Dharma Punx: A Book Review

The book â€Å"Dharma Punx† was written by Noah Levine, the son of bestselling author and Buddhist teacher Stephen Levine. As a writer, he uses a natural, conversational and empathic voice to narrate his story in order to reach out to others who have gone through the same ordeal as he did.This book, which was written in a very thorough narrative serves more or less as his autobiography, focusing primarily on what would probably the most turbulent moments of this life when drifted from one â€Å"movement† to another, from punk rock to drugs and alcohol which nearly sent his life crashing down to the point of self-destruction or suicide which he attempted several times, hence the title of the first chapter is â€Å"Suicide Solution† (Levine, 2003, p. 1).The starting point of Levine's story was at the detention facility where he was confined and at the time, he was going through withdrawal symptoms as the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol were being flushed out o f his system. It was at this point that he would begin to retell his tale on how he got into that situation. Born in 1971, his parents hailed from the â€Å"hippies† generation of the 1960's where they revolted against the establishment at the height of the Vietnam War and one of their mantras was â€Å"Make Love, Not War!† as well as the overflowing freedom of expression of their generation that also indulged in free drugs and sexual promiscuity as well, thereby making the term â€Å"psychedelic† an understatement for their generation that turned to drugs as a way to escape a harsh, brutal and cynical reality they wanted to repudiate. They were trying to create their own brand of utopia but somehow, this would not be perfect as well, and this would be reflected in Levine's own family.In his childhood years in the late 1970s and early '80s, Levine loved to skateboard but partly out of curiosity and influence, he got hooked into punk rock and often watched punk-r ock concerts as well as looking the part of a punk rocker by the time he was in his teens. Punk rock was to his generation what the psychadelic â€Å"hippie† movement was to his parents. Levine said that the situation of his generation made them turn to this fad – like him, the youth of his generation had to cope with problems like broken homes, irresponsible parents who were either alcoholic or drug dependents; there was no responsible adult who could guide them.His parents had divorced by then and he would spend time with each of them, shuttling between their homes in California and New Mexico. Both his parents remarried but his mother's second marriage was fraught with trouble and the irony of that was she met her second husband in a meditation retreat while his father was able to move on and remarry a woman whom he truly loved and gave him a happier marriage (Levine, 2003, p. 5). However, without his â€Å"enlightened† father around to guide him, the younger Levine was susceptible to the temptations of the materialistic world.By the time he was six years old, he already began smoking marijuana and was also trying out other banned substances as well like cocaine. This also came hand in hand in partaking of alcohol which would stay with him for most of his youth. He was so addicted into drugs and alcohol that by the time he was in high school, he had become very violent, often getting into trouble ranging from brawls to vandalism that he was arrested several times for such behavior, something he appeared to have welcomed, owing to his punk rock influence, his own way of defying authority.He eventually dropped out of school and lived like a vagrant, often stealing to support his habit (Levine, 2003, pp. 21-24). In his recent detention in 1988, the point where he was at his very low that his road to â€Å"enlightenment† would begin. When his father visited him, he was the one who had set him on the path by encouraging him to try med itation (Levine, 2003, pp. 3-4). At first, Levine regarded Buddhist teachings as â€Å"bullshit† but the moment he made an effort to try it, he underwent a profound transformation.He began the 12-step program and started attending meditation sessions. He was eventually released and he started on a new path in life. Over the next few years, Levine worked hard on his spiritual growth, even practicing celibacy and taking a pilgrimage to the Far East in search of enlightenment and even meeting and learning from the Dalai Lama himself! He would eventually finish his studies by getting a college degree but he did not stop there.He went further and obtained a graduate degree in counseling psychology as well. He followed in his father's footsteps by also becoming a Buddhist teacher and of all the places where he would like to teach, he chose to be at the very same detention facility where he used to be remanded. Although he is a totally reformed and transformed individual, there is o ne thing from Levine's past that he has not repudiated, his passion for punk rock. He still listens to punk rock, and still acts, looks and dresses the part.He still sports tattoos but the difference now is that his tattoos are Buddhist-inspired such as the lotus flower and Sanskrit inscriptions, making Levine a look-alike of Hollywood actor Vin Diesel famous for his role as agent â€Å"XXX† where he would also sport tattoos. One of the things Levine discovered about Buddhism is that it is very open-minded into tolerating anything that would compliment it. Buddhist teachings, particularly the Zen school of thought, say that if an individual can be one with that particular subject, that is also Buddhism.Levine himself will attest that punk rock, contrary to what conservative thinkers may think, is not anathema to society at all. This is, of course, looking at it from a Buddhist perspective. Other people tend to view punk rock as wild, violent and to a certain extent, destructi ve. As Levine would also admit, he turned to punk rock as a way of defying the status quo of his generation, much like his parents were part of the â€Å"hippie† movement as an expression of defiance of the status quo of their own generation as well (Levine, 2003, p.34). The nice thing about Buddhism is that it has a way of channeling the excess energy away from the destructive path. If there was one other thing that Levine learned from his enlightenment, it is that death is not the answer to his problems when he was attempting to commit suicide. For most people, to take one's life is the way of the loser, notwithstanding the â€Å"samurai† concept of suicide where they would take their own lives to erase the stigma of the shame. It does not apply here and this can be interpreted in several ways.From the Hindu/Buddhist perspective, there is the concept of â€Å"karma† and reincarnation where one's conduct in the present life would have an influence on what will become of them in the next. While these beliefs recognize death (as a natural occurrence), it does not encourage people to commit suicide. Based on â€Å"karma,† the one who commits suicide might find himself or herself reincarnated in a much lower life form because of this and surely, no one would like to be reborn as an animal or a microscopic organism!In most beliefs, death is not the end, but rather the beginning of the next phase, provided it would be allowed to take its natural course. Committing suicide would disrupt the grand design for the individual in the universe. One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the direction one's path will be, depending on the choices made. Levine's somewhat troubled past serve as the basis of his writings and teachings. â€Å"We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway.For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I was inc arcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, ‘Maybe I will try dad's hippie meditation bullshit. ‘ Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation. † (Levine, 2003, p. 246) All in all, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is not only an autobiography, it is a spiritual journey of one individual who has endured probably the worst life can throw at him, send him on the wrong direction but through corrective â€Å"enlightenment,† was able to bounce back and become spiritually whole again.And if the spirit is â€Å"whole,† the physical body will follow as well. Noah Levine went through hell and came out of it intact. If this were to be applied in international relations, one thing Buddhism can teach is violence and hatred is not the answer to the problems in the world. Buddhist teachings teach compassion and empathy and if nations would like to establish close relations with one another, they have to begin by establishing a spiritual connection which is first done by â€Å"letting go† of one's self.Buddhism teaches that the reason why there is so much suffering in this world is due to worldly desires. In international relations, the struggle for power often puts nations at odds with one another and this often leads to wars. Buddhism teaches the opposite, in letting go of these desires and to empathize. In doing do, not only are friendly relations established, but one's own interests will be met by others and one need not worry about it anymore.Finally, â€Å"Dharma Punx† is a very enlightening book which is highly recommended to anyone, not necessarily to those who went through the same ordeal as the author went. The author had been there and had done that yet he would not encourage anyone to go through it. Nevertheless, the book is very helpful for anyone who needs to be steered to the right direction of real happiness which is something no worldly goods can provide.

Compare and Contrast Helena and Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

â€Å"Two lovely berries moulded on to one stem/ so with two seeming bodies but one heart†¦..† In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Helena confronts Hermia to remind her once again of their relationship. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play about the two Athenian couples who constantly run through the course of true love. In this play Helena and Hermia are the two characters that have found their true lovers but are running through obstacles that prevent them to be with their loves.Hermia who is in love with Lysander has to go against the will of her Father Eugeus, while Helena has yet to make her love that is Demetrius fall in love with her. The whole play twists around the lovers and the way they approach to love and courtship. Although Hermia and Helena are both willing to risk honour for true love; in truth Hermia is confident in her approach to courtship while Helena lacks self-esteem.Hermia and Helena are both willing to risk their honour for their true loves. For example Hermia is risking her honour by running away with her true love Lysander:My good Lysander, I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow, By his best arrow with the golden head, By the simplicity of Venus’ doves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. By all vows that ever men have broke (In number more than ever women spoke), In that same place thou hast appointed me, Tomorrow truly will I meet thee. (1.1.169-178)Hermia vows upon the strongest symbols of love such as Cupid’s strongest bow, and Venus’ doves as her promise to meet Lysander at the place where they’ll elope. Hermia is risking her reputation by running away with Lysander, because she leaves the city with a person who she loves and trusts but is not married to, so therefore the society may consider her act as a disappointing example for other civilians. While Hermia is willing to risk her honour for Lysander, Helena is willing to risk her repute for the sake of her true love Demetrius. This is best illustrated by Demetrius who states: You do impeach your modesty too much,To leave the city and commit yourself Into the hands of one that loves you not, To trust the opportunity of night And the ill counsel of a desert place With the rich worth of your virginity. (2.1. 199-204)This passage from Demetrius depicts that Helena is risking her reputation by being alone with him at night in a deserted forest. As stated by Demetrius, Helena is committing herself to someone who does not love her and therefore she cannot trust Demetrius with the rich worth of her virginity. â€Å"Your virtue is my privilege†¦..†(2.1.205).Helena’s reply to Demetrius’s statement is that Demetrius will protect her with his virtue so therefore leaving the city and being alone with him does not seem to Helena as risking her honour. In conclusion Hermia and Helena are both connected in terms of risking their honour for Lysander and Demetrius. Helena and Hermia ar e both willing to risk their honour for true love, yet they both are also different in their approach to get to their lovers to be with them. For example the passage below shows Hermia’s confidence at her approach with Lysander. †¦.But, gentle friend, for love and courtesyLie further off in human modesty. Such separation as may well be said Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid. So far be distant. And, good night, sweet friend. Thy love ne’er alter till thy sweet life end! (2.2. 45-50)Hermia is confident in her approach to courtship because knows how to say no to Lysander on something that may not seem right to her such as sleeping with him. Separation before marriage is a right thing for Hermia to do and she has the confidence to express herself to Lysander. When Hermia tells Lysander to lie further off in human modesty she says it without hesitation. In this case Helena lacks the confidence that Hermia has in her approach to love. Helena is insecure about her i dentity and often compares her body image to Hermia’s as she does in the following passage. Call you me â€Å"fair†? That â€Å"fair† again unsay.Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue’s sweet air More tunable than lark to shepherd’s ear When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear. Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye. My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (1.1. 181-189)This passage describes that Helena is insecure about her body image as well as her personality. Helena thinks that Demetrius loves Hermia because of her beauty which makes Helena think that she is inferior to Hermia. Even though both Helena and Hermia are both known to have the same beauty; Helena finds herself uglier because she doesn’t have the love of Demetrius. Helena’s approach to her love i s weaker than that of Hermia’s because of her insecurity and a low self-esteem. Helena wants Hermia’s beauty to be a sickness that she can contract.Hermia’s sweet strain, her lodestar eyes, and Hermia’s overall beauty is what Helena wishes and her insecurity about herself. As a result Hermia’s approach to courtship is stronger because of the high level of confidence she has, whereas Helena lacks that confidence because of her insecurity about herself. To conclude, although Hermia and Helena are both willing to risk their honour for true love, Hermia is stronger at her approach to love and courtship, and Helena lacks self-esteem  because of the insecurity about herself.Hermia is willing to risk her reputation by running away with Lysander, while Helena is willing to risk her reputation by being alone with Demetrius at night. With this connection also comes an alteration, when Hermia proves her confidence that Helena is not bound to have. Hermia kn ows how to say no to something that may not seem right to her. â€Å"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind/ therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind†¦..† (1.1. 234-235). Helena’s statement that love is blind and looks with the eyes depicts that she approaches to love thoughtlessly; do you think this approach makes her successful in winning the heart of Demetrius?

Media and Developing Babies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media and Developing Babies - Term Paper Example Rapid Auditory Processing This domain, which is very important in language functioning (Paterson et al., 2006), refers to how well infants receive auditory cues such as environmental sound, recorded music, or a mother’s voice. The area in the brain where this domain rests can be found in the thalamus, caudate, frontal areas, and the temporoparietal speech areas in the left hemisphere (Paterson et al., 2006). Face Processing A fundamental skill, face processing allows infants to recognize a face which is considered to play a major role in social interaction and functioning (Paterson et al., 2006). The subcortical structures, superior temporal gyrus, and the left-inferior frontal gyrus are the brain areas utilized by infants in face processing (Paterson et al., 2006). Object Permanence Considered a milestone in cognitive development, object permanence allows infants to remember objects after they are kept hidden from view (Paterson et al., 2006). This ability lies in the develop ment of the frontal lobes which can also have effects on cognition and language (Paterson et al., 2006). Joint Attention Mundy and Gomes (1998) consider joint attention a â€Å"core social cognitive skill that plays a very important role in early language acquisition† (as cited in Paterson et al., 2006, p. 14). Joint attention tasks are developed in the left parietal lobe for responding to visual attention, and the frontal and temporal lobes for initiating visual attention (Paterson et al., 2006). Relationship of Television Viewing and COGNITIVE Development Several studies have been conducted to establish a relationship between exposure to television content and infant’s cognitive and behavioral make-up. These studies present the television medium as a stimulus that... As the discussion stresses different studies have been conducted about the effects of television viewing in the cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral aspects of audiences. These studies examine, for instance, whether violent television content can lead to aggression in audiences. What these studies aim to achieve is the correlation and causation between media content and audiences. While there are many studies documenting the effects of television viewing in adult audiences, there are few studies that also consider the cognitive and behavioral effects of television viewing in infant audiences.This paper highlights that  a  fundamental skill, face processing allows infants to recognize a face which is considered to play a major role in social interaction and functioning. The subcortical structures, superior temporal gyrus, and the left-inferior frontal gyrus are the brain areas utilized by infants in face processing.  Considered a milestone in cognitive development, object perm anence allows infants to remember objects after they are kept hidden from view. This ability lies in the development of the frontal lobes which can also have effects on cognition and language. Several studies have been conducted to establish a relationship between exposure to television content and infant’s cognitive and behavioral make-up. These studies present the television medium as a stimulus that arguably influences an infant’s brain.

Marketing Research case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Research case study - Essay Example The main purpose of research is to gather information that can be used to satisfy the needs and interests of the consumers profitably. It is imperative to gather as much information as possible about a market so that the marketers will be better positioned to be able to identify the factors that can give them competitive advantage over the other rival competitors. Market research is important as it seeks to create an environment that will give the organisation competitive advantage. 2. The management decision problem facing Wendy over their intention to expand to USA is that they may be over ambitious and fail to penetrate the market due to competition in the industry. It is a bit difficult to penetrate an industry and manage to sweep through the other established businesses entities already established without better marketing strategies than they will be using. For instance, McDonald’s uses cutting edge marketing strategies and this will be an uphill task for Wendy’s to easily surpass this performance given that they are just comfortable with their current performance which is even comparatively lower than that of the rival competitors. It has to be borne in mind that establishing a new business enterprise should not be rushed and there is need for proper plans to be put in place so as to ensure that there would be higher chances of surviving especially in a competitive environment. Launching a new product in the market is not always a guarantee that it will succeed but the need to be acquainted with market trends that are constantly changing. 3. The marketing research facing Wendy is that they are out of touch with their market since they are not venturing into something new by virtue of performing fairly in the market. It is pretty difficult to penetrate a market without knowledge about it. The problem is that when one does not have current knowledge about the interests of the customers, it can be a bit tricky since the chances of

The Causes and Impact of the Mfecane in South Africa Essay

The Causes and Impact of the Mfecane in South Africa - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Mfecane took place as a result of nation-building that was aggressively done by the Zulu lead by Shaka and the Ndebele of Mzilikazi. Mfecane is sometimes referred to as the war of wondering and it accompanied the rise of the Zulu people. The war was highly concentrated at Drakensberg Mountains, along the river Limpopo, and between the Kalahari Desert. This paper illustrates that there were geographical barriers that made people unable to expand towards the west-eastern part, contributing to a rise in population hence people engaged in war in order to secure land. Indian Ocean waters and the Drakensberg Mountains were the key geographical features that complicated the lives of people living in this region. Mfecane was caused by the war between the tribes of Mthethwa and Ndwandwe who were expanding their territories at the expenses of their neighbors who were weak. These led to warfare that became frequent and severe as people fought for l and. The increased inequality that was witnessed between communities and environmental crisis led to competition for natural resources and trade on South Africa leading to violent struggles for survival. There was a shortage of land and many people at that time migrated to that area because it was fertile and convenient for farming activities. The high population growth caused a lot of population pressure lead to various tribal expansions, which led to the emergence of unity amongst the Bantus that occupied that place. During the 18th century, there was the presence of the Portuguese at the east coast of Delagoa who participated in long-distance trade. There was a rise in the desire to control the trade amongst people who were in the region and as a result, the Nguni tribe launched attacks to other communities with an aim of controlling the trade. The Portuguese, on the other hand, wanted to carry out the trade with groups that were organized and had powerful leaders. The creation o f Zulu state displaced hundreds of people who fled in different directions in order to establish themselves. The Zulu nation was rapidly rising during that time, and its effect was the presence of the intensification of Mfecane war by the Shaka even though Mfecane war began way before Shaka was officially inaugurated as the chief of the Zulu. Shaka’s leadership later intensified the war because of his zealous interest in wars, and he was able to defeat other tribes. The idea of having a growing domain of terror was touted by speculators who wanted imperial military backing in order to secure future land. Cape Whites were expanded at the end of the 1st century because the whites wanted more land at the eastern side, and their expansion created a shortage of land while the population was increasing hence worsening the land issue. The three powerful groups that emerged and rose up at that time fighting each other; Zwide group was responsible for sparking the war with its rivals Sobhuza, and later Ndwandwe joined the war. Most communities had at that time spread at the countryside and moved across the frontier, dividing themselves to settle in concentrated places. Americans introduced corn through the Portuguese in Mozambique, and this significantly contributed to the communities’ settlement in the region. This is because corn ensured there was plenty of food as compared to indigenous grasses thus it was able to sustain a larger population. At the end of 18th century, the possibility of people moving from the region became limited, and the shortage of land was experienced.  Most Bantu farmers in the region had reached the margins of arable land that was at the edge of Kalahari Desert; it was also difficult to access water from this region.

Leadership and Business Improvement Research Paper

Leadership and Business Improvement - Research Paper Example Leaders form an environment where people feel free to voice dissent. Leaders do this through actions. A leader does not fire people as they goofed, and in fact support dissent. Leaders have to reward people for differing, to reward modernism, and to ensure failure. Leaders link all these with forming a trusting atmosphere but most of the trust comes not from a fastidious technique, but from the character of the leader. To create trust, Leader needs to have following things.First, the leader has to have the capability. The employees have to trust his or her ability to do the job. Secondly, people are anxious with congruity that a leader is a person of reliability. If you are an effective leader, what you say is compatible with what you do, and that is similar to what you feel, and that sequentially is similar to your vision. Third, people desire a feeling that the leader is on their side that he or she will be stable. They want to distinguish that in the heat of battle; their leader w ill support them, protect them and endure with what they require to win. Lastly, leaders, they trust need to care about the lives of the people with whom they are working, need to understand with them. Leaders also show care concerning the illusions of his or her actions and the consequences of decisions. Capability, congruity, and loyalty, and being thoughtful is the quality a leader that must symbolize in order for trust to be formed in a group. It gets a long time to generate and maintain. It takes recurring interactions. Leaders are primarily the results leaning individuals in the world, and results get consideration. Their visions or objectives are persuasive and drag people toward them. Intensity coupled with obligation is alluring. These strong personalities do not have to force people to focus on; they are so intent on what they are doing that, like a child totally fascinated with creating a sand castle in a sandbox, they depict others in. All leaders can form a persuasive vision, one that takes people to a new place, and then interprets that vision into truth. Peter Drucker said that the first mission of a leader is to describe the vision. Max DePree , CEO of Herman Miller, wrote in Leadership Is an Art, "The first responsibility of a leader is to describe reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." (Warren G. Bennis, Joan Goldsmith, 1997) Primarily Vision grabs the leader, and the capability to communicate it eventually eases

Effect of Gender Imbalance on Women's Status in the Colonail Period in Essay

Effect of Gender Imbalance on Women's Status in the Colonail Period in New France - Essay Example It is no different in the history of women’s status in Canada or ‘New France’. Gender imbalance in the colonial times put women in an ambivalent position of being valued as well as rejected if they do not come up to men’s expectations. This paper drew much information from cases published from the colonial era as primary sources as well as the works of Peter N. Moogk, Sylvia Van Kirk and Saliha Belmessous, historians who chronicled the culture of New France in Canada during the colonial times as secondary sources. It focused on how the gender imbalance at that time affected the status of women. During the colonial period in what has come to be known as New France, gender balance was askew in terms of number, as it was recounted by Belmessous1 that only 1,772 women emigrated to Canada as compared to 12,621 men, between the years 1608 and 1699. This sexual imbalance continued on till the end of the century. It is due to this lack of women that French colonial officers encouraged native Amerindian women to join the convent for their education to form them into proper ladies and be married off to French settlers instead of native men. It also implied that the convent-bred women had a great influence on the French men to be more cultured. Van Kirk2 explained that intermarriages, also known as â€Å"miscegenation† between French colonizers and the native Amerindians failed because of differing motives of the two cultures. The French Jesuits who encouraged native women to join the Ursuline convent admitted that they wanted the native women to be indoctrinated with their culture. One Jesuit offered that the intermarriage’s purposes were: â€Å"to make them like us, to give them the knowledge of the true God, . . . and that the marriages . . . were to be stable and perpetual.†3 This meant that native women should be Christianized and introduced to a gender-role that included spinning, sewing, knitting, taking care of anima ls, etc. that made them acceptable to their French mates. Native Huron chiefs believed the idea of intermarriage was favourable to them because the French traders make good Hurons, but questioned the French officials about bride price and their women’s right to property and divorce which were part and parcel of their own culture.4 These chiefs were made to understand that the native women would benefit much from such marriages through the teachings of the Ursuline nuns. However, only a small number of the native women were transformed and not many were interested in being successfully converted, so they were not considered acceptable as â€Å"founding mothers of New France† 5. The reverse of Native men â€Å"marrying out† to French women were looked down upon, as it was considered marrying beneath themselves. This is because a woman who married into an Indian tribe became an Indian herself and renounced her original culture. On the other hand, an Indian woman wh o married a foreigner legally ceased to be an Indian, losing all her rights to Indian status as well as her children.6 Thus, by the mid-nineteenth century, intermarriage became a usual practice of colonization and became a way of removing Aboriginal/Indian women from their own native cultures. Governor Vaudreuil7 justified his hostility against the intermarriage of French men and Amerindian women in saying that it divided the French men as they were integrated into their Amerindian wives’ clans. There was a great possibility that such action involved intertribal feuds and could have pitted the French

Food and Drink in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Food and Drink in Society - Essay Example The availability, choice, and cheapness of food that the free market has brought about means that we have become accustomed to eating what we want, when we want, how we want- with little to no thought about the consequences of our consumption patterns. This has been encouraged and designed by a political and economic system that is profit- orientated rather than social or environmentally orientated. Traditionally food was farmed, sold, cooked and eaten in a very different way. As global capitalism has shaped our lifestyles it has also affected how we eat. Since the 1970 ´s there has been a huge explosion in fast food outlets providing cheap, colorful food leading to problems of obesity in countries that have embraced the fast food culture- â€Å" it seems wherever Americas fast food chains go, waistlines inevitably start expanding† (Eric Schlosser, 242). However in the last few years there has been a public reaction and rejection of the fast food culture. The Slow Movement set up in 1989 is one such example â€Å"to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and peoples dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.† (Slow Food Movement, Homepage) There are signs that there is a return to historical food and drink choices, with the popularity of farmers markets, organic food sales increasing â€Å"The value of the market increased by an average of 16 per cent a year between 2003 and 2008† (Daily Telegraph) and celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsey extolling the virtues of eating seasonal, British food. Recent trends in food consumption point to a clear return to traditional and historical ways of eating, slower, local and healthier! In the UK we have seen the merging of many different cultures, British society is made up of a huge variety of cultures each bringing with them their own food revelation. The culture of food is often shaped by the

No need for topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

No need for topic - Essay Example The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, FCPA was enacted to reduce corruption in foreign markets. Therefore, the act was enacted to correct market failures. Corruption involves using money or other resources to influence the decisions of an individual in preferring one entity to the detriment of others. Companies that did not participate in corruption in foreign markets lost to those that did in awarding of government contracts and in venturing into new markets. This was a major problem that characterized market failure. Moreover market failure occurs in cases where there are weak laws to discipline and monitor institutions. Institutions will fail to protect their investors due to managerial misconducts. Consequently, both investors and customers lose huge amounts of investments.3 Examples of these include Enron, Global Crossing and WorldCom corporations that failed due to bad managerial decisions. Government failure on the other hand arises in cases where a government has created major inefficiencies by failing to intervene at the initiate stages of a problem when it could have been more appropriate to solve it more efficiently.4 Such intervention is of many benefits to the investors and consumers. Pareto optimization may be used to measure the extent of government failure in the same way it is used to measure the extent of market failure. Public choice theory explains government failure in a market. The theory stipulates that an individual will be more inclined to be motivated by self-interest, though some may base their actions on the concern for others.5 Government’s failure to prevent such selfish behavior among individuals at the expense of others is the main factor leading to government failure. Therefore, a government is responsible for putting in place checks and balances to ensure organization discipline in insuring investors against losses.6 i. Considering the two cases, market failure explains the policy behind Foreign Corrupt Practices Ac t of 1977, FCPA. Market failure involves unfair balance of resources that may lead to monopoly, lack of information, lower public good, among others. Most foreign corruption acts involved a company bribing foreign officials in foreign markets to have unrestrained access to resources, to block competitors from accessing resources or from enjoying government contracts, and blocking some companies from accessing the market. This resulted in creation of monopolies, and use of resources that did not accord to the public’s good. Therefore, the policy was as result of market failure. b. A negative externality that may result from market failure is damage to environment quality. When companies are allowed to harness resources in a country, most companies do not have regard to environmental degradation, and the effects it will have to the public. Companies will be more concerned on tapping resources for their production and not taking care of the environmental concern from people invo lved. When such companies have a monopoly over such resources, the general public may not benefit; the companies over exploit resources for profitability. An example is in the mining sector. Some companies are awarded rights to harvest certain minerals mostly in developing countries to contribute to the overall GDP of a country in exports. However, such companies leave large gaping holes of dilapidated land. Some do not take

History of Plato Essay Example for Free

History of Plato Essay Plato was born around the year 428 BCE into an established Athenian household with a rich history of political connections including distant relations to both Solon and Pisistratus. Platos parents were Ariston and Perictone, his older brothers were Adeimantus and Glaucon, and his younger sister was Potone. In keeping with his family heritage, Plato was destined for the political life. But the Peloponnesian War, which began a couple of years before he was born and continued until well after he was twenty, led to the decline of the Athenian Empire. The war was followed by a rabid conservative religious movement that led to the execution of Platos mentor, Socrates. Together these events forever altered the course of Platos life. The biographical tradition is unanimous in its observation that Plato engaged in many forms of poetry as a young man, only later turning to philosophy. Aristotle tells us that sometime during Platos youth the philosopher-to-be became acquainted with the doctrines of Cratylus, a student of Heraclitus, who, along with other Presocratic thinkers such as Pythagoras and Parmenides, provided Plato with the foundations of his metaphysics and epistemology. Upon meeting Socrates, however, Plato directed his inquiries toward the question of virtue. The formation of a noble character was to be before all else. Indeed, it is a mark of Platos brilliance that he was to find in metaphysics and epistemology a host of moral and political implications. How we think and what we take to be real have an important role in how we act. Thus, Plato came to believe that a philosophical comportment toward life would lead one to being just and, ultimately, happy. It is difficult to determine the precise chain of events that led Plato to the intricate web of beliefs that unify metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and politics into a single inquiry. We can be certain, however, that the establishment of a government by Sparta (after the chaos of Athens final defeat in 404), and the events that followed, dramatically affected the direction of his thinking. Following the turmoil of the war, a short eight month oligarchical tyranny known as the Thirty Tyrants governed Athens. Two of Platos relatives, Critias (his mothers uncle) and Charmides (his mothers brother) played roles in this regime. Critias was identified as one of the more extreme members and chief advocate of the government, while Charmides played a smaller role as one of the Eleven, a customs/police force which oversaw the Piraeus. The oligarchy made a practice of confiscating the estates of wealthy Athenians and resident aliens and of putting many individuals to death. In an effort to implicate Socrates in their actions, the Thirty ordered him to arrest Leon of Salamis. Socrates, however, resisted and was spared punishment only because a civil war eventually replaced the Thirty with a new and most radical democracy. A general amnesty, the first in history, was issued absolving those who participated in the reign of terror and other crimes committed during the war. But because many of Socrates associates were involved with the Thirty, public sentiment had turned against him, and he now had the reputation of being profoundly anti-democratic. In what appears to be a matter of guilt-by-association, a general prejudice was ultimately responsible for bringing Socrates to trial in 399 on the charges of corrupting the youth, introducing new gods into the city, atheism, and engaging in unusual religious practices. During his trial, which is documented in Platos Apology, Socrates explained that he had no interest to engage in politics, because a certain divine sign told him that he was to foster a just and noble lifestyle within the young men of Athens. This he did in casual conversations with whomever he happened to meet on the streets. When Socrates told the court that if set free, he would not stop this practice, claiming that he must follow the voice of his god over the dictates of the state, the court found him guilty (though by a narrow margin), and he was executed one month later. This final sequence of events must have weighed heavily on Plato, who then turned away from politics, somewhat jaded by the unjust behavior of the Thirty, disappointed by the follies of the democracy, and forever affected by the execution of Socrates. At this point Plato left Attica with other friends of Socrates and spent the next twelve years in travel and study. During this period, he sought out the philosophers of his day. He met with the wise-men, priests, and prophets of many different lands, and he apparently studied not only philosophy but geometry, geology, astronomy, and religious matters. His exact itinerary is not known, but the earliest accounts report that Plato left Athens with Euclides and went to Megara from where he went to visit Theodorus in Cyrene. From there he went to Italy to study with the Pythagoreans (including Philolaus and Echecrates mentioned in the Phaedo), and then after Italy he went to Egypt. Whether or not Plato began to write philosophical dialogues prior to Socrates execution is a matter of debate. But most scholars agree that shortly after 399 Plato began to write extensively. Although the order in which his dialogues were written is a matter of strong debate, there is some consensus about how the Platonic corpus evolved. This consensus divides Platos writings into three broad groups. The first group, generally known as the Socratic dialogues, was probably written between the years 399 and 387. These texts are called Socratic because here Plato appears to remain relatively close to what the historical Socrates advocated and taught. One of these, the Apology, was probably written shortly after the death of Socrates. The Crito, Laches, Lysis, Charmides, Euthyphro, Hippias Minor and Major, Protagoras, Gorgias and Ion, were probably written throughout this twelve year period as well, some of them, like the Protagoras and Gorgias, most likely at its end. Plato was forty the first time he visited Italy. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Athens and founded the Academy, located nearly a mile outside the city walls and named after the Attic hero Academus. The Academy included a nice grove of trees, gardens, a gymnasium and many shrines including one dedicated to Athena herself, the goddess of the city. Plato created his own cult association, setting aside a portion of the Academy for his purposes and dedicating his cult to the Muses. Soon this school became rather well-known on account of its common meals and sympotic lifestyle, modified, of course, to suit a new agenda. Indeed, Platos Academy was famed for its moderate eating and talk as well as all the appropriate sacrifices and religious observances. Overshadowing all of that was, of course, its philosophical activity. It seems that over the next twenty six years Platos philosophical speculation became more profound and his dramatic talents more refined. During this period, what is sometimes called Platos middle or transitional period, Plato could have written the Meno, Euthydemus, Menexenus, Cratylus, Republic, Phaedrus, Symposium and Phaedo. These texts differ from the earlier in that they tend toward the grand metaphysical speculation that provides us with many hallmarks of Platonism, such as the method of hypothesis, the recollection theory and, of course, the theory of ideas, or forms, as they are sometimes called. In 367 Dionysus of Syracuse died, leaving his son as the supreme ruler of a growing empire. Dion, his uncle and guardian, persuaded young Dionysus II to send for Plato, who was to serve as his personal tutor. Upon arriving, Plato found the situation unfavorable for philosophy, though he attempted to teach the young ruler anyway. In 365, Syracuse entered into war, and Plato returned to Athens. (Around the same time, Platos most famous pupil, Aristotle, entered the Academy. ) In 361, Dion wrote Plato begging him to return. Reluctantly, Plato did so, setting out on his third and final voyage to Italy. But the situation had deteriorated beyond hope. Plato was soon spirited out of Syracuse from where he went back to Athens. We know little of the remaining thirteen years in Platos life. Probably sick of his wanderings and misfortunes in Sicily, Plato returned to the philosophical life of the Academy and, most likely, lived out his days conversing and writing. During this period, Plato could have written the so-called later dialogues, the Parmenides, Theatetus, Sophist, Statesman, Timaeus, Critias, Philebus and Laws, in which Socrates plays a relatively minor role and the metaphysical speculation of the middle dialogues is meticulously scrutinized. Plato died in 347, leaving the Academy to Speusippus, his sisters son. The Academy served as the model for institutions of higher learning until it was closed by the Emperor Justinian in 529 CE, almost one thousand years later.

History of reggae

History of reggae   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The revolutionary music genre known as reggae came from a few other music styles known as ska, rocksteady, the traditional Jamaican music, or even American RB. Most of these genres are originally found in Jamaica and Africa, but reggae was originally from Jamaica. The word reggae was defined by a famous reggae artist, Frederick Hibbert as music from the rebels, people who dont have what they want (Shelemay 388). The instrument used in reggae music differs from bass, drums, guitars, electric keyboards, to vocals that follow the rhythm of the beat or the melody. The usual drums are tuned high to make it sound similar to the timbale and bongos are to be played freely. Also the bass guitar is often essential in reggae, for they call the bass and drums the main rhythm. The harmony is often very simple that will consist of one or two cords that will repeat, like a drone and this makes the form of reggae to be strophic. The melody is usually upbeat and lively . The tempo is moderate; it is not too fast and not too slow, but upbeat. Rhythm is the key to reggae music and the lyrics of reggae involve a variety of subjects, but mainly focus on peace and political issues. Other topics could include poverty, sex, religious beliefs, and social injustice. The texture of it may differ from biphonic to polyphonic, but rarely monophonic. Rastafarianism plays a huge role in reggae music because it is a common religion among Jamaicans and Africans. So many lyrics contribute to this religion and also Rastafarian rallies or peace rallies mainly played reggae music. Reggae is mostly played in concerts, protests, or rallies. Many famous reggae musicians use their music to spread messages of political issues, peace, or social injustice almost like a battle cry. For example Bob Marley and the wailers wrote a song called Zimbabwe and performed in a stadium when Rhodesia got their independence from Great Britain. The audience sang along with Marley, but shortly after Marley was sent off the stage it became a protest. There are no specific roles when it comes to gender, but mostly men are reggae artists. A lot of the women sing in the background. There is no particular dance that goes along with the music style of reggae; the people connect to reggae through the lyrics and the rhythm of the beat. The Rastafarians use reggae mus ic as protests and for hope living in the ghettos. Bob Marley, the most well-known reggae artist, helped spread reggae throughout the world and still today his popularity grows, preserving this genre of music. Passed down to the next generation after death of Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley and Damian Marley are still spreading reggae music worldwide and keeping their fathers legacy alive. As for Reggae music, it has influenced a great deal of people and musician. It also influenced new genres that are popular today, such as Puerto Ricos reggaeton music and the innovative hip-hop music. Bibliography: Shelemay, Kay Kaufman. Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World. New York and London: W.W. Norton Comapny, Inc., 2001. Reggae. Wikipedia. 2009. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 06 October 2009 . Scaruffi, Piero. Scaruffi.com. 06 October 2009 . Romer, Megan. About.com. New York Times Co.. 06 October 2009 . Tutwiler, Alana. suite101.com. Suite101.com Media Inc.. 06 October 2009 .

My Experiences as a Learner :: Personal Narrative Learning Education Papers

My Experiences as a Learner I was in first grade and her name was Sister Carol Anne. She even spelled Anne the same way I spelled my middle name Anne which made her better. She was amazing she had this way of always making everyone in the class feel equal. We never knew who received the high grades and who received the low grades. We all were working "as hard as we could" she would say and that was all that mattered. Sister Carol also had ways of showing us how to help each other out. If a few students didn't get it then the students who did understand would teach the other students. Looking back I'm skeptical because that might unintentionally separate the students into "smart" and "stupid" groups. However, I remember that at some point or another everyone in that class needed help and everyone was able to teach. She exemplified for us that teaching is more helping and guiding instead of ruling and ordering. I think after that class was when I decided I wanted to be a teacher. It wavered on and off throughout my education but it started there in the first grade. The next significant grades I remember were third grade and fourth grade for the teaching style and the classroom atmosphere respectively. In third grade my teacher was Sister Edwardine (in case there is still any confusion I went to Catholic school my entire life.) I remember her specifically because she taught with stuffed animals. We were taught to respect nature and every organism around us, because we are all equal, by using these animals. Everyday, if we behaved, a few students in the class were given an animal to care for and we had to treat it as if it were a real creature. We didn't get to choose our animal however, and I see now how profound her rationale was. She said we didn't get to choose our animals because in life we don't get to choose who is around us in our community and who isn't. She was teaching us that we aren't always going to have the ability to chose who and what surrounds us but we must respect them all for their differences. I remember specifically the day she bought us two new animals. They were a male and female skunk. And when the students gathered to name them a few students starting mocking and calling them insulting names.

Family Unity And Moral Values Essay -- essays research papers

Family Unity and Moral Values The increase in the number of divorces and the decrease in the number of marriages does not reflect a breakdown of the family unit in the United States and the decay of moral values. "I don't think divorce is as big of problem as politicians make it out to be. Yes, many couples get divorced, but their children can still have stability and grow up to be good people." (Price) The breakdown of the family unit in the United States and the decay of moral values are due to the change of society and environment. These days, when many families are at home together, they often remain apart. There are no bondage and communication in families. Television and technology has corrupted the minds of children in America. Less religious influence, persistent underclass unemployment and alternative lifestyles have contributed in the downfall of families and moral values. The nation and state have done little or nothing to provide help rebuild families and values. Family value has reference to what we believe about the family. It's concerned with quality of living and how you define quality of living. It basically gets down to what you think is the most important, in other words what you value. "Family values is nice when you've got Ward and June and Wally and Beaver. Unfortunately, the world has changed quite a bit from the 1950s to 1996. Things have just changed so rapidly and so quick†¦" (Anderson) The honesty, setting examples with your morals and actions, and bringing up the people to be responsible. Responsible for themselves, responsible for ecology, responsible for humanity qualities have been neglect in the upbringing of children today. Many people believe that true family values are the stepping stones for families to achieve growth of love. They follow seven principles. 1.Make a commitment to your family and hometown. 2.Live for the greater whole. 3.Learn true love in the school of the family. 4.Dedicate your own family to the global family of humankind. 5.Strive daily to put the spiritual above the physical. 6.Align with heaven to share blessings on earth. 7.Be sexually pure to create the true culture. (Bales) But every family has its own values and few of them are exactly alike. The variations are endless, and there is no ... ...ch into a technological cocoon." (Medved) The increase in the number of divorces and the decrease in the number of marriages does not reflect a breakdown of the family unit in the United States and the decay of moral values. "I don't think divorce is as big of problem as politicians make it out to be. Yes, many couples get divorced, but their children can still have stability and grow up to be good people." (Price) The breakdown of the family unit in the United States and the decay of moral values are due to the change of society and environment. These days, when many families are at home together, they often remain apart. There are no bondage and communication in families. Television and technology has corrupted the minds of children in America. Less religious influence, persistent underclass unemployment and alternative lifestyles have contributed in the downfall of families and moral values. The nation and state have done little or nothing to provide help rebuild families and values. The only solution is to connect, communicate and establish bondage in the family. Try to spend more time and energy with families will greatly improve family unity and moral values.

Fall of Rome - the militarys role :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Fall of Rome - the military's role The Military's Role in the Beginning of the End of Rome The fall of Rome occurred over many centuries and was caused by several factors including military decay, barbarian invasions, and the failure of the government to respond to these problems. While these problems existed to a greater of lesser degree, since the end of the 2nd century, their effects were accelerated by the reforms of the emperors Constantine and Diocletian. These reforms changed Roman life as well as the face of the Roman army, moving it away from its classical infantry-based structure to a more cavalry-based system. The army was reorganized into lightly armed troops called "limitanei" who defended the border, and large mobile armies composed of troops called "comitatenses". The border troops were given land to live on around forts they protected. This structure led to farming becoming the job of the border troops so that they could feed as well as protect those on the frontier. Over time, this in turn led to out of date weaponry and neglect in training. The weakness of these troops meant that more mobile troops were needed to compensate, and an easily penetrable border as a result of the weakness led to the need for highly efficient mobile armies. Since t he cavalry were the most mobile unit of the army, they began to be the favored military unit. With forces strung along the border and concentrated large mobile armies, an increased number of recruits were required; however, land owners were reluctant to let themselves or their kin be recruited because that left less workers for their farms. At the same time, the division of the empire into outer imperial provinces and inner provinces controlled by the Senate had its own effect. Since the armies largely remained in the outer imperial provinces, the people of the inner provinces were out of touch with the army and were no longer attracted to service, again reducing the available pool of recruits. One reason that many avoided Army service was because Roman citizenship was now offered freely, where in prior times military service had been a path to citizenship. The result was less manpower available for Rome. The Roman army was left with no choice but to recruit barbarians, who could in this way both find employment where they had no skills, and hope to obtain Roman citizenship.

How does Edgar Allan Poe keep the reader in suspence Essay

in the very first sentence, Poe starts to build up the tension by saying ‘True – nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous’ this repetitiveness builds up the tension, the word ‘dreadfully’ gives the reader a clue that it is going to build up to something bad. He then gives us a clue that he is a bit of a mad man by saying ‘but why will you say that I am mad?’ this automatically makes the reader suggest he is mad, but we don’t know why yet. The story is being narrated by the murderer, and in the beginning, he really makes you empathise with him. You can really imagine this scary eye. He says ‘whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold’ so he is really scared of this eye and you can relate and feel sorry for him. Poe talks about time throughout the story. He mentions when time is going slow, when time is going fast, and also he changes the pace, switching between slow and fast. These elements add to building the suspense. The slow build up builds up tension, the slow, careful planning, and the longer sentences that drags it out as if the narrator is talking slowly and patiently. This gets the reader thinking and anticipating something is going to happen. Examples of when Poe uses time in a slow manor is when he says ‘I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him’ so this shows that him killing this man is a slow, well planned, patient build up. He says that he was kind to the man for a whole week, so this must have been planned for a while, so this whole process helps to build up suspense and get the reader anxious. Another example of Poe talking about time going slowly is when he says ‘it took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening’ this shows how slowly, careful and cautious he is being so he does not wake the man. This adds to the build up, taking a whole hour to open the door, which in a normal situation nobody could be this patient in taking this long to open a door. The next example of Poe mentioning time going slows is when he says ‘a watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine’ again this shows how slowly time went, he compares a watches hand to his hand and says that even that was moving faster than what he was. So it is an example of this slow, patient build up that keeps the reader in suspense. As well as making references to time going slow, Poe also talks about time going fast, using shorter words and sentences, so the narrator is talking faster, so the pace changes to a much faster build up, so the reader anticipates something is about to happen. An example of this is when Poe says ‘I talked more quickly’ so as the pace and suspense building up gets faster, so does the speed that the character is talking. As the beat of the heart builds up louder and louder so does pace at which the character speaks get faster and faster. Another example of this is when Poe says ‘the noise steadily increased’ so the noise of the heart is increasing with the build up. The different paces represent the different parts of the story. The beginning of the story, slow creeping round, the planning and being cautious. The end of the story, fast, fear of being caught out, the sound of the heart. Poe uses repetition throughout the story. This is used for effect and empathise the point to the reader. An example of repetition is when he says ‘I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously–cautiously’ in this sentence he empathises the word ‘cautiously’ he does this to get the point across to the reader of how cautiously he undid the lantern. Another example of when Poe uses repetitiveness is when he says ‘louder–louder–louder!’ this really empathises the heartbeat, and how loud it is and how it is building up, as he says louder each time the heartbeat gets louder. So he really does empathise the word louder in this sentence. The third example that I have chosen from the text that shows repetition is when Poe says ‘I moved it slowly–very, very slowly’ in this phrase Poe repeats the word ‘slow’. So this gives a better effect than if Poe had of just said ‘very slowly’. The r epetition makes it sound as if he had done it even slower. Throughout the story Poe uses noises to create atmosphere in the story. Sounds create an atmosphere as they have an effect on the reader, and noises can really set the scene in the story. Or in some cases I can add to the suspense and scare readers as they can relate to these noises that may have happened in their own home and scared them. An example of Poe using noise to create a tense atmosphere is when he says ‘hinges creaked’ this makes the read tense and keeps them in suspense as they are wondering what would be the old mans reaction if he heard this as he cannot see anybody so he is bound to be scared. Also when it says the hinge creeks, it gives you the impression that it is a creepy, old house, which adds to the atmosphere. The next example of sound being used to create atmosphere is when Poe says ‘it was the beating of the old man’s heart’ so this really helps the reader picture the scene, it gives them I more imaginative view of what’s happening. This noise really lets the reader know just really how scared the old man is, because they will know fro, their own experience that your heart races and becomes loud when you’re scared. Poe describes everything in great detail; this grips the reader and makes them feel involved in the story, rather like a film. Throughout the story, Poe uses words that would relate this story to and make it sound like a horror movie. Poe talks about ‘death’ throughout the story, ‘week before I kill him’, ‘death watches in the wall’, ‘because death, in approaching him’, ‘dead hour’, ‘yes, he was stone, stone dead’ and ‘I must scream or die’ so these quotes mentioning death that are all through the story give the story a real horror effect, and it also grips the reader and makes them feel more involved. Another word related to evil and the horror genre of this story and that is mentioned throughout the story is the talk of ‘terror’, Poe says ‘mortal terror’, ‘the terrors that distracted me’ and ‘uncontrollable terror’ so these quotes add to the effect that the story has on the reader. In the beginning of the story, Poe uses great descriptive language to describe the old mans eye. This helps influence the reader as it can help them to imagine the eye clearly and therefore make them feel more involved with the story and a bit sympathetic towards the murderer in the story. If the reader is involved with the story, then they will be able to feel the tension and suspense created throughout the story. First of all Poe starts by saying ‘it haunted me day and night’ then goes onto say ‘he had the eye of a vulture’ which really gives a good image as the reader should know what the vultures eye looks like†¦scary. Then he says ‘a pale blue eye, with a film over it’ so you can really imagine this pale blue vulture eye, with a dull glaze over it. He then describes how the eye makes him feel ‘whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold’ this is a great descriptive way of displaying to the reader how the eye makes him feel. The reader can really empathise with this sentence as they would have experienced this feeling themselves. So this makes the reader feel involved. So all these factors help the reader imagine this really disgusting eye. Poe talks about the murder in great detail, which really makes it sound like a gruesome death. He does not just say he jumped on the man and killed him; he described everything that happened, so the reader gets a good imaginative picture of what is happening. The fact that the murderer ‘smiled gaily’ is really quite sickening as he is rather enjoying murdering this poor man. He even describes the man dying ‘at length it ceased’ so he is talking about the sound of the man’s heart, slowly decreasing. When the man is finally dead, he describes him as ‘stone dead’ which is a vulgar way of putting it. The story is written in first person narrative by the main character, and throughout the story he refers to the reader, as if he is talking to the reader ‘you cannot imagine how stealthily’, ‘do you mark me well’, ‘will you say that I am mad?’ so he keeps referring to the reader as ‘you’, and asking the reader questions. This really involves the reader with the story, so again the reader is emotionally involved and really feels the suspense and tension built throughout the story. This is good and very effective as it allows Poe to talk of the murder in plenty of detail, and it also lets us know what the murderer is thinking and what his motive is for killing the man (the eye). The murderers feelings in this story is a vital factor as it lets us know how he has planned the murder, and also all the precautions he took leading up to the murder. It also allows Poe to describe the eye and get the reader to empathise with the murderer. I really enjoyed this story as I felt myself gripped and involved in it. So I could really feel the tension and the suspense, I was on the edge waiting for something to happen. I could really relate to the story and that’s why I felt involved, because I could imagine this poor old man scared in bed and hearing strange noises, which scares anybody if they are in bed all alone. So the story was really exciting and enjoyable to read.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Name: Soumya Prem Roll no: 20120119150 Uncertainty reduction theory – Charles Berger and Richard Calabrese This theory explains how communication is used to reduce the uncertainty among people when they meet each other for the first time. It is assumed that when strangers meet, their primary objective is to reduce uncertainty about the other person involved in the interaction. We always want to reduce the uncertainties about our surroundings and the people in it since being uncertain about anything is not a pleasant feeling to have.Berger proposed that there are 3 factors that influence whether people will want to work towards reducing uncertainties about a certain situation.1. Anticipation of future interaction – You will try to reduce uncertainties if you know there is a possibility of meeting this person again. Therefore, you are more likely to use uncertainty reduction behaviour when you meet someone at a party that you might be interested in.2. Incentive value – If this person is capable to doing something for you or against you even, then there are higher chances of yo u trying to reduce uncertainties.3. Deviance – If the person behaves oddly and shows some bizarre characteristics, you are likely to use uncertainty reduction. For example if you meet a new prospective client whom you have to meet in the future and could give your company a new project and has a strange fascination for the colour purple, you would be interested in communicating more to fit the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together to get to know who she really is. There are 3 ways to seek information from the other person-1. Passive Strategy – Observing someone without being observed2. Active Strategy – Asking a third party for more information3.Interactive Strategy – Obtaining information directly by asking questions and offering personal information about yourselfA demonstration of this can be seen in this scene from a very famous Hollywood movie ‘Hitch’ where Will Smith’s character tries to seek more information about Sara Melas at a bar where in he uses all the strategies mentioned above for interaction. Berger proposes a series of 8 axioms to explain the connection between uncertainty and eight key variables of relationship development which areVerbal communication -As the amount of verbal communication increases, the level of uncertainty decreases. As uncertainty decreases, the amount of verbal communication increases.Non verbal warmth – As nonverbal warmth increases, uncertainty levels decreases in a situation. In turn a decrease in uncertainty level will cause an increase in nonverbal warmth.Information seeking –When uncertainty is more, the tendency to seek information increases. As uncertainty decreases, information seeking behaviour decreases.Self disclosure – When uncertainty levels are high, the levels of intimacy in communication is less. As uncertainty reduces the level of intimacy increases.Reciprocity – Higher the uncertainty, higher the reciprocity. Lower the uncertain ty, lower the reciprocity.Similarity – Similarities between people decreases uncertainty, while dissimilarities increases uncertainty.Liking – Increase in uncertainty decreases liking and decrease in uncertainty increases liking.Shared networks – If there are shared networks among the two people like common friends then uncertainty is less and vice versa.Uncertainty reduction theory in movies – Meet the parentsMeeting someone for the first time can be a nerve racking experience for many. In this movie Greg is meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Jack, Pam’s father is overly protective of his daughter. He constantly mocks Greg’s choice of occupation as a nurse and makes him uncomfortable in a lot of situations with an intention to keep him away from his daughter. Greg tries to impress Jack from time to time but nothing seems to work in his favour because Jack does not show any liking towards him. Jack’s verbal ou tput, nonverbal cues and constant information seeking causes Greg to fear him.Consequently, there is never a stable interaction between Jack and Greg as there is a lot of uncertainty between them. Applications of Uncertainty Reduction theory In an article titled ‘Interactive Uncertainty Reduction Strategies and Verbal Affection in Computer-Mediated Communication’ published by Marjolijn L. Antheunis, Alexander P. Schouten, Patti M. Valkenburg and Jochen Peter, they investigated the language-based strategies that computer-mediated communication (CMC) users employ to reduce uncertainty in the absence of nonverbal cues.CMC condition had i. Higher levels of intimacy than face to face condition ii. More affection statements than face to face condition iii. There was no observed differences between text-only CMC and visual CMC condition In another article titled ‘The Acquaintanceship Process: An Examination of Uncertainty, Information Seeking, and Social Attraction durin g Initial Conversation’ published by William Douglas, the relationship between uncertainty reduction, information seeking, and liking during unstructured initial interaction was studied.Analyses showed that Significant linear and quadratic trends in the uncertainty scores. Global uncertainty-related to uncertainty about the specific person after interaction and the amount of uncertainty reduction that they achieved. Uncertainty and liking were inversely correlated both before and after interaction. Global uncertainty -predictive of amount of information seeking Specific uncertainty -unrelated to the frequency of both asking questions and disclosing. Critique point of viewIt can be argued that reducing uncertainty about the self and another in an initial encounter might not be an individual's primary concern. A more primary goal would be to maximize relational outcomes. It is not always necessary to reduce uncertainties for obtaining your incentive from the other person. Also a want for information rather than lack of information is what promotes information-seeking in initial encounters with other people. Also one of the axioms states that as the level of uncertainty reduces, liking increases.This may not be necessarily true since there can be a situation where in after communicating you come to realise that the other person possesses qualities that you are not fond of or comfortable about. In this case, there will not be an increase in liking rather there is a possibility of the opposite, i. e. a decrease in liking.Scholarly article sources: http://crx. sagepub. com/content/21/2/154. abstracthttp://crx. sagepub. com/content/early/2011/06/01/0093650211410420. abstractOther sources: http://www. wikipedia. org/http://wikis. lib. ncsu. edu/index. php/Uncertainty_Reduction_Theoryhttp://www. youtube. com/

Great Gatsby Essay, Character Corruption Essay

Throughout the novel of The Great Gatsby corruption is a prevalent and reoccurring theme and lies within most characters. They become overwhelmed with their own self desires and goal to gain material possession that it blocks their true vision of innocence and morality. Daisy for example is introduced into the book as an innocent dedicated wife to Tom but as the book progresses there is an evident change in her character as she becomes increasingly corrupt. By the end of the book Daisy is selfish, destructive and careless as she handles the situation between her husband, Tom, and her ex lover, Gatsby. For example of her being careless, she lets Gatsby take the blame for her killing of Myrtle Wilson which eventually leads to Gatsby’s death which she seems to show no concern. She is destructive by cheating on her husband while having no real intentions of leaving him for Gatsby. Tom from the beginning of the novel was always seen as corrupt when he has an ongoing affair with Myrtle to satisfy his own needs and leave those needs and feelings of Daisy behind him. He focuses more on monetary value of things and his own self appearance than to the care which Daisy requires out of him as a husband. Tom is also a hypocrite in a way when he catches Daisy and realizes what she has been doing behind his back, he becomes fierce and angry with her while at the same time he has been doing the same behind her back for years. Jordan Baker is also extremely corrupt because of her dishonesty and her need to gossip. She is a social climber who will cling to anyone who means anything or has money for her to grasp onto. She will do whatever it takes to win or get her way, as shown when she cheats in her round of golf to win the tournament. Everything she does is for show and has no regard for other people or their feelings. She goes to Gatsby’s parties with no real concern for who he is while showing no gratitude or thanks for having the party. She is constantly looking out for herself and only herself trying to figure out ways in which she can be seen and become popular in the West and East Egg community. When Daisy was having her affair with Gatsby, Jordan supported her and was behind her during the whole thing, another example of corruption within Jordan. The people of West and East Egg are also all corrupt and consumed with themselves. This is shown when Gatsby dies because only two people show up to his funeral Nick and his father. These people attending his parties have no care for him or his house while they’re there and cannot even pay respect to a man that has died and has given every one of them more then he needed to. Gatsby himself is also a corrupt character in the book yet not nearly as blatantly as the others. Gatsby is corrupted by love and his dream to be with Daisy. Everything he’s ever done in his life such as the money he’s made and the parties he throws are for the slightest chance of him becoming reacquainted with his lost love, Daisy. He is constantly being used by everyone in West and East Egg as an outlet to their everyday lives. They have no regard for who he is and nor do they care. The people come and go as if it is routine for these parties and show no thanks to Gatsby. He has no true friends besides Nick in Egg. Gatsby, over the time of becoming rich has become overwhelmed and brought into the world of expensive material things all to impress Daisy, who previously could not be with him because he was not wealthy. All he can do is show that off so that in the slight chance she comes to one of his parties he can show her is wealth and what he has become. Gatsby is so drawn into and brain-washed over Daisy that she is all he can think about and all he sees is that green light across the bay, dreaming of the time when he and Daisy can finally be together again. This dream is crushed though because he cannot compete with Tom. Tom being categorized under ‘old money’ while Gatsby is categorized under ‘new money’ and big distinction in the communities of West and East Egg. He has devoted his life to becoming an exclusive member to the ‘old money’ people in Long Island but will never be able to reach that goal which corresponds to his goal of end up with Daisy. Corruption is an over arching theme throughout The Great Gatsby and all characters seem to reveal it in their own way with the exception of Nick who stays true to his midwest routes. Nick is never consumed in the material world or has the desire for anything greater than which he already has while all the other characters are always greedy and have desire for more things. They are all absorbed in their own world and worries that they have no time to see what others are doing or how they feel which is an easy way to lead to a corrupted lifestyle.

By the Waters of Babylon Essay

â€Å"Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth. It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places.† The truth is a very important thing for an individual. It can be very useful or very destructive depending on how it is used. The significance of the quote made by John’s father could be broken down in to three different sections according to each statement. First of these statements is â€Å"Truth is a had deer to hunt.† the second of these statements is â€Å"If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth.† and the final statement is â€Å"It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places.† â€Å"Truth is a hard deer to hunt.† The literal meaning of the statement could be interpreted as; the truth is hard to find. Then the question arises, is it hard to find physically or is it hard to grasp mentally? A good example of the physical part of finding the truth was when John went on his journey to the Dead Places. A good example of grasping the truth mentally was when he saw the dead god in the chair, but upon farther examination he realized he was a man rather than a god. The correct interpretation is the second one; the truth is hard to grasp. For example you could tell a person the truth, but until they have been provided evidence or mental reassurance they might not want to believe the truth making it hard to grasp or in the words of John’s father â€Å"a hard deer to hunt.† This leads to the next statement â€Å"If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth.† The meaning of this statement is that the truth can be very dangerous. It is also related to the first statement in the sense that once a person grasps and understands the truth, the next stage is how they are going to react to it. If it’s a good thing they might react positively, but if it’s a bad thing then it’s vice versa. In the case of the John and his people the truth is neither bad nor good rather it is different in the sense that it could be what they want it to be. They could both â€Å"eat the truth† and use it to better themselves and their way of life or they could â€Å"die of the truth† and use it to cause chaos and destruction as the gods had done. The more likely of the two to occur is the second one.  The reason for that is the fact that the truth is against the beliefs of the hill people and when something is against the beliefs or customs of someone they don’t tend to believe it. In this case the hill people would have a hard time believing that the gods they believe in were actually people and will get confused between reality and religion. Also if the hill people learn of the advanced technology that the gods had then they might or might not use it in a productive way and cause destruc tion upon themselves like the god had. This leads to the last sentence â€Å"It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places.† This means that their fathers had a reason when they decided to forbid the people from going to the Dead Places. The reason that they had was to protect their people from the unknown and the truth to ensure their well being and safety. The fathers of the hill people did not want the same ending for their people as it had been for the gods or people before them. They knew that if the hill people got the technology or weapons that the gods or people before them had then there would be a great possibility of chaos and destruction. In order for them to protect their people the fathers created rules and customs, but they also left their people in the dark. Finally, I personally do not agree with this implication because I do not believe in keeping the truth from anyone. I also think that leaders should not keep a truth as big as this one from their people, even though their intentions are to protect society. Keeping thetruth from the people is looking at only one perspective. How did the fathers know that the truth would destroy the people? Knowledge is something a person must share for the betterment of society. Instead of shutting off the past, the fathers should have opened it up to there people and teach their people to learn from the mistakes of the past. John, a priest and a son of a priest went against his predecessors and learned about the previous civilization and it’s mistakes. This made him understand how to create a civilization that would last. It also makes him a better leader. In the end John thinks, â€Å"But they were men who built the city, not gods or demons. They were men. I remember the dead man’s face. They were men who were here before us. We must build again.† This is proof that the implication is wrong and that it creates restrictions  upon John’ people. By John thinking like this he will enable his people to move forward, remove the restrictions in their lives, and create a thirst of knowledge that will make his people better rather than worse.

Effect of Mergers and Acquisitions on Health Care Essay

Effect of Mergers and Acquisitions on Health Care - Essay Example This dissertation will discuss the impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on the Healthcare services using specific examples. It will also focus on the impact it has had on the workforce, patients and the organizations themselves. Mergers and acquisitions or M&A as it is popularly called, come to influence the organizations that undergo the process as there are numerous changes especially at the top levels such as in the ownership, in mode of operation, and also in the way the business is done. Of the three strategic assets that have been listed above, the degree of cultural cohesion is found to be the most important asset in the ultimate outcome of the deal. In fact, cultural cohesion also happens to be the one that impacts the extent to which qualitative talent retention can be achieved. It is a common practice for companies in the modern days to publish their cultural heritage and values. However, it has always been found that whatever is mentioned does not always mean that it exists there in the existing culture of the place. Anthropologists have always believed that the procedure for knowing about a particular group's culture does not necessarily begin by asking members to identify the specific traits. In fact, in most instances, the cultural traits of the surroundings are not easily identified by the members belonging to the social group. As such, gaining an insight into the nuances of cultural influences that are practiced over time within a specific group or organization involves a thorough process and means studying over prolonged periods of time and observation. This observation is used to form important questions about practices, disciplines and the techniques used to define and solve problem using well-formed strategies (K. Conner, 1991). Cultural Cohesion The amount of cohesion within a company's cultural domain is dependent on the proper identification of the organization's cultural components, which can be mapped directly to the structural components of the building such as the foundation, walls, beams etc. therefore, it is extremely necessary to carry out a thorough inspection of the whole area, identify and assess the walls of a building so as to be able to arrive at possible conclusions on the integrity of the space before the entire place can be restructured or renovated. Despite the fact that a company may have been acquired given the positive opinion on attributes such as brands, competencies, stocks and assets, the real success for a merged enterprise depends on whether the necessary steps have been initiated to identify and retain the organization's predominant cultural attributes that sustain and support the necessary inherent valuable resources (R Grant, 1991). Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on the organizations involved To begin with, it should be understood that healthcare services has in itself become an industry due to several factors, the major one being the rapid rise in population over the last couple of decades. It's a well known fact that increase in population implies increasing demand for health care services. Changing environmental factors and the proliferation of new diseases arising out of them also has been a major factor towards commercialization of health care services. Also the improving lifestyles of the people seeking healthcare servic

Shintoism in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Shintoism in Japan - Essay Example This indigenous religion of Japan is an unstructured mixture of a several beliefs and practices such as the worship of nature, future foretelling, fertility sects and shamanism. In its most fundamental form, Shinto is the religious structure of Japanese nationalism. According to Shinto tradition, the Japanese people and their country were divinely created, their emperors descendants of the Sun Goddess. Commonly, Japanese who are affiliated with Confucianism or the Buddhist religion are simultaneously affiliated with the Shinto sect. The two revered books of Shintoism are the Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan) and the Kojiki (Chronicles of Ancient Events). The Kojiki teaches that in the beginning were the two kami (deities), Izanagi (male-who-invites) and Izanami (female who-invites). Following the creation of Japan they produced many other kami. According to this mythological legend, Izanami passed away after giving birth to the kami of fire. Izanagi, in an attempt to find her, voyaged to Hell where he found her decomposed body infested by maggots. Horrified, he then went back to Japan in revulsion and purified himself by entering a body of water. The Sun Goddess, the Great Kami Amaterasu emerged when he washed out his left eye and Tsukiyom the Moon Kami materialized when he washed out his right eye. Following many years of war between the people of Japan, the Sun Goddess made her grandson, Ninigi, the first emperor of Japan. The Shinto religion is the only religion of the world that is represented by a female Deity. Japanese legend contends that the first emperor appeared during the seventh century B.C. but modern researchers put the actual beginnings of Japanese emperorship at about 200 A. D.

Racism and Discrimination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racism and Discrimination - Research Paper Example Racial discrimination, on the other hand, refers to the illegal expression of racism towards a particular group, according to the Council of Europe (2009). It entails intentional malicious acts meant to demean another one based on his or her race. Racial harassment is one type of racial discrimination, according to Kassimeris (2009). This may be manifested through acts of name-calling, direct insults, bad comments that lower someone’s dignity. Racism and discrimination are particularly strong in countries that are diverse, such as the United States and Canada. Canada, for instance, is a multi-ethnic country and is among many countries that have witnessed some of the worst racial discriminations in the past. Canada reportedly has over 200 ethnic groups with the visible minority accounting for about 13% of Canada’s total population (Appadurai, 2012). Reports also show that approximately 18% of Canadians are foreign-born. Reports indicate that racial discrimination in Canada has mainly been directed towards non-native Canadians, particularly immigrants (Appadurai, 2012). In this regard, a report shows that many immigrants in Canada have faced all manners of racial discrimination in the past. Reports indicates that many Canadian immigrants and minority ethnic groups have faced a high degree of racial discrimination in the past, in which some have been tortured to death because of their racial backgrounds (Kassimeris, 2009). The discrimination mainly comes from the fact that the non-Canadian races are being perceived as primitive people who do not deserve to live together with the white Canadians. It is said that the violence of 1907 in Vancouver was mainly race based, according to Adams (2008). During this violence, it is reported that a mob of white Canadians violently attacked Japanese and Chinese ethnic communities in Canada. This racially motivated violence left several Chinese and Japanese ethnic communities dead with property worth millions of dollars destroyed (Appadurai, 2012). In another incident during World War II, several Japanese Canadians were incarcerated and their property seized by white Canadians that were fighting them out of the country based on their racial background. Reports also indicated that members of Asian community were beaten up and harassed by native Canadians in Toronto in the 1970s (Seltzer & Johnson, 2009). This incident shows how racial discrimination has been rife in Canada. When we talk of racial discrimination, what also comes into mind is the kind of racial discrimination that African Americans have had to face in the U.S. This is because African Americans are arguably the race that has faced one of the worst racial abuse occurrences in the world. In the U.S., apart from being subjected to hard labor on white settlers’ land, they were also being harassed and beaten to death, according to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2010). They were also denied certain rights purely on their racial backgrounds. This was based on the fact that African Americans were being perceived by white Americans as primitive people that should be segregated from the rest of society. For example, it is reported that segregation laws were passed in the U.S. during the Jim Crow era, which resulted in segregation of public facilities in which African Americans were barred from attending public facilities meant for their white counterparts. In this regard, any black American found to disobey such a law was to be executed by white Americans. An example can be seen when at one time an African was forced to leave the front seat of a bus to a white American, which triggered riots and boycott of public transport by African

On Double Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Double Standards - Essay Example Men are expected to be more aggressive while women are supposed to be more submissive and reserved. It is readily accepted that some things are naturally "men's" things while some are "women's." For example, a man who is attracted to a pretty woman can always ask her out. However, a woman asking a man out is less acceptable. The commencement of a relationship is seen as the "right" of every guy while ladies can only accept. The essay will look at the different double standards based on gender. The first section will look at the most common double standards present in the society. Afterwards, the essay will expose the arguments for and against double standard. It will also contain various citations from different authors and social scientists who are experts in this topic. In the end, I will give my own opinion regarding the essay. The fate of an individual is undeniably almost always determined by sexuality. It is irrefutable that the society where are living in has this preconceived notion of what is right and what is acceptable action for each gender. Currently, society has readily accepted that some things are naturally "men's" things while some are "women's." The presence of double standard is an undeniable fact.

Alto Chemicals Europe Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alto Chemicals Europe - Case Study Example Graaff suggested that the company should focus on its strengths and resort to ‘non-price’ selling. The skillful sales force should highlight superior technical service and ACE’s reputation as a reliable supplier while closing a sales deal. Graaff strongly advocated that the sales force should focus on converting more accounts from Barium to Tin. The intent was to generate business from small and medium-sized firms. Customer segments like wire and cable that were not price sensitive were also to be targeted under the new strategy to prevent price erosion. As a rule, ACE was to adopt the strategy of price leadership and not compete in the market merely by ‘meeting Barium prices’. Graaff envisaged that central coordination would help in regional optimization. Thus the headquarters took on the role of setting price and volume targets for the subsidiaries. In general, ACE was to pay less attention to low price markets and focus on high price markets. Compensation Plan The initial reaction from the sales personnel suggests that they are averse to the changes put forth by Graaff. Therefore a suitable compensation plan is to be devised to motivate the sales force to adopt the new strategy. It is recommended that the sales personnel are given incentive on each account they convert from Barium to Tin. A fixed, upfront amount should also be paid to them when they a small and medium-sized enterprise becomes a customer.

Summary of a book chapter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Summary of a book chapter - Assignment Example A small nation facing external threats relies on alliances to overcome such security issues (Duffield, 1992). According to the author, alliances have been a common place in modern history. There have been close to 648 alliances since the early 19th century up to the 21st century. However, most of these alliances have been significantly small with an average of three member nations. Alliances are common in a number of European nations. The author concurs with the notion that alliances are a major influence on international relation. The author attributes a number of outbreaks and spread of the military conflict to alliances. He supports this assumption by stating that the establishment of international alliances can have significant effects on the security of the individual nation and help to determine both the likely outcome of a war (Duffield, 1992). The author provides a number of factors that explain the persistence and collapse of alliances. Approximately 263 alliances with both defensive and offensive attributes have existed for close to 200 years. The author provides estimates of their mean of duration and standard deviation at 13.4 and 13.1 respectively. Defensive alliances with no offensive elements lasted longer. According to the author, wars and shift in the map of global politics that such wars occur are the key factors affecting the persistence or the collapse of alliances (Duffield 1992). Out of the many alliances formed in the late 19th century, a few outlived the First and the Second World War. The author provides other factors behind the persistence and the collapse of wars. The motive behind the formation of alliances is a key determinant of whether the alliance will last for long or whether it will collapse after a short duration. According to the author, as long as the motives for the formation of alliances remain in place, then the alliance will persist. The author agrees that international relation is a key motive for an alliance

Comparative analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative analysis - Research Paper Example While both paintings are inspired by biblical readings, Michelangelo’s painting is from a story in the beginning of biblical times while Giotto’s painting is a vision of the end. Both paintings are divided in the middle, depicting opposites of events on either side. In the Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden, the image is divided by the controversial Tree of Knowledge, with the left side showing Adam and Eve enjoying the bliss of paradise while the right side showing them being ousted by an angel from the garden to fend for themselves. In Giotto’s Last Judgment, the image is likewise divided on the lower half with a cross dividing the picture into visions of those called to heaven and those thrown to hell. Both paintings show visions of the enjoyment of God’s grace as well as the consequences of sin. Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was placed under the tutelage of a number of gifted artists ever since he was a young boy. Critics believe his work was influenced by the masters, Leonardo, Giotto and Poliziano. They were impressed by the boy’s extreme sensitivity, and his combination of energy and talent. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by the Pope himself for his own personal worship space (awakentoprayer.org). The Fall and Expulsion from Garden of Eden is just one of the panels devoted to Creation. The flow of the story of the image is from left to right. On the left side, a relaxed couple is shown enjoying the fruit from the forbidden tree while the background denotes lush and abundance. The serpent entwines itself to the tree while tempting Adam and Eve. It symbolically divides the image denoting its representation of man’s separation from God’s graces as the couple is ousted from the garden. The right side shows total desolation and the look of frustration and regret in the couple’s faces while an angel drives them away (Web Gallery of Art). Giotto di Bondon e (1266-1337) is another renowned Italian artist whose works have been influenced by Pietro Cavallini, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. In 1304, he began a series of 38 frescoes in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel in Padua which mostly depict biblical images His works builds up a rhythm from solemn and slow-moving to supremely forceful drama but are filled with compassion (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). He is also adept in the use of space, adding appropriate figures in the background culled from his own interpretation of the image making them powerful visions. In The Last Judgment, Giotto paints the top part to show heaven with Jesus in the middle and the apostles at both sides while the lower part shows the chosen that are blessed to enter the gates of heaven on the left side and the doomed that are sent to hell on the right side. Archangels Michael and Raphael are in the middle holding the cross (artbible.info). Ladis suggests that Giotto’s wit and humor is evident in his work especially in his treatment of hell in the painting. Those subjected to eternal damnation are depicted trying their best to escape their judgment but none can hide, as everyone is owned by Satan (586). Both artists are expert in capturing the emotions of the subjects and in turn, evoking the emotions of their viewers. Michelangelo has been known to be a master in the human form, and this shows