Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Find the Pisces Constellation in the Night Sky

How to Find the Pisces Constellation in the Night Sky The Pisces constellation can be seen from nearly all points on Earth. Pisces has a storied history and is one of the constellations of the Zodiac, a set of star patterns that lies along the apparent path of the Sun against the sky throughout the year. The name Pisces comes from the Latin plural for fish. Pisces used to be referred to as the first constellation of the zodiac. This is because the Sun appears against the backdrop of Pisces during the northern hemispheres spring equinox, which was previously considered the start of a new year. Finding Pisces The constellation Pisces is easiest to see in October and November, or on late evenings in September. Because its stars are relatively dim, Pisces is most visible in a dark country sky. Pisces is very close to Pegasus in the sky. Its one of three northern hemisphere autumn constellations that are easy to spot. Carolyn Collins Petersen The constellation Pisces is part of a larger grouping of Pegasus, Andromeda, Aries, and Triangulum. It is also near Aquarius. The stars that make up Pisces have a rough V-shape. The eastern fish has a small triangular head and the western fish has a small circlet for a head. It is located right next to the Great Square of Pegasus in the northern hemisphere sky, and the heads of the fishes are either to the west or southeast of the Square. The Story of Pisces Ancient Babylonians saw the constellation Pisces as two separate objects: the Great Swallow (a bird) and the Lady of Heaven. Later, the Greeks and Romans saw a goddess of love and fertility- for the Greeks, it was Aphrodite, while for the Romans, it was Venus. Chinese astronomers saw this region of the sky as a farmers fence that kept animals from escaping. Today, most stargazers think of Pisces as two fish in the sky. The Stars of Pisces Pisces is not one of the brightest constellations in the sky, but it is large. It does have several brighter stars, including ÃŽ ± Piscium- also known as Alrescha (Arabic for the cord). Alrescha, which lies about 140 light-years away from us, is at the deepest point of the V shape.   The IAU constellation designation for Pisces includes the main pattern plus numerous other stars. IAU/Sky Telescope   The second-brightest star is ÃŽ ² Piscium, with the lengthy informal name of Fumalsamakah (which means mouth of the fish in Arabic). Its much farther away from us, at a distance of just under 500 light-years. There are about 20 brighter stars within Pisces fish pattern, and numerous others in the official region designated by the IAU as Pisces on its charts.   Deep Sky Objects in Pisces The constellation Pisces doesnt have a lot of very obvious deep-sky objects, but the best one for stargazers to spot is a galaxy called M74 (from Charles Messiers list of faint fuzzy objects). M74 is spiral galaxy, similar in shape to the Milky Way (although its arms are not so tightly wound up as those in our home galaxy). It lies about 30 million light-years away from us. Professional astronomers continually study M74 because its face on from our point of view here on Earth. This positioning allows astronomers to study the star-forming regions in the spiral arms, and search out variable stars, supernovae, and other objects among the 100 billion stars that make up the galaxy. Astronomers use instruments like the Spitzer Space Telescope to study the galaxy for regions of star birth, as it is a prodigious star-formation galaxy. They are also intrigued by the possibility of a black hole at the heart of M74.   Here is the galaxy M 74 as seen through the infrared-sensitive instruments onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. The view shows areas of starbirth in the spiral arms. NASA/CalTech/Spitzer Although its not in Pisces, the Triangulum galaxy (known as M33) is right next to the head of the western fish. Its a spiral galaxy that is actually part of the Local Group of galaxies that includes the Milky Way. A view of the Triangulum Galaxy (M 33) near Pisces. This was taken with amateur equipment. Kanwar Singh, Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike 4.0.   Andromeda is the largest member of the group, the Milky Way is second-largest, and M33 is third-largest. Interestingly, astronomers have observed that Andromeda and M33 are linked together by streams of gas, which means that the two have had a tango in the past and will likely interact again in the distant future.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Why Patient Satisfaction is Now Crucial For Hospitals

Why Patient Satisfaction is Now Crucial For Hospitals One of the unexpected effects of the Affordable Care Act has been increased pressure on doctors and medical staff to improve patient engagement. As payment options shift and care networks broaden, patients find themselves empowered to demand not  Ã¢â‚¬Å"just† the best medical care, but also a compassionate bedside manner, as well. Shefali Luthra over at MedPageToday notes that medical centers nationwide are prioritizing doctor-patient interactions and emphasizing compassion as well as a search for diagnosis. â€Å"Under a 2010 health law, Medicare payments to hospitals can be affected by patient satisfaction surveys,† according to Luthra. In addition, the care cost burden on patients leads them to depend more on preference than on limited options.The research of Tim Vogus, associate professor of management at Vanderbilt University, found that medical institutions encouraging physician responsiveness now  require  doctors  to take empathy training courses, capture personal details about patients in their charts, and practice small follow-up gestures like a handwritten note or phone call- all which improve patient experience.A key piece of this innovative practice is of course being open to receiving feedback- if patients never have a chance to evaluate a physician or her practice, how will they know what to improve? The University of Rochester Medical Center sends out a monthly feedback newsletter and provides doctor-to-doctor peer coaching, which gives doctors a chance to turn appointment discussions into a conversation instead of a by-the-book exchange.Patients who feel that their doctors are sincerely invested are more likely to take medication, adhere to recommendations, and schedule follow-up appointments and procedures. And the more active listening an attentive physician practices can lead, the  more accurate diagnoses and responsive treatments occur. The entire staff and its patients improve when doctors take the time to listen and respond appropriately- the future of medicine might depend on it.Hospitals Push Docs to Improve Their Bedside MannersRead More at Medical Page Today

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Aboriginal youth gangs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aboriginal youth gangs - Term Paper Example ently so violent in nature, the manner of recruitment and the preventive programs taken up by civil society and governments alike to weed away impressionable youth from this menace. Data shows that there are approximately 800-1000 aboriginal gangs operating in the Prairie Provinces in Canada. (Totten Mark, 2009) The regions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia also have a significant presence of aboriginal gangs. Most members of these gangs are below 17 with 22% of these being aborigines. (Totten Mark, 2008) Police statistics show that between 1992 and 2001, criminal activity in the Saskatchewan area showed a significant increase by 17%. (FSIN, 2003) The gangs currently operating in this region include Indian Posse and Redd Alert who in turn keep their chain of command active by supplying its members with regular supply of marijuana and cocaine. Redd Alertt traces its origins to an organized prison gang in Edmonton back in the 90’s. (Totten Mark, 2008).These gangs have now spread to other parts of Canada including Vancouver, Okanagan and Winnipeg. Studies have shown that there is definitely a hierarchical structure to these gangs. There are smaller street gangs which indulge in spontaneous activity and acts of vandalism. These members are also recruited by the more organized higher criminal organization. The aboriginal gangs have however a fluid structure with no real core ideals except that the new recruit would have to prove his capabilities satisfactorily to the leader. (Totten Mark, 2008).The new gang member is judged and placed in the hierarchical structure based on the amount of cash he can bring or graver the degree of violence he can commit. The one who started the gang in most cases would be leader and would be assisted by his key associates on whom he has considerable trust. The gang has both the Hard-Core members and the Active members. (Totten Mark, 2008).While the hard-core members indulge in serious violent acts between rival gangs, the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Interest Groups and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Interest Groups and Politics - Essay Example The organization acts as an advocate to suppliers on regulatory and legislative issues (MEMA (a)). It identifies issues affecting the industry and proposes to the relevant authorities on how changes should be made on the policy or the matter, to avoid harmful effects to the industry. Examples of its advocacy initiatives are three letters addressed to relevant authorities touching on legislative issues affecting the industry. One letter was addressed to an acting director and general counsel of the office of government ethics. There was a proposed amendment to limit gifts from registered lobbyists and lobbying organizations. MEMA was not for the idea. The main issue here was that, the proposal would prohibit government employees from using the WAG exception to attend lobbying organizations’ variety of events and programs. MEMA, therefore, wrote a letter to address this issue on behalf of the companies it represented. It explained the effect of such an amendment and the companie s’ contribution to the economy (MEMA (d)). Another letter was addressed to the Honorable Carl Levin, a US Senator by then (2008), touching on the issue of Patent Reform Act (S.1145). The organization was concerned that this reform would weaken its patent system. It therefore addressed a letter to the Senator, before the issue was taken up in the Senate (MEMA (b)). Recently, President Obama uncovered a new plan for a â€Å"clean and secure energy future† (Walsh). MEMA has already analyzed the proposal and the opportunities it provides its members. It would, therefore, like its suppliers to be included in the proposal. The proposal is meant to set up an Energy Security Trust Fund, aimed at collecting $2 billion for a period of over 10 years. This is to be used in research into initiatives such as bio-fuels, domestically produced natural gas, electric vehicles, and fuel cells. Since 30% of the $18 billion research and development investment in automotive comes from the su pply base, MEMA is concerned that they need to be included in the proposal. The organization therefore, wrote a letter to the white house advocating for the inclusion of suppliers in the proposal (Walsh). Interest groups are there to provide valuable information to policy makers. According to Crain and Santos, information is always provided in the form of testimonies to committees. Information is provided under oath and so the interest groups ensure they provide truthful information. This supports one of the actions of MEMA (Crain & Santos). MEMA has provided a testimony before â€Å"the U.S. House Representatives Financial Services Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee† (MEMA (c)). The groups provide such information to the relevant committees free of charge. This may bring in the question of where they get their funds, because, obtaining such kind of information to present to a committee as a testimony is costly, both in terms of money and time. They also do not make mon ey. Interest groups are funded by both government and private institutions. This affects the organizations ability to lobby for something that is of their interest. Most of these organizations were supported by their founding organizations or groups for various reasons. The main reason is advocacy. This could be the case with MEMA. Albiston and Nielsen, however, indicate that the structure of funding has shifted from foundational support to government grants. Most of the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

African American Religion Essay Example for Free

African American Religion Essay Before Africans were brought to America during the slave trade, they had their own culture and society. They had their own language and dance. They also had their own religion. History tells us that the Europeans justified their abuse toward the Africans as helping them become more civilized because the Africans lifestyle appeared primal to them and not as developed and industrialized as theirs. What is often overlooked is that even though Africans were taken from Africa and Americanized and have been stripped of their religion, culture, language and even their name, the very essence of the African as a people did not go away. Some African American slaves rejected Christianity’s religion because they saw it as the â€Å"white man’s religion†. History tells us American Slave Masters abused the Africans by whipping them like animals and by treating them inhumane. The fact that these slave masters wanted the African American to worship their god was unacceptable for some because they could not fathom why they should worship a god who allowed people to be so badly treated. Some Africans accepted Christianity’s religion and faith by identifying with Jesus Christ, the son of God who according to the Bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with the conjure practices. Seth Holly’s character is a good example of conforming to the economic prosperity of America which was founded by Christians. White Christians enforced Christian beliefs, values, and some practices based on the Euro American Christian interpretation of Christian text. Seth developed a kind of hatred for his own people proving that he has adopted the practices of white America in the early 1900s. â€Å"Niggers coming up here from that old backwoods†¦ coming up here from the country carrying Bibles and guitars looking for freedom. † Seth says. â€Å"They got a rude awakening† (6). Seth signifies the African American who resents assimilation to the white American culture. But, at the same time, he too attempts to connect with his heritage by simply allowing Bynum to live in his home and bless it with his conjures rituals. Seth also participates in an African dance ritual called the Juba. Bynum’s character is introduced by practicing conjure rituals. He cuts open pigeons and spreads its blood onto him as a type of cleansing to communicate with spirits. Bynum represents the African American who chose to remain faithful to the religion of his heritage. Others who have chosen the faith of Christianity view conjure rituals as evil, witchcraft, or demonic. Some African Americans wanted to remain faithful to their heritage yet did not agree with conjure practices anymore. Loomis walks in on the juba dance and goes into a trance after dinner at the boarding house. He had a vision of skeletons emerge from a body of water. â€Å"Loomis: I done seen bones rise up out the water. Rise up and walk across the water. Bones walking on top of the water† (53). Loomis recognizes through the vision, his state of ignorance to the knowledge that will lead him to the new way of thinking. Bynum serves as a supporting character reacting to Loomis’s trance. â€Å"Bynum: They walking around here now. Mens. Just like you and me. Come right up out the water† (56). Loomis’s trance and Bynum’s interpretation of it is a turning point in the story. The skeletons coming from the bottom of the sea in Loomis’s vision represent the slave ships, the disorientation experienced by the slaves during emancipation, and the confusion of his release from Joe Turner. Both Loomis and Bynum have tapped into their ancestral religion. The difference between the two is that Bynum represents the African who never renounced his religion and Loomis is the African-American who turned from conjure religion and converted to the faith of Christianity. After Joe turner took his life away from him, Loomis questioned his Christian faith and his identity. By walking in on the ancestral ritual of the Juba dance, Loomis literally walked into what he had actually been looking for, his religion, consequently, his ancestral identity and this is why he fell into the trance. Throughout the play conjures is encompasses four generations; Bynum’s father, Bynum, Loomis, and the neighbor boy Reuben. Reuben’s vision is of Seth’s mother by the pigeon coop, she encourages Reuben to release the caged pigeons. Wilson writes in a way that leads the reader to believe that Loomis needs to find his missing wife. Martha Pentecost is not the one who was lost; Loomis was the one who was lost, wondering around from town to town, searching. Loomis came into the state of belief when Bynum helped him translate his vision. That vision represented Loomis going back to his ancestral conjure religion. Loomis needed to find Martha Pentecost simply to say good-bye to her and their life former together. Up until this point of the story, I believed that Loomis needed to find his wife so they could live out the rest of their lives as a happy free family with their daughter. However, it is made pretty obvious this was never Loomis’s intentions. â€Å"That goodbye kept me out on the road searching,† Loomis says, â€Å"now that I see your face I can say my goodbye and make my own world† (90). Martha Pentecost, a woman of Christian faith, represents the African who assimilated into white America’s culture and Loomis needed to find her to say good-bye to her and the Christian faith. Martha stands by her Christian faith by accusing Loomis â€Å"you done gone over to the devil† (91). White man’s religion believed that conjure was evil or the way of the devil. Loomis finds it easier to reject her for her Christian beliefs. â€Å"Loomis: Great big old white man†¦your Mr. Jesus Christ. Standing there with a whip in one hand and a tote board in another, them niggers swimming in a sea of cotton† (92). Loomis proves with his statement, his version of a bible story that differed from other African Americans but was similar to that of the white man who believed that they were on a level below God and the African’s were beneath them, African’s were one third of a person. Loomis now believes that if African’s are going to be free then they have to take charge of their own destiny. Martha Pentecost represents the African American’s religion, she identifies that Loomis needs to â€Å"be washed in the blood of the lamb† (92) and â€Å"you done gone over to the devil. (91) Through class lessons I learned that African American slaves compared themselves with stories in the bible to instill hope of a life free from oppression, violence, and bondage. Jesus according to the bible was innocent of sin and yet he was beaten, bruised and crucified for the sins of the world. The hope of reigning in heave with Jesus is considered the ultimate reward for suffering life’s trials and tribulations. It is the faith of the African Americans who accepted Christianity religion. Blacks trusted in the Lord instead of man. America was Egypt in the exodus story and as long as the enslaving and oppressing took place America would face the same wrath as Egypt. â€Å"Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. † The bible was depended on in justifying and motivation rebellion for the blacks and used as a tool to keep blacks enslaved by the whites. African Americans used sermons, song, and prayer to convey and teach their message of travail and triumph of Israel. Some African Americans could not get past the treatment from the white people that called themselves Christians and as a result they rejected Christianity. Selig’s role suggests that the link between characters is the acquisition of material goods. Selig admits that his ancestors have always made their living pursuing African Americas; his great grandfather transported slaves from Africa, his father captured runaway slaves and returned them to their masters for a reward, and Selig locates displaced people for a fee. Selig attains his ecstasy through consumer capitalism, through the selling of material goods. African Americans are objects for exploitation and exchange in the new economy. He binds African Americans to the economic system, demanding payment of his services and products which necessitates subsistence labor by taking them from one construction site or work site to another, similar to a temporary employment agency today. You pay for an employee to work for some time, but Selig is getting paid by the person looking for work or a ride to a chance of freedom. Selig cannot find a person that has not purchased a dustpan from him because he keeps the names of his customers. Seth is determined to achieve material success, he has very little patience for African Americans migrating north looking for the same prosperity that he desires. Seth is very demanding of his patrons, insisting on advance payment in full, and is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable house. â€Å"It’s hard enough now without all that ignorant kind of acting. Ever since slavery got over with there ain’t been nothing but foolish-acting niggers. Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roads†¦ and niggers drop everything and head north looking for freedom. †(5, 6) Seth wants to blend in with the white man’s world; therefore he keeps a link with Selig by negotiating the manufacturing and sale of dustpans. Seth does not have any idea of what it would be like to be a slave, as he was born free in the North and was educated. He demonstrates his education with his math calculation when dealing with the boarding house patrons and the quick notation of him letting Selig know that he is trying to overcharge him for the dust pan materials. Educational differences played a role in tension with Southern blacks, most of who were forbidden from learning to read, saw religion as a matter of oral tradition and immediate experience and emotion. Northerner blacks, stressed that one could not truly be Christian unless they was able to read the Bible and understand it. This play denies individual worth and identity for some of Wilson’s characters. To be defrauded of the products of one’s labor or to see that creation diminished, like with Jeremy and the guitar contest, is to be denied a reflection of individual worth and identity. If people have been separated from this truth of individual worth and identity through oppression their capacity to bond with one another, form friendships, or couples, families are undermined. Social alienation in Wilson’s characters are expressed in their stores of broken relationships, uncertainty, or suspicion that they feel toward one another. â€Å"Seth: Something ain’t setting right with that fellow, Bynum. He’s one of them mean-looking niggers look like he done killed somebody gambling over a quarter. †(20) Connection between oppression, alienation from self and inability to form bonds with others is displayed in the character of Loomis. Joe Turner’s ability to oppress Loomis carried a judgment of non-worth. â€Å"Loomis: He told me I was worthless. Worthless is something you throw away. Something you don’t bother with† (73) Turners judgment of worthlessness forced Loomis to accept the reality of the white man’s power; he was marked as â€Å"one of Joe Turners niggers and forced to forget his song. †(71) Being alienated from himself and displaced with his relation to the world, Loomis is unable to establish bonds with people around him. The oppression encountered by Wilson’s characters is material or economic, that oppression is spiritual as well in the capacity to deprive the individual of a sense of himself or his unique song. The reawakening of Loomis after his encounter with cultural wisdom is not the self discovery of an average African American but creation of a new source of cultural wisdom, a new African holy man. Wilson uses many metaphors throughout the play. The song is a metaphor for Loomis’s identity and the African American cultural identity. Music is a large part of African American identity, so it makes since that in search of one’s identity they are searching for their song. The boarding house serves as an inn for traveling folk, but the tenants actually receive a form of healing during their stay. Tenants get direction and guidance from Bertha and Bynum. The shiny man that Bynum is in search for signifies African American independence. The man that Bynum met on the road was an independent African American, just as Loomis was freed by his past when he cleansed himself in his own blood. â€Å"Bynum: Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money! †(94) Loomis has dismissed that the blood of Christ can wash away his sins and make him the man he used to be, but by washing himself in his own blood he has sacrificed the old life to begin his new journey on his terms. Bynum’s shining man has been found, meaning his work is complete; he has passed his powers on to the next generation, Loomis. â€Å"They tell me Joe Turner’s come and Gone† is a song that is sung by Bynum, when I first read the story I thought that the meaning was came and now he is dead however, the second time I read the play I realized that it meant that Joe Turner has come and snatched the men and now he is now gone. August Wilson uses symbolism in the play as a very important part in conveying the meaning of the story. Wilsons use of symbolism is demonstrated through Mr. Wilsons use of the road, Martha Pentecost, and Herald Loomis. Symbolic importance is give to the word freedom. The word freedom has instilled hope into the lives of African Americans: during slavery, hope for the release from bondage; after emancipation, the right to be educated, employed, and to move about freely; twentieth century, social, political, and economic justice. Freedom has always stood for the absence of any restraint, because God made all men from his image. There are a number of characters that travel around searching for their place in the world. Mattie, mentions that she keeps on looking, seems like she just keeps starting over, I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. † (76) Reuben tells Zonia, when he finds out that she is leaving the boarding house in search of her mom, â€Å"when I get grown, I come looking for you. †(84) Jeremy does not seem to care much when he loses his job because, â€Å"don’t make me no difference. There’s a big road out there, I can always get my guitar and find me a place to stay. I ain’t planning on staying in one place for too long noway. † (64) Martha Reverend Tolliver moved the Church up north because of the trouble the church was having. When the Civil War finally brought freedom to previously enslaved African Americans, the task of organizing religious communities was only one element of the larger need to create new lives, to reunite families, to find jobs, and to figure out what it would mean to live in the United States as citizens rather than property. August Wilson’s play, Joe Turner’s come and Gone, examines African Americans search for their cultural identity following slavery. Bibliography Murphy, L. G. (2000). Down By the Riverside. New York: New Yourk University Press. Wilson, A. (1988). Joe Turner Come and Gone. New York: Penguin Group.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

The importance of cultural context within any type of text is essential in order to elucidate a distinct argument. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a novella starring the experiences of an ivory trader in Central Africa named Charles Marlow, various themes of racism and human cruelty are discussed in relation to its contextual features. The film â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola adapts this idea of implementing a correlation between its central ideas to a specific cultural context as well. The central research question this extended essay focuses on is how do different features used in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and the film version of "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola help criticize imperialism? In Heart of Darkness and â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† the struggle between the barbaric nature of the natives and the oppressive nature of Imperialism is questioned through the use of characterization of various factors. Before Kurtz, the main antagonist in both texts, is even introduced in either the novella or the film, details are revealed about him through Marlow and Willard, the protagonists of the two texts. The gruesome nature of imperialism is revealed through Marlow and Willard journey through the jungles. The inhumane state in which the slaves are illustrated opens Marlow’s eyes to the cruelty of slavery. Similarly, Willard witnesses the torture the locals experience on a daily basis, such as the way they are treated. The journeys of both protagonists project the overall negativity associated with imperialism, which helps the audience in understanding the soldiers’ psychological states before Kurtz makes an appearance. Although Colonel Kurtz is the antagonist in both texts, he is admired by the two protagonists,... ...h is not restrained by social conventions, Imperialism attempts to justify its savagery. The very fact Imperialists claim to be ‘fighting to the sanity of the world’ demonstrates the corrosive effects it has not only in a confined area, but also to neighboring cultures. By delving deeper into the characters’ subconscious and the true nature of Western Imperialism, the absurdity of what really is considered â€Å"true evil† is questioned by both Conrad and Coppola. Despite the fact colonization in various parts of the world officially ended in the 60’s, different systems of indirect rule were put in place because of continued interest in some parts. Both Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and â€Å"Apocalypse Now† by Francis Ford Coppola are aware of this continued, albeit unfortunate practice, and represents the futility of expecting the eradication of imperialistic values.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Navy Chief Petty Officer Medal of Honor Recipients

The Chief Petty Officer is a rank in the U.S. Navy just above the rank of the Petty Officer First Class. They serve both as leaders and technical experts.   Promotion as a Chief Petty Officer requires superior evaluation and time in service. The Navy Medal of Honor is America’s oldest and still continuing award. The Medal of Honor is the supreme award in the United States of America for bravery in wars.   Any member of the Armed Services of the United States who performs exceptionally in his field of warfare during martial operations risking his life to protect the interests of the country is awarded the Medal of Honor. Since everyone in the Armed Services has values of bravery and selflessness, the recommendation for this award is made with the greatest care and consideration. When the Medal was initially awarded during the Civil Wars, it was the only medal for bravery in wars; but during the Spanish American War, it became the highest honor, with many other medals being given for valor in wars. Apart from the respect the Medal entails, the recipients have many other privileges like increased monetary benefits, wearing their uniforms wherever they choose to, and attending Presidential inaugurations. Even the children of the recipients of the Medal of Honor enjoy privileges. If they are qualified and desire to attend the U.S. military academies, they can do so without any restrictions of quotas. So far, more that 3400 Medal of Honor awards have been given. Getting the prestigious Medal would be the proudest moment of any serviceman, and John Finn had  the taste of it when it was placed around his neck in recognition for his valor in the Second World War. Born in Los Angeles, California, on July 23, 1909, he enlisted in the Navy in 1926 and served as a Chief Petty Officer. John Finn was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor for his conspicuous heroism and gallantry while at the Naval Air Station Kahoehe Bay, Hawaii, during the air raid by Japan, which targeted the facility.   With a machine gun, Chief Finn effectively fired at the enemy planes. Though he received severe wounds, he put up a brave fight and created great havoc to the enemy planes. His action during the attack was indeed amazing. George Brady was yet another proud possessor of the Medal of Honor. He was born on September 7, 1867.   He was a Chief Gunner’s Mate in the U.S. Navy.   George Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor for his exceptional performance in the Spanish American War. George Brady proved a real asset to the U.S. forces. He was on board the torpedo boat Winslow when enemy forces targeted it. The boat was extensively exposed to bombs and suffered great damage. He repaired the steering gear and promptly maintained watertight integrity and thus saved the vessel.   His masterly skills and untiring loyalty to duty was greatly appreciated, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Though every serviceman fights for the country risking his life, such events, which depict individual courage and bravery, are the grounds on which a recommendation for the Medal of Honor is made.   The worth of the Medal of Honor is so  great that senior officers and even the President salutes the Medal, thereby the recipient wearing it. References September 30, 2005, Chief Petty Officer Medal of Honor Recipients [Electronic Version] Retrieved on September 11, 2007, from www.history.navy.mil

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Quiet Revolution

The Quiet Revolution The purpose of this paper is to analyze the aspects of The Quiet Revolution on Quebec, and how the changes implemented by Lesage made Quebec the province it is today. The Quiet Revolution was only quiet at name; it triggered many conflicts that appeared in Quebec. The province began to move away from Catholic Church with the help of nationalists, leaving Quebec reformed and quite different from how it was before the 1960’s. Before the Quiet Revolution, Quebec was majorly formed of rural population.They believed that rural was much better than urban, but due to large families and the lack of good land, it pushed most Quebeckers to move to the cities. By 1921, half of Quebec’s population was urbanized. Manufacture industries of textile and shoes located in Quebec, were attracting many Quebeckers to work. The schools of Quebec were owned by the Catholic Church, and were mostly run by priests, nuns and brothers. The Quiet Revolution was a period between 1960 and 1966; it was mainly a period of political, social and economic change (Winston Knoll Collegiate).The Union Nationale party was in power since 1944, it held conservative outdated values. The election of June 1960 was the beginning of revolutionary changes that were about to happened in Quebec. The election of June 22nd 1960, when the Liberal Party of Quebec ran by Jean Lesage finally won 51. 5% against Union Nationale. â€Å"The main issue of the election was indicated by the Liberal slogan, â€Å"It's time for a change†(The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012)†. The government under Lesage began new era with open debates, changing the political electoral map so each urban area would be well represented.The government changed the voting age from 21 to 18. Lesage by increasing loans, made the budget grow from $745 million to $2. 1 billion in less than six years. The Baby Boom generation that had reached adolescence put a lot of pressure on Quebec’s poor educatio nal system; the role of Catholic Church was quite criticized and abolished pushing the government into creating a department of education, the Parent Report created a school system available to the entire population.One of the major accomplishments by the government in the economic sector was the nationalization of private electricity companies, an idea that was introduced by Rene Levesque, a minister of natural resources. The government of Jean Lesage encouraged industrialization, promoting investments and guaranteeing economic benefits through the buy-Quebec policy, all these objectives were met when Hydro-Quebec became the symbol of success and economic resources. The creation of â€Å"caisse de depot et placement du Quebec† triggered the creation of the Quebec pension plan, which immediately grew to billion dollars.Quebec’s favorite slogan that had huge improvements was the â€Å"maitres chez nous† (masters in our own house) which promoted and influenced fed eral-provincial relations. The demands that were imposed by Lesage were largely met. â€Å"Lesage forced the federal government to accept Quebec's withdrawal from several cost-sharing programs and to compensate Quebec fiscally (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012)†. Therefore Quebec was the only province that had the right to withdraw. Thus, the conflicts then rose between the English Canadians and the French Canadian. The federal Pearson Liberal government established the Royal Commission on bilingualism and biculturalism, which warned that Canada was passing through the greatest crisis in its history (The Quiet Revolution Changed Quebec Forver). Pearson liberal party to gain more strength and credibility hired three wise men; Jean Marchand, Gerard Pelletier and Pierre Eliott Trudeau. Quebec was gaining power and these changes made many different French Canadian nationalists for example; FLQ (Front de liberation du Quebec) believed that Quebec is a distinct society and worship s eparatism, which resulted in terrorism.In 1966, when Quebec faced elections they were confident of triumph, but the Union National had add changes to its image attracted more conservative voters and since the Quiet Revolution never really influenced the rural areas. On June 5th of 1966 the Union National won the elections against the Liberals. Although, the liberal party was elected in 1960 and defeated in 1966, Jean Lesage in 6 years of power had accomplished forceful changes; the French language took more place and importance in Canada, the welfare state; including the pension plan, Medicare and Hydro Quebec.The Quiet Revolution was an important point of reference in Quebec’s history; all governments elected in Quebec never omit to mention the importance and the positive consequences that it brought to Quebec. Words: 770 References 1. The Quiet Revolution changed Quebec Forever, http://www. llss. sd73. bc. ca/socials11/materials/chapter8/quiet_revn_changed_que_forever. pdf 2. October Crisis, The Quiet Revolution, http://www. historyofrights. com/flq1. html 3. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012 http://www. thecanadianencyclopedia. com/articles/quiet-revolution

Thursday, November 7, 2019

A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Example

A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Example A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay A Marxist Study of Much Ado About Nothing Essay Essay Topic: Much Ado about Nothing A Marxist study of Much Ado About Nothing Using the Marxist approach to one of Shakespeare’s comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, this essay deals with the unconscious of the text in order to reveal the ideology of the text (as buried in what is not said) so as to discover the hegemony behind the text. The ideology perpetuated in Much Ado About Nothing revolves around, centrally, ensuring the needs and insecurities of the aristocratic – the need for a patriarchal power, the need to reject, stigmatize and dominate the lower class and women. According to Elliot Krieger in A Marxist Study of Shakespeare’s Comedies, there is a â€Å"primary world† and a â€Å"second world† in each of Shakespeare’s comedies. The second world is a location towards which â€Å"the characters, hence the action, move† (1). The primary world is the actual location which the characters originally inhabit, while the second world is where the characters escape to. This second world is an alternative to the primary world, a different perspective for the characters to see the objective reality. It represents a state of mind which â€Å"shelters or separates them† in the primary world as the protagonists â€Å"circumscribe all of objective reality with their subjectivity† (3). While the protagonists â€Å"experience the second world as a retreat, withdrawal, or replacement† releasing their private fancy in this second world, others experience the second world â€Å"as a domination, an exhibition of authority† and â€Å"a restriction on their own autonomy† (4). In Much Ado About Nothing, the honourable prince Don Pedro and his illegitimate brother, Don John the Bastard, conjure up a second world of their own respectively. The second world of the former succeeds and sustains itself at the end of the play while that of the latter falls through hopelessly. The success and failure of the two different second worlds demonstrates the fact that â€Å"only a protagonist who has social degree, and power, can develop a second world in which personal whims organize the social experience of others, in which the needs of the subject’s ego replace the history of the primary world†(4). Hence, this Shakespearean comedy has the sole purpose of unconsciously serving the aristocratic in upholding their ideology, an ideology that has in turn become the hegemony for all in society. After the victory of the war in the primary world, Don Pedro arrives at Messina with his troops of soldiers and soon sets up the first second world in the play, aiming to â€Å"to bring Signor/Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of/affection the one with the other† (II. i. 284-287) through the means of deception. Lady Beatrice, with her quick wits and independent character, often directs her wisdom and outspoken defiance against men: â€Å"Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a pierce of valiant dust? †(II. i. 40-41) Her hatred of the opposite sex, which is most intensely overt in her verbal war with Benedick, unconsciously disturbs men and poses a threat to their virility. Beatrice must not have her waywardness left unruled: â€Å"I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband† sighs Leonato (II. i. 37). Indeed, Don Pedro’s subtle affection for Beatrice can be taken as more than a romantic interlude; it might be an unconscious attempt of the patriarchal ruling class to subjugate the agency of women by marrying them: â€Å"Will you have me, Lady? † (II. i. 252) Beatrice, as an independent and outspoken woman in the primary world, must be objectified and have her freedom forfeited in a man’s hands – if not Don Pedro, then Benedick. This fantasy is to be conducted in the second world – a response to the social condition in the primary world. The taming and exorcizing of the strong woman Beatrice is further expressed in the two instances of gulling. As proposed by Neely, Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio â€Å"alleviate his (Benedick’s) fears about Beatrice’s aggressiveness by a lengthy, exaggerated tale of her desperate passion for him: ‘Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, bears her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses – ‘O sweet Benedick! God give me patience’ (II, iii, 148-50)† (146). Such account â€Å"dovetails perfectly with his fantasy that all women (even the aggressive Beatrice) dote on him† and â€Å"gratifies†, most importantly, the male readers desire to â€Å"picture the disdainful Beatrice in this helpless state† (Neely, 146). The women’s gulling of Beatrice, on the contrary, make only one â€Å"unembroidered mention of Benedick’s love for her, even that is interrogative – ‘But are you sure/That Benedick Beatrice’s’(III, i, 36-7)† (Neely, 146). They â€Å"praise his (Benedick) virtues, not Beatrice’s† and assault heavily on the pride of Beatrice, â€Å"deflating rather than bolstering her self-esteem† (Neely, 146). These two instances of gulling, which bolster the authenticity of the second world of Don Pedro, manage also to exorcise and suppress the power of women in deflating Beatrice. The second world led by Don Pedro must succeed in replacing the primary world (where Benedick is verbally attacked by Beatrice) because he is the man with the highest social standing in the play. The hegemony reigns in as the subjectivity of Don Pedro becomes the experience of the others – the two instances of gulling edging closer and closer to honesty. The second world of Don Pedro and that of Don John share a foremost function to exorcize women as men harbor an unconscious fear to be subject to women’s sexual power. To Benedick and the male protagonists, love can lead to â€Å"humiliation and loss of potency†¦a castrating torture† (Neely, 144). To defend themselves, men â€Å"deny its possibility through idealization†, as in the idealization of Hero into a perfect and innocent virgin, â€Å"anticipate it through misogyny, as expressed in the strong Beatrice, or â€Å"transform it, through the motif of cuckoldry† (Neely, 141), as in the second world of Don John. (In the second world of Don John, deception is employed to slander Hero and defame her honour. Its destruction goes as far as providing an unconscious imaginary land for men to relieve their fears about women, suggesting their sadistic desire to attack women so as to affirm their virility. After being publicly shamed, Hero can do nothing but swoon; Beatrice also suffers in great frustration; as she feels the constraints of a woman, she cries: â€Å"Is he not approved in the height a villain, that/hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? O/that I were a man! †¦O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart† (IV. i. 212-214). Masculinity is portrayed as an exclusive power possessed only by the men who could fight back in the face of injustice. ) Marriage not only ends the war between Benedick and Beatrice but also maintains the purity of the blood of the upper class. During the time when the play was written, it was unlikely for one, especially a woman of the lower class, to marry one’s social status up. The concept of marriage between members of the same class is unconsciously promoted so that the blood of the lower class would not enter and stain that of the upper class. In granting the consent to Claudio to marry his daughter Hero, Leonato comments, â€Å"his grace hath made the match† (II, i, 232); being asked to marry Don Pedro, Beatrice refuses by asserting that his grace is â€Å"too costly to wear† (II, i, 252); in deceiving Claudio to believe that Don Pedro has wooed Hero for himself, Don John the bastard disapproves of such match as Hero â€Å"is no equal for his birth† (II, i, 144). It is important for one to marry a member of the same league. Marriage, which subjects women to men’s power and control, can also prevent the elevation of social standing of the lower class, which could prevent the ower class’ ‘robbery’ of the fortunes of the upper class. As a â€Å"good soldier to a lady† (I, i, 43), Benedick could marry off with a pretty woman of a lower social standing. He is denied this when Don Pedro ensures his marriage with Beatrice. Though the second world of Don Pedro produces an â⠂¬Å"abstract moral condition such as ‘harmony’ or ‘concord’, beneficial to all of the characters’† (Krieger, 5), its success sacrifices the autonomy of Beatrice, the freedom of Benedick and annihilates the possibility of an inter-class marriage which could reward either Beatrice or Benedick. This is also why the second world created by Don John is doomed to fail. Don John is a figure who has no respected or recognized social status. As an illegitimate brother to Don Pedro, he is no different from a parasite attached to his princely brother for economic subsistence and respect, as Leonato remarks upon receiving Don John, â€Å"Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled to/the prince your brother, I owe you all duty† (I, i, 117-118). Don John has Leonato owned his â€Å"all duty† only because he himself has â€Å"reconciled to† Don Pedro the prince. Despite being a ‘prince’, Don John is still referred as the â€Å"bastard†. The failure of his second world, which consists of slandering the virgin Hero, is an assurance that the illegitimate will never succeed in entering the league or upsetting the status quo of the legitimate upper class. The ideology of class distinction remains as people opt for a potential marital partner according to one’s social standing. The presence of Don John also serves as a living warning for the upper class that any illegitimate intercourse with the lower class may breed a potential malice in the future, that is the devilish Don John in the play. The lower class must be rejected by the upper class, especially in terms of marriage. The repulsion of inter-class marriage is further testified in Margaret being one of the accomplices of this valiancy in disgracing Hero. As the chamber-maid of Hero, Margaret pretends to be Hero and gets tempted by Borachio, with whom she has sex. Her lust is a testimony to the immorality of the lower class, who cannot command their own desires. In Shakespeares era, a woman with her honour lost would lose all her social standing. Compared to the public shaming of Hero, the absence of a punishment to Margaret’s loss of honour might also reflect the insignificance of the lower class. The lower class is free to do whatever they want as they are left in the gutter, while the upper class must watch their code of behaviour carefully so as not to fall into depravity. The promiscuity of Margaret also reinforces the depraved nature of the lower class which justifies the impossibility of an inter-class marriage which would otherwise pollute the blood of the upper class. The lower class is exorcised as it is presented to be depraved while the upper class remains virtuous in the purity of Hero. The second world of Don John fails soon after the truth about the gulling is made known to Leonato. Although the gulling is brought to light by Dogberry the policeman of the middle class, Don Pedro is the one who derives valuable answers from the villain Borachio to discover the truth of the villainy. With fluent articulation, Don Pedro forms the significant question, â€Å"Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus/bound to your answer? whats your offence? † (V. . 168-169) while Dogberry, the â€Å"learned constable†¦too cunning to be understood† (V. i. 168-169) fails to retrieve meaningful answers in his previous instances of interrogation due to his eccentric and wry use of language. His function works no more than exercising the labour to arrest and transfer the villain to the authority. Under arrest, Borachio only makes his confes sion to Don Pedro as he recounts, â€Å"Sweet prince, let me go no farther to mine answer:†¦I have/deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms/could not discover, these shallow fools have brought/to light† (V. i. 171-176). The ideology that aristocratic class holds the key to settling disputes and injustice permeates and they hold the legitimacy to rule the community. Contrary to a traditional reading of the play, the Marxist approach involves a close analysis of the minor character Don Pedro and also the absence of certain events, such as the punishment of Margaret, as well as the displaced rage of Beatrice. The â€Å"development of a second world† in Shakespearean comedies manifests aristocratic privilege. In fact, the â€Å"second world functions as an ideological system† and â€Å"hide[s] class struggle† (Kriger, 6). The struggle presented in the play is the disturbed power relation between men and women, upper class and lower class. The success of the second world of Don Pedro, who belongs to the aristocratic, replaces the social conditions of the primary world which is previously upset by the dominance of Beatrice and the intrusion of Don John the bastard. The hegemony, which is the second world, is set up by Don Pedro and is privileged to remain as the objective reality in the new primary world of both the aristocratic and the lower class.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

17 Questions You Should Never Ask at a Job Interview

17 Questions You Should Never Ask at a Job Interview We all hate that moment when the interviewer turns to us and says: â€Å"Do you have any questions for us?† Next time you find yourself in the hot seat, make sure to avoid these questions. You’ll be glad you did. SEE ALSO:  The 6 Hardest Interview Questions of 20161. What does your company do?Try Google. Ideally, before the interview.2. What will my salary be?It never pays to talk money in the interview stage. Save it for when you get the offer.3. Will I have to work long hours?This is as good as saying, â€Å"I can’t be bothered trying very hard.†4. How long before I accumulate vacation time?Save it for the HR orientation.5. How soon before I can get promoted?Focus on getting the job you’re interviewing for and doing it well. Then worry about your next move.6. When will I be eligible for a raise?Again, focus on getting the job. And save the money talk for your first review.7. Will I have my own office?Why bother asking this one, really? You eithe r will or you won’t.8. Will I get along with my coworkers?No interviewer is going to answer â€Å"no,† nor could they possibly have any idea. This just makes you look emotionally immature and slightly deranged. Try asking about the work culture instead.9. Will I have an expense account?Not if you don’t get the job!10. [insert personal question]Just don’t.11. Can I make personal calls?If you have to ask, it sounds like you’re not planning on doing any actual work.12. I heard [insert salacious detail] about the CEO. Is that true?Skip the rumor mill and stick to being respectful.13. Do you monitor internet usage or screen emails?This suggests you have something to hide.14. Do you do background checks?They probably do. Don’t act suspicious!15. Can I arrive early/leave late?This is just a no-brainer. Even if you can work fast enough to get it done in less than 8 hours, it’s not interview appropriate.16. How’d I do?Just don’t. 17. Did I get the job?Even if they were ready to hire you on the spot, this question will likely make them change their minds.Of course, not asking questions is almost worse than asking any of the above. Try to come up with a few safe ones that will assert your intelligence and valuable qualities and prepare them well in advance.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Gallery review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gallery review - Essay Example The lady by his side is, on the other hand, has the hair well attended to and everything on her appears organized. The second picture in the same row indicates both the lady and the gentleman holding on their cheeks as they focus keenly on the object before them. In the second row, there is the side view of the same lady, but now with very thick layer of side beards and the beards are also all over her chin. The second picture in the row shows the front view of the same lady’s face with the hair still around it. In the last picture, in the row, both are shown, the lady right in front of the gentleman, the man also with visible changes on his face. The hair on his head remains intact, but the hair around his face on the cheeks and the chin are all shaved, and these spots remain clear save for the moustache. In the last row, the first and the second pictures both show the two in front of the machine-like object, now standing side by side and starring at it. Both still have the changes introduced in their faces. In these two pictures, the two interchange their positions. The writing below the exhibition reads, â€Å"†¦is a unique work that examines the boundary of what is typical† What seems to be exhibited is the work of facial hair transplant from a man to a woman. I tend to believe that the exhibition would want to display to the judgment of the viewers, if the transfer of some of the external features like the facial hair, from a man to a lady would really make a man appear like a woman and a woman like a man. In my view and judgment, this does not really happen. This is because despite the hair being introduced on to face of the lady, as evidenced in the middle row pictures; the lady still looks feminine while the man whose facial hair has been shaved still appears masculine in all manner of appearance. I think this exhibition informs the viewers that the question of femininity or masculinity is not all about the physical appearance, and I would