Building a More Just Society Essay

Providing advice to a newly engaged or newly married couple would be very challenging. Because they feel like they know everything about their relationships. So the fact that they are asking for help says a lot about them wanting to make their relationship livelong. This says that they are willing to listen and learn from someone who has a little more knowledge about relationships. Words can be extremely effective in a relationship; however their impact can have a negative impact if they are not used properly. If negative words are used with a negative tone they are going to be perceived in a negative manner. If you want to have good communication, it’s the positive tone and words you choose which will make the best impact. The proper use of words can make or break a conversation. People are more likely to communicate and discuss issues if you speak respectfully and polite rather than negative. Positivity always goes farther than negativity especially in today’s world. With all the negativity that is already surrounding us on a daily basis it is so important to try to keep a positive aspect on our lives and relationships. How do you teach someone to be positive in their relationship? Every day is almost impossible to be perfect and keep negative thoughts and comments from coming up. There is going to be negative things that come up but teaching young couples how to manage those incidents and not let them turn into something more devastating is going to be the key to success. There are many aspects to work on with couples of all ages. One of the main things to teach is listening skills; like that listening is a key part of proper communication. Listening has proven to have much more of an impact on relationships than talking. It is all about why you say something or how you say it that impacts how well people are going to listen to the words that come out of your mouth. Listening requires that you pay attention to the tone of voice, facial expression, eye contact, and physical gestures of your partner. Doing this rather than focusing on what you are going to say next can help enhance your listening skills. It can also help with learning how to properly communicate. If you know how to listen you can learn how to communicate in a healthy manner. If you have had poor listening skills for years and are trying to improve them it is not going to be easy. But it is definitely possible with time practice and most of all patience. Relationships are not only built on listening there are so many aspects to cover. One main aspect is honesty; if you don’t have honesty in a relationship you cannot have a successful relationship. But the key is that both parties have to be completely honest with each other. If one person is not honest and the other is there will be a sense of mistrust in the relationship. This will cause a relationship to suffer immensely. If you want a happy and successful relationship you need to accept that everything may not always be perfect but honesty is the key to success. Keeping even the smallest of secrets will add up and can put extreme damage on a relationship. So for a relationship to succeed a key to its success is complete and utter honesty. If you love your significant other that should not be a problem because relationships are built on love, faith, honesty, commitment. A part of relationship comes with self-expression; you should never hesitate to discuss something. Just because you are a couple doesn’t meant that your significant other knows everything that you are thinking, feeling or opinions on an issue. This is where interpersonal communication comes in because you may feel that you are expressing yourself clearly but it was not received as you intended. Non-verbal communication has a huge impact on relationships; whether they are dating, married or even friends. Facial expressions say so much more than could ever be imagined. You can make or break friendships with what comes across from facial expressions. Due to the fact that perception is what matters at that point. People go off of your facial expressions more than we ever could think. This is perception; perception is the way someone interprets what they see, hear from you. So facial expression can make a person feel extremely uncomfortable. Communication is key to a successful relationship; taking that extra time out of your day to ensure that the relationship doesn’t suffer. 10 minutes a day is all that it takes to be effective in your relationship. If you are willing to spend 10 minutes a day talking to your significant other about your relationships, things that are important to you and them you will be amazed at how much more positive your relationship will be. If a healthy relationship is what you want you have to be willing to put and effort into it. Let’s face it how much does it honestly take out of your day to spend 10 minutes with your significant other. Communication can be done without even opening your mouth. It can be done based on facial expression, body posture. These are known as non verbal communication and they can impact relationships so much. Because people read your face and interpret what they think you are thinking it may or may not be accurate but that is a problem that comes with non verbal communication. I wish it was easy to tell someone how to communicate but all that can be offered are suggestions and they need to learn which skills work best for them on a personal level. Relationships can be made or broken based on the people’s communication skills. Poor communication skills can lead to a person feeling feelings such as anger, doubt or even disinterest. But if communication is done properly it can lead to feelings of trust, happiness and love. Relationships are either healthy or unhealthy and for you to be healthy as a person it is best for you to be in a healthy relationship. A healthy relationship meets the needs of both parties and is not selfish. It leads a relationship to a positive future rather than leading a relationship into distress. For a relationship to succeed here are 5 simple things to do that can help. According to Mary Lamphere in a article titled 5 tips for improving interpersonal skills: Tip #1: Be Honest: People do not like someone who is a liar or someone who seems fake. Many people can tell if a person is acting in a way that is not real to them and this makes others feel the need to hide from you the same way. Do not act like someone that you are not just to gain the friendship of that person. Tip #2: Never Criticize: To criticize someone is to act as though you are inherently better than that person. You should go into any relationship with the thought that you are no better than the next person-because you aren’t! You may do some things better than the other person, but they likely do some things better than you. Tip #3: Listen to People: This skill is very important for interpersonal communication success. To listen to someone means not just to hear what they are saying but to actually consider what they are saying and find something that you can agree with. Do not just instantly decide that you disagree and then stop listening. Pay attention to the other person and think about what they are saying. Find a way that you can relate to their thoughts even if you don’t fully agree with them. Another part of listening to people includes remembering what they say. You do not have to remember an entire conversation, but at lease remember the main points so that you can respond meaningfully. Pay attention because often times a persons name is the very beginning of a conversation and this is one of the most important points. Do whatever you have to do to make sure that you do not forget a persons name as this implies that you didn’t care enough to listen right from the start! Tip #4: Ask Questions: Asking questions is a nonverbal communication technique that everyone should consider. This technique is useful to you and it makes the other person feel like you actually care. You should care enough to ask questions that relate to a conversation so that you can continue a conversation. Tip #5: Admission: Admit when you are wrong! If you are wrong and you know it or it has been proven, then admit to it gracefully. Do not make a big deal about it, we are all wrong at some point in our lives. It is how we admit our mistakes that make us more friendship oriented. Nobody likes someone who is arrogant and cannot admit a simple wrong doing. Providing advice to newly engaged couples can be challenging. Because they feel they know everything about relationships. So the fact that you’re asking for help says a lot and says that you guys are willing to listen and learn from someone who has a little knowledge on relationships.

How far is “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson just a horror story? Essay

The story was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and was first published in 1886. The story originated from a dream he had and upon wakening, immediately wrote it down. The story is set in Victorian London and the focus of the tale is whether evil is more powerful than good. The Victorians were obsessed with the supernatural and light triumphant over dark, good over evil. The main character is a doctor of science whose experiments are dangerous and who tampers with human life. Otherwise he leads a normal life and has friends and other acquaintances. Those nearest to him however suspect an evil deed including murder and are afraid he is involved. The truths are revealed at the end of the story. The story starts with ordinary Victorian life, of two businessmen out for a walk having a conversation. From normal everyday living the story leads into murders and then finally the death of Dr. Jekyll. The story slowly builds a picture of their lives and their doubts as the story progresses about something evil at work. No one can understand what is happening and why there is a connection between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde until Dr. Jekyll reveals the true story at the end of the book to Dr. Lanyon. Mr. Hyde was difficult to describe, Mr. Enfield describes him as `deformed and extraordinary looking, but cannot be described`. After the death of Sir Danvers Carew, the maid said he `was particularly small and wicked looking`. This crime of murder was described `with singular ferocity` – Carew was clubbed by a cane and then trampled underfoot by Mr. Hyde under which his victim’s bones were shattered. The victim still kept his purse and gold watch suggesting he was not murdered for money. Robert Louis Stevenson said that Mr. Hyde was `deformed and extraordinary looking, but cannot be described`. Extraordinary means going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary; specifically : of, relating to, or having the nature of a proceeding or action not normally required by law or not prescribed for the regular administration of law -compare ORDINARY of or relating to a financial transaction that is not expected to be repeated. The word `deformed` is to spoil the natural form of; misshape: a body that had been deformed by disease or to spoil the beauty or appearance of; disfigure. Describe means to give an account of in speech or writing or to convey an idea or impression of; characterize: She described her childhood as a time of wonder and discovery. So even though Mr. Hyde is being described as deformed and extraordinary he is still indescribable. When you describe something, you use a lot of words and sentences to express it. But the only description of Mr. Hyde using two words; deformed and extraordinary. Later on in the novel, Mr Hyde was then described as `particularly small and wicked looking` by the maid. She is still describing him, but completely different type of description as Mr. Enfield. I say this because `deformed and extraordinary looking, but cannot be described` can mean many things, it is not making a direct insult to Mr. Hyde. You can interpret and define that description as many deferent things. However the maid’s description of him was `particularly small and wicked looking` which is very specific and rude. I say this because if you are quite a small person you would be described as small and if you were a wicked person you would be described as wicked. So the maid has chosen meaningful and specific words to describe Mr. Hyde. She also says that he is `wicked looking` which might mean that he is not wicked to her knowledge but he looks like a wicked person; she is judging him before she had met him. Slightly before that Mr. Utterson said `Is this Mr. Hyde a person of small stature`. This whole sentence is taking about Mr. Hyde’s height. I say this because stature means the natural height of a human or animal in an upright position and Mr. Hyde is called a small stature. Many times in the novel people have talked about Mr. Hyde’s height, this is because Mr. Hyde is Dr, Jekyll’s evil side. Dr. Jekyll has never exposed his evil side before. So it’s like a person the same age as Dr. Jekyll but has not had long to develop a normal body. Mr. Hyde after a long time would eventually be a normal figure once again if he was exposed to life for a longer time. The word stature can also mean an achieved level; status. This could be implying that Mr. Hyde’s achieved level is small or nothing which would no be not standard level of anyone else. So if Mr. Hyde’s achieved level is low or small that means that Dr. Jekyll’s achieved level would be t he complete opposite and at a above average level. The description from the crime scene after the murder of Sir Danvers Carew was described `with singular ferocity`. This means that the crime is one of a one person attack that was ferocious. Singular is being only one; individual or being the only one of a kind and Mr. Hyde was. The word ferocity immediately sounds like fear or fierce, it means the state or quality of being ferocious; fierceness. In just two words the whole scene becomes clear who did it and how it was done. Meanwhile Dr. Jekyll is looking incredibly unwell and fearful. He is acting strangely and appears to know more about Mr. Hyde but is not revealing too much about him. Mr. Utterson walks past Dr. Jekyll’s house and Dr. Jekyll looks out of the window saying he feels low and then disappears with a look of terror and despair. Mr. Poole, Dr. Jekyll’s servant visits Mr. Utterson to tell him of the strange happenings in the house, his master’s disappearance and hearing him cry day and night. Before Dr. Lanyon died, Mr. Hyde visited him and drank a mixture of tincture and powders. Dr. Lanyon was disbelieving and wanted to see what would happen. Dr. Lanyon was in deep shock seeing Mr. Hyde transform into Dr. Jekyll and was sickened. He could not sleep and `the deadliest terror sits by him day and night`. He felt that he would defiantly die. In chapter five Mr. Utterson asked Dr. Jekyll for the letter that Sir Danvers Carew had wrote and Dr Jekyll simply said `I burned it, before I thought what I was about. But it bore no postmark. The note was handed in`. This means that because the envelope did not have a stamp on it Dr Jekyll immediately destroyed a very important letter from Sir Danvers Carew. This is saying that Dr. Jekyll is a much of an organised and very hard to fool type of person and something as simple a no stamp on a letter leads the reason to the death of Sir Danvers Carew a more of a mystery than if the letter was read. Mr Utterson is also very clever and quite like Dr. Jekyll in that trying to fool him is an impossible task. A conversion, for example about two similar letters is spotted by Mr. Utterson, `And by all accounts a very odd writer. Is that from Dr. Jekyll, sir? I thought I knew the writing, anything private, Mr. Utterson? It is only an invitation to dinner, why, do you want to see it? One moment, thank you, sir; it’s a very interesting autograph. Why did you compare them, Guest? Well, sir, there’s a rather singular resemblance; the two hands are in many points identical: only differently sloped`. This is saying that the two styles of handwriting are the same but from completely different people. Mr Utterson being no fool listened to the clerk who was telling him about the two different styles of writing and took it into account. Dr. Jekyll soon becomes depressed and losses the confidence in himself. I say this because Dr. Jekyll said `I am very low, Utterson, very low. It will not last long, thank God`. Dr. Jekyll knows that the fresh air will do him some good but prefers to lie down indoors. If someone else was ill, like Mr. Utterson, Dr. Jekyll would be saying the same thing that Mr. Utterson was telling Dr. Jekyll. It is interesting the way Dr. Jekyll uses the word `low` rather than ill or sick. The word `low` means to let, bring, or move down to a lower level or to reduce in value, degree, or quality or to weaken; undermine: lower one’s energy or to reduce in standing or respect. Leading up to chapter eight is a strange unfolding of a monster that has murdered and disappears, no one knows much of him but he is someone connected to Dr. Jekyll. All the characters understand something evil is taking place but they cannot or do not want to connect the evil of Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll. It is not until chapter eight that Dr. Jekyll has to reveal the true horror story. Mr. Utterson does not suspect any foul play but when Mr. Poole tells him because he has noticed some foul play, Mr. Utterson is slightly alarmed. `I think there’s been foul play`. Then Mr. Utterson replies with `Foul play`! What foul play? What does the man mean`? Then Mr. Poole says `I daren’t say, sir but will you come along with me and see for yourself`. The idea of a scientist experimenting with such dangerous drugs is bizarre. In the modern day century drugs would not be used on humans unless they had undergone vigorous testing. Who would endanger life in the 19th century by using such experiments? Over a hundred years ago illness and death would occur by taking untested drugs. London is described in Victorian horror stories as nearly always fog bound, which it was through pollution. Sinister blocks of buildings, black winter mornings, London hummed solemnly, all descriptions of poorly hit London, which was very creepy and spooky. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is not a terrifying horror story but merely stating the facts of a scientist’s experiment that becomes dangerous. Until the killing of Sir Danvers, Mr. Hyde was just described as many evil things by the way he looked and behaved, not by his actions as no one had proof he was evil. The morality of the tale is that the Victorian’s belief of good and evil does not always triumph and that practising un-harmful scientific experiments can result in playing God and are best left alone. Dr. Jekyll was forced to lead a double life hiding himself away with his experiments as he would not have been accepted in Victorian society as a scientist with such evil ideas.

Keat’s & Longfellow Analysis

Jasmine Carter Mr. Gillet A. P. Literature September 20, 2012 Keats and Longfellow Both Keats and Longfellow were poets during the Romantic period. The two compose poems in which they reflect on their inability to live up to their creative potential and the idea that death could intervene at any moment. Longfellow is disappointed in his failures and sees comfort in the past rather than an uncertain future. Moreover, Keats fears he won’t accomplish all that he wants, but sees possibility and realizes his grievous goals won’t be important after death.While Longfellow’s tone is fearful, Keats’ is appreciative and hopeful about what life has to offer right now. In both poems, the poets use the literary devices parallelism and symbolism, to depict their particular situation in their own lives, while also using diction with characteristics of romantic poetry, reflecting their time period. The two poets of â€Å"When I Have Fears† and â€Å"Mezzo Camminâ €  tell their fear of not attaining what they want in life through the use of parallelism. Keats uses parallelism by starting his first quatrain, as well as the other two, with the word â€Å"when†, conveying that time is moving forward in his life.The use of this word also delivers the idea Keats’s youthfulness during the time he wrote this poem, and illustrates his fear of not showing others his writing potential before he is â€Å"[ceased to be]†. Longfellow uses parallelism in line 9, telling readers he’s â€Å"halfway up the hill† and that he only â€Å"[sees] the past†. The use of this parallelism depicts his older age and his views on the little time he has left to accomplish something major. Both Keats and Longfellow bring forth their ages to get their readers to realize there is not much time left in life, and they must make a choice to do something worthwhile before it is too late.The second sections of the two poems draw attent ion to the differences in each situation. The two poets use symbolism of something dark; Keats using the symbol of â€Å"the night’s starred face†, while Longfellow uses the symbol of â€Å"a city in the twilight dim and vast†. Both symbols are used to convey that darkness is equivalent to future’s mysteries. The difference in this is that Keats has a positive outlook on the mysteries his future holds, whereas Longfellow finds comfort in his past and fear in his uncertain future.Longfellow’s fears have stopped him from accomplishing greatness all together, in something such as â€Å"[building] some tower of song†. On the other hand, Keats has taken full advantage of the time he’s had and is only slightly frightened that he does not have time to achieve his greatness. Poets in the romantic period felt strongly that literature and nature had the effect to move people. Keats and Longfellow utilize diction characteristics of their romanti c style of poetry. In the couplet of â€Å"Mezzo Cammin†, Longfellow declares he â€Å"[hears an autumnal blast above him]†, referring to the way nature makes him feel.In this case, nature moves him in a negative way; conveying his old age, sickness and, most commonly, the death in which he believes is only getting closer. Although it is not used in Keats’ couplet, he uses the word â€Å"behold† to depict that he sees greatness in his writing and how it would move him, in a positive way, if he accomplished his goal of being a famous poet. In the couplet of â€Å"When I Have Fears†, we see that Keats believe without beholding greatness, he will be moved in a negative way, (i. e. â€Å"nothingness†).In both poems â€Å"When I Have Fears† and â€Å"Mezzo Cammin†, the poets use the poetic devises parallelism, symbolism and diction with hints of romantic style, to reveal the theme that death only comes closer, but what you do in the time you have left is strictly your choice. The two sonnets, written during the Romantic period, bring forth that outlooks on life can be both negative and positive. They convey the idea that no matter what age you are, there is always some feeling of the fear of death in all of us.

Lost in a Mordern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lost in a Mordern World - Essay Example Shakespeare and his contemporaries would form the basis for modernism in Renaissance and Enlightenment thought, giving birth to modern science, the industrial revolution, liberalism, and democracy through their writing, methodologies, and values, and these themes determine the worldview of later writers like Jin, Rash, and Cameron. Root elements of modernism can be found in Shakespeare that will evolve thematically not only in later literature historically but also in the development of the popular culture, mass-media, and society of modern times. Shakespeare’s work in this manner also describes the growth of modern personal identity in the characters of his plays, and these patterns can be found similarly underlying the characters, conflicts, and themes of writers such as Jin, Rash, and Cameron as they express their own conflicts in contemporary literature. When Shakespeare writes, â€Å"All the world is a stage,† this can be seen as an important characteristic of mode rnism that expands from his recognition of it in early 17th Century culture, as well as being reflected in the news media, pop culture, and the â€Å"15 minutes† of fame Warhol saw each person as sharing in their modern social roles. When Shakespeare describes libertine behavior, the excess of consumption and intoxication in his characters in â€Å"As You Like It,† these patterns are also becoming more extreme in the New York society Peter Cameron describes in his literature or as Rash describes the addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse in characters from Appalachia. In summary, the root issues and themes of modernism can be found in Shakespeare’s works and where these themes resonate with other authors in the 20th Century, they reinforce the interpretation or recognition that they are critically important in understanding the society and behavior of individuals during the time period. This relates also to post-modernism as it seeks to define and characteri ze modernism through historical evolution, and in doing so to solve the existential dilemma that many writers reflect in their characters and themes in modern literature. In Act II, Scene 7 of â€Å"As You Like It,† Jaques states: â€Å"A fool, a fool! I met a fool i' th' forest, A motley fool. A miserable world! ...And thereby hangs a tale.' When I did hear The motley fool thus moral on the time, My lungs began to crow like chanticleer That fools should be so deep contemplative;† The position of the motley fool in Shakespeare is ironic, for the cutting criticism that the poet offers to society in the form of insightful literature is directly related to the tone and composition of the court jester in English society at the time. Not only does the motley fool analyze and criticize authority, the State, and society from the same position as the author in modern literature, the modern author is often given a role in society that is similar to that played by the jester in the court of the kings and royals in English society. The court hears the jester’s interpretation, biting sarcasm, criticism of power, and cutting wit, tolerating the behavior symbolically by dressing the jester in a coat of many colors and patches. The fabric of this dress represents the fabric of knowledge itself, which is woven together from many strands, patched together from many theories, stitched together as a unified symbolic garment, and then worn as a social role. As such this dress is magical, in that it represents both the democratic society and the scientific method in Shakespeare, as well as

Intercultural communication class- Project Report Coursework

Intercultural communication class- Project Report - Coursework Example I met four African Americans and two Americans of British origin. The experience was strange yet engaging. The experience in deed challenged my comfort zone. I am an introverted individual who finds it difficult to interact freely with people. The situation becomes worse when I have to interact with strangers. The walk was as tiring just as it was adventurous. I tried as much as I could to play with the children occasionally and engaged the few adults I met in casual conversations. At one instance, a group of unruly male African American youths stopped and roughed me up thereby making me regret the idea. I presented myself the best way I could thereby enticing them into walking me around their neighborhood. With them as my tour guide, the remaining part of the evening became lively and gratifying. I became their friend and they promised to visit me some time later. Among the intercultural communication challenges, I faced included facing the societal stereotypes. I could not speak the English language as fluently as most of the people could. This made me vulnerable to their ridicule as they readily identified my background. Additionally, I could not identify some of the features of the new environment. The unique popular culture for example was difficult to comprehend. The marauding youths were loud, rough and appeared disorderly. They approached my in a condescending tone and often blurted abusive words which I later realized did not mean any harm. The walk was equally long and laborious. It therefore challenged my comfort zone given the fact that I do not like walking. Despite the numerous challenges I faced on the day, I learnt fundamental lessons including interpersonal skills that will help me overcome some of the challenges presented by intercultural communication. I played with the children, talked to a four adults and interacted peacefully with the unruly African American youths. I faced the youths courageously a moved that proved the fact

Ethical presentation PowerPoint Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Ethical - PowerPoint Presentation Example where Starbucks promotes equal opportunity in its hiring practices, makes recruiting decisions based solely on job-related criteria and does not use forced labor. To quote Starbucks; b. Ethical Sourcing – Starbucks takes a holistic approach to ethically sourcing the highest quality coffee. Their purchasing decisions includes supporting farmer loans and forest conservation programs to areas where they buy their coffee. Through this ethical purchasing practice, Starbucks is able to help foster a betterfuture for farmers and help create a more stable climate forthe planet. In the business aspect, this ethical practice also helps to provide the company a long†term supply ofthe high†quality beans it has been offering to its customers. c. EnvironmentalStewardship – Starbucks share their customers commitment to the environment. One of its core values is the belief in the importance of caringfor our planet and encouraging others to do the same. It envisions that by 2015, all of its cups will be made up of reusable or recyclable materials. It also endeavors to significantly reduce its environmental footprint through energy and water conservation efforts, recycling and green construction. d. Community Involvement – Starbucks endeavors to be a socially responsible member of its community wherever it may conduct business. Fromthe neighborhoods where its stores are located to the ones where its coffee is grown –Starbucks believe in fostering thriving communities. Bringing people together, inspiring change andmakinga difference in people’s lives – it’s allpart of being a good neighbor. Also, it aims to contribute one million hours each year to the communities in 2015 (Starbucks). Starbucks implement a zero tolerance compliance to its ethical standards. Any suppliers who fail to adhere to Starbucks their ethical practices are discontinued from doing business with the company. During an audit of its suppliers in 2011, the assessment found that 38

Portofolio for proffesional development in education Essay

Portofolio for proffesional development in education - Essay Example Accordingly, I have carried out the following assessment of the teaching methodology I used. As per my tutor, there needs to be a greater knowledge base which would have the strong support of evidence throughout the assessment. I have done so by making use of theories that have been supported by various scholars so as to support each of the arguments I have put forth in the process of discussing and assessing the learning approach I have use. These include theory and practice relationship within teaching methodology as well as the learning outcomes of the learning approach used by me. These have been summed up as the evaluation in the conclusion. These elements of assessment have been used an integral part of the assignment rather than separate features, as pointed out by my tutor. To begin with, there has been a substantial amount of learning that I have managed to garner from the classes. Yet, the classes showed me that there is a lot to be desired in terms of definition of areas that signify real worthwhile learning. There also seems to be a confusion of thoughts with a plethora of concepts like globalization flying around. This has shown that there has been a steady merging of lines throughout the world with the convergence of theory and practice. ... With an increase in the phenomenon known as globalization and the wide use of technology as a complementary feature, human society has changed and the needs have increased manifold. This has been used in the teachings regarding acute pain during this class. In the case of healthcare teaching, changes in the political, economical and cultural arena have challenged and effected alterations within various professions. The autonomy of professions has been under challenge because the market has tried to decrease it so to reduce their power and status. Finally, all these changes have affected and put under challenge professional education. This is further evident in the following lines as mentioned by Robert B. Reich, when he says, "In this mercantilist game, one sovereign's advance (was) necessarily at the expense of another, because the whole point of the exercise (was) to gain more power than a potential opponent." (Reich, 1991, p.14). As assessed above, there has been a convergence of theory and practice, yet there are many gaps owing to the basic fact that there is yet to be a clear cut definition of how globalization affects the meeting of theory and practice. (Reich, 1991, p.14). This will create the real platform upon which worthwhile learning may be measured. Worthwhile learning is also getting increasingly difficult to measure and there needs to be better models that can support phenomenon like knowledge management so as to support complementary phenomena like globalization. Many scholars believe that theory and practice are characterized by a clear difference because each one offers a different, not opposite, knowledge field. According to Durkheim, theory refers to the knowledge that we

Researching Web 2.0 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Researching Web 2.0 - Essay Example It is a mind-set, not a hi-tech: An acceptance that Web 2.0 is not principally regarding a set of principles or apps, but a novel mindset to how the internet may be employed. Secondly it is a network upshot: This defines apps which are more efficient as the numbers of consumers increase. This outcome is renowned in computer set of connections, with the Web offering an illustration of how network jam may be more flexible as the numbers of tools on the Internet increases. Thirdly, it is a long tail: As the levels of subscribers of the Web increases, this may create business chances for niche marketplaces which formerly it might not have been lucrative to reach. It also includes small pieces, loosely related: As the scientific communications of the Web becomes stable, it becomes achievable to incorporate small apps. This allows services to be Data overload. In excess of information is day after day posted by numerous citizens with diverse notion. This creates disorder for the readers as well as the excellence of the content is not consistent. Today’s learners have been bought up with digital hi-techs at their fingertips. For this age band, utilizing Web 2.0 hi-tech at school may make education a lively rather than inactive medium, which improves the education process. With Web 2.0 hi-techs students may work together with others, make projects, converse the results to an actual audience, and obtain valuable response. Web 2.0 hi-tech may increase teaching opportunities and excellently equip learners with the 21st-century expertise essential for their future (Web 2.0, 2014). The company’s latest earnings shock helped to lift the share subsequent to numerous unsatisfactory reports during the past decade had sustained to discourage investors. Following up its concrete quarter with an additional round of products earnings would be tremendously motivating, and higher expenditure levels might be simply the ticket.

Classmate review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classmate review - Essay Example In terms of market value total, Lowe’s is valued at over 66 billion dollars, which his a little under half the valuation of Home Depot. All other competitors are valued at less than 20 percent of Lowe’s. In early 2015, Lowe’s growth rate was 23.5 percent compared to 19.4 percent for Home Depot (Zacks.com, 2015). Since 2009, Lowe’s has increased revenue by eight million dollars, doubled earnings per share, almost tripled return on equity and increased cash flow and return on assets (S&P Capital IQ, 2015). Since Lowe’s outlook is directly linked to the housing market and economy, the opportunity for growth has improved over the past 18 months. As of June 30th, BMO Capital upgraded Lowe’s from market perform to outperform, and stated the Lowe’s stock is 45 percent higher than the lowest point over the last 52 weeks (Brian, 2015). Additionally, Lowe’s financial position has increased over the past six years, which was also during the late stage of the housing crash and eventual rebound. Improvement during those times provides optimism for the current economic situation. Lowe’s is a three-star ranking, an A- in the earnings and dividends rank, has low volatility, and bearish but is only a 31 percent in terms of relative strength. Given the increased housing market, financial position, and economic outlook, Lowe’s is predicted to increase earnings and appears to be a solid investment opportunity. Brian, C. (2015). Upgrade Alert for Lowes (LOW)." SmarTrend Market Maven 30 June 2015. Business Insights: Global. Web. 2 July 2015. Retrieved from http://bi.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/global/article/GALE|A419930355/876418cde7877f9275adfcadbfe58b3a?u=vic_liberty The writer had enough emphasis on the type of business Lowe Companies, Inc. do. There was also mention of the competitors that the company

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay Example for Free

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay In the poems Not My Best Side, Reports, and You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpes belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccellos painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless. Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical fairytale stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally bad character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccellos painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless? The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that good (St George) always triumphs over evil (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way evil. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as bad, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. I dont mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously. The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasnt even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didnt comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?) Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragons feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically helpless character, the maiden. In Uccellos painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, damsel in distress. However, in Fanthorpes poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. Its hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon. The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that. By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girls got to think of her future. By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply trophies for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence. St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St Georges attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his inferiors should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. Dont you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Dont You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you? By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpes perception of male attitudes towards women. St Georges real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. What, in any case, does it matter what You want? Youre in my way. Fanthorpes opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, Not My Best Side is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authoritys expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyones control, such as gender. Similarly to Not My Best Side, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about peoples lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidates answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panels questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewers questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as Ah or indeed It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the persons justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. Let us consider your application form This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidates impressive qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. Would you care to defend their [the applicants qualifications] relevance? This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewers response to their well though out answer is a sceptical indeed After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicants self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity These comments, although sugar-coated by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewers response after the applicants unheard comments. So glad we agree This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing? This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpes opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authoritys ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers accidentally use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated? This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpes eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authoritys stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all. The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement And you were born-? Yes. Pity. This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem Reports, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the correct way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpes reason for leaving the teaching profession was that I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me. This shows Fanthorpes negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. Dont give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous. The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teachers lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. The good have no history Satisfactory should satisfy them. This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using good, to use a more universal phrase; satisfactory. By using safe phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all. This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupils problems at school. Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master. Such phrases as Unmanageable oaf reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teachers authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort. The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as Must make more effort means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teachers relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. Remember your high calling: School is the world. Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better. In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace. By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the report system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem Reports is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems Not My Best Side, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, and Reports all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

The book of Ruth

The book of Ruth In the book of Ruth, the name Ruth itself means mercy. In the context of the book this mercy is to show that Gods grace and mercy is for all the people in Israel. Ruth was a poor woman and on top of all she was as well a foreigner which made her life more difficult. However, during her difficult time she was helped by another woman and helped her overcome her difficulties. This woman was older and through her experience in life was able to listen and give advice to Ruth. In return Ruth offered to her extreme loyalty. Ruth story is a historical novel which is based on real people and it signifies and points out a story of courage in difficult situations. It is set in the period of the Judges before the birth of King David however there is evidence that it was in reality written much later so much so about the time when the two tribes of Judah were set free and were allowed to go to Jerusalem. The story is divided in four episodes each exploring Ruths life. The first episode was about Ruth and Naomi that go to Bethlehem. This first act which can be regarded as a prologue discusses how Naomi and her family went to Moab. Naomi was Israelite and lived with her family, however an unfortunate event occurred. A storm destroyed their grain and there was famine among most of the people including Naomis family. This famine led such a family to go to leave their home, Naomi with her family had to go and live in another country, specifically that of Moab. Naomi with her husband had two sons and later they got married. Due to circumstances Naomis husband and sons die. Heavy hearted she sees fit that she returns to Bethlehem. Naomi had two daughters in law who were Ruth and Orpah. The three women ended up being widows and in ancient Israel there were not allowed to remarry because their dead husbands were still considered to be families. However one must keep in mind that the daughters in law were not Israelites, unlike Naomi they were Moabites which were considered bitter enemies. So much so, there a few battles between them. This is so because the Israelites regarded the Moabites as inferior because according to hem they originated from an act of incest between Lot and his oldest daughter. This led to the believe, that the Moab nation was tainted. Naomi, regarding all this hatred among the two groups believed that her daughters in law Ruth and Orpah would not go to Bethlehem with her. However Naomis hope was not completely lost. Orpah decided to be in Moab among her people, but Ruth saw things in a different light. Ruth shared the same grief and loneliness that Naomi was facing and this led her to accompany Naomi and return with her to Bethlehem. The second episode of the book of Ruth takes a different shape. Naomi was a widow but still she had family connections. On top of that both Naomi and Ruth were women of initiative; they did not believe that things were going to happen by themselves. Case in point, at that times women mostly took action in food management and production and Ruth took part in gleaning the barley so that she and Naomi survive. Naomi had a relative on her husbands side, who he was rich and went by the name of Boaz. As Ruth usually did, she had to do gleaning in order to survive and she ended up gleaning in a field belonging to Boaz. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. (Ruth Episode 2:1-7) One must notice that in such an event, Ruth uses the phrase as it happened; this signifies the meaning that God indented this scene to happen. This phrase is often used in the bible to bestow the greatness of God to establish such scenes. Also, Naomi and the people of Bethlehem saw that Boaz was a good match for Ruth and encouraged her to him. Naomi believed that Ruth was good enough for Boaz as she was a good woman and respected, all her problems would cease if she just could have a rich husband. She saw through Boaz that he was perfect for Ruth, for he had a good nature, respected as well, rich and obligated to help them as he was a relative of Naomi. Boaz was a go-el who had a duty to aid the respective family if the husband died. Like Naomi believed, Boaz helped Ruth so much so, he went through many ordeals to gain extra grain for her, protected her and saw that she was properly fed. Through his help and care, God was opening a branch for destiny to occur. The third episode takes place at the threshing floor which is a perfect time of the year as the harvest would have been brought in and weather would still be warm. Naomi thought that this was the last chance that Ruth had to marry Boaz so it was here that she devised a plan for Boaz to propose to Ruth. Ruth thought that the idea of her marrying Boaz was mere fantasy because she was a poor Moab woman while he had high status and rich however she still listened to Naomi and she heeded her words. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. Ruth dressed well, perfumed herself and waited until Boaz had eaten a good meal. Afterwards, Boaz went to sleep and Naomi went near his place and lied down next to him. cover her with his blanket This phrase suggests that since Boaz is the go-el, a kinsman, Ruth has the right to demand marriage so this phrase suggests marriage. Boaz agreed however he had some dire news that his cousin was a much closer kinsman than he is. Boaz had to deal with his cousin before he could marry her and he had to do everything in order so there would be no questioning about the legality of the marriage. Ruth slept and stayed next to Boaz till the morning and returned to Naomi. Naomi was eager to know whether she would marry him, but she was not alone as so was Ruth eager to know whether they will marry or not. This leads to the fourth and final episode of Ruths book. As what happens in every place, the villages come to know what is happening as Boaz, the next morning, was already met by the nearest kinsman of Naomis family. However due to some negotiations concerning land finally Ruth and Boaz got married and they had their son Obed being the father of Jesse who was the father of David, who he united Israel to its greatness. Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next of kin. May his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourishment for your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. (Ruth Episode 4:1-22) As one can see, the book of Ruth deals with how family continues throughout generations amplifying their greatness as the former Ruth was a woman who had no children but events folded in such a way that she became the great grandmother of David. It also puts forth a message about dealing with problems. In the beginning Ruth had nothing left, only Naomi however she embraced the little she had and did not lose hope. Even a poor Moab woman as Ruth through Gods aid was able to fulfil her destiny. The religious aspects of the Book of Ruth deal also with practicality. All the themes conveyed such as love, generosity and most importantly to trust in each other brings out the meaning that no matters how badly events occur, goodness exists and it is achieved through effort and hard work. Given this fact, one can understand why the book of Ruth was written. Gods purpose may be fulfilled in many ways, some of them even unexpected. Gods love is for everyone and not only to the people of Israel. The story reveals Gods character in His faithfulness in regards to chosen people. Ruth is Gods instrument to bless the nations. Old Testament narratives reveal the character of God and he is revealed as the provider of the helpless. In the book of Ruth, God provides Boaz, the nearest kinsmen to ultimately meet Ruth. Boaz becomes Ruths husband and also reclaims the rightful home for Naomi. Boaz is one who redeems; he redeemed Ruth as she was a victim of poverty, she was unprotected and no one provided for her. The story provides a lesson on love and kindness. As we see from the very beginning, in the first episode, Ruth gave everything she had for Naomi her mother-in-law. This shows Ruths sacrificial character, so much so, Boaz noticed Ruth ability to give more than to receive back. Case in point, in the book of Ruth; it is stated that; Against the dark moral and ethical backdrop of the Judges period, the foreigner Ruth emerges as a paradigm of loyal love and of the kind of person the Lord is looking for to populate his covenant community. The tragedy of the beginning sets the story in motion as then there is the will to search for a special something that will restore balance. Naomi and Ruth are stricken by tragedy and this leads them to no hope of provision as they were childless. Naomi considers herself cursed by God, she sees no hope of security but then everything changes by Gods will through Ruth. A hero is someone who sacrifices his own needs to help others; Ruth is a heroine and saves Naomi. She sacrifices her security and the likelihood of marriage to remain loyal to Naomi however Naomis rule changes and adapts throughout the story. In the beginning she tries her best to dissuade Ruth to come with her to Bethlehem. However later on, when she accepts the fact that Ruth will accompany her, she wants her to marry Boaz. She even provides a plan on how to do so; this makes Naomi a complicated character throughout the story. When this change of attitude occurs, Naomi regards herself as vessel to bring about Gods voi ce. She actively prepares Ruth and Boaz for marriage and does her best in doing so. Even though the book is entitles Ruth, the story revolves around Naomi and her perspective. However, one cannot pass unnoticed the fact that is about God and His loving kindness to act as a provider for Ruth and Naomi. References: Books: Hubbard RL., JR., The Book of Ruth, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Websites: http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/hist/ruth1.htm http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.13.Ruth.htm http://www.americanbible.org/absport/news/item.php?id=151

No Universally Agreed Definition Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

No Universally Agreed Definition Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay With no universally agreed definition of Corporate Social Responsibility, myriad of terms Corporate accountability, Corporate sustainability, Corporate citizenship or Sustainable responsible business have been used interchangeably to describe the practice of CSR. Basically, CSR is a discharge of duty towards society. Business and society are interrelated rather than being distinct entities and therefore, society has certain expectations for appropriate business behaviour and outcomes (Wood, 1991). According to Mallen Baker (2004), CSR is about how companies manage business operations to produce positive impact on society. Consequently, companies need to account for the quality of their management (both in terms of people and process) and the nature of and quantity of their impact on society in various areas.1 In the 1950s, Howard Bowen first published a seminal book Social responsibilities of businessman in which he famously posed the question What responsibilities to society may businessman reasonably be expected to assume. This publication evidently marked the beginning of a modern era of CSR as it we know it today (Carroll, 1999). Since then, the notion of CSR has come to dominate the society-business interface and various theories and concepts have been proposed. According to Bowen (1953), social responsibilities refer to the obligation of businessman to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of objectives and values of our society. The most applied definition of CSR comes from Archie Carroll (1979) who argues that the social responsibility of business encompasses economic, legal, ethical and discretionary expectations that society has of organisations at a given point in time. This approach encompasses a whole range of responsibilities of a firm. In the same vein, Lichtenstein et al. (2004) and Lindgreen et al. (2008) consider that an organisation needs to define its role within the society and implement the necessary ethical, responsible, legal and social standards to their firm. Conversely, GÓssling and Vocht (2007) described CSR from a different viewpoint as an obligation of the business world to be accountable to its entire stakeholder customers, employees, shareholders, communities and ecological consideration in all aspects of their operations (Gokulsing, 2001). 2.1.1 Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Performance The current globalisation trend and growing demand from stakeholders towards companies to adopt CSR practices within their business strategy have indeed encouraged companies involvement in such practices (Chapple and Moon, 2005). Therefore, companies that are considered as socially responsible are experiencing triple bottom line benefits associated with such social initiatives. Additionally, companies are not only assessed via traditional performance indicators but also by the way they interact with broad set of social demands. However, CSR being impossible to measure (Van Beurden Gossling, 2008), an observable and measurable outcome of CSR term Corporate Social Performance (CSP) is used to capture the performance of CSR strategies within the society. Carroll (1979) vaguely defines CSP construct as a three dimensional model that consisted of social responsibility categories, social issues and philosophies of social responsiveness. Building on Carrolls attempt to define CSP, Wartick and Cochran (1985) offer a general framework of CSP by defining CSP model as the underlying interaction among the principle of social responsibility, the process of social responsiveness and the policies developed to address social issues and show how several competing perspectives (economic responsibility, public responsibility, social responsiveness) can be incorporated into his framework. Nevertheless, Wood (1991) argues that although Wartick and Cochran (1985) model is innovative, it is still incomplete. Wood (1991) asserts that the term performance relates to actions and outcomes and not interaction and integration. Consequently, Wood (1991) refine Wartick and Cochrans (1985) model to integrate various theoretical perspectives into a coherent CSP model and as such, he defines CSP as a business organisations configuration of principles of social responsibility, process of social responsiveness and policies, programs and observable outcomes as they relate to the firms societal relationships. Wood (1991) affirms that the principles of social responsibility operates at three levels specifically; institutional, organizational and individuals. Conversely, Gond and Crane (2010) define CSP as an umbrella concept which includes organisational process of environmental assessment, stakeholder management and various measures of its external output and societal manifestations (Orlitzky, 2008). 2.1.2 Forms of CSR initiatives Basically, CSR includes a variety of socially responsible activities. Kotler and Lee (2005) identified six major initiatives under which most CSR related activities fall generating a positive impact on the company. The six different forms of CSR initiatives are as follows: 2.1.3 Main approaches of CSR In response to the question to whom an organisation has a responsibility, Marrewijk (2003) presents a sequence review of three corporate responsibility approaches Shareholder approach, Stakeholder approach and Societal approach. 2.1.4 Factors influencing level of CSR activities Review of prior literature indicates that companies actually differ in how they implement their CSR strategies. This can normally be explained using a range of company level attributes that influence the companys CSR participation. These attributes entail: Company size Waddock and Graves (1997) and Itkonen (2003) provide that company size is related to CSP since bigger companies have been found to be more socially responsible than smaller ones. Type of industry McGuire et al. (2003) argues that the type of industry plays an important role in identifying the level of CSR activities. For instance, the CSR activities differ from manufacturing sector to service sector (Kolk, 2003). Financial risk Orlitzky and Benjamin (2001) assert that a company with low CSP shall consider and manage its social responsibility since such a company will have an adverse impact in terms of risk. 2.1.5 Social Responsibility Models The Pyramid of CSR The professor Archie Carroll is one of the first academics to make a distinction between different kinds of organisational responsibilities. This distinction is referred to as a firms pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility. The pyramid implies a hierarchy of responsibilities moving from economic and legal through more socially oriented ones of ethical and philanthropic responsibilities (Carroll, 1979; 1991). http://www.witszen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/carrollCSR.jpg Source: (http://www.witszen.com/how-companies-should-use-social-media-for-better-corporate-social-responsibility/) Economic Responsibilities Carroll (1979) argues that business institutions are basic economic unit in society and have a responsibility that is economic in nature or kind. The economic responsibility is the most fundamental responsibility of a company which reflects the essence of a company as a profit-making business organisation. The remaining three kinds of social responsibility are based on the economic responsibilities. The economic responsibility implies that society expects business to produce those goods and services demanded and make a profit as an incentive or reward for the business efficiency and effectiveness. Legal Responsibilities The legal responsibilities entail expectations of legal compliance and playing the rules of the games. From this perspective, society expects business to fulfill its economic mission within the framework set forth by the societys legal system (Jamali, 2008). Crane and Matten (2004) further adds that all companies attempting to be socially responsible are required to follow the law. Ethical Responsibilities According to Schwartz (2011), the ethical responsibilities embody those standards, norms or expectations that reflect a concern for what consumers, employees, shareholders and the community regards as fair, just or in keeping with the respect or protection of stakeholders moral rights. Therefore, society expects corporations to act ethically towards its stakeholders (Crane and Matten, 2004). Philanthropic Responsibilities These responsibilities which represents the smallest layer of the pyramid, involves the corporations willingness to enhance the quality of living of their stakeholders through charitable donations and organisational support that are entirely voluntary and seen as desirable by society. The philanthropic responsibilities are sometimes on the same level as ethical. However, the difference is that it is not seen as unethical behaviour if business does not contribute their money to humanitarian programmes (Carroll, 1991). Carrolls CSR Pyramid in Developing Countries In a review of CSR in developing countries, Visser (2006) bases himself on the empirical studies undertaken by Pinkston and Carroll (1994), Edmondson and Carroll (1999) and Burton et al. (2000) to underline the fact that culture may have an important influence on perceived CSR priorities. As such, the widely accepted Carrolls pyramid is revisited in the context of developing countries as shown below: Source: Visser, W. (2006)  Revisiting Carrolls CSR Pyramid: An African Perspective, In E.R. Pedersen M. Huniche (eds.),  Corporate Citizenship in Developing Countries, Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press Visser (2006) contends that the order of CSR layers in developing countries taken as relative emphasis assigned to various responsibilities differs from Carrolls classic pyramid. Hence, in developing countries, even if economic responsibilities still get the most emphasis, philanthropy is given the second highest priority followed by legal and then ethical responsibilities. This is explained partly by the traditional attachment to philanthropy by the fact that it is most direct way to improve living conditions in their immediate surroundings and also by a traditional culture of fatalism, dependence and assistance in developing countries (Ragodoo, 2009). Conversely, the pressure to comply with existing legislation is less as compared to the developed countries. Three Domain Model of CSR Schwartz and Carroll (2003) highlight certain limitations in Carrolls CSR pyramid. Firstly, the pyramid suggests a hierarchy of CSR domains whereby one may conclude that the domain at the top is more important than the domain at the base. This is clearly not the kind of CSR priorities that Carroll intended in his CSR pyramid. Secondly, the pyramid framework cannot fully capture the overlapping nature of CSR domains. Hence, extrapolating from Carrolls model, Schwartz and Carroll (2003) proposed an alternative approach to conceptualise CSR a three-domain model. The three-domain model is presented with three core domains of economic, legal and ethical responsibilities that are depicted in a venn model framework. Initially, it suggests that none of the CSR domains is prima facie more important or significant relative to the others. The venn model framework actually yields seven CSR categories from an overlap of the three core domains. However, the exception with this model is that the philanthropic category, if exist, is subsumed under the ethical and/or economic domains. The figure below illustrates the venn model framework originated from Schwartz and Carroll (2003) research: Source: Management for Social Enterprise, Bob Doherty,  George Foster,  Chris Mason,  John Meehan,  Karon Meehan,  Neil Rotheroe,  Maureen Royce 2.2 CSR Reporting Based on their research on CSR disclosure, Holder-Webb et al. (2009) assert that it is not enough for corporations to simply engage in CSR activities but it is also important and desirable to make information about these activities available to stakeholders. Additionally, the call for disclosure of non-financial information has grown in response to the awareness that financial statement omits salient information about the company (Adams et al. 2011). The financial statement actually portrays a limited picture of the company through providing merely financial metrics. Therefore, the relevance of non-financial information has increased markedly over the years. The emergence of non-financial reporting can be seen as an attempt to increase transparency with respect to corporate actions concerning social and environmental issues (Nielsen Thomsen, 2007). Further, it is acknowledged that the disclosure of non-financial information is essential to reduce information asymmetry that exists be tween management and key stakeholders (Narayanan et al. 2000) as well as to allow investors to better assess key areas of performance and support a broader view of corporate performance that encompasses society at large (Holder-Webb et al. 2009). 2.2.1 Motivation for CSR Reporting Along with the increased interest to engage in CSR activities, today corporations across the world are more voluntarily disclosing information about their CSR performance. Undeniably, numerous motivational bases can explain companies involvement in CSR reporting practices. Threat to the organisations legitimacy The legitimacy theory posits that there is a social contract between companies and the society in which they operate (Deegan 2002; Mathew 1993; Patten 1992). Therefore, corporation try to legitimise their corporate actions by engaging in CSR reporting to get the approval from society and thus, ensuring their continuing existence (Belal, 2008). Increase access to capital and shareholder value Roberts (1992) assert that one way that firms consider CSR disclosure is to increase access to capital and shareholder value by satisfying stakeholders expectation. Investors are choosing to invest in organisation that is demonstrating a high level of CSR (Baron, 2008). Enhance corporate reputation Branco and Rodrigues (2008) argue that CSR disclosure (CSRD) is an important mechanism to enhance the effect of CSR on corporate reputation as well as representing a signal of improved social and environmental conduct. In their research on CSRD and corporate reputation, Bayoud et al. (2012) confirms that a high level of CSRD is strongly associated with corporate reputation for stakeholder group. Risk Management According to Kytle et al. (2005), reporting practices have become a key management tool to the growing complexity to multinational business management. He further argues that reporting helps to integrate CSR activities into companies strategic risk management so that the impact of CSR activities can be maximised. Employee attraction, motivation and retention Waddock et al (2002) argue that employees perceptions about how a corporation accepts and manages its responsibilities are often part of the employees decision about where to work. Therefore, publication of sustainability related information can play a role of positioning a company as an employer of choice and as such, this status can enhance loyalty, reduce staff turnover and increase a companys ability to attract and retain high quality employees (Group of 100 KPMG, 2008). Financial performance Margolis and Walsh (2003) claim that corporations engagement in CSR activities and its disclosure can foster corporate performance and as such their research conclude a positive relationship between CSR performance and financial performance. Similarly, Balbanis, Philips and Lyall (1998) find that economic performance is related to both CSR performance and disclosure although having a weak relationship and lack of overall consistency. 2.3 Theories on CSR Various theories have been used over the years to demonstrate the behavior of economic units related to CSR issues. The relevant theories are: Agency theory Proponents of economic theories are among the first to write about corporate social involvement although considering it as a flaw in corporate thinking. Stewardship theory Social contract theory The social contract theory begins in the classic period of history and takes its modern form in the 16th and 18th centuries with best known philosophers like Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Legitimacy theory Deegan and Unerman (2006) assert that the legitimacy theory relies upon the notion that there is a social contract between an organisation and the society in which it operates. The social contract as explained by Deegan (2000), represents myriad of expectations that society has about how an organisation should conduct its operations. Stakeholder theory Freeman (1984) argues that managers should not just focus on stockholders need, but rather must satisfy a variety of stakeholders. As such, the stakeholder theory is used to analyse those groups to whom a firm should be responsible (Moir, 2001). 2.4 Corporate Financial Performance Price and Mueller (1986) assert that corporate financial performance (CFP) depicts the financial viability of an organisation. Therefore, corporations need to disseminate information about their financial performance as an account of managements stewardship as well as a means of assessing the entitys capacity to generate cashflows (Stein, 2000). Additionally, the financial performance is a subjective measure of the effectiveness with which an organisation makes use of its resources to attain its economic or financial goals. Basically, an organisations financial performance can be measured using three alternative approaches market-based measure, accounting-based measure and perceptual-based measure (Orlitzky, 2003). The market measure focuses on the firms stock price to evaluate its financial performance. McGuire et al (1998) argue that the market measure represents investors evaluation of the ability of a firm to generate future economic earnings. Alternatively, the accounting-based measure captures the firms competitive effectiveness and internal efficiency as well as optimal utilisation of assets. This measure represents financial performance using three divisions: (i) Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) (Waddock and Graves, 1997); (ii) profitability in absolute terms (Stanwick and Stanwick, 1998) and (iii) multiple accounting based measure with the overall index score of 0-10 (Moore, 2001). Finally, the perceptual measure uses subjective judgment about the firms financial performance wh ich is provided by survey respondents (Wartick, 1988). 2.4.1 Relationship between CSP and CFP The nature of the relationship between a firms socially responsible behaviour and its financial performance has extensively been debated till today and yet it remains unsolved (Margolis and Walsh, 2003). Preston and OBannon (1997) actually highlights two important issues in the relationship between CSP and CFP: Direction and Causality of the relationship. The direction of the relationship can be positive, neutral or even negative. The positive direction of the relationship can be explained using the instrumental stakeholder theory. This theory suggests that the satisfaction of various stakeholder groups is instrumental for the organisational financial performance (Donaldson and Preston, 1995). Conversely, the negative relationship is based on the neoclassical economic theory which argues that a socially responsible firms costs are considered unnecessary and thus can lead to a competitive disadvantage such that a decrease in firms profit and shareholder wealth (Preston and OBannon, 1997). Finally, the neutral relationship between the two constructs, as provided by Waddock and Graves (1997) exists by coincidence. McWilliam and Siegel (2001) further explain that a company acting responsibly to customers can have different demand curve as compared to a less responsible one. Therefore, the CSR activities are only a way to attain differentiation and thus, do not impact on companys profit. The causality of the relationship as pointed out by Preston and OBannon (1997) actually denotes whether CSP or CFP is an independent or dependent variable. Therefore, in such a case, if CSP is an independent variable, it comes first to affect CFP while if CSP is a dependent variable, CFP comes first to affect CSP. Such an argument is also raised by Griffin and Mahon (1997) who question whether a company is better off focusing on CSP or CFP first. In view of explaining the causality of the relationship, Waddock and Graves (1997) and Dean (1999) proposes two theories such as the slack resource theory and good management theory. The slack resource theory explains that a firm shall have good financial performance to contribute to the corporate social performance. It further posits that a company conducting social performance requires some funds that may result from the success of financial performance. Therefore, this theory argues that financial performance comes first and is an indepen dent variable to affect CSP. Conversely, the good management theory argues that social performance actually comes first. This theory provides that CSP is an independent variable resulting in CFP and companies having good reputation achieve good financial position through market mechanism. 2.5 Empirical review

Cocaine in the Brain :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Cocaine in the Brain "Cocaine delivers an intensity of pleasure - and despair - beyond the bounds of normal human experience." During the 1980s, Partnership for a Drug Free America began airing commercials that seem to either frighten or educate people about the use of illegal drugs. One of these commercials avowed, "No one ever says, 'I want to be a junkie when I grow up'." The comment is obvious, but very true. Probably very few people aspire to be drug addicts. But it happens, everyday. Why? What is so good about a drug that can potentially destroy a person's body? How does it work? What are its effects on the brain? Why is it so hard to quit? Cocaine (C17H21NO4) comes from the leaf of an Erythroxylon coca bush. It is a drug that effects the central nervous system. It causes feelings of euphoria, pleasure, increased energy and alertness. People under the influence of cocaine often do not feel the need for food or sleep. They also feel energetic and may talk a lot. However, depending on factors such as environment, dosage, and the manner in which the drug is taken, cocaine can have adverse effects such as violent, erratic behavior, dizziness, paranoia, insomnia, convulsions, and heart failure to name a few. Long- term effects of cocaine include, but are not limited to strokes, heart attacks, seizures, loss of memory, and decrease in learning capability (1). People may not always know the exact consequences of the drug they are taking, however, chances are that they do know that the drug is unhealthy for them. Schools across the country educate about the dangers of drug use and abuse through programs like D.A.R.E., television stations show anti-drug advertisements as a public service, and even city buses blazon anti-drug propaganda. People are aware that very rarely does anything good come from drug use, and still, everyday people fall victim to drugs. Why do people succumb to the urge to try drugs? It feels good...why else? When a person takes cocaine, it causes a rush. There is between one or two minutes of intense pleasure. This is followed by five to 8 minutes of euphoria, then as the high comes down, an overwhelming urge for more, which may last for a day. (3) When a user is between cocaine doses or halts usage, the opposite effects occur. The user is depressed and tired (2).

Rose’s Breast Cancer in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Rose’s Breast Cancer in A Thousand Acres Pete, representing erratic male rage in the novel, has a history of abusing Rose. This climaxes when he breaks her arm. It follows a terrible logic that since male rage hurts her body, so does her own, the impetus of which is provided by the patriarchal system. Ginny's description of Pete fits Rose equally well, with an anger that "would be quiet, but corrosive, erupting at odd times" (31). Rose's breast cancer symbolizes the way she is literally consumed with anger (the cancer eats at her flesh, consuming her body). Anger is the only way she knows to deal with her father, her husband, men and the system they represent: "We're not going to be sad. We're going to be angry until we die. It's the only hope."(354) She doesn't see that anger is destructive, that anger is in fact why things have turned out the way they have. She is continually reminded of the toll her anger takes on her body, as her arm unconsciously strays to the lost muscles under her other arm, by the lost breast. Nevertheless, she ignores the signs, anger has become a part of her body. The fact that this act resembles a posture signifying an attempt to contain her heart -her overflowing anger- suggests this, as does the fact that she especially does this when she is angry: "She pushed her hair back with her hand, then put her fist on her hip, defiant. Except that on the way down, her fingers fluttered over the vanished breast, the vanished muscles." (151) Her body, then, enacts her strategy. If you can't beat them, join them. If the system is based on egocentricity, cruelty, coldness and rage, then those will be her weapons. When Jess backs out of farming their land, she says: "When it came right down to building on something that we had, it scared him to build on death and bad luck and anger and destruction" (352). The underlying assumption of her statement is that it is impossible to challenge all the death and destruction, so one might as well turn it to one's own advantage. This strategy, ironically, turns her into what the patriarchy has accused hers and Ginny's intertextual counterparts -Regan and Goneril- of; an inhuman half-man. When she reigns supreme over the thousand acres, she has turned into her own worst nightmare: her father.

Deception Point Page 107

Rachel fell onto her back against the cockpit's rear wall. Half submerged in sloshing water, she stared straight up at the leaking dome, hovering over her like a giant skylight. Outside was only night†¦ and thousands of tons of ocean pressing down. Rachel willed herself to get up, but her body felt dead and heavy. Again her mind reeled backward in time to the icy grip of a frozen river. â€Å"Fight, Rachel!† her mother was shouting, reaching down to pull her out of the water. â€Å"Grab on!† Rachel closed her eyes. I'm sinking. Her skates felt like lead weights, dragging her down. She could see her mother lying spread-eagle on the ice to disperse her own weight, reaching out. â€Å"Kick, Rachel! Kick with your feet!† Rachel kicked as best as she could. Her body rose slightly in the icy hole. A spark of hope. Her mother grabbed on. â€Å"Yes!† her mother shouted. â€Å"Help me lift you! Kick with your feet!† With her mother pulling from above, Rachel used the last of her energy to kick with her skates. It was just enough, and her mother dragged Rachel up to safety. She dragged the soaking Rachel all the way to the snowy bank before collapsing in tears. Now, inside the growing humidity and heat of the sub, Rachel opened her eyes to the blackness around her. She heard her mother whispering from the grave, her voice clear even here in the sinking Triton. Kick with your feet. Rachel looked up at the dome overhead. Mustering the last of her courage, Rachel clambered up onto the cockpit chair, which was oriented almost horizontally now, like a dental chair. Lying on her back, Rachel bent her knees, pulled her legs back as far as she could, aimed her feet upward, and exploded forward. With a wild scream of desperation and force, she drove her feet into the center of the acrylic dome. Spikes of pain shot into her shins, sending her brain reeling. Her ears thundered suddenly, and she felt the pressure equalize with a violent rush. The seal on the left side of the dome gave way, and the huge lens partially dislodged, swinging open like a barn door. A torrent of water crashed into the sub and drove Rachel back into her chair. The ocean thundered in around her, swirling up under her back, lifting her now off the chair, tossing her upside down like a sock in a washing machine. Rachel groped blindly for something to hold on to, but she was spinning wildly. As the cockpit filled, she could feel the sub begin a rapid free fall for the bottom. Her body rammed upward in the cockpit, and she felt herself pinned. A rush of bubbles erupted around her, twisting her, dragging her to the left and upward. A flap of hard acrylic smashed into her hip. All at once she was free. Twisting and tumbling into the endless warmth and watery blackness, Rachel felt her lungs already aching for air. Get to the surface! She looked for light but saw nothing. Her world looked the same in all directions. Blackness. No gravity. No sense of up or down. In that terrifying instant, Rachel realized she had no idea which way to swim. Thousands of feet beneath her, the sinking Kiowa chopper crumpled beneath the relentlessly increasing pressure. The fifteen high-explosive, antitank AGM-114 Hellfire missiles still aboard strained against the compression, their copper liner cones and spring-detonation heads inching perilously inward. A hundred feet above the ocean floor, the powerful shaft of the megaplume grabbed the remains of the chopper and sucked it downward, hurling it against the red-hot crust of the magma dome. Like a box of matches igniting in series, the Hellfire missiles exploded, tearing a gaping hole through the top of the magma dome. Having surfaced for air, and then dove again in desperation, Michael Tolland was suspended fifteen feet underwater scanning the blackness when the Hellfire missiles exploded. The white flash billowed upward, illuminating an astonishing image-a freeze-frame he would remember forever. Rachel Sexton hung ten feet below him like a tangled marionette in the water. Beneath her, the Triton sub fell away fast, its dome hanging loose. The sharks in the area scattered for the open sea, clearly sensing the danger this area was about to unleash. Tolland's exhilaration at seeing Rachel out of the sub was instantly vanquished by the realization of what was about to follow. Memorizing her position as the light disappeared, Tolland dove hard, clawing his way toward her. Thousands of feet down, the shattered crust of the magma dome exploded apart, and the underwater volcano erupted, spewing twelve-hundred-degree-Celsius magma up into the sea. The scorching lava vaporized all the water it touched, sending a massive pillar of steam rocketing toward the surface up the central axis of the megaplume. Driven by the same kinematic properties of fluid dynamics that powered tornadoes, the steam's vertical transfer of energy was counterbalanced by an anticyclonic vorticity spiral that circled the shaft, carrying energy in the opposite direction. Spiraling around this column of rising gas, the ocean currents started intensifying, twisting downward. The fleeing steam created an enormous vacuum that sucked millions of gallons of seawater downward into contact with the magma. As the new water hit bottom, it too turned into steam and needed a way to escape, joining the growing column of exhaust steam and shooting upward, pulling more water in beneath it. As more water rushed in to take its place, the vortex intensified. The hydrothermal plume elongated, and the towering whirlpool grew stronger with every passing second, its upper rim moving steadily toward the surface. An oceanic black hole had just been born. Rachel felt like a child in a womb. Hot, wet darkness all engulfing her. Her thoughts were muddled in the inky warmth. Breathe. She fought the reflex. The flash of light she had seen could only have come from the surface, and yet it seemed so far away. An illusion. Get to the surface. Weakly, Rachel began swimming in the direction where she had seen the light. She saw more light now†¦ an eerie red glow in the distance. Daylight? She swam harder. A hand caught her by the ankle. Rachel half-screamed underwater, almost exhaling the last of her air. The hand pulled her backward, twisting her, pointing her back in the opposite direction. Rachel felt a familiar hand grasp hers. Michael Tolland was there, pulling her along with him the other way. Rachel's mind said he was taking her down. Her heart said he knew what he was doing. Kick with your feet, her mother's voice whispered. Rachel kicked as hard as she could. 130 Even as Tolland and Rachel broke the surface, he knew it was over. The magma dome erupted. As soon as the top of the vortex reached the surface, the giant underwater tornado would begin pulling everything down. Strangely, the world above the surface was not the quiet dawn he had left only moments ago. The noise was deafening. Wind slashed at him as if some kind of storm had hit while he was underwater. Tolland felt delirious from lack of oxygen. He tried to support Rachel in the water, but she was being pulled from his arms. The current! Tolland tried to hold on, but the invisible force pulled harder, threatening to tear her from him. Suddenly, his grip slipped, and Rachel's body slid through his arms-but upward. Bewildered, Tolland watched Rachel's body rise out of the water. Overhead, the Coast Guard Osprey tilt-rotor airplane hovered and winched Rachel in. Twenty minutes ago, the Coast Guard had gotten a report of an explosion out at sea. Having lost track of the Dolphin helicopter that was supposed to be in the area, they feared an accident. They typed the chopper's last known coordinates into their navigation system and hoped for the best. About a half mile from the illuminated Goya, they saw a field of burning wreckage drifting on the current. It looked like a speedboat. Nearby, a man was in the water, waving his arms wildly. They winched him in. He was stark naked-all except for one leg, which was covered with duct tape.