Branches of Philosophy

Branches of Philosophy Professor John Wise American Intercontinental University Thesis This essay project with answer different questions to the six branches of Philosophy. The branches are Metaphysics-is something real? Epistemology-How do we know? Ethics-What is right or wrong? Aesthetics- Is something beautiful? Political- What government is best? And Social- How should we act in in society. Six Branches of Philosophy There are six branches of philosophy. There is Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Aesthetics, Political, and Social. Each branch asks us all specific types of questions that we ask ourselves each and every day.Some of these questions we ask without even realizing that we have done so. Metaphysics is the first branch of Philosophy in this discussion. This asks the question of what is real. At an early age we are taught that there is a heaven and earth. At different times we ask ourselves is there really a heaven. Based on what we are taught I believe there is a heaven and that there will come a time in our life that we will be in the place created by God called heaven. According to the bible, God created man from the dust of the earth. We live in the physical world and the spiritual world depends on each person’s spiritual belief.I believe each one of us has a soul. I believe the soul stays around loved ones until the day of reckoning. I believe all people have free will but different circumstances determine what happens to us thru fate. The psychological world I believe consists of our mind and the world that we chose to create for ourselves to live in. The Epistemology branch asks us the question of how is anything known. Things that are known are taught to us from our parents and by teachers in school. We are taught different things thru text books and by experience.Thru different experiences we learn how to conduct ourselves around other people and we gain knowledge by studying the different works of scientists and scholars. There are not any limits to human understanding. Each person’s understanding depends on them. Some people understand things differently than others and each person’s limits differ from others. I don’t believe there is a relationship between faith and reason. Faith goes along with ethics and morals. I don’t fully understand what artificial intelligence is. The next branch of philosophy is the Ethics branch.We are taught from an early age the difference of right and wrong. Laws tell us what is or isn’t right and as humans if we break these laws we are punished. To me being a good person means to follow the golden rule â€Å"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you†. I believe that virtue does lead to happiness. If you do what is right by others then others will have the tendency to follow your lead. I believe society affects morality. This all depends on the circumstances in which you live. If you live in an area that has a lot of crime and ha tred then you have the tendency to follow others in that area.If you set high moral standards for yourself then no matter where you live or the types of people you are surrounded with won't affect you. I think that morality is more culture based. Each person has to choose how they apply the morals they are taught at an early age to their adult lives. Each person has different morals that they live by and have to decide how these will be applied. The next branch of philosophy we are going to discuss is the Aesthetics branch. This brings up the question of what is beautiful. In my opinion beauty is in the eye of the beholder and each culture has what they regard as to what is beautiful.Art depicts the creator’s feelings or ideas as to what they believe beauty is. Art can be successful and valuable to the creator and also to the person that enjoys different art forms. To one person a piece of art might have beauty to it and to another person it might be just horrendous. So there fore beauty in art may or may not matter to all people. The next topic is the political branch of philosophy. I believe the best type of government is the democratic government. This form of government, people do have a small voice in different matters.I think the government should have limited power and that the government should listen to the common people as to what the needs of the population are. I believe that if the common person had the ability to be more involved in the government of today then the needs of the common person would be made possible thru a vast majority voice. The last branch of discussion is the Social branch. I believe this branch is determined thru the ethics branch of philosophy. People shouldn’t have to give up rights just to live in a specific society. We should be able to live our lives the way we now and by the morals and ethics we have built for ourselves.I think some people act according to the surroundings they are in at different times. Wit h many different cultures of society today, I believe there is a large language barrier. With all the different cultures communications has become a big issue. Each culture believes that their language should be the language spoken. I believe that there needs to be one universal language spoken and then different societies of people wouldn’t feel as if they were being mistreated or neglected.Reference: Baird, F. E. , ;amp; Kaufmann, W. E. (2000). Ancient philosophy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. M. U. S. E. My Unique Student Expeience

Lady Macbeth Coursework Essay

When Shakespeare was writing ‘Macbeth’, most people believed that the Sun went around the Earth and that magic and witchcraft existed. This made them very superstitious indeed. Religion was also a dominant factor at the time. All children were baptized, soon after they were born. This then enabled them to be taught the essentials of the Christian religion. Education at the time was only best for the rich. Shakespeare was one of the lucky ones; because of him being brought up in a very wealthy society he got the chance to be well educated. This then got him writing plays such as Twelfth Night, Hamlet and including Macbeth. He is now widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in English literature. In ‘Macbeth’, Lady Macbeth can be seen in many ways which can be related to Macbeth’s villainy. She can be seen as the protector/protected, manipulator, victim, Jacobean wife and also how she is in charge of the relationship with Macbeth. Manipulation is the process of bending another to your will and making them believe or do something that they normally wouldn’t do. Manipulation can be seen when both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth plot to kill their own King (King Duncan). â€Å"And live a coward in thine own esteem†, in this quotation we can see that Lady Macbeth is literally saying to Macbeth that he is only being a coward to himself if he was going to back away from the deed. Lady Macbeth uses such strong words so that Macbeth has a greater chance of not backing down to the regicide. From analysing the quote ‘live a coward in thine’ we can clearly see that the word ‘coward’ is emphasised with the word ‘thine’. The word ‘coward’ means someone who is afraid and someone with no bravery at all. This is important to me because it gives a great impact to the reader that Macbeth is being called a ‘coward’ by his own wife. This to me sounds like Lady Macbeth is acting in a very sly way to get her husband to do what she wants him to do. Another example of manipulation can be seen when Lady Macbeth is talking about the plot to kill the King with Macbeth. â€Å"These deeds must not be thought after these ways†¦so, it will make us mad†. Here we can see that Lady Macbeth is trying to bend the situation a bit so that it goes to her favour. In other words, telling Macbeth to not worry about what has happened. ‘It will make us mad’. In this quote the word ‘mad’ is important because it is being emphasised so that Macbeth is more alert about the murder. Mad is an adjective which is usually associated with people that are not acting in a normal way. To me this suggests that Lady Macbeth is saying that if you don’t forget about the deed, we are going to be in a normal state. We can also see Lady Macbeth in control of the relationship with Macbeth when she helps Macbeth with the murder of King Duncan, making the guards drunk, assuring that Macbeth doesn’t get caught in the process. â€Å"Only look up clear; to alter favour ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me†. In this text we can literally see that Lady Macbeth is giving Macbeth the opportunity for her to do most of the covering up, this clearly indicates Lady Macbeth taking the role of being the ‘protector’ towards her husband. By the use of the command ‘Leave all the rest to me’ this to me emphasises that she is the dominant character at this specific part of the scene. The word ‘leave’ is a command that you would usually use after a word, in this occasion Lady Macbeth has used this at the start of the sentence which to me sounds more appealing for the reader too. Furthermore, she implicates to ‘the rest’ as referring to the King, the daggers and the stewards. This to me shows that she is telling Macbeth that she can take control of situations like these. The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth does not always go in Lady Macbeth’s favour. In this case she is more of a ‘victim’. This can be seen at the end of the story when she is guilty of all the murders which that she has contributed to, this then leads her going ‘mad’. â€Å"The thane of Fife he had a wife, where is she now?† by examining this text, we can see that now Lady Macbeth is in a ‘half away/half dreaming’ state to hold herself for all the deeds that Macbeth has committed, this to me explains why she is asking such questions. ‘The thane of Fife he had a wife’, here by Lady Macbeth using the past tense ‘had’ it shows to me that a level of confusion has taken place. This is then emphasised when she adds on the question at the end of the sentence. Therefore, in the reader’s point of view, it shows us that she is behaving in a ‘mad’ sort of manor, which isn’t rea lly seen before. We can say that Lady Macbeth is the catalyst of the murder. Furthermore, she can be known as the protector and the protected. Macbeth is one character who tries best to protect Lady Macbeth. When Banquo was murdered, Macbeth kept Lady Macbeth in complete darkness. â€Å"Be innocent of the deed, dear chuck†, this quote suggests that Macbeth is trying to protect her and is shown as the ‘protected’. By the use of the words ‘be innocent’ it suggests to me that Lady Macbeth is forcing Macbeth to ‘be innocent’, this is because the command is used at the start of the sentence which usually indicates that the person is in control. The whole quote â€Å"Be innocent of the deed, dear chuck† infers that she wants him to forget about the murder, showing that she’s a protector. Lady Macbeth can also be seen as a protector when she responds to Macbeth’s actions. â€Å"Leave all the rest to me†. In this quote we can clearly see Lady Macbeth as the dominant character in their relationship and also as the protector towards her own husband. By looking at the text used and concentrating on the word â€Å"me†, we can see that Lady Macbeth could be using the word as in referring herself to the ‘manipulator’,’ protector’ or even the victim. Also by use of the words â€Å"the rest†, this could give the reader a thought that it can be referred to or mean the king, or his guards, the daggers or can simply mean different abstracts such as shame, guilt, and consequence. This to me shows a perfect demonstration on how Lady Macbeth is being a protector and manipulator towards Macbeth to get her own way. Lady Macbeth is not always seen as the catalyst. In this case it is shown when she takes the role of being a ‘victim’. â€Å"Unsex me here†. In this quote it shows that Lady Macbeth is asking for her feminine side to be taken away. This to me shows that she is making a change from the typical female stereo type (e.g. kind, vulnerable) to a more masculine character (e.g. leader, ‘macho man’). This change could have made her more manipulative towards Macbeth and in a leading role, but in the state she is in now she is seen more as the victim. Lady Macbeth can also be seen as ‘victim’ in the quote â€Å"sweeten this little hand†. Here we can see that what Shakespeare is trying to say that, because of how Lady Macbeth’s contribution to the regicide, she is trying to forgive herself for what she has done wrong. By the use of the words ‘sweeten’ and ‘little’, it clearly shows that she’s vulnerable and delicate. By the use of words like these it also infers Lady Macbeth’s sorrow and the role of her being a victim. Overall we can see that Lady Macbeth is the dominant character that contributes to Macbeth’s villainy in many ways. Killing a king in the was the worst crime you could possibly do in Shakespeare’s time.

Banana Chips

This provides an ample opportunity to a new entrant as the market is not dominated by some brands and with good quality and competitive pricing, it is possible to capture adequate market share. Production Banana Chips or Crisps are deep fried snack a small or casual meal. Cooking type bananas produce good Chips/Crisps. It is easy to make and the product is very tasty. The small-scale production requires but a few equipment, viz. A stove (Gas, Diesel fired or even a Firewood Stove), Kitchen knives, Peelers, Cutting boards, Plastic buckets, Cooking pots, Containers, Frying pan or Wok, Long Spoons or ladles, Cheese cloth, Colander, Trays and Baskets, Plastic Pouches, Candles amp; old Hacksaw blade or a small Electric Impulse Heat Sealer and Weighing scale. Production steps of Banana ChipsGood large size green cooking bananas slices are cut cross wise to give circular shape. Bigger size fruits are preferred to produce large size slices and an attractive product. Different varieties give products of different colour, flavour and taste. Crosswise slicing gives uniform, circular, attractive, product and is universally adopted for commercial production. This way as the slicing is faster the production increases. The steps involved in Banana Chips processing are: Selection: Good quality, green cooking bananas is preferred. Cutting and Peeling: Using a knife, banana bunches are separated from the main stem and individual bananas hands are separated from the bunches. Using a hand peeler, bananas are peeled and immediately sliced cross wise into thin, round slices. As some varieties with latex cause itching or irritation while handling, it is better to rub the hands with salt before peeling and slicing. Immersion in salt water: Immediately after slicing the slices are placed in salt water @ 3 to 5% of salt to the water. Added salt gets in to the slices and improves taste arid acceptability of the product. If slices are not placed in water, they turn Brown and later give an unacceptable dark product. Frying: Keep a large shallow Frying Pan or wok over a suitable stove (with adjustments for flame/heat control). The frying pan should be thick bottomed and with side rings for easy handling. Good edible vegetable cooking oil is used for frying. Bring the oil to fuming hot temperature. The long spoon or ladle used for taking out the fried chips from the wok can be either a big perforated one, of 8 to 12 inches in diameter and with long handle or of a large diameter wire mesh spoon with bamboo handle. The salt soaked slices are then dropped one by one manually into the hot oil in the frying pan. Never put the slices together in clusters into the oil as the slices being starchy stick to each other and are difficult to separate later. The normal practice followed is: Holding slices in left hand and dropping in rapid succession the separated slices one by one into the hot oil, or Slices taken out from the salt solution, separated and arranged either on a cheese cloth or on the dry big spoon itself and then carefully dropped into the hot oil. The frying temperature is maintained around 150 to 160C (just fuming) and frying time around 3 5 minutes depending on the slice thickness. Slices are deep-fried to golden yellow colour (till the bubbles seize) and taken out immediately using big perforated spoon. Over frying turns the chips dark and this will be considered an unattractive product. Draining of oil: Deep fried chips are put into perforated Colander for the excess oil to drain out and later transferred to a wide plastic or aluminum tray lined with craft paper or kitchen towel which absorbs/removes excess oil in chips and product is allowed to cool. Packing: Chips should never be packed while hot since hot air inside the pack condenses into water, which moistens the crisps resulting in soft, soggy chips. After cooling, chips are packed manually in plastic pouches and scaled airtight using either Hacksaw blade over candle flame or an electric impulse plastic sealer. Market PotentialDemand and SupplyThere is a very large market for banana chips and they can be sold at all such places where people assemble like theatres, picnic spots, bus stands or railway stations, traffic junctions etc. Retailing has to be done through small grocery shops as well as big departmental stores and super markets. There exists a strong demand for banana chips as most people enjoy eating snacks. While fresh cooking bananas are widely available, banana chips are not easily available in many parts of the country. Making chips increases the shelf life of the product in times of abundant harvest. Sales Location The owner has several options for selling the product as follows: At the local market; Through shops; and Through hotels amp; clubs. If the owner wishes to sell direct to the end customer, then the location with the highest traffic should be chosen. This will generally mean higher expenses in the form of rent. If the owner wishes to sell through shops, hotels or clubs, then the business can be started from your house. However, the owner will have to accept a lower mark-up to allow for a margin to be made for the shop owner. Costing the BusinessEquipment cost The following list represents a range of possible equipment needed for establishing a small scale banana chip producing business: Item | Quantity | Estimated Cost (Birr) | Purpose | Equipment | | | | Wok of frying pan | 1 | 500 | Fry chips | Gas Burners | 2 | 3000 | Stove top cooking | Plastic pots with lids | 5 | 200 | Storage | Knives | 3 | 60 | Cutting food | Spoons, wooden ladles | 5 each | 100 | Stirring for uniform frying | Cooling trays | 2 | 100 | Cooling hot fried chips prior to packing | Bag sealer | | 1600 | Packing fried chips | Total Equipment | | 5560 | | The prices used are estimated average cost based on Adama prices at the time this document was prepared. The above capital requirements are based on the principle of starting a small scale banana chip producing operation with minimum outlay of capital. This business can be of larger scale through the introduction of a deep fryer, and slicing machine. Staff CostA basic banana chip operation could be started by an owner helped by a family member. Position | Main responsibility | Monthly salary (Birr) | Owner | Manage business: decide prices, prepare chips, procure suppliers, supervise all staffs | 1500 | Helper | Assist in all areas | 700 | Total Staff Cost | | 2200 | Raw Material costYour major raw material is cooking bananas. Availability and price you pay for bananas will be determined to some extent by the weather conditions. In times of drought, availability will be less and price will be high. We will buy regularly from a few farmers. Once the suppliers know that we will be buying regularly, they will adjust their production to meet our demand and they should be willing to offer us a special price. Based on the costing and pricing part of this document, our raw material cost will be 1. 80 birr per 100 gram package. Raw materials include the raw banana, oil, salt, packaging and label. Raw material cost for one month consumption: Item | Quantity | Estimated Cost (Birr) | Raw Banana | 50kg | 600 | Edible Oil | 30ltr | 850 | Salt | 5kg | 15 | Packaging polythene/plastic | 1package | 200 | Total Raw Material Cost | | 1665 | License or Registration CostThe size and nature of this business does not require company registration and will be set-up as small and micro enterprise. For the purpose of this guide, the annual licence fee is estimated at 200 Birr. Operating CostA banana chip producing business has certain operational costs. Some of these costs are: Paid once when we establish services such as water, electricity ; Some are paid on a monthly basis. When we start our business we will usually need some working capital (money) to establish services, pay certain yearly expenses and to meet some of our monthly operational costs until the business can generate enough income to meet these costs. In the case of a banana chip producing business this should only be for the first month. The size and nature of this business probably will not warrant renting a new place. Electricity is not needed, but water is essential to the operation. Hence the operating costs listed below are on the basis of incremental costs incurred to run the business. For the purposes of this guide, it has been assumed that the product will be sold through a market stall. Below is a table showing the start-up and monthly operating cost associated with a banana chip producing business. Operational Cost | Initial Working Capital (Birr) | Monthly (Birr) | Rent (market stall) | 1000 | 500 | Water charges | 10 | 10 | Electricity | 50 | 50 | Gas | 200 | 200 | Cleaning supplies | 50 | 25 | miscellaneous | 100 | 50 | Total Operating Cost | 1410 | 335 | Startup Costs Item | Total (Birr) | Equipment | 5560 | Staff | 2200 | License and Registration | 200 | Raw Materials (First month) | 1665 | Operating expenses | 1410 | Total Start-up cost | 11,035 | The cost to start a banana chip producing business is around Birr 10,000. Costing and PricingIngredients: Bunch of cooking banana Water Salt Cooking oil Plastic bag Label Costing Ingredients | Quantity | Cost (Birr) | Cooking Banana | 100gms | 1. 35 | Salt amp; Cooking oil | | 0. 15 | Plastic Bag | | 0. 15 | Label | | 0. 15 | Total Cost per 100gm bag | | 1. 80 | Selling PriceObviously our selling price cannot be below Birr 1. 80. To determine our selling price we will try and investigate prices for similar items available. If there is a similar item, then our price will be close to that price. As we will be selling our product through shops, hotels or clubs, so we would have to allow a reasonable margin for the reseller. Probably a reasonable price for the above product will be Birr 2. 50. We will review prices if our product is not selling. ProfitabilityMonthly profit and loss | Breakeven Sales | Sale per day | 175 bags | Sales per month (25 days) | 4335 bags | Cost of raw materials | 1. 80birr/bag*4335 bag=7803 birr | Gross Profit | 2. 50birr/bag*4335bag-7803birr=3035 | Operational expenses/month | | Rent(market stall) | 500 | Wages | 2200 | Electricity | 50 | Gas | 200 | Water | 10 | Cleaning Supplies | 25 | Miscellaneous | 50 | Total | 3035 | Operating profit per month before tax | 0 | If we assume 2. 0 birr per bag unit price then the breakeven sales for this business is 175 bags per day. This means that if you sell less than 175 bags per day, you will make a loss. If you sell more than 175 bags per day at unit price of 2. 50 birr, you will make a profit. Financing the BusinessThe size and nature of this business is such that savings must necessarily be used for financing the business. In addition to our saving we will take a loan from Oromia Micro Finance Enterprise. Source of Finance | Amount (Birr) | Saving | 300 0 | Loan | 9000 | Total | 12,000 |

Du Bois The Souls of Black Folk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Du Bois The Souls of Black Folk - Essay Example As the discussion stresses the Souls of Black Folk represents a collection of fourteen historical and sociological essays framed by the Forethought and Afterthought. In the Forethought and Of Our Spiritual Strivings Du Bois outlines the primary metaphorical concepts of his work, the â€Å"veil† and â€Å"double consciousness†, through which, according to the author, American blacks face the world. Hence, the â€Å"veil† represents â€Å"Negros’† innate feature, an indication of color line, historically conditioned lack of ability of white people to accept blacks as equals and at the inability of African-Americans to exceed the poor limits society establishes for them. The â€Å"double consciousness† is closely related to the concept of the â€Å"veil† and refers to the existence of two conflicting identities of African-Americans, that is to say the one of emancipated American citizen and the other of former slave continuing to experien ce inequality and restrictions.This paper discusses that  social tendencies of the post-emancipation epoch aggravated a lot African-Americans’ plight then. For example, in Of the Black Belt Du Bois cites his experience of travelling in so-called Jim Crow Car giving readers the insight of how poorly the discrimination on the ground of skin color legalized by Jim Crow Laws affected the blacks’ life conditions and their self-appraisal in particular.  Du Bois also outlines the prejudicialness of American society toward the Black people.

Strategic Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Strategic Human Resources - Essay Example The report will analyse the impact of strategically planned recruitment and selection processes on department’s performance and its contribution towards achieving organisational goals. This report elaborates the steps involved in recruitment and selection at NHS and its associations and highlights implications of these procedures on the organisation. It also identifies various functions involved in successful R&S process. administration unit responsible for provision of healthcare for all UK citizens and is funded by taxes. It works in collaboration with thousands of different trusts that are majorly categorized as the primary care trusts, acute trusts, hospital and foundation trusts, ambulance and care trusts, mental health trusts etc (Brooks, 2008). In order to ensure high-quality service and healthcare to its people, the NHS strives hard to appoint the best talent in the industry. The NHS employs a variety of workforce including nurses, general physicians, consultants, technical and scientific staff, administrative staff for finance and accounting activities, staff dealing with logistics and transportation, etc. Owing to its wide variety of workforce, talent acquisition is a core function at NHS, which is guided by a variety of complex and advanced systems have been put in place. Moreover, research indicates that the workforce at NHS is rapidly graying and shrinking, which necessitates integration of workforce planning at strategic level in order to ensure smooth running of the operations from thousands of locations within the country (Hurst, 2005). Hurst (2005) asserts that the huge demand for health to be catered to by the NHS services is being met by stringent staffing and personnel numbers at most of the primary care trusts. However, equally important are the right mix of workforce size and type achieved through appropriate recruitment and selection,

Global Climate Change in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Climate Change in Australia - Essay Example The author of the paper "Global Climate Change in Australia" considers that climate change has obvious and glaring effects on Australia today. They are supported by empirical evidence and scientific studies. The ecological, economic and social impacts of these effects are the most threatening and that they perhaps outweigh the rationale for the current policy’s indifference to the global climate change accord. The Australian government through its climate change policy may be only exercising its right to support the country’s economic competitiveness and thereafter the general welfare of its people. However, in the long-run, failing to address climate change would have a more devastating effect on the Australian economy in comparison with the sacrifices it has to make in joining the current climate change accords. The issue about climate change involves the prioritizing the eradication of the global practices that are harmful to the environment. This entails a great dea l of sacrifice from each country and requires cooperation and compromise. It is, for example, imperative for any country, such as Australia to help forge a global policymaking environment that promotes the ratification as well as the implementation of multilateral accords about climate change. No single nation could address the problem alone. Not only because today is the so-called age of interdependence. Rather, in global climate change every nation has each own culpability and so each must shoulder the burden in addressing the problem.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

International Business - Essay Example The three major economies of the world have enjoyed massive benefits just for the basic fact of their great economic prosperity. However, it has not gone unnoticed that there are other economies of the world which are rapidly positioning themselves as new economic superpowers. These countries are posing as a serious threat to the dominance of the three major economies known as the TRIAD. This paper will discuss how the TRIAD economies have evolved and dominated patterns of international business. It will also illuminate on the evolution of these TRIAD economies as well as how TRIAD economies have sustained their dominance in increasingly global markets. On the other hand, the paper will also look upon how emerging economies have evolved and are now challenging TRIAD dominance. The concentration will also be on the characterization of the current international business dynamics resulting from the rapid growth of global supply chains as well as looking into the factors which could impa ct future patterns of international business. The TRIAD economies The economies which compose of the TRIAD are the economies of USA, Japan and Germany (Srivastava et al 2012, p.321). These economies have been placed in this bracket for being the best performing economies in the world for a substantial period of time. The measurement of the performance of the world economies led to the isolation of these world economies into clusters of super powers and super performers such as the three countries in the TRIAD and others in the categories of average performers and low performing economies. The evolution of the TRIAD economies It would be imperative to note here that the three economies of the world, famously referred to as the TRIAD in the economic circles have evolved independently and in different phases. This is more so because of the adversity and diversity of the setup of the countries economical as well as political systems. USA was the first country to become a super power aft er the country displayed a massive economic growth and development. The USA started attaining economic dominance soon after the world war one after it decided not to take sides in the war and concentrate on building itself up as a nation. When other powers such as Germany were busy in war, USA was busy remodeling itself as a world superpower. By the time the country decided to get into the world war after world war two and take side on the allies, the nation boasted of a strong economic base backed by a strong growth domestic product (GDP) of the nation. Japan could have easily topped over the USA as a super power but its involvement in the war which prompted a counter attack by the USA curtailed this development (Waheeduzzaman 2011, p. 111). Germany underwent a massive economic recession in the year 1939 during the great depression forcing it to devalue its currency. This somehow retarded its economy. Later on however, with the assistance of the USA and other nations, Germany regai ned its economic strength and even went further to overtake most nations so that it could claim its place among the three greatest economies of the world (Akroush, 2012, p. 345). The same case goes for Japan. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the economy of Japan was disoriented (Sardy et al 2010, p. 12). The USA assisted the nation in the process of rebuilding itself. With a robust, huge and hardworking population of this nation, the economy of the

The Political Influence of Focus on the Family Essay

The Political Influence of Focus on the Family - Essay Example He first gained national recognition as the author of the book Dare to Discipline, in which he advocates using spanking as a form of disciplining children. His recognition as a family advocate and as a Christian leader led to what is now a huge organization dedicated to preserving traditional family values. In addition to the organization's radio broadcasts, it has a series of Bible-based magazines and publications geared toward various groups of people, such as teens, seniors, and singles, and also a political action magazine called Citizen, in which it encourages political involvement on various social issues. It also has an affiliate organization called Focus on the Family Action, which is focused on conservative political activism. Dobson writes, on Focus on the Family Action's website, that the affiliate organization provides "a platform for informing, inspiring and rallying those who care deeply about the family to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our nation." (Dobson, "About Us") As a special interest group, Focus on the Family's political focus is to support family values-related issues that are endorsed by the Republican Party. Dobson and Focus on the Family have a lot of pull when it comes to having their voices heard in Washington. He has been known to be very vocal on a wide range of things, including judiciary appointments, prayer in schools, and abstinence education. Dobson himself has been invited to the White House during both the Reagan and current Bush administrations to consult with staff on family-related issues. ("Focus on the Family") Focus on the Family speaks out on many political issues, though there are two "hot-button" topics on which the organization maintains strong opinions and that are at the forefront of the conservative movement politics today. Likely the most controversial issue to which Focus on the Family devotes much of its attention is same-sex marriage and gay rights. As defenders of family values, the organization's stance is that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. On the organization's Web site it is stated that marriage "deserves respect and protection. Any efforts to redefine marriage destroy the institution - and ultimately - civil and healthy society. Thus we oppose any government recognition or endorsement of marriage counterfeits, including same-sex unions." ("Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions") Dobson and the organization also hold very strong opinions on the issue of abortion. They believe that the fetus is a human being from conception, and to abort that fetus is murder. Their pro-life stand is about protecting the rights of the unborn child. Francis J. Beckwith writes in an article on the organization's Web site that Focus on the Family believes "the unborn has a right to life that ought to be enshrined in our laws." (Beckwith) There are two main political tactics Focus on the Family has used to use its pull within the conservative movement. One of these is the use of scare tactics to encourage its millions of radio listeners, publishing customers, and other supporters to vote for and speak out in favor of Republican candidates and conservative stances. In his article "James Dobson: The Religious Right's New Kingmaker", Michael Crowley writes that "no one helped Bush win" the 2004 Presidential election "more than James Dobson." Crowley asserts that Bush may have won the swing

Single Soldiers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Single Soldiers - Essay Example The truth is that single soldiers make up more than a third of the United States’ army (BOSS site). These soldiers are fighting machines, dedicated to god and country. Nevertheless it helps them to have support at home and not to be all alone. The Army has recognized this, creating Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS). According to its website: BOSS provides an avenue for single Soldiers to surface issues and to take part in activities but does not set policy and other guidance on issues. BOSS is intended to enhance command authority, prerogative, and responsibility in maintaining standards of conduct, good order, and discipline, not to dilute. This is an excellent first step in recognizing the problems faced by single soldiers. Drawing such people together into a cohesive unit in order to address their quality of life issues and their morale is a key development in the history of the evolution of the army. These individuals, often young, need sustenance. The Army can provide this too. There are other unique challenges faced by the single soldiers. The benefit structure the army provides is geared towards soldiers with families. This is true of other armies around the world. An excellent example was recently reported in Canada. Canada may have a much smaller standing army than the United States, but there too the problem of single soldiers has surfaced in a public and contentious manner. The families of four unmarried soldiers that were killed in Afghanistan stepped forward recently to file human-rights complaints in that country. They say that the government discriminated in favour of married troops by paying a $250,000 death benefit. According to the Canadian Press: A federal human-rights tribunal rejected the complaint of Lincoln and Laurie Dinning because Veterans Affairs abruptly decided to recognize their sons girlfriend as his common-law spouse,

City of Mount Rainier Essay Example for Free

City of Mount Rainier Essay Neither does the department of Economic Development for the City of Mount Rainier handle nor is it involved with any matrix of the pricing strategy. As the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2006 stated on production, packaging and pricing, production cycle involves a flow from the dealers, employees and customers automatically between the functional areas and internationally. Reduced ‘product to market’ cycle meant to ensure full and on time delivery to customers keeps a business on track by reducing errors, inefficiencies and high running costs. However, the City does offer a mix of products solely based on promoting development of blighted or under used parcels. Thus, it is critical that any incentive or business assistance be directed to accomplish the marketing objectives of the City of Mount Rainier. For example, the city will offer or sponsor Tax Increment Financing, State grants or Infrastructure Grants to developers to increase interest and make the area more attractive. This is very necessary for the City to be able to compete with other local municipalities and the District of Columbia, making it imperative for the City to use incentives for redevelopment of the downtown business district. Especially considering that the addition of businesses will create higher paying jobs, large capital investment, tourism and greater benefits to the local community. With this in mind, its primary objective is to add to the diversity of the current business population, increase essential tax base in the area, and pursue the highest quality of jobs and investment by providing an overall balanced approach to economic development for the City. Organizations channel design. A good organizations’ channel design enables exchange of information and ideas with external or outsourced personnel such as financial assistants, engineers, designers, and other partners. It is a system that provides solutions including help to speed up development processes and enhance further future improvements in efficiency With this the City of Mount Rainier can be able to streamline the entire value chain, including all key suppliers, subcontractors, and service providers. The system platform raises transparency of production processes, permitting them to identify potential problems at an early stage, and to take immediate action. According to Kotler and Keller (2008), â€Å" a marketing channel performs the work of moving products from producers to consumers, overcoming the time, place, and possession gaps that separate goods and services from those that want them† (p. 232). The Department of Economic Development for the City of Mount Rainier employs a two –level channel of marketing with at least two intermediaries. The City’s intermediately roles are that of an agent and facilitator. Attracting entrepreneurs and private investment opportunities is the primary goal of economic development in the City of Mount Rainier. As for the Department of Economic Development, the greatest aspiration is to turn around Mount Rainier, making the City one of the best places in the world in which to start a profession or grow a business. The department is working to reposition Mount Rainier as the next great American city for business investment and economic opportunity. This entails employing a balanced attack with corresponding efforts to improve business development, while pursuing transformative public policy changes planned to enhance the magnetism of Mount Rainier as a place in which to invest. On the other hand, an integrated logistics system consists of materials management, material flow systems, and although the City of Mount Rainier does not use such a system as a tool for economic development, A fully integrated accurate unit tracking system is a critical component of modern customer relations and service that is in use, and it is also important for inventory and cost control. Just like integrated logistics system, it monitors all the key movements of goods and services in any transaction. Tracking of the way financial agreements are facilitated for business assistance is important because the gathered data is useful for financial analysis. In support of business analysis, the system ought to have a tool that provides the reporting intelligently. (OECD, 2006) Business information across all assistants can be automatically converted into business intelligence reports benchmarking the performance of the business transactions. At the same time analysis on dealerships can show the best business practices for individual or the group of partners. Marketing and communication strategy Considering that City of Mount Rainier is recognizing a need for business retention and attraction efforts, they have partnered with other public and private businesses stakeholders to create an Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to promote the City and its business advantages and opportunities to local, regional, national and international markets. The purpose of the EDC is to enhance the economic vitality of the City and its residents through creating marketing initiatives, business retention programs, business attraction efforts and dissemination of information. Created as a public-private partnership, the EDC can generate business leads and opportunities that the City could otherwise not do, furthering development. In addition, this partnership serves as the first line of contact with the public, business prospects and developers who are seeking information about doing business in the City. Furthermore, the EDC facilitates development, cultivates business opportunities and creates partnerships that will result in increased economic development in the City of Mount Rainier. The question remains, which supreme marketing and communication strategy would boost this collaboration for better growth? For any company to prosper in any of its transactions, a strong and optimal management system ought to be put in place. In line with Poirier and Reiter, (1996), success in a company is enhanced by rapid and reliable exchange of data within its group members and with its business partners. This is vital to the further development products and deliverance of quality services. Technically one important communication strategy would calls for a highly effective communications infrastructure that allows effective coordination and management of highly complex, highly flexible development, design and production processes. In line with Poirier and Reiter, on Advanced Planning and Optimization in (1996), the main aims of marketing managers should be to process aftermarket into one system, plan for wide coverage and include all parties involved in the planning process. P. 160) In other words, high-speed data communications have to be one of the engines driving the growth of any organization or company offering services or dealing with businesses stakeholders. Any marketing strategy should take establishment and enhancement of a quality communications infrastructure in it key aims. This is a reliable system that ought to augment cooperation among virtual elements regardless of their position at the time of requirement. It permits all around the globe contribution to projects without duplication or underutilization of human effort or technical resources. Consideration for one of the various information systems and networks is a standard solution that can be tailored to particular needs. A system that supports all the data and allows for data interchange with outside suppliers and other partners naturally always gives a good return on investment. This is not a matter of just laying down the network system within the company. Efficiency, Security, reliability and scalability of the system are some of the vital parts to be fulfilled by a system so as to support diverse access methods and service levels. As Poirier and Reiter emphasizes, a good system is one that can be geared to the needs of each individual supplier and business partner. (P. 160). Needless to say, this new ways of revitalizing the City’s commercial corridors by encouraging continued and private investment, would highly revitalize strategies allowing the city to target its assistance and support in ways that are sustainable at the local level.

Elucidating the p53 Signalling Network by Reverse Genetics

Elucidating the p53 Signalling Network by Reverse Genetics Reiyyan Tariq Nizami Aim In my research project I am working with four different strains Caenorhabditis elegans. I have been performing a double mutant screen using an RNAi knockout library. Cep-1 is a protein that causes apoptosis due to DNA damage in the worm. The cep-1 protein is an ortholog of the human tumor suppressor protein p53, which is found mutated in many cancerous cells. The aim of my experiment is to find genes that are regulators of cep-1 which cause lethality if mutated with cep-1. Alternatively mutants which are lethal as single mutants but survive as double mutants in combination with a cep-1 mutant are also potential genes of interest. These mutants have the potential to be regulated by drugs/proteins to change the levels of cep-1 and induce/prevent apoptosis in cells. Background Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in our body. Under normal conditions a cell has regulatory proteins and check points that make sure that a cell is growing at the right pace and if for any reason the cell starts to grow irregularly then these proteins stop the cell growth and cause apoptosis. Apoptosis is the programmed death of a cell, as you can imagine it is tightly regulated and loss of regulation can result in catastrophe for the cell and the organism. When apoptosis is over active, healthy cells will die and this is often seen in diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic diseases and many other tissue damage diseases. Loss of apoptosis in turn results in cancers, autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases. P53 is a tumor suppressor protein that was discovered in 1979. Since then a lot of research has been done into p53 and its functions. P53 is a tumor suppressor protein that is involved in defense of the cell. It is activated when a cell undergoes many various kinds of stress, such as DNA damage, hypoxia, metabolic stress and oncogene activation. It is one of the most important barriers to cancer in many mammals. P53 works in many various pathways, primarily p53 is involved in binding to transcription factors that then activate pathways involved in cellular defense, such as preventing angiogenesis and cellular growth. Malfunctioning p53 is one of the greatest hallmarks of cancer. The majority of mutations found in p53 are due to single nucleotide substitutions in the amino acids of the DNA binding domain of the protein. Similar cancerous phenotypes are observed when either p53 loses function due to a loss of function mutation or when negative regulators of p53 are overactive or positive regulators of p53 lose their function. However p53 is quite unique amongst tumor suppressor proteins because different missense mutations in the protein can cause different levels of p53 activity and hence have varying effects on the host. The effect of the mutation is further modified depending on the genetic background of the person with the mutation. Due to the different effects of various amino acid substitutions and the varying genetic background of patients it is quite difficult to study large populations. This is because high-throughput sequencing and genome wide single nucleotide polymorphism maps are expensive to obtain. The prices are going down as new technologies are becoming available however until now there have been no larger scale studies relating different mutations to varying levels of risks for different types of cancers. It is also hard to perform molecular studies on entire humans and so research is done on cell lines, mice and on cep-1 the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of p53. Caenorhabditis elegans is a worm in the nematodes phylum. They are a very well-studied organism due to their ease of study. C. Elegans are one of the simplest organisms that have a nervous system and that make them a very good model organism for neuronal studies. They are transparent creatures and so many molecular and cellular processes especially those involved in development have been thoroughly researched. They have a short generation time and are very cheap to maintain. They are an extremely good model organism for performing screens because any of their nonessential genes can be knocked out easily by using RNAi. The cep-1/p53 pathway is highly conserved throughout evolution as it is an extremely important pathway that is essential for cellular survival over time. The cep-1 protein works through the following pathway to cause apoptosis in cells suffering DNA damage. Cep-1 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Egl-1/Ced-13 –| Ced-9 –| Ced-4 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Ced-3 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Apoptosis A similar pathway is observed in humans p53 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   BH3 –| Bcl2 –| Apaf1 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Caspase à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Apoptosis A majority of these proteins are orthologs to one another. It was hoped that through my screen further proteins which interact with Cep-1 would be found and then their orthologs in humans could be found and then researched and targeted to regulate p53. Materials and Methods The experiment in itself was an extremely simple but time consuming experiment. Screens were performed with mutant worm strains which were then fed RNAi, through Escherichia coli (E. coli), to silence the gene of interest and create double mutants. To begin with a liquid screen is preferred over a solid screen. This is because with a liquid screen you can screen a larger sample of double mutants more easily than a solid screen. Liquid Screen The following strains of bacteria and worms were utilized, E. Coli – OP50, C. Elegans – N2, C. Elegans – GK138, C. Elegans – LG12501. E. Coli – OP50: Food source for C. Elegans C. Elegans – N2: Wild type worms C. Elegans – GK138: Cep-1 Mutant worms C. Elegans – LG12501: Cep-1 Mutant worms RNAi Knockout library for C. Elegans Chromosome 1 Day 1: Grow worms on Nematode Growth Medium (NGM) plates with OP50 as a food source for the worms. Day 3: Bleach worms that were plated on day 1 so as to only have eggs remaining on plates. Bend glass rod into L shape using a high temperature flame (Bunsen burner) Pipette bleach onto plates with worms on them and gently scrape the surface to mix worms and eggs with bleach Pipette fluid into Eppendorf tube and centrifuge at max speed for 3 minutes Aspirate most of the fluid and keep as much of the pellet as possible Suspend pellet with bleach Repeat steps 3 and 4 Suspend pellet using M9 solution Centrifuge at high speed for 1 minute Aspirate most of the fluid and keep as much of the pellet as possible Repeat 7 and 8 Suspend pellet using M9 solution and vortex Eppendorf tube at low speed to mix solution Place Eppendorf tubes in slow rocker in a 20 ° fridge overnight to allow eggs to hatch Day 4: Replicate bacteria containing RNAi from knockout library using a sterile 96 pin replication tool into a 96 well containing Liquid Broth (LB) with Ampicillin and allow the bacteria to replicate overnight at 37 °C in an incubator Induce transcription of RNAi using adding 0.1 Molar IPTG into wells and place in a shaker for 1 hour. Pellet bacteria by centrifuging in a cold centrifuge at 5 °C for 5 minutes at 2,500 g Remove the supernatant by flipping over the well quickly but carefully so as to keep pelleted bacteria in the wells Suspend bacterial pellet in wells using NGM Pipette worms into wells and place in 37 °C shaker Day 8: Remove worms from shaker gently making sure not to tilt the 96 well plates Observe and record phenotype of the worms Compare phenotype between the 3 different strains of worms Leave worms in 20 °C fridge overnight Day 9: Remove worms from fridge gently making sure not to tilt the 96 well plates Observe and record phenotype of the worms Compare phenotype from previous day Compare phenotype between the 3 different strains of worms Sequencing After potential hits were found in the liquid screen the RNAi from these bacteria were sequenced to ensure that the sequence of the RNAi was correct and hadn’t randomly mutated over time. RNAi was prepared by using a Qiagen miniprep spin kit. Suspend bacteria in 250  µl Buffer P1 and place in a microcentrifuge tube Mix 250  µl Buffer P2 and shake the mixture by flipping tube over a few times To the mixture add 350  µl N3 buffer, mix well quickly Centrifuge at 13000 rpm for ten minutes Aspirate supernatant into new tube Centrifuge again for a roughly 1 minute and discard the flow through Wash spin column with 0.5 ml PB buffer and centrifuge for 1 minute, discard flow through Wash spin column with 0.75 ml PE buffer and centrifuge for 1 minute Discard flow through and centrifuge at maximum speed for 1 minute Place prep column in a sterilized 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tube Add 50 ÃŽ ¼l of water to prep spin column and allow to rest for 1 minute after which centrifuge for 1 minute After the Qiagen miniprep is complete the tubes were sent for sequencing to The Centre for Applied Genomics where it was sequenced and results were obtained within a week. Solid Screen Solid screens were performed on genes which were found to have increased lethality with cep-1 deletion or increased survivability with cep-1 deletion. The following strains of bacteria and worms were utilized, E. coli – OP50, C. Elegans – N2, C. Elegans – TG12 E. Coli – OP50: Food source for C. Elegans C. Elegans – N2: Wild type worms C. Elegans – TG12: Cep-1 Fluorescent tagged (GFP) worms C. Elegans – Ned-8: Positive control C. Elegans – HT115: Negative control RNAi Knockout library for C. Elegans Chromosome 1 Day 1) Streak RNAi bacteria of interest from RNAi Library to obtain single colonies. Allow them to grow overnight in 37 °C incubator Day 2) Pick and grow a single colony in 5 ml of LB + Amp + Tet overnight in a 37 °C shaker Day 3) Add 0.1M IPTG for 4 hours to induce RNAi Plate 100  µl of induced bacteria on RNAi plates incubate at 37 °C incubator overnight Day 4) Pick 5 worms at the same stage and plate onto RNAi plates Allow to grow over 4 days at 20 °C Day 8) Score phenotypes and compared between different strains Day 9) Score phenotypes again on next day and compare between different strains and the previous day Fluorescent Microscopy We used a Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy to observe localization of cep-1 in TG12 worms. Worms were mounted using the following method Place a drop or two of hot liquid agarose onto microscope slide Immediately place a second slide perpendicularly on top of the agarose Allow agarose to settle for one to three minutes Gently slide off second slide so as to leave an agarose patch behind Add a drop of 1mM Levamisole to paralyze worms and prevent their movement Pick worms and place them on the slide Slowly place coverslip on top of worms, be very gentle Once prepared the slides were observed using a DIC microscope to find any irregularities in the localization or amount of cep-1 in the worms, especially in the germline and the eggs. Results The aim of this experiment was to find genes that cause lethality as double mutants with cep-1 mutants but not in wild type worms, these genes would be positive regulators of cep-1 and cause apoptosis through cep-1. The screen was also designed to find worms that cause lethality in wild type worms but not in cep-1 mutants, these would be negative regulators of cep-1 and cause apoptosis through cep-1. The results were gathered and tabulated to allow for an easier and better analysis of data. Note: There is a lot of data and so only data that is relevant is shown. Liquid Screen Results Legend L = Synthetic LethalE = Embryonic LethalG = Slow GrowthB = Egg laying abnormal R = No RNAi C = Contamination A = Larval Arrest S = Sterile V = Variable Morphology P = Lethal progeny W = No Worms Cells of interest are highlighted Chromosome 1 – Plate 1 N2 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 A R G G/L L C A/C A/C E R E/S G R R I S/L S R R R R K R R R R M R R R R S O R R S/E R cep-1 (gk) 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 A R L C/L C/L G/E C G/S G/L C/L E R E/S G R R I E/S E/S R R R R K R R R R M R G/E R R R /G/S O R R S R cep-1 (lg) 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 A R C/L L L E/P C G/L G L E R E/S G R R I S/B S/B R R R R K R R R R M R E/G R R R S O R R S/E R Chromosome 1 – Plate 5 N2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 A C E G E I E K R M R R R O G R cep-1 (gk) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 A C E G I E K R M R R R O R cep-1 (lg) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 A C E G I E K R M R R R O R Key results of interest in liquid screen Lethality in gk and lg but not in N2 Well Gene N2 gk lg A23 F53G12.5 G/E E/P M03 Y95B8A_85.h G/E E/G Lethality in N2 but not in gk or lg Well Gene N2 gk lg G04 F25H2.10 E Solid Screen Results 3 hits of interest were obtained from all the plates that were screened. These 3 hits were then repeated multiple times on solid media to make sure the results were accurate. N2 lg gk A23 -1 A23 -2 A23 -3 N2 lg gk M03 -1 E M03 -2 E M03 -3 N2 lg gk G04 -1 L A G04 -2 E G04 -3 The M03 strain showed opposite results in the solid screen in comparison to the liquid screen. However since the results were consistent we decided to study both M03 and G04 under the microscope with fluorescent markers. Fluorescent microscopy results No major mislocalization of GFP tagged cep-1 was found and no extra or lack of GFP tagged cep-1 was observe

The Cosmos: Creation :: essays research papers

The Cosmos: Creation Where is the universe from? Where is it going? How is it put together? How did it get to be this way. These are Big questions. Very easy to ask but almost impossible to answer. We want answers for philosophical reason having nothing to do with science. No one will get rich from discovering the structure of the universe unless they right a book about it. The area of science dealing with Big questions is called cosmology. The reason for it's study is found in the fact that: The universe was born at a specific time in the past and has expanded ever since. The Expansion of the Universe Edwin Hubble established the existence of other galaxies. He noted that the light from these galaxies was shifted toward the red. That is it's wavelength was longer than that of the light emitted from the corresponding atoms in the lab. Furthermore he found that the farther away the galaxy was the more it was shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. Hubble attributed this shift to the doppler effect. Hubble saw this and concluded that all galaxies are rushing away from us and the universe is expanding as a whole. Modern equipment has observed and verified this so-called Hubble expansion exists throughout the observable universe. This shows three important things. First there is no significance to the fact that earth seems to be the center of the universal expansion. In any galaxy it would look as if you were standing still and all others were rushing away from you. Second the movement of the universe is not like an explosion. Galaxies are not moved through the universe but expand with the universe. Third the galaxies themselves do not expand only the space between them. Finally if you ask where the expansion started the only answer is everywhere. In the words of the fifteenth-century philosopher Nicholas of Cusa, "the universe has its center everywhere and its edge nowhere." This theory has one fact that is inescapable. The universe was not always there but did have an beginning. This has come to be known as the Big-Bang theory. Universal Freezing When the universe was younger it was smaller. When matter and energy are compacted the temperature inevitably rises. Thus when the universe was younger it was hotter. We can see six crucial events called "freezing's" where the fabric of the universe changed in a fundamental way. The most recent occurred when the universe was about 500,000 years old, about 14,999,500,000 years ago. After 500,000 years permanent atoms started to form. Before 500,000 years matter existed as loose electrons and nuclei in a

Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, K.Wojtyla on Person and Ego Essay example

Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, K.Wojtyla on Person and Ego ABSTRACT: Today the connection between "person" and the "I" is acknowledged in many respects but not always analyzed. The need to relate it to the reality of the human being has sparked the present investigation of the philosophical anthropology of four thinkers from the late ancient, medieval, and contemporary periods. Although it may seem that the question of the role of the "I" with respect to the human being hinges on the larger problem of objectivity v. subjectivity, this does not seem to be the case. Many topics, however, are necessarily entailed in this investigation such as individuality and universality, soul and body, consciousness and action, substance and history, the self and the other, the metaphysical and the phenomenological, and experience and the ethical. At the end of this study we arrive at more than a grammatical use of the "I." From reflection on the contributions of Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, and Wojtyla, the ontological role of the "I" is identified. In doi ng so, one realizes that the ontological does not forsake the concrete, but penetrates it more deeply. Indeed, that was what Plotinian philosophy claimed to be doing: recognizing the richness of human reality. A common interpretation of Plato's theory of human reality is to identify it with "soul." It has been for some a problem as to whether or not Plotinus adhered to his master's position on this point. H. J. Blumenthal initiated much discussion when he asked: "Did Plotinus believe in Ideas of Individuals?" (1) Supported by apparently contradictory texts Blumenthal concluded that Plotinus did believe at times in such ideas, and at other times did not. One way that commentators take in s... ..., De Genesi ad litteram VII.27.38. (10) Augustine, De anima et ejus origine IV.2.3. (11) Augustine, De Trinitate XII.4.4; VII.6.11. (12) Augustine, De Trinitate XV.5.7; Epistula 137.3.11; De civitate Dei V.11. (13) Augustine, De civitate Dei XXI.7. (14) Thomas Aquinas, St. Summa Theologiae I,29,3,c. (15) Thomas Aquinas, St. op.cit. I.29, ad 2. (16) F.D. Wilhelmensen, "The "I" and Aquinas" Proceedings ACPA, v. 51, 1977, p. 51 (17) Thomas Aquinas, St. Summa contra Gentiles I.65. (18) Augustine, De Trinitate X.11; Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I.87,3,c. (19) Wilhelmsen, op. cit. p. 55. (20) K. Wojtyla, "The Personal Structure of Self-Determination," Tommaso D'Aquino nel suo VII Centenano, Roma, l974, 379-390. (21) K. Wais, Metafizyka, 1924. (22) M.T. Clark, "An Inquiry into Personhood," Review of Metaphysics, 46, 1, 1992,3-28.

AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, better known as AIDS, is caused by the incurable HIV virus. AIDS is a deadly disease that deteriorates the immune system. There are two groups of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HIV-1 that occurs throughout the world and HIV-2 that mainly occurs in Africa. The HIV virus enters the white blood cells and takes over the reproductive system of that cell and uses the system to reproduce itself. The white blood cell dies and the new HIV cells infect other white blood cells and repeat the process. If you have become infected with the AIDS disease you may not have any symptoms of the for the next ten years. The AIDS disease makes the less serious conditions harder for your body to control or get rid of because of the loss of many of the white blood cells in your body. The most common causes of death for the people with AIDS are pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma, which afflict 70% of the infected people. AIDS is transmitted in three ways. Intimate s exual contact is the most common. While direct contact with infected blood and transactions to babies from the infected mother's fetus will also cause the disease. Although some speculation, you cannot receive the disease from air, food, water, or insects. AIDS is a life and death issue. To have the AIDS disease is a sentence of slow but inevitable death. There currently is no cure or vaccine for this disease. There are drugs that have been proven effective in slowing the spread of this deadly disease. We know enough about how the infection is transmitted to protect ourselves from it. But too few people are hearing the AIDS message. Perhaps many simply don't like or want to believe what they hear, preferring to think that AIDS "can't happen to them.

My Philosophy of Professional Nursing

As I embark on starting a new career, nursing offers me a demanding profession that involves my strength in interpersonal relations coupled with the desire to participate in a challenging career field. The nurse-patient relationship is the most important factor in starting an effective assessment of a the patient. Establishing this relationship is important to gain the trust of the patient as well as a rapid diagnosis in what will become a fiscally-challenged environment of health care.PersonIn the current environment of Health Management Organizations (HMO’s), a patient often feels that their individuals needs are not met because every visit to the HMO results in seeing a new nurse and doctor. The patient history is lost, and the individual feels detached from the â€Å"organization† of HMO’s. As a result, the patient can feel that their needs are not being met. I believe that interpersonal relations between nurse, patient, and the patient’s family is a c ritical event of the treatment process.My role as a professional nurse is being more than just a mediator for a doctor. I believe that a â€Å"nurse can serve as a resource person, counselor, and surrogate†, and â€Å"as a nurse-patient relationship develops, the nurse and patient mutually define the problems and potential solutions† (Potter, Perry, 2013). Health Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs is a philosophical model that puts health as the most basic and fundamental of needs (Potter, et. al. , 2013). In order to reach a self-actualized state of a happiness and security, the basic physiological needs of an individual must be met.A person’s psyche can be directly tied to their current health, and great amounts of distraction can be cause by â€Å"nagging† conditions that do not get resolved. While the medical advancements continue to refine and discover cures, the human factors that lead to disease and illness is still very complicated. The days of ou r youth are, for the typical person, spent in relative health, with the body in great shape to adapt and overcome many obstacles. As we age, our bodies lose some of its resiliency. Environment The environment a patient lives in can play a critical role in a patient’s health.Work factors and home living conditions provide for the majority the time that a person spends. In addition, a third of a person’s life is spent sleeping, and this can also play a pivotal role in both health and mental well-being, or alternatively, provide for a root cause of poor health. While many work and home conditions may not be a factor in some situations, the nature of an illness or personal condition can, unbeknownst to the patient, be a direct result of those conditions. Left unexplored, the patient would be left with a developing condition of unknown cause, constantly exposing themselves to the same initiating conditions.Gastams (1998) supports these factors in claiming that â€Å"it bec omes apparent that observing a person’s state of health and his or her responses to sickness and health forms an important an very specific part of the task of nursing. Nursing Given the facets of health, environment, and person, the average patient will provide an entirely unique set of initial conditions by which a nurse and doctor will seek to resolve and eventually heal the patient. My philosophy of nursing is one in which â€Å"the well-trained health care worker who co-operates with the doctors and other health care experts [is] promoting the patient’s well-being.† (Gastams, 1998)Specifically, as a nurse with high standards and a continual desire to learn, I want to be a proactive and competent provider for a patient. To do that, I believe in bringing my interpersonal skills to assist the patient and provide a conducive environment for healing and caring. â€Å"It is critical that nurses have the ability to skillfully interact with patients in any setting . This fosters trust, mutual goal-setting, therapeutic interventions, and improved learning experiences for the patient and the nurse.More often than not, nurses use a combination of nursing theories and conceptual frameworks in daily nursing practice. † (Senn, 2013) By being professional and always seeking more knowledge, I can become a resource and advocate to my patient. As McNaughton (2005) points out, â€Å"when clients used nurses as resources, they primarily used them as sources of information, as confidantes, or as partners in problem solving. † In summary, while no one theory defines my personal philosophy, I predominantly believe in the Peplau philosophy of interpersonal relations as the fundamental nursing philosophy by which I will interact with my patient.

Marketing MIx Essay

Syllabus School of Business MKT/421 Version 12 Marketing Copyright  © 2011, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course involves an integrated analysis of the role of marketing within the total organization. Specific attention is given to the analysis of factors affecting consumer behavior, the identification of marketing variables, the development and use of marketing strategies, and the discussion of international marketing issues. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2011). Marketing: An introduction (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S. W., & Rudelius, W. (2011). Marketing (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Perreault, W. D., Jr., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2011). Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Marketing Fundamentals Details Due Points Objectives 1.1 Define marketing. 1.2 Explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. 1.3 Describe the elements of the marketing mix. 1.4 Explain the importance of the marketing mix in the development of marketing strategy and tactics. 1.5 Create a marketing plan. 1.6 Identify quantifiable elements that can be used to evaluate, monitor, and control marketing effectiveness. ASSIGNMENT 09/09/13 Due Date Points Reading Read Ch. 1 & 2 of Basic Marketing. 09/09/13 Reading Read Ch. 1 & 2 of Marketing Management. 09/09/13 Reading Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 09/09/13 Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/09/13 20 Learning Team Instructions Learning Team Charter Begin Learning Team process. Create the Learning Team Charter and Log will be due next week. First Due Date: 9/19/13. Learning Team Instructions Marketing Plan (Preparation) Your Learning Team must create a new product or service for an existing organization and complete assignments related to creating a Marketing Plan. These assignments culminate in the Marketing Plan: Final Paper and Presentation, due in Week Five. The Marketing Plan deliverables are: Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper: Marketing Plan: Phase II Paper Marketing Plan: Phase III Paper Marketing Plan: Final Paper and Presentation Begin working on the Marketing Plan. A Marketing Plan Outline is available in Course Materials, and will be posted in OLS. Individual Defining Marketing Paper Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you define marketing. Include your personal definition of marketing and definitions from two different sources. Explain the importance of marketing in organizational success, based on these definitions. Provide at least three examples from the business world to support your explanation. Properly cite sources used in the paper. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 09/09/13 100 Week Two: Marketing Research Details Due Points Objectives 2 2.1 Justify the importance of marketing research in the development of marketing strategy and tactics. 2.2 Analyze the importance of competitive intelligence and analysis in marketing. 2.3 Identify various segmentation criteria that impact target market selection. 2.4 Describe the various types of organizational buyers and consumers and the factors that influence their purchasing decisions. 09/16/13 Reading Read Ch. 8 of Marketing. Read Ch. 4, 5, & 6 of Marketing: An Introduction. 09/16/13 Reading Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 09/16/13 Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/16/13 20 Individual Marketing Mix Paper Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you describe the elements of the marketing mix: product, place, price, and promotion. Include the following: Select an organization with which you are familiar and describe how each one of the four elements of the marketing mix affects the development of the organization’s marketing strategy and tactics. Describe how each element is implemented. Suggested use of â€Å"headings† for each of the 4-P’s (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). Identify your selected organization and the industry in which it exists. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Suggested Research: One Source listed from our text(s), and a minimum of two additional credible sources. 09/16/13 120 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase I Create a new product or service for an existing organization. This product or service will be the basis for your Marketing Plan Paper. Obtain your instructor’s approval of your product or service before beginning this project. PHASE 1: Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper that includes the following: An overview of the existing organization A description of the new product or service An explanation of the importance of marketing to your selected organization’s success A SWOTT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and trends) analysis on the new product or service The marketing research approach you would use to develop the marketing strategy and tactics for this new product or service Refer to the Marketing Plan Outline located on the student website for the general framework of the Marketing Plan. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Suggested research: Use our Text(s) and a minimum of 2 additional credible sources. Suggested use of â€Å"Headings† for each bullet point in the assignment. 09/19/13 50 Learning Team Charter LEARNING TEAM CHARTER: Post in Assignment Link of Team Leader 09/19/13 5 Learning Team Log LEARNING TEAM LOG: Post in Assignment Link of Team Leader 09/19/13 5 Week Three: Marketing Strategy: Product and Price Details Due Points Objectives 3 3.1 Describe the relationship between differentiation and position of products or services. 3.2 Analyze the impact of the product life cycle on marketing. 3.3 Identify the appropriate price strategy that should be used in the development of the strategic marketing plan. 09/23/13 Reading Read Ch. 4, 9, 10, 17, & 18 of Basic Marketing. 09/23/13 Reading Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 09/23/13 Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/23/13 20 Individual Marketing Research Paper CHOOSE ONE OPTION ONLY: (APA Individual Paper) OPTION 1: Visit one of your favorite Grocery Stores, Non-Foods, Warehouse Clubs, or Mass Merchandisers. Examine one department: (i.e. Cereals). Describe the store you have visited. What are the major brands in the department you have chosen? How many individual items are in the department? Are there any new items? What is the price range from lowest to highest? Are any of the items currently being promoted? How? Ask the store manager 1 or 2 Marketing questions on any topic / issue, and incorporate this information into your paper. Suggestions for the Manager’s question: 1. Has your store’s foot traffic been increasing or decreasing? 2. If decreasing, what types of promotions have you been doing to get more shoppers back into the store? 3. Who are your strongest competitors? 4. How well does your Private Label / Store Brand product line sell versus National Brands? Considering the entire store: 1. Discuss how you feel they differentiate themselves from their competitors. 2. How do you feel they have positioned themselves in the â€Å"mind† of their target customer? (i.e. â€Å"The Low Price Leader†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) 3. What price strategy are they utilizing in your opinion? 4. What recommendations do you have for the store to improve their business in the department you have studied? (i.e. – are their prices right? Does the appearance/flow of the department make it easy for the consumer to shop? Etc†¦) Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Suggested length: 1,050 – 1,400 words. ——————————————————————————————– OPTION 2: Resource: Kudler Fine Foods Virtual Organization Use the Virtual Organization link on the student website to access additional company information on Kudler Fine Foods. Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you justify the importance of marketing research in developing Kudler Fine Foods’ marketing strategy and tactics. Include the following: Identify the areas where additional market research is needed. Analyze the importance of competitive intelligence and analysis regarding the development of Kudler Fine Foods’ marketing strategy and tactics. With either Option: Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 09/23/13 150 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase II Use the product or service you selected for your Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper. PHASE II: Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you address the following: Identify the segmentation criteria that will affect your target market selection. Identify your target market. Describe the organizational buyers and consumers of your product or service and the factors that influence their purchasing decisions. Discuss how these factors will affect your marketing strategy. Analyze current competitors and define the competitive landscape for your product or service. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. (Suggested use of sources and research: One source from our text(s) and a minimum of two additional credible sources). 09/26/13 50 Learning Team Log LEARNING TEAM LOG: Post in Assignments Link of Team Leader 09/26/13 5 Week Four: Marketing Strategy: Place and Promotion Details Due Points Objectives 4 4.1 Analyze the impact of channel management decisions on marketing. 4.2 Select appropriate distribution channels. 4.3 Identify the appropriate place and promotional strategy that should be used in the development of the strategic marketing plan. 09/30/13 Reading Read Ch. 11, 12, 14, & 16 of Basic Marketing. 09/30/13 Reading Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 09/30/13 Participation Participate in class discussion. 09/30/13 20 Individual Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing Simulation Summary Complete the simulation, Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing, located on the student website. Write a 1,050- to 1,450-word summary in which you address the following for each of the three major phases in the simulation: The situation Your recommended solutions, including why Your results Summarize the different marketing components addressed in this simulation by answering the following questions: What is the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services? Is the repositioning of the product in the simulation as you had expected it to be? Explain why or why not. What is the effect of the product life cycle on marketing? What effect did the product life cycle have on the product in the simulation? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines 09/30/13 70 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase III Use the product or service you selected for your Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper. PHASE III: Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper that includes the following information: Describe the attributes of your product or service in detail. Describe the pace at which your product will move through the product life cycle and the factors that will affect its movement. How will the product life cycle affect the marketing of your selected product or service? Identify the positioning and differentiation strategies for the product or service. Identify the appropriate price strategy that should be used for the product or service. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. (Suggested use of sources and research: One source from our text(s) and a minimum of two additional credible sources). 10/03/13 60 Learning Team Log LEARNING TEAM LOG: Post in Assignments Link of Team Leader 10/03/13 5 Week Five: The Dynamic Environment of Marketing Details Due Points Objectives 5 5.1 Identify environmental factors that affect marketing decisions. 5.2 Explain the impact of technology on marketing. 5.3 Analyze the importance of social responsibility and ethics in marketing. 10/07/13 Reading Read Ch. 3 & 13 of Marketing Management. 10/07/13 Reading Read Ch. 15 & 16 of Marketing: An Introduction. 10/07/13 Reading Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. 10/07/13 Participation Participate in class discussion. 10/07/13 20 Individual Final Examination FINAL EXAM: (Suggestion: Do Not Wait Until Last Day) Click the link to the Final Examination on the student website available at the end of Week Four through the end of Week Five. Complete the Final Examination. You are allowed one attempt to complete the examination, which is timed and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto graded and sent to your instructor. Typical exams have 30 questions with a combination of multiple choice and True/False. Exam Tips: See Course Materials for 2 attachments: A) Tips for Exam Success B) MKT 421 Final Exam Study Guide Use your Chapter Readings as a reference for all major concepts, some of which will be: 1) The 4-P’s of Marketing 2) Positioning and Differentiation 3) The Product Life Cycle 4) Market Segmentation and Demographics 5) The Purchase Decision Process 6) Distribution (Intensive / selective) 7) The New Product Development Process 8) Market Research (Primary vs. Secondary) 9) Monitor and Control elements. Instructor will post the PowerPoints from the readings every week after class for easier reference. 10/07/13 150 Individual Learning Team Evaluation 10/07/13 5 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Final Phase Resources: Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper, Marketing Plan: Phase II, Paper, Marketing Plan: Phase III Paper Use the Marketing Plan Outline listed on the student website as a guide. Write a 1,750 to 3,000 word paper: Phase IV. Address the following information in your paper: Identify the appropriate place and promotional strategy that should be used in developing the strategic marketing plan. Develop an initial sales promotion schedule. Create an advertising plan. Identify public relations opportunities for the product or service. Analyze the effect of channel management decisions on the marketing of your selected product or service. Select appropriate distribution channels for your product or service and address costs in terms of placement, shipping, and middlemen. Develop a budget for your plan. Identify quantifiable elements that can be used to evaluate, monitor, and control the effectiveness of your marketing plan. Conclusions / Recommendations Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. (Suggested use of sources and research: One source from our text(s) and a minimum of two additional credible sources). 10/07/13 80 Learning Team Presentation Prepare a 15- to 20-minute oral presentation accompanied by 10- to 15-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation illustrating your Marketing Plan Paper. May use additional presentation elements such as: Samples, Demonstrations, Focus Groups, Surveys. Suggested Length of Time: 20 – 30 minutes. Possible penalty for coming in over â€Å"or† under the time limit: 5% 10/07/13 40 Learning Team Log LEARNING TEAM LOG: Post in Assignments Link of Team Leader 10/07/13 5 TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE: 1000 Copyright University of Phoenix ® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and Windows NT ® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix ® editorial standards and practices.

Literary Analysis of Sunrise over Fallujah Essay

The novel Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a historical fiction novel that retells the memories of Robin Perry’s experience in Iraqi civil war. He was in a civil affairs unit, which is dedicated to protecting by standers in the war. Robin encounters various setbacks that try to slow down the progress of his unit such as the death of his close friend Jonsey. Walter Dean Myers portrayed his knowledge of the setting, aspects from the past, and made the plot very believable in the historical fiction novel Sunrise Over Fallujah. Firstly, the historical, cultural, and geographical content involving the setting was portrayed accurately and was authentic. In addition, authors must complete detailed research of their settings before attempting to write a book of this genre. If authors want â€Å"To create accurate and authentic settings in their books, they must research the time period thoroughly† (Read). Once the author has completed a detailed research of the setting they are looking to portray they can then start the writing process of their novel. Furthermore, an accurate setting makes the fictional part of the story believable and is what keeps the readers attention. The unit Robin was in had a â€Å"Route that was northward through the city and just out of it to Al Kazimayn mosque† (p.131, 14-15). This is an example of accurate geographical knowledge of the setting. Moreover, making the setting accurate is important, but making it authentic is just as important. When the main character Robin and his crew raided a home they â€Å"Couldn’t tell if it was an apartment house or one big family† (p. 53, 7-8). Researching about how the civilian population lived, ate, and what artifacts were a common part of their lives can make the settings in the novel more authentic. This concludes the importance of the setting in a historical fiction novel. Secondly, aspects from the past were used to help the reader see the development of the plot and fictional characters. Moreover, aspects from the past are important in a historical fiction novel because the readers see key elements develop. Many authors suggest that â€Å"Any aspect from the past can be useful to the present-day novelist attempting to reanimate it to serve as the context for character and plot development† (Facts). Plots and characters begin developing from the author’s research of aspects from the Iraq War. Furthermore, the war in Iraq was full of question, which created many aspects for Walter Dean Myers to choose from. Captain Miller was â€Å"Mad because there were kids in and playing around the school when they attacked it† (p. 100, 24-25). Those types of features from the war in Iraq helped the author develop fictional characters. In addition, aspects from the war in Iraq can be used for the development of the plot. For example, at one point in the novel â€Å"The vehicle ahead of Robin’s crew made a sharp U-turn, ‘RPGs!’ Jonsey shouted; he braked to a skidding halt† (p. 101, 23). This commonly used tactic of the Iraqi military was a feature that Walter Dean Myers used to help develop the plot. After analyzing the novel, readers quickly realize the importance of using aspects to develop characters and the plot. Finally, the most important part of a historical fiction novel by far is the believability of the plot. Moreover, the plot of a historical fiction novel is the most important part because this specific element of a novel is what keeps the readers attention. In a historical fiction novel â€Å"The fictional characters, settings, and plot events must be portrayed authentically as if they actually could’ve happened† (Read). This is a key component to make sure that everything in the â€Å"fictional† event is accurate and authentic to keep the readers attention. Furthermore, the plot consists of multiple parts in the story but the most looked forward to moment is the climax. The main character Robin was explaining that, â€Å"I had my head turned when the bus exploded. The impact went through my body and slammed me against the back of the Humvee† (p. 199, 22-24). The climax of the novel is successful as it creates suspense and kept the reader focused on the rest of the novel. A key component of making the plot believable is using terms based on the event the author is writing about. When Robin’s division had to move they â€Å"Were supposed to go from the FOB (forward operations base), which was nothing but a few tents in the sand, to mining area about fifteen to twenty miles away† (p. 78, 2-4). Complex terminology such as â€Å"FOB† can keep the readers attention because it seems like the author knows what he writing about. Walter Dean Myers successfully made the plot believable and kept the readers attention. The three major components to writing a historical fiction novel; knowledge of the setting, using aspects from the past, and the believability of the plot is what made Sunrise Over Fallujah a successful novel of this genre. This novel met ends with the criteria to writing a historical fiction novel, which is why it is recommended to readers that enjoy this genre. In the end, Walter Dean Myers put together a wonderful piece of literature that was successful in the historical fiction genre. Citations â€Å"Historical Fiction.† Read Write Think. IRA/NCTE, 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Historical Fiction.† Facts On File Companion to the British Novel: 20th Century, vol. 2. 2006. Bloom’s Literary Reference Online.

Can Macbeth Be Described As a Shakespearean Tragic Hero? Essay

A Shakespearean tragic hero is described as a man who has many good qualities, shows regret for his crimes and is of high birth and position. At the start of the play Macbeth has all the qualities of a tragic hero as he fights for King Duncan and kills their enemy Macdonwald. In Act 1 Scene 2 Duncan says, â€Å"Nobel Macbeth hath won† recognizing Macbeth’s heroism he is titled Thane of Cawdor. At the end of the play Macbeth is described as a devil, he is overcome by ambition and determined to succeed. This has a disastrous effect on him and this one flaw in his character brings his downfall. All the people that surround can see that he has changed. He is no longer a hero but an evil villain and this is the way that people think of him. In Act 1 Scene 3 Malcolm describes Macbeth as â€Å"black Macbeth† and in Act 5 Scene 8 Macduff calls him â€Å"a hell-hound†. Both these quotes show that people who once thought of Macbeth as a hero now think of him as corrupt and malicious. Macbeth’s ambition is to be a leader and respected man but when the witches prophesize that he become king he sees power greater than he had ever imagined possible and nothing will stand in his way, even if it means killing his best friend. Macbeth’s ambition is his downfall. Before the murder of Duncan he shows reluctance to kill the king, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business†. However, Lady Macbeth convinces him that he should proceed with the murder of Duncan. Macbeth is then full of remorse for what he has done and feels shame and guilt for his actions. This show of regret keeps the audience’s sympathy for Macbeth. It is also a feature of a tragic hero. By the end of the play Macbeth has forgotten guilt and fear. He is thinking only of himself. At points in the play Macbeth shows weakness and Lady Macbeth drives him on. When Macbeth shows his reluctance to proceed with the murder of King Duncan Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7 tells him he would â€Å"live a coward in thine own esteem† and tells him that if she had made a promise as he had she would have carried it through. Another point of weakness for Macbeth is the killing of Banquo and his son Fleance. He cannot bring himself to do the deed himself and so employs men to carry out the act for him. In this play Macbeth commits horrific acts of evil, in cold blood he murders Duncan, a murder that Macduff describes is Act 2 Scene 3 as, â€Å"most sacrilegious murder†. He then orders the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance. The murderer then comes back in Act 3 Scene 4 to tell Macbeth that Banquo is â€Å"safe in a ditch he bides, with twenty trenched gashes on his head†. Then Macbeth murders Macduffs innocent family, his children, wife and everyone else at his home. In Act 4 Scene 2 Macduff’s son is killed as he attempts to save his mother, as he is dying he says, â€Å"he has killed me, mother, run away, I pray you†. At the end of the play Macbeth looses all his friends. They realize that he was responsible for the horrific murders and that he has changed. Along with the support of his allies Macbeth also looses the sympathy of the audience because of his lack of remorse for the actions he has taken. However, in Act 5 Scene 3 he fights bravely to the end, â€Å"I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked†. Act 5 Scene 5 â€Å"at least we’ll die with hardness on our back†. When Macbeth is killed by Macduff he dies bravely and still with his pride. Then Malcolm is proclaimed King of Scotland. In this play there are other heroes besides Macbeth. Banquo is also a brave and honourable man. Duncan refers to him in Act 1 Scene 4 as, â€Å"noble Banquo† and an example of his bravery is when he tries to save his son’s life. In Act 3 Scene 3 Banquo dies saying, â€Å"fly good Fleance, fly, fly, fly†. Macbeth, Thane of Glanis is portrayed as a noble hero at the beginning of the play. He fights well for his King and country bringing about success in battle. He is loved and respected by the people for the qualities he demonstrates loyalty, bravery and honour and is rewarded for this with the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth therefore shows he has the making of a tragic hero. However, as the play unravels a dark and sinister side of Macbeth becomes apparent. He has a flaw, that of blind ambition. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants, the title of King. He would not have ever dreamed that this could ever have come about if not for the prediction of the witches. This was Macbeth’s downfall, that he now thought it possible that he could aspire to become King. He would allow nothing or no one to stand in his way, he believed it his destiny. The encouragement of Lady Macbeth made it so much easier for him to carry out the dreadful deeds needed to attain his ambition. This change of character resulted in his demise. The audience can not forgive him this selfish and immoral defect in his character. Anyone who could kill a friend and the entire family of another deserves a bloody end. Justice prevails at the end. So while Macbeth was in some respects a tragic hero he does not retain the sympathy and respect of the audience throughout the play.