John Donne Essays (1236 words) - Abrahamic Mythology, Fallen Angels

John Donne Purify my heart for I have sinned: An Irony In John Donnes Batter my heart, three-personed God; for You, the moral and religious qualms of the speaker are manifest in a sonnet which seems at first almost like an avowal between lovers. These convictions of guilt, which stem from his sexual emotion, are what induce desire for a creator/creation relationship with God. With further analysis, the violent and sexual slant on the relationship is also revealed. The first expression provides the reader with an initial framework for the mood of the poem. Donne says, Batter my heart, (1) This opening word is the first of an upcoming myriad of terms of violence. The impression given is that the speaker is either a vulnerable and/or masochistic person. However, it becomes evident in the lines ensueing that the speaker is somewhat disconcerted. Batter my heart, three-personed God; for You As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; That I may rise and stand, oerthrow me, and bend Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new. (1-4) In lines 1 and 3, he is asking God for torment, to be overcome. In lines 2 and 4, he is requesting to be fixed, mended, made new. The speaker is vascillating between the two; he seems indecisive. The verbs in lines 2 and 4 oddly parallel eachother. They are thematically similar; complementing, but at the same time contradicting. Knock corresponds to break, as breathe does to blow, and so on. Nonetheless these lines allude to the subordinate role that he takes. In line 5, a complication emerges. He is to another due. (5) There is another character in the poem who has seized him by force, like an usurped town. (5) In the appropriation of a town, the usurper must be the new ruler of the town, the authoritative leader who snatches the reins of power from the original leader. This image of an usurped town makes an interesting metaphor for Satans heist of a mans soul from God. It is the Christian belief that the human spirit, originally owned by God, is at a constant battle with the devil, who in turn provides perpetual temptation to which the Christians fall, and want God to mitigate. The speaker says, Labor to admit You, but Oh, to no end! (6) He desires and works to admit God as the beholder, the controller and owner of his spirit, but the Devils seizure is to no end. His defense of the viceroy in him proves weak and untrue. (8) A town is also not quite as unyielding as it appears from the outside. We saw from line 1 that the speaker wants to be taken by God. Since he is betrothed unto Gods enemy, he needs for God to break his tie to Satan, and to imprison him so that he would unsusceptible to the Devils domination. Like someone snared in a defective marriage, he must be divorced or untied from the knot. The manner in which Donne describes this depicts the violent nature of how he wants God to rescue him. He says, Take me to You, imprison me. (12) It is also obvious in his use of harsh verbs- batter, knock, oerthrow, break, blow, burn, usurp, break, imprison. It seems to me that the speaker is so keenly aware of his sins and shortcomings that it is imperative that God not only saves him from his sinful ways, but does so in an intense, brutal manner. It is a role which he wants God to play because he feels the need to be rebuked in two divergent respects; that of the creator and of the restorer. These particular yearnings of treatment demonstate the elevated fervor and passion of his religious conviction, which in this case is accompanied by brutality to recompensate his sins. This passion is implicated with a sexual character. Batter my heart. (1) In laymans terms it would say hurt me. Interestingly, the word heart during Donnes era had a sexual connotation. (A Dictionary of Shakespeares Sexual Puns and their Significance) This definition does not actually come into play until the concluding lines, where he speaks of being raped by God. Except You enthrall me, never shall be free,/ Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me. (13-14) Donnes choice of words is imperative in ascertaining the sexuality of the poem. The word enthrall means to captivate, charm, and hold in slavery. The previous and following phrases, imprison me, and never shall be free, (13) indicate that Donne

Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello

Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now.... Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello Free Essays on The Role Of Women In Othello Throughout history, the treatment of women has been an ever-changing issue. Othello, by William Shakespeare, is a story in which the female characters are treated in the unfair way that women of the time of the story were treated. This makes the story a great model for comparison of the treatment of women in the present time and in the past time when the story takes place. In order to make this comparison, one must first examine the way that the characters of Bianca, Emelia, and Desdemona are treated. Everyone including her husband, Cassio, treats the character of Bianca unfairly. This is because Bianca is really in love with Cassio, however he can only see the relationship as being a physical one. Due to this, Cassio has no problem making fun of Bianca behind her back when she leaves, and then wooing her when she returns again. The character of Emelia is an even harder one to evaluate. This is because she is the smartest woman character, but nonetheless men still seem to find a way to treat her poorly. When Emilia goes out of her way to help her husband Iago do evil, he barely even thanks her. Desdemona is the last of the characters to evaluate, however she is also the most important. Desdemona is treated very unfairly because she is a faithful wife, who loves her husband very much. However, through the help of Iago, her husband, and Othello suspects Desdemona is cheating on him. This is not true, but still Othello believes his friend long before he would listen to the woman who loves him. Othello then, instead of treating Desdemona fairly in return for her love, argues with and makes fun of her. Othello is a great model to be used to compare the treatment of women then and now because by reading it, one could see how much worse the treatment of women was then than it is now....

An Exploration of the Representation of Teenagers in Two British Films, Films Are History Boys and Kidulthood

The representation of teenagers can be very contrasting at times teenagers can be represented as a problem within society however they can be represented as the hope for society in terms of education. The representation of teenagers has changed throughout the 20th century, since the films of Elvis Presley and the Beatles in the 50’s and 60’s (15). The two films I chose are set in the 1980’s (History Boys) and modern day London (Kidulthood). History Boys is a based around Sheffield grammar school and Kidulthood is based in London, both released in 2006. Kidulthood is an example of rights of passage in teenagers, because its tagline is â€Å"Before Adulthood Comes Kidulthood†, meaning that there is some form of right of passage before you are a adult. One of the first representations of teenagers that is apparent within either films is the use of language within Kidulthood uses language such as â€Å"bruv†, â€Å"blud†, â€Å"mandem† â€Å"chatting†, â€Å"pussyhole†. When there is a dialogue with older characters such as Jay and Trife’s Mum an air of politeness towards the adult is emphasised and when it is between teenage character they speak in use of language. Whereas History boys the teenagers are very polite. They are represented in a negative manner within the film due to their language and speech towards others. In my film I want to show characters in a polite manner, because of History Boys’s aspects. The representation in both films of teenagers within a context of a school is quite contrasting. In History Boys the main emphasis for the teenagers in this setting is based upon and you are judged on the university you go too evident through their struggle to get places at Oxbridge. They strive for perfection with results. In terms of the playground setting everyone is equal, the younger years walk side by side with the higher years, and the higher years are very friendly with the teachers, therefore showing that teenagers are responsible and are shown in a positive attitude. Whereas, Kidulthood is a complete binary opposition to History Boy’s in terms of a school setting, the playground is dominated by elder years, and the only way you see younger years is that they run through the mise-en-scene because bullies such as Sam and others own the playground and others are continuously victimised within this setting. A key scene is when the bell rings and a teacher is instructing the students. Trife just squares up to him, therefore showing school has a lack of hierarchy and respect. This influences my campaign material, because I could use school as a negative experience with a character turning it positively with what they achieve. When you first watch the film there is suggestions that in â€Å"Kidulthoods Britain, our teenagers are reckless hedonists, living for their moment under a whirl of as much sex, coke, blowjobs, weed and booze as they can cram into their Oh my days! lives. Theyre having a laugh. However, look behind the blurred sheen of peer-pressure narcotics and I-fell-asleep-during-sex-ed relationships and youll find guns, baseball bats, muggings, booze and teen pregnancy. For these adolescents, you need to have a tragic experience to learn about the very notion of consequence. This therefore suggests that Kidulthood is a sweeping generalisation of life in London, I want to refle ct the positivity within London and turn all these issues into a positive manner for my character, that it is your thinking not the consequences. 3) A representations that most teenagers face in modern day Britain portrayed within Kidulthood, was that Jay, Trife and Moony went into a shop and they looked at hats and they were immediately judged on their appearance, shown by the secretary guard of the shop subtly watching them. They leave the shop, and the secretary guard chases them, because he thinks that Trife’s hat is stolen, but it eventually becomes the realisation due to a shop assistant sticking up for them, that he was already wearing it when entering the shop. This is a hugely key representation of teenagers, because sometimes teenagers are stereotyped and put into a group that is an unfair reflection on them as individuals, because of what the majority of adults understand from the media stereotypes and news stories. This would be included in my marketing campaign as a teenager’s right of passage who shrugs off negative stereotypes, and therefore earning a right of passage, because of the school they go to, they are immediately put into the crowd and they have to turn ideas about teens around. Comparatively, the representation of teenagers in History Boys consists of the idea that exams are the main priority in life, and going to a good university is the done thing due to having a class full of Oxbridge candidates and getting straights A’s in A levels and if you don’t you have failed, because the pupil who earned 1 A and 2 B’s was extremely disappointed with this. This representation of teenagers is that they are very one dimensional in terms of education and all they want is to enter the Uk’s conveyer belt to university and eventually employment. This would link in with my campaign material because this is my characters priority and contending with distractions from the society they are based and they are able to take oppurtunities given to them. (4) One of the hugely key representations of teenagers within Kidulthood, is that gun and knife crime are a normal way of life, and that sex is just a way of getting what you want, or as a tool as to what you want, such as the example of Becky’s sexual pursuits for drugs which is includes dragging Alicia along. She is also represented as being very vain, because when Alicia sticks up to the school bully all she is really worried about is the fact that her face might scarred, and she seems to be very selfish and doesn’t think of others at all. Therefore one of the many representations of teenagers is that sometimes they can be very vain, moody and selfish. My campaign material will show that teenagers can be selfless and not selfish. 2) Equally the lyrics of the songs incorporated within Kidulthood reflect the problems faced by, and in various stages within the film, such as the character Katie listening to lyrics that are reflecting her problems and issues from her perspective. The same goes for Trife, Moony and all the other characters in the film. The representation of teenagers is therefore that, they listen to lyrics which reflect and their life and therefore can feel empathy with. According to a article I found â€Å"Music is the voice of the youth and adds to the theme of the film (teenagers). The music helps to bring home the message of the youth. Music plays almost throughout the film, intensifying and giving. †(2) This is a suggestion the music can create meaning within a film. The music as part of my campaign material will reflect the style of the film. One of the main differences between the two films in terms of the representation of teenagers within both these films is that the usual representation from each director, because Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood) has directed films depicting teenage life, because he directed a drama called West 10 LDN, which is a drama depicting a teenager going through my trials and tribulations within their daily lives. He also revolutionised the industry for new directors in the late 90’s. Equally the distribution company of Kidulthood being revolver entertainment, this also depicts violence and sex as being part of every day lives. The films they distribute show that the emphasis of their films, because they are called â€Å"Young people Fucking†- about couples in romantic relationships and â€Å"Wassup Rockers†- which is about Guatemalan and El Salvadorian street gangs in Los Angeles, this shows the daily dog eat dog lives they lead. Noel Clarke also co wrote Kidulthood and he directed the sequel to it, so therefore these individuals understand the problems faced by teenagers today. Whereas the director and distribution company of History Boys has a completely different aspects life, because Nicholas Hynter two films that have been showing teenagers as hardworking and in a positive light. This is most explicit with examples such as Center Stage, which is about dancers enrolling in a professional ballet academy, and how they deal with these. Along with History Boys Hynter portrays teenagers to be much more than violent, sex obsessed youths. Even with the distribution company of Fox search light productions who’s repertoire includes distributing such film successes with it being used for indie films and British films such as Slumdog Millionaire, Bend it like Beckham and Juno. Some films such as thirteen and Napoleon Dynamite which portray teenagers in less positive aspects of teenage life. Therefore one of the main ways in which representation of teenagers are different is because of what sort of audience they would appeal to. I feel a positive representation should be applied, because the media today represents teenagers with such negativity. (6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) A review on Kidulthood states that â€Å"In Kidulthoods Britain, our teenagers are reckless hedonists, living for their moment under a whirl of as much sex, coke, blowjobs, weed and booze as they can cram into their Oh my days! lives. Theyre having a laugh. However, look behind the blurred sheen of peer-pressure narcotics and I-fell-asleep-during-sex-ed relationships and youll find guns, baseball bats, muggings, booze and teen pregnancy. For these adolescents, you need to have a tragic experience to learn about the very notion of consequence. †- This part of the review suggests that teenagers that live in London are shown to be quite pressured by peers, and has differed from previous films such as History boys. In my campaign material I want to challenge these stereotypes, through the ideas I bring across. (3) For any teenager, puberty makes a teenager’s mind quite confused in terms of sexuality and other issues. In History Boys, the idea of sexual confusion and homosexuality is represented as being quite prominent. This is shown by one of the Oxbridge applicants asking for advice from the new teacher called Irwin, and that homosexuality is becoming a confusing issue within teenage life in the 80’s. Dakin one of the students is extremely confident with his sexuality and life in general, because of his status within the group, because he is the object of the confusion. Therefore a representation of teenagers within History boys is about the many issues to do with sexuality such as homosexuality and other sexual issues within the context of puberty. I want to portray this as a problem for my character to deal with along with exams. (21) Conclusively, the representation of teenagers within the two British films Kidulthood and History Boys differ completely in terms of different representations of teenagers being depicted by their class, and therefore depending on their class how their life is lead and what issues arise as seen in these two films. I shall therefore challenge this problem. Bibliography 1. Kidulthood film and History boys film- Focus Films 2. www. academicdb. com/Mass_Communications_and_Documentation/ kidadulthoo d_review___How_are_teenagers_L137186. html – To understand what other students were discussing in terms of representation 3. http://www. totalfilm. com/reviews/cinema/kidulthood – understand what a prestigious film magazine thought about the film. 4. http://www. bbc. co. uk/films/2006/10/04/the_history_boys_2006_review. shtmlunderstand the context of the exams within the film. 5. http://www. c hannel4. com/film/reviews/film. jsp? id=156095 – To understand what a rival would say about the film but it was just for my own help rather than the essay. All the below were all to get a context for the film in terms of director and distribution companies in terms of representation of teenagers for both sides. 6. http://www. britfilms. com/britishfilms/directors/? id=C3BC981002c2a25B4CrRt2DF 93DE 7. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Menhaj_Huda 8. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nicholas_Hytner 9. http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0405336/ 10. http://www. guardian. co. uk/stage/2003/mar/30/theatre. artsfeatures 11. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/West_10_LDN 12. http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0399630/ 13. http://www. myspace. com/13608234 14. http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Noel_Clarke 15. http://www. antiessays. com/free-essays/15181. html comparison of era of teen films. * 16. http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0164929/ 17. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_History_Boys_(film) 18. http://en . wikipedia. org/wiki/Fox_Searchlight_Pictures 19. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Kidulthood 20. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Revolver_Entertainment 21. http://www. oppapers. com/essays/History-Boys-Consider-Significance- Characterisation-Either/179335 To understand the representation of sexuality for the teenagers within the film. 1,858 words

Second Language Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Second Language - Assignment Example It is noticing that ensures that input becomes intake before any processing takes place. This is a pre-requisite for the learner's integration into the developing inter-language system. Noticing thus the first stage in second language acquisition. (Gass, 1988) Balestone emphasizes on the importance of noticing by calling the "real gateway to subsequent learning". (Balestone, 1994) This has been asserted by Lynch as well who claims that noticing is the most essential ingredient of successful language learning. (Lynch, 2001) Various other researchers have marked out and pointed the importance of noticing in second language acquisition. Sharwood and Rutherford are to name a few. They believe that noticing leads to the other subsequent stages before the language is acquired in its entirety. After noticing, the processing phase takes form and once processing starts, the language gets integrated into the learner's mind. However noticing can be of various, forms. It can be in both conscious as well as unconscious states of mind. According to some authors, the assertion that "noticing the gap" is a conscious process is not right. They feel that it can't be a conscious process and there are far too many differences in languages that can be acquired consciously. It is not as simple as it looks like, but is a rather complex. Apart from this Truscott has criticized these founding's claiming that the foundations of hypothesis in cognitive psychology is weak and it can't be based on rational theory of languages. He feels that noticing is not a very legitimate and strong factor in second language acquisition. He believes that noticing is only important for the acquisition of met linguistic language which is acquiring the ability to change words, fill gaps, adapt to sentence manipulations and dictate grammar rules. Noticing acts a mediary between the input and the memory systems. Spotlight consciousness is given by short term memory and is instantiated by various influences on noticing. These are the main factors that influence noticing: Instruction, silence, task demand, perceptual silence, skills, frequency and comparing. Instruction plays an important role in laying the foundations for expectation settings about the language which are noticed by observers and adapted accordingly. Another language feature that is of considerable importance is frequency which comes up due to repeated use of the language by teachers. This helps the learner notice the features of the language and eventually learn them accordingly. Skills set required to be incommunicado for a particular language is yet another important element that assists noticing of language in humans. Q2) Corrective Feedback in Second Language Learning What are the types of feedback Different terms have been used interchangeably that identify corrective feedback in the second language acquisition literature. Some of these terms are corrective feedback, negative evidence and negative feedback. According to Chaudron (Chaudron, 1992) the word corrective feedback can be layered down to mean different things. A "treatment of error" could mean any teaching behavior that follows after an error has been made. These steps aim to inform the learner of the facts of the error. The treatment will not be observed from the student's response but it would rather work to

Hands-on Learning Motivates Students in the Science Classroom Thesis

Hands-on Learning Motivates Students in the Science Classroom - Thesis Example References 27 6.0. Appendices 28 6.1. Appendix 1: Student Survey Questionnaire 28 6.2. Appendix 2: Teacher-To-Be Survey Questionnaire 29 6.3. Appendix 3: Results of Test-Retest Reliability Analysis 30 List of Tables Table 1. Gender and Age Profile of Grade 10 Student Respondents 7 Table 2. Gender and Age Profile of Teacher and Student-Teacher Respondents 8 Table 3. Detailed Data Analysis Plan 12 Table 4. Student Level of Interest on Lecture 19 Table 5. Level of Student Interest on Hands-On Activities 20 Table 6. Students’ Preferred Method in Science Teaching 21 List of Figures Figure 1: Why Students Take the Science Course 13 Figure 2: What the Students Like to Do in the Science Classroom 14 Figure 3: Frequency of Conducting Group Activities 16 Figure 4: Perceived Usefulness of Labs or Hands-On Activities 16 Figure 5: Student Understanding of Concepts through Hands-On Activities 17 Figure 6: Teaching Method That Helped Students Better 18 1.0 Introduction The term hands-on lear ning means â€Å"learning through doing† (Gardiner, 2005, para.2). Hands-on learning is used commonly in the science classroom to describe a form of learning where students investigate and develop understanding of a scientific concept by active involvement in an activity or an experiment (Gardiner, 2005). Askell-Williams and Lawson (as cited in Brophy, 2010) reported that middle school students frequently mention hands-on activities when asked about interesting elements of lessons, together with features which satisfy their need to for independence, competence and relatedness, experiments, outdoor learning, design projects, and innovative and creative assignments. Meanwhile, high school students enjoy classes for different reasons, and tend to rate highly those related to learning, creation,... Grounded on the findings of the study, all groups of respondents demonstrated their concurrence with the thesis statement that â€Å"hands-on learning motivates students in the science classroom†. The following conclusions were drawn for the specific objectives of the study. This report makes a conclusion that the uniqueness of each individual is one of the perplexities of humankind. Even twins have different set of fingerprints and different ways of learning styles and preferred teaching method. Even student teachers who are well-versed on the efficacy of various teaching methods prefer different teaching styles. The experienced science teachers recognized such individual differences and attributed different favorite teaching styles to such differences. The teachers declared that there is no one single style which can help develop the cognitive competence of students in science. In some concepts, however, one or a combination of two methods have proven to be more efficient that other styles. Teachers have to be aware of student preference and needs to adapt lessons and activities to these varying needs. The Science teachers enumerated several advantages and disadvantages of hands-on activities. Among the advantages identified were: hands-on activities e nable students to experience scientific phenomena through experiments with physical materials; these activities teach a student in planning investigations, utilization of scientific instruments, and in the collection, recording, and analysis of data.

Customs and traditions in the USA Essay Example for Free

Customs and traditions in the USA Essay Customs and traditions are important part of our culture, of our lives. Customs and traditions unite, build community. They provide identity. They tie us to our ancestors and heritage. They remind us of where we came from. Every country and every nation has its own traditions and customs. Its very important to know traditions and customs of different people. It will help you to know more about the history and life of different nations and countries. Custom is a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time; a thing that one does habitually. Tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way; long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another All countries have their social customs and peculiarities, and the US is no exception. The first group of custom which is worth speaking about is connected with meeting someone. When meeting someone for the first time, it is customary to shake hands, both for men and for women. Hugs are only exchanged between close friends. Kissing is not common. Among friends, it’s common for men to kiss ladies on one or both cheeks. Men don’t usually kiss or embrace each other. Americans usually introduce themselves by their first name and last name (such as â€Å"Hello, I’m John Smith†), or, if the setting is very casual, by their first name only (â€Å"Hi, I’m John†). The common response when someone is introduced to you is â€Å"Pleased to meet you.† Americans generally dislike formality or any sort of social deference due to age or position, and most quickly say ‘Please call me Rick (or Rita)’. To Americans, informality shows no lack of respect. Because of the rise of women’s liberation in America, women may be introduced with the title ‘Ms’ (pronounced ‘mizz’) and some women object to being addressed as ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’. In some social circles, women are introduced after their husbands, e.g. Mrs Chuck Whizzkid, in which case you shouldn’t address her as Chuck! Americans often reply ‘You’re Welcome’ or something similar when somebody thanks them, and they may think you’re impolite if you don’t do likewise. If someone asks ‘How are you?’, it’s usual to reply ‘Fine thanks’ and don’t complain even if you feel dreadful. Americans don’t have status or inherited titles (e.g. Sir or Lord) but it is necessary to defer to people with a professional title which has been earned. These include foreign diplomats (e.g. Sir), members of the Senate (Senator) or Congress (Congressman/Congresswoman), judges, medical doctors and others with a doctorate, military officers (e.g. General, Colonel), professors, priests and other religious ministers (e.g. Father, Rabbi, Reverend). If you’re invited to dinner, it’s customary to take along a small present, e.g. flowers, a plant, chocolates or a bottle of wine (but nothing extravagant or ostentatious). But choosing flowers you should remember that American people pay attention to the meaning of flowers. For example carnations are associated with bad luck, chrysanthemums are for cemeteries and roses signify love. Guests are normally expected to be punctual with the exception of certain society parties, when late arrival is de rigueur (provided you don’t arrive after the celebrity guest). It’s usual to arrive half an hour to an hour after the official start of a dance. Invitations to cocktail parties or receptions may state 5pm to 7pm, in which case you may arrive at any time between these hours. Dinner invitations are often phrased as 8pm for 8.30pm. This means you should arrive at 8pm for drinks and dinner will be served at 8.30pm. Anyone who arrives late for dinner or doesn’t turn up at all, should expect to be excluded from future guest lists. On the other hand, you must never arrive early. The custom of not taking off the shoes is peculiar to Americans. That is why don’t think of whether you should take off your shoes or not. If it is necessary the host will warn you about it himself. When watching American films I always wondered why Americans did not take off their footwear. The matter turns out to be that there is no much dirty and dust in American streets. Some people who were in America say that it is possible to sit on some pavements and not to make oneself dirty. One more reason explaining this custom is that majority of Americans prefer driving but not going of foot. That is why they are not afraid of dirtying their houses. Some families say grace before meals, so follow your host’s example before tucking in. Table manners are more relaxed in the U.S. than in many other countries. The fork is held in the right hand and is used for eating. The knife is used to cut something. To use the knife, the fork is switched to the left hand. To continue eating, the fork is switched back to the right hand. Don’t overstay your welcome. This becomes obvious when your host starts looking at his watch, talking about his early start the next day. The custom which is also typical for the USA is tipping. Most Americans are shocked by anyone who doesn’t tip or who tips too little. The one you will encounter most often is at restaurants. American restaurants do not add a service charge to the bill. Therefore it is expected that the customer will leave a tip for the server. Common practice is to leave a tip that is equal to 15% of the total bill for acceptable service, and about 20% for superior service. If the service was unusually poor, then you could leave a smaller tip, about 10%. Other professions where tipping is expected include hairdressers, taxi drivers, hotel porters, parking valets, and bartenders. The general rule is to tip approximately 15% of the bill. In situations where there is no bill the tip may range from $1 to $5, depending on the type of establishment and on how good the service was. The custom of tipping came to America from Great Britain. In the 18th century in Great Britain the boxes with the inscription T.I.P.S. which was meant To Insure Prompt Service were on the tables during having tea. Then this term came to America. Baby showers have been a tradition in the US for a long time now, and are growing in popularity here, too. What better excuse is there for getting a group of friends together than to celebrate a new life? Plus, the mum-to-be get lots of great presents for her and her baby, result! The only person who shouldnt arrange a baby shower is the mum-to-be. The whole event should be great fun and completely stress-free for her. Friends, family or work colleagues are the usual organizers. You could either keep it as a surprise for the mum-to-be, or tell her what you are planning. Baby showers usually have some sort of baby theme to get everyone in the mood. Popular themes include: Teddy bears tea party. Get hold of as many teddies as you can and make sure each guest brings one, too! As presents, they could bring teddy bear-related books. The cake could be in the shape of a teddy bear. You get the general idea! Nursery rhymes. Arrange toys linked to nursery rhymes around the room , such as shoes (There was an old lady), a spider (Little Miss Muffet), a bucket (Jack Jills pail), and toy boats (Row row row your boat). Ask guests if they can count how many rhymes are represented. Books. Ask each guest to bring a book that meant something to them as a child. Its a great way for mum to start up her childs library. For decoration, everyone could also bring books to arrange around the room. The cake could be in the shape of a fairytale book. One more tradition connected with babies is to give a baby a birthstone. The Tradition of Birthstones goes back further than written history. People wear jewelry containing stones designated for their Birth Month. In the USA there are a lot of traditions connecting with wedding. It is known that before marriage engagement takes place. As a rule a man invite a woman to the restaurant to make her a proposal. Engagement ring obligatory should have a brilliant. The diamond engagement ring originated with King Maximillian who presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring in 1477 as a token of his love. And the ring is presented unexpectedly. It may found in the glass of champagne by the woman or in the bud of the rose. To my mind this tradition is very romantic. The tradition of a Bachelor Party which is held for the Groom and usually sponsored by The Best Man the night before the Wedding and a Bridal Shower which is usually sponsored by The Brides Maid is very popular in the USA. By the way the number of bridesmaids in America amount from two to twenty. The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as each other and in similar style to the bride comes from ancient days when it was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her. The tradition of a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner also takes place in America. It is usually celebrated between the immediate families of spouses in the late afternoon the day before the wedding. The Grooms Family traditionally provides for this celebration. The Wedding Ceremony is most often performed as part of a religious ceremony each with its own specific customs and traditions. On the day of the wedding the Groom does not see the Bride until the actual ceremony. As Custom would have it from Victorian Times: the Bride wears Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in her shoe. The bride and groom exchange their rings to mark the permanent commitment of the new spouses to each other. The rings should be gold. According to history gold rings signified a financial sacrifice on the part of the prospective husband. Ring finger is the fourth ringer which is considered to be connected directly to the heart by a route that was called â€Å"the vein of love.† In the USA tradition of engraving of wedding rings is popular. The kiss on weddings dates back to the earliest days of civilization in the Middle East. A kiss was used as the formal seal to agreements, contracts, etc. In Ancient Rome a kiss was still being used as the legal bold to seal contracts. Hence the obvious use of the custom at the end of the wedding ceremony to â€Å"seal† the marriage vows. After the wedding ceremony newlyweds are covered with rice which is used as a symbol of fertility and as a wish for a â€Å"full pantry†. A Wedding Reception is usually held after the ceremony for all family and friends to celebrate. The Brides Family usually provides for this celebration. Traditionally the groom’s flower, worn on his lapel, usually matches one of the flowers in his bride’s bouquet. This tradition goes back to medieval times when knights wore the colors of their lady in tournaments. All of us know the tradition of throwing bridal bouquet and garter. The history of this tradition is very interesting I believe. In parts of Europe during the 14th contrary, having a piece of the bride’s clothing was thought to bring good luck. Guests would literally destroy the brides dress by ripping off pieces of fabric. In order to prevent this, brides began throwing their bouquets to the unwed girls. And grooms began to throw garter to unmarried men. One more wedding tradition is connected with CARRYING THE BRIDE OVER THE THRESHOLD Traditionally, the bride had to enter her new home the first time through the front door. If she tripped or stumbled while entering it was considered to be very bad luck. And the groom carried her over the threshold les she should stumble. Hence the tradition of the groom carrying the bride over the threshold. They bring us all together, no matter where we are. We can all relate to them and understand each other because we all use them. It is also a great connection for family and friends. There are traditions that are upheld for hundreds of years that are so important in our hearts. It links and connects us to past members of our family and our world whom we may never have gotten the chance to meet. They teach us about ourselves, our families, and the world around us. We can learn our history, why this tradition was started and what it signifies when we follow it today. They can work as the glue that holds us together. They are our culture, our heritage; they are us.

Justice After War :: essays research papers fc

Justice after War History – Wars – Writing Task Wartime is definitely a time of much violence and many things happen during this time, but what about after war†¦ â€Å"The just war tradition is typically evoked when discussing the decision to launch a war (justice of war) and when evaluating the conduct of forces during war (justice in war). But the tradition does not explicitly specify principles for assessing justice after war, nor does it discuss state obligations upon achieving military victory.† This excerpt was taken from an article by Tony Lang and Mary-Lea Cox. Once victory is earned by one side it must take responsibility to pave the road to peace in that country by building a new political system. This is summarized in Thomas L. Freidman’s view when he says â€Å"you break it, you own it†. But maintaining peace in war-trodden country is not easy. There is jealousy from that country, the urge to take revenge; while this is happening the victors have to discuss how to maintain justice. Maintaining the balance between these two is a tedious task. In many conflicts through history the aftermath has been more of a problem to the defeated than the war itself, becoming financially crippled, becoming underdogs of the world, being restricted. These are all problems faced by the dark horse of the battle, after a battle keeping a stability of even-handedness and retribution is a daunting task. Many trials through time have been subject to comments by critics that have made points that justice had no role in the final judgement. In the Nuremberg Trials, of the 21 defendants that were held in custody 11 were sentenced to death (over 50%), three were acquitted and the rest were subject to heavy jail terms. The Nazi atrocities that they were put on trial for were for good reason, though they had been wishing to give them all a fair trial it is obvious that excessive urges to take revenge caused an imbalance in the balance between revenge and justice. Those to be prosecuted were done so because of the brutal â€Å"war crimes†, â€Å"crimes against peace† and â€Å"crimes against humanity† they had committed. The prosecutors were dominated by a large percentage of Jews, who at this time, excusably, had a fervent hatred for the Nazis, since the Nazis had also had a fervent hatred for them. But this just shows how hard it would have been for these prosecutors to not have had revenge govern their thoughts throughout the trial.

Pro-Slavery Arguments Essay

Slavery was at its peak both economically and controversially during the 19th century. The proslavery forces of the south proposed many arguments to defend their institution that they held dear. Legal, religion, and economic arguments were all used to justify their support of slavery. The largest defense of slavery came from the political aspects of it. Legal arguments and defenses were used more frequently than any means of support. The largest attempts to save slavery came through compromises. Many famous compromises aroused during the 19th century over slavery and the territories. The compromise that stands out more than any other was the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which stated that any new territory above 36 °30†³ would be free, and any territory south of that line would be slave. This settled the argument of slavery for a little while and was a great way of temporarily preserving their institution. Another argument used in support of slavery was that slaves were property, and individuals had the constitutional right to their property. With this defense, it gave them a constitutional advantage. Another famous decision in favor of the South was the Dred Scott decision. This Supreme Court decision allowed proslavery forces to use the argument that blacks were not people; therefore they had no constitutional rights including freedom. This was another constitutional advantage that came from a Supreme Court interpretation of the constitution. The south presented a formidable argument to preserve slavery with these legal arguments; however there were also the economic and religious aspects to take into consideration as well. There were many economical aspects to the question over slavery. The south presented the necessity of slave labor for prosperity as one example. Without the use of slavery, plantations and cash crops wouldn’t have succeeded nearly as well because there was simply not enough man power to equal the labor that the slaves put in. This would have affected the whole nation but more predominantly the south because cash crops were their most significant economic activity by far. Another argument was that slavery would never expand north because they had no use for land north of the 36 °30†³ line because it simply wasn’t fit for producing cash crops or housing plantations. Only the southern lands were fertile and climatic enough to  meet their needs. One more significant economic argument used to back up slavery was slaves were treated better working on plantations than free blacks were in the north. Plantation owners wanted to keep excellent care for their slaves because without high moral and work force, they would be useless. Therefore, plantations offered 3 meals a day, housing, and many other perks for slaves in which most free blacks couldn’t gain on their small incomes. This was a chief point often made by the south. Religion also played a key role for southerners and their fight to defend slavery. Slavery was often defended by Christianity and religion in the South. Southerners often used the Bible itself to justify slavery, citing how slavery has always existed from biblical times to what was their present day. They argued that it was a fact of life and was meant to be. Proslavery forces even went to the extreme in saying that Jesus himself found nothing wrong with slavery and he too accepted and embraced it. Never once was there a citing in the Bible of Jesus’ frustration with slavery they argued. Last of all, they stated that they were spreading Christianity by introducing Africans to Christianity and converting them; therefore spreading the word of God and Christianity more and more. They were Africans more civilized by converting them and introducing them to their religious ways. These were the religious arguments on behalf of the South for the most part. All in all, the South presented a very strong case in support of their ideals. By incorporating all of these religious, economic, and legal aspects into their defense, they offered a persuasive defense of their sacred institution.

Managing the Entourage Club

The entourage club is a company by the students and for the students. The basic aim of establishing this club is to provide the students various forms of entertainment under one roof. This club is different from other service providers in the industry in a manner that it does not have the conventional services like health gyms and sports facilities. But this club is formed to help reduce the stress levels of all the students.The membership will be entitled to people under the age of 30. This club will have various segments catering to the needs of all. The membership fees would be very affordable to attract large crowds. Students of various universities will be hired as managers and will be offered handsome salaries to run the club. Each manager will be appointed based on experience and ability to attract fellow students to the club. The club would have the following entertainment facilities.The entourage club would consist of more than 50 employees that will be working in 6 departme nts. The hierarchy would be a horizontal one so as to improve communication between the departments. Because the company belongs to the services sector where customer satisfaction is the top most priority.The company’s departments include marketing, finance, customer care, maintenance, creative and human resource department. As mentioned above all the managers and coordinators will be students that would be studying in universities. This would be an on job experience for them and would also help them earn money. However a professional human resource officer would manage the human resource department so that quality recruitment is ensured.Managing the Entourage ClubManagement in earlier times was described as an art. But as people started developing various theories of effective management it soon became a scientific study. Successful managers who share their experience mainly contribute most of the theories in management. Since through practical it has gained universal accept ance and recognition therefore they are now available to students studying management and is indeed a great benefit.But many a mangers still believe that management is an art. Successful managers are those who have mastered the art and had capabilities. No one gentleman can become a successful manager by reading and memorizing the theories given in the book (Chandler, 2004).As management is a practical filed. But according to me management is a blend of both an art and a science. Since it requires skills to be a manager and the scientific methodology help polish the skills of person. Rather than him learning the skills in the practical field. As today’s world is a competitive one where there is no time to waste.For e.g. In my club if I appoint managers that are new to the field it will take a lot of time for them to gain experience in managing their employees and being productive at their task. But if, they are aware of the various forms and applications of management that th ey have came across in the theory of management.They indeed will achieve the desired goals in a much small time span as compare to others who have the talent but no prior knowledge. But also if the individual doesn’t possess qualities required for being a manager, then in that case even if he was aware of the theory he would never be successful at taking the company forward.There are four major components of management. They include planning, leading, organizing and controllingPLANNINGOrganizational planning occurs all the time and in all manners. A top-level manager in a manufacturing plant will have different plans as compare to the supervisor who is responsible for assembling modular homes on an assembly line. Planning could include setting organizational goals. In general, planning can be strategic planning, tactical planning, or contingency planning.Planning is the most important step in any organization. It is the backbone of the company on which future goals are based. It is essential to design a strategy in order to make the planning successful.The grand strategy of my company would be attain customer satisfaction and to achieve the faith and loyalties of my customer. To implement this strategy there will be a need of affective marketing and to provide services in the manner they were described to the customers. In that way only the company will be able to achieve their goodwill. For our company a problem is basically defined as any situation that proves to be a hindrance or obstruction in providing the customers with the services they have paid for.Decisions would be made on the spot with the consultation of all the managers of the department to involve them all in company’s decision making. All employees should be active contributors on the company’s affairs and should provide some value addition. The three types of plans that the company uses in its operations include strategic, tactical and operational plans. Â  

Superfeet Insoles Ergonomic Product Review

Superfeet Insoles Ergonomic Product Review The Superfeet are premium footbed replacements, or insoles, for your shoes. Most shoes, even the really good ones, do not have a good, ergonomic footbed. It is usually just a shaped piece of padding that covers the construction of the sole. Superfeet changes that. The Superfeet Insoles are designed to replace the insole that comes with your shoe, and at the same time improve it. It provides positive support for your feet. And your feet then pass the benefit up the body easing the strain on the legs, h0ips, and back. Why is it Different? Superfeet is different from most insoles because they are firm, not soft and cushy. And that makes a world of difference. A pillow is nice to lay on when you are relaxing. It is not that nice to walk on. So why would you put a pillow inside your shoe? Instead, the Superfeet provide firm arch support and a deep heel cup. The arch support helps keep the stress on the foot even over the entire foot and transition that force up through the body. The heel cup (and other support formations on the insole) help correct your heel strike when you walk. A good heel strike improves your balance and eases the stress on your legs, hips, and back. Does it Deliver? Looking at them you might not think the Superfeet are anything special, but they deliver in spades. The support they provide makes everything feel better, whether you are hiking on rocks or standing on concrete all day. It took me a few weeks to get used to them. In fact, my feet hurt worse for a while. Particularly the insides of the joint for my big toes. The insoles corrected my stride, part of which was how I pushed off with the balls of my feet. I was unaccustomed to pushing off like that and it hurt for a little while. But at the same time, the pain in my lower back and calves went away. Issues like that are bound to happen while adjusting to a new foot strike. That is one of the reasons why Superfeet comes with a 60-day return policy. They helped me so much that I got some for my dad who has similar problems to me. They stopped him from shuffling and his stride is a good eight inches longer with the Superfeet insoles. Beneficiaries If you wear shoes you can benefit from the Superfeet. If you have foot, leg, hip or back problems you can probably benefit from the Superfeet Insoles. Superfeet offers a number of styles customized to various activities to increase the benefit they provide. Some groups that will benefit from these tools are: Walkers/HikersStation/Assembly WorkersCyclistsSkatersBipedal Mammals Summary Superfeet insoles are one of the best insoles on the market. If you wear shoes then these are must have ergonomic accessories. Try them for 60 days and you will not walk without them.

Conflict Spectrum in Crime and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Conflict Spectrum in Crime and Analysis - Essay Example Prior to September 11, many undocumented workers did not have the correct validation, which creates a huge security burden in America. The Department of Defense has recognized this as a fact false or poor screened background checks were common, which made an easy avenue for terrorists to enter the country without proper validation. This new policy has been the hallmark of the new policy at 2015. This is undoubtedly a huge step up from the previous policies because policies dictate results when fighting crime and cybercrime as well. Secondly, Clark is calling for a mutual support when combatting crime and insists of a collaborative effort than cellos that are created within the organization. This has been prominent as the complexity of crimes has increased from previous years. Clark calls for a mesh network analysis in which agencies worked together to ensure that they are sharing information rather than chasing leads by

Information Technology Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Technology Questions - Essay Example The idea of "capital" is a central concept of capitalism, the overwhelmingly dominant economic system in the world today. Q: 2 In the past, people believed that "knowledge is power" and they sometimes used such knowledge to "build empire that resulted in isolated, dysfunctional organizational units. In the new knowledge-sharing environment, illustrate how this tendency to hoard knowledge and expertise could be minimized or eliminated To me our knowledge of the way things work, in society or in nature, comes trailing clouds of vagueness. Vast ills have followed a belief in certainty, whether historic inevitability, grand diplomatic designs, or extreme views on economic policy. When developing policy with wide effects for an individual or society, caution is needed because we cannot predict the consequences. The development of ways to deal with complex systems is now taking place in many disciplines, but slowly and not without controversy. Complexity theories fell into some disrepute when some management "gurus" tried to map complex adaptive system theories onto business management and market trading strategies - with less than successful results for investors. It now seems likely that the level of similarity in adaptation strategies between, say, populations of sharks and populations of stock-market day-traders is less than some have "seen." But the broad outlines of all complex systems appear to be tantalizingly analogous and can give us some clues for new things to try - even if we cannot predict in advance that these things will work just like they do in other systems. REFERNCE Alexander Kouzmin and Alan Jarman, "Crisis Decision Making: Towards a Contingent Decisions Path Perspective," in Uriel Rosenthal, Michael T.Charles, and Paul T. Hart, eds., Coping With Crisis: The Management of Disasters, Riots and Terrorism, Springfield IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishers, pp. 397-435 Q: 3 Although it is legal to discover trade secrets through reverse engineering, evaluate whether or not it really should be illegal. ANSWER: Because reverse engineering can be used to reconstruct source code, it walks a fine line in intellectual property law. Many software