American Television Comedies Essay

It has been a long day. You are exhausted and arrive home after spending several hours at work or school. You decide to watch television and you try to find a funny show, anything that can make you laugh and make your day better. Choosing between several types of comedy shows is hard because there are innumerable reasons to watch one type or another. A television comedy can sometimes be your friend, your psychologist, your teacher, your passion and/or your hobby. There can be very innocent comedies while there are also more explicit ones. There can also be silly, simple comedies while there are also more elaborate and intelligent comedies. Your decision of selecting one television comedy should always be based in the current mood that you are in. There is clearly a vast buffet of comedy shows in America and the networks will continue to cook more shows in order to make us always completely satisfied. No matter where you are, as long as you have a television that works properly, you have the opportunity of watching any type of comedy show. You can decide between sitcoms, comedy-dramas, sketch comedies, stand-up comedies and animated cartoons. Your girlfriend or boyfriend can dump you, you can fail a class, you can have a fight with your friends or family but those television comedies are, and, will always be there for you to make you laugh, or cry, or both. Sitcoms These will make you have a good laugh most of the times. These have also been the most common, successful and culturally significant type of television comedy. They were originated in England but now predominate in America. They can be either really silly like The Office but at the same time comedic genius or they can be more intelligent and more complex like Community. These have two main types of filming, single camera setup and multi camera setup. One of the best normal single camera comedies of all time is Arrested Development which had the advantage of being a sitcom and having the opportunity to air a new season seven years after its last episode. The magic of sitcoms is that even after several years you can still relate to them and enjoy them completely. Another type of single camera comedy is the mockumentary with shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. They are fake documentaries that follow a specific number of characters. Mockumentaries are usually really hard to get picked up by a network so when a mockumentary survives past the pilot, most of the times it is incredibly humorous and comedic genius. NBC tends to have more successful sitcoms and usually lines them up on Thursdays. So unless you are a party animal who starts partying on Thursday nights, you shouldn’t miss that lineup. Sitcoms are really easy to follow and you will most likely have to watch a whole season to understand the plot. Sitcoms are usually your best chance of laughing out loud. Comedy-drama These, sometimes also known as a dramedies, are programs that combine humor with more serious dramatic elements, providing you with laughs and tears. They aim for a considerably more realistic tone than conventional sitcoms. Dramedies can make you laugh and enjoy the comedy at the same time like Entourage. They won’t necessarily always make you laugh but their content itself is hilarious. They have you on the edge of your seat biting your nails while also pleasing you with some comic relief. One of the most critically acclaimed modern comedy-drama series is Girls which airs on HBO so you need to pay extra to watch it, or just wait until your creepy uncle who thinks he’s still a teenager lends you all the seasons on DVD. The continuity of character development and storylines are more relevant in comedy-dramas than in traditional sitcoms. Characters’ backstories tend to have a greater overall effect on storyline. One example of these is one of the most watched television shows of all time M*A*S*H. People identify themselves a lot with these types of comedies; they tend to be realistic and somehow manage to be extremely funny. M*A*S*H was such a big hit that became the most watched television episode in U. S. television history at the time, with a record-breaking 125 million viewers. If you like to cry and laugh at the same time then watch a dramedy. If you like romantic comedy films these are the comedy series that will most likely fit your personality. Even though sitcoms are the most famous type of television comedies, comedy-dramas are the most watched comedy shows, and if you like one episode of one of them, you will probably get attached to them to the point that you will have to cancel your plans of going to the club with your friends. Sketch Comedy â€Å"Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night! † Most people recognize that phrase. It was created in 1975 during the first episode of the cult television series Saturday Night Live. Sketch comedies are easy to follow and most of the times guarantee a good laugh. Perhaps SNL is the most common type of this style of comedy which consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called â€Å"sketches†, commonly between one and ten minutes long. Often sketches are first improvised by the actors and written down based on the outcome of these improv sessions; however, improvisation is not necessarily involved in all sketch comedy. If the actors are really good and professional then you will definitely laugh hysterically. Sometimes the mistakes the actors make are usually the funniest parts because most of the sketch comedies are filmed live, so if an actor loses it and starts laughing he has to continue either way. It is always amazing to see a professional actor and comedian lose it and try to get his or her composure back. Stand-up Comedy Stand-up comedies guarantee a good laugh, especially if you are up to date with current events. In these comedies, a comedian usually recites a fast-paced succession of humorous stories, short jokes called â€Å"bits†, and one-liners, which constitute what is typically called a monologue, routine or act. Some stand-up comedians use props, music or magic tricks to enhance their acts. The most common examples of this are the talk shows like Ellen, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! , Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Late Late show with Craig Ferguson. These shows are usually really funny and can have some cultural or political content that can update you with current events or lets you see some issues in the eyes of another person. These stand-up comedians tend to be really smart people, like Conan O’Brien, and can turn the simplest thing into something with and immensely amount of comic material. It is also funny to see how comedians fight with each other like Jay Leno with Conan O’Brien did in 2010 over The Tonight Show. This didn’t help either of them because Jimmy Fallon is going to take over as host of The Tonight Show after the 2014 Winter Olympics. That show promises a lot and will definitely be one of the highest rated and most critically acclaimed since Fallon is an extremely talented omedian and musician. These stand-up shows are usually the best way of ending a horrible day. Unlike sitcoms, you can watch most of the shows that there are in every network but you will most definitely have a favorite, and you will stick with it, forever. Unlike the sitcoms, stand-up comedies can be seen at any time because there is no chronological order that will affect its content. Animated Cartoons These are typically hand crafted for children. Animated cartoons won’t necessarily make you laugh but most certainly make you at least giggle. Early children’s programming often recycled theatrical cartoons; later, low-budget animation produced especially for television dominated Saturday-morning network programming in the US. Some of the most known animated cartoons are The Jetsons, The Flintstones, The Simpsons, South Park, Beavis and Butthead, Futurama and Family Guy. Though most of them are designed for children, there are a few of them that are specifically made for adults like South Park and Family Guy. Animated Cartoons have been the only reason for waking you up, during your childhood, early on a Saturday morning and make you happy. Most of the modern animated cartoons that are intended for mature audiences only tend to be very explicit, controversial, racist and profane; yet, they are still incredibly funny and, unless you are a prude that takes every joke from everywhere personal, you should be able to laugh and enjoy them. You have reached a point in your life where thinking of waking up early on a Saturday morning is an impossible scenario, so leave the animated cartoons for your kids. If you want a new hobby and want to follow something for almost a whole year then watch some sitcoms that will surely make you laugh. If you are a drama queen that appreciates comedy then surely comedy-dramas are for you. If you get home late at night and your wife or husband wants to get kinky with you but you’re really tired then watch a stand-up comedy. They will make you laugh while your partner cries. If you feel like you want to see some people doing impersonations of famous people then watch some sketch comedies. No matter how old you are, what ethnicity you are, or if you are a male or a female, there will always a comedy series for you, ready to make you laugh, cry, or both.

Health Care Organizations Essay

The importance of health care organizations, in Mike Moran’s hands is nothing less than to deliver quality care. According to Mike, health care organizations require substantial resources to perform day-to-day operations, and achieve long-term, strategic goals. As the manager of Iowa Park and Recreational Department, Mike is responsible for using his or her power selectively. He believes that understanding the risks, costs, and benefits of a health care organization is the key for managers to use his or her power effectively. The organization I have chosen to interview, Iowa Park and Recreational Department, is a selectively large organization that contains forty-seven full-time employees and five-hundred temporary employees. The service area is approximately five square miles and serves around 100,000 citizens of the Iowa City, Coralville area. Mike is the director and head of the Park and Recreational department. Under supervision, with some latitude for independent action or decision, Mike is responsible for programs of recreational activities. Mike is responsible for six divisions: parks, recreation, forest trees, central business districts, government building and cemetery. To attain this title, Mike achieved is Bachelor’s degree and then went on to achieve his Master’s degree from Northern Colorado. Some of the physical activities performed by Recreational Directors and environmental conditions experienced are: demonstrating, teaching, leading and officiating at recreational activities such as group teams, games, dances, and working outdoors. Mike is required to work evenings, nights, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Although his education possibly landed Mike the job, he truly believes that his love for the community landed him to the advancement of director. However, Mike admits challenges arise at this position. According to him, the most frustrating challenge is maintain within his budget. Mike makes this easier by introducing fundraising strategies to the community. He also admits that working with people can sometimes challenge his role. Public relations are his downfall and require the most attention for improvement. Mike is responsible for the recreation organization’s daily operation. He primarily organizes and directs participants, schedule the use of facilities, keep records of equipment use, and ensure that recreation facilities and equipment are used properly. In addition, they may lead classes and provide instruction in a recreational activity. As a supervisor, Mike oversees recreation leaders and plan, organize, and manage recreational activities to meet the needs of a variety of populations. He also directs special activities and events or oversees a major activity, such as aquatics, gymnastics, or one or more performing arts. Mike develops and manages comprehensive recreation programs in parks, playgrounds, and other settings. He serves as a technical advisor or State and local recreation and park commissions and is responsible for recreation and park budgets. Iowa Park and Recreational Division provides a variety of leisure time recreational services, including organized activities to all populations. The professional staff of the Recreation Division provides purposeful recreation programming by utilizing departmental and other community facilities. This division strives to cooperate with all agencies and to coordinate activities with other recreational organizations in order to expand leisure time opportunities for the community. The recreational department strives to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Iowa City and surrounding area by providing cost effective quality programs and services, facilities, parks, open spaces, and information as an essential link in creating a dynamic, vital community. Recreational opportunities and leisure-time pursuits are plentiful for the residents in the area. It’s important to also maintain your fiscal responsibilities. While interviewing Mike, he discussed how he is responsible for a seven point two million dollar budget and also a C. I. P budget between five and fifteen million every year. To be involved in these types of important responsibilities your training responsibilities need to be maintained to keep certification. To maintain it you need to get your C. E. U (continuing education unit) credit. Overall employment of recreation workers is projected to increase by 15 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Although people will spend more time and money on recreation, budget restrictions in State and local government will limit the number of jobs added. Civic and social organizations and fitness and sports centers will also contribute to growth. Growth will be driven by the growing numbers of young and older Americans. The large numbers of births in recent years likely will increase the demand for recreation services for children, and retiring baby boomers are expected to have more leisure time, higher disposable incomes, and more concern for health and fitness than previous generations had. The latter factors should lead to an increasing demand for recreation services for baby boomers. Applicants for part-time, seasonal, and temporary recreation jobs should have good opportunities, but competition will remain keen for career positions because the recreation field attracts many applicants and because the number of career positions is limited compared with the number of lower level seasonal jobs. Opportunities for staff positions should be best for people with formal training and experience in part-time or seasonal recreation jobs. Volunteer experience, part-time work during school, and a summer job are viewed favorably. Those with graduate degrees should have the best opportunities for supervisory or administrative positions. Job openings will stem from growth and the need to replace the large numbers of workers who leave the occupation each year. The educational needs for people entering into this occupational field vary widely depending on the job and level of responsibility. For activity specialists, it is more important to have experience and demonstrated competence in a particular activity than to have a degree. Camp counselors often are older teenagers or young adults who have experienced camping as a child and enjoy the camping experience. A degree is less important than the counselor’s maturity level, ability to work well with children and teens, and ability to make sure that they stay safe. People planning careers in recreation should be outgoing, good at motivating people, and sensitive to the needs of others. Excellent health and physical fitness often are required, due to the physical nature of some jobs. Time management and the ability to manage others also are important. Recreation workers start their careers working with people. As they gain experience, they may get promoted to positions with greater responsibilities. Recreation workers with experience and managerial skills may advance to supervisory or managerial positions. Eventually, they may become the director of a recreation department. When Mike was asked if he could make any changes, he was very concerned with the community and he would like to make them more aware of the activities the Park and Recreational Organization offers. He also wishes he could get more people involved in the job skill and allow people more opportunities for a career in recreation. DON’T FORGET THE CONCLUSION!

Assess the importance of setting in Heart of Darkness Essay

The setting is the basis of every story or novel, the basis of every prose work. Heart of Darkness is by no means an exception. Joseph Conrad’s nouvelle or rather said mysterious work is not being easily understood let alone assessed. But each reader of Heart of Darkness should try to solve the mystery the author has opened. The setting reveals itself to be a mystery within the mystery. What is really the setting of Conrad’s nouvelle? And is it at all important to the work as a whole? Is it the usual setting of an adventure story that was popular at the time, is it a place of darkness, the heart of it, or just the jungle in the Congo region? The setting may be all of the above and it looks like composed of several different ones colouring the mysteriousness of the nouvelle, some contrasting the others. Heart of Darkness begins in a voice that is not belonging to the protagonist. This later appears to be the auditor of the protagonist’s(Marlow’s) story, so for short he may be called the Auditor. His introduction reveals that the setting is a yawl, called Nellie, swinging on the surface of the Thames awaiting for the turn of the tide so she can sail off. The beginning of the setting reminds the Auditor of England’s naval glory, he recalls the great knights – known and unknown – of the sea while the banks of the Thames remind Marlow that they have also been â€Å"one of the dark places of the earth†. And exactly the word â€Å"dark† is the one that defines the setting throughout the whole of the nouvelle, varying only in shades. This becomes crystal clear from the moment Marlow begins to speak and he speaks through the whole of the nouvelle except the few introductory paragraphs. Going further to describe the setting Marlow begins his s tory about his journey in the Congo region, the heart of darkness. The protagonist explains that as a boy he looked at the blank spaces on the maps and dreamed of exploring them, but the Congo region was no blank space anymore, ironically according to Marlow it has become a place of darkness. He is fascinated by the river in the heart of darkness, for him it resembles a snake, symbol of evil; while the river Thames described earlier is calm and serene contrasting the setting in the Congo river. Both rivers may be symbol of the tamed and untamed. London is tamed by civil and moral rules, that’s why it’s calm  while the untamed Africa is cruel but free. Marlow sees danger even before his journey has begun but it doesn’t stop him from going to the other setting, the office of the Company. The following description is the gate towards darkness and death, the gate of Hell. The setting stays in Marlow’s mind and later on in his journey he remembers the two women dressed in black, knitting black wool and holding a black cat; guardian angels to the â€Å"gate of Darkness†. Conrad reveals that not many of those who have been introduced to the Company by the younger woman had the chance to return and look at her again, as if by giving them a glance she turns them to stone like the Gorgone Meduse and dooms them to eternal darkness. Relatively the same is the moral â€Å"preached† in the setting in the doctor’s office. The doctor is interested in measuring the skulls of all those who leave for the Congo with the distinct idea that he could measure them again on their returning but so far none of them has returned. A fact that suprises Marlow who understands from the doctor that no matter what, the changes take place inside the skull; the doctor seems like the prophet to Marlow’s enlightment. Finally Marlow leaves in a French steamer for the Congo. The setting changes as they sail nearer to the coast of the jungle. Marlow feels isolated and delusional by the immense water and the only touch with reality are the boats coming from the shore with â€Å"black fellows† in them. This particular setting is the first touch of civilization with wilderness and savagery. Civilization is characterized by light and â€Å"straight forward facts† while to the wilderness is given the heart of Darkness and freedom. The setting communicates the meaning of the episode. As it does in the next one presenting the Company’s station that Marlow is left in. The black boy he meets fascinates him with the white thread from beyond the seas around his black neck. Civilization intrudes the lives of the Africans and enslaves them. The white thread looks like a manacle around the boy’s neck. After such a sight the white man Marlow meets at the â€Å"station† setting looks like a sort of vision. This miracle later appears to be the Company’s chief accountant. He strikes Marlow with devotion to his work and the fact that he had achieved something in his life, everything in it is in order while the whole station is falling apart. The accountant and his office is the island of salvation for Marlow when he wants to get away from the misery at the  station. The importance of this particular setting is the mentioning for the first time the name of Mr.Kurtz, defined by the accountant as a remarkable person and from this moment on the mysterious Kurtz enters the thoughts of Marlow as well as the reader’s. The setting of the Central Station serves its purpose too to the whole of the nouvelle. The forest near it looks huge and calm to Marlow, the setting alone sends the feeling to all of the readers, misery and greatness fill their hearts. Together with this the tickling feeling of the awaited by Marlow meeting with Kurtz makes the breathing of the reader harder. In the Central Station he meets a brickmaker who gives more detail to the fast-growing character of Kurtz in Marlow’s mind. He is an extraordinary human being, an emissary of pity and what not, bringing civilization to the dark continent. The brickmaker is sure that Marlow has some resemblance to Kurtz and if this is true the reader is only to find out on their own. The months spent awaiting the needed rivets for the repair of the mysteriously broken down steamer are over. Marlow leaves for the Inner Station where he is to find out if the rumors about the best Company’s agent are true, the narrator leaves in search for the ill Kurtz whose death is awaited by most of the Company’s staff. The setting changes once more only to become the same as earlier in Marlow’s journey. Black people, enemies that are hiding on the shore like evil that is creeping and getting closer and closer to the steamer. Finally the evil prevails, the devoted black helmsman is murdered from a spear. The setting had built an unhealthy darkness that doesn’t allow the reader even the slightest chance to forget the focus of the nouvelle; the darkness within the heart of the jungle gradually fills the heart of the protagonist and respectfully the reader’s too. Maybe the most interesting part of the setting is Marlow’s meeting with Kurtz at the Inner Station. The setting presents the true darkness, the very heart of it. It also echoes the cries of the Russian sailor who meets Marlow at his arrival. From the story of the naà ¯ve young sailor Marlow understands about Kurtz’s brilliance and the semi-divine power he exercises over the  natives. The setting provides the visual confirmation of Kurtz’s cruelty. A row of severed heads on stakes round the hut gives an intimation of the barbaric rites by which Kurtz’s has achieved his ascendancy. An educated man like Marlow, a very intelligent one, a man of promise for the Company Kurtz has used his brains and gun, symbol of civilization, to enslave the natives and make his one dark tribe that would inhabit the heart of darkness. Though at first sight the setting looks like a true adventure one underneath transpires the psychological and moral level of the work as a whole. Moreover Conrad’s nouvelle and respectfully it’s setting is also a symbolic journey of the soul towards the heart of man which he sees as capable of great evil. Kurtz is good personification of this particular idea. The setting may be interpreted as an allusion to Dante’s The Inferno, Marlow’s journey looks like an expedition to the underworld, a journey through the circles of hell and Kurtz is the devil himself. But the devil doesn’t want to leave his tribe nor do they want to leave him. When his tired and sick body is taken in the steamboat his black mistress appears. She looks at him with her â€Å"wild-eyes† giving Kurtz the power to live on but he couldn’t. The setting changes and presents the deck of the steamboat. Kurtz is lying there awarding Marlow with his manuscripts and his words, his last ones â€Å"The horror! The horror!†. The setting reveals the whole moral of Conrad’s work, or in Marlow’s words â€Å"the moral victory†. For Kurtz the horror he talks of is his life and like he has shown the reader man is capable of great evil. Kurtz has neglected the signals of his heart that evil was inside him. Kurtz is outside of control of the moral rules of civilization whose representative he is. So the horror is he himself, the heart of darkness is not the jungle anymore but his own. The setting has changed once again only to become Kurtz himself, the most important figure for the nouvelle, the heart of it, the heart of darkness. The setting is one of the most important for the work because it reveals simple but existential truths to the reader. Man finds himself when is isolated especially from civilization as Kurtz does. But why is he considered mad by the â€Å"civilized† people that get in touch with him. He is mad for them because he had taken off the mask and everybody can see his true face – evil or remarkable is up to the reader to  decided. The important role of the setting is capturing the attention and the thoughts of the reader. Kurtz was like Marlow – an uncorrupted creature from the imperialist world that wanted to help the natives rather than colonize them but the darkness prevailed his heart and Marlow sees what he could become if he lost the trail. But Kurtz recognizes his action as cruel and evil that is his horror, he knows that what he is doing is wrong but the heart of darkness haven’t given him another option to survive. The setting also reminds the reader through the character of Kurtz of Europe at the end of the Imperialism era. The nouvelle is not only an adventure story but a political statement as well. Kurtz’s relationship with his mistress represents Europe’s love for their imperialized country, only the passion is temporary. Kurtz dies leaving Marlow and the reader with the conviction that they should explore what is inside them and in most cases they’ll find their own heart of darkness. Intriguing are also Kurtz’s manuscripts and the words â€Å"Exterminate all the brutes!† He never told who are the brutes but the overall impression is that the brutes are not the uncivilized man, maybe everyone should find the brute within himself and exterminate it. The philosophical manuscripts did not solve any problems they just have shaped Marlow’s perspective and although he didn’t approve of Kurtz’s actions he was amazed with his spiritual and intellectual power, with the ability to persuade. That is exactly why Marlow stays loyal to Kurtz’s even after his death. The setting takes the reader back to Belgium in the house of Kurtz’s fiancà ©e. She, the woman that will always wait for him and always will mourn for him. She believes that she is the person that understood Kurtz best but Marlow is not convinced in that and he lies her about Kurtz’s last words. He never tells her what they really were, he mentions only that they gave him her name and that’s why he found her. Marlow is not sure if she’ll understand Kurtz’s ‘horror’. Africa has become a topology of his mind and the mind in general. Letting the forgotten savagery in the European and being the symbol of man’s inner change. Kurtz’s ‘horror’ is Marlow’s self discovery. The importance of the setting, given that it has shown to the reader the Congo region in it’s very heart of darkness, is that reminds the reader that it is time to make their own self searching. Last but not least the setting of the nouvelle has shown darkness, the heart of it. It is important for the work as a whole because it presents Marlow’s individual journey towards enlightment that serves the purpose of a model for the reader to follow. It presents also Kurtz’s ‘horror’ who has taken one step further in the dark continent that Marlow is not ready and willing to take. The setting of the whole work enriches the reader following the narrator in the serpentine Congo. The setting emphasizes the idea of the conflict of what is real versus what is ‘dark’. Here particularly the word ‘real’ represents the civilized part of the world while dark is Africa. Marlow represents civilization on the edge while Kurtz represents civilization stepped over leading in the ‘darkness’. The setting also is ivory, Conrad uses it as a symbol of man’s inner savagery, greed and evil. The author also uses ivory as contradiction to the usual symbols of good and evil. If good is represented with the white colour, here is Heart of Darkness ivory is the evil part no matter that it is one of the purest and whitest materials in the world. The contradiction the setting presents entraps the attention of the reader and provokes once again his search for self-discovery. The setting is pretty important to the work as a whole because it reveals the darkness within every one of us; the question is whether like Marlow we shall defeat it and gain enlightment or be defeated by it like Kurtz and fall in the very heart of Darkness.

Hot Coffee at McDonald's Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hot Coffee at McDonald's - Case Study Example If a consumer is happy, more business transactions can be completed. This is good for both the consumer and businesses. Â  Prescriptions should have a fair price value, although sometimes do not. That is why generic medicine is cheaper. Many patients want name brand, but the generic is the same ingredients. Prescription prices should be regulated like any other product. Cost of prescriptions should be based on manufacturing cost, profit, and loss. Pharmaceutical companies are businesses. They are in business to make money. Pharmaceutical companies are not in the business of helping people. Researchers might want to help people, but in the end, business is what makes the American economy work. Â  Pharmaceutical companies do not have a moral obligation to make lifesaving drugs in poor countries at little or no cost. However, it does make good publicity if they do provide lifesaving drugs to poor countries at little or no cost. It also makes business sense due to tax benefits to charitable organizations. Morally pharmaceutical companies are businesses. They legally and morally should not sell drugs that harm. However, they do not have to give their product away for free. Pharmaceutical companies are businesses, not charitable organizations. Â  The Doe Run Company should pay the costs of cleaning up Herculaneum. Despite the fact the Doe Run Company has been in business before EPA laws on lead, the Company has been violating known EPA laws for years. This is why the Company should be responsible for cleaning up the town. Willful lawbreakers should have to pay the cost for cleanups. It is not the town people’s fault.

Reflection on Teaching Themes of Care Assignment

Reflection on Teaching Themes of Care - Assignment Example Reflection on Teaching Themes of Care Major Points and Questions Raised Noddings (1995) initiated the discourse with the bold plan to reorganize contemporary school curriculum to focus on questions and issues pertinent to human existence. As suggested, the curriculum is envisioned to be organized around themes of care: â€Å"caring for self, for intimate others, for strangers and global others, for the natural world and its nonhuman creatures, for the human-made world, and for ideas† (Noddings, 1995, 1). To engage the readers into justifying his contentions, the author opted to resolve questions such as: (1) why teach caring? (2) How can teaching themes of care by chosen and organized? (3) And, what kinds of preparations should schools and teachers focus on to ensure effectiveness in teaching themes of care? The questions were addressed through a discussion of the benefits of teaching and incorporating themes of care in the schools’ curriculum.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 19

Leadership - Essay Example According to a definition cited by Stanley (2005, p.108), a clinical leader is a leader who holds quantifiable medical and scientific skills, knowledge and proficiency in nursing practice and one who employs the use of interpersonal proficiency to facilitate provision of quality care by nurses and other care providers. There are also other factors that are used in explicating nursing leadership. Further explication by Stanley (2005, p.109) asserts that excellence in clinical practice coupled with provision of a conducive or positive environment that empowers nurses are fundamental elements of nursing leadership. Another definition of nursing leadership asserts that a nurse leader is "A nurse directly involved in providing clinical care that continuously improves care through influencing others" (Stanley, 2005, p.109). In extrapolation, this definition of a nurse leader shows that it is not a prerequisite for nurse leaders to be higher-ranking officials in nursing practice. In other w ords, a nurse can be a leader despite the position held. There are a number of leadership theories that in essence categorises leadership. One of these theories is denoted by Curtis, Vries and Sheerin (2011, p.307) to include trait theory. This theory focus primarily on individual characteristics that facilitate leadership. The second theory is referred to as the behaviour approach that expounds leadership in a leaders viewpoint and in fact spotlights on leadership behaviours (Curtis, Vries and Sheerin, 2011, p.307). The third theory is the contingency approach that views leadership in the context of the interface and communication between a leader, existing circumstances and his or her actions (Curtis, Vries and Sheerin, 2011, p.307). Fourthly is the transformational theory that spotlights on the association or connection between a leader and his or her employees (Curtis, Vries and Sheerin, 2011, p.307). Though all the leadership theories and styles

The Rights of Corporations vs. The Rights of Women Essay

The Rights of Corporations vs. The Rights of Women - Essay Example In fact, British allies affirmed that, the personality of the partners was at greater risk depending on how they were treated (Humphreys 125- 130). The rights of corporations as well as the rights of Women despite of them being preserved since the early times, Women rights in comparison to the corporations have been extensively violated. The magnitude of violation was much felt before and during the 19th century. Even though some rights were implemented which empowered women within the business, their still much to be done because they have still not been fully incorporated within the business world. Rights of corporations have been preserved since the early times and are still being amended at the present day. Personhood was integral to the discussion since complete legal â€Å"personhood† had been discussed extensively upon the Limited Liability Corporation in Britain and America about twenty years prior to the discussion. Capitalism had been completely misshaped. As it has been indicated from Lectures IV and VI, the Limited Liability Act of 1855 in Britain had established liability to companies integrated under the Joint Stock Companies. Act of 1844in relation to some capital necessities, had amended the need to obtain a special charter from the Legislative to form a company involving only effortless registration. The structure additionally streamlined under the Joint Stock Company Act of 1856, entailing only seven participants to sign a Memorandum of Association and to include the name or rather abbreviations â€Å"Ltd† at the end of the company’s name. However, the final amendment was resolved in 1897, in Salomon v. Saloman & Co., Ltd., the House of Lords, the then Britain’s Supreme Court. According to this statute, a corporation was analyzed as being as a separate legal entity with its partners (Humphreys 130- 140). Limited liability meant that the shareholders were a different from the corporation and were only liable for the capital invested in the corporation. The company could either sue or be sued in its own name unlike before. The company being a limited liability meant that it could even carry out business activities on its own. This necessitated to raising high capital in order to form big companies that the growing economy needed and also to carry out the operations of the company with administrative competence. Some perceived that it was morally wrong to alleviate partners from undertaking the responsibilities linked to a company. This was also incompatible with the moral principal which held that owning a business under your name was an expression of religious calling. It was not in order to have several members have some share in the business each having a designated responsibility then abruptly they were being relieved from their assignments and become limited to the business (Humphreys 160). Even though there was an intense debate on the issue of limited liability of a company, the decision had been arrived at and it was very essential to the new social order. It was very had to accept the reality, considering that they had been used to Capitalism which entailed mixed consequences as opposed to the Ltd Company. Formation of Limited Liability Company was a great challenge to the British Friends as most of them were separated from their businesses that they had

The Creation of White Supremacy in the Nineteenth-Century United Essay - 1

The Creation of White Supremacy in the Nineteenth-Century United States - Essay Example ’ and to maintain this status they needed to place their allegiances with those in power that had the resources who could divvy up the benefits† (McVey 18). Basically speaking, an emphasis on racial rather than class unity has traditionally been an emphasis in America. This essay explains the reasons the United States had become a supremacist nation by mid-1800s. This essay argues that white supremacy emerged in the United States during the 19th century because of economic exploitation (e.g. slavery) and racial myths (e.g. Manifest Destiny). The creation of white supremacy was a critical occurrence in the emergence of American capitalism. The concept of white supremacy emerged in the United States due to several major developments: the legacy of British exploitation of the Irish; the opposition to slavery, which concluded in the subjugation of the Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia in the latter part of the 17th century; the self-recognition of emancipated laborers as members of the White population in the antebellum North; and the creation of the White nation in the latter part of the 19th century. The United States could not have emerged as a White supremacist nation in the absence of slavery. It was enslaved Africans who facilitated the economic development of the United States. This economic progress climaxed from the early to mid-1800s, the era referred to as the Market Revolution. The major driving force for the emergence of the Market Revolution was the cotton trade, and this was facilitated by indentured servi tude (Roediger 32). Another thrust to the emergence of the United States as a white supremacist nation was the occupation of a large portion of Mexico. This gave the United States the opportunity to successfully gain Pacific expansion, and hence embark on a massively profitable trade with Asian markets. It also gave the United States the opportunity to tap the immense supply of agricultural resources in California and mineral resources in

Magnetic resonance imaging Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Magnetic resonance imaging - Assignment Example 2001). MRI is used to measure tissue perfusion through the use of different techniques such as arterial sin labelling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrasting imaging (DSC-MRI). DSC is based on injected contrast agent use that changes the blood’s magnetic susceptibility, thus, producing a MR signal continually measured throughout the bolus passage (Petrella & Provenzale 2000). ASL, on the other hand, is whereby before the arterial blood enters into the tissue to be assessed, it is magnetically tagged, and consequently, the labelling amount is measured and compared to a blank recording achieved without spin labelling. Currently, MRI is a powerful tool in a clinical setting for evaluation of brain anatomy, which is achieved via a number of metabolic or functional assessments. MRI perfusion is a technique used to measure cerebral perfusion non-invasively via several hemodynamic measurements assessments including cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood, volume, and meant transit t ime. This technique plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment cerebrovascular disease patients, as well as patients with other brain disorders (Petrella & Provenzale 2000). ... Exogenous Tracers Exogenous is a model of MR perfusion, which assumes that the tracer does not diffuse into the outer cellular space because it is constrained in the intravascular compartment. In this model imaging can either be performed dynamically or in a steady state. Dynamic imaging utilizes transient fluctuations in local magnetic field of the tissues in the surrounding that are induced by paramagnetic tracer bolus passing through the capillary network of the organ. The local magnetic field changes can be measured as signal fluctuations on MR imaging. Accurate measurements are enabled by Ultrafast imaging methods such as spiral MR and echoplanar imaging, which measures differing signal changes that occur rapidly (Ostergaard, et al. 1996). Data from the signal-time course is then changed to relative tracer tissue data from the concentration-time course. This results in tracer concentration-time curve that can be evaluated to establish different parameters of hemodynamic tissues such as blood flow, transit time, tissue blood volume and bolus arrival time. The hemodynamic parameters mentioned above are influenced by features of the bolus injection such as the injection rate, contrast agent paramagnetic properties, the amount of injected contrast material among others. Furthermore, these parameters rely on variables inside the subject under imaging, which are cardiac output and vascular volume of total-body (Buxton, et al. 1996). Therefore, it is not possible to compare the parameters between varied subjects, and at different times they may even cause variation on examination of the same subject. Nevertheless, there is an internal standard of reference,

How did Stanton recalculate the definition of self-evident truths Essay

How did Stanton recalculate the definition of self-evident truths - Essay Example lution do not only consist of change process via ethnic relations, but since movements in the aim to advance civil rights emerged as well at various points in history, their heavy criticisms upon the four models of social change managed to recalculate the view of self-evident truths. Eventually, for Elizabeth Cady Stanton, recalculation of truths applies further to more specific issues of evaluating differences between the dominant and the non-dominant groups. Ethnic social relations that were classified by Frederickson as hierarchy, assimilation, pluralism, and separatism each possess a characteristic definition. For one, hierarchy manifests the conspicuous evidence of truth in the manner nature takes its course as men of dominant race or culture share privileges among themselves, excluding their weaker counterparts whom they consider to be inferior. It may be widely perceived herein that social inequality is the natural order of truth and there seems no way of having the non-dominant blend with the dominant of the society for the borders that distinguish one from the other are fixed and significantly rigid. Assimilation, on the other hand, takes on a more subtle, rather considerate treatment by approving outcasts as in a situation where the superior in-groups tolerate acceptance of the inferior out-groups for as long as the latter make the effort to ‘assimilate’ or establish conformity to the attitude, sense of fashion, or beliefs of the former. Even more flexible in structure is pluralism the theory of which promotes respect for cultural diversity so that this enables abolition of typically unfavorable judgments upon ethnicities on the basis of color and racial origins. Instead, a pluralistic society encourages distinctions and social relation that supports the prevailing state of democracy from which to measure the level of civilization attained. Separatism being a form of pluralism, in the definition of Frederickson, may then be achieved upon full

United States-Russian relations in the post Cold War era Essay Example for Free

United States-Russian relations in the post Cold War era Essay The global affairs after the Second World War were dominated by two superpowers with totally different political and socioeconomic models. The central drama within the global system was characterized by conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union expressed in the form of capitalism and communism. These two superpowers had at their disposal the greatest armies and artilleries that no any other country could match during this period of time (Donnelly, 1965). The internal organization of these two superpowers was radically different with the United States having a democratic polity and a market economy while the Soviet Union having a totalitarian political system and a command economy. Each of these nations believed in the superiority of their system and thus attempted to actively promote the replication of these systems in other countries while at the same time hindering the expansion of the others system. The competition between the United States and Russia was thus driven by this ideological divide. Put simply, the United States and the Soviet Union were not only rivals because of their greatness in the international system but also because they were two powers with irreconcilable visions concerning how the political, social and economic life should be organized. During the initial stages of the final decade of the twentieth century, one side in this bipolar ideologically divided system collapsed and for the first time in the history of the modern world, there occurred a shift the international balance of power without a major conflict leading to war. For the political leaders in Russia and the United States, these were hard times and talks were initiated concerning the new task of transforming Russia into a democratic polity, market economy and a new associate with the West, instantly erasing the cold war. However, as the century concluded, the attitude in the United States-Russian relations was becoming more inclined towards the cold war era than with the more optimistic periods of the early nineteen nineties. The policies that the Clinton administration had pursued toward Russia were derided by members of the Congress, academics, journalists and the emerging campaign by George W. Bush for the presidency. The question that they most often asked was whoever â€Å"lost Russia†. In particular, the Clinton administration was charged with failing in virtually every issue. It was accused of delving too much into Russian internal affairs, ignoring or even supporting corruption among leading Russian officials, over personalizing their relationship with Yeltsin, being blind to the evils of Russia towards the breakaway Republic of Chechnya and failure to stop Russia from assisting Iran with its nuclear weapons program. Listening to the experts and the Republicans led to the conclusion that every conceivable thing that would have gone wrong concerning the United States-Russian relations did go wrong (Masci, 1998: 232-3). The major question that one is bound to ask is whatever happened between the years that the Soviet Union collapsed and the witch hunt for the lost Russia less than a decade later. Various argument have been put forward with some holding that it was largely the fault of the first Bush administration for failing to offer enough assistance to the fledgling regime of Yeltsin in 1992 (Goldgeier McFaul, 2003). Others still argue that all the wrong kinds of assistance was provided by the Clinton administration after 1993 or that it had pursued â€Å"anti-Russian† policies which maximized Russian resentment for the West (Beschloss Talbott, 1993: 9). The relations between Russia and the United States seemed to have taken a decisive turn in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack in 2001, hardly a year after George Bush became the president. Russian president showed a good gesture by moving quickly to show his sympathy for the United States and pledging his support for collective responsibility against global terrorism. There was much optimism that Russia was being inclined to the West. The relationship between the United States and Russia seemed better until the period of the American-led war with Iraq. In looking at the relationship between the United states and Russia, I am primarily interested in the perception of the United States policy makers concerning what they intended to accomplish and their understanding of the events. For instance, did they understand that there was a transition going on in the Soviet Union in 1991 and what was their belief concerning what they could do? Did the United States believe that the enemy was gone once the Soviet Union disintegrated? The most transformative events in the affairs of the world since the period that immediately followed World War II was marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Before this period, the United States foreign policy was focused of containing the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The Americans, prior to 19090s, saw every issue in the world in the perspective of the cold war struggle with the Soviet Union-whether it was peace in the middle East, defense of Europe, African civil war or even the development of resources on the floor of the ocean. Thus, the collapse of the Soviet Union dealt a blow for United States foreign policymakers. Considering that the main American enemy was defeated, there was need for the vacuum to be filled posing an intellectual and organizational challenge of refocusing and reorienting foreign policy away from the period of cold war and toward a new relationship with Russia. With the end of the Cold War, an opportunity for creating a basically new and cooperative relationship between Russia and the United States was established. The establishment of a positive United States-Russian partnership was seen to offer benefits not only for the two nations but also in confronting the challenges that the human race is faced with during this period of time. A necessary climate for beefing up United States-Russian relations was created by the changes that were introduced in the foreign policy of the Soviet Union during Gorbachevs tenure. The new way of thinking introduced by Gorbachev held that the preservation of peace must be the fundamental objective of all nations. The Marxist thought of class struggle was abandoned as the central guiding principle in foreign policy. Instead, the global human values were to go beyond the narrow class interests in guiding the conduct and behavior of nations. This New Thinking was not the same as the principle adopted by Khrushchev. In his principle of peaceful coexistence, Khrushchev advocated for the evasion of all out war between communist and capitalist system even though he did not indicate that the struggle between capitalism and communism should be concluded. He continued to maintain that one of the systems will emerge to be the victor. Gorbachev and his associates saw the world as an interrelated totality where every nation must cooperate for in the interest of the survival of entire human race. The basic argument was that nations of communist and capitalist orientation should not exist in a state of perpetual struggle. It was held that every nation should make concerted effort to ensure that the world is a safe place. Gorbachevs New Thinking was not simply a rhetoric or propaganda but was supported by dramatic changes in the international behavior of Russia. Gorbachev saw the collapse of the Berlin Wall and signed important agreement with the United States. Russia also sought for integration in the world economy besides seeking for a more positive relation with democracies of Western Europe. The United States and Russia also participated jointly in dialogs aimed at resolving regional conflicts in places like Africa. The Soviet troops were also removed from Afghanistan and Africa by the soviet government. There was also cooperation between the two nations in their response to the Kuwait invasion by Iraq. With this regard, the relation between the United States and Russia improved so much during the tenure of Gorbachev. It was during this period that the thinking and preferences of Russians with regard to foreign policy underwent massive transformation. Russia discarded their confrontational approach of depending on their military force in favor of diplomatic cooperation as the preferred method of building and managing positive relationships with other nations. The Soviet principle of New Thinking stressed on the holistic nature of the world community, offering a significant and appropriate set of concepts for guiding the behavior of nations in the global environment. Ronald Reagan who had described the Soviet Union as an evil empire changed his view considering the dramatic changes that the Soviet Union underwent. When he was asked if he still considered the Soviet Union as an evil state, he responded that his initial remarks were meant for a different time and era. With the end of the Cold War, the animosity between the two nations also concluded. This spirit that was started by Soviet leaders was adopted by other succeeding leaders. After taking office, Yeltsin stated their aim to become involved with other countries in the world in the process of â€Å"asserting the ideals of humanism, freedom and democracy in the community of mankind†. He also stated Russias intention to pursue â€Å"an honest, open and moral policy which is not subordinated to ideological dictate†. This statement shows that Russia was slowly being integrated into the global system by changing from a military to civilian based economy. As much as his foreign policies appeared to be a continuation of the non-confrontational approach, the strategies that he adopted encompassed basic domestic changes that had implications for the United States foreign policy (Cross Oborotova, 1994). The attempt by Gorbachev to carry out reforms within the context of the existing socialist system had led to some ambiguity and suspicion in the United States concerning the intention of Soviet leadership. It also restricted the degree to which shared values existed between the former Soviet Union and the United States. Yeltsin on the other hand openly rooted for capitalism, abandoning the socialist model, thereby eliminating ideological ambiguity and extending the foundation for common United States-Russian values and objectives. He reiterated his commitment to nurturing democratization of Russia and embracing a free market economy which are the sacred values of American tradition. Although the Yeltsin era is a representation of the continuation of the peaceful policies that had been placed during the time of Gorbachev, it is during his tenure that one can actually begin talking about a new chapter in the relations between the United States and Russia. As much as the United States was cautious in their response to these dramatic changes in the former Soviet Union particularly during the tenure of Gorbachev, its administration welcomed such changes and were willing to exploit the new opportunities to improve bilateral relations. James Barker, once the United States Secretary of State, classified the progress of United States policy towards the former Soviet Union and Russia from the period of Gorbachev to the period of Yeltsin and moving â€Å"further than detente and even diplomatic cooperation† to â€Å"broad international partnership†. The leadership of Yeltsin changed the conception that the United States of the Western powers were potential enemies of the Russian Federation (Allin, 1995). Clinton recognized the heavy task faced by the new Russian Federation reformers, appealing to the United States to support the Russians. According to him, the Russians were attempting to carry out three fundamental changes at once. These fundamental changes were; the shift to market economy from communism, a shift to democracy from tyrannical dictatorship and a shift to an independent state from a great empire-an endeavor that the United States ought to support (Cohen, 1993). Clinton emphasized the importance of Russia at the 1993 Russo-American summit in Vancouver, reaffirming the United States economic and security interest in establishing a favorable United States-Russian relationship. He pointed out that the progress of Russia and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union toward democracy and free market was held with much importance by the United States as it represents a great security challenge and provides great economic opportunities (Weber, 1993: 253). After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States president George Bush and the Russian president Yeltsin signed the Camp David Declaration which defined the relations between the two countries as founded on â€Å"friendship and partnership†. Andrey Kozyrev, Russian Foreign Minister, stated that the goal of Russia vis-a-vis the United States is the stable establishment of relations with an inclination toward strategic partnership and alliance founded on common values (Friedman, 2000). Conclusion Russia and the United States would do much injustice to each other if they choose to pursue isolationist course. However, there has been an increase in public support for withdrawal from the foreign scene in both countries. In the last American presidential elections was dominated by domestic issues. This trend was also seen almost two decades ago in 1992 when the presidential election was also characterized by domestic issue. After the Second World War, the Americans saw that their freedom and security were threatened by communism and thus were ready to support presidential appeals to counter the expansion of Soviet around the world. However, the post-Cold War era lacks Soviet as the enemy and thus the American public increasingly became uninterested in foreign affairs. Many Americans fail to strike the link between domestic and foreign issues as they are basically concerned with the rising unemployment, sagging economy, health care and a variety of domestic problems and hence lack the sympathy to invest their energies in dealing with the problem of other countries. Consequently, in Russia, policymakers, academics and the general public have circulated arguments that the country should concern itself with internal problems and that shifting from international realm would be integral for resources to be freed for domestic purposes. One variation of this trend seem to have gained prominence among politicians and scholars. The position holds that the Russian foreign policy should be continentalist as opposed to globalist. This position posits that the domestic problems in Russia hinders its possibilities for pursuing an active and multifaceted foreign policy (Cross Oborotova, 1994). As such, there is a general feeling among the proponents of this position that Russia should focus its energies on seeking relationships with the neighboring countries in Europe and Asia. Within the increasingly interdependent world community, isolationism is not a realistic option. Limiting the relation between United States and Russia would not serve the interest of either nation. As much as the United States is the major remaining power and the undisputed leader of the Western world, it would be wrong to think that it can maintain peace in the world alone. It lacks the resources to carry out this role and must therefore cooperate with other major global powers so as to effectively counter the challenges existing in the post-cold War arena. Russia is still a strong nation and a nuclear superpower and hence the cooperation between these two countries is very important. As much as Russia is a Eurasian nation, it cannot ignore the role of the United States or become absorbed with its own domestic problems. There have been concerns with regard to Russia becoming an adversarial competitor of the United States if it decides to support her. The basic argument is that Russia has always been an aggressive and hostile nation besides being an expansionist power. However, this question cannot be answered at the moment. Nevertheless, there may be disastrous consequences for United States interests if it ignores of fail to focus its attention and resources in furthering a favorable U. S. -Russian partnership. The Russians have thus exhibited remarkable patience in the transition period. Most Russians have shown their commitment to move ahead despite the economic difficulties, recognizing that they have endured many hardships in the past and that they cannot go back to the repressive and inefficient system that characterized their past. In order for the United States and Russia to achieve an enduring and full scale partnership, there are many obstacles that still need to be overcome despite the favorable developments in their relations that have been witnesses in the past decade. Russia does not possess much experience with market economy neither does it comprehend fully democratic principles. Its political traditions are founded on the autocratic czarist rule. Its aspirations for reforms demand a deep cultural and psychological transition coupled with the establishment of a concrete and enduring democratic representative institutions. This shift to democracy is not a linear process and thus, Russia may experience some setbacks and even some reversals. Again, the interests of the United States and Russia may not correspond owing to the multitude of cultural, historical, geopolitical and economic reasons. Work cited Allin, D. (1995). Cold War Illusions: America, Europe, and Soviet Power, 1969-1989, NY Beschloss, M. Talbott, S. (1993). At the Highest Levels: The Inside Story of the End of the Cold War. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, Cohen, W. (1993). America in the Age of Soviet Power, 1945-1991, NY Cross, S. Oborotova, A. (1994). The New chapter in United States-Russian relations: opportunities and challenges. Greenwood Publishing Group Donnelly, D. (1965). Struggle for the World: The Cold War, 1917-1965, NY Friedman, N. (2000). The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War, Annapolis, Garthoff, R. (1994). The Great Transition: American-Soviet Relations and the End of the Cold War. Brookings Institution Press Goldgeier, J. McFaul, M. (2003). Power and purpose: U. S. policy toward Russia after the Cold War. Brookings Institution Press Masci, D. (1998). U. S. -Russian Relations: Is the Post-Cold War Friendship in Trouble? CQ Press Weber, M. (1993). The Emergence of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation. Communist and Post Communist Studies, vol. 26, no. 3

Growing up in Korea Essay Example for Free

Growing up in Korea Essay Growing up in Korea and attending high school in the United States has taught me that in many ways people from different countries can be very similar. One thing that seems universal in my experience is that everyone hates politicians and jokes about the work the do. This is a bit awkward for me because my dream has always been to become a politician and a strong leader in the future of Korea, and to me that is not joke. My father teases that when I was little I would constantly ask him to tell me stories about famous politicians. My favorite politician was always Margaret Thatcher. I especially respected the way she led the successful recovery of England’s economy after the Great Depression. Her story stuck me even more deeply because I first heard it during a time of economic hardship in South Korea. Since then, I have always dreamt about becoming a wise and upright politician, leading Korea in prosperity as Margaret Thatcher did for England, and this goal has be very important in shaping my educational decisions to this point. When I was eleven, I visited my sister’s high school in Colorado. During this, my first time visiting an American school, I was impressed at the variety of students and how they appreciated the differences in each other. To me, the school seemed filled with opportunities to learn about other cultures and make friends with people from diverse backgrounds. I thought the experience I would gain in working with diverse groups of people in a school like this would be very important to my future as a politician because we live in such an international society with every nation and its people interacting with one another. I felt that the leader of the future would need to have an international mind and a sense of diversity in order to understand the world better, so I decided to attend high school in the U. S. I now attend a small private Catholic high school where am the only Korean student. Being the first Korean student in the history of the school has been an exciting for me. The students and faculty have shown great interest in Korean history and culture, and I have made sure to take advantage of their curiosity and shared information about my country and myself. On Korean national holidays such as New Year’s Day and Full Moon Festival, I often share traditional Korean food and decorations with my friends and teachers. I have also volunteered to prepare presentations about Korea and Asia for my history classes. I always remind myself that I am very fortunate to be able to be the representative of Korea in this community, and in turn I try to learn as much about American culture as I possibly can. I think that these experiences of cultural exchange are the start of my future as a representative for Korea. Now it is time for me to take the next step toward my dream. I imagine myself learning about political science, international relations, or economics in college, and look forward to the new insights the lectures and discussions will bring. I am excited to share my culture with a larger community and one that includes many other international students. I also look forward to continuing to learn about the U. S. At XXX University, I would not only study hard, but I would also join clubs that would help me develop social and political skills that will be necessary for me to succeed in my future as a politician. I believe that XXX University would provide me a great opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience that will enable me to realize my dream and become a strong leader for Korea.

Sustainable Tourism: Cancun And Mexico

Sustainable Tourism: Cancun And Mexico Sustainable tourism is now recognized when tourism is well planned, developed and managed in a controlled, integrated and sustainable manner. With this approach, tourism can generate substantial economic benefits to an area/region, without creating any serious environmental or social problems. Tourisms resources will be conserved for continuous use in the future. Therefore this report covers the issues, approaches, techniques and principles for tourism planning at the national and regional level of planning and management of tourism at the national level because Cancun development both involved the national and regional planning. Cancun is one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico. From being a fishing village 30 years ago, today it a well visited resort. Cancun is located at Yucatan peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Cancun is connected by bridges to the mainland and has a 20km Hotel Zone which is about 200m wide with shores on the Caribbean Sea, and also enclose is large lagoon. There are over 150 hotels and resorts in Cancun with more than 24,000 rooms and 380 restaurants and most of it all welcome families. Four million visitors arrive each year in an average of 190 flights daily.[citation needed] The Hotel Zone of Cancun is shaped like a 7 with bridges on each end connecting to the mainland Beside Cancun, is the Mayan Riviera and check out Playa del Carmen, Xcaret and Xel-Ha. The ancient Mayan ports which is now been converted into modern-day paradises. Also nearby is Tulum, a fascinating archaeological zone by the sea. It was the only walled city built by the Mayans. Source: http://www.visitmexico.com/cancun The Development Plan and Policy Mexico national tourism plan was to expand the international tourism industry which by 1960 the government approved the project to promote the international tourism industry to the less unknown region and local rural areas. The Mexican government choose 5 new resorts for development because the main tourist attraction then was just the natural environment and main historic sites. This bought about the creation of Cancun which was part of Mexicos long-term national development strategy Cancun actually plan was first developed in the 1967 by the government under the Mexico National Tourism Plan but development did not start until 1970 when FONATUR, the Mexican Federal Governments agency in charge of fomenting national came in place The initial Tourism policy was articulated around the interrelated sets of objectives Open up a road from Puerto Juarez to the island, Design a Master Development Plan and Build a provisional air strip The Master Plan came about three items To build tourism zone where there will be no residential area surrounding it, like a tourism passage with hotels, shopping centres and golf courses installed To build a residential zone for the permanent residents Building an international airport atone side on the mainland south of the island The tourism zone plan development which was divided into three phases. The first comprised the area from Bahia de Mujeres to Punta Cancun and the coast up to the inner limit of Bojorquez Lagoon; the second phase ran from Bojorquez Lagoon to Punta Nizuc, and the third from Punta Nizuc south, to the limits of the territorial reserve. There are four distinct phases in Cancuns development, characterized by times of growth and crisis: From 1969 to 1975; From 1976 to 1983; From 1984 to 1989; From 1990 to 2007 At some time during these periods of growth, seemingly insurmountable problems darkened expectations for the area- a lack of regular flights, the 1982 devaluation, natural disasters, the collapse of North American tourism due to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and, more recently the hurricane Wilma back in October 2005. Nevertheless, the city has demonstrated its ability to bounce back on each occasion. By 1976, Cancun was firmly established as a tourism destination: 18,000 inhabitants, stable migratory patterns, more than 5,000 jobs, 1,500 hotel rooms and 100,000 visitors in the winter 76-77 season. The sudden spurt of growth prior to 1982 caused an ecological imbalance in the lagoon system, requiring corrective measures. From 1983 to 1988, Cancun registered explosive growth with more than 12,000 hotel rooms and another 11,000 projected or under construction and more than 200,000 inhabitants. From 1989 to date, Cancun has been the nations most dynamic city. It contributes a large percentage of Mexicos tourism-related revenue and accounts for much of Quintana Roo gross domestic product. There are currently more than 500,000 inhabitants in the urban area. Cancun has become the countrys largest tourism resort and is the most prosperous city in the Yucatà ¡n Peninsula. It is also the Caribbeans premier destination, surpassing even the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Strategic for Managing resorts Tourism as extensively damage the lagoon, the sand dunes as to the extinction of species of animal and fish and also the rain forest which surround s the island as been destroyed. Until recently after 20 year the Mexico government decided to limit project along the coast to prevent further damage to the island. Environmental problem: Deforestation. This is caused by the over construction of hotels, restaurant and other tourism catering facilities and it also causes wildlife destruction and further environmental damages Impact and effect: medium and regulation Type of measure: regulatory standard. No regulatory body or law for controlling tourism development To achieve the management and control of Cancun some sustainable indicator have to be consider Carrying Capacity Cancuns carrying capacity has been exceeded to a point where the benefits of tourism are beginning to significantly diminish. Therefore the government established a carry capacity standard. The carrying capacity of Cancun can be defined as the threshold of tourist activity beyond which facilities are saturated (physical capacity), the environment is degraded (environmental capacity), or visitor enjoyment is diminished (perceptual or psychological capacity). Among these three capacities the latter two are the most relevant to Cancuns current situation. Regulatory improvement In Cancun, the government of Mexico established local and regional zoning laws that restrict development and bans development in conservation zones of the Cancun-Tulum corridor, locate in the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo Land use Formally, development is guided by a master plan affecting land use and building patterns. The plan limits the number of floors of hotels, guarantees public access to beaches, and preserves the five mile zone separating the tourist zone from the City of Cancun in the mainland Actions Taken for Competitiveness Product development action: how to make attractions better Market development Re-launch of Cancun Quality assessment Managing and Co-ordinating actions The Competitiveness Program of Cancun as been considers into 5 important components: Product Development: Physical Recovery of the Tourism Product is based on rescue and rehabilitation projects, such as the rescue of beaches, ecological rescue and lagoon maintenance, restoring and the rehabilitation of the central zone of Cancun city, reforestation and signage, remodelling of the Convention Centre, and other important modernization and rehabilitation programs Re-Launch of Cancun: Have as its purpose a qualitative transformation of the citys image and the adding of new values. In this section, projects are being developed, such as Puerto Cancun as a large international yachting attraction, a multimodal transport terminal in order to define a new policy in municipal public transport, a sub-aquatic museum and artificial reefs, a project to construct a race car dome, and enlarging the Cancun airport. Quality Assessment: Raise Service and Quality Levels: through the recognition of the workforces efforts, collaboration among different tourism business sectors and the facilitation and systematic improvement surveillance of visitor experience. This includes specific actions such as the Mexican Caribbean Quality Tourism Norms, tourist safety, facilitation of immigration and customs systems in the airport, utilizing protected areas, and a centre of business linkage. Market Development: New Marketing for Cancun will attend to the problems of Cancuns image, and includes actions such as new promotional and marketing campaigns, which revalue the destinations attractiveness, as well as the development of new tourist products, principally other than the sun and sea niche. Managing and Co-ordinating actions: Long-Term Planning for the State of Quintana Roo in the Year 2025: considers that in the next few decades, tourism as economic development will consolidate around the tail end of the state. Conclusion From 1989 to date, Cancun has been the nations most dynamic city. It contributes a large percentage of Mexicos tourism-related revenue and accounts for much of Quintana Roo gross domestic product. There are currently more than 500,000 inhabitants in the urban area. Cancun has become the countrys largest tourism resort and is the most prosperous city in the Yucatà ¡n Peninsula. It is also the Caribbeans premier destination, surpassing even the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Mexicos National Trust Fund for Tourism Development

Forrest Gump Essay -- Movie Film Forrest Gump Essays

Forrest Gump â€Å"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.† Forrest Gump is the portrayal of a man that has been alienated from society, not because he is unintelligent or dimwitted, but rather because he is not restricted by the conventional ideals which are embedded within his culture; thus, Forrest challenges the conformities and principals that most people are accustomed to. The contrast that Robert Zemeckis, director of the film, is attempting to convey through the character of Forrest Gump is how most people are too smart for there own good; and thus, try to escape the realities and actualities of life. While other characters in the story are suppressed by society’s conflicts, Forrest remains blinded to all; hence, he is able to live in the moment, rather than evading what is real. Forrest’s unique selflessness and compelled nature to do what is right, as opposed to what is easy, are what our society incorrectly labels stupidity o r futility. Zemeckis is obviously pointing out that an individual has no control over his or her own destiny and in order to live a noble life, must accept life as it is. I think it is very appropriate that Zemeckis begins his movie with the scene in which he does. Approaching Forrest’s worn out and dirty shoes with a fluid camera shot of a feather floating on the breeze foregrounds the entire movie. It is an obvious symbol for Forrrest and the way he just casually makes his way through the worst of times without being harmed. The feather is many years old and has been through so much, yet it still remains clean and pure; exactly like Gump. Moreover, the coloring of the feather is very significant. It is white with black marks, giving off a inkling that there might be a union of bad experiences with innocence. Zemeckis challenges the viewer to examine why Gump is able to remain so pure, and at the same time surpassing the restrictions of society and its controversies. Gump is able, throughout his entire life to remain as we all are as children. To Gump, it doesn’t make sense to break a promise, or give only ninety percent. Such an irony is carried throughout the entire film. Gump, thought by most to be incapable of succeeding, does great things, and moreover; he helps those who would, in our society, be thought more likely to be helping him. The viewers, through Gump’s misunderstandings of l... ...nt feather continues to float and so will that lost innocence. Even though Forrest Gump appears as such a simpleton, he is very complex. He had a way of looking at people, incidents, history, animals, and nature in ways that no one had ever quite seen the world before. The movie is so influential because Forrest is a little of everyone, or at least a little of what everyone wishes they can be. What I took away from this movie, as does most of the audience, is that life is a mystery that, until revealed in its entirety, doesn’t make much sense. However, it is not something to be scared from or run from, but rather something to be interested in and to be accepted. The audience accepts Gump as a character, but more importantly, they accept his way of life, just like Lieutenant Dan and Jenny did. Robert Zemeckis is well known for his concoctions of pop culture references, period nostalgia, comedy, and romance that captured the hearts of the film going public. He, in ways that not many others can do, is able to convey his ideas about life in a humorous manner that lets the audience accept it. That is why the movie was so successful and why it was the recipient of such high awards.

Social Class in A & P by John Updike :: essays research papers

In the story, â€Å"A&P† by John Updike, the student identifies the differences of social classes between Sammy, a checkout clerk and Queenie, a wealthy girl that visit’s the store. Though not from the same class structure, Sammy is compelled to interact with the girl, however fails in doing so because she is considered privileged. As the student begins his essay, he points out that Sammy is part of the lower class structure. He is an â€Å"eighteen-year-old boy who is working as a checkout clerk in an A&P in a small New England town five miles from the beach† (2191). While working an afternoon shift on Thursday, he notices â€Å"these girls in nothing but bathing suits† (2191) enter the store. It is in this scene that the student begins to identify the differences between the group of girls and Sammy. As the student develops his essay, Sammy begins to compare the girls to other customers in the store. From â€Å"houseslaves in pin curlers† to â€Å"an old party in baggy gray pants† (2192 ), Sammy negatively characterizes customers in contrast to the leader of the girls, Queenie. To Sammy, the girl is someone that is not from their town. She is everything that every girl envies and wants to be. In contrast to Sammy, she will spend her summer vacationing while he spends it working. It is clear to Sammy that their worlds are different, however it is also obvious that he would like to explore hers. The story unfolds when, â€Å"Lengel, the store’s manager† (2191) confronts the girls because they are dressed inappropriately. To Sammy, it is a moment of embarrassment and in defiance he quits his job. The student suggests that in quitting, â€Å"Sammy challenges social inequality and is a person who is trying to

Dulce et Decorum Est Essay -- English Literature

Dulcet et Decorum Est, is probably the most famous anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen. "Dulcet et Decorum Est," is probably the most famous anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen. It has a harsh meaning and persuasive argument. The anti-war theme and serious tone are effective at portraying war as horrid and devastating. I felt overpowered by blood, guts and death. Although my reaction hasn't changed much through numerous readings, my emotional feelings become more intense with each reading. This poem makes me feel as if I am right there watching the soldier who cannot fasten his mask fast enough and suffers the full effects of deadly gas. 'but someone still is yelling out and stumbling'. This poem also makes me look beyond the death and question the pain inflicted on the mothers who kissed their sons goodbye as they went to defend their country. I imagine the mother receiving word her son has died and being told how noble and patriotic his death was. In his last moments, the soldier and his family become victims of "The old lie". I can clearly understand what the author is sayi...

Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks

Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks both have their own unique flavors of coffee. â€Å"More than 100 million people in the U. S. alone drink coffee every day. † (Information taken from The National Coffee Drinking Trends Study, 2004 ) Each of these people do have a preference to which chain of coffee makers they chose. It can almost be broken up into a red state blue state debate. These two are divided in coffee bean choice, style and even price. They both define our culture in a unique fashion. It all began with the simple invention of the donut.â€Å"Captain Hanson Crockett Gregory was the inventor of the donut with a hole in the middle. William Rosenberg, the food-franchising pioneer founded the Dunkin' Donuts chain. Rosenberg opened his first coffee and doughnut shop, called the Open Kettle, in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. The name was changed to Dunkin' Donuts in 1950. According to â€Å"Donuts and the Salvation Army† – While The Army may not have invented the f irst donut, it can certainly take credit for [helping] the popularity of donuts today. June 4-5 marks the 61st anniversary of Salvation Army ‘Donut Day† In Chicago.The tag day was established in 1938 to honor the work of World War I Salvation Army †¢'lassies' who prepared donuts for thousands of soldiers in World War I. † www. http://inventors. about. com/library/inventors/bldonut. htm The donut made way for a company based on the donut and of course their coffee. The first company to be started based on their coffee was Dunkin Donuts. â€Å"It all started in 1946 when Mr. William Rosenberg founded Industrial Luncheon Services, a company that delivered meals and coffee break snacks to customers in the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts.The success of Industrial Luncheon Services led Rosenberg to open his first coffee and donut shop, the â€Å"Open Kettle†. Then, in 1950, Rosenberg opened the first store known as Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts. † (www. dunkindonuts. com) Massachusetts started it all. The branch grew from their little by little. Starbucks later opened their doors with their own unique take of Dunkin Donuts. â€Å"The story began in 1971 when the first Starbucks opened at Pike Place Market, which is Seattle's and the Nation's oldest Farmer's Market (opened August 17, 1907).But at this time the company was a local coffee roasting facility. That remained their core business until 1982 when Howard Schulz joined the company. He was the new marketing executive and began right away to convince more and more local cafes, upscale restaurants, and hotels to buy Starbucks coffee. The turning point for the company and the begin of writing coffee history should be one year later when Schulz traveled through Italy. He got inspired by the old Italian coffee bar tradition to serve fresh brewed Espressi and Cappuccini.He convinced the Starbucks founders to give his idea a chance and in 1985 he opened the first coffe e bar in Seattle and gave it the Italian touch by naming it ‘Il Giornale'.† (Credit: Starbucks Corporation; magazineUSA. com) Just like Dunkin Donuts the demand for more Starbucks arose. Dunkin Donuts known for its simplicity and unique colored orange and red cups. Starbucks however is known for many different qualities. â€Å"Without even paying for the publicity, the name Starbucks had become synonymous with fine coffee, hip hangouts, and upscale image.(Pendergrast 368) But the uniqueness of flavors is one of the most important things, when it comes down to who will by who. Dunkin Donuts just recently trying to keep up with Starbucks launched a new line of flavored drinks. â€Å"The fresh new flavors include Blueberry, Coconut, Raspberry, Marshmallow, Caramel, Toasted Almond and Cinnamon. Iced coffee enthusiasts will be given the opportunity to sample Dunkin' Donuts latest flavors in participating stores, and also when the Ice Lounge sampling van tour stops by severa l cities and towns in America. †(www. dunkindonuts.com)These flavors can be added or combined with various items such as Original Blend Coffee, Dunkin' Decaf, Iced Coffee , Iced Lattes, Hot Cappuccinos and Lattes, Hot Chocolate, and their Coolattas. This adds a lot of different variety to these drinks. Making everyone feel like an individual, having their own individual flavor and drink. Coolattas have become a growing trend among people as well. More and more people are trying iced coffee as a quick afternoon pick-me-up. According to the National Coffee Association, more than 41 million Americans switch to iced coffee during the spring and summer months.And millions of these iced coffee lovers turn to Dunkin' Donuts because they recognize the quality of their iced coffee stands apart from the competition, made with the same high quality Arabica beans used to make hot coffee. Although these are becoming a fast hit the most popular flavors sold at Dunkin Donuts are Original Ble nd, Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Cafe Blend and their Dunkin Decaf. Discovering your favorite Starbucks coffee begins with an understanding of where they are grown. They have a special roasted blend of coffee from a different section of the world.Examples, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The other uniqueness of Starbucks is that they take their unique flavors and sell them outside their stores. They sell iced drinks to ice cream in their flavors. They also have a unique blend and selection in their teas. Something Dunkin Donuts has not take advantage of. â€Å"Hot Teas (Filterbags and Full Leaf) Whether you are looking to soothe your psyche or revive your spirit, Tazo has a black, green or herbal tea to suit you. Bottled Iced and Juiced Teas These crisp and refreshing bottled beverages are a delightful departure from traditional teas.Artfully blended and freshly-brewed in the Tazo tradition, these bottled beverages are so invigorating, anytime becomes a good time for tea. Tea Lattes Tazo Tea Lattes expand the notion of what tea can be. Drawing from cultures, these exotic, full-flavored teas are lightly sweetened and served with other milk, and are delicious hot or cold. † (www. star bucks. com) Also Starbucks has its own special brand of liquor, which comes in coffee and in cream. Though both make coffee, they receive their beans from uniquely different places.â€Å"Dunkin' Donuts uses 100-percent Arabica coffee beans and has its own coffee specifications, which are recognized by the industry as a superior grade of coffee. Based on Dunkin' Donuts Quality (DDQ) specifications, coffee is milled and processed specifically for the company. † (www. dunkindonuts. com) In a slightly different area and less known about is Starbucks. â€Å"Because coffee grows in many different environments around the world, there is no one best way to grow coffee. But there is general agreement that utilizing shade trees for growing coffee can help sustain a healthier eco system and promote biodiversity.Starbucks on-going support for farmers who produce Shade Grown Mexico is a great example of helping farmers while preserving our natural environment. † (www. Starbuck. com) Starbucks always known for its environmental friendly attitude has made the growing of coffee beans into a cause. Besides the difference of beans, the number of stores and locations are also unique. Dunkin Donuts attaching itself to Baskin-Robbins and Togo, uses the different companies as an advantage to set up shop in various places.â€Å"Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Brands Inc. is part of U. K. -based Allied Domecq PLC and is responsible for the worldwide development and marketing of quick service restaurant brands including Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo's. With the combined retail units of these three brands, Dunkin' Brands is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies, represented by more than 12,000 worldwide points of distributio n, including approximately 7,600 units in the United States and 4,400 units in 46 countries around the world. † (www. Dunkindonuts. com) Starbucks also has an impressive amount of stores open also.â€Å"Starbucks operates and licenses more than 8,500 coffee shops in more than 30 countries. The shops offer coffee drinks and food items, as well as beans, coffee accessories, teas, and CDs. Starbucks operates more than 5,200 of its shops in five countries (mostly in the US), while licensees operate more than 2,800 units (primarily in shopping centers and airports). The company also owns and franchises the Seattle's Best Coffee and Torrefazione Italia chains in the US (more than 100 shops). In addition, Starbucks markets its coffee through grocery stores and licenses its brand for other food and beverage products.†http://www. hoovers. com/starbucks-corporation/–ID__15745–/free-co-factsheet. xhtml Both impressive in numbers. Dunkin donuts and Starbucks each make sure that they have stores everyone for the customers satisfaction. Their customers are their number one priority beside of course their profits. Each store gathers in large amounts of money for their business. Both have amazingly strong stocks and profits for being a coffee shop. Business Magazine says that Dunkin Donuts is the â€Å"largest coffee and donut shop chin in the world† (www. business.com) The brand itself has made a huge profit. â€Å"Dunkin’ Donuts delivered an 11% growth in global system-wide sales driven by a 5. 2% increase in US same store sales and a 7% increase in global distribution points. The strong growth in same store sales growth which continues to outpace the overall QSR industry has been driven by product innovation and effective marketing. The innovation program has successfully launched a new range of coffee offerings, which include latte, cappuccino and espresso products, in 1,800 stores in the New England and Mid Atlantic areas.The lau nch has been supported by the introduction of new high speed coffee machines which maintain Dunkin’ Donuts reputation for speed, quality and value for money. In addition, a new limited time offer hot apple pie product has been very well received and helped to extend Dunkin’ Donuts sales into the traditionally quieter afternoon period. Marketing campaigns have focused around the new coffee offerings and highly successful regional program with Curt Schilling, the Boston Red Sox All-Star baseball player.. (King) Just as well the Starbucks company has made a name of itself and benefits of its brand name also.â€Å"As anyone who bought stock in Starbucks in the last decade knows, business has been good. Starbucks’ share price has risen almost tenfold in 10 years, and the company has steadily raised retail prices while wholesale prices fell. Fair trade coffee was initially plagued by complaints about bad quality, yet producers have made great strides in improving the quality of the brew and it has found a comfortable niche in the specialty coffee market, alongside organic coffee and other similar labels, such as â€Å"sustainable coffee.†After years of public pressure from activists who singled it out because of its high visibility and yuppie clientele, Starbucks now sells fair trade coffee in all its stores and has given it prominent play in university markets. Rice, whose organization gets paid 10 cents a pound by Starbucks to certify its fair trade coffee, thinks it’s time that activists turn their pressure elsewhere. But when it comes down to it statistically and other wise Dunkin Donuts wins. â€Å"For years, the product lines of the major U. S. brewed coffee sellers have been well defined. On the high end there is Starbucks Corp., with 5,439 locations in the U. S. During the past decade, the chain has made its expensive cappuccinos, frappuccinos, espressos and lattes part of the regular lexicon. On the other end, there is D unkin' Donuts, which has 4,100 stores. Although concentrated in the Northeast, Dunkin' Donuts is the nation's largest seller of regular, nonflavored brewed coffee through fast-food outlets, with a 17% market share, compared with 15% for McDonald's Corp. and 6% for Starbucks, according to market-research organization NPD Group. † (Ball) Statistically Starbucks looks like it is much behind Dunkin Donuts.This maybe why it has become more abundant and more commercial over the years. Cost could be the big factor why Dunkin Donuts is the number one coffee brewery in the country. â€Å"On average, the new Dunkin' Donut drinks cost at least 20% less than Starbucks's offerings — and an espresso shot is just 99 cents, compared with $1. 45 at Starbucks. â€Å" (Ball) Dunkin Donuts keeps its prices low and offers a high quality product. It gives the people what they want at a price everyone can afford. But the uniqueness of flavor and the uniqueness of product is a huge factor. T he conclusion is the flavor you are craving is the on you are going to chose.Questions1. Does quality or cost matter more to you?2. Regular coffee or a fancy drink like a cappuccino or espresso?3. Which company do you prefer?BibliographyBellis, Mary, Inventor of the Donut, http://inventors. about. com/library/inventors/bldonut. htm, 2005.Business. com,Restaurants & Foodservice > Dunkin' Donuts, Inc http://www. business. com/, 2001-2005.Dunkin' Donuts Incorporated, https://www. dunkindonuts. com/aboutus/ , 2005.Jeffrey, Paul, Depressed Coffee Prices Yield Suffering in Poor Countries, http://www. globalpolicy. org/globaliz/econ/2003/0207coff. htm, February 7, 2003.Magazine USA, Starbucks History, http://www. magazineusa. com/us/info/show. aspx? unit=originals&doc=33, 2000 – 2005.Murray, Barbara, Starbucks Corporation, http://www. hoovers. com/starbucks-corporation/–ID__15745–/free-co- factsheet. xhtml , 2005.Pendergrast, Mark, UNCOMMON GROUNDS The History of Coffe e and How It Transformed Our World, Perseus Books Group, 1999.Starbucks Coffee Company, http://www. starbucks. co. jp/en/company_history. htm, 2003 Starbucks Corporation Company Profile, http://biz. yahoo. com/ic/15/15745. html, 2005.Starbucks European History, www. starbucksjapan. com/history, 2003.

Are Some Ways of Knowing More Likely Than Others to Lead to Truth? Essay

Most people believe that money makes the world go round. But scholars believe otherwise. It is the knowledge of how to acquire wealth and of how to make the most of it is really the decisive factor. Humans couldn’t have mastered this world with all its richness in resources and mysteries without ample knowledge of how to do so. It is the gift of knowledge that has set humans apart from any other living species. So it is just proper that scholars delve into studying the concept of knowledge for us to understand it better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be more specific, this school of thought is called the â€Å"Theory of Knowledge.† Theory of knowledge is also known as Epistemology. What is so special about Theory OF Knowledge is that it is widely considered as the most important sub-field of philosophy. The Theory of knowledge had made significant advancements since it was first formally studied.   But even though it has already presented many different ways to obtain the â€Å"truth†, many still ask: Are some ways of knowing more likely to be successful to lead to the â€Å"truth† than other methods (Ways of Knowing).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scholars have dedicated their studies for the further advancement of the Theory of Knowledge. They have gone through countless debates and research for the advancement of the field. This is because of the demand for better understanding is ever-increasing as humanity progresses. The truth is what everyone wants.   What makes things difficult for scholars studying the Theory of Knowledge is that many philosophers also argue that the â€Å"truth† cannot be contained, it cannot be resolved, it is unattainable. However, the Theory of Knowledge counters the argument by presenting to us five ways of knowing that could assist us in obtaining the truth. The five ways of knowing are logic, revelation, language, sense, and emotion. Let us give further details about the five ways of knowing and see if one can be the best way of getting to the truth (Butchvarov 1970). Sense   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For psychologists, sense or perception pertains to the processes that involve the acquisition, organization, interpretation, and selection of information acquired through the bodily senses.   These conventional senses that we are familiar with are namely sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Sensory information is basically acquired through sensory organs that can be found in the human anatomy. We can be easily familiarized with this particular way of knowing because we put it into use on a daily basis. We use our eyes to view colors, we can tell the difference in taste between an ice cream and fish, we use our hands to feel rough and smooth surfaces, we use our ears to listen to music. These are practical things we do everyday that we put into use to â€Å"know†, to obtain truth (Gibson 1966).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beyond the five senses that we are familiar with, there are also addition to the classical senses like temperature, balance, pain, and other recently studied sense that would be too technical to discuss in this paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a French phenomological philosopher, argues that sense is the foundation of all knowledge and sciences. Even though sense itself cannot give meaning to the objects it â€Å"senses† in this world, the person is able to give meaning from his or her own consciousness. The use of the senses requires constant use for it to give meaning to the objects in this world. As we put into practice our senses, we develop what is called â€Å"mental models.† As the word suggests, as sensory information is sent to our brain, we develop models that we can use as reference if ever the senses encounter the object again. It is like making imprints in our brain about the things around us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the use of sense as an approach to obtaining truth, humans can obtain the truth, or at least have an idea, by using the brain’s capabilities. In simpler terms, with the use of senses, humans make the full use of what they intrinsically have, our very own bodies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only drawback I can offer about using senses to obtain truth is that we can’t always gain access to the objects involved in our queries. For example, if we hear a radio advertisement about ice cream stating that it is sweet, we can’t validate the claim since we are only using hearing, we don’t actually taste the real thing. Logic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we go into the etymology of the word â€Å"logic†, we could unearth meanings like reasoning, argument, idea, principle, and thought. It is primarily concerned with the validity of inferences. It is considered a branch of philosophy. Immanuel Kant argued that logic should be a science devoted to studying judgments (Russel 1917).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Logic, like senses, also makes use of the capabilities of the human brain. If we use this as an approach to obtain truth, logic assesses all possible arguments, eliminates all improbable answers to come up with the most convincing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Logic can be a very efficient way to obtain truth. Actually, it is as used as senses, also in a daily basis.   But oftentimes we come across things that our minds can’t comprehend. This is because logic, like sense, makes use of what we already know. So if we use logic in questions about the existence of ghosts, we hastily jump to conclusion that they don’t exist because it defies logic. The problem here is that there are people who believe in the existence of ghosts. So the existence of two different â€Å"truths† makes either feeble. Language   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Language is basically our means of communication. It particularly refers to the use of various forms of communication and the set conventional rules that governs its usage (Crystal 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personally I wouldn’t use language to derive truth. Humans have developed the use of language far more than any specie could have. Humans have become so adept in using language that we can easily manipulate it. If language is used in combination with logic and reasoning, humans can make â€Å"truths† come out of nowhere. Moreover, there is the concept of â€Å"lying† that can lead us farther from the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, if there is a trial in court. The lawyers from the two opposing parties have different interest. They defend their arguments with adept use language. The problem may arise if the innocent party, shall I say was outspoken by the opposing party. Then the judge was impressed by the adept use of language even though the opposing party was just presenting lies all the time, just speaking them in a very eloquent manner. Thus the verdict will just be decided by how words were used. The verdict will be considered the truth however it is far from the real thing. Emotion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are so many definitions for the word emotion. Actually, there is no universally agreed term for the word emotion. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, it is a complex reaction pattern that a person uses to approach a significant and personal matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps feelings would make the subject of emotions much simpler. Feelings are the experiences that come with emotions. Feelings are very useful tools for obtaining truth. Humans have this unexplainable ability to know things just be using their feelings. There are such ambiguous concepts such as gut-feel and motherly instincts (Cornelius 1996). But the problem with using feelings to obtain truth is that emotions and feelings are very prone to be biased. Also since emotions are complex in nature, it will also provide us complex results. I believe that the truth should be unbiased before it is presented or accepted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, I will use the courtroom scenario again, the truth is that the defendant really did the violation he is accused of. He then delivered a very empathic speech that convinced the jury. The decision of the jury had a great impact on the final verdict. Once again, it failed to obtain truth as the jury felt that the defendant was innocent. After all, a feeling is only a feeling and certainly not necessarily the truth. Revelation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And last but definitely not the least, we have revelation as a way of knowing. Revelation, as the word suggests, is about a disclosure that has been provided by a divine being. What has been disclosed is something initially unknown and implausible for humans to uncover. We can also call this divine intervention. The realizations and messages disclosed during revelations transcend the known boundaries of human comprehension. We are familiar with revelations as it happened to the most famous prophets that later on became the proponents of the world’s most popular religions. Most of the instance that the revelations happen to the prophets is when they are in a meditating or in a trance state. Some accounts of revelations happen in dreams. But revelations are not exclusive to great prophets. Actually there are much many accounts of revelation to normal people (Franz 1975).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the best example of the use of revelations is on the holy books of the world’s most popular religions. These holy books are distributed around the globe in countless copies. The religions devout followers live their lives according to the words of these scriptures. It is because these people believe these words to be the truth. That these words are the very words of God himself. Many may challenge the level of truthfulness of these holy scriptures. But if they take in consideration what we’ve learned in theory of knowledge, we will discover we shouldn’t challenge the validity of these scriptures. We are talking about faith here, faith is something that can’t be easily shattered within a person. When we say that a certain belief is someone’s faith, that automatically counts as that someone’s truth. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sense and logic could have been the best ways to knowing the truth. However they both fell short as both of them have certain limitations. Both of these ways of knowing is relying much to the capabilities of the brain, which we know as of now is very limited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Language and emotions are too complex to put into use of obtaining the truth. And the problem was both of them often leads to a biased truth, which we can’t categorize as a genuine truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the best ay of knowing the truth, I preferred it through revelation. The other ways of knowing the truth made me realize how hard it is to obtain truth. Also, the word faith comes with the rod revelation. I believe we should be faithful to what is true. I’m aware that it is still difficult to prove revelations through physical evidence. But we don’t need any of that evidence if we get our goal, the truth. Maybe the truth is really far from the reaches of our comprehension. Maybe if we explore more the possibilities of revelations may it be through religious meditations or simple dreaming. Works Cited Butchvarov. The Concept of Knowledge. Evanston, Northwestern University Press. 1970 Cornelius, R. The science of emotion. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1996 Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 2001 Gibson, James J. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Boston. 1966 Raymond Franz. The Appropriate Time for God to Act. Crisis of Conscience,.1975. pp. 237–253 Russell, Bertrand. Mysticism and Logic. London. Allen and Unwin. 1917 Ways of Knowing. Problems of Knowing and Linking Questions. 7 January 2008