Apathy And Its Impact On Society - 850 Words

Chap. 1. What is apathy? Before inspecting the root causes and solutions to the problem of apathy, a uniform definition of apathy must be obtained to be used throughout this thesis. In the Oxford English Dictionary, the word apathy is defined as: lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. The usage of the word apathy can be traced back to 17th century France, and then still further back to the ancient greek word apathÄ“s, which meant without feeling. As the dictionary makes clear, the concept of apathy has many meanings, but the common link may be summarised as a lack of interest in a certain subject. Although the subject could vary from gardening to engineering, this dissertation thesis will focus on apathy in relation to politics. Having defined apathy, the crucial question is to decide whether apathy has either a positive or negative impact on society. The answer depends, in part at least, on one’s view of human nature. In ancient Athens, Aristotle declared that ‘ man is a political animal’, meaning by this that a full human existence demanded active participation in the public life of the agora. Apathy in this respect would mean being condemned to a subhuman existence. For Christian thinkers of the Medieval Age, by contrast, the highest good is outside politics, being the purely personal quest for religious salvation. From this standpoint, political apathy might well be a desirable thing, since politics is merely a distraction from religion. In the earlyShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins1419 Words   |  6 Pagescitizens of the divided dystopia of Panem. This essay will analyze the origins and influence of apathy on a people and an individual, in both a political and personal sense. Collins’ main argument, that citizens’ facing governmental oppression can either become compliant with apathy, or, instead, utilize apathy in creating a false appearance to increase their chances of survival in a sadistic so ciety, is conveyed with contextual motivation for the protagonist’s actions, exploration into false appearancesRead MoreThe Perils Of Indifference By Elie Wiesel939 Words   |  4 Pagespast century, which he claimed were products of indifference, as he attempts to explain why humanity displays apathy to such tragedies. After growing up as a young Jewish during the Holocaust, Wiesel has seen his share of inhumanity from Schutzstaffel, or SS Soldiers. Elie Wiesel’s reasoning behind delivering such an emotionally charged speech is to make his audience aware of the apathy occurring globally. Throughout his speech to Congress, Wiesel uses the persuasive elements ethos, pathos and logosRead MoreProblems Facing Children at School: Apathy 1811 Words   |  7 Pagesapproach to schoolwork and the education system. Children seem not to worry as much about school, but rather about their social lives, or their lives outside of school and how they are accepted by others. Apathy is becoming one of the biggest problems facing children today. One such case of apathy happened to a physical education teacher, Andy Wilson. One class he noticed after he gave instructions on what the kids were to do there was a child who was still sitting around. He told him he had to participateRead MoreThe Effects Of Technology On The Adolescent Brain Essay944 Words   |  4 Pagesdestructive impact on student’s personal lives, but it also affects them academically as well. 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With the presence of a steadily overbearingRead Moresociety can be seen as a malevolent force, bringing about the dehumanisation of the individual1511 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Ã¢â‚¬ËœSociety can be seen as a malevolent force, bringing about the dehumanisation of the individual’ To what extent is this idea shown in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘We’ by comparing the writers presentation of the pressures society brings to bear on the individual. â€Å"A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.†Ã‚   Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale To understandRead MoreThe Portrayal of Industrialization in London by William Blake526 Words   |  3 Pagesand language to further describe a forbidding sense of apathy that has taken with it the human like qualities of the inhabitants. In this city of desecration it is the â€Å"hapless Soldiers sigh† that †Runs in blood down Palace walls.† A soldier whose function to obey orders without thought echoes that of a machine. It is his apathy in the face of perceived predetermined failure ,and disregard for authority however that is characteristic of a society concerned only with the amassment of wealth is the mostRead MoreCommunity Engagement Reflection853 Words   |  4 Pagesthat Dobson’s thinking is naive in light of the forces of apathy that Meslin presents in his TED Talk. Meslin talks about the idea of community engagement in more simplistic terms and brings real life examples to light and talks about all the reasons why communities are often disengag ed. Both Dobson and Meslin’s ideas support and or compliment each other as they both recognize barriers to civic and community engagement. The forces of apathy, lack interest that the community may feel a disinterestRead MoreAn Absurd Situation in an African Town of Oran in Albert Camus Novel, The Plague1143 Words   |  5 Pageswithout any fuss† (Galens 207). This absurd situation allows the idea of the absurd hero to develop Rieux throughout the novel. As the absurd hero, Rieux needs â€Å"to live without appeal† so that he can do what needs to be done, no matter how small the impact (Camus, Sisyphus 66). Rieux’s plight in combatting the plague is similar to that of Sisyphus. In Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus explains that Sisyphus is the absurd hero because â€Å"he is conscious of his plight† and has â€Å"knowledge of theRead MoreMartin Luther, An Augustinian Monk761 Words   |  4 Pagesthe door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. In retaliation, the Catholic Church excommunicated and later condemned him as heretic when Luther refused to recant his writings. The ripple effects of the Reformation were felt every aspect of the society including education. It marked the end of The Roman Catholic Empire and opened the door to the Protestantism. Printing press which was used as a tool in spreading Luther’s Ninety –five theses now used to distribute the Bibles translated into German

Angels Demons Chapter 109-112 Free Essays

string(88) " feeling they were too late as they watched the mammoth machine slow to a stop over St\." 109 Meanwhile, in St. Peter’s Square, the wall of Swiss Guards yelled orders and fanned outward, trying to push the crowds back to a safer distance. It was no use. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 109-112 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The crowd was too dense and seemed far more interested in the Vatican’s impending doom than in their own safety. The towering media screens in the square were now transmitting a live countdown of the antimatter canister – a direct feed from the Swiss Guard security monitor – compliments of the camerlegno. Unfortunately, the image of the canister counting down was doing nothing to repel the crowds. The people in the square apparently looked at the tiny droplet of liquid suspended in the canister and decided it was not as menacing as they had thought. They could also see the countdown clock now – a little under forty-five minutes until detonation. Plenty of time to stay and watch. Nonetheless, the Swiss Guards unanimously agreed that the camerlegno’s bold decision to address the world with the truth and then provide the media with actual visuals of Illuminati treachery had been a savvy maneuver. The Illuminati had no doubt expected the Vatican to be their usual reticent selves in the face of adversity. Not tonight. Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca had proven himself a commanding foe. Inside the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati was getting restless. It was past 11:15 P.M. Many of the cardinals were continuing to pray, but others had clustered around the exit, clearly unsettled by the hour. Some of the cardinals began pounding on the door with their fists. Outside the door Lieutenant Chartrand heard the pounding and didn’t know what to do. He checked his watch. It was time. Captain Rocher had given strict orders that the cardinals were not to be let out until he gave the word. The pounding on the door became more intense, and Chartrand felt uneasy. He wondered if the captain had simply forgotten. The captain had been acting very erratic since his mysterious phone call. Chartrand pulled out his walkie-talkie. â€Å"Captain? Chartrand here. It is past time. Should I open the Sistine?† â€Å"That door stays shut. I believe I already gave you that order.† â€Å"Yes, sir, I just – â€Å" â€Å"Our guest is arriving shortly. Take a few men upstairs, and guard the door of the Pope’s office. The camerlegno is not to go anywhere.† â€Å"I’m sorry, sir?† â€Å"What is it that you don’t understand, Lieutenant?† â€Å"Nothing, sir. I am on my way.† Upstairs in the Office of the Pope, the camerlegno stared in quiet meditation at the fire. Give me strength, God. Bring us a miracle. He poked at the coals, wondering if he would survive the night. 110 Eleven-twenty-three P.M. Vittoria stood trembling on the balcony of Castle St. Angelo, staring out across Rome, her eyes moist with tears. She wanted badly to embrace Robert Langdon, but she could not. Her body felt anesthetized. Readjusting. Taking stock. The man who had killed her father lay far below, dead, and she had almost been a victim as well. When Langdon’s hand touched her shoulder, the infusion of warmth seemed to magically shatter the ice. Her body shuddered back to life. The fog lifted, and she turned. Robert looked like hell – wet and matted – he had obviously been through purgatory to come rescue her. â€Å"Thank you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered. Langdon gave an exhausted smile and reminded her that it was she who deserved thanks – her ability to practically dislocate her shoulders had just saved them both. Vittoria wiped her eyes. She could have stood there forever with him, but the reprieve was short-lived. â€Å"We need to get out of here,† Langdon said. Vittoria’s mind was elsewhere. She was staring out toward the Vatican. The world’s smallest country looked unsettlingly close, glowing white under a barrage of media lights. To her shock, much of St. Peter’s Square was still packed with people! The Swiss Guard had apparently been able to clear only about a hundred and fifty feet back – the area directly in front of the basilica – less than one-third of the square. The shell of congestion encompassing the square was compacted now, those at the safer distances pressing for a closer look, trapping the others inside. They are too close! Vittoria thought. Much too close! â€Å"I’m going back in,† Langdon said flatly. Vittoria turned, incredulous. â€Å"Into the Vatican?† Langdon told her about the Samaritan, and how it was a ploy. The Illuminati leader, a man named Janus, was actually coming himself to brand the camerlegno. A final Illuminati act of domination. â€Å"Nobody in Vatican City knows,† Langdon said. â€Å"I have no way to contact them, and this guy is arriving any minute. I have to warn the guards before they let him in.† â€Å"But you’ll never get through the crowd!† Langdon’s voice was confident. â€Å"There’s a way. Trust me.† Vittoria sensed once again that the historian knew something she did not. â€Å"I’m coming.† â€Å"No. Why risk both – â€Å" â€Å"I have to find a way to get those people out of there! They’re in incredible dange – â€Å" Just then, the balcony they were standing on began to shake. A deafening rumble shook the whole castle. Then a white light from the direction of St. Peter’s blinded them. Vittoria had only one thought. Oh my God! The antimatter annihilated early! But instead of an explosion, a huge cheer went up from the crowd. Vittoria squinted into the light. It was a barrage of media lights from the square, now trained, it seemed, on them! Everyone was turned their way, hollering and pointing. The rumble grew louder. The air in the square seemed suddenly joyous. Langdon looked baffled. â€Å"What the devil – â€Å" The sky overhead roared. Emerging from behind the tower, without warning, came the papal helicopter. It thundered fifty feet above them, on a beeline for Vatican City. As it passed overhead, radiant in the media lights, the castle trembled. The lights followed the helicopter as it passed by, and Langdon and Vittoria were suddenly again in the dark. Vittoria had the uneasy feeling they were too late as they watched the mammoth machine slow to a stop over St. You read "Angels Demons Chapter 109-112" in category "Essay examples" Peter’s Square. Kicking up a cloud of dust, the chopper dropped onto the open portion of the square between the crowd and the basilica, touching down at the bottom of the basilica’s staircase. â€Å"Talk about an entrance,† Vittoria said. Against the white marble, she could see a tiny speck of a person emerge from the Vatican and move toward the chopper. She would never have recognized the figure except for the bright red beret on his head. â€Å"Red carpet greeting. That’s Rocher.† Langdon pounded his fist on the banister. â€Å"Somebody’s got to warn them!† He turned to go. Vittoria caught his arm. â€Å"Wait!† She had just seen something else, something her eyes refused to believe. Fingers trembling, she pointed toward the chopper. Even from this distance, there was no mistaking. Descending the gangplank was another figure†¦ a figure who moved so uniquely that it could only be one man. Although the figure was seated, he accelerated across the open square with effortless control and startling speed. A king on an electric throne. It was Maximilian Kohler. 111 Kohler was sickened by the opulence of the Hallway of the Belvedere. The gold leaf in the ceiling alone probably could have funded a year’s worth of cancer research. Rocher led Kohler up a handicapped ramp on a circuitous route into the Apostolic Palace. â€Å"No elevator?† Kohler demanded. â€Å"No power.† Rocher motioned to the candles burning around them in the darkened building. â€Å"Part of our search tactic.† â€Å"Tactics which no doubt failed.† Rocher nodded. Kohler broke into another coughing fit and knew it might be one of his last. It was not an entirely unwelcome thought. When they reached the top floor and started down the hallway toward the Pope’s office, four Swiss Guards ran toward them, looking troubled. â€Å"Captain, what are you doing up here? I thought this man had information that – â€Å" â€Å"He will only speak to the camerlegno.† The guards recoiled, looking suspicious. â€Å"Tell the camerlegno,† Rocher said forcefully, â€Å"that the director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler, is here to see him. Immediately.† â€Å"Yes, sir!† One of the guards ran off in the direction of the camerlegno’s office. The others stood their ground. They studied Rocher, looking uneasy. â€Å"Just one moment, captain. We will announce your guest.† Kohler, however, did not stop. He turned sharply and maneuvered his chair around the sentinels. The guards spun and broke into a jog beside him. â€Å"Fermati! Sir! Stop!† Kohler felt repugnance for them. Not even the most elite security force in the world was immune to the pity everyone felt for cripples. Had Kohler been a healthy man, the guards would have tackled him. Cripples are powerless, Kohler thought. Or so the world believes. Kohler knew he had very little time to accomplish what he had come for. He also knew he might die here tonight. He was surprised how little he cared. Death was a price he was ready to pay. He had endured too much in his life to have his work destroyed by someone like Camerlegno Ventresca. â€Å"Signore!† the guards shouted, running ahead and forming a line across the hallway. â€Å"You must stop!† One of them pulled a sidearm and aimed it at Kohler. Kohler stopped. Rocher stepped in, looking contrite. â€Å"Mr. Kohler, please. It will only be a moment. No one enters the Office of the Pope unannounced.† Kohler could see in Rocher’s eyes that he had no choice but to wait. Fine, Kohler thought. We wait. The guards, cruelly it seemed, had stopped Kohler next to a full-length gilded mirror. The sight of his own twisted form repulsed Kohler. The ancient rage brimmed yet again to the surface. It empowered him. He was among the enemy now. These were the people who had robbed him of his dignity. These were the people. Because of them he had never felt the touch of a woman†¦ had never stood tall to accept an award. What truth do these people possess? What proof, damn it! A book of ancient fables? Promises of miracles to come? Science creates miracles every day! Kohler stared a moment into his own stony eyes. Tonight I may die at the hands of religion, he thought. But it will not be the first time. For a moment, he was eleven years old again, lying in his bed in his parents’ Frankfurt mansion. The sheets beneath him were Europe’s finest linen, but they were soaked with sweat. Young Max felt like he was on fire, the pain wracking his body unimaginable. Kneeling beside his bed, where they had been for two days, were his mother and father. They were praying. In the shadows stood three of Frankfurt’s best doctors. â€Å"I urge you to reconsider!† one of the doctors said. â€Å"Look at the boy! His fever is increasing. He is in terrible pain. And danger!† But Max knew his mother’s reply before she even said it. â€Å"Gott wird ihn beschuetzen.† Yes, Max thought. God will protect me. The conviction in his mother’s voice gave him strength. God will protect me. An hour later, Max felt like his whole body was being crushed beneath a car. He could not even breathe to cry. â€Å"Your son is in great suffering,† another doctor said. â€Å"Let me at least ease his pain. I have in my bag a simple injection of – † â€Å"Ruhe, bitte!† Max’s father silenced the doctor without ever opening his eyes. He simply kept praying. â€Å"Father, please!† Max wanted to scream. â€Å"Let them stop the pain!† But his words were lost in a spasm of coughing. An hour later, the pain had worsened. â€Å"Your son could become paralyzed,† one of the doctors scolded. â€Å"Or even die! We have medicines that will help!† Frau and Herr Kohler would not allow it. They did not believe in medicine. Who were they to interfere with God’s master plan? They prayed harder. After all, God had blessed them with this boy, why would God take the child away? His mother whispered to Max to be strong. She explained that God was testing him†¦ like the Bible story of Abraham†¦ a test of his faith. Max tried to have faith, but the pain was excruciating. â€Å"I cannot watch this!† one of the doctors finally said, running from the room. By dawn, Max was barely conscious. Every muscle in his body spasmed in agony. Where is Jesus? he wondered. Doesn’t he love me? Max felt the life slipping from his body. His mother had fallen asleep at the bedside, her hands still clasped over him. Max’s father stood across the room at the window staring out at the dawn. He seemed to be in a trance. Max could hear the low mumble of his ceaseless prayers for mercy. It was then that Max sensed the figure hovering over him. An angel? Max could barely see. His eyes were swollen shut. The figure whispered in his ear, but it was not the voice of an angel. Max recognized it as one of the doctors†¦ the one who had sat in the corner for two days, never leaving, begging Max’s parents to let him administer some new drug from England. â€Å"I will never forgive myself,† the doctor whispered, â€Å"if I do not do this.† Then the doctor gently took Max’s frail arm. â€Å"I wish I had done it sooner.† Max felt a tiny prick in his arm – barely discernible through the pain. Then the doctor quietly packed his things. Before he left, he put a hand on Max’s forehead. â€Å"This will save your life. I have great faith in the power of medicine.† Within minutes, Max felt as if some sort of magic spirit were flowing through his veins. The warmth spread through his body numbing his pain. Finally, for the first time in days, Max slept. When the fever broke, his mother and father proclaimed a miracle of God. But when it became evident that their son was crippled, they became despondent. They wheeled their son into the church and begged the priest for counseling. â€Å"It was only by the grace of God,† the priest told them, â€Å"that this boy survived.† Max listened, saying nothing. â€Å"But our son cannot walk!† Frau Kohler was weeping. The priest nodded sadly. â€Å"Yes. It seems God has punished him for not having enough faith.† â€Å"Mr. Kohler?† It was the Swiss Guard who had run ahead. â€Å"The camerlegno says he will grant you audience.† Kohler grunted, accelerating again down the hall. â€Å"He is surprised by your visit,† the guard said. â€Å"I’m sure.† Kohler rolled on. â€Å"I would like to see him alone.† â€Å"Impossible,† the guard said. â€Å"No one – â€Å" â€Å"Lieutenant,† Rocher barked. â€Å"The meeting will be as Mr. Kohler wishes.† The guard stared in obvious disbelief. Outside the door to the Pope’s office, Rocher allowed his guards to take standard precautions before letting Kohler in. Their handheld metal detector was rendered worthless by the myriad of electronic devices on Kohler’s wheelchair. The guards frisked him but were obviously too ashamed of his disability to do it properly. They never found the revolver affixed beneath his chair. Nor did they relieve him of the other object†¦ the one that Kohler knew would bring unforgettable closure to this evening’s chain of events. When Kohler entered the Pope’s office, Camerlegno Ventresca was alone, kneeling in prayer beside a dying fire. He did not open his eyes. â€Å"Mr. Kohler,† the camerlegno said. â€Å"Have you come to make me a martyr?† 112 All the while, the narrow tunnel called Il Passetto stretched out before Langdon and Vittoria as they dashed toward Vatican City. The torch in Langdon’s hand threw only enough light to see a few yards ahead. The walls were close on either side, and the ceiling low. The air smelled dank. Langdon raced on into the darkness with Vittoria close at his heels. The tunnel inclined steeply as it left the Castle St. Angelo, proceeding upward into the underside of a stone bastion that looked like a Roman aqueduct. There, the tunnel leveled out and began its secret course toward Vatican City. As Langdon ran, his thoughts turned over and over in a kaleidoscope of confounding images – Kohler, Janus, the Hassassin, Rocher†¦ a sixth brand? I’m sure you’ve heard about the sixth brand, the killer had said. The most brilliant of all. Langdon was quite certain he had not. Even in conspiracy theory lore, Langdon could think of no references to any sixth brand. Real or imagined. There were rumors of a gold bullion and a flawless Illuminati Diamond but never any mention of a sixth brand. â€Å"Kohler can’t be Janus!† Vittoria declared as they ran down the interior of the dike. â€Å"It’s impossible!† Impossible was one word Langdon had stopped using tonight. â€Å"I don’t know,† Langdon yelled as they ran. â€Å"Kohler has a serious grudge, and he also has some serious influence.† â€Å"This crisis has made CERN look like monsters! Max would never do anything to damage CERN’s reputation!† On one count, Langdon knew CERN had taken a public beating tonight, all because of the Illuminati’s insistence on making this a public spectacle. And yet, he wondered how much CERN had really been damaged. Criticism from the church was nothing new for CERN. In fact, the more Langdon thought about it, the more he wondered if this crisis might actually benefit CERN. If publicity were the game, then antimatter was the jackpot winner tonight. The entire planet was talking about it. â€Å"You know what promoter P. T. Barnum said,† Langdon called over his shoulder. â€Å"‘I don’t care what you say about me, just spell my name right!’ I bet people are already secretly lining up to license antimatter technology. And after they see its true power at midnight tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Illogical,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Publicizing scientific breakthroughs is not about showing destructive power! This is terrible for antimatter, trust me!† Langdon’s torch was fading now. â€Å"Then maybe it’s all much simpler than that. Maybe Kohler gambled that the Vatican would keep the antimatter a secret – refusing to empower the Illuminati by confirming the weapon’s existence. Kohler expected the Vatican to be their usual tight-lipped selves about the threat, but the camerlegno changed the rules.† Vittoria was silent as they dashed down the tunnel. Suddenly the scenario was making more sense to Langdon. â€Å"Yes! Kohler never counted on the camerlegno’s reaction. The camerlegno broke the Vatican tradition of secrecy and went public about the crisis. He was dead honest. He put the antimatter on TV, for God’s sake. It was a brilliant response, and Kohler never expected it. And the irony of the whole thing is that the Illuminati attack backfired. It inadvertently produced a new church leader in the camerlegno. And now Kohler is coming to kill him!† â€Å"Max is a bastard,† Vittoria declared, â€Å"but he is not a murderer. And he would never have been involved in my father’s assassination.† In Langdon’s mind, it was Kohler’s voice that answered. Leonardo was considered dangerous by many purists at CERN. Fusing science and God is the ultimate scientific blasphemy. â€Å"Maybe Kohler found out about the antimatter project weeks ago and didn’t like the religious implications.† â€Å"So he killed my father over it? Ridiculous! Besides, Max Kohler would never have known the project existed.† â€Å"While you were gone, maybe your father broke down and consulted Kohler, asking for guidance. You yourself said your father was concerned about the moral implications of creating such a deadly substance.† â€Å"Asking moral guidance from Maximilian Kohler?† Vittoria snorted. â€Å"I don’t think so!† The tunnel banked slightly westward. The faster they ran, the dimmer Langdon’s torch became. He began to fear what the place would look like if the light went out. Black. â€Å"Besides,† Vittoria argued, â€Å"why would Kohler have bothered to call you in this morning and ask for help if he is behind the whole thing?† Langdon had already considered it. â€Å"By calling me, Kohler covered his bases. He made sure no one would accuse him of nonaction in the face of crisis. He probably never expected us to get this far.† The thought of being used by Kohler incensed Langdon. Langdon’s involvement had given the Illuminati a level of credibility. His credentials and publications had been quoted all night by the media, and as ridiculous as it was, the presence of a Harvard professor in Vatican City had somehow raised the whole emergency beyond the scope of paranoid delusion and convinced skeptics around the world that the Illuminati brotherhood was not only a historical fact, but a force to be reckoned with. â€Å"That BBC reporter,† Langdon said, â€Å"thinks CERN is the new Illuminati lair.† â€Å"What!† Vittoria stumbled behind him. She pulled herself up and ran on. â€Å"He said that!?† â€Å"On air. He likened CERN to the Masonic lodges – an innocent organization unknowingly harboring the Illuminati brotherhood within.† â€Å"My God, this is going to destroy CERN.† Langdon was not so sure. Either way, the theory suddenly seemed less far-fetched. CERN was the ultimate scientific haven. It was home to scientists from over a dozen countries. They seemed to have endless private funding. And Maximilian Kohler was their director. Kohler is Janus. â€Å"If Kohler’s not involved,† Langdon challenged, â€Å"then what is he doing here?† â€Å"Probably trying to stop this madness. Show support. Maybe he really is acting as the Samaritan! He could have found out who knew about the antimatter project and has come to share information.† â€Å"The killer said he was coming to brand the camerlegno.† â€Å"Listen to yourself! It would be a suicide mission. Max would never get out alive.† Langdon considered it. Maybe that was the point. The outline of a steel gate loomed ahead, blocking their progress down the tunnel. Langdon’s heart almost stopped. When they approached, however, they found the ancient lock hanging open. The gate swung freely. Langdon breathed a sigh of relief, realizing as he had suspected, that the ancient tunnel was in use. Recently. As in today. He now had little doubt that four terrified cardinals had been secreted through here earlier. They ran on. Langdon could now hear the sounds of chaos to his left. It was St. Peter’s Square. They were getting close. They hit another gate, this one heavier. It too was unlocked. The sound of St. Peter’s Square faded behind them now, and Langdon sensed they had passed through the outer wall of Vatican City. He wondered where inside the Vatican this ancient passage would conclude. In the gardens? In the basilica? In the papal residence? Then, without warning, the tunnel ended. The cumbrous door blocking their way was a thick wall of riveted iron. Even by the last flickers of his torch, Langdon could see that the portal was perfectly smooth – no handles, no knobs, no keyholes, no hinges. No entry. He felt a surge of panic. In architect-speak, this rare kind of door was called a senza chiave – a one-way portal, used for security, and only operable from one side – the other side. Langdon’s hope dimmed to black†¦ along with the torch in his hand. He looked at his watch. Mickey glowed. 11:29 P.M. With a scream of frustration, Langdon swung the torch and started pounding on the door. How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 109-112, Essay examples

Small Enterprise Association of Australia

Question: Discuss about the Small Enterprise Association of Australia. Answer: Introduction: As per the Halabi, Barrett and Dyt (2010), small scale companies uses accounting software for the purpose of production of the financial statements such as balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement. It is also found that the accounting information or knowledge is viewed differently by different companies due to which the accounting software cannot be used to their full potential. The accounting software is used by the Australian Tax Office for the purpose of recording and collecting all the financial information. The main reason behind it is that the accounting software facilitates in gaining knowledge regarding different financial transactions. The owners of the firms are required to submit their taxation return which record the information related to income and expenditures made by the firm and calculates its profit or loss in a year (Halabi, Barrett and Dyt, 2010). In the views of Griff (2014), the taxation returns of each entity records the total number of similar type of transactions carried out by the entity such as bank interest received, costs of goods sold, sales, wages paid and so on. For the purpose of taxation, cash accounting is applied. In addition to this, the business operations can be reflected in an appropriate manner by the use of accrual accounting. The qualitative data analysis software package is being used for the purpose of identification of the keywords and categorizing the text into themes (Griff, 2014). According to Breen, Sciulli and Calvert (2003), there are several accounting software which are used by the organizations for recording operational activities rather than for strategic purposes such as MYOB and CAS. Companies are heavily relied on the accountants for the reviewing of the financial statements and carrying out different book keeping services in spite of the implementation of the CAS software in the organization. Nowadays, companies are encouraged to utilize CAS accounting software for the reviewing of the financial statements as it facilitates in reducing the overall cost incurred to review it. After the implementation of the GST in 2000, companies are accepted the usage of computerized accounting software for the reviewing and formation of the financial statements of the company. Besides this, companies require accounting software for the purpose of creation of financial statements in order to take decisions in an effective manner. Such accounting software are easy to use and can be easily used by untrained accountants (Breen, Sciulli and Calvert, 2003). As per Walker and Oliver (2005), nowadays, firms spend considerable amount on the accounting packaged software for the purpose of framing and reviewing accounting information as it facilitates in reducing the time and cost. Some financial services firms adopt commercial packages that suit their needs for which they incur cost in the way of license fees, sponsored development and maintenance (Walker and Oliver, 2005). Curtis (2012) has stated that MYOB is an accounting software considered best for small scale businesses. This software contains different accounting modules such as sales and purchasing modules and inventory modules. It is considered as easy to use business software and can be applied to any type of business. This software facilitates managers to process and tracking bills payable and receivables, sales and purchases. This software is considered as a powerful tool for managing the inventory in an effective and efficient manner. It also facilitates in communicating the financial information to other related parties by the way of e-mails. This software facilitates in the management of cash receipts and expenditure or inventory in an effective manner. This software facilitates in carrying out different functions of small scale businesses such as banking, accounts, purchases , card file, job management and generation of financial reports. MYOB is not only considered as accounting softwar e but also regarded as business and inventory management solution. This software results in gaining real time data and ex;porting of all reports to MS Excel. This software has more than 1000000 users for managing their different business functions throughout the world. This software and its products are developed in Australia since 1990. Besides this, it is alsio used in Malaysia from 1996 (Curtis, 2012). In the views of Deshmukh (2006) MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) is an Australian multinational company that provides payroll, accounting and retail software and web hosting to small and medium businesses. This software is well known and used by majority of the businesses in Australia and New Zealand. The company is listed on Australian Stock Exchange in 1999. The company has also launched new package of online services in the year 2008 which includes e-mail hosting, web hosting and domain registration. The main competitors of MYOB include Intuit and Xero. There is an existence of the challenges faced by users of MYOB which include data security, however, the company has invest heavily in the security of the data (Deshmukh, 2006). As per the Stolowy and Lebas (2006), the computerized accounting software facilitates in improving the speed and accuracy of processing of the accounting information. In addition to this, the information is rolled back from the server in case of occurrence of disasters and hazards. The use of accounting software facilitates in reducing the labor required in the organization as most of the processes is completed automatically such as plotting graphs, charts and calculations. Nowadays, businesses expand their businesses across national boundaries due to several reason such as presence of cheap resources, better tax regulations and trade liberalization which has resulted in an increase in the bearing on the accounting procedures and processes of the company. The increased volume of the accounting information results in the exposure of the information to errors due to the presence of complexity of the accounting information system. The use of accounting information system helps in storin g large amount of financial information due to presence of large storage and processing capability (Stolowy and Lebas, 2006). According to Needles and Powers (2008), the accounting software packages facilitate in provision of the whole accounting system to be run on computer. The main reason behind it is that it facilitates in keeping accurate and up to date accounting and inventory reports. There is a requirement of maintaining complex financial information in an accurate manner as the businesses expand their businesses across the globe by acquiring new customers, new markets and adoption to the changes taking place in the technology to remain competitive in the market. The computerized Accounting System helps in streamlining, simplify and integrate the business processes and provide a clear picture of all the business processes to the users. The use of accounting software is becoming popular among different businesses due to reduction in the computer prices and accounting software. In Australian, majority of the small businesses uses accounting software and packages to record financial transactions (Needl es and Powers, 2008; Kolitz, 2016). Lewis and Trevitt (2003) has suggested that improvement in technology has resulted in the adoption of the computerized accounting systems and results in the replacement of the manual accounting systems. The computerized accounting system facilitates in processing the information which is earlier performed manually. This has helped in gaining accurate, valid and reliable results from the financial information. Besides this, it also facilitates in improving the overall performance and productivity of the organizations. The computerized accounting system has applied same logic of journal entries, ledger, reports and statements in a manual system. It also facilitates in generation of the financial statements in an easy and quick manner for the purpose of its review by the management of the company. This system helps in combining the accounting concepts and principles with the concept of information system for the purpose of recording, analyze and production of the financial statements to its users so that they can make effective decisions in a quick manner (Lewis and Trevitt, 2003). As per Ahmed (2008), the benefits of CAS such as adoption of the user friendly accounting software, quick, huge storage capacity, provision of accurate and reliable results have forced small and medium enterprises to adopt the system in order to record the financial transactions in an effective manner. Besides this, there is also a need for managers to consider different factors before the adoption of the accounting software and packages such as consistent and timely data in different reporting formats. The computerized Accounting system facilitates in reducing the time to record financial transactions. This facilitates in providing accounting information in a simple manner in the accounting software. This also helps in reducing the time spent by the staff in preparation of the accounts (Ahmed, 2008). Besides this, Turner and Weickgenannt (2008) have suggested that it also helps in reducing the audit expenses by keeping up to date and accurate information. It is important for the organizations to store information in the system for indefinite time so that they can view the information in future for the purpose of making comparisons in future. Besides this, it also facilitates in distribution of the information to different stakeholders of the company in an easy manner. The generation of the financial reports of the company helps managers to monitor its financial performance and make quick and accurate decisions with regard to the business (Turner and Weickgenannt, 2008). References Breen, A.P.J., Sciulli, D.N. and Calvert, C. 2003. The role of external accountant in small firms. 16th Annual Conference of Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand, pp. 1-11. Halabi, A.K., Barrett, R. and Dyt, R. 2010. Understanding financial information used to assess small firm performance: An Australian qualitative study. Qualitative Research in Accounting Management 7(2), pp. 163-179. Walker, R.G. and Oliver, G.R. 2005. Accounting for Expenditure on Software Development for Internal Use. Abacus 41(1), pp. 66-91. Griff, M. 2014. Professional Accounting Essays and Assignments. Lulu Press. Curtis, V. 2012. MYOB Software For Dummies. John Wiley Sons. Deshmukh, A. 2006. Digital Accounting: The Effects of the Internet and ERP on Accounting. Idea Group Inc. Turner, L. and Weickgenannt, A.B. 2008. Accounting Information Systems: Controls and Processes. John Wiley Sons. Ahmed, N. 2008. Financial Accounting: A Simplified Approach. Atlantic Publishers Dist. Lewis, R. and Trevitt, R. 2003. Vocational Business Financial Accounting. Nelson Thornes. Needles, B.E. and Powers, M. 2008. Financial Accounting. Cengage Learning. Stolowy, H. and Lebas, M. 2006. Financial Accounting and Reporting: A Global Perspective. Cengage Learning EMEA. Kolitz, D. 2016. Financial Accounting: A Concepts-Based Introduction. Routledge.

Justifiable Homicide At The Hands Of The State Essays - Penology

Justifiable Homicide At The Hands Of The State Justifiable Homicide at the Hands of the State Several problems exist in society today, and we are doing everything we could to correct these complications and to possibly diminish them. Some are as minor as traffic violations, and some are as serious as deaths. Many innocent lives are being taken due to the careless and unforgivable acts of a few people. Something has to be done to stop this from happening. In other words, we, as society, need to play our part in preventing these nightmares and tragedies from taking place. This is where capital punishment, which Webster's School and Office Dictionary defines as ?punishment by death for a crime; the death penalty,? can play a crucial role (p 125). The death penalty is a form of punishment that, when applied in the correct context, is morally and ethically justified by the philosophies that shape our society. If capital punishment was legalized in all fifty states and was carried out more frequently, our country's problems would significantly decrease. Family and friends of the victim would feel better knowing that the punishment of the criminal would fit the crime, and less innocent lives would be taken as well (Roark 58). We are not the first civilization to invoke the death penalty. Both Biblically and historically, the death penalty was found to be an effective method to end the criminal acts of convicted offenders. For instance, in ancient Israel, it was socially acceptable to throw stones at an adulterous woman until she died from the injuries (New Oxford Annotated Bible 563-OT) . In the colonial periods of our great nation and even in more modern circumstances worldwide, treason is a crime punishable by death. Shields 2 In recent times, the culture of the United States has become more humane in its methods of execution. No longer will crowds of townspeople gather at the square to witness the hanging of thieves and murderers. Instead, the United States has opted to do away with any punishment viewed by the citizens and by the Supreme Court as violating the Eighth Amendment (Lowi and Ginsberg A20) This guarantees every citizens protection from what the courts perceive as ?cruel and unusual punishment? (Constitution of the United States, 1791). It is important to note that the 74 men and women that were put to death in the United States in 1997 were not killed in such a way that could further detract from their, or their families dignity (U. S. Government: Bureau of Justice Statistics December 1998) The methods of execution to be used are delegated by each individual state. Of all the possible alternatives, only three are found humane in most of the United States (Bureau of Justice). These are the lethal injection, the gas chamber, and the electric chair. None of these are considered to be, by many, more painful or dehumanizing than the next. Some people still choose to oppose these methods too, citing that all form of the death penalty are ?cruel and unusual?. Such was the case when the Supreme Court decided against its invocation in the case of Furman vs. Georgia in June of 1972 (Hood 47). (Due to the court's decision in this case, many death sentences given prior to 1972 were reopened. Also, all state and federal laws prescribing the death penalty were thrown out (Knowenwetter 88).) Others who choose to oppose the death penalty base their arguments on the fact that they believe that life, in itself, is a commodity worth preserving despite the circumstances of the crime. This theory may be valid in a very abstract manner, but only Shields 3 as long as that abstraction perpetuates. Even the most devout believer in the ?Sanctity of Life? is sure to consider the options when the victim of some heinous crime is a sibling, a child, or a parent. Retribution for such crimes at the hands of some monster is sure to be demanded swiftly by the public as well as the grieving family enduring the loss Such retribution can also have a second purpose. Davis notes that the death penalty, like no other form of punishment of those humanely available, has the ability to deter potential criminals from committing such horrible acts (9-13) Any criminal, whether or not he is a reasonable man, will consider his options when the consequence of his actions may lead to his own finality. A finality within itself can be

The Mental, and Physical Effects Muscular Dystrophy Has On Students

The Mental, and Physical Effects Muscular Dystrophy Has On Students Muscular dystrophy refers to a category of genetic diseases where the voluntary and skeletal muscles responsible for regulating muscles weaken and degenerate progressively (Emery, 1987, p.47). The disease is hereditary in nature. It may occur in childhood, later in life or during the middle years of one’s life.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mental, and Physical Effects Muscular Dystrophy Has On Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The most common type of muscular dystrophy is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Boys are the primary victims of Duchenne muscular Dystrophy. Its primary cause is lack of dystrophin, the protein responsible for maintaining the strength and durability of a muscle. The disease attacks between the age of 3 and 5 years and then progresses rapidly. Statistics in The United States indicate that 21 in every3500 -500 boys is born with the disease and 400-600 new cases occ ur every single year (Johanson,2008).The disease does not affect girls as the gene responsible is recessive in them. They can only be carriers and chances of transmitting the disease to their children stand at 50%. Muscular weakness in most cases of muscular dystrophy begins in the legs. The first symptom is difficulty in walking (Siegel, 1999). A child may find it very challenging to walk the way he walks normally or may have to keep the feet apart to be in a position to maintain a steady balance. He or she may then have to depend on the arms to do basic things such as standing or walking on a staircase. The child may experience pain in the calves and may keep falling frequently. The child then has to depend on walking braces. Eventually complete walking disability necessitates the need for such a child to depend on a wheelchair for motion. With time, the deterioration progresses to other parts of the body such as the chest, the neck, and the arms. This causes breathing difficultie s and severe diseases such as pneumonia. Mental disorders and cardiac conditions are also caused by muscular dystrophy. The severity of muscular dystrophy depends on the age and the individual. Some people may not develop symptoms and may end up experiencing the average life expectancy. On the other hand, some individuals suffer disability and eventually die from the disease.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Genetic mutation is the facilitating factor of Muscular dystrophy. Mutation of the dystrophin gene causes Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies while muscular dystrophy suffered in the limb-girdle area is caused by mutations in genes that are still being researched by scientists (Emery, 2008, p.34). Children suffering from the condition tend to have a very high concentration of the enzyme. A DNA test is then conducted to determine whether the dystrophin gene has undergone mutation. If the tests still do not indicate presence of muscular dystrophy, a muscle biopsy must be done. Physical therapy is one of the most recommended options for muscle dystrophy given that it has no definite treatment. It helps keep the tone of the muscles strong and reduces the intensity of joint contractions keeping the muscles in strong form and maintaining the flexibility of the muscles (Bushyby Anderson, p.2001). Use of braces to prevent stiffening of the muscles around muscles which make it painful and hard to move, provides support for a child suffering from dystrophy and gives the child a life-lease by extending the time he or she can walk. Additionally, prednisone, a steroid, is used to reduce the rate at which muscles deteriorate in people suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The best time to begin the treatment is said to be the age of 5 years or at any age when the muscular strength of the child begins to retrogress. The side effects of prednisone are that it causes a person to gain weak further straining the muscles that have already lost strength (Johanson, 2008, p.49). It also causes the bones to lose density making it easy to suffer from sudden fractures. Surgery is another treatment option. Spinal fusion surgery reduces pain, lessens severe effects of curvatures, and eliminates effects of muscular severity on the breathing system. It makes it possible for a child to sit comfortably in an upright position on a chair.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Mental, and Physical Effects Muscular Dystrophy Has On Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Regular vaccination is recommended for children suffering from muscular dystrophy. This is because their respiratory muscles are severely weakened. Ability to cough phlegm is incapacitated making it possible for contract mild respiratory infections (Muscular Dystrophy Canada, 2008). Students suffering from muscular dystrophy face various challenges. Teachers need to understand the various stages of dystrophy in order to be in a position to handle such students. The early phase of the disease, which occurs during the age of 7 years, is characterized by delay in acquiring language skills and speech problems (Siegel, 1999). He may also be drowsy, be in energy less state, and tend to fall often. Such a student will therefore find physical education classes very daunting and taunting. The stage between 6 and 12 years is the transition stage between clumsiness in movement and full disability. A student will experience walking problems finding it very difficult to balance themselves in an upright posture. Walking on toes is quite common as the student tires to balance himself (Parker, Parker, and Icon Group International, 2002, p.17). As such, standing in class or at the field would be very difficult. At the age of 12-14 years, the student will have lost walking ability and wi ll need the help of a wheel chair. Activities done by the legs or arm will have to be accomplished by using a machine aids. The ability to write and the general computer skills will not have been lost at this stage because the fingers are still in a position to function effectively (Emery, 2008, p.34). From the age of 15 and above the student becomes susceptible to acute infections of the respiratory system. Signs of cardiac failure also start setting in at this stage. Heart and respiratory conditions are usually chronic and might end up killing the student. The most commonly used drug, the steroid prednisone has the positive effects of increasing the muscular strength of most boys. On the downside, it has negative psychological impacts on the academic progression of a student. These include increased periods of drowsiness and uncontrollable sleep and easy distraction though loss of concentration.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Patients taking prednisone tend to be overly emotionally sensitive, get irritated easily, and overreact to situations. Depression sets in very easily as the drug impairs the thinking process and therefore the student experiences difficulties in accomplishing simple tasks like reading (Emery,1987,p.54 ). The specific learning problems experienced by a student suffering from muscular dystrophy include slow speed of grasping and understanding information. A teacher has to be very patient with such a student and has to repeat and re-repeat instructions so that the student can process them. As the students grow-up, they tend to display substantial levels of intelligence. Their creativity level is very high because they portray high-quality visual skills (Johanson, 2008). Duchenne patients all over the world row up to become successful artists due to this character. Nevertheless, the confinement to a wheel chair due to muscular dystrophy may lead to gross stress, emotional disturbance, an d depression. Parents of children with muscular dystrophy should disclose it to their teachers in order to ensure proper care in school. To accommodate the special needs of a muscular dystrophy student, there will be a need to modify and make changes to the way classes are conducted and the entire class will be affected in the process. If the other classmates are ignorant about what is happening to the affected student, they are more likely to harass, tease, and taunt him. Research has shown that if they are aware about what is happening to him they are more likely to support and cheer up the classmate (Bushby Anderson, 2001.p.57). A teacher should disclose the student’s condition to the class and the general steps the peers are expected to take to support him within the limits of the parent’s confidentiality proposal. When modifying and scheduling class activities for the dystrophy student, it is better to include the whole class by incorporating their ideas in the a ffair so that it does not seem as if the ill student is being favored at their expense or if they are being discriminated against (Siegel,1999). The teacher should apply neutral language when communicating with the class about their students condition. Instead of saying that the disease is permanent and terminal, the teacher should say that the disease has devastating effects. Confinement to a wheel chair limits the physical space of a dystrophy patient. The physical liabilities for a dystrophic patient increase with time as the disease progresses leading to frustration and trauma for the student. Constant headaches and concentration lapses ends up manifesting in the behavior of such a child. It is also difficult for such a child to keep awake during the entire school time (Parker, Parker, and Icon Group International, 2002, p.17). A program that has been found to be very effective in actualizing general classes for muscular dystrophy students is known as The Individualized Educatio n Program (Emery, 2008). It guides teachers towards efficient delivery of the specialized education required by a dystrophy student. It helps integrate the needs of such as a student with those of the colleagues so that the student does not feel as if he is being discriminate and so that his or her peers do not feel as if their colleague is being accorded special treatment. It is particularly applicable in Physical education classes in order to improve both the cognition abilities of the student and to maintain a fit physical form. The special needs of the student must be met and at the same time, they must not be diverted from the education program that is being offered to the rest of the students. Throughout the school year, updated reports on the student’s performance and progress should be submitted to the parents and the therapists in the same way reports of the rest of the students are submitted or at rates that are more frequent. A teacher has the right to modify a gen erated Individual Education Program to meet the needs of his student. This after evaluating the effectiveness or appropriateness of such a program and the kind of reactions or behaviors the student is showing. It has been recommended that the report should be subjected to review every six months because the needs and behaviors of the student keep changing with the rate of deterioration of the muscles. Medical researchers have described a classroom environment as the best setting in which to implement an individual Education Program. The dystrophy student is able to interact freely with his classmates, receive an appropriate education that is not alienated from the one they are learning. By doing so, the dystrophy student I able to learn and appreciate the fact that disability is not inability (Johnson, 2008). A muscular dystrophy needs extra facilities to be able to cope in a regular school environment. These include modified transport to transfer him across various points in the sc hool. A wheelchair comes in handy but there may be cases where a vehicle maybe required (Parker, Parker, and Icon Group International, 2002, p.17).Therapy sessions are also recommended. Due to loss of cognitive abilities, the student must assess therapy to improve his speech skills. Physical exercise to maintain the bone structure and to exercise the faculties that he may be losing should be provided. The school can contribute costs with the parents to hire a therapist or the parents may prefer to hire a full-time physical therapist themselves. The student must also attend regular counseling sessions to help him deal with the psychological trauma and the emotional shock he may be going through. Disciplinary measures should be modified when it comes to such a student because incidents of indiscipline may not be due to his fault or willingness. Due to loss of use of arms, legs, and the neck technological assistance should be offered to such a student to aid him in doing schoolwork. So me dystrophy victims do not follow the age shame or pattern set for various stages of the disease. Some may suffer total disability as early as five years while others may exhibit symptoms experienced at a younger age at an older age. The teacher must be able to evaluate and treat every dystrophy student individually without subjecting him to stereotypes about the disease. The teacher must make sure that he or she is aware of the cognitive abilities of the student, the concentration level the speech skills and how the student is likely to react in every scenario. The weak nature of the muscles must be considered whenever a physical education teacher subjects his students to exercises that require building strength of the muscles. Regular stretching must be encouraged for the student to ensure that his joints do not contract and that his muscles do not tighten which may worsen the disability (Siegel, 1999, p.94). Dystrophy students experience problems when using stairs.A teacher shou ld ensure that the student does not have to use multi-storied floors and if he has to, the teacher should use activities that require use of the same floor. The teacher should structure activities in such a way that the slowness of the dystrophy student does not weigh him down. This can be done by allowing him to lead or set the pace for other students in a line (Bushby Anderson, 2001). Sitting upright proves difficult as the disease progresses. A raised chair should always be available for the dystrophy student to rest on. A dystrophy child should not be allowed to overwork himself by gong fir activities that require long distances. Swimming has been established as one of the most efficient activities that a dystrophy student can engage in. He does not have to use all his muscles to support him due to the gravitational pull. He can also play with his friends without tripping or losing balance and it provides an excellent opportunity to improve his breathing activities (Emery, 2008 ). Peer counseling is very helpful in helping a dystrophy students engage, interact, and integrate with his peers. This is best implemented through putting other students in charge of assisting the dystrophy student with his activities (Siegel, 1999, p.95). It is also wise to consult with neighboring schools to know whether they have students suffering from the same condition. Arrangements maybe made such students to share their experiences with the teachers who will be able to compare the strategies and policies put in place to help such students cope with normal school life. For such programs to be successful, they must be on a voluntary enlistment. The nutrition needs of a student suffering from muscular dystrophy should never be neglected and must be given undivided attention. Respiratory infections may lead to choking as food may be diverted to respiratory channels. Special feeding utensils are thus required. The student has to be supervised during meal times and must be accord ed assistance. Liquid foods should consider and schools should explore the possibility of providing special feeding utensils for their students to reduce incidences of choking. It must be noted that the disease disrupts the family of the dystrophic student. The family experiences shock and trauma and go through phases of denial and emotional time. With time, most families come to accept the condition and give the necessary support to their child who is just a victim of circumstances. The family also faces financial problems due to the high cost of available medication. The level of dependency required by the child also drains the family. Siblings might also express resentment as they may feel as if they are being left out and ignored. Teachers must be in a position to understand the parents. They should assist and cooperate with them rather than viewing them as being over-protective of the child. They should also understand fits of anger and emotional outbursts as such parents maybe dealing with depression (Siegel, 1999, p.100). Parents and teachers are requires to cooperate at all stages of the disease. Instances have been reported where schools compel students who have walking problems to use a wheel chair while such students are still walking home (Johnson, 2008). This creates confusing in the muscles, which may have devastating effects on the health of the child. The programs at school must be compatible at home so that the transition from the mobility stage to that of loss of mobility takes place effectively. The parents and the teachers must combine their efforts to ensure that the student concentrates on his strengths rather than his disabilities. It is very important to keep the student empowered through awareness. The student should be exposed to a lot of literature on the condition and a network of successful people suffering from the diseases. If symptoms of depression appear, the student should be counseled intensely and the services of a therapist should be sought (Bushby Anderson, 2001). Students who tend to withdraw from lifer those who retreat to gadgets such as the television must be encouraged that there is life with the disease and academic knowledge will still benefit them in the future. Reference List Bushby, K., Anderson, L. (2001). Muscular dystrophy: Methods and protocols. Totowa, N.J: Humana. Emery, A. (1987). Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press Emery, A. (2008). Muscular dystrophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press Johanson, P. (2008). Muscular dystrophy. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Muscular Dystrophy Canada. (2008). Movement: The national magazine of Muscular  Dystrophy Canada. Toronto: Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Parker, J., Parker, M., Icon Group International, Inc. (2002). The 2002 official patients  sourcebook on muscular dystrophy. San Diego, Calif: Icon Health Publications. Siegel, I. M. (1999). Muscular dystrophy in children: A guide for families. New York: Demos.

Business ethics

Business ethics Essay Current Trends and Implications: Achieving Organizational Goals Using A Systems Approach ( Information Technology as a part of Your Competitive Strategy) Introduction to Seminar Welcome ladies and gentlemen, there are many of you here today from great distances and backgrounds of all sorts. I would like to start off first by thanking you for your time. New technologies everyday are radically changing existing industrys and creating new ones. This seminar focuses on these changes and understanding how they can help you achieve success or failure in the marketplace. Soon you will learn that your time here will give you great insight into current emerging and leading edge information and trends in using IS and IT as your competive strategy and advantage in growing your business. Beyond that your employees and other attendees will be addressed with the challenges and issuses of the many different aspects of how these systems can help you implement strategys to make your existing systems more efficient. There are pros and cons with these technologys and systems, as is expected and everything here is not for everyone. What you can expect is that you will find something there for you and your firm to further explore and possibly implement into operations. The seminar is set up for everyone, there is insight and much more to gain from the knowledge that we have amassed for you. Following will be how our seminar will run, summarizing and giving you a preview with how we implement the information to you and your clients. The Seminar will take place Friday and Saturday. It will be structured with breaks, your clients can choose which sections to attend, although we encourage the whole seminar, we know you and your clients may be issue specific. We highly recommend the seminar section on VoIP and RFID technology. Friday: 10:00 a.m. Meet and greet brunch, seminar attendees will be treated to a five star brunch to start the day off on a good foot. Here your clients can meet and mingle with business minds from all over the world. The experience and networking alone is wonderful. 11:00 Seminar will begin, attendees will receive seminar materials, phamplets and packets, to go along with the seminar. Also will be included is workbooks that provide material for the seminar and for practice and referecnce later. Go over schedule for the next two days. For the next three hours we will introduce the concept of the competitive advantage that is sought out by these IT and IS technologies. We will talk about VoIP, voice over Internet Protocol, how it can help streamline your business, make your intranets and networks more efficient and less costly. Show you how it can help with expansion and how it can be tailored to fit your specific needs. We will discuss the costs and implementation of different systems, showing you the competitive advantages. These are all accompanied with real world examples as you will soon see. Following that discussion well delve into the emerging world of RFID technology and the mandates that ensue them. With WalMart and the DoD have mandates for implementing use, RFID technology is emerging all over. There are two sides to the story, either way its coming and we are going to give you insight into this technology and tell you how it works, what it can do for you, and how. We will discuss the costs, trends, and opinions . Question #2 REFERENCE ARTICLES 1VoIP links global company: call center operations at seven locations are streamlined, while costs are lowered. (Voice Networks)(Alpha Thought) Communications News, Jan, 2004 http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0CMN/1_41/112448830/p1/article.jhtml http://www. computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95179,00.html 3Privacy in public http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m3190/33_37/108268107/p1/article.jhtml 4Businesses Worry About Long-Term Data Losses Will we access our saved data in 20 years? Sept, 1999 http://www. computerworld.com/printthis/1999/0,4814,37036,00.html 5The Coming Robot Revolution http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,94386,00.html 6 Riding Radio Waves eWEEK, May, 2004 by Larry Dignan http://www. findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdewk/is_200405/ai_ziff126287/print 7RFID Adventure http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96012,00.html 8 The Coming Battle of the Titans http://www.computerworld. com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96318,00.html 9 Apparel Maker Gets Instant Feedback With Online Survey To http://computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95814,00.html 10 Documentum Saves Big With Web Conference Software for Training http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95820,00. html 11Personalize Your Job http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95943,00.html 12Phishy e-mails and Web sites: Whats your responsibility? http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,95461,00. html Companies Fight Back Against Phishing Scams http://computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96549,00.html 13Blades, Camera, Action! http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,96284,00.html 14Predictions For BIs Future http://www. computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,93940,00.html 15Never, ever agree to evergreen clauses http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2000/0,4814,41674,00.html Acts of God .

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Auditing - Essay Example The audit activity at Farhan Muscat SAOG Company revealed that due to the inappropriate keeping of financial records for the current financial year in Salalah stores (water seepage during heavy rains), it became impossible to make an audit, which a senior auditor was going to conduct. While the company staff was informed about the stick take for the certain period to be conducted in the most convenient time, their other duties, such as movement of goods production receiving and dispatch operations continued. Purchases and sales were not stopped and other daily operations were continuing. During the audit, there was revealed that the some stock items of the company were not sold throughout 2014. The storekeeper reported these goods were included in the regular stock and were also valued as regular stock. The adudit inspection observed manager was carrying out all-inclusive check of the low priced stock, however, the premium stock was not counted. The results from the audit revealed the paucity of time of company’s management led to the inability to gather the necessary information about the stock and make the stock sheets at other locations across the country. According to the audit group results, damaged, obsolete, slow-moving stock and non moving stock was valued at purchase price by the company. The manager was informed about such stock to make a little part of the entire stock and is valued at purchase price. As a rationale, since physical inventory cannot be protected from loss, the company could prevent a material misstatement of its financial statements. The material deficiency relates to misstatement of the financial statements, and the failure of such preventive control will not lead a significant deficiency. However, it prevents a misstatement of the financial statements. This circumstance had to be carefully considered before it was

Fiscal Policy and Aggregate Demand in the UK Essay

Fiscal Policy and Aggregate Demand in the UK - Essay Example Simply, the monetary policy of the government is to control the liquidity balance in the economy affecting the movement of the macroeconomic variables by adjusting interest rates. On the other hand, fiscal policy is an attempt of the government for influencing the economic activity by changing the level and rate of taxation and government expenditure. (Grant and Vidler, 2000, pp 165-167). In the UK, Bank of England is responsible for controlling and directing monetary movement in the economy with the monetary policy. The Bank of England has the power to set the rate of interest independently along with requirements. In case of fiscal policy, the government itself has taken important steps in strengthening the fiscal policy framework since taking office. The government directs the fiscal policy decisively and confidently for sustaining medium-term public finances based on the authoritarian rules and regulations. If possible the fiscal policy supports the monetary policy regarding the movements of the economic and financial parameters of the country. This balancing approach of the fiscal policy together with the monetary policy endows with the stage of solidity essential for accomplishing the Governments fundamental economic purpose of providing a high and sustainable growth and employment in the economy.  

My Journey to Being an Advocate of Reality and Existential Therapies Essay Example for Free

My Journey to Being an Advocate of Reality and Existential Therapies Essay Introduction For someone who has always seen himself as lesser superior than others; for someone whose confidence is always behind the scene; for someone who has never really seen himself any bigger than a green pea; for someone who has acquired numbers of rejection which, apparently, outnumbered number of acceptance from people around him; for someone who used to just exist – just exist – who would have thought it would come to this point? Review I cannot consider my life as an extraordinary this world had ever had. Each person has a story to tell and I must say mine is not really something different. While some people spend their lives with lots of colors around them, some just do not – and as much as I hate to admit, I spent many years of my life belonging to the second group. I go with flow and that has always been the case. It goes this way: I knew I need to attend school and so I did. I have to do well in school or else I will suffer from all the criticisms – the usual criticisms. It is never easy to live in other people’s expectations to the point that it is what they want that drives you. It is your body under their minds. I can now imagine how pathetic that was. All the while, though, I do not think I was as inspired as the rest of the class was. I did not make lots of friends from school. No big deal! But there were times when I also deal with thinking of the reasons for the ‘empty’ life. Those days would usually end with me getting no answer than ‘It must be me†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Although I acknowledge the fact that each of us has our own set of preferences and all the while, I lived in the thought that I just prefer to live my life like this – lonely, detached, alone. It was tiring when you care for no one and more when no one cares for you. This probably exhibits the self-centered approach known to men. My being careless about others exhibits my being self-centered while others being self-centered is signified by how I saw them treating me. I started my career as an advocate of science and technology. Yes, my first degree was within the realm of hard science. I used to get fascinated with breakthroughs science gets to offer – all those inventions and advances in technology. Awesome! Hale great! Breath-taking! Fantastic! All those praises†¦ Nothing can beat the feeling of having invented something out of nothing. Or the feeling of being the one to drastically improve the current state of something for the benefit of people around the globe it is always satisfying! Or so I was told. But who could tell it was not really a career of choice? I was one of those high school graduates who do not really know what they want to happen in their lives. And so, without any particular basis, it was Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering that I ended up with. Not a bad call anyway. I am aware of the good future this field has to offer. I have known of lots of people who have succeeded in this career and, yes, that is, somehow, something to look forward to. I, at least, had this driving force to continue with my study. Fair enough to push me to strive harder and harder. I just told myself I need it or else I will end up with nothing. Although I appeared to be so passive all the while, in my heart I know I long for something. That something, however, is unknown. I do not know if I am just one those people who experience wanting something they do not exactly know what or looking for something they do not know, for sure, if existent. Can you just imagine how if feels to be in the dark? Be somewhere without any clear direction? They say that every little thing just takes a little of getting used to. Oh, well, probably, as I seemed to have been used to the feeling of being lost. It was sad but true. At this point in my life, I can never consider this as self-centeredness as I cannot even put myself at the center of everything. Myself was put on dark – not in the center but in the darkness. Despite the lack of light in my life, I never questioned the existence of the Great Someone Up There. I perfectly know he is there. I do not recall how often I scream for His help. Maybe not that often but, of course, I do. I do and in my heart, I know I am not essentially alone all the while. However, there are moments when I tend to question the number and quantity of challenges facing me. There seems to be imbalance in load allocation. How come I am so lost while others follow certain direction? How come I do not know what I want in life while others are so certain of what they want in theirs? How come I do not seem to possess enough reason to be happy and complete. I often envy happy and satisfied people, I must admit – but I do not harm to them. I just envy them, that is it. And more often than not, I wish I were in their shoes. I even envy my own family members who seemed to find satisfaction in this life. Self-centered, I was, that time. In all the insecurities I have inside, there were times when I ask myself if this is something I caused. What is that something I failed to do? What is that something that I can probably change to make a difference? What could be missing? I have heard of success stories about people who started with nothing and ended up having the life they have always dreamed of. Can I not be one of them? My concern is never monetary. I did not wish for the whole world. I just want a piece of it – a piece of it where I can enjoy life to the fullest. I did not ask for extravagant things. What would a loner do with those? I doubt if anybody could really enjoy everything alone. I did not wish for fame. I have lived my life not having the attention of the whole world. I just want some compassion and feeling of belongingness. I did not wish for power as I have never ever seen myself mandating others or controlling the world. It could be that I long for power but that power is the power to appreciate and enjoy life, the power to make people see me as a sensible being worth the company, the power to contribute to the ‘real’ things in this world. In short, I was never a materialistic type. There are things I lack from within and that is something I longed for to fill in. Looking at these things now, it was all, I – I – I. I was so I-centered. Self-centeredness, however, can be seen positively or negatively. Realization should start from oneself. Otherwise, there is no way one can share himself to others. There is no way sharing yourself if you are now whole. In this way, self-centeredness can be seen as a first way in building or trying to build relationships with others. I used to have a, so to speak, very narrow view of things in life. I exist. I have to live. I have to survive. I used to find the question, â€Å"What am I here for?† or â€Å"Why do I exist?† as clichà © that should have been buried decades back. Come on! You are here because you are here and there is just nothing you can do about it! It is not a problem needing solution. It is just a situation that you have to live with. You are left with just two options – either you continue to exist or you end your own existence. Is that something needing some sort of profound thinking?! Life is as plain as that. You just have to go with the flow. I was never a person of confidence. I could not care less of what others might be thinking of me. Why would I? Could they care for me any better than that? I doubt†¦ I am just me. With or without me, the world would still revolve around the sun. With or without me, people from any part of the globe would still have 24 hours in a day. With or without me, things still go precisely the same way as they do when I am here. I am a nobody to ever have the notion I mean something – that I am myself and this person counts. This was when I began my resolve of finding more meaning and finding reality in a passionate and phenomenological way (Deurzen, Kenward, 2005). This turning point of shifting specializations was particularly critical in my advocacy of Reality Therapy. I have realized that while there are social norms and expectations that we all have to comply with in our roles, there should be no reason that should prevent me from pursuing my dreams. This is when I began to acknowledge and espouse Reality Therapy. I have realized that it would be such a waste to continue pursuing decisions that are against my choice; and whicha are driven merely by the desire to please others. I have also begun to look into how I can create a trusting environment for clients to be more receptive of techniques that espouse positive change in their lives (The Institute for Reality Therapy, 2007). From this turning point, I have become more strongly aware of the motives behind my actions. I was not after pleasing others with every action I took; rather, I started to evaluate things from the   perspective of logic and sense and improving my choices in the future (Miller, 1992). As I started to look back, where did it all start? Where and when did I ever acquire this feeling of inferiority and lack of self-worth? When did I start to â€Å"kill† myself? After some self-scrutiny, these questions led me to this answer the number of rejections I got from people around me. I was ignored for more than once, not just twice, far more than thrice, and to say it is four times is an understatement. It is never easy to be ignored. It is a feeling I would not want myself to dwell with – not anymore. As some people say, any attention is better than none. And indeed, any attention is better than the countless rejections my past gave me. Life has never been that kind to me. All those moments when I wanted to say something and no one seemed to be interested to even turn a head to look at who is talking; all those moments when my eyes could not speak more of what I feel inside and yet no one seemed to notice; all those moments when the only resort I can think of is to walk and walk and walk until my life ends; all those moments when all I wanted is to disappear from everybody’s sight; all those moments contributed to the me that I used to be. In which case, the concept of containment applied in me. It was during this time when I tend to control and keep all emotions to myself, given the assumption that no one will listen and no one will care. My life went on and on and on. I learned to care for myself and for myself alone as I do not want to meddle with any other people’s lives. Why would I? Is it not that for so long I am with myself and myself alone? Is it not that for so long, I could not seem to find anyone beside me? Who ever said, â€Å"No man is an island?† I used to be an island and that is something I can attest. Until this very day came – I happened to come across (accidentally or probably it is fate’s planned way) with this certain book entitled, â€Å"Teach Only Love†. I am not a bookworm, definitely. No, unless it is an Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics book. I cannot exactly recall what is in that book that made me read it through. It was not me that is for sure. Nonetheless, the next thing I know is I finished reading that book. This is not normal. This must be something. And, indeed, it was. Why? Because reading that book had been the key to discover the other self I have. Yes, and it surprised me much more than any reader of this essay could ever imagine. What about this â€Å"magical† book? Nothing special at first glance†¦ It is a simple, plain, ordinary book that discusses the importance of our every word and every deed. It emphasizes that what we are today is basically an aftermath of what we said and did yesterday. I then started to look back at my past once more – the past that does not possess any allure to be revisited if not for the purpose of wanting to see myself mourning for the nth time. After reading this book once, I must admit something in me felt a slight change in perspective. But I was in denial. It is just a book – a fantasy created by someone, a perspective shared to others hoping there will be people to buy the ideas. â€Å"Count me out†, I told myself. But this book seemed to have a magical and magnetic property that made me want to read it over again. And so I did. This time, I cannot seem to put myself in denial as I did the first time. And yes, it opened my eyes in more than just one way. How could this certain piece of something, non-living, non-speaking, can speak of the things I have never heard from anyone in my life? How could this piece of bound paper wake me up from the long sleep I have been? How could it be? These are the questions reining my head for days and days. I got tired of seeking for answers. And then came the answer – if that non-living thing happened to show the life out of me, I can do far better than that. If this thing that does not have a mouth spoke to me of million things, how better could someone with mouth do that? If this thing that does not have a hand touched me in a unique, special way that no one has ever done before, what more could my able hands do? If this thing without eyes saw me the way I have always wanted to be seen, how better could these bright eyes of mine see those who are in need of my attention? If this thing without ears heard me like I was never listened to before, what more could these ears of mine do to those people who need people to listen as they confess? If this thing without shoulder happened to offer me a cradle of comfort, what more could this broad shoulder of mine offer those who need some rest? And if this thing without a heart happened to feel me, how can my heart not feel what other people have to express? It is this moment when I finally decided to stop asking why but to start thanking God that for millions of wandering souls we have in this world, I was given the chance to come across this book that opened millions of wonderful and worthwhile possibilities. This book was also instrumental in developing my advocacy for Existential Therapy. I was then able to appreciate more my ‘humanness’, and I have begun to appreciate seeing things from a phenomenological point of view. This was a drastic shift from my previous career which dealt with things from a strongly empirical viewpoint (Existential Therapy.com, 2007). I am also more of a believer of Rogers, particularly of his teaching that people are innately good and evil is an external force that comes from culture and socialization (Rogers, 1982). And so the confession above justifies the need for me to shift my profession from the hard sciences to Counseling Psychology, specifically advocating Reality and Existential Therapies. These are far apart degrees and, yes, I did not see myself engaging in counseling. No, not even in my wildest dream. But this is not a dream. Yes, I am living in reality and the reality is that this is the vocation of choice. This is where I find myself, my heart. This is where I belong. It is true what the â€Å"magical† book says – that it is from your past where you draw your present. If not for the thousands of rejection, if not for the feeling of inferiority, if not for the lack of self confidence, I do not really think this book would have as much effect on me as it had. What is in counseling that truly entices me? It is not the feeling of recognition. It is not the money behind every consultation. It is not to make a living. It is to live and to let others appreciate how wonderful it is to live. Experience, indeed, is the best teacher. I know the feeling of being neglected. I experienced lots of it. And this leads me to wanting to help people feel important, feel needed, feel worthy. I know the feeling of losing self worth and so I love to boost people’s confidence in themselves. I love to see people seeing their value as a person and claiming it as theirs. I love to see people loving themselves. But going through all these things, all these aspirations for others required lots of self realization. I had to learn to love myself first. It is true that you cannot share something you do not possess in the first place. How can I share love and confidence when I do not have it myself? I started with loving myself unconditionally, being proud of myself like I have never achieved anything before, and looking myself at the mirror with the courage to say, â€Å"This is me and without me, the world will never be exactly the same again.† When I finally learned to appreciate my own self, that was the time I started to see others in the way they should be seen – no prejudgment, no bias, no unjust feeling. This is where I started to realize the positive side of seeing things from a phenomenological point of view. I took time to stabilize myself and when the time came, accidentally or planned, that I can tell myself I am whole, was the time I can start reaching out to others. Therapeutic relationship with others is where the essence of counseling relies. You have to build that kind of relationship to be able to counsel who are in need of help. When is it therapeutic? When you can ease others’ pain and when you can hear others’ grief without literally saying it. It is when your relationship with people tends to make those people feel relieved of their burden. It is the talent that no book can actually teach. The theories behind help, but the counselor’s approach to practice it can never be assured by the theories. Existential therapy entails understanding things from the point of the view of the client, expressing strong empathy, and having a profound realization of the goodness of human beings (Wilkes Milton, 2006). The person being counseled would want it done that way. Well, to start with, he seeks counseling to be paid with attention that he wants to get, to get the understanding that no one seems to give him. The counselor should be able to give that. The central purpose is to make the person being counseled feel healed of the burden. As I walk down the road, I wish my simple talk can speak of the things the lesser fortunate being would want to hear; my simple touch, I wish, could give them the comfort and shield they need; my simple smile, I pray, could bring them joy and hope that tomorrow is another day. There are, indeed, things no textbook can teach. There are things you can only learn as you get through it. I now know the answer to my questions and the answer is that I had to experience all those to experience what I am experiencing now. That may be the only acceptable answer and I do not really intend to search for more. Life is so simple if we only know how to really live it. Life happens but once. I might have spent many years of it in a not-so-wonderful way but it life does not lead back. It only moves forward. And so I should. No one should really wallow about the misfortunes in life, as there is no such thing. There are instances – some are happy while some are not. But those that are not are not really misfortunes if we are to scrutinize. Those are just God’s means to prepare us. He does not teach us how to see things. He can only provide us with tests that can help us see things the way He wants us to. Our God is never a spoon-feeding, pampering God. He is a just God who gives comprehensive examinations where we can learn great lessons if we only listen. The world is a very huge venue to learn. This life is a very comprehensive exam to pass. The beauty is when we learn to appreciate the class – when we go to it not because it is mandatory to go to it but because we love to. Conclusion If anybody would ask me now if I regret giving up my first degree to pursue counseling, I will answer, â€Å"The sad past led me to a wonderful today. Every bit of failure and pain did not really lead me to regretting anything because in each of those, I learned. And in each of those, I grew – not just as a person for myself but as a person for other people.† And now, I no longer find the question, â€Å"What do I live for?† mushy. I can tell, with chin up, I live for others to appreciate their lives. I do not just exist. I live. I continue to learn through others with high hopes and belief that they also learn from me. References Deurzen, E. van, Kenward, R. (2005). Dictionary of existential Psychotherapy and Counselling. London: Sage Publications. Existential Therapy.com. (2007). Humanistic psychology. Retrieved on April 5, 2007 from http://www.existential-therapy.com/HumanisticPsychotherapy.htm Miller, R. B. (Ed.). (1992). The restoration of dialogue: Readings in the philosophy of clinical psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Rogers, C. (1982). Reply to Rollo Mays Letter to Carl Rogers. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 22, 85-89. The Institute for Reality Therapy. (2007). Reality therapy. Retrieved on April 5, 2007 from http://www.realitytherapy.org.uk/ Wilkes, R. Milton, M. (2006). Being an existential therapist: An IPA study of existential therapists’ experiences. Existential Analysis, 3(5), 24-30.

Gabriel Garcia Marquezs A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Essay

Trisha â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" Critical Analysis If I ask you to picture an angel, what do you see? Is it a vibrant white, majestically dressed individual with lush and strong wings who commands reverence with his presence? What does this ethereal creature stand for? Righteousness? Protector of good and the purest form of a celestial being besides God? If you have read Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† then you may have been introduced to a conflicting image of an angel. This angel is in no way similar to the one described above. Actually, we are not even sure he is an angel. What we do know after reading this story is that the creature presented represents the overwhelming need of humans to understand and interpret every facet of their lives. The angel does not fit the general consensus of what an angel is and leaves human expectations unmet. This story embodies the nature of humans to explain, categorize, and label any affair that is not already so. Marquez’s story is written in a fairy tale format with strong magic realism elements throughout. This style combines real, normal details of day to day life with fantasy and blurs the reader’s division of reality and magic. This method of writing emphasizes the attempt of man to apply logic and knowledge to all matters. Marquez is so skilled in this technique that we come to view the fact o...

How Work Is a Duty Comparing Two Poems

â€Å"Work is a duty†: Compare and contrast two poems you have studied in the light of this statement. It’s safe to say that â€Å"Toads† and â€Å"Toads Revisited†, both by Philip Larkin, have two very different viewpoints to work. Although written by the same poet, I feel they discuss the statement about ‘duty’ interestingly; both relay their points in a number of clever ways. Looking at â€Å"Toads†, in the perspective of the poet, we start to see that there is certain imagery in the poem that tells us a lot about the poets’ view on work.The fact that the poet effectively sees work as a â€Å"sickening poison† tells the reader he feels work, in essence, make us ill. To a certain extent we realise that Larkin actually despises work: seeing it not as a duty but as a corruption. This imagery of â€Å"poison† gives a very dark and sinister atmosphere. In contrast, â€Å"Toads Revisited†, also by Larkin, has th e opposite atmosphere and imagery. From line one of the poem (â€Å"walking around in the park†) we see that the mood is light, and therefore guess that the poem is in favour of work being a ‘duty’: Larkin uses happy and joyful imagery. The lakes, the sunshine, grass to lie on†. The way Larkin uses that sentence – â€Å"grass to lie on† – puts the reader in that relaxed and tranquil state of mind, perhaps the grass represents life and how it â€Å"should† feel good to lie back and not work; but somehow all this relaxation â€Å"doesn’t suit† the persona of the poem. Relating this back to the statement of how â€Å"work is a duty†, Larkin is trying to say (with his imagery in â€Å"Toads revisited†) is that we cannot call work a â€Å"duty† as it is not so, according to him. Instead it is a choice. I will further expand this point later on.Larkin goes on to describe tramps: â€Å"palsied old ste p-takers†. A â€Å"duty† is a legal or moral obligation to carry out an action, and from what Larkin displays here is interesting: how can we be obliged if we have the choice not to? Duty or not, tramps and the homeless, the unemployed and the benefit-misusers still exist to this day. Also in â€Å"toads† we see the image of homeless people when Larkin talks about â€Å"squatting†. The imagery of these types of people makes us see that the duty to work and having the choice to work are two very different things.With â€Å"Toads† it is similar, as we see the perspective of, what looks like, a working class man, we are presented the images of folk â€Å"living on wit†. It still seems that the persona of the poem sees work as a choice. Instead of people are obliged to work, the persona (Larkin) gives the impression that people are obliged not to work: â€Å"why should I let the toad work†, but yet they do have a choice to this day. Forgiv e me, but a rather humorous piece of imagery I picked up on was that of someone in a â€Å"squat† (Toads).Squatting could mean both homeless people looking for somewhere to settle, or it could resemble someone excreting (to be frank). This links to the work â€Å"duty† as it is sometimes called the same thing: I thought this was interesting. To be able to fully understand the views of both poems we must carry out analysis is several different ways. Another way of looking at this poem is in terms of its rhyme and rhythm or tone; and how this may or may not give the impression that work is a duty. With â€Å"toads† we notice a rhyme scheme called ‘half rhymes’: when a word sort of rhymes but doesn’t.For example â€Å"work† and â€Å"fork†; â€Å"soils† and â€Å"bills†; â€Å"poison† and â€Å"proportion†. The fact that the words almost rhyme could mean Larkin wants us to take note how things just arenà ¢â‚¬â„¢t quite right. Duty and choice comes back into play here: and here is where I think Larkin contrasts the two rhyming words in very interesting ways. He wants us to see that there is only a slight but significant difference in the way one is made to work (duty) and the way one chooses to work (choice). In â€Å"Toads revisited† the same thing occurs: â€Å"Park† and â€Å"work†; â€Å"noises† and â€Å"nurses†.This further illustrates the point of how duty and choice are only slightly but significantly different. In terms of rhythm, â€Å"Toads† resembles some very interesting ideas using it. For example, how Larkin says â€Å"lecturers, lispers, losels, loblolly-men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  it is not only a mouthful of words to say, but the rhythm is different, in this little phrase, (on the alliteration of L) to the rest of the poem. This resembles two things: how in our lives there are difficulties, which come at spontaneous moments, which we just have to surpass. And also, the words are a mouthful to say resembles how work is difficult and takes effort.This is further illustrated by how you can’t have â€Å"the fame and the girl and the money all in one sitting†. The representations and underlying meanings of the way both poems are written in terms of syllables/rhythm/rhyme show how because work is so hard, people choose not to do it. It is disagreeing with the statement, that to work is an obligation. There are various ways in which we can interpret these two poems, and compare and contrast these interpretations to the statement. I firstly interpret that in â€Å"toads revisited†, Larkin wishes to convey why it is he is in favour of working, and how he does/doesn’t portray it as a duty.Firstly, Larkin explains how not working is â€Å"not a bad place to be†, enticing the reader and making us falsely interpret his view (we think that he is taking a day off and thinking about how not w orking would be better). The poet tries to influence us about work, to some extent he does make it seem as if we are obliged to it: â€Å"turning over their failures†. This not only is a play on words (turn over, a word linking to economics and how if you work you will earn money), it also shows what will happen if you do not work: you will fail.In essence Larkin is making us see that working is a more of a duty than a choice, but still it is ones choice to work. In â€Å"Toads† we see Larkin presenting different ideas. Taking a very defiant view on work, he makes work seem more of something one should be ashamed of. He belittles it: â€Å"just for paying a few bills†. This quote I find highly interesting: its apparent Larkin recognises the point of working, but the persona in the poem does not. To this we are confused by: is Larkin purposely outlining work’s purpose (of paying bills) and disagreeing with them, just so we see it?To explain further, could the persona be saying â€Å"just for paying bills† as if he is against work, but actually he is saying this so that the point of working is to make money is raised? For â€Å"toads revisited† the ideas and interpretations are different: for now it seems that these are expressions of Larkin’s own views and attitudes to work. He is in effect dreaming about people working in the poem: â€Å"watching the bread delivered†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Larkin does however recognise that it is hard to work, but he mentions how rewarding it is afterwards: â€Å"nowhere to go but indoor†. This is also a way in which the poet describes work not as a duty, but as a choice.But the balance is heavily pointed to being a duty, as an obligation to work is in essence the obligation to having a fun lifestyle simultaneously (â€Å"no friends†). Looking at the poems from a slightly different angle, the picture changes a fraction. Reading the poems in such a way to understand class s truggle at the time the poems were written, and to explore the conflict between the privileged and working class people, is called a Marxist view. The way the poet in â€Å"Toads† calls the working class â€Å"brutes†; and for the rest of the poem the working people go unnamed, as if they are not worthy of a name.This can tell us a lot about the social context, the fact that there was a lot of hate among the working and the privileged. It tells us how the persona from â€Å"toads† makes us see how the privileged looked down on the working class, as â€Å"toads† to some extent, as toads are small. If I have learnt anything during analysing, comparing, and contrasting â€Å"Toads† and â€Å"Toads revisited†, it’s that you can never be sure as to where exactly the poets views lie by just looking at the persona of the poem. We must break down the poem and transpose it to a more comprehendible structure before we even begin to.