Essay about World War Is Affect on British Industry and...

The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 produced immediate changes. It is often said that war is the locomotive of history - that is what drives it along. Certainly the First World War helped to produce major changes in Great Britain especially socially and economically. World War I produced major economic changes. British industry had been to a large extent transformed by the mobilization of millions of soldiers and by an unprecedented switch to war production. Under a positive perspective, the economy had shown a new production capacity. Although total output had decreased, due to the smaller workforce, productivity definitely increased. There had been much state-sponsored modernization. Electric power was used more than†¦show more content†¦In return they were promised that the old arrangements would be resumed after the war. It was only a voluntary agreement, but in July 1915 the Munitions of War Act legally banded unions and the government and it outlawed str ikes. In many ways, trade unionists made important gains during the war. The fact that government controlled so much of the industry led to a national, as opposed to local, wage agreements. However, after the war had ended, privatization was introduced again, and the staple industries were the ones who suffered more. This was followed by a wave of strikes. This industrial unrest worried the government which a feared a Bolshevik-type revolution. Social changes were also quite prominent during the First World War. Women were challenging the stereotypes by which a male-dominant society sought to control them. They wanted equality, and the touchstone of this was the vote. Two different groups of British women fought for women suffrage: the suffragists and the suffragettes. The suffragists used believed in peaceful, law abiding protests, while suffragettes used more violent methods to get their view across to the Parliament. Both groups fought for the rights of women tirelessly; even sta ting at one point that the â€Å"Suffrage movement is like a glacier- slow but unstoppable;† determined to eventually reach their goal of equality. However, with the outbreak of theShow MoreRelatedContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesany acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Typeset by SPI Publisher Services, Pondicherry, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by Antony Rowe Ltd., Chippenham, Wiltshire ISBN 0–19–928335–4 978–0–19–928335–4 ISBN 0–19–928336–2 (Pbk.) 978–0–19–928336–1 (Pbk.) 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 3 FOREWORD ‘ Michael Bromwich is an exemplar of all that is good about the British tradition ofRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pageseducational apparatus and the economic system. But much of the country was beginning to question in earnest the structure of colonial society by the early 1930s. The emergence of Rasta during that period corresponds with so much that was happening around the world. Rastas could tell that social unrest in Jamaica was going to lead to a movement away from colonial rule and, having heard Marcus Garvey speak of the importance of Africa to black people in the New World, found in his remarkable successRead MoreCorporate Finance69408 Words   |  278 PagesCorporate finance P. Frantz, R. Payne, J. Favilukis FN3092, 2790092 2011 Undergraduate study in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences This subject guide is for a Level 3 course (also known as a ‘300 course’) offered as part of the University of London International Programmes in Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences. This is equivalent to Level 6 within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ). For moreRead MoreVarian Solution153645 Words   |  615 Pageskeep the numbers small, think of these numbers as being daily rent payments.) Person Price = A = 40 B 25 C D 30 35 E 10 F 18 G 15 H 5 (a) Plot the market demand curve in the following graph. (Hint: When the market price is equal to some consumer i’s reservation price, there will be two diï ¬â‚¬erent quantities of apartments demanded, since consumer i will be indiï ¬â‚¬erent between having or not having an apartment.) 2 THE MARKET (Ch. 1) Price 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 Read MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesComplementing Intuition with Systematic Study 11 Disciplines That Contribute to the OB Field 13 Psychology 14 †¢ Social Psychology 14 †¢ Sociology 14 †¢ Anthropology 14 There Are Few Absolutes in OB 14 Challenges and Opportunities for OB 15 Responding to Economic Pressures 15 †¢ Responding to Globalization 16 †¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 †¢ Improving Customer Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations

Positive Effects of Music Essay - 508 Words

Music is an art form that usually combines singing with different instruments and rhythms. Many genres of music aid in interesting different people and different moods, so that everyone can enjoy it. Music does two significant things for us; it increases stimulation in the brain, and assists in coping with difficult situations. It’s hard to ignore the fact that music exists and is constantly evolving because it’s everywhere; from our homes to our cars, our cars to our school, from out school to our jobs, it’s even taught and discussed in schools! { It’s impossible to go through life without music because of how it is everywhere, but I can see why people would avoid it- Sometimes song’s lyrics can be offensive, violent, bombastic, and†¦show more content†¦Studies have proven that brain stimulation occurs between 3,000 and 8,800 hertz, and most music falls between his range, and classical types of music are proven to accurately do this. Some people believe that only certain types of music do this, but studies have proven that any type of music with a tone, rhythm, and pitch will stimulate the brain, but most people do not believe this. Regardless of what specific type of music does this, it proves that music is important when performing tasks that require the brain, by stimulating it. Another important use of music is to aid in coping with situations that seem difficult. Everyone experiences many emotions, trials, and tribulations throughout life and not having something to aid you in getting through these trials can prove to be difficult, that’s where music comes in. Listening to songs that discuss similar issues and encourage the ability to get through, is proven to aid in this process and bands such as ‘Rise Against’ or ‘Shinedown’ are prime examples of this. This is known as relating to the music, and it makes the music so much more real, important, and moving. Next time you find you rself feeling sad, try listening to some music that relates to what you are going through and see how it helps! In conclusion, I believe that everyone should listen to music despite the negative things some genres contain such as violence, negative lyrics, and influencingShow MoreRelatedThe Positive Effects Of Music1382 Words   |  6 PagesIn our society now a days music is a big part of it. Music has culturally, morally, and emotionally influenced our society. Every known society throughout history has had some form of music. Andrew states â€Å"Some would look at music as a small footnote in the progression of humanity, it is in fact a much greater force; for some, it defines their very existence† (Andrew). Music has been a greater force in our societies today. For Example, listening to music has shown to positively affect mood, productivityRead MorePositive And Negative Effects Of Rap Music1124 Words   |  5 PagesMusic, does it have a positive or negative effect on te ens? This is a well-known topic parents discuss to see if a change is needed in their teens life. That change is positive or negative music. Music itself has no real effect until someone decides to listen to it and from there, the person listening to the lyric, beat, and tone deciphers the meaning of the song for themselves. Teens and parents will have differences from each other because they are not the same person. So, to see if a song hasRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On Positive Psychology And Emotion Essay1891 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract The impact of music on positive psychology and emotion is a well known fact. Music has an extraordinary ability to change people’s emotions. In humans, music has the ability to invoke emotions of sadness, happiness and even fear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the casual relationship between music practice and participation on the emotions and well-being of male and female adults. The hypotheses for this study were as follows; Hypothesis 1: Music practice and participationRead MoreArt and Music Lessons Positive Effects on Children1158 Words   |  5 Pagesthat life would be nonsense without music. Music helps people in several ways and gives a meaning to their lives. For example, music can help someone to make money, relax, spend time, work or study. Furthermore, it mostly helps children to concentrate more. The times that they study while listen to music, helps their brain power to increase over time. The main problem is, most schools are trying to decrease the ir music classes since their principals think that music is not as useful as science and mathsRead MoreThe Positive Effects of Music on Young Children Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesMusic has been around for ages and over time, people have changed the way it sounds, how often we listen to it, and what purpose it serves. Uses for music have become more innovative and scientifically purposeful over the years. Recently, it has been proven that children who grow up under the influence of music have a rounder, fuller experience in their education. This higher education helps children later in life as teens and young adults. Music in the lives of young children improves cognitiveRead MoreMusic Therapy and Its Positive Effects on the Brain Essay1797 Words   |  8 Pagesequipment and treatment, using music to connect to patients is still a reliable practice. Throughout the history of healing practices, music has been used as a remedy. Music is so groundbreaking in the fact that it actual ly has the ability to affect human beings in so many ways. Music is a huge advantage in a treatment plan as it is calming, strengthening and it can be used for both the physically and mentally ill. To start, the American Music Therapy Association defines Music Therapy as, â€Å"the clinicalRead MoreEssay on Positive and Negative Effect of Music on children2284 Words   |  10 PagesRiverside University Dictionary, music is the art of arranging tones in an orderly sequence so as to produce a unified and continuous composition†. Music is well known is the past and present. It had exists for about 50000 years. African may had been invented the first music and later on it had been evolved by others. Music is also an art and doesn’t have a fix meaning. It is special and has different meaning to different people. For example, musicians think that music is something very importantRead MoreThe Various Genres Of Music Had A Positive Or Negative Effect On Society2928 Words   |  12 Pagespast 50 years has the various genres of music had a positive or negative effect on generations of young adults? For hundreds of years, music has developed through all kinds of ways, such as broadening society’s perspective, influencing fashion, and creating new music from the old. But has music in the past 50 years influenced positive or negative affects on society and younger generations? As Dave Holland said, â€Å"I think that what is important is that the music be honest and direct and that it is relevantRead MoreMusic Is The Most Popular Music938 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Oxford’s dictionary, music is â€Å"the vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form harmony, and expression of emotion.† Music has been around for a very long time. Music has been an influenced since the beginning of time from the beats and rhythm to just make a nice flow of a song. Music history is sometimes a historical viewpoint in society. Besides, music is breaking down into five main categories: Jazz, Classical, Rhythm and Blues, Pop, Ra pRead MoreEffects of Music on the Mind1350 Words   |  6 PagesEffects of Music on the Mind The study of how music affects the mind has been a subject of interest for many. The interconnection between music and the physical and mental health of human beings has been researched on since long. Research has concluded that music does have positive effects on our mind. It has the power of healing certain ailments. Indian classical music has been found to have the strongest healing powers. Music has a calming effect on the mind. It is known to speed the recovery

The Long Campaign against Social Security Free Essays

Bush has proposed allowing workers to invest some of their federal retirement taxes themselves to earn a better rate of return — a partial privatization of the 65-year-old retirement system. For such a long time the Social Security have been viewed by most conservative as a way in which the power of the government expands. The Social Security is owned by the government. We will write a custom essay sample on The Long Campaign against Social Security or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is an insurance program that runs for more than 69 years and is designed as something that compulsory collect from the public as a payroll tax. The benefits that can be derived from the insurance program are disability, retirement and survivor benefits.   The problem with the Social Security arises on 1983 when the payroll tax that a person pays sometimes exceeds the benefits that the Social Security offers. In order to compensate with such a â€Å"hoax† as people started to call it, the Social Security invested the money in the Treasury Security that are deposited as a trust fund under the Social Security. Most people and politicians believe that the Trust fund does not exist anymore. Some say that it should have been invested into a private sector so people would know how the government spent the money. Since those who would benefit from the Social Security comprise a large number of voters, politicians have been extra careful when dealing with policy changes that would affect the Social Security. Since it was projected that the Social Security would face bankruptcy on the near future there have been several proposals regarding the way in which it could be run to yield more benefits in the future. Reagan in his early campaign suggested that the Social Security can be privatized. According to him, the privatization could be done by an introduction of voluntary features that would give the citizen a capability to act in accordance to their will. He further stated that he is against forcing any citizen into joining a compulsory public program regardless of the need. Nonetheless, when Regan have been a president he did not address the issue on privatization of Social Security and instead work on increasing taxes and the age of retirement to answer the possible problem in the Social Security. Regan have influenced the campaign on privatization but proved that radical changes needs long preparation and evaluation. President Bush proposed to partial privatized the Social Security in order to solve the upcoming bankruptcy.   Bush aims to give deliver the benefits of the Senior Citizens or the people who have invested in the Social Security while at the same time helping the younger generation to build their wealth through the system. Bush proposes the possibility of an individual and voluntary retirement account. President Bush’s proposal was known as progressive indexing which suggest maintaining the benefits for low income earners while slowly cutting down the benefits that high income earners receive. Works Cited Thomma, Steven. Social Security Overhaul is Long-Standing Conservative Dream. Commondreams.org. 2005.Retrieved on December 5, 2007. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0205-05.htm How to cite The Long Campaign against Social Security, Papers

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An In-depth Analysis Of Diggin Essay Digging; is about a person looking out of a window at their Father digging, describing what he/she sees and then the poem goes on to describe what he/she feels. I believe that the narrative voice in the poem is in fact that of Seamus Heaney. There are a number of clues that lead me to this conclusion. The first and most obvious one is in the first line,Between my finger and my thumb.The poet writes in the first person throughout the poem. He writes about his Father and his Grandfather and he seems to move from describing his Father to describing his Grandfather. He does this so smoothly that the reader harldy notices the transition that took place. The second clue is slightly more hidden. The poet mentions turf. Now Ireland is one of the only countries left in Europe that still have turf bogs. Since Seamus Heaney is Irish there is an obvious link to his country. When the poet writes about his Grandfather he implies that there used to be a lot of turf cutters in his day. My Grandfather cut more turf in a day than any other man on Toners bog.In that line there is a lot of pride on the part of the Grandson. The line also implies that there used to be a lot of turf-cutters in his day. So when Heaney writes, But Ive no spade to follow men like them.This could be because of a number of reasons; one could be that he just doesnt want to be a turf digger. He might not find it mentally stimulating enough. But he shows a lot of pride in what his Father and Grandfather do and did for a living. It may be because turf cutters are no longer needed. In other words the world is changing and men like them are no longer needed. Turf cutters are no longer needed because firstly turf is a lot harder to obtain than coal or central heating and secondly people in Ireland are not as poor as they used to be so they no longer need turf now that they have enough money to buy coal and to have central heating. So Heaney dedicates his life to writing.Digging is written primarily about what Heaney sees through the window, Under my window;#8230;So the poem is based on sight. However, the poet uses the other three senses to emphasize what he sees. For example, ;#8230;a clean rasping sound.When the spade sinks into the gravelly ground The first line is clearly used to emphasize and make the second line clearer. That line also paints an image in the readers mind of the spade sinking in and the scratching/rasping sound it makes. An example of how the author does the same thing only with the sense touch is, The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. In this case the second line emphasizes the first. It does this by using the words levered and firmly they make the whole phrase seem more realistic. However the best possible example of this is when the poet uses two senses to emphasize sight The cold smell of potatoe mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge.These two lines not only include two senses but one of the senses uses two onomatopoeic words; squelch and slap. These two words suggest someone moving through thick soggy mud for some reason it also suggests to me that it was on a cold day. In my opinion that line is also quite interesting to read because it paints a clear picture in my minds eye of someone toiling and sloshing around in the mud. I think this is because the poet uses words like; soggy, curt, cuts and edge. Since those words are sharp words they make the phrase clearer and sharper in my minds eye. .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .postImageUrl , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:hover , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:visited , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:active { border:0!important; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:active , .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0 .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u51deeb7669cbd85e9c61efe7fca49ac0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Ubuntu And Its Influence On Leadership Commerce EssayI think the poets attitute to work is that of a perfectionist. I get this impression because of how picky he is about describing the way his Father and Grandfather worked. For example, Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods Over his shoulder, going down and down For the good turf. Digging!These lines especially the first one show the perfectionists attitude to work. Nicking and slicing neatly;#8230;I also think the poet preferred working with a pen because of two things. One reason is in the last stanza, Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests, Ill dig with it.The poet means that he will dig metaphorically i nto his mind and memory with the pen. Especially his memory and by digging into his memory he keeps the past alive. Since in my opinion this poem was written about the poets own childhood memories it ties in niclely with that. The first stanza of the poem is the stanza where you can interpret its meaning in a variety of ways. Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests snug as a gun. The phrase is a similie comparing a pen to a gun. The way in which the poet has written the lines implies that he is in fact as comfortable with a pen as he is with a gun. The poet is also saying that a gun is snug. Now for me there is nothing snug about a gun, this could imply that the poet is uncomfortable writing but I dont think that is the case. I think that its more likely that Seamus Heaney feels comfortable around guns. Also since snug seems to imply that something has been around for a long time that could mean that the gun idea has also been there for a long time. Finally that in turn c ould imply that Heaney lives in a society that is more accepting of guns. For example a farm which ties in nicely with the turf lifestyle. On a surface level this poem was not all that interesting. I thought the subject matter was a dull one and although the poet describes everything in great detail I found the poem lacking in a consistant style. However when I looked at the hidden meanings and all the different ways Heaney conveys his feelings. I realized that the poem is obviously a very personal one. He seems to use his poetry to help him remember certain aspects of his past and childhood. He gets the reader to really understand the way of life for him, his Father and his Grandfather. The reader can also see how much he looked up to both of them although he chose not to follow in their footsteps. But to follow his own path in life In conclusion I realized that Digging is a very complex poem which can be interpreted in a variety of different ways.

Monopoly over the Legitimate Use of Force vs Terrorism free essay sample

If states already exercise a monopoly over the legitimate use of force, why do they employ the tactics of terrorism? Introduction Max Weber, German sociologist who profoundly influenced social theory and political economy, contributed immensely to the notion of the state as a political organization, where he argues that the legitimate use of force successfully rests in the hands of its administrative staff. (Weber, 1922; cited in Holton Turner, 1989). Many claim, however, that there is a need to clarify a variety of possible misunderstandings that may derive from this definition.For instance, Wimmer (2003) presents a range of arguments in this direction, focusing on the pervasive character of violence within a social context and the ambivalent notion that the state successfully holds the monopolization of legitimate violence or use of force. After all, the state’s little power over certain criminalities and the use of violence speaks for itself. The lack of control over ownership of arms and other uncountable means of exercising violence contributes to the continuous – and impossible to supress presence of the illegitimate use of force by non-state actors. We will write a custom essay sample on Monopoly over the Legitimate Use of Force vs Terrorism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Therefore, the state’s control over force refers solely to the legitimate form of force. As a result, the success of such monopoly is rather imprecise: are states effective in combating criminality? To what extent their legitimate use of force prevent illegitimate violence under their penal law? For sure it does not prevent all forms of violence, and its efficacy depends very much on the level of such violence in societies – high levels of homicide, damage of property or even some form of ‘private armies’ such as guerrillas and mafias. Wimmer (2003) refers to a range of examples to support this: Columbia’s unsuccessful claim on the monopoly of violence; many African countries that ignore a large number of illustrations of violence and even Central Asia can be challenged in its ‘success’ over the monopoly of legitimate use of violence. Adopting other perspectives, and having in account the end of the Cold War, it is argued that the representation of states has suffered a shift from their actual governments to certain private entities.Even though non-state actors of violence defy the states authority and monopoly of force – such as rebels, insurgents, terrorists, etc. – the sources of security have had a tendency to be privatized in the recent years. Public authorities’ transformation and reduction of economic resources may be behind such shift, but the truth is that states have been focusing much more in international engagement rather than internal tasks, and the budgets ava ilable are directed to other costs such as technological demands rather than territorial defence.The private sector is then the alternative to ‘fill in the gaps’: increasing number of companies that provide active security and defence services; very importantly, the business of make and trade of conventional weapons and even scientific and technological private sector laboratories. This creates great dilemmas on power-sharing and responsibility between private and public sectors, and leaves the state with little command over defence issues, the industries the possible hazards of the products – for example the current case of nanotechnology (Bailes, Schneckener Wulf, 2007). The so called ‘New Threats’, particularly modern terrorism, has beneficiated considerably from more obscure parts of private economic identities, as Bailes, Schneckener Wulf (2007) further explore. Crime, smuggling and corruption assume different proportions when confined to a much more spread trading circle than the earlier direct trading between states; and when industries such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and other type of high danger materials are at stake, terrorist organizations can acquire enormous sources of machinery.Furthermore, the issue of fast propagation of information through privately managed internet also brings issues: terrorists can easily acknowledge and share ways of creating weapons from substances that are legally and easily acquired on public markets. Apart from these accounts of monopoly over the legitimate use of force, it is important to analyse how the different states act in the pursuit of its owenership, indicating th e ups and downs of their strategies.On the other hand, studying traditional theories behind state terror and state-sponsored terrorism is essential to conclude what is behind the choice of states in the use of tactics of terrorism, regardless of their historical background and propensity for collapse. At later stages, stereotypes around the relation between democracies and terrorist tactics will be critically analysed, while justifying ideas of power thirst and easy/cheap access to goods even by the state.World Wide States and their Monopoly over the Legitimization of Violence Throtha (1995, cited in Wimmer, 2003) strongly believes that the monopoly over the legitimization of violence is in crisis within an international context. As suggested before, regions such as Africa struggle to contain illegitimate force, and its consequences vary from dramatic deterioration of postcolonial states, and more often than not the actual breakdown of the state and its central authorities.In Latin America, the concerns of increasing levels of violence are also evident, and have been for a long time. Such concerns can be directly linked with the continuous political instability of the area and its repeatedly turn-over of governments – the so called Caudilismo for instance has always been a source of contestations, as private armies and guerrillas assume certain empowered positions under the instruction of authoritarian leaders.This type of rule in the Latin communities in America has been brought since as early as the 19th century, where the concept of State was not yet formed or implemented; nevertheless, few changes have been made to it in the contemporary world, which will obviously bring certain problems: the stat es’ role within a society needs to accompany the growth and development of the same, shaping its rules and justice to fit in new possible threats and maintain the balance.The lack of such adjustments can be demonstrated in a number of consequences that derived from it, for example, the immense growth of metropolitan areas created a type of estates ‘favelas’ -, where the state and authorities have little or no power due to the control of certain dominant leaders over poorer communities through high rates of criminality. The notion of legitimate use of force by the state in the Latin American countries became then very distorted due to the violence it had to deal with, and military/police units are regarded as cruel, brutal, corrupt and a source of insecurity (Wimmer 2003).Looking at the Former Soviet Union, the major problems rely on the privatization and criminalization of the economy, issue that has been explored above. The presence of corruption, crime, illegal international trading of arms and drugs, etc. is suggested as an evident characteristic of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in the World Development Report of 1997 by World Bank. Other problems rely, again, on the respect of law by the authorities, police or army, who do not get regular salaries, and therefore pursue other resources.Tax evasion and money laundering is common and feeds the use or threat of violence. Once again, the notion of political stability continues to be a blurry concept under the light of the mentioned facts – paying attention to more particular cases, this can be widely noticed for instance in Afghanistan, with the much contested Taliban regime. The fragmentation of Afghanistan’s state hits such high levels that its monopoly over the legitimate use of force is completely inexistent.

7 Writing Warm Ups for More Productive Writing

7 Writing Warm Ups for More Productive Writing Wonder how to stimulate and encourage your brain to simply dive into the writing process? A few warm-up activities will help to get your words and ideas flowing. Why is it important to warm up? The answer is quite predictable: to avoid the writers block and start writing right away. You would be surprised at how much writing will come from you once youre warmed up. Youll easily banish all distractions and get down to putting the words on paper. Here are a few proven ways to make you think and force your brains into action. 1. Describe Whats Going On Outside Your Window It is the easiest writing warm up ever! You just to have look out your window and write down your observations. Try not just to focus on people, buildings and weather, think what else is there. Do you see something unusual? Consider the peoples emotions and imagine what they may be talking about. Try to be specific to make sure that your description takes no more than 5 sentences. Its just a short warm up that shouldnt last more than 15 minutes. 2. Write Imaginary Definitions of Unknown Words Take a dictionary and open it on a random page. Find a word you are not sure how to define. Then create an imaginary definition for it. Play with words and youll discover new ways of saying old things. Be inspired and your imagination will help you produce the most vivid descriptions. Repeat this exercise for several times until you feel that your brain is warmed up enough to proceed with your main task. 3. Describe Your First Experience Describe your first. Your first day of school, first kitten, first job, first car, first yoga class, first date, it doesnt matter – all will make excellent stories. The first time of doing something is always an exciting experience, so youll easily find the right words to describe it and avoid that situation of staring at a blank sheet of paper. Concentrate on your emotions and start developing them in full – get the creative juices flowing! 4. Pretend Youre a Travel Writer Find a world map and blindly put your finger somewhere. Then pretend you are a travel writer and tell about the weird experience in that particular country. What happened? How did you behave in that unusual situation? How did you solve the problem? You may include anyone and anything you want into your story – locals, taxi drivers, bartenders, random people. Youll get a killer piece of content, just take some inspiration and put your pen to paper. 5. Create a Half-Page Monologue Creating monologues is a great way to warm up, so get in the habit of writing them. Take a newspaper or go to google news, find an interesting headline, then decide on a character who comes from that headline and write a short monologue for that character. Be specific, it is just a warm up and you dont have to create a long piece of writing. A half-page monologue will be more than enough to get your brain into the writing mode. 6. Write a Letter to Your Future Self Writing a letter can be a really wonderful experience. There are no restrictions on how old you should be – one year, five years or 10 years from now. What would you say? What kind of person would you be? What goals would you want to have achieved? Think about your place in life, your achievements or fails. First of all, identify the period of time to write about and start writing. Dont pay much attention to the letter format as its just a quick warm up. 7. Consider a Free Writing Session Give yourself a time limit and go. Dont stop, just get the words on a page. Write about everything that comes to your mind. Dont give your brain a moment to stop or evaluate your ideas, set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and write without interruption. Free writing is not the time for editing or judging, you need to keep your pen moving. You will see that a free writing session is beneficial for more productive writing.

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Death Penalty - Essay Example The current statistics show that within the United States we have a high rate of recidivism from offenders. The financial costs of a death penalty conviction are high, but not in comparison to the cost of a crime plus the life sentence. The use of the death penalty, when handed down after conviction of a crime from which the offender cannot be liberated or from which the forgiveness of society is not conceivable, provides a service of justice to the citizens in providing a resolve for the crime committed, an example to promote the deterrence of crime, and a relief in costs that are incurred during a lifelong prison term. Crime is a social situation that exists in all nations, all communities, and in all social groups. Where there are laws, there are those who will attempt to bend, manipulate, and break them. An urban myth exists that the United States has one of the worst crime rates in the world. However, according to Winslow and Zhang (2008), the United States ranks twelfth out of a grouping of 165 countries, with England, Denmark, Australia, and Sweden all ranking with higher rates of crime. According to their research, Sweden, which has the highest crime rate, records approximately 9,604 crimes per each 100,000 of population figures, while the United According to Amnesty International statistics for 2008, there are 59 countries that still utilize the death penalty as a punitive measure. However, in the European and Central Asian countries, only the country of Belarus still uses this measure. As well, of the countries who have this judicial tool available, only 25 of the 59 countries actually used the death penalty. The United states showed the lowest number of executions in 2008 than had been carried out since 1995. Of the countries that use the death penalty as a punitive measure, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United states

Study Guide Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Study Guide - Coursework Example His music was mainly politically focused thus being referred to as King of Blues. I agree with Peter Wald, that Josh White had become a leading top blind blue singer in the 1920s, and the first young man to stir a competition in the race record market (Wald 75). During the period of 1920, Josh White was considered the most popular blue stars and could not even be compared to Robert Johnson. Later on in 1930s, he discovered the notorious New York public which occasionally appeared alongside his jazz band making it become popular in the folk world as many of his counterparts referred to him as Mr. Folk. Amidst, all these Josh White struggled to maintain a balance that will keep his career afloat by making a declaration that his main purpose was to unite the communist. In conclusion, Josh White’s outspoken stance on civil rights issues were greatly manifested during the folk revival. This accorded him the opportunity to be renowned as the most popular folksinger enabling him performs in such events like the Martin Luther King’s promotion at glory (Wald

Contract Law. Case study. Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contract Law. . Analysis - Case Study Example When the offeree made a counter-offer, the original offeror must communicate his acceptance to the counter offer in order for an enforceable contract to exist. "An invitation to bid on a public contract is not an offer to contract but a solicitation for an offerThe contractor's bid is the offer to contractTo form a contract, the parties must mutually assent to the agreementIn looking for mutual assent, we do not consider the parties' subjective intent, instead, we ascertain intent from the objective manifestations, the parties statement and conduct." In the said case, a contractor that bid on a public construction project sought damages from the public agency after the contract was awarded to another bidder. The Court held that an enforceable oral contract was not formed when the agency voted to award the contract to the contractor or when it informed the contractor he had been awarded the contract. Applying the rules of law, the award of bid is not considered an enforceable contract because it was not reduced into writing which is a requirement under the Statute of Frauds.

The Background Of Walmart Marketing Essay

The Background Of Walmart Marketing Essay Introduction International business is where business activities take place in other countries. Business activities include starting a joint venture, shipping, exporting goods and services across national borders. In this essay, I will be selecting Walmart as an international business which had encountered business failure because of the lack of understanding of the national cultural difference in South Korea. Background of Walmart Sam Walton was the founder of Walmart in July 1962 and the first Walmart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas, offering Lowest Prices Anytime, Anywhere. In 1970s, the company goes national and expands their businesses. In 1980s, the company set up Sams club, attending small businesses and individuals. The first Walmart Supercenter was opened in Washington, Mo., merging merchandise and supermarket to offer one stop shopping convenience. In 1990s, Walmart became the countrys number one retailer and Walmart Supercenter reformulate their multiple services to Every Day Low Prices strategy (Walmart 2012). Walmart.com was founded to offer consumers a seamless shopping experience to shop online, handheld devices or in a store. Today, the company hires 2.2 million associates and have exceeded 10,000 retail stores in 27 countries. In conjunction to that, they also celebrated 50 years of assisting people to save money so they can live better. Problem Identification Walmart goes international to South Korea in 1998. At that point of time, American economy in 1998 had strong domestic economy. The fundamentals of South Korea market were excellent but Asian financial crisis had ruined the exchange value of the Korean won. And as their currency is artificially low and hence, Walmart sees it as an opportunity to expand into Korea. But due to the culture differences and underperforming business in the host country, they had decided to pull out and give up 16 of its South Korea stores to the countrys largest discount store chain, Shinsegae in 2006 after eight years in the market. At the time of withdrawal, Walmart Korea was ranked in the lowest among five major discount store chains in the South Korea (Ramstad 2006). According to the Walmarts spokesman Beth Keck, Walmart Korea earned $787 million of sales in 2005. Following on, they held an interview in Seoul to announce that the company had suffered a loss of $10 million in 2005 (Olsen, 2006). In less than a month, Walmart had become the next western retailer to pull out from South Korea after French retailer Carrefour, sell off its 32 South Korea stores to a local retailer, E.Land Group for $1.8 billion (Choe, 2006). The decision to pull out from Korea is part of its global strategy. Steers and Nardon (2006) stated that global strategy is to focus attention on cost reduction and effectiveness at the cost of local adaption. But as Walmart strive hard on their growth strategy, they still couldnt the reach the stage they desired from the South Koreas market. On May 2006, Walmart joined other reputable firms like Nokia, Nestle and Google under a list of multinational whom had experienced the same outcomes that failed to change the taste of the South Koreas customers (Choe 2006). Causes of the Problem There were many factors that led to the failures of Walmart in South Korea. Walmart failed due to the incapability to identify the shopping patterns of the local consumers and to modify its business model to suit the current culture of the South Koreans. Thus, the profits they earned from stores were very little and despite of large investments, consumers did not choose Walmart as their main shopping destination. Location Preference In South Korea, Walmart had only 16 stores. Just in Seoul, a metropolitan area of 10 million, there is only one single Walmart store. As a result, it couldnt generate enough customer flows as the location is not well located. Therefore, many Koreans have never heard of Walmart. This has resulted in many Koreans shopping at E-Mart, largest discount store chain in South Korea. E-Mart has a total of 79 outlets which are all easily accessible in the centre of the cities. The local retailers, E-Mart, has a more localized approach to suit the local consumers taste and preference. They changed the preference by moving from the open-air market into a well-situated indoors concept in supermarkets. They studied the local consumers preference and focused mainly on food and beverages like local delicacies, seafood as well as their products mix. E- Mart offer low-priced products in smaller quantities and in well-known locations instead of warehouses, having more fresh foods and feature special-in-store events (Coyner 2007). Therefore, most of the South Korean customers do not like the warehouse design of the Walmart. It pulls them off as the tall shelving causes them to use ladders or to stretch for items on higher shelves that were beyond their imagination. They prefer department stores like E-Mart which is clean, neat and have stylish atmosphere. Product expectation The OECD reported that Korea has the highest hours per worker in 2002 (OECD 2004) shown in figure 1. The standard number of hours worked per year in OECD countries is around 1700 and Korea reached 2410 hours per year. Therefore, Koreans work a lot, under huge amount of pressure. Hence, they want every moment when theyre not working or studying to be a luxurious life of living. They have a tendency to choose expensive products and better environment. As a result, Walmart was not very approachable in the host country. Product Mix The South Korean customers might not be interested in the same product categories as the Americans as both of the countries have different consumer preferences based on their cultures differences. Walmart sell dry products, electronics products and garments. Walmarts shoes to sausage product line concept do not go well with the shopping habits of the locals. Freshness of food is very important and in the aspect of the South Koreans and they take it very seriously. They dont mind travelling down to supermarkets or wet markets to buy the fresh food products frequently. Another reason is that they stay at small houses with limited storage and freezing space to store the food, therefore, they have to go for groceries shopping every day. Choe (2006) reported that South Koreans prefer to shop for fresh vegetables and fresh foods rather than buying foreign foods and beverages. In contrast to that, Americans doesnt travel to supermarkets often. They buy products in bulk for longer storage. Therefore, most of the products in Walmart are sold in boxes which do not cater to the Koreans as they prefer smaller packages. A retail analyst Hyundai Securities in Seoul said that Walmart Korea failed to attract customer to the stores (Olsen, 2006). South Koreans are visually-oriented shoppers. They prefer eye catching displays and local retailers were able to present it and grab their attention. Problem Solutions If I am in charge of the Walmarts businesses in Korea, the fundamental aspect to go global is to have an in-depth understanding of what local customers need, want and desire. Some of the business concepts can be easily transferred while others may suit only to particular countries. Walmart go into South Korea sticking to its own culture and sales strategy, ignoring local cultures and buying behaviour and failed to survive in the market at the end (Kottolli 2006). Based on Hofstedes dimensions of culture and Trompenaars cultural dimension, it will be easier to identify the similarities and differences between the Walmarts in United States and South Korea. Therefore, the cultural values are very important in a national culture, it could reflect how the business operate and organise within that country. Hofstedes Dimensions of Culture Figure 2 shows the comparison between South Korea and United States based on the Hofstedes five dimension of culture. They are categorized under Power distance (Power Orientation), Individualism (Social Orientation), Masculinity/ Femininity, Uncertainty avoidance (Uncertainty Orientation) and Long- term orientation (Time Orientation). Power Orientation Power orientation means that the people in the culture hold the power and authority differences in hierarchy levels such as business organisations. There are power respect and power tolerance in the power orientation. Power respect is individuals who have the tendency to accept power based on the position and will respect superiors decision. Power tolerance is those individuals whom often question people in higher authority. Based on the chart shown in Figure 2, under power distance, South Korea scored 60 and United States scored 40. This shows that South Korea is based on a hierarchical society which means that people agree to a hierarchical order based on the position and needs no further explanation. Social Orientation Social orientation reflects a persons beliefs about the relative importance of the individual and the group to which that person belongs (Ajami et al.2006). Under the social orientation there are individualism and collectivism. Individualism refers to the people or countries that look after themselves and their families first. Collectivism refers to people who look after others more than themselves. According to Hodstede (1997), people are integrated into strong cohesion groups which offer protection in exchange for loyalty. Figure 2 shows that South Korea scored 18 and United States scored 91 for the individualism. South Korea is considered a collectivistic society and loyalty in a collectivist culture is importance as it prevails over other rules and regulations. The collectivistic society emphasizes on strong relationship where everybody takes accountability for fellow members of their group. But the disadvantage of the collectivistic society is that wrongdoing will lead to humiliation and loss of face as the employment relationship is perceived in ethical terms (e.g. family connection). Also, hiring or promotion decisions take the employees in- group into account. As for the United States, their employment relationship is perceived via contract. Based on rules and skills, the management will then decide to hire or promote the employees. Uncertainty Orientation Uncertainty orientation refers to the extent to which an individual in the society who feel threatened by uncertain and unknown situations. There are uncertainty acceptance and uncertainty avoidance. People in cultures with uncertainty acceptance have the tendency to be motivated by change and to thrive on new opportunities. On the contrary, people with uncertainty avoidance have the tendency to dislike ambiguity and avoid it. Figure 2 shows that South Korea scored 85 and United States scored 46 under uncertainty avoidance. South Korea is considered to be the most uncertainty avoidance countries in the world and they hold rigid rules based systems. South Korea people feel that there is a need to work hard and have rules and punctuality. As for the United States, they will work hard only when there is a need. Time Orientation Time orientation refers to the people of a culture who adopt a long- term versus a short- term viewpoint on work, life and other issues (Griffin 2011). Figure 2 show that South Korea scored 75 and 29 on the long- term outlook. South Korea has a longer term orientation and people from this society accept the fact that they have to work hard and to have perseverance in order to achieve their goals. As for United States, the Americans will focus on the past and present more rather than the future. Apply Hofstedes theory to Walmart Applying back to Walmart Korea, there is a need to examine the different dimensions of culture based on Hofstedes model shown in Figure 3. South Korea being a collectivistic society, they work hard to achieve their goals and blindly obey the orders of their superiors. Walmart cant simply impart their western culture to the South Korea and to expect them to accept. South Koreans dislike ambiguity and will avoid the changes. Walmart needs to look into the future of the South Koreans living expectation and adopt a different way of approach to keep the customers. They cant just look into the Asian financial crisis and go into South Korea without preparing their business plan for the long term growth in the local market. Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Another theory that I will apply is using Trompenaars cultural dimensions. Its another alternative to Hofstedes dimensions. Universalism versus Particularism South Korea is more of a Particularistic culture. They believe that circumstances state how ideas should be applied and some things cannot be done the same way as it is. South Korea with high particularism that has legal contract is often amended and they will try to work things out to suit the parties. Likewise for the culture in Walmart Korea, they are under Universalists. They believe that ideas can be applied everywhere without any modifications. Aswathappa (2010) stated that the management under Walmart focus on formal rules and business connections. Specificity versus Diffuseness South Korea is under diffuse countries, which means that their work and private life are closely related. In 1996, Trompenaars observed that the employee turnover rate and the number of invasion in the countries are quite low mainly because of loyalty (Cited in Heidtmann 2011, p. 44). Walmart are based under specific cultures because of its handling by western country. The people are more open and outgoing. Furthermore, their work life and private life are separated so they only share with close friends or associates. Achievement versus Ascription South Korea is considered an ascription- orientated culture. They give certain associates a higher status because of their age, gender and social connection. As for the Walmart in United States, their status is based on their performance and accomplishment. Conclusion To conclude, Walmart needs to plan their operations and strategies before expanding to South Korea. Having a lucrative business in foreign country depends on the market size, culture aspects, current and future wealth of customers. Walmart had their strategic positioning fit in the United States and was able to capture the principles from the customers which helped to boost their profit growth (Kim 2008). But Walmarts attempt to use their business model to the South Korea market leads to failure. As a result, Walmart Every Day Low Prices strategy does not fit in the South Korea country due to the culture differences. In addition to that, Walmart did not come up with an effective localization strategy to indicate how much they are investing and grow in the local market. Therefore, Walmart should apply Hofstede or Trompenaars culture theories to analysis the culture differences first before deciding whether Korea was a strategically key market to go into it global expansion. Word limit: 2363

Alls Fair In Love And War Essay -- Argument Argumentative Morals Pape

All's Fair In Love And War The Political Realist's Argument Is war ever the right or wrong thing to do? Political Realists claim that war is just and permissible only when it is in the best interest of a state. Further, they argue morality has no place in determining the justifiability of war. In considering the legitimacy of war, I will first analyze one main argument in support of 'Political Realism', after which I will critique the argument, which I provided in support of political realism. Political Realists clearly state that war is acceptable once it is in the state's best interest to do so, and once embroiled in a war, a nation must employ all methods to ensure that victory is the end result (Morgenthau 14). They believe that "war is an intractable part of an anarchical world system ("War"). And that it ought to be resorted to only if it makes sense in terms of national self-interest. While political realism is an intricate and highly developed doctrine, Political Realists assert that its core propositions center on a strong rejection of applying moral concepts to the conduct of international relations (Ibid). Political realists denounce the idea of applying morality when discussing the justifiability of war for two main reasons. Firstly, political realists believe that only a superior and legitimate international authoritative body can impose a moral system upon all nations (Lauleta 2). Secondly, realists assert that there is no overriding international authority that enforces a common code of rules that apply to all nation states (Ibid) Therefore, by virtue of accepting these two main premises; realists contend that we should not use morality as a factor in considering the legitimacy of war. In arguing th... ... We can clearly see evidence of this whereby countries abide by international laws. Therefore, it is safe to say that we do not need a world government to determine universal morality because other world organizations are capable of establishing common codes of conduct and laws. We have explored two counter arguments. Firstly, a common sense of morality among states does not require authority as a common basic morality, despite cultural diversity, is innate in every human being. Secondly, states' participation in international organizations ensures that a common set of rules determining the justifiability of war can be applied to all states. Therefore, when states co-operate without a universal governmental body, they can arrive at some degree of commonality where international law is concerned. Therefore, in conclusion, we can evaluate war based on moral issues.

China Education System Needs

China Education System Needs to be Changed on College Entrance Exam Introduction Getting up at 6 a. m. in the morning, after breakfast, then go to school to begin reading books or reciting textbooks. This was how I began my school life when I was in high school. I start my school life and study at 7 a. m. in the morning and until 9 p. m in the evening. When all my classes were over I could back home, but it did not mean that I can relax and go to bed. When I back home take a shower and continue studying until midnight. When I start our second year in high school, I need to choose a major: arts or science.I choose arts in high school, so except Chinese, math and English, which everyone need to learn, I also needed to take politics, history and geography class. For sstudents who chose science, they need to take physics, biology and chemistry class instead. All Chinese sstudents have to study so hard for a reason: the college entrance exam, also called â€Å"gaokao† in Chinese. T here are over ten million sstudents taking this exam every year in China. Only a small group of sstudents can pass this exam to get into the top university and get further education.When we take the college entrance exam, and sstudents in different majors need to take different exams. There are two different tests, one for arts and one for sciences. And sstudents who major in arts need to remember lots of information; sstudents who major in science need to lots of homework. Many sstudents who cannot pass it may continue studying and take gaokao the next year or just go to a university that is not so good. As our parent's say, this is an exam that decides our whole life. So, it is easy to know how much pressure we have when we face this exam.I want to argue in this essay that I think China should provide the college entrance exam twice a year and, furthermore, should avoid using the exam alone to determine which sstudents can attend the best colleges. Making these changes can reduce the pressure on sstudents so that they can enjoy themselves and pursue other academic and non-academic interests. Some Background about â€Å"Gaokao† The gaokao that we take today was began at 1978. At first it was held in July every year, from 2003 it begins hold in June every year because July is too hot.In China, the Compulsory Education Law that every single child must receive education at least for nine years. They need to start learning in kindergarten between age three to six. After three years in kindergarten, they need continue through primary school, middle school and then, for some people who have privilege to get higher education. There are two different levels of Chinese universities. The first category awards undergraduate diplomas and bachelor degrees following four years of study, whereas the second group awards undergraduate diplomas after two or three years. To enter these universities sstudents must sit the gaokao.According to an author Davey, â€Å"The ex am in China is ultimately under the control of the National Examination Authority within the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education co-ordinates and oversees the writing of exam questions, whereas lower-level government is responsible for printing and delivering the exam papers, as well as arranging exam centers, marking and reporting results â€Å"(Davey, 387). After several decades gaokao has become the most important exam for all China sstudents. Every year in June 7 and 8, two days that gaokao hold, it is just like a festival for examination.Sstudents take exam in local schools but not the school where they take class every day. When we enter the examination hall we cannot bring anything but a pen and student card. There is no calculator and dictionary when we take exam. On the first day of exam, we take Chinese test in the morning for two and half hours. In the afternoon we take the mathematics for two hours. It is a hard time when we finish our first day of exam. I remember when I finished the first day of exam, I felt a little bit relax because I pass math exam that was the most difficult part for me.I just glanced over my politics and history books prepared for next day. On the second day of gaokao, sstudents who major in arts take the test including politics, history and geography in the morning. Sstudents who major in sciences need take the test including physical, chemistry and biology. Last test is English in the afternoon of second of exam. In these two days police will come out to direct traffic and make sstudents can arrive to examination hall on time. Paren'ts are all worried about their children and many of them just stand outside of the examination hall wait till exam is over.It is a very common phenomenon through this time period. For us, when we start our school life, be successful in the gaokao is our ultimate goal for every student. It is just like a battle that have no gun and smoke. It is very obvious to know why we have no t ime to enjoy our spare time to play games, or just hang out for a day. The exam is very stressful, when we start to prepare for it is stressful as well. Less time to sleep, when we get into last year in high school, we even have no PE class just major classes all day long.Zheng, a writer from Research Center of High Education Development introduces that, â€Å"As the most important educational examination system of present-day China, the college entrance exam, while shouldering its original task of selecting qualified new sstudents for colleges and universities, also â€Å"holds multiple jobs,† pperforming educational, cultural, political, and other multifaceted social functions† (Zheng, 15). Gaokao even cares about our future career. A student graduate from the top university have a better chance to get good job than a student just graduate from normal university.The argument Zoninsein, a reporter from Slate Magazine argues â€Å"Essentially, Chinese universities acc ept those sstudents who are good at taking tests. This makes sense for an educational system historically oriented toward rote learning, where sstudents are tested on how well they've memorized their teachers' lectures. Mary, who is about to graduate from the Beijing Foreign Languages University, admitted she had many brilliant friends who simply didn't test well. They retook the test after another year of studying and enrolled wherever their scores permitted† (Zoninsein).As we all know, China has the largest number of people in the whole world. It is easy to image that how much pressure that Chinese sstudents face when they need to find a job. There is a social phenomenon have been in China for so long that if a student graduates from top university it mearns that he or she can find a good job. Benjamin a reporter from TIME net report this in 2007: â€Å"This year, close to 10 million Chinese sstudents sat for the gaokao, starting June 8. Sstudents who perform superlatively can expect to be courted by the nation's top schools; the rest find spots in provincial universities or two- and three-year colleges.For the 40 ppercent of test-takers who fail, there's always next year — or enrollment at one of China's less-selective private institutions. As China's economy booms, job competition has become ferocious — and the pressure to land a prestigious degree can be unbearable†(Benjamin). Indeed, there are also many unfair phenomena in the college entrance exam. For example, sstudents who take the exam in different place may get different grades during the exam. Sstudents who live in big city like Beijing and Shanghai can pass this exam easier than the sstudents who live in region area.Because there are many good universities in Beijing and Shanghai, when they enroll new sstudents they need sstudents' grades for gaokao, the university treat local sstudents and nonlocal sstudents in different way, they treat local sstudents better than nonlo cal sstudents. For instance, two sstudents get the same grades in gaokao, one of them is local student in Beijing, and the other one is not a local student. In this situation, the local student can get enrolled in Beijing University but the nonlocal student may not. The exam seems to create inequality among Chinese sstudents in different regions.

THOUGHTS ARE BETTER THAN ACTIONS Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

THOUGHTS ARE BETTER THAN ACTIONS Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers THOUGHTS ARE BETTER THAN ACTIONS The reports from the Department of Education Statistics show that more than 90 million American adults lack simple literacy. Less than 20 percent of them have the know-how of metaphors and less than 4 percent of them can calculate on a calculator when given a problem sum. 60,000 youngsters drop out by the middle of the school year. A number of these drop outs end up in the prison. Even these days 130,000 children bring in guns along with their books to school everyday. There has been an 85 percent increase in the juvenile arrests for murder from 1987 to 1991. It really depresses me when I look at these statistics and think of International students like me. We have come away from home into a completely different country, a completely different culture, only because of the educational opportunities here and are paying twice, thrice the amount an American resident is paying in tuition but most of the nationals don?t seem to have recognition or the realization of the facilities that they can avail. All. just because they do not have enough time to waste on "thinking" about these matters. Education is the key to the development in any area of life of an individual. Education seems to pertain to all important aspects of one?s life reflecting upon personal ideas and thoughts. I seem to believe that the mind of today?s generation are from all aspects , no less creative than those of Einstein ,or for that matter , any person who we might look up to for their intelligence or creativity. The brains of the present are intelligent but numb, requiring a little exercise before can reach its true capabilities. Even though, one might be intensely involved in what they are doing, rarely have I found someone who really understood, and thought about what they do, why they do it and what is it that they really want. It somehow is just taken as a fact of life. Basically, I am from a Third world country where the masses are mainly illiterate. People see deep thinking as being extremely dangerous for the person health and is even believed to give birth to an evil mind. Generally people have blind faith in the fact that what their forefathers have been practicing is the best and only way in which they are to lead their lives. It so appears that a farmer?s son is to be a farmer, tailor?s son is to be a tailor and a doctor?s son is to be a doctor. We are living in a world where we do not even have the freedom of thinking for what exactly we want without being influenced by how others might perceive it .All we seem to be concerned about is how the society feels about a certain thing, and as for our own minds, they are set to rest and go stale . Anyone who appears, to be pondering over something is believed to eventually go insane. I, for one have personally been laughed at and called things like, " He is most probably half way through conquering the world", " What does he think that just by sitting there and fantasizing , all the riches of the world are going to come to his doorstep", "In reality is that all this thinking is only meant for the philosophers ." As for most of us we have to work in order to earn a living and sitting idle and brooding over something is merely a waste of time. Even thinking of something so ordinary as what to wear for the next party is considered as a waste of time by some. If only we could sit down once in a while, and think of all that we have achieved, and all that we would want to achieve. Be grateful for what we have, and think of ways of getting what more we want .The regular creative use of the brain, accompanied by good education would definitely help in making peoples lives a whole lot happier and peaceful .

How to Teach the Present Perfect for ESL Students

How to Teach the Present Perfect for ESL Students The present perfect is one of the most difficult tenses to learn for students. Teaching the present perfect effectively involves making sure students understand that the present perfect in English is always connected in some way to the present moment in time. Many languages including French, German, Spanish and Italian use the present perfect for past events. The present perfect in English covers what happens from a past moment to the present moment in time. Establishing this connection in students minds early will help students avoid mistakes. It helps to divide usage into three major areas: 1) From the past until now: Ive lived in New York for twenty years. 2) Life experience: Ive visited every state in the country. 3) Recent past events that influence the present moment: Ive just had lunch. Start by Speaking about Your Experiences Introduce the present perfect by providing three short situations One about life experiences, one speaking about some things that started in the past and continue into the present. Finally, also illustrate the present perfect for events that influence the present moment in time. Speak about yourself, your family or your friends. Life Experience: Ive visited many countries in Europe. Ive been to Germany and France a few times. My wife has also been in Europe quite a lot. However, our daughter has never visited.Past to Present: My friend Tom has a number of hobbies. Hes played chess for more than fifteen years. Hes surfed since he was a little boy, and hes practiced the art of the Japanese tea ceremony since September.Recent Events that Influence the Present:  Wheres Pete? I think hes gone to lunch, but hes been away for about ten minutes. I know hes been to the bank this afternoon so hes probably decided he needs a nice meal.  Ask students about the differences in these forms. Once the differences have been understood, return to your short scenarios and ask students related questions using the present perfect.Life Experience: Ive visited many countries in Europe. Which countries have you visited? Have you ever been to XYZ?Past to Present: My friend Tom has a number of hobbies. Hes played chess for more th an fifteen years. Which hobbies do you have? How long have you done them? Recent Events that Influence the Present:  What have we just studied? Have you understood the form? Explaining the Present Perfect Using the verbs youve introduced, quickly ask students the infinitive form for each verb. (i.e. Which verb is gone? - go, Which verb is bought? - buy, etc.). After having studied the past simple, students should recognize that many past verbs in -ed whereas others have irregular forms. Introduce the past participle form use in the present perfect. Its a good idea to provide an irregular verb sheet for future reference. Use three timelines showing the differences between usages: life experience, past to present, and recent events. At this point in the curriculum, students should easily be able to switch between positive, negative and question forms. However, its important to point out that questions in the present perfect are most often formed with How long for past to present usage, and Have you ever..? for life experiences. Finally, for present perfect that affects the present moment, its important that students understand the differences between the time expressions just, yet and already as well as for and since for past to present. Comprehension Activities Each of these uses of the present perfect can be practiced through present perfect role plays and reading comprehension activities. Its also a good idea to compare and contrast time expressions used for the present perfect and past simple. Present perfect worksheets and quizzes focusing on differences asking students to choose between the present perfect or the past simple will also help. To practice switching between the present perfect and the simple past practice short conversations with Have you ever...? followed by a question asking for specifics with when, or where. Have you ever been to France? - Yes, I have.When did you go there?Have you bought a car? - Yes, I haveWhen did you buy one? Challenges with the Present Perfect Common challenges with the present perfect include: Use of present perfect for events that happened in the pastSwitching between present perfect and past simple fluidlyUse of yet and already in questions, negative and positive formsUse of since with dates and for with periods of time

Statement of Purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Statement of Purpose - Essay Example I felt proud of our growing financial status. The farm was everything that our family had and our lives completely depended on it. However, I realized that growth of our farm was greatly influenced by the ebb and flow of the world economy. In 1997, disaster struck Southeast Asia’s economy. South Korea was strongly affected by this crisis, and our government had to be bailed out by the IMF. Korea’s currency fell in value which slowed down the economy. Few people were buying or selling anything, and prices had destabilized. As a result, our business suffered and we had to lay off two workers that my father had hired. Later, the news of a Free Trade Agreement between Korea and US, which would open up Korean markets to the US-imported beef, drove down the price of Korean beef. It was surprising to see that a simple anticipation could impact the Korean economy so strongly. Fortunately, my family’s hard work and proper financial management saved our farm. These difficu lt times convinced me that economy is a powerful and predictive language shared by the world. The global economy is a complex web of cause and effect that influences everyone in the world. I learnt the value of understanding the interactions of international economy. Hence, my goal is to understand global economy. I aim to gain a deep understanding of how global economy functions, and help businesses and governments to make better decisions regarding their finances. A degree in economics from the University of California will help me in taking the first step towards achieving this goal. Hence, I wish to take the course of ‘Introduction to International Business - Undergraduate Business Administration’ and ‘International Trade – Economics.’ These courses will help me in understanding international trade and business, and also in completing my research. The topic of my senior thesis will be ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world.à ¢â‚¬â„¢ The research question that I wish to undertake is ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’. I will research ‘Globalization and success of Kobe beef and Black Angus in the world’ in English language, and ‘Globalization and success of Korean beef in the world’ in both, Korean and English. I plan to go to graduate school in Korea after completing my undergraduate

Excessive lose weight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Excessive lose weight - Research Paper Example However, the efforts to promote weight loss can have adverse results if not managed properly. The obsession to lose weight can lead to excessive weight loss, which predisposes individual to other health problems and eating disorders. Weight loss, also referred to as slimming in medical terms refers to the process of reducing one’s total body mass. Body mass can be lost through various ways mean loss of body fluids, body fats, muscles, mineral deposits or tendons and other connective tissues in the body. Weight loss can occur either voluntarily or unintentionally. Involuntary weight loss can occur as a result of underlying health problems. Unintentional weight loss may result from depression, chronic infections like HIV/AIDS, anxiety, stress, or diarrhea. Voluntary or intentional weight loss, on the other hand, is a conscious effort of an individual to reduce weight due to perceived or actual obese of overweight state. Excessive weight loss, on the other hand, refers to an extreme reduction in one’s body mass leading to development of other health complications. There are various reasons why individuals lose weight. Intentional weight loss has many social, psychological, and health advantages to people. Different people, however, approach the question of weight loss with varying needs and intentions. The most common reason, however, is for health purposes. Excess weight leads top various overweight and obesity conditions where one’s body mass is beyond generally accepted range for average people. Individuals who are overweight or obese are vulnerable many health complications like heart diseases, cancer, strokes, diabetes, emotional problems like depression, and reducing one’s lifespan (Lipowski 13). It is, therefore, advisable for individuals to avoid gaining extra pound in order live healthy lifestyles and avoid these diseases. Weight loss, if properly managed, is healthy processes that can

The Application of Information Technology in the Workplace Essay

The Application of Information Technology in the Workplace - Essay Example Also made possible with the availability of computer technology specifically with the development of IBM AS/400 computer and Microsoft's Windows NT which allowed software packages to become more and more user-friendly, ERP has developed to the point that it has become industry specific making it possible for ERP package to be designed to address one's specific industry idiosyncrasies. (Brown and Vessey, 2003) ERP is actually an improved version of Business Resource Planning (BRP) which came from Material Resource Planning II (MRPII) which is in turn a descendant of the Material Resource Planning (MRP). All of these are essentially computer-based approaches to scheduling and planning of material requirements and inventory. ERP has been regarded as the "answer" to the productivity and economic troubles of service and manufacturing enterprises. Due to its effectiveness, the use of ERP system as an enterprise management software tool has become widespread in spite of the presence and ava ilability of other products in the marketplace. There is but one daily practical problem that manufacturing organizations face in their operations whatever their products maybe and that is customers would always want products to be manufactured and delivered faster than one can actually make them. There will always be nearly impossible time frames and one is forced to comply if one is interested in surviving the competition. Plan manufacturing activities, delivery schedules and purchasing activities.

The effects of Zionism on American Jewish Novels Essay Example for Free

The effects of Zionism on American Jewish Novels Essay Zionism can be defined as the political movement aimed at the return of all the Jewish people to their native soil. Its primary role was to establish a state exclusively for the Jews in Palestine, controlled purely by the Jews. The term Zionism was coined by Nathan Birbaum, who also founded the first organization of Jewish nationalist students in the West. The Zionist belief is that the Jews are a nation and hence must remain in one place. Zionism derives its name from the Hebrew word ‘Zion’, which is a hill in Jerusalem, upon which, it is believed, King David’s palace was built. Zionism attained its goal in 1948 when the state of Israel was created for the Jews. The Zionist principles, though, evolved over time with the influence from socialism, colonialism, and the like in Europe. There were two primary factors for the Zionist movement. One was the fact that the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, and in each country, they represented a minority and were deprived of their rights and were subject to great atrocities. America’s economic growth resulted in millions of Europeans including a large number of Jews settling in the United States. Many such Jewish immigrants began to write their experiences in other countries like the United States. This, in time, led to the rise of some great Jewish novels and novelists, Saul Bellow, Henry Roth, and Philip Roth being only a few among them, writing about their trials and tribulations in a country which even after years seemed alien to them. The American Jewish novels of the 1960s helped in establishing the definition of American Jewish fiction. Slowly, American Jewish writing concentrated more on the expression of individual creativity rather than ethnicity. This could be seen in the works of many successful Jewish American writers, who focused more on the realities of life giving lesser importance to all the social and national movements held for the religion. Many of the American Jewish novels following World War II no longer centered on traditional ethnic themes of identity. There often was the element of Zionism and Judaism, but it was just like any other event in a novel. No prejudice could be traced in many such novels. All such aspects of religion, of course, were projected from many angles and it showed the characters’ perspective towards a particular faith, but there was no judging if they were right or wrong. The American Jewish novels concentrated more on the human and humane aspects of the protagonists’ characters rather than on particular faiths. And overall, if we see the reviews of the novels of Chaim Potok or Henry Roth, they are mostly positive reviews. The book Call It Sleep (Roth 2005) established Henry Roth’s reputation as a writer. Zionism appeared in the novels as just another aspect or event with the characters maintaining their own viewpoints. These novels could be read just like any other novels, and it is indeed worth mentioning that in spite of the Great Depression, this book did as best as it could. This set up a trend, and after decades of such successful American Jewish novels, the current generation of Jewish writers pursues a more diverse course, with some writers choosing to ignore their Jewish legacy while others remain totally unaffected by it. There, of course, is the other group of writers who have created a new Jewish literature which voices directly the concerns of Jews throughout the world. Though American Jewish novels are written primarily by Jewish, there are many novels written with Jewish themes by people who belong to other faiths and nationalities. Even such novels are not biased in any way. On the whole, if we were to analyze the effects of Zionism on American Jewish novels, a neutral stance of Zionism is what is portrayed in almost all the plots. These authors are primarily Jewish who have first-hand experience of Jewish discrimination. But their attempt to portray it in their novels is genuine without any trace of exaggeration.. They concentrate more on the plots and characters. The concept of identity is only secondary. Saul Bellow, for that matter preferred to be treated as an American writer. He did not like the designation of a Jewish writer. He does not at any time deny his Jewish identity, and one can clearly see the influence of Jewish history in his novels though it is difficult to specify it. A review of one or two such novels and their authors will give us a better idea about this.

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria Madness in culture: is mental disorder universal? This paper will look at the issue of madness in culture, looking at the issue of whether mental disorders are a universal concept, with particular reference to the Nigerian culture. As Sadowsky (2003) argues, the crude maxim â€Å"what is mad in one culture might be considered sane in another† described the approach to ‘cultural psychiatry’ research regarding mental illness for many years; that psychiatric disorders were viewed relatively suggested that these disorders were no more than cultural constructions and thus not ‘real’ diseases (see Sadowsky, 2003; p. 210). In his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Sadowsky focuses on madness, insanity, as a social process. Whilst not denying the reality of madness as an illness, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, †Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, this essay looks at how madness in Nigeria evolved in the colonial period, and beyond, and how madness was understood within a colonial framework. The essay then moves on to look at cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria, and genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural and historical differences in understanding madness within a colonial context, using examples from Nigeria. Finally, syndromes that come and go, such as hysteria and delusions, will be discussed, using the example of persecution delusions from studies of two mental asylums in Nigeria, as discussed in the work of Sadowsky (1999). The history of madness in Nigeria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky (1999) provides a review of madness in Nigeria, from colonial times to independence. Sadowsky’s argument in his 1999 book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, is that through developing an understanding of these institutions, it is possible to come to understand â€Å"the struggles within the colonial state over the use of asylums, negotiations in colonial society about the definitions of insanity, the processes which led to confinement and release and the formation of specific psychiatric discourse (p. 9). The book provides an examination of how, when and, most importantly, why Africans were defined as insane and the ways in which definitions of insanity were related to the political context pf colonialism (Stilwell, 2000). Sadowsky (1999) does not argue that colonialism caused insanity but, rather, argues tha t the content and expression of madness reflected the pressures, stressed and strains brought on by colonial rule, thus providing a social history of insanity in a colonial setting. As Sadowsky (1999) argues, the debate surrounding psychiatric labeling theory must be centered on the ways in which mental illness is a construct of â€Å"the particular historical formations† (p. 112); colonial asylums could be placed on a spectrum from ‘custodial and coercive’ to ‘supportive and therapeutic’, although the vast majority of mental asylums in colonial Nigeria were crudely coercive, due to the cross-cultural barriers and the different perceptions of social relations as held by African patients and colonial medical staff and authorities. It was only well in to post-colonial times that subtler forms of social control and therapeutic practice evolved. Cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria As has been seen, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, â€Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, the cultural context of madness, in terms of understanding madness from a culturally relativistic viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of colonialism, is fundamental in understanding the cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria. Accounts of madness and understanding the responses to madness in a colonial Nigerian setting cannot be understood, interpreted, without also fully understanding the historical, social and political setting at that time. In general, however, it can be seen, from Sadowsky’s work, that madness was treated, in a blanket manner, as a response to colonialism, as a manifestation that the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with modernization and that, as such, delusions, deliria and hysteria were almost to be expected, as a reaction against colonialism. Responding to these outbreaks of madness with force, by opening asylums and confining ‘the mad’ to these asylums, with little actual medical care, was a way in which to ‘silence’ the ‘mad’ and to be able to continue on with the aims and practices of colonialism. The genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural/historical difference Mental illness is currently well understood, and treated, as that: an illness. However, as has been shown by Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), within a colonial context in Nigeria, mental illness was often only understood in the context of colonialism i.e., mental illness was understood as a reaction to the modernization brought about by the colonizers, which, it was hypothesized, the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with, leading them to madness. However, as Sadowsky (2003) points out, â€Å"even within colonial governments, there were some who believed, in some degree, in cultural relativism†¦.I discovered many administrators who believed that building asylums was a bad idea because Europeans could not know what madness was to Africans, and that, therefore Europeans should not be imposing alien cultural forms† (p. 211). Thus, at least within the context of colonial Nigeria, madness was not understood, or treated, as an illness, rather as a response to coloni alism, and the debate surrounding madness and its genetic and physiological bases, and the different cultural or historical manifestations of madness were not entered in to during colonial rule. Syndromes that come and go hysteria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky argues in his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, which uses first hand accounts of delusions of the mentally ill, as gathered from actual case histories of these two mental asylums, the ‘ravings’ of patients are important historical documents in that they can be used for social analyses, showing that the social context of colonization fostered the development of certain kinds of delusions, especially delusions of persecution. Such madness, Sadowsky argues, threatened the colonial worldview, and, to some extent, colonial power, drawing attention, as they did, to the structures and inherent contradictions of colonial power, and, as such, the psychiatric environment tended to class any actions that threatened colonial ideology as ‘madness’, such that, as Sadowsky argues, the ideologies of colonial medical staff reflected the anxieties and insecurities of the colonizers themselves (Sadowsky, 1999). As Sadowsky states, â€Å"the content [of delusions] repeatedly referred to specifics of Nigerian colonial history: religious conversion, foreign domination, the changing justice system†¦and the struggle for independence† (1999; p.115). Conclusion According to Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), historically, madness in Nigeria seems to have been understood entirely in terms of colonial power, in terms of madness being understood as a reaction against colonial rule, not as an illness per se, and, as such, madness was not treated objectively, but as one more manifestation of dissatisfaction against colonial rule. The ‘mad’ were thus treated almost as dissenters rather than being treated correctly, as ‘ill’ individuals. No more is this highlighted than when accounts of treatments for delusions are given in Sadowsky (1999) as taken from individual case histories. As shown in these histories, medical staff often played a purely custodial role, not a medical role, with only modest therapeutic programs being offered, if any at all (Sadowsky, 2003; p. 211). It was with some trepidation, and opposition, that mental asylums were set up at all, in a colonial Nigerian context, with little medical help being offered, an d these asylums quickly becoming overcrowded, with squalid living conditions (Sadowsky, 2003). Thus, as has been seen throughout this essay, based on the work of Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), which looks at madness in colonial times in Nigeria, the understanding of madness in culture is an extremely relative matter, perfectly illustrated through the study of this time period and in this place, which explained madness as a product of colonial rule. Madness, as we understand it now, is obviously not culturally relative and is a universal concept: it is an illness, which needs correct treatment in order to overcome the illness. If this had been understood during the period of colonial rule in Nigeria, the many years of suffering for many thousands of insane individuals would not have had to have been endured: they would have received correct, timely, treatment and would not have whiled away their lives being little more than captives in colonial asylums. References Sadowsky Jonathan, Psychiatry and colonial ideology in Nigeria, Bulletin of the History of Medicine,71 (1997):94-111. Sadowsky, Jonathan, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Sadowsky Jonathan, The social world and the reality of mental illness: lessons from colonial psychiatry, Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2003, 11(4):210-4. Stilwell, S., ‘Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria by Jonathan Sadowsky’, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 31(2) (2000): 322-323.

Winter Essay -- Creative Writing Essays

I pressed my face up against the glass window, my moist breath causing it to fog up. I watched the boy's dark silhouette shift positions slightly, as he leaned back against the deteriorating stonewall, and buried his head in his hands. Tendrils of dark bronze hair assisted in the covering of his face, making it even more impossible to see what he might look like. He didn't know I was here, quietly watching him. Hell, he didn't even know I existed. I squinted, straining my vision, hoping I could maybe see his face in order to have a visual picture of him. But I couldn't. The nighttime environment only helped him remain anonymous. Yet, even without being able to clearly see him, I was slowly being overwhelmed by a very strange feeling - that I had to leave. Now. And as if he'd planned it, the boy's head snapped up, and his eyes immediately met mine. They were a shockingly bright turquoise, and in them was an unknown emotion so overpowering that I actually gasped and stumbled backwards. My heart was pounding so loudly that all other noise seemed to fade away. - "What is that, Winter?" Tyler inquired, pointing to the new diamond stud in the side of my nose. "A nose piercing," I replied irritably. I was in a dark mood, and even my best guy friend was bothering me at the moment. I just didn't want to talk to anyone. All I wanted to do was go back to that house - with that boy. His face had been burned in my mind, those aqua eyes haunting my thoughts. The corners of Ty's lips turned down, his eyes showing that he was upset. His angelic face didn't hide his emotions either, he was hurt. "I know. I just want to talk to you." "Sorry," I muttered halfheartedly. "I didn't mean to be so snappish. I'm in a bad m... ...'s your name?" he requested, a small laugh following the statement, and causing my heart to throb uncontrollably. "Because I can't keep calling you 'pretty', as true as it is." I felt lightheaded at his compliment, and reminded myself to breathe. "Winter," I said, my voice sounding stifled and forced. "Winter, eh? The name suits you quite well. Pale skin, gorgeous blue eyes†¦ the beauty and colors of the season." He winked at me, suddenly seeming a bit more human, not to mention all the more seductive. "Thank you," I said nervously. God, I must be so awkward to talk to right now. "I†¦ I almost feel like I have to come," I admitted quietly. "There's something that keeps drawing me back." A small smile formed on his lips, and there was a glint in his eyes that was bordering sinister. "Oh†¦ is there now? Finding the long way home, aren't you?" Winter Essay -- Creative Writing Essays I pressed my face up against the glass window, my moist breath causing it to fog up. I watched the boy's dark silhouette shift positions slightly, as he leaned back against the deteriorating stonewall, and buried his head in his hands. Tendrils of dark bronze hair assisted in the covering of his face, making it even more impossible to see what he might look like. He didn't know I was here, quietly watching him. Hell, he didn't even know I existed. I squinted, straining my vision, hoping I could maybe see his face in order to have a visual picture of him. But I couldn't. The nighttime environment only helped him remain anonymous. Yet, even without being able to clearly see him, I was slowly being overwhelmed by a very strange feeling - that I had to leave. Now. And as if he'd planned it, the boy's head snapped up, and his eyes immediately met mine. They were a shockingly bright turquoise, and in them was an unknown emotion so overpowering that I actually gasped and stumbled backwards. My heart was pounding so loudly that all other noise seemed to fade away. - "What is that, Winter?" Tyler inquired, pointing to the new diamond stud in the side of my nose. "A nose piercing," I replied irritably. I was in a dark mood, and even my best guy friend was bothering me at the moment. I just didn't want to talk to anyone. All I wanted to do was go back to that house - with that boy. His face had been burned in my mind, those aqua eyes haunting my thoughts. The corners of Ty's lips turned down, his eyes showing that he was upset. His angelic face didn't hide his emotions either, he was hurt. "I know. I just want to talk to you." "Sorry," I muttered halfheartedly. "I didn't mean to be so snappish. I'm in a bad m... ...'s your name?" he requested, a small laugh following the statement, and causing my heart to throb uncontrollably. "Because I can't keep calling you 'pretty', as true as it is." I felt lightheaded at his compliment, and reminded myself to breathe. "Winter," I said, my voice sounding stifled and forced. "Winter, eh? The name suits you quite well. Pale skin, gorgeous blue eyes†¦ the beauty and colors of the season." He winked at me, suddenly seeming a bit more human, not to mention all the more seductive. "Thank you," I said nervously. God, I must be so awkward to talk to right now. "I†¦ I almost feel like I have to come," I admitted quietly. "There's something that keeps drawing me back." A small smile formed on his lips, and there was a glint in his eyes that was bordering sinister. "Oh†¦ is there now? Finding the long way home, aren't you?"