As people grow older, they need to renegotiate their sense of identity and belonging Essay

Everyone has struggled with their identity and belonging during a chapter of their life. There comes a time when our opinions and beliefs begin to differentiate from those around us. During this time, some people may discover where they belong, whereas many others do not. It is not solely one stage of our lives when we are confronted with an identity crisis, but a continuous challenge throughout our lives as we encounter new experiences that will alter our thoughts, emotions and perspective on ourselves. Most of us are following the â€Å"norms†, society expectations but deep down inside, we desire for freedom. Society only gives us a narrow time, a â€Å"window†, between school and marriage to be whomever we want without the judgement of society. This window is the only time that we can have a †good time† like getting drunk, travel, stay out late, do silly things yet nobody would criticise. However, since the window is pretty narrow, many people tends to stretch it so they can fully enjoy themselves. For school-leavers like us, we would like to taste that sense of freedom as soon as possible and as long as possible. Not many of us would actually thinking about settling down at this moment since we are young. Out there in the world, many interesting new things are inviting us to try and take on the challenges. We are like Bubba, young and energetic, new to the world and society doesn’t expect much of us yet. However, human beings are not eternally immutable, we change ourselves, our identity and sense of belonging gradually. There’s certainly a time when we feel so lonely, distanced and disconnected even though there’s a crowd of people around, people that we know. That’s when we should think to ourselves, who am I really and where do I belong? After enjoying freedom for so long, we could be bored and lost because we are living without a purpose, a plan for the future. We would begin to yearn for a lifelong companionship, fulltime commitment from someone, we can’t stand being alone for the rest of our lives in some vague, unstable relationships that can break at any moment. We need something new and more exciting than what we already experienced. A solitary is an unfulfilling life to us, we want love, affections and devotion so that our lives can be fulfilled. As we grow older, we would stop being immature, selfish and solo as part of our â€Å"growing up†. Though we would like to stretch our â€Å"window†, society does expect us to grow after certain age. We are expected to reproduce ourselves by having a family, taking up the responsibilities, pass on our beliefs to the younger generation. Reproduction is that we can start all over again, that’s why life is a cycle, repetitively, and many would follow. In each and every one of us, the biological urge or clock would start to alarm as we grow older. Desire for a family with children would naturally come for most people, then they would seek to settle down. Nancy had enough of the lay-off, after sixteen years without any assurance, she had renegotiated with herself to discontinue. She wanted to have a family, a stable relationship, since Barney couldn’t give her that, she left and married to start a family life. She was not young any more but it was not too late, at least she realised that the lay-off wasn’t working for her and she found a solution that she was comfortable with. However, there’re a few people who think differently. They are afraid of losing their freedom as they are lost in their own fantasy that they are young and free forever. Marriage certainly limits one’s freedom that to some people, it’s a chain, an imprisonment for life that they don’t ever want to be bind in. They love their liberty even though they are aging, they don’t have a slight idea of changing their lifestyle. They don’t want to grow up even if they are growing old. In society’s eye, they are the odd ones, the ones that defy the â€Å"norms†, the bad omens. Olive is the representative of these people, she detest matrimony and any permanent attachment. However, she ignored reality of her aging and the repetitive of the lay-off was wearing everybody out. The freshness, excitements and funs were gone long ago but she turned a blind eye to it, believing it would last forever. Only if she renegotiate with herself earlier, reality wouldn’t struck her as hard and she would understand why Roo proposed to her. At some point in life, we must reconsider of our sense of identity and belonging so that its suit our situations. We are not ever-changing but we can’t be the same forever, we need to change gradually to adapt to the changing world just like how the Earth revolves around the sun. It spins but we don’t feel it. People change overtime but we don’t really see unless it’s a dramatic change. As we grow older, we encounter more crises which influence our sense of identity and belonging. We would be wiser than before as we learn from our mistakes.

If I Were a Boy Essay

The artist Beyonce has a fantastic music video, directed by Jake Nava. He is best known for his Anti-gun campaign music video; he also attended University of Westminister. It is about a girl who put herself in a guys shoes. This particular song portrays an R&B genre. Beyoncà © is shown as a female police officer arresting a grown, black male who looks to be from an impoverished area. This often times suggests R&B; however, both Beyoncà © and the male featured in the video appear to be clean cut and well presented. They also show the couple’s nice apartment, and the guy is shown giving Beyoncà © an expensive-looking pair of earrings. Based on this information, one can assume that this music is not R&B, it’s pop. The purpose of this video was to highlight the misunderstanding between genders. The theme of role reversal was used. Beyoncà © was shown in the shoes of a man. She treated her man the way your stereotypical male would treat a female. Men don’t take the time to sit down and eat breakfast together, as shown in the video; they tend to worry more about work, alcohol and other women. Beyoncà © illustrates the feeling of men coming and going, always assuming that when they do in fact come home their girl will be right there waiting for them. She proves that point wrong when she says â€Å"you lose the one you wanted because you’ve taken her for granted†. A person can only take so much before they decide to walk away. Aside from what had previously been mentioned it is noted that there is a very strong relationship between the lyrics and the visual. The way Beyoncà © acts towards her man in the video is much the same as she describes it through her words. She shows distance and selfishness. She puts herself first, which is what she feels most guys do. This video portrays their closeness, but also her reluctance  to be treated poorly. At this point, viewers are able to sense her. confusion: she seems tired of the situation, tired of her man constantly coming and going. It almost seems as if its time for her to make a decision, judgment day. The roles are suddenly flipped and everything begins to make sense. However, if you pay close attention you also begin to realize that the record company is trying to do multiple things with this song. You can tell that the record company is not only trying to sell the track but the artist as well. A vast majority of Beyoncà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s songs have leaned more towards the R&B genre, all songs that could be played at a party and cause a live atmosphere whereas this song is deeper and more heartfelt. This song is looking to grab peoples attention in a different way, she wants people to relate. The record company tries to sell her as a diverse artist, and was trying to prove that she is capable of executing multiple forms of music. Overall, this song is about a female who feels as if men have it easier, almost like they can sa y and do things that woman cannot do within a  relationship without facing consequences. Beyoncà © feels a man wouldn’t stick around if they were treated like a female. They wouldn’t have the patience nor would they continue to make an effort. This song/video combo was well executed and served a clear purpose. Some women feel a man’s position is easier to fulfill, but who is to say that some men don’t feel that way about women? It would be very interesting to see a male version of this music video.

How Women Directors Influence Corporate Governance and Firm Dissertation

How Women Directors Influence Corporate Governance and Firm Performance - Dissertation Example Women have been shown to have a positive influence on a board, from aspects of participation such as attendance and dutiful diligence, to higher rates of pay for directors because of observable increases in performance which denote higher rates of return. The female presence on a corporate board provides a variety of advantages to the overall performance of a firm. Male Domination in the Board Room According to Gomez and Moore the statistics of female representation on corporate boards â€Å"show a disproportionate representation of women on boards in relation to their roles in society as consumers and employees†. According to Sparrow, only 15% of the board members in the United States are women, with only 1% being CEOs. In comparison, Sweden has 23%, Norway has 29%, Finland 20%, and Denmark 18%, because of Scandinavian policies that are encouraging the expansion of roles for women at the corporate level. However, in other European companies there is a lesser representation than in the United States. However, the problem with the statistics is that it does not reflect the number of female board members who are no more than a ‘trophy’ member, who holds several positions on the boards of multiple companies, decreasing the actual percentage of women who hold these positions. According to Reeves â€Å"Women’s lack of representation on boards is signific ant because boards make high level policy decisions that affect large numbers of people, including shareholders, employees, and ultimately consumers† (19). When women are represented on boards, there seems to be a ripple effect as more higher level management positions are then held by women within an organization. According to Reeves, the increases in CEO’s that are women have gone from nine in 2006, ten in 2007, twelve in 2008, and 13 in 2009, so the power balance is shifting, but by 2009, that number of 13 still only represented 2.6% of all corporate CEO’s. Reeves reports that while the average corporation has 21.8 corporate officers, only 3.6 of these positions are held by women. In 2006, 75% of the companies on the Fortune 500 had no women in top-earning positions within the corporate structure. An example to the social deficit that this creates can be seen where â€Å"women are more involved than men in the healthcare decisions for themselves and for their families†¦(however) more than one third of the world’s top 500 healthcare and pharmaceutical companies have no women on their corporate boards† (20). According to Peterson and Philpot, the professional backgrounds of board members on corporate boards shows that women are just as qualified in experience and background as are the men, but that they serve less frequently on executive committees than do men. Peterson and Philpot also find that gender is related to the way in which members are assigned to boards, and that the resource dependent theory provides for the phenomenon of women serving on more human and socially oriented boards, with men providing more representation on financial and budgetary committees. They suggest that there is â€Å"some relationship between committee assignment, gender, and the resource dependence role of directors† (193). Using the theory put forth by Nussbaum, the capabilities based approach, the nature of female representation should not be considered by the nature of gender but

Uderstand the source of finance avlible to a business Research Paper

Uderstand the source of finance avlible to a business - Research Paper Example The finance requirements for meeting such type of expenses are generally long term in nature. A company can rely upon both its internal and external sources for meeting financing requirements (Beck, Levine and Loayza, 2000). In external sources of financing, a third party gets involved in meeting monetary requirements of a company. External sources of financing accrue cost to the business in respect of their obtainment. The external sources can be of long, short or medium term. Short-term sources of external financing are generally of less than a year’s duration, before it becomes accrued for repayment. Some of the short-term sources of finance are discussed as follows (Beck and Demirguc-Kunt, 2006). Trade creditors are the most common type of short-term finance option, which is available for small, medium and large organizations. Trade creditors refer to the purchase of different items on credit. In this type of a transaction, suppliers allow the business a certain period of lag in payment for the goods purchased. Business can take advantage of the extra time period and invest money elsewhere for generating higher revenue. Factoring is another method of short-term financing whereby a company can receive funds earlier than the due date of its debts. A company may have a large number of debtors, who have purchased goods on credit. As a result, revenue from sales is earned only after a considerable period of time. Fund, therefore, gets trapped for a longer period, harming firm’s liquidity position. Factoring helps a company to procure the finance trapped in credit by way of providing value of debts as security to the factor agent (Goldstein, Ju and Leland, 2001). Discounting of invoice is another very popular means of obtaining short-term credit facilities. In this type of a financing arrangement, a company exchanges its receivable invoices with a finance house, which provides the business with immediate cash. The cash provided is

Assignment 8(775) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 8(775) - Essay Example utcomes are aimed at developing an effective program, finding any modifications that should be incorporated in the program and realize any modifications that are not effective. Professional reflection is an essential part of action planning because the process of implementing new practices requires competent personnel who had specialized in a given field. For instance, one must have enough knowledge in order to come up with an effective research report. In this Chapter, Mertler states that the process of action planning in an organization entails using steps to action chart. This implies that only competent personnel can execute the whole process. In this chapter text, Mertler discusses the fundamental component of action research as the action planning. The text clearly explains the different forms of action planning that can be used in a number of set ups during research. They are provided as the informal and the formal plans. Although the author provides the typical outcomes that are likely to arise from the action research depending on the type of plan that is applied, he does not provide in-depth information on how to apply each in different circumstances. The piece is however insightful in the way that it guides the reader on how to plan and perform action research in varied ways. It provides the various steps that can be taken in the development of an action plan during research. This comprises the period from the initial planning to the final implementation stage. In a clear way, the author provides instructions on how action planning can be organized as well as the different levels on which action planning can occur. Thus, it is possible to apply each form of plan based on whether the research is being conducted by an individual, a team, at the school or the district level. In this case, action planning can occur at various levels of the organization that include the individual, team, school and the district level. The developing stage is made up of the

Research Design and Case Study (Was Iraq War Handled Effectively) Assignment

Research Design and Case Study (Was Iraq War Handled Effectively) - Assignment Example Additionally, it offers the chance to examine the outcomes of the choices chosen by the U.S and its allies during and after the invasion and even after the evacuation of U.S troops from Iraq. Other factors include the decisions of the new regime to marginalize the Sunnis and the inefficiencies of the institutions of Iraq to handle matters of the nation. The adoption of a case study will enable me to offer an analysis of both content and from a historical perspective. In addition, a case study offers the opportunity for structuring any future research on this topic while also providing a foundation for other researchers to further their knowledge on this topic and a chance to offer additional insight and information. A case study is the ideal research design technique because it is particularly helpful in analyzing institutions and structuring policy. The analytical approach to be adopted is the congruence method based on typical conditions. The use of congruence analysis is the most appropriate approach because it places emphasis on formulating conclusions that are relevant to the goals of the study and because it enhances objectivity and reliability of the research. The case study chosen is â€Å"Wars of Decline: Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya† because it offers an opportunity to clearly investigate the factors listed above and is able to comprehensively explain the occurrence of a number of factors that are responsible for the mismanagement of the Iraq War. â€Å"The Wars of Decline: Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya† provides an opportunity for the analysis of the management of the Iraq War. It provides a chance to analyze underlying factors that may have caused the mismanagement of the Iraq War. The Iraq War was as a response to the 9/11 bombings in Washington and New York by Al Qaeda militants. Al Qaeda had been responsible for a number of attacks

Marketing Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Objectives - Essay Example The new product is code named as M2030. Marketing Objectives The target market of the company is all the households and offices of that are looking for lighter and efficient products. The product is aimed for UK market. M2030 will be a good choice for families considering the product’s ease and efficiency. â€Å"UK Households spent an average of ?474 per week in 2010.† (Office of National Statistics, 2011) As per the statistics department, fuel and power form one of the major components of the expense items. It is also seen that consumers have spent more disposable income for consumer durables in 2010. This trend is expected to continue in 2011. The product will be more focused on London, Northern Ireland, South East, East and South West. (Office of National Statistics, 2011) The marketing objectives of the product M2030 are as follows: 1. To become the best in class product in the product category 2. To make the product available in all the leading electronics stores 3 . To offer the product to the customers at a highly competitive price 4. To create an impact in the minds of the customers regarding the benefits of the product. This report will further look into the detailed aspects of marketing of M2030 in UK. A detailed analysis of the competition and environment is also included in the report. Competitive Situation Analysis G’s products can be classified based on the three way consumer classification system of convenience, shopping and specialty goods. The products of G Electronics are kettles, toasters, juicers, mixers, ovens, dish washers, and micro waves. All these products can be classified as Shopping Goods. (Kurtz, 2011) The following five force model analysis will analyze the competitive situation of Company G. Supplier Power: The Company maintains excellent relationships with the existing suppliers. But for producing M2030, the company requires new materials which are different from those supplied by the existing suppliers. The s upplier power is comparatively less for G as the numbers of suppliers are high. Threat of Substitutes: The threat of substitutes is comparatively higher for Company G. Products that are not as efficient as M2030 are available at a lesser price in the market. But then this happens only if the customers prefer cost benefit over efficiency. Switching cost is comparatively low for this product category. Buyer Power: Buyer power is very high in this case. The customers are flooded with numerous products by various brands. All products differs each other in terms of the design, price, efficiency, etc. Buyer concentration is high for microwave oven market. Also, the chances for customers to have inclination towards a particular brand are very high. Threat of new Entrants: Threat of new entrants is low in this industry though there are big companies who still foray into unrelated businesses. Brand identity and research costs are two main factors that hinder companies from entering this indu stry. There is definitely a threat from big companies who has the capital and knowhow to enter the segment. Degree of Rivalry: Some of the strongest players in the industry are Philips, IFB, Panasonic, Samsung, Siemens, LG, Sharp, Whirlpool, Daewoo, etc. There are just the leading brands. Apart from this there are other brands that has significant cumulative market share. Therefore, the degree of rivalry is high in this industry. (Mindtools, 2011) SWOT Analysis

Operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Operation management - Essay Example The main success of the company was drawn from the traditional management system and also the outstanding customer service as they believed the customer to be the greatest asset to a company. Their operations were mainly geared towards ensuring that the customers were satisfied and they looked for the best methods to ensure customer satisfaction. The employees within the organization had to work extra shifts to meet the demand of the customer in the organization. Delivery of service at the company had to be flawless and the customers had to have their services delivered on time making the process more difficult especially in the peak time when there was customer influx meaning that the processes involved increased due to the verification procedures. The company had to hire more workers on temporary basis to deal with the increase in the number of customers and also the inflows that were blowing out of hand for the employees at the company (Upton, 1997). The permanent employees also had to work extra shifts so as to meet the demands of the customers who had to get their insurance in order. The process that was involved in ensuring that the insurance forms were properly filled in and entered into the system was however marred with problems since the customers were at times not filling the form well. The problem of entering the wrong data into the systems was however more critical since the customers would be dissatisfied leading the directors to take a step and introduce the SPC model to sample the problem in the organization. The workers were not entirely amused but they had to abide by the directive and one of the directors Kluck hoped that the method would help in reducing the errors (Upton, 1997). The main reason for implementing the model to the company was mainly to understand the accuracy levels so as to come up with the best solutions to the problems that plagued the company. The SPC model was set up in such a way that each employee would

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Cause and effect - Essay Example When other nations present a better outlook expectation, advanced earnings and a sparkling way of life, it draws many populaces. Other people tent to move in search of means for survival and to be able to support their families back home (Lujà ¡n 78). Many developed states have many advancements taking place daily in their places. The numerous expansions attract people mainly from the least urbanized nations to shift there to earn good incomes. Education: majority of citizens tend to progress to other countries with the anticipation of securing good quality schooling. Other states are appareled with a huge range of learning prospects. Many of them have numerous and classy professional establishments, colleges, universities as well as high schools that are better that those established back at home. The superiority and the prestige that comes in line with being associates with such a teaching drive many to shift other lands. Others have a preference to attend institutions that are well known globally in order for them to be famous (Sharma 196). Many students particularly those from wealthy backgrounds travel to countries of their picking to get PhD and Masters Credentials. Through scholarship students also get an option to move to their preferred sates to learn. Lofty Standards of living: numerous parents over and over again tent to propel their kinds overseas for them to attain the best existence. Manly they do this with an objective covering up on the life they were denied or did not achieve. Parents believe that once their children have travelled overseas they will get a plentiful and fruitful life there. With this major concern of a lofty living, much populaces do all they can to shift abroad. Other populaces go to any extend that they abandon their occupations in their motherlands just try their fortune in other states. Others even choose to revolutionize their

Risk in the Essex Voyage Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk in the Essex Voyage - Case Study Example According to the discussion the crew decided to continue for five weeks without stopping to do repairs and searched for warm waters. The encountered other whalers who told them about a newly discovered a good hunting ground located about four thousand six hundred kilometers to the southwest. The area was risky because it was too far and the inhabitants of the Islands were said to be cannibals. They went thousands into the coast of South America and but a number of days whaleboats were empty despite the whale damaging their boat by surfacing directly below. Three whaleboats began to pursue a sperm whale but as they tried to harpoon it its fluke hit the boat and damaged its seam, which forced them to cut the line from the whale to put back the boat into the ship for repair. The second boat has also harpooned a whale that was pulling the way. As the work of repaired continued an abnormally larger whale was seen behaving strangely. It lay without any movement and its head was facing the ship and it began to speedily approach the ship diving. The whale hit the ship with its head, went under it, and battered it tipping it to move from side to side. It continued to the starboard side of the ship and lay motionless but the crew could not kill it because it was too close to the rudder and could cause the ship intense damage. The whale was seen swimming ahead of the ship but came back in furry and speed and thrashed it with its tail and its head struck the ship again. This study outlines that the whale crushed the bow and pushed the ship backwards and the whale them swarm away and were never seen again. The ship began to sink slowly and the crew had only whaleboats for survival. The captain gathered navigational instruments but he could do much and was terrified. The ship took two days to sink, during which the crew tried to salvage their supplies.

The tone of the poems Essay Example for Free

The tone of the poems Essay This phrase is an example of how the smaller things are often the best and I think that this is why Bennet used young boys and girls instead of just soldiers. Another reason is, I think, the anger felt at the association of two such different things the innocence of children and war. Bennet may have written it to make people to reconsider their views on war and the glorified heroes by adding a different dimension to them. In the line blood reds, cloud whites and ocean blues Bennet neglects to mention the land. He includes the sky and the sea but the earth isnt present. This is linked to the second stanza which begins with nature creating pain for the humans biting, stinging clouds of dust but ends with man taking control. I think that these lines may signify that the earth is being destroyed by humans. As nature is another beautiful casualty of the war, like children, I believe that Bennet may be suggesting that the innocent are the first to suffer. Also, he uses words such as biting and stinging to describe the winds. There are very derogatory adjectives so it may imply that Bennet is saying that war changes people and forces them to become things theyre not. This is also similar to The Man He Killed as war is like a charade or a game. When they were forced to pay the ultimate price it can relate to as the man who was killed was in his place which suggests that he had no choice. Strange people and foreign land both evoke similar images of a faraway place that is unknown to many people. Young children generally like familiarity but by the use of foreign it suggests that it is very upsetting for them. It can also signify that they were far away from home and there was nobody they know. The flags that caress them is their only comfort but by then it is too late. It is purely ironic that the flags which represent the politicians that killed them are the only thing to offer them some peace. This can be compared to quaint and curious war is because both poets are suggesting that war is odd and that it does not work in simple ways. Strange people is another likeness to The Man He Killed the first stanza is about the way in which they could have been friends if war didnt get in the way and the same applies for the people in Coming Home. I think that Bennet used that line to illustrate the bewilderness that can follow war as things change. Floating and seek the stars evokes an image of childlike fantasies of flying and going to the moon. These dreams could have been fulfilled if they hadnt died so young and I believe that Bennet, by constantly reminding of their deaths in subtle ways, is trying to recreate the families pain when they cant ever forget them. Glistening seems like something is finally recognising their sacrifice and they are being welcomed back home. It is as though the flags and the tarmac are the only things that care about them and I think that Bennet is implying, through no people being mentioned, that we dont overly mind their deaths. I think that Bennet was very bitter towards humanity when he wrote this as he does only refer to them with contempt: the government who sent them to fight. The final stanza of Coming Home is, compared to the rest of the poem, very calm and peaceful. Illuminates reminds me of someone suddenly understanding something or becoming enlightened. I think that it is a final reminder that we need to switch on about war as he considers it needless and waste of life. The calm nature of the setting moon could be a symbol of hope for the future as, despite nature being corrupted earlier in the poem, it has come through and shown itself here. This suggests that Bennet still believes that we do have the power to stop destroying things. By ending the poem where he did, I think that Bennet wants us to remember the soldiers who died for us and to know that, if we want it, a better future is available for us. The title and the tale of The Man He Killed suggest that two people were involved the murderer (he killed) and the poet. However it becomes clear that the poet is the killer when he recounts the story in first person. I think that the poet is ashamed of the act as he wants to remain anonymous. This suggests that the murder haunts him and that the needs clarification about the necessity of it. Its also shown by the because - as he needs to cast about for a reason. These two quotes hint that the poet is doubt about the true nature of war. The first and last stanza also suggests that, as he is thinking of what could have been, he, like Bennet, considers war to be a waste of life. The rhyming of the poem adds a more playful feeling to it and I think that the poet may have placed it in as a shield around his actual feelings. He may have done this because he was a soldier and is aware that they arent particularly supposed to have those sorts of thoughts. This is shown by ranged as infantry as he is impressing on us that he wasnt a person when he did it; he was a killing machine. The phrase off-hand like implies that the act of going to war isnt thought over or deliberated about, he just went. I think that he could be suggesting that people at home believe war is so easy you go, kill a few men, come back. However by reading the rest of the poem about his feeling suggest that it can leave you in moral turmoil. However the continuation of the rhymes suggests, I believe, that the poet is trying to make us aware of the underlying threat of the people who think that its one big joke.  In conclusion, I find that The Man He Killed is more touching than Coming Home because its in first person and therefore I could sympathise more with his feelings. This is a complete turn around from my first impressions on the poems as The Man He Killed seemed childish to begin with but when you look deeper the true message is there. Despite the differences in the poems, both poets agree on their final message to the readers: war isnt glorious or heroic; its a complete waste of life.

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay Deontological Theory The deontological theory state that the consequences or outcomes of actions are not important, what actually matter is that the actions are morally justified. For example drunken driving is wrong, now if a person argues that he safely navigated his way back home and for that reason he/she should not be held accountable by law, they are wrong because their action was wrong in the first place and was breaking the basic principle for morally correct behaviour that a person should not drive while being drunk. The contribution of Immanuel Kant towards development of Deontological theory Immanuel Kant proposes that in taking a decision â€Å"Duty† carries the foremost importance. Kant is of the view that a person’s actions will only be regarded as morally and ethically correct when they are taken keeping in mind the sense of duty and responsibility in mind. Teleological Ethical Theory The teleological ethical theory put the primary focus on the â€Å"Consequences† i. e. â€Å"What are those actions that produce the best possible results†? Along with attaching importance to the consequences the teleological theory also suggests that the decisions framework that is developed for achieving the desired consequences should also be managed with care. Consequentialist Theory According to the â€Å"Consequentiality Theory†, the basis for determining how moral a person’s actions are the consequences. The consequences of actions can be good or bad, and they can be damaging or favourable. The contribution of Jeremy Bentham towards development of a person’s actions can be a classified as good or bad depending on what consequences the action has produced. According to Bentham’s opinion the good things are classified as â€Å"pleasure† and the bad ones as â€Å"pain†.1. 2 Absolute ethics has only two sides: Something is good or bad, black or white. Some examples in police ethics would be unethical behaviours such as bribery, extortion, excessive force, and perjury, which nearly everyone would agree are unacceptable behaviours by the police. Relative ethics is more complicated and can have a multitude of sides with varying shades of gray. What is considered ethical behaviour by one person may be deemed highly unethical by someone else. The Absolutist theory is the theory that certain things are right or wrong from an objective point of view and cannot change according to culture. Certain actions are intrinsically right or wrong, which means they are right or wrong in themselves. This is also known as deontological. The relativist theory is the theory that there are no universally valid moral principles. All principles and values are relative to a particular culture or age. Ethical relativism means that there is no such thing as good â€Å"in itself†, but if and action seems good to you and bad to me, that is it, and there is no objective basis for us to discover the truth. This theory is also known as teleological. An example of an absolutist ethical system would be if a single mother with a very young child had no money and therefore no food to feed the child, and she stole some food from the shop and the mother was caught and had a trial, an absolutist would argue that its morally wrong to steal and should suffer the consequences of the crime. They don’t take into account the situation the person might be in and use an absolute law. However, this is in contrast to the alternative ethical system, called â€Å"relativist†, because this system is really the complete opposite. Again I’ll use the same example as I did for absolutist. If a relativist was looking at this they would take into consideration the situation the woman might be in and empathize with her and try to find an outcome that is the most fair. One reason to support the absolutist approach as the only defensible approach is that it provides justification for acting which means that morality seems to demand some sort of obligation. If there’s a fixed moral code then there is no obligation to act in a way. Another strength is that it gives clear guidelines, which basically means the rules are fixed and clear to apply. 1. 3 Ethics refers to a prescribed or accepted code of conduct. Ethical issues are a set of moral values that need to be addressed while carrying out business. Businesses operate in a society that is structured around moral values. Therefore, when conducting its operations, a business has certain responsibilities which are to provide the society with quality goods and services that will improve the people’s living standards. In order to survive, a business needs to maintain its customers. Product packaging is one way of ensuring a business maintains its existing customers and also acquire new customers. Some companies are known to allow underweight packaging of products which are then highly priced and this is a rude way of increasing profits. However this negative trend will affect the business in the long run as customers will eventually come to learn that they are being swindled. In an attempt to boost sales, some businessmen adapt promotional methods that mislead customers as the message conveyed may not give the exact details of the product. Businesses should desist from increasing prices without valid reasons. In doing so, they will be taking advantage of the customer and this is unethical. Businessmen should also desist from taking part in corrupt practices such as selling low standard goods while bribing government officials in order to continue operating. Entrepreneurs should consider the effects of their activities on the society they serve. In the long run, wrong dealings and corruption will tarnish the image of the business and have a negative effect on sales. Business people ought to comply with the law requirements and observe laid down principles of morality in their dealings. They should seriously consider expectations of the community they serve. (http://www. lawrencegmcdonald. com).

Beautiful Happiness In A Meaningless Life Short Story English Literature Essay

Beautiful Happiness In A Meaningless Life Short Story English Literature Essay I intend to write a short story featuring a few of the more potent themes present within the novelette The Outsider. This short story has simply been written to entertain, and explore the central themes and issues that I have chosen. The content of the story is gruesome and described with vivid details in some cases, so the target audience would be fairly mature, and have an orientation towards fanciful fantasy worlds. The story is set in a land where the local entertainment consists of arena type pit fights. These pit fights are similar to a council of the citys rich and wealthiest, with the lower classes also in attendance. These pit fights are also the place where status is gained and lost among these affluent members of society, with the slaves that compete being used as a means to this end. I have also interpreted the ending of The Outsider differently in my story, with my main character realising that he can make a difference with his life, and that he can live for other people rather than himself only. The content of the story is gruesome and described with vivid details in some cases, so the target audience would be fairly mature, and have an orientation towards fanciful fantasy worlds. The story is set in a land where the local entertainment consists of arena type pit fights. These pit fights are similar to a council of the citys rich and wealthiest, with the lower classes also in attendance. These pit fights are also the place where status is gained and lost among these affluent members of society, with the slaves that compete being used as a means to this end. I have also interpreted the ending of The Outsider differently in my story, with my main character realising that he can make a difference with his life, and that he can live for other people rather than himself only. The ring of steel on steel resounded around the arena, to join the din of gaudy music and jeering shouts ensuing from the on looking patrons of this violent event. The Slave Games took place every day, from the blaze of the new fire in the sky at its start, to its dying embers at dusk. The games consisted of slaves and a monster entered by the Games Keeper. Of course to make it more complicated, there were two different types of slaves, the ones entered by their master, and the ones donated. By a slave being entered it was similar to a bet being placed, with a small fee for entry paid to the games master, the fee also gave slaves the privilege of a weapon of choice. At the conclusion of the battle if the monster was the last one standing, the games master would keep the majority of the winnings, otherwise if a slave was the victor; their master was granted higher standing in society and a large sum of gold as their winnings. There was also an unspoken tradition, that the victorious s lave was granted freedom for their heroic deeds performed within the arena. The donated slaves on the other hand, were the unwanted outcasts of rich society that the Games Keeper bought for a small fee, to liven up the games as he would call it. The scything edge of an axe whistled overhead as the young man shied away from the maiming blow. He dodged left and ducked right, seemingly untouchable with his great agility, and quick mind. His short success ended with his impalement upon a long, unyielding, bronze tipped spear. He was dead before his knees buckled and his bruised and blood spattered head lolled to rest upon his chest. His limp body knelt upright, held there by the protruding spear. His dark, lifeless eyes stared unfocused at the floor of the arena, in a way which made it seem as if the poor boy was still in pain. Tayten observed this, in the moments after he had thrown the spear. But now the boy was dead, and the dead dont feel a thing. He retrieved his spear before turning to the frenzied sounds of battle nearby. The initially frantic fighting in the pit had collapsed in to smaller groups of the more skillful fighters that had survived the morning. Usually the donated slaves would be first to succumb as they main ly consisted of the old, the weak and the lame, though among these tribute slaves, were a handful of the forsaken; the brawlers, the thieves and those who had displeased their master. Tayten was of the forsaken, he was a free man captured, and bludgeoned into slavery. But he valued his freedom greatly, and he loved to journey even though he thought life was meaningless. How could one man make a difference, and be remembered after his death? He returned from his reverie with the great horn blast that signaled the release of the monster. The clash of steel ceased as the remaining slaves turned to face the monster. Usually it would take more than one slave to bring the monster down, so it was at this point that the slaves banded together in a bid to survive. Though if the monster was killed, the slaves would continue the fight between themselves, until a victor was eventually decided. A large iron gate slowly rose to reveal a dark entrance, for a moment nothing emerged, then with a roa r of rage, a full grown bull Minotaur emerged. Its pelvis covered in the blood marred rags of a loin cloth, and standing nearly half again the height of the tallest slave still alive. It carried a great jagged edged axe over its shoulder, mangled gore still present on its edge; it was truly a creature to instill fear into the hearts of even the bravest and most foolhardy of humans. One man turned tail and fled for the opposite side of the arena, sadly this drew the monsters attention and with two leaping bounds the Minotaur trampled the man under hoof. The other slaves charged, with shouts and battle cries, but Tayten held back, silently waiting to see what happened. The Minotaur spun with his deadly weapon, and cleaved in half the two fore runners with a single sweeping blow, seven slaves remained. The next slave, a burly man with a dusty orange beard and a balding crown, jumped with his two-handed sword held high, in an attempt to cut the Minotaur in half. But it simply bounced of f the thick hide and the Minotaur let out a deep rumble of hatred, before crushing the mans skull with the haft of the axe. Death was dealt instantly to the next three slaves, who all attempted a similar approach. The next slave attempted to go for the eyes, but with a sudden jerk, the Minotaur had thrust down with his head, skewering the adolescent upon his horns. Blood now ran down the Minotaurs face and muzzle, some even obscuring vision in his left eye. The sight of blood seemed to push the Minotaur into a frenzy, and he quickly dispatched the next closest slave, an older woman with a hard look in her eyes, and a slight scar running across the bridge of her nose. He was only able to see these finer details, when her head came to rest a foot from where he sat. The Minotaur lunged down with his axe in an attempt to kill the last slave opposing him. But the young boy was surprisingly nimble and evaded easily. A dagger flashed into the boys hand, and he slashed fiercely at the Minot aurs heel. Surprisingly the small blade cut deep, severing the tendon in the monsters leg. This time the Minotaur gave a cry of agony, and fell to one knee. Tayten watched again as the dagger flashed, realising that it must be made of glass; the only material hard and sharp enough, possibly capable of cutting through the Minotaurs thick hide. The Minotaur was too slow to catch the boy, and was obviously spiteful for it. With decisive slices, the Minotaur was unable to hold its axe, but the beast was still deadly. The boys overconfidence in his soon to be triumph over the beast ended with the bone crushing strength in the Minotaurs undamaged hand. The monster lifted the feeble body of the boy high into the air; the Minotaur stared hatefully at the corpse. In an eruption of still warm blood, a long hard shaft emerged from the boys chest. The Minotaur watched the silently in the instant before his death as the bronze tipped spear entered through his eye cavity, and ruptured his brain. Tayten registered the tearing peals of a bell tolling, and the deafening uproar that the crowd was making. None of this concerned him, not even the dead child he had plunged his spear through. Everyone died; it just so happened that they would be meeting her before he did. The crowd grew silent, all eyes watching him. The Games Keeper had risen, and it appeared that he was expecting an answer for an unspoken question. He turned to his peers and asked quietly, Is he not one of your slaves? Not a single one answered. Slaves were expendable, but keeping with his faà §ade of the generous benefactor for such events, he would need to keep the crowd and his rich friends happy. It was blatantly apparent though, that the previous master of the donated slave, expected retribution for the slaves survival. A solution came to mind. With a hollow cone of bronze pressed to his lips, his booming voice emanated out across the stadium, Our victor, Tayten is the champion of this day, and we acknowledge him for his deeds, he let the echo of his voice die before continuing. Never before has a donated slave won this tournament, but I have a solution. As I bought him from his previous master, it will be I who decides his fate, the crowd seemed hold its breath in anticipation of the Games Keepers verdict. The Games Keepers right arm shot out in front of him, with his fist clenched and thumb held horizontal. His thumb dropped slightly, and the crowd began to boo. But this was all part of the act, and before it got out of hand, his thumb shot up in definite sign of approval. The slave would be granted freedom. The crowd applauded with many shouts of joy, even jovial music could be heard in the background. The Games Keeper smiled as he watched the jubilation he had wrought within his crowd, before dropping his arm a moment later. His smile evaporated as he perceived the accusatory eyes of the contemptuous dark eyed noble boring into him. He bowed his head down next to the seated nobles ear, You know, the games keeper continued as if remembering something of importance, many unfortunate fates can befall a freed slave, once he has left the protection of the arena. As the Games Keeper marched off to oversee proceedings of the slaves release, the dark eyes of the noble brightened considerably, and a mean smirk marred his face. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As Tayten walked beneath the low arch of the arenas gate, a smile caught upon his lips. The prospect of being free was a truly wonderful thought indeed, and the first place he would go was the local tavern. The smell of spirits wafted through the dark enclosed room, bringing back memories of times long past. He drank his fill, but a slave released from service has no money, so when the time came to pay he left promptly to the disgruntled shouts of the barman. He had no money to pay for lodgings, so he settled down in an alley way for the night. The comforting warmth from the liquor spread throughout his body, dulling his senses and propelling him over the edge into the blissful abyss of sleep. He wondered mildly in the moment before slumber came, whether death would be like this, the only difference being you never wake up. Once the mercenary was sure that his quarry would not be moving for the rest of the night, he disappeared back into the night to find his employer. Tayten woke with a start. Four tall dark figures loomed ominously about him, all wore deep set hoods. He realised then that they were only tall, because he was still sitting. Shakily he began to rise, but a heavy blow sent him back to the ground. The alcohol, still thick in his blood, was taking a heavy toll on his ability to comprehend what was happening. Who were these people? One of the men drew back his dark cowl to reveal his identity. The dark eyed noble stared malevolently down upon the man who had once been his slave. With a slight hand gesture from the noble, the three remaining hooded figures roughly seized the prostrate Tayten, hauling him upright to stand helplessly before his wicked enslaver. With a bitter smile, the noble spoke, I bet you thought it was your lucky day. Insult me and survive to tell the tale, I bet thats what you thought, the noble mistook Taytens drunken haze for impudence, and his next words were filled with venom as he sneered. Well you know what you poor dog; your worthless life will be cut to its wick this night, the nobles mouth formed an angelic smile, as he concluded. Not to worry, for I assure you, it will be painful, and before the end you will be begging for death. The sounds of voices approached, and a group of soldiers with lit torches past before the entrance to the alley, that the group was congregating within. The city was not without laws, and murder was punishable by death. The noble realised the vulnerability of his position, and decided to withdraw, leaving the hired mercenaries to dispatch the insolent slave. The three hired soldiers stood in silence as their hirer swiftly disappeared into the darkness. Making sure that the noble was definitely gone before speaking, the man to Taytens left spoke with a fairly high pitched voice, Well wasnt he a nasty one. The man to Taytens right replied simply, in what appeared to be a grumpy tone, They always are. The third soldier behind him, responded to this by saying, Yeah, that may be so, but they dont have the guts to do their own dirty work, and I guess we should be thankful for the work. The second soldier responded in a quietly outraged voice, WORK, you call this WORK!? We get paid so little by these rich bastards, when they have so much. The third answered, Youre right, but the rich only stay rich because theyre so selfish with their wealth. The second, Im sick of how bad were treated, after this Im going to get an honest job with honest pay, at least then Ill get the respect I deserve. The first cut in before the third could answer the seconds lamentations, Well you know we could make more money for these jobs, and still have the same end result. The other two soldiers turned, and in unison the third asked, How? a gleam sparkling in his eye, while the second stared blankly at the first and before asking an unintelligible, What? The first explained his idea, and the other two agreed upon it. They would take the man they were ordered to kill, and sell him to the pit master as a donated slave. Not only would they earn extra gold for this job, but they need not even get their hands dirty with the murder of another person. Taytens head had cleared slightly, and he was now partly focused upon the situation he was in. A voice spoke very close to his ear, As we move through the city, do not make a sound, do not make eye contact, and do not draw attention to yourself, otherwise we will kill you there and then, Tayten nodded, and the group set off. The journey was uneventful, and just before they reached the arena, they turned into a side alley. The soldiers had agreed that the slaves death needed to be assured, so they would slightly maim him, but not making it too visible so that he would still fetch a fair price. The second soldier came over, and with the pommel of his bastard sword, struck a blow that cracked a couple of ribs on the left side of Taytens body. Tayten keeled over from the pain, but he did not cry out. The troupe continued to the slave block built beside the arena, where they found the head slave master and bargained a good price for the slave they were donating. Tayten was then exchanged for the gold, and the trio of mercenaries departed. Two pit guards came to lead him down into the holding cells. As he was led to the entrance of a dark corridor trailing down into the depths of the earth, he remembered the circumstances of his last visit to this dank, moldy hole in the ground. When the noble had first brought him here, his hands had been bound, and a hessian sack had covered his face. As his eyes searched around the dark tunnel, he knew where he was. He remembered the smell and the feeling of oppression he had originally felt the first time he had come down this way, with his head concealed within the dark sack. But the aid of sight didnt help much, as it was hard to see in this dark, oppressive place, regardless of whether or not his sight had been obstructed. He looked at the faces of his escort, but he didnt recognise them, and it was probably the same for them. He was left alone within the dark holding cell for the night. He remembered from the first time, how his mask had been removed, and how he had been affronted with the sight of so many slaves in a single cell. It wasnt the fact that there were a lot of slaves; it was simply that his freedom was greatly restricted within such a tightly packed cell. Yet now he had his freedom within the cold dark cell, and it was eerily quiet. He had his freedom, and yet it wasnt what he remembered it to be. Tayten remembered freedom as warm and cheerful, but this freedom was the opposite. In fact, it had been in the crowded cell on the first night that he had experienced true warmth, nestled in with all the other slaves. He had also found the sounds of people in slumber, far more pleasant than the unearthly hush that had now settled over the chamber. Maybe freedom wasnt what he wanted anymore. He lay down, the cold leaving a bitter ache in his cracked ribs. It would be a long nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Tayten must have drifted off, as it seemed to him that only moments had passed, since he had lain to rest upon the straw matted floor. But the morning bell was already tolling, signifying the start of the new day, and the opening of the arena gates to paying patrons. Taytens eyes drooped with exhaustion, as he stood up, but his mind was clear and his movements precise. He vowed never to drink alcohol again. His cracked ribs hindered his movements slightly, but as long as he protected that area, he could manage. Just then, a trio of pit guards entered the donated slaves holding chamber, one looked confused for a moment, before surprised recollection dawned upon his face, and he turn and ran out of the room. The two remaining guards shrugged their shoulders, and turned back to the only slave in the cell. The door was unlatched, and Tayten was led to the holding area, where many tunnels converged into a large central hall. The slaves would remain here, until the great gate at the far en d was opened, and the slaves would emerge into the arena. The entered slaves were already present, and Tayten was the only donated slave, so the games would begin at anytime. Taytens reticent nature had turned to mild annoyance for the noble who had imprisoned him, and then continually keeping him from his freedom. Tayten recalled the reason behind him becoming a donated slave in the pits; he had attempted to escape the nobles holdings, but had failed, and had been sentenced harshly by the noble for attempting to leave his service. This new found anger welled up within him, as the door on a side passage leading into the great hall, was thrust open by a tall, illustriously dressed man, stalking furiously towards the central holding cell. The fuming glare of the noble passed over the slaves and came to rest with livid hatred upon Tayten. Tayten smiled back, the nobles eyes darkened and a deep set frown embedded itself where his mouth used to be. Unsettlingly, a moment later, he in turn gave his own wicked smile to Tayten. Just then the bell tolled, to signal the start of the fight. As tradition would have it, the donated slaves were the first to enter the arena, followed a few moments later by the entered slaves. Tayten was happy to leave behind the demonic stare of the noble, so he quickly entered the field. The first thing he noticed, was that amazingly the arenas canopy had become a patchwork of mirrors joined together to form a shell between the spectators and the pit fight. It was obvious that the crowd could still see him from the excited shouts he received upon his entry, even if he himself couldnt see them through the mirrors reflective surface. Some members of the crowd let out surprised yells, as they recognised the victor of the previous day, but the initial surprise turned to angry confusion. Why was the victor (a free man) forced to fight in another round of the Slave Games? The entered slaves had been watching the interaction between the noble and the slave, so when the noble gestured that they should come closer, the entire group of entered slaves obeyed. When they had roughly formed a semi-circle along the wall of the holding pen, the noble spoke, Whoever kills that donated slave, he paused to gesture towards the open great gate, before continuing. Will be granted their freedom. The noble turned and left the holding area, the entered slaves looking at one another. A second smaller bell tolled within the holding area, to tell the entered slaves to cross the threshold into the arena. The slaves quickly departed and took up positions around the arena battlefield. The Slave Games were about to begin. The bell tolled and the fight began. The start of the fight wasnt as frantic as was usually the case. There were no other donated slaves, but Tayten knew that the fighting would be more intense sooner. A few slaves detached themselves from the main fighting, to single out the lone donated slave, this seemed odd to Tayten, as they usually focused on the more aggressive opponents. None the less, Tayten killed the first opponent who challenged him and took his blunt knife. The second enemy was of stocky build, and wielded an axe. But Tayten threw the dagger he had recently acquired, the tip catching the unprepared warrior in the eye. He fell dead, and Tayten retrieved his axe, improving his odds of survival by gaining a better weapon. The noble reemerged in the wealthy section of the spectator seats, and sat alongside the Games Keeper. The Games Keeper unhappily commented, I didnt expect you to bring him back here, when I told you about the unfortunate fates that can befall a free slave. The noble replied, Truly it was not my intention for him to be back here, but none the less, he will die today. Games Keeper, How can you be so sure, he survived once didnt he, why not again? Noble, He didnt have to fight much the first time through, lets just say Ive ensured that all those entered slaves will be hounding him like a plague of black flies to rotting meat. Games Keeper, What did you tell them? Noble, That the person who kills that slave of mine will be granted their freedom. Games Keeper, Never before has this happened, and I will not allow it today. Noble, Calm yourself, of course I lied. The dismayed expression upon the nobles face bespoke of his friends lack of trust. He finished what he intended to say with a mean smirk, I will grant them freedom by their own death, a moment of silence fell between the two, before the noble curiously asked, What monster have you decided to enter into this days Slave Games? Games Keeper, Ahh my friend, that is for me to know and for you to find out, but Ill give you a hint, I had this dome especially built for her unique ability, and I think I will be releasing her early, to give the slaves more of a fighting chance. Tayten was in the thick of battle, fighting two particularly vicious slaves at once. He had managed to acquire a short sword, and was duel wielding this with the axe he had, to keep the hungry weapons of his two adversaries at bay. One had a spear, while the other a scimitar. The man with the scimitar would attack at close combat, with a series of ripostes and thrusts that had Tayten moving back one step at a time. While beside the scimitar user, the woman with the spear was jabbing and thrusting brutally, in an attempt to skewer her foe, though not very skillful at her weapon, she was keeping him busy, as he couldnt move close enough to deal a killing blow, while still defending against the other slaves attacks. Unexpectedly a second bell rang clearly, and far too early. The monster had been released. Tayten had been distracted for only a moment, but that was all that was needed, for the scimitar warrior to lop half his left hand off. With his hand destroyed, he could no longer hold the weapon that was defending against the spear, and as this happened; the woman saw her opportunity and plunged the spear through his cracked ribs, and out the opposite side of his body. He was pushed back by the force of the spear, but then he fell forwards onto one knee, which yanked the spear from the womans grasp. He knelt there upon his heels, resting. He closed his eyes, and listened to the silence of the field, as most of the slaves turned to watch as the monster entered. Someone let out a scream, but Tayten didnt care, he gently grasped the shaft of the spear, and began to pull the shaft towards him, pushing it out the other side of his body. The pain was immense, and he struggled not to scream. It felt as if his left lung was filling with a warm fluid, and he was finding it becoming harder to breathe. He could hear people running about him, but it was in a disorganised fashion which meant that the slaves where in a state of chaos, and the monster was getting the best of t hem. Tayten used the blood covered spear that now lay behind him, as a support when he rose to his feet. He then opened his eyes, and found himself staring into the eyes of a statue. He spun around slowly taking in the sight; the battle field was littered with many statues, in the exact likeness of the slaves he had entered the arena with. He couldnt hear any movement, but he caught sight of what appeared to be the tail of a large snake, disappearing behind the obstructing statues. Tayten remembered the tale of the Gorgon, a woman with snakes for hair, and the lower body of a serpent, and possessed the ability to turn a human to stone by looking them in the eye. He immediately closed his eyes once again. He stood still listening for the faintest of sounds. The dry slithering rasp of something moving across the surface of the arena emanated from behind him, and in a single fluid movement, he turned and threw the spear. The chink of metal on stone told him he had hit a statue, and now weaponless and weakened, he knew he would soon be dead. He was half tempted to open his eyes, but he was unwilling to give up his life just yet. So he stood still and waited, while the rasp grew steadily louder. A dry whispery voice spoke close to Taytens ear, If you had thrown that spear a little higher, it would have cleared the statue, and killed me. A real shame too. Tayten felt something slither around his boots and slowly bind around his damaged body, he didnt need to guess that that this was the gorgons snake like body, constricting her victim. He was wrapped within her coils up to the base of his rib cage, but he removed his hands, before they were stuck tight next to his body. The voice came again, this time directly in front of his face, Why dont you open your eyes son of man, and stare into my eyes. The gorgon had noticed his wounds and knew well of his pain. Blood slid over her scales, dripping from Taytens hand and the still heavily seeping wound through his rib cage. Tayten spoke to the gorgon in a soft voice, What is your name gorgon? Surprised by the humans question, the gorgon replied easily, Medusa. Tayten replied with a smile, I am truly sorry Medusa, but I will not. Not until I have changed the world, and done something to be remembered by. Medusa, Silly human, one soul cannot change the world. Something brushed against Taytens face, and he recoiled slightly in shock at the unexpected feeling. More such light caresses came and went. All that Tayten cared was that they felt nice, and he began to slightly bob his head forward in search of more. Suddenly, unexpectedly, he felt his lips brush against Medusas own cold, yet subtly soft lips. Medusa hurriedly withdrew her face in alarm, her hair venomously hissing at the helpless human. The gorgons initial anger faded away to be replaced by inane curiosity, her hair had stopped hissing, and she moved in closer again. Her face was close enough to see the humans frowning brow, and once again she let her hair lightly caress his face as she easily came forwards to kiss the man. He had tensed his body in surprise, but it soon relaxed. She wrapped both arms around his neck, as to not aggravate his wounds. He also reached behind her and interlocked what was left of his hands. He could feel where the silky smooth human skin gave way to th e smooth scales of a snake. He also felt a strap running across her back, which undoubtedly held the metal breastplate to the front of her body that was now pressing lightly against his chest. The assuring pressure of the cool metal soothed Taytens body, and encouraged him to be conscious of how intimately entwined their two bodies were. Games Keeper, It appears as if your slave is dead. Noble, Not yet, I still havent seen his corpse or statue. Games Keeper, If you ask me, youve become obsessed with killing this guy, why cant you admit that he is dead yet? Noble, Maybe youre right, but you wouldnt believe how hard it has been for me to kill this man, just when you think he is dead; he jumps up and surprises you again. Tayten couldnt understand what he was feeling. What was this new unexplainable emotion? What was this word that was embedded within this emotion; love. He felt so happy and yet he was enslaved, it felt nice to kiss her and her gentle hair lulled him into bliss. Maybe life wasnt about living for yourself, maybe it was meant to be lived for others. Maybe if you live for others you will find that special happiness, that beautiful happiness, that you can only feel when you make another happy. Tayten asked happily, Do you think two souls can change the world? Medusa took a while to answer, I think we can. Tayten, Please release me, so that I can change the world and be remembered, I think Ill need your help though. Gasps from the crowd, made the noble and Games Keeper turn from their conversation, to see what had happened. Standing in the middle of the arena with the gorgon by his side, was the slave, and in his right hand he held a spear. He seemed to be orienting himself (taking care not to look at the gorgon), and when he had finished turning, he was looking directly at the noble. The noble turned to the Games Keeper, He cant see us can he? The Games Keeper replied unconvincingly, Not a chance, were behind a one way mirror, we can see him, but he cant see us. The noble countered fretfully, Then why the hell is he looking at us, and how on earth is he still alive!? Before the Games Master could reply, the slave took off running in their general direction. The noble stood, and with a horrified look on his face watched as the slave threw his spear, which shattered the mirrored glass directly before the wealthy spectator seats, and impaled the head board of the chair the Games Keeper had been sitting in. Frozen with shock, at the close call, the noble began to laugh. But it was short lived as moments later he fixed his gaze upon the most terrible set of eyes he had ever seen, and in that moment his body turned to stone. The same occurred to the Games Keeper, and the majority of the rich nobles who had been transfixed by the spectacle of the shattering mirror. The crowd was in chaos, their leaders were dead and the victor of the Slave Games from the previous day who had returned for a second time, was the direct cause for this. Fearing their own death, the crowd hurriedly exited the arena.

Cystic Fibrosis Essay -- Biology Genetic Defect

CF is caused by an inherited recessive genetic defect that is most prevalent in the white population. About 1 in 23 people in the United States carry at least one defective gene, making it the most common genetic defect of its severity. CF patients suffer from chronic lung problems and digestive disorders caused by a cellular defect in the transport of chloride ion. The problem in chloride handling results in loss of chloride in sweat which, in fact, is the basis for the clinical diagnosis of CF. As a consequence of the lesion in chloride transport patients' lungs become covered with sticky mucus which is difficult to remove and can promote infection by bacteria. Many people with CF require frequent hospitalizations and continuous usage of antibiotics, enzyme supplements, and other medications. In the past, the life expectancy of people with CF used to only be 8 years. However, with today's many medical advances, the average life expectancy is just under 30 years and is continuing to increase. Common cystic fibrosis symptoms involve: high amounts of salt (sodium and chloride) and potassium in sweat constant coughing and wheezing large amounts of mucus in the lungs recurring pneumonia failure to gain weight frequent, greasy, bulky, and strong-smelling bowel movements through the small intestine enlargement of fingertips and toes due to insufficient amount of oxygen in these areas Males with CF are sterile, and women who have CF can have problems with their menstrual cycles and becoming pregnant. CF slows down sexual development but brings no adverse effect upon it. Cystic Fibrosis: Fact or Fiction? "Woe to that child which when kissed on the forehead tastes salty. He is... ...olyte composition affects bacterial survival which provides an explanation for why CF airways are not maintained as a sterile environment. The data speculates that the bactericidal factor produced by airway epithelia may be a defensin-like molecule because it has characteristics of such factors. The results presented in the paper also link the molecular defect in CFTR Cl channels to the pathogenesis of CF lung disease. Most importantly the data suggests new approaches for therapy such as measurements of salt concentration and bactericidal activity may be clinically relevant assays for determining the effectiveness of potential therapeutic interventions. The data also raises the possibility that new interventions designed to correct the abnormally high salt concentration in CF fluid could be of benefit in treating or preventing airway infections in people with CF.

Queen Liliuokalani Essay -- Liliuokalani Hawaii Polynesian

Queen Lili'uokalani had ambitious plans for the nation of Hawaii, and wanted to see the rightful power of the monarch restored. Even though she was doing what she thought was best for the people of Hawaii, her dream was never meant to be. She would become known as the last queen ever to reign over the Hawaiian Islands. In the beginning, Hawaii was unknown to any humans. Polynesians eventually came across its islands, and decided to make it their home. In the early days, each island was ruled by a chief, and many times the islands were in conflict with each other. Centuries like this passed, but then "in 1782, [Queen Lili'uokalani's] cousin Kamehameha set out to conquer and unite the islands". Thirteen years later, in 1795, Kamehameha finally fulfilled his vision of a unified Hawaiian state, and he became king. The nation was then to be ruled by Kamehameha's sons. (Guzzetti 10) Queen Lili'uokalani's biological parents were Chief Kapaakea and Chiefess Keohokalole. Because it is a Hawaiian custom to give children to other couples for raising, as the Hawaiians believed it brought different families closer together, Lili'uokalani was given to Paki and Konia. She attended the Royal School, where she met many people, some who became friends, and some who she had already been acquainted with, such as her foster sister, and her biological brother, who would eventually be her predecessor, King Kalakaua. (Guzzetti 10, 12, 28) The Royal School was a new experience for her. At home, she was used to walking around barefoot and wearing as little as possible to keep cool in the warm Hawaiian climate. Because the school was administered by the Cookes, who were missionaries from New England, she had to wear western clothing, meaning she ha... ...illed and Lili'uokalani began to have more patriot feelings for the United States, instead of resentment. She even had the flag of the United States flown over her home, and the Hawaiian one lowered. 1917 Not much later, Lili'uokalani died at the age of seventy-nine. Works Cited Daws, Gavan. The Illustrated Atlas of Hawaii. Honolulu: Island Heritage, 1970. Day, A. Grove. Hawaii: Fiftieth Star. New York: Meredith Press, 1969. Day, A. Grove. Hawaii and Its People. New York: Meredith Press, 1968. Day, A. Grove and Ralph S. Kuykendall. Hawaii: A History. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1961. Guzzetti, Paula. The Last Hawaiian Queen: Liliuokalani. New York: Benchmark Books, 1997. Pratt, Julius W. Expansionists of 1898. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1964. Tabrah, Ruth M. Hawaii: A Bicentennial History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.

Erythroxylum: The Coca Plant :: Botany

Erythroxylum: The Coca Plant The coca plant is a member of the order Geraniales and the family Erythroxylaceae. There are four genera with an estimated 200 species in Erythroxylaceae (De Witt, 1967). Coca was first described as Erythroxylum by A.L. Jussieu in 1783. It was given the binomial Erythroxylum coca by Lamarck in 1786. Early botanists believed that all coca plants were of the same species. Later researchers found that two species of domesticated coca existed. These are Erythroxylum coca Lam. and Erythroxylum novogranatense (Morris) Hieron (Rury and Plowman, 1983). The two species have two varieties, Erythroxylum coca Lam. var. coca, E. coca var. Ipuda Plowman, E. novogranatense (Morris) Hieron var. novogranatense, and E. novogranatense var. truxillense (Rusby) Plowman (Plowman, 1983). Distribution Coca is grown in South America, Africa, Ceylon, Taiwan, Indonesia and Formosa (De Witt, 1967). Coca is most commonly associated with its center of origin, the South American Montana zone of the eastern Andes below 2000m (Bray & Dollery, 198:3). According to Rury and Plowman (1983) E. coca var. Coca, Huanuco or Bolivian coca is the ancestral variety. Bolivian coca grows in the moist tropical forests of the eastern Andes of Peru and Bolivia. This variety is the only one of the four found growing wild. Bolivian coca is the major source of commercially produced coca leaves and cocaine. Amazon coca, E. coca var. ipuda is cultivated in the lowland Amazon. It has been suggested that this variety is a lowland cultigen of Bolivian coca. In contrast to Bolivian coca it is not found growing wild (Rury and Plowman, 1993). E. novogranatense var. truxillense or Trujillo coca is a hardy, drought resistant variety. It is found growing in river valleys of coastal Peru and other arid areas of this region. Bohm, Ganders & Plowman (1982) state that this variety displays many characteristics that are intermediate between E. coca var. coca and E. novogranatense var. novogranatense, and may represent an evolutionary stage between these species. E. novogranatense var. novogranatense or Colombian coca is cultivated in both moist and dry areas in the Colombian mountains. It is also drought tolerant and is not found growing outside Cultivation. Evidence shows that this variety maybe the most evolved species (Rury & Plowman, 1983). Cultivation Coca plants are small evergreen shrubs with reddish brown bark. They have many small branchlets with elliptical-obovate opposite leaves measuring 4-7 cm. in length and 3-4 cm.

A Difference between Children and Adults

The topic is about of fears and phobias. It talks whether a phobia is genetic or learnt. It also describes the most common phobia:claustrophobia,and how best to treat phobias by gradually exposing the patien to their fear,and teaching them relaxation techniques. It then goes on to talk about the difference between a fear and phobia,and finally, it describes the strangest phobia of all,in which patients have fear of long words. It is certainly true that the children of phobics are more likely to be fearful and anxious, but it's difficult to say whether this is genetic or learnt.As the capacity to be anxious or fearful depends on a chemical balance in the brain, it is possible that this chemical imbalance is passed down from parent to child,. Children learn by watching how their parents, and other adults, react to the world around them. Parents need to be careful not to be too cautious or overemphasize danger, otherwise their children may be prone to developing phobias as they grow old er. Claustrophobia – the fear of enclosed spaces. Sufferers' basic fear is not of the enclosed space itself, but that they are not going to be able to escape from it.Even at home they often need to sit next to an open door so that they know that they'll be able to get out if they need to. Claustrophobics need to feel that they can get out of the car at a moment's notice, otherwise they suffer severe panic attacks. This can be very difficult on a motorway! And of course, they never take a lift, just in case it breaks down. Yes, of course they can. A phobia is a conditioned reflex, so the best treatment is to reverse the conditioning. In order to do so, sufferers of this phobiamust try to establish positive associations .This can be a very long and painful process and is based on gradual exposure to the object, linked to the practice of a range of relaxation techniques. One of the weirdest is hippopotomonstros esquippedaliophobia: the fear of long words. You can't help thinking that the name was chosen so that sufferers couldn't talk about their problem! People who suffer from this phobia often use abbreviations and acronyms. The structure of the present simple:Subject + VInfinitive We use the present simple: to talk about facts things that always true and permanent situations. Ex: She lives in a small flat.To talk about habits and actions that happen regularly. Ex: She drives the kids to school every day. The past simple tense is sometimes called the â€Å"preterite tense†. We can use several tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the past simple tense is the one we use most often. The structure of the past simple tense is:Subject + VERB+ed Examples:You called Debbie. We use the past simple: When we ask when the event happened. Ex: When did she arrive at Alice Springs? When we say when the event happened with time expressions like yesterday,last week, one night,that indicate a finished time.Ex: She got there two weeks ago. Everybody sometime s has a free time. Somebody prefers only to sleep in their leisure time, but most of us prefer to do a great number of interesting things. It may be reading, various types of sport games, watching TV, listening to music and so on. If we have a few day or a week we prefer to go to the attractive places. Many people think that pupils and studients have too much liesure time, but in my opinion, they are wrong. We are very busy. Many pupils have six or seven lessons a day and go to school five or six days a week.Even during weekend we learn our lessons. And we just have no time to go somewhere. Oldest of us are working after school or institute. As for me, a large part of my free time is devoted to reading. I like to read books about another countries, another times and another worlds. Also I read books about history of our country. Besides reading I like to do physical exercises. Me and my school friends often gather after school and play basketball, football or other active games. But my favorite hobby is travelling. Usually I travel in summer and often it is a trip to the south, to the warm sea.I think all people must have other occupations besides their basic work, because it extends the bounduries of the familar world and teaches us something new about people and things. N2 This article is about the life and work of the French artist ORLAN. It talks how she has become an internationally famous artist with performances aimed to shock her audience. Orlan. the star of the video, is probably the world's most well-known performance artist. She has had dozens of exhibitions around the world, she appears in fashion magazines and TV talk shows and collectors pay high prices for her pictures.She is a professor of fine arts at a prestigious college in Dijon and her work is supported by the French Ministry of Culture. She was bom in central France in 1947 and did her first performances at the age of eighteen. She later became a teacher but lost her job in 1977, as a res ult of a work that she had performed at an art fair in Paris. In the work, The kiss of the artist' she had sat behind a life size photograph of her body and sold kisses to the audience. At the end of each kiss, an electronic siren deafened the gallery. The work succeeded in shocking the public but Orian was out of a job.Orlan was getting more and more attention, but art lovers were unprepared for what came next. Her next major work – a video – was shown at the Lyons Centre of Contemporary Art. An ambulance had rushed the video to the Centre from the hospital where Orlan had just had an emergency operation. She had installed a video camera in the operating theatre, and the film became the first of her surgical performances. By the mid-1980s, her fame had led to work for the Ministry of Culture and a teaching position at Dijon, but international stardom came later, in the 1990s, after changing her appearance.Returning to the operating theatre, she began a series of plast ic surgery operations that continued for the next ten years. In each operation, a part of Orlan's body was changed, so that it looked like a beautiful bit of her favourite paintings – the forehead of Leonardo's Mona Lisa or the chin of Botticelli's Venus, for example. Galleries around the world showed films of the operations and Orlan's fame grew. Her self-portraits are her most recognizable paintings, but her work is conceptual, rather than figurative She describes herself as a feminist and says that her intention is to challenge traditional ideas of beauty.In the tradition of Marcel Duchamp, her work is designed to shock and provoke, not simply to be admired With the present simple, we often use adverbs of frequency to say ‘how often' we do something. Here's a list of common adverbs:Always,frequently,generally,hardly ever ,infrequently, never, normally occasionally, often, rarely ,regularly, seldom, sometimes, usually We usually put these adverbs in the middle of the sentence, between the subject and the verb: I often go to the cinema. She sometimes visits me at home. We usually drink coffee. We can also put them at the very beginning or end of the sentence.This makes them stronger: Often I go to the cinema. I go to the cinema often. But never: I go often to the cinema. Here are some other expressions we can use to say ‘how often'. All of these longer phrases go at the beginning or the end of the sentence but not in the middle. once in a while: I go to the cinema once in a while. every now and again: She drinks wine every now and again. from time to time: From time to time I visit my mother. N3 He was looking at a book and did not notice as I slipped into my chair. I arranged myself as 1 had been sitting before.As I turned my head to look over my left shoulder, he glanced up. At the same time the end of die yellow cloth came loose and fell over my shoulder. ‘Oh' I breathed, afraid that the cloth would fall from my head and reveal all my hair. But it held – only the end of the yellow cloth dangled free. My hair remained hidden. ‘Yes,' he said then. ‘That is it, Griet. Yes. ‘he said then. That is it great yes. ate in the evening, Van Ruijven managed to comer me in the hallway as I was passing along it with a lighted candle and a wine jug. Ah, the wide- eyed maid,' he cried, leaning into me. ‘Hello, my girl.'He grabbed my chin in his hand, his other hand pulling the candle up to light my face. 1 did not like die way he looked at me. ‘You should paint her,' he said over his shoulder. You must wear the other one as well,' he declared, picking up the second earring and holding it out to me. For a moment I could not speak. 1 wanted him to think of me, not the painting. ‘Why? ‘ I finally answered. ‘It can't be seen in the painting. ‘ ‘You must wear both,' he insisted. ‘It is a farce to wear only one. ‘ ‘But – my other ear is not pierced,' I faltered. ‘Then you must tend to it. ‘ He continued to hold it out.I reached over and took it. I did it for him. I got out a needle and clove oil and pierced my odier ear. I did not cry, or faint, or make a sound. Then I sat all morning and he painted the earring he could see, and I felt, stinging like fire in my other ear, the pearl he could not see. He had been working on the painting for almost two months, and though I had not seen it, I thought it must be close to done. He wafc no longer having me mix quantities of colour for it, but used tiny amounts and made few movements with his brushes. As I sat, I thought I had understood how he wanted me to be, but now I was not so sure.Sometimes he simply sat and looked at me as if he were waiting for me to do something. Then he was not like a painter, but like a man, and it was hard to look at him. †¢One day he announced suddenly, as I was sitting in my chair, ‘This will satisfy van Ruijven, but not m e. ‘ Make negatives by putting not after the first auxiliary verb. I haven't been doing it for that long. If there is no auxiliary verb (ie present simple and past simple) add do/does/did. Ex:I didn't know such a thing existed. Make questions by putting the subject between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.Structure:(auxiliary verb) subject verb. Ex:What was it used for in the first place? If there is no auxiliary verb (ie present simple and past simple) add do/does/did. Ex:Did he hart anybody? In questions with be put the subject after the verb. Are you a bit sensitive about it. If the question word who is the subject of the verb, do not use do/does/did with the present or past simple. Put the verb after the subject as in a normal statement. What happens if someone gets killed one day? In 1893, New Zealand took the historic step of becoming the first country in the world to grant the vote to all adult women.The decision came after a fifteen-year campaign led by Kate Shepp ard. Sheppard became a well-known historical figure in her own country where she can be seen on a ten-dollar bilL. She also travelled to Canada, the United States and Britain where she met other suffragettes who were fighting for the right to vote. By the time of her death in 1934, women in nearly twenty countries around the world had won the right to vote. New Zealand had its first woman prime minister in 1997 and ten years later, women had been elected heads of state on all five continents.N4 This article is about Ginny who sought help from a life coach to change her life style and stop smoking. In the article, Brian, Ginny’s life coach, describes what they do at the session, how Ginny has reacted to the coaching so far, and how successful he thinks she will be in giving up smoking. Ginny then describes her experience of attending the life coaching sessions, what successes she has had in trying to stop smoking, and when,in her opinion,she thinks she’ll stop smoking. Time adverbials show a relationship between one event and another.They help a speaker or writer to show the sequence of events in a native. To show the first in a series of actions:initially, at first,at the beginning,to begin with. To show that one action happens after another: afterwards,subsequently,after a wile,later on. To show the last in a series of actions: eventually,finally, in the end. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is one of the world's most important literary prizes. It is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland in the English language.A panel of judges choose a short list of six novels from over 200 entrants. The short list is announced in September, and then a month later the prize is awarded in a special, televised ceremony. The winner of the Man Booker Prize receives ?50,000. In addition, both the winner and the short-listed authors are guaranteed a worldwide readership and a dra matic increase in book sales. N5 We can expect to see major changes in the home, too, and some rooms will look rather different. The kitchen and the bathroom, to name but two, will be unrecognizable. In the kitchen, for example hi-tech appliances will be revolutionized.Automatic waste disposal and a water purification system, among other things will become standard features of most kitchens. The new intelli-kitchen is already making our lives easier by looking after some of the dirtier jobs. Self-cleaning ovens, for instance, are already available in some shops. Cooking accidents, such as burnt toast or undercooked pasta, will be a thing of the past with self-timing appliances. And with a fridge that orders food direct from online home-delivery companies, you'll never run out of essentials like milk or orange juice.The changes will transform the lives of everyone, housewives in particular. In the bathroom of the future, †¦ English Idioms An idiom is a set expression which has a meaning different from the literal meanings of its components. Idioms present a great variety of structures and combinations that are mostly unchangeable and often not logical and may not follow basic rules of grammar. Idioms can be quite clear (in general; come out; at first; the root of all evil) or pretty unclear (on end; pack it in; high and low; hard cash).Some idioms have proper names in them (a Jack of all trades; Uncle Sam); some other idioms are comparisons (as clear as a bell; as the crow flies). Proverbs and sayings may also have idiomatic character (every cloud has a silver lining; still waters run deep). It is pointless to ask why idioms have such unusual structure or choice of words, or why they don't follow basic grammar rules. Let's just accept as fact that idioms are a difficult peculiarity of English. N6 This text is about how to exploit having a heavy cold, in order to get maximum attention and sympathy from work colleagues,family and friends.It goes through the different stages of having a cold from exaggerating the symptoms and getting sick leave from work, to what to do while you have the cold, and finally what happens when you goback to work. Use simple past, used to + infinitive and would + infinitive to talk about past habits. The earl liked dogs. His dogs used to have dinner with him. The servants would tie a napkin around their necks. Use used to to talk about both states and actions. Use would to talk about actions only. His family used to have a house in Hertfordshire. Not His family would have a house in Hertfordshire.Alternative medicines include a wide range of treatments and practices. Some stem from nineteenth century North America, such as Chiropractic and Naturopathy, some, mentioned by Jutte, originated in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Germany, such as homeopathyand hydropathy,[56] some have originated in China or India. The following examples include some of the more common methods in use. Most therapies can be consi dered as part of five broad classes; biological based approaches, energy therapies, alternative medical systems, muscle and joint manipulation and mind body therapies.Indian Dhanvantari, an incarnation of Krishna[111] and the Lord of Ayurveda worshiped at an ayurveda expo, Bangalore In Japanese Reiki, it is believed that supernatural energies flow from the palms of the healer into the patient near Chakras, influencing disease. Alternative medical systems are complete health systems with their own approaches to diagnosis and treatment that differ from the conventional biomedical approach to health. Some are cultural systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, while others, such as Homeopathy and Naturopathy are relatively recent and were developed in the West.  [103]Writing as a historian Matthew Ramsey has asked whether some counter-hegemonic medicines are better understood as manifestations of more general developments in the larger society, or as the product of a coherent alternative world view. N7 This article is about Office Doctors, a company with spezializes in using alternative therapies to reduce the amout of stress-related illnesses in the workplace. With stress-related illness on the increase, and workers starting to sue their companies for chronic back pain, more and more companies arc turning to alternative therapies to help reduce the levels of stress in their workplace.The Office Doctors is one of a growing number of companies which claim they can reduce work related stress by making workplaces healthier and happier. They talked us through one of their makeovers. A small accountancy firm had been experiencing problems with staff illness and low morale. When a new office manager was appointed she decided to call in the Office Doctors. The offices were housed in an old building, there were a number of basic stress factors that needed immediate attention: the light, the colour scheme, the furniture. ‘There was an enormous amou nt of work to do.But we had to make sure that we didn't disrupt the day to day work of the office. ‘ The only solution was to j work at weekends. It meant we had to work fast but it also meant we could work in peace and we didn't have to worry about getting in the way of the staff. ‘The colour therapist, Liz, w? as the first in. She chose a range of calming blues and greens for the offices and reception area. ‘Blue is a particularly calming colour and ideal in counterbalancing high levels of stress,' she explained,. In the staff rest area she decided to use colours that stimulate and energize. ‘Yellow heightens motivation and orange stimulates creativity.The rest area doesn't just provide a break from work, but helps the staff go back to their desks with renewed energy and enthusiasm. ‘. Being an old building the windows were small and let in very little natural light. As she couldn't install new windows, Liz installed full spectrum fluorescent lights i nstead. ‘Full spectrum lights have all the colours and wavelengths of natural light and studies show that they have a very positive effect in lighting stress and depression. ‘ Next came the aromatherapist, Jules. ‘Chosen with care, essential oils can o reduce stress and boost immunity,' he explained.He chose a blend of lemon, bergamol. and lavender for the central diffusion system. ‘Recent tests have shown that the use of lemon can reduce typing errors by more than 50%, so we're not only fighting stress and promoting health, we're also increasing productivity. ‘ Finally Clara, our massage expert, came in and assessed the ergonomics of each work station. These people have to sit at their desks for up to eight hours a day. Very often they aren't allowed to get up except for short coffee breaks. So they really must make sure that they are looking after their backs as well as they possibly can.' Back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the d octor. She helped each member of staff find the correct desk and chair height, and showed them the best position for their computer screen. She also persuaded the company to invest in ergonomic keyboards and cordless mouses as well as cordless phones. The phones mean that staff don't have to take their phone calls at their desks. Now they can get up and stretch their legs. In addition, each member of staff can request a massage at their desks once a week. ‘Everybody should have regular massage sessions.Not only does it help ease back pains, it also relieves built up tensions and revitalizes. ‘ The changes have made a huge difference/ said the Managing Director, Absenteeism has gone down by a staggering 30% and everyone seems to be much happier. ‘ Use the present perfect to talk about actions and states that started in the past and continue in the present. I've worked here for over three years now. She's been really stressed since she started her new job. to talk ab out actions that happened during a period of time which is unfinished. I've seen him at least three times this week. to talk about past actions when the time is not stated.I've been to Rome twice before. The structure of the present perfect tense is: subject + auxiliary verb + main verb have past participle You have eaten mine. We use the past perfect simple to talk about what happened before a point in the past. It looks back from a point in the past to further in the past. Ex:I hadn't known the bad news when I spoke to him. I checked with the supplier and they still hadn't received the contract. The past perfect simple is often used when we report what people had said/thought/believed. Ex:He told me they had already paid the bill. He said he believed that John had moved to Italy.N8 This text is about a condition called Celebrety Worship Syndrome in which people have an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. The text gives an example of this obsessive behavior by talking about the f ans who attended the first showing of the final instalment of the Star Wars series in Britain. The article also states that being interested in celebrities could have a positive effect on people,if it doesn’t become an addiction. Use the present perfect to talk about actions and states that started in the past and continue in the present. I've worked here for over three years now. She's been really stressed since she started her new job.To talk about actions that happened during a period of time which is unfinished. I've seen him at least three times this week. to talk about past actions when the time is not stated. I've been to Rome twice before. The structure of the present perfect tense is: subject + auxiliary verb + main verb have past participle You have eaten mine. The past simple tense is sometimes called the â€Å"preterite tense†. We can use several tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the past simple tense is the one we use most often. The structure o f the past simple tense is:Subject + VERB+ed Examples:You called Debbie.We use the past simple: When we ask when the event happened. Ex: When did she arrive at Alice Springs? When we say when the event happened with time expressions like yesterday,last week, one night,that indicate a finished time. Ex: She got there two weeks ago. Whether you're just starting your career or you're looking for a job change, it can be helpful to review a list of â€Å"good jobs† – the jobs where a lot of openings are projected and the jobs where openings are increasing faster than for other occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists jobs in both categories.Some jobs require significant training, but other don't. For example, food service workers, home care aides, and landscapers are all on the list of jobs with the greatest number of openings and short-term on-the-job training is provided for these types of jobs. You don't need a college education or additional training beyo nd high school. with projections from the BLS, for jobs where the outlook is good as far as potential job opportunities. To find these types of job openings, use the job search engines to search by keyword or job title i. e. retail sales and the location where you want to work.Here's how to search for jobs by location Largest Number of Projected New Jobs Registered nurses Home health aides Customer service representatives Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food Personal and home care aides Retail salespersons Office clerks, general N24 The text is about the history of the Cocos Island, which was,in the past,a hiding place for pirate treasure,and how this island still attracts treasure hunters to it,who are hoping to find buried treasure. Below we have a list of Phrasal verbs that begin with LOOK and then an explanation of each one with some examples.Look after,Look away,Look for,Look into,Look out,Look through,Look up,Look up to This is not a complete list . We will add more Phrasal Verbs with LOOK when we can. Look after (someone or something) 1. = to take care of. 2. = to make sure that someone is safe and well. Make sure you look after yourself. I don't want you to be ill due to this weather. I have to look after my son tonight. Look away1. = to turn your eyes away from someone or something that you were looking at. The accident was so horrible that I had to look away. She looked away in embarrassment. Look for (someone or something)= to search for something or someone. 2. = to try and find something or someone Can you help me look for my brother, he was meant to be here 20 minutes ago. I am looking for my black shirt have you seen it? Look into Normally – Look into (something) 1. = to find out more about something in order to improve the situation. 2. = to investigate or examine. The manager promised to look into my complaintI will look into this matter and see what I can do about it. Look out 1. = to be careful. 2. = to av oid imminent danger. Look out! An angry dog is coming your way. Look out! There is a broken bottle near your foot.Look through 1. = to examine something, usually quickly. I must look through this report to establish the full story. I will look through my email to see if I can find your request. Look up 1. = to search for information (usually in a book) I need to look that word up in the dictionary, I have never heard it before. I will look up your number when I get to Santiago. Look up to 1. = to respect or admire someone. I really look up to my father. She will always look up to her father as he had such a positive effect on her youth. Alex li Tandem sells autographs- a small blip in a huge worldwide network of desire.It is his business to hunt for names on paper, collect them, sell them end occasionally fake them,end all to give people what they want a little piece of Fame. But what does Alex want? Only the return his father,the reinstatement of some kind of all powerfull benevole nt Godtype figure, something for his headache,three different girls,and the rare autograph of forties movie actress,Kitty Alexander. N25 Nominated for three Oscars when it was released in 2003, Girl with a Pearl Earring tells the story of the Dutch painter, Vermeer, and the creation of one of his most famous paintings.It is an adaptation of a novel by Tracy Chevalier of the same name. The subject of the portrait, Girl with a Pearl Earring, is Vermeer's servant, Griet, who gets to know the artist while sitting for the picture. The role of Griet is played to perfection by Scarlett Johansson, who also starred in the memorable Lost in Translation of the same ) year. Colin Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary, Love Actually and Nanny McPhee), is excellent in the role of Vermeer, and Tom Wilkinson is convincingly revolting as Vermeer's patron, Van Ruijven, who wants to buy Griet.What is most memorable about Girl with a Pearl Earring is its 3 hypnotic beauty. The scenes are shot in lovingly recreat ed Delft of 1665 and the light and the detail come straight out of one of Vermeer's paintings. The cast are dressed in lavish costumes by the Dutch designer, Dien van Straalen, and the camerawork of Eduardo Serra is exquisite. Girl with a Pearl Earring received ) mixed reviews, but it has stood the test of time well. The film appeals to more adult tastes and carries a PG 13 Sertificate We use unreal conditional sentences to talk about imaginary, impossible or improbable situations.We use a past tense (simple or continuous) to describe a present or future situation. If we had more time, †¦ (= But we don't have more time. ) We use the past perfect to describe a past situation. If we had arrived earlier, †¦ (= But we didn't arrive earlier. ) We use would/could/might + infinitive to describe a present or future result of our hypothesis. If we had more time, we'd sit in the park/we could visit the museum. We use would/might/could + have + past participle to describe a past resu lt of our hypothesis. If we'd arrived earlier, we would have paid less/we might have got a better seat.Conditional sentences can begin with either the condition or the result. If I were yoiz, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that if I were you. In unreal conditions, was and were are both used as the past form of be. Some people think that were is more correct. If I were you/If she were here/If he were alive A present situation can have a past result, and a past situation can have a present result. If I had more money (ie now/in general), I wouldn't have walked (ie in the past). If she had tried harder (ie in the past), she wouldn't be where she is today.Conditionals are sometimes described in the following way: Type 1: If + simple present, will + infinitive Type 2: If + simple past, would + infinitive Type 3: If + past perfect, would + have + past participle Wildlife traditionally refers to non-domesticated animal species, but has come to include all plants, fungi and other organis ms which grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. [1] Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative.Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems. Deserts, forests, rain forests, plains, grasslands, and other areas including the most developed urbansites, all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors,[2] most scientists agree that wildlife around is affected by human activities. Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways including the legal, social, and moral sense. Some animals, however, have adapted to suburban environments.This includes such animals as domesticated cats, dogs, mice, and gerbils. Religions have often declared certain animals to be sacred, and in modern times concern for the natural env ironment has provoked activists to protest the exploitation of wildlife for human benefit or entertainment. N23 Only 150 years ago, the San Fernando Valley in North Hollywood was a rural farming area, but it is now home to some of the world's most famous film studios: Walt Disney, NBC TV, Warner Brothers and Universal. California's year-round good weather, natural light and a wide variety of locations made it ideal for early film-makers.As a result, the scenery of Los Angeles and Southern California is better-known than anywhere else in the world. Universal Studios has become a major tourist attraction, although some of the other studios give a better idea of how films are made. The time clauses in the English language are introduced by conjunctions such as after, as soon as, before, till, until, when, whenever, while or time expressions such as the minute, the moment etc. We do not use the future tense (will) in a time clause to describe future activities (in this respect, it it si milar to if clauses).Ex: When I finish writing the reports, I will go out with my friends. Murat will visit all his relatives before he joins the army. What will you do after you finish the French course? They will go to the beach as soon as they have their breakfast. Paintball is a sport[2][3][4] in which players compete; in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside (referred to as paintballs) propelled from a device called a paintball marker(commonly referred to as a paintball gun).Paintballs are composed of a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble polymer. The game is regularly played at a sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams, and players. [5][6] Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, para-military and security organizations to supplement military training, as well as playing a role in riot response, and non -lethal suppression of dangerous suspects. Games can be played on very hard floors in indoor fields, or outdoor fields of varying sizes.A game field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for tactical cover. Game types in paintball vary, but can include capture the flag, elimination, ammunition limits, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours, or even days in scenario play. The legality of paintball varies among countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are required to wear protective masks, and game rules are strictly enforced.Sometimes masks are not required. N22 This article is about a webpage which gives information,news and advice environmental issues. It also gives advice and encouragement to people to try and adopt a lifestyle that isn’t so damaging to the environment . A type of noun clause (or a free relative clause) that begins with the word what. In a declarative sentence, a what-clause may serve as the subject (usually followed by a form of the verb be), a subject complement, or an object. (See Examples and Observations, below. â€Å"Money was what I wanted. Other people's money.What I wanted was impossible. It was a wish for the whole affair to have been imaginary Ian was born in London some time after the Second World War. Father was a brewer, mother a housewife, and maternal grandmother a Duck (her maiden name), who cooked for a wealthy family of Russian furriers in a large London house. He thinks he got his culinary flair from Mrs Duck via his mum – though didn't learn to make borscht until some years later. Moved to Belgium at age 9, where he began cooking. Went to an early Montessori School – he thinks it was the second that Maria Montessori founded.He was exiled to England for schooling while parents continued living in Brussels. Concurrently educated and bullied at King's School, Rochester, Kent – Britain's second oldest school. (It seems ‘second’ was his thing. ) He learnt acting, cunning and survival. Undistinguished academically, he won a drama award and was captain of fencing and shooting. He also threw the javelin in the athletics team. He eschewed ball games for sports with a point to them – or a bullet. He was expelled from school for partying and, after a spell making false teeth for a Polish refugee's plastics company, he became a journalist.  (This is all true, by the way).Ian worked on magazines and thrived in Fleet Street's wine bar and pub scene, before moving to Australia in 1971, working as a PR consultant then joining the ABC in 1973 as a Publicity Officer. He survived ABC TV's rigorous Producer Training Course and became a producer/director in 1974. He mostly worked in News/Current Affairs, music and sport. His first production was Fats and Figures â €“ a five-minute food programme! He started Rock Arena and Talking Pictures, and won Penguin Awards for two Leeuwin Estate Concerts (with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and James Galway, and Dionne Warwick.)He was producer of AFI Awards, America's Cup coverage, World Swimming Championships, among other major multi-camera productions. He started Consuming Passions in 1992, his first on-camera appearance. Ian has now done 10 series – 450 shows – which have screened in Australia and several other countries including the UK, Singapore and Ireland. He has produced 11 recipe collections and two ‘serious' books, Cooking with Passion (ABC Books) and Sheer Bottled Bliss – A Margaret River Memoir (HarperCollins), won an Australian Award for Literary Excellence in 2004.In 1995 Ian won the Presenters' Prize at the Festival de la Telegourmande in France, and the following year won the Festival Grand Prix for best TV food show. He has been a columnist with The Sunday Age newsp aper and has contributed to Australia Today magazine and the West Australian. He is a regular contributor to Delicious magazine. With colleague David Evans, Ian launched the Tasting Australia food and wine festival in Adelaide in 1997. The festival takes place every two years. Ian and David received a Jaguar Award for Excellence in 2001- in association with Australian Gourmet Traveler – for Tasting Australia.His company, Consuming Passions Pty Ltd also works in Los Angeles on Australia Week, a major promotion of Australian food, wine, film, fashion, business and investment, tourism and travel. Ian lives in Margaret River, Western Australia, where he and his partner Ann produce a highly regarded Chardonnay (Artamus) from grapes that they grow. He plays piano, guitar and blues harmonica in his spare time, draws and writes; loves dining and wine tasting, comedy; mowing the vines, travel and British crime on TV. He believes in Slow Food and in supporting Australian producers in t heir efforts to create and market the best foods in the UniverseN21 Someone found a priceless hoard of 3,000 Saxon coins yesterday as a woman was digging in her back garden. 2Someone had packed the coins into a wooden box which broke as 3she was digging it out of the ground. The coins are in the care of a local museum where 4 museum workers are cleaning them in a special laboratory. (5) Someone will then take them to the museum in York for further examination. A legal expert said that even though Mrs Barrett found the coins on her property, (6) the local authorities could still rule them as the property of the state. so & suchWe use so and such to make adjectives, adverbs and nouns stronger or more emphatic. So + adjective big, small, cheap, expensive + adverb well badly; nearly, s/ouly so + many/few/much/little many/few people, much/little advice so + (a/an) noun a pity, luck, friends such , , * . so+ (a/an) adjective + noun a nice day, happy memories If we want to express a conseq uence, we follow the so/such phrase with that + clause. We can omit that in informal situations. They were so cheap (that) I bought ten. (= I bought ten because they were very cheap. ) He drives so slowly (that) well never get there.It was such a nice day (that) we decided to go to the beach. Kevin Costner, a famous American actor, was born in Los Angeles. He spent his childhood often on the move, changing schools frequently, owing to his father's job at the regional electricity company. As a teenager, he developed a keen liking for football, baseball and basket-ball and was also interested in singing and writing poetry. He married his college sweetheart Cindy whilst still at California State University and came out with a business degree in marketing. In his spare time he appeared in local theatre.Theatre became increasingly important to him and after having worked six weeks in a marketing company, he gave the job up to become an actor. He played in many small part roles before his principle role which was not a success. However Costner himself was given good reviews. In 1987 his starring role in â€Å"The Untouchables† and â€Å"No Way Out† really introduced him to international fame. Indeed, he won the Star of Tomorrow prize from the U. S. National Association of Theatre Owners. Then in 1988 came â€Å"Bull Durham† which was a huge hit movie in the States about baseball.His subsequent film â€Å"Field of Dreams† was also a success and touched baseball again. Then came the violent drama movie â€Å"Revenge† followed by his first directorial debut film â€Å"Dances With Wolves† in which he also starred and which won 7 Oscars. His movie â€Å"Robin Hood, Prince of the Thieves† was also a great success. I like this actor because the characters he plays are strong personalities, wise people who are worthy of my admiration. In my opinion, this is the reason of his growing popularity in many, countries. He is not on ly a talented actor, whose acting draws your attention the very moment you see his face on the screen.But he is also a successful producer and continues working at his new films which are certain to amuse the people. N20 Harrison Ford flies to the rescue Harrison Ford volunteered to fly his own helicopter to rescue a boy scout who had got lost on a camping expedition in Yellowstone National Park. After a search with dogs failed to find the boy scout, two air rescue teams were called in. Harrison Ford, better known for his heroics as the archaeologist, Indiana Jones, was piloting one of the helicopters which searched the Wyoming forest throughout the night. Harrison Ford and his team eventually found the boy scout early the next morning.He was cold and tired but very excited when he found out that not only was he going to ride in a helicopter, but that he had been rescued by Harrison Ford. The use of articles with geographical names has certain patterns. For example, the name of a ri ver is used with the definite article, and the name of a lake is used without any article. The name of one mountain (or one island) is used without any article, and the name of a mountain chain (or a group of islands) is used with the definite article. The meaning may change depending on the presence or absence of the definite article.For example, Mississippi is the state of Mississippi, while the Mississippi is the Mississippi River. The words â€Å"north, east, south, nothern, western, central†, and the like are capitalized if they are part of the geographical name (the North Sea, Northern Ireland, Central America) or part of the name of the region regarded as a unit (the West, Western Europe, the East, the Far East). If such words are used for indicating direction or as descriptive terms, they are usually not capitalized (the north, the west, the southeast, the south of France, western Asia, northern Africa, central Australia).Ex: the Western Hemisphere, the Eastern Hemisp here, the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere; They invited us round for dinner,which was nice. Sue cooked a special Greek dish that she;d had on holiday. It was delicious,with fresh vine leaves that she;d managed to buy at the local market. Her sister was there too,the one who has just come back from the States. She was looking very glomours in a little back cocktail dress that she’d picked up in the New Yourk. It covered in tiny little sequens that glowed in the candlelight. John couldn’t take his eyes off her all night!