Essay on Our Dreams Give Us Hope - 1169 Words

Since the start of the world, Man has been searching for the meaning of life. He has looked everywhere but often failed to find it. The reason to live is to savor life and to live one filled with joy. This is another problem Man has often faced: how to be happy. Most of us think that we are happy when everyone else is proud of us, when we have achieved something for them or done something for the rest of the world. We strive to accomplish what others expect us to do, whether it is our parents, our friends, or even our teachers. The truth is something that has always been shunned: Man finds happiness by accomplishing the goals he sets for himself, realizing the dreams he holds. It turns out that the pursuit of happiness, something men have†¦show more content†¦once gave a speech that would be repeated for many years. King was one of those few people who found happiness. He spoke of his desires and how they could be fulfilled. I find his speech extremely moving, not only becau se he was fighting for a noble cause but because he had his own ideas. In his speech, he started: â€Å"I have a dream.† He doesn’t start by speaking of the dream of all the blacks in the world, he speaks of what he hopes to accomplish. Martin Luther King Jr. does what he does for his own good, not necessarily for the good of others. And is this so wrong? After all, when King was assassinated in 1968, his dream had been fulfilled. He had the same rights as any other white man. Martin Luther King learned something about himself: despite the efforts of the non-African American society, he was powerful enough to earn his freedom. He was able to go against long-held ideas and win. King’s dreams led him to greatness. He died a happy and free man, one who had found the purpose of his life and fulfilled it. Like Martin Luther King, My parents also had a dream. My parents emigrated from India in 2001. It was an arduous process, they had to go through a mountain of paper work, boundless fear of leaving the home they knew so well, and the sorrow of leaving their families for what lay in the unknown. They left their well-paying jobs for a place that promised nothing at all. They asked themselves: â€Å"am I ready for this?† And they didn’t know the answer. But theyShow MoreRelatedDreams Are A Good Thing1419 Words   |  6 PagesDreams Are a Good Thing As millennials we have been brought up with images all around us, images of models, fancy foods, paradise lifestyles. All of these serve the same purpose: they make us wish we lived lives like those depicted and want something more and different than we currently have. The images make us want something more than we currently have. These images are seen, by many, as dangerous for our society, particularly for those growing up and trying to find their place in the world.Read MoreIRCA Act Essay800 Words   |  4 PagesThe IRCA Act Hope for the Future On November 6, 1986 President Ronald Reagan passed an act that would give illegal immigrants the right to apply to get legal status under certain conditions that included: they had to be living in the United States before Jan 1, 1982 and show proof of that. Also the individual had to know a certain amount of history of the United States and they had to prove that they had not done any type of crime, pay a penalty fine and know the English language and governmentRead MoreThe Importance of Having Dreams724 Words   |  3 PagesDreams! Goals! Ideals! They all mean the same. These things are what fill every human alive. They are part of life and human nature. We all have the inbred desire for a good life. Dreams are vital to the life of every person. Without dreams, there is nothing to plan or look forward to; therefore, no reason to live. Dreams are what keep each and every one of us going. The definition of a dream is ‘hope’; an inspiration; an aim. Every human being dreams, the dreams differ greatly from person toRead MoreSteinbeck s Of Mice And Men970 Words   |  4 Pages and the oh so famous American Dream, but what if that dream was an idea and nothing more? America has had its ups and downs. For example, the Great Depression was a horrible time for Americans of all backgrounds.Certain books like Of Mice and Men show how hard it was to live in this time period. It also shows us how dreams-like the American Dream- were lies. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck believes the American Dream is unattainable. The American Dream is a broad term. To some it is theRead MoreDreams Come in All Shapes and Sizes1706 Words   |  7 PagesDreams or goals? To me they are both the same thing. 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In My People he expresses his love and appreciation for his people. Lastly, in the poem Oppression he expresses the sorrow and pain of African Americans. By analyzing the themes, tone and figurative language of these poems the reader will be ableRead More Dreams Impossible: Hope in Of Mice and Men Essay1065 Words   |  5 Pages Hope-an illusion. Hope-something to be seen but never achieved. Hope-something to look forward to, never a reality. Reality comes from action, not wishes. Hope-a thing with feathers, flighty, beautiful, unreal. In both â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers†, by Emily Dickinson, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, hope is portrayed as keeping up one’s spirit, and welcome when times are grueling, and sounding promising but not always making sense. Curley’s wife dreams of being a movie star, and thisRead MoreSpeech : An Analysis Of Barack Obam as Speech1588 Words   |  7 PagesDemocratic National Convention was being held. Published by American Rhetorical.com, Keynote speaker Barack Obama delivers a very optimistic speech full of hope, appealing to the emotions of not only Americans alike, but also to the average American to persuade them to vote for Kerry. Obama gives compelling personal family experiences, the values and hopes America was built upon, and why he supports John Kerry as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America. Even though his energy

Critically Evaluating the Relationship Between Language...

The development of language and how these changes have impacted on learners’ literacy will be discussed throughout this essay, conveying factors such as the relationship between language and social processes, how language and literacy is influenced by personal, social and cultural factors also relating to the effects that barriers to learning have as well as shared contextual knowledge of language that learners’ have. Various other reasons for language change and development such as accents and dialect, differences between spoken and written English and the influences the internet has from social networking sites, the use of text messaging as a form of communication and the effect it has on literacy will be discussed and argued.†¦show more content†¦Cultural differences have also been noted in the ways in which language is used pragmatically. New skills are typically taught and learned through verbal instruction (Slobin, 1979). In some cultures, new skills are learned through nonverbal observation. A distinction has also been made between cultures that encourage independent learning and those that encourage cooperative learning (McLeod, 1994). Learners rely on a shared understanding of an acquired vocabulary of the Standard English language in communication, and throughout the course of a lifetime this will extend, change and vary. Throughout education, learners are given repeated experiences of the meanings of entities within certain subject areas and depending on academic development, experiences and interests, these areas will broaden. Equally, interpretation of language will develop, modify and change. As a result, knowledge of language is dependent amongst other things within the educational, socio-cultural, and geographical backgrounds, contextual knowledge of a topic and the age and gender of the learner. Therefore the interpretation and understanding of language is reliant on external sources as well as facilitating and acquiring these skills through exposure to language learning material at an academic level. (Locke, 1971) The earliest known residents of theShow MoreRelatedAction Research and Autoethnography5049 Words   |  21 Pagescoined 70 odd years ago, this methodology is described as being emergent in nature (Costello, 2011). It is a methodology which has shown to constantly develop over time through the introduction of new models, cycles and justifications for its stance in social science research. Particularly in the last 15 years, the recognition of action research as a valued methodology has changed. In 1999, Avison et al. commented that the academic community had almost totally ignored action research. Across 19 academicRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management72324 Words   |  290 PagesResource Management Introduction What is Strategy? What is Strategic HRM? 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The review identified as advancement in the management field and growing complexity in corporate sectors demand more capable HR, so mare appraisal of employee’s performance isRead MoreSales and Marketing for Financial Institutions80443 Words   |  322 Pages or transmitted in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical or otherwise, witho ut the prior written permission of ASX Limited. Kaplan Higher Education acknowledges the support of Morningstar, EBSCO Australia and ProQuest in the development of its course material. Welcome Congratulations on choosing to complete your postgraduate studies with Kaplan. As an accredited higher education institution we specialise in postgraduate courses in applied finance and financial planning andRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesindustrial consumer behaviour Customer satisfaction Customer relationship management Marketing of services Rural marketing Types of marketing research Process of marketing research Tools and Techniques of marketing research Applications of marketing research Preparation of marketing research report Online marketing E-commerce Trends in marketing Page No. Marketing management – an introduction Unit structure: 1. Introduction 2. Learning Objectives 3. Marketing Management 3.1. Evolution of marketingRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesenlarge speciï ¬ c issues in the text and/or provide practical examples of how business and public sector organisations are managing strategic issues. The case studies which follow allow the reader to extend this linking of theory and practice further by analysing the strategic issues of speciï ¬ c organisations in much greater depth – and often providing ‘solutions’ to some of the problems or difï ¬ culties identiï ¬ ed in the case. There are also over 33 classic cases on the Companion Website. These are a selection

Roller Coasters free essay sample

The Perfect Roller Coaster I have been on many roller coasters in my life, the kind that go up and drop you, the kind that spin you around, and the kind that take you in a bunch of loops. Each of these roller coasters were a different experience for me, but I have always wondered what would be the perfect roller coaster? Would It be one that does all those deferent turns, one that goes faster than any ride Is allowed to go, or a ride that keeps you on your feet the whole time?A ride with a bunch of turns would definitely make a roller coaster excellent. Barely being able to stay In your seat or keep still because of the ride pulling and pushing you every kind of direction. I remember my first time rolling a roller coaster Like that. I was In my teens and so excited to finally be getting on the ride that I had heard so much about. We will write a custom essay sample on Roller Coasters or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When I saw the people In front of me on the ride hanging upside down, it just looked like so much fun. As I watched the people finally get off my smile became bigger.Running to find the perfect seat, my heart racing with anticipation. Once the ride finally started I was thrown into a thrill that I couldnt control, my hands high in the air and feet were shaking non-stop. Once I got off that ride I was ready to try a ride Just as fun, but with speed. The next roller coaster I got on only spun me around in a circle, but it felt good to feel the wind hit me hard against my face. The ride started off slowly, then each time l, went around the pace picked up.The faster it went the more my heart began to race, and he harder it was to catch my breath from the wind hitting so hard. The speed of the roller coaster was amazing I was so excited to be going so quickly in such a rush. By the time I got off that ride, my blood was pumping and ready for at least one more ride. Thats when I saw these people stepping into a ride that only secured their upper body. At first, I thought that Just couldnt be safe, but I still Just knew I had to try it anyway.When it was my turn to get into the same standing position that I saw the people before me do, I felt that there was no way I could go through with it. As I stood there waiting for the people to lock me in, I went back and forth in my mind if should just get off, but before I could decide, it was my turn to be locked down. My hands were shaking, but I knew there was no turning back. The ride moved my legs, swinging the whole time, and a few seconds later I realized It wasnt bad at all. It was actually the most exciting ride.When I got off that ride, I felt like I had accomplished the most frightening ride, and thats when I discovered that the perfect ride would be al of these roller coasters combined, because they all made me feel a different types of excitement that made me ready to come back and ride them all over again. Roller Coasters By devastating what would be the perfect roller coaster? Would it be one that does all those different turns, one that goes faster than any ride is allowed to go, or a ride that A ride with a bunch of turns would definitely make a roller coaster exciting.Barely being able to stay in your seat or keep still because of the ride pulling and pushing o every kind of direction. I remember my first time riding a roller coaster like that. I was in my teens and so excited to finally be getting on the ride that I had heard so much abou t. When I saw the people in front of me on the ride hanging upside down, it Just looked like so much fun. As I watched the people finally get off my smile should Just get off, but before I could decide, it was my turn to be locked down. My swinging the whole time, and a few seconds later I realized it wasnt bad at all.

The Hunger Games Essay Example

The Hunger Games Paper The nation of Panem Is the ruins of the place once known as North America. Panem was once surrounded by 13 districts, and at the center of it is the Capitol. The districts had created an uprising before against the capitol which ended Into destruction of the District 13. The 12 districts remained but have been faced to a game where lite is at stake -the Hunger Games which tor the capitol reminds everyone In Panem that it is to pay what had happened in uprising. The Hunger Games is game where two tributes (players) from every district will be chosen. The players name are drawn In d ceremony called the Reaping. The Reaping Is the time where names of every citizen ages from 12-18 years old will be drawn. The more you entries you give In the Reaping the more ration you will get tor your tarnlly. In districts hunger games Is a cruel thing because tributes will kill each other and is being televised live on TV. Family of tributes will be grieving since it is a sacrifice for them to be saved from hunger. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunger Games specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunger Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunger Games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The victor of the game will be spending a splendid life from providing them shelter to making their stomach full this is to remind the people ot Panem that even the dlstrlcts created an uprising before the capitol Is still enerous enough to partake in giving such rewards. Katniss Everdeen is a girl who lives in District 12 where coal mining was their livelihood. Her father died at mine tunnels when he stepped on a mine. Since then she took the responsibility as the head of the family since her mother became so depressed with what happened to their father. He also has a sister named Primrose Everdeen. Katniss lived a life of survival and protected Prim since their father died. She always slipped on the districts fence and hunt for their dally needs and food which is Illegal for it is a form f theft, getting something out of the fence means getting something from the Capitol. Since the peacekeeper in 12 is nice, getting outside the fence and trading food from the woods became so negligible. until the day of the Reaping comes and the 74th Hunger Games will begin, Prims name got drawn to become one of the tributes trom 12. But to protect Prim was one ot Katniss priorities so she volunteered for her sister. The drama of course made Katniss very popular In the Capitol and that made Katniss gain more sponsors. On the other hand Peeta Mellark was also drawn to become one of the tributes. Peetd Melldrk was the men who helped Katniss when she cant get any food from the woods and by that time shes literally begging for food to keep her tamlly alive. Peeta, a son ot a baker burned bread Intentionally and got scolded by his mother since it is a waste. He had thrown the bread directly to his position instead of their pigs The tributes from 12 were guided to the Justice Building of the district. They can be found In different room where visitors are allowed to come until the day where they travel to the capitol. Madge, the mayors daughter visited Katniss and gave her a Mockingjay pln. Mocklng]ay Is a bird made from a cross breed of jabber]ay (which is a weapon, that can record a sound or voice to their mind and they are used during the uprising) and a mocking bird. Thus this bird became her Identity during the hunger games since it is a symbol of the District 12. alive the next time theyll see each other. They rode a train to the capitol where they met Effie Trinket and Haymitch. Effie Trinket is a woman from the Capitol with a weird sense of fashion. She is the one who draw names during the reaping and will be assisting the tributes in the Capitol. Haymitch is the only victor of the District 12. He became the mentor of the tributes during the games. The game is fast approaching, and so the tributes from all the districts were programmed to be a career. Career means attending a whole lot of training about weaponry and survival. They also went to a parade at the Capitol which also made Katniss very interesting where Cinna (her head stylist} made a black gown that actually flicker with fake fire that cant even hurt a skin. Katniss was aliased as the Girl on Fire. So she gained more sponsors. There is also a day where they had a televised interview from Flickerman. And what so urprising is that Peeta confessed that he is in love with Katniss. Which in the other hand a conflict, because they cant be no two victor in a game and that means they will kill each other and that will end their love story. So after the interview they played the star-crossed lover roles. And it is also a good trick for the capitol people did bite it. They became so passionate with them and also they sponsored for the two. So the Hunger Games began, at first Peeta has Joined a pack of different tributes, while Katniss made it to herself. Days passed when Katniss has finally Joined herself n ally -Sue from the District 8. When Sue got killed by one of the tributes, Katniss unaware of what shes doing sparked an uprising by putting flowers on Sues body until a hovercraft appear to take the cold body. She also did the sign of love and respect in 12. Days passed and the game has become boring. No killings and so the head of the Game Makers bend a rule that change their lives. Two tributes will be victors if they were from the same district. After hearing it, she chased Peeta down the woods and when they see each other they played the star-cross lover again. After o many killings, Peeta and Katniss are still alive. They are waiting for the signal that they will be announced victors but they are not announcing it, instead they announced that the rule has been changed again of course for the entertainment of the Capitol. And so they challenged the capitol by putting poisonous berries in their mouth together that made the game makers change their minds and announce the two as the victors. The Capitol was mocked by the act, so after the games the two became a threat to the government. And another uprising against the Capitol has begun.

The Battle For The Cherokees Land essays

The Battle For The Cherokees Land essays (Rough Draft on History of Cherokee Indians) On August 23rd, 1838, the first of thirteen parties of Cherokee Indians began their forced march to the west, toward the land that was designated as Indian Territory. The forced removal of the Indians began as early as the first day the Pilgrims arrived in the New World. As the population of whites grew, so did the need for land; this began the removal of the Cherokees. There were as many people in favor of the removal of the Indians as those opposed. This paper will examine each side and present a discussion of the decisions made. Andrew Jackson became president of the United States in the year of 1829. His view was that the Native Americans should be removed from the land on which they lived to make room for the new white settlers. The Cherokees lifestyle before the first settlement arrived was one of peace. They were divided into three major groups: the Lower Towns, along the upper Savannah River in South Carolina, the Middle Towns along the Little Tennessee River and in western North Carolina, and the Overhill towns in eastern Tennessee and extreme western North Carolina (120, Chapter 6). Women were very active in helping with farm duties such as planting and gathering crops, while the men hunted and caught fish. The Cherokees built their towns around extended families and lands were passed down on the mothers side. There were no leaders, save for the older adults who led by example. The Cherokee women were allowed to voice their opinion in town matters. The Cherokees government was more advanced in democracy as this point in history than some European societies. This soon would change. Upon their arrival in the New Land, the Europeans brought with them the diseases of measles and smallpox; to which the Cherokee had no immunity. The European goods were things the Indians could trade for, such as fabrics, tools, firearms and alcohol. Unfortunately, in ...

Work Ethic Essay Sample

Work Ethic Essay Sample Essay on Work Ethic Work ethics is believed to be an idea that work, hard work and diligence, has a positive outcome. They also believe that a person should prioritize work and work only in order to live a successful life. Some may disagree on this but there are people who really make their lives revolve around working. Being a workaholic is not bad but on some point, this trait can become a problem because too much work can lead to sickness. It is okay to work as long as you take good care of yourself. A strong work ethic is needed in order to survive a life that is centered in doing your job. The following are the top ten work ethics. When you enter a job the first impressive move you will take is being always on time and never be absent. Attendance is one of the most important factors when an employer looks for an employee. When a person is late many things are wasted and it is not good for the business. You will never find a boss who wants his or her employee to be always late. This will impress and inspire your co-workers and your boss. Every company believes in the saying that the early bird catches the worm so an early employee will be the most productive. The second one is the character of an employee. The character of a person is important in the workplace because it will determine his or her connection with his colleagues. It is so important that a person has a good attitude so that he can get along with his co-workers and the job will be done easily. The third one is team work; this is applicable to an individual or a group of people. Team work is definitely needed because some job requires coordination b etween more people. It will also show how a person will communicate to the other to finish a certain task. The fourth quality is the appearance; sometimes looks really matters. If you will notice, some job posts include pleasing personality as a requirement. People in the business world needs people who are presentable looking in order to persuade the clients and convince them that their company has real business because their employees look presentable enough to be believed. It does not necessarily mean that the person should pass the standard of beautiful; he or she just needs to be presentable. Next one is an attitude, just like character it shows how a person acts towards the others. Tough times will also test someone’s attitude on how he or she will react in a problem. The sixth quality is productivity; it is something that makes an employer keeps his or her employee. A productive person always gets the job done even before the deadline. The kinds of people who are productive are good for the company because the salary given to them are all worth it. The other qualities include organizational skills, communication, cooperation, and respect. Organizational skills are needed because it will make a person do his or her job in the easiest way possible. Communication is needed in any field of the workplace because this is what makes people understand each other. If an employee does not know how to communicate, he or she will not be able to impart his or her ideas and that may cause the company a big loss. Cooperation is important because when an employee is not cooperat ing the job will not be done. Last but not the least is a respect for each other. Without respect, the job will not be done successfully. Everybody should respect each other regardless of their race, age, gender, and religion. Respect should be given and not demanded because it is something that is offered to a person without anything in return. All of the mentioned qualities should be exhibited by a person who wants to work with strong ethics. If a person has all of those qualities, he or she will surely stay in the job he or she loves. The drive of a person to make something successful will make him or her goals come true. The strong work ethics is nothing without hard work and patience in doing the job.

Madea, world literature volume A book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Madea, world literature volume A book - Essay Example Medea is basically the story of a woman who engages in a desperate struggle to maintain her position and survive in the Greek world that is dominated by unsympathetic men. Taking charge of life was a thing unheard of for a woman in a male dominated world which was the case with Greece at that time. But, Medea is different from the rest of women of her time because she does not find peace in bowing her head down and accepting her defeat. Rather, she moves on to using men to achieve her own ends by employing smart skills of determination and manipulation after her husband gives up on their family. Medea has a burning desire for revenge and she goes all the way through to seek it in contrast to how other women would have behaved in that time. Concluding, though it cannot be denied that Medea’s portrayal by Euripides is quite dangerous because it evokes scorn for women like Medea who act as barbarians to seek revenge, truth is that Medea was definitely a woman of exceptional intellectual

Financial Research Report for Ford Motor Company Paper

Financial Report for Ford Motor Company - Research Paper Example The company, at present, is one of the biggest producers of cars and trucks at a global level. The different brands of Ford Company vehicles include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and its redesigned Ford Mustang and the F-Series pickup which have been very successful. The company also possesses interest in Mazda and commands the Volvo nameplate. Ford Motor Company has 95 plants spread throughout the world with 41 distribution centers and warehouses. It also has 50 engineering, research and development centers. The company carries its operations under the two sections namely, Automotive and Financial Services. For the year ended on December 31, 2008, Ford traded the ACH glass business to Zeledyne, LLC. The Nashville, Tulsa, and VidrioCar plants were also included in this sale. In the year 2008, Ford and its subsidiary, the Volvo Car Corporation sold the Thai-Swedish Assembly Group to Volvo Holding Sverige, AB. The company was able to acquire 72.4% of the shares of S.C. Automobile Craiova SA in March 2008. The sale of the company's Jaguar and Land Rover operations to Tata Motors Limited took place in June 2008. The share value of Ford has reached $1.56. Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader told the Fox News Sunday that he expects that the plans of the companies will win governmental aid. However, its accountability and feasibility are yet to be seen in the long run. But the Republican leader Mr. John Boehner was sceptical about these plans. He remarked that it was a matter of convincing the American tax payers that the government was financing a viable corporation. The following is the stock activity of the company: Stock Activity Last Price 6.11 52 Week High 6.75 52 Week Low 1.01 Volume 54.58 Mil Average Daily Volume (13wk) 102.05 Mil 50 Day Moving Average 5.19 200 Day Moving Average 3.31 Volatility (beta) 2.55 F Intraday Chart 5d 1m 3m 1y 3y 5y 10y Beta 2.55 Dividend & Yield NA Earnings/Share -7.03 Forward P/E -15.28 Market Cap. 19.39 Bil P/E -0.86 Return on Equity NA Total Shares Out. 3.17 Bil Financial data in U.S. dollars (Source: http://moneycentral.msn.com /detail/stock_ quote'Symbol=F, retrieved on 14th June, 2009) Ford Motor must strive hard to find out new strategies to make the company progressive. That is what the Democrats told the executives of the major three companies last week, when they sought an emergency financial aid of $25 billion. They were told by the Democratic leaders to submit new proposals with bailout plans to Congress on 2nd December. On getting the proposals they would hold hearings for voting on it the next week. Stock Charts (2009-06-14) Ford Motor The companies have to prepare a plan as to how the governmental loans will be utilised and period for which the financial loans are required. In order to get these loans the companies must forego the payment of dividends and the huge amount of executive compensation. (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market- dispatches-112408.aspx, retrieved on 14th June, 2009) Ratio analysis Gross Profit Margin 19.4% EBIT Margin -5.1% EBITDA Margin 4.4% Pre-Tax Profit Margin -12.8% Current Ratio 2.4 Quick Ratio 1.9 Receivables Turnover 1.2 Inventory Turnover 11.2 Asset Turnover 0.5 Revenue to Assets

Summary of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Essay Example for Free

Summary of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Essay lIn â€Å"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,† Stephen Covey helps people become more effective when dealing with the significant challenges of life. In details, Stephen Covey provides guidelines for managing time and balancing studies, social life, job, and other priorities. The first three habits are focused on personal victories. They teach how to develop self-mastery and dependence. Those three habits are: Be Proactive, Begin with the End in Mind, and Put First Things First. Habits four, five, and six address interdependence, the success in working with others. Habit four: Think Win-Win, habit five: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, and habit six: Synergize. The seventh habit: Sharpen the Saw, talks about building one’s personal production capability through self-renewal and continual improvement. After reading this book, I was encouraged to think about what I can do to develop myself and become the best of me. Therefore, I have decided to take the following steps to improve myself: improve my communication and teamwork skills; keep myself focused on what matters the most; be being proactive; and take the time to renew myself and nurture my body, mind, heart, and spirit. My first recommendation to myself is to improve my communication and teamwork skills. Habit four: Think Win-Win and habit six: Synergize, made me realize the importance of teamwork. Habit four taught me that teamwork and long-term relationships require cooperation by seeking mutual benefit. For every problem, there exists a solution that allows everyone to succeed. According to the book, most people learn to base their self-esteem on comparisons and competition with others. They regard their success as the failure of someone else. If they win, others lose. Other people are the opposite. They think if they lose, others win. They accept loss just to make other people happy. People with such mentalities, find it hard to share the recognition and power of others. They cannot be happy for the successes of others even those closest to them. However, a person with win-win mentality is respectful and assertive at the same time. â€Å"It’s not you or me. It’s both of us. It’s not a matter of who gets the biggest piece of the pie. There’s more than enough for everyone. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. The other habit that encouraged me to improve my communication and teamwork skills is habit six. It showed me how people produce more together than the sum of what they could produce separately. This habit mainly says teamwork and trust should be built by creatively cooperating with other people and identifying the contributions of them which is synergizing. There are several examples of the synergetic situations . Stephen Covey gives a couple of them. One example is about two politicians being able to get 1 million votes each, but when working together they are able to get 2. 5 million votes. This example represents the classic 1+1 = 2. 5 equation. Another example is about two people who are too short to pick apples from a tree. But when working as a team with one on the shoulders of the other, they can pick many apples. Stephen Covey also illustrates how to create a synergetic model. To produce a synergetic climate one needs to assess three specific habits: have a win-win attitude (habit 4), seek to understand before to be understood (habit 5), and believe you can achieve more together than alone (habit 6). Moreover, valuing the differences is the essence of synergy. To synergize, one needs to acknowledge and appreciate the differences between people. To believe that those differences are not annoying, but they are precious and there is much to gain from accepting them. After realizing how important teamwork is, habit 5 teaches how to develop a powerful communication skill: listening. Habit 5: Seek to Understand, Then to Be Understood, helped me to understand the concept of listening. Seeking first to understand requires getting inside the talking person’s frame and see the situation the way she/he sees it. You need to understand his/her point of view but not necessarily agree with them. When listening to other people, you should not be thinking about what you are going to say next when the other person stops talking. Instead, you should really listen to what they are saying without interrupting them. You need to try to understand them which will build a bridge between your paradigms and the paradigms of them. This way you will more likely have a stronger influence. My second recommendation to myself is to stay focused on what matters the most to me. This recommendation came in to my mind after reading the second habit: Begin With the End in Mind. This habit taught me how to live with a purpose. It is based on the principle that things need to be created mentally before they are physically created. For example, a plane is first created in someone’s mind before it is actually built. Effective people determine their own futures. First, they mentally plan it according to their values and principles. Second, they physically create it through their positive actions and behaviors. During my college life, I have always had busy weeks in which I had to deal with lots of exams, home woks, quizzes, and projects. In such weeks, I tend to spend all my time only doing my school responsibilities. However, as Stephen Covey says in the second habit, â€Å"most people on their death beds don’t wish they had spent more time at the office! † By the end of each semester, I see myself getting good grades but still not satisfied because deep in my heart school is not my only priority. In order to stay focused on what matters most, I will first determine what matters most to me. In his book, Stephen Covey lists various questions that I will explore when I try to discover myself. After I find out my sense of purpose and meaning in life, I will begin to write my personal mission statement. It will act as a leading constitution by which I will evaluate my daily decisions. Moreover, when trying to keep my focus on the task at hand, I will use Stephen Covey’s life-management quadrants. In the third habit: Put First Things First, he uses a chart with four quadrants that are the result of two axes: urgent and important. Urgent activities call for immediate attention. Important activities are valuable and add to the personal mission, values, and high priority goals. To put first things first is to organize and manage time and events according to the values and vision the person defined in his/her personal mission statement. I always get caught up in day to day crisis, which represent the urgent and important things, and I get distracted from what it is important to me. What I need to do is to spend more time in the important but not urgent quadarant. I will also use a planner to schedule my tasks and activities each week. I will always re-valuate my plans based on my personal mission statement. Those two habits also reminded me that I need to start planning my career path. I will go to my advisor to discuss my career opportunities. I will also take an aptitude test to help me evaluate my talents, abilities, and interests so I can use that information when choosing my career path. I will also write down a list of the most important skills I need to be successful in college and work to improve each one of them. Another thing I want to develop in myself is to increase my proactivity. A lot of times it happened that I receive a grade that I think is unfair and I get upset, which gets me nowhere. Habit one: Be Proactive taught me that whenever I get a grade that I think I do not deserve, I should make an appointment with my professor to discuss it and see what I can learn. To be proactive is to have a choice and control over the situations. A company can be proactive rather than to be under the mercy of the industry. For example, if an industry is facing a downturn, a company can be proactive by developing a plan to cut down the costs and use the industry downturn to its benefit by increasing the market share. Proactive people do not blame other people or circumstances for their own mistakes. They understand whatever they do is what they have chosen to do. They accept responsibility for their choices. When facing a stimulus, they stop and allow themselves to choose a response based on their personal values. In contrast, reactive people do not choose how to respond to stimuli; instead they react immediately without thinking and based on their feelings at that moment. â€Å"There is a gap between stimulus and response, and the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space. In the book, Stephen Covey advises his readers to divide events and circumstances into two categories: circumstances they can influence through choices and circumstances they cannot influence at all. Proactive people focus their effort on the things they can control which Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Influence. They do not worry about the things they do not have influence on which he calls the Circle of Concern. By doing so, they increase their control on more and more of those things that are in their Circle of Concern. Reactive people focus on their Circle of Concern. They blame other people or circumstances which both are beyond their influence, for their failures. To be more proactive, I plan to do the following things. I will write down a list of the things in my Circle of Concern that I am always worrying about then I will work on letting go of them one by one. I will pay more attention to my behavior and language and identify the reactive ones. For example, whenever I say â€Å"I can’t do it† I will change that to â€Å"I will try. † Also, from now on I will not let other people’s bad mood rub off on me and ruin my day. This is my choice† will be the attitude I will always adopt. My last recommendation to myself is to take care of my body, mind, heart, and soul. The seventh habit says to be effective one should balance between the production and the production capacity. I will not be able to effectively do the previous recommendations without renewing myself and nurturing my body, mind, heart, and soul. Steph en Covey clarifies this point with the example of the goose and the golden eggs. A poor farmer had a goose. The goose suddenly started to lay a solid golden egg every day and the farmer soon became very rich. The farmer also became very greedy and began to think the goose must have all the golden eggs within it. In order to get all the golden eggs immediately, he killed the goose. As soon as he did that, he discovered there were not golden eggs within it. The moral of the story is that the need of the balance between production and production capability is critical. If one tries to increase the immediate output without considering the production capacity, this capability will be lost. The need for balance between production and production capability applies in physical, financial, and human asset. For example, a person in charge in a factory can increase the output of a machine by stopping the scheduled maintenance and using that time operating the machine and maximizing the production. However, in the future, more maintenance will need to be performed on the machine and the future production will be greatly minimized. That person may be blamed for causing such a mess. The production and production capability applies to customer loyalty as well. A restaurant may have a good reputation for serving great food. If the owner decides to cut down the costs and lower the quality of the served food, the profits will rise immediately. However, as soon as the customers sense the change in the food quality, their trust will be lost. The profits will definitely decline. The need for this kind of balance also applies to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual assets. One should take the time for self-renewal; to preserve and enhance the four human assets. Renewal increases the person’s capacity to undertake the challenges of daily living. It creates growth and change in that person’s life. Without this renewal, the body becomes feeble, the mind mechanical, the emotions dead, and the spirit insensitive. Therefore, I plan on doing the following activities. To preserve my body, I will start an exercise program and I will choose something I really enjoy like badminton. I will also make sure to get at least seven hours of sleep every day. Lastly, I will continue to eat my balanced diet. To nurture my mind, I will start to read more books and solve at least one puzzle every day. To take care of my heart, I will try to build new friendships and have meaningful connections with others.

Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Essay -- greenhouse gases, clim

Climate change or colloquially known as global warming, now pose a new threat to civilization as the levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) are soaring to new levels. The most significant contributor to greenhouse gasses would be Carbon Dioxide (Co2). The levels of Carbon Dioxide (Co2) gas have risen to levels civilization has not seen before. As such, the effects of these levels are not known to civilization as data gathered from the ice cores drilled in the Antarctica only shows data up to 650,000 years ago. However we can conclude that present CO2 concentrations are higher compared to any time in the last 650,000 years (IPCC 2007). Current carbon dioxide concentrations are hovering around 389 parts per million (ppm) as of September 2011, compared to the pre-industrialized times (1000- 1750) of 280 ppm (Co2Now). The rate of increase of the levels of carbon dioxide is about 1.9ppm a year (IPCC 2007) .The increase in carbon dioxide levels since the industrial revolution is mainly due to CO 2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Therefore if no action is to be taken, the levels of carbon dioxide would soar up higher and the effects to civilization could be devastating. To see what extend Australia is in, the following mentions Australia’s position in carbon emissions. Australia, which is a developed nation and a member of the OECD, currently holds the record for being the nation with the highest carbon dioxide emissions per capita among other developed nations (Garnaut 2011). According to Garnaut , Australia emits 26.7 tonnes of greenhouse gasses per-person per year compared to other developing nations such as Luxembourg, United states, Canada and Ireland which emits 26.1, 23.1, 20.6 and 16.5 tonnes respe... ...DP. So in reality, we can see a total net increase in GDP after the implementation of the carbon tax. It is said that the plan will raise around $27.3 billion over the first four years and will cost $31.6 billion (Oliver 2011). This in addition to the over compensated benefit payments to lower income families would stimulate the economy and this is why we see no reason to change our GDP growth forecasts at this stage compared to pre-carbon tax introduction. In conclusion, it is economically viable and necessary for the carbon tax to be implemented, which would reduce carbon emissions in Australia. The Australian public would not be greatly affected by the rising cost. Over time, with a price being put on carbon, investment in clean energy and growth in cleaner industries will likely offset reduced investment and slower growth in dirty energy and sectors. â€Æ'

Love Song

I thought of it as a positive because he was almost escaping time. B: Okay so he's Just like thinking about everything in this moment so time doesn't exist anymore A: Yes B: So when he says â€Å"Let fall upon the its back the soot falls from chimneys. † he almost personifying their sleep. Okay because I kind of saw it as him reflecting on his entire life and how there will be time to do all these things that I want to do but in the end is it worth it? And when he says â€Å"let us go then you and l. Maybe he's talking about the afterlife and saying what is the meaning of all of this until you get there. They also talk about Michelangelo, maybe because he's dead but almost amortized. A: He said â€Å"Do I dare† often and â€Å"how should I should I presume† I don't know maybe that's Just the uncertainty if It all and like the things like he said let us go and take these risks but he questioned it. Just moments we overlook or miss out on because we don't know how to think.Then he talked about like In line 40 and on â€Å"my hair growing thin† â€Å"my arms are thin† â€Å"do I disturb the universe? † do I question time do I go out even though nature Is taking Its course B: And he says indeed there will be time to wonder do I dare like there will be time to think about the things that you would have done and maybe he regrets not doing some of them. Like he says â€Å"l have measured my life with coffee spoons† and he know the voices and has kind of been In the background.You know coffee spoons Is kind of tedious A: Yea kind of living autonomously, Just like day by day doing the same thing and then think maybe this moment Is something different or special or he has this revelation that maybe I should take a risk and I guess In that moment he thinks this Is how I'm living my life and kind of reflects B: He repeats the question â€Å"would It have been worthwhile to do al these things and says no I am not prince ham let nor was I meant to b† and he says â€Å"I'm more Like a fool and fool and someone who advises the prince† and I don't know what do you think that means A: He also mentions Like a lot of characters really exalted people and he's saying†¦B: Kind of that he won't be remembered A: Exactly Like talking of Michelangelo, and Lazarus and a prophet, Prince Hamlet B: Yea and he's not prince hamlet A: He's not anything special I guess or he wants to be B: And so how does this reflect on love then he's saying would I have been worthwhile o squeeze this universe Into ball A: It think maybe In this moment he this thinks to himself what If I had lived my life Like this all the time and what If I had taken risks I could have know this feeling more. If we're looking at It Like love or even If It Is the end of his life and In the afterlife he's thinking I could have done so much more Like I'm not this person but I could have been and Instead I was the assistant that's Just the u ncertainty if it all and like the things like he said let us go and take we don't know how to think. Then he talked about like in line 40 and on â€Å"my hair o out even though nature is taking its course B: And he says indeed there will be measured my life with coffee spoons† and he know the voices and has kind of been in the background.You know coffee spoons is kind of tedious A: Yea kind of living moment is something different or special or he has this revelation that maybe I should take a risk and I guess in that moment he thinks this is how I'm living my life and kind of reflects B: He repeats the question â€Å"would it have been worthwhile to do says â€Å"I'm more like a fool and fool and someone who advises the prince† and I don't now what do you think that means A: He also mentions like a lot of characters really A: Exactly like talking of Michelangelo, and Lazarus and a prophet, Prince Hamlet B: to squeeze this universe into ball A: It think maybe in this m oment he this thinks to himself what if I had lived my life like this all the time and what if I had taken risks I could have know this feeling more. If we're looking at it like love or even if it is the end of his life and in the afterlife he's thinking I could have done so much more like I'm not this person but I could have been and instead I was the assistant Love Song The poem I chose to imitate and use to create my pastiche was Joseph Brodsky’s â€Å"Love Song†. The poem is Brodsky’s unusual ode to the woman he loves, telling her all the things that he would do for her if he could. These are things that he would do to show her how much he loves her, how far he would to take care of her, and how attracted he is to her. I chose this poem because I felt that it was an interesting combination of humor and subtle sexual innuendo intertwined with classical love poem emotion.I also chose this poem because the structure of it and the meter of the words were interesting and I wanted to challenge myself to recreate this structure with lines and thoughts of my own. Within Brodsky’s poem there are some particular elements that I intentionally tried to recreate, while there are others that I changed for my own. I tried to stay within the same meter with my poem as Brodsky did in his. I did this primarily because I enjoyed the way t hat the meter made his poem so easily readable and made the poem flow better.Brodsky did this by using words and lines with the same number of syllables, and I tried to recreate this element for the same effect. I also chose to utilize the element of rhyming every other line so that every two lines complete one sentence and one sentiment for the poem’s reader. Again, I felt that this technique made the poem flow well and made it more interesting. I began my creative process to create my pastiche of Brodsky’s poem by reading it several times.I did this to get an accurate understanding of the places in the poem where he inserted humor or innuendo in the lines. I felt that it was important to evenly space out these occurrences as Brodsky did so my poem didn’t come off too humorous and seem like a joke or a less than heartfelt expression. I also noted the individual components that Brodsky said he would be willing to be in his poem and tried to follow these. In some lines he refers to being a particular occupation, but in others he refers to himself as hypothetically being an inanimate object.I tried to follow this same structure because I felt it lent to the imagination of the poem and the genuine expression of love. The biggest challenge for me when creating my pastiche was to rhyme every other line. I find it difficult to write poetry that rhymes but I wanted to keep this element from Brodsky’s poem. I dealt with this challenge by trying to keep the first word, which is the word for which I would need to find an accompanying rhyme, simple and easy to rhyme.This meant rewriting some of the lines to make them end with an easy but fitting word, but it also helped me to make the poem flow better. I think I was able to rhyme the alternating lines while still incorporating meaningful metaphors in my poem. The other challenge I encountered was trying to implement Brodsky’s use of sexual innuendo without making the poem sexual. I trie d to accomplish this by using metaphors that hinted at sexual or physical attraction without being too overt, but I honestly found it difficult to imitate Brodsky’s sly subtlety.Overall, I think that the resulting pastiche that I created is a good imitation of Brodsky’s poem without mirroring it exactly. While I followed his formula for constructing the poem, I used my own metaphors which give it my own perspective. I think I did a good job of retaining the structure and flow of Brodsky’s poem, which was difficult since I was using my own words and having to rhyme every other line like he did. In creating this pastiche I was reminded of how much work goes into writing what seems like a simple poem.It’s easy to look at Brodsky’s poem, which is only sixteen lines of simple language, and decide that it must be easy to write something like it. But in reality, the structure, language and rhyme scheme made it more difficult than originally imagined. It t ook a lot of creative effort to create something individual while imitating the elements of the original poem that I liked or wanted to incorporate, but I think the resulting pastiche is a quality imitation of Brodsky’s display of poetic talent.

Framework Essay to Edward Said’s Essay

In any part in the world, there is no place to be but home. Home is a place where we feel safe and take refuge. But how we’ll feel if this is taken away from us? The essay by Edward Said, â€Å"States†, narrates the story of about his country, Palestine, and the struggle of his country men. He also shares the passion for his homeland which we can relate to. â€Å"States† exemplify the experiences and perceptions of how important a home is to a common Palestinian. Our country is a big part of our self. As we are born, we are destined to become a part of it. It became part of our identity. Things that we grew up with meant something to us. We usually treasure things that became part of our lives. Even unconsciously, we take hold of it. Home brings us memories, memories that we want to hold on up to our last breath. It plays a big role to our development, as a child and as a person fully. Home is part of ourselves which became a foundation of who we are today. To be away from home makes us feel empty or incomplete in a sense. This is experienced by people who are exiled from their own homeland. Exiles are treated as aliens and feel shame to one’s pride. Exile is a miserable thing. Nothing can be so embarrassing than to be taken away from home. It saddens a person to feel a stranger to his own country. One is not only deprived of the social rights but as well as the freedom. As described in the essay of Edward Said an exile is referred as â€Å"present absentees† where to their homeland, they are vanished and as for the host country they are viewed as aliens. However, having troubles cannot stop a person from his will. In spite of the intense conflict between the Palestine-Israel, one cannot take away the momentum of an important occasion like wedding. Circumstances like these were illustrated in the text. A person in the middle of crisis stays positive and hopeful. Palestinians, which travel from time to time for because of occupation and safety, became used to these. One’s true happiness is in the state of thinking. He can stay happy despite of his terrible condition. Said also shares his experiences from his youth and what he knew from his country. One sad part also is the stability of the land, suppression from your own land. One is deprived of being free on his own country. Children cannot play outside without parents worrying their safety. To a place where he grew up and know to be his home became an odd place. I believe that home is very important in any living thing. It doesn’t only provide us shelter but is also a part of our personal development. It helps us build our confidence through the feeling of security. A home is like a mother to us which provides us what we need to sustain living. Our nourishment as a child is fed by the things that happen around us. These things shape the character of a person. Home builds a person’s character. Home is the environment which we live in and has an impact on our lives. To take something away from us bring us the feeling of being incomplete. We are already attached to it. Without the home that we used to be, somehow we feel lost. One feels the sense of belongingness on it. A person learns from his surrounding. We must know how to appreciate what we have considering we live in a democratic and secured country. Home is a place that nourished us when we are young. And as we became old, there is nowhere else we would want to go but home.

A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Essay Example

A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Essay Example A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Paper A Review of the Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Paper A Review of the American Subculture Group Known as the Skinheads Vanessa R. Wood Walden University 2/18/2011 In the world there are many different, interesting and complex cultural groups. One of these groups is known as Skinheads. Although they have been known to be very closed minded and negative, they are still an interesting cultural group that should be understood better to fully grasp the reasons behind their behaviors and actions. The moved that I reviewed was American History X, which is a movie about one family that is deeply affected by the cultural aspects of the fascist movement (Kaye, 1998). Summary The movie is about Derek and Danny Vineyard and their involvement with a Skinhead group in Venice Beach California. Derek was a leader in the Skinheads group in Venice Beach under a very influential fascist man who taught him everything he knew. Derek began running with the group because his father was killed by a black gang member while at work with the fire station and he was filled with hate and sadness because of his dad’s death. Derek recruited other scared and hurt youth and encouraged them to rise up against minorities because Derek claimed they were ruining the country. He eventually catches a few black gang members breaking into his car and kills several of them before brutally curb stomping one of them, all which is done in front of his little brother Danny (Kaye, 1998). After the murders, he is sent away to jail where he tries to use the protection of the Skinheads in prison but finds out that the leader of the Skinheads in prison deals directly with minorities to sell drugs. Derek begins to disassociate with the Skinhead group and plays basketball with other races and begins to get along with others. As revenge, the Skinhead group rapes Derek and leaves him unconscious in the showers. He speaks with Dr. Sweeney, a teacher and outreach worker who he asks for help from. He gives him literature and advice and Derek begins to change his outlook on life. Lamont, a black man that Derek becomes friends with advises him that he is going to be beaten by the other gangs. Derek waits for a fight, but nothing ever happens and he eventually gets paroled. When he gets out he finds that his little brother Danny is going down the same path he once was. Derek tells his little brother of his experience in jail and tells him that he was wrong and had everything wrong in his ways (Kaye, 1998). His little brother is touched by Derek’s story and begins taking down the fascist insignia all over his room and writes an essay about the experience his family went through and how perhaps Derek was right and that hate is wrong. As he is going to turn in his essay, his brother drops him off at school and Danny gets shot in the bathroom by a black boy that had earlier felt persecuted by Danny. In the end of the movie his essay flies through the air and it is finished with Danny saying a quote by Abraham Lincoln saying â€Å"we are not enemies, we are friends,† (Kaye, 1998). I think that what interests me about the Skinhead cultural group is that it really is a group powered by hate and anger, but it is so much more complex than it appears to an outside observer such as myself. I think that in order to really be able to help people become accepting of other cultures, we need to know why they act the way they do. I know that in many classes I’ve taken, I have been asked to define mental illness and define different diagnosis. I believe that a mental problem can be defined as a skewed version of reality or norms in a society which affects basic life. If that was the case, Skinheads could possibly be diagnosed with mental illnesses, but they are really just acting on the social and cultural group they were involved in. Psychological Processes This culture bases much of its energy on aggression and the expression of aggression to those outside of their in-group culture. The group itself is very collectivist and put everything they have up to help the group reach the top and dominate over those individuals they hate. They are fueled by hate and anger, and therefore react that way even towards the people they love. The group feels they need to prove their identity, their power, their sexuality and ability to control a situation which can all be done by the expression of anger (Arena, Arrigo, 2000). In other American cultural group people may not necessarily show the same reactions to situations even if they do want to prove themselves (Matsumoto, Juang, 2008). I have learned in personal experiences, that education is the best way to get the point across and facts speak louder than a thundering tone of voice. From the Skinhead point of view, Derek yelled, scared and threatened his family into fear (Kaye, 1998). Personally, I may have discussed my opinion with my family and tried to point out evidence of my point. We try to teach children from an early age that all men and woman are created equal despite the color of their skin, their religion, their race or any differences they may have from the overall population. If that is instilled into the youth of America, there should be no need for hatred and aggression between races because one should have no reason to hate the other. If young children learn that we are simply all people despite our differences, there may be fewer opportunities to allow our differences to separate us. When we turn the lights off in a room full of people from a southern small town and fumble around in the dark, several people may have a southern accent, but you cannot tell the difference between a homosexual, a African American or a Asian individual, because without visual stigmas, people are just people. Through aggression Skinheads promote a sense of power over those not within their intergroup, they create a sense of fear. In other American culture, aggression may be a reaction to something or possibly a learned behavior to a situation, but in Skinhead culture it is a projection to cause a reaction (Baron, 1997). It has been said that many Skinhead members become involved in the group because of the known violence that they will become involved with. Youth from broken, violent homes, and kids from very aggressive households are often drawn to what they have learned throughout their lives. The general population of Skinheads is known to live off the streets and thrive off of crime to survive (Baron, 1997). One way that the Skinhead cultural group justifies their behaviors towards others is on the basis of morality. They feel they are only doing the things they are supposed to do because it is morally right. The idea of Skinheads committing harmful acts upon others or raising their intergroup to the top is because it is a means of self-preservation, an act of bettering the lives of their families and friends, their race (Arena, Arrigo, 2000). Many feel that it is their own moral obligation to uphold society in the way the group projects is right. Their own cultural definition of morality might be something it is completely different from other individuals definitions of morality. In the movie American History X, Derek committed the crimes he did because he felt it was his job to protect his family from the evils of minorities and other groups that might come along and hurt his family. He was convinced that minorities were completely a deficit on society and that they were draining the country that hard working white Americans had built. Although there are some African American’s that are jobless, gang members, there are also plenty of jobless gang members who are white that would also come in and hurt his family. From the outside perspective looking in, much average American’s might view the whole perspective and see both sides of the situation, but Derek did not because he felt it was his moral duty. The definition of morality is also cultural; the Skinheads have their own definition just as other different cultural groups may have different definitions from my own. The Skinheads interpret many of their morals from sections of the Bible, although it may not be direct quotes, as other cultural and religious groups may do, they interpret their own meaning. America thrives off of opinion and freedom of speech, which is exactly what the Skinhead group has done. Although they have interpreted information to come up with morals outside of others way of thinking, they just believe what they are doing is right. Any average American would say they have their own morals and values they live by, the same statement may be said of a Skinhead. A third psychological process that may be present in an observation of the cultural aspects of the Skinhead group would be that of communication techniques. Skinhead communicate in similar ways to average Americans, they have body language styles and verbal terminologies just like all other cultures. They also have symbols and signs that have deep seeded abilities to communicate to others who they are that may also communicate danger to outside groups (Young, Craig, 1997). When speaking about individuals they dislike or feel are living outside of their set of constraints, they refer to them in derogatory or belittling manner. They have different derogatory terms for every race that is outside their own, they also have belittling terms for those within their group who are friendly or accepting to other groups. They communicate with harsh and forceful terminology to create that sense of fear that is apparent in many of the psychological processes. The symbols and signs that are in their homes, on their bodies, painted on their houses, project the same sense of fear and aggression (Baron, 1997). The communication they give to those within their intergroup is always a sense of family and brotherly love, but still full of masculinity, aggression and dominance. To those who are outside the Skinhead group, the still produce a sense of masculinity, aggression and dominance, but they communicate a feeling of hatred and fear. In the suburban average American culture, there is more of a free flowing less aggressive sense of communication (Gardiner Kosmitzki, 2011). Signs and symbols still have an effect as a communication technique in our cultural group, but there is not the sense of fear that a Skinhead sign or symbol may reveal (Young, Craig, 1997). The average American isn’t overly hostile to individuals they come across on the street, and normally don’t try to put off aggressive body language, or any offensive posture of any kind, but the Skinhead culture makes it their goal to promote dominance and power (Baron, 1997). There is still civilized conversation between Skinhead members, and much of the time falsified or skewed information is given to younger members to encourage them to band together and become part of the group (Baron, 1997). Although many other American subcultures may falsify information or skew situation, there is an overall slander of most people who are not Skinhead intergroup member (Gardiner Kosmitzki, 2011). Finally, one of the most evident psychological processes is that of emotion within the Skinhead culture. The Skinhead culture is very careful about whom they express emotion too, at least emotion that appears to give off weakness (Christensen, 1994). A Skinhead member may show joy, happiness, excitement and obviously anger, but when they show emotions like love, sadness and fear there is a possibility for them to be looked upon as vulnerable so they might try at all costs to keep those emotions at bay. The ideals behind hiding emotions of weakness revert back to dominance and power. Another reason for their lack of certain types of emotion stems from feelings of vulnerability at a young age (Blee, 1996). Many Skinheads start within the group at a young age, being taken advantage of, beaten, and emotionally abused and much more, which leaves them very susceptible to the world and weak (Christensen, 1994). From the initial feeling of weakness and hopelessness, they become guarded and focus on acceptable social norms of the Skinhead culture such as only showing certain types of emotion. Most American’s show whatever emotions they feel like, we are a loud boisterous culture, similar to the Skinhead culture (Matsumoto, Juang. 008). The difference between the two cultures, however, is that some American’s will sit and cry on the street, whereas a Skinhead would not. Culture influences the psychological processes of the Skinhead culture in a very large way. The observe communication techniques, aggressive behaviors and displays of emotion directly from other members of the group and because they are taught that their culture is dominant over all others, the act as other membe rs act within their Skinhead intergroup. Just as American’s live by social norms, cultural norms and learned behaviors, so do the members of the Skinheads group. References Arena, M. P. , Arrigo, B. A. (2000). White supremacist behavior: Toward an integrated social psychological model. Deviant Behavior, 21(3), 213-244. Baron, S. W. (1997). Canadian male street skinheads: street gang or street terrorists? Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 34(2), 125-154. Blee, K. M. ( 1996). Becoming a racist : Women in contemporary Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi groups. Gender Society, 10(6), 680-702. Christensen, L. (1994). Skinhead Street Gangs. Boulder, CO : Paladin Press. Garniner, H. W. , Kosmitzki, C. (2011). Lives across cultures: cross-cultural human development (5th ed. ). Boston, Ma: Pearson Education. Kaye, T. (Director). (1998). American History X [Theater]. Matsumoto, D. , Juang, L. (2008). Culture and Psychology (4th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Young, K. and Craig, L. (1997). Beyond white pride: Identity, meaning and contradiction in the Canadian Skinhead subculture. The Canadian Review, 34(2), 175–206.

Take these things off your resume ASAP

Take these things off your resume ASAP We’re not telling you anything you don’t know when we say that today’s job market is intense- across industries and professions, every job opening is met with a rush of talented and qualified applicants from around the country, all vying for the same spot. With hundreds (if not more) people applying for open positions, you better be sure that every aspect of your job-hunting game is razor sharp- including your resume. If you’re sending out resumes with any of the following things on them, stop what you’re doing and make some changes- fast.Salary requirements or historyUnless you’re responding to a job ad that specifically asks for your salary history and requirements (and if it does, include it in your cover letter, not your resume), save the salary talk for the negotiation once a job offer has been made. Your first impression and your resume should be all about what you can offer a prospective employer, not what you require from them.Persona l social media linksYes, you’re a person and it’s okay for prospective employers to be aware of this, but save your limited resume real estate for professional accomplishments and experience. In fact, it’s much more likely that there are things on your social media pages that could dissuade potential employers from hiring you than convince them that you’re the perfect person for the job.â€Å"Creative† fonts and imagesSure, it makes sense that you want to stand out from the job-hunting crowd and make a lasting impression on prospective employers, but using a wacky, magenta-colored font or embedding photos of you and your dog won’t bring you the kind of attention you’re looking for. Hiring managers are busy people with limited time, and won’t sift through a maze of creative flourishes to get to the heart of your resume and figure out if you have what it takes to handle the job. Help them by making your resume as professional and easy-to-follow as possible.A boilerplate objective statementA generic, boilerplate objective statement is typically a waste of space on your resume, as it likely just repeats the messaging you have in your cover letter, and often is full of tired clichà ©s (more on that later). Besides, hiring personnel know that your primary objective is to get this particular job, or you wouldn’t be applying for it.Outdated skillsAre you proud of your WordPerfect wizardry or your ability to operate a fax machine? That’s great, but keep it to yourself- shining a light on your mastery of outdated office technology will not only fail to impress potential employers, it will make you seem out of date. Also, don’t bother talking about your skills with obvious office tools like Microsoft Word, telephones, or email. In today’s job market, your ability to navigate basic office technology is a given, not a bonus.Resume clichà ©sAre you a â€Å"team player,† your officeà ¢â‚¬â„¢s â€Å"go-to person,† or a â€Å"passionate self-starter†? While these may all be true, these tired and worn phrases come off as weak and meaningless on resumes- they’re simply overused, generic clichà ©s that have long since lost their ability to impress hiring personnel and make you stand out from the crowd. Save your bullet points for targeted, measurable, results-driven facts that drive home your perceived value as a prospective employee.TyposThis one seems obvious, right? Well, you’d be surprised by how many people think that too, and then send out resumes with glaring typos on them. A nationwide survey released by CareerBuilder  found that 58% of resumes received by those polled had typos. Sloppiness is not a good way to introduce yourself to prospective employers!After crafting your resume until it’s just right, be sure to check it carefully for errors- and then check it again. Better still, have someone you trust review it as wel l. Only when you’re absolutely, positively sure that your resume is free from typos and mistakes should you even think about sending it out.Along with your cover letter, your resume is going to serve as your first impression, so there’s simply no room for error. Make sure that the things mentioned here are as far from your resume as possible, and you’ll be sure to make a better impression on hiring managers and prospective employers.

The Articles of Incorporation (AoI) as a Necessity for a Corporation Essay

The Articles of Incorporation (AoI) as a Necessity for a Corporation - Essay Example This section, together with the first section, distinguishes the type or category of the corporation; for example, profit or not-for-profit organizations. Because the AoI is the legal basis for the relationship among incorporators, there is a section that spells out the limitations to the powers and privileges of those that manage the corporation as it regards the, for instance, earnings of the corporation. It further distinguished what is personal and what is corporate in terms of assets and liabilities. In addition, the AoI states the management structure of the corporation including board members. A section usually outlines this structure, membership and roles. As a reference document, the AoI also makes provisions for managing corporation’s assets and liabilities in case of dissolution. Finally, the AoI carries the signature of the incorporators or the legally recognized representatives (http://managementhelp.org/legal/articles.htm). Because AoI is a legal document, it must be signed by the incorporators or the legally recognized representatives. It is usually prepared by legal practitioners and approved by government agencies. Once it is signed and sealed, it becomes the reference document for the operation of the corporation. Changes, such as the transformation of a private corporation owned by few individuals to a public corporation owned by a large number of shareholders and usually quoted in the stock market, must be reflected in the respective sections and clauses. Agency theory seeks to explain the relationship between a principal(s), who hires an agent(s) for services and delegate the power of  decision-making to the agent(s). It also seeks to examine variations in behaviors in the principal-agent relations. These relations could be harmonious or frictional.  

John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty Essay

John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty - Essay Example Before discussing the justification of liberty, we would talk about the idea behind liberty and how Mill links liberty to morality1. 'On Liberty' published in 1859 presented not only a philosophy of history and transition but demonstrated his understanding on political and religious developments, and emphasises upon the role of liberty in justifying free development of true philosophic action in England. Comte, while looking at Mill's theologies based on logic, points out that precautions presented by Mill to exercise freedom are unnecessary in France, where he is able to use his public lectures on astronomy as a vehicle to eliminate completely all theological philosophy, even in its simple form of deism, and finally to reduce all moral and social doctrines to rational positivism (Raeder, 2002, p. 56). 'On Liberty' demonstrates Mill's understanding of freedom, as he considered freedom of discussion to be an effective means by which to undermine traditional beliefs, especially theological and religious beliefs and even those where public opinion prevents any real discussion2. Miller was well aware of the fact that lies a significant relationship between freedom of speech, expression and instruction and the erosion of traditional belief. Perspectives of Nature Traditions, beliefs and human morals engages directly with what Mill has mentioned in the late 1850s, as 'nature' and it is because of this nature that humanity suffers through catastrophe, disease and death. Thus it is all interrelated as the distinct attributes of nature which humans disapprove in the name of conservatism and religious fatalism. In order to secure his school of thought, Mill presents two distinct uses of the term 'nature' (Gerson, 2002). The first stance presents a broad and neutral milieu with a more specific and evaluative analysis which states that nature is identical with the entire universe as well as the principles that are followed in the world. Those principles are scientific in nature and fulfills the logic behind natural phenomenons that takes place within our society. For instance, the nature of earthquake is destruction, the nature of volcanoes is to alleviate materialism from the world and so on. Since all human organisms are abide by nature's laws no one can dare to challenge the mother nature as long as he or she stays confined to the universe or as long as human affairs stay within nature's boundaries. Of course an individual must obey the laws of equilibrium to avoid being a victim to the law of gravity or we can say that by following the laws of gravity, one is socially adhere to the physical and biological laws and not by any means can challenge to escape from them. The second school of thought that supports nature is that since society is bound to obey what nature has reserved for it, human beings are themselves certain 'objects' of nature that are unable to deviate from nature. In other words, nature welcomes humanity to understand in context with human will and action. This indicates behind every idea of nature is the involvement of human intention which may serve as the basis for a social agenda. A clear notion is that no one on the earth can claim to be superior to the nature, or there is nothing outside nature and its laws and that, no human being has ever been given a choice to make distinctions between likes and dislikes of nature or to avoid any natural act. Thus Mill defends mother nature with that of human nature, that nature in any form does not ask a human to adopt or reject its principles, for it is a default option that requires no human decision making options and entails no evaluative consequences. How morality is related to liberty Enclosed within

IT-6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT-6 - Essay Example Differences in culture and language barriers are significant issues requiring scrutiny, as virtually every foreign nation has a different value and belief system, while making the process of relating to these customers more difficult due to the use of a different language. IS systems must be built with these factors in mind, including the appropriate usage of the foreign language on the international auction website. Political barriers are the most complicated, as many foreign countries block the free access of information to its society, therefore these factors must be considered prior to building the appropriate international auction website. Will the people in this type of nation be able to help build profitability? These are questions that must be considered prior to going international. I have located three commercial sites in different markets which offer affiliate programs: PowerWebsites.com, Office Depot.com, and Barnes&Noble booksellers. Powerwebsites is a marketing entity which utilizes its technological expertise to help companies build higher customer volumes through affiliate marketing. The online version of Office Depot provides office-related products, including papers, printers, desks and more. Barnes & Noble is a leading bookstore with bricks and mortar locations across the country. Powerwebsites provides FREE sign-up for the affiliate program, with a 20% commission on all sales generated by the program. Payouts are promised at a minimum of $25 in return for placing a companys web link on their site. Powerwebsites pays their commission on a pay per sale basis, meaning that the customer must not only click on the link, but also must make a purchase at the partner website. OfficeDepot.com provides an affiliate program which is also a pay per sale, meaning that customers must actually click this link AND make a purchase at the site. Their affiliate program promises a 20% commission on these

How structural and linguistic devices are used to target specific audiences in printed media texts Essay Example for Free

How structural and linguistic devices are used to target specific audiences in printed media texts Essay Different audiences expect and react to different ideas, presentational devices, linguistic devices and so on. For example teenagers may expect bright, vibrant colours and exciting design, whereas older people may look for softer, neutral colours and a more formal design. Of course, these are stereotypical views but the designers of the media texts must make them with a stereotypical view of their audience in mind. In this essay I will look at three different media texts aimed at different groups and explain how they attempt to appeal to these audiences. Firstly I will compare the ideas put forward in the three texts. In the Club 18-30 leaflet the focus is mainly on going out and having fun, in clubs, pubs and on beaches. The Superfamily piece talks about the activities that a family can participate in, such as pool games, quizzes, tennis courts, squash courts and fantasy golf. It also tells the audience about the things done to make a family holiday easier, such as baby care, childrens clubs and so on. The Forever Young brochure focuses on the older generation ands talks about the activities and facilities that they might enjoy, such as tennis, aerobics and golf, cathedrals to visit and conveniences like laundry services, money exchange, spacious bar and sun terraces. Now I will look at the presentational and structural devices in the three texts. In the Club 18-30 text bright, vibrant colours are used such as pink, blue, yellow and red. The title states the target audience straight away making it very obviously eye-catching to the right people. The pictures used are those of people dancing in a club and having fun as this is what most people going on this holiday want to do. This is not a full page advertisement as there is only a very small amount of information wanted; about the clubs, bars, beaches etc. This is all given in a fun, jaunty font with not too much reading needed. The Superfamily brochure is done in red, white and pale yellow. These are soft, welcoming, almost primary colours. This emphasises that this is a family advertisement. There are pictures a families by the pool as well as kids playing and having fun. All the borders are wavy and curved making this feel like a safe place for children and the font is plain. The Forever Young brochure has soft, autumn colours as well as natural blues and greens. Also, the pictures are serene. This is because the average older person wants a calm relaxing holiday. There is a full page layout with plain, simple borders. There are pictures of a cathedral and an empty pool. This helps add to the feeling of calm and relaxing on the holiday. I will next look at the language used in each of the pieces. In the Club 18-30 piece the language used is cool and slang with misspelled words such as in yer face. This is to target the younger audience. It is humorous yet with some facts, such as bars, clubs and beaches to visit. There are some opinions such as home to some of Europes premier DJs. It states what the younger audience may worry about when it says that youll need a fair bit of wedge. It also states that there are many things to do on your doorstep suggesting great ease, an important factor to youth. The Superfamily brochure uses informal yet informative language, like for the sporty among you. It is persuasive and serious, giving the reader a lot of reasons why the holiday is right for them. However in doing this it keeps a very friendly and approachable attitude as it wants to appeal to families. It states the many things that they will do to make family life easier, such as baby care and childrens clubs. Forever Young uses formal language as this is what appeals to a lot of the older generation. It is serious and informative, stating plainly what things there are to do and makes them seem calm for example it has a traditional, relaxed feel about it. This is important as most older people want a relaxing holiday. It is persuasive as it uses opinions about things like prettiest and traditional. Overall I believe it is very important for advertisers to use all means at their disposal to attract the target audience. They must choose the right presentational devices, the right language and the right style in order to convince the target audience to buy their product.

The Lesson of Quinns Ishmael :: Quinn Ishmael Essays

The Lesson of Quinn's Ishmael There are some books that you can just sit back and enjoy, just let the authors words wash over you and, most importantly, you don't have to think. And then there's Daniel Quinn's Ishmael. The novel Ishmael, "an adventure of the mind and spirit," opens with a disillusioned and depressed man in search of a teacher, and not just any teacher. He wants someone to show him what life is all about. And so he finds Ishmael, a meiutic teacher (one who acts as a midwife to his pupils, in bringing ideas to the surface), who turns out to be a large telepathic gorilla of extraordinary intelligence. The largest part of the book consists of their conversations, in which Ishmael discusses how things got to be this way (in terms of human culture, beginning with the agricultural revolution). Ishmael shows the narrator exactly what doesn't work in our society: the reasoning that there is only one right way to live, and that that way is with humans conquering the planet. Daniel Quinn points out that many other cultures, most notably those who have a tribal lifestyle, work, in that they do not destroy their resources, have no need for crime control or other programs, and do not have population problems. He insists that our culture is not based on humans being human, it is based on humans being gods and trying to control the world. Ishmael has a habit of raising questions and ideas. The gorilla Ishmael not only brought out thoughts and questions in the narrator, he brought up a lot of questions and ideas in Coast to Coast 2000. Ishmael took us all aback. Although many of us questioned some of Daniel Quinn's minor points, we all agreed on one of his main points: that there is no one right way to live. The Bushmen of Africa are living in a way that is just as right and works just as well as ours, and possibly even better, as they are capable of living without destroying everything in their paths. These "Leaver" cultures are in no way inferior to ours though we consider them to be uncivilized. In fact, Ishmael says that it is "Taker" civilization itself, the hierarchical structure that locks up food and spreads through the idea that people must live the same way, that is actually inferior.

Gay male culture Essay

American culture has focused much more heavily on gay men than on other members of the LGBT community. This may be due to larger numbers of men than women and it may also be due to gay men having more resources available to them to justify, explore and perform their sexuality. The western culture as a whole still sees men and male experience as the central experience in culture, even if the men in question are transgressing established gender norms. Gay culture relies upon secret symbols and codes woven into an overall straight context. The association of gay men with opera, ballet, professional sports, , musical theater, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and interior design began with wealthy homosexual men using the straight themes of these media to send their own signals. In the Marilyn Monroe film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, a musical [filmfreakcentral. net] number features a woman singing while muscled men in revealing costumes dance around her. The men’s costumes were designed by a man, the dance was choreographed by a man, and the dancers seem more interested in each other than in the female star, but her reassuring presence gets the sequence past the censors and fits it into an overall heterocentric theme. Today gay male culture is publicly acknowledged. Celebrities such as Liza Minnelli spent [topix. net] a significant amount of their social time with urban gay men, who were now popularly viewed as sophisticated and stylish by the jet set. Celebrities themselves were open about their relationships. Gay men can’t be identified by the way they look or what kind of music they like. There are gay men in every field and all sorts of fashions and music. Lesbian culture A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. The history of lesbian culture over the last half-century has been linked to the evolution of feminism. Older stereotypes of lesbian women stressed a dichotomy between women who adhered to stereotypical male gender stereotypes (â€Å"butch†) and stereotypical female gender stereotypes (â€Å"femme†), and that typical lesbian couples consisted of butch/femme couples. Today, some lesbian women adhere to being either â€Å"butch† or â€Å"femme,† but these categories are much less rigid and there is no express expectation that a lesbian couple be butch/femme. There is a sub-culture within the lesbian community called Aristasia, where lesbians in the community adhere to exaggerated levels of femininity. In this culture, there are two genders, blonde and brunette, although they are unrelated to actual hair color. Brunettes are femme, yet blondes are even more so. Also notable are diesel dykes, extremely butch women who use male forms of dress and behavior, and who often work as truck drivers. Lipstick lesbian refers to feminine women who are attracted only to other feminine women. Bisexual culture In modern western culture Bisexual people are in the peculiar situation of receiving hatred or distrust [Lunde 1990] or even outright denial of their existence from some elements of both the straight and lesbian and gay populations. There is of course some element of general anti-LGBT feeling, but some people insist that bisexual people are unsure of their true feelings, that they are experimenting or going through a phase and that they eventually will or should decide or discover which (singular) sex they are sexually attracted to. One popular misconception is that [Lunde 1990] bisexuals find all humans sexually attractive. That is no truer than the idea that, say, all straight men would find all women sexually attractive. More people of all kinds are becoming aware that there are some people who find attractive sexual partners among both men and women – sometimes equally, sometimes favoring one sex in particular . Distinctions exist between sexual orientation (attraction, inclination, preference, or desire), gender identity (self-identification or self-concept) and sexual behavior (the sex of one’s actual sexual partners). For example, someone who may find people of either sex attractive might in practice have relationships only with people of one particular sex. Many bisexual people consider themselves to be part of the LGBT or Queer community [Barris, 2007]. In an effort to create both more visibility, and a symbol for the bisexual community to gather behind, Michael Page created the bisexual pride flag. The bisexual flag, which has a pink or red stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality and a purple one in the middle to represent bisexuality, as purple is from the combination of red and blue [Lunde 1990]. Transgender culture The study of transgender culture is complicated by the many and various ways in which cultures deal with gender [hrc. org]. For example, in many cultures, people who are attracted to people of the same sex — that is those who in contemporary Western culture would identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual — are classed as a third gender, together with people who would in the West be classified as transgender or transsexual. Also in the contemporary West, there are usually [hrc.org] several different groups of transgender and transsexual people, some of which are extremely exclusive, like groups only for transsexual women who explicitly want sex reassignment surgery or male, heterosexual only cross-dressers. Transmen’s groups are often, but not always, more inclusive. Groups aiming at all transgender people, both transmen and transwomen, have in most cases appeared only in the last few years. Some transgender or transsexual women and men however do not classify as being part of any specific â€Å"trans† culture. However there is a distinction between transgender and transsexual people who make their past known to others . Some wish to live according to their gender identity and not reveal this past, stating that they should be able to live in their true gender role in a normal way, and be in control of whom they choose to tell their past to. Epistemology of the closet. The expression â€Å"being in the closet† is used to describe keeping secret one’s sexual behavior or orientation, most commonly homosexuality or bisexuality, but also including the gender identity of transgender and transsexual people [branconolilas.no. sapo. pt]. Being â€Å"in the closet† is more than being private, it is a â€Å"life-shaping pattern of concealment† where gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals hide their sexuality/gender-identity in the most important areas of life, with family, friends, and at work. Individuals may marry or avoid certain jobs in order to avoid suspicion and exposure. Some will even claim to be heterosexual when asked directly. â€Å"It is the power of the closet to shape the core of an individual’s life that has made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America†. (Seidman 2003, p. 25). Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, in her book Epistemology of the closet, majorly focuses on male homosexuality. She is also an intellectual who is interested in gay and lesbian studies, queer studies, gender studies, and feminism. Sedgwick (Seidman 2003, p. 25) â€Å"proposes that many of the major thoughts and knowledge in twentieth-century Western culture as a whole are structured—indeed fractured—by the now endemic crisis of homo/heterosexual definition, indicatively male, dating from the end of the nineteenth century†. Incoherent ideas about homosexuality inform the way men are acculturated in the modern West, and (Seidman 2003, p. 25) since this is so, this incoherence has come to mark society generally. Incoherence characterizes the attitude toward homosexuality in the West and is beyond debate. examples, are gay men ridiculous figures of fun or are they sexual monsters who prey on young children? ; is the homosexual a limp-wrested effeminate unsuited for the armed forces, or the lothario of the showers who will gaze upon and/or rape his fellow servicemen? ; Is sexuality an orientation or is it a choice?; are homosexuals born or are they made? ; essentialism or social constructionism? ; nature/nurture?. These are all part of the effect of this crisis in modern sexual definition. Sedgwick believes that it is impossible to adjudicate between these (Seidman 2003, p. 25). In describing in general terms the mass of contradictions that adhere to homosexuality, she proposes that one consider it in terms of an opposition between a minoritizing view and a universalizing one. A minoritizing view takes the position that homosexuality is of primary importance to a relatively small group of actual homosexuals. A universalizing view takes the position that homosexuality is of importance to persons across a wide range of sexualities. Under the universalizing view, one can put nurture, social-construction, choice and a warrant for social â€Å"engineering† to eradicate homosexuality(Seidman 2003, p. 25). Sedgwick says that the current debate in queer theory, between â€Å"constructivist† and â€Å"essentialist† understandings of homosexuality is the most recent link(Seidman 2003, p. 25). She goes on to conclude that the continuation of this debate is itself the most important feature of recent understandings of sex. The aim of the book is to explore the incoherent dispensation under which we now live. Through an examination of a number of mostly late nineteenth century literary and philosophical works, including (Seidman 2003, p. 25). Melville’s BILLY BUDD, Wilde’s THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, various works of Nietzsche, James’ THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE, Thackeray’s LOVEL THE WIDOWER, and Proust’s REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, Sedgwick discovers a number of pairs of opposing terms (binarisms) which she then shows to be inconsistent with and dependent upon each other. I found it fascinating to follow her explication of the ways in which these terms were related. Among the pairings that she assembles and dissects for our consideration are secrecy/disclosure, private/public, masculine/feminine, majority/minority, innocence/initiation, natural/artificial, new/old, growth/decadence, urbane/provincial, health/illness, same/different, cognition/paranoia, art/kitsch, sincerity/sentimentality, and voluntarity/addiction (Seidman 2003, p.25). She asserts that a true understanding of the force of the opposition of these terms must be grounded in the realization and acceptance that the content of all of these terms was determined around the turn of the century amid and through anxious questioning over who and what was homosexual. These opposing terms, all of which operate today, therefore have a residue of the homo/hetero definitional crisis(Seidman 2003, p. 25). In addition, Sedgwick perhaps delivers the coup de grace(Seidman 2003, p. 25), if such was needed, to sleek, masculine, modernist objective criticism. She demonstrates that modernist criticism finds its genesis in the homo/hetero definitional crisis and both its flight into and prizing of abstraction is a direct reflection of its homophobia.