Monday, December 30, 2019

Genetic Engineering Brave New World - 1012 Words

Genetic engineering has been around for many years and is widely used all over the planet. Many people don’t realize that genetic engineering is part of their daily lives and diet. Today, almost 70 percent of processed foods from a grocery store were genetically engineered. Genetic engineering can be in plants, foods, animals, and even humans. Although debates about genetic engineering still exist, many people have accepted due to the health benefits of gene therapy. The lack of knowledge has always tricked people because they only focused on the negative perspective of genetic engineering and not the positive perspective. In this paper, I will be talking about how Genetic engineering is connected to Brave New World, how the history of†¦show more content†¦According to the article Is GE food safe? â€Å"The reason that genetically engineered food could be dangerous is because there has been no adequate testing to ensure that extracting genes that perform an apparent ly useful function as part of that plant or animal is going to have the same effects if inserted into a totally unrelated species,† (Shah). These concerns don’t only warn people about genetically modified foods, but also about genetically modified human beings because this technique changes all the cells of the human baby and would be passed down to future generations. Experts fear these consequences due to the lack of safety testing which is very important because it can detect any unintended side effects from GE foods and babies. Like any technology, genetic engineering offers benefits as well as potential risks. Genetic engineering can negatively affect human health as well as environmental impacts. For example, genetic engineering can cause allergic reactions or even create new ones. According to the article, Genetically Engineered foods, â€Å"Modified organisms may interbreed with natural organisms and out-compete them, leading to extinction of the original organism or to other unpredictable environmental effects,† (Genetically engineered foods: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). Genetically engineering can cause this environmental problem directly because an engineeredShow MoreRelatedGenetic Engineering and a Brave New World1694 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic Engineering is one of the current hot button topics of our world today and its also the fundamental theme in widely know novels such as Brave New World and My Sister’s Keeper. But what exactly is Genetic Engineering? What exactly does Genetic Engineering entail? Genetic Engineering in its self is a mammoth and board field, yet not many people actually know or even understand the diversity that Genetic Engineering entails. When most people perceive the slightest sound of the word GeneticRead MoreAn Enhanced Genotype: Ethical Issues Involved with Genetic Engineering and their Impact as Revealed by Brave New World2301 Words   |  10 PagesEnhanced Genotype: Ethical Issues Involved with Genetic Engineering and their Impact as Revealed by Brave New World Human society always attempts to better itself through the use of technology. Thus far, as a species, we have already achieved much: mastery of electronics, flight, and space travel. However, the field in which the most progress is currently being made is Biology, specifically Genetic Engineering. In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, humanity has taken control of reproduction and biologyRead MoreEssay on Genetic Enhancement is Unethical 1600 Words   |  7 Pagesnot be too far off in the future. Designing babies using genetic enhancement is an issue that is gaining more and more attention in the news. This controversial issue, once thought to be only possible in the realm of science-fiction, is causing people to discuss the moral issues surrounding genetic enhancement and germ line engineering. Though genetic research can prove beneficial to learning how to prevent hereditary diseases, the genetic enhancement of human embryos is unethical when used to createRead MoreGenetic E nhancement - Designer Babies1618 Words   |  7 Pagesnot be too far off in the future. Designing babies using genetic enhancement is an issue that is gaining more and more attention in the news. This controversial issue, once thought to be only possible in the realm of science-fiction, is causing people to discuss the moral issues surrounding genetic enhancement and germ line engineering. Though genetic research can prove beneficial to learning how to prevent hereditary diseases, the genetic enhancement of human embryos is unethical when used to createRead MoreEssay about Human Genetic Engineering is Bunk996 Words   |  4 Pages Imagine a world in which everyone is identical and reared to process, act and perceive every little thing the same way. If someone chooses to stand out, then the entire society becomes unstable, unsafe and brings unwanted fears that the civilization will decay into rubbles. The longevity and quality of life primarily depend on what the controller feels l ike creating, either an elite or a second-rate. The life of one human being is dictated and put in the control of one person’s hands that gets toRead MoreBrave New World by Aldous Huxley Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesBrave New World by Aldous Huxley Humans have transformed their social organization, time and time again. Social separation has existed since the Neolithic Revolution. Very recently, we have begun to head down a dangerous path to what we can call a Brave New World. A â€Å"Brave New World† is one in which those in charge begin to intrude on the lives of individuals to the extent that the government has so much control that it begins to create human beings artificially. This path first started withRead MoreEssay on Huxleys Brave New World1362 Words   |  6 Pageslife. However, it comforted society so much that society started to depend on it too much. By depending on it too much, society allowed technology to replace the use of one’s mind. In Brave New World, Huxley predicts what is happening in today’s world and what will continue happening in the near future. In Huxley’s world, everything is based on technology and the people that live there are pretty much dehumanized. And all of this starts in small test tubes with embryos inside of them. In this societyRead MoreAldous Huxley s Brave New World1334 Words   |  6 Pageso read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is to understand the fear for the future during the 1930’s. Widely considered ahead of its time, Brave New World is one of the most influential novels regarding the destructive outcome of genetic and public manipulation through regime control. The story contrasts two worlds: the traditional world where the â€Å"savages† reside and the new World State: a negative utopia where unrestrained sexual freedom, reproductive technology, and mind numbing drugs run rampantRead MoreDesigner Babies1566 Words   |  7 PagesCritical Review of Designer Babies: The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Author: Siew Yang Yi Yin Ren. Designer Babies: The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering. MURJ Volume 12, Spring 2005. Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism’s genome through direct human manipulation of the DNA using modern technology. Although classical genetic methods using selective breeding has been done by humans since thousands of years ago, the manipulation of genome of organism through advanceRead MoreThe Human Genome Project Led By James Watson1308 Words   |  6 Pagespeople in our lives die from hereditary diseases and our genetic makeup is almost completely responsible for the traits we are born with and unfortunately stuck with. However the genes and genetic predispositions responsible for these common and rare hereditary diseases have been identified, which allows diagnosis of these diseases in prenatal stages. What if we as humans could choose to improve ourselves and our offspring by a series of genetic testing and germline gene therapy to produce a genetically

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Dangers Of Humans - 1609 Words

be heard from every other window and doorway on both sides of the street, like the suffering pleas dominating the Valley of the Damned. A man scurried by heading home holding a dead dog he had found determined not to share it with anyone. Lawrence passed makeshift shelters of countless homeless who cluttered the streets in every direction. Tents and cardboard lean-tos filled every available vacant lot. A retarded hunchback devil was appointed to beat a gong to mark every passing hour that brought them closer to their full consummation. He would turn the hourglass; then returned to sit down, waiting with a mallet in hand, laughing until he choked. Crowds sat in their excrement and were covered with insects and open sores. Demons hung†¦show more content†¦Come late afternoon, a car pulled into the driveway. As Lawrence approached, he saw the jet-black hair and eyes that comforted him in dreams. Diane came from the car to face him. When he put his arms out to her, she stopped and pulled away. Diane, I want you to come with me. I want you to marry me and live in Jerusalem where you will be safe. Marry you! Are you crazy? What are you doing here anyway? Wouldnt you be happier destroying a nation of people in the name of holiness? Look at what you have done to this country. Look at what you have done to this city. Half the people are dead, and the other half wish they were dead, and you want me to marry you. I think you are crazy! Plain crazy! She started for the door. I thought you understood why the world must be chastised? I understand all right. I understand too well. I am sorry I ever had anything to do with you. I know you dont mean that. I know you are wrought over the world. Dont look at the worlds plight. They have reaped what they have sown. Think of Utopia and the glory soon to come. I am sick and tired of thinking about Utopia. That is all I ever hear about these days. How could you do this to people? Now you want me to come and join you? Its fo r a little longer. Then everything will be made right, Lawrence said, trying to explain. I see, and we could act as if all this never happened and go on to be happy and delighted. We have been through this time and time again. Didnt IShow MoreRelatedThe Dangers Of Human Diseases1025 Words   |  5 Pagesmans circulation system, yet once the poison ties to the nerve cells, neutralizing agent’s poisons have no real way to remove it. In this way, early organization is critical on the off chance that you figure you havent been inoculated that is in danger for lockjaw. Lockjaw antibody is promptly accessible (as a rule alongside different immunizations in a joined infusion), and its amazingly compelling in shielding us from the infection. Moreover, theres next to no peril of response, and no hazardRead MoreWarning Of The Dangers Of Science Or Suggestion That The Human1309 Words   |  6 PagesMatthew Tripp Susan Sibbach English IV 11 December, 2015 Frankenstein: warning of the dangers of science or suggestion that the human quest for knowledge is a noble undertaking? Human societies have come a long way from the time of hunting and gathering. Self-sufficient and possessing high capacity for questioning what systems are currently in place, and the astonishingly unique ability to discover solutions for problems; humankind is truly one of a kind. This distinctive quality grants humanityRead MoreHamlet : The Complexity Of Human Nature And Dangers Of Revenge1927 Words   |  8 PagesHamlet: The Complexity of Human Nature and Dangers of Revenge Hamlet is one of the most renowned plays of all time. Hamlet has multiple levels of meaning and several main points just as its main character’s words do when he is faking insanity. Unlike other revenge plays Hamlet is more about the musing of the main character concerning morality, life, death, and what should be done rather than just bloody revenge. In Hamlet Shakespeare presents the impossibility of absolute certainty in one’s ownRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms:Its Dangers to Human Society Essay1238 Words   |  5 Pagesdinner table. As it is stated above, people are exposed to plenty of GM foods in daily life. However, modern people who consume those GM crops everyday do not realize that these genetically modified foods are environmentally dangerous, are risky to human health, and cause economic concerns. First of all, transgenic plant’s environmental ramifications can ruin the ecosystem. As biotech crop’s gene transfer to non-target species, other organisms could encounter unintended harm. Genes and their effectRead MoreThe Danger in the Sea: Negative Human Impacts on Marine turtles1532 Words   |  7 Pagesthe test of time and is being threatened by human’s impact on the sea. All six of the marine turtles occurring on the shores of America are at least threatened. Marine turtles are very important to the ecosystem but humans are endangering this family directly and indirectly; if humans do not stop their destructive habits, we may lose the influence of marine turtles on the earth’s seas. Marine turtles play an important role in the oceans ecology and without turtles we may see an ecological collapseRead MoreThe Loss Of Privacy And Freedom Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pagesand through the technology companies running the government, is posing a great danger to the survival of humanity. Privacy is also something that Kaczynski worries about when talking about what he believes to be the greatest dangers to the survival of humanity. In order to talk about his ideas of this topic, his definition of what makes us fundamentally human needs to be established first. Kaczynski believes that â€Å"Human beings have a need (probably based in biology) for something that we will callRead MoreScience and Technology: Advantages and Disadvantages of Technological Advances788 Words   |  4 PagesAdvantages and disadvantages of technological advances Technology has been progressing at an astonishingly rapid rhythm, and it has been changing our lives in a scaring way. In the future, our lives might change even more, with several benefits and dangers of technological advances. Everything evolves around 3 concepts: technology, science and future. So now arises the question: will this technology advance make society better or worse off? On the one hand, several benefits will make society betterRead MoreWhy Fracking Is Not Be The Most Exciting Process1450 Words   |  6 PagesNext, Chevron would need to make the public aware of the dangers of fracking and the importance of switching to clean energy, and lastly, Chevron needs to try to get other major oil companies on board with dropping fracking and switching to clean energy. The first step Chevron Corp needs to take is making the initial public announcement that they are going to move away from fracking and fossil fuels as it’s too dangerous for the health of humans and the health of the environment. Although fracking hasRead MoreShelley s Views Of The Dangers Of Knowledge1679 Words   |  7 PagesAn examination of Shelley’s views of the dangers of knowledge contained in her novel Frankenstein â€Å"You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes not be a serpent to sting you, as mine had been,† this fragment of Victor Frankenstein’s conversations with Robert Walton exemplifies Mary Shelley’s views of the dangers of knowledge, in her novel, â€Å"Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,† where main characters Robert Walton and Victor FrankensteinRead MoreHuman Factors That Caused Accidents Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesHuman factors are a major component of the causes of accidents in the workplace.It is currently recognised that human and organisational factors are the cause of accidents. It is also noted that construction companies account for fatal accidents in Uk. It is necessary to have an understanding of the role of human factors in accidents, models of accident causation places superficial emphasis on human factors and human factors were depicted as a linked to error occurring in the immediate sequence

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Aikido Sport Free Essays

Aikido is a martial art and a way of life from Japan which is a result of many years of research, practice and development. It is unique among Japanese martial arts because it emphasizes the importance of achieving complete mental calm and control of one’s own body to master an opponent’s attack. It is not only concerned with how to defeat an opponent but how to live our daily lives as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Aikido Sport or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is also known for emphasizes the spiritual and philosophical development of its students.   Aikido offers specific benefits such as responsibility, respect, and confidence in training and in life. Aikido training consists of five parts: Tai, Ki, Toku, Chi and Joshiki. These five principles of aikido are found in every technique and method. Simultaneous development of these elements leads to ideal personal development. The first element of aikido training is bodily realization or Tai training. This comes foremost in the practice of martial arts. It aims to develop the physical aspect through the practice of the principle of oneness in techniques. This part of Aikido training is for all-around physical fitness, flexibility, and relaxation. Its purpose is to strengthen and purify our bodies. Through physical mastery, we gain the power in the breath of heaven and earth or â€Å"kokyuryoku.† The development of the body, is to help us carry out the activities we must do to be good people and help others in our society. We use it to live and help others. The stronger a person’s body is, the more things one can do and learn, thereby strengthening both mind and body. The second part of the Aikido training is Ki development or mental realization. Ki is the Japanese word for Life Force, which focuses around the development of energy and unification of mind and body through discipline. This discipline starts with learning to use physical energy correctly in the Aikido movements. With practice, agreement and synchronization of body and Aikido  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 mind develops gradually and the process of realization begins. Once self-confidence and awareness of being at one with the universe is increased, then fear loses its meaning, thus the start of true spiritual strength. The stronger the person’s ki, the stronger they will be physically, mentally and emotionally. The third focus of Aikido training is achieving moral and ethical realization. This places the principle of oneness with the universe into everyday living. The development of ethics is to help us become better social beings and to live harmoniously in society and nature. Thus all the trainings and teachings in Aikido should be incorporated to our daily lives to attain the path of truthfulness and thus attain oneness with the universe. The fourth focus of Aikido training is spiritual or wisdom realization, also called as Chi which means the development of wisdom through coming to know the truth of oneness. It is having the right intentions through right understanding. It means not having to look for conflict but simply living Aikido not as a weapon but as a guide. The last principle of Aikido training is Joshi or Common sense development. It is often defined as the recognition of and respect for all living things. The nurturing of common sense is to help us to continuously learn as we live. With common sense, we would know how to act when we face a totally new situation or environment which would allow us to face the future without fear. The better our common sense, the easier it is to deal with uncommon things. The purpose of Aikido is not simply to teach defense. It is to develop oneself to become a better individual that will fit better in society, and consequently improving society itself. The self defense aspect is just an additional benefit of Aikido. The five principles of training lead to the most important functions of aikido which are spiritual discipline and physical mastery. Aikido  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4 References Dobson, T., Miller V. (1993). Aikido in everyday life: Giving in to get your way. California: North Atlantic Books. Crane R., Crane K. (1993). Aikido in training: A manual of traditional aikido practice and principles. Berlin, New Jersey: Cool Rain Productions.   Tohei, K. (1978). Ki in daily life. USA: Japan Publications. Mitsugi, S. (1989). The principles of aikido (Wellington, I. Ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala. Wildish, P. (1999). Principles of aikido: The only introduction you’ll ever need. USA: Thorsons. Stevens, J. (1999). Training with the master: Lessons with Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala. Homma, G. (1990). Aikido for Life. California: North Atlantic Books. How to cite Aikido Sport, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Beautiful Creatures free essay sample

The point of view from which the story is told is first persona and Ethan is telling the story. The theme of the story is not to let others pick your fate but for you to make the choice. The conflict of the story is Ethan and Lena trying to find a way to turn Lena light so they can stay together. Ethan Wate is a main character in the book. He is Lena’s boyfriend in the story and is more protective of her than anyone else. He has brown hair, blue eyes, and is over six foot four. He has lived in Gatlin his whole life but wants to move away and travel the world. Ethan is also the star player on the Jackson high basketball team. An unusual quality about him is that he has some sort of power even though he is still a mortal. He is the only one who can protect her from Sarafine (a dark caster who tries to kill Lena). We will write a custom essay sample on Beautiful Creatures or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Something else about Ethan is that he has dreams about Lena before they even meet. In them Lena is always dying but in a very unusual way. She could drown and he would jump in to save her, he would wake up wet. Or Lena could be burning in a building and Ethan would wake up with burn marks on his clothes and covered in ashes. In his dreams he sees this girl he doesn’t know but in his dreams he did know her. All he knows is that she has black hair and green eyes. He thinks he is going crazy but then the girl in the dreams comes to town. Lena Duchannes is also a main character in the book. She has green eyes, black hair, and very pale skin. She is Ethan’s girlfriend in the novel but has major trust problems. Ethan was her first mortal friend and she often feels as though she can’t talk to him because of how different they are. She has moved around her whole life to keep safe from dark casters. Everyone in her family has powers and she turned out to be the most powerful caster type of all. She was a natural, someone who can control nature, weather, and gravity. She was told that her mother and father both died in a fire but she later on learns that her mother is still alive and that her mother killed her father. Throughout the novel she has trouble deciding light or dark. She is constantly afraid that she is going dark and will hurt the ones she loves. She often dressed in dark clothes but toward the middle she started dressing more warmly. She pushes Ethan away a lot in the book because she doesn’t want to go through the whole heartbreak thing on her birthday. Deep down she knows how much she loves Ethan and wants to be with him but she also doesn’t want to hurt him. The book starts off with Ethan having a dream. In the dream he and a mysterious girl are falling, he has no idea who the girl is but he does know that he loves her and would do anything to keep her alive. He has been having the same dream ever since his mom died a few months ago. He refers to it as â€Å"love before first sight†. The scary part of the dreams is that he always dies and he doesn’t ever wake up until she does. This time she drowned in mud and when he woke up he was covered in dirt and water. He goes to take a shower and sees that there is a new song on his iPod called â€Å"sixteen moons†. It is about a girl and a boy who in love but that cannot be together because of unnatural reasons. When his friend, link, pulls up to take him to school he asks him if he downloaded a new song on his iPod. He says no and asks what song it was and when Ethan tries to pull it back up it was gone. On the way to school they pass a hearse which is very unusual. No one in Gatlin owns a hearse and no one ever comes and no one ever goes. Everyone was born there and everyone passes away there. When they arrive at school they learn that there is a new girl at school but no one has seen her yet. By lunch everyone is talking about her. The basketball team all sits together at a table and they talk about how hot she is and they all joke about who gets to date her first. Then the cheerleaders over hear them and tell them that she is Ravenswood’s niece. Ethan was actually looking forward to meeting her and thought maybe they could go out sometime, but not anymore. Macon Ravenwood is the town shut-in that lives in the biggest house in town. He has lived there since he was a baby, but no one has ever seen him leave his house, so Ethan tries to forget about her. He had basketball practice that afternoon and he saw someone get into the hearse. She had black hair, green eyes, and very pale skin. She was the girl from his dreams, just then she looked over and locked eyes with Ethan, it started to rain. When he got home Amma, his house keeper (who was more like his mother to him) told him to stay away from Ravenswood’s niece. He always listened to Amma but he hesitated because he was curious and wanted to find out more about her. The next day he sees that she is in his English class, she sits in the front row a few seats away from Ethan. The teacher introduces her to the class and he learns that her name is Lena. Emily Asher (one of the cheerleaders) starts bulling Lena not even halfway through the class. Ethan can’t take it anymore and stands up for her. He knows he will pay for it later because no one was talking to her and if he was on the basketball team he was supposed to do what the basketball team did. Emily took Lena’s notebook and was about to start reading it Ethan took it and gave it back it Lena. This is when he notices something on her hand, it the number 156. Later on in art he hears someone playing in band. Someone was playing the song he heard the day before (sixteen moons). He starts hearing the words even though no one is singing and this triggers a dream or vision only this time he was still awake. It was the same dream, they both were both falling and Ethan tries to grab her hand to hold onto her but she slips through his fingers. When he returns to reality he has finger nail marks on his arm from where she was holding on and in his lump of clay (he was in pottery class) there was a handprint much too small to be his or even a boy’s at all. Link stayed after that day so Ethan drives home. Suddenly it starts to rain, actually more like pour. It was so bad that he could barely see the road in front of him even though the road was deserted except for him. Then sixteen moons comes on on the radio, it scares him so much he almost doesn’t see the green eyes in the middle of the road. He almost hits the figure but at the last second swerves around it. He gets out making sure that the person or animal was ok. Then he realizes it was Lena, her face was even paler than usual and her eyes were glowing, but that was not the first thing he noticed though. The first thing he saw was that she had a red mark on her hand from where Ethan had grabbed her to hold onto her in the dream. When Ethan helps her up lighting strikes the tree a few yard away and it splits in half. Ethan tells Lena that she is the girl from the dreams and that he was the one who did that to her arm. Lena dynes it and tells him that he must be drunk but she agrees to let him take her home anyway. He notices the number on her hand again it said 152, four less than last time. The next day Ethan tells link about what happened the night before and about how he had dreamed about her. He doesn’t tell him about the visions being real though. That day Ethan and Lena bump into each other in the hall and the light above them goes out. In English the girls continue to tease Lena and even though Lena is not saying anything it was as if Ethan could read her mind. He heard her voice yelling at them and telling them to stop. Then the window shatters and glass flies everywhere. Lena runs out of the room and Ethan follows her to Ravenwood. He walks into the house because no one answered the door and he sees a huge dog that looked more like a wolf and runs back out. Then he sees a path leading to a garden and follows it to where he finds Lena. He hears he crying and tries to comfort her. They learn that they can speak telepathically. Then Lena admits that she has been having dreams about him as well. Lena tells him that her birthday is in 151 days (that explains the number on her hand) and that she might not be there afterwards. After that day in the garden Ethan and Lena have many telepathic conversations. Ethan starts feeling very self-conscious that Lena will be able to read all of his thoughts, so he tries really hard to think about basketball and not to let his thoughts drift off to other things. Ethan goes to school the next day and sees that Lena was not there. He realized that that was a good thing because the parents had already started something about Lena breaking the window saying that she was a danger to all the students. After school Ethan goes over to Ravenwood to drop off Lena’s English homework. Before he even knocks her Uncle Macon opens the door and invites him in for dinner. When they get to the ball room there is already another place set for him. Ethan brings up a subject that makes Macon mad and all the light go out. Then he starts telling Ethan that he cannot protect Lena. Macon throws a vase without touching it and vanishes. Lean quickly pushes Ethan out of the house without any explanation at all. That night he wakes up from Lena’s voice in his head. She tells him to go outside and he does. She was sitting on his porch and they talk all night. She tells him everything about how she and everyone else in her family has powers and about how she will turn dark or light on her birthday. After that night Lena is all Ethan thinks about. They go to the garden every day and he considers that as their special place. The next day Ethan is at the local convenience store with the rest of the basketball team and a girl in a short skirt, tiny tank top, and dark sunglasses pulls up. She introduces herself as Ridley lean’s cousin and was sent to pick Ethan up for a family holiday. The guys stare at Ridley as ethane gets into her car and drives away. At Ravenwood no one is happy to see Ridley. At dinner Ethan learns that Ridley was claimed on her sixteenth birthday and turned dark. He also learned that Lena was a natural, a caster who can control the weather, nature, and gravity. Then Ridley grabs Ethan’s arm and he starts to go pale, she was sucking the life out of him but Lena yells and creates a tornado in the house which sweeps her away. Ethan wakes up in Lena’s room a few hours later. When Lena rushes over to him she grabs his hand and a crack in the plaster on her way makes a big heart. Lena is embarrassed and tries to pull away but Ethan kisses her instead. Lena pushes him back because she doesn’t want to get too close to him and then turn dark and hurt him. Ethan says he doesn’t care and pulls her back to him. The next week is Halloween and at school the basketball team decided to dress up like the cheerleaders and Ethan gets scolded by the team when he doesn’t wear his costume. The cheerleaders make a sick joke and they dress up as witches that look a lot like Lena. They have black wigs, colored contacts, a black hat and they even put a birthmark on their faces like Lena. Surprisingly Lena controls herself but when the girls go to take the mark off they cant. Lena used her powers to change their eyeliner to sharpie so the ink wouldn’t come off. Her powers were growing every day. Ethan wakes up hearing Lena screaming in his head. He rushes to her house and he finds her on the floor f the ball room surrounded by her family all chanting something in Latin. They were saying that she was being attacked by Sarafine and that no one could save her. Then Ethan rushes in and breaks the circle and saves her but when lean wakes up Ethan falls unconscious. He wakes up in Lena’s room again and they talk about what happened the night before. Ethan kisses Lena who is starting to freak out but his lungs start to feel like they are collapsing and†¦he passes out. Lena realizes that that happens a lot and she goes to get her little cousin Ryan who heals him. They learn about a library but for casters and they decide to go check it out. While down there the librarian helps them try to find the book of moons which is supposed to be the most powerful book but they learn that it has been missing for over a hundred years. Then they run into Macon and he starts yelling at Lena who then collapses and cries out in pain (it was another attack from Sarafine). Ethan decides to pull a Handsome Prince and kisses Sleeping Lena and of course it works. They find the book a few days later and they skip school to study it. When they do go to school though link, Lena , and Ethan talk about the winter formal and Ethan realizes that he hasn’t asked Lena yet. He does and she says yes which surprised him because he didn’t think she liked things like that. At the winter formal, they see that link brought a date and it just so happen to be Ridley. The same Ridley who tried to kill Ethan a few months earlier. When someone drops a bucket of soap on Lena and Ethan, Ridley stands up for her cousin. She rips dresses, blows lights out, sets off sprinklers, and shorts electric equipment. They leave then and at Ravenwood Macon grounds Lena for not leaving right when she saw Ridley. Lena, though wants to know how exactly Macon even knew Ridley was there. He admits that the dog, Boo Radley, is his spy and he can see out of the dog’s eyes. When Ethan thinks about it, every time Lena and him had ever been together the dog was always with them. Ethan is not exactly happy about this and doesn’t speak to him the rest of the night. The day of Lena’s birthday Ethan goes over to her house to give Lena her birthday present. When he walks up the stairs to her room the stairs flick him off, this is her way at a last attempt to keep Ethan away but it’s too late for that. With enough persistence he makes it up to her room. They lay under a blanket for a few hours and then he gives her the present. It’s a necklace with his mom’s ring on it. She loves it, puts it on, and they head downstairs. When they enter the ball room they suddenly have black robes on and they join the circle of her relatives chanting again. They begin the ritual and then there is a knock at door, suddenly they all turn into a normal family and they are singing happy birthday to Lena around a ten tier pink cake. Ridley and link are at the door with the entire school behind them for Lena’s surprise birthday party. Ridley has the ability to make anyone do anything or think anything. That is exactly what she did to get the whole school to think that they like her. Macon would not let Lena out of his sight so she snuck out of the house. Ethan tells Lena that he loves her and Lena says the same back, but they say it in the only way that had ever mattered to them, telepathically. Their perfect moment was ruined when link tells them that Ethan’s dad is about to jump off of a building. The whole thing was a scheme by Ridley to get Lena by herself so she would be vulnerable. Ethan and link save his dad by link persuading her not to do it. Then she disappears, that was the last anyone saw of Ridley. Ethan goes back to Ravenwood to make sure Lena is ok but of course she wasn’t. He finds Lena, Mrs. Lincoln (link’s mom), and link in the woods. Then Link’s mom collapses and Sarafine steps out of her body. She puts force fields around Ethan and link to keep them away from Lena. Sarafine and Macon’s brother (hunter) try to convince Lena to go dark and then Macon shows up. Sarafine tells Lena that she and Ethan can never be together because she would end up killing him. That explains why Ethan passes out every time they kiss. Sarafine says that she knows a way that they can still be together. Macon’s brother, sick of just talking, attacks Macon leaving him and Boo unconscious.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Othello and Jealousy Research Paper Example

Othello and Jealousy Paper Jealousy is described as feelings of resentment against someone because of that persons rivalry, success, or advantages. It plays a very large role in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello†. Jealousy is the fire that motivates Iago and clouds Othello’s judgment, leading to the downfall of both men. Iago is extremely jealous of Cassio because of his position in the army. Iago, a Venetian soldier of so good reputation that he is known to everyone as â€Å"honest Iago†, feels bitterly and deeply that he has been done a gratuitous injustice, His past life has been exemplary; his private actions and public deeds have been above reproach; his superior, the great Moorish general Othello, has trusted him, confided in him, relied on him. Othello has had proof of his soldiership at Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christian and heathen. Three great ones of Venice have used their personal influence on Iago’s behalf. The lieutenancy has gone, nevertheless, to Michael Cassio, a Florentine and a mere theoretical soldier who has never set a squadron in the field. † (McCloskey 25) Iago was equal to Othello in the military until Othello was promoted. Othello then made Cassio his lieutenant which enraged Iago. He set out to destroy Cassio and succeeded as he was stripped of his lieutenancy. Iago was in a jealous frenzy and becoming lieutenant was not enough for him. Iago wants justice and this motivates him to sabotage Othello’s career as well. â€Å"Intellectual, craftly, subtle, and efficient as he is, Iago cannot, however, control his jealous suspicion. (McCloskey 222) Iago is clever and quick-witted but he is completely consumed with envy. He uses all of his intelligence to try and bring down Othello. â€Å"And nothing can or shall content my soul till I am even’d with him, wife for wife, Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure. † (Shakespeare;Othello. Act II:Scene 1:lines 307-311) We will write a custom essay sample on Othello and Jealousy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Othello and Jealousy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Othello and Jealousy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Iago believes that justice would be if Othello experienced the same jealousy that Iago had. Iago’s plan works and Othello is blinded by jealousy. This causes him to change his military opinion about Iago. For good and sufficient reasons, apparently, Othello has decided that Iago does not qualify for the vacant military post. Later, however, at the peak of his jealous rage, Othello belies his own previous military judgment against Iago. † (Kliger 222) In the beginning of the play, Othello is in his prime and he chooses Cassio as his lieutenant with good reasoning behind it. Iago continuously manipulates Othello and by the end of the play they were scheming to kill Cassio. Othello then ordered Iago to kill Cassio and gave him a reward. Now art thou my lieutenant† (Act III:Scene 3:line 478) Othello didn’t use his good judgment to make this decision. He wanted Cassio dead and so he compromised his beliefs to make sure that happened. At first when Iago starts putting ideas of an affair between Desdemona and Cassio, into Othello’s head, he dismisses them saying â€Å"I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof, there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy. † (Act III:Scene 3: Lines 221-223) Othello doesn’t want to hear anything else about an affair unless Iago has proof. As Iago continued hinting that Desdemona was unfaithful, Othello started to get jealous. By the end of the conversation he was saying â€Å"O curse of marriage, that we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites! † (Act III :Scene 3: Lines 309-311) Over the course of a conversation Othello goes against his previous beliefs about his own wife and becomes quick to believe Iago, as his judgment was hindered. Othello begins to make assumptions as he is caught up with jealousy. Iago tells him to eavesdrop and so when he hears Cassio speaking about Bianca, he thinks Cassio is speaking of Desdemona. Othello isn’t thinking clearly and disregards obvious comments like â€Å"I marry her? What, a customer? Prithee bear some charity to my wit! Do not think it so unwholesome. Ha, ha, ha! † (Act IV:Scene 1: Lines 309-311) From this comment Othello chooses to believe that Cassio is taunting Desdemona and calling her a prostitute. Iago knows exactly what he is doing to Othello and he says â€Å"As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad, and his unbookish jealousy must construe poor Cassio’s smiles, gestures, and light behaviors quite in the wrong. (Act IV :Scene 1: Lines 117-120) Othello is a very intelligent man but he develops selective hearing and only hears of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Jealousy led to the downfall of both Othello and Iago. Iago was extremely jealous of Othello and his life revolved around manipulation. He became lieutenant but then he wanted more and wound up arrested, after killing Emilia and Roderigo. Othello was jealous of Cassio because he believed that his wife was having an affair. â€Å"Yet if Othello and Iago are Shakespeare’s examples of â€Å"masculine† men in the play, then manhood is the ability to command and audience, to have power over others. (Pryse 476) Othello and Iago are too masculine and powerful to admit their true feelings of jealousy so they scheme and this leads to their downfall. If Othello had talked to Desdemona and listened to her, he would’ve found out that she was innocent. This would’ve saved both of their lives. Instead he ignored her pleas of innocence and smothered her in their own bed. His judgment was too clouded by jealousy and he made irrational mistakes. Othello said, â€Å"Then must you speak of one who loved not wisely, but too well: Of one not easily jealous but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme†. Act VI:Scene 2: Lines 403-406) Bibliography Babcock, Weston. Iagoan Extrordinary Honest Man. Shakespeare Quarterly 16 (1965): 297-301. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Kliger, Samuel. Othello: the Man of Judgment. Modern Philology 48 (1951): 221-224. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. McCloskey, John C. The Motivation of Iago. College English 3 (1941): 25-30. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Pryse, Marjorie. Lust for Audience: an Interpretation of Othello. ELH 43 (1976): 461-478. JSTOR. 2 Mar. 2008. Shakespeare, Whilliam. Othello. Ed. Barbara A Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.

Monday, November 25, 2019

How to Make Homemade Liquid Nitrogen

How to Make Homemade Liquid Nitrogen You can make your own homemade liquid nitrogen using readily available materials. Its not really liquid nitrogen, however, but cryogenic-temperature alcohol. Chilled alcohol can be used for many liquid nitrogen projects, such as freezing flowers or other materials. It is not suitable for ice cream or anything edible. Also, although this poor mans liquid nitrogen is very cold, it doesnt vaporize off your skin like true liquid nitrogen, meaning it can give you frostbite very easily. Avoid skin contact and use all the safety precautions you would use with nitrogen. Homemade Liquid Nitrogen Materials dry ice99% rubbing alcohol or methanol (lower percentage will work but youll get a gelatinous cryo-fluid)plastic container (dont use glass because extreme temperature changes may cause it to shatter) Prepare the Homemade Liquid Nitrogen Youve got two ways to do this. Pour the alcohol into a plastic container and nest this container inside a bucket of dry ice.Alternatively, you can pour the alcohol directly over the dry ice. This is easier, but you wont have control over the temperature of the dry ice, so its possible your alcohol will freeze. Use the homemade liquid nitrogen simulant to super-cool science projects or chill materials. If you dont use all of the liquid at one time, you can store it in the freezer or an insulated cooler to help it last longer. If the alcohol warms up, you can re-chill it using more dry ice. After the project is completed, the rubbing alcohol will remain useful for its normal purpose and may be returned to its container.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Article Critique - Essay Example This movement did much to shift the focus from job recovery to the national debt. Though some from the conservative stance felt the Tea Party movement was exactly what the nation needed, proponents such as Sarah Palin had a very different view. She supported the insurgency much more so than the leader of the movement. She was very much against the movement being defined by any one leader or party. TEA AND SYMPATHY Who owns the American Revolution? (Tanenhaus,2012) The article uses metaphor to describe the Boston Tea Party ship. Though there is a replica that is discussed I believe in this article the discussion demonstrates that State of the Tea party Movement. Jill Lepore goes on to describe one business commentator’s outrage of the federal government’s bailout plan, demanding a new Tea Party. He insisted on the unloading of derivative securities into Lake Michigan. The article highlights the importance of the Founding fathers and those events that transpired in 1773; comparing them in a way as to give the opinion that today’s Tea Party movement is small in comparison and lacks the convictions of those of that time. Jill Lepore’s bias seems to be in agreement with the argument’s she presented in the article, and is in agreement that no particular leader or party should be on whole responsible for the Tea Party movement and that those who are considered Tea party faithful’s are emphatic of quixotic crusades (Tanenhaus,2012). Lepore disagree that the tea Party movement has a misguided view of the American Revolutionary period (Mohamed, 2011). Lepore uses sources such as Christen Varley, responsible for holding monthly Tea Party movement meetings and CNBC business commentator Rick Santelli. Lepore suggests that if the Tea party is to be thought of as fundamentalism history and its review will not change these thoughts. No Thanks for the Memories Gordon S. Wood (Wood, 2011) This article is actually a response to the Jill L epore book â€Å"The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the Battle over American History, (Princeton University Press, 2011). He describes Jill Lepores attitudes and opinions as mocking and describes her discussions as ramblings of present day Tea Party movement issues with those of the Revolution. He considers her question of what our forefathers would do to be a question that is not only pointless but serves little purpose then to provoke conversation towards what seems to be her favorite subject, the American Revolution. Lepore regards the Tea Party as an ageless and nearly sacred event almost to the point of worship. Throughout her book she constantly reiterates that in the case of the Tea Party movement history is clearly not understood and possibly incapable of being understood by today’s government. She dismisses interpretative doctrine of original ideas as fundamentalism (Woods, 2011). Woods opinion is that Lepore should have as her focus mem ory of the American Revolution more so than emotional ties and that these ties cloud and bias her vision and opinion. He expresses concern that her scientific credentials are not demonstrated and that the book leaves us with little actual understanding of the Tea Party movement. He feels the book should have ‘

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Intro to Mngt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Mngt - Essay Example Management is a generic term which can be applied to anything undertaken. It could be management of any kind of task. While business pertains to larger entity and usually involves more resources consumption, more manpower utilization and ultimately broader scope. Management usually requires more clerical and on the paper activity while business may be conducted in aloofness from the on the paper procedures and documentation. Business can be that of commercial level and outdoor activities. Management at the same can be applied to businesses while the term is non exclusive one towards management. In other words, each has their own domain yet management being implementable to business, while the latter may not be implementable to the former. Classical Approach of Management came to fore at a time when the industrial development rose up and the need was felt for making use of the industrial environment in a better way. As a result different modes of classical approach were introduced which are vis a vis: Each has given flexible options in their own way and have improved the manner in which businesses were being conducted in past. The proponent of this theory was F.W. Taylor (Raju & Parthasarathy 2004). While scientific management approach is reliant on the technical knowledge and based on that knowledge the execution according to the desired manner. In a collective way, these three models have paved way for the current state of managerial development and the fruit being extracted from it in form of high productivity and satisfaction of all the stakeholders. Bureaucratic management model was more focused on public administration and the working and governance of the controlling lines such as political and line management. its traces can be stretched back to 18th century and the pioneer behind this idea was Max Weber. Out of these three, administrative management provides more options, for the mere reason that it takes

Monday, November 18, 2019

Critical Analysis of Best Source (Bullying) Essay

Critical Analysis of Best Source (Bullying) - Essay Example As a news organization, ABC News and its correspondents are trusted sources of accurate and up-to-date issues in America and elsewhere. As a national media organization, it is a given for the organization to maintain standards of journalistic excellence, in addition to mechanisms that ensure ethics in news reporting. Reputation and track record are the two crucial elements that give a mantle of authority to any news published or broadcasted in all of its media platforms. Take the case of the article. It satisfies the elements of complete and professional news writing by answering the questions, who, what, where, when, why and how. This barometer in reportage may be obviously simple but it remains to be the fundamental basis of professional news writing. The facts were presented credibly by citing authoritative sources or when a point is being raised, it is backed by concrete evidence and not hear says. For instance, the authors wrote that bullying has spun out of control. They suppor ted this claim by citing a statement from the U.S. Department of Education declaring that the problem is becoming an epidemic, causing "160,000 children a day to stay home from school because they are afraid of being  bullied." Finally, the authors ensured that the whole article was comprehensive, detailing numerous background information, corroborative evidences and as many sources as possible. The website also provided mechanisms wherein readers and concerned individuals could contact the editorial department for issues such as accuracy or for information contribution, in addition to the comment functionality where the readers could express their own opinion on the article. Objectivity in article writing can only be achieved by making the story as balanced as possible. This means that all attempts should be made to get and present both sides of the issue. This is what happened in the case of the article. A great deal of space was devoted to chronicling the victims side

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Partnership in Health and Social Care

Partnership in Health and Social Care LO3 3.1 Evaluate possible outcomes of partnership working for users of services, professionals and organisations. In all partnerships working for users of services, professionals and organisations, outcomes are positive and negative. Positive outcomes: Partnership can result to situation where in committed employees will deliver improved services to the services users which will consequently improve their wellbeing. Positive outcomes are to improve services, empowerment, autonomy and informed decision making.   For a positive partnership working, the service users will achieve the benefits of the partnership philosophies. Empowerment in health and social care means to authorize or enable the staff, the caretakers and the people who are being taken care of. This ensure that everyone has the freedom to make their own choices depending on what works best for them. Good partnership relationship between various health and social care organisations will promote empowerment and independence in service users. Respect, we are sure that the patients and staff doesnt lose their individuality and are given the proper attention required by them. Independence ensure that everyone has the independence to choose whatever they feel best suits for them. They are allowed to take decisions hence helping the management to come up with a plan which suits every individual. Negative outcomes for service users such as abuse, neglect, anger, miscommunication. Communication is the key while collaborating and it is the way to deal with services users. It is important to use the right communication skills when working in partnership with other organisations. Positive outcomes for professionals it will lead to a well-coordinated services provision. The positive working partnership between professionals has an impact on the organizations as all care professionals working together belong to different organizations, therefore the effective partnership creates an integrated service, allow staff to have a common approach, the same vision, shared provision and coherent working practices. 3.2   Analyse the potential barriers to partnership working in health and social care services. Working in collaboration with other organizations is not an easy venture because it comes with different challenges. The potential barriers to working partnership in health and social care services can be noticed at different levels. For example, where in the organisation there is a culture of top-down management style rather than an open collaborative inter-professional with a focus on person centred approach. There is also a lack of competence, knowledge and skills between workers (unqualified social workers accomplishing the task of a qualified social worker) and lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities. Power imbalances exist between the professions with each believing that working partnership will diminish their profession in some way or that they are more important than other therefore should be in charge or not want to share information to other. Different practices and policies leading to different priorities, attitudes and values, lack of training among partners on important issues. Funding can also be a barrier for working partnership. An organisation may have more funding than other and believe that merging with other can impact on the way its budget is spent. The role of voluntary organizations and service users is often unclear. They feel like their need is taken into consideration and are not seen as partners. Barriers in working partnership are very common in health and social leading to tragic consequences and exposing more and more vulnerable people to abuse and neglect. 3.3 Devices strategies to improve outcomes for partnership working in health and social care services. Different practices and policies leading to different priorities, attitudes and values, lack of training among partners on important issues. Funding can also be a barrier for working partnership. An organisation may have more funding than other and believe that merging with other can impact on the way its budget is spent. The role of voluntary organizations and service users is often unclear. They feel like their need is taken into consideration and are not seen as partners. Barriers in working partnership are very common in health and social leading to tragic consequences and exposing more and more vulnerable people to abuse and neglect. Empowerment. As health and social care professional empowering the service is very essential to us. He makes the service users feel respected, involved in his care and a better partner in the working partnership process. Put the service user at the centre of what we do. Training is essential because it increases knowledge, define roles and responsibilities and unified working strategies. Following of different legislations covering the health and social care services.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Tibet :: essays research papers

The purpose of this term paper is to study a religion I am not familiar with. The religion can not be a from the USA. This narrows the options for my term paper. The paper must inform on historical parts of the religion. It also needs to present two problems the religion is going through.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tibetan Buddhism is the religion I chose for my term paper topic. The religion has always spurred my interest me. The simplicity of the Tibetan monk’s life is amazing. They have no need for material possessions. They live off of what the earth offers them. I find that hard to understand, but very interesting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China took over Tibet in 1959. Tibet was closed to outside visitors. The Tibetan Buddhist were severely brutalized. Their religion was repressed due to the communist regime that had taken over their home. This is one of the problems I will be discussing in my term paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gender and identity are an issue that I plan on covering in my term paper. I am very curious to see what the gender roles are in this religion. They could be the same as what I am used to in the US, or they may be very different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most difficult part of this term paper for me will be finding the information I want to write about. I want to find information on gender and identity but I am not sure if it will be what I am looking for. It will also be difficult to be non bias. I was raised in a Christian home and I will find it hard to understand the Tibetan Buddhists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christianity is the religion I am most familiar with. I went to a private Christian school in elementary school. We went to church every morning at that school to learn about the bible. I also went three times a week with my grandparents to a Southern 2 Baptist Church. Later in life I became the youth minister for the same church I attended as a child. I had no choice in the religion I belonged to. It was given to me. It was almost forced upon me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Dialogue Decalogue is very important in this type of term paper. There can be no bias. The reader does not want my opinion on Tibetan Buddhism. They want me to stick to the facts. Though the one part of this I find difficult is the part where I have to understand the religion completely.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Argumentative Essay on Teen Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in the United States. Some people say that this is society’s fault. Although having sex and getting pregnant is due to personal choices and decisions, there are a few things society could do to prevent it. Excessive teenage pregnancy could be controlled with appropriate media, more readily available birth control, and people to set good examples for young women. Just flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon you can see all sorts of inappropriate media full of sexual suggestions.Even aside from all the sex scenes in movies, there are shows SPECIFICALLY about teen pregnancy. Shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant make pregnancy seem acceptable and cool. If having sex at young ages didn’t seem like the cool thing to do, many teens wouldn’t do it. Taking inappropriate shows and movies off the air could make a difference in the teenage pregnancy rate. There are many forms of birth control.In a lot of arguments about tee n pregnancy there is talk about making condoms more readily available, but I think that other forms of birth control that are more consistently effective should be promoted instead. Condoms are important to use, but many times they can break or be ineffective. Plus let’s face it, in the heat of the moment lack of a condom doesn’t always keep sex from happening. Birth control pills are a cheaply made, more effective form of birth control. If forms of birth control such as the pill were cheaper and easier to get, more teens would be protected and less would get pregnant.The world in general is in need of good role models. Anyone that tweens and teens look up to should really try to focus on setting a good example. In a world full of bad examples, its especially important to set good ones for the group of people in that developmental stage. Teenagers need role models to protect them from falling victim to the pressures of today’s society, especially the sexual ones . In conclusion, I believe that teenage pregnancy is a very important issue.The sexual society of today’s America has resulted in a large increase in teen pregnancy. Programs that promote teen pregnancy and things that lead to teen pregnancy should be taken off every day television. Although it is going to be impossible to keep teens from having sex, making birth control extremely easy to use and get ahold of could have a huge effect on the teenage pregnancy rate. These two things along with good parental guidance and support, and good role models to look up to, would keep most teens from getting pregnant.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Confederate Ironclad essays

Confederate Ironclad essays The Confederate Ironclad Virginia was a compelling read to say the least. The subject of this book is the origin of the Ironclad battleships in the Americas, specifically relating to the ships Virginia and the Monitor in the beginning of the U.S. Civil War. The book also is about, although much more subtly, how the South had the North extremely fearful of the Souths capabilities for 2 months of this conflict. The author, Trexler, uses this book to focus on the Virginia and the circumstances regarding her invention, implementation, and destruction all in a relatively short time period. Prior to the civil war, all navies throughout the world were of a wooden variety. Ships had been built using wood for hundreds of years and this was common practice amongst shipyards. Beginning with the late 1830s however, both the French and the British, the long-time naval power of the world, began putting iron on the outsides of some of their warships. This was done without the immediate threat of battle, and thus these ships were never tested in actual combat situations so nobody really knew the effectiveness of them. In Virginia, in 1860, the Gosport Yard was the best shipyard the Americas had built, and was home to a dry-dock and 3 shipbuilding warehouses. It was home to the ship Merrimack, a five-year-old vessel that was one of the largest in the Navy. The ship was also retired, have spent a few uneventful years patrolling the West Indies. As the Merrimack sat rotting away in the shipyard the United States was in a state of upheaval, with the southern states South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all seceding from the Union. With Virginia in constant deliberations over whether to secede or stay loyal to the Union, President Lincoln and his cabinet were forced to make a decision. Should they stay com...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Story in Spanish About the Poinsettia

Story in Spanish About the Poinsettia Improve your Spanish this holiday season with this story about the poinsettia, the rare U.S holiday tradition that originated south of the border.   La flor de Nochebuena Durante la temporada navideà ±a, la flor de Nochebuena es muy popular en Estados Unidos. Pero muchos no saben que la flor es originaria de Mà ©xico. En espaà ±ol, la flor tiene muchos nombres como la flor de Nochebuena, la flor de Pascua, la flor de fuego, la estrella de Navidad y la corona de los Andes. Los indà ­genas mexicanos la llamaban cuetlazochitl, que significa la flor de pà ©talos resistentes como el cuero. Para los aztecas, la flor roja era sà ­mbolo de la sangre de los sacrificios que ofrendaban al sol. En los EEUU, la flor es conocida como la poinsettia en honor de Joel Poinsett, botnico y el primer embajador estadounidense a Mà ©xico. En Mà ©xico hay una leyenda sobre la flor. Se dice que habà ­a una nià ±a muy pobre que lloraba porque no tenà ­a regalo para dar al nià ±ito Jesà ºs en el altar de su iglesia. Un ngel escuchà ³ sus oraciones, y le dijo que cortara las ramas de algunas plantas cerca del camino. Cuando llegà ³ la nià ±a al altar, al contacto con sus lgrimas, de las ramas brotaron bellas flores rojas y resplandecientes. Eran las primeras flores de Nochebuena. Ya tenà ­a regalo adecuado para el nià ±ito Jesà ºs. Translation With Grammar and Vocabulary Notes Durante la temporada navideà ±a,During the Christmas season, Navideà ±o  is the adjectival form of  Navidad, the word for Christmas. The  feminine form  is used here  because  temporada  is feminine. la flor de Nochebuena es muy popular en Estados Unidos.the poinsettia is very popular in the United States. Nochebuena, a combination of  noche  (night) and  buena  (good) is the word used for Christmas Eve. Although the phrase  flor de Nochebuena  could be translated literally as Christmas Eve flower, doing so would not be as clear here as using the English name of the flower. Pero  muchos  no  saben  que la flor es originaria de Mà ©xico.But many dont know the flower is originally from Mexico. The phrase  ser originario de  is frequently used to indicate where something originates. Note that  originario  (or the feminine form,  originaria,  in the original sentence here) is an adjective, not an adverb as in the English translation. Note also that the word  que  is left untranslated in English. In this case, it could have been translated as that, a word often omitted in English. But in Spanish,  que  is essential. En espaà ±ol, la flor tiene muchos nombresIn Spanish, the flower has many names como la flor de Navidad, la flor de Pascua, la flor de fuego, la estrella de Navidad y la corona de los Andes.such as the Christmas flower, the  Pascua  flower, the fire flower, the Christmas star and the crown of the Andes. The word  Pascua  originally referred to the Jewish Passover. In Christianity, it came later to refer to Easter, whose timing is theologically connected with Passover. Los indà ­genas mexicanos la llamaban  cuetlazochitl,The natives of Mexico called it  cuetlazochitl, Indà ­gena, meaning an indigenous person, is one of those unusual words that end in  -a  in both masculine and feminine forms. In the above sentence,  la  is used to mean it because it refers to a feminine noun,  la flor. If the reference had been to a masculine noun,  lo  would have been used. que significa la flor de pà ©talos resistentes como el cuero.which means the flower with petals tough like leather. Note that in Spanish, the period comes outside the  quotation marks, the opposite of what is done in U.S. English. Note also that the  de  in the definition is translated as with, even though  de  typically is translated as of. This provides a more natural translation. Para los aztecas, la flor roja era sà ­mbolo del sangre de los sacrificios que ofrendaban al Sol.For the Aztecs, the red flower was a symbol of the blood of the sacrifices they offered to the sun. The verbs in this sentence are in the  imperfect tense, as is usually the case with verbs that refer to events or repeated actions that occur over a long period of time. En los EEUU, la flor es conocida como la  poinsettia  en honor de Joel Poinsett, botnico y el primer embajador estadounidense a Mà ©xico.In the U.S., the flower is known as the poinsettia in honor of Joel Poinsett, a botanist and first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. EEUU  is the abbreviation for  Estados Unidos. See how the letters are doubled as is often done in an  abbreviation of a plural noun. En Mà ©xico hay una leyenda sobre la flor.In Mexico there is a legend about the flower. Hay  is a form of  haber  that is very commonly used to mean there is. The past tense, as in the following sentence, is  habà ­a. Se dice que habà ­a una nià ±a muy pobreIt is said that there was a very poor girl Se  dice, a  reflexive  form of  decir, is a common way of saying it is said or they say. que lloraba porque no tenà ­a regalo para dar al nià ±ito Jesà ºs en el altar de su iglesia.who cried because she didnt have a gift to give to the baby Jesus on the altar of her church. Nià ±ito  is a  diminutive  form of  nià ±o, a word for boy. Un ngel escuchà ³ sus oraciones, y le dijo que cortara las ramas de algunas plantas cerca del camino.An angel heard her prayers and told her to cut the branches of the plants near the path. The verb  cortara  is in the  imperfect subjunctive  form, because the  subjunctive  form typically is used with  commands and requests  that follow  que. The  le  in this sentence is an  indirect object pronoun; to cut the branches is what the angel said, but the girl is whom the angel told it to. Cuando llegà ³ la nià ±a al altar, al contacto con sus lgrimas, de las ramas brotaron bellas flores rojas y resplandecientes.When the girl arrived at the altar, upon contact with her tears beautiful and brilliant red flowers came forth from the branches. Use of  al  followed by an noun, seen here in the phrase  al contacto, is a common way of saying in Spanish that something occurs as the result of another event. Also note how the word order in this sentence is different than what it would be in English. Eran las primeras flores de Nochebuena.These were the first poinsettias. The translation of They were ... also could have been used. As the  subject is often omitted  in Spanish sentences, you can let context determine the smoothest translation. Ya tenà ­a regalo adecuado para el nià ±ito Jesà ºs.Now she had a suitable gift for the baby Jesus. Ya  is a very common adjective whose translation varies widely depending on the context. The adjective  adecuado  is obviously related to the English adequate (making it a  cognate) but doesnt have the same connotation.

Monday, November 4, 2019

State of the UK construction industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

State of the UK construction industry - Essay Example These changes in growth of the construction industry in United Kingdom point to long term stagnation and possible shrinking of the industry. While the global financial crisis has been blamed far and wide for these drops in performance across many industries but it must be realised that industrial shortcomings have also contributed to these changes. The current situation is unlike but comparable to stagnation in the construction industry in the past. The previous periods of stagnation and negative growth in the construction industry required government impetus to crawl out of their problems. However, this time around governmental support seems to be unlikely to drive growth in the construction industry. The government has already announced a 20% cut in the capital expenditure over a period of four years but this has failed to attract the attention of the private sector. In turn this has exacerbated the situation on ground. The structural gaps in the construction industry in the United Kingdom need to be looked into in order to find workable solutions. This must be explored in a historical perspective as well in order to discern the previous attempts at resolving issues. These could be taken as guidelines in order to see how the construction industry in United Kingdom is expected to perform in the future. ... A number of different governments in the United Kingdom undertook various forms of studies in order to improve the state of the construction industry and its practices. Various institutional reports have also highlighted the need for change in order to improve the state of the construction industry. Overall the concerns exhibited both by institutional reports and government surveys have remained the same. Such investigations have often blamed building projects for possessing more problems than other areas. Consequently the focus of improvements has also been the building construction sector. Generally the performance of different building construction projects is targeted using indicators such as cost, time and quality. While these indicators may serve to highlight the performance of smaller projects but these indicators cannot be considered as a holistic solution for all kinds of construction projects. As mentioned before, a number of reports were construed to deal with the problems in the construction industry. The earliest of these reports can be traced back to the 1960’s but no report was able to garner industry and government support enough to warrant change (Ward & Crane, 2003). This trend of non recognition and resistance to change was changed by the investigation conducted by the Latham Report. Unlike previous findings on this issue, the Latham Report was able to garner governmental support for change. The Latham Report (1994) Sir Michael Latham was asked by the government of United Kingdom and relevant construction industry organisations to look into industrial practices for procurement and contracting. Latham was given the task of looking into

Saturday, November 2, 2019

My Writing Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Writing Skills - Essay Example I am well aware that attaining higher education requires a lot of writing. Although I never experienced writing before in a higher level other than those required in school, such requirement does not present itself to me as something I have to far but a challenge that I must face. I may not be very good with my communication skills both orally or in the written form but I believe that such is the very thing I need for me to improve my communication skills. I have always feared having written reports because I know I am not good in articulating the things I really want to express but then I now see the mistakes I have committed. Running away from such responsibilities are not helping me at all. I refused to learn by doing the things I needed to do so now I would like to do my own papers so I could improve on my writing skills. I believe there is a wide room for me to improve myself so I am changing my way of thinking and my attitude towards writing. I think writing, like any other tas k is perfected only by practicing it though I must admit that I would need to work harder than my fellow students. One of the things I think would help me in my writing is to read a lot and listen intently to native speakers on how they express themselves through words so that I would be able to increase my vocabulary as well.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Detail the main power centres around the Mediterranean Sea through the Essay

Detail the main power centres around the Mediterranean Sea through the ages and explain why they fell - Essay Example However, despite the notable developments from these powers, they finally fell following several reasons such as corruption, inequality and civil wars. Others did not last long because they had ineffective leaders who had little knowledge on governance hence a downturn to economic prosperity. There are different main power centers around the Mediterranean Sea through the ages and the underlying reasons why they fell. For instance, there were the Egyptians who had the first knowledge of architecture, building and a combination of painting and sculpture. The Egyptians’ formulation of the techniques begun around 3000 B.C. This includes the establishment of a pyramid of the sovereign before the takeover of the throne. However, in painting, there was a different technique called monumental treatment that was accorded to designs using many colors (Fromkin 89). In the same breadth, there was also rapid development through stylistic conformities that have presently been characteristic of the art of the Egyptians through history. Another main power center around the Mediterranean Sea was the Phoenicians who had success as early as around 1200 B.C. It is during this period that their level of activity rose and there was also the proliferation of colonizers, explorers, and even remarkable traders. All these groups of ancient professionals created settlements in various parts of the Mediterranean Sea to the advantage of the locals in the area (Tames 145). Similarly, this group took credit for discovering the alphabet that later had the modification of the Greeks in terms of symbols use for sounds. Additionally, the discovery of the alphabet by the Phoenicians led to the replacement of hieroglyphics and cuneiforms hence propelling major advancement. The same period during the majestic reign of the Phoenicians is when there was colonization of areas such as Italy, Sicily, North Africa and Asia Minot by the Greeks. On the other hand, another formidable group to settle around the Mediterranean Sea entails the Hebrews who were a small nation in comparison to the rest. It is observed that after they had arrived to the Land of Promise meaning Canaan after nearly 4000 years, the Hebrews developed a flourishing state. This achievement was, however, notable in religion whereby the Bible turned to be a valuable mark especially to the Western civilization (Fromkin 90). Furthermore, because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Hebrews made a mark in the absorption of other the native civilizations for their advantage. This suggests that an older religion such as Judaism offered fundamental principles to the smaller faiths that included Islam and Christianity. Apart from the above powers, there was also the Island of Cyprus that excelled in excavation processes around 4000-3000 B.C. This group had their influence from the Greece in the ancient era after 1500 B.C. In other words, the Cypriot civilization learnt a lot from the Greeks in terms of cultures and other related religions (Tames 145). However, while the settlement of the Phoenicians around the Mediterranean was noted around the 800 B.C., and later followed by the Egyptians and Assyrians, the Island of Cyprus came late. Alternatively, this gave them a leverage to major in commerce and also become the focal point of the cult of Aphrodite. It is

Monday, October 28, 2019

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man Essay Example for Free

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man Essay I found the novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man very difficult to read at first, and could make very little sense of it. After doing some background research I have some to understand some of the motives of Joyce, from which it seems that the difficulty was not due to any shortcoming on my part, because I know that that even the most sympathetic critics have faced the same difficulties. Joyce does not intend to offer a conventional narrative. Indeed his motive is to deconstruct convention. The protagonist of the novel is described as relinquishing all forms of convention, in his effort to forge for himself a new existence in the capacity of a true artist. But Joyce does not want to offer this theme in the conventional mode either. Not only the substance, but the means and the language must also be suffused by the same theme. In its effort not to depend on any cultural norms, it employs the method of â€Å"stream of consciousness†. This is the technique where raw consciousness of thought is seen as the basis for truth, and it is meant that these thought patterns be transposed directly onto the page. It is not to effect realism, as might be thought at first hand. Realism is art is a very conscious and calculating mode. The underlying philosophy is better described as existentialism. It recalls the existential philosopher Jean Paul Sartre’s epithet â€Å"existence precedes essence† (22). The existentialists aim to understand pure existence, which is yet without essence, or form. It describes exactly the passages in the Portrait which employ the stream of consciousness method. From this point of view I found that a second reading was much easier, only because I was more aware of the motivations of the writer. Another mode which comes to mind is modernism. T. S. Eliot is said to be the instigator of modernism with his 1922 poem â€Å"The Wasteland†. This poem presents us with fragments from the literary cultural tradition of the West, but in a haphazard way, without any seeming coherence, as proclaimed in the poem itself, â€Å"These fragments I have shored against my ruins† (Eliot 69). Eliot himself admitted that he wrote the poem as a reaction to catastrophe of the Great War, and tried to convey its impact on the Western psyche in general. He believed that conventional art forms had become meaningless in â€Å"the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history† (qtd. in Sigg 182). The modernist genre that sprung from this poem can be said to be characterized by futility, and the search for transcendental meaning. Despite various points of similarity is it wrong classify Joyce as a modernist. Not only does the Portrait appears well before the publication of â€Å"The Wasteland†, it is also composed well before the onset of the Great War, and therefore cannot have been motivated in exactly the same way. Neither is it fragmentary and incoherent in the way Eliot’s poem is. It is framed by autobiography, and therefore possesses overall coherence. Eliot’s is a despairing cry of futility. The protagonist of Joyce also comes across the futility of all conventional norms, but in the end the novel is not characterized merely by despair. The protagonist discovering himself as an artist represents hope in the end. The novel describes the several stages by which it protagonist Stephen Dedalus discovers himself as an artist. In the process he takes refuge in the conventional identities provided by society in the various stages of his growing up. But Stephen is meant for greatness, and the conventional identities are only refuges for mediocrity, and this is what he discovers time and time again. The transiton from one stage to the next is marked by epiphanies – sudden bouts of realization that transform the inner self. Apart from the many minor epiphanies that accompany the growing young man, there are two major such occasions. The first is his discovery of conventional faith. The second occurs when he comes to realize that the Church is a restricting influence, and that he must escape if he is to express himself as an artist. It occurs when he must make a choice between training to be a Catholic priest, or to enter the secular domain of university. He opts for the second choice. It is a major decision, but does not yet entail that he is free to become an artist. University opens up to him a diverse array of ideologies. Stephen comes to realize that none of the ideas that academia has to offer are able to address his inner longing towards creativity. His goal, as he expresses at the very end of the novel, is to â€Å"to forge in the smithy of [his] soul the uncreated conscience of [his] race† (276). His final realization is that the conventional mode of Irish existence is lacking in conscience. And as an artist he has understood his role as to make up for this fundamental lack. It is a role of heroic proportions, and which only the artist is able to undertake. So the creativity which Stephen intends in not mere self-expression, it is towards creating a conscience for his race. There are many occasions while he is growing up in Dublin when he comes to realize that there is something fundamentally lacking in what society has to offer him. In school it appears as if the appreciation of his peers is the highest goal, and he is in awe of the bullies of the classroom who command attention. On one occasion he is dealt with a caning from a teacher which he didn’t really deserve. He classmates challenge him to take action, and to report the teacher to the headmaster. Up to this point he seems unable to stand up for himself, yet he takes on the challenge of his peers to go up to the headmaster’s room all alone, and puts his case forthrightly. To his peers he is instant heroes, and they hoist him up in the air together. The striking aspect of this incident is that the glory does not register with Stephen. Even while he is being hoisted, he wants to escape their grip, and when the cheers have died down he feels himself to be an outsider just as before. On the occasion when he is first allowed to attend Christmas dinner with the adults, he observes a vicious argument taking place with politics and religion mixed in. It centers on the Catholic Church’s demonizing of Charles Stuart Parnell, who had led the movement Irish independence from the British. Parnell’s fortunes reversed when it was found out that he was involved in an affair with a married women, which was considered sacrilege in the strictly Catholic society that Ireland was. In the argument Stephen’s aunt is on the side of religious authority, while Stephens’s father and the outsider Mr. Casey argue for politics. However little Stephen understands of this argument, if gives him a foretaste of corruption in high places. But more than this he comes to realize shallowness and brittleness of family life that can be unsettled by cheap religious and political talk. It marks the beginning of Stephen’s moving away from family and tradition. He comes to realize later on that his father is totally unconnected to modern life, and merely engages in nostalgia, drunkenness and superficiality. Stephen renouncing of his family is the first step towards the rejection of convention as a whole. As be becomes more alienated from his family he starts to visit prostitutes, and in general gives himself up to a life of secret sin, even though he is wracked by guilt inside. Another moment of epiphany takes place when he is overcome by a sermon delivered by the college rector. In the meantime he had become strangely drawn towards the Virgin Mary, and when the rector delivers fiery and graphic accounts of hellfire and damnation, Stephen is genuinely terrified from the depth of his soul. None of the other college students are effected at all, and here his outsider status impinges on him once more. The upshot is that he surrenders himself to the austere religious existence, so much so that when the time comes for him to leave college he is nominated for a scholarship for priesthood. By this time Stephen has come to realize that conventional religion does not answer his quest for inner harmony, and so he decides to turn down the offer, and to enter university instead. Shortly after he experiences another moment of epiphany on the beach, when he observes a young lady wading in the water, and he is overcome by a sense of natural beauty. He realized that his true quest is for aesthetic beauty, and that he must carry it on â€Å"among the snares of the world† (Joyce 175). He has not yet realized himself as an artist, and at university he is accosted by the secular ideologies that go up to make convention. In his discussion with his friends he tries to emphasize the importance of leaving all forms of convention behind, but they are far too immersed in the established mode to take his point. He is close to Cranly, to whose sympathetic ear he divulges his artistic longings. Cranly warns him that he is destined for loneliness, but this does not deter Stephen. In this phase he gradually becomes aware that his true identity is contained in his latter name ‘Dedalus’, and not his first ‘Stephen’ (linked to the first Christian martyr). Dedalus is the mythical ‘great artificer’ who uses his art to escape from confinement by King Minos. The myth says that he learnt to fly, and he allowed his son Icarus to fly first, who became too venturesome and flew close to the sun, which it melted his waxed wings and he fell to his death. Joyce is comparing the previous existence of Stephen to Icarus, and his tenure with religiosity is compared to Icarus’ foolhardy ascent. The person who has survived is now compared to Dedalus. He sees in the name a â€Å"symbol of the artist forging anew in his workshop out of the sluggish matter of the earth a new soaring impalpable imperishable being† (Joyce 163). There are two striking points that emerge from this novel. First there is the innovative use of language regarding the â€Å"stream of consciousness† technique. Writers who followed in the footsteps of Joyce enthused in this new technique, which reflected so well the fragmentary character of modern existence, and its emphasis on existence above outmoded forms. Virginia Woolf says, â€Å"Let us record the atoms as they fall upon the mind in the order in which they fall, let us trace the pattern, however disconnected and incoherent in appearance, which each sight or incident scores upon the consciousness† (qtd. in Zwerdling 14). Other critics stress the symbolism, which occurs at many levels and suffused throughout the novel. Apart from the Dedalus connection, Tindall discovers identification with Christ on the one hand, and with Lucifer on the other (Stephen is made to utter Lucifer’s words â€Å"I will not serve†) (10). But such analyses must not allow us to lose sight of the original theme, which is that of nonconformity to convention. In fact, Joyce message chimes with that of Ralph Waldo Emerson: â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist† (21). Emerson was voicing the ethos of the modern age, whereas Joyce is presenting it as the sublimation of artistic endeavor. In conclusion, though difficult to read, Joyce’s Portrait is a novel worth making the effort for. Through his novel literary techniques he is trying to redefine literature so that it becomes relevant to the modern age characterized by fragmentation and alienation. Apart from the strained techniques, the novel is also worthy for its rich symbolism, which exists on many planes, and for the significant allusions to literature and culture. It is not only an autobiographical and ‘coming of age’ novel, but it also makes a noble attempt to diagnose and correct the fundamental malaise of the modern age.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Rational Perspective And Approaches To Strategic Management

Rational Perspective And Approaches To Strategic Management The word strategy mainly takes for granted the historical and geo political conditions under which management precedences are determined and executed. Strategic Management is not just restricted to the business world rather it can be seen in the ever widening circle of problems which are suitable for its application- from public sector and NGOs to regional economic development. In this essay we try to explore the rationalities to help managers improve organizational effectiveness and corporate profitability. The dynamic approach seeks to explore the nature of strategic management as an organizational process. The rational approach exposes the contradictions between the idealised myth of perfect competition and the more realistic ramifications of market power as explored by business school strategists (Porter, 1980). But at the end of the day, for both approaches, it has been seen that managers are the only players within the organisational structure of the market who have any power in the real strategic process. This eventuality has been criticised by such eminent scholars as Whittington (1993), who proposes mechanisms to ensure that the strategy process remains objective rather than being captured by a particular management faction; moreover, he suggests that managers can draw from broader, less visible sources of power, such as the political resources of the state, the network resources of ethnicity, or, if male, the patriarchal resources of masculinity (1993: 38). Moving away from managers One limitation of the dearth of literature available on the analysis of strategic planning is an account of how a faction of global managerial staff came to assume and maintain a stronghold on the strategic processes in the larger scheme of the market. There, however, have been individuals who have addressed this issue, notably among them Shrivastava, who, in a landmark critique in 1986, sought for emancipation in the acquisition of communicative competence by all subjects that allows them to participate in discourse aimed at liberation from constraints on interaction (1986: 373). He also called on researchers to generate less ideologically value-laden and more universal knowledge about strategic management of organisations (1986: 374). Post modern critiques, such as that by Knights and Morgan (1991), take a leaf out of Shrivastavas book and similarly propound a more constitutive and inclusive approach to strategic planning. They see corporate strategy as a set of discourses and practices which transform managers and employees alike into subjects who secure their sense of purpose (1991:252). So they are saying that managers cannot stand at a passive distance from ideology and impose their personal rationales on an unaware workforce. But for all practical purposes, that is what takes place in the actual workplace a core group of elite members, often known as the executive board, are the only participants of strategic discourse, with more actual manual labour deployed on workers as we go further down the line. This norm looks like it is here to stay, at least for a while. This is because even in the contemporary business scenario, mid0level managers, even if they assume any strategic responsibility, are possibly livi ng an illusion if they feel that they have any decisive say in the actual decision-making process. If we draw from Sun Tzus seminal work on military strategy, The Art of War (1983), we find echoes of this theory, where, as in a military structure, it is the field marshall who is behind the drawing board and the foot soldier who is out there on the ground fighting. The captain, or the mid-level manager, does have a say on the functioning of the troops on the ground. But in actual effect, all he is doing is relaying the strategy of those above him, or the executive board members. The rational and dynamic approaches Before we move on further and investigate the pros and cons of the two approaches under discussion rational and dynamic let us start by taking a brief look at both. The rational approach This is concerned with an organisations ability to achieve the goals that it has set for itself. For this, the organisation must first identify a goal for itself, then define a set of means or objectives that can be employed to achieve this goal, and then set in place a list of activities that help put the objectives in action. An evaluation of the organisation is then based on the number of objectives it achieves in comparison to the number it had planned. The primary motivating factor in this model is profits for the company. As such, the top echelon of decision making under such a system can tend to be more autocratic in nature than in other models. Managers who are inspired by financial statements alone in turn tend to leave their workforce uninspired. In a critical study for his PhD, C.P. Washburn says, What we found is that executives emphasizing rationality in their decision making are less likely to be seen as visionary by their subordinates and more likely to be seen as autocratic. But the more holistic executives are seen as more visionary and less autocratic. But as things stand today, despite the non-holistic nature of a rational approach (Washburn, 2006), it still predominates in the global workplace. This is possibly because of the logical framework that defines a rationale approach. Managers who follow it believe that a precise end to an objective should be sought through equally precise and calculated means, and that focusing their energies on quantifiable activities that can be observed and measured is the best way forward. Even if not quite, in a sense, the rational approach can be summarised in the famous sentence from the 1987 movie Wall Street, Greed, for the want of a better word, is good. The dynamic approach The dynamic approach to strategic planning is aimed more at smaller businesses that lack the necessary revenue to implement all the complicated strategies that a larger organisation can. It was conceived by Edward Pierce, who was at the School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University until he retired in the early 2000s. The need for a new approach that moved away from the traditional rational approach was instigated primarily for the benefit for smaller firms. Apart from a basic strategy that is absolutely essential for a line of sustained credit, anything else is a luxury, not least because strategic managers are usually prohibitively expensive for such firms to hire. Moreover, it is not within the financial realm of these smaller organisations to develop a complicated strategy (which in all possibility only a handful of people in the organisation are competent enough to fully comprehend) and then let it gather dust. Unlike the larger organisations that have the means and the resources to leave strategic planning to the hands of a few select individuals in the executive board, these smaller organisations have a more hands-on approach across all levels of management, with even mid-level managers sometimes given a free hand to take decisions. The common necessity for a vision and mission Whether it be a large scale MNC or a small-scale non profit organisation, each must have a vision for the company. Essentially, the vision of an organisation is the single statement that will be able to guide the enterprise across its several strategic business units (SBUs) (Whats In a Vision Statement, 2003). Talk of SBUs brings us to the consideration of another critically important component of strategic planning a mission. There has been much debate over whether vision is more important that mission and it is not our prerogative to enter further debate here. Instead, we can simply define vision as an enterprise view and mission as an SBU view (Whats In a Vision Statement, 2003). Of course, the vision and mission of a particular company are determined by its positioning in the market context. The larger a company, the more complicated is its vision statement and more tedious is the process of achieving its mission. For instance, if we take LG as an example, the parent company has one single vision, but it is modified to suit the needs of its various SBUs such as those for phones, wireless equipment and other electronic appliances. It would not be feasible to assume that this vision statement would apply equally across all the different SBUs within the company. The same would hold true even in the case of a small company, say one that specialises only in making carpets. The vision statement would remain fundamentally the same, but would be applied in different avatars across the different departments that the company might have, such as carpet-manufacturing, the sales division, the training department and so on. Basic differences between the two approaches As we have seen so far, a maximisation of profits is the founding principle behind an organisations rational approach. It is the more traditional way of functioning, and due to its emphasis on increasing revenues as the most important objective, it finds support and has for a long time in Wall Street. But given the vagaries of the market situation not just right now post the financial crisis, but for a while now, there had been the need for a more theoretical approach to strategic planning than simply a total profit = total revenue total cost way of thinking. This is where, apart from the previously discussed need for a holistic approach, Edward Pierce stepped in with his dynamic approach. The rational approach was an all-encompassing one that looked at business through a one-light prism of profit. The dynamic approach, at least according to me, represents a better view of the complex market scenario that is prevalent at present. Large businesses have taken the biggest hit in 60-o dd years. Small businesses on the other hand are continuing to face the future with a bright prospect. In such a situation, a low-cost, direct-result-oriented approach to strategic planning suits the needs of a market that is thriving more for smaller businesses than for large conglomerates. But even while saying this, the benefits of a rational approach despite its disadvantages are there for all to see, and have been for many years now. The main amongst these benefits are an improvement in sales and profitability. It should follow then that productivity would see a similar surge through the rational model. This might have held true earlier more than it does now. Right now, it is possibly the inclusive nature of the dynamic approach that can be best utilised to increase productivity. And this increased productivity today apart from a more harmonious working relationship between the different levels of management would lead to more sales and profitability later down the line. The problem that I have with the rational model is that to an extent, it is behind the credit crisis that we faced as a world a couple of years ago. The greed that operated in Wall Street the same greed that is the basis of the rational approach filtered down to Wall Street. The world at large lost its humane characteristic to a degree and hankered after immediate financial returns and benefits, which is what led to the crisis that we faced. The other problem with the rational approach is its non-inclusive nature. If we take the example of any global financial institution that was affected in the crisis be it Lehman Brothers or the Royal Bank of Scotland how much of it was due to the middle-income banker who sits at his terminal in Canary Wharf for example? How much of an idea did he or she have as to what was afoot in the top rungs of the ladder? More significantly, if such people did indeed have an idea of how harmful the trend of borrowing from mortgage brokers was becoming and were not party to it and had feasible arguments to counter and tackle it were their voices heard? I am guessing not, because it takes a middle-income banker with tremendous guts to walk through the door of, say, the vice-president and tell him or her that what he or she is doing possibly for greed if not on a personal level then on the companys behalf could later have ramifications that the entire world at large would reel under. Another advantage that the dynamic approach has over the rational approach is that because it is more human-oriented than the rational approach, which is more finance-oriented, there is a reduced resistance to change. This is of critical importance since in the rapidly evolving global market scenario, continually changing to adapt to situations is the need of the hour. Moreover, since larger multinationals have been exposed post the financial crisis (which is a necessary standpoint for any study of strategic planning in the present scenario) smaller organisations are seeing the light of day more than in the recent past. This means that evolving approaches to strategic planning should be geared in such a way that it suits the needs of these lesser organisations so that they can play their inevitably crucial role in getting the world back to where it was. That is possible more through a dynamic approach to the problem than a profit-oriented rational approach. In fact, the very word, dynamic, is a literary representation of the zeitgeist of our times.