Sustainability and ethics course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Sustainability and ethics course - Essay Example It has maintained a steady growth with respect to net margin and other financial indicators. Nissan requires acquiring a detailed idea about the threats and weaknesses that it might face and possess while operating efficiently in the global automotive industry. In terms of findings, it can be noted that the management team of Nissan is efficiently working towards collecting feedbacks from its stakeholders by arranging conferences, making direct dialogues and interviewing among others. It can be affirmed that by adopting and executing effective strategies, the company can overcome its weaknesses and mitigate the threats that arise during the conduct of various operations. It is projected that such strategies will contribute into enabling the company to reap several significant benefits and derive positive outcomes. Nissan is regarded as a multinational business organisation operating in the worldwide automobile industry. Its cars are sold globally under the trade name of â€Å"Nissan†. In 2013, Nissan unveiled its logo under the steel-blue frame, which differentiates itself with its brand (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2014). Nissan has left its mark by creating wide assortment of cars and trucks. It has traded these in the brand name of â€Å"Nissan†, â€Å"Datsun†, â€Å"Infiniti† and â€Å"Nismo.† Presently, it is expanding its operations by conducting an alliance with Renault; a France based automotive company with holding 43.4% share (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2014). Nissan aims to offer innovative products, services and excitement to the customers across the globe wherein it operates. Currently, the company possesses manufacturing outlets in twenty countries and provides service in excess of 160 countries throughout the globe. In offering services worldwide, Nissan has utilized the strategy of embracing diversity to meet the demands of diverse customers and also to accomplish the sustainable growth of its

Answer five questions that explore key concepts, theories, and ideas Assignment

Answer five questions that explore key concepts, theories, and ideas that have been explored in the lectures and in the required readings - Assignment Example Analysis with consideration of a particular point of view is expressed through lightings of the film, sets, colour and the costumes used. In the film All That Heaven Allows, the dependence is on artificial set up that reflects false reality in terms of using the technique of colours. Colours that are used in the film holds, meanings and different moods as brought out in the film. There are a number of possible pleasures that are offered in films as brought out by Laura Mulvey. One pleasure brought out is scopophilia that is practiced by the audience that are watching the film and the characters in the film. According to her, the film screen that is watched by the audience acts as a mirror through which the audience are able to see the fictional bodies of human reflected on the screen. Through this, scopophilic pleasure in Cinemas comes about from using another person as an object of sexual stimulation through the view and identification (Makkai, 2013). In the film; Vertigo, the pleasure is illustrated through the argument that ego of male is split in the case of Scottie who is feminized through the identification that he makes with Judy. In the film, there is no demonstration of active male spectatorship but the pictures of the male spectator and therefore it is revealed that fascination of femininity that throws masculine identity into question and also to crisis. Scottie’s character is brought out under deem lighting and behind objects when he is spying on Madeleine showing a weak male character in the film (Makkai, 2013). Through the theories, there are approaches that are given to theatre as an art and are brought out as self-conscious of its own performativity. The theory also brings theatre as art being a complete turnaround from theatre that is more realistic. He called his approach epic theatre contrary to dramatic theatre that he created (Martin & Bial, 2000). In epic theatre, a

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour Using social psychology theories, discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. What is the evidence for these effects, and how might changes in our society affect the likelihood of people acting prosocially? Introduction Societies strive for more social cohesion and better integration of members in the community, to foster wellbeing; thus it is important to study ways of achieving better interpersonal relationships. Research indicates that some situational factors increase prosocial behaviour in society. According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. â€Å"Prosocial behaviour is voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another. Thus, it includes behaviours such as helping, sharing, or providing comfort to another† (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.1). In addition, Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs (2007) argue that prosocial behaviour is important for the quality of close relationships and interactions with other individuals and groups. People in groups help each other more in time of need or distress, and societies need people to help each other in order to successfully have a healthy and pea ceful society. This essay would explain three social psychology theories; the need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory, and the sociometer theory. These theories would be discuss with research about situational factors that affect the likelihood of prosocial behaviour, and how societies could increase these probabilities. Social Psychology Theories Three psychology theories are examined in order to discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. According to Fiske (2012), these theories are linked with social core motives: these need-to-belong theory is linked to the social need to belong, and reflect the reasons why people want to be part of groups. Secondly, self-categorization theory is related to the social motive of understanding people’s motived for sharing social accounts. Thirdly, sociometer theory is associated with the social motive of self-enhancing where people assert themselves. Need to belong theory Baumeister (2012, 3) claims that humans’ minimum need for forming and maintaining social relationships drives human behaviour, emotion and cognition. The need to belong to groups makes people follow social norms and to act accordingly to social standards, in order to feel accepted and integrated into the community. Several studies observed that excluded people are more likely to engage in aggressive, non-cooperative, and disruptive behaviours. For example, excluded minorities result in less academic performance, more prone for violence and crime, and lack of engagement in prosocial activities (Baumeister, 2012, p.30). Also, Baumeister claims that the government has the duty to make more social connections because of the increasing individualism, decreasing social connections, and continuing small families and relationships. Therefore, the need to belong theory could suggest that people are more likely to act prosocially in order to feel included in the society. Self-categorization theory (SCT) Turner and Reynolds (2012, p.3) clarify that the self-categorization theory explains in what circumstances people perceive themselves as individuals and as members of groups, and its repercussions. Groups change people’s behaviours and attitudes in accordance to expected behaviours in order to maintain their membership in the group. The group impact on member’s attitudes and behaviour depends on the level of internalization of belonging to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.15). The authors suggest that it is possible to change core people’s features by altering the norms, values and beliefs that delineate that particular group. They suggest to use social identities to foment cooperation within subgroups, and deeper integration to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.24). Sociometer theory Sociometer theory claims that people’s actions are based in protecting and increasing their value in relation with others, therefore enhancing the probabilities of acceptance in society (Leary, 2012, p.3). It has been suggested that through evolution human begins have been able to survive because of living in supportive groups. Acceptance and affiliation of these members facilitated natural selection over those members who did not follow the norms nor values of the community, and who were rejected (Leary, 2012, p.12). People with low self-esteem also lower their value in relation with others, and this could lead to depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug problems, and other troublesome behaviours. (Leary, 2012, p.13). In addition, according to the sociometer theory, there are three problems related with dysfunctional behaviours. First, rejection creates negative feelings in people, and foster abnormal interpersonal behaviour, usually creating depression, anxiety, and hostility. Second, people normally strive higher relational value with desirable social means, but rejected people are more prone to be involved with deviant groups because their standards are lower. Third, people ineffectively accepted make distances and devalue themselves in relation with other individuals, and lower their self-esteem, increasing their probabilities to engage in problematic behaviour, such as drug abuse, and violence (Leary, 2012, pp.22-23). Situational Factors and Prosocial Behaviour There are many situational factors that affect how people act prosocially. For example, people are more likely to engage prosocially if the cost of helping is low, if the person is attractive, if there is no one else who could aid, if they are in a good mood, and if they have been exposed to prosocial models (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.2). In addition, personality also plays a role; for example, shy people are more likely to help others in a situation where they won’t be exposed. (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). Furthermore, Firske (2001) claims that the presence of bystanders can interfere with prosocial behaviour in a negative way. Regarding the need to belong theory, people who have been exposed to prosocial models reflect the importance of following societal norms in order to feel included. Secondly, SCT says that they can change people’s attitudes and beliefs if it is changed in their group; therefore, based on the situational factors mentioned above, people can be taught about the bystander effect to diminish its effect, and to encourage helping others disregarding their mood, appearance of the victim, and the cost-calculation. This would foster a more harmonious society, where people help each other with less trivial impediments. Finally, the sociometer theory would suggest that people would engage more in prosocial activities if they are included in society, and feel valued in regards to others. Prosocial Behaviour According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. Biological: Trivers (1971) introduced â€Å"reciprocal altruism†, where people are more likely to help others because of the probabilities of receiving their help, thus increasing their survival opportunities. For instance: identical twins (sharing 100% genes) are more likely to help each other than fraternal twins (share 50% of genes) (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). According to the need-to-belong theory, reciprocal altruism could be a societal norm in the community, therefore people would engage in this behaviour to feel accepted. SCT would suggest that reciprocal altruism could be internalized in new groups in order to foster prosocial behaviour. The sociometer theory would claim that reciprocal altruism contributes to the acceptance of the group, therefore member would help more others. Social learning and cultural influences: from childhood people are taught social norms, such as the norm of reciprocity and the norm of social responsibility (De Cremer van Lange, 2001). Several parenting skills of providing support, prosocial values, and behaviours of helping others tend to foster prosocial behaviours in children (Krevans Gibbs, 1996). Limitation: cross-cultural variations in helping. Some evidence are: Robert Hampson (1984) claims that status in the peer group is associated with the level of group acceptance and type of prosocial behaviour. In addition, Francesca Gino and Sreedhari Desai (2012) argue that childhood memories produce moral purity, which elicits to greater prosocial behaviour. Furthermore, Authoritative parents’ models are linked with teaching prosocial behaviour to their children (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3) According to the need-to-belong theory, parents would teach social norms and skills of prosocial behaviour in order to feel part of the community. Secondly. SCT suggests that these norms can be internalized to groups and subgroups in order to increase social cohesion, and prosocial behaviour. Finally, sociometer theory would claim that parents teach these social values in order to increase the relational value of their children compared with others who do not help. Empathy and Altruism: both empathy and altruism could stimulate prosocial behaviours (Batson, 2006). Some evidence is: firstly, some argue that prosocial behaviour is always based on selfish reasons. For example, people help to enhance their mood or to avoid negative feelings. (Eisenberg, 2007). Secondly, Batson et al. (2007) concluded that empathy produces altruistic motivation to help others and is independent of egoistic motivation. Thirdly, Findlay et al. (2006) claim that more empathic children are link to greater prosocial behaviour. Fourthly, Simpson Willer (2008) argues that prosocial behaviour happens even when there are not reputational incentives. Finally, Nancy Eisenberg et al. (1989) argue that sympathy partially facilitates prosocial dispositions in early stages and it is consistent overtime. According to the need-to-belong theory empathy and altruism could be practiced in order to feel part of society. SCT would suggest that altruism and empathy could be internalized in the values of groups, and increase prosocial behaviour. Finally, the sociometer theory would claim that empathy and altruism would be use to increase member’s relational value to others, and to be more accepted in society; therefore people would practice them more if they were more suggested to society. Conclusion The need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory and the sociometer theory explain the psychology behind why people act prosocially, which is mainly based on being part and influence by a group, and feeling accepted and integrated. These social psychology theories could be applied in prosocial behaviour research, including biological, social learning and cultural influences, empathy and altruism, and situational factors. These studies suggest that several factors, such as parenting, socialization, level of empathy, altruism, mood of people, among others, play an important role in internalizing prosocial values in society. There are high probabilities of increasing the probabilities of prosocial behaviour with teaching people their importance for belonging into the community.

Management Information :: essays research papers fc

Planning for Management Information System Planning for Management Information System The biggest challenge and most critical success factor in reengineering projects are persuading the people within the organization to cooperate. When you begin to computerize a legacy system considers the advantages; reduced clerical cost, quicker processing time and improved customer service. Everyone knows that the computer capabilities alone make life a lot easier for all managers. The advantage of time and accuracy spread over the lifespan of the information system means improved long-term vision and focus for top, middle and lower managers. A management information system (MIS) focus is on information that management needs to prepare its job. This task becomes much more difficult when the major players have a tradition of high independence, are often confrontational to management, and are irreplaceable independent contractors. CIO's in major business organizations face exactly this situation; further complicated by the fact that the reengineering effort is crucial to the continued existence of the organization. Such discussion has driven the software industry to focus attention on software specifically designed to support the team approach essential to most service and customer oriented organizations. The importance of teamwork can not be over emphasize in achieving overall organizational goals, and the need to capture and manage an organization's knowledge base remain crucial. This teamwork enables the organization to achieve and sustain competitive advantage in their business. In considering the framework for an information system (IS) each level operational, tactical and strategic planning requires different IS. At the operational planning system, the IS collect, validate and record transactional data relating to acquisition or disbursement of resources. The data for account receivable and payables, payrolls, inventory level, shipping data, printed invoice and cash receipts recorded as they occur. The operational-level IS characteristic are repetitive, predictable, emphasizes the past and detailed in nature just to name a few. The focus of the operational system is the daily tasks performed at the user level. The operational level manager uses this data to check every day tasks, i.e. ordering, shipping, inventory control, the essence of the business processes. The second level in the framework is the tactical system. This system provide middle-level managers with information to monitor and control operation while allocating their resources efficiently. The data is summarized, aggregated, or analyzed with a wide range of reports, i.e., summary, exception and ah hoc reports. The tactical information system differs from Management Information :: essays research papers fc Planning for Management Information System Planning for Management Information System The biggest challenge and most critical success factor in reengineering projects are persuading the people within the organization to cooperate. When you begin to computerize a legacy system considers the advantages; reduced clerical cost, quicker processing time and improved customer service. Everyone knows that the computer capabilities alone make life a lot easier for all managers. The advantage of time and accuracy spread over the lifespan of the information system means improved long-term vision and focus for top, middle and lower managers. A management information system (MIS) focus is on information that management needs to prepare its job. This task becomes much more difficult when the major players have a tradition of high independence, are often confrontational to management, and are irreplaceable independent contractors. CIO's in major business organizations face exactly this situation; further complicated by the fact that the reengineering effort is crucial to the continued existence of the organization. Such discussion has driven the software industry to focus attention on software specifically designed to support the team approach essential to most service and customer oriented organizations. The importance of teamwork can not be over emphasize in achieving overall organizational goals, and the need to capture and manage an organization's knowledge base remain crucial. This teamwork enables the organization to achieve and sustain competitive advantage in their business. In considering the framework for an information system (IS) each level operational, tactical and strategic planning requires different IS. At the operational planning system, the IS collect, validate and record transactional data relating to acquisition or disbursement of resources. The data for account receivable and payables, payrolls, inventory level, shipping data, printed invoice and cash receipts recorded as they occur. The operational-level IS characteristic are repetitive, predictable, emphasizes the past and detailed in nature just to name a few. The focus of the operational system is the daily tasks performed at the user level. The operational level manager uses this data to check every day tasks, i.e. ordering, shipping, inventory control, the essence of the business processes. The second level in the framework is the tactical system. This system provide middle-level managers with information to monitor and control operation while allocating their resources efficiently. The data is summarized, aggregated, or analyzed with a wide range of reports, i.e., summary, exception and ah hoc reports. The tactical information system differs from

Crictical Examination of the Main Features Renaissance Humanism

THE CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE RENAISANCE HUMANISM OUTLINE -BRIEF INTRODUCTION -RENAISANCE -HUMANISM -THE SIGNIF ICANT EVENTS IN THE RENAISANSE PERIOD -THE CHAMPIONS OF RENAISANCE HUMANISM -RENAISANCE HUMANISM AND THE REFORMATION -EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION BRIEF INTRODUCTION In the history of the world, many remarkable periods have been referred to most often due to perhaps great events that have led to a turn-around in the thoughts and general lives of the people. One of such periods is the renaissance humanism.The renaissance humanism is a term used to designate a period in history that is so spectacular and significant owing to its evolutionary of features. Renaissance here serves as an adjective to the word humanism; not any other type of humanism but the humanism of the renaissance period. This period falls from 14th to 16th century AD. The Church is and shall always be a society within a society. The relatedness between the church and the state or civil so ciety has ever brought a kind of exchange in operations and thoughts.Thus, one of the causes of the renaissance humanism is not far from what happened and was happening in the church as at that time. Consequently, the effect of the renaissance period could be said to have been felt by he church in many ways and more especially as it went as far as forming a foundation for the â€Å"reformation† championed by such a personality like Martin Luther However , we shall explain in details what each of these terms mean, why they are called so , the key players or those that championed such an important period in history, the important features of renaissance humanism and it s evaluation and conclusion.In the course of this discourse, the approach shall be critical. WHAT IS RENAISSANCE? In the literary sense, it means â€Å"Rebirth†. The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary ( 7th edition) defined it as â€Å"the period in Europe during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries when people became in the ideas and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and used these influences in their art, literature etc†.The Encyclopedia Britannica explaining the Renaissance says it is; â€Å"literally â€Å"rebirth,† the period in European civilization immediately following the Middle Ages, conventionally held to have been characterized by a surge of interest in classical learning and values. The Renaissance also witnessed the discovery and exploration of new continents, the substitution of the Copernican for the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, the decline of the feudal system and the growth of commerce, and the invention or application of such potentially powerful innovations as paper, printing, the mariner's compass, and gunpowder.To the scholars and thinkers of the day, however, it was primarily a time of the revival of classical learning and wisdom after a long period of cultural decline and stagnation†. This period appears to have a sharp break from religious and medieval values. Great historians like Jules Michelet and Jacob Burckhardt say that it is the â€Å"rediscovery of the world and man† and if this is so, it is more on the areas of literature and art. It is also within this renaissance period that the industrial revolution and the French revolution took place.So, the intellectual ventures of this period never hung on the air nor did it end in an utopia idealism but it manifested in many facets of the government of many countries in Europe. The Catholic Church was not also left out in this trend or historical situation as we shall see later. WHAT IS HUMANISM? Humanism as the name suggests imply a movement that has a significant focus on man. It is an intellectual movement. In the medieval ages, the scholastics and many religious thinkers influenced the people and the world ideas but during the humanistic period, the thoughts came from secular men or men of letters.Great minds like Dante della Mirandola, Collucio Saluti and Lorenza Valla were the earliest champions. Its earliest manifestation could be traced to Italy before it spread to many parts of Europe. All these happened before the reformation and counter-reformation. In fact, humanism was one of the factors that gave rise to the reformation. In specific sense, the period of humanism was characterized by many things; the human nature was the centre and focus as the name rightly implies. It was full of syncretism as it tried to fuse philosophical and theological truths together.Humanism was really out to revive the human spirit and wisdom that appeared to be lost. Instead of the medieval emphasis on penance as the noblest human activity, the emphasis brought by humanism was on how man could be creative and have mastery over nature. THE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE RENAISANCE HUMANISM The renaissance humanism started around 14th to the 15th century AD. But it was preceded by an era known as the â€Å"proto-renaissance† in the late 13 th and early 14th centuries. It was the era of arts championed by great artists like St. Francis with his radicalism.Art works and ornamental edifices prevalent in this era came from the Church. The popes made great marks in building classic churches as we could see in the Vatican city where we have the largest church in the world; the St. Peter’s Basilica. Thus, the world of arts in Europe could not be discussed without making reference to the popes. However, there was an upsurge of nude art works or nudity in their sculptures. This influence came from the Greek and pagan values but was never restricted in religious arts as such irrespective of their offensive meanings.This was because the Greek pagans had great reverence for the naked body. We could then say that what prepared the ground for the renaissance humanism was mainly from the church and the fruits of the renaissance period which led to the reformation fell back to the church also. Therefore, we could say that the renaissance humanism started when the literary world and the world of arts was so charged. At the same time the church was leading but her great strides were infiltrated or became mixed with pagan/ Greek values that were seemingly unacceptable.Thus, the European world saw the reason to question the church’s consistency in the religious matters and the absolute attribute of things to God or religion. THE CHAMPIONS OF RENAISSANCE HUMANISM The earliest humanists were Dante Della Mirandola, Lorenzo Valla and Coluccio Salutati. But after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, many scholars went to Italy to research and go acquainted with many books together with the knowledge of the Greek traditional arts. In the northern Europe we fin people like Desiderius Erasmus who came up with the praise of the folly (1509).This depicts the moral essence of humanism. He preferred heartfelt goodness to formalistic piety. We could also recall that the founder of the renaissance painting was Masac cio (1401-14280). Boccaccio (1313-1375 wrote the first sexual literature since the Late Latin writers. Nicholas Machiavelli (1469-1527) really mocked honesty and integrity in politics in his writings as it is farfetched. However, renaissance Humanism was not totally paganistic as perceived by many people as we see its religious relevance. We have the Christian humanists who began many schools.Around the 15th centuries, more than twenty fine new universities were established. St. Francis, who abandoned the traditional theological practices, went about in identifying with the poor and raising the beauty of nature inspired the works of many artists of his time as the paintings that reflect the beauty of nature became prevalent. Biblical studies boomed higher as Hebrew was now being studied. Cardinal Ximenes de Cisneros (1436-1517) published a multilingual Bible too and when Johann Gutenberg invented printing, copies of these literary works and arts were made available to more people.We shall not also hesitate to note that some scholars and thinkers fought against the structural and dogmatic stand of the Catholic Church. An example is John Wycliffe (1329-1384). He denied the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and the necessity of the priesthood. Girolamo Savanarola (1452-1498) after making much converts through his powerful preaching destroyed it with hiss fanatic activities. RENAISANCE HUMANISM AND THE REFORMATION The reformation took place around the 16th century AD.Encyclopedia Britannica says; â€Å"It was a religious revolution that took place in the western world†. The champions are Martin Luther (1483-1546) as the chief and John Calvin (1509-1564). Martin Luther was a German priest (An Augustinian Friar) and highly intelligent scholar. He was so worried with the situation in the moral and spiritual situation of the church as the church mixed up so much with the imperial powers. She introduced the indulgence for the building of the Vatican City. Thus, the indulgence was being sold for material things.The immoral lives of the clergy and the political practices that went on in the church left the scrupulous mind of Luther more bothered. Thus, Luther resorted to writing the ninety five these. This document was against the papacy, the infallibility of the Church. He also upheld grace, faith and the belief in the scriptures as the sure means of obtaining salvation. This was in sure contrast to the church’s teachings about penance. John Calvin with his Calvinism gave the Protestants a doctrinal basis.He believed in the doctrine of predestination, thus, for him God cannot really forgive someone. One can only perceive that he has the grace by faith but may not really have it. The Renaissance humanism gave a plain background for the Reformation. We could say that the reformation is the climax of the humanism. What was left uncriticised directly was what Martin Luther boldly spoke against but though in an extreme manner. There have been arguments on whether the reformation could have taken place if Luther had not done what he did.But, one could observe that the ground was already ripe and charged for a serious reformation in the church as at the time of Martin Luther. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION Renaissance humanism gave a good intellectual background for the reformation. The different unbecoming cases and situations that were coming from the church started making the people to loose confidence in the Divine origin of the church. Hence, the possibilities that lie in the human powers were sought during the renaissance humanism but in the reformation, it was sought in the religious angle but against the church directly.BIBLIOGRAPHY Norbert Brockman, SM et al, A history of the Catholic Church; Paulines publication Africa, 1991 Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary, 7th edition Schreck, A. , The Compact History of the Catholic Church, Bangalore: St. Pauls Press, 1987 Brockman, N. , and Pescantini, U . , A History of the Catholic Church, Akure: Don Bosco Centre, 1991 Nwachukwu, L. , The Journey of our Faith, Readings of some major events in the Life of the Catholic Church, vol. 1, Owerri: Skill Mark Media LTD, 2009

Reflection on Jack Hodgins ”By the River” Essay

In the story of By the River, the author relates the love story between the young woman, Crystal Styan, and her husband, Jim Styan, in the terms of faith, responsibility and dream. After reading this story, I wonder that why Jim chose to leave and why Crystal still believed he will come back, even though she realized that her dream of the life with him would not come true. When Crystal was in grade ten, she gave up the opportunity of studying further and chose to live a wonderful and idyllic life with Jim. After they moved to the log cabin which sits on the edge of river, they began to build a farm. Since Jim was lack of farming knowledge and had no any experience before, six chickens were frozen to death in the cold winter and the cow that he has just bought stepped off the train and ran away. He eventually abandoned his house and wife irresponsibly and left on the train after he cannot accept the fact that the dream of becoming famer will not come true. In contrast, Crystal always believed his husband and tried her best to help Jim realize his dream, even though sometimes she understood the decision that living with Jim was wrong. Crystal has always loved Jim so that she trusted her husband will be on the way home one day and came to the station to wait him for the past six month. But all are delusional and impossible, her husband will never return on the train, because the conductor told her that he was not on board. In conclusion, this kind of woman, Crystal, is frankly pathetic because her husband ruthlessly abandoned and left her without any words, while Jim is certainly looked down upon by others, because he is self-concern and irresponsible for their love and relationship.

History of Myanmars 8888 Uprising

History of Myanmars 8888 Uprising Throughout the previous year, students, Buddhist monks, and pro-democracy advocates had been protesting against Myanmars military leader, Ne Win, and his erratic and repressive policies.  The demonstrations forced him out of office on July 23, 1988, but Ne Win appointed General Sein Lwin as his replacement. Sein Lwin was known as the Butcher of Rangoon for being in command of the army unit that massacred 130 Rangoon University students in July of 1962, as well as for other atrocities.   Tensions, already high, threatened to boil over.  The student leaders set the auspicious date of August 8, or 8/8/88, as the day for nationwide strikes and protests against the new regime. The 8/8/88 Protests In the week leading up to the protest day, all of Myanmar (Burma) seemed to rise up.  Human shields protected speakers at political rallies from retaliation by the army. Opposition newspapers printed and openly distributed anti-government papers.  Entire neighborhoods barricaded their streets and set up defenses, in case the army should try to move through.  Through the first week of August, it seemed that Burmas pro-democracy movement had unstoppable momentum on its side. The protests were peaceful at first, with demonstrators even encircling army officers in the street to shield them from any violence.  However, as the protests spread to even rural areas of Myanmar, Ne Win decided to call army units in the mountains back to the capital as reinforcements.  He ordered that the army disperses the massive protests and that their guns were not to shoot upward - an elliptical shoot to kill order.   Even in the face of live fire, the protesters remained in the streets through August 12. They threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at the army and police and raided police stations for firearms. On August 10, soldiers chased protesters into Rangoon General Hospital and then began shooting down the doctors and nurses who were treating wounded civilians.   On August 12, after just 17 days in power, Sein Lwin resigned the presidency.  The protesters were ecstatic but unsure about their next move. They demanded that the sole civilian member of the upper political echelon, Dr. Maung Maung, be appointed to replace him. Maung Maung would remain president for just one month.  This limited success did not halt the demonstrations; on August 22, 100,000 people gathered in Mandalay for a protest.  On August 26, as many as 1 million people turned out for a rally at Shwedagon Pagoda in the center of Rangoon.   One of the most electrifying speakers at that rally was Aung San Suu Kyi, who would go on to win the presidential elections in 1990 but would be arrested and jailed before she could take power.  She won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her support of peaceful resistance to military rule in Burma. Bloody clashes continued in the cities and towns of Myanmar for the rest of 1988.  Throughout early September, as the political leaders temporized and made plans for gradual political change, the protests grew ever more violent.  In some cases, the army provoked the demonstrators into open battle so that the soldiers would have an excuse to mow down their opponents. The End of the Protests On September 18, 1988, General Saw Maung led a military coup that seized power and declared the harsh martial law.  The army used extreme violence to break up demonstrations, killing 1,500 people in just the first week of military rule alone, including monks and schoolchildren.  Within two weeks, the 8888 Protest movement had collapsed. By the end of 1988, thousands of protesters and smaller numbers of police and army troops were dead.  Estimates of the casualties run from the implausible official figure of 350 to around 10,000.  Additional thousands of people disappeared or were imprisoned.  The ruling military junta kept universities shuttered through the year 2000 to prevent students from organizing further protests. The 8888 Uprising in Myanmar was eerily similar to the Tiananmen Square Protests that would break out the following year in Beijing, China.  Unfortunately for the protesters, both resulted in mass killings and little political reform - at least, in the short run.

The Naked Ape Essays - Human Behavior, Behavior, Abnormal Psychology

The Naked Ape Essays - Human Behavior, Behavior, Abnormal Psychology The Naked Ape In The Naked Ape, Desmond Morris provides an alternative explanation of the causative factors underlying various human behavior patterns and societal and cultural activities. He develops his theme around such human activities as feeding, grooming, sleeping, fighting, mating and care of the young. He compares human traits and behaviors with those exhibited by animals, mainly the primates, in like activities. His point is that understanding the evolutionary source of many behaviors can throw new light on understanding the complex nature of the human species. Morris begins by examining the evolution of the mammals, from the earliest insectivores to the latest carnivores, detailing the survival characteristics which led to the success of some species over others. He provides great detail on the development of the nearly naked carnivorous 'hunting ape' from the fruit eating primate group. He presents a thorough discussion of sexual behavior, stressing the similarities between human 'rituals' and primate behaviors. Tracing the three characteristic sexual phases of pair formation, pre-copulatory activity, and copulation, the evolutionary process which lies at the root of modern human sexual behavior is clearly laid out. Similarly, he examines human child-rearing, and provides interesting insights into non-verbal communication and body language between mother and child. The role of exploratory behavior in the basic survival patterns of feeding, fighting, and mating, as well as its importance to an individual's social adjustment, is detailed. Morris analyzes thoroughly our human aggressive urges, as always providing examples of animal behaviors which serve as an objective base upon which to understand why we act as we do. In addition to territorial and social dominance aggressive behaviors, he describes the actual mechanics of aggression, both physiologically and behaviorally. Both displacement activity and appeasement activity are explored in detail. He concludes by examining human feeding and comfort behaviors and mankind's relationships with animals. Throughout the book he stresses that as a species, man is a simple biological phenomenon subject to all the basic laws of animal behavior. He feels that it is important to the survival of the human species to understand itself and the limitations implicit in being a 'naked ape'. Morris admits that he perhaps over-stresses the biological/zoological slant of his thesis, but even so his concepts are capably and logically developed. I found it easy and fascinating to recognize myself (and others) in almost every behavioral situation he describes. One very important point to keep in mind about Morris' book is that he is exploring 'normal' social behavior, not abnormal behavior. He has taken almost every aspect of man's everyday life and shown, acceptably and believably in my opinion, that in many cases human behavior can be understood in terms of our evolutionary roots.

Email Subject Line Best Practices Boost Opens According to 20 Studies

Email Subject Line Best Practices Boost Opens According to 20 Studies Writing marketing email subject lines is easy. Right? I mean, all you need to do is write about four catchy words and boom! Youll get opens, clicks, and conversions! So, as I said. Easy. or not. That said, knowing (and employing) email subject line best practices will help you get those opens. And when your emails get opened you have the opportunity to get clicks which also gives you the opportunity to get conversions. But if you dont follow the best practices you wont get opens. And without opens you get zero clicks which means zero conversions. Wah-wah. :/ So wouldnt it be ultra handy if there was a free Email Subject Line Tester built specifically to help you write great subject lines according to best practices every time? A free tool that will help you get those opens so you can get those clicks and ultimately get those conversions? If you answered a resounding, Yes, Nathan! to those questions, youre gonna dig this. A lot. ;) What 20 Studies Say About Email Subject Line Best Practices (How To Get More Opens)Introducing: The Email Subject Line Tester, Your Newest Free Marketing Tool From Your Friends At The Email Subject Line Tester is the latest free marketing tool designed to help you write subject lines that get your emails opened. So why should you check out (and bookmark) the Email Subject Line Tester? It’s the data-driven way to get more opens. The insurmountable open gets reads, clicks, and ultimately conversions†¦ which helps you reach your goals, sell more, and impress the boss. How to get that open? The Email Subject Line Tester makes it easier than ever to write subject lines that are most likely to get opened (backed by tons of nerdy datasets). Bid good riddance to that infamous blinking cursor. You know the importance of getting emails opened†¦ but sometimes, writing inspiration is fleeting at best. Use the Email Subject Line Tester to not only make the process waaaayyyy more fun, but to have a clear â€Å"subject line saving grace† when all hope seems lost. Start typing. Get feedback. Iterate. Get results. Forget trying to remember the mechanics behind successful subject lines. Character count, emojis, emotional words, oh my! The tester is your expert email consultant that helps you clearly optimize every subject line for best practices so you don’t have to constantly wrack your brain for the tedious, nit-picky details. Find your best ideas faster. Write multiple subject lines, then choose the best performers for your A/B test BEFORE they hit your subscribers’ inboxes. The tester even shows you what your subject lines look like in inboxes to help you make informed decisions. And all of that gives you†¦ in turn†¦ the most opportunity to get those opens you’ve been pining for. And you can rock the Email Subject Line Tester for free right now to get all of those ^^^ benefits! But wait, theres more! Coming Soon To A Calendar Near You: Email Marketing (Including The Email Subject Line Tester Built Into Your Calendar)! You already trust your marketing calendar to help you see everything in one place. It's the best way to have a global view of everything your marketing team is working on. And with email marketing integrations coming to   very soon... ...makes it easier than ever to plan comprehensive campaigns for your blog, social media, email marketing, and beyond all in one convenient tool. Plus, the Email Subject Line Tester is built into your marketing calendar so you can use it right in context of the emails you're writing! That makes it easier than ever to: Plan your email marketing alongside everything else. Execute everything extremely efficiently with processes in context with your campaigns. Know exactly when everything is publishing (including your email marketing and beyond). Alright, well. I'm excited. Really excited. You could say I might feel like this atm: So let's turn that excitement into learning all about email subject line best practices so you can get the most opens ever, shall we? ;)

CELL BIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

CELL BIOLOGY - Essay Example Cholera toxin alters the ÃŽ ± subunit such that the G protein becomes constitutively activated. The result is an increase in cAMP and associated kinases that would amplify the cascade effect and therefore enhance the effect of norepinephrine. If the weaker interaction is still sufficient to activate the receptor but also allows for a faster exchange rate for norepinephrine molecules, then the result would be to enhance the effect of norepinephrine. If, instead, the interaction was not sufficient to activate the receptor, then the effects of norepinephrine would be inhibited because the inactive receptor would not respond to the norepinephrine signal. This will likely inhibit the effects of norepinephrine, because although binding of norepinephrine will still activate the receptor at the same rate, the receptor would no longer be stably associated with the G protein, and the signal will not be transduced from activated receptor to inactive G protein as efficiently. If the ÃŽ ± subunit is responsible for activating adenylate cyclase and signaling an increase in cAMP and activation of resulting cAMP-dependent kinases, then altering the interaction between the ï  ¢Ã¯  § and the protein kinase will have no effect. If instead, the ï  ¢Ã¯  § - protein kinase interaction is necessary for amplification of the norepinephrine signal, then weakening the interaction will have the effect described above (i.e. it will depend on whether or not the weaker interaction is still sufficient to activate the kinase.) ⇒By inhibiting protein phosphatases in general, protein kinases—activated by phosphorylation— and their downstream targets will have longer half lives because phosphatases won’t be available to hydrolyze their phosphate groups. If these kinases and downstream targets are required to potentiate the norepinephrine signal, then the effects of norepinephrine would be enhanced. 2. Receipt of extracellular signals can cause changes in cellular physiology. Some changes

Importance of Accurate Bloodstain Spatter Analysis in Crime Scene Research Paper

Importance of Accurate Bloodstain Spatter Analysis in Crime Scene Investigations - Research Paper Example Due to the certification of more technicians, a lot of information on the shape of bloodstain is being used in the conclusion of crime events. Blood stain pattern analysis is the assessment of the nature, position, and distribution pattern of bloodstains that should enable an investigator to deduce the physical actions that took place at the scene. The outcomes obtained from the analysis give extra information to medical practitioners when determining the time the victim died. Certified bloodstain pattern analysts are normally used in offering explanations on blood spatter patterns and supplementary verifications at the crime scenes. This assists in the disclosure of vital exploratory information; like the positions of the casualty, the attacker, the items at the scene; the weapon that created the spatter and the number of blows, blast, or stabs the victim received. It can also be used to agree or contradict the report the wounded, suspects or observers give, hence ensuring that an i nnocent person is not condemned. Basically, inert bloodstains are as a result of the gravitational pull. They are normally evident on the various surfaces like the floor, wall, or the clothing. In carrying out crime Scene investigation therefore, documentation of all stains must be done. During blood stain pattern analysis, investigators always apply the physics, mathematics, and trigonometry laws, which assist the investigators to acquire information which enables them to determine the actions that took place; the individuals who were there, and the authenticity of the self defense declaration of the alleged doer. In the crime scene, there may be numerous areas with blood spatters. Identification of all locations with blood spatters and carrying out the necessary analysis is therefore vital. Moreover, after the scene has been documented, the resolution of the course and succession of actions enables the CIS in laying strategies for the collection of blood samples from the most rati onal sites. When careful analysis of the scene is done, accurate representative blood samples will be presented to the crime laboratory for analysis. Introduction Blood pattern analysis assists investigators in the determination of the source of the blood, the distance through which the blood traveled before landing, the form and the bearing of the force that caused the blood stain, the object used to produce the bloodstain, and the position of the casualty and the attacker during and after the bloodshed. Normally small blood spatters are as a result of a lot of force having been used. In order to obtain accurate results, blood pattern analysts must be careful in doing the assessments. Blood spatter as evidence Due to the gravitational pull, the shape of a free falling drop of blood is spherical. The force of gravity results in surface tension which makes the blood molecules to adhere on one another. Due to surface tension, the distance through which the drop of blood falls does not affect the spherical shape (Chisum & Turvey 374). The drop of blood will only break after hitting another surface or when force is exerted on it. When a blood drop hits an impermeable, smooth, and firm surface for instance floor tile, the probability of it forming a spatter in minimal. Freely dipping blood forms huge circular stains. Rough surfaces interfere with the surface tension of the blood drops, thus resulting in spatters and uneven stains having serrated edges. Presentation of precise

Hasbro Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hasbro - Assignment Example The task requires that I use the least amount of time to complete tasks. I will derive satisfaction from work when I complete the tasks as required by the company. Financial results promote practices that are beneficial. It is most probable that triumphant employees will enjoy working in companies that are profitable. Therefore, for individuals like Peaches Belanger, salary increment, improved conditions of work, and improved living conditions, increased sales, and improved profits will enhance their job satisfaction. Moreover, life satisfaction is associated with job satisfaction (Steel 49). The investors upgrade the working equipment to suit workers needs. This will cause life satisfaction and in turn job satisfaction. Ideas in Dispositional Theory and Job Characteristic Theory best explain the satisfaction advantage of Rob Daviau’s over Peaches Belanger. Dispositional Theory explains that individuals contain inner dispositions that cause satisfaction despite the jobs that they do. Job Characteristic Theory highlights the impact of job characteristics on job results (Steel 49). Daviau’s job comprises autonomy, task identity, skill variety, and task significance. In contrast, Belanger’s work entails task significance. This means Daviau’s work has a large significance than Belanger’s, making him more satisfied than

Ethical Issues in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Issues in Business - Essay Example The company Q seems to have three issues, first being the company’s closure of a few stores in the high crime rate areas, secondly the company sells organic products at a very high margin and thirdly the company refuses to donate the day-old products which are ultimately thrown away. The company has recently ceased operations in the high-crime rate areas due to losing money in those stores. The company adopted the policy of leaving the area where problem aroused rather making an effort to improve the situation. If the company had chosen to continue its operations it would have increased the security to deal with the losing money which would have some what affected the areas security too and might have lowered the crime rate. On the other hand by closing the store the company caused problems to the customers who might have relied on the store for easy shopping. The closure must have also impacted the overall revenues of the company. The company should have continued operating i n those areas and spent a little more on the security issues which will not only benefit the customers and the people of the locality but will also be profitable for the company. The company has recently started selling the much demanded healthy products. The company seems to take the advantage of the demand of these products and has offered very limited amount of products at very high margins. The company seems to look at its own profits and is exploiting the customers by selling the products at a very high price. This attitude is unethical and the company should sell these healthy products at competitive prices so that everyone can afford the health conscious food. By lowering prices and offering more products the company can increase its revenue and have more satisfied customers.

Internet and Security Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet and Security - Coursework Example He notes that the precise tools that are used for flattening the world (technology) are the same tool that can be used to unflatten the world. Responsible use of technology builds the universe while the selfish use of the same technology destroys the world and keeps societies distant. The other security concern is the economic security of the American people. The author expresses concerns that the American place as the economic powerhouse is threatened because of the attitude of the citizens and the government. The government spends mindlessly on wars and neglects the fundamental economy of the states. The citizens, on the other hand, idolize ideas and opinions that cannot bring economic growth to the nation. They, for example, idolize Britney Spears while their serious competitors idolize the resourceful Bill Gates (Friedman, 32). Social injustice in the global economic system: Thomas notes that the flattened world has caused a caste-like system where wealthy states are getting rich er while the poor countries are languishing in more poverty. Trade is focused between rich states while the poor countries are sidelined. The concern is that populations in poor nations will languish in perpetual poverty. Misuse of borrowed technology: The author loves the rate of labor transfer and the numbers of people coming from other countries in quest of knowledge in the USA. He regrets the misuse of this acquired knowledge, for example, in the 9/11n attack. The mastermind of the attacks, Osama, received his education in the US. The third ethical question insinuated in the story is unlawful labor outsourcing. It creates jobs for some but breeches professional ethos in some areas. By the time of publication of the book, there were no stringent laws regulating the business. An example is the online writing of assignments for some students by others.

Formative and Sumative Evaluations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Formative and Sumative Evaluations - Essay Example The methods of actual teaching and of evaluating teachers are also affected by these advancements. With the changing world, the need to adapt methods of measuring teachers' performance was seen as necessary. "As the technological age continues to render traditional classroom practices obsolete, many educators are still untrained and apprehensive when it comes to technology integration. Therefore, a paradigm shift is needed that requires more than just a quick-fix staff development solution, especially since the No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that educators must be "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-06 school year. This leads to the expectation that teachers will create learning environments which challenge and broaden their students' comprehensive use of technology" (Janice M. Hinson, 2005). However, recent studies show that although computers and internet are highly accesible to the teacher, with the figure reaching 99%, only 39% are found to have integrated the use of technology in their lesson. Of these figure, only 33% feel that they are preapred to integrate technology tot heir teaching, while the other 66% felt that they are somewhat prepared or not at all.(NCES). "So, it should come as no surprise that while many principals want to improve technology integration in their schools, they just do not know how or where to begin. They realize that to promote meaningful technological changes, their teachers must be given opportunities to acquire the skills needed to use technology and then apply them in the context of the curriculum" (Multimedia Schools, 2003). "However, technology professional development is usually delivered by district-level personnel as "one-size-fits-all" workshops that focus on techniques for using software packages and management tools. These workshops often are not part of a cohesive improvement plan; thus, instructional changes are not adopted or sustained over time" (Janice M. Hinson, 2005). Teacher Evaluation is a very important practice that helps ensure this development among teachers. It is very important so that ineffective teacher evaluation systems are seen to be more costly than effective ones. (Sawa, 1995) This statement edifies the importance of a sound and truthful evalutation technique. A Brief History It has been known that the appraisal of teachers is as old as teaching itself (Sawa, 1995). However, formal teacher's evaluation was traced to have begun at the turn of the 20th century to about 1980 (Robert F. McNergney). It's history might be divided into three overlapping categories: (1) The Search for Great Teachers; (2) Inferring Teacher Quality from Student Learning; and (3) Examining Teaching Performance (Robert F. McNergney). "Arvil Barr's 1948 compendium of research on teaching competence noted that supervisors' ratings of teachers were the metric of choice. A few researchers, however, examined average gains in student achievement for the purpose of Inferring Teacher Quality from Student Learning. They assumed, for good reason, that supervisors' opinions of teachers revealed little or nothing about student learning. Indeed, according to Medley and his colleagues, these early findings were "most discouraging." The average correlation between teacher characteristics and student learning, as measured most often by achievement tests, was zero. Some characteristics related positively to student

Internet and Security Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet and Security - Coursework Example He notes that the precise tools that are used for flattening the world (technology) are the same tool that can be used to unflatten the world. Responsible use of technology builds the universe while the selfish use of the same technology destroys the world and keeps societies distant. The other security concern is the economic security of the American people. The author expresses concerns that the American place as the economic powerhouse is threatened because of the attitude of the citizens and the government. The government spends mindlessly on wars and neglects the fundamental economy of the states. The citizens, on the other hand, idolize ideas and opinions that cannot bring economic growth to the nation. They, for example, idolize Britney Spears while their serious competitors idolize the resourceful Bill Gates (Friedman, 32). Social injustice in the global economic system: Thomas notes that the flattened world has caused a caste-like system where wealthy states are getting rich er while the poor countries are languishing in more poverty. Trade is focused between rich states while the poor countries are sidelined. The concern is that populations in poor nations will languish in perpetual poverty. Misuse of borrowed technology: The author loves the rate of labor transfer and the numbers of people coming from other countries in quest of knowledge in the USA. He regrets the misuse of this acquired knowledge, for example, in the 9/11n attack. The mastermind of the attacks, Osama, received his education in the US. The third ethical question insinuated in the story is unlawful labor outsourcing. It creates jobs for some but breeches professional ethos in some areas. By the time of publication of the book, there were no stringent laws regulating the business. An example is the online writing of assignments for some students by others.

Global Leaders Essay Example for Free

Global Leaders Essay For my essay I chose Nicolas Sarkozy, who is the President of the French Republic. I would describe Nicolas Sarkozy’s leadership style as visionary, affiliative, commanding and pacesetting. Nicolas Sarkozy has a reputation as being â€Å"confident and fast-paced† and â€Å"aggressive†. I would consider Mr. Sarkozy as a visionary on the fact that he was once a lawyer and is close to his people. Mr. Sarkozy inspires people with his vision and reforms. Mr. Sarkozy is affiliative by boosting morale during the economies downturn by saving the French company Alstom. Mr. Sarkozy would be considered commanding and pacesetting on the bases that he is very focus driven and has high standards that he expects to be done when he wants them done. I chose to compare U. S. President Barack Obama to French Republic President Nicolas Sarkozy. I would consider President Obama as the â€Å"new school† style of leadership as opposed to President Sarkozy’s â€Å"old school† style of leadership. I would describe Mr. Obama’s leadership as visionary, coaching, democratic. Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy leadership styles defer in that President Obama is not an aggressive leader but instead puts more effort into the visionary, coaching, and democratic approach to get the people’s value and support. While President Sarkozy has a more my way or the highway approach and more effort is put towards the affiliative, pacesetting and commanding leadership style. Both Presidents have a common style of being visionaries; they spend time in inspiring their people on the course that should be taken.

Category Specific Impairments in Recognition and Naming

Category Specific Impairments in Recognition and Naming Category specific impairments in recognition and naming: fact or not? - Question: What’s black and white and looks like a horse? Answer: Hmmmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..a black and white horse? Question: What do you call a guy who can’t tell the difference between an apple and a barn? Answer: Uhhhh.†¦ what’s the name for a thing with two legs, two arms and a head and, well, they look familiar†¦ they are, like, everywhere†¦ oh, I give up†¦ - Introduction to a Both Sides of an Issue In the above riddles the answers may seem strikingly obvious almost anyone. That is, anyone except what is termed â€Å"semantic impairments† in which there is a marked disability of the individual to pair up the meaning of what they see (visual semantic disorders), hear (auditory semantic disorders) or even touch (tactile semantic disorders) with the ability to identify the object. This represents essentially a disconnection between what a person knows and what they can readily express. As there are numerous specific documented cases such as those studied in Capitani, Laiacona, Mahon Caramazza’s review of 79 patients for the purpose of assessing the ‘division’ line of the impairment with regards to specific semantic categories such as â€Å"animate/living† and â€Å"inanimate/artifact†-type items (Capitani, Laiacona, Mahon, Caramazza 2003, p.213). In a different setting, Tyler and Moss present the interesting case of â€Å"DrO†, a 61-year old male who suffered particular deficits with regard to abstract words (i.e., love, hope, trust vs. concrete words such as bird, cup, etc.) following a cerebro-vascular incident. This study thoroughly details a number of testing procedures to compare his abilities to a group of peers as well as significant data in regards to his perceptual acuities such as hearing and vision. In their investigation, these utilize DrO as a literal test bed against the various theories regarding ‘traditional’ category-specific deficit disorders and the way that words and ideas might be encoded into memory. In the end, though DrO looks like a â€Å"classic† case of category-specific deficit, the researcher conclude that it is more likely to due an auditory ‘input’ problem in which they endorse the model proposed by Plaut Shallice in which concrete words are posited to ha ve greater semantic features, that is, they are easier to ‘grab on to’, and thus typically evidence faster recall and recognition (Tyler Moss, 1997, p. 315). Though it seems clear that cases exist which exhibit the phenomena of category-specific disorders, as the above example of the case of DrO indicates, things may not always be what they seem as it is not necessarily the memory that is at fault but more likely the ‘connections’ that allow one to have full mastery of the information stored in one’s own brain. In Support of Category Specific Disorders†¦ To begin, one must understand that the brain is essentially a storage bin of some sort for intangible inputs and outputs. The real trick of the matter is to know the nature of the bins†¦ specifically, how are they divided and how do they function? What is the hierarchy or taxonomy of stored sensory information? Are experiences broken down into the different sensory components? Is it stored chronologically? Most of these eclipse the current state of knowledge yet, by carefully observing the output, an idea can be formed about how the system might work. It is by these means that the idea of a category-specific impairment came to be when researchers noted, in ‘normal’ subjects, a difference in picture identification between natural objects and other artifacts suggesting that memories were stored or accessed according to some categorical hierarchy (Humphreys, Price Riddoch, 1999, p.118). Issues such as these manifest themselves in the classic ‘naming difficultyâ €™ tests such as the patient who was presented with a picture of celery and responded, â€Å"†¦it is green and you have it as a main course†¦ I dip it in salt†. This type of response, in which the subject demonstrated extensive knowledge about the object, was heard numerous times as the issue of category-specific impairment certainly seemed to be a logical explanation that fit the theory of memory in which data is separated and stored in logical â€Å"bins† to retrieve on cue later (Humphreys, Price Riddoch, 1999, p.122). Operating under the assumption that such a disorder exists, one interesting aspect that the categories while logically infinite seem to limit themselves to a comparatively very few key groups: biological categories (possibly subdivided into ‘animals’), food (often fruits vegetables) and artifact-type items with musical instruments a popular sub-category (Capitani, et al. 2003, pp. 225, 235-244). In terms of the type of impairment reflecting the proposed model, the most frequently occurring impairment has exhibits a disability to retrieve information related to the properties of an object or its associative knowledge of the item in a given category (Capitani, et al. 2003, pp. 228-229). One potential rationale for the division of categories is the within-category similarity of items. For example, categories such as â€Å"musical instruments† or â€Å"animals† have a greater perceived degree of within group similarity than categories such as â€Å"jewelryâ⠂¬  or â€Å"beverages†. Accordingly, this same justification can be utilized to rationalize the breakdown of particularly large heterogeneous categories such as â€Å"animate/living† (Sartori Lombardi, 2004, pp. 441-442, 446). Additional insights are provided when one observes impairments in items that have both â€Å"functional† and â€Å"perceptual† qualities such as would be the case in which deficits were observed in both musical instruments and living objects, thus defying the heretofore idea that deficits were limited to semantic ‘categories’. Based upon these findings, it has been hypothesized that the perspective of perceptual attributes are primary memory sorting parameters and then category-specific attributes (i.e., living vs. non-living) play a potential secondary role (Devline et al. 1998, pp. 77-78). Also, the idea that categories such as â€Å"living things† are stored/recalled by perceptual attributes while inanimate objects are stored/recalled by â€Å"functional† attributes, thereby establishing a fit for perceptual and functional priorities (Berndt, 2003 , p. 101). A popular understanding of the brain is that functions are laid out ‘topographically’ such that differing item attributes are focused in different physical locations in the cortex. Though it may seem overly simplistic, there is research to support a topographical model as evidenced by imaging studies that have demonstrated a different location of activity for living versus non-living items (Humphreys Riddoch, 2003, p. 263). Consistent with the topographical view is the â€Å"sensory/functional theory† one of the early hypothesis on how memory ‘works’ with regard to category-specific impairments. According to this theory, experiential data is organized in the brain by sensory modality and, secondly, that the primary differentiation in stimuli is determined by its sensory or perceptual properties and by its functional attributes (Caramazza Shelton, 1998, p. 4). Despite some support, a problem with these models occurs in the cases of non-focal, widely distributed legions such as those produced by Alzheimer’s or Herpes simplex encephalitis patients have produced the same type of category-specific deficit as would be expected with a highly localized lesion (Devline et al. 1998, p. 78). In attempting to explain cases from this theoretical perspective, category-specific disorder cases similar to DrO in which the problem was believed to be an ‘input’ or ‘processing’ failure, a key factor is that the impairment should not be mode-specific in that the issue should reside at the â€Å"semantic† node from which all inputs and outputs pass. That being the case, for a case to be a ‘real’ category-specific disorder, the problem should be isolated to instances in which the stimulus is presented not just in a solely audible or visual form (Caramazza Shelton, 1998, p. 13). Explaining Things Based on the existence of category-specific disorder, Humphreys and Riddoch began to seek to postulate a model that would explain the myriad complexities of both normal and deviate cases. Extending from the information presented previously on the division of categories, researchers suggest that perceptual and functional memory associations are recalled by correlated perceptual features. For example, â€Å"has a trunk† is likely to be highly correlated with an elephant whereas â€Å"has four legs†, while quite accurate, does not exude the same strength as the previous descriptor (Sartori Lombardi, 2004, p. 439; Humphreys Riddoch, 2003, p.265). This model is referred to as the â€Å"distributed semantics† model as a consequence of the features of memory being stored in numerous ‘places’. Taking this model a step further, Humphrey and Riddoch proffer the Hierarchical Interactive Theory (HIT) the allows the use of a flexible (but fairly standard) metho d of categorization by individual. In this model, there is a hierarch of processing levels that include, â€Å"the structural description system through to the semantic representations [functional attributes]†¦ or names†. With such a structure, one the means by which it differs from the distributed semantics or other models is that is acknowledges ‘up-front’ that processing can occur at level rather than a fixed ‘processing spot’ (Humphreys Riddoch, 2003, pp.266-267). In summary, though memory is, at best, only a partially understood concept, the existence of disorders such as category-specific impairments provide researchers with both a challenge and the key to solving a portion of the puzzle. By understanding the dynamics of what can happen when the system is ‘working right’, one has the opportunity observe the differences. Works Consulted Capatani, E., Laiacona, M., Mahon, B. Caramazza,A. (2003). What are the Facts of Semantic Category-Specific Deficits? A Critical Review of the Clinical Evidence. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 20 (3,4,5,6), 213-261. Caramazza, A. Shelton, J. (1998). Domain-Specific Knowledge Systems in the Brain: The Animate-Inanimate Distinction. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 10 (1), 1-34. Devlin, J., Gonnerman, L., Andersen., E., Seidenberg, M. (1998). Category-Spefic Semantic Deficits in Focal and Widespread Brain Damage: A Computational Account. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 10 (1), 77-94. Humphreys, G., Riddoch, M. (2003). A Case Series Analysis of â€Å"Category-Specific† Deficits of Living Things: The HIT Account. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 20 (3,4,5,6), 263-306. Humphreys, G., Price, C. Riddoch, M. (1999). From Objects to Names: A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach. Psychological Research, (62), pp. 118-130. Sartori, G. Lombardi, L. (2004). Semantic Relevance and Semantic Disorders. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16 (3), 439-452. Sloan-Berndt, R. (2003). Lexical-Semantic Aspects of Language Disorders. In K. Heilman E. Valenstein (Eds.), Clinical Neuroscience, 4th Edition. (pp. 92-107). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. Tyler, L. Moss, H. (1997). Imageability and Category-specificity. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 14 (2), 293-318.

Commentary on a Passage from Shelleys Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley

The passage begins in first person, whom we presume is Frankenstein, where he is reminiscing on some of the consequences of his meddling with nature. He informs us that three years ago, he was engaged in an activity which created a monster whom he describes as a ‘fiend whose unparalleled barbarity has desolated my heart, and filled it for ever with the bitterest remorse.’ He then goes on to talk about how he is about to create a ‘mate’ for the previous monster and is frightened about the effects it will have on both his creation and society. The mood of the passage is very glum as the narrator is contemplating the unforeseen horrors arising from this strange experiment. He questions the result of this ‘mate’, thinking ‘she also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man, she might quit him, and he be again alone’. Through his voice, it assists our understanding of the material as through the narrator’s bleak heart, we are made to experience very strongly the extent of his guilt. The tone of this passage is somewhat personal in the sense that he seems like he is arguing and deliberating to himself about the events which either have happened or are about to, ‘ †¦Had I the a right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?’. He questions his own significance in society at the time when the passage is written and for the future generations and thinks himself as a ‘curse upon everlasting generations’. Having heard his reasons and seen his desolation and feeling the despair of desolation we, as readers are more able to sympathise with his actions. The overall ‘meaning’ of the passage is to tell a story about a character in which they are in deep unease and melancholy and read their views on the surroundings around them. The key themes that are conveyed to us the readers are that of madness. The author manipulates our sympathy for the monster Frankenstein by seeing it from his point of view and listening to his thoughts about himself being a ‘curse’. The piece does have a clear point of view, as his thoughts are straight-forward. This will have an effect on the reader by pointing in the direction the author maneuvers our sympathies by showing us different perspectives of situations. The setting plays an important part in reflecting the shifting moods and emotions of characters by giving us a sense of loneliness ‘ I sat one evening in my laboratory†¦.

The Scottsboro Trials Essay -- Racial Relations, Segregation

March 25, 1931, nine men hopped on to a freight train of no return (Uschan 10). Unjust, prejudice, and racist the Scottsboro Trials, were definitely not just another ordinary case. The Scottsboro Trials changed how America viewed segregation. The nine young men, who hopped onto that train that day, were innocent and harmless. The Scottsboro Trials revealed the unjust treatment that African Americans faced outside of the Harlem Renaissance and changed views on segregation. Boarding the train from Chattanooga to Memphis seems like an innocent thing to do (â€Å"UMKC† par. 2). For the Scottsboro boys, boarding that train was one of the worst things they could have done. Two dozen whites and black road the train that day, and within the first 2 hours a fist fight broke out between the two races. The blacks won the fight, and the white men were thrown off the train and ran to the station master and reported that they had been assaulted by a gang of blacks on the train. Alabama stopped the train and dozens of men showed up and surrounded the train with guns in their hands. They took the nine African Americans aboard the train and put them into the Scottsboro jail (UMKC par. 2-5). Two other people were on the train at that time too. Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were found on the train unexpectedly while the search men were looking for any more black citizens. The women identified themselves and then Ruby Bates told the search men â€Å"We’ve been raped. All those colored boys raped us.†(Uschan 14).This caused an uproar throughout America not because rape was a horrible crime, but because back then a white woman having sexual relations with a black man was considered one of the worst things a person could do. The act was considered so terr... ... thing of the past. Racism is a very harsh and dangerous thing to participate in. Being racist can cause a person’s life to be in danger and it can ruin their life too. Helping African Americans understand that these racist people are sick and will be punished is just one way we can help the fight against racism. And so, the Scottsboro Trials ended up being victorious. It changed how America felt about discrimination and segregation and opened up many opportunities for blacks. America has changed as a whole because of the Scottsboro Trials and racism is slowly fading away. Segregation has caused many hardships throughout history and finally, it ended partially because of the Scottsboro Trials. Soon, America will be a place where it is as if seclusion against African Americans never existed. African Americans are one of us and together we are America.

Audit Program Essay

The purpose of this part of the audit process for Apollo Shoes is to design tests of controls, substantive tests of transactions, and analytical procedures for the sales, collection, payroll, personnel, acquisition, and payment cycles. These test and procedures are with intent to attest operating effectiveness of internal controls of Apollo Shoes on the basis of documentation provided. It is with the understanding that with the performing of test and procedures an opinion can be formed but management of Apollo shoes is responsible for the maintenance and assessment internal controls of over financial reporting. The design of test of controls of the sales and collection cycle follows. Sales and Collection Cycle Tests of Controls Sales Cycle: The review of the revenue and collection cycle manual of Apollo Shoes provides the improper record keeping of sales orders and that sales orders are not numbered which may affect the accuracy of pricing on invoices so steps. The test of controls for sale cycle to determine accuracy will be: 1. Examine sample 1004345 for Anglonesia Rehabilitation and Reprogramming Institute invoice to review unit prices of merchandise listed. Compare unit prices on invoice for merchandise to these shoe types from inventory status report of 2007. 3. Verify unit prices on invoices are correct. Collection Cycle: A review of balance confirmation from customers provides a customer of Apollo Shoes Neutralizer’s account balance was understated by $ 1,388. 75, which prompts testing of existence of collections. With that information, the test of controls of existence of collections will be: 1. Determine if bank reconciliation has been performed. . Request bank deposit slips and for end of year for 2007 and bank statement with information for deposit for end of year 2007. 3. Review accounts receivable aged trial balance. 4. Compare deposit amount listed on bank statement to deposit slips. 5. Review balance on reconciliation. 6. Compare payments customers indicate on balance confirmations to those listed on deposit slips for end of year 2007 and payments indicated on accounts receivable aged trial balance. Verify the amounts of reconciliation, bank statement, deposit slips, and accounts receivable aged trial balance align. Substantive Tests of Transactions Sales Cycle: With the same rationale of attesting to accuracy of recorded sales with the test of controls notation of a customer indicating receipt of merchandise not requested, the steps of substantive test of transactions are: 1. Examine sample 1004345 for Anglonesia Rehabilitation Trace invoice back to shipping documents, sales and customer order. 2. Verify shipping amount is correct. . Verify if what is listed is sales order was shipped. 4. Verify if what listed on sales or is what Anglonesia Rehabilitation requested Collection Cycle: In regards to collections, the same rationale for test of controls proving existence with the basis of Neutralizer having an understated balance, the substantive test for collections would be: 1. Review cash receipts journal for the amount of the cash receipt indicated by customers. 2. Review bank s tatement for deposits indicated. 3. Review deposit slips for list of deposits. 4. Verify amount customers indicate they payment is listed on deposit slips and are included on deposits listed on bank statement. Analytical Procedures Sales Cycle: From the basis of negative press that Larry Lancaster addresses in the letter to shareholders the assumption is that sales will decrease. The analytical procedures to confirm expectations for the sales cycle will be: 1. Review the sales trial balances from end of year 2006 and 2007. 2. Divide the sales trial balances for 2007 by the 2006 trial balance. 3. Determine the percentage change and if it is positive to confirm expectation. Collection Cycle: From the same basis for the analytical procedure for the Sales cycle and questions of collectability from Mall-Wart, it is the expectation that AR will balance will be larger than last year so the analytical procedure will be: 1. Review audited balance of AR for 2006 and the unaudited balance of 2007. 2. Determine if the AR balance has increase as expected. Payroll and Personnel Cycle The payroll and personnel cycle have a high level of internal control to ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time. This also ensures that the company files accurate and timely payroll returns with the government. Tests of Controls 1. Review time cards for hourly employees to ensure that the time clock was used to record all hours worked. 2. Review time cards for hourly employees to confirm that the supervisor has approved them. 3. Examine the last payroll or employees listing which supervisors checked and compare it with personnel files to confirm that all paid employees are current employees. Review personnel files to confirm that all current pay rates have been properly authorized by supervisors and properly documented. . Review personnel files to confirm authorized pay rates match the paychecks from the last pay cycle. 6. Review personnel files for current and updated W-4 and I-9 forms. 7. Observe the segregation of duties in the payroll department and confirm that payroll forms are reviewed before checks are issued. 8. Confirm that the correct payroll forms are sent to accounts payable. 9. Confirm that there is a segregation of duties in the treasurer’s office. 10. Confirm with supervisors that all paychecks are distributed or turned back in to the treasurer’s office. Verify that all paychecks are signed for when picked up or dispersed. 12. Confirm that all payroll checks are numbered and accounted for. 13. Review payroll tax liability accounts and ensure they are properly recorded. 14. Review payroll tax expense and tax liability accounts and confirm amounts against the quarterly payroll tax returns. 15. Review the bank statements for the payroll account to verify that deposits are transferred every two weeks and payroll checks are the only withdrawals. Substantive Tests of Transactions 1. Review the payroll journal for adjusting entries or unusual entries. . Compare cancelled checks against payroll journal and verify that the information matches and is correct. Examine the endorsement on the cancelled checks to ensure that they were endorsed correctly. 4. Compare cancelled checks against the list of current employees. 5. Reconcile the distributions in the payroll journal with the checks cleared on the bank statement. 6. Confirm and review bank reconciliations for the payroll account. 7. Select 100 hourly employees and recomputed their hours worked from the time cards for three separate pay cycles. Select 100 hourly employees and recomputed their gross pay based on their time cards for three separate pay cycles. 9. Select 200 employees and confirm that withholding amounts are accurate based on W-4 and current tax tables. 10. Use the same 200 employees in the previous test and recalculate net pay based on verified gross pay and withholding calculations. 11. Examine the payroll transactions to ensure that expenses are being allocated to the correct expense account. 12. Examine cleared check dates and compare them with the pay cycle pay dates. Compare the payroll expense account balances with the previous year payroll expense account balance (adjust for increases in pay or new hires). 2. Compare direct labor costs as a percentage of sales and compare with prior years’ percentage. 3. Compare payroll tax expense as a percentage of salaries and wages with prior years’ percentage (adjust for increases in tax rates). 4. Compare accrued payroll tax accounts with prior years. 5. Compare accrued vacation, sick pay, and other benefits as a percentage of salaries and wages with prior years’ percentage (adjust for any policy changes and new hires). 6. Verify accrued payroll taxes with the subsequent period’s payroll tax returns to determine the amount of the liability at the balance sheet date. Acquisition and Payment Cycle The acquisition of goods and services is important to ensure proper internal controls are in place and being followed because these include purchases of raw materials, equipment, supplies, maintenance, and research and development. In reviewing Apollo Shoes acquisition and payment cycles, and developing the audit plan, tests of controls must be reviewed, followed by substantive tests of transactions, and finally analytical procedures. Tests of Controls 1. Complete a walk-through of five judgmentally selected receipts of inventory. a. Verify the procedures in the client’s memo by interviewing the workers. b. Is the segregation of duties still being observed? 2. Complete a walk-thorough of five judgmentally selected payments. c. Verify the procedures in the client’s memo by interviewing the workers. d. Is the segregation of duties still being observed? 3. In order to test if the process for authorizing payments is working, judgmentally select ten payments and check each for: e. Is it canceled? f. Is the purchase requisition attached? g. Is the receiving report attached and showing the same quantity invoiced and ordered? h. Is the receiving report signed by the receiving clerk? i. Does the quantity paid and the price paid, match the invoice and the purchase requisition and purchase order? j. Did the vendor offer a cash discount? If so, was the discount taken? k. Was the invoice paid on time? 4. In order to test if the process for receiving goods is working, judgmentally select ten receipts from last month and check each for: l. Was it supported by a valid purchase requisition and purchase order? m. Was the receipt signed by the receiving clerk? n. Was the quantity received the same as the quantity ordered? o. Was the shipment paid in the right quantity and prices (as ordered)? 5. In order to test if the process for purchasing capital assets is working, judgmentally select two capitalized assets from the general ledger and check each for: p. Was it authorized? q. Is the depreciation taken correct each month and started with asset being put into service? r. Observe the asset. 6. Review any old receiving, requisition, or purchase orders that are not matched. Review any old invoices that are not matched. Inquire about their status. Substantive Tests of Transactions 1. Observe the client’s year-end inventory count. a. Judgmentally select ten count tags and make copy. b. Note any slow moving or damaged items. c. Resolve any differences between inventory records and counts. d. Get copy of full count when complete. 2. Verify count is recorded in the GL (and subsidiary ledger agrees with GL): e. Trace selected items from inventory count into general ledger detail. Select several items from GL and trace to count sheet. g. Verify that slow-moving and damage inventory is valued at salvage estimates (odd sized shoes). h. Test foot (verify math) of inventory valuation. i. Test pricing of inventory by tracing to purchase invoice. j. Test cut-off by reviewing receipts two weeks before and after year-end and determine that they were recorded in the correct period and counted or excluded from inventory as appropriate. k. Review inventory adjustment for reasonableness based on differences found during count. Review costing method (LIFO/FIFO) journal entries. l. Review reserves for obsolescence. 4. Review payments since year end that are over 10% of materiality. Verify that if they were incurred prior to year end that they are accrued in year-end payables. 5. Obtain a letter from legal counsel about contingent liabilities. 6. Read minutes of the board of directors for contingent liabilities or subsequent events. 7. Ask management about any incurred but not paid amounts. m. Review any old receiving, requisition, or purchase orders that are not matched with invoices. Review any old invoices that are not matched with purchasing documentation. 8. Inquire about the status of the large shipment of odd sized shoes at year end. Was this paid? Analytical Procedures 1. Compare current transactions with previous year’s statements. a. Similar expenses should not have significant variances period to period. b. Any significant variances should be examined to determine the reason. 2. Accounts payable transactions should be reviewed to ensure no unusual vendors or companies received payment when they shouldn’t have. Ratios should be calculated and compared from period to period. Any significant variances should be examined to determine the reason. c. Average Accounts Payable Trade Balance d. Accounts Payable Turnover e. Days in Accounts Payable 4. Compute inventory turnover and compare to prior years to see if trend is reasonable. 5. Compute a three year trend for inventory, payables, cost of goods sold, and operating expenses. 6. Calculate inventory and payables as a percent of assets and expenses as a percent of sales. f. Ask the client to explain fluctuations that are large or unusual.

Translation of Phraseological Units with Animal Names

INTRODUCTION Phraseology is a study of set or fixed expressions, such as idioms, phrasal verbs, and other types of multi-word lexical units, in which the component parts of the expression take on a meaning more specific than or otherwise not predictable from the sum of their meanings when used independently. The classification of phraseological units can be different. According to Vinogradov, there are phraseological combinations, unities and fussions. The Koonin’s classification is the latest outstanding achievement in the Russian theory of phraseology.The classification is based on the combined structural – semantic principle and it also considers the quotient of stability of phraseological units. It is represented by nominative phraseological units, nominative – communicative phraseological units, phraseological units – which are neither nominative nor communicative include interjectional word-groups and communicative phraseological units. My research i s related to the phraseological units with zoonimical component and their semantic structure.Zoonims, that are used in our language, are really meaningful, they are directed to the allegorical characteristic, probably metaphorical and stylistically emphasized. The aim of this research is to explore deeper the given phraseological units. I have set such objectives: 1) to explicate a concept of phraseological unit with zoonimical component and to reveal the regularities of their usage; 2) to analyse their semantic and structural peculiarities.The methods investigation research strategy are as followed: 1) method of the system analysis, that is a study of the subject of the investigation as a totality of elements, that create a system; 2) descriptive method, that gives the full description of phraseological units. The object of my investigation is the phraseological units with zoonimical component. The subject is the expressive means of Modern English phraseological units. These means are the morphological, syntactical, phonetic and lexical peculiarities of these phraseological units.Theoretical and practical value of the research consists in that fact, that nowadays there is a small amount of investigations about phraseological units with zoonimical component. Besides, the researches in the area of phraseology have become popular in the last decades. The results of this study are also important for the translation, as the translator should know the peculiarities of different idioms, in this case with zoonimical component. Composition of the research paper: The research consists of the introduction, two chapters, that are theoretical and practical parts, the conclusion and the bibliography.

The War of 1812

The War of 1812: It’s Importance to America The War of 1812 is probably our most obscure conflict. Although a great deal has been written about the war, the average American is only vaguely aware of why we fought or who the enemy was. Even those who know something about the contest are likely to remember only a few dramatic moments, such as the writing of â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner,† the burning of the nation’s capital, or the Battle of New Orleans. Why is this war so obscure? One reason is that no great president is associated with the conflict.Although his enemies called it â€Å"Mr. Madison's War,† James Madison was shy and deferential, hardly measuring up to such war leaders as Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, or Franklin Roosevelt. Moreover, the best American generals in this war – Andrew Jackson, Jacob Brown, and Winfield Scott – were unable to turn the tide because each was confined to a one or two theaters in a war that had seven or eight theaters. No one like George Washington, Ulysses Grant, or Dwight Eisenhower emerged to put his stamp on the war and to carry the nation to victory.Although these things are true though, the War of 1812 is the most important event for America, because it officially broke us as the United States of America apart from Great Britain. Another reason for the obscurity of this war is that its causes are complex and little understood today. Most scholars agree that the war was fought over maritime issues, particularly the Orders in Council, which restricted American trade with the European Continent, and impressment, which was the Royal Navy’s practice of removing seamen from American merchant vessels.In contemporary parlance, the war was fought for â€Å"Free Trade and Sailors' Rights. † These issues seem arcane today. Moreover, the only way that the United States to strike at Great Britain was by attacking Canada, and that made it look like a war of territorial agg ression. Even today Canadians are likely to see the war in this light, and who can blame them? A war fought to secure maritime rights by invading Canada strikes many people as curious. The prosecution of the war was marred by considerable bungling and mismanagement. This was partly due to the nature of the republic. The ation was too young and immature – and its government too feeble and inexperienced – to prosecute a major war efficiently. Politics also played a part. Federalists vigorously opposed the conflict, and so too did some Republicans. Even those who supported the war feuded among themselves and never displayed the sort of patriotic enthusiasm that has been so evident in other American wars. The advocates of war appeared to support the conflict more with their heads than their hearts, and more with their hearts than their purses. As a result, efforts to raise men and money lagged far behind need.Despite the bungling and half-hearted support that characterized this conflict, the War of 1812 was not without its stirring moments and splendid victories. American success at the Thames in the Northwest, the victories at Chippewa and Fort Erie on the Niagara front, the rousing defense of Baltimore in the Chesapeake, and the crushing defeat of the British at New Orleans – all these showed that with proper leadership and training American fighting men could hold their own against the well-drilled and battle-hardened regulars of Great Britain.Similarly, the naval victories on the northern lakes and the high seas and the success of privateers around the globe demonstrated that, given the right odds, the nation’s armed ships matched up well against even the vaunted and seemingly invincible Mistress of the Seas. The war also produced its share of heroes–people whose reputations were enhanced by military or government service. The war helped catapult four men into the presidency – Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, James M onroe, and William Henry Harrison – and three men into the vice-presidency – Daniel D.Tompkins, John C. Calhoun, and Richard M. Johnson. The war also gave a significant boost to the political or military careers of other men. Indeed, for many young men on the make, the war offered an excellent launching pad for a career. In some ways, the War of 1812 looked more to the past than to the future. As America's second and last war against Great Britain, it echoed the ideology and issues of the American Revolution. It was the second and last time that America was the underdog in a war and the second and last time that the nation tried to conquer Canada.It was also the last time that Indians played a major role in determining the future of the continent. In this sense, the War of 1812 was the last of the North American colonial wars. The war was unusual in generating such vehement political opposition and nearly unique in ending in a stalemate on the battlefield. Although mos t Americans pretended they had won the war – even calling it a â€Å"Second War of Independence†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthey could point to few concrete gains – certainly none in the peace treaty – to sustain this claim. It is this lack of success that may best explain why the war is so little remembered.Americans have characteristically judged their wars on the basis of their success. The best-known wars – the Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II – were all clear-cut successes. Although many people remembered the War of 1812 as a success, it was in a very real sense a failure, and perhaps this is why it attracts so little attention today. The obscurity of this war, however, should not blind us to its significance, for it was an important turning point, a great watershed, in the history of the young republic.It concluded almost a quarter of a century of troubled diplomacy and partisan politics and ushered in the Era of Good Feelings. It marked the en d of the Federalist party but the vindication of Federalist policies, many of which were adopted by Republicans during or after the war. The war also broke the power of American Indians and reinforced the powerful undercurrent of Anglophobia that had been spawned by the Revolution a generation before.In addition, it promoted national self-confidence and encouraged the heady expansionism that lay at the heart of American foreign policy for the rest of the century. Finally, the war gave the fledgling republic a host of sayings, symbols, and songs that helped Americans define who they were and where their young republic was headed. Although looking to the past, the war was fraught with consequences for the future, and for this reason it is worth studying today, and that is why it is the most important event for America.