Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Rational choice theory(RCT) as Essay

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Rational choice theory(RCT) as an analytic framework for politics and IR - Essay Example Becker was the first to develop the theory and applied rational actor models in economic widely. According to Rational action theory, when there are several course of action to carry out a task, an individual will choose the one which he thinks is most likely to be the best rewarding (Ogu, 2013). This paper will focus on application of RCT in paradigm of Politics and International Relation, with its benefits and drawbacks. In politics and economics, competition has been the main drive for greater power for scarce resources. Semblance of politics and economics and, unravelled nature of relationship between economic and political competition of goods in former case and for power and privilege in the later, has made the theorist to apply economic methods in the study of politics. Some researches show that individuals or representatives in economic and political paradigm acts in the same manner on overall value scale while taking part in market of political activity. In this way, the research shows that the voters are inherently the same as costumers because the same individual is a voter and a customer simultaneously (Tullock, 2006). Since its development by Becker, the rational choice theory came along way and stormed the field of political science. It is because of two important advantages which rational choice theory possesses over its rival theories that are; first, the theory possesses immense analytical advantage. Then, secondly, it is not a mere theory, rather a technique to develop theories. Although, it work with certain other theories, however, it explains the behaviour of political actors while making selection from a certain set of options in order to get their goal with minimal input. Briefly, it illustrates the fashions and ways in which people behave when provided with choices. Similarly, this theory entails the behaviour explicitly depicted by the

Cigarettes cause cancer Essay Example for Free

Cigarettes cause cancer Essay According to a study made by Centers for Disease Control in 2011 more deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.Last year Centers for Disease Control also reported that 1213 people in the United States die every day from smoking. According to National Cancer Institute in 2011 smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and around 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women. The purpose of this speech is to give the awareness of the effect of smoking.In this informative speech about smoking, Ill discuss what toxic substances cigarettes contain, Ill describe common symptoms related to smoking, and at last Ill inform you about diseases that are caused by smoking. Cigarettes contain toxic substances like nicotine, formaldehyde and arsenic. The nicotine in the cigarettes is the substance that causes an addiction over time.Cigarettes also contain formaldehyde, which turns into a gas whenever the cigarette lights and this gas are today used to preserve dead animals. Arsenic is a substance that probably some of you in here have heard about before, and it is used to kill rats. Only a dose of 0.15g of arsenic will kill a full grown person (CDC, 2011).Now you know about some of the toxic ingredients cigarettes contains I am now going to talk about some symptoms that result from cigarettes smoking. A common symptom caused by smoking is shortness of breath. It is caused by death of alveolus in the lungs, which are the structures of the lungs where the gas exchange of CO2 and O2 takes place.Another normal symptom is smoking cough, which occurs because cells of cilia in trachea either die or decrease their movement which causes particles to stay in the throat and causes irritation. After looking into common symptoms of smoking I am going to inform you about diseases that are caused by smoking.Did you know by being a non-smoker you decrease the risk as a men of developing lung cancer by 23 times and as a women by 13 times according to a study made my Centres of control disease last year. Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, in some cases, to spread (Medicinenet, 2011)According to Center of disease control the most deadly cancer is Lung and Bronchus in both men and women in the United States 2007. PICTUREThe deaths caused by lung and bronchus in Alabama are higher than the average state s value (CDC, 2007). In conclusion after you have been informed about  some of the toxic substances, common symptoms and diseases of smoking, you hopefully got a better understanding of the effects of being a smoker.Never forget that more than one thousand Americans stop smoking every day, by dying.

Essay --

English 103 Marla Allegre 20 November 2013 Abolishing the Death Penalty for Good One of the most controversial issues in the modern world concerns the acceptability of the death penalty. The death penalty is still exercised in many areas as a punishment for heinous crimes especially murder. Communities from the Europe and North America embrace the death penalty as a suitable punishment methodology and from 1608 to 2011 the United States has executed 14,489 people (Evans, Brian). The death penalty has come a long way from the firing squads that were used for the first recorded execution in 1608 of George Kendall for alleged espionage activity (Evans, Brian). However, pertinent issues concerning capital punishment are unlikely to be resolved soon due to the different justifications given by the different sides. Central issues of the death penalty revolve around the cost of the death penalty for the taxpayer’s verses life in prison, the errors that are made during criminal cases, and especially the argument that the death penalty does little to deter crime. Due to the economic crisis in the United States today death penalty opponents have formed their most successful argument yet-money. Just two states have abolished the death penalty in the past forty years, New Jersey in 2007 and New Mexico in 2009. The cost of capital punishment played a key role in both decisions, and is driving current legislative attempts to repeal the death penalty in a number of other states. The bittersweet reality is that money, not morality has become the reason for saving lives. In California, which houses the largest death row facility in the United States, it costs about $137 million annually to maintain the state’s capital punishment system (Lain,... ...me again that that is just not the case. In a time where the United States is in an economic crisis, it is time to start finding ways to cut budgets, and since the death penalty is a punishment that is rarely carried out, I believe that is a good place to start. Not only would we be saving billions of dollars in tax payer money, we would also cut down the rate of people falsely imprisoned on death row due to false testimony, new DNA test results or other new evidence. The claim that the death penalty deters crime can also be dismissed due to the fact that violent crime has been linked to the socioeconomic state of the country, not to the death penalty. If we abolish the death penalty we could use the billions of dollars we would save towards rebuilding the impoverished cities of our nation, and giving people with mental health issues the kind of care that they need.

Dracula Essay

Good vs. Evil has long been expressed through movies and books throughout history. Batman beating the Joker, Spiderman banishing the Green Goblin, and Arthur and the guys defeating Dracula are all examples of literature based on the theme Good vs. Evil. In Bram Stokers, Dracula, Jonathan Harker represents the good, while the vampire, Dracula, represents the evil antagonist. One thing these four pieces share is that evil never fully overcomes good. They all start off as regular human beings, or on the good side, until their spirit and soul becomes taken over by a sense of evil. Gothic elements, such as, an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, supernatural events, gloom and horror, the tyrannical male, and the woman in distress are all present in these stories. The movie Interview with a Vampire, The Singing Springing Lark, and the story Interview with a Vampire can relate to Dracula because of their themes and gothic elements. The movie Interview with a Vampire is very similar to the story Dracula. It starts off in a dark night scene filled with dull and heavy music. Also, during the fight scene, the setting included thunderstorms and pouring rain. This shows metonymy because the dark and heavy music represents death and terror and the thunderstorms and rain were used to create a setting of darkness and fear. Other gothic elements shown in this movie were Lucy’s pale skin, the castle setting, and the exchanging of blood. In the Lindauer 2 story Dracula, Lucy’s skin starts to become very pale because she has been bitten by Dracula, which is what happened in the movie. This represents the gothic element tyrannical male, because of Dracula’s presentation of overpowering the other characters, more specifically Mina and Lucy. This directly relates to the gothic element women in distress because the women in both stories were treated poorly and were taken advantage of due to their weaknesses. In the story, The Singing Springing Lark, there are also many similarities to Dracula. For example, as in Interview with a Vampire also, most of the scenes take place in a castle. This shows the gothic element setting in a castle. As in most stories, a castle usually represents evil spirits and terror, which Dracula and the Beast both represent. Another gothic element shown is an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. In the story, the prince was hesitant to meet the girl’s family because â€Å"for if a ray from a burning light were to fall on him there, he would be transformed into a dove, and would have to fly with doves for seven years.† This is an important quote because in the story Dracula, the boys had figured out that Dracula’s evil spirit was weakest during the times of sunrise and sunset. If they didn’t get to him before the sun set, his powers were going to be restored. In other words, the change from dark to light represents a change from evil to good. In the story Interview with a Vampire, the plot line is almost exactly the same. For example, â€Å"The mere sight of a bared throat could bring about in me such a taste of arousal that I became like an animal, incapable of language or restraint.† This quote shows tyrannical male because it compares how Armand and Dracula are both similar in the way they kill their prey. They both attack where the blood is rich just like animals do and dominate their prey. It also Lindauer 3 shows a sexual side because the mere fact of killing got both of these characters aroused. For example, â€Å"With his left hand he held both Mrs. Harker’s hands, keeping them away with her arms at full tension; his right hand gripped her by the back of the neck, forcing her face down on his bosom. Her white nightdress was smeared with blood, and a thin stream trickled down the man’s bare breast which was shown by his torn-open dress.†(Stoker 283) This quote shows women in distress because it describes how Mina, in a sense, was raped. Just Armand, Dracula finds pleasure in killing, and transforming good into evil. One thing that all of these pieces share is that evil never overcomes good. Although evil makes its presence known and dominates at first, good prevails in the end. The movie Interview with a Vampire, The Singing Springing Lark, and the story Interview with a Vampire can relate to Dracula because of their themes and gothic elements. As Theodore Roosevelt’s once said, â€Å"The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and sympathy are stronger than any before.†

Edward Scissorhands Theme Analysis

In Edward Scissorhands the main focus of the film is the character Edward himself. Edward is an invention that would appear to be a monster, but has a very good soul. He was left alone and socially disconnected after his inventor died, leaving him â€Å"unfinished† with scissors for hands. He is dressed in a strange leather outfit and has a messy, untamed black hair. Looking into his eyes you could see the heartache of being trapped in an unwanted body. Edward resides alone in the dark dusty mansion before Peg, an Avon selling representative, barges in and takes him home after seeing how helpless of a person he is. Edward is a very gentle and humble human being with a disconnection to the real world. Being secluded from everything for so long he desired the attention Peg was willing to give. I think Tim Burton’s primary aim was to sketch out this unique character with his fascinating personality. He wanted to show the audience how this person may look like a monster but on the inside he is really someone special. He easily fascinates the neighbors with his shrub trimming and hair cutting skills. Edward ends up falling in love with Peg’s daughter Kim, who was dating the towns bully Jim. Jim always made Edward feel less of a person than he is, and pointed out that he would never be able to hold Kim’s hand without hurting her. Edward gets tricked into a â€Å"robbery† and this misunderstanding turns the town against him. If Edward were just another neighbor, this misunderstanding would have been forgivable. However, since Edward is different and mistaken as harmful he is shunned out of the town after trying to save Kim’s little brother off the street. Edward ends up back in seclusion in the black and white mansion out of the town where they believe he is dead. The town returns back to normal, but Edward continues to touch them by giving the effect of snow falling with the shavings of his ice sculptures. I think Tim Burton’s film, Edward Scissorhands, makes a significant statement on judging others out of the norm. People in today’s society have a hard time accepting others that are different, even people from other cultures. This film demonstrates how society works by the brightly colored, similarly fashioned neighbors and the opposite, Edward, trying to be accepted for who he is. As Peg explained to Edward, â€Å"blending is the secret†, it almost appears as if Edward was more human than those of the suburb.

Heroes to Learn From My Dad Essays

Heroes to Learn From My Dad Essays Heroes to Learn From My Dad Essay Heroes to Learn From My Dad Essay My dad is one of the best people I know in this world. Whenever I have a problem he always helps me in every way, he possibly can. He has taught me how to ride my bike, to swim, to use the computer, multiply and divide fractions and lots of other things. Even though I dont always appreciate him teaching me new things, which I think I dont need. Always after some time I am grateful to him because it turns out that he was right. Though he might not be the best teacher in the world, to me he is the best father anyone could have.One of the traits my father has, which I admire is that he is always learning something new and keeping up to track with technology. For that reason he spends lots of times on the web, reading books or taking courses. Even though he needs most of it for his job, I feel very proud to have a father that knows so much. I hope that one day I will be able to over take him.There are lots of ways I could acquire this. It could be by taking course s to learn new sports, new things about computers or new languages. Searching the web to find out information on certain topics, get extra help you might need to learn how its done or just to find out whats happing in the world. Read books to expand you vocabulary, to help you to find out how something works or just give you information. Then when I grow old, I can be proud of myself and say I actually done something in my life.My GrandmotherMy grandmother is a very respected person. I was named after her, I look like her, and we basically have the same type of character. She taught me many important things about life. She has showed me where she went wrong and where I should not make the same mistake. I love her so much because she never stops trying to help me.The trait I love most about my grandma is that no matter how old she gets she still takes good care of herself. She always has the latest hair cut, the nicest clothes, always the right bag and shoes, she never has one of her nails broken or badly painted or even any make-up out of place. Not every grandmother is like that. When I become a grand mother I want to be just like her. So my grandchildren can be proud of their grandma.In order to obtain this we must talk more on this subject when we get together. It will probably take me quite a time before I can learn this but Ill keep on trying and asking questions till one day Ill finally get it.My SisterTo me my sister is the most important person in the world. We dont always get along together well, but she is always there when I need her. I know that since she is smaller than me I cant tell her everything, but as time goes on shell grow. Then someday Ill be able to tell her everything like she does to me. Thanks to her I have learned just how fun having a sister could be. You might think that having a sister is a real nuisance, but have you ever wondered how your life would be without her. I know that mine would probably real boring, and I really apprec iate having her by my side.The trait my sister has which I would like to learn is to have patience. Shes got so much patience, and Ive got so little. I find it wonderful to be able to teach someone. Something, that I am not quite capable of doing. I cant stand having to repeat myself over and over again till someone actually gets it. Something my sister can do without any problem. She enjoys teaching anyone and everyone. No matter how much she has to repeat herself and explain the things. I hope that someday I will be able to do that as well.I think that this is very hard to acquire. The only way I would ever be able to do this is by slowly making myself bare more repeating things over to people. I know this will take lots of time but I think I will be able to get it.

Gun Control In Canada essays

Gun Control In Canada essays There is a new legislation that has been passed recently by the Canadian government, which effect gun control towards the Canadian people. This new legislation is almost taking guns away from honest citizens of this country, and do that is to take away the Canadian way of life. It hardly affects dishonorable people in the criminal system, most of it affects law biding citizens, for example; hunters, target shooters, and other sportsman gun users. It is not only the people that are being considered potential criminals or discriminated for that matter, the police that are supposed to enforce these new laws for the new legislation also appose. There must be something wrong with the system if the ones that are supposed to enforce the laws are against it. One reason why they appose it is like in other issues cost like stated above they are wasted millions of tax payers money on this new legislation. With the cost it means less money for them as a department and therefore they would have to be doing drastic cut back, for example the laying of officers and the office workers. The system that they have set up that holds all the information about the gun owners, this database will be riddled with errors, these errors could actually result in the false prosecution of an individual. Millions of guns will not be registered, and there isnt anything they can do about it, because they cant go knocking everyones door asking if they have a gun, and whether or not it is registered and if they did the government would have to pay people to do it, because not too many people work for free. The government is alienating millions of honest citizens, who are just like anyone other tax payer, and should be treated as that. As the new legislation has been passed there are always going to be people that wont register like they are supposed to. All firearms owned prior to December 1, 1998 are required t...

Effective Teacher Questioning Techniques

Effective Teacher Questioning Techniques Asking questions is an important part of any teachers daily interaction with their students. Questions provide teachers with the ability to check on and enhance student learning. However, it is important to note that not all questions are created equal. According to Dr. J. Doyle Casteel, Effective Teaching, effective questions should have a high response rate (at least 70 to 80 percent), be evenly distributed throughout the class, and be a representation of the discipline being taught. What Types of Questioning Are Most Effective? Typically, questioning habits of teachers are based on the subject being taught and our own past experiences with classroom questions. For example, in a typical mathematics class, questions might be rapid fire: question in, question out. In a science class, a typical situation might occur where the teacher talks for two to three minutes then poses a question to check understanding before moving on. An example from a social studies class might be when a teacher asks questions to start a discussion allowing other students to join in. All of these methods have their uses and a complete, experienced teacher uses all three of these in their classroom. Referring again to Effective Teaching, the most effective forms of questions are those that either follow  a clear sequence, are contextual solicitations, or are hypothetico-deductive questions. In the following sections, we will look at each of these and how they work in practice. Clear Sequences of Questions This is the simplest form of effective questioning. Instead of directly asking students a question such as Compare Abraham Lincolns Reconstruction Plan to Andrew Johnsons Reconstruction Plan, a teacher would ask a clear sequence of little questions that lead up to this larger overall question. The little questions are important because they establish the basis for the comparison which is the ultimate goal of the lesson. Contextual Solicitations Contextual solicitations provide a student response rate of 85-90 percent. In a contextual solicitation, a teacher is providing a context for the coming question. The teacher then prompts an intellectual operation. Conditional language provides a link between the context and the question that is to be asked. Here is an example of a contextual solicitation: In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo Baggins is attempting to get the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it. The One Ring is seen as a corrupting force, negatively affecting all who have extended contact with it. This being the case, why is Samwise Gamgee unaffected by his time wearing the One Ring? Hypothetico-Deductive Questions According to research cited in Effective Teaching, these types of questions have a 90-95% student response rate. In a hypothetico-deductive question, the teacher starts by providing the context for the coming question. They then set up a hypothetical situation by providing conditional statements like assume, suppose, pretend, and imagine. Then the teacher links this hypothetical to the question with words like, given this, however, and because of. In summary, the hypothetico-deductive question must have context, at least one curing conditional, a linking conditional, and the question. Following is an example of a hypothetico-deductive question: The film we just watched stated that the roots of sectional differences that led to the US Civil War were present during the Constitutional Convention. Lets assume that this was the case. Knowing this, does that mean that the US Civil War was inevitable? The typical response rate in a classroom not using the above questioning techniques is between 70-80 percent. The discussed questioning techniques of Clear Sequence of Questions, Contextual Solicitations, and Hypothetico-Deductive Questions can increase this response rate to 85 percent and above. Further, teachers who use these find that they are better at using wait time. Further, the quality of student responses increases greatly. In summary, we as teachers need to try and incorporate these types of questions in our daily teaching habits. Source: Casteel, J. Doyle. Effective Teaching. 1994. Print.

Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Discussion Topic - Essay Example Thus, unconventional war should be resulted to, under conditions where the enemy side has the military capability to devastate the other side, and under conditions where it is most apparent that victory in that war is not likely to be attained (Paret, et al., 1986). Further, the modern and ancient writings agree that the unconventional war should also be aligned to the principle of war requiring surprise attack, such that it should be conducted through underground and intelligent means that are not open to confrontation, until at such a time that the enemy has been incapacitated from effectively raising a reprisal attack (Sawyer, 1993). Therefore, both the modern and the ancient writings about the unconventional warfare holds that it the unconventional war is a tool for offensive as opposed to defensive strategy that should be applied on the event that the enemy side is mightier. However, the modern writings differ on the ancient writings about the unconventional war, in that the mod ern writings emphasize that, while opting for the unconventional warfare strategy, the preparation for conventional and confrontational war should be underway, due to the fact that the unconventional strategy can be intercepted and the confrontational war resulted (Paret, et al.,

The changes in medieval italian society and the papacy Essay

The changes in medieval italian society and the papacy - Essay Example He spent most of his time working the land, and trying to grow enough food to survive another year. Social activities were important also, every citizen in a medieval town were expected to attend fairs in the town square (Life during the Middle Ages). Medieval weddings, also one of the important events, were a whole town activity. Women were largely confined to household tasks such as cooking, baking bread, sewing, weaving, and spinning. But some medieval women held other occupations such as blacksmiths, merchants, and apothecaries (Life during the Middle Ages). Medieval diets lacked vitamins A, C and D and were not high in calories. The only positive part of these diets, were that they were somewhat "heart-smart;" low in fat and high in fiber. But the medieval world was usually a very hungry one. (Life during the Middle Ages). The Catholic Church was the main source of education. Every cathedral and monastery established a school to provide free education to every boy who had the intelligence and the perseverance to follow a demanding course of study. Medieval students often sat together on the floor, scrawling notes from lessons using a bone or ivory stylus on wooden tablets coated with green or black wax (Life during the Middle Ages). ... The political instability brought about by the barbarian invasion, made the Church as the only sought institution that provide good guidance and learning source. During that period, the popes have the two very effective tools to consolidate power in their office: excommunication and interdict. Excommunication was the first weapon. Catholics believe salvation depends on perpetual sacramental observance. Cutting a communicant off from the sacraments means one loses salvation. When the pope excommunicated a believer there was really "no hope" (Church History). The Interdict served as the pope's second weapon. What excommunication was to individuals, the interdict was to an entire nation. A papal interdict would suspend all public worship and withdrew the sacraments. After the interdict went into effect, Citizens usually pressured their rulers to repent or abdicate (Church History). Changes in the Medieval Italian Society and their Causes The Rise of Feudalism. The barbarian invasions of Italy and the rest of Europe left a power vacuum. The power vacuum is then filled by feudalism. In the feudal system, the king awarded land grants or "fiefs" to his most important nobles, his barons, and his bishops, in return for their contribution of soldiers for the king's armies. At the lowest echelon of society were the peasants, also called "serfs" or "villeins." In exchange for living and working on his land, known as the "demesne," the lord offered his peasants protection (What was it really like).Changes in Attitudes Towards Women. During the period, Women were usually treated as property. Passion was considered sinful to 11th and 12th century moralists, but these ideals were slowly being worn away with the rituals

Contemporary art vs visual work of the past Essay

Contemporary art vs visual work of the past - Essay Example The essay "Contemporary art vs visual work of the past" explores the art of the past and compare it with the contemporary art. Dating back to the time of Da Vinci and other classical painters and artists, they hooked more on depicting things, humans, landscapes and places in a realistic presentation. They adhere to meet the quality of being a classical artist, which is, â€Å"what you see is what you get†. That is the reason why you can see such painters creating their forms of art that depicts almost exactly lifelike. There might be a lot of reasons for us to come up to the conclusion why contemporary and classical visual arts or painting may look different from one another. By comparing it, we can say that they do belong to the same intention of its form, to be aesthetically appealing to the people, and this is only achievable if one artist find the real value of what really an art is. An art might be of visual form that might appeal to the sense of sight. But we could say t hat that is only the preliminary reaction of the person/s that sees the art. The over all perception to the piece of art might be affected by important factors wherein the viewer could relate. For example, one art form could be appealing enough to get the heart of the spectator, but on the other hand make others frown and left unsatisfied. Starting from the motivations itself, art is a way of communicating to the spectators. It depicts something which is more than portrayed, an interpretation that is kni.

Influence of language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Influence of language - Essay Example The language was much more formal than she could ever think of making at home. Tan recognizes that scripted English or the English used to address a large group of professionals greatly differs from the language she talks to her loved ones with. Although both are generally recognized as English, yet she is much more careless in the use of tenses, the pronunciation and the selection of words while talking to her husband or her mom than she is while talking to the outsiders. That is indeed true! Our English at formal gatherings is way different from what we speak in our homes. In fact, the level of formality we maintain in our expression accords with the degree to which a certain occasion is formal. Thus, I am not at all formal while addressing a crowd at a birthday party but I am formal to my utmost capacity while addressing a speech in the school. In Tan’s case, the difference in English was found to be characterized by the difference of relationship she had with people she talked to at different points in time. This made the English she used while talk ing to her loved ones, more of a language of intimacy than Standard English language. Tan talks about her mother’s English and discusses it with reference to a passage based on her direct quotes. Tan’s mother’s English in no way, conforms to the formal standards of English grammar. This contrasts with the fact that she is a regular reader and viewer of famous English novels and programs. Yet Tan says that the way her mother spoke helped shape her imagination because her mother made frequent use of imagery in her browbeaten English. Tan says that people including herself have conventionally tried to judge her mother’s ideas and thoughts by the quality of her language. Since her English was poor, nobody ever took her seriously. In order to make people take her seriously. This is an unfortunate reality of our society and is also a prime

Enviromental Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enviromental Science - Essay Example Biodiversity on the other hand is the variation of life forms and species within a given ecosystem (Spicer, 2009) If the need for biodiversity is not met there will be imbalance on the environment. The extraction of minerals has negative impacts on the environment in that it destroys the natural beauty of the environment. Extraction of minerals leaves behind large pits that act as water collection points which turn out to be breeding grounds for disease causing organisms according to Spicer (2009). Also during mining there is a lot of pollution from dust and bad smell. Energy resources may pollute the environment like it was the case in oil mining by the BP Company. Meat production involves rearing of animals and subsequent slaughter. The waste products from the animals if not dumped correctly leads to pollution of the environment. The slaughter houses produce an awful smell that is not friendly to the environment. Recycling of materials greatly contributes to environmental conservation. Also the by products of some of the companies can act as inputs to other companies for example the sugar companies and the molasses companies. During the semester I have gained a lot in regard to environmental conservation and the measures necessary to eradicate environmental pollution. One can engage in planting of trees, environmental conservation advocacy and educating the public on the need for environmental

Ecotope Final Project Draft 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ecotope Final Project Draft 1 - Essay Example in the area between 1947 and 2011.The objective of this project was to develop a high resolution ECOTOPE MAP for the UMBC Campus for comparing current and historical mapping of ecological sites. To achieve this, I hypothesised that as time goes by, ecological changes of the landscape are prominent and the heterogeneous ecological density increases. To test this hypothesis required use of research and search of historical data. First, I conducted intensive fieldwork to determine and obtain current data. I then sampled the data I had obtained in the field into required sizes and interpreting the data procedurally. In addition, I did scale classification and digitalization to a scale of 1: 0000. I then used Ms Mary’s primary information to draw insights and do relative comparisons. Finally, I classified the ecotopes as verified by field evaluations and first hand- accounts Even more important to my study was an invaluable account of a 94 year old lady, Ms Mary. She was a resident of Catonsville around late 1940’s through early 50’s. She exponentially enriched our study by giving us a surprisingly vivid account of events as well as greatly helping in identifying the features in the map. This primary data was particularly crucial in identifying the hayfield, row crop, planted, woodlot in the 1947 map. The map in 1947 depicted a hayfield, row crops, planted crops and woodlot. There were very few visible small houses and most of the land was fenced into large portions of almost predominantly used agriculturally. Moreover, there were foot paths across the fields. The interpretation therefore is that there were very limited household due to sparse population. Most land was used agriculturally, evidence for agricultural dependency and the fact most of the land lies unused indicates small scale land use. The footpaths pointed to very limited technology. There were state of the art urban buildings,roads, a man made garden, a university among other advanced

Enviromental Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enviromental Science - Essay Example Biodiversity on the other hand is the variation of life forms and species within a given ecosystem (Spicer, 2009) If the need for biodiversity is not met there will be imbalance on the environment. The extraction of minerals has negative impacts on the environment in that it destroys the natural beauty of the environment. Extraction of minerals leaves behind large pits that act as water collection points which turn out to be breeding grounds for disease causing organisms according to Spicer (2009). Also during mining there is a lot of pollution from dust and bad smell. Energy resources may pollute the environment like it was the case in oil mining by the BP Company. Meat production involves rearing of animals and subsequent slaughter. The waste products from the animals if not dumped correctly leads to pollution of the environment. The slaughter houses produce an awful smell that is not friendly to the environment. Recycling of materials greatly contributes to environmental conservation. Also the by products of some of the companies can act as inputs to other companies for example the sugar companies and the molasses companies. During the semester I have gained a lot in regard to environmental conservation and the measures necessary to eradicate environmental pollution. One can engage in planting of trees, environmental conservation advocacy and educating the public on the need for environmental

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Plan - Essay Example Its business objectives are as follows: 1. To be able to launch and operate Cafe Blends with the aid of a bank loan amounting to $ 250,000 with a payback time of one year. 2. To create a unique menu of in house coffee blends that would propel the brand to popularity, beating the market of the already established coffee shops in the city. 3. To expand with two more stores in neighboring cities at the start of its second year. II. COMPANY OVERVIEW Cafe Blends will operate its first coffee shop along the Business District of Dallas, Texas. It will have fully operational dine in area with 10 indoor tables, four sets of which are accentuated with couches, and four outdoor tables. The store will be furnished in such a way that the atmosphere will be cozy and homely, giving its customer a relaxed feel. The thrust is to service healthy coffee by providing blend options to the market, served by the best service crew in the city. Management plans to capture the target market by segmenting its menus, basing on the country source of the raw materials. Coffee sources will vary. There will be coffee to be imported from Brazil, as well as from Asia. Brazil, being the world’s largest coffee producer (Third World Network 2010), is known for its good coffee ingredients. III. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The Product Development Team will be tasked to conduct researches to ensure that the raw materials being exported will serve the needs of the company to create a menu that will be both exotic and familiar to the target market. On top of this, there will also be specialty house blends. Coffee products include latte, decaf, cold coffee and frappe. Moreover, apart from coffee, specialty tea and pastries will also be served. The menu will be a dynamic one, with a specialty drink and pastry for the day to be highlighted in the menu board. Initially, there will be coffee and tea (both hot and cold), and pastries that would complement the drinks. Eventually, other snack products such as cold sandwich and pasta will also be offered. The diversity of the products will be the key in obtaining loyal customers. Customers will be able to satisfy their cravings for good food at Cafe Blends Coffee Shop. Management is committed to deliver best healthy food in a convenient location using the excellent customer service. Cafe Blends will also offer reasonably-priced products compared with the other coffee shops in the area. IV. MARKET ANALYSIS AND PLAN The primary target market is the coffee lovers, 18 to 40 years old, who are either at the last years in the university or already embarking on a career. This group needs coffee and complementary food as both for nurturing and as a tool for social activities. The older students may need coffee as an aid for their studying needs, or a place to stay while they prepare for their homework and studies. With their limited time and budget, they will also look a place that offers reasonably prices and with good service. The young profes sionals market will also be a target market, as they need to socialize and find comfortable places to meet up with friends. They may also need a place where they could hang out, check on their laptops or just chill. Cafe Blends aim to cater to their needs by ensuring a good cozy atmosphere conducive for small talk, quiet reading or for relaxation. Moreover, the healthy options are perfect for this group of people who are also conscious of the food they take. They will express

Language and Mind Essay Example for Free

Language and Mind Essay 1. Which of the following statements about parameters is FALSE? a. They specify the limits on possible differences between languages b. They do not belong to Universal Grammar # c. Their values must be â€Å"set† on the basis of experience 2. From the viewpoint of the principles-and-parameters theory, the process of language acquisition consists of: a. Setting the choice for each parameter that fits the language that is being acquired # b. Storing words and sentences in memory c. Learning the order in which words occur in sentences 3. If some property X is true for all languages, we can conclude that: a. X may be a property that all and only languages have (i.e. a language-unique universal) # b. X must be a general property of all cognitive systems c. X is determined by the universal human articulatory apparatus 4. The fact that young infants do not forget about objects that they have seen after these objects have been taken away is called: a. object shift b. habituation c. object permanence # 5. Consider the following two question sentences: i. When did the boy say he fell out of the tree? ii. When did the boy say how he fell out of the tree? The first question is ambiguous because: a. It is not clearly formulated b. It has two different underlying deep structures # c. It has one sentence embedded in another sentence 6. The statement: perception is ahead of production means that: a. Children can articulate words before they can recognize and understand them b. Children can recognize and understand words and sentences that they cannot yet properly produce themselves# c. Children’s visual abilities are better than their auditory abilities 7. The special way in which parents speak to young infants is called a. Telegraphic speech b. Motherese or parentese# c. Recursion 8. The ‘Critical Period’ that is relevant for first and second language acquisition a. That is correct # b. That is incorrect because it is only relevant for first language acquisition c. That is incorrect because it is only relevant for second language acquisition 9. Genie’s success in acquiring English turned out to be very limited. The greatest problem she had was: a. Learning words b. Understanding what people said to her c. Forming utterances with syntactic structure # 10. Genies case provides important support for: a. The critical period hypothesis # b. The role of ‘motherese’ in language acquisition c. The Poverty of stimulus argument for innateness 11. Imagine the following scenario: Some Japanese people come to Mexico to do business. None of them speaks Spanish, and none of their Mexican partners speaks Japanese. There is no other language that these two groups have in common. Therefore, they have to develop a kind of ‘auxiliary communication system’ that can fit this special circumstance. This system is most likely to be a: a. creole b. pidgin # c. English 12. According to Derek Bickerton a creole language is created by: a. adults who are forced to communicate with each other over a long period of time without having a shared language b. people who need to have a secret language c. children whose linguistic input consists of a pidgin spoken in their community # 13. The fact that children are apparently capable of producing a creole language which has grammatical properties that are not present in the pidgin input can be used as evidence for: a. The view that children have innate knowledge of language structure # b. The view that pidgin languages have hidden grammatical structure c. The view that children are born with blank slate minds 14. For a universal to count as an argument for the IH, which of the following three conditions is NOT necessary: a. The universal must be true of languages only b. We cannot explain the universal in any other way c. The universals must be about the syntax of language# 15. Which of the following is NOT a property of creole languages? a. Creole languages have a very simplified grammar # b. Creole languages have been acquired as first languages c. Creole languages have a fully developed grammar 16. Which of the following statements is FALSE? a. Sign languages differ from spoken languages in being based on visual signals rather than on sound b. Sign languages have emerged spontaneously (i.e. they are not man-made or artificial) just like spoken languages c. Sign languages are fundamentally different from spoken languages in that all signs are necessarily iconic # 17. The existence of sign languages, being fully equivalent in all relevant respects to spoken languages, supports the innateness hypothesis because: a. Both types of languages are processed in totally different brain regions b. Both types of languages depend on the innate principles of the auditory or visual system c. Even though the perceptual modality (audition versus vision) is so different from the spoken language modality, the same kind of grammatical structures are present in both types of languages # 18. The stages that children, who acquire a sign language, go through (after they start babbling) are: a. The same as the stages we see in the acquisition of spoken languages # b. Different in that deaf children skip the two word stage c. Different in that deaf children never get to the point that they form full sentences 19. In the case of Nicaraguan Sign Language, the youngest children changed the unstructured signing of their older peers into a structured language. This is analogous to: a. changing a pidgin into a creole # b. changing a creole into a pidgin c. changing a spoken language into a sign language 20. A simplified form of human communication used by people with no common language is a(n): a. Pidgin language # b. Creole language c. Artificial language 21. Which of the following statements is TRUE? a. All pidgin languages have the same grammar b. All pidgin languages have very simple grammars # c. All pidgin languages have fully developed grammars 22. Which of the following statements is TRUE a. Children can acquire only one languages at the same time b. There are no fixed stages in the acquisition of sign languages c. Foreign language learning after puberty in general leads to imperfect language abilities # 23. The argument that the input that children receive is not rich enough to explain the rich knowledge that they end up with is called: a. The argument from universals b. The argument from stages c. The poverty of the stimulus argument # 24. Evidence for categorical perception in young infants comes from: a. Habituation studies # b. Diary studies c. Longitudinal studies 25. In which stage of language acquisition would children most likely produce a sentence such as â€Å"mommy want milky†? a. Holophrastic stage b. Two word-stage c. Telegraphic stage #

A Comparison of Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee and The Raven Essay

A Comparison of Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee and The Raven With insistent meter and captivating rhyme schemes, Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"Annabel Lee† and â€Å"The Raven† are both very similar. However, in their views of love, namely the loss and mourning of beautiful women, they differ greatly. Through analysis of the two poems, the reader observes that whom Poe had chosen for a speaker, the tone and the sound effects are all factors in both poems that make two poems with a similar theme contrast. Both poems mean the same thing and follow the same theme or â€Å"melancholy topic† as Poe called it in his essay. They both depict a speaker who is severely depressed over the death of a beautiful woman. Poe gave a sense of madness in their character, though, which made them obsess and think constantly... A Comparison of Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee and The Raven Essay A Comparison of Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee and The Raven With insistent meter and captivating rhyme schemes, Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"Annabel Lee† and â€Å"The Raven† are both very similar. However, in their views of love, namely the loss and mourning of beautiful women, they differ greatly. Through analysis of the two poems, the reader observes that whom Poe had chosen for a speaker, the tone and the sound effects are all factors in both poems that make two poems with a similar theme contrast. Both poems mean the same thing and follow the same theme or â€Å"melancholy topic† as Poe called it in his essay. They both depict a speaker who is severely depressed over the death of a beautiful woman. Poe gave a sense of madness in their character, though, which made them obsess and think constantly...

Monroe Doctrine Editorial :: essays research papers

Monroe Doctrine: For Good or for Bad? The interests of our own Latin America is clearly different from those of that of the United States – but ever since the Monroe Doctrine has been declared, it seemed as if relations between the US and the nations of Latin America stabilized on a friendly note. But we need not feel easy and let our guard down at all, for this issue has had major questionings in the past years already. Is the United States really attempting to protect our nations from any threat of reconquest from outer nations? Or is the US only using the Monroe Doctrine to dominate the Western Hemisphere? I strongly agree with our nations’ government views about this issue: that the United States is only using this as a step forward in monopolizing power around the Western Hemisphere. It might be true that they are defending our nations from European conquest and such, but we are also independent and should be allowed to govern ourselves without any higher power that makes every decision for us, even if sometimes it’s not even in the general interest of the masses within nations of Latin America. But then again, the US might be actually intending to just defend us, since as we are part of its land and territory. Our region is that of a concentrated power with one major rule, just as a Spanish official made this prediction about the United States in 1783: â€Å"We have just recognized a new power in a great region where there exists no other to challenge its growth. †¦ The day will come when it grows and becomes a giant and even a colossus in those regions. Within a few years we will regard the existence of this colossus with real sorrow.† And now, as it clearly is seen, the United States is the existing â€Å"Colossus of the North†, even though it wasn’t able to carry out the Monroe Doctrine by itself in the beginning, and with the help of the British navy, it was duly carried on.

How does Miller present ideas about settling for half in the play? Essay

One of the strongest messages that Miller presents about ‘settling for half’ is that there is a need to settle for half between Sicilian morals and the US Law system. At the beginning of the play, the chorus figure, Alfieri, states how ‘we settle for half and we like it’, and this ‘settling for half’ is again repeated at the end of the play. It is likely that Alfieri is a figure of authorial intrusion, and so these views about ‘settling for half’ are likely to be Miller’s own. Because Alfieri is a ‘lawyer’, he is naturally a symbol of the US Law system. He is described to be ‘in his fifties, turning gray’. This is possibly used by Miller to suggest that the US Law system is 50 years out of date, and the fact that he is ‘turning gray’ could be symbolic of how the US Law System is becoming increasingly out of date. Furthermore, the illustration of ‘gray’ hair could be a blend between the ‘black and white’ US Law system, and so, through this, it is likely that Miller is trying to convey his own thoughts of the workings of the US Law System. However, Miller also criticises the Sicilian moral code, by portraying Marco’s downfall. Initially, the audience are told that Marco arrives to earn money to provide for his family. However, his belief in Italian Morals, and the belief that ‘all the law is not in a book’ results in him killing Eddie, and therefore, having no choice but to be deported back to Italy. He even states that ‘in my country he would be dead now’, and this is used to highlight the severity and ruthlessness that the Italian Morals can operate with. Through the fact that neither men get what they want through the US Law system, and Alfieri states that ‘there is nothing you can do’ and that ‘the hearing is just a formality, but also that the reliance on Italian morals leads to the downfall of both men, it is possible that Miller is trying to showcase the need to settle for half between the US Law system and the Italian moral code. Furthermore, Miller portrays messages about settling for half through the portrayal of Beatrice, and especially suggests ideas about the need to settle for half between the roles of a loyal housewife and a strong female personality. From the outset of the play, Beatrice is portrayed as a loyal, somewhat stereotypical 1950s housewife. She is seen to ‘start into the kitchen’, and state that ‘I was gonna wash the walls’, showing how she is responsible for housekeeping, but she is also portrayed as independent in the way that she is seen to do these things without any prompting or command. However, she is also portrayed as someone who is not afraid to challenge Eddie. Throughout the poem, she is seen to say phrases such as ‘She’s no baby no more’ and ‘When am I gonna be a wife again’. The fact that she questions somewhat masculine responsibilities such as Eddie’s sexuality and the future of the children is somewhat unstereotypical of a 1950s housewife, and so, this would be somewhat shocking or surprising to the audience. In fact, at the end of the play, Beatrice’s ‘final thrust is to turn toward him instead of running away’, which shows that she is the only one in the play to challenge Eddie’s questionable behaviour, in a play full of ‘turning away’ and ‘covering the eyes’, and this leads to Beatrice assuming a sort of ‘heroine’ role in the play, and in fact, Beatrice’s actions are those which bring about Eddie’s catharsis – characteristic of a Greek Tragedy-style play. This causes Eddie to realise his love for Beatrice, and while he dies, he calls ‘Oh, B, My B’, which is indicative of the rebirth of Eddie’s affection for Beatrice. However, this unstereotypical yet powerful behaviour leads to Beatrice becoming quite a tragic character in the play, with Eddie dying in her arms, and so, Miller is possibly trying to suggest that there is a need to settle for half between the roles of an independent powerful figure and a loyal housewife. In addition, Miller presents the need to settle for half through the presentation of Eddie. Initially, we can see that Eddie’s love for Catherine may not be purely platonic, as he greatly enjoys the event of Catherine showing off her new dress to him, and states that he thinks it’s ‘beautiful’. It is down to the actor whether this phrase is mutter subconsciously or not, but it is evident that Eddie’s emotions and feelings for Catherine are possibly overflowing and he cannot keep them in. However, when Rodolpho enters the scene and essentially takes Catherine away from him, Eddie is unable to ‘settle for half’, and his fatal flaw, which is his desire for total control, causes him to inform on the immigrants, which eventually leads to his own demise. The fact that he is unable to settle for half in a familial loving relationship with Catherine, and still allow Catherine herself to be in a loving relationship with Rodolpho is essentially the deciding factor in Eddie’s death, and the actions of Rodolpho, as well as this inability to ‘settle for half’ is what essentially accelerates Eddie’s tragic demise and his catharsis. Perhaps, through this, Miller is trying to suggest that an inability to settle for half will only in our demise.

Civil Disobedience to Black Power Essay

Up until the 1960’s the civil rights movement was practiced through peaceful protests established from the idea that equal recognition amongst all peoples was only acquired through non-violent acts. In the late 60’s these techniques transformed into fast and more efficient methods with different value sets. The changes within the Civil Rights movement occurred because African Americans were sick of the painfully slow progress accomplished through the civil rights movement, didn’t agree with the idea that being mistreated, disrespected, and stomped over (figuratively and literally) was the only resolution to overcome racism and segregation, and decided that violence and bloodshed (stemming from the theory that asking for deserved rights was to slow a process, when they could just take them) was aggressive enough to catch the eyes of many and gain Black Dominance or at least equal rights. Even with the Civil Rights Act in place, African American’s were tired of being neglected and disregarded. Peaceful protesting was only doing so much, the alternative of Black Power had begun to flourish in the late 60’s because it demanded respect through violent, attention-grabbing approaches that were created to actually change segregation and equality. The 1950’s and early 60’s were eras driven by the consumer culture, the US was extremely wealthy, the automobile industry was booming, suburban lifestyle had grown, television became extremely popular, and the general view of America was good (to say the least). The only ‘bad’ aspect of the US was inequality and the unrecognized rights (Blacks deserved). The US originally opted for saving justice and peace amongst Black communities in civil and non-violent ways, but there was limited execution. In 1954, for example, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark case began a series of significant Civil Rights movements with regards to desegregation and equal rights. The early 60’s brought upon new perspectives and the idea of peaceful resolution was one of them. Due to the fact that American culture was thriving in material goods and prosperity African Americans figured the best way to go about change was to do it in calm, civil, non-brutal manners. Organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) began to emerge. Doc A, B, and C convey the goals pertaining to African Americans (in the early 0’s) and their hope for equal rights, legal citizenship, voting rights, and equal economic/labor opportunities. Doc A showcases the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s perspective that love transforms hate and nonviolence is the best way to bring about integration. The early 60’s held so much potential and optimism. African American’s were seeking equal privileges so contently because they experienced Americans’ positive response to America’s success and didn’t want to harm the culture or destroy the peace. One attempt for Civil Rights included a peaceful protest in Birmingham, Alabama. The response of the police was outrageous. As seen in Doc B, the photograph (from 1963) shows racist and corrupt police attacking African Americans after a peaceful protest (to allow Blacks into church). Rather than defend himself, the black man depicted in the photo is responding with no resentment or anger. Many African Americans were beaten and sent to jail; including Martin Luther King, Jr. Doc C (1963) is a letter written by MLK from the Birmingham Jail promoting peace and arguing that â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. † MLK desired peace rather than violence because of his educational background and upbringing-his father was the minister of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and he passed on his understanding, tolerance, and religious views (inspired by peace) to his son. MLK could be peaceful, even after going to jail for no reason. After the Birmingham incident, John F. Kennedy announced his promise to end racial discrimination on radio and television. The speech served as motivation to civil right leaders, a wake-up call to Congress, and the inspiration for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 (unfortunately JFK never lived to see these passed). Although these rights were legally authorized, African Americans were not fully protected. Just because they were laws in place, didn’t mean they were implemented with major concern or emphasis. Race riots, racial profiling, and illegal discrimination were still occurring. African Americans realized that in order to truly get what they wanted, they needed prompt uncivil protests. Stokely Carmichael, a violent-protest-supporter, coined the phrase â€Å"black power† and stated â€Å"I am not going to beg the white man for anything I deserve; I’m going to take it. † We see the change in strategy for Black Nationalism. Carmichael’s speech, entitled, â€Å"what we want† from 1966 (Doc E) implies the only way to get money, property, respect, and in general civil rights for African American’s is to demand it, whether it was by strike, boycott, riot, or any other possible means of violent rebellion. The reasons why there was such a focus on gaining equality through violence was because peaceful protests were not developing equality quick enough, African American’s needed each other in order to attain enough votes for one collective ballot, and violent acts needed the most attention because they needed to be stopped the fastest. Take, for example the scenario of when a child throws a fit, the parent will do whatever it takes to stop the child’s interrupting objection and annoying whines, the same initiative for Black Power. Some philosophers even argue that Black Power was an act of revenge, Blacks felt obligated to torture Whites and act in violent ways to get even with them for their previous treatment of African slaves. At this point African Americans had to fight for things Whites got easily, like jobs, money, respect, social status, religion, privacy and the general right to be able to go to common-day-places (like the grocery store or local restaurant) and not have to worry about discrimination. The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (Doc F in 1967) preached that black people must resort to violence because they have not made any gains through peace. Malcolm X, a Black Power activist and violent-protesting-leader supported this idea and said, â€Å"Stand on your own feet and solve our problems ourselves instead of depending on white people to solve them for us. † This quote shows the foundation for Black Power-fast, unexpected, memorable recognition. Malcolm X ridiculed Martin Luther King’s attempt at Birmingham saying it showed the uselessness of nonviolent-protest. The increasing amount of African Americans promoting violence concerned American citizens. Whites believed that if the government didn’t take action, mass riots and destruction would erupt everywhere, and they were somewhat on track. By 1968, (according to Doc G) 62% of African Americans were registered to vote, that’s 33% more than in 1960. This evidence suggests that the violent acts did make an impact and shape the Civil Rights movement into what we view it as today.

Compare the Opening and Closing Scenes in Of Mice and Men Essay

Of mice and men is a great novel written by protest writer John Steinbeck. It is a sad story about the life of two migrant ranch workers George and Lennie, and the conflicts between the reality and their relationship and dream. The opening and closing scenes are both set in the same place – Salinas River, however readers can sense totally different feelings from these two scenes. In this essay I am going to compare the opening and closing scenes of this novel focus on the following points: 1) the description of nature to evoke feelings, 2) The dialogue, and the way George and Lennie speak to each other, to explore how George change towards Lennie, 3) The dream George and Lennie share, to explore how Steinbeck protests against the reality. The opening scene in of Mice and Men is happy and peaceful compared to the closing scenes. Before the entry of the two main characters, Steinbeck gets the audience involved by describing the idyllic setting: the beautiful, colorful, peaceful and poetic evening in Salinas River. He creates the pleasant atmosphere brilliantly by sensational words like ‘deep and green’ water, ‘yellow sand’, ‘golden foothill slopes’, ‘fresh and green’ willows, ‘mottled’ sycamores. Just like a strong warm visual effect colorful oil-painting, the Willow Pool in Salinas River vividly present to us. It is also a calm peaceful riverside, little creatures like lizard, rabbit, coon, dears, heron are freely and actively wondering on the riverside. The feeling of relaxation in a warm afternoon is evoked and emphasized in depicting. â€Å"The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands†; â€Å"†¦the leaves lie d eep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them†¦.† This untainted beauty of the nature and the relaxed serenity atmosphere that Steinbeck wisely opens with tending toward the Romantic. It suggests a purity and perfection sense–>sense of purity to the reader that associates with the innocence of Lennie; indicates the idealized friendship and the romanticized dream between George and Lennie. On the other hand it helps to emphasize the changing atmosphere when two protagonists enter into the scene. By comparison to the same scene in the closing ending–scene it hints about the future trouble and the calm before the storm. The setting is also a symbol of a place free from society, a safe sanctuary for Lennie and George, where they can be themselves. That’s why George chooses to let Lennie come back here when he meets trouble, and even Lennie is finally killed by George in mercy here, the Salinas River does keep Lennie safe from the torture of being killed curly. The description of the landscape also helps us to develop an understanding of the background of the great depression. â€Å"There is a path through the willows and among the †¦ sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys†¦., and beaten hard by tramps †¦.† â€Å"†¦the limb is worm smooth by men who have sat on it.† Boys working in the ranch swim here and tramps traveling pass here trying to get job, use it as a rest area. It shows the background of great depression, people struggle with financial freedom, they had to drift into the country for jobs in the farming industry. The ending of the novel occurs at the exactly same place where the story started. The landscape is still the same; however they suggest a totally different feeling. â€Å"Already the sun had left the valley†; â€Å"by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen†. The sunset is normally symbolic the end of life, it is a subtle foreboding–indication of the impending death of Lennie. The changing landscape in the coming evening is also described in the other three plots. All these plots are following by the description of the chasing people coming nearer. Steinbeck uses the description of setting as an important tool to convey that Lennie’s death is impending. Readers can also notice that the peaceful and untainted atmosphere is replaced by violent – a heron ate a snake and waiting for another. The scene is not anymore slow and relaxed; instead â€Å"A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave.† Dry leaves â€Å"scudded a few feet†; Things become swift and dramatic; they are signifying the turmoil George and Lennie have and are going to suffer. Apart from using the setting to underline the themes, Steinbeck is also accomplished–excelled in using creatures and their imagery to illustrate the themes and suggest the foreboding on what George and Lennie will suffer. In the opening chapter, as the human footsteps approached, the rabbits â€Å"hurried noiselessly for cover†; the heron â€Å"labored up† and â€Å"pound down river†. â€Å"For a moment the place was lifeless†. Creatures like lizards, rabbits, herons, coons, deers are in possession of the peaceful land, however when human being invaded, we can suddenly sense the tension in this scene — the dangers can lurk–appear at every turn, weak creatures can become prey anytime. They are good indications of a predatory world that George and Lennie are in. In the closing chapter, Steinbeck reflects some animals in the first section. He vividly describes the cold, deliberate way a large heron killed a water snake. The unsuspected snake â€Å"glided smoothly up the pool†, it is totally unaware that â€Å"in the shallows† there is a heron stood â€Å"motionless† waiting for it. â€Å"A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically†. Death of the helpless water snake comes so quickly, surely, and to the unaware. Normally, snake is a symbol of evil, however here it is utter–>completely helpless, and it is eaten by a heron, which is commonly regarded as a sign of goodness. This dramatic scene implies the helpless and unsuspecting Lennie who will be killed by his best friend -George, who is as cool as the heron (the situation forced George to shoot Lennie quickly). George killed Lennie with mercy, because he knows at least Lennie will die with happiness and without fear like the unaware snake. In the opening chapter of Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck solidly established the character profile for George and Lennie, as well as their relationship. Apart from the description of their physical characteristics, Steinbeck achieves this heavy reliance on the great proportion of direct speech dialogue between George and Lennie. The language that George and Lennie used in their conversation is fairly simple and contains commonly used American slang like â€Å"brang†, â€Å"would of†, â€Å"gonna†, â€Å"kinda† â€Å"for a sack†, etc. This help to reflect the setting and their down-to-earth uneducated ranch worker’s lifestyle and make an authentic–>real sense. The relationship between George and Lennie is clearly established right from the beginning of the book when George sternly warns Lennie to stop drinking water from the pool. â€Å"Lennie, for God’s sake don’t drink so much'†; â€Å"You gonna be sick like you w last night.† â€Å"‘you never oughta drink water when it ain’t running†. George said these â€Å"sharply† and â€Å"hopelessly†. Readers can soon perceive–>feel that George is clearly a leader and guardian who guides and protects Lennie. He looks out for Lennie’s safety and instructs him on what to do. He talks to Lennie in a patronizing but a caring way. Whereas, Lennie is a big, half-wit, child-minded person, who is also sweet and loving. â€Å"That’s good,† he said. â€Å"You drink some, George. You take a good big drink† â€Å"Look, George. Look what I done† Just like an innocent child, Lennie enjoys the pure pleasure by drinking and playing the water, and his first thought is to share the pleasure with George. With the plot progression, we got clearer that George is a small but clever, level-headed man. He loves Lennie, takes care of Lennie, guides Lennie, and protects Lennie like a father. He looks after all Lennie’s affairs, even carrying Lennie’s work card for him. He also always bails–bail Lennie out of the trouble, or even potential trouble, as he knows Lennie can get himself into trouble very easily. George instructs Lennie â€Å"Get into the brush till I come for you† if Lennie gets into any trouble. Meanwhile, although George is Lennie’s mentor–guardian, he also looks up to Lennie’s feeling, respects his behavior with understanding even though sometimes it seems odd. When George found a dead mouse, he takes the dead mouse away from Lennie. This hurts Lennie’ feeling and he starts to whimper. George â€Å"put his hand on Lennie’s shoulder† to comfort him. He did this for Lennie’s good. â€Å"I ain’t takin’ it away jus’ for meanness†. That mouse ain’t fresh†¦.you get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a while†. He promises Lennie to give a pup for Lennie to pet. â€Å"First chance I get I’ll give you a pup,†¦That’d be better than mice. And you could pet it harder.† He even plans a future with Lennie, â€Å"..we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres †¦.† George is also a short-tempered person, he often gets irritated, weary, frustrated with the difficulties of his responsibility for taking care of Lennie, such as Lennie’s forgetfulness. When Lennie forgot where they are heading to, George swears and scolds in anger: â€Å"So you forgot that awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I? Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard!† â€Å"The hell with the rabbits. That’s all you ever can remember is them rabbits. Of Mice and Men.K. Now you listen†¦.† The way George treat Lennie is just like the way an overtaxed–frustrated parent treats a little boy. Lennie asks for ketchup childishly during the dinner. This innocent request sparkle–sparkles George’s frustration again. He â€Å"exploded† his voiced â€Å"furiously†, and â€Å"rose nearly to a shout†. He launches a long complaining speech about the difficulties that Lennie brought to him; states that without caring for Lennie he can live a far easier life. In anger George declares† If I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all†¦.† On the other hand, despite George’s harsh, derogatory responses, Lennie never gets annoyed. Because–because Lennie looks up to George as an idol, he mimics action of George’s. He loves George and treats him as the most important person in his life. Each time when Lennie realizes he has done something wrong, he always try to please George and quell–calm his anger, because he is afraid George will leave him. â€Å"Lennie knelt and looked over the fire at the angry George. And Lennie’s face was drawn with terror.† â€Å"George† very softly â€Å"I was only foolin’, George. I don’t want no ketchup. I wouldn’t eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me.† When George said if they got ketchup, Lennie can have some, Lennie said â€Å"I’d leave it all for you†¦and I wouldn’t touch none of it.† He even suggests he can leave George alone and go live in a cave. Although Lennie is half-witted, he has enough sense to know that George loves him, so he plays with George’s guilty conscience, and sympathy for George to ask him to stay with him. As expected, George feels guilt to his friend as early as when he sees Lennie’s â€Å"anguished face†. â€Å"I been mean, ain’t I?† he said to Lennie â€Å"I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself†¦..Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off by yourself,†¦.† George knows clearly without him his dim-witted friend Lennie cannot survive by his own. Also as a promise to Lennie’s Aunt, George feels responsible to look after Lennie. After Lennie is assured that George will not leave him, he pleads George to recite their familiar dream. On the thought of their dream, George’s voice turns to â€Å"deeper† and â€Å"rhythmically†. It is very contagious, as a reader–readers we are immediately drawn in by the dream, which is just as beautiful as the landscape that Steinbeck describes in the open setting — free and idyllic. â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world†¦.They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.† â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to†¦..But not us.† These important quotes further highlights to us that George is actually a royal, loving, devoted friend rather than father, brother or guidance. Because he is so willing to admit that he appreciates Lennie’s companionship, because he needs Lennie emotionally, they rely on and look after each other. Also he knows it is the companionship and the special strong bond they share that set them apart from other homeless lonely ranch workers,their friendship make a strong support during the hardships and predicaments in the special era. Despite his annoyance, George stays with Lennie by a combination of the motivations of pity, responsibility and gets a company in the hard time. It is these facts that propel–push George to stay loyal to Lennie and devotes Lennie through thick and thin. In the closing chapter, readers can soon notice the way George and Lennie talk to each other changes. † ‘What the hell you yellin’ about?'†. When George sees Lennie again in the pool, he still swears, however it is his only way to talk. He turns a lot quieter this time. He is softer to Lennie, without scolding or blaming like before. When he repeats the life he yearns for followed by Lennie’s request, his tone is â€Å"woodenly† and â€Å"monotonous†, with â€Å"no emphasis†. By contrast, in the opening chapter, his long speech with same content was emotionally rich and lyrical. When George recounts the dream to Lennie again before he shoots Lennie, he struggles to maintain his co mposure and optimism, as at that moment his heart is in despair. However he did try to give Lennie a hope that their dream is achievable and will fulfill soon. â€Å"Ever’body gonna be nice to you. Ain’t gonna be no more trouble. Nobbody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from’ em.† â€Å"Look acrost the river, Lennie, an’ I’ll tell you so you can almost see it†. Right before George kills Lennie in mercy, George declares: â€Å"no, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.† This is the finally words George talk to Lennie, in this sentence; we can sense how loving and devoted George is to his friend Lennie. Lennie talks to George with great sense of guilt and intense fear. As he knows he has done another very bad thing. He is still unaware of the bad fate that facing him. What he is afraid of is George will disapprove and leave him this time. He knows every time when he causes trouble, George will complain about his burden, and threaten to leave him. He then plays the trick again to gain sympathy and make sure George won’t leave him. Different with before, this time George didn’t get irritated, and assure Lennie that he won’t leave. â€Å"I knowed it† Lennie cried. â€Å"You ain’t that kind†. Lennie still holds the childlike faith that George will always be there for him. This assured faith relieves him a lot. Same as the opening in the novel, Lennie further requests George to repeat the dream again, because the dream gives both him and George comfort. George never wants Lennie to be hurt, but in the end he realizes that he is out of options to protect Lennie, the death of Lennie is inevitable–unavoidable. In order to protect Lennie from suffering tortures in a painful death. George is forced to shoot Lennie while Lennie is occupied with their shared dream of the farm, which is his favorite story and always soothes and comforts him. With the respect, love and responsibility towards Lennie, George has chosen the best option in the situation, and gives Lennie the best gift he can, the gift of peace, which can save Lennie from a hellish life in a forever asylum-dreadful life. One of the main themes in Of Mice and Men is American dreams. During the Great Depression the harsh realities make people lonely and powerless and hopeless, to share a dream of a better place is the only outlet to comfort them and help to transcend–from the troubles they face. Steinbeck introduces this dream for George and Lennie in the very first chapter. â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.†- Despite the hard and gruff reality, George is still an idealist and self-motivated man at the beginning of the novel. He believes through their hard working, his dream of â€Å"live off the fatta the lan† can be achievable , and there is something better up ahead, as he got Lennie. It is Lennie and their strong bond that keep them from the terrible isolation that the other men experience, and gives George a special sense of purpose to strive for. Their friendship sustains their dream and makes it possible. However, with a world filled with harsh adversity and predatory–circumstances, their relationship just can’t simply sustain. George and Lennie are forced to separate tragically. By killing Lennie, George is also forced to shoot his dream, forced to surrender his faith of the Land of Promise. Without Lennie, George is now in loneness and hopelessness, just the same as anyone among the legion of poor, homeless, powerless migrant workers. The tragedy for them is, no matter how hard they work they are doomed–fated to a life of wandering, no matter how intensely they dream, their dreams can only help transcend their circumstances, but no way to be fulfilled. The faded American dream in the closing chapter sadly shows that a land of freedom, contentment, and safety is not possible to be found in this world, it is only an Eden-like place. Actually, at the end of the opening chapter, when Steinbeck deliberately wrote on the rabbit with different colors which Lennie desired is already a hint of the unrealistic fantasy of George and Lennie. Through the comparison of the opening and ending scenes in Of Mice and Men, we can find that the settings are very important in these two parts, Steinbeck used them to help evoke different feelings and hint about the future troubles, as well as symbolize the main themes. Dialogues between George and Lennie are the main content of these two scenes, they help to characterize the main roles and establish and develop the main themes – loneliness, friendship, and dream. Through these main themes Steinbeck portrayed the hardship that ranch workers like George and Lennie encountered during the heartbreaking Depression era. He has succeeded in describing the cruelty and insurmountable -extremely difficult challenges during the Depression.

Fast Food Nation Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fast Food Nation - Annotated Bibliography Example The problem arises when the ‘consumed’ food is unhealthy for people. This is identified by Anup Shaha, in his article which is entitled "Effects of Consumerism," as he notes that "today’s commercial markets include a very wide variety of foods that are unhealthy, but attractively marketed to kids† (Shah). Thus, the popularity of fast food in a given society entails the prevalence of the habit of consumerism in that society. In this context, many of the reviewed articles about the issue of consumerism assert that advertising plays a big role in the popularity of a certain food diet in the society. Regarding the issue of fast food, children are the main audience to which fast food ads are directed in order to attract as many young people as possible to this kind of food. As noted by Sandra L. Calvert, in her article which is entitled "Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing," â€Å"because of age-based limits in children's ability to understand adver tiser intent, the Federal Communications Commission has placed safeguards into the television advertising marketplace to protect young child audiences" (Calvert). Similar arguments are made by Mary Story and Simone French, in their article which is entitled "Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US," and Barbara Sweeny in her article which is entitled "Concerned about Marketing to Children?" Therefore, many of the reviewed articles raise the issue that consumerism is enhanced in a given society by the excessive use of ads that publicize about fast food.

Compare the concept of Adam and Eve and the original sin in Research Paper

Compare the concept of Adam and Eve and the original sin in Christianity and Judaism - Research Paper Example ( Penny Catechism, Article15, undated) The same document went on to say that:- All mankind has contracted the guilt and stain of original sin, except the Blessed Virgin and her Divine Son, through whose foreseen merits she was conceived without the least guilt or stain of original sin.( Penny Catechism , Article 117, undated) ) . There are two accounts of creation recorded in Genesis. These represent two strands of a very old story based upon long standing oral traditions. These have become the creations myths of both Christianity and the Judaism in which they had their founding. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are described in Judaism as the Pentateuch, and these five books are traditionally said to be the work of Moses. His is death is however actually recorded in Deuteronomy 33, and it is generally considered that a number of different strands wrote theses books in the form we now have them in the 6th or 7th century B.C.E., round about the time of King Solomon . In Genesis Chapter One man is created and in Genesis Chapter Two the creation of Adam is described in more detail. He is made from the earth or clay. The word for ‘formed’ is one which would be used to describe how a potter creates a pot form clay ( Genesis 2 v 7, commentary, Bible New International Version, 2008). The word Adam is linked to the Hebrew word ‘Adamah’ which mean red and it is suggested that this means he was created from red clay ( Mandel 2013) . The story describes how God bought each animal to Adam, who gave then their names. He could not find a suitable helper among them. In Genesis 2 v 18 God says :- It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. Genesis 2 v 21, 22 describe the creation of Adam. She is made form part of Adam. Eve is called in Hebrew ‘Haya’ which means ‘live ‘ or ‘to live (Meaning and etymology of the name Eve, undated) . In Genesis 3 v 20 it states :- Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. In one version the two appear to be created simultaneously, but in the second version she come later. By the time both stories were written down each would have carried its own authority and could not be discarded. Living in the Garden of Eden with her husband, Eve is approached and then tempted by the serpent. She yields to the temptation offered and eats the forbidden fruit, as well as some to her husband. After this it as if they have woken up, as become aware of their nakedness and make themselves clothes. Later ( Genesis 3 v 12) Adam puts the blame on Eve. As a result God tells Eve that she will have pain in childbirth and will become subject to her husband ( Genesis 3 v 16. It is often interpreted that only Eve who is admonished, but in Genesis 3 v 17ff Adam, too is told what will happen to him as the result of his disobedience. According to Jewish teaching Eve was not created at the same time as Adam becaus e God knew that she would become a reason for complaint ( Eve, Jewish Encyclopedia ,1906). These is also a tradition of another help meet being created before Eve , Lilith , but she goes her own way and refuses to be the wife of Adam ( Hampshire County Council, undated) . According to another Jewish rabbinic tradition Eve was tempted first, as women were more likely to give in than men. Despite Eve’

US Department of Defense moves to Cloud Computing Research Paper

US Department of Defense moves to Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example In each era, many researchers have carried out a lot of research to discover latest technologies that can facilitate humans in their daily tasks however in this age we can see this idea as a real implementation in the form of cloud computing. Basically, cloud computing is the latest technology model offering on-demand ICT network access to more reliable and efficient information technology services and devices (for example storage, servers and a wide variety of software applications). Cloud computing technology based arrangement puts together a network of computing resources that can be accessed anywhere, being shared between its clients. In view of the fact that in the present always changing financial, political and technological landscape, IT is predictable to offer widespread and ever growing potentials by making use of minimum resources. In this scenario, by keeping in mind the growth of both cyber threats and state sponsored, the DoD (Department of Defense) has started identifying the rising significance of leading safe and powerful adoption of cyberspace. In the same way, worldwide economic events are driving the need for sustained budgetary restrictions and stricter economical oversight. Hence, the Department of Defense has to change the method and approach through which it performs its operations and manages its information technology department in an attempt to identify augmented competence, efficiency, and safety. Â   The US Department of Defense has decided to move to Cloud Computing. This paper outlines some of the major reasons and strategies behind the adoption of cloud computing architecture. This research will also assess some of the major causes those derived DoD to adopt cloud computing. Introduction Cloud computing technology based arrangement is currently delivering computing arrangement, software on-demand and services with the network. This technology based arrangement also presents smart benefits to the private and public sector organizations. For instance, it has the power to minimize ICT costs by virtualizing economic assets similar to disk storage and processing cycles into a voluntarily accessible, reasonable functional expenditure. Additionally, a large number of private and public sector organizations have made initial progresses with the cloud computing technology application. For instance, in US Washington, DC, all the 38,000 city administrative staff members have limitle ss access to Google services and documents for example Gmail. The United States General Services Administration recently publicized that they are moving the nationwide portal usa.gov to the cloud and offered an RFI for cloud technology based structure services (Craig, et al., 2009; Chandrasekaran & Kapoor, 2010). In addition, cloud computing definitely appears to be the expression du-jour in the computing world nowadays. In fact, the majority of researchers and IT experts believe that cloud computing will be turned

Summarizing Four Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summarizing Four Articles - Essay Example Similarly, reducing the abuse and use of drugs cannot solely be achieved by the efforts of the department of health alone, but requires the integration of the political players, the public health and those in the public policy to establish an integrated approach that can be applied to face the problem of drugs (Tarantola, 1). The national drug problem cannot also be addressed through the establishment of good drug treatment and rehabilitation services, since even though such efforts might help to address the problem of those who are already addicted to drug use, the approach does less to prevent the use of drugs by those who have not yet started using drugs (Reuter and Pollack, 341). The combined efforts of the police and the researchers in social crimes is an important concept towards addressing social crimes such as vandalism, drug and alcohol use, owing to the fact that such combined efforts serve as complimentary efforts that makes identifying and alleviating social crimes much e asier, than when the police department is left to address the crimes on its own (Baker and Wolfer, 47). According to the article, â€Å"Community Governance an Organized Approach to Fighting Crime†, by Joe Reiss, the police department on its own cannot be able to fight social crimes effectively, while the adoption of the community policing strategy either, may not be too helpful (Reiss, 8). The City of Anaheim in California is a good example of how the integrated efforts of the police, community policing and other city departments can help address social crimes. In this city, the combined efforts of the police, community preservation department, the public works department, the utilities department and the office of the attorney, reinforced by the community policing efforts made it possible to reduce the social neighborhood crimes by almost 80% in the 2000s (Reiss, 9). Through increased coordination and

Organizational Behavior---Individual Assignment Instruction Essay

Organizational Behavior---Individual Assignment Instruction - Essay Example An example of an organizational conflict that I witnessed was in a company that I worked part time during the last summer. In this organization, Faith, the chief engineer in charge of new product development brought a list of items to George, the procurement officer for purchase. However, George failed to sanction the purchase claiming that the products were too expensive and did not meet the cost cutting threshold that had been imposed by the organization. However, faith believed that George did not have trust in her abilities and hence the reason why he was constantly fighting her anytime a new spare needed to be purchased. To resolve this conflict, the business unit vice president ordered the two to report to the same executive who would evaluate the purchase orders in terms of cost-effectiveness and quality. This change of structure aligned the hitherto incompatible goals. In the case of the conflict between George and Faith, it was resolved by altering the organizational structure to fit the two parties. However, I have realized that in most cases most of the organizational conflict happens in teams. Wherever such conflict happens, the easiest solution would be to change the group composition. However, there are other times when the conflict is as a result of varying styles and values among team members. Naturally, when that occurs, the first thing that comes to the leaders mind is to replace the team members that do not agree with the styles or preferences of the teams. Over the years, I have observed that removing some people from the team may not always be possible since their skills might be needed or there might not be an available replacement for them. In the event that this happens, the most sensible way to mitigate such conflict is through focusing the team’s attention on a common enemy such as the competition. When people or even departments are taught on how to focus their attention on the enemies facing them instead of

Roman Empire Culture Essay Example for Free

Roman Empire Culture Essay Wikipedias entry on the Fall of the Roman Empire is a comprehensive and multifaceted survey of the scholarship which seeks to indicate a certain period or event or series of events which caused the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the main differences between the Wikipedia entry and a traditional encyclopedia entry is the extensive analysis with which the Wikipedia entry is able to devote to sub-sections and sub-theories under the general banner of discussion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The question of assigning a specific date for the fall occupies a great deal of the Wikipedia article. The traditional date acknowledged is September 4, 476 when Romulus Augustus, Emperor of the Western Empire, was deposed by Odoacer. But the Eastern Empire continued until the fall of Constantinople nearly a century later in 1453. Other dates in contention are 395, the year of the death of Theodosius, the last time the Empire was united; the crossing of the Rhine by Germanic tribes in 406 after the withdrawal of the legions to battle Alaric I; or the disintegration of the western legions following the death of Stilicho in 408. Many scholars disdain the term â€Å"fall†, preferring to describe what was happening as a â€Å"complex transformation†.   The Wikipedia entry while seeming to dwell inordinately on a specific time or date of the fall is in actuality providing the researcher with a varied primer on the myriad theories which attend the question of historical dates of the Roman Empires fall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the tone of the Wikipedia entry is scholarly, the lengthy digressions and somewhat scattered patterns of information make the entry less streamlined than a typical encyclopedia entry. In addition, the numerous off-site links and cross-references can prove to be distractive. And although the Wikipedia entry itself closely resembles scholarly writing there can be no assurance regarding the veracity of off-site links.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most obvious bias that is apparent in the Wikipedia entry is resounding insistence that there is a date of collapse for the Roman Empire. The entry cites Edward Gibbon who argues the Roman population lost its way by allowing the Germanic tribes and other barbarian mercenaries a greater role in defending its interests. Gibbon claims Christianity was a contributing factor as well, turning the populations attention to other-worldly as opposed to here-and-now events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rather than examine contradictory theories in detail, the Wikipedia entry consumjes most of its energy revealing the survey of theories which argue for a date of collapse for the Roma Empire.   Wikipedia surveys the   â€Å"Pirenne Thesis†, wherein Henri Pirenne argued the Empire continued until the Muslim conquests in the 7th century, which disrupted Mediterranean trade routes and depressed the European economy. Pirenne sees the crowning of the Frankish King Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 as a continuation of the Empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But it is J. B. Bury’s contention in his â€Å"History of the Later Roman Empire†which receives critical attention in the Wikipedia article. His theory is that what amounted to a â€Å"perfect storm† of events combined to spell the downfall of the Empire:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Economic decline   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Germanic expansion in the population and military   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *De-population of Italy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The treason of Stilicho   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *The murder of Aetius and the lack of a leader to replace him   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bury says the Empire could have survived any of these events separately, but could not overcome the convergence of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Carroll Bark’s â€Å"Origins of the Medieval World† reasons that basic economics was the Empire’s undoing. As a pre-cursor to feudalism, the tenant farmer’s obligation was to pay a fixed assessment of taxes on his grain supply. The oppressive taxes kept the farmers impoverished and unlikely to move into the more prosperous middle class. In fact, what middle class there was was forced to become collectors of the taxes for the inefficient central government. Government coffers suffered as a result. Also, the scarcity of gold late in the Empire made matters worse. Inflation of the currency in relation to its value in gold resulted in more people demanding payment in gold. The government’s cash-flow problems required them to seek cheaper mercenaries as defenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Radovan Richta says technology contributed to the Empire’s demise. The Germanic invention of the horseshoe and use of the new Chinese compass allowed mercenaries quicker access to Roman defenses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arnold Toynbee and James Burke also examine economic causes at the root of the Empire’s fall. The Romans had no budgetary system and wasted available resources as a result. The economy was basically based on plunder rather than production of new goods, and that declined along with territorial expansion. Landowners were exempt from taxation, making revenue production inefficient and unfair. The middle-class, the backbone of any free economy, was nearly non-existent. Exports were scarce. Military and bureaucratic costs increased. In overthrowing Romulus Augustus, the barbarian conqueror Odoacer assumed neither the title nor the responsibility of governance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William H. McNeill in â€Å"Plagues and Peoples† notes a 20-year-long plague in the late second century killed half of Europe’s population. The reduced tax base was unable to support the government and military and the resultant economic and social decline also killed the Empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Further theories of the cause of collapse proliferate through the Wikipedia article. So much so that one begins to feel that each sub-section of the article has been contributed by an enthusiast of that particularly pet-theory, sacrificing a general tone of scholarship for a tone of   specificity and personal   expertise. Examples of this include Wikipedias survey of Peter Heathers theory: that the threat posed by the Sassanid Persian Empire has been overlooked as a cause for the Roman Empires fall. He used archaeological evidence to suggest the Romans were stretched militarily by their preoccupation with the Persians, allowing a succession of Huns, Goths, and Germanic barbarians access to their territory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A researcher who is searching for a very good primer regarding the abundance of theories which exist in scholarship to examine the historicism of the Roman Empires fall will find excellent information in the Wikipedia article, as a general and unverified outline of the scholarship. However, a deep-researcher would probably find the entry inconsistent, erratic, and of little value for serious scholarship as a go-to source; rather the Wikipedia seems to serve better as a thumbnail sketch of info and links to other sources of potential value. REFERENCE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Fall of the Roman Empire. wikipedia.com. Retrieved from the Internet March 16, 2007.