Liberty and Government Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Liberty and Government - Term Paper Example But when it comes to good government, another fact about British government is that it is among the group of highest performing countries in the world. In order to analyze Britain with reverence to good government let us first point out the basic requirements that a government need to become a good government and that are: People who are elected or appointed should know their roles and job in order to maintain good accountability. Whereas, good people here mean to empower the front line who can administer well in political context and good process is better policy and law making. Trust between those who are governed and those who govern will maintain the good standards. Moreover outcome of the actions will prove that government was performing well. People being the majority have the right to opt, modify or eradicate their government which actually is the soul of democracy. It is though difficult for a government to take care of freedom of every individual as it some how can affect others emotions and one of the most sensitive matters is to make a policy to provide religious freedom to every individual especially in a religion that seize abundant sects like Christianity. After the revolution American puritans strove hard to create a pure church and a thoroughly Christian society. Puritanism is the most criticized religion in American history and their self righteous attitude was a cause of English civil war and American Revolution. Puritan basically was a name given to people who criticized or wished to purify the Church of England by Anglicans. Puritans were divided into two groups: Separating puritans Non separating puritans The basic difference between both groups is that one believe that Christians church of England is corrupt and puritan should separate themselves from it where as the other believe that they should not separate themselves but should reform the church respectively. John Winthrop was the member of puritan faction with in the established church of England and had given the suggestions to make colonies. He wanted to transform the world by making an ideal colony. As Winthrop believes that love is the most important element that binds the whole body together so he wanted to make a system where every body should respect and care for each other. Moreover Puritans no doubt have developed the improved education system of England. Apart from Winthrop there were some other important entities who believed that Puritanism should be practiced as a religion and those who did so are supporting devil. John Cotton was among such people. He was puritan minister and was of the same view that Winthrop was that is to become a "city upon the hill" Thomas Jefferson has criticized such thinking of Puritans and believes that no one can force any one to follow a particular

Potassium Iodide Lab Essay Example for Free

Potassium Iodide Lab Essay I. Title: Finding the Formula for Lead Nitrate II. Purpose: This experiment was to test the different concentration levels of specified alkali metals to determine the greatest mass of lead nitrate. III. Background Information: Potassium Iodide Potassium Iodide is a crystallized, white salt but known to turn a bright yellow when exposed to prolonged moisture such as mixing with water. It is a simple iodine salt. In its natural state it is mostly colorless and odorless. If tasted, it would be like saline and extremely bitter and is has a relatively low level of hazard. Its main use is in photography but also used in table salt to iodize food and can be used in expectorants for lung congestion. It can also be used to protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine Potassium iodide IUPAC name Potassium iodide Other names Kalium iodide, knollide, potide Identifiers CAS number [7681-11-0] RTECS number TT2975000 Properties Molecular formula KI Molar mass 166.00 g/mol Lead Nitrate Lead Nitrate is a hazardous colorless crystal or white powder. It has a long history of uses. Until 1974, when the dangers of lead were realized, it was in a variety of products. Lead(II) nitrate IUPAC name Lead(II) nitrate Other names Lead nitrate Plumbous nitrate Lead dinitrate Plumb dulcis Identifiers CAS number [10099-74-8] RTECS number OG2100000 Properties Molecular formula Pb(NO3)2 Molar mass 331.2 g/mol Appearance White odourless solid Density 4.53 g/cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Melting point Decomposes at 290-470 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C Solubility in water 52 g/100 ml (20 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Solubility in nitric acid in ethanol in methanol insoluble 1 g/2500 ml 1 g/75 ml Structure Crystal structure Face-centered cubic Coordination geometry cuboctahedral Hazards MSDS External MSDS EU classification Toxic (T) Dangerous for the environment (N) Repr. 1/3 EU Index 082-001-00-6 NFPA 704 0 3 3 OX R-phrases R61, R20/22, R33, R62, R50/53 S-phrases S53, S45, S60, S61 Flash point Non-flammable Related compounds Other anions Lead(II) chromate Lead(II) sulfide Other cations Sodium nitrate Magnesium nitrate IV. Materials: * Electronic scale * Lead Nitrate * Potassium Iodide * Beaker * Graduated Cylinder * Funnel * Filter paper * Pipettes * Water V. Procedures: 1. Materials were gathered and then specific concentration ratio was received (water:solute 1:9) 2. Cylinder was filled with 100 milliliters of lead iodide *Graduated Cylinder is hydrophobic *Caution: Be sure of precise readings by measuring at the appropriate part of the miniscus 3. Cylinder was filled with 900 milliliters of KI 4. The solution was gently shaken to ensure even distribution of solute to solvent 5. Solution was then transferred to filter paper *Two filter papers were used for double filtration 6. The filter paper was put into a funnel of a beaker to the solution would separate VI. Data: a) mass of filter papers: b) mass of lead iodide: 3rd period 4th period 1:9 2:8 3:7 4:6 5:5 6:4 7:3 8:2 9:1 c) molar mass of KI: 165.998 g/mol d) molar mass of Pb(NO2)3: 331.268 g/mol e) calculation for determining molarity for each solution based on 1,000 ml: 200 ml/1000 ml x .5 ml = .1 ml f) observations: The two liquids started to both appear clear. After combined, it almost instantly turned to a neon yellow. While filtering, a colorless liquid seeped through while the yellow precipitate clung to the filter paper. There was little water in the flask but over half the filter paper had been covered in neon yellow. e) cautions: One must ensure to Read the meniscus at the proper point Use a plastic graduated cylinder for elimination of meniscus Measure by getting down at eye level Carefully take proper measurements Use two filter papers for double filtration Zero the scale after first weighing the filter paper Use an electronic scale for accuracy Product enhancements to minimize error Digital scale Pipettes measurements to allow a few drops of solution to be retained Plastic graduated cylinders for no confusion figure 1: rinsing setup figure 2: Pipette dispensing of liquids figure 3: filtering apparatus VII. Analysis The lab performed was found to be an effective way of discerning the formulation of lead nitrate and potassium iodides precipitate and use the chemical formula to understand the reaction. The formula is as follows: KI + Pb(NO3)2 PbI + K(NO3)2. Potassium Iodide and Lead Nitrate yield Lead Iodide and Potassium Nitrate. The reaction taking place is known to be a double replacement. The two compounds split and then combine with the counterparts. The PbI remains in the solution and the K(NO3)2 forms the precipitate. The purpose of the experiment was to find which combination of concentrations would consequently have the greatest impact on the mass of the Lead Iodide. It was found that when the concentrations of each are 5:5, the filtration leaves a substantial amount of the liquid and the yellow precipitate known as lead iodide is at the peak of the masses. The interesting part of the experiment is that it was far from expected results. It was conducted by three classes and the data varied across the chart. The last test group was not able to be used because of the inconsistency in which the obtained measurements compared to those of the rest of the tests. Therefore, only two classes were compared. The 4th period was seen to be the most accurate. The first two measurements, those of 1:9 and 2:8 varied greatly. The following masses compared were similar yet period 3 were all a little lower until the last concentration level measurements which were almost exactly the same The mistakes prevalent in the lab are not due to the experiment itself. Rather, it is human error that can be held accountable for the drastic differences. One of the reasons is improper measuring and mixing to begin. The students may not have gone to eye level to read each mark carefully to ensure only the most exact measurements. Also, the pipette is made of glass. This calls for the meniscus to be read properly or else the measurements will be off. To avoid confusion of the meniscus with graduated cylinders, plastic would be most appropriate. Luckily, these are hydrophobic and without a meniscus, they are simple to read. If glass was used, then it would leave open some opportunities for mistakes. With the pipettes, there could have easily been bubbles. The bubbles would take up space where the liquid should be for precise measuring. If twisted the wrong way, it would be easy for air to get trapped and cause these pockets. The pipettes however are carefully crafted so that the markings are a little above where they should be. Taking that into consideration, the room for error in not allowing all the water to drip out of the pipette, if done properly, is eliminated. Another space for error is the filter papers. Some of them were larger than the others. This can distort the results. The same filter paper should be used for all of those participating in the tests. The papers also varied in thickness. Others used only one paper, allowing too much precipitate through, and others used more than two. This allows the paper to absorb too much liquid instead of filtering it all the way through. An additional problem is evaporation. Leaving the filtration apparatus uncovered could allow gradual evaporation. Quite oppositely, the humidity in the room could also cause tampering with the solution. With the weather changes, the temperature of the lab was not held at a constant. One day it was heated the next was at a very cool temperature. This could easily have an effect on the experiment. All these reasons could have a great deal in the variety of results. The experiment would need to be performed again to accurately portray the data. Human error would need to be nonexistent VII. Conclusion As previously stated, the results of the experiment were not all in agreement. The different classes obtained various results. This can be due to human error. After realizing the effects on the reaction taking place, it was also discernable how concentration can easily affect the combination. However valuable knowledge on the formation of lead iodide was gained from this lab and the purpose was successfully completed.

Comparison Between Piano Concert By Barbara Wieman And Sacramento Cham

Comparison Between Piano Concert by Barbara Wieman and Sacramento Chamber Orchestra   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Feb 20,1997, I attended a piano concert that was performed by Barbara Wieman. The performance was held at the American River College Music Department choir room. The choir room holds about 100 people and every seat was taken and students were seated on the floor. The audience was dressed casual as everyone was students trying to do their concert papers. Barbara Weiman was also dressed casual but nice. The piano concert started at 12:20pm and was finished at 1:05pm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The program started with a piece from L.V. Beethoven called Sonata in F minor, Op.57. This piece can be characterized by an intense, dramatic use of fluctuating dynamics. It was as if the crescendo was not allowed to climax, then is aborted by a sudden change to pianissimo. The so called Beethoven motif was used throughout the piece, very effectively I might add. Barbara Wieman was very animated performing this piece and seemed to be very emotional while playing. This piece was very distinct and there was an effective use of rests that was displayed. I would call this piece very serious. After Beethoven we were treated to F. Schuberts Impromptu in G flat Major, Op. 90, No.3. This piece was very pleasing to the ear so we could call this consonant. The music seemed to flow and had a great rhythm. This piece was romantic in nature and probably that is why it was written in the romantic era. C. Debussy ‘s Feux d'artifice (fireworks) was the next piece played. The harmony was very obscured in this piece of music. The theme trying to be presented in this piece was as if fireworks were going off. The notes were ever changing and there was a very good uses of all the keys of the piano. This piece was not very pleasing at all and I did not care for it at all. From looking around the room it seemed other people would agree. After that unpleasant piece was played we were lead into La Cathedrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral). It was very slow starting but eventually started building the tempo and then seemed to drop off and become very slow in tempo. This piece seemed as if it were trying to tell a story. Alot of people seemed as if th... ...ught us back with a touching recollection of the very beginning of the work. The Bartok Divertimento was in three movements. It can be best described as continuous, fascinating, exciting and full of action. The melodies were strong, as were the rhythmic pulses and dissonance's. So much was happening that all you could do was go for the ride and enjoy it. The last major piece was by Copland, called Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Copland piece was in two movements bridged by an unusually long cadenza (Soloist), that lasted over three minutes. The soloist seemed to dwell on the lyric sweetness of the first movement and then signaled the merriment of the second movement. The first part struck me as very slow but the second part was very rhythmic,very perky, and was passed around appreciatively by all, while the piano and clarinet were trading ideas with each other. All in all, this piece signaled excitement and was made very enjoyable with the clarinet and piano. As this was my first Chamber Concert I was not sure what to expect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to my next concert.

Evaluate the social and economic impacts of the ‘One Child’ Policy in China Essay

Evaluate the social and economic impacts of the ‘One Child’ Policy in China In the year 1979, China was suffering a severe increase in population, and because of this Deng Xiaoping (leader of the communist party of China) introduced China to an anti-natalist policy called the ‘One Child’ policy. An anti-natalist policy aims to decrease the crude birth rate and the total fertility rate in a country in order to slow the population growth . This policy generated many social and economical impacts and in this essay I will talk about the social advantages of the policy, the social disadvantages, the economical advantages and finally the economical disadvantages. Firstly, the ‘One Child’ policy has created social advantages in China, since the population growth rate decreased. Due to the fact that the ‘One Child’ policy restricts women from only having one child in urban areas (there are some exceptions, like twins, lived in a rural area, if your child died then you can have another), this slowed down the crude birth rate and the total fertility rate. If China’s population kept on growing at the same rate like it was before any policies were introduced they would have encountered problems with resources. Resources are limited and China only has a certain amount of land, food, natural resources and water. This policy lowered the pressure on the limited amounts of resources and enabled people to have enough food and water to have a good enough quality of life and not live in fright, that one-day there wont be enough food and water. Furthermore, if a couple follows this policy, they would be offered some incentives. These incentives include that they would have access to health services and the child would have an education . This is a great advantage because the child will have an education and can learn and develop as a person and hopefully have a higher chance of succeeding in life. Also, access to health services is a great benefit because some families wouldn’t be able to afford health services. It will make sure that the family will be healthy and hopefully live longer. Women will receive education about having a child and will receive free contraception. With this, we can say that the ‘One Child’ policy created social advantages to people living in China. Secondly, the ‘One child’ policy also has produced social disadvantages in  China, like a gender imbalance and other social problems. Only having one child in a family can create some social problems with the child. Individuals who grew up, as single children as a result of China’s policy were considerably less trustworthy, more risk-averse, less competitive, more pessimistic, and less conscientious individuals . Their social skills will be poor with other children since they have no siblings at home. The parents usually spoil the child since it’s the only child they have, this is how the name the ‘little emperors’ was created for an only child. Additionally, the male to female ratio has drastically leaded towards the male side. This is because parents prefer to have a boy rather than a girl because when the parents get older, they will have to depend on their son’s wife to take care of them. If they had a girl then they wouldn’t be able to move in with their daughter because the daughter will look after her husbands parents rather than her own parents. This has a created a gender imbalance (for every 6 boys born in China, there are 5 girls) in China and has caused many older men to have no partner due to the simple fact that there aren’t enough women for the amount of men. In addition, there are some cases where unwanted girls are abandoned or aborted even though it is illegal in China. These children will have to be adopted or go to an orphanage. Child trafficking is at a record high in China and for the purpose of exploitation, which is a human right violation. Since there is a fall in the crude birth rate and total fertility rate there is going to be a greater gap between the younger population and the ageing population, which will mean that China could become a ageing population instead of a stable population. As we can see, China’s ‘One Child’ policy has made many negative social impacts in China. Thirdly, economic advantages of the ‘One Child’ policy are seen in China with a clear economic growth in China. It costs quite a lot to raise one child and it’s not easy to raise another child and therefore families will save money by only having one child. It is also believed that the ‘One Child’ policy is benefitting the economic future of China because it aids to improve the living standards and saves a lot more resources as I said before. Furthermore, the policy also reduces unemployment in China because there will be more jobs available to people since there will be a decrease in population. This will allow most people to have a job and earn more money  and therefore their standards of living will be better. The ‘One Child’ policy has had some positive economic impacts on China and the living quality for the Chinese. Fourthly, the ‘One Child’ policy has generated negative economic impacts on China. Older generations are dependent on the younger generations. The one child that is economically active is going to need to take care of his/her parents. However, if the one child is unable to take care because they don’t have a job, his/her parents will then face a very tough end of their life with very few resources. Also if you do have more than one child then you will receive a fine of a certain amount (depends on which province you live in), which can affect the family. The ‘One Child’ policy has so far created these negative economic problems on China. In conclusion, the ‘One Child’ policy has generated positive and negative social and economical impacts. I think that the policy is doing what it should be doing to China’s population, which is lowering it and slowing down the growth rate. China would be close to 2 billion people right now if the policy wasn’t introduced in my opinion, instead of its current population 1.3 billion . Word Count: 1063 Bibliography allgirlsallowed (Director). (2011). Statistics About Gendercide and the One-Child Policy [Motion Picture]. Fozzard, H. (2011, May 18). One Child Policy Incentives: Support for the Family. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from shenzhenparty: www.shenzhenparty.com/abpo-one-child-policy-incentives-support-for-the-family Google. (2012). china’s current population. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from Google: https://www.google.ch/search q=china’s+current+population&rlz=1C5CHFA_enCH545CH546&oq=chinas+current+po&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.4406j0&sourceid=chrome&espvd=210&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8 Guinness, P. (2011). Patterns and Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Monash. (2013, January 11). The effects of China’s One Child Policy on its children. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from monash.edu: http://www.monash.edu.au/news/show/the-effects-of-chinas-one-child-policy-on-its-children Schwarz, T. (2010, October 5). Anti-natalist Policies. Retrieved October 1, 2013, from Geography IBHL: http://zisgeography.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/anti-natalist-policies/

Cell Phone Usage While Driving

Cell Phone Usage While Driving The cellular phone has brought many services and many different ways of communicating. It has definitely made communication so much easier. However, when it comes to road safety, the cellular phone may be considered a risk especially when text messages and calls are received. On January 11, 2009 I got in a serious accident because of using the cellular phone while I was driving. I was driving to my friend’s house and I just received a text message.I was driving 45 mph in 35 mph zone and texting the same time. As soon as I looked up I passed a stop sign and collided to the car that was in front of me. My car was damaged and my insurance went up. Ever since the introduction of text messages, society has grown aware of the dangerous of texting while driving. Even though all people understand how it affects their life and the other people’s life, they still use their cellular phone.I was reading the Gazette newspaper the other day and accordin g to the national highway traffic administration, 16% of all fatal crashes in 2008 were caused by driver distraction. One of the most obvious things that happen when a driver is texting while driving is that the driver would avert his eyes form the road for around five seconds. This is more than enough time for a person to run in front of the vehicle or for the vehicle in front of you to make a sudden stop or to miss seeing the light change.The Washington Post news paper edition of June12, 2010 talks about a study that was done by University of Utah psychologists using a driving simulator under four different conditions: with no distractions, using a handheld cell phone, talking on a hands-free cell phone, and while intoxicated to the 0. 08 percent blood-alcohol level, 40 participants followed a simulated pace car that braked intermittently. Researchers found that the drivers on cell phones drove more slowly, braked more slowly and were more likely to crash. In fact, the three parti cipants who collided into the pace car were chatting away.None of the drunken drivers crashed. Now laws have been enforced to prevent accidents from happening on roadways. States such as California, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Washington D. C. have passed laws that prohibit the use of hand held cell phones while driving. Maryland becomes the seven states to pass the cell phone use while driving. A 2003 Harvard study estimated that cell phone distractions caused 2,600 traffic deaths every year, and 330,000 accidents that result in moderate or severe injuries but Americans have largely ignored that research.Instead, they increasingly use phones, navigation devices and even laptops to turn their cars into mobile offices, chat rooms and entertainment centers, making roads more dangerous to other drivers. District of Columbia require drivers who talk on cell phones to use hands-free devices, but research shows that using headsets can be as dangerous as holding a phone because t he conversation distracts drivers from focusing on the road. Older drivers were slightly less likely to get into accidents than younger drivers; they tend to have a greater following distance.Their reactions are impaired, but they are driving so careful they were less likely to smash into somebody. Also new drives are especially on the top list to have an accident when they use a cell phone while driving. The reasoning for this is that new drivers have less experience in focusing on driving during distractions. Also teen drivers send text messages while driving. Since text messaging involves the hands and the eyes, this is thought to be more distracting and dangerous than when drivers use a cell phone while driving only for speaking and listening.Now days most of the new cars has phones that is already built in the car and using that is would be dangerous as picking up the phone and dialing. Overall, if drivers feel they cannot use a handless device or if they are easily distracted on the road by their conversation, then they should not be driving, because they are a danger to others on the road. Also if they need to talk or text they should pull up to the side and finish their business before they get back to the road and driving. Cell Phone Usage While Driving It's an even greater challenge if I don't have my eating glasses on I never wear them while driving. It takes two hands to type. My 20-something children can do it one handed, rarely looking at the keyboard. The light changes. I'm almost finished. â€Å"Hurry, Hurry,† I tell my self, pulling into the intersection while pressing â€Å"send†. Boone. L. (2009, August 10). Cell phone usage while driving should be banned completely in the US do to all hazards it creates on a daily basis on US roads.As a professional driver (truck driver) he sees it everyday, drivers with a cell phone in hand testing while driving, or on the phone talking to someone, completely unaware of their surroundings, swerving, slowing down, ten, twenty, and even thirty miles an hour from the posted speed limit, not thinking for one second the dangerous situation that they are putting themselves and others in.He doesn't understand how can drivers despite of all the advertising campaigns on television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and magazines, drivers still go a head and use that cell phone while driving. But one of the worst thing he sees on a daily basis, is the people that are supposed to be enforcing this laws (the cops) are the first to be breaking them. Just every cop he sees driving on the road is talking on the cell phone. Wright, like they say â€Å"lead by example†.Just the other day while driving on the highway as he was approaching an off ramp, he looks to the right and see a car with a young woman driving and a baby in the rear seat, she is on the phone, not looking to the left for one second to check the on coming traffic, and Just as she is at the point were the off ramp meets the highways, she takes a look to the left, and realizes that she has no room to go in to the highway and has to force her self to the shoulder and into the rays, almost crashing into the trees.How can she be so careless? What kind of person puts a baby and them self in that situati on? Mansfield, S. (2000, Mar. )† A report by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that driving while using the cell phone probably is hazardous, but wouldn't speculate how great the risk was, nor what other mitigating factors might be involve†. Now the numbers are staggering, Schroeder, P. , Meyers, M. & Stinkbug, L. 2013, April) the statistics for 2011 on cell phone and driving say it's estimated that at least 23% of all car accidents ACH year involves cell phone use – that's 1. 3 million crashes, 3,331 people were killed and 387,00 were injured, and in 2012, 24% of all car accidents each year involves cell phone use, 3,328 people were killed, and 421,00 were injured. With this type of statistics, and as we can see, on the rise every year, what are the law makers or the government waiting for, to establish a ban on cell phone use while driving.States have proposed bans on cell phone use while driving, for example: Excerpt by Mansfield, S. (20 00, Mar. ) in Arizona, a person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a Agway while using a cellular telephone, a computer, headphones or earphones, excluding hearing aids or other devices for improving the hearing of the person, and any other electronic device not installed by the manufacturer an that is not essential to the operation of a motor vehicle.In Colorado, â€Å"mobile communications device† means a cellular phone, citizen's band radio, or other device that enables a person in a motor vehicle to transmit and receive audio signals†¦ No person shall use mobile communication device while operating a motor vehicle unless the device is pacifically designated to allow hands-free operation. Like the states mention above, in 2000 there were seven more states, that propose bans on cell phones while driving and nothing has come out of this proposals.From the year 2000 to present, the numbers on this surveys and studies that are been conducted by this government entities and private companies are still on the rise, and drivers don't seem to want to change their habits while driving, and all the debates between state legislators don't seem to be getting them no were, and at least for the moment don't for see any hangs in the laws any time soon. What can we, as responsible adults, and drivers do to help minimize this hazards that are been created by irresponsible drivers everyday.How can we get this so called legislators, to change their minds and finally approve bans that we so desperately need to make our roads much safer than what they are now. Have we not seen enough? How many friends, family members, families, and children, or loved ones need to be killed or affected, before someone does something about this absent minded killer. Cell Phone Usage While Driving It's an even greater challenge if I don't have my eating glasses on I never wear them while driving. It takes two hands to type. My 20-something children can do it one handed, rarely looking at the keyboard. The light changes. I'm almost finished. â€Å"Hurry, Hurry,† I tell my self, pulling into the intersection while pressing â€Å"send†. Boone. L. (2009, August 10). Cell phone usage while driving should be banned completely in the US do to all hazards it creates on a daily basis on US roads.As a professional driver (truck driver) he sees it everyday, drivers with a cell phone in hand testing while driving, or on the phone talking to someone, completely unaware of their surroundings, swerving, slowing down, ten, twenty, and even thirty miles an hour from the posted speed limit, not thinking for one second the dangerous situation that they are putting themselves and others in.He doesn't understand how can drivers despite of all the advertising campaigns on television, radio, billboards, newspapers, and magazines, drivers still go a head and use that cell phone while driving. But one of the worst thing he sees on a daily basis, is the people that are supposed to be enforcing this laws (the cops) are the first to be breaking them. Just every cop he sees driving on the road is talking on the cell phone. Wright, like they say â€Å"lead by example†.Just the other day while driving on the highway as he was approaching an off ramp, he looks to the right and see a car with a young woman driving and a baby in the rear seat, she is on the phone, not looking to the left for one second to check the on coming traffic, and Just as she is at the point were the off ramp meets the highways, she takes a look to the left, and realizes that she has no room to go in to the highway and has to force her self to the shoulder and into the rays, almost crashing into the trees.How can she be so careless? What kind of person puts a baby and them self in that situati on? Mansfield, S. (2000, Mar. )† A report by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that driving while using the cell phone probably is hazardous, but wouldn't speculate how great the risk was, nor what other mitigating factors might be involve†. Now the numbers are staggering, Schroeder, P. , Meyers, M. & Stinkbug, L. 2013, April) the statistics for 2011 on cell phone and driving say it's estimated that at least 23% of all car accidents ACH year involves cell phone use – that's 1. 3 million crashes, 3,331 people were killed and 387,00 were injured, and in 2012, 24% of all car accidents each year involves cell phone use, 3,328 people were killed, and 421,00 were injured. With this type of statistics, and as we can see, on the rise every year, what are the law makers or the government waiting for, to establish a ban on cell phone use while driving.States have proposed bans on cell phone use while driving, for example: Excerpt by Mansfield, S. (20 00, Mar. ) in Arizona, a person shall not operate a motor vehicle on a Agway while using a cellular telephone, a computer, headphones or earphones, excluding hearing aids or other devices for improving the hearing of the person, and any other electronic device not installed by the manufacturer an that is not essential to the operation of a motor vehicle.In Colorado, â€Å"mobile communications device† means a cellular phone, citizen's band radio, or other device that enables a person in a motor vehicle to transmit and receive audio signals†¦ No person shall use mobile communication device while operating a motor vehicle unless the device is pacifically designated to allow hands-free operation. Like the states mention above, in 2000 there were seven more states, that propose bans on cell phones while driving and nothing has come out of this proposals.From the year 2000 to present, the numbers on this surveys and studies that are been conducted by this government entities and private companies are still on the rise, and drivers don't seem to want to change their habits while driving, and all the debates between state legislators don't seem to be getting them no were, and at least for the moment don't for see any hangs in the laws any time soon. What can we, as responsible adults, and drivers do to help minimize this hazards that are been created by irresponsible drivers everyday.How can we get this so called legislators, to change their minds and finally approve bans that we so desperately need to make our roads much safer than what they are now. Have we not seen enough? How many friends, family members, families, and children, or loved ones need to be killed or affected, before someone does something about this absent minded killer.

Infomation essays

Infomation essays The introduction of the computer has created a new type of terrorism known as informational terrorism, which presents a threat, equal to or greater than physical terrorism. E-mail bombs and attacks on internet servers are the lowest forms of informational terrorism in terms of destruction. Higher forms of informational warfare include using the internet as a catalyst to produce physical terrorism on a higher scale. The national security establishment is concerned with a new form of conflict; informational warfare.(Devost, 1) The Department of Defense definition of terrorism is "the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological." (Research, 1) While in physical terrorism, the perpetrator must come in contact with the target, in informational terrorism the perpetrator only needs a computer connection. Not only are the tools of information terrorism more accessible but the implications can be more devastating. In conjunction with the Internet and the infancy of its laws, the criminal justice system has fallen behind with its vague set of incoherent laws. Terroristic violence, as portrayed in Tom Clancys Clear and Present Danger, presents a serious threat to the U.S. which should be dealt not only with caution and security, but also in conjunction with response. Identifying international terrorists and their networks providing warning so that protective or deterrent measures can be taken, and gathering information on terrorist acts require a major U.S. intelligent effort. (Wilcox, 1) In Tom Clancys Clear and Present Danger, information is not correctly distributed to U.S. agents causing underestimation of enemies. To rectify the drug problem initiated by Columbia, both the United States and Columbia use ph ...

Insect Behavior, Communication and Learning

Insect Behavior, Communication and Learning Most insect behavior is genetically programmed, or innate. A caterpillar with no prior experience or instruction can still spin a silken cocoon. But can an insect change its behavior as a result of its experiences? In other words, can insects learn? Insects Use Memories to Change Their Behavior You wont see one graduating from Harvard anytime soon, but indeed, most insects can learn. Smart insects will change their behaviors to reflect their associations with and memories of environmental stimuli. For the simple insect nervous system, learning to ignore repetitive and meaningless stimuli is a fairly easy task. Blow air on a cockroachs rear end, and it will flee. If you continue to blow air on the cockroach over and over, it will eventually conclude that the sudden breeze is no cause for concern, and stay put. This learning, called habituation, helps insects save energy by training them to ignore what is harmless. Otherwise, the poor cockroach would spend all its time running away from the wind. Insects Learn From Their Earliest Experiences Imprinting occurs during a brief period of sensitivity to certain stimuli. Youve probably heard stories of baby ducks falling in line behind a human caretaker, or of nesting sea turtles that return to the beach where they hatched years earlier. Some insects also learn this way. Upon emerging from their pupal cases, ants notice and retain the scent of their colony. Other insects imprint on their first food plant, showing a clear preference for that plant for the remainder of their lives. Insects Can Be Trained   Like Pavlovs dogs, insects can also learn through classical conditioning. An insect exposed repeatedly to two unrelated stimuli will soon associate one with the other. Wasps can be given food rewards each time they detect a certain scent. Once a wasp associates food with the smell, it will continue to go to that scent. Some scientists believe trained wasps may replace bomb and drug sniffing dogs in the near future. Honeybees Memorize Flight Routes and Communicate with Dance Routines A honeybee demonstrates its ability to learn each time it leaves its colony to forage. The bee must memorize patterns of landmarks within its environment to guide it back to the colony. Often, she is following the instructions of a fellow worker, as taught to her through the waggle dance. This memorization of details and events is a form of latent learning.

10 Fundamental Ways To Boost Your Facebook Organic Reach By 193% - CoSchedule Blog

10 Fundamental Ways To Boost Your Facebook Organic Reach By 193% Blog Frustrated with your Facebook organic reach? You aren’t alone. Facebook marketing has changed a lot over the past few years.  The days are gone when you could throw up a Facebook post and then sit back and do nothing while tons of engagement filled your page. Now most brands are lucky if 10% of their fans see their posts in the news feed. But we can help! At Facebook’s F8 conference in April, everyone finally learned how the news feed algorithm actually works.  What’s the bottom line? Facebook wants marketers to step up their game. If you want to increase your organic reach on Facebook, I encourage you to be laser-focused on a proven strategy that works. 10 Fundamental Ways To Boost Your #Facebook Organic Reach By 193% via @PostPlannerWhat is organic reach on Facebook? Its a measurement of how many folks see your organic content. In this post, I’m going to show you how to DOUBLE your Facebook organic reach. How do I know you can do this? Because we did it.  Our Post Planner Facebook page  grew 193% from January 1, 2015–December 31, 2015. 193% is a crazy number. At the time I’m writing this, we are at 379,000 fans. And yes, it’s 99% organic growth. Simply Measured, the most respected data analysis tool, analyzed the insane growth on our page.  They recently completed their case study, and we compiled an ebook with their results. You can read more about that here- Case Study: How to Grow Your Facebook Page by 193%. Every tip in this post comes straight from our playbook.  These are the strategies we used to more than double our own Facebook organic reach. We hope you use these strategies to blow up your own page, too. Let’s get started! 1. Find The Right Content Mix For Your Audience As a Facebook marketer, you’ve probably read a few articles about how to find the type of content that resonates with your audience. If your content doesn’t click, your fans aren’t going to engage with it.  If your fans don’t engage with it, you’re going to struggle with growing your reach. But think about this- the success of your content goes beyond the value it provides.  Let me explain what I mean. It’s important to choose the right mix of content and post it in the right order.  In other words, you want to post the right content to the right audience at the right time. Josh Parkinson, Post Planner CEO, talks about this a lot in our Social Media Bootcamp  training every week.  On our page, we typically alternate between engaging photos (ie. funny pictures) and links. We find the engaging photos in Post Planner. Each time someone likes, comments, or shares that engaging content,  they send a signal to Facebook that they want to see more of our content. This helps us get seen more in the news feed when we post the links that go back to our blog. Your fans are people, and people like to be entertained. They want you to show your personality. And, they want to know you’re real. Your fans want to see your personality, be entertained, and know you're real.For the past few months, we’ve also started tossing a Facebook Live video into the mix several times a week, too. It humanizes our brand and lets people see behind the scenes. Are you just posting links on your page? If so, you’re most likely not getting the engagement you want. Consider mixing up the variety of your content. Once you find the right formula for your audience, you’ll keep them coming back for more! 2. Get To Know Your Facebook Insights Inside And Out Test your content often. Dig into your Facebook Insights like crazy. Get to know each page of your Insights inside and out. But don’t just read the data. Learn from it. Learn what each metric means and how to interpret the numbers. Here's an example of  Facebook Insights: Most of all, learn how to use the info in your Insights to make data-driven decisions about your Facebook marketing. Be agile and quick to change your strategy as needed. The content that worked well last week might fall flat this week. A wise woman once said, â€Å"Amateurs guess, professionals know.† Take the guesswork out of your Facebook marketing by attacking your Insights like a pitbull! 3. Use Visual Marketing As Eye Candy To Stand Out In The News Feed I’m not talking about just posting photos. As a sophisticated marketer, you already know the power of using photos on Facebook. According to Buzzsumo, Facebook posts with images get 2.3 times more engagement than those without images. I’m talking about using visual marketing to tell your story and to communicate your brand’s message.  Visual marketing has become a force to be reckoned with on Facebook! It’s no longer an option to post visual content on Facebook. It’s become necessary for marketers to at least learn the basics of image creation. There are so many ways to use visual marketing to grow your Facebook page: Create branded quote images. Pull tips from your blog posts and put them on images. Use powerful imagery to develop thought leadership in your niche. Use visual marketing as eye candy to stand out in the news feed. Choose any of the easy-to-use apps that are available, and you’ll be creating branded images in a minute or two. Here’s a post with the apps we like to use to create images: 13 tools for creating engaging Facebook images. This list is a good place to start if you’re looking for help with this! For example, here’s a simple image we created. It lists the five  things we consider when creating viral quote images for Facebook. Recommended Reading:  How To Make The Best Social Media Images The Easy Way (+ 84 Free Images) 4. Show People You’re Listening And Paying Attention Nobody wants to go to a Facebook page, leave a comment, and then hear crickets. Instead, they want to feel special! Real people want to connect with other real people. They want to know you’re approachable. Most of all, they want to know you’re paying attention to your page. Once they know you’re listening, they’ll be more likely to visit your page and engage with your content again. When someone takes the time to interact with your page, acknowledge it. Even if all you do is â€Å"like† their comment, you’ve still acknowledged it. Facebook reach tip #4: Respond  when your fans mention you.5. Recycle Your Evergreen Content If you’re trying to increase your Facebook organic reach, this is important! It’s one of the cornerstones of our 193% page growth. Evergreen content is the content you create that never gets old. It stands the test of time, and it remains relevant and useful to your fans. Recommended Reading:  How To Make And Repurpose Evergreen Content To Get 283% More Results Each time that content posts on your Facebook page, it reaches a new audience. At Post Planner, we have around 500 evergreen blog posts that rotate on our page. Not only do these posts consistently drive traffic to our website, but they continue to build thought leadership in our niche. There’s a recycle feature within the Post Planner app. We just click the recycle button, and then we don’t have to think about it again. Each time a piece of evergreen content posts, it goes to the bottom of the list to post again someday. If you have a library of evergreen content (even if it’s just 10 or 15 posts), start recycling on your Facebook page. It will contribute to your page growth and become a consistent source of website traffic for you! 6. Be Strategic About Your Posting Times There are lots of opinions about the best posting times on Facebook. The way we see  it at Post Planner, nobody knows the best times to post on your page except you. You are the only one with access to your Insights. Posting at the right time can mean the difference between going viral and not being noticed at all. Posting at the right time makes the difference between virality and not being noticed.The key here is to make this decision based on your data. If you have an online business and your audience is global, look at the times you’ve selected. Are there any holes that need to be filled? Some marketers suggest posting at peak times when people are on Facebook. Others suggest posting at non-peak times since there’s less competition in the news feed. We suggest that you test different times to see what works best on your page. Even if you only test this for a few weeks, you’ll start to see patterns emerge in your Insights. Remember, the best times to post on your page might not be the times when you are typically on Facebook. Be flexible and open to change. Recommended Reading:  What 16 Studies Say About The Best Times To Post On Social Media At Post Planner, we oftentimes post at 45 minutes past the hour. We do this because people have appointments and meetings during the day that begin at the top of the hour. In the few minutes before those meetings start, what do they do? Yep, they grab their phones. We want our post to be sitting there waiting for them in their news feed when that happens. So far, this posting strategy has worked well for us. 7. Work To Become A  Valuable Resource In Your Niche We all have those go-to Facebook pages we count on for valuable info in our industry. They are the pages that always have something interesting to share, and they help us stay up-to-date about what’s going on. Make it your goal to be a valuable resource like that for your niche. How do you go about doing that? Here are three actionable steps you can take today to start moving in in that direction: Think about the problems your fans/users are facing. Be empathetic about their struggles. Solve their problems. Be the SOLUTION. Share other people’s content. By doing so, you show your audience that your focus is on them, not you. Share a piece of content that will be valuable to them (even if it doesn’t direct them back to your website or blog). Give away your knowledge. Don’t hold back. Give people a reason to like your page and engage with your content. Share your secret sauce. Doing this will establish thought leadership and exude confidence! Recommended Reading:  How To Schedule Your Social Media Content Curation For Massive Growth 8. Plan Your Content In Advance If your audience loses interest in your page,  you’ll lose your ability to increase your Facebook organic reach. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re working hard to post high quality content consistently. That’s why it’s so important to plan your content in advance. If you plan and schedule your content ahead of time, you can be more strategic about each piece of content you post. These are the five  types of content we’ve talked about in this post so far: Your own website or blog content Other people’s content Branded images Funny pictures Facebook Live video What kind of content can you curate or create for each one of those categories? Prepare and plan that content in advance. In doing so, you’ll always be confident in knowing that the right piece of content is going out at the right time- consistently. You’ll also avoid the stress of trying to find content to post at the last minute. 9. Consider Posting More Than You’re Posting Now Like I mentioned at the beginning, Simply Measured’s case study shows that our page grew 193% in 2015. 99% of that growth was organic. But even more interesting was learning that 65% of that growth was from October–December. What did we change during those last three  months of 2015? We increased our posting frequency by 29%. During the first nine  months of 2015, we averaged 247 posts per month. But during October–December, we averaged 319 posts per month. The last thing a Facebook marketer wants is for fans to hide their posts or unlike their page. But what if your fans are craving more from you?  What if you could increase your Facebook organic reach by simply posting more frequently? Increasing your Facebook posting frequency can increase your reach.At Post Planner, it was a risk we were willing to take, and it paid off. I’d like encourage you to test this strategy on your own page. Watch your Insights along the way. 10. Post Audience-Tested Content Anytime you can post audience-tested (proven) content on Facebook, you’ll be setting yourself up for success. If a piece of content has already been successful on Facebook, then chances are, it will be successful again. This theory can be applied to different types of content. For example, look in your Insights to see which blog posts have gotten the most reach. Those are posts that resonate with your audience. Be sure to post those again. Here's an example of how used a Twitter Poll to collect almost instant feedback to find  audience-tested content ideas: All the content within Post Planner is audience-tested and ranked with our 5-star rating system. Whether you’re choosing a funny picture or a trending article in your niche, you can look at the star rating to see how likely it is that it will perform well on your page. It’s predictive content. It takes even more of the guesswork out of trying to figure out what content will work on your page and what content won’t. Final Thoughts On Facebook Organic Reach Increasing Facebook organic reach has gotten tricky- but it’s definitely still do-able! No matter how you look at it, you’ll need to be savvy and agile to get seen more in the news feed and noticed by your fans. The tips in this post are the exact things we did to increase our Facebook organic reach 193% in 2015. We hope you’ll take these strategies and apply them to your own page! And we’d love to hear about your Facebook journey and your results along the way. If you’d like to get more detailed info about what you can do to double your Facebook organic reach, consider reading our free ebook. We put it together using the case study data provided by Simply Measured. You can grab your copy at 10 Data-Driven Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page by 193%. Thank you for reading my post and happy Facebooking!

Information Security Risk Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Security Risk Management - Case Study Example Organization face internal as well as external actor, which create uncertainty for organizations in achieving the objectives. Hall (2010) called that the risk management was a hybrid function that had bridged the number of disciplines to reduce or avoid loss for organizations. Proactive activities are attempted to mitigate or prevent loss in the organizations. Tavakkoli-Moghaddam et al., (2011) used the compromise ranking (VIKOR) and fuzzy entropy techniques in engineering, procurement and construction projects. Separate techniques for risk identification and risk prioritization are used. Qualitative assessment helps the management to prioritize the risks identified by calculating their impacts and impacts. Except these techniques, Monte Carlo method is most significantly used for risk identification. This method is based on probability and their impacts. Monte Carlo method shows the correlation between the identified variables for a project. Identification of vulnerabilities and threats through risk assessment helps in determining the impacts of each risk. However, risk assessment becomes a complex undertaking when imperfect information is provided. Value assignment to information system business processes including the costs, recovery and their impacts can be measured in indirect and direct costs. Exposure of sensitive information about a specific business area of the organization has wide consequences and impacts the reputation or regard of the organization. Attacker can falsify the information, which is important for future decisions. Both qualitative and quantitative risk assessment technique can be used (Carroll, 2009). Risk identification requires the risk treatment. Risk treatment is a range of options used for risk evaluation and plan preparation for risk treatment. Planning the risk treatment also requires plans’ implementation. In an organization, when risk about information security

Australian national identity in the 21st century Essay

Australian national identity in the 21st century - Essay Example The best possible means would have been to segregate individuals under certain units like family and city and denote them by these identifying marks. (Sherman, 114) Similarly, Australia has been under the theoretical protective umbrella of the Queen of England till now. But the national identity is hugely manifested in every walk of life. It can well be stated that the issue of diversity in Australia is highly accepted and celebrated in the modern era. The evidence is clear and assertive. This is because there are a number of creed, race, language and color operating at the same time in the same fields all at a single time and space. This would not have been possible if the government was not in a true democratic mode and this true nature of democracy yields opportunity for all and as a result we can find the huge amount of diversity within the nation and this could well be stated as the most significant aspect of national identity of 21st century Australia. From the point of view of bilingual individuals it could also be ascertained that they have complete access to their native language. For example it can be stated that that the Asian and East European influx in the southern regions of the Australia are comfortable speaking their mother tongue and practice the same at their business. It is true that there are some sections who believe that there should be only English at least in the parameters of business but that intension is yet to be fulfilled. As a result it can be easily stated that bilingual individuals have no problem with their mother tongue and they are comfortable with it. (Lamb, 188) This specific intent of openness and freedom is the driving force that has turned into becoming so successful in uniting Australia and the credibility or the acceptance of all sections of the population has become the primary nature of the country. This success is highly celebrated and it can well be stated that the unification of diversity is the key ingredient of 21 century Australia. However, it can be stated that there are certain arguments related to Melting Pot vs. Salad Bowl phenomena in Australia. In melting pot all the elements are poured into a cauldron and a homogeneous stew is prepared where the individual identity of elements seizes to exist. However, in a salad bowl it is found that though all the ingredients are placed in the bowl each of the element tends to sustain its basic properties. In this respect we can state that Australia is more of a salad bowl than a melting pot because members of several communities with a number of creed, race, language and color operate together with their individual identity intact. However there are sections who believe that there should only be a single Australian culture and each individual must indulge in it and this culture is supposed to be mostly English flavored. (Kar, 227) As a president or a Congressional leader the policies that need to be initiated in order to limit the intolerance and racism in the Australia

Services Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Services Project Management - Essay Example This can also be recognized as a total lack of transparency between the bidders, and that suits the client perfectly. The disadvantage in public projects is the often insufficient perception of potential pitfalls and showstoppers during the procurement process, as interaction and discussion prior to bidding is discouraged. As a result, some public projects fall prey to extensive and numerous design and specification changes, ruining their original time and cost estimates. Such projects are allowed to meander along as all involved tend to keep within the strict purview of their job description within the overall governmental framework, not willing to say or do anything to either rock the boat or to steady it. Such projects are orphaned very quickly, with a chronological propensity towards non-accountability. On the other hand, private sector procurement is made with a firm eye on deliverables, and technical vetting of bidders and a bidding process is less important than the need to get a contractor who will deliver in time to spec. Transparency is variable, especially if the contract is negotiated, as the ability and competence of the contractor is beyond dispute, and educating him about the project adds value. Private sector procurement also goes the open tender route, depending on the most suitable procurement mechanism for the particular project. The strongest case for open tenders is made by case for equal opportunity and enhanced transparency in such procurement, whereas a deeper understanding of the project and a stronger tendency to adapt to change characterizes the negotiated tender, making it popular with the private sector. A solution that offers is a hybrid of both styles of procurement, and works across the board for projects of any scale, complexity and ownership, is the process of procurement that consists of competitive tendering in one or two stage, followed by negotiations with the chosen / lowest bidder. However, such a technique is effective only if the chosen bidder is not aware of his status as the lowest, so as to keep him willing to negotiate. This technique is followed in public as well as private sector projects. Stage 1 is known as technical bid (open tender stage), followed by Commercial bid (negotiation stage). 2.2 The process of procurement is a series of exchanges between the client and the contractor, with an increasingly high level of exactness and clarity on conditions of contract, culminating with the actual execution of the contract. A contract consists of three parts, Offer, acceptance and consideration. Although Estimate, Quote and Tender are terms commonly used, there are distinct differences between the three. An estimate is the contractor's perception of the cost or a particular amount of work, and is approximate. It is prepared after taking a preliminary look at the work that is required to be done. An estimate may be prepared by a contractor or by the client on the basis of the bill of Quantities, to arrive at a rough cost of the project. It is not technical in nature, and is based on

Strategies of Human Resource Management Assignment

Strategies of Human Resource Management - Assignment Example Information to be collected include job complexity, duration, skills applied, complexity and standards. From this information, the job analyst can develop a job specifications or description (Sebastian, 2005). According to Sidney and Cronshaw (1999), the best method to collect the data is through simple questionnaires issued to employees and incumbent interviews. These are to be reviewed by the supervisor for accuracy. Others include incumbent task inventories, checklists, supervisor interviews, task inventories and incumbent work logs (Cascio and Aguinis, 2005). The cost considerations will include the type of job, the number of jobs in the company, location of jobs and number of incumbents. it also includes the number of departments to conduct the job analysis on. 2. As a marketing manager you have recently turned down Nancy Conrad for a position as sales supervisor. Nancy believes the denial was due to her gender and she has filed a sex discrimination charge with the EEOC. Explain the steps the EEOC will use to process the charge; include Nancy’s options during the process. Determine the likelihood of success of Nancy’s discrimination claim from the EEOC data base. Describe the basic precautions you should take so you might prevail in her claim. Nancy must see the servicing Operating Administrations Office (DOT) of Civil Rights for an informal session. at this stage, Nancy has option to continue or discontinue the counselling or agrees to extend it through writing so as to get a notice to file a Discrimination Complaint at the end (US Department of Transport, 2010). In the second phase, EEOC requires Nancy to file a formal complains of sex discrimination and upon reception by DOT Compliance Operations Division, Nancy will be processed for dismissal or acceptance in accordance with 29 C.F.R. Part 1614. The DOT gives a final decision and Nancy has an option for appealing

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Hamlet - Essay Example With this understanding in mind, the express focus of this brief analysis will be with regards to comparing William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet† with Tom Stoppard’s â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead†. Rather than merely coming to the delineation that these two plays are from different eras and represent a specific and unique take upon the realities that define life, it is the hope of this author that the forthcoming analysis will be beneficial in helping the reader to understand specific dynamics of these plays, specific approaches of the authors, and a specific level of understanding with regards to the comparison and contrast that will be delineated. The very first element of comparison and contrast that should be made between these two plays is with regards to the differential in approach of norms and mores that define society, religious belief, and/or reality itself. For instance, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet† presents the reader w ith something of a unanimous and ordered society, uniform in its slot, religious beliefs, ideology, and business transactions (Javed 329). The hierarchy that is represented within the play is of course denoted with regards to the manner in which Hamlet acts as the ultimate freeman; able to define his own fate and that of his countrymen upon a whim. Moreover, religious belief is something that is uniform throughout Shakespeare’s play; with Hamlet and others oftentimes representing and unshaken belief that an afterlife and the purpose of the current life can be defined through a very strict Judeo-Christian norm. By means of comparison, â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is much more asymmetrical its approach. ... By means of comparison, â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is much more asymmetrical its approach. As such, a lack of religious faith, a destruction in the belief or understanding that social norms are acceptable and efficient in their application, and the integration of the fact that a vast level of irrational and ideological thought impacts the way in which decisions are made and humans interact with one another is evidenced at nearly every juncture (Lewis 611). By means of contrast of the simplistic understanding of religion and social order exhibited in Hamlet, the social order and religious conviction that are exhibited in â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is far different. Ultimately, an erosion of conviction, a lack of faith, a plurality of society, and the belief that diversity rather than uniformity is the greatest means of empowerment. With regards to style and form, it can also be noted that â€Å"Hamlet† is a classical drama; refe rencing a discernible shape, beginning, midpoint, and in. As such, as a result of the fact that the preceding elements of the plot demand a level of conclusion, the reader is left to understand that action is required within the conclusion as a means of rectifying this tension. However, by means of comparison, the irrationality and the loss of sense of control that â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† exhibits and denotes an underlying lack of confidence with regards to the way in which the plot will be resolved. Further, a unique level of differential also exists with regards to the representation of man in both place (Nejad 59). Whereas men are represented within

Managing Change at Cox's Container Company Essay

Managing Change at Cox's Container Company - Essay Example It is also clear from the case study that the company faced change resistance from employees. In addition, the employees lacked the current skills and knowledge necessary to understand the budgeting system. This paper will analyse the challenges facing Cox Container Company and provide alternative solutions to the problems. In addition, the most suitable recommendations will also be proposed. Finally, the plan of action will be outlined on how the recommendations can be implemented. According to Huczynski & Buchanan (2013, p.6), organisational behaviour explains the conduct of individuals in a company. It is the social conduct of people that trigger them to act and live in groups. In order to maintain collaboration and attain goals, some form of structural associations has to be created. On the other hand, the organisation is a social system of co-ordination that is created to expand personal achievement that is aimed at goal attainment. The organisational behaviour is a reflection of actions and attitudes exhibited by employees in an organisation. From the case study, the organisational behaviour of Cox Container Company is developed by the fact that the employees are from the same ethnic background. From this perspective, the employees share same values and meanings held by the community, and this influences their actions. In addition, the culture is reflected in the attitudes and conduct of people or groups. A perfect example of how people share a common culture act is revealed in the operation department. In this case, the personnel working in the production department are seen to jealously to guard the independence they enjoy under their long-serving manager. The advantage of this form of organisational behaviour is that the company can attain its goals and objectives through staff loyalty. The individuals working in the company share a similar perception, therefore,

Hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Hamlet - Essay Example With this understanding in mind, the express focus of this brief analysis will be with regards to comparing William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet† with Tom Stoppard’s â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead†. Rather than merely coming to the delineation that these two plays are from different eras and represent a specific and unique take upon the realities that define life, it is the hope of this author that the forthcoming analysis will be beneficial in helping the reader to understand specific dynamics of these plays, specific approaches of the authors, and a specific level of understanding with regards to the comparison and contrast that will be delineated. The very first element of comparison and contrast that should be made between these two plays is with regards to the differential in approach of norms and mores that define society, religious belief, and/or reality itself. For instance, Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet† presents the reader w ith something of a unanimous and ordered society, uniform in its slot, religious beliefs, ideology, and business transactions (Javed 329). The hierarchy that is represented within the play is of course denoted with regards to the manner in which Hamlet acts as the ultimate freeman; able to define his own fate and that of his countrymen upon a whim. Moreover, religious belief is something that is uniform throughout Shakespeare’s play; with Hamlet and others oftentimes representing and unshaken belief that an afterlife and the purpose of the current life can be defined through a very strict Judeo-Christian norm. By means of comparison, â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is much more asymmetrical its approach. ... By means of comparison, â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is much more asymmetrical its approach. As such, a lack of religious faith, a destruction in the belief or understanding that social norms are acceptable and efficient in their application, and the integration of the fact that a vast level of irrational and ideological thought impacts the way in which decisions are made and humans interact with one another is evidenced at nearly every juncture (Lewis 611). By means of contrast of the simplistic understanding of religion and social order exhibited in Hamlet, the social order and religious conviction that are exhibited in â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† is far different. Ultimately, an erosion of conviction, a lack of faith, a plurality of society, and the belief that diversity rather than uniformity is the greatest means of empowerment. With regards to style and form, it can also be noted that â€Å"Hamlet† is a classical drama; refe rencing a discernible shape, beginning, midpoint, and in. As such, as a result of the fact that the preceding elements of the plot demand a level of conclusion, the reader is left to understand that action is required within the conclusion as a means of rectifying this tension. However, by means of comparison, the irrationality and the loss of sense of control that â€Å"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead† exhibits and denotes an underlying lack of confidence with regards to the way in which the plot will be resolved. Further, a unique level of differential also exists with regards to the representation of man in both place (Nejad 59). Whereas men are represented within

Economic Miracle in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Economic Miracle in Japan - Essay Example Although by definition, a miracle is inexplicable, the basic cause behind Japan's economic success can perhaps be explained in simple terms: the indomitable desire of the Japanese people to grow, their deeply persistent will to succeed at any cost. Between 1945 and 1970, the Japanese economy sustained an unprecedented annual growth rate of nearly ten percent on average (Kosai). But this in itself would seem like a minor detail in comparison to the stupendous driving force that compelled the Japanese people to race towards technological excellence and economic supremacy, most notably during 1960's. In the second-half of 1960's Japan reached a peak of economic progress, with an average of nearly 12% real annual growth rate. And for nearly 40 years surrounding this peak period, the country and its people subordinated all other goals in order to single-mindedly pursue their ambition of catching up with the U.S. economy (Crawford). In fact, their ambition knew no bounds; the aggressive st rain so characteristic of Japanese men, which was employed for the purposes of destruction during the War, was rechannelled into more positive and constructive directions during the years of the economic boom. Consequently, Japan thrived, and even today, as well as for geneartions to come, represents a legendary story of success, an inspiration and exemplar for scores of developing nations in Asia and elsewhere. In fact, Japan should become an inspiration to itself. If this nation could pull it off once - this so-called economic miracle - it can pull it off again. All it needs is a push! While circumstances associated with Japan's days of glory may be at sharp variance from those of today, and while many of its past economic policies stand discredited today, and its culture too is changing fast - deep down, the spirit of this ancient nation remains as powerfully vital as ever. Above all, miracles have to do with spirit - of which Japan perhaps does not need too much before it again becomes a force to be reckoned with. Factors contributing to Japan's High Growth Rate: Although Japan's spectacular economic growth culminating towards the end of 1960's may initially give the impression of not being subject to rational analysis, in the same manner as a painting of supreme artisitry or as a deeply touching Zen haiku, it too is as much a cause-and-effect phenomenon as any other worldly matter. Japan is the purest example of what has become known as a producer economic state. But what lies behind this country's remarkable and record-breaking productivity levels Advances in knowledge, for one thing. Japan's economic success was achieved to a great extent on the basis of a superior technological know-how. The Japanese had the intellectual capacity to soak in vast amounts of knowledge necessary to stay at par with any other nation in our modern techonology-dominated world - and they put their intellects at the service of technology with a vengeance. They not only were able to ingeniously adopt the latest technologies, they actually adapted it to their own needs, and were moreover setting a number of innovative trends in a wide variety of technology-intensive industries. But even more than the share of knowledge, at least

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay Example for Free

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Paula Vogel’s How I learned to Drive plays explore the common theme of betrayal through the acts of the protagonist in the 2 literary works. The two plays thus demonstrate several similarities as they build on this theme. For instance, through Hamlet, Hamlet is portrayed as being betrayed by Claudius in whom he has trust. Similarly, How I learned to Drive’s Li’l Bit endures the betrayal of Uncle Peck whom she also trusts. Moreover, both Hamlet and Li’l Bit demonstrate that they are bright persons through their respective actions in the face of betrayal. Another similarity is that both Li’l Bit’s and Hamlet’s families seem to be dysfunctional. The two plays however have a number of differences. For example, Hamlet belongs to royalty while Li’l Bit is a humble girl. In addition, while, Hamlet finally exacts revenge on his tormentor, Li’l Bit finally forgives her detractor. The environments of the 2 characters’ families are also different. While Li’l Bit’s family is surrounded by problems typical of common people, Hamlet’s family is plagued by problems that usually affect the high and mighty. All in all, the 2 plays Hamlet and How I learned to Drive demonstrate that their respective protagonists are betrayed by people they otherwise trust. To begin with, Hamlet suffers from Claudio’s (his uncle’s) malevolence when Claudius murders King Hamlet (Hamlet’s father) and later seeks to murder the young Hamlet himself. In normal circumstances, one’s uncle would not do the heinous act that Claudius does. Claudio’s commission of the offense is thus an outright betrayal of the trust that his nephew has towards the uncle. Hamlet’s doubts that Claudius really murdered King Hamlet testify to the nephew’s trust towards his uncle. After his father’s spirit informs the young Hamlet that Claudius murdered King Hamlet, the young Hamlet is initially not sure of the authenticity of the message (Shakespeare and Edwards 69). To further build the theme of betrayal, after realizing that Hamlet is aware of his evil scheme, Claudius plots to have Hamlet murdered. Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s widowed and remarried mother, cannot assist the son because she has married Claudius the person who murdered her late husband. Hamlet’s household is thus rather dysfunctional, a factor that accentuates Hamlet’s pain of betrayal. Hamlet is thus betrayed on two occasions by his uncle. Similarly, How I learned to Drive’s Li’l Bit is betrayed by Uncle Peck, a relative whom she trusts and feels close to. For instance, owing to the dysfunctional nature of her family, Li’l Bit does not enjoy the support of her family members. The only person who appears to offer the girl the necessary support and attention is Uncle Peck. The uncle teaches the girls how to drive. Li’l Bit is however disappointed when Uncle Peck’s niceness ultimately proves to be tinged with selfish desires. For instance, the uncle molests Li’l Bit on several occasions. He therefore betrays the trust that the young niece has towards him. In addition, Aunt Mary Uncle Peck’s husband, carries on the theme of betrayal when she refuses to come to the aid of Li’l Bit regarding her molestation ordeals by the uncle. Moreover, Li’l Bit’s mother refuses to confront Uncle Peck with regard to his unhealthy intimacy with Li’l Bit. The mother thus betrays her daughter regarding the daughter’s dashed hope that the mother will come to the daughter’s aid (Vogel 25). Li’l Bit thus resembles Hamlet in that both come from somewhat dysfunctional families and are both betrayed by the people who should be their helpers. Moreover, both the Hamlet and the How I learned to Drive plays show that their respective protagonists are wise in their individual rights. Through such depictions of intelligence, the theme of betrayal continues to play out. For instance, Hamlet stages a drama performance that confirms that Claudius really murdered King Hamlet. This act demonstrates Hamlet’s extreme intelligence and also exposes Claudius’ act of betrayal. Likewise, Lil Bit demonstrates her wisdom by tactfully objecting to Uncle Peck’s indecent sexual advances. The girl does this and still manages to be friends with the uncle. Moreover, her firm refusal to engage in sexual liaisons with Uncle Peck discloses the uncle’s betrayal in seeking to have an incest-like relationship with his niece. In effect, Hamlet and Lil Bit are portrayed as intelligent characters as they seek to contend with the betrayal which they experience. Conversely, Lil Bit and Hamlet have several differences which serve to highlight the betrayal the two persons endure. For example, while Hamlet is of a royal class, Lil Bit has a humble background. The royalty in Hamlet’s family background partially make Claudius betray him. King Hamlet is murdered so as to pave way for Claudius to occupy the throne. On the other hand, Lil Bit’s humble background partially contributes to her betrayal by Uncle Peck. This is because most of Lil Bit’s family members are unreliable. The mother conceived during her teenage years, the father is sexist, while Uncle Peck the molester, is an alcoholic. This situation makes Lil Bit become alienated and thus continue to silently suffer under Uncle Peck. Her continued suffering thus unearths her uncle’s act of betrayal. Moreover, Hamlet finally revenges on Claudius heinous act while Lil Bit chooses to forgive Uncle Peck. The characters’ respective actions thus show that their relatives are betrayers who deserve either punishment of forgiveness. In conclusion, Vogel’s How I learned to Drive and Shakespeare’s Hamlet play explore the theme of someone being betrayed by someone they have always trusted. In How I learned to Drive, Lil Bit is betrayed by Uncle Peck, her mother, and her aunt, all whom she trusts. Conversely, Hamlet’s Hamlet is betrayed by his uncle Claudius, and his mother Queen Gertrude. The two plays however have several differences which however contribute to the theme of betrayal. Works Cited Shakespeare, William and Edwards, Philip. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Vogel, Paula. How I learned to Drive. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1998.

John Hancock Essay -- essays research papers

In all of American history, there are many men who stand out and emphasize the history ofour country. This man, John Hancock, is one of those extraordinary men that stand out.John’s life began on January 16, 1736 in Braintree, Massachuchetts.John was the middle child of three. He was the son of (Rev.) John Hancock, born on June 1, 1702 in Lexington, Massachuchetts and son of Mary Hawke, born on October 13, 1711 in Hingham, Massachuchetts. Mary was once married before she married John Hancock Sr. Her previous marriage ended in her former husband’s death.(Rev.) John Hancock was well-liked by his parish, was paid well, and was provided a very comfortable home. In return of their generosity, he was a "faithful shepard." He kept an attentive watch over the morals and religious well-being of all members of the parish. Ever since John’s (Jr.) birth, he was perceived to go to Harvard. At the age of six, his parents sent him to a local dame school. Later he was sent to another school, in which he might have met John Adams, with whom he struck up a casual acquaintance. Like all the other children in town, he learned the basics of reading, writing, and figuring.All things seemed to go well, until the spring of 1774. His father came down with an illness, that later would be the cause of his death. His sadness grew more because of the reason that they would have to move. Mary’s parents were both dead and a very difficult decision would have to be made by Mary. Her anxiety to make that decision was lessened by the invitation from the bishop and his wife, to live with them in Lexington. A year later, John was sent away to live with his uncle Thomas and aunt Lydia, and to attend Boston Latin School. It isn’t sure if he moved there to live with his uncle or to attend that school. What is beyond dispute, though, is that this move altered radically John Hancock’s life and altered the history of America, as well. The August after John arrived, his uncle and him went down to the school and applied. John was accepted almost immediately, after reading some verses from the bible. His age though caused a slight problem. He was almost nine years of age and all the first graders were almost seven. The master of the school, John Lovell, found a nice solution. Since John was excellently trained in Lexington, Lowell moved him up to third grade. John was neither ... ... the troops stayed, more bloodshed would occur and his troops would be in danger. Another act was passed and this was the Tea Act. The British thought that this was a very good idea, but it was a double threat10to him. It worried him that the British were using this as an opening to acquire other trade. To him, the more important thing was the political implications. Americans were being asked to financethe destruction of their own rights. That fateful night, in which the throwing of the tea occurred, was one that will always be remembered. Before the unloading of the tea, a meeting was held, in which they decided to do, what they did. John Hancock was able say, in a period of order, "Let every man do what is right in his own eyes."11 Shortly afterwards, Samuel Adams gave the signal for the men to go on the ship, after declaring " this meeting can do nothingmore to save the country."John Hancock would go on to be the first signer of the Declaration Of Independence. John was a very smart, intriguing man. He was well-liked and known by all.John Hancock, in my eyes, is a true patriot. He will always been known to Americans, in one way or another.

Comparing The Marble Faun Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury, Soldier’s Pay :: comparison compare contrast essays

William Faulkner - The Marble Faun   Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury,   Soldier’s Pay William Faulkner, originally spelt Falkner, was born on September 25 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. The eldest of four sons of a middle class family, William grew up the in the South and enjoyed the luxuries of life in a rural area. Faulkner never finished high school; he left in 1915 after he got a broken nose playing football. Over the next few years Faulkner worked at miscellaneous jobs while beginning his writing career. Originally he worked with verse and had his writings published in small—scale journals and papers. In April of 1918, he enrolled in the British Royal Air Force but never made it into combat as the war ended before he finished training. The following year he enrolled in classes at the tin University of Mississippi. In 1924, Faulkner published The Marble Faun, a verse-sequence and continued to write his short stories. It was not until 1926 that he published his first major novel, Soldier’s Pay, in which lie depicted life of a soldier after returning from war In l929 Faulkner created the imaginary land of Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha County in Sartoris: it is these counties that are the setting for most of his following novels. In 1929 he married Estelle Oldhain and within a year he bought Rowan Oak, where lie spent most of his time in the following years. In October of that year The Sound and the Fury was published and proceeded to gain Faulkner a lot of recognition. It was a different approach to fiction in that it provided a look at a story from four very separate viewpoints. Each of Faulkner’s novels offers a little bit of enlightenment on the subject that they pertain to. Often they are stylistically enterprising, as well as the subject matter being of great interest Absalom Absalom! contrasts viewpoints from which the story is told as it depicts the life of a troubled. Southern family. The Wild Palms is another example of Faulkner’s creativity. The story is told from two distinctly contradicting points of view. In 1942 Faulkner again shocked the literary world with his graphic depiction of racial, specifically â€Å"black versus white†, interactions on a Southern plantation. Many thought that Faulkner had under taken the task of historically representing the south during this era.

Research Topic & Research Proposal Essay

1. What do you think of a good research topic? What are the key elements of a good research topic? A good research topic should be of a clear objectives and purpose. It should generate question to discover and find out the underlying problem or understanding a current situation. Therefore the elements of a good research topic is feasibility, are the resources available? How long the research could take and can that be done with a timeline or it needs to be extended. What are the factors that affect the accuracy of the research and what are the variables that need to be considered In order to assure the up to date presentation of results. Is it worthwhile? Is it relevant to what is used for and search about can what values the research will add into the current practices of the organization? 1. Assume that you interested in doing some research on the impact of quality management practices on organizational performance. Write four research questions that may be appropriate. What are the current quality management practices?  What is the link between the quality practices and organization performance   To how extend the quality practices effect the overall organization? Are the employees aware of the importance of quality management concept? What is the impact of quality management on employees behavior?   What are the areas of development addressed by the quality management practices? And how it does tactfully eliminate or change the defined shortfalls. How do the overall objectives of the company align with quality management practices? What are the quality management practices standards used in the organization? And does it match ISO 9001:2008 quality standards? 3. What is a research proposal? What are the purposes and key elements of a proposal? Definition: â€Å"It is a document that is typically written by a scientist or academic which describes the ideas for an investigation on a certain topic. The research proposal outlines the process from beginning to end and may be used to request financing for the project, certification for performing certain parts of research of the experiment, or as a required task before beginning a college dissertation†. Purpose: There are lots of purposes of research proposal and that could be to investigate an enquiry, finding out about something worthwhile in a particular context. Could be of business ground where is used to finalize a deal or evaluate several supplier for a business proposal. Other purposes is to convince the concerned parties about i.g. a product by showing the results of the research.

Hul Vijeta Essay

Taking learnings from earlier years, a successful redemption programme was implemented, reducing liability substantially. To maximise redemptions by all whoselsalers in the network in the most efficient manner, thereby reducing HUL’s liability. Challenge: To overcome problems faced in previous redemption drives i. e. poor attendance, long waits and wasted agency resources for visiting cities with gift/ rewards vendors. And to maximise redemptions, given the background and geographical spread of venues. Objective Challenge Target Audience HUL’s wholesalers, ( Vijeta Programme members) primarily small businesses, who have stiff targets and are wooed by schemes from competition. They earn reward points on every purchase and can redeem them for gifts. â€Å"Redeem your points for rewards in your own city â€Å"- that was the theme. Given that it is an annual event, the task was to create ‘a difference’: This was done by creating a dedicated †¢ Vijeta AV †¢ Invites to event. Event collaterals:Backdrops A 74 city redemption drive over 2 days in the cities with maximum points’ liability. . Day one for Platinum and Gold members, Day 2 for Silver. 2. A formal invite with members’ Vijeta points personalised, sent well in advance. 3. 3 Teams of 4 students each per zone ( instead of Agency resources) managed the redemption events with daily reports to a Direxions coordinator. 4. HUL received transaction reports within 48 hours of the transaction being done! Direxions coordinated with vendors to ensure that the value, quality and supply/ quantity of products was commensurate with expectations and demand. 6. A soft copy of all points in each city to enable correct rewards being redeemed 1. 30,000 reward requests requested nationally 2. Rs. 100 Million worth of rewards redeemed.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 1

Prologue The angel was cleaning out his closets when the call came. Halos and moonbeams were sorted into piles according to brightness, satchels of wrath and scabbards of lightning hung on hooks waiting to be dusted. A wineskin of glory had leaked in the corner and the angel blotted it with a wad of fabric. Each time he turned the cloth a muted chorus rang from the closet, as if he'd clamped the lid down on a pickle jar full of Hallelujah Chorus. â€Å"Raziel, what in heaven's name are you doing?† The archangel Stephan was standing over him, brandishing a scroll like a rolled-up magazine over a piddling puppy. â€Å"Orders?† the angel asked. â€Å"Dirt-side.† â€Å"I was just there.† â€Å"Two millennia ago.† â€Å"Really?† Raziel checked his watch, then tapped the crystal. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"What do you think?† Stephan held out the scroll so Raziel could see the Burning Bush seal. â€Å"When do I leave? I was almost finished here.† â€Å"Now. Pack the gift of tongues and some minor miracles. No weapons, it's not a wrath job. You'll be undercover. Very low profile, but important. It's all in the orders.† Stephan handed him the scroll. â€Å"Why me?† â€Å"I asked that too.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"I was reminded why angels are cast out.† â€Å"Whoa! That big?† Stephan coughed, clearly an affectation, since angels didn't breathe. â€Å"I'm not sure I'm supposed to know, but the rumor is that it's a new book.† â€Å"You're kidding. A sequel? Revelations 2, just when you thought it was safe to sin?† â€Å"It's a Gospel.† â€Å"A Gospel, after all this time? Who?† â€Å"Levi who is called Biff.† Raziel dropped his rag and stood. â€Å"This has to be a mistake.† â€Å"It comes directly from the Son.† â€Å"There's a reason Biff isn't mentioned in the other books, you know? He's a total – â€Å" â€Å"Don't say it.† â€Å"But he's such an asshole.† â€Å"You talk like that and you wonder why you get dirt-duty.† â€Å"Why now, after so long, the four Gospels have been fine so far, and why him?† â€Å"Because it's some kind of anniversary in dirt-dweller time of the Son's birth, and he feels it's time the whole story is told.† Raziel hung his head. â€Å"I'd better pack.† â€Å"Gift of tongues,† Stephan reminded. â€Å"Of course, so I can take crap in a thousand languages.† â€Å"Go get the good news, Raziel. Bring me back some chocolate.† â€Å"Chocolate?† â€Å"It's a dirt-dweller snack. You'll like it. Satan invented it.† â€Å"Devil's food?† â€Å"You can only eat so much white cake, my friend.† Midnight. The angel stood on a barren hillside on the outskirts of the holy city of Jerusalem. He raised his arms aloft and a dry wind whipped his white robe around him. â€Å"Arise, Levi who is called Biff.† A whirlwind formed before him, pulling dust from the hillside into a column that took the shape of a man. â€Å"Arise, Biff. Your time has come.† The wind whipped into a fury and the angel pulled the sleeve of his robe across his face. â€Å"Arise, Biff, and walk again among the living.† The whirlwind began to subside, leaving the man-shaped column of dust standing on the hillside. In a moment, the hillside was calm again. The angel pulled a gold vessel from his satchel and poured it over the column. The dust washed away, leaving a muddy, naked man sputtering in the starlight. â€Å"Welcome back to the living,† the angel said. The man blinked, then held his hand before his eyes as if he expected to see through it. â€Å"I'm alive,† he said in a language he had never heard before. â€Å"Yes,† the angel said. â€Å"What are these sounds, these words?† â€Å"You have been given the gift of tongues.† â€Å"I've always had the gift of tongues, ask any girl I've known. What are these words?† â€Å"Languages. You've been given the gift of languages, as were all the apostles.† â€Å"Then the kingdom has come.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Two thousand years ago.† â€Å"You worthless bag of dog shit,† said Levi who was called Biff, as he punched the angel in the mouth. â€Å"You're late.† The angel picked himself up and gingerly touched his lip. â€Å"Nice talk to a messenger of the Lord.† â€Å"It's a gift,† Biff said. Part I The Boy God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh. VOLTAIRE Chapter 1 You think you know how this story is going to end, but you don't. Trust me, I was there. I know. The first time I saw the man who would save the world he was sitting near the central well in Nazareth with a lizard hanging out of his mouth. Just the tail end and the hind legs were visible on the outside; the head and forelegs were halfway down the hatch. He was six, like me, and his beard had not come in fully, so he didn't look much like the pictures you've seen of him. His eyes were like dark honey, and they smiled at me out of a mop of blue-black curls that framed his face. There was a light older than Moses in those eyes. â€Å"Unclean! Unclean!† I screamed, pointing at the boy, so my mother would see that I knew the Law, but she ignored me, as did all the other mothers who were filling their jars at the well. The boy took the lizard from his mouth and handed it to his younger brother, who sat beside him in the sand. The younger boy played with the lizard for a while, teasing it until it reared its little head as if to bite, then he picked up a rock and mashed the creature's head. Bewildered, he pushed the dead lizard around in the sand, and once assured that it wasn't going anywhere on its own, he picked it up and handed it back to his older brother. Into his mouth went the lizard, and before I could accuse, out it came again, squirming and alive and ready to bite once again. He handed it back to his younger brother, who smote it mightily with the rock, starting or ending the whole process again. I watched the lizard die three more times before I said, â€Å"I want to do that too.† The Savior removed the lizard from his mouth and said, â€Å"Which part?† By the way, his name was Joshua. Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Yeshua, which is Joshua. Christ is not a last name. It's the Greek for messiah, a Hebrew word meaning anointed. I have no idea what the â€Å"H† in Jesus H. Christ stood for. It's one of the things I should have asked him. Me? I am Levi who is called Biff. No middle initial. Joshua was my best friend. The angel says I'm supposed to just sit down and write my story, forget about what I've seen in this world, but how am I to do that? In the last three days I have seen more people, more images, more wonders, than in all my thirty-three years of living, and the angel asks me to ignore them. Yes, I have been given the gift of tongues, so I see nothing without knowing the word for it, but what good does that do? Did it help in Jerusalem to know that it was a Mercedes that terrified me and sent me diving into a Dumpster? Moreover, after Raziel pulled me out and ripped my fingernails back as I struggled to stay hidden, did it help to know that it was a Boeing 747 that made me cower in a ball trying to rock away my own tears and shut out the noise and fire? Am I a little child, afraid of its own shadow, or did I spend twenty-seven years at the side of the Son of God? On the hill where he pulled me from the dust, the angel said, â€Å"You will see many strange things. Do not be afraid. You have a holy mission and I will protect you.† Smug bastard. Had I known what he would do to me I would have hit him again. Even now he lies on the bed across the room, watching pictures move on a screen, eating the sticky sweet called Snickers, while I scratch out my tale on this soft-as-silk paper that reads Hyatt Regency, St. Louis at the top. Words, words, words, a million million words circle in my head like hawks, waiting to dive onto the page to rend and tear the only two words I want to write. Why me? There were fifteen of us – well, fourteen after I hung Judas – so why me? Joshua always told me not to be afraid, for he would always be with me. Where are you, my friend? Why have you forsaken me? You wouldn't be afraid here. The towers and machines and the shine and stink of this world would not daunt you. Come now, I'll order a pizza from room service. You would like pizza. The servant who brings it is named Jesus. And he's not even a Jew. You always liked irony. Come, Joshua, the angel says you are yet with us, you can hold him down while I pound him, then we will rejoice in pizza. Raziel has been looking at my writing and is insisting that I stop whining and get on with the story. Easy for him to say, he didn't just spend the last two thousand years buried in the dirt. Nevertheless, he won't let me order pizza until I finish a section, so here goes†¦ I was born in Galilee, the town of Nazareth, in the time of Herod the Great. My father, Alphaeus, was a stonemason and my mother, Naomi, was plagued by demons, or at least that's what I told everyone. Joshua seemed to think she was just difficult. My proper name, Levi, comes from the brother of Moses, the progenitor of the tribe of priests; my nickname, Biff, comes from our slang word for a smack upside the head, something that my mother said I required at least daily from an early age. I grew up under Roman rule, although I didn't see many Romans until I was ten. The Romans mostly stayed in the fortress city of Sepphoris, an hour's walk north of Nazareth. That's where Joshua and I saw a Roman soldier murdered, but I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, assume that the soldier is safe and sound and happy wearing a broom on his head. Most of the people of Nazareth were farmers, growing grapes and olives on the rocky hills outside of town and barley and wheat in the valleys below. There were also herders of goats and sheep whose families lived in town while the men and older boys tended the flocks in the highlands. Our houses were all made of stone, and ours had a stone floor, although many had floors of hard-packed dirt. I was the oldest of three sons, so even at the age of six I was being prepared to learn my father's trade. My mother taught my spoken lessons, the Law and stories from the Torah in Hebrew, and my father took me to the synagogue to hear the elders read the Bible. Aramaic was my first language, but by the time I was ten I could speak and read Hebrew as well as most of the men. My ability to learn Hebrew and the Torah was spurred on by my friendship with Joshua, for while the other boys would be playing a round of tease the sheep or kick the Canaanite, Joshua and I played at being rabbis, and he insisted that we stick to the authentic Hebrew for our ceremonies. It was more fun than it sounds, or at least it was until my mother caught us trying to circumcise my little brother Shem with a sharp rock. What a fit she threw. And my argument that Shem needed to renew his covenant with the Lord didn't seem to convince her. She beat me to stripes with an olive switch and forbade me to play with Joshua for a month. Did I mention she was besought with demons? Overall, I think it was good for little Shem. He was the only kid I ever knew who could pee around corners. You can make a pretty good living as a beggar with that kind of talent. And he never even thanked me. Brothers. Children see magic because they look for it. When I first met Joshua, I didn't know he was the Savior, and neither did he, for that matter. What I knew was that he wasn't afraid. Amid a race of conquered warriors, a people who tried to find pride while cowering before God and Rome, he shone like a bloom in the desert. But maybe only I saw it, because I was looking for it. To everyone else he seemed like just another child: the same needs and the same chance to die before he was grown. When I told my mother of Joshua's trick with the lizard she checked me for fever and sent me to my sleeping mat with only a bowl of broth for supper. â€Å"I've heard stories about that boy's mother,† she said to my father. â€Å"She claims to have spoken to an angel of the Lord. She told Esther that she had borne the Son of God.† â€Å"And what did you say to Esther?† â€Å"That she should be careful that the Pharisees not hear her ravings or we'd be picking stones for her punishment.† â€Å"Then you should not speak of it again. I know her husband, he is a righteous man.† â€Å"Cursed with an insane girl for a wife.† â€Å"Poor thing,† my father said, tearing away a hunk of bread. His hands were as hard as horn, as square as hammers, and as gray as a leper's from the limestone he worked with. An embrace from him left scratches on my back that sometimes wept blood, yet my brothers and I fought to be the first in his arms when he returned from work each evening. The same injuries inflicted in anger would have sent us crying to our mother's skirts. I fell asleep each night feeling his hand on my back like a shield. Fathers. Do you want to mash some lizards?† I asked Joshua when I saw him again. He was drawing in the dirt with a stick, ignoring me. I put my foot on his drawing. â€Å"Did you know that your mother is mad?† â€Å"My father does that to her,† he said sadly, without looking up. I sat down next to him. â€Å"Sometimes my mother makes yipping noises in the night like the wild dogs.† â€Å"Is she mad?† Joshua asked. â€Å"She seems fine in the morning. She sings while she makes breakfast.† Joshua nodded, satisfied, I guess, that madness could pass. â€Å"We used to live in Egypt,† he said. â€Å"No, you didn't, that's too far. Farther than the temple, even.† The Temple in Jerusalem was the farthest place I had been as a child. Every spring my family took the five-day walk to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. It seemed to take forever. â€Å"We lived here, then we lived in Egypt, now we live here again,† Joshua said. â€Å"It was a long way.† â€Å"You lie, it takes forty years to get to Egypt.† â€Å"Not anymore, it's closer now.† â€Å"It says in the Torah. My abba read it to me. ‘The Israelites traveled in the desert for forty years.'† â€Å"The Israelites were lost.† â€Å"For forty years?† I laughed. â€Å"The Israelites must be stupid.† â€Å"We are the Israelites.† â€Å"We are?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I have to go find my mother,† I said. â€Å"When you come back, let's play Moses and Pharaoh.† The angel has confided in me that he is going to ask the Lord if he can become Spider-Man. He watches the television constantly, even when I sleep, and he has become obsessed with the story of the hero who fights demons from the rooftops. The angel says that evil looms larger now than it did in my time, and that calls for greater heroes. The children need heroes, he says. I think he just wants to swing from buildings in tight red jammies. What hero could touch these children anyway, with their machines and medicine and distances made invisible? (Raziel: not here a week and he would trade the Sword of God to be a web slinger.) In my time, our heroes were few, but they were real – some of us could even trace our kinship to them. Joshua always played the heroes – David, Joshua, Moses – while I played the evil ones: Pharaoh, Ahab, and Nebuchadnezzar. If I had a shekel for every time I was slain as a Philistine, well, I'd not be riding a camel through the eye of a needle anytime soon, I'll tell you that. As I think back, I see that Joshua was practicing for what he would become. â€Å"Let my people go,† said Joshua, as Moses. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You can't just say, ‘Okay.'† â€Å"I can't?† â€Å"No, the Lord has hardened your heart against my demands.† â€Å"Why'd he do that?† â€Å"I don't know, he just did. Now, let my people go.† â€Å"Nope.† I crossed my arms and turned away like someone whose heart is hardened. â€Å"Behold as I turn this stick into a snake. Now, let my people go!† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You can't just say ‘okay'!† â€Å"Why? That was a pretty good trick with the stick.† â€Å"But that's not how it goes.† â€Å"Okay. No way, Moses, your people have to stay.† Joshua waved his staff in my face. â€Å"Behold, I will plague you with frogs. They will fill your house and your bedchamber and get on your stuff.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So that's bad. Let my people go, Pharaoh.† â€Å"I sorta like frogs.† â€Å"Dead frogs,† Moses threatened. â€Å"Piles of steaming, stinking dead frogs.† â€Å"Oh, in that case, you'd better take your people and go. I have some sphinxes and stuff to build anyway.† â€Å"Dammit, Biff, that's not how it goes! I have more plagues for you.† â€Å"I want to be Moses.† â€Å"You can't.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I have the stick.† â€Å"Oh.† And so it went. I'm not sure I took to playing the villains as easily as Joshua took to being the heroes. Sometimes we recruited our little brothers to play the more loathsome parts. Joshua's little brothers Judah and James played whole populations, like the Sodomites outside of Lot's door. â€Å"Send out those two angels so that we can know them.† â€Å"I won't do that,† I said, playing Lot (a good guy only because Joshua wanted to play the angels), â€Å"but I have two daughters who don't know anyone, you can meet them.† â€Å"Okay,† said Judah. I threw open the door and led my imaginary daughters outside so they could know the Sodomites†¦ â€Å"Pleased to meet you.† â€Å"Charmed, I'm sure.† â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"THAT'S NOT HOW IT GOES!† Joshua shouted. â€Å"You're supposed to try to break the door down, then I will smite you blind.† â€Å"Then you destroy our city?† James said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"We'd rather meet Lot's daughters.† â€Å"Let my people go,† said Judah, who was only four and often got his stories confused. He particularly liked the Exodus because he and James got to throw jars of water on me as I led my soldiers across the Red Sea after Moses. â€Å"That's it,† Joshua said. â€Å"Judah, you're Lot's wife. Go stand over there.† Sometimes Judah had to play Lot's wife no matter what story we were doing. â€Å"I don't want to be Lot's wife.† â€Å"Be quiet, pillars of salt can't talk.† â€Å"I don't want to be a girl.† Our brothers always played the female parts. I had no sisters to torment, and Joshua's only sister at the time, Elizabeth, was still a baby. That was before we met the Magdalene. The Magdalene changed everything. After I overheard my parents talking about Joshua's mother's madness, I often watched her, looking for signs, but she seemed to go about her duties like all the other mothers, tending to the little ones, working in the garden, fetching water, and preparing food. There was no sign of going about on all fours or foaming at the mouth as I had expected. She was younger than many of the mothers, and much younger than her husband, Joseph, who was an old man by the standards of our time. Joshua said that Joseph wasn't his real father, but he wouldn't say who his father was. When the subject came up, and Mary was in earshot, she would call to Josh, then put her finger to her lips to signal silence. â€Å"Now is not the time, Joshua. Biff would not understand.† Just hearing her say my name made my heart leap. Early on I developed a little-boy love for Joshua's mother that sent me into fantasies of marriage and family and future. â€Å"Your father is old, huh, Josh?† â€Å"Not too old.† â€Å"When he dies, will your mother marry his brother?† â€Å"My father has no brothers. Why?† â€Å"No reason. What would you think if your father was shorter than you?† â€Å"He isn't.† â€Å"But when your father dies, your mother could marry someone shorter than you, and he would be your father. You would have to do what he says.† â€Å"My father will never die. He is eternal.† â€Å"So you say. But I think that when I'm a man, and your father dies, I will take your mother as my wife.† Joshua made a face now as if he had bitten into an unripe fig. â€Å"Don't say that, Biff.† â€Å"I don't mind that she's mad. I like her blue cloak. And her smile. I'll be a good father, I'll teach you how to be a stonemason, and I'll only beat you when you are a snot.† â€Å"I would rather play with lepers than listen to this.† Joshua began to walk away. â€Å"Wait. Be nice to your father, Joshua bar Biff† – my own father used my full name like this when he was trying to make a point – â€Å"Is it not the word of Moses that you must honor me?† Little Joshua spun on his heel. â€Å"My name is not Joshua bar Biff, and it is not Joshua bar Joseph either. It's Joshua bar Jehovah!† I looked around, hoping that no one had heard him. I didn't want my only son (I planned to sell Judah and James into slavery) to be stoned to death for uttering the name of God in vain. â€Å"Don't say that again, Josh. I won't marry your mother.† â€Å"No, you won't.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"I forgive you.† â€Å"She will make an excellent concubine.† Don't let anyone tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone. In those early days, before he had become who he would be, Joshua smote me in the nose more than once. That was the first time. Mary would stay my one true love until I saw the Magdalene. If the people of Nazareth thought Joshua's mother was mad, there was little said of it out of respect for her husband, Joseph. He was wise in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, and there were few wives in Nazareth who didn't serve supper in one of his smooth olive-wood bowls. He was fair, strong, and wise. People said that he had once been an Essene, one of the dour, ascetic Jews who kept to themselves and never married or cut their hair, but he did not congregate with them, and unlike them, he still had the ability to smile. In those early years, I saw him very little, as he was always in Sepphoris, building structures for the Romans and the Greeks and the landed Jews of that city, but every year, as the Feast of Firsts approached, Joseph would stop his work in the fortress city and stay home carving bowls and spoons to give to the Temple. During the Feast of Firsts, it was the tradition to give first lambs, first grain, and first fruits to the priests of the Temple. Even first sons born during the year were dedicated to the Temple, either by promising them for labor when they were older, or by a gift of money. Craftsmen like my father and Joseph could give things that they made, and in some years my father fashioned mortars and pestles or grinding stones for the tribute, while in others he gave tithes of coin. Some people made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for this feast, but since it fell only seven weeks after Passover, many families could not afford to make the pilgrimage, and the gifts went to our sim ple village synagogue. During the weeks leading up to the feast, Joseph sat outside of his house in the shade of an awning he had made, worrying the gnarled olive wood with adze and chisel, while Joshua and I played at his feet. He wore the single-piece tunic that we all wore, a rectangle of fabric with neck hole in the middle, belted with a sash so that the sleeves fell to the elbows and the hem fell to the knees. â€Å"Perhaps this year I should give the Temple my first son, eh, Joshua? Wouldn't you like to clean the altar after the sacrifices?† He grinned to himself without looking up from his work. â€Å"I owe them a first son, you know. We were in Egypt at the Firsts Feast when you were born.† The idea of coming in contact with blood clearly terrified Joshua, as it would any Jewish boy. â€Å"Give them James, Abba, he is your first son.† Joseph shot a glance my way, to see if I had reacted. I had, but it was because I was considering my own status as a first son, hoping that my father wasn't thinking along the same lines. â€Å"James is a second son. The priests don't want second sons. It will have to be you.† Joshua looked at me before he answered, then back at his father. Then he smiled. â€Å"But Abba, if you should die, who will take care of Mother if I am at the Temple?† â€Å"Someone will look after her,† I said. â€Å"I'm sure of it.† â€Å"I will not die for a long time.† Joseph tugged at his gray beard. â€Å"My beard goes white, but there's a lot of life in me yet.† â€Å"Don't be so sure, Abba,† Joshua said. Joseph dropped the bowl he was working on and stared into his hands. â€Å"Run along and play, you two,† he said, his voice little more than a whisper. Joshua stood and walked away. I wanted to throw my arms around the old man, for I had never seen a grown man afraid before and it frightened me too. â€Å"Can I help?† I said, pointing to the half-finished bowl that lay in Joseph's lap. â€Å"You go with Joshua. He needs a friend to teach him to be human. Then I can teach him to be a man.†