Navigation Incident NO.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Navigation Incident NO.2 - Essay Example This factor can be noticed after knowing about the collision of Argyle Express and ro-ro passenger Cargo ferry Plymouth Venturer on 31st April 2004 at 10:22. The collision was there because of reduced visibility; however, there was less damage as both the vessels were turning away from each other at the impact moment. The vessel type of Argyle Express was Passenger/ ro-ro cargo ferry, twin hull while Plymouth Venturer was Passenger/ ro-ro cargo ferry and both the vessels had experiences of daily travelling. LOA of Plymouth Venturer was 150m, gross tonnage was 16010, service speed was 23 knots while the engine power was 1992 KW, 2 x diesels. LOA of Argyle Express was 80m, gross tonnage was 4246, service speed was 40 knots while the engine power was 22000 KW, 4 x diesels. Discussion Argyle Express and ro-ro passenger Cargo ferry Plymouth Venturer had adopted proper watchful strategies as both had master, mate and rating lookout on the bridge. Two radars were also there to report about any incoming vessel but their distance was only six miles. According to the rule 7b, â€Å"Proper use shall be made of radar equipment if fitted and operational, including long-range scanning to obtain early warning of risk of collision and radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects† (COLREG 1972). ... According to the rule 19b given in COLREG (1972), â€Å"Every vessel shall proceed at a safe speed adapted to the prevailing circumstances and conditions of restricted visibility. A power-driven vessel shall have her engines ready for immediate manoeuvre.† and according to rule 6 and 6i in COLREG (1972), â€Å"Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among those taken into account: (a) By all vessels: (i) the state of visibility†. Therefore, both the vessels surpassed the speed limit without paying any heed to the poor visibility conditions and without considering the rules designed for such conditions. Both the vessels were aware of each other’s entering and departure from supervising VTS communications; however, there was no commu nication between the two vessels due to which, there was a collision. Both were knowledgeable about the movement of other vessel but no one felt the need to communicate with other. After gaining knowledge about Argyle Express movement from bridge team and approaching collision conditions, Plymouth Venturer changed its course only 7 degrees to starboard. This much alteration of path was not sufficient as stated in rule 8b, â€Å"Any alteration of course and/or speed to avoid collision shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, be large enough to be readily apparent to another vessel observing visually or by radar; a succession of small alterations of course and/or speed should

Binge Drinking in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Binge Drinking in Britain - Essay Example Binge drinking has been a problem in other countries in Europe like Poland although the recent data shows that the trend has been reducing of late in the country. However unlike in Poland, the trend of binge drinking has been picking up in Britain and it has come with various social and health complications. (Moscalwcz, 2005) Binge drinking has been defined as pattern of drinking alcohol which brings the concentration of alcohol to around 0.08 gram percent or above in the body. In an adult this can be shown as drinkgin more than 5 drinks and about 4 drinks for females in a period of about 2 hours. In the common use, binge dirking is however used to refer to the excessive use of alcohol on a similar time span for example over an evening. It is sometimes referred to as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking is also any pattern of drinking which has the sole international of becoming intoxicated. Therefore it is excessive intake of alcohol in one setting. Some people usually take alcohol that they could have taken in one week in just one setting. It can also refer to drinking heavily land continuously over a period of time for day or weeks. It is usually called drinking in order to get drunk. According to the definitions of clinical a binge drink can be explained by the period under which the drinking is e xtended which may be for at least two days in which a person repeatedly becomes drunk and intoxicated. Therefore it's a combination for probing use of alcohol which makes one to give up usual activities. (Woods, 2008) Who are binge drinkers A binge drinker is a person who takes alcohol continuously and in large amount than the recommended level. It is appear show have restrained drinking behavior but how may frequently overindulge in drinking to an extreme level. It is also someone who many not necessary want to drink a lot but who is unsure of the limit that he wants to take where at the end one ends up drinking too much in a short period of tem. (Reach Out, 2008) Most of the binge drinkers are not sure other amount of alcohol they take at one setting. They are drinking to get drunk and at the end they exceed the health recommended limited or drinks. For most people binge drink brings in their minds a self-destructive and understand bout of drinking which may last or several day during which they are likely to consumer a high amount of alcoholic their body. Reasons for binge drinking There are many reasons that have been shows to cause binge drinking. Although many people have shown that there are used under a duress condition when they binge drink, psychologist have shown that this may not be the reason for all people. There are a number of binge drinker how cannot give a particular reason as to why they binge drink. Therefore the numbers of reason that can lead one to binge drink are valid and depend on each individual person. For example among the youth it has been shown that most of the youths binge drink due to peer pressure. They engage in unending drinking sprees with their colleagues as a leisure activity. However it has been shows that among the working class binge drinking may be caused by limited time that they have for the activity. Therefore when they are not at work, there are likely to drinking more because they are not sure the

Microeconomics Coursework Essay Essay Example for Free

Microeconomics Coursework Essay Essay Critically evaluate and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Customer Boycotts. Compare and contrast either Coca Cola or Bacardi with another consumer boycott of your choice and discuss appropriate microeconomic theoretical models. Firstly to understand this question we need to understand what a customer or consumer boycott actually is. Well it is normally called by an organisation or a group of individuals, asking consumers not to buy a specific product, or the products of a specific company, in order to exert commercial pressure. This is usually done to get the company to change behaviour, to cease an activity or to adopt a more ethical practice. For this essay I am going to discuss many advantages and disadvantages of consumer boycotts and also I have decided to compare and contrast coca cola with the Nestle boycott. There are various ways to make a boycott efficient. To be efficient a reduction of 1-2% of turnaround of a company (or product) is seen as the critical mass needed. (27 Mar 2003, Demanding consumer [online]. Available at:). Boycotts can be successful, for example, in 1986 Rainforest Action Network launched a boycott of Burger King. This was because of Burger King importing beef from tropical rainforest countries because it was cheap. But the rainforests were getting destroyed in order to provide pasture for cattle. As a result of the boycott, Burger Kings sales dropped by 12%. In response, Burger King cancelled thirty-five million dollars worth of beef contracts in Central America and announced that the company would stop importing rainforest beef. Boycott calls are at times controversial because they may be called by groups from the political side or for activities that people dont specifically disagree. Boycott efforts can include protests against everything from  investing in a politically undesirable country to discouragement of the eating or drinking of products from certain companies or countries. Boycotts are not always effective and only a limited percentage of countries consumers will participate in one. While many people are sympathetic to the reason behind a boycott, not enough people join in. One of the main reasons is that people do not see their actions as having any results. This may be partly due to only concentrating on what happens to the primary target of a boycott. But there are also secondary effects which I will talk about later. There are many advantages to consumer boycotts that I will discuss now. Obviously the main advantage is when the boycotts work, as said above with the boycott of burger king, and the company consequently changes its ways. But more often than not boycotts rarely change the companies ways or at least so that the consumer knows about it. One advantage is that boycotts are a way that consumers can use their power for positive social change. Boycotts can be effective because when successful they will result in increased public scrutiny of the company. This in turn will cause concerns inside the company about lost profits from the loss in consumer interest and companies are always concerned about their financial position. Another advantage is that a boycott can hold a company accountable for any policies that negatively affect the environment or people. This is an advantage because a company could be ignoring the problem but with a consumer boycott more and more people will find out about the problem and may also decide to join in. The negative coverage that will arise from media coverage of the boycott may become a big problem for the company in the long run, since competitors may gain a relative advantage. An example of this is that after the boycott of French wines in Denmark had calmed down, the French wines had lost 20 percent market share. Also there was a bigger problem, because the general impression was that consumers could be persuaded to switch back to French  wines. But many supermarket shelves had been reorganised in order to give more space to Italian and Spanish wines, and this was considered a more serious problem. (Can Consumer boycotts work, 2002 [online]. Available at: I mentioned briefly earlier something called a primary effect, well this would be where the target organisation changes its practice. Many targets are however reluctant to change as the result of hostile pressure, and even if changes are made they may try to hide the fact that the consumer action had any effect. There is also the fact that most boycotts are small by comparison to the overall sales, so a target can ride out a boycott. Thus the primary effects may be small and many boycotts may be judged not to have succeeded. So this could be seen as a disadvantage. But the secondary effects are an advantage and are the effects that are not connected to the target. They are effects on other organisations that are not in conflict and can therefore change without the public knowing. Secondary effects can be changes to regulations, lasting change in industry practices, allowing substantial growth entrance of ethical players into the market or effects on decisions of similar organisations to the target. (Why Secondary Effects, [online]. Available at: An example of secondary effects is if someone refuses to buy Nescafe (the coffee brand from Nestle) then he may choose to buy a brand from a much smaller company. The positive effect to this smaller company is much larger than the negative effect to Nestle. The new company may find out that many people are switching to it on ethical grounds and position itself in the market to take advantage of this by, for example, publishing a code of conduct. Having switched brand once this person will have less brand loyalty and a newly formed company will know this by market research and will know they have a better chance of success in the coffee sector. (Why Secondary Effects, [online]. Available at: The boycott campaigns can also be important in developing political consciousness and can be one of the few non violent means to create political pressure. Another advantage is the exposure of the company and with less people buying their products the consumers will be looking at  buying substitute goods and therefore the demand for these will increase and therefore the supply will also increase. Consumer boycotts will increase competition in the market and firms will reduce their prices as a result to compete and also to gain the extra consumers that have less brand loyalty. The firms profits will also reduce and the smaller firms will gain more of the market share. There are also disadvantages to boycotts though. One of these could be a large reduction in jobs, Boycotting Nestle products wont help the poor farmers who sell to the company, the head of Oxfam said. (Charlotte Denny, 2002. Retreat by Nestle on Ethiopias $6 debt [online]. The Guardian. Available at: ) They can have an adverse impact on individuals and communities which become innocent victims of the economic damage that boycotts can cause. Obviously there are disadvantages for the company as the reputation of the company will be harmed as a result of the impact of consumer boycotts, this isnt good for it as it would need to lower its prices because the demand will become less. This is shown below As the demand falls so does the equilibrium price (Pe1 to Pe2). Another disadvantage to the company is that the company budgets will get ruined and will need to be analysed and changed. Also the gross domestic product of the host country could fall which is a disadvantage. In extreme cases there could be a loss of multinational specialisation and technology in a third world country as the company may not do their business their. There could be a loss of consumer choice if the product ceases after a boycott. Boycotts like that of advertising of cigarettes can cost businesses their survival, as in motor racing as half the advertising used to come from cigarette companies. Now a lot struggle to get the advertising money needed. There can also occasionally be some violence resulting from the boycotts and also resentment. Another disadvantage for consumers would be that some people would argue that all publicity is good publicity. Now I will compare and contrast the consumer boycott of coca cola with the consumer boycott of Nestle. Coca cola is the worlds fastest selling non-alcoholic beverage and the consumer boycott of it started on the 22nd July 2003. The reason behind the boycott is because they are accused of complicity in the assassination of 8 Sinaltrainal trade union leaders in Colombia since 1990. Sinaltrainal is a trade union and it organisers workers in the food and drink sector. Many other of the leaders have been imprisoned, tortured, forcibly displaced and exiled. Coca Cola deny any responsibility for these murders. They say that 100s of union leaders are killed every year in Columbia. However many of the murders were made inside Coca Cola plants while negotiating agreements. Coca cola management were reported in the national press as meeting and contracting members of the AUC death squads to sort out their labour problems. (Boycott Coca Cola, [online]. Available at: Since 1977, Nestle has been the subject of an international boycott for its deceptive promotion of artificial baby milk as a superior alternative to mothers milk. Artificial baby milk can harm babies because it does not contain the natural anti bodies which a mothers milk provides, and because it is extremely expensive, causing many mothers to mix it with too much water resulting in mal-nutrition. Also, in many places the water used to dilute it is not portable. Once a mother starts giving her baby the formula, her own supply of milk dries up. Nestle provides free packages of formula in hospitals with the result that many babies never ever even get a chance to start nursing. In 1988 the boycott was re-launched when it was discovered that the company did not abide by its promise to follow the World Health Organisations International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. (A Consistent Corporate Criminal, [online]. Available at: ). There have been massive impacts on Nestle because of the boycott. In 1984 the boycott forced Nestle to agree to abide by the World Health Organisations International Code of Marketing of breast Milk Substitutes. But now it was discovered that the company has not abided by its promise so the boycott was re-launched. Also in one afternoon 8,500 people emailed Oxfam to complain about Nestle, this was the fastest response Oxfam says it has had to a campaign. (Charlotte Denny, 2002. Retreat by Nestle on Ethiopias $6 debt [online]. The Guardian. Available at: ). Coca cola is in the non-alcoholic beverage market whereas Nestle is one of the worlds largest food manufacturers; it is also though same as coca cola in the beverage market. With a consumer boycott against both of these two companies, this means that the demand for both of their products will decrease as a result, causing an increase in the demand for substitute goods, like Pepsi instead of Coca Cola. Also because there is a shift in the demand curve this leads to a movement along the supply curve so the price of the goods, coca cola or a nestle brand will go up from P1 to P2 and the quantity in equilibrium falls from Q1 to Q2. This is a supply and demand graph for what has happened with coca cola and Nestle because of the consumer boycott against them. This is a supply and demand graph for what happens to the demand for a substitute good like Pepsi for coca cola because of the boycott. If a company has a strong consumer loyalty then a boycott would be unlikely to have much of an effect on the number of people who choose to join in and not purchase their products, however if a company has failed to build up a strong consumer loyalty then consumers will find it easy to decide to no longer purchase their product and will purchase the competitors products. Why have both Coca Cola and Nestle continued to upset consumer groups when  they could easily change there policies and consequently have the boycotts against them lifted. The answer to this is that the company must be getting more financial gain from what ever is upsetting the consumer groups than the loss of revenue that the boycotts have brought about. Both Nestle and Coca Cola are oligopoly markets because there are just a few firms that share a large proportion of the industry. Both of the markets of Nestle and Coca Cola are differentiated, because they both produce many types of the product. Coca Cola and Nestle are the same as much of the competition between such oligopolists is in terms of the marketing of their particular brand. There are barriers to entry into both markets, these could be product differentiation and brand loyalty, where there are differentiated products where the consumer associates the product with the brand, and it will be very difficult for a new firm to break into that market. The problem would be being able to produce a product sufficiently attractive to consumers who are loyal to the familiar brand. (John Sloman, 2003. Economics. Fifth edition. (s.l.): Pearson Education). Another barrier could be lower costs for an established firm. The companies are likely to have specialised production and marketing skills. They are more likely to be aware of the most efficient techniques and the most reliable and/or cheapest suppliers. They are also likely to have access to cheaper finance, therefore operating on a lower cost curve. New firms would find it hard to compete and be likely to lose any price wars. Aggressive tactics or intimidation could also be used. (John Sloman, 2003. Economics. Fifth edition. (s.l.): Pearson Education). Because Nestle and coca cola are in the oligopoly markets they both are affected by their rivals actions and vice versa. Because of this the firms could wish to collude and act as though they are a monopoly so they could jointly maximise their profits, or the firms could try and compete with their rivals to gain a bigger share of industry profits. Because Coca Cola and Nestle are both the leading firms in their industries, tacit collusion could form where they set the prices for their markets. Oligopolists will not engage in price cutting, excessive advertising or  other forms of competition. By doing this profits will be maintained in the long run. If oligopoly firms compete, profits are low and consumers benefit. If there were a rise in price of Coca Cola or a Nestle product e.g. Nescafe, then this would lead to a large fall in the quantity demanded. This is because consumers would buy alternative substitute goods like Pepsi or another coffee brand. The reason is because both coca cola and Nestle products are elastic products. After looking at both the advantages and disadvantages of consumer boycotts, I have found out that even though the firms lose consumer loyalty, lose revenue and get public scrutiny the firms must be coming out on top and are gaining financially, otherwise they would change their ways. This is probably why Nestle maybe did start to abide by the World Health Organisations International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, then realized how much revenue they were losing so changed back even knowing they were likely to have the boycott brought back aswell because they must be gaining financially, but this is only my opinion. Also the other businesses in the market that whilst their competitors are having their products boycotted can take advantage and increase their own financial position and customer base.

Intertestamental Period Essay Example for Free

Intertestamental Period Essay INTRODUCTION The overarching goal of the Christian church is to model a Kingdom lifestyle and in so doing facilitate a change in the world towards a lifestyle approved of God. That goal is accomplished by (1) being in the world, but not of the world, (2) being one and (3) using Kingdom methodology to achieve God’s objectives. But achieving the goal using that strategy is made difficult when it must be done in the midst of competing lifestyles. Especially when there is a desire to fit in rather than being ‘peculiar’. During the Intertestamental Period, also called the Second Temple Period by some authors, the Jews experienced cultural and environmental pressures which forced them apart and set the stage for the ministry of Jesus. The following is a brief summary of those pressures. 1. The Jews were bounded on all sides by other cultures and this caused them to compromise their life style to fit in with the world giving up any real distinction between a righteous lifestyle and a worldly lifestyle. Bruce stated that â€Å"the Greek way of life was attractive to many, and slowly but surely it continued to make headway among large sections of the population, including even the great priestly families in Jerusalem. This tendency was inimical to the true calling of Israel, and tended to break down the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles in the wrong way, by blurring the sharp distinction between Israel’s revealed religion and Greek heathenism.† 2. The Jews moved from ‘being one’ to being ‘standalone competing sects’. It is readily observable that this caused infighting and an inward focus that was detrimental to their inherent mission. This problem was highlighted in later years when Jesus said â€Å"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.† 3. The Use of Political Means to Achieve Kingdom Ends Instead of being in the world, but not of the world, the Jews readily became part of the world by entering into the political system of the culture in an attempt to develop some level of security and ensure their prosperity. The use of political maneuvering was used during the entire 400 year period. For the most part it would be impossible to distinguish the political wrangling of the Jews from that of any other self-interest groups of the day. 4. The combining of church and state in the office of High Priest. The High Priest was supposed to monitor and ensure the spiritual welfare of the Jews. However in during the Intertestamental period, governmental authority was vested in that position by the ruling factions. We can observe the same thing in some churches today. We have Pastors who are not only empowered with the spiritual welfare of the church but are also given carte blanche authority over the governance of the church. And balancing those requirements is difficult at best. We must also consider the varying conquest strategies used by the nations that existed around the Jews. The Semitic nations, which included the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Ammonites, the Moabites and the Esau-ites deported those they conquered to be settled in foreign lands. Additionally, they had a policy of destroying the religion and culture of those they conquered. The Japhetic nations, which included the Medo-Persians, generally sent the conquered back to their homelands and granted some religious and political self-rule. The Hamitic nations, which included the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Philistines and the Phoenicians, deported those they conquered and destroyed their culture and religion. Several sources were used to conduct this analysis and as can be expected, various divisions and time periods were used. For the purposes of this paper, we will divide the time period into the following divisions and use these associated dates: (1) 722-433 BC Antecedent Events; (2) 559-331 BC Persian and Medo-Persian Rule; (3) 368-323 BC Hellenistic (Greek) Rule; (4) 323-166 BC Ptolemies and Seleucids Rule; (5) 166-63 BC Jewish (Maccabean and Hasmonean) Self-Rule; (6) 63 BC AD 663 Roman (Herod) Rule. It is noted that the Intertestamental or Second Temple Period ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. ANTECEDENT EVENTS722-433 BC There are events that took place prior to the Intertestamental Period that must be considered in this analysis. In 722 BC, Sargon the king of Assyria captured the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and deported the higher Jewish classes to Babylon. These deportations created spiritual crises for the Jews. But in addition, a lot of the cultural aspects of being a Jew were destroyed. According to Kostenberger, the monarchy was destroyed and the sanctuary which was the central focus for the Jewish faith was lost. The Jews, who apparently had a penchant for fitting in with foreign cultures found themselves in close proximity to Gentiles. This created moral and ceremonial problems for those living outside of Judea. In 587 BC, the exact same situations occurred when Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon captured the Southern Kingdom (Judah), destroying the Temple and Jerusalem. In 583 BC Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian Empire, came to power and sent the captives home but only fifty thousand returned to rebuild the Temple. It is suggested that an equal number simply stayed in place opting not to return to an uncertain situation. With the goal of rebuilding the Temple, the Jews forbid the Samaritans to participate due to their mixed race heritage. Offended by this, the Samaritans became obstructionists delaying the building and eventually built their own temple further increasing the schism between the Jews and the Samaritans So we enter the Intertestamental Period with the Jews dispersed in several locales, experiencing and in some cases embracing foreign cultures to the detriment of their culture and faith and having been ruled and subjugated for generations. PERSIAN AND MEDO-PERSIAN RULE559-331 BC Historical Developments The Jews were delivered from their previous captivity by the Persians and for the most part were left undisturbed by the Persians. But they had new and enthusiastic rivals among the Samaritans who had not only delayed the building of the Jewish Temple, but had initiated their rival temple on Mount Gerizim, overlooking the ancient city of Shechem. Impacts on the Jews The remnant of Jews that returned was idolatrous and had lost any sense of reverence for the Scriptures. During this period, idolatry was purged from the Jews. They gained a new sense of reverence for the Scriptures. The Jews developed a firm grasp for the concept of monotheism and completed the Temple reaffirming it as the center of worship. HELLENISTIC (GREEK) RULE368-323 BC Historical Developments It can be defended that the Hellenistic (Greek) Rule Period actually started with the rule of Philip. Philip had brought the whole of Greece under his rule, and intended to lead the combined forces of his empire against the Persians. Some view this as a Macedonian event, but Philip had already embraced the Greek culture. One of Philip’s first acts was to have his young son, Alexander trained in Greek culture. However before Philip could complete his military efforts, he was assassinated and it was left to Alexander to complete his plans. Alexander the Great conquered Persia, Babylon, Palestine, Syria, Egypt and western India. Alexander’s Empire did not last long. In 323 he died of a fever at Babylon, before he had completed his thirty-third year. But even before his death, his followers carried the Greek language and culture all over the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. Impacts on the Jews Caught between opposing forces the Jews lost all sense of security once again. They were immediately between two warring factions being pulled in both directions. This may have been one of the times when the Jews felt an overwhelming desire to fit in to avoid destruction. Hellenization, or embracing the Greek culture, was so powerful that from a cultural standpoint, the Greeks conquered Philip, Alexander and even the Romans when they showed up. The conquerors assumed the Greek language and eventually brought about the translation of the Old Testament into Greek (the Septuagint). Doing so also caused a rift between the Jews who were more traditional. PTOLEMIES AND SELEUCIDS RULE323-166 BC Historical Developments Pursuant to his death Alexander’s generals quarreled over who would succeed him. Alexander’s Empire was eventually divided into several parts. Of these parts only two are of any real concern as they had a major impact upon the Jews. These are the Macedonian kingdom of Egypt, with its capital at Alexandria ruled by the Ptolemies, and Macedonian kingdom of Syria with its capital at Antioch ruled by the Seleucids. By 300 B.C. we find two Macedonian dynasties firmly established in these capitals. Palestine lay between these two kingdoms. Impacts on the Jews Hayford indicates that the Jewish faith was seriously undermined by being in close proximity to Hellenism. The Jews started to neglect Jewish religious rites and customs. But this is not to say that the Jewish faith is inherently weaker than Greek culture. For the Jews, adherence to Greek culture was easier and it was simply more acceptable. But it did cause a schism between the Jews. Two sects emerged which included the Hellenizing party, which was pro-Syrian and the Hasidim party, which eventually became the Pharisees. Once again, we see a division among the Jews. JEWISH (MACCABEAN AND HASMONEAN) SELF-RULE166-63 BC Historical Developments As they were pulled in both directions by two Macedonian dynasties, a Jewish revolt erupted. A Syrian official pushed for a heathen sacrifice in the Jewish village of Modein. Led by the priest Mattathias and his sons Judas, Jonathan and Simon this revolt eventually led to Jewish independence. The Jews retook Jerusalem, cleansed the Temple and restored worship starting a period of Jewish self-rule. However, this was a period of self-rule with major factions competing against each other. Impacts on the Jews In addition to the conflicts with the Syrians, the position of high priest took on political overtones with the high priest being chosen not by Aaronite lineage but by political strength. It is even suggested that bribes were being paid to secure the office. This caused further schisms among the Jews strengthening both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. ROMAN (HEROD) RULE63 BC to AD 663 Historical Developments The self-rule of the Jews ended in 63 BC when Pompey took Syria and entered Israel. Under Roman rule Antipater the Idumaean was appointed procurator by Julius Caesar and was later succeeded by his son Herod. Herod was a converted Jew and yet was one of the most heinous leaders the world had ever seen. A summary of his reign would include marrying the Asmonaean princess, Marianne to secure the support of the Maccabeans; murdering Marianne and her two sons at the behest of his mother; executing his mother Alexandra; murdering forty-three members of the Sanhedrin; Hellenizing the country by erecting a Greek theatre in Jerusalem; restoring the Temple to increase his popularity with the Jews; murdering his son Antipater; and finally committing the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem. Impacts on the Jews These atrocities by Herod led to the development of three other sects developed during this time which included the Zealots, the Herodians and the Essenes. So near the end of the Intertestamental Period, we find the Jews more fractured than ever before, under the rule of a foreign power and turning to some very questionable means in an attempt to bring about God’s ends. MAJOR PROBLEMS AND RESPONSE 1. With the collapse of the Persian Empire, which had a very lenient attitude toward self-identity and religious freedom for those they had conquered, the Jews had to deal with a series of Greek kings who had a strong belief in their cultural superiority. The Jews were bounded on all sides by other cultures the principle of which was the Greek culture. Bruce calls this ‘the progressive Hellenization of Palestinian Judaism’.. The Jews started to compromise their life style to fit in with the world. In so doing, they give up any real distinction between a righteous lifestyle and a worldly lifestyle. The Jews made the decision to assume the Greek culture in whole or in part with some of them totally abandoning the faith. Others developed a sort of bi-faith practice where they embraced some of their Jewish faith as well as some of the Greek culture. This alone put them at odds with some of the more hardline practitioners of the faith. 2. The Jews moved from ‘being one’ to being ‘multiple standalone sects’. The rise of the Jewish sects resulted from the clash between Hellenism and the Jewish religion and culture. Taylor states that the Hellenism elements were dangerous to the purity of the Jewish faith and formed the new temptation to unfaithfulness just as idolatry had been to their forefathers. The Sadducees Under Jewish self-rule the Sadducees emerge as the party closely associated with the leading priestly families. It is thought that their name was derived from the priest Zadok, whose descendants are commended as faithful priests in Ezek. 44:15. The Sadducees observed only the Pentateuch and were the major supporters of the Hasmonean dynasty. As the ruling aristocracy in Jerusalem, they had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and with pressure from other sects there was a need to align themselves with the non-Jew ruling powers. They held a majority on the Sanhedrin and were allied with the Pharisees in having Jesus crucified. They held to a literal interpretation of the Law, liberal religious views and feared trouble with Rome. The Pharisees The Pharisees were the largest and most influential Jewish sects. They practiced a form of righteousness that observed a complex system of oral traditions in an effort to flesh out the implications of scriptural commends for everyday life. They were dedicated to teaching both the written and the oral Law attaching great importance to traditions. Consequently they practiced ritual prayer, fasting and tithing. They strictly kept the Sabbath and many other rules for everyday life; devised legal loopholes for their convenience. Their main goals were the restoration of religious freedom and the cessation of the connection between politics and the high priesthood. Their popularity among the people increased steadily. Most of the scribes, or popular teachers of the law, belonged to the Pharisaic party. Politically, the Pharisees were the power brokers between the masses and the aristocracy. They were scrupulous about the Law and viewed themselves as separate from those who were lax about keeping it. The Zealots The Zealots were almost a military arm of the faith and were increasingly interested in political freedom. Their means were very aggressive and won the bulk of Jews to their cause They advocated the violent overthrow of Rome, refused to pay taxes and regarded any loyalty to Caesar or Rome a as sin. Their opposition to Jesus may have come from His discourse â€Å"They say unto him, Caesars. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God the things that are Gods.† The Essenes The Essenes were one of the smaller sects and little is known of their origins. Their solution to the pressure and sects was to completely withdraw from society. They formed a sect that completely lived in seclusion. They turned to a philosophy that said we’re not of the world; neither will we be in the world. The Herodians The Herodians were a sect of influential Jews who were wholly politically minded. They still called themselves Jews but had pretty much left the faith. Even with his long list of atrocities, they completely supported Herod and by implication the Romans. This was their method of surviving when facing the pressures and challenges of the occupation and the various sects around them. 3. The Use of Political Means to Achieve Kingdom Ends The Jews, having lost belief in the ability of their faith to support them in their occupied and factional state turned to the use of secular politics to control their environment. Eventually, they came to pay little attention to the spiritual ideals of Israel. Their chief aim was secular power and aggrandizement. This can only be viewed as completely giving up the idea of being God’s people and in effect just throwing in the towel. 4. The combining of church and state in the office of High Priest. Carroll speaks of the evils involved with combining church and state. First you have religious power and governing power all handed to one individual. This can open to door to the state then having a say in who should receive those powers. Having this much power up for grabs sooner or later will result in the position becoming a matter of barter and sale. CONCLUSION These are major problems facing the Jewish people, but of them all, the greatest has to be the continued fracturing of the people into smaller and smaller self-interest groups. So the greatest threat to the Jewish people during the Intertestamental Period was not the warring factions around them. Not even the heinous actions of a tyrannical leader, but rather their own willingness to cease ‘being one’. There is an African Proverb that states â€Å"when there is no enemy within, the enemy without can do us no harm.† The Jews, in their attempts to meet the challenges around them were doing themselves great harm. But the Intertestamental period is a preface to the coming of Jesus. And it would be difficult to find a better time for the One who would unite all things under Himself. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bruce, F.F. The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 64. Carroll, Benajah Harvey. Between the Testaments, A Class on Biblical History. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Fort Worth, Texas. 1914. Gene Taylor. 2005. Between the Testaments: A Study of the 400 Years of Biblical Silence and the Relevant Empires. http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/between.pdf [Accessed July 25, 2013]. Hayford, Jack W. 1995, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. Kostenbergen, Andreas J., L. Scott Kellum and C. L. Quarles. 2009, The Cradle, The Cross and the Crown. Nashville: BH Publishing Group. [ 1 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 12. [ 2 ]. John 17:20-21 [ 3 ]. Benajah Harvey Carroll. Between the Testaments, A Class on Biblical History. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Fort Worth, Texas. 1914, 6-8. [ 4 ]. Andreas J. Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum and C. L. Quarles, The Cradle, The Cross and the Crown, (BH Publishing Group, 2009), 63. [ 5 ]. Benajah Harvey Carroll. Between the Testaments, A Class on Biblical History. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Fort Worth, Texas. 1914, 6-8. [ 6 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 507. [ 7 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 10. [ 8 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 507-508. [ 9 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 10. [ 10 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 508. [ 11 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 11. [ 12 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 508. [ 13 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 11. [ 14 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 509. [ 15 ]. Ibid, 510. [ 16 ]. Ibid, 510. [ 17 ]. Ibid, 511. [ 18 ]. Benajah Harvey Carroll. Between the Testaments, A Class on Biblical History. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Fort Worth, Texas. 1914, 42-43. [ 19 ]. Jack W. Hayford, Hayford’s Bible Handbook: The Complete Companion for Spirit-Filled Bible Study Nashville: (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 511. [ 20 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 11. [ 21 ]. Gene Taylor. 2005. Between the Testaments: A Study of the 400 Years of Biblical Silence and the Relevant Empires. http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/between.pdf [Accessed July 25, 2013], 33. [ 22 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 63. [ 23 ]. Andreas J. Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum and C. L. Quarles, The Cradle, The Cross and the Crown, (BH Publishing Group, 2009), 72. [ 24 ]. Ibid, 95. [ 25 ]. Gene Taylor. 2005. Between the Testaments: A Study of the 400 Years of Biblical Silence and the Relevant Empires. http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/between.pdf [Accessed July 25, 2013], 35. [ 26 ]. Ibid, 34. [ 27 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 64. [ 28 ]. Andreas J. Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum and C. L. Quarles, The Cradle, The Cross and the Crown, (BH Publishing Group, 2009), 72. [ 29 ]. Gene Taylor. 2005. Between the Testaments: A Study of the 400 Years of Biblical Silence and the Relevant Empires. http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/between.pdf [Accessed July 25, 2013], 35. [ 30 ]. Mt 22:21 [ 31 ]. Gene Taylor. 2005. Between the Testaments: A Study of the 400 Years of Biblical Silence and the Relevant Empires. http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/between.pdf [Accessed July 25, 2013], 35. [ 32 ]. Ibid, 35. [ 33 ]. F.F. Bruce, The Period Between The Testaments: I, Political Development. Department of Biblical History and Literature in the University of Sheffield, 1949, 64. [ 34 ]. Benajah Harvey Carroll. Between the Testaments, A Class on Biblical History. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminar, Fort Worth, Texas. 1914, 11.

The Natural and Perceval, The Story of the Holy Grail Essay -- Literar

The novel The Natural is written by Bernard Malamud. Bernard was a famous author mainly known for writing short stories and novels. He was considered one of the great American Jewish authors of the 20th century. Bernard was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants and he had a brother named Eugene. Unfortunately, Malamud entered his adolescence when the Great Depression began. The Natural is one of his more famous books, which was written in 1952. This novel is about a baseball prodigy named Roy Hobbs. He has a bat that he made himself, which he calls Wonderboy. Roy plans to join the major leagues and break all the records. However, his plans are put on hold when a woman he meets shoots. After fifteen years after the tragedy Roy goes back to baseball and is drafted to the New York Knights. Along his journey to becoming a superstar he is distracted from his goal by the women in his life. The Natural is very much similar to the mythological story of Percev al, the Story of the Holy Grail. Roy Hobbs is comparable to Perceval, Pop Fisher to the Fisher King and the pennant to the Holy Grail. Roy Hobbs and Perceval are similar because they are both the main characters of their own stories. Both their parents had some sort of natural talent. Perceval’s father was a great knight and Roy’s father was a baseball player. They then passed their gifts on to their children, which are Roy and Perceval. â€Å"Roy Hobbs is the Perceval figure of the Natural. Hobbs is a â€Å"natural† both in his ability to play baseball and in his simple and naà ¯ve manner.† (Source 4 Page 1) Perceval and Roy have special talents and are good at what they do. Perceval can fight and he leads his army to victory. â€Å"Perceval does battle with 20 of ... ... back to life again. Roy’s team was losing countless games in a row and Perceval’s kingdom has been suffering for numerous years. Nevertheless, Roy ends up not obtaining his goal and fails many people while Perceval finds the Holy Grail and is a hero among his kingdom. In conclusion, there are many characters, items and symbols in The Natural that are similar and related to the ones in Perceval, the story of the Holy Grail. Roy and Perceval are related because of their natural talents in baseball and fighting, the type of parents they come from and the same goals that they share. Pop Fisher and the Fisher King are parallel due to the related kind of illness they both have and the type of situation they are in. The pennant and the Holy Grail are comparable because they are the important treasures and goals that each of the main characters seek and hope to obtain.

How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism Throughout the Novel

How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism Throughout the Novel and what Symbolism does he Use to Depict it Firstly, it is important to point out that I don’t believe that the individual characters symbolize a certain social or political group in the novel - the characters’ actions and responses to each other in the in the novel do though, representing a social or political group in a specific situation. For example, the majority of people agree that the father in â€Å"Metamorphosis† represents the powerful capitalist society, being the dominant male figure. If one tries to follow this concept throughout the novel, they will encounter many contradictions. While the father does seem powerful at points, such as when he drives out the lodgers, he is in the start portrayed as a rather idle figure, allowing his son to take the dominant position as the family’s income earner. This detail, which could be of great significance, is many times overlooked. All the novel’s links to capitalism are in the author’s choice of words, the concocted situations and in the character’s interaction. The time period in which â€Å"Metamorphosis† was written in (1912) is very significant, because of its historical impact on the novel and the particular views of the time. America was becoming increasingly prosperous with its capitalist views, and was seen by the world as ‘the land of opportunity’, where anyone could be wealthy. Between 1880 and 1930, approximately 2,800,000 Germans and Czechs immigrated to America, in search of a better life, possibly causing resentment and bitterness from those left behind for the capitalist way of life. Kafka criticizes the capitalist views by portraying situations where the family responds to Greg... ...nces you from humanity, and this is also an argument in favour of Communism. This message is clearly portrayed in Gregor’s family, who are forced to find jobs after Gregor’s transformation. As a result of Gregor’s escape from the capitalist economic order, his family is drafted into it. From what we are told of their work periods, they seem to have become much like the old Gregor in their dehumanising jobs, becoming servants even at their home, for the lodgers. Only when they decide that it is necessary for the lodgers to leave and for them to take a ‘day off’ that that seem to be happy again. Though they mourn for Gregor, and in my opinion, they have some sort of ‘enlightenment’, realizing that their financial condition is not the most important aspect in of heir lives. The family takes a ‘day off’, something Gregor would never have done, and go for a walk together. How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism Throughout the Novel How does Kafka Comment on 20th Century Capitalism Throughout the Novel and what Symbolism does he Use to Depict it Firstly, it is important to point out that I don’t believe that the individual characters symbolize a certain social or political group in the novel - the characters’ actions and responses to each other in the in the novel do though, representing a social or political group in a specific situation. For example, the majority of people agree that the father in â€Å"Metamorphosis† represents the powerful capitalist society, being the dominant male figure. If one tries to follow this concept throughout the novel, they will encounter many contradictions. While the father does seem powerful at points, such as when he drives out the lodgers, he is in the start portrayed as a rather idle figure, allowing his son to take the dominant position as the family’s income earner. This detail, which could be of great significance, is many times overlooked. All the novel’s links to capitalism are in the author’s choice of words, the concocted situations and in the character’s interaction. The time period in which â€Å"Metamorphosis† was written in (1912) is very significant, because of its historical impact on the novel and the particular views of the time. America was becoming increasingly prosperous with its capitalist views, and was seen by the world as ‘the land of opportunity’, where anyone could be wealthy. Between 1880 and 1930, approximately 2,800,000 Germans and Czechs immigrated to America, in search of a better life, possibly causing resentment and bitterness from those left behind for the capitalist way of life. Kafka criticizes the capitalist views by portraying situations where the family responds to Greg... ...nces you from humanity, and this is also an argument in favour of Communism. This message is clearly portrayed in Gregor’s family, who are forced to find jobs after Gregor’s transformation. As a result of Gregor’s escape from the capitalist economic order, his family is drafted into it. From what we are told of their work periods, they seem to have become much like the old Gregor in their dehumanising jobs, becoming servants even at their home, for the lodgers. Only when they decide that it is necessary for the lodgers to leave and for them to take a ‘day off’ that that seem to be happy again. Though they mourn for Gregor, and in my opinion, they have some sort of ‘enlightenment’, realizing that their financial condition is not the most important aspect in of heir lives. The family takes a ‘day off’, something Gregor would never have done, and go for a walk together.

The Psychosis of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

The Psychosis of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Through the use of third person point of view and elaborate, repetitive foreshadowing, William Faulkner describes how numerous elements contributed to Miss Emily's deranged behavior in the short story, 'A Rose for Emily.' Not only does Faulkner imply paternal oppression, but there is also a clear indication of insanity that is an inherent pattern in the Grierson family. The shocking conclusion of 'A Rose for Emily' could be the result of a number of circumstances, but is most likely due to the years of isolation and the overbearing upbringing Emily experienced with her father. The first indication Faulkner gives the reader as to Miss Emily?s instability is towards the end of the first section which describes how several members of the Board of Alderman call upon Miss Emily in an effort to collect her taxes. Faulkner points out earlier in the same section that ten years ago in 1894, Colonel Sartoris, the Mayor of Jefferson at the time, remitted Miss Emily?s taxes following the death of her father. The board members are admitted to the Grierson home where, after listening to the reason for their visit, Miss Emily first suggests that they ?. . .gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves? (89). It is only moments later, after a brief exchange with these city authorities, that Miss Emily further advises them to ?See Colonel Sartoris? (Faulkner 89). The narrator then adds that the colonel has been dead almost ten years, which is Faulkner?s first clue to readers that Miss Emily is perhaps a bit delusional or confused. The second section alludes to the odor of decaying flesh emanating from Miss Emily?s home. The townspeople explain the sm... ... murder of Homer Barron by Miss Emily is the result of her father?s oppression, an inherited tendency toward insanity or a combination of factors is unknown. However, Faulkner succeeds in instilling the smallest trace of pity for Miss Emily, not only by acknowledging her thwarted love life at the hands of her father, but also within the title ?A Rose for Emily.? While her actions were clearly of a psychotic nature, consciously planned out and carried through, by murdering Homer Barron, Miss Emily insured that she would finally have a love that would never leave her. Bibliography: Works Cited Faulkner, William. ?A Rose for Emily.? Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Eds. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 4th ed. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. 2001. 87 ? 94. ?Necrophilia.? Funk & Wagnalls: Standard Encyclopedic Dictionary. Ed. 1972. 435.

Speak Noah

Bogeyman Mrs.. Johnson February 14, 2013 English Honors Period 3 An Untold Story â€Å"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. † (Maya Angelo) The novel Speak details the life story of Melinda Sordid, a freshman in high school, and how both the traumatic and happy events of her life shape her character. In the summer before entering high school, Melinda is invited to a party that changes her life; and it is not for the better. A senior in high school named Andy Evans rapes her, and since she is so scared, she calls the police, they arrive shortly, and proceed to reek up the party.Throughout Speak, Melinda is reassured by a poster of Maya Angelo, who was also raped as a child, but went on to become a successful public figure and author. A major theme that echoes throughout the novel Speak is that all people are made smarter not by aging, but by the experiences they have been through. This fact that experience defines a person is evident in Melanin's l ife by both the traumatic experience she has of rape and the enjoyable experience she has attending Mr.. Freeman's art classes. These two opposite influences wage war and, in he end, Melinda decides to emerge from her shell.When she speaks to her middle school friend-turned-enemy Rachel about the event at the summer party, Melinda is accepted with open arms and forgiven of her accusations. Through the symbol of the white couch and the metaphors of the seasonal change and the tree, which is each effectively inserted into Speak, one can tell that a person grows through learning from his experience rather than by mere aging. Most trees are a symbol of life when they are full of leaves in the summer, or a symbol of death when they have lost all heir leaves in winter.In Speak, however, as shown on page 12 by Mr.. Freeman and Melanin's brief conversation, the tree actually represents Melanin's life story, â€Å"By the end of the year, you must figure out how to make your object say somet hing, express an emotion, speak to every person who looks at it. † This introduction to art by Mr.. Freeman turns out to play a big role in Melanin's life because the object she chooses mirrors the Journey of her life. Melinda thinks to herself, â€Å"Some people groan. My stomach flutters. Can he really let us do this? It sounds like too much fun. Tree?It's too easy. I learned how to draw a tree in second grade. I reach in for another piece of paper. † Just as she is about to grab the second paper, Mr.. Freeman dissuades her by saying, Mimi Just chose your destiny, you can't change that. † This quote is the beginning of a book-long metaphor for the progression of Melanin's life; as Melinda improves her drawing of the tree, her life improves. Throughout the rest of Speak there are many other references to the tree metaphor; with each successful encounter of Melanin's tree project, her artistic ability has shown improvement.This correlates with her life improving t hrough the experience she has gained. On page 15 of Speak, Melinda returns home from school, sits down on her white couch, and orders pizza. The white couch symbolizes Melinda; this is shown by the following trick to eating on it is to turn the messy side of the cushions up. The couch has two personalities: ‘Melinda inhaling pepperoni and mushroom' and ‘No one ever eats in the family room, no ma'am. ‘ Flip, flip, flip – cushions reversed to show their pretty white cheeks† (15).This quote is a symbol of Melanin's life because the hidden underside of the couch is symbolizing Melanin's secrets that are buried and not visible to people on the outside. Although, what makes the couch such a great example, is that the visible exterior of the couch is white, which symbolizes purity. On the contrary, the white couch looks repulsive if it is dirty; this relates to a possible reality for Melinda because if she does not speak up, but instead buries her abuse under neath a clean exterior, she cannot be fully clearness of her burden.Thus, by not peaking up to the world about how she was raped at a party last summer, she can never reach her true potential of the beautiful, white couch. Melanin's reasoning behind hiding the real couch and the truth behind the party is that she fears that people will Judge her for her imperfections. Through the experience she has gained in her freshman year of high school, Melinda realizes that the only way for her to conquer her fear is to use those various positive and negative incidents to help her grow in maturity through experience.A final example of metaphoric language append to occur on the final page of Speak. It is the last day of Melanin's freshman year and the person she must talk to is Mr.. Freeman. Melinda ideates, â€Å"The tears dissolve the last block of ice in my throat. I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on t he stained floor† (198). The ice in this quote represents Melanin's secrets that are weighing her down, not allowing her to speak up for herself, and harming her physically (Andy hurt Melinda after she told Rachel Andy raped Melinda).The tears signify the experiences she has undergone in high school and how those experiences allowed her to mature. The sunlight on the stained floor symbolizes Melanin's artwork of the tree; how the tree emanates warmth to cure Melanin's ailment of a frozen mind. Without the experience Melinda had by communicating with Mr.. Freeman, she would never have been able to face her fears and come out of her shell. Speak is overflowing with metaphorical expressions, but many readers do not understand the implications behind the author's use of a particular metaphor in a even situation.People think, â€Å"Oh, I know this is a metaphor,† and then move on reading. This ignorance of the meaning behind symbolism is actually a symbol for how those indiv iduals live their lives. The following quote by Maya Angelo shows this ignorance of symbolism in a real world sense, â€Å"Most people don't grow up. Most people age. They find parking spaces, honor their credit cards, get married, have children, and call that maturity. What that is, is aging. † For example, whenever a person attends a party, the driving factor behind that party's success is the quality of inversion.If everyone there was one of the â€Å"most people† that Maya Angelo mentions, the party would be dull and boring, and it would only age the people rather than provide them with new experiences. In summation, if one is to truly live and contribute to society, he must be so overflowing with experiences that he will use metaphors to describe accurately a situation that he has encountered; without wasting the time that could be spent living through more life Journeys and garnering experience, rather than aging by merely passing through life.

Review on The Pursuit of Happyness Essay

The Pursuit of Happyness is a very moving film about a man and his quest for a better life. It is an inspiring case study of how many of the elements of happiness work together from relationships, to poverty, to positive mental attitude and determination. The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardener, a struggling entrepreneur in 1980s San Francisco, with one driving ambition- to be a good father to his son. He tries to improve the family financial situation by purchasing and selling medical equipment, but the investment does not work out and the family sinks further into poverty. He sees his chance to make good after admiring a sports car on the street in the business district, where all the people seem happy. The car owner tells Chris he is a stock broker and anyone who is good with numbers and with people can be successful as a stock broker- even without a college degree. Chris uses his people skills and demonstrates the value of good relationships to get a chance at an internship where he must compete with 20 other candidates for 6 months for one paid position. His wife leaves him, he loses his apartment, bank accounts, credit cards, and has to spend time in jail, but all through it he is dedicated to keeping his son and pursuing his dream. The title, Pursuit of Happyness spelled with a y,comes from some graffiti at the daycare center and is also a reference to an essay written by a biracial man in the US shortly after the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. The movie is beautifully acted by Will Smith and well written. It shows how people without money are often victimized and bullied by those who do have money and power. Yet Chris Gardener repeatedly demonstrates the importance of good relationships even with people who treat him badly. He shows the importance of knowing his strengths and using them, even in unconventional ways. His optimism turns into dogged determination as he demonstrates incredible persistence and creativity in his pursuit of happiness. The realism and emotional punch of the Christopher Gardner story makes this a moving and inspiring drama. Whether you are inspired to be grateful for your own circumstances or by the value of grace and determination, this movie is sure to show you something about happiness- its importance and how to get it. The Pursuit of Happyness teaches us a lot about the importance of virtues and strengths in our happy lives.

Need of Education Essay

Examples: a) School qualifications > no training > semiskilling > work b) School qualifications > apprenticeship > skilled worker/skilled employee c) Lower/intermediate secondary school qualifications > apprenticeship > master craftsman d) University entrance qualifications > apprenticeship > additional training > occupation e) University entrance qualifications > apprenticeship > higher education > executive position f) University entrance qualifications > higher education > executive position These examples illustrate that there are two ways of looking at the benefits of training. The first, which is marginal in one sense, answers the question of what benefits are to be obtained from adding a further stage to the training path already completed. The second is more typical and concerned with the incomes to be obtained from specific training routes. A comparison is made between the incomes attained at 30 years of age and those resulting from the next lower training path. This may be, for example, the benefits of an enterprise-based apprenticeship on the road to an academic qualification (path 6 compared with path 5). The additional income minus the costs of training produces (allowing for interest) the return on the training investment. From a macroeconomic viewpoint, investments in education and training are, to a certain degree, investments in the infrastructure, and the return on such investments becomes apparent only in the long term. The concept of benefits also includes other aspects which need to be kept apart. It is helpful in the first instance to distinguish between the benefits resulting from the efficiency of the education system and its quantitative performance, on the one hand, and the benefits in terms of subsequent yields (economic growth, low unemployment, tax revenues) on the other. The efficiency benefit is the ability of the education and training system to train the younger generation in â€Å"suitable† institutions so as to minimize the costs of students repeating classes or dropping out of higher education and thus reduce excessively long education and training periods. The benefits from vocational education and training are also associated with the allocative functions of the labour market. One function of vocational education and training is to ensure that the supply of labour matches demand. A training system should at least produce approximately those qualifications which are required on the labour market. There are therefore two sides to the benefits of investments in training. In formal terms, the benefit is the return on a long-term investment, but this return results from the allocative effects of the labour market. It would be an excessively narrow perspective if researchers were to look only at the return on investment in terms of human capital. And concentrating exclusively on the allocative aspects of the labour market would ignore the fact that education and training are an investment in themselves. There is also a third aspect to consider. Return on investment calculations can normally encompass only the direct costs and benefits, i. e. the returns of the first type. But investments in education and training also have effects on other areas. There may be positive or negative effects of a second type. Positive (synergy) effects occur when investments in education and training at one point raise productivity at another. These include in particular education and training investments which equip their recipients to work in research and development. Negative secondary effects occur in the form of redundancies when lesser qualified employees are replaced by their more qualified counterparts. There are numerous ways in which expenses may be refunded for training outside the workplace (refunding), e. g. by employers and employment offices. These refunds are deducted from individual expenses in the costs model (cf.Figure 6, p. 232). The survey aimed, first, to establish the direct costs, i. e. expenses directly associated with the continuing training measure as such (course and event fees, spending on learning materials, travelling expenses, board and lodging, cost of child care where applicable, and all other costs directly associated with participation in continuing training programmes). The survey also looked at indirect, or opportunity, costs. Unlike direct costs, indirect costs entail no expenses, but arise in the form of lost earnings (e. g.  unpaid leave or reduced working hours for continuing training purposes, but not the hypothetical earnings of someone who was previously unemployed) and the loss of leisure time. The leisure time lost consists of that time spent exploring the market, the time invested in the actual training programme, travelling time, preparation and follow-up and, in some cases, paid leave. However, the yardsticks used to convert the loss of leisure time into fictitious costs are ultimately based entirely on random decisions. Even the net income earned from employment, which would be a plausible choice, does not provide a suitable measure here. Either the individual may not consider taking paid employment during leisure time – unless it is moonlighting – or may regard it as a consumer good rather than a loss of leisure time. For this reason, the BIBB survey was limited to recording the amount of leisure time lost and no attempt was made to place a monetary value on it. Neither was it possible to apply any rules for evaluating the benefits. While it is quite clear that the â€Å"profitability† of continuing training is determined by the benefits, the input encompasses not only the time and money invested, but also the physical and mental exertion associated with learning. Private individuals, just like companies, are willing to subject themselves to continuing training only if it yields overall â€Å"rewards†. But these rewards depend on whether the training is a consumer good and the benefits are to be found in actual consumption, or whether it has been chosen for career, i. e. economic, reasons. Economic benefits may arise in many different ways: continuing training may serve to refresh knowledge, to adjust to new developments, to secure promotion and raise status, or else to avoid unemployment. Another consideration is that the benefits are normally not yet visible at the actual time of training. Those who opt for continuing training hope it will secure them promotion or save them from unemployment. Whether these objectives are actually attained emerges at a later stage. It is therefore objectively impossible to isolate the economic benefits of continuing training from other benefit factors. For this reason the survey was limited to presenting the respondents with a list of benefits and asking them to rate their importance in qualitative terms. http://www. cedefop. europa. eu/EN/Files/RR1_Kau. pdf.

Caged bird essays

Caged bird essays Why would the autobiography of one of the most influential female writers of our time end up on a list of the most frequently challenged books? In her novel I know why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou Discribes, in detail, some of the harshest realities of life. Including racism and segregation, the rape of a child, teen sexuality, abusive family situations, and teen pregnancy. Many parents feel it isn't appropriate for their children to be assigned Angelous book to read because they dont think their kids are ready to be exposed to such harsh things. Although Maya uses sometimes overly graphic writing, the struggles she depicts through provided her with the will to become who she is today and can provide the reader with a better understanding of the world they live in. The main reason parents disagree with Ancelcus book being taught in their childrens schools is because of the graphic descriptions of many the harsh realities that accrued in her life. But thats exactly why it should be taught. Most of the time when kids learn about real world situations like rape and racism they learn through statistics and history text book explanations. Maya presents her experiences in such a way that you feel that you too have been through them. For example: Very early on in her life Maya was molested and then raped by her mothers boyfriend. She lets you in on her thoughts and tells how a horrible thing like rape feels on a young body by saying things like Then there was the pain. A breaking and entering when ever the senses are torn apart (pg.65). I think that a teen or pre-teen reading this male or female will feel almost instantly sympathetic towards Maya and people who have been in her situation. Either that or this would be too much for some kids t o handle specially sheltered kids who are regularly exposed to unpleasant things. But the thing ...

The Mayan Conquest of the Kiche

The Mayan Conquest of the K'iche In 1524, a band of ruthless Spanish conquistadores under the command of Pedro de Alvarado moved into present-day Guatemala. The Maya Empire had deteriorated some centuries before but survived as a number of small kingdoms, the strongest of which was the K’iche, whose home was in what is now central Guatemala. The K’iche rallied around leader Tecà ºn Umn and met Alvarado in battle, but were defeated, ending forever any hope of large-scale native resistance in the area. The Maya The Maya were a proud culture of warriors, scholars, priests, and farmers whose empire peaked around 300 A.D. to 900 A.D. At the height of the Empire, it stretched from southern Mexico into El Salvador and Honduras and the ruins of mighty cities like Tikal, Palenque and Copn are reminders of the heights they reached. Wars, disease, and famine decimated the Empire, but the region still was home to several independent kingdoms of varying strength and advancement. The greatest of the Kingdoms was the K’iche, at home in their capital of Utatln. The Spanish In 1521, Hernn Cortà ©s and barely 500 conquistadores had pulled off the stunning defeat of the mighty Aztec Empire by making good use of modern weapons and native Indian allies. During the campaign, young Pedro de Alvarado and his brothers rose in the ranks of Cortes’ army by showing themselves to be ruthless, courageous and ambitious. When Aztec records were deciphered, lists of vassal states paying tribute were discovered, and the K’iche were prominently mentioned. Alvarado was given the privilege of conquering them. In 1523, he set out with about 400 Spanish conquistadores and some 10,000 Indian allies. Prelude to War The Spanish had already sent their most fearsome ally ahead of them: disease. New World bodies had no immunity to European diseases like smallpox, plague, chicken pox, mumps and more. These diseases tore through native communities, decimating the population. Some historians believe that more than a third of the Mayan population was killed by disease in the years between 1521 and 1523. Alvarado also had other advantages: horses, guns, fighting dogs, metal armor, steel swords, and crossbows were all devastating unknowns to the hapless Maya. The Kaqchikel Cortà ©s had been successful in Mexico because of his ability to turn long-simmering hatreds between ethnic groups to his benefit, and Alvarado had been a very good student. Knowing that the K’iche was the mightiest kingdom, he first made a treaty with their traditional enemies, the Kaqchikel, another powerful highland kingdom. Foolishly, the Kaqchikels agreed to an alliance and sent thousands of warriors to reinforce Alvarado before his assault on Utatln. Tecà ºn Umn and the K’iche The K’iche had been warned against the Spanish by Aztec Emperor Moctezuma in the waning days of his rule and flatly rejected Spanish offers to surrender and pay tribute, although they were proud and independent and would most likely have fought in any event. They selected young Tecà ºn Umn as their war chief, and he sent out feelers to neighboring kingdoms, who refused to unite against the Spanish. All in all, he was able to round up about 10,000 warriors to fight the invaders. The Battle of El Pinal The K’iche fought bravely, but the Battle of El Pinal was a rout almost from the start. The Spanish armor defended them from most native weapons, the horses, muskets, and crossbows devastated the ranks of native warriors, and Alvarado’s tactics of chasing down native chieftains resulted in several leaders falling early. One was Tecà ºn Umn himself: according to tradition, he attacked Alvarado and decapitated his horse, not knowing that horse and man were two different creatures. As his horse fell, Alvarado impaled Tecà ºn Umn on his spear. According to the K’iche, Tecà ºn Umn’s spirit then grew eagle wings and flew away. Aftermath The K’iche surrendered but tried to trap the Spanish inside the walls of Utatln: the trick did not work on the clever and wary Alvarado. He laid siege to the city and before too long it surrendered. The Spanish sacked Utatln but were somewhat disappointed by the spoils, which did not rival the loot taken from the Aztecs in Mexico. Alvarado conscripted many K’iche warriors to help him battle the remaining kingdoms in the area. Once the mighty K’iche had fallen, there was really no hope for any of the remaining smaller kingdoms in Guatemala. Alvarado was able to defeat them all, either coercing them to surrender or by forcing his native allies to fight them. He eventually turned on his Kaqchikel allies, enslaving them even though the defeat of the K’iche would have been impossible without them. By 1532, most of the major kingdoms had fallen. The colonization of Guatemala could begin. Alvarado rewarded his conquistadores with land and villages. Alvarado himself set out on other adventures but frequently returned as Governor of the area until his death in 1541. Some Mayan ethnic groups survived for a while by taking to the hills and fiercely attacking anyone who came near: one such group was located in the region that currently corresponds to north-central Guatemala. Fray Bartolomà © de las Casas was able to convince the crown to allow him to pacify these natives peacefully with missionaries in 1537. The experiment was a success, but unfortunately, once the region had been pacified, conquistadores moved in and enslaved all of the natives. Over the years, the Maya have retained much of their traditional identity, especially in contrast to the areas that once belonged to the Aztecs and the Inca. Over the years, the heroism of the K’iche has become the lasting memory of a bloody time: in modern Guatemala, Tecà ºn Umn is a national hero, Alvarado a villain.

Native Literature Written By Natives Essays - English Words

Native Literature Written By Natives Essays - English Words Native Literature Written By Natives It is unfairly noted that Native Literature written by Natives offends many readers with its discussion of the first-hand social ills affecting fellow Natives. However, the typical stories of Euro-Canadian relations constructed outside the Aboriginal thought imprisons all Aboriginals into stereotypes which obscure and distort their very real experiences. The obligation of the Native artist is to remain grounded in cultural soil and ideals, which is determined by Euro-Canadian standards, while at the same time establishing a foundation of justice and truth within the context of their work. Ian Ross has addressed many of these social ills in his play fareWel. Using humor, characterization and personal experience Ross depicts reserve life from outside the Euro-Canadian perspective, as being hopeful despite the blatant despair and antagonism reserve life contains. The Partridge Crop Reserve in Manitoba is a fictional place where the fictional characters Melvin MacKay, Sheldon Traverse, R achel Traverse, Phyllis Bruce, Teddy Sinclair, and Robert Traverse, become muses through which Ross uses to convey poignant information about the need for social reform for social ills. The representation of the treatment of Native women throughout history has been from a one-sided view. Either they were seen as unequal or as royalty, resulting in being branded as squaws or Indian Princess by the people who adhere to the Christian point of view. Ross seems to understand this falsehood and attempts to rectify it with the creation of the characters Phyllis Bruce and Rachel Traverse. They are both reserved based Native Women, who lived a hard and fast life, but respect the church, however they are neither squaws nor Indian Princesses. Phyllis is a single-parent who was beaten by her husband but attempts to use this experience to strengthen Rachel by saying, You can hide in the roof here OK? That's where I used to hide so I didn't get beat up (pg.66). There are few options for Native, u neducated, and single-parent women and Phyllis chooses to use her mind to fight the struggle which emphasizes the significant role woman as mothers and providers are forced to play. Also throughout the play Phyllis is constantly looking for a way to feed her kids while in the same thought explores how to feed a church full of people with sardines and moldy bread (pg.66). This highly illustrates that despite the obvious misfortune that Phyllis is entwined in she stills feels compelled to do her duty to her church, her friends, and herself. Phyllis is the symbol of strength for her enduring and overcoming. Rachel was created to emphasize the insurmountable difficulties that Native women face, first as being the Native woman, and second, for being unable to achieve economic or social value. She relays this message to the reader when she states, and when I left here I realized what I wasA woman. A Native woman. With no education. No money. No future. (pg. 68) In order to gain economic v alue she had to prostitute herself due to the lack of adequate means to legitimate opportunities. It is a horror that is greatly misinterpreted by her fellow Natives for instance, Teddy constantly refers to her as a hooker (pg. 58) or a slut (pg.59), which only proves that the spirit of a native woman can never be broken. In her desperate attempts to gain economic freedom she was unfairly judged and subsequently lost social status. Although Rachel yearns to leave the reserve it is her deep sense of hope that the reserve will overcome the turmoil that keeps her there. Her welfare check also keeps her in a constant reality check because without it she is forced to resort to being the whore(pg.59) It is Rachel and Phyllis that truly define the meaning of hope with their conquests for self betterment. The essence of this play is captured by its ability to add comic relief in its context through each characters unique disposition. But, it is Nigger with his abnormal actions, thoughts and appearance, which brings humor to the play the most efficiently. Our first experience with Nigger is when Animush (pg.22) attacks him leaving him with an open scar and torn jeans. The humor lies in the image of Nigger who

Brave New World essays

Brave New World essays In Aldous Huxleys novel Brave New World, Mustapha Mond believes that every person lives their life inside of a bottle (223). Plato used a similar line of thinking as Mustapha Mond in his Simile of the Cave. The cave in this case is considered the bottle. Monds statement is valid for the rest of the citizens in the Brave New Worlds World State, as well. One of the main themes in Brave New World is how human conditioning creates a bottle, or glass box, and although some bottles are, as Mond says, ...relatively speaking, enormous... (223), all people do live in some sort of a metaphorical bottle. This bottle controls what they believe and how they react to different situations in life. By bottle, Mond means certain surroundings as well as personal thoughts that remain somewhat constant. Constants can be broad, such as weather conditions that we are used to, or much more introverted like what time of day a person always goes to sleep. In a sense the bottle is our own individual culture that determines how one acts or thinks. Constants within the bottle can be sociological, such as what is considered acceptable, and what aspects of life in the society are considered normal. What is considered normal and acceptable is learned since birth, from observing and obeying parents, friends, and the rest of a given society. What is normal and acceptable are different for every culture that ever existed. These differences can sometimes be completely opposite and sometimes result in conflicts of racism, murder and sometimes even as extreme as war. Each persons bottle is created by different experiences along with different influences. Different people in the same society will have similar enough backgrounds that they will likely react in similar fashions to the same circumstances. As Professor Erchak wrote in his essay on culture...

Developing a Java GUI

Developing a Java GUI GUI stands for Graphical User Interface, a term used not only in Java but in all programming languages that support the development of GUIs. A programs graphical user interface presents an easy-to-use visual display to the user. It is made up of graphical components (e.g., buttons, labels, windows) through which the user can interact with the page or application. To make graphical user interfaces in Java, use either Swing (older applications) or JavaFX. Typical Elements A GUI includes a range of user interface elements  - which just means all the elements that display when you are working in an application.  These can include: Input controls such as buttons, dropdown lists, checkboxes, and text fields.Informational elements such as labels, banners, icons, or notification dialogs.Navigational elements, including sidebars, breadcrumbs, and menus. Java GUI Frameworks: Swing and JavaFX Java has included Swing, an API for creating GUIs, in its Java Standard Edition since Java 1.2, or 2007. Its designed with a modular architecture so that elements are easily plug-and-play and can be customized. It has long been the API of choice for Java developers when creating GUIs. JavaFX has also been around a long time  - Sun Microsystems, which owned Java before the current owner Oracle, released the first version in 2008, but it didnt really gain traction until Oracle purchased Java from Sun. Oracles intention is to eventually replace Swing with JavaFX. Java 8, released in 2014, was the first release to include JavaFX in the core distribution. If you are new to Java, you should learn JavaFX rather than Swing, although you may need to understand Swing because so many applications incorporate it, and so many developers are still actively using it. JavaFX features an entirely different set of graphic components as well as a new terminology and has many features that interface with web programming, such as support for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), a web component for embedding a web page inside an FX application, and the functionality to play web multimedia content.   Design and Usability If youre an application developer, you need to consider not only the  tools and programming widgets you will use to create your GUI, but also be aware of the user and how he will interact with the application. For example, is the application intuitive and easy to navigate? Can your user find what he needs in the expected places? Be consistent and predictable about where you place things  - for instance, users are familiar with navigational elements on top menu bars or left sidebars. Adding navigation in a right sidebar or on the bottom will only make the user experience more difficult. Other issues might include the availability and power of any search mechanism, the behavior of the application when an error occurs, and, of course, the general aesthetics of the application. Usability is a field in and of itself, but once you have mastered the tools for creating GUIs, learn the basics of usability to ensure that your application has a look-and-feel that will make it attractive and useful to its users.

Raul Castro Biography and Profile

Raul Castro Biography and Profile Raà ºl Castro (1931-) is the current President of Cuba and brother of Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro. Unlike his brother, Raà ºl is quiet and reserved and spent most of his life in his older brother’s shadow. Nevertheless, Raà ºl played a very important role in the Cuban Revolution as well as in the government of Cuba after the revolution was over. Early Years Raà ºl Modesto Castro Ruz was one of the  several illegitimate children born to sugar farmer Angel Castro and his maid, Lina Ruz Gonzlez. Young Raà ºl attended the same schools as his older brother but was neither as studious nor gregarious as Fidel. He was just as rebellious, however, and had a history of discipline problems. When Fidel became active in student groups as a leader, Raà ºl quietly joined a student communist group. He would always be as ardent a communist as his brother, if not more so. Raà ºl eventually became a leader himself of these student groups, organizing protests and demonstrations. Personal Life Raà ºl married his girlfriend and fellow revolutionary Vilma Espà ­n not long after the triumph of the revolution. They have four children. She passed away in 2007. Raà ºl leads an austere personal life, although there have been rumors that he may be an alcoholic. He is thought to despise homosexuals and reputedly influenced Fidel to jail them in the early years of their administration. Raà ºl has been consistently dogged by rumors that Angel Castro was not his real father. The most likely candidate, former rural guardsman Felipe Miraval, never denied nor confirmed the possibility. Moncada Like many socialists, Raà ºl was disgusted by the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. When Fidel began planning a revolution, Raà ºl was included from the start. The first armed action of the rebels was the July 26, 1953, attack on the federal barracks at Moncada outside of Santiago. Raà ºl, barely 22 years old, was assigned to the team sent to occupy the Palace of Justice. His car got lost on the way there, so they arrived late, but did secure the building. When the operation fell apart, Raà ºl and his companions dropped their weapons, put on civilian clothes, and walked out onto the street. He was eventually arrested. Prison and Exile Raà ºl was convicted of his role in the uprising and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Like his brother and some of the other leaders of the Moncada assault, he was sent to the Isle of Pines prison. There, they formed the 26th of July Movement (named for the date of the Moncada assault) and began plotting how to continue the revolution. In 1955 President Batista, responding to international pressure to release political prisoners, freed the men who had planned and carried out the Moncada assault. Fidel and Raà ºl, fearing for their lives, quickly went into exile in Mexico. Return to Cuba During their time in exile, Raà ºl befriended Ernesto â€Å"Chà ©Ã¢â‚¬  Guevara, an Argentine doctor who was also a committed communist. Raà ºl introduced his new friend to his brother, and the two hit it right off. Raà ºl, by now a veteran of armed actions as well as prison, took an active role in the 26th of July Movement. Raà ºl, Fidel, Chà ©, and new recruit Camilo Cienfuegos were among the 82 people who crowded on board the 12-person yacht Granma in November 1956 along with food and weapons to return to Cuba and start the revolution. In the Sierra Miraculously, the battered Granma carried all 82 passengers the 1,500 miles to Cuba. The rebels were quickly discovered and attacked by the army, however, and less than 20 made it into the Sierra Maestra Mountains. The Castro brothers soon began waging a guerrilla war against Batista, collecting recruits and weapons when they could. In 1958 Raà ºl was promoted to Comandante and given a force of 65 men and sent to the north coast of Oriente Province. While there, he imprisoned about 50 Americans, hoping to use them to keep the United States from intervening on behalf of Batista. The hostages were quickly released. Triumph of the Revolution In the waning days of 1958, Fidel made his move, sending Cienfuegos and Guevara in command of most of the rebel army, against army installations and important cities. When Guevara decisively won the Battle of Santa Clara, Batista realized he could not win and fled the country on January 1, 1959. The rebels, including Raà ºl, rode triumphantly into Havana. Mopping Up After Batista In the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Raà ºl and Chà © were given the task of rooting out supporters of former dictator Batista. Raà ºl, who had already begun setting up an intelligence service, was the perfect man for the job: he was ruthless and totally loyal to his brother. Raà ºl and Chà © oversaw hundreds of trials, many of which resulted in executions. Most of those executed had served as policemen or army officers under Batista. Role in Government and Legacy As Fidel Castro transformed the revolution into government, he came to rely on Raà ºl more and more. In the 50 years after the revolution, Raà ºl served as head of the Communist Party, minister of defense, vice president of the Council of State, and many more important positions. He has generally been most identified with the military: he has been Cuba’s top-ranking military officer since soon after the Revolution. He advised his brother during times of crisis such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. As Fidel’s health faded, Raà ºl came to be considered as the logical (and perhaps the only possible) successor. An ailing Castro turned over the reins of power to Raà ºl in July 2006, and in January 2008 Raà ºl was elected president in his own right, Fidel having withdrawn his name from consideration. Many see Raà ºl as being more pragmatic than Fidel, and there was some hope that Raà ºl would loosen the restrictions placed on Cuban citizens. He has done so, although not to the extent that some expected. Cubans can now own cell phones and consumer electronics. Economic reforms were implemented in 2011 to encourage more private initiative, foreign investment, and agrarian reforms. He limited terms for president, and he will step down after his second term as president ends in 2018. Normalization of relations with the United States began in earnest under  Raà ºl, and full diplomatic relations were resumed in 2015. President Obama visited Cuba and met with  Raà ºl in 2016. It will be interesting to see who succeeds Raà ºl as President of Cuba, as the torch gets handed to the next generation. Sources Castaà ±eda, Jorge C. Compaà ±ero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara. New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Coltman, Leycester. The Real Fidel Castro. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003.

Academic Writing in the Digital Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic Writing in the Digital Age - Essay Example High school students nowadays write academic essays as well. Universities are also using academic essay writing as a way of selecting the right students for admission and as a way of assessing performance of their students in the final exams especially in the schools of humanities and social sciences. This essay will look into what essays are, what is its importance especially in colleges, skills gained by academic essay writing, multimedia genre that can equip students with the same skills, how the skills will be of benefit to the students after school and how the digital age will address the needs of the digital students. Academic Essay Writing One cannot understand what an academic essay is before understanding what an essay is. An essay can be described as a piece of writing or wittings from an author’s point of view and it can carry some other authors’ thinking with citations from the authors’. An essay can be inclusive of a number of issues from political m anifestos, learned arguments, literary criticism, daily life observations, reflections, to the recollections. There are different forms of essays with academic essays being one. The types are admission essays, film essays and photographic essays. An academic essay is therefore a piece of writing from the writer’s point of view on a particular issue for educational purposes (Ellis & Louise 24). For years, academic writing has been part of college. Students, especially in this digital era, have just been doing it because they had no choice but just to do the essays if they are to graduate. They would do the essays with carelessness or haphazardly just to be done with the painful experience of writing without realizing how important it is to them. Essay writing is not part of the college curriculum to punish or torture students but to equip them with skills that they would use not just in their professions but also in their daily lives (Ellis & Louise 62). Essay writing equips s tudents with a number of skills with the most common one being the ability to write. It is not everyone who can read and write has good writing skills just not everyone who can speak out words is excellent in the language. Essay writing makes one become perfect in this skill of writing because practice makes perfect. One gets to know how arrange their ideas in a systematic and chronological manner (Ellis & Louise 266). Ability to research, use handy information is another skill gained through writing academic essay. When given an assignment to write an essay, more often than not it will include researching for useful information or data. After getting the data from the research, the student will be required to use the information into use in writing the essay. Continuous writing of these essays gradually develops the student’s research skill and the ability to put information to use (Ellis & Louise 260). Few people have the ability to express their point of view whether throu gh speaking or writing clearly. College essay writing comes in handy in helping people with this. This is so because some essays ask the students' point of view about something. As they express their opinions or thoughts about the issue, they develop the skill of expressing one’s thoughts. The skills are developed as expressing through writing first then gradually their ability to express themselves through speaking (Ellis & Louise 32). The other skill that is acquired through writing essay essays is the ability to analyze issues and solve problems. Sometimes essay involve analysis of issues, or giving solutions to problems like say drought, corruption and others. The writing of such essays will require the student to look into such an issue critically and offer way outs. The