Ecotopia essays

Ecotopia essays Ecotopia, a novel written by Ernest Callenbach in 1975, brings many new economically wonderful ideas to the minds of its readers. The ideas that are presented in this book are amazing, and allows its readers to think in an entirely new way of the world that surrounds us. At first this book is slow and hard to get into, but as it continues, it begins to bring insight to your thoughts and your imagination runs wild with ideas of the way life could really be. The main character is a man named William Weston. He is a middle-aged man from New York City. He is a reporter for the New York Times-Post. As the novel begins we learn that he has been assigned to a special six-week mission. He is to travel to a land called Ecotopia, and report on the living conditions and the way of live for the Ecotopians. This sounds easy right? Well, not exactly. Ecotopia is not like any other nation on Earth. It was founded when northern California, Oregon and Washington separated from the United States to create their own union. A place that is economically perfect. William is the first American in twenty-years that has been allowed to enter into this territory. He does not realize the extent of what he is getting into when he agrees to this job assignment. While William is on the airplane on his way to Ecotopia he begins to write his first journal entry. In this entry he tells about his life. We learn that he a father and a husband. He writes how is becomes harder to say goodbye to the children as he leaves for assignments, however, then he states that even when he is around he sometimes neglects spend time with them. There is no reason to feel sorry for him after reading this. He also mentions a woman named Francine. This is not his wife, as we already learned that her name was Pat. This may be his mistress or possibly he is divorced to Pat and Francine is his new girlfriend. Callenbach, the author, makes this unclear. After he gets off his plan...

Ghost Dance, Amerindian Rebellion and Religious Ritual

Ghost Dance, Amerindian Rebellion and Religious Ritual The ghost dance was a religious movement that swept across Native American populations in the West in the late 19th century. What started as a mystical ritual soon became something of a political movement and a symbol of Native American resistance to a way of life imposed by the U.S. government. A Dark Moment in History As the ghost dance spread through western Native American reservations, the federal government moved aggressively to stop the activity. The dancing and the religious teachings associated with it became issues of public concern widely reported in newspapers. As the 1890s began, the emergence of the ghost dance movement was viewed by white Americans as a credible threat. The American public was, by that time, used to the idea that Native Americans had been pacified, moved onto reservations, and essentially converted to living in the style of white farmers or settlers. The efforts to eliminate the practice of ghost dancing on reservations led to heightened tensions which had profound effects. The legendary Sitting Bull was murdered in a violent altercation sparked by the crackdown on ghost dancing. Two weeks later, the confrontations prompted by the ghost dance crackdown led to the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre. The horrific bloodshed at Wounded Knee marked the end of the Plains Indian Wars. The ghost dance movement was effectively ended, though it continued as a religious ritual in some places well into the 20th century. The ghost dance took a place at the end of a long chapter in American history, as it seemed to mark the end of Native American resistance to white rule. Origins of the Ghost Dance The story of the ghost dance began with Wovoka, a member of the Paiute tribe in Nevada. Wovoka, who was born about 1856, was the son of a medicine man. Growing up, Wovoka lived for a time with a family of white Presbyterian farmers, from whom he picked up the habit of reading the Bible every day. Wovoka developed a wide-ranging interest in religions. He was said to be familiar with Mormonism and various religious traditions of native tribes in Nevada and California. In late 1888, he became quite ill with scarlet fever and may have gone into a coma. During his illness, he claimed to have religious visions. The depth of his illness coincided with a solar eclipse on January 1, 1889, which was seen as a special sign. When Wovoka regained his health, he began to preach of knowledge which God had imparted to him. According to Wovoka, a new age would dawn in 1891. The dead of his people would be restored to life. Game which had been hunted nearly to extinction would return. And the white people would vanish and stop afflicting the indigenous peoples. Wovoka also said a ritual dance which had been taught to him in his visions must be practiced by native populations. This ghost  dance, which was similar to traditional round dances, was taught to his followers. Decades earlier, in the late 1860s, during a time of privation among western tribes, there had been a version of the ghost dance which spread through the West. That dance also prophesied positive changes to come to the lives of Native Americans. The earlier ghost dance spread through Nevada and California, but when the prophecies did not come true, the beliefs and accompanying dance rituals were abandoned. However, Wovokas teachings based on his visions took hold throughout  early 1889. His idea quickly spread along travel routes, and became widely known among the western tribes. At the time, the Native American population was demoralized. The nomadic way of life had been curtailed by the U.S. government, forcing the tribes onto reservations.  Wovokas preaching seemed to offer some hope. Representatives of various western tribes began to visit Wovoka to learn about his visions, and especially about what was becoming widely known as the ghost dance. Before long, the ritual was being performed across Native American communities, which were generally located on reservations administered by the federal government. Fear of the Ghost Dance In 1890, the ghost dance had become widespread among the western tribes. The dances became well-attended rituals, generally taking place over a span of four nights and the morning of the fifth day. Among the Sioux, who were led by the legendary Sitting Bull, the dance became extremely popular. The belief took hold that someone wearing a shirt that was worn during the ghost dance would become invulnerable to any injury. Rumors of the ghost dance began to instill fear among white settlers in South Dakota, in the region of the Indian reservation at Pine Ridge. Word began to spread that the Lakota Sioux were finding a fairly dangerous message in Wovokas visions. His talk of a new age without whites began to be seen as a call to eliminate the white settlers from the region. And part of Wovokas vision was that the various tribes would all unite. So the ghost dancers began to be seen as a dangerous movement that could lead to widespread attacks on white settlers across the entire West. The spreading fear of the ghost dance movement was picked up by newspapers, in an era when publishers such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were beginning to champion sensational news. In November 1890, a number of newspaper headlines across America linked the ghost dance to alleged plots against white settlers and U.S. Army troops. An example of how white society viewed the ghost dance appeared in the form of a lengthy story in the New York Times with the subheadline, How the Indians Work Themselves Up to a Fighting Pitch. The article explains how a reporter, led by friendly Indian guides, trekked overland to a Sioux camp. The trip was extremely hazardous, owing to the frenzy of the hostiles. The article described the dance, which the reporter claimed to have observed from a hill overlooking the camp. 182 bucks and squaws participated in the dance, which took place in a large circle around a tree. The reporter described the scene: The dancers held on anothers hands and moved slowly around the tree. They did not raise their feet as high as they do in the sun dance, most of the time it looked as though their ragged moccasins did not leave the ground, and the only idea of dancing the spectators could gain from the motion of the fanatics was the weary bending of the knees. Round and round the dancers went, with their eyes closed and their heads bent toward the ground. The chant was incessant and monotonous. I see my father, I see my mother, I see my brother, I see my sister, was Half Eyes translation of the chant, as the squaw and warrior moved laboriously about the tree.The spectacle was as ghastly as it could be: it showed the Sioux to be insanely religious. The white figures bobbing between pained and naked warriors and the shrill yelping noise of the squaws as they tottered in grim endeavor to outdo the bucks, made a picture in the early morning which has not yet been painted or accurately described. Half Eyes says the dance which the spectators were then witnessing had been going on all night. On the following day the other side of the country, the front-page story A Devilish Plot claimed that Indians on the Pine Ridge reservation planned to hold a ghost dance in a narrow valley. The plotters, the newspaper claimed, would  then lure soldiers into the valley to stop the ghost dance, at which point they would be massacred. In It Looks More Like War, the New York Times claimed that Little Wound, one of the leaders at the Pine Ridge reservation, the great camp of the ghost dancers, asserted that the Indians would defy orders to cease the dancing rituals. The article said the Sioux were choosing their fighting ground, and preparing for a major conflict with the U.S. Army. Role of Sitting Bull Most Americans in the late 1800s were familiar with Sitting Bull, a medicine man of the Hunkpapa Sioux who was closely associated with the Plains Wars of the 1870s. Sitting Bull did not directly participate in the massacre of Custer in 1876, though he was in the vicinity, and his followers attacked Custer and his men. Following the demise of Custer, Sitting Bull led his people into safety in Canada. After being offered amnesty, he eventually returned to the United States in 1881. In the mid-1880s, he toured with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, alongside performers like Annie Oakley. By 1890, Sitting Bull was back in South Dakota. He became sympathetic to the movement, encouraged young Native Americans to embrace the spirituality espoused by Wovoka, and apparently urged them to take part in the ghost dance rituals. The endorsement of the movement by Sitting Bull did not go unnoticed. As the fear of the ghost dance spread, what appeared to be his involvement only heightened tensions. The federal authorities decided to arrest Sitting Bull, as it was suspected he was about to lead a major uprising among the Sioux. On December 15, 1890, a detachment of U.S. Army troops, along with Native Americans who worked as police officers on a reservation, rode out to where Sitting Bull, his family, and some followers were camped. The soldiers stayed at a distance while the police sought to arrest Sitting Bull. According to news accounts at the time, Sitting Bull was cooperative and agreed to leave with the reservation police, but young Native Americans attacked the police. A shoot-out occurred, and in the gun battle, Sitting Bull was shot and killed. The death of Sitting Bull was major news in the East. The New York Times published a story about the circumstances of his death on its front page, with subheadlines described him as an old medicine man and a wily old plotter. Wounded Knee The ghost dance movement came to a bloody end at the massacre at Wounded Knee on the morning of December 29, 1890. A detachment of the 7th Cavalry approached an encampment of natives led by a chief named Big Foot and demanded that everyone surrender their weapons. Gunfire broke out, and within an hour approximately 300 Native men, women, and children were killed. The treatment of the native peoples and the massacre at Wounded Knee signify a dark episode in American history. After the massacre at Wounded Knee, the ghost dance movement was essentially broken. While some scattered resistance to white rule arose in the following decades, the battles between Native Americans and whites in the West had ended. Resources and Further Reading â€Å"The Death of Sitting Bull.† New York Times, 17 Dec. 1890.â€Å"It Looks More Like War.† New York Times, 23 Nov. 1890.â€Å"The Ghost Dance.† New York Times, 22 Nov. 1890.â€Å"A Devilish Plot.† Los Angeles Herald, 23 Nov. 1890.

Critically analyse qualitative research articles Essay

Critically analyse qualitative research articles - Essay Example In terms of organization, first a brief summary of each article is presented. Then the method employed for each research is analyzed before making concluding remarks. The first article under review is by I Lin Sin. The article reports on research in which the author sought to explore the degree to which a group of foreign students from Malaysia studying at a British university hoped to secure lucrative jobs upon completing their studies. The author conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with ten students. The interviewees believed that holding a prestigious UK degree increased their chances of material success. Participants from minor ethnic groups were especially found to value work in the private sector and the ability to work wherever in the world. The article with the recommendation of further research on how the middle-class seeks to distinguish itself in the global higher education. Carleton Edwards wrote the second article and reports on a qualitative study conducted on the involvement of users of social services in assessing students of Diploma in Social Work on their practice placements. The author undertook a qualitative survey in which they collected the views of practice teachers using semi-structured questionnaires. The survey focused on the chief principles, issues and practical ramifications of involving service users in the assessing DipSW students. The article summarizes the findings of the survey and discusses the main hurdles encountered in the conducting the survey. Edwards then makes some recommendations for DipSW courses in the UK. Sin reports that they used what they call "theoretical sampling" to pick their ten interviewees. According to the author, this method of sampling entails selecting participants depending on their ability to contribute to the development of analyzes, theories and explanations. I find this approach to

205 Finals Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

205 Finals - Coursework Example authorizes a roving wiretap he/she should have some assurance that an innocent witness sensitive communications are protected and that the court order is not an effective general warrant to be filled in later. The issue presented by the article is about the potential of the Patriot Act to prevent acts of terrorism. The article states that if the Act was available before 9/11, it could have prevented a potential attack against the United States from the terrorists. There is no bias in the article. The information is well presented and there are sufficient information and evidence provided by the author to prove that the Patriot Act was very crucial in the prevention of a possible attack. Although the article states that the terrorists left an electronic mail, some of the conversations provided are vague because they cannot ascertain who was being mentioned. The names included in the conversations are based on assumptions that those individuals were the one being targeted. It is imperative to note that the electronic mails did not give much of the information on the individuals put in parenthesis. The first paragraph of the article uses figurative language to describe the United States as viewed by Jeffrey Leon Battle, a terrorist. The paragraph states â€Å"Homegrown terrorist Jeffery Leon Battle considered America the â€Å"land of the kaffirs,’ or unbelievers, and the American people ‘pigs’† (Jeffrey, 2008). The author asserts that the Patriot Act was crucial in the prevention of a potential attack in the United States by the terrorists. â€Å"The Patriot Act was crucial †¦ to prevent a potential attack within the United States †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Jeffrey, 2008, p1). There are contradicting statements within the article such as; an individual is allowed to own a gun but it has to stay unloaded and with a trigger lock and this defeats the purpose of the gun as a means of self-defense. There are sections that need further clarification; the Second Amendment needs to

Factors influencing participation in sport Essay Example for Free

Factors influencing participation in sport Essay Some people have very different views on training and the factors that affect them to participate in sport. They have very different attitudes to training. Im doing climate affecting participation. Some people may want to go out in the rain and train as they may find this enjoyable, but a lot of other people may dislike the cold and wet weather and stay indoors to participate in sport or just sit about. Also the majority of people would rather be outside, but in the warmth, with the sun shining. The countrys climate is a big factor that affects the participation and type of sport that they do, this also affects their attitudes towards training, for example, people in Australia will play more outdoor sports such as windsurfing and skateboarding as their climate is ideal for this type of exercise. Kenya has produced a lot of world class athletes, this is due to their climate, hot and dry all year. This encourages people to train a lot more and also outdoors. Kenya are world class at long distance running as are morocco, this is mostly due to when they train, and what type of weather they train in. If the weather is hot all the time, athletes will train on a regular basis, but if the weather is cold and wet, the athletes will not be motivated enough to go out and train, they will either train indoors or simply just sit around and watch tv or play boardgames. This is the scene in Northern Ireland, and Sweden etc as these countries have unpredictable weather and climates so no one knows what type of day it is going to be. When the weather changes this can change most athletes attitude to training. The heat outside motivates athletes to train outdoors. Fumes from traffic and factories, over a long period of time will start to affect the community in which people live in, this will, in actual fact, bring you bad health. The fumes will bring harm to your lungs and make breathing difficult. This means your fitness level will suffer. The environment also affects your performance in a sport event; for example, on a hot day you can overheat which makes you weak and dizzy. And think what a windy day can do to a tennis match, all these factors affect the performance and attitudes towards the training and participation in sport. At high altitudes air is thinner than at sea level, so you must breath harder in order to get the right amount of oxygen to your lungs. To perform well in a sport at high altitude you must first need time to adapt to the climate and the type of environment you are playing the sport in. All types of weather affect the way in which we think about sport. Hot, cold, dry, wet.

Mary Jane: The Devil Weed :: essays research papers fc

Mary Jane: The Devil Weed ABSTRACT: This paper, entitled "Mary Jane: The Devil Weed?" attempts to examine what we know about marijuana and what problems are associated with its use. The paper examines briefly the history of marijuana legislation, marijuana's known effects, and conclusions about its danger. Early in this century, the government waged a war of terrorism on marijuana, or cannabis sativa. "By 1937, forty-six states had laws against the use of marijuana, and its use had already been made a criminal offense under federal law" (Jaffe, 659). Andrews pointed out that "not until some time in the early 1930s did the Louisianna legislature pass a state regulation making use of the drug illegal" (5). Jaffe noted that "since the early 1900s, marifuana has been considered the one drug that might introduce the susceptible to hard drugs." Jaffe pointed out that "since about 1950.... smoking of marijuana has been linked statistically to the use of other illicit drugs....Most observers have concluded that the link is sociological rather than biological and...marijuana is a marker for individuals who are more prone to seek new experiences even when these violate social norms and local laws." Andrews related that "sensational newspaper stories relating...to crime is generally held to be accountable for the sudden enactment of a law prohibiting its use." He went on to note that "users were often subject to heavy penalties- -up to life imprisonment in Texas." "After caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, marijuana is the fourth most popular abused substance" (O'Brien, Cohen, Evans, and Fine, 175). does marijuana deserve this reputation? We must first consider what it is and what effects it has. The active ingredient is tetrahydocannabinol, or THC (Andrews). THC, found only in the female plant, produces a mild euphoric effect. Marijuana is considered a hallucinogen, a Schedule 1 drup, under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (O'Brien, Cohen, Evans, and Fine, 177). A Schedule 1 drug means there is no known medical use. Recently "a new drug application was approved for THC (Marinol) to be used therapeutically for control of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy" (Jaffe, 663). This moved THC from Schedule 1 to 2 (medical use despite potential for abuse). How dangerous is marijuana? Jaffe notes that "any performance test shows impairment....although no distinctive biochemical changes have been found in humans." Andrews writes, "Physical effects of marijuana use is probably the major question....The answer? None." O'Brien, Cohen, Evans, and Fine, reported that the National Institute on Drug Abuse found, "Marijunan now available is five to 10 times more potent than it was a half dozen years ago" (178). While these statements may not sound conclusive, the Institute of Medicine, according

The Vision of the New World That the Colonists Brought

Early colonist came to American for a variety of reasons, from religious freedom to dreams of getting rich. In this analysis we will look at the vision of two colonies and how the different colony visions led to the colony creation, and the differences between them. The New England community was so strong and so supportive in comparison to that of the settlers in Jamestown, Chesapeake Bay, that it is no wonder they developed into two distinctly different cultures before the year 1700. The Chesapeake region developed into a land of plantations and money-driven owners with a very small middle class, and those in poverty creating the population.New England, on the other hand, had developed into a religion and family based society comprised of mostly middle class families by 1700. Looking at the terrain, government, and the people themselves, reveals clues about how the drastic split in society came to be. While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced persecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by their priest, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700.Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and pacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, and while settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700. Their towns were well organized, with the church being the basis of everyone's daily life, and they wanted to establish equality and have everyone working together in harmony. Family was an important part of the Puritan religion, so their ships came with twenty-two men and twenty-one women, so there was stability.They learned useful farming techniques from the Native Americans, and farming was their prime source of the economy. The Purit an work ethic kept people from working for extreme material gain. The Puritans were hard workers who had goal for a religiously purified town. Not everyone in England was facing harsh persecution and many travelers came to the New World with high hopes of fame and gold, which led to numerous conflicts. It was a land for the rich to get richer. The people that were assigned to the ships destined for Jamestown (Chesapeake Region) came without their families and their ages ranged from old to young, but mainly oung men. The men outnumbered the women six to one. This caused the society to be more chaotic because there were many broken families and a mad rush for the few women. The settlers in the Chesapeake region main goal were to get rich, or to gain new land and find gold. According to John Smith, all the people could do was live for gold; it was their only purpose. The Chesapeake Bay settlers had to endure the harshness of their new environment. The climate was not favorable and near ly half of the people died because of exposure to diseases or starvation.Those that were lucky and survived these hardships were left to fight with the local Indians. Dis-organized and unable to find mountains of gold, large tobacco plantations were started and farming was taken up by the settlers. These business men were not use to being agricultural farmers. This was why things were so difficult before John Smith took lead of the colony with his â€Å"You don’t work, you don’t eat† mentality. People were not accustomed to hard work and physical labor, and the colony was dying slow. As a result of the hardships the first importation of slavery began in the colonies.At first indentured servants were being used to work the fields, but they were far less exploited than the slaves. Indentured servants worked for the person who paid their way to the Colony until the depths were paid off, but soon their services were less useful and slaves were being imported in mass ive numbers. The colonial planters were making money and gaining large profits off of free labor. The development of the two cultures may also have been the result of the terrain the groups occupied. In the Chesapeake region, the colonists settled on swampy marshland that was hard to defend and even more difficult to survive in.With so many people dying from disease and starvation, and the extreme shortage of marriageable women, the population grew slowly, if at all. Families were more groups of mangy children half related, from different fathers. Frequent death made unnatural family life a common thing. In the New England colonies, the people chose flat, manageable ground that left them with easy to plow fields. The soil and religious beliefs were ideal for subsistence farming, which meant small, manageable farms that would provide for a family of eight to ten. Since the farmers looked only to feed themselves, there was little, if any, need for extra abor; having most, if not all, workers available inside their own family. The moderate climate made disease a rarity in the colony, and death even more so. The balanced family life and food supply meant more able-minded colonists. Society had a patriarchal structure of man before woman and woman before child. Children themselves skipped over a childhood and were treated as adults at a very early age. They were expected to obey their parents and keep faith in the church. All these elements together led to Northern prosperity and growth. The land itself was important, more so was how it became used for profit.This â€Å"land is money† belief was a unique attribute of the region by 1700. The motive for profit also helped to develop society in the Chesapeake region. The Chesapeake men discovered tobacco and began a fierce production of it from their plantations. Since tobacco depleted the soil rapidly, new land was always a must. To acquire this land, wealthy owners paid for servants to be brought over and wor k the fields. Each was given a land grant of fifty acres, which was not worth all that much. However, the men were bringing over ten, twenty, maybe even thirty servants to work in the tobacco fields.Thirty men at fifty acres a piece add up to a lot of land, so the land owners started to bring in slavery and more black people to work their fields. Instead of growing tobacco, New England farmers were most likely to produce barley or corn, which helped them stay well fed during long winter months. They were more concerned with the survival of their families than the profit they could make from the rich soil, so the food was not sold for a profit. Rather, the colony became self-supporting in the issue of food. With food taken care of, the New England colonies were left to import stoves, tea, and spices, among other things.Since they only needed to grow food to support their own family as subsistence farmers, New England farmers rarely had any more than their original acreage. This creat ed a more equal reality for all owners, comfortable or struggling. The differences between the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies led to separate societies by the time of the 1700's. Agriculture, motive, people, religion, and terrain are all factors that affected how they grew apart. However, it is also through the actions of the men and woman who settled in the regions, and the choices they made, that led to the development of these two colonies.

My Philosophy of a teacher Essay

What makes a good instructor? There are lots of factors, which determine the answer to this question, and one of the most important aspects of being a good teacher is, I believe, the teaching strategy of a teacher. I think that teachers play a very important role in molding the career of a student emotionally, technically and intellectually. A good teacher is a person who works with a single powerful goal in mind: working for the best interests of all the students, which help them, succeed socially and academically. I certainly don’t agree with the statement made by Dunny that a good teacher is just about knowing the curriculum and forcing the stuff on the students without taking much interest in it. I think that if this thought of dunny materializes, I can’t imagine the level of deterioration in education and true knowledge in the students. Being a good teacher does not mean a person with all the bookish knowledge imparting it to the students without taking a personal interest in the subject. Involving your whole self into the subject and helping the students to realize the main morale of the situation follows true knowledge and not the cramming of books. Also, I think that if a teacher pays greater attention to every student’s personal interests, it will help them to succeed in their career intellectually as well as morally. Besides imparting the curriculum on the students, a teacher has the responsibility of shaping the youths of their class with the knowledge and social experiences they will need to improve their future, so it is very important for a teacher to go beyond the curriculum and impart true knowledge. How can you expect a senior year student to succeed in college if he/she hasn’t got any preparation for the transition by the high school teachers? A true teacher in that case would bring a college like atmosphere into the classroom, which would help the students prepare for the way things would be in college. This is just a small example of what teachers are for, to educate students on more than just books or academics but on life. Teachers are more than just people who relay information about a certain subject. Being a teacher means being a mentor to someone who desperately needs a  mentor: providing love and understanding to someone who may not receive it at home: taking care of someone who is hurt: teaching students to be a success in life and being responsible for their future. The personal satisfaction of giving a new hope to the future citizens of the country greatly surpasses all the negative and strenuous aspects of the job. Learning needs to be fun and hands on as much as possible in order to keep the children interested and eager to learn and this is only possible if the teacher takes personal interest in the curriculum he/she teaches. If students are taught in a way that they will remember, then in the future they will be able to put this knowledge to use practically. If a teacher follows â€Å"the Dunny rule† in class, the students will grow rebellious eventually they may turn up to cursing and screaming in class due to the lack of enjoyment in the knowledge they are being imparted. This results in deviation of the schools main goal: To make their students succeed in life. Finally, I believe that the real duty of a teacher is to foster love for learning and take true interest in the knowledge he/she is imparting to all the students. This includes allowing students to take ownership of their learning, shape their instruction and ultimately give them the choice of success or failure depending on their own sense of responsibility. Thus, I believe that to be a successful teacher, not only one has to impart the knowledge in the curriculum but also prepare the students for life and this is only possible when the teacher takes personal interest in his/her subject while teaching and helps every student to succeed in academics as well as Life, beca use what matters finally is ‘Life’.

The Queen Annes Revenge - Blackbeards Pirate Ship

The Queen Anne's Revenge - Blackbeard's Pirate Ship The Queen Annes Revenge was a massive pirate ship commanded by Edward Blackbeard Teach in 1717-18. Originally a French slaving vessel that Blackbeard captured and modified, it was one of the most formidable pirate ships ever, carrying 40 cannons and enough room for plenty of men and loot. The Queen Annes Revenge was capable of fighting off nearly any Navy warship afloat at the time. It sank in 1718, and many believe that Blackbeard scuttled it on purpose. The wreck has been found and has turned up a treasure trove of pirate artifacts. From Concorde to Queen Annes Revenge On November 17, 1717, Blackbeard captured La Concorde, a French slaving vessel. He realized that it would make a perfect pirate ship. It was large yet fast and big enough to mount 40 cannons on board. He renamed it Queen Annes Revenge: the name referred to Anne, Queen of England and Scotland (1665-1714). Many pirates, including Blackbeard, were Jacobites: this meant that they favored the return of the throne of Great Britain from the House of Hanover to the House of Stuart. It had changed hands after Annes death. The Ultimate Pirate Ship Blackbeard preferred to intimidate his victims into surrendering, as fights were costly. For several months in 1717-18, Blackbeard used the Queen Annes Revenge to effectively terrorize shipping in the Atlantic. Between the massive frigate and his own fearsome appearance and reputation, Blackbeards victims rarely put up a fight and handed over their cargoes peacefully.  He plundered the shipping lanes at will. He was even able to blockade the port of Charleston for a week in April of 1718, looting several ships. The town gave him a valuable chest full of medicines to make him go away. The Queen Annes Revenge Sinks In June of 1718, the Queen Annes Revenge hit a sandbar off of North Carolina and had to be abandoned. Blackbeard took the opportunity to make off with all of the loot and a select few of his favorite pirates, leaving the others (including hapless pirate Stede Bonnet) to fend for themselves. Because Blackbeard went legit (sort of) for a little while after that, many thought he scuttled his flagship on purpose. Within a few months, Blackbeard would return to piracy and on November 22, 1718, he was killed by pirate hunters in a pitched battle off of North Carolina. The Wreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge In 1996, a shipwreck believed to be that of the Queen Annes Revenge was discovered off of North Carolina. For 15 years it was excavated and studied, and in 2011 it was confirmed to be Blackbeards ship. The shipwreck has yielded many interesting artifacts, including weapons, cannons, medical gear and a massive anchor. Juha Flinkman, SubZone OY / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons Many of the artifacts are on display at North Carolinas Maritime museum and can be viewed by the public. The opening of the exhibit drew record crowds, a testament to Blackbeards lasting reputation and popularity. Sources Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996Defoe, Daniel (Captain Charles Johnson). A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009Konstam, Angus. The Pirate Ship 1660-1730. New York: Osprey, 2003.

The Purpose of the Order in a Rose for Emily Research Paper Example

The Purpose of the Order in a Rose for Emily Research Paper Example The Purpose of the Order in a Rose for Emily Paper The Purpose of the Order in a Rose for Emily Paper To the odder reader, this choice of organization may seems a little strange, but William Faulkner wrote in this way with the purpose of creating suspense, mystery, and sympathy. William Faulkner, in A Rose for Emily, takes a small town scandal and turns it into a heightening story holding the readers attention till the last sentence. Taking the reader from the present to the past creates the essence of mystery, to the reader, by the cleaver use of hermeneutic codes. Starting the story with Emily Gridirons death, cleverly, grabs the readers attention by presenting the question, How did she die? . Another example of Faulkner presenting questions is in one part of the story where the narrator goes back to an account of Miss. Emily banishing the taxes collectors from her house. See Colonel Sartor. , Miss. Emily replied, (Colonel Sartor has been dead almost ten years. ) l have no taxes in Jefferson. Toby! The Negro appeared. Show these gentleman out. So she vanquished them, horse and foot, Just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell. That was two years after her fathers death and a short time after her sweetheart- the en who we believed would marry her- had deserted her. (31 ) Once again, we see the use of hermeneutic codes, and the mystery Faulkner creates. Why cant Emily come to the realization Colonel Sartor is dead? What smell caused the men of the town to confront her? Who was her sweetheart? Why did he leave her? , each a question that increases the mystery within Emails story. Going hand in hand with the mysteriousness of Emily story, is the suspense building throughout the entire narrative. At the beginning of the narrative, the questions the reader falls on are not of the serious nature, Why doesnt she have any axes? , Why has no one been inside her homer, and so on; albeit, as the story progresses William Faulkner adds in the element of suspense. In one part of the story, the narrator refers back to a time when Emily goes to by arsenic. For what? As readers we do not know, Emily refuses to tell. Reading on we find the towns people rumoring about seclude. Is that how she addled The reader Is left hanging in the suspense, as William Faulkner continues his pattern of leaving the reader guessing by moving too different account of Emily life, only heightening the readers interest In the story. Along with suspense and mystery. William Faulkner, creates sympathy for Emily by telling the events of her life in this fashion. We start the story at her visitation. When she is buried, Faulkner does not say she is buried with her family, but with The ranked Ana anonymous graves AT Nylon Ana concentrate servers won Tell at ten battle of Jefferson. ( 30) As if to start the story by saying she is Just part of the past. Our next account of Emily is as an old lady, bitter and uncaught-up to the times, insistent of the fact that she does not have taxes and hardened to the realization of a Emily friends death, of nearly ten years. The next account of Emily is even earlier and we see the town gossiping about the smell of her home and the way she has her man servant clean the place. Later, it is speculated that Emily is considering suicide; no longer wanting to live in a world that is ageing around her, subjected to be the talk of the town, and abandoned by her lover. William Faulkner, tells the events of Emily life in an order that makes her sympathetic to the reader, which is why, when Faulkner finally comes back to the present and reveals that Emily is truly a cerographical homicidal psychopath, it hits the reader with a profound effect. Had William Faulkner told the events of Emily Gridirons life in chronological story would have lost its mystery and suspenseful effect on the reader. Also, it would have made it a lot more difficult to sympathize with Emily if we had heard of her life, the rich girl who had everything growing up, from start till finish. By telling the events of Emily life out of order, Faulkner, opens up the mind of the reader. Forcing the reader to draw conclusions, read deeper into the meaning of events, and ultimately causes the reader to be shocked by the ending.

Short critical reflection paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short critical reflection paper - Assignment Example "The survey proves that mobile devices and technology have changed the traditional college experience and the role technology plays in students academic abilities and success," said Jessica Nelson of CourseSmart. "Todays students are truly carrying a digital backpack." (Olavsrud, 2011) Keeping up with the increasing trends, instructors are also doing their best to use the digital means for teaching. Research concludes that about ninety seven percent of the students receive digital course material from their instructors each day. â€Å"Cyber bullying is bullying through email, instant messaging (IMing), chat room exchanges, Web site posts, or digital messages or images send to a cellular phone or personal digital assistant (PDA)† (as quoted from Olweus,2011). Cyber bullying has been on an alarming rise since the past 5 years. According statistics published in the ‘CyberBullying Alert’ site, the National Crime Prevention Centre has quoted the following statistics about cyber bullying in the last five years: The reasons behind Cyber Bullying primarily are that due to ineffective and non-promulgation of privacy laws abusers tend to make false identities over social media and thus openly abuse other users often youngsters. It is because of cyber bullying and some other misuse of the social web that it is highly recommended that ethical and social guidelines be defined and followed whenever interacting over the said media. There are high possibilities that due to the promulgation of internet etiquette guidelines cyber bullying would reduce considerably. The world is not flat for all of us. Consider a haircut†¦can you outsource that? What about repairs on your home? Is that service part of the â€Å"flat† world coined by Friedman? So then, what is globalization all about and how is technology one of the drivers? The world definitely is not flat in line with what Friedman says. There are geographical and

What can the trial of Socrates teach us about the ethics of democratic Essay

What can the trial of Socrates teach us about the ethics of democratic citizenship - Essay Example He defended his ideas against critics who tried to challenge him to prove them. Many people were surprised with amount of audacity and confidence he showed even at a time his was threatened. He never doubted his intellectual wit and his philosophical findings. He surprised many people in his country and across the world when he rather chose to die but not change his philosophical ideas he had invented (Hiley, 66). The life of Socrates and lesson people learned from his trial that led to his death is clearly discussed. The effects of his trial to the current ethics of democratic citizenship is discussed and broadly evaluated. The trial of Socrates is firmly written the books of history because it had a great impact on the modern and ancient history of philosophy. He was one of the best and popular philosophers during his time. The citizen of the Athens arrested Socrates and brought him to judgment after hearing his philosophical findings. A big number of the people did not agree with the way he reasoned about life and they felt that they were being offended with such sayings. They called him to council of about five hundred citizen to face charges that were against him. The person to record the proceedings of the court process was Plato, his former student whom he had taught. Athenian law required the suspect to gather his own defense and present them on the floor, and one was required to gather his/her family to come and give emotional support. Socrates never allowed his family to step to the courtroom arguing that they make him lose concentration. After several court sessions, the acting judges who included Meletus, Lycon and Anytus found and ruled that Socrates was guilty. They ruled that he was influencing and corrupting the minds of the youths. He faced death as punishment to his crime, and his friends watched helplessly as drunk hemlock that was prepared for him. The citizens of Athens were surprised by the way he strongly defended his philosophical ideas and courageously faced death. His death brought a great impact in the world of ancient philosophical history. The Socrates trial and death has many lessons that can be learned from the ethics of a democratic citizen. There are democratic virtues that Socrates had, and they include eternal skepticism, which a citizen is allowed to have a broad and open dialogue on views commented by other citizens. The other democratic virtues are ability to participate and demonstrate without being brought to judgment (Talisse). Historians remain puzzled on the trial, especially with the present freedom evidenced in the societal setting. It is indeed strange how one can be victimized for being a teacher, and such teachings result in demise. Further, it is indeed strange why one would be put to death when a natural death was eminent. This clearly demonstrated that Socrates was not a wanted individual in the society and there was no ethics displayed in the actions. Socrates significantly contributed i n awakening the societal standpoint on political and ethical dealings and the misconceptions that are often involved in the two. Through his actions, he successfully demonstrated that there existed several fallacies in democratic citizenship. "The unexamined life is not worth living" is among the quotes he presented to elucidate this fact. Further, what one considered virtuous may not be necessarily seen in a similar manner in another area or by another person. Therefore, egalitarian citizenship varied depending on the location; hence, the trial may have diverse teachings. Rather than rebutting his teachings and his beliefs on his teachings, Socrates chose to die. He thus evidenced his moral commitment, since he