The Panama Canal - 1817 Words

Introduction The Panama Canal has become famous all over the world for being one of the most successful canals ever built, however, when it was first built many people thought that it was a mistake. During the building of the canal, there were many problems and scandals that had to be taken care of before the canal was up and running. Despite the problems during the construction of the canal, after construction the canal greatly aided the economic growth of the United States in the early twentieth century. In spite of the success of the canal and the seemingly positive impacts it had on the growth and development of the U.S., some historians still believe that the construction of the Panama Canal was not a good economic decision for the United States to make. The Panama Canal had a positive effect on the U.S. economy because of the time saved by traveling through the canal, the money saved from building the canal, and the growth of the U.S. economy as a whole as a result of the construction of th e canal. Construction of the canal Leaders in both Central America and the U.S supported the building of the canal. Both the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican presidents were happy with the building of the Panama Canal. These leaders thought that the canal would help bring economic prosperity to Central America, as well as the United States. This helped the U.S. get approval from most of Central America to start the construction of the canal. The New Panama Canal Company, the company thatShow MoreRelatedThe Panama Canal1413 Words   |  6 PagesShey Gibson Mr. Grate World History Period 2 5 December 2015 The Panama Canal The Panama Canal is the only canal in the world to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans together. It was built in the country of Panama and first used on August 15th of 1914. It became one of the most useful canals in the world for trading and transportation. In my opinion, the creation of the Panama Canal served as a significant human feat because the level of construction that it required had never been done beforeRead MorePanama Canal Essay1633 Words   |  7 PagesThe Panama Canal has been called the big ditch, the bridge between two continents, and the greatest shortcut in the world. When it was finally finished in 1914, the 51-mile waterway cut off over 7,900 miles of the distance between New York and San Francisco, and changed the face of the industrialized world (Panama Canal). This Canal is not the longest, the widest, the deepest, or the oldest canal in the world, but it is the only canal to connect two oceans, and still today is the greatest man-madeRead More Panama C anal Essay888 Words   |  4 PagesPanama Canal Essay The canal was the best thing that ever happened to Panama. The Panama Canal was started under President Roosevelt and completed by his successor, William Howard Taft. The canal was built across an isthmus, a narrow body of land that connects two larger land areas, which connects North and South America. In some places in Panama the isthmus is only 50 miles across. The French started the canal in the late 1800’s. They had just built the then famous Suez Canal with relative easeRead MoreExisting Canals in the World: The Panama Canal and The Suez Canal1642 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Canals are human-made and completely subject to the sovereignty of the state in which they are located. Canals are internal waters that have no right of innocent passage through canals. Typically, there are only two canals in the world - Panama Canal and Suez Canal. Panama Canal opened on 15 August 1914 with a total length of 80.5km (50 miles). Panama Canal is the integral link for shipping traffic from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean in North U.S. (refer Fig. 1). Panama Canal consist aRead MorePanama Canal Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesPanama Canal Essay The canal was the best thing that ever happened to Panama. The Panama Canal was started under President Roosevelt and completed by his successor, William Howard Taft. The canal was built across an isthmus, a narrow body of land that connects two larger land areas, which connects North and South America. In some places in Panama the isthmus is only 50 miles across. The French started the canal in the late 1800s. They had just built the then famous Suez Canal with relative easeRead MoreThe Importance of the Panama Canal1251 Words   |  5 PagesThe isthmus of the canal was first mentioned in 1543 when Charles V, the King of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire ordered a search for a route through the Americas that would allow for easier passage from Spain to Peru. The King of Scotland attempted to set up an overland trade route in 1698, but gave up in April of 1700. Italian noble and naval Officer, Allesandro Malaspina outlined plans for construction of a canal 88 years later. Even at the very beginning of European activity in the Americas,Read More The Panama Canal Essay3208 Words   |  13 PagesThe Panama Canal In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt had a dream of a dominant America in both major oceans, connected by an American canal. With his inspiration, construction began on what has been called the largest project of any kind ever undertaken. Now that it is complete, the Panama Canal makes the world a much smaller place for ocean-going vessels of all sizes. Ideas for a canal across Panama have been in the works ever since the time the isthmus was discovered.Read MoreThe Building of the Panama Canal539 Words   |  2 PagesThe Building of the Panama Canal In order to get to the Pacific Ocean from the east coast of the United States you must either, go around Canada, go around South America, or go all the way around the world. These were the only ways to get to the Pacific from the Atlantic Ocean until 1914. The most common way the American navy would get there was around South America. In many instances when there was problems on the west or east coast that needed naval intervention it took a significant amountRead MoreThe Geography of Panama and the Panama Canal Essay472 Words   |  2 PagesGeography of Panama and the Panama Canal The Panama Canal is one of the greatest works of engineering and modern achievements of mankind. An all-water passage through the continental divide of the Panama region had been suggested since early Spanish colonial times of the 16th century. Today a canal that was cut through the Isthmus of Panama is a reality. Its presence has greatly affected Panama in many ways, politically, economically, and socially. The Panama Canal is possiblyRead MoreBuilding the Panama Canal Essay1697 Words   |  7 Pagesengineering feats in all of history, the Panama Canal is an essential asset for international trade and travel today, uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Central American Isthmus in Panama, Colombia. Its construction required the perseverance, innovation, time and money of at first, France and of second, America. Construction began with Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps at the helm of the project in the early 1880’s; however, dreams of a Central American canal were had as early as the 1500’s

Women In Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales - 1288 Words

Introduction Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† is a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 about a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims to Canterbury (England) and on their way, they tell stories to each other about their lives and experiences. The stories constitute a critique of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church, while women seem to be presented in a different way than they are in other contemporary works. The aim of this essay is to present the ways in which the portrayal of women is different, and trace their role within Chaucer’s masterpiece. In doing so, first some general characteristics of how women were viewed during the medieval period are presented, and then there is an†¦show more content†¦The Portrayal of Woman in Chaucer Women’s portrayal in Chaucer’s literature to certain extent reflects the state in medieval society. One of the first details to be taken into consideration is the fact that in â€Å"Canterbury Tales† where the stories of twenty nine pilgrims are presented, there are only three women. However, although they are the minority they are an irreplaceable part of the work and have multiple roles: they are both storytellers themselves, but they are also parts of the stories told by the rest of the pilgrims. They appear to have multi-dimensional personalities, as on the one hand they are presented as passive and obedient women, in line with the medieval conceptions of women, but on the other hand they are also obscure and mischievous personalities who can impose their own will and interfere in other people’s lives. More precisely, three women appear as narrators who tell the Prioress’ Tale, the Second Nun’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale. Martin (1990) points out that the selection of these portraits of women was deliberate from Chaucer, in an effort to underline the two standards that women had to comply with: that of a pious person, and that of a wife. Up until this point it seems that the conventions and beliefs of Chaucer’s time prevail in his writing and is similar to other contemporary works. However, Martin takes it one stepShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreWomen s Liberty Through Literature1105 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish 4 AP Literature Mrs. Johnson  The role of women in society has been well documented through world literature. Works such as The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Hamlet by William Shakespeare,The Education of Women by Daniel Defoe, and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. These works come from a wide variety of time periods, they range from the middle ages to the modern era, where the first was published around 900 years before the last.  Women make up approximately half of the population ofRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doing. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pages The Canterbury Tales is a set of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. The stories were told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral, in hopes to see a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. To make time go by the host recommended each pilgrim tell a tal e. The tale that each character gives, reveals that person’s background and life. Some pilgrims matched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, areRead MoreThe Worldview Of Society In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales793 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Time and tide wait for no man† (Chaucer). Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) was a man of creativity, a mind for artful thinking, and a soul full of poetic writing. Chaucer attended St. Paul’s Cathedral School where poets such as Virgil and Ovid strongly influenced Chaucers’ writings (Britannica). Chaucer in his book The Canterbury Tales depicts society as being corrupted and morally declined. Chaucers life of events such as his time as a prisoner of war (Biography.com) had impacted his outlook on theRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucers Use of Characterization Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pagesattain any work fame or shame. Geoffrey Chaucer, a pioneer of Engl ish Literature’s works carried mass appeal. His best known works appealed to those of all walks of life. Chaucer’s work resulted in mass appeal because it used many forms of characterization to present the characters to the reader. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses thoughts and actions, his word, and satire to characterize The Squire and The Wife of Bath. Geoffrey Chaucer is well known for his useRead MoreSex in The Canterbury Tales Essay937 Words   |  4 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer uses sex as a manipulative instrument in The Canterbury Tales. Portraying sex as a power that women exert over men rather than the marital bond of â€Å"making love† makes evident Chaucer’s skewed views of love and marriage with underlying tones of misogyny. He expresses these views throughout the work, however, the theme of love and sex is most evident in the sub-stories of The Wife of Bath and The Miller’s Tale. Chaucer breaks the topic of sex into two basic parts: carnality and romanticismRead MoreEssay Immorality in Chaucers Canterbury Tales1646 Words   |  7 Pagesmoral ambiguity are two concepts that will ruin any relationship. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, he specifically illustrates through his pilgrims’ stories some comical and realistic events that display immorality in the Middle Ages. There are several characters whose stories are focused on presenting the immorality within their tales. Like that of â€Å"The Miller’s Tale,† and â€Å"The Merchant’s Tale.† Chaucer utilizes these tales to display one specific immoral act, which is sexual sin or lustRead MoreComparison Of The Black Death In Chaucers The Canterbury Tales886 Words   |  4 PagesChaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and The Knight’s Tale Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales replays the journey of twenty-nine pilgrims. The pilgrims venture to Canterbury to worship at the Shrine of St. Thomas a’ Becket. The pilgrimage includes the knight. Who is a very chivalrous man with many tales to tell. The Middle Ages started in England with the Battle of Hastings, which occurred on Saturday, October 14, 1066. The armies met at the battle and taunted each other. Then they startedRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales1030 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a collection of several tales that are all told by different characters and all convey different messages. The story presented in the general prologue is that a group of pilgrims is traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket, and during their journey they take turns telling tales and talking about themselves. Chaucer uses the pilgrims to express his beliefs, about religion, marriage, social class, and many other topics. One of the pilgrims is the Manciple

The Importance of Contracting Approach

Question: Discuss about the Importance of Contracting Approach ? Answer : The contracting approach is a term used for the various methods for the betterments of properties of risk appetites, contracting parties and decisions (Power-eng.com, 2017). The significance of the contracting approach is exaggerated. Most approaches of contracting have been successful. However, it is not guaranteed from the past. So it has emerged as a subject of debate. The factuality of the above allegation has been discussed in the answer. It has been shown that the approaches actually exert little impact on project outcomes. As any project undergoes production, authentic initial cases are to be delivered. Merrow has calculated the success of projects according to the degrees up to which the forecasts accomplish its prediction on these cases. He has claimed that the megaprojects of the industries are just bad investments. Apart from few projects, most of them have an abrupt distribution of success. The consequences are either extreme good or very poor (Merrow 2011). Merrow has criticized these industries for applying their technical skills to a position from where they have been unable to perform effectively. The organizations have become too much dependent on the consultants. Moreover, the companies were too much in hurry to perform projects before testing their business care robustly. As a result, the contracting approach has minute impacts on the results of megaprojects. The most important factor lies here, is the quality of people along with the efficacy of project organization. So, contracting approach is a secondary concern (Merrow 2011). Thus the fact that contracting approaches bring success but cannot guarantee it is proved. Merrow was simple about the drawbacks in applying the contracting approach. Merrows observations are highly applicable to governments and huge infrastructure projects throughout the world. References: Merrow, E.W., 2011.Industrial megaprojects: concepts, strategies, and practices for success(Vol. 8). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Power-eng.com. (2017). Project Contracting Strategies: Evaluating Costs,Risks and Staffing Requirements. [online] Available at: https://www.power-eng.com/articles/print/volume-115/issue-3/features/project-contracting-strategies-evaluating-costsrisks-and-staffing-requirements.html [Accessed 14 Mar. 2017].

Ovarian Cancer Essays (1205 words) - RTT, Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancer which forms in the ovaries of a female reproductive organs. Most times it is undetected until small tumors line the abdominal cavity and the cancer cells invade vital organs. This cancer, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among American women, has recently shown signs that it may have more success with new treatments for all stages of the disease. Symptoms Ovarian cancer has often times been known as the "silent killer" of American women, but scientists have recently uncovered startling facts: more than 90% of ovarian cancer patients had symptoms of the disease long before it was officially diagnosed. As well as this amazing fact, one in 17 women who live to be 80 will develop ovarian cancer. Some symptoms of this disease include abdominal swelling; digestive disturbances, which include gas, bloating, chronic stomach pains, or indigestion; pelvic pressure; a persistent need to urinate; unexplained weight loss or pain in the pelvis, lower back, or legs. As it can be seen, these symptoms can pertain to many other illnesses, therefore it is hard for a doctor to know ovarian cancer exists. Most times, when these symptoms do not respond to the usual treatments, doctors are instructed to consider ovarian cancer as the problem. Diagnosis, Surgery, and Therapy In order to make a diagnosis, first the doctor requires a thorough medical history of the patient and a pelvic exam, which allows the doctor to feel for abnormalities in the ovaries. If an abnormality is suspected, an ultrasound is usually performed. Usually, for an ultrasound, a probe is placed in the Vagina to gain a clear image of the ovaries. The ultrasound can determine the health of the ovaries and distinguish any more possibilities of the existence of ovarian cancer. To have a better idea of what's wrong with the patient, the doctor obtains a blood test on the patient to measure CA-125. CA-125 is a protein produced by ovarian cancer cells. In advanced ovarian cancer, the protein is elevated in more than 80% of women. In those patients with early-stage cancers, the protein is elevated in more than 50%. Unfortunately, this tool is not perfect. Sometimes these protein levels can also be higher during ovulation or endometriosis. The only certain way to find out if ovarian cancer lives in the patient is to have surgery. During the surgery, the ovaries and other organs of the abdomen are thoroughly inspected. If cancer is strongly suspected, the incision for the surgery is made through the abdomen. The first stage of ovarian cancer is referred to as stage I. This stage is when the cancer is only located in the ovaries. Stage II is classified to the ovaries and other pelvic organs. Stage III is cancer in all the abdominal organs except for the liver, and stage IV includes the liver and other vital organs. Advanced cases are considered the stages from II to IV. Sometimes in the early stages of ovarian cancer, a woman can still conceive, because only one ovary will be removed. If the stage of cancer is very advanced, both ovaries will be removed, as well as the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the momentum. Chemotherapy usually makes CA-125 return to their normal levels. If it remains high or rises during therapy, the cancer may have reoccurred. Some studies suggest that if the tumors return within six months of therapy, the cancer cells could be resistant to drug treatment. A woman visits her physician every few months after her surgery and treatment to keep an eye on her CA-125 levels. Several organizations are trying to develop cancer vaccines targeted at certain cancer-causing proteins, like CA-125. By killing these proteins, they have less of a chance of causing the cancer. Side Effects Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells but also damage some normal cells. Temporary side effects might include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of hair, mouth and vaginal sores, and changes in the menstrual cycle. Because chemotherapy can damage the blood-producing cells of the bone marrow, patients may have low blood cell counts. This can result in an increased chance of infection, bleeding or bruising after minor cuts or injuries, and fatigue. Potentially permanent side effects include premature menopause and infertility. After radiation therapy,

Light in August by William Fau essays

Light in August by William Fau essays In the novel by William Faulkner, Light in August there is alienation in the novel. The alienation occurs with Joe Christmas. He is a stranger that comes into the town of Jefferson with a unkonwn past. Prior to his arrival, he went under the name of Lucas Burch. Whne Joe Christmas arrives at Jefferson, he alienates himeself from almost everybody for about 2 years. His past has taught him to do so, with all the bad things that We get extended interior monologues from Christmas, and the story of his past occupies a third or more of the book. Despite the amount of information provided, Christmas remains hard to comprehend. It isn't that he is not what he seems to be. Rather, he "seems" to be many things, but the reader can never be quite certain which of these are Christmas' tragedy is that he does not know himself what he is. He seems certain that he is part "nigger" but there is no reliable evidence that this is true. Certainly, he looks white. Christmas moves back and forth between white society and black society. Every time he does so, he reveals himself as an outsider. In white society he exposes his own "nigger" blood; in black society he portrays himself as white. When he does so, he expects a violent reaction from which he has provoked. Being both black and white he cannot truly be a part of either society. Nor can he simply deny this dichotomy. Rather, as quoted on page 69, "his awareness of this dichotomy makes him take up the role of antagonist in all situations". He is born into a social system which has defined the categories of white and black, and has established rituals for dealing with any behavior by either, which depicts an image to the reader of his alienation and difference he is from the rest of the population in Jefferson.. Joe believes in these categories and rituals. When a white prostitute is not outraged by his Negro blood, he beats her. He expects her ...

Exploring the Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism

Exploring the Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism Figure out what an investigative journalism is and how it is connected with the academic credibility. Hashtag: #SwissLeaks World of Superficiality Journalism in its original form is a separate world and far removed from academic sphere. The reason is that superficial thought and research are contradictory attributes of a scholarly article that by nature are systematic, in-depth, and well-structured pieces of writing. An academic complaint article is normally coherent, discusses all sides of the issue, makes use of scientifically acquired facts, properly acknowledged its sources, peer-reviewed, written and presented in technical language for informed readers. In contrast, popular journalistic publications such as newspapers, magazines, and others are mostly for the lay audience, thus informal, skimmed, and speculative. They are sometimes sketchy and one-sided, no author, and lack the credibility of scholarly works. However, the form of journalism responsible for #SwissLeaks or expose of secret billion Swiss bank accounts allegedly owned by HSBC clients seems unusual and more academic in nature than traditional journalism. The reporters that divulged secret bank accounts of known personalities (some may be facing tax invasion charges afterward) are practitioners of Investigative Journalism, an academic compliant form of journalism. This is the same form of journalism (best known as â€Å"Watchdog† journalism) responsible for unmasking corruptions, abuse of power, environmental and health scandals, and publishing of well-researched and written news articles in recent years. Academic Intellectual in Politics Academic Credibility of Investigative Journalism The definition of Investigative Journalism varies from author to author but it is commonly about a journalist’s own initiative to look into the significance of the issue, conduct a comprehensive and exhaustive research, make detailed information public, and inspire reform. Creating an outline of Investigative Journalism features found in literature would give us a form of journalistic undertaking that is truth-seeking, objective, systematic, in-depth, facts and evidence oriented, and consistent. Similarly, a careful analysis of academic research requirements will give us an idea that a certain result of a certain research must add value to existing knowledge. This new knowledge must be acquired through scientific methodologies, ethical, analytical, synthesized, and presented in succinct style and appropriate terminology. In other words, academic research is an objective, systematic, in-depth, and original piece of writing. Given that Investigative Journalism reports or articles are objective in its quest for truth, systematically and thoroughly researched, structured and presented with supporting facts and evidence, then they must be compliant to the  academic standard. The problem, however, is the fact that their method of data gathering will not pass academic ethical scrutiny. Certainly, scientific data gathering in academic sphere is never about #SwissLeaks or systematically stealing data from anyone. In fact, an academic research is about consent and confidentiality. It should be reactive to the welfare of data sources. There is no doubt that investigative journalists and academic intellectuals both seek after the truth. In fact, they are both systematic and support their claims with facts. However, they strangely vary in their values and ethical practices. For instance, although generating and promoting new knowledge is critical, the academic sphere gives more weight to the transparency and integrity of the research process. It is rational but passionate and sensitive to partiality, exploitation, and morality of its quest for truth.

Death Dying - Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death Dying - Final Exam - Essay Example My negative perception of death possibly roots back to the folklore I have learned as a child as well as how the media portrays death as something gruesome and painful. Religious beliefs are also factors that contributed to my personal definition of death. Uncertainty on my destination in life after death and the fear that I may be destined to the lake fire shaped my insight of death. After studying the readings and conducting further research on the topic, I have learned that death does not solely pertain to the expiration of the flesh but may also mean spiritual death. Worrying about death of the soul is more of a concern than the death of our flesh. Though our flesh dies, our souls will continue to exist, it is not just death of the flesh that we should worry about but more of the spiritual death or decadence. As my outlook on death changed, my notion about birth remained to be based on the fact that we came from a Creator and after dying we will go back to our Creator. The course about death, dying and religion taught me as well that life is truly in the decisive hands of the Almighty. In examining the teachings of different religions pertaining to death, I have encountered some obscure beliefs and practices while some are unnecessary for the dead since the people left behind by the deceased cannot make amends for the mistakes committed by the dead as with the practices of the Chinese and Catholics (Handbook of Death and Dying 62). The differences and similarities on religious practices on death prodded me to research more on the subject in the Biblical perspective. The Bible speaks of two kinds of death, the physical and the spiritual. The physical death pertains to the state when the body ceases to exist (Lizza 37) while spiritual death concerns the dissipation of morality and corruption of the human soul. When an individual dies, the soul cannot come back and do the usual things a living human performs or haunt the living (Soriano, â€Å"Adam Died Long Before His Flesh Did†). This is contrary to beliefs of many countries and cultures where the souls of the dead people were thought to linger in this world and perform daily tasks as if they are still alive. Another popular belief in cultures is the notion that souls of dead people immediately goes to a specific destination such as hell, heaven and purgatory or limbo. Biblically, purgatory and limbo do not exist. Purgatory is a place where souls that are not fit for heaven or hell while Limbo is where babies not baptized by the Catholic Church end up when after they die. The centuries-old belief of limbo was later on declared null by the previous Pope Benedict XVI (Soriano, â€Å"Learn a Little Mathematics†). These additional readings has somehow changed my views and reduced my fear of death and dying because some of the vague destinations after dying such as Limbo and Purgatory that causes uncertainties are eliminated. The various approaches to death and dying made me r ealize that I should live sensibly by not wasting time on hating, arguing and finding other people's faults. After reading The Death of Ivan Illych, I have learned that I should be spending my life building good relationships with people and extend help to those who are in need. Tolstoy’s character was not well-received by the people he worked with thus the news of his death was not devastating (Tolstoy 12) I have also learned that it would be best to alleviate the pain and sufferings of

Tiger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tiger - Essay Example Tiger shows how, in the modern world, as individuals get older, they want their children close, while at the same time their children wish to live their own lives independent of their parents. In this story, Essie is depicted as a mother who wants only the best for her daughter and she does all that she can to ensure that Marian not only marries an Indian man but also settles down close to her (Jones 2). However, this does not happen and Marian instead ends up marrying Daniel, a man from far off America who Essie does not approve of because of his mild demeanor as well as his not being Catholic. This is a scenario which is often played out in many families as mothers, believing that they know what is best for their children, tend not to approve of their choices in life and instead choose to interfere in their lives. This creates a situation where it is difficult for mothers and these children to get along because it seems that each is living firm in their own beliefs. Such an incident has taken place in my family where an aunt of mine did not approve of her son’s choosing to marry a woman from another country and his decision to settle in his wife’s homeland . This situation brought a lot of friction between my aunt and her son and it has gone on for more than a decade now with none of them becoming flexible in their position. My aunt took an instant dislike to her daughter in-law and whenever they visited, she all but ignored her. However, despite my aunt’s dislike for her son’s wife, she adores their three children to such an extent that she would do anything for them. She always waits anxiously for them to visit every year so that she can spend her time with them. It is these children who have ensured that the connection between my aunt and cousin does not die because their being born made it possible for the latter to at least live on good terms for their sake. In

The HTML page Essay Example for Free

The HTML page Essay HTML which stands for Hyper Text Markup Language is a scripting language which is primarily used for building web pages (W3C. org, 2007). The language is an interpreted language and used extensively to build a standard website. The web pages are linked together using the features of the HTML alone where it creates hyperlinks to join pages. All these combined web pages are hosted to the internet and is registered under a domain that facilitates it to have an Internet Protocol address to access it over the internet domain. The HTML can be explained as follows: †¢ Hyper Text – It usually implies several variants of text that can be used for displaying information over the web page to the internet users. It can also embed objects like pictures, static and moving graphics and video in the web pages using the options available for its representation. †¢ Markup Language – It is called so as it belongs to the family of markup languages which puts or assigns tags to the text so that their representation is enhanced (W3Schools.com, 2007). For example, representing text in paragraphs, tables and others. Internet browsers use the HTML in a very unique manner. The process is as follows: †¢ To generate a web page, a request for the page requires to be made. The IP address or the domain name is typed in the address bar and pressed enter. †¢ The request now travels across the network and hits the nearest DNS (Domain naming service) server where the domain name is resolved. †¢ The web page request is done at this moment. †¢ The HTML page once fetched is interpreted by the browser and displayed in the browser using the tags specified. †¢ The page layout is according to the instructions in the HTML source. Internet browsers provide an excellent facility to interpret the HTML page with the specified instructions. References W3Schools. com (2007). Retrieved 10, November 2007 from http://www. w3schools. com/html/html_intro. asp. W3C. org (2007). Retrieved 10, November 2007 from http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/

British Imperialism and the Crisis in the Sudan Essay -- Darfur Region

British Imperialism and the Crisis in the Sudan Introduction One of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is currently unfolding in the Darfur region of the Sudan. For the past 22 months, more than 70,000 Sudanese have been killed, and nearly 2 million people have fled their homes to neighboring countries. This paper attempts to explore this present day civil war and genocide taking place in the Sudan. This is an event of epic proportions that will have vast implications for the future of the country and the continent. Understanding the history of European colonialism in Africa, as focused through the lense of the Sudan, is the purpose of this paper. Primarily, the paper will analyze the history of European imperialism in the region of the Sudan, and attempt to understand how the British occupation of the country provided the framework and foundation for many of the problems today. Furthermore this paper will explore the implications that this genocide will have in the international realm of politics; the lack of media expos ure of such an horrific event is another avenue of exploration in this paper. In present day Sudan the country is divided across political and religious lines that are so deeply rooted that a peace resolution does not seem likely in the near future. The world is simply waiting and hoping that the conflict will be resolved internally without aid from the outside world. The manner in which the world is responding to the conflict in the Sudan is indicative of the manner in which the world has always viewed Africa and its people. Dating back to as early the 1400s the world has always viewed the people of Africa as second-class citizens and have treated them as such. This mindset still p... ...aphy Anderson, G. Norman. Sudan in Crisis: The Failure of Democracy. Gainesville: University Press of Florida,1999. Khalid,Mansour. War and Peace in Sudan.London: Kegan Paul, 2003. Thomas, Graham F. Sudan: Struggle for Suvival. London: Darf Publishers Ltd., 1990. Voll, John O. Sudan: State and Society in Crisis. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. The Economist. 31 July 2004. â€Å"Human Rights Watch.† http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/08/27/darfur9268.htm 27 August 2004. â€Å"Socialist Party.† http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/sep04/ â€Å"Oxfam News†.http://oxfam.ca/news/Sudan/Q&A2.htm. November 2004. â€Å"Socialist.net†.http://www.socialistworld.net/index2.html?/eng/2004/09/07sudan.html. â€Å"BBC News†.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm. â€Å"U.S. Department of State†.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm. October 2004.

Bloodlines Chapter Three

THE DRIVE TO PALM SPRINGS WAS AGONY. I was exhausted from being dragged out of bed, and even when Keith took over the wheel, I couldn't fall asleep. I had too much on my mind: Zoe, my reputation, the mission at hand†¦. My thoughts spun in circles. I just wanted to fix all the problems in my life. Keith's driving did nothing to make me less anxious. I was also upset because my father hadn't let me say goodbye to my mom. He'd gone on and on about how we should just let her sleep, but I knew the truth. He was afraid that if she knew I was leaving, she'd try to stop us. She'd been furious after my last mission: I'd gone halfway around the world alone, only to be returned with no clue as to what my future held. My mom had thought the Alchemists had used me badly and had told my dad it was just as well they seemed to be done with me. I don't know if she really could've stood in the way of tonight's plans, but I didn't want to take my chances in case Zoe got sent instead of me. I certainly hadn't expected a warm and fuzzy farewell from him, but it felt strange leaving on such unsettled terms with my sister and mother. When dawn came, briefly turning the desert landscape of Nevada into a blazing sea of red and copper, I gave up on sleep altogether and decided to just power through. I bought a twenty-four-ounce cup of coffee from a gas station and assured Keith I could drive us the rest of the way. He gladly gave up the wheel, but rather than sleep, he bought coffee as well and chatted me up for the remaining hours. He was still going strong with his new we're-friends attitude, almost making me wish for his earlier animosity. I was determined not to give him any cause to doubt me, so I worked hard to smile and nod appropriately. It was kind of hard to do while constantly gritting my teeth. Some of the conversation wasn't so bad. I could handle business talk, and we had plenty of details to still work out. He told me all he knew about the school, and I ate up his description of my future home. Amberwood Preparatory School was apparently a prestigious place, and I idly wondered if maybe I could treat it as pretend college. By Alchemist standards, I knew all I needed for my job, but something in me always burned for more and more knowledge. I'd had to learn to content myself with my own reading and research, but still, college – or even just being around those who knew more and had something to teach me – had long been a fantasy of mine. As a â€Å"senior,† I would have off-campus privileges, and one of our first orders of business – after securing fake IDs – was to get me a car. Knowing I wouldn't be trapped at a boarding school made things a bit more bearable, even though it was obvious that half of Keith's enthusiasm for getting me my own transportation was to make sure I could shoulder any work that came along with the job. Keith also enlightened me about something I hadn't realized – but probably should have. â€Å"You and that Jill girl are being enrolled as sisters,† he said. â€Å"What?† It was a measure of my self-control that my hold on the car never wavered. Living with a vampire was one thing – but being related to one? â€Å"Why?† I demanded. I saw him shrug in my periphery. â€Å"Why not? It explains why you'll be around her so much – and is a good excuse for you to be roommates. Normally, the school doesn't pair students who are different ages, but†¦ well†¦ your ‘parents' promised a hefty donation that made them change their normal policy.† I was so stunned that I didn't even have my normal gut reaction to slap him when he concluded with his self-satisfied chuckle. I'd known we'd be living together†¦ but sisters? It was†¦ weird. No, not just that. Outlandish. â€Å"That's crazy,† I said at last, still too shocked to come up with a more eloquent response. â€Å"It's just on paper,† he said. True. But something about being cast as a vampire relative threw my whole order off. I prided myself on the way I'd learned to behave around vampires, but part of that came from the strict belief that I was an outsider, a business associate distinct and removed. Playacting as Jill's sister destroyed those lines. It brought about a familiarity that I wasn't sure I was ready for. â€Å"Living with one of them shouldn't be so bad for you,† Keith commented, drumming his fingers against the window in a way that put my nerves on edge. Something about the too-casual way he spoke made me think he was leading me into a trap. â€Å"You're used to it.† â€Å"Hardly,† I said, choosing my words carefully. â€Å"I was with them for a week at most. And actually, most of my time was spent with dhampirs.† â€Å"Same difference,† he replied dismissively. â€Å"If anything, the dhampirs are worse. They're abominations. Not human, but not full vampires. Products of unnatural unions.† I didn't respond right away and instead pretended to be deeply interested in the road ahead. What he said was true, by Alchemist teaching. I'd been raised believing that both races of vampires, Moroi and Strigoi, were dark and wrong. They needed blood to survive. What kind of person drank from another? It was disgusting, and just thinking about how I'd soon be ferrying Moroi to their feedings made me ill. But the dhampirs†¦ that was a trickier matter. Or at least, it was for me now. The dhampirs were half human and half vampire, created at a time when the two races had mingled freely. Over the centuries, vampires had pulled away from humans, and both of our races now agreed that those kinds of unions were taboo. The dhampir race had persisted against all odds, however, in spite of the fact that dhampirs couldn't reproduce with each other. They could with Moroi or humans, and plenty of Moroi were up to the task. â€Å"Right?† asked Keith. I realized he was staring at me, waiting for me to agree with him about dhampirs being abominations – or maybe he was hoping I would disagree. Regardless, I'd been quiet for too long. â€Å"Right,† I said. I mustered the standard Alchemist rhetoric. â€Å"In some ways, they're worse than the Moroi. Their race was never meant to exist.† â€Å"You scared me there for a second,† Keith said. I was watching the road but had a sneaking suspicion he'd just winked at me. â€Å"I thought you were going to defend them. I should've known better than to believe the stories about you. I can totally get why you'd want to gamble at the glory – but man, that had to have been harsh, trying to work with one of them.† I couldn't explain how once you'd spent a little time with Rose Hathaway, it was easy to forget she was a dhampir. Even physically, dhampirs and humans were virtually indistinguishable. Rose was so full of life and passion that sometimes she seemed more human than I was. Rose certainly wouldn't have meekly accepted this job with a simpering, â€Å"Yes, sir.† Not like me. Rose hadn't even accepted being locked in jail, with the weight of the Moroi government against her. Abe Mazur's blackmail had been a catalyst that spurred me to help her, but I'd also never believed that Rose had committed the murder they'd accused her of. That certainty, along with our fragile friendship, had driven me to break Alchemist rules to help Rose and her dhampir boyfriend, the formidable Dimitri Belikov, elude the authorities. Throughout it all, I'd watched Rose with a kind of wonder as she battled the world. I couldn't envy someone who wasn't human, but I could certainly envy her strength – and refusal to back down, no matter what. But again, I could hardly tell Keith any of that. And I still didn't believe for an instant, despite his sunny act, that he was suddenly okay with me coming along. I gave a small shrug. â€Å"I thought it was worth the risk.† â€Å"Well,† he said, seeing I wasn't going to offer anything more. â€Å"The next time you decide to go rogue with vampires and dhampirs, get a little backup so you don't get in as much trouble.† I scoffed. â€Å"I have no intention of going rogue again.† That, at least, was the truth. We reached Palm Springs late in the afternoon and got to work immediately with our tasks. I was dying for sleep by that point, and even Keith – despite his talkativeness – looked a little worn around the edges. But we'd gotten the word that Jill and her entourage were arriving tomorrow, leaving very little time to put the remaining details in place. A visit to Amberwood Prep revealed that my â€Å"family† was expanding. Apparently, the dhampir coming with Jill was enrolling as well and would be playing our brother. Keith was also going to be our brother. When I questioned that, he explained that we needed someone local to act as our legal guardian should Jill or any of us need to be pulled from school or granted some privilege. Since our fictitious parents lived out of state, getting results from him would be faster. I couldn't fault the logic, even though I found being related to him more repulsive than having dhampirs or vampires in the family. And that was saying a lot. Later on, a driver's license from a reputable fake ID maker declared that I was now Sydney Katherine Melrose, from South Dakota. We chose South Dakota because we figured the locals didn't see too many licenses from that state and wouldn't be able to spot any flaws in it. Not that I expected there to be. The Alchemists didn't associate with people who did second-rate work. I also liked the picture of Mount Rushmore on the license. It was one of the few places in the United States that I'd never been. The day wrapped up with what I had most been looking forward to: a trip to a car dealer. Keith and I did almost as much haggling with each other as we did with the salesman. I'd been raised to be practical and keep my emotions in check, but I loved cars. That was one of the few legacies I'd picked up from my mom. She was a mechanic, and some of my best childhood memories were of working in the garage with her. I especially had a weakness for sports cars and vintage cars, the kinds with big engines that I knew were bad for the environment – but that I guiltily loved anyway. Those were out of the question for this job, though. Keith argued that I needed something that could hold everyone, as well as any cargo – and that wouldn't attract a lot of attention. Once more, I conceded to his reasoning like a good little Alchemist. â€Å"But I don't see why it has to be a station wagon,† I told him. Our shopping had led us down to a new Subaru Outback that met most of his requirements. My car instincts told me the Subaru would do what I needed. It would handle well and had a decent engine, for what it was. And yet†¦ â€Å"I feel like a soccer mom,† I said. â€Å"I'm too young for that.† â€Å"Soccer moms drive vans,† Keith told me. â€Å"And there's nothing wrong with soccer.† I scowled. â€Å"Does it have to be brown, though?† It did, unless we wanted a used one. As much as I would've liked something in blue or red, the newness took precedence. My fastidious nature didn't like the idea of driving â€Å"someone else's† car. I wanted it to be mine – shiny, new, and clean. So, we made the deal, and I, Sydney Melrose, became the proud owner of a brown station wagon. I named it Latte, hoping my love of coffee would soon transfer to the car. Once our errands were done, Keith left me for his apartment in downtown Palm Springs. He offered to let me stay there as well, but I'd politely refused and gotten a hotel room, grateful for the Alchemists' deep pockets. Honestly, I would've paid with my own money to save me from sleeping under the same roof as Keith Darnell. I ordered a light dinner up to my room, relishing the alone time after all those hours in the car with Keith. Then I changed into pajamas and decided to call my mom. Even though I was glad to be free of my dad's disapproval for a while, I would miss having her around. â€Å"Those are good cars,† she told me after I began the call by explaining my trip to the dealership. My mother had always been a free spirit, which was an unlikely match for someone like my dad. While he'd been teaching me chemical equations, she'd showed me how to change my own oil. Alchemists didn't have to marry other Alchemists, but I was baffled by whatever forces had drawn my parents together. Maybe my father had been less uptight when he was younger. â€Å"I guess,† I said, knowing I sounded sullen. My mother was one of the few people I could be anything less than perfect or content around. She was a big advocate of letting your feelings out. â€Å"I think I'm just annoyed that I didn't have much say in it.† â€Å"Annoyed? I'm furious that he didn't even talk to me about it,† she huffed. â€Å"I can't believe he just smuggled you out like that! You're my daughter, not some commodity that he can just move around.† For a moment, my mother reminded me weirdly of Rose – both possessed that unflinching tendency to say what was on their minds. That ability seemed strange and exotic to me, but sometimes – when I thought about my own carefully controlled and reserved nature – I wondered if maybe I was the weird one. â€Å"He didn't know all the details,† I said, automatically defending him. With my father's temper, if my parents were mad at each other, then life at home would be unpleasant for Zoe – not to mention my mom. Better to ensure peace. â€Å"They hadn't told him everything.† â€Å"I hate them sometimes.† There was a growl in my mom's voice. â€Å"Sometimes I hate him too.† I wasn't sure what to say to that. I resented my father, sure, but he was still my father. A lot of the hard choices he made were because of the Alchemists, and I knew that no matter how stifled I felt sometimes, the Alchemists' job was important. Humans had to be protected from the existence of vampires. Knowing vampires existed would create a panic. Worse, it could drive some weak-willed humans into becoming slaves to the Strigoi in exchange for immortality and the eventual corruption of their souls. It happened more often than we liked to admit. â€Å"It's fine, Mom,† I said soothingly. â€Å"I'm fine. I'm not in trouble anymore, and I'm in the U.S. even.† Actually, I wasn't sure if the â€Å"trouble† part was really true, but I thought the latter would soothe her. Stanton had told me to keep our location in Palm Springs secret, but giving up that we were domestic wouldn't hurt too much and might make my mom think I had an easier job ahead of me than I likely did. She and I talked a little bit more before hanging up, and she told me she'd heard from my sister Carly. All was well with her at college, which I was relieved to hear. I wanted desperately to find out about Zoe as well but resisted asking to talk to her. I was afraid that if she got on the phone, I'd find out she was still mad at me. Or, worse, that she wouldn't speak to me at all. I went to bed feeling melancholy, wishing I could have poured out all my fears and insecurities to my mom. Wasn't that what normal mothers and daughters did? I knew she would've welcomed it. I was the one who had trouble letting myself go, too wrapped up in Alchemist secrets to be a normal teenager. After a long sleep, and with the morning sunlight streaming through my window, I felt a little better. I had a job to do, and having purpose shifted me out of feeling sorry for myself. I remembered that I was doing this for Zoe, for Moroi and humans alike. It allowed me to center myself and push my insecurities aside – at least, for now. I picked up Keith around noon and drove us outside of the city to meet Jill and the recluse Moroi who'd be helping us. Keith had a lot to say about the guy, whose name was Clarence Donahue. Clarence had lived in Palm Springs for three years, ever since the death of his niece in Los Angeles, which had apparently had quite a traumatic effect on the man. Keith had met him a couple of times on past jobs and kept making jokes about Clarence's tenuous grip on sanity. â€Å"He's a few pints short of a blood bank, you know?† Keith said, chuckling to himself. I bet he'd been waiting days to use that line. The jokes were in poor taste – and stupid to boot – but as we got closer and closer to Clarence's home, Keith eventually became very quiet and nervous. Something occurred to me. â€Å"How many Moroi have you met?† I asked as we pulled off the main road and turned into a long and winding driveway. The house was straight out of a Gothic movie, boxy and made of gray bricks that were completely at odds with most of the Palm Springs architecture we'd scene. The only reminder that we were in southern California was the ubiquitous palm trees surrounding the house. It was a weird juxtaposition. â€Å"Enough,† said Keith evasively. â€Å"I can handle being around them.† The confidence in his tone sounded forced. I realized that despite his brashness about this job, his comments on the Moroi and dhampir races, and his judgment of my actions, Keith was actually very, very uncomfortable with the idea of being around non-humans. It was understandable. Most Alchemists were. A large part of our job didn't even involve interacting with the vampiric world – it was the human world that needed tending. Records had to be covered up, witnesses bribed. The majority of Alchemists had very little contact with our subjects, meaning most Alchemists' knowledge came from the stories and teachings passed down through the families. Keith had said he'd met Clarence but made no mention of spending time with other Moroi or dhampirs – certainly not a group, like we were about to face. I was no more excited to hang around vampires than he was, but I realized it didn't scare me nearly as much as it once would have. Rose and her companions had given me a tough skin. I'd even been to the Moroi Royal Court, a place few Alchemists had ever visited. If I'd walked away from the heart of their civilization intact, I was certain I could handle whatever was inside this house. Admittedly, it would've been a little easier if Clarence's house didn't look so much like a creepy haunted manor from a horror movie. We walked up to the door, presenting a united front in our stylish, formal Alchemist attire. Whatever his faults, Keith cleaned up well. He wore khaki pants with a white button-up shirt and navy silk tie. The shirt had short sleeves, though I doubted that was helping much in the heat. It was early September, and the temperature had been pushing ninety when I left my hotel. I was equally hot in a brown skirt, tights, and a cap-sleeved blouse scattered with tan flowers. Belatedly, I realized we kind of matched. Keith lifted his hand to knock at the door, but it opened before he could do anything. I flinched, a bit unnerved despite the assurances I'd just given myself. The guy who opened the door looked just as surprised to see us. He held a cigarette pack in one hand and appeared as though he'd been heading outside to smoke. He paused and gave us a once-over. â€Å"So. Are you guys here to convert me or sell me siding?† The disarming comment was enough to help me shake off my anxiety. The speaker was a Moroi guy, a little older than me, with dark brown hair that had undoubtedly been painstakingly styled to look messy. Unlike Keith's ridiculously over-gelled attempts, this guy had actually done it in a way that looked good. Like all Moroi, he was pale and had a tall, lean build. Emerald green eyes studied us from a face that could have been sculpted by one of the classical artists I so admired. Shocked, I dismissed the comparison as soon as it popped into my head. This was a vampire, after all. It was ridiculous to admire him the way I would some hot human guy. â€Å"Mr. Ivashkov,† I said politely. â€Å"It's nice to see you again.† He frowned and studied me from his greater height. â€Å"I know you. How do I know you?† â€Å"We – † I started to say â€Å"met† but realized that wasn't quite right since we hadn't been formally introduced the last time I had seen him. He'd simply been present when Stanton and I had been hauled to the Moroi Court for questioning. â€Å"We ran into each other last month. At your Court.† Recognition lit his eyes. â€Å"Right. The Alchemist.† He thought for a moment and then surprised me when he pulled up my name. With everything else that had been going on when I was at the Moroi Court, I hadn't expected to make an impression. â€Å"Sydney Sage.† I nodded, trying not to look flustered at the recognition. Then I realized Keith had frozen up beside me. He'd claimed he could â€Å"handle† being around Moroi, but apparently, that meant staring gape-mouthed and not saying a word. Keeping a pleasant smile on, I said, â€Å"Keith, this is Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian, this is my colleague, Keith Darnell.† Adrian held out his hand, but Keith didn't shake it. Whether that was because Keith was still shell-shocked or because he simply didn't want to touch a vampire, I couldn't say. Adrian didn't seem to mind. He dropped his hand and took out a lighter, stepping past us as he did. He nodded toward the doorway. â€Å"They're waiting for you. Go on in.† Adrian leaned close to Keith's ear and spoke in an ominous voice. â€Å"If. You. Dare.† He poked Keith's shoulder and gave a â€Å"Muhahaha† kind of monster laugh. Keith nearly leapt ten feet in the air. Adrian chuckled and strolled off down a garden path, lighting his cigarette as he walked. I glared after him – though it had been kind of funny – and nudged Keith toward the door. â€Å"Come on,† I said. The coolness of air conditioning brushed against me. If nothing else, Keith seemed to have come alive. â€Å"What was that about?† he demanded as we stepped into the house. â€Å"He nearly attacked me!† I shut the door. â€Å"It was about you looking like an idiot. And he didn't do a thing to you. Could you have acted any more terrified? They know we don't like them, and you looked like you were ready to bolt.† Admittedly, I kind of liked seeing Keith caught off guard, but human solidarity left no question about which side I was on. â€Å"I did not,† argued Keith, though he was obviously embarrassed. We walked down a long hallway with dark wood floors and trim that seemed to absorb all light. â€Å"God, what is wrong with these people? Oh, I know. They aren't people.† â€Å"Hush,† I said, a bit shocked at the vehemence in his voice. â€Å"They're right in there. Can't you hear them?† Heavy French doors met us at the end of the hall. The glass was frosted and stained, obscuring what was inside, but a low murmur of voices could still be heard. I knocked on the door and waited until a voice called an entry. The anger on Keith's face vanished as the two of us exchanged brief, commiserating looks. This was it. The beginning. We stepped through. When I saw who was inside, I had to stop my jaw from dropping like Keith's had earlier. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I'd mocked Keith for being afraid around vampires and dhampirs, but now, face-to-face with a group of them, I suddenly felt trapped. The walls threatened to close in on me, and all I could think about were fangs and blood. My world reeled – and not just because of the group's size. Abe Mazur was here. Breathe, Sydney. Breathe, I told myself. It wasn't easy, though. Abe represented a thousand fears for me, a thousand entanglements I'd gotten myself into. Slowly, my surroundings crystallized, and I regained control. Abe wasn't the only one here, after all, and I made myself focus on the others and ignore him. Three other people sat in the room with him, two of whom I recognized. The unknown, an elderly Moroi with thinning hair and a big white mustache, had to be our host, Clarence. â€Å"Sydney!† That was Jill Mastrano, her eyes lighting up with delight. I liked Jill, but I hadn't thought I'd made enough of an impression on the girl to warrant such a welcome. Jill almost looked like she would run up and hug me, and I prayed that she wouldn't. I didn't need Keith to see that. More importantly, I didn't need Keith reporting about that. Beside Jill was a dhampir, one I knew in the same way I knew Adrian – that is, I'd seen him but had never been introduced. Eddie Castile had also been present when I was questioned at the Royal Court and, if memory served, had been in some trouble of his own. For all intents and purposes, he looked human, with an athletic body and face that had spent a lot of time in the sun. His hair was a sandy brown, and his hazel eyes regarded me and Keith in a friendly – but wary – way. That's how it was with guardians. They were always on alert, always watching for the next threat. In some ways, I found it reassuring. My survey of the room soon returned me to Abe, who had been watching and seemed amused by my obvious avoidance of him. A sly smile spread over his features. â€Å"Why, Miss Sage,† he said slowly. â€Å"Aren't you going to say hello to me?†

There’s more to life than meets the eye

Mary knows everything about the color, red, except to experience the experience of seeing it for the first time. Would she sigh when sees red? Would she hug the person standing next to her out of joy, because she is seeing the color red, a beautiful color, for the first time? Would Mary be reminded of a happy or sad memory when she sees the color, red, for the first time? In other words, would she experience a flashback in black and white? If the answers to all these questions are in the affirmative; it is true that Mary also experiences thoughts and feelings that cannot easily be explained through the physical senses. What is the nature of the mind, after all? Churchland does not even explain how the nature of imagination could be described in terms of things that can be sensed with the five senses alone. Of course, Mary has read about the color, red. Then again, how would she describe the joy she feels in terms of the physical world? If physicalism is the only way to describe and understand the nature as well as experiences of human beings, then Mary should know everything about the color red, just because she has studied everything under the bright blue sky (Vinueza, 2004). This is the belief of people that believe there are only facts to describe about the physical world. There are no bases for feelings, such as joy, in this belief system. So, Mary must essentially feel like a robot. Because Mary is not a robot – she is a human being – it is essential for her to experience the color red for the first time as something breathtaking, even if books had taught her to expect that. In that case, books must also have taught her how she would see the color red for the first time, that is, what she would experience within herself to boot – her thoughts and feelings. If this is true, then physicalism cannot truly be false, according to those that believe in it. After all, it is now possible to reduce everything to physical notes and tones – neurons and electric signals within the brain – in order to understand thoughts, feelings and imagination. Given that it is possible to argue for both physicalism and metaphysical philosophies – it can be stated with confidence that both the knowledge argument and physicalism were developed by reasonable people. It was only their belief systems, and the way they explained their experiences in life and facts about the world – with both metaphysical examples and arguments based on materialism – that made them either for or against physicalism or another philosophy. The example of creative writing or fiction shows that it is possible to explain almost everything with words, regardless of how human reason is applied to create an argument or philosophy. The active human mind makes it possible to believe anything whatsoever.

The Nevada Silver Rush

The Nevada Silver Rush Some of us keep watching the skies, as the old movie told us to do. Geologists watch the ground instead. Really looking at whats around us is the heart of good science. Its also the best way to start a rock collection or to strike gold. The late Stephen Jay Gould told a story about his visit to Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey Institute digs up ancient human fossils. Institute staffers were attuned to the mammals whose fossil bones occur there; they could spot a mouse tooth from several meters away. Gould was a snail specialist, and he didnt find a single mammal fossil during his week there. Instead, he turned up the first fossil snail ever recorded at Olduvai! Truly, you see what you look for. Horn Silver and the Nevada Rush The Nevada silver rush, which began in 1858, may be the truest example of a gold rush. In the California gold rush, like those before and after, the Forty-Niners swarmed into the land and panned the easy nuggets from the stream placers. Then the geologic pros moved in to finish the job. The mining corporations and hydraulic syndicates thrived on the deep veins and low-pay ores that the panners couldnt touch. Mining camps like Grass Valley  had a chance to grow into mining towns, then into stable communities with farms and merchants and libraries. Not in Nevada. Silver there formed strictly on the surface. Over millions of years of desert conditions, silver sulfide minerals weathered out of their volcanic host rocks and slowly turned, under the influence of rainwater, to silver chloride. The climate of Nevada concentrated this silver ore in supergene enrichment. These heavy gray crusts were often polished by dust and wind to the dull luster of a cow horn- horn silver. You could shovel it right off the ground, and you didnt need a Ph.D. to find it. And once it was gone, there was little or nothing left beneath for the hard-rock miner. A big silver bed could be tens of meters wide and more than a kilometer long, and that crust on the ground was worth up to $27,000 a ton in 1860s dollars. The territory of Nevada, along with the states around it, was picked clean in a few decades. The miners would have done it faster, but there were dozens of remote ranges to prospect on foot, and the climate was so damnably harsh. Only the Comstock Lode supported silver mining by large combines, and it was depleted by the 1890s. It supported a federal mint in Nevadas capital, Carson City, which made silver coins with the CC mint mark. Mementos of the Silver State In any one place, the surface bonanzas lasted only a few seasons, long enough to put up saloons and not much else. Ultimately producing lots of ghost towns, the rough, violent life of so many Western movies reached its purest state in the Nevada silver camps, and the economy and politics of the state have been deeply marked ever since. They dont shovel silver off the ground anymore but sweep it instead, off the tables of Las Vegas and Reno. Nevada horn silver seems to be gone forever. Scouring the Web for specimens pans out nothing. You can find silver chloride on the Web under its mineral name of chlorargyrite or cerargyrite, but the specimens arent horn silver, even though thats what cerargyrite means in scientific Latin. Theyre little crystals from underground mines, and the sellers seem apologetic about how unexciting they look. Still. Take a moment to imagine  the thrill of stepping back into this period of American history and picking up chunks of silver right off the surface of the ground, like so much gravel... and gaining a fortune.

American Revolution - New York, Philadelphia, Saratoga

American Revolution - New York, Philadelphia, Saratoga Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South The War Shifts to New York Having captured Boston in March 1776, General George Washington began shifting his army south to block an anticipated British move against New York City. Arriving, he divided his army between Long Island and Manhattan and awaited British General William Howes next move. In early June, the first British transports began appearing in lower New York Harbor and Howe established camps on Staten Island. Over the next several weeks Howes army grew to over 32,000 men. His brother, Vice Admiral Richard Howe commanded the Royal Navys forces in the area and stood by to provide naval support. The Second Continental Congress Independence While the British amassed strength near New York, the Second Continental Congress continued to meet in Philadelphia. Convening in May 1775, the group contained representatives from all thirteen American colonies. In final effort to reach an understanding with King George III, the Congress drafted the Olive Branch Petition on July 5, 1775, which asked the British government to address their grievances in order to avoid further bloodshed. Arriving in England, the petition was discarded by the king who was angered by the language used in confiscated letters written by American radicals such as John Adams. The failure of the Olive Branch Petition gave strength to those elements in Congress that wished to press for full independence. As the war continued, Congress began to assume the role of a national government and worked to make treaties, supply the army, and build a navy. Since it lacked the ability to tax, Congress was forced to rely on the governments of the individual colonies to provide the needed money and goods. In early 1776, the pro-independence faction began to assert more influence and pressured colonial governments to authorize reluctant delegations to vote for independence. After extended debate, Congress passed a resolution for independence on July 2, 1776. This was followed by the approval of the Declaration of Independence two days later. The Fall of New York In New York, Washington, who lacked naval forces, remained concerned that Howe could outflank him by sea anywhere in the New York area. Despite this, he felt compelled to defend the city due to its political importance. On August 22, Howe moved around 15,000 men across to Gravesend Bay on Long Island. Coming ashore, they probed the American defenses along the Heights of Guan. Finding an opening at Jamaica Pass, the British moved through the heights on the night of August 26/27 and struck American forces the next day. Caught by surprise, American troops under Major General Israel Putnam were defeated in the resulting Battle of Long Island. Falling back to a fortified position on Brooklyn Heights, they were reinforced and joined by Washington. Though aware that Howe could cut him off from Manhattan, Washington was initially reluctant to abandon Long Island. Approaching Brooklyn Heights, Howe turned cautious and ordered his men to begin siege operations. Realizing the dangerous nature of his situation, Washington left the position on the night of August 29/30 and succeeded in moving his men back to Manhattan. On September 15, Howe landed on Lower Manhattan with 12,000 men and at Kips Bay with 4,000. This forced Washington to abandon the city and assume a position to the north at Harlem Heights. The next day his men won their first victory of the campaign in the Battle of Harlem Heights. With Washington in a strong fortified postion, Howe elected to move by water with part of his command to Throgs Neck and then on to Pells Point. With Howe operating to the east, Washington was forced to abandon his position on northern Manhattan for fear of being cut off. Leaving strong garrisons at Fort Washington on Manhattan and Fort Lee in New Jersey, Washington withdrew to a strong defensive position at White Plains. On October 28, Howe assaulted part of Washingtons line at the Battle of White Plains. Driving the Americans off of a key hill, Howe was able to compel Washington to retreat again. Rather than pursue the fleeing Americans, Howe turned south to consolidate his hold on the New York City area. Assaulting Fort Washington, he captured the fortification and its 2,800-man garrison on November 16. While Washington was criticized for attempting to hold the post, he did so on Congress orders. Major General Nathanael Greene, commanding at Fort Lee, was able to escape with his men before being attacked by Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis. The Battles of Trenton Princeton Having taken Fort Lee, Cornwallis was ordered to pursue Washingtons army across New Jersey. As they retreated, Washington faced a crisis as his battered army began to disintegrate through desertions and expiring enlistments. Crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania in early December, he made camp and attempted to reinvigorate his shrinking army. Reduced to around 2,400 men, the Continental Army was poorly supplied and ill-equipped for winter with many of the men still in summer uniforms or lacking shoes. As in the past, Howe displayed a lack of killer instinct and ordered his men into winter quarters on December 14, with many strung out in a series of outposts from New York to Trenton. Believing an audacious act was needed to restore the publics confidence, Washington planned a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton for December 26. Crossing the ice-filled Delaware on Christmas night, his men struck the following morning and succeeded in defeating and capturing the garrison. Evading Cornwallis who had been sent to catch him, Washingtons army won a second victory at Princeton on January 3, but lost Brigadier General Hugh Mercer who was mortally wounded. Having achieved two unlikely victories, Washington moved his army to Morristown, NJ and entered winter quarters. Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South Burgoynes Plan In the spring of 1777, Major General John Burgoyne proposed a plan for defeating the Americans. Believing that New England was the seat of the rebellion, he proposed cutting the region off from the other colonies by moving down the Lake Champlain-Hudson River corridor while a second force, led by Colonel Barry St. Leger, advanced east from Lake Ontario and down the Mohawk River. Meeting at Albany, Burgoyne and St. Leger would press down the Hudson, while Howes army advanced north. Though approved by Colonial Secretary Lord George Germain, Howes role in the plan was never clearly defined and issues of his seniority precluded Burgoyne from issuing him orders. The Philadelphia Campaign Operating on his own, Howe prepared his own campaign for capturing the American capital at Philadelphia. Leaving a small force under Major General Henry Clinton at New York, he embarked 13,000 men on transports and sailed south. Entering the Chesapeake, the fleet traveled north and the army landed at Head of Elk, MD on August 25, 1777. In position with 8,000 Continentals and 3,000 militia to defend the capital, Washington dispatched units to track and harass Howes army. Aware that he would have to face Howe, Washington prepared to make a stand along the banks of the Brandywine River. Forming his men in a strong position near Chadds Ford, Washington awaited the British. In surveying the American position on September 11, Howe elected to use the same strategy he employed at Long Island. Using Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausens Hessians, Howe fixed the American center in place along the creek with a diversionary attack, while marching the bulk of this army around Washingtons right flank. Attacking, Howe was able to drive the Americans from the field and captured the bulk of their artillery. Ten days later, Brigadier General Anthony Waynes men were beaten at the Paoli Massacre. With Washington defeated, Congress fled Philadelphia and reconvened at York, PA. Outmaneuvering Washington, Howe entered the city on September 26. Eager to redeem the defeat at Brandywine and re-take the city, Washington began planning a counterattack against British forces located at Germantown. Devising a complicated assault plan, Washingtons columns became delayed and confused in the thick morning fog on October 4. In the resulting Battle of Germantown, American forces achieved early success and were on the verge of a great victory before confusion in the ranks and strong British counterattacks turned the tide. Among those who had performed badly at Germantown was Major General Adam Stephen who had been drunk during the fighting. Not hesitating, Washington sacked him in favor of the promising young Frenchmen, the Marquis de Lafayette, who had recently joined the army. With the campaign season winding down, Washington moved the army to Valley Forge for winter quarters. Enduring a hard winter, the American army underwent extensive training under the watchful eye of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Another foreign volunteer, von Steuben had served as a staff officer in the Prussian army and imparted his knowledge to the Continental forces. The Tide Turns at Saratoga While Howe was planning his campaign against Philadelphia, Burgoyne moved forward with the other elements of his plan. Pressing down Lake Champlain, he easily captured Fort Ticonderoga on July 6, 1777. As a result, Congress replaced the American commander in the area, Major General Philip Schuyler, with Major General Horatio Gates. Pushing south, Burgoyne won minor victories at Hubbardton and Fort Ann and elected to move overland towards the American position at Fort Edward. Moving through the forest, Burgoynes progress was slowed as the Americans felled tree across the roads and worked to obstruct the British advance. To the west, St. Leger laid siege to Fort Stanwix on August 3, and defeated an American relief column at the Battle of Oriskany three days later. Still commanding the American army, Schuyler dispatched Major General Benedict Arnold to break the siege. As Arnold approached, St. Legers Native American allies fled after hearing exaggerated accounts regarding the size of Arnolds force. Left on his own, St. Leger had no choice but to retreat west. As Burgoyne neared Fort Edward, the American army fell back to Stillwater. Though he had won several minor victories, the campaign had cost Burgoyne heavily as his supply lines lengthened and men were detached for garrison duty. In early August, Burgoyne detached part of his Hessian contingent to search for supplies in nearby Vermont. This force was engaged and decisively defeated at the Battle of Bennington on August 16. Three days later Burgoyne made camp near Saratoga to rest his men and await news from St. Leger and Howe. Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South Two miles to the south, Schuylers men began fortifying a series of heights on the west bank of the Hudson. As this work progressed, Gates arrived and took command on August 19. Five days later, Arnold returned from Fort Stanwix and the two began a series of clashes over strategy. While Gates was content to remain on the defensive, Arnold advocated striking at the British. Despite this, Gates gave Arnold command of the left wing of the army, while Major General Benjamin Lincoln led the right. On September 19, Burgoyne moved to attack the American position. Aware that the British were on the move, Arnold secured permission for a reconnaissance in force to determine Burgoynes intentions. In the resulting Battle of Freemans Farm, Arnold decisively defeated the British attack columns, but was relieved after a fight with Gates. Having suffered over 600 casualties at Freemans Farm, Burgoynes position continued to worsen. Sending to Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton at New York for aid, he soon learned that none was forthcoming. Short on men and supplies, Burgoyne resolved to renew the battle on October 4. Moving out three days later, the British attacked American positions at the Battle of Bemis Heights. Encountering heavy resistance, the advance soon bogged down. Pacing at headquarters, Arnold finally departed against Gates wishes and rode to the sound of the guns. Aiding on several parts of the battlefield, he led a successful counterattack on the British fortifications before being wounded in the leg. Now outnumbered 3-to-1, Burgoyne attempted to retreat north towards Fort Ticonderoga on the night of October 8. Blocked by Gates and with his supplies dwindling, Burgoyne elected to open negotiations with the Americans. Though he initially demanded an unconditional surrender, Gates agreed to a treaty of convention whereby Burgoynes men would be taken to Boston as prisoners and permitted to return to England on the condition that they not fight in North America again. On October 17, Burgoyne surrendered his remaining 5,791 men. Congress, unhappy with the terms offered by Gates, overruled the agreement and Burgoynes men were placed in prisoner camps around the colonies for the remainder of the war. The victory at Saratoga proved key in securing a treaty of alliance with France. Previous: Opening Campaigns | American Revolution 101 | Next: The War Moves South

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 72

Marketing - Essay Example With the sun extremely harsh in New Zealand, information on safety is imperative. The researcher can access this information from libraries and databases in universities, colleges, and technical institutions. As much as the secondary data will help the researcher to know much about the New Zealand environment, primary data is crucial in the study. The wristband is a newly invented product through the innovation of the people hence primary data will boost the research objectives. The researcher will be interested in getting firsthand information from the people hence surveys and self-administered interviews will be used widely. Through the surveys and interviews, the researcher will aim at understanding the attitude and feelings of the people towards the wristband. The researcher will also be interested in knowing the reasons that would prompt the people to shun the use of the wristband and why some people would not think of using the wristband in the first place. However, the researcher will be careful with the information in order to ensure it is reliable and valid. Rix (2010) argues that the researcher must work to limit error and possibility of a biased

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

International Business - Essay Example - Labor Quality is simply defined by the education, skills, sincerity towards work and the attitudes of the available employees in a particular organization. Along with these key aspects, labor quality also measures the domain knowledge, creativity, soft skills such as leadership and managerial quality, and most importantly, the ability of the labor forces to learn as well as adapt themselves with the change in the work environment. Therefore, it is essential to analyze the labor force before finalizing business contracts and expanding the business internationally, so that the right skills are available in order to conduct the business profitably. The price of labor is affected by supplies of labor, lack of labor unions, lower demand for labor and the lack of rules and regulations of the government. (How Do Labor Forces Influence International Business?, n.d.) Labor Quantity - Labor Quantity, another significant aspect of labor force, which can influence the labor force both positively and negatively. It is actually the number of potential employees that are available in an organization, who possess the necessary skills to be efficient and productive employees, in order to meet the business needs of the employer. The quantity of labor force is very important for an international business as a country with large number of qualified and well educated employees is beneficial for the company, as it can hire educated and qualified employees for comparatively low wages. In comparison, if there is limited number of educated and qualified employees in a particular country, then a company is compelled to pay higher wages in order to employ quality labor. (How Do Labor Forces Influence International Business?, n.d.) Labor Mobility - Labor Mobility is defined as the movement of people from one country to the other, or from one area to other area, for the search of jobs; it also refers to occupational mobility. A company’s productivity increases with the increased

Servant Leadership Integrative Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Servant Leadership Integrative Project - Essay Example Transformational leadership style is composed of so many components (Margaret 2013). The components of transformational leadership are well highlighted below; Intellectual stimulation This of component transformational style encourages creativity and innovation among the people who follow this style. The transformational leaders challenge the members who follow them and arouse them to identify new gaps and learn from that. The local churches can as well adapt this form of transformational style so that they identify the areas or points that they may need to strengthen to enable them develop and spread the gospel further (Larry 2002). Individualized or subjective consideration Under this component of transformational leadership, it is important to note that the transformational leaders give personal assistance to the individual followers. The followers can access the services they would require from the followers. They have ensured that there is transparency in the means and modes of communication between the leaders and the followers. This has helped as the followers can now see that the leaders acknowledge the efforts that they make towards the team. The local churches have always shown this especially in the cases where the church members would wish to have prayer requests at their residential places and thank God that the God sent servants have never let them down. The servants do this because the word of the Lord is free and to make the members see that the efforts that they put in the church are acknowledged (Mitsuru 2011). Inspirational motivation Transformational leaders have well set goals and missions that have boosted the loyalty of the members. The members therefore have developed a strong passion for the team thereby contributing much for the benefit of the team. In the local churches, the leaders have to be goal oriented of which the goal is spreading the gospel and they should not involve themselves in other activities that can send the people awa y from the Lord. They should therefore conduct themselves in an inspiring and a manner that is quite motivating (Rhonda 2011). Idealized influence Transformational leaders can serve as the moral icons fir their followers. Any move they take will therefore be highly copied and emulated by their followers. It is therefore important to highlight that they should conduct themselves well so that the picture that comes after they are seen is a positive one to the followers. The leaders in the local churches should therefore be on the forefront of inflicting good moral values to the people. This is another way of accomplishing the work of the Lord (Larry 2002). It is very important to highlight that transformational form of leadership has various core values that, are the propulsive forces that that back up the mission as well as the visional duties of the servants of God. The core or rather the main values of transformational style of leadership are highlighted below; Courage Transformati onal style of leadership needs a lot of courage for success to be realized in any mission that you undertake. With this, the servant has to be ready to take the risk and as well bear them. Courage must be supported with good will and positivity in any circumstance you choose to go for. Courageous servants of the biblical work mission have the potential of overcoming any temptation that may come their way. The missionary work of God

A detailed assignment examining Leadership style management

A detailed assignment examining Leadership style management Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is directing the activities of a group towards a shared goal. A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person is not born to be a leader but cultured through the upbringing and environment. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 Three Leadership Patterns, Their Location in the Organization, and Their Skill Requirements The companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such as equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Therefore, leadership plays a crucial role in an organization because the it has direct impact on the effectiveness of the organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of different theories of leadership, namely situational and contingency. In Search for Leadership The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are already in leadership positions. The studies conducted were in conflict as to the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to develop an accurate measure of leadership effectiveness. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical attributes including height, weight, health and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions depend mostly on success in problem solving. Leadership roles such as initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders seems to be more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential for leaders to make better decisions. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more used to social displays, greater initiative, persistent, knows how to get things done, self-confident, are more cooperative and adaptable, and possesses excellent communication skills. Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Therefore, it can deduced that effective leadership depends on the leaders characteristics, his subordinates and the nature of the task at hand. Many leadership styles were based on studies of leaders behaviors. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. Researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. As a result, a two dimensional aspects of leadership have been to used to form the Managerial Grid. Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Leadership Due to the diverse political systems in the US and Germany before World War II inspired studies of leadership which evaluated three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration which include leadership behaviors in organizing and defining the tasks to be performed and goal achievements. A leader who assigns people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is showing friendship, mutual trust, warmth and concern for subordinates. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The relationship between production-centered and employee centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid Robert Blake and Jane Mouton had created a framework which combines a concern for task accomplishment and a concern for people called the Managerial Grid. They both assumed that concern for production and concern for people would produce the most effective leadership style. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the personal needs and interests of the team members. Ideally, leaders should be concerned about meeting schedules in order to get the work done and simultaneously are concerned about the team members interest and feelings too. The Managerial Grid is popular among managers. It is extensively used by organisations as part of their training program to assess leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The factors which are considered in determining leadership styles interact in complicated ways which resulted in various leadership styles. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP In assessing leadership effectiveness, there are many factors that must be combined. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard developed a situational leadership model which considers three variables: (1) guidance and direction provided by the leaders (task behavior) (2)emotional support given by the leader (relationship behavior) (3) the maturity level exhibited in performing the task As a result, four potential leadership styles have been created using a combination of the above factors : S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership Fiedler studied the interaction of leadership style and situation. He identified and developed ways to measure leadership orientation of the leader and situational factors which influence leadership. Leader Orientation Two types of leaders were identified, i.e. relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Leaders who are relationship-oriented tend to look at others as coworkers and look upon interpersonal relations as a requirement towards accomplishing the task. However, for task-oriented leaders, they react strongly against people whom they could not get along with in performing a task. Situational favorableness (1) relationships between leader and member can be good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The task structure becomes the second most important situational variable as evaluated by judges who examined four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: whether requirements of the tasks are stated clearly, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders perform excellently well in situations where concern for the team members is apparently necessary in order to motivate them to perform well. People naturally prefer leaders who care about them and their welfare. However, task-oriented leaders are clearly more effective in impossible situations. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to be expected. Specific guide, standards and work schedules are provided to ensure that task are performed as expected. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and show concern for their needs and well-being; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational factors Situational factors characteristics of the followers and environmental factors which affect leadership style. Significant characteristics of the followers which have been identified as determinants of leadership style are: (1). Followers with internal locus of control believe that they are rewarded for their own effort. Meanwhile, followers with external locus of control believe that external forces have a control on their rewards. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who are patient enough to provide encouragement and instruction. The path-goal model recognises three environmental factors which effect leadership styles: the nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisations authority system the organisational norms and dynamics The above factors may influence the effectiveness of different leadership styles in a many ways. Normative Decision-Making Model of Leadership Based on the contingency theory of leadership, this leadership model does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the most appropriate style depending on the situation. Leaders are required to know in which circumstances they need to consult others and vice versa. Even though the leader may be the chairman of the group, he is just one of the group members and does not try to influence the group to adopt a particular solution. Criteria for selecting a leadership style. Two criteria used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style are quality and acceptance. The quality of the decisions made refers to the accurateness of the actions taken and the extent which some objectives are achieved. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. In order to save time and minimize costs, some managers choose the lead autocratically. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager decides on his own after earlier consultations with his subordinates. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models emphasize on the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods, which are situational factors and criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The normative decision-making model ascertains three leadership styles, namely autocratic, consultative, and participative. In each model, situational factors which influence the effectiveness of leadership are somewhat different. A significant reason being that normative decision- making model equates leadership with making decisions and looks at only this leadership function. The models also use different criteria for evaluating leadership effectiveness. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although identifying what makes an effective leader seems like a simple task, however, individuals who are in leadership positions are often faced with a dilemma on deciding which leadership pattern to practice. Choosing a Leadership Style Choosing the most appropriate leadership style to adopt depends largely on the context of the organisation. A successful leader must be capable of assessing the situational forces in the organisation and respond accordingly to the needs. The forces include the organisation culture, business goals as well as the organisations strategic plans. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership One of the main variable to improve leadership relates largely to the organisations reward system. Leaders should not overlook his capacity to reward his followers accordingly since followers will respond otherwise. For instance, the managers of high- performing groups generally are compensated according to their achievements. Considerate leaders manage to create satisfaction among their performing subordinates while at the same time, changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example, the managerial decisions are planned ahead because of the law, structure, technological specifications and the absence of alternatives. Many other organisational factors can impose limitations on the leaders capability to either communicate with or to reinforce the behavior of the subordinates. For example, organisational policies, nature of task, skills and abilities of available resources and other external factors may impede the capacities of organisational leaders. External factors. In terms of external factors, leaders are constrained by factors that they have no control on such as state and federal laws. Other external factors include the world economy and global issues. Irrespective of their leadership style, leaders with unskilled resources will face great challenges in leading. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers. The existing company policies may also pose restrictions on the ability of leaders to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Leaders may find it hard to penetrate or influence group members who are highly unified. This will create difficulty for leaders to demonstrate his true capabilities in performing tasks for the organisation. Individual skills and abilities. The leaders own skills and abilities may act as constraints since leaders can only possess so much expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may simply require greater skills and abilities than the leader may possibly hope to possess. Substitutes for leadership. While some situations constrain leaders other situations make leadership unnecessary. These variables are referred to as substitute variables because they substitute for leadership either by making the leaders behavior unnecessary or by neutralizing the leaders ability to influence subordinates. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of groups and organizations. The complexity of the situation, however, may prevent us from knowing in advance which will be the most effective leadership behaviors. SUMMARY 1. Leadership refers to increasing influence which occur when an individual manipulates others to do tasks voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. A need for leadership within organizations stems from the incompleteness of the organization design and the dynamic nature of the internal and external environments. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that the characteristics of the subordinate and the nature of the task were as important as the characteristics of the leader in determining success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared three leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire. Although democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction, autocratic leadership had the highest levels of productivity. 4. Research conducted simultaneously at two universities identified two similar leadership behaviors. At The Ohio State University the researchers labeled these two leader behaviors initiating structure and consideration. At the University of Michigan the same two factors were labeled production-centered and employee-centered leader behaviors. These two leader behaviors appear to identify leadership functions essential to the effectiveness of a group. The two Factors have been used to form a matrix called the Managerial Grid which places a concern for production on one side of the grid and concern for people on the other. The research evidence does not support this conclusion consistently. 5. The unsuccessful research to identify leadership traits or universally superior leader behaviors caused an emergence of development of four situational theories of leadership. The theories suggest that the most effective leadership style depends upon situational variables particularly the characteristics of the group and the nature of the task. 6. A situational leadership model that matched different combinations of task behavior and relationship behavior with the maturity of the followers. As the followers increase, the appropriate leadership style is telling, selling, participating, and finally for highly mature followers, delegating. 7. The most appropriate leadership style was determined by assessing three situational variables: whether the relationships between the leader and the members were good or poor, the task was structured or unstructured, and the power position of the leader was strong or weak. When these three situational variables created an extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable situation, the most effective leadership style was a task-oriented leader. However, where there were intermediate levels of favorableness, a leader with a high concern for interpersonal relationships was more effective in these situations. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the target paths and increase its attractiveness for followers. Four distinct leadership styles are proposed in the model: directive, supportive achievement-oriented and participative leadership styles. The style most appropriate depends upon two types of situational factors: the characteristics of the follower and characteristics of the environment. Three of the most important follower characteristics include the locus of control, authoritarianism, and personal abilities. The three environmental factors include the nature of the task, the formal authority system within the organization, and the group norms and dynamics. 9. The three leadership styles include autocratic decision making, consultative decision making, and group decision making. The decision titles determining which style is most appropriate include such questions as whether the leader has adequate information to make the decision alone, whether the subordinates will accept the goals of the organization, whether subordinates will accept the decision if they do not participate in making it, and whether the decision will produce a controversial solution. 10. The influence of the group upon the leader should not be overlooked. The relationship between the leader and the group implies a reciprocal influence. Groups have the capacity to influence the behavior of their leaders by responding selectively to specific leader behaviors. The influence of a leader can also be constrained by several external factors, such as organizational policies, group norms, and individual skills and abilities. Other variables have been found to neutralize or substitute for the influence of a leader, such as the skills and abilities of followers and the nature of the task itself. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS There are many leadership theories. Arthur G. Jago (1982) had proposed a framework that organizes leadership theories based on each theorys focus and approach. Focus refers to whether the leadership is seen as a set of traits or actions. There is a universal formula of traits or behavior for an effective leader. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations. The kinds of behaviors that leaders can actually perform in a group. The two leader behaviors that have been consistently observed including task-related activities, called initiating structure or production-centered activities, and interpersonal relations activities, sometimes called consideration or employee-centered activities. The incremental influence that one individual exerts upon another and that causes the second person to change his or her behavior voluntarily. Three leadership roles include origination of the structure by top-level managers, interpolation or adapting the structure by middle-level managers and administration or implementation of the policies and procedures by lower-level supervisors. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is a crisis in good leadership but it is not at a critical point. Big organizations would have everything in place for the future growth of the company and would have in line the replacements for all aspects of the management. Even is small to medium sized organizations have planned their management line-ups for the future. The ongoing programs and trainings that are conducted by organizations to produce capable leaders and groom them further showed that companies are aware of the could be crisis and had taken steps to overcome the situation. Yes, there is a crisis but the severity of the crisis is not huge enough to cause panics throughout the organizations.