SPEACKER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SPEACKER - Essay Example According to the speaker, entrepreneurship is governed by huge risks and we can observe from the history that most of the startup companies fail. This primarily happens because people jump into the entrepreneurship without prior experience and knowledge of the changing market trends. Moreover, the fail entrepreneurs do not have a very clear mission and vision for their companies or their managerial operations are not consistent with the strategic decisions (Feinleib). All these factors play a vital role in the failure of any start-up business. However, this also gives entrepreneurs the insight knowledge of their business and hence failure is also important for the betterment of future decisions. Entrepreneurial failure discloses the basic methodologies through which an individual can refrain from significant losses. The speaker has identified the basic principles which can actually save people from instant business failures. For example, diligent planning is necessary especially in t erms of finances because start-up companies usually go out of cash if the inflows and outflows are not managed thoroughly. Additionally, there was an emphasis upon the significance of peculiar business details which are often ignored by the new entrepreneurs and hence they face immediate failure. For instance, entrepreneurs are required to be extra sensitive towards the changing market trends and overall consumer behavior. With the advent of modern technology customers have altering choices and hence there is a possibility that they might get product substitutes very soon. Another important aspect which requires greater attention from the entrepreneurs is their attitude after entering into the market. They must maintain profound behavior while analyzing business opportunities. They need to have a very soft and calm attitude to deal with different situations. This is further connected with the fear of business failure. People who initially fear the financial loss actually make more p roductive decisions which foster their future progress and development. Leadership and entrepreneurship are interconnected with one another. For instance, strong leadership is one of the major contributors of successful business startups. Moreover, leadership based on hard work, passion and integrity actually ensures the long term sustenance of business. This is subsequently correlated with organizational culture and employee involvement. The failure of startup businesses was a more interesting topic for me because I have personally suffered from such experience. I entered into the market without developing a diligent plan, business forecast or an outline of consumer demands. My plan was to introduce fragrance soap particularly, for women which can perform as a regular soap and an attractive fragrance at the same time. I was supposed to target middle class working women whose professional expenses could be reduced with an integration of perfumes and soaps. However, my business plan failed within three years of its operations because the product positioning was very wrong. I had to face immense competition from soap manufacturers and perfume producers whereas I got out of cash just after two years of setting up the business. Hence one of the most interesting perspectives which I have identified after experiencing a failed enterprise is the perfect market segmentation and product positionin

Motivation and Behavior Essay Example for Free

Motivation and Behavior Essay Motivation refers to the process that drives an organism to behave the way it does. Simply put motivation causes an organism to eat, sleep, and drink and individuals to participate in the activities they find satisfying. Motivation can separate people into two categories optimist and pessimist. Optimists are those looking for the good in situations and pessimists finding the bad. Motivational sources can be described as extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic is the motivation that comes from outside of the individual. Intrinsic is the motivation of an individual that comes from within. Motivation affects an organism’s behavior. Dr. Whitbourne describes six theories in here article from psychology today; instinct, drive reduction, arousal, incentive, cognitive and self-determination. Motivation As defined by psychology.about.com, motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is the psychological process that tells humans what to do. A motivation causes humans and other species to drink, eat, play, sleep and reproduce. Without motivation there would be no reason for accomplishing anything. Within the motivation process there are different factors with each individual. Motivation can come in the form of positive motivation and negative motivation. These motivating factors eventually lead to an emotional state within the individual. Generally motivation creates to type of individuals that society recognizes and relates with; optimist and pessimist. Optimistic is disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome, (â€Å"Optimistic,†2012). These are the individuals who tend to have a positive outlook on life. In most cases these individuals are look for the good in every situation. From dictionary.com, pessimistic is pertaining to or characterized as the tendency to expect the worst and see the worst in all things. Pessimists are those individuals who see the worst in everything . Sources of Motivation Extrinsic/Intrinsic Extrinsic is defined by dictionary.com as, not essential or inherent; being outside a thing; outward or external; operating or coming from without, (Extrinsic, 2012). Extrinsic motivation is simply that, things that motivate from the external. When looking at individuals who have extrinsic motivation, they tend to not enjoy certain activities, (Huitt, 2011). They tend to be a reward based group and need affirmation from an outside source. Throughout society many people can be found to fit this category of motivation. As shown a person who only writes poems to be submitted to poetry contests as well as a person who does not like sales but accepts a sales position for the amount of money he/she will make, (Psychology, n.d.). Intrinsic is defined by dictionary.com as, belonging to a thing by its very nature; of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent, (Intrinsic, 2012). If extrinsic is from the external, the intrinsic is from within the individual. These individuals to things because it please them and they find the activity enjoyable, (Psychology, n.d.). These people are not concerned as much with what the outside world or society thinks. They are motivated from within. An example shows, playing chess because the individual enjoys effortful thinking, and a person reading a non-fiction book because they are curious about the topic, (Psychology, n.d.). Motivation and Behavior From an article written by Susan Drauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. motivation as the cause of behavior is examined. In her article Dr. Whitbourne discuss insights to explain the complexity of behavior. The instinct theory as Dr. Whitbourne refers to it as the biological set instincts that organisms have, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). These factors are what tell organisms to do in order to survive, such as the lion hunting the antelope or a flock of geese migrating south for the winter. The second she describes is the drive reduction theory, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). This theory talks about organisms and how they will try to just ensure that their needs are met and not look for anything else, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). The article goes on to discuss how critics argue that if this theory were true no one would do thinks that were considered risky, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). Third Dr. Whitbourne discusses the arousal theory, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). Arousal theory is the opposite of drive reduction, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). Arousal theory is the motivation which drives individuals to increase their stimulation and seek out things that are exciting and outside just what the individual needs, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011). Dr. Whitbourne goes on to discuss 3 more theories such as the incentive theory, cognitive theory, and the self-determination theory, (â€Å"Motivation: the whys of behavior,† 2011).. Summary Motivation is the process that drives individuals to behave the way they do. Individuals are categorized into two, optimist and pessimist. There are multiple sources of motivations that can be describe as either extrinsic or intrinsic. Whatever the source, individuals are either motivated from within or the world around them. In an article written by Dr. Whitbourne, six theories are described which examine the â€Å"why of behavior.† References Extrinsic. (2012). In Dictionary.com Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intrinsic Huitt, W. (2011). Motivation to learn: An overview.Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html Intrinsic. (2012). In Dictionary.com. Retrived from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intrinsic Motivation: the whys of behavior. (2011, October). Fullfillment at Any Age, (), Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201110/motivation-the-why-s-behavior Optimistic. (2012). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/optimistic Psychology and society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.psychologyandsociety.com/motivation.html

Expansion Of Arthurs Battle With The Giant :: essays research papers

Arthur turned his head in the direction the woman's gaze and there before him stood the giant that he had heard so much about during the past few days. It stood almost 20 feet off the ground and carried a club bigger than Arthur himself. The stench of rotting human corpses emanated from its disgusting body and insects of every sort imaginable crawled freely through its hair and under its skin. Arthur stood motionless, stunned for a moment by the unbelievable hideousness of the creature."How could a God who created the beauty of things such as the forests and mountains also be responsible for creating such filth?" thought Arthur. He then put his hand on his sword and grasped it tightly. Was this giant more than he could handle? Would his pride and honor lead him to his death? If Merlin was right, and God was not on his side, how could he expect to win this fight? Arthur's stomach began to churn as all these thoughts flew through his mind and he clenched Excalibur even tighter. The giant was carrying the bodies of twelve peasants on its back. The sight of the dead men and women the giant had so mercilessly killed enraged Arthur. This beast would pay dearly for its crimes if he had anything to do with it."May great God in heaven, who rules the world, give you a short life and shameful death! Surely you are the most foul fiend that was ever formed! Guard yourself, you dog, and prepare to die, for this day my hands will kill you!" exclaimed Arthur.The giant answered Arthur by raising its massive club and swinging it at him. Arthur could feel a gust of wind blow against him as the tree-sized club whipped through the air towards him. He raised his shield with his head covered in an attempt to block the giants blow. This was the worst part of fighting for Arthur, not being able to see what was happening, he would have to leave his fate up to God.The blow came quickly, completely jolting and stunning Arthur and shattering his shield into sawdust, but at least he was still alive. If God was to forsake him, today was not the day He did so. Arthur's strength and confidence grew after he survived the first blow for he believed God would protect him tonight.

My Hardest English Teacher Essay -- narrative, descriptive

I always thought that I was a talented writer. By writing, I mean conveying my thoughts or ideas in ways that people found interesting and fun. Writing came easy to me, and I could write pages of original ideas and thoughts in a matter of minutes. It was fun and easy - not something I had to work hard at. That was until I entered into the tenth grade. That year in Honors AP English, my whole writing style was turned upside down. We were no longer writing the "In my opinion." or "I think." papers. We were writing critical and analytical essays. We actually had to prove and support our ideas - something totally new to me. Of course, with my writing "expertise," I thought this would be no problem at all. That year, everything changed, and six years later, I still use the techniques that I learned in that class. In classes prior to this, teachers had always stressed the ideas of pre-writing, drafts, and editing. But because writing always came so easy to me and I excelled at it, these were just practices I completed to humor the teacher. I had no use for them. They didn't seem to have any effect on my writing at all. However, that changed when I entered the tenth grade class. The teacher of the class was the department head, Mrs. K. We called her "the K'ster." She was a fairly short, roly-poly woman - the kind that are supposed to be so nice and call you "sweetie" and "dear." But she didn't. She wasn't mean, but she didn't take excuses, and that was made very clear to us early on. If we didn't work in her Honors AP class, we could kiss our seat goodbye. According to her, there was a list of people just waiting to get into the class. The K'ster always carried around a water bottle. Every time she spoke, she would get two words ou... ...writing assignment." This feeling has stuck with me for years. However, now I can whip off a theoretical paper in no time flat! In fact, I have fine-tuned my system so well that, depending on the assignment, I can sometimes skip writing down my brainstorming, and just think about the ideas for a couple of days until they blossom. As much as I didn't like the K'ster, she forced me to deal with a new type of writing with which I had a very difficult time. Because of her, I now have a system of writing that works for me, and can be applied to almost any type of analytical assignment that can be given. However, I have the opposite problem now. I can write analytical and theoretical essays very easily, but writing creatively is difficult. I'm out of practice. I don't know where to start.I don't feel good about the ideas.The same excuses I had when I started tenth grade.

Modernization in Filipino Women Essay

For centuries, Filipino women have thought themselves of being dominated by men. From the Spanish era to the American colonization, they were brought up to believe that men are leaders in society and that they are subordinate to them [men]. This therefore affects their views on femininity. It has been said in Johanna Francisco’s Essence of a Filipino Woman that women in the Philippines are luckier among women of other countries in Asia. This has been so because men in Philippine society appreciate and honor them. In fact, it is being shown on how they [women] are permitted to educate themselves, work, and possess belongings which are prohibited [or not normal] in other Asian countries. But above all, it is primarily because of their character or â€Å"role† as a [loving] mother. How would one know what a Filipina is? Well, a Filipino woman is described as shy, reserved, prim, and discreet. She is cautious, bashful, charming, and meek. She could either be â€Å"Mestiza†, â€Å"Chinita†, or â€Å"Morena†. She is a lover, and, at times of trouble, a fighter. She, by nature, possesses a strong faith. She may not admit her being religious, but deep inside, she trusts in God’s loving power. It is being seen on how she always puts herself in the care of the Lord and prays for everybody she loves. She thinks of other people first before herself. She plays different roles in the society. According to Francisco, â€Å"she is a considerate daughter, a loyal friend, and a supportive and loving wife?. She is the driving force in the family, in a marriage, or in a relationship?. But for the most part, she is dignified†. Francisco also describes her as being humorous. She laughs a lot, making it one of her best asset. She is also an optimistic person who always finds â€Å"positive† things in â€Å"dire situations†. This paper talks about how Filipino women morality has been changed or influenced by modernization, therefore losing the real Filipina within. It tackles and touches on issues that are degrading to Filipino women. It has five major parts. The first would be the definition of morality and modernization, with an explanation of the connection between the two. Next is the evolution of Filipino women which starts from the very beginning of Philippine history. This would include mainly Filipino women of yesterday, and Filipino women of today. The third would be the beginning of modernization in the Philippines. This part discusses how modernization entered our country. The fourth would be Filipino women’s response to the fast growing modernization, and the last talks on the effects it [modernization] has given to Filipino women, specifically, their morality. The last pages of this paper would include a researched survey on what young adults of Silliman University of Dumaguete City, specifically from the College of Business Administration, thinks about modern Filipina morals as influenced by fast westernization of the Philippines. Modernization in the Philippines The Philippines has not been considered different from other countries. Like the countries in Africa and Asia (particularly southeast Asia), it has gone through experiences that deeply influenced Filipino customs and beliefs. It all began from the Spanish colonization to the American era to the commonwealth years and to the decades of independence that the Philippines has slowly changed its people due to factors of modernity such education, mass media, technological advancement, and the like. These changes are seen most commonly in the urban areas such as the cities and larger towns. It is in these areas where westernization is concentrated brought about by television, radio, and news papers. The impact of modernization in the Philippines has been â€Å"persuasive† since the first ever colonizer stepped into its lands. The Philippines’ attempt to compete in the highly modernized world can greatly affect the attitude of women today. However, according to a Filipino psychologist, the Filipinos have this â€Å"split-level personality. † This personality explains that some values of a Filipino remain the same even though some of his or her outlooks and aspects have been modernized. But this greatly depends on how well a person weigh things over. If he/she prefers modernization more than tradition, the â€Å"split-level personality† thing dissolves. This has been evidenced by Filipino women’s responses to modernization.

CKern_LESSONPLAN1 Essays - Arbordale Publishing, Lesson Plan

CKern_LESSONPLAN1 Essays - Arbordale Publishing, Lesson Plan Lesson Plan 1 Chloe Kern ESEPSY 2309 Ohio State University Age: Kindergarten Subject: Science Topic : Living vs Nonliving Things Time + Pacing Central Focus of Lesson: At the end of the lesson, students should understand the definition and examples of living and nonliving things. Part 2: Content Objectives Differentiate between living and nonliving things. Provide examples from their everyday lives of these things. Name characteristics of both living and nonliving things. Compare and contrast living and nonliving things. Key Vocabulary Living Nonliving Nutrients (in video) Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: Students will be using what they know about living things in their own life to come up with a definition. Using examples from what they already know and see in the world helps them to build schema. Students should also have a prior knowledge of how to use scissors, put art supplies away, and use glue. Materials Needed Scissors Glue Paper with 2 categories (one for each child) Pictures of living and nonliving things "Living Things and Nonliving Things: A Compare and Contrast Book" By Kevin Kurtz Projector Computer Board Back Up Plan: If materials such as the pictures of living and nonliving things or glue are not readily available, then the children will be told different items and be asked to draw these living and nonliving things. Part 3: Lesson Introduction Gather children in a group and begin to discuss living and nonliving things. Examples of questions to ask: "Are we living or nonliving?" "Is a book living or nonliving?" "Are animals living or nonliving?" "What makes something living?" Write their ideas of what makes something living on the board and discuss briefly. 5-10 min Introduction of New Information Play video: Living Things and Nonliving Things | Living | Nonliving | Kid's Science | 1st Grade Learning ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEz7RPvQCAI ) Ask questions about the video and add or erase any of the characteristics of living things on the board with the help of the children. Read "Living Things and Nonliving Things: A Compare and Contrast Book" By Kevin Kurtz This book shows that some nonliving things can move (ex: fire) and helps the children to better compare and contrast living and nonliving things. Ask comprehension questions about the book. 15-20 mins Learning Activities Children will receive a piece of paper with two categories: living and nonliving. They will also receive pictures of things that are living and nonliving. EXAMPLES Animals Plants Books Fire Children will be asked to cut and glue the different pictures on either category on the paper. 20 min (more time can be added if necessary) Closure (Presentation/Recap): Use this time to make any concepts more clear or answer any questions. Each child will share examples of one living and one nonliving thing that they have seen with the class. 5-10 min Necessity of Art Components This art project will help students visualize living and nonliving factors. If the students can connect their ideas of living and nonliving things personally through the grouping, it may help them to remember more information about this topic. Informal Assessments The teacher will go around while each student is working on their artwork/matching and listen to the conversations going on between group members. The teacher will be able to address misconceptions and steer students in the right direction if needed. Informal assessment will also be given when students are sharing their ideas of living and nonliving things with the group. Formal Assessment Assessment will be based on the children's ability to place living and nonliving things in the correct categories. This lesson plan helps children to build off of their previous knowledge of what it means to be living or nonliving. It will help to clear any misconceptions by giving them a checklist and examples of things that have aspects of both. I began by asking the children questions that were based off of their previous experiences and coming up with a working definition. Writing the ideas on the board will help them to see if there are any conflicting ideas. During this time I would not tell the students whether they are correct or incorrect, I would ask questions to help guide them to a correct answer. The next part of the lesson, watching the video, will begin to help students acquire new information about the definition of living and nonliving. Asking questions about the video will help the children to add to or take away things from the list on the board. This will

5 Most Important Things You Can Do for the Environment

5 Most Important Things You Can Do for the Environment If you feel you’re not doing enough for the environment by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with LED lights and composting your kitchen scraps, maybe you’re ready to make a deeper commitment to environmental stewardship. Some of these strategies may seem a little radical, but they are among the most valuable actions you can take to protect and preserve Earth’s environment. Have Fewer Children- Or None Overpopulation is arguably the world’s most serious environmental problem because it exacerbates all of the others. The global population grew from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999, an increase of 100 percent in just 40 years. According to current projections, the world population will expand to 9 billion by 2040. This represents a slower growth rate than that of the last half of the 20th century, but it will nevertheless leave us with many more people to accommodate. Planet Earth is a closed system with limited resources- only so much fresh water and clean air and only so many acres of land for growing food. As the world population grows, our finite resources must stretch to serve more and more people. At some point, that will no longer be possible. Some scientists believe we have already passed that point. Ultimately, we need to reverse this growth trend by gradually bringing the human population of our planet back down to a more manageable size. This means more people must decide to have fewer children. This may sound pretty simple on the surface, but the drive to reproduce is fundamental in all species. The decision to limit or forgo the experience is a difficult one for many people because of emotional, cultural, and religious traditions and pressures. In many developing countries, large families can be a matter of survival. Parents often have as many children as possible to ensure that some will live to help with farming or other work and to care for the parents when they are old. For people in cultures like these, lower birth rates will only come after other serious issues such as poverty, hunger, poor sanitation, and freedom from disease have been adequately addressed. In addition to keeping your own family small, consider supporting programs that fight hunger and poverty, improve sanitation and hygiene, or promote education, family planning, and reproductive health in developing nations. Use Less Water- And Keep It Clean Fresh, clean water is essential to life- no one can live long without it- yet it is one of the scarcest and most endangered resources in our increasingly fragile biosphere. Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but most of that is salt water. Freshwater supplies are much more limited and today a third of the world’s people lack access to clean drinking water. According to the United Nations, 95 percent of the cities worldwide still dump raw sewage into their water supplies. Not surprisingly, 80 percent of all illnesses in developing countries can be linked to unsanitary water. Especially if you live in a dry climate, you should use only as much water as you need, avoid wasting the water used, and strive to protect  water supplies. Eat Responsibly Eating locally grown food supports local farmers and merchants in your own community as well as reducing the amount of fuel, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions required to move the food you eat from the farm to your table. Eating organic meat and produce keeps pesticides and chemical fertilizers off your plate and out of rivers and streams. Eating responsibly also means eating less meat and fewer animal products such as eggs and dairy products, or perhaps none at all. Eating less meat is a matter of good stewardship of our finite resources. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and raising animals for food requires many times more land and water than growing food crops. Livestock now uses 30 percent of the planet’s land surface, including 33 percent of farmland worldwide, which is used to produce animal feed. Every time you sit down to a plant-based meal instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and protect anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution. Conserve Energy- And Switch to Renewable Energy Walk, bike, and use public transportation more. Drive less. Not only will you be healthier and help to preserve precious energy resources, but you’ll also save money. According to a study by the American Public Transportation Association, families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year. There are dozens of other ways you can conserve energy. You can turn off lights and unplug appliances when they are not in use and substitute cold water for hot whenever practical. Other small steps you can take include weather stripping your doors and windows and not overheating or overcooling your home and office. One way to start is to get a free energy audit from your local utility. Whenever possible, choose renewable energy over fossil fuels. For example, many municipal utilities now offer green energy alternatives so that you can get some or all of your electricity from wind, solar, or other renewable energy sources. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Many human activities- from using coal-fired power plants to generate electricity to driving gasoline-powered vehicles- cause greenhouse gas emissions that heat the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Scientists are already seeing significant climate changes that point to the likelihood of serious consequences. Some scenarios foresee increasing drought that could further reduce food and water supplies and, at the same time, rising sea levels that will submerge islands and coastal regions and create millions of environmental refugees. Online calculators can help you measure and reduce your personal carbon footprint, but climate change is a global problem that requires global solutions and, so far, the world’s nations have been slow to find common ground on this issue. In addition to lowering your own carbon footprint, let your government officials know that you expect them to take action on this issue- and keep the pressure on until they do. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

An In-Depth Guide to Yeats The Second Coming

An In-Depth Guide to Yeats The Second Coming William Butler Yeats wrote â€Å"The Second Coming† in 1919, soon after the end of World War I, known at the time as â€Å"The Great War† because it was the biggest war yet fought and â€Å"The War to End All Wars† because it was so horrific that its participants dearly hoped it would be the last war. It was also not long since the Easter Rising in Ireland, a rebellion that was brutally suppressed that was the topic of Yeats’ earlier poem Easter 1916, and the Russian Revolution of 1917, which overthrew the long rule of the czars and was accompanied by its full share of lingering chaos. It’s no wonder the poet’s words convey his sense that the world he knew was coming to an end. â€Å"The Second Coming,† of course, refers to the Christian prophecy in the Bible’s Book of Revelation that Jesus will return to reign over Earth in the end times. But Yeats had his own mystical view of the history and future end of the world, embodied in his image of the â€Å"gyres,† cone-shaped spirals that intersect so that each gyre’s narrowest point is contained inside the widest part of the other. The gyres represent different elemental forces in historical cycles or different strains in the development of an individual human psyche, each beginning in the purity of a concentrated point and dissipating/degenerating into chaos (or vice versa) and his poem describes an apocalypse very different from the Christian vision of the end of the world. The Second Coming To better discuss the piece on hand, lets refresh ourselves by rereading this classic piece: Turning and turning in the widening gyreThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhereThe ceremony of innocence is drowned;The best lack all conviction, while the worstAre full of passionate intensity.Surely some revelation is at hand;Surely the Second Coming is at hand.The Second Coming! Hardly are those words outWhen a vast image out of  Spiritus MundiTroubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desertA shape with lion body and the head of a man,A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,Is moving its slow thighs, while all about itReel shadows of the indignant desert birds.The darkness drops again; but now I knowThat twenty centuries of stony sleepWere vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? Notes on Form The underlying metric pattern of â€Å"The Second Coming† is iambic pentameter, that mainstay of English poetry from Shakespeare onward, in which each line is made up of five iambic feet - da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM / da DUM. But this fundamental meter is not immediately evident in Yeats’ poem because the first line of each section - its difficult to call them stanzas because there are only two and they are nowhere near the same length or pattern - begins with an emphatic trochee and then moves into a very irregular, but nonetheless incantatory rhythm of mostly iambs: TURN ing / and TURN / ing in / the WIDE / ning GYRESURE ly / some RE / ve LA / tion IS / at HAND The poem is sprinkled with variant feet, many of them like the third foot in the first line above, pyrrhic (or unstressed) feet, that enhance and emphasize the stresses that follow them. And the last line repeats the strange pattern of the first lines of the section, beginning with a bang, the trochee, followed by the tripping of unstressed syllables as the second foot is turned around into an iamb: SLOU ches / toward BETH / le HEM / to be / BORN There are no end-rhymes, not many rhymes at all, in fact, though there are many echoes and repetitions: Turning and turning...The falcon ... the falconerSurely ... at handSurely the Second Coming ... at handThe Second Coming! Altogether, the effect of all this irregularity of form and emphasis combined with the incantatory repetitions creates the impression that â€Å"The Second Coming† is not so much a made thing, a written poem, as it is a recorded hallucination, a dream captured. Notes on Content The first stanza of â€Å"The Second Coming† is a powerful description of an apocalypse, opening with the indelible image of the falcon circling ever higher, in ever-widening spirals, so far that â€Å"The falcon cannot hear the falconer.† The centrifugal impetus described by those circles in the air tends to chaos and disintegration - â€Å"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold † - and more than chaos and disintegration, to war - â€Å"The blood-dimmed tide† - to fundamental doubt - â€Å"The best lack all conviction† - and to the rule of misguided evil - The worst / Are full of passionate intensity.† The centrifugal impetus of those widening circles in the air, however, is no parallel to the Big Bang theory of the universe, in which everything speeding away from everything else finally dissipates into nothingness. In Yeats’ mystical/philosophical theory of the world, in the scheme he outlined in his book A Vision, the gyres are intersecting cones, one widening out while the other focuses into a single point. History is not a one-way trip into chaos, and the passage between the gyres not the end of the world altogether, but a transition to a new world -   or to another dimension. The second section of the poem offers a glimpse into the nature of that next, new world: It is a sphinx - â€Å"a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi... / A shape with lion body and the head of a man† - therefore it is not only a myth combining elements of our known world in new and unknown ways, but also a fundamental mystery, and fundamentally alien - â€Å"A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun.† It does not answer the questions posed by the outgoing domain - therefore the desert birds disturbed by its rising, representing the inhabitants of the existing world, the emblems of the old paradigm, are â€Å"indignant.† It poses its own new questions, and so Yeats must end his poem with the mystery, his question: â€Å"what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?† It has been said that the essence of great poems is their mystery, and that is certainly true of â€Å"The Second Coming.† It is a mystery, it describes a mystery, it offers distinct and resonant images, but it also opens itself to infinite layers of interpretation. Commentary and Quotations â€Å"The Second Coming† has resonated in cultures all over the world since its first publication, and many writers have alluded to it in their own work. A wonderful visual demonstration of this fact is online at Fu Jen University:  a rebus of the poem with its words represented by the covers of the many books that quote them in their titles.

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart Case Study

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart - Case Study Example Elaboration Likelihood Model identified message relevance as one of these factors. According to this model, when message relevance is high, individuals will actively process and evaluate the information in the advertisement when forming or changing attitudes. (Barrie, 2005) When message relevance is low, individuals will not actively process the information in the advertisement, but will instead rely on peripheral message cues to form or change attitudes. Brand Identity is that element of customer perception and awareness which has its focus in the results of a certain kind of projection through the brand equity building measures. This calls for an integrative model which will combine the basic elements of the brand identity and brand equity concepts so as to create a platform for the effective discussion of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. (Jorge et al, 2005) This has been of special relevance for the Walmart company as far as its foray into target market and product variation is c oncerned. Walmart depends to a great extent on the contribution and quality of its human capital. The human capital may be defined as that element of the organisation's operational sphere that is a living, breathing part of the activities that put the innate resources and factors of production into application. This application results in profits arising out of the activities of the human capital and the efficiency with which this resource carries out its tasks. This in turn, has a bearing on the achievement of the organisation's goals. (Jorge et al, 2005) Business Partner The first role of the human resource in today's organisation is that of a business partner. This has come to the fore with the emergence of various service oriented companies that provide intensive marketing services along with the products that are being produced. This is a formal level of institutionalised operations where the organisation profits greatly. This is done by pushing the product in quarters where the effects of regular marketing and promotion cannot reach. It is also an elevated level of salesman ship where the sales agents are offered a share in the business that they make. The advantage of this is that the business partners take a personal interest in the development of a clientele. (Green, 2002. P 111) Further, this serves the two fold purpose of sales and promotion. While there might not be

Chiana (Amazon) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Chiana (Amazon) - Essay Example It can help in pinpointing confusions inside the systems, both about establishments and in connection to government arrangements, which can disturb in engineering improvement and development. Planning which look to enhance organizing around the performer and organizations in the framework and which point the inventive firms limit their up gradation, especially what is their capability to recognize and absorb developments, are most important in this connection. (Xielin, L, & Peng, C 2011). Here, Amazon comes with a wonderful solution of e-commerce by which betterment of technology and advancement could be performed more rapidly. Advancement in any domain comes with a better solution of quick, easy access in something which was more or less time consuming before. China is a developing country, which also welcomed this vital feature of E-commerce since a decade ago. Amazon’s entry into the Chinese market has established more technology-prone attitude among the Chinese consumers which is remarkable.Identification of main features in business environment in china: The business environment is changing altogether in developing markets particularly in China (Cohen, W.; Levinthal, D.A. 1989). A comprehension of worldwide business environment and national improvement structure is important to perform. Amazon here has faced some of the facilities and obstacles too. China is a socialist nation and it is managed by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Just the Central Committee of the Party (CCP) has the ability to settle on choice on real arrangements of an across the country character .The Chinese government has been depicted as a "ruler", with considerable limitations on the web restriction, on opportunity of discourse and on the press. The Chinese government has formed and executed stricter manages and set of accepted rules for civil servants. Amazon had to manage this situation with diplomacy to probe into the Chinese market which came with a

Outline Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Outline - Coursework Example Industrialization, which picked up drastically in the 19th century, is the key factor that has increased the impacts of global warming (Maslin, 2007). Some scientists have argued that global warming stopped the moment increase of anthropogenic carbon dioxide into the atmosphere seized being the cause of the warming. These scientists argue that the activities thereafter are a mere continuation of the natural cycles in the previous years (Maslin, 2007). The scientific point of view towards global warming causes has become questionable for the past couple of years. This is mainly because of the contradicting effects that have occurred. For instance, the fact that global warming occurs due to emission of excess carbon dioxide is questionable, since global warming effects have occurred in countries with low industrialization activities (Maslin, 2007). Most of the G8 countries have come out strongly in campaigns to eradicate effects of global warming through the enactment of legislation that control emission of gases into the air. Governments have even put aside resources in national budgets specifically to control global warming and its effects (Maslin, 2007). Scientists are still looking for solutions to controlling global warming, since, despite implementing some of the suggestions, the world has still experienced massive impacts of global warming (Maslin, 2007). In the present world, the percentage of global warming from man-made emissions exceeds that form solar activity. This calls for the need for governments to control emissions by all means available to them (Maslin, 2007). Global warming is a world crisis that needs the willingness of all individuals to control it. Unless all countries come together in the war against the effects of global warming, the world should be ready to suffer from many other attacks form the environmental

Islam shares many beliefs with Christianity and Judaism. Discuss Essay

Islam shares many beliefs with Christianity and Judaism. Discuss similarities and differences in the burial rites of the three Abrahamic religions in the UK today - Essay Example Most religions have got various rites when it comes to burial. The three Abrahamic religions currently follow different burial rites depending on their religious practices. This paper intends to discuss the overall and detailed burial rites for the three Abrahamic religions. This is due to the evidences on the disparities in their religious burial practices in UK despite originating from same ancestral origin. Christianity is the world’s largest religion with an estimation of 1.2 to 1.5 billion followers (Well Planned Funeral, 2009). This religion has been very prominent and has also undergone many revolutions aiming at restructuring the religious practice. In the UK, it is estimated that there are over 200 Christian denominations which have their own rituals as far as funerals are concerned. Not all churches have similar funeral rituals. Notable to state is that despite the denomination, the Christian faith dictated by the bible is commonly practiced in all denominations (Techner, 2007). This is because they all believe in the teachings of Jesus and follow the same bible. In Christianity, the funeral beliefs is normally underpinned and overruled by the fact that Christians believe in resurrection. Moreover, the teachings of Christianity also assure believers that there is eternal life for all human souls that die following the teachings of Jesus Christ (Well Planned Funeral, 2009). The main objective in a Christian funeral reflects the fact that funerals are a celebration of a winner who will live eternally (Danals, 2007). The Christian funeral must be accompanied by a special service. This is conducted by the local church where the deceased went to or family belongs to. The service is meant to offer final prayers for the deceased. During the special service, there must be biblical readings, singing of hymns and prayers for the deceased and family (Weaver, 2008). In Catholicism, there must be incorporation of the Holy

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Essay Example â€Å" (7). Which is why Linda led a relatively happy life up until the age of six when her mother died. It was only then that she learned that she was to be a slave in the employ of her mother's former mistress. In Brent's own words; â€Å"Such were the unusually fortunate circumstances of my early childhood. When I was six years old, my mother died; and then, for the first time, I learned, by the talk around me, that I was a slave† (7). When her mistress dies and she is passed on to other masters, her life totally changes in such a manner that is is speedily robbed of her innocence. She is given to the Flint family headed by Dr. Flint. He was described as ; â€Å"... an epicure. The cook never sent a dinner to his table without fear and trembling; for if there happened to be a dish not to his liking, he would either order her to be whipped, or compel her to eat every mouthful of it in his presence. The poor, hungry creature might not have objected to eating it; but she did not object to having her master cram it down her throat till she choked† (13). She thwarts the sexual advances of Dr. Flint by consenting to having an affair with her white neighbor. That neighbor is named Mr. Sands, he fathers her two children named Benjamin and Ellen. It is important to note that Jacobs wrote her protagonists point of view in such a way that she thought it was better to live the life of a kept woman with mulatto children than to be the product of a sexual rape. It is the opinion of the author that because women slaves lead a different life than the white women, they are offered a different standard of morality than the free women. At the end of Linda's affair with Mr. Sands, he leaves her to go south. He takes a bride,fathers a child with her,purchases his children with Linda and treats them as slaves even when he promised her that he would free then, then becomes a congressman. Throughout the ordeal of Linda's life there was one constant personality who tr ied to stand up for her family no matter the cost, her grandmother known as Aunt Martha. She lived to see her grandchildren escape from slavery even though it meant losing them as family. She was a strong willed woman who stood up for herself and put fear into Dr. Flint. In one of the more famous scenes in the book she admonishes the doctor and tells him to "Get out of my house†¦ Go home and take care of your wife and children" (15). Aunt Martha, through the grace of the universe managed to gain her freedom when it was provided to her by a kindly white woman. The situation occurred this way; Dr. Flint chose to sell Aunt Martha after the death of her mistress because he thought her old and feeble. Nobody wanted to buy her on the auction block except for an old white woman who immediately granted her freedom upon the close of her sale. One of the most touching depictions of slavery in the book has to do with the method by which the slaves celebrate New Years Day. Their eve is spe nt among their family and little possessions as they await the decision of their master as to whether or not they will be sold to another master and permanently parted from their family the next day. Those up for sale can be heard begging the masters who are looking over the slaves like produce to â€Å"Please, massa, hire me this year. I will work _very_ hard, massa." (15). It is because of the way that the slave families find themselves separated and divided that Aunt Martha tries to buy the freedom of her grandchildren from their masters,

Islam shares many beliefs with Christianity and Judaism. Discuss Essay

Islam shares many beliefs with Christianity and Judaism. Discuss similarities and differences in the burial rites of the three Abrahamic religions in the UK today - Essay Example Most religions have got various rites when it comes to burial. The three Abrahamic religions currently follow different burial rites depending on their religious practices. This paper intends to discuss the overall and detailed burial rites for the three Abrahamic religions. This is due to the evidences on the disparities in their religious burial practices in UK despite originating from same ancestral origin. Christianity is the world’s largest religion with an estimation of 1.2 to 1.5 billion followers (Well Planned Funeral, 2009). This religion has been very prominent and has also undergone many revolutions aiming at restructuring the religious practice. In the UK, it is estimated that there are over 200 Christian denominations which have their own rituals as far as funerals are concerned. Not all churches have similar funeral rituals. Notable to state is that despite the denomination, the Christian faith dictated by the bible is commonly practiced in all denominations (Techner, 2007). This is because they all believe in the teachings of Jesus and follow the same bible. In Christianity, the funeral beliefs is normally underpinned and overruled by the fact that Christians believe in resurrection. Moreover, the teachings of Christianity also assure believers that there is eternal life for all human souls that die following the teachings of Jesus Christ (Well Planned Funeral, 2009). The main objective in a Christian funeral reflects the fact that funerals are a celebration of a winner who will live eternally (Danals, 2007). The Christian funeral must be accompanied by a special service. This is conducted by the local church where the deceased went to or family belongs to. The service is meant to offer final prayers for the deceased. During the special service, there must be biblical readings, singing of hymns and prayers for the deceased and family (Weaver, 2008). In Catholicism, there must be incorporation of the Holy

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS - Dissertation Example The trait of being self-confident and tolerant to stress plays a very important role to be creative and tactfully handle situation. Dominant nature of the individual helps to lead a team and organise managerial activities in his/her own way of working. The trait of being ambitious facilitates the process of achievement of certain task for the leader. As a researcher how would you establish if those traits are fundamental to the effectiveness of the leader? A leader should have the traits within to be successful in the implementation process. An informative leader has the capability to understand the methods and the processes to manage the technical aspects of the managerial activities for the different organisational units. The conceptual skill of the person grows the creativity and foresight involves in the process of judgment and manage critical situation in the organization. The interpersonal skill of an individual helps to understand the human behaviour or any processes and take decision according to the motives of the others and will be able to communicate with the surroundings. These are the traits required by a person to be a successful leader in the long run. Reference Changing Minds.org. (2011). Trait Theory.

Forensic Psychology and the Prison Service Essay Example for Free

Forensic Psychology and the Prison Service Essay The two programmes mentioned above have similar objectives and use comparable methods. The curriculum includes teaching problem-solving skills, perspective taking and social skills, creative thinking, moral reasoning, management of emotions, and critical reasoning (Blud et al, 2003). To pass through the first stage of selection for a cognitive skills programme in HM Prison Service, offenders should either have a current or previous conviction for a sexual, violent or drug-related offence, or they should demonstrate a life-style factor such as serious drug abuse or poor family relationships which indicate they may benefit from the programme. One study conducted by the Canadian Correctional Service showed that there were modest outcome effects at best, with 47% of the sample being readmitted to prison. Critics of this treatment suggest that focusing on developing compensatory strategies to repair deficits in thinking does not allow sufficient account to be taken of the predisposition, choices, opportunities and motivations of the individual, and that it would be more useful to design interventions which focus on providing opportunities to change and develop. There are alternatives to cognitive therapy within the prison system. One of these is the therapeutic institutional regime, which has the aim of providing offenders with an institutional environment that will encourage their development as members of an effective community, which may then lead to more effective participation in their community on release (Howitt, 2006, p. 366). The effective treatment of sex offenders originated in the behavioural therapies common in the 1960s. The treatment of sex offenders was not a priority in prison services until the last few years. Sex offenders typically have both sexual and nonsexual problems (Blackburn, 1995), so assessment needs to cover social, cognitive, affective, and physiological levels of functioning. Treatment for sexual offenders differentiates between types of offence, such as child molestation, exhibitionism, rape, and sexual assault (Hollin, 1989). Behavioural therapists consider assessment of sexual arousal patterns to be necessary. Changing deviant sexual preference is a major target of cognitive-behavioural programmes. There are a number of ways of doing this, such as covert sensitisation, shame aversion therapy, masturbatory or orgasmic reconditioning and shaping and fading (Blackburn, 1995). However, there are a number of questions over their use. For example, the assumption that deviant preference predicts re-offending remains largely untested. There are also attempts to improve social competence. Cognitive distortions are targeted in this approach. These distortions include beliefs about sex roles, rape myths, the acceptability of child-adult sex, and the minimization of harmful effects of sexual assault. According to Blackburn (1995), offenders who commit serious crimes against the person are likely to display multiple psychological dysfunctions. Blackburn states that there are four types of murderer: paranoid-aggressive; depressive; psychopathic; and over-controlled repressors (of aggression). In one study, using the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), Biro et al (1992) found that 49% of homicide convicts were in the hypersensitive-aggressive category. This category consists of people with the characteristic of being easily offended, prone to impulsive aggressive outbursts and intolerant of frustration. They are very rigid, uncooperative and permanently dissatisfied thing things. However, the causes of antisocial behaviour in psychotic offenders are often the same as those in the non-disordered. Psychological treatment for dangerous offenders is most frequently carried out in forensic psychiatric facilities. While pharmacological treatment is frequently the best strategy for treating acute psychotic disorders, psychological interventions are a more durable alternative for emotional problems such as depression or anxiety, and are critical in rehabilitation. There are few demonstrably effective treatment or intervention programmes for adult violent offenders in maximum-security prisons, particularly for those diagnosable as psychopaths. They have very high recidivism rates and are often involved in institutional violent behaviour (Belfrage at al, ).

The Effects of Tax Avoidance

The Effects of Tax Avoidance Summary Tax avoidance has been a major menace in many governments worldwide. Therefore, this article will focus on tax avoidance by multinationals and the tax loopholes that motivate this unfair practice among nations. Companies such as Starbucks, HSBC, Google, Barclays bank and Amazon have been accused on more than one occasion of corporate tax avoidance. How do they go about this and get away with it? Do governments favor big corporations at the expense of domestic small and mid-level companies? At the end of this article, it will be clear and evident that indeed tax avoidance is morally wrong unless monitored under stringent government rules and regulations. In essence, this article focuses on the extent to which tax avoidance limits government expenditure (thus government spending) and the extent to which this problem affects the economy and society as a whole. The Moral violation of Tax Avoidance in a nutshell In these hard economic times of recessions and escalating unemployment in Europe and America, governments are implementing budget cuts in an effort to cope with national debts and the aftereffects of this global economic pandemic as a whole. Inflation reports have become the business norm of major mainstream media houses like CNN and BBC. It has become almost impossible to hear of a rise in employment levels or deflation in prices. What this means in essence is that as governments implement budget cuts, they also result to internal borrowing measures such as increasing taxes on goods and services in their respective local markets. At the end of the day, the ordinary hard-working citizen is left to grapple with how to balance an increasingly insufficient paycheck with ever-increasing prices of goods and services. It is because of this reason that tax avoidance shifts the tax burden from the evasive and tricky corporation to the honest middle and low income earning citizen. This is clearly a sign of tax bias practiced in broad daylight. The sad bit about this is that many governments don’t have stringent measures to punish such big ‘untouchables’. Is it that someone within is pulling the strings to ensure that justice isn’t upheld? Are these mysterious government entities ‘sufficiently compensated’ by tax avoiding multi-national corporations for a ‘job well done’? Because the interesting bit about tax avoidance is that it doesn’t amount to tax evasion. For instance, in 2011, the Google firm in the UK had amassed a whooping 395 million pound turnover. But as it turns out, the United Kingdom treasury only received 6 million pounds; an astoundingly tiny fraction of the profits. Similarly, Amazon had sales of 3.35 billion in the same year but contributed a mere 1.8 million pounds to the British Treasury . As absurd as these two randomly picked incidences sound, what these companies did was legal. Essentially, no laws were broken despite the moral absurdity of such obvious, draconian and potentially ‘tax evasive’ actions. Why aren’t there any laws to address such malice? Does it mean that someone is not doing his job and is being paid by these multinationals to keep quiet? Because at the end of the day, money is power thus more money translates to more power; to control, to manipulate, and eventually, to destroy economies and thus the society as a whole. The problem with tax avoiding firms is that their global market presence translates to humongous profits. This of course means too much money and thus too much power. And unfortunately, their power exceeds that of many government officials who are more than willing to do their devious bidding for that ‘extra pound’. Just taxation practice is based on the tenets of fairness and equality across the board not just within the circle of multinationals, but also within economies as a whole. The entire population has got to be convinced that the burden of tax is evenly spread across varying income levels and corporate profits. Tax avoidance by ‘the elite’ however brings about unnecessary tension due to economy class favoritism that’s making someone bear more unjust burden than he ought to. When the citizenry sees such tax injustices, then it’s bound to demand for the law to curb such dubiously lawful menaces. Facts supporting the moral absurdity of tax avoidance and how some countries are curbing the menace Tax avoidance potentially amounts to financial impunity. Incorporated tax laws with gaping holes and obvious loose ends are the biggest aids of tax avoiding multinationals (Samuel, 2005). In essence, firms are subject to business taxes whereas individual income earners are subject to personal taxes. For firms to practice tax avoidance in business taxes, they usually relocate their branches to offshore tax havens thus registering as alien business entities offshore. This makes firms avoid generating income onshore more and more with every alien business subsidiary that they register offshore. Thus, American based Google and Amazon avoid paying taxes in the UK by being classified and registered as non-resident business entities. This entitles them to avoid being taxed not only as resident businesses, but also as resident alien businesses. This is despite the fact that they enjoy all government rights and services similar to resident businesses in the host offshore havens. This in turn makes them pay less taxes to the American tax collector, also known as the IRS. FTSE 100 firms and Banks based in the UK are also key culprits in this menace, with 38% of their subsidiaries located in tax havens. High street banks such as The HSBC, Barclays bank, Lloyds and IBS have a combined total of 1,649 companies (Action Aid). A unanimous FTSE company is claimed to have transferred pricing payments so as to enable a whopping 100 million pound shift from subsidiaries based in developing country into tax havens where a ridiculously lower tax rate is incurred. A lack of stringent regulations on transfer pricing leaves loopholes for tax avoidance as taxable profits move to tax havens without breaking any law. Luxemburg, Liechtenstein principality, Delaware State, Nauru and Cayman islands are in fact the leading offshore tax havens that are menacingly unregulated and house profits that extend to dealings in drugs and arms trade. While in host offshore havens, these multinationals are usually private and secretive in regards to their finances thus raising eyebrows in regards to the integrity of their financial reports. The ignorance, inability and inexperience of developing countries such as China, India and Brazil to deal with the tax avoidance menace further aggravates the situation (Phyllis, 2003). This also brings in the problem of the inability to measure precisely how much worth of tax avoidance has been practiced in these countries. Multinationals are actually taking advantage of this by rapidly expanding their offshore investments to the detriment of offshore haven governments which don’t benefit from such investments as they ought to. For instance, the budget deficit for the Chinese government amounted to 3% of its GDP. Also in Mexico, it’s estimated that a whooping 40% of its entire citizenry might be untaxed (Gori, 2001). This goes to show how the citizenry in itself can be its own worst enemy when it comes to combating tax avoidance within resident businesses (Das-Gupta 1995). India has also been a victim too considering the fact that tax revenue percentage of GDP dropped sharply from 9.8% in 1991 to 8.95% in 1999. Exploding liberalization in these developing countries has sparked massive inflow of foreign investments. In fact, when direct foreign investment recipients are considered by merit, Brazil, China and Mexico have been at the zenith of this list for the past ten years. European, American and Japanese multinationals have been the biggest contributors to this direct foreign investment inflow thus playing key role in the growth of these developing economies. Interestingly enough, the local businesses have not enjoyed the chunk of foreign trade since related multinational firms in these tax havens control a majority of foreign trade (Chan, 1998). They do this by exercising sophisticated profit shifting mechanisms via manipulation of prices to dodge stringent measures enforced upon foreign exchange hence significantly cutting down on uncertain socioeconomic outcomes. In essence, intermediaries and basic raw materials are over invoiced while at the same time exports are underpriced thus enabling record tax avoidances. The Chinese open-door economic reform has made it maintain its enviable position as the greatest absorber of foreign direct investment (FDI) among developing nations to date. For instance, according to the 2002 United Nations Economic report, China got 28% of all FDI flowing into developing nations in 2001. The year 2002 was particularly good for FDI enterprises in China as 409,000 foreign investment enterprises were approved with a net worth of 425 million USD. Consequently, foreign direct investments in China have been key to its economic growth. The evidence is quite clear when it’s considered that 52% of China’s imports and 50% of its exports can be attributed to foreign investment enterprises (FIEs) within the country. Yet strangely enough, a resounding majority of these foreign investment enterprises is reporting record losses despite expanding at an astronomical rate. This automatically entitles them to avoid taxes. Tax avoidance escalated sharply in 2000 with a record $1.22 billion worth of noncompliance being reported ( Ming, 2001). This sparked a sharp rise in tax related audits in 2001. Brazil on the other hand exercises some fairness in taxation by taxing local and alien enterprises similarly. In fact, tax rules and laws applied to limited liability companies and corporations alike are similar irrespective of whether the firm is resident or non-resident. This is because foreign enterprises prefer taking the forms of corporations and limited liability companies. But interesting to note is the fact that limited liability companies aren’t obliged to disclose their financial reports to the public. However, corporations possess the comparative advantage of raising capital through IPOs (Initial Public Offers) of the share capital. Brazil has however come under sharp criticism as having a sophisticated taxing mechanism that hinders its business competitiveness globally. Despite this obstacle, the country has proven to be less naà ¯ve when it comes to dealing with tax avoidance incidences by adopting the principle of ‘If you can’t beat them, then join them.’. This is because it has taken advantage of tax avoidance tendencies by FEIs by offering tax incentives for establishment in distinct underdeveloped regions. For instance, a 50% tax cut on income is offered by the Brazilian government to industrial and agricultural enterprises that establish themselves in the marginalized and less developed North East and Amazon regions. In addition, a firm that sparks development in industrial technology has the right to an incentive on technical services and a 50% tax credit discount on royalties. Expatriates who have achieved the status of Brazilian residents are also obligated to pay a progressive income tax on their worldwide paycheck up to a maximum of 27.5%. This is because taxation upon individuals is implemented on cash basis. A factor to consider is that expatriates are considered residents if they’ve domiciled in Brazil for more than a year. Brazil also tackles tax avoidance by taxing a 25% withholding tax on nonresidents living in tax havens compared to a 15% withholding tax on those who don’t. This is because nonresidents are entitled to royalties, dividends and interest. When it comes to transfer pricing, proper laws that are compatible with OECD have been enacted to ensure the proper determination of import and export prices. Conclusion The rationale behind payment of taxes is that we owe a duty to three entities; namely to the state, the community, and last but not least, to God. Therefore in as much as tax avoidance is morally unjustified and inexplicable, it is distinctively clear that governments worldwide should take the initiative to curb this menace. Better still, governments can take advantage of the situation and enact sound laws that create morally acceptable tax avoidance, such as tax incentives and tax breaks offered by the Brazilian government to develop marginalized areas and to spark innovative development. That way, an equitable tax basis is maintained and society is generally happy to share the burden of tax on the basis of a non-secretive, convincingly just and morally acceptable manner. Work Cited Jesse A. Schmitt Legal Off Shore Tax Havens: How to Take LEGAL Advantage of the IRS Code and Pay Less in Taxes Atlantic Publishing Company, 2008 Phyllis Lai Lan Mo Tax avoidance and Anti-avoidance Measures in Major Developing Economies Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. Alain Deneault Offshore: Tax Havens and the Rule of Global Crime New Press, Jan 24, 2012 Samuel Blankson Tax Avoidance a Practical Guide for UK Residents Lulu Press Incorporated, 2005. Ronen Palan, Richard Murphy, Christian Chavagneux Tax Havens: How Globalization really Works Cornell University Press, Feb 1, 2013

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Essay -- Essays on Anxiety Disorde

OCD: What's in Control? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that is the fourth most common mental illness in the U.S. (8). OCD affects five million Americans, or one in five people (3). This is a serious mental disorder that causes people to think and act certain things repetitively in order to calm the anxiety produced by a certain fear. Unlike compulsive drinking or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure; rather, the rituals are performed to obtain relief from the discomfort caused by obsessions (2). OCD is more common than schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (6). This disorder can be therapeutically treated, but not cured. The causes of OCD are not completely understood, and warrant further exploration of self-control and autonomy. There are many branches or types of OCD. Within all branches, ninety percent of people suffer from both obsessions and compulsions, rather than solely one or the other (1). One category of OCD sufferers tend to check and recheck items from 10-100 times - such as a locked door. The overwhelming impulse to recheck remains until the person experiences a reduction in tension despite the realization that the item is secure (1). OCD sufferers also tend to habitually wash due to fear of contamination. Another form of OCD is hoarding, which is excessive saving of typically worthless items such as shoes or computer disks due to an overwhelming fear that one day these items might be of use. People who suffer from the ordering branch of OCD, feels compelled to place items in a designated spot or order to alleviate worries of disorder and mayhem. Pure-O sufferers are those people who grapple wi... ...e.com/defineocd.htm 2) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation-What is OCD? http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1010a.htm 3) Most Frequently asked questions about OCD http://www.ocdhelp.org/faq.html 4) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, related Disorders http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1020a.htm 5) Obsessive Compulsive Foundation-How is OCD treated? http://www.ocfoundation.org/ocf1030a.htm 6) OCD and Tic Disorders http://mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=6 7) A Cognitive Therapeutic Differentiation Between Conceptualizing and Managing OCD http://www.ocdonline.com/definecbt.htm 8) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: OCD http://www.ocdhelp.org/ocdfacts.html 9)Letizia et al. 2001. Abnormal Pattern of Cortical Activation Associated with Voluntary Movement in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: an EEG Study. American journal of Psychiatry. 158: 140-142.

Comedy of Errors, Adrianna/ marriage Essay -- essays research papers

Marriage: What Can you Posses?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the very beginning of the story we see that the characters are placed into a society of which there is seemingly very little value in a persons humanity and kindness, but rather the society into which we first enter is seen as almost materialistic, and even though Egeon, has lost a wife and son, the Duke of Ephesus is only concerned with the money from which he can extract from Egeon. We see here that in order for Egeon to keep his marriage alive he has to pay for his life and so we begin to see the trend of what one can posses in a marriage, instead of love and respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We see this act of possessions come through most clearly in the relationship of Adriana and Antipholus of Ephesus. We see that Adriana is jealous of her husbands freedoms when she knows that he married her only because of her wealth, a fact we find out later on in the play, but as she states, â€Å"Why should their liberty than ours be more?† (II,10). When Luciana states to her sister, â€Å"because their business is out of doors† that only serves to infuriate Adriana even more and retorts that Luciana speaks without experience and that once she is married, she will have a different point of view. As they debate, Dromio of Ephesus returns and reports the bizarre behavior of his master saying that Antipholus is mad and will talk of nothing but his gold. Furious, Adriana is thinking that yes her husband married her for her...

How Messed Up Education Can Be Essay

So just like any other year, students have to attend the opening ceremony; my little sister sat down in the last rows filled with graffiti in the auditorium I looked up and thinking to myself, â€Å" They changed the principle again, whoever in charge, do they think it will fix the problems? † They have been using this method for ages. Every year, the new principle would give an awesome speech about how they would fix everything. But the past decade, same problems still haunt the school. Even though fear and worries in my head, I have no choice but to let my little sister attends this school. Welcome to Northeast High of the Kansas City District; welcome to the education of my life. I moved to America when I was twelve and I attended Northeast Middle School. The District put me in the ELL (English Language Learner) program because I didn’t speak any English. So in those three years, I learned as much as I could but I was still a kid, I didn’t really pay attention to my education nor did I care about it. But in 8th grade, I got a peak of how education could turn out. Mr. Bui was my math teacher that year, he was special. Even though the school set up its lesson plan, Mr. Bui didn’t follow it; he told the class that we were ready for higher level class. So he ordered an old set of high school Algebra I textbooks and started teaching. I knew he was a good teacher, the whole class got A in the end of the year and we were ready for high school. When I was a freshman in high school that was where education became more serious for me. All the students that went to Northeast Middle were automatically enrolled in Northeast High, which is right next to each other. The school is about to be 100 years old and it was popular for all the bad things, such as: gangs, shooting, fighting, drugs, and bad education. My family didn’t want me to go to this school. But we had no choice, we couldn’t afford to move. At first, I thought these violent wouldn’t matter because I was going to try hard to learn. But I was dead wrong, the school was like a prison, these were ten security guards and two police officers always on standby in case of emergency. It just made you feel like a criminal being watch instead of a normal student like you are supposed to be. But the biggest problem prevented me from learning was the teacher, they were horrible. It seemed like they were there to babysit us, most of them would tell you to crack a book open and read one chapter then do the reviews. They usually read the newspaper, play games or read a book. Once, the class even caught my teacher watching inappropriate videos on his computer. Things were horrible, there were no such thing as homework, the school use the excuse there wasn’t enough textbook for students to bring home. Even so, not all the teacher were bad, some of them are actually teaching and a few were doing well in it. I guess it’s about who cares and who doesn’t. Of course, the students love it, they never had to do anything to get a good grade. You can just sleep in one class the entire year and would still able to pass with C. Sometimes I enjoy it but other time I hated it because I have high expectation of myself. In my junior year, the Kansas City School District was low on funds for education. It closed down a few schools and Northeast High was on the list. But then in the meeting for voting, there were so many parents showing up and spoke up; Northeast High remain stay open. Even so, the District closed down Northeast Middle and put the students in high school and it turned into the K-12 program. Which they made the problems worse; every week there would be a fight in the school, more gangs related, more bullies, more graffiti, and more shooting in the neighborhood. We had big an incident when a girl got raped in the bathroom, but they kept it as a secret. The victim moved away and the kids took part in it was punished. In my last year of my high school, disaster strike when the Kansas City School District lost its accreditation. The reason we lost it is because of the students test scores, I wasn’t really surprise but I was mad. My whole education life felt like trash, I wish I could do something to change it. But even so, I hoped for a better education in college so I kept going. The senior class of 2012, there were 142 students but only about half of us graduated. I was in the top 10% of the class rank and I received a few scholarships. Only a handful of class went on to a 4 years-college, some went to community college and the rest still trying to find a job. There are many reasons why the education system could be so mess up but someone, somehow need to fix it. If one can fire the useless teacher and hire the good teacher. I think things would be a little better. Of course, if the neighborhood were better, the school wouldn’t be effect by all the bad things around it. I’m hoping my family will finally able to move next year so my little sister doesn’t have to go through the same thing I did. I’m also glad I made it to college and getting a good education. I know some kids out there that wish to be me right now.

Arab Americans

The biggest consideration in any effort to infiltrate the community is the legal and ethical issues that would govern those actions. Immigrants have rights and they must be respected in the country. It’s important that these people would know that the government respects them as persons and as citizens of America. There are constitutional rights that must not be broken; otherwise, no immigrant in the country would ever feel safe. There are already many crimes against their race and I wouldn’t want to add to that list. I believe in getting their trust in order for them to cooperate and become loyal to the country.Loyalty can’t be bought nor can it be forced. It has to be their decision to express loyalty to a country that treats them well. Ethical issues need also be taken into account. For instance, would it be right for me to tap into people’s conversations even if those persons are exemplary citizens and have been positive contributors to the community? If there are times when it is absolutely necessary to spy on every person in the immigrant population, then, it will be done so long as needless deaths will be prevented. As for sending agents, I believe it is a must to have undercover people among them in order to filter out the rotten tomatoes.The undercover work’s goal is to identify, without a doubt, who are propagating extremist ideas in the community. Once identified, these people will be given the appropriate punishment under the law. The most important role I could play in the community is to make sure that even the immigrants and the Arab Americans will not become unwitting tools of terrorists. 2. Based on the reading assignments, what status, rights and protections would you afford someone who was an American citizen captured in the United States in the act of terroristic violence?How about someone who was a foreign national engage in terrorism in the United States? An American citizen fights American forces abroad? A foreign national, but not a member of a nation's military, fighting American forces abroad? Would torture of any of these subjects ever be justified if it could save lives? American Citizen An American citizen captured in the country committing terroristic violence will be captured and imprisoned under the rules of law. Since it can be considered treason to commit acts of terror in one’s country, then that person will not have the rights of a common prisoner.Foreign National A foreign national committing terroristic activity in the country will be detained depending on the Attorney General’s mandates, and will be tried either inside the country or outside it. The hearing would likely be before a military tribunal. American Citizen Fighting American Forces Abroad If the American citizen fighting American forces abroad will be captured, he will be treated as a prisoner of war provided that he meets the criteria provided for in the Geneva Convention. He will have the r ights of a POW and will be treated accordingly.Foreign National Fighting American Forces Abroad A foreign national who is not a member of a military unit will be accorded a prisoner of war status until such time that his status will be determined by the appropriate tribunal. If the foreign national turns out to be a terrorist, then, he will be punished the way terrorists should be punished in accordance to law. 3. What are the different perspectives concerning Just War? Can the war on terror be properly characterized as a just war? Under what circumstances would fighting terrorism cease to be just?Why? The different perspectives of Just War are: †¢ Just War is only permissible as a last resort when all other non-violent means have been exhausted. †¢ A war can only be just if it is conducted by who society deems to have the authority to do so. †¢ Just war happens to remedy the wrong committed against society. †¢ To fight a war that does not have a chance of succee ding is not just. †¢ The ultimate goal of just war is the re-establishment of peace. †¢ It is just war if the violence in the war is proportionate to the injury endured.†¢ A just war does not target civilians and all efforts must be made so as not to harm civilians. The war on terror can be considered just because the proper authorities are out to get the villains in order to make the society safe for the citizens. Terrorists do not discriminate between military and civilian targets, as such, they must be stopped to avoid the killings of civilians. Fighting terrorism ceases to be just when the country has endangered citizens in the process. For example, if the U. S.will engage the whole of Afghanistan in war just because the Al Qaeda had its beginnings in that country won’t be just. It’s not fair to generalize that every Afghanistan is a terrorist. Also, war will become unjust if the wrong people are targeted by the authorities. Say for example that ever y person coming from the Middle East and who looks like Osama bin Laden will be detained by authorities because of how they look, then, that action is not just anymore. It is already a discrimination against individual persons. 4. How serious is the problem of anti-Americanism here at home?Should people be accountable for inciting violence when they glorify violent acts against America but themselves do not engage in it? What remedies are available to the government, if any, to deal with schools, mosques, and charities that indirectly support terrorism while not actually engaging in it? What should the remedies be? Anti-Americanism in the United States is often on issues that involve the presence of troops in Iraq, the operations in Afghanistan and global warming. Many Americans do not want the American troops to continue being in Iraq.There are constant protests and demonstrations asking the government for the troops’ withdrawal. At the same time, the government’s cam paign in Afghanistan is viewed by many citizens to be unreasonable and should be stopped. Many American Muslims believe that putting all of the blame on Osama bin Laden and his group is not right. There are also a lot of demonstrations and protests calling for the government to do something about global warming. Meanwhile, Pipes (2005) reports that some American Muslim schools have been teaching things that tantamount to being anti-American.As an example, an American-Muslim student told the Washington Post in 2001 that for him, being American is just about where he was born, and it does not define him. Some schools are also teaching things against the Jews, while promoting the supremacy of Islam. Pipes relates that a textbook in a Muslim school in Virginia has stated that only Islam is the true religion, and all others are false. First graders are easily influenced and reading this text would make them believe that people who are not Muslims are inferior to their race.The government , especially the education ministry, has to take a direct control over what materials are being taught in schools. The schools must not be allowed to focus too much on religion. There must be a law prohibiting minority schools to engage in activities or teach lessons that would indirectly support and promote terrorism. 5. Give your overall assessment of the USA PATRIOT ACT. Do you think it has contributed to the lack of terror attacks in the United States since 9/11? If you were in Congress, would you vote to renew the act as is?Would you change anything? Why or why not? Before the USA Patriotic Act was passed into law, electronic surveillance had to undergo a lot of red tape before it can be approved. Sharing of information between intelligence units and law enforcement agencies was very limited because the law does not say to what extent should information be shared. This could have resulted to missed opportunities to prevent acts of terror in the country. When the Patriotic Act w as enforced, every ground rule was established on how information will be obtained and shared.Surveillance of every information, financial or otherwise, became permissible. Even phone conversations can be tapped into. Because of this, the terrorist groups have to devise new ways of communicating, which possibly thwarted further acts of terror after 9/11. In this sense, the Patriotic Act is able to curtail further terroristic activities in the country. There are, however, some parts of the Act that speaks of human rights violations. For instance, indefinite detention of immigrants is not reasonable. It would strike fear in the hearts of those who are being loyal and good citizens of America.While the innocent would fear the Act, it would make terrorists wary of committing acts of terror. They would have to be very clever to go unnoticed. Overall, the Patriotic Act has served its purpose despite flaws in some of its contents. If I were a member of Congress, I would vote to renew the P atriotic Act. It may not be perfect but it has kept the country relatively free of terror attacks after 9/11. However, there would be some changes on the Act, which addresses controversial issues like indefinite detentions, secret trials, and giving vast powers to the executive branch.As a democratic country, it is important that the laws of democracy would not be forgotten in the quest to end terrorism. References Ferraro, V. Principles of the Just War. Mount Holyoke College. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. mtholyoke. edu/acad/intrel/pol116/justwar. htm Pipes, D. (2005, March 29). What Are Islamic Schools Teaching? New York Sun. Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. danielpipes. org/article/2489 USA Patriot Act (H. R. 3162). Retrieved August 17, 2008, from http://www. personalinfomediary. com/USAPATRIOTACT_Text. htm

Struggle of women in africa and how they were affected during the Essay

Struggle of women in africa and how they were affected during the coloization of africa - Essay Example For hundreds of centuries, the continent that had been the cradle of civilization was crisscrossed by Arab and Jewish traders who carried out an active commercial activity with the Africans along the coast. Diamond even argued that the languages spoken by Arabs and Jews originated from West Africa, which explains why Jewish, Islamic and Christian communities easily took root.1 However, it was not until the 15th century after Europe experienced severe labor shortages from the disastrous waves of wars, diseases and foreign colonization did Africa turn into a prime source of slave labor. By the middle of that century, Portugal began importing slaves from African trading posts along the western coast. African tribal society of conquest and slavery was a natural supply source as victorious tribes sold their captives to whoever was willing to buy them. The slave trade was born as Arab and African traders saw demand for slave labor rise in Europe. Aside from Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, and Germany found use for cheap labor. Arab traders, too, shipped Africans sold by their conquerors to slave markets in Arabia, Iran, and India, using sea trade routes from Africa to Indonesia that had been used since 5,000 years ago.2 Africa became Slave Central as European nations were joined in the 17th century by the British colonies in America and rising nations like the Netherlands and Denmark, whose powerful navies allowed trading in slaves to continue for the next two centuries. By the middle of the 19th century, slavery was abolished, first in Britain and then in America and soon, other European nations followed. Thus, after centuries of being brutalized by Arab, and then European, slave traders who bought and sold captured prisoners from other native tribes to sell along the coast all the way to Southeast Asia, Africa was free once again, but not for long.3 About that time, the discovery of great mineral wealth in Africa began a wave of colonization after the so-called West African Conference in Berlin in 1884-1885, which became known as "The Scramble." Seven European nations agreed to divide and conquer African territory. Of these, it was Belgium, France, and Britain that carried out the most brutal work of colonization, one that practically made the Africans slaves in their own land.4 Despite their claims of wanting to civilize the people of the continent and turning them away from their destructive tribal tendencies, converting them from pagans into Christians, and preparing the native people for ultimate independence, the colonizers took advantage of the social, cultural, and geographical traits of Africa to squeeze as much as they could from the land and its people. This took place until the middle of the 20th century when these European nations gave their African colonies the independence that they thought they deserved, but by then, the centuries of slavery and the decades of corruption and abuse left deep wounds that, until now, are still in the healing process. Colonization and the Wounds of Culture Colonization weakened African society as cruelty decimated a people wracked by insect-borne diseases like malaria; greed led colonizers (except for the Britain) to withhold the education of the population; and the arbitrary nature by which geographical boundaries of the colonies were established during "the

Research Proposal- Does adavanced maternal age contribute to Paper

Proposal- Does adavanced maternal age contribute to complications during pregnancy - Research Paper Example 135). There is a connection between advanced maternal age and stillbirths, which has been documented, though there is little information on timing of the utero fetal mortality (Benzie, 2008, p. 183). An analysis of more than five million singleton deliveries was aimed at determining the peak risk period for stillbirths among the older mothers between the age of thirty-seven and forty-one. Other studies have assessed the differential risk associated with stillbirths before labor or during labor, in order to understand the relationship, which results to tailored invention strategies focused on decreasing utero fetal problems among old mothers. Nevertheless, the paper will focus on discussing complications during pregnancy, which are associated with Advanced Maternal Age. Advance Maternal Age refers to the childbearing woman, who is over the age of thirty-five, and it is considered as relatively more hazardous from both maternal and fetal dimensions. AMA is conventionally defined as the age, which is greater than thirty-five at the time of delivery, while the modern definition refers to the Very Advanced Maternal Age, which is considered the age that is greater than or equal to the forty five at the time of delivery (King, Fountain, Dakhlallah & Bearman, 2009, p. 1678). Moreover, according to designation of AMA a woman’s fertility decreases after the age of thirty-five. In fact, one third of the women with delayed pregnancy to their mid-thirties and beyond have difficulties during delivery or physical maternal or fetal complications. In addition, these women may undergo an increased incidence of miscarriage or stillbirths, which leads to emotional and psychological trauma (Ayers, 2001, p. 91). LITERATURE REVIEW Factors Influencing women’s decision of timing Motherhood One of the factors influencing the a woman’s decision is independence, whereby a woman is more likely to makes a decision of conceiving later in her life, compared to a woman who has children earlier in order to stress the significance of independence through education, employment, and financial stability. Moreover, the readiness is also a factor that can influence a woman to delay in child bearing, since they have to feel ready for motherhood due to satisfactions of their personal goals (Byrom, 2004, p. 779). The other factor relates to the projection of their life plan, whereby they have a recurring theme of all ages with or without children, and this is projected through a metal plan for their life, which is integrated with their intentions of childbearing. The other factor relates to the biological clock, which has an impact on the decline fertility on decision concerning childbearing as a recurring theme for women at the age above thirty years. The other factor is the rates of divorce, whereby women make decision concerning timing of motherhood under the influence of their knowledge concerning the current rates of divorce in the community. The other fa ctor relates to stability of a relationship, since it is vital to women who are not willing to raise a child on their own. In fact, numerous women have case of failed long-term relationship, like marriage (Cunningham, Rivera, & Spence, 2011, p. 249). Therefore, before establishing a stable relationship, women are not deemed suitable for childbearing and childrearing.

What, if anything, was revolutionary about the Scientific Revolution Essay

What, if anything, was revolutionary about the Scientific Revolution - Essay Example he telescope, the dissection and the new conception of the universe will be used to discuss the causes of the Scientific Revolution as well as illustrate how the Scientific Revolution influenced society then and now. Before the mid-1500s, when the Scientific Revolution is generally agreed to have had its start, ideas regarding medicine, the body and the universe were not based on the same sorts of observations that are available to us today. For those who considered the placement of the earth in relation to the universe, it was understood that the earth was at the center with concentric bands of water, air and fire surrounding it. Surrounding these were further bands of the stellar spheres with Jesus and the saints existing even beyond the outermost stellar sphere. Another conception of the universe, the Ptolemaic Universe, was described as consisting of two spheres, the inner one was the earth and the outer one, the remainder of the universe, revolved around this inner core. These images originating in scientific books on the subject produced in this period help to illustrate the depth to which these ideas, born of Biblical interpretations, were believed. However, touching off the debate that w ould eventually change the world, Copernicus wrote to Pope Paul III regarding his soon-to-be published and revolutionary idea that the earth revolved around the sun rather than the other way around (Copernicus 1543 cited in Levick, 2004: 524). Fearful of the backlash his observations might have on a public firmly entrenched in the idea of being central to the universe, Copernicus was working to gain the support of the Pope by pointing out the purely mathematical means by which he came to his conclusions as well as the support he found for this idea in ancient texts. In this letter, he informs the Pope that it is only by assuming a motion of the earth in addition to the observed motions of the other planets can the universe possibly retain its apparent