Food Heritage Of Ancient And Contemporary Egypt With...

The Study Title Food Heritage of Ancient and Contemporary Egypt with Particular Emphasis on Meat Products. Introduction Food is one of the most influential and essential elements of life, and human culture. Thus, the study of food according to the perspectives of tourist guidance community is socially, economically and culturally significant for the entire society. Furthermore, the importance of food provisions that is closely related to various aspects of culture has become a vital area of research. The ancient Egyptians were very fond of drawing and depicting different kinds of food on the walls of their temples and tombs, believing that those drawings could provide the dead people with food and drink. Additionally, they would not feel hungry or thirsty in the other world. Although there is a little knowledge about the method of preparation of ancient Egyptian food, because the ancient Egyptians did not leave books about cooking , the favorite dishes were known since the pre-dynastic period, 3000 B.C. There were many of favorite foods recorded by the ancient Egyptians like meat soup, fish soup, and salad, in addition to scenes of tables, offerings, statues and food preparation . Moreover, taking into consideration the different scenes of fish, meat and birds which were depicted since the pre-dynastic period, 3000 B.C, till the Graeco-Roman Period, 300 AD illustrated that how the ancient Egyptians prepared many of the Egyptian contemporary meals. The impressiveShow MoreRelatedArchaeology Notes19985 Words   |  80 Pagesbone that runs horizontally across the occipital Palaentology, a field that take its name from the Greek words for â€Å"old† (paleos) and â€Å"existence† (ontos), is devoted to gleaning all the information that can be extracted from the fossils. Paleosol ancient soil Petrifacation the process of turning bone into stone through the absorption minerals from the surrounding soil or ground water that eventually replace the organism’s original inorganic tissues. Phytoliths opaline silica bodies that are secretedRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesland and that Jamaicans should look to Africa for their model of value rather than to Europe, which was seen as foolish and a painful reminder of slavery and oppression. Rasta was an offense to those who wanted to deny the African part of their heritage. And the truth is also that in Jamaica at that time the privileging of lighter-skinned people was standard practice. Rastas were confronting so many of these long-held notions and so were bound to face a great deal of resistance. What EdmondsRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pages5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Unit Title Marketing management – an introduction Marketing environment Marketing with other functional areas of management Market segmentation Market targeting and positioning Product management Brand management Pricing Channel design and management Retailing and Wholesaling Integrated Marketing Communication Advertising management Sales promotion Personal selling Public relations Understanding individual consumer behaviour UnderstandingRead MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 Pagesaccountability. The advent of social networking and other media has transformed the way citizens interact and how businesses market, promote, and distribute their products globally. The same can be said for mass collaboration efforts occurring through digital, online technology for the development of new and innovative systems, products, and ideas. Both social networking and mass collaboration bring new power and influence to individuals across borders and transform the nature of their relationshipsRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesto use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Many of the designations by manufacturers and seller to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all caps. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data WhettenRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagessubmit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all caps. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robbins

Are Philosophers Good Citizens Plato s Republic

POL200Y1 – C. Orwin Maria Ouchnikova | 1001396170 Are Philosophers Good Citizens in Plato’s Republic? It seems that Plato says that the good man is a just man. Philosopher by nature is endowed with the ability to understand what justice is and how to achieve it. However, only because philosopher has the knowledge of the true sense, does that make them just and moreover a good citizen? To figure this out we need to look carefully at the definition of each of the terms. First of all, while the definition of a good man and a good citizen tend to overlap for the most part, there appears to be a slight difference between the two. A good citizen is the one who does what is good for the city, and for the benefit of the community. He is the one who obeys the laws. A good man however, is a just man, who achieves and possesses superior virtues. It appears that the definition of a good man is way deeper than the one of a good citizen and there is no reason to assume that the two are the same. Justice and discussion as to what it actually is presents as one of the major themes in Plato’s Republic. Plato defines justice as the highest virtue in a state, built on principles of good. Just society is the one, in which everyone fully realizes abilities given to them by nature and rightly practices those abilities and nothing else. Justice is closely related to the person and the ideal state, tying them together. â€Å"Justice is a virtue of a soul† (R. 353e) and just like how there are threeShow MoreRelatedPersonal Philosophy : Al Farabi1684 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluencing many prominent philosophers, like Ibn Sina. Through his works, he became well known in the East as well as the West. Al Farabi’s philosophy was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy just like how western philosophy was influenced by Greek philosophy. Specifically, Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates were the main Greek influencers of Al Farabi. Al Farabi as well as Ibn Sina have been recogn ized as Peripatetics or rationalists. The best known Arabic source for Al Farabi s political philosophy isRead MoreComparing Plato s Republic, The Philosopher And Plato965 Words   |  4 PagesIn Plato s Republic, the philosopher is sitting having a discussion with his fellow peers and friends. During this conversation each character except Plato offers their opening and reasoning on the question, what is justice. For the majority of the book Plato outlines almost every aspect of his ideal city. Within this city Plato has set up many rules in order for the city to remain just. All the way from mating rituals to who should rule, virtually all factors have been thought of and serves a specificRead MoreComparing Aristotle and Plato Essays1325 Words   |  6 PagesAristotle and Plato Aristotle argues that in order for a polis to emerge, a union between man and women must convene. Later a household must be introduced which unites with other households to form a village, villages come together to form city-states. This theory is Aristotle’s natural view that an individual can not be self sufficient Plato argues that, in order to achieve absolute justice, a city-state is needed. In The Republic, Plato builds around the idea of Philosopher Rulers. EvenRead MorePlato, Nietzsche, And Aristotles Theory Of Political Philosophy1670 Words   |  7 Pagesrenditions of what political theory is. This essay will focus on Plato, Nietzsche, and Aristotle, and their works, which respectively define the concepts of the common good and the significance of philosophers to the welfare of the state, self-deceiving intellect and the power of authority over our intellectual lives, and the concepts of interdependency and the importance of virtue and happiness for a successful political framework. Plato, and his works are renowned for the development of the most centralRead MorePlato Vs Aristotle On Politics And Philosophy1899 Words   |  8 PagesPlato versus Aristotle Plato and Aristotle, two philosophers in the 4th century, hold polar views on politics and philosophy in general. This fact is very cleverly illustrated by Raphael s School of Athens (1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican), where Plato is portrayed looking up to the higher forms; and Aristotle is pointing down because he supports the natural sciences. In a discussion of politics, the stand point of each philosopher becomes an essential factor. It is not coincidental thatRead MoreThe Republic By Plato And The Prince By Machiavelli1617 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough written nearly two centuries apart, The Republic by Plato and The Prince by Machiavelli offer important views on political philosophies of rulers. Plato writes of a perfect society where status as ruler is naturally selected through innate abilit ies. These abilities are used to sustain the society, better it, and preserve it. Machiavelli writes of a society where anyone can be a prince; which for our purposes is a synonym for ruler, if they follow his instructions. These instructions areRead MorePolitical Theory Has Changed Over The History Of The World1608 Words   |  7 Pages Political theory has changed over the history of the discipline. Two of the most influential and arguably most important theorists are the Greek philosopher Plato, and the Renaissance’s Niccolo Machiavelli. These two characters represent the beginning of idealistic political thought, and a more realist and contemporary way that politics are looked at even today. The ideals of these two will be discussed and dissected, to some extent to show how unobtainable Plato’s ideal is compared toRead MoreComparing Aristotle s 8 1455 Words   |  6 PagesNow the question is what values should one have to rule, what makes them qualified compared to others. Plato outlines the different aspects of government and why he believes an aristocracy would be better form of government. In book 8 Socrates starts to wrap up his depiction of a just city. He starts to break down the four unjust constitutions of the city and man. Timocracy, which is represented by the honor-driven man who resembles and rules that sort of government. There is an oligarchy, ruledRead MoreCultural, Economical, Religious, And Political Contributions847 Words   |  4 PagesBCE – 476 CE, assisted in the development of western culture. Albeit Rome embraced and developed some characteristics of Greek culture, they still made prominent contributions of their own. Rome and Greece contributed Christianity, Philosophy, The Republic, and Literature. At the time, Roman religion was centered on gods and the interpretation of why things were the way they were. Each god had its own special day where priest would sacrifice animals and offer it to them. Rome’s religion was challengedRead MoreJustice Is The Legal Or Philosophical Theory Of Justice1503 Words   |  7 PagesJustice is the art which gives to each man what is good for his soul. Discuss. â€Å"Justice is the art which gives to each man what is good for his soul† and that is simply to say that justice is identical with, or inseparable with philosophy. (Cahn, Political Philosophy, 1-136) Justice is an order and duty of the parts of the soul; it is to the soul as medicine preserves the health of the body. In its current and cardinal definition is a just behavior or treatment; a concern for justice, peace, and

Childhood Memories Theories and Themes

Question: Discuss about the Childhood Memories for Theories and Themes. Answer: Introduction: Childhood undoubtedly is the best period of our lives, a timeframe where we get to live uninhibitedly, without any stress or pressure or depression. As children our days are filled with learning experiences, playing with friends and siblings, and our nights are filled with dreams that showcase our aspirations or our sweetest memories. Memories are a great device of the human mind, preserving the best moments and the worst fears, and the memories of our childhood are a part that we cherish the most (Crain, 2015). Childhood today is no longer as carefree as it used to be, children today do not play fearlessly or learn enjoying the novelty of learning something new. Children today play in a confined space mostly, on the set schedule with new age tools and appliances and carry the burden of syllabus and coursework on their tiny shoulders. However the children engagement and cognitive development theories by eminent researchers speak about the importance of these early years of a childs l ife. This essay reflects on my childhood memories, my own experiences and their relevance in early child development, attempting to link theories with practice (Runco, 2014). Studies suggest that our minds are at their most creative in the period of childhood, a childs mind rarely engages itself onto pessimism, children psychology is simple and constructive rather than being destructive filled with restrictions that the adult psychology is filled with. The best cognitive development in the childhood is achieved in the interactive learning and playing (Daniels, 2016). When a child is in a playing environment, he is considered to be the most relaxed and his cognitive development progresses on a more rapid speed. Childhood memories are a vessel full of joy, laughter and wonder, and mine are no exception. I can proudly say that the major development of my psych has been based on bits and pieces of my childhood, the experiences that I cherish have developed me, for who I am, and as I reflect on those memories, I will explain why I claim childhood to be the most constructive period of our lives. When I take a walk down the memory lane, the most I remember is the joyous time spent with my siblings. We used to play together all the time as we grew up supporting each other, harnessing our strengths and camouflaging theA flaws. As the theory of sibling relationship and communication by Leach, Howe and Dehart, 2014, the interaction between the siblings are a decisive indication to their cognitive development and nature (Leach, Howe Dehart, 2015). I remember role playing with my siblings, pretending to be kings and queens and strategizing with each other to conquer other lands and constructed make shift castles with pillows and what not. The play session might seem silly to m now, but those moments taught me to strategize my steps, enhanced my decision-making power and strengthened my psych ((Leach, Howe Dehart, 2015)). This theory suggests that sibling play sessions facilitate interactive learning in them forging significant associations between them by the exchange of shared m eaning strategies and internal state language, furthering validating my understanding. Role playing children Our childhood was not filled with tech-savvy tools and appliances; we played with what we had in hand. I remember the exploring we did together, using and utilizing anything and everything in our play sessions. I remember us to not wait around or whine too much for the things we did not have, we rather explored and found stuff we could use like wood, stones and what not, and it has enhanced my ability to adjust and compromise, a lesson learned early but would go a long way ((Grace, Bowes Elcombe, 2014)). The theory of loose parts devised by Simon Nicholson agrees with my conception, renowned authors of child psychology state that the children learn the art of adaptation and compromise when they play with flexible elements in adjustable environments and learn to craft and mould the favour them and their cause (Grace, Bowes Elcombe, 2014). This theory also emphasizes on how children learn to interact with their environment more by such experiences and practices, they learn to value w hat they have and struggle for what they overcoming all the hurdles that might come, a lesson that will help the children grow to become aspirants. Children engaged in exploring the nature Lev Vygostkys theory of cognitive development states that the play experience of children emphasizes on the imaginative prowess of the children and how that can help in different aspects of cognitive development. The interactive dialogues enhance their language and vocabulary development and the creative flare to their imagination strengthens their cognitive abilities (Ward, 2015). I imagine myself having an imaginary friend, named Herbie, with whom is had forged a deep connection. I remember imagining him to be with me at all times, sharing my thoughts and plans with him and playing together (Ward, 2015). There are times when even as a child we sometime tend to get lonely, and probably that was the reason I fashioned myself with an imaginary friend, lending me support through my own thoughts so that I the zeal to face anything. I am also not ashamed to admit that I used to have an imaginary friend and that did not harm my psych but helped in my cognitive development as a fact. The theory of socio-dramatic play encourages children to have limitless imagination through the shows and dramas, which they watch in films or TV (van Oers, 2013). While memorizing my childhood, I remember that I used to play this socio-dramatic play with my siblings. In this play, I used to recreate the situations and events, which I used to seen in the TV shows and films. From whatever I used to do through this play, I have developed my fine motor skills. Moreover, I have improved my ability towards manipulating small objects. I have also enhanced my creativity skills through constructing the scenarios in the plays. Moreover, socio-dramatic play performed in my childhood also enhanced my cognitive skills. In such situation, playing different types of characters enhanced my negotiation skills and conflict management skills. Socio Dramatic Play In case of the theory of Fantasy Play, it defines the non-literal and non-realistic play of the children. It involves symbolism and pretence of something, which mostly evokes the imaginative capacity of the children (Meins et al., 2013). In this play, children act various types of roles, which are not real and require high level of interpersonal skills. Fantasy play fertile the ground, where the ideas of the children are nurtured, flourished and scattered (Neville et al., 2016). While memorizing my childhood memory, I remember that I used to play Fantasy play with my siblings and used to apply self-guided planning, negotiation and regulatory control towards imagining any situation of character. Such actions have strengthened the executive functions of my brain. It had also enhanced my communication skills through frequent communications with my playing partners. On the other hand, the pretending role of this play has built up my imagination and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the power of human intellect collected through fantasy play has enhanced confidence to solve any issues in my practical life. It has also helped me to interpreting the symbolic presentation into different innovative ideas and concepts. Pretending play also enhanced my critical thinking process towards solving any complex real life issue. Moreover, the social and emotional skills gained through the fantasy play have actually extended my abilities towards identifying any significant social issue. Fantasy Play Imagining Non Realistic Character The cognitive theory of Piaget defines that cognition can be built into the children through playing different games. As per this theory, the repetition of experience in the plays can outline the cognitive structure of the children and this can sustain the mental equilibrium of the children (Rosi et al., 2016). Different types of experience through the games can loss the equilibrium and the cognitive structure of the children accommodate with new condition (Krcmar Cingel, 2016). In this way, more structures of cognition are erected. In respect to this theory, I can mention the play, which I used to play in my childhood. It used to play exploratory play in my childhood. In this play, I used to play with objects, which were new to me. Children mostly learn about the characteristic of the materials, which are new to them. They explore their surrounded physical environment whenever touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. This play immerses children in complex experience and enables them towards being aware thoughts and emotions. In this way, they can learn to discover the world from their perspective. Moreover, I used to explore new things about the objects. The exploration has explored my emotional environment and encouraged my curiosity, initiatives and problem solving skills. The exploration play has actually enhanced my cognitive structure of my brain through which I make different innovative ideas. I was quite interested in making queries regarding any new object, which has built up my problem solving skills. Reference Crain, W. (2015).Theories of development: Concepts and applications. Psychology Press. Daly, L., Beloglovsky, M. (2014).Loose parts: Inspiring play in young children. Redleaf Press. Daniels, H. (2016).Vygotsky and pedagogy. Routledge. Grace, R., Bowes, J., Elcombe, E. (2014). Child participation and family engagement with early childhood education and care services in disadvantaged Australian communities.International Journal of Early Childhood,46(2), 271-298. Krcmar, M., Cingel, D. P. (2016). Moral foundations theory and moral reasoning in video game play: using real-life morality in a game context.Journal of Broadcasting Electronic Media,60(1), 87-103. Leach, J., Howe, N., Dehart, G. (2015). An Earthquake Shocked Up the Land!Children's Communication During Play With Siblings and Friends.Social Development,24(1), 95-112. Meins, E., Fernyhough, C., Arnott, B., Leekam, S. R., Rosnay, M. (2013). Mind?mindedness and theory of mind: Mediating roles of language and perspectival symbolic play.Child development,84(5), 1777-1790. Neville, T. J., Salmon, P. M., Read, G. J., Kalloniatis, A. C. (2016). Play on or call a foul: testing and extending distributed situation awareness theory through sports officiating.Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science,17(1), 80-103. Rosi, A., Cavallini, E., Bottiroli, S., Bianco, F., Lecce, S. (2016). Promoting theory of mind in older adults: does age play a role?.Aging mental health,20(1), 22-28. Runco, M. A. (2014).Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice. Elsevier. van Oers, B., (2013). Is it play? Towards a reconceptualisation of role play from an activity theory perspective.European Early Childhood Education Research Journal,21(2), pp.185-198. Ward, K. (2015). The Natural World as Content for Interconnection and Divergence of Pretense and Storytelling in Childrenis Play.Childrens Play, Pretense, and Story: Studies in Culture, Context, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, 227.

Life Or Death Essays (1157 words) - Crime, Misconduct,

Life Or Death Murder! Rape! Terrorism! Most consider the people that commit these heinous crimes, but some say these people deserve a second chance. The Debate over the merits of capital punishment has endured for years, and continues to be an extremely complicated issue. Adversaries of capital punishment point to the Marshalls and the Millgards, while proponents point to the Dahmers and Gacys. Capital punishment is the legal infliction of the death penalty on persons convicted of a crime (Cox). It is not intended to inflict any physical pain or any torture; it is only another form of punishment. It is irrevocable because it removes those punished from society permanently, instead of temporarily imprisoning them. The usual alternative to the death penalty is life-long imprisonment. Capital punishment is a method of retributive punishment as old as civilization itself. The death penalty has been imposed throughout history for many crimes, ranging from blasphemy and treason to petty theft and murder. Many ancient societies accepted the idea that certain crimes deserved capital punishment. Ancient Roman and Mosaic law endorsed the notion of retaliation; they believed in the rule of an eye for an eye. Similarly, the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, and Greeks all executed citizens for a variety of crimes. The most famous people to be executed are Socrates and Jesus. Only in England, during the reigns of King Canute and William the Conqueror was the death penalty not used, although the results of interrogation and torture were often fatal. In looking back to previous societies that relied upon the death penalty, such as ancient Athens and the Roman Empire, one realizes the effectiveness of this sentence and its usefulness as a tool for deterring crime (Pro Death Penalty 3). Although there is no punishment that can entirely eliminate violent crime, a more stringent use of the death penalty would significantly help. Those who are for the death penalty argue the following points: ?Last October, Louisiana executed a man named Ernest Knighton. Knighton had killed a gas station owner during a robbery. Like any murder this was a terrible crime. But it was not premeditated, and is the sort of crime that very rarely results in a death sentence. Why was Knighton electrocuted when everyone else who commits this same crime was not? Was it because he was black?( Bruck,1985, P. 483). According to deathpenalty.org, 54% of death row inmates are black. Why is race always an issue? This man murdered an innocent man and the author is defending him. Thousands of people will attack the death penalty. Victims family should be physically sickened when they think about how monsters gets three meals a day and a bed to sleep in, while someone they loved dearly lies dead in a coffin because of his actions. They will give emotional speeches about the one innocent man or woman who might accidentally get an execution sentence, and certainly that is a serious concern. However, all of these people are forgetting one crucial element. They are forgetting the thousands of victims who die every year by the hands of heartless criminals. There are more murderers out there than people who are wrongly convicted, and that is what we must remember. The Bible can be enterpeted many ways but this is clear ?Whomever sheds a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.?(Genesis 9:6) The death p enalty saves lives in that, by executing murderers, you prevent them from murdering again. Why should we let people who have been convicted of murder not be given the same punishment as what they did to their victims? Most convicted murderers and their lawyers plead for life instead of the death penalty. If they were tough enough to rape a little kid they should be tough enough to take the punishment? Those who oppose capital punishment bring to light the following arguments. When committing a serious crime does it occur to the criminal that, if Caught, he/she could be, electrocuted, gassed, or lethally injected? I highly doubt it. So why do people who support the capital punishment call it a deterrent? The death penalty violates constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment. Although murderers come from all classes, those on death row are almost without exception poor

The Protestant Reformation essays

The Protestant Reformation essays Martin Luther was the most important person in the Reformation of the Catholic Church. He was a German monk. He posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. This showed how he stood up against the church and criticized it for all of its faults. He criticized the Catholic Church for the sale of indulgences, and the failure of the church to meet the needs of the people of Europe. The church at this time was unable to satisfy the people spiritually and intellectually. He felt that only two of the seven sacraments were true to Christianity, as was written the Bible. He became the leader in the rebellion against the Catholic Church, and the leader in the formation of the Protestant Religion. His ideas and revolt against the church helped the people of Europe to break free from the power of guilt that the Catholic Church held over them. Though he was a major religious reformer, Luther did not want to reform society. The Protestant Reformation that he started was simply a release from Catholicism for Europeans, and into a free, less complicated religious life. Ulrich Zwingli was the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland. He led the Protestant religion to its stature of popularity with the Swiss. By 1518, Zwingli, like Luther, protested the sale of indulgences. He was a strong believer and enforcer of the belief that if an idea could not be supported by an ancient scripture, then it should not be believed or practiced. With Zwingli's reforms in the church in Switzerland, the people began to question society, much like the followers of Luther. They began to question transubstantiation, saints, celibacy, and sacraments, as well as other religious ideas. Zwingli's influence opened up new doors for reform and thinking for the Swiss people, much like Luther did for a majority of Europe. John Calvin was another Protestant reformer from Germany that created the new religion of Calvinism with...

Galileo Galilei Essays (1048 words) - Galileo Galilei, Free Essays

Galileo Galilei Essays (1048 words) - Galileo Galilei, Free Essays Galileo Galilei subject = European History title = Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo manifested his ability to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies which promised no substantial return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the oscillations of a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, which theory he utilized fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids obtained for him the title of the Archimedes of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the falsity of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an objects rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not except the fact that their leader could have been wrong. Galileo, in result of this and other troubles, found it prudent to quit Pisa and move to Florence, the original home of his family. In Florence he was nominated by the Venetian Senate in 1592 to the chair of mathematics in the University of Padua, which he occupied for eighteen years, with ever-increasing fame. After that he was appointed philosopher and mathematician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. During the whole of this period, and to the close of his life, his investigation of Nature, in all her fields, was never stopped. Following up his experiments at Pisa with others upon inclined planes, Galileo established the laws of falling bodies as they are still formulated. He likewise demonstrated the laws of projectiles, and largely anticipated the laws of motion as finally established by Newton. In statics, he gave the first direct and satisfactory demonstration of the laws of equilibrium and the principle of virtual velocities. In hydrostatics, he set forth the true principle of flotation. He invented a thermometer, though a defective one, but he did not, as is sometimes claimed for him, invent the microscope. Though, as has been said, it is by his astronomical discoveries that he is most widely remembered, it is not these that constitute his most substantial title to fame. In this connection, his greatest achievement was undoubtedly his virtual invention of the telescope. Hearing early in 1609 that a Dutch optician, named Lippershey, had produced an instrument by which the apparent size of remote objects was magnified, Galileo at once realized the principle by which such a result could alone be attained, and, after a single night devoted to consideration of the laws of refraction, he succeeded in constructing a telescope which magnified three times, its magnifying power being soon increased to thirty-two. This instrument being provided and turned towards the heavens, the discoveries, which have made Galileo famous, were bound at once to follow, though undoubtedly he was quick to grasp their full significance. The moon was shown not to be, as the old astronomy taught, a smooth and perfect sphere, of different nature to the earth, but to possess hills and valleys and other features resembling those of our own globe. The planet Jupiter was found to have satellites, thus displaying a solar system in miniature, and supporting the doctrine of Copernicus. It had been argued against the said system that, if it were true, the inferior planets, Venus and Mercury, between the earth and the sun, should in the course of their revolution exhibit phases like those of the moon, and, these being invisible to the naked eye, Copernicus had to change the false explanation that these planets were transparent and the sun's rays passed through them. But with his telescope Galileo found that Venus did actually exhibit the desired phases, and the objection

Does left hander are more intelligent than right hander Essay

Does left hander are more intelligent than right hander - Essay Example I believe this will be an intriguing topic to look into. In his book Chris McManus(2003) who is a psychologist tried to explain some of the myths surrounding left-handed people. He states that even though there are claims that left-handed people can be more creative, there is not enough scientific evidence to support such thesis. Another myth, proclaimed by Geschwind, is that left-handed people are more prone to immune disorders. McManus (2003) processed and studied data taken from 21 000 patients. He concluded based on the research collected that lthere is no evidence to conclusively state that more left-handed people develop or suffer from immune system disorders than right-handed. Another myth is that left-handers have been persecuted. In his book â€Å"The Puzzle of Left Handedness†, Rik Smits (2012) notes that there existed an inexplicable prejudice against left-handed people. Certainly in the past, there was a deeply rooted bias. Right was thought to be good and left was believed to be evil. This can be observed across many cultures. Muslims for example use their right hand to eat with and the left to wash wish. There are also linguistic traces. â€Å"Right-hand man† meaning the most important person standing next to the boss and â€Å"having two left feet† are only handful of expressions, demonstrating this preconception. To debunk the myth that left-handed people are somehow treated harsh in life Smits (2012) looks at some statistical facts that 5 out of the 7 US presidents were left-handed. This clearly indicates that persecutions were no longer applicable for left-handed people in this modern era. Moreover they appear to be as succ essful and powerful as the right-handed. One of the established facts is that left-handed people are less likely to be dominated by the left-hemisphere which is responsible for the language. For example language function is located in the left-hemisphere of the brain, thus people suffering from head

Individual Rights and Social Order Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Individual Rights and Social Order - Assignment Example Additionally, it was necessary to safeguard the overall well-being of the community. The Commission also observed that in fulfilling this function, a system of justice tends to possess a divided role. Some of the roles were certain prevention of activities and the apprehension and formal processing of individuals, who have committed illegal acts in the society. According to Beames and Stonehouse (2007), a good society is one that nurtures both social values and the rights of an individual. A significant facet of good societies is that they find a healthy tension between individual needs and the needs of a group. Social order lies at the opposite end of the spectrum from individualism. Social conservatives are more interested in reinforcing the moral order. They prefer legislation use, rather than relying on normative means of impacting the behavior of an individual, to promote the values they hold. Examples of normative means that can influence individual behavior include leadership, moral voices within the society and education. Individual rights is the act of seeking to protect the personal freedoms of an individual within the criminal justice system, while social order is whereby the societys interest take precedence over the rights of an individual. Numerous laws and regulation have been put into place to balance the two sides throughout the American history. People are guaranteed the right to free assembly and free speech. However, those rights guaranteed by the Constitution may be limited when those actions harm others. For instance, when the actions of a citizen become violent, the authorities have a duty to halt the violence ant to shield the society. Governments considered to be democratic promote the freedom value but must also place limits on the freedom of an individual. Actions that might cause harm or alarm are forbidden for the common good. For instance, a person has the freedom of speech,

Dream Team - Media Analysis Essay Example for Free

Dream Team Media Analysis Essay George and Lennies dream is the most commonly mentioned in the novel, they want to live the American dream and have their own land and home. Although Crooks tells them he never seen a guy really do it their determination is beyond that of normal men. They crave the freedom from ordered working life and less responsibility. George desires the relief from the burden of supervising Lennie, on the ranch he constantly has to watch him to ensure he is no danger to himself or others. He talks of how he could live so easy without Lennie and it seems to be a private dream of his to marry and raise a family without the childish weight of Lennie upon him. He has cared for Lennie for a large part of his life and wants happiness for both of them without the strain of rules and the risk of characters such as Curley. Lennies only dream at first glance seems to be having his rabbits, however at a closer look the rabbits are his way of relating to their entire dream, he connects all other aspects of free life with them such as growing crops to feed them. He loves hearing the story of how its gonna be, his own dreams are based on what George tells him is good and bad. Candy is desperate to join in with Lennie and George and their dreams have become his. Since his dog died he has nothing left on the ranch to encourage dreams and he seems to have given up, the chance to be part of a reasonably realistic project motivates him again and he is willing to give everything to be part of it, Id make a will an leave everything to you guys case I kick off. All of Candys dreams seem to have be worn away by life on the ranch, the loss of his hand also seems to symbolise a large loss mentally for without his hand he cannot realistically dream of working his own land and living alone. For Candy life on the ranch seems to be a reminder of lost dreams rather than hopeful ones and this could explain his eagerness to be part of Lennie and Georges. He is also aware that he is old and becoming closer to the end of his job and possibly his life. Theyll can me purty soon. Jus as soon as I cant swamp out no bunk houses theyll put me on the county. He dreams of ending his life in happiness and not in poverty and discomfort surrounded by bad memories. Curleys wife is in many ways like Lennie and George, she tell her dream like its real and could happen at any time to escape the loneliness of the ranch. She tells as many people as she can about her dream as though she wants to make it more real for herself. Her conversation with Lennie reveals her desperation to make this dream come true, she hangs onto the man who could put her in pitchers, so sure he did write to her and someone else ruined her dream. It is these fantasies she uses to escape her life which is heavily restricted by her husband who wants to control her to comply with his own dreams, she wishes to be free to fulfil the life she desires. Her way of telling the story of her dream is almost sad as she clings to any glimpse of it so desperately it is clear how unhappy she is. All the dreams expressed by these characters are what drive them in the novel and can determine how they express their feelings and how they act. Niki Holdsworth Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

A Virtual Training Environment Essay -- Gaming

Technology has become a huge part of the way we live. As the years move on, we are becoming more technologically advanced, and part of that progression is due to the fact that we are using avenues that we would have overlooked 20 years ago. One of these avenues is the use of video games in nonconventional ways, like supplementing a real class room for a virtual one, to help ease some of the social anxiety of those with Aspersers and Autism, and to assist in the training our troops, utilizing a safe and cost effective environment. Unfortunately, these methods have been questioned, by those weary of the dominant presence technology has taken in this new generation of youth; however, all of these pathways are helping solve a real problem with aid of virtual environments. One innovative way virtual environments have been implemented is the use of video games to aid in making learning and teaching situations more comfortable. This new style of education is made possible with the use of virtual classrooms in the massive multiplayer online game, MMO, Second Life (SL). Through the use of this fully virtual world, we are now able to teach tangible skills to others. In â€Å"Using Second Life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education†, Jennifer Mahon et al. explored this theory. They established that, â€Å"Overall, the results of this study suggest that using SL for a simulation of classroom management is promising (130)†. Because is it always easier to learn in an atmosphere where one feels relaxed and comfortable, this use of Second Life shows great potential. By using online games this way it is allowing not only new teachers, but veteran teachers as well to gain or brush up on skills they need as educators interacting with... ...re will prosper. Works Cited Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest Generation: how the digital age stupefies young Americans and jeopardizes our future (or, don’t trust anyone under 30). New York: Penguin Group Orvis, A Karin, et all. â€Å"An Examination of the Role Individual Differences Play in Videogame- Based Training.† Military Psychology 21.4 (2009): 461-467. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Mahon, Jennifer, et al. â€Å"Using Second Life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education.† Educational Media International 47.2 (2010): 121-132. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 APR. 2012. Mitchell, Peter, et al. â€Å"Using Virtual Environments for Teaching Social Understanding to 6 Adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.† Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 37.3 (2007): 589-599. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 APR. 2012.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Its Political Issues

For many oil companies, the Gulf represents some of their most profitable and promising properties. The White House is seemingly making an increased show of pressuring BP, but President Obama is facing political heat from within his own party for what some say has been a lackluster response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the spill began, there has been some intense political debate regarding BP's responsibility, the government's response, and the extent of the environmental damage.Matthew Dowd, political consultant and chief pollster to former President George W. Bush, said the incident is likely to pose a huge political problem, similar to what President Bush faced after Hurricane Katrina. Administration officials also said the government will make changes to the way it allows offshore drilling, including new measures for the permitting process, new safety requirements for offshore rigs, and what was described as â€Å"strengthened† inspections for drilling ope rations.Having taking at least partial ownership of the crisis, the Obama administration is redoubling efforts to crack down on BP, sending a letter to CEO Tony Hayward complaining that his promises to provide complete and timely information on the spill â€Å"have fallen short in both their scope and effectiveness. BP has already agreed to set aside $20 billion over several years to pay for claims resulting from the oil spill. The company has paid the U. S. government $390 million for the cost of cleanup and received an additional bill for $128. million from the Obama administration. Obama and his senior White House staff, as well as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, are working with BP's chief executive officer Tony Hayward on legislation that would raise the cap on liability for damage claims from those affected by the oil disaster from $75 million to $10 billion. However, WMR's federal and Gulf state sources are reporting the disaster has the real potential cost of at least $1 tr illion.Critics of the deal being worked out between Obama and Hayward point out that $10 billion is a mere drop in the bucket for a trillion dollar disaster but also note that BP, if its assets were nationalized, could fetch almost a trillion dollars for compensation purposes. There is talk in some government circles, including FEMA, of the need to nationalize BP in order to compensate those who will ultimately be affected by the worst oil disaster in the history of the world. The Obama administration also conspired with BP to fudge the extent of the oil leak, according to our federal and state sources.After the oil rig exploded and sank, the government stated that 42,000 gallons per day was gushing from the seabed chasm. Five days later, the federal government upped the leakage to 210,000 gallons a day. Obama aides stressed that BP would bear the cost of the spill, including the cost of plugging the well, cleaning shorelines and paying for government air and water tests. Separately , fishermen and others anticipating environmental damage filed class-action suits against the company. On a day when the stock market rose broadly and sharply, BP's stock price fell more than 8 percent to $52. 56 a share.In the minds of politicians and strategists, the oil has practically become a giant ink blot, a Rorschach test in which each of the opposing sides sees proof of â€Å"the larger narrative. † Florida Sen. Bill Nelson called on Obama to step back from his expanded offshore drilling plans. In a letter to the president, Nelson said he would file legislation to ban the Interior Department from following through on Obama's proposal for new seismic and drilling activity. He said the gulf spill â€Å"may be an environmental and economic disaster that wreaks havoc for commercial fishing and tourism along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Reference : http://www. nytimes. com/2010/06/30/us/politics/30polmemo. html? pagewanted=1 http://political. com/content/bp-oil-spill http:/ /abcnews. go. com/GMA/Politics/bp-oil-spill-political-headache-obama-democrats-slam/story? id=10746519 http://washingtonexaminer. com/politics/white-house/political-problems-oil-spill-may-stick-obama http://edition. cnn. com/2010/US/09/14/bp. justice. legal. action/index. html http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/29/AR2010042902290. html

Disability Discrimination Essay

Physical disability discrimination is when people are being treated less fairly because of their disability such as broken leg, deaf, or blind. People can be discriminated direct or indirect. Unfair treatment means that a disable person will be treated disadvantaged in the society and doesnt have the same opportunity or choice as a non-disable person in situation like employment, education, and access goods, services and facilities. Personal Experience I have no personal experience in physical disability discrimination but I have found a story about customers getting rejected by a restaurant because a person is in a wheelchair and the waiter is unwilling to rearrange the table for the customer. He is being discriminated because the waiter wouldn’t treat him the same as other customers and service them, the waiter doesn’t want to give service because he is disable. Main Views Christian ChurchesThe Christian churches views about disability discrimination are based on what is written in the bible. Christians think that everyone should be treated equally no matter if a person is disabling or not as bible referred in John 13:34 â€Å"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. This means that there should be no discrimination in this world because everyone should love one another as god has loved us. Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. This verse show that god has destroyed the barriers (e.g. differences) and the dividing wall of hostility between people, therefore people should all be treated the same and everyone should be friendly to each other, no one should ever be discriminated against for their disability, everyone should be equal despite their ability. God indicates that if we verbally abuse someone that means we are harming a person that is created in Gods image, which means that we are mistreating someone that God loves and who Jesus gave up his life for. â€Å"People with Disabilities are called, like all people, to respond in faith to the God revealed in Christ. People with disabilities have gifts which contribute to the building up of the whole body of Christ. Through people  with disabilities Christ may work and bear witness to himself.† (Include Me In – Uniting Church of NSW)This quote is said from Uniting Church of NSW, its said that disability people have different contribution to the community to us, they put in something else for Christ, their disability is helping Christ to work and bear witness to himself. They are contributing equally to those who are not disabled so therefore they should be treated equally. Political View Disability discrimination Act is being created by the government in 1992 to prevent discrimination of a person with disability in public areas. The Disability Discrimination Act allows the Attorney-General to make standards on particular topics. The standards give more information about what needs to be done to ensure people with disability are not discriminated against.The Discrimination Act shows that the government really cares about how people with disability is treated and make sure they do not get further discrimination when they travel around public area. It is against the law to discriminate someone with disability. The two standards of discrimination act is disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport and Disability Standards for Education to let disable people feel free to travel with public transport and educate just like other kids. The government view is to get everyone in the society equal no matter if they are of a different culture or if they have disability. Value Analysis For this issue the political views and Christian views are similar, they are all trying to support people who suffer from disabilities in the society to not get discriminated by other people without disabilities. Christians tries to get their views across by the church and use extracts from the bible to show that god wants us to treat everyone the same, and people with disabilities contributes to Christ just as much as everyone else. Government tries to get their views across by giving out laws about disability discrimination so now in the society people with disabilities are being treated fairly. Example, theres ramps and lift build for public transport for the disabled and there is special school build for people with disabilities. Both government and Christian is trying to make  people with disabilities feels just as normal as the rest of us and not letting them feel left out because there is something different about them. My Decision I think that the government and Christians is doing a really good job at making people with disabilities to live like everyone else and fit in the society. Bible gives a really good outline as to what we should and should not do; the bible says that we should not discriminate against the disabilities because they are just the same as us and sometimes they might do a lot more contribution to the society than us, they shouldnt be discriminated. I think that we should actually learn a lesson from people with disabilities; they have a very high spirit in life, they dont give up on life just because they have disabilities, they are very brave to live through everyday with something missing from them. I think disability discrimination should be stopped and government and Christians should continue raise awareness throughout the society to let other people know people with disabilities is not much different from the rest of us. Bibliogr

Organizational Culture in Change Management

Organizational Culture in Change Management Introduction The success of a story of a company depends on certain conditions. These conditions can be thought of as mandatory when starting a business. The conditions being referred to are:Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tapping the market of products and services that has little or no competition. Offer services or products that cannot be provided by anyone else. If a product owns a large share of the market, then the organization has no worries regarding its competition. Getting rid of the competition by letting them compete against each other. If the company is the sole buyer of a product, then it is easy to negotiate a price with the supplier. These factors seem like the ideal situation to start a business and would most probably generate high revenue. But, in reality the top leading companies of the United States never eve n applied one of these rules, and yet their stocks rocketed in the capital markets from 1972 to 2002. So the question arises: What was their secret of success? What was the factor that made these companies one of the best companies of all time? The answer is quite simple organizational culture. Discussion It is understood that there is no universally accepted definition of organizational culture; however, we can say that organizational culture is the factors and the points that contribute the surroundings of an organization in multiple ways. These factors can range from the belief of an individual to the acts of an entire group the organization culture of any institution plays a huge role in its productivity. But, applying changes to the organizational culture is not easy it takes a lot of hard work, effort, and can be a time consuming process. A culture that develops within an organization is quite difficult to change and if someone joins the organization they have to adapt to the new culture, and eventually he or she becomes a part of that culture. These employees eventually try to preserve that environment to which they have gotten used to. Those who do not fit the culture usually tend to leave the place. Some institutions tend to penalize the person whose behavior is not in accordance to the culture that prevail wit in that organization. Learning within an organization is a difficult phase, but it is an important one if the person is to maintain his job (Todd, 1999).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research on the management of organizational culture and organizational control is very limited. Moreover, through studies it has been established that there is a relation between the two it is still not clear to what extent is the effect of organizational culture and how to control or manage it. Little has been known on the phenomenon of organizational culture, and there has still been no proper way known to measure it. While some believe that there is no method to measure organizational culture, others believe that some factors can be taken into account to measure organizational culture (Lawson Ventriss, 1992). A majority of researchers believe that organizational culture can increase the productivity of the company. These researches suggest that changes focused on the organizational culture and the implementation of a proper plan in the right sectors could move the company in the desired direction towards progress (Lawson Ventriss, 1992). The collective efficiencies are one of those facts that can have a huge impact on the financial and productive output of a company, with each individual performing to the best of his or her abilities can improve the culture of an organization and can bring about a positive change in the companies’ atmosphere. However, some scholars believe that attitude of employees towards their job is not the deciding factor towards the change in the organizational culture, but it is in fact the attitude of the CEO that makes the true difference. The CEO is responsible for setting the goal for the organization and making sure that everyone including himself work towards achieving that goal. He should inspire and motivate his employees by bringing out the best out of each of them.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More His attitude towards employees, the company and his own work is of real impact to bringing change in an organization. Also, the success of a CEO lies with his ability to decide when change in an organization is required and how to bring about that change. In short, the dynamic leadership of a CEO is the true essence of an organizational culture (Tsuia Zhang, 2006). Another author suggests that certai n individual figures within an organization play a vital role in the organization culture and through those individuals a change can be brought about within an organization (Curado, 2006). Defining organizational learning is a topic of great controversy. There is no single acceptable definition, and definitions vary with each author. Organizational learning has been defined by different authors through different means with little or no common grounds between them. But, it is the author’s personal view that organizational learning is a mutual sharing of ideas and resources. Since, organizational learning is relatively a new branch of studies; therefore, there is still time in a standard definition to emerge. It is not only the definition of organization learning that has raised confusion, but also different terms relating to organizational learning are in need of standardization, and just like the definition all these terms are defined by different authors in different ways. U nlike individual learning organizational learning depends upon information possessed by each member of the organization and his ability to interact and share this knowledge with his peers and his colleagues.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organization learning is lot simpler and less time consuming than individual learning because in organizational learning, one has to observe the culture he is surrounded by and simply pick up information from there on. Another advantage of organizational learning is that it helps to cultivate competent employees, which in return attract clients towards the organization. It is believed that organizations with a better understanding of organizational learning can easily adapt to change providing the organization a competitive edge over other firms (Curado, 2006). On the other hand, Mackenzie states that organization learning cannot be used in a rapid changing environment. Organizational learning is a slow process and needs time to be implemented into the system. Even after the slow implementation of organizational learning there is no guarantee that the organization change would result in the financial benefit or would it result in the financial loss (Mackenzie, 2004). Organizational change is again a topic of great confusion. The facts and reasons for a change in an organization are not clear. Although, most authors believe that the real reason for change is the ever growing influence of information technology on other fields. IT has long been thought as the deciding factor in bringing change to an organization, and the organization culture has long been thought to be the opposing force. The world of business is changing every day, new competition, and changing monetary policies etc. are all things that organizations have to adapt to. In order to increase the life span of an organization, they have to bring about changes to their systems. Burke Litwin (1992) state that for a change to occur three factors must be present. First the trigger that would cause the need for a change, the second fact that must be taken into account is that the miniscule activities within the organization must not be ignored. Third and perhaps the most difficult principle to cope with is the sudden change when the organization least accepts it and is not ready or has not planned for it. No one knows why the sudden change occurs or if there are more than one factor causing this change. There are two ways of implementing change in an organization. Incremental change Radical change Incremental method, to put in simple words, is a change that is brought on in an organization slowly and gradually with the passage of time. Incremental method ensures that change is brought about in an organization without drastically disturbing the existing culture of the organization. Incremental method can be seen taking place in an organization though daily activities of the organization. For the incremental process to work properly, the organization has to define its goals and plan out the process keeping in view the competency and adaptability of the workforce of the organization. To implement incremental change successfully the company has to implement some policies or have to follow some guidelines. Firstly, the company before it starts out has to outline its objectives it intends to achieve from implementing the change and what steps will be undertaken to bring about that change. Secondly, allowing employees to familiarize themselves with the new system. Lastly, enabling a culture that allows growth and which can easily accept change (Myers Hulks, 2012). When it comes to the programs that can be implemented or used to bring change, managers have a range of choice. They could either have custom made programs specifically for their needs or they can buy general purpose programs. It all depends upon the needs of the organization. However, there are certain issues that must be given consideration when choosing the right types of programs. For example, corporate wide programs may be great to help familiarize employees with the inevitable change utilize a lot of resources and can reduce the efficiency of the organization. In the same way, general purpose pro grams can be bought right away without much planning, and they may not serve the purpose as these programs are not specific to the needs of the organization. These decisions have to be made properly after an analysis of the situation or opinion of a consultant to make such decisions on behalf of the company. Incremental change enables an organization to break large problems into small ones. Solving these small problems might not seem effective initially, but a collection of these small problems solved can make a huge difference to the organization (Orlikowski, 1993). Radical change is the change that occurs when the surrounding of an organization changes which in turn has an effect on the culture of the organization, and to negate the effect of that change the organization has to make some drastic changes. Usually, it is advised that radical change should not be managed by anyone within the company because a person needs to be able to set aside his own personal gains when planning t he future change of the company. In the same way as the individual planning, this change must be able to challenge the higher authority’s perspectives. Radical change is a very complex process, which requires high level of competency by the entire team, and not just the individual who is leading the charge. Technology should be implemented only if it is needed, otherwise it should be avoided. The team must be properly briefed when it comes to the use of information regarding each member (Todd, 1999). Organizational learning is viewed as one of the most important attributes that contributes towards organizational change. When employees within an organization go through learning phase then the company can expect some kind of change. The management needs to closely monitor employees of their organization and try to plan the change accordingly. Organizational learning focuses on both the past and future that a company may face. Analyzing and preparing for the future is also part of organizational learning (Schein, 1990). Preparing for the future refers to change that would be applied to the company. To make sure that the right decisions are taken in this matter, a method called scenario planning is used. Scenario planning basically is a strategy that provides a possible solution for possible scenarios that may arise in the future. Some organizations only allow the management staff to carry out such decisions. While in some companies, the management allows representation from all levels of the company including different departments and sectors. These employees are then briefed and trained on what factors to consider that would affect the change of the company (Geldenhuys Veldsman, 2011). Culture within an organization is passed on to employees from the organizations founders through a set of practices and talks. One way for an organization to determine its culture is by their treatment of employees. Explaining employees about the dos and don’ts enab les the formation of a culture within the organization shared among employees. Usually, introducing innovation disturbs the environment around an organization and that is the true nature of culture it resists change. Organization that is able to successfully apply change need to do so at a steady pace (Schein, 1990). Change is a very complex process and in order to manage change successfully appropriate managerial skills are required, and when it comes to radical change there should be no doubt when enforcing it. Change is not always successful and once the process of change starts the management must see the whole process through. Planning and attention to the details is very important, and employees must be ready to accept a change in the culture that might develop due to change that occurs within the organization. It is also important for the management to be ready for any reaction that might come from employees of the organization (Schein, 1996). Organizations with powerful fina ncial background are more likely to survive a change then that with a less powerful financial background. Changes made from mutual agreement of employees and the management staff is less likely to fail then the change taken based on the decision of just the managerial staff. It is important that the political nature of the organizational culture must be understood before making any major decisions regarding change within an organization. Communication between the managerial staff and employees is of utmost importance (Mackenzie, 2004). Paying attention to small details during the transition is of utmost importance, the neglect of even the smallest nature can cause great problems in the implementation of change in the organization. Every employee must be given a considerable amount of time to work with the change and should be removed from the organization if they are unable to adapt to the change. Bold and brave decisions could be very helpful in bringing about change within an orga nization. New leaders must act as pioneers of change and must remain firm in their decision of change (Myers Hulks, 2012). Conclusion Although, there is vast information regarding organizational learning and knowledge, but the confusion regarding terminologies and definitions prove to be a huge barrier in understanding the subject clearly. Moreover, empirical data is limited on the subject. To overcome these obstacles, there is a dire need for researchers to implement their research in the field and achieve some statistical data to support their theories. These researchers must compare notes and provide some proper terminologies regarding the subject. List of References Burke, W Litwin, G 1992, A Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change, Journal of Change Management, vol. 18 no. 3, pp. 523-45. Geldenhuys, C A Veldsman, T H 2011, A change navigation-based, scenario planning process within a developing world context from an Afro-centric leadership perspective, SA Journ al of Human Resource Management, vol. 9 no. 1, pp. 1-17. Lawson, B R Ventriss, C L 1992, Organizational change: the role of organizational culture and organizational learning, Kenyon College, Vermont. Mackenzie, K D 2004, The Practitioners Guide for Organizing an Organization, Mackenzie and Company, New York. Myers, S P Hulks, W L 2012, Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Orlikowski, W J 1993, CASE Tools as Organizational Change: Investigating Incremental and Radical Changes in Systems Development. MIS Quarterly, vol. 17 no. 3, pp. 309-340. Schein, E 1996, Three Cultures of Management: The Key to Organizational Learning, Sloan Management Review, vol. Fall, pp. 9-20. Schein, E H 1990, Organizational Culture, American Psychologist, vol. 45 no. 2, pp. 109-119. Todd, A 1999, Managing Radical Change, Long Range Planning, April, vol. 32 no. 2, pp. 237-244. Tsuia, A S et al. 2006, Unpacking the relationship between CEO leadership b ehavior and organizational culture, The Leadership Quarterly, April, vol. 17 no. 2, pp. 113-137.

Meaning Of French Expression Avoir LEsprit DEscalier

Meaning Of French Expression Avoir LEsprit DEscalier â€Å"Avoir l’esprit d’escalier† - or sometimes â€Å"avoir l’esprit de l’escalier† is yet another weird French idiom. Literally, it means to have the wit of the staircase. So it means nothing really!   Synonyms of Avoir lEsprit dEscalier in French and English In English, you sometimes call this â€Å"escalator wit†, or afterwit. It means to make a witty comeback, to answer someone in a witty (and fast) way. Its something the French really admire and are trained to do as part of our national sport: arguing and debating. To say to make a witty comeback, we use the expression â€Å"avoir de la rà ©partie†. So here, we could say â€Å"manquer de rà ©partie†, â€Å"ne pas savoir rà ©pliquer sur le moment†, â€Å"perdre ses moyens†. Example of Escalator Wit in French and English Moi, je manque cruellement de rà ©partie. Quand je me sens attaquà ©e, je perds tous mes moyens, je bredouille... et puis quand je suis rentrà ©e chez moi, je trouve plein de rà ©pliques fantastiques. Jai vraiment lesprit descalier. I desperately lack the ability to make witty comebacks. When I feel threatened, I lose my cool, I stutter... and once Im back home, I find lots of great comebacks. I really have an escalator wit. Origin of the French Idiom â€Å"Avoir l’Esprit d’Escalier† The philosopher Diderot wrote around 1775: â€Å" « ...lhomme sensible comme moi, tout entier ce quon lui objecte, perd la tà ªte et ne se retrouve quau bas de lescalier  ». Which translates  to: â€Å"The sensitive man such as myself, entirely absorbed by things that are being objected to him, loses his mind and recovers it only at the bottom of the stairs†. He meant that if someone opposed him in a conversation, he was so upset by it that he couldn’t concentrate anymore, and that it’s only once he had left, and reached the bottom of the staircase (therefore too late), that he could come up with a good answer.   French stairs Speaking of lescalier, remember French people do not count their stairs the way Americans do.

Marketing a consumer organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing a consumer organization - Essay Example It began as an effort to help eleven Japanese-American children they had found wandering the streets of Japan as outcasts and orphans, victims of their bi-racial makeup, a cultural taboo. After successfully relocating these orphans, word spread and before they knew it they were instrumental in helping over one hundred such orphans find new homes and new lives. Between 1960 and 1964 they were directly involved in founding nine orphanages, a school as well as a hospital in both Japan and Vietnam. In 1974-75 the organization assisted thousands of orphans that were rescued during "Operation Baby Lift" and brought to the United States for adoption. In 1976 the organization changed its name to "Childrens Village USA." Then in 1978 the organization created a center called The Village of Childhelp West in Beaumont, California and officially became known as Childhelp (Childhelp 2007). The focus of the agency from that time is captured in its Mission Statement: "Childhelp ® exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children. We focus our efforts on advocacy, prevention, treatment, and community outreach" (Childhelp 2007). They have several regional locations in Arizona, Atlanta, California, Michigan, North Carolina, San Diego, Tennessee, Virginia and the Washington DC Area. However their outreach and information and assistance programs transcend the traditional boundaries. Furthermore, their web site allows them to assist people in all parts of the world. Additionally, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD) which began in 1982 has received over two million calls since its inception: These calls come from children at risk for abuse, distressed parents seeking crisis intervention and concerned individuals who suspect that child abuse may be occurring. The Hotline is also a valuable resource for those who are mandated by law to report suspected abuse, such as school personnel,

Why has it proved so difficult to create an effective International Essay

Why has it proved so difficult to create an effective International Criminal Court - Essay Example It took several meetings between the superior nations such as France, US, UK, China and the Soviet Union to finally agree on the membership terms, bodies and other arrangements that would be necessary to set up the UN, and ensure that it met its international security, social and economic goals. It was officially formed in 1945 with 50 member states and five nations being permanent members and holding the veto power. By 2007, it had 192 member states (Hanhimaki, 2008). The terms and conditions initially set were to be later reviewed and maybe changed or revised, something that has never happened to date. Any decisions made on international security, economic development or social levels have to be approved by the nations holding the veto power first, directly or indirectly before being approved. This has led to power imbalance in the UN with other nations feeling sidelined and having no powers to disagree. The existence and operation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is one of the issues being disagreed upon by member states. Disagreements surround charges taken to it and how it only handles cases from some states and not from others and especially those holding the veto power, leading to it lacking the impartiality necessary in a court of justice. Its operation therefore lacks consensus making it difficult to exist and perform its roles. The fact that the operation of the court from its inception seems to be controlled by a few members has brought about more questions than answers, and led to creation of issues of mistrust of the so called justice being sought in the court. The ICC comes in to deal with crimes that the national courts cannot be able to handle. This is because of lack of ability of a country to address the heinous criminal acts or because of the lack of a government. The national court may also lack capacity to prosecute their own cases and especially those of higher magnitude because of lack of resources or the lack of

Business Employment Law (R. Williams Construction Co. v. OSHRC) Assignment

Business Employment Law (R. Williams Construction Co. v. OSHRC) - Assignment Example In September 2002, Jose Aguiniga, an employee of Williams was killed when an underground system he was cleaning caved-in at the Santa Ynez worksite. Subsequently the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) received the information and immediately embarked on the site assessment (Silverstein, 2008). As the consequence of that assessment, the Commission served citations on the construction company claiming violations of the Act. The respondent acted by filing with the Commission, their contest against the findings. In January 2004, the Commission heard the case in Santa Barbara, California. The legal issue in Williams was whether the respondent violated the safety standards under Section 651-678 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1970, which if proven, would be the cause in fact of the injury upon the employees (Walsh, 2012). The regulator alleged that Williams had violated the safety standards leading to the loss of life of one employee and serious injury upon the person of another. First, Williams breached the OSH Act 1970 by digging a narrow and poorly maintained trench measuring 12 feet deep at the construction site. Although the upper walls of the trench were slanting outwards, the deeper, lower part was not properly reinforced to avoid a possible cave-in. Second, Williams failed to remind its employees about the safety measures they should observe while working on the site. The employees who were injured had been regularly doing a clean-up of the submersible pump placed on the floor of trench without any significant protective gear or knowledge (Walsh, 2012). Williams was unsuccessful in its claims that every employee was supposed to observe their own safety in the workplace because its behavior was negligent. The company’s leadership failed to demonstrate the behavior of a reasonable person acting under similar circumstances. Williams was negligent in its deployment of employees in risky working conditions, with clear

A Comparative Study of the European Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example for Free

A Comparative Study of the European Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Having healthy citizens is vital to the development of a country. Introducing effective and new methods of using drugs is the key to the improvement of an individual’s quality of life, which could minimize the amount of confinement and medical intervention (House of Commons 2005: 3). In the economy of Great Britain, the pharmaceutical industry is the third most viable income generator next to tourism and finance. Although the United States is still the leader as far as the pharmaceuticals industry is concerned, the United Kingdom remains as the vanguard of the industry in Europe. It constitutes 10% of pharmaceutical research development costs in the world. According to estimates, the United Kingdom funds 65% of all health-related research development (House of Commons 2005: 3). The State of European Pharmaceutical Industry Since the 19th century, the pharmaceuticals industry has been the vanguard of the European industry, providing the biggest contribution to the European trade balance in the field of high technology and research development. However, when compared to the United States, the pharmaceutical industry would find itself in the losing end (Gambardella.  Orsenigo and Pammolli 2000: 1). During the last twenty years, the industry has been marked with vital changes in its structure as a result of technological and institutional shocks that had a great impact on its value chain. Consequently, this paved the way for changes in the firms’ composition as well as in the structure of the market in both regional and global perspective (Gambardella. Orsenigo and Pammolli 2000: 1). At the onset of the 1990s, the American and European market were on equal footing dominating about one-third of the pharmaceutical market in the world. However, the United States has steadily increased to 50% with the European industry lagging behind at 21%. Aside from that, many drug manufacturers based in Europe have transferred their research development facility to the United States. According to Mark McCllelan, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States constitute 50% of global pharmaceutical industry (Silverthorne 2003). Trends on the Pharmaceutical Industry In 1998, the industry size for pharmaceutical products was pegged at $310 billion and increased to $335 billion a year later. There are two kinds of pharmaceutical products being sold in the market; namely, prescription-based and over-the-counter medicines. Approximately 60% of global pharmaceutical sales accounts are devoted on the former, with the remaining 40% devoted on the latter (Harris n. d. ). Most of the global sales generated by the industry came from U. S. -based pharmaceutical companies. In 1999, the industry had a projected income of $140 billion wherein 65% of sales come from domestic operations and the remaining 35% from foreign clients. In the United States, pharmaceutical expenditures as part of overall cost of health care have increased from 4. % to 7. 2% since 1985 (Harris n. d. ). The United States comprises 40% of global pharmaceutical sales, followed by Europe and Japan at 32% and 24%, respectively. Other countries comprise 4% of worldwide sales as the industry is expected to pick up in developing countries (Harris n. d. ). A series of studies have found that Europe is way behind the United States in the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, in 2000, Alfonso Gambardella, Luigi Orsenigo, and Fabio Pammolli conducted a study focusing on the competitiveness of Europe’s pharmaceutical sector (cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). For this study, the authors used several indicators such as â€Å"patent application, approved new molecular entities (NMEs), research expenditure, science provided by universities, and marker share† (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000 cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). It was revealed that when it comes to exports and consumption, the United States has already surpassed Europe. This is the key to the implementation of the G-10 review process (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000 cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). In addition, a study conducted by Oliver Schoffski (2002) discovered two points that favor the American pharmaceutical industry in the aspect of marketing and research investment (cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). According to Schoffski (2002), there is a huge difference between the dynamics of the market of the various European Union countries with that of the United States on the aspect of introducing a new drug to the market (cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). The study concludes that these structural differences are the reason for the pronounced market dynamics of the American pharmaceutical industry when compared with Europe. According to the study, the US pharmaceutical industry is more attractive than the European market because of its advanced â€Å"scientific and entrepreneurial culture† and the availability of its talent pool, specifically in the Boston area (Schoffski 2002 cited in Kobelt 2006: 3). Some Light in the Tunnel However, not everything is gloomy as far as the European Union’s pharmaceutical industry is concerned. When it comes to profitability, which is a strong indicator of competitiveness, European pharmaceutical firms rank among the most profitable in the world. In 2005, GlaxoSmithKline ranked next to Johnson Johnson’s $10. 4 billion dollars in terms of profitability (Kobelt 2006: 4). Novartis, Roche, and AstraZeneca, with net incomes of $6. 1 billion, $5. 4 billion, and $4. 7 billion respectively, followed American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer. The year 2005 was a banner year for European firms in terms of turnover and income (Kobelt 2006: 4). After a period of underperformance, the European pharmaceutical industry picked up ground and increased by 30%. In contrast, American stocks looked less impressive and underperformed by 9 percent. Employment opportunities in the industry went up by 17% from 1990 to 2004. From 2000 to 2004 alone, almost 50,000 jobs were created, most of which were newly established (Kobelt 2006: 4). IMS Health likewise revealed that the European pharmaceutical industry experienced rapid growth compared to their North American counterparts on the aspect of competitiveness and innovation. For some experts, European pharmaceutical firms can be comparable with American firms on the aspect of innovation and competitiveness (Kobelt 2006: 4). The Structure of the Pharmaceutical Industry The European pharmaceutical industry works as a system or network. Innovation, production, and commercialization of drugs depends on a wide range of players such as various kinds of firms, research organizations and facilities, financial institutions, regulating agencies, to name just a few. Each player is connected together through a network of varying relationships, which may involve market transaction, â€Å"command and control† administrative rules, and various intermediate forms (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000: 2). Thus, in order to assess the competitiveness of the industry, one would likewise have to consider a wide range of institutions, infrastructures, and policies that have an impact on the action of firms. The situation is aggravated by the fact that there is a proliferation of various kinds of firms. In fact, multinational companies comprise 40 to 60% of most national markets in the developed countries (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000: 2). While the pharmaceutical industry is organized globally, part of the environment in which it thrives in is country-specific. Each nation has its own health care system with separate rules and regulations depending on the industrial policy of that country. Majority of the European countries adopt one of two basic health system model; first, the comprehensive social insurance system which is followed by Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and France; and second, national health service model with public funding, which is adopted by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Sweden (Hutton et al 1994: 100). The European pharmaceutical industry is known for being innovative and competitive. The most notable names in the sector are involved in research and development. They are responsible for generating income, investments, and job opportunities (Kobelt 2006: 1). Aside from its economic worth, the pharmaceutical industry has a vital role in ensuring and further advancing public health and creating medicines that the community needs to cure diseases, decrease health obstacles and guarantee that the people are assured of sustainable healthcare for existing and coming generations (Kobelt 2006: 1). There are two kinds of firms that thrive on the pharmaceutical industry. The first one consists of the smaller companies specializing in the selling of non-R D intensive drugs. The job of these firms is to implement manufacturing and commercialization activities and does not put money in research development. Usually, they are national companies that completely function in their own market (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000: 2). During the last two decades, a new set of companies have proliferated in the industry. They have conducted an intensive research which has resulted from fresh opportunities brought by the field of life science. They are known as new biotechnology firms. Their specialty is on developing new biotechnology and their activities may involve discovering and developing new drug compounds to the introduction of new drug screening or research tools and technologies in sectors like genomics, bioinformatics, etc. (Gambardella, Orsenigo, and Pammolli 2000: 2). Regulating the Industry The European pharmaceutical market is a regulated industry. There are two factors that are affected by regulatory measures, namely, the supply and demand. The former can be used separately from the pharmaceutical firm in order to have an impact on those who are in charge of marketing products. Registration is considered as a technical and scientific in most states, but it is the most powerful way to control the economy because it can segregate the product from the market. However, there is still a need to determine whether a product registration system can be cost-effective (Hutton et al 1994: 102). The most common way of regulation in the European pharmaceutical industry is price-based regulation. In countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, and Switzerland, the cost of reimbursement must be agreed upon prior to marketing the registered product. In majority of European Union member countries, the government has control of price increases throughout the marketing life of a product (Hutton et al 1994: 103). Long ago, pharmaceutical firms were permitted to pass any increase in the cost, but recently however, governments have implemented strict rules when it comes to freezing the price of existing products, as in the case of Switzerland and Italy in 1992 and 1993, respectively (Hutton et al 1994: 103). With the exception of the United Kingdom and Spain, which utilize company profitability as the criteria for control, all other countries use price-based regulation. In the UK and Spain, pharmaceutical companies have the freedom to set their own prices in order to obtain the total rate of profit (Hutton et al 1994: 103). On the other hand, the aim of regulating the demand is to influence the behaviour of the entities responsible for demand generation for drugs such as pharmacists, doctors, and patients. Presently, reimbursement limitations and fixed budgets for drugs are now being utilized. One would usually find positive or negative listings. In France, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Greece, and Spain, the positive listing is used while in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany, the negative list-drugs are being followed (Hutton et al 1994: 103). The Future of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Europe The European Union has clearly pointed out that in order to maintain a competitive atmosphere and be in touch with globalization where countries like China and India can pose a challenge, they need to focus on innovation by investing in cutting-edge technologies and make sure that it retains its position as an attractive venue for foreign direct investment (Kobelt 2006: 2). The European Union, through its Lisbon Agenda has braced itself to become the â€Å"most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010† (Kobelt 2006: 2). Taking the lead is Brussels, which has initiated several policies, among them â€Å"better regulation† to reduce the current and future EU legislations on businesses (Kobelt 2006: 2). The pharmaceutical industry is one of the primary focuses in Europe’s attempts to make the region competitive (Kobelt 2006: 2). In June 2002, the G-10 was established and in its final report made 14 recommendations on how they can improve the competitiveness of the European pharmaceutical industry. Some of these recommended policy changes have already been implemented and embedded in the EU strategy (Kobelt 2006: 2). In the aspect of pharmaceutical, the EU will likewise implement the â€Å"High Level Pharmaceutical Forum† involving representatives of member states and industry stakeholders (Kobelt 2006: 2). The delegates have promised to work on the following areas: 1) sharing of information; 2) determining the effectiveness of treatment; and 3) costing reimbursement in order to foster innovation and competitiveness (Kobelt 2006: 2). One of the most glaring trends in the field of pharmaceuticals is high growth rate, and as numerous factors suggest, this trend will most likely continue. Advancements in science and technology, particularly in the area of health care, have led to an increase in life expectancy especially in the industrialized countries (Davidson and Greblov 2005: 5). According to the results of various studies, a huge portion of the elderly is deprived of proper health care. In the United States, for example, only 1/3 of the elderly population needing medical treatment for high cholesterol is actually being given sufficient treatment. New health care programs and benefits will increase the accessibility of prescription drugs to senior citizens, which will consequently lead to increased pharmaceutical sales (Davidson and Greblov 2005: 5). Biotechnology provides another promising aspect for the future of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. Biotech drugs constitute 10 to 15% of the present pharmaceutical industry, and the sector is surpassing the performance of the whole market in the aspect of growth. However, the industry must address critical issues first (Wood 2008). The main problem with biotechnology is that it is a complicated process which can make it quite challenging for drug manufacturers to convince physicians to prescribe and use them. In European countries like France, chemical generics prescription is quite unpopular so it would be a difficult task for governments to advance this method (Wood 2008). Conclusion Since the 19th century, the pharmaceuticals industry has been the vanguard of the European industry, providing the biggest contribution to the European trade balance in the field of high technology and research development. However, when compared to the United States, the pharmaceutical industry would find itself in the losing end. During the last twenty years, the industry has been marked with vital changes in its structure as a result of technological and institutional shocks that had a great impact on its value chain. Consequently, this paved the way for changes in the firms’ composition as well as in the structure of the market in both regional and global perspective. A series of studies have found that Europe is way behind the United States in the pharmaceutical industry. In a 2000 report focusing on the competitiveness of Europe’s pharmaceutical sector, when it comes to exports and consumption, it was revealed that the United States has already surpassed Europe. The European Union, through its Lisbon Agenda has braced itself to become the â€Å"most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010†. Taking the lead is Brussels, which has initiated several policies, among them â€Å"better regulation† to reduce the current and future EU legislations on businesses. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the primary focuses in Europe’s attempts to make the region competitive. According to the results of various studies, a huge portion of the elderly is deprived of proper health care. In the United States, for example, only 1/3 of the elderly population needing medical treatment for high cholesterol is actually being given sufficient treatment. New health care programs and benefits will increase the accessibility of prescription drugs to senior citizens, which will consequently led to increased pharmaceutical sales. Biotechnology provides another promising aspect for the future of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. Biotech drugs constitute 10 to 15% of the present pharmaceutical industry and the sector is surpassing the performance of the whole market in the aspect of growth. However, the industry must address critical issues first. The main problem with biotechnology is that it is a complicated process which can make it quite challenging for drug manufacturers to convince physicians to prescribe and use them. In European countries like France, chemical generics prescription is quite unpopular so it would be a difficult task for governments to advance this method.

Eulogy for Son :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Son First I would like to say thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and affection from our community at last night’s viewing for John. Roger at the funeral home told us this was the largest turnout he can remember. Close to 1,000 friends—and many people who were merely touched by John’s story—waited up to fours hours in the rain to pay their respects. We want you to know how very grateful and very touched we were by the response. As Congressman Johnson said in his tribute to John, entered into the Congressional Record, John truly was one of our nation’s best and brightest and dearest sons. He was already a great young man who would have served his country well, and I know he could have become one of our great leaders had he been given more time. I also want you to know that we knew it would rain today, because one of John’s longest-running legacies is that it always rains on major events in his life: His graduation from high school, parents weekend during his plebe summer, his formal ring dance his senior year, and now today. Only his graduation from the Academy broke the mold. After four straight days of rain, God granted us a beautiful day for John’s commencement ceremonies. Perhaps rain is God’s enduring way of testing our love for John, and if today and last night are any measure, I think we passed the test with flying colors. When the officers arrived at our door Saturday morning to give us the tragic news about John, our hearts and our lives stopped. The thought was too hard to comprehend and any parent’s worst nightmare. Our son, who had just graduated from the United States Naval Academy with academic honors, was looking forward with excitement and anticipation to entering flight school in Pensacola in September. He was also excited about coming home for his mother’s birthday, and giving us the latest news from the Naval Academy, where he was stationed for the summer during Plebe training exercises. One of the police officers who came to our door was Bob Fischer, the father of Peter Fischer, who is one of those Plebes at the Academy. In June, our son had presented Peter with his appointment at an award ceremony at Egg Harbor Township High School, where John graduated 4th in his class in 1996.