Mankind is nah island Essay

The dynamic concept, belonging, is highly influenced by social marginalisation as individuals develop a sense of displacement amongst the dominant culture. Vangenderon’s, ‘Mankind Is No Island’, utilises film techniques, mise-en-scene and literary devices to explore the intangible concept of belonging. A sense of affiliation is established through the absence of belonging amongst the subjects of homelessness in two iconic cities, New York and Sydney. Representation All representation is subjective and incomplete. It allows us to understand an issue from a range of perspectives. The consideration of a variety of perspectives is necessary to developing a genuine understanding of an issue. Language is used to articulate, our particular perspective on an issue. The productive tension between the texts we have studied demonstrate how conflicting perspectives allow audiences to fully understand the complexity of representations. Appreciating that no single perspective contains the ‘truth’ allows us to value the unique contribution of each perspective. When preparing drafts: – Start with an idea that allows for growth in multiple directions – Choose one of those paths & stick to it – Allow yourself to end an idea then start again with new direction. Drafting strategies – Rewrite sections of your story that seem to be wasted. – Have a list of multiple next ‘moves’ to choose from – When stuck do some research of the topic – Work on the structure of the story. Intro – Answer the question -> INDICATE 2 ISSUES – Elaborate stance – outline issues further. – Clarify stance if you have made an overall assessment i.e. the effectiveness of Australian legal system. – Link back to question, reiterate stance/direction Note: Maximum clarity Body 1* – Issue #1 Legal Response. Body 2 – Issue #1 Non-legal response. Body 3 – Issue #2 Legal Response. Body 4 – Issue #2 Non-legal response. Conclusion * Topic sentence: Introduce focus of paragraph [your point] Prove: – Elaborate, clarify – Discuss example – legislatiom, stas, cases, keywords, key terminolotiy, quotes, related to this topic – Evaluation – reiterate what this evidence proves – Link – > main argument.

Government Regulation of Tobacco Products Essay

Read the Government Regulation of Tobacco Products Discussion Case at the end of Chapter 8 in your text. In one to two pages, supported by evidence from your text and from other research, answer the following questions: Would you describe the orientation of Reynolds toward tobacco regulation as cooperative or at arm’s length? How about the attitude of Altria? What do you think explains the differences between the two companies’ positions? What public policy inputs, goals, tools, and effects can be found in this discussion case? Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment. Make sure you schedule dedicated study time every day. Even though you may find other things to do, make sure to find time to study. Promise yourself that you will study for one hour each day. If you feel confident in your understanding of the subject, you should still use that time to study. This smart habit will help you to stay focused when your workload gets heavier later in your college career.

Promote young children physical activity and mivement skills Essay

1.1 Explain why physical activity is important to the short and long term health and well being of children. Physical activity is an integral part of health and well being in children.Our bodies also require physical activity in order to be healthy.Understanding and supporting physical activity, will help children have the right foundation for a healthy and happy life.Positive experiences with physical activity at a young age promotes the growth if strong bones and muscles, help to develop good posture and balance, obesity risk and chronic disease risk infection are reduced. A long-term health benefit will be that children will have a stronger immune system.Children are less likely to become overweight and will have better control of their body, children will achieve and maintain a healthy weight and they will establish healthy behaviour and increase their self-esteem and concentration. Physical inactivity is associated with health risks: weight gain, obesity, heart and bone disease, diabetes. Children who are physically active are more likely to show good social skills, they are confident and they achieve their full developmental potential. 1.2 Explain the development of movement skills in young children and how these skills affect other aspects of development. Physical activity helps children to develop and practise movements skills which includes: travel, balance and coordination and object control. Movement skills help children develop awareness of what their bodies can do, children learn how much space their body needs to take.When developing traveling skills, the child learns how to move the body from on location to another: hopping, skipping, sliding, walking. Hand-eye coordination and foot-eye coordination uses the eye to direct attention and hands and foot to execute a task so the brain sends out information to the muscles and helps to develop smooth and precise movements. Activities involving foot-eye coordination: kicking a ball; activities involving hand-eye coordination: throwing or catching a ball. Balance is also a very important skills and children learn to control their balance and to gain posture.Balancing activities involves the body, for example: walking on a beam will help children learn that putting one foot in front of the other help children maintain their balance; or balancing on one leg will help them to control their posture. Object control involves movements such as catching, throwing, kicking and children learn how to catch, throw and kick objects. Physical activity is linked with every other area of development. Emotional development Physical activity helps children to build up confidence and different activities such as colouring, painting, helps to express their feelings.Children feel confident, physically and emotionally when they use their body to communicate and solve problems. Social development Children who are physically active are more likely to show good social skills, empathy and self-esteem. Language development Children who are physically active develop good thinking and communication skills.Physical activity gives children the opportunity to talk about activities and develop vocabulary. Cognitive development Physical activity contributes to healthy brain development.Physical activity stimulates the connection between mind and body and is also essential for helping children to put their ideas into actions to accomplish a goal. 2.1 Prepare the environment and explain how it allows all children to develop, practise and extend their movement skills according to their age, needs and abilities. In my setting, we try to create areas of interest that encourages children to develop their movement skills.We also consider and offer children different types of activities.Environment is changed to meet the different needs of children’s ages and stages of development.The environment is organised so that it reflects children’s individual strengths, interests, abilities and needs. The environment should be rich, stimulating and challenging to give children the opportunity to explore, experiment and encourage the movement skills. It is important to make the best possible use of space and equipment so the children can enjoy the activities.All children will have equal opportunities to develop movement skills and the environment will be changed to help children practise the mivements skills.When planning physical activity we ensure that no child is excluded from play and activities are modified as necessary. 2.3 Explain the importance of natural outdoor environments for young children’s physical activity and movement skills. Natural outdoor environment has positive effects on children’s social development and motor skills development.Outdoor play is less structured so it gives children more opportunity to discover, learn about different textures, sounds and children also gain important physical skills.Children feel more free and they use their whole bodies to explore.Natural environments stimulate children’s imagination and engage their sense of curiosity. Children learn social skills by interacting with other children or even with natural materials found in the environment.Natural outdoor environment help children to question, to cooperate and solve problems. 3.1 Plan opportunities for physical activity for young children. An effective planning will help children to participate in a safe and supportive environment.To provide good opportunities for children it is important to maintain a balance between child-initiated and adult-led physical activities.Children should have opportunities to interesting resources to explore and use.Physical opportunities will be appropriate to the age, needs and stage development of children.Enough time will be allowed for children to take part in physical activities.Activities will be planned to meet the developmental needs of the children.Practitioners select age-appropriate activities and physical activities will be challenging giving the children the opportunity to explore and be physically active. 3.2 Explain how the plan: -meets the individual movement skills needs of children -includes activities that promote competence in movement skills -encourages physical play Good planning involves observing children’s strengths, interests and needs and developmental skills.Children will be given the opportunity to practice the skills, to modify, change or adding some equipment based on children’s interests and abilities. Planning is based on observations on each child’s interests and developmental progress.Children need opportunities to practise motor skills and to have interested adults to participate with them. It is also important to support children who are at different stages and provide emotional support , be flexible and provide opportunity for practise.As the child becomes more comfortable and competent with an activity, the expectations can be changed to allow for more challenges. 4.1 Explain the importance of building physical activity into everyday routines. In my setting we support children to become independent and develop movement skills by: -encourage to put on their coats -helping to do the tidying up -have children act out the words in books and songs -be an active role model by participating in physical activities -go on nature walk and learning about the environment -help practitioners during the snack time: giving them small tasks such as carry the cups or pouring their own drinks in the cups or wiping the tables.Children must be encouraged to be physically active. Active children are more likely to lead active healthy lifestyles as adults.Being physically active strengths muscles and bones and helps develop coordination and movement skills. 5.1 Assess effectiveness of planned provision in: -supporting physical activity -supporting confidence and progression in movement skills Physical activities are planned and organised every day in my setting.When children experience the joy of moving, they learn to value physical activity and are more likely to continue to be physically active when adults.It is important that practitioners show positive attitudes towards physical activity.Children also need to understand the benefits and necessity of physical activity.In my setting we discuss what happens to their bodies when they are physically active.Children are allowed to develop gross and fine motor skills in my setting.I evaluate my practice and gain feedback from my colleagues, parents and children.Communication and feedback from parents, colleagues and children is important in determining any adaptations to daily physical activity that may be necessary. 5.3 Reflect on own practice in supporting young children’s physical development and movement skills. It is important to reflect on own practice and to realise my strengths and weakness and also to take into consideration feedback from colleagues and manager. Are the resources used appropriate to interests and needs if children? Are there opportunities for children to be involved in planning and organising physical activities? How well children control their bodies? How can the spaces and resources be improved to allow children to play safely?

Final Project A Comparison of World Religions Essay

Final Project A Comparison of World Religions - Essay Example It is noted that many religions in the world pay respect to a specific being that they consider supreme and who has extraordinary qualities. Christianity is a monotheistic religion. According to this religion God discloses himself as personal, here God is considered to exist as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The origin of this God remains a mystery to Christians. The God of Christians declares that there is no any other God apart from him. In Isaiah 44:6 he confesses that â€Å"I am the first and the last and apart from me there is no any other God,† meaning that he does not admit the existence of absolute reality. He is considered different from other gods, such as the Krishna. The bible only gives the account of one creation of heaven and earth by God (Shah, nd). Judaism is also a monotheistic religion. The religion is about a personal God who reveals himself through the story of Jewish people this is according to (World Scripture, 2014). Its scriptures are found in the Torah of the Jews and in the Old Testament of the Christians. In the begging of these scriptures, God is presented as to be creating heaven and earth. Judaism results from the inspiration of Brahman. It then considers that the physical world and humans are signs of Brahman (Valea, 2011). Islam is another monotheistic religion after the Christianity and Judaism. It originated from the times of Abraham, and its teachings are quite related to those of Christians and Jewish. Islamic religion proclaims one sovereign and powerful God, Allah. He is considered the creator who works through the prophets to communicate his desires. Just like Christianity, Islamic offers two choices for mankind, either heaven or hell. They believe in the teachings of Mohammad who was a prophet as recorded in the Qur’an (Valea, 2011). Hinduism is not one religion, but a number of religious and theoretical trends. Its tradition does not follow a

American Culture Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Culture Analysis - Essay Example Interestingly, the American society has remained quite receptive towards all sorts of cultures. It was found in the 1990 census that racial minority groups in US were growing seven times faster than the majority (Qasawa). The freedom of expression is one quality of American culture that appeals to me the most, though their straightforwardness sometimes sounds too bitter (Kwintessential). Americans celebrate life. They hang out with friends, party and enjoy. Being a first world country, American people are much privileged than most of the other nations of the world. Partying is an important feature of the American culture. Partying is ingrained in the American ideology. People look forward to opportunities to get together. American’s don’t need special occasions to party. They may party when someone wins a match or when someone buys a new pet. There can be any reason to party. Most importantly, the parties do not have to be expensive enough to be enjoyed. Friends may get together upon a large pizza, and it can be just as enjoyable as a grand ceremony.

WW1 and transition to modern America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WW1 and transition to modern America - Essay Example on to sit in White House .He came to power in quite unconventional manner with the body of his predecessor laying besides him and he took oath right there. He came about to power in a progressive era. He also gave the foreign policy a new dimension which was previously left upon an inwardly designed pattern during the ruling days of previous presidents (Brinkley and Miller, program 18). United States of America at first stayed away from the First World War on account of its policy of isolation that it had long contained and carried since the early 19th century. Through this phase it had believed in an inward foreign policy with little interference and presence in the affairs of the global politics and happenings. This was reflected upon in the early part of the First World War. However, the second part of the World War One, forced United States of America stepping into the War. This was forced by number of events. The most prominent one in this regard was that of the indecisive and uncontrolled shelling by the German troops from across the submarines. This hit upon the American ships and vessels. The second major factor was the infamous telegram- the Zimmerman Telegram. The hostility of United States of America towards the Russia’s strength and the revolution which in turn gave rise to the socialist movement was another reason which promoted United States of America landing into the war and breaking its centuries hold custom of isolation (Divine et al,p. 775). President Woodrow Wilson was the pioneer towards breaking the shackles and introducing the American’s influence in the global affairs through a more proactive foreign policy. As a result of this mindset, the concept of 14 Points of Woodrow Wilson came about forth. This was an unprecedented form of American foreign policy in a long time. The intention of W. Wilson was to bring about global peace. It was aimed at preventing any other similar war affair in the long run. It also aimed at curtailing the

Ways How Individuals And Communities Demonstrate Agency In Their Lives Essay

Ways How Individuals And Communities Demonstrate Agency In Their Lives - Essay Example It is vital to note that individual’s demonstration of the agency, later on, forms the building blocks of a community. This is because individuals are community agents since they express their thoughts on cultural matters to other people. Through the agency, people are able to carry out face-to-face conversations with people from other communities. This has an impact on either side of the communities since culture is a negotiated meaning (Gutman 5). Being a negotiated meaning, a cultural forum in which the culture is negotiated and re-negotiated is what makes and remakes the culture and the community. This, therefore, supports the earlier argument that through an agency, individuals are not passive recipients of community outcomes. Through the agency, individuals are able to engage in cultural construction (Gutman 6). Another demonstration of agency is seen in babies. According to studies, babies construct their own personal goals. Children create their own personal worlds for achieving their goals; this is what makes the difference between children and subsequently, adults. If they were to adapt to the conditions that they found in the community i.e. culture and ideologies, then all children in the community could be the same. This could also mean that the adults from the children could also be the same. Children, therefore, exploit the meaning they derive from the pre-existing culture to build their own understanding of the world that later on helps them or destroys them as adults.  

The managment of corporate social responsibility in developing Essay

The managment of corporate social responsibility in developing economies - Essay Example It is also seen that in the developing economies, monitory power is concentrated in the few industrial and corporate houses, which constitute the core area in the development. Yet another major feature of the economy is that it has emerging market with vast potential, which attracts lots of foreign investments and multinationals with their numerous products. It is a fact that government alone cannot be responsible for the socio economic development of its population. Though it provides the basic guiding principles and policy parameters of development process in the various core areas, people must also take up the cudgels to get involved into the process along with the government, if the country is to achieve the distinction of sustainable development that percolates down to the people living at poverty line. Hence, according to social scientists and economists, the corporate houses including the multinationals, must get involved in exercising their social responsibility with right earnest and contribute towards the all round development of the nation, especially the underprivileged segment of the society and the underdeveloped region which may even lack the basic infrastructural facilities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a relatively new concept that is becoming increasing more popular among the multinationals and big corporate houses which have significant presence in a developing countries or are intending to enter the emerging market of developing economies. ‘The relationship between companies and civil society organizations has moved on from paternalistic philanthropy to a re-examination of the roles, rights and responsibilities of business in society. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), defined in terms of the responsiveness of businesses to stakeholders’ legal, ethical, social and environmental expectations, is one outcome of these developments’ (UNIDO, 2002). The last few years have seen rising cases of CSR in the socially

Case analysis for enterprise rent-a-car Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis for enterprise rent-a-car - Case Study Example By the end of 2010, the enterprise had grown bigger, and became the largest private car rental enterprises with 6,000 rental locations and 850,000 rental cars in service. Since 1994, the enterprise has been the leading car rental company and by the year 2010, it accounted for almost half of the auto rental market with its competitor being Hertz (Busse and Swinkels 2). In order to maximize its profits and ensure quality services to its customers, the Human Resource department decided to employ more employees, most of them being university graduates than any other car rental company (Burns 90). This enables the enterprise to compete other companies since these graduate employees were goal oriented, had good problem solving skills, had good communication and leadership skills, had good customer and sales service skills, they were flexible, and ensured a well-built work ethnic. However, in order to sustain its employees, the company offered an opportunity to develop well-paying careers, if they showed the efforts of working hard and willing to learn new skills. The new trainees earned approximately $35,000 per annum including overtime allowances. However, the Human resource management ensured that the hardworking employees received promotions to better positions and this made the company to appear in the BusinessWeek top fifty places to launch your c areer consistently (Burns 90). Secondly, all the branches of enterprise rent-a-car typically started their operations at 7:30 a.m. to 6:00p.m. This enables the enterprise to serve a large number of customers since the allocated working hours were the working hours for the customers. The company could, for instance, fetch customers to their work location and back home in the evening (Busse and Swinkels 3). The Human Resource staffed offices with the adequate number of employees to manage the allocated fleet of cars.

The impact of the financial crisis on the airline industry Essay

The impact of the financial crisis on the airline industry - Essay Example Nonetheless, an economic crisis occurred in between the year 2000 and 2001. Within this period, Turkey faced one of the worst economic turmoil, with the unemployment rate reaching over 11%. In addition, the Turkey government borrowed an additional 23 billion dollars (Reinhart &Â  Rogoff, 2009). This paper will analyze the impact of the financial crisis on the airline industry, focusing on Turkish Airlines. The Aviation sector is expanding by day with progressing technologies and economies. Developments on aviation sector affect airlines operations. The Airline industry or sector is connected with international trade laws or policies. The Turkish Airline sector is growing fast and has a large significance to economic progress. Their international and countrywide financial crisis also had a tremendous impact on Turkish Airlines. At the period of the financial crisis, Turkish Airlines was faced with decreased air travels, massive retrenchment of workers, among others. This also contrib uted to the economy of Turkey becoming delicate, not only domestically, but also internationally (Rigas, 2001). Not only, did the financial crisis affect Turkish Airlines and its workers, it also affected businesses that were depending on the Airline services, for example, tourism and shipment of goods from Turkey to other areas. Turkish Airlines is the Turkish national transporter airline in Turkey. Turkish Airline headquarters is situated in the capital city, Istanbul, at Ataturk Airport. Turkish Airlines offers its air travelling services to over two hundred and four domestic and international destinations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. In addition, Turkish Airline offers its carrier services to an additional ninety one countries (Rigas, 2002). This makes its destination system from one area the largest in the whole world. Turkish Airline’s central station is Ataturk International Airport. Turkish Airlines has been on the rise since 2006. The number of passenge rs using Turkish Airline increased from 17million passengers in 2006 to 29 million passengers in 2010, earning over $15 million dollars over the five years. A report released in 2011 showed the airline had employed 18,188 workers. Turkish Airline has also been a constituent of the Star Alliance network from 2008. Turkish Airline also co-owned B&H Airlines, AnadoluJet, North Cyprus Airlines, SunExpress, and Cyprus Turkish Airlines. Turkish airline has been affected by financial crises since the olden days. Turkish Airlines suffered financial losses between 1987 and 1988, mainly because of significant expenditure on its numerous new Airbuses. This is according to a report released by Air Transport World. The fleet of airplanes also comprised DC-9s and Boeings. Turkish Airlines finished the period with less than 10,000 airline workers. In addition, after the Persian Gulf War, Turkish Airlines also suffered in the world wide economic crisis (Rigas, 2002). Nonetheless, Turkish Airlines g ot back on its feet in the middle of 1990s. The largest contribution to its financial development came from destination in North America. Turkish Airlines capital continued to increase, attaining the 10 trillion mark, in 1995. During the same year, Turkish Airline had switched some of its Boeing to cargo planes. Turkish Airline attained a $6 million profit within the same year. Nonetheless, Turkish Airline had to compete with the extreme inflation of the country due to

Marketing Managemant 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Managemant 4 - Essay Example Using the ACCORD model for strategic marketing of the rose plant is recommended in order to maximize the returns. The ACCORD model of adoption will support the innovation by providing an in-depth analysis of the various aspects of the new product. Acting like an underlying checklist, the model will highlight the potential benefits and risks associated with the product, thus assisting the acceptance and adoption. Advantage: The innovative rose bushes, which are created to survive without any pruning, spraying or dusting, surely provide a comparative advantage over the natural counterparts which are rather temperamental and need much more care. The innovation has an edge over the natural plant which needs to be pruned to ensure lush blooms. With the new variety claiming to grow without the usual problems involved with rose bush care, the innovation offers an obvious advantage to the users. Compatible: The new rose plant is extremely compatible with the user’s lifestyle. Unlike the normal rose plant which demands high maintenance, the one developed by Angelica nursery promises prolific flowering with minimum maintenance. The plant is scientifically bred to grow and flower without any specific care requirement so the users can maintain it as per their lifestyle, thus lending a higher level of compatibility to the innovation. Complexity: The innovation is easy to handle and does not require the user to learn any new methodology. Communicating the benefits of the innovation to the customers is hassle free. The level of complexity involved in handling these innovative rose bushes is much less than that of a natural rose plant which demand special attention. Observable: The growth and flowering of rose bushes are observable even with minimal care. This will cause the early adopters to endorse and recommend the product to the others. The innovator segment of the

Lockheed management Essay Example for Free

Lockheed management Essay We examined the decision to invest in the Tri-Star project by forecasting the cash flow associated with the project for a volume of 210 planes. We also asked what a valid estimate of the NPV of the Tri-Star project at a volume of 210 planes as of 1967 would be. We found this to be -$584 M. This was clearly an unacceptable NPV for capital budgeting on the project. A break-even analysis revealed that the project reached economic break-even with the production of 275 planes at . 5 M per unit but did not reach value break-even at that level of production. Despite industry analysts predicting 300 units as Lockheed’s break-even sales point, at this level, net present value remained insufficient to cover costs at negative $274 million. If the company had performed a true value break-even analysis, management would have realized that roughly 400 Tri Star aircraft (about 67 per year for six years) costing somewhere between $11.75 million and $12 million per unit would have to be sold in order to break even. The investment decision made by Lockheed to pursue the Tri Star program was not a reasonable one. A true value analysis shows that at the production level of 210 units, the project would result in an economic loss of $584.05 million and a profit loss of $480 million. In addition to miscalculating the break-even level of production, Lockheed management overestimated the growth rate of air travel industry.

Security In Different Schools Of Thought Politics Essay

Security In Different Schools Of Thought Politics Essay Political analysts agree that international security is the most important contemporary global issue. Twenty first century politics has brought urgency to consider the proliferation of weapons, increase in military spending, and terrorism. In principle, security is a condition in which States consider that there is no danger of military attack, political pressure or economic coercion, so that they are able to pursue freely their own development and progress. International security is thus the result and the sum of the security of each and every State member of the international community; accordingly, international security cannot be reached without full international co-operation. However, security is a relative rather than an absolute term. National and international security need to be viewed as matters of degree. Concepts of security are the different bases on which States and the international community as a whole relies for their security. Examples of concepts are the balance o f power, deterrence, peaceful coexistence and collective security. The reason to address security in this paper is the belief that an understanding of the broader scope of security should make it possible for states to deal more effectively, both individually and collectively, with current problems and threats to peace. So accordingly the paper will deal with analysis of security as a concept well established specially since the world war and how different schools of thought defined it. Also the current issues of human security and its impact on foreign policy options will be discussed besides the national interest debate in international relations. What is security? There is no agreement on the concept of security. Notwithstanding the wide range of studies of security published over the past sixty years, no single generally accepted definition of security has been produced. The concept of security is as contested as ever. To understand the concept of security we should first define its relation to the state, is it an internal matter related to domestic circumstances or an external matter related to international context. As a matter of fact security as a predominant issue had developed and went through various phases marked by the two world wars, the Westphalia conference also had an impact on it, the huge advance in military and technological tools had dramatic influence as well. Still the concept remained contested between different theories and theorists and between different zeit geist shaping the interests and policies of states. In the Westphalia world of internally strong states, there is less danger of internal conflict, and the international system is marked by conflicts  among  states rather than  within  them.   Since 1945, however, many of the most significant threats to state security have been internal, rather than external, a shift which has only accelerated and which may have profound consequences on the conduct of international relations. So traditionally, security was defined primarily at the nation-state level and almost exclusively through the military prism. This focus on external military threat to national security was particularly dominant during the Cold War. It would be misleading, however, to associate the origins of security studies with the Cold War and the recent nuclear threat. In the first decade after the Second World War academic interest in security studies increased significantly. Although questions of national security were usually treated within the broader framework of international relations and foreign policy, this period has been described as the most creative and exciting period in the entire history of security studies Security in different schools of thought Security has been a cornerstone in realism theories and studies; neorealism has even put more emphasis on security and power as determining factors in states decisions and position. Thus a detailed explanation of realism security view follows. While Liberal school was seen as counter theory for realism, for the interest of this paper focus will be shed on these two leading theories. Realism: Realism has been the most dominant theoretical tradition in international relations and security studies. Its philosophical foundations were laid by Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Rousseau. The realists world view represents international relations as a struggle for power among strategic, self-interested states. Realists discount any claims to system-wide international order other than that based ultimately on power or force. They argue that international society is best described as a condition of international anarchy, since there is no central authority to protect states from one another. States act as independent, sovereign political units that focus on their own survival (or expansion). For that reason, the objective of national security is survival of the nation-state rather than the guarantee of international security .Realists are not prepared to engage in long-term accommodation or cooperation. In this view, world politics is anarchical characterized by a state of war, not a single continuous war or constant wars but the constant possibility of war among all states. Consequently, the realist perceives a period of peace as a state of non-war. The possibility of war requires that states follow Realpolitik: be self interested, prepare for war and calculate relative balances of power. A state is constantly seeking relative gains and its behavior is therefore continuously determined to facilitate self-preservation by the actual balance of power between political powers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ this is what security stands for. As a product of presumed uncertainty, a central issue in nearly all realist theory is the security dilemma. Due to their continuous efforts to guarantee their own security and survival, states are driven to acquire more and more power in order to escape the impact of the power of others. This, in turn, constitutes a threat to the security of other states. Traditional Cold War concepts of nuclear strategies and deterrence only emphasize this line of thought. Striving to attain maximum security from attack therefore inevitably produces new insecurities. Realism is not a single theory. It could be argued that there are two crosscutting dichotomies: classical realism versus neorealism, and offensive realism versus defensive realism. Classical realists, of which one of the most influential was Hans Morgenthau believe that states, like human beings, have an innate desire to dominate others, which leads them to fight wars. In this perspective, state power and security are ends in themselves. Neorealists see the international system consisting of a number of great powers, each seeking to survive. Because the system is anarchic and has no central authority, each state has to survive on its own. This driving force of survival is the primary factor influencing their behavior and in turn ensures that states develop offensive military force, as a means to increase their relative power. The classical focus on the centrality of power shifts gradually towards a more neorealist view whereby power becomes a means to gain security. Neorealists bring attention to a persistent lack of trust between states which requires states to act in an openly aggressive manner. Though neorealists recognize that international democratic structures and liberal economics are imperative to peace, security stems from balancing strategies based on sound military capabilities. For that reason, neorealism can be considered the dominant paradigm in security studies. Despite the varieties of realist thought, all realists stress the centrality of military threat and the use of force. The referent object of security is the state; states act as strategic, self-interested units which seek to ensure their own security. In all cases, the realist concept of security has been severely criticized as being too narrow to account for the multiple dimensions of security. Liberalism: The principal challenge to realism came from liberal theory, the foundations of which were laid, by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. A central principle of liberalism is the importance of the freedom of the individual. Foreign policy should reflect the rights and duties of individuals. Liberals understanding of security differs in part from that of realists. Reflecting the aims of the individual, liberal states view security not only in military terms, but also in terms of the protection and promotion of individual rights. For example, the liberal approach to combating terrorism focuses far more on the application of legal instruments than on the use of military force. Thats to say that liberal concept of security tends to include issues such as migration, environmental concerns. Like realism, liberalism is not a single theory. Although all liberal theories imply that cooperation is more pervasive than even the defensive version of realism allows, each view offers a different recipe for promoting it. It is worth noting that Liberalism has such a powerful presence that the entire political spectrum of the Western world, it is no surprise that liberal themes are constantly invoked as a response to contemporary security dilemmas. Also Liberal theory believes in the innate goodness of mankind to conduct peace-keeping relations in the international system where States rely on mutual cooperation to tackle global issues. Managing security issues according to this theory requires the involvement of international institutions, along with the cooperation of states to achieve this.The Liberal theory of security management consists of two key methods; collective security and arms control. 1. Collective Security Liberal theorists strongly believe in the power of collective security. This is a protective measure used by a group of allied states. When threatening and unlawful actions are directed at one state, united opposition is shown by the other supporting states. The goal is to stop the aggressor while creating security in the international system. Collective security can be best described by the concept of one for all, all for one.Another important function of this security measure is to ward off potential aggressors from acting. 2. Arms Control In global politics, arms control is best described by either the controlling, reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons completely. Another approach to controlling weapons includes general disarmament. According to Liberal theory, arms proliferation and specialization can be reduced.Having fewer weapons means reduced insecurity so long as states agree to carry out this task mutually. National security and IR Human security In 1994, the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP) Human Development Report presented a new way of thinking about the integration of security issues and globalization. This report defined human security according to seven dimensions: personal, environmental, economic, political, community, health, and food security, the report adopted a people-centric security concept as its focus instead of the traditional state-centered concept The concept of human security stresses that people should be able to take care of themselves: all people should have the opportunity to meet their most essential needs and to earn their own living. This will set them free and help ensure that they can make a full contribution to development their own development and that of their communities, their countries and the world, Human security is a critical ingredient of participatory development. Human security is therefore not a defensive concept, the way territorial or military security is. Human security is a concept that identifies the security of human lives as the central objective of national and international security policy. After 1994, the concept of human security became a central theme of a number of governments through their foreign and defense policies. In particular, the Canadian, Japanese and Norwegian governments led the way in institutionalizing human security concerns into their respective foreign policies. According to a Canadian government report, human security means safety for people from both violent and non-violent threats. It is a condition or state of being characterized by freedom from pervasive threats to peoples rights, their safety, or even their lives. Also the report emphasized that increasing human security entails: Investing in human development, not in arms; Engaging policy makers to address the emerging peace dividend; Giving the United Nations a clear mandate to promote and sustain development; Enlarging the concept of development cooperation so that it includes all flows, not just aid; Agreeing that 20 percent of national budgets and 20 percent of foreign aid be used for human development; and Establishing an Economic Security Council Human security and Foreign policy: A departure from the realist, state-centered concept of security that has dominated foreign policy thinking of major powers, this conceptual reframing of security has important implications on foreign policy. It brings new issues or vulnerabilities and measures or actions as priorities for global security that were not on the security agendas, it has huge impact on foreign policy orientations especially when it comes to big powers decisions The issue of oppression and physical violence due to deliberate action and neglect by the state to its own citizens. Vulnerability to poverty and destitution as a factor inter-connected with threats of violence. Development and ending poverty as important means to achieve human security. Actors other than the state as sources of threat and as holders of obligations to protect; Global inter-connectedness of security threats (such as terrorist networks, global financial crises and global diseases) and necessary responses. Questions have been raised about the relationship between human security and state security and actions in foreign affairs. Contrary to some claims, the twokinds of security are not mutually exclusive. The security of the state is not an end in itself rather it is a means of ensuring security for people. In this context, state security and human security are in fact mutually supportive and accordingly the decisions made to maintain security of the state in foreign affairs and in international relations had a direct influence on humans security. Building an effective, democratic state that values its own people and protects minorities is central to promoting human security. At the same time, improving the human security of its people strengthens the legitimacy, stability and security of a state. So the interdependent relation is crystal clear. Human security provides a template to assess policy and practice effects on the safety of people. From a foreign policy perspective, there are a number of key consequences; First ensuring human security can involve the use of coercive measures, including sanctions and military force, as in Bosnia and Kosovo. On the other hand the human costs of strategies for promoting state and international security must be explicitly assessed. security policies such as economic sanctions, should take into account the impact on innocent people. Third, security policies must be integrated much more closely with strategies for promoting human rights, democracy, and development. Human rights and humanitarian provide the normative framework on which a human security approach is based. On the other hand one of the dividends of adopting a human security approach is that it further elaborates a people-centred foreign policy. Fourth, due to the complexity of contemporary challenges to the security of people, effective interventions involve a diverse range of actors including states, multilateral organizations, and civil society groups. As the challenges to the safety of people are transnational, effective responses can only be achieved through multilateral cooperation. This is evident in the new international instruments developed to address transnational drug trafficking, terrorism, and environmental issues. These threats link the interest of citizens in countries which enjoy a high level of human security with the interests of people in much poorer nations, who face a wider range of threats to their safety. This has a direct impact on foreign policy implementation and interests. The relationship between national and international security The changing international environment, following the advent of globalization and end of cold war politics has made it imperative for both practitioners and scholars to rethink and redefine the existing framework on which foreign policy operated. Foreign relations are in fact developed in the context of the security environment. However, security issues are no longer seen in the pure realist term of preserving the national security of the states in terms of territory only. States have aligned and realigned to further their national interest by forming new regional and economic blocs, while putting aside historical and cultural hostility, and arriving at consensus over various issues of global concerns. National and international security are becoming increasingly interrelated, thereby challenging the notion that security is primarily a function of national power or military and economic strength. Searching for solutions to the problem of insecurity, many nations increasingly find themselves face-to-face with circumstances beyond their direct control, such as a structural economic crisis and global economic, population, environmental and resource trends. All nations face universal threats posed by the nuclear arms race. Global interdependence has created a situation in which actions not only by major Powers but also by other nations can have major regional or even international repercussions. Only by recognizing that security is not divisible, either in its military, economic, social and political dimensions or as between its national and international aspects, can nations evolve the co-operative measures necessary to achieve security in an interdependent age. This requires a comprehensive and co-operative approach to international security(a liberal version of security). The unrestrained pursuit of national security interests at the expense of others is not conducive to international security and may even lead to disaster. With the existence of nuclear weapons such policies constitute a potential threat to the survival of mankind. It is imperative that nations reconcile the contradictions between individual national security interests and the overall interest of international security and peace. Conclusion

Gender Variation of Health Awareness of Adolescents in India

Gender Variation of Health Awareness of Adolescents in India Evaluation of gender variation in health awareness of Adolescent age groups in rural India Introduction World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period between 10 and 19 years of age. During this period, they have to face a lot of changes which may include physical, mental, emotional or psychological changes. Yet they are the once whose health is neglected the most, especially that of female adolescent group. [1] Health awareness not only includes the awareness for infections, diseases or disorders but also health related topics like physiological changes, psychological changes, hormonal changes, importance of exercise to stay fit, time for entertainment to stay active and happy etc. Adolescents in rural areas are often devoid of health care facilities and tends to fall sick more often. Both genders faces different types of problems. They even get addicted to un-healthy activities due to lack of awareness and peer pressure.   Government of India has implemented many schemes for the spread of health awareness, but due to unknown reasons, it is not yet uniform among both the genders. If they are aware of health issues surrounding them, they can fight or prevent them and can improve their lives. Females health has been always neglected in rural India and now as to be prioritised because not only they support family by sharing the economic burden but they also take care of the entire family. In order to share all responsibilities both males and females have to be fit and that should start from the very beginning, right after birth. With implementation of new schemes and involvement of latest technology like internet; health awareness is improving[2] The teachers also teach them the benefits of health exercise and the requirement of time for recreational activities so that they can live a happy life. Various studies and survey have been conducted before but none showed the difference of health awareness between males and females of adolescent group. So we conducted this study to access the gender variation in health awareness in adolescent age group [15-19 years]. Their answers to the questionnaire can help us to understand the awareness of health in rural areas and we could bring further changes or implement new plans for spreading health awareness especially if one of the gender is lacking behind in one area. Material and Methods The present study was conducted as a cross-sectional study in September, 2014 at a local school in Nhava village, Raigad District in Maharashtra State, India. A well-structured questionnaire was distributed randomly to 102 high school students which included 60 males and 42 females between 15 to 19 to evaluate gender variation in health awareness and attitude towards awareness of side effects of tobacco consumption leading to oral or lung cancer, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and its transmission route, reaction on stress situations, knowledge of body mass index and ill effects of being malnourished, importance of having breakfast and in between meals with time for exercise and recreational activities, evaluating depression by asking mood changes. Their family type, number of members and average family income, per capita income were also found out. They were asked if they suffered from any other disorders or diseases. The required official permission to select and collect the relevant data from selected subjects was solicited and obtained from the Principal of the respective school. There were 13 questions and the questionnaire was collected on the spot from participants after explaining them the importance of study and obtaining their oral consent. Writing names on the form was optional and was informed that their identity will be kept hidden in all ways possible if they chose to write their names. The survey was carried out in their school timings and free periods. Inclusion Criteria All Students between 15-19 years Exclusion Criteria Students out of target i.e. above 20 years of age and below 15 years Who did not wanted to be a part of the survey Statistical analysis The data were entered into the computer (Microsoft Office, Excel) and were subjected to statistical analysis using the statistical package SPSS version 19. Results In the present study, we got 102 samples out of which 60 were males and 42 were females having 41.18 percentage of females and 58.82% of males. Also the ages ranged from 15-19. Most number of the students were in 17th year. Breakfast Everyday In between meals 2-3 hours (Table 1) Here we noticed that only 69% Females said that they were able to have breakfast as compared to 81.7% Males. Values are given in Table 1. n=Number, %= percentage Sex Breakfast everyday In between meals every 2-3 hours Yes Not able to have Total N % N % n % F 29 69.0 13 31.0 42 100.0 M 49 81.7 11 18.3 60 100.0 Total 78 76.5 24 23.5 102 100.0 Table 1 Time for Exercise Recreation ( Table 2) We noticed that 57.1% females here just said that they are able to do exercise and spare some time for recreation as compared to 80% approval from the males regarding the same. Sex Time for exercise and recreation Yes No Total N % n % n % F 24 57.1 18 42.9 42 100.0 M 48 80.0 12 20.0 60 100.0 Total 72 70.6 30 29.4 102 100.0 (Table 2) Consume Tobacco in any form or any other substance abuse (Table 3) It is interesting to see that only 5 males used to consume tobacco in cigarettes form which is 4.90%. Females denied taking any tobacco in any form. The values are depicted in table 3 Sex Consume tobacco in any form or any other substance abuse Yes No Total N % n % n % F 0 .0 42 100.0 42 100.0 M 5 8.3 55 91.7 60 100.0 Total 5 4.90 97 85.10 102 100.0 Table 3 Awareness of the side effects of taking Tobacco in any form (Table 4) Here we noticed that Females are more aware of the side effects of taking tobacco. Their awareness rate is 95.2% as compared to 78.3% of Males. The values are depicted in table 4. Sex Awareness of side effects regarding tobacco Substance abuse Yes (Aware) No Total N % n % n % F 40 95.2 2 4.8 42 100.0 M 47 78.3 13 21.7 60 100.0 Total 87 85.3 15 14.7 102 100.0 Table 4 Awareness of STDs at least one route of spread (Table 5) Mostly everyone knows about STD and its of route of spread. More details are depicted in table 5. Sex Awareness of STD Yes No Total N % n % n % F 42 100.0 0 .0 42 100.0 M 58 98.04 2 1.96 60 100.0 Total 100 98.04 2 1.96 102 100.0 Table 5 BMI Status Awareness to ill effects of malnourishment (Table 6-8) BMI of the study subject was calculated by using the formula weight (kg)/ height2 (m2). For grading proposed criteria of BMI for Asians (Choo V 2002) and CDC (2010) was adopted. We noticed that females tend to be more underweight as compared to males. Males being more prone to obesity at this age. The mean BMI for females was 20.41 Sex BMI Status Normal Obese Over Weight Underweight Total N % N % n % n % n % F 29 69.0 0 .0 1 2.4 12 28.6 42 100.0 M 42 70.0 1 1.7 2 3.3 15 25.0 60 100.0 Total 71 69.6 1 0.98 3 2.94 27 26.47 102 100.0 Table 6 Sex Statistic Std. Error BMI F Mean 20.417341 .4574878 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound 19.493425 Upper Bound 21.341256 Std. Deviation 2.9648599 Minimum 15.0597 Maximum 26.3146 M Mean 21.016615 .4933969 95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound 20.029330 Upper Bound 22.003900 Std. Deviation 3.8218361 Minimum 16.0231 Maximum 40.4281 Table 7 BMI values are depicted in Table 7 We also asked them if they knew the ill-effects of being malnourished? Almost 90% males knew the ill effects. Whereas 78.6% Females knew about the ill effects. The details are in  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   table 8. Sex Aware of ill-effects of being malnourished? Yes No Total N % n % N % F 33 78.6 9 21.4 42 100 M 54 90.0 6 10.0 60 100 Total 87 85.29 15 14.70 102 100 Table 8 Mood Study duration in a day (Table 9 10) We also asked whether they stay happy content always or unhappy and grumpy or scared or always angry. Most of them answered that they stay happy always. Most also mentioned that they study for 1-2 hours daily. Sex Mood Always Happy Content Always unhappy Always Scared Alway angry Total n % n % n % n % n % F 37 88.1 4 9.5 1 2.4 0 .0 42 100.0 M 55 91.7 2 3.3 2 3.3 1 1.7 60 100.0 Total 92 90.19 6 5.88 3 2.94 1 .98 102 100.0 Table 9 Sex Average hours of study per day 1-2 hours 2-4 hours 4-6 hours Total n % n % n % n % F 25 59.5% 14 33.3% 3 7.1% 42 100.0% M 41 68.3% 17 28.3% 2 3.3% 60 100.0% Total 66 64.70% 31 30.39% 5 4.90% 102 100.0% Table 10 Reaction on Stress or Depression (Table 11) We noticed that almost half of them prefer to talk to their friends when they are depressed. Few females do cry or starve as well. Sex Reaction on being stressed / depression Be alone / lock yourself Cry / Starve Call your friend Talk to your elders Total n % n % N % n % n % F 8 19.0 7 16.7 18 42.9 9 21.4 42 100.0% M 15 25.0 5 8.3 28 46.7 12 20.0 60 100.0% Total 23 22.54 12 11.76 46 45.09 21 20.58 102 100.0% Table 11 We also asked for any other diseases or disorder which they may be suffering from. 2 of males said that they are suffering from Diabetes and 1 female had ulcers.   We also took family history which included number of family members, earning members, total family income per month and level of education. Discussion Adolescents are the future of the country. As they reach puberty, they face a lot of changes in many ways which includes physiological, hormonal, emotional and mental. Females tends to receive more challenges because of the physiological and hormonal changes occurring with the start of their puberty. [3] With the rise of menstrual cycle they often tend to get more depressed before getting adjusting to it. BMI Importance Awareness of malnourishment Females may face malnourishment due to male children being given priority to eat first [4] or may be due to body weight consciousness leading to disorders like bullaemia or Anorexia nervosa   or depression. [5] Dr. Shah had conducted a study on nutrional assessment of adolescent girls in karamsad and had found out that only 8% girls were overweight while 63.2% were of normal weight and 28.5% were underweight. While 23.4% boys were overweight and only 21.2 % were underweight.[6] The present study showed that 28.6% females were underweight as compared to 25% males. 2.4% females were overweight whereas we did not find any obese female during the study. 4% males were above normal stage which includes overweight and obese. Almost 90% males knew the ill effects. Whereas 78.6% Females knew about the ill effects. STD Awarness its route of transmission In later years of adolescent age, teenagers especially males tends to get physically attracted and intimated with the opposite sex and the risk of contacting STDs rises if proper protection not used.7]   Dr. Kotecha had conducted two studies in urban and rural areas respectively, amongst school going students regarding reproductive health awareness and found out that in both rural and urban areas; about one-third of the boys and one-fourth of the girls knew about contraception. Two-thirds of boys and girls had information of HIV/AIDS, and about half of them correctly knew various modes of transmission of HIV in both urban and rural areas. Majority of the adolescent were even ready to visit the Adolescent Friendly clinic if there was any in near-by areas. [8,9] The awareness regarding modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS was found to be higher among boys as compared to girls which contradicts the present study. [10] The present study showed that all females knew about STDs and at least one route of spread as compared to 98.04% males. The contradiction might be due to improvement of health awareness in recent times. Tobacco Consumption Along with rise in STDs prevalence and incidence there is a rise in increase of cigarette smoking among adolescent age [11] andstudents are vulnerable to tobacco addiction, especially males.[12]This can have harmful effect. A study conducted in state of Gujarat, India, showed that there has been increasing trend of smoking cigarettes at younger which is a matter of great concern13]. Early use of tobacco smoking may lead to many harmful effects like hypertension, lung cancer and may even lead to end stage organ in later years of life[14]. A study conducted by Sharma Et Al showed 18.4% males have tried cigarettes or bidis at least once in life time compared to 11% females in adolescent age group. Tobacco use was much higher among the adolescent aged 16-19 group than those in the age group of 14-15 years. Tobacco use was appreciably higher among the males (23.8%) than the females adolescent age group (14.9%), (P=0.016).The prevalence rate of current smoking is 7.1%[15]. The present study showed that 4.9% males has consumed tobacco in any form in a rural area which leads to a conclusion that the tobacco consumption might be at a larger scale in urban areas. All females denied taking tobacco in form. It also noticed that females are more aware of the side effects of taking tobacco. Their awareness rate was 95.2% as compared to 78.3% of Males. Also adolescents are at increased risk of getting stress related depression. [16]They are easily influenced by changes around them which affects their biological, emotional, cognitive, and social functions. Unhealthy and anti-social behaviours are manufactured in these years but if stopped, can be moulded back or may change permanently. [17]These anti-social changes are common in males as compared to females Conclusion: There are many differences in health awareness between males and females of the adolescent age group. We need to decrease the bridge between them and for that we need to change some of our health policies. In some areas females have better health awareness like awareness in STD spread and side effects of taking tobacco in any form, whereas males have better knowledge in understanding the importance of taking proper breakfast and in taking some time off for entertainment. Along with that they also know the ill effects of  Ã‚   malnourishment. If we need our youth to progress at a faster rate, we need them to be healthy at mind, body and free from diseases. For that, we need to inculcate health awareness in both genders and should decrease the bridge between the awareness. Limitation future perspective: Sample size of study was small due to limited number of students in the school. In future, we want to study on more than 500 students of multi-schools in more than 5 districts involving rural areas. References Mahajan P, Sharma N. Awareness level of Adolescent Girls Regarding HIV/AIDS (A comparative study of rural and urban areas of Jammu) J Hum Ecol. 2004;17:313-4. Gray NJ, Klein JD. Adolescents and the internet: health and sexuality information. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2006;18(5):519-24. doi: 10.1097/01.gco.0000242954.32867.76. Goldenring J. A Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network, Medline plus. 2004 Borooah VK. Gender bias among children in India in their diet and immunization against disease. Soc Sci Med. 2004;59:1719-31. Reijone JH, Pratt HD, Patel DR, Greydanus DE. Eating disorders in the adolescent population: An overview. J Adolesc Res. 2003;18:209-22. Hasmukh, S., Wasim, S., Singh, S. K. (2012). Are Indian adolescent girl students more conscious about their body image than their colleague boys? National Journal of Community Medicine, 3(2), 344-347. Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W. Sexually transmitted diseases in American youth: Incidence and prevalence estimates. Perspect Sex Reprod Health 2004366-10.10 Kotecha PV, Patel SV, Mazumdar VS, et al. Reproductive health awareness among urban school going adolescents in Vadodara city. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2012;54(4):344-348. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.104821. Kotecha PV, Patel S, Baxi RK, et al. Reproductive health awareness among rural school going adolescents of Vadodara district. Indian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2009;30(2):94-99. doi:10.4103/0253-7184.62765.

The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a time when the United States was split in two. In every battle Americans were killing Americans because of sectional conflicts. These were times when people were forgetting the concept of the United States, all the things their fathers and grandfathers had worked so hard for. Lincoln’s speech, The Gettysburg Address, defined, symbolized, and epitomized the spirit of America. Lincoln established equality, found in the Declaration of Independence but not in the Constitution nor in any Federal or State law, as a basic and fundamental concept in America. This is very true since this country was founded on equality but apparently not granted in the Constitution to all. In the time of the Civil War many Americans forgot what equality meant, freedom for all - black and white.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gettysburg Address was written by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. It was delivered at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery, honoring those who died in the Civil War battle of Gettysburg earlier that year. â€Å"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (Doc. 25 line 10). The brief speech was followed by a two-hour oration by Edward Everett, one of the most famous speakers of the time. The next day the newspaper of the time regarded Everett’s speech very highly and only briefly mentioned Lincoln. Ironically, Everett sent Lincoln a note saying, â€Å"I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.† (Encarta). Although Lincoln was not as eloquent and verbose as many, his words had a deep meaning and touched the hearts of many soldiers who fought at Gettysburg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Gettysburg Address Lincoln states, â€Å"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.† (Doc. 25 lines 1-3). By saying this Lincoln meant that the United States was born through the struggle of the colonists for freedom from England. When the fathers of this country made this nation, they wanted it to be one of liberty and equality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was basically fought over the issue of slavery and keeping the United States as... ...uality, equality for all. The Address also did not have the power to do this. After the Address was written the Emancipation Proclamation was also written by Lincoln to emancipate all slaves living in Confederate territory. This was so far the only document that actually headed more in the direction of equality than any other. Both the Address and the Declaration were symbols of freedom and liberty against a foe that intended to demolish these concepts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Gettysburg Address is †¦recognized †¦as the one of the most moving expressions of the democratic spirit ever uttered.†(Encarta). The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important symbols of what America stands for. Both are important in recognizing how we as Americans have come to enjoy the freedom and equality that we have today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   WORKS CITED   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Document 25. â€Å"The Gettysburg Address†, Abraham Lincoln   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encarta Encyclopedia. â€Å"The Gettysburg Address† 1996

The Butcher Shop Essay examples -- Personal Narrative, Descriptive, Ob

Around noon on Thursday, my roommate and I walked drearily to the local slaughterhouse, or abattoir, where we would see a pig slaughter. The building we arrived at looked eerie on the school’s campus. The abattoir stood alone, next to the bullpen and at the end of a dirt road. We walked in and a female student greeted us and told us to put on an apron, a hairnet, and a hardhat. The room smelled of warm blood. There were five people in yellow aprons and white hardhats amiably working together butchering a pig, which was currently hanging by its feet, bleeding from its neck. I felt disappointed when I realized we were late, and had missed the pig’s death. I felt my stomach jump into my throat as my visual and nasal senses were overcome with blood. Having been bled, the pig was lowered into a large basin full of water heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Unconscious, the pig didn’t scream or move as it was lowered into the scalding water. The boiling bath loosens up the pig’s hair and nails, which are removed before the pig is butchered. After the bath, two butchers used levers to heave the pig from the water onto the â€Å"Cincinnation.† Resting on the wedge above a giant egg-beater on its side, the pig upon the Cincinnation was the most surreal part of the process. The pig spun around awkwardly and violently while the amiable foreman sprayed it with a high pressure hose causing chunks of pig hair to fly through the air. Stepping away from the jettisoning hair clumps, yet not taking our eyes off of the spinning pig, the whole room seemed to shrink as our focus did upon the pig. My stomach’s queasiness was slowly subsiding as the pig was taken off of the menacing Cincinnation and ont... ...he pig. After passing inspection, the workers in yellow aprons moved the carcass into a huge refrigerator. Inside an amiable man told us all about Cal Poly meat. The meat produced on campus is choice meat, sold at a good price right here in a building next to campus market. The animals on campus are all used for butcher, sale, or research. He had more work to do, but told us he could talk about their work all day. Having witnessed what goes on to provide us our meat, I felt even more comfortable with what I eat. The camaraderie amongst the butchers extended towards all inside the room . Seeing people work on something that means so much to them with such passion was as much of a rare experience as seeing pigs slaughtered. The butchers’ confidence and excitement made for an unforgettable spectacle, visually stimulating and oddly heart-warming.

The Life Of Mahatma Ghandi Essay -- essays research papers

Mahatma Gandhi Introduction Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and the prophet of nonviolence in the 20th century, was born, the youngest child of his father's fourth wife, on Oct. 2, 1869, at Porbandar, the capital of a small principality in Gujarat in western India under British suzerainty. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, who was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar, did not have much in the way of a formal education but was an able administrator who knew how to steer his way between the capricious princes, their long-suffering subjects, and the headstrong British political officers in power. Gandhi's mother, Putlibai, was completely absorbed in religion, did not care much for finery and jewelry, divided her time between her home and the temple, fasted frequently, and wore herself out in days and nights of nursing whenever there was sickness in the family. Mohandas grew up in a home steeped in Vaishnavism (Vaisnavism)--worship of the Hindu god Vishnu (Visnu)--with a strong tinge of Jainism, a morally rigorous Indian religion, whose chief tenets are nonviolence and the belief that everything in the universe is eternal. Thus he took for granted ahimsa (noninjury to all living beings), vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between adherents of various creeds and sects. (see also Index: ahimsa, or ahimsa) Youth. The educational facilities at Porbandar were rudimentary; in the primary school that Mohandas attended, the children wrote the alphabet in the dust with their fingers. Luckily for him, his father became dewan of Rajkot, another princely state. Though he occasionally won prizes and scholarships at the local schools, his record was on the whole mediocre. One of the terminal reports rated him as "good at English, fair in Arithmetic and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad handwriting." A diffident child, he was married at the age of 13 and thus lost a year at school. He shone neither in the classroom nor on the playing field. He loved to go out on long solitary walks when he was not nursing his by now ailing father or helping his mother with her household chores. He had learned, in his words, "to carry out the orders of the elders, not to scan them." With such extreme passivity, it is not surprising that he should have gone through a phase of adolescent rebel... ...reading John Ruskin's Unto This Last, a critique of capitalism, he set up a farm at Phoenix near Durban where he and his friends could literally live by the sweat of their brow. Six years later another colony grew up under Gandhi's fostering care near Johannesburg; it was named Tolstoy Farm after the Russian writer and moralist, whom Gandhi admired and corresponded with. Those two settlements were the precursors of the more famous ashrams (ashramas) in India, at Sabarmati near Ahmedabad (Ahmadabad) and at Sevagram near Wardha. South Africa had not only prompted Gandhi to evolve a novel technique for political action but also transformed him into a leader of men by freeing him from bonds that make cowards of most men. "Persons in power," Gilbert Murray prophetically wrote about Gandhi in the Hibbert Journal in 1918, "should be very careful how they deal with a man who cares nothing for sensual pleasure, nothing for riches, nothing for comfort or praise, or promotion, but is simply determined to do what he believes to be right. He is a dangerous and uncomfortable enemy, because his body which you can always conquer gives you so little purchase upon his soul."

Coyote Blue Chapter 6~7

CHAPTER 6 A Malady of Medicine Santa Barbara â€Å"Look, Sam,† Aaron said. â€Å"I can see that you're not thrilled about the buy-out. So be it. I understand that you've put a lot into this agency. I can give you forty cents on the dollar, but you'll have to take a note. I'm a little cash poor since Katie made me put that trophy room on the house.† Sam looked down from the deer head. â€Å"Aaron, I didn't hire an Indian to attack Jim Cable. I still had half of the deal wrapped up with Cochran, which would have put me in the door at any time in the future to close Cable. I wouldn't have jeopardized that.† Aaron took two hand mirrors out of his desk drawer and began to juxtapose them to get a glimpse of the back of his head. Sam was used to this – it was Aaron's hourly balding check. â€Å"Cochran's secretary saw the Indian get out of your car,† Aaron said matter-of-factly. Then, looking back to the mirrors, he said, â€Å"I've been mixing Minoxidil with a little Retin A and that stuff the Man from U.N.C.L.E. sells on TV. Do you think it's working?† Sam thought of the feather on the car seat. He was sure he'd locked the car; there was no way the Indian could get in without setting off the alarm. â€Å"I don't care what anyone saw, I didn't hire the fucking Indian to attack Cable and I can't believe you bought their story without asking me.† The anger felt good. It cleared his head a little. Aaron put the mirrors down on the desk and smiled. â€Å"I didn't buy it, Sam. But if it was true you can't blame me for taking a shot at your shares.† â€Å"You greedy little fuck.† â€Å"Sam.† Aaron lowered his voice and took his  «fatherly » tone. â€Å"Samuel.† A little wink. â€Å"Sammy, hasn't my greed always been in your best interest? I'm just trying to keep you sharp, son. Would you have had any respect for me if I hadn't tried to make the best of a bad situation? That's the first thing I taught you.† â€Å"I don't know any Indian. It didn't happen, Aaron.† â€Å"If you say it didn't, it didn't. You've always been straight with me. I don't even remember the time you cut all the cords off those smoke alarms we were selling because that lady wanted cordless models.† â€Å"You told me to do that! I was only seventeen years old.† â€Å"Right, well, how was I to know she smoked in bed?† â€Å"Look, Aaron, I'll find out what happened at Motion Marine and take care of it first thing in the morning. If they call back while I'm out, try not to sign a confession for me, okay? I've had an incredibly shitty day and I've got to meet someone on upper State Street in a few minutes, so if that's all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You really like the new head?† Normally Sam would have lied, but with so many questions filling his head his highly developed lying center seemed to have shut down. â€Å"It sucks, Aaron. It sucks and I think you should sue the Man from U.N.C.L.E.† He walked out as Aaron was snatching up his hand mirrors. Gabriella was just hanging up the phone when Sam walked in. â€Å"That was the security director from your condominium association, Mr. Hunter. He'd like to talk to you right away. The association is holding an emergency meeting tonight to discuss what they are going to do about your dog.† â€Å"I don't have a dog.† â€Å"He was very upset. I have his number, but he insisted upon seeing you in person before the† – she checked her notepad – â€Å"‘lynch mob gets hold of you. â€Å" â€Å"Call him back and tell him that I don't have a dog. Dogs aren't allowed in the complex.† â€Å"He mentioned that, sir. That seems to be the problem. He said that your dog was on your back patio howling and refused to let anyone get near it and if you didn't get up there he would have to call the police.† All Sam could think was Not today. He said, â€Å"All right, call them and tell them I'm on my way. And call the garage down the street and have them come up and fix the flat tire on that orange Datsun out front. Have them bill it to my card.† â€Å"You have a three o'clock appointment with Mrs. Wittingham.† â€Å"Cancel it.† Sam started out of the office. â€Å"Mr. Hunter, this is a death claim. Mr. Wittingham passed away last week and she wants you to help fill out the papers.† â€Å"Gabriella, let me clue you in on something: once the client is dead we can afford to be a little lax on the service. The chance of repeat business is, well, unlikely. So reschedule the appointment or handle it yourself.† â€Å"But sir, I've never done a death claim before.† â€Å"It's easy: feel for a pulse; if there isn't one, give them the money.† â€Å"I am not amused, Mr. Hunter. I try to maintain a businesslike manner around here and you continually undermine me.† â€Å"Handle it, Gabriella. Call the garage. I have to go.† It was only five minutes from Sam's office to his condo in the Cliffs, a three-hundred-unit complex on Santa Barbara's mesa. From Sam's back deck he could look across the city to the Santa Lucia Mountains and from his bedroom window he could see the ocean. Sam had once rented the apartment, but when the Cliffs went condo ten years before he optioned to buy it. Since then the value of his apartment had increased six hundred percent. The complex offered three swimming pools, saunas, a weight room, and tennis courts. It was restricted to adults without children or dogs, but cats were allowed. When Sam first moved in, the Cliffs had a reputation as a swinging singles complex, a party mecca. Now, after the rise in real estate prices and the death of the middle class, most of the residents were retirees or wealthy professional couples, and the cooperative agreement they all signed set strict limitations on noise and numbers of visitors. A team of security guards patrolled the complex in go lf carts twenty-four hours a day under the supervision of a hard-nosed ex-burglar named Josh Spagnola. Sam parked the Mercedes by Spagnola's office in the back of the Cliffs' clubhouse, which, with its terra-cotta courtyards, stucco arches, and wrought-iron gates, looked more like the casa grande of a Spanish hacienda than a meeting place for condo dwellers. The door to the office was open and Sam walked in to find Spagnola shouting into the phone. Sam had never heard the wiry security chief shout. This was a bad sign. â€Å"No, I can't just shoot the damn dog! The owner is on the way, but I'm not going into his townhouse and shooting his dog, rules or no rules.† Sam noticed that even in anger Spagnola remembered to use the word townhouse to refer to the apartment. No one wanted to pay a half-million dollars for an apartment; a townhouse was another thing. People were touchy about how one referred to their homes. When Sam was selling to people who lived in trailers he always referred to them as mobile estates. The term added a certain structural integrity; you never heard on the news of a tornado touching down and ripping the shit out of a park full of mobile estates. â€Å"I am listening, Dr. Epstein,† Spagnola continued. â€Å"But you don't seem to understand my position on you missing your nap. I don't give a desiccated damn. I don't give a reconstituted damn. I don't give a creamed damn on toast. I don't give a damn. I'm not entering Mr. Hunter's home until he arrives.† Spagnola looked up and gestured for Sam to sit. Then he grinned, mimed a mimic of the caller he was listening to, looked bored, feigned falling asleep, gestured the international sign language for being jerked off, then said, â€Å"Is that so, Doctor? Well, as far as I know I have no superiors since the Crucifixion, so give it your best shot.† He slammed down the phone. Sam said, â€Å"Got something on Dr. Epstein?† Spagnola smiled. â€Å"He's porking the Cliffs' highly ethical Monday-Wednesday-Friday masseuse.† â€Å"Everybody's porking her.† â€Å"No, everybody's porking the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday masseuse. Monday-Wednesday-Friday is very exclusive.† â€Å"And highly ethical.† â€Å"Says so in the brochure.† Spagnola grinned, then casually picked up a legal pad from his desk and looked it over. â€Å"Samuel, my friend, your puppy has kept me on the phone with charming folks like Epstein all day. Shall I read you the log?† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about, Josh. I don't have a dog.† â€Å"Then you will want to notify security about the large canine that is currently on your back deck disturbing Dr. Epstein's nap.† â€Å"I'm not kidding, Josh. If there's a dog on my deck I don't know anything about it.† Sam suddenly remembered that he'd left the sliding door to the deck open. â€Å"Christ!† â€Å"Yes, the door is open. I've told you about that before, it's an invitation to burglars.† â€Å"That deck is twenty feet off the ground. How did a dog get up there? How did it get in my apartment without setting off the alarm?† â€Å"I was wondering that same thing. If it isn't your dog, how did it get up there? It looks bad. The other association members are having an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the problem.† â€Å"There isn't a problem. Let's just go get the damn dog and take it to the pound.† â€Å"Yes, let's. I'll read the log to you while we walk over.† Spagnola rose, picked up the legal pad, and led Sam out the door, then paused, locked the office, and set the alarm. â€Å"Can't trust anyone,† he said. They walked brick paths shaded with arbors of pink and red bougainvillea while Spagnola read. â€Å"Nine A.M.: Mrs. Feldstein calls to report that a wolf has just urinated on her wisterias. I ignored that one. Nine oh-five: Mrs. Feldstein reports that the wolf is forcibly having sex with her Persian cat. I went on that call myself, just to see it. Nine ten: Mrs. Feldstein reports that the wolf ate the Persian after having his way with it. There was some blood and fur on her walk when I got there, but no wolf.† â€Å"Is this thing a wolf?† Sam asked. â€Å"I don't think so. I've only seen it from below your deck. It has the right coloring for a coyote, but it's too damn big. Naw, it can't be a wolf. You sure you didn't bring home some babe last night who forgot to tell you that she had a furry friend in the car?† â€Å"Please, Josh.† â€Å"Okay. Ten fourteen: Mrs. Narada reports that her cat has been attacked by a large dog. Now I send all the boys out looking, but they don't find anything until eleven. Then one of them calls in that a big dog has just bitten holes in the tires on his golf cart and run off. Eleven thirty: Dr. Epstein makes his first lost-nap call: dog howling. Eleven thirty-five: Mrs. Norcross is putting the kids out on the deck for some burgers when a big dog jumps over the rail, eats the burgers, growls at the kids, runs off. First mention of lawsuit.† â€Å"Kids? We've got her right there,† Sam said. â€Å"Kids aren't allowed.† â€Å"Her grandkids are visiting from Michigan. She filed the proper papers.† Spagnola took a deep breath and started into the log again. â€Å"Eleven forty-one: large dog craps in Dr. Yamata's Aston Martin. Twelve oh-three: dog eats two, count 'em, two of Mrs. Wittingham's Siamese cats. She just lost her husband last week; this sort of put her over the edge. We had to call Dr. Yamata in off the putting green to give her a sedative. The personal-injury lawyer in the unit next to hers was home for lunch and he came over to help. He was talking class action then, and we didn't even know who owned the dog yet.† â€Å"You still don't.† Spagnola ignored Sam. â€Å"From twelve thirty to one we had mass sightings and frequent urinations – I won't bore you with details – then one of my guys spotted the dog and followed it to your building, where it disappeared for a minute and reappeared on your deck.† â€Å"Disappeared? Josh, aren't you screening these guards for drug use?† â€Å"I think he meant that he lost sight of it. Anyway, it's been on your deck for a couple of hours and all the residents are convinced that it's your dog. They want to boot you out of the complex.† â€Å"They can't do that. I own the place.† â€Å"Technically, Sam, they can. You own shares in the whole complex, and in the event of a two-thirds vote by the residents they can force you to sell your shares for what you paid for them. It's in the agreement you signed. I looked it up.† They were about a hundred yards from Sam's building and Sam could now hear the howling. â€Å"That apartment's worth five times what I paid for it.† â€Å"It is on the open market, but not to the other residents. Don't worry about it, Sam. It's not your dog, right?† â€Å"Right.† Outside Sam's front door thirty of his neighbors were waiting, talking in heated tones, and glancing around. â€Å"There he is!† one shouted, pointing toward Sam and Spagnola. For a moment Sam was grateful that Spagnola was at his side, and at Spagnola's side was a.38 special. The ex-burglar leaned to Sam and whispered, â€Å"Don't say anything. Not a word. This could get ugly – I see at least two lawyers in that bunch.† Spagnola raised his hands and walked toward the crowd. â€Å"Folks, I know you're angry, but we need Mr. Hunter alive if we're going to deal with the problem.† â€Å"Thanks,† Sam said under his breath. â€Å"No charge,† Spagnola said. â€Å"It never occurred to them to kill you. Now they'll be embarrassed and go home. Lynchings are so politically incorrect, you know.† Spagnola stopped and waited. Sam stayed beside him. As if the security chief had choreographed it, the people in front of Sam's door began to look around, avoiding eye contact with one another, then shuffled off, heads down, in different directions. â€Å"You're amazing,† Sam said to Spagnola. â€Å"Nope, it's just that for a lot of years my living depended on the predictability of the professional class. Now it depends on the predictability of the criminal class. Same skills, less risk. You want me to go in first?† â€Å"You have the gun.† â€Å"Okay, you wait here.† Spagnola unlocked the door and palmed it open slowly. When the door was open just enough for him to pass, the thin security guard snaked through the opening and closed the door behind him. Sam noticed that the howling had stopped. He put his ear to the door and listened, forgetting for a moment that he had installed a soundproof fire door. A few minutes passed before the latch clicked and Spagnola poked his head out. â€Å"Well?† Sam said. â€Å"How attached are you to that leather sofa?† â€Å"It's insured,† Sam said. â€Å"Why, did he tear it up? Is he in there?† â€Å"He's in here, but I was wondering if you had some sort of – well – sentimental attachment to the sofa.† â€Å"No. Why? What's going on?† Spagnola threw the door open and stepped out of the way. Sam looked through the foyer into the sunken living room, where a large tan dog had his teeth dug into the arm of the leather sofa and was humping away on it like a furry jackhammer. â€Å"Josh, shoot that animal.† â€Å"Sam, I know how you feel. You go through life thinking that you're the only one, then you walk in on something like this – it's a blow to the ego.† â€Å"Just shoot the damn dog, Josh.† â€Å"Can't do it. California law clearly states that a firearm may only be discharged in city limits in cases of imminent physical danger. Doesn't say a word about protecting the honor of someone's couch.† Sam ran down the steps into the living room, but as he approached the dog turned and growled at him. The dog laid its ears back against its head, narrowed its golden eyes, and, still growling, began to back Sam into the corner of the living room. â€Å"Josh! Does this qualify as imminent physical danger? Please say yes.† â€Å"Getting there,† Spagnola said, very calmly, as he drew his weapon. â€Å"Don't let him see you're afraid, Sam. Dogs can sense fear.† â€Å"This isn't a dog, this is a coyote. This is a wild animal, Josh.† Sam was flattened against the fifty-two-inch screen of his television and was still pushing so that the television was tilting back, ready to fall. He could smell a foul, musky odor coming off the animal. â€Å"Shoot it, please. Now, please.† â€Å"Quiet, Sam. I'm aiming. You can't shoot them in the head. They need that to see if it's rabid. Coyotes aren't normally aggressive. I saw it on PBS.† â€Å"This one didn't see the program, Josh. Shoot him.† â€Å"It might take two shots to drop him. If he leaps, cover your throat until I get the second one into him.† Spagnola fired and the TV shattered behind Sam. The coyote stood its ground unaffected. Sam backpedaled over the destroyed television as Spagnola fired again, taking out a vase on the mantel. The coyote looked at Spagnola quizzically. The third shot shattered the sliding glass door, the fourth and fifth punctured a stereo speaker, and the sixth ricocheted off the fireplace and out over the city. When Spagnola's revolver clicked on an empty chamber he turned and bolted out the front door. Sam climbed off the broken television and braced for the coyote's attack. His ears rang with residual gunfire but he could hear laughing from across the room. The coyote was gone, but sitting on his couch, dressed in black buckskins trimmed with red feathers, was the Indian, his head thrown back in laughter. â€Å"Hey!† Sam shouted. â€Å"What are you doing?† In an instant the Indian leapt up and ran through the shattered glass door onto the deck. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at Sam before vaulting over the railing and dropping out of sight. Sam ran to the deck and looked over the rail. The Indian was gone, but he could hear his cackling laugh echoing down the canyon into town. Sam stumbled back from the rail and into the house, where he sat down on the couch and cradled his head in his hands. There had to be an explanation. Someone was screwing with his life. He riffled through his past as far as he would allow himself, looking for enemies he might have made. They were there – competing salesmen, angry customers, angrier women – dotting his life like dandelions on a lawn, but none would have gone to such elaborate measures to cause him trouble. In an honest assessment of himself he realized that he had never really been passionate enough about anything to really make that big a difference to anyone, good or bad. Since he'd run from the reservation he couldn't afford the high profile of passionate behavior. Still, there had to be an answer somewhere. Sam thought about prayer, then faith, then remembered something that lay tucked away in the back of his sock drawer. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom and threw open the drawer. He removed a small buckskin bundle and untied the thong that held it together. Objects he had not seen in twenty years – teeth, claws, fur, and sweet grass braids – spilled out on the dresser. Among them lay a red feather that he had never seen before. Sam looked at the coyote medicine and began to tremble. Coyote Makes the World A long time ago there was water everywhere. Old Man Coyote looked around and said, â€Å"Hey, we need some land.† It was his gift from the Great Spirit that he could command all of the animals, which were called the Without Fires Clan, so he called four ducks to help him find land. He ordered each of the ducks to dive under the water and find some mud. The first three returned with nothing, but the fourth duck, because four is the sacred number and that is the way things go in these stories, returned with some mud from the bottom. â€Å"Swell,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"Now I will make some land.† He made the mountains and the rivers, the prairies and the deserts, the plants and the animals. Then he said, â€Å"Guess I'll make some people now, so there will be someone to tell stories about me.† From the mud he made some tall and beautiful people. Old Man Coyote liked them very much. â€Å"I will call them Absarokee, which means ‘Children of the Large-Beaked Bird. Someday some dumb white guys will come here and get the translation all wrong and call them Crow.† â€Å"What are they going to eat?† one of the ducks asked. â€Å"They have no feathers or fur. What will they cover themselves with?† asked a second duck. â€Å"Yes,† said a third duck. â€Å"They're pretty, but they won't be able to stay out in the weather.† Old Man Coyote thought for a while about how much he disliked ducks, then he took some more mud and made a strange-looking animal with a thick coat and horns. â€Å"Here,† he said. â€Å"They can get everything they need from this animal. I'll call it a buffalo.† The fourth duck had been standing by watching all this and smoking a cigarette. â€Å"It's a big animal. Your people won't be able to catch it,† he said, blowing a long stream of blue smoke in Old Man Coyote's face. â€Å"Okay, so here's another animal that they can ride so they can catch the buffalo.† â€Å"And how will they catch that one?† asked the fourth. â€Å"Look, duck, do I have to work out everything? I made the world and these people and I've given them everything they need, so just back off.† â€Å"But if they have everything they need, what will they do? Just sit around telling stories about you?† â€Å"That would be good.† â€Å"Boring,† said the duck. â€Å"I'll make them a bunch of enemies. They'll be hopelessly outnumbered and have to fight all the time and do all kinds of war rituals. How's that?† â€Å"They'll get wiped out.† â€Å"No, I'll stay with them. The Children of the Large-Beaked Bird will be my favorites, although some of their enemies can tell stories about me too.† â€Å"But what if the buffalo animals all get killed?† â€Å"Won't happen. There's too many of them.† â€Å"But what if they do?† â€Å"Then I guess the people are fucked. I'm tired and dirty and cold from standing in all that water. I'm going to invent the sweat bath and warm up.† So Old Man Coyote built a sweat lodge out of willow branches and buffalo skins. He heated the rocks in a fire and put them in a pit in the middle of the sweat lodge, then he and the ducks crawled inside and closed the door, making it completely dark inside. â€Å"Hey, put out that cigarette!† Old Man Coyote said to the fourth duck. The duck threw the cigarette on the hot rocks and smoke filled the lodge. â€Å"That smells pretty good,† Old Man Coyote said. â€Å"Let's throw some other stuff on the fire and see how it goes.† He threw on some cedar needles and they smelled pretty good too, then he threw on some sweet grass and some sage. â€Å"This stuff will be part of the sweat ceremony, too. And some water – we need some water so it will really get hot and miserable in here.† â€Å"And we can get truly purified and clean?† asked the third duck. â€Å"Right,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"First I'll pour four dippers of water on the rocks for the four directions.† â€Å"And the four ducks.† â€Å"Right,† said Old Man Coyote. â€Å"Now I'll pour on seven dippers for the seven stars of the Big Dipper. Then ten more because ten is a nice even number.† He handed each of the ducks a willow switch to beat their backs with. â€Å"Here, wail on yourself with these.† â€Å"What for?† asked the second duck. â€Å"Tenderize†¦ er†¦ I mean†¦ it brings up the sweat and purifies you.† Then, when the ducks were beating their backs with the willow branches, Old Man Coyote said, â€Å"Okay, now I'm going to pour a whole bunch of dippers on the rocks. I'm not even going to count, but we are going to be really hot and really clean and pure.† Then he poured and poured until it was so hot in the lodge that he could not stand it and he slipped out the door, leaving the ducks inside. Later, after he had plunged into the river to cool off, he ate a big meal and laid down to rest. â€Å"That was plumb swell,† he said to himself. â€Å"I think I'll give the sweat to my new people. It can be their church and sacrament and they can think of me whenever they go in. It is my gift to them. I guess no one really needs to know about the ducks.† Then Old Man Coyote picked up a willow twig and picked a bit of duck meat from between his teeth. â€Å"The sage gives them a nice flavor, though.† CHAPTER 7 The Children of the Large-Beaked Bird Crow Country – 1967 Samson Hunts Alone sat on a bench by the sweat lodge behind his grandma's house, watching as Pokey carried the hot rocks with a pitchfork from the fire to the pit in the sweat lodge. Samson was supposed to be paying attention to the ritual that Pokey was performing and preparing himself to pray to the Great Spirit to bring him good medicine on his fast, but more than anything he wanted to be inside with the little kids and the women watching ;Bonanza; on television. Grandma had cooked up a big batch of fry bread for the meal after the sweat and Samson's stomach growled when he thought about it. Pokey, straining under a pitchfork full of red-hot rocks, said, â€Å"Can't nobody cross my path between the fire and the sweat during the first four trips.† Uncle Harlan, who was sitting next to Samson, let out a sarcastic snicker. Pokey looked up at him, his brow lowered in reproach. â€Å"The boys have to learn, Harlan,† Pokey said. Harlan nodded. On the other side of Samson sat his two older cousins, Harry and Festus, thirteen and fourteen, who had been through the sweat for purification and prayer for their success on the basketball court at Hardin Junior High School. They had come the fifteen miles down to Crow Agency with Harlan, their father, to participate in Samson's sweat. Uncle Harlan didn't believe in the old ways. He often said that he didn't want his boys to grow up with their heads full of ideas that didn't work in the modern world. Still, because of the obligations he felt to his family he often drove down for sweats, participated in ritual gift giving, and never missed the Sun Dance in June. He lived in Hardin, north of the reservation, where he rebuilt truck engines during the day and drank hard in the bars at night. He fought often and lost seldom. When he was drinking with Uncle Pokey, the two of them lying on the bed of Pokey's pickup staring into the limitless stars of Montana's big sky, passing a bottle of Dickel Sour Mash between them, Harlan would talk of his time in Vietnam, of the two brothers he lost there, and of the warrior blood that was part of the Hunts Alone family. Pokey would answer Harlan's painful pride with parables and mystical references until Harlan could stand it no longer. â€Å"Damn it, Pokey, can your medicine fix a Cummins diesel? Can it fill out a tax form? Can it get you a job? Fuck medicine. Fuck fasting. Fuck the Sun Dance. If I thought I could do it, I'd take Joan and the kids and go a thousand miles from here.† â€Å"You'd be back,† Pokey would say. Then the two of them would lie there drinking in silence for long minutes before one of them would bring up basketball, hunting, or truck engines – some topic safe and far away from Harlan's anger. Some of those nights Samson would crawl out of his cot, sneak past the six cousins that slept in his room and out into the yard, where he would lie by the wheel of the old truck and listen to the two men talk. Harlan was the only adult Samson knew who would talk about the dead, so the boy would lie there with his face against the cold grass hoping to hear something about his father or his mother, but mostly he heard about his two uncles, dead in the jungles, or his grandfather, who died piece by piece in a white hospital of diabetes. His father had died too young to leave many stories or a strong ghost. Not that Harlan would admit to believing in ghosts. â€Å"If I'm haunted,† he would tell Pokey, â€Å"it's not by my unrevenged brothers, it's by you and your back-assward ways.† After time and hangovers passed, Samson would ask Pokey about Harlan and always get the same answer. â€Å"Poor Harlan, he is out of balance. I should dance for him at the Sun Dance.† It was no answer. Samson remained confused. Samson watched as Harlan rose from the bench and undressed for the sweat. He was tall and lean, his skin deep red-brown in the firelight, his eyes and hair black as an obsidian arrowhead: pure Crow brave. But as Samson undressed he wondered why his uncle seemed so unhappy with his heritage. He treated his Crow blood like a curse, while Pokey seemed to see it as a blessing. They were half brothers, sharing the same mother, belonging to her clan, growing up in the same house; why were they so different? Why did neither one seem to be able to live comfortably in his own skin? Naked, they all entered the low dome of the sweat lodge and sat in a circle around its perimeter. Pokey placed a bucket of water by the fire pit, then he pulled down the door flap. He added sweet grass and cedar to the hot rocks and fragrant smoke filled the lodge as he sang a prayer song. His prayers were in English, which Samson knew embarrassed him some. Pokey, like Grandma, had gone to a boarding school run by the BIA where Indians were forbidden to speak or learn their own language or religion. In this way the BIA hoped that the Native American culture would disappear into the larger white culture, assimilated. Harlan, on the other hand, was ten years younger than Pokey and, like Samson, had been taught Crow in school as part of the BIA's move to preserve Indian culture. Pokey poured four dippers of water onto the rocks and Samson lowered his face to avoid the steam. As Pokey sang, Samson let his mind wander to the Ponderosa. He would like to live on that big ranch in that big house and have his own room and two guns like Little Joe Cartwright. Until Grandma had taken all their per capita money a year ago and bought the big black-and-white television at the Kmart in Billings, Samson thought that everyone lived in a small house with twenty cousins and five or six aunts and uncles and their grandma. Everyone on the reservation seemed to. Before the television arrived Samson did not know he was poor. Now he spent every evening piled in the front room with his family watching people he did not know do things he did not understand in places he could not fathom, while the commercials told him that he should be just like those people. None of those people ever took a sweat. Pokey had poured the seven dippers and the sweat lodge was so hot that Samson's mind went white. He lay down on the floor to breathe some cooler air. Someone lifted his head and asked him if he was okay. He answered yes and passed out. -=*=- Water was being splashed on his face. Samson came to and realized that he was being held in Harlan's strong arms. â€Å"We did a naming ceremony for you, Samson,† Harlan said. â€Å"From now on you shall be called Squats Behind the Bush. And you owe each of us a carton of cigarettes and a new Ford truck.† Samson saw that Harlan was grinning at him and he smiled back. â€Å"If I don't take the name, do I have to give you the gifts?† Harlan laughed and set the boy on his feet by a fifty-five-gallon drum where Harry and Festus were pouring dippers of water over their heads. After they were dried off and redressed Pokey moved the rocks out of the pit and replaced them with hot ones from the fire so the women could take their sweat. Pokey finished and led them into the house, which was surprisingly quiet. The little kids were in bed and the women filed out to the sweat silently as soon as the men entered. The cheap Formica table was set with five plastic bowls around a big pot of venison-and-cabbage stew and a basket of fry bread. Harlan poured them all coffee from a big black urn on the counter while Pokey dished up the stew. Samson attacked a piece of fry bread and was tearing away at its stretchy, donutlike crust when Harlan sat down next to him and said, â€Å"So, Squats Behind the Bush, what are you gonna do tomorrow if you see Old Man Coyote in your vision like your Uncle Pokey did?† Festus and Harry giggled. Samson answered the sarcasm in earnest. â€Å"Pokey's the only one with Coyote medicine. Pretty Eagle said so.† â€Å"Good thing, too,† Harlan said. â€Å"Some of us have to live in the real world.† â€Å"Harlan!† Pokey shouted. â€Å"Let it go.† â€Å"It's gone,† Harlan said. â€Å"It's as gone as can be, Pokey.† They finished their meal in silence, Samson wondering what Harlan meant by â€Å"It's gone.† Later, as he fell asleep listening to the soft breathing of his cousins, he imagined himself living on the Ponderosa; sleeping in his own room, herding cattle on his own black horse, carrying two shiny six-guns, practicing his fast-draw, and always staying on the lookout for Indians.