Marquis M. Converse

Marquis M. Converse is an entrepreneur, founder of Converse. About Converse Converse origins of the company date back to 1908 when Marquis M. Converse opened the factory in Massachusetts called Converse Rubber Shoe Company. The factory initially produced only rubber soles for all types of footwear since 1915, however, focused on the production of tennis shoes from her and moved smoothly to produce shoes for basketball. And here starts writing legend. Year 1917, the year he saw the light of day Converse All-Star.Unbelievably innovator shoes that brought in, at that time, a relatively young sport – basketball, lots of new features and ideas. , four years later, the company made a brilliant move Converse, employs basketball player Chuck Taylor All-Star who wore as her favorite shoes. In addition, players is becoming a trader company Converse and brand design. On all models Converse – Chuck Taylor All-Stars appears his signature sneakers ever confirms a legend. Connection and Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers in the world became indivisible.Converse as one of the first manufacturers in the world and sneakers Chuck Taylor as a basketball superstar of his time. Present Converse Conversky most famous are forever All-Stars, but the list of models of this brand does not end. Became less popular as basketball shoes from 1986 that bear the name The Weapon. The model also underwent Weapon reissue, the first in 2002, when they came to the ceremony itself Teen Choice Awards Kobe Bryant and the other in 2003 under the name The Loaded Weapon. All models from Converse is produced for years in a wide variety of colors and finishes.Converse was one of the first trainers in the world and certainly will not be the last. At least take care of it, Nike, Converse brand that already own some that Friday. Chuck Taylor All Star – (also known as â€Å"Chucks†, â€Å"Cons†, â€Å"Conies†) are shoes of 20 century that it all began. The original canvas and rubber boots classic Chuck Taylor All Star is the idol of America, which has sold over 750 million pairs in 144 countries Converse Sports Lifestyle – footwear is designed to be worn on the street, in clubs and schools.The different shapes are inspired by the urban youth skate shoes and white leather shoes that are clear leaders in the field of urban fashion. Inextricably linked with the history and heritage of Converse shoes are developed for life outside playground and playing field. Converse One Star – are popular with skateboarding and surfing community as retro, alternative lifestyle that represents originality and individuality.One Star shoes, created in 1970, triggered the era of wearing shoes for all styles of so-called â€Å"India† athletes, individuals whose lifestyle and sport go hand in hand with creativity, imagination and sebevyjadrenim. Converse Performance Basketball – a new class of footwear was designed to play on the playground and in the halls with an emphasis on comfort, protection and style. With the same simple and characteristics as their predecessors have shoes Converse features a new generation of advanced technology, functional design and original style which allows players to peak performance and presentation skills.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Proposal for MSA 685 Project Ronnie Heare Dr. Robert E. Weltzer Jr. Table of Contents Abstract3 Problem Statement4 Purpose of Study4 Literature Review5 Methodology8 References9 Literature Review Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming an ever increasing problem in today’s military. This disorder is nothing new and has affected veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Shield/Desert Storm.There are particularly good descriptions of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the medical literature on combat veterans of World War II and on Holocaust survivors. (Veterans Affairs Fact Sheet, 2006). But with the many deployments in the past several years to Iraq and Afghanistan, with many soldiers going over for the third or fourth deployments, the pressures mounting on today’s military has become too much for some to handle. The main difference between past wand present wars is the ever in creasing number of women who are seeing combat on the front lines.Women are being tasked to fill more and more lethal combat roles as the war on terror continues and women appear to be more susceptible to PTSD than their male counterparts. Studies indicate that many of these women suffer from more pronounced and debilitating forms of PTSD than men, a worrisome finding in a nation that remembers how many traumatized troops got back from Vietnam and turned to drugs and violence, alcohol and suicide. (Scharnberg, 2005).The government is extremely concerned about this and has begun doing studies on how to combat the lingering effects of this disorder. Half of the women will be treated to long term therapy in which they will relive the traumatic events that led up to PTSD in hopes that their emotional distress will decrease over time and that their memory of the event is no longer traumatic. The other half of the women will be treated with a therapy that will focus on their life now and how to deal with the traumatic event in the present rather than the past.Although the goal of the study is to determine which therapies work best for women suffering from PTSD, experts agree that if the study is conclusive it eventually may be applied to tens of thousands of Iraq war veterans, male and female alike. (Scharnberg, 2005). While many soldiers are receiving help with their disorder, for some, the help comes too late and they are unable to cope or continue with their life. Since combat operations began in March 2003, 45 soldiers have killed themselves in Iraq, and an additional two dozen have committed suicide after returning home, the Army has confirmed. Mclemore, 2005). While these numbers are staggering some experts feel that the worst is yet to come. The problem for some is that they either do not know there is a problem or do not want anyone to know that they have a problem. The Army has recently begun screening of personnel that have recently returned from a deploym ent but that still does not help the thousands who have returned in previous years. According to Veterans Affairs (VA) data, 9. 600 of the 360,000 soldiers discharged after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have received a provisional diagnosis of PTSD. Mclemore, 2005). As the military continues to struggle with helping veterans with PTSD, there is another problem that also lingers. Many soldiers are returning to Iraq and Afghanistan with mental illness and given anti-depressants to help with their problems. A 2004 Army report found that up to 17 percent of combat-seasoned infantrymen experienced major depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder after one combat tour to Iraq. Less than 40 percent of them had sought mental-health care. (Rogers, 2006).One problem lies in that many soldiers want to return to combat with their units and as long as they are medically cleared to go then they are permitted to go. The second problem is the medical professional basically being able to predict the future and how the deployment will affect the soldier returning to combat. Had these soldiers been drafted and put on medication and sent back to combat there would have been many questions asked. Since this is an all volunteer Army it is too often assumed that these soldiers will do whatever is asked of them.Think of the ethical questions that would arise from sending draftees back to war on medications. (Rogers, 2006). It is clear that the amount and rate of deployments is not going to slow down in the near future. Until the military, not just the Army, can come up with a way to screen soldiers before and after deployments, there will be a continuous rise in the amount of soldiers suffering from PTSD. Methodology In the research paper I will provide historical as well as statistical data from the previous wars the United States Military has been involved in.I will show how the military has failed to cope with this ever increasing problem and the impact it has had an d will have on the future our military force. It has become obvious that men and women are becoming increasingly wary of entering our Armed Forces today because of the thought of deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan or some other country. I will use data that has already been collected from many sources, Veterans Affairs, military, etc, to substantiate these findings. Until the deployments slow down and we tart taking better care of our veterans this reluctance to join the Armed Forces is not going to get any better. Couple this with the ever decreasing benefits and the unwillingness of the people in charge to ensure that money is made available to care for the traumas of war people will continue to stay away from the military. I will also discuss the differences with PTSD in men and women and the types to therapies being used on both. Finally, the paper will discuss ways that the military can assist and support, not only soldiers with PTSD, but the family members that suffer along with t hem.References Department of Veterans Affairs Homepage. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? [online]. Available: http://www. ncptsd. va. gov/topics/war. html (2006, February 22). Mclemore, David. (2005, Dec 8). For troops, stress a lingering hazard. The Dallas Morning News. Nadelson, Theodore. Damage: War's Awful Aftermath. In Trained to Kill: Soldiers at War, 89-103. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. 191pp. (U21. 5 . N33 2005) Rogers, Rick. (2006, March 19).Some troops headed back to Iraq are mentally ill. The San Diego Union Tribune. Scharnberg, Kirsten. (2005, March 28). Women GIs and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Chicago Tribune. U. S. Government Accountability Office. VA Health: VA Should Expedite the Implementation of Recommendations Needed to Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Government Accountability Office, February 2005. 58pp. Available from http://www. gao. gov/new. items/d05287. pdf. Internet. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Proposal for MSA 685 Project Ronnie Heare Dr. Robert E. Weltzer Jr. Table of Contents Abstract3 Problem Statement4 Purpose of Study4 Literature Review5 Methodology8 References9 Literature Review Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is becoming an ever increasing problem in today’s military. This disorder is nothing new and has affected veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Shield/Desert Storm.There are particularly good descriptions of posttraumatic stress symptoms in the medical literature on combat veterans of World War II and on Holocaust survivors. (Veterans Affairs Fact Sheet, 2006). But with the many deployments in the past several years to Iraq and Afghanistan, with many soldiers going over for the third or fourth deployments, the pressures mounting on today’s military has become too much for some to handle. The main difference between past wand present wars is the ever in creasing number of women who are seeing combat on the front lines.Women are being tasked to fill more and more lethal combat roles as the war on terror continues and women appear to be more susceptible to PTSD than their male counterparts. Studies indicate that many of these women suffer from more pronounced and debilitating forms of PTSD than men, a worrisome finding in a nation that remembers how many traumatized troops got back from Vietnam and turned to drugs and violence, alcohol and suicide. (Scharnberg, 2005).The government is extremely concerned about this and has begun doing studies on how to combat the lingering effects of this disorder. Half of the women will be treated to long term therapy in which they will relive the traumatic events that led up to PTSD in hopes that their emotional distress will decrease over time and that their memory of the event is no longer traumatic. The other half of the women will be treated with a therapy that will focus on their life now and how to deal with the traumatic event in the present rather than the past.Although the goal of the study is to determine which therapies work best for women suffering from PTSD, experts agree that if the study is conclusive it eventually may be applied to tens of thousands of Iraq war veterans, male and female alike. (Scharnberg, 2005). While many soldiers are receiving help with their disorder, for some, the help comes too late and they are unable to cope or continue with their life. Since combat operations began in March 2003, 45 soldiers have killed themselves in Iraq, and an additional two dozen have committed suicide after returning home, the Army has confirmed. Mclemore, 2005). While these numbers are staggering some experts feel that the worst is yet to come. The problem for some is that they either do not know there is a problem or do not want anyone to know that they have a problem. The Army has recently begun screening of personnel that have recently returned from a deploym ent but that still does not help the thousands who have returned in previous years. According to Veterans Affairs (VA) data, 9. 600 of the 360,000 soldiers discharged after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have received a provisional diagnosis of PTSD. Mclemore, 2005). As the military continues to struggle with helping veterans with PTSD, there is another problem that also lingers. Many soldiers are returning to Iraq and Afghanistan with mental illness and given anti-depressants to help with their problems. A 2004 Army report found that up to 17 percent of combat-seasoned infantrymen experienced major depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder after one combat tour to Iraq. Less than 40 percent of them had sought mental-health care. (Rogers, 2006).One problem lies in that many soldiers want to return to combat with their units and as long as they are medically cleared to go then they are permitted to go. The second problem is the medical professional basically being able to predict the future and how the deployment will affect the soldier returning to combat. Had these soldiers been drafted and put on medication and sent back to combat there would have been many questions asked. Since this is an all volunteer Army it is too often assumed that these soldiers will do whatever is asked of them.Think of the ethical questions that would arise from sending draftees back to war on medications. (Rogers, 2006). It is clear that the amount and rate of deployments is not going to slow down in the near future. Until the military, not just the Army, can come up with a way to screen soldiers before and after deployments, there will be a continuous rise in the amount of soldiers suffering from PTSD. Methodology In the research paper I will provide historical as well as statistical data from the previous wars the United States Military has been involved in.I will show how the military has failed to cope with this ever increasing problem and the impact it has had an d will have on the future our military force. It has become obvious that men and women are becoming increasingly wary of entering our Armed Forces today because of the thought of deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan or some other country. I will use data that has already been collected from many sources, Veterans Affairs, military, etc, to substantiate these findings. Until the deployments slow down and we tart taking better care of our veterans this reluctance to join the Armed Forces is not going to get any better. Couple this with the ever decreasing benefits and the unwillingness of the people in charge to ensure that money is made available to care for the traumas of war people will continue to stay away from the military. I will also discuss the differences with PTSD in men and women and the types to therapies being used on both. Finally, the paper will discuss ways that the military can assist and support, not only soldiers with PTSD, but the family members that suffer along with t hem.References Department of Veterans Affairs Homepage. What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? [online]. Available: http://www. ncptsd. va. gov/topics/war. html (2006, February 22). Mclemore, David. (2005, Dec 8). For troops, stress a lingering hazard. The Dallas Morning News. Nadelson, Theodore. Damage: War's Awful Aftermath. In Trained to Kill: Soldiers at War, 89-103. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. 191pp. (U21. 5 . N33 2005) Rogers, Rick. (2006, March 19).Some troops headed back to Iraq are mentally ill. The San Diego Union Tribune. Scharnberg, Kirsten. (2005, March 28). Women GIs and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Chicago Tribune. U. S. Government Accountability Office. VA Health: VA Should Expedite the Implementation of Recommendations Needed to Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services. Washington, D. C. : U. S. Government Accountability Office, February 2005. 58pp. Available from http://www. gao. gov/new. items/d05287. pdf. Internet.

Concept of human rights and its role in the legal,moral and political Outline

Concept of human rights and its role in the legal,moral and political world - Outline Example Much more job is required to inject human rights and the voice of the migrants into the mainstream of making policy in this area. â€Å"The wider vision of human rights allows for consideration of the problems of hunger, poverty, and violence facing billions of people† (Clapham 2007). In their human rights vision, persons are endowed, by cause of their humankind, with certain basic and unchallengeable rights. Idea of human rights offer the vocabulary for arguing regarding which interests must prevail and how best to accomplish the ends we have selected. Human Rights dealing with contempt subjects on occasion have to balance the competing interests and benefits of the constitutional right to a fair trial and the require to protect. The aspect of human rights to privacy and confidentiality, or the need to be left to oneself, is inherent to every human being. This is more apparent in the areas of hospitalization, medical care and defense of patient records. It is proposed to first think the aspect governing Human Rights Act regarding attaining consent of the patients in medical study settings previous to accepting them for bio-medical or medical research use. â€Å"So far we have resisted the temptation to claim that human rights are about balancing individual free doms and the collective interests of the community. Such claims say very little about these rights as they melt away into the interests of the majority to live in peace and security† (Clapham 2007). The push of worldwide human rights rule is that curtailment of rights should be vindicated by reference to pre-existing rules that permit for proportionate action essential to accomplish a legitimate aim. It is seen from the theories and cases discussed above that public view is significant aspect which wants to be accepted by citizens, celebrities or otherwise. At the same time as a certain amount of accommodation and restraint wants to be offered to citizens in terms of human rights and respect for

Helping Families of Children with Disabilities Essay

Helping Families of Children with Disabilities - Essay Example As Sloper (1999) put it, the manner in which family members perceive and interpret the strains experienced in parenting a facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered child is an important factor for the entire family's wellbeing. Recent technology has provided means for medical parents and carers to diagnose disabilities prior even to the birth of a child. The responsibility of medical and mental health parents and carers to provide aid to parents in understanding their support in their child's disability begins at the moment of information and realization of the disability. Most parents of facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered children feel that because of the added attention and care needed by the child, they need to sacrifice more of their personal ambitions and goals. As the child develops it has been observed that some parents feel that they have to compensate for the disability of their child. Overemphasis on the special needs of their facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered child may result in insufficient attention given to his or her siblings. Such practices lead to maladaptive family development. Thus, tantrums and other behavioral disorders tolerated from a facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered child would begin to manifest in the other children as well as they see that their parents endure such behavior. What parents should be aware of is that tolerance of and inability to addre ss the behavioral aspect of a child's disability may lead to abnormal behavior in other children as well. The need for therapists to address the needs not only of facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered children themselves but of their families as well could not be made clearer. With parents and carers taking on the task of catering to the problems encountered by parents, they are affecting the entire process of development the child would be brought up in. Prior to their child's birth parents are likely to have been exposed to professional dominance and consumerism. Because they are ill prepared for the birth of a facing implications regarding the way in which children's services are designed and delivered child, they are likely to rely heavily on the advice of parents and carers. The inability to comprehend the nature of the diagnosis immobilizes parents from responding to their child's situation. When parents and carers determ ine the diagnosis during the prenatal period and they are able to communicate the same to the parents effectively, parents are able to gradually adapt to their situation. Finally, just as positive regard for the child is important from family and friends, such positive regard is more so needed from parents and carers. Family Therapy Models Raising a facing implicat

Development in Crisis Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Development in Crisis Today - Essay Example The worldwide aspiration for development is more than just the desire for economic progress; it is a quest for status, prestige, recognition and social and political modernization. Making the situation more complex is the reality that never before in the history of mankind has people had access to so much information. The knowledge, understandings, and experiences from every sector of society and every human culture (past and present) can now contribute their part in solving the dynamic puzzle of developmental existence. At the same time, never before in history have we faced such complicated and pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges. Now, more than ever, we need action based upon the deepest possible understanding of our global situation, the stakeholders involved, and ourselves (Brown, 2005). The study on the phenomenon of development has led to various theorizing about the concept. Likewise, theories or perspective on the study of society and social realities have been used to analyze the various facets of development. These theories describe society as a system at a particular time or society in its dynamic aspect. They seek to explain the consequences of the development and the cost of development or conditions that can bring about development. Dev Development can be viewed as a goal and an end or a process. But there is no single theory that can explain all the above aspects. Each theory explains only part of the highly complex process of development. Among the approaches to development are (Muhi, 1999): (a) the Evolutionary Theories which include Durkheim's Theory of Social Change, Redfield's Folk-Urban Continuum, Structural Functionalism, and Parson's theory among others; These theories held that society underwent a progressive development or unilinear evolution towards progress. (b) the Economic Theories that are found in the works of Myrdal and Rostow; The economic point-of-view of development maintains that economic progress is a very essential component of development although non-economic factors such as values, attitudes, institutions, and policies are just as important. (c) the Ecological theories such as Hawley's and Odum's; Ecology which is the study of organisms or groups of organisms to their environment has been extended to the study of man's relation to the environment. (d) the Conflict Theories to include Marx and Lenin as well as the Theory of Dependency This class of theories focuses on change as a permanent and inseparable aspect of society with conflict as an accompaniment of the change. In a more recent example of an economic crisis, i.e. the economic crisis that gripped East Asia in 1997, Burkett and Hart (2000) cited the East Asian development process as "highly exploitative and unstable" and "only a Marxist approach" can provide insights into the reality of growth in the area. The authors conclude that Japan's "crisis of human development" will not be solved "as long as they remain within a capitalist framework." They urge the Japanese working class

Business law and ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business law and ethics - Essay Example Moreover, the acceleration speed must be regulated by stating the safety factor. Brake pedal pressure signal plots that the underlying driver normally applies on the brake pedal during the period of its operation on the vehicle stationary. Moreover, the brake pedal pressure goes to zero and there is sharp transition in the accelerator pedal pressure signal. Dynamic of the underlying pressure is also defined as the rate of alteration in the pressure applied on the pedal pressure by the corresponding driver. Thus pressure mainly aids in the apply friction that aids in the stopping of the brake pedals. Problem solving models that is will utilize in making my final decision would be employment of the SWOT analysis and PEST analysis models. SWOT analysis will assist me in examining the underlying potential and corresponding suitability of the Zero Pedal in the Eastern market. The decision making will mainly incorporate appropriate tools and process. The question that I would ask will pert ain to the definition and clarification issue of defects, collecting of all the facts and comprehending causes of the Zero Pedal defects. Moreover, I will brainstorm about the probable alternatives and solutions by comparing those alternatives. I will then choose the best alternative that compromises the decision. Then I will ensure that the designers of the Zero Pedal implement the chosen alternative by following up. A2. I will not recommend my company to pay the special $5,000 fee to have the prevailing Zero Pedal on the underlying shelves of the corresponding sporting goods store. This because the its operation that ought not to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit since the temperature of the store rooms might rise above that thus posing a lot of negative risk. Moreover, the process is not legal since it does follow the outline procedures that Green Move Company has put in place in regard to ordering and stocking its commodities. A3. Green Move can apply the cost/benefit analysis in th e latency stage in regard to the safety concerns while looking for the permanent solution to the problem. Cost benefit analysis will aids them in disposing the present stock and increasing the market base for its products. Nevertheless, the are numerous risks in the undertaking of the cost benefit analysis because they will be exposing the users of the commodities to a lot of risks that might derail their market coverage and consequently spoil the public image of the company in case the explosion of the products occur. Questions B B.1 Robert should try to improve the condition of the Solar Group since the Solar Group manufacturers of the corresponding solar panels are fundamental in the production of the Zero Pedal. Termination the underlying agreements will make the Green Move company to experienced serious problems since solar panels are chief components in the manufacture of the Zero Pedal. Thus, Robert has one option of improving the condition of the Solar Group situated in Bang ladesh to conform to the required standards by employing workers of appropriate ages. He ought to enforce the Solar Group that was stipulates that no children ought to be employed in the Solar Group and the employees must also be treated fairly. Green Move Company interest is at stake since Solar Group produces Solar panels that are fundamental in the production of the Zero Pedal. So they must force the company to conform to the

Perspectives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Perspectives - Assignment Example It looks at how one thing relates to the other branches of the society. For example, how industrial or capitalistic relations coordinate with the economic, political and social relations of the said society. In the unitary perspective, any form of disagreement is viewed as very disruptive, unwanted and generally irrational (Waiganjo & Ng’ethe, 2012). This is because it is bound to spoil the state of tranquility that exists in this setting, which in normal cases is almost like a family. Conflicts are therefore solved through discussions, since the relationship here is taken to be mutually exclusive (Gordon, 2014). This essentially locks out the need for trade unions which usually should have taken this role of negotiation. As a result, the trade unions force themselves into the setup. In case they successfully do, they are in most cases pushed to the periphery of the organization since they are not really needed. Job regulation is perceived to be very mutual, where the needs, skills and requirements of the employee balance with those of the employer. As a result, employees enjoy their jobs and minima sackings or job discontinuities are observed. In the pluralist setup, conflicts and disagreements between the management and the employees is assumed to be a very normal occurrence. The leadership realizes that it has rival allegiances and attachments from its employees and an equilibrium has to be established (Michael, 1999).As a result negotiation and intensive arbitration are deemed necessary hence the need for trade unions, which are seen as essential for the rights of employees. They serve to agitate for the rights of the employees. Meanwhile, both parties are required to tread in a flexible manner, in order to avoid hard line stances that might scamper any negotiation attempt. Job regulation is maintained since the needs of the employee almost balance with the targets of the employer, and in case they don’t, trade

Psycolinguistics Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psycolinguistics - Research Proposal Example The psychological factors include the child’s family setting, stress, abuse, neglect, separation from loved ones, or an extreme psychological event that distressed him emotionally. The research will focus on questions like: Does an unsuitable family setting affect a child’s perception of speech? What impact does stress and emotional distress has on his speech and sound recognition? Does getting him separated from his loved ones like a parent affect his ability to perceive speech? These issues have inspired me to conduct this qualitative research. Literature Review Past Research Papers. Some past research that will be helpful is: Benedek, Elissa P. and Diane H. Schetky. â€Å"Problems in Validating Allegations of Sexual Abuse. Part 1: Factors Affecting Perception and Recall of Events.† Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26.6 (1987): 912-915. (This is a research on the effect of sexual abuse of child’s perception of events bu t it will also be helpful in interpreting child’s speech perception.) Hurewitz, Felicia, Brown-Schmidt, Sarah, Thorpe, Kirsten, Gleitman, Lila R. and John C. Trueswell.

Economist Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economist - Assignment Example Marshall started with metaphysics, specifically "the philosophical foundation of knowledge, especially in relation to theology." The Metaphysics led Alfred to ethics, specifically a Sidgwickian version of utilitarianism; ethics, on the other hand, led Alfred to economics. This was so because economics played an essential role in the provision of the preconditions for the improvement of the working class. Marshall’s ethical views continued to be a dominant force in his thinking even though he turned to economics (Marshall & Palgrave Connect, 2013). During his time, Marshall was viewed as the most influential economist. In his book Principles of Economics (1881), Marshall brought out the ideas of supply and demand, marginal utility and cost of production into a single whole. As an extension to what he had done, he brought up the elasticity price of demand. He in addition, contributed to the economic welfare both consumer surplus and producer surplus. He developed the standard demand and supply graph which demonstrates a number of basics that regards demand and supply including market equilibrium, law of diminishing returns, supply and demand curves, law of marginal returns, interrelationship between price and quantity with respect to demand and supply, and the ideas of producer and consumer surpluses (Marshall & Palgrave Connect, 2013). Economists now use this model in various forms using different variables in demonstrating several other economic principles. Ideas and theories that could only be explained in words can now be r epresented visually with the help of this model. Marshall’s models are now critical throughout the study of economics simply because they allow fundamentals or theories being explained to be represented clearly and concisely (Marshall & Palgrave Connect, 2013). Marshall had a vision of dramatic social change which involves the sharp reduction of inequality and the elimination of poverty. He saw that it was

Elizabethan society Essay Example for Free

Elizabethan society Essay In early Elizabethan society, acting was not considered a mainstream professional while college drama and craft guilds alone were acceptable. During Shakespeare’s era, the English aristocrats were the patrons of theatrical forms of art. Since acting in theaters had not become professional and actors were often moving from place to another in search of opportunities, they were considered to be vagabonds. To prevent actors from being arrested, theater fans such as Lord Chamberlain brought actors under their protection in the 1560s. Hence, performances in the theater mainly catered to the tastes of the art-loving aristocrats in Elizabethan society. According to the theatrical world, â€Å"Shakespeare’s livelihood and the stunning artistic explosion in which he participated depended on pragmatic and architectural effort† (Merchant of Venice ix). Since his plays’ themes centered on existentialism, they were considered to be revolutionary during that period of time. Existentialism is a philosophy that believes that human existence is inexplicable and holds man responsible for his actions. This school of thought might have appealed to liberals in the Elizabethan society that did completely agree with the Church’s dogmatic view of life. Hence, Shakespeare’s plays mostly drifted around ideas of pragmatism and were often staged quite artistically. The amphitheaters built to showcase plays were very elegant and a testament to architectural excellence. Hamlet declares that he would kill Claudius to seek revenge for his father, when the ghost of his dead father appears before him and says that Claudius is the murder. He first delays avenging his father’s death as he convinces himself that he is seeking concrete proof to ensure that Claudius is the real murderer behind old Hamlet’s murder. Since Hamlet is never actually driven by a natural instinct to seek revenge, he is tormented by guilt for still not avenging the person responsible for his father’s death. When he gets a chance to kill Claudius during a prayer, Hamlet says â€Å"so a goes to heaven† and turns down the opportunity (act iii scene iii). Finally, he also tries to reason with himself whether the ghost was real or a figment of his imagination. Hamlet has intense love for his mother Gertrude, but feels scared and guilty of his feelings towards his mother since the society despises incestuous love. Hence, Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius who is Gertrude’s newlywed husband and the only force preventing Hamlet from expressing his true feelings. This depicts Hamlet’s inner battles with his conscience, as he ponders whether to kill Claudius or not. The brash and immature traits of Hamlet suggest that he is no more than twenty years of age. Hamlet’s indication that he wants to go back to Wittenberg as a student and the fact that he was not considered for being crowned the new King after his father’s murder reiterate this assumption. However, at the end of the play, the gravedigger clown tells Hamlet that he has been there since the day young Hamlet was born. When Hamlet asks him how long the clown had been there, the gravedigger clown replies â€Å"I have been sexton here, man and boy, thirty years† (act v scene i). Hence, this suggests that Hamlet is thirty years old when he dies in the end. The four major characters killed at the end of the play are Laertes, Gertrude, Hamlet and Claudius. Laertes, Lord Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, challenges Hamlet to fight a friendly sword duel. But, he is actually ordered by the King Claudius to kill Hamlet and Laertes accepts the job to please the King. Laertes yells â€Å"I am justly kill’d with my own treachery† when Hamlet kills him with his own poisoned-tipped sword (act v scene ii). This indicates that Laertes tries to seek false glory and finally ends up paying a price for it. Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude mistakenly drinks the poisoned wine meant for Hamlet and dies. Hamlet kills Claudius for being responsible for poisoning his mother. Claudius, owing to his greed for the throne and lust for Gertrude, had killed old Hamlet and was responsible for the tragic situation. Hamlet finally avenges the death of his father and is justified in killing Claudius since he is not driven by blind rage or intent to seek revenge. Hamlet also dies as Laertes before dying had wounded him with his poisoned sword. However, Hamlet’s role in the eventual tragic end cannot be denied. Hence, Gertrude is the least responsible for the tragic situation since she did not conspire to kill or trick anyone, but was merely a victim of Claudius’ evil plans. Fortinbras, the King of Norway, enters the tragic scene and recognizes Hamlet as an honorable man after hearing about his story. Hamlet, before dying tells Horatio that he wishs Fortinbras to be the new King of Denmark. Hamlet, even in his dying moments, is concerned about the future of his country and learns to embrace death. Hamlet, initially perceived to be unruly, matures as a person and advices Horatio not to take his own life in the end. Fortinbras orders his men to honor Hamlet by saying â€Å"let four captains bear Hamlet like a soldier† on a raised platform and pay all the respects given to a true soldier (act v scene ii). Fortinbras also speaks of Hamlet’s virtues and says that Hamlet had potential to a good ruler if he had been â€Å"put on† as the King. The phrase â€Å"put on† is meant to signify the ambiguity of human nature and that we all don on costumes to signify who are. Our habits are like the like costumes that we put on and shape us into we who want to be. Our choices are always susceptible to doubt, but we â€Å"put on† an aura of certainty while suppressing the internal conflicts that go on inside our minds and this reemphasizes the existential nature of Hamlet. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Braunmuller, A. R. Penguin Classics, 2000. ix-xii. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet.

Winston Churchill As A Leader History Essay

Winston Churchill As A Leader History Essay Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill is an English statesman, orator and writer, the British prime minister in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955 respectively, is a part of the Big Three in many ways by which the modern world is as it really is. Winston Churchill was born November 30, 1874 in the family estate of the Dukes of Marlborough Blenheim Palace.  Churchills father was the Lord Randolph Spencer Churchill, the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough, he was a famous politician, member of House of Commons from the Conservative Party, and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mother was a Lady Randolph Churchill, she was the daughter of a wealthy American businessman, as described in A Life.   Churchills father was busy with his political career and his mother, absorbed in secular life, paid little attention to his son.  Since 1875, child care was given to the nurse Elizabeth Ann Everest.  She sincerely loved him and was one of the closest people to Winston Churchill. According to Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill Biography, when Churchill was eight years old, he was sent to prep school St. Georges.  The school practiced corporal punishment and Winston, constantly violated discipline, as it was often subjected.  After regular visits to his nanny, there were found on the body of the boy traces of vice, she immediately told his mother and he was transferred to the school of Nurses Thomson in Brighton.  Academic success, especially after the transfer, was satisfactory, but the certification of the behavior of reads: Number of students per class 13.  Place the 13th In 1889, he was transferred to the army class, where, besides teaching general subjects, students were preparing for a military career.   He graduated from school among the total of 12 students, who were able to withstand the tests in all subjects, and highlights the advances in the study of history.  At Harrow, he was engaged in fencing and achieved notable success, becoming the champion of the school in 1892.   June 28, 1893 Churchill on the third attempt passed the exams to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (the difficulties were with the writing in Latin), one of the most prestigious military schools of the United Kingdom.  Because of low ratings (92 of 102 results), he becomes a cavalry cadet and gets transferred into a more prestigious infantry class due to the fact that several candidates showed the best results, refused admission. On the February 20, 1895 Winston Churchill was awarded with the rank of second lieutenant, as stated in Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill Biography. In the same year he suffered two heavy losses: in January, his father dies, and in July his favorite sitter died of peritonitis. After obtaining military rank, Churchill was enrolled in the Fourth Hussars of Her Majesty. Perhaps, at that moment he realized that his military career was not very attractive: The longer I serve, the more I like to serve, but the more I am convinced that its not for me, he wrote to Lady Randolph in August 16, 1895, as stated in Churchill by Himself: The Life, Times and Opinions of Winston S. Churchill in his Own Words. In 1895, thanks to extensive links to his mother, Churchill was sent to Cuba as a military correspondent for the Daily Schedule newspaper to cover an uprising of local people against the Spaniards, but continued with the number on active duty. Seconded to the Spanish troops, he first was visited by the fire.  The newspaper has published five of his articles, some of which were reprinted by The New York Times. Articles were met favorably by readers, and the fee was 25 guineas, at that time was for Churchills quite a substantial sum.  The Spanish government awarded him with the Medal of the Red Cross, it has given the popularity of Churchills controversial nature, since he led the British press to question the neutrality of the correspondent.  In addition to the awards and literary fame, he has acquired in Cuba two habits that accompanied him throughout his life: smoking Cuban cigars and afternoon breaks siesta.  On the way back to England, Churchill first time visited the Uni ted States, as stated in An Officer and a Bulldog. In October 1896, the regiment was sent to India and houses in Bangalore.  Churchill read a lot, thus attempting to compensate studies for the lack of university education, and became one of the best players on the team regimental polo.  According to the memoirs of subordinates, he conscientiously regarded officers duties and a lot of time to exercises with the soldiers and sergeants, but routine service burden to him twice, he went on vacation in England (including the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria), he traveled  in India, visiting Calcutta and Hyderabad.   In the autumn of 1897, empty again in the course of his personal connections and the possibilities of his mother, he seeks the secondment to the Expeditionary Corps, to suppress the uprising Pushtun tribes in the mountain area of Malakand in north-west of the country.  This campaign was far more cruel and dangerous than the Cuban.  During the operation, Churchill showed absolute courage, though often the risk was unnecessary, caused by the bravado and not a necessity.  He wrote to his mother: I seek the reputation for courage more than anything else in this world, as described in Churchill by Himself: The Life, Times and Opinions of Winston S. Churchill in his Own Words. Letters from the front line have been published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper and after the campaign had a circulation of 8,500 copies of his book The Story of the Malakand Field Force. Because of the hurried preparations for the printing of the book, were crept into a huge number of typographical errors, Churchill had counted more than 200 spelling errors and since then has always demanded personal rule proofs publishers.   The desire to go to another journalistic assignment has not met the understanding of the command, and he wrote to the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, frankly admitting that travelling is motivated as a desire to illuminate a historic moment and opportunity to retrieve personal, including financial benefits from the publication of a book.  As a result, the Military Department approved a request by appointing him to the supernumerary post of lieutenant in the order of the appointment. It was stressed that in case of injury or death, he cannot rely on payments from the funds of the Ministry of Defense. In the pitched battle at Omdurman, Churchill took part in the last cavalry charge of the British Army.  He has described this episode by himself:  I pulled to a trot and rode up to individuals firing my pistol in their faces and killing several three for certain two doubtful one very doubtful, as stated in Churchill by Himself: The Life, Times and Opinions of Winston S. Churchill in his Own Words.   Hes a great general, but nobody has accused him that he was a great gentleman Churchill said about himself in private conversation, apt description, however, quickly became publicly known.  Although the criticism was largely fair, public reaction to it was ambiguous; the position of publicist and ill accuser was combined with official duty junior officer.   After the end of the campaign Churchill returned to India to take part in national polo tournament.  During a brief stop in England on several occasions he speaks at a rally conservatives.  Almost immediately after the tournament, which his team won, defeating the stubborn final match, In March 1899 he resigned.   By the time Churchills resignation became known in some circles as a journalist, and his book was about the Sudan campaign The River War, became a bestseller. The first attempt to take a seat in the House of Commons had not been successful; there were no fault of Churchill himself: county was dominated by nonconformists. Churchill during the campaign expressed his disagreement with the law, but it had no effect, and both mandates from Oldham have got the liberals, as stated in A Life.     Second English-Boer War (1899-1902). By the autumn of 1899, relations with the Boer republics became worse, and when in September the Transvaal and the Orange Republic rejected the British proposal to grant voting rights of British workers in the gold mines, it became apparent that war was inevitable.   In September 1899, owners of the Daily Mail asked Churchill to go to South Africa as a military correspondent.  Without giving any answer, he reported it to the editor of the Morning Post, for which he worked during the Sudan campaign, and he was offered a monthly salary of 250 pounds plus reimbursement of all expenses.  It was a very significant amount (about 8,000 pounds today) more than ever a journalist was offered and Churchill agreed immediately.  He departed from England on October 14, two days after the war started, as described in Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist. On November 15 1899, Churchill went on a reconnaissance raid on an armored train, which was commanded by Captain Haldane, his friend in Malakand.  Soon an armored train was fired upon by Boers artillery.  When a person tried to escape from the fire at a high speed, reverse composition crashed into boulders, that blocked the path of the enemy to cut off the retreat.  The repair platform and two armored wagons derailed, the only instrument which has become immobile armored train was incapacitated by a direct hit. Churchill volunteered to command the clearing of paths; Haldane tried to establish a defense and to cover workers.  According to eyewitnesses, Churchill acted courageously under fire, but when the road was cleared, it turned out that the coupling of the remaining wagons on the track was killed off by a shell, and the only thing left Haldane Immerse in the engine severely injured to send them to the rear.  Around 50 Britons still face many times superior enemy forces .  As Churchill himself wrote, the Boers attacked with a courage equal to humanity, urging the enemy to surrender. Haldane and the soldiers were taken as prisoners.  Churchill attempted to flee but was detained in cavalry drills, and placed in a prisoners camp, hosted by the State exemplary school in Pretoria, as stated in An Officer and a Bulldog. On December 12, 1899 Churchill escaped from the camp.  Two other members of the escape Haldane and Sergeant Major Brookie did not manage to get across the fence unnoticed by the guards, and Churchill, while waiting for them in the bushes on the opposite side of the wall.  He was subsequently charged with the fact that he left his comrades, but there is no evidence for this. He jumped on the freight train, he got to Uitbank, where he was within a few days hiding in the mine, and then helped smuggle a train across the front line, said a mining engineer Daniel Devsnap.  For the capture of Winston Churchill Boers was offered reward of 25 pounds.   Escape from captivity made him famous, he received several offers to run for parliament, including a telegram from Oldhams voters, promising to give him his vote regardless of political affiliation, but Churchill chose to stay in the army, he was promoted to lieutenant of the Light Brigade  without pay, while continuing to work as a special correspondent of the Morning Post.  He had been in many battles, for his courage during the battle of Diamond Hill, the last operation, in which he participated, General Hamilton introduced him to the Victoria Cross, but progress in this representation was not received, as Churchill at the time resigned, as stated in Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist. In July 1900, Churchill returned to England again soon, and announced his candidacy from Oldham. He had a reputation of the hero and easily  beat a candidate from the Liberals and in 26 years, first became a member of the House of Commons.  In the elections the Conservatives won the majority and became the ruling party.   On February 18, 1901 he delivered his first speech in the House of Commons on the postwar settlement in South Africa.  He called for clemency to help Boer accept defeat.   On this conflict, young parliamentarians from Churchills own party werent agreeing.  In 1902-1903 years he has repeatedly expressed its disagreement on the issues of free trade (Churchill opposed the introduction of import duties on grain) and colonial policies. Against this background, his transition into the Liberal Party on the 31 of May 1904 looked quite a logical step.  On December 12, 1905 Winston Churchill was appointed Deputy Minister for the Colonies in Campbell-Bannermans government; in this capacity he was involved in the elaboration of a constitution for the defeated Boer republics, as described in Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill Biography. In April 1908, in connection with the sharply deteriorating health of Campbell-Bannerman becomes unable to perform the duties of prime minister and cabinet had a number of permutations: Herbert Asquith, who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer becomes Prime Minister, then his place is taken by David Lloyd George, former Minister of Trade and  industry, and this post on April 12, receives Churchill.  Ã‚  Lloyd George and Churchill advocated a reduction in public and in particular in military spending.  Their efforts do not always lead to success. Churchill was a staunch supporter of social reform undertaken by the Asquith Cabinet. In 1908, he became the initiator of the law on minimum wage.  The law was adopted by an overwhelming majority for the first time in England with the sets of the rules of the hours and wages.   On February 14, 1910 at the age of 35 Churchill became Minister of Internal Affairs, occupying one of the most influential posts in the country.  Ministerial salary was 5000 pounds (about $200 thousand in the modern equivalent). He left a literary career, returning to that occupation only in 1923.   Tenure as minister has been one of the most difficult and controversial steps in the political career of Winston Churchill.  This period was marked by massive demonstrations of workers.  Churchills actions on taming disorder repeatedly subjected to severe criticism from all sides of the political spectrum, moreover, as interior minister he was responsible, even in cases where the person does not interfere.   In summer 1911, there was a strike of seafarers and port workers.  In August there were riots in Liverpool.  August 14 Marines from the warship Antrim, arrived in town on the orders of Winston Churchill, soldiers opened fire on the crowd and eight people were wounded.  On the 15th, he was able to meet with leaders of the striking Dockers and defuse the situation in London, but on August 19, the strike threatened to join the railway.  In a situation where in the cities, paralyzed by strikes and riots have a shortage of food, and the probability of rebellion is threatening, Churchill mobilized 50 thousand soldiers and repealed a provision under which the army can only be imposed at the request of the local civil authorities.  By August 20, through the intermediary of Lloyd Georges threat of a general strike was averted.  Churchill said in a telephone conversation with Lloyd George: I am very sorry to learn about it.  It would be better to continue and give them a good thr ashing, as described in Churchill by Himself: The Life, Times and Opinions of Winston S. Churchill in his Own Words. However, relations with Germany were worsening. Churchill was persuaded to address the issues of foreign policy.  Of ideas and information obtained from military professionals, Churchill drew up a memorandum on the military aspects of the continental problem and handed it to the Prime Minister.  This document has been a success.  He testified that Churchill, having a modest military education, which gave him a school of cavalry officers, was able to quickly and professionally investigate a number of important military issues.  In October 1911, Prime Minister Asquith invited Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty, and on October 23, he was officially appointed to the  position.   Formally, the transition to the Admiralty has been decreasing Minister of Internal Affairs  was considered one of the three most important government agencies.  Nevertheless, Churchill accepted the offer without hesitation. Navy has always been one of the most important instruments of British geopolitics, in this period it had one of the major upgrades in its history.   Naval arms race that began at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, accelerated after the launching of the first dreadnought in 1906. First time there was a situation where the superiority of the British Navy, both quantitatively and qualitatively, began to threaten not only the traditional rivals Germany  and France, but also the United States.   The cost of the naval forces was the largest cost-article of British budget.  Churchill was asked to carry out reforms while improving cost effectiveness.  Changes initiated by them were very ambitious: organized Chief of Naval Staff established a naval air force, designed and built warships of new types.  Thus, according to initial plans, shipbuilding program in 1912 was supposed to build 4 improved types the battleship class Iron Duke.  However, the new First Lord of the Admiralty ordered the redraft of the main fire less than 15 inches, despite the fact that the design work to create such weapons has not even been completed.  The result was the very successful type of battleships Queen Elizabeth, which served Britain until 1948.   One of the most important decisions was the transfer of the navy from coal to liquid fuel.  Despite the obvious advantages, navy for a long time opposed the move, for strategic reasons quite rich in coal Britain had no oil reserves.  In order to transfer the fleet of oil was possible for Churchill to initiate the allocation of 2.2 million pounds to acquire 51% of English-Iranian Oil Company.  Apart from the purely technical aspects, the decision had far-reaching political consequences the Persian Gulf regions have become a zone of strategic interests of Britain.   Britain has officially entered the First World War on August 3. Churchill ordered the fleet to run for their positions off the coast of England. On October 5 Churchill arrived in Antwerp, where personally led the defense of the city, which the Belgian government offered to surrender to Germans.  Despite all efforts, the city fell on October 10, and 2,500 soldiers were killed.  Churchill was accused of undue waste of resources and lives, although many noted that the defense of Antwerp helped to keep Calais and Dunkirk, as stated in Churchill and War. As chair of the Commission on land ships (English Landships Committee) Churchill took part in the development of the first tank and the creation of tank forces.   In 1915, he became one of the initiators of the Dardanelles operation, which ended disastrously for the Allied forces and caused a government crisis.  Responsibility for the fiasco Churchill largely took over, and when he was forming a new coalition government, the Conservatives demanded his resignation from his post as First Lord of the Admiralty.   On November 15 1915, he resigned and went to the Western Front, where as a colonel commanded the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scottish Fusiliers.  In December 1915, Major Churchill arrived in Flanders.  He became the biggest attraction of the front.  People everywhere flocked to see the former Minister of soiled clay helmet.  But Churchill was carrying his service as all.  The only luxury he allowed himself hiking bath at the command post. Subordinates loved him.  The Times quoted one of Corporal: Churchill moved among his troops on the front line as if walking on the sidelines of the lower house of parliament. We have often discussed his composure, and everyone admired him.  However, the long Churchill in the trenches not sat through and not because of the danger: his concern was their own isolation from London, as stated in An Officer and a Bulldog. In May 1916, he handed over the command and finally returned to England.  In July 1917, he was appointed a Minister of weapons and in January 1919 a Minister of War and Minister of Aviation.  He became one of the architects of Ten Year Rule the doctrine that the military construction and military budget should plan on the basis of the installation that England will not engage in major conflicts within ten years after the war.   Churchill was one of the main supporters and the main initiators of the intervention in Russia, stating the need to strangle communism in its cradle.  Although the intervention was not approved by the support of Prime Minister Churchill, due to the tactics of political maneuvering among the various factions in the government and prolong the time, managed to delay the withdrawal of British troops from Russia until 1920. At the end of World War I, Churchill was in the status of Secretary of State for Military Affairs, held a series of reforms in 1918-21, respectively.  Catching up in the years 1921-22 issue of the colonies of Great Britain, he was directly involved in the creation of some Arab countries in solving the issue of establishing a Jewish state in the Middle East (as part of the mandate given by the League of Nations, Britain for Palestine). During these years Churchills political leanings were strongly anti-socialist, he nevertheless maintained Liberal party platform.  His proposal to use troops against the Soviet Union led to a cooling of relations with Lloyd George, who appointed lord-treasurer, Robert Horn, by passing Churchill. However, in 1923, Churchill returned to the bosom of the Conservative Party, followed by instant his appointment to this post, as described in Winston Churchills War Leadership. Since 1930, Winston Churchill was out of politics, but in September 1939, with the start of World War II, under the pressure of public opinion, he was again appointed the First Lord of the Admiralty.  Chamberlains resignation in May 1940, as Prime Minister of Great Britain, led the appointing place to Churchill.  In his first speech in the status of prime minister in the House of Commons, which was held immediately after the French surrender to Nazi Germany, Churchill made it clear that Britain does not intend to compromise: You ask, what is our aim? My answer is simple victory victory at any  price, victory over terror, victory, a long and painful it may be.  For Churchill did not exist even the possibility of negotiating with Hitler. Until the United States entered the war, Churchill was going to fight alone. The basis of his strategy was in bombing Germany and the concentration of British forces in the Mediterranean and the Middle East regions.  Both positions were supported by the U.S. after the Japanese bombing of a military base at Pearl Harbor. Churchill was needed in the U.S. aid both economically and military.  Lend-Lease program significantly supported Britain, however, total U.S. control of the British economy has deprived Britain during the war of some economic independence.  Nevertheless, Churchill was interested in close cooperation with U.S. and even dreamed of the closest in history alliance.  This cooperation was confirmed by the Atlantic Charter in August 1941.  Later the Soviet Union joined the alliance completing the creation of the Big Three.  After the war, close relationship of Allied anti-Hitler coalition came to naught.  Moreover, Churchill is the author of the term Iron Curtain, as described in Churchill and War. After Germanys surrender, England began to prepare for the elections, which passed in July 1945.  Election campaign was won by Labor, Churchill resigned.  For six years he was the leader of the opposition, calling on European leaders not to be influenced by the Soviet Union. In 1951, Churchill returned to 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Minister.  In this capacity, he pursued a policy of support for NATO and the European Union.  Churchill did not neglect the social sphere, conducted through the Parliament laws, such as the nationalization of the railways, the Royal Bank of Scotland etc, as described in Winston Churchills War Leadership. In 1953, Winston Churchill was knighted and received the Nobel Prize for literature, and ten years later he was made an honorary U.S. citizen. In 1955, Churchill moved away from high politics, and had lived in peace for ten years. On January 24, 1965, the greatest man of the century was gone.  Winston Churchill was buried in his native Oxfordshire. Winston Churchill entered the history of Britain as the most brilliant English politician of the twentieth century, who was in power during the reign of six monarchs from Queen Victoria to her great-great-granddaughter Elizabeth II.  He was present during testing of the nuclear bomb, has become a major threat to postwar peace.  With his bowler hat and cane unchanged Churchill was a brilliant diplomat, artist and even a gardener in his estate at Chartwell.  Ã‚  Churchill was one of the best orators of his time. He was the author of the term Iron Curtain, which became characteristic of the capacious postwar political situation.  Churchill also was one of the most ingenious in his time.  Lady Astor once told him: If you were my husband, I would poison your coffee, to which Churchill replied: If you were my wife, I would drink it. It is very difficult to estimate the scale of such person as Winston Churchill. There is no one in the world whose fate he did not indirectly affect, such a large scale is Winston Churchills identity. According to a survey conducted in 2002, the broadcaster BBC has been named Churchill the greatest Briton in history. During all his life he always showed incredible courage and indomitable will-power. When it seemed that the situation was hopeless he believed in and was going to win in spite of all difficulties, moreover, he successfully led the people and the whole nation to victory. He was a leader, a real leader and patriot of his country. His country can be proud for such son, who was named Winston Spencer Churchill.

The Necklace Essay -- Literary Analysis, Guy de Maupassant

â€Å"The Necklace† Around the world, values are expressed differently. Some people think that life is about the little things that make them happy. Others feel the opposite way and that expenses are the way to live. In Guy de Maupassant’s short story, â€Å"The Necklace†, he develops a character, Madame Loisel, who illustrates her different style of assessments. Madame Loisel, a beautiful woman, lives in a wonderful home with all the necessary supplies needed to live. However, she is very unhappy with her life. She feels she deserves a much more expensive and materialistic life than what she has. After pitying herself for not being the richest of her friends, she goes out and borrows a beautiful necklace from an ally. But as she misplaces the closest thing she has to the life she dreams of and not telling her friend about the mishap, she could have set herself aside from ten years of work. Through many literary devices, de Maupassant sends a message to value less substance arti cles so life can be spent wisely. â€Å"The Necklace† ends up to be a very ironic story as it explains why valuing the more important things in life can be very effective towards a person’s happiness. One example of the story’s irony is when she is at the party dressed as a beautiful and fancy woman. ‘She danced madly, wildly, drunk with pleasure, giving no thought to anything in the triumph of her beauty, the pride of her success†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (pg 193). This is a form of dramatic irony because Guy explains earlier that Mme. Loisel is just a middle class woman who dreams of a wealthy life, but she is just alluding herself as a luxurious woman. Another example of irony in the story is when Madame found out that the necklace was paste. On page 196, Mme. Forestier, Ma... ...ches and expenses. The message to value more important things in order to have a wisely spent life is demonstrated very well through literary devices in â€Å"The Necklace†, by Guy de Maupassant. Madame undergoes an ironic moment in life as she learns what is worth valuing. She is a very greedy woman who only cares about herself. The reader would never think of her as the person to do work, but that thought changes as she misplaces what she thinks of as a valuable item. If Madame just learned how to live life in a way that will not make her upset and to value things that are valuable towards life instead of expenses, she will be better off. But this is how Madame views her life, while others take notice of the significance in their lives. Values are different towards people across the world, and Guy de Maupassant defines that in his short story, â€Å"The Necklace†.

Waking Life :: essays research papers

Most (i didnt really even know what to make of it. its the kid from that movie dazed and confused basically trying to find out the meaning of life and his identity and shit.. and hes like constantly in this dreamworld.. that he cant seem to wake up of.. he cant differentiate his dreams from reality. so one of the points is that there is no waking life...there is life and nothing else....each experience is an experience, nothing more or nothing less, each has the same value...the things you experience in your dreams are life itself... also...a lot of stress on wherever you are is the place to be...accept that every moment has the potential for greatness Waking Life is clearly an experiment, and, as such, looks and feels much different from anything else recently seen on a movie screen. The backgrounds frequently waver, making it look like all of the action is taking place on board a gently rocking ship. This is all intentional, since every moment of Waking Life is meant to be transpiring inside a dream. ). They are present in an interlude, having an intriguing discussion about dream activity and reincarnation. Indeed, Waking Life is comprised of a series of philosophical discussions ranging from how language evolved to the role of the media in modern life to free will & quantum mechanics to the meaning of identity. Waking Life certainly isn't for everyone, but, in large part because of its fresh approach and its endlessly fascinating discourses, it ends up staying with you long after the jittery animated images have faded from the screen. , but instead of grounding the film in reality, it allows for a wide range of visual styles. Th is is necessary since it all takes place in a dream state. The dreamer is unnamed, but voiced by Wiley Wiggins. He meets various people, who go on long soliloquies about philosophy and how it relates to dreaming and death. At other times, he eavesdrops (with the audience) on other similar conversations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film doesn't make it known whether he is dreaming from the beginning, but the visuals are always disjointed, as if from a dream. Objects float and surfaces shift while perspective is distorted in Picasso-like fashion. The style is distracting at first, but the deep conversations pull you in until a dream-like state falls upon the audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A man in a dream state encounters many characters who, one by one, talk about their views on the meaning, perception, and reality of human existence.

The Colonization of Modern Africa :: Colonialism Imperialism

The Colonization of Modern Africa Many of today's distant countries are underdeveloped or not developed at all. People are going through famine and even dieing of starvation. These countries have demanding governments, and not enough money. Many countries with in Africa are just like this. The colonization of modern Africa has had many life changing effects on the people of Africa. Some of the effects of colonization are on the governments, the farming system, and the educational value. Colonization has greatly effected the governments of Africa. Africa gained political independence in the 1950's. Even though political independence was gained there are still many problems with their governments. There is a lack of political experience. Political boundaries, set by the Europeans, have cut across ethnic lines putting diverse people under the same government. This has lead to civil wars. The military is also weak. Just like the government, the farming in Africa is affected by colonization. Africa has many different forms of farming, one of them is Subsistence farming. Subsistence farming is when one farms for just for his family or village. Another type of farming is Commercial farming, or organized farming as a business. There is also Shift farming, which is when a farmer moves every one to three years to find better soil. Only two-fifths of Africa has arable land. Many farmers go hungry or bankrupt because they become dependent on one cash crop. Unlike the government and the farming problem of modern Africa, there are many good effects of colonization. Education has had many good effects like the new schools built and universities. People are furthering their educations and getting better jobs. There are so many more opportunities for people with a higher educations. The Colonization of Modern Africa :: Colonialism Imperialism The Colonization of Modern Africa Many of today's distant countries are underdeveloped or not developed at all. People are going through famine and even dieing of starvation. These countries have demanding governments, and not enough money. Many countries with in Africa are just like this. The colonization of modern Africa has had many life changing effects on the people of Africa. Some of the effects of colonization are on the governments, the farming system, and the educational value. Colonization has greatly effected the governments of Africa. Africa gained political independence in the 1950's. Even though political independence was gained there are still many problems with their governments. There is a lack of political experience. Political boundaries, set by the Europeans, have cut across ethnic lines putting diverse people under the same government. This has lead to civil wars. The military is also weak. Just like the government, the farming in Africa is affected by colonization. Africa has many different forms of farming, one of them is Subsistence farming. Subsistence farming is when one farms for just for his family or village. Another type of farming is Commercial farming, or organized farming as a business. There is also Shift farming, which is when a farmer moves every one to three years to find better soil. Only two-fifths of Africa has arable land. Many farmers go hungry or bankrupt because they become dependent on one cash crop. Unlike the government and the farming problem of modern Africa, there are many good effects of colonization. Education has had many good effects like the new schools built and universities. People are furthering their educations and getting better jobs. There are so many more opportunities for people with a higher educations.

Reaction paper about rice problems Essay

The discussion about rice, nutrition and food security, and AEC 2015 held on the 9th of October in the NCAS Auditorium was discussed by V. Bruce J. Tolentino, Ph.D. – the deputy director-general of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). He started the discussion by comparing Philippines to Vietnam and Thailand by their birth rate. Apparently, the Philippines is better in producing babies than rice and that actually means that we have more mouths to feed. This may partially explain the question, why can’t the Philippines achieve self-sufficiency? As said by the speaker, â€Å"Rice is still a normal good in the Philippines†, which means that as your profit grows, so does your consumption of rice. In addition, he also said that the poorer the country, the more they eat or like rice. We also need to take it in mind that there are other plant crops other than rice that should be harvested. The Philippines is 1/3 rice, 1/3 corn, and 1/3 coconut as said by the speaker. Most of the rice that we get or buy comes from Central Luzon, and based on statistics we have around 2.4 million Filipino farmers and the average farm size is 1.14 hectares. Meanwhile, compared to other countries such as China, Japan, and Indonesia we have really low expenses that go to Agriculture which include the irrigation systems and other farm equipments. This shows that we haven’t prioritized Agriculture yet. Japan has the most yields compared to other countries since they invest in irrigation systems and the like. It also showed that Japan has the most use of fertilizers but their yield is very high, so we may say that fertilizers can help in yield growth although the data in the table is from year 1970-2009 only.

Booker T Washington A Representative of the Black Population

It is considered general knowledge that slavery was one of the biggest struggles this nation faced. However, many forget that the strife did not end when slavery was abolished. Reconstruction laid a heavy hand on this country and nearly tore it apart. Booker T. Washington explains this concept in his famous tree analogy. â€Å"Before our freedom, a giant tree was growing in the garden [slavery], which all considered injurious to the progress of the whole nation. The work to be done was direct and simple-destroy the hurtful tree. The work before us now is not the destruction of a tree, but the growing of one. Slavery presented a problem of destruction; freedom presents one of construction. This requires time, patience, preparation of the soil, watering, pruning, and most careful nursing† (Washington, 50). Booker T. Washington became a representative of the black population during this turbulent time. However, he was met with much criticism due to his controversial ideas and public speeches. The white citizenry largely appreciated his pacifying tone, but many of the blacks were irritated by the inactive agendum Washington was suggesting. Some of Booker T. Washington†s ideas were practical and worthwhile, however some of his theories contained many contradictions and fallacies. I agree with his ideology to a point, but at certain times, I feel that he is too much of a pacifist. Washington stressed repeatedly in his speeches the importance of an industrial education. His own contribution to this was the Tuskagee Institute. It taught young blacks a trade that was practical, so they would be able to easily find a job, and begin earning income. Washington†s thought was that an industrial education was far more important than a liberal education. He believed that a liberal education was a waste of time, because there weren†t any immediate benefits, or instantaneous wage earning possibilities. Washington†s point was that the blacks needed money at once, so they should excel at what they already know. African Americans already had the skills they learned from slavery, which was mostly farming and agriculture. He thought that they should utilize that knowledge in the work force. â€Å"†¦let the Negro begin right where he is by putting the greatest amount of intelligence, of skill, and dignity into the occupations by which he is surrounded† (Washington 42). Many blacks did not like that suggestion, because they felt that they had been trapped in the agriculture business because of slavery, and they did not want to go back to that way of life. It would mean no change in labor and little chance that the white employer would treat them any better than they had in the past. The ex-slaves wanted experiences in life that they never before had the opportunity to have. They wanted a liberal education, because it had been denied to them in the past. They wanted to rise out of working the fields. Washington believed in sticking to one thing and excelling at it. He thought that blacks should learn a trade and become the best at it, so there is no room for discrimination. â€Å"Whenever in the South, for example, the Negro is the carpenter, let him realize that he cannot remain the carpenter unless people are sure that no one can excel him as a carpenter. This black carpenter should strive in every way possible to keep himself abreast of the best woodwork done in the world. He should be constantly studying the best journals and books bearing on carpentry. He should watch for every improvement in his line† (Washington 42). Personally, I think that B.T. Washington was right in aspiring to use the skills one already had, however I don†t think it is right to deny anyone the chance of stepping up and bettering themselves. Washington claims this change will happen, but it will occur gradually. â€Å"The second or third generation of this black man†s family need not be carpenters, but can aspire successfully to something higher because the foundation has been laid† (Washington 43). However, the black man, at this time, did not want gradual change. They wanted the change they deserved, and they wanted it right away. In my opinion, Washington†s idea to learn a trade to have an immeidate source of income is a good one. It is practical and promotes a way for blacks to meet financial needs. Nonetheless, it is important to have a well-rounded education if the change for bigger and better places is to ever take place. Another problem with Washington†s dogma, is that he is lumping all black people into one category. He is assuming that all of the ex-slaves will not mind going back to the same labor force they were in pre-abolishment. That is untrue. Many African-Americans at this time had untapped interests that they wanted to pursue. Many would actually be more talented in other fields. When slavery was abolished, this implied freedom for blacks. Freedom is all about the ability to choose. In taking choices away from the ex-slaves, Washington is stifling independence. As the representative man of his time, Booker T. Washington made several public speeches. In these orations, it was quite evident that he was aspiring to be as diplomatic as possible. He sought to keep the whites on his side, even amongst the most racially controversial issues. In regarding crime, he not only chastised white people for the heinous hate crimes that were rampant, but he also admonished the black people for their criminal acts. â€Å"†¦idleness and crime should cease, and that no excuse be given the world to label any large proportion of the race [blacks] as idlers and criminals†¦bring to punishment those who commit crime, when proper legal procedure is sure†¦we consider no legal punishment to severe for the wretch of any race who attempts to outrage a woman [lynching]. The lesson for the other portion of the nation to learn is that†¦the same laws should be made to apply to the Negro and the white man whether it relates to citizenship, the protection of property, the right to labor, or the protection of human life† (Washington 49). The manner in which Washington addressed the mixed crowd was filled with diplomacy, and therefore, did not anger the white citizens. Booker T. Washington realized that this was intelligent, because he knew that if he aroused the whites, the black population would have a much more difficult time in their rise through reconstruction. During all his addresses to the public, B. T. Washington stressed economics. He did this to speak to the white population about racial equality in terms that they thought would benefit the entire nation. Racial equality would lead to a better economy, and since the South was almost destitute after the civil war, the Southern whites were willing to listen to anything that would help the financial situation. â€Å"It is not only the duty of the Negro to thus put himself in possession, but it is also the plainest duty of the white man†¦No state can have the highest civilization and prosperity with one-third of its population down. This one-third will prove a constant millstone about the neck of the other two-thirds† (Washington 43). Economics, Washington also said, would bring about political and racial equality. He argued that once African-Americans obtained money, property, and/or other tangible goods, they would be given more respect, and hence, equality. â€Å"†¦when he [the black man] has paid the cost-paid the price of his freedom-it will appear in the beautiful, well-kept home, In the increasing bank account, in the farm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Washington 42). I don†t agree with B.T.W.†s theory on this. Just because one has material commodities, this does not guarantee them respect or equality of any kind. The white southerners were brought up on racist beliefs. A black man†s wealth will not change the white bigot†s opinion. If anything, the whites will just begin to resent the black man. Moving up financially, was a good idea for the black race, as long as they protested equality simultaneously, because equality would not just appear along with financial stability. Agitation was not one of Washington†s endeavors. He believed that blacks should not provoke the white populace. He states in one of his articles, â€Å"Vastly more courage is often shown in one†s ability to suffer in silence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Washington 48). This enraged many blacks. They had already been ‘suffering in silence† through the endless years of slavery. Washington averred that rather than agitation, the black move upward should be a constant struggle. â€Å"The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality, is the extremest folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of sever and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing† (Washington 140). Washington needed to realize that no political changes would come about without the black population demanding them. If the African-Americans did not command civil rights, the whites would never have bothered to change their ways. In this situation, speaking out is necessary.

Implementing Change Paper Essay

In any organization, the manager wears many hats. Their responsibilities go beyond just managing a group of people. On top of managing, they have to be communicators, coaches, and advocates, just to name a few of the many hats. Part of being an effective communicator includes reporting and implanting changes that may come down from upper management. Change can bring out many emotions in people, like anxiety. How a manager handles the change and implements it within their department can either make their people feel good about it, or heighten their concerns (â€Å"Managers And Supervisors: Importance And Role†, 2014). What is the manager’s role and responsibility in implementing change in the department? When implementing change within a department, there are specific responsibilities that a manager must uphold. First and foremost, it is important for the manager to inform the employees of what is going on and most importantly as soon as possible. When employees sense th at there may be a change, it often causes panic. When the employees aren’t sure of what exactly is going on, it allows their minds to run wild with all the possibilities and often times they are negative. Therefore, it is important they are given all the necessary information up front before they have time to assume what is going to happen (Scott, 2014). Once all the relevant information has been relayed and the employees understand all the changes that are going to take place, the manager then needs to switch into support mode. They need to be able to support their entire team through the process that is about to unfold. For example, this is important if the change will bring a heavier workload. The manager will need to provide support to the team so that they will adjust to the change as seamlessly as possible. Lastly, overall good management techniques are important when a change is being implemented. Managers should be aware of over and under managing the situation. Also, implementing a rewards program can also help ease the stress of the change (Scott, 2014). How should a manager  successfully handle staff resistance to change? A resistance to the change is bound to happen and should be expected from at least a few employees. A manager’s skills are put to the test when this happens and it is vital that they handle this situation appropriately. Resistance can come in many different forms. For example, there may be an increased number of people quitting, hostility, and in extreme cases, strikes. Any type of resistance can be troublesome for the management teams, which is why it is imperative that it is handled quickly and appropriately. For starters, the management team needs to understand that some resistance is desirable because it will help the change to be more effective. Employees who question the change in a non-malicious manner could ultimately help to refine the plans of change. Secondly, a good manager will realize that not all of their employees will respond the same to the changes and should be treated accordingly. Sometimes the resistance may come because the employees may not understand the purpose of the changes. The fix for this could be as simple as sitting down with those employees that are having trouble adjusting and thoroughly going over everything. This would include explaining why, how, and when the changes will be taking place. Define each step of the change process: assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation The change process includes four steps, assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. These steps can help make the change process an easier transition. According to Sull ivan and Decker (2009), â€Å"Emphasis is placed on the assessment phase of change for two reasons. Without data collection and analysis, planned change will not proceed past the â€Å"wouldn’t it be a good idea if† stage† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Change does not have to come from only a problem, it can also come from an opportunity. Once the problem or opportunity has been properly identified, internal and external data can be collected. Many factors will have to be examined, like who would benefit from the changes and the costs associated with the changes. Once all the data has been collected, it is imperative that it gets analyzed. A statistical analysis could prove even more beneficial especially if it is presented visually, with either graphs or charts. Once a direction has been established, the next part in the process can begin. In the planning stage, the who, when, and how of the change are determined and the target area is decided. Those in the target  are should be act ively involved with the planning stage. Doing so will hopefully lessen the chances of resistance later on. In the next stage, which is implementation, the plan is put into motion. There are two different methods for change; changing an individual and changing a group. Information giving is the most common method used in changing an individuals’ attitudes and values. According to Sullivan and Decker (2009), â€Å"providing information is prerequisite to change implementation, but it is inadequate unless lack of information is the only obstacle effecting change† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Just giving information does not give the reason for the change. Another method that can be considered to change individuals is training. This method combines information giving and actual skill practice. As for methods to change groups, â€Å"The greatest influence is achieved when group members discuss issues that are perceived as important and make relevant, binding decisions based on those discussions† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, â€Å"Chapter 5, Initiating and Implementing Change, The Change Process†). Individual and group methods can be combined. Whichever methods are used, everyone involved should feel as though their input is important and be rewarded accordingly. The final step in the process is the evaluation. It is important to monitor the change to ensure that it the presumed benefits are being achieved financially and qualitatively. Although some outcomes may be undesirable, those too must be examined. If there are problems, they can be reevaluated and corrected. Change is never an easy process to go through. Everyone handles it differently and it often comes with feelings of fear and anxiety. This is especially true for organizations as managers play a large role when it comes to implementing the changes. There are many skills that one must possess in order to do this properly and without much backlash. It is always to be expected that retaliation will come from some in the organization, but the managers have the ability to control the extent of it. By going through the ch ange process and spending quality time on each step, retaliation can be kept to a minimum. Managers and supervisors: importance and role. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-job-roles-mod4.htmNichols, V. (n.d.). How you should handle resistance to change. Retrieved from  http://www.hrzone.com/feature/people/how-you-should-handle-resistance-change/141253Scott, G. (2014). What Is the Manager Role and Responsibility in Implementing Change Within the Department?. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/manager-role-responsibility-implementing-change-within-department-26671.htmlSullivan, E.J., & Decker, P.J. (2009). Effective leadership management nursing (7th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Well, by pretending to have an overactive bladder, I've managed to sneak enough time in the bathroom to finish reading this Gospel of Matthew. I don't know who the Matthew is that wrote this, but it certainly wasn't our Matthew. While our Matthew was a whiz at numbers (as you might expect from a tax collector), he couldn't write his own name in the sand without making three mistakes. Whoever wrote this Gospel obviously got the information at least secondhand, maybe thirdhand. I'm not here to criticize, but please, he never mentions me. Not once. I know my protests go against the humility that Joshua taught, but please, I was his best friend. Not to mention the fact that this Matthew (if that really is his name) takes great care in describing Joshua's genealogy back to King David, but after Joshua is born and the three wise men show up at the stable in Bethlehem, then you don't hear from Joshua again until he's thirty. Thirty! As if nothing happened from the manger until John baptized us. Jeez. Anyway, now I know why I was brought back from the dead to write this Gospel. If the rest of this â€Å"New Testament† is anything like the book of Matthew, they need someone to write about Joshua's life who was actually there: me. I can't believe I wasn't even mentioned once. It's all I can do to keep from asking Raziel what in the hell happened. He probably showed up a hundred years too late to correct this Matthew fellow. Oh my, there's a frightening thought, edited by the moron angel. I can't let that happen. And the ending? Where did he get that? I'll see what this next guy, this Mark, has to say, but I'm not getting my hopes up. The first thing that we noticed about Balthasar's fortress was that there were no right angles, no angles period, only curves. As we followed the magus through corridors, and from level to level, we never saw so much as a squared-off stair step, instead there were spiral ramps leading from level to level, and although the fortress spread all over the cliff face, no room was more than one doorway away from a window. Once we were above the ground level, there was always light from the windows and the creepy feeling we'd had when we entered quickly passed away. The stone of the walls was more yellow in color than the limestone of Jerusalem, yet it had the same smooth appearance. Overall it gave the impression that you were walking through the polished entrails of some huge living creature. â€Å"Did you build this place, Balthasar?† I asked. â€Å"Oh, no,† he said, without turning around. â€Å"This place was always here, I simply had to remove the stone that occupied it.† â€Å"Oh,† I said, having gained no knowledge whatsoever. We passed no doors, but myriad open archways and round portals which opened into chambers of various shapes and sizes. As we passed one egg-shaped doorway obscured by a curtain of beads Balthasar mumbled, â€Å"The girls stay in there.† â€Å"Girls?† I said. â€Å"Girls?† Joshua said. â€Å"Yes, girls, you ninnies,† Balthasar said. â€Å"Humans much like yourselves, except smarter and better smelling.† Well, I knew that. I mean, we'd seen the two of them, hadn't we? I knew what girls were. He pressed on until we came to the only other door I had seen since we entered, this one another huge, ironclad monster held closed with three iron bolts as big around as my arm and a heavy brass lock engraved with strange characters. The magus stopped and tilted an ear to the door. His heavy gold earring clinked against one of the bolts. He turned to us and whispered, and for the first time I could clearly see that the magus was very old, despite the strength of his laugh and the spring in his step. â€Å"You may go anywhere you wish while you stay here, but you must never open this door. Xiong zai.† â€Å"Xiong zai,† I repeated to Joshua in case he'd missed it. â€Å"Xiong zai.† He nodded with total lack of understanding. Mankind, I suppose, is designed to run on – to be motivated by – temptation. If progress is a virtue then this is our greatest gift. (For what is curiosity if not intellectual temptation? And what progress is there without curiosity?) On the other hand, can you call such a profound weakness a gift, or is it a design flaw? Is temptation itself at fault for man's woes, or is it simply the lack of judgment in response to temptation? In other words, who is to blame? Mankind, or a bad designer? Because I can't help but think that if God had never told Adam and Eve to avoid the fruit of the tree of knowledge, that the human race would still be running around naked, dancing in wonderment and blissfully naming stuff between snacks, naps, and shags. By the same token, if Balthasar had passed that great ironclad door that first day without a word of warning, I might have never given it a second glance, and once again, much trouble could have been avoided. Am I to blame for what h appened, or is it the author of temptation, God Hisownself? Balthasar led us into a grand chamber with silks festooned from the ceiling and the floor covered with fine carpets and pillows. Wine, fruit, cheese, and bread were laid out on several low tables. â€Å"Rest and refresh,† said Balthasar. â€Å"I'll be back after I finish my business with Ahmad.† Then he hurried off, leaving us alone. â€Å"So,† I said, â€Å"find out what you need to from this guy, then we can get on the road and on to the next wise man.† â€Å"I'm not sure it's going to be that quick. In fact, we may be here quite some time. Maybe years.† â€Å"Years? Joshua, we're in the middle of nowhere, we can't spend years here.† â€Å"Biff, we grew up in the middle of nowhere. What's the difference?† â€Å"Girls,† I said. â€Å"What about them?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Don't start.† We heard laughter rolling down the corridor into the room and shortly it was followed by Balthasar and Ahmad, who threw themselves down among the pillows and began eating the cheeses and fruits that had been set out. â€Å"So,† Balthasar said, â€Å"Ahmad tells me that you tried to save a bandit, and in the process blinded one of his men, without so much as touching him. Very impressive.† Joshua hung his head. â€Å"It was a massacre.† â€Å"Grieve,† Balthasar said, â€Å"but consider also the words of the master Lao-tzu: ‘Weapons are instruments of misfortune. Those who are violent do not die naturally.'† â€Å"Ahmad,† Joshua said, â€Å"what will happen to the guard, the one I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He is no good to me anymore,† said Ahmad. â€Å"A shame too, he was the best bowman of the lot. I'll leave him in Kabul. He's asked me to give his pay to his wife in Antioch and his other wife in Dunhuang. I suppose he will become a beggar.† â€Å"Who is Lao-tzu?† I asked. â€Å"You will have plenty of time to learn of master Lao-tzu,† said Balthasar. â€Å"Tomorrow I will assign you a tutor to teach you qi, the path of the Dragon's Breath, but for now, eat and rest.† â€Å"Can you believe a Chinaman can be so black?† laughed Ahmad. â€Å"Have you ever seen such a thing?† â€Å"I wore the leopard skin of the shaman when your father was just a twinkle in the great river of stars, Ahmad. I mastered animal magic before you were old enough to walk, and I had learned all the secrets of the sacred Egyptian magic texts before you could sprout a beard. If immortality is to be found among the wisdom of the Chinese masters, then I shall be Chinese as long as it suits me, no matter the color of my skin or the place of my birth.† I tried to determine Balthasar's age. From what he was claiming he would have to be very old indeed, as Ahmad was not young himself, yet his movements were spry and as far as I could see he had all of his teeth and they were perfect. There was none of the feeble dotage that I'd seen in our elders at home. â€Å"How do you stay so strong, Balthasar?† I asked. â€Å"Magic.† He grinned. â€Å"There is no magic but that of the Lord,† Joshua said. Balthasar scratched his chin and replied quietly, â€Å"Then presumably none without his consent, eh, Joshua?† Joshua slouched and stared at the floor. Ahmad burst out laughing. â€Å"His magic isn't so mysterious, boys. Balthasar has eight young concubines to draw the poisons from his old body, that's how he stays young.† â€Å"Holy moly! Eight?† I was astounded. Aroused. Envious. â€Å"Does that room with the ironclad door have something to do with your magic?† Joshua asked gravely. Balthasar stopped grinning. Ahmad looked from Joshua to the magus and back, bewildered. â€Å"Let me show you to your quarters,† said Balthasar. â€Å"You should wash and rest. Lessons tomorrow. Say good-bye to Ahmad, you'll not see him again soon.† Our quarters were spacious, bigger than the houses we'd grown up in, with carpets on the floor, chairs made of dark exotic hardwoods carved into the shapes of dragons and lions, and a table that held a pitcher and basin for washing. Each of our rooms held a desk and cabinet full of instruments for painting and writing, and something neither of us had ever seen, a bed. A half-wall divided the space between Joshua's room and mine, so we were able to lie in the beds and talk before falling asleep, just as we had in the desert. I could tell that Joshua was deeply troubled about something that first night. â€Å"You seem, I don't know, deeply troubled, Josh.† â€Å"It's the bandits. Could I have raised them?† â€Å"All of them? I don't know, could you?† â€Å"I thought about it. I thought that I could make them all walk and breathe again. I thought I could make them live. But I didn't even try.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I was afraid they would have killed us and robbed us if I had. It's what Balthasar said, ‘Those who are violent do not die naturally.'† â€Å"The Torah says, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. They were bandits.† â€Å"But were they bandits always? Would they have been bandits in the years to come?† â€Å"Sure, once a bandit, always a bandit. They take an oath or something. Besides, you didn't kill them.† â€Å"But I didn't save them, and I blinded that bowman. That wasn't right.† â€Å"You were angry.† â€Å"That's no excuse.† â€Å"What do you mean, that's no excuse? You're God's Son. God wiped out everyone on earth with a flood because he was angry.† â€Å"I'm not sure that's right.† â€Å"‘Scuse me?† â€Å"We have to go to Kabul. I need to restore that man's sight if I can.† â€Å"Joshua, this bed is the most comfortable place I've ever been. Can we wait to go to Kabul?† â€Å"I suppose.† Joshua was quiet for a long time and I thought that he might have fallen asleep. I didn't want to sleep, but I didn't want to talk about dead bandits either. â€Å"Hey Josh?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"What do you think is in that room with the iron door, what did he call it?† â€Å"Xiong zai,† said Josh. â€Å"Yeah, Xiong zai. What do you think that is?† â€Å"I don't know, Biff. Maybe you should ask your tutor.† Xiong zai means house of doom, in the parlance of feng shui,† said Tiny Feet of the Divine Dance of Joyous Orgasm. She knelt before a low stone table that held an earthenware teapot and cups. She wore a red silk robe trimmed with golden dragons and tied with a black sash. Her hair was black and straight and so long that she had tied it in a knot to keep it from dragging on the floor as she served the tea. Her face was heart-shaped, her skin as smooth as polished alabaster, and if she'd ever been in the sun, the evidence had long since faded. She wore wooden sandals held fast by silk ribbons and her feet, as you might guess from her name, were tiny. It had taken me three days of lessons to get the courage up to ask her about the room. She poured the tea daintily, but without ceremony, as she had each of the previous three days before my lessons. But this time, before she handed it to me, she added to my cup a drop of a potion from a tiny porcelain bottle that hung from a chain around her neck. â€Å"What's in the bottle, Joy?† I called her Joy. Her full name was too ungainly for conversation, and when I'd tried other diminutives (Tiny Feet, Divine Dance, and Orgasm), she hadn't responded positively. â€Å"Poison,† Joy said with a smile. The lips of her smile were shy and girlish, but the eyes smiled a thousand years sly. â€Å"Ah,† I said, and I tasted the tea. It was rich and fragrant, just as it had been before, but this time there was a hint of bitterness. â€Å"Biff, can you guess what your lesson is today?† Joy asked. â€Å"I thought you would tell me what's in that house of doom room.† â€Å"No, that is not the lesson today. Balthasar does not wish you to know what is in that room. Guess again.† My fingers and toes had begun to tingle and I suddenly realized that my scalp had gone numb. â€Å"You're going to teach me how to make the fire-powder that Balthasar used the day we arrived?† â€Å"No, silly.† Joy's laugh had the musical sound of a clear stream running over rocks. She pushed me lightly on the chest and I fell over backward, unable to move. â€Å"Today's lesson is – are you ready?† I grunted. It was all I could do. My mouth was paralyzed. â€Å"Today's lesson is, if someone puts poison in your tea, don't drink it.† â€Å"Uh-huh,† I sort of slurred. â€Å"So,† Balthasar said, â€Å"I see that Tiny Feet of the Divine Dance of Joyous Orgasm has revealed what she keeps in the little bottle around her neck.† The magus laughed heartily and leaned back on some cushions. â€Å"Is he dead?† asked Joshua. The girls laid my paralyzed body on some pillows next to Joshua, then propped me up so I could look at Balthasar. Beautiful Gate of Heavenly Moisture Number Six, who I had only just met and didn't have a nickname for yet, put some drops on my eyes to keep them moist, as I seemed to have lost the ability to blink. â€Å"No,† said Balthasar, â€Å"he's not dead. He's just relaxed.† Joshua poked me in the ribs and, of course, I didn't respond. â€Å"Really relaxed,† he said. Beautiful Gate of Heavenly Moisture Number Six handed Joshua the little vial of eye drops and excused herself. She and the other girls left the room. â€Å"Can he see and hear us?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Oh yes, he's completely alert.† â€Å"Hey Biff, I'm learning about Chi,† Joshua shouted into my ear. â€Å"It flows all around us. You can't see it, or hear it, or smell it, but it's there.† â€Å"You don't need to shout,† said Balthasar. Which is what I would have said, if I could have said anything. Joshua put some drops in my eyes. â€Å"Sorry.† Then to Balthasar, â€Å"This poison, where did it come from?† â€Å"I studied under a sage in China who had been the emperor's royal poisoner. He taught me this, and many other of the magics of the five elements.† â€Å"Why would an emperor need a poisoner?† â€Å"A question that only a peasant would ask.† â€Å"An answer that only an ass would give,† said Joshua. Balthasar laughed. â€Å"So be it, child of the star. A question asked in earnest deserves an earnest answer. An emperor has many enemies to dispatch, but more important, he has many enemies who would dispatch him. The sage spent most of his time concocting antidotes.† â€Å"So there's an antidote to this poison,† Joshua said, poking me in the ribs again. â€Å"In good time. In good time. Have some more wine, Joshua. I wish to discuss with you the three jewels of the Tao. The three jewels of the Tao are compassion, moderation, and humility†¦Ã¢â‚¬  An hour later, four Chinese girls came and picked me up, wiped the floor where I had drooled, and carried me to our quarters. As they passed the great ironclad door I could hear scraping and a voice in my head that said, â€Å"Hey kid, open the door,† but the girls made no notice of it. Back in my room, the girls bathed me and poured some rich broth into me, then put me to bed and closed my eyes. I could hear Joshua enter the room and shuffle around preparing for bed. â€Å"Balthasar says he will have Joy give you the antidote to the poison soon, but first you have a lesson to learn. He says that this is the Chinese way of teaching. Strange, don't you think?† Had I been able to make a sound, I would have agreed, yes, indeed it was strange. So you know: Balthasar's concubines were eight in number and their names were: Tiny Feet of the Divine Dance of Joyous Orgasm, Beautiful Gate of Heavenly Moisture Number Six, Temptress of the Golden Light of the Harvest Moon, Delicate Personage of Two Fu Dogs Wrestling Under a Blanket, Feminine Keeper of the Three Tunnels of Excessive Friendliness, Silken Pillows of the Heavenly Softness of Clouds, Pea Pods in Duck Sauce with Crispy Noodle, and Sue. And I found myself wondering, as a man does, about origins and motivations and such – as each of the concubines was more beautiful than the last, regardless of what order you put them in, which was weird – so after several weeks passed, and I could no longer stand the curiosity scratching at my brain like a cat in a basket, I waited until one of the rare occasions when I was alone with Balthasar, and I asked. â€Å"Why Sue?† â€Å"Short for Susanna,† Balthasar said. So there you go. Their full names were somewhat ungainly, and to try to pronounce them in Chinese produced a sound akin to throwing a bag of silverware down a flight of steps (ting, tong, yang, wing, etc.) so Joshua and I called the girls as follows: Joy, Number Six, Two Fu Dogs, Moon, Tunnels, Pillows, Pea Pods, and, of course, Sue, which we couldn't figure out how to shorten. Except for a group of men who brought supplies from Kabul every two weeks, and while there would do any heavy moving, the eight young women did everything around the fortress. Despite the remoteness and the obvious wealth that the fortress housed, there were no guards. I found that curious. Over the next week Joy tutored me in the characters that I would need to know to read the Book of the Divine Elixirs or the Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, and the Book of Liquid Pearl in Nine Cycles and of the Nine Elixirs of the Divine Immortals. The plan was that once I became conversant in these two ancient texts, I would be able to assist Balthasar in his quest for immortality. That, by the way, was the reason that we were there, the reason that Balthasar had followed the star to Bethlehem at Joshua's birth, and the reason that he had put Ahmad on notice to look for a Jew seeking the African magus. Balthasar sought immortality, and he believed that Joshua held the key to it. Of course we didn't know that at the time. My concentration while studying the symbols was particularly acute, helped by the fact that I could not move a muscle. Each morning Two Fu Dogs and Pillows (both named for their voluptuousness, which evidently came with considerable strength) would pull me from bed, squeeze me over the latrine, bathe me, pour some broth into me, then take me to the library and prop me in a chair while Joy lectured on Chinese characters, which she painted with a wet brush on large sheets of slate set on easels. Sometimes the other girls would stay and pose my body into various positions that amused them, and as much as I should have been annoyed by the humiliation, the truth be told, watching Pillows and Two Fu Dogs jiggle in paroxysms of girlish laughter was fast becoming the high point of my paralyzed day. At midday, Joy would take a break while two or more of the other girls squoze me over the latrine, poured more broth into me, and then teased me mercilessly until Joy returned, clapped her hands, and sent them away well scolded. (Joy was the bull-ox concubine of them all, despite her tiny feet.) Sometimes during these breaks, Joshua would leave his own lessons and come to the library to visit. â€Å"Why have you painted him blue?† asked Joshua. â€Å"He looks good blue,† said Pea Pods. Two Fu Dogs and Tunnels stood by with paintbrushes admiring their work. â€Å"Well, he's not going to be happy with this when he gets the antidote, I can tell you that.† Then to me Joshua said, â€Å"You know, you do sort of look good blue. Biff, I've appealed to Joy on your behalf, but she says she doesn't think you've learned your lesson yet. You have learned your lesson though, haven't you? Stop breathing for a second if the answer is yes.† I did. â€Å"I thought so.† Joshua bent and whispered in my ear. â€Å"It's about that room behind the iron door. That's the lesson they want you to learn. I got the feeling that if I asked about it I'd be propped up there next to you.† He stood up. â€Å"I have to go now. The three jewels to learn, don't you know. I'm on compassion. It's not as hard as it sounds.† Two days later Joy came to my room in the morning with some tea. She pulled the tiny bottle from inside her dragon robe and held it close in front of my eyes. â€Å"You see the two small corks, a white one on one side of the vessel and a black one on the other? The black one is the poison I gave you. The white one is the antidote. I think you've learned your lesson.† I drooled in response, while sincerely hoping she hadn't mixed up the corks. She tipped the little bottle over a teacup, then poured some tea down my throat, with half of it going down the front of my shirt as well. â€Å"That will take a while to work. You may experience some discomfort as the poison wears off.† Joy dropped the little bottle down into its nest of Chinese cleavage, then kissed me on the forehead and left. If I could, I would have snickered at the blue paint she had on her lips as she walked away. Ha! â€Å"Some discomfort,† she had said. For the better part of ten days I'd had no sensation in my body at all, then suddenly things started to work again. Imagine rolling out of your warm bed in the morning into – oh, I don't know – a lake of burning oil. â€Å"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat, Joshua, I'm about to crawl out of my skin here.† We were in our quarters, about an hour after I'd taken the antidote. Balthasar had sent Joshua to find me and bring me to the library, supposedly to see how I was doing. Josh put his hand on my forehead, but instead of the usual calm that accompanied that gesture, it felt as if he'd lain a hot branding iron across my skin. I knocked his hand aside. â€Å"Thanks, but it's not helping.† â€Å"Maybe a bath,† Joshua suggested. â€Å"Tried it. Jeez, this is driving me mad!† I hopped around in a circle because I didn't know what else to do. â€Å"Maybe Balthasar has something that can help,† Joshua said. â€Å"Lead on,† I said. â€Å"I can't just sit here.† We headed off down the corridor, going down several levels on the way to the library. As we descended one of the spiral ramps I grabbed Joshua's arm. â€Å"Josh, look at this ramp, you notice anything?† He considered the surface and leaned out to look at the sides of the tread. â€Å"No. Should I?† â€Å"How about the walls and ceilings, the floors, you notice anything?† Joshua looked around. â€Å"They're all solid rock?† â€Å"Yes, but what else? Look hard. Think of the houses we built in Sepphoris. Now do you notice anything?† â€Å"No tool marks?† â€Å"Exactly,† I said. â€Å"I spent a lot of time over the last two weeks staring at walls and ceilings with nothing much else to look at. There's not the slightest evidence of a chisel, a pick, a hammer, anything. It's as if these chambers had been carved by the wind over a thousand years, but you know that's not the case.† â€Å"So what's your point?† Joshua said. â€Å"My point is that there's more going on with Balthasar and his girls than he lets on.† â€Å"We should ask them.† â€Å"No, we shouldn't, Josh. Don't you get it? We need to find out what's going on without them knowing that we know.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Why? Why? Because the last time I asked a question I was poisoned, that's why. And I believe that if Balthasar didn't think you had something that he wants, I'd have never seen the antidote.† â€Å"But I don't have anything,† said Joshua, honestly. â€Å"You might have something you don't know you have, but you can't just go asking what it is. We need to be devious. Tricky. Sneaky.† â€Å"But I'm not good at any of those things.† I put my arm around my friend's shoulders. â€Å"Not always so great being the Messiah, huh?†