Responses to Question 1 and 4 on “Two Ways of Seeing a River” on page 481 of Model for Writers

1. The method of organization that Twain uses in this selection is time order because he described the way he saw and experienced the river in a sequence as they occurred. In addition, he stared an essay by telling an event in the past and ended it in the present. That is the time order organization. He might have used the comparison and contrast method as the alternative methods because he compared two different ways of seeing the same river. The knowledge and the experience would have been gained or lost. 4. Yes, Twain feels he has â€Å"gained most or lost most†. He has gained the knowledge and the experience when he looking at the river. At the first time he saw it, he was inspired by its calmness, its smoothness and its beauty. However, after lots of time looking at that river, he became less impressed in it. While he lost his emotional connection to the river, he lost the connectedness of it to his live. That’s what he has lost. Reponses to Question 1 through 6 on â€Å"Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts† on page 493-494 of Model for Writers 1. In paragraph 10-12, Catton discusses what he considers to be the most striking contrast between Grant and Lee. That different is that while Lee saw himself defending only his region, a static society that did not want to change, Grant was fighting for a growing, expanding nation. In addition, Grant was â€Å"the modern man emerging,† while Lee stood for the past, for traditions that originated in the age of chivalry. . The similarities that Catton sees between Grant and Lee are tenacious, daring and resourceful. Most important, according to Catton believes, is that both of them had the ability to turn from war to peace because it helped the two sections to become one nation again. 3. 4. Catton organizes the body of his essay paragraph 3-16 by using time order and logical order pattern. He introduces the background of Grant and Lee and their view of soci ety by contrasting them. Then he uses transitional paragraph from contrast to comparison. 5. 6. Catton constructs clear transitions between paragraphs. The transitional devices he uses are using comparison and contrast words to link the paragraphs (yet, on the other hand), using addition words such as furthermore, and, and using time transition (lastly). Because of these transitions, they help me read easily to know the main idea of the whole essay and to join the various parts of an essay together.

College Uneducation Essay

I wish to speak on â€Å"College Uneducation. † Is it possible that our college educationmay â€Å"uneducate† rather than educate? I answer â€Å"Yes. † It is a paradox but nonetheless the truth—the grim, unmerciful truth. We all believe in higher education; else we should not be in the University. At the same time, college education—like all other human devices for human betterment—may build or destroy, lead, or mislead. My ten years’ humble service in the University of the Philippines has afforded me an opportunity to watch the current of ideals and practices of our student body. In some aspects of higher education, most of our students have measured up to their high responsibilities. But in other features—alas, vital ones! —the thoughts and actions of many of them tend to stunt the mind, dry up the heart, and quench the soul. These students are being uneducated in college. I shall briefly discussthree ways in which many of our students are getting college uneducation, for which they pay tuition fees and make unnumbered sacrifices. Book Worship In the first place, there is the all but delirious worship of the printed page. â€Å"What does the book say? † is, by all odds, the most important question in the student’s mind whenever he is faced with any problem calling for his own reasoning. By the same token, may students feel a sort of frenzy for facts till these become as huge as the mountains and the mind is crushed under them. Those students think of nothing but how to accumulate data; hence, their capacity for clear and powerful thinking is paralyzed. How pathetic to hear them argue and discuss! Because they lack the native vitality of unhampered reason, their discourse smacks of cant and sophistry rather than of healthy reasoning and straight thinking. It is thus that many of our students surrender their individuality to the textbook and lose their birthright—which is to think for themselves. And when they attempt to form their own judgment, they become pedantic. Unless a student develops the habit of independent and sound reasoning, his college education is a solemn sham. Compare these hair-splitting college students with Juan de la Cruz in the barrios. Now, Juan de la Cruz has read very little: no undigested mass of learning dulls the edge of his inborn logic, his mind is free from the overwhelming, stultifying weight of unassimilated book knowledge. How penetrating his perception, how unerring his judgment, how solid his common sense! He contemptuously refers to the learned sophists, thus: †Lumabis ang karunungan mo,† which means, â€Å"Your learning is too much. † Professional Philistinism The second manner of college uneducation that I want to speak of is this: most students make professional efficiency the be-all and end-all of college education. They have set their hearts upon becoming highly trained lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, and agriculturists. I shall not stop to inquire into the question of how much blame should be laid at the door of the faculties of the University for this pernicious drift toward undue and excessive specialization. That such a tendency exists is undeniable, but we never pause to count, the cost! We are all of one mind: I believe that college education is nothing unless it widens a man’s vision, broadens his sympathies, and leads him to higher thinking and deep feeling. Yet how can we expect a; this result from a state of affairs which reduces a law student to a code, a prospective doctor to a prescription, and a would-be engineer to a mathematical formula? How many students in our professional colleges are doing any systematic reading in literature? May we not, indeed, seriously ask whether this fetish of specialization does not smother the inspiring sense of beauty and the ennobling love of finer things that our students have it in them to unfold into full-blown magnificence. The Jading Dullness of Modern Life â€Å"A thing of beauty is a joy forever,†Ã¢â‚¬ says Keats. But we know that beauty us a matter of taste; and, unless we develop in us a proper appreciation of what is beautiful and sublime, everything around us is tedious and commonplace. We rise early and go out into, but our spirit is responsive to the hopeful quietude and the dew-chastened sweetness of dawn. At night we behold the myriad stars, but they are just so many bright specks—their soft fires do not soothe our troubled hearts, and we do not experience that awesome, soul stirring fascination of theimmense ties of God’s universe. We are bathed in the silver sheen of the moon and yet feel not the beatitude of the moment. We gaze upon a vista of high mountains, but their silent strength has no appeal for us. We read some undying verses; still, their vibrant cadence does not thrill us, and their transcendent though is to us like a vision that vanishes. We look at a masterpiece of the chisel with its eternal gracefulness of lines and properties, yet to us it is no more than a mere human likeness. Tell me, is such a life worth coming to college for? Yet, my friends, the overspecialization which many students pursue with zeal and devotion is bound to result in such an unfeeling, dry-as-dust existence. I may say in passing that the education of the older generation is in this respect far superior to ours. Our older countrymen say, with reason, that the new education does not lawfully cultivate the heart as the old education did. Misguided Zeal Lastly, this selfsame rage for highly specialized training, with a view to distinguished professional success, beclouds our vision of the broader perspectives of life. Our philosophy of life is in danger of becoming narrow and mean because we are habituated to think almost wholly in terms of material wellbeing. Of course we must be practical. We cannot adequately answer this tremendous question unless we thoughtfully develop a proper sense of values and thus learn to separate the dross from the gold, the chaff from the grain of life. The time to do this task is not after but before college graduation; for, when all is said and done, the sum and substance of higher education is the individualformulation of what life is for, with special training in some advanced line of human learning in order that such a life formula may be executed with the utmost effectiveness. But how can we lay down the terms of our philosophy of life if every one of our thoughts is absorbed by the daily assignment, the outside reading, and the laboratory experiment, and when we continuously devour lectures and notes? â€Å"Uneducated† Juan de la Cruz as Teacher Here, again, many of our students should sit at the feet of meagrely educated Juan de la Cruz and learn wisdom. Ah! He is often called ignorant, but he is the wisest of the wise, for he has unravelled the mysteries of life. His is the happiness of the man who knows the whys of human existence. Unassuming Juan de la Cruz cherishes no â€Å"Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself. † His simple and hardy virtues put to shame the studied and complex rules of conduct of highly educated men and women. In adversity, his stoicism is beyond encomium. His love of home, so guilelessly faithful, is the firm foundation of our social structure. And his patriotism has been tested and found true. Can our students learn from Juan de la Cruz, or does their college education unfit them to become his pupils? In conclusion, I shall say that I have observed among many of our students certain alarming signs of college uneducation, and some of these are: (1) lack of independent judgment as well as love of pedantry, because of the worship of the printed page and the feverish accumulation of undigested data; (2) the deadening of the delicate sense of the beautiful and the sublime, on account of overspecialization; and (3) neglect of the formulation of a sound philosophy of life as a result of excessive emphasis on professional training.

Advantages and the disadvantages of magistrates and jurors

In this essay I intend to evaluate the effectiveness of lay personnel and the advantages and the disadvantages of magistrates and jurors. Lay members (Magistrates) have legal advisers within points of law and live locally as they have to live close so that they know the area well. Also it is cheaper to send cases to lay magistrates than using professional judges because they are cheaper and do their work voluntarily. Many magistrates are from a good gender balance; this can benefit them because they are able to understand males and females. Lay magistrates are not legally qualified which doesn’t aid them as they could give an incorrect sentence when someone is actually innocent. They are not as good as cross section, as most magistrates are often perceived as being middle-aged and middle-class. Also they prosecute biased, as they believe the police too soon; there fore they could be sentencing someone innocent. Moreover there is an inconsistency in sentencing, so offenders in different areas are sentenced for different lengths of times for the same offence. Magistrates come from a ride range of backgrounds than professional judges and are much older then district judges. Lay magistrates get paid a ‘stipe’ which is called a â€Å"stipend† thus the term stipendiary comes from. District judges sit in the county and magistrate’s court; an additional name for district judges is stipendiary judges. Lay magistrates are not legally qualified and do not get paid, where as stipendiary magistrates are legally qualified and get paid for there job. The advantages of having jury service are that the legal system becomes more open and justice is seen to be done as members of the public aim to get fair results and they are made without bias. It also helps to keep the law clearer as points have to be explained to the jury, enabling the defendant to understand the case more easily. For the jury service there is public confidence and it is an open system of justice they are also considered to be a fundamental part of a democratic society. The jury services are free from pressure during discussions and are protected from outside influences when deciding on the verdict. Although there is a lot of media influence and reporting information, which can mean that, the decision can be manipulated. Other disadvantages of having the jury service can be that they may be a case of racial bias. In conclusion there are many advantages and disadvantages of both magistrates and juries, which are that there is public confidence, fair results without being bias and juries represent the public as a whole, this means that they are a fundamental part of a democratic society. On the other hand the disadvantage of magistrates is that there is a lot of media influence and there is also racial bias.

Film and Media Studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words - 1

Film and Media Studies - Research Paper Example In philosophical reconfiguration of cinema the researcher has discussed on the terms phenomenology, ontology, semiotics and ethical factors as found in the films. The utilitarian deontological ethics are the other philosophies discussed and they are supported by various references in the films. Cinema has been the major source of the knowledge of human psyche. â€Å"Every theorist, every film maker, every philosopher, every place has a different story to tell.† (Flicity Colman 2009: 5) Cinema started developing at the end of nineteenth century with the advancement in photography, mechanics, optics and chronophotography. Much have been discussed about the essence of cinema, what we call it a theory of cinema. Film theory is a scientific process of organizing through which we learn to be disciplined and as objective as possible in our judgement about films. (Pieter Fourie: 194) Fourie further discusses four subjects of film theory: According to some experts cinema is a movement, and some say it is an interval. Some thought cinema as an image and some thought it as writing. The experts also debate on the question whether cinema is a science or it is an art. The discussion further continued with the ontological, epistemological and anthropological connections of cinema. Cinema was considered as a new medium of communication in early twentieth century. Many Film theories were developed to study the essence of cinema. They include classic film theory, apparatus theory, auteur theory, feminist film theory, formalist film theory, genre studies, Marxist film theory, philosophy of language film theory, psychoanalytical film theory, screen theory, and structuralist film theory. The paper tries to discuss some of these theories through the examples of some films. The topic of discussion is based on particular category of cinema and that is psychological thriller films. The research paper on Media studies basically

Ethics and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Ethics and Governance - Essay Example , stakeholders, suppliers etc it may be an ethical organization but the animal rights activist groups or the individuals who are vegetarians could look upon the activities of the organization as being highly unethical just as the cannibals are regarded as unethical by the majority of people. The subject of business ethics touches upon the frontiers of many subjects which are controversial, in fact it touches upon the controversy of human life, the dilemma of the creation into which we all have been born . To go into detail into even any one of these subjects is beyond the scope of this paper but it is helpful for the reader to be aware of all the other subjects which effect business ethics. Organizations do have some individual values; if they strive for profit making then the value behind it may be self reliance and striving for excellence, this drive for excellence may be highly supported by certain cultures, but in the process the organization may be producing certain outcomes which may not be desirable for certain groups and even for the society at large. For example an organization individually may be releasing very little pollutants in the environment but there are other organizations who also have the same individual value system and the urge to strive for excellence who are also releasing the pollutants and when summed up leads to a huge amount of pollutants in the environment which are harmful to a large number of people, thus raising the need for legal interventions and code of ethics in this case restricting the organization from polluting beyond a certain limit or charging higher environmental tax to the larger polluters. Also the organizations are forced t o comply to ethical standards when they come under pressure from various groups, when they are made to realize how the pursuit of their own interests are harming others or when they are threatened to stop pursuing their own objectives which is proving to be harmful to others then there is a

Politcal Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Politcal Science - Essay Example The global political economy is mostly concerned with the political forces shaping up the systems where economic interactions are detailed. The global political economy centers itself specifically on the debate regarding the globalization regimes, the international trade mechanisms, the global markets, the financial discussions, the socio-economic climates within the world, and so on. The concept is a new one as it was brought to light in the 1970s. Its origin was due to a heterodox approach towards the global studies during this era. It occurred somewhere between the 1973 world oil crisis and the Bretton Woods system breakdown which put a red alert on the face of academics within the United States of America in terms of economic foundations, contingencies and importance elements. The global political economy bases its origin upon a few scholars, most noteworthy of which is Eugene Low who described that earliest studies of international relations had emphasized a great deal on the excessive discussion of law, diplomatic history and politics (Viotti & Kauppi 2006). It was at the same time when neoclassical economics was being seen with a skeptical eye as it was accused of being ahistorical as well as abstraction. The origin drew heavily on the historical sociology as well as the economic history where the global political economy proposed a merger of economic and political discussions and the related analyses. Both the Marxist scholars as well as the global political economy ones protested against the dependence of Western social science towards the territorial state as being the unit of analysis and more than that focused on the adoption of a global system in place. The current political economy is such that there is immense room for growth and advancements within the different nations of the world. What is needed now is a concerted effort on the part of each and every player so that the international domains become quick

Evolving thesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolving thesis - Essay Example To a great extent, this claim can be viewed as a logical one and there is evidence all around us that validates and supports it. The acquisition of property and goods is often used as a hallmark of success where the ones who have the â€Å"best†, â€Å"biggest† or â€Å"most† of something are considered most successful. To appreciate that, one only needs to observe the mass media, especially television, magazines as well as online polls. Every year Forbes comes out with a list of the richest in the world, there are surveys to show, for instance which footballer owns the biggest car and art enthusiasts and collectors often strive to have the most extensive collection of paintings, books and many other ostentation goods. For example Bill Gates is ranked as the richest man in the world, this ranking being based on our perception of money as an indirect endorsement for the man as the most successful businessman alive. These measurements do not take into account what he has achieved, how many people he has helped or even how happy he is, all that counts are the possessions he has accumulated. Thus the rest of America works tirelessly to acquire as much as they can and often forget to enjoy it since their primary goal is to be viewed as successful in their circles. The most direct route to that is to buy and flaunt, indeed most Americans according to research would pick money over happiness if they had a chance (Wolfe 32). Twitchell’s (p.285) claim is supported by his own reasoning in regard to poverty in the western world, albeit it applies universally; he states that the poor are labeled as such, owing to their lack of material things and property. Going by the original argument that we use these things to define and give meaning to ourselves, it would then appear that the poor lack meaning and inevitably face exclusion from society. A look at the social stratification will confirm that the more one owns the higher they are likely to go, for instance, I imagine the guards in an exclusive hotel are more likely to open the gate for an expensive looking top of the range car than they are for a homeless man or generally disheveled individual. This is because the consumerist society in which we exist sustains itself by excluding anyone who does not conform to the culture of endless buying and since human beings are social creatures, most of us try to keep up with the consumerist trends (Twitchell 286). The â€Å"cool† and successful individuals and groups at the top of the chain who are the subject of the collective admiration from the less successful are extremely dynamic. This must be so otherwise the materialist culture would come up even if they were to remain static for others to keep up with them. For instance when technology devices such as the new iPhone are unveiled, there are those who can afford to purchase them immediately notwithstanding the price. The rest will save until they can afford the device; however, some months down the line, when they are almost achieving this end, a new more expensive model is unveiled and quickly grabbed by the rich as the rest are left in second place as always. This cycle of changing trends and fashions is what ultimately drives consumerism and manipulates many Americans to keep buying items not for the items own sake but to enhance

Create an argument that explains your point of view Essay

Create an argument that explains your point of view - Essay Example Rolling Stone tries to evaluate his past life and finding reasons why he engaged in the bombing. What factors in his life motivated his actions. It however, is debatable on the question as to whether they are awarding him a celebrity status considering how they went about it. Putting him on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine which is on â€Å"normal† cases braced by celebrities and rap stars, is in a way giving him a celebrity status. The average American citizen or even anywhere else in the world takes what he or she is fed by the media seriously. In a large sense the sets the agenda for the public. They determine, to a big extent, which models will be talked about by the public, which music the public will be excited about and in this case, arguably, who will be the next celebrity. By putting him on the cover, they did just that. It is however risky to give him a celebrity status considering he will develop a following which will turn out to be counterproductive. This shoul d not be mistaken as an outright rejection for the story, it is important that people also understand the â€Å"other† life of suspects like Tsarnaev. However, this should be done very carefully so it doesn’t seem as though the acts they are suspected of are being glorified. Images, for instance the one used on the cover of Rolling Stone seems glorifying. ... The question that people will probably be asking is how this magazine influences on other would be bombers. The article might actually encourage more of attention desperate individuals to engage in such acts. Al-Qaida, a self-confessed terror group indicated in their twitter handle that they were happy of all the media attention they were receiving due to the west gate attack in Kenya. This means that the terrorists value attention, and they do most of what they do to get attention. Now giving them this attention by reporting the acts of bombing, most people think should be enough. Going ahead and featuring them on a celebrity magazine, on the cover of it, is not the best way to deny them the attention. Tsarnaev is now becoming an iconic figure for his followers. Assuming they were more who engaged in one way or another in the bombing, the featuring of Tsarnaev makes them feel as though they can as well do with the attention. The magazine is turning him into some sort of a hero for h e has done. Celebrities are known to be individuals highlighted by the media mostly because of the interest they arouse among the public. Tsarnaev, should not arouse interest and the media should not attempt to paint him as arousing interest. As human beings we all have an evil part. It is said, that all human beings have a potential of being an angel or a beast, how we turn out all depends on which is natured by the society. For balance and stability, our evil parts should be shunned and our good parts honed. The media has a huge responsibility in shaping these. In the social media, due to the anonymity provided by such platforms, people often praise bad and glorify evil. This could be to get attention or to feel up for social gaps at home or in

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market Essay

Objectives of Risk Analysis in Financial Market - Essay Example Every buyer in a financial market is an investor. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Risk management is a very important concept in both money and capital market. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: Systematic risks and Unsystematic risks. Systematic Risks Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. (Kidwell et al. 2007) It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Systematic risks are those risks which nobody can predict. As you cannot foresee it, you cannot reduce it or protect yourself against it. For example, the recent political turmoil in Egypt sent all the share markets in the world downward. All investors lost a lot of sum. This political crisis was unpredictable and no investor was able to protect his investment against this downf all. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Economists use the term ‘beta’ to show the relationship between a stock’s return and the general market movement. For example, if you assign beta 1 to general market (index) and 2 to a particular share, it means if the market goes up 20%, the share goes up 40% and if the market goes down 10%, the share goes down 20%. It means, this particular share is twice as volatile as the market index. Shares with betas greater than 1 are called aggressive shares as they carry more risk than the market. In addition, they affect the entire portfolio in a greater degree than the market...This paper describes financial market, outlines different types of risks in that market and methods for buyers to reduce the risk. Financial market is a mechanism that enables buyers and sellers to meet their financial requirements. Buyers are the investors who purchase short term or long term financial assets while sellers raise funds for their short term and long term requirements. The globalization made world markets more integrated and provided more opportunities in overseas investments. Based on the instruments dealt in the market, financial market divides into money market and capital market. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. Money market deals with short term trading (buying and selling) of financial assets which have maturity period of one year or less. Capital market deals with securities (debt or equity) which companies and governments used to raise long term funds. To maximize the profit, buyers are usually ready to take risk. To manage the risk, investors usually diversify it. Risk in the financial market can be divided into two: systematic risks and unsystematic risks. Systematic risk is defined as â€Å"The risk that tends to affect the entire market similarly†. It is also known as market risk or nondiversifiable risk. Systematic risk is the risk that cannot be reduced or predicted in any manner. Most investors are primarily concerned with systematic risk as they can reduce unsystematic risk through diversification. Unsystematic risk is defined as â€Å"The unique or security specific risks that tend partially to offset one another in a portfolio Foreign exchange risk occurs due to changes in exchange rate

Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Questions - Essay Example This is especially useful in approach to new products because it involves seizing new opportunities after consideration of the company strengths. An evaluation seeks to check whether the implemented projects were effectively realized as per the original strategic visions. Overall objectives of a company can never be met in solitude. It takes shared resources as well as commitment. Experts from various departments and even outside companies and consultancy groups come together to manage the decisions that are sound to operations of the company. With their diverse backgrounds, they are able to make decisions valuable to a company visions. An organization may seek market leadership through a collection of methods such as low cost products of superior quality and great innovation. However, projects are the most outward methods that the organization can use to measure achievability of the objectives. A company may be efficient internally as well as externally and this can be seen from the way objectives are effectively met. Comprehensive scope analysis is very important planning technique. This is because it specifies the contents of the work as well as the outcomes of the project. Scope analysis helps put in mind the amount of resources required and the level and amount of activities required completing a project. A comprehensive scope analysis takes into account several steps to be put to mind to make sure that the success is guaranteed. At this stage, a conceptual development is put into account to make sure that the best methods of achieving the goals of the project are the ones that are primarily used. Scope analysis also has a scope statement which seeks to put a limit to the development level of the project that is required. With consideration of six important steps, with each step serving a specific purpose, the benefits of scope analysis

Mergers and Acquisitions and Market Share Essay Example for Free

Mergers and Acquisitions and Market Share Essay Mergers and Acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. A merger is a combination of two companies to form a new company, while an acquisition is the purchase of one company by another in which no new company is formed. Definition The main idea: â€Å"One plus one makes three†. The equation is specially based on Merger or Acquisition. The key principle behind buying a company is to create share holder value over and above that of the sum of the two companies. Two companies together are more valuable than two separate companies together. 1. Acquisition: An acquisition is the purchase of one company by another company. Acquisitions are actions through which companies seek economies of scale, efficiencies and enhanced market visibility. All acquisitions involve one firm purchasing another there is no exchange of stock or consolidation as a new company. Acquisitions are often congenial, and all parties feel satisfied with the deal. Acquisition has become one of the most popular ways since 1990. Companies choose to grow by acquiring others to increase market share, to gain access to promising new technologies, to achieve synergies in their operations, to tap well-developed distribution channels, to obtain control of undervalued assets, and a myriad of other reasons. So, because of the appeal of instant growth, acquisition is an increasingly common way to expand. 2. Mergers: The combining of two or more entities into one is called merger. Therefore, a merger happens when two firms agree to go forward as a single new company rather than remain separately owned and operated. What makes Mergers and Acquisitions? These motives are considered for making of mergers and acquisitions: 1. Economy of scale: This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce its fixed costs by removing duplicate departments or operations, lowering the costs of the company relative to the same revenue stream, thus increasing profit margins. 2. Economy of scope: This refers to the efficiencies primarily associated with demand-side changes, such as increasing 3. Synergy: Better use of complementary resources. 4. Taxes: A profitable company can buy a loss maker to use the targets loss as their advantage by reducing their tax liability. 5. Geographical Diversification: This is designed to smooth the earnings results of a company, which over the long term smoothen the stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. 6. Empire building: Managers have larger companies to manage and hence more power. 7. Increased revenue or market share: This assumes that the buyer will be absorbing a major competitor and thus increase its market power (by capturing increased market share) to set prices. 8. Cross-selling: For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock brokers customers, while the broker can sign up the banks customers for brokerage accounts. Or, a manufacturer can acquire and sell complementary products. 9. Resource Transfer: Resources are unevenly distributed across firms and the interaction of target and acquiring firm resources can create value through either overcoming information asymmetry or by combining scarce resources.

Biography of Theodore Roethke Essay Example for Free

Biography of Theodore Roethke Essay Theodore Huebner Roethke was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Otto Roethke and Helen Huebner, who, along with an uncle owned a local greenhouse. As a child, he spent much time in the greenhouse observing nature. Roethke grew up in Saginaw, attending Aurthur Hill High School, where he gave a speech on the Junior Red Cross that was published in twenty six different languages. In 1923 his father died of cancer, an event that would forever shape his creative and artistic outlooks. From 1925 to 1929 Roethke attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating magna cum laude. Despite his family’s wish that he pursue a legal career, he quit law school after one semester. From there he spent 1929 to 1931, taking graduate courses at the University of Michigan and later the Harvard Graduate School. There he met and worked with fellow poet Robert Hillyer. When the Great Depression hit Roethke had no choice but to leave Harvard. He began to teach at Lafayette College, and stayed there from 1931 to 1935. It was here where Roethke began his first book, Open House. At Lafayette he met Stanley Kunitz, who later in life, became a great support and friend. By the end of 1935 Roethke was teaching at Michigan State College at Lansing. His career there, however, did not last long. Roethke was hospitalized for what would prove to be a bout of mental illness, which would prove to be reoccurring. However the depression, as Roethke found, was useful for writing, as it allowed him to explore a different mindset. By the time he was teaching at Michigan State Roethke’s reputation as a poet had been established. In 1936 he moved his teaching career to Pennsylvania State University, where he taught seven years. During his time there he was published in such prestigious journals as Poetry, the New Republic, the Saturday Review, and Sewanee Review. His first volume of verse, Open House, was finally published and released in 1941. Open House was favorably reviewed in the New Yorke, the Saturday Review, the Kenyon Review, and the Atlantic; W. H. Auden called it completely successful. His first work shows the influence of poetic models such as John Donne, William Blake, LÃ ©onie Adams, Louise Bogan, Emily Dickinson, Rolfe Humphries, Stanley Kunitz, and Elinor Wylie, writers whose verse had shaped the poets early imagination andstyle. In 1942 Harvard asked Roethke to deliver on of their prestigious Morris Gray lectures. Then in 1943 he left Penn State to teach at Bennington College, where he met Kenneth Burke, whom he collaborated with. The second volume of Roethkes career, The Lost Son and Other Poems was published in 1948 and included the. greenhouse poems. Roethke described the glasshouse, in An American Poet Introduces Himself and His Poems in a BBC broadcast, on the 30th of July 1953, as both heaven and hell. It was a universe, several worlds, which, even as a child, one worried about, and struggled to keep alive. He penned Open Letter in 1950, and explored eroticism and sexuality with I Need, I Need, Give Way, Ye Gates, Sensibility! O La!, and O Lull Me, Lull Me. He later wrote Praise to the End! in 1951 while at Washington University, and a telling Yale Review essay, How to Write Like Somebody Else in 1959. Roethke was awarded Guggenheim Fellowship in 1950, the Poetry magazine Levinson Prize in 1951, and major grants from the Ford Foundation and the National Institute of Arts and Letters the year after. In 1953 Roethke married Beatrice OConnell, whom he had met during his earlier at Bennington. The two spent the following spring honeymooning at W. H. Audens villa at off the coast of Italy. There Roethke began editing the galley proofs for The Waking: Poems 1933-1953 which was published later that same year, and won the Pulitzer Prize the next year. It included major works such as Elegy for Jane and Four for Sir John Davies, which was modeled on Daviess metaphysical poem Orchestra. During 1955 and 1956 the Roethke and his new wife traveled Europe, on a Fulbright grant. The following year he published a collection of works that included forty-three new poems entitled Words for the Wind, winning the Bollingen Prize, the National Book Award, the Edna St. Vincent Millay Prize, the Longview Foundation Award, and the Pacific Northwest Writers Award for it. The new poems included his famous I Knew a Woman, and Dying Man. Roethke began a series of reading tours in New York and Europe, underwritten by another Ford Foundationgrant. While visiting with friends at Bainbridge Island in 1963, Washington, Roethke suffered a fatal heart attack. During the last years of his life be had composed the sixty-one new poems that were published posthumously in The Far Field in 1964which received the National Book Awardand in The Collected Poems in 1966.

Principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah

Principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah Musharakah and Mudarabah written in the books of Islamic fiqh generally means contracts which are formed for starting a joint venture in which all partners participate in the business from starting till end when assets are liquidated. The books of Islamic fiqh were written in an environment when there were only small trades and no large scale businesses took place. The principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be applied to small as well as large scale commercial enterprises. The basic principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah are as follows: Musharakah and Mudarabah financing is not interest based Financier /investor must share loss to the extent of their investment Profit is distributed according to the agreed ratio with their mutual consent, but the sleeping partner cant claim more than the ratio of his investment Loss suffered by partner is exactly according to the proportion of his investment For financing a project, the traditional method of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be easily applied. If a Financier wants to finance the whole project, he can use Mudarabah financing and if some parties want to finance the project jointly, they can adopt Musharakah financing. It is very easy to evaluate the capital if the Musharakah or Mudarabah have been effected since inception of the project. In case of Musharakah if any partner wants to withdraw from the business, the other partners can purchase his share at an agreed ratio. The partner can thus either fully own the business on his own or can sell the share of the partner who withdrew his capital to other person who can substitute the withdrawing financier Securitization of Musharakah Musharakah financing can be securitised easily, in case of big projects a huge sum is required which a few people cant afford. Every person investing is given a Musharakah certificate which represents the amount of money he has invested in business. After the start of the business and buying non liquid assets, the certificates can be treated as negotiable instruments which can be sold in the secondary markets. However, if all the assets of Musharakah are in liquid form, buying and selling of these certificates is not allowed because as all the assets are in liquid form and exchange of such assets means exchanging money for money, and for exchanging money for money both must be equal. Access from any side is Riba, which is prohibited in Islam In case if the money invested is invested in non-liquid assets as land, machinery etc. the Musharakah certificate will represent the portion of ownership in those Assets. In this of assets being in non-liquid form, it will be allowed by the shariah to sell certificates in the secondary market on any price agreed upon by the parties with their mutual consent In case the assets in the business are a mixture of liquid and non-liquid assets most of the schools of thoughts including shafii have allowed trading only if the size of non-liquid assets in the whole business is more than 50%. However, if the Hanafi view is adopted, transaction if valid even if the non-liquid assets are less than 50% but the amount must be greater than liquid assets and non-liquid assets must not be negligible Financing of a single transaction The principles of Musharakah and Mudarabah can be easily used for financing a single transaction. It can be applied for fulling day to day needs of small traders as well as for import and export transactions. An importer can approach financier for financing him for importing goods for a single transaction. Banks can also finance for importing goods. If the letter of credit has no restrictions, Mudarabah can be followed and if the letter of credit has restrictions, Musharakah suits for such case. After selling the imported goods, the sales proceed can be shared by the financier and the imported on an agreed ratio When finance is required for working capital of a already running business, the principles of Musharakah can be applies in the following ways Before investing in the running business the capital of the business can be evaluated by the mutual consent. As according to Imam Malik, non-liquid assets can also form a part of capital so, this view can be applied here. The value of the already running business will be the share of one partner and the amount of investment by the financier will be his share. The profit given to the financier is agreed upon by both the parties which should not exceed the amount of his investment. The Musharakah can be for a limited period of time like 6 months, one year, two years, after the completion of the term both the liquid and non-liquid assets are evaluated again and profit may be distributed on the basis of evaluation Sharing of gross profit Financing by the method above can be very difficult in case the business is big and has large number of fixed assets, because the valuation of the assets, their appreciation or depreciation may create accounting problems which can cause disputes among partners. In this case Musharakah may be applied in another way In this scenario, difficulty arise due to calculation of indirect expenses like salary of staff, depreciation of machinery etc. For solving such problem only direct expense like raw material, labour, etc. Shall be borne by the Musharakah. It means all the indirect expenses shall be borne by the industrialist and instead of net profit, gross profit shall be shared among the partners. In order to compensate the industrialist, the percentage of his profit may be increased Running musharakah account on the basis of daily products Most of the financial institutions finance working capital by opening a running account from where the client draws the money at different intervals and returns surplus money. This process of credit and debit goes on and up to date of maturity. interest is calculated on the basis of daily products For making such arrangement possible for Musharakah Financing, following procedure may be suggested A portion of the actual profit must be used for management of the business A portion of the profit must be used for paying the investors Loss must be borne by the investor in the exact ratio of their investment in the business The average of the contribution made to the musharakah account on daily basis must be treated as the share capital of the financier Profit earned at the end of the term must be calculated on daily product basis, and must be distributed among the partners accordingly If parties allow such arrangement, it does not seem to violate any principles of Musharakah However, this needs to be looked into by the experts of Islamic jurisprudence. Practically, it means the parties have agreed to the principle that the profit earned at the end of the agreed time will be divided by the capital utilized per day. Which will lead to average of money earned on daily. The amount of money earned per day will then multiplied by the total number of days the money is invested by the partner for the calculation of his actual profit Some of the scholars do not allow this method as this method does not reflect the calculations of the actual profit earned by a partner of the Musharakah. The business may have earned a huge profit during the time a partner had no investment at all or share of his investment would be negligible but he will be paid at par with the other partners who had invested a huge sum of money. Similarly, the business may have suffered a great loss when a particular partner had invested huge amount of money and he will pass on loss to the other partners despite of their no investment during the loss or having invested negligible amount of money The answer to the argument is that it is not necessary for the partners in Musharakah that they earn profit on the amount of their investment only. Once the Musharakah takes place the profit earned by the business are earned by all the partners despite whether their money in invested in the business or not. This is generally true for the Hanafi school of thought,ÂÂ   which does not make it necessary for a Valid Musharakah that the money invested by the partners are together mixed up

The Ambitious Male in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Ambitious Male in Macbeth      Ã‚   The tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare brings to center stage an interesting, guilty, ambitious usurper named Macbeth, on whose character this essay will focus.    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare explains the impact of Macbeth's initial murder:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a muder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr. K's performance of that part, the painful anxiety about the act, the natural longing to prevent it while it yet seems unperpetrated, the too close pressing semblance of reality,give a pain and an uneasiness [. . .]. (134)    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth: The Ambitious Male in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays The Ambitious Male in Macbeth      Ã‚   The tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare brings to center stage an interesting, guilty, ambitious usurper named Macbeth, on whose character this essay will focus.    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare explains the impact of Macbeth's initial murder:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a muder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr. K's performance of that part, the painful anxiety about the act, the natural longing to prevent it while it yet seems unperpetrated, the too close pressing semblance of reality,give a pain and an uneasiness [. . .]. (134)    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth:

Mike Harris And The Ontario Conservative Party: Ceos Of The Year? Essay

Private universities, private jails, private health-care and private water testing. What do all of these things have in common? They are all services the Tory government in Ontario has been trying to privatize with some disastrous results and possibly more to come. The Ontario government, lead by Progressive Conservative leader Mike Harris, has been slowly trying to do away with services that are currently administered by the province. The ideology in question, privatization, has been a hallmark of the Common Sense revolution. But so far the Tories have been slow to make a success of it. Attempts to privatize the Liquor Control Board and TV Ontario were put on the back burner because of low public support. As well, privatizing hydro utilities has already led to charges of price gouging. But by far the biggest headache is coming from the public outcry over the deaths from the E-coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario. Regardless of who the Tories look to blame, the issue continually keep s coming back to the privatization of water labs by the province. Yet now, with these other efforts stalled or creating political turmoil, the government is pushing ahead with its prison agenda. The first of the new â€Å"superjails† will be opened in Penetanguishine, a small rural community north of Toronto. This jail is slated to be home to the province's first privatized superjail and the issue has created a storm of controversy. In November of 1999, the Ministry of Corrections announced that the new 1200 bed facility would be turned over to the private sector, contrary to what the municipality had been previously told. Wayne Redditt is a member of a local citizen's committee opposed to the privatization venture. â€Å"The municipality entered into this deal because they thought they were going be getting a lot of good paying OPSEU (Ontario Public Sector Employees Union) jobs. People were told it was going to be a publicly run facility. Then after the election we are told that it will be private. People here didn't expect to be treated like guinea pig.† The Ministry of Corrections has defended themselves by stating there will be a strict code of standards im posed before private corporations are allowed to take control of the prisons. They have gone on to say that there will also be constant monitoring of the prison by ministry officials. This had done very little to quell public fear ... ...t money and then taking your house if you don’t pay it back? Will there be two lines in the emergency room; One for the wealthy who can swipe their credit cards and one for the â€Å"others† who will use their health cards? Since these services have felt the pressure, you can be sure that it won’t be long before other important and crucial services in this province feel the pinch. In essence, if private corporations are going to be running all the services that the province of Ontario used to run, why bother having a provincial government? Maybe some day soon we’ll all be electing a CEO and not a premier. Bibliography 1. Redditt, Wayne. Interview. HighGrader Magazine Summer 2000 2. Scanlon, Barry. Press Release. OPSEU Website Sept. 7, 2000 3. Dawe, Brian. Interview. HighGrader Magazine Summer 2000 4. Daniels, Mary Lou. Press Release. OPSEU Website Dec. 03, 1999. 5. Casselman, Leah. Press Release. OPSEU Website May 26, 2000. 6. MacDougall, Doug. Press Release. OPSEU Website Aug. 08, 2000 7. Cunningham, Diane. Interview. Ministry Website (Hansard) October 2000. 8. Casselman, Leah. Press Release. OPSEU Website June 23, 2000. 9. Taylor, Darryl. Press Release. OPSEU Website Sept. 21, 2000.

Living With Endometriosis Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders which affect 5.5 million women in the U.S. and 176 million women worldwide. It is a chronic disorder found within the pelvic area of women. This disease is found to affect women of all ethnic and social backgrounds. While it has not yet been determines exactly what causes endometriosis there seems to be certain trends that may contribute to this disease. There also seems to be a link this being a hereditary disease. Symptoms can vary widely from case to case which can sometimes make it hard to diagnose endometriosis in the beginning. Endometriosis has 4 stages or classifications which are minimal, mild, moderate and severe which are used to describe the anatomic location and the severity of the disorder. Symptoms can be as minimal as mild cramping and be as devastating as infertility. There is no known cure for endometriosis but women do have treatment options to relieve the pain and to help with fertility problems tha t may be a result of endometriosis. The only true way to diagnose endometriosis is by performing a pelvic laparoscopy. But ultrasound is a way to pick up on signs of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive disorder in which tissue resembling the inner lining of the uterus known as endometrium grows and appears at unusual locations in the lower abdominal cavity. It is a condition that occurs when the endometrium, tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. During your menstrual cycle the endometrium thickens to get ready for the egg. If the egg is fertilized, it will attach to the endometrium and begin to grow. If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium breaks down and is flushed from your body as blood ... ...unction. St. Louis: Saunders, 2004. Depot, Lupron. Endometriosis Treatment. Abbott Park: Abbott, 2010. Kowalczyk, Nina, and James Mace. Radiographic Pathology for Technologists. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. Kurjak, Asim, and Frank Chervenak. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Panama City: Jaypee, 2004. Metzger, Deborah, and Howard Reisman, and Stuart Schultz. Managing Endometriosis. San Bruno: StayWell, 2000. Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier, 2009. S, Kennedy . Endometriosis Global Forum for News and Information. 23 Jan. 2011. 11 Feb. 2012. . Storck, Susan. "Endometriosis." PubMed Health. 25 Jul. 2011. . Trivedi, Dr. Ravi K. Personal interview. 11 Feb. 2012.

Sexualization of Little Girls in the Media

Does the Media Sexualize Little Girls? Many different articles and essays use statistics to back up their claims but you is to say if they are accurate or not? In â€Å"Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect† by Stephanie Hanes and â€Å"Toddlers in Tiaras† by Skip Hollandsworth they use many different statistics to back up their claims that the media is sexualizing little girls and that it is a problem for themselves and society.Even though they shock you with their disturbing statistics you wouldn’t know if they were correct without some further research. The statistic that I chose to research in â€Å"Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect† by Stephanie Hanes was that, â€Å"The marketing group NPD Fashionworld reported in 2003 that more than $1. 6 million is spent annually on thong underwear for 7- to 12-year-olds. † What I found left me confused but didn’t necessarily prove the statistic wrong.When I r esearched the statistic the only places I could find this statistic were on websites or blogs using from statistic â€Å"Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect. † NPD Fashionworld may have very well done the research to back up their claims but I could not find any other companies or researchers doing the same study. I would say that the research is not very credible because of one major thing; there are no other sets of data to compare it to.The statistic that I chose from â€Å"Toddlers in Tiaras† by Skip Hollandsworth was that, â€Å"A small study published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, that involved 22 women, half of whom had participated in child beauty pageants, concluded that there were â€Å"no significant differences† between the two groups on measures of bulimia, body perception, depression, and self-esteem. But it did find that the former beauty pageant girls scored significantly higher on â€Å"body dissatisfaction, interpersonal distrust, and impulse dysregulation [an ability to resist performing actions that would be harmful to themselves or others]. This statistic shows that women who participated in pageants as young girls were not affected medically more than women who did not but they did suffer some effects that aren’t necessarily threatening. When I researched this statistic and this study I found that there are not too many studies on this subject. When I looked up the effects of beauty pageants on women if they competed as girls I found that there were a lot of blogs and websites pointing out individual cases or small groups. I find that this statistic is not credible because the group tested is too small.Only 22 women were tested which is a cause for concern. You can not get all the evidence you need from 22 people to make a strong claim. Another reason why I feel that this statistic is not credible is the fact that there hasn’t been any major studies on the issue. There have been many small studies like the one mentioned in the statistic but none providing any substantial evidence. Articles like â€Å"Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect† by Stephanie Hanes and â€Å"Toddlers in Tiaras† by Skip Hollandsworth provide many statistics to try and shock you.They are very effective at first glance but once you look into them a little more you start to fell a little skeptic. Many of the statistics used are influential but not in the fact of providing hard evidence. Many of the statistics used were either found by small studies or there had only been one study performed on the issue which does not give enough proof. Statistics are a great way to provide support for you claims but it does require the reader to a little research if they really want to know for sure.

Leadership Traits and Principles

The United States Marine Corps has been one of the most powerful military branches in the world for more than twenty-three decades. The most important things that have kept this organization as prestigious and powerful as it is are the famous leadership traits, leadership principles, corps values and the leaders that uphold those traits. Without these structures, this leadership hierarchy this â€Å"gun club† would not have lasted this long. The next thousand or so words will help explain those traits, principles and corps values that we hold so high. The first leadership principle that will be discussed is one that was first thought to me through Drill Instructors training us for PFT’s and CFT’s or whenever we would feel like giving up. That leadership principle is â€Å"know yourself and seek self improvements†. This principle was always an important one; it meant that there is always something you can do to make yourself better. It involves knowing your strength and weakness’ and working on making them better. Knowing ones strength and weakness is the basis of formulating a reliable, bullet proof strategy that will get you in and out of any situation. For example the recent evens that occurred have made me look deeper into this principle, into my character, into my ability to improve myself more on the maturity domain. The Second principle that is also important is â€Å"Set the example† this principle is one of the bases of stability and leadership. Setting the example is a hard thing to do at times, it involves doing the right thing when no ones looking and when everyone’s looking. Setting the example is an important principle to have, because to become a leader you need to have the respect of your peers, they have to know they can trust you to do the right thing at the right time. And by my actions I demonstrated a lack of understanding of this principle and it is something I have to work on very hard because now, most of my peers and none of my superior trust me to do the right thing. The third leadership principle we are going to talk about is â€Å"Make sound and Timely decisions†. Being able to make sound and timely decision may be the difference between life and death for you or the Marines under your leadership or even your peers or superiors. Being able to make those kind of decisions require maturity, the understanding of right and wrong and the ability to weight consequences and the risk. If I had the maturity level necessary to stop myself from putting those chevrons on in the first place I would not be in this situation. Decision are what defines your character to others, it is what shows them who you are and what kind of though process you have and ultimately how reliable you are. â€Å"Be technically and tactically proficient† First off it means to know your job. As a Marine you must demonstrate your ability to accomplish what was assigned to you, and the ability to accomplish what was assigned to you, and to do that you must be capable of answering questions and demonstrate competence in your job specialty. Respect is the reward of the marine who shows competence. Tactical and technical competence can be learned from books and from job training. Seek a well rounded military education by attending service schools; and seeking off duty education. Seek out and associate with capable leaders. Observe and study their actions. Broaden your knowledge through association with members of other branches of the military. Seek opportunities to apply knowledge through the exercise of command. Good leadership is acquired only through practice. Prepare yourself for the job of leader at the next high rank. You are not done training for war once you've earned the title Marine, you are just getting started. These are things to keep in mind when trying to be proficient. â€Å"Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates† Another way to show your Marines that you are interested In their welfare is to give them the opportunity for professional development. Assigning tasks and delegating the authority to accomplish tasks promotes mutual confidence and respect between the leader and subordinates. It also encourages the subordinates to exercise initiative and to give wholehearted cooperation in the accomplishment of unit tasks. When you properly delegate authority, you demonstrate faith in your Marines and increase their desire for greater responsibilities. If you fail to delegate authority, you indicate a lack of leadership, and your subordinates may take it to be a lack of trust in their abilities. To develop this principle you should operate through the chain of command. Provide clear, well thought directions. Tell your subordinates what to do, not how to do it. Hold them responsible for results, although overall responsibility remains yours. Delegate enough authority to them to enable them to accomplish the task. Give your Marines frequent opportunities to perform duties usually performed by the next higher ranks. Be quick to recognize your subordinates’ accomplishments when they demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness. Correct errors in judgment and initiative in a way which will encourage the Marine to try harder. Avoid public criticism or condemnation. Give advice and assistance freely when it is requested by your subordinates. Let your Marines know that you will accept honest errors without punishment in return. Assign your Marines to positions in accordance with demonstrated or potential ability. Be prompt and fair in backing subordinates. Until convinced otherwise, have faith in each subordinate. â€Å"Know your Marines and look out for their welfare. † This is one of the most important of the principles. You should know your Marines and how they react to different situations. This knowledge can save lives. A Marine who is nervous and lacks self confidence should never be put in a situation where an important, instant decision must be made. Knowledge of your Marines' personalities will enable you, as the leader, to decide how to best handle each Marine and determine when close supervision is needed. To put this principle into practice successfully you should put your Marines' welfare before your own correct grievances and remove discontent. See the members of your unit and let them see you so that every Marine may know you and feel that you know them. Be approachable Get to know and understand the Marines under your command. Let them see that you are determined that they be fully prepared for battle. Concern yourself with the living conditions of the members of your unit. Help your Marines get needed support from available personal services. Protect the health of your unit by active supervision of hygiene and sanitation. Determine what your unit's mental attitude is; keep in touch with their thoughts. Ensure fair and equal distribution of rewards. Encourage individual development. Provide sufficient recreational time and insist on participation. Share the hardships of your Marines so you can better understand their reactions â€Å"Keep your Marines informed. † Marines by nature are inquisitive. To promote efficiency and morale, a leader should inform the Marines in his unit of all happenings and give reasons why things are to be done. This, of course, is done when time and security permit. Informing your Marines of the situation makes them feel that they are a part of the team and not just a cog in a wheel. Informed Marines perform better and, if knowledgeable of the situation, can carry on without your personal supervision. The key to giving out information is to be sure that the Marines have enough information to do their job intelligently and to inspire their initiative, enthusiasm, loyalty, and convictions. Techniques in applying this principle are to whenever possible; explain why tasks must be done and how you intend to do them. Assure yourself, by frequent inspections that immediate subordinates are passing on necessary information. Be alert to detect the spread of rumors. Stop rumors by replacing them with the truth. Build morale and esprit de corps by publicizing information concerning successes of your unit. Keep your unit informed about current legislation and Regulations affecting their pay, promotion, privileges, and other benefits. Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished. † This principle is necessary in the exercise of command. Before you can expect your Marines to perform, they must know first what is expected of them. You must communicate your instructions in a clear, concise manner. Talk at a level that your Marines are sure to understand, but not at a level so low that would insult their intelligence. Before your Marines start a task, allow them a chance to ask questions or seek advice. Supervision is essential. Without supervision you cannot know if the assigned task is being properly accomplished. Over supervision is viewed by subordinates as harassment and effectively stops their initiative. Allow subordinates to use their own techniques, and then periodically check their progress. The most important part of this principle is the accomplishment of the mission. All the leadership, supervision, and guidance in the world are wasted if the end result is not the successful accomplishment of the mission. In order to develop this principle you should ensure that the need for an order exists before issuing the order. Use the established chain of command. Through study and practice, issue clear, concise, and positive orders. Encourage subordinates to ask questions concerning any point in your orders or directives they do not understand. Question your Marines to determine if there is any doubt or misunderstanding in regard to the task to be accomplished. Supervise the execution of your orders. Make sure your Marines have the resources needed to accomplish the mission. Vary your supervisory routine and the points which you emphasize during inspections. â€Å"Train your Marines as a team. Every waking hour Marines should be trained and schooled, challenged and tested, corrected and encouraged with perfection and teamwork as a goal. When not at war, Marines are judged in 15-26peacetime roles: perfection in drill, dress, bearing and demeanor; shooting; self-improvement; and most importantly, performance. No excuse can be made for the failure of leaders to train their Marines to the highest state of physical condition and to instruct them to be the very best in the profession of arms. Train with a purpose and emphasize the essential element of teamwork. The sharing of hardships, dangers, and hard work strengthens a unit and reduces problems, it develops teamwork, improves morale and esprit and molds a feeling of unbounded loyalty and this is the basis for what makes men fight in combat; it is the foundation for bravery, for advancing under fire. Troops don't complain of tough training; they seek it and brag about it. Teamwork is the key to successful operations. Teamwork is essential from the smallest unit to the entire Marine Corps. As a Marine officer, you must insist on teamwork from your Marines. Train, play, and operate as a team. Be sure that each Marine knows his/her position and responsibilities within the team framework. When team spirit is in evidence, the most difficult tasks become much easier to accomplish. Teamwork is a two-way street. Individual Marines give their best, and in return the team provides the Marine with security, recognition, and a sense of accomplishment. â€Å"Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities. † Successful completion of a task depends upon how well you know your unit's capabilities. If the task assigned is one that your unit has not been trained to do, failure is very likely to result. Failures lower your unit's morale and self esteem. You wouldn't send a cook section to â€Å"PM† a vehicle nor would you send three Marines to do the job of ten. Seek out challenging tasks for your unit, but be sure that your unit is prepared for and has the ability to successfully complete the mission. â€Å"Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions. † For professional development, you must actively seek out challenging assignments. You must use initiative and sound judgment when trying to accomplish jobs that are not required by your grade. Seeking responsibilities also means that you take responsibility for your actions. You are responsible for all your unit does or fails to do. Regardless of the actions of your subordinates, the responsibility for decisions and their application falls on you. You must issue all orders in your name. Stick by your convictions and do what you think is right, but accept justified and constructive criticism. Never remove or demote a subordinate for a failure that is the result of your own mistake. The leadership principles are proven guidelines, which if followed, will substantially enhance your ability to be an effective leader. Keep in mind that your ability to implement these principles will influence your opportunity to accomplish the mission, to earn the respect of your fellow Marines, juniors and seniors, and to make you an effective leader. Make these principles work for you. There are fourteen leadership traits that a Marine must have. They are Bearing, courage, decisiveness, dependability, endurance, enthusiasm, initiative, integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge, loyalty, tact and unselfishness. Bearing is the ability to create a favorable impression in carriage, appearance, and personal conduct at all times. The ability to look, act, and speak like a leader whether or not these manifestations indicate one's true feeling. Courage is a mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a Marine to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness. It is also Knowing and standing for what is right, even in the face of popular disfavor. Decisiveness is the ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in a clear, forceful manner. The quality of character which guides a person to accumulate all available facts in a circumstance, weigh the facts, choose and announce an alternative which seems best. Dependability is the certainty of proper performance of duty. It is a quality which permits a senior to assign a task to a junior with the understanding that it will be accomplished with minimum supervision. Endurance is the mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. Enthusiasm the display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty. Initiative is taking action in the absence of orders, being a self starter. Integrity is the Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles. The quality of truthfulness and honesty. A Marine's word is his bond. Judgment is the ability to weigh facts and possible courses of action in order to make sound decisions. Justice is giving reward and punishment according to the merits of the case in question. Knowledge is the Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one's information. Loyalty is the quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, and unit, and to one's seniors, subordinates, and peers. Tact is the ability to deal with others without creating hostility. Unselfishness is Avoidance of providing for one's own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others. In September, President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's most prestigious military award, to Sgt. Dakota Meyer, the marine who saved 36 of his comrades during an ambush in Afghanistan. Meyer was born June 26, 1988 in Columbia, Kentucky where he grew up and attended school. In 2006, after graduation from Green County High School, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at a recruiting station in Louisville, Kentucky and was sent to recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. After completing training to be a United States Marine he deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2007 as a Scout Sniper with 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines. He gained national attention for his actions in Afghanistan during his second deployment in Kumar province with Embedded Training Team 2-8. On September 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal, Meyer learned that three U. S. Marines and a U. S. Navy corpsman were missing after being ambushed by a group of insurgents. He charged into an area known to be inhabited by insurgents and under enemy fire. Meyer eventually found all four dead and stripped of their weapons, body armor, and radios. With the help of some friendly Afghan soldiers, he moved the bodies to a safer area where they could be extracted. During his search, Meyer â€Å"personally evacuated 12 friendly wounded, and provided cover for another 24 Marines and soldiers to escape likely death at the hands of a numerically superior and determined foe. † On November 6, 2010, the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos told reporters during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California, that a living Marine had been nominated for the Medal of Honor. Two days later, Marine Corps Times, an independent newspaper covering U. S. Marine operations, reported that the unnamed individual was Meyer, citing anonymous sources. CNN confirmed the story independently two days later. On June 9, 2011, the Marine Corps announced that two other Marines on Meyer's team in Ganjgal would receive the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for valor a Marine can receive. Capt. Ademola D. Fabayo and Staff Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez-Chavez were recognized for their roles in retrieving the Marines and corpsman. When President Barrack Obama's staff called Meyer to set up a time for the President to inform him that his case for the Medal of Honor had been approved, Meyer was working at his construction job and asked if they could please call him back when he was on his lunch break, which they later did. Dakota then returned to work. Meyer was awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on September 15, 2011. When a White House staffer contacted Meyer to arrange the ceremony, the former Marine asked if he could have a beer with the President. He then received an invitation to the White House the afternoon before the ceremony. Meyer also requested that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative services should be held at other associated locations to honor the memory of his colleagues who died or were mortally wounded during the ambush. Sgt Meyers by his actions demonstrated all fourteen leadership traits, all the leadership principles and gave an excellent demonstration of the corps values. I cannot compare myself to a man like that, he single handedly demonstrated, corps values, leadership principles and traits, and the leadership skills that are required of a Sgt of Marines, all of which I have failed to demonstrate or am still learning. As previously mentioned, the leadership traits and principles are guidelines. Guidelines that have helped the Marine Corps be part of the most powerful military in the world. Each of these principles, of those traits, corps values are set to help Marines be the best, be part of the best, and do their best in any given situation at any given time. Lack of these guidelines result in Marines making dumb, regrettable and unwise decisions. But it is the ability to learn from mistakes and grow from it. I have made a grave mistake; I have let down my instructors, my peers, and also myself. But I am also learning from my, understanding why something that didn’t look that grave, actually be that big, that important. I am learning that being an NCO is about more than just putting on chevrons on a collar, it is a state of mind, it is the ability to lead, t involves a higher level of maturity, it involves watching and studying your elders it is something you acquire through long years of blood, sweat, tears, dedication and more. I may not fully grasp the meaning, or the feeling of wearing these chevrons, but I believe that someday when I reach this rank through blood and sweat, I’ll realize how insulting it must have been to dare put these chevrons on.

Physiognomy Theory Essay

Physiognomy also known as the Arts and Sciences of the face, dates back to Aristotle’s era. This philosophy was first used by the Greek and spread to places as far as Asia and the Middle East within a short period of time. It became very popular especially in Asia, where people would use this to determine people’s suitability for jobs and important government positions. The number of important people such as Emperors, successful professionals and government officials that believed in this theory also helped the rapid spread of physiognomy throughout the continents. Back then, most people were convinced that this so called science could not only determine their personality as well as their fate but also help them make better choices in life. Physiognomy claims that an individual’s character, destiny and the ability to perform certain tasks in life, can be defined by studying his facial features. Studies done throughout time have failed to back up this theory, conf irming that physiognomy is just another pseudoscience. Physiognomy and its uses and definition have changed overtime according to people’s needs. Figuring out the traits and behavioral trends of people was not enough; so physiognomy experts then argued that people’s characteristics had a connection with the signs of the zodiac. As the numbers of followers of Physiognomy grew, so did the demand for physiognomists, or face readers as they were called, turning this philosophy into a profitable worldwide business. After many years, physiognomy was revived and it is now used and believed to work efficiently to determine criminal tendencies in people. Physiognomy became more credible to people, when a U.S. judge backed up the theory after observing the facial features of those that appeared in his court. Physiognomy, is the study of facial features that allows philosophers to determine an individual’s traits and flaws. This theory supposedly ascertains different factors in someone’s life, such as moral values, self control, social and criminal tendencies. People’s abilities are also things that are supposedly defined by reading the facial aspects of an individual. It is also believed that this theory predicts the fate of people by studying certain parts of the face as the eyes, mouth and nose . Skin color, hair type, voice, forehead lines and certain body parts are considered when evaluating an individual. The shape of someone’s skull, or the way that the soft tissue sits on it, can also say something about the character and true identity of the person being evaluated. The theory of physiognomy has been tested many times since its discovery, thousands of years ago. However, none of the experiments done to prove it have been successful. The deficiency of scientific evidence to verify the theory, is the reason why physiognomy is considered a philosophy rather than science. Most studies done by advocates of this philosophy, have and still do lack an explanation of how and why the theory works. Supporters of physiognomy have taken advantage of certain circumstances in which someone’s facial traits help determine a condition. Some genetic diseases for example have specific facial features which help diagnose the illness. Down’s syndrome and DeLange syndrome are good examples of these diseases. Supporters of this theory often compare these diseases to physiognomy as a way to prove the theory. Just like Down’s syndrome and Delange syndrome are used as evidence of this pseudo- science, so are many other similar conditions. The studies done by non-advocates of this theory have proved that a person’s character and behavior cannot be defined by examining the facial features. Studies have shown that a relation between facial traits and someone’s personality does not exist. There are many factors that are scientifically proven to have influence over the development of an individual’s personality and temperament during their lifetime. Several studies with people of all ages and from different backgrounds have stated various reasons that in the long run shape someone’s character. The way that a child is raised, his parents’ traits and flaws and the people that he is surrounded by have an impact on personality. Culture and different ethnic backgrounds are also factors that have an effect on someone’s personality and the person that they grow up to be later on in life. Personal experiences and certain events with emotional value for a person are among the causes that influence an individual’s character, mentality, social and emotional life. Bibliography â€Å"Physiognomy – LoveToKnow 1911.† 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica – Free Online. 6 Oct. 2006. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. . â€Å"Introduction to Physiognomy – Face Reading the Facial Features.† A Human Face. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. .

Analysis of media writing Essay

The two advertisements from ‘The Sunday Times’ are promoting new energy sources from the same company, Shell. The theme running through this campaign is aiming to display to the public how environmentally friendly Shell has become. They use local people from where the energy source is being harvested, in an attempt to create a feeling of commitment to that area. The adverts are not trying to sell a product directly, but through making us more aware of their commitment they are influencing us by giving us a positive choice to buy fuels, oil and other products made by Shell. They tell us that any profits made would then be reinvested into finding new energy sources, therefore implying, if we do not buy Shell products we will contributing to the earth’s downfall, acquiring a guilty conscience. The adverts are aimed at all who use fuel, particularly motor vehicle drivers, homeowners and those who are environmentally conscious. In the ‘wind farm’ advert, there is a symmetrical photograph with an expanse of blue sea and sky, this gives a natural feel and is aesthetically pleasing. Below the blue, is a sandy coloured background to the text, which could have been used to represent the beach. Central to the picture there is a ‘symbolic’ fisherman dressed in a striking yellow outdoor suit holding freshly caught lobsters and he is casting a calming reflection onto the water leading us to the main headline. On the horizon, are two turbines that belong to the wind farm. The turbines are not emphasised and blend into the background very well; this has been achieved by drawing our vision to the fisherman’s brightly coloured attire. The turbines are also symmetrical to the picture, and through showing off the freshly caught lobsters, it is evident that they are unobtrusive and do not cause any harm to the natural habitat either above or below ground. The main headline is inside a black box, which links the picture to the text. It is a subtle grey and the font differs in size. A play on words says that Shell do not just use their own experts but they also take expert advice from other sources, telling the reader that they are a listening and caring company. The words ‘EXPERTS’ and ‘BY SHELL’ are set in a larger font. By linking the words together Shell are representing themselves as having expertise. The statement is also associated with the fisherman in the picture, meaning they listen to people who are directly affected by new projects and know the area. Short, informal paragraphs are used making reading easy, and each one is a statement in its own right. In the first paragraph Shell tell us that they are already a profitable company, and to ‘ensure Shell remains profitable’, they are exploring new energy sources. By using colloquial language in the form of ‘we’re’, the reader is welcomed to the text in a friendly manner and encouraged to read on. Shell is explaining their ‘commitment’ to developing new energy in the second paragraph. Emotive language underlines what kind of company Shell has become, they are not just after quick profits but they are looking for long term ‘sustainable energy’. They are already a ‘partner’ in the Blyth offshore wind project, vocabulary that tells us again that they are a company that can be trusted. Shell expresses the fact that they asked several parties opinions in the siting of the turbines, by the powerful verb ‘sought’. The effect this has on the reader says that they actively made the first move, promoting Shell as very environmentally friendly. They asked the RSPB, English Nature, and ‘particularly’ the local fishermen. This three-part list has two familiar charities to add credibility to their claims, and by using the adjective ‘particularly’, is saying that the local fishermen are the people they cared mostly about. The text also describes the turbines as ‘elegant’, use of this strong adjective suggests that the turbines are aesthetically pleasing, standing amongst the natural habitat of the lobsters and crabs. The fourth paragraph explains how the wind farm is ‘already’ contributing power to the national grid, creating the image that Shell’s new project is ahead of its time. It goes on to say that ‘Wind energy should profit everyone and harm no one’. Rhythmic language explains that the wind farm is a valuable asset to the country, and because Shell consulted experts there will be no negative affect on the environment. The final paragraph is made up of a small sentence, which introduces the company’s website. It also tells us that there are other environmentally friendly projects ongoing. The name of the website uses alliteration, and cleverly puts what Shell is concerned mostly about first. ‘People, planet and profits’. Underneath there is the familiar Shell logo, which is globally recognised and is a natural symbol, repeating the link Shell has with environmental issues. The symmetrical layout of the second advertisement has the same theme as ‘wind farm’, a natural scene which focuses on an individual character. There is also a boxed headline and sandy coloured background to the text. The picture shows a healthy natural landscape underneath blue skies. In the centre of the picture is a tall tree, this leads the eye down to a man studying leaves on a plant, then down to the boxed headline. The word ‘EXPERTS’ protrudes from the headline and is instantly linked to the man in the picture. Four other experts accompany the man; they are also checking the plant growth. The font in the headline, like ‘wind farm’, is a subtle grey colour which changes in size. It is a pun linking ‘RESTORE WHAT’S ABOVE’, to what is in the picture itself, and above ground. The word ‘EXPERTS’ is again highlighted, connecting Shell with expertise. Several similarities can be found in the two texts, short informal paragraphs and the lack of technical jargon does not alienate readers. Shell understates their own expertise in the first sentence by stating that they need help solving some problems, promoting themselves as a modest company. They then state what the story of the advert is about, the removal of trees to accommodate an unavoidable temporary structure. Shell continue to tell us, like in the ‘Wind Farm’ advert, how caring and in touch with the local community they are, by asking botanists for advice on the impact of tree felling. After listening to the specialists, and the structures were removed, Shell did not ‘just’ replant ten saplings for every tree removed, but the new trees provided a new habitat for endangered wild animals. With the use of colloquial language and by using ‘just’ as a strong adverb, the paragraph shows how much Shell have contributed to the developing environment. The fourth paragraph, through repetition, tells us again that they obtained help from other people during the project, and through using the verb ‘ensure’ and the emotive noun ‘destruction’, Shell infer that they are an environmentally friendly company. The advert finishes in the same manner as ‘wind farm’ giving details of how to obtain further information by offering their website. The easily recognisable Shell logo is also located in the bottom right hand corner. I feel the two adverts are presented in a simple manner, informal language makes them easy to read and understand. The photographs focus on individuals, and give a certain amount of empathy to the characters involved. The background scenery is very natural and appealing. Headlines have been cleverly worded causing the reader to stop and think what they are saying. Personally, I think the ‘wind farm’ advert captures the imagination more, although the reason may simply be that they are a little closer to home and the structures are permanent. It is an effective Public Relations exercise that captures the interest of its target audience, establishing Shell as a leading front-runner of environmentally friendly energy producing organisations.

Character Analysis-Greg Mortenson in THREE CUPS OF TEA Essay

Character Analysis-Greg Mortenson in THREE CUPS OF TEA - Essay Example On one of his mountaineering expeditions to the K2, Greg ends up losing his way and accidentally detours in to the village of Korphe distraught and exhausted where he is warmly welcomed and taken care of by the village chief Haji Ali and his family. This wrong turn in the mountains is what changes his life forever in the most profound and altruistic manner. It is ironic to note that his closest encounter with the most unforgiving and apathetic facets of nature, the K2 often referred to as the ‘Savage Peak’, is what brings out the true human being in him. Greg’s story as well as of those associated with him is one of constant struggle, countless odds and obstacles, personal failures and losses, defeat and ignorance, harsh living conditions and hostile environments and at the same time it is more about hope, change, patience, education and above all the will power and perseverance of the human race to ride against all odds, a quality that extends beyond the boundari es of language, race, region and culture. The fact that the strongest human bonds and relations are built even where there exists no common ground whatsoever is enough to prove that the human race is not about distinctions and boundaries but more about endurance and trust. The attempts of Greg Mortenson to bring peace to a war torn country by educating their underprivileged children is by no means a simple feat. It is Greg’s relentless efforts, undying spirit and ability to get over odds (albeit with much difficulty) that work in his favor. In many senses he is just like any one else. He goes through a myriad of ups and downs (mostly downs in the beginning), struggles to overcome lost love and failed relationships and is unable to successfully maintain focus. There are many instances in the book where we can see his feelings of frustration, anger, disappointment and lack of motivation which cast doubts in his mind in executing the seemingly impossible task that he has embarke d on. But the most valuable lesson he learns from Haji Ali, that of patience, is what ultimately helps him in overcoming his downfalls. And as the book progresses we are able to see clearly how he is increasingly able to adapt to difficult situations and how his patience and determination along with a clear mind help him significantly during many unfathomable situations such as his kidnapping. It is his long term interaction with an otherwise intimidating group of people that actually helps him through the kidnapping fiasco. A reference made of him sipping tea from a plastic mug ‘with a show of enthusiasm, smiling at the men, while he studied them’ (Mortenson, Relin 164) is a good example of this acquired trait. A childhood well spent in Tanzania, one of the less developed parts of Africa, and an upbringing by strong willed independent parents who themselves dedicated their lives to the betterment of the African society that they considered their own definitely had an i mpact on Greg’s life and beliefs. Greg says about his father, â€Å"He taught me, he taught all of us, that if you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything† (38). His later career in the army only helped reinforce the strength of character that was prominent