My Career Goals My Mother And My Jamaican Upbringing Essay

When I read the question â€Å"what has brought you to where you are now?† the first two things that came to mind were my mom and my Jamaican upbringing. Throughout my life, my mother, a single parent, has been dedicated, determined, and courageous, and I have tried to develop the characteristics that she embodies. In the same way, my upbringing has pushed me to strive for excellence and has influenced my academic and future aspirations. My ultimate career goals are to become a general surgeon who does clinical and community-based research and to serve the community. As I look back to where I have been, there are many challenges I had to overcome whether it’s providing alternatives to my family’s financial circumstances, overcoming the death of a very close friend in college, medical problems, or negative feedback from others. From my experiences, the ability to succeed in life has developed a much stronger meaning. I feel I have to work twice as hard as others s o I can avoid previous hardships or financial struggles. At a very young age, my mother instilled the importance of getting an education, protecting and following my dreams, and making use of opportunities that are presented before me. The hardships (i.e. financial and health related) that my family and I encountered while I was younger are similar hardships that I see in nearby communities. I see families struggle from paycheck to paycheck, teenage pregnancy, gang and drug violence, high incarceration rate,Show MoreRelatedCollege Is The End Goal Of A High Standard Individual Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesnegative. College is the end goal of a high standard individual who wants to succeed in life and get a good job, according to society. There are certain factors that could influence the average person to go and not go to college, the extent of skills and experience, standard benefits, wages and stability . In my personal experience-- as a high school senior, family s experience, college attenders experience, and my personal life interest and options of my interest are my reasons for attending collegeRead MoreBob Marley’s Spiritual Rhetoric, the Spread of Jamaican Culture and Rastafarianism6348 Words   |  26 PagesSpiritual Rhetoric, the Spread of Jamaican Culture and Rastafarianism By Mark Haner Senior Seminar: Hst 499 Professor John L. Rector Western Oregon University June 16, 2007 Readers Professor John L. Rector Professor Kimberly Jensen Copyright  © Mark Haner, 2007 The spread of Jamaican culture and Rastafarianism can be accredited to many events and technical advances in communication. Bob Marley is one of the main influences the spread of Jamaican culture and Rastafarianism due toRead MoreEssay on Religious Justifications of Slavery in the Caribbean3525 Words   |  15 PagesChristian faith, and grossly illuminates the corruption of Christianity at the hands of the planters. During slavery many families were separated: fathers, mothers and children were attached to different plantations with the result that some never saw their family members again. The responsibility of bringing up the children rested primarily with the mothers and grandmothers. This situation gave rise to a matriarchal type of family which is still common in the Caribbean today. Formerly slaves had little

Leadership Characteristics And Qualities Required For...

Leadership characteristics are not something mystical. The traits and qualities required for leadership are also not something you either have or you don’t have. These characteristics can be learned over the course of your career and developed further. All it takes is focus and determination to understand the building blocks of a solid leadership. Awareness Leadership requires awareness because the leader has to be able to see the surroundings, understand the intricacies of different elements, and be able to analytically view the actions of others and his- or herself. Awareness requires the leader to understand the unique position he or she is in. This is not about thinking you are better than others as the leader, but about acknowledging the unique responsibilities and challenges you face as a leader. A key part of enhancing awareness is about self-knowledge. The more able you are with identifying your own strengths and weaknesses, the better you’ll be at identifying them in others. Knowledge as a whole is an important element in awareness, whether it is knowledge about the industry, the organisation, or the human consciousness. Improvements in these areas can help leaders develop better awareness. Confidence Confidence is a state of mind – the feeling of trust and reliance on yourself and the things around you. Without confidence, leadership would crumble. No one wants to follow a leader who doesn’t have confidence in his or her abilities, or the vision they’ve putShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of A Good Leader1655 Words   |  7 Pagesdefined by certain behaviors and characteristics. Specifically from a management standpoint, it is important to understand these behaviors and characteristics so that the manager can demonstrate a certain leadership style that will work best within their own organization. There is a common saying within most organizations, stating that all leaders should be managers, but not all managers should be leaders (Sun). Aspiring leaders need to identify the various types of leadership styles that exist, as wellRead MoreThe Primary Limitation Of Leadership1586 Words   |  7 Pagesapproaches or styles for leadership to a similar situation as same as trait theory. In Contingency theory, it is essential to match leaders and situations to improve effective leadership such as changing the leader to match the situation, and change the situation to match the leader (Leadership-Central, 2014). Models of leadership help early childhood educator to understand the factors, which highlight effective leadership. A model is a significance framework for categorizing required features or factorsRead MoreCorrespondingly, Weiss (2015) Outlines The Two Ethical1730 Words   |  7 Pagesoutlines the two ethical leadership styles - stewardship and servant leadership. Stewardship involves leadership who empower employees to be active in decision making and take ownership of their work. Servant leadership takes it a step forward in that it concerns leadership who work altruistically with followers for the purpose of achieving a shared goal that advances the collective, rather than the individual. In reflecting on my organization, servant leadership is the leadership theory that best appliesRead MoreLeadership Styles And Theories Of Leadership Style1322 Words   |  6 Pagesof the various styles of leadership that exist. Every organization is structured differently, with differing employ ee behaviors, and it is the leader’s responsibility to implement the style that will work the best for their specific work or organizational structure. Often, more than one leadership style is implemented to accomplish the desired results of the leader (Blanken). While a multiple of leadership styles exist, three well-known and commonly-practiced leadership styles that will be examinedRead MoreLeadership Is The Ability Of An Organization s Management Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesLeadership is the ability of an organisation s management to set and achieve challenging goals, take swift and decisive action, perform better in the competition, and inspire others to perform well (Rodd, 2013). Leadership provides direction for an organisation by letting the staff know about the direction in which they are headed and who to follow to reach the destination. Leadership involves showing staff how to effectively perform their responsibilities and by regularly supervising the compl etionRead MoreQuality Is Never An Accident1707 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives† - William A. Foster (Foster, N.D.) The epigraph quote by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine William A. Foster captures the essence of the Total Quality (TQ) paradigm for leaders. It sets the tone for key attributes necessary for a TQ implementation and the impact on leadership ideology. From the leadership perspectiveRead MoreSimilarities Between Traits And Behavior Leadership Theories1684 Words   |  7 Pages Born or Created? Comparison between Traits and Behavior Leadership Theories Karolina Baez Soto Rochester Institute of Technology Abstract Are the leaders born or created? This ancient question has had many answers. In the Great Man and Trait Phase, theorist attempted to determine which specific traits make a person an effective leader. Great leaders are the focus of trait identification. After many years, Behavioral theorist focused their attention in which particular behaviors and stylesRead MoreQualities Of Being A Successful Leader Essay1441 Words   |  6 Pagesmultiple opportunities to experience the qualities of being a successful, effective leader. These opportunities have originated throughout the experiences of my career in athletics, playing on both high school and college football teams, being a group leader in my church, and also being a part of a family. I have gained substantial qualities that constitute a good leader through these life experiences. Some of the most valuable leadership characteristics that I have obtained, and strengthened, onRead MoreTrait Theory Of Leadership And Leadership1405 Words à ‚  |  6 Pages Trait Theory of Leadership Cassie Hale Arkansas State University Trait Theory of Leadership Introduction The topic of leadership is historically one of the most widely researched when it comes to explorations of organizational behavior. The success of any institution or organization is pegged on the quality of its leadership because it is the determining factor on the pattern and speed at which it achieves its growth goals. Leaders are responsible for steering an organization towardRead MoreAutocratic Leadership : Authoritarian Leadership1362 Words   |  6 Pages Autocratic leadership can manifest in different ways. It is therefore not completely rigid and different situations can influence how the organisation and the leader implement the style. The three manifestations are: †¢ Directing autocratic leadership †¢ Permissive autocratic leadership †¢ Paternalistic autocratic leadership These three, while still showcasing the core characteristics of autocratic style, tend to use slightly different ways of approaching the flexibility within the decision-making

Business Investment Of Mark and Paul Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Investment Of Mark and Paul. Answer: Investment one Investment means uses the money in the present with the hope of deriving benefits in the future. The main features included in the investment are the future benefits and current sacrifice of money. Investment is made in various securities but the reason behind the investment in securing the future welfare of an individual or a company. Investment decisions are based on the important assumption that the person who invests in any security or business is rational and he has the knowledge of risk in the investment. Before making an investment decision know the process of investment and the steps in it like determine the goals of investment, do security analysis, make a portfolio, review that portfolio and check the performance of a portfolio(Schmidt, 2017). Mark and Paul want to invest in a new restaurant so they have to decide the risk and return on the investment. In the current case they want to invest in a restaurant and from the information it is a short-term investment and the risk in the investment is low but return in the short-term investment is also low but if they continuously invest in the business in the near future than they can earn some good return but the probability of risk also increases. Calculation of Different Budgets (a) Sales Budget Sales Budget Products June July August September Meal Sales(units) 20000 18000 18000 22000 Average Selling Price 45 45 45 45 Sales ($) 900000 810000 810000 990000 Drinks Sales(units) 60000 54000 54000 66000 Average Selling Price 6 6 6 6 Sales ($) 360000 324000 324000 396000 (b) Labour Budget Labour Budget Months Total Hours Rate Per hour Total Labour Cost June 36 23 2484 July 36 23 2484 August 36 23 2484 September 36 23 2484 (c) Cash Budget Cash Budget Particulars June July August September (A) Opening Balance 80000 1111516 2216032 3271548 Receipts Sales: Meals 900000 810000 810000 990000 Drinks 360000 324000 324000 396000 Total (A) 1340000 2245516 3350032 4657548 (B) Payments Purchase of Machinery 110000 0 0 0 Purchase of Furniture 30000 0 0 0 Purchase of Vehicle 43000 0 0 0 Purchase of Utensils 18000 0 0 0 Payment to suppliers: Meals 0 0 40000 40000 Drinks 0 2000 11000 20000 Salary to Staff 2484 2484 2484 2484 Drawings 20000 20000 20000 20000 Overhead cost 5000 5000 5000 5000 Total (B) 228484 29484 78484 87484 Closing Balance (A-B) 1111516 2216032 3271548 4570064 Working Notes (i) Payment to Suppliers for Produce Payments of Suppliers(Produce) Months Purchases June July August September June - - - - - July - - - - - August 40000 - - 40000 - September 40000 - - - 40000 Total 80000 0 0 40000 40000 (ii) Payment to Suppliers for Drinks Payments of Suppliers(Drinks) Months Purchases June July August September June - - - - - July 20000 - 2000 9000 9000 August 20000 - - 2000 9000 September 20000 - - - 2000 Total 60000 0 2000 11000 20000 One of the most important budgets which have to be made by the every business is sales budget and the reason behind this is that every business wants to earn money and a sales budget shows the ways of money and from where the money will come. It reflects the target of revenue by making the sales of goods. The Company sets goals and objectives and it shows a way to achieve these objectives. It is the first component of budgetary control because it affects all other budgets(Bragg, 2013). It is helpful in allocating the resources of the company in different products. It also shows the areas where the position of the company is not good. But it has certain limitations; it cannot effectively predict the future trends of uncertain events. Too much time of management took by the preparation of sales budget. Labour budget is made to determine the cost incurred on labour. Labour budget helps in finding the idle time of labour and determine the total time and cost incurred on labour. It helps in determining the efficiency of labour. Cash budget shows the amount of cash required in order to pay all the short term obligations, daily operations. In short, it describes the budgeted flow of cash through the business. The reason behind the preparation of cash budget is that it can forecast the future value of cash; it forecast the surplus or deficit in cash in upcoming months. To authorizes the proper utilization of cash. It helps in selecting the correct and proper source of financing to fulfill the requirements of cash. If the firm has not sufficient cash flow then it is hard to determine cash needs in upcoming months. If required cash is not available to the firm in time then it can put the firm in precarious position(Jan, 2013). Cash Budgets are easily manipulated by the management. It is forecasted information about the cash and it affects from the future uncertain events and sometimes it affects the business. It only describes the position of cash but other non-financial factors also affect the decisions of the business. Mark and Paul have to analyze the budget and consider how much risk they can take because risk and returns are inseparable. In the current case sales budget shows it can easily cover all the expenses incurred in the restaurant business and cash budget shows a strong position of cash and they might invest in the restaurant business. An investment decision is made by considering the various possibilities like how much return it can give, the nature of risk, current position of investment in which they want to invest and how much reserve fund they have in case there is any uncertainty. Investment decision also affected when business is new, because if the product offer by the company is not competitive in the market then they have to suffer loss. Before making any investment decision, Mark and Paul have to consider all the issues explained above(Crom, 2011). Investment Two Calculation of different methods of capital budgeting Initial Cash Outflow = 390000 YEAR Cash Inflow Present Value Factor@12% Present Value of Cash Inflow Cumulative Present Value Of Cash Inflow 1 100000 0.893 89300 89300 2 230000 0.797 183310 272610 3 190000 0.712 135280 407890 4 140000 0.636 89040 496930 Total 660000 496930 Net Present Value = Present Value of Cash Inflow Present Value of Cash Outflow Net Present Value = 496930-390000 = 163070 Payback Period = 2 + {(390000-272610/407890-272610)*(3-2)} Payback Period = 2.868 Years Average Cash Inflow = 660000/4 = 165000 AccountingRate of Return = Average Cash Inflow/Initial Investment AccountingRate of Return = 42.31% Net present value is the difference of the present value of cash inflow subtracts the present value of cash outflow. It helps in determining that whether the investment opportunity is a smart financial decision. It determines the time value of money. This method tells that whether this investment will create money for the investors and how much will it create. It also considers the cost of capital and the risk before making any projections in the near future. The main disadvantage of this method is it is hard to calculate and it requires some guesswork. This method is not helpful when the comparison is made between the projects of two different sizes. In the current case, NPV shows that the business will create money in the near future(Juhsz, 2011). Payback period is that time period in which the cost of investment will recover. It is an important tool to determine whether to take a project or not. The first benefit of the Payback period is its simplicity. It is used where quick evaluation of projects is made for the short-term investment. It also helps in finding the risk inherent in the project. The major drawback of payback period is it ignores the time value of money which is very important before making any investment decision(Salehi, 2009). The Payback period of the investment made by the Mark and Paul is 2.86 which mean that the cost of investment will be covered in nearly 3 years which is good. AccountingRate of Return is that rate of return an individual can expect on the investment he made. This method is easy to calculate and it is simple to understand it is based on theaccounting profit hence it calculates the profitability of an investment(Salehi, 2009). This method offers unique benefits. One of the main disadvantages of this method is it overlooks the time value of money it also overlooks the cash flow from the investment and this method does not consider the terminal value of the investment. Accounting rate of return from the investment is 42.31 and it is very good because the cost of the funds is only 12%. It shows that business will grow in the future and leads to the success. the two investment opportunities given in the question is not comparable but even if we compare both the opportunities then we can make decision on the basis of their characteristics. If the Mark and Paul want to invest for a short period then they have to invest in the investment one but if they want more return and if they are ready to bear more risk they can invest in the investment which also a good option(Crom, 2011). Bibliography Course, M.A., n.d. Return on Capital Employed. [Online] Available at: https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/financial-ratios/return-on-capital-employed [Accessed 27 July 2017]. Crom, F.d., 2011. Impact of capital structure choice on investment decisions. [Online] Available at: https://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=129433 [Accessed 16 Aug 2017]. Juhsz, L., 2011.Net Present Value Versus Internal Rate Of Return. [Online] Available at: https://www.economics-sociology.eu/files/05%5B8%5D.pdf [Accessed 24 Sept 2017]. Salehi, M., 2009. Study of the Relationship between Capital Structure Measures and Performance: Evidence from Iran. [Online] [Accessed 16 Aug 2017]. SELVANAYAKI, S. SIVAKUMAR, S.D., 2015. Study on capital investment decisions and impact of capital structure on profitability of rice milling firms. [Online] Available at: https://www.researchjournal.co.in/upload/assignments/6_49-53.pdf [Accessed 16 Aug 2017]

Invisible Man By Ellison Essays (1151 words) - Invisible Man

Invisible Man By Ellison While the civil war ended one form of slavery in America, another system of oppression was ready to take its place. In Ralph Ellison's acclaimed novel Invisible Man, a young black, nameless narrator struggles through a series of hard-won lessons as he makes his journey from the Deep South to Harlem, New York, from naivet? to disenchantment, from illusion to insight. Like most of us, he stumbles down the path of identity, adopting several along the way in an attempt to solve his relationship with a hostile, prejudiced American society. Testament to the narrator's various identities is the symbol of his briefcase, which he receives as a prize after the disturbing ?Battle Royal' and proceeds to carry until the end when he is in the coal bin, and truly an invisible man. Its contents -his high school diploma, representing his southern black identity, the recommendation letters representing his college identity, the anonymous letter and the slip of paper with his brotherhood name representing his brotherhood leadership identity, Clifton's paper doll symbolizing his disillusionment with the brotherhoods ideals and finally, the shattered pieces of Mary's bank, perhaps signifying his identity in the context of white America -each an identity others dictated by others, not developed by himself. While in the cellar, he creates torches out of these objects as though lighting his past on fire, using his history to guide him out of the hole and out of illusion. The beginning is a nightmare. A young, eager Negro boy, valedictorian of his high school class believes he is to deliver a speech to a group of white benefactors. Instead, he finds himself together with several other Negroes in a ?Battle Royal', a disgusting free-for all in which, blindfolded and barebacked like savages, the boys are instructed to beat each other. After the battle, the narrator is called upon to make his speech, his mouth full of blood and his head spinning from the blows. In his speech, the narrator makes allusions to Booker T. Washington, the great black accommodationist, reflecting that he too believes in playing by the white people's rules, meaning never ask for more than they are willing to give. At the end of this traumatic scene, he receives a ?prize' briefcase containing a scholarship to a Negro college. In this society, we often rely on others as a means of learning about ourselves- a dangerous habit, especially when surrounded by those who are blind to the individual person. The narrator adores college and is under the illusion that it is a place of perfection, an institution at which he aspires to acquire a position as the assistant of his idol, Dr. Bledsoe, the president of the college and great leader of his race. But while the college is supposed to be a fountain of knowledge, of wisdom, it is rather like the broken fountain out front- dry with nothing to sustain real life. In his third year at the school, he is expelled for innocently showing a white trustee, Mr. Norton, the reality of black life in the south by inadvertently taking him to the home of an incestuous farmer and then to a whorehouse appropriately called ?the Golden Day'. The headmaster, who admits he'll see all Negroes hang before he gives up his power , offers the shattered young boy false hope in the form of seven letters of recommendation. Grateful, the narrator carries these letters in his prize briefcase to New York where his truth, his identity are dealt additional blows when he discovers that they are in fact letters of condemnation and meant only to keep him running, to keep him hoping for that golden day. Disillusioned, with growing sense of personal rejection and social invisibility, it is at this point that the narrator begins metamorphosing into the invisible man. Recruited by the ?Brotherhood', a mixed-race group of social activists, he now becomes a spokesman for the organization. Brother Jack, one of the white leaders hands the narrator a slip of paper on which is written his new brotherhood name. His truth, his new identity is shaped by this organization, and his sense of purpose, importance is temporarily restored as he slips it into his briefcase. He admits, "I am what they think I am". However, the brotherhood, like Mr. Norton and Dr. Bledsoe, does not believe that the individual is important. Of the brothers, the narrator eventually discerns"they were blind, bat blind, moving only by the echoed sounds of their voices. And because they were blind they would destroy

Old Man and the Sea essays

Old Man and the Sea essays The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is more than a simple short story about a man who catches a fish. Initially, the story doesnt seem that remarkable, but as one reads between the lines there is a deeper meaning that at first is unseen but with further scrutiny can be visualized through the symbolism that is apparent throughout the book. The main theme of this book is therefore much broader than first appears. The question of whether the main character Santiago, won or lost his battle sets the scene for the greater lessons of this novel, which relate to many of lifes lessons. Santiagos struggles are mirror images of lifes daily battles of winning and losing in order to get ahead, which can be evaluated through the metaphors of this story. One of lifes battles that are represented in this story is the battle of over coming failure. When the old man set sail for eighty-four consecutive days and never caught as much as a small fish; but perseveres and wins relates to everyday predicaments all mankind must face as well as overcome in order to be successful. Instead of giving up like any other fisherman would have he just told himself maybe tomorrow, Ill catch something tomorrow, his hope and confidence had never gone. People must continue to have faith and confidence in order to be successful. This compares to most peoples response in instances that occur in life situations. People must turn their heads from the unpleasant and strive to find success that they know can be achieved if they keep trying. Another experience that occurred for the character was his long and grueling chase of his massive prey, the marlin. This experience is similar and can be related to the daily challenges in life that seems to be impossible, the kind you just want to give up on and forget about. The characters pride in not wanting to quit shows he is more than an old man with bad hands who...

The Battle of Concepcion of the Texas Revolution

The Battle of Concepcion of the Texas Revolution The Battle of Concepcià ³n was the first major armed conflict of the Texas Revolution. It took place on October 28, 1835, on the grounds of Concepcià ³n Mission outside of San Antonio. Rebel Texans, led by James Fannin and Jim Bowie, fought off a vicious assault by the Mexican Army and drove them back into San Antonio. The victory was a huge one for the morale of the Texans and led to the subsequent capture of the town of San Antonio. War Breaks out in Texas Tensions had been simmering in Mexican Texas for some time, as Anglo settlers (the most famous of whom was Stephen F. Austin) repeatedly demanded more rights and independence from the Mexican government, which was in a chaotic state of disarray barely a decade after gaining independence from Spain. On October 2, 1835, rebellious Texans opened fire on Mexican forces in the town of Gonzales. The Battle of Gonzales, as it came to be known, marked the beginning of Texas armed struggle for Independence. Texans March on San Antonio San Antonio de Bà ©xar was the most important town in all of Texas, a vital strategic point coveted by both sides in the conflict. When war broke out, Stephen F. Austin was named head of the rebel army: he marched on the city in the hopes of putting a quick end to the fighting. The ragged rebel â€Å"army† arrived at San Antonio in late October  1835: they were heavily outnumbered by Mexican forces in and around the city but were well-armed with lethal long rifles and ready for a fight. Prelude to the Battle of Concepcion With the rebels camped outside the city, Jim Bowies connections proved vital. A one-time resident of San Antonio, he knew the city and still had many friends there. He smuggled a message to some of them, and dozens of Mexican residents of San Antonio (many of whom were every bit as passionate about independence as the Anglo Texans) surreptitiously left the town and joined the rebels. On October 27, Fannin and Bowie, disobeying orders from Austin, took some 90 men and dug in on the grounds of the Concepcià ³n Mission outside of town. The Mexicans Attack On the morning of October 28, the rebellious Texans got a nasty surprise: the Mexican army had seen that they had divided their forces and decided to take the offensive. The Texans were pinned against the river and several companies of Mexican infantry were advancing on them. The Mexicans had even brought cannons with them, loaded with lethal grapeshot. The Texans Turn the Tide Inspired by Bowie, who kept cool under fire, the Texans stayed low and waited for the Mexican infantry to advance. When they did, the rebels deliberately picked them off with their lethal long rifles. The riflemen were so skilled that they were even able to shoot the artillerymen manning the cannons: according to survivors, they even shot down a gunner who held a lighted match in his hand, ready to fire the cannon. The Texans drove off three charges: after the final charge, the Mexicans lost their spirit and broke: the Texans gave chase. They even captured the cannons and turned them on the fleeing Mexicans. Aftermath of the Battle of Concepcià ³n The Mexicans fled back into San Antonio, where the Texans dared not chase them. The final tally: some 60 dead Mexican soldiers to only one dead Texan, killed by a Mexican musket ball. It was a heady victory for the Texans and seemed to confirm what they suspected about the Mexican soldiers: they were poorly armed and trained and didnt really want to be fighting for Texas. The rebellious Texans remained camped outside of San Antonio for several weeks. They attacked a foraging party of Mexican soldiers on November 26, believing it to be a relief column loaded with silver: in reality, the soldiers were only collecting grass for the horses in the besieged city. This became known as the Grass Fight. Although the nominal commander of the irregular forces, Edward Burleson, wanted to retreat to the east (thus following the orders that had been sent from General Sam Houston), many of the men wanted to fight. Led by settler Ben Milam, these Texans attacked San Antonio on December 5: by December 9 the Mexican forces in the city had surrendered and San Antonio belonged to the rebels. They would lose it again at the disastrous Battle of the Alamo in March. The Battle of Concepcià ³n represented everything the rebellious Texans were doing right†¦and wrong. They were brave men, fighting under solid leadership, using their best weapons - arms and accuracy - to best effect. But they were also unpaid volunteer troops with no chain of command or discipline, who had disobeyed a direct order (a wise one, as it turned out) to keep clear of San Antonio for the time being. The relatively painless victory gave the Texans a great morale boost, but also increased their sense of invulnerability: many of the same men would later die at the Alamo, believing they could hold off the entire Mexican army indefinitely. For the Mexicans, the Battle of Concepcià ³n showed their weaknesses: their troops were not very skilled in war and broke easily. It also proved to them that the Texans were dead serious about independence, something that had perhaps been unclear before. Not long after, President/General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna would arrive in Texas at the head of a massive army: it was now clear that the most important advantage the Mexicans possessed was that of sheer numbers. Sources Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.

Perfecting a Doctoral Business Problem Statement Assignment

Perfecting a Doctoral Business Problem Statement - Assignment Example Still, IPTV and Satellite TV continue to grow exponentially as Cable TV begins to stagnate. The main problem for Cable TV has been that, while convergent and interactive applications have been used by in the OTT and IPTV environments as the main differentiators to gain competitive advantage, this has been a difficult thing to do in the traditional cable network environment (Carter, 2012). So as not to lag behind with regards to demand from the market for TV services, cable operators like Comcast, therefore, seem to have no option but to integrate interactivity applications to their clients alongside their digital signals (Cooper, 2013). However, even with this knowledge and it being more clear about the kinds of services that cable operators must make available so as to gain increased market share and regain a competitive advantage, the best path for them to attain such an objective is not clear cut. At present, cable operators are being faced with the issue of network upgrading using interactive TV. This form of TV includes social TV, time shift TV, recordings, multi-screen features, enhanced EPG, VOD content, as well as social and internet TV features. Such functionalities can be attained using various approaches for the cable TV networks. For instance, Gershon (2010) posits that cable providers could conduct an upgrade of their DOCSIS data network, which could del iver adequate and effective bandwidth to their clients, allowing for more inclusion of interactive content. In addition, such an upgrade could also enable cable providers to create an FTTx access network that would enable them to regain their competitive advantage over their major competitors (Gershon, 2010). Another approach that Eastman et al (2012) propose for cable networks to improve competitive advantage is the use of DOCSIS data path, which would be

The ethics of select business related social issues Research Paper

The ethics of select business related social issues - Research Paper Example Recent studies have proved that methane hydrate accounts for more than thirty times more than carbon dioxide in global warming. It is also known by the name of fire ice, which is found in the form of ice crystals where natural methane gas is locked and is mainly formed due to high pressure and low temperature. They are mainly found at the edges of continental shelves and are mainly responsible for underwater earthquake. Even though, it has been identified that in methane hydrate, there is more energy than coal, gas or oil, but using the gas as a source of energy independence is unethical for the country due to its negative consequences. In this context, a research program is conducted by the US government since 1982 that is related to the American energy independence. However, considering from the economic point of view of the US, the use of methane hydrate as a source of energy may lead to the American Energy Independence and may help the country not to be depended on other countrie s for fuel. Hence, it can provide the US with the advantage of being a major fuel exporter to different countries. Moreover, it can compete with the petroleum producing countries like Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, Kuwait, Russia and Saudi Arabia. If the world switches from petroleum as well as coal to gas, then the revenue of the petroleum producing countries will reduce, whereas America can take this competitive advantage by using methane hydrate as their source of revenue. With the help of American Energy Independence, billions of dollars of revenue can be generated, which will help in the economic development of the economy and generate job opportunities. This can only be possible when the whole world will adopt this non-petroleum form of resource from America as an alternative of petroleum and coal (Americanenergyindependence, â€Å"Journey to Energy Independence†; BBC, â€Å"Methane Hydrate: Dirty Fuel or Energy Savior?†; Bloomberg L.P., â€Å"Americans Gaining Energy I ndependence

The Negative Impact of Drugs on Sports Entertainment Essay Example for Free

The Negative Impact of Drugs on Sports Entertainment Essay The non-medical use of performance enhancing drugs among adolescents and young adults is of growing concern.   As many as half a million Americans under age 18 may be abusing anabolic/androgenic steroids to improve their athletic performance, appearance and self-image.   A growing body of evidence suggests that medically unsupervised drug use may pose severe risks to physical and psychological health (Kashkin and Kleber, 1989).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shockwaves went through the sports world when Canadian track superstar Ben Johnson was denied his gold medal at the 1988 Olympics after tests showed that he had taken anabolic steroids.    The incident called international attention to the use of anabolic steroids and in general, performance enhancing drugs among world-class athletes to gain competitive advantage.   Still, athletes and non-athletes alike persist in taking them.   And, in fact, it is known that athletes participating in the original Roman Olympic Games consumed them too (UNRV, 2003)!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are reports of male adults in physically demanding professions like law enforcement also using performance enhancing drugs to appear tougher as well as more formidable (Lombardo 1990).   What is more, as these drugs grow in popularity, so does awareness of the serious side effects of their use.   One of the most alarming side effects is the threat of AIDS; HIV — human immunodeficiency virus — can be transmitted if shared needles are used to inject the drug.   Potential harm to physical and psychological health is only one aspect of this troubling trend, though (Lombardo, 1990).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The non-medical use of performance enhancing drugs such as steroids, raises ethical and moral issues.   Engaging in steroids use is illegal and users are likely to find themselves acquiring these drugs through illicit and expensive channels. The heavy demand for anabolic steroids has given rise to black market, with sales estimated at as much as $400 million a year; moreover, supplies, which are often illegally manufactured and do not meet established standards, may be unhygienic (Miller, 1987).   Second, athletes who use these drugs are cheating because they gain an unfair advantage over opponents and violate the ban on steroids imposed by most major sports organizations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance enhancing drugs may be addictive.   Users of steroids demonstrate an unwillingness to give them up even in the face of possibly dire consequences to their health.   As the health risks of anabolic steroids become more apparent, efforts to curtail their use — through education, legislation, and medical practices — are intensifying.   For those already hooked, kicking the steroids habit is the best chance to escape devastating side effects; for potential users, the solution, of course, is to never take the drug at all.   There are other ways to be a winner athletically and socially without harming health, and without cheating (Miller).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of performance enhancing drugs is spoiling the sports entertainment business today.   It is only fair for all athletes to give up drugs, or for all of them to take the same drugs with the same dosage at the same time.   If only a few athletes consume the drugs, it would be cheating on their part.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, it is best for all athletes to give up drug use altogether, seeing that there are harmful side effects, both psychological and physiological, related to the use of these drugs.   Given that many athletes are using performance enhancing drugs today, while the rest are not consuming them, these drugs most definitely have a negative effect on sports entertainment. References Kashkin, K. B., and Kleber, H. D. Hooked on Hormones? An Anabolic Steroid Addiction Hypothesis. Journal of the American Medical Association, December 1989. Lombardo, J. A. Anabolic/Androgenic Steroids. NIDA Research Monograph 102, 1990. Miller, R. W. Athletes and Steroids: Playing a Deadly Game, II.† FDA Consumer, November 1987. UNRV: Roman History. Archaeological News. â€Å"Drugs, Cheating Were Part Of Original Olympics Too,† 2003. Available at http://www.unrv.com/newsletter/newsletter-edition1.php. (5 February 2007).

Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of symbols within The Great Gatsby. Essays

Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of symbols within The Great Gatsby. Throughout his novel ‘The Great Gatsby’, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism. Symbols are objects, characters, figures or colours used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. The first symbol we see appears at the end of Chapter one. It is a green light, situated at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s East Egg dock and is only just visible from Gatsby’s expansive West Egg back garden. In Chapter one Nick (the narrator) describes his mysterious neighbour stretching â€Å"out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way’, this is Gatsby reaching desperately out to the green light, which represents his hopes and dreams for the future (which incidentally, involved Daisy). He associates it with Daisy and sees the green light as a guiding light to his goal. Perhaps the green light represents Daisy, the unattainable. Alike to the green light, she is so close, yet so far from Gatsby and just within his grasp. Although he is reaching out to her, he cannot in reality reach her because there is a divide, in the case of the green light it is water, but in the case of Daisy it is status (and her husband, Tom). The green light also represents the generalised ideal of the American Dream, because Gatsby’s quest for Daisy is generally connected with this. Fitzgerald’s choice of using ‘green’ as the colour of the light is very significant and symbolic in itself. Green is the colour of money and therefore wealth, this is something which Gatsby has always strived for (similarly he is reaching out and striving for the ‘light’) in order to capture Daisy’s heart, as she rejected him in the past due to his lack of wealth and status. Also, green is the colour that ... ...umping of industrial ashes. - It represents the moral and social decay that results from the uninhibited pursuit of wealth, as the rich indulge themselves with regard for nothing but their own pleasure. - It also symbolises the plight of the poor, like Wilson, who live among the dirty ashes and lose their vitality as a result. - Fitz uses the valley of the ashes as a dramatic contrast to the lives of the rich east and west egg dwellers, to really emphasise and show how large the difference between them is, despite them being so nearby. - He also uses it to highlight how superficial the rich are. They are the ‘beautiful people’ and this is reflected in where they live, however the valley of the ashes is dirty and unattractive. - The valley is actually used as a cut through road for the rich, however real people live there.

Comparing Physiology Worksheet Essay

In this assignment you describe and compare the circulatory, skeletal, and respiratory systems of sharks, iguanas, eagles, and humans. Answer each of the following questions in 25 to 50 words. Circulatory System Shark How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s circulatory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s circulatory system work? Iguana How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s circulatory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s circulatory system work? Eagle How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s circulatory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s circulatory system work? Human How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s  circulatory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s circulatory system work? What is similar in all of these circulatory systems? What is different in all of these circulatory systems? Respiratory System Shark How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s respiratory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s respiratory system work? Iguana How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s respiratory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s respiratory system work? Eagle How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s respiratory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s respiratory system work? Human How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s respiratory system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s respiratory system work? What is similar in all of these respiratory systems? What is different in all of these respiratory systems? Skeletal System Shark How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s skeletal system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s skeletal system work? Iguana How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s skeletal system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s skeletal system work? Eagle How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s skeletal system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s skeletal system work? Human How would you describe the structure and function of this animal’s skeletal system? Include any unique characteristics. How does this animal’s skeletal system work? What is similar in all of these skeletal systems? What is different in all of these skeletal systems?

Police Misconception

There are many popular misconceptions about police officers. One popular misconception is that they protect their own. What people don’t understand sometimes is that police officers are properly trained, they went to police training and the trainings main goal is to ensure that officers avoid taking unnecessary risks.This means calling and waiting for back-up, and always having a partner when using direct confrontation, the way the media portrays police officers on television, in movies is like their jobs is always about protecting their own and that being a police officer is about power, when in reality police officers are trying to protect us from all the unnecessary violence and keep us safe just as much as themselves. The police officers are just like us going to work to do their responsibilities and returning home safely.A lot of people don’t realize that some police officers put their lives out on the line for them when they do cases like for example catching a mu rder, rapist, burglar, and so forth, their lives are on the line just as much as ours, maybe more. Another popular misconception that is said daily about a police officer is that they’re racist. Police officers being racist are true but not every police officer is racist, some are not. Think about it, there is racism everywhere we go, in schools, churches, stores, clubs, jobs and so forth, you meet a lot of people who are racist, not only police officers.Racism is everywhere in the world, everyone should be aware of that. Lastly, another popular misconception is traffic enforcement. People say that police officers should be arresting criminals and getting them off the streets, not writing traffic tickets but what people don’t know is that traffic enforcement identifies criminals and results in their arrests. When police officers do their routine traffic stops that’s when they find drugs, weapons, contrabands, fugitives, in the vehicles which helps get the crimin als off the street.

Canterbury Tales Essays - Canterbury, The Canterbury Tales, Miller

Canterbury Tales Essays - Canterbury, The Canterbury Tales, Miller Canterbury Tales In Chaucers Canterbury Tales there are twenty-nine plus one characters. Out of the twenty-nine plus one characters two will be compared and contrasted. The Friar and the Miller have some similarities and at the same time some differences. The Friar and the Miller show a few similarities in Canterbury Tales. They are both very strong and able to head butt things without a problem. The Friar was, strong enough to butt a bruiser down(94). The Miller was, Broad, knotty, and short-shouldered(109)he would boast he could heave any door off hinge and post, or take a run and break it with his head(101). The Friar and the Miller both played musical instruments in Canterbury Tales. The both of them also had a way of cheating people out of their money The are also a few differences the Friar and the Miller show. The Friar, for instance, was part of the church; the Miller was not. Also, the Friar has a name, Hubert. The Miller does not have a name. The instrument the Friar plays isnt the same as the Miller. The Friar, played the hurdy-gurdy,(95) and also the harp. The Miller, He liked to play his bagpipes(101) Even though they had ways of cheating people out of their money they had different ways of doing it. . The Friar would hear confessions from the wealthy for a good price and, The Friar was also the finest beggar of his hatch(95). The Miller had, A thumb of gold, by God, to gauge an oat(101)! The Miller would press down on the weighing scale to make the oat weight more. Therefore making the oat cost more. In Canterbury Tales there are twenty-nine plus one characters. Out of the twenty-nine plus one characters, the Friar and the Miller are compared and contrasted. Out of this comparison and contrasting the outcome showed how the Friar and the Miller are alike and somewhat different. Even though they do some of the same things like cheat innocent people out of their money, they do it in different ways which make them have differences.

How to Get a Job in Public Relations with Expert Jeff Domansky

How to Get a Job in Public Relations with Expert Jeff Domansky Ed Domansky started The PR Coach as a collection of links useful to PR pros. But as it grew, it became a central resource for public relations thoughts, tips and, of course, jobs. Ed, a PR professional with more than a quarter-century of experience, talked with us about public relations, what we can learn from the industry, and job hunting tips. What are some unique challenges in finding a job in public relations?The range of skills necessary and expected of PR pros has dramatically increased to include social media, technology, and some specialized skills such as video, content marketing, curation, and community relations.Competition for PR jobs is no longer just local, but national and sometimes international. In addition, journalists, technology and social media experts now compete for PR job opportunities because the skill sets are converging. This can create challenges for both employers and job hunters.It’s also very important to note that there are many more jobs availa ble for people with PR skills in marketing, advertising, social media, and other related industries where â€Å"PR† may not be in the job title.What lessons from public relations can anybody apply to the job search?PR pros must have super research, writing, social media, and communication skills. That should mean PR people know how to research and where to look for jobs, how to prepare their resumes at a high level, and pitch themselves better than most other job hunters. These expectations are similar for all job hunters, but even higher standards are set for PR.What are a few misconceptions about public relations that are still out there?It’s surprising that some employers, clients, and young PR pros still think getting media coverage and organizing special events will be your primary job. Nothing could be further from the truth today. While media relations and event management are valuable skills, the PR profession requires a full range of other skills.Be the best w riter you can be and have evidence of it in your portfolio. You do have an online portfolio, don’t you?For example, content marketing is a unique skill set and is in demand. Journalists have the news and writing experience that many PR pros have, in addition to a wider community perspective that is often  needed  in PR.If you could give your younger self some advice about searching for a job, what would it be?Be the best writer you can be and have evidence of it in your portfolio. You do have an online portfolio, don’t you? Excel at social media and make certain all of your social media profiles stand out from the crowd, yet don’t contain any faux pas. Increase your knowledge of technology. Be incredibly well-researched about your prospective employers, their issues, industry challenges, and market opportunities.What trends should we be keeping an eye on when it comes to hiring in the public relations industry, and why?PR pros need to stay ahead of changes a nd developments in social media. In the past five years, the PR profession has been totally disrupted. The PR toolbox now contains a sometimes overwhelming number of social media tools. The learning curve is constant, and yet we still need to retain knowledge of traditional PR.Because of the impact of technology and social media, PR is no longer a 9-to-5 job. We now work in a 24/7 environment just like news media and global organizations.

What have been the costs and benefits of Hong Kongs Currency Board Essay

What have been the costs and benefits of Hong Kongs Currency Board System since 1983 - Essay Example As a result, confidence in the HK dollar and economy began to diminish’ (Hanson). Also that year, the business scenario was not good – the stock market down by 50 percent, property market experiencing downturn and there were runs on the small banks. ‘The value of the HK dollar continued to decrease throughout the year and on September 24, 1983, reached an all-time low of HK$9.55 per US dollar’ (Hanson). ‘In less than a month, following a proposal made by Hong Kong business economist John Greenwood, the government announced that it would return to a currency board system, which would pursue an anti-inflationary policy and promote currency stability’ (Schuler). The CBA is an ‘idiosyncratic system since there is actually no currency board, and bank notes are issued by a few designated commercial banks, which alone deal directly with the monetary authority at the fixed exchange rate of HK$7.80 to the US dollar’ (Shu-ki Tsang). The CBA which was ‘also known as the â€Å"linked exchange rate system† or the â€Å"link† has revolved through several stages. From October 1983 – 1987, the Hong Kong government could not even define the monetary base and the theoretical forces of bank note arbitrage and competition did not seem to work’ (Shu-ki Tsang). The exchange rate was strengthened by the government interference in the foreign exchange market and interest rate handling. ‘To provide the Exchange fund with the necessary instruments to conduct â€Å"open market operations†, the Hong Kong government embarked on a series of programs to introduce Exchange Fund Bills (from March 1990) and notes (from May 1993). On the other hand, the LAF, set up in June 1992, allowed the Exchange... This study will critically analyze the costs and benefits of Hong Kong’s currency board system since 1983. The analysis of the essay is achieved in three main sections. First, currency board arrangement is defined. Moreover, the costs and benefits of Hong Kong’s currency board system since 1983 is investigated before finally concluding. ‘Currency board arrangement is a special case of a rules-based monetary system. It is a system based on rules rather than discretion that serves to establish credibility and avoid losses resulting from decisions that can sometimes be undertaken within a myopic timescale’ (Balino 1997). Hong Kong operated a ‘sterling exchange system from 1935 – 1973, excluding the years of Japanese occupation. The sterling exchange system is a currency board with note issue back by holdings of Sterling assets’ (Crosby 2000). Then, ‘between 1972 and 1974, the HK dollar was set at a fixed rate to the US dollar. From No vember of 1974 until the return of the currency board in 1983, the HK dollar floated freely against the US dollar’ (Hanson). Hong Kong being a Special Administrative Region of China is dependent on mainland demand but its monetary system is still attached to the U.S. If ever China retaliates against pressure for the trade protectionism in the United States, then Hong Kong would be caught in between. As for its disadvantages, people may doubt the willingness and competence of the government to continue ‘perfect convertibility at the specified rate’

A written summary of the article .The Ordinary Heroes of Taj Assignment

A written summary of the article .The Ordinary Heroes of Taj - Assignment Example Guests at the Japanese restaurant within the hotel were also caught up in the attack. They were instructed to hide beneath their tables, and the waiters formed a human shield between them and the attackers. Later, upon evacuation, the guests were allowed to leave first with the staff following close behind. The head waiter who was in charge, Thomas Varghese, did not make it out since the attackers shot him as he was the last one to leave the room. During the attack, 31 people lost their lives, 11 of whom were staff members at the hotel. Most of the dead staff members had sacrificed their lives to protect their guests from getting hurt during the incident. There was wide acclaim over the dedication of the staff at the hotel due to the manner in which they conducted themselves; not only were they calm, but they also went out of their way to help their guests to safety (Raina and Rohit, 5). This level of commitment by employees had not seen before, given that there were no official policies that existed at the time to deal with such a scenario. The human resource approach used at the hotel hires people based on devotion and integrity and trains them for 18 months; six more than the regular 12 months in other establishments. The result was a team of loyal employees who had the best interests of the customers at the core of all their

Socio-cultural Influences on Sexuality Research Paper

Socio-cultural Influences on Sexuality - Research Paper Example or, gender identity and roles and gender stereotyping and bais are majorly influenced by social and cultural issues as demonstrated by divergent perceptions and approaches across different socio-cultural settings. Different societies have cultures that have been nurtured over a long time that influence the perception of the members with regard to sexuality issues. The paper looks at the various perspectives in which socio-cultural issues influence perception with regard to sexuality. Debates surrounding sexual orientation and accomodation of same sex partners in most societies are usually influenced by the socio-cultural provisions with regard to such unions. The catholic church, most African and Arab countries have strongly expressed their opposition towards such unions. The common attribute of the catholic church, most African and Arab countries is that sexuality is not usually a subject that I spoken openly and even with the existence of gays and lesbians, these societies go at great lengths to condemn such unions. According to Worrel (2003), these socities are characterized by the existence of socio-cultural norms nurtured over long periods of time and no opposition to these norms is usually welcome. Worrel continues to outline that in more democratic societies in the western world and other developed countries, gays and lesbians are being given a chance to fight for recognition in the society. Gender roles and identity are aspects that are nurtured at a avery young that by the time children grow to become adults they already have solid perceptions towards these issues. The traditional set up where the man was supposed to provide for the family while the woman stayed at home to take care of children is still a major concern for gender equality activists. Even with the changing society where socio-economic developments have made it necessary for the woman to work to supplement the earnings of the man, the society still finds it difficult to embrace the change.

Examining The Revolution Of Internet Usage Media Essay

Examining The Revolution Of Internet Usage Media Essay Internet usage has brought revolution in communication. In the recent past, there has been advancement internet technology making internet more accessible to many peoples. In business and institutions internet communication has brought major changes to how communication is made. One of the major effects of internet is making information more accessible to most people. Although this has been highly praised, it has brought questions on regulation on usage of internet. In the recent past families, organizations, institutions, interest groups and even governments have been calling for internet censorship. Internet censorship can have positive impact depending on context. New technological innovations have led to the introduction of internet services which play a major role in the world of communication. The internet provides an appropriate forum, where people can communicate with one another regardless of their geographical location. Due to minimal regional restriction on internet services, people from virtually all ages with internet knowledge in most part of the world can easily access it. Conventionally, internet was a communication tool that mainly consisted of e-mail service. Internet users still sign up for user accounts through which they receive and send e-mails to other registered users (Foerstel 120). Since the modifications of original internet user configurations, internet has significantly improved in its functions as it provides a wide array of options in both private and commercial websites with a lot of information. North Korea is considered among the top blog-unfriendly nations in the world due to internet censorship. It is only the foreigners and politically privileged people who are allowed to access the internet freely in the country. Consequently, there is no openly existent blog in leading to difficulties by North Koreans to access blogs. Journalists are allowed by the government of North Korea into the country on condition that they are followed around by watchers to ensure they do not indulge in suspicious activities. The government also carries out censorship on news before it is made public hence control over all information that the citizens receive (Icon Group International, Inc. 39). In Pakistan, self censorship by media companies started with the reign of General Zia who was both the president and army chief (Icon Group International, Inc. 48). In this form of censorship, press material is checked so that the governments credibility is not tarnished. All press material in Pakistan must favor the government of the day to ensure political serenity in the country. In Guilford County, North Carolina, initial plans to ban two books The Color Purple and Native Son that were used in teaching literature in the curriculum faced a petition to eliminate them from the coursework and won. This was as a result of a censorship policy which was aimed at using software and other means to restrict pornographic material from being accessed from online sources or school libraries, a move that was considered unconstitutional (Foerstel 207). School boards in Lima, Ohio and Jackson County in Ripley unanimously voted against this form of censorship by the year 1999. At the same period, The Color Purple was eliminated from the curriculum and libraries at Ferguson High School in Virginia (Foerstel 207) due to claims of vulgar language and explicit content. This form of internet restriction was received as an unappreciative move of eliminating library material for scholars. As a result of the censorship move gaining negative response, lawmakers prepared new and better rules that allowed scholars to obtain online information without the boundaries censorship caused as a result of preventing public obscenity displays through the internet (Foerstel 114). The internet came with a myriad of challenges and in some cases, unique set of unanticipated drawbacks also came forming its disadvantages. Based on extreme case scenarios, this essay seeks to argue against the application of censorship policies to information sources on the internet. It goes ahead to suggest the alternative need for better protection policies that favor both the users and controlling bodies before finalizing on the extent of its applicability if deemed necessary. Sandra Hughes of CBS news reports of Robert Wise, an online sex predator who preys on a 14 year old girl and later on gets arrested for soliciting for sex from a minor unfolding the dangers of unrestricted online communication between different parties. The CBS reporter further gives an account of the story of Kyla Reed, a 15 year old who goes missing without a trace after being an active participant in MySpace. Investigations link her disappearance to her activities on the social network (Kreiser 7). The culmination of such stories is a likely reason that would arouse governments to conduct censorship of the internet. This would however not put an end to the activities of predators as they would carry them out elsewhere. It is a preferable option to innovate alternative means of preventing online predators. Various aspects of socialization can be attributed to interactions through the internet that have improved communication among different users of the web. This has been made possible by internet service developers inventing ways of configuring more sophisticated services such as voice over internet protocols and instant messaging services that pave way for the creation of highly interactive web sites. Presently, Face book, MySpace and Twitter are the leading social internet sites which use chats as the latest culmination of instant messaging service among other options for internet communication. Such web sites reflect on the need to have communication infrastructure which appreciates urgency and convenience, the limitations in the physical environment notwithstanding. Restricted internet use would bar intercommunication among people of different cultures thus deterring the build up of social ties and should be avoided where applicable. Internet usage is increasingly becoming a necessity to users who spend most of their time searching for information that is to be implemented in either personal or professional use. Internet also plays a fundamental role in the media fraternity as it is a means of sending and receiving both local and international news (Jones 19). Basing on this, communication is made much easier for journalists because they have access to vital information through the internet and a ready audience. CBS and other news networks have links on Face book, Tweeter and MySpace to keep track of its audience for information dissemination. With new innovations, there were introductions of updated journals in form of blogs which provided diverse information. Journalists are however criticized by scholars as being supposedly cynical in their work which brings about the claim of lack of professionalism. Jones weblog on Real and fake news shows the criticism reporters receive from the public and intellectuals for what they term as irresponsibility caused by bias in reporting. They brand this as the main reason for the young people being politically ill informed as a result of turning to non credible or single sided sources of information (Jones 20). Such political content in news makes authorities have reason to ground a basis for information censorship. Positively impacting sites include those which are educative and informative in terms of providing essential academic materials to users. In addition, many people use online services to communicate with people across the continent. At present, communication is much easier through the internet because people can easily chat from sites of social networks. Apart from education and communication purposes, the internet has gained popularity because of its entertainment nature as users can play games, download pictures, music and movies (Contrada 117). Despite the many benefits derived from internet use, there has been a realization of some setbacks. Internet can negatively influence users since it at times contains offensive and explicit materials. At a very rampant rate, sexual sites with pornographic content are frequently visited by people of different ages including underage children out of curiosity or ignorance. Regardless of parental monitoring, it is very difficult to control what children do while using computers. For this reason, there are controversies on what basis the internet should be censored (Farhi 5). Due to high levels of possible risks that vulnerable internet users are predisposed to, censoring online services is increasingly becoming a preference to authorities since it promises protection to its users from the proliferation of malpractices such as sexual exploitation. Censoring is seen as a probable solution that would therefore help parents who have difficult time in controlling their childrens access to pornographic sites that display distorting material oblivious of what their effects may be. Similarly, the degree of devastating effects that it has on the users is deliberately ignored by the hosts to the detriment of the society. Even though censoring of internet content may not have a major influence on the amount of responsibility adults practice on the vulnerable group, it is important to control unsociable internet activities like human trafficking (Chawki Wahab 1). People especially, women and children often fall into the trap of human traffickers who advertise themselves and conduct most of their practices through the sites. Without knowing many people are blindly lured into such illegal practices since it is sometimes difficult to judge the credibility of a given site due to their persuasive nature. To help curb these cases, censorship may seem to be a preferable option. However, governments involved should come up with new ways of monitoring the use of internet especially in criminal activities such as human trafficking (Chawki Wahab 4). In relation to e-mail services, censoring the internet would prevent users from illegally accessing unauthorized information. E-mail intruders would therefore have a difficult time in acquiring information once the internet is censored. In addition, censoring internet information will help detect and prevent behaviors and habits of users with malicious motives. This is likely to save the society a lot of social problems that lead to loss of moral wellbeing. The main reason is that all undesirable information is crushed automatically when the internet is censored. Furthermore, users are protected from hate mails or any other information from the populace that leads to negative effects. Censoring the internet can be beneficial since it will ensure control of the kind of material that people access such as government information. These administrative bodies are usually strict when it comes to secrets and will always try to conceal vital records from the public. Although there are ways of concealing information, some individuals will work out ways of accessing such records through the web. Arresting such people may not be a permanent solution because others might continue with the trend. Effective innovative ways to detect and prevent these malicious acts would be a useful remedy to the governments since the public will not succeed in acquiring any secrets (Drezner 34). Although censoring the internet can be advantageous, it may deny non-targeted individuals the opportunity of accessing important information (Contrada 83). Internet should not be censored because it may prevent people from getting vital information. Such information as educative content, scientific information based on recent studies may lead to new ideas that could be hidden from users. Therefore, censoring internet sources is likely to hinder innovation and new discoveries because the means of acquiring new and supportive information is complicated. Censoring the internet can also be a disadvantage to individuals as they would not get the opportunity to express themselves. Internet is a place where people can openly express themselves to other people. Furthermore, it is also a place where people can learn about the views of others. By restricting online services, free interaction would be hindered. To a certain level, a particular government can benefit from internet restrictions although it would be at the expense of its citizens (Contrada 64). This means that internet censoring is seen as only benefiting the government while its citizens suffer. Such a government risks being viewed as overly oppressive. In most cases, censoring internet sources may appear like denying citizens the right to information. People have the need to acquire knowledge about all changes that are happening around them and in other places. Restricting online services will also prevent them from knowing important information about the government. It is not fair to put people in the dark especially when there are difficulties in the country. Societies are part of a country and so should be updated of various issues within the nation (Contrada 32). Moreover, censoring the internet would prevent the media from accessing and conveying essential information to citizens by the government. There should be freedom of the press whereby journalists can express themselves without any restrictions. Once online services are restricted, journalists may be unable to even access international news. In America, restricting the internet would go against the 1st Amendment right which states that there should be freedom of speech and press (Drezner 33). Globalization is increasingly changing the world of communication as there are new technologies which make interactions much easier. Internet communication is considered as one of the major sources of information to the media fraternity both locally and internationally. Censoring the internet may therefore limit the manner in which the media sends information to its target consumers and limit intercultural communication which is widely done through the web. Journalists are frequent internet users as they receive and convey information through different sites. Journalists prefer using blogs because it is a quick method of information dissemination especially when conveying urgent and important information. Through blog sites, journalists are able to discuss a wide range of topics which including politics, economy, environment, finance and many more. More often, journalists use online services to publish political issues that may affect their country or other countries. If the internet is censored, it would not be possible for people to acquire certain information about political issues. Online services should not be censored because it would prevent journalists from hosting and visiting blog sites that are very essential to them. Apart from blogs, journalists normally visit social networks which they use due to their fast nature and popularity in information conveyance. Journalists also prefer the site especially for stories that are changing so fast such as the development of a report on survivors of a plane crash. Mainstream media depend s on such information since collection and encoding can be done fast. (Farhi 3). Primarily, internet plays an essential role in the world of communication. Through the internet, people are able to communicate with one another regardless of their geographical locations. Online service is therefore one of the major source of information to media fraternity. (Rosen 3). Although internet is very useful to genuine users, it also has limitations since it is characterized by sites that contain sexual materials. Censoring the internet has been made necessary owing to the need for keeping unauthorized individuals at bay through blocking access to sites by users who cannot practice self censorship as a result of ignorance or curiosity. The demerits arising from liberal internet use can however be curbed by coming up with monitoring policies that protect and prevent vulnerable groups. This is mainly because censorship would deny genuine internet users the opportunity to acquire information from a variety of sources. A better recommendation would be to develop alternative internet policies that permit users to access specific sites on the internet. This would protect vulnerable groups from exploitation by malicious people thus enhancing the security of the state.

Maligning Female Roles in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth's Female Roles      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The female roles in William Shakespeare's Macbeth are those of the witches, more supernatural than human, Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff, the latter being presented in a minor, almost insignificant way. This paper will explore the role of Lady Macbeth and only make slight comment on the witches.    Fanny Kemble in "Lady Macbeth" finds that the main female role could have ended in madness due to the evil tendencies of the lady:    Lady Macbeth, even in her sleep, has no qualms of conscience; her remorse takes none of the tenderer forms akin to repentance, nor the weaker ones allied to fear, from the pursuit of which the tortured soul, seeking where to hide itself, not seldom escapes into the boundless wilderness of madness. A very able article, published some years ago in the National Review, on the character of Lady Macbeth, insists much upon an opinion that she died of remorse, as some palliation of her crimes, and mitigation of our detestation of them. That she died of wickedness would be, I think, a juster verdict. Remorse is consciousness of guilt . . . and that I think Lady Macbeth never had; though the unrecognized pressure of her great guilt killed her. (116-17)    In "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth," Sarah Siddons comments on how the feminine role of the leading lady is not a typical one as regards attitude:    [Macbeth] announces the King's approach; and she, insensible it should seem to all the perils which he has encountered in battle, and to all the happiness of his safe return to her, -- for not one kind word of greeting or congratulations does she offer, -- is so entirely swallowed up by the horrible design, which has probably been suggested to her by his letters, as to have forgotten both the one and the other. It is very remarkable that Macbeth is frequent in expressions of tenderness to his wife, while she never betrays one symptom of affection towards him, till, in the fiery furnace of affliction, her iron heart is melted down to softness. (56)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare contradict the impression that the female protagonist is all strength:    Lady Macbeth is of a finer and more delicate nature. Having fixed her eye upon the end - the attainment for her husband of Duncan's crown - she accepts the inevitable means; she nerves herself for the terrible night's work by artificial stimulants; yet she cannot strike the sleeping king who resembles her father.

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper – Controlled assessment Alan Milne ‘The police investigative methods were to blame for not capturing Jack the Ripper’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? I think that policing methods were to blame for jack the ripper not being caught because they were heavily influenced by the public, media and press this shows us that they were scared and intimidated by them and had to control them as riots may of broke out.Although I think they were to blame, people could argue that they weren’t as people believe that they tried everything with what little technology they had and other resources they had. The first reason why I think they were to blame is that they were heavily influenced by media, press and the public this meant that they had to take extra caution when taking in suspects (e. g. eather apron who was taken in by the police as the public were after him) as it could have been taken the wrong way and a public up rage could occur which would of made life harder for the police, as they were focusing all their attention on that which was a waste of their time, however they did try and tackle these problems by carrying out I. D parades, interviews and door to door methods but most of these were ineffective as they were held weeks after the murders, and because it was the norm to be drunk at the time people would often forget about the murders appearance, â€Å"only 65% of people doing I. D parades would remember the person†. Bloody Britain) Another tactic the police used was their own officers dressing up as women or using known prostitutes to act as decoys so they could catch the killer red handed, this may have worked if they carried on using it, but something that was a problem were the locations of the murders which were badly lit and Whitechapel was full of networks of small alleys, lanes, and streets which made it very easy for Jack to commit the murder and run away/ get away extremely quickly, th e police attempted to solve this problem and sent more police officers out a quote to support this is â€Å"They followed up every lead, however tenuous, they drafted in extra men who were to remain in Whitechapel on high alert† (Crime archive/Val Horsler) this suggests to me that they had an effective method but didn’t use it to their advantage as much as they could of done e. g. have police patrolling but others observing areas on streets corners making it another reason for them to be blamed another quote is â€Å"No-one could say that there wasn’t enough police patrolling the east end† (The star – Newspaper) there may have been a lot of officers but the location of the murders and the narrow lanes did not help them in any way as they just couldn’t cover the whole of Whitechapel.Evidence that the police found was often washed away or moved from the crime scene as they thought that it would cause public/social disorder this was a major fau lt for the police as it could have been the key to catching the killer or it could have helped them in their investigation, a quote to support this is â€Å"Today the whole crime scene would be cordoned off and the victim remained there until examined by forensics, whereas in the Whitechapel murders police believed that they should get the body, evidence away as it causes social disorder† (Definitive Jack – Richard Jones Historian) this stresses the point that the police could not have their own decisions and were very weak as it seems to us that the public controlled them. The police force was very weak as they didn’t use methods that had great potential to their advantages. Another reason is because people that they asked to examine the body doctors / surgeons they were giving the police conflicting information. â€Å"Police had conflicting information from coroners and doctors† (Jack the ripper) this made it extremely difficult for the police to progre ss as they didn’t have accurate information from one person, also technology was very poor so they couldn’t have a concrete way or decision of how one of the women died.Another reason why they were weak is because a lot of immigrants lived in London but didn’t speak English so police had more pressure on finding the killer but couldn’t get further as they couldn’t co-operate with anyone, on the other hand if they did have an interpreter not much co-operation would of occurred anyway as people were often drunk, violent and the public didn’t really like the police anyway so door to door and interviewing methods were poor as they didn’t co-operate. When the police had the chance of using blood hounds they should of kept using them as they were effective proven by the police today, but the public and media pressure swayed them to not use them as it was seen to be stupid and dangerous if the dogs were to attack an innocent person.Dogs in t he police force were not used for another 70 years, this could have helped them catch Jack or lead them to clues. If the police had access to fingerprinting and blood testing I think that jack would have been caught and the police would have had a better reputation from the public and media. In conclusion I think that the police were to blame because they couldn’t think for themselves and didn’t trust their own ideas and let the public, media and the press control their actions. Also if they didn’t move evidence from the crime scenes or bodies then I think that they could have caught Jack and if they would have trusted the dogs it could have helped them a lot more.

Importance of Beauty Industry and Ethical Issues

Cosmetic improvements can make people feel better about themselves but can also make others that cannot afford or obtain such services feel worse. However, the debate as been raging as to whether or not the billion dollar beauty industry is worthwhile in the modern society. The beauty industry is very diverse and has multiple players.Players involved in this diverse industry include the dealers in the beauty products, the cosmetics, services for improving appearance like exercise machines, nutritional beauty products and above all the end users of all these products (Simms, 1998).Considering the rate at which the beauty industry has been growing, it would be important to analyze whether it impacts the current society positive or not. My analysis will examine the importance of the industry to the players and the society in general. In addition I will look at the various ethical concerns presented by the beauty industry and how possibly they should be solved in order to have the indust ry continue benefiting the society. The highest number of consumers of the beauty products in the current world and in deed over the centuries is undoubtedly women.Women generally adopt the idea of self-grooming at a very tender age (Gillespie, 1996). Unlike men, women have a natural interest in their looks and physical presentation and in most cultures; they believe that good looks and physical attraction is expected of them. Women therefore find it hard to escape such sociocultural norms and as they grow up they internalized the norms such that they simply become unaware of their motivations to seek beauty (Black, 2004). Nevertheless, the modern man has been quite conscious of his looks and physical appearance (Sullivan, 2001).The motivation behind men’s growing interest in physical attraction is a debate for another day; however, the importance of beauty products and services to these users is clear. The users of beauty products and services always want to experience body empowerment, pleasure as well as freedom from appearance (Haiken, 1997). Society associates good looks and great physical attraction to power and therefore those who possess such qualities would avert competition in marriage and other social spheres of life. The pleasure of having a good body elevates one’s esteem.The beauty industry therefore provides an opportunity for those who feel bad about their physical looks to transform it according to one’s own societal ‘standard’ (Morgan, 1992). Apart from the freedom it offers the users to improve their looks; the aesthetic industry is currently a multibillion dollar industry. From the manufacturers of various beauty products, to millions of users across the globe, the beauty industry is considered one of the top revenue earners in various economies around the world and therefore justifies its existence in toady modern world (Hiscock & Lovett, 2004).Despite the importance of the beauty industry to the various p layers and economies, the industry has been receiving criticism for its unethical practices (Brumberg, 1997). There has been a growing public outcry with regards to the industry’s unsustainable business practices especially with respect to the environment. Manufacturers of beauty products have always faced criticism for testing their products on animals, unsustainable sourcing for raw materials as well as for causing chemical pollution.But due to consistent pressure from the media, the consumers and the retailers, aesthetic industry especially the cosmetic companies are shaping up to be counted as good corporate citizens. Many corporate bodies in the aesthetic industry are investing a lot in CSR programs as well as in other sustainability initiatives. For example, the Body Shop has been embarking on ethical sourcing while others like Yves Rocher have been focusing on preservation of biodiversity (Organic Monitor, 2010).A number of beauty companies have opted to take holistic approach to the issue of ethics and sustainable business practices. These companies are now reducing the environmental effects of their products by opting to greener formulations, decreasing packaging of most of their products and also reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as water and energy consumption. In addition, they are also considering the social dimension of their businesses and operations. These include ethical supply from their supplies and social responsibilities through corporate philanthropy.In its recent strategic report, Organic Monitor (2010) found that most companies are investing in greener formulations and sustainable packaging in order to reduce the environmental footprint caused by the various cosmetic products. The report suggests that packaging is getting high interest because most companies in the aesthetic industry have realized the high environmental impact most of their cosmetic products have had on the environment. As a result companies are now looki ng for biodegradable plastics, recyclable materials as well as other innovative ways to lower environmental degradation (Brandweek, n. d).ConclusionThe beauty industry has more to offer to the modern society in terms of monetary value and desired body image. Although, some may not be able to access or afford the most expensive cosmetic products like plastic surgery, the benefits far outweighs the concerns of the minority who would have to contend with their natural looks. But even as the industry remains relevant and beneficial to the current society, it has to treat the ethical issues raised as a matter of urgency.A sustainable business practice would not only benefit the consumers and the society but also ensure a continued operation by the cosmetic companies within a sustainable environment. Although, a few companies have seen this importance of this, more need to be done.ReferencesBlack, P. (2004). The Beauty Industry: Gender, Culture, Pleasure, Routledge: New York. Brandweek, ( n. d). Study: Natural Beauty Products Flooding the Market. Retrieved on August 21, 2010, from http://www. brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/packaging-and-design/e3id5cad753451dc1bfe073efb89ddb9730 Brumberg, J. (1997).The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls. Random House: New York. Gillespie, R. (1996).Women, the Body Brand Extension in Medicine: Cosmetic Surgery and the Paradox of Choice. Women and Health Vol. 24. Haiken, E. (1997).Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore. Hiscock, J. & Lovett, F. (2004).Beauty Therapy, 2nd Heinemann: London Organic Monitor, (2010, May 19).CSR & Sustainability: How the Beauty Industry Is Cleaning Up. Retrieved on August 21, 2010, from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WvoQqIjRJqcJ:www.npicenter. com/anm/anmviewer.asp%3Fa%3D27277%26z%3D2+Beauty+Industry+Ethics&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ke&client=firefox-a Morgan, K. (1992).Women and the Knife: Cosmetic Surgery and the Colonization of Women's Bodies. Hypatia Vol. 6: 25-53. Simms, J. (1998).A Practical Guide to Beauty Therapy for Nvq Level 2, 2nd edition, Nelson Thomes: New York. Sullivan, D. (2001). Â  

Social Darwinism1 essays

Social Darwinism1 essays In the late 19th Century a term called Social Darwinism was established to describe the idea that humans, like plants and animals, compete in a struggle for existence. Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British scientist and naturalist Charles Darwin. Darwin also created "The Survival of the Fittest," meaning that the strong will survive and the weak will perish. Some social darwinists deny that they approve of the theory that the strongest will survive, but many of their arguments justify imbalances of power because they consider some people more fit to survive than others. Social Darwinism is a variety of social policies and theories from reducing the power of government to exploring the biological causes of human behavior. Many social darwinists opposed government aid to the poor, laws against child labor, and free public education. Many darwinists did not want government to restrict competition in any way. They believed in the policy called laissez-faire, which means that the government should leave business alone. Darwin believed that human society is constantly changing. He also believed that competition between humans is normal and natural, which produces a better society and a better human being. There were many problems with the laissez-faire theory. Without some government control, businesses would have the freedom to exploit natural resources, use cutthroat competition, cheat customers and abuse labor. Social Darwinism accounts for the difference between the rich and the poor. It is said to be a "Welfare for the Rich," meaning that it helps the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. I think that Social Darwinism is wrong because not everyone has the ability to be the "fittest." There are people prone to diseases such as cancer, Parkinson disease, multiple sorceress, etc., and no matter how hard someone tries, there are people that just canno...

A History of the German Revolution of 1918 19

A History of the German Revolution of 1918 19 In 1918 – 19 Imperial Germany experienced a socialist-heavy revolution that, despite some surprising events and even a small socialist republic, would bring a democratic government. The Kaiser was rejected and a new parliament based at Weimar took over. However, Weimar ultimately failed and the question of whether the seeds of that failure began in the revolution if 1918-19 has never been decisively answered. Germany Fractures in World War One Like the other countries of Europe, much of Germany went into World War One believing it would be a short war and a decisive victory for them. But when the western front ground to a stalemate and the eastern front proved no more promising, Germany realized it had entered into a prolonged process it was poorly prepared for. The country began to take the necessary measures to support the war, including mobilizing an enlarged workforce, dedicating more manufacturing to arms and other military supplies, and taking strategic decisions they hoped would give them an advantage. The war went on through the years, and Germany found itself increasingly stretched, so much so it began to fracture. Militarily, the army stayed an effective fighting force until 1918, and widespread disillusion and failures stemming from morale only crept in towards the end, although there were some earlier revolts. But before this, the steps taken in Germany to do everything for the military saw the ‘home front’ experience problems, and there was a marked change in morale from early 1917 onward, with strikes at one point numbering a million workers. Civilians were experiencing food shortages, exacerbated by the failure of the potato crop over the 1916-17 winter. There were also fuel shortages, and deaths from hunger and cold more than doubled over the same winter; flu was widespread and lethal. Infant mortality was also growing considerably, and when this was coupled with the families of the two million dead soldiers and the many millions wounded, you had a populace th at was suffering. In addition, while working days grew longer, inflation was making goods ever more expensive, and ever more unaffordable. The economy was on the verge of collapsing. The discontent among German civilians was not limited to either the working or middle classes, as both felt an increasing hostility to the government. Industrialists were also a popular target, with people convinced they were making millions from the war effort while everyone else suffered. As the war went deep into 1918, and the German offensives failed, the German nation seemed to be on the verge of splitting, even with the enemy still not on German soil. There was pressure from the government, from campaign groups and others to reform a government system that seemed to be failing. Ludendorff sets the Time Bomb Imperial Germany was supposed to be run by the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, aided by a Chancellor. However, over the final years of the war, two military commanders had taken control of Germany: Hindenburg and Ludendorff. By mid-1918 Ludendorff, the man with the practical control suffered both a mental breakdown and a long-feared realization: Germany was going to lose the war. He also knew that if the allies invaded Germany it would have a peace forced on it, and so he took actions which he hoped would bring a gentler peace deal under Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points: he asked for the German Imperial autocracy to be transformed into a constitutional monarchy, keeping the Kaiser but bringing in a new level of effective government. Ludendorff had three reasons for doing this. He believed the democratic governments of Britain, France, and the United States would be more willing to work with a constitutional monarchy than the Kaiserriech, and he believed that the change would head off the social revolt he feared the war’s failure would trigger as blame and anger were redirected. He saw the neutered parliament’s calls for change and feared what they would bring if left unmanaged. But Ludendorff had a third goal, a far more pernicious and costly one. Ludendorff didn’t want the army to take the blame for the war’s failure, nor did he want his high-powered allies to do so either. No, what Ludendorff wanted was to create this new civilian government and make them surrender, to negotiate the peace, so they would be blamed by the German people and the army would still be respected. Unfortunately for Europe in the mid-twentieth century, Ludendorff was entirely successful, starting the myth tha t Germany had been ‘stabbed in the back’, and helping the fall of Weimer and the rise of Hitler. Revolution from Above A strong Red Cross supporter, Prince Max of Baden became chancellor of Germany in October 1918, and Germany restructured its government: for the first time the Kaiser and the Chancellor were made answerable to the parliament, the Reichstag: the Kaiser lost command of the military, and the Chancellor had to explain himself, not to the Kaiser, but parliament. As Ludendorff hoped, this civilian government was negotiating an end to the war. Germany Revolts However, as the news spread across Germany that the war was lost, shock set in, then the anger Ludendorff and others had feared. So many had suffered so much and been told they were so close to victory that many weren’t satisfied with the new system of government. Germany would move swiftly into revolution. Sailors at a naval base near Kiel rebelled on October 29, 1918, and as the government lost control of the situation other major naval bases and ports also fell to revolutionaries. The sailors were angry at what was happening and were trying to prevent the suicide attack some naval commanders had ordered to try and recover some honor. News of these revolts spread, and everywhere it went soldiers, sailors and workers joined them in rebelling. Many set up special, soviet style councils to organize themselves, and Bavaria actually expelled their fossil King Ludwig III and Kurt Eisner declared it a socialist republic. The October reforms were soon being rejected as not enough, both by the revolutionaries and the old order who needed a way to manage events. Max Baden hadn’t wanted to expel the Kaiser and family from the throne, but given that the latter was reluctant to make any other reforms, Baden had no choice, and so it was decided that the Kaiser would be replaced by a left-wing government led by Friedrich Ebert. But the situation at the heart of government was chaos, and first a member of this government - Philipp  Scheidemann – declared that Germany was a republic, and then another called it a Soviet Republic. The Kaiser, already in Belgium, decided to accept military advice that his throne was gone, and he exiled himself to Holland. The Empire was over. Left Wing Germany in Fragments Ebert and Government At the end of 1918, the government looked like it was falling apart, as the SPD was moving from the left to the right in an ever more desperate attempt to gather support, while the USPD pulled out to focus on more extreme reform. The Spartacists Revolt Bolsheviks The Results: The National Constituent Assembly Thanks to Ebert’s leadership and the quelling of extreme socialism, Germany in 1919 was led by a government which had changed at the very top – from an autocracy to a republic – but in which key structures like land ownership, industry and other businesses, the church, the military and the civil service, remained pretty much the same. There was great continuity and not the socialist reforms that the country seemed in a position to carry through, but neither had there been large-scale bloodshed. Ultimately, it can be argued that the revolution in Germany was a lost opportunity for the left, a revolution that lost its way, and that socialism lost a chance to restructure before Germany and the conservative right grew ever more able to dominate. Revolution? Although it is common to refer to these events as a revolution, some historians dislike the term, viewing the 1918-19 as either a partial / failed revolution, or an evolution from the Kaiserreich, which might have taken place gradually if World War One had never occurred. Many Germans who lived through it also thought it was only half a revolution, because while the Kaiser had gone, the socialist state they had wanted was also absent, with the leading socialist party heading up a middle ground. For the next few years, left-wing groups would attempt to push the ‘revolution’ further, but all failed. In doing so, the center allowed the right to remain to crush the left.