Short Story the Most Dangerous Game

Sanger Rainsford is an American hunter (p. 68) and book-writer(p. 71) in the short story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game†. Rainsford was stranded on the island â€Å"Ship-Trap Island† due to his yacht falling into pieces from hitting the unknown, unseen crags in the water(p. 69). Rainsford was the only survivor of the shipwreck. When Rainsford was on foot on the island, he followed footsteps leading up to an irregular house. Little did he know that he was walking into the home of General Zaroff, a Russian aristocratic(p. 2) big game hunter, who soon became uninterested in hunting animals anymore, he would much rather hunt humans because of their intellect(p. 74-75). Ivan was a deaf; highly uneducated, deaf, Russian man who was an assistant to General Zaroff(p. 72). The story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† takes place on a small island named â€Å"Ship-Trap Island†(p. 67). The island is called â€Å"Ship-Trap Island† because it had no warnings of crags that ships often sink/crash their boats on.The Most Dangerous Game† was in the time era of about the early 1920s(p. 66). Rainsford was given three days to survive against Ivan and General Zaroff in a deadly hunt(p. 76). Zaroff was extraordinarily excited to hunt Rainsford because he knew that Rainsford had knowledge and tactics on the subject matter hunting, and General Zaroff loved a challange. On the first night of the hunt, General Zaroff catches Sanger Rainsford by catching him in a tree, but Zaroff decided to spare his life, for he wanted a more challenging game(p. 9). Sparing Rainsford's life was a deadly mistake for Zaroff, because in the end, Rainsford snuck up on Zaroff and killed him(p. 83). â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† was told by the narrator in third person perspective. The narrator was limited omniscient, he described the character's actions, but he did not describe their thoughts and ideas. The theme that I learned from this story was that the hunter b ecame the hunted, meaning it's not very easy to know how someone feels without taking a walk in their shoes.At the beginning of the story before the yacht crashed into the crags, Rainsford stated that hunting is the best sport in the world, but Whitney replied that it is for the hunter, but not the jaguar (p. 68). The mood that I felt most in this story was suspense. One event happened after another, for instance, as soon as the yacht crashed (p. 69), Rainsford heard three gun shots from a what seemed like an island with complete vacancy (p. 69). This story always had you anticipating for the next thrilling event.

Meaning of Underworld in the Odyssey and Aeneid Essay

In both Odyssey and Aeneid the protagonists visit the Underworld and for both this is a turning point of their life and the turning point of the plot. For Odyssey the unusual travel marks his symbolic â€Å"cleansing† from blood he has shed at Troy and from anger of gods, making it possible for him to return to Ithaca. Before traveling to the Underworld Aeneas is an expellee, who strives â€Å"in vain against the seas and wind† (Aeneid, 5: 21). After the travel he is a father of the new glorious people. Both heroes receive new knowledge and rise to the higher level of personality. Visiting the world of the dead is important for Odyssey and Aeneas because it marks the choice of scenario for the future. For example, Aeneas’s fate as a leader of the newborn Roman people has been predetermined, yet to start walking this new way he has to go to the underworld. His father shows him many great souls who are to be reincarnated in future to become great Roman heroes, so future is predetermined not only by Aeneas’s effort, but by the spirit of those great heroes. In contrast, Odyssey enters the kingdom of the dead in search of his friend Tiresias whom he has to speak to in order to return to Ithaca. His travel is not so fateful for the people, but it is fateful for Odyssey himself. Aeneas is told to go to the Underworld in a dream by the spirit of his dead father. Odyssey also has a kind of dream on Circe’s island where he spends seven years thinking that only seven days have passed. But when Circe learns that Odyssey has no love for her, she nobly explains him that the only man who knows the way to Ithaca is Tiresias who can be found only in the afterworld. Odyssey is driven by â€Å"unhappy fate below the sunlight† (Odyssey 11:798-799), and his ultimate purpose is finding the way. He would perhaps never go to Hades, in case there was another way to Ithaca. He says that he â€Å"had to come down here to Hades’ home, to meet the he shade of Teiresias of Thebes, and hear his prophecy†. (Odyssey, 11: 199-201). In Hades he meets his mother of whom he did not know that she was dead. Her suicide and sorrowful events in Ithaca is a kind of punishment for Odyssey’s false pride. In contrast to Odyssey, Aeneas’s purpose is choosing the way. Meeting his father he symbolically passes through the golden gate to become a recognized ruler, and a tool of destiny that has chosen to make Aeneas’s people great. Homer describes the underworld as a dull place of suffering, where warriors who died in battle have to continue carrying their wounds. In fact, for Homer living after death is just a continuation of earthly vain. For example, when Odyssey meets Trojan heroes like Patroclus, they run away frightened, as if the struggle for Troy still went on. Odyssey’s dead friends the can only tell how they died and got to this dark kingdom. Homer has a gloomy idea of the underworld. Achilles says that he would rather be a living serf and a landless peasant than a King of the Dead. So Odyssey becomes aware of futility of war that sends heroes to this dark place. In contrast, Aeneas returns with the vision of the great future and he is now decisive to work hard for it. â€Å"Within the hero’s mind his joys renew’d† (Aeneid 5: 904) and so he eagerly sets sails for the new homeland.

Development and the Environment- Human interventions in forest Essay

Development and the Environment- Human interventions in forest environments - Essay Example This paper will discuss various human activities that currently contribute to the tropical rainforest deforestation and the intensity of their effects specifically in Latin American and Asian regions. The activities that lead to deforestation According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, the main reason behind deforestation is agriculture. While subsistence farming causes 48% of the destruction, cash crop cultivation or commercial cultivation leads to 32% loss followed by logging and fuel wood with 14% and 5% each. Geist, & Lambin (2002) also report four reasons behind 96% of deforestation; they are permanent cropping, cattle ranching, shifting cultivation and colonization. Shifted cultivators In fact, shifted cultivators are considered the biggest threat to tropical forests and they are the reason behind 48% of the total forest loss. The main reason that forces these people into forests is the unequal distribution of land. For example, in Brazil, 42% of the total cultivated land is owned by 1% of the population. In addition, according to World Rainforest Movement (n.d.), half of Brazil’s total population is landless farmers. ... Logging The role of logging in deforestation cannot be neglected. Big logging companies cut down trees for their commercial uses. However, it is not only the selected trees that are destroyed; the vines, epiphytes and lianas are all destroyed along with the tree which will take many hundreds of years to regenerate. In addition, for the removal of the wood, they construct new roads and the area gets heavily compacted by machinery leading to a further decline in the quality of the land. Furthermore, the roads constructed by these loggers are used by the farmers around the forests to get access to the deep forests. When these farmers start slash and burn to grow food, the impact of the issue grows manifold. Cattle ranching and cash crops Another serious issue is the modern day agricultural practices. The first among them is the monoculture plantations which are solely aimed at making quick money. However, the impact of this agricultural practice is unimaginable. In addition, a lot of ma chinery, fertilizers and pesticides are used to make maximum profit in the shortest possible time. This intensive farming leads to a rapid fall in the quality of the soil in a few years. The severity of cattle ranching practices is more or less the same. Cattle ranching leads to the destruction of more and more land and the land so damaged will not support any plant or animals for a long time. Fuel wood A per reports, about 2 billion people worldwide still depend on wood for cooking and heating. Considering the huge number of the people, one can easily imagine the magnitude of the issue. In addition, according to United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, 75% of these people

Peopel Mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Peopel Mangment - Essay Example This paper approves that it is clear from the above discussion that diversity has a number of dimensions and has a major impact on the overall position of women in the workplace. Promoting gender equality is a growing trend and the various equality and diversity policies adopted by companies clearly impact women and assist them in gaining better positions and also job profiles which fit their skills set. Here the principle of human rights is to provide basic equal treatment to individuals from different groups. The main aim of all human resources across different companies is to ensure that the inequalities within the groups are reduced and women as well as men are given the same treatment, without any form of bias or distinction. This essay makes a conclusion that one of the main areas of focus across the world has been on the need for reducing discrimination against women. Hence it can be concluded that the various equality and diversity policies that have been developed over the years clearly have a strong impact on women and in most cases this is a positive influence. Nevertheless a few companies, despite all the laws and regulations, have not been able to effectively ensure that women are given their rights and that job selection, recruitment and retention are based on the skills set and not gender. Even so, the overall impact of the equality and diversity policies is clearly been extremely effective and has proven to be very successful across the world.

Current issues in human rights - War, genocide, mass human rights Essay

Current issues in human rights - War, genocide, mass human rights violations - Essay Example ted Nations (1948), this document has provided a blueprint for the development of various international laws and criminal courts against individuals who have the high genocide responsibilities. Countries such as Serbia, Guatemala, the former Soviet Union and even Rwanda have experienced genocide in the 20th century and such crimes have been punished based on the provisions of this convention. The convention has various articles which highlight the level of responsibility of each and every country’s leadership in ensuring that genocide and crimes against humanity are prevented at all costs. For example, chapter 4 states that every individual, state or non-state actor shall be held individually responsible for abetting, financing, directly and indirectly participating and being complacent in genocide activities. Such provisions have assisted in ensuring that individuals are brought to book for allowing and participating in activities that are equivalent to genocide in different parts of the world. The international tribunal for Kosovo and Rwanda were all constituted on the premise of the genocide convention to try various cases of genocide against religious and tribal groups. This document is a conclusive documentation of the articles of the convention that has defined genocide and abuse of human rights as we know it today. Though changes have been done to the convention, the United Nations (1948) is an important document that has informed the decision of other international bodies and help in reducing incidence of abuse of human rights in the presence or absence of crisis. In the study of human rights and genocide, the United Nations (1948) provides an accurate historical encounter of how a convention that has defined international behavior of those in power was developed. This document has significantly contributed to the development of various tribunals aimed at providing justice to victims of genocide in countries such as Rwanda Kosovo where rampant human

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Research Paper

Availability of Sex Education in Public Schools to Decrease Teen Pregnancies - Research Paper Example Studies do reflect on certain advantages that can be associated with the availability of sex education in public schools. Three main arguments in support of sex education include: (i) It can help the children learn about their body changes and thus also clearly answer their curious questions regarding the opposite sex, (ii) It can enable a complete understanding of the sex process and also the need for abstinence from it until marriage, (iii) Child sexual abuse might be controlled (De). These arguments might be understood in greater details as follows. As far as the first argument is concerned, teenagers tend to be highly curious about the body changes that occur within them with age as well as regarding the body of the opposite sex. This might lead to attraction towards each other causing them to perform sex. This might be prevented through lessons provided in class that would clear all their doubts regarding body changes. The second argument would be relevant since several myths are associated with sex, for example, there lies a fear of a girl not being able to be pregnant on her first try (â€Å"Should health and physical education teachers teach children about sex? Heres a look at the pros and cons†). Through proper lessons, such myths might be removed and it would always be better for teenagers to learn about the details of sex through teaching rather than trying to perform sex and learn or learn from other sources like pornography. Thirdly, child sex abuses might be curbed since teachings in schools would enable teenagers to learn what is actually good and what is not. In spite of certain advantages being in association with sex education in schools, there are certain arguments against the issue as well. These might include: (i) Students often consider the subject as a mockery.

Movie review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Movie review - Essay Example As for the second movie, I think that the ending reflects the personal evolution of the main character, Cyril. Thus, all he wanted is to find his father, but the experience that he gained in the course of it contributed to his personal evolution. In other words, at the end of the movie he was able to develop a broader picture of the world and not limit his perception with the ideas which shaped his character in foster care. I believe that the ending of the first movie is a satisfying resolution to the events that lead up to it. If one takes a close look at the situation, one will be able to see that Sandra did not want to keep her job, just like other people did; she objected the lack of justice which happened in the work place. So, when we was presented with a choice to keep the job, but allow the injustice to continue, she, being faithful to her original desire, decided to resign. The ending of the second movie is also insightful: with the help of it the viewer is able to see that Cyril did not only try to find his father, he wanted to discover the new aspects of his personality and in the end, the audience is able to see that he made a giant leap in personal development. It is quite obvious that there is a peculiar relationship between the two endings. Thus, they both allow the characters to achieve the goal which they truly wanted, in spite of the fact that they may not have realized it.

HIPAA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HIPAA - Term Paper Example ..........................................12 APPENDIX 1.......................................................................13 APPENDIX 2........................................................................15 List of Figures 1. Health Information Security System Architecture. Executive Summary The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 has been a great leap forward in protecting the patients' rights by putting restrictions on the health data flow and usage. The renewed sense of privacy and security in health care sector attributed to it by this new legislation had its unique impact on technology as well. A whole set of technological applications evolved making possible a new way of handling data. But the threats to privacy and security that emerged from the very use of this new technologies, has to be addressed by technology itself. In this manner, health care information architecture and technology are seen as co-evolving to provide quality and ethi cal health care to all. To cope with the re-identification risk, more technological improvements have to be looked at. Technology and HIPAA Privacy Regulations: The Problem Becoming the Solution Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Privacy and Security Rules under it, are meant to protect the many aspects of privacy and security of the health care services customer.1 The rules which protect privacy under this act are, the HIPAA Privacy Rule, that takes care of the privacy of the â€Å"individually identifiable health information

The Emergence of Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Emergence of Globalization - Research Paper Example As defined above, globalization is an elimination of trade barriers, communication and cultural exchange limitations (Murray, 2006). The emergence of globalization was introduced to promote inherent wealth among all countries in the world. The United States has notably been identified as the leader in globalization after the World War II. In 1993, they introduced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was a movement aimed at eliminating trade boundaries and promoting globalization (Brook, 2008). In the 19th century, most countries started investing in new forms of transport and communication services. Additionally, there were other transport systems such as road and air transport and communication forms such as the introduction of the internet and the cell phone (Murray, 2006). With the invention of these advanced forms of transport and communication, billions of people were connected globally. In 2000, the International Monetary Fund acknowledged four fundamental aspe cts of globalization (Brook, 2008). These aspects include trade and transactions, capital and investment movements, migration and dissemination of knowledge. Early in the 21st century, the developing states augmented their global trade share. However, there was a vast disparity among the major regions in the world in regard to trade and other transactions. Also, the movement of people to different places in the world had a significant impact on the globalization factor. In most cases, it was noted that individuals migrated from their countries to other regions where the economy was advanced. In addition, dissemination of information is also an integral aspect in globalization (Brook, 2008). Technological innovations formed significant benefits to the least developing countries in the world. Lastly, the aspect of investment and capital movements still remains significant in globalization. Most of the corporations which are located in the United States have moved their services to oth er countries where it is cheap to perform their business. Additionally, other technical jobs and services are also moving to other locations. This is referred to as off shoring and outsourcing. Therefore, this has enabled most Americans to become designers and innovators among other careers, which employ new concepts and technologies. Research clearly asserts that, the education standards in the United States are drastically regressing. Subjects such as intelligent design are being taught in many institutions. Even with the higher education provided in the country, most of the technical subjects are being studied in other countries (Murray, 2006). The former president of the United States; George W. Bush claimed that they should not be against globalization. However, it is observed that the country is significantly falling behind when competing economically in the global market (Brook, 2008). As a matter of fact, something should be done before more Americans leave the country for b etter opportunities in other countries. The economy of the United States is temporarily stagnant as a result of these effects. In the globalization aspect, there are both positive and negative impacts. Most of the benefits of globalization correspond to the less developed countries since; through globalization the less developed countries are able to improve their economic conditions. In the United

Morality of Abortion Essay Example for Free

Morality of Abortion Essay Introduction In this paper, I will argue that abortion is morally acceptable in certain situations. In defending this argument I will include the reason behind my decision, and I will provide an alternate example using the same general principle. After explaining my principle I will give clarity to two arguments that may be presented by others. Finally, I will conclude by describing any changes that I have made to my general principle. II. Argument 1.) If a person is in a situation in which she can prevent an individual from living a life of pain and suffering, then it is morally acceptable for her to do so. 2. ) In cases in which a mother is in a situation in which she can prevent her unborn child from living a life of pain and suffering, by having an abortion 3. ) Therefore, in this cases it is morally acceptable for a mother to have an abortion. III. Explanation Rule one states â€Å"an argument is good for you if and only if all of the premises are reasonable for you to believe. † For this rule I will use a similar situation with the same general principle. If Allison is a situation in which her favorite dog severely breaks his leg and can not be repaired, then it is morally acceptable for her to euthanize the dog. In this example it is morally acceptable to euthanize the dog because the dog will not be able to walk again and will suffer because it will not be able to move. Therefore, if a person is in a situation in which she can prevent an individual from living a life of pain and suffering, then it is morally acceptable for her to do so. The second and third premise state that (1) In a case where a mother is in a situation in which she can prevent her unborn child from living a life of pain and suffering, by having an abortion (2) Therefore, it is morally acceptable for a mother to have an abortion. In explaining my argument I will give an example that supports the second and third premise. If a mother is in a situation in which she becomes aware that her unborn child has an extremely painful and incurable disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, EB. This disease causes skin to blister on the slightest touch. many infants that are born with this disease are are con? ned to wearing bandages at all times and can not even with stand their own parents touching them. In this case then it is ok for that mother to have an abortion. This act is ok because if the child is born with a disease that is incurable and painful then that child will be in will suffer for their whole lifetime and in many cases live a very short life. Therefore if a mother is in a situation in which she is able to prevent her unborn child from living a life of pain and suffering then it is morally acceptable for her to have an abortion. Rule two states that the argument must have a pattern such that if the premises are true, then the conclusion must follow. 1. ) If P, then Q 2. ) P 3. ) Therefore, Q 1. ) If P (a person is in a situation in which she can prevent an individual from living a life of pain and suffering), then Q (it is morally acceptable for her to do so. ) 2. ) P (In a case where a mother is in a situation in which she can prevent her unborn child from living a life of pain and suffering, by having an abortion), 3.) Therefore, Q (in some cases it is morally acceptable for a mother to have an abortion. ) IV. Objection An objection that may arise from premise one is that if a person is in a situation in which they sacri? ce their own life to prevent pain and suffering of another individual, then it is not morally acceptable for them to do so. An example of this is if Peter is in a situation in which he can take the place of a person in solitary con? nement, which causes psychological pain and suffering, it is not morally acceptable for him to do so. It is not morally acceptable because although the individual is suffering they knowingly participated in the act that resulted in the pain and suffering. This example expresses a violation of rule two because the argument does not follow a pattern in which the conclusion follows. Another objection that may arise from premise one is if a mother is in a situation in which she can violate the right to life of another person, the fetus, and the fetus is not threatening the mothers life, then it is morally wrong for the mother to violate the fetus’ right to life. My response to this argument is that although the mother’s life is not in danger by having the fetus, after the fetus is born they will live a short and extremely difficult life. This example is a violation of rule two because the premises are not reasonable to believe. V. Conclusion When thinking about the situation previously stated in the paper, I thought about the many options that could be presented when confronted with information, such as the fetus has an incurable and highly painful disease. By weighing the pros and cons of each principle I was able to construct my principle that was stated above. While writing this paper I have changed my general principle by adding the word â€Å"suffering. † By adding this one word I believe that it changes the argument by including another aspect that can make a life unbearable. When ? rst thinking about the reasoning behind my paper I thought about all view points that I could take, but I was able to stay true to my original belief of pro-choice by creating an argument that supports one aspect of the abortion debate.

The Indigenous People Taino History Essay

The Indigenous People Taino History Essay Jamaica is one of the islands in the Caribbean Sea. Its East to Mexico and South to the United States. Its the third largest island and the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean. Jamaicas location is near Cuba and the island of Hispaniola. The capital of Jamaica is Kingston. Its also the largest city both in size and population. Jamaica has an area of 10,991 km2. It has a population of 2,889,187 inhabitants. Jamaica is an independent nation. It was the first country of the Caribbean that gained independence. English is the official language in Jamaica. Creole is an English-African dialect that is used all over the island. Its also called Jamaican patois. Its not a written language. Many Jamaicans can speak Spanish. Many of the habitants are descendants of the Spanish colonist. The habitants have a rhythmic and melodic intonation. History The indigenous people, Arawak also called Taino- settled on the island in between 4000 and 1000 BC. They came from South-America. Christopher Columbus discovered the island on 14 May 1494. He named the island Santiago (Saint-James), but the name wasnt used by the original inhabitants. They called the island for Xaymaca, which later became Jamaica. Columbus claimed the island for the Spain. From 1509, the island was under Spanish rule, until the British took it from them in 1655. During this period, the aborigines were enslaved by the Spaniards. Some people were sent to Spain as slaves. Those who remained worked as slaves on the island or got killed. When France exiled the Jews from their country in 1394, many fled to the New World. Jamaica became a refuge for the Jews by 1660. They arrived after Columbus settled on the island. In 1660, the majority of the population was white people, but by early 1670s, the blacks number increased, due to the slave imports. The British invaded Jamaica in 1665. After freeing their slaves, the Spanish colonist fled. The slaves escaped to the mountains. These people were called the Jamaican Maroons. They lived in peace and freedom in the mountains for several generations. In 1807, the British imported Indian and Chinese slaves to produce sugar. The slaves descendants still lives in Jamaica today. Jamaica gradually gained their independence from the British. In 1958 the island joined other colonies of the British in the Caribbean and formed the Federation of West Indies. Jamaica finally became fully independent from Britain on 6 August 1962, when they left the Federation. Two political parties where formed not long after that and the first election of a Prime Minister where held. Jamaicas economy grew stronger after that. The island opened up to the rest of the world and tourism grew. Government Jamaica is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The head of the state is Queen Elizabeth II, but she does not rule the country. She appoints a governor general, who represents her. The monarch, along with the governor general serves ceremonial roles. The head of the government, the Prime Minister, is elected by the citizens of Jamaica. He is the one taking important decisions when it comes to ruling the country. The monarch gets aided by him when its time to choose a new governor general. The Prime Minister nominates a candidate, and its up to the monarch to appoint the governor general. The parliament is built up like the British Parliament. Its made up of a Senate of 21 members and a House of Representatives that consist of 60 members. Religion Christianity is the main religion in Jamaica. The Anglican Church and Church of God are the most practiced. There are also other variations of Christianity practiced in Jamaica, such as Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Roman Catholic and Pentecostal. Another religion is Rastafarianism, a religion influenced by African spirituality. Buddhism, Hinduism, Bahai and Jehovahs witnesses are other major religions in Jamaica. Obeahism  is a form of Voodoo that is used in Jamaica. Its rarely heard of. The Obeah mans role is the guide evil souls to bring good or bad fortune, using black magic. Practicing of Obeahism is a considered a crime in Jamaica, but the people still use it and risks to be imprisoned. Culture The majority of the population is people with colored skin and comes from many different places in the world. Jamaican food is influenced by different cultures and ethnic groups that settled down on the island: Taino, Spanish, Indian, English and Chinese. The food is usually strong and spicy. Music is important in Jamaica. The Jamaican music is known all over the world, thanks to Bob Marley and other great Jamaican musicians. The most popular type of music is reggae. The melody is catchy and easy to enjoy, a reason why its so popular worldwide. There is many more style of music. Jamaican folk music has been influenced by many cultures over the years. The biggest influence on the Jamaican music is African music. Another type of Jamaican music is the religious music. It is a type of music influenced by the smaller religions on the island: Kumina, Pocomania and Rastafari. Theres a lot of drumming and chanting. The songs also have vocal and other instruments. They are often performed at vigils and services. Along with the music comes dance. The Jamaican people are known for their passion for dance. Some popular dances on the island are the jonkonnu, a dance performed at Christmas time by slaves, and ska. Similar to the music, the type of dances in Jamaica are influenced by many different cultures. Other facts The national drink of Jamaica is rum. There are several famous people from Jamaica, such as Usain Bolt, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Sean Paul and Lennox Lewis. Sources www.jamaicans.com/childsguide/facts.shtml www.mapsofworld.com/jamaica/information-on-jamaica/facts.html www.globeaware.org/jamaican-culture www.wikipedia.com www.my-island-jamaica.com/famous_people_from_jamaica.html

Miss Julie Essay -- essays research papers

Miss Julie In Miss Julie, by August Strindberg wrote about the naturalistic view of human behavior. He symbolizes the behavior through animal imagery. The animal image Strindberg uses helps him exemplify his naturalistic view. The first animal imagery Strindberg uses is the dog. Jean uses the dog imagery to describe to Kristen how Miss Julie made her ex-fiancà © act before the break-up. â€Å" Why, she was making him jump over her riding whip the way you teach a dog to jump.† A dog is mans best friend only because a dog is an extremely loyal animal. Having Jean compare what Miss Julies did to her ex-fiancà © with what some one would do to a dog shows Miss Julies drive to be the dominant one or the master. Strindberg again uses the imagery of a dog when he has Miss Julie say, â€Å"dog who wears my collar† to Jean. Miss Julie feels that her social status is so much superior to that of Jean that their relationship could be compared to that of a master and his dog. The dog imagery in the play is also used to demonstrate the difference in social classes. In the play Miss Julie’s dog, Diana, is impregnated by the lodge-keepers pug. Kristen demonstrates Miss Julie’s disgust when she says; â€Å"She almost had poor Diana shot for running after the lodge-keepers pug.† The sexual affair between the dogs also represents the sexual affair between Jean and Miss Julie and how the two of them look down on each other. Jean looks down on Miss Julie for being surprisingly easy to obtain. While Miss Julie loo...

The Articles of Confederation Essay -- articles of confederation, cent

A few hundred years ago, the United States first Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was created. This Constitution created a weak central government in order to give the people the rights that they deserve. This plan of government, however, proved to be too weak and it could not control the people or pay the debts that the country had acquired from the Revolutionary War. One of the many problems of the Articles of Confederation was that it had no power to collect taxes(wikipedia.org). This made the new nation go in huge debt because it had no way of paying the army for their services in the Revolutionary War. The United States did receive some money from neighboring countries in order to pay of the debt and they had also gotten a few pence from the states, but this was insufficient and they still could not pay their debt. Another problem of the Articles of Confederation was that it could not enforce its laws and make the states pay the money that they promised the government. One of the many effects that this problem made was Shays' Rebellion. This rebellion was caused by the taxes that the government made. It stated that everybody must pay for the taxes or they would have their land taken away from them and be sent to jail. This angered the farmers since they could not pay the taxes, and so, this rebellion was formed. In order to prevent any further outbreaks from occurring, our Founding Fathers got together to form a convention, which was called the Constitutional Convention. This convention was to be held to fix the government and stop other occurrences, such as Shays' Rebellion, from ever happening again. When the Founding Fathers went to Philladelphia, they quickly decided that their gov... ...ticles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. A few years later, the Founding Fathers found out that the Articles weren't working as they had in mind and they then went to Philladelphia to revise it. When they go there, there were many disagreements about slavery and representation. To stop these arguments, the Connecticut and the Three-fifths Compromise was made. Then, all but Virginia and Washington agreed to ratify the Constitution because it had no Bill of Rights. To fix this problem, James Madison then promised to create a Bill of Rights to protect the people and ensure that there new government would never again turn into one like Great Britain's. Works Cited The Articles of Confederation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation The U.S. Constitution, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution

Latinos in Baseball :: essays research papers fc

I chose this topic because I thought that it was important to highlight the recent successes of the Latino baseball players to show how minority groups can prosper in America. Latino atheletes have gain notoriety and riches through the sport of baseball. These are things that they couldn’t have dreamed about achieving without Major League baseball. Major League Baseball has given Latin Americans the opportunity to better their economic and social situation. Many Latin American children dream about playing baseball in the Major Leagues. One reason for this is because to them playing in the Major Leagues is a way out of their current situation. There is poverty in many Latin American countries. Many children dream of being rich and famous like their Latin American heroes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their heroes include Sammy Sosa. Sammy Sosa, because his homerun race with Mark Maguire has become a household name. To many Latinos he represents the opportunity to succeed. He has opened doors for many Latinos to play in the Major Leagues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many Latinos have taken advantage of this opportunity. Latinos now make up almost thirty percent of Major League Baseball players. There are currently almost two hundred Latino baseball players in the Major Leagues. Many of these Latino baseball players have experienced much success.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Juan Gonzalez was the 1998 American League MVP. Sammy Sosa won the 1998 National League MVP award. Bernie Williams was the 1998 American League batting champion. Ivan Rodriguez won the 1998 America League MVP award. Pedro Martinez was the 1999 Cy Young Award winner. Rafael Palmiero won the American League Gold Glove Award in 1999. These are just a few of the outstanding Latino baseball players currently in Major League Baseball.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The highest paid baseball player in Major League Baseball history is a Latino. Alex Rodriguez signed a seven-year contract for two hundred and fifty-six million dollars in 2000. This not only made him the richest baseball player ever, but also the richest Latin American athlete in history. The signing of Alex Rodriguez proved that Latin American athletes deserved to sign big money contracts just like the other players.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teams are taking are taking advantage of the abundance of talent in Latin America. All major League teams are active in the Dominican Republic. The Dodgers, the first team to move into the Latin American market, scout the area’s talent closely. About one hundred and four of the two hundred and thirty-seven minor-leaguers they had under contract at the start of the year were from that region.

Personal Ethics Development Paper

Trevino and Nelson (2007), define ethics as â€Å"the principles, norms, and standards of conduct governing an individual or organization. † I was influenced the way I determine different actions or behavior in a particular situation since I was a child. Growing up with a single Catholic mother made me value different things and behave in a particular way. In addition, this made me a have a particular ethical system that influences the way I work and act as an individual. At the corporation level, ethics is important because they set the rules and regulations. In this paper, I will explain the developmental aspects of my ethics as well as my ethical system, the effects of my ethics at my workplace, and importance of ethics in an organization to achieve its goals. My ethical system was shaped since I was a child. Growing up with a catholic single mother, definitely influence the way I value the family. Also, some of my decisions are influenced by this catholic background, which I do not genuinely practice but follow to some extent. Other factors that shaped my ethics were my family, school, and personal events. My family always corrected me whenever I did something that they consider wrong, which could be something simple as taking a flower from my neighbor’s garden. My family saw this little example as stealing, but as I child I saw this as taking the flower for my mother. School taught me what was legally wrong or right. I learn that some people simply don’t care too much about the actions and consequences of their actions and act impulsively. When making decisions, my ethical system influences they way I act because tend to be bias by what my mom, my family, school, or personal events taught me. Time has taught me to value the importance of learning form other mistakes and advices. This had leaded me to draw conclusions from specific examples. For example, when considering any issue, I usually use inductive reasoning and go from the very specific problem to the general conclusion. At the workplace, my ethical system influences the way I behave and perform in a positive and negative way. Based on the nature of the work, my ethical system at the workplace tends to be a combination of duty-based and goal-based. Duty-based is an â€Å"a moral obligation or commitment to act in a certain manner. For example, I work for the United States Postal Service and I am commitment to my work, which includes several tasks determined by the Postal Service rules and regulations. If I fail with one of this laws or rules I could be on probation or lose my job. Therefore, it is important that I obey those rules. In addition, all this tends to be influenced by the actual goal of the company and my personal goal. The company goal is to complete my assigned tasks in a timely manner, which is to deliver the mail. My personal goal is to produce money to sustain my family and pay my expenses. This personal goal drives me to be ethical and the do the right thing at my workplace because I do not want to put in jeopardy my job. This puts into play my personal family values. Therefore, my ethical system could be considered individualistic and very very competitive, which could impact my workplace in a negative way. On the other hand, this could turn out to be very positive because I am very reliable and undependable at work. Business ethics (2009) is defined as â€Å"moral principles defining how businesses and business professionals should act towards each other, employees, and the public. In other words, ethics are needed in an organization because they determine the company norms and principles for its employees and customers. To determine the company ethics its important because based on this, the company will be perceived nationally or internationally. Business ethics play such as important role today that the government forces companies to pay attention to corporate re sponsibility and business ethics. This norms, rules, and regulations also play an important role to achieve the company goals and direction. The effects of the application of these ethics influence consumers, employers, other businesses, and the society in a positive way. In order words, not only this company teaches other companies what is the right thing to do, but it also acts as an example for individuals who work there or purchase their items or services. In conclusion, ethics are rules, norms or regulations that influence the way people or corporation act. These influences could be either positive or negative and there is shape early in our lives or at the early stages of a corporation. In this paper, I explained that my personal ethics were shaped since I was a child. My ethics and values have changed based on personal events, religion, and family values. My ethical system influences the way I perform my job to achieve my personal goals. Based on these factors, ethics play an important role in corporations because companies are run by individuals who have their own ethical systems. In addition, ethics determine who the company is and how it is perceived in the society. Personal Ethics Development Paper Trevino and Nelson (2007), define ethics as â€Å"the principles, norms, and standards of conduct governing an individual or organization. † I was influenced the way I determine different actions or behavior in a particular situation since I was a child. Growing up with a single Catholic mother made me value different things and behave in a particular way. In addition, this made me a have a particular ethical system that influences the way I work and act as an individual. At the corporation level, ethics is important because they set the rules and regulations. In this paper, I will explain the developmental aspects of my ethics as well as my ethical system, the effects of my ethics at my workplace, and importance of ethics in an organization to achieve its goals. My ethical system was shaped since I was a child. Growing up with a catholic single mother, definitely influence the way I value the family. Also, some of my decisions are influenced by this catholic background, which I do not genuinely practice but follow to some extent. Other factors that shaped my ethics were my family, school, and personal events. My family always corrected me whenever I did something that they consider wrong, which could be something simple as taking a flower from my neighbor’s garden. My family saw this little example as stealing, but as I child I saw this as taking the flower for my mother. School taught me what was legally wrong or right. I learn that some people simply don’t care too much about the actions and consequences of their actions and act impulsively. When making decisions, my ethical system influences they way I act because tend to be bias by what my mom, my family, school, or personal events taught me. Time has taught me to value the importance of learning form other mistakes and advices. This had leaded me to draw conclusions from specific examples. For example, when considering any issue, I usually use inductive reasoning and go from the very specific problem to the general conclusion. At the workplace, my ethical system influences the way I behave and perform in a positive and negative way. Based on the nature of the work, my ethical system at the workplace tends to be a combination of duty-based and goal-based. Duty-based is an â€Å"a moral obligation or commitment to act in a certain manner. For example, I work for the United States Postal Service and I am commitment to my work, which includes several tasks determined by the Postal Service rules and regulations. If I fail with one of this laws or rules I could be on probation or lose my job. Therefore, it is important that I obey those rules. In addition, all this tends to be influenced by the actual goal of the company and my personal goal. The company goal is to complete my assigned tasks in a timely manner, which is to deliver the mail. My personal goal is to produce money to sustain my family and pay my expenses. This personal goal drives me to be ethical and the do the right thing at my workplace because I do not want to put in jeopardy my job. This puts into play my personal family values. Therefore, my ethical system could be considered individualistic and very very competitive, which could impact my workplace in a negative way. On the other hand, this could turn out to be very positive because I am very reliable and undependable at work. Business ethics (2009) is defined as â€Å"moral principles defining how businesses and business professionals should act towards each other, employees, and the public. In other words, ethics are needed in an organization because they determine the company norms and principles for its employees and customers. To determine the company ethics its important because based on this, the company will be perceived nationally or internationally. Business ethics play such as important role today that the government forces companies to pay attention to corporate re sponsibility and business ethics. This norms, rules, and regulations also play an important role to achieve the company goals and direction. The effects of the application of these ethics influence consumers, employers, other businesses, and the society in a positive way. In order words, not only this company teaches other companies what is the right thing to do, but it also acts as an example for individuals who work there or purchase their items or services. In conclusion, ethics are rules, norms or regulations that influence the way people or corporation act. These influences could be either positive or negative and there is shape early in our lives or at the early stages of a corporation. In this paper, I explained that my personal ethics were shaped since I was a child. My ethics and values have changed based on personal events, religion, and family values. My ethical system influences the way I perform my job to achieve my personal goals. Based on these factors, ethics play an important role in corporations because companies are run by individuals who have their own ethical systems. In addition, ethics determine who the company is and how it is perceived in the society.

Technology and Culture

There is no denying to the fact that changes occur in life as the world develops in its technology. Traditions and customs, culture of each and every race in Malaysia get a setback in this case. An attempt to keep them alive is a controversial matter and become debatable as we are somehow ‘modernized’ by the West. It is somehow painful and sad to see traditions and customs dying as we all humans have intense emotional bond with cultures and traditions but the stark reality have to be accepted that the world is a stage of flux and change.There are several reasons to why our traditions and customs are abandoned. Firstly, the advancement in telecommunication has influenced our minds to choose between cultures to which one that are convenient. We tend to look for and turn to the way as well as the one that is more convenient and are accessible. It is human nature for youths especially to adapt to changes faster. For instance, the existence of the social network called Facebo ok that enables us to connect with people from all walks of life by just typing a person’s name without actually knowing the person well.On festive seasons, we, young people need not going around visiting relatives and friends as well as going back to our respective hometowns anymore, we just wish them and greet them through the social network and phone them. Somehow, the tradition of visiting relatives and friends during festive seasons soon will be a history of life. Furthermore, the technology has moved people’s interest to play traditional games to modern and virtual games. Many youths nowadays are often categorize as the visual people.They often spend their time going to cybercafà © or at home playing computer games to the wee hours. If you ask them about traditional games they would just stare blankly at you because they as well as children nowadays only know how to swipe on the gadgets that theirs parents have. Probably, they are somehow called ‘heliophob ia’ which means a person who is fear of sunlight as most of our traditional games are played outdoors. Traditional games have now been ruled over by virtual games and have now been an ‘old-fashioned’ in youngsters mind.Moreover, the technology has equipped us with more knowledge and we become more open-minded and more rational in thinking. If we would like to know more about more information on a certain thing or events, we could just click on the mouse and search information from the internet as search engines provides us with much information. Referring to books and newspaper have been sort of ‘out-dated’ thing. On the other hand, we can now learn cultural dance through the advance video technology, YouTube.We no longer take the first step to actually ask our mentor or the cultural dance performer or instructor to train us to dance correctly. Even now, the cultural dance is called cultural cum modern dance in the video website. The younger generati on eventually become more open-minded as they think what they are doing is ‘cool’ and fashion has overpowered traditional wears in certain ethnics. All in all, advancements in technology surely have caused traditions and culture to get a setback.The government as well as the responsible authorities should organize campaigns and take action so that the young will know the legacy that our ancestors have practiced and passed on to us. Perhaps, a cultural dance such as lion dance, fan dance, ‘bharatanatyam’ being performed on occasions will get younger generation to know their culture better. They will then pass on to the next generation. It is never too late to teach them on culture and traditions, which is a legacy to leave behind when we are gone leaving a great impact on the next generation.

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay

In 1999, The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a study on pedagogical practices of teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in 30 nations, and the role of technology the said practices (â€Å"The Second Information Technology in Education Study: Module 2†, n. d. ). It was found out that as of 1999, 12% of elementary students and 3% of those in intermediate and secondary schools do not have Internet access in their schools (â€Å"Computer Technology in Schools†, 1999). Such number would considerably be large still, if the period when the benefits of the application of computer technology in education was implied, is taken into account. Computer technology for the use of students in schools started out as computer laboratories (Lynch, 2000), which until now, is continuously evolving to becoming a tool for learning. That the integration of computer technology in schools is still on process, suggests that although its advantages have been persistently advocated, there are also powerful sociocultural and developmental forces that oppose its progression. According to Meredyth, et. al. , (1999), the status quo in the mode of instruction slows the efforts to integrate computer technology in secondary schools. At first, the people who were against the implementation of computer technology in schools argue that this would result in the replacement human instructors and making them obsolete (Richmond, n. d). As it becomes clear that the this would not necessarily become so, that is, there would only be an evolution of role from plain instructor to facilitator, the problem with the implementation now centers on the lack of physical resources (Richmond, n. d. ) and the instructors’ lack of training (Lynch, 2000). This implies that the role of computer technology in the education of secondary students per se is not, today, the major consideration in its application and the need for a clear definition of its role is necessary to speed up decisions on whether there is really a necessity for the addition or retention of the number of computer hardware in schools, or should there be in need of compulsory technical training for instructors. According to Richmond (n. d.), there are two major problems in the implementation of computer technology in education: (1) the goals and purposes of implementation are unclear; (2) the implementors do not fully understand the changes necessary for the implementation of technology in education. These problems must be addressed first if success is wanted. Although both are important aspects of the implementation, this paper will focus in defining the goal, purposes or role of computer technology in student achievement at the secondary school level. To understand this critical role, it is very important to know first the basics about some theories of learning and its current application to education technology. The theory of Cognitive Constructivism states that learning happens through the learners’ active efforts to assimilation new information imposed either by the instructor or by self-discovey (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). This means that learners must be able to relate what they learn to their experiences or experience the learning itself to be able to fully understand it. One example of this is driving. In order to learn to drive a vehicle, one must not only know that vehicles are powered by gasoline, controlled using a steering wheel, has a gas pedal to move forward or backward and a break pedal to make it stop. He or she has to experience driving to know and fully understand the significance of each theory he or she is made to know. And this experience is very important if he or she is to make life-or-death decisions once he or she takes the road. Computer technology, when related to learning may be applied in a similar way, by providing a means to simulate reality to give the students a feel of what may or may not happen as a result of their decisions. Such is the function of simulations: to instill in learners goals which are similar to reality and resultant feelings that are similar to what may happen in real life because of the as a result of the decisions imposed by the program. A lot of simulation programs have now been developed for different purposes. Sim City provides the learner-gamer an experience of building a city and a feel of becoming a Mayor. The learner-gamer is subconsciously taught of the importance of planning and how each decision might give a positive effect (here, in the form of increase in the city’s revenue) or negative (in the form of rallies and decrease in the city’s revenue). Business simulations provide learners with vicarious experience of actually owning and handling investments without the need of using or losing real money. Design programs provide the learner-designer with an idea or view of the possible perspectives or outcome of each design in mind and an opportunity to manipulate or change it according to his or her desires even before actual realization of the design. There are also simulations in many different subjects like biology physics and chemistry, which can provide the learner with the opportunity to visualize the theories and manipulate situations and then see the results as would happen if the theories are applied. Simulations have been used for decades by the aviation and military industry and just until recently, the costs of simulations have prevented smaller institutions to avail its benefits (Boehle, n. d. ). Although, still not cheap, mass production, added to the said drastic improvement in learning retention rates (Boehle, n. d. ), simulations provide a very efficient tool for learning. There is a 75-80% boost in learning retention rate for students in simulations (Boehle, n. d. ) Social Constructivism believes that knowledge is socially constructed, that is, retention of information is achieved through group efforts (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † This is learning with others and through others’ input and ideas conjoined with one’s own. This theory emphasizes the importance of other’s opinion usually for the purpose of the improvement of the said work. Applied to computer technology in its role in secondary education, this allows for interaction among many different people, not limited to those in classroom but also stretches to people in different time zones. This allows for assimilation of new and varied ideas from different people from different places who usually have different ideas about different issues, strengthening ones reasoning and improving one’s knowledge about many different areas and at the same time improving one’s social skill. The most usual form of technology which applies the Social Constructivism theory is forums. A lot of forums can be found in the internet, all areas of knowledge with its own: arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. The Theory of Behaviorism believes that knowledge is a â€Å"repertoire of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † According to this theory, learning happens through repetition and reinforcement, usually with the instructor speaking and the learner, listening. This learning theory is opposite of Cognitive Constructivism in that learners gain knowledge passively. This is the most common type of instructional mode used in schools. Still, this instructional mode can also be applied to computer technology. Tutorials in cd’s are now widely available in the market. These products simulate what and how teachers teach in an actual class, explaining concepts with voice recordings combined with moving pictures for visualization. It also comes with practice exercises much like what teachers would give to their students to evaluate the student’s learning. The only difference is that, these products can be used by the student alone, even at home.

Domestic Adoptions Costs are Entirely to Expensive Essay

The costs of domestic adoption are entirely to expensive. Every year in the U. S. alone there are over a hundred thousand children waiting and available for adoption; but because of the high cost, they may never be adopted. In most cases domestic adoption is way too expensive, ranging from $2,500 up to $40,000 depending on the child and his individual circumstances (â€Å"Costs of Adopting,† par. 2). The longer a child has to wait to be adopted, they are more likely to develop psychological problems due to trauma cause by their own birth family, multiple moves while in foster care and all types of abuse. There are so many great families and couples out there longing to adopt a child who cannot afford the price tag that is put on children that are placed for adoption. I believe the cost of domestic adoptions should be minimized to make it affordable for all families and couples, to ensure that every child gets the chance to have a family of his own and a healthy childhood instead of waiting in foster care or orphanages too long. Adopting a healthy infant in the U. S. typically costs $5,000 to $25,000 and can go up from there depending on the circumstances of the infant and birth mother or birth parents (â€Å"The Changing.. ,† par. 1). Still this is a hefty price to pay and if the infant is not adopted it may end up in the foster care system for years. In 1998 only 36,000 children from foster care were adopted, which was an increase of 5,000 since 1997, when only 31,000 were adopted. These numbers of adoption may seem high, but at least 100,000 of the children available for adoption were not adopted, leaving them without a family. The average age of the children adopted was 7 years (â€Å"Adoption Fact Sheet†), but still why should any child have to wait this long? In 2005 the number of children available for adoption, waiting in public foster care totaled 115,407 (â€Å"Children in Public†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). There are so many children now who are waiting to be adopted. Here in the U. S. 20% of the 650,000 children in an out of home placement are available for adoption. Many of these children have special needs, which could possibly lower their adoption cost (â€Å"What You Should†¦,† par. 3). While waiting for a family and home to call their own these children usually experience some kind of trauma caused by their birth family or moving from home to home while in foster care simply because something just didn’t work out right. In this process some of the children may have been physically , emotionally or sexually abused (What You Should†¦,† par. 4). All of these situations can cause harm to the child and permanently scar him for emotionally. Most of these children cannot form any secure attachments because of the trauma they have experienced. The attachment process is very important and has a lifelong impact on all children. Therefore it is so important for all children to be in a good healthy environment where they will be able to develop healthy and secure attachments. I believe this is why it is so important for a child to be adopted quickly and not have to wait for years where so much important and precious time is lost. There are so many couples and families who want to adopt but adoption is not within their reach because of the high costs. If the costs were lowered many more children would be adopted into great homes. You do not need to be loaded with money to be a great parent and to provide a loving and nourishing home for a child to grow up in. There are some ways to help couples and families pay for adoption such as employer benefits, tax credits, or adoptions loans and grants; but the problems with these options is that not all couples or families meet the qualifications to receive any help (â€Å"Adoption Cost). With loans you must meet specific qualifications and then pay back money loaned. When it comes to grants there is also a list of qualifications that weed out a lot of prospective parents. As for the employer benefits, only a third of U. S. employers offer this (â€Å"The Changing†¦,† par. 4). The federal government offers tax credits only to families who privately adopt infants, but does not offer the same support to families who adopt children in foster care (Wright, par. 3). Money drives almost everything in adoption. A fact which causes the line between baby selling and adoption services to become blurred is that many attorney’s fees are very high and unreasonable (Wright, par. 11). There are many reasons one may say that adoption costs of up to $40,000 is reasonable. Usually the agency a prospective parent must go through to adopt, has typical adoption services they provide: including professional services for both the adoptive and birth parents, birth parent expenses, new born care and services, legal and investigative expenses, salaries and employee benefits and general insurance (â€Å"Why Does Adoption†¦,†). These costly services do add up; but I do believe a few things should be done differently that would lower the costs of these services. If the birth mother does not have insurance, she can be on Medicaid to cover prenatal and postnatal healthcare. We pay in taxes to cover such things every day. I also believe that if the adoptive parent has a contract to adopt a child, then that child should be placed on the adoptive parent’s insurance for his medical needs. Doing these things could cut down on the costs greatly. Plus if more children could be adopted from foster care sooner, that alone would save the government a lot of money that is paid to keep the children up. I do not understand how anyone can put such a price on a child’s life and well being. What is more important, the child having a great fulfilling life or sitting in an orphanage or foster home for years and possibly experiencing some awful things, because people who would love to have them and take care of them cannot afford to adopt them? It all seems to me like the whole adoption process is nothing but selling babies and children. Why should you have to pay so much for a child when you are making a commitment to provide and care for and cherish them for the rest of your life? You will be responsible for all their need in the following years and that should be quite enough payment to put forth. You must have a home study completed before you can begin the adoption process. This ensures that you are able to provide a good sufficient home for a child; so why not lower the costs of adoption? It’s not like unfit couples or families would be able to adopt just because they may be able to afford it. I don’t see how any child deserves to be without the love of a family. You should not have to be rich to be able to afford adoption costs, a families status should have nothing to do with wither they can give a child a loving, nourishing and stable home. I truly believe if adoption costs were lowered more children would have loving homes and couples who cannot have a child of their own or those who have a child or children already would be able to complete their lives by adopting. This would benefit everyone involved: every child without a family, every hopeful future parent and family who yearns for another child to make their lives complete. Works Cited â€Å"Adoption Cost†. A Child to Love. 3 Sept. 2009. http://www. achildtolove. com/cost/. â€Å"Adoption Fact Sheet†. Child Welfare League of America. March 1999. < http://www. cwla. org/p rintable/printpage. asp>. â€Å"Children in Public Foster Care Waiting to be Adopted: FY 1999 thru FY 2005†. Administration for Children and Families. 1Sept. 2009. . â€Å"Costs of Adopting†. Child Welfare Information Gateway. 2004. 25 Aug. 2009. . â€Å"The Changing Face of Adoption†. Parents. com. September 2001. 30 Aug. 2009. . â€Å"What You Should Know Before You Adopt A Child†. Institute for Attachment and Child Development. 4 April 1997. 28 Aug. 2009. . â€Å"Why Does Adoption Cost So Much? †. American Adoptions. 29 Aug. 2009. . Wright, Graham. â€Å"Money, Power and Accountability: The â€Å"Business† Of Adoption†. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institution. November 1999. 27 Aug. 2009. .

Tourism Policy and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tourism Policy and Planning - Essay Example Tourism policy refers to the formulated guidelines that control all tourism development, operations, and management, to ensure that the government and the society attain the immediate and the long-term benefits derived from tourism (Edgell & Swanson, 2013:47). Thus, tourism policy can simply be defined as the progressive course of action that encompasses the principles, directions, guidelines, and procedures that represent the intent, objectives, and goals of the government and the society hosting the tourism visitors (Battaglia, Daddi & Rizzi, 2012:197). On the other hand, the concept of tourism planning refers to the whole process of identifying the appropriate steps that are geared towards the attainment of predetermined tourism goals and objectives (Gossling, 2012:902). The tourism planning process entails the acquisition of the knowledge regarding the tourism benefits and risks, followed by identifying the viable alternatives that allow for the enjoyment of the tourism associated benefits while limiting the associated risks. This is achieved through identifying alternatives, anticipating possible future conditions, developing the vision and finally formulating the possible course of action (Hall, 2008:21). Tourism is a sector of many economies that have been tied to many other products and services than the rest of the economic sectors globally. The complexity of tourism as a sector arises from the fact that an action geared towards allowing or limiting the growth and expansion of tourism activities has a range of spiral effects on the other sectors of the economy (Veal, 2010:215). Tourism is an activity that has allowed for leisure and vacation enjoyment in diverse environments for the tourists while benefiting the host societies both economically and culturally (Dredge & Jenkins, 2011:33). Thus, in order to sustain the mutual benefit that the tourism stakeholders attain from tourism, guidelines, and frameworks that define how the tourism activities are run are essential, making the need for tourism policy and planning is inevitable.

Project Management for Construction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Management for Construction - Assignment Example 6) The total amount certified for payment to the contractor by the client/employer is 6,750,000 7) The retention percentage is 10% prior to practical completion (for the main contract) 8) The amount received from the client to date is 5,850,000 9) The total amount certified for payment to package contractors is 5,800,000 10) The total value of package contracts let is 7,500,000 11) There are no retentions held against package contractors-however the current amounts certified but outstanding (i.e. unpaid) to them is 300,000 12) The cladding package contractor to whom the contractor owes 100,000 (including in the 300,000 above) has just become insolvent. The cladding is complete but no warranties have yet been received 13) The current certified installment is one month overdue for payment from the client/employer whose shares have halved in value during the last year 14) We have no other contracts with this client/employer 15) There has been exceptionally inclement weather for the last three months 16) The contract is currently expected to be completed three weeks late 17) Liquidated and ascertained damages are set at 30,000 per week 18) Claims by package contractors currently stand at 200,000 19) Counter-claims package contractors currently stand at 75,000 20) There was an accident on site last month in which a package contractor's employee lost a leg. The Health and Safety Executive are currently investigating this accident. 21) In the last month there has been a two week strike by the Professional League of Plumber (PLoP) which affected the Mechanical, Electrical and plumbing package contractor on the site 22) We calculate that the value of uncertified work carried out is 300,000 of which...These factors would relate to profits of the project, company mission and objectives, the financial issues in the company, the contractual obligations, commercial aspects and marketing procedures, and also the raw materials used by the contractor. Recommendations are provided on how the contractor should control its commercial department and what are the points that should be emphasized to report on the financial status of the company. This report is on the examination of the contract No. 205 for construction of offices and yards for Russ Ting metal Stockholders plc. The report will consider the factors that have to be taken into account for determining the current financial and commercial status of the project. In this report I would consider how these factors will affect the financial status of the project. For this all the financial elements are considered in accordance with the following points. 23) The architect's drawing (correctly) showed doors of width 920mm but the

Coorinating Emergency Response - Crisis Management Essay

Coorinating Emergency Response - Crisis Management - Essay Example Myanmar Government preferred government to government aid. AmeriCares required permission for airlift supplies which was a challenging and proved to be time taking process. The efforts could have brought more differences in relieving people from suffering and dying. The political pressure was high in the case of efforts of AmeriCares. However during such kind of natural disaster the effort should be to ensure proper assessment of disaster, coordination among various teams of rescue efforts, proper flow of food, medical and other supplies for relief, coordinating response through public information officers and media channels, collaboration of global efforts for the rescue and relief operations, informing public about their lost relatives, friends and dear ones and informing general public about disaster. However political situation of Myanmar did not allow all these things. Once disaster takes place in certain area, depending upon the nature of disaster and damage caused to the communication network, disaster management team finds out alternatives for communication to ensure proper flow of communication. In major disasters, communication infrastructure gets damaged or destroyed. Government agencies and disasters management agencies should have an alternative communication strategy for disasters. The information sent or receive should be short, clear and simple. An effective communication strategy during any disaster supports the coordination activities and helps in rescue and damage control operations. The Transitional Fires are significantly dangerous as the exposure of firefighters is high on hourly basis and is very risky for them. It is highly risky for resulting in injuries and fatality. It is threatening for the firefighters and influences their level of motivations negatively. The crisis management and emergency response to the transition fire requires combined efforts of Forest Service Firefighters, researchers and analysts. These can

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dikens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dikens - Essay Example The Past Ghost talked about Scrooge’s boyhood, love life as well as important events in his life which shaped his current negativist personality. For instance, it was told the Scrooge was lonely in his childhood with a dysfunctional family. He was abandoned to study at a boarding school where he eventually developed his antisocial tendencies. Here, we are given a reason why Scrooge could not offer any empathy because in his early developmental years, he had none. He was left to himself, with no affectionate encounters with his parents or his siblings. We highlight the young Ebenezer’s experiences of past Christmases because, it turned out, most unfortunate events happened during this time explaining for Scrooge almost neurotic hatred for the holiday. The story went to describe how Scrooge became obsessed with work and money that eventually drove Belle, his fiancà ©e to leave him. Apparently, business is the only avenue where Scrooge could excel and, perhaps, in his opinion, be appreciated, that is why he became a workaholic. The visit from the three ghosts has given Scrooge a new perspective. Presently, he was his old self – greedy, selfish, bitter and miserly with a particular disgust against Christmas. The ghosts have also shown how his nephew and his poor family, who merely lives on his pittance, were currently happy despite the fact that there was a lame son. When his future was shown to him along with the suggestion that he is being given an opportunity to change, Scrooge finally came around. There was the realization that upon his death, many people will celebrate due to the consequences of his actions. The past experiences seemed to be the major reason why Scrooge could not find it on his own to see how his character has degenerated almost beyond redemption. One of the distinct characteristics that mark Scrooge is his tendency to stifle his past. There seems to be a lot of pain in it for him, not only in what he

The current macroeconomic situation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The current macroeconomic situation - Essay Example This means that the people in America were borrowing in order to fund spending (Tilton, 2011). A deficit then is created. This situation is expected to result into inflation. Nevertheless, as of 2010 until the present, the private sector’s spending has been in moderate level (Tilton, 2011). There is a rise in saving and a drop of spending (Tilton, 2011). The country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is used to determine this fact. Second, credit conditions have improved for both smaller businesses and individuals; more and more banks have stabilized their lending standards (Tilton, 2011). This means that banks are not anymore imposing strict policies in terms of lending. If this is the case, then, it would be easier for smaller businesses and consumers â€Å"to spend a bit more† (Tilton, 2011). Despite these good economic findings, there are three key factors which could hinder full economic growth in the United States. These are the following: (1) large federal bud get deficit; (2) large increases in commodity prices; and (3) weakening of housing prices (Tilton, 2011). To prevent these factors from becoming a big economic problem, the federal government should adopt fiscal tightening instead of fiscal expansion. At this time, to use an expansionary fiscal policy would worsen the situation.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - Essay Example There are many reasons as to why the notion that Bilbo’s decision to go on the adventure was not due to peer pressure but one which was associated with his inner most desires being put forward. It is easy to believe that people never change, however while some might believe that others put faith in the notion that if given an opportunity everyone changes. As far as J.R.R Tolkien’s character Bilbo Baggins is concerned, an alteration of this character that undergoes significant changes is evident to the reader. The truth of the matter is that the true nature of an individual is brought to the surface when he is put under several tests. These tests for Bilbo were the adventures he undertakes. So we might say that this transformation might have been insightful but these characteristics, brave, resourceful and adventurous were always who Bilbo Baggins was. These hidden characteristics were a big part of why Bilbo Baggins decided to undertake this journey in order to find himself. His boring monotonous yet comfortable life and his forthright denial were just based on the forced perception of the Hobbits as creatures who were not at all adventurous or brave or prone to taking risks. Where society believed he was a coward he managed to prove them wrong in the way we see Bilbo fight the great spider by using his little sword. We see how slaying the great monster made Bilbo realize that without anyone else’s help he had managed to overcome a great hurdle. This independence and bravery were his defining characteristics as he had gloriously prevailed as the victor despite the enormity of his opponent. He now managed to see himself as the person Gandalf was known he was when he had extended to him the invitation to embark on the adventure. There are other reasons which would explain why Bilbo was so against the idea of going on the adventure when Gandalf had initially asked him. It had little to do with the Hobbit really wanted but

Trust computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trust computing - Essay Example One of the benefit of machine authentication is that it enables information within the active directory to issue optionally configured and template based certificate automatically to all servers and machines residing within a multiple or single domains in a multiple or single forest configuration ( sun et al, 2012). Other benefits of machine authentication entails preventing rogue machines from accessing organizational resources and networks, allowing mutual server and machine authentication between the various machines, being scalable and cost effective for organizations of all sizes and identifying the servers and machines having access to various networks. Machine authentication enables users to possess a log on script (Anwander et al, 2013). The experience is often transparent as the log in process is performed in the normal way. It also ensures automatic issuance and enrollment of certificates. Computer or machine authentication takes place before windows can display the CTRL + ALT + DEL screen. It does not occur when members of organization utilize their domain credentials on their own computers or other window devices. Implementation of machine authentication will enable organizations to have control over access to resources. Anwander, M., Braun, T., Hurni, P., Staub, T., & Wagenknecht, G. 2013. User and Machine Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure for Distributed Wireless Sensor Network Testbeds. JSAN, 2(1), 109-121.

Comparison between Utilitarianism and Idealism Essay Example for Free

Comparison between Utilitarianism and Idealism Essay The two theories that will be compared and contrasted in this essay are Platos Idealism and Mill Benthams Utilitarianism. I chose these two theories because, to me, they are the ones that seem to be the most realistic and interesting. The way to get from the level of the is to the level of the ought of the Philosophers in these theories are the two bests. In this essay, it will be shown that the two theories are not so different in their relation between the level of the is and the level of the ought; it will be shown that Idealism would be a better theory for a society with highly intellectual people, and that a combination of these theory would be the best way for our society to evolve from the level of the is to the level of the ought. Platos way to go from the is to the ought is socratic questioning. He says that we should question ourselves on whether the moral views we have are ideal or not. He also says that the way of looking at things we have is wrong because all men are not the same, and so they do not have the same opinion of things. Part of his theory says that to get to true virtue (ideal moral views) we have to trim down all the false moral views we have and get to the basic, timeless, and unchanging patterns of the Good. With those ideal moral views we would be able to mirror the Good. Examples of false ideal moral views for Plato are seeking for selfish pleasures such as food, sex, and power. For Utilitarians, the way to get from the level of the is to the level of the ought is to reward or sanction a person for his or her actions. In Utilitarism people should choose actions that are the most utile for them but also for society. In other words they should choose the most pleasant and less painful actions and consequences for the greatest number of people. The degree of utility (degree of pleasure) is determined by what is called felicific calculus. This pleasure calculator is composed of different criterions that caracterise the pleasure provided by a certain action. They are intensity, duration, certainty, proximity, fecundity, and purity. These caracteristics of pleasure are calculated for ones self and for the population that his or her action concerns. If an action is said to have a fairly good utility to one but a very big disutility to society, it is said to be an immoral action. In that sense selfish pleasures are immoral. In these two theories, the socratic questioning and the felicific calculus almost play the same role in the way that the result (chosen action) should be the same if one is calculating the utility or one is referring to socratic questioning to take a decision. The socratic questioning of Idealism brings the person at the door of the right moral views by trimming all the layers of appearances and opinions over a concept. Even if one is not seeking those ideal moral views the felicific calculus should take one to the same ideal moral views if it is well performed. In that sense these two theories are the same because they give the same final result. But one of the theories seems harder to realize because everyone has to go through a long process that not every individual wants to perform or is able to perform. This theory is Idealism. On the other hand, in Utilitarianism a scale can be made out to lead people in the right way (and that scale is in fact present in our society). These theories are different in the sense that Utilirianism is easier for a society to perform well. To give rewards and punishments, society needs an authority outside the person who acts; this is why there are governements, theocracies and social opinions to guide people. Utilirianism is the most realistic because people do not have to think about what is right or wrong, they only have to follow the guides (rewards/sanctions). The society we live in is clearly Utilitarian. The many rewards (salary, respect, etc. ) and sanctions (prison, school failure, etc. ) reveal it. Everything works in function of rewards and sanctions. It implies that we only have to follow the rules given and no sanctions should be given to us. If our society was Idealist, it would imply that we would have to think and do the socratic questioning at each dilemma we have. This is impossible because not everybody is intelligent enough to do so, and most of the people would not be willing to go through that process. There is a danger in having a Utilirianism society. We just have to think of the United-States with the war they made to Irak. I believe that the population of that country trusted the felicific calculus scale (which was written by the governement) too much, because most of the population (of the USA, of course ) believed that war in Irak was a good thing. In that case the scale of that population was wrong because it did not care enough about what Irakians really wanted. If that dilemma had been well calculated, I am sure that they would let Irakians rebuild their country all alone and stop occupying the country. An Idealist society would take the time and think about that situation. They would have come to the conclusion that this war was not fair and they would have wanted to wait for real proofs of the presence of massive destruction arms before bombarding Irak. Another problem that Utilitarianism has raised is the sexual inequality. I believe that the situation we are in is caused by an error in the scale of the felicific calculus. The authority in place decided very long ago that women were inferior, and then nobody really thinked about it (or had the courage to change things) until the first feminists movements. With an Idealistic society that problem would never had occurred because Idealists always ask themselves if what they do is right. They would have understood long ago that this situation is completelly wrong. The best way to go from the level of the is to the level of the ought in our society would be to combine these two theories. First, Idealism should be used by a group of intellectuals to create a scale that would be used in felicific calculus. Then, felicific calculus should be used by the population. The scale from the felicific calculus should be adjusted as time goes on so that it evolves well with the new technological, economical and historical facts. But this is only an utopic idea because nobody would be able to create and maintain a fair felicific calculus scale since nobody can totally get to the basic principles of morality.

Individual Food Intake Essay Example for Free

Individual Food Intake Essay After using the food assessment tool at www.choosemyplate.gov I found that my daily intake of food was not sufficient for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Many of my goals were not achieved or were overachieved. This assessment revealed an imbalance in my eating habits. Like many Americans I am on the run and constrained by time. Going to school and working fulltime often forces me to eat quickly and make hurried choices. Often my choices are not in my best health interest but rather based on what is fast. When I have time, I tend to try to make better eating decisions but this is not sufficient for a good diet. In accordance with the Food Guide Pyramid I fell short in many areas of necessary consumption and went over in other areas. For the three day period I went over in grains (14.5 oz.) and over in proteins (10.5 oz.). I was insufficient with vegetables (1 cup), fruits (3/4 cup), and dairy (1 cup). What I found disturbing was that the bulk of the items I went over on was not balanced across three days but was instead committed on one to two days of the tracker. This means that on one day I had reached limits. This could be seen clearly on the third day and specifically with regard to lunch and my numbers jumped dramatically. I believe that I need to reshape my diet around the six classes of nutrients. The six nutrients include: 1. Water 2. Carbohydrates 3. Proteins 4. Fats 5. Vitamins 6. Minerals Each of the six nutrients is necessary in varying degrees in the body. Using the Food Pyramid I can identify the levels of nutrient intake and then  design my diet in accordance with balancing these numbers. For example, I eat a banana each day but this only provides me with a portion of the fruit intake I need and thereby cuts down on the vitamins and minerals I receive. By increasing my fruit intake I can increase this number but this is only part of the solution. I need to add more variety of food which will better encompass the wide range of nutrients needed. For example, strawberries and blueberries could be added to my diet and this would increase antioxidant intake as well as vitamins such as C. It is not just fruit intake that would need to be altered in this way; vegetables and meats also need to be examined. The intake of green vegetables would help to increase vitamin A, foliate, and iron, among other essentials. By expanding my varieties of foods I can incorporate this into my diet, as well as the elimination of certain types of foods could be used to increase nutrient intake such as removing the fast food burger in lieu of leaner fish which contains higher levels of Omega 3 and better quality proteins. Leaner meats that do not require heavy cooking also require less energy for the body to process and provide more useful calories. By modifying my diet in accordance with the Food Pyramid, I believe I can become healthier. The key is to determine the different foods that I will need to incorporate into my diet and to find the quantity that balances my caloric intake. For this I will need to do some research because I still need my diet to be somewhat convenient as well as nutritionally balanced. I believe it should also be mentioned that the level of fats that are taken in should be monitored as well, because almost a third of my diet was empty calories which had no nutritional value. There was also a very high sodium intake and my saturated fats were over the limit. These issues present many long term concerns which need to be addressed. This diet failure also explains my feelings of fatigue and my propensity for illnesses. My body has simply not been receiving the nutrients and levels that it needs to properly function. By watching these numbers I should be able to increase energy and make sure that my future health is strong. I also need to watch what I consume because my mother has had colon cancer, so the healthier I eat the  chances are less that I will contract that cancer. References Contemporary Nutrition, WileyPLUS ®, iProfile

The Rise of Playboi Carti

The Rise of Playboi Carti The music industry is at a constant change, with new artist coming and going everyday. Yet there are so many artist out there, you can only take the time to actually know of so many. Everyone has their own opinion of what a superstar is and what defines them as one. I believe Jordan Carter also known as Playboi Carti is a superstar that has yet had his big break. I have done tons of research about Mr. Carter that supports he is on the rise and should be a  superstar. For Jordan it all started at Ethereals bachelor pad in Atlanta, where he recorded some songs. Ethereal noticed right away that Jordan was different than just any rapper new to the game, and thats why he loved to work with him. At the time Jordan Carter was still in high school. He almost didnt graduate because he was skipping school all the time to go to the studio and record. Mostly everyone in his high school was enjoying his music, especially the girls. Playboi Carti and Ethereal went on to make many hits like   Lost and Broke Boi. After high school he moved from Atlanta to New York to focus more on his music and success. In March of 2015 Playboi Carti first met Asap Rocky at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Since then he has gone on tour twice, and is now signed to Asap Mob, and Awful Records. Surprisingly there is no mixtape in his career, he is working on an album now, but his success kicked off   from his few singles. I Actually went to one of his concerts in Houston this past November with my girlfriend for his Turnt and Burnt Tour with Asap Ferg and Rob Stone. He had so many fans come out to see him, with so much positive energy in the building, it was probably one of the best nights of my life. He definitely put on a performance I will never forget, and I hope to be able to watch him again live in person one day. Playboi Carti has gained most of his fans through his music, but he has also gained a huge chunk of fans from his clothing style. Some of his favorite brands are Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Supreme. For only being 20 he has modeled with multiple brands such as   Drakes OVO   Summer 2016 Lookbook, VLONE, Off-White, and the most recent Kanye West Yeezy Season. He is surely moving up and the best has yet to come. Not only has he modeled with many brands,   he has also collaborated with many artist such as Asap Mob, Frank Ocean, Skpeta, Lil Yatchy, and Lil Uzi Vert who he went on tour with. Playboi Cartis first music video along with his first top hit was WHAT with UnoTheActivist and Asap Rocky. Not including all of his features with other artist, his 18 songs on his Soundcloud all have over 1 million plays, some call him the god of Soundcloud. Growing up he listened to R Kelly, Lil John, Gucci, Young Jeezy, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Asap Mob is a big influence on Carti, he has always wanted to be surrounded by the group, he tries to learn from them. As of today he looks up to Bari, Nast,Michael Jackson, Asap Rocky, and Kurt Cobain. Every morning he gets in the mindset of Do I wanna show out or do I wanna be fly?. The thing about Playboi Carti is he is not afraid to test his limits with his music making ability. He is always listening and thinking about music, he describes his style as grind music, turn up, and flex music. All Playboi Carti wants to do is make people feel motivated by his music and inspire them to be like him. I have been a fan of his for almost two years now and he has yet to disappoint me. I will always look forward to his new music and seeing his face model high fashion brands. He is a superstar to me and I strongly believe Jordan Carter, aka Playboi Carti has everything if not more, to be a superstar to everyone. He started back in 2014 and already made a good name for himself. Playboi Carti is on the rise and will be a legend one day. Work Cited C.M, Emmanuel. Playboi Carti Prepares to Show You the Way With New Mixtape. xxlmag.com. XXL Magazine, 12 Jan. 2017. Web. 7 Feb. 2017. Nirui, Ava. Playboi Carti is Leading a New Generation Of Turn Up Rappers. Oystermag.com. Oyster Magazine, 19 Jul. 2016. Web. 7 Feb. 2017 Russell, Alex. Playboi Carti is Raps Young and Restless Prince.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Complex.com. Complex Music, 16 Sep. 2015. Web. 7 Feb. 2017.

Leaving the Cocoon :: Example Personal Narratives

Leaving the Cocoon I wasn't quite sure how to react. I had never been called a "white boy" before, especially by someone I hardly knew. As I turned my head not knowing what to expect, I found myself face to face with a grinning boy, whose crooked smile gave him an almost devilish appearance. This was my first encounter with Oscar Jovel, an El Salvadorian student on our trip to Thailand over the summer. You could imagine my delight when I heard that we would be living together with a Thai family and sharing the same bed for six straight weeks. During the next couple of days I was faint with apprehension. The first thing both of our eyes fell on when we arrived at our tiny Thai house was the five by four foot bed we would share. It was extremely small, in respect to both length and width, with a bright pink mosquito net hanging around it. That first night, we often woke up, cramped and hot, to discover ourselves literally on top of each other. Although initially embarrassing, we began to find the situation more and more comical. To our surprise and delight, we discovered that we had the same sense of humor. From then on, we discussed our sleeping habits openly and complained about the other's loud snoring. We began to stay up late into the night discussing our lives and the difficult issues we each had to deal with. One night we talked into the early hours of the morning about his life in San Francisco. I could only listen wide-eyed and in disbelief as he talked about how close he had been to joining an El Salvadorian gang. I watched him with intense curiosity as he slowly told his story. I noticed how he would almost squeeze his eyes closed with his large cheeks when he was remembering something that made him angry, or thrust his chin out in a clumsy manner when he was excited. He told me of how he had been ready to be beaten into the gang. When I asked him why he would be willing to do that, he responded by describing how vicious his world was, and then explained that the initiation was a tiny price for the protection he would get from the gang in return. My respect for him only increased when I sat silently as he told me of his best friend who had been shot in the head in a drive-by shooting.