Inspirational Quotations for Adult Students

The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams - 2431 Words

â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† Question five: What is the significance to Laura (and to the plays meaning overall) of her collection of glass animals? Why is the unicorn singled out? What are its symbolic implications? Throughout the play, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† by Tennessee Williams, Laura’s glass collection, especially the tiny unicorn, can be used as a symbol to help us understand each of the characters individual viewpoints. The glass unicorn holds the most significance for Laura, but it, but the glass menagerie is symbolic of each and every one of the characters’ lives and attitudes. All of the characters can be better understood by relating them to the glass menagerie. The people in the Wingfield are all lonely they live in a fantasy world†¦show more content†¦However, because everything isn’t the way it used to be when she was a young woman, she fails to see that a caller is not what Laura needs. Laura needs self-esteem and to get out of her shell, not to have some boy break her heart and push her further into it. Amanda coddles Laura so that she can stay care free forever by making â€Å"plans and provisions† (Williams 1175) for her, but at the same time she degrades her, and attempts to control Tom. She tells Laura, â€Å"Now look at yourself, young lady. This is the prettiest you will ever be† (Williams 1184). She forces Laura into thinking that she can never become better than she is now and that â€Å"she has reached her peak at this moment† (Levy). She also nags Tom about his going to the movies and becoming like his father. She pushes them both further and further until they can’t take it anymore. Tom eventually leaves and Laura is left with no self-worth or prospects for the future. Laura has the most connections to the little horned horse. She shares the glass’ beauty and fragility. She also has something, like the unicorn’s horn, that makes her unique and special, but in her mind it keeps her from being accepted by people other than those in her immediate family. Laura possesses a â€Å"fragile, unearthly prettiness which usually escapes attention† (Williams 1191), because it is translucent, and delicate, just like the unicorn. Perhaps part of this beauty is the delicacy that

Case Study on Insurance Calculation of Married Couple Free Solution

Question: Explain the calculation of the insurance of the married couple Stephan and Dalgar. Answer: Introduction of Case Study- Young Married Couple Stephan and Dalgar are having one child. One of the business associate of Stephan was seriously injured in an accident so there was uncertainty of his coming back to work. The injured john family was at a financial risk because of lack of insurance. Explanation- They do not have enough insurance cover. Marie asked Stephan to give a call to john so that he can help him in the same. Thus, on phone, you explained the couple about the financial planning and to disclose certain financial information. You assured them that information will be kept confidential. There is a need for completing the financial profile. It is necessary to disclose what they own, owe and what they earn. This information will be recorded in the fact finder form. You arranged a meeting with them to come to your office along with the financial information such as, the details of income, the details of insurance, expenses, superannuation and the investments. Stephan and Marie arrived at the office and you explained them the FSG. Stephan is of 36 years old and his wife is of 32 years. Marie is the weekend player and they have one son harry of 12 months old. Purchase home 3 years back $675,000 Mortgage $440,000 Rate of interest on mortgage 5.48% Mortgage repayment $2,920 Current amount for offset $32,000 Stephan is a chemical engineer working on a full time basis in a agricultural supplies company. For ten years, he has earned $ 145000 pa. Marie worked on a part time basis following the leave for maternity. Child care fee of $88 per day is received by Marie. Marie and Stephan decided to send harry to a local school at a cost $65000. Cash with bank and super annuation , Marie and Stephan has two cars worth $ 11000 and $33000 each. It is clear from the above that they have one son, and to secure the future of their son, they need to go for the insurance. They have the total income $ 145000+ 88+65000+ 33000 = 189088 Conclusion- A file note containing the clients name shall be made. A promise is written to Marie and Stephan containing the FSG and the checklist of the information. Collection of the data- All the relevant information is collected from the John and Marie in order to provide them an insurance policy. Calculation of superannuation- Date of joining Particulars $ 1/2/2004 Stephan Super annuation fund 260000 19/1/2004 Marie Super annuation fund 114000 In the above case, superannuation fund stands as a deduction while calculating the tax. Total amount of $ 374000 shall stand on exemption of tax Calculation of Insurance- Super annuation fund provides death and permanent disability benefits. The premium is $ 0.90 p.a. for the cover of $1000. This premium is deducted from the superannuation contributions. In a ASSF super fund, it increases the benefits twice that of the members annual salary. There is increase in the cover to $ 750000 with the help of this fund. There will be increase in the premium to $1.00 per $ 1000 which is twice that of members annual salary. It has provided the protection to income with a coverage of 30 to 90 days. The benefit period will be between the range 2 years to 65 years. Maries superannuation fund is providing TPD benefits of $ 120000. The premium is $ 143 pa. This premium is deducted from the superannuation contributions. The scale of premium is as follows- For every $ 500000, it is $ 1.19 pa and $ 1000 of cover. For between 500001 to 1 million, it is $ 1.45 pa and with a cover of $ 1000 For between 1 million to 2 million, it is $ 1.65 pa and with a cover of $ 1000 Section 1- Maries and Stephens only objectives are to provide for their son harry and to protect the house. For them, the life insurance policy and the House insurance policy is sufficient. This will help to provide fund after the death of the parents and to protect the house. As, the cost of the house is 675000 $, insurance policy of $ 800000 is sufficient and the life insurance policy shall be of worth $ 250000. SOA- Risk Management Strategies Types of Insurance Reasons Protection of House General Insurance This will protect the house from thedamage through fire Take care of their son Life Insurance Take care of their son even after their death. Section 2- The Fact Finder- Risk Assignment Stephan Marie Repayment of Mortgage High High Health Issue High Low Fluctuation in Income Low High Section 3- Analysing the Data Section 3 Part A- Review of the Fact Finder- It shall include the details of the need, objectives of Marie and Stephan to go for insurance. Current Position- Their current position shows that they are looking for the protection of their house and the care to be taken of their son Harry Debt Management- They are having enough money to pay off the mortgage debt on the house. Risk / Protection- The risk involved is with regards to the health of Stephan who is a smoker and it can be protected with the help of medical insurance. Present and Future taxation issues- The taxation benefits is available to both the couples on their super annuation fund. The needs of the couples is to preserve the assets which is for the short term. This is from the two main objectives of the Dalmar. The value in dollar is $ 440000. Another objective of the couple is the protection of the income. This will help the Dalmar in maintaining his life if either of them dies. It is for the short term. Value in dollar will be the salary upto $ 205000 salary and the contribution of $ 19475. In order to provide harry for future education that will be of medium term for which the value is $ 65000. For the purchase of property in the coming future Medium term. Assessor feedback will be- To provide for harry for his future education. $ 65000 for the medium term. This is because, the couple is trying to send their son in a school where the total fees is $ 65000. Thus, the term of this goal is $ Medium term. Goals/need/objectives Timeframe Dollar value Asset Preservation One of the Dalmars two main objectives is to protect their home Short Term $440,000 Income Protection the Dalmars wish to maintain their lifestyle if either of them died or suffered a prolonged illness Short Term $145,000+$60,000 salary and $13,775+$5,700 SG contribution to provide for Harry, this includes his future education Medium Term $65,000 The Dalmars stated that they would like to purchase property in the future Medium Term $ 675000 Insurance on the home content Medium term $ 100000 Insurance on the home building Short term $ 75000 The questions Your response The assessors feedback (a) Do Marie and Stephan need a debt management solution? No No Their payment towards the mortgage is less than their total income. If yes, why? If no, why not? They currently have a positive net cashflow after expenses and taxes. However, they have stated they wish to protect their home and may require advice on reducing their mortgage faster. (b) Do Marie and Stephan currently have adequate life and TPD cover? No No.. TPD is not adequate. The TPD benefits is $ 120000 and the premium on it 1.43 which is relatively less. Stephan should have atleast $ 1370 m of TPD. This will help to meet the pay for harrys childcare and the future education. If yes, why/how? If no, how much should they have, and why that much? Stephan should have additional $1,370m and Marie should have an additional $460K. This is needed to payout their home loan, meet current living expenses, pay for Harrys childcare and future education, account for foregone superannuation savings and cover any medical/funeral costs. (c) Is their current life and TPD cover provided through superannuation the best alternate? No No TPD is only paid off when it needed. It is subjected to tax advantage as well. If yes, why? If no, why? What could be the alternative? The TPD is unlikely to be paid out when it is needed if Marie or Stephan if it is deemed they are still able to work in any occupation for which they are reasonable qualified for rather than for their own occupation. There are tax advantages of having the premiums paid through their super however Stephan plans only offers up to $750K which is inadequate. (d) Do Marie and Stephan require any other insurance cover? Yes Yes.Protection of income and the preservation of asset. It will be 50% will be bifurcated into- Stephan- $ 100, Marie- $ 40 and Trauma- $ 80 in both the cases. If yes, what type of cover? How much do they need? How should it be provided? If no, why? Income Protection - $75% of gross annual salaries plus annual SG contributions. Stephan - $120K (rounded) Marie - $50K (rounded) Trauma - $100K each (e) Is there anything that could impact on Stephans and Maries ability to obtain insurance cover? Yes Yes.. Medical insurance cover will be impacted as Stephan is a chemical engineer and working with the hazardous chemicals. As, Stephan is having some health there is limitation of income insurance. If yes, which cover(s)/why? If no, why not? Stephan works as a Chemical Engineer, working with potentially hazardous chemicals. He also travels to rural and remote parts of Australia where access to suitable medical care may be limited. Further, Stephan has a pre-existing condition, asthma and he is a smoker.These factors may limit his ability to obtain Income Insurance. However, as long as he can show medical history to prove the condition is well managed, and he doesnt have a history of regular hospital visits because of an asthma attack, he can generally still qualify for life insurance. (f) If Marie commences work from home, will this have any impact on her current or recommended insurance cover(s)? Yes Yes If Marie is working from home and leaving her job, the employer will stop paying insurance premium as well as there will fluctuation of income which makes it difficult to sustain the Income Protection Insurance. If yes, which cover(s)/why? If no, why? TPD. The event of business failure can bring on stress leading to disability. The insurer may prefer to waiting one to two years for the business to become establish before offering this cover. If Marie leaves her current employment her employer may stop paying her insurance premiums and the policy may not be portable. Marie is unlikely to get Income Protection Insurance if her income is fluctuating. (g) If Marie commences work from home, would she require any further insurance cover? Yes Yes If yes, why and what would she require? If no, why not? She will require insurance to protect her income (h) Are there any present and/or anticipated future issues associated with your recommendations? Yes If yes, why and what are they? If no, why not? There can be fluctuation of income that can make Marie incapable to pay the insurance premium. (i) Are there any present and/or anticipated future cash flow implications associated with your recommendations? No If yes, why and what are they? If no, why not? Because Marie commences the work from home. So, there will be no other income except from the work so done (j) Are there any taxation considerations with the recommendations? Tax will be levied if crossing the norms set. Section 4- Part A- Strategy- For every $ 500000, it is $ 1.19 pa and $ 1000 of cover. For between 500001 to 1 million, it is $ 1.45 pa and with a cover of $ 1000 For between 1 million to 2 million, it is $ 1.65 pa and with a cover of $ 1000 The strategy that will best suit to Marie and Stephan is the income protection strategy. This will help to protect their income from salary and helps them to avoid the fluctuation in the income and to meet their debts. The income protection insurance helps to protect the income fluctuations. This will help them to take care of their son Harry, to pay off his school fees and to pay off the mortgage debt. Building up of income strategy helps to meet the various requirements. The couples are not having any other personal insurance. The total annual premium on the vehicle is $ 2800 pa. The insurance of $ 100000 on the home contents and $ 750000 on the home building. The estimated price of their home is $ 675000. There is a content excess of $500 and building excess of $1100. There is a cover of legal liability up to $ 20 million. Towards this insurance, $ 145 per month is paid by the couples. Dalgar is having private health insurance with a cover of $ 500. Premium paid towards this cover is $ 270 per month. It also include the health insurance rebate. These payments towards the insurance are not included in the general living expenses. The product (name and URL link) Why you think it may or may not be the best fit for the couple Indicate which product/s you will use in your plan Term Life Insurance It may not be fit to the couple as it is for the specific term insurance NO Whole Life Policy It can be useful to the couple as it will help them to protect their entire life. YES Endowment Plans It is fit for the couple as it is the payment of the amount after a particular term say ten years, fifteen years, etc. YES Unit Linked Insurance Plan It is the insurance plus investment. So not fit for the couples. NO Money back policy It is payment of the particular amount of money after a particular period of time. It fits to the couple. YES Answer here Answer here YES NO Statement of advice Prepared for Stephan and Marie Dalgar Prepared by Authorised Representative Number: 66666 AR Address AR contact details Authorised Representative of KeyPlan Financial Planning ABN: 1010101010 Australian Financial Services Licensee Licence No. 101010 Head office: 88 Money Lane, Accumulation. Executive Summary- It shall consist of the need and objectives of the client. The reason for which the client is looking for the insurance. Here, in this case, the client is looking for the insurance basically for two reasons, one is for the protection of their house and the second one is the take care of their son Harry. Objectives- Knowing the objective helps to select the best insurance policy for the client. There are various types of policy available in the market such as, the endowment policy, whole life insurance policy, money back policy, etc. Strategy and Recommendation- Short term recommendation- I recommend that Marie: increase the current level of life and TPD insurance cover in her superannuation fund to $725,000 commence a self-owned income protection insurance policy to the maximum allowable limit of 75% of his current salary and his superannuation guarantee (SG), on an agreed value basis. commence a self-owned trauma insurance policy with a sum insured of $100,000. I recommend that Stephan: increase the current level of life and TPD insurance cover in his superannuation fund to the maximum allowable and commence a self-owned income protection insurance policy to the maximum allowable limit of 75% of his current salary and his SG, on an agreed value basis commence a self-owned trauma insurance policy with a sum insured of $100,000. I recommend: depositing surplus cash flow into your offset account, until Marie chooses to start working for herself. This should reduce the time required to pay off the home loan while leaving cash free to pay short term requirements such as holidays and near term living costs should Marie start her consulting business. your existing home and contents insurance and landlords insurance be reviewed to ensure it is sufficient. The Dalmars have indicated that the building would cost more to replace than it is insured for. Medium Term- One to five years- The medium term recommendation made by me are- Use of fund to protect the house. The couples are paying the mortgage of their house. Their important objective is to protect their house. I recommend them to go for general insurance in order to protect their house from the uncertain event that may happen. Fund is investment for the schooling of their son harry. It is approximately $ 65000. It also helps protecting the income and thereby, avoid the fluctuation of income. Expected outcome if the advice is implemented- The expected outcome is the advice is implemented is the receipt of the amount around $ 645000 after the maturity of the period. (Cockerell, 1957) Risk in the advice- If the Client fails to pay the amount of premium, his policy may be lapsed, is the risk involved in the same. Fees and commission summary- For per policy the fees is $ 1000. (Cockerell, 1957) Your existing insurance- Personal insurance $ 700000 Car insurance $ 11000 Home contents Insurance $ 100000 Health insurance $ 100000 Income and Expenses information- Client 1 Client 2 Total Assessable income $ 100000 $ 200000 $ 500000 Income after tax $ 80000 $ 150000 $430000 Yearly expenses $ 5000 $ 20000 $ 40000 Estimated surplus Answer here Answer here Answer here Value Liability Net value Home $ 5000 $ 1000 $ 4000 Home contents $ 100000 $ 20000 $ 80000 Motor vehicles $ 11000 $ 2000 $ 9000 Personal assets Answer here Answer here Answer here Employer superannuation $ 2000 $ 1000 $ 4000 Savings account $ 1000 $ 5000 $ 2000 Term deposit $ 2000 $ 2000 $ 5000 Other $ 4000 $ 3000 $ 1000 Investment assets Answer here Answer here Answer here Shares Nil Nil Nil Net worth Answer here Answer here Answer here Income, tax and cash flow Tax calculation Marie Stephan Combined Comments Income from employment Salary 60000 145000 205000 Combined salary will be considered Salary sacrifice 0 0 0 It is Nil Salary after salary sacrifice 60000 145000 205000 Combined salary will be considered Rental income Owned house so no rental income. No house is allowed on rent. Unfranked dividends No investment is shares are made by the couple. Franked dividends No investment is made in the franked dividend. Franking (imputation) credits No credit is made Interest Interst on the mortgage is paid by the couple Other income (e.g. taxable benefits, trust income, investment income) Superannuation profits are received by the couple. Capital gains 1 yr No capital gains Capital gains 1 yr No capital gains Tax-free component of capital gains No tax free component of capital gains Assessable income 60000 145000 205000 Combined assessable income will be considered. Deductible expenses No deductible expenses Donations 50 650 700 Combined donation will be considered. Other Answer here Answer here Answer here Answer here Taxable income Answer here Answer here Answer here Answer here Tax on taxable income Answer here Answer here Answer here Answer here Non-refundable tax offsets (e.g. LITO/SAPTO) Medicare levy Answer here Answer here Answer here No medicare levy. Medicare levy surcharge Franking rebate Refundable rebates and offsets 369 369 738 270/(1-0.1855)*0.1855 split evenly health insurance No childcare rebate Total tax Answer here Answer here Answer here Answer here Presenting Part A the SOA- The choice for the selection shall depend upon the needs of the Couples. They want to protect their house and take care of their son Harry. Hence, they can go for the Money back policy or the whole life insurance policy.(Ben Mahmoud, Larrieu and Pirovano, 2013) Part B- I will consider the points that are not satisfying the client. I will proceed the conversation by finding out what is dissatisfying the client and will try to find alternative in order to convince them. Client should have a faith in both company and policy. This will help them to engage. From the point of the compliance perspective it will help to comply with the need and the policy. I should explain all the points in detail to the client and should find out the financial capability of the client. This will help to find out the stability of the client. It also helps to check the credibility of the client. Thus, the credibility of the client helps to find out the exact requirement and the financial need and whether the client is financially strong to pay off the debt. (Ben Mahmoud, Larrieu and Pirovano, 2013) Marie Stephan Current value 200000 645000 Tax-free component 114000 260000 Taxable component: Taxed element Untaxed element 65000 65000 Preservation: Preserved Nil Nil Unrestricted non-preserved Nil Nil Restricted non-preserved Nil Nil Contributions: Non-concessional contributions: Year 1 Nil Nil Year 2 Nil Nil Year 3 Nil Nil Year 4 Nil Nil Concessional contributions: Year 1 Nil Nil Year 2 Nil Nil Year 3 Nil Nil Year 4 Nil Nil Income protection insurance details Life insured Owner Policy type Company Policy number Benefit amount Waiting period Benefit payment period Annual premium Marie Dagher Money back policy 700000 15 years 1000 Stephan Daghar Money back policy 700000 15 years 3000 Trauma insurance details Life insured Owner Policy type Company Policy number Benefit amount Comments Annual premium Marie Daghar Money back policy 200000 1000 Stephan Daghar Money back Policy 100000 1000 Risk needs Insurance needs Life and TPD Marie ($) Stephan ($) C Clean-up fund Settle all outstanding accounts, including credit cards, bills and funeral costs Estimated funeral/medical costs Nil Nil Total Nil Nil I Income fund The lump sum required to produce a level of regular income that maintains the familys living standard for a defined period Estimated unpaid spousal duties 500 500 General living costs excluding childcare and mortgage payments 1000 1000 Remaining spouses net income Nil Nil Income shortfall if other spouse died Nil Nil Annual income shortfall until Harry leaves university 1000 2000 Total 2500 3500 M Mortgage fund The amount necessary to discharge any existing mortgages Home loan 675000 675000 Total 675000 675000 E Education fund Lump sum determined by calculating each childs education costs and multiplying by the number of years of school and/or university remaining Childcare costs for Harry until school age (four years) 500 400 Total 500 500 Education costs for Harry 65000 65000 Total 66000 66000 Total 66000 66000 R Retirement fund The lump sum necessary to provide adequate funding for retirement 9.50% employer SG contributions 200000 400000 Savings foregone Nil Nil Total 200000 400000 Less value of realisable assets Nil Nil Superannuation 114000 260000 Offset account Nil Nil Less existing life/TPD insurance cover 120000 120000 Recommended sum insured Nil Nil Recommended sum insured (rounded to the nearest $10,000) Nil Nil Reference- Ben Mahmoud, M., Larrieu, N. And Pirovano , A. (2013). Risk propagation assessment 1for network security. Hoboken , N. J.: ISTE Ltd/John Wiley and Sons Inc. Cockerell, H. (1957). Insurance. London: English Universities Press. Hardy, E., Huebner, S., Michelbacher, G. And Mudgett, B.(1919). Insurance. New York: Alexander Hamilton Institute. Insurance. (1998). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Raynes, H. (1960). Insurance. London: Oxford University Press. Atkins, D. And Bates, I. (2008). Insurance. London, U.K.: Global Professional Publishing. Bedore, J. (1991). Insurance. Washington, D.C.: Office of Industries , U.S. International Trade Commission. Bickhelhaupt, D. (1989). Insurance. Columbus : College of Business, Ohio State University. Dickson, D. (205). Insurance risk and ruin. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Elliott, C. And Vaughan, E. (1972). Fundamentals of risk and insurance. New York: Wiley. Himick, M. And Bouriaux, S. (1998). Securitized insurance risk. Chicago: Glenlake Pub. Comany Ltd. Williams, C. And Heins, R. (1976). Risk management and insurance. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Sweet Memories free essay sample

It was raining outside, shattering relentlessly on my window panes. I snuggled into my thick, warm sheets, pulling them tightly around me. I rather enjoyed rainy nights, the rain seemed to drown out my thoughts, leaving a peaceful calm feeling, no pressure of time nor space. A loud rumbling growl of thunder bellowed, making me jump. Unconsciously, my fingers reached out for my blanky, my faithful companion for the past few years, my source of comfort throughout stormy days. I buried my nose into the silky blue quilt; the familiar smell somehow brought a nostalgic feeling to my soul. Blanky always reminded me of grandma. Memories locked deep in my heart that I tried ever so hard to forget flooded my mind once again; I hurriedly blinked away the tears that was brimming on the edge of my lashes†¦ I remember the days, when grandmother was still around. She wasn’t the typical stereotype grandmother who sits in old, wooden rocking chairs, knitting endlessly to pass their old days. We will write a custom essay sample on Sweet Memories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My grandmother was special. Short, black-grey curls bounced around her wrinkled sun burnt face. Dark mischievous eyes twinkled from under bushy eyebrows. My grandmother was really energetic. She was always running around, cracking jokes, and bringing me out for picnics. I spent a lot of time with grandma, when my parents went for vacations. I enjoyed my days with grandma though. Grandma lived alone somewhere in the country. It was a small house surrounded with a big meadow and green pastures. I loved my Grandma’s little secret garden. It was a beautiful garden, surrounded by a great wall of tall trees, bringing mysterious, peaceful feelings. Sometimes we would just sit on the back porch swing; I would lie my head on her knee, and she would stroke my head as she told me a story. At nights, Grandma would bring me out to watch the stars. She promised that she would always be there for me, just as the stars were. For my fifth birthday, my grandma decided to sew a blanket for me. It was made of traditional Chinese silk. It was old fashioned and not very pretty, but I loved it very much, regarding it as my most prized possession. The sweet memories, however, did not last long. Grandma contracted a deadly disease, and passed away one Spring day. When I got the news, I was devastated. It was impossible to think of a woman so strong, now left without a trace of life in her body. For months I would not speak to a soul about the sweet memories once shared. The memories were forever locked under key inside the depths of my heart†¦ The rain had cleared, and stars that were hidden by dark clouds a few moments ago were once again seen twinkling in the sky. I pressed my face to the window and whispered, â€Å"You are always there for me, even when I cannot see you. † I held the blanky tight to my heart, my last memory of grandma shall always be treasured. I learnt from this painful experience to cherish each moment of life, because time is precious. I shall not cry because its over, but I shall smile because it happened.

America First Hand Essays - Literature, United States, Free Essays

America First Hand Essays - Literature, United States, Free Essays America First Hand America First Hand. Robert D. Marcus and David Burner. Beacon Press, 1987, 223 pgs. The beginning of the colonial period was full of troubles. America First Hand, by Robert D. Marcus and David Burner is written in distinct detail about several accounts by American colonists that are written and relay what it was like in the colonies during the first couple decades. The accounts describe how teenagers, men, and women, all in their own way, questioned society, religion, and government in order to improve themselves and have their own effects on a changing county. Marcus and Burner compare and contrast religious, political, and social issues that were dealt with during the early 1800s. The authors examined the experiences of Hetty Shepard, Ben Franklin, and Eliza Pickeny. Three Americans from very different backgrounds who all had thoughts, actions, and ideas to better themselves and hopefully better their fellow man and society. They show that people should try to better themselves based on his or her own opinions and ideas rather than rely on those of others. Miss Hetty Shepard was a Puritan girl living in New England at the height of colonization and had trouble with the Indians. She recorded a diary to describe the days as they went by. Also along with her daily acknowledgements, Hetty reveals private thoughts and inquires that show her doubts and questions concerning her strict Puritan beliefs. Marcus and Burner show passages from a diary written by Hetty Shepard about what some may call the rebellious mind of young woman. Based on her writings, others may call her the beginning of the independent, or republican, women. Men of the colonial time period did not have it much easier than women. Inventor, philosopher, printer, and ladies man extraordinary Ben Franklin was also considered. He was a writer/printer from Philadelphia, and a person who was interested in the science of humanity. Franklin in the midst of the Age of Enlightenment, was a man concerned with his own personal perfection. Eliza Pinckney, A Republican Women, was an extraordinary woman of the colonial south. There were many photographs of Eliza Pinckney placed on pages 123-128. Throughout her life she knew how to fend for herself. She was educated and cultured; she took on the responsibilities of running several plantations, as well as the responsibility of raising two children on her own through long distance correspondence. She was in every meaning of the word, independent. All three of these people, Hetty Shepard, Ben Franklin, and Eliza Pinckney began their ways by suppressing their natural thoughts, impulses, and emotions in order to fulfill the requirement society expected of them. America First Hand teaches a lesson because eventually they all came to realize that the way to better them was to do what was best for them and their situation. These three people are examples of what makes America a great country of independence. They show that you dont have to believe what you are told, and that you should do what is best for you as you see it. They show that no matter your age, sex, background, or creed, you can think for yourself and help to mold our still and ever-changing country. The material that the authors present is well organized and easy to understand. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about how others viewed us becoming an independent nation during the 1800s.

Lost in the barrens journal 1 essays

Lost in the barrens journal 1 essays While reading the beginning of the Lost In The Barrens and getting to know major characters of the story, I have pointed out characteristics for each one of them. The relationship between two boys, Jamie and Awasin, was very much like it would be between a puppy and a mother dog. Jamie wanted to be in adventures ever since he left Toronto. Up in North Manitoba Jamie met his friend Awasin who was a native Indian with great knowledge about the survival in the wilderness. Jamie is the kind of person who will not be satisfied until something is done or something that he wants to do is accomplished. Awasin was responsible for Jamie during that summer and because of Jamies curiosity and impatience they had to struggle through the wild and dangerous Northern Manitoba. This kind of relationship reminded me of many movies where two or more kids, teenagers, or adults are forced to go through hard time because of someone who is very curious. One of these movies is The Good Son where one child w as doing things that would make his friend try to stop them but make it look like he was doing them. As I read through deeper in the book the tension increased almost to the climax of the story. At that point in the book, the main conflicts were already shown to the reader. Man vs. Man and Man vs. Nature are the main conflicts in this novel. Jamie and Awasin were forced to kill animals for food, shelter, and clothes. Also the traveling from camp to camp was extremely dangerous, one time they lost their canoe and severely injured themselves. Their fear of the Eskimos grew larger as they traveled around the area where Eskimos would hunt and camp because for decades the Indians and Eskimos were fighting over the area where they settled. The great novel and an excellent movie Lord of the Flies have similar conflicts along the story. Grade four class was trapped on the island and without adul ...

Analyze and Appraise each of the (15) articles OBESITY IN CHILDREN Essay - 1

Analyze and Appraise each of the (15) articles OBESITY IN CHILDREN (Pay particular attention to evidence that supports the problem, issue, or deficit, and your proposed solution - Essay Example The research found that most interventions that meet the immediate needs of children are either pre-school or school based interventions. Though community based interventions may work they are not as effective for children as school based interventions. Children with obesity often exhibit metabolic complications and these complications are a major cause of early morbidity for such obese children. An effective intervention would thus be one that makes use of a critical understanding of the key pathogenesis of the phenotype of this group of children. Curtailment of sleep was found to be a major cause of obesity in both children and adults. The same risk factor is also valid for people of different setting from different parts of the world. The reason why curtailment of sleep would increase risk in obesity is that it leads to â€Å"constellation of metabolic and endocrine alterations, including decreased glucose tolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity, and increased hunger and appetite.† Low self esteem was recorded in children with obesity. In light of this, â€Å"weight loss treatment programs appear to improve self-esteem.† However, the research could not clarify if low self esteem is a risk factor associated with the cause of obesity. This is another confirmation on the usefulness of the multidimensional theory in tackling the problem of obesity from as many angels as possible. There was higher prevelance of obesity among children and adolescents from age 2 to 19 (16.9%) than there was in infant and toddlers (birth to 2 years). In terms of sex however, there was no differences in the prevalence rate. This study is therefore essential in providing researchers with the demographic areas where they need to pay particular attention to when dealing with obesity. The results showed that the viewing of television as a sedentary activity did not in its self act as a risk factor in beginning obese. The risk however was associated with the advertisements that

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social Research Paper

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social factors are more important in driving primate facial diversity.) - Research Paper Example Many researchers have resolved that social factors have the prevalent contribution in the emergence of primate facial diversity. Facial characteristics of primates are complex structures that are designed to fulfill several purposes. Primate face is made up of various phenotypes as it integrates various parts such as eyes, ears, nose, hair and patches of skin. All these organs differ in their traits and functions. These parts have different location, origin, colour, size and shape (Cartmill and Smith, 2009). The nature and shape of the elements in a primate face is to a great extent determined by social factors. In many social animals, facial traits offer an adequate source of information that is significant in social interaction. The face is used to express signs regarding primate behaviours, condition and identity. Given the role of face in social interaction, it is sensible to assume that social factors have a crucial contribution in enhancing facial diversity in primates. Facial diversity in primates is explained by the differences in characteristics, shape, colour and size expressed by different primate in the world. According to biologists, facial diversity among primates is highly contributed to by emerging social factors (Bradley & Lawler, 2011). The essay below will present some of the important social factors in driving primate facial diversity. In this essay, the author will provide evidence on the contribution of both social and ecological factors in directing diversity in primates. The table above illustrates the nature of social interaction among different primates in the world. It shows the social status of different players in their social settings. From the table, it is clear that the social responsibility among male and female primates varies from one primate to another. According to the table, facial diversity is highly influenced by social setting which primates engage in. Many primates spend

Mao's China and Beyond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mao's China and Beyond - Essay Example At any point when a nation and its people are faced with times of change, such evolution can be hectic as it moves forward to approach whatever issues, would need to be handled. Each national party and their leader(s), along with the citizenry themselves, would have unique interpretations of what should and shouldn't be there.These changes can and often times do, take many shapes. Such as, resulting issues over social welfare, economic standing, along with the resulting political unrest that transpires alongside everything else. For the citizens of China, they would encounter ramifications of their own, as a result of the advancement of the Communist movement. Over time, the influence of the movement would be determined. According to Maoism, "Deliberate organizing of mass military and economic power was deemed necessary to defend the revolutionary threat, while centralization kept corruption under supervision," ("Communism", p.15). This in itself would appear to be a positive step, b ut only time would tell how much. Any nation, or civilization, possesses cultural structures, for which they would be proud of. The structures that would be set to distinguish themselves from one another and in the process, would act as a unifier for the general masses. From the social standpoint, "As with the New Culture movement, Mao believed that all vestiges of Chinese traditional culture needed to be overturned. These included hsiao, or filial piety, Confucianism, monarchism, ancestor worship, religion, and the authority of elders," (Hooker, p.2). The movement of Mao's ideology, would further be translated politically as well. In viewing the political philosophy set forth, it would appear as if a contradiction in meaning. When most view proposed democracy, they view it in terms similar, if not exact, to the present US structure of government. In essence of this, "Mao himself referred to "New Democracy" as "democratic centralism"," (Hooker, p.3). With every revolution, comes the hope of a new beginning and the progression from old ideas, to new and what may be seen as better ones. The problem would potentially be that, "Democratic centralism essence a dictatorship- "a dictatorship of all revolutionary classes," in Mao's words- power would be concentrated in the hands of a few in order to guarantee that all class interests are represented," (Hooker, p.3). In further study, it would be discovered that part of Mao's policy, would be making both the financial institutions and general industry more on a national scale. Also there would be re-allocation of land coming from the wealthier owners and going to those who would have been at the very bottom of the economic class system. After Mao assumed his power hold in 1949, he re-named the previously mentioned principle of democratic thinking that he saw as being new, to something called the People's Democratic Dictatorship. While the general idea would further go on to make mention of the strength of the people's convictions and what they wanted to be handled by the ruling government, it would still place power within one central force. Question: What was the historical context of the Hundred Flowers

Festivals Of Egypt And Nepal Cultural Studies Essay

Festivals Of Egypt And Nepal Cultural Studies Essay A festival is an event, usually and ordinary staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of the community and the festival. Festivals of many types, serve to meet specific needs, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration after a sense of belonging for religious, social or geographical groups. Modern festivals that focus or cultural or ethnic topics seek to inform members of their tradition. There are neumerous types of festivals in the world. Though many have religious origins, others involve seasonal change or have some cultural significance. There are two principal types of festival like (i) Seasonal festival (ii) General Festival. Festival In Nepal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Everybody knows that Nepal is a land of mountain, but it is also land of festival. Every year more that 50 festivals celebrated in Nepal. Generally national festivals celebrated on some fixed dates and according to the lunar calendar astrolgers set their religious festival. Different types of festival are as follows: Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Year:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nepal it is known as Navavarsho. This is the first day of Baisakh. According to the Nepali officially calendar this very first day is observed usually in the second week of April. It is a national holiday. People go for picnic and have get together on this day. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Saraswati Puja: This day is celebrated as the birthday of Saraswati the goddess of learning. To please their goddess students worship their pens and books and expects her favour in their exam and studies this day falls between January/February and its very auspicious day for marriage. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shivaratri (Moha- Shivaratri): Shivaratri is one of the major festival in Nepal. It is the night of Lord Shiva which falls between February/March. In south east Asia and Inia it is the most worshipped God and more than 1,00,000 lac of Hindu gathered in the Pashu Patinath temple. In winter the worshiper take dip and bath in the holy river and fast for the whole day. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teej:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This festival is celebrated in August/September. On this day hindu womens day for her men. Generally women wears red Saris. On this day women observe fast and they pray to Lord Shiva for their husbands healthy and prosperous life. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tihar: This is the second biggest festival which falls between October/November. It is the festival of light. People worship Laxmi-the Goddess of wealth. They believe the Goddess Laxmi will enter their house, so they clean their houses and lit candles, oil lamps and the whole place took illuminating. This festival ends with Bhai Tika- brothers day when a sister pray long and healthy life for their brother. Gambling is not illegal on this festival because it is also gambling time in Nepal. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holi:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nepal this festival is known as Phagu. It is a festival of waters and colours. Holi is one of the most joyous occasion for Hindu community. *Origin of this festival: The celebration of Holi is very ancient in its origin and by its very origin is celebrates on ultimate triumple of the good over the evil.   Originally Holi is an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring. The festival of Holi is also associated with the enduring love between Lord Krishna (an in carnation of Vishnu) and Radha, and Krishna in general. According to legend the young Krishna complain to his mother Yashoda about why Radha was so fair and he so dark. Yashoda advised him to apply colour on Radhas face see how her complexion will change-because of this Krishna is extended over-longer period. Festival of Egypt Egypt is a wondrous country with many festivals and celebrations. Some festivals are historical some are secular and some are religious. Some of the festivals are given below: Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sham al Naseem: In Egypt both Muslim and Christian welcome the very fast day of spring. Sham al Naseem means the smell of Spring. The people gather together for outdoor picnic on the twenty first of March. On the day they have some traditional foods like Midamis (Kidney beans) and Fasiyah (Dried fish). Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ramadan: Ramadan is a very important festival in the Islamic calendar and more than 90% of the people are Muslim in Egypt. To honour the time when the holy Quran was revealed to the prophet Mohammad (sm) and it is celebrated on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. In this month Muslim people fast for entire month and they dont eat, drink or smoke from sunrise until sunset. Generally the working hour are often reduced in this time for praying in Egypt. By taking Iftar the fast is broken with friends, family and community people. The end of Ramadan is marked with festival called Eid-Ul-Fitr. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Egyptian Christmas: There is a small but significant community of Christian celebrate the Christmas, while most of Egyptian are Muslim. For the Coptic Christian of Egypt Christmas is celebrated on January each year. In this time the Christian community people fast and take only vegetable no meat or milk is taken from November 25th to the night of January 6th. The Pope of Orthodox Church beginning prayer at the big Cathedral in Cairo at 11 pm. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wafa Al Nil: This festival is dedicated to symbol of Egypt the Nile River. Now a days painting competition, seminar, music concerts are the common terms of celebrating of this September month festival. It is among one of the ancient festival of Egypt. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pharaonic Wedding: This celebration is held on the month of November and this festival is the symbol of ancient civilization of Egypt. Many couples visit to the Karnack temple and get married there. Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moulid an- Nabi: The prophets birthday is celebrated at Moulid an- Nabi. Its held during the 3rd month of the Islamic calendar. *Origin of the Celebration: The earliest account for the observations of Mawli can be found in Mecca. When the house in which Muhammad (sm) was born. It was originally a festival of the Shia ruling class, not attended by the common people. Public celebration of the birth of Muhammad (sm) did not occur until four centuries after his death. The first official Mawlid celebrations occurring in Egypt towards the end of the 11th century. The first public celebrations by Sunnis took place in 12th century in Syria under the rule of Nuraddin Zangi. Today it is an official holiday in many parts of the world. *Celebration of Mawlid: Where Mawlid is celebrated in a carnival manner, large street processions are held and homes or mosques are decorated and food is distributed and stories about the life of Muhammad (sm) are narrated with recitation of poetry. Mawlid is celebrated in most Muslim countries and in other countries where Muslims have presence. Saudi Arabia is the only Muslim country where Mawlid is not an official public holiday. *Conclusion: Festival is an entertaining event. There are various types of festival in the world. Different countries celebrate of their own festival with their own style. Every festival has its own origin and history. Festival shows a countries culture, ritual and their religious aspects. In Nepal they celebrate their festival from their religious aspect and most of the people are Hindu. However in Egypt they celebrate their festival from their Islamic religious aspect. Actually both of the countries celebrate festival from different value.

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Essay -- Business Management Stu

Slade Plating Case Management Summary Despite the success of the Slade Company as manufacturer of metal products designed for industrial application, the production manager, Ralph Porter, was concerned about the dishonesty among employees in the Plating Department. Some of the workers were misusing the punch in-out system for those who wanted to leave early or arrive late. Given the long working hour and low payment, they lacked of motivation in performing their tasks, resulting in the dishonest action. However, because of informal groupings among some of them, they operated as a team to work harder doing peak orders. Therefore, the desired output of the department was still satisfied. Yet, some employees who were not in the main group were slack off and misused the system even during the peak period, which potentially resulted in internal conflict in the department. Thus, in order to motivate employees and prevent the dishonesty, we propose to remove punch in-out system and launch a better payment system with both financial and non-financial incentives. Also, the working environment should be improved with various campaigns to enhance the unity in the department. We also move an employee who could not perform fully his talent to other department to maximize his capacity. With these solutions, the Slade Company could motivate their employees, encourage the teamwork, avoid internal conflict, and finally increase the productivity in the Plating Department. Analyzing the present situation There were 38 workers in the Plating Department of the Slade Company. Their jobs, working conditions, values and tasks varied significantly. They were all dependent on each other as they only received their workload after work at the previous stage was done. Work was supervised by a punch in-out system and a supervisor, Otto Schell. Payment was low and the working hours were long due to the company policy to keep training and benefit cost down by requiring overtime instead of hiring new workers. In addition, informal groupings were formed in the department, which significantly affected the daily run of the work. The largest group was the Sarto group, which could practically influence the whole department as others tended to copy this group’s ideas and values. Without doubt, this group was a real driving force of the department, both ... ... However, for Herman Schell, he is found to be inappropriate and non-manageable and thus to be removed from the department, to say, â€Å"promoted† to other department to maximize his personal abilities and talents that we unfortunately cannot utilize in this department. This, we acknowledge, is a very easy and usually not the manager’s way to solve an issue like that. But we believe we just identified the case when a significant and sustainable change is not likely at all and by getting rid of him would eliminate the conflict source from the group and enhance group dynamics on the floor in all. Of course, a con to that is the feeling of safety, the lifetime job experience of the workers. Yet, we believe this does not endanger the good workers’ positions and therefore does not pose threat to the regular employee. A reason why he might not have been sacked before – apart from the general practice of the department – is probably the family ties to Otto Schell, the supervisor. In our opinion, such ties can be good but in no way shall be hindering performance, and this shall not be a base for delivering improper results both professionally and personally in the workplace.

Copyright Infringement

Copyright Learning Team Weekly Reflection LAW/421 Learning Team D Weekly Reflection Week three focused on copyright infringement, and the legal issues in cyberspace associated with copyright laws. Copyright infringement can be classified into three theories; direct, indirect, and vicarious. Direct is the most obvious form because the copyright owner can prove legal ownership of the work in question and that the infringer copied the work without permission. A facilitator in indirect theory of copyright infringement is liable for damages.The copyright owner must identify the direct infringer, and the facilitator must have knowledge of the infringement. The copyright infringement case against Napster was a landmark case that forced Napster, once a free subscription service, to re-emerge as a paid subscription service. This case changed the way music was bought. Contributory infringement was used against Napster to force them to shut down and change their business model. Understanding th e defense to infringement claims, specifically fair use can be complex. Fair use is the most common defense of copyright infringement.Under the fair use defense, some infringement is permitted if the device can be used in a significant non-infringing way, such as a VCR. With the digital age and the growth of the Internet applying the copyright law has become more difficult for the courts. Photography, music, and software are the biggest areas affected by copyright infringement and issues dealing with cyberspace. Formats such as MP3 have made it easier for infringers’ to record audio and data files much faster than before, which can make it harder to catch the infringer or facilitators.Software has also become increasingly popular for unauthorized duplication. iTunes has stepped up to adhere to the laws protecting copyright by implementing safeguards to prevent illegal downloads. Digital photography and social networking have opened up new dimensions of copyright infringement issues for photographers. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has made strides in protecting copyright holders in the digital age by holding third parties responsible and going after parties that illegally download copyrighted aterial. Given that technology is proceeding at a lightning pace, one can only imagine how the music and movie industries are grappling with keeping as much as the profits as possible from their creative works. Although challenging for lawmakers, the advancement of technology in recent years has led to the culmination of new laws and precedent in protection of intellectual property. The Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980 afforded protection to computer software programs.Since then, appellate courts have suggested patents instead of copyrights provide the most appropriate form of intellectual property protection. Copyright infringement and protection is an important issue for all businesses small and large. Most large businesses started out as small busin esses that had a good idea that changed everything. Many small businesses don’t own patents or copyrights, but as information becomes more and more valuable parts of businesses they are becoming more of a concern. The most valuable part of most companies is their intellectual property.The franchisor must give full disclosure and details that relate to any part of the franchise or company in question under certain terms and conditions. It’s also important to remember to check and see whether the franchiser has established another franchisee or any other promissory agreements. Patent and Trademark lawyers are familiar in these matters and should be consulted upon buying a company with valuable information or if your own company or if patents and copyrights get involved (Steingold, 2005).

3 Disagreements About How to Use Either and Neither

3 Disagreements About How to Use Either and Neither 3 Disagreements About How to Use â€Å"Either† and â€Å"Neither† 3 Disagreements About How to Use â€Å"Either† and â€Å"Neither† By Mark Nichol Use of either and neither, and their associated words or and nor, is complicated by disagreements about proper usage. Here’s a discussion of the words and the opinions about their appropriate use. An â€Å"either . . . or† or â€Å"neither . . . nor† construction can include more than two elements, but some grammar guides advise writers to restrict the usage to reference to two choices: â€Å"I’m going to wear either blue or green† but not â€Å"I’m going to wear either blue, green, or red.† If you agree with that restriction (I don’t), delete either from the latter sentence and it’s optional in the first one, for that matter. Omitting neither is not an option in the sentence â€Å"I’m going to wear neither blue nor green,† but the idea can also be rendered â€Å"I’m not going to wear blue or green.† The proscription against using or, rather than nor, with neither (â€Å"I was neither here or there† instead of â€Å"I was neither here nor there†) is likewise not absolute, but nor is most common, and in this case I support the restriction. The third divergence is about agreement with a verb. The more restrictive rule is that when either or neither is the subject, or part of the subject, of a sentence or a clause, it should be accompanied by a singular verb: â€Å"I don’t think either of the candidates is qualified.† When two nouns or pronouns are framed by either and or, use a singular verb if the noun or pronoun closest to the verb is singular (â€Å"Either the boys or the girl is responsible†) and a plural verb if the closest noun or pronoun is plural (â€Å"Either the girl or the boys are responsible†) or both nouns or pronouns are plural (â€Å"Either the girls or the boys are responsible†). However, it is common to see a plural verb with either or neither in reference to a sole plural noun or pronoun, as in â€Å"Neither of the parties are willing to compromise.† The more conservative choice is to write â€Å"Neither of the parties is willing to compromise,† and I adhere to that option. Here are several other considerations: When constructing an â€Å"either . . . or† or a â€Å"neither . . . nor† statement, take care to place verbs appropriately. If one verb applies to both choices, place it before the â€Å"either . . . or† phrase: â€Å"She was going to leave either tomorrow or Saturday.† If a separate verb applies to each choice, either should precede the first verb, and or should come before the second one: â€Å"She was going to either leave tomorrow or wait until Saturday.† Also, avoid using a â€Å"not . . . either† phrase, as in â€Å"They will not vote on either the amended proposal or the original one†; revise to a â€Å"neither . . . nor† construction: â€Å"They will vote on neither the amended proposal nor the original one.† Finally, a statement that two things are not true can also be rendered with a â€Å"never . . . nor† construction: â€Å"Their facility had never completed an evaluation nor ever met anyone representing the contracting agency.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect Objects26 Feel-Good WordsSentence Adverbs

buy custom Current Issues and Research in International Law essay

buy custom Current Issues and Research in International Law essay This paper will evaluate the scope doctrine of self-determination in international law with special reference to issue of democratic governance. It will outline the relevant sources of the doctrine as contained in UNGA resolutions 1514, 1541 and 2625 and the jurisprudence in the Western Sahara case. The paper will then focus on the way in which Franck approaches the issue of "self" in self-determination and discuss his idea that self-determination must include the ability of the people of a territory to govern themselves through democratic means. The paper will consider any legal responsibilities that the international community might have to peoples who are denied this right, taking into account the doctrines of sovereignty and non-interference; and the powers of the United Nations Security Council. The paper will make reference to at least one of the works one of Burchill, Marks or Fox and Roth and to the relevant provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Righ ts 1966. Self-determination in international law is a concept that purports that a people have a legal right to choose (or reject) their sovereignty without coercion or influence from external forces. The doctrine of self-determination has its roots in the wars of the world where groups have come clashing with powers that be or other groups competing for the same space. In order to understand the basis for the doctrine of self-determination, it is imperative to also consider the basis for a state, the entity that stirs interest when it comes to self-determination of peoples. The doctrine of self-determination was chartered by the United Nations General Assembly (hereinafter referred to as UNGA) in several resolutions that sought to bring to an end the spirit and era of colonialism (UNGA 1514), to recognize the formal appearance of the non self-governing territories and the need to make them fully self-governed (UNGA 1541) and lastly to bring all states to a point of international co-operation and friendly relations between states as equals (UNGA 2625). United Nations came to reaffirm faith in the independence of states and the belief that all men and women everywhere are equal. That a people have a right of self-determination is central to the United Nations Charter on peace building around the world. Right of self-determination was not clearly defined in the years before World War I (WWI). Nations in the colonial era were denied that right or more correctly did not get recognized as nations that had the right of self-determination. Most of the countries in Asia and Africa were forced to work for and live by the administrative enforcement of their colonial masters. WWI, which was referred to as the War to end all Wars, brought some significant changes to some increasingly powerful nations such as the USA. The United States of America begun to engineer a process through their declaration of Independence and affirmed that all men are born equal. President Washington of the United States wrote to congress that self-determination was a much needed political and legal right that all people of the earth were entitled to. He explained that right of self-determination was an imperative principle of political action that must be enforced by all nations. New States at this time were in the offing. According to Smith, for a nation to be considered a state it has to possess three important components; one, a community must occupy space and time for a continuous period with the intention of settling there; two, a community must have emerging relatively permanent political institutions with roles that serve the community; lastly, the communitys loyalty must shift from individuals to the values, norms and creed held by an emerging political and administrative outfit that services the community in general. The Declarative Theory on Statehood derived from the International Law defines a State as an entity with permanent population, government, territory with boundaries within which it can exercise her internal and external sovereignty and complete Independence/self-rule and ability to enter into diplomatic relations with other sovereign states. (Brownlie, 2008) These requirements for statehood meant that other nations had to cease control and let those countries under their receivership develop autonomy of governance without external interference. Self-determination took shape in the years following World War II (WWII), which was considered as the war to reign in democracy and self-rule. Powerful nations reconvened and disbanded the League of Nations with the formation of United Nations. Central to the core values of the United Nations became, and still is, freedom for all peoples and the peaceful co-existence of all nations. The need to move towards the independence of colonies was seen as an important step towards the self-government of all colonial states and therefore the development of those people and their nations. The scramble for nationalism and self-determination of states begun and many nations after the WWII asserted themselves as independent states with their own leadership and political administrations. The United Nations played a critical role in the 1960s as it moved to abolish colonies and restore leadership to the colonies through the various UNGA resolutions to which powerful nations accented to. So far known states had claimed sovereignty and the concept of political self-determination had taken place. However, Western Sahara still remains a unique station. This country, which is largely a desert, was highly contested by Mauritius and Morocco. Today, Morocco backed by France remains the only country that has control over the largest divisions of Western Sahara. In 2007 the United Nations engaged Morocco in talks about the autonomy of governance for the region and Morocco came up with a plan to speed up the process and oversee a referendum for self-determination in the state to that effect. Given that Western Sahara remains one of the most sparsely populated nations of the world, any initiative to bring people together in unity of purpose had initially failed. This process made the amalgamation into statehood almost impossible as Smith says in his argumet on grounds for statehood. The same conditions made Western Sahara easy prey to re-colonization through successive regimes and altogether difficult for any group for example the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to organize good leadership. The lack of governance in the Western Sahara has made it revert to a state called the unfinished decolonization. Higgins argues contrary to many theorists on International law that There is no legal right of secession where there is a representative Government. (Higgins, 1997) In the case of Western Sahara she sees the nation as living in a delicate balance where Morocco is not fully obliged to legally cede Western Sahara full independence because of the representation of governance in place. While Higgins is seen as an enthusiast of the tenets of United Nations, in the case of self-determination of countries which are not fully self-governed she takes a major philosophical departure. She argues that securities of democracy cannot be guaranteed under receivership and therefore unless and until a country is fully stable and ready for independence it should remain in the shadow of the representative government. The view in this case is not really one that denies the tenets of United Nations but rather addresses fears associated with the manipulation of the process of democracy in a country whose independence is delicately underway. The right to self-determination was legitimized by the UNGA resolutions and not only that but also the process of aiding those nations that were not yet fully self-governed to attain sovereignty through self-rule and to be admitted in the charter of the United Nations. This increased need for autonomy of self-determination led to the birth of democracy in varied and different ways that promoted growth at individual and collectively at societal level. The interaction of states on the international platform as equals underlies a much bigger process underneath and behind every state. Since the conformity of working relations is dependent on democracy and free associations, then governments seeking to solidify their relations with other nations must conform to certain liberal approaches in how they govern their subjects. Franck says that the democratization process within a country has international ramifications. He argues that if nations must become compliant with most of the resolutions of the charter of United Nations on Human rights and such affairs as would include governance, then they are bound to revise their general norms of governance to allow for the much needed democratic space for political action. The pressure from people has increasingly yielded democratic results starting from the push for reforms in many countries with rigid constitutions. The electorate has played a critical role in determining who goes to the highest office in the land and consequently who represents them and their views on the international stage. According to Franck Democracy has become a global entitlement promoted and protected by collective international processes. In general terms therefore in the words of Franck democracy validates government. Since political groups wish to stay in power then they are constantly put to task to work with the will of the people. Initially, democracy was not considered a keeping of the United Nations but was esteemed as an internal or domestic affair. According to Burchill; Only after the Cold War did international law dare to address the question of democracy; it had previously generally been considered to be a domestic issue and thus not subject to international scrutiny. The events of 19891991 led to the embrace of democracy in many countries. The nature of Cold War forced nations to take a back seat in affairs of the more oppressed nations because of the relationships that were at stake. Nations did not exactly go to war with each other at this period but threats of emerging war fronts and unscrupulous manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction scared nations into alliances and DEFCON preparations. International community therefore, in avoiding to infringe on the sovereignty of nations and thus trigger another World War, did not have specific guidelines on rules or resolutions on democracy. Nevertheless, due to the norms that underscore the communion of International Community it became increasingly clear that self-determination was a process that was not complete without democratic processes that helped install leaders as statesmen. If countries did not have a choice regarding the leadership that would represent them in the international negotiations then it meant that the nation was still not freely governed and there fore not self-determined. These constituent ideals of democracy have seen communities go to war in order to reaffirm their faith on this foundation. Whether the war is civil or ideological, the same principles come crushing through. Democracy therefore has taken a legitimate incontestable position in the hearts and minds of the people. The principles of democracy are written all over the United Nations charter in various forms and requirements. The agreements that are entered into by nations are voluntary and bear no obligations except to the point where an agreement has been entered into. When nations thus bind themselves to these obligations then they are morally expected to deal judiciously with their citizens if they are to expect the same treatment extended to them by the international community. In time and in practice these values of equality and upholding of human rights have been transformed to become more than principles or etiquettes of dealership. The principles of democracy in many countries have become part of the law drafted to safeguard the sovereignty of a nation through the independence of the peoples of that nation. Democracy has therefore become a norm and an inviolable non-negotiable right however tumultuous the process of attaining democracy can be for a country. Fox and Roth have drawn two sources or forms of democracy on the international stage. The first notion is that democracy is a right and that the legitimacy of governments is dependent on the democratic space in their country. The second notion in academicc discourse entails the determination and theorizing of evidence of democracy as a yard stick for legitimacy of governments. They submit that even Western countries, which have a much more mature democracy, still struggle with internal democratic arrangements. The process of self-determination therefore becomes synonymous with democracy in any given country. Democracy has been reaffirmed time and again in the dealings that nations engage with each other. Since most of the countries affected by dictatorship are third world, one of the ways in which these countries have been encouraged to adopt democratic processes is through pledging democracy as collateral for aid. According to Susan Marks democracy in some other instances has been held as a condition that is part of a countrys territorial sovereignty. One hundred countries ratified the Declaration of the Community of Democracies document in reaffirming their faith in the legitimacy of democracy in sovereignty. When a countrys democracy is threatened either by internal or external forces so does its legal right to self-determination. Countries that are torn by strife and civil war are hardly stable and therefore lack competent governance that can uphold and defend democracy. International community in this regard has a responsibility to help restore order and normalcy in these nations. The United Nations comes in as an arbiter or a mediator between the warring parties within the society. Barnes says that at this point the responsibility of the international community is to explore the possibility of power sharing in cases of insoluble or extreme conflicts. (Barnes, 2001) The objective is to maintain peace through an evasive non-violent deal and jumpstart a process of reconciliation between the warring parties. The process continues to the place where the United Nation sponsors a process of constitutional nature so that peace is not only kept but guaranteed in the future in case similar conflicts occur. Another challenge of democracy is the minority groups seeking self-determination. Secession of a state within a confederation is only possible with the consent of confederate states. A case in point is the American Supreme Court ruling in Texas V. White in which the high court judge ruled that it was possible for a state to secede from the federation only with the consent of the rest of the confederate states. (Pavkovic Radan, 2003) Therefore, for sub-groups within larger states to seek self-determination would mean that a referendum would be established in keeping with the constitution of the land, which is the supreme law. International communities cannot act contrary to the opinion of the majority however noble their course is in an area faced by secession. The wish of the majority which is taken as the popular democracy carries the day in a winner takes all fashion. A case in point is the Western Australia secession bid from Federate Australia. The proponents wanted to split with Federate Australia because the majority of that federate unit wished so but the Joint Select Committee of British Parliament ruled against them since the majority confederates were not of the idea of the secession of Western Australia from the Confederation. (Pavkovic Radan, 2003) The international community therefore in promoting and sustaining democracy among warring nations evaluate positions with a key eye on where the scales fall in relation to popular democracy. On the other hand, in the event a successful secession occurs and emerging New Nations decide to self-govern themselves then the United Nations has made provisions on how that would take place. According to Pavkovic and Radan, the Yugoslav wars set the first application for the use of internal boundaries to become international boundaries. They said, regarding the state divisions of Yugoslav: In its wisdom, the international community ordained that the existing internal borders of the seceding Yugoslav republics were to be transformed into international borders.In essence, the principle of uti possidetis juris mandated that the borders of former colonial entities became international borders of the state following decolonization. (Pavkovic Radan, 2003) However, when the threat to democracy is external, then the United Nations have an even greater role to play. The threat of peace due to clashing of sovereign nations can be far more retrogressive in promoting the equality of nations in sovereignty according to the UNGA resolutions. The United Nations Security Council is empowered to move in swiftly in peace keeping missions around the world and quell a mutiny at least until a political solution is arrived at. The Security Council takes a neutral stance in regard to disputed zones and their presence in those areas is to keep violent armed conflict in check. Meanwhile United Nations convene meetings with neighbouring countries to the affected or countries with a sense of political affinity with the affected in order to find an amicable solution. In conclusion, the process of democratization is synonymous to the sovereignty of nations. The birth of democracy has come along way in determining whether a country is independent and therefore sovereign. The notion of democracy has always existed in the minds and hearts of people in their pursuit of independence from colonialism and continues to persist past the corridors of independence. As long as there is some form of limitation of choice whether in semi-autonomous states or in dictatorial regimes, the will of the people expressed in democracy has and will always force nations to change in that regard. International Law thus in recognition of this norm has legitimized the right to democracy as a prerequisite for recognition of sovereign nations seeking partnerships and favours. Democracy among the nations of the earth has developed to become recognized as a right and not just a principle in practice. The current move in international community is to promote democracy as part of self-determination to the place where it can be recognized as a law on its own in a bid to end the strife attached to dictatorial regimes and promote cohesion and peaceful coexistence of nations as equal sovereigns. Buy custom Current Issues and Research in International Law essay

Resource Management - Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Resource Management - Business Plan - Essay Example existing market trends, customer’s requirements, and the ways to fulfill their needs. Our aim is to provide our customers with highest quality services and products to keep them staying with us again and again. At small scale, the company will mostly contain male professional customers between the ages of 18 to 65 years of medium to high income. On the large extent, we will focus on retailers and wholesale dealers. We believe that by getting crucial financial support through its sale, in 02 years, the company will be able to capture 5-10% of the premium cigar market in the Greece. ABC Tobacco has estimated that its market share revenues will be of $1000000 in  a year and $1600000 and $2300000 at the end of 2nd and 3rd year respectively. We will specialize in the tobacco field and our mission is to gain and maintain the top position in tobacco industry by offering high-quality cigars at inexpensive rates and at easily approachable sites. ABC Tobacco Company is a Greek based corporation  and is equally shared and owned by Michael Collins as president, Jonathan Smith as vice president, and Jeffery Thompson as production manager. The administrative composition of the company has been designed on divisional structure as shown in the following figure. The results carried out through a recent survey reveal that the use of all types of tobacco brands is almost constant in all age groups. ABC Tobacco is going to launch its tobacco brands in ten major cities of Greece where the biggest cigarette user age group is 18 to 25 years. The following data represents the percentage of tobacco user age groups of different brands. Men use typical type of tobacco more frequently. But generally pipe and cigar smokers remain in touch with a particular product. Another interesting trend in pipe smokers is their continuous purchase of extra pipe. The survey reports point out that pipe smokers feel themselves comfortable by purchasing extra pipes. ABC will have to train its

U5 Case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U5 Case - Coursework Example A second utility is NPM (Orion Network Performance Monitor), a network management solution suitable for company networks. I would use NPM after Spiceworks to get an in-depth view of Badger Tools Inc.’s network problems and setbacks brought about by updating manually. NPM should provide me with a detailed list of hosted VMs within the network, as well as an outline of the server’s physical and virtual conditions (Rux, 2012). I can run NPM while offline and online to get a spatial idea of the full potential of the network. The first recommendation is connecting the servers and updating while online. An online update should provide new data and program components essential to the clients’ desktops, data, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista Enterprise. Secondly, Badger Tools Inc. should install Hotfix in Windows Vista Enterprise as a solution to GPU-oriented programs ran by the clients’ desktops. Lastly, the company can make all its servers ECN supportive. This means Badger Tools Inc. should enable the routers that experience high traffic to mark loads so that peers who get these loads can decrease their speeds of transmission (Rux,

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys Term Paper

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys - Term Paper Example Since the communication is considered to be an important part of our everyday lives, therefore, interpersonal communication is equally important for the interpersonal relationships, for which communication is considered as lifeblood. Without considerable communication, relationships cannot flourish at any stage (Kalbfleisch, Interpersonal Communication: Evolving Interpersonal Relationship). However, the interpersonal communication becomes more complex between couples of different ethnicities. In this paper, to discuss the interpersonal communication between couple from different ethnicities, two articles have been discussed. The first article is by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001); which discusses the attraction of different ethnic groups towards each other. The article also explains that while dating, the individuals keep in view the ethnic background of the partner and select their communication strategies accordingly. The second article is by Claborne and Duan (2011) which discusses the mate selection in intercultural marriages. The researcher claims that with positive link of communication between couples, a balanced relationship can be attained. On the basis of these discussed articles, the conclusion for this paper has been made accordingly. Articles ARTICLE 1: In the article, ‘Interracial Dating: the Implications of Race for Initiating a Romantic Relationship’ by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001), the research shows that mostly the couples from different ethnicities are attracted towards each other because of similar values and interest. Few of them are attracted due to the physical appearance of their counterpart, and the rest of them because of their physiological makeup. The paper predicts the future of interracial dating to be very bright, as the population of the U.S. will consist primarily of people of the colour. This will increase the interpersonal contact between different ethnicities, thus the ratio of their relationship will also rise. T he paper discusses the role of communication in the interracial romantic relationship. The paper presents six factors by Orbe that influence the co-cultural communication. The factors include: the preferred outcome for the relationship; the lived experience of co-cultural group members; abilities that refer to personal skills at using different communication practices; situational context involving the setting; perceived cost and reward involved in the co-cultural communication; and communication approaches to choose the appropriate communication strategy. Similarly Adler and Towne (2003) discuss the identity needs of the humans and explain that the sense of identity only comes from the interaction with others. Under this situation, the results of the paper conclude that the race of a potential romantic relational partner directly affects the verbal strategies that a person uses to initiate the date. It was also stated that due to the attitude about the interracial relationships, th e participants purposely choose verbal strategies. Showing that, to fulfil their identity needs, the partners adopt different strategies that help them continue the communication between them. ARTICLE 2: The other paper is ‘Interaction in Intercultural Marriage’ by Claborne and Duan (2010). The paper discusses the expectancy in the communication and culture. The paper says that cultures are extremely complex and consist of a number of interrelated cultural orientations. Thus, the expectancy valences can

Discipline of Teams Essay Example for Free

Discipline of Teams Essay What differentiates effective teams which enhances performance of a set objective? An effective team is a small group of individuals with complementary skills, having a clear objective and with a common purpose. Each individual in the team is accountable for the overall performance of the team and works for its best interest. There is a basic discipline that makes teams work. A team is more than the sum of its parts; its performance includes both individual results and a collective work product which reflects the joint real contributions from team members. Most teams shape their purposes in response to the needs of the organization, there needs to be an element of winning, revolutionizing or being the cutting edge so that each member of the team is equally motivated and is pushed to contribute effectively. The sense of purpose brings about a passion to deliver and hence builds the need for clear communication and constructive conflicts. To build teams performance we need to build a sense of urgency to accomplish the purpose, select members to match the skill potential required, set clear behavioral rules, challenge the group regularly, spend lots of time together to bond effectively and exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition and reward. In a team we need people with technical and functional expertise as well as people who are good at problem solving and decision making. We need each member, including the team leader to contribute in concrete ways and more importantly each member should hold themselves accountable. Effective teams find the experience of working together to solve a need highly energizing and motivating. Every company faces specific performance challenges for which teams are the most practical and powerful mobilizer at the top managements disposal.

Agroecology and Miguel Altieri Essay -- Agriculture Agricultural Essay

Agroecology and Miguel Altieri Agroecology and agriculture in general took a giant leap forward in 1492 when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Previously, the New and the Old World only shared three species: sweet potato, bottle gourd, and coconut. Now that this New World had been discovered, there was much that could be gained, and it was more than just gold (Bermejo 1994). Many attempts at growing crops in the new and very different environment proved frivolous, but others found success. In fact, it is known today that many crops reach their optimum yield in an environment that is different from their own. The first crops introduced into the Americas were the European grains, vegetables, and fruits; these were unsuccessful at first. However, some crops did adapt well to the tropical environment right from the beginning, including: bananas, sugar cane, and citrus fruits. Potatoes, tomatoes, gourds, beans, and chilies have all found their way into European cuisine; these crops all originated in the Americas. Rice, a now major player in Mexican food, was also introduced by the Spaniards. African grasses also replaced low yield grass species in Latin America. This giant exchange of species would completely change the world’s diet (Bermejo 1994). Although explorers set out in a conquest for â€Å"God, gold, and Glory,† and did, in fact, satisfy all of those desires, they discovered something that was way more valuable than anything they could have ever imagined. They discovered a whole new world that had unlimited resources, land, plant species, and anything else they could ever use in their lifetime. In their conquest, however, they managed to almost wipe out a whole population, thousands of years of history, an... ... from http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/wm/60.4/jones.html Lopez, B. (1990) The Rediscovery of North America. The University Press of Kentucky. Lexington. Sandberg, B. (2006). Beyond Encounters: Religion, Ethnicity, and Violence in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 1492-1700. Journal of World History, 17, Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://historycooperative.press.uiuc.edu/journals/jwh/17.1/sandberg.html Schwartz, B., D'Arcy, H., Schuman, H. (2005, April 1). Elite Revisionists and Popular Beliefs: Christopher Columbus, Hero or Villain?. Public Opinion Quarterly, 69, Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://80elibrary.bigchalk.com.proxy.uwlib.uwyo.edu/libweb/elib/do/document?set=pbsissue&groupid=1&requestid=issue_docs&resultid=9&edition=&ts=22A09C01D33E00EEC1C57E5266921447_1163398443033&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B106981986

Ancient Greece Essay

Greek Mythology, set of diverse traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals. The ancient Greeks worshiped many gods within a culture that tolerated diversity. Unlike other belief systems, Greek culture recognized no single truth or code and produced no sacred, written text like the Bible or the Qur’an. Stories about the origins and actions of Greek divinities varied widely, depending, for example, on whether the tale appeared in a comedy, tragedy, or epic poem. Greek mythology was like a complex and rich language, in which the Greeks could express a vast range of perceptions about the world. A Greek city-state devoted itself to a particular god or group of gods in whose honor it built temples. The temple generally housed a statue of the god or gods. The Greeks honored the city’s gods in festivals and also offered sacrifices to the gods, usually a domestic animal such as a goat. Stories about the gods varied by geographic location: A god might have one set of characteristics in one city or region and quite different characteristics elsewhere. II A A1  PRINCIPAL FIGURES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics, in addition to its multiple versions. The Greek gods resembled human beings in their form and in their emotions, and they lived in a society that resembled human society in its levels of authority and power. However, a crucial difference existed between gods and human beings: Humans died, and gods were immortal. Heroes also played an important role in Greek mythology, and stories about them conveyed serious themes. The Greeks considered human heroes from the past closer to themselves than were the immortal gods. Gods  Given the multiplicity of myths that circulated in Greece, it is difficult to present a single version of the genealogy (family history) of the gods. However, two accounts together provide a genealogy that most ancient Greeks would have recognized. One is the account given by Greek poet Hesiod in his Theogony (Genealogy of the Gods), written in the 8th century BC. The other account, The Library, is attributed to a mythographer (compiler of myths) named Apollodorus, who lived during the 2nd century BC. The Creation of the Gods According to Greek myths about creation, the god Chaos (Greek for â€Å"Gaping Void†) was the foundation of all things. From Chaos came Gaea (â€Å"Earth†); the bottomless depth of the underworld, known as Tartarus; and Eros (â€Å"Love†). Eros, the god of love, was needed to draw divinities together so they Greek Mythology might produce offspring. Chaos produced Night, while Gaea first bore Uranus, the god of the heavens, and after him produced the mountains, sea, and gods known as Titans. The Titans were strong and large, and they committed arrogant deeds. The youngest and most important Titan was Cronus. Uranus and Gaea, who came to personify Heaven and Earth, also gave birth to the Cyclopes, one-eyed giants who made thunderbolts. See also Creation Stories. A2 A3 A4 Cronus and Rhea Uranus tried to block any successors from taking over his supreme position by forcing back into Gaea the children she bore. But the youngest child, Cronus, thwarted his father, cutting off his genitals and tossing them into the sea. From the bloody foam in the sea Aphrodite, goddess of sexual love, was born. After wounding his father and taking away his power, Cronus became ruler of the universe. But Cronus, in turn, feared that his own son would supplant him. When his sister and wife Rhea gave birth to offspring—Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon—Cronus swallowed them. Only the youngest, Zeus, escaped this fate, because Rhea tricked Cronus. She gave him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to swallow in place of the baby. Zeus and the Olympian Gods When fully grown, Zeus forced his father, Cronus, to disgorge the children he had swallowed. With their help and armed with the thunderbolt, Zeus made war on Cronus and the Titans, and overcame them. He established a new regime, based on Mount Olympus in northern Greece. Zeus ruled the sky. His brother Poseidon ruled the sea, and his brother Hades, the underworld. Their sister Hestia ruled the hearth, and Demeter took charge of the harvest. Zeus married his sister Hera, who became queen of the heavens and guardian of marriage and childbirth. Among their children was Ares, whose sphere of influence was war. Twelve major gods and goddesses had their homes on Mount Olympus and were known as the Olympians. Four children of Zeus and one child of Hera joined the Olympian gods Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Ares. Zeus’s Olympian offspring were Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Athena. Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. The Offspring of Zeus  Zeus had numerous children by both mortal and immortal women. By the mortal Semele he had Dionysus, a god associated with wine and with other forms of intoxication and ecstasy. By Leto, a Titan, Zeus fathered the twins Apollo and Artemis, who became two of the most important Olympian divinities. Artemis remained a virgin and took hunting as her special province. Apollo became associated with music and prophecy. People visited his oracle (shrine) at Delphi to seek his prophetic advice. By the nymph Maia, Zeus became father of Hermes, the Olympian trickster god who had the power to cross all kinds of boundaries. Hermes guided the souls of the dead down to the underworld, Greek Mythology carried messages between gods and mortals, and wafted a magical sleep upon the wakeful. Two other Olympian divinities, Hephaestus and Athena, had unusual births. Hera conceived Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, without a male partner. Subsequently he suffered the wrath of Zeus, who once hurled him from Olympus for coming to the aid of his mother; this fall down onto the island of Lemnos crippled Hephaestus. The birth of Athena was even stranger. Zeus and Metis, daughter of the Titan Oceanus, were the parents of Athena. But Gaea had warned Zeus that, after giving birth to the girl with whom she was pregnant, Metis would bear a son destined to rule heaven. To avoid losing his throne to a son, Zeus swallowed Metis, just as Cronus had previously swallowed his own children to thwart succession. Metis’s child Athena was born from the head of Zeus, which Hephaestus split open with an axe. Athena, another virgin goddess, embodied the power of practical intelligence in warfare and crafts work. She also served as the protector of the city of Athens. Another of Zeus’s children was Persephone; her mother was Demeter, goddess of grain, vegetation, and the harvest. Once when Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow, Hades, god of the underworld, saw and abducted her, taking her down to the kingdom of the dead to be his bride. Her grief-stricken mother wandered the world in search of her; as a result, fertility left the earth. Zeus commanded Hades to release Persephone, but Hades had cunningly given her a pomegranate seed to eat. Having consumed food from the underworld, Persephone was obliged to return below the earth for part of each year. Her return from the underworld each year meant the revival of nature and the beginning of spring. This myth was told especially in connection with the Eleusinian Mysteries, sacred rituals observed in the Greek town of Elevsis near Athens. The rituals offered initiates in the mysteries the hope of rebirth, just as Persephone had been reborn after her journey to the underworld. Many Greek myths report the exploits of the principal Olympians, but Greek myths also refer to a variety of other divinities, each with their particular sphere of influence. Many of these divinities were children of Zeus, symbolizing the fact that they belonged to the new Olympian order of Zeus’s regime. The Muses, nine daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, presided over song, dance, and music. The Fates, three goddesses who controlled human life and destiny, and the Horae, goddesses who controlled the seasons, were appropriately the children of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of divine justice and law. Far different in temperament were the Erinyes (Furies), ancient and repellent goddesses who had sprung from the earth after it had been impregnated with the blood of Uranus’s severed genitals. Terrible though they were, the Erinyes also had a legitimate role in the world: to pursue those who had murdered their own kin. A5 Disruptive Deities Human existence is characterized by disorder as well as order, and many of the most characteristic figures in Greek mythology exert a powerfully disruptive effect. Satyrs, whom the Greeks imagined as part human and part horse (or part goat), led lives dominated by wine and lust. Myths depicted them as companions of Dionysus who drunkenly pursued nymphs, spirits of nature represented as young and beautiful maidens. Many of the jugs used at Greek symposia (drinking parties) carry images of satyrs. Equally wild, but more threatening than the satyrs, were the savage centaurs. These monsters, Greek Mythology depicted as half-man and half-horse, tended toward uncontrolled aggression. The centaurs are known for combat with their neighbors, the Lapiths, which resulted from an attempt to carry off the Lapith women at a wedding feast. This combat was depicted in sculpture on the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena in Athens. The Sirens, usually portrayed as birds with women’s heads, posed a different sort of threat. These island-dwelling enchantresses lured mariners to their deaths by the irresistible beauty of their song. The seafaring Greek hero Odysseus alone survived this temptation by ordering his companions to block their own ears, to bind him to the mast of his ship, and to ignore all his entreaties to be allowed to follow the lure of the Sirens’ song. B B1 B2 Mortals The Greeks had several myths to account for the origins of humanity. According to one version, human beings sprang from the ground, and this origin explained their devotion to the land. According to another myth, a Titan molded the first human beings from clay. The Greeks also had a story about the destruction of humanity, similar to the biblical deluge. The Creation of Human Beings Conflicting Greek myths tell about the creation of humanity. Some myths recount how the populations of particular localities sprang directly from the earth. The Arcadians, residents of a region of Greece known as Arcadia, claimed this distinction for their original inhabitant, Pelasgus (see Pelasgians). The Thebans boasted descent from earthborn men who had sprung from the spot where Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, had sown the ground with the teeth of a sacred dragon. According to another tale, one of the Titans, Prometheus, fashioned the first human being from water and earth. In the more usual version of the story Prometheus did not actually create humanity but simply lent it assistance through the gift of fire. Another tale dealt with humanity’s re-creation. When Zeus planned to destroy an ancient race living on Earth, he sent a deluge. However, Deucalion, a son of Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha—the Greek equivalents of the biblical Noah and his wife—put provisions into a chest and climbed into it. Carried across the waters of the flood, they landed on Mount Parnassus. After the waters receded, the couple gratefully made sacrifices to Zeus. His response was to send Hermes to instruct them how to repopulate the world. They should cast stones behind them. Stones thrown by Deucalion became men; those thrown by Pyrrha, women. The Greek People According to myth, the various peoples of Greece descended from Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha. One genealogy related that the Dorian and the Aeolian Greeks sprang from Hellen’s sons Dorus and Aeolus. The Achaeans and Ionians descended from Achaeos and Ion, sons of Hellen’s other son, Xuthus. These figures, in their turn, produced offspring who, along with children born of unions Greek Mythology between divinities and mortals, made up the collection of heroes and heroines whose exploits constitute a central part of Greek mythology. C C1 C2 C3 Heroes Myths about heroes are particularly characteristic of Greek mythology. Many of these heroes were the sons of gods, and a number of myths involved expeditions by these heroes. The expeditions generally related to quests or combats. Scholars consider some of these myths partly historical in nature—that is, they explained events in the distant past and were handed down orally from one generation to the next. Two of the most important of the semihistorical myths involve the search for the Golden Fleece and the quest that led to the Trojan War. In other myths heroes such as Heracles and Theseus had to overcome fearsome monsters. Jason and the Golden Fleece Jason was a hero who sailed in the ship Argo, with a band of heroes called the Argonauts, on a dangerous quest for the Golden Fleece at the eastern end of the Black Sea in the land of Colchis. Jason had to fetch this family property, a fleece made of gold from a winged ram, in order to regain his throne. A dragon that never slept guarded the fleece and made the mission nearly impossible. Thanks to the magical powers of Medea, daughter of the ruler of Colchis, Jason performed the impossible tasks necessary to win the fleece and to take it from the dragon. Afterward Medea took horrible revenge on Pelias, who had killed Jason’s parents, stolen Jason’s throne, and sent Jason on the quest for the fleece. She tricked Pelias’s daughters into cutting him up and boiling him in a cauldron. Medea’s story continued to involve horrific violence. When Jason rejected her for another woman, Medea once more used her magic to avenge herself with extreme cruelty. Meleager Jason and the same generation of heroes took part in another adventure, with Meleager, the son of King Oeneus of Calydon and his wife Althea. At Meleager’s birth the Fates predicted that he would die when a log burning on the hearth was completely consumed. His mother snatched the log and hid it in a chest. Meleager grew to manhood. One day, his father accidentally omitted Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, from a sacrifice. In revenge Artemis sent a mighty boar to ravage the country. Meleager set out to destroy it, accompanied by some of the greatest heroes of the day, including Peleus, Telamon, Theseus, Jason, and Castor and Polydeuces. The boar was killed. However, Meleager killed his mother’s brothers in a quarrel about who should receive the boar skin. In her anger Althea threw the log on to the fire, so ending her son’s life; she then hanged herself. Heroes of the Trojan War The greatest expedition of all was that which resulted in the Trojan War. The object of this quest was Helen, a beautiful Greek woman who had been abducted by Paris, son of King Priam of Troy. Helen’s husband Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon led an army of Greeks to besiege Troy. After ten Greek Mythology years, with many heroes dead on both sides, the city fell to the trick of the Trojan Horse—a giant wooden horse that the Greeks built and left outside the gates of Troy while their army pretended to withdraw. Not knowing that Greek heroes were hiding inside the horse, the Trojans took the horse into the city. The hidden Greeks then slipped out, opened the city gates and let their army in, thus defeating Troy. The Iliad, an epic poem attributed to Greek poet Homer, tells the story of the Trojan War. The story continued with the Odyssey, another long poem attributed to Homer, in which the Greek hero Odysseus made his way home after the Trojan War. Odysseus returned to his faithful wife, Penelope, whereas Agamemnon returned to be murdered by his faithless wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover. Historians considered the Trojan War entirely mythical until excavations in Turkey showed that there had been cities on the site of Troy and that fire had destroyed one of these cities at about the time of the Trojan War, sometime from 1230 BC to 1180 BC. C4 C5 Heracles and Theseus. The deeds of the heroes Heracles (see Hercules) and Theseus exemplify a central theme in Greek mythology: the conflict between civilization and wild savagery. Each hero confronted and overcame monstrous opponents, yet neither enjoyed unclouded happiness. Heracles had been an Argonaut but left the expedition after being plunged into grief at the loss of his companion Hylas. In another story, a fit of madness led Heracles to kill his own wife and children. But he is best known for his feats of prowess against beasts and monsters, which began soon after his birth. The most difficult of these feats are known as the 12 labors, which are believed to represent efforts to conquer death and achieve immortality. Although Heracles died, his father, Zeus, gave him a place on Mount Olympus. Theseus successfully slew the Minotaur, a monster that was half man and half bull. On his voyage home to Athens, however, he forgot to hoist the white sails that would have signified the success of his adventure. According to one tale, Theseus’s heartbroken father Aegeus, seeing black sails, believed his son had died, and committed suicide. The Aegean Sea in which he drowned is presumably named after Aegeus. Oedipus No hero of Greek mythology has proved more fascinating than Oedipus. He destroyed a monster, the Sphinx, by answering its riddle. Yet his ultimate downfall served as a terrifying warning of the instability of human fortune. As a baby, Oedipus had been abandoned on a mountainside by his parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, because of a prophecy that the child would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Saved by the pity of a shepherd, the child—its identity unknown—was reared by the king and queen of the neighboring city of Corinth. In due course, Oedipus unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy, matching the horrific crimes he had committed with the equally ghastly self-punishment of piercing his own eyes with Jocasta’s brooch-pins. Greek Mythology III A Gods and Goddesses B THE NATURE OF GREEK GODS AND HEROES In many respects the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology resembled extraordinarily powerful human beings. They experienced emotions such as jealousy, love, and grief, and they shared with humans a desire to assert their own authority and to punish anyone who flouted it. However, these emotions and desires took supernaturally intense form in gods and goddesses. As numerous literary descriptions and artistic representations testify, the Greeks imagined their gods to have human shape, although this form was strongly idealized. The Greeks, moreover, modeled relationships between divinities on those between human beings. Apollo and Artemis were brother and sister, Zeus and Hera were husband and wife, and the society of the gods on Mount Olympus resembled that of an unruly family, with Zeus at its head. The gods could temporarily enter the human world. They might, for example, fall in love with a mortal, as Aphrodite did with Adonis; Apollo with Daphne; and Zeus with Leda, Alcmene, and Danae. Or they might destroy a mortal who displeased them, as Dionysus destroyed King Pentheus of Thebes for mocking his rites. Not all Greek divinities resembled human beings. They could also be uncanny, strange, and alien, a quality made visible in artistic representations of monsters. For example, the snake-haired Gorgon Medusa had a stare that turned her victims to stone. The Graeae, sisters of the Gorgons, were gray-haired old crones from birth. They possessed but a single tooth and a single eye between them. Typhoeus was a hideous monster from whose shoulders grew a hundred snakeheads with dark, flickering tongues. Even the major deities of Olympus showed alien characteristics at times. A recurrent sign of divine power is the ability to change shape, either one’s own or that of others. Athena once transformed herself into a vulture; Poseidon once took the form of a stallion. This ability could prove convenient such as when Zeus assumed the form of a swan to woo Leda. Zeus turned Lycaon, a disrespectful king, into a wolf to punish him for his wickedness. The ability to exercise power over the crossing of boundaries is a crucial feature of divine power among the Greeks. Heroes Greek mythology also told how divinities interacted with heroes, a category of mortals who, though dead, were believed to retain power to influence the lives of the living. In myths heroes represented a kind of bridge between gods and mortals. Heroes such as Achilles, Perseus, and Aeneas were the products of a union between a deity and a mortal. The fact that the gods often intervened to help heroes—for example, during combat—indicated not the heroes’ weakness but their special importance. Yet heroes were not the equals of the gods. With a logic characteristic of Greek myth, heroes typically possessed a defect to balance out their exceptional power. For example, the warrior Achilles, hero of the Trojan War, was invulnerable except in the heel. The prophet Cassandra, who warned the Trojans of dangers such as the Trojan Horse, Greek Mythology always prophesied the truth but was never believed. Heracles constituted an extreme example of this paradox: His awesome strength was balanced by his tendency to become a victim of his own excessive violence. Nevertheless, the gods allowed Heracles to cross the ultimate boundary by gaining admission to Olympus. IV A B THE FUNCTIONS OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Like most other mythological traditions, Greek myths served several purposes. First, Greek myths explained the world. Second, they acted as a means of exploration. Third, they provided authority and legitimacy. Finally, they provided entertainment. Explanation Greek myths lent structure and order to the world and explained how the current state of things had originated. Hesiod’s Theogony narrated the development of the present order of the universe by relating it to Chaos, the origin of all things. By a complex process of violence, struggle, and sexual attraction, the regime led by Zeus had eventually taken over. Another poem by Hesiod, Works and Days, explained why the world is full of trouble. According to the poem the first woman, Pandora, opened a jar whose lid she had been forbidden to lift. As a result of her disobedience all the diseases and miseries previously confined in the jar escaped into the world. Such a myth also makes a statement about relationships between the sexes in Hesiod’s own world. Scholars assume that he composed the poem for a largely male audience that was receptive to a tale that put women at the root of all evil. One of the commonest types of explanation given in myths relates to ritual. Myths helped worshipers make sense of a religious practice by telling how the practice originated. A prime example is sacrifice, a ritual that involved killing a domesticated animal as an offering to the gods. The ceremony culminated in the butchering, cooking, and sharing of the meat of the victim. Hesiod recounts the myth associated with this rite. According to this myth, the tricky Titan Prometheus tried to outwit Zeus by offering him a cunningly devised choice of meals. Zeus could have either an apparently unappetizing dish—an ox paunch, which had tasty meat concealed within—or a seemingly delicious one, gleaming fat on the outside, which had nothing but bones hidden beneath. Zeus chose the second dish, and ever since human beings have kept the tastiest part of every sacrifice for themselves, leaving the gods nothing but the savor of the rising smoke. Exploration Myths charted paths through difficult territory, examining contradictions and ambiguities. For instance, Homer’s Iliad explores the consequences during the Trojan War of the Greek leader Agamemnon’s decision to deprive the warrior Achilles of his allotted prize, a female slave. Achilles feels that Agamemnon has assailed his honor or worth but wonders how far he should go in reaction. Is he right to refuse to fight, if that means the destruction of the Greek army? Is he justified in rejecting Agamemnon’s offer of compensation? One of this poem’s themes explores the limits of honor. Greek Mythology The dramatic genre of tragedy provides the clearest example of mythical exploration (see see Greek Literature; Drama and Dramatic Arts). The great Athenian playwrights of the 5th century BC— Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—wrote tragedies that explored social questions by placing them, in extreme and exaggerated form, in a mythical context. Sophocles’s tragic play Antigone concerns just such an extreme situation. Two brothers have killed each other in battle: Eteocles defending his homeland, and Polynices attacking it. Their sister Antigone, in defiance of an edict by the city’s ruler, attempts to bury her ostensibly traitorous brother Polynices. Sophocles raises several moral issues. Is Antigone justified in seeking to bury her brother? Which should prevail, a religious obligation to tend and bury a corpse, or a city’s well-being? The answers to these moral issues are far from clear-cut, as we might expect from a work whose subtlety and profundity have so often been admired. C D V A Legitimation Myths also had the function of legitimation. A claim, an action, or a relationship acquired extra authority if it had a precedent in myth. Aristocratic Greek families liked to trace their ancestry back to the heroes or gods of mythology. The Greek poet Pindar, who wrote in the early 5th century BC, offers ample evidence for this preference. In his songs Pindar praised the exploits of current victors in the Olympian Games by linking them with the deeds of their mythical ancestors. In addition, two Greek city-states could cement bonds between them by showing that they had an alliance in the mythological past. Entertainment Finally, myth telling was a source of enjoyment and entertainment. Homer’s epics contain several descriptions of audiences held spellbound by the songs of bards (poets), and recitations of Homer’s poems also captivated audiences. Public performances of tragic drama were also hugely popular, regularly drawing some 15,000 spectators. ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Our knowledge of Greek mythology begins with the epic poems attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which date from about the 8th century BC even though the stories they relate probably have their origins in events that occurred several centuries earlier. Scholars, however, know that the origins of Greek mythology reach even farther back than that. Origins of Greek Mythology Linguists (people who study languages) have concluded that some names of Greek deities, including Zeus, can be traced back to gods worshiped by speakers of Proto-Indo-European, the common ancestor of the Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit languages. But it would be misleading to regard the people who may have spoken this language as originators of Greek mythology because many other elements contributed. Greek Mythology Archaeologists have shown that many of the places where mythical events presumably took place correspond to sites that had historical importance during the Mycenaean period of Greek history (second half of the 2nd millennium BC). Scholars thus consider it likely that the Mycenaeans made a major contribution to the development of the stories, even if this contribution is hard to demonstrate in detail. Some scholars have argued that the Minoan civilization of Crete also had a formative influence on Greek myths. The myth of the Minotaur confined in a labyrinth in the palace of King Minos, for example, might be a memory of historical bull-worship in the labyrinthine palace at Knossos on Crete. However, there is little evidence that Cretan religion survived in Greece. Nor have any ancient inscriptions confirmed that Minos ever existed outside of myth. Scholars can demonstrate influence on Greek mythology from the Middle East much more reliably than influence from Crete. Greek mythology owed much to cultures in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, especially in the realm of cosmogony (origin of the universe) and theogony (origin of the gods). To take one example, a clear parallel exists in an early Middle Eastern myth for Greek poet Hesiod’s story about the castration of Uranus by his son Cronus and the subsequent overthrow of Cronus by his son Zeus. The Middle Eastern myth tells of the sky god Anu who was castrated by Kumarbi, father of the gods. The weather and storm god Teshub, in turn, displaced Anu. Scholars continue to bring to light more and more similarities between Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies. B Development of Greek Mythology Our knowledge of Greek myths comes from a mixture of written texts, sculpture, and decorated pottery. Scholars have reconstructed stories that circulated orally by inference and guesswork. Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, stand at the beginning of Greek literary tradition (see Greek literature), even though they almost certainly depended on a lengthy previous tradition of oral poetry. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War; it focuses on the consequences of a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles, two of the leading Greek warriors. The Odyssey is about the aftermath of the Trojan War, when the Greek hero Odysseus at last returns to his home on the island of Ithaca following years of wandering in wild and magical lands. The Trojan War later provided subject matter for many tragic dramas and for imagery on countless painted vases. Hesiod’s Theogony, composed in the 8th century BC at about the same time as the Homeric epics, gave an authoritative account of how things began. The creation of the world, described by Hesiod in terms of passions and crimes of the gods, is a theme that later Greek philosophers such as Empedocles and Plato developed but took in new directions. This connection serves as a reminder that mythology was not a separate aspect of Greek culture, but one that interacted with many other fields of experience, particularly the writing of history. For example, in the 5th century BC Greek historian Herodotus employed numerous themes and story patterns from Greek epics and tragedies in writing his historical account of the war between Greeks and Persians (see Persian Wars). Although the authority of Homer and Hesiod remained dominant, the poetic retelling of myths continued throughout antiquity. Myths were constantly remade in the light of new social and political circumstances. The Hellenistic period of Greek history (4th century to 1st century BC) saw many new trends in the treatment of myths. One of the most important was the development of mythography, Greek Mythology the compilation and organization of myths on the basis of particular themes (for example, myths about metamorphosis). Such organization corresponded to a wish of newly established Hellenistic rulers to lend legitimacy to their regimes by claiming that they continued a cultural tradition reaching back into a great past. Artists, too, portrayed myths. Statues of gods stood inside Greek temples, and relief sculptures of scenes from mythology adorned pediments and friezes on the outside of these temples (see Greek Art and Architecture). Among the best-known examples are the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens. These reliefs include depictions of combat between centaurs and Lapiths. Other visual representations of mythology were more modest in size and scope. The best evidence for the use of mythology in Greek painting comes from painted ceramic vases. The Greeks used these vases in a variety of contexts, from cookery to funerary ritual to athletic games. (Vases filled with oil were awarded as prizes in games. ) In most cases scholars can securely identify the imagery on Greek vases as mythological, but sometimes they have no way of telling whether the artist intended an allusion to mythology because myth became fused with everyday life. For example, does a representation of a woman weaving signify Penelope, wife of Odysseus who spent her days at a loom, or does it portray someone engaged in an everyday activity? The Greeks retold myths orally, as well as preserving them in literary and artistic works. The Greeks transmitted to children tales of monsters and myths of gods and heroes. Old men gathered to exchange tales in leschai (clubs or conversation places). Storytelling, whether in writing, art, or speech, was at the heart of Greek civilization. VI A THE LEGACY OF GR.