The Roman Revolution - 1540 Words

CHW 3M1 Myles Lee Mr. Orford December 7, 2015 Refining Civilizations One of the reasons Rome was so powerful, is that they took other people’s accomplishments and used them for their own. Roman laws were mostly composed of assimilated rules and regulations from other cultures. The Twelve Tables allowed the republic to expand and be a model for future cultures. They were the best attempt at all-encompassing laws and rights, that were binding to every person in the republic, not just Roman citizens. As such, it broke down the barriers between the classes and rights of every individual, creating equality. The key to Roman law was The Twelve Tables, as they united Romans and allowed Rome to progress past the time of the Etruscan dictators. To begin with, as Garfield Newman explains, â€Å"The Roman Republic was a result of the people’s discontent with the tyrannical, domineering attitudes of the Etruscan kings†, The corrupt kings gave citizens something to rally against, this led to the uprising of the Roman aristocrats against the final Etruscan King, Lucius Tarquinius. Shortly after the fall of Etruscan rule, the Roman Republic created a constitution with the Twelve Tables at its roots. The Roman government was very strong which allowed for Rome to expand, â€Å"Polybius, who was a Greek states-man held hostage in Rome, sought to explain Rome’s ability to prosper and expand. He concluded that the RomanShow MoreRelatedThe Rise Of The Roman Revolution1601 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial events occurred a relatively short time before Caesar’s rule and when of the Roman Republic when Senators were brutal in their methods of winning elections. The Roman election of 63 B.C.E. had become the foundation for the conspiracy against a Roman senator Cicero by another Roman senator popularly known as Catiline. Ultimately, Catiline’s plan had been unveiled and despite trying to incite a revolution, he had died fighting as he fled the city. The fall of Catiline was the result of TheRead MoreAgainst the Monarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the French Revolution705 Words   |  3 PagesThe French Revolution was a civil revolt that broke out in France against the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church, which lasted from 1789-1799. This resulted in the establishment of France as a republic, democratic government and caused the Roman Catholic Church’s necessity, as well as its power to be questioned. The French Revolution ended the thousand-year rule of the monarchy in France and began when King Louis XVI gathered representatives from the 3 social groups called the ClergyRead More The Scientific Revolution Essay1129 Words   |  5 Pages During the Scientific Revolution scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, Descartes and Bacon wrestled with questions about God, human aptitude, and the possibilities of understanding the world. Eventually, the implications of the new scientific findings began to affect the way people thought and behaved throughout Europe. Society began to question the authority of traditional knowledge about the universe. This in turn, allowed them to question traditional views of the state and social order. NoRead More Napoleon Was NOT a Son of the Revolution Essay example770 Words   |  4 Pages At the end of the French Revolution, the hopes of the early stages of the Revolution had been mangled, leading into the Reign of Terror. France had dissolved into anarchy, with internal and international turmoil. It was out of the foreign wars that Napoleon came to power. Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power, victory by victory, eventually making himself Emperor of France, creating a strong central government while continuing the foreign wars, creating a mass French Empire. Although NapoleonRead MoreThe Economic Expansion Of Venice1738 Words   |  7 Pagesreversed again. The comparison of England’s Industrial Revolution with other countries, such as Rome which took steps for institutional innovations. Rome changed from the Republic (510 BC–49 BC) to the Empire (49 BC–AD 476). Western Europe’s subsequent institutional development, though it was not a direct inheritance of Rome, was a consequence of critical junctures that were common across the region in the wake of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. These critical junctures had little parallelRead MoreWhy Do Artists Use Greco-Roman Ideals in Their Works of Art?1135 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Do Artists Use Greco-Roman Ideals in their Works of Art? The term â€Å"history repeats itself† usually implys a negative connotation, but that was not the case in European art during the Italian Renaissance and the French Revolution. These were times when Italy and France were attempting to reinvent themselves after numerous centuries of stagnant oppression. During the Renaissance, Italians strived to surpass the intellect of the Greek, while in the French Revolution, Revolutionaries reveredRead MoreThe Tension Between The Individual And The Community1604 Words   |  7 Pagesliterature, and philosophy.† 2 This type of life made it possible for the individual to flourish in society and become what they want and desire to be. Moving on a little into the future we have the Romans. Rome is undoubtedly one of the greatest empires of all time. But one of the main struggles in Roman life was the ongoing class struggle between the Patricians and Plebeians - Patricians being the high class, small elite who monopolized political power and the Plebeians being the rest of societyRead MoreThe Revolutions Of The Heavenly Bodies1533 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the 16th-18th centuries many historical events happened, in the 16th century Nicolaus Copernicus wrote a book called On The Revolutions Of The Heavenly Bodies. During the writing of the book, Nicolaus Copernicus was trying to prove that the Geocentric Theory was wrong. The book talks about how the planetary movements work and it also has many mathematical equations he used to solve the Heliocentric Theory, which would help other scientists continue his studies. A few years later, in the 17thRead MoreThe Contribution Of Augustus s Reign From The Middle East A nd The North African Seaboard1124 Words   |  5 PagesAugustus is arguably the single most important figure in Roman history. In the course of his long and spectacular career, he put an end to the advancing decay of the Republic and established a new basis for Roman government that was to stand for three centuries. This system, termed the Principate, was far from flawless, but it provided the Roman Empire with a series of rulers who presided over the longest period of unity, peace, and prosperity that Western Europe, the Middle East and the NorthRead MoreEffects of the French Revolution1136 Words   |  5 PagesThe French Revolution’s Effects on Europe The effects of the French Revolution were political, social, economic, and religious. Europe was devastated and overjoyed by a revolution that happened in only France. There were many ways people rebelled which changed and affected Europe in different areas. A new political government began to form; borders of cities and countries were redrawn on European maps. Social effects included equality of the people and enlightenment of many citizens. The

Memoir About My Father Essay - 1502 Words

One event that defined a part of my life that involved literacy was when I had to write a memoir about my father. This memoir described and expressed the feelings that I had and helped me come to terms with something that I had struggled with for 10 years. I was able to express feelings that I had bottled up inside, and discover new things about myself. I was able to develop a healthy coping mechanism and inspire others around me as well as help myself. When I was 4, my father left my brother, mother and I and we were alone and had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. The way that I felt had only ever been expressed through poems that I had written over the years, but they were all full of anger and sadness and were all feelings that I†¦show more content†¦Writing became a way for me to express other feelings throughout my young years, but I always ended up writing in notebooks about how I was lonely and felt that I was the source of everything wrong in my life. Fast forward to 8th grade English class, and my teacher told us we had to write a memoir about a moment in our life that scared us. Since I had many of those moments all throughout my life, I didn t know which one to pick. I didn t decide what I was doing until the day before it was due when I sat down at my grandmas computer to type and print my assignment. I contemplated writing about all of my near death experiences, but settled on something else.I decided to write about the one thing that changed my life forever and that still haunted me to the very day and every moment. The topic, as you can guess, was my father. I started to write about how I felt betrayed and unloved and how angry I was. I was typing feelings that I didn t even know I had. I wrote about how he somehow was able to get inside my head and become part of my every day thoughts. It was almost as if I was speaking to him through my writing, and I think that’s what it became. I sarcastically thanked him for not being the re when I needed him most. I told him that I suffered through many hardships that involved my mental and physical health, and that I was broken and didn’t know how to handle it. I wrote about how his bottles were more important thanShow MoreRelated An Analysis of Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood by Richard Rodriguez821 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis of Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood by Richard Rodriguez Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood by Richard Rodriguez is an essay that shows his readers a part of life that many have never experienced. Rodriguez uses this essay to show how he fights through his childhood to understand English. Speaking clear English will help him to fit in to society. He faces society while forfeiting his happy home life, to try to become a typical English-speaking student.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a youngRead MoreThe Dramatic Twist Of This Graphic Memoir By Alison Bechdel1376 Words   |  6 Pagesreveal something from the past is called memoir. Introducing the dramatic twist of this graphic memoir written by Alison Bechdel will be explained in my essay. Alison Bechdel is a young lady who came out as being lesbian at the age of 19. Bechdel is the only child of a family of three and she deals with a problem which has to do with her father giving her hidden love. Bechdel uses memoir in the book to find herself in life in many ways. Bechdel relates in memoir through her parents as they were talentedRead MoreEssay on Suki Kims Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits1277 Words   |  6 PagesSummary Response essay Facing Poverty with a Rich Girls Habits I always thought about what would wealthy people feel if they were in poor people’s shoes. 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At the time when WieselRead More Book Review of Escape from Despair: A Croatian Familys Survival1135 Words   |  5 Pages Katarina Tepesh’s harrowing and engagingly straightforward account of her family history in communist Croatia and then in the United States after fleeing an abusive and alcoholic father in 1968 should be added to the shelf of memoirs of such family legacy, both for the new information it adds as well as for the story it continues to tell. This is the familiar story of the legacy of family trauma, alcoholism, and abuse—and as old as Original Sin. Since the mid-1990s, there has been a riseRead MoreThe Ideas Of Reading And Writing1434 Words   |  6 PagesBechdel Essay The ideas of reading and writing seem intertwined, in order to do one of them you must be able to do the other. Which, makes both equally as powerful as the other in language and literature. Most authors who talk about the ideology of reading and writing, compose their works mainly based off of outside sources, mainly. However, author/comic writer Alison Bechdel composes a story about writing the story and the troubles and hardships she encountered while writing. This oddly more intricateRead More Memoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye Essay example900 Words   |  4 PagesComparison Essay of Memoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye Memoirs of a Geisha by Aurthor Golden and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison are two thought provoking books with a unique style of writing. Memoirs of a Geisha has a beautiful poetic grammar which captures readers imagination and brings the story to life. Morrison on the other hand uses combined voices to give varied perspectives with out resorting to authorial intrusion or preaching. Memoirs Of A Geisha and the bluest eye both containRead MoreInheritance Is A Part Of Most People s Lives1487 Words   |  6 Pageshave examples of these two forms of inheritance. Hampl said, †for instance, have a single recollection of my first arithmetic lesson, the first time I studied Latin, the first time my grandmother tried to teach me to knit† (25). Hampl explains how she found out that her father played the violin after her first piano lesson. She inherited music skills and the passion for music from her father. Family inheritance and skills such as this are a very common thing b ut is not always the case. Most skillsRead MoreDarkroom : A Memoir Of Black And White By Lila Quintero Weaver And The 1997, All Over But913 Words   |  4 PagesWhile both the 2012, Darkroom: a memoir in black and white written by Lila Quintero Weaver and the 1997, All over but the Shoutin written by Rick Bragg explore the power of the south, both well written books chronicle their respective experiences in a similar time and setting in history. Although the book Darkroom: a memoir in black and white faces more experiences with being a different race in a segregated southern community, and the book All over but the Shoutin focuses more around a poorRead MorePersonal Essay2754 Words   |  12 Pagesfairytales, or the science fiction thriller about robots. However, there lacks the sense of truth, in a way blocking the reader from true connection with the story. Memoir is real, memoir is true, and memoir can range from any end of the ocean in structure and theme. I think there are many reasons why I like first person narratives. For one, most of the noteworthy personal essays are written by famous personal essay authors. I think reading a personal essay is like having a deep conversation with

Glass Roses free essay sample

What does a child have to go through to have the courage to live his life for himself? The Glass Roses by Alden Nowlan highlights the conflicts within the main character, Stephen, a fifteen-year-old scrawny teenager working with his father in the woods. He has been brought up in an environment where there is a predetermined set idea of what It means to be a mam The protagonist either has to follow in the footsteps of his father or pursue his desires to embrace others and show compassion. The friendships he develops and the ideas he grasps from his so called outcast partner named Leka teach him more about growing up then his father ever did. But what really troubles Stephen is mustering up enough courage to change what the preconceived notion of what being a man really means and if those around him are willing to accept what being a man means to him. We will write a custom essay sample on Glass Roses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A glass rose can be seen as a fragile replica of what a real rose actually is. Glass needs to be handled with care, it is weak and is not given the same admiration and appreciation as the ones we find in nature. Although this Is completely up to the person, ltx safe to say that I speak for the majority of people. Earlier in the story Leka has nightmares and twists and turns in bed as the night goes on and Stephen always is there to wake him up. Stephen is the only one to do so among all the men. This shows that he Is undoubtedly the most caring of the group, and showing any kind of emotion isnt something his father would approve of. I believe that he truly cares for others but must only do so openly a man. Theres a part in the story where Leka and Stephen are getting along and begin to regularly speak softly to one another at bed time. Stephen wants to be just like his father but doesnt want to change in order to do so. Its clear that he has soft side, Men did not tell one another fairy tales about cathedrals. But his father and the men at the bunkhouse need never know. This line makes me think about Stephen as having a split personality, one being an aspiring prodigy of his father, the other being a completely different individual yearning to be himself. It appears as if he has to act a certain way and if he acts any different, he forces himself back into that narrow mentality. I feel sorry for him and the fact that hes struggling so much to find himself while having the expectations of his father watching over him and breathing down his neck as he lives his life. All this makes him panic in the face of decision and a hesitant Stephen always turns back to his fathers notion of a man when in doubt. I always had friends in my age group so my parents werent really concerned about older kids taking advantage of me. I also have learned that parents can always see things in others that we may not see for ourselves in our younger ages. Towards the end of the story, Stephens father pulls him aside and speaks to him seriously about his concerns of Leka. He mentions the touchy gestures he uses when he speaks such as pat and poke, things that Stephen never really picked up on. Once again it makes e think of the homosexuality hidden in the friendship they have and maybe that is why they outcast Leka. Them Wops and Bohunks and Polacks has gotta lotta funny ideas. They aint our kinda people. You gotta watch them in this line he hints to his son that Lekas intentions may not completely be friendly. Having to be told about one of his own friends is the same as questioning his own decisions, kind of like questioning his manliness. Just make that Polack keep his hands off you. IVe seen fellers like him before. As much as it is fatherly to look out for your son, it makes Stephen feel like less of a man. All this talk gets into his head, I know this because I know if my father was this concerned about one of my friends it would definitely about waking Leka during his nightmares. The story ends and personally I believe that Stephen has decided to take the risk of becoming a man outside of the beliefs of his father and co-workers. Hes brought it upon himself to define what it means to grow up for himself, his own choices give detail to his character and knows that nobody but himself needs to be satisfied in order for him to live his life. The final decision of waking up Leka shows me that he hasnt changed and trusts his own intuition.

Procurement Management Plan free essay sample

Each seller of our products needed will need to fill out a document for each project. The project team has several documents and templates to use. Each one is different and will be use as often as possible. Each one will have a date per month or week that they will deliver product. Guidelines for creating procurement documents: There are 3 steps in creating procurement documents; conducting, controlling, and closing. We will be conducting a formal proposal evaluation form for the suppliers. Controlling the documents is done by the project manager and team so that the contracts are written in legal formality. The project will be closed by performing a procurement audit. Roles and responsibilities: Project manager is the main contact for all procurement matters directly related to the Campus Town Burger project. Project manager and project team will also coordinate with the other staff in the purchasing, marketing and legal departments, an needed. We will write a custom essay sample on Procurement Management Plan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Contract Statement of Work Date April 16, 2013 Project Name: Contract Name: Campus Town Contract Scope of Work: We are going to open a restaurant that will succeed through multiple years. This will be done through careful preparation and being able to adapt to changes. Not only changes in our business but changes throughout the community for which we serve. We are going to be the best restaurant in the Springfield area. We are going to let our food and our service be the tools to carry us to this success. Location of Work: We are going to initial open our business near the University of Illinois Springfield and build our brand from that location. In the future years we will look at possible expansion through the central Illinois area. Period of Performance: Â  Work is expected to start on or around April 15. The supplier will prepare a detailed schedule for all work required, including dates for deliverables and meetings. After meeting with representative from both contracted purchasing firm and marketing firm to review and update the schedule, supplier will agree to the schedule for this work. Deliverables Schedule: Work is expected to start on or around April 15. The supplier will prepare a detailed schedule for all work required, including dates for deliverables and meetings. After meeting with representative from both contracted purchasing firm and marketing firm to review and update the schedule, supplier will agree to the schedule for this work. Applicable Standards: Each seller for Campus Burgers will use standard software to produce documentation for this project. Drafts and final documents for the project could be sent via email or a hard copy could be mailed. Acceptance Criteria: The work will be accepted by the meeting the stakeholders criteria. The project has to meet the budget as well as the deadline to be accepted. Having the place be pleasing to the eyes will help it succeed. Special Requirements: Special requirements for our project will include both a contracted purchasing firm and a contracted marketing firm. We are looking for the most competitive offers from both of these areas, however, we are not willing to sacrifice quality of service just for the best offer. Our final firms will be well qualified and come highly recommended from past experiences.

Hector V. Achilles Essays

Hector V. Achilles Essays Hector V. Achilles Paper Hector V. Achilles Paper Hector v. Achilles In Homers Iliad many of the male characters display characteristics that define the heroic warrior code of ancient Greece. They try to obtain glory and power through victories in war; yet still have a distinct human side. Throughout many conflicts described in the Iliad their weaknesses and strengths appear evident. Two examples of this are Achilles and Hector. Both of these men try to uphold the warrior code but with distinctly different approaches in war, relationships and devotion to their country. Despite the differences and the opposing sides; they also have numerous similar traits which logically lead to a comparison between the two men. They both display behavior that could be described as heroic. The first way in which Achilles and Hector act differently is how they approach war. Achilles knows that he is destined to die in battle. Yet he still fights for his honor and glory. Achilles is known for his fierce and brutal antics in war. Many would come to think that he is not very heroic. He demonstrates the cold and brutal nature of war. When Agamemnon takes Brises, Achilles war prize, he refrains from fighting in battle. Achilles approach to war is primarily for the glory of his own name. His motives are purely aimed at the remembrance of his name, not the success of his country. All that he does in war is purely for personal gain. While his strength and courage in war is very heroic, his motives behind it are not so. One of Achilles only reason for fighting that could be honorable is when he fights for the death of Patrucles. His approach to war otherwise is purely for personal gain. Hector on the other hand has many reasons to fight in the battle. Hector is an honorable man who is loved by his country and family. He is an honorable warrior and his human morals are those considered of a hero. His approach to war is honor and glory for his country. He fights to keep his family and country safe. While some of Hectors actions seem un-heroic, he always seems to fight for the good of Troy. But although Hector may prove overly impulsive and insufficiently prudent, he does not come across as arrogant or overbearing. Moreover, the fact that Hector fights in his homeland, unlike any of the Achaean commanders, develop him as a tender, family-oriented man. Hector shows deep, sincere love for his wife and children. Hector loves his family; he never loses sight of his responsibility to Troy. Admittedly, he runs from Achilles at first and briefly entertains the hope of negotiating his way out of a duel. However, in the end he stands up to the mighty warrior, even when he realizes that the gods have abandoned him. His refusal to flee even in the face of vastly superior forces makes him the most heroic figures in the story. This is what makes a true hero stand out. His motives towards war are that of the hero. One of the characteristics of a hero is the relationships that they keep. Hector is the ideal hero in this since. He is a loving family man and a devoted leader. Hector shows deep love for his wife and children. He even treats his brother Paris with forgiveness and indulgence, despite the man’s lack of spirit and preference for lovemaking over military duty. Hector never turns violent with him, merely aiming frustrated words at his cowardly brother. Although Hector loves his family, he never loses sight of his responsibility to Troy. Achilles however does not develop over the course of the story. Although the death of Patroclus prompts him to seek reconciliation with Agamemnon, it does not alleviate his rage. Instead redirects it toward Hector. The event does not make Achilles a more heroic character. Bloodlust, wrath, and pride continue to consume him. He mercilessly kills his opponents, takes on the river Xanthus, desecrates the body of Hector, and sacrifices twelve Trojan men at the funeral of Patroclus. He does not show any compaction until the final book of the story, when King Priam came begging for the return of Hector’s desecrated corpse. This action seems to appeal to Achilles’ memory of his father, Peleus. Yet it remains unclear whether a father’s heartbroken pleas really have transformed Achilles, or whether this scene merely testifies to Achilles’ capacity for grief, which was already proven in his mourning of Patroclus. Another way that these two heroes differ is in their reasons for fighting. Hectors reasons for fighting are very clear and noble. He is the future leader and protector of Troy. All that he does in war and battle is to further the existence of Troy. The noble prince fights to uphold his country and family. Never are his actions aimed towards personal gain. In this aspect it makes Hector the ideal warrior. He upholds the heroic warrior code. Achilles on the other hand is a great warrior with many dishonorable reasons. While in battle Achilles worries only about his own honor and glory. Any time it comes for Achilles to fight it is either out of selfish reasons or anger. One of the few times that he fights honorably is when he fights for the honor of Patroclus. Even when he shows this moment of honor he then turns and desecrates the body of Hector. He had already won the fight yet instead of leaving with his victory he insists on proving his brutality. This is one of the actions that display Achilles true warrior nature. One of the most common standards of a hero is their devotion to their country. The perfect example of this is Hector. He knows his place in Troy and the role he must play. While still a prince of Troy he shows the most discipline and devotion when it comes to his role as protector of Troy. No matter what the outcome may look like, Hector knows he must face it for the good of his country. There is never any confusion as to where his true devotion lies. Most of Hectors actions are to further the existence of his country. While Hectors motives and devotion are clear it is not so with Achilles. As seen in many of Achilles fights, he is no patriot. Never does he ever show any true commitment of devotion to his country. Achilles thinks of himself as a God or a gift from the gods. He acts as though they should be worshiping and following him. He shows constant lack of respect for authority. When he refuses to fight of the slave girl, it almost resembles a child throwing a tantrum. In some cases he does show devotion to his warriors and his close friends and family. His brotherly love for Patriclus is an example of this. Thus both Hector and Achilles behave as heroes throughout the Iliad. While they both try to win glory in war for their families, their country, and themselves, they both have certain strengths and weaknesses in their character which dictate their very different courses of actions. They are both presented with conflicts and dilemmas throughout the story, the results of which must be made using both their human side and their heroic side. Both of these men try to uphold the warrior code but with distinctly different approaches in war, relationships and devotion to their country. All things that are considered of a true warrior

List of the Atlantic Oceans Ten Marginal Seas

List of the Atlantic Oceans Ten Marginal Seas The Atlantic Ocean is one of the worlds five oceans. It is the second-largest behind the Pacific Ocean with a total area of 41,100,000 square miles (106,400,000 sq km). It covers about 23% of the Earths surface and located mainly between the American continents and Europe and Africa. It also stretches north to south from Earths Arctic region to the Southern Ocean. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 12,880 feet (3,926 m) but the deepest point in the ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench at -28,231 feet (-8,605 m).The Atlantic Ocean is also similar to other oceans in that it shares borders with both continents and marginal seas. The definition of a marginal sea is an area of water that is a partially enclosed sea adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean (Wikipedia.org). The Atlantic Ocean shares borders with ten marginal seas. The following is a list of those seas arranged by area. All figures were obtained from Wikipedia.org unless otherwise noted.1) Caribbean SeaArea: 1,063,000 square miles (2,753,157 sq km)2) Mediterranean SeaArea: 970,000 square miles (2,512,288 sq km)3) Hudson BayArea: 819,000 square miles (2,121,200 sq km)Note: Figure obtained from the Encyclopedia Britannica4) Norwegian SeaArea: 534,000 square miles (1,383,053 sq km)5) Greenland SeaArea: 465,300 square miles (1,205,121 sq km)6) Scotia SeaArea: 350,000 square miles (906,496 sq km)7) North SeaArea: 290,000 square miles (751,096 sq km)8) Baltic SeaArea: 146,000 square miles (378,138 sq km)9) Irish SeaArea: 40,000 square miles (103,599 sq km)Note: Figure obtained from the Encyclopedia Britannica10) English ChannelArea: 29,000 square miles (75,109 sq km)ReferenceWikipedia.org. (15 August 2011). Atlantic Ocean - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_OceanWikipedia.org. (28 June 2011). Marginal Sea - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_seas

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Palmer is found to treat the people recruited as general partners who would help him to manage the funds. In case he would have treated his partners as limited, the entire burden of fund management had fallen on him. Thus, he can be taken as an example of a true entrepreneur in promoting a good teamwork. The case study of Maclean Palmer can be regarded as an ideal model for business entrepreneurship in the Venture Capital market. Maclean Palmer by dearth in the field of private equity investment is found successful in identifying a business opportunity and working out a plan to explore the opportunity cited. His decision to design the 200 million US Dollars on Equity Investment came from his interest to work on the area of minority business development. To this end, Palmer is seen to invite suggestions from Wanda Felton of Credit Suisse First and David Mazza of Grove Street Advisors to gain business expertise. Palmer considers the combination of expertise of the scholar minds with his rich experience of the equity market as a successful option in business entrepreneurship. It is seen that most of the minority business managers recruited were from business schools like Wharton and Harvard. Moreover, with the recommendation of Felton senior business executives were also taken in. Felt on in this context observes the marriage of the young and scholar minds with experienced people will certainly pave the way to business success. Palmer is found to give more importance on his people rather than on the experience and qualification parameters. He is observed to give considerable stress to form an environment of spontaneous teamwork. In regards to the opportunity cited by Maclean Palmer, David Mazza of Grove Street Advisors states that the decision to move into non-traditional investment sources was a profitable business decision taken by Maclean Palmer. It is because as Mazza

Ethical values of transactional and transformational leaders Research Paper

Ethical values of transactional and transformational leaders - Research Paper Example For leadership to occur there needs to be some leader-follower relationship ­ without followers, there is no leader (Hay & Hodgkinson, 2006). Though a leader might be chosen as part of a formal system, a person can be a leader without official authorization. The actual leader of a group might not be the "assigned" manager, and in reality, the roles of leader and follower may be ever-changing, as needs and circumstances change (Burns, 1978, 2003). Leaders are a means toward change (Bass, 1981). Burns (1978, 2003) points-out that the primary, driving force for leadership is change, and leaders/followers have a dynamic interdependency. They succeed or fail, based on how well they work through change. According to Bolman and Terrence (2003), although leaders may share some common qualities (i.e., vision), a major factor in making leaders is the situation or environment in which they lead and/or develop. Kouzes and Posner (1995) state that job assignments, relationships/contacts with ot her people, as well as formal training and education can help develop leadership. Integrity and Moral Leadership Merriam- Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines integrity as "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values; an unimpaired condition; the quality or state of being complete or undivided." But integrity is more complicated than these simple definitions. Persons of integrity must be independent enough to choose freely the values by which they will guide their lives. They must have an awareness and understanding of both their strengths and weaknesses and the capacity to evaluate themselves in a realistic fashion without self-deception (Spencer, 1996). Integrity may be seen as related to the desires with which we identify in order to act effectively in our lives. This identification signifies our capability to focus on reasons for carrying out certain actions other than our simple desire to do so. We therefore possess values relevant to our behavior and not just desires. We can be said to value something provided the identifications are sufficiently consistent and derived through practical reasoning and a sense of responsibility to act according to them. Integrity is displayed through self ­ awareness and self-control in acknowledging these values (Taylor, 1985). According to Ciulla (1995), in defining "good" leaders, consideration must be given of their ethics, as well as their effectiveness. It is a leader's character that really matters (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999). Leadership quality can't be considered without evaluating character, and core values are more critical than anything else (e.g., expertise, techniques, knowledge) (Sankar 2003). "Moral literacy is as important as computer literacy to a leader's effectiveness" (Sankar, 2003, p. 52). Ethical leadership in an organization can be heavily influenced by its senior leadership. Hood (2003) found that, in order to understand an organization's ethical practices, it is significant to understand the moral orientation of its CEO. Even the most ethical supervisors will have difficulty if their own upper management is unethical. For there to be an ethical organization, along with top management support, there needs to be a corporate-wide ethics policy, and, most importantly, there is a need for individual leaders who practice ethical behavior (i.e., integrity, honesty, trustworthiness) (Carlson & Perrewe, 1995).

Problem gambling Essay Example for Free

Problem gambling Essay Gambling is something that people are capable of enjoying once in a while, but for others it can turn into an activity that is hard to control. Gambling is the act of risking money, property, or something of value on an activity that has an uncertain outcome. This can include, lotteries and bingos, card games, going to casinos, buying multiple kinds of tickets, making bets, and games such as pool, golf, or arm wrestling. Gambling can be legal as well as illegal, any sort of gambling managed by the government or by regulations set by the government is legal, and any sort of gambling that is not managed by regulations is illegal. Gambling doesn’t have one specific cause, and the cause can be different for everyone. People who have bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome have been observed to develop an addiction to gambling. Bipolar disorder because exorbitant spending is known to be a symptom and can take form in gambling. Parkinson’s and restless leg syndrome, because of the theory that the medications can increase the activity of dopamine in the brain as a culprit. Other causes can include, emotional conditions, schizophrenia, mood problems, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol or drug addictions. People who have problems with gambling usually spend a lot of time doing so and don’t leave much time for family, friends, and important events. Bigger bets begin to get placed and they happen more often, which can lead to growing debts causing the person to borrow money from friends or family. Those with problems can’t fully stop gambling but would rather â€Å"cut back,† and can also become bad-tempered, depressed, withdrawn, or restless if they aren’t able to gamble. Gambling can have some very serious effects on the gambler, as well as those around him/her. Debt, bankruptcy, poverty, theft, prostitution, and suicide issues can all be side effects of gambling. Families with people those who have an addiction to gambling are more at risk of experiencing domestic violence and child abuse. And children of compulsive gamblers have a higher chance of developing depression, behavior problems, and substance abuse. There are many reasons for gambling and usually it is for fun or excitement, to escape or forget problems, to win money, or to feel challenged. In Canada, gaming is the largest  entertainment industry being the same size as movies, TV, recorded music, and professional sports combined. During 2007, 70.7% of adults gamble, and the most common gaming activities among Canadian adults are lotteries and instant-win tickets. About 3.2 of adults, and 2.2% of youth, are affected by moderate to severe problem gambling. A survey conducted in 2001-2006 suggests that the provinces, which have the highest rates of gambling, are Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Quebec and New Brunswick have the lowest. Gambling can be overcome, as there are multiple ways to fix your problem. Many participate in gamblers anonymous or go to psychotherapy. Medications have been discovered which help reduce the urge to gamble, or thrill that comes with it. Financial counseling and self-help interventions are also ways to go about fixing your addiction. 70% of people who have gambling problems most likely also have another psychiatric issue; therefore they may need more than one type of treatment for their best chance to overcome their problem(s). My personal viewpoint on gambling is that, it’s not always a bad thing if you can keep it under control, and if it is legal. I think it’s a good way to have fun if you know your limits. If you have gambling problems it can become quite serious, which in that case you need to get some sort of help and realize it is not the best lifestyle. After doing this report I realize that it is an important issue that I was not fully aware of, and that it can be harmful to ones present and future just as much as alcohol and drug addictions. Bibliography http://www.onhealth.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm https://dl.cssd.ab.ca/d2l/lms/content/viewer/view.d2l?tId=2157962ou=1868624 http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/Documents/FA_GamblingProblemGamblinginCanada.pdf

Americas Growing Pains :: essays research papers

America’s first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, both resolutely adhered to the idea that America should endeavor to stay out of war at all times, and did everything in their power to evade declaring and entering into war. Throughout their reigns, war was ubiquitous in Europe, and many countries (especially Britain and France) made numerous attempts to obtain and secure America’s support. Washington and Adams both believed that America should not side with any foreign country during times of war making the fundamental purport of America’s first foreign policy the elusion of war at all costs. This policy was manifested throughout Washington and Adams’ involvement in, and reactions to the following affairs: the Citizen Genet controversy, the Jay Treaty, and the XYZ Affair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of Washington’s initial attempts to pursue this policy was his counteraction to the Genet Affair. In 1793, George Washington proclaimed neutrality, thus declaring America an uninvolved, nonpartisan country in times of war. Simultaneously, Edmond Charles Genet was sent to the United States as a special representative from France to implore support in the French Revolution. Genet had previously resolved that the proclamation of neutrality was a â€Å"harmless little pleasantry designed to throw dust in the eyes of the British†. Commencing in Charleston, South Carolina, Genet traveled throughout the United States presenting his credentials. In addition to his quest for support, he began to license American vessels to operate as privateers against British shipping and to grant French military commissions to a number of Americans in order to prepare expeditions against Spanish and British territorial claims in North America. These two actions were in direct defilement of American law. Washington demanded that he cease his unlawful actions, but Genet continued to commission privateers because he enticed the public opinion. This incident is a lucid manifestation of Washington’s ample efforts to avoid war. Genet had copiously essayed to obtain American support in the French Revolution, and in accordance with America’s foreign policy, Washington vehemently resisted any involvement in war. In an attempt to deplete the threat of Americans supporting the French, he avowed that Genet would be expelled. Washington’s reaction to this controversy verified his foreign policy by showing that he was willing to avoid war at all costs, even if alliances were broken and foreign relations were damaged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to Washington’s response to the Genet affair, he further strived to avert involvement in war by signing the Jay Treaty. This treaty was written to prevent war with Britain, but concurrently it strained America’s relationship with France by going against their alliance.

A Cinematographic Vampire’s Tale: Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Horror Icon

Cinema is the place where we as viewers engage in sharing a collective dream. Certainly, horror movies enrich us as viewers with the most dream-like of plots. This is because they open a portal into another world where we are allowed to engage with our nightmares. All over time various horror movies show us how normality is endangered by a monster, but the creature who has haunted the screen like no one is undoubtedly the Vampire. According to Ivan Phillips the figure of the Vampire has drifted and shifted through the pages of newspapers, travel journals, novels, poems, comics, and plays for 300 years, it has haunted cinema and television for almost a hundred, its shadow is creeping into the social, narrative and ludic networks of the digital’. The image of the Vampire is constantly present in the virtual and literature culture of the twenty-first century. Although this being moved from its folkloristic origins in which he appeared in works of J. Sheridan Le Fanu, John Polidor i and Bram Stoker, the vampire still remains an iconic figure in Western Culture. This personage provides paradoxical fascination as it exists ‘at the edges of what is deemed normal, acceptable and safe, the vampire embodies the foreign and the unfamiliar’. Although, the vampire is often seen as a bringer of death, there are numerous metaphorical meanings and readings of this being. Through Marxist discourse the vampire is portrayed as the monster of monopoly capitalism and the agent of foreign ownership. This idea of the ‘bloodsucking capitalist’ is perceived in a negative way the Marxist community. In a xenophobic society this idea of the vampire embodies a general fear of the unfamiliar and may also constitute a racial difference. But the vampire not only represents the non-conformity it also alludes to an illicit desire. According to Jorg Waltje, this being is the embodiment of humanity's ‘hopes and desires: beauty, strength, and immortality’. Although these elements do not express fear in the same way as the vampire's link with death but in the same manner they express an external behaviour which puts at risk society's stability. The vampire hints to a sense of ‘unsettlement’. Through his figure the viewer, in a quite troubled sense, comes face-to-face with the dramatization of humanity. As a creature, the vampire encompasses men's vulnerability and his inability to alter the laws of time. As Sarah Sceats states ‘Vampires represent what we both fear and desire; they evoke a marginal world of darkness, secrecy, vulnerability, excess, and horror. Whatever they are, it is positively Other’. This notion of ‘excess' was also tackled by Omar Calabrese in one of his chapters. According to Calabrese one could only escape from ‘a closed system’ through this notion of excess. The vampire represents this excess as he personifies ‘those aspects excluded or rejected by society, its existence in itself denotes excess’. In addition to this, Calabrese associates this vampiric excess to the exotic erotic which alludes to the scandal and breaks the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. In this sense the vampire's bite is linked with the erotic. Further to this ‘explicit erotic act’ we have an unavoidable act with death. It was Bram Stoker which explored this notion in his novel Dracula. In the scene, where Lucy dies we see an excessive use of the erotic; ‘She seemed like a nightmare of Lucy as she lay there; the pointed teeth, the bloodstained, voluptuous mouth – which it made one shudder to see – the whole carnal and unspiritual appearance, seeming like a devilish mockery of Lucy’s sweet purity’. Through this, Bram Stolker illustrates us with an example of how death is linked to the erotic. The notion of ‘excess' is repetitively used and reused by Stolker. In fact, he describes Lucy as a ‘nightmare †¦ hich it made one shudder to see’ As viewers, as film enthusiasts or as junkies of the silver screen, we have grown accustomed to think that nothing happens outside of the frame. Yet this idea seems to crumble to the ground when it comes to Dreyer's, Vampyr. The latter haunts us with ‘a distinctly innerving sense of not knowing where anyon e is, creating a feeling that anything culd be happening beyond the frame, in the ‘blind space' in which the monsoter lurks’. Visually speaking, Vampyr resembles Jean Epstein's La Chute de la Maison de Usher and Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou. Dreyer's horror movie encapsulates ‘clear moments of crossover between the two movements’. Therefore Vampyr distinguished itself from other movies of the same genre because of the various artistic influences which left their imprint. Comparison can also be drawn between more contemporary movies which are not necessarily classified under an artistic movement but which are still relevant to vampire studies. Coppola's movie is separated by decades from its predecessors and is more straight forward in the narration of events. Visual metaphors are central to its filmic structure and the American director’s interpretation is completely submerged in blood, but while this film is heavily conditioned by an erotic element, the scenes of blood in Vampyr are scarce. The ‘spots of blood’ carry psychoanalytic connotations. Barbara Creed states that the manifestation of horror is culturally and socially constructed through the ‘images of blood, vomit, pus. shit etc’. These images emphasize a split between the law of the father and the maternal influence. This division has to be viewed under a pre-Oedipal line of thought. In this stage there is a fierce attachment to the maternal figure. In Dreyer's vampire movie, blood is linked to the maternal entity because Chopin ‘punctuates the flesh and transgresses the sanctity of the body’. Another overwhelming point stated by Creed is that the female vampire does not limit herself to mutating her victims into creatures which are one with the night. Her victims are testimony of the vampire's ability to destabilize ‘traditional gender definitions’. Although lesbian connotations are often attributed to this particular flick, there is no real intimacy between Leon and Chopin. The scene in which Chopin ‘feeds' upon her young prey, does not communicate a sense of desire. The village doctor who is at the service of Chopin, does not coincide with the medical man who represents a positive force in the traditional gothic horror narrative. In Coppola's Dracula, based on Bram Stocker's novel, Van Helsing is an educated individual and an adversary to the malevolent vampire. The doctor ‘sucks' the blood from the living thanks to the transfusion equipment just as Chopin uses fangs. The victim of the doctor's bloodsucking, artificial technique is Gray. He is the character who often looks at the actions taking place by standing behind doors or windows; ‘he is an outsider peering in’. In fact, Gray is removed from the narrative action even as he witnesses the first death. David Bordwell believed that Gray ‘is a curious character’ and he is more of a mediator than a provocateur of action. However, Gray still ‘possesses an active and enunciating gaze’. This male character's progress is often hindered by other characters, by the props and also by buildings. What is so overwhelming about Vampyr is the collision between reality and the supernatural. Everything seems to take place within a dream-like state and the movie is ‘ephemeral, polysemic and shifting, provoking opinion and polarising debate’. The movie afflicts the viewer with dissonance and discomfort, especially when our gaze meet Chopin's stare as Gray is sealed in the coffin. The latter is an artefact which shares an endless tradition with the general notion of vampirism. It is the space where these beings retreat and hide away from the daylight. The coffin is the body-fitting box where Dracula and Count Orlock patiently wait their time to rise while the vessel is sailing. This tomb or repository is ‘the most vampiric of all enclosure’. Gray finds himself trapped in a coffin and at this point in the movie's chronology, ‘the spectatorial gaze is doubly trapped, within the confines of a sealed coffin and the immovable dead body’. As the coffin containing Gray's corpse is being carried away, the procession passes next to Gray's unconscious body. In Vampyr, the element of the doppelganger has a heavy resonation. Vampyr is venerated amongst lovers of the genre even though movie makers throughout those years did not have the present technological resources. Old, B&W, silent movies may seem alien in form and content to younger generations, yet what some of these past flicks embody inextinguishable artistic and human values. We've already drawn remarks on Coppola's remake of Bram Stocker's narrative work into film. Long before the release of this movie, ‘the most haunting of any attempt to dramatize Bram Stocker's novel’ was Murnau's Nosferatu. There is a strong resemblance between Murnau's vampire and the one lurking in the book. What is it that viewers find so terrifying about Nosferatu? Is it the vampire’s appearance and inhuman gestures? Does he embody the general notion that â€Å"we fear whatever we cannot explain or understand through rational thinking†? As consumers, for there is no better way to call genuine movie enthusiasts, we ought to dig deeper and deeper into the sequence of images. Most of the time denotations come with connotations and it is up to us to fish out such hidden meanings. The imagery in Murnau’s movie suggests the concept of repression and ‘the arch is a visual leit motif in the film’. Arches and similar structures try to stop the vampire from emerging. Count Orlock is therefore a repressed force who is also linked to Jonathan via these same arches. In a memorable scene in the movie, the Count emerges from under an arch and Jonathan from another as they meet for the first time. Jonathan is also linked to the menacing creature through the house which stands on the opposite side to his. Count Orlock purchases this house, thus becoming the young man’s reflection. Jonathan is a loving companion to Nina while Nosferatu becomes a ‘demonic alternative husband’. Nosferatu contains numerous references to ‘a number of traditional or cultural elements’. Myths about Persephone and Orpheus also produce an echoing effect through this vampire movie. Nosferatu was not meant to float in its own air bubble, separated from all other influences and ideas. Murnau transfuses into the motion picture ‘the product of a synthesis’. This adaptation of Dracula, which donated to all lovers of the horrific this ‘thin, repulsively bald’ being, dates back to ‘the heyday of expressionist fantasy’. What come into collision are the natural and the fantastic. These two distant realms are central to Nosferatu yet neither dominates the film. The viewer cannot but notice the obsession with filing space and the ‘obrusive sets’. Like Tabu, Nosferatu is primarily set in natural surroundings and both of Murnau’s movies deal with a menace. The latter diffuses into an ordinary world and out of a fantastic, paranormal world. Nosferatu portrays an animal-like being (a mixture between a rat and a human skeleton) who is ‘constantly associated with nature throughout the film’. Even Count Orlok’s movements does not coincide with those of a human being , in fact even his castle ‘is like a natural continuation of the rock’ thus the true protagonist in Nosferatu is Nature which is closely linked with its natural settings. In Nosferatu, Murnau used a sort of trick photography also with expressionist angle shots. As Gilberto Perez Guillermo suggests these specific techniques are used to illustrate a remote, fragmented and bizarre environment. Nosferatu is generally seen from distance and this gives us the impression that the nocturnal creature is merging itself with the surrounding nature. Murnau succeeded into creating an iconic- power image through which he shows Nosferatu as ‘seemingly immensely tall’. In particular the scene where the vampire is standing on the deck of the vessel which is no longer conducted by a human being. Murnau makes also the use of the negative image, this technique is ideal to express ‘mystery, fantasy, and unreality’. This negative image basically involves an X-ray photograph, in this film it was used when Jonathan was being carried into ‘the land of phantoms’ in Count Orlock's weird carriage. The three movies which have been discussed so far are all based on similar, if not identical, themes. In each case the relationship between the female character and the parasite represented by the vampire is at the heart of the movie's plot. Guillermo del Toro took on a different approach and directed a vampire movie which derailed from the norm set up by the previously discussed films. Narrative-wise, Cronos ignores the myth of the Count and focuses on a device that causes transformations to take place within the main character's physique. The Cronos looks like an insect which shares some sort of a mutual parasitic relationship with its victim. Apart from a different take on the blood-sucking creature's myth, Cronos proposes characters which are marked by an ‘implied absence’. Del Toro's movie might ‘represent a nostalgic look at the past’ in the sense that the long-gone years receive a corporeal dimension belonging to the present. The main character in this Mexican Gothic is a perfect illustration of this notion. Jesus Gris is the ‘purveyor of antiques and guardian of the new dawn’ the latter being Aurora. What distinguishes Jesus Gris with Dieter de la Guardia, the dying industrialist who is aware of the Cronos' true nature and powers are there past scars which must be dealt with in modern times. On the one hand the ‘scars’ of Jesus are related to family life while on the other Dieter de la Guardia is at the mercy of an ailing health. Above all else, the Cronos is a ‘fascinating hybrid of science and nature’ and the golden case is said to hold an insect which lives off human blood. In return the creature rejuvenates its bearer and prolongs his life, killing off the threat posed by ‘corruptible, material flesh’. The device is needed by de la Guardia because it surpasses the technology of modern times. Only the Cronos can achieve what technology has failed in. There also lies a fine parallelism between de la Guardia and the angel’s statue. The man’s body is full of holes just like the archangel’s interior which is infested by cockroaches and if the statue reminds us of the divine, the deteriorating human body indicates an inevitable ending. Erotism is a stranger to the film’s plot, yet del Toro’s work delves into universal dreams, such as eternal youth and the conflict between life and death. Jesus caries the device while de la Guardia holds the instructions; Jesus is the unsuspecting individual who comes across an artifact of mysterious powers and who ends owning itself to it. The Cronos dehumanizes him and his need for human blood becomes more prominent as the film unfolds. Just as the insect feeds upon the blood of the device’s holder, the latter ends up developing an appetite for human blood. Viewers have grown accustomed to having a female figure within vampire stories. Whether the woman is a prey, a victim or an object of desire, she has been instrumental to Dracula’s and Vampyr’s storyline. In Cronos, Aurora ‘plays the role of the love interest for which the monster must make his sacrifice’. Transformation and shifting of form does not limit itself to Jesus’ metamorphosis, but it also manifests itself in the relationship between the vampire and the female figure. The erotism is replaced by an ‘innocent, filial love’. Contrasting and comparing characters and plots allows us to point out what is present in one movie and absent in another. Some characters from different filmic works may share the same attributes or characteristics, while others may interpret the same role but in a totally different manner. The so-called â€Å"assistant†, the faithful follower who is at the service of his master, is present in all four films discussed so far. However Angel, the nephew of de la Guardia, is not as submissive as Renfield and the village doctor. Angel’s mode of thinking is simply capitalistic. He yearns for his uncle’s wealth and represents the ‘cynical angel’. In contemporary popular culture the power of the vampire’s bite did not vanish but in some manner it did change. We can see this notion through the creation of diverse pop culture vampires such as Angel and Spike in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). These modern vampires have been ‘desexualized and de-victimized’ because they only obtain and drink blood from butchers. Now the vampire is made more human and this highlights the fact that contemporary vampires have a more mundane appearance. In the new millennium the vampire seemed to have changed from a creature of fear to a creature of ‘sympathy and emulation’. This is made more evident in online discourse about the vampire. As argued by Mary Williamson in her book Lure of the Vampire, in the virtual world the vampire is perceived as a ‘forgivable outcast’ and thus we sympathize with him. In Facebook, a social network used by millions in the world the presence of this being is very strong. Through one particular application called Vampire application we see several imitations of the ‘folkloric tradition of the vampire’. This application is diffused from one user to another via a ‘virtual bite’. During this process a user is sent an invitation to enrol himself to such application, were the user gets to interact with other individuals who share their interest and curiosities about this subject. Users get to fight other vampires, fill their hunger or feed upon weaker vampires. Once cravings for this so called ‘virtual-violence’ are stated by many, users can also send gestures such as hugs to their nearest companions. Feeding and fighting are the highlight of this application were vampires get points and money for doing so which than they can be exchanged for weapons or to improve their senses or powers . In this application placing someone in a suit will result in losing all their fights for two consecutive days, which is quite a deal breaker. This application also embraces violence amongst friends. Some of the many options this application boasts are the way one can attack another throughout the Facebook community. This application is filled with the erotic; this notion solidifies the ‘traditional elements of the transgressive vampire’. At each and every single level the vampire's abilities achieves a new rank and this creates a new type of vampire. As noticed by Mary Williamson in the virtual world this being is not perceived as an ‘outcast’ but rather a fundamental figure through which players communicate. In the online world the vampires have become a part of a different ritual, a social ritual by which relationships and friendships are maintained and expanded’. In this application, what used to frighten about this creature is eliminated and instead it is accepted. In fact, with the loss of penetration of the bite the vampire is ‘de-sexualized and sanitized’. According to C alabrese, the vampire represents only a slight alteration beyond what is socially accepted and thus it represents; the shifting of limits. ‘When confronted by an ‘acceptable’ excess, the limit is simply moved (perhaps to a considerable distance) in order to absorb it’. When in the virtual world, elements like blood and the penetration of the bite are removed ‘the virtual vampire becomes the monster that is us’. In the twentieth century, sympathy for this being has grown bigger. In fact as stated by Williamson, this being has generated new implications and attitudes ‘towards the ‘self ’ in the twentieth century’. There is a great desire to imitate the vampire not as a rebellious figure but rather to imitate a ‘bohemian outsiderdom which locates the individual as the desirable outsider, the sympathetically alienated’. In the virtual context perception of the self becomes ‘fluid and flexible’. As it is no longer linked with the body but it is highly linked with the fulfilment of desires. In this sense identity is constructed as one desires. The virtual identity can be understood through the Lancian psychoanalytic theory. ‘In the online world the virtual identity is not reflected but is rather constructed; the subject is not created in the reflection but rather in the digital composite’. This leads us to do a parallelism between the vampire and the virtual identity. According to Shannon Winnubst, the site represents the mirror reflection in which an individual forms and constructs his ideas about the self. On the other hand the vampire ‘in lacking a mirror reflection, does not even register on the radar of identity-formation: he does not have the necessary condition for the possibility of becoming a subject’. Also Rhonda Wilcox explored this theme using the imaginative Id and the Jungian shadow. According to Wilcox the online body represents the negative aspect of one's personality. In this manner the vampire is portrayed as the doppelganger of the victim before it was biten. Stoker's Lucy and Angel in Buffy are the perfect examples, Stoker’s Lucy from chaste to ripely erotic, or perhaps the souled and soulless incarnations of Angel in Buffy – so too does the virtual body provide opportunity for the vampiric shadow to find form in cyberspace. As stated by Wilcox, the imaginative Id illustrates the unconscious which is repressed and which encourages the pre-vampiric identity to free itself. In this sense online where the personality is fluid the wishes of the Id can be fulfilled as there are no repercussions which constitute some sort of restriction in the corporeal world. When talking about horror movies there is a subtle difference between the onster and the human being. But as indicated in films by Dreyer, Murnau, Coppola and Guillermo del Toro a strong link exists between the two beings. The myth and the vampire have always been subjects of debates. Although there are number of similarities and differences between Vampyr and Nosferatu yet both films show us the vampire as being more than just a b lood sucking, nocturnal creature but it is also the representation of the darkest corners of the human psyche ‘For this is one of the functions of our monsters: to help us constrict our own humanity, to provide guidelines against which we can define ourselves’.

A Biography of Shirley Temple Essay

Shirley Temple OCCUPATION: Film Actress (1932-1950); TV actress/entertainer (1958–1965); Public servant and Diplomat (1969–1992); BIRTH DATE: April 23, 1928 (Age: 85) PLACE OF BIRTH: Santa Monica, California EDUCATION: Tutors; Westlake School for Girls ResidenceWoodside, California AKA: Shirley Jane Temple; Shirley Temple Black Nickname: Little Miss Miracle ZODIAC SIGN: Taurus Party Affiliation: Republican Nationality: United States of America Details SHIRLEY TEMPLE Shirley Jane Temple was born on April 23, 1928, in Santa Monica, California. She is the daughter of Gertrude Amelia Temple (nee Krieger), a homemaker and George Francis Temple, a bank employee. The family was of English, German and Dutch ancestry. She had two brothers, George Francis, Jr. and John Stanley. Mrs. Temple once had show business aspirations and frequently played the phonograph and attended dance recitals while she was pregnant. Eight months after she was born, young Shirley was regularly swaying to music in her crib and Mrs. Temple encouraged her infant daughter’s singing, dancing and acting talents. In September 1931 she enrolled her in Meglin’s Dance School in Los Angeles, California. She was discovered a few months later, when executives from a low-budget film company came by the dance studio. When Shirley was 3 years old, her father signed a contract on her behalf with Educational Pictures. Shirley began appearing in Baby Burlesques, short films which spoofed popular movies by remaking them with children. In her earliest films, Shirley performed remarkable impressions of such stars as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. While the cameras rolled, Shirley Temple’s mother would be on the sidelines, encouraging her to â€Å"Sparkle! To underwrite production costs at Educational Pictures, Shirley and her child co-stars modeled for breakfast cereals and other products. She was lent to Tower Productions for a small role in her first feature film Red-Haired Alibi in 1932 and in 1933, to Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers for various bit parts. Her family was protective and her father became her agent and financial adviser. The exposure from Baby Burlesques l ed her to a contract with the Fox Film Corporation. At age 5, in April 1934, she attained fame with a featured role in Stand Up and Cheer, starring Warner Baxter. This became Shirley’s breakthrough film. Her charm was evident to Fox heads and she was promoted well before the film’s release. Within months, she became the symbol of wholesome American family entertainment. Her salary was raised to $1,250 a week, and her mother’s to $150 as coach and hairdresser. Shirley starred in several more films the same year, including Little Miss Marker and Baby Take A Bow. On December 28, 1934, Bright Eyes was released. It was the first feature film crafted specifically for Shirley’s talents and the first in which her name appeared above the title. Her signature song â€Å"On the Good Ship Lollipop† was introduced in the film and sold 500,000 sheet music copies. The film demonstrated Shirley’s ability to portray a multi-dimensional character and established a formula for her future roles as a lovable, parentless waif whose charm and sweetness mellow gruff older men. The next year, she broke racial barriers (at the time) by tap-dancing with the original Mr. Bojangles, Bill Robinson, in The Little Colonel. The young actress, singer and dancer with the 56 bouncing golden corkscrew curls and infectious optimism proved an overnight sensation and a top earner for the studio. In February 1935, Shirley Temple became the first child star to be honored with a special Academy Award and miniature Juvenile Oscar for â€Å"Outstanding Personality of 1934† She added her foot and hand prints to the forecourt at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in February that year. Shirley Temple was the most famous child actor in history. From 1936-38, Shirley earned more than any other Hollywood star, starring in films that offered an hour and a half of optimism at the height of the Depression. To make her seem even more precocious, her mother subtracted a year from Shirley’s age and until she was 13 Shirley thought she had been born in 1929. By 1940, Shirley Temple had 43 films under her belt. United States President at the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt called Shirley Temple â€Å"Little Miss Miracle† for raising the public’s morale during times of economic hardship and was noted for saying that, â€Å"as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right. † When off the set, Shirley had private tutors and also attended the Westlake School for Girls from 1940-45. When Shirley began to mature, her popularity with audiences waned. As an adolescent, she appeared in The Blue Bird (1940) which performed poorly at the box office. At 19, she co-starred in The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer. Although the film received critical praise, audiences struggled to accept that their â€Å"Little Miss Miracle† was growing up. In 1943, 15-year-old Shirley met John George Agar, an Army Air Corps sergeant. On September 19, 1945, when Shirley was 17 years old, they were married before 500 guests at Wilshire Methodist Church. On January 30, 1948, Shirley gave birth to their daughter, Linda Susan. Agar became a professional actor and the couple made two films together: Fort Apache (1948) and Adventure in Baltimore (1949). Following her 1948 and 1949 films, Shirley found it increasingly difficult to land major acting roles. During the 1950s and early 1960s, she made scattered appearances on the small screen but her career as a popular film star had ended at an earlier age than most entertainers’ had begun. Shirley’s marriage became troubled and she divorced Agar on December 5, 1949. She received custody of their daughter and the restoration of her maiden name. The divorce was finalized on December 5, 1950. In January 1950, Shirley had met Charles Alden Black, a World War 2 United States Navy intelligence officer who was awarded the Silver Star and reputedly one of the richest young men in California. Temple and Black were married on December 16, 1950. The family relocated to Washington, D. C. when Black was recalled to the Navy at the outbreak of the Korean War. Shirley gave birth to their son, Charles Alden Black, Jr. , in Washington, D. C. on April 28, 1952. Following the war’s end and Black’s discharge from the Navy, the family returned to California in May 1953. Black managed television station KABC-TV in Los Angeles, and Shirley became a homemaker. Their daughter Lori was born on April 9, 1954. In September 1954, Black became director of business operations for the Stanford Research Institute and the family moved to Atherton, California. The couple remained married for 54 years until his death on August 4, 2005. In her film career spanning 1931-1961 she starred in 14 short films, 43 feature films and over 25 storybook movies. As Shirley Temple Black’s entertainment work petered out, she refocused her efforts on a career in public service. She briefly returned to acting in 1958, as host and sometimes performer of Shirley Temple’s Storybook, an anthology series that ran on NBC and ABC from 1959-62. She began her second career in public life at about the same time, becoming involved in the fight against multiple sclerosis after the disease ravaged her brother George, Jr. She co-founded the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies. In 1967 at the age of 39 she ran for United States Congress but lost. From 1969 to 1970 she served as U. S. ambassador to the United Nations. Shirley Temple Black was appointed ambassador to Ghana in 1974. Two years later, she became the chief of protocol of the United States, retaining the position until 1977. In 1988 Shirley Temple Black became the only person thus far to achieve the rank of honorary Foreign Service officer of the United States. From 1989 to 1992 under US President George H. W. Bush she served yet another public service role, as ambassador to Czechoslovakia. In December of 1998, Shirley Temple Black’s lifetime accomplishments were celebrated in the Kennedy Center Honors at Washington, D. C. s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2005 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. Today, Shirley Temple continues to reside in California. Shirley Temple’s Accomplishments: FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR A Kiss for Corliss (1949) The Story of Seabiscuit (11-Nov-1949) Adventure in Baltimore (19-Apr-1949) Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) Fort Apache (9-Mar-1948) That Hagen Girl (24-Oct-1947) The Bachelor and Bobby-Soxer (1947) Honeymoon (17-May-1947) Kiss and Tell (4-Oct-1945) I’ll Be Seeing You (5-Jan-1945) Since You Went Away (20-Jul-1944) Miss Annie Rooney (29-May-1942) Kathleen (18-Dec-1941) Young People (30-Aug-1940) The Blue Bird (19-Jan-1940) Susannah of the Mounties (13-Jun-1939) The Little Princess (10-Mar-1939) Just Around the Corner (11-Nov-1938) Little Miss Broadway (16-Sep-1938) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) Heidi (15-Oct-1937) Wee Willie Winkie (30-Jul-1937) Stowaway (25-Dec-1936) Dimples (9-Oct-1936) Captain January (11-Sep-1936) Poor Little Rich Girl (24-Jul-1936) The Littlest Rebel (22-Nov-1935) Curly Top (2-Aug-1935) Our Little Girl (7-Jun-1935) The Little Colonel (22-Feb-1935) Bright Eyes (11-Dec-1934) Now and Forever (31-Aug-1934) Baby, Take a Bow (30-Jun-1934) Now I’ll Tell (8-Jun-1934) Little Miss Marker (18-May-1934) Change of Heart (10-May-1934) Stand Up and Cheer! (19-Apr-1934) PUBLIC SERVICE US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989-92) US Chief of Protocol (1976-77) US Ambassador to Ghana (1974-76) American Academy of Diplomacy Charter Member Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Board of Directors Association for Intelligence Officers Honorary Board of Directors Council of American Ambassadors Council on Foreign Relations George W. Bush for President Pacific Council on International Policy Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses 1939 Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses 1989 Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses 1999 (shared) Kennedy Center Honor 1998 Hollywood Walk of Fame 1500 Vine St. Visited Disneyland (Oct-1970) BIBLIOGRAPHY World Book Encyclopedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Shirley_Temple http://www. nndb. com/people/089/000023020/ http://www. biography. com/people/shirley-temple-9503798? page=2 http://www. shirleytemple. com/bio. html http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=bb8FmimEqPE http://eltonzeng. blog. hexun. com/80714265_d. html

Politics and Reform in Britain essays

Politics and Reform in Britain essays Britain was not a democracy; aristocrats dominated it. It had a constitutional monarchy that had many limits on the powers of the king and state. Landed aristocrats controlled both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The majority of the middle and working class could not vote. Many towns continued to be governed by corrupt groups. New industrial towns were not allowed to elect representatives to Parliament. Younger sons of aristocrats had to make careers in law, business, the military, and the church because they didn't inherit titles. The wealthiest merchants bought lands, titles, and husbands for their daughters. The courts, Parliament, local government, the established Anglican church, and the monarch were all part of a social and political system dominated by aristocratic interests and values. In 1828, Parliament abolished a seventeenth-century act that barred Catholics and Nonconformists from government positions and from universities. In 1833, slavery was abolished within the British Empire. In 1835, the Municipal Corporations Act gave towns and cities greater authority over their affairs. It could make reforms such as sanitation, which Parliament passed the first Public Health Act in 1848. The House of Commons passed the Reform Bill of 1832, which gave more people the right to vote. But the House of Lords refused to pass the bill. So King William IV and many politicians threatened to increase the number of the bill's supporters in the House of Lords by creating new peers. The threat worked and the bill was passed. The Reform Act of 1832 extended the suffrage to the middle class and made the House of Commons more representative. During the 1830s and 1840s, reformers called Chartists agitated for democratic measures, such as the secret ballot, salaries, universal manhood suffrage, the abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament, and annual elections for members of Parliament. The chartists were b...

Overcoming Writers Block With Freewriting

Overcoming Writer's Block With Freewriting Heres how writing without rules can help us overcome writers block. If the prospect of having to write makes you uneasy, consider how one student has learned to cope with the problem: When I hear the word compose, I go berserk. How can I make something out of nothing? Thats not to imply that I have nothing upstairs, just no special talent for organizing thoughts and putting them down on paper. So instead of composing, I simply jot, jot, jot and scribble, scribble, scribble. Then I try to make sense of it all. This practice of jotting and scribbling is called freewriting- that is, writing without rules. If you find yourself searching for a writing topic, start by jotting down the first thoughts that come to mind, no matter how trivial or disconnected they may appear. If you already have at least a general idea of what you will be writing about, put down your first thoughts on that subject. How to Freewrite For five minutes, write non-stop: dont lift your fingers from the keyboard or your pen from the page. Just keep writing. Dont stop to ponder or make corrections or look up a words meaning in the dictionary. Just keep writing. While you are freewriting, forget the rules of formal English. Because you are writing only for yourself at this point, you dont have to worry about sentence structures, spelling or punctuation, organization or clear connections. (All those things will come later.) If you find yourself stuck for something to say, just keep repeating the last word you have written, or write, Im stuck, Im stuck until a fresh thought emerges. After a few minutes, the results may not look pretty, but you will have started writing. Using Your Freewriting What should you do with your freewriting? Well, eventually youll delete it or toss it away. But first, read it over carefully to see if you can find a keyword or phrase or maybe even a sentence or two that can be developed into a longer piece of writing. Freewriting may not always give you specific material for a future essay, but it will help you get into the right frame of mind for writing. Practicing Freewriting Most people need to practice freewriting several times before theyre able to make it work for them effectively. So be patient. Try freewriting as a regular exercise, perhaps three or four times a week, until you find that you can write without rules comfortably and productively.

Environmentalists cannot be animal liberationists Essay

Environmentalists cannot be animal liberationists - Essay Example Although various people believe that both animal rights activists and the environmental activists belong to the same class. Author Gary Varner actually spoke with Mark Sagoff mentioning the belief that the animal rights activists cannot be environmental activists. As a matter of fact this is a statement that has been made by various authors. According to the authors, it is very hard to mess these two groups into a larger group. Varner also stated that among the environmental philosophers there is a tendency to compare the environmental ethics and the animal rights. This is usually done by differentiating the specific views in the ethical theories or the specific accounts of the views that might imply to discussion (Varner 98). The environmental philosophers on the other hand cannot come into an agreement over the fact that the theoretical foundations as well as the practical applications of the animal rights view are quite inconsistent with the people belonging to the discipline of t he environmentalism. Varner also provided evidence that the two groups look at themselves as two different groups, hence the people around should also look to do the same. Varner also said that Bryan Norton believed that both the groups of animal rights activists and the environmental activists should help each other because both the values and systems of the groups point towards the common objective of protecting the ecological balance.

Romantic Literacture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Romantic Literacture - Essay Example Romantics whether poets or painters, whatever the artist’s inclination was during the Romantic era; pursued their passions with the aim of stirring people’s emotions. Feelings are among the foci of Romanticism and they achieved this with the use of everyday circumstances that most of the people could relate to. For Coleridge and Wordsworth, perhaps one of their ideals was that literary works are worthless when they are not understood by their audiences and that they desired to touch the common people who were unable to appreciate poetry because of their social status. Before the Romantic era, poetry was for the rich, they were written for and by those who had the advantage of being educated and have the luxury of time so that the time of the two most prominent poets attracted ordinary people and actually started the birth of poetry in them. The subject matters during this period were about common events that ordinary people live, based from observations and experiences so that it purposefully allows the reader or listener to the poems or other literary works to be able to understand and ‘feel’ what the poem is all about. ... people observed by poets but also about those who lived around them, acquaintances and loved ones as well and other observations like Youth and Age which talk about the suggested topic. Other subject matters in this era is about feelings which are exemplified by the works of Coleridge like ‘Desire’, ‘Love a Poem’, The Presence of Love’ and ‘Dejection’ to name a few. Another important subject of the romantics is nature. One of the things that naturally stir up man’s emotions is nature whether beautiful or not, a good thing or a disastrous one, romanticism does not just focus on the good things but delves in the facts of life. This is one good argumentative point on the comment of Wu, as we look back to it saying the word romantic during the time of Coleridge and Wordsworth is fanciful. If it were, then the life they had then that was pictured in their poems was fanciful? In addition, those who live life with passion, emotions and as observed during those times, would then called fanciful as well? Probably, to understand more deeply the hearts of the Romantic poets, an individual has to put himself in that situation for him to be able to understand the reality of the situation before making comments that may degrade people who worked hard to establish their names. ‘Light’ is a word that shows how Wu has taken lightly the hard works of Romantic poets. It could have been hard work for them to have observed and meditated about the circumstances and events they wanted to write about so that it would entirely be insensitive for Wu to have referred to their works as ‘light’. Light for me is evasive which when we look into the Romantic literary works will not be evidenced by even one of them as the poets stuck to the objective of the era, that is to

Presentation, overview, timeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Presentation, overview, timeline - Essay Example Ptolemy, who headed a considerable number of Alexander’s former troops, proposed they divide the empire among the generals, which was convenient for his ambition. When Alexander died after being ill in Babylon in the year 323 BC, his general (Ptolemy) led a fraction of Alexander’s army back to Egypt where Ptolemy pronounced himself pharaoh. Ptolemy successfully fought off his competing generals’ armies; hence, establishing the Ptolemaic dynasty that persisted for 300 years in Egypt: Ptolemy I to XV (305 – 30 BC). Cleopatra VII (51-30 BC) inherited Egypt from her father; Ptolemy XII (80-51BC) married her older brother Ptolemy XII, who later drowned in battle against Julius Caesar. Cleopatra then married her younger brother Ptolemy XIV; however, she bore a son with Caesar who became Ptolemy XV for the period (44 – 30 BC). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Ptolemy I nominally acted as a satrap for some time under the successors of Alexander; howe ver, the successors were not strong enough and the empire began to break up (Aufderheide 247). For Ptolemy dynasty to survive heirs had to be produced; hence, Ptolemy I married four wives with the last wife producing his heir Ptolemy II (Rolle 33; Collins 68). Fourteen kings of the dynasty were referred to as Ptolemy and numbered from I – XV, with the remarkable aspect of the monarch being the prominence of women, who rose to power when their brothers or sons were very young (Bugh 41). Ptolemy XII was king of Egypt from 80 to 51 BC officially known as Neos Dionysos although popularly known as Auletes. Auletes was the illegitimate son of Ptolemy IX Lathyrus, who died without designated heir; hence, with the help of political parties, the young Ptolemy became heir to the throne taking the name Ptolemy XII. The accession took place without the blessing of powerful a powerful Roman diplomat, which engendered the thoughts of possible Roman seizure of the country; however, the thre at was partially resolved in 59 BC. Through the help of Julius Caesar Ptolemy gained full status of recognised head of Egypt through the Roman senate in 59 at a price of 6,000 talents of gold, and pay the bribe he had to enforce ruthless taxation program to the easily enflamed subjects; besides, his children included Cleopatra, Absinoe, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV (Bunson 351). Ptolemy XIII, the son of Ptolemy XII, brother of Cleopatra tried and failed to win the throne of his nation from his sister and Julius Caesar; nevertheless, they both ruled together. Their rule was tough since both of them were surrounded by a group of ambitious counsellors, which resulted in tense political struggle in the palace. The young king departed from the palace to join his army and although he showed real military talent, he was no match for Caesar who faced him in battle resulting in the defeat of Ptolemy XIII. After the demise of Ptolemy XIII, Julius Caesar placed Ptolemy XIV (the younger brother to Cleopatra) in the throne together with Cleopatra. Officially Ptolemy XIV was to be her sister’s consort, but because he was about 10 to 12 years old at the time, Cleopatra was the true power within the land and presumably killed her brother after Caesar was assassinated (Bunson 351). When Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Cleopatra supported Mark Antony against Octavian who became Caesar Augustus and when Octavian declared war on the duo, Cleopatra raised and commanded army that

The role of family power structure

The role of family power structure Family Power structure plays a critical role in family health functioning. Power has been defined as the ability to control, influence or change another persons behavior (Friedman, 1998). Power is related to resources. Control over resources (eg. money) infers power. In most families, parents control these resources. There are three types of family power namely chaotic power, symmetrical power and complementary power (Hanson, 2001). The power structure in my family is complementary power. It is defined as requiring dominion-submission dynamic within the family structure. In this family-power type, healthy families are characterized by parents having a clear family advantage that their children recognize and accept. Although my father brings home the bacon every month, power is mainly shared between my parents. The decision-making in my family is highly dependent on my parents. Although my sister and I are involved in the decision-making, my parents are mainly responsible for making all sorts of decisions in the family from purchasing household furniture to deciding on a holiday destination to the meals we have together. Family power structure is not fixed. As I turned 18 this year, my parents recognize me as an adult and would listen to more to what I have to say and how I feel. My parents are not as power-dominant as they were 10 years ago. 1.2 Subsystems All families develop networks of co-existing subsystems formed on the basis of gender, interest, generation or function that must be performed for the familys survival. Each member of a family may belong to several subsystems. Each subsystem can be thought of as a natural coalition between participating members. Subsystems in a family relate to one another according to rules and patterns. There are three types of subsystems in my family namely spousal, parental and sibling subsystems. For example, the spousal subsystem educates children about male-female intimacy and commitment by providing a model of marital interaction. Ways of accommodating one anothers needs, making decisions together and managing conflict etc. Another example, my parents define the boundary of a parental subsystem by telling me as the oldest child to not interfere when they are reprimanding my younger sister. Parental subsystem also includes child guidance, nurturing, limit-setting and discipline. 1.3 Boundaries Boundaries are invisible barriers that keep subsystems separate and distinct from other subsystems. They are maintained by rules that differentiate the particular subsystems tasks from those of other subsystems. Boundaries may either be rigid, diffuse or clear. Disengaged families have rigid boundaries which leads to low levels of effective communication and support among family members. Enmeshed families have diffuse boundaries which make it difficult for individuals to achieve individualization from family. Clear boundaries are more of a balance as they do not fall on either extreme ends of rigid or diffuse. Clear boundaries are firm yet flexible, permitting maximum adaptation to change. The boundary in my family is clear. For example, my parents temporarily redefine the boundaries of the parental subsystem when she tells me to be in-charge of the house when they are away from home. Many years ago, my parents would ask my aunt to come over to care for my sister and I while they are away. This shows that the parental subsystem is flexible enough to include other people temporarily. 1.4 Triangulation Triangulation is used to describe a situation in which one family member will not communicate with another family member unless a third family member is present, forcing the third family member to then be part of the triangle. In this triangulation, the third person will either be used as a messenger to carry the communication to the main party or as a substitute for the direct communication. Usually this communication is an expressed dissatisfaction with the main party. For instance, my family used to be very united until a year ago when my sister who was one of the top PSLE students in her primary school dropped out from secondary school at secondary two suddenly. She stopped attending lessons and was extremely rebellious towards my parents and me. My parents having high expectations from my sister were absolutely furious and upset when she decided to quit school. Numerous attempts to persuade her to attend school failed again and again until a point when my parents gave up convincing her. However, they still talk about my sister to me all the time, mentioning how stubborn/ignorant she is and that she would regret her decision later in life. 2. Communication patterns McLeod and Chaffee (1972) came out with a scheme to analyze family communication patterns (FCP) to examine the role of family communication. In this model, the family communication environment is characterized by the extent to which the family emphasizes on socio-orientation and concept-orientation. Socio-orientation stresses the importance of harmony in the family and avoidance of conflicts. Concept-orientation encourages children to think about and discuss political and social issues. In a highly socio-oriented family, children should not argue with parents and should not express opinions different from other family members so as to maintain social harmony. On the other hand, in a highly concept-oriented family, parents believe that children should look at both sides of issues and talk freely about these issues. Using these two dimensions, McLeod and Chaffee (1972) introduced a four-fold typology of family communication patterns as seen in Figure 1. Figure 1 High on both dimensions of socio-orientation and concept-orientation, the communication pattern in my family is consensual. Consensual families emphasize both relational harmony and free communication exchange. Every member in my family is able to express our ideas freely as long as internal harmony in the family is maintained. Since young, my parents have encouraged both my sister and I to voice out displeasures in the family openly but stresses the importance of logical reasoning behind it. Like most traditional Asian families, my family tends not to express affectionate behaviors in the form of hugging or kissing towards or saying mushy words to one another. Instead, my parents would constantly ask me questions regarding about my school life, the friends that I go out with, among many others that revolve around my daily life. I suppose these are ways of displaying affectionate behaviors in my family. There are few conflicts in my family. Nevertheless, whenever one arises, we tend to face each other openly and voice out our concerns. My father would always play the middle-man whenever I had an argument with my sister and he would always ensure both parties are treated fairly and just. 3. Family environment Based on Olson, Russell and Sprenkles (1979) Circumplex Model, the Circumplex Model assumes that the difference between functional and dysfunctional families is determined by two interrelated dimensions: cohesion and adaptability. Cohesion is defined as the degree of attachment and emotional bonding among family members. There are four various degrees to the cohesion dimension namely disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed. Families that are disengaged lack family bond and loyalty, and are characterized by high independence. On the other hand, families identified as enmeshed are characterized by high levels of closeness, loyalty, and/or dependency. Adaptability is the ability of the family to change power structure, roles, and relationships in order to adapt to various situational stressors. It too has four degrees namely rigid, structured, flexible, and chaotic. Families with low levels of adaptability are considered inflexible or rigid. Rigid family types are characterized by authoritarian leadership, infrequent role modification, strict negotiation, and lack of change. Families with high levels of adaptability are considered chaotic as it is changing too frequently. Chaotic family types result from a lack of leadership, dramatic role shifts, erratic negotiation, and are characterized by frequent change. Based on the Circumplex Model, my family environment is balanced. It has moderate level of both adaptability and cohesion. Power structure is not fixed and there are times when there is a temporary shift in power to adapt to various situations. For example, I am responsible for taking care of my sister when my parents are out. Another example is when an deciding on a holiday getaway, power is shared among each family members to be involved in decision making. 4. Family Rules Family rules help family members to get along better, and make family life more peaceful. Effective rules are positive statements about how family members want to look after and treat one another. I have become so accustomed with my own family rules that sometimes I do not even realize that some of my daily activities are actually in fact, family rules. Dos and donts rules regarding family members safety, manners and daily routines were set up in my family since I was young. Of course these rules are constantly changing as my sister and I grew older with more responsibility in our hands. Rules such as be home by 10pm and do not lock the doors at home are a thing of the past when I was much younger. Today, the rules are much more flexible. For instance, if I were to return home late or spend the night at a friends house, all I have to do is to call home to inform my parents. There are also fewer family rules as my sister and I are expected to be able to care for ourselves. Moreover, rules set when we were young are already deep-rooted in our daily life. 5. Family values and attitudes Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family (parents and children) to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. 5.1 Money From a very young age, my parents have taught me the importance of saving up money and spending them wisely. Every week, I was to slot in leftover coins in a piggy bank. Years passed by and today I still have the habit of keeping all my loose change in a piggy bank and when it became full, I would then deposit the money into the bank. My parents are prudent in spending money; they only buy what is deemed necessary and seldom splurge on luxury goods. However, there are times when my parents think that it is worthwhile to spend more money such as holding birthday celebrations or Chinese new year celebrations at home. 5.2 Religion My family is a little religious. My parents are Buddhists and they made an effort to pay their respects to the deities at temples annually. However, my sister and I do not have a religion but our parents do not force us to join a religion too. There are no altars at home and my parents do not carry religious charms either like a pendent or a talisman with them. 5.3 Education Like most parents in Singapore, my parents take education very seriously. My father stresses that education is the key to survival in Singapore and this is especially more true since Singapore has been ranked the most competitive country in the world in 2010 by Time. Although my parents view education as important, they also know that each individual has their own limitations towards studying. My parents want my sister and me to have a positive mindset towards studying but yet at the same time not to overwork ourselves. The ideal model is to strike a balance between work and recreation. 5.4 Success/failure My parents are rather reasonable and they know that success and failure are part and parcel of life. My parents view success as achieving ones goals. For instance, one of my goals in secondary school was to get into Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and I did well enough during my O levels to enroll in SP. My parents were very happy and proud of me. On the other hand, I did not get into the course of my choice so I felt disappointed because it felt like I had succeeded and failed at the same time. My parents told me that one couldnt always get what we have aimed for and as long as I have tried my best, thats all that counts. 6. What I have learnt from my parents relationship What I learnt about marriage from my parents relationship is to treat your partner as a friend. Marriage is a lifelong process full of ups and downs. My parents are both committed to overcome obstacles and being the best spouse and friend to each other. My parents are always joking around. My mother loves my fathers sense of humor and they always laugh at the silliest things. This taught me that being playful is a crucial part of marriage and nothing should be taken too seriously in a family. My parents also speak kindly of each other. My mother always told me that my father was a good father and a hardworking man. In addition, they also give each other nicknames as some term of endearment. I learnt the significance of having interests/hobbies different from your spouses too. My father and mother have different interests. My father enjoys watching detective crime television programs while my mother loves watching Korean Dramas serials. My mother would never last an episode of detective crime programs but that seems okay because they respect each others alone time as well. This also taught me that it is fine to have a degree of independence in a marriage too. 7. Attitude towards authority I have a positive attitude towards institutional authority (parents, teachers, police, and the law). I tend to respect the rules and abide by it. I held many student leader positions in schools too. Positions such as class monitor in primary school, student counselor and National Police Cadet Corp (NPCC) non-commissioned officer (NCO) in secondary school and class chairperson in my polytechnic life. This is mainly due to my strict upbringing from early childhood. My father was a very strict man. I still remember the times when my father would cane me whenever I got into trouble in primary school. Furthermore, I would have to write a reflection about my wrongful actions. I used to be very afraid of my father when I was very young. However looking back in time, I realized that my father just wanted me to grow up to be a good person and I am grateful for what my father had done to make me the person I am today. 8. Attitude towards sibling My relationship with my sister has definitely seen better days. We used to be very close and play with each other a lot. However in recent months, my sisters attitude has grown worst. She became very temperament and gets annoyed very easily. We had a lot of quarrels with each other and soon grew distant. Nowadays, we seldom speak to one another. 9. Level of differentiation from family Level of differentiation refers to the degree of ones ability to distinguish his own thoughts and emotions from that of his own family. Individuals with low level of differentiation are more probably to become reliant on others approval and acceptance. They either conform themselves to others in order to please them, or attempt to force others to conform to themselves. Thus, they are more vulnerable to stress and they struggle more to adapt to life changes. Individuals with high levels of differentiation recognize that they need others, but they rely less on others acceptance and approval. They do not only adopt the attitude of those around them but take into account their principles thoughtfully. These enable them decide significant family and social issues, and resist the feelings of the moment. Thus, despite conflict, criticism, and rejection they can stay calm and clear-headed to differentiate thinking rooted in a careful assessment of the facts from thinking clouded by emotion. Well differentiated individuals choose thoughtfully and act in the best interests of the group. I think my level of differentiation from my family is balanced. I have my own thinking and my own point of view. I am not afraid to have a different mindset from my family members. My parents also encouraged my sister and I to become more independent, to be ourselves and not conform for the sake of pleasing others. 10. Family strengths 10.1 Caring and Appreciation I think I am very fortunate to have a family who is caring and appreciative. Even if a family member makes mistakes, other members would to encourage and support one another. My parents notice and share positive qualities of each other. For example, they pay attention to another persons polite behavior or something nice he or she did or said. They notice the characteristics, skills, achievements and special qualities that make the other person unique. My father would write encouragement messages on his red packet during Chinese New Year. These messages are inspirational and reassured me that my family members do care about me. 10.2 Good Communication Furthermore, there is communication between me and my parents. We talk and share our feelings, hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and experiences. I would tell the daily happenings in school or with my friends just to update my parents about whats going on in my life. My parents take the time to listen and respond to what I have to say. 10.3 Openess to change There is a set of family rules in my family. These rules are ways to deal with daily life. Some of the more obvious rules consist of who does the cooking, who washes the dishes, who does the laundry or who clean the toilet. Other less obvious forms include: Who has the authority to make what decisions? How are differences of opinion handled? How are anger, affection, or other emotions expressed at home? 10.4 Working together Most of the time, my family make decisions, solve family problems, and do family work together. Everyone participates. Parents may be in charge of the decision-making at home but the childrens opinions and efforts are invited, encouraged, and appreciated. For example, whenever my parents decided to buy a new television set, they would always ask for opinions about which television is suitable for the family. It makes my sister and I involved in the shopping as well and let us know that what we say counts. I learnt that if parents allow their children to make real decisions, it enables children to grow up to be responsible adults. Children need opportunities to make decisions, to be involved in family decisions, and to observe the parents decision-making process and outcomes. Children are more motivated to carry out their responsibilities if they have some say as to what those responsibilities are and can see how these particular activities help the family. Teenagers are keener to go along on a family vacation if they help decide the destination and itinerary. 11. How has my family affected my personality? What are the weaknesses you want to improve and what are the strengths you want to maintain in yourself. Based on a study on more than 100 children conducted by psychologist Diana Baumrind, she identified four important dimensions of parenting which affects the childs personality. They are disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby Martin, 1983). The four parenting styles include authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, permissive parenting and uninvolved parenting. My parents parenting style suit authoritarian the most. My parents establish house rules and guidelines and expect my sister and I to follow them. However, my sister and I were also involved in the rules setting so we were able to find them realistic. This parenting style is much democratic. When children fail to meet the expectations, authoritative parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Although my father punished me whenever I broke the house rules; he would always end it off with nurturing and kind words. My parents are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. I think I grew up to be a socially responsible and cooperative person. I tend to avoid conflicts with people and adopt the make more friends than enemies mindset. I lean more towards the extrovert scale as I enjoy the company of my friends. My friends told me that I am a good-tempered person too. They dont see me get angry because I am not bothered by the slightest issues. Another strength that I have is being persistent and committed. Once I set my mind on a target or a goal. I would thrive to achieve it. My parents have been teaching me the importance of goal-setting since young. I also gain a huge sense of pride and satisfaction whenever I accomplished my goals. One weakness that I have is being perfectionist. I am very attentive to details and would not be satisfied unless I get the exact results that I wanted. Most of the time striving for perfection is tiring and time consuming. My project members would sometimes find me a pain in the neck when I was not satisfied with their research work. Another weakness I have is laziness. I think I have been too pampered from young. I seldom do household chores because my mother is a housewife and she does all the housework. Well, almost all, my father did his part too. As such I became reliant on my parents to do my own laundry, to wash my dishes etc. I have been trying to increase my contribution to my family by doing some household chores but its hard to do so especially since I have done almost no housework since young but Im not giving up easily. In summary, family relationships are one of the longest relationships we would ever have in our life. We should never take our family members for granted but should cherish them instead.