(Criminal justice) Your Ethical System Assignment

(Criminal justice) Your Ethical System - Assignment Example It is considered morally right when people make choices that conform to what is expected, which in turn leads to the correct consequences. On the other hand, when they make the wrong choice, the consequences are negative, therefore, they are considered acting in an immorally manner. This essay will examine the teleological moral systems in the society as well as how these moral systems help people to make the right choices. The paper will conclude by indicating how the teleological ethical system influences the society. Teleological ethics is a theory of morality that originates its duties or moral obligation from what is deemed in the society as desirable or good as an end to be achieved. The teleological ethical system judges the penalties of the act rather than the act itself. In that, if the action results in what can be considered, as a good consequence, then it must be good as the results justify the reason the act was committed (Pollock, 2012). There are various teleological ethical systems in these theory and they include ethics of virtue, utilitarianism and ethics of care. Consequentialism refers to the impression that the moral value of an action is resolute by the magnitude of its action. The precise consequences are those that are beneficial to humanity as they promote happiness, human satisfaction, human pleasure, and welfare to all humans. The consequences of doing something that is morally right are intrinsically valuable and good; hence, the actions that point to those consequences are ethical while those actions that lead away from happiness are immoral. For example, in the society we live in there are laws that have been imposed to ensure that people act in ways that ensure that they do not infringe on the happiness of other people. Therefore, different teleological moral systems are diverge not only on the exact consequences are, but on how different people poise the numerous possible consequences. In that, few choices are

Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

Industrial Revolution Essay The business environment has transformed drastically since the advent of new technology and Industrial Revolution became a period of radical change from manual work to automated technology and advancement, which kept making life simpler with time. Some of the greatest organizational and socioeconomic revolutions in history occurred as a consequence of innovations in communications technology and media. The contraption of the printing press, for instance, in the mid-fifteenth century by the German typographer Johann Gutenberg initiated the knowledge revolutions in science and technology, commerce, engineering, law, and politics. Ultimately, the print medium gave rise to the market economy based on paper and given to the industrial revolution. The development of electricity in the nineteenth century instigated a series of other revolutions that transformed industrial society in reflective ways. It led to an extensive range of electrical and electromechanical inventions, including the light bulb, the dynamo, the electric motor and hundreds of electric machines based on it, as well as the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and television. These diffused all through the economy, influencing the nature and location of production, the structure and operation of business organizations of Europe in 1900, including offices and factories and the marketplace itself. Eventually, they came to comprise the technological underpinnings of the hydroelectric and communications and transportation infrastructures we know today. These, in turn, inclined the evolution of the mass production, mass consumption, and mass communications society of the twentieth century. Business organizations have undertaken extreme restructuring by modifying their means of communication and synchronization of work activities. New technology has made it promise for companies to work on a real-time basis, whereby products and services are conveyed to the right place at the right time. Since then, information technology has propagated and has undergone significant improvements. Costs have sustained to decline as these new technologies have emerged. A business not supported by a network of computer systems (primary information technology) is more or less destined to fail, since it will be incapable to compete efficiently in todays complex and dynamic environment. The invention of the telegraph instigated the first truly electronic communications revolution and gave rise to the age of instantaneous global electronic communications. Besides representing a thriving commercial business itself, the telegraph became the foundation of a number of significant new business ventures. One of these was a printing telegraph invented in 1855 by David Hughes in which messages were typed out at the transmitted and receiving ends. It provided the incentive for P. J. von Reuter in Aachen, Germany, to form his own company in 1849 to transmit commercial intelligence including stock market information across Europe. The telegraph had an unusual impact on business in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By making information obtainable instantly across the markets of the world, it integrated local, national, and international markets, thus obliterating the monopoly power and control that numerous business organizations had over local and regional markets. The telegraph transformed the spatial and temporal organization of economic activity all through the world and came to synchronize the social, economic, and political activities of one and all across space and time. The telegraph provided the crucial and cumulative break of the identity of communications and transportation, wrote James Carey, author of three books and over 100 articles and essays on mass communications and the media. The telegraph became a model of and a mechanism for the control of the physical association of things, specifically for the railroad†¦ [It]†¦ brought a decline in arbitrage, [that is,] the buying cheap and selling dear by moving goods around in space . . . [and it affected] the practical awareness of time through the erection of standard time zones. (Carey 133-137). The development of the telephone precipitated the second electronic communication revolution in the late nineteenth century. Because it was a two-way medium and as it carried voice, the telephone initiated a more publicly and economically considerable communication revolution than the telegraph. The telephone is a wonder of technical and engineering design and operation, and it became the first true worldwide, instant, global, and personal, information, and communications medium. These days, the telephone system interconnects hundreds of millions of people around the world and provides them with the means to communicate instantaneously by voice, written message, computer, and facsimile whether they are at home, in the office, or in a car, a truck, or an airplane. The telephone became one of the most significant social and economic technologies in history by providing a medium for exchanging personal and business information, coordinating social, economic, and political activities, facilitating decision making, and merely keeping in touch. In addition, it does this with little or no human involvement. Developments in radio communications ushered in the age of commercial public broadcasting after the First World War. For nine months commencing on February 23, 1920, Guglielmo Marconi, commonly referred to as the â€Å"Father of Radio†, broadcasted a regular news service from his transmitter at Chelmsford in England. These developments are significant in retrospect because they are not unlike the wave of mergers and acquisition and strategic alliances that leading manufacturers, network operators, suppliers of software, content, and services are implementing today in an all-out effort to create and dominate the electronic superhighways of the future. The postwar period witnessed the spread of telephone networks into the rural and remote regions of industrialized countries and the linking of all of them into a nationalized telecommunications infrastructure. At the same time, this infrastructure was ongoing to undergo transformations as a consequence of major innovations in switching and transmission systems, many of which were developed by the Bell System also known as â€Å"THE telephone company†. One of the biggest technological breakthroughs was the prologue of automatic, electromechanical switching. As it was automatic, it was faster and more efficient than manual switching, and it transformed the telephone business from an extremely labor-intensive to a highly capital-intensive one; one of the consequences was the drastic cut of telephone operators. Electromechanical switching progressively gave way to fully electronic switching in the sixties and seventies, and these ultimately to the computerized switching systems of today with their highly automated, software features that give them the capability to process voice, data, and image communications, route traffic optimally throughout the network, and to monitor, detect, diagnose, and repair problems as they arise. Both local and long-distance communications were further transformed as a result of innovations in multiplexing and microwave radio and coaxial cable transmission systems. Both of these developments increased transmission competence and also improved economics by orders of magnitude that resulted in major reductions in the price of long-distance telephone service as well as stimulating a consequent increase in the demand for service. Multiplexing, invented by Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1927, was a way of modulating higher frequency transmission signals with lower frequency voice signals so that copper, for example, could carry several voice conversations concurrently. This meant a reduction in the use of copper and in the cost of local and long-distance services. The former transatlantic radiotelephone link was installed by ATT between the United States and England in 1929, and radiotelephone links were also recognized between North and South America. In 1933, European engineers began using microwave communications to transmit telephone signals across the English Channel, a distance of a dozen miles. But radiotelephone communications were not very reliable, and the quality of the signal was often poor for very long-distance transatlantic or transoceanic communications. A mass production, mass consumption culture, however, could not have advanced without the development of mass communications. Radio, television, newspapers and magazines, and advertising brought information, news, entertainment, and cultural content to an information-starved society, but all played fundamental roles in creating a mass consumption and mass production society. One of their most significant effects was through advertising. In the book, Communications in History, William Leiss, Stephen Kline, and Sut Jhally wrote, â€Å"The developed phase of the market industrial society is the consumer society†¦ What marketers had realized was that, with the population as a whole having far greater discretionary income, leisure time, and employment security than ever before, work was no longer the focus of everyday life. The sphere of consumption could take its place. By linking consumption through electronic media to popular entertainment and sports, marketers and advertisers eventually fashioned a richly decorated setting for an elaborate play of messages, increasingly in imagistic or iconic form, about the way to happiness and social success† (Leiss, Kline, Jhally 176). To keep their factories operating at maximum capacity and efficiency, in effect, to move the goods cascading off their assembly lines, business had to increase its selling efforts, and this meant tremendous investment and expenditures on advertising. Advertising played a big role in creating a consumer society in the early twentieth century. According to Daniel Pope, an expert on the history of American advertising, marketing, and consumer culture, as early as 1920, the lead in advertising had passed to manufacturers of nationally distributed brand-named goods†¦ it was in the formation of the national consumer market that the advertising industry as we know it these days was born and nurtured (Pope, 1983). Companies are not the only ones who have gained from advances in modern information technology. Consumers and interest groups have created strategic alliances and now capable to coordinate their activities as well as exchange ideas and thoughts through a number of database and network systems. For instance, owners of personal computers can subscribe to a computer network and, without difficulty, retrieve information concerning the products and corporations online. Such information can also be transmitted to other users without problems. This huge use of technology by both consumers and companies affects the way business is run today. These consumer strategic alliances know no geographical limitations; oftentimes, they are global in nature, particularly among the industrialized nations. As companies can get in enormous profits from the better coordination, greater product elasticity, improved quality, leaner production, and more time-based competitiveness that information technology offers, they also facades the threat that can come from these consumers strategic alliances. For instance, corporations can no longer ignore consumer demands for constant product quality, reliability and respect for the environment, or timely delivery of services. As we move towards an increase in advanced technologies, the labor force must be retrained. This training must not only expose workers to the technical matters adjoining the new process, but also to the new focus of the organization. They have to be made responsive of the importance of advanced technology in improving work methods and in remaining competitive and therefore employee compulsion to the new process is imperative. Advanced technology by itself adds little or no value to an organization. There should be organizational, as well as employee dedication, to exploit the technology to the maximum level. For instance, with an ever-increasing use of computer-integrated manufacturing systems, and the stream of technical documentation that accompanies it, employees have to be skilled in recognizing the critical information at the right time. Once that information is recognized and properly interpreted, there must be an organizational dedication to use the information to make better decisions. Without this potential, the organization cannot take advantage from new technologies. Human resources’ management, therefore, will persist to be a critical factor in the survival of any organization. We sum up the influence of information technology on human resources as follows: †¢ Information technology transforms the mode of communication and work processes. †¢ Custom or standardized operations are replaced with skilled and multi-skilled workers. An extremely trained labor force is desired to manage information technology. †¢ Worker motivation and satisfaction might improve since workers are no longer restricted to routine operations, enjoy management powers, and can contribute to developments in their work processes. New technology also has an impact on the organization itself, as follows: †¢ Organizational reformation is required. This reformation makes the organization flat. Decision-making powers are decentralized. †¢ Communications are better and the organization is capable to make timely responses to its environment. †¢ Introduction of new products and services is improved and varieties of products can be efficiently introduced and marketed by the organization. †¢ The organization is competent to improve its efficiency, quality, and competitiveness. Todays advanced technology can, conversely, easily become a basic technology. A rapid increase of new technologies also brings rapid obsolescence of earlier technologies. Policies concerning technology must not be static; they must keep evolving. George Stalk Jr, a writer of the Ivey Business Journal (1988) points out that competitive advantage is a persistently moving target†¦The best competitors, the most thriving ones, know how to keep moving and always stay on the cutting edge. A company should be able to evaluate potential new technologies quickly. The goal must be to remain competitive, and effective management of technology is a vital step in achieving this. With an increased focus on customer satisfaction, technology is a decisive means for achieving customer satisfaction. Browning, a writer for the Economist Magazine (1990) notes that a learning organization uses technology incessantly to refresh its knowledge of its customers’ wants and to work out new ways of satisfying them. This commitment to be a learning organization needs vast resources, however. For example, Browning also points out that building a learning organization necessitates new skills, clever people and capable machines. Noticeably, technology and human resources should be used together for the organization to stay competitive. Vincent Barabba and Gerald Zaltman, authors of Hearing the Voice of the Market (1991), note that hearing the accent of the market and making constructive use of it with respect to the voice of the firm is a learning progression. Essentially, the voice of the market has to be interpreted into facts and tasks that will lead to suitable products or services to satisfy customer needs. This is related to the application of quality function deployment, whereby the organization expands its strategic plans to assure customer needs. Thus, a learning organization should also be a caring organization. As a caring organization, its major objective is to please its stock or stakeholders, its customers, and employees, and also to be collectively responsible. The traditional organization, with the focus on satisfying stockholders alone, is varying to this new form, with a sophisticated stakeholder group. Thus, technology and human resources’ management are recognized as key variables that facilitate an organization to improve its productivity, quality, and competitiveness. A critical constituent is the information technology, which offers both opportunities and challenges. The organization should show understanding to its environment via its policies, and be learning and caring organization, as time and reliability influence competitiveness. Finally, organizations should innovate and constantly move to achieve new targets, particularly in view of todays rapidly developing new technologies. This is not to deny that the extent of interaction has increased gradually over time, though the time involved has been centuries somewhat than the last few decades. The diverse industrial revolutions paced this up. Basically, once two societies trade, they become mutually dependent. The stock markets subside in New York in 1929 triggered the Great Depression in all parts of the world because of their momentous economic relationships with the United States. Interactions were closer than they had been previously and they were to become even faster. The complex capitalist economies were tied intimately together in the long run, even if short-term fluctuations were less rapidly passed on (Aiki 83-87). Though, is speed of such enormous important? We have a global stock market today, where the information from a stock market in one part of the world is broadcasted instantly to those in others. Ever since the start of the electronic communication era this has been the case. For example, information in London about the New York Market passed far more gradually before 1939 and even more slowly before 1914. It was slower in spreading around and was far less comprehensive than it is now. Nevertheless, big movements in the stock markets were known and reflected in the stock markets of the world. Short-term and small fluctuations are imitated all through world markets today, much more rapidly than they were in the thirties, but big and long-term fluctuations have always been reflected around the world once markets had become consistent (Collins, Porras. 1991). We can go even a further back and argue that globalization, in the logic of a growth in interconnectedness between members of different states, is itself only a special case of something more universal. In medieval Europe, most people typically did not stray from the area they were born in. They inspired mainly local goods and primarily produced either for themselves or for a very local market (Schlossberg H. 1992). Economies were mainly local. Trade over considerable distances took place on water either by sea or river, which accounts for the inconsistent number of towns and villages that were either by the sea or on rivers. Human beings have had a steady urge to detach themselves from the area as much as the technology of the day permitted. Certainly there have always been big movements, due to populations looking for better circumstances or due to conquerors building new empires. Under the Roman Empire, for example, large parts of Europe were ‘globalizing’ in this sense and the degree of globalization declined with the Empire’s retreat. The medieval Church could be seen as a globalizing force but the degrees of interaction and interdependence were much reduced in the so-called Dark Ages.

Research Paper On The Shinto Religion

Research Paper On The Shinto Religion On every continent of the world, there are groups of people who over centuries have passed on traditions that have been in their families, communities and cultures that define their way of life. The most influential tradition of them all is the religious belief that the group take to heart. One such religion is known as Shinto. The religion is thought to have been introduced between 500 to 2000 BCE on the continent of Asia, and is closely tied to nature, and recognizes the existence of various Kami, nature deities. So we will be looking at the foundations of this religion, how it was formed, and how it is viewed by those who follow its teachings, what is the structure of the religion compared to other religions, and what types of visions the followers seek from the religion. Shinto, as a religion, does not have a defined founder, as the major religions of the world, such as Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. These religions have documented books written specifically for the followers, so that they can read and absorb the message, so that they can fell apart of the religious belief. So where did this religion come from. Historians have studied the origins of Shinto and have come to the conclusion that Shinto, evolved many years ago as an native religion from Japan, and is still being practiced by many Japanese communities today, and it is unique in its attachment to nature, and as such, constitutes the basis of Japanese culture. (John Breen, 2000) Until the relatively recent publication of a series of seminal articles by the historian Kuroda Toshio, the Shinto establishments construction of the Shinto past went unchallenged by specialists writing in Japanese, English and other Western languages. To this day, that construction remains largely unquestioned in non-specialist literature. There is some value, therefore, in a brief rehearsal of both the establishment position and Kurodas incisive critique of it. (John Breen, 2000). According to scholars, Shento is thought to be a religion that has been around for many years. The religion is different from others, because it is not a system of beliefs. In the book Mans Religion by John Noss, he states that It is basically a reverent loyalty to familiar ways of life and familiar placesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is true to say that for the masses in Japan love of country, as in other lands, is a matter of the heart first, and of the doctrinal substance second. (Noss, 1969). The religion is said to not be weighted down with canons of sacred literature, and no explicit code of ethical requirements. The meanings of many of its elaborate rituals are unknown by many who practice them. Historically, individual clans apparently worshiped a particula r deity as their own ancestors. Which included invisible spirits and natural powers, but such worship was localized until the eighth century CE, when the term Shinto came into use to distinguish indigenous Japanese ways from Buddhism and other imported religions. Shinto is different in, its connection to the natural belief, and, is the bases of the Japanese culture. The religions label Shinto was formed from the words shin (divine being, which can be read as kami) and do (way). (Fisher, 2008) Clark B. Offner defines Shinto as the traditional religious practices which originated in Japan and developed mainly among the Japanese people along with the underlying life attitudes and ideology which support such practices. (Offner, 1976) one of the differences of this religion is that it has a free style of belief, and is not so drawn to predispositions as other religions are, they believe the spiritual, kamis are present and take various forms. In Shintakus book; The Way of the Kami, he believes that the belief is in the spiritual world and knowledge that the earth is inhabited by both humans and kami alike. (Shintaku, 2011) In the religion, sin is considered original, but a condition of personal moral development and a connection with the Kamis . According to historians, the oldest recorded usage of Shin-do is in the Nihon-shoki dating to the Emperor Yomei between 552-587, who is said to have believed in the law of Buddhism and revered the way of the kami. The word kami is often translated to god with a small g. This is usually taken as grounds for claiming that the religious culture of the Japanese is polytheistic. The above may be confusing to those who know the Japanese language, because the language has no distinction between singular and plural and although there may be many kami, they all share the same character. Kami thus refers to the essence of many phenomena that the Japanese believed were endowed with an aura of divinity. (Picken, 1994) Shintoism is filled with an inestimable quantity of kami inherited spirits of the people of Japan. Some worshipers have the belief that the deceased become kamis after passing. Shintaku notes in the way of the Kami they live on in the afterlife as special kami. Respect for family has high priority of the people of Japanese culture with roots deep within Shintoism. (Shintaku, 2011) One often told story, is about the sun goddess Amaterasu-o-mi-kami ( glorious goddess who shines in the heavens). The story taken from Shintakus book talks about how the goddess was lured out of hiding by festive sounds, music and dancing. She was hiding because of her disapproval of her siblings actions, and out of the store came symbols that are special to Shinto believers. 1. A mirror (to reflect your true nature and the symbol of Amaterasu -o-mi-Kami). 2. A sword (symbol of power and Susano-o-no-Mikoto) 3. A jewel to represent ones influence over others. (Shintaku, 2011) The place for those who worship the religion of Shinto occurs at any of the many shrines that cover Japan. Even though many people have constructed personal alters around their homes, the main place to worship is at a local shrine. Because Shinto has numerous deities, it is hard to worship all of them. Because of this, many are not worshipped consistently other than the sun goddess. Outside of Tokyo, there is a grand imperial shrine that is dedicated only to Amaterasu. This location is the most sacred in all of Japan for worshipers of Shinto. It is said that this place of worship pre dates Christ. Shinto followers make a pilgrimage to the sacred worship site and pray in the outer court of the facility, one rule when coming to this site to worship, is that non priests and public servants must pray in the outer area because the internal facility is available only to the priests and public servants for worship. The following Shinto prayer faithfully recited during their visit that shows the intertwined spirit and nature that the religion encompasses as presented in Stewarts book the Handbook of Todays Religions; I declare in the great presence of the From-Heaven-shinning-great-deity who sits in Ise. Because the Sovereign great goddess bestows on him the countries of the four quarters over which her glance extends, As far as the limit where Heaven stands up like a wall, As far as the limit where the blue clouds lie away fallen- The blue sea plain as far as the limit whither come the prows of the ships without drying poles or paddles, The ships which continuously crowd on the great sea plain, And the roads which men travel by land, as far as the limit whither come the horses hoofs, with the baggage-cords tied tightly, treading the uneven rocks and tree-roots and standing up continuously in a long path without a break- Making the narrow countries wide and the hilly countries plain, And as it were drawing together the distant countries by throwing many tens of ropes over them, He will pile up the first-fruits like a range of hills in the great presence of the Sovereign great goddess, and will pe acefully enjoy the remainder. (Stewart, 1983) As shown in the prayer, nature and spirit has a very close relationship to the mindset of those who are worshippers. And because the livelihood of the people comes from the natural essence of their surroundings and everything natural, their economy, is an extension of their belief, so it too has a place in the religion as well. As it is said, that the religion is concerned not only with the sacred but also with the secular, all activities necessary for the production of nourishment, clothing and shelter, and the development of culture and giving happiness to the world, has a direct connection with the kami. (Ono, 1962) In order to ask for blessings and enlightenment, worshippers engage in festivals, rites, ceremonies. Some celebrations such as the New Year, a childs birth, puberty, farming, marriages, and ceremonies for new construction are some of the main ones. At the local shrines, regular festivals are held to acknowledge special dates that relates to the worship site and its deities, along with a plethora of blessings ranging from a good harvest, fertility, health, and success of a business. Many shrines use the planetary calendar for traditional ceremonies. Some events on are, the new moon, the first half-moon of the year, the full moon, and the half-moon of the last three months of the year are said to be a sacred period that are known as Hare-no-hi. ke-no-hi are said to refer to the remaining days of a month. Stewarts breaks out the Festivals into three main parts. 1. Kami Mukae, Welcoming the kami. A special welcoming ceremony to invite deities to earth. 2. Shinko The main event, typical ly with the local community parading in the streets or shrines with palanquin, in which the kami are enshrined. 3. Kami Okuni, meaning sending the kami back to their heavenly abodes. Not ending with this ritual, is thought to invite disaster. (Stewart, 1983) Even though the religion of Shinto does not have a formal document to follow, it does have traditions, rituals, temples, and deity(s) as the more known religions. Peace harmony to all life form and nature are the takeaways from this information. The peaceful admiration of nature and all natural things is thought to bring a spiritual feeling of purpose to all, and to give thanks for being apart of what was created by the gods should be worshiped and protected.

Recreation and Power vs. the Environment :: Free Essays Online

Recreation and Power vs. the Environment The emptying of Lake Powell has now been an issue for years. The sierra club strongly supports the draining of the lake for environmental issues. One side of the debate argues for recreation, water and power supplied from the lake. The other argues for the saving of an environment that is now being destroyed by the existence of the lake. Both sides carry strong support, and the debate sees no clear end coming any time soon. Lake Powell was created in the 1950’s with the building of the Glen Canyon Dam, as part of the Colorado River Restoration Project. This dam was built to support a power plant to power parts of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, and to ensure the steady water supply of the Colorado. It filled Glen Canyon with water. The lake now crosses into both states and is a recreation area for sightseers, cliff divers, swimmers, fisherman, and boaters. The making of the lake brought about the building of the city of Page, which raises 500 million dollars per year of tourism revenue. This man-made lake now delivers power and water to over 22 million people. But does this power come at a cost? Lake Powell has come as such a cost that does not prove worthwhile. Its draining will help to fix the ecosystem, and the state of the southwest. The water in Lake Powell is now dropping at an enormous rate. The rivers that feed the lake cannot sustain the levels they once had. The lake has dropped over 100 feet. Creating this lake made a water mass that was very susceptible to evaporation; it evaporates at a rate of a million and a half acre feet per year. This would be stopped with the draining of the lake, and letting the river be restored to its original state. With the making of the damn, very important fish and plant habitat was destroyed, some of these being important and endangered species. It also prevented the flow of fish to different part of the river, as there are now 11 dams along the rivers.

Internet Gaming Addiction Essay

Computer games are software which developed with an interesting plot, amazing graphics and unreal concepts which you may only see in those games, fantasy movies or animated movies. There are many types of computer games. There are some games that are really addictive making players unhappy if they were offered just a nick of time for playing. Some computer games drive and put the player at the highest level of eagerness to finish the game and wait for the next version. These games are addicting for only a short period of time, and stops after finishing it. The bad thing here is when the player starts to look for another game similar to his previous game. This surely is a sign of addiction. These computer games have characteristics that may or may not be experienced in real life. The difference of these games from the real world is that it makes the user do virtual things that people don’t do in real life. These games are designed to entertain people and one of its objectives is to make people hooked to it. If there are more people hooked, then the producers of the games get more profit. How did these games appeal to the people? Some games may not have done its objective but there are some that greatly caught the attention and time of the people who played it. Another thing is that these games offer competition. It is the same competition that we experience in real life. If the player performs well over the other players in the game, he feels satisfaction. In order to stand among the rest, a player needs to play hard or devote more time. It is just like when we want to standout in class, we have to study harder or when we like to be the most outstanding player in our favorite sports, we have to practice more. A person gets satisfaction after achieving something that he or she wants. This achievement is easy to acquire in computer games as compared to real life. You just sit down, run the game, and enjoy yourself while achieving your goals. However, computer games are far from our real world. You may relate to them, but the real thing is really different. Sometimes, the things that happen to your character in a role playing game may resemble the exact opposite of what is happening to yourself. When your character in the game gets richer, it does not follow that it could happen to the real you. Actually, it does the other thing – you become poorer. Getting addicted to these computer games may be enjoyable but there are serious consequences. Addiction always leads to negative effects. It renders a person irresponsible and makes him forget more important things he should do, and worse, people who are close to him. Sometimes life itself could be just thrown away like a disposable item. A South Korean man was reported dead after playing online game continuously. The death was caused by heart failure due to exhaustion, lack of sleep, and not eating enough (BBC News, 2005). Not sleeping or lack of sleep leads to failure or weakens the capability of our body to resist sickness. And gamers always force themselves to play up to the point that they even lose the time for sleeping. If normal people who lack sleep do not feel good sometimes, then this fact also applies to the gamers. Playing computer games is not for free. It uses electricity, some needs Internet connection, and sometimes you have to pay the game servers to play their online game. Living our daily lives is not for free either. We need resources to support our needs. We need to work to earn resources. Lucky are those teenagers supported by their parents. And obviously those parents will not support for addiction to computer games. It is also a reality that we may earn money from playing games because there are things in a computer game especially in online games that can be traded off with real money. But this money is not enough to support our needs. Addiction to computer games, generally, will not do good effects to the people. If you want to play computer games, you can play them. But be sure to remember not to fall on its trap on becoming addict to it. It has never been good to be an addict on computer games or anything. The only problem is, sometimes, you tend to ignore things because it is being blocked by something attractive or enjoyable. Being responsible is the key to avoid addiction. You better think of yourself, your family and your future. Do not let yourself get entangled in the roots of addiction. You should balance all the things that you do. Do not forget to be happy or do necessary things for your own life. You should know and set priorities in life. You should ask yourself what is important. Think critically, responsibly and do not stop with that. Whatever might be the result of that thinking, carry that on. Just plant in your mind that being an addict to whatever is not good. References: BBC News. 2005. S Korean dies after games session. Retrieved May 1, 2007. http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/technology/4137782. stm.

Elizabeth Fry

Elizabeth Fry Known for:Â  prison reform, reform of mental asylums, reform of convict ships to Australia Dates: May 21, 1780 - October 12, 1845Occupation: reformerAlso Known as: Elizabeth Gurney Fry About Elizabeth Fry Elizabeth Fry was born in Norwich, England, into a well-off Quaker (Society of Friends) family. Her mother died when Elizabeth was young. The family practiced relaxed Quaker customs, but Elizabeth Fry began to practice a stricter Quakerism. At 17, inspired by the Quaker William Saveny, she put her religious faith into action by teaching poor children and visiting the sick among poor families. She practiced more plain dress, pain speech, and plain living. Marriage In 1800, Elizabeth Gurney married Joseph Fry, who was also a Quaker and, like her father, a banker and merchant. They had eight children between 1801 and 1812. In 1809, Elizabeth Fry began to speak at Quaker meeting and became a Quaker minister. Visit to Newgate In 1813 came a key event in Elizabeth Frys life: she was talked into visiting the womens prison in London, Newgate, where she observed women and their children in horrible conditions. She didnt return to Newgate until 1816, having two more children int aht time, but she began working for reforms, including those that became themes for her: segregation of the sexes, female matrons for female prisoners, education, employment (often kitting and sewing), and religious instruction. Organizing for Reform In 1817, Elizabeth Fry began the Association for the Improvement of Female Prisoners, a group of twelve women who worked for these reforms. She lobbied authorities including Members of Parliament a brother-in-law was elected to Parliament in 1818 and became a supporter of her reforms. As a result, in 1818, she was called to testify before a Royal Commission, the first woman to so testify. Widening Circles of Reform Activism In 1819, with her brother Joseph Gurney, Elizabeth Fry wrote a report on prison reform. In the 1820s, she inspected prison conditions, advocated reforms and established more reform groups, including many with women members. By 1821, a number of womens reform groups came together as the British Ladies Society for Promoting the Reformation of Female Prisoners. In 1822, Elizabeth Fry gave birth to her eleventh child. In 1823, prison reform legislation was finally introduced in Parliament. Elizabeth Fry in the 1830s Elizabeth Fry traveled extensively in western European countries in the 1830s advocating her preferred prison reform measures. By 1827, her influence had diminished. In 1835, Parliament enacted laws creating harsher prison policies instead, including hard labor and solitary confinement. Her last trip was to France in 1843. Elizabeth Fry died in 1845. More Reforms While Elizabeth Fry is known more for her prison reform activities, she was also active in investigating and proposing reforms for mental asylums. For more than 25 years, she visited every convict ship leaving for Australia, and promoted reform of the convict ship system. She worked for nursing standards and established a nursing school which influenced her distant relative, Florence Nightingale. She worked for the education of working women, for better housing for the poor including hostels for the homeless, and she founded soup kitchens. In 1845, after Elizabeth Fry died, two of her daughters published a two-volume memoir of their mother, with selections from her journals (44 handwritten volumes originally) and letters. It was more hagiography than biography. In 1918, Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards, daughter of Julia Ward Howe, published Elizabeth Fry, the Angel of the Prisons. In 2003, Elizabeth Frys image was selected to appear on the English ​five-pound note.

Bpr in General Motors Essay Example

Bpr in General Motors Essay Example Bpr in General Motors Paper Bpr in General Motors Paper | |    | Case Studies  Ã‚  BPR in Poland | The first ever Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project in the formerly communist countries of eastern Europe was completed on October 28th, 1994 by Wizdom Polska, the Polish subsidiary company of Wizdom Systems, Inc. Wizdom has once again taken BPR to new frontiers, achieving unprecedented results in the massive task of Reengineering a company laden with the residuals of 50 years of central planning.The company, Stomil Sanok S.A., is a manufacturer of rubber injected moulded products, primarily for the automotive industry, ( Sto means I 00 in Polish, and mil means miles). Stomil is tucked away in Sanok, a beautiful mountainous region of southeastern Poland near the Ukrainian and Slovakian borders. Through radical downsizing, Stomil has reduced its workforce from 6,000 people in 1989, to 2500 employees today. Formerly 100% state-owned, Stomil was purchased by the U.S.owned Polish American Enterprise Fund in 1990. The $350 million do llar equity investment fund was set up by President Bush and the U.S. Congress to jump start the Polish economy soon after the fall of communism in 1989. Since its privatization, Stomil has attained phenomenal growth, increasing sales by an average of 25% a year through a very aggressive quality program coupled with a strong marketing push into western Europe and, as is typical in Poland, by utilizing an inexpensive, highly educated workforce.What most distinguishes Stomil from other companies in Poland that are struggling to meet the challenges of surviving the new free market, is its openness to new ideas and technologies. Stomil was quick to realize that its management needed to understand its processes and what it was doing, before it could implement the radical change needed to be more efficient. Because the required changes were so broad and fundamental, Stomils management needed to make decisions on where to apply its resources for implementing change. Although this

A Very Scary Tooth Fairy Professor Ramos Blog

A Very Scary Tooth Fairy What is the golden rule? Why do people worry if they do bad things that bad things will happen to them? There is a saying what comes around goes around but what does that mean? The fear of karma is real and keeps some people walking on eggshells. There are many who do not believe in karma even though it can be traced back to the bible, in the book of Luke it says â€Å"do to other as you would have them do to you† (6:31). Karma can come in many forms but for this paper karma comes in the form of a hideous vengeful banshee known as the Tooth Fairy. This vengeful sprit wreaks havoc on the town who wronged her. The Tooth Fairy has always been an iconic symbol of childhood and represented as a good fairy like those seen in Walt Disney’s fairy characters, until the 2003 horror, mystery suspense movie Darkness Falls introduced a quite different type of Tooth Fairy that we had grown up to know. This evil specter has taken the very wanting tradition of exchange of teeth for money to a whole new level. When children of the town Darkness Falls lose their last baby tooth or milk tooth as referred to in some other cultures, this evil Tooth Fairy comes to collect their teeth and for those who so happen to awake and look upon her face will not only lose their tooth but their life. As stated in Cohens thesis VII â€Å"this thing of darkness I acknowledge mine†, society creates our monsters as this dark fairy is the product of a towns sinful act of murder of an innocent woman (Cohen 20). Fueled by revenge for her murder and an evil not known to us, this murderous Tooth Fairy takes her revenge out on the town’s children for generations to come. The monstrous tooth collector in my opinion makes an excellent monster that would frighten any child but since this evil specter only kills the children of Darkness Falls, I feel this tooth fairy has limited herself to the rest of the world making her less menacing. The Tooth Fairy in a black cloak and porcelain mask that covers her hideous burnt face is an image that would give any child nightmares, but what would be more frightening than the realization that this story of the Tooth Fairy is based on true events. What great monster doesn’t originate from legend? Darkness Falls evil Tooth Fairy originates from the legend of Matilda Dixon. The movie was inspired by events that occurred over the last 150 years in the small town of Port Fairy, Australia. The biography film of Matilda Dixon explains in short: her life in Port Fairy and events that lead to her death, also the cover up of her murder thereafter. Matilda was born December 24, 1803 and worked in a bakery. Matilda would bake a special cake for the children in exchange for their baby teeth earning her the name the Tooth Fairy, until one day in 1840 Matilda had an oven fire which burned most of her face and body. Matilda wore a porcelain mask on her face and refused to go out into the daylight because of the sensitivity to light. She did not let kids come over to her home and Matilda did not bake anymore but she still gave the children gifts for their baby teeth. Matilda would wait for the town to sleep before going out into the night with cloak and mask. The children left their teeth in handkerchiefs tacked to their doors and Matilda would leave small amounts of change in exchange for them. The towns people thought this behavior was weird but allowed it because of Matilda’s kind nature. Until September 23, 1841 two children went missing and Matilda was blamed and hung to death by a drunken mob only later to realize that the children were safe at home. Cohen specifies in monster thesis IV that â€Å" the monster is difference made flesh, come to dwell among us†, this helps us to understand that the people saw Matilda as being different therefore once the a child went missing she was easily made into an insidious child murder (Cohen 7). Matilda cursed the town with her dying breath saying, â€Å"what I took before in kindness I will take forever in revenge†. The towns people buried her along with their secret, but like all secretes they are revealed sooner or later. The Movie Darkness Falls is exactly what a horror movie should be; fun, scary, fast paced, with plenty of jump moments. The movie is enjoyable to watch with your children (PG-13 of course) and I would recommend it to those who enjoy the genre. The movie starts off with a back story of the legend of Matilda Dixon, then fast forwards to modern time were a boy named Kyle Walsh is in a restroom retrieving his last baby tooth from his bloody mouth. Later that night Kyle practices the tradition of leaving his tooth on his end table for the Tooth Fairy. Kyle is asleep when the Tooth Fairy enters the room. Kyle accidentally wakes up to see the Tooth Fairy floating above his bed wearing a black cloak and a porcelain mask. The Tooth Fairy lets out a shriek like a banshee from the old Irish mythologies and tries to kill Kyle from this time on. Kyle manages to escape but his mother sees the frightening facial image in the mirror while going to investigate his room and is killed instantly by the tooth procuring dark fairy. From that point on he is considered crazy by the towns people. Years later, Kyle must return home to confront his past, and save his childhood sweetheart’s son from an unrelenting evil that has plagued the town of Darkness Falls for over 150 years. Even if this wicked tooth fairies’ actions of revenge were justified her hideous appearance alone instantly categorizes her as a monster and her less than appealing looks leaves her burnt, decomposing body not to be desired. Cohens monster thesis I tells us that â€Å"the monster signifies something other than itself†, this allows me to believe that burnt body of Matilda Dixon is a representation of the Salem Witch Trials? In the late 1600’s 19 innocent women were found guilty of witchcraft and executed by hanging others were burned at the stake. Matilda was accused of wrongdoing and hung because the people saw her practices weird. Even though it is not stated in the movie it could be said that the town’s people saw the strange behavior of collecting baby teeth as a form of witchcraft. Different cultures have their beliefs in tooth disposal as stated in Donald Capps academic journal The Tooth Fairy â€Å"parents believed that it was very bad for them to let their child’s baby tooth fall into the hands of a witch or an evil spirit because, if this should happen, the witch or spirit could gain a magical power over the child†(Capps and Carlin 269). The Toothy Fairy has not been associated with one specific look but has appeared in countless shapes and sizes. According to Cohens thesis III â€Å"the refusal to participate in the classificatory orders of things is true of monsters,† therefore the tooth fairy is monstrous (6). In Joyce Graham’s book The Tooth Fairy she describes the Tooth Fairy â€Å"as a creature with two dark eyes, shiny like green-black carapace of a beetle, lurking under a matted shock of black hair and tangled elfin locks with a mouthful of blue light, teeth like sharpen daggers and standing about four feet†(Graham 17). In the short film Tooth Fairy by Joe Harris he tells of a Tooth Fairy that does far more wicked things than just take baby teeth left for her in the night. The Tooth Fairy in this film scratches out the boy’s eyes for peeking while in the middle of her toothy duties. However, the Tooth Fairy is represented I can agree that it shares the characteristic of a monster. Overall, the Tooth Fairy horror genre was entertaining and enjoyable to watch. The Darkness Falls take on the Tooth Fairy myth melded with other folklore created an image of true monstrosities. The towns people of Port Fairy insidious act of murder of an innocent woman and the karma that took form an evil tooth banshee bent on revenge. Researching the different cultures and traditions of tooth lore and applying Cohens Monster Culture (Seven Theses) to my research has open my eyes to a whole new world of understanding why these monsters exist and continue to regenerate through time, also what frightens us most is not what we see but the unknown of what lies in the darkness waiting. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Capps, Donald, and Nathan Carlin. â€Å"The Tooth Fairy: Psychological Issues Related to Baby Tooth Loss and Mythological Working Through.†Pastoral Psychology, vol. 63, no. 3, June 2014, pp. 265–280. This article focuses on the Tooth Fairy legend that emerged in the United States and Britain in the nineteenth century. Legends that are presented from around the world tell of rituals dealing with the loss of baby teeth. I will use information from this article to argue about the development of the Tooth Fairy in different cultures. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture: Seven Theses.† From Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 3-25. The Monster Culture (Seven Theses) gives examples and explains how the world has created monsters throughout the centuries. The seven theses are break down characteristics, actions and images of the monsters of society and what propels them to live on in our culture. I will incorporate information from the thesis to evaluate the tooth fairy in my monster evaluation. â€Å"Darkness Falls (2003).† YouTube, uploaded by You Tube Movies, Provider Sony Movies Shows, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhN30C8ZpLw. This movie is about Matilda Dixon (aka The Tooth Fairy) exacting her revenge on the town of Darkness Fall. Darkness Falls is based off the legend of Matilda Dixon, but instead of occurring in Australia where the legend originated the story takes place in the United States. Matilda comes for the last baby tooth of the children of Darkness Falls and if they look upon her face, she will take their life. I will evaluate this avenging tooth fairy that Matilda has become for my monster evaluation. Joyce, Graham. The Tooth Fairy. Great Britain, Signet Books, a division of the Penguin group, 1996. This is a short story about a young boy growing up in England in the 1960s. The boy is haunted by a demonic Tooth Fairy who gets him into all sorts of trouble. The description and my perception of Graham Joyce’s evil Toothy Fairy will be incorporated in my monster evaluation. â€Å"movieweb Darkness Fall The Legend of Matilda Dixon MovieWeb com.† YouTube, uploaded by Samuel Thompson, 8 April 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GYSf32mJ_Yt=33s. Legend of Matilda Dixon gives a short biography of her life in the town of Port Fairy, Australia. Interviews with people that live in Port Fairy tell tales of how Matilda would give gifts to the children in exchange for their baby teeth, earning the name the Tooth Fairy. One day two children went missing and an angry drunken mob blamed Matilda. Matilda was hung by the neck by the mob only to find later that the children were fine at home in their bed. The legend of Matilda Dixon will be used in monster evaluation as an origin of the monstrous tooth fairy. â€Å"Tooth Fairy (2019) Trailer.† YouTube, uploaded by Wicked Thrilling Freaks, 29 November 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDbQCD_p7xo. The Tooth Fairy is a supernatural horror film released in Britain 2018. The Tooth fairy is a tale about an evil tooth fairy who rips out teeth. The images and actions of the evil tooth fairy will be used as a primary source of my monster evaluation.

Financial planning for the Smith family Case Study

Financial planning for the Smith family - Case Study Example The author has presented that the Smith family has got a very tricky situation and their financial goals are a bit unrealistic. This is because the family wants to set aside $350 per month for their children’s college education. This from my point of view is quite high because it will amount to$ 4,200 annually. Amber’s goals on the other side are still not realistic. This is because she says she wants them to save $100,000 on their children’s school fees. This is very unrealistic because at the moment, their salary per year cannot even add up to $100,000 per year. The family has not put down in calculation the amount of money that they require for their kids’ education when they get to college. Luke for example, they have no idea how much they will pay for his college education hence they cannot plan for the future goals and how much exactly they require. Amber is thinking of overtime work so that she gets extra money for luxury items. They have made plans for a vacation, a new home theatre system, some new custom furniture and a different car for Joel. They want to apply for a new credit card with a limit of $50,000. The family has got so many plans for the extra money that they have and have forgotten the most basic things like their children’s future education and they want to pump so much money into their luxury life. They want to buy a new car which according to me is not that necessary at the moment simply because the car that they have can be easily repaired and used as they continue to save (Fedorowicz, 1977).. The Smith family has got a mortgage house and their balance on the mortgage is $131,000. They purchased the house 5 years ago by paying a deposit of $200,000. Borrowing $140,000 and used $60,000 that Joel received from his late grandfather. The following information shows the family’s financial information. This will help or act as a guide to preparing a good balance sheet and a financial statement. Elect ricity, water, sanitary services, and garbage pickup $225 Natural gas $125 Mortgage payment $877 Home insurance $150 Home security $55 Groceries $750 Telephone, long distance calls and home Internet $90 Cell phones/Smartphones $140 Car loan payments $520 Car gas, maintenance, and insurance $430 Clothing $200 School programs and dues $150 Children’s programs $850 Restaurants $450 Approximate minimum credit card payment $174 Other Church donations $50 $100 Notes: Expenses for the children’s programs include (per month): ? Karate $120 ? Gymnastics $160 ? Piano lessons $225 ? Guitar lessons $125 ? Hockey $220 RRSP contribution room carry-forward for 2012: ? Amber $95,300 ? Joel $25,200 As long as Landon remains under the age of six, the family will qualify for Universal Child Care Benefit payments of $100 per month, which will increase total income. Family assets and liabilities Cash $850 Chequing account 1,300 Current savings 2,200 Home (market value) 300,000 Mortgage 130 ,924 Home furnishings 5,500 Joel’s car 1,500 Amber’s car 18,000 Car loan 13,500 Credit card balance 5,800 Amber and Smith FAMILY BALANCE SHEET             ASSETS          THE CURRENT ASSETS    Current Assets:    Cash in bank    Current savings 2,200    0    Stock, Mutual Funds 0    Pension Plan 0    Life Insurance - surrender value 0    RESP's 120,500    Other Current Assets 0    TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS $122,700          LONG TERM ASSETS    Business property, real estate    Personal real estate 19,500

Audit Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Audit Planning - Coursework Example For the success of the planning process, an auditor has to observe several steps. They include risk assessment, conducting a survey, planning meeting and definition of scope and objectives of the audit. Risk assessment is purposed to determine the risks involved in the planned audit. These risks if any can be evaluated to determine their levels and whether or not to be included in the current review. It also helps in deciding the extent of involvement of professionals with the specialised skills during the review process. In most occasions, these assessments are discussed with the firm’s department to get their perspective on the risks identified and their views. A preliminary survey is conducted to allow an auditor get an overall understanding of the various departments within an organization and their operations. This helps in planning on time and resource allocation to the different audit areas. It also helps in identification of the direction, management and supervision of resources. This stage also enables auditors to design the strategy of the audit process for effective exercise and on time management. After completion of the survey, a meeting with the organization’s heads is usually convened. This usually is carried out to discuss the strategies for the audit, and ensure that the information gathered during the survey is accurate and reviewing the level of risk assessed. Discussion of the audit scope and objectives is done at this stage. Documentation of the overall audit strategy and plan is compiled, and then the review process is then rolled to the firm. An effective audit process can be executed if there exists a clear understanding of the client’s business operations. It is usually a challenge for many auditors to perform their operations without having knowledge of their client’s business. It is a requirement in the International Standards on Auditing for the auditor to have knowledge about the company and its

Obamas health-care law still faces challenges after presidents Essay

Obamas health-care law still faces challenges after presidents reelection - Essay Example This is by imposing fines to those who do not take the health insurance cover. It further proposes that the state shall pay for all who are poor and for those who are elderly and are below the poverty line. This law also permits the state to fund abortion to reduce deaths caused by abortion. Despite the aims by president Obama to ensure that all American citizens have health insurance cover, Obama’s bill has received a fair share of criticism from all sectors. The first challenge on PPCA comes from Supreme Court as it termed Obamacare unconstitutional. This is because Obamacare go against the commercial clause. The Supreme Court termed the law void and null, as it was unconstitutional to compel anyone to take the health insurance cover. The other group that opposes this law is the Association of the American physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), who claim that the laws have less importance to the health care sector in general. They further claim that the law will prove expensive and costly in the end this is because of providing free care to those who are less fortunate. The quality of the health care will also reduce since free market system is not free to operate. Another group that opposes obamacare is the Congressional Budget Officers (CBO) (Dan, 2012). CBO claims that the law will become a burden to many citizens; since many citizens are yet take the health insurance cover, hence this will make access to health care to be difficult. The fi nes imposed to those who have not taken the health insurance cover will prove to be a financial burden to many citizens. This law is suitable for the American people. This is because it aims at preventing death to all American citizens. This is because if all citizens get the health insurance cover then there is reduction in cases of people dying because of lack of access to quality healthcare. The law will also ensure that all employers secure medical insurance cover for

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Islam - Essay Example From the reading on The World Religions, one is educated and better informed as a person becomes better informed about the doctrines in Islam. In fact, one can see a lot of logical and realistic beliefs that are applicable in life as opposed to some teachings of other religions. Take the issue on divorce for example, Christianity or at least people who call themselves Christians, are against divorce regardless of a couple’s situation. On the contrary, Islam tolerates divorce although it does not advocate but suggests it to be the last resort for couples. Other religions will also frown on polygamy which is observed among Muslims but understanding the reason behind such tolerance makes a lot of sense. From my point of view, I think it would be better for a man to have two to four wives as long as the man is able to treat the women equally in all aspects of their relationship and is able to provide for all of them rather than have one wife and extra-marital affairs that makes th e relationship imbalanced. With the aforementioned citations, I say there are several doctrines of Islam that people can learn from as they learn from other religions as

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 16

Summary - Essay Example The ruling families realized that there should be policy change in economic programs to ensure that the countries developed long-term and sustainable economic plans. The international community was involved in promotion of economic status of the GCC states where they advised that a knowledge-based economic policy would be effective in steering the economies rather than relying on oil that was dwindling. Introduction of the knowledge-based economy would ensure expansion and investment in education to build wealth from the human labour and resources instead of relying on the natural resources. President Obama and Angela Merkel delivered speeches on the benefits of the knowledge-based economy over reliance on natural resources. Obama stated that the Islamic countries should begin to increase their investment in education since even the countries that had more natural resources like America had invested in other policies to steer their economies. Angela Merkel on the other hand emphasized on the importance of promoting freedom and innovation from the power of science and human intelligence. Innovation, technological development and invention were es sential for development challenges in 21st century. These speeches revealed the interest which the western countries had on the development of the GCC countries. The Arab countries have adopted the policy and culture of promoting the education in the region by increasing the number of institutions of higher learning at high rate. Since the end of World War II, the number of universities have increased from 10 to 140 in 2000 and later increased up to 260 in 2010. This reveals the interest of leaders to propel their countries in knowledge-based economies. Obama and Merkel stated that the countries in the region should pay tribute to the developments taking place in education especially the universities that have embraced the visions of the Gulf monarchies. Modernization of education

English Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

English Literature - Essay Example However, in the book, the overarching them is God’s providence and His role in determining the fates of the lives of men. This has something to do with the poet’s being a Christian, and thus the element of God ruling the lives of men. This is an important point to note since this has a very strong resonance all throughout the poem. In contrast, as one critic has written online on Christian Movie Reviews, â€Å"The most striking thing about the new Beowulf movie, though, was its ugliness.† The movie showed the ugly sides of the protagonists, which were, in fact, not how they were portrayed in the original poem. Before proceeding to an analysis of the characters, I will take note of the special technique used by the moviemakers. They employed the three-dimensional (3D) animation style wherein one has to wear special 3D glasses in movie theaters to be able to have a fully-enhanced experience of the gory battle scenes and killings. For the most part, this has added to the attraction of the movie, since there have been few animated movies produced which employed this special technique. As a critic from MovieFilmReview.com puts it: â€Å"Beowulf is a visually captivating movie experience.† However, on the contrary, another critic disagrees by writing in her blog: â€Å"†¦this example of the latest â€Å"advance† in animation technology is sterile, synthetic, almost completely unengaging on a human level. It’s animated but inanimate.† (flickfilosopher.com) The blogger simply found the way the movie has been done by Robert Zemeckis as totally devoid of real human expressions and emotions. Now, to an analysis of the characters. We begin with the identity of Grendel. In the book, it was written that he came from â€Å"Cain’s clan†, that is, to say, when Cain killed his brother Abel, it was purported that all the evil creatures which roam the earth were descendants of Cain whose sin was so vile that he could

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Islam - Essay Example From the reading on The World Religions, one is educated and better informed as a person becomes better informed about the doctrines in Islam. In fact, one can see a lot of logical and realistic beliefs that are applicable in life as opposed to some teachings of other religions. Take the issue on divorce for example, Christianity or at least people who call themselves Christians, are against divorce regardless of a couple’s situation. On the contrary, Islam tolerates divorce although it does not advocate but suggests it to be the last resort for couples. Other religions will also frown on polygamy which is observed among Muslims but understanding the reason behind such tolerance makes a lot of sense. From my point of view, I think it would be better for a man to have two to four wives as long as the man is able to treat the women equally in all aspects of their relationship and is able to provide for all of them rather than have one wife and extra-marital affairs that makes th e relationship imbalanced. With the aforementioned citations, I say there are several doctrines of Islam that people can learn from as they learn from other religions as

English Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

English Literature - Essay Example However, in the book, the overarching them is God’s providence and His role in determining the fates of the lives of men. This has something to do with the poet’s being a Christian, and thus the element of God ruling the lives of men. This is an important point to note since this has a very strong resonance all throughout the poem. In contrast, as one critic has written online on Christian Movie Reviews, â€Å"The most striking thing about the new Beowulf movie, though, was its ugliness.† The movie showed the ugly sides of the protagonists, which were, in fact, not how they were portrayed in the original poem. Before proceeding to an analysis of the characters, I will take note of the special technique used by the moviemakers. They employed the three-dimensional (3D) animation style wherein one has to wear special 3D glasses in movie theaters to be able to have a fully-enhanced experience of the gory battle scenes and killings. For the most part, this has added to the attraction of the movie, since there have been few animated movies produced which employed this special technique. As a critic from MovieFilmReview.com puts it: â€Å"Beowulf is a visually captivating movie experience.† However, on the contrary, another critic disagrees by writing in her blog: â€Å"†¦this example of the latest â€Å"advance† in animation technology is sterile, synthetic, almost completely unengaging on a human level. It’s animated but inanimate.† (flickfilosopher.com) The blogger simply found the way the movie has been done by Robert Zemeckis as totally devoid of real human expressions and emotions. Now, to an analysis of the characters. We begin with the identity of Grendel. In the book, it was written that he came from â€Å"Cain’s clan†, that is, to say, when Cain killed his brother Abel, it was purported that all the evil creatures which roam the earth were descendants of Cain whose sin was so vile that he could

Edgar Allan Poe Essay Example for Free

Edgar Allan Poe Essay The many different works of Edgar Allan Poe all aim to do one thing. Strike fear into the heart of the reader. Simple, yet effective, he expresses fear through these many different themes and motifs. At full length, Poe’s stories all acquire a distinct theme or motif that moves the story forward. Whether you know it or not, many of his stories rely on themes and motifs to make the story more appealing to the reader. Time, duality, and dreams all play key roles in Poe’s short stories. They descriptively provide all of the necessary information in order to produce the whole concept of fear. Without them, these stories wouldn’t push you to the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. Time plays a major role in providing the story with the crucial data it needs to make the story frightening and suspenseful. It presents the story with a visual that makes the mood of the story transition into a very adverse setting. Dusk is probably the most common time of day in many of Poe’s stories. He chooses dusk because, during that time of day, it is very difficult to see. For example, in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† the narrator begins to describe how it is very difficult to see while he is making his way towards his child hood friend’s mansion. When choosing the time of day that produces little or no light, Poe tries to make the setting as dark as possible. Light represents happiness and positivity, so Poe tries to eliminate anything that represents prosperity. By assembling negative forces, the story will generate fear into the reader. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† the narrator stalks his pray for seven days, but on the eighth night the narrator commits the horrible deed. The number eight is used frequently with Poe and his stories; in this case, it represents what day the narrator will kill the old man. With â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, time represents life. It represents life because once a person is infected with the red death; the infected person has only 30 minutes to live. The ebony clock also represents life, because after every hour the clock will ring, reminding the people that time is running out. This theme is very necessary for producing fear, because if Poe doesn’t clarify what time of day it is, the story loses suspense. So it’s apparent that time is a key necessity in conveying fear into readers. The narrator often produces dreams themselves. Frequently, it presents a distortion of reality for the narrator and the reader. Dreams in Poe’s stories draw the line between reality and fantasy. Many unexplainable things would occur and the narrator would instantly assume it would be his imagination or that he would be dreaming. Providing dreams will make the reader build curiosity into whether or not these bizarre things are real or just images of the narrators eccentric imagination. In â€Å"Masque of the Red Death†, a huge party is thrown, to isolate the people from the disease. In the party, the guests have a great time by dressing up and having a â€Å"perfect† time, until the ebony clock rings. Once the clock rings, the party guests snap back into reality for a short moment. For that short moment, the reader realizes the severity of the situation. That short moment of severity produces fear. During his trip to Rederick’s mansion in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†, the narrator feels like the trip is a dream because the environment of the mansion is so surreal. Alcohol provides the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† with a distortion of reality, because after he hangs the black cat, he comes across a cat that is identical to the one he hangs after he leaves the bar. The narrator is completely shocked by the resemblance to his previous cat. This similarity conveys fear into the reader, because you can’t tell if it’s the same cat or a different one. The distortion of reality in dreams really help produce fear due to the doubtful events that keep occurring. These events help generate fear and build up the suspense in the reader for a few moments. Duality in the characters conveys the most fear towards the reader. By having a dual persona, the character is able to build up that suspense by having a â€Å"good† side and a â€Å"bad† side. As an animal lover, the narrator in â€Å"The Black Cat† would always love to take care of animals, until he becomes â€Å"consumed by the imp of the perverse† which exposes his negative side. This negativity leads him to killing his cat and his wife. The insanity of having a dual persona helps transmit true fear into the reader. As a young caretaker, the narrator in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† has nothing against the old man he is looking after; the old man has done nothing wrong to deserve any negative treatment. During the day the narrator would go about his business taking care of the old man, until night came upon. At night, the narrator would be consumed by the old man’s eye. His â€Å"evil eye† leads the narrator to kill his wife and their pet. The duality in both of the these characters are very similar due to them being consumed by some object that leads them into killing their loved ones and pets. All of these themes help produce the backbone of Poe’s stories. Without these themes and motifs, these stories wouldn’t be as suspenseful as they are today. These stories rely on the descriptiveness and the intensity of these themes to carry the suspense and to convey fear into the readers. Today, as people still learn about Poe’s stories, they will still be able to consume the fear that they read due to these themes and motifs.

Development of Intermodal Transportation

Development of Intermodal Transportation A major factor underlying this transformation of freight transport is represented by the changes in the scale, in the composition, and in the structure of the American and global economies. The demand for transportation services has grown in response to the generally brisk performance of the US and global economies in this period. The US economy is becoming dominantly services-oriented, and shifting from mass manufacturing to high value-added custom manufacturing. The resulting combination of increasing information content and decreasing material intensity of goods changes the character and value of goods being moved. Further, the US and other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, in search of lower overall factor costs, have created global and regional free trade regimes, and globally organized production systems and value chains, which require speedy and timely movements of goods. These flows of goods are coordinated across national and global tra nsport nodes and links in order to support the smooth functioning of the globalized economy. Technological changes in the transport sector in the US have arrived in the form of the Interstate Highway System, the jet aircraft, the container and container ships, roll-on/roll-off vessels, and a variety of micro infrastructure to facilitate operations at seaports and airports. The use of information technology (IT) greatly enhances transport operator and system efficiency, offering not only speedier goods transport at declining costs but also the ability to integrate goods supply chains regionally and globally, while maintaining lean inventories. The third factor underlying the major changes in the freight system is the institutional and organizational restructuring of the transport system since the 1980s. Public policies to reform economic institutions by deregulating and privatizing the transport sector have stimulated technical innovations and enhanced productivity in that sector in the process lowering costs and improving speed and reliability. At the same time, two organizational innovations business logistical systems and intermodalism provide major sources of change in the freight sector. Intermodalism is desirable since inefficiencies in the freight sector impact upon the competitiveness of US firms in the transport and transport-using sectors. Intermodalism seeks to enhance the performance of the transportation system by increasing safety, reducing congestion and decreasing delays, thereby enabling more efficient freight and passenger trips (Hickling 1995). Greater efficiency translates into lower costs and an increase in the competitiveness of US firms in the global marketplace. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Act (ISTEA) emphasizes the importance of intermodalism and challenged the transportation authorities, at the federal, state and local levels in the US, to increase interconnectivity between the maritime, air and land transport modes, and thereby enhances the effectiveness of the total network. It is widely recognized in the US, in both industry and policy circles, that cooperation between transport modes has the potential to reduce congestion, especially in major freight corridors. While congestion problems result from a variety of factors, the concentration of production and trade in a relatively small number of metropolitan gateway cities, the increased dominance of a few ports, and the intermodal competition for the same freight, adds to the congestion. The traditional attitude toward infrastructure investment, namely building ones way out of congestion, has not been helpful since Transport integration across modes faces additional complex problems arising from institutional and regulatory choices made at several levels of the government, that is, federal, state and local. These choices, legacies of the past, currently impact upon the costs and the quality of service of freight movement, aspects particularly important during the current phase of increasing globalization. A more complete definition of intermodalism needs to incorporate the physical, institutional and informational elements that facilitate cargo shipments in a seamless manner across different modes. Thus, intermodalism can be more accurately defined as movement of cargo across a transportation network in which the physical, institutional and information infrastructures are integrated to reduce transaction costs and maximize operational efficiencies. Since seamless transport across modes is a major objective, this chapter discusses some of the obstacles to and many of the advances made towards fu rthering intermodalism in freight transport in the US. The major factor underlying the increasing demand for intermodalism is the globalization of the American economy. North America, Europe and other countries have built on the Bretton Woods system, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to create a global free trade regime, including regional Preferential Trading Areas such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the EU and Mercosur. The industrialized countries, driven by the pressure to reduce overall factor costs in the competitive global economy, are using these open trading regimes to erect a globally distributed production system. There is increasing division of labour in the production processes as component activities are further disaggregated and spatially reallocated. This partition of the production process the slicing of the production value chain across national borders leads to different stages of production being carried out across several countries. The deregulation of the US transport sector since 1978- 80 has not only improved the performance of the various modes, but has also stimulated intermodalism. First, major changes occurred in the US in the conduct, performance and structure of airlines, trucking and railroads after deregulation: more competition among all modal carriers, lower prices, a wider set of service offerings, and new entry into most geographic and product markets. Carriers have been able to rationalize their networks, improve the efficiency of their operations, and set rates in line with competitive market conditions. There was a significant change in the cost structure of the railroad industry following deregulation, with productivity growing at well over 2 per cent a year (Bereskin 1996).

Death in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Essays -- Stopping Woods

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening   - A Stop for Death  Ã‚   Everyone feels burdened by life at some point. Everyone wishes they could just close their eyes and make all the problems and struggles of life disappear. Some see death as a release from the chains and ropes with which the trials and tribulations of life bind the human race. Death is a powerful theme in literature, symbolized in a plethora of ways. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve" Robert Frost uses subtle imagery, symbolism, rhythm and rhyme to invoke the yearning for death that the weary traveler of life feels.    When the speaker in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve" pauses for a moment's rest, he does not do so on a simple evening, but on the "darkest evening of the year," the winter solstice (474). The winter solstice is the day marking the beginning of winter, when the sun is the sky for the shortest time, and the night is longest. Night, with its darkness and shadows, is a classic symbol of death. On the winter solstice, Death can be considered his strongest, for his time, the night, is the longest i...

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Henry Adams once wrote "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." This is so true, every teacher here has taught us much more than the textbook curriculum. Every teacher here tonight has given us students something we will use or remember for the rest of our lives. I really don't think people understand or appreciate the time and effort our teachers have put into us. So tonight I'm not going to give everyone advice on the future, I'm not going to tell you how life is a journey we've just begun, and I'm not going to brag about how great the class of 2006 is. Since we have eight outstanding Valedictorians this year, I'm sure all of those bases are already covered. So instead, I'm going to take a few minutes here to thank some of the teachers and staff that have made a difference in my own life, and by doing so I hope that everybody present tonight will see how important each and every teacher and staff member is at Amos High School. I'd like to start out by thanking Mr. Addington. Not only is he the Clay and Ceramics teacher at AHS, he is the wisest man I know. I have asked him so many questions this year, and he has always helped me figure things out, but instead of letting me be lazy and simply telling me his answers, he asks me the questions and makes me think it out. Mr. Bassett is the smartest man I know. He keeps the entire school district's computer network up and running, he created a computer program that lets kids and parents check their grades from their home computers, as well as another program that he sold to the government. While doing all this, he still made extra time to help me survive his Windows 2000 class since I hadn't taken the required prerequisites and was pretty lost. Mr.... ...already talked about, and the ones that I did not get a change to mention, but I don't have time. Parents and people of the community, please see what great people these teachers are, and remember how much of their lives they give freely to their students. Teachers, whether you know it or not, you have affected each of us so much. The people that I have talked about are only teachers on my own list of important people at Amos High School. Every single student in a cap and gown right now has their own list, every one of you has impacted someone's life, and we will never forget you. Without your time and effort, none of us would be where we are today, and none of us would have been the leaders that we will turn out to be. You have made our experience at Amos High School truly great, and it will be hard to say goodbye, but from the graduating class of 2006, thank you.

Contemporary Art Movement Discussion

Art movements possess varying definitions that are given by art critics, historians and even artists. They emerge from Classical period and then followed by escapes or transitions from the traditions or a mixture of two movements that eventually give birth to another movement of a period. Contemporary art which is personally defined as â€Å"art of the present,† encompasses a number of artistic movements; one of which is performance art, a contemporary art movement that focuses on the acts of the artists who utilize their body to demonstrate a certain work or piece of art.Art pieces that are created during the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries belong in the realm of contemporary art. These are the objects of outgrowth and rejection of modern art. When abstract expressionism’s power and drive shrinks, nouveau art movements and styles arise during 1960s and 1970s to summon and to displace the modernism in visual arts and other media (Contemporary Art, 2008). The d efinition of the term â€Å"contemporary art† varies from art critics to art historians because confusion lies amid the two concepts: â€Å"modern† and â€Å"contemporary,† due to the reason that contemporary art follows modern art.Therefore, no one seems to agree with regards to the exact meaning of the term because there has been no particular agreement on when â€Å"modern art† has ended (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). However, other descriptions regard it as a term that generally refers to the art crafted on the second half of the twentieth century (Harry Carlton School, 2009). On the other hand, three simple definitions cover the concept â€Å"contemporary art. † And these include the following characterization: First, contemporary art is the art created after 1945.It is the meaning that is adhered by most museums; on the contrary, historians affirm it as outdated. Second, contemporary art is art produced in our era or lifetimes. It is the d efinition used by general art historians; however, it is too vague for the functions and purposes. Third, contemporary art is art produced since the 1960s. It is the description that is commonly utilized by art historians and critics but disagreement materializes as to the accurate cut-off date (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). Contemporary art is comprised by a myriad of schools, styles and movements that come to the front during the mid-1960s until present.These are conceptualism, performance, installation, video art, minimalism, photo-realism, earthworks, supports-surfaces, contemporary realism, new subjectivity, London School, graffiti art, transavanguardia, neo-expressionism, Britart: young British artists, neo-pop, stuckism and new Leipzig School (What is Contemporary Art? 2008). Performance Art The concept â€Å"performance art† has commenced in the year 1960s in the United States. It is originally utilized to define and describe any live artistic incident that include s poets, musicians, artists and filmmakers.It is also referred as â€Å"Happenings,† â€Å"Events,† and â€Å"Fluxus concerts† (Esaak, 2009). The history of Performance art can be traced back to the Futurists and Dadaists who often promote their arts during the year 1910 with hilarious and shocking events. However, it is during the year 1950s when a French artist known as Yves Klein includes dragging naked women with whom he spreads and smears with paint across canvas on the floor of an art gallery. It is an accompaniment to one of his minimalist musical compositions. It is not until 1960s when performance art is acknowledged and recognized as a branch or art.Nevertheless, the term â€Å"performance art† is first used in 1970 (Performance Art, 2009). Performance art is a form of art that is concerned and focused with direct audience communication by the artists that can last from a few minutes to several days. There are cases when it is considered as a fo rm of getting out to the institutional dominance of commercial galleries and aesthetic priorities of Modernism (Pookie and Newall, 2007, p. 225). It is the category when artists break away with utilizing only one traditional medium.Performance artists, most of the time, are exploring and seeking several artistic disciplines and creating works of art that may traverse traditional media borders such as works that comprise the aspects of theater, music and visual arts. There are also artists who are enthused in incorporating in their performance activities of everyday life and presenting it in an artistic manner (Byrd, 1998). Women in Performance Art During the advent of Performance Art, women have found their place and fame in the art world. Some of the women through the period have been known in the said branch of art.Among them are Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk and Linda Montano. Laurie Anderson is probably the most renowned performance artist. It is in 1970 when she emerges. Her w orks explore and illustrate the relationship between people and technology. Her masterpieces are usually comprised of spoken text, music, projected slides and videos. She has been known for employing an array of synthesizers to create sonic soundscape and a vocoder to change the sound of her voice when telling stories of her life in the late 20th century wherein laptops and ghosts exist side by side (Byrd, 1998).On the other hand, Meredith Monk is another artist who crafts interdisciplinary theater pieces. She is a composer who deals with inventive and pioneering vocal techniques. Her works are mixtures of free elements and images that are not related to one another. However, it is the combination of those unrelated elements that make her works unique (Byrd, 1998). Linda Montano, on the contrary, is the artist who explores the nexus between art and life. Rituals for her can change one’s perception of life.During those times of her artistic development, she manages to perform life ceremonies that transpire for several years. One of her renowned work is the one in which she spends an entire year tied to another artist known as Teching Hsieh. They have been united and joined by a seven-foot length rope. They did not touch each other for the whole year (Byrd, 1998). Those are just a number of performance arts that have been executed by female artists. There are other performances and pieces that make use of their bodies as a medium on demonstrating a work of art.They reveal issues such as feminism and role of women in society. Performance arts are often open-ended and can happen anywhere. They are usually presented in a live audience and only performed once. Its theme is usually in accordance to the artist’s viewpoints with regards to the link and relationship between art and life, art and technology, people and art or anything that the artist desires to illustrate. Performance art has given way to the feminist agenda during the year 1970s. It is an individual, instantaneous and greatly effective means of communication.Women’s objective when executing and performing a piece is to create an alternative vision for women and their power and status in the world (Gaulke, n. d. ). Their pieces tend to problematize female subjectivity, evaluate personal history, and alter the position of women in society because women are usually excluded from the art world. Women artists, thus, work on different media; performance art and video art are most likely appealing because the new media has no past accounts on eliminating and rejecting women (qtd. Troy, n. d. ).Feminist performance art in the year 1970s encompasses diverse functions and purposes. Women artists never endeavor and attempt to craft a single philosophical system in their works (Gaulke, n. d. ). Their works of art are usually a mixture of different philosophies with regards to the upliftment of women’s status and role in the society, as well as its identity and belo ngingness in the art world. The Performance art is also an essential movement during those eras because it summons the Formalism movement (Troy, n. d. ), where artworks are confined to canvases, paints and plasters.Performance art serves an exploration to the faction between art and life. Artists have made ways to explore and discover the dynamics between artist and spectators in order to comprehend art as social and experiential (Troy, n. d. ). Analysis and Conclusion Performance art belongs in the realm of contemporary art because of three essential reasons. First, it gives birth to a new media in creating works of art. One of those media is the body by which artists, especially women, utilize in order to demonstrate a blend of philosophies on the role of women in society.Another media is the use of technology and the incorporation other traditional media such as paints and canvas while performing and executing a piece. Second, performance art bestows an opportunity for women to a rticulate and fight for their rights. That a woman needs not be oppressed in society. While men are superior in the traditional arts and Modernism, women have grabbed the opportunity to find ways on how to express themselves and how to struggle for their status in society. Their creations offer new perspectives on how to look at women and how to value them.They reveal and delineate their struggles and efforts in the form of performance art so that their voice, angst and activism will be heard. Third, performance art provides a space for the women to be recognized in the art world. Because women are oppressed, their talents, skills and abilities are not acknowledged. However, because of the advent of performance art, women have found ways on how to present their endowments. Performance art is not just confined to well-known female artists.There are also a number of men who execute pieces of art in order to present and to articulate their point of views in life. Performance art has gi ven chances to ordinary people who desire to expose their artistic inclinations. Those art pieces that have been showed have helped and aided them in their artistic developments. A myriad of artists especially poets, musicians and theater artists explore, try and manage to achieve a performance art. They may be controversial, shocking, hilarious, still, for them, it is a way of communicating with the audience with regards to their outlook in life and art.

Favorite Food Essay

â€Å"so exactly where are we going again?† I asked my dad while pulling out of our driveway. â€Å"Just wait I know you’ll love this restaurant,† he announced. He was taking me to Espinoza’s, an authentic Mexican restaurant. There was a large window right beside the door when you pull in, with a big, orange, neon sign with the words ESPINOZA’S written in capital letters. My dad opened the door and I led him in. Right when we walked, there was a young girl, about five feet and 3 inches tall, who asked us in an accent if it was just the two of us today. Behind her about eight meters away, was a bar like counter that was higher than normal, for when the chef prepared your meal, he could place it there to be brought to the table. We sat down at our table right beside the big window with the neon sign, a table for four. Two glasses of water were brought to us, by Maria, our waitress, who all the while made suggestions on their selection of other drinks. There was a glass fridge, like the ones at gas stations, directly behind where dad was sitting, and it contained all kinds of carbonated drinks. All the sodas were in glass bottles with classic looking labels, that had Pepsi, Coke, and some other ones with Spanish words on them. Right beside the fridge were two slushy machines. One slushy machine had a red drink called Aqua De Jamaica, and the other one a creamy white one, Horchata. Tamarind and infusions of hibiscus flowers are what give Jamaica its red color. My dad ordered Horchata, which is made from a combination of long grain rice, milk, and sugar. We both sipped on our ice cold drinks, while placing our orders to Maria. As we waited for our food to arrive, I headed towards a jukebox on the opposite side of where we were seated. I flipped through all the tracks of songs and in the end just chose one based on the the picture on the cover of the album. Just as I was heading back to my seat, I saw Maria with a circular tray the size of a tire filled with food. I scurried over to beat her to our table because I wanted to see why dad was so enthusiastic about bringing me to Espinoza’s. What happened next, I will never forget. The smell the awoke every last bit of my senses. An oval plate was placed in front of me, as if I were some royal being. Laid out in perfect layers were nacho chips that looked like a bloomed rose’s petals. On top of the petal-like chips were marinated chicken strips, grilled so you could see the marks on them, showing all of the effort that was put into its cooking. The chicken was seasoned with a blend of zesty Mexican spices. Hints of lemon, paprika, crushed peppers, and onion powder gave tastes of sourness to sweetness with every bite. Sauteed onions, sweet bell peppers, and tomatoes are what completed the next layer. Melted white cheese smothered the beans that were evenly distributed upon every nacho chip that existed on my dish. I took the first bite. Related by more than just the blood in our veins, my father and I are best friends. He has always known me more than I’ve known myself. He brought me to Espinoza’s because we both share a love for Mexican dishes. The flavors of the spices remind us of the connection and joy we have in our friendship. He even called me last night to remind me about the soccer game that would be on in ten minutes between Barcelona and Real Madrid. They tied one to one.