Women In Science Essay

I have only had two significant experiences with science, the Energy Academy and Physics class. Both experiences have changed my point of view in science forever. One encouraged it while the other made me utterly afraid of it. Both of them with the same teacher but with two different outcomes. I have also have encountered science at the California Science Center in Los Angles. First will talk about my experience with science with Academy.Before I joined Academy never even thought about joining the field of science and genealogy, but as I learned more about science and technology began to find it very interesting. We visited and talked to professionals in the field of energy science and I could not help but like it a lot. Think Independence high school has made a great decision about creating the Academy program, because now know that am interested in this field of science. I loved how Mrs.. Wolf was dedicated to the Academy and how she made sure that every student would succeed.I bel ieve that every student in the Energy Academy ins a lot of knowledge about science and technology. My second experience was with my sophomore year Physics class. I dreaded that class, because I rarely understood what was happening. I would go to class understand what she taught, but when a test came would not understand a single problem. Still got a good grade in the class, but struggled a lot, so decided never want to go in to a job that uses physics. It was not my teacher's fault that I did not understand the subject, I just did not comprehend it at all.When I was a kid my school went to go visit the California Science Center, at the time lived in San Fernando Valley. I went to a magnet school with peers that were under privileged, including me as well. None of us have gone to places like the Science Center, and when we saw it we all thought it was the most magical place ever. The most memorable exhibit was the giant imitation human and side kick cartoon that talked about human or gans. I thought it was the most amazing thing ever, and the thing that interested me he most was that how every single part of the body needed each other to survive.The imitation and cartoon made me realize how was interested in the field of science, and as I grew up I became interested in the field of psychology. It is funny to think that I have based my entire future career based on what a giant imitation human and cartoon taught me about the human body when I was in the first grade, but still think that because of them.

India China compare and contrast Essay

Hinduism and Buddhism were two very different religions that arose on the subcontinent of India. They were the building blocks of the most populated country in the world and still have lasting impacts today. India’s Hindu and Buddhist roots play a major role in their actions today as a world super power. By extension, Hinduism and Buddhism played very different but equally vital roles in the beginnings of India’s modern societal and cultural values. The influences on society of Hinduism and Buddhism differed in Hinduism’s implementation of a strict rigid caste system and the Buddhist idea of having a single leader that influenced the people (a Bodhisattva), while they were similar in both giving the people who followed them a goal in life because both religions promoted right living to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Hinduism and Buddhism differed in the societal impact of caste implementation; the Hindus strongly forced this stratified class system while the Buddhists discouraged it. This is one of the largest differences between these two religions and played a major role in the history of India. In India, before the life of Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), the caste system was a way of life. Its strict and rigid implementation into the daily lives of all changed the society through such varying social classes. The caste system divided people into very strict social classes, and relationships/intermarriage between castes was not allowed. This meant that the classes in India stayed the same, and moving up or down in caste was impossible. When Buddhism was introduced, the Buddha believed the caste system was not needed for enlightenment and as his followers accumulated, the impact of the caste system dimished, allowing for the eventual banning of it altogether. Both of these religions’ beliefs pertaining to caste regulation and social stratification forever changed the ideals of India and continue to today. Hinduism and Buddhism also differed in the existence of a single leader; the Hindus had none, while the Buddhists followed the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. This difference impacted society because before the rise of Buddhism, the Hindus had no specific origin or leader to follow. When the Buddha began his teachings, the society of India experienced a monumental shift as many of the people previously lacking a leader had someone to follow. This began the transition  to Buddhism as well as instigated other social impacts like the weakening of the previously absolute caste system and majority Hindu following in India. The Buddha’s teachings and ideas were described in the allegorical novel, Siddhartha, which shows in part the Buddha’s following, his rise in fame, and journey to enlightenment through life. The foll owers and fame of the Buddha gradually changed the values and beliefs of Indian society as nothing in several thousand years of Hindu dominance had. As a result, this changed Indian society in ways that we continue to see to this day. However, Hinduism and Buddhism were similar in giving their followers a goal (enlightenment) in life; Hinduism and Buddhism’s followers both strive to achieve enlightenment or nirvana: through Moksha, Karma, and Dharma, or through the eight-fold path. Either way, Indians have a goal in life, something with lasting impacts on societal values and the way of life of many Indians. Siddhartha, written as an allegory, displays this perfectly. The protagonist strives for enlightenment in life in the same way the followers of this religion do. As a result, this religion changes the society of India through living consciously to ones Dharma and practicing all aspects of the eight-fold path. Instead of living life hopelessly, like the early Mesopotamians who had nothing to hope for after life on earth, Indians strive for the betterment of society through first bettering themselves and altering the soci ety as a whole.

The Unique Aspects of Bristol University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Unique Aspects of Bristol University - Essay Example A prerequisite to attend a business school with a programme as rigorous as Bristol’s is to be driven and motivated at an early age. Since my early teenage years, my uncle Marmon Aspadi, a graduate of the Bristol University, has encouraged me to apply. He must have seen in me the attributes necessary to succeed at the university. Through my study of A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, I am extremely competent in the fields of mathematics and statistics, which are the core theoretical frameworks of an economics degree. Being an Indian citizen who has resided in the Middle East my entire life and witnessed firsthand the boom and bust of my hometown Dubai, my personal and academic backgrounds would be instrumental in contributing to the school’s immense cultural diversity. Furthermore, my living experiences abroad have only strengthened my understanding of the interconnectedness of the global economy and the role it plays in businesses throughout the world. Bristol provides the human landscape of internationalism that offers multidimensional perspectives needed to understand global trends and local realities. I believe that my broad international perspective would contribute to this environment. My interest in the field of business is genuinely innate and extremely strong. I concurrently believe in the importance of a well-rounded education. Bristol would provide the opportunity to challenge me through the interdisciplinary study offered at the College of Arts & Sciences. A dual degree across the two undergraduate schools is certainly what I would want to achieve if admitted to Bristol.  Ã‚  

Analyze both stories. Is the author's suggestions a good solution to Essay

Analyze both stories. Is the author's suggestions a good solution to solving a problem - Essay Example On the other hand, the Houyhnhnms see themselves as superior to the Yahoos because they are more rational, thus giving the former the right to have power over the latter’s life and death (Lemke, Martin, Fuentes, and Swift 47). Justifying Infanticide depicts how Singer sees himself as a rational Houyhnhnm who should have a power to decide over the life and death of those considered non-humans, or those who are not yet humans. However, Swift’s aim is to make people realize that humans are indeed Yahoos with pure genetic composition and the propensity towards sensual pleasures, but are also Houyhnhnms with rational thinking and the propensity towards oversimplifications and ideas. In Justifying Infanticide, Singer separated these two --- intelligence and incarnation --- by referring to newborns not as persons, but merely pain-receptors having no psychological association to its future personhood (33). Therefore, if one follows this line of reasoning, newborns are Yahoos wh ose life and death are under the decision of the superior Houyhnhnms. A Modest Proposal is entirely different since it is a satirical exaggeration that states selling the children as food to rich people may alleviate the poor parents’ economic situation (Swift 13). Justifying Infanticide Justifying Infanticide has a utilitarian root that reinforces the concept of â€Å"doing the greatest good for the greatest number.† It says that a deed is made moral if the end justifies the means. In line with this thought, Singer theorizes that eliminating a certain percentage of the population is acceptable if justified by the situation or the result it offers (34-5). According to the utilitarian point of view, objections from people who perceive that killing a person is morally incorrect are mostly based on emotions. Utilitarianism asserts the belief that reason should be the main basis of ethics, so it means that infanticide can be justified by reason in some cases, thus be deeme d ethical (Sloane 47-8). For a clearer definition of terms, infanticide is the intentional killing of an infant for reasons ranging from partiality to a specific gender to control of population (Vehmas 38). Utilitarian Peter Singer provides the most controversial defense of infanticide. For example, Singer states that the costs to families and societies and the quality of life in caring for children with specific disabilities entail more effort but provides less positive results (35). This may be a controversial stance, but on a realistic viewpoint, the child will live a life that is considered unhappy or unwanted by most people. This is one case where infanticide is considered humane (Sloane 48). One great difficulty, however, is in deciding when this is justifiable because there is always the argument that no one can really say when a certain life is undesirable other than that very person. However, one strong defense of infanticide in the utilitarian standpoint is the argument ag ainst the suffering infant whose medical case is beyond the scientific capacity to cure (Vehmas 39). For Singer, it is more altruistic to allow parents to choose to end their and their child’s suffering through euthanasia (36). A Modest Proposal The lack of compassion towards the poverty-stricken citizens is the target of Swift’

Charismatic behavior leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Charismatic behavior leadership - Essay Example In regard to communication, charismatic leaders need more than just the distribution of information in order to communicate effectively. Therefore, to be effective, emotional appeals in their rhetoric are often incorporated, this includes use of symbols, metaphoric and dramatic language hence lending credibility to communication. Moreover, when charismatics communicate with inspiration, passion, motivation and emotion, followers are expected to attribute charisma. Additionally, charismatic leaders are renowned for passionate exciting public oratory thus, making the audience full of excitement. Therefore, the charismatic behaviours in this context lead to a self-serving style, since this leaders seek to appeal themselves to the people (Levay, 2010). Moreover, founding a trust connection with followers is so vital for charismatic leaders. Further integrity is created by signifying consistency and honesty among said personal actions and actions. In order to constantly adhere to a morals base, values and needs of followers must be understood by charismatic leaders. Therefore, by trying to gain trust, the charismatic leaders are trying to lead a self-serving style where their main aim is to create a positive impression of themselves, among those that they lead. However, followers do not regard charisma to be founded on visions, but they regard visionary attributes of charisma to be existing in a leader who customizes the vision with persistent resolve. Thus, it is the follower’s internalization on visions that direct them to regard charisma to a leader (Conger, Kanungo, & Menon, 2000). There are two types of charismatic leaders, the positive charismatic leaders and the negative charismatic leaders. The personality and values of a charismatic leader will provide evidence on whether a leader is viewed negatively or

PESTEL analysis for Embraer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PESTEL analysis for Embraer - Case Study Example PESTEL is an acronym for the Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors that contribute to the growth or decline of an organization. Embraer is the quintessential example of the success of neoliberal privatization of a government company. The political and social factors, to some extent, contributed to the growth of this company. The political environment of Brazil, despite being poor, has had little to no effect to Embraer. The privatization in 1994 excluded the government from the running of the company (Rothaermel, 2012). Similarly, the socio-cultural factors have had minimal contribution because this company does not focus on people. The company focuses on the building and selling of aircraft, which are bought by corporations and not bought by ordinary people. On the other hand, the economical and technological factors have contributed significantly to the prosperity of Embraer. Being based in Brazil, the company was at a unique position to benefit from the economic growth of the country (Rothaermel, 2012). Brazil is a world economic giant, ranked seventh, and is considered as the fastest growing economy in the world. Furthermore, the country is the largest economy in Latin America. This growth in Brazil’s economy has led to fertile economic environment for Embraer’s growth. There is availability of development capital in the country that led to the growth of the company. The government is a significant shareholder in the company giving it vast economic resources for gain. The Brazilian government was very instrumental in the present success of Embraer. After its inception, the Brazilian government gave the company license production contracts for the production of local aircraft. This contract was the catalyst for future growth because the company already had an available market (Rothaermel, 2012). The economical factors have had significant

Chapter 6 Duval l& Hays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter 6 Duval l& Hays - Essay Example One cannot simply use the literary context of reading the ingredients written on a tuna-can and apply it to understanding Bible. The game of genre determines the meaning. There are many passages and verses that are frequently misinterpreted by ignoring the immediate context. For instance, Jesus has said in the Bible that he is vine (John 15:5). This is probably the prime example of what conferring to immediate context means. If this statement is considered without immediate context it can be misinterpreted that probably Jesus was calling himself a plant, which is not the case. Topical preaching is valid when the passage is not misunderstood regarding the context or when the passage is coherent with the context (Duvall & Hays, 2009). Usually what happens is topical preaching disregards the literary context and that gives the chance to the listener or the reader to misinterpret the message. For this reason the expository preaching is considered a better alternative to topical preaching (Duvall & Hays, 2009). It topical preacher has more chances of getting it wrong by misinterpreting when the correct when they connect their first thought stemming from Johns preaching with some random fourth thought relevant to

Corprate risk managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corprate risk managment - Essay Example Risks can be beneficial if properly managed (Merkhofer, 1987). Fate favors the bold; those who dare to dream and take calculated risks. Without risks, there are no rewards. Every decision in an enterprise is based on risks. The decision to manufacture more goods in anticipation of a sales pitch is a risk, so is the decision to stock particular goods. There is no guarantee that there would-be customers or that the speculative effort will be rewarded, yet enterprises do take these risks and are rewarded for the same. Risk management is an integral part of doing business in any organization. It can be implemented at both the strategic and operational levels of the business. This necessitates the cultivation of a risk culture. There is no universally accepted risk culture or practices; this may be because different industries face different risks (Focardi and Jonas, 1998). Even if the organizations are in the same industry each organization faces their own unique risks, which will need a unique way of managing. However, the basic risk culture activities include scenario analysis; economic capital modeling and risk control self-assessments. Scenario analysis is the determination of the particular context within which the risk occurs; economic capital modeling involves making financial projections based on certain risk management decisions while risk control self-assessment involves the monitoring of the risks with the view of establishing whether the decision is still viable. The various types of risks include hazard risks, financial risks, operational risks and strategic risks. The paper will examine the decisions that a management can make when faced with a risk (Bouham, 2008). a) Key Risk Management Decisions Risk management is a cost-benefit analysis strategy (Kropp and Schoffran, 2007). Most of the risks usually externally originate threats. According to the SWOT analysis model, any factors that are internal and positives are the strengths of that organization, if they are internal and negative, then they are the weaknesses of that organization, if the factors are external and positive, they are considered to be opportunities that the organization can explore to its benefit while if they are external and negative, they are the threats to the company, and these are the factors that pose as risks to the organization. The costs of decisions to be made are juxtaposed against the benefits expected and the relevant actions can then be taken (Gabardi and Tichy, 2013). There are generally five key risk management decisions. These decisions depend on their impact and probability of happening. The first management decision may be to totally avoid taking the risks. This means that the organization drops the activity that has the probability of that risk arising; it infers total exit, for instance, if it is manufacturing company, then it stops manufacturing and winds up the business. The second decision is risk reduction. This involves making strateg ic decisions that will reduce the likelihood and or magnitude of the risk. The third decision may be to take alternative action by considering other viable options that minimize the risk. The fourth decision is to share the risk by taking insurance cover. Most companies prefer this decision, but it does not work in certain situations. The last decision may be to accept the risk when it occurs and enjoys all its benefits and incur all its

Fostering citizen Information Literacy Essay Example for Free

Fostering citizen Information Literacy Essay For social and economic developments in a country there has to be a good information system (IFLA 2003). For an empowered nation all the citizens should have an easy access to information most especially the developing nations. This will make the citizens make decisions easily hence develop the country. Libraries should be well equipped and structured with programs that will enhance information flow amongst the citizens (Chagari 2005). Libraries should therefore be used to transform nations by providing for their information needs. Information literacy is the process by which information can be extracted from various sources, analyzed and used correctly for decision making. This is the main mission to be achieved in the information age (Australian Library and Information Association 2001). Current information literacy is a necessity in the societies. Opportunities are availed in the modern societies whether cultural or educational requires citizens to be information literate (Drotner 2005). Information literacy will be a motivation factor to many people to acquire knowledge in pursuing their studies through out their lives hence personal empowerment (Chagari 2005). Fostering citizen Information Literacy According to Chagari (2005), public libraries have played a very important role in fostering information literacy amongst the citizens. Public libraries have actively engaged in giving information based services to citizens that have no access to the required information. All the disadvantaged groups or individuals have been identified and everyone including the sick, disabled, unemployed or low income earners has access to information without discrimination. Public libraries have helped in nurturing information literacy in many ways. These included through instructing the users. Tutorials have been made to help train the library users on how to access the required information and use it. There are printed materials in many public libraries to guide the users on how to access the required information (Chagari 2005). These handouts enhance learning and usage of such facilities. Librarians can also provide reference materials to the library users. The librarians may identify certain area and show the learners how to carryout a research in that area thereby lessening their work. The areas chosen may be on specific research areas for example; The users may be showed how to use references available in written materials, how to access online materials using online interactive models. For instance the virtual reference desks connected to internet. Interactive databases can be used to help in decision making. All these methods will enhance learning as a result of improved access to information (Chagari 2005). Public libraries have promoted collaborations amongst various library users and researchers. Through the public library usage, a teacher learner partnership is most likely to be formed. Librarians have to interact with other researchers based on different fields to get the relevant information about the information they have. Through this collaboration information literacy is enhanced (Chagari 2005). Both governmental and non governmental organizations have partnered to help gather information about a particular problem or issue in the organization. This has also been observed through local associates and writers dealing with literature. Promotions and marketing have been done by the public libraries to create awareness amongst the citizens about information literacy. This is to ensure that the citizens’ requirements are met. To ensure every citizen is aware of such services, public libraries have used electronic, printed and vocal communication means to create awareness. Internet, newspapers and televisions have been used to help disseminate such information. Information literacy awareness has been popularized in many countries hence an awareness to the citizens (Chagari 2005). There have been posters or bill boards to help distribute materials about information literacy, training programs, talks, exhibitions and meetings. All these are aimed at creating awareness to the public to encourage citizens to take part in information literacy programs. There has online library sites created to allow for online access of the library information. It may at times require face to face meetings to negotiate on the legal requirements between the local and governmental organizations. Public libraries have made it possible to allow for the arrangement of materials depending on events hence to attract people (Libraries for lifelong Literacy 2004). Revenues have been collected from such services. The revenue collected can be used in developing the systems to be more efficient to the users (Chagari 2005). Suggestions have been made to help support certain groups for instance the women groups to make them computer literate (Kargbo 2004). Public libraries have suggested for both public and private bodies to support adult trainings on areas such as sanitation, nutrition, health, consumer rights, management of food, water, income amongst others (Chagari 2005). These are areas that require public interests to develop a country hence a way to involve many citizens. Such training promotes empowerment hence citizenship. Public libraries have come up with the youth training programs. The libraries provide for the youths needs and hence empower them to meet their goals. Information literacy institutions have been established. There have been associations formed between colleges and research libraries to help develop library attendants. This ensures that the librarians can assess well and ensure improvements in the information literacy programmes available (Chagari 2005). Most undergraduate programs have been advanced to include the information literacy programs. To nurture information literacy amongst citizens, there has to be public libraries in the countries. Through the libraries citizens will get access to information easily and also embrace the new technology of acquiring skills. Government should ensure a global access to information and communication materials or devices (Lough 2002). The only way that societies can ensure active participations in cultural, social, political and economic development is through the digital divide (Bennett 2001). Technology is very fundamental for citizenship in the modern society (BECTA b 2001). There has been an increased use of technology amongst the societies (Home Office 2001b). Computer usage has been introduced in most homes, schools, offices and hence an increased access to information (Home Office 2001a). Countries have introduced computers in their libraries. This is in order to provide equal access to information and enhance digital information access (Serbia 2004). Digital information access in the public libraries will promote information literacy and at the same time provide an extended learning opportunity to the citizens. IFLA as the international body that represents the interests of library users and information service providers requires an equal access to information amongst the citizens. According to Serbia (2004), there are policies and rules that have been formed to ensure standards in public libraries. The standards are based on services as follows; purposes and roles, financial and legal structures, customer or user satisfaction, development strategies, attendants’ qualifications and the management and marketing. All public libraries have to meet quality services based. All public libraries have to have their mission stated somewhere to show the citizens the services they provide. These may include free access to information communication technology to all irrespective of the age to foster and support information literacy. There has been emphasis from governments worldwide on corporate responsibility in developing our nations. A publication has been made on information literacy to promote citizenship empowerment by the UNESCO (Correia 2002). The document was aimed at assessing the policies that govern literature study and to give a way forward to ensure information literacy programmes are implemented in all countries worldwide. In developing countries there is a lot of information available to the citizens. This mass information requires a lot of management to make more useful to the citizens. Librarians have been trained and employed to aid the public library users in accessing such information efficiently (Qvortrup 2007). To promote information literacy, citizens are therefore required to have the basic knowledge to find the required information and use it appropriately on their own. Public libraries have transformed societies in many ways. This is because the libraries have broadened their roles in the societies not only to benefit everyone but also to empower citizens through equitable access to information (Konera 2008; Stipanov 2005; Howley 2004). According to Collection Development Policy (2003), for public libraries to foster information literacy for the well being of the citizens there has to high standards of integrity and services adopted. The librarians should learn how to interact well with the information systems and at the same time how to take good care of the citizens as learners. The librarians should foster intellectual freedom to facilitate information flow and decision making. The librarians should also respect intellectual property hence exercise their power or responsibility on their duty. Clients rights should always be protected giving them access to the required information always. The librarians should be sensitive to the citizens’ requirements or suggestions to ensure all their needs are catered for adequately. Supporting Citizen Information Literacy Public libraries have supported information literacy in many ways. Public libraries use computer systems to store records of information available in the libraries. According to Chagari (2005), computer and networking devices have facilitated learning during the programs organized for information literacy. Through multimedia materials the learners’ participation was enhanced. Coaxial cables have popularized in many countries hence used in many libraries to reach many users through networking. Networking is very cost effective especially when used to access people that are geographically away from each other. Through using the coaxial cables both rural and urban residents can be reached. Information access can also be achieved any where provided you are within the network. The training programs can be video taped and telecasted to targeted groups anywhere within the country (Chagari 2005). With both entertainment and educational opportunities provided by the computerized programs citizens can be easily attracted and motivated to acquire the required information. Mass media communication has been used to broadcast the information literacy programs. Radios, televisions and newspapers can be easily accessed by the majority in many countries. These can be used as tools to sensitize people on the need for information literacy. Librarians have dealt with the context based programs to help them identify the areas of importance to most users for instance political, social, cultural and economic. This was based on the fact that to optimize participation from the citizens their areas of interest must be tackled (Chagari 2005). This encourages citizens to strive for the best in life. The librarians are therefore supposed to ensure every citizen is aware of such services. According to Serbia (2004), communities are different depending with the nation. The requirements of such communities will be different depending on their cultural and social differences. Structures and systems to be devised in the public libraries will therefore be different (BECTA b 2001). Each public library in each country should therefore have their own vision and mission to state their service objectives. The mission statement will help address the individual needs of the public library users. This will also show the technology to be put in place. Opinion on Public Library Preparedness for fostering and supporting citizen information Literacy According to UNESCO public library manifesto (1994), public libraries had their mission since 1994 (Forsyth 2005). Amongst their missions was to ensure equal and reliable access to information for all citizens. It follows that public libraries started emphasizing on information literacy from that time. Institutions were formed to facilitate information literacy. Public libraries came up with policies to ensure its services are free of charge and available to every citizen. Public libraries opted for a nation wide network to facilitate researches and information sharing globally (Hancock 2004). All these were to be funded and hence implemented in all libraries. In this sense, I think public libraries were prepared to ensure equal access to information by citizens. Public libraries have developed programs to help attract, train and develop different members of the societies (Chagari 2005). I think this is a sign of preparedness and they still want to involve more and more. Public libraries have trained their staff to facilitate their ability to train the library users, manage the information in the libraries and collaborate with other people to ensure learning. There is increased level of management in many libraries. Information access has been enhanced for instance the librarians have arranged the information depending on the events or certain topics and authors for easy access. In my own opinion, public libraries have been well prepared to nurture and support information literacy in societies. This is because other than the traditional information sources, libraries have embarked on technology use allowing the citizens to get access to information from various sources. This ensures increased availability of information to the citizens. Public libraries have availed information in video or disc tapes, portable disks. Information has also been simulated and recorded to help in demonstrations where human beings are likely to be exposed to high risks (Chagari 2005). According to John (2002), a library should be able to provide the following services to the users or citizens. Similarly, a library is a place to provide the citizens with information, informing and helping them in making decisions (Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education 2002). I think public libraries should therefore keep the citizens up to date with the information about their daily life and provide them with the adaptive features. Public libraries have provided all these services hence a sign of preparedness to create awareness to promote citizenship. It is my opinion that public libraries have been well prepared to support and promote information literacy amongst citizens. With the advancement of technology this was going to be easily achieved. Public libraries have embraced technology making all citizens computer literate hence bridging the gap between the digital divide. This shows how determined public libraries are to ensure every citizen has access to the required information as a sign of empowerment. Public Libraries have come up with projects that promote sharing, support and researches through organized meetings, conferences, forming partnerships (John 2002). I think this is in order to facilitate quality training, gather the required information and to reach as many citizens as possible Public libraries have even cooperated with other organizations to lend information materials, purchase jointly or even achieve joint storage facilities hence share the costs. This is a sign of preparedness. The libraries are ready to help citizens acquire the required information at all costs. According to Bundy (2003), there was a research done in 2002 to help find out the educational requirements of international students. The research was aimed at identifying the difficulties experienced by the students in access information. Information is power and hence acquisition of the right information by every citizen is a sign of empowerment. I think, public libraries therefore wanted to ensure everyone has access to the right information everywhere. In this sense the libraries prepared well to provide for everyone and hence an equal chance to meet their goals as individuals. I have a strong opinion that public libraries have been well prepared to foster and support information literacy to citizens. Information is a democratic tool and hence can be used to achieve democracy. Information alone may not guarantee democracy one has to struggle to know how to use it well in decision making (Bundy 2003). This calls for information literacy. Public libraries have been on the front line to sensitize all citizens on various issues that affect our societies. Through public libraries various groups in our societies have been trained and informed about cultural, political and economic factors that affect them. I think public libraries have prepared well for information literacy amongst citizens. Since the emergence of technology, there came a need for information literacy. Public libraries formed institutions like National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL). Such institutions have been used by many countries to ensure their citizens get access to information or to be information literate (Bruce 2002). NFIL has been used by many countries to solve the library issues to foster information literacy in our institutions (Durrance 2005). I think that all the countries that participated in NFIL wanted to ensure non-discriminative access to information by all citizens hence empower all to build our nations Conclusion Library Information literacy is a process of getting access to information, retrieving it and manipulating it to be used in decision making. In most countries worldwide citizens are accessed to basic information only. This is not enough to empower the citizens and promote citizenship. There is therefore need to train people on ways of getting easy access to the required information (Bawden et al 2002). With the advancement in technology Internet and computer use has enhanced the way information can be accessed globally. There are universally used standards to enhance information access (Boaz et al 2000). Through computer use and networking devices information access and reliability has been enhanced. A global reach can be achieved through networking or using the network cable like coaxial (Chagari 2005). There are increases information sources other than the traditional ones. I think this promotes information access, flow and management in the societies. People can even access the library information online anywhere in the world. This an added advantage to most tourists, researchers and students. Reference: Australian Library and Information Association. 2001, Learning for the Future: Developing Information services in Australian schools. Australian School Library Association and Australian Library and Information Association. 2nd ed. Curriculum Corporation, 2001. Bawden, David and Robinson, Lyn. 2002, Promoting Literacy in a digital age: Approaches to training Information Literacy. Learned Publishing, Vol. 15(4). P 297-301. BECTA b. 2001, British Educational Communications Technology Agency The ‘Digital Divide’: A Discussion Paper. Bennett, M. 2001, Reaching those in need. Benton Foundation Buildings, Books and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age. Public Library Journal,Vol. 16 (4), p. 105-7. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://benton. org/Library /Kellogg Booz, Allen Hamilton, 2000, Achieving Universal Access. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://number10-gov. uk Bundy, A. 2003, Opportunity and accountability: Information literacy and libraries in Higher education Paper presented at the Tertiary Alliance Libraries Group. Information literacy Seminar University of Waikato, Hamilton NZ 4 September. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. library. unisa. edu. au/about/papers/opportunity-and-accountability. pdf. Bruce, C. S. 2002, Information Literacy as catalyst for educational change; A background paper, July 2002. White paper prepared for Unesco, the US National Commission on Libraries Information Science, and the National Forum on Information Literacy. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. nclis. gov/libinfor/infolitconf. pdfme/papers/bruce-fulpaper. pdf Centre for Citizenship Studies in Education. 2002, University of Leicester. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://le. ac. uk/education/centres/citizenship Centre for Democracy and Technology. 2002, Bridging the Digital Divide: Internet Access in Central and Eastern Europe. Chagari, S. 2005, 140 SI Management and Marketing with Information Literacy Information capability building: Role of information Literacy Programmes. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifla. org. sg/IV/ifla71/papers/043e-Chagari. pdf Collection Development Policy. 2003, A statement on free access to information. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. strl. nsw. gov. au/CDP%20Appendices. pdf Correia, A. M. R. 2002, Information Literacy for Effective and Active Citizenship. White paper prepared for UNESCO, the US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the National Forum on Information Literacy for use a the Information Literacy meeting of Experts, Prague, the Czech Republic. Drotner, K. 2005, Library innovation for the knowledge society. Scandinavian Public Library quarterly, Vol. 38(2): 20-23. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. splq. info/issues/vol38_2/07. htm Durrance, J. C. 2005, The Vital Role of Librarians in Creating Information Communities: Strategies for Success. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. si. umich. edu/helpseek/Publications/LAMApub. htm Forsyth, E. 2005, Public libraries and the millennium development goals. IFLA journal, Vol. 31(4): 315-323. Hancock, V. E. 2004, Information Literacy and long life learning: Information Literacy For Lifelong Learning. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. libraryinstruction. com/information-literacy. html Home Office a. 2001, Annual Abstract of Statistics. 8. 4. Home Office b. 2001, Social Trends. (HMSO) 31. Howley, S. 2004, Routes to Knowledge. Library and Information Research, Vol. 28 (88): 42-46. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. lirg. org. uk/lir/pdf/88_howley. pdf. John, N. R. 2002, Civil Society and the Role of Libraries: Fostering Civil Society, Yerevan, Armenia. University of Illinois at Chicago. Viewed on23rd May 2009. Available at http://indigo. lib. uic. edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/10027/64/1/civil. ppt. Koneru, I. 2008, Revamping Public Library system for equitable access to knowledge: NKC recommendations on libraries. Available at http://icfaiuniversity. academia. edu/documents/0009/2907/NKC_Public_Libraries. doc. IFLA. 2003, Information for all: the key role of libraries in the information society. Report prepared for: libraries @ the heart of the information society. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at www. unige. ch/biblio/ses/IFLA/rol_lib_030526. pdf Kargbo, J. A. 2004, Adult education in Sierra Leone: what role for libraries? World libraries, Vol. 14(1). Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. worlib. org/vol14no1/kargbo_v14n1. shtml Libraries for life long Literacy. 2004, Unrestricted access to Information as a basis for Lifelong learning and empowerment. In IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifla. org/faife/report/FAIFE report 2004. htm Lough, V. 2002, Citizenship, Computer Literacy and the changing role of the Public Library Service in the United Kingdom. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. odeluce. stir. ac. uk/docs/Lough. pdf. Serbia, B. E. 2004, Strategic planning and Organizational Development for Libraries. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. nb. rs/view_file. php? file_id=812. Stipanov, J. 2005, Knowledge Society and Public Libraries. Paper presented at the Naple Conference, Supetar, October 6-7, 2005. Available at http://www. naple. info/supetar/stipanov. pdf. Tise, E. 2009, Access to Knowledge through Libraries: Information Services and Information Literacy Today. Library and Information Services Stellenbosch University, South Africa; IFLA President-elect 2007-2009. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://www. ifladeutschland. de/de/downloads/keynote_tise_suedafrika. pdf. Qvortrup, L. 2007, The Public Library: from information access to knowledge management: a theory of knowledge and knowledge categories. Information research, Vol. 12 (4). Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at http://informationr. net/ir/12-4/colis/colis17. html Unesco Lobrary Manifesto. 1994, UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994. Viewed on 23rd May 2009. Available at www. fundaciongsr. es/documentos/manifiestos/mani94en. pdf

Grecian Couch Essay Example for Free

Grecian Couch Essay The Grecian couch, otherwise known as a Kline in Greece, is a blending of a bed, couch, and sofa. Its functions is not only limited to providing a seat for sleeping and reposing, but also for reclining in when eating food. The long frame of the couch provides just the right length for a petite lady to repose in. Also the top of the frame is usually fixed with interlaced cords and on the interlacing; a mattress is placed on top of it with covers and a single long pillow. The mattress, covers, and pillows are richly embroidered with silk in a light gold color. The form directs the sitter to lie usually in any position leaving the head to rest on the right where the tallest backing is. There is only one armrest on the very left of the couch and a waist length backing to hold the sitter from falling off. While other Grecian Couches were being supplemented by rosewood, it is principally made out of mahogany wood. The legs â€Å"that was similar to those found on a throne chair, namely legs terminating in animals’ feet† (Boger, â€Å"Guide to Furniture Styles† 5), are usually in the form of chimera, lion, eagles, and swans. The carvings are earthy with leaf patterns and extended curved lines following the over arching â€Å"sweeping curves and scrolls† (Boger, â€Å"Guide to Furniture Styles† 5) that resembles the work of Duncan Phyfe in America. They are realistically carved sometimes with â€Å"medley of and human heads, sphinxes with upraised wings, dolphins, swans, ringed lion’s mask, and the lion monopodium (Boger, â€Å"Furniture Past Present† 364). Today, the additions of wheels are sometimes added to the legs of the couch to give it mobility. The John and Hugh Finlay brothers were the designers responsible for creating the couch, and much more famous Grecian furniture. The Finlay brothers first advertised their designs in the Baltimore Federal Gazette of January 25, 1803. It was not until 1810 (Henry Ford Museum) till the Hugh brothers crafted the Grecian chair. The Finlay brothers worked at times together like when designing the Grecian couch and sometimes apart. Together, they provided to the high demands of hand painted high style furniture for people during the Royal empire styles of design. There was a huge improvement in wealth and class during that period which prompts the Finlay brothers to create luxury goods that promoted a neoclassicism American empire taste. It was in Baltimore where the Finlay brothers generated a large quantity of classical period furniture. The furniture they built were â€Å"stylish, decorated furniture for a wealthy clientele† (Fodera, 183) before 1815, till they met Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Latrobe teamed up with the brothers to create â€Å"confident interpretation of the Greco-Roman aesthetic† style, with â€Å"careful attention given to every detail† (Fodera, 184) so that the brothers were able to create furniture for wealthy residences in Philadelphia and many other people in Maryland. The Finlay brothers, with Latrobe partnering up, constructed some pieces of furniture to showcase in the Waln commission where they were able to showcase the â€Å"neoclassical style as well as the concept of a total approach to household decoration in America† (Fodera, 184) that influenced their direction. This led to Latrobe commissioning the Finlay brothers to decorated the drawing room in the White house for the President James and Dolley Madison in 1808, where a â€Å"set of 36 chairs, two sofas, and four settees† (Fodera, 184) were built. Unfortunately, the furniture remains no more after the White House burned in the fire of 1814. The only thing remaining is the drawings the Finlay brothers made with Latrobe’s instructions on it. However, the fame from constructing furniture for the president, their partnership with Latrobe, and the influences of classical Greek and Roman designs with controlled palettes, led the Finlay brothers to travel Europe by 1810. This is where Hugh Finlay discovered the Empire motif and brought it back to America where with John helped develop quickly a â€Å"familiarity and comfort with the neoclassical idiom† that was readily apparent in the field. They became the first firm to readily advertise painted classical furniture with great success. The trip to Europe and back by the Finlay brothers was one of the first Americans who brought the Grecian-Roman revival to the public. After the War of 1812, a sense of renewal of a better time became a distinct interest to designers as well as the public. With the help of the Finlay brothers, â€Å"there was a civility and sophistication in the late neoclassical ideals† (Greene, 122) that mirrored the continued success of the newborn America. Thus from it grew the early empire style furniture in America, which featured elegant and delicate furniture with waterleaf carving being one of the favorite treatments like the Grecian couch. The Grecian style in which the Finlay brothers pulled from was perfected in the 5th century B. C. and it stayed as a furniture with curving lines and elegant simplicity till the emergence of the American empire style that pulled directly from it in the early 1800s. The height to the American Empire style furniture that featured Grecian sofas and couches as their forefront was after the War of 1812 to about 1830, were the â€Å"obsession with the aesthetic styles of the ancient civilizations† (Greene, 124) was at its peak. Some people might get confused between the Egyptian and Grecian couch due to the similarity between the materials and style of carvings with animalistic foots that they both have. This might be due to the fact that Greece and Egypt are so close to each other and culture intermingled during the Roman period. An important distinction, however, when comparing between the Egyptian and Grecian couch is that the Egyptian Couch has no back frame, nor an arm rest. The Grecian couch lacked the separate headrest, which was common in Egypt (Boger â€Å"Guide to Furniture Styles, 5). What makes this couch Grecian is that the backs of all Grecian couches do â€Å"not extend over the entire area of the couch, but leaves a portion of the seat without a back, indicating that the couch was intended to be used for reclining† (Miller), and not only for a place to sit. As seen in Greek and other classical paintings, the chair is used as a place to lay and pose for artist to paint portraits. A famous portrait known as â€Å"Portrait of Madame Recamier† by Jacques Louis David in 1800 illustrates the ideal image of how one would imagine how to sit in such a delicate couch. One could imagine a lady reposing gracefully on the couch with a fan open chatting and flirting with gentleman. The Grecian couch is meant to display beauty and also represent class in order to decorate the room. The second function and more modern coined term for the style like the Grecian couch is the â€Å"fainting couch† better known as a couch in a room that’s used to catch elegant women who often happen to faint, relax, or encounter a dizzy spell. The Grecian couch could have been a couch for women who needed to fall down onto something that would catch them. It was common for people at the time to have a couch like that in there home in order to provide the women with someplace to be distraught so they can relax. Women was in no doubt the primary target for Grecian style designer, it quickly became popular in the early 1800s with both European and American interest in acquiring these couches in order to display not only wealth but the elegance of having a couch that would function as a designated fainting location. It’s quite possible that the blood vassal tightening corsets worn by women at the time could have influenced the effects of having fainting spells. The clothes worn by women and the amount of time spent at home worrying about there husband might have a contribution. Another theory is the need for a couch that could be used to keep women comfortable enough for doctors to treat their female hysteria when anything unfortunate happens. The influences of the Grecian couch or fainting couch would later create a room known as the fainting room where the couch would be the centerpiece with other calming furniture and paintings would surround the room. During the period right after the War in 1812, also known as the American Revolution, resurgence of a want for peace but also the reminder of the past where fear and death was always around, the fainting couch had its role in comforting women. The Grecian couch became a symbol to wealthy women as the couch used for comforting themselves when mentally stressed. The psychological advantage for the Grecian couch is found today as an example in the hit TV Show on AMC called Madmen where Betty Francis purchases a Grecian couch because she is mentally stressed out that she couldn’t be the perfect woman for Don Draper. At the same time she worries that he might be cheating on her. The act of buying a Grecian chair and resting on it could have meant many things, but to Betty it was a way to escape the awkward 60s after World War II. Today, Grecian couches are used to display elegance and grace much like it did in the past, usually as a centerpiece for the room. New designs and more padding must have increase the comfort of the couch, so women today will use it to primarily to sleep, rest and read their books in. The design change keeps the Grecian chair elegant but with added comfort. It acts like a modern half bed for women to be comfortable and pretty in, just as they would look in a painting.

A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty At an early age, authors Abhijit and Esther knew already that poverty existed. Through stories and observation, they were aware about the situation yet these did not satisfied them instead it motivated them to study, to enhance their knowledge and understand why poverty is such a problem that eliminating it is very difficult. The two authors have lots of question and because of that they made this book Poor Economic: A radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. Affected by outstanding generalization with the undisclosed frontline solutions about poverty and economics, the authors plead to several opinions and investigation to check on how poor managed to fight poverty. They were very concerned about the situation and wishes to let us see the other side of eliminating poverty. In addition to that, why does poor people cannot entirely get away with the problem despite the full efforts of the government of technologically advanced countries and private organization? There ar e a lot of solutions but it is not completely effective or not the answer that the people really need. Spanning five continents to find solution, authors engaged in research for 15 years to investigate about global poverty and illuminate many practical and cost effective ways on fighting it. Through the years, I have always known that poverty is not a secret and is very rampant all over the world. Up to the present time and with everyone helping, why is it still there? Covering many valuable issues, this book is a great way to understand and discover the problems that many countries experience that may or may not contribute to poverty. This is a must-read book for all those people who cares about poverty, its nature and the people who is suffering from it. There are a lot of factors to consider when we tackle about poverty. A lot of issues that needs to be uncovered and solutions that needs to be evaluated over and over again to ensure its effectivity. In this book review, I am hoping that I can give justice to what these author is trying to say and giving my own opinion on the things they have discovered. My teacher told me that economics is a positive change in the fall of the production of goods and services of a certain country. I believe that it means equity, equali ty, in equilibrium with the supply and demand. Although there is a positive rise and fall in one country, it doesn’t mean that everyone or every nation are able to experience that. One country may have all the resources while others don’t have even just a clean water to drink. How can one place have an equilibrium when it actually has a little resources that affects the supply for every demand? It is in that manner that poverty really becomes a problem. The book helps us to understand why poor needs to borrow in order to save, although their children go to school they often do not learn, they miss out on free life-saving immunizations as well as paying drugs that they do not need and living on 99 cents a day. Battling poverty needs patience, careful thinking and willingness to learn. In the book, poverty trap was mentioned. As an example, poor countries are poor because they are hot, infertile, malaria infested and often land locked making it hard for the people to be productive without an initial large investment to help them deal with these endemic problems thus lack of modern technologies to help them progress. Coupled with having no possible resources for funding and payment for the ventures, these contribute in worsening poverty. I believe it is true because how can you start saving when you even can’t find a way to find income sources. A person can’t plant in an infertile soil so he has no products to sell and no investors that will finance a business providing loads of work for the local helping them earn a living. No access to good education is also stated in this book. In reality, education is a vital requirement find a decent job and make a living for yourself and for the family. As a solution foreign aid was mentioned to be the key. Billions of aid funds are being used to fight poverty, yet very small amount of work had been completed in analyzing their outcomes. Does foreign aid really help the poor countries? Is it enou gh? Based on what I have seen in the past years, there are people who really strive in working for a better life but the resources are really not enough making difficult for them to really earn enough to sustain their daily needs and wants. Indeed, some poor people managed to have their own stories of success in starting businesses but sadly it never went high enough to provide jobs to other individuals. Some have businesses but does not make much money. Although, they have monthly income but there are also a lot of deductions such as rent, daily expenses for food and other needs of the family which make it hard for them to really save. These results to unavailability of purchasing stocks for their store leading to bankruptcy. So a portion of the cause why businesses of the poor don’t grow is the nature of the businesses they operate and how they handle their profit. For the past years, foreign aid helped a lot of people all over the world making it one of the important solut ions in fighting poverty. Undoubtedly, the most significant goal why nations seek out and agree to take foreign aid is for the purpose of economic progress. Developed Countries are considered to have a moral obligation to help and to assist the poorer countries to have a sustainable progressive lives. Other advantage of foreign aid is the improvement of health through delivery of health teachings, medicines and equipment. Receiving money for investment from developed countries supports to produce more jobs for the people, improved infrastructure, and stabilize their economy. Foreign aid has other advantages, such as fighting hunger, saving lives and providing civilians with shelters, clean water and medicine. Although it is quite easy to believe that, some people argue the capability of foreign aid to really help combat the insufficiency in food, shelter, job and other resources needed by the poor individuals. Foreign aid’s usefulness is usually unassessed or even though it is being assessed, the approached may sometimes not convincing at all. Some also argue that it prevents people to search for their own solution. It makes sense that because of foreign aid, some people tend to wait for rich countries to help without even trying to search for possible solutions. It builds a culture of dependency that is keeping poverty difficult to fight and as a result poor remains poor. Aside from that, anti-aid people does not believe about the presence of poverty trap which I do not agree. Indeed, there is a presence of different views which I think both have point to share. An inconvenience of foreign aid is a higher percentage of dependency from the rich nations. The leaders of poor countrie s that accept aid gains reliance on a secured movement where they can support the people of their nation, they can also put money to other areas of the country which require funding. Foreign help can also be used to situate poor nations in political or economic pressure leading to being in debt with the supporting country. What could be really the effective way to abolish poverty? Moreover, solutions come with problem like for example, the reluctance to take risk and difficulty in trusting a possible investor, the poor wasted an opportunity. As mentioned in this book, poor nations usually have a very large family size. Absence of family planning and access to contraception methods in overpopulated families makes fighting poverty difficult. As a result, many experienced increase financial burden leading to low education rates and medical care. Politicians all over the world, private citizen, economists and every people who are trying to help, fail to recognize the exceptional reasons that lead to poverty for example attempting to erase it that usually attempts to eradicate it are usually foolish. Contrary to what we think, poor individuals need more of something than just food or money. In reality, the poor need programs that allows them to have a chance to succeed and fight poverty. To support that statement, I strongly agree to give these individuals the necessary opportunities, lots of them, yet they still need to work for it. In addition to that, I consider poverty a weakness but not a disability that will weaken your spirit in doing something for yourself. For example, if your land is infertile, sight other resources that you may use aside from that useless land. I strongly believe that all problems have their own sets of solutions, it’s a matter of discovery and resourcefulness. Besides many people are trying their best to help and give support to each individual who are suffering. The book is designed to answer questions and help us understand why fighting poverty is not easy. It tackled a lot of solutions not being used or understand properly. Helping through funding is good as long as choosing the right kind of project will be prioritize. For example food for the indigent, pensions for the elderly and clinics for the diseased infected areas where everyone making sure figuring how best to run it. Deciding on helping the less fortunate when we can will make a difference, understanding that poverty is merely not just having money but not really having enough capability in realizing their full potential as a human being are just some realization I have learned from this book. I believe there are a lot of things to be considered and properly planned to ensure that what we think poor people needs is really what they are needing. Aside from that, both public and private actions should be done. In addition, proper planning for more accessible pathways should really be considered for every poverty causing factors. For education, the government should have encouragement programs to ensure parents compliance in making their children go to school. Roadways should be accessible and safe for everyone especially for the students. Free education is really a big help and should be instilled its importance to the poor. Funding health teachings through seminars, conference, and house to house visit about family planning is a must also. Everyone has the right to progress and poverty is just an obstacle. Although it is very hard but I believe everything has solution that still needs to be discovered in the near future that will really eradicate poverty completely. As long as everyone will help one another genuinely and the presence of the people who takes time to study and search for an answer, it will never be that far. In correlation, I believe that poor people in poor nations should also do something for themselves and merely not accept the fact that th ey are poor, they must not just wait for us to give something or help them to achieve something for themselves. They must acquire valuing their own strength and actions in order to realize that absence of action there is no development. Development needs skills and cleverness, when inhabitants feel safe and assured adequately, they will invest in their kids and let them leave home to get new occupations in the metropolis. These possibilities might be wrong but trying to do these will develop the lives of the deprived and merely not waiting for economic evolution which remains unbearable. To the degree that we distinguish how to get rid of poverty, there is no purpose to endure the waste of lives and ability that poverty passes with it. As this book presented, even though we have no charmed potions to wipe out poverty, we do recognize a number of things about how to develop the poor people’s lives.

King Henry IV :: essays research papers

Henry IV was born in April 1367 and was the only son of John of Gaunt, the son of Edward III, and Blanche, the daughter of Henry Grismond, Duke of Lancaster. Known as Henry of Bolingbroke after his birthplace in Lincolnshire, he was made a knight of the Garter in 1377. In 1380, at the age of 13, he married Mary de Bohun, the youngest daughter and coheiress of Humphrey, the last Earl of Hereford. They had four sons and two daughters before her death at the age of 24, in 1394. As the Earl of Darby, Henry entered the House of Lords in 1385. In 1387 he supported his uncle Thomas, Duke of Gloucester, in his opposition to Richard II. (Gloucester was also Richard’s uncle, and Henry was the King’s First cousin.) While taking part in the "Merciless" Parliament of 1388, Henry regained the favor of the King and in 1390 departed on the Crusade to Lithuania and then to Jerusalem. Visiting the kings of Bohemia and Hungary and the Archduke of Austria and then Venice in 1392-1393, he went only as far as Rhodes and then returned to England as a popular hero. He soon entered the government; he served on the Council while Richard was absent in Ireland in 1395 and for his efforts was made Duke of Hereford in 1397. Henry soon quarreled with the Duke of Norfolk, each accusing the other of arranging the murder of the Duke of Gloucester and calling for a trial by battle. Both men were banished from the realm. Norfolk for life and Henry for 10 years with a proviso that he would be allowed to inherit from his father. But on the death of John of Gaunt in 1399, the Lancastrian estates were confiscated by the King, and Henry decided to return, seemingly to claim his promised inheritance. Taking advantage of the King’s absence in Ireland, Henry landed on July 4, 1399, at Ravenspur, near Bridington, where he was soon joined by the northern nobles who were unhappy with the policies of the monarchy. By the end of the month Henry and his followers had raised an army and marched to Bristol. When Richard returned in August, the royal army started to desert; Henry claimed the throne for himself, and on August 19 he captured Richard near Conway. He then went with his prisoner to London and there, on September 29, Richard abdicated the throne.

Loss of Identity in the Techno-Culture Essay -- Clubbing Partying Tech

I began my inquiry into the "techno-sublime" by keying the term "techno-sublime" into Googe to see if the term had been coined before. Whilst there was no exact match, the first site that opened was http://www.sublime.net.au/chillout.html, 'The Chillout . clubbing is a planetary experience'. I had long been interested in the event of the techno-dance party, that total awesome experience where there is a collapse of individuality and a loss of individual boundaries as "I" become part of the collective techno-experience. It was uncanny to find myself at this site in search of the "techno-sublime" and yet it was precisely this exstasis or loss of identity in the face of the awesomeness of the techno-experience that was central to my understanding of the experience of the techno-sublime.[1] Ben Malbon's (1999) study, Clubbing: Dancing, Ecstacy and Vitality, has proved invaluable in providing support for my elaboration of the techno-sublime. Whilst Malbon's thesis is different from my own, the responses of some of his respondents as well as his own diary entries have become very important in supporting my thesis that there is a loss of identity or estasis within the particular experience of techno-culture that is clubbing. Thus in a diary entry, titled '4 a.m. - lost for words, lost in time and space, just lost.', Malbon writes: We all seemed to want the music to take us over; to become us in some way.. Clubbers were losing it all over the place ... people are just so close to each other; proximately and emotionally.. The intensity of this fusion of motions and emotions was almost overwhelming. (Malbon 1999:xii) This diary entry, in particular, speaks of an experience in which his sense of identity and rationality is subsum... ...nd vitality, London: Routledge. Newman, Barnett (1948) 'The Sublime is now' in Harrison, C. Wood, P. (ed) (1994) Art in theory 1900 - 1990: an anthology of changing ideas, Oxford, Blackwell: 572-574. Nye, D.E. (1994) American Technological Sublime, Cambridge Mass: MIT Press. Storr, A. (1992) Music and the Mind, London: Harper Collins. Notes [1]I had begun my inquiry into the techno-sublime by arguing that in creative practice there occurs a particular flux that I have termed "working hot". When one is working hot, I have argued, the performance produces a dynamical relation where the work of art performs rather than represents. In this space, or state, I argued there is exstasis, or a loss of identity. [2] My elaboration of the techno-sublime has been informed by Christine Battersby's and Barbara Freeman's theorization of the feminine sublime. Loss of Identity in the Techno-Culture Essay -- Clubbing Partying Tech I began my inquiry into the "techno-sublime" by keying the term "techno-sublime" into Googe to see if the term had been coined before. Whilst there was no exact match, the first site that opened was http://www.sublime.net.au/chillout.html, 'The Chillout . clubbing is a planetary experience'. I had long been interested in the event of the techno-dance party, that total awesome experience where there is a collapse of individuality and a loss of individual boundaries as "I" become part of the collective techno-experience. It was uncanny to find myself at this site in search of the "techno-sublime" and yet it was precisely this exstasis or loss of identity in the face of the awesomeness of the techno-experience that was central to my understanding of the experience of the techno-sublime.[1] Ben Malbon's (1999) study, Clubbing: Dancing, Ecstacy and Vitality, has proved invaluable in providing support for my elaboration of the techno-sublime. Whilst Malbon's thesis is different from my own, the responses of some of his respondents as well as his own diary entries have become very important in supporting my thesis that there is a loss of identity or estasis within the particular experience of techno-culture that is clubbing. Thus in a diary entry, titled '4 a.m. - lost for words, lost in time and space, just lost.', Malbon writes: We all seemed to want the music to take us over; to become us in some way.. Clubbers were losing it all over the place ... people are just so close to each other; proximately and emotionally.. The intensity of this fusion of motions and emotions was almost overwhelming. (Malbon 1999:xii) This diary entry, in particular, speaks of an experience in which his sense of identity and rationality is subsum... ...nd vitality, London: Routledge. Newman, Barnett (1948) 'The Sublime is now' in Harrison, C. Wood, P. (ed) (1994) Art in theory 1900 - 1990: an anthology of changing ideas, Oxford, Blackwell: 572-574. Nye, D.E. (1994) American Technological Sublime, Cambridge Mass: MIT Press. Storr, A. (1992) Music and the Mind, London: Harper Collins. Notes [1]I had begun my inquiry into the techno-sublime by arguing that in creative practice there occurs a particular flux that I have termed "working hot". When one is working hot, I have argued, the performance produces a dynamical relation where the work of art performs rather than represents. In this space, or state, I argued there is exstasis, or a loss of identity. [2] My elaboration of the techno-sublime has been informed by Christine Battersby's and Barbara Freeman's theorization of the feminine sublime.

Catch a Fire Essay

The book â€Å"Catch a Fire† is a beautiful description of the Jamaican culture, the Rastafarian faith, the growth and development of reggae music and how it all added up to make Bob Marley’s life. All of those elements of what made Bob Marley â€Å"human† will be talked about and explained in this paper. The best artists are the ones who have passed but there work still lives on and Bob Marley left an unforgettable mark on modern music, both as a reggae creator and as a cultural icon. His beliefs and values helped him become a part of the Rastafarian faith and grow into a great musician whose music is still listened to today. The author, Timothy White, did an amazing job describing Bob’s background giving his readers a much greater appreciation for Marley and his music. Jamaicans are often stereotyped as carefree and fun loving. While most Jamaicans do value a sense of humor, as well as music and dance, they also have a tradition of hard work and a strong respect for education. Bob Marley, the son of a black teenage mother and much older white father, was born in Jamaica in the village known as Nine Miles. Born early in 1945, Bob was raised by his mother and relatives and was always surrounded by tales of mysticism and spiritual beings of the Jamaican culture that influenced his daily life. Around the time Bob was born, in 1944, Jamaicans gained the right to vote because of the new constitution. (1) During this time the population grew and there weren’t much job opportunities, leading to an expanding slum population. Class, color, and ethnicity were a big deal in Jamaica and would play a huge role of where you would fit in, work, or even shop. Bob once said, â€Å"I don’t stand for black man’s side, I don’t stand for white man’s side, I stand for God’s side. †(2) The Jamaican history has not been a peaceful one, but its struggles have created one of the strongest cultures. The Rastafarian faith was one of the biggest influences of why Bob’s music and the way he lived was the way it was. It all started with Marcus Garvey, who was responsible for bringing Rastafarianism to the islands. Garvey was famous for the saying â€Å"Look to Africa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"Catch a Fire† pg. 8) This statement set the stage for what will be the making of Rastafarianism. Rastafarianism got so popular that when Haile Selassie came to Jamaica in 1966 over 100,000 Rastas surrounded his plane. The late 1960’s is when Bob truly began to find himself and accept his religion and put its beliefs into his songs like â€Å"Rastaman Vibration† and â€Å"Jah Live. † Not only did the Rastafarian faith help Bob with his music, it helped him find who he really was and grow as a person. He finally started to see the beauty in life. Marley started making music in ska and Rock Steady then eventually moved towards reggae as his music evolved. Much of Marley’s early work was produced by Coxsone Dodd at Studio One then he signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records label in 1971. Marley’s music was one of the main reasons reggae was accepted outside of Jamaica. Although Bob couldn’t escape all the troubles of the ghetto, without music, he would have been right there in Kingston with those rude boys and bad men causing trouble. Music brought out the best in Bob and showed him the true values of life. The â€Å"King of Reggae†, Bob Marley made such an impact on the music industry with his creativity and passion he put into his music and performances. As you can see, Bob would have never made it happen without his Jamaican cultural background, his Rastafarian faith or his love for music. His thinking and beliefs were always voiced in his songs speaking of love, peace, equality and his spirituality. And, after almost three decades since his death, his music is still listened to by millions of people around the world.

Levels of the Managerial Communication Process Essay

Becoming a first time manager is an excellent goal and a great marker in a successful career. However it can also be a daunting task without a few tips to ease you into you new responsibilities. With careful observation, planning and a few pieces of advice, a good manager can become great manager. An important trait many great leaders have is being able to successfully communicate any message to a wide variety of people. They also have the ability to transcend work groups, culture, situations and subject.. Being able to relate to different direct reports is key to opening a two way channel of communication with a group. One of the first layers in successful communication is establishing an environment and culture that encourages it. Allowing open communication amongst each other fosters a cohesive and united environment. A good way a manager can reinforce that notion, would be to serve as the example. Walk around and meet with everyone in the group. This allows the manager to be accessible to everyone and in turn the manager can get to know the members of his or her group. Another suggestion would be to establish an open door policy. This will allow the flexibility to hold short meetings informally and encourage the flow of communication with each other. A good way to get to know the group better would be to setup a meeting with each individual. This allows a manager to get a back story on each group member, establish preferences in communication and find out if any cultural differences exist. This can also establish trust between a manager and an employee. Scheduling this meeting either bi-weekly or monthly allows the channel of communication between manager and subordinate to remain open. If at all possible, an important element in establishing an open environment is to physically setup the office in a way that allows for easy communication with each other. Having conference rooms available allows for group meetings and also provides private areas if discussions are of a confidential nature. If allowed, take into consideration the furniture used in the group’s space. Tailor the furniture and office designs to your group’s needs. If possible, equip rooms with teleconference equipment which allows for a virtual face-to-face with others in remote office either across the street or across the country. A second layer of successful communication is the interaction of sender to receiver. When speaking to groups or individuals, a manager should always maintain a steady emotion. Employees can easily misinterpret the mood or  content of the message if a manager is either too happy or too sad. A good sense of humor can bring comfort or levity to a group or situation, however caution should be used. A joke or comment can be misinterpreted easily depending on the audience. A good rule of thumb would be to err on the side of caution until the manager gets to know the group thoroughly. Allowing for questions during or at the end of your message encourages two way communication. This allows the audience the freedom to ask for clarification if something isn’t understood and also provides a venue for discussion. Possible issues can be resolved when more than one point of view are presented. A manager should also make themselves available after a meeting in case any questions comes up that did not want to be asked in a group setting or is of a confidential nature. The third layer of successful communication involves four elements that affect each other. Content (what is said), Channel (How it’s said), Environment (Where it’s said) and Time (When it’s said). It is important to tailor the content of your message to your audience. The following are short questions that a manager can ask themselves about each element: Content What is the message about? Who is the audience? What is the tone of the message? Do you thoroughly know the subject matter? What level of detail should the message include? Channel What channels are available? (ex. voicemail, email, public or private meeting)? Will the contents of the message be fully understood using the channel chosen? Will the channel help or hurt if the message has a deadline? Is the channel chosen appropriate for the urgency level of the message? Is the channel chosen appropriate for the tone of the message? Environment What locations or venues are available? Is the venue/location chosen appropriate for the message given? (ex. Technically capable) What setting is fitting for your message (ex. Formal or informal)? Who is the audience? How large is the audience? What is the confidentiality of the message? Time How urgent is the message? When is the best time to deliver this message? Does the message follow a timeline or deadline? How long should the message take? Along with these factors to follow, there are some errors to avoid. Focus your message strictly on facts to stay true to the message at hand and avoid â€Å"spinning† a message with opinions. Opinions are fine to state when and if asked by the audience, however a message spun on opinion will be evident quickly and can easily lose or disrupt an audience. Do not present the message in a manner that is not subject to change. Messages, like situations, can change at any given moment and may require some clarification. Always prepare with a contingency plan to follow-up with changes if needed. Having prior knowledge of the subject matter will minimize any confusion when presenting the message and will better equip the manager in the event of any questions asked. The intent of the message can be greatly lost if the presenter looks uncomfortable or lost during the presentation. If at all possible, have someone with knowledge of the subject matter review any notes that will be used, or have them available for any follow-up questions afterwards. When it comes to communicating effectively, there is no â€Å"one size, fits all† approach to any message. Each communication instance requires a thorough analysis of all the factors provided and presented accordingly to the audience. Mastering these tips will help on the road to managerial success. Works Cited Hynes, Geraldine. Managerial Communication. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. Myatt, Mike. â€Å"10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders.† Forbes (2012): 12/6/2012 http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/04/04/10-communication-secrets-of-great-leaders/.

A clockwork orange: chapter One Essay

One gets an initial impression of Alex and his friends from the first page: Alex says, â€Å"There was me†¦ and my three droogs†. Immediately this suggests that he and his friends are close, like a gang, and this leads on to the idea of conflict. The closeness of Alex and his friends is elaborated upon throughout the chapter. He frequently uses the phrase â€Å"The four of us† and, when speaking to Pete, Georgie and Dim, he says, â€Å"Oh my brothers†. Their close camaraderie is summed up on page six, where Alex describes it as being â€Å"usually one for all and all for one†. Then he begins to describe three â€Å"devotchkas†, whom one presumes to be members of a rival gang (the reader is told that Alex and his friends are â€Å"malchicks†). There is no brevity in Alex’s description, and he goes into detail when describing the clothes and make-up. It is likely here that Alex has a certain respect for these gang members, indicated by his lengthy description of their bright uniforms, and by the fact that he speculates on the large cost of these uniforms. But there is also a clear element of mockery. This is especially apparent in the sentence â€Å"These were supposed to be†¦ â€Å", with an emphasis on the word â€Å"suppose†. He is putting the credulity of the gang into doubt, debunking their claims. This is quite childish in some respects, and reminds the reader of his tender age. Alex and his â€Å"droogs† also wear uniforms, and Burgess describes them in a way that makes them unique to those four – by telling the reader what design each of the four had for their â€Å"jelly mould†, he is putting them apart from the rest of the world, giving them a uniqueness and style that no one else possesses. The uniforms are also a barrier between them and the rest of the world. This is also true of the â€Å"maskies† that the four often wear. As well as the more practical use of hiding their face from recognition, the masks separate the boys from the rest of society, making them stand out, and perhaps feel superior. Also, the outrageous costumes, to choose a better word, are a clear symbol of rebellion. It is ironic, therefore, that the boys wear them, as uniforms have always been associated with conformity. The language of the boys is the most successful at suggesting conflict with the outside. To begin with, the words are very harsh. Hard sounds, especially obvious with the many Ks, make the words infinitely more savage. The language used to describe other people is degrading: old women are â€Å"ptitsas† and men are â€Å"vecks†. The boys do not use this language when speaking to people who are not involved in gang warfare. To the man coming out of the library, Alex is polite and uses mostly understandable language. It is obviously because he is mocking the man, but it is also possibly because he would not understand (since it seems that he speaks normally). So this is their language, something they use to each other. This is a straightforward example of their conflict with the â€Å"outside†. But the language not only acts as a barrier between the four boys and the older members of society: it also acts as a barrier between the boys and the readers. For anyone starting the book for the first time, the words used are baffling, and it takes a lot of getting used to. What is more, Alex feels the need to explain what some of the words mean: â€Å"†¦ a rooker (a hand, that is)†. It is at this point that the readers become, in effect, a part of the society that Alex is rebelling against. We are on the outside. Finally, the language is used in such an extraordinary way, that it alienates us even further. It is in some instances quite chilling. Words like â€Å"poogly† are very childish; the best example is â€Å"appy polly loggies†, which is some corrupted baby version of the word â€Å"apologies†. It contrasts the stark violence of the book, giving it an even more savage tone. It is a strange mixture for Alex to use, reminding the reader that he is young. Plus, not only does it make the reader aware of the conflict Alex has with society, but also the deep struggle that is going on in Alex’s mind. 1. What impressions are we given of the society and the environment presented in chapter one? Use examples. (10 marks) The first impression one gets when reading about Alex’s world is what an absolutely seedy place it must be. The â€Å"Korova Milkbar† sounds very entertaining but rather run down, and one is informed that it is one of many â€Å"mestos†. Obviously it sells milk, but reading further on, one is told that this milk is â€Å"plus something else†, that something else being hallucinogenic drugs of some sort. It is then that one gets an idea of the depravity of the society in which Alex lives. Alex then mentions what he and his friends do to obtain money: either they can beat someone up in an alley and empty his pockets, or they can â€Å"do the ultra violent† on an elderly woman in a shop and steal the money from the till. One realises that, fairly obviously, something has gone wrong with the world in Alex’s time. Various violent and criminal topics follow, such as gang warfare and the description of a drug-induced â€Å"high†. It paints a morbid picture of a world in which violence reigns supreme, where there are no rules any more and society has disintegrated. This is backed up by the fact that any kind of law enforcement is not mentioned until later in the chapter. These â€Å"millicents† are obviously not important and Alex and his friends can easily outsmart them. So, in effect, there is no law enforcement. Early on, the only indication that some sort of legal system exists is the fact that â€Å"mestos† were not licensed to sell liquor (which does not seem to stop them any way). Another aspect of society that is not missing, but seems unpopular, is that of literature. Alex reports that â€Å"newspapers {are not} read much† – whether this is because of illiteracy or just lack of interest, one is unsure. The Public Biblio, which is the derelict-sounding municipal library, was something that â€Å"not many lewdies used those days†. Again, the reason why is not clear. Owing to the other â€Å"past-times† of the day, namely ultra-violent criminal activities, it is likely that nobody is interested in literature any more. This certainly fits in with the way in which Alex and his friends persecute a man just because they saw him coming out of the library with books in his hand. However, there are references to institutions that seem very active in the Alex’s world. The first is the health service. A â€Å"rozz† informs the gang that there have been â€Å"two hospitalizations†. The fact that the hospitals in Alex’s world are busy is blatantly obvious, due to the height of criminal activity. One is unsure of how efficient these hospitals are. In a State-run society such as this, one would imagine they were very inefficient indeed. The other institution that is still up and running is school. Alex himself tells us that he must go to school the following morning, and we later learn that this is a corrective school. Overall, the world in Alex’s day seems extremely bleak. Wherever Alex is, it is clearly a police state, where individual rights and freedoms do not stand for much. The older, and in some ways, unnecessary institutions, such as the library system and newspapers, seem to have lost appeal completely, presumably replaced by â€Å"worldcasts† and â€Å"Milkbars†. It does not sound like somewhere anybody would actually want to live.

My Personal Experience with Religion

I have considered myself a religious person for most of my life.   I was saved at ten years old, but I have been in church since I was two years old.   I know that many people say that religion and Christianity are not the same, but I am one of those few people who do believe that religion is important to.   I think that you cannot have one without the other.   They are both vital to the spiritual makeup of a person. If it had not been for my acceptance of Christ and the Holy Spirit that dwells in me, I don’t know what would have happened to me.   I definitely would not be the person that I am today.   I have always prayed about everything.   I believe that God is my spiritual father, and just like I talk with my biological father and converse with him everyday, I talk with my heavenly about everything. I believe that it is very hard to talk freely with a stranger.   Before you open up and bare your soul to someone, there is an established relationship.   It is the same with God.   It is extremely hard to take everything to him if a person does not know him.   I cannot remember a time when I have not had a relationship with him. It has made a huge difference in my life to be able to talk to him about everything.   I have actually had many prayers answered.   There is no way that I could remember all of them since they have happened every day of my life.   Therefore, my spiritualism has grown and changed over time.   When I was much younger, I saw God as one who had to be obeyed, but I have now grown to the point where I actually do have a relationship with him.   I used to worry so much about how I would handle everything in my life. Now I know that it is all in God’s hands.   I have learned that I have to completely trust him, and that all of my plans and worrying is not going to help.  Ã‚   It sounds on paper like I have just given up, but nothing can be further from the truth.   I have actually gotten stronger, and the time I used to spend on worrying, I now spend on talking to God. I do think that my religion has helped to strengthen my relationship with God.   It is through my religion that I have a church family of people who I can depend upon for my strength.   It is a wonderful sense of well being when I know that I have a whole host of people behind me that love and care about me because of our common beliefs through Jesus Christ.   I also believe that a religion is easier to understand when you are a part of it because you have access to others to teach you.   I have always had mentors and ministers to help me in my understanding of the faith that I have chosen. They not only tell me what they believe about it, but they have encouraged me to seek the scriptures to find my answers, and since they are more experienced than I am, they can steer me in the right direction to find those scriptures.   The faith that I am associated with encourages its members to seek answers from the scripture.   It is not encouraged to accept something just because a person tells us that is the way that it is.   I have many friends from other faiths, and it is nearly impossible for them to overcome the stereotypes that they have heard about my religion.   I find that I have the same problem when it comes to theirs as well. As I stated earlier, my religion encourages its members to try our beliefs with what the scriptures says.   Because of that I do think that I can remain objective.   I have learned that when I challenge something that someone of my faith says is right or wrong, I can go to the scriptures and if it is not there, I can choose to disregard the opinion.   In fact I believe that everyone has challenged at least one thing that their religion upholds.   I think that is only human and it is perfectly natural. If one cannot be objective and at least listen to both sides of a religious topic, then the person must look closely at whether he/she is brainwashed.   Questioning and objectivity is a good thing.   One cannot grow and accept other if he/she does not remain objective.   The only thing that cannot be changed what the Bible says about an issue. My life has been a full one and it has been steeped in religion.   I have enjoyed it immensely.   I am proud of the way that I have grown in my religion and my faith.   I would have to say that my religious experience has been a totally positive experience. Works Cited Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life. 2003. Nashville: Zonderman Press. The Sacred Ritual There have been many sacred rituals that I have participated in during the course of my life.   The one that I enjoy the most and that has had the most impact on me is communion.   It is something that started with the night of Jesus’ arrest before his crucifixion.   I believe that the ritual is so beautiful and meaningful that I get emotional every time I take it. When I was a little child, I could not understand why all of the adults got to eat and drink from those cute cups and I could not have it.   Therefore, I suppose I hated the ritual at first.   I especially couldn’t understand how my own mother, who share everything with her children, could eat and drink in front of us and not even give us a taste.   I remember that her attempts at explaining it to us were feeble at best, so I would get angry every communion.   I cannot help but get a little tickled even today when I hear the small children at my church when communion is served.   Most of them are questioning their parents and grandparents and I automatically go back to my youth in my mind and remember all of my frustrations. Once I was saved and was able to take communion, I was just so glad that I was one of the big people, that I still did not realize the significance of what I was doing.   It was not until I was in my late teens that I realized what it was really all about.   At my church, a sermon on communion is always preached.   It might seem repetitive to some, but like a favorite bedtime story, or favorite movie, it is a joy to revisit the seen of the last supper.   I love the part where Jesus explains to the disciples what each part of the ritual means, and I enjoy what the Apostle Paul explains that it is not just a fellowship supper, but a meaningful link between Jesus and the Christian people. I find it refreshing during the part where all of the Christians in the church take time to reflect on the sins in their lives.   Sometimes it is painful when they are remembered, but after I have asked forgiveness, I feel as fresh as a newborn baby.   I am ready to start over.   There is also a time to ask forgiveness of others that we might have wronged.   This is also a special time.   I love it when I am reunited with someone that I have been at odds with. Then there is the sacred time of sharing the bread and the cup with our Lord Jesus.   The bread is the symbol of the body of Christ.   When we break it to eat it, it symbolizes what cruelties were done to his body.   I was not in Jerusalem the day of the crucifixion, but by taking part in communion I can be.   He died as much for me as he did the ones living at the time.   Therefore, when I break the bread, I am actually symbolizing that I did break his body so that he could die for my sins.   Then I drink from the cup that is supposed to represent the blood of Christ.   Without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin.   When I drink from the cup, I symbolize that his blood was spilled, and only through the spilling of the Savior’s blood could I be saved. When I ponder these things, I get chilled just knowing what Jesus has done for me and every other person.   He did not have to, but he willingly went to the cross for us.   Communion is one of the ways that I get to be reminded of the tremendous gift that Christ gave to all mankind. Works Cited The Holy Bible. King James Version. New York: Thomas Nelson Press. My Understanding Since I have taken this class, I have had a little better understanding of evil in the world.   I say a little because I have thought about this so much that my feelings on the matter have progressed over a long period of time. I feel that there are many reasons that God allows evil to exist in the world.   I believe that man has a great deal to do with it.   Yes, God is all powerful, but he allows us to live with the mess that we have made.   I will use the example of the horrible Hurricane Katrina.   There were many good people who lost everything that they had and many even lost their lives.   The same can be said of those who had not lived good lives.   There were babies who died, many elderly, and many in the prime of their lives. Some might question why God would allow this to happen.   Instead they should question man.   It was man who built so many houses and cleared so many forest and wetlands that the water had no where to go.   It was man who built underneath Lake Pontchartrain, and it was man who did not do adequate upkeep on the levies.   It could be argued that man helped create the hurricane itself with his utter disregard to the environment which is leading to global warming.   It is man who has to live with the decisions he and others before him have made.   God designed the earth to be perfect.   It was man who messed things up and brought sin into the earth.   If he had stopped man, then he would have taken away personal choice. My ability to understand what is right and wrong has changed over the years.   First I accepted what my parents told me was right and wrong.   When I became a teen, I judged what was right and wrong with what I wanted to do and think.   Now I search the scriptures.   I read the Bible as much as I can, and I have a pretty good feel for the obvious things that are right and wrong.   I will argue an opinion, but when it comes to the Word of God, I feel that if it is in the Bible, then that is the way that it is. I pray about situations that I have a difficult time determining what is right and wrong, and God never fails to send me a sign.   Sometimes it is not the one that I wanted, but he still delivers.   I also rely on what many people call a conscious, but I feel is the Holy Spirit.   I believe if I listen to the still small voice within me, then it is usually more right than what society tells me is right and wrong. Socrates` question: `Is something right because God commands it or does he command it because it is right?`   I feel that there are times that people think too much and this is an example.   Words are powerful and they can also have the power to confuse us.   I feel that God only commands what is right and he is omnipotent therefore he is right.   If he is the creator of all things, and I believe that he is, then he created right and wrong.   At the same time he commands things to be right because he determined it.   God is right. Works Cited Stearns, Bill. Fine Lines: Knowing God's Right/Wrongs for Your Life. San Bernardino: Here’s Life Publishers. 1987.