Sir Guy Carleton essays

Sir Guy Carleton essays Sir Guy Carleton was an extraordinaire of foreign relations. Carleton came to Canada at a difficult time, when the French were just getting over the defeat of the Conquest. When Carleton became the Governor of Quebec, he introduced the Quebec Act. This Act ensures religious freedom and land entitlements. The Quebec Act also kept the civil law of the French people while introducing the criminal law of the English. Carleton kept Quebec out of the American Revolution with this act that helped Quebec ally with the British, which was no small task. Sir Guy Carleton was sympathetic to the French, as the British Governor of Quebec. Sir Guy Carleton was a British military officer who served under General Wolfe at the capture of Quebec. Carleton became Governor of Canada after angry British Merchants helped remove Governor Murray from his position. Carleton was sympathetic to the French, just like Murray. Carleton really supported the French efforts to restore their civil law. To remain Governor he would have to keep the French happy so they would not revolt against the crown and he would have to keep his British peers relatively satisfied. Carleton was in a position of compromise. Carleton arrived in Canada on September 1766. Canada was in a difficult time because the French population had just been defeated in the Conquest and New France had not forgotten about her former colony . However, the American Revolution had not touched Canada yet. Carleton was an ambitious and proud man. He became Governor of Quebec in 1768. He never underestimated the difficulties of his position at this time. Constant complaints from Montreal merchants against trade, and Seigneurs who were ripped of their nobility were just some of the problems that had come about. There was also many First Nation complications at this time, wherever the fur trade and the church was concerned. Carleton had sympathy for the Seigneurs who were deprived of their employment and ...

History and Background on the Yakuza in Japan

History and Background on the Yakuza in Japan They are famous figures in Japanese movies and comic books - the yakuza, sinister gangsters with elaborate tattoos and severed little fingers. What is the historical reality behind the manga icon, though? Early Roots The yakuza originated during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 - 1868) with two separate groups of outcasts. The first of those groups were the tekiya, wandering peddlers who traveled from village to village, selling low-quality goods at festivals and markets. Many tekiya belonged to the burakumin social class, a group of outcasts or non-humans, which was actually below the four-tiered Japanese feudal social structure.   In the early 1700s, the tekiya began to organize themselves into tight-knit groups under the leadership of bosses and underbosses. Reinforced by fugitives from the higher classes, the tekiya started to participate in typical organized crime activities such as turf wars and protection rackets. In a tradition that continues to this day, tekiya often served as security during Shinto festivals, and also allocated stalls in the associated fairs in return for protection money. Between 1735 and 1749, the shoguns government sought to calm gang wars between different groups of tekiya and reduce the amount of fraud they practiced by appointing oyabun, or officially sanctioned bosses. The oyabun was allowed to use a surname and to carry a sword, an honor previously allowed only to samurai. Oyabun literally means foster parent, signifying the bosses positions as the heads of their tekiya families. The second group that gave rise to the yakuza was the bakuto, or gamblers. Gambling was strictly forbidden during Tokugawa times and remains illegal in Japan to this day. The bakuto took to the highways, fleecing unsuspecting marks with dice games or with hanafuda card games. They often sported colorful tattoos all over their bodies, which led to the custom of full-body tattooing for modern-day yakuza. From their core business as gamblers, the bakuto branched out naturally into loan sharking and other illegal activities. Even today, specific yakuza gangs may identify themselves as tekiya or bakuto, depending on how they make the majority of their money. They also retain rituals used by the earlier groups as part of their initiation ceremonies. Modern Yakuza Since the end of World War II, yakuza gangs have rebounded in popularity after a lull during the war. The Japanese government estimated in 2007 that there were more than 102,000 yakuza members working in Japan and abroad, in 2,500 different families.  Despite the official end of discrimination against burakumin in 1861, more than 150 years later, many gang members are descendants of that outcast class. Others are ethnic Koreans, who also face considerable discrimination in Japanese society. Traces of the gangs origins can be seen in the signature aspects of yakuza culture today. For example, many yakuza sport full-body tattoos which are made with traditional bamboo or steel needles, rather than modern tattooing guns. The tattooed area may even include the genitals, an incredibly painful tradition. The yakuza members usually remove their shirts while playing cards with each other and display their body art, a nod to the bakuto traditions, although they generally cover up with long sleeves in public. Another feature of yakuza culture is the tradition of yubitsume or severing the joint of the little finger.  Yubitsume is performed as an apology when a yakuza member defies or otherwise displeases his boss.  The guilty party cuts off the top joint of his left pinkie finger and presents it to the boss; additional transgressions lead to the loss of additional finger joints.   This custom originated in Tokugawa times; the loss of finger joints makes the gangsters sword grip weaker, theoretically leading him to depend more on the rest of the group for protection. Today, many yakuza members wear prosthetic fingertips to avoid being conspicuous. The largest yakuza syndicates operating today are the Kobe-based Yamaguchi-gumi, which includes about half of all active yakuza in Japan; the Sumiyoshi-kai, which originated in Osaka and boasts about 20,000 members; and the Inagawa-kai, out of Tokyo and Yokohama, with 15,000 members. The gangs engage in criminal activities such as international drug-smuggling, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. However, they also hold significant amounts of stock in large, legitimate corporations, and some have close ties with the Japanese business world, the banking sector, and the real estate market. Yakuza and Society Interestingly, after the devastating Kobe earthquake of January 17, 1995, it was the Yamaguchi-gumi who first came to the aid of victims in the gangs home city. Likewise, after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, different yakuza groups sent truck-loads of supplies to the affected area. Another counter-intuitive benefit from the yakuza is the suppression of petty criminals. Kobe and Osaka, with their powerful yakuza syndicates, are among the safest towns in a generally safe nation because small-fry crooks do not trespass on yakuza territory. Despite these surprising social benefits of the yakuza, the Japanese government has cracked down on the gangs in recent decades. In March of 1995, it passed tough new anti-racketeering legislation called the Act for Prevention of Unlawful Activities by Criminal Gang Members. In 2008, the Osaka Securities Exchange purged all of its listed companies that had ties to the yakuza. Since 2009, police across the country have been arresting yakuza bosses and shutting down businesses that cooperate with the gangs. Although the police are making serious efforts to suppress yakuza activity in Japan these days, it seems unlikely that the syndicates will disappear entirely. They have survived for more than 300 years, after all, and they are closely entwined with many aspects of Japanese society and culture.

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Operations Management - Essay Example In addition, it encompasses proper overseeing of all processes involved in the conversion of raw materials into finished goods. For smooth association among all the levels of management works and professional ethics should be recognized and practiced. Indeed, proper initializing and implementing of management operations from the primary motivating factor for the company in its bid to achieve desired goals. In most cases, there are two levels of management. They include higher-level officers and line officers. The higher-level official carry out the roles of shaping the company’s strategy whereas the line official make tactical decisions intended to support the initialization and implementation of the strategy. The company This paper intends to examine the Abu Dhabi national hotels company. It opened its doors 30 years ago and it has consistently sustained high level of operations management that has seen it grow to high levels (EDITORS OF TIME OUT, 2011). The superior and exem plary customer service offered together with the element of design and architecture has been the pillar factors for the unprecedented continuity characterized by rapid expansion across the globe. Operation management systems This paper intends to examine the operations management system appreciated in the company. ... he management operations systems of the Abu Dhabi Company involve the management department, tourism services division and the purchasing divisions (EDITORS OF TIME OUT, 2011). The management of the company endeavors in providing bespoke, understated luxury and circumspect, attentive service in a modish and elegant ambience. This statement forms the mission of the company, which has continually motivated both the employees in low levels and the managerial team to work towards achieving this noble objective. The weakness of the management system The internal control systems are weak in the sense that the audit trail is not subsequent in most cases and this result to relatively larger material omissions. The internal control systems on purchasing, and sales of raw materials and food products respectively, cannot facilitate proper trailing of transactions and this contributes to lack of transparency and accountability (CHEN, 2009). This situation does not exactly enable reporting of the rue and fair position of the company. In fact small, numerous immaterial omissions form material omissions, which are significant in determining the true position of the company. Mission and vision The mission, of the Abu Dhabi Company is â€Å"Experienced Management for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Industry†. The values believed by the Abu Dhabi hotel and resort include integrity, respect and service excellence. The vision of the company is â€Å"Discover the pinnacle of service and hospitality among Abu Dhabi Hotels. The mission mentions the company but does not touch on anything doing with the clientele and products. Similarly, the mission does not mention of the channels applied when transporting goods to clients (EDITORS OF TIME OUT, 2011). Priorities of the company The competition should be

Business Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Decision Making - Assignment Example Basically, reduced taxes on organizations are best for fresh firms. Low taxes would mean that new firms battling to the mainstream can retain most of their profits. Likewise, spending by the government assists fresh firms. The government is able to give out revenue by redistributing it to those new organizations through subsidized loan, grants, or other forms of spending which are driven towards new or small firms. The government may as well spend more funds to form a partnership with a fresh company. Such happens within the local and state government level. For instance, a Supermarket research organization may be awarded federal or state loans and grants in order to start up new stories of supermarket (Lewis 56). Normally there are usually disagreements over the monetary and fiscal policy. Some individuals and organizations assert that the government must redistribute funds from income taxes simply because people will gain in the long run from more establishments of supermarket stor es. Some are also arguing that the government ought to redistribute funds from business since these firms are already making lots of profits and it is very essential to have alternative stores departments. From a different perspective, many are not of the idea that the government must be involved. The reasoning is that if establishing a supermarket store is a good business idea, the funds from the government would not be in any need. The sole reason why these funds are required is because the business not efficient enough to maintain itself. So it is like the government is promoting unsuccessful firms while punishing those which have become successful. This is seen as an unsustainable cycle given that the performing organizations struggle as the worst performing ones acquire more funds. Eventually, the best performing firms will die off, only leaving unsustainable firms which would otherwise die off if it were not for this government (Alvarez 39). P2.3: Impact of APPLE company compe tition policy Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation in America. The company has a strong brand name which makes it to be considered as one of the most successful companies in the world that deals with electronics. According to Porter E. Michael, there are 5 main forces of competition in the computer industry. The following are some of the competitive forces for the Apple Company; the bargaining power of the suppliers, the bargaining power of the consumers, the intensity of the existing rivalry among its competing firms, threat of substitutes, and the threat of new competitors. The 2 most important competition forces for Apple Company include; the bargaining power of the suppliers, and the bargaining power of the consumers. The bargaining power of the suppliers is the ability of the Apple firm to negotiate some good terms which is largely influenced by the firms that it relies on. Apple is known to have good bargaining power among its suppliers since they are in a position to out source most of their manufacturing. They are also having the capacity to vertically integrate by producing some supplies on their own. This has allowed them to

Operation Management Essay Example for Free

Operation Management Essay Hard Rock uses these ten critical decisions of operational management; â€Å"Service and product design, Quality management, Process and capacity design, Location, Layout design/Job design, Supply-chain management, Inventory management, Scheduling and Maintenance†. These practices give the Hard Rock Cafe an edge in meeting new and growing needs of the restaurant, and entertainment industry. The service and product design Hard Rock sells is not just food, it’s a statement and a storied culture that has changed with time as we do as people. The â€Å"living on the edge† crowd of the 1980s can still live a little on the edge today in a Hard Rock restaurant, casino or even in a rock concert. The company is selling the feeling of still being a rebel. Hard Rock Cafe has grown into a successful industry that was once limited to a twenty something budget to grow with the wallets of the generation that gave birth to it. The quality management has been a key factor providing an environment that people want to continue to come back to. High quality products such as gourmet food, quality merchandise, and excellent service have kept the Hard Rock from dying. The individual sight managers alongside with the overall operation managers are responsible for maintaining the high quality products and environment that people expect to find there. Hard Rocks process and capacity design along with location selection are chosen based on high population areas with specific geographic requirements to ensure a large volume of customers. The location chosen requires a high capacity facility that is capable of serving its large number of customers. This is accomplished not just by size but by layout design and the efficient flow of  product and delivery of that product. That product flow along with a good human resources and job design are a crucial part of managing a Hard Rock. The management of the supply-chain and inventory/material is another essential part of Hard Rocks success. Managers have to purchase the correct equipment and supplies needed to efficiently produce the high quality products and take into account how much inventory is required and when to restock. This takes good data analysis and continually requires review to ensure proper inventory of supplies at all times. Lastly, managers need to take into account intermediate and short-term scheduling along with when to perform maintenance on equipment and facilities. Planning on high business times of the year managers can schedule preventative maintenance during the slower parts of the year. In the same way they can schedule part time employees to accommodate the influx of customers during busier parts of the year. Works Cited Professor Barry Render, J. H. (2013). Case Analysis on the Hard Rock Cafe. Trident University.

Family as Theater in Eudora Weltys Why I Live at the P.O. Essay

Family as Theater in Eudora Welty's Why I Live at the P.O.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The outspoken narrator of Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O.," known to us only as "Sister," intends to convince us--the world at large--that her family has "turned against" her, led on by her sister, itella-Rondo. To escape her family, she explains, she has left home and now lives at the P.O., where she is postmistress. As she delivers her monologue, the narrator reveals more about herself than she intends. We see her as a self-centered young woman who enjoys picking fights and provoking melodramatic scenes in which she is the center of attention. Not too far into the story, we realize that others in the family behave as melodramatically as Sister does, and we begin to wonder why. The story's setting may provide the answer: In a small town in Mississippi, sometime after World War II and before television, entertainment is scarce. The members of this family cope with isolation and boredom by casting themselves in a continning melodrama, with each person stealing as many scenes as possible.    The first-person point of view is crucial to the theme of Welty's story. It is both quicker and funnier to show that the narrator is self-centered and melodramatic than it would be to tell it. Sister is definitely the star in the melodrama. She begins her tale with "I," and every event is made to revolve around herself, even her sister's marriage:    I was getting along fine with Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle Rondo until my sister Stella-Rondo just separated from her husband and came back home again. Mr. Whitaker! Of course I went with Mr. Whitaker first, when he first appeared here in China Grove, taking "Pose Yourself" photos, and Ste... ...eful to show us, the narrator is not the only self-centered, melodramatic member of this family. Given the family history, we can be fairly sure that things will soon be back to normal. The narrator will move back home, and the family, welcoming the diversion, will no doubt find a way of turning her homecoming into a new round of excitement.    Works Cited Prenshaw, Peggy Whitman, ed. Conversations with Eudora Welty. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1984. Romines, Ann. "How Not to Tell a Story." Eudora Welty: Eye of the Storyteller. Ed. Dawn Trouard. Kent: Kent State UP, 1989. 94-104. Welty, Eudora. The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews. New York: Vintage, 1979. ---. One Writer's Beginnings. New York: Warner, 1984. ---. "Why I Live at the P.O." The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. New York: Harcourt, 1980. 46-56. Family as Theater in Eudora Welty's Why I Live at the P.O. Essay Family as Theater in Eudora Welty's Why I Live at the P.O.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The outspoken narrator of Eudora Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O.," known to us only as "Sister," intends to convince us--the world at large--that her family has "turned against" her, led on by her sister, itella-Rondo. To escape her family, she explains, she has left home and now lives at the P.O., where she is postmistress. As she delivers her monologue, the narrator reveals more about herself than she intends. We see her as a self-centered young woman who enjoys picking fights and provoking melodramatic scenes in which she is the center of attention. Not too far into the story, we realize that others in the family behave as melodramatically as Sister does, and we begin to wonder why. The story's setting may provide the answer: In a small town in Mississippi, sometime after World War II and before television, entertainment is scarce. The members of this family cope with isolation and boredom by casting themselves in a continning melodrama, with each person stealing as many scenes as possible.    The first-person point of view is crucial to the theme of Welty's story. It is both quicker and funnier to show that the narrator is self-centered and melodramatic than it would be to tell it. Sister is definitely the star in the melodrama. She begins her tale with "I," and every event is made to revolve around herself, even her sister's marriage:    I was getting along fine with Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle Rondo until my sister Stella-Rondo just separated from her husband and came back home again. Mr. Whitaker! Of course I went with Mr. Whitaker first, when he first appeared here in China Grove, taking "Pose Yourself" photos, and Ste... ...eful to show us, the narrator is not the only self-centered, melodramatic member of this family. Given the family history, we can be fairly sure that things will soon be back to normal. The narrator will move back home, and the family, welcoming the diversion, will no doubt find a way of turning her homecoming into a new round of excitement.    Works Cited Prenshaw, Peggy Whitman, ed. Conversations with Eudora Welty. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 1984. Romines, Ann. "How Not to Tell a Story." Eudora Welty: Eye of the Storyteller. Ed. Dawn Trouard. Kent: Kent State UP, 1989. 94-104. Welty, Eudora. The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews. New York: Vintage, 1979. ---. One Writer's Beginnings. New York: Warner, 1984. ---. "Why I Live at the P.O." The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. New York: Harcourt, 1980. 46-56.

Intellectual Auto Biography Essay

Unlike many of my colleagues or others who have majored in history before, my intellectual background has been influenced by two major cultures in the world. As a twenty three years old student living in America but originally from Japan, the foundation of my intellectual being was shaped by the Japanese culture and education since the first 18 years of my life and schooling took place in Tokyo Japan. Later I moved to America, California where I have been under taking my degree course, majoring in History. This does not mean that my intellectual story is different or unique but I have to admit that, it is somehow interesting since many people and many things have played a part in it. From the time I started schooling, I have always had an interest in history. Just like America, Japan is really rich in history which is somehow different from the American one. The curiosity and the thirst to know more about my native country and the world at large formed the basis of my interest in history. In other words, I know why I am pursing history and sometimes I think taking this course of study was inevitable since it has really shaped my life. It is a well known fact that Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world especially in Japan and from a historical point of view; the religion has come to be identified with the country. It has shaped its culture, economy and political aspects. I am a self confessed Buddhist brought up by Buddhist parents and the whole of my life has been characterized by Buddhist doctrines. My beliefs and how I view life can only be attributed to the religion. As a history major, I believe one of the most interesting topics in history is religion and how it shapes people’s lives. I have always taken myself as an example, trying to analyze how it has really affected my life and my views about everything. I tend to agree that Buddhism is a philosophy more than religion because it defines lives of those who believe in it. Philosophers have defined the word philosophy as ‘the love of wisdom and Buddhism propagates that. I myself love wisdom and that is why I chose to do history in the first place; just to know almost everything that has shaped this world from the time it came into existence. Another thing I believe in is honesty. For me it is a very important virtue and has a major role to play in this world in regards to morality. Honesty, according to my understanding and beliefs can only be achieved the moment one is true to himself and to God/gods, depending on whom one worships or believes in. Being true to oneself forms the basis of honesty which will be followed by other forms of honesty for example, being honest to others and to God/gods. Those who are familiar with Buddhism religion will agree that, this view has somehow been influenced by the religion and that is why I began by saying that Buddhism is part of my life. As a Buddhist, I am supposed to be aware of my thoughts before I do anything. This also applies to actions. Before undertaking any action, one is supposed to be aware of it and to have wisdom and understanding on how to go about it . When all these are combined, they all add up to being true to oneself and that is what I call honesty in other words. This belief has really shaped my life especially in regards to my relationships with others. The moment one adopts this view of honesty, it is very difficult to fall out with anyone since one will always be open-minded. Being true to oneself will only mean that, you will do what you believe is true and it will be very difficult to be pressurized maybe by the peers into doing something against your will. When it comes to handling others, it will be very easy. For example, if one sees a friend doing something one is not comfortable with and maybe that friend wants you to join him/her, since you are true to yourself, you will be able to express your concerns and at the end of the day, that friend will see that your concern is actually genuine since it is coming from deep within you. It is not forced, not a pretence or expression of fear but your true self expressed in words. This will actually be felt by another person and it will eventually influence his thinking. I remember mentioning earlier that I am Buddhist and some may question whether I believe in one God or gods. I know in the modern days there are those Buddhists who believe in one God and there are others who do not for they believe in many gods. The question always poses some problems to me especially when it comes to explaining to others, especially my friends. They have always known the religion that I profess and what it says about the issue of God and gods but they are never sure about my stand. First I have to clarify something, Buddhism is a way of life and that is what makes it different from other religions. It emphasizes so much on how people are supposed to live and as a Buddhist; there is that kind of life that I am supposed to live. There is no mention in my religion that Buddha worshipped or believed in any one God. That does not mean we are atheists in fact there are so many Buddhists who believe in that one God of the Jews, we call Him, ‘the God of the desert. ’ Personally, I don’t have problems with those Buddhist who profess a kind of God in their lives even though it is not in Buddhism doctrines. Sometimes I tend to think that I will head there someday. Right now, from what I have read and seen, I tend to think that, there is a supernatural power that is in control of the world. I have been skeptical about the issue for a very long time and sometimes I do not want to talk about it. I have read so much regarding the matter, I have been exposed to so many religions and I have even been following what is happening in this world and to some extent, I think there could be actually a supernatural hand behind it all. Can I be regarded as an atheist then? I leave that judgment to ones discretion but as I said earlier, I am true to myself and what I believe in, but maybe one day I may change my mind; no one knows. I believe that Buddhism is a well organized religion. In fact, it has never been heard before that Buddhists have fought with any religion over religious matters and that is what I love most about the religion. Foundation is the most interesting part of the religion as far as I am concerned. Buddha was born in an affluent family but he decided to leave all that to suffer. He manly focused on suffering. The religion is not about God but suffering as a way of life and that God has no solution to suffering. The only thing can bring sufferings to an end is the teachings of Buddha whereby only wisdom and compassion can end one’s problems. I really believe in these concepts which continue to shape my life. Wisdom has always been a driving force behind everything that I do. The course that I am pursuing is my way of becoming wise especially of the things of his world coupled with other ways for example meditation which is a requirement of my religion. One has to accept everything that comes in the way. That is how I mainly live my life and this has really helped me to come to terms with my problems. The pains that we go through as human beings can only be solved the moment we accept them. Some people have always misunderstood Buddhism as a religion, some of them claiming that we worship a human being. I don’t blame them because they are acting out of ignorance. Even though we really hold Buddha with high esteem that does not mean that we worship him. In fact I have so much respect for him and this should not be misquoted that I worship him. I have always tried to apply his principles in my life and so far I do not have any complaints. Another thing that interests me about Buddha’s teachings is that, he says that moral and ethical uprightness will end suffering forever. Many will definitely differ on the definition of the phrase ‘morally uprightness’ because the word ‘morally’ is relative depending on one’s culture and background. However, according to me, being true to oneself constitutes moral uprightness. Sometimes it is argued that ones life is predestined and I find myself asking, since human life is characterized by so much suffering, were we predestined to suffer? If that is so, why then do we have to struggle to improve life? Is there anything like free will? In the course of my study, I have come across so many stories and events that have characterized human beings from the time they came into existence and one thing we can agree on is that life has not been smooth sailing for human beings. It has always been about diseases, wars and rumors of wars, poverty among others. Sometimes I ask myself, if we use the concept of predestination to explain this, does that mean that we were predestined to go through all these? If we agree on this, then that means we have no control whatsoever and the actions that we carry out are also predestined. Then why does human being try to look for solutions to solve these problems or prevent them from repeating themselves in the future? If we believe that everything is predestined, then nothing matters because it means we are not in control of anything. I have read about almost all the wars that have characterized the world right from world wars and major civil wars and some countries have justified some of these wars, giving so many reasons. Let’s consider two wars; World War II and the Vietnam War. These two wars have been surrounded by controversies right from the start, and some have argued that, they were not to happen in the first place. The US has been regretting of its decision of going to war with Vietnam for so many years and if we adopt the concept of predestination, it will only mean that, they do not have a reason to regret because everything was predestined. The war had to happen and they had no control over it. Why then should they blame themselves? Even though the world has been trying to prevent another World War, then its efforts are meaningless because if it is predestined to happen, then no one can prevent it. The concept of predestination will only mean that, we are not answerable for the mistakes that we do and we owe no one an apology. If we believe that everything in the world is pre-designed, then, that means we are just existing to fulfill our purposes in life and not living our lives the way we would want. So does that mean that free will is at work and not predestination? The more I tend to think about these two concepts, the more I get confused. If we say that free will is at work, then as human beings we are to blame for everything that we go through because the power of making free choices is in our hands. Every thought that we harbor in our heads and every action that we undertake, will be determined by us. Should we blame ourselves for all those wars that took place? Sometimes I tend to think that free will and predestination are both at work. There are some areas of our lives which have been predestined for example death and birth of children. No one wants to die any day but at one point we will all have to die. When I was young, still in primary school, I wondered what brought about twins. After learning some biology I understood but I used to ask myself why I was not born with a twin sister or brother and the only answer I could think of is predestination. I was destined to be born alone. Where does free will come in then? I believe that human beings can choose to live their lives the way they want to live, for example, one can choose to be successful or to be a failure, one can choose to pass exams or not, marry or not to marry, have children or not among others. Even though I believe this to some extent, I think that free will and predestination are both at work. I am always left with so many questions regarding the two concepts and thus I agree with those who propose that, free will and predestination are two concepts that can never be understood and are not conclusive enough. I am well aware of the concept of predestination according to Buddhism religion; that every human being’s destiny is determined by ones personal actions. This means that, one’s thoughts and words will determine what he will become in the future. I do not dispute that; in fact, it forms the foundation of my faith. However, I also believe that human beings have a choice to make when it comes to the actions they decide to carry out. In other words, if one chooses to do wrong actions, that will determine his or her destiny, and that is why I believe that free will and predestination work together.

Fast Food in School Cafeterias Essay

Buckley, Cara. â€Å"A Proposal to Separate Fast Food and Schools.† New York Times [New York] 20 04 2009, n. pag. Web 26 April. 2012. . The author explores research done that suggests that the closer a fast food restaurant is to a school, the higher is the obesity rate of the children there. Eric N. Gioia is a city councilman from Queens and he wants to ban any fast food restaurants from opening within a tenth of a mile from any schools. According to the report â€Å"The Effect of Fast Food Restaurants on Obesity† done by researchers from The University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia, when fast food restaurants open a quarter mile or more away from schools there is no change in the obesity rate, but when they are open within a tenth of a mile from schools obesity rates rise. The study also found that the daily caloric intake could increase 30 to 100 calories a day depending on the proximity of fast food chains to schools. The study even showed that pregnant women are more likely to gain a lot of weight of they live within a mile of fast food chains. This article from the New York Times explores the side of a ban on fast food restaurants near schools. Buckley did an in depth analysis on the ban of fast food near schools and what the effects of having fast food chains near schools has on the children. She used many reliable sources to support her research. The only problem that I see with this article is that it does not explore the other side of the argument enough. Overall I gained a lot of useful information from this article, and learned a lot of useful facts. Harris, Karen. â€Å"Fast Food in California’s High Schools: Popular, Profitable, Contributing to Teen Obesity?.† California Center for Health Improvement . n. page. Web. 26 April. 2012. This article talks about fast food in California High Schools and the reasons they are sold more than the healthy options. There are many schools that sell taco bell in school. The student’s say that these food options taste better. Also, the schools sell them ‘A la Carte’ so they can profit and use the money for school activities and such. This article also discusses how the school environment can take away from anything that parents try to teach their kids about healthy eating. Many school districts allow private corporations to advertise in their schools, promoting eating unhealthy food. This article gave me a good idea of what fast food actually in schools is like. It is obvious that kids are going to go for the more unhealthy option of the foods they have to choose from, because it tastes better, they can get it faster, and it is usually cheaper. This article was a good source of information but it even says in the beginning that the source of their data is a little bit unreliable because it is just the schools mailing in their information about what food they serve and not all schools reported their information. Over all this is a good source for basic information about fast food in schools, but not all of the data is reliable. Do fast-food chains cluster around schools? MSN.com. 26 April 2012 This article addresses the problem of having fast food restaurants located near schools, and says that the corporations do this strategically. This makes it very hard to eat healthy for kids when they are being tempted with cheap, quick food. This article says that nearly 80 percent of Chicago schools studied had at least one fast food restaurant within a half mile. It also discusses how when a child eats fast food they consume more calories fat and sugars than they would eat fruits and vegetables. Burger King wouldn’t answer any questions about the placement of their stores, and McDonalds denies that schools have anything to do with where they place their stores. This article is a lot like the first one that I read, but had more research into the amount of fast food restaurants in proximity to schools. I like  that they did the research in a city like Chicago, and it says that these findings are similar in other cities across the nation. This article could help me in my research because it shows that it is proven that fast food chains cluster around schools. Eisler, Peter, Blake Morrison, and Anthony DeBarros. â€Å"Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches .† USA Today. 9 12 2009: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . In this article, the authors explore the fact that the meat we eat at schools does not go through the same standards that the meat served at fast food restaurants. The government is supplying schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that aren’t good enough for many fast food chains to serve. The authors say that the standards that Jack in the Box uses for its food is ten times more stringent than what the USDA sets for the meat served in schools. When it comes to chicken, schools are being supplied with thousands of tons of meat from old chickens that fast food restaurants don’t use. The standards are not the same, and that is very alarming. I really like this article because it is different from the other ones that I have read. It shows the downfalls of cafeteria food, instead of the bad things about fast food. It really opened my eyes that we never really know where our food comes from, and sometimes even when we think we are eating healthy we are consuming old, gross meat. This is extremely useful to my research because it shows the downfalls of the USDA and proves that school foods are not always better than fast food. Denver, Kusa. â€Å"‘Pink slime’ eliminated from fast food, but not school lunches .† USA Today. 09 03 2012: n. page. Web. 3 May. 2012. . This article talks about Pink Slime and how it is still being served in schools, but fast food restaurants have decided not to use that meat anymore. The U.S. Department of Agriculture told an online newspaper that it is buying 7 million more pounds of the Pink Slime to serve in school lunches across the country. But at the same time the USDA says that, â€Å"All USDA  ground beef purchases for the National School Lunch Program must meet the highest standards for food safety.† This slime is made of cow intestines and other by-products that we really don’t want to eat. This meat is more prone to E. Coli and salmonella. I definitely think this article is useful to me because it is yet another example of the food we are being served in schools. It is not held to the same standards that fast food chains hold their food to. I think the research used reliable sourced such as the USDA and the U.S. department of agriculture. Childhood obesity and obesity in general are some of the biggest problems facing the United States. We as a country are trying to educate everyone on how to eat properly and live a healthy life. We blame fast food chains for the obesity in our country, when in reality they are not the main problem. It is a culture change that is hard to wrap our heads around, and one that people don’t know how to deal with. The economy is bad, therefore we go for the cheaper food, and fast food chains are everywhere, and convenient. The food in schools should be held to a much higher standard than it is, and advertisers are targeting kids in schools and tempting them to eat unhealthy foods. There are many problems between schools and fast food. The proximity of a school to fast food restaurants has shown to have an impact on the weight of the children in the surrounding schools. This makes perfect sense to me because it makes it more convenient. Burger Kings always have signs about deals on burgers or fries. They are directly advertising to the young kids in those surrounding schools. The advertisers know that kids are tight on cash, and want to get their food quick. Some researchers say that there is no correlation between obesity and having fast food restaurants near schools, but I think there definitely is. If there is no McDonald’s right across the street from a school, those kids won’t have a choice of eating it and might make a better choice. I know that people should have the will power to say no and try and eat something healthier, but I believe that the government should be doing something to try and make it easier for Americans to live a healthy, after all shouldn’t the health of  their country be important to them? I think that laws should be passed against having fast food chains within a certain distance of schools, because that is just escalating the problem of obesity in America. Another link to schools and obesity is the advertising and availability of fast food in a school cafeteria. It is hard for a 12 year old to choose grilled chicken and broccoli over a cheeseburger when given a choice. Ads that show happy kids eating McDonalds are directly targeted at young kids, showing them that they will be happy if they eat fast food. Childhood obesity is on the rise and advertising in schools is a huge reason. It is ridiculous that schools allow this and even that the government doesn’t prevent it. Kids are victims in this situation because they have no say about what kinds of advertisements they are exposed to. You would think that the adults in this country would see this problem and try to fix it, but instead we just serve McDonald’s and Taco bell in the cafeteria instead of having delicious healthy options. It is so counter productive to teach kids about the food pyramid and tell them to be active and eat their fruits and veggies and then offer t hem fries and a hot dog. That is not fair, its almost like we are setting the children up for failure and obesity, exactly what we say we are trying to prevent. The most shocking thing that I found throughout my research was the lack of quality in the meat that is being served in school cafeterias. According to a few of the articles that I read fast food chains would not serve the quality of meat that the government is giving to schools. The USDA is supposed to be protecting us as consumers when in reality they are giving schools beef with pink slime and old chicken meat that fast food chains wouldn’t even serve. The meat that our children are eating is more likely to have E. Coli or salmonella. All the blame is being put on fast food chains for the unhealthy country we are becoming when in reality many school lunches are just as bad or worse for us than fast food. With all of this being said, fast food is having a huge impact on modern day schooling and our society in general. Schools are changing because now we have to make it part of the curriculum to teach children about healthy  eating and living, when in previous time periods that was the parent’s job. It has now become the school’s job because even the generation of parent’s isn’t living a healthy life. This can take away from teaching more important things to the curriculum such as math science and reading. Also, the schools can now be blamed for the rise in obesity because they are not always serving healthy foods, and they are allowing fast food chains into their cafeterias.

Desert Solitaire essays

Desert Solitaire essays A reluctant nature writer, Edward Abbey writes of his experiences of, and personal philosophical developments during, his time in southeastern Utahs canyonlands. Abbey doesnt like to consider himself a nature writer, yet he clearly exhibits great strengths as a preserver of nature through his writings. I have currently read the introductory material and first six chapters of his book Desert Solitaire. I was immediately drawn to his descriptions of the desert because of my own love for the outdoors, particularly the arid landscape and natural beauty of the desert. In the first six chapters he introduces the reader to his new home, a metal trailer residing miles away from any other people and anything civilized. His only companions, the rocks, plants, a few ravens, some resident mice, a snake (and its friend) that he befriended, and a few other more-or-less elusive animals. Abbey is clearly an educated outdoorsman, reciting the names of dozens of plants that comprise the fauna around his new home as well as the plants of other regions. He also lists off the names and classification of many of the geological resources of the area; he names rocks and minerals that the average, even fairly educated, person would not recognize. These rock and mineral descriptions drew me even deeper into his book due to my own interest in geology (although there were names that even I didnt recognize). There have been different aspects of Abbeys book that I have enjoyed for different reasons, and some that have detracted enjoyment. I feel his visual descriptions of the plants, animals and rock formations are incredible, while his sometimes drawn out tangents are sometimes distracting. I particularly enjoy his brief interactions with the wildlife. When he asks the dear to join him, or queries the snakes about their behavior, the animals only response is to walk, slither, or run the other dir...

Astronomy 101 - Learning About Stars

Astronomy 101 - Learning About Stars Astronomers are often asked about objects in the cosmos and how they came to be. Stars, in particular, fascinate many people, particularly because we can look out on a dark night and see so many of them. So, what are they? Stars are massive shining spheres of hot gas. Those stars you see with your naked eye in the night sky all belong to the Milky Way Galaxy, the huge system of stars that contains our solar system. There are around 5,000 stars which can be seen with the naked eye, though not all stars are visible at all times and places. With a small telescope, hundreds of thousands of stars can be seen. Larger telescopes can show millions of galaxies, which can have upwards of a trillion or more stars. There are more than 1 x 1022 stars in the universe (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000). Many are so large that if they took our Suns place, they would engulf Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Others, called white dwarf stars, are around the size of Earth, and neutron stars are less than about 16 kilometers (10 miles) in diameter. Our Sun is about 93 million miles from Earth, 1 astronomical Unit (AU). The difference in its appearance from the stars visible in the night sky is due to its close proximity. The next closest star is Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light-years (40.1 trillion kilometers (20 trillion miles) from Earth. Stars come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from deep red, through orange and yellow to an intense white-blue. The color of a star depends on its temperature. Cooler stars tend to be red, while the hottest ones are blue. Stars are classified many ways, including by their brightness. They are also divided into brightness groups, which are called magnitudes. Each star magnitude is 2.5 times brighter than the next lower star. The brightest stars now represented by negative numbers and they can be dimmer than 31st magnitude.   Stars - Stars - Stars Stars are primarily made of hydrogen, smaller amounts of helium, and trace amounts of other elements. Even the most abundant of the other elements present in stars (oxygen, carbon, neon, and nitrogen) are only present in very small quantities. Despite the frequent use of phrases like the emptiness of space, space is actually full of gases and dust. This material gets compressed by collisions and blast waves from exploding stars, causing lumps of matter to form. If the gravity of these protostellar objects is strong enough, they can pull in other matter for fuels. As they continue to compress, their internal temperatures rise to the point where hydrogen ignites in thermonuclear fusion. While the gravity continues pulling, trying to collapse the star into the smallest possible size, the fusion stabilizes it, preventing further contraction. Thus, a great struggle ensues for the life of the star, as each force continues to push or pull. How Do Stars Produce Light, Heat, and Energy? There are a number of different processes (thermonuclear fusion) which make stars produce light, heat and energy. The most common happens when four hydrogen atoms combine into a helium atom. This releases energy, which is converted to light and heat. Eventually, most of the fuel, hydrogen, is exhausted. As the fuel begins to run out, the strength of the thermonuclear fusion reaction declines. Soon (relatively speaking), gravity will win and the star will collapse under its own weight. At that time, it becomes what is known as a white dwarf. As the fuel further depletes and reaction stops all together, it will collapse further, into a black dwarf. This process can take billions and billions of years to complete. Toward the end of the twentieth century, astronomers began to discover planets orbiting other stars. Because planets are so much smaller and fainter than stars, they are difficult to detect and impossible to see, so how do scientists find them? They measure tiny wobbles in a star’s motion caused by the gravitational pull of the planets. Although no Earth-like planets have been discovered yet, scientists are hopeful. Next lesson, well take a closer look at some of these balls of gas.

Lecture summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Lecture summary - Essay Example A complete shutdown of such activity is not recommended but there sure is space to carry out such activities in line with conservation of the forests and ecosystems. Luckily, small sized forests that are not considered for major cultivation, hence, are conserved. A way to address this issue is to cultivate coffee on shade-grown farms. There are many added advantages for such cultivation. Firstly, it delivers a long list of forest products. These products include fruits. Medicines and lumber apart from coffee. Shade grown coffee farms not only address social and economic need, but also meet a large list of ecological essentials. Forest covers are maintained with the use of shade grown coffee and it minimizes erosion when compared to other coffee cultivating methods and agricultural systems. The leading examples being pasture for cattle grazing and sun coffee. Agro forestry provides a natural habitat to many birds. It is believed that birds not only reduce pest but also enhances its quality by bringing the damage to a minimum level. The retention of nutrients and the chemistry of the soil also has a great impact of the quality of coffee produced. Around 5- 10% of the retail price of coffee goes to the farmers while the most coffee growing areas are 50 developing nations of the world. The corporate sector sector controls most of the coffee cultivation and around two fifth of the coffee market is controlled by big corporates giants such as Nestle, Sara Lee, Kraft and P & G. Theses corporate giants are also responsible for controlling more than three quarters of the US coffee market. Farmers in areas like Gautemala are paid extremely low for picking coffee berries. On a average $2.50 is paid for picking 100 pounds of coffee berries. Hence, fair trade policies are essential and should be

The response of Daughter from Danang Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The response of Daughter from Danang - Essay Example Family reunion which we observe impresses by spontaneity and immediacy. ‘The actors’ are so much involved in the process that they create excitement which can be rarely produced by professional actors. It’s no wonder that the film won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The story of Heidi impresses with the pain and despair of the children torn between two cultures. Heidi feels herself miserable as he tries to find love and understanding among her birth family but what she finds is disillusionment. This disillusionment comes from the lack of understanding people who grew up in entirely different world with its own customs and visions. When Heidi’s dream to meet her family comes true, she is embarrassed and is not sure what to do. After the family reunion Heidi is greatly disappointed. We come to realize the existence of the gap which now separates Heidi and her family - the cultural gap. We see from the first scenes of meeting the emotional burden which Heidi comes to experience. While her mother is on the emotional high, Heidi is more bewildered, embarrassed and uncertain. She feels startled and tense. She sees the life with her family in another light, different from that before the reunion. Life of poverty and misery, hard toil of her mother to support other children – that’s what she sees in the real life of her family. The cultural gap which separates Americanized Heidi and her family is evident in many life situation. The tension from cultural shock comes to a climax and Heidi feels that she wants to go home as soon as possible. At the farewell party when Heidi’s brother comes to talk about financial issues directly, she feels completely disconnected from the Vietnamese family. She perceives money issue in the American way – it’s not better talked about. What Heidi expected is unconditioned love and care. Heidi is not aware of the family relations and