The Bastard King essays

The Bastard King essays William the Conqueror was born in 1027. His father, the previous Duke of Normandy, was known as Robert the Devil, and William himself as William the Bastard. Duke Robert had enamored himself of a girl named Herleve, who was the daughter of a tanner in the town of Falaise. Not long after William was born, Robert decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and before he went on the dangerous journey it was necessary to decide the succession to the Dukedom. He called a meeting of his feudal vassals and presented William as his heir. It is said the assembly did not like the choice but could not agree on any other; it reluctantly paid homage to the child. Robert set off on his journey and died on the way. At the age of seven William became the Duke of Few people have had such a dangerous childhood, lacking in the safety and continuity that children need. Almost at once Normandy fell to pieces. Every minor Baron set himself up as an independent sovereign and made war on his neighbors. For his own safety, his mothers family moved William from place to place. He began to grow up learning the politics of war and proved to be an apt student. By the age of sixteen he was knighted, and by the time he was eighteen the barons sensed a danger that he would soon be capable of pressing his claim to the Duchy. Many of them combined William, as the Duke of Normandy, was a vassal of the King of France, and during this crisis he asked for aid. The King came into Normandy with a French army, and in 1047 he and William met the rebels near the city of Caen. The interesting thing about this battle is that although infantry troops were present, it was fought entirely by mounted knights. With the help of the King, William won and at the age of nineteen, all the barons of Normandy swore allegiance to him. For the next decade, William would fight to preserve the power h...

Profile of Harvey M. Robinson

Profile of Harvey M. Robinson The east side of Allentown, Pennsylvania had the reputation of being a nice, safe area for families to raise children. The residents in the area felt secure to walk their dogs, jog, and let their kids play out in the yards. All of that changed in the summer of 1992. The residents and police force of Allentown had a problem. For the first time, its east side residents were being stalked by a serial killer. A Killer Is Born Harvey M. Robinson was born on December 6, 1974. He grew up in a troubled family. His father, Harvey Rodriguez Robinson, was an alcoholic and physically and emotionally abusive towards his mother. By the time he was three, his parents were divorced. Harvey Rodriguez Robinson ended up going to prison for manslaughter after beating his mistress to death. The younger Harvey idolized his father, regardless of his abusive and criminal behavior. School Years At a very early age, young Harvey Robinson showed great athletic and academic potential. He won awards for his essays and was a fierce competitor in wrestling, soccer, football and various cross-country sports. However, as early as nine years old he demonstrated a dark side that diminished all of his positive accomplishments. School counselors determined that Robinson suffered from severe conduct disorder. As a child, he was known to throw tantrums. As he got older, he developed a quick temper and was unable to define between right and wrong. From the age of nine to 17, he filled up a rap sheet with numerous arrests including burglary and resisting arrest. He was also a known substance abuser, which added to his propensity towards impulsive aggressive behavior. He detested authority and lashed out at those who tried to control him including the police and his teachers. As he grew older, his threats intensified. Teachers and students were afraid of Robinson, and he liked it. Why Robinson began raping and murdering children and women is unknown, but as far as what is known for sure, it all started on August 9, 1992, when he was 17-years-old. First Victim At about 12:35 a.m. on August 5, 1992, Robinson burglarized the home of Joan Burghardt, 29, who lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor of a residential apartment complex on the east side of Allentown. He broke through the screen on the patio door, which was locked, and ripped just enough to slip his hand through the doorknob and open it. Burghardt reported the burglary and the missing $50 from a drawer in her bedroom dresser. Everything else seemed undisturbed. Four days later at around 11:30 a.m. on August 9, 1992, Burghardts neighbor telephoned the police to complain that Burghardts stereo had been on for three days and nights and that no one answered the doorbell. She also reported that the screen had been out of the window for three nights and during one of those nights she heard Burghardt screaming and banging the wall and sounds as if she was being beaten up. When the police arrived, they found Burghardt dead, lying on the living room floor. She had been severely beaten about the head. The autopsy revealed that Burghardt had been sexually assaulted and hit over the head at least 37 times, fracturing her skull and damaging her brain. She also had defensive injuries on both hands, indicating that she was alive during at least some of the attack. Seminal stains were found on a pair of shorts found at the scene, suggesting that a male had masturbated on them. Second Victim Charlotte Schmoyer, 15, was always diligent about delivering the Morning Call newspaper on her assigned route on the east side of Allentown. When she failed to deliver the paper on the morning of June 9, 1983, one of her customers scanned the street for the young carrier. She did not spot Schmoyer, but what she did see alarmed her enough to phone the police. Schmoyers newspaper cart was left unattended, for more than 30 minutes, in front of a neighbors house. When the police arrived, they found that the newspaper cart was half-filled with newspapers, and Schmoyers radio and the headset had been strewn on the ground between two houses. There were also finger streaks on the windowpane of the door to the nearby garage of one of the houses. Based on the scene the police concluded that Schmoyer had likely been abducted. The police began their search and found her bicycle abandoned along with some of her personal property. Within hours a tip came in, and investigators began searching a wooded area where they found blood, a shoe, and the body of Charlotte Schmoyer buried under a stack of logs. According to the autopsy report, Schmoyer was stabbed 22 times, and her throat was slashed. Also, there were cutting and scraping wounds in her neck area, indicating they were inflicted while the Schmoyer was conscious and her neck bent down. She had also been raped. Investigators were able to collect blood samples, a pubic hair and a head hair on Schmoyer that did not match her blood and hair. The evidence was later matched to Robinson through DNA. Burglary John and Denise Sam-Cali lived on the east side of Allentown, not far from where Schmoyer had been abducted. On June 17, 1993, Robinson burglarized their home while the couple was away for a few days. He had taken Johns gun collection, which was kept in a bag in the closet. Within days John bought three new guns, one of which he purchased for Denise for protection. The couple grew even more concerned about their safety after learning that someone had broken into their neighbors home and attacked their child. Third Victim On June 20, 1993, Robinson entered a womans home and choked and raped her five-year-old daughter. The child managed to live but based on her injuries it appeared that he had intended for her to die. Some theorized that he was actually after the childs mother, but when he found her sleeping with her partner, he attacked the child instead. Fourth Victim On June 28, 1993, John Sam-Cali was out of town, and Denise was alone. She awoke to the sounds Robinson was making from inside the walk-in closet near her bedroom. Frightened, she decided to try to run out of the house, but he grabbed her, and they struggled. She managed to get out of the house, but Robinson grabbed at her again and pinned her down onto the ground in the front yard. As the two fought, she was able to bite him on the inside of his arm. He repeatedly punched her, sliced her lip open and then raped her, however, her screams alerted a neighbor who turned on her porch light, and Robinson ran away. When the police arrived, they found Denise alive, but severely beaten, with strangulation marks around her neck, and her lip deeply slashed. They also found a butcher knife wrapped in a napkin lying outside the bathroom door. After recovering in the hospital, the Sam-Calis went out of town for a few days. Fifth Victim On July 14, 1993, Robinson raped and murdered Jessica Jean Fortney, 47, in the living room of her daughter and son-in-laws home. She was found dead, half-naked and her face was swollen and black. There was blood spatter on the wall indicating she had died a violent death. The autopsy revealed that Fortney died in the early morning hours after being strangled and severely beaten. It was also determined that she had been raped. What Robinson did not know was that Fortneys granddaughter had witnessed the killing and was able to give the police his description. Back to Finish the Job On July 18, 1993, the Sam-Calis returned home. Before going out of town, they had the house equipped with a burglar alarm. At about 4:00 a.m. Denise heard a noise in the house and then the back door opened, setting off the alarm and the intruder, Robinson, took off. After that, the Allentown police set up a sting operation and arranged for a police officer to stay in the Sam-Cali home every night. They thought the man who attacked her was coming back to kill her because she could identify him. Their hunch was right. Officer Brian Lewis was staked out inside the Sam-Cali home when at around 1:25 a.m. on July 31, 1993, Robinson returned to the house and tried to open doors. Lewis heard the noises, then watched as Robinson broke into the house through a window. Once he was entirely inside, Lewis identified himself as a police officer and told Robinson to halt. Robinson began shooting at Lewis and gunfire was exchanged. Lewis went to the Sam-Calis bedroom to warn the couple to stay inside the room. He then called for backup. In the meantime, Robinson escaped by breaking through several glass panels on a wooden door in the kitchen. The police found a blood trail in the kitchen and out the door. It looked like the intruder had been shot, or severely cut during his escape. The local hospitals were alerted. Caught A few hours later the police were called to the local hospital after Robinson showed up there to be treated for a gunshot wound. A physical exam of Robinson found that he had fresh wounds to his arms and legs indicative of being cut with glass as well as a bite mark on the inner part of his arm. Officer Lewis also identified Robinson as the man he encountered inside the Sam-Calis home. He was arrested on various charges including kidnapping, burglary, rape, attempted murder, and murder. Investigators built a large case against Robinson with DNA evidence, eyewitness accounts and physical evidence found at his home and the victims homes. It was a solid case. The jury found him guilty for raping and murdering Charlotte Schmoyer, Joan Burghardt, and Jessica Jean Fortney. He was sentenced to a combined 97 years in prison and three death sentences. Resentenced Robinson and his lawyers were able to get two of the three death sentences resentenced to life in prison. One death sentence remains.

To what extent did the Second World War transform European societies Essay

To what extent did the Second World War transform European societies - Essay Example death kind of ending to the World War II with the atomic bombs exploding in Japan and large scale death and destruction in Europe became a great resentment for every one. The impact of the violence was never lost in that generation of people who saw death and destruction like never before. This led to the formation of United Nations on one end and on the other; there was a strong support in the social front of every nation to be out of the violence (Giddens, A. 1985). Military was slowly and steadily weaned away from the ruling community over a period of time. It happened in all major countries who were involved in the war. Though immediately after the war, the war heroes were honoured and they were dominating in the political sphere too. But soon, military lost its ground with respect to the political power and clout that they wielded. This was seen as a victory for the peace loving society at large. Many social practices were influenced by the World War II. Ideologies could not hold ground because of the violence that they were seen to breed (Hobsbawm, E. 2002). Fascism found its natural death after the huge violence that its practices preached. While large scale political changes were in the offing with the increasing effect of communism and labour right movements across the world. The class divide was coming down. Though there was large scale dissatisfaction on many of the practising ideologies, people realised the importance of non-violent protests. Never again, could there be another French revolution with large scale blood letting. Now, people could find themselves raising protests in a more democratic way though violence did and continues to show its head either as a terrorist attack or during a protest march turning itself into riots. The tendency to rope in peace in the continent was wide spread. Most people wanted peace more than anything else. But still there was the nostalgic feeling of war and the glory that victory brings. This feeling is like the

George Berkeley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

George Berkeley - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses why he oppose the concept of matter and support the role of God in human life. Berkeley argued that whatever the material bodies at our sight are not material objects but light and colors only. He has pointed out that human senses has limitations in identifying the exact nature of objects because of the inferior powers of our senses. He has questioned the Newtonian concepts like space, time, motion etc. Newton was successful in defining material objects with respect to space, time, motion etc. Newton argued that every object in this universe is made up with a three dimensional space (Length, breadth and thickness).Moreover he has also argued that every object in this universe is either in a state of motion or in a state of rest with respect to another object. Berkeley questioned these Newtonian arguments and pointed out that our senses do not have the ability to recognize the actual shape and size of material objects in this world. Berkeley’s argume nts were summarized as a theory called "esse is percipi" which means all the things surrounding us are nothing but our ideas or shadows. These ideas were formed with the help of imperfect sensory inputs. Berkeley believed that human senses are not matured or perfect enough to recognize the actual shape and size of matters in this world. ... In other words, animals and human have different sensory abilities. The above example clearly shows that in this universe, different living things have different sensing abilities. Moreover it is quite possible that living things with superior sensing abilities than humans exist in this universe. Berkeley also argued that sensory inputs have no other existence which is different from our perceptions. For example, two blind people who try to recognize the shape of an elephant may perceive the shape of elephant differently if they touch different parts of elephant body. The one who touches the ear of the elephant may perceive the shape of elephant as flat whereas the one who touches the legs of an elephant may perceive the shape of elephant as cylindrical. In other words, we are quite similar to these blind people. Our senses are incapable of assessing the proper shape of an object. It is quite possible that the shape of an object may have other dimensions which we are incapable to per ceive using our senses. Berkeley believed only in spirits and ideas. He argued that the mental substance is a combination of mind, spirit and soul. Moreover, ideas rest in this mental substance. He also argued that spirit is the only active being whereas ideas are passive beings. In other words, ideas can be perceived differently by different people whereas spirit cannot be altered. Thus, Berkeley succeeded in classifying human knowledge into two broad categories; knowledge with respect to ideas and knowledge with respect to spirit. Spiritual knowledge cannot be perceived whereas knowledge based on ideas can be perceived by human senses. Thus, Berkeley argued that spiritual knowledge is beyond our control or beyond our grasping abilities. In short,

Entrepreneurship And Selling Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurship And Selling Essay 1.0 Introduction There are various types of white coffee are selling in the market currently. Therefore, I would like to share about my new brand of white coffee, Fah Sin white coffee. As we all know, this industry in Malaysia is well known, with different brands such as Old Town White Coffee, Nescafe White Coffee, Ipoh White Coffee and so many others. For this product that I am about to share, is it fully owned by myself. Therefore, this is a fully sole-proprietor company. Before we go any further, let us look through the history of white coffee. White Coffee is a native product of Malaysia. Malaysia Origin White Coffee is made of well-chosen Liberica, Arabica and Robusta coffee beans and premium skim milk, processing in mild low-temperature baking and special process to remove the bitter and sour taste cause by high-temperature grilled, and minimize the caffeine, bitterness and sourness to the lowest without any additives added, outstanding aroma, gentle to stomach and retain the original color and flavor of coffee, the color is more softer than the regular coffee, light golden yellow with pure classical taste. The white coffee is a unique coffee drinks in Malaysia with about 100 years of history. White coffee doesn’t mean the color of coffee is white; it is made of well-chosen Liberica, Arabice and Robusta coffee beans, baking without caramel at direct low-temperature which takes 2.5 times longer than the high-temperature charcoal baking, and grind into coffee powder. It removes the scorch and sour taste cause by common high temperature fried and charcoal roasted, but retains the natural flavor and rich aroma of the coffee, memorable fragrant and smoothness. Gentle to stomach, do not get inflamed, low caffeine, pure mild quality, suits the requirements for modern taste of life with outstanding aroma. 2.0 General Macro Environment Elements. Entrepreneurship can be defined as the method of utilizing one’s individual creativity and inventiveness to bring in changes to an already existing business or to initiate a new business with a view to developing and expanding it and make it an economically profitable venture. To ensure that this new product could create a success and a new impact to the public, we have to study the ventures of environment assessment. The following diagram provides a clearer vision of the important parts of the assessment. As an entrepreneur, we have to look closely at the factors that is surrounding in our society, in order to achieve the target sales that we plan. The macro environments include the major forces that act not only on the firm itself, but also on its competitors and on elements in the micro-environment. The macro-environment tends to be harder to influence than does the micro-environment, but this does not mean that firms must simply remain passive; the inability to control does not imply an inability to influence. Often the macro-environment can be influenced by good public relations activities. The main elements of the macro-environment are known as PEST, which means: P – Political and Legislation. E – Economy S – Socio-Cultural T – Technology 2.1 Political and Legislation – Political factors often impact on business: recent examples are the worldwide movement towards privatization of former government-owned utilities and businesses, and the shift away from protection of workers’ rights. Firms need to be able to respond to the prevailing political climate, and adjust the marketing policy accordingly. For example, British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and Telstra of Australia have all had to make major readjustments to their marketing approaches since being privatized, and in particular since seeing an upswing in competitive levels. Almost all the firms’ activities have been affected, from cutting the lead time between ordering and obtaining a new telephone, through to price competition in response to competitors’ cut-price long-distance and international calls. British Telecom was the UK’s fifth biggest spender on advertising during 2003. This segment is the arena in which different interest groups compete for attention and resources. This is where I can exercise my political power by obeying and adhere to the policy, legislation and regulations on how the business operates. There are 2 types of issue which we need to consider, which is the global issues and the national issues. As for my company, I will only need to observe the national issues, where taxation and regulations are more important. The reason is because the impact of taxation on business operations can reduce the cash available for business ventures to invest while some taxes are favorable to only certain business and disadvantageous to others. 2.2 Economy – Economic factors encompass such areas as the boom/bust cycle, and the growth in unemployment in some parts of the country as a result of the closing of traditional industries. Macro-economic factors deal with the management of demand in the economy; the main mechanisms governments use for this are interest rate controls, taxation policy and government expenditure. If the government increases expenditure (or reduces taxation), there will be more money in the economy and demand will rise; if taxation is increased (or expenditure cut), there will be less money for consumers to spend, so demand will shrink. Rises in interest rates tend to reduce demand, as home loans become more expensive and credit card charges rise. This factor plays a vital role in the success or failure of a new business. As an entrepreneur, we need to analyze this factor at the global, national and local levels. Meanwhile, we must also scan, monitor, forecast and assess the macroeconomic factors that can affect the new business. 2.3 Socio-Cultural – This factor consists of two major related aspects: 2.3.1 Demographic changes: It happens due to changes in the population, ethnic groups, and population structures according to age, gender, geographical location, and their income. These elements will clearly provide the data of consumers’ demand, buying power and industrial capacity. We need to assess these changes in order to identify our business opportunities. Demographic changes can have major effects on companies: the declining birth rate in most Western countries has an obvious effect on sales of baby products, but will eventually have an effect on the provision of state pensions as the retired have to be supported by an ever-shrinking number of people of working age. Likewise, changes in the ethnic composition of cities or in the population concentration (with few people living in the city centers of large cities) cause changes in the demand for local services and retailers, and (more subtly ) changes in the type of goods and services demanded. 2.3.2 Social trends: This relate to the lifestyle of a person. We also need to monitor the lifestyle changes in order to identify business opportunities. But yet, as an entrepreneur, we also need to forecast and assess the meaning of changes for our business by looking at their own self-interest. 2.4 Technology – This is also a vital factor for a new venture through product development and commercialization. Technological change happens in two forms: 2.4.1 Pure Invention: This refers to the creation of something new that is different from existing technology or product. Normally it has economic value and has no competitors at initial stages and it is often monopoly by individual. But there will be no market at the early stage. On the other hand, new inventions can create new markets and opportunities for business. For example, the invention of semiconductors created business opportunities in computers and mobile phones. 2.4.2 – Process Innovation: This refers to the s mall changes in design, product formulation and manufacturing, materials and distribution. Scanning and monitoring changes in technology are not easy tasks due to information is not easily available. 3.0 Elements of Macro Environment That Affects Our Organization. At the very beginning, we have look through all the major factors or the macro environment elements. Can we discover what the factors that might affect our new business are? We have to collect more information and data before we can launch a new product and to do researches about our country’s current situation. 3.1 -Political and Legislation: Malaysia is a peaceful country. We have no wars compared to other countries like Israel or Pakistan. We have also many types of ethnic in Malaysia, where we have malay, chinese, Indian, kadazan and so many others. Our legislation is controlled by our ruling government and we always live in peace and harmony. 3.2 -Economy: Malaysia economy is growing rapidly, with many overseas investors and also new ventures. This increased the working opportunities and the average income of a local scholar is RM 1800.00 – RM 2500.00, and therefore this will also help to increase the buying power. 3.3 -Socio-Cultural: If we look closely to the lifestyle of the working adults, we are always busy and always looking for something instant to eat or drink during in the office. Therefore, our new white coffee is very convenient and suitable for working adults as it is a 3 in 1 coffee packet. Drinking coffee also consider as a culture to working adults, to boost up their stamina while at work. 3.4 Technology: As for this white coffee, we have our very own research and development team. We are also planning to add in other herbal plants into this white coffee as an additive ingredients so that our coffee will taste better compared to other brand. Entrepreneurship, as discussed earlier, comprises of all the aspects of the new venture and the entrepreneur can face challenges from all of them. For instances, the finances for the enterprise has to be calculated, planned, accessed and distributed according to the project plan. For start-up ventures, the establishment and infrastructure costs will be high initially and an interval has to be allowed for the profits to show up in the accounts. The necessary permits, licenses and governmental procedures for starting the venture have to be procured in time for starting the production. Hiring of adequately skilled employees, building a strong sales-force, building a relationship with the consumers by getting to know their needs and satisfying these needs at a fair price, and satisfying the investors by turning into a profitable venture as soon as possible are also challenges that the entrepreneur has to learn to handle effectively and efficiently. 4.0 Micro-Economic Factors. Micro-economic factors are to do with the way people spend their incomes. As incomes have risen over the past 40 years or so, the average standard of living has risen, and spending patterns have altered drastically. The proportion of income spent on food and housing has fallen, whereas the proportion spent on entertainment and clothing has risen. Information on the economy is widely publicized, and marketers make use of this information to predict what is likely to happen to their customers and to demand for their products. Micro environment factors are factors close to a business that have a direct impact on its business operations and success. Before deciding corporate strategy businesses should carry out a full analysis of their micro environment. In this assignment, we discuss common micro environment factors. 4.1 Customers As all businesses need customers, they should be Centred (Orientated) around customers. The firms marketing plan should aim to attract and retain customers t hrough products that meets their wants and needs and excellent customer service. 4.2 Suppliers Suppliers provide businesses with the materials they need to carry out their business activities. A suppliers behavior will directly impact the business it supplies. For example if a supplier provides a poor service this could increase timescales or product quality. An increase in raw material prices will affect an organization’s Marketing Mix strategy and may even force price increases. Close supplier relationships are an effective way to remain competitive and secure quality products. 4.3 Competitors The name of the game in marketing is differentiation. Can the organization offer benefits that are better than those offered by competitors? Does the business have a unique selling point (USP)? Competitor analysis and monitoring is crucial if an organization is to maintain or improve its position within the market. If a business is unaware of its competitors activities they will find it very difficult to â€Å"beat† their competitors. The market can move v ery quickly for example through a change in trading conditions, consumer behavior or technological developments. As a business it is important to examine competitors responses to these changes so that you can maximize the impact of your response. 4.4 Financial Institutions – In Malaysia, we have SME Bank as our financial-aid. An organization, which may be either for-profit or non-profit, that takes money from clients and places it in any of a variety of investment vehicles for the benefit of both the client and the organization. SME Info provides the latest information, industry news and updates about the Small to Medium Enterprise segments in Malaysia. The portal also provides insights and latest news on government announcements, industry trends and available financing and training programmes for SMEs. Various developmental aspects for SMEs in Malaysia that the portal provides includes advisory services, financing options, training programmes, business networking and matching, and further industry events organized by the government and private sectors. SME Info is run by Bank Negara (The National Reserve Bank of Malaysia), where they play host as the Secretariat to the National SME Development Council. 4.5 Non-Government Organization – This organization could provide useful information and advices to new entrepreneurs. FOMCA Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia) For example, we have a very active consumer association in Malaysia which is known as Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang. They are a very active group which protects all the consumers in Malaysia. 4.6 Government Agencies -In Malaysia, we have many local authority that control a new establishment of a company. For example, Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), JAKIM, and many others. Therefore, in Seremban, we need to deal with Majlis Perbandaran Seremban (MPS) in order to obtain our license. 5.0 Summary After looking at all the major criteria in order to achieve success for my new venture in this white coffee business, I am very sure that we can implement all the macro environment factors which we discussed earlier. It will not only help us to improve our sales in order to meet our sales goal, but can also expand my venture to overseas and maybe international. Therefore, we need to improve our technology, which is our Research and Development sector to produce better quality of the product. A good product will also ensure our consumer to achieve maximum satisfaction. With good impressions from our consumers, I believe our new product will gain a great impact to the society.

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Steinbecks Themes of Strength and Sacrifice

Themes of Strength and Sacrifice in The Grapes of Wrath, In Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon graphically portray the themes of strength and sacrifice. They are universal characters, the people who make up the fabric of society in every nation. Through them we understand the need for unity and we feel the desperation of the billions of laborers who struggle every day just to survive. Throughout the story Ma is a model of the strength of the human spirit. For example, Steinbeck says of her, "if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone". She is the foundation upon which the rest of the family stands. Just as when a single driblet of dye is dropped into a glass of water and disperses throughout, her strength permeates to the rest of the family, infusing them with her mightiness. Also, when the Wilson’s car breaks down and Pa proposes splitting up just for a short time until the car is repaired she threatens him with a jack handle. She knows that all they have in the world is each other and without each other to hold on to they have nothing. There is a saying "one finds comfort in numbers" however in this case "comfort" is replaced with survival. In addition, near the end of the book, when the boxcars have flooded and it seems all hope has been lost Ma leads the family to higher ground. Despite the despair she feels she overcomes it to do what must be done to insure that they survive to live another day. Her strength gives her the power rise above adve... ...s of people they exploit. They are in fact lower than those they consider subordinate. 1. Your thesis statement appears at the beginning of your paper. Thesis statements generally come at the end of the introductory paragraph. 2. Be sure to cite your quotes with the name of the author and the page number on which the exact quote can be found. â€Å"Blah† (Steinbeck 13). 3. You have good conclusion paragraph. You combine the strength of the characters and apply it to the world today. 4. Overall, you have a strong paper, just be sure to support your writing with quotes from the novel. You have one good quote but a quote to support the paragraph on Rose of Sharon would have strengthened your paper.

Effects of Having a Schizophrenic Family Member Essay

A. What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a complex brain disorder that makes it hard for people affected to think clearly, have normal emotional responses, act normally in social situations and tell the difference between what is real and what is not. It makes people withdraw from the outside world and always act out in fear. People suffering from schizophrenia may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange ways, think that people are trying to harm them, and always feel as if they are being watched. They have difficulty in doing activities of daily life. This disease is caused either by one’s genetic make-up or abnormal brain structure. But the environment can be a cause too, as for the environmental factors, more and more research is pointing to stress. Like any other disease, schizophrenia has its own symptoms like strange ways of speaking, inability to express emotion and irrational statements. It is in these symptoms that we can detect persons with schizophrenia. And it is important that we diagnose them for medical treatment for schizophrenia may lead to violent behavior. B. Statement of the Problem People with schizophrenia don’t relate with people well and therefore makes it hard for the people who care for them to maintain a healthy relationship with them, the people they are related to, for example. For Schizophrenic people, it is hard to hold a stable job or even care for themselves. This makes them dependent on others and who else is best to care for them than their own family. However, schizophrenia sometimes results to violent behavior due to their inability to think clearly and belief that people are always trying to harm them. That is why many of their family members don’t know how to deal with them and this causes stress within the family. C. Thesis Statement Effects of Having a Schizophrenic Family Member D. Significance of the Study Schizophrenia is not a rare condition. The lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia is widely accepted to be 1 in a 100. It therefore affects thousands of families. The love and support of a family is vital in treating Schizophrenia but it is difficult to cope with its symptoms. A family member deals with extreme reactions, deterioration from personal hygiene, inability to concentrate and social withdrawal. It is seen that families only put up with the patients for a short period of time because of their frustration in what seems to be lack of progress in treatments. In their inability to understand a person with schizophrenia, a family’s emotional support may wane and some even cut off all contact with their schizophrenic son, daughter, or sibling.

Representation of Gender in the Film The Crucible Essay

Nicolas Hytner has used a number of techniques such as camera angles, dialogue and music to represent gender through the film version of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. This is evident through the study of the characters John Proctor, Reverend Hale, Judge Danforth, Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams. The film is set in the mid 17th century in the Puritan society of Salem. The Puritans are a group of people who take the Bible literally and very seriously. Law and religion was tied together so that sin became crime and visa versa. Salem was a place where pleasure and relaxation of any sort was restricted and people lived under rigid Puritan constraints that allowed no room for privacy. All power within the society was derived from biblical authority and the patriarchal views of Salem, thus the society was led by ministers of religion and the patriarchs, with women as the third class citizen. Miller, reflecting his own 1953 context, is paralleling the Salem witch-hunt with the infamous drive by Senator Joseph McCarthy to expose ‘radicals’ and ‘communists’ in the USA. Clearly, the term â€Å"witch hunt† has come to mean the slandering of innocent people using them as scapegoats for the things that are wrong in society. Discrimination against Muslims during the recent Gulf War and War on Terrorism illustrates the universality of the issue of witch-hunting. With the context in mind, the representation of gender in Salem can be analysed. The tragic hero of the film, John Proctor, is presented as a stereotypical man of the late 1600s Salem. John is presented by Hytner as very much the moral centre of the film through the use of a variety of filmic techniques in the construction of his character. In the first scene he appears, his clothes are natural and earthy in colour and his movement while reaping is close to the natural rhythms of the earth. This paints a picture of Proctor as a handsome masculine man, a worthy farmer doing an honest day’s work. The rhythmic reaping of the field gives a comforting feel and shows John’s confidence with his tools – a man used to hard work. The sunlight reflects off his face bathing him in some spiritual power. His  children are out working with him giving the impression of a family man. Images of Proctor are also painted in the scene in Proctor’s household and both male and female roles in the home and family are juxtaposed. John as the head of the family is blunt and abrupt to his wife which was representative of family life at the time. John is master of his house and shows his power when he shouts the word â€Å"Woman!† at Elizabeth. The single word establishes that John’s status is higher than that of Elizabeth and she must submit to his will. Proctor’s dominance is shown in the repetition of the words â€Å"I’ll think on it† and his slamming down on the table signifies the end of their argument. His male qualities are shown in the way he uses his body to make a point and his physical supremacy over his wife. Juxtaposed to this is the representation of female gender through Elizabeth’s character. She is constructed as a rather cold, but highly moral woman. Elizabeth’s role in the home is to care for the house so John can relax whilst she waits on him. This is shown by how she begins to clean up the table as dialogue is established and how she serves John and does the dishes while he is comfortably seated. Thus her inferior status in this patriarchal society is established. The scene portrays the female gender as quiet, submissive and subservient, and a protector of the home from outer influences as we learn that she â€Å"sent Abigail on the roads† because of her sexual attraction to John. Elizabeth is a fine example of the women in Salem. She is stoic, in keeping with the cultural expectations where any show of emotion is considered unseemly. She demonstrates the reserve that, as a woman, she has practiced all her life. This gender role is celebrated throughout the film. She is resigned, willing to accept the laws of her society however unjust which can be seen in the scene when she is arrested. Endowed as the home maker and nurturer, socially expected roles, her meek submissiveness highlights her strength of character as a wife and a mother. This is done through the close up of her hugging her children before she is taken away. The film lauds her behaviour in this scene as quietly dignified, and her integrity is highlighted when she organises the care of her children and comforts them  and hopes her husband will bring her home soon. Essentially, Joan Allen’s acting accounts for much of Elizabeth’s dignity, for the actress stands upright and faces her ordeal with confidence. Hence, the actions of an actor compliment the other filmic techniques that represent gender roles in the film. Despite his patriarchal prerogatives in the household, Proctor’s status is eclipsed by the status of those involved with the theocracy, such as Reverend John Hale and Judge Thomas Danforth. Reverend Hale is portrayed in the traditional stereotype as a gentleman of intellect and authority. He acquires this authority through his unique knowledge of ‘the invisible world’. This can be seen in the scene when Hale interrogates the girls. His demeanour and dress linked with his patronising voice threaten the powerless girls, and establish his authority as a feared ‘expert’. The tilted camera angle looking up at Hale and down at the girls reinforces this power. Judge Danforth represents another form of biblical power in the patriarchal society of Salem. He is the enforcer of law, one with absolute power over the individual, one who holds power over life and death. In the scene of his arrival, his importance and power is signified by the music with an insistent drum beat that is very loud. The camera angle looks up at the entourage showing soldier, carriages and horses charging into Salem to take control. The crescendo of music stops with a gong like sound as Danforth steps out of his carriage in medium close up with an upward camera angle. He is dressed very formally in black with a gold buckle standing out on his hat and stands in an upright and confident stance. These factors combine to establish Danforth as the stereotypical judge – an aged man endowed with wisdom and knowledge, but nonetheless with a hint of stubbornness. Contrasting to all this is the representation of female gender. Women in the society possess barely any power at all, not even the right of freedom of expression. This is why they were dancing in the woods and ultimately triggering the whole episode of the witch hunt. It is no wonder why a girl like Abigail would seize her chance to enjoy her powers as â€Å"God’s fingers†. However this empowerment of Abigail, her unnaturally strong sexual  attraction and her unwilling to be a submissive maid/housewife all works against social expectations of Salem and the film’s stance on being male and female – this establishes Abigail as evil and dangerous. Apart from being represented as countering stereotypical qualities, she is also established as a manipulative whore. This could be seen in the scene where John and Abigail meet against the wall. Dialogue is used to represent Abigail as a seductress, â€Å"give me a sweet word John†. Music accompanies Abigail’s emotional state, simple, unmelodic and mysterious as Abigail tries to seduce John and becoming more melodic and threatening as Abigail grabs John’s crotch and harangues him to position Abigail as a more powerful figure. As Abigail and John start to argue, Abigail occupies the foreground and the centre of the frame. This framing positions her as an empowered female. All this contributes the film’s construction of Abigail as a resistant and countering role and a temptress. In conclusion, Miller has used various filmic techniques to construct and represent gender roles as pointed out above.

Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group

Red Army Faction or Baader-Meinhof Group The left-wing terrorist group Red Army Factions main objective was to protest what they perceived as fascist-leaning and otherwise oppressive, middle class, bourgeois values of West Germany. This general orientation was coupled with specific protests of the Vietnam War. The group pledged allegiance to communist ideals and opposed the capitalist status quo. The group explained its intentions in the RAFs first communique on June 5, 1970, and in subsequent communiques in the early 1970s. The group was founded in 1970 and disbanded in 1998. According to scholar Karen Bauer: The group declared that ... its aim was to escalate the conflict between the state and its opposition, between those who exploited the Third World and those who did not profit from Persian oil, Bolivian bananas and South African gold. ... Let the class struggle unfold! Let the proletariat organize! Let the armed resistance begin!(Introduction, Everybody Talks about the Weather...We Dont, 2008.) Notable Attacks April 2, 1968: Bombs set off by Baader and three others in two Frankfurt department stores cause significant property destruction. At trial, Gudrun Ensslin, Baaders girlfriend and a committed activist, claimed the bombs were intended to protest the Vietnam WarMay 11, 1971: A bombing of US barracks killed one US officer and wounded 13 others.May 1972: Bombing of police headquarters in Augsburg and Munich1977: A series of killings designed to pressure the German government to release detained members of the Group take place, including the assassination of chief public prosecutor Siegfried Buback; the assassination of Dresdner bank; Hans Martin Schleyer, abduction of the head of the Germany Association of Employers and former Nazi party member.1986: Siemens executive Karl-Heinz Beckurts is killed. Leadership and Organization The Red Army Faction is often referred to by the names of two of its primary activists, Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. Baader, born in 1943, spent his late teens and early twenties as a combination of a juvenile delinquent and stylish bad boy. His first serious girlfriend gave him lessons in Marxist theory and later provided the RAF its theoretical underpinnings. Baader was incarcerated for his role in setting fire to two department stores in 1968, briefly released in 1969 and re-imprisoned in 1970. He met Ulrike Meinhof, a journalist, while in prison. She was to help him collaborate on a book, but went further and helped him escape in 1970. Baader and other founding members of the group were re-imprisoned in 1972, and activities were assumed by sympathizers with the groups imprisoned founders. The group was never larger than 60 people. The RAF After 1972 In 1972, the groups leaders were all arrested and sentenced to life in prison. From this point on until 1978, the actions that the group took were all aimed at gaining leverage to have the leadership released, or protesting their imprisonment. In 1976, Meinhof hung herself in prison. In 1977, three of the original founders of the group, Baader, Ensslin, and Raspe, were all found dead in prison, apparently by suicide. In 1982, the group was reorganized on the basis of a strategy paper called, Guerrilla, Resistance, and anti-Imperialist Front. According to Hans Josef Horchem, a former West German intelligence official, this paper †¦clearly showed the RAFs new organization. Its centre appeared at first still to be, as hitherto, the circle of RAF prisoners. Operations were to be carried out by the commandos, command level units. Backing Affiliation The Baader Meinhof Group maintained links with a number of organizations with similar goals in the late 1970s. These included the Palestine Liberation Organization, which trained group members to use Kalashnikov rifles, at a training camp in Germany. The RAF also had a relationship with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which was housed in Lebanon. The group had no affiliation with the American black panthers but announced their allegiance to the group. Origins The groups founding moment was in a demonstration in 1967 to protest the elitism of the Iranian Shah (king), who was visiting. The diplomatic visit drew large grounds of Iranian supporters, who were living in Germany, as well as opposition. The killing by German police of a young man at the demonstration spawned the June 2 movement, a leftist organization that pledged to respond to what it perceived as the actions of a fascist state. More generally, the Red Army Faction grew out of specific German political circumstances and out of broad leftist tendencies in and beyond Europe in the late 1960s and 1970s. In the early 1960s, the legacy of the Third Reich, and Nazi totalitarianism was still fresh in Germany. This legacy helped shape the revolutionary tendencies of the next generation. According to the BBC, at the height of its popularity, around a quarter of young West Germans expressed some sympathy for the group. Many condemned their tactics, but understood their disgust with the new order, particularly one where former Nazis enjoyed prominent roles.

Pros and Cons of Term Limits for Congress

Pros and Cons of Term Limits for Congress The idea of imposing  term limits  for Congress, or a mandatory restriction on how long members of the House and Senate can serve in office, has been debated by the public for centuries. There are pros and cons and strong opinions on both sides of the issue, perhaps a surprise, given the electorates less-than-flattering opinion of their representatives in modern history. Here are some questions and answers about term limits and the ongoing debate surrounding the idea, as well as a look at the pros and cons of term limits for Congress. Are There Term Limits for Congress Now? No. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years at a time and can serve an unlimited number of terms. Members of the Senate are elected for six years and also can serve an unlimited number of terms. Whats the Longest Anyone Has Served? The longest anyone ever served in the Senate was 51 years, 5 months and 26 days, a record held by the late Robert C. Byrd. The Democrat from West Virginia was in office from Jan. 3, 1959, through June 28, 2010. The longest anyone ever served in the House is 60 years, a record held by U.S. Rep. John Dingell Jr. The Democrat from Michigan was in office from 1955 to 2015. Are There Term Limits for the President? Presidents are restricted to only two four-year terms in the White House under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which reads in part: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. Some conspiracy theorists claim that President Barack Obama was secretly plotting to repeal the 22nd Amendment and run for a third term in the white house. Have There Been Attempts to Impose Term Limits on Congress? There have been numerous attempts by some lawmakers to pass statutory term limits, but all of those proposals have been unsuccessful. Perhaps the most famous attempt at passing term limits came during the so-called Republican revolution  when the GOP took control of Congress in the 1994 midterm elections. Term limits were a tenet of the Republican Contract with America. The contract called for a removal of career politicians through a first-ever vote on term limits as part of the Citizen Legislature Act. Term limits never came to fruition. What about the Congressional Reform Act? The Congressional Reform Act does not exist. It is a fiction passed off in email chains as a legitimate piece of legislation that would limit members of Congress to 12 years of service - either two six-year Senate terms or six two-year House terms. What Are the Arguments in Favor of Term Limits? Proponents of term limits argue that restricting the service of lawmakers prevents politicians from amassing too much power in Washington and becoming too alienated from their constituents. The thinking is that many lawmakers view the work as a career and not a temporary assignment, and therefore spend much of their time posturing, raising money for their re-election campaigns and running for office instead of focusing on the important issues of the day. Those who favor term limits say they would remove the intense focus on politics and place it back on policy. What Are the Arguments Against Term Limits? The most common argument against term limits goes something like this: We already have term limits. Theyre called elections. The primary case against term limits is that, indeed, our elected officials in the House and Senate must face their constituents every two years or every six years and get their approval. Imposing term limits, opponents argue, would remove the power from voters in favor of an arbitrary law. For example, a popular lawmaker seen by her constituents as being effective and influential would want to re-elect her to Congress - but could be barred from doing so by a term-limit law.

AOL Project GSB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AOL Project GSB - Essay Example The CEO Sally Smith, a mother of two, is a graduate of the University of North Dakota and holds BSc in Accounting and business administration. She held the position of chief financial officer at Dahlberg Inc. for 11 years before she was hired by BWLD in 1994 as a CFO and promoted to CEO in 1996. The strategies that Buffalo Wild Wings put forward in 2013 accomplished its goals to remain a high-growth, category-leading concept. It has significantly funded new strategic plans, invests in growth and imperatively distributed its earnings to shareholders. Its gross margin over the period 2013 was 27.0% and the operating margin was 9.6%, percentages that are above industry average. The company’s net margin stood at 6.5%. The company is fuelling its growth by increasing demand for its products and services. BWLD’s gross margin is inching upward implying that the company is continuously beating competitors and acquiring domination in the restaurant industry. The company continue s expanding through mergers and acquisitions and the dividends and its payout ratio upsurge. The risks and uncertainties involved in investing in the company are highlighted to caution investors against potential market failures and impending indecisions. The stock price increased by 52% and the company provided substantial value to its shareholders with a EPS $3.80, DEPS of $3.79. Revenue increased and was used to offer a salary increment to its directors. Apparently, its impressive stock performance acted as a momentous factor that fascinated investors. The 10k annual report reveals that the latest earnings that enable it to actively acquire a chain of restaurants that are small to reduce the acquisition cost. The buffalo wild wing company is in a position and determined to expand its base to targeted North American. This started as a result of