is that we often harm the ones we are trying to protect. For the most part that ends up being our children. In â€Å"The Parent Trap,† an article in Home Life magazine, Gary Thomas writes about â€Å"missing out on the best for fear of the worst.† He also writes that cowardice generates from being selfish, that fear is focusing on what might happen, and how to not be afraid and follow God’s call. You will actually have less to worry about if you quit worrying about these things and progress in life. We have all seen the domineering parent who will not let their child climb a tree for fear of falling; go skiing for fear of breaking a leg; or even eat certain foods for fear of choking. These parents think they are being a â€Å"cautious parent,† but in reality they are depriving and even harming their children. Parents use legitimate concerns as a veil and drive these thoughts to such an extreme that well-being becomes the absolute priority. Cowardice, born of selfishness, seeks to protect the coward first. When your children are babies you worry about fatal illnesses or high fevers, as toddlers it is the fear of them eating something they found on the floor and choking, in elementary school you fear them being kidnapped, and as teenagers it is drug abuse or premarital sex and unplanned pregnancy. â€Å"The fear of ‘what-ifs’ has stopped more good work cold than moral failure has.† Fear focuses so heavily on what might happen that it becomes blind to the good that might result. This method of parenting is not just â€Å"short-sightedness; it is pessimistic-sightedness: vision obscured by worry and blurred by fear.† Cowardice is enticing for anyone who is called to do God’s work. Think of how often God, Jesus, or an angel preceded a call to serve with, â€Å"Do not be afraid.† For example, in Matthew 14: 27, Jesus says, â€Å"Take courage! ...

Google in China Essays - Alphabet Inc., Internet Search Engines

Google in China Essays - Alphabet Inc., Internet Search Engines Google in China Google, Inc., first entered the Chinese market in early 2000 by creating a Chineselanguage version of its home page. This strategy was part of a larger one for East Asia that included the creation of search technology that understood the characters in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese.50 Googles approach was to maintain a Chinese-language version of Google.com that was housed in the United States but that could handle search requests originating within China. In this way, the technology was not subject to Chinese censorship laws as the facilities were not within Chinas physical boundaries, and Google did not need a license from the Chinese government to operate its business. Usually, when users attempted to click on a banned site, a full, unfiltered list was produced and they would be blocked by Chinese filters. Users were able 47 Chandler, Inside the Great Firewall, 149. 48 www.rsf.org/print.php3?id_article=17936> (accessed June 9, 2006). 49 Chandler, Inside the Great Firewall. 50 Thompson, Googles China Problem. -13- BRI-1004 to see the complete list of all the information pertaining to their search, including the information that the Chinese government considered threatening.51 These search requests and corresponding search results all passed through one of nine Chinese international gateway Internet service providers, which were monitored and filtered by the Chinese government. In September 2002, Google.com was inaccessible for two weeks. When reinstated, it was slow and temperamental for all Chinese users and completely inaccessible for Chinese colleges and universities.52 According to Elliot Schrage, Googles vice president of Global Communications and Public Affairs, The average time to download a Google Web page was more than seven times slower than for Baidu, the leading Chinese search engine.53 In 2004, Google realized that its approach in China was not sustainable. Google was losing market share to Baidu, and others, including Yahoo! and Microsoft, were gaining ground through their local presence. Google embarked on a one-year analysis of the Internet in China by consulting both governmental and nongovernmental organizations, business partners, and Chinese experts such as Xiao Qiang, an Internet scholar at the University of California Berkeley.54 Meanwhile, in June 2004, Google purchased a 2.6% stake in Baidu for $5 million. Google announced two important appointments in 2005. First, Dr. Kai-Fu Lee left Microsoft to head Googles entry into China. Lees goal was to make advanced technologies accessible and useful to every user, as well as to be a part of the vibrant growth and innovation in China today. Then, Johnny Chou joined Lee in October as president of Sales and Business Development, Greater China. Chou assisted in building sales and distribution as well as a research and development center in China so Google would have the assets it needed to succeed. In January 2006, Google announced the creation of Google.cn, which was located in China and subject to Chinese filtering. This product was faster and more reliable, and provide[d] more and better search results for all but a handful of politically sensitive subjects.55 Google differentiated this product from those of its competitors by: (1) keeping personal information outside China through Gmail, its Web-based email service, and Blogger, its personal Web-blog-hosting service; (2) disclosing the presence of general filtering to users; and (3) continuing a Chinese-language version of Google.com.56 51 Thompson, Googles China Problem. 52 Thompson, Googles China Problem. 53 Elliot Schrage, testimony before the House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations (February 15, 2006): 5. 54 Dean and Delaney, Limited Search. 55 Schrage testimony. 56 Schrage testimony. -14- BRI-1004 Personal information Although Google had decided to maintain Gmail and Blogger outside China, both services required personal information from users that, if hosted on servers located inside China, would be subject to requests for information by Chinese authorities. Recently, Yahoo! had provided personal information to Chinese officials, leading to at least one arrest for the posting of harmful materials. Microsoft had removed the postings of a journalist at the request of Chinese authorities. By keeping Googles email and blogging services outside Chinese

Ancient Greek Eroticism - An Introduction

Ancient Greek Eroticism - An Introduction Our knowledge about ancient Greek eroticism changes constantly, as more literary and artistic evidence is found and analyzed and as contemporary scholarship puts a new spin on old data. The Concept of Eros in Greece Ancient Greek society had different words for different kinds of love. Eros, for the most part, denoted love that had a sexual component. It could refer to the ideal marital affection between men and women, but also encompassed homosexual relationships. The concept of pederasty, which involved an older man who was both lover and mentor to a young man, also was connected to the idea of eros. This was not uncommon across all the varied Greek city-states. Sparta had homosexual relationships built into the structure of the training all young Spartan men received, although there is some disagreement among historians about whether the relationships were more paternalistic mentorships or primarily sexual. In other Dorian areas also homosexuality was widely accepted. Thebes saw in the 4th century the creation of a battalion of homosexual lovers- the Sacred Band. In Crete, there is evidence of ritualized abduction of younger men by older men. Contrary to popular belief, eros was not solely a sexual institution. In the case of pederastic eros, the relationships were considered educational above all else. Plato also theorized that eros could be directed towards mathematics and philosophy, rather than sexuality, in order to harness that driving energy towards improving ones mental and spiritual state. Sexuality, Myth, and History By the end of the 5th century BC, the concept of erotic and/or romantic homosexual love was enshrined in myth and art. Poets told stories in which male gods had relationships with young, beautiful human men, while myths also depicted similar relationships between human men or tweaked existing myths to fit this dichotomy of lover and beloved. One of the better-known myths of this sort is that of Achilles and Patroclus. According to the myths, Achilles, hero of the Trojan War, had an older and wiser companion named Patroclus. When Patroclus was killed in battle, Achilles completely broke down. The original Homeric texts did not specify a sexual relationship between the men, but later authors firmly interpreted their bond as romantic and sexual. The myth of Achilles and Patroclus was said to have inspired Alexander the Great in his relationship with his closest companion, Hephaestion. Again, however, the true nature of that relationship is unknown: whether they were lovers or had a non-sexual close companionship. In general, homosexual relationships between men were predominantly between an older and a younger partner. The idea of an adult male being the beloved of another man would have been frowned upon or outright stigmatized, since adult men were supposed to become dominant and not passive. Restrictions on Greek Women Women were considered the guardians of Athenian citizenship, but that didnt confer any rights. A citizen of Athens had to make sure all his wifes children were his. To keep her away from temptation, she was locked away in the womens quarters and accompanied by a male whenever she went outside. If she were caught with another man, the man could be killed or brought to court. When a woman married, she was a piece of property transferred from her father (or other male guardian) to her husband. In Sparta, the need for Spartan citizens was strong, so women were encouraged to bear children to a citizen who would sire well if her own husband proved inadequate. There she wasnt so much her spouses property as the states- as were her children and her husband. Because of this emphasis on the need for citizens, however, Spartan women had higher social standing, and the city-state honored the institution of marriage and the marital bond. Same-sex love between women was less recorded due to the role of women in society as a whole, but did exist. The most famous evidence of this is the poetry of Sappho, who wrote romantic poetry directed at women and girls. However, love between two women did not have the same usefulness as the educational/military bond of male-male relationships, and was therefore not supported socially. Plato and Current Theories of Greek Sexualities In Platos Symposium (a treatise on Athenian eroticism) the playwright Aristophanes offers a colorful explanation for why all these sexual options existed. In the beginning, there were three types of double-headed humans, he said, varying according to sex: male/male, female/female, and male/female. Zeus, angered at the humans, punished them by splitting them in half. From then on, each half has forever sought out his other half. Plato himself had a very wide range of views on homosexuality: early texts show him praising such relationships as preferable to heterosexual ones, but he also wrote later texts denouncing them. Scholars also continue to debate whether or not erotic love and sexual preferences were considered defining personality categories in ancient Greece. Current scholarship, including feminist and Foucauldian, applies a variety of theoretical models to the literary and artistic evidence we have about ancient sexuality. To some, sexuality is culturally defined, to others, there are universal constants. Application of Athenian literary evidence from the fifth and fourth centuries to preceding or succeeding generations is problematic, but not nearly so hard as trying to extend it to all of Greece. The resources below reflect a variety of approaches. Sources and Further Reading Cullhed, A, Franzen C, and Hallengren A. (editors). Pangs of Love and Longing: Configurations of Desire in Premodern Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014.Dover, KJ. Greek Homosexuality. 3rd editon. London: Bloomsbury Press, 2016.Ferrari, Gloria.  Figures of Speech: Men and Maidens in Ancient Greece. University of Chicago Press, 2002.Foucault M. The History of Sexuality. Volume 1: An Introduction. Vintage Press, 1986.Foucault M. The History of Sexuality. Volume 2: The Use of Pleasure. Vintage Press, 1988.Hubbard, Thomas K. A Companion to Greek and Roman Sexualities. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.Skinner, MB. Sexuality in Greek and Roman Culture, 2nd edition: Wiley Blackwell, 2013.

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convergence between GAAP and IFRS - Essay Example Furthermore, consideration in respect of financial statement presentation and business combination is required significant convergence (Kaiser et al., 2012). Challenges and Benefits of Convergence As far as the convergence is concerned, it can be observed that US public listed companies will be benefitted more if they adopt IFRS as an obligation from SEC. There are various difficulties as well as benefits of adoption of IFRS as a means of convergence. The major difficulty that may arise due to such convergence is the transition of financial statements from US GAAP to IFRS. The transition will cause a significant change in both the financial performance and financial position of the entities. There is likelihood that the entities may not be able to present better financial results due to such convergence which, otherwise they would have presented in case of applying US GAAP. However, the advantages of convergence still supersede the challenge of transition of IFRS by US listed entitie s. Some of these advantages are discussed as under: The first and foremost advantage of convergence to a single accounting framework is the comparability. The benefit of comparability can be illustrated through an example. For instance, if a US entity plans to be merged with a European counterpart, the issue arising for both the firms would be of comparability. The US firm would be following US GAAP and European firm would be applying IFRS. In such case, both the financial statements cannot be matched with each other, as the accounting frameworks are different. Under US GAAP, inventories are valued at LIFO whereas IFRS asks the entities to use FIFO. For that matter, one of the entities would have to translate its financial statements according to the counterparty’s accounting standards. The element of comparability can facilitate the international investors especially those who are interested in the stocks of listed entities. The uniformity of the accounting framework across the globe can help them interpret and compare the financial statements of those companies which are located in different geographical boundaries (Shamrock, 2012). This would make the financial statements more comparable across the globe and would result in an increasing investors’ base. Comparability of financial statements can lead to increase in the inclination of international investors to participate actively in the global equity markets as this step can simplify the cross border investments along with amalgamation of different equity markets. Increased liquidity and reduced cost of funds are the additional benefits that can be reaped through comparability. In short, there would be increased access available to the US MNCs to reach across the globe and utilize their resources in an efficient manner. The second most important benefit available to US entities regarding the adoption of IFRS is the reduced cost of financial reporting. Since these are the costs which US multin ational companies have to face because their operations are spread widely across the globe and they have to prepare and translate the financial statements as per jurisdiction’s applicable financial reporting framework, thus causing increased cost of financial reporting. If US entities are obligated to adopt IFRS, it would result in the

MARRIAGE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MARRIAGE - Essay Example One can also designate other equally important topics of the consideration of marriage, namely marriage as "as a reflection of the life of the Trinity," "domestic Church," and "a vocation." (â€Å"Marriage,† 35, 38, 43). Finally, Christian theology considers the themes of "growth in Christian marriage," "growth in the virtues toward perfection, "and a" marriage fulfilled in the Kingdom of God" (â€Å"Marriage,† 45, 47, 52, 56)Ã'Ž As indicated above, the Christian church in the face of Catholic priests based is on the belief that marriage is not only a creation of the people as a union between men and women. Marriage is primarily a gift of God, which is regarded by God as free from original sin. The sanctity of marriage is determined by the union between a man and a woman, who are created in the image and likeness of God. In addition, the basic meaning of marriage is that it "has two fundamental ends or purposes towards which it is oriented, namely, the good of the spouses as well as the procreation of children" ("Marriage," 11). A man and a woman are united in marriage not only as spiritual beings, but also as material beings. They become one flesh. United by love, men and women live for each other. Each of them thinks about his/her partner as the meaning of life that causes them to be ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of him/her. This unity finds its logical continuation in children. Having childre n is an amazing act that sanctifies the union between a man and a woman and makes it adequate to Gods plan. Only the appearance of children makes a marriage a true union between a man and a woman. According to the second theme, the Christian understanding of earthly marriage involves its comparison with the Trinity. Earthly marriage is a union between a man, a woman, and their children. This unity is based on love and devotion that make all members of the family inextricably linked. The basic meaning of marriage is

Author Stephen Ambrose- Writing Style and Criticisms Research Paper

Author Stephen Ambrose- Writing Style and Criticisms - Research Paper Example The world cherishes his memories for the legacies he made in establishing the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans and as the founder of the National D-Day Museum, during the year 2000. Rather than spending time in libraries for his research, sifting through the pages of books, his style is to visit the historical places he writes about. His writing mainly contains the saga of war, narrating the stories of ordinary soldiers, which provides the present generation a clear understanding about the history of the times in the past. Career: The well renowned American historian, Stephen Edward Ambrose, was not introduced to the history department since the days of his childhood. Most people turn out to find their true passion only later in their lives. Ambrose realized his passion for history only when he attended his â€Å"first college-level class in American history† (Ambrose par. 1). His father worked as a town doctor before joining the navy dur ing the Second World War. Inspired and encouraged by his father’s heroism, Ambrose wanted to be a doctor just like him. Therefore, he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin as a pre-med student. But the history class awakened the dormant passion inside him and brought a complete change in his life and goals. He was keen on retelling the tales of American heroes who had so courageously fought for their country. After getting a doctorate in history, he started his teaching career in the University of New Orleans. He has been the author of around thirty books and has also edited a few books. He remained a teacher for thirty years and believed that â€Å"teaching and writing were two sides of the same coin† (Ambrose). In 1962, he made a breakthrough with his second book â€Å"Halleck, Lincoln’s Chief of Staff† which caught the attention of Dwight Eisenhower. The former president sanctioned Ambrose to his official biographer. He founded the National WWII Muse um, which â€Å"reflected his deep regard† for the soldiers and â€Å"workers on the Home Front† for their valiant act of enduring anguish till they emerged victorious (Ambrose). Along with this, he was also the founder of Eisenhower Center in New Orleans. Academic Positions: Throughout his thirty years of teaching, Ambrose has taught at various institutions other than University of New Orleans, which includes Louisiana State University, Johns Hopkins University, U.C Berkeley, Rutgers University and a few European schools as well. Ambrose was the Boyd professor of history in the University of New Orleans and after he retired from this position, he became Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center. He also contributed a lot being an â€Å"editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board† (Ambrose). Much as Ambrose was an author and a teacher , he was also a captivating speaker. He could speak to the audience in ways that kept them awe-inspiring notes. His knowledge of the past gave him an insight into the future, which he shared with everyone during

Same Idea, Different Medium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Same Idea, Different Medium - Essay Example Some victims of plagiarism have the reason that, actually their work is not plagiarized, but contain common knowledge while others are purely lazy to the extent that they plagiarize through â€Å"copy and paste† from an internet source. This paper analyzes and relates two articles; the in-class essay and the internet object (IO) that address the issue of plagiarism by focusing on two different examples. The article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† by Trip Gabriel, which appeared in â€Å"The New York Times† in August 1, 2010 was the in-class essay while the article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† by Lizzie Widdicombe, which was featured in â€Å"The New Yorker† in February 13, 2012 is the internet object. Gabriel in her article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† writes about various students in learning institutions who have plagiarized their works from the internet (Gabriel, 2010). Consequent ly, Widdicombe in her article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† has analyzed a fiction novel tiled â€Å"Assassin of Secrets† by Quentin Roman, which was highly plagiarized from other fiction novels (Widdicombe, 2012). In both instances, the plagiarists, who are the students and the fiction novel author, did not formally acknowledge the source of information. The in-class essay by Widdicombe and the â€Å"internet object† (IO) by Gabriel relate in that they both entail cases of plagiarism on two different levels; professional and academics. On one level, the in-class essay depicts plagiarism in a mass-market publishing while on the other level; the (IO) essay shows plagiarism in college academics. In essence, Widdicombe discusses how the author Quentin Rowan plagiarized his works from many different sources during his earlier writing career. Moreover, the article by Gabriel depicts how various students plagiarized their college assignments from the internet. W iddicombe portrays how a professional author, Rowan, becomes mediocre in the field of fiction writing through copying excerpts from other published novels, without giving any credits (Widdicombe, 2012). Gabriel on her part presents a description on how college students knowingly or unknowingly copy and paste essays from internet sources, also without giving credits (Gabriel, 2010). Gabriel in the (IO) article presents three cases of plagiarism by students from different institutions. The students are ignorant of their ill act since they are not aware of the importance of giving credit or citing borrowed words. Gabriel asserts that educators have discovered that students who use online information do not put into consideration originality, intellectual property and copyright issues. This is because in the digital technology, to â€Å"copy paste† is very easy. Widdicombe in the in-class article presents a case of plagiarism by Rowan, particularly in his novel â€Å"Assassins o f Secrets†. Rowan was accused of including in his book more than thirty cases of plagiarism. Interestingly Rowan admitted that he had taken excerpts from books by different authors while the students admitted copying and pasting from online sources. Academic assignments by students can be scrutinized for plagiarism through using a plagiarism software, however, the same is not possible for novels, and as a result, editors have to read manuscripts word by word if plagiarism is to be detected (Widdicombe, 2012). In many instances editors, discovered copied texts in

Catherine Mansfield Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Catherine Mansfield - Essay Example As the report declares looking deeper in the human behavior and trying to see the important details, her short stories had a didactic particularity. This happens with the short story: â€Å"Sixpence†. The story is a didactic one, but not as we might think at the beginning. The writer portraits two types of parents behavior. A little boy, Dicky, does not behave properly one day, just when his mother has a guest. This was a very strange fact, because he usually was â€Å"good as gold as a rule, sensitive, affectionate, obedient and marvelously sensible for his age†. This paper stresses that the child makes a mistake and the guest, Mrs. Spears, gives his mother an advice: the only punishment is the whipping. This contradicts his mother’s opinions, because when she said punishment she was not referring to beating. And here comes the two types of behavior, or we could extend the two types of parents. Mrs. Spears sons were very quiet, permitting their mother to give credit to her theory about punishment. Dicky’ s mother does not agree to the beating, but she let herself convinced by her friend’ words. The children themselves were very different and Dicky was the one that had a normal behavior for his age. He was gentle and sensitive, but sometimes he was acting foolishly, maybe because a child’s energy is too big and cannot be hold in. Mrs. Spears sons were not acting right for some children, they were too calm and quite.

Same Idea, Different Medium Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Same Idea, Different Medium - Essay Example Some victims of plagiarism have the reason that, actually their work is not plagiarized, but contain common knowledge while others are purely lazy to the extent that they plagiarize through â€Å"copy and paste† from an internet source. This paper analyzes and relates two articles; the in-class essay and the internet object (IO) that address the issue of plagiarism by focusing on two different examples. The article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† by Trip Gabriel, which appeared in â€Å"The New York Times† in August 1, 2010 was the in-class essay while the article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† by Lizzie Widdicombe, which was featured in â€Å"The New Yorker† in February 13, 2012 is the internet object. Gabriel in her article â€Å"Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age† writes about various students in learning institutions who have plagiarized their works from the internet (Gabriel, 2010). Consequent ly, Widdicombe in her article â€Å"The Plagiarist’s Tale† has analyzed a fiction novel tiled â€Å"Assassin of Secrets† by Quentin Roman, which was highly plagiarized from other fiction novels (Widdicombe, 2012). In both instances, the plagiarists, who are the students and the fiction novel author, did not formally acknowledge the source of information. The in-class essay by Widdicombe and the â€Å"internet object† (IO) by Gabriel relate in that they both entail cases of plagiarism on two different levels; professional and academics. On one level, the in-class essay depicts plagiarism in a mass-market publishing while on the other level; the (IO) essay shows plagiarism in college academics. In essence, Widdicombe discusses how the author Quentin Rowan plagiarized his works from many different sources during his earlier writing career. Moreover, the article by Gabriel depicts how various students plagiarized their college assignments from the internet. W iddicombe portrays how a professional author, Rowan, becomes mediocre in the field of fiction writing through copying excerpts from other published novels, without giving any credits (Widdicombe, 2012). Gabriel on her part presents a description on how college students knowingly or unknowingly copy and paste essays from internet sources, also without giving credits (Gabriel, 2010). Gabriel in the (IO) article presents three cases of plagiarism by students from different institutions. The students are ignorant of their ill act since they are not aware of the importance of giving credit or citing borrowed words. Gabriel asserts that educators have discovered that students who use online information do not put into consideration originality, intellectual property and copyright issues. This is because in the digital technology, to â€Å"copy paste† is very easy. Widdicombe in the in-class article presents a case of plagiarism by Rowan, particularly in his novel â€Å"Assassins o f Secrets†. Rowan was accused of including in his book more than thirty cases of plagiarism. Interestingly Rowan admitted that he had taken excerpts from books by different authors while the students admitted copying and pasting from online sources. Academic assignments by students can be scrutinized for plagiarism through using a plagiarism software, however, the same is not possible for novels, and as a result, editors have to read manuscripts word by word if plagiarism is to be detected (Widdicombe, 2012). In many instances editors, discovered copied texts in

Development of ACETO as a Human Health Products Corporation Essay - 15

Development of ACETO as a Human Health Products Corporation - Essay Example The percentage of US consumers is at 68%, most of whom are reliable consumers. This increase in the dollar amounts from assets and sales is due to the quality of products that have stood out amidst a heated competitive ground. Aceto Corporation relies on its underlying entities like long-term assets and this poses a threat to its future financial performance (Aceto Corporation, 2015). The derivatives act as a hedge for any modifications of prices or accessing markets that are not easy to penetrate. In the case of huge price adjustments, over-reliance on the underlying entities may affect the revenue generated and therefore interfere with ACETO’s net profit. Such occurrences can affect the share value including the confidence of potential investors. Some of the operational items recorded in the news release by Aceto Corporation include multiple sales that have increased by over 100%. The statistics released late 2014 reveal that ACETO has a lot of potential in terms of satisfying a growing market and maintaining a quality of products. The performance chemicals were a strategic item in 2014 that led to increased profits. This growth in demand as a result of improvement in product mix which was warmly received by the consumers (Aceto Corporation, 2015). Human health and pharmaceuticals was a great pillar that upheld the rapid increase in sales amounting to over 70% gross profits. This backed up the strategy transforming ACETO into an organization that provides for human health products.  Ã‚  

Language & Literacy for Young Children Essay Example for Free

Language Literacy for Young Children Essay This paper will discuss developmentally appropriate methodologies in teaching language and literacy to young children across a developmental curriculum. Also to be discussed will be the aspects/knowledge’s of language, language diversity and Theoretical Perspectives. In the Beginning There is now evidence that it is never too early to teach a child. Through research it has been discovered that the infant even before he/she is born can hear sound and as we know that is how we acquire language, by hearing spoken words. According to Otto (2010), language development begins when language speakers assume that an infant is a participating partner in conversational settings, even though it is months before the child is able to begin using conventional words. In an article written by Dr. Carmelita Lomeo-Smrtic,Ph. D, she wrote that â€Å"Teaching children to become literate members of society is a daunting task, often relegated to the elementary teacher. However, research on teaching children to become literate suggests that this process must begin well before kindergarten. Research suggests that children are primed for learning language in utero. Also from the Otto text, â€Å"research on children’s perception of speech and the development of the auditory system in utero has determined that the fetus can perceive sounds beginning with the 25th week of gestation and at the 35th week a fetus’s hearing acuity is at a level similar to an adult’s(2010). Knowing all of this has prompted mother’s and some father’s to read to their unborn infant and even â€Å"talk† to him/her. Documented research suggests that infants can distinguish their mother’s voice from the voice of others-including other female voices a first few days after birth (Otto,2010). Aspects of Language It has been established that children begin learning at a very early age, even though they do not begin speaking words for many months. Now we will move on to speak about how they learn. There are five aspects or knowledge’s of language. -Phonetic, Semantic, Syntactic, Morphemic, and Pragmatic.

The Environment And Effect On Human Health Environmental Sciences Essay

The Environment And Effect On Human Health Environmental Sciences Essay Polychlorinated Biphenyls are a group of manmade chemicals. They make up a group of two hundred and nine individual chlorinated biphenyl rings, known as congeners. In the concentrated form, PCBs are oily liquids, oily solids, and clear to yellow in color.(EPA, 2012). They have no smell or taste. (EPA, 2012). They are very stable mixtures that are resistant to extreme temperature and pressure. They have a low degree of reactivity. PCBs are not flammable, have high electrical resistance, and are good insulators.(Barbalace, 2002) PCBs were seen as an industrial breakthrough, because of its chemical properties. Before their ban in 1979, Polychlorinated biphenyls entered the environment during their manufacture and us in the United States. The organic chemicals were first manufactured by Monsanto in 1929. Prior to their ban, PCBs were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications, as electrical insulators. Uses for PCBS included transformers, electrical equipment, hydraulic fluids, oil based paint, carbonless carbon paper, compressors, heat transfer systems, pigments, adhesives, liquid cooled electric motors, fluorescent bulbs, cable insulation, plastic, and the list goes on.(EPA, 2012). Domestic uses included cereal boxes and bread wrappers. Because of its role in prevent fires and an explosion, the chemical was required by fire code. PCBs were seen as the ideal insulator for companies and consumers. The qualities that make PCBs wanted by consumers and companies are also the ones that make it hazardous to the environment and human health. PCBs high thermal and chemical resistance means they do not break down easily when exposed to heat or chemical treatments causing it to be hard to get out of the environment. Since they do not break down they remain in the environment and continue to build up. Today, the chemicals can still be released in the environment through spills, leaks, and improper disposal and storage. More than half of the PCBs produced during 1929-1979 have been released into the environment. (Barbalace, 2012). Although PCBs are no longer commercially manufactured or widely used , there are still ways people can be exposed to concentrated Polychlorinated Biphenyls. The most common exposures include through food, surface soils, drinking and ground water, indoor air, and in the workplace. PCBs are an organic pollutant. Companies that used the substance contaminated the environment through its uses and disposals. In 1935, the Monsanto Company purchased the Theodore Swann chemical company and began manufacturing PCBs in the United States. Monsanto continued to produce PCBs at its Anniston plant until 1971.(Lyons, 2004). During its forty years of manufacturing PCBs as an electrical insulator, the Monsanto Company flushed tens of thousands of pounds of PCBs into nearby creeks and buried millions more pounds in a hillside landfill. (Lyons, 2004). The Monsanto Company was sued by thousands of current and former residents of Anniston, who claim the company was aware of the dangers posed by PCBs and actively schemed to hide this information from the nearby public. (Firestone, 2002). In 1966, Monsanto managers discovered fish near the waste sites turned belly side up spurting blood and shredding skin, within ten seconds of the PCBs disposal.(Firestone, 2002). The company hid t heir findings. In 1969, fish were found with 7500 times the legal PCB level.(Grunwald, 2002). Company records reveal the companys decision that there was no reason to go to expensive extremes in limiting discharge form the plant.(Grunwald, 2002). The company was ordered to pay $53 million in cleanup cost and agreed to a global settlement involving current and future cases in Alabama.(Lyons, 2004). There are numerous known contaminated sites around the U.S. Among the most dangerous of these,  is the Hudson River Valley. In 1947-1977, General Electric (GE) began dumping PCB in the river. By the ban in 1979, an estimated 1.3 million pounds of the synthetic chemical had entered the Hudson river. The Hudson River was contaminated with PCB pollution. Twenty years later, officials still have to deal with the environmental effect of PCBs in the bedrocks of the Hudson River. (Mele, 1998). PCBs are now found throughout the Hudson River ecosystem, in in sediment, water, and wildlife. (Mele, 1998). The spread of PCBs throughout the Hudson River and the food chain has created one of the most widespread, hazardous waste problems in the nation.  The EPA ordered the General Electric Company to pay 460 million dollars to dredge the PCBs it had dumped into the Hudson River. (Grunwald, 2002). The Environmental Protection Agency Prevention regulates PCBs through the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The Act bans the use, distribution, manufacture, and processing of PCBs. TSCA gives EPA the authority to develop and enforce regulations concerning the manufacture, use, cleanup, and proper disposal of PCBs. (EPA, 2012). Through the environment, humans came into contact with the chemical. Polychlorinated Biphenyls are linked to numerous health hazard. It has an acute toxic affect. Skin irritations can occur in people exposed to high levels of PCBs. Studies in the workplace suggest that exposure to PCBs may also cause irritation of the nose and lungs. PCBs are a probable human carcinogen. EPA ´s regulations on cancer-causing chemicals use the term `probable ´ when a chemical is known to cause cancer in animals and where there is evidence that suggests that it causes cancer in humans but which is not conclusive. Studies of PCBs in humans have found increased rates of cancer patients that may be connected to the synthetic chemical. PCBs are known to cause a variety of types of cancer in rats, mice, and other study animals. (EPA, 2012) Polychlorinated Biphenyls are linked to developmental effects. Proper development of the nervous system is critical for early learning and can have potentially significant implications for the health of individuals throughout their lifetimes. (EPA, 2012). Women exposed to PCBs before or during pregnancy can give birth to children with significant neurological and motor control problems. These problems include lowered IQ and poor short-term memory. (EPA, 2012). PCBs disrupt hormone function. PCBs with only a few chlorine atoms can mimic the body ´s natural hormones. PCBs are also thought to play a role in reduced sperm number, reformed sex organs, puberty, and altered sex ratios of children. PCBs with more chlorine atoms act like dioxins in altering the metabolism of sex steroids in the body, which change the normal levels of estrogens and testosterone. PCBs also upset the balance of thyroid hormones, which may affect the growth, intellectual, and behavioral development. (EPA, 2012). PCBs are found throughout the environment, and it may be impossible to avoid coming into contact with Polychlorinated Biphenyls. People can try avoiding contact with contaminated soils and sediments. (Wisconsin, 2012). Practice good hygiene habits. Limit their consumption of sport-caught fish. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. Also, if any member of the household works with old electrical equipment be sure the equipment is properly maintained and the area is well ventilated. (Wisconsin, 2012). Polychlorinated Biphenyls are a chemical that will not go away. The Environmental Protection Agency is trying their best to rid the environment of its effects. The characteristics of the synthetic drug cause it to be transported easily and hard to break down. The drug has caused damaged to the environment, and the people around the environment. Polychlorinated Biphenyls will have a lifetime effect on the environment and people. Sources Barbalace, Roberta C. The Chemistry of Polychlorinated Biphenyls.  : PCB, The Manmade Chemicals That Wont Go Away (EnvironmentalChemistry.com). N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2012. . Environmental Protection Agency. Polychlorinated Biphenyls.  EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . Firestone, David. Alabama Jury Says Monsanto Polluted Town.  The New York Times. N.p., 23 Feb. 2002. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . Grunwald, Michael. Monsanto Held Liable For PCB Dumping.  The Washington Post. Raw Food Info, 23 Feb. 2002. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . Lyon, Steve. PCB Pollution in Anniston, Alabama. Reading.  Commonweal. Professor Raquel Pinderhughes. San Francisco State Unversity . Urban Studies and Environmental Programs, 2004. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . Human Health Hazards PCBs and Your Health.  Human Health Hazards PCBs and Your Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . The Hudson River PCB Story A Toxic Heritage. Dir. Andy Mele. W. Alton Jones Foundation, 1998. Short Film.  The Hudson River PCB Story A Toxic Heritage. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. . What Are The Human Health Effects Of PCBs?  What Are The Human Health Effects Of PCBs?  N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2012. .

Childrens Story Puss in Boots :: Child Literature Fairy Tales Puss Boots Essays

Children's Story Puss in Boots A close examination of the tale type 545-b (according to Aarne and Thompson) (1) reveals a well known, almost universal tale of man and animal helper. There are many consistencies between western tradition and Central Asian renditions. Several themes are parallel yet cultural influences vary some of the plot details. The political and social structures of the time in which these stories were told shape these details and lays the background for the story. The most significant difference between western versions and those of Central Asia seems to be which animal plays the role of hero, cat or fox. The story of â€Å"Puss In Boots† is a children’s favorite. It is one of Charles Perrault’s most well known fairy tales. The tale originated from oral tradition in the East. It has undergone many changes over a long time period and a wide geographic area. Today many literary adaptations of this famous story fill classrooms, libraries and children’s bookshelves world-wide. â€Å"Versions with a cat as a protagonist are predominantly found in Western Europe...† (2) However, the historical renditions of the tale as well as many modern adaptations have a fox as the protagonist. It was the arrival of the tale to Southwestern Europe that saw the character change to a feline. According to Marianthi Kaplanoglou, in Central Asian tales, specifically Mongolian, Tibetan, and Alti-Turkish, the animal-helper is a fox. The fox is known in myths and tales from China, Korea, and Japan as a mythical creature. They are often associated with Mangus, a typical demon of Central Asian tales. He or his relatives are able to transform into foxes at any given time. According to tradition, a poor hunter spares the life of a fox, who repays the favor by helping the man. The animal , either fox or cat, introduces the young man as a person of wealth who was robbed by highway men. He captures animals and presents them to the ruler. The fox then arranges for the wedding of the man to the rulers’ daughter. The tale continues with the fox killing the owner of a large fortune. This owner is usually Mangus . In this tale, the fox proves beneficial to the man and therefore becomes an adversary of Mangus. The killing of this supernatural being then becomes a just act rather tha n one of maliciousness. The young man has acquired fortune, married the daughter of a person of great wealth and power.

The Sunflower

Melissa Torres Period: 2 2/9/13 The Sunflower Dear Simon Wiesenthal, After reading The Sunflower and having mixed emotions during this book I made my decision. â€Å"What would I have done? † I would have done the same thing you did. Just walk away from all of it. I believe it would be a tough situation to think about and have a response to right then and there. Like Deborah says in her essay, â€Å"The question to be asked is not should the prisoner have forgiven the SS man but could the prisoner have forgiven him? This is obviously saying that no one has the right to forgive anyone on behalf of another. This request brings up several moral questions like, Is it alright to forgive someone who has done no harm to you? Can a person forgive someone on behalf of others? Can anyone really forgive anyone else, or is forgiveness in the hands of a higher power? The soldier asked you for his forgiveness just because you are a Jew, and in the soldiers mind, all Jews are equal. Even th ough you weren’t burned alive, shot dead, or in any other heinous acts in the concentration camps.How could his forgiveness, had he granted it, put the soldier at rest about the hundreds of Jews he has been a party to the murder of? I think you had no right to forgive the soldier. The soldier didn’t commit a crime against you personally, and for you to forgive him would have been an empty phrase with no meaning. The soldier should have asked for forgiveness between himself and all the Jews he murdered. Sven Alkalaj I like that Sven included in his essay what he went through in Bosnia. I agree with Sven that Simon made a good decision not forgiving the soldier.Just as Sven asks in his essay, â€Å"Who is entitled to speak on behalf of the victims? † Simon didn’t have much of a say just because they didn’t torture him. Just like Sven says, Simon was unsure if his response to the dying soldier was okay. It was hard for Simon to get over his response a nd wanted other peoples opinions on his decision. When the nurse attempts to give Simon some of the soldiers possessions. Simon refuses the package. It obviously shows that he didn’t want to do much with the soldiers. The holocaust was a horrible thing, and the killing of thousands of Jews was not okay. Forgetting the crimes would be worse than forgiving the criminal who seeks forgiveness† It is such a atrocious thing, its hard to forget and Sven said it would be bad to forget everything that happened. The Dalai Lama I don’t agree with Lama. He says â€Å"one should forgive the person or persons who have committed atrocities against oneself and mankind. † I am totally against what he says because forgiving the soldier would mean that Simon is okay with what he did. The soldier didn’t really care if the Jew was tortured or not because he just asked the nurse to find a random Jew.I felt like the soldiers apology was a lie and he just wanted to die in peace. But he doesn’t really deserve it after everything he did. Lama also says â€Å"but that is not the Buddhist way,† Lama’s culture is different and believes that forgiveness is okay. But if Simon was to forgive the soldier, it wouldn’t bring back any of the people he killed. The Jews he killed are piled up dead and accepting his apology isn’t going to change a thing. All the awful things that happened will always be in Simon’s mind. Melissa Torres Period: 6 The SunflowerIn The Sunflower, by Simon Wiesenthal the main character, Simon is put in an awkward situation and doesn’t really know how to deal with it. His development from the beginning of the book to the end of the book is kind of crazy. Towards the end of this book he realizes he made the right decision. Simon just needed a little bit of extra help to decipher if what he did was right. With condoning factors supporting the Nazi in The Sunflower is asking for forgiveness bo th out of guilt and amends, there is no possible way to decipher if he should or should not be forgiven.Simon was asked to go clean at a hospital. When he arrived at the hospital the nurse asked him if he was a Jew. Simon said yes and the nurse took him to the bedside of Karl, a 21-year old dying Nazi soldier. Karl was covered in bandages with openings only for his mouth, nose and ears. Karl wanted to tell Simon his story. Karl talked about his childhood and then the conversation came up to him being a Nazi. Karl admitted to shooting a mother, father and their two kids. Karl felt guilty about the hundred of Jews he killed and he didn’t want to die without coming clean to a Jew.Karl asked for forgiveness, he knew he was asking for too much from Simon but without his answer Karl couldn’t die in peace. Simon left the room without a word. When he returned to the hospital the next day, the same nurse came to Simon and told him that Karl had died. Over the next years of the war, time and time again, through all his suffering, Simon thought of Karl and wondered if he should have forgiven him. Over the years, every time Simon would enter a hospital, see a nurse, or a man covered with his head bandaged, he recalls Karl. Many years later Simon questioned whether he had done the right thing.He asked many people about his actions. A few of these people included Jews, Rabbis, a Catholic Cardinal, Christians and even an ex-Nazi. They all had different opinions and different reason of forgiveness. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Simon said nothing. Simon always wondered if he had done the right thing. As the book was coming to an end, Simon started noticing that he did the right think not forgiving Karl. Forgiving him wouldn’t bring back any of the people he killed. The Jews he killed are piled up dead and accepting his apology isn’t going to change a thing.Karl didn’t commit a crime against Simon pe rsonally, and for Simon to forgive Karl would have been an empty phrase with no meaning. Karl should have asked for forgiveness between himself and all the Jews he murdered. The main character’s development throughout the book showed that at first Simon wasn’t confident with his decision and always had the situation on the back of his mind. But towards the end of the book, Simon notices he did make the right decision to just get up, walk away without saying a word. Simon basically needed other peoples opinions to see that he had done the right thing.

Organizations that fail to plan are planning to fail Essay

Currently, the numerous organizations pour huge sums of capitals into competitive market in order to get a larger market share and seek more financial profits. Some of them are success, while others are eliminated with a huge financial loss by the fierce competition. However, the main reason why those companies failed is nothing but not having an all-round strategic planning. This essay will discuss that a company with an all-round planning in terms of external and internal environment of the business will help businesses achieve company’s objectives and survive from the intensive competition of the capital market. Planning for internal environment mainly based on company’s weakness and strength can increase the working efficiency and coordination for the purpose of reducing in the operation cost associated with production mistakes, while planning for the external in terms of company’s threats and opportunities can help the business effectively analyze local mark et and expand company in order to gain more financial benefits. It is undeniable that a formal planning for a company makes contributions to achieving organization’s objective under the assumption of unchanged and predictable environment (Robbins et al. 2012 p.87). However, it is commonly believed that the capital market is changeable and unpredictable (Kumar 2011, p.18). As a result, a well-constructed plan might not be able to fit in every circumstance of business. Some negative discussions on a formal planning have been issued recently (Robbins 2012, p.87). Firstly, a formal planning may create some rigidity to the working environment that makes management lack flexibility and selectivity, which leads managers to be simply tied on a specific course of action (Robbins 2012, p.87). Secondly, a formal planning may restrict staff’s creativity and intuition. As a company needs someone’s creativity and innovation to be improved, the result of formal planning may reduce the vision to an inflexible company routine, which will be a receipt of disaster (Robbins 2012, p.87). Thirdly, planning may limit managers’ strategic vision. There is a tendency that a planning especially for the strategic performance of business only focuses on how to maximize organization financial benefits in the capital market. As a result, the managers may simply focus on the field the company currently has, rather than re-creation or reinvention in aims of company expansion in the future (Robbins 2012,  p.87). Fourthly, a formal planning can enhance success that maybe a receipt of failure. According to Robins (2012, p.87), managers may follow some precedential business cases that succeed before. Thereby, it is hard and unwilling for them to discard the successful experience of precedents when make a plan for the company. However, this plan may keep managers from doing things in a new way that would be even more successful because successful experience cannot work in every company environment, especially in current uncertain and changeable capital market (Robbins 2012, p.87). However, for the business long-term success, the importance of strategic planning in terms of internal for a business is incredibly meaningful (Topfer 2011, para.1). Firstly, an internally focused planning can provide an internal analysis of organization that considers internal weakness of company (Ingram 2014, para.3). Through an internal management planning, managers of a company can immediately identify the lack of company’s abilities and resources and then analyze the weaknesses may exist in the future development at the first beginning of a company’s operation, such as the staff skill limitation, the limitation of its product design or the shortage of technical and financial support (Flott 1997, pp.42-3). Thus, remedial measures, such as employing higher educated employees or improvement of manufactory equipment, can be timely acted. Consequently, financial loss or resources shortage can be effectively avoided during the operation (Flott 1997, p.43). Secondly, an internally focused planning plays an effective role in helping managers identify company strengths as well (Robbins et al. 2012, p.90). Analyzing company strengths by finding out any unique resource or any performance the business does better than other companies, managers are able to discover some competitive advantages (Ingram 2012, para.5). For instance, the world largest mobile company, Apple, they know that they have abundant financial strengths, thus they fully take financial advantages by making considerable investment over $160 million annually in the area of innovation and design of products (Clark 2014, para.1). As a result, Apple attracts millions of loyal customers around the world and makes them willing to purchase the products constantly because of the highest quality and best performance of products (Clark 2014, para.2). Thirdly, internal planning helps managers do some internal adjustment for increasing working efficiency. For instance, by thoroughly analyzing staff working capabilities  in terms of education level, work experience and overall competence, managers can optimize the utilization of human resources. Effectively deploying different human resources into different working departments, where is suitable for each employee, can maximize their strengths in order to achieve higher work efficiency and coordination (Loton 2007, p.373). As a result, the errors of production and wastage that caused by staff’s working against during the operation can be substantially avoided and declined. In other words that the operation cost can be reduced and keep company moving effectively towards its objective (Robbins et al. 2012, p.86). Fourthly, it is also helpful for managers to determine whether the operation of organization is on the right track and check how far they have drifted away from the original objective by an internal planning (Topfer 2011, para.4). Internal planning is a reference point t hat can allow managers to return to any point of operation once the mistakes happened (Topfer 2011, para.3). The functions of a strategic planning which externally focused are critical for company’s success as well. An external planning can provide an analysis that examines the threats and opportunities of company that independently exists in the external environment (Olsen 2010, para.10). According to Olsen (2010, para.10), the threats are obstacles that prevent organization from achieving its objectives and have negative effects on future development in terms of external; while the opportunities refer to a positive condition in the external environment that will produce constructive contributions on organization’s success. Through analyzing company’s threats when makes an externally focused plan, managers are able to clearly identify, for instance, what the supply and cost of labor is in the location where operates and whether the labor cost will significantly affect the profit of products (Robbins et al. 2012, p.87). A remarkable example of this is Apple Company. Apple has currently occupied the market of mobile phone over 60%, so a large amount of labor force is required during the production (Worstall 2013, para.2). In order to have a lower labor cost, the production planning center of Apple decided that settled the factories into Asian countries because Asia have a relatively lower labor cost and plenty of labor supply (Worstall 2013, para.1). A latest statistical data has been carried out that Apple has to pay more $4.2 billion to the production staff if Apple manufactures iPhone in the US rather than in Asia (Worstall 2013, para.1).  So, it is obvious that a company analyzing its external condition when makes an external plan is crucial to its objectives in terms of financial benefits. Furthermore, having an external plan is helpful for managers to find out the company’s opportunities, such as a market gap that no organization is currently serving, a new field that can be stepped in for the purpose of exploring market to seek more financial return and developmental opportunities (Ingram 2012, paras 6-7). After analyze external environment of company, managers can timely know what pro ducts can affect market share and what changes are in consumers favor that may increase the sale of products (Ingram 2012, para.6). As a result, effective adjustments in terms of improvement and innovation of products and can be carried out in order to remain company’s long-term competiveness in the market and meet the customers’ demand immediately (Ingram 2012, para.6). Hence, the sales of product can be increased and more financial profits can be brought out. In conclusion, although having a formal planning may bring some negative effects on company’s success, a well-constructed strategic plan in terms of internally focused and externally focused makes contribution to its financial profit and surviving from the market competition. To an internal plan, combining company’s industry status with its strength, it can help company enhance its market position and do some positive adjustment in order to get a higher working efficiency and coordination, while identifying company’s weakness, such as scarcity of resources, some remedial measures can be acted in advance in order to avoid financial loss in the further development. To an external plan, analyzing company’s opportunities can help business explore new market in order to reach developmental potential. At the same time, an external plan can provide an external analysis that assist managers with identifying company’s threats, such as labor cost and supply. According to Apple’s example, choosing a most beneficial manufactory location not only can have a sufficient labor supply but also save plenty of labor cost. Overall, adhering a strategic plan both internally and externally for a company is constructive and meaningful in its long-term success. Reference List Flott, LW 1997, ‘Quality Control: Corporate Planning’, Elsevier Science, July, pp.42-5. Ingram, D 2014, ‘Internal & External Strategic Plan Development’, Chron, viewed 21 April 2014, . Kumar, B 2011, Capital Market, Anurag Jain, New Delhi, India. Loton, C 2007, ‘Using good business planning to ensure good governance’, Keep Good Companies, July, pp.372-5. Olsen, E 2010, ‘Internal & External Analysis’, OnStrategy, 5 April, viewed 1 May 2014, . Robbins, S, DeCenzo, D, Coulter, M & Woods, M 2012, Management: The Essentials, 1st edn, Pearson, Australia. Topfer, S 2011, ‘The Importance of Business Planning’, NASDAQ, 25 February, viewed 20 April 2014, . Worstall, T 2013, ‘If Apple Brought iPhone Manufacturing To The US It Would Cost Them $4.2 billion’, Forbes, 25 September, viewed 2 May 2014, .

Our Earth Essay

Our earth is made up 78 percent of water, and rest of it is land. Because of this, there is ample number of living organisms in land as well as water. It has plains, plateaus, mountains, valleys, deserts, forests, grasslands, oceans, seas, rivers, lakes etc. As there are various kinds of regions on earth, every region has its own kind of wild life as well as plant life. Earth has undergone a gradual change in its environment through its years of evolution. Our earth and its diverse environment: Plateaus, plains and valleys Plateaus: A plateau is a large highland area of fairly level land separated from surrounding land by steep slopes. Some plateaus, like the plateau of Tibet, lie between mountain ranges. Others are higher than surrounding land. Plateaus are widespread, and together with enclosed basins they cover about 45 percent of the Earth’s land surface. Plains: plains are broad, nearly level stretches of land that have no great changes in elevation. Plains are generally lower than the land around them; they may be found along a coast or inland. Coastal plains generally rise from sea level until they meet higher landforms such as mountains or plateaus. Inland plains may be found at high altitudes. Valleys: A valley is a hollow or surface depression of the earth bounded by hills or mountains, a natural trough in the earth’s surface, that slopes down to a stream, lake or the ocean, formed by water and/or ice erosion. Systems of valleys extend through plains, hills, and mountains. Rivers and streams flowing through valleys drain interior land regions to the ocean. At the bottom of many valleys is fertile soil, which makes excellent farmland. Most valleys on dry land are formed by running water of streams and rivers.

Security in the age of globlisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Security in the age of globlisation - Essay Example fight’ of realist, liberal and constructionist research programmes, the latter had been discussed with major focus on its social and economic processes. Since globalization is a spatial progress, it does not accommodate the principles of interdependence. Globalization materializes the circulation and interpenetration of people and ideas along with its material exchanges across cultures. The private and public spheres merge and collide in such an environment. Unlike in the case of economic and social aspects of globalization, the effects of security are harder to conceptualize and measure. It has to be analyzed and comprehended in contrast with the Cold War effects on security. The agency and scope of threat in the globalized world has grown out of all expectations that terms like global violence and human security has become common parlance. The security constituencies are defined at every level from the global to the regional to the individual. While the security providers remain nationally defined, the dimensions of threat in the international sphere have grown much beyond its aegis. However the scope of security is also widened in the age of globalization, since the post Cold War security precepts expand beyond national constrictions. The issues that are brought under such expanded security comprise diseases, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, bio-diversity loss and radioactive contamination. The ‘skill revolution’ among prospective terrorists has begun to pose a great threat as well. On a general societal level, despite the changing norms of security, globalization has made people both more aware and less decisive about intervent ion in ethnic conflicts. Non-Physical Security is the novel concept that had originated from globalization. When the existing security concepts are expanded to protection of information and technology assets, it gains a non-physical status. This includes greater information technology and smartness of weapons. Selling

This assignment is for a book review, not simply a book report. You Essay

This assignment is for a book review, not simply a book report. You will be expected to analyze and critique the book in additi - Essay Example Because of its stark telling of events, and its refusal to shy away from the darker moments of American history, the book Coming of Age in Mississippi should be required reading for anybody who wants to really understand what it was like for America to arrive at a time when people are more or less treated equally. The book is organized into four different sections, each one of which tells about a different time in Moody's life. There is one for her childhood, one for high school, one for when she was in college, and the last section is about her time in the civil rights movement trying to get the vote and other rights for African-Americans. Moody's childhood was not exactly happy, as her mother was poor and her abusive father left them. She had to work from an early age after school just so her family could afford food. In high school, things do not get much better as one of the boys she knows is killed by the Klu Klux Klan and she has to continue working, often for white people who do not treat her much better than they would treat a slave. Because of all this harsh treatment in her youth, Moody shows that she started to get way too interested in things like the KKK and lynchings and racial inequality. Many of her friends and family did not like this in her and that made things even more stressful. Moody was able to get a scholarship to play basketball in college and so is able to get a good higher education. It is during her college years that she decides to join the NAACP, which only makes her relationship with her family worse. This is because she and her family all start to receive threats from the various white people they know. The last part of the book is kind of redeeming and depressing at the same time. Moody joins the civil rights movement and goes to rural parts of the south to try and convince African-Americans to register to vote so they can get treated equally. Interestingly even here Moody is seen as sometimes too serious, and she does not neces sarily get along all the time with the other people in the movement. The end of the book is the most depressing part. Moody is on a bus going to Washington with a bunch of other activists and while they sing about how they shall eventually overcome oppression, she does not join in. She thinks of the violence and hatred in the south, and wonders if it will ever be over and if the movement will ever really have succeeded at what it set out to do by trying to get equality. The book Coming of Age in Mississippi, despite its depressing ending and much of the distressing events in it, really moved me as a person. I think of all the violence that African-Americans had to endure here in America, and it makes me mad. It’s especially disturbing to me since I am from middle-class white Texas and have also lived in Mississippi. While I would like to think my neighbors would not be the same as the people in the book if they had lived in the time period Moody writes about it is impossible to know for sure. I’m sure that some African-Americans who live in the south today are still treated unequally, although I hope not to the same degree as in the book. Although I do think the book does a good job of showing the darker side of events, I feel like there is not really very much about the good things. I think it would have been