John Smith Essays (220 words) - Logic, Assumption, Epistemology

John Smith History Knower's cannot directly observe the past. This characteristic of history opens up many questions of knowledge that are unique to it and allows reason and language to contribute to the way we interpret historical accounts and events. Language is the system of communication including symbols and words by which history is noted, written and passed down over the years. In contrast, reason is the use of our own reasoning and logic to make use the language by which history is written and communicated. It was the French Historian and Politician, Francois Guizot who said that Nothing falsifies history more than logic.' This statement emphasises the fact that although language may sometimes be a hindrance to history, we are able to use of our reasoning and logic to overcome such a hindrance and reach a more understandable interpretation of the historical account or event being examined. However, one must acknowledge the fact that without language there would be no history as the essence o f history is humans' ability to communicate their opinions, views and facts about certain happenings and occurrences and this is done using language. In order to fully understand the roles of language and reason with regards to history one must first understand the relationship between language and reason. Language is the core of reason.

Orestes as an Ancient Greek Hero Character essayEssay Writing Service

Orestes as an Ancient Greek Hero Character essayEssay Writing Service Orestes as an Ancient Greek Hero Character essay Orestes as an Ancient Greek Hero Character essayThe Orestia by Aeschylus shows Orestes as a true hero, who acts as a hero, thinks as a hero, and confronts dangers and gods as a hero. In such a way, Aeschylus attempted to depict the ancient Greek hero, who acts and lives according to Greek norms, traditions and ideals of heroism.Orestes personifies the hero character in the play, who acts justly. However, he becomes a hero, when he suffers severe pain because: â€Å"Nothing forces us to know. What we do not want to know except pain† (Aeschylus, 2012, p.131). His sufferings are attributes of the true Greek hero because a person cannot become a hero for Greeks, if he has never suffered and felt pain. Orestes is the person, whose moral sufferings are enormous. Nevertheless, as a hero he copes with his sufferings and overcomes them successfully that is also the feature attributed to the true hero.   At the same time, re-establishment justice through the revenge for the death of t he father is the attribute of a hero in the ancient Greek society. Orestes acts as a hero killing Clytemnestra, who was responsible for the death of his father. Even though he suffers, he is always aware of his moral duty to revenge that made him a hero in the perception of the public in ancient Greece.Orestes faces the trial headed by ancient Greek gods, including Athena, who is apparently on his side. In such a way, the author attempts to show that gods support the feeling of revenge in the main character and Athena stands for Orestes during the trial. And again Orestes acts as a hero since he confronts the trial being certain in the righteousness of his deed. He does not even think of escape and even Athena notices his strife for his righteousness: â€Å"You wish to be called righteous rather than act right. [] I say, wrong must not win by technicalities.†Ã‚  (Aeschylus, 2012, p.193). Instead, he is bold and ready to accept the decision of the court.Orestes, as a hero, con fronts not only the prosecution from the part of gods and people but he also confronts remorse: â€Å"Wisdom comes through suffering. Trouble, with its memories of pain† (Aeschylus, 2012, p.128). Orestes becomes wise and suffers from his wisdom that is the characteristic of the true Greek hero, who is wise and aware of his wisdom. As a hero, he confronts the severe internal conflict and suffers because he considers his act could be totally wrong. Therefore, the true hero is not afraid of gods and his own remorse. Instead, he acts boldly and justly.Therefore, the hero of Aeschylus Orestia, Orestes, is a symbol of revenge but, at the same time, he is a symbol of the traditional Greek hero, who faces numerous challenges and overcomes them successfully. He suffers the external and internal pressure but, as a true hero, he acts responsibly, boldly and bravely. He overcomes his sufferings, challenges gods and people but acts in accordance to his moral duty and responsibility. This is why Orestes is perceived as the true ancient Greek hero, the person, who often neglects common well-being for the sake of the fulfillment of his duty.

Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team - Essay Example Moreover, acting more efficiently he is already proposing replacements. This is a very negative way of handling matters. Meanwhile, he is also talking to the other members quite persuasively and trying to make his point. As we explored earlier the entire idea itself is lurking within doubtful alleys, additional negative elements and feedbacks like John's will make it very hard for Don to take up the Change idea further and that too successfully. With reference to the scenario at Gene One, the review of the following theories and literature will help us draw a mark on the best suited style of leadership that would help Gene One accomplish success in the future. The leadership style, presented within Fiedler contingency model has implied that the efficient groups relying on a suitable match amid a leader's approach of intermingling with the subsidiaries in addition to the level to which the state of affairs provides management and authority to the leader. It was the proposition of Fiedler that had created the notion of the slightly favored associate questionnaire as a device to recognize the leadership style. Within Fiedler's assumption, he was able to extrapolate the fact that all the leadership styles are mostly enduring.

Compare two of the regional human rights systems, analyzing the Essay

Compare two of the regional human rights systems, analyzing the similarities and differences in their respective approaches to the protection and promotion of human rights - Essay Example They are the precursors of normative frameworks. They form the minimum standards that a member state has to adhere to while enacting their municipal law must conform to these standards. This means that in any case a country seeks to enact a municipal dealing with a matter that is covered under any human right system, then that country needs to use the standard set in that particular human right system as the benchmark. There are three main human rights systems in the world; the European Human Right System, the Americas Human Rights system and the African Human right system. For the purposes of this paper, the comparison shall be focused on the European and the African Human Rights system. The choice of the two is influenced by the fact that the European Human Right system was the first to develop while the African human right system is the last to develop. Another motivation for choosing these two systems is derived from the fact one is established in the developed region while the other is developed in a developing region. Despite the existence of the African Human rights system there is still a high level of human rights violation. It is important to note that each of these human rights systems developed out of influences and forces unique to the nations involved. These systems developed at different times and were triggered by different reasons. It is also imperative to note that each of these three systems has specific and tailor -made solutions and means to ensure that the specific rights of a certain group of people is catered for. The matters that led to the development of the European Human Right system were influenced by the World War II. On the other hand, the African Human Right system was triggered by other factors the main one being colonialism. Robertson (1982) propounds that the belief by the European nations that in order to secure democracy human rights had to be respected. The East Europe as well as the Western

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in Essay

What were the causes of the Global Financial Crisis which began in 2008 - Essay Example Mortgage capital expansion based policy that took upon the local industries such as housing, small to medium scale business activities led to an unprecedented environment and accumulation of artificial bubble. It was early in 2007 when the high risk mortgages saw an unusual trend in the market existence in the form of defaulting initiation to the business activity set the market on negative trends and footings leading on to massive economic strangulation in next year or so. Initial normalcy and relatively lower interest rates were another contributing factor that resulted in the upward pressure on the industry as well as the private lending agencies and entities being forced to increase the rates of interest subject to the external market and negative values by that time towards mid 2008. Mortgage backed security (M.B.S) was another mechanism and aiding element which lead to the stiffening of the market and overall mood. The second factor that contributed to the global recession was the element of securitization of the mortgages. It has been termed as the contributing factor which led to reduced certainty within the market trends and increased trends of risk. Introduction of concepts and policies such as Corporate loan securitization led to an initial let off to the investors and banking sector businesses that were initially indebted in small scale values, yet the long term impacts would show up in times ahead which did so in the most frightening form in span of less than five years from after 2002-2003. The fact that the American government had been following a relatively non consistent trend and pattern of loan handling made the picture relatively further murky. The practices such as collateralized loan obligation(C-L-O), was one similar practice of the United States government and banking policies which lead to increased debt values. The values initially were limited to less than 25 billion dollars, in less than five

The International Labour Organization Ilo

The International Labour Organization Ilo The International Labour Organization is a United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards and decent for all. There are 185 countries that are member states of International Labour Organization. The ILO aims to ensure that it serves the needs of working women and men by bringing together governments, employers and workers to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes. The very structure of the ILO, where workers and employers together have an equal voice with governments in its deliberations, shows social dialogue in action. It ensures that the views of the social partners are closely reflected in ILO labour standards, policies and programmes. They have concern about many issues which are happening in world. In this essay I selected child labour for further discussion. Child labour is a complex problem and numerous factors influence whether children work or not. Poverty emerges as the most compelling reason why children work. Poor households spend the bulk of their income on food and the income provided by working children is often critical to their survival. However, poverty is not the only factor in child labour and cannot justify all types of employment and servitude. Countries may be equally poor and yet have relatively high or relatively low levels of child labour. Child labour is clearly detrimental to individual children, preventing them from enjoying their childhood, hampering their development and sometimes causing lifelong physical or psychological damage; it is also detrimental to families, to communities and to society as a whole. As both a result and a cause of poverty, child labour perpetuates disadvantage and social exclusion. It undermines national development by keeping children out of school, preventing them from gaining the education and skills that would enable them as adults to contribute to economic growth and prosperity. As long as child labour continues, the ILOs goal of decent work can never be achieved. Discussion Millions of children worldwide are engaged in labour that is hindering their education, development and future livelihoods. A lot of of them are involved in the worst forms of child labour that because irreversible physical or psychological damage, or that even threaten their lives. This situation represents an intolerable violation of the rights of individual children, it perpetuates poverty and it compromises economic growth and equitable development. There are plenty of things can be happened to occur child labour. Factors include for Child labour: Barriers to education basic education is not free in all countries and is not always available for all children, especially in remote rural areas. Where schools are available, the quality of education can be poor and the content not relevant. In situations where education is not affordable or parents see no value in education, children are sent to work, rather than to school. Culture and tradition with few opportunities open to children with more education, parents are likely to share a cultural norm in which labour is seen as the most productive use of a childs time. Children are often expected to follow in their parents footsteps and are frequently summoned to help other members of the family, often at a young age. Market demand child labour is not accidental. Employers may prefer to hire children because they are cheaper than their adult counterparts, can be dispensed of easily if labour demands fluctuate and also form a docile, obedient work-force that will not seek to organize itself for protection and support. The effects of income shocks on households households that do not have the means to deal with income shocks, such as natural disasters, economic or agricultural crises Taking into consideration above factors the child labour will occur. This is a massive issue in modern world. Hence there are so many organizations and governments are consider this issue. Hence The ILO has given a priority to wipe out this issue. The International Labour Organization, from its setting up, has made child labour one of its central concerns. ILO work on child labour over the decades has mainly taken its indication from the phrase protection of children in the Preamble to its Constitution. The ILOs prime tool in pursuing the elimination of child labour has always been, and remains to this day, the labour standards that embody the concept of a minimum age to enter into employment. This approach responds to two concerns: to protect children from work that interferes with their full development and to pursue economic efficiency through well-functioning adult labour markets. Some child laborers are highly visible, such as street children working in the urban informal economy. Others, such as child domestic workers, are effectively hidden from public view and are thus particularly vulnerable, including to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Rather than working in formal sector establishments that produce for export, the majority of child labourers in manufacturing toil in supply chains producing for the domestic market, for example, in the production of fireworks, matches or incense sticks. A reported increase in home-based production of these and other goods, in response to heightened competitive pressures, brings with it an increased potential for exploitation of child labour. Such hidden groups of children present particular challenges for research and effective action. A future without child labour traces the ILOs historical concern with the abolition of child labour. At its very first session, the International Labour Conference adopted the Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919 . Over the years that followed, the concept of minimum age for entry into employment was extended to different economic sectors, culminating with the adoption of the comprehensive Minimum Age Convention, 1973. The inclusion of the effective abolition of child labour in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, adopted in 1988, highlighted the growing consensus across the world that child labour represents a serious threat to sustainable economic and social development everywhere. The unanimous adoption, the following year, of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 , and its subsequent unprecedented rate of ratification, attest to the strength of the political will among ILO member States to tackle, with employers and wor kers organizations and all partners in civil society, these most extreme forms of child labour as a matter of the greatest urgency. Convention No. 182 has served to consolidate resolve on the need for immediate action to combat the worst forms of child labour, accompanied by measures to eliminate and prevent all child labour in the longer term. Drawing on the provisions of Conventions Nos. 138 and 182, they identify three categories of child labour to be eliminated: Labour performed by a child who is under a minimum age specified in national legislation for that kind of work. Labour that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, known as hazardous work The unconditional worst forms of child labour, which are internationally defined as slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment for use in armed conflict, prostitution and pornography, and illicit activities. Furthermore they have taken several objectives to eliminate this child labor issue. Key objectives in the fight against child labour the long tradition of ILO standard setting and supervision in the field of child labour, dating from the very first session of the International Labour Conference in 1919 and leading up to the adoption of the umbrella Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138); The impetus given by the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989; The experience gained by national governments working with IPEC; increased activism on child labour by employers and workers organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); The unanimous adoption of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), and the subsequent campaign for its universal ratification and implementation; Research and action that have provided new insights into the causes, dimensions and means of reducing both poverty and child labour. According to the on top of objective the ILO have planned to eliminate child labor in every country. Although, when they erect new objectives and procedures they will have to concern countries policies. So that is a huge difficulty that they are appearance currently. Conclusion Childrens participation in the labour force at the start of the twenty-first century is continuously varied and infinitely volatile, responding to changing market and social conditions. This circumstance is matched by the flexibility of the large, unprotected, potential child labour force. Poverty and social exclusion, labour mobility, discrimination on the basis of sex and other grounds, and lack of adequate social protection and educational opportunity all come into play in influencing child labour outcomes. The ILO calls on all partners in this undertaking to redouble their efforts, to give all children, everywhere, the childhood and the future that they deserve.universal education and social protection, together with a better understanding of the needs and rights of children, can bring about a significant reduction in child labour. Recommendation Working closely with governments are the social partners employers and workers organizations who are uniquely placed to understand and to change the realities of the workplace so that child labour simply has no part to play. Partnerships operate horizontally at national level and also vertically between national, regional and international players. A worldwide movement, involving the ILOs constituents governments and employers and workers organizations and many other partners working together at international, national and local levels, has altered that irrevocably. Improve education system in every country. .

Essay --

Stanford Medical Center is located in Stanford, California and ranked as one of the best hospitals in the United States while also serving as a teaching hospital. Stanford is internationally known for its expertise in so many medical areas and for years they have continue to discover and create while working together to improve health on a global scale. In 2008, Stanford decided that they wanted to increase trainee and faculty exposure to international health and in doing so they created a team of Stanford and UCSF faculty to go on an exploratory mission to Vietnam. Vietnam lacks good health facilities and hospitals to better serve its patients. Stanford’s long term goal was to implement a curriculum development and provide opportunities for faculty to pursue research within different cultural and scientific environments. (Viet Nam Welcomes Stanford and UCSF Faculty, 2008) My report will discuss the scenario if the Vietnam government requested Stanford to develop a co-brandin g arrangement where Stanford Medical Center would operate a Vietnam healthcare facility and send some of its clinicians over to train and educate the facility’s doctors and nursing staff while helping improve and monitor Vietnam’s health quality programs. First, what is co-branding? Co-branding is a technique used by many businesses and healthcare to help with positive associations of another company’s product or brand. In this case the co-branding strategy is being used to gain more marketplace exposure. Long standing health care organizations as with any well-known organization will carry a franchise that represents loyalty both internally and with consumers. Stanford is a name already known by consumers which will further attract patients especially when ... ...ame to it. Second one would be to ensure that the original mission, values, culture, and benefits are instilled and guaranteed in every organization that’s in co-branding. My third recommendation is to expand the target market by suiting to the environments culture. (Mà ©lissa Bever, Stà ©phanie Lallemand , 2011) Localization or universal slogans are important because even though an organization’s brand values and culture means one thing in American markets, in a foreign land those words and meanings could be different and it’s a simple fact that some concepts don’t translate between cultures. This is when a team would perform a transcreation. Transcreation is copywriting in a foreign language and this is valuable because they re-write the brand message for the target country to help them understand and appreciate the original message and how it reflects the company.

The Golden Lily Chapter 15

I FELT SO BAD for Brayden the next day that I actually called him, as opposed to our usual texting and e-mailing. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† I said. â€Å"Running out like that†¦ it's not my usual style. Not at all. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't a family emergency.† Maybe that was stretching it. Maybe not. â€Å"It's okay,† he said. Without seeing his face, I couldn't tell if it really was okay. â€Å"I suppose things were winding down anyway.† I wondered what â€Å"things† he meant. Did he mean the dance itself? Or was he talking about us? â€Å"Let me take you out to make up for it,† I said. â€Å"You always do everything. I'll handle it for a change. Dinner will be on me, and I'll even pick you up.† â€Å"In the Subaru?† I ignored the judgment in his tone. â€Å"Are you in or not?† He was in. We made the necessary arrangements, and I hung up feeling better about everything. Brayden wasn't mad. Adrian's visit hadn't ruined my fledgling relationship. Things were back to normal – at least for me. I'd kept to myself the day after the dance, wanting to catch up on work and not stress about social matters. Monday morning started the school week again, back to business as usual. Eddie walked into East's cafeteria when I did, and we waited together in the food line. He wanted to know about Adrian's visit to the dance, and I gave a glossed-over version of the night, simply saying that Adrian had gotten drunk and needed a ride home. I made no mention of my role in getting the queen to act on his behalf or of me being â€Å"the most beautiful creature walking this earth.† I certainly didn't mention the way I'd felt when Adrian had touched me. Eddie and I walked over to a table and found the unusual sight of Angeline trying to cheer up Jill. Normally, I would've chastised Angeline for what she'd done at the dance, but there'd been no damage done†¦ this time. Plus, I was too distracted by Jill. It was impossible for me to see her down without immediately assuming something was wrong with Adrian. Eddie spoke before I could, noticing what I hadn't. â€Å"No Micah?† he asked. â€Å"He was out the door before me. I figured he would've beat me over here.† â€Å"You had to ask, didn't you?† Angeline grimaced. â€Å"They had a fight.† I swear, Eddie looked more upset about this than Jill. â€Å"What? He didn't say anything. What happened? You guys seemed to be having such a great time on Saturday.† Jill nodded morosely but didn't look up from her uneaten food. I could just barely catch sight of tears in her eyes. â€Å"We did. So good that he actually talked to me yesterday and asked†¦ well, he asked if I wanted to have Thanksgiving with his family. They're from Pasadena. He thought he could either get permission from the school or talk to you guys.† â€Å"That doesn't sound so bad,† said Eddie cautiously. â€Å"Thanksgiving with his family is serious! It's one thing for us to hang out together here, but if we start expanding that†¦ becoming a couple outside of school†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sighed. â€Å"It's going to go too fast. How long would I be able to hide what I am? And even if that wasn't an issue, it's not safe anyway. The whole point of me being here is that it's a safe, controlled environment. I can't just take off to meet strangers.† It was another step of progress to her accepting the difficulties of a â€Å"casual† relationship with Micah. I offered a neutral comment. â€Å"Sounds like you've thought a lot about this.† Jill looked up sharply, almost as if she hadn't even realized I was there. â€Å"Yeah. I guess I have.† She scrutinized me for a few seconds, and weirdly, her distraught expression softened. She smiled. â€Å"You look really pretty today, Sydney. The way the light hits you†¦ it's kind of amazing.† â€Å"Um, thanks,† I said, uncertain as to what had prompted that comment. I was pretty sure there was nothing remarkable about me today. My hair and makeup were the same as ever, and I'd chosen a white shirt and plaid skirt uniform combo today. I had to make up for this weekend's color splurge. â€Å"And the burgundy trim in your skirt really brings out the amber in your eyes,† Jill continued. â€Å"It's not as good as the bright red, but still looks great. Of course, every color looks great on you, even the dull ones.† Eddie was still focused on Micah. â€Å"How'd the fight come about?† Jill dragged her gaze from me, much to my relief. â€Å"Oh. Well. I told him I didn't know if I could do Thanksgiving. Probably if I'd just given him one reason, it would've all been fine. But I started freaking out, thinking about all the problems, and just went off on a ramble, saying we might go back to South Dakota or maybe family would come here or maybe you wouldn't let me†¦ or, well, a bunch of other things. I guess it was pretty obvious I was kind of making it all up, and then he outright asked me if I didn't want to be with him anymore. Then I said I did but that it was complicated. He asked what I meant, but of course I couldn't explain it all, and from there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She threw up her hands. â€Å"It all just kind of exploded from there.† I'd never thought much about Thanksgiving or meeting one's family as a rite of passage in dating. Brayden's family lived in southern California t oo†¦ would I be expected to meet them someday? â€Å"Micah's not the type to hold a grudge,† said Eddie. â€Å"He's also pretty reasonable. Just tell him the truth.† â€Å"What, that I'm one of the last in a line of vampire royalty and my sister's throne is dependent on me staying in hiding and surviving?† Jill asked incredulously. Amusement flickered in Eddie's eyes, though I could tell he was trying to stay serious for her sake. â€Å"That's one way, I suppose. But no†¦ I meant, just give him the simplified version. You don't want to get too serious. You like him but just want to watch how fast things are going. It's not unreasonable, you know. You're fifteen and have been ‘dating' for barely a month.† She pondered his words. â€Å"You don't think he'd be mad?† â€Å"Not if he really cares about you,† said Eddie vehemently. â€Å"If he really cares, he'll understand and respect your wishes – and be happy at just any chance of spending time with you.† I wondered if Eddie was referring to Micah or himself, but that was a thought best kept quiet. Jill's face lit up. â€Å"Thanks,† she told Eddie. â€Å"I hadn't thought of it that way. You're so right. If he can't accept my feelings, then there's no point to anything.† She glanced over at a wall clock and jumped to her feet. â€Å"I think I'm going to go try to find him now before class.† Like that, she was gone. Good work, Eddie, I thought. You may have just helped get the girl of your dreams back together with her boyfriend. When Eddie caught my eye, the look on his face told me he was thinking the exact same thing. Angeline watched Jill dart out of the cafeteria, her blue eyes narrowed in thought. â€Å"Even if they make up, I don't think it'll last. With their situation†¦ it can't work.† â€Å"I thought you were all about vampire and human relationships,† I said. â€Å"Oh, sure. Back home, no problem. Even out in your world, no problem. But Jill's a special case. She's got to stay out of sight and stay safe if she's going to help her family. Dating him won't do that, and she knows it – no matter how much she wishes it weren't true. She'll do the right thing in the end. This is duty. It's bigger than personal wants. Jill gets that.† Angeline then declared she needed to get back to her room to catch up on homework. Eddie and I were left staring. He shook his head in amazement. â€Å"I don't think I've ever seen Angeline so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ subdued?† I suggested. â€Å"I was thinking†¦ coherent.† I laughed. â€Å"Come on, she's coherent plenty of times.† â€Å"You know what I mean,† he argued. â€Å"What she just said? It was totally true. It was†¦ wise. She understands Jill and this situation.† â€Å"I think she understands more than we give her credit for,† I said, recalling how much better-behaved she'd been since the assembly – breaking into dances aside. â€Å"It's just taken her time to adjust, which makes sense, considering what a change this is. If you'd seen where she's from, you'd understand.† â€Å"I may have misjudged her,† Eddie admitted. He seemed astonished by his own words. Part of me had expected to get chastised by Trey today for having skipped out on Brayden at the dance. Instead, I found Trey missing again from our morning classes. I almost worried but then reminded myself that his cousin was still in town, possibly muddling Trey in â€Å"family stuff.† Trey was competent. Whatever was going on, he could handle it. Then why all the bruises? I wondered. When I reached Ms. Terwilliger's independent study, she was waiting expectantly for me, which I took as a bad sign. Usually, she was already hard at work at her own desk and just gave me a nod of acknowledgment when I took out my books. Today, she was standing in front of her desk, arms crossed, watching the door. â€Å"Miss Melbourne. I trust you had an enjoyable weekend? You were certainly the belle of the ball at the Halloween dance.† â€Å"You saw me?† I asked. For a moment, I expected her to say she'd been watching the whole dance through a crystal ball or something. â€Å"Well, certainly. I was there as a chaperone. My post was near the DJ, so I'm not surprised you didn't see me. That, and I hardly stood out the way you did. I must say, that was an exquisite neo-Greco reproduction you were wearing.† â€Å"Thanks.† I was getting compliments left and right today, but hers were much less creepy than Jill's. â€Å"Now then,† said Ms. Terwilliger, all business again. â€Å"I thought it might be useful for us to discuss some of the spells you've been researching for my project. Notating them is one thing. Understanding them is another.† My stomach sank. I'd grown comfortable in my avoidance of her and the repetitive, almost mindless nature of annotating and translating spells. So long as we didn't have to actually delve into them, I felt reassured that I wasn't doing anything real with magic. I dreaded whatever she had in mind, but there was little I could make in the way of protest, so long as this was all couched in the terms of my study and didn't involve harm to myself or others. â€Å"Would you be kind enough to close the door?† she asked. I did, and my feeling of unease increased. â€Å"Now. I wanted to examine that book I gave you further – the one on protective spells.† â€Å"I don't have it with me, ma'am,† I said, relieved. â€Å"But if you want, I'll go get it from my dorm room and bring it back.† If I timed the shuttle bus right – by which I meant, wrong – I could probably use up a huge part of our hour in the round-trip. â€Å"That's all right. I obtained that copy for your personal use.† She lifted a book from her desk. â€Å"I have my own. Let's take a look, shall we?† I couldn't hide my dismay. We sat in adjacent student desks, and she began by simply going over the table of contents with me. The book was divided into three sections: Defense, Planned Attacks, and Instant Attacks. Each of those subsections was divided into levels of difficulty. â€Å"Defense includes a lot of protective charms and evasion spells,† she told me. â€Å"Why do you think those come first in the book?† â€Å"Because the best way to win a fight is to avoid one,† I said immediately. â€Å"Makes the rest superfluous.† She looked startled that I had come up with that. â€Å"Yes†¦ precisely.† â€Å"That's what Wolfe said,† I explained. â€Å"He's the instructor in a self-defense class I'm taking.† â€Å"Well, he's quite right. Most of the spells in this section do exactly that. This one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She flipped a few pages into the book. â€Å"This one's very basic but extremely useful. It's a concealment spell. Many physical components – which you'd expect from a beginner spell – but well worth it. You create an amulet and keep a separate ingredient – crumbled gypsum – on hand. When you're ready to activate it, add the gypsum, and the amulet comes to life. It makes it nearly impossible for someone to see you. You can leave a room or area in safety, undetected, before the magic wears off.† The wording wasn't lost on me, and in spite of my inner resistance, I couldn't help but ask: â€Å"‘Nearly impossible?'† â€Å"It won't work if they actually know you're there,† she explained. â€Å"You can't just cast it and become invisible – though there are more advanced spells for that. But if someone isn't actively expecting to see you†¦ well, they won't.† She showed me others, many of which were basic and amulet based, requiring a similar means of activation. One that she dubbed intermediate had kind of a reverse activation process. The caster wore an amulet that protected her when she cast the rest of the spell – one that made all people within a certain radius go temporarily blind. Only the caster retained sight. Listening, I still squirmed at the thought of using magic to directly affect someone else. Concealing yourself was one thing. But blinding someone? Making them dizzy? Forcing them to sleep? It crossed that line, using wrong and unnatural means to do things humans had no business doing. And yet†¦ deep inside, some part of me could see the usefulness. The attack had made me reconsider all sorts of things. As much as it pained me to admit it, I could even see how giving blood to Sonya might not be so bad. Might. I wasn't ready to do it yet by any means. I listened patiently as she went through the pages, all the while wondering what her game was here. Finally, when we had five minutes left of class, she told me, â€Å"For next Monday, I'd like you to re-create one of these, just as you did with the fire amulet and write a paper on it.† â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger – † I began. â€Å"Yes, yes,† she said, closing the book and standing up. â€Å"I'm well aware of your arguments and objections, how humans aren't meant to wield such power and all of that nonsense. I respect your right to feel that way. No one's making you use any of this. I just want you to continue getting a feel for the construction.† â€Å"I can't,† I said adamantly. â€Å"I won't.† â€Å"It's no different than dissecting a frog in biology,† she argued. â€Å"Hands-on work to understand the material.† â€Å"I guess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I relented, glumly. â€Å"Which one do you want me to do, ma'am?† â€Å"Whichever you like.† Something about that bothered me even more. â€Å"I'd rather you choose.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† she said. â€Å"You have freedom in your larger term paper and freedom in this. I don't care what you do, so long as the assignment's complete. Go with what interests you.† And that was the problem. In having me choose, she was making me get invested in the magic. It was easy for me to claim no part in it and point out that everything I did for her was under duress. Even if this assignment was technically dictated by her, that one small choice she'd given me forced me to become proactive. So, I put the decision off – which was almost unheard of for me when it came to homework. Some part of me thought that maybe if I ignored the assignment, it would go away or she'd change her mind. Besides, I had a week. No point in stressing about it yet. Although I knew we had no obligation to Lia for giving us the costumes, I still felt the appropriate thing to do was return them to her – just so there was no doubt of my intentions. Once Ms. Terwilliger released me, I packed up my and Jill's costumes into their garment bags and headed into downtown. Jill was sad to let hers go but conceded that it was the right thing to do. Lia, however, felt otherwise. â€Å"What am I going to do with these?† she asked when I showed up at her shop. Large rhinestone hoop earrings made her dazzling to look at. â€Å"They were custom made for you.† â€Å"I'm sure you can alter them. And I'm sure they're not far off from your sample sizes anyway.† I held the hangers out, and she obstinately crossed her arms. â€Å"Look, they were great. We really appreciate what you did. But we can't keep them.† â€Å"You will keep them,† she stated. â€Å"If you don't take them, I'll just leave them on your counter,† I warned. â€Å"And I'll have them shipped back to your dorm.† I groaned. â€Å"Why is this so important to you? Why can't you take no for an answer? There are plenty of pretty girls in Palm Springs. You don't need Jill.† â€Å"That's exactly it,† said Lia. â€Å"Plenty of pretty girls that all blend into each other. Jill is special. She's a natural and doesn't even know it. She could be great someday.† â€Å"Someday,† I repeated. â€Å"But not right now.† Lia attempted another approach. â€Å"The campaign is for scarves and hats. I can't do masks again, but I can put her in sunglasses – especially if we shoot outside. Tell me if you'd agree to this plan – â€Å" â€Å"Lia, please. Don't bother.† â€Å"Just listen,† she urged. â€Å"We'll go do a photo shoot. Afterward, you can go through all the pictures and throw out any that don't meet your weird religious criteria.† â€Å"No exceptions,† I insisted. â€Å"And I'm leaving the dresses.† I set them on a counter and headed out, ignoring Lia's protests about all the amazing things she could do for Jill. Maybe someday, I thought. Someday when all of Jill's problems are gone. Something told me that day was far away, however. Although my loyalty to Spencer's was steadfast, a small French cafe caught my attention as I walked back to my car. Or rather, the scent of their coffee caught my attention. I had no obligations at school and stopped into the cafe for a cup. I had a book for English class on me and decided to do some reading at one of the cafe's small tables. Half of that time was spent texting back and forth with Brayden. He'd wanted to know what I was reading, and we were swapping our favorite Tennessee Williams quotes. I'd barely been there for ten minutes when shadows fell over me, blocking the late afternoon sun. Two guys stood there, neither of whom I knew. They were a little older than me, one blond haired and blue eyed while the other was dark haired and deeply tanned. Their expressions weren't hostile, but they weren't friendly either. Both were well built, like those who trained regularly. And then, after a double-take, I realized I did recognize one of them. The dark-haired guy was the one who'd approached Sonya and me a while ago, claiming to know her from Kentucky. Immediately, all the panic I'd been trying to suppress this last week came back to me, that sense of being trapped and helpless. It was only the realization that I was in a public place, surrounded by people, which allowed me to regard these two with astonishing calm. â€Å"Yes?† I asked. â€Å"We need to talk to you, Alchemist,† said the blond guy. I didn't twitch a muscle in my face. â€Å"I think you've got me mixed up with someone else.† â€Å"No one else around here has a lily tattoo,† said the other guy. He'd said his name was Jeff, but I wondered if he'd told the truth. â€Å"It'd be great if you could take a walk with us.† My tattoo was covered up today, but something told me these guys had been following me for a while and didn't need to see the lily to know it was there. â€Å"Absolutely not,† I said. I didn't even need Wolfe's reminders to know that was a terrible idea. I was staying here in the safety of the crowd. â€Å"If you want to talk, you'd best take a seat. Otherwise, go away.† I looked back down at my book, like I didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding, and it took every ounce of control I had to keep my hands from shaking. A few moments later, I heard the sounds of metal scraping on concrete, and the two guys sat down opposite me. I looked back up at their impassive faces. â€Å"You've got to go inside if you want coffee,† I remarked. â€Å"They don't have service out here.† â€Å"We're not here to talk about the coffee,† said Jeff. â€Å"We're here to talk about vampires.† â€Å"Why? Are you filming a movie or something?† I asked. â€Å"We know you hang out with them,† said Blond Hair. â€Å"Including that Strigoi, Sonya Karp.† Part of my tattoo's magic was to prevent Alchemists from revealing information about the vampire world to outsiders. We literally couldn't do it. The magic would kick in and prevent it if we tried. Since these guys seemed to already know about vampires, the tattoo wasn't going to censor my words. Instead, I chose to censor myself of my own free will. Something told me ignorance was the best tactic here. â€Å"Vampires aren't real,† I said. â€Å"Look, if this is some kind of a joke – â€Å" â€Å"We know what you do,† continued Blond Hair. â€Å"You don't like them any more than we do. So why are you helping them? How could your group have gotten so muddled and lost sight of our original vision? Centuries ago, we were one united group, determined to see all vampires wiped from the face of the earth in the name of the light. Your brethren betrayed that goal.† I had another protest ready, and then I noticed a glint of gold in Jeff's ear. He was wearing a tiny earring, a small golden sphere with a dark dot in the middle. I couldn't help myself. â€Å"Your earring,† I said. â€Å"It's the sun symbol – the symbol for gold.† And, I realized, it was exactly the same symbol that had been on the hilt of the sword we'd retrieved from the alley. He touched his earring and nodded. â€Å"We haven't forgotten the mission – or our original purpose. We serve the light. Not the darkness that hides vampires.† I still refused to acknowledge anything they said about vampires. â€Å"You're the ones who attacked my friend and me in the alley last week.† Neither one denied it. â€Å"Your ‘friend' is a creature of darkness,† said Blond Hair. â€Å"I don't know how she's managed this current enchantment – making herself look like one of the other vampires – but you can't be fooled. She's evil. She'll kill you and countless others.† â€Å"You guys are crazy,† I said. â€Å"None of this makes any sense.† â€Å"Just tell us where her main lair is,† said Jeff. â€Å"We know it's not that apartment on the other side of downtown. We've been watching it and she hasn't returned since our last attempt to destroy her. If you won't actively help us, that information will be all we need to rid the world of her evil.† We've been watching it. Adrian's apartment. Chills ran through me. How long had they been spying on his place? And to what extent? Had they simply sat outside in a car, stakeout style? Did they have high tech surveillance equipment? Wolfe had warned against being stalked in parking lots, not in homes. The small comfort I had here was that they obviously didn't know about Clarence's. Their surveillance couldn't have been that thorough if no one had followed her yet. But had they followed me? Did they know where I went to school? And with their own words, they were confirming the terrible reality I'd hardly dared speculate about. It was a reality that meant there were forces moving unseen beneath the Alchemists' seemingly all-knowing vision, forces working against our goals. Vampire hunters were real. With that realization came a hundred more terrifying questions. What did this mean for the Moroi? Was Jill in danger? Was Adrian? â€Å"The only thing I'm going to do is call the police,† I said. â€Å"I don't know who you guys are or why you're obsessed with my friend, but neither of us have done anything to you. You're even crazier than I first thought if you think I'm going to tell you where she is so that you can stalk her.† Then, by the sheerest luck, I saw a patrolling police officer walking down the street. The two guys at my table followed my gaze and undoubtedly could guess my thoughts. It would be very easy to call her over. We'd filed no report about the alley attack, but accusing these guys of a recent assault would certainly detain them. In sync, they both rose. â€Å"You're making a terrible mistake,† Jeff said. â€Å"We could have had this problem eradicated ages ago if our groups worked together. First the Strigoi, then the Moroi. Your misguided descent into their corruption has nearly ruined everything. Fortunately, we still walk the true path.† The fact that he'd just named the two groups was particularly alarming. These guys were scary, certainly, but less so if they were just talking about vampires in shadowy, vague terms. Using â€Å"Moroi† and â€Å"Strigoi† indicated extensive knowledge. Blond Hair tossed down a small, homemade pamphlet. â€Å"Read this, and maybe you'll see the light. We'll be in touch.† â€Å"I wouldn't if I were you,† I said. â€Å"Mess with me again, and I'll do a lot more than just have a pleasant chat.† My words came out more fiercely than I'd expected. Maybe Dimitri and Wolfe were rubbing off on me. Jeff laughed as the two of them began walking away. â€Å"Too bad you got so bogged down in books,† he said. â€Å"You've got the spirit of a hunter.†

What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row

What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row By Mark Nichol Using a word twice in a row isn’t always a no-no, but there’s always a more elegant way to revise a sentence in which you might initially be inclined to repeat a word immediately. When words collide, try these approaches: 1. â€Å"What you do do is your own business.† Even if this sentence is intended as a counterpoint to a â€Å"what you don’t do† proposition, the emphatic first do is superfluous (â€Å"What you do is your own business†). If you must retain the repetition, introduce a separating phrase: â€Å"What you do decide to do is your own business.† 2. â€Å"They had had many arguments.† Replace the second had with a prepositional phrase (â€Å"They had gotten into many arguments†) or a more specific verb (â€Å"They had endured many arguments†), or introduce more vivid imagery into a revision (â€Å"They had verbally sparred many times†). 3. â€Å"I showed her her message.† Replace one pronoun preferably, both of the pronouns with a noun (â€Å"I showed my sister the woman’s message†). This isn’t a problem with him, because two forms of the pronoun would appear (â€Å"I showed him his message†), though, again, if him and his refer to different men, it might be better to specify, in place of one pronoun or the other, one of the men in question. 4. â€Å"He came in in disarray.† Replace the prepositional phrase with a simple verb (â€Å"She entered in disarray†). 5. â€Å"She gives in in every case.† Simply recast the final phrase (â€Å"She gives in every time†) or flip the phrase to the front (â€Å"In every case, she gives in†). 6. â€Å"What it is is a travesty.† â€Å"What it is† is always an unnecessarily verbose way to start a sentence. Start with the subject (â€Å"It’s a travesty†). 7. â€Å"I placed the card I had written on on the desk.† Recast the prepositional phrase â€Å"written on† with on at its head (â€Å"I placed the card on which I had written the note on the desk†). But first confirm that the modifying phrase involving written is necessary at all. 8. â€Å"We realize that that will not be satisfactory.† Replace the second that with a noun (â€Å"We realize that the proposal will not be satisfactory†). 9. â€Å"We will discuss this this evening.† Replace the first this with a pronoun (â€Å"We will discuss it this evening†) or a noun (â€Å"We will discuss the matter this evening†). 10. â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to to resolve the issue?† Employ a participial phrase in place in the infinitive phrase â€Å"to resolve† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to about resolving the issue?†) or amplify the second to by replacing it with the phrase â€Å"in order to† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to in order to resolve the issue?†). Occasionally, an immediate repetition of a word, separated from the first instance by punctuation, is appropriate for emphatic effect (â€Å"I have come here from far, far away†). At other times, even though punctuation separates the repetition, a recast would improve the sentence. For example, â€Å"Even though I was there, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do† might be revised to â€Å"Even though I was there, I didn’t seem to be of any use† or â€Å"Despite my presence, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers20 Ways to Cry

10 Traits That Will Kill Your Career

10 Traits That Will Kill Your Career You know the basic rules: don’t lie or cheat or embezzle from the company. But there are a few character flaws and personal patterns or habits that could also seriously hinder your progress- and even kill your career. Most people don’t even realize they’re doing themselves or their careers harm until it’s far too late. And most careers aren’t impacted by one big mistake or one cringeworthy comment. It happens little by little, in ways you might not expect. So keep an eye out for these subtle traits and traps that could already be bringing you down.1. NarcissismIf you’re just thinking about yourself and how you can succeed, that’s self-absorption in the highest. You’ll go farther in your career if you consider how to help the company get ahead- and the company is made of people. It’s not all about you. Focus on being a better team player. In a rising tide, all boats rise.2. DishonestyIt doesn’t have to be one big wh opper to count as lying. In fact, it’s often the smaller fibs around the edges that create a pattern making for a person a boss would likely write off as â€Å"dishonest.† Cultivate honesty as a virtue and a character trait. Be tactful, but not obsequious. Have the courage to accept responsibility when things are your fault. And keep your mouth shut- don’t spread rumors about your coworkers or friends.3.  Making False PromisesYou either over-promise or under-deliver, but either way, you’re falling short of expectations and failing to do what you said you’d accomplish. Set reasonable, achievable goals for yourself. Make promises only that you’re certain you can keep. That way, if you get more done faster, you can give your boss a pleasant surprise instead of having to underperform.4. ComplacencyOtherwise known as: laziness. When was the last time you learned a new skill or took a refresher or other training course? When was the last time yo u certified yourself in something new? Or really dug into industry research to keep yourself on the cutting edge? If you don’t grow, you won’t be challenged and you won’t change. And you’ll never get ahead.5. PessimismNobody likes a Debbie Downer. If you find yourself focusing more on the negative side of everything, don’t be surprised when no one wants to work with you- and your boss doesn’t particularly want to see you succeed.6. ApathyEven worse than being negative or pessimistic is being apathetic. If you can’t bring yourself to care one way or the other, how can you expect anyone to trust you or want to work with you? Even if you hate your job, give it your best and move on. Otherwise you’ll be stuck, you’ll get a bad reputation, and you’ll never get ahead.7. Fear of changeKeep your eye on the prize, the big picture. Weigh your daily and monthly priorities against your long-term goals. And don’t be afr aid of changes in your company or industry. Learn to be adaptable. Roll with the tides. Don’t ever hear yourself saying, â€Å"But we’ve always done it this way.† Learn to grow and adapt as things progress- and keep your biggest dreams in the back of your mind at all times. Be flexible. Embrace the ever-changing nature of the working world.8. EgoYou get a little success, it goes to your head, and all of a sudden you’re the star of every show. You’re arrogant. Full of yourself. Cocky. You’re doing nothing but setting yourself up for a rather painful failure.9. InsecurityWhether this manifests as meekness, arrogance, envy, pessimism, oversensitivity†¦ it doesn’t matter. Do what you have to do to be more confident in your own abilities and career position. Go to therapy. This trait makes a negative impact across all areas of your life- not just your job. And it’s not a good enough excuse for the behavior it tends to cause.10. Sucking upNobody likes a brown-noser. You’re not showing real respect or building a relationship; you’re a big phony going about things the underhanded way. Earn your boss’s respect the honest way. Prove your merit. Help your team. Show don’t tell.Once you’ve got all of this down,  the next step is to make sure you don’t let any of your biases impact your decisions. In order to effectively develop your career, it’s important to admit you have biases and learn to correct them. The more objective you are, the better your decisions will be.

Students Should be Paid for Good Grades Research Paper

Students Should be Paid for Good Grades - Research Paper Example We tell him going to school and getting good grades is his job. If he does his job well, he gets paid just like a job in the real world.† Just think about it, if you were told that going to the office is your â€Å"job† as an adult and yet you derive nothing from participating in the said activity, would you be motivated to go to work? Would you be motivated to work harder in order to achieve a promotion if you knew that it did not come with a salary increase? Exactly. So why should paying a child for doing well in school be any different? Most specially since financial problems will be keeping these kids out of school later on in their lives. We should give them every opportunity to complete their education and if that means offering financial incentives while they are in high school, the so be it (Fitzpatrick, 2009). Weston (2009) quotes lawyer Jon Gallo, who is a non believer in the reward system as having said, " "Some psychologists believe that paying for grades is a bad idea because it substitutes an external reward -- money -- for an internal sense of satisfaction and therefore interferes with developing a work ethic." Remember that the educational system is meant to be a training ground for our country's future leaders. Therefore, giving them an incentive to stay in school and discover their true interests, since they will be amply rewarded for it early on in life, will result in truly motivating them to enter college and compete for jobs in the real world. Thereby giving them a thirst for more accomplishments in their future careers. It may also motivate students to enter the fields of study that are most in-demand in our country due to lack of participants. According to Guttenplan (2011), the money for grades program is actually helping the country of Qatar to do just that, remove their reliance on migrant workers for the professional jobs in the medical, engineering, and law fields. In the U.S. where we have a shortage in the Math and Sc ience areas, incentive programs such as these on the high school level may just be what the doctor ordered in order to fill in that hole. Tommie Sue Anthony president of the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science (Toppo, 2008) explains that under their own Exxon-Mobile funded rewards for grades incentive program â€Å"We still have students who are not sure of the value, who are not willing to take the courses... Probably the incentives will make a difference with those students." This is a belief that is supported by by National Math and Science Initiative. Their representative, Gregg Fleischer explains (Toppo 2008) â€Å"It's an incentive to get them to basically make the right decision and choose a more rigorous class... This teaches them that if they work at something very hard and have a lot of support, they can do something they didn't think they could do.† Guernesy (2009) argues that psychologists believe that paying students to do well in school may result in various problems such as cheating. However, she also says that economists believe the program to be a â€Å"valuable incentive, especially for struggling students† (Guernsey, 2009). Our country's current financial situation means that parents are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. This in turn, forces the students from these families to take on part time or full time jobs

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy Essay - 1

The Positioning, Entrepreneurial and Cognitive Schools of Strategy - Essay Example It is most commonly used in conducting research on linguistic, history, communication, psychology, political science, education and the study of complex organizations (Waltz, et al, 2010). Strategy content research is especially used in conducting research targeting the often extremely turbulent nursing and healthcare research programs because it is able to provide a basic and relevant approach is suitable in both approaching and retrieval of information and data from a large number of sources in a manner that can be perceived as being more objective and systematic in comparison to intuitive listening or reading this is, in addition to its utility as, a feasible tool in data analysis strategy when one conducts qualitative research (Waltz, et al, 2010). When applied in the conduction of quantitative research, the method invokes the objective simplification and reduction of the recorded data and language to a simple set of categories each representing frequency, intensity or presence of selected characteristics. Strategic thinking is critical in order for one to be able to engage in an effective, strategic planning process. There are several actions that a person can undertake to enable them conduct an effective, strategic planning process. A person needs to try and engage in activities, whether physical or mental that support and encourage the development of strategic thinking on their part. Individuals are encouraged to try and participate in creative art forms. It also greatly aids an individual if the said individual secures the services of a good mentor or coach who can be able to guide them through essential reflective processes involving critical reflection, critical dialogue and critical inquiry. This should be done until it eventually becomes a habit (Sloan, 2012). The use of Constructivist approach can also aid in ensuring adequate mental processes are carried out before an effective mental planning process can be carried