Operation Eagle Claw, And It Was A Failure - 1222 Words

November 4th 1979American personnel at the US embassy are taken hostage in Teheran, Iran. The United States had never faced a hostage situation like this before. It did not have the Joint Special Operations Task Force trained in planning the mission or the resources for low visibility clandestine missions. The mission to save the hostages is called Operation Eagle Claw, and it was a failure. This mission on the other hand highlighted areas in the military that need tobe improved, and when the country required to carry out special operation missions in the future those resources would be there and ready. Militant student, followers of the Ayatollah stormed the Embassy and took all personnel hostage. This was the second time in 1979 the embassy was taken and only a few people remained behind its gates. The students only planned to take the hostages for a few days, hopping that the United States would return the ousted Shah, to face trial. When the US refused, to return the Shah, the stalemate began, and the students held the hostages for 444 days. The US realized that the hostages are not being released as before, and a rescue mission was needed to secure their freedom. A group was quickly put together to plan the rescue. Dubbed Operation Rice Bowl, flag officers from every branch of the military, began to plan the mission and gather intelligence. The officers of the planning, operations ensured that every branch of the military would have a piece of the mission; noShow MoreRelatedOperation Eagle Claw : What Went Wrong1083 Words   |  5 Pages OPERATION EAGLE CLAW: WHAT WENT WRONG NCOA SSG Jeremy G. Michael 15ZSLC 17-002 SFC Maradol Iran took 52 Americans hostage on November 4, 1979. The resulting failed rescue attempt, Operation Eagle Claw, was an international embarrassment for the United States. No single event or decision resulted in the mission’s failure; instead, the failure resulted from a chain of poor decisions. This single operation highlighted the need for a dedicated special operations aviation unit dedicatedRead MoreOperation Eagle Claw : A Learning Experience1561 Words   |  7 PagesOperation Eagle Claw – A Learning Experience In order to gain a thorough understanding of Operation Eagle Claw, it is imperative to account for the historical context which governed the military at the time. Induced by public opinion and the economic state of the United States proceeding the Vietnam War, dramatic reductions in appropriations and personnel plagued the Department of Defense. Consequently, in the midst of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the United States military was labeled as a â€Å"hollowRead MoreOperation Of Operation Eagle Claw2311 Words   |  10 Pagesline with just one military operation to save and bring them home. Yet, the failure of Operation Eagle Claw brought death to military personnel and shame to America. Operation Eagle Claw was a mission to end the hostage crisis in Iran which was in a political upraise against the United States. The planning of Operation Eagle Claw was too complex and planners over looked the military aviation doctrine to hastily get the hostages to safety. Operation Eagle Clawâ €™s failure was due to prolonged AmericanRead MoreOperation Of Operation Eagle Claw2303 Words   |  10 Pagesthe line with just one military operation to save and bring them home. Yet, the failure of Operation Eagle Claw brought death to military personnel and shame to America. Operation Eagle Claw was a mission to end the hostage crisis in Iran which was in a political upraise against the United States. The planning of Operation Eagle Claw was too complex and planners over looked military aviation doctrine to hastily get the hostages safe. Operation Eagle Claw’s failure was due to prolonged American evacuationRead MoreLessons from Operation Eagle Claw2331 Words   |  10 PagesThe execution of military operations requires the application of certain fundamental principles, and tenets that have been the keystone of strategy development and conflict planning, since the appearance of organized forces. In addition to these tenets and principles, the military relies on the experience of front line leaders, and lessons learned to ensure operations evolve to focus on current and emerging threats. Currently, the United States military is waging wars on two fronts, Iraq and AfghanistanRead MoreThe Iran Hostage Crisis Changed The Political Connections Between The United States And Iran1586 Words   |  7 Pagesmade attempts to negotiate the hostages released, he failed several times. Because of his failures he was viewed inept and ineffective in regards to the crisis. The hostages were released on January 20, 1981, the day that President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. This paper will discuss the main reason why the hostages were taken, and why they were not released sooner. Back in 1950, when Mossadegh was Prime Minister of Iran, he nationalized Iran s oil industry, reducing the European influenceRead MoreThe Resolution Of The Hostages On The Basis Of Humanitarian Grounds771 Words   |  4 PagesInitially, the President’s response was to appeal for the release of the hostages on the basis of humanitarian grounds, but this was ineffective against the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line because their main goal was to bring the Shah and the United States to justice, and taking hostages was just a means to do so. Since there were so many hostages taken, the United States had to tread carefully with their diplomacy. They were the ones against odds with everything to lose. The United StatesRead MoreThe Situation Of The Iran Hostage Crisis1444 Words   |  6 Pagesgovernment denied any responsibility for the incident, but their failure to take action against the hostage-takers belied the denial. This was one of the first mistakes; maki ng the enemy mad, therefore giving them a stronger spring to bounce back on when you go attack or invade in their land. The U.S.A.’s association with the shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, with the help of the president of course, did nothing to help. In fact, it was their help that pretty much caused the crisis. The shah, who is theRead MoreReview Of Operation Eagle Claw And The Risk Management Process1500 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical future. As we review Operation Eagle Claw and the risk management process, we uncover several major problems that arose before and during the operation. These factors increased the scope and complexity, as well as, the experience of all involved-- outcome of the project was a major political and military disaster. The mission was a very high risk and any efforts to mitigate the risk were completely absent. The elements of project (operational) risk for Eagle Claw went beyond the bounds ofRead MoreThe Revolution Of The United States1150 Words   |  5 PagesIn October, 1979, President Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to enter the United States for cancer treatments. Immediately, the revolutionaries demanded that the Shah be returned to Iran so he could stand trial for the human rights violations that he was accused of. When the Carter Administration would not return the Shah, the revolutionaries were outraged and retaliated against the United States. On November 4, 1979, students who supported Ayatollah Khomeini and the revolution, known as the Muslim

The Effects Of Vitamin D And Its Effects On Children

traviolet (UV) rays from sunlight to activate it. Breastmilk contains a small amount of vitamin D but that is not adequate for proper infant development; therefore, exclusively breastfed infants should receive a supplement of vitamin D shortly after birth.17 The current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for vitamin D intake is 400 IU per day for all infants, children, and adolescents, beginning the first few days after birth.18 Deficiency of vitamin D is known as rickets and can have severe and lasting effects on children as they grow. Inadequate intake of vitamin D also decreases intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, causing improper mineralization of bones and teeth and resulting in swelled joints, bowed legs, and poor growth during childhood. (See Figure 6.9.) Iron A full-term infant is born with iron stores that reflect the mother’s iron levels. If the mother consumes an iron-rich diet during pregnancy, the fetus builds iron stores to last the first 4–6 months of life. By 6 months, a breastfed infant needs an additional iron source, at which time, iron-fortified infant cereals can meet this need. The AAP recommends iron-fortified formula for all formula-fed babies. Preterm infants have lower iron stores at birth that are depleted around 2–3 months of age.19 Human milk is a source of iron, and compared with infant formula, a higher percentage of the iron in breastmilk is absorbed: 50% of the iron in breastmilk is absorbed, whereas onlyShow MoreRelatedEffects of Uv Rays Essays1525 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of UV Rays Agnes Berisha Baker College of Auburn Hills July 8, 2010 CONFIRMATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certified that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Signature: ________________________________________ Read MoreThe Importance of Vitamin D Essay1173 Words   |  5 Pagescome with the exposure to the sun than harm. Vitamin D that our body produces when we are exposed to the sun is very efficient in curing so many diseases. It protects from arthritis, diabetes, infectious diseases, multiple sclerosis and some kinds of cancer, just to name a few. It has been proven that the Earth’s atmosphere blocks 98.7 percent of the sun’s UV rays. The other 2.3 percent that we are exposed to, have both beneficial and harmful effects. We do need to focus on the benefits, becauseRead MoreHow Does Vitamin D Improves The Plyometric Performance878 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Question: Does Vitamin D improves the plyometric performance in young basketball athletes? Part 1 A fat-soluble vitamin D is an essential vitamin which works as precursor steroid in biological and metabolic processes happening in human body (1). Deficiency of Vitamin D has shown a verity of adverse psychological, skeletal and muscular health issues (2). Vitamin D deficiency rate has been increased remarkably from year 1994 to 2004. There are many factors responsible for this like sunRead MoreRisk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis1287 Words   |  5 Pagesthe interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) gene alteration (15-17) and two single nucleotide polymorphisms within the interleukin-2 receptor alpha (IL-2Ra) coding region have been linked to MS risk (18). Pathophysiologically, these polymorphisms might have effects on the immune system. There is no doubt that genetics has revolutionized our understanding about the human diseases. Regarding MS; however, the practical application of these data has not been acquired yet. Gene screening for finding patients proneRead MoreDietary Supplements : Pros And Cons Article1130 Words   |  5 Pagesproducts such as vitamins and minerals, herbs and enzymes. Taking the right supplements can be beneficial to your health, but they are not without risk. Never take any type of supplement without first talking to your doctor (1). According to the 2010 Supplement Business Report published by the Nutrition Business Journal, dietary supplements are a 27 billion dollar industry. That is in the United States alone, a pretty impressive number. Botanicals, herbs, meal replacements, vitamins, and minerals fillRead MoreRickets773 Words   |  4 PagesRickets? Rickets is a disease of bone most commonly caused worldwide by a deficiency of vitamin D. The deficiency may be caused by a lack of vitamin D in the diet, a lock of exposure to sunlight, or a problem the body has with absorbing or using vitamin D. Rickets is characterized by improper hardening of the bones, resulting in skeletal deformities if left untreated. Rickets affects primarily infants and children because bone growth occurs during childhood. Rickets can occur for a number of reasonsRead MoreExplanations and Analyses of Articles: Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Prevention1573 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Vitamin D can be found in fortified milk, liver, fatty fish and eggs. This vitamin is different from other because body is able to synthesize it. Exposure to sunlight no more than 5-15 minutes a day is all that is necessary to satisfy the requirements for Vitamin D. The vitamins main role in the body is to sustain regular blood levels of calciumRead MoreEssay on Do Multivitamins Extend your Lifespan?810 Words   |  4 Pagesextensively. On the other hand, those people may face mental strain such as having personal problem with their family or co-workers. With all of these example of everyday tense work, multivitamins play a good role, because it helps slow down the effect on aging and reduce the risk of other diseases. In contrast, multivitamin can also have a toxic affect if taken too much of it and particular attention at the liver. With the liver absorbing too much of the multivitamins it can accumulate to reachRead MoreVitamin D and Athletic Performance Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pageswithin the body and from that how they can influence the body’s ability to perform while under duress. An example of such would be the stress of athletic performance. Vitamin D, which is also referred to as cholecalciferol, is one of the fat soluble vitamins that have been attributed to influencing athletic performance. However, vitamin D is not as much a â€Å"performance enhancing† nutrient in the sense that when taken in higher amounts it will aid athletic performance, but rather when in deficient amountsRead MoreVitamin Deficiency : A Widespread Problem All Around The World1457 Words   |  6 PagesVitamin deficiencies are a widespread problem all around the world. They are caused by very poor eating habits or due to people living in low income areas. The body requires many different types of vitamins and minerals for the development of the body and to prevent diseases and to keep o ur body healthy. These vitamins and minerals are known as micronutrients. These micronutrients aren’t produced naturally in our body so they have to be consumed in from the meals we eat. This is why it is so important

New Practices Introduced at the Workplace Sample for Students

Question: Write a Report on Employment Relations. Answer: Introduction Employee relation is the term that deals with development of the relationship between the employer and the employees. There are many practices implemented by the organizations these days to maintain the employee relations. According to the case analysis, it has-been analyzed that the old owner family of the company were not using any of the employee relation policy for motivating and retaining the employees (Beharrell Philo, 2016). They were only concerned about the output of the operations and not about the process and the safety of the workers, these results in running the scenario and the company has become the worst place to work for the employees. Although the company was among top of the firm but still cannot be able to retain and maintain the relation with the employees. Therefore, employee reaction processes and strategies should be implemented by the company. Situation analysis of the company: As per the case, it has been analyzed that the company is growing in terms of business but it is becoming a very hard place to work for the employees. The prior manager of the company was autocratic in nature (Biddison, Paine, Murakami, Herzke Weaver, 2016). The managers like this delegate the duties to the employees according to their will and also show the path to complete those duties. They did not involve the views of the employees in the decision making process and takes the decision according to their knowledge. The company was experiencing a bad phase as there were no spending on the benefits of the company and its procedures. The company was owned by the family and they were not spending the money on repairing of trucks and other things those results in many accidents and dissatisfaction of the employees. The resulting scenario is because of the autocratic behavior of the companys manager. He was not interested in development of the employees but only looking forward to the development and achievement of the companys goals (Fossum, 2014). Need for changes in the company: After analyzing the situation of the company, it has been identified that it is very difficult for the company to manage the employees. The manager of the company is showing interest only in development of the company and not the employees. This results in dissatisfaction of the employees and occurrence of many accidents at the workplace (Kersley, Alpin, Forth, Bryson, Bewley, Dix Oxenbridge, 2013). Changes are required in order to retain the employees and also to motivate them for effective performance. In the condition like this, the employees can perform effectively for shorter period of time and not for long term. For longer performance of the employees, it is necessary to being about the changes in the employee relation policies of the company so that employees feel happy and satisfied to work with the company. It is to only from the managers side but the company owners also need to make some of the investment in order to make the workplace of the company safe for the employees to work. Safe working environment and the beneficial policies of the employees develop the employees and the organization as a whole. New workplace practices: According to the case, it has been analyzed that after shifting of the ownership of the company from the family to the new big national transport group, the company has come across many changes after that. Some of the changes have been discussed below: Change in workplace environment: The new company has a big capital to invest in repairing the companys property (L?z?roiu, 2015). Cleaning of the yard and issuing of new uniforms to the employees results in better workplace environment for the employees. The installation of the computer system has also change the workplace environment and motivates the employees to work effectively. All these steps or the strategies that have been implemented by the new manager of the company are related to the employee relation. As the company is running well with its operations so the new managers needs to make efforts in developing relations with the employees. Involvement of employees and participative approach by manager: Involvement of employees in decision making process is very important for the companies to motivate the employees or effective working. The new manager of the companys has started the practice of taking into account the views of the employees before making any decision and this supports the company to motivate the employees (Markovits, 2016). The approach of investigating the scenario at the time of any issue by the mangers also helps the company as well as the employees to deal with that issue easily. The new manager of the company does not take decision according to his knowledge but tries to find out the cause of the issue raised and then give the decision. Occupational health and safety: The new manger has also introduced the practices that support the health and safety of the employees during working hours. In regard to this, the employees have given training for customer service and some of the technical trainings have also been given to the employees (?nday, 2016). This helps the employees to develop their skills and knowledge. Provision of trainings to the employees not only grow them professionally but also helps them to grow personally. These changes at the workplace helped the employer as well as the employees to achieve goals. The efforts made by the managers in context of employees benefits are worth effective. The changes have been experienced in the performance and the behavior of the employees towards the organization. Developing employee relation by such practices helps in retaining the employees and reduces the turnover rate of the company (Saracel Berbero?lu, 016). How these practice complement each other: The practices that have been discussed above, results in many changes in the organization. All the changes were positive in nature, this is because all the new practices implemented by the new yard manger of the company deals with the employee relation policies (Schaufeli Taris, 2014). The introduction of new uniform was done in order to create a fresh environment in the company. This helps in motivating the employees and helps in creating the feeling of belongingness among the employees. All the new practices in the organization complement each other because all of them relates with motivation of the employees and developing relationship with the employees (Shields, et.al, 2015). Spending money in cleaning of the yard and repairing of the trucks is done for the sake of safety of the drivers. Training has been given to them in order to develop their skills. What is union? Union can be defined as the group of people working towards a same goals and one of their representative represents their views to the company owners. Unions are made in the companies so that the business owners can communicate with the employees with the help of the union leaders or representatives. The process of communicating with the union leaders ease out the process of communication between the employees and the employers (Storey, 2014).This is because it is not possible for the employee to communicate with every employee of the organization one to one. This is the reason why representative has been selected for the unions. Inclusion of transport workers unions in workplace changes: Transport workers union is also called as blue collared union. This is because the workers under blue collared job generally involve the labor class people that deal with machinery works and their work is not so clean. They are the workers that work manually and are not that much educated in their fields (Toubl Jensen, 2014). They are generally posted at the lower level jobs of the department. As far as their union is concerned, it has been analyzed that the unions of blue collar workers are concerned only with the changes of the workplace that affect their lives and salaries. They are not concerned with the long term, growth of the company or the long term growth of their careers. This is because they are people with low economic background and thus earning money is the primary goal of their life (Van Wanrooy, Bewley, Bryson, Forth, Freeth, Stokes, Wood, 2013). This suggests that they are not much involved in the management of the company as well as in decision-making process or w orkplace changes decision until and unless it affects their earnings and wages. Inclusion of public or service sector unions in workplace changes: Public and service sector union can be defined as the unions that are related to the service sector or white collared jobs. The unions in these types of jobs have higher authority and involvement in the management practices as compared to the blue collared unions. This is because the employees under the white collared jobs are educated enough to take the decisions for the management of the company (Cotti, Haley Miller, 2014). They have the skills to judge what is right and what is wrong. For example, it has been observed that the organizations like hospitals have Board of Directors. This Board of Directors is not only the shareholders of the hospital but also involves the doctors who are employed in the organization. These doctors who get the chance to be in Board of Directors act as the representative of the whole team of doctors working in the hospital. Conclusion: This report concludes that employee relation is one of the components that should be included in the policies of the organization. Autocratic behavior of the managers at the workplace can only last for short term performance of the employees but long term performance can only be attained if the employees feel satisfied and happy at the workplace. That can only be possible if the mangers of the organization make some of the employee relation policies of the employees. Involvement o the employees in decision making and investment in making the workplace safe for the employees helps in retaining the talent to the organization and also improved the performance of employees. Develop of employees at individual level not benefitted the individual but also the firm as a whole. References: Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014).Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Beharrell, P., Philo, G. (2016).Trade unions and the media. Springer. Biddison, E. L. D., Paine, L., Murakami, P., Herzke, C., Weaver, S. J. (2016). Associations between safety culture and employee engagement over time: a retrospective analysis.BMJ Qual Saf,25(1), 31-37. Cotti, C. D., Haley, M. R., Miller, L. A. (2014). Workplace flexibilities, job satisfaction and union membership in the US workforce.British Journal of Industrial Relations,52(3), 403-425. Fossum, J. A. (2014).Labor relations. Mcgraw Hill Higher Educat. Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G., Oxenbridge, S. (2013).Inside the workplace: findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. Routledge. L?z?roiu, G. (2015). Employee Motivation and Job Performance.Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, (14), 97-102. Markovits, A. (2016).The Politics of West German Trade Unions: Strategies of Class and Interest Representation in Growth and Crisis. Routledge. ?nday, ?. (2016). New Trends and Comparative Analysis on Unionization among Professionals: The Case of Turkey. Saracel, N., Berbero?lu, A. (2016). The Search for New Union Strategies: Turkish Cypriot Trade Unions.International Journal of Research in Social Sciences,6(7), 265-282. Schaufeli, W. B., Taris, T. W. (2014). A critical review of the Job Demands-Resources Model: Implications for improving work and health. InBridging occupational, organizational and public health(pp. 43-68). Springer Netherlands. Shields, J., Brown, M., Kaine, S., Dolle-Samuel, C., North-Samardzic, A., McLean, P., ... Plimmer, G. (2015).Managing Employee Performance Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies. Cambridge University Press. Storey, J. (2014).New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Toubl, J., Jensen, C. S. (2014). Why do people join trade unions? The impact of workplace union density on union recruitment.Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research,20(1), 135-154. Van Wanrooy, B., Bewley, H., Bryson, A., Forth, J., Freeth, S., Stokes, L., Wood, S. (2013).Employment relations in the shadow of recession: Findings from the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study. Palgrave macmillan.

Comparatives and Superlatives free essay sample

Comparatives and Superlatives Age: Young Adult- Adult Level: Beginners Length: Up to 1 hour Vocab: Basic adjectives, comparatives and superlatives Focus: Comparing things, reading, writing and speaking. 1. Start by drawing some basic characters on the board, a tall thin one, a small fat one and a normal one. Give them names that your students will be familiar with and invite students to compare them. John is fatter than Paul, Jim is taller than William etc†¦ 2. Give out worksheet and have students work through. Try to explain that small words add er, and est, whilst longer adjectives have more or most before them. Leave two-syllable words that take more and most till later. Answers as follows. Adjective Big Small Young Old Fat Short Tall Thin New Ugly Rich Poor Hot Beautiful Expensive Interesting Comparative Bigger Smaller Younger Older Fatter* Shorter Taller Thinner* Newer Uglier Richer Poorer Hotter* more beautiful More expensive More interesting Superlative The biggest The smallest The youngest The oldest The fattest The shortest The tallest The thinnest The newest The ugliest The ugliest The poorest The hottest The most beautiful The most expensive The most interesting the best The worst Good Better Bad Worse *Double the consonants for these short words. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparatives and Superlatives or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page  © Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2004 Downloaded from www. onestopenglish. com Fill in the sentences. (Suggested answers only) 1. New York is bigger than Paris. 2. Copenhagen is smaller than London. 3. England is older than America. 4. America is more expensive than India. 5. India is poorer than America. 6. Australia is bigger than England. 7. Iceland is smaller than Mexico. 8. Spain is poorer than Germany. 9. Russia is cheaper than America. 10. Singapore is hotter than Berlin

Shakespere`S Othello Essays - Othello, English-language Films

Shakespere`S Othello In all of Shakespeare's great novels there are many experiences, tragic or otherwise that one can learn from. Shakespeare's novel Othello is not an exception this rule. Throughout Othello there are many examples of mistakes made by the characters that a reader can learn from. Learning from the flaws of others is one way that one can learn form Shakespeare's Othello. In the novel Othello there are many of these flaws throughout the story. There are many ways one can learn from the novel Othello. The major theme throughout Othello is that a man named Othello has made the mistake of letting his emotions get in the way of his reasoning. In the novel the main character Othello is a intelligent, well educated, worldly man that should not have let his emotions get the best of him. This is one example of a learning experience that is brought up in Othello that illustrates how one should not let emotions overpower reasoning. The theme throughout Othello seems to be that the wise Othello has l et his emotions get the best of him. A character named Iago has stirred up Othello's emotions. Iago was shown throughout the novel telling Othello lies about his wife and friends. Othello started to see this as the truth. Othello was seemingly brain washed by Iago, into believing that his wife was unfaithful and his friends had betrayed him. This is another example of a learning experience that was brought forth in the novel Othello. The tragic flaw that Othello possessed was the combination of these two flaws. This is what Shakespeare seems to express as the most important moral experience that occurred in Othello. The combination of emotions such as jealousy and distrust made Othello make harsh decisions based purely on emotion. These emotions were brought on by the character Iago forcing his lies on to Othello. Shakespeare shows through these experience not just Othello's flaws but one of mans own tragic flaws. Another less major flaw that was Shakespeare brought forward in his n ovel Othello was the issue of rushing into things. Othello and Desdemona rushing into marriage illustrate this. This again is an example of emotion. The act of eloping seems to be done when the two are in the heat of passion. Again Othello has let his emotions get the best of him. In Shakespeare's Othello, there are many examples of mistakes made because of raw emotions. Othello has many faults that are shown throughout the course of the novel. Although Othello seems to have many of these faults his major fault is that he lets his emotions get the best of him. Shakespeare explores the way that emotions get the best of people in his play. The major learning experienced throughout the play is that one must control ones emotions. Shakespeare shows that even a seemingly great man such as Othello can let emotions dictate what he is going to do. This is what one can learn from Othello. Shakespeare

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening essays

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening essays "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" Whose woods these are I think I know. To watch his woods fill up with snow. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, The rhyme scheme is: aaba bbcb ccdc dddd Since there are 4 iambs per line, this is a tetrameter. This poem is an "iambic tetrameter." Thesis: Robert Frost uses metaphors with euphonic sounds to express his desire for adventure in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Many people consider Robert Frost to be one of America's greatest poets, myself included. I believe one of his best poems to be Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. In this poem, Frost describes a person stopping just outside of town in a wooded area with his horse. He stops for a moment to appreciate the wonder of the world that he has spent so much time in, something that he may not have done much in his younger years or lately. This horse could be a metaphor for the pressures of the rest of the society. The horse nudges the speaker on as if to ask if there is some mistake, just as society might nudge someone into movement and not understand the necessity of stopping to smell the roses. The last three lines of the poem could be the realization that, although the speaker might like to stay in the woods much longer, there are responsibilities that must be attended to or adventures desired before the final rest, or death, takes him. The poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is, therefore, an al ...

Code of Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Code of Ethics - Research Paper Example The current J&J head is the CEO and Chairman of the company, William C. Weldon† (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). Unlike other companies, J&J does not have a mission or vision statement but it has a Credo that has been guiding all the actions and decisions of the company for more than the past 60 years. Furthermore, unlike other companies, this Credo or code of ethics is a simple one-pager document that hangs on the walls of company office in 57 countries and in 36 different languages (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). Discussion â€Å"It was in the year 1943, when the Chairman and a member of the company’s founding family, write this credo for the company, just before it was going public† (Leonard-Barton, 1998). The term corporate social responsibility did not even exist at that time. The period of James E. Burke who served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (1976-1989) was the defining moment in the history of the company ad its credo. During his period, the com pany faced several allegations and litigations and he asked his fellow executives to either follow the Credo or tear it down the wall. However, during the mid 1970s, Burke found that the classical Credo of the company has lost its legacy and influence in the company. He took up the task to revitalizing the energy of the Credo and sat down with other executives to make minor adjustments to it (Wit & Meyer, 2010). Burke believed that there was another more important for the company than its Credo because for the past one hundred, it has been the values and ethical standards of the company defined in the Credo, which have helped the company to perform well and outclass its competition (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). Since then, the company has been putting a lot of its emphasis on the Credo regardless of the situations or the geographical regions. All the employees in the company, whether at managerial or non-managerial, regardless of their geographical location, know about the Credo since from their day one. At every office and floor of the company, the Credo is framed and hung on the wall. Employees receive extensive trainings to ensure that they know about the ethical values of the company and its history of compliance to ethical values (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2008). There are four essential elements of the Credo, which are customers, employees, community, and stockholders. The company has the responsibility of providing good and quality products to the customers. Employees must receive the due respect and development through their career. For the community, the company must act as good and responsible citizens of the community. Lastly, the stockholders of the company must receive a fair return (Lagan & Moran, 2005). The credo of J&J does not have the greatest words or the unique ones in the history of businesses. What males J&J credo so influential and important is the order of those words. J&J believed that customers come first, then employees, then the communi ty and lastly, the stockholders (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). It does not mean that the stockholders could be avoided but it means that the company believes that if customers are receiving quality products, employees are being respected, we become good citizens of the community, and then profits would flow for the stockholders as well. Furthermore, important here to note is that

Discuss the impact on Psychology of Descartes' introduction of Essay

Discuss the impact on Psychology of Descartes' introduction of mind-body dualism - Essay Example He has been faced with grave critiques since he tried to describe the two substances separate as well as unified (Grant, pp. 486, 2000). Descartes, quite technically, defends his idea by saying that when a person performs certain action or behaves in a specific kind of way in the absence of his conscious mind, his body is a manifestation of a mechanical working. However, when human psychology or consciousness is in full swing and functions properly, that is the time the person’s rational soul unites with his other entity, which is called the mechanical human body (Grant, pp. 487, 2000). Thus, the separation of the two substances is to the extent when mental attention is not up to the mark; nevertheless, with the union of body and mind, the human psychology plays a vital role with its optimum concentration and inclination. To view the whole notion in psychological perspective, what Descartes points out is that the functions of thinking, reasoning, questioning, analyzing, and ra tionalizing are wholly and exclusively performed by the soul. Yet, this soul does not take any physical space. However, for this soul to think and rationalize, the manifestation occurs in the existence of the body that does not think but takes a physical space. Thus, the identity of a person is made so concerning its distinct soul that rationalizes and not with its distinct body which is visible. In this case, when the soul has the power to think and manipulate, it even has the power to exist without a physical substance vis-a-vis the body and this is how Descartes makes the distinction. To understand it more clearly, Descartes claimed that the two substances can live without each other but a living human being can be made with the union of the two, exclusively and exhaustively. Hence, the impact on human psychology is based on the soul and not the body, which is void of all moral values and behavioral distinctions. Moreover, the impact on the psychology that Descartes’ mind and body idea makes can also be understood with an example given by Descartes himself. Descartes uses the example of phantom limb pain and explains that when a person for whatever reasons gets any of his arms or legs amputated, he might still feel pain in the missing portion of his body even after sometime. Therefore, the body is not just a visible autonomous being but is greatly linked and intermingled with the mind or the soul. Moreover, this interaction is such that in the psychology of the person, that amputated part of the body still exists even if it is apparently not there and that is the cause of the pain (Grant, pp. 488, 2000). Hence, body and mind/soul make a unit, the two might be two distinct objects but there being together has a great impact on psychology as earlier discussed. Descartes’ concepts are more vividly explained in the aspect of pain that a human feels. He says that it is not merely the transmission of neurons to the brain to feel a certain kind of pa in in the body, it is more of a though process that occurs in the mind/soul to feel and encounter a pain. Thus, the feeling of pain as encountered by a human’s mind/soul has a thorough impact on the psychology of the person to feel or not to feel the pain and to what extent he does that (Grant, pp. 496-499, 2000). Thus, all kind of pain or sensation is psychological and not bodily, as a person’s mind has to perceive the pain first for the overall human to perceive it. It was for the first time that the animal life was referred as that of machines. Descartes was of the

The Reward strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Reward strategy - Essay Example The case study "The Reward strategy" discusses the development of a talented pool of personnel and the retention of those personnel is now becoming one of the primary focuses of the HR department in any sound business. Classic Travel need to put systems into place that attract, retain, and develop talent. The case study highlights that these systems also have the double-duty of keeping the job itself interesting and exciting for the staff. Programs such as those that rotate employees between different kinds of units within the organisation, that encourage directed learning as well as promoting interagency communication across the entire company are becoming an integral part to any business unit. Furthermore, the HR department must develop a system of recognition and reward for the staff in regards to their contributions to the agency. Furthermore, on a practical level Classic Travel, nor any company, can give out reward without some return on that investment. They would need to examine the overall cost of the reward system as compared to the overall benefits not only to the employee but to the company as well. Being a travel agency which provides exclusive city breaks and short holidays to all major European countries. The case study emphasizes that Classic Travel may be able to combine work and reward in one package. For instance a yearly training session could be held in Morocco, or some other vacation site where a three day training could also provide some much needed fun and even team building experiences. The company could pay travel training expenses and even base accommodations on a reward basis. Those staff with more customers or bigger increases in their overall business may get a private suite, and so on.

A Look At Aboriginal Spirituality Religion Essay

A Look At Aboriginal Spirituality Religion Essay There remains a continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spirituality in relation to the stolen generations. Aboriginal spirituality is based on the encompassment of the Dreaming, the inextricable link with the land, totems and sacred sites and involves ceremonies, story-telling, kinship roles and responsibilities and a strong sense of cultural identity. The stolen generations involved children being forcibly removed from their families and communities and put into institutionalised missions and camps run by both the state government and the Christian Church. It was the cause of dispossession that involved colonisation, missionisation, segregation, assimilation and self-determination policies which significantly impacted Aboriginal spirituality; past, present and future. These were deliberate, calculated policies of the state and are evident in the first YouTube video, Rabbit Proof Fence Stolen Generations (March 24, 2009), where the white official points to the authorisatio n paper, this is the law, and physically removes the three native Aboriginal girls from their mother showing signs of inhumane brutality. Through these policies, Aboriginal land, spirituality, culture and Dreaming were lost. This, along with the crying scenes in video two, Rabbit Proof Fence Documentary forced removal scene (March 1, 2007), shows the emotional impact that it had on the actors as well as on all the victims of the Stolen Generation. This video depicts the traumatic psychological effects the stolen generation era had on the actors themselves, who emotionally broke down into tears having to act in these roles. This illustrates how the loss of family and spiritual ties caused such devastation. This disconnection from the families, communities and thus, from the elders resulted in the inability to pass down necessary knowledge to the next generation that is needed to keep Aboriginal spirituality holistic, living and dynamic as there is a strong need for oral teaching and learning. In summation, such dispossession, violent and physical removal of native Aboriginal children from their parents demolished Aboriginal spirituality since the Dreaming, kinship roles and responsibilities, cultural identity, heritage, language and traditions were lost with disconnection from their elder generations. This drove modern Aboriginals to overwhelming social and emotional problems. The relationship between Aboriginal spirituality and religious traditions require the process of reconciliation. There is a strong need for reconciliation between Aboriginal spirituality and Christians due to the initial contact between the two; full of racism, classism, oppression, inequality, injustice, hate, fear and division. Aboriginal people were forced and threatened violently to forget their Aboriginal culture, traditions and language. Instead they forcibly were made to integrate into nominal Christianity attending Church services, Sunday school and singing hymns. Western Christianity had a negative impact where falsehoods and heresies were taught to Aboriginal people, for example, The Hamitic Curse, condemning all dark-skinned humans to eternal inferiority. These falsehoods had such an immense impact that most Aboriginals voluntarily denied their Aboriginal heritage, identity, culture, traditions and language because they were forced to believe in the falsehoods and were con cerned with their personal sins rather than the institutionalised sin conducted against them. The awareness that these negative experiences were immoral was the catalyst for the process of reconciliation. A step towards hope for Aboriginal victims to restore their spirituality can be seen in the source, taken from the Lutheran Church of Australia. Aboriginal artwork in the form of a circle is positioned in the centre of the cross to illustrate the continuous existence of Aboriginal spirituality in the heart of those who converted to Lutheranism. If reconciliation is achieved, the future encompasses more hope for these victims. The source is an expression of Aboriginal theology which is the reconciled relationship between Aboriginal spirituality and modern Christianity. The sun rays in the image symbolises the cross significance and how it permeates throughout Aboriginal spirituality and emphasises the need of reconciliation. The symbol of symmetry epitomises the reconciled coexistence of the two religions and the hope for continuous reconciliation. There are some Aboriginal theologians that are part of the liberal tradition. Rev. Dijimiyini Gordarra and Pastor Cecil Grant from Churches of Christ individually helped reconcile Aboriginal spirituality with the Uniting Church in 1970 by contextualising the gospel for Aboriginal people. In 1985, Rev. Arthur Malcolm, the first Aboriginal Anglican Assistant Bishop in Australia was deeply committed to reconciliation and thus, counselled and nurtured Aboriginal people throughout their painful experiences, hopes and visions. The Catholic Church attempted acts of rec onciliation when Pope John Paul II visited Alice Springs in 1986 and stated There is the need for just and proper settlement that lies unachieved in Australia. Aboriginal story-telling theology is another pathway to allow Aboriginal victims to remember their Aboriginal spirituality as well as embrace their Christianity. In this way, Aboriginal people reconcile their heritage with their Christianity as they are taught Biblical scriptures through Dreaming Stories which makes the gospels more meaningful and relevant to the Aboriginal way of life. The reconciliation and unity between Christianity and Aboriginal spirituality can be seen in the source where the cross is made using traditional Aboriginal witchetty grubs. There have been many other movements towards reconciliation. The Uniting Church and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Congress organised an exchange program called About Face, where 150 non-Indigenous people aged from 18 to 30 lived in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As a sign of reconciliation, a friendship was built when Aboriginal Pastor Ricky Manton and his wife Kayleen were invited to St. Augustines Anglican Church to perform a service. Leaders from many religious traditions gathered in order to fight against Howard Governments attack on the Wik legislation. Other religious traditions, like Judaism and Islam, have assisted in the reconciliation process. A Jewish couple, Tom and Eva Rona, funded the Rona-Tranby project that recorded oral history with the help of Aboriginal Elder Eliza Kennedy. The Muslim community in Australia is most supportive of Aboriginal reconciliation on spiritual, moral, humanitarian and prudential pragmatic ground is a claim of Islamic assistance in the process of reconciliation. Many faiths like Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism have also assisted in the process of reconciliation. This is evident in The Week of Prayer For Reconciliation that began in 1993 where they shared the same goal of reconciliation exhibited through dedication to prayer, thought and reflection on acts of unity. In conclusion, there have been many efforts to encourage the process of reconciliation between Aboriginal spirituality and religious traditions and there needs to be continuous support in this subject. The symmetrical elements in the artwork, sourced from the Lutheran Church of Australia, are powerful examples of how artwork has symbolised the co-existence of both traditions. Steps towards reconciliation in the form of proactive movements also provide hope for the victims who had suffered the horrendous effects of spiritual deprivation. Ecumenical developments and interfaith dialogue are of immense significance in Australia. Ecumenical developments are movements that promote cooperation, discussion and unity between different Christian denominations, focusing on what brings sects together, rather than what pulls them apart. Such movements are important to Australia as different Christian denominations unite to solve Australian youth, spiritual, environmental, social and justice issues, spreading peace and harmony. Interfaith dialogue is the cooperative communication between different religious traditions and their adherents. These promoted understanding, peace and a strong sense of belonging between many religious traditions. Non-denominational approach is a method of ecumenical development where it focuses on ignoring differences between different Christian denominations. Such movements can be of great importance to Australia. For example, the Australian college of Theology (ACT) strengthens Australias education system. ACT began in 1898 when Anglicans within Australia gathered resources to produce tertiary courses and exams at every Anglican college. It was linked to universities across Australia and was credited by the NSW Higher Education Board. It became non-denominational when there was more non-Anglican than Anglican students. It was a strong organisation due to the ecumenical movement which increased its efficiency and offered a common program amongst people. Other examples of a non-denominational approach towards ecumenical developments include youth associations such as Girls Brigade and Young Mens Christian Association. Such organisations builds trust between the different denominations involve d. This trust would result in a community that is based on trust, kindness and friendship, creating a stronger witness to the community. Ecumenical developments, in the form of interdenominational approaches, are increasingly evident and significant in Australian culture. Such approaches are those that are collaborative and the goal is to provide opportunities for negotiation between different Christian denominations. This is important to Australia as it creates a sense of unity, belonging, commonality and acceptance on many levels. It begins when Christians from different denominations interact with each other and, hence, leading to communal discussion. An example of this is the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and Reconciliation. This is conducted with a united goal to reach a state of complete reconciliation, relieving many denominations from tension, violence and unnecessary conflict. Many denominations hope for denominational dialogue to act as a facilitator to develop new relationships by exchanging ministers to perform services. Such exchanges are known as pulpit exchanges. Christmas Bowl Appeal, Force TEN and the House of Welcome are other instances of ecumenical movements where many denominations unite to build fundraising programs. These assist Australia by providing it with a positive reputation in charitable work, These projects show how the kindness of Australians can make a practical difference in the lives of people very far from our shores Some of these projects, like House of Welcome, are vital in Australia as they support refugees that have been newly released in Australia by providing them with accommodation and employment. Through these charitable organisations, different denominations bond together and form strong relationships. Ecumenism is important in Australia at a family level. It promotes family through interchurch marriages. This is seen when both the Catholic and Uniting Church composed an agreement on interchurch marriages as a gift to the church. Ecumenism is also helpful in reducing duplication of material, which in turn increases efficiency. This is seen in The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), where the Catholic and Anglicans prepared doctrine works on common beliefs of the faith. In 2001, the Catholic and Protestant churches united in Australia for the National Church Life Survey where 500,000 adherents from 20 different denominations actively participated in. Such union encourages tolerance and reduces aggression and violence. It in the larger scheme of things reduces racial and spiritual discrimination and attack. Australia is a multicultural and multifaith country and, hence, would benefit from embracing unity of different denominations within Christianity. Deeper ecumenical developments are those that embrace differences. With these movements, comes appreciation and recognition of uniqueness in order to enrich the relationship and focus on commonalities, like the common belief in one supreme God. The deepest level of ecumenism involves overcoming differences and primarily aiming for unity between different denominations. These achievements ultimately bring social justice, peace, harmony and understanding in Australia. The common need and view of religion around the world has resulted to an increase in the search for cooperation and unity since 1945 in Australia. Interfaith dialogue is even more important than ecumenism since the people uniting are separated by greater differences. Since WWII, interfaith dialogue has allowed Australia as a whole to change its attitude towards other religious traditions other than Christianity. It has allowed Christianity and its adherents to recognise their faults and mistreatment against other religious traditions errors at best and works of devils at worst. Interfaith dialogue assists in opening interaction between different people and maintains a multicultural Australian society. It also builds harmony in Australian context as it aims to achieve common goals between religious groups. Interfaith dialogue also addresses division, concern and any ongoing religious conflict such as the Cronulla Riots. It supports and embraces differences. Interfaith dialogue depicts the desire of Australias religious traditions to engage with each other and with the world as it is extremely important to do so in the 21st century. There is strong evidence of interfaith dialogue in Australia and this has been depicted in acts of cooperation between religious traditions in Australia. In 2001, Anzac Day, Christian ministers and Buddhist monks both took part in the services at St. Marys Cathedral. This encouraged unity among Australians as they honoured soldiers in the heart of Sydneys CBD. The Victorian Jewish-Christian Dialogue Committee, The Muslim-Christian Council which together prayed for peace in Ambon, Indonesia and the Multifaith Religious Services Centre which ran at the Sydney Olympics are other examples of interfaith dialogue. Leaders of Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and other communities together assisted with the $2 million Griffith University Multi-faith Centre showing how unity expresses great strengths and benefits to the Australian community. It brought peace in Sydney 2001, after the terrorist attack, where Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists and many denominations of Christians united at a multifaith prayer vigil. Through these instances, a strong union is formed that reduces cultural and political divisions between different religious traditions that in turn, prevents the possibility of extreme violence or war. Neve Shalom, Wahat as-Salam, is another prime example of interfaith dialogue. It was established by Muslims and Jews and its main goal was to prove to Australia that peaceful relationships between different religious traditions are possible. Through this development, grew ideas about a united education saturated with peace, equality and understanding. The School for Peace (SFP) was created in 1979 as a Jewish-Arab encounter program, where Jewish and Muslim students can share education peacefully. A unique example of interfaith dialogue between a certain denomination and an entire religious tradition us the dialogue between Catholic and Jewish adherents in 1992. This eventually led to the formation of the Guidelines for Catholic-Jewish Relations to later improve the relationship. National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) is an immense organisation that helps and supports ecumenical developments in every state in Australia through several councils such as the NSW Ecumenical Council. It does this through direct communication with the government that provides NCCA with the necessary authority to support many movements such as The Christmas Bowl and The Justice for all Australians report that researched in support of the native Aboriginals claiming indigenous sites such as cattle stations. NCCA strongly supported interfaith dialogue within Australia. One example of interfaith dialogue established by NCCA was the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews founded in 2003. This aimed to provide opportunities for various religious traditions to understand one another in harmony and peace. In conclusion, ecumenical development and interfaith dialogue are very important in Australia since they are two of Australias most powerful driving forces towards national unity, peace and harmony. It encourages tolerance and acceptance through acknowledging the uniqueness of every religious tradition and Christian denomination. Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue works towards understanding and eventually would reduce aggression, tension and violence. Through organisations like the NCCA, Australia benefitted from embracing unity of religions since it is a multifaith and multicultural country.

Word-association in Oedipus The King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Word-association in Oedipus The King      Ã‚  Ã‚   Let us play a little game, shall we? We have all played this at one point in our lives; it's the word-association game. Think red- you may think apple. Now think green- you may once again think apple. Wait a minute, how can that be? How can two words that are unrelated have the same picture in the mind of an individual? This is the basic idea of perception. Now let us apply this basic concept to the text of Oedipus Tyrannus. The main character, Oedipus, has lived his entire life with basic preconceived notion of his own existence. Sophocles manipulates the audience's perception of Oedipus through oral dramatic presentation. "Lacan insists that dialogue is the place where a certain subject comes into being, or perhaps more properly, where the subject comes into being in a certain kind of way" (Lee 38) Jacques Lacan deals with the perception of individuals as well. However Lacan's perceptions are those dealt with in the mind of his subjects. Let us introduce Oedipus, as the subject, to Lacan the psychoanalyst. Now that the two have met in our minds' we can continue with the forum of one man's perception, Lacan's, of another man's life, Oedipus's. Lacan has two complex theories. The first is the mirror theory. This theory deals with the internal world of the subject, and the phases of the conscious as well as the unconscious mind. The second is the inability to communicate one's desires adequately through the usage of oral communication- language. In both of these simplified concepts we will delve into the mind, and the actions of Oedipus the character. Let us first discuss the mirror stage, with application to Oedipus the man. Within the mirror stage there are five phases. The first of which is the "fragmented body stage." While existing in this stage man is unaware of himself. In this dark, 'lost' state man is unaware of his surroundings as well as himself as a being. Oedipus prior to the opening of the play lives his entire life in this "fragmented" state; he is completely unaware of himself and his actions on his society. In this state Oedipus is caught up in the pomp of his title. The role of King carries an elevated perception of an idealized life (Lee 19). The next movement in the five phases is the "spatial identity.

Amanda and Laura in Scene Essay

The second scene of Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie is mainly about the relationship between Amanda and her daughter Laura. Williams uses every way possible to give the audience an idea of this relationship, from body language, stage directions and language, to the set, clothes and props. Throughout the play, Williams uses images set against screens to accentuate the mood, or theme, of the upcoming scene. The image presented at the start of this scene is â€Å"blue roses†, this being the nickname Laura was given at school by a boy she was fond of – â€Å"When I had that attack of pleurosis – he asked me what was the matter when I came back. I said pleurosis – he thought that I said Blue Roses!† Ironically, blue roses is more than just a name for Laura – she is portrayed as a rose, pure, innocent and delicate, and the adjective blue gives the impression of coldness, which could be linked to Laura’s sad and lonely state. Laura’s mental and physical state is central to Amanda and Laura’s relationship, as it is through this that difficulties arise (although it is quite likely that Amanda would always be a rather demanding mother). Laura is crippled – we are given the impression that it isn’t particularly serious, but conversely, nothing to be brushed lightly aside either. Amanda’s inability to accept this fact creates a tension between not only Amanda and her daughter, but Tom as well – who feels he has to protect Laura from her mother’s â€Å"ambitions† for her. It is important to realise that Amanda does know her daughter is crippled, but just cannot accept the fact that this disability could have a very real negative effect on her daughter’s life. At the end of Scene 2, Amanda sums up her feelings towards Laura’s problem when she says â€Å"Nonsense! Laura, I’ve told you never, never to use that word. Why, you’re not crippled, you just have a little defect – hardly noticeable even!† Here we can see that Amanda is convincing herself that all she is really doing is being supportive to her daughter, trying to make Laura feel better – but in reality, she is unable to face the fact that her daughter isn’t as physically attractive as Amanda was at the same age. This all comes down to one of the underlying themes of the play – a mother trying to live her life once more through her daughter – and Amanda must eventually come to realise that Laura is a completely different person. An important part of this scene is that, through the screenplay between Amanda and Laura, we see that these two characters are very different – there is a total contrast between mother and daughter. This is a common trick of playwrights, although usually the main characters aren’t contrasted quite so obviously – in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the characters Benvolio and Tybalt were contrasted excellently, one a natural peacemaker and the other a warmonger. Here, Amanda is dramatic, determined, dominant and self-assured – on the outside at least – whilst Laura is shy, quiet, insecure and nervous. Laura seems afraid to become involved in real-life situations, and is much more at home with her glass menagerie and music. Amanda appears to lead a busy life, which some might think she is happy with – but she is actually living a shadow of her former existence. She came from a rich and successful family, and now lives in a â€Å"vast hive-like cellular living unit† as Williams describes her building. She is constantly living in the past and referring to her suitors, tangled up in the biggest mistake – as she sees it – that she ever made, which was to marry Tom and Laura’s father. With little left of her former â€Å"glory†, Amanda is desperate for her daughter to make the right choice this time, to escape the trap she found herself in. This is why she refuses to accept that her daughter has a defect, she sees Laura as her last chance at success. This is perhaps best shown in the passage beginning â€Å"So what are we going to do with the rest of our lives?† Throughout this passage, Amanda refers to â€Å"we† instead of you – here she really is showing her true colours, that she can only live her life fully if Laura is successful.

The Greek Hero Jason - Character Profile History

The Greek Hero Jason - Character Profile History Jason is the Greek legendary hero best known for his leadership of the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece and for his wife Medea (of Colchis). Jason As the 1-Sandaled Man Now Jason loved husbandry and therefore abode in the country, but he hastened to the sacrifice, and in crossing the river Anaurus he lost a sandal in the stream and landed with only one. -  Apollodorus Early in his career, Jason carried an old woman across the Anauros or Enipeus River. She was no ordinary mortal, but Hera, in disguise. In the crossing, Jason lost a sandal, and so appeared as the man in one sandal (monosandalos) foretold to kill King Pelias. Another explanation for Jasons loss of a sandal is that he might have been plowing when he stepped into the river without having fastened his sandal tight first. Jasons Parents [1.9.16] Aeson, son of Cretheus, had a son Jason by Polymede, daughter of Autolycus.   -  Apollodorus Jasons father was Aison (Aeson). His mother was Polymede, a possible daughter of Autolycus. Aison was the oldest son of winds ruler Aeolus son Cretheus, founder of Iolchus, which should have made Aison king of Iolchus, instead of Pelias, Cretheus stepson. Fearing for their son after Pelias usurped the throne, Jasons parents pretended their baby had died at birth. They sent him to the wise centaur Chiron to be raised. Chiron may have named the boy Jason (Iason). Jasons main homes were Thessaly (Iolchus and Mt. Pelion) and Corinth (Greece). The Task of Fetching the Golden Fleece The explanations for why Jason was sent revolve around the issue of Pelias occupying a throne for which Jason thought his side of the family had a better claim. The simplest explanation is that the fleece was the price of becoming king. Pelias could keep the herds and land, but the throne would go to the direct line of Cretheus after Jason brought back the golden fleece. The more popular story is that Pelias, having told the one-sandaled stranger that his death at the hand of a fellow-citizen had been foretold, asked Jason what he would do. Jason said to send him for the fleece. So Pelias ordered Jason to do so. Jason Marries Medea On the return voyage of the Argonauts, they stopped at the island of the Phaeacians, ruled by King Alcinoos and his wife Arete (featured in The Odyssey). Their pursuers from Colchis arrived at about the same time and demanded the return of Medea. Alcinoos agreed to the Colchians demand, but only if Medea werent already married. Arete secretly arranged the marriage between Jason and Medea, with Heras blessings. Jason Returns Home and Leaves Again There are various tales of what happened when Jason returned to Iolchus, but the one that is best known is that Pelias was still alive, so Medea tricked his daughters into killing him. She pretended that she would restore Pelias not just to life, but to youthful vigor. After killing Pelias, Medea and Jason took off, again, to Corinth, a place where Medea had a claim to the throne, as the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Jason Deserts Medea Hera also favored Medea, as well as Jason, and offered their children immortality. [2.3.11] Through her Jason was king in Corinth, and Medea, as her children were born, carried each to the sanctuary of Hera and concealed them, doing so in the belief that so they would be immortal. At last she learned that her hopes were vain, and at the same time she was detected by Jason. When she begged for pardon he refused it, and sailed away to Iolcus. For these reasons Medea too departed, and handed over the kingdom to Sisyphus. -  Pausanias In the Pausanias version, Medea engages in the sort of helpful, but misunderstood behavior that scared Achilles father and Metaneira of Eleusis, who witnessed Demeters attempt to immortalize her baby. Jason could only believe the worst of his wife when he saw her engaging in such a dangerous activity, so he deserted her. Of course, the version of Jasons desertion of Medea told by Euripides is much more sinister. Jason decides to repudiate Medea and marry the Corinthian king Creons daughter, Glauce. Medea doesnt accept this change in status gracefully but arranges the death of the kings daughter by poison gown, and then kills the 2 children she has borne Jason. Death of Jason The death of Jason isnt as popular a topic of classical literature as his adventures. Jason may have killed himself or fallen victim to a decaying plank from his ship, the Argo.

Happiness Enough Already Essays

Happiness Enough Already Essays Happiness Enough Already Essay Happiness Enough Already Essay Teddy Murray Brent Jackson English 5 March, 2015 Happiness: Enough Already In respects to being a popular work, I personally find Sharon Burgles article, Happiness: Enough Already, to be rather good. Firstly, this article is easy and interesting to read. Secondly, it contains the points of views of different authors. And thirdly, its information is generic enough to be relative to almost everyones life. Barleys article is structured logically and is worded clearly to the audience. One does not feel bored while reading this piece. The author does a erroneous job capturing the readers attention throughout the article. However, being a popular article, the author does include very specific words that would be difficult for a reader to understand if he or she was not educated in the topic this article covers. But these words are well explained, which do make the article less scientific and more pleasurable to read. In my opinion, good article is based on the inclusion of multiple researchers and sources. This article does this by acquainting the reader to multiple authors and their works (De Dinner of Rethinking Happiness, Eric Willows Against Happiness, and many more). I also thought this article was well done because of the insightful message it conveys. The article explains that people must feel sad or melancholic sometimes in order to experience all aspects of human emotion, which benefits ones quality of life. Being sad teaches people how to survive, makes them stronger and generally hardier. Moreover, the author captures the readers attention by pointing out evidence that suggests people who feel some kind of discontent are more ambitious and tend to be more eager to change their life for the better by pursuing their goals. : The author notes how most artists created their masterpieces in the period of melancholy. Sadness can be named the muse of art. Best poems are written because of unrequited love; the most significant ideas came to those who were on the edge. I believe that everyone will find the information in this article to be useful and relatable. American society is oriented in all the aspects of life. People are used to seeking happiness for themselves and for others, but sometimes people are placed in situations where unhappiness is necessary and natural. And this article does a great job expressing that fact. However, this article does have a downside-?the entire thing is extremely negative. I found the authors criticism of positive psychology and of the salesmen to be rather unfair. In my mind, positive psychology does a lot for understanding the well being of others, and think it deserves more respect than what the article gives. Furthermore, the whole spirit of the article is too dismal. The fault in this article is that there are no positive promises to the audience, which might lead some to choose overall sadness for his or her life. In fact, one might even find themselves rather sad themselves from just reading it.

Ssertion in reltion to how mngers cn overcome problems rising from Essay

Ssertion in reltion to how mngers cn overcome problems rising from culturl differences or employees - Essay Example nd in order to survive growing number of UK orgniztions will hve to recruit, trin, nd promote culturlly diverse employees. In essence, this is nothing more thn developing dditionl humn resources. In view of bove, this pper proposes ppliction of the reserch supporting the self-efficcy construct to build diversity self-efficcy nd bridge the gp between diversity trining nd diversity performnce. The reserch is bsed on the pursuing of the sttement once enhnced by Schuler tht "culturl differences cn be difficult to mnge, even if they re nticipted". The wys to overcome difficulties tht tke plce on the workplce due to culturl differences between workers re covered in report s well s prticulr orgniztionl nlysis is provided to present better understnding of the issue. Some mngers nd supervisors del with hundreds of cross-culturl employee problems s well s millions of dollrs worth of business cpitl. Regrdless of the number of employees nd cpitl involved, the tsk of mnging diversity in the workplce is enormous. Most employers do not question the ssumption tht humn resources re their most vluble sset. The dimensions of cross-culturl problems, however, re seldom dequtely covered in college courses or inservice trining progrms. Msi's estimte my be too low becuse it includes only mesurble things such s bsenteeism, sick leve, ccidents, nd rising helth costs. He did not fctor in other costs ssocited with employee personl problems: poor job-relted decisions, decresed work qulity, erly retirement, nd workers' compenstion clims. Nor did he consider the fct tht "The incidence of mentl, emotionl, nd personlity disorders in the work force nd the economic costs of such disorders to plces of employment re of such proportions tht they cnnot be ignored" ( Follmn, 1998, p. 138). Problems centering on diversity issues lmost lwys impct economic costs. The most incriminting costs re legl fees nd plintiff wrds in discrimintion nd sexul hrssment cses. Employees who believe they hve little opportunity for creer dvncement tend to be less loyl, less committed, nd less stisfied on the job thn their co-workers who project creer dvncement. Jmes Greiff ( 2002) postulted tht 10 percent to 15 percent of Britishdults develop problems tht interfere with their job effectiveness. This includes diversity-relted problems such s rcil nd sexul hrssment tht culminte in worker liention. Joseph Follmn estimted tht 80 percent to 90 percent of industril ccidents re due to emotionl problems. The mjor reson most employers try to prevent or bte these problems is cost. Further, Frink (2004) clculted tht the ntionl verge cost of replcing n employee is $7,000, which includes only recruitment nd hiring processes. From this perspective, Thoms Peters nd Robert Wtermn (2000) were correct to cution CEOs to tret their employees s the primry source or productivity gins, not s cpitl spending. stisfied, helthy, diverse workforce is requisite to productive workforce. Contrry to populr opinion, mnging diverse workforce is not new concept. The more effective mngers hve lwys been wre of the culturl differences in their employees. But wreness is not enough. Mngers must be ble to utilize the skills of ech employee nd do so in wy tht

How far can conceptual tools such as carrying capacity, limits of Assignment

How far can conceptual tools such as carrying capacity, limits of acceptable change and environmental impact assessment actually - Assignment Example The WTO, World Tourism Organization, defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited"(emoiz.com). Thus, mankind’s fascination with experiencing the unknown, coupled with improvements in technology and rising standards of living around the world have ensured that tourism has percolated into every strata of society, and resulted in rapid growth of that industry. However, tourism to view and admire natural environment and natural wonders (apart from the man-made ones) has started having major negative impacts on the natural environments, even leading to sizable destructions. These destructions not only damages those natural wonders, but also wide range of flora and fauna, whose habitats get destroyed in the process. Thus, with the positi ve activity of tourism turning into a nightmarish activity, there have been calls for sustainable form of tourism. As stated by Hens and Ni (cited in Nath, 1999) no form of tourism exists that does not cause environmental stress, and so the challenge is to find a ways towards sustainable tourism development that harmonises economic benefits importantly with the protection of natural diversity. Implementing sustainability in tourism involves a series of steps that has to be taken by various stakeholders. To actualize that, few conceptual tools can be used particularly â€Å"Carrying Capacity†, limits of acceptable change and environmental impact assessment. Each of these tools can protect the environment and its habitants, even while allowing human exploration of the environment in the form of tourism. So, this paper will discuss how these conceptual tools can be optimally utilized to create sustainable forms of tourism. â€Å"Carrying Capacity† and how it can help to c reate sustainable form of tourism The term or concept â€Å"â€Å"Carrying Capacity†Ã¢â‚¬  can be used in various contexts, however it basically â€Å"refers to the number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations.† (gdrc.org). Every environment including a tourist environment or spot can have a limit on how many people and how much of their activities, it can support and sustain. If that limit is breached and more people enter that particular area, it could lead to instability and could cause repercussions to the already existing people. Although, the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† for any specified area is not a fixed one, and it can be altered through various means including technology, it is not a positive step. Because any alteration or modification of the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† will always result in p roblems to both the existing people as well as the entering people. Any restriction in the resources, when the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† increases beyond limit will lead to dearth of land, shortage of food, or decline in water quality and availability, which will quickly put the brakes on both types of growth. (Chant 2011). Thus, the tourist department and the authorities can come up with a tentative â€Å"Carrying Capacit

Global currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global currency - Essay Example From the chart above, there are signs that the Rand attempts to gain against the US Dollar periodically by moving down to around 6.5 to a Dollar. However, in most of the times, it fluctuates and reaches highs of about 7.3 against the Dollar. Over the past month or so though, the Rand has really lost grounds to the US Dollar and has risen to highs of about 8.4 per Dollar. This indicates that there is potential for further escalations in the value of the Dollar against the Rand. The Rand can therefore be seen as a weaker currency in relation to the US Dollar and on the global markets. Figure 2 above shows the relationship between the South African Rand and the European common currency, the Euro. It is also seen that the Euro is stronger than the Rand. On the average, the Rand trades at about 9.5 to the Euro. Although there were times that the Rand gained and got to almost 8.5 to the Euro, most of the time, the Rand remains above the 9.5 mark. However, in the past three months, the Euro has strengthened further at levels over R10 per Euro. It is currently trading at 11 Rands per Euro. This shows that there is room for further appreciation of the Euro against the Rands. Aliber stated in 1970 that â€Å"the stronger a countrys currency, the more likely it is to invest in another country and the weaker the currency, the less likely it is to invest in another country† (Goldstein,1991 p1976). This assumption Aliber made is tried and tested in numerous empirical tests. Aliber & Click (1993, p97) identifies that there is a capital market bias towards businesses from a stronger currency nation. In this case, it will be better for a US based business to operate in South Africa. Sharan (2002, p70) explains that the reason why businesses from countries with stronger currencies succeed in weaker currency nation is that it is much more easier to capitalize income in a weaker

Example of a Research Plan Essay Example for Free

Example of a Research Plan Essay Statement of the Problem The aim of the study is to identify the effect of different pH level of the Agar plate to the antibacterial activity of Santol (Sandoricum koet jape). Specifically, the study will seek for the answer of the question: 1.) Is there any difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level greater than seven (base)? 2.) Is there any difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level less than seven (acid)? Hypothesis 1.) There is no difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level greater than seven (base). 2.) There is difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level less than seven (acid). Research Methodology Materials and Equipment The study will make use of: Agar Plates, specifically Nutrient Agar, for different tests and as a controlled variable for the problem, Nutrient Broth, same purpose as the nutrient agar, Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract, Escherichia coli, for the gram positive, Bacillus , for gram negative, and Candida________ a test subject for the study. Also, the study will make use of litmus paper for measuring and maintining the pH level of the Agar plates. The study will also make use of spectrophotometry. Research Design The study will use Complete Randomized Design as a Research Design. Â  Control Group Design is two parallel experiments are set up, identical in all respects except that only one includes the treatment being explored by the experiment. The control group may have no treatment, with nothing happening to them, or they may have a neutral treatment. Statistical Tool The study will make use of ANOVA as its statistical tool. T-test can be use to compare two dependent samples/matched-pairs design experiments. The study will make use of two types of pH: Acidic and Basic. Each Agar Plate will be assign to one specific pH level. Inoculate the microbes in the Agar and in the broth. This can be done by streaking the loop containing the gram positive, gram negative, and the fungi . Data Gathering Procedure Prepare the Agar plate and the broth for the experimentation. The pH of the Agar and the broth must also be set. Place the agar filled petri dishes and the broth that have been inoculated in a dark, warm (86 F) place for a week for incubation. Apply the extract of Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) to each Agar plate and Nutrient Broth. Using the Colony Formation Unit (CFU), determine the number of colony inhibited. Record the data from the Agar plates and the Nutrient broth. Figure 3.1 Experimental Procedures Figure 3.1 Experimental Procedures shows the step by step procedure of the experiment. Starting from the preparation of the Agar plate with their assign pH level. The Agar plate will solidify at 32Â ºC- 40Â ºC but will melt at approximately 85Â ºC. Next is to inoculate the bacteria by streaking the loop containing the bacteria. After inoculating the bacteria, the agar plate must be incubated for one week. After the incubation of the agar plates, apply the Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract to the each agar plate. Each plate must receive equal amount of the extract. Using the Colony Formation Unit (CFU), determine the number of inhibited colony/ies and record the data. Data Classification pH Level of the Agar Plate| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH 5| | | | pH 6| | | | pH 7| | | | pH 8| | | | pH 9| | | | Figure 3.2 Interactions in Acidic, Basic, and Neutral Agar Plate Figure 3.2 shows the effect of pH levels less than seven (Acid) on the no. of colonies. pH Level of the Nutrient Broth| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH 1| | | | pH 2| | | | pH 3| | | | pH 4| | | | Figure 3.3 Interactions in Acidic Nutrient Broth Shows the effect of pH levels lower than seven (Acid) on the no. of colonies. pH Level of the Nutrient Broth| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH10| | | | pH11| | | | pH12| | | | pH13| | | | pH14| | | | Figure 3.4. Interactions in Basic Nutrient Broth Shows the effects of pH levels greater than seven (Basic) on the no. of colonies Bibliography * Anke, T. Weber, D. (2009). Physiology and Genetics: Selected Basic and Applied Aspects, Volume 15. Springer-Verlag: Heidelberg, Germany * Chapelle, F. (2001). Ground-water Microbiology and Geochemistry (2nd ed.). John Wiley Sons, Inc.: Canada. * Kubitzki, K. (2011). Flowering Plants. Eudicots: Sapindales, Cucurbitals, Myrtaceae. Springer-Verlag: Heidelberg, Germany. * Shahidi, F. Ho, C. T. (2000). Phytochemicals and Phytopharmaceuticals. AOCS Press: USA. * Storz, G. Aronis, R.H. (2000). Bacteria Stress Responses. ASM Press: USA. * Agars. Difco BBL Manual. http://www.bd.com/ds/technicalCenter/inserts/Agars.pdf, accessed January 17, 2008. * Agar Bottles Preparation Equipment Use. Science Stuff, Inc. http://www.sciencestuff.com/playground/agar_bottle.shtml, accessed January 14, 2005. Mott, et al. * Agar Bottles Preparation Equipment Use. Science Stuff, Inc. http://www.sciencestuff.com/playground/agar_bottle.shtml, accessed January 14, 2005. * Artificial Environments for Growi ng Bacteria. WW Bio Institute. http://www.woodrow.org, (www.woodrow.org/teachers/esi/2002/Biology/Projects/lab_skills/ls5/), accessed January 14, 2005. * Microbiology. MadSci Network. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar98/888937612.Mi.r.html, accessed January 25, 2005.

Lab Protocols :: essays research papers

Lab Protocols Through trial and error my class and I have learned that screwing around and misbehaveing in lab not only results in multiple page papers, but can also be harmful, dangerous, and costly to our teacher and school. There are many rules or "protocols" that should be followed in a lab enviroment. In this situation there are ten basic rules that must be followed at all times while participating in lab experiments. These are here for our own safety and should be followed for this reason. The first rule is that everyone in the lab should wear eye protection. In a lab enviroment eye injury is very common. Eye protection greatly reduces this risk of injury. The second is no horseplay. Horseplay can cause injury to yourself others and can cause damage to the laboraty. The third rule is that you should only interact with your partner and the teacher. This will prevent distraction from your set experiment. The fourth rule is that you should not leave your experiment unattended whether you think it is dangerous or not. This rule is completely self explanatory for safety purposes. The fifth rule is to be extremely careful with equipment. Not only for money purposes but also for your own personal safety. The sixth rule is to not touch anything that the teacher or the lab specifically instructs you to. Because you don't need to. The seventh rule states that activities should only be done if they are specifically discussed in your lab. This is for safety purposes and for the liability of the school. The eighth rule is that you are not to contaminate chemicals by using equipment in more than one substance without washing it thoroughly. Doing this can cause explosion, fire, bodily harm, poisonous gasses, or possibly death. Also do not return chemicals to the original container after they have been used. The ninth rule is that you must read your lab handout thoroughly before experimenting in a lab environment. It is a good idea to ask any necessary pertinent questions prior to partaking in your lab. Follow directions exactly. This is to prevent possible harmful mistakes that may result in death, poisonous gasses, bodily harm , explosion , or fire. Last but not least the tenth rule is that before taking leave of the

The Pencil Box :: essays research papers

THE PENCIL BOX   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nobody liked Jane. As soon as Emily Sweet found that copy of Anne of Green Gables—a three-hundred-page-long book! —in Jane's faded purple kindergarten backpack, that was it. Any hope Jane had for a normal life, for swing on the swings, for making a life long friend, someone to share secrets and giggles with, someone to teeter totter with, was over, because nobody likes the smart girl. Nobody likes someone who totes a three hundred page long book to read on the bus. That is the jungle gym's unwritten rule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, maybe it's not totally accurate to say that nobody liked Jane. That's not an entirely true statement. Teachers liked Jane. Teachers loved Jane, even though Jane thought they had a funny way of showing it, giving her another worksheet to do when she finished the assigned worksheet fifteen minutes before the rest of the class, telling her parents that Jane was a special child, maybe they should move her to a higher grade and her parents always saying no, we want our daughter to have a normal childhood. It became quite normal for them to have these conversations while Jane sat outside the door wit ha garage sale, dog eared copy of Gone With the Wind—a five-hundred-page-long book! —swinging her patent leather Mary Jane shoes because they didn't reach the ground and she had to do something to keep her attention through the first twenty pages, pages she always found sub-standard to an otherwise exhilarating book. Yes, supposedly teachers just loved Jan e. That's what all the other children accused them of, love, favoritism, unfair grading, and things like that. They just loved Jane, even though they showed it weird ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It took Jane's second grade teacher, Mrs. Terada to really show some Jane some love. Jane thought Mrs. Terada was an absolute nitwit, with her long skinny arms and legs, looking down at all the children through a tiny pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose. And oh, it took all the acting Jane could muster to smile and nod, to not roll her eyes and stick out her tongue when Mrs. Terada presented her with the box. The box sat next to the rattling heat register (that always seemed to work in September, never in December). Under its hot pink cover were rows and rows of manila files, each containing a set of math worksheets, maybe a short story with comprehension questions at the end.

Coyote Blue Chapter 10~11

CHAPTER 10 Over Easy, Politically Correct Santa Barbara Sam spent most of the night cleaning up the debris from Josh Spagnola's shooting exhibition. Exhausted from the overall strangeness of his day, he went to bed early, but lay awake until well after midnight, first worrying, then trying to understand what was happening to him, and finally fantasizing about the girl. Amid the misery he retained hope, although he could not logically figure out why. She was, after all, just a girl – the goofiest girl he had ever met. Still, the thought of seeing her again made him smile, and he was able to escape into dreamless sleep. When he awoke the next morning, the world seemed a much kinder place, as if during the night the calamities of the previous day had become distant and harmless. Order had returned. At one time he might have met such a day by looking to the rising sun and thanking the Great Spirit for returning his harmony with the world, as Pokey had taught him. He would have looked for rain clouds, felt the promise of the day's winds, smelled the dew and the sage, listened for the call of an eagle, the best of good-luck signs, and in that short time he would have confirmed that he and the world were of one spirit, balanced. Today he missed the rising sun by three hours. He met his day in the shower, washing his hair with shampoo that was guaranteed to have never been put in a bunny's eyes and from which ten percent of the profits went to save the whales. He lathered his face with shaving cream free of chlorofluorocarbons, thereby saving the ozone layer. He breakfasted on fertile eggs laid by sexually satisfied chickens that were allowed to range while listening to Brahms, and muffins made with pesticide-free grain, so no eagle-egg shells were weakened by his thoughtless consumption. He scrambled the eggs in margarine free of tropical oils, thus preserving the rain forest, and he added milk from a carton made of recycled paper and shipped from a small family farm. By the time he finished his second cup of coffee, which would presumably help to educate the children of a poor peasant farmer named Juan Valdez, Sam was on the verge of congratulating himself for single-handedly saving the planet just by getti ng up in the morning. He would have been surprised, however, if someone had told him that it had been two years since he had set foot on unpaved ground. He was writing a note to himself to put a new subliminal message on his computer, SAVE THE WORLD, BUY THIS POLICY, when Josh Spagnola called. â€Å"Sam, did you hear what happened at the association meeting last night?† â€Å"No, Josh, I've been cleaning up my place.† â€Å"The place, Sam. I think this will be an easier transition if you start referring to it as the place.† â€Å"You mean they voted to buy me out? Without even asking me? I can't believe it.† â€Å"I was actually very surprised myself. People seem to dislike you in the extreme, Sam. I think the dog was just their excuse for a general fuck-over.† â€Å"You told them it wasn't my dog, didn't you?† â€Å"I told them, but it didn't matter. They hate you, Sam. The doctors and lawyers hate you because you make enough money to live here. The married guys hate you because you're single. The married women hate you because you remind their husbands that they aren't single. The old people hate you because you're young, and the rest just hate you because you aren't Japanese. Oh, yeah, one bald guy hates you because you have hair. For a guy that maintains a low profile, you've built quite a little snowball of resentment.† Sam had never given his neighbors a second thought, never even spoken to most of them, so now the realization that they hated him enough to take away his home was a shock. â€Å"I've never done anything to hurt anybody in this complex.† â€Å"I wouldn't take it personally, Sam. Nothing brings people together like hate for profit. You didn't have a chance against the clay tennis courts.† â€Å"What does that mean? We don't have clay tennis courts.† â€Å"No, but when they buy your townhouse for what you paid for it, then sell it to someone more suitable at the market rate, the association will have enough profit to build clay tennis courts. We'll be the only complex in Santa Barbara with clay courts. Should raise the value of the property at least ten percent. Sorry, Sam.† â€Å"Isn't there anything I can do? Can't I bring legal action or something?† â€Å"This isn't an official call, Sam. I am calling as your friend and not on behalf of the association, so let me give you my best advice on taking legal action: it's suicide. Half the guys that voted you out are lawyers. In six months you'd be broke and they'd be drinking your blood over backgammon. The time for legal advice was eight years ago when you signed that agreement.† â€Å"Great. Where were you then?† â€Å"I was stealing your Rolex.† â€Å"You stole my Rolex? That was you? My gold Rolex? You dick!† â€Å"I didn't know you then, Sam. It was a professional thing. Besides, the statute of limitations has run out. It's time to forgive and forget.† â€Å"Fuck you, Josh. You'll get a bill for the damage you caused.† â€Å"Sam, do you know how concerned I am about your bill? I don't give a decaying damn, I don't-â€Å" Sam hung up on the security guard. The phone immediately rang and Sam stared at it for a minute. Should he let Josh get the satisfaction of the last word? He looked at the shattered remains of his television, picked up the phone, and shouted, â€Å"Look, you wormy little fuck, you're lucky I don't come down there and pop your head like a pimple!† â€Å"Sam, this is Julia, down at the office. I have Aaron on the line for you.† â€Å"Sorry, Julia, I was expecting someone else. Hang on a second.† He sat down on the couch and held the receiver to his chest while he tried to regain his composure. Too much change, too fast. He couldn't let Aaron catch him with his guard down. His good friend Aaron, his partner, his mentor. And Josh Spagnola was supposed to be his friend, too. What was the deal with Josh? He'd turned on Sam overnight. Why? Sam lit a cigarette and took a long drag, then blew the smoke out in a slow stream before speaking into the phone. â€Å"Julia, you caught me in the shower. Tell Aaron I'll be in the office in an hour. We'll talk then.† He hung up before she could respond. He dialed the number of the Cliffs' security office. Josh Spagnola answered. â€Å"Josh, this is Sam Hunter.† â€Å"Very rude, Sam. Hanging up when I am telling you how little I care is very rude.† â€Å"That's why I'm calling, Josh. I've heard your little speeches before. I want to know what you've got on me.† â€Å"Then you haven't seen the paper this morning?† â€Å"I told you before, I've been patching holes all fucking morning. What goes?† â€Å"Seems that Jim Cable, the diving mogul, was attacked by an Indian outside of his office and had a heart attack. They said he had just finished an appointment with an insurance agent.† â€Å"So, what's your point, Josh?† â€Å"The point is, Sam, that after I ran out of your place yesterday, I went through the apartment next door and ran out on the deck. I thought I could come in from behind the dog and get a shot at it. But when I got there I saw an Indian vaulting over the rail of your deck. The Indian was wearing black, just like the one they described in the paper. Interesting coincidence, huh?† Sam didn't know what to say. Spagnola had half the complex under his thumb for one reason or another, but Sam didn't know how the burglar used his information other than as a license to be rude. Sam didn't want to bring up blackmail when Spagnola might just be in this to watch him squirm. Sam had watched a thousand clients squirm under his own manipulation, but he wasn't sure how to go about it himself. He decided to take a direct approach. â€Å"Okay, Josh,† he said. â€Å"I'm squirming. Now what?† â€Å"Sammy, I love you, kid. You and I are like peas in a pod. You, me, and that Aaron guy at your office.† â€Å"You know Aaron?† â€Å"Just spoke to him this morning when I called your office. Your secretary said that you were no longer with the firm and Mr. Aaron was taking all your calls from now on. Aaron and I had a long talk.† â€Å"Did you tell him about the Indian?† â€Å"No, he told me. Strange thing, Sam, he seems to want you out of the business pretty badly, but not just for the profit. I think he's afraid of the attention you're going to get if it turns out that you're associated with the Indian who attacked Cable. Who do you think has more to lose: you or Aaron?† â€Å"Neither of us is losing anything, Josh. This whole thing is a mistake. I don't care what you saw, I don't know anything about any Indian, and I resent the veiled threat.† â€Å"No threat, Sam. Just information. It's the cleanest commodity, you know? No fingerprints, no fibers, no serial numbers. It's kind of ethereal – religious in a way. People will pay for something that they can't smell, or taste, or touch. It's fucking glorious, isn't it? I should have been a spy.† Sam listened to Spagnola sigh, then to the breathing over the line. Here it was again, the standoff. How many times had he backed down over the years? How many times had fear of discovery caused him to lie low and play the role of the victim? Too damn many. He always seemed to be running from the past and avoiding the future, but the future came anyway. Very softly, barely speaking over a whisper, Sam said, â€Å"Josh, before you become too enraptured, remember the information you don't have.† â€Å"What's that, old buddy?† â€Å"You have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of.† There was a silence on the line, as if Spagnola was considering what Sam had said. â€Å"Good-bye, Josh,† Sam whispered. He hung up the phone, grabbed his car keys, and headed out the door to the Mercedes. As he disarmed the alarm and climbed in the car he realized that he also had no idea who he was or what he was capable of, and for the first time in his life it didn't frighten him. In fact, it felt good. Coyote Gets His Powers One day, a long time ago, before there were any men or televisions, and only animal people walked the Earth, Great Spirit, the first worker, decided that he would give everyone a new name. He told the animal people to come to his lodge at sunrise and he would give each one a new name with all the powers that went with it. â€Å"To be fair,† Great Spirit said, â€Å"names will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.† The Earth was a pretty fair place in those days as long as you showed up on time. Coyote had a problem with this method, however. He liked to sleep until lunchtime and lie around thinking up tricks until late afternoon, so getting up at sunrise was a problem, but he really wanted to get a good name. â€Å"Eagle would be good,† he thought. â€Å"I would be swift and strong. Or if I take the name of Bear I will never be defeated by my enemies. Yep, I got to get me a good name even if I have to stay up all night.† When the sun went down Coyote looked all over for a good espresso bar, but even in those days they were full of pretentious pseudointellectual animal people who sat around in open-toed moccasins and whined about how unfair the world was, which it wasn't. â€Å"I don't have the stomach for that,† said Coyote. â€Å"I think I'll just score some magic wake-up powder and stay wired that way.† Coyote went to see Raven. It was well known among the animal people that Raven had a connection with a green bird from South America and was always good for some wake-up powder. â€Å"I'm sorry Coyote, my friend, but I cannot extend you any credit. I'll need three prairie dogs, up front, if you want the product. And remember, I like my prairie dogs squashed real flat.† Raven was a greasy little prick who thought he was cool because he wore sunglasses all the time, even at night. Who was he to act so high and mighty? Coyote was insulted. â€Å"Look, man, I'll have a new name tomorrow. I'm going to go for Eagle. Just advance me the gram now and I'll give you six prairie dogs in the morning.† Raven shook his head. Coyote slunk away. â€Å"I can stay awake without magic,† Coyote said. â€Å"I just have to concentrate.† Coyote tried to stay awake, but by the time the moon was high in the sky he started to doze off. â€Å"This isn't working,† he said. â€Å"I can't keep my eyes open.† Talking to himself often gave Coyote ideas, which was a good thing, because hardly anyone else would talk to him. He broke a couple of thorns from a cactus and used them to prop his eyes open. â€Å"I'm a genius,† he said. Then he fell asleep anyway. When Coyote finally awoke the sun was directly overhead. He rushed to Great Spirit's lodge and burst through the door flap. â€Å"Eagle! I want Eagle,† he said. His eyes were dry and cracked from being propped open and his fur was matted with blood where the thorns had pierced his eyelids. â€Å"Eagle was the first to go,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"What happened to you? You look like hammered shit.† â€Å"Bad night,† Coyote said. â€Å"What's left? Bear? Bear would be good.† â€Å"There's only one name left,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Nobody wanted it.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Coyote.† â€Å"You're shitting me.† â€Å"Great Spirit is not a shitter.† Coyote ran outside where the other animal people were laughing and talking about their new names and powers. He tried to get them to trade names, but even Dung Beetle told him to get lost. Great Spirit watched Coyote from his lodge and felt sorry for him. â€Å"Come here, kid,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Look, you're stuck with a lousy name, but maybe I can make up for it. You have to keep the name, but from now on you are Chief of the Without Fires. And from now on you can take on any shape that you choose and wear it as long as you wish.† Coyote thought about it for a minute. It was a pretty good gift; maybe he should work this pity angle more often. â€Å"So that means that everyone has to do what I say?† â€Å"Sometimes,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Sometimes?† Coyote asked. Great Spirit nodded and Coyote figured he'd better leave before Great Spirit changed his mind. â€Å"Thanks, G.S., I'm outta here. Got to see someone about some sunglasses.† Coyote loped off. CHAPTER 11 The God, the Bad, and the Ugly Santa Barbara During the short drive to his office Sam decided that if Gabriella gave him the least little bit of shit he would fire her on the spot. If his life was going to fall apart before his eyes there was no reason to suffer the slings and arrows of ungrateful employees. There were also twenty younger agents who worked under him, and as long as he held partnership in the agency he held the power to hire and fire. Let one of them mouth off, he thought. Let one of them look sideways at me and they're going to be a distant memory, taillights on the horizon, gone, out, shit-canned, pink-slipped, instantly unemployed. He walked into his office with his temper locked, loaded, and ready to fire, but was immediately disarmed when he saw Gabriella tilted back in her chair, skirt thrown up around her waist, her legs spread wide and high heels alternately pumping in the air and digging into the back of the naked Indian, who was on his knees in front of her, wheeling her chair back and forth, thrusting into her with greedy abandon and yipping with each stroke as counterpoint to the monkey noises that escaped Gabriella in rhythmic bursts. â€Å"Hey!† Sam shouted. Gabriella looked over the Indian's shoulder at Sam and held one finger in the air as if marking a point, then pointed to the message pad on the desk. â€Å"One call,† she gasped. The Indian pulled her to him in a particularly violent thrust and Gabriella grabbed his shoulder with both hands, popping her press-on nails off and across the room like tiddlywinks. Sam shook off his shock, ran forward, and caught the Indian around the neck in a choke hold. The Indian pumped wildly in the air as Sam dragged him off Gabriella and across the outer office. He fell over backward into his office with the Indian still squirming in his grasp and it occurred to him that unless things turned quickly to his advantage he was in serious danger of being humped. He rolled the Indian over on the carpet and pinned him, facedown, while he looked around for a weapon. The only thing in reach was the big multi-line phone on his desk. Sam released the choke hold and lunged for the phone, catching it by the cord. He swung around with it just in time to hit the Indian in the face as he was rising to his hands and knees. The phone exploded into a spray of electronic shrapnel and the Indian fell forward onto his face, unconscious but twitching against the carpet in petit-mal afterhumps. Sam looked at the broom of colored wires at the end of the cord where the phone used to be, then dropped it and staggered to his feet. Gabriella was standing by the door, smoothing her skirt down. Her lipstick was smeared across her face and her hair was spiked into a fright wig of hair spray and sweat. She started to speak, then noticed that one of her breasts was still peeking out of her dress. â€Å"Excuse me.† She turned and tucked herself in, then turned back to Sam. â€Å"I'll hold your calls,† she said officiously, then she pulled the door closed, leaving Sam alone in the office with the unconscious, naked Indian. â€Å"You're fired,† Sam whispered to the closed door. He looked down at the Indian and saw a bloodstain spreading around his head on the carpet. He didn't seem to be breathing. Sam fell to his knees and felt the Indian's neck for a pulse. Nothing. â€Å"Fuck, not again!† Sam paced around the desk four times before he fell back in his leather executive chair and clamped his hands on his temples as if trying to squeeze out a solution. Instead he thought of police and prison and felt hope running through his fingers like liquid light, leaving him dark with despair. A growling noise from the floor. Sam looked over the desk to see the body of the Indian moving. He started to breathe a sigh of relief when he realized that the body wasn't moving at all, it was changing. His eyes went wide with terror as the arms and legs shortened and grew fur, the face grew into a whiskered muzzle, and the spinal column lengthened and grew into a bushy tail. Before Sam could catch his breath again he was looking at the body of a huge black coyote. The coyote got to its feet and shook its head as if clearing its ears of water, then it leapt on the desk and growled at Sam, who rolled his chair back until it hit the wall behind his desk. Sam pushed himself up by the chair arms until he was almost standing against the wall, desperately trying to put even a millimeter more between himself and the snarling muzzle of the coyote. The coyote crawled forward on the desk until its face was only inches from Sam's. Sam could feel the coyote's moist breath on his face. It smelled of something familiar, something burnt. He wanted to turn his head away and close his eyes until the horror went away, but his gaze remained locked on the coyote's golden eyes. He wanted to scream but there was no breath for it and he found his jaw was moving but no sound was coming out. The coyote backed away and sat on the desk, then raised its lowered ears and tilted its head to the side as if perplexed. Sam felt himself take a breath and the strange urge to say â€Å"Good doggie† came over him, but he remained rigid and quiet. The coyote began to shake and Sam thought it would attack, but instead it threw back its head as if to howl. The skin on the coyote's neck began to undulate and surge and took on the shape of a human face. The fur receded from the face, then away from the front legs, which became arms, then down the back legs, which lengthened into crouching human legs. As the fur peeled it lost its black color, turning the burnt tan of a normal coyote. It was as if a human was literally crawling out of a cocoon of coyote skin, the black color becoming black buckskins trimmed with red feathers. A minute passed in what seemed a year as the transformation took place. When it was finished the Indian was crouched on Sam's desk wearing a coyote-skin headd ress that had once been his own skin. â€Å"Fuck,† Sam said, falling back into the chair, his eyes trained now on the golden eyes of the Indian. â€Å"Woof,† the Indian said with a grin. Sam shook his head, trying to get the image to go away. His mind was still rattling around in chaos trying to put this into some sort of meaningful context, but all he could do was wish that he would pass out and that his kneecaps would stop jumping with adrenaline. â€Å"Woof,† the Indian repeated. He jumped from the desk, adjusted the headdress that moments ago had been his skin, then sat in the chair opposite Sam. â€Å"Got a smoke?† he said. Sam felt his mind lock on to the request. Yes, he understood that. Yes, he could do that. A smoke. He reached into his shirt pocket for his cigarettes and lighter and fumbled them out, lost his grip, and sent them skittering across the desk. He was scrambling for them when the Indian reached out and patted his hand. Sam screamed, the high-pitched wail of a little girl, and jumped back into his chair, which rolled back until his head snapped against the wall. The Indian turned his head to the side quizzically, the same way the coyote had, then took the cigarettes from the desk and lit two with the lighter. He held one out to Sam, who remained pushed back in the chair. The Indian nodded for Sam to take the cigarette, then waited while Sam inched forward, snatched it out of his hand, and quickly retreated to his position by the back wall. The Indian took a deep drag on the cigarette, then turned his head and blew the smoke out in rings that crept across the desk like ghosts. Sam had curled into the fetal position in his chair and looked up only to cast a sideways glance at the Indian when he took a drag from his own cigarette. It occurred to him that he should feel silly, but he didn't. He was still too frightened to feel silly. When his cigarette was half gone he started to calm down. His fear was draining away, being replaced with indignant anger. The Indian sat calmly, smoking and looking around the office. Sam put his feet on the floor, scooted the chair back under the desk, and set what he hoped was a hard gaze on the Indian. â€Å"Who are you?† he asked. The Indian smiled and his eyes lit up like an excited child's. â€Å"I am the stink in your shoe, the buzz in your ear, the wind through the trees. I am the-â€Å" â€Å"Who are you?† Sam interrupted. â€Å"What is your name?† The Indian continued to grin while smoke trickled between his teeth. He said, â€Å"The Cheyenne call me Wihio, the Sioux, Iktome. The Blackfeet call me Napi Old Man. The Cree call me Saultaux, the Micmac, Glooscap. I am the Great Hare on the East Coast and Raven on the West. You know me, Samson Hunts Alone, I am your spirit helper.† Sam gulped. â€Å"Coyote?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"You're a myth.† â€Å"A legend,† the Indian said. â€Å"You are just a bunch of stories to teach children.† â€Å"True stories.† â€Å"No, just stories. Old Man Coyote is just a fairy tale.† â€Å"Should I change shapes again? You liked that.† â€Å"No! No, don't do that.† Sam had guessed the Indian's identity the day before when he'd opened the medicine bundle, but he had hoped it would all go away and he would find himself the victim of a childhood superstition. Religion was supposed to be a matter of faith. Gods were not supposed to jump on your desk and snarl at you. They weren't supposed to sit in your office smoking cigarettes. Gods didn't do anything. They were supposed to ignore you and let you suffer and die having never known whether your religion was a waste of time. Faith. Sure, the gods were a badly behaving lot in stories – jealous, impatient, selfish, vengeful, smiting whole races of people, raping virgins, sending plagues and pestilence – and even as gods went, Coyote was a particularly bad example, but they were supposed to stay in the damn stories, not show up and hump your homely secretary until she made monkey noises. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Sam asked. â€Å"I'm here to help you.† â€Å"Help? You ruined my business and got me kicked out of my home.† â€Å"You wanted to scare the diver so I scared him. You wanted the girl so I gave her to you.† â€Å"Well what about all the cats at my condo complex? What about my secretary? How did that help me?† â€Å"If I was not meant to have ugly women and cats they would not be so easy to catch.† It was the kind of backward, perverse logic that had irritated Sam as a child. Pokey Medicine Wing had been a master at it. It seemed to Sam at times as if the entire Crow Nation was trying to define a silicon-chip world with a Stone Age worldview. Sam thought he had escaped it. â€Å"Why me? Why not someone who believes?† â€Å"This is more fun.† Sam resisted the urge to leap over the desk and choke the Indian. It was still â€Å"the Indian† in his head. He hadn't yet accepted that he was talking to Coyote, Chief of the Without Fires. Even with the overwhelming evidence of the supernatural, he searched for a natural explanation for what was happening. A lifetime of disbelief is not easily shed. He tried to find some parallel experience that would put things in order, something he'd read or seen on PBS. Nothing was forthcoming, so he speculated. How would Aaron react if faced with this situation? Aaron didn't acknowledge his Irish heritage any more than Sam admitted his own Crow roots. What if a leprechaun suddenly appeared on Aaron's desk? He'd affect a brogue and try to talk the little fucker into putting his pot o' gold into tax-deferred annuities. No, Aaron was not the person to think of in a spiritual emergency. Coyote smiled as if he had read Sam's thoughts. â€Å"What do you want, Samson Hunts Alone?† Sam didn't even hesitate to think. â€Å"I want my old life back to the way it was before you fucked it up.† â€Å"Why?† Now Sam was forced to think. Why indeed? Every time Sam hired a new agent he glorified his and Aaron's lifestyles. He would take a bright, hungry young man for a ride in the Mercedes, buy him lunch at the Biltmore or another of Santa Barbara's finer restaurants, flash cash and gold cards and expensive suits – plant the seed of greed, as Aaron called it – then give the kid a means to pursue his germinating dream of material bliss while Sam collected ten percent on everything he sold. It was part of the show, one of the many roles he played, and the car, the clothes, the condo, and the clout were merely props. Without the props the show could not go on. â€Å"Why do you want your life back?† Coyote asked, as if Sam had forgotten the question. â€Å"It's safe,† Sam blurted out. â€Å"So safe,† Coyote said, â€Å"that you can lose it in a day? To be safe is to be afraid. Is that what you want: to be afraid?† â€Å"I'm not afraid.† â€Å"Then why do you lie? You want the girl.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I will help you get her.† â€Å"I don't need your help. I need you gone.† â€Å"I am very good with women.† â€Å"Like you're good with cats and couches?† â€Å"Great heroes have great horniness. You should feel what it is like to pleasure a falcon. You lock talons with her in the sky and do it while you both are falling like meteors. You would like it; they never complain if you come too fast.† â€Å"Get out of here.† â€Å"I will go, but I will be with you.† Coyote rose and walked to the door. As he opened it he said, â€Å"Don't be afraid.† He stepped out of his office and closed the door. Suddenly, Sam leapt to his feet and headed after him. â€Å"Stay off my secretary!† he shouted. He ripped open the door and looked into the outer office where Gabriella, her composure regained, was typing up a claim form. Coyote was gone. Gabriella looked up and raised a disapproving eyebrow. â€Å"Is there a problem, Mr. Hunter?† â€Å"No,† Sam said. â€Å"No problem.† â€Å"You sounded frightened.† â€Å"I'm not frightened, goddammit!† Sam slammed the door and went to the desk for a cigarette. His cigarettes and lighter were gone. He stood there for a moment, feeling a flush of anger rise in him until he thought he would scream, then he fell back into his chair and smiled as he remembered something Pokey Medicine Wing had once told him: â€Å"Anger is the spirits telling you that you are alive.†