Monday, December 30, 2019

Sample Essay on Legalizing Marijuana Globally

The International Opium Convention made marijuana, otherwise known as particular Indian hemp or hashish, illegal across the world in 1925. By January 2015, there were eight countries with liberal laws towards cannabis, including some US states, such as Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. At the same time, Cuba, Greece, and a number of Asian states, including Indonesia, China, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia were the strictest in the terms of legislation towards marijuana. While the world trends seem to strive to the liberation, every country has its own point of view on the usage of cannabis. Right now, Czech Republic, Canada, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Argentina, Jamaica, India, Spain, Uruguay and Mexico are those that remain the most supportive of marijuana decriminalization or even legalization. In fact, the marijuana-related legislation is not homogenous. It concerns such key aspects as possession, sale, transportation, and cultivation. The formal attitude towards each can be different across countries. The strictest rules apply to sale and transportation of the herb. Everything is legal in Uruguay and North Korea (according to some sources). In the Netherlands, possession in certain doses is legal, but sale, transportation, and cultivation have certain restrictions. For example, sale is allowed only in â€Å"coffee shops.† In India, everything marijuana-related is either legal or tolerated only in certain states, but is illegal on the federal level. In Germany, possession and manipulation of marijuana is illegal apart from institutions which operate in medicinal or scientific fields. Cambodia has decriminalized marijuana, but it is still considered illegal. Despite this fact, the use and distribution of the plant products is widespread. In Chile, only sale of cannabis is illegal, but transportation, possession, and cultivation are legalized in particular amounts. In Czech Republic, one of the most liberal countries in Europe, everything except sale is decriminalized, and even cultivation of up to 5 bushes for personal use is legally accept ed. Consumption of marijuana is legalized in many countries, especially in private locations. Legislation of some countries, such as Germany, treats consumption as self-harm, which cannot be considered crime on its own. The more widespread becomes so-called medical marijuana, which is used and distributed for medical purposes, for example, in the USA or in Germany. However, every country is interested in lowering the levels of cannabis consumption. In general, the experience of marijuana decriminalization shows that it does not mean higher levels of marijuana use. In fact, in countries like the Netherlands and the UK, the absence of criminal responsibility was rather correlated with the decrease of its consumption. The issue remains controversial on different levels — while some say it is harmful, others argue that the herb can be used in medicine; while some believe that legalization may cause the outburst in use, the statistics show the opposite trend. Nevertheless, there is a global trend which seems to be gradually leading to at least decriminalization of the plant. Czech Republic, the Netherlands, India, and Spain have already joined it —  we’ll see what happens to the status of marijuana in the future.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide - 862 Words

Life at one point has to end, and in circumstances maybe a little early. When you see life, you see a person who is happy with problems no bigger than bills and most of all healthy with a whole long life to live, but when you are terminally ill it may be a completely different point of view. When you are sick, you do not enjoy life, but wish for it to end; Why? You say, well you are not living your life when you are in pain. The pain is all you feel and it is way more sad when you know it is not going to end. Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide have given patients an opportunity to decide how they want to die and even an opportunity on how they want to be remembered. For this patients, there point of view is not of them quitting, it is of them feeling suffering and not wanting their children to remember the bad times instead of the good times when the patient was healthy. Physicians should help terminally ill patients die in peace if they decide to because they have the right t o determine how to live and die and how they want to safeguard income and expenses. While others believe PAS should not be legal due to the fact that patients are ending their life with no right state of mind, physicians are breaking the â€Å"Hippocratic Oath†. In their point of view, physicians are making PAS far more dangerous than ever. As it is stated, â€Å"The incentive to save money by denying treatment already poses a significant danger. This danger would be far greater if assisted suicide wereShow MoreRelatedEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide865 Words   |  4 Pagessubject for people; add in the idea of assisted suicides and there’s an uproar in society. Euthanasia or physician assisted suicide is a very controversial topic in our society today. Physician assisted suicide by definition is â€Å"suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent (Merriam-Webster). There are two modes of looking at assisted suicides; either it’s seen as an absurd immoralRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide918 Words   |  4 Pagesallows terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a physician. According to the legislature, patients who seek assisted-death must only have six months to live and are required to submit a written request as well as two oral requests at least 15 days apart. (Reilly). While Gov. Jerry Brown still has yet to approve this new law, the act has shed light on the topic of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide. With the pending status of the law, the question remains on whether or notRead MoreEuthanasia Or Physician Assisted Suicide961 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia or physician assisted suicide, is the painless killing of a patient, suffering from a painful or incurable disease, like cancer, or alzheimer s, the practice is illegal in most countries, i ncluding the United States, although in the United States, it is a state decision, the only state in the United States that it is legal in is Oregon. Oregon passed the Death with Dignity Act in 1994, making euthanasia legal for chronically ill patients, the only caveat is that the doctor is allowedRead MoreEuthanasia, And Physician Assisted Suicide863 Words   |  4 Pagesare: euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide. Internationally, assisted suicide is a doctor prescribing drugs that end life. The patient is responsible for taking them. Euthanasia is the medication administered by doctors. Today, four countries have laws that allow euthanasia. (Ellis and Bronwyn) A few have laws for physician assisted suicide, and several countries have no laws against suicide. (Humphry) The United States of America have recently added a 5th state to offer assisted suicideRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesPhysician Assisted Suicide Is physician assisted suicide ethical? Physician assisted suicide is an up and coming ethical question that examines a person’s right to their own death. Many people support physician assisted suicide, citing that it can save a lot of pain and suffering. Others claim that the concept of physician assisted suicide is a slippery slope. A slippery slope in the sense that if society accepts euthanasia as a rightful death for the terminally ill, they will potentially acceptRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1629 Words   |  7 Pagesproblems, assisted suicide creates options to reduce the amount of suffering the patient must enduring. Dying with dignity could be beneficial for not only the person who is dying, but also the person’s family and loved ones. This option, however, is often viewed as unethical and immoral throughout society. Physician-assisted suicide offers an option for those with health issues but poses various ethical and social issues. Assisted death is practiced in two different ways: euthanasia and physician-assistedRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide And Euthanasia Essay1806 Words   |  8 PagesPuett WRIT 1401 12/06/16 Physician Assisted Suicide Beginning in the 1970s, terminally ill patients were given the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment to end their own life, a process commonly referred to as euthanasia. They would be taken off life support, and death would be allowed to take its natural course. This idea was controversial at first, but now a bigger issue has taken its place. Many patients claim that they reserve the right to physician assisted suicide—killing oneself with meansRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide997 Words   |  4 PagesEuthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: The Right to Die with Dignity (The Legalization, At Risk Groups, and Rebuttal) The possible legalization of voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide brings concerns in regards to how well it will be accepted. There are contradictions that exists between government and church when it comes to the morals and values placed on human life. Although, society has concerns in regards to at risk community groups and the type of treatment availableRead MoreEuthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1504 Words   |  7 Pageslegalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, we would provide â€Å"vulnerable† patients with better overall protection and health care, give patients (who are excruciatingly suffering and have no chance of recovery) the option to end their lives before they ever needed to go through such an ordeal and giving them peace of mind, and spare the families of the patients the emotional pain of watching their loved one slowly and painfully passing away. For these reasons, I believe that euthanasia and Physician-AssistedRead More Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide1249 Words   |  5 Pagesview euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide not as murder or suicide, but rather a release from the pain that holds down and a quicker, less painful way to get to the end that will happen anyways. Euthanasia is becoming much more of a hot topic in the news, both here at home in the US, as well as on the global stage with the new Prime Minister of Canada pushing for a law that would allow nationwide physician assisted death. As of now only a few states have legalized physician-assisted suicide

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twenty-one Free Essays

Can’t sleep?† Jack looked up from where he was still sitting in his uncle’s study. Thomas was standing in the doorway. â€Å"No,† he said. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twenty-one or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thomas walked in. â€Å"Nor I.† Jack held out the bottle of brandy he’d taken from the shelf. There had not been a speck of dust on it, even though he was quite certain it had gone untouched since his uncle’s death. Aunt Mary had always run a pristine household. â€Å"It’s good,† Jack said. â€Å"I think my uncle was saving it.† He blinked, looking down at the label, then murmured, â€Å"Not for this, I imagine.† He motioned to a set of crystal snifters near the window, waiting with the bottle in hand as Thomas walked across the room and took one. When Thomas returned, he sat in the study’s other wingback chair, setting his snifter down on the small, low table between them. Jack reached out and poured. Generously. Thomas took the brandy and drank, his eyes narrowing as he stared out the window. â€Å"It will be dawn soon.† Jack nodded. There were no hints of pink in the sky, but the pale silvery glow of morning had begun to permeate the air. â€Å"Has anyone awakened?† he asked. â€Å"Not that I’ve heard.† They sat in silence for several moments. Jack finished his drink and considered another. He picked up the bottle to pour, but as the first drops splashed down, he realized he didn’t really want it. He looked up. â€Å"Do you ever feel as if you are on display?† Thomas’s face remained impassive. â€Å"All the time.† â€Å"How do you bear it?† â€Å"I don’t know anything else.† Jack placed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed. He had a blistering headache and no reason to suppose it might improve. â€Å"It’s going to be hideous today.† Thomas nodded. Jack closed his eyes. It was easy to picture the scene. The dowager would insist upon reading the register first, and Crowland would be right over his shoulder, cackling away, ready to sell his daughter off to the highest bidder. His aunt would probably want to come, and Amelia, too – and who could blame her? She had as much at stake as anyone. The only person who would not be there was Grace. The only person he needed by his side. â€Å"It’s going to be a bloody circus,† Jack muttered. â€Å"Indeed.† They sat there, doing nothing, and then they both looked up at precisely the same moment. Their eyes met, and Jack watched Thomas’s face as his gaze slid over toward the window. Outside. â€Å"Shall we?† Jack asked, and he felt the first glimmerings of a smile. â€Å"Before anyone – â€Å" â€Å"Right now.† Because really, no one else had a place at this table. Thomas stood. â€Å"Lead the way.† Jack rose to his feet and headed out the door, Thomas right behind. And as they mounted their horses and took off, the air still heavy with night, it occurred to him – They were cousins. And for the first time, that felt like a good thing. Morning was well under way when they reached the Maguiresbridge church. Jack had been there several times before, visiting his mother’s family, and the old gray stone felt comfortable and familiar. The building was small, and humble, and in his opinion, everything a church ought to be. â€Å"It does not look as if anyone is about,† Thomas said. If he was unimpressed by the plainness of the architecture, he did not indicate as much. â€Å"The register will likely be at the rectory,† Jack said. Thomas nodded, and they dismounted, tying their horses to a hitching post before making their way to the front of the rectory. They knocked several times before they heard footsteps moving toward them from within. The door opened, revealing a woman of middling years, clearly the housekeeper. â€Å"Good day, ma’am,† Jack said, offering her a polite bow. â€Å"I am Jack Audley, and this is – â€Å" â€Å"Thomas Cavendish,† Thomas cut in, nodding in greeting. Jack gave him a bit of a dry look at that, which the housekeeper would surely have noticed if she hadn’t been so obviously irritated by their arrival. â€Å"We would like to see the parish register,† Jack said. She stared at them for a moment and a half and then jerked her head toward the rear. â€Å"It’s in the back room,† she said. â€Å"The vicar’s office.† â€Å"Er, is the vicar present?† Jack asked, although the last bit of the last word was covered by a grunt, brought on by Thomas’s elbow pressing into his side. â€Å"No vicar just now,† the housekeeper said. â€Å"The position is vacant.† She walked over to a well-worn sofa in front of the fire and sat down. â€Å"We’re supposed to get someone new soon. They send someone from Enniskillen every Sunday to deliver a sermon.† She then picked up a plate of toast and turned her back on them completely. Jack looked over at Thomas. Who he found was looking over at him. He supposed they were just meant to go in. So they did. The office was larger than Jack would have expected, given the tight quarters of the rest of the rectory. There were three windows, one on the north wall and then two on the west, flanking the fireplace. A small but tidy flame was burning; Jack walked over to warm his hands. â€Å"Do you know what a parish register looks like?† Thomas asked. Jack shrugged and shook his head. He stretched his fingers, then flexed his feet as best as he could within the confines of his boots. His muscles were growing tense and jumpy, and everytime he tried to hold still, he realized that his fingers were drumming a frantic tattoo on his leg. He wanted to jump out of his skin. He wanted to jump right out of his – â€Å"This may be it.† Jack turned. Thomas was holding a large book. It was bound in brown leather, and the cover showed signs of age. â€Å"Shall we?† Thomas asked. His voice was even, but Jack saw him swallow spasmodically. And his hands were trembling. â€Å"You can do it,† Jack said. He could not fake it this time. He could not stand there and pretend to read. Some things were simply too much to bear. Thomas stared at him in shock. â€Å"You don’t want to look with me?† â€Å"I trust you.† It was true. Thomas could not think of a more inherently trustworthy person. Thomas would not lie. Not even about this. â€Å"No,† Thomas said, dismissing this entirely. â€Å"I won’t do it without you.† For a moment Jack just stood there unmoving, and then, cursing under his breath, he went over to join Thomas at the desk. â€Å"You’re too bloody noble,† Jack bit off. Thomas muttered something Jack could not quite make out and set the book down, opening it to one of the first pages. Jack looked down. It was a blur, all swirls and dips, dancing before his eyes. He swallowed, stealing a glance at Thomas to see if he’d seen anything. But Thomas was staring down at the register, his eyes moving quickly from left to right as he flipped through the pages. And then he slowed down. Jack clenched his teeth, trying to make it out. Sometimes he could tell the bigger letters, and frequently the numbers. It was just that they were so often not where he thought they should be, or not what he thought they should be. Ah, idiocy. It ought to have been familiar by now. But it never was. â€Å"Do you know what month your parents would have married in?† Thomas asked. â€Å"No.† But it was a small parish. How many weddings could there have been? Jack watched Thomas’s fingers. They moved along the edge of the page, then slid around the edge. And flipped it. And stopped. Jack looked at Thomas. He was still. He’d closed his eyes. And it was clear. On his face. It was clear. â€Å"Dear God.† The words fell from Jack’s lips like tears. It wasn’t a surprise, and yet, he’d been hoping†¦praying†¦ That his parents hadn’t married. Or the proof had been lost. That someone, anyone, had been wrong because this was wrong. It could not be happening. He could not do this. Just look at him now. He was standing there bloody well pretending to read the register. How in God’s name did anyone think he could be a duke? Contracts? Oh, that would be fun. Rents? He’d better get a trustworthy steward, since it wasn’t as if he could check to see if he was being cheated. And then – he choked back a horrified laugh – it was a damned good thing he could sign his documents with a seal. The Lord knew how long it would take to learn to sign his new name without looking as if he had to think about it. John Cavendish-Audley had taken months. Was it any wonder he’d been so eager to drop the Cavendish? Jack brought his face to his hands, closing his eyes tight. This could not be happening. He’d known it would happen, and yet, here he was, convinced it was an impossibility. He was going mad. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. â€Å"Who is Philip?† Thomas asked. â€Å"What?† Jack practically snapped. â€Å"Philip Galbraith. He was a witness.† Jack looked up. And then down at the register. At the swirls and dips that apparently spelled out his uncle’s name. â€Å"My mother’s brother.† â€Å"Does he still live?† â€Å"I don’t know. He did the last I knew. It has been five years.† Jack thought furiously. Why was Thomas asking? Would it mean anything if Philip was dead? The proof was still right there in the register. The register. Jack stared at it, his lips parted and slack. It was the enemy. That one little book. Grace had said she could not marry him if he was the Duke of Wyndham. Thomas had made no secret of the mountains of paperwork that lay ahead. If he was the Duke of Wyndham. But there was only that book. There was only that page. Just one page, and he could remain Jack Audley. All his problems would be solved. â€Å"Tear it out,† Jack whispered. â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"Tear it out.† â€Å"Are you mad?† Jack shook his head. â€Å"You are the duke.† Thomas looked down at the register. â€Å"No,† he said softly, â€Å"I’m not.† â€Å"No.† Jack’s voice grew urgent, and he grabbed Thomas by the shoulders. â€Å"You are what Wyndham needs. What everyone needs.† â€Å"Stop, you – â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me,† Jack implored. â€Å"You are born and bred to the job. I will ruin everything. Do you understand? I cannot do it. I cannot do it.† But Thomas just shook his head. â€Å"I may be bred to it, but you were born to it. And I cannot take what is yours.† â€Å"I don’t want it!† Jack burst out. â€Å"It is not yours to accept or deny,† Thomas said, his voice numbingly calm. â€Å"Don’t you understand? It is not a possession. It is who you are.† â€Å"Oh, for God’s sake,† Jack swore. He raked his hands through his hair. He grabbed at it, pulled entire fistfuls until his scalp felt as if it were stretching off the bone. â€Å"I am giving it to you. On a bloody silver platter. You stay the duke, and I shall leave you alone. I’ll be your scout in the Outer Hebrides. Anything. Just tear the page out.† â€Å"If you didn’t want the title, why didn’t you just say that your parents hadn’t been married at the outset?† Thomas shot back. â€Å"I asked you if your parents were married. You could have said no.† â€Å"I didn’t know that I was in line to inherit when you questioned my legitimacy.† Jack gulped. His throat tasted acrid and afraid. He stared at Thomas, trying to gauge his thoughts. How could he be so bloody upright and noble? Anyone else would have ripped that page to shreds. But no, not Thomas Cavendish. He would do what was right. Not what was best, but what was right. Bloody fool. Thomas was just standing there, staring at the register. And he – he was ready to climb the walls. His entire body was shaking, his heart pounding, and he – What was that noise? â€Å"Do you hear that?† Jack whispered urgently. Horses. â€Å"They’re here,† Thomas said. Jack stopped breathing. Through the window he could see a carriage approaching. He was out of time. He looked at Thomas. Thomas was staring down at the register. â€Å"I can’t do it,† he whispered. Jack didn’t think. He just moved. He leapt past Thomas to the church register and tore. Thomas tackled him, trying to grab the paper away, but Jack slid out from his grasp, launching himself toward the fire. â€Å"Jack, no!† Thomas yelled, but Jack was too quick, and even as Thomas caught hold of his arm, Jack managed to hurl the paper into the fire. The fight drained from both of them in an instant, and they both stood transfixed, watching the paper curl and blacken. â€Å"God in heaven,† Thomas whispered. â€Å"What have you done?† Jack could not take his eyes off the fire. â€Å"I have saved us all.† Grace had not expected to be included in the journey to the Maguiresbridge church. No matter how closely involved she had become in the matter of the Wyndham inheritance, she was not a member of the family. She wasn’t even a member of the household any longer. But when the dowager discovered that Jack and Thomas went to the church without her, she had – and Grace did not believe this an exaggeration – gone mad. It required but a minute for her to recover, but for those first sixty seconds it was a terrifying sight. Even Grace had never witnessed the like. And so when it was time to depart, Amelia had refused to leave without her. â€Å"Do not leave me alone with that woman,† she hissed in Grace’s ear. â€Å"You won’t be alone,† Grace tried to explain. Her father would be going, of course, and Jack’s aunt had claimed a spot in the carriage as well. â€Å"Please, Grace,† Amelia begged. She did not know Jack’s aunt, and she could not bear to sit next to her father. Not this morning. The dowager had pitched a fit, which was not unexpected, but her tantrum only made Amelia more firm. She grabbed hold of Grace’s hand and nearly crushed her fingers. â€Å"Oh, do what you wish,† the dowager had snapped. â€Å"But if you are not in the carriage in three minutes, I shall leave without you.† Which was how it came to pass that Amelia, Grace, and Mary Audley were squeezed together on one side of the carriage, with the dowager and Lord Crowland on the other. The ride to Maguiresbridge had seemed interminably long. Amelia looked out her window, the dowager out hers, and Lord Crowland and Mary Audley did the same. Grace, squeezed in the middle facing backwards, could do nothing but stare at the spot midway between the dowager’s and Lord Crowland’s heads. Every ten minutes or so the dowager would turn to Mary and demand to know how much longer it would be until they reached their destination. Mary answered each query with admirable deference and patience, and then finally, to everyone’s relief, she said, â€Å"We are here.† The dowager hopped down first, but Lord Crowland was close on her heels, practically dragging Amelia behind him. Mary Audley hurried out next, leaving Grace alone at the rear. She sighed. It seemed somehow fitting. By the time Grace reached the front of the rectory, the rest of them were already inside, pushing through the door to another room, where, she presumed, Jack and Thomas were, along with the all-important church register. An open-mouthed woman stood in the center of the front room, a cup of tea balanced precariously in her fingers. â€Å"Good day,† Grace said with a rushed smile, wondering if the others had even bothered to knock. â€Å"Where is it?† she heard the dowager demand, followed by the crash of a door slamming against a wall. â€Å"How dare you leave without me! Where is it? I demand to see the register!† Grace made it to the doorway, but it was still blocked by the others. She couldn’t see in. And then she did the last thing she’d ever have expected of herself. She shoved. Hard. She loved him. She loved Jack. And whatever the day brought, she would be there. He would not be alone. She would not allow it. She stumbled inside just as the dowager was screaming, â€Å"What did you find?† Grace steadied herself and looked up. There he was. Jack. He looked awful. Haunted. Her lips formed his name, but she made no sound. She couldn’t have. It was as if her voice had been yanked right out of her. She had never seen him thus. His color was wrong – too pale, or maybe too flushed – she couldn’t quite tell. And his fingers were trembling. Couldn’t anyone else see that? Grace turned to Thomas, because surely he would do something. Say something. But he was staring at Jack. Just like everyone else. No one was speaking. Why wasn’t anyone speaking? â€Å"He is Wyndham,† Jack finally said. â€Å"As he should be.† Grace should have jumped for joy, but all she could think was – I don’t believe him. He didn’t look right. He didn’t sound right. The dowager turned on Thomas. â€Å"Is this true?† Thomas did not speak. The dowager growled with frustration and grabbed his arm. â€Å"Is†¦it†¦true?† she demanded. Still, Thomas did not speak. â€Å"There is no record of a marriage,† Jack insisted. Grace wanted to cry. He was lying. It was so obvious†¦to her, to everyone. There was desperation in his voice, and fear, and – Dear God, was he doing this for her? Was he trying to forsake his birthright for her? â€Å"Thomas is the duke,† Jack said again, looking frantically from person to person. â€Å"Why aren’t you listening? Why isn’t anyone listening to me?† But there was only silence. And then: â€Å"He lies.† It was Thomas, in a voice that was low and even, and absolutely true. Grace let out a choked sob and turned away. She could not bear to watch. â€Å"No,† Jack said, â€Å"I’m telling you – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, for God’s sake,† Thomas snapped. â€Å"Do you think no one will find you out? There will be witnesses. Do you really think there won’t be any witnesses to the wedding? For God’s sake, you can’t rewrite the past.† Grace closed her eyes. â€Å"Or burn it,† Thomas said ominously. â€Å"As the case may be.† Oh, Jack, she thought. What have you done? â€Å"He tore the page from the register,† Thomas said. â€Å"He threw it into the fire.† Grace opened her eyes, unable to not look at the hearth. There was no sign of paper. Nothing but black soot and ash under the steady orange flame. â€Å"It’s yours,† Thomas said, turning to Jack. He looked him in the eye and then bowed. Jack looked sick. Thomas turned, facing the rest of the room. â€Å"I am – † He cleared his throat, and when he continued, his voice was even and proud. â€Å"I am Mr. Cavendish,† he said, â€Å"and I bid you all a good day.† And then he left. He brushed past them and walked right out the door. At first no one could speak. And then, in a moment that was almost grotesque, Lord Crowland turned to Jack and bowed. â€Å"Your grace,† he said. â€Å"No,† Jack said, shaking his head. He turned to the dowager. â€Å"Do not allow this. He will make a better duke.† â€Å"True enough,† Lord Crowland said, completely oblivious to Jack’s distress. â€Å"But you’ll learn.† And then – Jack couldn’t help it – he started to laugh. From deep within him, his sense of the absurd rose to the fore, and he laughed. Because good God, if there was one thing he’d never be able to do, it was learn. Anything. â€Å"Oh, you have no idea,† he said. He looked at the dowager. His desperation was gone, replaced by something else – something bitter and fatalistic, something cynical and grim. â€Å"You have no idea what you’ve done,† he told her. â€Å"No idea at all.† â€Å"I have restored you to your proper place,† she said sharply. â€Å"As is my duty to my son.† Jack turned. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her for one moment more. But there was Grace, standing near the doorway. She looked shocked, she looked scared. But when she looked at him, he saw his entire world, falling softly into place. She loved him. He didn’t know how or why, but he was not enough of a fool to question it. And when her eyes met his, he saw hope. He saw the future, and it was shining like the sunrise. His entire life, he’d been running. From himself, from his faults. He’d been so desperate that no one should truly know him, that he’d denied himself the chance to find his place in the world. He smiled. He finally knew where he belonged. He had seen Grace when she entered the room, but she’d stood back, and he couldn’t go to her, not when he’d been trying so hard to keep the dukedom in Thomas’s hands, where it belonged. But it seemed he’d failed in that measure. He would not fail in this. â€Å"Grace,† he said, and went to her, taking both of her hands in his. â€Å"What the devil are you doing?† the dowager demanded. He dropped to one knee. â€Å"Marry me,† he said, squeezing her hands. â€Å"Be my bride, be my – † He laughed, a bubble of absurdity rising from within. â€Å"Be my duchess.† He smiled up at her. â€Å"It’s a lot to ask, I know.† â€Å"Stop that,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"You can’t marry her.† â€Å"Jack,† Grace whispered. Her lips were trembling, and he knew she was thinking about it. She was teetering. And he could bring her over the edge. â€Å"For once in your life,† he said fervently, â€Å"make yourself happy.† â€Å"Stop this!† Crowland blustered. He grabbed Jack under his arm and tried to haul him to his feet, but Jack would not budge. He would remain on one knee for eternity if that was what it took. â€Å"Marry me, Grace,† he whispered. â€Å"You will marry Amelia!† Crowland cut in. Jack did not take his eyes off Grace’s face. â€Å"Marry me.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, and he could hear it in her voice that she thought she should make an excuse, should say something about his duty or her place. â€Å"Marry me,† he said again, before she could go on. â€Å"She is not acceptable,† the dowager said coldly. He brought Grace’s hands to his lips. â€Å"I will marry no one else.† â€Å"She is not of your rank!† He turned and gave his grandmother an icy look. He felt rather ducal, actually. It was almost entertaining. â€Å"Do you wish for me to produce an heir? Ever?† The dowager’s face pinched up like a fish. â€Å"I shall take that as a yes,† he announced. â€Å"Which means that Grace shall have to marry me.† He shrugged. â€Å"It’s the only way, if I am to give Wyndham a legitimate heir.† Grace started to blink, and her mouth – the corners were moving. She was fighting herself, telling herself she should say no. But she loved him. He knew that she did, and he would not allow her to throw that away. â€Å"Grace – † He scowled, then laughed. â€Å"What the devil is your middle name, anyway?† â€Å"Catriona,† she whispered. â€Å"Grace Catriona Eversleigh,† he said, loud and sure, â€Å"I love you. I love you with every inch of my heart, and I swear right now, before all who are assembled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked around, catching sight of the rectory housekeeper, who was standing open-mouthed in the doorway. â€Å"†¦even – devil it,† he muttered, â€Å"what is your name?† â€Å"Mrs. Broadmouse,† she said, eyes wide. Jack cleared his throat. He was beginning to feel like himself. For the first time in days, he felt like himself. Maybe he was stuck with this bloody title, but with Grace at his side, he could find a way to do some good with it. â€Å"I swear to you,† he said, â€Å"before Mrs. Broadmouse – â€Å" â€Å"Stop this!† the dowager yelled, grabbing hold of his other arm. â€Å"Get on your feet!† Jack gazed up at Grace and smiled. â€Å"Was there ever a proposal so beleaguered?† She smiled back, even as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. â€Å"You are supposed to marry Amelia!† Lord Crowland growled. And then there was Amelia†¦poking her head around her father’s shoulder. â€Å"I won’t have him,† she announced, rather matter-of-fact. She caught Jack’s eye and smiled. The dowager gasped. â€Å"You would refuse my grandson?† â€Å"This grandson,† Amelia clarified. Jack tore his eyes off Grace for just long enough to grin approvingly at Amelia. She grinned back, motioning with her head toward Grace, telling him in no uncertain terms to get back to the matter at hand. â€Å"Grace,† Jack said, rubbing her hands softly with his. â€Å"My knee is beginning to hurt.† She started to laugh. â€Å"Say yes, Grace,† Amelia said. â€Å"Listen to Amelia,† Jack said. â€Å"What the devil am I going to do with you?† Lord Crowland said. To Amelia, that was, not that she seemed to care. â€Å"I love you, Grace,† Jack said. She was grinning now. It seemed her whole body was grinning, as if she’d been enveloped in a happiness that would not let go. And then she said it. Right in front of everyone. â€Å"I love you, too.† He felt all the happiness in the world swirling into him, straight to his heart. â€Å"Grace Catriona Eversleigh,† he said again, â€Å"will you marry me?† â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"Yes.† He stood. â€Å"I’m going to kiss her now,† he called out. And he did. Right in front of the dowager, in front of Amelia and her father, even in front of Mrs. Broadmouse. He kissed her. And then he kissed her some more. He was kissing her when the dowager departed in an angry huff, and he was kissing her when Lord Crowland dragged Amelia away, muttering something about delicate sensibilities. He kissed her, and he kissed her, and he would have kept kissing her except that he realized that Mrs. Broadmouse was still standing in the doorway, staring at them with a rather benign expression. Jack grinned at her. â€Å"A spot of privacy, if you don’t mind?† She sighed and toddled away, but before she shut the door, they heard her say – â€Å"I do like a good love story.† Epilogue My dearest Amelia – Can it only have been three weeks since I last wrote? It feels as if I have gathered at least a year of news. The children continue to thrive. Arthur is so studious! Jack declares himself boggled, but his delight is evident. We visited the Happy Hare earlier this week to discuss plans for the village fair with Harry Gladdish, and Jack complained to no end about how difficult it has been to find a new tutor now that Arthur has exhausted the last. Harry was not fooled. Jack was proud as puff. We were delighted to – â€Å"Mama!† Grace looked up from her correspondence. Her third child (and only daughter) was standing in the doorway, looking much aggrieved. â€Å"What is it, Mary?† she asked. â€Å"John was – â€Å" â€Å"Just strolling by,† John said, sliding along the polished floor until he came to a stop next to Mary. â€Å"John!† Mary howled. John looked at Grace with utter innocence. â€Å"I barely touched her.† Grace fought the urge to close her eyes and groan. John was only ten, but already he possessed his father’s lethal charm. â€Å"Mama,† Mary said. â€Å"I was walking to the conservatory when – â€Å" â€Å"What Mary means to say,† John cut in, â€Å"is that I was walking to the orangery when she bumped into me and – â€Å" â€Å"No!† Mary protested. â€Å"That is not what I meant to say.† She turned to her mother in obvious distress. â€Å"Mama!† â€Å"John, let your sister finish,† Grace said, almost automatically. It was a sentence she uttered several times a day. John smiled at her. Meltingly. Good gracious, Grace thought, it would not be long before she’d be beating the girls away with a stick. â€Å"Mother,† he said, in exactly the same tone Jack used when he was trying to charm his way out of a tight spot, â€Å"I would not dream of interrupting her.† â€Å"You just did!† Mary retorted. John held up his hands, as if to say – Poor dear. Grace turned to Mary with what she hoped was visible compassion. â€Å"You were saying, Mary?† â€Å"He smashed an orange into my sheet music!† Grace turned to her son. â€Å"John, is this – â€Å" â€Å"No,† he said quickly. Grace gave him a dubious stare. It did not escape her that she had not finished her question before he answered. She supposed she ought not read too much into it. John, is this true? was another of the sentences she seemed to spend a great deal of time repeating. â€Å"Mother,† he said, his green eyes profoundly solemn, â€Å"upon my honor I swear to you that I did not smash an orange – â€Å" â€Å"You lie,† Mary seethed. â€Å"She crushed the orange.† â€Å"After you put it under my foot!† And then came a new voice: â€Å"Grace!† Grace smiled with delight. Jack could now sort the children out. â€Å"Grace,† he said, turning sideways so that he might slip by them and into the room. â€Å"I need you to – â€Å" â€Å"Jack!† she cut in. He looked at her, and then behind him. â€Å"What did I do?† She motioned to the children. â€Å"Did you not notice them?† He quirked a smile – the very same one his son had tried to use on her a few moments earlier. â€Å"Of course I noticed them,† he said. â€Å"Did you not notice me stepping around them?† He turned to the children. â€Å"Haven’t we taught you that it is rude to block the doorway?† It was a good thing she hadn’t been to the orangery herself, Grace thought, because she would have peened him with one. As it was, she was beginning to think she ought to keep a store of small, round, easily throwable objects in her desk drawer. â€Å"Jack,† she said, with what she thought was amazing patience, â€Å"would you be so kind as to settle their dispute?† He shrugged. â€Å"They’ll work it out.† â€Å"Jack,† she sighed. â€Å"It’s not your fault you had no siblings,† he told her. â€Å"You have no experience in intrafamilial squabbles. Trust me, it all works out in the end. I predict we shall manage to get all four to adulthood with at least fifteen of their major limbs intact.† Grace leveled a stare. â€Å"You, on the other hand, are in supreme danger of – â€Å" â€Å"Children!† Jack cut in. â€Å"Listen to your mother.† â€Å"She didn’t say anything,† John pointed out. â€Å"Right,† Jack said. He frowned for a moment. â€Å"John, leave your sister alone. Mary, next time don’t step on the orange.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"I’m done here,† he announced. And amazingly, they went on their way. â€Å"That wasn’t too difficult,† he said. He stepped into the room. â€Å"I have some papers for you.† Grace immediately set aside her correspondence and took the documents he held forth. â€Å"They arrived this afternoon from my solicitor,† Jack explained. She read the first paragraph. â€Å"About the Ennigsly building in Lincoln?† â€Å"That’s what I was expecting,† he confirmed. She nodded and then gave the document a thorough perusal. After a dozen years of marriage, they had fallen into an easy routine. Jack conducted all of his business affairs face-to-face, and when correspondence arrived, Grace was his reader. It was almost amusing. It had taken Jack a year or so to find his footing, but he’d turned into a marvelous steward of the dukedom. His mind was razor sharp, and his judgment was such that Grace could not believe he’d not been trained in land management. The tenants adored him, the servants worshipped him (especially once the dowager was banished to the far side of the estate), and London society had positively fallen at his feet. It had helped, of course, that Thomas made it clear that he believed Jack was the rightful Duke of Wyndham, but still, Grace did not think herself biased to believe that Jack’s charm and wit had something to do with it as well. The only thing it seemed he could not do was read. When he first told her, she had not believed him. Oh, she believed that he believed it. But surely he’d had poor teachers. Surely there had been some gross negligence on someone’s part. A man of Jack’s intelligence and education did not reach adulthood illiterate. And so she’d sat with him. Tried her best. And he put up with it. In retrospect, she couldn’t believe that he had not exploded with frustration. It was, perhaps, the oddest imaginable show of love – he’d let her try, again and again, to teach him to read. With a smile on his face, even. But in the end she’d given up. She still did not understand what he meant when he told her the letters â€Å"danced,† but she believed him when he insisted that all he ever got from a printed page was a headache. â€Å"Everything is in order,† she said now, handing the documents back to Jack. He had discussed the matter with her the week prior, after all of the decisions had been made. He always did that. So that she would know precisely what she was looking for. â€Å"Are you writing to Amelia?† he asked. She nodded. â€Å"I can’t decide if I should tell her about John’s escapade in the church belfry.† â€Å"Oh, do. They shall get a good laugh.† â€Å"But it makes him seem such a ruffian.† â€Å"He is a ruffian.† She felt herself deflate. â€Å"I know. But he’s sweet.† Jack chuckled and kissed her, once, on the forehead. â€Å"He’s just like me.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"You needn’t sound so despairing.† He smiled then, that unbelievably devilish thing of his. It still got her, every time, just the way he wanted it to. â€Å"Look how nicely I turned out,† he added. â€Å"Just so you understand,† she told him, â€Å"if he takes to robbing coaches, I shall expire on the spot.† Jack laughed at that. â€Å"Give my regards to Amelia.† Grace was about to say I shall, but he was already gone. She picked up her pen and dipped it in ink, pausing briefly so she might recall what she’d been writing. We were delighted to see Thomas on his visit. He made his annual pilgrimage to the dowager, who, I am sad to report, has not grown any less severe in her old age. She is as healthy as can be – it is my suspicion that she shall outlive us all. Grace shook her head. She made the half-mile journey to the dower house but once a month. Jack had said she needn’t do even that, but she still felt an odd loyalty toward the dowager. Not to mention a fierce devotion and sympathy for the woman they’d hired to replace her as the dowager’s companion. No servant had ever been so well-paid. Already the woman earned (at Grace’s insistence) double what she herself had been paid. Plus, they promised her a cottage when the dowager finally expired. The very same one Thomas had given to her so many years earlier. Grace smiled to herself and continued writing, telling Amelia this and that – all those funny little anecdotes mothers loved to share. Mary looked like a squirrel with her front tooth missing. And little Oliver, only eighteen months old, had skipped crawling entirely, going straight from the oddest belly-scoot to full-fledged running. Already they’d lost him twice in the hedgerow maze. I do miss you, dear Amelia. You must promise to visit this summer. You know how marvelous Lincolnshire is when all the flowers are in bloom. And of course – â€Å"Grace?† It was Jack, suddenly back in her doorway. â€Å"I missed you,† he explained. â€Å"In the last five minutes?† He stepped inside, closed the door. â€Å"It doesn’t take long.† â€Å"You are incorrigible.† But she set down her pen. â€Å"It does seem to serve me well,† he murmured, stepping around the desk. He took her hand and tugged her gently to her feet. â€Å"And you, too.† Grace fought the urge to groan. Only Jack would say such a thing. Only Jack would – She let out a yelp as his lips – Well, suffice to say, only Jack would do that. Oh. And that. She melted into him. And absolutely that†¦ How to cite The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twenty-one, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Ethical Dilemma in Construction Industry for Ethical Practices

Question: Discuss about theEthical Dilemma in Construction Industry for Ethical Practices. Answer: Introduction Ethics says that a wrong thing can never be done in a right way. In the industrial world, an unethical practice has always ended up in a courtroom. One of the biggest scam on ethics happened with Enron in America in the last decade, for which the company ceased to exist. The construction industry in the world is also affected by unethical practices (Chalker and Loosemore 2016). A new study on the Survey of Construction Industry Ethical Practices has been found that, the people in this industry consider the unauthorized use of supplies and equipment, and improper reporting of the actual cost as the unethical practices (Parson 2014). The following report addresses the ethical dilemma in construction industry and its solutions. Ethical problems in construction industry The problem of ethics in the construction industry can exist in any step of the businesses, starting from bidding for a project to manage the supplies to delivering a final project. To maintain the loyal customers and the ability to gain and retain the customers is heavily dependent on the ethical practices by the company. The degree of integrity and trustworthiness in conducting business measures the ethical behavior of any construction company. Payment and bidding are two practices where the maximum instances of unethical behavior of the company occur (Abdul-Rahman, Hanid and Yap 2014). A construction project starts with either negotiation or open bidding for a project. In the government funded projects, there is always open bidding for it. During bidding, the constructors must estimate the cost of it, add the indirect costs and expected profit, and present a final expected cost. In this process, a company might get involved in unethical practices, such as, manipulating the cost to get the project. Sometimes two or more companies come together and determine the price to be asked. This eliminates the fair chance of others to win the job. In the bid shopping, a contractor takes the estimated bid from the subcontractor and suppliers and present in during the auction (Shapiro and Stefkovich 2016). Another highly unethical practice is that, many times, a contractor shows the bid of one subcontractor to the other in order to get a lower bid. It forces a subcontractor illegally out of the process. When this is found out, a contractor loses the trusts of the industry (Kelly 2014). Sometimes, in a bidding conference, one contractor may be able to see the bid of another due to poor quality of the specs. He then lowers its price to an unavoidable level and gets the job. Later on, he asks more money as extras. This practice is highly disregarded in the construction industry and the trustworthiness of the contractor gets lost (Wang 2013). Again, sometimes a construction company manages to get some inside information that helps it get an advantage in the bidding area. This is called smart bidding. In this the company knows something better than the competitors and gains the benefits of that. However, if the company gets the information from any insider, then it is an unethical practice to rule out other companies and this practice is considered as highly unethical. In this context, the above mentioned survey has found out that, 61% of the people believe that the cost of the projects gets affected due to unethical practices. It is also found that 58% people agreed that in the meetings, the discussion on ethics never come up. This seems to be the possible major cause of this problem. The survey has also found out that, 94% people consider the divulgence of solicited bids to gain advantage as unethical. However, the competition in this industry and the existence of bad practices force the companies to be in position, where they think about adopting this practice. However, according to James Gill, Jr., a lawyer and professor of construction law and ethics at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, the ethical practices in the bid shopping have different perspectives. What an owner finds ethical, might be unethical for the subcontractors (Parson 2014). During a house shopping, the customers always tend to go for the best prices; however, they are not concerned about the process of price determination. The suppliers also expect the customers to look around but the subcontractors do not want them to divulge their prices to other subcontractors (Chalker and Loosemore 2016). Solutions The construction companies should always follow the Code of Ethical Conduct of the industry. This code covers topics like policy statement, definitions, and standards of conduct on various aspects, such employment, safety, non discrimination, environment, antitrust policies etc. The antitrust policies include code of conduct on price fixing, bid rigging, claims, market division etc. (Neuman and Robson 2014) The people in this industry, i.e. owners, construction managers, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier and employees, all should follow the code of ethical conduct in the business. The penalties should be made more strict to discourage people to adopt the unethical practices. The ethical consideration is a relative subject. The principles of people direct the sense of ethics in life and business. Hence, the understanding of ethical practices differs. However, the companies should follow the general rules of ethics. They should maintain honesty and integrity, try to retain th e customers by maintaining fair practices, do not get involve in getting the inside information to gain an advantage during bidding and should refrain from indulging in any other unfair practices, which gets other contractors out of the bidding game. It would help the companies to maintain their trustworthiness in the industry and among the customers, which is beneficial in the long run for the business (Shin et al. 2015). Conclusion It can be concluded that, the construction industry has been affected by unfair practices for a long time. The rivalry in the industry is high and maintaining fair practices has lowered the profits of the construction companies. The need to survive in the industry and greed for profit has pushed the companies to adopt the unethical practices. However, to gain and maintain trusts and benefit in the long run, the companies should stay away from adopting the unethical practices. References Abdul-Rahman, H., Hanid, M. and Yap, X.W., 2014. Does professional ethics affect quality of constructiona case in a developing economy?.Total Quality Management Business Excellence,25(3-4), pp.235-248. Chalker, M. and Loosemore, M., 2016. Trust and productivity in Australian construction projects: a subcontractor perspective.Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management,23(2), pp.192-210. Kelly, D., 2014. Legal, Ethical, and Practical Considerations of Postbid Negotiations in the Award of Building Construction Subcontracts.Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction,8(4), p.B6514001. Neuman, W.L. and Robson, K., 2014.Basics of social research. Pearson Canada. Parson, E., 2014.The Construction Industry's Ethical Dilemma. [online] Electrical Construction Maintenance (ECM) Magazine. Available at: https://www.ecmweb.com/content/construction-industrys-ethical-dilemma [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017]. Shapiro, J.P. and Stefkovich, J.A., 2016.Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge. Shin, Y., Sung, S.Y., Choi, J.N. and Kim, M.S., 2015. Top management ethical leadership and firm performance: Mediating role of ethical and procedural justice climate.Journal of Business Ethics,129(1), pp.43-57. Wang, X., 2013. The construction of researcherresearched relationships in school ethnography: Doing research, participating in the field and reflecting on ethical dilemmas.International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education,26(7), pp.763-779.

Friday, November 29, 2019

10 Facts You Didnt Know About Sicily

10 Facts You Didn't Know About Sicily Population: 5,050,486 (2010 estimate)Capital: PalermoArea: 9,927 square miles (25,711 sq km)Highest Point: Mount Etna at 10,890 feet (3,320 m) Sicily is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Politically, Sicily and the smaller islands surrounding it are considered an autonomous region of Italy. The island is known for its rugged, volcanic topography, history, culture,  and architecture. The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about Sicily: Geography Facts About Sicily Sicily has a long history that dates back to ancient times. It is believed that the earliest inhabitants of the island were the Sicani people around 8,000 B.C.E. Around 750 B.C.E, the Greeks began to form settlements on Sicily and the culture of the native peoples of the island gradually shifted. The most important area of Sicily at this time was the Greek colony of Syracuse which controlled most of the island. The Greek-Punic wars then began in 600 B.C.E as the Greeks and Carthaginians fought for control of the island. In 262 B.C.E, Greece and the Roman Republic began to make peace and by 242 B.C.E, Sicily was a Roman province.Control of Sicily then shifted through various empires and people throughout the Early Middle Ages. Some of these included the Germanic Vandals, the Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans. In 1130 C.E., the island became the Kingdom of Sicily and it was known as one of the richest states in Europe at the time. In 1262, Sicilian locals rose up against the government in the War of the Sicilian Vespers which lasted until 1302. More revolts occurred in the 17th century and by the mid-1700s, the island was taken over by Spain. In the 1800s, Sicily joined the Napoleonic Wars and for a time after the wars, it was unified with Naples as the Two Sicilies. In 1848, a revolution took place which separated Sicily from Naples and gave it independence. In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Expedition of the Thousand took control of Sicily and the island became a part of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1946, Italy became a republic and Sicily became an autonomous region.The economy of Sicily is relatively strong due to its very fertile, volcanic soil. It also has a long, hot growing season, making agriculture the primary industry on the island. The main agricultural products of Sicily are citrons, oranges, lemons, olives, olive oil, almonds, and grapes. In addition, wine is also a major part of Sicily’s economy. Other industries in Sicily include processed food, chemicals, petroleum, fertilizer, textiles, ships, leather goods, and forest products.In addition to its agriculture and other industries, tourism plays a major role in Sicily’s economy. Tourists often visit the island because of its mild climate, history, culture,  and cuisine. Sicily is also home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These sites include the Archaeo logical Area of Agrigento, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Aeolian Islands, the Late Baroque Towns of the Val de Noto, and Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica. Throughout its history, Sicily has been influenced by a variety of different cultures, including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Saracens,  and Spanish. As a result of these influences, Sicily has a diverse culture, as well as diverse architecture and cuisine. As of 2010, Sicily had a population of 5,050,486 and the majority of the people on the island identify themselves as Sicilian.Sicily is a large, triangular island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from the mainland of Italy by the Strait of Messina. At their closest points, Sicily and Italy are separated by just 2 miles (3 km) in the northern part of the strait, while in the southern part the distance between the two is 10 miles (16 km). Sicily has an area of 9,927 square miles (25,711 sq km). The autonomous region of Sicily also includes the Aegadian Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria, and Lampedusa.Most of Sicily’s topography is hilly to rugged and wherever possible, the land is dominated by a griculture. There are mountains along Sicily’s northern coast, and the island’s highest point, Mount Etna, stands at 10,890 feet (3,320 m) on its eastern coast. Sicily and its surrounding islands are home to a number of active volcanoes. Mount Etna is a very active, having last erupted in 2011. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe. The islands surrounding Sicily are also home to a number of active and dormant volcanoes, including Mount Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands.The climate of Sicily is considered Mediterranean. As such, it has mild, wet winters, and hot, dry summers. Sicily’s capital Palermo has a January average low temperature of 47ËšF (8.2ËšC) and an August average high temperature of 84ËšF (29ËšC).

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Tradition And Authority Around The World Circa 1688

Every culture in the world of 1688 had it’s own distinct social traditions. These traditions affected everyday life as well as politics and commerce. The traditions and customs of these societies had been shaped for centuries, some for millennia. These customs dictated how people worshipped, how their governments were set up, and how they conducted business. These deep-rooted traditions set the stage for many confrontations and blending of beliefs to take place all over the world. The different religious traditions around the globe have been an enormous factor in the shaping of our world today. There have been countless wars over differences in religious beliefs throughout earth’s history. Take the crusades for example, millions of Christian and Muslim faithful died because they both believed Jerusalem was their holy city. The clash between followers of Islam and Christianity was still around in 1688, and is definitely still around today. The funny thing is that both religions are very similar in that they are both monotheistic, they have some holy places in common, similar beliefs, and the Quran even has some of the same characters as the Bible does. Even within these two religions there were quarrels about beliefs, in Islam between the Shi’ite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, In Christianity between Catholics and Protestants. Western Europe was basically torn apart between these different Christian beliefs. France was a stronghold for Catholi cism around 1688, banning all other religions, whereas the Netherlands was very tolerant of different beliefs. England was probably affected the most by this clash in religions. The court of James II was a staunch supporter of Catholicism, while the majority of the people in England were Protestant. This is why William of Orange, a protestant, had such an easy time capturing the throne of England for himself. There was also religious conflict at this time going on in India. Whe... Free Essays on Tradition And Authority Around The World Circa 1688 Free Essays on Tradition And Authority Around The World Circa 1688 Every culture in the world of 1688 had it’s own distinct social traditions. These traditions affected everyday life as well as politics and commerce. The traditions and customs of these societies had been shaped for centuries, some for millennia. These customs dictated how people worshipped, how their governments were set up, and how they conducted business. These deep-rooted traditions set the stage for many confrontations and blending of beliefs to take place all over the world. The different religious traditions around the globe have been an enormous factor in the shaping of our world today. There have been countless wars over differences in religious beliefs throughout earth’s history. Take the crusades for example, millions of Christian and Muslim faithful died because they both believed Jerusalem was their holy city. The clash between followers of Islam and Christianity was still around in 1688, and is definitely still around today. The funny thing is that both religions are very similar in that they are both monotheistic, they have some holy places in common, similar beliefs, and the Quran even has some of the same characters as the Bible does. Even within these two religions there were quarrels about beliefs, in Islam between the Shi’ite Muslims and Sunni Muslims, In Christianity between Catholics and Protestants. Western Europe was basically torn apart between these different Christian beliefs. France was a stronghold for Catholi cism around 1688, banning all other religions, whereas the Netherlands was very tolerant of different beliefs. England was probably affected the most by this clash in religions. The court of James II was a staunch supporter of Catholicism, while the majority of the people in England were Protestant. This is why William of Orange, a protestant, had such an easy time capturing the throne of England for himself. There was also religious conflict at this time going on in India. Whe...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Develop an applicant attraction strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Develop an applicant attraction strategy - Essay Example Disability programs are designed to recruit persons with disabilities because they do have full rights to apply to any position. Another recruiting program is the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (Evans, Glover, & Wilson, 2007). This program provides a linkage between employers and students who have just completed their secondary school or have graduated with degrees, these students are normally disabled are ready to prove that their disability is not inability; they have zeal to put their learned skills into practice. JR Smith can adopt a post military employment program where they will establish training centers exclusive for them. The firm should indicate on their advertisement that they will offer incentives to persons who shall be recruited (Evans, Glover, & Wilson, 2007). Trainings and medical covers should include part of the incentives the target group will automatically benefit from. Flexible working hours should be included in the advert for the target group. The firm should reiterate that biasness against gender, race or disabilities shall not arise in the process of recruiting so that a massive number of people can be attracted. It is essential for the recruiting firm to put in mind that those exiting from military may not have enough experience in areas dealt with in JR Smith consultancy firm (Foster, 2003). Therefore, there is the need to establish a favorable training program for them so that they can asquint themselves. Most of them are old; therefore, it is crucial to take them sl ow, and be run through trainings that interest them. JR Smith firm will benefit greatly from training the newly recruited employees because they will have less energy directed towards supervision, fewer errors in duty delivery will be encountered; therefore, productivity and efficiency will increase. The new recruits will have a proper understanding of the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Reading assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading - Assignment Example Raustilia and Sprigman discount statistical provisions by proponents of Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) who are poignant that the US economy forfeits at least 200 billion dollars and 750,000 US job vacancies every year. Raustilia and Sprigman argue that there is no lucidity in these figures, since the job vacancy figures double the number of employees who got enrolled in the filming industry in 2010. Raustilia and Sprigman also quote Tim Lee who argues that it is not unusual for statistics to be punctuated with estimations, double and triple counting. The same duo continues that at times, piracy can substitute for legitimate transactions, and may therefore not be bad. The same also contend that piracy may also trigger the saving of more money, and the economic relevance of increased savings may not be sidestepped (Raustilia and Sprigman, 1). However, on a personal standpoint, the opinions that Raustilia and Sprigman advance seem less plausible, logically and e thically sound, as shall be seen in the discussion that ensue forthwith. In the first place, piracy in itself is a crime, being a form of copyright infringement. This is because, like any other form of piracy, P2P file sharing program infringes copyright laws by copying and distributing a recording company and an artiste’s work without the consent of both. In this light, the Copyright Act of 1909 exists and is in force, even though more strictness is attributed to written work. Conversely, had piracy been attributed as a less injurious crime or as a tolerable and beneficial undertaking as Raustilia and Sprigman opine, then there would be no need of forming institutions and agencies which guard against piracy. Of particular concern is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as a powerful lobby group which represents the recording industry and favors stricter laws and heavier punishments for those who pirate music. RIAA is poignant that since 2002, music revenue ha s plummeted by 7% as the sales of CDs receded from 882 million to 803 million units. RIAA is also specific that the information immediately above showed that three times as more CDs were shared via P2P than the CDs that had been bought. It is obvious that this trend must have cost music producers and artistes. Furthermore, Gorski points out that doing away with the provisions and enforcement of Title 17 of Sections 501 and 506 of the United States Code is bound to create a very confused and lawless situation which may override the gains that Raustilia and Sprigman taut as reasons that legitimize music piracy. Title 17 of Sections 501 and 506 of the United States Code states that it is illegal to create copies of another person’s creative work. It is at this point that gives the federal law the mandate to protect artistes from unlawful and unauthorized reproduction, distribution and transmission of copyrighted material. It is against this backdrop that several people and compa nies have in times past been subjected to legal suits because of music piracy through the use of P2P file sharing. The same has also led to five year jail terms and an imposition of fines totaling 250,000 US dollars (Gorski, 161). As if all the above is not enough, the No Electronic Theft Law (NET Act) prescribes copyright violations which

Monday, November 18, 2019

Case 1-3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case 1-3 - Assignment Example Consumer behavior can be applied in the personal life experiences in relation to the preferences and choices. Basically, they apply in those products that we tend to buy over and over again without much thought about the other competitive similar products in the market. It is also related to the willingness of a consumer to switch to another brand or stick to a particular brand over the ages. This is even shown by the rejection of other brands that may have been introduced by the same company as a mode of improvement of the initial and established brand (Costanzo, 2012). 2. Although the same consumers that purchase goods and services are humans, there is a great difference in their actions and conducts in relation to the preferences and modes of selection. Since the consumer behaviors involve the use, disposal and reuse of goods and services, it is a representation of the many facets of human behavior. There are thus several features that are related in both human behavior and consumer behavior. For instance, personality and the social class play a vital role in determining how both humans and consumers behave. Thus it is the principles of human psychology such as scarcity, authority and consistency that shape consumer behavior. Human beings in general have the tendency to choose from what is offered in life. However, on the other hand, consumers tend to choose what they want because most of the time they are the bosses who make the decisions on what they want for themselves. In this sense, human behavior can change from time to time. Nonetheless, consumer behavior is more of permanent and takes a lot of effort to change. Another difference is that consumer behavior is based on perception, learning and personality while human behavior is based on availability. 3. There are a number of factors that would have led to the failure on the introduction part of the New coke and the OK coke. One of the major factors would have been the need to

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Buddhist Philosophy of No-Abiding Self

Buddhist Philosophy of No-Abiding Self Outline and discuss the Buddhist philosophy of no-abiding-self (anatman). What is rebirth if there is no soul being reborn? In the first noble truths, Buddha taught that suffering or dukkha exist in our lives. The Buddhas teachings are simply a path way to enlightenment (?) so that the suffering can end all together. to become enlighten is to wake up to the true reality of things so that one can see who they really are in the deepest levels. It is at that moment when the realization of selfishness takes place and all the suffering falls away. When someone is not enlighten, then their current understanding of the world and who they really are, does not match the reality. Because of this confusion, suffering takes place. Unless one is enlighten, then this person will continue to identify with the wrong version of their self. There is this sense of duality in the world of the notion of me and I. From this notion people tend to create all of their attachments such as my house or my family. This way of thinking and perception springs all human feels; desires and aversions. Where does the idea of self, derive from? When Buddha was asked about I he said, in paraphrasing, where is this I? Point it for me. (Reference) Buddha wanted to make his followers this notion of the self. Are we our names, for instance? Often times, individuals can feel compromised by the existence of another person having the same name as themselves. Does that mean that we can only exist in our body? Our body constantly changes. The body a person has when they are 80 years old is not the same as the body they had when they were new born. So how can the body constitute a permanent self? Individuals derive to this sense of self due to rapid interplay of many physical and mental processes. The Buddha explained that everyone has five aggregates that work together to form the sense of self (Boisvert, 1995).In Sanskrit these five aggregates are called skandhas (Boisvert, 1995: 17).The five aggregates consist of form, consciousness, feelings, perceptions and mental formations (Boisvert, 19 95: 4). They all work in combination to each other. Because they seem to work so simultaneously it is easy to incorrectly identify with these aggregates as they are constituting our permanent and unchanging self. However, the Buddha pointed out that it is our identification with these aggregates that is creating this illusion of permanence and as long as we continue to cling to these as being who we are we will continue to suffer(Boisvert, 1995: 8).REBIRTH The first aggregate is form or matter (Boisvert, 1995).This includes the four great elements; earth, water, fire and air (including all the forms; internal and external, which are derived from these elements such as the physical body) (Gethin, 1998: 140). The Buddha wanted to draw our attention to the six sense organs; eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body(Gethin, 1998: 140). When these are working properly they can detect the five sense-objects; visible form, sound, odour, taste, and tangible things(Gethin, 1998: 150-153).The coming together of sense-organ and sense-object, allows the corresponding sense-consciousness to arise (Gethin, 1998: 150-153).For instance, if the eye sense-organ meets with the visible object, then eye-consciousness arises. It is this arising of the consciousness which allows us to become aware of the presence of that sense-object(Gethin, 1998: 150-153). One the eye-consciousness arise, it forms an interaction between the sense-organ and the sense-object and thi s allows us to become aware of the presence of the object(Gethin, 1998: 150-153). Once we have the consciousness of an object, then this allows for the other aggregates to arise. The aggregate of feeling refers to feelings that arise from eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and intellect-contact (Gethin, 1998: 215-218).There are three kinds of feelings we might experience; pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings (Gethin, 1998: 212-214). So it is from the contact of the sense-organs, the sense-objects and the sense-consciousness that these feelings can arise and these sensations van be either enjoyed, disliked, or be neutral. Then there is the aggregate of perception, which is what identifies what it has been noted by the relevant consciousness (Boisvert, 1995: 46)This allows an individual to recognize it, label it and categorize it. Thus, this aggregate allows one to stop making sense of the world because up until this point, the aggregates could only perceive things but not give it any meaning (Boisvert, 1995: 46-47). For instance; when drinking coffee, through the contact of the tongue, one is able to taste the coffee. Thus, the tongue-consciousness can perceive the taste of flavour. For the aggregate of feeling, in this example, the sensation might be quite pleasant because of the coffees warmness and flavour. Then this becomes the aggregate of perception which actually recognizes the liquid as coffee, because it fits into the pre-digested mental categories of what the properties of coffee should be like. With the aggregate of perception an individual is able to identify the stimuli around them (Boisv ert, 1995: 46-47). The last aggregate is mental formations and fabrications(Reference). This aggregate indicates that each individual has different ways they can react to a sense-object and develop different feelings and perceptions of it(Boisvert, 1995: 49). As the name suggests, this aggregate is interests in the ways an individual can initially react on a mental level, even before this person follows through with some behaviours of speech, body and mind(Boisvert, 1995: 48-50). This aggregate is interested in all the wholesome and unwholesome intensions or impulses that arrive in relations of what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel and think(Boisvert, 1995: 48-50, 214) These intentions arise before we react with our body, speech or mind. In Buddhism, they refer to these intentions as the karma seeds(Gethin, 1998: 214)These actions have the power of bring happiness or suffering. We can make our own choices. But there is no concept of sin as there is in the Christian belied. They believe that unskilful c hoices can lead to bad karma, while skilful choices can lead to good karma(Gethin, 1998: 214)Perhaps, one of the most important point of this aggregate is that this is where human habits of mind are created (Gethin, 1998: 154). This is where individuals develop all their ideas, opinions, and prejudices about things and people, as well as all of their compulsions(Gethin, 1998: 153- 154). So this aggregate really determines whether one develops positive qualities of the mind or not. This is where individuals can shape their mental habits and the person they want to become. The five aggregates show that the interactions to people or situations in life are not immediate or automatic. There is a process involved where the individual is not at the mercy of their feelings or thoughts. There is a choice in how to respond to everything. This is a very liberating concept because if individuals can develop enough mindfulness to recognize their impulses or intentions as they arise, they can then learn to replace them with more wholesome ones and they can decide whether they actually act out on them or not. They can decide whether they will verbally abuse someone who insulted them or whether they can practice patience in a challenging situation. Essentially, individuals can decide what karma they create and whether they move towards enlightenment or not. Mindfulness is the quality that initially allows us to depersonalize the aggregates (Reference). So a person will not say the thought as being his/hers thought but simply he/she can say a thought is a thought. It is a phenomenon they can choose to entertain or not. With this perspective, thoughts are nothing more than an identity that arises and passes away (Reference). This brings a lot of lightness to our thoughts. There is no need to allow ourselves to get caught up in them anymore and get stuck on certain thoughts. Instead individuals can become dispassionate and objective observes and they will be able to remain calm and peaceful when thoughts arise whether they are wholesome or unwholesome ones (Gethin, 1998: 214). Getting back to what the teaching on the five aggregates mean in the of no self or anatman; the Buddha explained that these five aggregates are the basic elements of a person and they are in the state of continual change (Reference). For instance, an unpleasant feeli ng passes away to give rise to a pleasant feeling. One moment of consciousness is replaced by a different consciousness based on a different sense-organ. Of these aggregates, none of them can stand alone or constitute a permanent self because they are in a state of constant change. Every moment the sense-organs come into contact with the sense-object. These four processes of consciousness of sense, feeling, perception, and mental formation, occur with lightning speed, and because it happens so fast it gives the appearance of continuity and that of an unchanging entity (Reference). So it is because of the combination of these aggregates working together that there is the sense and idea of permanence and permanent I and it is conveniently labelled as self. Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, Fully released. He discerns that Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world. (Reference) The Buddha was saying that once one realizes that he/she is not their thoughts, feelings or perceptions, then the individual will no longer continue to cling to them and will finally be liberated from their self-limiting views. It is all of the self-grasping that creates our suffering. All the misconceptions and the mental stories that individuals built on them, they bring out a lot of suffering. It then becomes possible to live in the world with greater lightness of being and ease. It is within that space of peace and tranquillity that best decisions can be made. When he Buddha became enlighten, he did not just vanish into thin air; he still had his body, his speech ad his mind (Reference). He just did not identify with his aggregates as possessive things ad as permanent entities. When speaking to a monk named Bahuna, the Buddha explained: Freed, dissociated, released from ten things, Bahuna, the Tahagata dwells with unrestricted awareness. Which ten? Freed, dissociated, and released from form the Tahagata dwells with unrestricted awareness. Freed, dissociated, and released from feeling from perception.. from fabrications from consciousness from birth from aging from death from suffering and stress Freed, dissociated, and released from defilement, the Tathagata dwells wit unrestricted awareness. Just as a red, blue, or white lotus born in the water and growing in the water, rises up above the water and stands with no water adhering to tit, in the same way the Tathagata freed, dissociated and released from these ten things dwells with unrestricted awareness. (Reference) Once an individual is freed from the contains he/she identifies with, the five aggregates, the Buddha is saying that there is still an unrestricted awareness that remains (Reference). There is some kind of consciousness and cognition that experiences. This consciousness that is without feature and without end does not rely to any of the six-organs and continues to be experienced when the six-sense stop function (Reference). However, even this unrestricted awareness is not something one can pin down at any moment and say that this is my permanent self, because it is constantly in a state of change. If we are not our bodies, our names, our thoughts and our feeling, then what are we? Buddha explained that when there is no clinging of these five aggregates the what remains is an unrestricted awareness that is luminous all around. The concept of anatman and selflessness are linked with these five aggregates of form, consciousness feelings, perceptions, and mental formations in which individuals wrongly identify with as being who they are. When an individual has the realization of selflessness then there is freedom that comes with is because he/she are no longer confined to their limited views of who they are and nor are they grasping anything as being an extension of themselves, so they can let go of their need to cling to possessions or even people in their lives. In fact, individuals will appreciate everything more and in a much more freed way. Citations: Boisvert, M. (1995). The five aggregates. 1st ed. Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: Published for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion by Wilfrid Laurier University Press. LOOK AT CHPATER 2 6 Gethin, R. (1998). Foundations of Buddhism. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

My Life :: essays research papers

To be given the chance to play little league was one of the greatest times of my life. I played little league for four years, and every year I made the all-star team. My best friend and I played on every regular season team and every all-star team together. The final game of our career was unforgettable. It had been 4 years of great enjoyment with my best friend, Cody Smith. We always clowned around in practice, but when the game would start we had a high intensity. Cody would pitch, and I would play second base. When he wasn’t pitching, I would, and he would play third base. We were the top players in little league, or so we thought. Our all-star team had made it to the championship of our state tournament. Before our team took the field our coach John Zamouski gave us a talk. He said, â€Å"Well men, we’ve came a long way. Today’s the day we’ve all practiced so hard for, but I want to have fun with it. Lets treat this like every other game we have won. You’re all winners, win or lose. I want you all to know that I feel privileged to have coached such a fine bunch of men. So lets go out and play this game as hard as you can. What do you say, lets go have FUN.† We all got up and yelled, â€Å"YEA.† â€Å"Let’s play hard.† â€Å"Yea† As we all got more pumped up. â€Å"Who are we?† â€Å"N.I.† As we got more loud and more intense. Coach said, â€Å"Bring it in. Win on 3. One, two, three† as we all yelled together â€Å"WIN.† As I ran on to that field I recalled all the practicing I had done, and I knew I owed most of it to my father. He started me throwing and hitting when I was about four-years-old. As my passion grew more and more I wanted to go practice all the time. So I would ask my father to practice with me. Even though my father was tired or in the middle of a good TV show he would practice with me. I remembered my father sitting on an old milk crate while I pitched to him. This made me chuckle a little because I would throw a low wild pitch on accident that would hit him in the legs, but he kept positive. Cody was pitching a 3 hitter and I was playing well too. The score kept going back and forth. There were a lot of errors because the field was all dirt and

Monday, November 11, 2019

Vans Shoes History

Vans Off the Wall Vans Inc. is a prosperous company, which manufactures shoes and apparel. The company was formerly known as Van Doren Rubber Company, Inc. and changed its name to Vans, Inc. in 1991. Since the beginning, Vans Inc. has strived for popularity in snowboarding shoes and skateboarding sneakers to try to keep up with the fast growing and extreme sport cultures. Paul Van Doren started the company in the United States in March 1966. The company began to manufacture shoes in the first Vans retail store located in Anaheim, CA.With such a prosperous beginning in history, the shoes that continue to be manufactured could be defined as one of the leading shoes for the skateboarding industries. The reputation of the shoe itself has lead the skating industry in a revolutionary and unexpected way since 1966 up until this year with much future to come. The shoes have its unique style with its signature waffle sole that has made an impact with the youth. Differently from its current co mpetitors in the skating industry, vans shoes have a unique sense of style by using canvas material, making the shoes more durable than the competition.Along with the use of canvas material, comes the options of variable designs and colors to fulfill the need of the young customers. The shoes come in a variable combination of color hues and stitching designs. For more than 46 years Vans footwear has been at the heart of skateboarding from the classic Vans canvas shoes to their technical skate shoes. Vans define individual style that is an excellent match for skateboarders around the world who practice the sport. Being a productive business, Vans Inc. has a broad market around all the states in the U. S and more around 50 countries around the world.The Business Week website briefly describes the company's target market by stating, â€Å"Vans, Inc. operates as a branded lifestyle company for the youth market. It reaches its 10 to 24 year-old target consumers through the sponsorship o f core sports, such as skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and wakeboarding, as well as through major entertainment events and venues, such as the VANS Triple Crown Series, VANS Warped Tour, VANS World Amateur Skateboarding Championships, and VANS High Cascade Snowboard Camp, located on Mt. Hood. † BusinessWeek describes how the company uses different types of edia to reach the youth community. The company has gained a lot of popularity with their shoes and gaining it not only among skaters, but also among all the teenagers. Many of their customers are appealed by the shoes because of the designs rather than its use. Vans Inc. , according to Hoovers. com who have researched the company, say the biggest competitors are Nike, Converse and Adidas. Vans Inc sponsors well known events that involve extreme sports such as competitions, skateboard parks, and music events to invite them to push the brand’s â€Å" Vans Off The Wall† slogan. Following the look that Vans I nc. s trying to achieve, many consumers would believe that the business would only be focused towards men. Contrary to this idea, the Funding Universe website talks about the focus Vans Inc. has now placed on female products. Funding universe reports that the company also responded by introducing a complete line of women's outdoor shoes. Making these types of changes made the company also gain popularity and increased the target market. With such changes, young mothers with their kids would purchase their shoes at the same time as they would purchase the shoes of their kids.With the extend of the market now including men, women, boys and girls, the company has a step ahead of the competition by allowing to have a more extended selection for all the family. Works Cited Burritt, Chrus, and Lauren Coleman. â€Å"VF’s Vans Unit to Add Athletic Shoes to Challenge Nike. † Bloomberg Businessweek. N. p. , 14 June 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Vans, Inc. Competition. † Vans, Inc. Names of Competitors. Hoovers, 02 May 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"VANS INC (VANS) SPO. † NASDAQ. com. NasDaq, 20 Nov. 2009. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. .

Friday, November 8, 2019

Word Choice Each vs. Every - Writing Tips with Proofed

Word Choice Each vs. Every - Writing Tips with Proofed Word Choice: Each vs. Every â€Å"Each† and â€Å"every† are both determiners. They also both refer to something as singular. They are even interchangeable in some cases! As such, it’s not surprising that people mix them up sometimes. However, these terms also have slightly different uses, so you need to be careful to avoid errors. Each vs. Every (Groups of Three or More Things) Both of these terms can be used to refer to a group of people or things. For example: We were told to read each book on the list. We were told to read every book on the list. In this case, both sentences imply reading all of the books on the list. The only difference is that â€Å"each† makes us think of reading the books one by one, while â€Å"every† makes us think of them collectively. But this only works when the group comprises three or more things. And the difference between these terms becomes obvious if we apply them to a group of two things. Each vs. Every (Two Things) If you are referring to two people or things, the word you will need is â€Å"each†: He had an apple in each hand. âÅ"“ He had an apple in every hand. âÅ"â€" The first sentence here implies that someone is holding two apples. The second sentence, by comparison, suggests that we’re dealing with some kind of many-handed octopus man. Or possibly a Hindu deity. Every vs. All Since it is used for larger groups, â€Å"every† is like the word â€Å"all† in that both terms refer to a group of three or more things collectively. However, â€Å"every† is only ever used with singular countable nouns, while â€Å"all† is used with plural nouns or uncountable nouns: Every alpaca deserves a hug. All alpacas deserve a hug. If we compare the sentences above, we can see the differences: â€Å"every† is used with a singular noun and a singular verb; â€Å"all† is used with a plural noun and plural verb. So while thinking of â€Å"every† as a synonym for â€Å"all† can be helpful, you still need to combine it with singular terms. Hug me! Each and Every? Finally, a quick note on the phrase â€Å"each and every.† Some people combine these terms as a form of emphasis when referring to larger groups. This is fine, but it is technically a redundant expression. You should not therefore use â€Å"each and every† in formal writing (e.g., a college paper).

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Evolutionary Psychology - Evolution Definition

Evolutionary Psychology - Evolution Definition Evolutionary psychology is a relatively new scientific discipline that looks at how human nature has evolved over time as a series of built up psychological adaptations. Many evolutionary biologists and other scientists are still reluctant to recognize evolutionary psychology as a valid science. Much like Charles Darwins ideas about natural selection, evolutionary psychology focuses on how favorable adaptations of human nature are selected for over less favorable adaptations. In the scope of psychology, these adaptations could be in the form of emotions or problem-solving skills. Evolutionary psychology is related to both macroevolution in the sense that it looks at how the human species, especially the brain, has changed over time, and it is also rooted in the ideas attributed to microevolution. These microevolutionary topics include changes at the gene level of DNA. Attempting to link the discipline of psychology to the theory of evolution via biological evolution is the aim of evolutionary psychology. In particular, evolutionary psychologists study how the human brain has evolved. The different regions of the brain control different parts of human nature and the physiology of the body. Evolutionary psychologists believe that the brain evolved in response to solving very specific problems. The Six Core Principles of Evolutionary Psychology The discipline of Evolutionary Psychology was founded on six core principles that combine a traditional understanding of psychology along with evolutionary biology ideas of how the brain functions. These principles are as follows:​​ The human brains purpose is to process information, and in doing so, it produces responses to both external and internal stimuli.The human brain adapted and has undergone both natural and sexual selection.The parts of the human brain are specialized to solve problems that occurred over evolutionary time.Modern humans have brains that evolved after problems recurred time and time again over long periods of time.Most of the human brains functions are done unconsciously. Even problems that seem easy to solve take very intricate neural responses at an unconscious level.Many very specialized mechanisms make up the whole of human psychology. All of these mechanisms together create human nature. Areas of Evolutionary Psychology Research The theory of evolution lends itself to several areas where psychological adaptations must occur in order for species to develop. The first is basic survival skills like consciousness, responding to stimuli, learning, and motivation. Emotions and personality also fall into this category, although their evolution is much more complex than basic instinctual survival skills. The use of language is also linked as a survival skill on the evolutionary scale within psychology. Another major area of evolutionary psychology research is the propagation of the species or mating. Based on observations of other species in their natural environments, the evolutionary psychology of human mating tends to lean toward the idea that females are more selective in their partners than males. Since males are instinctively wired spread their seed to any available female, the male human brain has evolved to be less selective than that of the female. The last major area of evolutionary psychology research centers on human interaction with other humans. This large research area includes research into parenting, interactions within families and relations, interactions with people that are not related and the combination of similar ideas to establish a culture. Emotions and language greatly influence these interactions, as does geography. Interactions occur more frequently among people living in the same area, which eventually leads to the creation of a specific culture that evolves based on immigration and emigration in the area.