Speedo LZR Racer

The Speedo LZR Racer is made from a unique lightweight, water repellent, and fast-drying fabric that has been developed to reduce drag and help hold the swimmer’s body in a more streamlined shape. Following three years of research that included input from NASA, tests on more than 100 different fabrics and suit designs and body scans of more than 400 elite swimmers, Speedo has launched its most hydro-dynamically advanced – and fastest – swimsuit to date. The specially engineered, highly flexible fabric called LZR PULSE is ultrasonically welded to appear seamless.It takes about 20 minutes to put the LZR Racer swimsuit on. The material is made to be skin tight on your body making it feel like nothing is pulling you back when swimming. When putting on the suit you have to make sure not to use your fingertips or fingernails also to grip the panels not the fabric. Start of by getting the suit out of the box and starting at the feet. At the bottom of the edges where the feet go flip the inside liner out that is what makes sure that the suit doesn’t ride up when kicking at a fast paced speed.Put a plastic bag over your foot and gradually pull the suit over your foot do the same to the other foot. Inch by inch grip the panels and gradually pull up your body. Once you have it over your knees it will be a lot harder to get over the back side do not grab the sides make sure you scrunch it up on both sides and gently but sternly grip the sides make sure your thumb is not pointed in and slowly move up. As you get over the backside, smooth the bottom making sure the panels are facing forward, and where the V starts it should be right at your hipbone. Next, carefully place your arms through the arm folds.Adjust everything from hip up making sure the front part where the stomach is that they are lined up forward. You will now need to people to help you zipper it up. Grasp the sides of the suit and pull them towards each other from bottom up next have one person grasp both sides of the suit and hold them together closer to each other as the other person pulls the zipper up. Make sure you zip up the back in sections and not all at once and when to let go each time of the zipper to put it facing down so it does not move when re grasping the suits sides. When all the way up make the swimmer end over and run your finger across the zipper teeth making sure there were not any bumps or where the teeth did not grasp together. Check the arm folds and pull them up towards the pit. Make sure everything feels good other than the tightness. Fix the liner part by your feet by making sure the liner is touching you actual skin. The LZR Racer is made to be a tight-skinned lightweight material that makes you repellent in the water the material feels like paper when you touch it but when on its light and breath taking. So when putting it on go from bottom up slowly and gently making it up to top.

Human Resource Management Overview Essay

Introduction Most go through their day to day actions giving no thought to all of the people that are behind the scenes making everything that they do go smoothly. From making important business calls on your cell phone while traveling, to getting your lunch in a timely fashion so that you can get back to work. Without human capital none of this would be possible, these businesses are nothing more than a bunch of empty building once the human capital is removed from them. IT is the job of the Human Resource Management (HRM) to make sure that there are qualified people filling all of these positions to make business flow as smoothly as possible every day and to make your experience the best that it can be. The following paper will address what Human Resource management is as well as what the primary function of this department is. Lastly it will address the role that HRM plays in an organizations strategic plan. What is Human Resource Management? Human Resource Management is a function of a group of a group of people or a department that has the primary tasks of recruiting, training, and compensating employees, as well as ensuring that all rules and regulations are followed and that all of the tasks being completed are in line with the organizational goals. This is accomplished through the six core functions of HR which are; Workforce Management, Total Rewards, Risk Management, HR Development, Employee Relations, and Strategic Management (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2013). The workforce management function of HRM is primarily concerned with workforce planning and employment strategies. This includes determining what skills are necessary to complete the jobs, recruiting and  selecting the best possible people to fill the position, and maintaining the records of each employee as well as those that have been terminated. The total rewards function of HRM is the function that deals with all aspects of employee compensation, from salaries to benefit packages and everything in between. Receiving ones paycheck, a raise, bonus, or enrolling in medical or dental coverage that you are eligible for are all things that are taken care of through the total rewards function of HRM. The primary job of those who work in the risk management function of HR is to identify any labor related risks to the employees and the organization, and then to assess, manage and monitor these risks. This is not only limited to safety issues but also includes improper or inadequate training and failure to comply with legal regulations regarding labor laws. The employee relations function of HR deals with just that, Employee relations. It is their job to try and build and maintain positive relationships between the employers, mangers and employees. They are also the ones that will be contacted when there is a dispute that needs resolved or workplace policies or procedures need to be implemented or changed. Lastly the strategic management function of HR is a combination of all of the other core functions as they have been listed above. The strategic management function is primarily concerned with ensuring that all other aspects of HRM interact effectively throughout the organization and all contribute to the goals or support of others in reaching the goals of the organization. What is the primary function of HRM? The primary function of HRM can become quite foggy at times. You see the primary of function of HRM will vary depending upon which area of HR you are immediately dealing with. However, since it is impossible for a business to operate without human capital then clearly the primary function of HRM is to manage the human capital within an organization and provide a clear link between the goals of the organization and all whom work there (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2013). Mind you the HRM team is not the ones that are making the decisions; they are merely making suggestions and bringing insight to those that do make the decisions for the organization that they work for. When the HR is performing well then it should be easy for the employees to see the link between what it is that they do and how it contributes to the  achievement of the organizations goals. What is the role of HRM in an organization’s strategic plan? The role of HRM in an organizations strategic plan is actually quite complex. HRM’s role is to work with the decision makers in the organization and evaluate and develop and organizational strategy. This is in part accomplished through identifying, analyzing, and balancing of external opportunities and threats with the internal strengths and weaknesses. By identifying external opportunities and threats they are then able to work closely with the decision makes to develop a clarified business strategy after which they will realign the HR functions and the key people practices so that they work best with the organizational strategy. They will then create and needed competencies and behaviors to get everyone on the same page and realizing the strategy of the business and the results that are to be expected. Lastly they will re-evaluate the strategy and refine it where necessary to help the business stay aligned an on track to accomplish the goals that it has set out to accomplish. Conclusion Businesses would be nothing other than hollowed out building without the people that are involved in running them daily. Without the human aspect of a business then a business would not be. It is for this reason and this reason alone that makes the HR department or team of any business to be that of a highly valued one, because without the proper people in the proper places, with the proper vision and goals, any organization is going to fail. HRM makes it possible to accomplish all of these and do so consistently. Reference DeCenzo, D., & Robbins, S. (2013). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (11th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Google Company - People Management practices Research Paper

Google Company - People Management practices - Research Paper Example It mainly specializes in the internet engine and allied advertising services. It primarily operates in the U.S, U.K and other countries in the global scene. It is based in California and employs over 20, 000 people. The company is not only known for its innovation and prowess in technology but also for its special HR practices and culture. Its HR practice is known as ‘People Operation’ and it is based on value of the employee relationship and respect. This keeps the employees highly motivated and improves their efficiency and productivity. Approach to Employee Rewards and Motivation In the company’s workplace, employees are considered to be the most important asset. This is owing to the fact that employees perform basic tasks in the organization that are aimed at achieving the company’s goals and objectives. It is important for employees to perform their duties in a positive environment that motivates them to maintain an optimistic attitude that improves th eir productivity. Google takes employee rewards and motivation seriously and has established motivation and rewards practices. In addition to the competent hiring process, Google employs compensation practices to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Google’s reward and compensation system is pay for performance based (Great Place to work, 2009). This means that the employees are motivated to deliver quality output so as to get a higher pay. Additionally, the company’s stock option organization ensures that employees get rewarded for the company’s equity linked growth. It was surprising that all the workers requested for a wage reduction in the year 2005 to 2006. These benefits and rewards help the company to recruit employees and motivate them towards achieving the goals and objectives. The employees take part in a wide range of extra curricula activities such as cycling, wine tasting and travelling which keeps them highly motivated and have the desired to work in the company throughout their lives. The company was ranked as the best workplace in the U.S by Fortune magazine in 2009 (Datamonitor, 2009). The company’s goal is to provide rewards and do away with all the obstacles that get in the way of their duties and responsibilities. Some of the rewards include top class dining facilities, laundry rooms, gyms, massage rooms, carwashes, dry cleaning and commuting services. The company believes in the provision of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards owing to the fact that employees are not motivated by monetary incentives alone. This explains the reason why the company has established a culture that highly rewards and motivates employees. One of the best ways of maintaining the company’s culture is by maintaining rewards. Together with its compensation and conventional extrinsic benefits including health and dental benefits, vacation packages, insurance, tuition reimbursement and flex spending accounts, the company also ha s unique benefits. These include an eighteen weeks maternity period at full pay. Additionally, parents get extra benefits during this period that make things easier. They are provided with an allowance to cater for the meals of the newborn and a back- up childcare plan. The company also contributes towards the legal expenses associated with child adoption. These are just some of the extrinsic rewards offered at Google. However, it is clear to note that people who work at the company are motivated by other reasons besides the rewards. They enjoy the freedom and

Key Developments within the Global Airline Industry Essay

Key Developments within the Global Airline Industry - Essay Example The researcher states that the growth of the airline industry is averaged at 5 percent annually through the estimates have changed due to changing economic conditions and differences in air travel safety across continents. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the industry experienced a $ 4 billion decline in profitability in 2011. Surprisingly, analysts point that global air travel passengers will hit a mark of 3.5 billion passengers annually in2015 which is a 30 percent increase from the current figures. IATA clarifies that increase in global fuel costs will impact negatively on the profitability of many airlines since it is estimated that global airlines will experience about $ 1.6 billion fuel cost increases. Accordingly, fuel costs account for about 35 percent of airline costs currently, up from 15 percent in 2000. Numerous uncertainties such as the recent global financial crisis and global terrorism have negatively affected the profitability of the in dustry. The developments have led to shifts in t global air travel services provision as major global players have intensified competition in the new centers of production. Additionally, the emergence of new international financial hubs such as China has led to movements of major airlines from their home markets to new high growth markets. Transnational corporations like the World Trade Bank and International Monetary Fund have facilitated globalization through the elimination of barriers in trade and investment flows among the nations. There are numerous factors affect the competitiveness of the airline in the domestic market. Some factors include the level of technological innovation, the influencing factor creation, and organization of the airline. According to Porter’s diamond model, the structure of the industry, the rivalry of the firms, the factor conditions, demand in the market and supportive industries are the important internal factors that determine the success of the firm in the domestic or national market.

Catalysis and catalysts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Catalysis and catalysts - Essay Example With this introduction, this essay will demonstrate how catalysts speed up reactions, explain how they work by using the enthalpy reaction profiles, and demonstrate the difference between the heterogeneous and homogenous catalysts and showing examples (Bruice, 2007). A reaction can be sped up by a catalyst since they offer an optional route for the reactions to happen. They lessen the necessary reaction energy for the reactants to create products, therefore, atoms; at any given time will have the necessary energy for activation in order for the products to form. This principle is based on the collision particle theory (Gates, 1992) Reactant molecules interaction with catalysts to provide other routes for the response that connects a lower activation as compared to that of the non-catalyzed reactions. Many of the molecules that interact have energies that are bigger as compared to the lower enthalpy activation. Many of the collisions therefore end in a successful reaction and the conversion rates of reactant to product are enhanced and this demonstrates how catalysts function through enthalpy profiles (McNaught and Wilkinson, 1997) The two main groups of catalysts are homogeneous and heterogeneous. The catalyst in a heterogeneous reaction is in a diverse state as compared to the reactant. Catalyst in a homogeneous reaction is in a similar state as the reactant(Bell, 1973). This is pointless, in practice, because ethane that is extremely useful is being converted to ethane that is relatively useless. The same reaction however will occur with any compound having a double bond of carbon-carbon. In the vegetable oils hydrogenation one of the vital industrial applications is in its use in making margarine that also entails carbon-carbon double bond reaction in the vegetable oil with a nickel catalyst having a hydrogen presence. Hydrogen is created as before a link with the carbon, and that eventually also ends up breaking free. On the nickel’s surface

Book Review of Eisenhower Lessons in Leadership Essay

Book Review of Eisenhower Lessons in Leadership - Essay Example He examines his shortcomings as well as successes in a manner that appreciates one's environmental situation. The author reveals that Eisenhower was a great executive who could write assurance letters to mother of soldiers in one moment, apart from being a great military leader. He would also make decisions that would influence millions of people. 2The author presents General Dwight David Eisenhower as a wise strategist and an expert in organization. He was a supreme commander of United States allied forces during World War II. General Eisenhower commanded more than four million soldiers drawn from five different nations. His role resembled that of a top manager in an organization. He played crucial role in directing all military operations in Europe. He successfully planned operation attacks and organized allied troops efforts, which yielded victory. Axelrod applies Eisenhower thinking to the management of organizations, projects, or even people in a series of 232 lessons. This long list is more than what average reader can absorb. It could have been easier to understand the lessons if they were prioritized. Axelrod should have highlighted a list of the most important lesson. However, to make this lesson easy to understand, Axelrod has revealed ten characteristics of a good leader. These characteristics are universal and can be applied in any other organization other than military. Axelrod impresses me by how he brings out a point that illustrates the mode of application of such strategies in politics and for the good of the business world. Axelrod puts Eisenhower’s word into a context that helps the reader out of an exorbitant situation she/he is. I could say that the value of this book is not outlining the principles of leadership that seem significant. The real value is to understand how Eisenhower expresses himself to people who are hopeless, powerful, influential, insecure, and still strive to get the much-needed result. Such challenges paralyze mo st managers. Eisenhower knew how to plan and achieve objective he wants. He was an inspiration to others. He could get things done. One of the most important traits that the author presents about Eisenhower, is his magical ability to work with personality of all types. 3He managed to persuade one of the most temperamental military leaders such as United States army General George Patton, British field Marshall Bernard law Montgomery, and French leader General Charles de Gaulle. In his persuasion, he tried to put their difference aside and work as a team to achieve a common objective of military. His talent to inspire cooperation among allies in Europe was precisely what lacked. The military alliance was unexpected in that it constituted of nations with different ideologies, altitudes, and histories. Bringing the military leaders of this nation to defeat Hitler was truly a huge diplomatic and management challenge4. However, analysis on how he was able to do all this is missing. One w ould expect something little more in depth especially on building a team, converting conflict into common cause and liberation of Europe. The biggest leadership challenge is not knowing what ought to be done in order to attain efficiency. For instance, Eisenhower had to restrict the outspoken George Patton5. In one of the letters he wrote him, he acknowledged that there was no one else of his acquaintance that he would write so

The Penalties for Plagiarism Are Too Harsh Essay

The Penalties for Plagiarism Are Too Harsh - Essay Example Plagiarism is in itself not against the law but it is considered as academic dishonesty and is dealt with seriously in almost all collages in the developed world. Copyright violations are the most serious manifestation of plagiarism .It occurs when a work which is restricted by copyright is either used or distributed without the consent of the copyright holder. The most usual punishment handed out to students who are guilt of plagiarism is a score of zero or a failing grade in the assignment concerned. However other punishments are also meted out. This includes suspensions from the course for a stipulated period, expulsion from the college or even in some cases revoking the degree of the student completely or in part. The punishment meted out depends on the history of the student and the degree to which plagiarism has been done. Clearly the punishments stated above can destroy the whole academic career of the student. A failing grade in the final exam can be as good as revoking the d egree of the student. These punishments grow harsher as the student goes in to higher learning institutes. The first factor against the punishments for plagiarism is that they are arbitrary and do not follow any fixed pattern. Students are completely at the mercy of the teacher concerned. Imagine a rule of law in which your punishment simply depends on the judge concerned and follows no fixed rules. Someone may get with murder while other person may be hanged for a simple robbery. A plagiarism tariff has been devised in UK to bring about some standardization in punishments and remove the inconsistencies .This plagiarism tariff uses a sliding scale which takes into account the amount of plagiarism , history of student , level of study and value of assignment in order to decide punishment (Grove). However a study conducted by Jon Scott and Jo Badge which investigated the use of this tariff found it to be inconsistent, arbitrary and treats all cases in a similar manner (Badge and Jon). Treating all cases alike is another problem with plagiarism punishments. It doesn’t matter whether a single line or an entire work was copied; everyone is given the same punishment. This creates a sense of fear among the students. Lack of knowledge of law is not a reason for not following it. The same goes for plagiarism. Colleges are supposed to be learning institutes but they prefer to treat students as criminals. Innocent cases for plagiarism where the student was not even aware that he had plagiarized are treated in the same way repeat offenders are treated. American colleges are full of diversity with students coming from different parts of the world. Plagiarism is not taken seriously in developing countries. These students usually face a rude shock when they are suspended or failed for plagiarism which they committed unintentionally (Palmer). Students are not only penalized for plagiarizing published work, but they are also punished for what is known as collusion. Coll usion means students discussing an individual assignment and presenting the same ideas in their papers (Pecorari). Collusion as an offense is not only ridiculous but even discourages learning. If every student was to learn on his own, there would be no use of regular colleges. Everyone can learn through correspondence. In a college, students not only learn by attending lectures but learning by discussion among each other

Allow Gay and lesbians to be married Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Allow Gay and lesbians to be married - Essay Example Based on this, gay and lesbian marriage should be allowed in the society. Same-sex marriages should be allowed in the society. However, those opposing this idea have come out with different facts to condemn the idea. Research shows that same sex marriage is beneficial to the society and the country legalizing same sex marriage. Lipp (2013) argues that same-sex marriage is beneficial to the US and the general population. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender LGBT, contributes economically, socially, politically and financially to American society. Discriminations of LGBT rights lowers the dignity of American people especially LGBT. However, giving them their rights such as legalizing same sex marriages establishes their worthiness and values as American people having equal rights like others (Lipp, 2013). Further, support of same sex marriages gives values and establishes minority groups that have suffered for a long time. Additionally, cases of stigmatization and homophobia are reduced and large population throughout the US and other parts of the world will relate well with LGBT. This is vital in reducing cases of discrimination against gays and lesbians. Discrimination against same sex marriage or rights that are enjoyed by same-sex persons affects individuals advocating and practicing same-sex marriage psychologically and socially. However, allowing same-sex couples to have rights the same way straight couples have assisted them in reducing cases of psychological effects and promote a healthy society (Lipp, 2013). The study shows that many same-sex couples in the US raise children. However, children raised by same sex couples have been disadvantaged because they do not enjoy the rights provided to them by the federal government just like benefits provided to families of straight couples. This affects children,

The Death Penalty, the American Public Opinion, and the Factors Essay

The Death Penalty, the American Public Opinion, and the Factors Affecting the Americans Position on the Death penalty - Essay Example Historical crimes punishable by death in the U.S. were concealing birth, slave revolts, piracy, witchcraft, and guerrilla activity.1 In the late 1970s, lethal injection was developed as a more humane alternative than electric chair, which had been the principal execution method in the United States for more than 7 decades.2 Under discretionary statutes, juries control decisions on the death sentence of defendants which could result in arbitrary verdicts. This arbitrariness was ruled by the court as a violation of both the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and the 14th Amendment’s assurance of equal protection under the law. The constitutionality of capital punishment was questioned and the states stopped executions. In 1972, the Supreme Court decided to suspend the death penalty in all executing states. Four years after the 1972 decision, the court ruled that death penalty sentencing laws should include a set of objective guidelines that wou ld help judges and juries in deciding whether a death sentence is deserved and just. The amendments led to the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976. The court likewise affirmed that the death sentence was constitutional under the Eighth Amendment.3 The Poll Trends Today, the American public opinion on the death penalty has only fairly changed although with far less support than in the mid-1990s when public acceptance was at a remarkable climax. In a survey performed in November 9-14, 2011 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, in two thousand adults, 62% are in favour of the death penalty for persons convicted of murder while 31% are opposed to it. In 1996, 78% favoured death penalty for murder offenders. Support for capital punishment then declined, dropped to 66% in 2001, 62% in 2005, and 58% in October 2011.4 In Gallup’s first survey about the death penalty in 1936, â€Å"Are you in favour of the death pe nalty for a person convicted of murder?† 59% recorded support and dropped to an unsurpassed decline of 42% in 1966, which was the first time there was more opposition than support over the 75-year course of the survey. Between 1970 and 1980, the support for capital punishment rose again and peaked in the mid-1990s.5 Factors That Might Change the Americans’ Position on the Death Penalty In some old analyses, it was recorded that not many death penalty supporters are influenced by information that death penalty is not a deterrent to crimes and that it is not cruel and unjust.6 On a recent study, 42% of respondents stated that a non-white defendant has higher probability of receiving the death sentence than a white defendant.7 In another study, 49% concurred that a black would more likely be sentenced to death than a white, and 67% agreed that a poor defendant was more likely to receive a death sentence than a non-poor.8 On a survey regarding deterrence issue, death penalt y supporters were asked if they would still support capital punishment even if new substantiation confirms that it does not decrease the rate of murders. 69% to 73% of respondents affirmed their support.9 Incapacitation: Prevents Murderers from Killing Again Life imprisonment without parole is an alternative that renders the death penalty unnecessary. From views, majority of the death penalty supporters consider incapacitation as a relatively insignificant concern. In the 1991 Gallup survey, merely 19% of supporters cited incapacitation ("Keeps them from killing again") as a basis for their support, while 50% cited retribution ("A life for a life").10 This result, nevertheless,

Why Plato thinks Philosophers should be Kings Essay Example for Free

Why Plato thinks Philosophers should be Kings Essay Platos strategy in the Republic is to explicate the primary notion of societal or political justice and then parallel it to the concept of individual justice. Before he can prove that justice is a good thing, Plato must first state its definition, by showing justice in its perfect form in order to discover the true essence of it. Therefore, Socrates claims that the only way to have a perfect state is if the state has a perfect leader, thus he introduces the concept of the philosopher-king. Plato identifies political justice as harmony in a structured political body. An ideal state consists of three main classes of people: producers, auxiliaries, and the guardians (rulers); a state is just when relations between these three classes are right. Justice is a principle of specialization: a principle that requires that each person fulfils the societal role to which nature fitted him or her, and does not interfere in any other business. Socrates describes philosophers as those who love the sight of truth (475-e). He claims that what makes philosophers different from lovers of sights and sounds is that they apprehend the Forms. While lovers of sights and sounds love beautiful things, they are unable to see the nature of beauty itself. The Philosophers, on the other hand, believe that beauty exists and can see both it and the things it participates in. In order to back up this claim, that only philosophers can have knowledge, Socrates paints a metaphysical and epistemological picture. He divides the concept of knowledge into: what is, what is not and an intermediate between being and not being. This intermediate between knowledge and ignorance is what he defines as an opinion and casts it as a fallible power. Furthermore, knowledge is the strongest infallible power that is set over the being or what is. Given that only philosophers can have knowledge, Socrates emphasizes that they are clearly the ones best able to grasp what is good for the state, and so are in the best position to know how to run and govern it. Plato offers a more intuitive explanation for why the philosophers are virtuous. He idealizes them as being focused and determined because they are  fond of learning the function of the being, which does not wander between coming to be and decaying. At the end of Book IV, Plato argues that the nature of the state and the individual are the same. Furthermore, he promotes the notion that when the virtues of reason, passion, and desire act in perfect harmony the individual and consequently the state will become just. Though it is not directly stated, it is fair to make the allusion that Plato would have assumed the same for the Philosophers. Their desires also incline strongly for learning, therefore, weakening other pleasures of the soul. Their emotions and appetites no longer provide a strong impetus toward vice, making the Philosophers moderate in character. Courage also considered as an important characteristic, is defined as the power to preserve through everything its belief abo ut what things are to be feared (429-c). Since the Philosopher devotes his being to understanding the essence of universal truth, he does not consider individual human life as a priority, making him fearless of death. Even though, the Philosopher possesses all the needed virtues, Socrates fails to explain how such a special ruler will be able to relate with the common folk. A person of such immense talent would most likely be needed in other parts of the state as well, but according to Plato, he should be given the power to rule, erasing all possibilities of a Philosophers individual choice to devote his life to a different task. And while the Philosopher is portrayed as a perfect leader for the state nationally, there is no mention of why he would be so attached to the state or how international affairs would be handled. Lastly, one cant help but worry that despite having a philosophical nature and possessing all needed virtues, there is no guarantee that a philosopher would not become corrupted, as it is hard to be a good person in a bad society. Socrates explores the nature of the guardians further to describe the different types of corruption to which the philosophic nature is susceptible. Using the analogy of the seed (human soul) and its environment, Socrates argues that, in most cases, alien soil produces noxious weeds. Sophists and spurious educators are indicted in this corruption, for they create values outside and inferior to virtue. Socrates compares their morality, which derives from the masses they serve, to the understanding and rationalization of the tempers of a mighty strong beast. His analogy of the mighty beast criticizes the majority, or mass, notion of morality. What is the opinion of most men, in fact, of the world, is almost always not the opinion or should it be said, knowledge of the philosophers. The masses are neither wise, nor temperate, nor courageous; as a result, their desires do not reflect the good, because of their lack of strenuous education. And thus, because the true philosophers must hold to a minority truth or renounce their nature, they are condemned to persecution by the multitudes the very people that need them the most. Socrates seems to create a paradox: the city cannot do without philosophy, but it can also hardly tolerate it. Antagonism between the philosophic nature and the binding pressure of the multitudes ensures that a potentially great philosopher is lost or warped. No government exists in which he may utilize fully his innate and learned gifts. Often, says Socrates, the dejected philosopher seeks refuge in solitude, contrary to a previously made point that a true leader will want to lead not for power, but for fear that somebody less competent than themselves will rule. The fact that Philosophers would give up on lawlessness around them to do work quietly alone contradicts Platos description of a rightful leader. The problem of how to ease the clash between philosophers and the majority, making it possible for philosophers to assume their rightful position as rulers is, logically enough, the next topic. Erasing the state and the manners of men to achieve a clean surface on which to sketch the new plan is Socrates first, though seemingly impossible solution (the other is the philosophical education of kings). In summation, the relationship of the philosopher of the state is one of exploration and criticism. Only by balancing the traits of reason, passion, and desire will the individual being to understand notions of the greatest good. After this understanding has been reached, he or she must attempt to share these values with the citizens of the state. Unfortunately, the people whom this philosopher is trying to educate about the greatest good are too caught up with the trials of their own lives to comprehend a society in which justice is absolute. As the ultimate fate of Socrates demonstrates,  being a philosopher is not a simple task. Generally, people are uncomfortable with trading their freedom for a world in which justice is absolute. Since the masses are not entitled to the education of the guardians, a desire to be rich, powerful or famous will prevail over the values of the philosopher. His ideals, no matter how noble, will almost always fall upon deaf ears.

Muslim Response to the Crusades

Muslim Response to the Crusades Why did it take so long to develop a  concerted Muslim response to the Crusades? TABLE OF CONTENTS (JUMP TO) Introduction Islamic Expansion and Rule Growing Discontent in the West The Crusades Conclusion Bibliography Introduction In terms of history, the actual start and reasons for the Crusades varies slightly based upon the sources being accessed as well as the point of view from which this recalling of history is based. In understanding the Crusades it is necessary to be aware that the term is broad in that it encompasses pagan Slavs, Mongols, political enemies of the Pope, Cathars, Hussites, and other groups in addition to Muslims (Riley-Smith, 1999, pp. 231-232). For the purpose of the subject of this study, which asks the question as to â€Å"Why did it take so long to develop a concerted Muslim response to the Crusades†, the Muslims will of course represent the focus. In order to set as well as understand the context, the Muslim presence in the Holy Land started with the conquest of Palestine by the Arabs during the seventh century (Boas, 2001. p. 41). For clarity, the Holy Land is referred to as a region in Palestine where the most significant Biblical events took place, with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ being the most noteworthy (Dubois and Brandt, 1956, p. 35). The Crusades are commonly thought of as a call to rescue Palestine from Moslem hands (Dubois and Brandt, 1956, p. 35), however this study will bring forth information that reveals that while the foregoing is true, it is not entirely accurate. The first effort by the West to accomplish the preceding did not occur until 1095, when Pope Urban 11 assembled a meeting of churchmen in Clemont, France as a response to messages from Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus for help (Somerville and Kuttner, 1996, p. 156) ¡. The preceding indicates that three centuries passed before the Western worl d began the marshalling of a response to the Arab conquest of Palestine. The obvious question, and one that is the purpose of this study, is what transpired during three centuries that did not prompt a Crusade response? This study shall seek to look at the events before that occupation to have a grasp of the situation in the region that preceded the Arab conquest, along with the political events for that time period as well as after. The foregoing shall be looked at to ascertain what transpired that could cause such a delay in responding to the Muslims. In understanding the religious significance of Palestine one needs to be cognizant that it was the birth place of many important prophets, such as Abraham, Lot, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus Christ (Huntington, 1911, pp. 15 – 17). The first known, or recorded inhabitants of Palestine were known as Canaanites, who were believed to have occupied the region around 300 BC (Paton, 1901, p. 98). Egypt and its Pharaohs next controlled the area through conquest for the next millennium, which successively changed to being controlled by the Hebrews from Mesopotamia, and then the Philistines, who called the country Philistia, from where it obtained its modern name (Paton, 1901, p. 189). The Philistines controlled the Canaanite town named Jerusalem and vast areas, but not the entire country, a feat they finally accomplished around 1050 BC when they defeated the Israelites (Paton, 1901, p. 201). The quest for control of the Holy Land was far from over as the Prophet Dawood, who was Israel†™s King, managed to defeat the Philistines in 995 BC, with the three different groups, the Canaanites, the Philistines, and the Israelites who all eventually assimilated over decades of living among each other (Morgan, 1958, p. 344). The foregoing unity that was established by the Hebrew tribes that called themselves the Israelites enabled them to unify the land, and establish a capital at Jerusalem (Morgan, 1958, p. 356). The religious significance â€Å"†¦for the Jews, the Christians and the Moslems †¦Ã¢â‚¬  marks the violent history of Palestine, which all these groups claimed as their Holy Land, thus setting the context for the Crusades (Popper, 1938, p. 7). Palestine continued to suffer a secession of conquests, first by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, then by the Romans who entered Jerusalem in 4 BC (Gabriel, 2003, pp. 24-36). The Roman emperor Constantine reversed the long standing persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire and legalized the religion in 313 AD thus making the Holy Land the center of pilgrimages (Pohlsander, 2004, pp. 27-35). The Byzantine rule has harsh on Jews, who could not enter Jerusalem as well as persecuting Christians that did not follow their chosen sect (Vasiliev and Ragozin, 1928, p. 271). Menashi (2004) tells us that when the Muslims conquered Palestine in the seventh century, with that event ending centuries of colonial rule by the Romans as well as religious persecution and instability. Muslim rule brought a period of safety, peace and security to a population that had suffered through many different persecutions (Menashi, 2004). Kedourie (1992, p. 12) in confirming the preceding states â€Å"Arab Muslim rulers . . . transformed an unsophisticated tribal polity into one of the most sophisticated and durable kinds of rule, that of oriental despotism, the methods and traditions of which have survived in the Muslim world to the present day†. The Muslim conquest of Palestine started a 1300-year reign that continues to this day, with the exception of the period of the Crusades. The preceding historical journey concerning the history of Palestine was conducted to provide an over view of the country and its series of conquests as well as the multi cultural religious connotations attached to Jerusalem to aid in the understanding of the region. Islamic Expansion and Rule To understand the Crusades, one must be aware of the history of Islamic rule and conquest that led to the occupation of Jerusalem. Islamic expansion started with the Prophet Mohammad that was viewed in the West as aggression, but in Islam the spread of the religion by means of war represented eliminating â€Å"†¦injustice and oppression of humanity† (understanding-islam.com, 2008). Kelsay and Johnson (1991, p. 37) tell us â€Å"The Islamic conception of legitimate war (Jihad) once it is systematically developed, is specifically tied to the idea of the unity of the Islamic state against all other non-Islamic states and the legitimacy of the caliph or imam as the single ruler of this Islamic state†. A Jihad represents an Islamic â€Å"†¦ holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels† (answers.com, 2009) with infidels defined as â€Å"†¦ an unbeliever with respect to a particular religion† (Merriam-Webster Online, 2009). The unifying efforts of Islam represented its expansion to reclaim lands occupied by infidels, which the West saw as expansionism when in fact the Muslims were taking back territory lost to Greek and Roman conquests. The Islamic culture under and after the Prophet Mohammad quickly spread from what is now known as Saudi Arabia, which in 618 BC included the Jews as allies in taking back the Middle East Region from the Byzantine Empire (Diehl and Ives, 1925, p. 121). When the Arabs captured Jerusalem, the Holy Land, they slaughtered the Christians and allowed the Jews back in (Diehl and Ives, 1925, p. 123). However, this was an Islamic city, and although the Jews were allowed to live there, which was forbidden ender Byzantine rule; they were still discriminated against severely as well as being highly regulated in property ownership, and worship (Diehl and Ives, 1925, p. 123). Christians under Muslim rule were treated as second-class citizens, and were required to worship in specific lo cations, and limited in areas they could travel (Diehl and Ives, 1925, p. 1293). The Islamic Jihad, and the successes of the Muslim armies in winning back land came at the expense of the Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire. The foregoing irked the West, but it was the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 1009 by Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah that set events in motion for the beginning formation of the Crusades (Pohlsander, 2004, p. 54). The preceding was a slow building event as the church as rebuilt by his successor, for which he was paid huge sums to enable this to be done. After the church was finished in 1043, pilgrimages were again allowed into the Holy Land, thus easing tensions, but with this came events whereby those coming to visit the new church were sometimes captured, along with members of the clergy at times being killed (Pohlsander, 2004, p. 65). Economics resulted in sanity as the Muslims came to understand that a good percentage of the wealth pouring into Jerusalem came primarily from Christians making pilgrimages, thus prompting them to stop persecutions, however this proved to be too little too late as the reputation had spread (Pohlsander, 2004, p. 65). The Arab conquests in reclaiming land lost to the West continued throughout this period, causing the Byzantine Empire to shrink under the waves of attacks from Muslims (Baynes, 1926, pp. 33.34). The Seljuk Turks inflicted most of the damage, and they had been recruited by the Arabs as mercenaries to strengthen the weakened power of the Caliph (Yale, 1958, p. 10). Their tactics closely resembled those as used by the Huns, however their methods were intensified as a result of their zeal for the Islamic religion (Yale, 1958, p. 10). The Seljuk Turks quickly become the masters of both Eastern as well as Central Asia Minor â€Å"†¦where they organized a Moslem Turkish st ate which marked the beginning of the extension of Islamic culture to the northern part of the Near East† (Yale, 1958, p. 12). â€Å"Threatened by the expansion of Turkish Moslem power to the west, the Byzantine Emperor †¦ appealed to Pope Urban II in 1094 for military aid from the West against the †¦ Turks† (Yale, 1958, p. 12). Growing Discontent in the West The weaknesses in the Byzantine Empire, and among the Islamic Caliphs, saw the Seljuk Turks increase in strength as well as control and power, with their brutal tactics causing concern throughout the region (Yale, 1958, p. 12). During this time, conditions in Europe changed as bankers and merchants sought to expand their economic horizons to Asia Minor (Yale, 1958, p. 12). The preceding view was brought forth by the lessening monetary opportunities in Europe where the economic foundations remained as basically a feudal system (Yale, 1958, p. 12). The foundation of power and wealth meant that the agriculture production was very limited, falling short of what was needed to supply the increasingly larger cities and towns, whose industry as well as commerce were not developed to any degree (Yale, 1958, p. 12). The economics of the times fed political unrest, along with social discontent â€Å"†¦among the nobles, the peasants, and the townsmen† (Yale, 1958, p. 12). The combina tion of economic limitations and the growing political climate forged an atmosphere whereby the â€Å"†¦psychological forces, aroused by the rivalry between Mohammedanism and Christianity, supplied the emotional and ideological drive for the Crusades† (Yale, 1958, p. 12). The message of Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus to Pope Urban 11 in 1095 asking for help for his crumbling empire in 1095 resulted in the start of the Crusades (Somerville and Kuttner, 1996, p. 156). The message of appeal was answered resoundingly, thus marking the beginning of the Crusades which was not a call to arms to regain the Holy Land from the Arabs, who had held it for three centuries with no armed response from the West, but rather as a defensive war to halt the incursions of the Arabs that were crumbling the remains of the Byzantine Empire (Madden, 2002). The foundation for the preceding rested in the Arab mission (Jihad) to reclaim their lands, with the inner workings of their empire being peaceful, successful, and enlightened (Madden, 2002) The brutal start of their Jihad softened internally, thus rule inside the recaptured territories was peaceful. But, as Madden (2002) advises, â€Å"While Muslims can be peaceful, Islam was born in war and grew the same way†, with the Islamic expansion fueled by the sword. There is an interesting as well as important understanding concerning Islam that explains the foregoing seeming contrasts. â€Å"Muslim thought divides the world into two spheres, the Abode of Islam and the Abode of War† (Madden, 2002). Thus, Jews and Christians â€Å"†¦can be tolerated within a Muslim state under Muslim rule†, however under traditional Islam â€Å"Christian and Jewish states must be destroyed and their lands conquered† (Madden, 2002). Thus, the regaining of the Holy Land was not enough, and this fueled the response from to Pope Urban 11 in 1095. The Crusades The success of the Islamic conquests, as opposed to their capturing the Holy Lands, looms as the reason for Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus’ plea to Pope Urban 11. While the response to the call to arms was tremendous, the mounting of any actual response represented another matter. Conducting a crusade was not an inexpensive manner. It called for armor, swords, provisions, men, horses and leaders, commodities that could not be marshaled overnight. The idea of standing armies, which is a modern day concept, did not exist then. The feudal system that was in place at the time consisted of the King, who owned all of the land and parceled out segments to his supporters who pledged their loyalty to him (Lamonte, 1949, p. 119). This left the nobles, barons as well as bishops who in return for their holdings provided the king with a determined number of knights and money, advice and locations to stay while traveling (Lamonte, 1949, p. 119). A further division in this system provide d for the lords who in return for the king’s favour provided a knight to the king, and were supplied manors to oversee their parcels of land that were divided among villeins who worked the land for the lord, as well as serfs who had no possessions and simply worked to survive (Lamonte, 1949, p. 119). The preceding provides the basic structure of the feudal system that in essence rested on the villeins and serfs to derive wealth from the land to support the lord, and noblemen, who all in turn contributed to the king (Lamonte, 1949, p. 119). In order to raise an army, the nobles and lords had to marshal their own resources, along with the king, and contribute their own personal wealth to the venture, a sizeable undertaking. The Crusades were not a campaign whereby the Kings and nobles would receive wealth from participating, although there was wealth to be had, it represented a war to stem the tide of Islamic advance, with the Holy Lands as the eventual prize. Historically, the preceding holds up under scrutiny, as few kings and or nobles profited from the Crusades (Strayer, 1955, p. 160). Thus, after the decision come to the aid of Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus, the first Crusade began in 1095 (Chazan, 1996, p. 107). This first Crusade was ill fated as the Western army was no t prepared and employed a poorly equipped, organised and led rabble of men that was headed by Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless (Chazan, 1996, pp. 18-21). The second army was organised and successfully captured Jerusalem in 1999, with different armies departing from different locales, owing to the manner in which the indicated feudal system works, and the difficulties in massing a concerned army and staging points as is the case in modern warfare (Chazan, 1996, p. 67-69). Conclusion This study has set out to examine the various factors involved with the Crusades, delving deeper than traditional historical accounts to uncover the factors involved. In equating as to why the response to the Muslim takeover of the Holy Lands took so long, there are two parts to that query. One is represented by the three centuries from the Muslim conquest of the Holy Land in the 7th century, to Pope Urban II plea from the Byzantine Emperor, with the other represented by the time it took to marshal forces under the feudal system to mount campaigns. The traditional view that most individuals have of the Crusades differs from the historical account shown herein, with the noteworthy fact that the Holy land represented and still does represent an important religious site for Arabs, Jews and Christians. The fact that the conquest of the Byzantine hold on the Holy Lands by the Muslims still permitted, although it was limited, pilgrimages by Jews and Christians, the West did not engage in retaking the land. This is important as the trumpeted call to recapture the Holy Lands in 1095 was in fact in response to a crumbling empire, as opposed to retaking the city itself, which however was held out as the torch to marshal the masses. The second aspect of the Crusades, in terms of massing a response, had to do with the feudal system in place in Europe, and the complexities in organizing troops. The event was piecemeal at first, taking three years to bring together an effective force that eventually conquered the Holy land in 1099, fully five years after the Byzantine plea. Evidence of the futility of efforts is presented by the following account of the siege at Damascus in 1148 where Forey (1984) counters the claim that there was a payment made to end the siege, thus resulting in its failure. He states that military failure represented the cause (Forey, 1984). The importance of the preceding is that the siege at Damascus represented a significant event in that the massive collection of men, estimated as 50,000, that participated in a four day siege in 1148 concluded in a decisive defeat that effectively ended the Second Crusade (Gabrieli, 1989, p. 56-59). Hillenbrand (1999, p. xlviii) tells us that the popular ver sions of the Crusades indicated Muslim victories occurred as a result of superior armies pitted against much smaller Crusader forces that had been further weakened by disease, or some other woe. He adds that almost all Muslim accomplishments are dismissed, demeaned, and or suppressed (Hillenbrand, 1999, p. xlviii). In providing evidence for his analysis, Hillenbrand (1999, p. xlviii) tells us about the 1260 Muslim victory at Ain Jalut 1999, p. xlviii), ‘On 19 February 1258: the Mongols sacked Baghdad and killed the Abbasid Caliph, and on 3 September 1260, at the Battle of Ayn Jalut, the Mamluks defeated a depleted Mongol army.’ The point being raised is that in many instances, if not most, our vision and understanding of the Crusades have been distorted by what we have been taught as well as romantic accounts as brought forth in movies and other media. The Arabs were a formidable foe, whose religion provided a basis for expanding their territory, and the recapture of land taken by the Greeks, and then the Romans. The limited wealth that the Holy Land generated did not make it a priority for Medieval Europe as it was for the Greeks and Romans, thus the Arab conquest in the seventh century was not viewed as a cause for a response. When the Byzantine Empire was under danger of collapse that represented a rallying point under religious reasons for the Crusades, which cannot be viewed as or called a triumph. The West’s response was slow due to their economic system and diversity under the rule of Kings, whereas the Arab world was united under their religion. In hindsight, the later proved to be the more valuable foundation. Bibliography answers.com (2009) jihad. Retrieved on 12 January 2009 from http://www.answers.com/topic/jihad Baynes, N. (1925) The Byzantine Empire. Henry Holt Publishers. New York, New York, United States Boas, A. (2001) Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades: Society, Landscape, and Art in the Holy City under Frankish Rule. Routledge, London, United Kingdom Chazan, R. (1996) In the Year 1096: The First Crusade and the Jews. Jewish Publication Society. Philadelphia, PA, United States Diehl, C., Ives. G. (1925) History of the Byzantine Empire. Princeton University Press. Princeton, N.J., United States Dubois, P., Brandt, W. (1956. The Recovery of the Holy Land. Columbia University Press. New York, New York, United States Forey, A. (1984) The failure of the siege at Damascus 1148. Vol. 10. Journal of Medieval History Gabriel, R. (2003) The Military History of Ancient Israel. Praeger Publishers. Westport, CT., United States Gabrieli, F. (1989) Arab Historians of the Crusades. Doset Press. New York, New York, United States Hillenbrand, C. (1999) The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh, United Kingdom Huntington, E. (1911) Palestine and Its Transformation. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, United States Kedourie, E. (1992) Politics in the Middle East. Oxford University Press. Oxford, United Kingdom Kelsay, J., Johnson (1991) Just War and Jihad: Historical and Theoretical Perspectives on War and Peace in Western and Islamic Traditions. Greenwood Press. New York, New York, United States Lamonte, J. (1949) The World of the Middle Ages: A Reorientation of Medieval History. Appleton, Century and Crofts. New York, New York, United States Madden, 2002) The Real History of the Crusades. Retrieved on 13 January 2009 from http://www.thearma.org/essays/Crusades.htm Menashi, S. (2004) Conflicts Religious and Secular. Vol. 126. Policy Review. Hoover Institution Merriam-Webster Online (2009) infidel. Retrieved on 12 January 2009 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infidel Morgan, K. (1958) Islam- The Straight Path: Islam Interpreted by Muslims. Ronald Press. New York, New York, United States Paton, L. (1901) The Early History of Syria and Palestine. Charles Scribner and Sons. New York, New York, United States Pohlsander, H. (2004) The Emperor Constantine. Routledge. London, United Kingdom Popper, D. (1938) The Puzzle of Palestine. Foreign Policy Association. New York, New York, United States Riley-Smith, J. (1999) The Oxford History of the Crusades. Oxford University. London, United Kingdom Somerville, R., Kuttner, S. (1996) Pope Urban II, the Collectio Britannica and the Council of Melfi (1089). Clarendon Press, London, United Kingdom. understanding-islam.com (2008) The Initial Spread of Islam and the Law of Jihad. Retrieved on 11 January 2009 from http://www.understanding-islam.com/ri/mi-093.htm Vasiliev, A., Ragozin, S. (1928) History of the Byzantine Empire: From Constantine the Great to the Epoch of the Crusades Vol. 1. University of Wisconsin. Madison, WI, United States Yale, W. (1958) The Near East: A Modern History. University of Michigan Press. Ann Arbor Michigan, United States

Jack Merridews Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research

Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect. Jack Merridew's Decline in Lord of the Flies Essay -- essays research Civilization is the force that keeps us all in line. We are taught from an early age that if we break a rule, we are punished. Why? Because that’s how society works. What would happen, though, if we took away society, civilization, and punishment. Would we keep up the rules that had been etched into us since birth and keep living in a civilized manner? In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores this scenario. In his opinion, a person would abandon all ideas of society and revert into a savage, relying on primal instincts to survive. The main character that goes through this is Jack. Throughout the book, Jack goes from being a civilized choir boy to a savage tyrant. In the beginning of the book a plane crashes onto an island and the only survivors are a group of boys in a school choir. Enter Jack: the leader of a small group of choir boys. They call a meeting and decide how things will be run and decide on the rules. Jack seems for them, saying â€Å"We’ll have rules!...Lots of rules and then when anyone breaks ‘em-â€Å"(33). They then vote on a leader. The candidates are Jack and Ralph, and Ralph won. Although he isn’t happy about it, Jack accepts his loss, and decides to try his hand at exploring. While exploring with Ralph and Simon, Jack comes across a wild pig. He draws his knife in order to kill it but finds that he can’t. Something deep inside him says that it’s wrong to kill, â€Å"They knew very well why he hadn’t: because of the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh, because of the unbearable blood†. In his moment of hesitation the pig runs off, and he puts aw ay the knife. Civilization won this time. Even though his choir group is supposed to be watching the fire and making sure it’s lit, Jack takes ... ... of calls to communicate. He has complete power over the tribe, bending them to his will. He’s become a dictator, savage and brutal. Rules no longer apply to Jack because he’s forgotten the society he comes from. All he cares about now is killing Ralph to take revenge. In his mind, killing is a totally acceptable thing to do. Jack has lost all reason. His plan to kill Jack fails though, when an unexpected rescuer shows up. It is unknown if Jack ever regains his civilized self. It seems unlikely though, given how he is at this point. Civilization is the thing that keeps us in line. We have a system of checks and balances to make sure everyone behaves. If someone does something we believe to be morally wrong the person is punished. Take away civilization and society will go to ruin. People will revert back to their primal selves. Going on instinct and not intellect.

Graduation Speech: Are We There Yet? -- Graduation Speech, Commencemen

Are we there yet? I have asked this question many times on road trips, only to hear the answer, "It's only one more mile, I promise." Of course, our destination was never just one more mile. It seemed as though we would never reach our destination. The one idea I neglected by asking the question, "Are we there yet?" is the notion that it's not the destination that is important, but the journey itself. We are part of a journey that has been progressing since the beginning of time. However, we as a society always seem to be looking past the present to some climactic end -- the finish line, the future, when in reality, there is no finish line. Society always looks to the future for the answers to today's problems, believing that the future holds something exciting that the present lacks. This is not the way we should be thinking! We should be asking ourselves, "What finish line are we hoping to arrive to?" Or better yet, "Do we want to arrive at a finish line at all?" Seriously, did we ever hope for Cameron McLaughlin to reach the end of his experimentation with his clothes? I mys...

The Heros Journey in Cameron Crowes Film Almost Famous Essay

The Hero's Journey in Cameron Crowe's Film â€Å"Almost Famous†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost Famous (2000) is a dramatization of writer/director Cameron Crowe’s real-life experiences as a teenage rock reporter for Rolling Stone. Based on thinly-veiled autobiographical material from the precocious beginnings of Crowe’s early career, the screenplay shapes sentimental memories into movie magic. But how did Crowe give his own coming-of-age tale such universal appeal? A closer look reveals that Almost Famous, like most films worth their salt, is yet another incarnation of the greatest and only mythological adventure, â€Å"The Hero’s Journey.† This relationship can be explained using the framework of Joseph Campbell’s phenomenal book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, along with certain terms and interpretations from The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. William Miller, our unlikely hero, lives at home with his protective mother Elaine and rebellious older sister, Anita. His ORDINARY WORLD is the sheltered existence of a San Diego junior high school student. When Anita has a fight with her mother and decides to leave home to become a stewardess, her parting words to William make her the HERALD of his adventures to come. With the car packed and running, Anita takes hold of William on the front lawn, looks him dead in the eye and says: â€Å"One day, you’ll be cool.† Under his bed, the stack of albums she has left for him includes the Who’s Tommy, with a note taped to it. â€Å"Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future,† it reads prophetically. And so it was written. Rock music is about to change William forever. In the next scene, we are introduced to an older William—now fifteen and in high school—obsessively scratching band names into his notebook during class. It is time for the appearance of his SUPERNATURAL AID â€Å"to supply the amulets and advice that the hero will require.† (Campbell 72) William goes to meet the famous rock critic, Lester Bangs, who is being interviewed at a local radio station. Over lunch, Lester initiates his role as MENTOR to the aspiring young journalist, warning him against making friends with the rock stars lest he lose his objectivity to write about them. â€Å"You have to build your reputation on being honest†¦ and unmerciful,† he says repeatedly. Seeing that William is serious about his quest, Lester offers him a bona fide writing ass... ...to try to get back together with her, she tricks him into showing up on William’s doorstep instead. The two finally sit down to an interview together and we discover that Russell has called and come clean to the editors of Rolling Stone about the truth of William’s story. The film’s climax is thus resolved as its closing shot depicts a bundle of bound Rolling Stone magazines landing on the pavement with a thud. Almost Famous tells the story of an uncommon adolescence, too unusual for audiences to relate to on a personal level, yet with a common resonance that speaks to millions. This effect can’t have been achieved on accident. Far from just a haphazard reminiscence, the screenplay succeeds by arranging its elements along the symbolism of our collective consciousness. Therefore, using the outline of â€Å"The Hero’s Journey† as the basis for analysis, we see how Almost Famous has also been wrought from the power of this infinite myth. Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 2nd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968. Vogler, Christopher. The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. 2nd ed. Studio City: Michael Weise Productions, 1998.

World Ciz Essay Chapter One

Agriculture Agriculture was discovered by a coincidence of a discarded trash which carried seeds that later was discovered of a type plant which protruded from the ground the trash was thrown. The chapter mentions that it was probably a woman that threw away the trash and later discovered the miracle of the plant that grew from the seed days later. It was from this discovery that later fuel the thought of agriculture, which eventually reached many parts of the world throughout the coming years.Agriculture not only grew In size, but many advances from this trade were discovered and used not only to Improve and Increase the size of growing food from seeds, but It lead to other avenues of engineering. However, In any type of new discovery and advances, there are disadvantages and challenges encountered. Different tribes throughout the different countries overcame many of these challenges, but there were those that had to change their approach or relocate.Some of the major transformation s and advances explored were: the ability for seeds to reproduce into plants and food, which these fields had to be attended to in order o maintain fertility, this in turn lead to settlements and the concept of owning property, then other new technologies were developed to fulfill new needs such as storage containers and tools for processing and cultivating food. Throughout the world agriculture lead people to permanent settlements, while Increasing the crop and creating food surpluses.The community of people soon discovered that they storage such as pottery for storing food harvested, metal workers who also had specialized roles. The advances that lead from the discovery of agriculture lead to people not going angry and people were able to settle on a certain property for a period of time. Some culture discovered different systems to cultivate their crops and fields, which lead to provide important nutrients that created better crops. One of these systems mentioned were the â€Å" three sister†.This discovery allowed three types of crops to grown within the same field, which the roots of each plant in turn, produced nutrients for the maize seeds. This type system is known to put together to make a nutritionally complete meal. Also, with the discovery of other tools, homes and better helter were made for families to settle and live in order to attend to the fields and harvest their crops. This assisted the community in better living conditions and in turn created what was known as the first towns.The consequences of this advancement negatively was that farming was no more secure than hunter-gatherer Jobs plus had a heavier workload. Due to the environmental wear and tear of their bodies, as well as their diets were not diverse they suffered from a lot of diseases which lead to them dying at young ages. The positive consequences of farming would be people began to learnt how to take better are of themselves by producing vast amounts of food from plants an d it was at a comfortable range of their reach.Also, the people around them develop other ways in nutrition and tools with led to a more developed society. The challenge humans faced due to agriculture development would be sharing the land fairly and evenly. Sometimes a farmer would see how another farmer is able to grow more fruit or vegetables or possible wheat, and eventually they would want to take part of that land so they themselves will be able to grow better food. With the development of government in place humans were able to overcome this a be more organized with what land people owned and also divide it fairly.In conclusion, agriculture has definitely had an important role in society development. Without it who knows how long it would have taken for governments and other guidelines that are in placed today which have created the foundation for things such as law and order. As mentioned, of course development of anything came with challenges which people had to become more diverse in their way of thinking in order to overcome these challenges. With such diversity comes both positive and negative results.

Fool Chapter 7

SEVEN A BROTHER TRAITOR Am I to be forever alone? The anchoress told me it might be so, trying to comfort me when I felt pushed aside by the sisters of Dog Snogging. â€Å"You're gifted with wit, Pocket, but to cast jibe and jest you must stand separate from the target of your barbs. I fear you may become a lonely man, even in the company of others.† Perhaps she was right. Perhaps it is why I am such an accomplished horn-beast and eloquent crafter of cuckoldry. I seek only succor and solace beneath the skirts of the soft and understanding. And so, sleepless, did I make my way to the great hall to find some comfort among the castle wenches who slept there. The fire still blazed, logs the size of oxen set in before bed. My sweet Squeak, who had oft opened her heart and whatnot to a wayfaring fool, had fallen asleep in the arms of her husband, who spooned her mercilessly as he snored. Shanker Mary was not to be seen, no doubt servicing the bastard Edmund somewhere, and my other standard lovelies had fallen into slumber in proximity too close to husbands or fathers to admit a lonely fool. Ah, but the new girl, just in the kitchen a fortnight, called Tess or Kate or possibly Fiona. Her hair was jet and shone like oiled iron; milky skin, cheeks brushed by a rose – she smiled at my japes and had given Drool an apple without his asking. I am relatively sure that I adored her. I tiptoed across the rushes that lined the floor (I had left Jones in my chamber, his hat bells no help in securing stealthy romance), lay down beside her, and introduced my personage to the nether of her blanket. An affectionate nudge at the hip woke her. â€Å"Hello,† said she. â€Å"Hello,† said I. â€Å"Not a papist, are you, love?† â€Å"Christ, no, Druid born and raised.† â€Å"Thank God.† â€Å"What are you doing under my blanket?† â€Å"Warming up. I'm terribly cold.† â€Å"No you're not.† â€Å"Brrrr. Freezing.† â€Å"It's hot in here.† â€Å"All right, then. I'm just being friendly.† â€Å"Would you stop prodding me with that?† â€Å"Sorry, it does that when it's lonely. Perhaps if you petted it.† Then, praised be the merciful goddess of the wood, she petted it, tentatively, almost reverentially at first, as if she sensed how much joy it could bring to all who came in contact with it. An adaptable lass, not given to fits of hysteria or modesty – and soon a gentle surety in her grip that betrayed some experience in the handling of manly bits – simply lovely she was. â€Å"I thought it would have a little hat, with bells.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, given a private place to change, I'm sure that can be arranged. Under your skirt, perhaps. Roll to the side, love, we'll be less obvious if we keep the cuddle on a lateral plane.† I popped her bosoms out of her frock, then, freed the roly-poly pink-nosed puppies to the firelight and the friendly ministries of this master juggler, and thought to burble my cheeks softly between them, when the ghost appeared. The spirit was more substantial now, features describing what must have been a most comely creature before she was shuffled off to the undiscovered country, no doubt by a close relative weary of her irritating nature. She floated above the sleeping form of the cook Bubble, rising and falling on the draft of her snores. â€Å"Sorry to haunt you while you're rogering the help,† said the ghost. â€Å"The rogering has not commenced, wisp, I have barely bridled the horse for a moist and bawdy ride. Now, go away.† â€Å"Right, then. Sorry to have interrupted your attempted rogering.† â€Å"Are you calling me a horse?† asked Possibly Fiona. â€Å"Not at all, love, you pet the little jester and I'll attend to the haunting.† â€Å"There's always a bloody ghost about, ain't there?† commented Possibly, a squeeze on my knob for emphasis. â€Å"When you live in a keep where blood runs blue and murder is the favored sport, yes,† said the ghost. â€Å"Oh do fuck off,† said I. â€Å"Thou visible stench, thou steaming aggravation, thou vaporous nag! I'm wretched, sad, and lonely, and trying to raise a modicum of comfort and forgetting here in the arms of, uh – â€Å" â€Å"Kate,† said Possibly Fiona. â€Å"Really?† She nodded. â€Å"Not Fiona?† â€Å"Kate since the day me da tied me belly cord to a tree.† â€Å"Well, bugger. Sorry. Pocket here, called the Black Fool, charmed I'm sure. Shall I kiss your hand?† â€Å"Double-jointed, then, are ye?† said Kate, a tickle to my tackle making her point. â€Å"Bloody hell, would you two shut up?† said the ghost. â€Å"I'm haunting over here.† â€Å"Go on,† said we. The ghost boosted her bosom and cleared her throat, expecto-rating a tiny ghost frog that evaporated in the firelight with a hiss, then said: â€Å"When a second sibling's base derision, Proffers lies that cloud the vision, And severs ties that families bind, Shall a madman rise to lead the blind.† â€Å"What?† said the former Fiona. â€Å"What?† said I. â€Å"Prophecy of doom, innit?† said the ghost. â€Å"Spot o' the old riddly foreshadowing from beyond, don't you know?† â€Å"Can't kill her again, can we?† asked faux Fiona. â€Å"Gentle spook,† said I. â€Å"If it is a warning you bring, state it true. If action you require, ask outright. If music you must make, play on. But by the wine-stained balls of Bacchus, speak your bloody business, quick and clear, then be gone, before time's iron tongue licks away my mercy bonk with second thoughts.† â€Å"You are the haunted one, fool. It's your business I do. What do you want?† â€Å"I want you to go away, I want Fiona to come along quietly, and I want Cordelia, Drool, and Taster back – now, can you tell me how to make those things come about? Can you, you yammering flurry of fumes?† â€Å"It can be done,† said the ghost. â€Å"Your answer lies with the witches of Great Birnam Wood.† â€Å"Or you could just fucking tell me,† said I. â€Å"Nooooo,† sang the ghost, all ghosty and ethereal, and with that she faded away. â€Å"Leaves a chill when she goes, don't she?† said formerly Fiona. â€Å"Appears to have softened your resolve, if you don't mind my sayin'.† â€Å"The ghost saved my life last evening,† said I, trying to will life back into the wan and withered. â€Å"Kilt the little one, though, didn't she? Back to your bed, fool, the king's leaving on the morrow and there's a wicked lot of work to do in the morning to prepare for his trip.† Sadly, I tucked away my tackle and sulked back to the portislodge to pack my kit for my final journey from the White Tower. Well, I won't miss the bloody trumpets at dawn, I can tell you that. And sod the bloody drawbridge chains rattling in my apartment before the cock crows. We might have been going to war for all the racket and goings-on at first light. Through the arrow loop I could see Cordelia riding out with France and Burgundy, standing in the stirrups like a man, like she was off to the hunt, rather than leaving her ancestral home forever. To her credit, she did not look back, and I did not wave to her, even after she crossed the river and rode out of sight. Drool was not so fickle, and as he was led out of the castle by a rope round his neck, he kept stopping and looking back, until the man at arms to whom he was tethered would yank him back into step. I could not bear to let him see me, so I did not go out onto the wall. Instead I slunk back to my pallet and lay there, my forehead pressed to the cold stone wall, listening as the rest of the royals and their retinues clomped across the drawbridge below. Sod Lear, sod the royals, sod the bloody White Tower. All I loved was gone or soon to be left behind, and all that I owned was packed in a knapsack and hung on my hook, Jones sticking out the top, mocking me with his puppety grin. Then, a knock at my door. Like dragging myself from the grave, was making my way to open it. There she stood, fresh and lovely, holding a basket. â€Å"Fiona!† â€Å"Kate,† said Fiona. â€Å"Aye, your stubbornness suits you, even in daylight.† â€Å"Bubble sends her sympathies over Taster and Drool, and sends you these sweet cakes and milk for your comfort, but says to be sure and remind you to not leave the castle without saying your farewells, and further that you are a cur, a rascal, and a scurvy patch.† â€Å"Ah, sweet Bubble, when kindness shagged an ogre, thus was she sired.† â€Å"And I'm here to offer comfort myself, finishing what was started in the great hall last night. Squeak says to ask you about a small chap in a canoe.† â€Å"My my, Fi, bit of a tart, aren't we?† â€Å"Druish, love. My people burn a virgin every autumn – one can't be too careful.† â€Å"Well, all right, but I'm forlorn and I shan't enjoy it.† â€Å"In that we shall suffer together. Onward! Off with your kit, fool!† What is it about me that brings out the tyrant in women, I wonder? â€Å"The next morning† stretched into a week of preparation for departure from the White Tower. When Lear pronounced that he would be accompanied by one hundred knights it was not as if one hundred men could mount up and ride out of the gates at sunrise. Each knight – the unlanded second or third son of a noble – would have at least one squire, a page, usually a man to tend his horses, and sometimes a man at arms. Each had at least one warhorse, a massive armored beast, and two, sometimes three animals to carry his armor, weapons, and supplies. And Albany was three weeks' journey to the north, near Aberdeen; with the slow pace set by the old king and so many on foot we'd need a crashing assload of supplies. By the end of the week our column numbered over five hundred men and boys, and nearly as many horses. We would have needed a wagon full of coin to pay everyone if Lear had not conscripted Albany and Cornwall to maintain his knights. I watched Lear pass under the portislodge at the head of the column before going downstairs and climbing on my own mount, a short, swayback mare named Rose. â€Å"Mud shall not sully my Black Fool's motley, lest it dull his wit as well,† said Lear, the day he presented the horse. I did not own the horse, of course. She belonged to the king – or now his daughters, I suppose. I fell in at the end of the column behind Hunter, who was accompanied by a long train of hounds and a wagon with a cage built on it, which held eight of the royal falcons. â€Å"We'll be raiding farms before we get to Leeds,† said Hunter, a stout, leather-clad man, thirty winters on his back. â€Å"I can't feed this lot – and they've not enough stowed to last them a week.† â€Å"Cry calamity if you will, Hunter, but I'm the one to keep them in good spirits when their bellies are empty.† â€Å"Aye, I've no envy for you, fool. Is that why you ride back here with we catch-farts and not at the king's side?† â€Å"Just drawing plans for a bawdy song at supper without the clank of armor in my ear, good Hunter.† I wanted to tell Hunter that I was not overburdened by my duties, but by my disdain for the senile king who had sent my princess away. And I wanted time to ponder the ghost's warnings. The bit about daughters three and the king becoming a fool had come to pass, or at least was in the way of it. So the girl ghost had predicted the â€Å"grave offense† to â€Å"daughter's three† even if all the daughters had not seen the offense yet – when Lear arrived at Albany with this rowdy retinue, offense would soon follow. But what of this: â€Å"When a second sibling's base derision, proffers lies that cloud the vision†? Did it mean the second daughter? Regan? What did it matter if her lies clouded Lear's vision? The king was nearly blind as it was, his eyes milky with cataract – I'd taken to describing my pantomimes as I performed them so the old man would not miss the joke. And with no power, what tie could be severed that would make a difference now? A war between the two dukes? None of it about me, why do I care? Why then would the ghost appear to this most irrelevant and powerless fool? I puzzled it, and fell far behind the column, and when I stopped to have a wee, was accosted by a brigand. He came up from behind a fallen tree, a great bear of a fiend, his beard matted and befouled with food and burrs, a maelstrom of grey hair flying about under a wide-brimmed black hat. I may have screamed in surprise, and a less educated ear might have likened my shriek to that of a little girl, but be assured it was most manly and more for the fair warning of my attacker, for next I knew I had pulled a dagger from the small of my back and sent it flying. His miserable life was saved only by my slight miscalculation of his distance – the butt of my blade bounced off his behatted noggin with a thud. â€Å"Ouch! Fuck's sake, fool. What is wrong with you?† â€Å"Hold fast, knave,† said I. â€Å"I've two more blades at the ready, and these I'll send pointy end first – the quality of my mercy having been strained and my ire aroused by having peed somewhat upon my shoes.† I believed it a serviceable threat. â€Å"Hold your blades, Pocket. I mean you no harm,† came the voice under the hat brim. Then, â€Å"Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn.†[22] I wound up to send my second dagger to the scoundrel's heart, â€Å"You may know my name, but that gargling with catsick that you're doing will not stop me from dropping you where you stand.† â€Å"Ydych chi'n cymryd cerdynnau credid?†[23] said the highwayman, no doubt trying to frighten me further, his consonants chained like anal beads strung out of hell's own bunghole. â€Å"I may be small, but I'm not a child to be afraid of a pretended demon speaking in tongues. I'm a lapsed Christian and a pagan of convenience. The worst I can do on my conscience is cut your throat and ask the forest to count it as a sacrifice come the Yule, so cease your nonsense and tell me how you know my name.† â€Å"It's not nonsense, it's Welsh,† said the brigand. He folded back the brim of his hat and winked. â€Å"What say you save your wicked sting for an enemy true? It's me, Kent. In disguise.† Indeed, it was, the king's old banished friend – all of his royal trappings but his sword gone – he looked like he'd slept in the woods the week since I'd last seen him. â€Å"Kent, what are you doing here? You're as good as dead if the king sees you. I thought you'd be in France by now.† â€Å"I've no place to go – my lands and title are forfeit, what family I have would risk their own lives to take me in. I have served Lear these forty years, I am loyal, and I know nothing else. My thought is to affect accents and hide my face until he has a change of heart.† â€Å"Is loyalty a virtue when paid to virtue's stranger? I think not. Lear has misused you. You are mad, or stupid, or you lust for the grave, but there is no place for you, good greybeard, in the company of the king.† â€Å"And there is for you? Or did I not see you restrained and dragged from the hall for that same offense: truth told boldly? Don't preach virtue to me, fool. One voice can, without fear, call the king on his folly, and here he stands, piss-shoed, two leagues back from the train.† Fuckstockings, truth is a surly shrew sometimes! He was right, of course, loudmouthed old bull. â€Å"Have you eaten?† â€Å"Not for three days.† I went to my horse and dug into my satchel for some hard cheese and an apple I had left from Bubble's farewell gift. I gave them to Kent. â€Å"Come not too soon,† said I. â€Å"Lear still fumes about Cordelia's honest offense and your supposed treason. Follow behind to Albany's castle. I'll have Hunter leave a rabbit or a duck beside the road for you every day. Do you have flint and steel?† â€Å"Aye, and tinder.† I found the stub of a candle in the bottom of my bag and handed it to the old knight. â€Å"Burn this and catch the soot upon your sword, then rub the black into your beard. Cut your hair short and blacken it, too. Lear can't see clearly more than a few feet away, so keep your distance. And carry on with that ghastly Welsh accent.† â€Å"Perhaps I'll fool the old man, but what of the others?† â€Å"No righteous man thinks you a traitor, Kent, but I don't know all of these knights, nor which might reveal you to the king. Just stay out of sight and by the time we reach Albany's castle I'll have flushed out any knave who might betray your cause.† â€Å"You're a good lad, Pocket. If I've shown you disrespect in the past, I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't grovel, Kent, it doesn't wear well on the aged. A swift sword and a strong shield are allies I can well use with scoundrels and traitors weaving intrigue about like the venomous spider-whore of Killarney.† â€Å"Spider-whore of Killarney? I've never heard of her?† â€Å"Aye, well, sit on that downed tree and eat your lunch. I'll spin the tale for you like it was web from her own bloody bum.† â€Å"You'll fall behind the column.† â€Å"Sod the column, that tottering old tosspot so slows them they'll be leaving a snail trail soon. Sit and listen, greybeard. By the way have you ever heard of Great Birnam Wood?† â€Å"Aye, it's not two miles from Albany.† â€Å"Really? How do you feel about witches?†

Immigration Essay

Annie Moore the 1st immigrant to ever go through Ellis Island back when it was first opened. After being accepted and given the right to stay and live in the United States she stayed in New York where there was a large hub of Irish immigrants just as herself. After being the first of many to go through the gates at Ellis Island. Supposedly there were around 4 million other Irish folks who left their shores in Ireland to New York. So when she arrived at 1 7 years of age with her brothers Anthony and Philip and her went looking for their parents who were already here at the time.As she spent more time living there she became more and more American and at one point a citizen. After the 19th Amendment was ratified she was then allowed to vote. All of the women of the United States couldn't be happier, they were finally given what they had fought for, for a very long time. Alcohol and its abolition was a very important matter at the time. People were all debating whether to get rid of it or too keep it. She then later campaigned for the abolition of alcohol because she was now able to vote she decided to make her vote count and voted for the abolition of alcohol and it later was abolished.The problem was that since people still wanted it badly a black market for it began and it was the beginning of organized crime. Later as she grew older she got married and the city at the time was very overcrowded and the living conditions weren't the greatest but they had to cope with it because there was no where else they could live. Also working in the factory that was located on the other side of town she had to travel a lot to work everyday. Not only that but the conditions of work were horrid. The employers didn't care about their well-being just about the job being done. Immigration Essay Annie Moore the 1st immigrant to ever go through Ellis Island back when it was first opened. After being accepted and given the right to stay and live in the United States she stayed in New York where there was a large hub of Irish immigrants just as herself. After being the first of many to go through the gates at Ellis Island. Supposedly there were around 4 million other Irish folks who left their shores in Ireland to New York. So when she arrived at 1 7 years of age with her brothers Anthony and Philip and her went looking for their parents who were already here at the time.As she spent more time living there she became more and more American and at one point a citizen. After the 19th Amendment was ratified she was then allowed to vote. All of the women of the United States couldn't be happier, they were finally given what they had fought for, for a very long time. Alcohol and its abolition was a very important matter at the time. People were all debating whether to get rid of it or too keep it. She then later campaigned for the abolition of alcohol because she was now able to vote she decided to make her vote count and voted for the abolition of alcohol and it later was abolished.The problem was that since people still wanted it badly a black market for it began and it was the beginning of organized crime. Later as she grew older she got married and the city at the time was very overcrowded and the living conditions weren't the greatest but they had to cope with it because there was no where else they could live. Also working in the factory that was located on the other side of town she had to travel a lot to work everyday. Not only that but the conditions of work were horrid. The employers didn't care about their well-being just about the job being done.

Economics Sba Essay

Title: An analysis into the involvement of adults in the financial sector. Purpose of Investigation The purposes of this research are: 1. To identify the association of adults with the formal sector of Tobago. 2. To determine the involvement of adults in the informal sector of Tobago. 3. To determine the factors affecting the involvement of adults in the financial sector. Methods of Investigations The primary source of information used in this project is: 1. Questionnaire. Thirty-one questionnaires were distributed to residents of Canaan. All the persons responding were eighteen and over. Limitations Faced Some limitations faced are: * Villagers misunderstanding some of the questions. * Villagers not taking the questionnaire seriously. * Locating responders to retrieve questionnaires was difficult since they were not known personally. Presentation of Data Factors Affecting Choice in Stock Market Frequency of Use of Stock Market Service Analysis and Interpretation of Data Description of Financial System in Trinidad and Tobago The financial system is a network of savers, investors and financial institutions that work together to ensure that savings are transferred to investors. The financial system consists of two sectors: formal and informal. The formal sector includes all the financial institutions that are regulated officially, such as, commercial banks, credit unions, central bank, stock exchange and insurance companies. The informal sector includes all financial activities that are not under official control, such as, sou sou, money lending. The functions of the Central Bank are: * maintaining the exchange rate of the local currency * solely authorizing the issuing of money * acting as treasurer to government; making payments and receiving taxes * acting as a banker to commercial banks by managing their banking systems * assisting commercial banks that are facing financial problems * assisting development of money markets A commercial bank is a financial institution that is engaged in money transmission services and is jointly owned by shareholders. In Tobago there are four commercial bank; First Citizens Bank, Scotiabank, Republic Bank and Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. A credit union is a cooperative association whose members can obtain low-interest loans from their combined savings. There are nine credit unions in Tobago, these are; Lambeau Credit Union, Bethel Credit Union, Mt. Pleasant Credit Union, Thawe Credit Union, Whim Credit Union, Tunico Credit Union, Total Holdings Credit Union, Runnemede Credit Union and People’s Credit Union. The Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation is a mutual company that dominates the mutual fund market in Trinidad and Tobago. There is a branch in Scarborough, Tobago. The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company. There are several locations in Tobago, including in Crown Point, Scarborough and Canaan. An insurance company provides financial protection for property, life, health, etc., against contingencies, such as death, loss or damage. There are insurance companies in Tobago; ScotiaLife, Colonial Life Insurance Company, The Beacon and Guardian Life. A stock exchange is an organized market facilitating the purchase and sale of securities, operated by professional stockbrokers. The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange is located in Port-of-Spain. Market Structure Market Structure refers to the type of competition faced by firms in an industry. The four main market structures are perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly. | No. of Buyers and Sellers| Knowledge| Type of Product| Control of Price| Barriers to Entry| Perfect Competition| Many buyers and sellers| Perfect| Homogeneous| Price Taker| No barriers| Monopolistic competition| Many buyers and sellers| Imperfect| Differentiated| Price Setter| Low barriers| Oligopoly| Many buyers, few sellers| Imperfect| Homogeneous or differentiated| Price Setter| High barriers| Monopoly| Many buyers, one seller| Imperfect| Unique| Price Setter| Very high barriers| Banks in Trinidad and Tobago fall under an oligopolistic market because there are few sellers and many buyers. Credit unions are under a perfect competition market. Unit trust is a monopoly. Western union is an oligopoly. Insurance companies are oligopolies. The stock exchange is a monopoly. Participation of Adults in Canaan Village in the Formal Sector Banks Location was the largest factor in Canaan’s choice in banks at 24%, and customer service followed with 22%. Advertisements affected 16% of respondents, whereas 13% were influenced by friends. Both the respondents who chose at random and those who knew employees of banks earned 9% each. Unspecified reasons determined 5% of choices and age–group appeal impacted only 2%. Twenty-three adults in Canaan use banks; 13% use them rarely, 26% visit fortnightly, 30% monthly, and another 30% weekly. Stock Market Only three residents of Canaan are involved in the stock market, one influenced by friends, another chose at random and the third whose reason was unstated. Of the three residents who use the stock market, each used the service at different frequencies: rarely, monthly and another unspecified time span. Credit Unions Influence of friends determined 21% of residents of Canaan choice in credit union, indefinite reasons following with 17%. Respondents who decided at random earned 13%, those who chose based on knowing an employee earning the same. Customer service and location earned 12% each, advertisements affect 8% and age group only appealed to 4%. The majority of respondents, namely 35%, rarely use the services of a credit union. The second most common time span, monthly, made up 24%. 18% use credit unions annually, and 12% chose based on unspecified reasons. 6% use services weekly and another 6% fortnightly. Unit Trust Advertisements influence a quarter of Unit Trust members in the village of Canaan. Customer service, friends and unmentioned reasons affected 19% each and 18% of respondents were impacted by location, age group and knowing an employee equally. Of the Unit Trust members that reside in Canaan, 45% rarely use its services. Another 45% use it monthly, and approximately 10%, fortnightly. Insurance Companies Customer service influenced 24% of Canaan’s residents in terms of insurance companies, 19% were impacted by advertisements and age-appeal affected 14%. Respondents who knew employees made up 10%, and those whose reason was unspecified also formed 10%. Location and friends each earned 9%. 5% of choices were made at random. 40% of villagers who have insurance use it monthly and those that use it fortnightly, annually, and at unstipulated time intervals made up 20% of respondents each. Western Union Of the people who use Western Union/Money Gram in Canaan, an estimated 25%, were influenced by the customer service, 25% were affected by location and another 25% by arbitrary selection. Unstipulated reasons determined 17% of villager choices and 8% personally knew an employee. The most common frequency at which the services of Western Union/Money Gram were used was ‘monthly’, earning 44%. One quarter of the remaining 56% of respondents used services rarely, another quarter, annually, another weekly, and the final uses the services in an unstated time period. Findings 1. It has been found that 100% of the adults in Canaan that use services of the formal sector. 2. There was participation in the in informal sector. Â  3. The main factors affecting the involvement of residents of Canaan in the financial sector are location, influence of friends, customer service and location. 4. To identify the association of adults with the formal sector of Tobago. 5. To determine the involvement of adults in the informal sector of Tobago. 6. To determine the factors affecting the involvement of adults in the financial sector. Recommendations 1. One of the factors Institutions can appeal more to certain age groups.