Monday, September 30, 2019

Transformational Learning

Transformational learning is the type of experience that its outcome can bring forth a level of new meaning in your life. This learning cycle of intricate tasks is broken down into four stages, recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. These four phases create the transformational process and requires extreme mental concentration and careful consideration. The intensity of this procedure is often painful and stressful, hence forth the old saying â€Å"no pain, no gain†.First, you must know what the problem is that you are facing and acknowledge it. Then, you must face the problem with an extreme effort. Once these steps are completed and only then, can you start finding a solution. The solution you find will give you a new view. Based upon this outcome, your newly acquired view must be integrated into your life pattern. Transformation on this level is o ften wanted but it does not come easy. These â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† states are the points that show us our personal growth. The most transformational learning experience in my life has been the discussion to go back to school.The fear of working, having a family, and making time to study and being successful in my studies presented a great problem to me. How to balance these three demanding dimensions of my life and still be the same person was puzzling. Through a trial and error process, I redefined my life pattern, taking bits of personal and casual time to maximize my effort of pursuing my goal. By putting all my focus through my spare time in my work week, it opened up extra time on my weekend to spend with my family. This new pattern I developed has brought harmony and balance to my life.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Poetry Analysis of Third Eye by Bei Dao Essay

â€Å"He Opens Wide a Third Eye†¦Ã¢â‚¬  by Bei Dao in his written work Old Snow, is a narrative of one mans life and his epiphany on society as life and death would influence it. Bei Dao shows a man looking through a â€Å"third eye† or â€Å"inner eye† view, a very mystical and spiritual way to look at life that only the most enlightened peoples have been able to observe. The poem by Bei Dao starts off by a man opening wide his third eye, showing that finally this man has achieved enlightenment by spiritual guidance or by another catalyst of sorts and shows that he is now disconnected from the â€Å"world† and is in his own mind to see what the â€Å"world† has to tell him and really offer. In the first lines of the poem Dao states a â€Å"star above his head† (Dao 325) as appeared and a man â€Å"opens wide a third eye† (Dao 325). The star above the mans head is his third eye, an untypical way to see the world in which he lives, and he sees this light or third eye due to the process in which he opened it. This star can be a warming feeling or it is due to a bright light that he sees in which his spiritual journey as begun. Dao goes on to paint a vivid picture of â€Å"warm currents from both east and west† (Dao 325) that â€Å"have formed an archway† (Dao 325) these currents show that the man experiencing this spiritual enlightenment has a view of all premonitions of life and his ideals have formed this archway that has emerged. The archway is very symbolic it can be the mans morals to life and the currents from east to west, are morals of the outside world that don’t influence him but now have. Due to this vision the man is now debating on how to view the world there is a fire brewing inside the man, good or evil he cannot choose, he sits there in remorse and now sees a future that he cannot escape. While he contemplates these new morals in which to live he can now see an alternate route an expressway that â€Å"passes through the setting sun† (Dao 325) this will lead him to, something, which may be his final destination and resting place. Yet, all these new vision are scary for he doesn’t know where it leads him but at the same time are very intriguing. The road through the setting sun is beautiful, hot, blinding, and spacy – for he doesn’t know if this route will lead him to death, new land or new life, but he starts to connect more with the earth and begins to feel a oneness with his life. This new world will make you die, and the man knows this. There is so much pressure on him to do what is right and to move mountains just as the camel does before it collapses into the setting sun and becomes a skeleton. The camel is a lot like the man, taking a journey through strange passages of mountain peaks by himself to get to new land. But to follow this path in the end will lead to intimate death, not the camel nor the man have any idea of this happening but for a strange reason are happy to travel this path. The camel and the man see this path and gladly take the responsibility to march over it, even when they think they are still moving along they have been dead for so long. So much so that the camel has turned into a skeleton, all flesh has been ripped off its body and turned into energy or other sorts – for scavengers or even the very soil they walked on before knowing. This feeling of a oneness is still apart of the man and camel, for all the energy they have taken from the earth for their lives that has sustained them is now being returned back. Before you die you are apart of the earth and now the earth starts to become a part of them. Turned â€Å"into a layer of coal† (Dao 325) the camel is now a usable source of transportation as he was for many a man while he was living – his duties to human kind pass on with him from life to death. All the energy used as a living animal is now being returned as coal. Which shows that the connection to earth is strong and real. This is the end to the first stanza of the poem â€Å"He Opens Wide a Third Eye†¦Ã¢â‚¬  by Bei Dao. Dao doesn’t just simply end the poem here there are still many unawnsered questions to the mans life and in which direction it is headed. In the start of stanza two the man is now thinking heavily about his life and does not know where his spiritual journey will take him, yet he sits calm and contemplates the theory of his life. Now underwater, once again in a new surrounding the man see’s a new outlook on life but still has no idea in which direction or mind set in which he will take it. Calm, stable, and fully submerged in water he sits and waits to see a new light. He controls his feelings and is now open to all aspects of life, not knowing where to turn he looks forward as a dark cloud approaches him – a school of fish. The fish are looking at him and confused of an outside influence. We can view the school of fish as people on earth and the man sitting in the water as their surroundings and how he will now influence them. The fish seem to be so flustered by something new and alien life that they don’t know how to act its an obstacle in the way of their path yet none of them know where to turn. Looking around the man see a flashing light above him, a golden coffin of freedom – an easy way out. Even though he is stuck under the water, or stuck on earth he sees this as a prison, his life is locked up forever in his own flesh, skin and bones. Taking in more of his surroundings the man sees people standing idly behind a giant rock as if they are of great importance and have been watching him the whole time. This giant rock and the people he sees can be viewed as life in the world, the city he lives and the people that are important to his life. Should he stay with them and live as he was or now take these new influences of life and live as he should or die and go to the golden coffin, die, earlier then expected. As he takes in his surroundings the people are still staring, judging his every move and every move he made in his life. They are judging to see if he will make the right choice, to see if he has made the right choices before and to see if he is truly able to be apart of the Emperor’s memory (heaven). In the last line of the poem Dao states a very powerful line â€Å"the exile of words has begun† (Dao 326). There is no more talking, no more waiting its do or die from here on out. The man starts to awaken from his spiritual journey as he got full intentions where his life was heading if he kept living the way he was. Yet he can’t explain what has happened to him, lost of words he now sees life in a new light. And now the greatest conflict has occurred, will he change his life and do good by being his own being and follow the new path through the setting sun or will he be affected by outside influence and sit idly by like the people behind the rock and do as society tells him. This poem is about great strife in one mans life and shows how one single outlook or journey can change one mans perspective to start to live differently. But who is the man? What is the journey he just took? What theories or morals did he take from this great extensive spiritual journey? Is it really for a better cause or not? How will the outcome, if he changes his life, be any different as the old path the man took? For one to observe life through their â€Å"third eye† they must spend years meditating and opening their chakras – this could take a lifetime and still is not unanimously possible to achieve. For this man, maybe it is Bei Dao himself that has achieved this enlightenment, shows he is a very spiritual man and already see’s life as something so abstract for the rest of the words people – even without using his â€Å"third eye†. To see through this â€Å"third eye† and to comprehend what you or one is seeing, we must first open our minds to a broader aspect of the world and see beyond materialism, societies pressure on its people, and block out all worldly possession and distractions – to fully understand and view what one is saying. Yet another, abstract, way to view through this third eye is one of high risk, low reward, and very out there. One can say you can open your â€Å"third eye† by a spiritual psychedelic experience by taking a predetermined amount of dose’s of Magic Mushrooms, Lysergic Acid diethylamide (LSD), Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), or Ayahuasca (a leaf from the amazon used in tea that is a very highly potent psychedelic experience) all of which are highly more potent then the next and can give a human being major visions, sights and sounds to show you the â€Å"real world†, or the world of the third eye and what it is truly about, to show you how your life is being lived and how it impacts others or others can impact you. All these methods of enlightenment are still used today in cultures with a high priest or shaman in ones hierarchy. For them to reach such enlightenment and to open your â€Å"third eye† using one of these catalysts to boost the enlightenment path is greatly smiled upon and used in day-to-day life. For one to reach such enlightenment and have these outlooks on life is to be a man of great respect, honor, courage, discipline and considered a special person– for a simple man could not handle the â€Å"truths† that he sees. The journey that Bei Dao or an anonymous man had really that significant? Was this man a high-ranking priest in his village and his visions show a new world order in which his people have to conform to? Or is it ones man spiritual psychedelic experience that has no meaning towards life and is just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to screw with his mind? Does the third eye really exist and if it does, is it an intelligent path to follow or just another way to live? No one can really explain until we take the right of passage ourselves and live out the life we are intended.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Stratton's Snow Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stratton's Snow Making - Essay Example According to Rinella in September 2000, Vermont's Killington Ski Resort completed construction of a 1.8-mile pipeline for snowmaking. Killington had been locked into a decades-long battle with conservationists over the depleted status of Roaring Brook (13). In the winter â€Å" Stratton’s secrets of Snow Making† Rinella notes that the stream was anything but roaring; the ski area often sucked it down to a trickle (16). The new $5 million pipeline brings water from Woodward Reservoir in nearby Plymouth and supplies the resort with roughly 500 million gallons in a ski season, or more than twice what several other Vermont areas are allowed to withdraw from nearby streams. Several Vermont ski areas are grappling with complications over their snowmaking policies. Managers at the Sugarbush Resort complain that they can't compete with other resorts due to the limited water allotment. Similar concerns over water allotments prompted Stratton Mountain, another Vermont resort, to build a storage pond. That pond and a nearby lake supply Stratton with 222 million gallons of water during the ski season. "That's enough to cover every trail at the resort with two feet of snow,( â€Å"qtd, in†Frosters, 23). Frosters say "Stratton's snowmaking has been limited by temperatures, not water" (24).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Write a literature review about Healthcare ethics Essay

Write a literature review about Healthcare ethics - Essay Example Often, these standards are the subject of rigorous debate as religion or social agendas come to bear on the question of morality. This paper will examine some of the most recent professional literature in an effort to codify the existing standards, as well as reporting on the prevailing trends in regards to new technologies, the impact of culture, and the evolving morality surrounding life and the end of life care. Healthcare is an extremely broad field comprised on numerous disciplines, and myriad roles for healthcare workers within each discipline. This paper will not address a specific discipline, but instead will examine healthcare ethics from a broad lens while focusing on the commonalities found throughout the different fields. Numerous professional organizations have their own codes of ethics and may have specific guidelines that deal with their clinical specialty. As an example, this may be seen in addiction services, mental health, or gender transformation. However, this paper will report with a broader brush and a major portion will be spent focusing on recent developments in ethics and the challenges that all healthcare workers face in the light of technology, changing demographics, and evolving social standards. Literature Review End of Life Care One of the critical aspects of healthcare ethics is providing palliative care for the terminally ill, and the numerous issues facing end of life care. One of these important ethical issues is 'medical futility', and the application of medical treatment that has little hope of being beneficial. There can be significant disagreements among the patient, family, physician, and insurance providers that all have different treatment goals, as well as their own personal interpretation of medical futility (Bagheri 46). A hospital ethical review board, at the initiation of a physician or the patient, often mediates this dilemma. In a recent comprehensive study conducted at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, the most frequently cited reasons for an ethics review were "the permissibility of withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatments, resuscitation issues, [and the] appropriateness of treatment (ie, futility vs. nonfutility" (Swetz et al. 690). However, this issue is steeped in con troversy, and according to Bagheri, "Some argue that physicians should be given sole authority to make decisions to withhold or withdraw treatment" (47). Indeed, multiple studies have indicated that in the US, as well as in Europe, physicians unilaterally withhold treatment that they deem futile without consulting either the patient or their family (Bagheri 47). This approach demeans the patient's mental well-being and disregards the ethical component of autonomy. If a patient is mentally capable, they should be apprised of the lack of potential benefit (futility) of a treatment. Eliminating the patient from being informed, or a part of the decision making process, is at best a questionable ethical practice. Still, "physicians cannot be forced (or even expected) to give 'futile' treatment to their patients" (Loewy 299). One question that should routinely be asked when making an ethical decision regarding futility is 'are there any better alternatives'. Professional medical organizations have

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Question - Essay Example In addition, Creon is to take care of Oedipus children, that is, Antigone and Ismene, and Oedipus sons, Polyneices, and Eteocles. When the two sons of Oedipus become of age, they start to fight over who is to rule Thebes. Polyneices being the older brother believed to be the rightful heir to the throne Thebes since he had the birthright. However, Eteocles causes an uprising against Polyneices and ousts him out of power. Polyneices retaliates with an army in a battle where the two brothers kill each other. Creon ascends to the throne once again. Conflict arises in Thebes when the new king Creon makes a decree that it is only Eteocles that will be honored with a befitting burial since Eteocles fought for Thebes. On the other hand, the body of Polyneices was to be left in the field to rot and be eaten by animals for leading a violent uprising against Thebes using a foreign army. The decree of Creon, which prohibited anyone against burying Polyneices was to serve as an example to Polyneices followers (Sophocles & Johnston, 2007). Creon declared that Polyneices did not deserve a honorable burial since Polyneices waged war against Thebes and, therefore, a traitor of Thebes. The declaration does not go well with Antigone, who asserts that her brother Polyneices deserves to be buried even though he was a traitor of Thebes (Sophocles & Johnston, 2007). A conflict arises between Antigone and Creon since Antigone believes that they have a divine duty to the gods to bury the dead. In addition, antigone is determined to bring honor to her family by burying her brother. Antigone saw it as immoral and dishonorable for the body of their brother to be left in the fields unburied like someone who had no family. Antigone makes an emotional appeal with Ismene for them to bury their brother since even though Polyneices is guilty of betraying the state, they should show him sisterly love and

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Finance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance Management - Essay Example The net profit ratio shows that CLP Ltd was able to retain about 27% of the total revenue after accounting for various costs and expenses in the year 2005. It also suggest that the company loses about 73% of its sales revenue on account of various production, distribution, selling, administrative, operating, and other expenses. This ratio has decreased as compared to the previous year by about 5% even though the revenue increased in the current years. This suggests that the company is confronting with increasing expenses to carry out its activities. Riahi-Belkaoui says that the return on capital employed ratio "indicates how efficiently the capital supplied by the common stockholders was employed within the firm" (11). CLP Ltd utilized the funds provided by shareholders to generate a profit of about only 3% in 2005, which has tumbled from 18.24% in 2004. The analysis of return on assets ratio shows that in 2005, the company utilized its assets towards the generation of profit in a slightly better manner than the year 2004. Hence, profitability analysis suggests that the company is a fairly profitable company. The liquidity analysis shows t... The current ratio for CLP Ltd reveals that the company owns HK$0.65 of current assets to pay off HK$1 of its liabilities in 2005. This indicates a severe shortage of liquid assets in the company to the extent that it cannot discharge its short-term debts out of even all of its current assets. In the current year, this has declined by about 10%, which is not a good sign for its liquidity position. The quick ratio also suggests a falling trend in the company's ability to pay off its short-term liabilities and day-to-day expenses. Efficiency 2005 2004 Receivable Turnover 52 days 42 days Cash Dividend Coverage Ratio 1.75 1.89 The receivable turnover ratio exhibits that in the year 2005, the company's management converted its receivable into cash in 52 days, which has dramatically risen as compared to the previous year. This shows that the company is becoming inefficient in collecting money from its debtors on time. The cash dividend coverage ratio shows how well the company is able to pay off dividends to its shareholders out of available cash funds. An analysis of this ratio for the company suggests that although the company's cash balance is sufficient enough in 2005 to pay the dividends, yet the ratio has declined from that of the year 2004 due to the firm's attempt to pay a higher dividend in the current year out of almost the same operating cash balance. Leverage 2005 2004 Debt Ratio 28.84% 23.23% Gearing Ratio 58.59% 42.47% Riahi-Belkaoui illuminates that the leverage ratios are "used to assess the long-term solvency risk of the firm" (10). The debt ratio reveals that in 2004, about 23% of the company's assets were financed with the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans Assignment

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans - Assignment Example It will show that history can reflect the time it is written in, and that word choice and grammar can influence the reader's attitude toward the subject. The overwhelming attitude towards Native Americans is, in the earliest extract (1877), one of hatred and violence. Words like savage and hostile abound, amongst descriptions of the Native American attack on Jamestown and other settlements as massacre, murder and exterminate (in-class exercise). The author writes that his contemporaries are fighting against Native Americans in Arizona and Montana (the Apache Attacks and Nez Perce War), which is almost something the reader does not need to be told, given how intense and hateful this piece seems. There is no mention of Native American culture, although the author does (begrudgingly) admit that the tribes could build shelters, grow crops, and hunt. Any reference to an exchange between European and Native American culture is hidden in whining laments that Native Americans appear to be in nately hostile to European culture, called here 'civilization'. By contrast, the 1885 piece comes across as slightly less impassioned. Whereas the 1877 text ends by saying that it is certain that Native Americans will have disappeared from the American continent within a few years, the 1885 text expresses hopes that the Native Americans will be 'Christianized' rather than dying out. The 1885 piece attempts to be fairer to the indigenous tribes, but still makes incorrect assumptions, such as the 'fact' that Native Americans lived very simplistic and uncivilized lifestyles. Non-neutral language is used to claim that the Native Americans were inferior to the settlers in the fields of arts and inventions, progress and education, disposition, and religion, and had been since their collision with European culture two hundred years before. The only area in which Native Americans are not lesser is 'endurance,' yet this achievement is still couched in terminology which makes these people see m not quite human. It is easy to suspect that the writers of the textbook 'knew' this through experience. The two extracts from nineteenth-century textbooks neither mention individuals, whether European or Native American nor refer to any sort of cultural exchange. Admittedly, this would be hard given that neither text admits the existence of a Native American culture. Nor does either piece suggest any possible explanation for the failure of the Jamestown settlement other than Native American savagery. Therefore these earliest passages reflect the real-life hostilities occurring at the time between Europeans and Native Americans. The Apache Attacks lasted until 1900 when the last fighting tribe surrendered, so it is understandable – if despicable – that the textbooks adhered to the image of Native Americans as an enemy which must be destroyed. It is more difficult to completely exterminate an enemy if there is evidence of the enemy's humanity, or that a valuable part o f human cultural history might be lost in their destruction, so it makes sense that contemporary textbooks were unconcerned with these subjects. The 1927 text is the first to recognize that at least some of the Native American tribes were fairly advanced and cultured.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Writing a Rabbi Sermon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing a Rabbi Sermon - Research Paper Example The word Hanukkah signifies re-dedication and celebrates the Jews fight for religious sovereignty. Hanukkah is the celebration of Lights for the Jews, and it goes back to more than two thousand years before the start of Christianity. The Jews light the Menorah to commemorate the time when the Maccabees regained back the control of the Holy Temple from their captors. The conquerors had done nasty things to taint the Temple, including bringing gods; the Maccabees re-established the cleanliness and the service of the house of G-d. The Maccabees had only one small flask of the special olive oil in their possession which they used for lighting the large golden Menorah. Unbelievably, the little bottle was used for eight days. Three different blessings are recited before lighting on the first night of Chanukah; the modern day Rabbis can also recite the blessings in their families. The three blessings are: The Chanukah menorah is put on after nightfall; it implies that every Jewish role is to light the darkness of the world. It can be hard for rabbis to identify with godliness in their daily lives, but Chanukah reminds everyone that the light of understanding can shine brightly. The Chanukah light can be lit in the doorway or front window in order for it to be seen by people passing on the street. It teaches all believers that it is not sufficient to bring light into their private domain; they must spread the light of Torah to other people as well, to the degree that their influence can go. For every night of Chanukah, participants added light to the menorah, till the lamps shone on the last night. It symbolizes that in issues concerning holiness; every person should always be increasing. Each additional flame must signify added strength in solidifying our dedication to the significances and customs of the Jewish way of life. Every day must be used to rededicate our lives to a noble course that signifies our faith. As Chanukah is a holiday of re-dedication, we

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Tiger Balm Essay Example for Free

Tiger Balm Essay Analysis and recommendations of the existing marketing strategies Tiger Balm is a well-known herbal ointment remedy that was developed to relieve the aches and pains in ancient China. It is a very successful example of a truly Asian brand that has gained international recognition. It has created a high degree of awareness and loyalty in global markets. I have evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of your company’s existing marketing strategies, and based on my study, I have found out the following problems: 1. Your target audiences are all age group ,but your target audiences are mainly focused on pain sufferers and sportspeople. When people talk about tiger balm, what comes to their mind is that it is an old heritage originated from ancient China and it relieves the aches and pains. Tiger balm gains its reputation and popularity mostly from its quality and its efficacy. You have a wide customer base which is good. Your positioning strategy approaches different market segments, but is always based on the same brand promise, that is â€Å"works whenever it hurts†. 2. Your products are all labeled as pain reliever. But actually some of Tiger balm’s products are not pain reliever. this may mislead and exclude some people who are just sports enthusiasts. They may simply not have to try the product, believing it not to be for them. 3. If your new product extensions all emphasize your brand promise, consumers may think the product is nothing new but another pain reliever. They may think you don’t produce anything else other than pain reliever. They don’t know the differences among your products .They don’t know which one is good for them and which one they should purchase. This may limit your brand’s organic growth. 4. Your brand communication seems not very creative. In China, people perceive Tiger Balm as a grandfather or grandmother’s product because it has been used mostly by the older generation who have grown up with the brand. You need to attract new target market using non-traditional forms of media. Recommendations: 1. Different products are segmented into separate functions and apply to difference target audiences. Your target audiences can’t be only focused on pain sufferers and sportspeople because they only take a small part of the whole consumer market. Nowadays, many customers have stopped using Tiger Balm, they have to be convinced that Tiger Balm is relevant. To exploit the new health trend, you can position the balm as something like pre-exercise rub, demonstrate to them how Tiger Balm can help keep their activity, exercise, and life going. You can sponsor more sports events , put your products’ pictures everywhere in the gymnasiums, outdoor LCD screens, etc, pushing awareness of Tiger Balm’s capabilities, drawing on its eastern heritage, while maintaining its appeal to the modern world. 2. You can’t just present to your potential customers as a pain reliever, but rather as a way of life that allows people who want to live life to the full to do what they love most. In order to tap into new market to attract more younger generation, you may need to modify your products. You can add on new features to your products to differentiate them from your competitors. 3.Don’t limit your product extensions to your brand promise. You can try to make an image that your products are family necessity. Everyone can use it even he or she is not experiencing any pain. You can exhibit your different product extensions in supermarkets and demonstrate to the potential customers (housewives,etc) the different functions of your products. This has an advantage of personal contact and you get the chance to build a customer-friendly image. 4.Certainly, you don’t want to lose your loyal customers. So you need to remain focus on your brand’s quality and usefulness and get your existing customers to rely on the brand. All in all, Tiger balm has been doing very successful in its positioning strategy and positioning itself as the world’s leading topical analgesic ,perfect for soothing muscular aches and pains .

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Tell Tale Heart Analysis Essay Example for Free

Tell Tale Heart Analysis Essay Poe creates horror in The Tell Tale Heart by using literary devices such as irony and similes. There are two kinds of irony that he uses. The irony that he uses is situational and dramatic irony. When the narrator, the man who killed the old man, is done killing the old man, he cuts his body up and puts the body under the floorboards. When the three policemen come, the reader thinks that the narrator will get away with his crime because he executed his crime so well and he hid the body so well. When the policemen are done searching the house they all sit down and the narrator sits on top of the old man’s dead body. While the policemen are chatting, the narrator hears the beating of the old man’s heart and the sound of it grows louder and louder and louder until finally, the narrator confesses his crime because he can’t take hearing the sound anymore and he thinks the policemen are mocking him. The narrator didn’t really hear the sound of a heartbeat, but the sound of his guilt. This is an example of situational irony since the reader expects him to get away with the crime, but in actuality, he confesses his crime instead. Three policemen came to inspect the house because a shriek had been heard by a neighbor. The readers know that the reason a shriek was heard is because the narrator killed the old man and while the narrator was killing him, he let out shriek, but only once. This is an example of dramatic irony because the readers know that the narrator killed the old man which resulted in the shriek. However, the policemen don’t know that. After the narrator killed the old man and buried his cut up body under the floorboards, he heard the old man’s heartbeat. It wasn’t actually the sound of a heartbeat; it was the sound of the narrator’s guilt since he killed the old man. In the story it said â€Å"It was a low, dull, quick sound like a watch makes when inside a piece of cotton. † This is an example of a simile because Edgar Allan Poe compares the sound of the old man’s beating heart with the sound of a watch inside a piece of cotton.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Company Purpose And Stakeholder Analysis: Wonderland

Company Purpose And Stakeholder Analysis: Wonderland Wonderlands history dates back to 1950s when it was started in Germany as a partnership business between a chemist and a child psychologist. These toys flooded the German and the Scandinavian markets in their initial years of launch. The market extended to cover the US and UK in the 1960s. Currently, the company enjoys the largest market share with its toys being available in more than 80 countries worldwide. The company is headquartered in Frankfurt and it has regional head offices in New York, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires. The offices in Frankfurt, Montana and Bute are dedicated solely to the creation of new toys to improve the companys brand. However, China, Taiwan, India, Korea and Honduras do most of the manufacturing works. Wonderland has recorded admirable growth both in its scope of operation and in its revenues. In 2009 for example, the company recorded total revenue of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬850 million from all its regions. In a bid to serve the customers even better, the company diversified its activities in the 80s and 90s to include other childrens items such as school bags, board games and party items. The company has also employed more than 10,000 people who work in different centers. For instance, 3,000 people work in Montana while 2,000 work in Frankfurt. Others work in the local offices as marketers, sales representatives, retailers and distributors of the companys products. LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS Wonderland has been very successful as a result of the contributions made by its stakeholders. These stakeholders are categorized into two divisions; primary stakeholders and secondary stakeholders. Primary stakeholders These are stakeholders who are directly affected by the company activities and vice versa. They include: Employees Shareholders Customers and Suppliers Secondary stakeholders These have interest in the company but their effect is not felt directly by the company. They include: The government, Media, Competitors, Lobby groups and The local community COMPANY PURPOSE AND STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS Company Purpose The purpose of this company is to produce high quality branded children items and distribute them globally so as to reach our target customers and hence fulfill their educational and recreational needs. Stakeholder analysis Primary stakeholders A) Shareholders Shareholders are the owners of Wonderland Company. They invest their money in the company so as to propel it to achieving its objectives. Wonderlands shareholders are categorized into two: institutional shareholders and individual shareholders. Institutional shareholders refer to organizations that have bought shares in this company with the hope of realizing returns from their investment. Examples of such organizations might include Virgin Airlines Company and Sony International Corporation. Individual shareholders, on the other hand, are the individuals who purchase shares of a given company with the aim of making profits. The founders are the major individual shareholders since they contributed the start-up capital. They possess majority of Wonderlands shares and have greater voting powers. In addition, the company has offered shares to other individual shareholders in Frankfurt (Turner, 2011). Interests of shareholders in the company Shareholders have a great interest in Wonderland, as noted above. They invest their money in the company with the hope of realizing returns in the short and long term. They are therefore concerned with the profitability of the company. Wonderlands managers have a great responsibility in ensuring that shareholders are contented with the performance of the company. When making decisions about the company, they ought to be very careful with the outcome since any loss made by the company will be felt by the shareholders. Managers ensure that both the short term and long term effects of their decisions are beneficial to the company so as to improve the value of shareholders investment. Powers of the shareholder In Wonderland, shareholders greatly influence the way it is operated. They decide who will be the company manager and who will be in the board of directors. Shareholders have voting rights on a variety of issues concerning the company. This means that the important decisions affecting the company, such as mergers, cannot be made without their consent. They vote for or against the proposal by the board of directors. Shareholders decision in the company is final. Notably, managers cannot change what has been jointly agreed upon by the shareholders (Worthington, 2007). Shareholders also have the power to make by-laws of the company. By-laws refer to a set of rules and regulations that govern the operation of the company. All the employees of the company abide by these by-laws. Any violation of these by-laws is sanctioned and necessary actions taken. The company holds annual meetings with its shareholders to discuss and review the performance of the company. In this meeting, they review the companys accounts for transparency and profitability check. During these meetings, the appointed auditor presents periodic reports. Members have powers to either endorse or refuse to endorse these reports. Nonetheless, the powers of shareholders in Wonderland commensurate with the number of shares held in the company. For example, an individual shareholder with 1,000 shares in a company has more powers than the one with 50 shares. This means that if the majority of Wonderland shareholders have 20 shares and one of the shareholders has 1,000 shares, it will requir e the company to have 50 shareholders with 20 shares so as to match the voting powers of one member with 1,000 shares (Worthington, 2007). B) Employees Employees refer to the workers in a company. They are directly associated with daily operations and therefore determine the output of the company. They can be categorized into different levels depending on the nature of the company. They include individual contributors, professionals, managers and senior technical professionals, directors and company presidents. In Wonderland, each employee fits in his place in the organization depending on the level of education and skill specialization. In order to effectively achieve the objectives of the company, managers have a duty of ensuring that work is well structured so as to avoid collision of employees. Similarly, it is important for the managers to communicate the vision of the company so that employees work collectively towards achieving this vision (Shukla, 2006). Interests of employees There are various interests that employees have in Wonderland. One of the most important ones is having their fundamental rights respected. These rights include the right to remuneration, right to associate with others, right to fair treatment, freedom from discrimination and freedom of expression, among others. Therefore, they will be productive if these rights are honored and if they feel that they are being respected. To achieve this, managers need to cultivate a working environment that will compel employees to give their best so as to achieve the objectives of the company (Shukla, 2006). Wonderland employees just like in any other company want to receive competitive pay. Competitive pay refers to the payment that is made to employees and that which commensurate with the employees skills, level of education and motivation in the work place. They expect a pay that is consistent with the market rates (Shukla, 2006). The companys employees also want to be given an opportunity to earn more. This is made possible by increasing their pay with time, paying them for overtime work and commissions where necessary. Another expectation of employees is regular review of their pay. This means that employees do not expect to stagnate in one pay scale. In addition, they need to be given a chance to participate in the decision making process as this will motivate them to work towards the enactment of these decisions (Shukla, 2006). Employee powers Employees have a great influence on the direction that a company takes. As highlighted above, managers, as the employees of Wonderland, are mandated to run the company. They therefore have powers to make decisions on the day to day running of the business. If these decisions are sound, the company stands to benefit. However, if they make misguided decisions, the performance of the company will deteriorate. It is the duty of Wonderlands human resources manager to hire junior employees to carry out middle and lower level activities of the company. If the human resources manager hires skilled and qualified people for this work, then the company will yield good results. However, if he hires under-qualified staff, Wonderland will not achieve its objectives (Shukla, 2006). The motivation of the employees in the company also plays a big role in the achievement of the company objectives. It is the duty of the employee to carry out the decisions made by the shareholders and the top management. A positively motivated workforce will carry out its duties with passion thereby enhancing the realization of the goals communicated to them. Negatively motivated employees on the other hand may affect the reputation of the company by producing poor quality commodities. It is therefore the duty of the company managers to cultivate a participative culture where an employee will be free to communicate his feelings about the company (Shukla, 2006). C) Customers Customers are the buyers of Wonderlands products. They are the end users of its product. They include the parents of children in pre-schools and primary schools. Throughout the manufacturing process, great care is taken so as to produce products that are competitive in the market and they that add value to the customer. It is important for the business to understand the behavior of its customers. Satisfied customers are pillars of any successful business. They also contribute to the reputation of the company if their needs are met as they desire. The customers determine the growth potential of a business (Akinnola 2011). Accordingly, every business manager who has the desire to generate income from the business must strive to ensure that the desires of the customers are met. Though customers are not included in the decision making process of the company, they play a big role in enhancing the achievement of the set business objectives. Interests of customers The interest of the customers in Wonderland is to maximize the utility derived out of the consumption of its products. They want the company to meet their needs in a way that creates value for their money. In order to fulfill this demand, the company must ensure that they first survey those needs before embarking on production. Through this, the company will be assured of ready market. However, companies that go ahead to make production without consulting from the customers risk market failure (Akinnola, 2011). Power of the customers Customers have a greater influence on the success of the company than any other stakeholder. It is a known fact that the profits of the company are out of the customers spending. If the spending by the customers is low, then the profitability of the company also declines and the opposite is true. The influence of the customers is so strong that managers must consult before making any decision affecting them (customers). In the toy industry, customers tastes play a big role. It is imperative for the Wonderland to carry out a research so as to understand the tastes of customers in different parts of the world. Cultural influences also affect the customers decision making process. As the companys products target different cultures, it is important to study these cultures so that the toys which will be produced meet the demands of these markets (Akinnola, 2011). D) Suppliers Suppliers are the firms and the individuals who deliver the resources that the company uses in the production of goods and services. Wonderland establishes specific suppliers so as to ensure consistency in the provision of the necessary resources. If resources are not supplied on time, production delays will be inevitable and consequently the customers will not receive finished goods on time. In establishing the relationship between the suppliers and the company, it is important to note that this relationship is based on value. Value in the sense that if the suppliers deliver quality resources, the end products will be of high quality and therefore goods delivered to customer will reflect value for his money. Interests of suppliers Suppliers are businessmen and therefore their main interest in the company is profits. The second interest of suppliers in the company is to secure a contract that will shield them in case the market fluctuates. Suppliers desire to be in business throughout the year. However, there are seasons when the prices go down making them to operate at a loss. Securing a contract to supply resources to the company means that the prices will not fluctuate and therefore the supplier will make profits all through. Powers of the suppliers Sometimes suppliers may join forces to dictate the terms of their supply to the company. This is especially in situations where suppliers are few and the buyers are concentrated. When the supplier has a strong brand name, he may have greater influence in the company than other factors. Nonetheless, mutual agreement between the supplier and the company is required to ensure that a sustainable relationship exists. To neutralize these powers, Wonderland can contract for its needed resources in advance so as to prevent the supplier from misbehaving as the market changes. Secondary Stakeholders A) The government The role of the government in Wonderland cannot be overlooked. Being an external stakeholder, it plays an important role in shaping the external environment within which the company operates. The roles of the government in the company are executed by a specially formulated agency that is answerable to the government. The main interest of the government in the company is to regulate its operations so as to ensure that consumers do not suffer loss as a result of business activities. The government therefore regulates the competitive practices, and the industry-specific practices. In addition to its regulatory roles, the government has powers over the Wonderland Company. It can revoke its license and subject it to legal actions in case its activities are not acceptable in the country where it operates (Enotes, 2011). B) The media Media plays an important role in Wonderlands growth. For example, the company will use media to reach out to the target customers. Media also creates a forum whereby the customers express their views about given company. The media can influence the image of the company among the customers and therefore influence their purchase decision. The company must therefore cultivate a positive relationship with the media so as to have a positive image in the face of its stakeholders. As far as Wonderland is concerned, efforts have been put in place and agreements achieved with Disney and childrens TV programme producers so that the company will use the character of these programs in designing toys and accessories (Liss, 2000). C) Competitors Competitors are other important stakeholders in the company. The presence of competitors in the industry help in improving the quality of products produced and services rendered. The interest of the competitors in a company is to learn its weaknesses and capitalize on them. There is competition for customers as well as market share. Our companys managers therefore need to be cautious when disclosing information about the company that can be used by the competitors to the disadvantage of the company, especially in a market where there are many competitors (Carlson 2004). It is important for our company to take a survey of the market so as to identify competitors, their weaknesses and strengths. In the toy market, Wonderland faces stiff competition from Mattel and Hasbro. Both have been in the market for many years and therefore offer stiff competition to Wonderland in its bid to capture the promising markets all over the world. In addition, the two companies have strong brand names be sides offering a variety of products targeting different customers. D) Lobby groups A lobby group refers to a collection of people who come together to advocate for certain interests that they feel are threatened by the decision made by the company leaders. In as much as lobbying affects the performance of the companies, it is one of the trusted means through which proper functioning of the businesses can be achieved. Environmental activists are examples of a lobby group that greatly influences the operations of Wonderland. With the issue of global warming taking priority, they seek to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide that the company releases in the process of modeling the toys. Their interest is to ensure that the operations of the company do not negatively affect the environment. Lobby groups have powers to influence the activities of the company. They can influence the consumers to boycott the products of the company. It is therefore imperative for the company to establish a positive relationship with the lobbyists so as to avoid instances of being accused for undertaking illegal activities (Hart, 2004). E) Local community When the company undertakes corporate social responsibility activities, its intention is to create a positive impact on the local people directly related to the company. In Wonderland, local communities are the people who surround the company. In case of harmful emissions from the company, the local community would be the first to receive the effects. Local communities offer the local infrastructure that the company needs in order to achieve its objectives. On the other hand, they expect the company to pay back by carrying out activities that do not adversely affect them. These stakeholders have powers to influence the company to either continue with its activities or to stop its operations. They are able to unite and stop the company from causing negative effects to the community (BusinessLink, nd). The Global Society Global society, in its most basic definition, refers to the society that is integrated together into a single community with improved levels of interaction. Global society is a consequence of the globalization process. Human beings are social by nature and would embrace any means that brings them close to each other. Courtesy of internet technology, people can communicate with other on the far side of the world just by a click of the mouse. Nonetheless, global society deals more with the individuals in the society than it does with the general society. It is the efforts of individuals that lead to the development of global society. The vision of the founders of Wonderland was to reach customers in all parts of the world. Globalization has speeded the achievement of this vision by facilitating prompt marketing and distribution of the company products. Generally speaking, global society has improved efficiency with which people in the society interact (Taylor Francis, 2011). Integrating the concept of global society into the operations of any business raises issues that are not consistent with the goals of the company. Some of these issues favor the accomplishment of the business objectives while others hinder this accomplishment. These issues include: Cultural differences Inequity in development Environmental degradation Human rights abuse Government structures 1) Cultural Differences Culture refers to a set of beliefs that a given group of people has adopted as their way of life. No culture is greater than the other and attempting to change peoples culture is an effort in futility. Founders of Wonderland decided to launch their operations in areas with a culture different from that of the companys home country so as to be more competitive and more profitable. They also wanted to outsource raw materials from other countries where the cost of acquiring those resources are lower than in the home country. (Smith Ethel, 2007). The most successful companies are those that have understood the cultural differences of target customers. These companies keep abreast of the importance of these differences and will research ways to fulfill customer needs without interfering with their cultures. Wonderland understands that people from different cultures might have different approaches to the same issues (Smith Ethel, 2007). 2) Inequity in Development This refers to the differences in the levels of development in different countries. It is measured both in economic and infrastructural terms. Inequity in development affects the running of international companies. Factor endowment contributes more to this inequality whereby companies that are endowed with more resources excel better than those with fewer resources. With development inequality being experienced in the global society, it is hard to achieve a fair play ground where all companies can compete favorably. Also, as a result of differences in the factors of production, massive movement of labor from one country to another is affecting the operations of the company. For this reason, a difference in Wonderlands prices is justifiable. In countries where cost of operation is low, our products are low and vice versa. In general, companies operating in the global environment are as competitive as their resources can allow (Taylor Francis, 2011). 3) Environment Degradation Environmental degradation is another issue that global society has brought. The issue of global warming is being addressed and measures being put in place to combat global warming. The Kyoto protocol of 1997 that sought to regulate the percentage of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from the industries is still in discussion with companies being forced to adhere to the restrictions imposed by this protocol. Wonderland therefore checks on its processes to avoid legal actions from being instituted against it. Notably, in the toy companies, modeling plastics releases smoke into the atmosphere. Being part of the global society, the company will take measures to ensure that it honors this requirement (Taylor Francis, 2011). 4) Human Rights Abuse When operating in a global society, it is possible to unknowingly promote the abuse of human rights. Much business is done via the internet without necessarily knowing the processes that take place at the other end. For example, a company may order a product online. The supplier will send the consignment to the buyer. Without proper research the buyer may not know how this product has been manufactured. The supplier may have used child labor, which is in contravention of basic human rights. Wonderland will ensure that it chooses suppliers that do not engage in such activities. 5) Government structures in a global society Another issue that Wonderland faces when operating in a global society is the difference in government structures. The structure of the local government where the company is located may be different from the structures of the other country. An example of this is where the local government embraces socialism economy and the foreign country embraces capitalism economy. Secondly, a government may be aristocratic while another one may be democratic. Operating in varying government structure may be difficult therefore companies will need to understand this from the outset (Taylor Francis, 2011). Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | Summary Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | Summary Frederick Douglass revolutionary novel, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; An American Slave, sent a seismic shock through American society, altered many peoples perception of the â€Å"peculiar institution†, and utilized a stylistic combination of flawless rhetoric and his poignant first-hand account of childhood shattered by slavery. Douglass childhood was marred by an all-encompassing sense of nothingness, he did not know his parentage, mother, age, or birthday; he felt inferior to white children, and lusted after the simple knowledge about themselves the whites regarded so casually. Through revealing specific details of his childhood experiences Douglass creates an emotional connection with his intended audience, Christian, white, Northerners, and by use of pathos, strengthens that bond with every paragraph. Douglass begins his haunting tale with one of the few cemented truths of his childhood; his birthplace. He was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, to Harriet Bailey, an attractive slave woman with a dark complexion and light, loving demeanor. However, these small truths were overshadowed by dark, looming clouds of uncertainty, which posed more questions than it ever answered. A young Douglass was left confused; Who was his biological father? Why was he so cruelly separated from him mother? What was his true age? Was the master actually his Father? These questions pestered Douglass for years, and as the excerpt explains, he had no venue through which to glean the information. â€Å"I was not allowed to make any inquiries of my master†¦He deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent.† Douglass spent his childhood swathed in mystery, he never had the chance to enjoy the warmth of a mothers love, swathed, bundled, protected. Douglass accounts his separation from his mother for a variety of reasons; including an effort to solicit pathos from his readers, illustrate the magnitude of inhumanity bestowed upon slaves, and to appeal to white mothers, who would deem the action both barbaric and unforgiveable. Douglass reflects upon his mothers death with very little emotion, and states â€Å"She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my masters farms, near Lees Mill.† This quote exemplifies an understatement at its best; Douglass remarks upon his mothers death the way one talks about the weather, matter-of-fact and resigned. The casual way he speaks of his mothers absence in his life is directly conflicts with the sacred bond betweenmother and childset forth through countless books and artworks, such asLa Pieta.According to Douglass, separating a mother and child before twelve months was a common practice in Maryland, an action which most likely would have been deemed irreprehensible by sympath etic northerners. Douglass also tackles another large and unsolved topic; the mysterious identity of his father. Although Douglass is mostly uncertain of the details of childhood, one concrete fact remained a constant; his father was white. Douglass writes â€Å"The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing†¦the means of knowing were withheld from me.† This quote is perhaps the most profound piece of the provided excerpt, not only did it add a new and puzzling aspect into the glimpse of Douglass childhood, but it also provided ammunition to enrage the pious, abolitionist, Northerners. Douglass rawappeal to emotionspeaks volumes, the scope of slavery knew no bounds, and bent the moral code of the 19thcentury to suit its depraved ways. Douglass non-existent father is introduced alongside the death of his mother, conjuring up feelings of sympathy and pity for Douglass among his intended audience. Douglass innocence was snatched away by the poisonous talons of slavery, leaving him vulnerable to the plights facing the adult world while still within the confines of childhood. By recollecting thetraumatic eventsof his early years he solicits a barrage of emotions from his intended audience, ensuring the success of his slave narrative. The death of his mother and hidden the identity of his father, Douglass paints a picture of heartache, loneliness, and uncertainty. In conclusion, Douglass detailed recollection of his past created pathos within his intended audience and undoubtedly opened the eyes of a plethora of ignorant Americans who simply believed slavery was a natural practice within Americas boundary lines.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Movie, Real Women Have Curves Essay -- Cinema

Being a curvaceous young woman is hard enough. Especially when you’re trying to find love, you’re seeking approval and anticipating a better future for yourself. The film Real Women Have Curves stresses how important higher education is to a Mexican-American teenager and the wrath she endures from her mother because of her weight and aspiration. Mark Twain stated that, â€Å"Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great† (http://thinkexist.com/quotation/keepaway_from_those_who_try_to_belittleyour/215215.html). I believe I can personally relate to Real Women Have Curves, the reason being is because I’m a daughter, I’m overweight, and I’m seeking a post-secondary education. This is a synopsis of Real Women Have Curves; I’ll reveal why the film is so inspiring to me, I’ll give feedback from movie reviews, and I’ll use documents from my course’s textbook, to fully develop my ideas. Real Women Have Curves is a 2002 movie adapted from a 1987 screenplay by George LaVoo and Josefina Lopez. The film was directed by Patricia Cardoso and produced by LaVoo. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Real Women Have Curves stars America Ferrera as Ana, an intelligent and ambitious 18-year-old who has just graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles. Ana’s wish is to attend Columbia University; however, Ana’s mother, Carmen, sees a different future for her. She’s determined that Ana will become a seamstress, at her oldest daughter’s dress store. Carmen even tells Ana’s father, â€Å""I can educate her. I'll teach her how to sew. I'll teach her how to take care of her husband†. Roger Ebert stat... ...f- hollywood-celebrities-what-is-the-average-size-of-a-hollywood- actress-history Ebert, Roger. (2011, January 1). Real women have curves. Retrieved from http://www.metacritic.com/movie/real-women-have-curves Flixster.(2002, October 20). Rotten tomatoes. Retrived from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/real_women_have_curves/#!reviews=all&page=3 Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. K. (2009). Fat as a Feminist Issue. "They say/I say": the moves that matter in academic writing: with readings (pp. 202-203). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. K. (2009). The Growing College Gap. "They say/I say": the moves that matter in academic writing : with readings (p. 379). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Thinkexist.com. (1999, January 1). Retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/quotation/keepawayfromthosewhotrytobelittleyour/215215.html

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Parallels Between The Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave Essa

Parallels Between The Truman Show and Plato's Allegory of the Cave The movie, 'The Truman Show' is about a reality television show that has been created to document the life of a man who, adopted at birth by a television network, is tricked into believing that his life, his reality, is normal and the environment that he lives is real. It is set in a town called Seahaven, which is essentially a simulation of the real world similar enough to the outside world that the viewing audience can relate to it. The town is a television studio inside an enormous dome in which the weather, the sun, the sky, and all the actions of the citizens are directed by a team of special effects people. The entire show is directed and produced by the creator of the show, Christof. Truman Burbank, the star of the show, is the only one who doesn't know that he lives in a giant studio and is surrounded by an illusion of reality. The entire world watches Truman's movements twenty four hours a day, seven days a week through the use of thousands of miniature hidden cameras. The Truman Show closely parallels Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Initially, Truman is trapped in his own 'cave'; a film set or fictional island known as Seahaven. Truman?s journey or ascension into the real world and into knowledge is similar to that of Plato?s cave dweller. Truman, much like the prisoners in the cave, would know no difference then what they have been taught or shown to be the real world their whole lives. If T...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Black American Music History Essay

First of all, there is many different types of African American music but im going to talk about three in particular which are slave spirituals, blues, and the more common rap/hip-hop. First slave spirituals is a type of religious song originating among black slaves in the American south. It was famous for the reason that the lyrics of negro spirituals were tightly linked with the lives of their authors†¦. slaves! While work songs only dealt with their daily life, spirituals were inspired by the message of Jesus Christ and his Good News (Gospel) of the Bible, â€Å"You can be saved†! They are different from hymns and psalms, because they were a way of sharing the hard condition of being a slave. Another type of music there is are the blues. Blues is a type of folk song devised by Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century. Blues was so important to the African Slaves because it was a sort of code, how they told stories that had things to do with their owner and everyday life. Lastly is the most common now in time some people know it as rap others as hip hop but it is the style and fashion of African American music. Hip hop is important to African American culture because it originated from it all started when blues and jazz crossed over and musicians started making beats which were call bebop. (Well maybe not the kids but the adults call it that). All music we know today it was all based on African American music many people do not know the importance of music was to the slaves some say it was the only thing that gave them hope. Why is music important to our culture? There is no objective answer to this question. The importance of music is different in every individual’s life. It inspires people and allows us to get in touch with our emotions in a way that is unique. For those amongst us who find it difficult to express ourselves, music can evoke reactions. Your mood can change from dark and depressed to elated and delirious happiness with just the selection of the right track and a hit of the play button. Music works wonders on creating a certain atmosphere. You can use music to liven up a boring party or to create a romantic ambiance. Music is important to all of us and some fail to realize the importance music is to the history of everybody not just one race but to everybody. Who knew music was so important from rock to classical music is all around us. In Conclusion, did Elvis Presley steal African American music and is Eminem doing the same? There has been people that believe that Elvis stole black music. But, there have been other people that say that he was inspired but black music but never stole it. There has also been rumors about Eminem is stealing black music. But he mentioned in interview that rapping isn’t meant just for one race is for everybody. Ha ha, and he’s basically right! Music it lives in all of us.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Economic Impact of Pollution on Health Essay

Environmental degradation has indirect relationship with economic activity of households by affecting their health. Diseases borne by environmental pollution result in loss of income, loss of working hours, low labor productivity and heavy expenditure on health by households. This research assessed the economic impact of environmental pollution on human health. It was a micro level study conducted in the district of Rawalpindi. For this purpose, primary data was collected through interview schedule by using simple random technique. The extent of relationship between pollution borne diseases and income loss, expenditure on health and working hours was estimated through ANCOVA regression model using mixture of quantitative and qualitative variables. Results revealed the fact that there is both water and air pollution in Rawalpindi. Pure drinking water is seldom available. People are widely suffering from pollution borne diseases. Due to incidence of pollution borne diseases like malaria, hepatitis and asthma; household’s expenditure increases significantly. Of three diseases malaria is less dangerous according to economic point of view, because its treatment takes fewer resources out of total expenditure, while asthma and hepatitis occupies a large share of household expenditure. Income of household’s did not show significant response towards diseases, this result is justified by the logic, as when any member of family gets ill, other members or he/she himself try to earn more to meet health expenditure. On the other hand, outbreaks of such diseases in a country transmit a great shock to GDP of that country, because Govt. has to allocate certain handsome amount of budget to deal with such serious health issues. Similarly, it was observed that working hours of labor are seriously affected by the incidence of such diseases. Moreover, an affected person’s productivity also differs significantly from those who are healthy. Pollution is a negative characteristic of environment which causes degradation and affects the activities of individuals living in the environment. It is suggested that there must be some sound policy to defend the environment of Rawalpindi, so that quality of life can be better off for citizens. Clean environment is the pre-requisite for the citizens to play some constructive role in nation’s development.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Am i next? Essay

I ran down the stairs like the speed of lighting with coffee in one hand and my briefcase in the other, and being the clumsy person I am I stumbled a couple of steps and split HOT piping coffee all over my new Ralph Lauren shirt that my wife had bought me for my 30th birthday. Limping on one foot I put down the coffee and walked out the house picking up my silver keys from the kitchen table and I slamed the door on the way out. I tore a rather large leaf off the crocked Cox apple tree that was growing in my front garden, it was so big the roots were lifting up the paved drive way. I tore that leaf off to clean the coffee stain of my shirt, but unfortunately it only made it worse. From the Swede brown colour my shirt originally was, the leaf managed to turn the small coffee patch stain into green slug slim colour. Like a hover bee hovering around, waiting to sting an innocent human I walked outside my drive to see the traffic from a far distance you could see within the heat waves that cars were producing, a long line of cars horning and you could hear the drivers screaming at each other. So I jumped into the car and backed out of my driveway. I was looking for a C.D to insert and play in my car but all I found was an old hanky, just like my shirt with coffee stains. I thought â€Å"what the heck might as well make use of it and try and at least get rid of the stain†, but it didn’t seem to work. The hanky just made matters worse, my shirt looked worse then when I had coffee on it. So now, not only did I hit my foot against the stairs and stumble down them and then pour piping coffee on my designer shirt I also thought I would be clever and try get rid of the stain only to find that I had made a pigs ear out of it all. Could my day get any worse? I drove along the narrow roads of St Don’s street, passing friends on the pavement smiling and waving at them. I couldn’t belive how much traffic there was. It was 8:45, and I needed to be in the works car park by 8:55 to allow my self to find a suitable place to park by that time I would have been in work on time, dead on 9 o’clock. But was this even possible? What made matters worse was that Mr Norris, the street gossiper was in his 1960’s banger talking to Mrs Norwich from his car window. He was blocking the dam road! I waited for two minutes to show that I had common courtesy and I had patience, but this was really pushing it. You see, I am the sort of man that does not really like time-wasters, not only do they give me a head ache they also blow my very short fuse in my head. I got out of my car and slammed the door, broke into their one-to-one conversations and I yelled. I yelled so loudly I could feel the coffee backing up on me. Mr Norris and Mrs Norwich soon got the message and drove off. By this time it was dead on 9 o’clock and I was still on St Don’s roads. Not only had I lost my time for finding a suitable parking space to park my pride and joy I was also extremely late for work. If I had one more late arrival at work my boss would either sack me or demote me. I soon came to the traffic lights which were at the end of St Don’s road and I was at the bend. The lights finally turned green, and as soon as I turned the bend going at 40mph the car beside me that had a drunken driver was speeding and he sped directly into a fruit stall. All you could see was apples ad plums splattered all over the floor. I didn’t bother to ask if the driver was alright or if the fruit seller was fine, I drove off not bothering to take any details or write an incident report. I finally arrived at work having to park my car at the far end of the car park. I then walked into work adjusting my tie and greeted the receptionist Gina and made my way across the lobby and opened my office door. As I was just about to step into my office a voice called out and said; â€Å"Sean you’re half an hour late, what’s wrong with you? Without you there is no job being done, but I am truly sorry without a job theirs is no future for you here† My boss had just made it clear that I was no longer a staff member at the ‘Technology software† company he also pointed at the brown cardboard box that was sitting on my desk, it looked like he had sorted my belongings out. He also told me and said

Saturday, September 14, 2019

“A Question of Torture” by Alfred McCoy

â€Å"In April 2004, the American public was stunned when CBS Television broadcast photographs from Abu Ghraib prison, showing Iraqis naked, hooded, and contorted in humiliating positions while U.S. soldiers stood over them, smiling†. (p.5)Here Alfred McCoy starts his narration. His book â€Å"A Question of Torture† is labeled as a penetration study of fifty years American participation in torture propagation, research and practice. The book reveals degrading and inhumane treatment, cruelty and injustice in US history intensified by tragic personal case studies and experiences.The author deepens in why the tortures were sued, where they were implemented and what the consequences were. It is known that CIA had spent millions of dollars on torture research and the author writes that it combined self-inflicted pain with sensory deprivation with the eternal purpose of creating revolutionary psychological approach. The goal was to develop the first innovation in torture: â⠂¬Å"Still, if genius is the discovery of the obvious, then the CIA's perfection of psychological torture was a major scientific turning point, albeit unnoticed and unheralded in the world beyond its secret safe houses†.   (p.7)The primary techniques in torturing were hooding, isolation, extremes of hot and cold, hours of standing without opportunities to move or to change body position, manipulation of time. In such a way CIA had managed to destroy victim’s senses and his personal identity. All these techniques are claimed to have been used in Vietnam, Iraq, Iran and Central America. For example, Washington is argued to refer to torture in CIA’s prisons and torture-friendly countries.Nevertheless, information obtained through torturing is really worthless as victims were ready to acknowledge their fault even if they were not guilty. McCoy says that the agency used electric shocks and recruited peopled like, for example, Kurt Plotner. The author concludes that t he simplest and cheapest methods work the best and, what is more awful, public accepted them more than physical violence.Book DiscussionI think that the book â€Å"A Question of Torture† is really shocking and impressive study as the author reveals the most contradictive and painful pages of American history.Nevertheless, the book contributes historical filed as McCoy tends to provide neutral and realistic examples how tortures were used by CIA and where they were used. The author frames historical development of tortures stressing they are sanctioned. He seems to be very concerned with the diminished standards of American nation.However, I agree with McCoy that tortures are rarely affective and it is simply a like looking for a needle in haystack. The book teaches us that once torture is implemented, it results in mass tortures as, for example, tortures in Argentina and Chile during their ‘dirty wars’. Moreover, mass tortures are linked to increased rates of jud icial killings.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Chemistry Review Chapters 1 2

Therefore the rings of electrons underneath the valence atoms shield the valence electrons from the nucleus so that the atom isn’t pulled in as tight as the one before it. o Trends for atomic size: As you go down a periodic table, atoms get smaller Because the protons increase as you go down a period, the positive charge on tighter to the nucleus rather looser. o Trends for ionization energy: Ionization energy tends to go down a group o As you go down a period the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons in the outer energy level decreases. o Ionization energy tends to increase across a period. o As you go across a period the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons in the outer energy level increases. Therefore, more energy is needed to pull an electron away from its atom. Lewis structure: a symbolic representation of the arrangement of the valence electrons of an element  · Octet: an arrangement of eight electrons in the valence shell of an atom  · Ioniza tion energy: the energy that is needed to remove an electron from a neutral atom  · Atomic mass unit (u): a unit of mass that is 1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12  · Radioisotope: an unstable isotope of an element, which undergoes radioactive decay  · Mass number: The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of one of its atoms. Each proton or neutron is counted as one unit of the mass number. Energy level: fixed, three-dimensional volume in which electrons travel around the nucleus.  · Valence electron: an electron that occupies the outermost energy level of an atom.  · Stable octet: an arrangement of eight electrons in the valence shell of an atom.  · Electron affinity: the change in energy that accompanies the addition of an electron to an atom in the gaseous state.  · Cation: a positively charged atom.  · Anion: a negatively charged atom. Theories: Law of Conservation of mass: During a chemical reaction, the total mass of the substances involved does not change. Law of Definite Proportions: Elements always combine to form compounds in fixed proportions by mass. (Eg. Water always contains the elements hydrogen and oxygen combined in the following proportions: 11% hydrogen, 89% oxygen) Lesson 3 Ionic and Covalent compounds  · Chemical Bonds: the forces that attract to each other in compounds. o BONDING INVOLVES THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE VALENCE ELECTRONS OF ATOMS WHICH USUALLY CREATES A MORE STABLE BOND THAT AN ELEMENT ON ITS OWN.  · Ionic compound: between a non-metal and a metal where the metal loses an electron and the non-metal gains it Characteristics of an ionic bond consist of:  § Normally happens between a metal and a non-metal  · Metals tend to lose electrons, non-metals tend to gain them.  § Very high melting point  § Easily dissolved in water  § Good conductor of electricity, in water or on its own.  · Covalent compound: a bond between two non-metals (or a metal and a non-metal when the metal has a high electron af finity), where atoms share electrons o Characteristics of a covalent bond consist of:  § Low melting point  § When contained under high pressures or temperatures, becomes liquid  § Weak conductor of electricity Somewhat soluble o Polar covalent compound: a bond where the electronegativity is not great enough to completely bond to the other atom. Although, it does move closer to an atom, it never completely bonds. (between 0. 5 and 1. 7) This therefore means that when the electrons are partially exchanged, rather than having a + or – sign, they receive a ? + or ? – symbol  · Electronegativity: the measure of an atoms ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond. (EN) the opposite of atomic size which therefore means that as the atomic size increase, the electronegativity decreases If the electronegativity difference is 0. 00-1. 6 the bond is covalent. o If the electronegativity difference is over 1. 7 and up the bond is ionic.  · Octet rule: atoms bond in o rder to achieve an electron configuration that is the same as the electron configuration a noble gas. (8 valence electrons)  · Isoelectric: when two atoms or ions have the same electron configuration. (e. g. Cl and Ar)  · Molecular compounds: See covalent bonds  · Intramolecular forces: the forces that bond covalent bonds together  · Intermolecular forces: the forces that bond ionic bonds together Metallic bonding: in order to combine two metals both metals lose their valence electrons and combine them in a free flowing â€Å"sea† of electrons so that the electrons are shared equally by all atoms that join the bond.  · Alloy: a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals.  · Lone pairs: electron pairs that are not involved in bonding  · Bonding pairs: electron pair that are involved with bonding.  · Polar molecule: a molecule with a partial negative charge on one end and a partial positive charge on the other end.  · Non-polar molecule: a molecule that has nei ther a positive nor negative end.

The Organizations Internal and External Labor Markets Assignment

The Organizations Internal and External Labor Markets - Assignment Example Compensation standards set in the organization are considerably grounded on the internal and external labor market conditions prevailing. For example, in this particular organization, the remuneration standards for those skills and expertise which are found in abundance in the labor marker are kept at low levels, while the rare skills which are rated highly by the organization but not found in abundance in the market need to be remunerated above industry standards. This is done with the aim of attracting, retaining and developing potential talents from the industry which accounts for one of the most potential competitive strengths for the organization (Osterman, 2004, p.2-3). Thus, it is seen how wage rates in the organization are determined and influenced by the existence, abundance or scarcity of human resources in the market. Likewise, the existing internal labor structure and strength of the organization forms the basis on which aspects such as career development planning, succes sion planning etc are designed in the organization. For this, labor forecasts are done to portray the future talents and skills which would be required for meeting organizational objectives. Long-term objectives of the firm might call for an increase in particularly skilled resources while a shrinkage in the demand for some other resources. It is crucial to determine or identify the gaps between the existing level of talent in the organization and the expected future talents which would be required in the organization. The organization plans it’s training and developmental activities based strongly on the skills it desires to nurture for accomplishing future goals. Besides that, the present recruitment and selection strategies are also designed in a way which helps to the future workforce requirements in the organization.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Write in APA format, a brief summary of 5 well known theories of Essay

Write in APA format, a brief summary of 5 well known theories of psychology(namely behavioural, cognitive, developmental, humanistic and personality) and give o - Essay Example He stated that it is not something that has to be repeated many times, but instead, if the behaviour that you want is clearly communicated, an individual will react to a familiar stimulus ("B.F. Skinner", 2008, p.1). Skinner called his theory "operant conditioning." He used a system of positive and negative enforcers to help strengthen or eliminate behaviours. The use of behavioural modification means that an individual may "change the consequences of behaviour in order to guide it to what is required. Skinner saw that although there would be a large task that was to be completed, it would be a better idea to break these larger steps down into small ones. This way a child could concentrate on one step at a time and be rewarded for the accomplishment of each task ("The 1950s, n.d.). In the view of the behaviourists, the way to motivate a child to learn is to reinforce the behaviour you want and ignore the behaviour you do not want. As an example, you have a child who does not want to clean their room. A chart can be set up and each time a child cleans their room, they receive a positive sticker (maybe a smiling face) on the chart. When they do not, they receive a negative sticker (maybe a frowning face). In order to go to McDonalds or get a special treat, they must have an accumulation of positive stickers. This can motivate a child to clean their room. Eventually, this will be made into a habit of course and you can gradually discontinue the stickers (according to his theory). The cognitive theorists were focused on finding out how people learned through understanding material in their environment. One of the foremost theorists in this area was Jean Piaget. He believed that children do not necessarily learn in a smooth way but in a series of stages of cognitive development. His stages include: Although many children follow this approach, many may find that they start the stages earlier than Piaget said. Other theorists like Vygotsky found that there were

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Improving Quality through Introduction of Infection Control System in Essay

Improving Quality through Introduction of Infection Control System in OT in Ibn Al Nafees - Essay Example ere the healthcare professionals engaged in hospital care services are rendered restricted in terms of choice of antibiotics while treating these cases. This becomes more significant in operating theaters. For example, strains of Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to methicillin and multiple other antibiotics are endemic in numerous hospital environments, leaving vancomycin as the sole effective antimicrobial agent for many patients infected with this microorganism. The majority of these clinical isolates being methicillin resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci, there had been increasing reliance on vancomycin for surgical prophylaxis. In no time, there were reports of emerging strains of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This indicates that choosing newer antibiotics is not the appropriate approach to handle such situations. To add to this problem, in the hospital environment, there are increasing incidences of infections with poly-antimicrobial resistant strains of differ ent other common hospital-acquired strains such as Pseudomonas, other Gram-negative bacilli, and enterobacteriaceae. They are increasingly resistant to more frontline antimicrobials, such as quinolones, aminoglycosides, monobactams, and third-generation cephalosporins. This culminates into a situation where nosocomial infections occur, but the care professionals are left with no options for treatment in the hospitalisation settings, which faces absolute erosion in the efficacy of even the newest antimicrobial agents mainly due to very rapid emergence of resistance. Failure to treat such conditions in the postsurgical patients would lead to situations involving longer hospital stay, increased morbidity or mortality, stakeholder dissatisfaction, and increased financial consequences for both the hospital and the clients (Curran, 2001). It indicates that the best way to get rid of these infections is to prevent them, since the other therapeutic eradication measures lead to morbidity,

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Crime Prevention, Disorder and Community Safety (Criminolgy) Essay

Crime Prevention, Disorder and Community Safety (Criminolgy) - Essay Example In reality, the term "fear of crime" is an artifact of a broad interest in what is presumed to be the psychological effect of crime. As a result, there is no clear rationale behind its use.† Researches indicate that people especially women fear crime more than men but they do not report it quite often so it can be concluded that the actual statistics of women victimization is higher than reported. Stanko (1992) observed that according to the surveys, males are more capable of being victimized than women despite of the fact that women show more insecure behavior. It is perceived that the fear is irrational and unrealistic. However it should be noted that crimes happened with women are not reported all the time as women are more sensitive to their social image than man thus less willing to report that they are being victimized. Young (1988: 174) wrote that: "Domestic crisis and sexual crimes are less likely to enter the statistics than property crimes, which leads to the systemat ic underestimation of crimes against women". It should also be considered that researches and surveys only consist of crimes happened in front of witnesses or road-crimes. Women are often victimized within the walls of their own homes and do not report to any one. Warr (1984, 1985) investigates that as women are scared more of sexual assault than men so the general fear gets mix with the fear of sexual assault and heighten their insecurity. He also suggested that women's fear of victimization should be differently analyzed than men as men rarely fears sexual assault. Keane (1995) suggested that women’s fear of crime consists of two fears basically i.e. concrete fear and formless fear. Concrete fears are the fears of some specific crimes while formless fear is general fear or fear that can not be associated with some specific crimes. This theory of Keane has an underlying assumption that some crimes are more fear inducing than others. For women sexual assault is more fear indu cing than any type of theft or property damages. As per Keane, women reported both types of fears whether concrete or formless but younger females reported more of a concrete fear than elderly ladies. It can be deduced that elder age feels more formless fear than younger. Elders are more sensitive and insecure in perceiving crimes and have less tolerance for it. According to the researches of Warr (1985) and Ferraro (1996), women perceive rape as much serious crime as a murder. After an extensive research work by Ferraro (1996), he concluded that elder women and younger women both report the highest level of fear however the basis of fear can be different entirely. The elder women are more sensitive about the risk of financial damage, risk of being injured or loss of life while younger women are more scared of sexual assault. The fear of younger women is mostly comprises of rape or harassment and is more dominant in them than any other fear. The main difference in the reasons of fea r is the fear of sexual assault. If this fear will be excluded from the fear of crime in women, the difference between male and female fears of being victimized will be reduced. Warr (1985) also reported that women who are below the age of 35 fear more of sexual assault. As per him, as the girls become older, their fear increases and as they become women and start to age the fear diminishes. However as per Kennedy and Silverman (1984), as they become more

Monday, September 9, 2019

The German Automobile Industry and the affect it has on the German Essay

The German Automobile Industry and the affect it has on the German Economy, Stock Utility Analysis from 1990 until 2007 - Essay Example Until the late 1980s, the German production system, which had maintained the legacy f the craft system, was praised for its high-quality products and incremental innovation based on decentralized production by high-quality labour. The German model, termed "diversified quality production" (DQP) or "incremental innovation system," was characterized by highly skilled workers and professional specialization instead f Tayloristic de-skilling f labour. The flexible German system, based on some elements f the craft system, could perform "fast retooling" and "incremental innovation" better than the American mass producers until the 1980s. In particular, the German production system was praised for strong small- and medium-sized companies (Mittelstnder). The strength f these companies was based on the agility f small batches and highly skilled labour. The decentralized and flexible system based on highly skilled workers could be realized by particular German institutional constraints. German corporatist institutions, characterized by a dual system f workers' participation at plant-level decision-making and collective bargaining at the industrial sectoral level, realized the development f advanced vocational training and productivity cooperation. Unlike the free market f the United States, in which companies are less likely to contribute to the development f industry-wide training systems due to the risk f losing skilled workers to competing firms and the possibility f collective action problems in developing public training programs, the German corporatist institutions f trade unions and employer associations implemented highly developed vocational training by limiting the free-riding in the process f training. These centralized corporatist associations f trade unions and employers' associations nationally standardized and rigoro usly enforced vocational training curricula. The centralized trade unions and employer associations could influence individual employers' training decisions. Works councils at the plant level policed the employers' observance f collective agreements for vocational training. In addition, the industry-wide wages system established by collective bargaining reduced the employees' incentives to be receptive to poaching. On the other hand, the German corporatist model that realized the "diversified quality production" worked well only under the condition f social cooperation between labour and management.

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Consideration - Pre-existing Duties and Part Payment of Debts Essay

Consideration - Pre-existing Duties and Part Payment of Debts - Essay Example The facts of the case were that a borrower, Cole, owed Pinnel [the lender] the equivalent of  £8.50 [ £8-10s-0d] which was to be repaid on 11 November. At the lender’s request, the borrower paid  £5.11 [ £5-2s-2d] on 1 October, which the lender claimed to accept in full settlement of the debt.    The lender then successfully sued the borrower for the outstanding amount.   The House of Lords held that since no consideration was exchanged to enforce the promise of the lender to accept part-payment of a debt on the due date from the borrower, then the lender could pursue full payment of the debt at a later date. This remains the general rule at common law.   However, in Pinnel’s Case, it was also said that the agreement to accept part payment would have bound the lender if fresh consideration had been provided to show accord and satisfaction.   This might be: The facts of the case were that a borrower, Cole, owed Pinnel [the lender] the equivalent of  £8. 50 which was to be repaid on 11 November. At the lender’s request, the borrower paid  £5.11 [ £5-2s-2d] on 1 October, which the lender claimed to accept in full settlement of the debt.    The lender then successfully sued the borrower for the outstanding amount.   The House of Lords held that since no consideration was exchanged to enforce the promise of the lender to accept part-payment of a debt on the due date from the borrower, then the lender could pursue full payment of the debt at a later date.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

The Berlin Wall A World Divided 1961-1989 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Berlin Wall A World Divided 1961-1989 - Essay Example This essay highlights that the differences in economic and political ideologies could have easily led to the eruption of another world war but as history dictates it the war didn’t materialize in the relatively volatile environment. Distinctively, minds engaged instead of arms for the greater good of the world. This period provides a unique period on a historical lens where the greater public demanded an ear and vouch for their future.This paper stresses that throughout the narrative a number themes are strongly expressed in regards to the period of time which are consistent. A strong sense and theme of conflict is portrayed during the times. Conflicts in ideology where the East is largely welcoming to a communist economic model where on the other hand the West are in favor of a capitalist economic model. There are also conflicting living standards across each side of the wall where the living standards on the West were comparatively economic favorable than those in the East. The strong theme of conflict is also largely emphasized on the political set up across each divide; the West can be perceived to adopt a more democratic government where the larger public have their say in state issues, this is opposed to dictatorial government perceived to be in place in the East where razor wires are erected without the public’s consent.  The aspect of leadership is also brought under the knife in the historical theatre where different world leaders adopt different styles of leadership which are hugely consequential.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt Biography Essay Example for Free

Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt Biography Essay D. O. B-D. O. B: September 6, 1817 September 19, 1893, in London, England and came to Canada in 1835 to work for the British American Land Company. Family Information: On February 9, 1848, Galt married Elliott Torrance, the daughter of John Torrance, of Saint-Antoine Hall, Montreal. She died on May 25, 1850, shortly after giving birth to their only son, Elliott. Later he married her younger sister, Amy Gordon Torrance. Amy gave birth to 7 daughters and 2 more sons. They lived in Montreal at their house within the Golden Square Mile, which Galt built in about 1860. Galt appears to have had a very non-sectarian approach to religious faith and although the grandson of a Calvinist theologian, Alexander Galt supported both the Methodist and Anglican churches while his wife, Amy, was a lifelong Presbyterian. Occupation: He was a politician, member of the Canadian parliament. Is the Father of Confederation. Personality: Alexander Tilloch Galt, who was of Scottish descent, spent his early years with his brothers John and Thomas partly in the London area, partly in Scotland. Addiction: Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt had no addictions to anything. Political Party: Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt is from a Liberal-Conservative party. Political Beliefs: He was a member of the Great Coalition government in the Province of Canada that secured Confederation between 1864 and 1867. He became a leading figure in the creation of the Coalition when he was asked to become premier of the Province of Canada by then Governor General Sir Edmund Walker Head. Doubting his own ability to demand the loyalty of the majority of members of the Legislative Assembly, he turned down the position, but recommended that George-Etienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald be asked to become co-leaders of the new government. Political Career: The remainder of Galts political career was spent as the Canadian governments representative abroad until 1883, when he returned to the business world. Chronic health problems late in life forced him to limit his activities after 1890. He died at home in Montreal on September 19, 1893 Contribution to Confederation: He was one of the pioneers of the philosophy of Confederation. As early as 1858, he proposed a federation of the colonies of British North and planned the financial arrangements for the new nation. After Confederation, he served briefly as the Minister of Finance, but drifted into the position of Independent Conservative and in 1880 he was appointed as the first high commissioner to Great Britain which he kept until 1883. Additional Information: Alexander Tilloch Galt was one of the most influential politicians of his time. His role was most prominent during the constitutional conferences; he was involved in the issue of economic development and was committed to defending the rights of religious minorities. These things together made him truly one of the Fathers of Confederation. In 1824, Alexanders father John Galt founded the Canada Company a settlement company active in the area of Lake Huron and laid the groundwork for the city of Guelph, Ontario. It was during this time that the young Alexander first came to Canada, in 1828. He remained for two years. Despite the failure of the Canada Company, John Galt helped found the British American Land Company in 1834 and arranged for his son to be taken on as a clerk in the Sherbrook office. Thus, in 1835, Alexander Tilloch Galt returned to Canada for the second time. In 1840, he drafted a report on the companys successes and failures, and the document made its way to London. Galt had made an impression: in October 1843, the London office made him secretary of the British American Land Company and, in 1844, he was named commissioner.