International Trade and Starbucks Essay

The original idea for Starbucks came from Howard Schultz after he took a trip to Italy. He was inspired by the coffee house experience and wanted to bring it to America. The lesson that can be drawn from this situation is that business formats in other countries can be translated successfully in other parts of the world. New opportunities can be taken advantage of internationally wherever there is a need for it. 2) What drove Starbucks to start expanding internationally? How is the company creating value for its shareholders by pursuing an international expansion strategy? The success that Starbucks was having in America drove the company to expand to other countries. In 1995 Starbucks had over 700 profitable stores across the U. S. and began exploring the international market in Japan. By entering the international market Starbucks is becoming a part of the global market. This brings value to shareholders because the world is moving towards globalization and it is necessary for companies to change their market strategy to meet the conditions of the global market. An international expansion strategy allows Starbucks to compete in the market more effectively and create more value for shareholders. 3) Why do you think Starbucks decided to enter the Japanese market via a joint venture with a Japanese company? What lesson can you draw from this? I believe Starbucks did a Japanese joint venture to help reduce the risk. Since the Japanese company Sazaby Inc. also had a 50% stake in the company it benefits Starbucks to have a partner who knows that Japanese market and who also has economical interest in seeing the company succeed. This shows that entering into joint ventures in international territories can help facilitate growth and lessen the financial burden if international ventures happen to fail. 4) Is Starbucks a force for globalization? Explain your answer. Yes, I believe Starbucks is a force for globalization. Starbucks is a multinational enterprise that has operations in countries all over the world like Canada, Japan, Britain, Thailand, and New Zealand. Starbucks empowers workers and farmers around the world and contributes to the economic growth of the global economy. 5) When it comes to purchasing coffee beans, Starbucks adheres to a â€Å"fair trade† program. What do you think is the difference between fair trade and free trade? How might a fair trade policy benefit Starbucks? Fair trade is a system that ensures that workers and exporters get a fair profit from the goods that the sell. Free trade is strictly based on the markets supply and demand for goods and services without regulation or moral implications. The fair trade policy that Starbucks adheres too will make consumers feel better about purchasing goods from their store. Many people are conscious about unfair wages and treatment of workers around the world and are more attracted to companies that do not follow the cheap labour trend.

New Weapons that Changed the Way of the Samurai

New weapons that changed the way of the samurai A Samurai Sword symbolizes and means the Samurai's prestige and his skills in battle. It is a measure of his stature in society. To all samurai it’s their prize possession and it is worn proudly by its master – until the teppo was introduced. The samurai considered it as dishonorable to tradition. This changed the way samurai fight and changed their view to samurai swords. The teppo is an example of a weapon that changed the way of samurai – it was introduced in the 16 century in Japan through Portuguese trade.They were easy to use and deadly. The teppo were produced on a large scale by Japanese gunsmiths since introduced. By the end of the 16th century, there were more firearms any European nation. [pic] (†¦picture of the traditional weapons used by the samurai before guns were introduced†¦) The Battle of Nagashino is a great example of a turning point between swords and guns. Oda Nobunaga made deadly use of the teppo at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, leading to the end of the famous Takeda clan. Guns can wipe out a whole clan in just one battle. It was considered very deadly.In the movie ‘The Last Samurai’ it strongly relates to the concept of guns taking over traditional samurai swords and guns destroying loyal samurai clans. The film's plot is loosely based on the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigo Takamori, and also on the story of Jules Brunet, a French army captain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the Boshin War. It also gives an enhanced and better understanding of how these weapons can be deadly to the traditions of the samurai and the changes that are happening when these weapons are introduced. Introducing these weapons to the samurai was a mistake that the Portuguese made.The samurai would have been better without the guns and weapons that were introduced by foreigners. Samurai teachings can still be found today in modern day society with the martia l art Kendo, meaning the way of the sword. Samurai Raid a Japanese  Village The lonely village on the Far East side of Japan encountered a group of vicious samurai last week that attacked the tiny village. Many possessions have been stolen from these poor villagers. These villagers were brutally beaten with a bamboo sticks in order to entertain these vicious fighters. They were left with bruises, body aches and pains.The villagers are furious and wish for revenge on these fighters. [pic] (†¦A picture drawn by one of the local villagers on what they saw and suffered in the raid†¦ ) The Chief of the village has announced a public meeting with the local villagers to discuss the actions that need to be taken in order to receive revenge on the people that brought terror and pain in the incident that has occurred last week. We interviewed one of the local villagers – he said he lost all his gold plates that were passed down from past generations and were meant to be pas t down to future generations – he cannot fulfil his ancestors wishes.He is very disappointed and angry for his loss. The villagers suffered a great loss. They have little left, not even enough to feed a family for more than one week. The villagers were suffering with food loss before the raid but now they have to suffer even more. Fake samurai swords are being sold to the public.. Beware Yesterday morning when merchants come and sell their goods a man in his late 20’s spotted samurai swords for sale. He asked the merchant the price of the swords. The merchant told the man he would sell the sword to the man for only ? 1,000.The man thought he was very lucky and immediately bought the sword. He took the sword home happily. [pic] (†¦the image of the sword the man bought for ? 1,000†¦) When he got home he realised the sword was a fake because it didn’t have the sharpness a true sword would have. He was very angry and decided to go and confront the merchant . When he arrived at the same place he got the sword, the merchant was nowhere to be seen. The man was very disappointed that he wasted ? 1,000 on a fake sword. He notified the local guards – they are still searching for the merchant.The Merchant was wearing a blur robe, has a long black beard and a scar on his right cheek. If you think you have found the merchant please notify the local guard. Samurai to hold meeting for the production of fake samurai swords†¦ As you know about the article about a man buying a samurai sword the other day and found it was a fake. It has been announced by the chief samurai that there would be a meeting with all the daimyo’s and discuss the action that need to be taken to catch the merchant that was selling this illegal swords to poor villagers. We interviewed the man and he said ‘†¦I am so happy that the samurai are following this merchant that has taken my money in return of a piece of metal that is useless to me†¦ ‘ So please if you have any information on this suspicious merchant, please notify your local guard. Nitobe was not the first person to document Japanese chivalry in this way According to the Japanese dictionary Shogakukan Kokugo Daijiten, â€Å"Bushido is defined as a unique philosophy (ronri) that spread through the warrior class from the Muromachi (chusei) period. † In Bushido: The Soul of Japan (1899), author Nitobe Inazo wrote: â€Å"†¦Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the samurai were required or instructed to observe†¦ More frequently it is a code unuttered and unwritten†¦ It was an organic growth of decades and centuries of military career. † According to the editors of Monumenta Nipponica, â€Å"Tens of thousands of documents survive from the medieval period†¦ Only a few have been translated into English, or are likely ever to appear in translation. † One of the oldest English-language academic journals in t he field of Asian studies, much of Dr.Steenstrup's significant findings were written for Monumenta Nipponica. In his text Feudal and Modern Japan (1896) Historian Arthur May Knapp wrote: â€Å"The samurai of thirty years ago had behind him a thousand years of training in the law of honor, obedience, duty, and self-sacrifice†¦.. It was not needed to create or establish them. As a child he had but to be instructed, as indeed he was from his earliest years, in the etiquette of self-immolation. The fine instinct of honor demanding it was in the very blood†¦ † Translation of documents related to bushido began in the 1970s with Dr.Carl Steenstrup, who performed a lifetime of research into the ethical codes of famous Samurai clans including Hojo Soun and Imagawa Ryoshun. Steenstrup's 1977 dissertation at Harvard University was entitled â€Å"Hojo Shigetoki (1198–1261) and his Role in the History of Political and Ethical Ideas in Japan†. The stylings of bushid o have existed in the Japanese literature from the earliest recorded literary history of Japan predating the introduction of Confucian ethic from China. The Kojiki is Japan's oldest extant book.Written in AD 712, it contains passages about Yamato Takeru, the son of the Emperor Keiko. It provides an early indication of the values and literary self-image of the Bushido ideal, including references to the use and admiration of the sword by Japanese warriors. Yamato Takeru may be considered the rough ideal of the Japanese warrior to come. He is sincere and loyal, slicing up his father's enemies â€Å"like melons†, full willing to combat the enemy single-handed, unbending and yet not unfeeling, as can be seen in his laments for lost wives and homeland.Most importantly, his portrayal in the Kojiki embodies an early example of the appeal of the warrior-poet. Published by Sephora Hidalgo and Maranie Ing BUSHIDO From the Bushido literature of the 13th to 16th Centuries, there exists an abundance of literary references to the ideals of Bushido. In his 1979 Dissertation, Dr Carl Steenstrup noted that 13th and 14th century writings (gunki) â€Å"portrayed the bushi in their natural element, war, eulogizing such virtues as reckless bravery, fierce family pride, and selfless, at times senseless devotion of master and man. Compiled in 1371, the Heike Monogatari chronicles the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century—a conflict known as the Gempei War. Clearly depicted throughout the Heike Monogatari is the ideal of the cultivated warrior. The warriors in the Heike Monogatari served as models for the educated warriors of later generations, and the ideals depicted by them were not assumed to be beyond reach. Rather, these ideals were vigorously pursued in the upper echelons of warrior society and recommended as the proper form of the Japanese man of arms.By the time of Imagawa Ryoshun's Regulations at the b eginning of the 15th century, the bushido ideal was fairly clear, and the term itself came into widespread use. As illustrated by these various writings and house codes, bushido already encompasses loyalty to one's master, filial piety, and reverence to the Emperor. Bushido includes compassion for those of lower station, and for the preservation of one's name. Early bushido literature further enforces the requirement to conduct oneself with calmness, fairness, justice, and propriety.The relationship between learning and the way of the warrior is clearly articulated, one being a natural partner to the other. Finding a proper death in battle, for the cause of one's lord, also features strongly at this point in history. [pic]Japanese samurai in Armour,1860s. Photograph by Felice Beato ———————– Kendo lessons from ages 6 to 16 First 3 lessons free go to www. kendolessons. com phone master Shitzo and Yoda for more info: 100 200 300 I t starts at 6:00pm to 8:00pm with Master Shitzo private and non private with Master Yoda at the morning 8am to noon free food as well. [pic]Uniforms are provided when enrolled into course New weapon factory sale [pic] 28/29 Convict ST Liverfarm. Close to Toshiba’s land Call Rambo at 1234566787 for more information on the weapons available or about the factory Quick before it’s too late†¦. Join and experience war Join the army and get new swords and armour. Join now at the Red Cross tent in the middle of the field at Toshiba land. [pic] Contact Chief Yuki Monish at sunrise and sunset: 174635 26337 or at www. joinsamuraiarmy. com

Features a of Successful School Essay

The way in which U. S. schools are ran today are not adequate for the growing needs of students in the 21st century. According the Darling-Hammond (2010), if these trends continue, by 2012, America will have 7 million jobs in science and technology fields, â€Å"green† industries, and other fields that cannot be filled by U. S. workers (p. 3). Other nations have figured out how to educate their youth, and those students will take the jobs of their U. S. counterparts if the U. S. does not change the ways in which we educate our youth. Darling-Hammond (2010), found that higher-achieving nations are more focused on quality teachers, and development of curriculum and assessment that encourages continuous reflection of teachers and students (p. 8). There is a need for change in the current education system, which was designed to educate students in the 20th century. According the Darling-Hammond (2010), â€Å"At least 70% of U. S. jobs now require specialized knowledge and skills, as compared to only 5% at the dawn of the last century, when our current system of schooling was established (p. 2). Now that a need for change has been identified, it is up to the districts, schools and teachers to implement the changes. Through much research Darling-Hammond (2010), has identified five essential features of education that need to be changed to help prepare students for success in elementary though college. These five features include: small school size or learning communities within the school, personalization and strong relationships among teachers and students, challenging and relevant instruction, performance based instruction, and collaboration of teachers (p. 244). Features Defined  The aspect of small school size and learning communities are important to schools success, because it allows students to feel important in the school system. Studies have been done by Darling-Hammond (2010), and have identified that there is less violence in smaller school compared to larger schools, because everyone knows each other and there is more accountability for a student’s action (p. 245). When the school and or class sizes are smaller the teachers get to know each of their students and have the ability to identify with each student, where as larger schools the students just ecome a number with little to no individual attention. Darling-Hammonds research states: These experiences underscore evidence accumulated over several decades that suggest that, overall, smaller high schools are associated with greater safety more positive student attitudes about school, higher levels of student participation and attendance, much lower dropout rates (p. 245). The reduction of school size alone will not solve the education problem our nation is facing, but merely an aspect that will help with the problem. The second aspect to a successful school according to Darling-Hammond (2010) is the need for â€Å"structures that allow for personalization and strong relationship† (p. 244). The way that teachers and students gain these strong relationships is through an advisory class, teachers are given a small number of students and in many cases these students stay with the same teacher over a number of years. Because of these factors of small class sizes and extended time with the teacher, teachers are able to gain strong relationships with their students. By knowing students well, teachers are more able to tailor instruction to students’ strengths, needs, experiences, and interests† (Hammond & Friedlaender, 2008, p. 17). According the research done by Darling-Hammond: †¦ we found that strong relationships between and among students and faculty were central to participants’ views of what enabled them to succeed. Students often compared their school to a family and linked their achievement to their caring relationships with teachers (p. 248). Another equally important aspect to a successful school touched on by Darling-Hammond (2010) is â€Å" intellectually challenging and relevant instruction† (p. 44). Since the beginning of time teachers have taught curriculum and given students assignments based on what was taught, but is the assignments relevant to the students learning? Darling-Hammond, (2010) says teachers should be getting away from fill in the blank worksheets and having students produce more meaningful work such as research reports, discussions of problems, and open-ended questioning to challenge students more (p. 249). These types of challenging assignments help prepare st udents to become critical thinkers, and get them ready for college. Successful schools also ensure that teachers are giving performance-based assessments, Darling-Hammond (2010) states: All of the schools engage students in completing complex projects and investigations of various kinds, and most of them require the completion of portfolios for graduation, which include high-quality work illustrating disciplinary inquiry in each of the major subject areas (p. 257) These types of assessments are helping create students that are critical thinkers, rather than just recall and memory, which were previously performed. These high-quality assessments are beneficial to students in helping them be more prepared for success in college and beyond. The final aspect of Darling-Hammond plan to improve education is â€Å"highly competent teachers who collaborate in planning and problem solving† (2010, p. 244). The idea of collaboration allows teachers and students significant time to discuss, problem solve and create valuable lessons. If teachers were just left to their own means they could teach lesson with little to no results. There is the need for collaboration to identify ways in which they can teach lesson to better help their students. When time for professional development is built into teachers’ working time, their learning activities can be ongoing and sustained and can focus on particular issues over time (Wei, Andree & Darling-Hammond, 2009, p. 39). In the U. S. very few hours are build in to the work week for teachers to plan and many times the planning is done individually and not collaborative with other educators. Many high achieving nations provide the opportunity for continued staff development as well as a wide-range development to teachers, where as the United States give one day workshops with little to know follow up (Wei, Andree & Darling-Hammond, 2009, p. 1). The small amount of time by U. S. teachers spend on collaboration has an adverse effect on students achievement. Prioritizing the Essential Aspects The most important of Darling-Hammond’s aspect is providing students with highly competent teachers that are given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. As addressed by Darling-Hammond and Richardson (2009): Current research suggests that providing intensive, content-rich, and collegial learning opportunities for teachers can improve both teaching and student learning. When schools support teachers with well-designed and rich professional development, those teachers are able to create the same types of rigorous and engaging opportunities for students—a foundation for student success in school and beyond (p. 52). Teachers are one of the key features to the important of student’s education, therefore they need to be given the opportunity for collaboration with their peers to gain the knowledge needed to reflect and plan to become better at their profession. Research done by Darling-Hammond shows that professional communities are an aspect that is important to schools that are achieving high levels of student learning (2010, p. 261). The next important aspect is providing instruction that is challenging and relevant to instruction. Teachers need to have high exceptions of their students and give students experience through task that are relevant to the real world and future success. Students are placed in internships and volunteer work as young as 11th grade to provide students with real-world experiences (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 257). According to Darling-Hammond (2010): Students reported that, even when they found they did not like the work or setting they had chosen, or when they experienced conflicts on the job, their internships made them feel more capable, responsible, and confident about solving problems and succeeding in their world beyond school (p. 256). These skills that students are learning from their internship are helping them become more prepared for their future. Keeping instruction relevant helps keep students interested in learning. Just as important as instruction is on education is the types of assessments used. It is important that the school system gets away from memorizing and gives more performance-based assessments, where students are involved in the revision of their work. Students need to be given more authentic assessments that are relevant to their learning and then have the opportunity to present their portfolios to communities of students. In the study by Darling-Hammond (2010) â€Å"†¦a deep sense of accomplishment from their experience, and, having repeated it several times before graduation, a growing sense of confidence† (p. 260). These types of assessments are giving students the skills needed to be successful in life. Schools that allow for personalization and strong relationships are important to students’ growth in school. Today students are cranking through each day like an assembly line (Darling-Hammond 2010, p. 250). Teachers know very little about the potential of each of their students, and therefore the students suffer. Students from the study by Darling-Hammond have said that they feel like teachers care about them and their work as well as pushing them to perform at their ability (2010, p. 50). The last aspect is also related to personalization of students, it is small sized school and or classes. With the small class sizes teachers are better able to know each of their students to help tailor their learning to meet those needs of the students. It is not a surprise that smaller schools have the ability to have a focus on safety. These smaller schools have an increase in safety a decrease in incidents, because the adults know the students in the school and hold them accountable for their actions (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 45) Implementation The changes that need to be made to school system are something that is not going to happen over night by one teacher. These changes need to start at the state level with help of the district, schools and teachers. Teachers cannot implement all of these changes on their own. The aspects that teachers can control are changing the way that they teach to create students that are more critical thinkers and provide students will more meaningful assessments. Teachers can also help guide students to assess their own learning. Another aspect that teachers can control is the amount of time they are spending collaborating with colleagues to share strategies, and solve problems. Teachers can so also try to get to know each of their students, but this a daunting task with such large class sized. There are many changes that need to be made that are out of control of the teacher’s hands. One of these changes is the amount of time they spend collaborating with other teachers. The district and school site needs to make this a priority and give those teachers the time they need to become more effective teachers. The district and school also needs to implement more meaningful staff development training. As teachers can start implementing more meaningful assessments for students, it is the district that will need to set graduations requirements associated with these assessments. To more effectively tailor students learning it will be the districts responsibility to lower classes sizes or implement an advisory period. Teachers can try to get know each of their students’ strengths, but with such large class sizes it is very difficult to individualized instruction. The aspect that teachers have no control over is the school size. If the district wants students to feel safe and accountable for their actions, this is something they will need to implement. Conclusion The traditional model of education that was designed for the 20th century is not working to educate the youth in the global world of the 21st century, and changes need to be made to better reach the needs of the students today. Some schools have already implemented and embraced these changes and have seen great results in achievement of students. By making the necessary changes to the education process students will become better prepared with skills to help them be successful beyond high school.

Practicality over Aestheticism In Alice Walkers Everyday Use Essay

Practicality over Aestheticism In Alice Walkers Everyday Use - Essay Example This is due not only because Maggie has remained at home with her mother, but because Maggie has learned the skills necessary to their normal existence, skills passed down from preceding generations. Dee shows an interest in family heritage as well, but her exposure to academic and social movements has shifted her priorities to the African connection rather than the African-American roots of her immediate family. This paper will examine how Walker displays a partiality for practical applications of heritage rather than abstract academic curiosity. Dee's degree of distance from her family becomes apparent as soon as she arrives at the house. Her first action is to take a series of photographs to document her family and the domicile, and " never takes a shot without making sure that the house is included." Dee then explains to her family that her name is now Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, citing that her old name was decreed by her 'oppressors' presumably she and her companion are recent members of the Muslim movement, given that the man greets the mother with the phrase "Asalamalakim." Dee claims the churn top and dasher from the dairy churn - not noticing that they are still needed - to incorporate into some type of artistic table. Dee then wants to claim hand-stitched patchwork quilts semn together by several generations of the family, with the intent to display them at her house by hanging them behind glass. The mother, as narrator, not only shows a knowledge of the family heritage, but still lives in accordance with it. In the very first scene, she expresses an appreciation for her swept yard, saying "It is like an extended living room. When the hard clay is swept clean" The churn top that Dee wants is described as having "the milk in it clabber by now," implying that the churn is an appliance that still gets frequent use in the household. Her slight favoritism for Maggie is revealed in her defending Maggie's claim on the quilts. In the past, Dee was offered a quilt and disdained to take it; the future of the quilts has since been assigned as a sort of dowry for Maggie's eventual marriage to a boy named John Thomas. When Dee left to go to college in Augusta, Maggie remained at home and has become saturated with family culture. She has encyclopedic knowledge of family history: when Maggie recalls Aunt Dee's first husband Henry, called stash, whittled the churn dash, Dee observes that "Maggie's brain is like an elephant's." Maggie herself is a walking connection to the family history, for her burn scars came from the destruction of the girls' childhood house. Most importantly, Maggie remained with her family and learned the skills of her preceding matriarchs. Not only has Maggie communed with both her grandmother and her aunt in the actual making of these quilts, she has acquired the skill of sewing them and is now able to pass the knowledge down to following generations. Opponents of this interpretation would argue that the narrator's perceptions are not only slanted, but hypocritical. They perhaps would argue that the mother's fantasy about meeting her daughter on television indicates a merging of history and progress, with a secret yearning for progress. Another argument could be made that the

Globalization Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalization - Term Paper Example Financially, emergence of world wide financial markets has also improved external borrowing terms and relations; this has greatly contributed to the global financial structure instability. This is because the structures have grown dramatically than any other transitional regulatory regime. This can be seen in the current global economic crisis being experienced, the world economy has been intertwined and thus depends on the out comes of the bigger economies (Murray, 8). Economically, common markets are based on freedom of exchange in goods and services .Collapse of one market can therefore not be contained. This creates a generalized risk because if one country which for example is the market economy collapses the effects will be impacted also to the country which produces those goods or services because they will not be in a position to buy them (Sheila, 10). Politically globalization has been used to create cartels which are target towards particular motives or interests for example the World Bank, IMF among others. These cartels provide a means of control and regulations which deters relations between governments and mandates rights in regard to social and economic globalization. The United States for example has enjoyed a power stratus compared to other powers because of its vast wealth and resources backed by a very strong economy. This is because no other power may be able to compete with its vast wealth, resources, industries, technology among others (Jurgen, 8). With increase in technology communication links and networks have been established both in developed and geographically remote locations. The world nowadays has been linked with such things as satellite, fibre optics telephone and internet technologies .When flow of information is therefore considered the world is all connected to a one small global village. Globalization also has contributed to the use of one common language in most parts of the world, for example English is widely used because most of the communication equipment s e.g. the telexes mails among others are in English (Jurgen, 8). Globalization also means that various and vast range of products will be at the world market. This means that only the best goods or services will fetch market and good prices .This leads to competition where countries try to improve quality of their products as well as increasing value of these products in order to have the competing edge in the world market. Ranges of products are also coming up each and every world in through trade market in order for them to participate in the trade (Steiger, 8). Industrialization has also lead to climatically change that is currently being experienced. This has lead to change in climatic patterns thus lower production mostly affecting agricultural sectors where Africa can be cited as an example. This because most industries emit gases which are destructive to the ecological composition. They also require dirty industrial stage where they dumb the waste; this has led to environmental pollution for Example Rivers, lakes, soil etc (Jurgen, 8). Globalization had its effects in the world of business. Pressure is applied to lowly industrialized third world countries which operate on the same

Reflection paper on a movie Life is beautiful by Roberto Benigni Essay

Reflection paper on a movie Life is beautiful by Roberto Benigni - Essay Example The setting of the story means that the writing was undertaking a World War II tragicomedy to exemplify some of the very acts of society in those times that he found worth addressing through the medium of filmmaking. On the whole, the film may be seen as being written in what may be seen as roughness of composition because the writer devised a strategy to ensure that the rather horrific theme of war and national agony is presented in a much comic format. In this reflection, a person opinion on the value of the film is presented. There is also an attempt to critic the film with an aim of giving personal opinion as to whether or not I liked the movie. To make the reflection coherent and well organized, specific aspects of the movie shall be selected for analysis including style of writing, themes and value of the film. Critique of Style of Presentation The style of presentation used by Roberto Benigni can generally be regarded as juvenile, freestyle and down to earth. This is because t here were no uses of complex technicalities that require audience and viewers to crack a puzzle while watching the movie. In general tense, the movie was presented in a manner that was easy to understand. A number of strategies were used to achieve this simplicity in presentation. The first was the fact that the writer avoided the use of complex storyline but focused on a direct story revolving around the characters of Guido and Dora and the romantic love that brewed between them. Another strategy that was seen from the style of presentation that made it very simplistic was the fact that the story was clearly divided into two parts of plot sections. This is because in the first hour of the film, the viewer is given much on the romance relationship between Guido and Dora but in the second hour, there is a twist in the plot as much of the sad moments of the setting were introduced. The filmmaker could have easily interrelated these two parts of the film but it would clearly have made it difficult to understand. Reflection on Movie Theme The movie touches on a theme that is directly resounded in its title and that is the theme of life’s beauty. As much as possible, the filmmaker emphasized on the theme of human conviction and the power that the human being has to make life of great worth for himself regardless of undeserving situations and circumstances that they may be confronted with. This theme was empowered around the tragic aspect of the movie, which was the genocide that took place at the time of the Nazi reign in Germany. Not even going into the specifics of the genocide, it can be said that the filmmaker had a mentality of justifying the power of the human conviction above some of the events and situations that were are faced in life with, of which we describe as agonizing and horrifying. This is because as events in the World War II put the rather beautiful relationship revolving around Dora, Dora’s mother, Guildo, Eliseo and Joshua apart, Guido was perceived as having much power in his personal motivation towards life, not to be depressed by events of the war. There is also a theme on human survival in the very moments of times that only the fittest can survive. This is because at the camp, Guildo saw the wisdom in keeping the true situation of the situation between himself and Dora from his son so as to protect their safety. Value of the Film The movie gives a value of hope for the future and the need for mankind to see

The Long Valley by John Steinbeck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Long Valley by John Steinbeck - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to discuss this matter, as well as any and all other key points of interested related to this. This is what will be dissertated in the following. This work of Steinbeck's is set in the beautiful area of the Salinas Valley of California, with the primary plot being that of simple people who are struggling to find a place for themselves in the world. There are certain issues which are made rather obvious or blatant, one of those being the tensions between town and country, laborers and owners, past and present. These particular issues can be related to by all, which is why The Long Valley is such a delivering and moralizing literary work. There is a subtle yet purposefully planned relationship between the setting and the characters themselves, which is set in the form of an external and internal landscape, with the setting being external, and the characters being internal. The basis and most important part of this relationship is that the characters each have their own distinctive categorization from each other, all which relate significantly to a different aspect of the landscape setting. From the main characters, Henry and Elisa Allen, to more minor ones such as Peter Randall and his eighty-seven pound wife Emma; Steinbeck obviously took his time in creating each one's separate and diverse yet intriguing and relating characteristics, with a telling story plot in his mind. John Steinbeck is a writer who is notoriously known for his intelligent and well thought out writings, and this work of his is categorized by many as the best of it all. The morals, meanings, thoughtfulness, and the fact that practically everyone can gain from this reading a relating and understanding feeling, proves that this work is certainly a must read. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. The Long Valley. Toronto: Penguin Books,

Technical writing proposal on Senior Healthcare Facility Research Paper

Technical writing proposal on Senior Healthcare Facility - Research Paper Example l is to find ways on how to protect faces of the health workers and the effectiveness of the facial protective equipment and procedures for control that can be used. This will include reviewing of the literature of environmental, organizational, and individual factors that improves on the effectiveness of health workers. It will also include identification of the framework that will carry on the final research. The major goal of this proposal is to identify Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and nosocomial; infections of the respiratory tract in relation to the safety of workers and specific areas where further research should focus on. The target audience of this research proposal is the healthcare workers. The significance of this study is to make workers more effective at their workplaces if they are provided with facial preventive measures. The current events in relation to SARS in healthcare workers of Canada have attracted much attention on how to prevent this epidemic. Facial protection involved the use of a mask and protective eyewear. Following the outbreaks, there is need to ensure that the healthcare workers are protected to prevent future outbreaks and not only in severe acute respiratory syndrome but also other respiratory infections. Following these observations there is needed to carry out a review on facial protection that would deal with healthcare workers concerns. This influenced me to write a proposal on SARS. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a disease that is spread through respiratory droplets. According to research carried out, SARS is less contagious compared to other respiratory infections. It is important to note that persistent use of infection control measures reduces occurrence of such outbreaks in China, Vietnam, and Singapore. Much attention focused on why the implementation of appropriate precautions failed and the need to promote these precautions in future. It is also evident that sneezing and coughing do not generate highly

Article abstract assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Article abstract - Assignment Example umber of participants who attended each game and corresponding factors such as weather conditions during the matches, day of play, involved stars and the points garnered by the team. Attendance in a match is the dependent variable while AduRoad is the independent variable (DeSchriver 438- 444). The researcher concludes that a significant relationship existed between the number of spectators that attended a game and the presence of Freddy Adu. He further notes that the player’s signing was advantageous to the club in the short run because additional revenues that were generated from his presence could pay his annual wage and recover his six-year contract expense. The paper makes a significant contribution to an objective understanding players’ financial significance to a club’s financial status. It forms a basis for a determining player’s remunerations and transfer fees. The researcher succeeds in communicating his results in a clear and precise manner but the article can be criticized for failing to include its ethical scope. This is particularly because of its ability generate wage raw between clubs and their players (DeSchriver 438-

Performance Appraisal Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Performance Appraisal Systems - Essay Example Managers apply the most suitable appraisal methods in order to assess and evaluate the performance of employees. Performance management is all about sharing expectations (Mike, 2010). Appraisal systems not only monitor the performance of employees but also play a crucial role in the selection of suitable employees for any specific task. Performance management is a whole working system that begins when a job is defined as needed and ends when an employee leaves the organization (Shahzad, 2010). Two of the most common objectives of appraisal systems include developing and improving the skills of the employees and increasing the productivity of the organization through selecting best employees for high-value tasks. Plessis (2010) asserts, â€Å"The performance appraisal process is something that every business needs to do if they want to improve efficiency†. Performance appraisal plays a vital role in the success of any company or organization because it supports the management in taking various critical decisions. Bacal (1999, p.34) asserts, â€Å"The performance appraisal process involves manager and employee working together to assess the progress that the employee has made towards the goals set in performance planning†. Employee performance appraisal is done once or twice a year (Chandler, 2005). Effective performance appraisal systems improve employee loyalty, morale, and general productivity (Ndunuju, 2009). An appropriate performance appraisal not only m akes the employees aware of their deficiencies but also helps them improve the required skills and knowledge. The four major components included in the performance appraisal system are senior management’s support, a design of the system’s procedures, system implementation, and management training (Grote, 1996, p.189).

UN Secretary Council Essay Example for Free

UN Secretary Council Essay If the UN Security Council decides a situation constitutes a threat to international peace and security, are there any limits on what it can do to address that threat? In your response, please refer to relevant provisions of the UN Charter. United Security Council constitutes of a group of representatives from United States organization member countries whose primarily responsibility as stated in the United Nations Charter as peace and security maintenance internationally. The intentions of United Nations founders were mainly to play a role in peace and security maintenance internationally through application of force where necessary. The charter of United Nations forbids the United security council from carrying out peace restoration operations using military efforts because the superpowers votoed most of such United Nations activities. This should mainly be applicable to the events of cold war crisis. For instance, on two occasions during the time of those regulations, in Lebanon and Congo, the United Security council gave out resolutions that demanded the missions to apply same measures of force so as to achieve their goal. Since the termination of that cold war, the United Nation Security Council gave authority to several United Nations operations which involved application of force to help in restoration and maintenance of peace. For instance, the United Security council authorized the application of force to restore peace in the former Yugoslavia and Somali which is quoted in the United Nation’s charter (Bailey 1998). It also authorizes actions with respect to peace threats, breach of peace and aggressive actions. Now given that the United Nations security council’s performance as the leader in operations of peace which involve application of force, most of the experts like the former United Nations Secretary General have in mind that it can be an appropriate organization in leading such a mission, although its operational structures and inadequacy of resources have been the major factor which limits the United Nations to perform effectively. Ban Ki Moon has just been elected Secretary-General of the United Nations. Some commentators have stated that he should be more of a ‘secretary’ than ‘general’; others say he should be more of a ‘general’ than ‘secretary’. What is the UN Charter basis for him to play either role? How much freedom does he have to define the role himself? The role of Secretary General of United Nations acts as the chief administrative officer in the organization. Ban Ki Moon who is currently the Secretary of United Nations should be governed by the principles stipulated in the UN Charter. Since the secretary is appointed by the General Assembly through the Security Councils recommendations, he is entitled to head the entire organization. As it has been commented by some individuals that he should play a role of a secretary other than General while others say he should play a role a General than Secretary, according to the UN Charter, neither can apply. This is because United Charter clearly states the duties of Secretary General which cannot be handled by either being in a Secretary or General. Some of his responsibilities in his duty performance as the overall head include, he should not seek or be instructed by any government or be authorized by an external organization. He should also refrain from actions reflecting his position as international official responsible to the organization. According to the above duties, he is entitled to play both roles of secretary and General. This is because, like in the work of report writing and presentation to the General Assembly, it shows a secretary related role. The case of heading all general meetings implies General related duties. Due to this reason, he should identify himself as a Secretary General. (http://www. burmalibrary. org/reg. burma/archives/199905/msg00161. html). What position does the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change take on the â€Å"doctrine of preemption† as articulated in the US National Security Strategy of 2002? Is the HLP’s position sound? The high level panel entreats, challenges and change is a body of United Nations which addresses and analyses the threats to the international security and peace and also knowing their root causes. It also recommends range from social and economic challenges to utilization of force. The article also discusses the tasks and roles that the High level panel envisages for Security Council in light of challenges and threats which are clearly identified. Nevertheless, the panel does not insist or recommend on fundamental changes of the international paradigms legal which include the collective use of force in peace restoration. The panel’s focus on security reforms composition instead of the system that it operates in does not handle the problems with the latter and also impossibility of the former achievement. The panel as articulated in the US National Security Strategy of 2002 plays the same role as in the case of United Nations Charter where by although both stresses on security maintenance worldwide, in US, it is more specific. The US report states how the state can apply protection control measures before seeking assistance from the UN Security Council. It shows also how the state is advanced through carrying out investigations and detentions of terrorism weapons and destroys them before use in attacks. These places the strategies in front line as much has been achieved. The high level panel’s position is sound because most of the evil activities have been adversely been reduced except the normal regional crisis which can be handled locally. Kenneth Abbott and Duncan Snidal summarize why states act through international organizations as follows (â€Å"Why states act through formal organizations†, p. 8): States consciously use IOs both to reduce transaction costs in the narrow sense and, more broadly, to create information, ideas, norms and expectations; to carry out and encourage specific activities; to legitimate or de-legitimate particular ideas and practices; and to enhance their capacities and powers. These functions constitute IOs as agents, which, in turn, influence the interests, inter subjective understandings, and environment of states. To what extent does that statement reflect a realist, institutionalist and/or social constructivist perspective on the role of international organizations? According to Kenneth Abbott and Duncan Suldal statement on why states act through international organizations, their main focus was to outline the benefits associated with formal organizations. The rational institutionalism is perceives international organizations as helping the state in achievement of its ends. Through distributive and power questions, the role of international organizations is perceived as in creation of norms and also understanding. Independence and centralization are outlined as the main properties in formal organizations. International organizations as a representative in community allows creation and implementation values which enforce the international commitments. In reduction of cost, international organizations has laid down principles which structure the agency relationships so as to contain institutional checks and balances which reduce opportunistic behaviors by agents. In a single organization, checks can be facilitated through empowerment of bureaus which have partially at least opposing mandates, for instance changing the production managers through maximization of outputs and changing controllers through maximizing cost of production in the firms. In creation of information, ideas, norms and expectations, the states are carefully designed as series to safeguard in the international courts of crimes. This is in relation to response of fear of runaway international courts. With rational perspective, international organizations enables achievement of states ends through creation of norms and other understandings. In carrying out encourage specific activities, international organizations have embarked on delegation principles where by a conditional authority is granted to an agent which empowers the agent to act on behalf of the former. For this case, the agents and principals mutually constitute to each other. Here, the relationship between agents and principles is governed by contracts be it the agreement is not formally acknowledged. All forms of delegations are conducted through divisions of labor which gains from specialization whereby the gains interact with all the other benefits from delegation. The essence of delegation is mainly to focus on how principles should be designed to control their agents. Some benefits attributed with delegation include; specialization which is achieved through division of labor, policy externalities which benefits through cooperation and can delegate to an international organization in case of big policy externalities. There is also an advantage of decision making collectively whereby states can also delegate to the international organizations especially when they pose a socially intransitive preference or in case of problem encounter. Another one includes dispute resolution whereby a state can delegate the authority to international agent to help in resolving differences between themselves. The statement why states act through international organizations reflects reality because in most of institutions, such benefits have been achieved and yielded positive results. This is because although the role of international organizations differs fro state to another depending on the interests of a certain state, many states have achieved their goals for instance, in economic activities, rights of residence among others. Recent years have seen a growing trend towards the use of so-called ‘hybrid’ peace operations, in which more than one organization or mission is deployed, either sequentially or side-by-side. Discuss the reasons for this trend and the pros and cons of hybrid operations. Please illustrate your response with examples. Hybrid piece operations essentially entail application of joint force in peace keeping whereby unprecedented operations which include troop’s locations challenges are used. The commanding structure in hybrid operations has been unified and agreed between United Nations and the African union so as to function effectively aiming at the single mission even if it is reporting to different organizations. Most of limitations have been associated with hybrid peace operations for instance, around 11 years ago, Francois Mitterrand who is a French president vigorously requested the Africans to apply their own means in conflict resolution and at the same time have their own organized security. Also other skeptics like Walter Dow equally place argumentations which were against practices regionalized peace operations which includes employment of sub-regional or regional organizations to conduct peace operations which reach from low intensity to high intensity peace keeping, continued presence of conflicts resulting to human tragedies, all over the world combined with UNs uncap abilities to address the issue has shown negative attitude towards the regional peace operation. This also led to respectfully disagreement with arguments Don among others regions cap tics. According to the recent intervention by sub regional and organizations in Burundi, Sudan, Liberia and Cot d’Ivore, the change of defunct OAU in to a better promising African Union (AU) and other international programs intended to develop capabilities regionally. This shows that, in Africa, the delegation of peace operation aspects to such organizations can’t be considered as effective or undesirable. Instead, the increasing capacity and willingness of regional organizations in Africa should step to modified security challenges in the continent which are coupled with United Nation’s current overstretch and notable absence of many problems which are foreseen by regiosceptics for future regional peace operations within Africa. Also, according to many regiosceptics, no existing regional organization has the required capacity and experience to place meaningful conflict resolution and prevention through use of military without assistance from outside. They apply that the continent’s sub-regional and regional organizations suffer from resource and capacity constrants in interoperability, training sustained readiness among others. This brings doubt in the potentiality of improvements in the short term. In Germany institute of international security policies, another study shows massive weaknesses in control and commanding intelligence in gathering and analyzing and also doctrinal preparation. As many regiosceptics have had that weakness into account, they concluded that, the African militaries are left with no choice other than returning to outdated models of welfare where by the combatants utilize weapons from the Korean war which were the tactics of the first world war and the form of treatments used in the 19th century. The hybrid peace operation having more disadvantages than the advantages, I prefer the cons of hybrid operations as it has not fully achieved its goals http://www. stimson. org/fopo/? SN=FP20021018422 . References: Bailey S, (1998). The Procedure of the UN Security Council. Oxford.

The First World War Essay Example for Free

The First World War Essay The First World War though had the majority of the countries of the world involved in it, yet the major protagonists were European. Some of the historians and researchers even go as far as to name this war as an Imperialistic war. This is because one of the major reasons for the war to erupt was â€Å"due to the rivalries triggered off by the pressures of highly organized financial monopolies operating in the different European countriesâ€Å"(Henig, 2002, p. 38). Though this does not entirely explain the cause of the war, it nevertheless points towards the prominent presence of the European countries in the war. One of the major reasons for the war to erupt was due to the German’s interest in occupying colonies in Africa and Far East. There was a deep mistrust of the remaining European countries about its objectives. The colonial ambitions till this point were dominated by England, Russia and France, and to an extent Spain, and these countries had fought multiple wars amongst themselves regarding their colonial expansions. This created a power bloc in the European region which emerged clearly during the Morocco crisis. France entered the war fearing an invasion from Germany and also because of a long dispute for the areas of Alsace and Lorraine which it had lost to Germans in an earlier was in 1870-71. England entered the war because the successful invasion of France as well as Belgium would have made Germany very powerful. Germany and Russia in turn were in the war because they wished to defend themselves against their powerful European enemies. However much of the tensions caused due to this reason would have been sorted out without the need for any need for a war on such a scale. The catalyst for the war was yet another European crisis which actually led to the World war. The crisis occurred in the Balkan regions. Germany and Russia in order to gain allies supported Balkan countries i. e. Austria-Hungary and Serbia. When France Ferdinand, the crown prince of Austria-Hungary, was murdered on 28th June 1914, Serbia emerged as the hand behind it because they wished to be free from Austria-Hungary. Russia supported the Serbs because it considered it to be strategically important. This led to Germany declaring a war on Russia, from which point the war started and quickly spread through the entire Europe and in turn their colonies due to the tensions already present between the countries. Japan, though was not a colony of any of the European countries entered the war because it had a military agreement with Britain to aid it in any war, and so Japan declared a war on Germany (Strachan, 2001). There were two countries – Italy and United States, who had policies for a neutral approach during the World war at the start. In case of Italy, Allies persuaded it in to the war against its former allies i. e. Germany, Austria- Hungary by promising large territorial gains in the Austria-Hungary region. This made Italy join the war with the Allies in 1915. United States was one of the last countries to enter the war. United States was purely a capitalist country and had no interest in subscribing to wars. In fact President Woodrow Wilson had declared a policy of absolute neutrality in the war at its outset. However, President Wilson was the one to break its stance and join the war. This was because of the German stance for unrestricted submarine warfare which would have threatened America’s commercial shipping. The American commercial shipping was directed towards the Allies, and so it did have a great risk of being attacked by Germans, and when the attack did take place America reluctantly joined the war towards the very end in 1917. The impact of the World War was huge on all the countries involved. There was a huge loss of life and property on both the sides. Imperialism lost out and there was a period of intense socialism and communism, especially in Russia. The social class system became more liberal especially in Britain and France. Since the cost of the war was in billions, there were heavy taxes put on the traders to recover the costs, and this led to large scale economic problems in many countries, which was brought to a head during the Great Depression period in the 1920s and 1930s. United States came to be reckoned as a world power because of its decisive role in the war. In Europe many new states were created. League of Nations was created to sort out international problems, which would prove to be a failure soon. To take care of the down spiraling economic conditions many countries like Russia, Italy and Germany went in for military dictatorships (Henig, 2002). However, the impact was worst for the losing side. Germany became an outcast in front of the rest of the world. Million of people had died or become disables which meant a huge scale of unemployment. It was excluded from the League of Nations and had to give up a lot of territory to the winning side especially the disputed area of Alsace and Lorraine. Austria and Germany were separated and there was a limit on the size of the army of the countries. The countries also had to pay a lot of money to the winning sides to pay for the war damages which did moral as well as economic damage to the countries and the people living in these countries (Strachan, 2001).

Masculine Hierarchy: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Masculine Hierarchy: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Mental Castration:Â  The Masculine Hierarchy in Mental Wards as Seen in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest Gender has developed as a social construct that dictates the expectations of a sexes actions. Men, for example, are expected to emulate a hegemonic masculine ideal that emphasizes positions of authority, strength, and the accumulation of material goods (Connell 1987).However, the establishment of a masculine identity does not depend entirely on possessing these characteristics. Gender is also a performance of sorts. (Kessler and McKenna 1978; West and Zimmerman 1987) . Without certain signifiers, people could have a hard time distinguishing a persons sex. Men and women display gender and obtain information about what is an appropriate display in different contexts. Ken Keseys novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest examines a delicate balance between genders as well as the emasculation of male patients within a mental ward, a social commentary focusing on Keseys concern of the gender dynamic of the world. Focusing on an emasculating female character and vulnerable, emasculated male characters, Kesey used the mental institution as a narrowed observation; a smaller more manageable look at the dynamic between people. The way men portray their gender often depends on the resources they have available, in this case, these mens resources are severely limited and monitored. An example of the effect of resources would be men coming from relatively privileged statuses can afford to take weekends off and construct an alternative world out in the woods (Schwalbe 1996). The different and more limited resources available to less privileged can create a type of masculine hierarchy. Not only do the characters in Keseys novel come from varying social backgrounds, but they enter with differing levels of mental stability. These vulnerabilities coupled with supervised access to basic necessities could alter a mans masculinity and the power dynamic of a landscape, and effectively does. Nurse Ratched is described from the observant Chief Bromdens point of view. Ratched tends to get real put out if something keeps her outfit from running like a smooth, accurate, precision-made machine. The slightest thing messy or out of kilter or in the way ties her into a little white knot of tight-smiled fury. (Kesey 1959). Chief then describes her to have a doll-like exterior, but a dry and manipulative interior with very calculated expressions. This harsh, feminine character is juxtaposed by men with limited control over their mental abilities. Nurse Ratched-a distant, oppressive, and sterile female influence who figuratively and psychologically castrates her male patients. This dynamic represented the fear of a cold war era that would foster a feminine masculinity in America through a climate of conformity and fear. This culture of fear that permeated the cultural landscape of the fifties came with gender and homosexual connotations (Meloy 2009). Americans were warned that they were becoming pink basically a negative term denoting this feminine masculinity. This was also related to homosexuality. Also within this decade was the circulation of theories warning Americans of their latent homosexuality, and Alfred Kinseys Sexual Behavior in the Human Male suggested that many more men than what was traditionally known either thought about or performed homosexual acts. Kinseys work undermined traditional notions of what was considered normative sexuality, contributing to a relatively national obsession with sexuality and more specifically, homosexuality. Sexual attraction was placed at the forefront of Americas thoughts on masculinity and the relationships between genders. Kinseys theories were aided by masculine figures of the 1950s like David Riesman and Hugh Hefner, who, in their own way, altered masculinity by participating in a cultural transformation in freedom of sexuality and the materialism and pageantry of secual attraction. They legitimized a sexuali zed conception of masculinity that privileged virility, sexualperformance, and sexual aggresion as the defining criteria for manhood. Unlike the free sexual spirit these moguls portrayed, Cuckoos Nest showed restrictions set by government institutions within the novel and in actual mental wards can be material like doors. However others are ideological, like values or social norms. Some doors are locked, blocking access to staff rooms, the office from which Ms.Ratched observes the patients is described. There is also a lack of doors entrances to a room, restricting the privacy of the residents. A small amount of people within the facility have the authority and power to uphold the interests of the institution, or what they believe to be the interests of the institution. This limited amount of people creates a hierarchy of power. They were protecting interests that did not necessarily benefit the residents. Interests of the residents were squashed because of this balance of power, creating social distance between those in positions of power and in positions of subordination. Staff in a mental institution most likel y assume that residents are indeed insane; this prognosis may or may not be agreed upon by the residents (Rosenhan 1973). Unfortunately the residents are relatively powerless to achieve sanity. McMurphy in Cuckoos Nest does not see himself as insane, as he was admitted to serve time for rape, but he is being treated as if he is broken. He does not see himself in this way. Because of this disagreement there is already a difference between the staff and the patient.There is such a large amount of power held above the patients, and the power dynamic is so strictly enforced, that even the simplest of tasks must be complicated. The books portrayal of mental disorders and disabilities is impressive in its avoidance of stereotypes. It represented characters as individuals, as opposed to merely characterizing the symptoms of their disorders. Through the novels investment in these characters, however, it becomes clear that disability and emasculation are intrinsically linked, at least within this novel if not fundamentally. This created a patriarchal underscore to the text: Nurse Ratcheds control is a direct result of her continual emasculation and her de-feminized domination of the all-male patients (Leach 2008). McMurphy is a stark contrast, a celebrated liberator in the eyes of the emasculated despite his grim reality of being admitted for rape. Using a character committed due to his execution of a sexual, it equates the rebellion headed by this sexual deviant have a sexual connotation. Ir almost compares the rebellion to rape. This seems to be a product of the fear of this mental castration, and a suggestio n that this masculine and forceful rebellion was the best way to overcome subordination and effectively regain patriarchal power. These portrayals of characters show that a matriarchy abolished is a satisfactory conclusion to the plot, and is seen as a cure for the patients mental illnesses, one of the most troubling messages of this book. Whether this conclusion is spawned from the authors fears, or feelings of hostility due to the fragile social landscape of mental wards, this division of gender is destructive. Culture is linked with sexuality. Masculinity has become an industry itself. Perhaps more than ever before in American history, sexual behavior symbolizes ones identity. Symbols and signs encourage sexual expression.Magazines of the fifties, such as Playboy and Esquire, are now the grandparents to countless publications glamorizing sexuality. Keseys work exhibits masculinity that can possibly help us understand the obsession with masculine virility and violence in our time, a new generation in which male sexuality and female sexuality alike have become products of conspicuous consumption. Works Cited Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. 40th Anniversary Edition. Meloy, Michael. Fixing Men: Castration, Impotence, and Masculinity in Ken Keseys One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. The Journal of Mens Studies. SAGE publications, 01 Oct. 2009. Web. 02 Feb. 2017 Leach, Caroline. Disability and Gender in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest | Leach | Disability Studies Quarterly. Disability and Gender in Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest | Leach | Disability Studies Quarterly. DSQ, 2008. Web. 03 Feb. 2017. Connell, R. W. 1987. Gender and power. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. West, C., and D. H. Zimmerman. 1987. Doing gender. Gender Society 1:125-151. Schwalbe, M. 1996. Unlocking the iron cage. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press

Whale Symbol Essay -- Literary Analysis, Moby Dick

There are many views on the symbolism of the white whale in Melville’s book, Moby Dick. Melville regarded the symbol as, what William Gleim describes, "a means of both revelation and concealment"(402). The symbol of the white whale lends itself easily to this concept. To Ahab, the whale represents the wickedness of nature. To Starbuck, it is a product. To Ishmael, however, it is "portentous and mysterious"(Melville, 6). It rouses his curiosity, but he recognizes it as a thing secluded. It is an "overwhelming idea"(Melville, 6): an idea which is larger than his consciousness. Its suggestions surpass his conscious understanding and cause him to feel significance even if he can’t know it. Moby Dick is literally an albino sperm whale. In his categorization of all whales, Melville regards the sperm whale as the primate: "He is, without a doubt, the largest inhabitant of the globe; the most formidable of all whales to encounter; and lastly, by far the most valuable in commerce"(Melville, 133). The whiteness of the whale enhances this communication in that it has regal associations, "a certain royal pre-eminence in this hue"(Melville, 184). The white whale, therefore, stands, primarily, as, what Gleim states, "the ideal representation of his species"(406). He is a sign of excellence to the order of nature. To Ishmael, however, the whiteness of the whale has not only dignified associations, but also terrible ones. The whiteness signifies a natural beauty, but it also signifies, "by its indefiniteness"(Melville, 192), the immensity of the universe. For all aboard the Pequod, their voyage is one of search for the ultimate truth of experience. What begins as a voyage in search of the product of whale oil, ends with the discovery of th... ...The white whale represents not only the excellence of creation but also the mystery of creation. William Sedgwick states, "He is significant of the massive inertia in things, and of the blind beauty and violence of nature--all that ignore or twists or betrays or otherwise does outrage to man's purpose"(98). As a significant form in nature, then, the shape of the white whale is the mask of "dumb blankness"(Melville, 192). It contains "the heartless voids† (Melville, 192). of the universe and conceals this abyss. Its mystery is its perplexing nature: its indifference to "kindly associations" and "joint stock"(Melville, 185) theories. Nature, however, is indifferent, and Moby Dick is the symbol of this indifference. Man can force perceptions of beauty upon nature and extract commodity from it, but the white whale represents the absolute negation of these efforts.

Solution to the Foreclosure Crisis Essay -- Foreclosures, USA,

How real is the mortgage foreclosure problem in America? How did it come about? What are some possible solutions? First of all, the problem is so big that almost everyone knows someone who lost their house because of a foreclosure, and this is new. It didn’t used to be that way. Listening to the stories of foreclosure evictions provides an eyewitness viewpoint of how it happened. This is important because it provides a background against which to decide solutions. The overhang of foreclosed homes for sale is pummeling home prices and laying waste to entire neighborhoods. In the process, consumer spending has suffered mightily and deepened the recession as Americans have seen the value of their most important assets, their homes, are falling in value. There were a lot of different factors that went into the development of the problem. There was buying a house that cost more than the people could afford, and there was taking on a mortgage payment that had monthly payments that were really high. There was the problem, too, of people who had no savings after they bought their house, so if anyone got sick or lost a job they couldn’t make their payments. Finally, experts are not sure of the solution to the foreclosure problem. They have thought about encouraging lenders to â€Å"renegotiate†. Renegotiation means sitting down and hammering out another agreement, maybe having the bank accept a lower mortgage payment and forgiving some of the balance. Banks tend not to want to do this because they think that if they just take back the property and sell it to someone else, they will not lose any money, but is that really true? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of renegotiation? We will consider each question in turn. First of... ... not have empty, vacant houses. Property taxes will continue to flow into government and everyone will have a win-win situation. WORKS CITED Adelino, Manuel, Kristopher Gerardi and Paul S. WIllen â€Å"Why Don’t Lenders Renegotiate More Home Mortgages? Redefaults, Self-Cures and Securitization.† Public Policy Discussion Papers. July6,2009 accessed Dec8,2009 http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/ppdp/2008/ppdp0904.htm. Carr, James H. Housing Policy Debate. Responding to the Foreclosure Crisis. Volume 18 Issue 4 2007. 837-860 Mills, Bart. â€Å"Residents Hang on To Homes†. The Lima News Dec 12,2009. Spader, Johnathan S. and Roberto G. Quercia. Mobility and Exit from Homeownership: Implications for Community Reinvestment Lending. HousingPolicy Debate volume 19 Issue 4. 2008. 675-709. Wikippedia. Foreclosure. Dec7,2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreclosure.

Thomas Edison Essay example -- History Biography

I decided to do my report on Thomas Alva Edison because he brought a lot of things into our world. He invented the light bulb, the alkaline battery, the phonograph, and many other things. Many of our modern electronics origins came from Thomas A. Edison. I thought he was very interesting. That is why I chose him. Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847, and lived with his middle class parents, Samuel Edison (his father) and Nancy Edison (his mother). Surprisingly, the young boy did not even talk until he was four years old. In 1854, at age seven, Tom and his parents moved to Port Huron, Michigan. There, near the beginning of the year in a noisy schoolhouse with 38 other kids, his teacher lost his patience with Tom's behavior and endless questions. So, his mother pulled him out of school and home taught him very well, for she used to be a teacher. But, Tom's parents were not educated enough to home teach Tom, for his growing interest in things dealing with physics found his parents stumped. Luckily, his parents had enough money to hire a tutor. By age twelve, he had persuaded his parents to let him sell snacks and newspaper on the railroad. By age fourteen, he had published his first newspaper called the "Weekly Herald." At its high point, Tom sold 400 copies per day and was getting $10 per day (which was a lot back then). Because of the newspaper, he now had enough money to focus more on experiments. Tom now had one lab in the basement of his home and kept things for experiments in his locker on the train. One day, while crossing a bumpy section of the track, the train jerked, letting a chemical from Tom's experiment fall on the floor and set fire to the train. The conductor was so mad he hit... ...three more children. When Thomas grew older, so did his deafness. Mina told Tom what people were saying by tapping the words on his knee in Morse code. All in all, Thomas Edison was not a very good father because he was busy all the time. However, this busyness and hard work changed our lives with his many inventions. One of his famous quotes describes his attitude, "Invention is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Thomas Edison died on October 18, 1931 in West Orange, New Jersey. At his funeral, these words were spoken, "Picture an electric-lightless, an electric-powerless, a telephoneless, a motion-pictureless, a phonographless world, and a faint realization of his greatness dawns upon us." Bibliography Kevles, D., Keysarr A., Maier P., & Smith, M. (2002) A History of the United States: Inventing America. New York: W.W. Norton.

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay

The relationship between critical thinking and ethics is important because it determines the right and wrong of a decision based on personal recognition of basic human rights. To become a good critical thinker we must analyze and observe, evaluate, and take a moment to separate or own bias beliefs from the issue at hand. Critical Thinking is defined as â€Å"The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.† The effects of our decisions have major consequences on a surrounding body of people, and the work place environment. Issues arise when our thinking fails to keep pace with reality. Personal ethics helps assist with my decision making. It guides me to participate in actions that meet my moral standards. Ethics helps me consider the impact of my actions on an individual. The foundation of ethical thinking involves having choice and balance in your decisions. Ethics can also apply to our social and professional environment. It gives us an understanding of others opinions and gives us the ability to have an open mind to new ideas and experiences. Ethics gives recognition of the long term or short term impact are choices can have. Applying ethics allows us to accept the responsibility for the choices we make. As humans we all are faced with imperfections, it’s what we do to fix our mistakes that set us apart. In the Ethical Lens Inventory my blind spot pointed out that â€Å"I believed my motives justified methods or my own good was good enough.† Meaning I sometimes fail to be held accountable to the people that depend most on me. I become narrow minded and don’t see my method of thinking to be incorrect. By learning the steps in critical thinking I can learn to be more balanced in my reasoning skills. I can still stay determined in fulfilling my duties while achieving the greater good for other individuals. In the critical thinking process there are six steps that can be taken to insure success in everyday decision making. Step one and two describes remembering and understanding. Taking the time to listen to what is being  presented to you and fully understanding where the person is coming from or the information that is being given to you, is the first step to critical thinking. Third and Fourth step describes applying and analyzing. Practice problem solving, and identify the cause and effect of the information being given. Learn to recognize the emotional payoff by applying what was being directed to you. The Final step are evaluating and creating. Process the context of your thinking. Review what was said and reflect on it. Lastly be creative in your response. After processing all the information that was being given to you mesh all the necessary steps together and come up with a knowledgeable response. Remembering that ethics and critical thinking determines what is right and wron g in our everyday decision making and can prevent long term effects and can helps us arrive to reasonable conclusions. Bibliography 1) http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411 2) Becoming a Master Student,ch.7 ISBN:9781285193892 Authors: Dave Ellis, Doug Toft Copyright Cengage learning(2015)

Spirit of Adoption vs. Orphan Spirit

Spirit of Adoption vs. Orphan Spirit Human Needs* Safety Unconditional Love Affirmation Purpose Frost, Jack and Trisha, Shiloh Place Ministries Orphan Orphan – Biblical definition: â€Å"Comfortless one† Living as orphans or comfortless ones is living with unresolved unmet needs – either without a family, or in the midst of a family system. This can be seen in our anxiety levels, and by the unhealthy roles we take on to try and be accepted, loved, and welcome in our own families. There are over 200,000 orphans in the world today The effect of physical Orphanhood in children Vulnerability to confusion, anxiety, depression, and behavioral/psychiatric disorders †¢Failure to thrive and actual physical growth stunted Johnson et al. , (2011) †¢Perceived lack of control leading to feeling of helplessness †¢Ongoing inner longing and hope for love and sense of belonging †¢Pleasure connected to life, love, joy and happiness is numbed Dr. Judith Arndell, Psy. D. †¢Lack of Identity Identity Where does identity come from In the World: Occupation Economic Status Sexual Disease Religion Activity Victim Physical Family Role Past Illness Material thingsJust as children with absent genetic fathers have identity issues, (Terwogt et al. , 2002) so will we without the truth from our heavenly Father about who we are. In the Family of God: â€Å"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, â€Å"Abba Father† Romans 8:14-16 God: The Perfect Parent In Him, we are adopted and can have our needs met †¢ John 14:15-18 â€Å"I will not leave you as orphans, but 14:15will send the Holy Spirit (The Comforter) to be with ou and in you. † †¢ Hosea 14:3 â€Å"In you the orphan finds mercy †¢ Psalm 68:5-6 â€Å"A father to the fatherless, a 68:5defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families† ADOPTION â€Å"Huiothesia† (Greek): â€Å"the place and condition of a son given to one to whom it does not naturally belong†; â€Å" To place as sons†. Adoption Legal Permanent Change of name and identity Adoption in the Bible Mephibosheth: David brought him into his own family and treated him as a son 2 Sam 9:1-13 Esther: Adopted and raised by her uncle Esther 2:7 Moses: Adopted by Pharaoh's Daughter in EgyptExodus 2 Adoption begins with Loss Matt. 10:39 †¢ â€Å"The person who tries to preserve his life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for me will preserve it. † John 12:24 †¢ â€Å"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Luke 9:23-24 †For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. † But Offer s New Life 2 Tim 2:11 I rely on this saying: â€Å"If we died with Him we shall also live with Him. † Levels of adoptee’s acceptance View of adoption determines outcome (Borders et al. , 2007) No acknowledgement Denial No truth or healing Acknowledgement with questions Questioning Missing something Focus on Loss Angry Stuck in resentment Aware of both Loss and Gain Processing Moving Forward Peace Focus on Gain: New Life LIFE Orphan Son Image of God See God as Loving Father Independent/Self-reliant Dependency Interdependent Orphan Spirit Live by Law Theology Live by Love Insecure/ Lacks Peace Security Rest and Peace Strives for Man’s acceptance Need for Approval Accepted in God’s love and grace No Motivation or need to impressMotive for Service Service motivated by gratitude and love Self-rejection Counterfeit affections: addiction, escapism Competition Distrustful Self-Image Source of Comfort Relationships View of Authority Accusation and Exposure View of Other’s Faults Guarded and Conditional Expression of Love Conditional and Distant Bondage Servant/Slave Sense of God’s Presence Condition Position Positive and affirmed Resting in the Father’s Love/ Holy Spirit Humility and Unity Respectful; Honoring Love Covers Open, patient, affectionate, self-less, kind Close and Intimate Spirit of Adoption See God as MasterLiberty Son-ship Recognition for something Vision Receiving and Giving the Love of the Father Fight or Give up Future HOPE Frost, Jack and Trisha Shiloh Place Ministries Living as sons and daughters â€Å"Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. † Galatians 4:7 â€Å"He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-† Romans 12:2 Helpful Steps to Living Loved Allow time to Grieve/Be Real Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.View Adoption as Good (Borders, et al. , 2007) Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will†¦ Renew our Minds according to the Word Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Recognize and Resource The Family of God Eph. 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Acknowledge God’s truth, and have grace for process! Adopted into the Family Of God built up in Love† Both spirituality and surrounding relationships are orientating and motivating (Pargament, 2003) Participation in Church and its relational support system is protective of physical and mental health (Pargament, 2003) Forgiveness Grace Love Mercy â€Å"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named †¦ † (ESV) Ephesians 3:14-15 â€Å"You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. † 1 Peter 2:5 (NIV) References . 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Passmore, Nola L. (2004) Adoption and the Father Heart of God: helping adoptees deal with Issues of identity and loss. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 23 (2). pp. 165-175. ISSN 0733-4273 Pargament, Kenneth, L. (2003). Advances in the Conceptualization and Measurement of Religion and Spirituality; Implications for physical and mental health research. American Psychological Association, 58 (1). 64–74. doi: 10. 1037/1941-1022. S. 1. 3. Penny, J. , Borders, L. , & Portnoy, F. (2007). Reconstruction of Adoption Issues: Delineation of Five Phases Among Adult Adoptees.Journal Of Counseling & Development, 85(1), 30-41. Frost, Jack and Trisha, Shiloh Place Ministries. www. shilohplace. org Johnson, D. E. , & Gunnar, M. R. (2011). IV. GROWTH FAILURE IN INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILDREN. Monographs Of The Society For Research In Child Development, 76(4), 92-126. doi:10. 1111/j. 1540-5834. 2011. 00629. Mark Meerum Terwogt, Caroline J. Meerum Terwogt-Reijnders, Suus M. J. van Hekkenn (2002). Identity problems related to absent genetic father http://www. zeitschrift-fuer-familienforschung. de/pdf/2002-3-terwogt. pdf

Abortion in Ancient Times

Procedure of abortion is known since ancient times. The word abortion is came the Latin abortus where â€Å"ab† means â€Å"amiss† and â€Å"oriri† means â€Å"likely to be born, arise†. Along with infanticide it has existed in many societies, both primitive and advanced. The earliest records of an abortive technique go back about 4,600 years to an ancient Chinese work, purportedly the work of Emperor Shen Nung which prescribes the use of mercury to induce an abortion. In ancient ages pessaries or vaginal suppositories were used as an abortifacients.They are generally more effective than oral drugs and included substances such as juice of the wild fig, a â€Å"dairy liquid† ,which caused irritation, soapwort, myrrh, myrtle, lupine, cedar-oil mixed with water, wine, or hot oil. Ancient doctors also suggested smearing on the uterine opening goose fat, mashed leek and celery, rose oils, pine resin, copper scum, boiled honey, sodium carbonate, and even mouse dung. The Egyptian Kahun Papyrus, which dates to 1850 B. C. , recommend crocodile feces either for preventing conception or as an abortifacient.The Ebers Papyrus, which dates to 1550 B. C. , contains several recipes that â€Å"cause a woman to stop pregnancy in the first, second, or third period. † One recipe for a vaginal suppository includes mixed the unripe fruit of Acacia, colocynth, dates, and 6/7 pints of honey and pouring the mixture onto a moistened plant fiber. Modern Arabic women still take colocynth as an abortifacient, though one woman who took 120 grains in a powder died 50 hours later. In Arabic medicine, elephant feces were frequently recommended.Aristotle suggests that the conceptus had a â€Å"soul† after 40 days from conception if a male and 90 if female. In addition there are similar differentiations in the Bible. Later, Aristotle says that the fetus develops gradually and that it is impossible to make a fine judgment. Famous doctors such as Pl iny the Elder, Dioscorides, and Pseudo-Galen mention more â€Å"superstitious† abortifacients, like passage over the root of a cyclamen, the egg of a crow, a snake, or a stone which was bitten by a dog. Ancient physicians also used pessaries, or vaginal suppositories, as abortifacients.They were usually more potent than oral drugs and included substances like the juice of the wild fig, a â€Å"milky liquid† which caused irritation, soapwort, myrrh, myrtle, lupine, cedar-oil mixed with water, wine, or hot oil. Physicians also recommend smearing on the uterine opening goose fat, mashed leek and celery, rose oils, pine resin, copper scum, boiled honey, sodium carbonate, and even mouse dung. In the Middle Ages, abortion was tolerated because there were no laws against it. There were a variety of abortifacients, such as mixture called â€Å"cup of roots† and another known as a â€Å"A Cure for All Kinds of Stomach Aches. However after long time, therapeutic abortion is one of the most controversial subjects in modern society, is evident capable of generating intense passions, that lead to a great number of other social issues. In recent decades, on a global scalethere is increasing pressure for changes in abortion which could lead to a various consequences. A great number of people have the view that abortion is a matter merely between a woman and her attending physician. There is another opinion that ultimately abortion should be granted on request.According to the statistics of UN’s Department of Economic and social Affairs of 2007 year, about 97% of countries around the world allow abortion in the event of an emergency, when women’s life is in explicit threat. There are only 5 countries where abortion is prohibited. These countries are Chile, El Salvador, the Holy See, Malta and Nicaragua. The most strict abortion laws are adopted in developing countries. For example, there are 19% of developing countries that authorize aborti on on account of social and economic issues, 15% that allow it on request.In contrast, there are 78% of developed countries that let abortion for economic and social issues, 67% of them permit it on request. In the vast majority of countries, to have an abortion woman has to pass additional procedural requirements. It could be agreement of parents, the husband or third-party authorization, consultations, waiting period, categories of health providers permitted to perform abortions. However, it is essential to notice that this statistic is not absolutely clear, because not all countries give full information about abortion rate.

Examining Yourself as a Writer Essay

The art of writing is a unique skill that requires the writer to have great flexibility and be open to improvement. Some may consider themselves a â€Å"perfect writer†, when in reality, no one is, and will ever be. Writing is a process that requires one to continuously build on skills learned in previous situations, applying new techniques and strategies to future writing projects. Different settings require different writing styles, and with that being said, one must be willing to change their writing skills to suit the requirements of their current setting. In the following essay I will reflect on past writing assignments, identifying my best and worst writing courses, strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and my opinion on why writing may or may not be beneficial to me throughout my career. Although I consider English/Composition one of my strong points, writing wouldn’t fall into the category of things I like to do. As bad as it sounds, I’m the type of person who only writes when it’s required of me to do so. As I look back on my writing career I’d have to say my best writing course was a course entitled Health Disparities. I took this course my junior year at Spelman College and was required to write quite a few papers. I would name this course my best in terms of writing because we were able to choose between a number of topics to write our papers on, versus just one, and each topic focused on something I personally am very interested in, which is health. Most of the papers required 5-10 pages, but because I was interested in the topics 5-10 pages felt like 3-5. The professor provided detailed feedback on our papers, giving us the opportunity to revise the paper before turning in the final copy. I would have to say that my worst writing co urse was Intro to Eastern Religious Traditions. I disliked this course because the subject matter itself confused me. The writing assignments were outlandish and required a great deal of critical thinking and research on a topic that I found to be very complex and confusing. I am not a big fan of research papers, especially when I have no interest in the topic of discussion. Another thing that made it so bad was the fact that the professor was very strict and it seemed like nothing was good enough. It was from this course that I learned the importance of being an open writer, in  terms of adjusting my writing style to accept new forms and topics of writing. All writers have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their ability to formulate a piece of literature. One of my main strengths in writing is the ability to formulate sentences that are grammatically correct. I have always been particular about using correct punctuation, spelling words correctly, and making sure my sentences flow. I would also consider my vocabulary to be quite extensive, allowing for the use of more sophisticated words throughout my writing. My weaknesses include issues with starting my introduction, expressing my ideas and thoughts in a concise and coherent manner, and formulating the body of my paper, as far as weeding out what is and isn’t important in relation to my thesis statement. When given a prompt, so many thoughts start flowing through my head that I sometimes get overwhelmed and can’t decide what information I should and shouldn’t use. One thing I’ve never been too keen on is outlining my thoughts before beginning a piece of writing. I’m the type of person who thinks and writes at the same time, which may not allow me to adequately brainstorm on the information that should be provided in my writing. With that being said, I will work on first, placing my ideas on paper, then placing those ideas into an outline, and lastly formulating my paper into a smooth and concise piece of writing In my opinion, writing is a fundamental aspect of all facets of life, especially in most, if not all careers. If one is unable to write, it can be very hard for them to carry out even the smallest tasks. You don’t have to be an expert writer, but basic writing skills are a must. In my future career as a Nurse, writing will be very relevant. Nurses have to complete patient charts, provide detailed explanations of the patient’s care regimes for those who will be providing care to the patients after them, etc. Communication between nurses and doctors is crucial and if not documented with precision a patient’s life could be in jeopardy. A nurse without writing capabilities would not be able to perform their job with the proficiency that they should. As previously mentioned, writing is a process that welcomes proficiency, but not perfection. One must understand the importance of being flexible and open to change when it comes to writing. Practicing good writing skills can be a little difficult but, it’s a long-term commitment which facilitates the ability to develop better writing habits. With great effort, weaknesses can be turned into strengths,  and current strengths can always be improved. I look forward to improving my ability to articulate my ideas in a clear and intelligent manner, as well as practicing my new skills in and outside of this course, as well as in my future career as a Nurse.