The History of 911 Emergency Calls

Who designed and installed the first 911 emergency telephone call system in the United States? Alabama Telephone Company 911 Pioneers The race to be first will always be part of human nature as long as a bridge remains to be crossed, mountains to be climbed, or a telephone exchange to be cut-over, with a team working together as Alabama Telephone had. B.W. (Bob) Gallagher - President of the Alabama Telephone Company a subsidiary of Continental Telephone. Initiated and directed the overall 911 effort.Robert (Bob) Fitzgerald - Inside State Plant Manager. Designed and engineered the needed circuitry for the first U.S. 911 system.Jimmy White - Technician on 911 installation team.Glenn Johnston - Technician on 911installation team.Al Bush - Technician on 911 installation team.Pete Gosa - Technician on 911 installation team. Need for a Universal Number Emergency Call System The ability to dial a single number to report emergencies was first used in Great Britain, in 1937. The British could dial 999 to call for police, medical or fire departments, from anywhere in the country. In 1958, the American Congress first investigated a universal emergency number for the United States and finally passed the legal mandate in 1967. The very first American 911 call was placed on February 16, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama made by Alabama Speaker of the House, Rankin Fite and answered by Congressman Tom Bevill.   The new emergency number had to be three numbers that were not in use in the United States or Canada as the first three numbers of any phone number or area code, and the numbers had to be easy to use. The Federal Trade Commission along with ATT (which held a monopoly on phone services at that time) originally announced the plans to build the first 911 system in Huntington, Indiana. Alabama Telephone Company Takes the Initiative Bob Gallagher, President of the Alabama Telephone, was annoyed that the independent phone industry had not been consulted. Gallagher decided to beat ATT to the punch line and have the first 911 emergency service built in Haleyville, Alabama.   Gallagher consulted with Bob Fitzgerald, his state inside-plant manager. Fitzgerald let Gallagher know that he could do it. Gallagher moved quickly getting approvals from Continental Telephone and the Alabama Public Service commissioner and releasing a press release on February 9 announcing that the Alabama Telephone Company would be making history. Fitzgerald examined all twenty-seven Alabama exchanges choosing the Haleyville location, and then engineered the new circuitry and made the modifications needed for the existing equipment. Fitzgerald and his team worked around the clock to install the first 911 emergency system in under one week. The team worked their regular day jobs in Fayette, traveling each night to Haleyville to do the 911 work during off-peak hours. The work was completed on February 16, 1968, at exactly 2 p.m. celebrated with a team cheer of Bingo! Details of this story were provided by Reba Fitzgerald, wife of Robert Fitzgerald.

What Is Instruction Can Be A Difficult Task - 859 Words

Differentiate instruction can be a difficult task. I feel with having the content of History makes it a little bit harder the other contents. History is one of those subjects that you know or you do not. That statement may be a little harsh, but I have observed this through my journey as a student and educator. I have had to keep in mind my friends and students who just do not love History or get it. As a teacher, I have tried to relate my content to their everyday life. Students respond when you make the subject about them. Teenagers are self-absorbed and their mind cannot stay focus unless it interesting to them. I really try to relate my lessons on social media, sports, arts, relationships, and music. These few things seem to really be things that keep my students attention. Two examples from my unit would be the break-up letter and the trading card test. The break-up letter was my introduction to the Declaration of Independence. I made my students believe I found a note le aving for lunch. Since they left this note in my class, I will read the note aloud. The students are already stunned. As I read this letter, the students are shocked that I am reading and hanging on every word I am saying. The funny part is when they realize it from the American colonies. This gives me my students focus, and it s something I can relate to while explaining the document. The trading card test relates to my sports and artsy kids. The trading card is like a baseball card tradingShow MoreRelatedEssay on Learning Styles In Business1192 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Types of Learning StylesAre Best for Business? What are learning styles? The topic of learning styles has been discussed throughout the academic world for several years, but do we really understand how it affects the way students learn? From public school to higher education, different learning styles can be found everywhere. 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Student-centered instruction relies on two common elements: social interaction and problem solving. These strategies require students to critically think about subject matter, discuss their ideas with

Space Constructors free essay sample

From the excel, we can find that the ADG and AF are the longest path, so both are the critical paths. From the slack or float remain time, we can find how much slack or float remain in the noncritical paths. 2. Assume that the situation proves to be less urgent than it seems to Messrs Alison and Phillips. Revises the schedule in order to complete the job within ten weeks. Indicate the new cost and critical path or paths. From the excel above, we can find that Path AF and BG is ten weeks. And the path CEG is 8 weeks. So just need to control the path ADG within 10 weeks. So activity A and D are to use original time, and D use additional cost time. SO ADG=3+5+2=10 so cost is 5000+10000+24000=39000 If A and G to use original time, and D is to use additional cost. SO ADG=3+3+4=10, and cost is 5000+18000+10000=33000 So the second one is a better option because it is cheaper. We will write a custom essay sample on Space Constructors or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ADG=10 AF=10 BG=10 CEG=8 total cost is 33000+16500+24000+20500=94000 And paths ADG AF BG are both critical paths 3. Suppose SCI were proceeding on the 10 week schedule and it became obvious that it would take not two but five weeks to prepare the necessary data for the request for NBA approval and that this step alone would now cost $7,000. What steps would you take to keep on schedule? What would be your new critical path or paths? What would happen to project costs? To keep on schedule it will be best to crash the process for the NBA approval which will double the cost to $ 14,000 and cut the time of the process in half to 2. 5 weeks. The critical path will remain the same in exhibit 1 (ADG) since the crash is bringing the time to 2. 5 weeks the CP would not change. The cost will increase however the project will be able to be completed on schedule. 4. Assume the project is planned to be completed in six weeks. If there is a penalty cost of $10,000 per week for every week the project is late, what action would you take? Path Original times(weeks) Least possible time Original Cost (Dollars) Additional total cost(Dollars) Penalty cost at 7 weeks (10,000)+ total cost crashing the activities ADG 3+5+4=12 2+3+2=7 5000+10000+10000=$25000 10000+18000+24000= $52000 $10,000+$25,000+$52,000= $87,000 AF 3+7=10 2+5=7 5000+11500= $16500 10000+17500= $27500 $10,000+$16,500+$27,500= $54,000 BG 6+4=10 4+2=6 14000+10000= $24000 26000+24000= $50000 $24,000+$50,000= $74,000 From what we can tell in this chart, the critical path AF would require the least amount of capital in order to complete the project a week later and pay the penalty of $10,000 dollars. Even with the penalty it is still cheaper than the other options and it becomes a better option than to pay an additional $10,000 dollars. By crashing both of the activities in path AF you reduce the amount of time to 7 weeks plus the additional $10,000 penalty fee the total cost for this plan would cost $54,000. Based on these numbers the better option would be to complete the project in 7 weeks and pay the additional $10,000 dollar penalty.

Julius Caesar Essays (453 words) - First Triumvirate, Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar William Shakespeare writes the Tragedy of Julius Caesar. This tragic play is based on historical facts of the life of Julius Caesar. It displays the events before his death such as his conquest over Pompeys armies and his coronation to be king and after his death. Furthermore, this play describes the minds and motives of Caesars assassins. He gives a description of Cassius that serves as a prediction on his choices regarding Cassius. In addition, my choices would differ from those of Caesars if I was the exalted ruler. First, in Julius Caesar, Caesar describes Cassius in the first act and he made choices based on his description. Caesar referred to Cassius as having a lean and hungry look [and] he thinks too much, such men are dangerous. What this means is that Cassius exhibits no signs of cheerfulness and he is not gamesome, indicating that he may be a threat to Caesar. However, he describes Cassius as a one who reads much, a great observer, and looks quite through the deeds of men. Moreover, Caesar felt that such a man could not be fully trusted and felt Cassius had little loyalty to him. Next, I predict Caesar will make thoughtless choices regarding Cassius. In the play, I predict that Caesar will keep an eye on Cassius and avoid him as much as possible. Nonetheless, these projected actions will still seal his fate later in the play. Some indications of his imminent demise were the angry talk of the tribunes and the warning given by the soothsayer: Beware the Ides of March. Furthermore, I predict that Caesar will be stabbed to death by augurers near the Tiber River while protecting Calpurnia. Finally, I would do things in a different way if I were the exalted ruler of ancient Rome. I would not have trusted Cassius as much as Caesar did because of his dangerous looks such as his facial expression. As the exalted ruler of the Roman Em-pire, I would investigate many people whom I have suspicions on. By doing these inves-tigations on people, I can lower my chances of being assassinated. Moreover, unlike Caesar, I would consider some warnings from people such as the soothsayer. In conclusion, judgements made by Caesar about Cassius that predicted the future of the play. Caesar feels suspicious about Cassius and sees him as a danger to his power. I predict that various signs, such as the warning by the soothsayer and the dialogue of the tribunes, will contribute to a future danger awaiting Caesar. In addition, the events that followed would have been entirely different if I had been the exalted ruler. English Essays

Organizational Behavior of Best Buy Electronics

Introduction Best Buy Electronics ‘ organizational behavior in the recent past has had a negative impact on its operations. The firm has faced several organizational behavior issues namely: poor decision making, obsession with results and poor leadership, which have made the firm to have a poor public image.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Behavior of Best Buy Electronics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These organizational behavior issues need to be resolved to enable the firm regain its status in the market. This paper will analyze organizational behavior issues in the firm and propose recommendations on how these challenges need to be resolved to enable the firm reclaim its market share. Key Challenges Best Buy’s decision making processes are slow and ineffective which have made it lack a clear focus in the market. The firm’s was slow to adopt to several market tren ds and this had a negative impact on its growth. Best Buy failed to implement proper internet strategies in its internal operations which made the firm to lose its market share to competitors. The firm did not react to the shift to e-commerce by many businesses, where many financial transactions and business processes were being done through the internet. The firm did not change its workplace policies to allow employees to serve its customers through the internet (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 122). Therefore, the inability by its management to change internal work systems made the company lose its competitive edge in the market. Best Buy’s reputation was ruined by leadership scandals involving one of its senior managers. Former C.E.O, Brian Dunn, was accused of having an affair with a female worker in the firm. The scandal shows leadership problems which the firm faces because Dunn, who was entrusted with serious responsibilities in the firm, misused his authority. This sets a bad precedent because any unethical action done by a CEO makes junior employees doubt if the firm’s managers have any integrity at all.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This scandal has ruined the firm’s reputation because it shows senior managers’ inability to observe workplace ethics (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 125). This unethical practice has contributed negatively to the firm’s stability in the market. The firm made many mistakes when it entered the Chinese market. Its managers did not take note of cultural differences the firm was going to face in this new market environment. The firm’s business strategies were not effective in evaluating differences in consumer behavior between Western countries and Asia. Therefore, firm lost a lot of money because its employees did not use the right approach to sell the firm’s produ cts in the market. The firm’s sales staff in China were paid fixed salaries instead of performance based commissions. This approach was wrong for the firm because it had not yet established itself in the Chinese market. The firm needed to pay its employees flexible wages based on sales each one of them has made to motivate them to perform better. Moreover, the firm’s employees in China had to sell products on fixed price terms without allowing customers to bargain (Griffin and Moorehead 116).This pricing strategy affected the firm’s performance in a market which is well known for its sensitivity to prices. The management’s obsession with results has weakened employee relationships at the workplace. Employees in the firm’s headquarters work in a â€Å"Result Only Work Environment â€Å" (ROWE); a system that values workplace productivity over employee satisfaction. This system has made many employees to get dissatisfied with their workplace duties . This system has made it difficult for employees to get free time to do personal activities away from work. It also makes it difficult for workers to collaborate with each other on crucial work tasks because the system encourages individual results.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Behavior of Best Buy Electronics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This system does not encourage cohesion and unity between employees in the firm. The system does not recognize other aspects of employee motivation which contribute positively to the firm’s organizational culture. This approach does not accommodate different personality traits at the work place which is detrimental to the company’s long term outlook (Hersey, Blanchard and Johnson 98). Recommendations Best Buy needs to institute strong policies to make all employees accountable to the firm and its stockholders. This will make all man agers and employees avoid any form of misconduct that may tarnish the firm’s image and reputation in the market. The firm needs to reform its internal operations to make it well prepared for changes happening in its market environment. Best Buy needs to encourage its employees to use information technology to perform crucial workplace functions. Best Buy needs to study unique attributes of each foreign location it intends to operate in. Before moving to any foreign destination, the firm should take time to understand consumers’ behavior, culture and consumption patterns. Best Buy needs to reform its workplace policies to make all workers feel that they contribute positively to the firm’s progress. Employees need to be encouraged to collaborate with one another to perform crucial workplace duties to create unity and cohesion in the organization (Nelson and Quick 118-120). Works Cited Griffin, Ricky W., and Gregory Moorehead. Organizational Behavior. Mason: Cengag e Learning, 2011. Print.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hersey, Paul H., Kenneth H. Blanchard, and Dewey E. Johnson. Management of Organizational Behavior. New York: Prentice Hall. 2012. Print. Hitt Michael A., R. Duane Ireland, and Robert E. Hoskisson. Strategic Management Cases: Competitiveness and Globalization. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Nelson, Debra L., and James Campbell Quick.Organizational Behavior: Science, the Real World, and You. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. This research paper on Organizational Behavior of Best Buy Electronics was written and submitted by user Christina Wagner to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Analysis Of Abe Kobos The Red Cocoon Essays - Oddworld, Kb Abe

Analysis Of Abe Kobo's The Red Cocoon Essays - Oddworld, Kb Abe Analysis Of Abe Kobo's The Red Cocoon Generally speaking, the purpose of most forms of artistic expression such as literary art, music, or art itself is a mode by which the author can express him/herself with. They use their respective skills and/or interests to convey feelings or thoughts on any given topic. Short fiction is by no means exempt from this. Many writers use their literary skills to express dreams, aspirations, opinions, or even political viewpoints. In order to make a dertermination of a probable origin for a story, research into the authors life and beliefs most likely will prove benefical. With this in mind, Abe Kobos story The Red Cocoon seems to be a prime example of an author expressing his political viewpoints and his personal conflicts with society through literature. Given this, researching his life and political stance might help to support or negate such an assumption. The Red Cocoon begins with a man walking down a street discussing with himself the problem of not having a house to go home to. The narrator, who is also the main character, jumps abruptly from topic to topic throughout the story, but this reoccuring theme of the lack of a house seems to be a central idea. As the narrator comtemplates, he wonders if he has just forgotten his house and proceeds to knock on the door of a random house to find out if this is what has happened. After he has explained his plight to the woman who answers the door, he begins arguing with her over having proof that it is not his house. Shortly thereafter, the narrator begins to ponder wether or not things such as concrete pipes or park benches are his house. Deciding that they are on their way to belonging to someone or that they belong to everyone and not just one person, he begins to wonder if anything exsists that belongs to no one. At the end of the story, he finds that one of his legs begins to unwind in to a silk thread and wrap him up in a cocoon. Abe Kobos story is quite abstract and seems to have little meaning. In fact, that is just the opposite. After reading some information about Abe Kobo, the story seems to take on a new meaning. Abe Kobo is considered to be one of the leading authors during the post-WWII era of Japanese history. Many of his works use what was then radical artistic methods of literature (Abe Kobo). In his early childhood, Abe was living in Manchuria which was occupied by the Japanese at the time. Being born in Japan, altough Abe felt strong ties to the chinese, he was left feeling like an outsider and rejected by both societes. After the war, Abe became more and more antinationalist and was interested in marxism and communism. Soon, he even joined the Japanese Communist Party (Abe Kobo). He was quite involved in political issues at this time and many of his early writings preceding the early 60s deal with his issues about society says Clerk and Seigal in Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World (136) . With this information about Abe Kobo, an interpretation of The Red Cocoon emerges with heavy political and social tones. The narators central problem of attempting to find out why he does not have a house seems to point to not only Abes feelings of isolation during his childhood, but also his socialist political viewpoints at the time. The Red Cocoon was written in 1949, a period of Abes life when he was a strong political activist (Clerk and Seigal, 136). Utopian marxist or communist views on society center around a flat heirarchial structure where no one is more powerful or of a higher class than any other. The property of the country is reffered to as property of everyone and ownership is somewhat denounced in the strictist forms of the political stance. Abes character in The Red Cocoon seems to be having problems with ownership of houses and other pieces of property. The question is asked, Even if it isnt mine, cant there be just one thing that doesnt belong to anyone? This quest ion appears to have socialist undertones

Summary of the Key Points in Systematic Theology Assignment

Summary of the Key Points in Systematic Theology - Assignment Example Summaries of; Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology by John Milbank, Catherine Pickstock & Graham Ward Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology depicts Christ as a revolution through the study of religion. The book examines the influence of Christ figure in accordance to pious truths, and knowledge. Chapter two of the book debates on the subject of identifying Christ theological doctrines1. The chapter opposes the idea of Christ being identified with any form of doctrines basing its points on the creative transformation of theology that breaks the affiliation between individuals. An example of creative transformation theory is the reductionism. This theory advocates for the notion of comprehending the universe by closely studying all the aspects leading to living and non-living things2. The transformation has emerged to be a key issue in the daily experiences of Christians in the universe. Religion has transformed to accommodate to the perception that Christ is associated with the creative tran sformation theology. Religious beliefs differ globally, and individuals have currently adopted the affirmation of principles and individuals beliefs in the scriptures. Radical Orthodoxy: A New Theology is a period when Christians lose meaning as a church because of the worldly materials and perceptions3. Handbook of process theology by McDaniel Jay & Bowman Donna Individuals have misunderstood salvation to mean various things. The assorted perceptions of individuals regarding salvation are that salvation is a total experience of Gods love, whereas, other believes that salvation is a deliverance from a terrorist group or an incurable ailment. Theologians describe salvation in three main processes4. The first process shows the capability and the physical attributes of the salvation process. Secondly, the second procedure shows the experiential course of salvation. This process studies individuals behavior of salvation, yet they do not clearly reflect on the idea5. Lastly, the third pr ocedure is the theological explanation of salvation. This stage takes into consideration the various experiences found in salvation. The need for salvation has propelled theologians to research on the nature and importance of salvation. Various issues have led to the urge of salvation. Destruction of one’s freedom results to the desire of freedom, since the subjugated person, depicts the image of the dominator. Freedom plays a fundamental task in the development of demolition. Individuals who fail to understand the concept of control results to committing sin, as a result, of the surrender or complete lack of knowledge. Christians comprehend that the feeling of God is associated to peace and divine, human activities. They believe that the fulfillment of salvation is the promises of everlasting life6. Matters of Life and Death by Cobb, John Christ is discussed to be God and human, since He performed Godly deeds and passed through human’s rites of passages. Theological a spect of the displaced body of Christ bases on the traditional aspect of the scriptures traditions and the church as an aspect of the risen Christ. Theologians have discussed constitutes of Christ body7. One school of thought states that Christ’s body is amalgamation spiritual and Angels flesh, whereas, another school of thought argues that the body is composed of human flesh. Christ incarnation and circumcision emphasizes the gendered character of Christ. It disputes that Christ was a mortal,

Response paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Response paper - Essay Example As far as gender roles are concerned, this movie has been specific about how women are subjected to abysmal behaviors at the hands of the people all around India and how the men in their lives play a very dominant role which basically destroys their lives more than anything else. Deepa Mehta has emphasized how widows have been at the forefront of being subjected to some of the harshest possible behaviors on the part of the society. Deepa has been vocal about this philosophy emanating out of India with this topic under consideration. The movie has highlighted how the society bears the brunt of such attitudes by its own people and what could be done in order to bring a level of sanity within the relevant quarters. Since these widows are already undergoing an ordeal at the hands of the society that they are a part of, it is the pertinent role of the society to give them happiness rather than inflict one pain after the other one, which has been the case as has been portrayed within this movie. This is one of the most pressing issues that women face within an underdeveloped society in this day and age. The gender roles therefore take the precedence within this movie since women are shown to be in a much shabby state, which does not speak well about their well-being. The manner in which the society has to come out clean is something which will play a positive role all along as far as future domains are concerned. Basically the traditional role of women in India is debated upon by different stakeholders of the society on most of the occasions and Water is one such movie that highlights the related subject (Thomas 2006). The credit for this must rest on the shoulders of Deepa Mehta for bringing a subject which has hurt the cause of the Indian society on more than one instance. In essence, this movie is an eye-opener because it highlights quite a few significant pointers and gives all and sundry food for thought to change the norms which are prevalent within India

The role and the purpose of the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era Essay Example for Free

The role and the purpose of the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era Essay Introduction: What is theory? Theory is other man’s experience. Otto von Bismarck put it this way: â€Å"Fools say they learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.† Vietnam War taught many a new tactics to the US army in counter-guerrilla warfare. But the crusade in the jungles of Vietnam war not a happy experience for the US Army. The guerrilla warfare was not part of the US military culture. Vietnam War taught voluminous lessons to the US military. The Special Forces branch (Special Forces, SF, or Green Berets) is an elite special operations force; a part of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), a component of United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).Special Forces units given many types of special responsibilities. â€Å"During the Vietnam war, special forces played an important role. Among their number were the US armys 5th Special Forces Group, Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) units, the Military Assistance Command—Vietnam—Studies Observation Group (MAC-V-SOG), US navy Sea Air Land (SEAL) teams, US Marine Force Reconnaissance units and USAF Air Commandos, special operations squadrons, and combat control teams of forward air controllers.† (Special Forces..) During the Vietnam War era, some of the assigned duties to these forces were unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, counter terrorism, psychological operations, and proliferation and information operations. Vietnam War was a special type war for America. It was the war in a small country in a big way. The war was not ending even when they wished to terminate it early. It prolonged, went beyond their control, and ultimately Vietcong emerged victorious humbling the mighty USA. Humiliation and defeat were the two words which the US Army found hard to digest, yet they had no other alternative. What were the matchless guerilla warfare skills of the Vietcong, which contributed to the defeat of the mighty military force, including the US Special Forces? The task of fighting a war for a Western country like USA in an Asian country poses the language and communication problems. A wing of the Special Forces is trained in local language skills, familiarizes itself with the local culture and acquires special skills in working with foreign troops. The listing of their duties is fairly long and duties are added depending upon the contingencies. Some of the important duties taken care of by the US Special Forces during the Vietnam Era are peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, de-mining and counter-drug operations, combat search and rescue, coalition warfare and support etc. Many of the operational techniques of the U.S. Special Forces are secret but doctrinal manuals are available for the common man, press and research scholars. Their official motto is De Oppresso Liber (Latin: â€Å"To Liberate the Oppressed† Special Forces are not under the command of the ground commanders, unless otherwise specified. While in theatre, mostly they report directly to the United Sates Central Command. The Special Forces organized Civilian Irregular Defiance Groups (CIDG) during the Vietnam War. For most of the duration of the War, the 5th Special Forces trained and led CIDG mobile strike forces. To create such forces, minority tribes and groups from the border and mountain regions were drafted. Small-unit patrols defended their home bases in the border areas, to deter the Vietcong and North Vietnamese regular units of the army. Initially this plan succeeded and the U. S. Special Forces units encountered success after success. (U .S. Army†¦) â€Å"Whats more, during 1966-67 American field commanders increasingly employed Special Forces-led Mike units in long-range reconnaissance missions or as economy-of-force security elements for regular units. Other CIDG-type forces, called mobile guerrilla forces, raided enemy base areas and employed hit-and-run guerrilla tactics against regular enemy units†Ã‚   (U. S. Army†¦)From recruits amongst the Nung tribes, three units were formed, Dela, Sigma and Omega, which formed part of the Special Forces. They were both reaction forces and put on duty of reconnaissance. Their contribution to the war effort was significant. The 2500 regular soldiers of the U.S Army raised and led an army of 50,000 tribal fighters. Being familiar with the local conditions and geography, they operated successfully in some of the most difficult terrains and areas of Vietnam. â€Å"The CIDG patrolling of border infiltration areas provided reliable tactical intelligence, and the units secured populations in areas that might have been otherwise conceded to the enemy.†Ã‚   (Clarke, pp.196-207) In short, the CIDG, CAP, and CORDS programs encountered success in pursuing the counterinsurgency in Vietnam. They contributed in greater measure to the scope and area of actionable intelligence. They provided valuable experience and lessons to the US army as to how to fight wars in Vietnam-like situations. In war situations and in an ongoing conflict, it is futile to talk about permanent victory or permanent defeat. Only permanent efforts matter. In the initial stages, the US offensive led by the Special forces in many areas and departments of the war were successful. But soon, problems began to surface one after another. The once US solutions became the present US problems. The seeds of hostility between the South Vietnamese and the ethnic minority groups of the CIDG strike forces blocked the US efforts to Republic of Vietnam Special Forces take command of the CIDG program. The second drawback was that the villagers became habituated to the security cover provided by the Special Forces. They proved incapable of defending themselves, due to poor leadership and equipments. Conclusion: In the end, even the well-trained Special Forces of USA, assisted by the Vietnamese, were no match for the grit and determination of the Vietcong. They proved capable to fight a prolonged war in their own territory, and in the unconventional war, they succeeded in conducting surprise ambushes and giving telling blows to the Special Forces. They excelled in every area, guerrilla warfare, subversion, evasion and escape and sabotage. â€Å"Clear and hold† counterinsurgency strategy by the American military including the Special Forces, in the concluding stages of the Vietnam War, doomed the American military might. The policy of General William Westmoreland to seek out every soldier and kill him (â€Å"search and destroy†) proved counter-productive. He was replaced by General Creighton Abrams, who reversed the earlier order by another strategy—controlling and defending patches of territory and population. But even that did not work. The people began to hate Americans intensely. Tiny villages and hamlets were bombed by the American army. The civilian casualties were heavy. In a six-month operation, the US 9th Division, counted 10,000 dead, but only 751 weapons were recovered. This indicates a large number of civilian causalities. Viet Cong did suffer heavy losses from 1968-1972, but soon the US Administration realized that the Special Forces had outlived their role in Vietnam. The debate whether the U.S. political authority   let down the war efforts or was it the   awesome ordeal of fighting the war for two decades, that contributed to the eventual defeat of the American forces   still goes on unabated. To fight a interminable guerrilla and conventional war in the enemy territory for such a long period is no ordinary job. The long run had the telling effect on the morale of the army, which was haunted by corruption and factionalism. The popular support had dwindled. At such a juncture, the Communists took to the offensive and the defeat of the American Army was round the corner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚           References: Special Forces: Definition and Much More www.answers.com/topic/special-forces 95k Retrieved on June 14, 2008 U.S. Army Professional Writing For much of the Vietnam War, the 5th Special Forces Group†¦ www.army.mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume2/august_2004/08_04_02pf.html 43k Cached – Retrieved on June 14, 2008 Clarke, Jeffrey J:   Advice and Support: The Final Years (Washington: US Army Center of Military History, 1988), pp. 196-207.

Define Democracy And Dictatorship In Your Own Words Politics Essay

Define Democracy And Dictatorship In Your Own Words Politics Essay According to Abraham Lincoln democracy is defined as the government, of the people, for the people and by the people. It is a political system in which the supreme power lies in somebody of citizens which are elected by the citizens of that country through lawful voting. It is most acceptable governing system because it includes the participation of every single individual in the country and they become a part of the process of governing the legislature is elected by the people. It is the most advantageous fact that if any political party is corrupt or failing in this duty then it will not be re-elected the next time. In India, England, America, etc., there is democracy. When the government is ruled by an individual then that autocratic form of government is called dictatorship and that individual is known as dictator. in a dictatorship, its one leader controls every aspect of the nation, and no one can argue against it. Actually, it is a centralization of power in which the fundamental rights of citizens become vanish. In China, Egypt, etc., there is dictatorship. Constitution of India is the extreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishing the structure, procedures, powers and duties, of the government and spells out the fundamental rights, directive principles and duties of citizens. It was passed on 26 Nov. 1949 by the Constitution Assembly and effectively applied on 26 January 1950 in the whole country. The date 26 January was chosen to commemorate the declaration of independence of 1930. It declares the Union of India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty and to promote among them all fraternity; the words socialist, secular and integrity and to promote among them all Fraternity; were added to the definition in 1976 by constitutional amendment. India celebrates the adoption of the constitution on 26 January each year as Republic Day. It is the longest written constitution of any self-governing country in th e world, containing 440 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 94 amendments, for a total of 117,369 words in the English language version. Besides the English version, there is an official Hindi translation. After coming into effect, the Constitution replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India. Being the supreme law of the country, every law enacted by the government must conform to the constitution. B. R. Ambedkar, as chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

A comparison of the contemporary labour and conservative parties in britain

The long history of political rivalry in Great Britain has always been between the Conservative and Labour Parties. National leaders who were representative of both come and go in the same way as the popularity of both parties rise and fall over decades.Labor Party’s Tony Blair was able to bring back the party into the limelight where it was previously before 1970s. Its close rival party, the Conservatives has enjoyed the prestige during the seventies when the Labour Party made countless mistakes, or shall we say unsound decisions on labor issues and policies.CNN News called that particular labor issue as the party’s â€Å"tailspin† which includes Labor-spending policies, which brought Britain to an economic situation where it shamefully needs to seek for the assistance of the World Bank through a bailout loan (Blystone, Richard). A year called â€Å"Winter of Discontent† which ran from 1978 to 1979 turned the popularity of the Labour Party upside down. Th e worst thing that could ever happen as a consequence of the yearlong discontent was to lose the seat in the next election.The Labour Party was losing support as more and more people go to the streets and join rallies. That year, there were about 4.6 million workers to go on strike causing the British economy around 29 million workdays. Part of the protests against the Labour government was to let their garbage remain uncollected in the streets which indicate that no one would want to go out work during those days.In 1980, the Labour Party’s fear of losing the election came as had never been expected after rumblings of discontent with William Hague's leadership. Margaret Thatcher of the Conservative Party beat the Labour’s representative in the national elections. It was also important to mention that the Conservative Party won a majority of 33 seats in the Parliament. After Thatcher’s victory, the Labour Party did not have any chance of winning over the Conserv atives for 18 years.Thatcher was the first woman in the British political party who work hand in hand with John Powell to bring the Conservative Party into a strong political party after losing in the 1974 elections. Conservatives have also undergone erratic relationships within the party, members come and go and move to and from other parties especially on cases where there are major disagreements in its member. With Powell and Thatcher, things got better this time. Their strategy to bring back the popularity of the Conservatives was to take the opportunity to win the hearts and trust of the people during the â€Å"Winter of Discontent†.They made use of the media to make people believe that the government should not in any way have an involvement in the social and economic matters. â€Å"Thatcher constructed a new social base of support for her party that came less from the traditional conservatives' backers, the upper classes and landed gentry, than from the middle classes and skilled workers who felt increasingly discontent and unrepresented by the traditional policies and orientations of the two major political parties† (Rasmussen, et.al. 1995).Thatcher’s gained popularity through the Conservative Party enabled her to win the 1979 elections first, because of the discontent of the people on labor issues the year before the elections. Second, it might have been because the people wanted another leader outside the Labour government since the latter was not able to make labour concerns a priority in running their government. Lastly, the British have known Thatcher as directly opposed to the labour ideas of the Labour government and of course a campaign have promised the people to have such labor disputes a priority in the next elections which they won.Thatcher was a witty leader in his own right. She won the 1983 elections after having it scheduled at the time when victory over Falkland Islands against Argentina was still fresh. Timely wit h the British economic growth, Thatcher still swept the 1987 elections which let her stay in power until 1990.   But Thatcher failed to bring the Conservatives back in power in the 1990 elections. Although Thatcher was undoubtedly popular at that time, and that Thatcher was known for her sound leadership in dealing with the internal conflicts within her own party, John Major brought her down this time.There were issues which attributed Thatcher’s lost of support from her own party because of her hesitation to support European integration. In this regard, Thatcher compromised her political position when she directly opposed to the general opinion of the British people towards the integration.One more thing was the Thatcher’s poll tax which taxed registered voters to replace property taxes collected by local councils and which was widely viewed as regressive by taxing the lower income strata more heavily than the upper classes. With the leadership of John Major, the is sue of poll tax was little by little eradicated.

Liberty and the Pursuit of the Tuth Essay

Liberty and the Pursuit of the Truth In my essay I’ll direct my efforts to write about the thing that holds the American society together which is their values. Values are very important because all our actions based on them. I’ll address the importance of liberty and the pursuit of the truth. Liberty is defined as equality, state of being free or having freedom of choice. Sometimes our freedom can be limited because of the government policies. We shouldn’t just follow whatever the government addresses without thinking deeply about our options because sometimes they can lead us to a dead-end road. We should follow our instincts, and essence. Government responsibility to provide our needs and protect our right but sometimes that is not the case, they might direct us to the wrong way â€Å"They think that, if that they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it’s the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than evil† Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience. Liberty gives us the freedom to say no that what make it very important. Around 1962 our society suffered from a dysfunction because of the unequal rights caused by the segregation between black and white and the lack of liberation. Martin Luther King Jr. peaceful stood up for liberty and equal civil rights. He had a dream that blacks and whites could sit on the table of the brotherhood and that will give all of us a quality life â€Å"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed† Martin Luther King Jr. , I have a dream. Because of liberty now our society rose up and gave everyone equal rights. The fidelity meaning is based on fact or reality as you can experiences the same result constantly. Scientists did a lot of discoveries that were true because they stood for all of the challenges but they still didn’t accomplished the complete truth, as Adler Mortimer mentioned in the Pursuit of the Truth about scientist and mathematician experiments that these are matters of a taste rather than of the truth. Life is evolving and people looking for the complete truth and if we found the complete truth there is no point of life. We don’t have a reason to get up every morning to go to work, read, and explore. We will never reach the complete truth so life can evolves. Life will continue because we all have a goal to know the complete truth, and we will not accomplish that â€Å"the complete realization of the ideal that is the goal –the whole truth and nothing but the truth—will never be achieved in any stretch of time† Adler Mortimer, Pursuit of the Truth. The pursuit of truth give us a motivation to survive. The pursuit of the truth leads us to a realization of the differences between the native home and being immigrant or slave. People realized the true meaning of their homes. Even though you might be poor but at least you will not be segregated â€Å"The Scotch and the Irish might have lived in their own country perhaps as poor, but enjoying more civil advantages† Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur What is an American. Liberty and the pursuit of the truth brought our society to a great position of equality and motivation to keep looking for more in life. They are very important in order for us to live a fair life and have a functioning society for now and the next generations.

Abraham Maslow Essays

Abraham Maslow Essays Abraham Maslow Paper Abraham Maslow Paper Abraham Maslow- Maslows Hierarchy of Needs  Maslows theory mainly revolved around psychology and stated that,  As humans meet basic needs, they seek to satisfy  successively higher needs that occupy a set hierarchy.  This is Maslows hierarchy of needs:  Maslow believes that when the first stage is completely fulfilled only then will an employee be motivated enough to step up to the next level and complete it. For example only when an employee has basic needs such as food drink and sleep will they then be able to progress onto their safety needs such as security, limits and protection. In terms of Burger King Maslows theory wouldnt largely affect them. However for all people to work well certain needs need to be fulfilled such as sleep, food and drink. For Burger King Employees I believe that they only really need to concentrate on the first two stages as many employees do not stay long and are only there for the short term. Burger King does provide good hygiene conditions and security.  Belonging and Love needs arent really met as although they work in teams Burger King do not provide team building activities such as weekends or any social events. This theory mainly addresses the needs of employees.  Frederick Winslow Taylo  Taylors primary idea was that workers are mainly motivated by pay. Therefore his theory was that if you break down production into a set of small tasks and only pay for the amount of product each employee produces, this would motivate staff and increase productivity. At the beginning this seemed like a good idea as productivity increased and workers were only paid for how hard they worked. They began to build specialised skill for the specific area and businesses were more efficient as less staff were needed. However, employees soon became to dislike Taylors approach to motivation as they were given boring, repetitive tasks and were being treated no better than human machines. Certain aspects of this theory do apply to Burger King. Burger King pays their employees hourly, not piece rate, and has set areas in which people work- these can either be tills or kitchen staff. This provides competition between the two areas which can build motivation as to which area can work the best. However Burger King wouldnt realistically be able to pay employees on their productivity as each area has different tasks, some of which cant be measured, such as working on the tills. This theory addresses mainly the performance of employees.  Frederick Herzberg  Herzberg believed in a two-factor theory of motivation.  Job Enlargement- Workers would be given a greater range of tasks to perform (not essentially more challenging) which should make the work more interesting.  Job Enrichment- Involvement of workers being given a wider variety of more intricate, interesting and demanding tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should then give a greater sense of achievement. Herzberg used a survey to investigate what people liked and disliked about their jobs and with these results he put them into two categories; motivators and Hygiene Factors. His two factor theorem is shown below:  Working Conditions  For Burger King they need to ensure that all hygiene factors are covered so that workers feel safe and happy to be working in a clean environment. For example clean work surfaces and floors. Burger King does already achieve highly good hygiene factors however theyre not providing the best motivation. With this they dont have any achievement within their working days and simply work for pay. This lacks fun and could mean that employees would work better if they had something to look forward to. This theory addresses both the needs and performance of employees.  In this section I am going to explain how PEST affects the recruitment process in Burger King. From identification of a role to managing change inside the company PEST influences how Burger King plans and responds to these influences as it effects the entire recruitment cycle.  Pest analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business.

Early american history Native americans- the awakening essays

Early american history Native americans- the awakening essays Social Structure Amidst the Native Americans No one is quite sure how the Native Americans first came to the Americas but there are two main theories. The first theory is that hunters crossed an Ice bridge that stretched across the Pacific Ocean from Asia to Alaska and discovered a land that could only be described as a hunters paradise. The second theory is that they came by boats and followed the shoreline south until they found a place they wanted to stay. Either way the reasons they stayed were pretty much the same- good land and plentiful food. These people spread over the Americas and started new lives there. While they all had similar origins they all also came up with and perfected customs in their own way. The most diverse groups were the Meso/South Americans and the North Americans. The North Americans had mostly organized themselves into small tribes/Chiefdoms. While some of the communities were democracies, most chose their leaders from the prominent families within the community. The bigger the community was the more likely it was that it would survive. While battles were semi-common wars were not. Fighting chiefdoms sought more to humiliate and take captives than to kill. In fact Chiefdoms could be at war for years and have no casualties. These chiefdoms spread all the way from Alaska to Florida with a total of what was thought to be almost 10 million people living in North America. The Mesoamericans on the other hand was ruled by a group of people known as the ruling class, which made up mostly of priest and wealthy merchants who claimed to have a special affiliation with a certain god. Unlike the North Americans, the Mesoamericans fought a lot, mostly over land and territory expansion. These communities were bigger than the North Americans and when they fought many died in battle. To support themselves the Mesoamericans whose culture focused on agriculture, began to farm and trade with large...

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

English - Essay Example Trying to reduce her sentiments into the confined language of Imagism would have lost a great deal of the subtext of her poems, which is where a great deal of her meaning resides. It is through these devices that the life of the poet emerges, making statements of alienation, isolation and frustration even while discussing something as innocuous seeming as the moon. Not scrimping on the use of extended metaphors to express her ideas, Bishop is a master of the lyrical phrase. By looking at poems such as â€Å"The Man-Moth,† â€Å"The Fish,† â€Å"Filling Station† and â€Å"Pink Dog,† one can get a sense of how the use of adjectives within her poetry provides Bishop with the power to capture overwhelming life experiences in allegorical settings. Inspiration for many of Bishop’s poems starts with the experience of emotional reaction, such as the sudden and unexpected delights of daily life. â€Å"The Man-Moth† is actually a poem that arose out of a misprint in the New York Times for the word â€Å"mammoth.† (Rzepka, 2001). For Bishop, this was a perfect example of the New York persona and an irresistible opportunity to poke a little fun at The Big Apple. Despite the teasing tone of the piece, with such phrases as â€Å"when the Man-Moth / pays his rare, although occasional, visits to the surface† (9-10) and â€Å"The Man-Moth always seats himself facing the wrong way / and the train starts at once at its full, terrible speed† (29-30), this poem provides a glimpse into the postmodern feelings of isolation and alienation that had become associated with the big cities of the modern world. Here, the Man-Moth â€Å"cannot tell the rate at which he travels backwards† (32) and â€Å"does n ot dare look out the window† (36). Through this descriptive language, she indicates that the motion of individuals trapped within the city’s subways and patterns are not traveling forward, yet are not exactly

Inequality in society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Inequality in society - Essay Example What he does not elaborate is on the manner of exploitation that he claims life offers. Pope, on his part, agrees that there exists equality in life and goes on to expound on those that an individual is born with. He asserts that the inequality that life offers depends on the scope of life that one is taking. The success of life, according to him, is relative and thus the relativity of the inequalities. What one considers success would not be success to the other thus the disparity. However, he agrees with the fact that the elements that aid one achieve that which he or she would consider success vary amongst individuals. Francois-Marie Aroet deVoltaire in most of his works also points out though very briefly on the subject of equality. According to him, each individual deserves that which he or she gets. He groups individuals in categories, and these he argues that life has a way of grouping people then offering them equal opportunity to succeed or fail. His first argument is on cla ss where he implies that an individual simply walks to school not knowing who he is likely to meet there. Once there a class of forty or so, students are attended to by similar teachers and what comes out of them at the end of the ten or so years of a course solely depend on how well they had made use of the equal opportunity life offered them at the beginning (Brumfitt 58). In pre medieval society when life had not been stratified as it is today and there was no formal system of education, Voltaire argues that there still belonged pre medieval ways of life grouping people. These were either in the age groups or sets and he insists that even in the modern society, a person’s success is compared against that of his peers. Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality Jean Jacques Rousseau starts his discourse by putting a claim that there are two types of inequality which are natural or physical and ethical or political. According to him, these are the inequalities in life that ma ke one individual who was at a similar level with his peers all of a sudden appear to have jumped two or three stages in life. First, he begins by stating that the society is stratified. The stratification he asserts to are the social societal divisions where there are low income earners who belong to the lower class of the society. This is preceded by the middle class which is composed of average earners who are people who are not very rich in the society but they would not lack a basic need and some even afford some elements of luxury. The low class is made up of individuals who struggle to make ends meet, their main priority revolve around the meeting of the three basic needs and most of these people live lives of abject want. At the top of this class societal stratification system are the rich and the wealthy who are referred to as belonging to the first class. Most members of this group are political leaders and business men who he later refers to as capitalist. On natural ineq uality, he begins by stating is found in the disparities of each man’s physical strength. Some people are stronger than others and this would go a long way in determining the success level of the person, and in the long run determine which of the society’s class he finds himself. The strong can use force to take away belongings of the weak and this was evident in the pre medieval times when Alexander the great nearly conquered the whole world because of his military strength. In a

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

Memoie - Essay Example In his quest to be an English writer, Yong Kim had to overcome the language barrier by devoting himself to the task that lay ahead him coupled with varied discouragements, for instance, from one of his roommate (Spack 42). This is similar to my experience except that mine was to study Korean, which one of the many languages that I have never been able to be fluent before deciding to try it. Since, I grew up in four countries, which are Egypt, France, Holland, and Sweden. My father used to work for United Nation and every two or four years we had to relocate from state to another besides other countries, which we temporarily stayed for approximately half to year period. They include Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Kenya, Japan and ext. hence, growing up in unstable environment despite to many people seeming to be a fun because every time I had to readjust to my new environment though I attended international schools. Presently, I cannot say that I am fluent in any language even my native one, which is Arabic. When I say fluent, I imply 100% speaking, reading and writing. This is because, for instance, when I started focusing in French while I was France, suddenly my father would come and tell us to be ready for after three months we are relocating to the Netherland for him to attend a new mission that region. Then, when I started learning Dutch, my father would come again and cite that we are moving to Sweden. Therefore, all these scenarios at that time coupled with extremely short periods of staying in certain region posed an immense challenge in learning a particular language effectively. However, some may argue children are capable of learning extremely fast but this was not my case and it turned out to be stressful to me. Since, I was not able to focus on a single subject despite my entire family being in a situation that we got the chance residing as well as visiting more than twenty countries. The worst part of encompassed that I did not have an identi ty evident from certain incidences that I experienced and prompted me think of learning my Korean language as well as certain languages that are essential in aiding me to live as a cosmopolitan citizen. This was after reading â€Å"A Book-Writing Venture† by Kim Yong that relayed what he encountered language barrier and managed to overcome it via studying English to the extent of writing a book in it. A remarkable incidence that I can remember vividly happened to me three years ago in Korea, which prompted me decide to study Korea language after reading Kim Yong’s book who is a Korean too. I felt that I had the same experience with him in terms of language but the only difference is that he was struggling with English in America and mine was Korean in Korea. My life’s story started in 2009 after getting a scholarship from the Korean government to study in Korea as an exchange student between San Jose state university in California and Kyung Hee University in Suw on in South Korea. A part of the scholarship was to teach Math and science for 15 hrs a week to the elementary school students. I stayed in Korea for approximately 14 months, which was a good experience but the first 3 months were hectic due to language barrier. Since, most Koreans do not speak English even those who are fluent in it as they are shy, whereas some are good in

College Education Essay Example for Free

College Education Essay In his essay entitled â€Å"How to Get a College Education†, Jeffrey Hart described the negative effect of Allan Bloom’s book The Closing of the American Mind on his Dartmouth freshman composition course students. These students, Ivy-leaguers and top test scorers, disliked the book’s criticism of their mentality but at the behest of Hart’s impromptu oral quizzing, could not adequately discuss historical figures and events. Although Hart’s freshman class realized the gaps in their education, Hart asks what a real college education is, deplores the advent of specialization, and discusses what does or does not constitute real education. Hart’s concern with education lies with the end result: to produce a citizen. But while Hart gives excellent examples for what subjects he thinks constitute a real education in light of telos, a goal, he implies, rather than specifies, that such an education must cater to proactive, independent thought over ideologically based curriculum and courses. It is through well-rounded, balanced independent thought, Hart argues, that a citizen who can â€Å"recreate his civilization† be made. In the first example, Hart names a curriculum engaged in â€Å"so-called post modernist thought† as something to avoid. It is one of the three â€Å"intellectual fads†, in which the use of the word â€Å"fad† describes a fashionable conduct as enthusiastically followed by a group. This way, Hart indirectly refers to post modernist thought as ideological and lacking in independent thought. The second â€Å"fad† refers to Affirmative Action, which Hart describes as an â€Å"ethos† or â€Å"mentality†. â€Å"Ethos† describes the disposition of a culture or a group, and â€Å"mentality† refers to the set of a person or a group’s mind; and both words conjure a certain blindness that Affirmative Action is supposed to fight. Again, Hart reflects on the dearth of nuance and consideration in such courses. Thirdly, Hart directly mentions ideology when he writes about Marxism, victimology, and identity politics, in which â€Å"scholarly pursuit† is put aside in deference to â€Å"’Studies’ programs†. Hart calls many of these courses â€Å"nonsense† and â€Å"distraction†, but fails to directly write that the single underlying theme of such courses is that because they operate under an ideology, they do not foster free thinking and independent rationality. Hart underlines his position for independent rationality by going on to discuss courses and curricula that he thinks support the end goal of citizenship. Rationality is implied when Hart takes on the subject of requiring a student to know and understanding themes in civilization, a task that maneuvers beyond mere adherence to ideological standards. The student must know his civilization: â€Å".. its important areas of thought, its philosophical and religious controversies, the outline of its history and its major works. The citizen need not know quantum physics, but he should know that it is there and what it means. Once the citizen knows the shape, the narrative, of his civilization, he is able to locate new things — and other civilizations — in relation to it. † By referring to controversies, major works, and narrative, Hart’s stance on education is of well-roundedness, independent thought, and being comfortable on differing sides of issues—a stance not suitable to the ideologically minded. Hart makes connections to Athens and Jerusalem in order to outline how a student may develop her college education. Both Athens and Jerusalem were and are centers of independent thought. Athens refers to the ancient Greek capital in which rational thought, philosophy, and democracy were birthed; it was the birthplace of philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle: Of things useful and necessary only those that are free should be taught, and the young should partake in nothing of a vulgar, mechanical sort or that will render body, soul, or thought unfit for virtue. (Philips 154). Jerusalem, since the reign of Solomon, has been the spiritual capital of three major religions in the world today. Independent thought emerges out of Jerusalem in the guise of Abraham who sought argument with God, and Jesus, who argued and fought with the spiritual leaders priests and scribes, or Pharisees and Sadducees—of his day (Columbia). A student, dynamically engaged with both scientifically rational and enlighteningly spiritual sides, can succeed in mastering themes of his or her civilization with independence of thought rather than subsisting on an ideological track. Such a student would be able to carve for him or herself a true education with a goal of not being simply educated, but a goal of becoming an involved, active citizen of society, and of a civilization. Hart discusses China as a final example to his essay. Hart reminds us that one could consider China, who has lacked the dynamic interaction between science and spirituality, and who is world renowned for its collectivist culture, one in which independent thought is frowned upon. Again, Hart does not directly mention this, but references it with mentioning China with its â€Å"symbols†: Great Wall and Forbidden City. REFERENCES Jerusalem. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2007. Philips, Peter L. The Politics of Aristotle. University of North Carolina Press, 1997

The Healing Power of Music Essay example -- Music and the Brain

In December of 1992, David Ott’s father was dying of cancer. On Christmas Eve morning he went into a coma. The family gathered in the small hospital room knowing that their beloved husband and father would not be with them long. Since it was Christmas Eve, carolers were going through the hospital quietly singing. As they walked past the room singing â€Å"Silent Night†, a single tear fell across the comatose man’s cheek. His family stated that after seeing him just lay there all day without moving, that the single tear was his way of telling them goodbye. Ott stated that â€Å"music can go where words cannot† (Griffen). Research shows that music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body. Some form of exercise is necessary for a healthy body. People know what to do to tone their body but do they exercise their minds regularly and properly? Do they know that listening to Mozart can help increase their memory? Music has a greater impact on hum an lives than we think; it assists in releasing or creating strong emotions, strengthens the brain increasing the ability to learn, and has the power to heal. Music has a larger affect on feelings and emotions than most people realize. It is an automatic response for the human body to react to music in certain ways. Miller explains that â€Å"By the age of five, almost all healthy children have developed an unconscious framework for listening that will form the basis of their emotional response to music.† Sometimes the emotion that the music brings is very noticeable. For example, if someone is attempting to recover after the death of a loved one and they hear a song that reminds them of that person it can create different emotions quickly. The song could make that person remember the good ... ...The Australian 2011: 3. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 14 Oct. 2015. Millar, Aaron. "Music & Emotion: Why Do Sad Songs Make Us Cry?" Odyssey 22.7 (2013): 14. Middle Search Plus. Web. 1 Oct. 2015. Munz, Michele. "Music Support Program for Teen, Young Adult Cancer Patients." St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) 26 Sept. 2013: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 13 Nov. 2015. â€Å"Music Therapy as a Treatment Modality for Autism Spectrum Disorders.† Music Therapy. American Music Therapy Association. June 2012. Web. 14 October 2015. O’Donnell, Laurence. â€Å"Music and the Brain.† Music Power, N.p., 1999. Web. 8 October 2015. Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. New York: Vintage Books, 2008. Print. Weinberger, Norman M. â€Å"Music and the Brain.† Scientific American Special Edition 16.3 (2006): 36-43. Health Source- Consumer Edition. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.

Funding Hs Sports

State and Federal Aid Brian Alday, Moises Duran, Nuris Finkenthal, and Eric Rossi Grand Canyon University: EDA 535- Public School Finance November 28, 2012 In the last few years our nation has been faced with enormous budget constraints. Nearly every state has either reduced education funding or has maintained funding at a certain level due to the economic downturn of the nation. School districts have needed to find ways to do more with less, especially in the Sunnyside Unified School District. Most of the funding in our district goes toward technology.Although technology is a big part of our 21st Century goals, over funding for one area has been detrimental for our athletic programs. This poses a problem because athletics can be an incentive for students and can encourage them to keep up academically to stay eligible to play. Another important aspect of sports is that it teaches valuable life skills such as adversity, teamwork, integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Sports also bui ld school spirit for both athletes and non-athletes. For these reasons it is important that we keep high school athletics going for students and schools.To improve athletic funding, as an administrator reaching out to local businesses, implementing fundraising campaigns, and organizing booster clubs would be best to financially support the athletic programs at the school. As an administrator it is important to be aware of the schools demographics as well as the school communities needs. The Sunnyside Unified School District has a large number of low-income families, single parent families, and families in which parents have to work two or three jobs to support their families.Asking parents to pay more money for their children to participate in sports is out of the question (even though our district has the lowest participation fees in the state). An avenue that could help raise money for athletics would be to find local businesses around the community to help support athletic progra ms. â€Å"High schools and other educational institutes everywhere are seeking corporate sponsorship because of district budget cuts, program budgets cuts, and state funding cuts (King, 2006; Pennington, 2004). † As administrator it would be behoove of them to arket their school and create partnerships with local businesses to fund athletic programs. Collaboration between corporate businesses and schools may help build newfound support within the community for its students, its schools, and its programs. With this type of partnership schools can focus on improving academics and athletics, while proving to be beneficial for the local business. Local business can use their donations as tax deductions and will demonstrate their invested philanthropic efforts in the community.The daunting reality is that fundraising and schools alone can’t always support athletic programs, â€Å"so schools have turned to nontraditional sources, like sponsorship† (King, 2006; Licktei g, 2003). Support within our community is a must in order for our students to succeed. High schools can use corporate sponsorship to keep their athletic programs afloat and for growth. Although coaches are to develop students’ athletic abilities, they oftentimes turn to players to help them in fundraising efforts.Coaches have to find different ways of fundraising, whether it’s through car washes, cookie dough sales or value cards, these fundraising endeavors help their teams pay for better equipment and gear that will give their team a winning edge. In a perfect world each program would be able to self-sustain expenses for their own equipment, but unfortunately that is not the case for the staff at Desert View. The traditional way of using capital funds is for each sport receives capital monies every 3 years.This is not nearly enough to sustain yearly tournament fees, uniforms, equipment and out of town trips to play other elite teams in the state. Fundraising is not a n easy task especially if the players and parents do not buy into what the coach is trying to do. As an administrator a plan would be proposed for all athletic teams to fundraise together, this would eliminate competition between athletic teams within one school site and there would be less conflict of teams selling the same items for their teams.Also all monies would be deposited into one athletic account, which is then distributed evenly to all athletic programs. All athletic programs would be mandated to attend and participate in all fundraising events. To help plan and carry out these events, a Jag Booster club would be created and comprised of parents from each sports team. The booster club would meet once or twice a month to: go over budget plans, create new fundraising ideas, set schedules for different teams to host the snack bar for up-coming athletic events, etc.The Jag Booster club would help alleviate all the pressures from the coach and athletic director by taking on th ese fundraising roles. The booster club would also oversee any special requests by coaches who ask for more funds for certain equipment and/or for trips. The ultimate decisions will be based upon the discretion of booster club to what will be in the best interest for the entire athletic program. Not only will it get more parental involvement within our schools, but it will also bring our sports programs together to build one common goal of raising funds for all of the athletics.In conclusion, though our school district is facing many budgetary constraints, implementing local business sponsorships, creating fundraising campaigns, and building an overall team booster club, our athletic programs will be able to become more effective in the way we raise funds for not only one program, but all programs, thus allowing coaches to concentrate on coaching, students to concentrate on being student-athletes and achieving excellenceReferences Pennington, B. (2004, Oct. 18). Reading, writing and corporate Sponsorships. New York Times, p. 1 Lickteig, Melissa. (2003). Brand-name schools: The deceptive lure of corporate-school partnerships. The Educational Forum, 68, no. 1, p. 44-51. King, David. (2006, November 30). In hunt for revenue, high schools turn to advertising. San Antonio Express News, 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from Lexis Nexis Academic Database.

Leaving Home

My brother, Ricky, sister, Amrit and I had only found out a week before, that we were just about to be whisked away to a foreign country we hadn't set in for seven years, and seven years before that. We would be staying there for a whole month, so as you can imagine, we were taken aback, yet somewhat sceptic, as we'd always heard our parents mentioning a trip to India for a few months, but never actually believed they would go to the bother of booking the tickets. After all, my mother had only taken my now 5-year-old sister to see her family there four years ago. My immediate concern was language. I can read and write my mother tongue, and understand what people are telling me, but wasn't very good at speaking back. I think this pleased my parents, they thought it would be good for us, as they knew we would have to start learning to talk in our mother tongue Punjabi. It wasn't really difficult to prepare for the trip, well not for me anyway. All I had to do was make sure I had a holiday form, homework and suitcase packed. However, my poor parents had to sort out the passports, visas, currency, jabs (ouch) and house security while we were away. I didn't really tell my friends until the last minute, as I was expecting a cancellation, change in plan or even told I'd been set up and it was all a joke. I was actually a little annoyed with my parents for not booking during school holidays, not because I'd miss school, only the workload I'd have to catch up on. But once they explained that they couldn't get a holiday the same time as us, I felt quite sorry for them. When I think back to it, I was actually disappointed that we were going to India, instead of Canada in the summer, which is where I was hoping go, which was no longer possible. India as I last remembered it, was freezing in the morning, and boiling in the afternoon (we went in December), pretty smelly, the people were scared to talk to me and my brother (my sister wasn't born then), and we didn't really want to say anything to them. The thing that disgusted me most about this country was definitely the latrines. I tried not to go to the toilet unless I had a full bladder and was desperate; it was also hard to get toilet paper over there. This time, we prepared ourselves with plenty of rolls before we left. I wasn't very impressed then, but it was also the reason we had gone in the first place, that we didn't feel like enjoying ourselves. It was pretty depressing, as my mother's brother had died in a tractor accident on Diwali, so my mother left England a few weeks before us to go to his funeral. I must admit that I was a little exited, as many of my relatives from Britain had gone a few weeks before us, so we would be meeting them there as well. The flight had been delayed three hours, so I didn't really have a positive attitude when we arrived at the airport. The one thing that thrilled me when we were boarding the plane was that the passengers went on the stairs instead of the corridor, like in the movies, so that we could actually see the plane as we were boarding it. I' m not scared of flying, but I did grow a little nervous as I approached the plane, the paintwork was hand done, the panels looked loose, and generally dirty. I didn't look like it would make it all the way to India. The airhostesses also looked scary. The were from Kyrgystan, the airline company we were travelling with, and spoke in Russian to each other and in a Russian accent to the passengers. I had to strain to understand them properly. They wore thick bright coloured make up, and were always smiling. This had the opposite effect on me than intended, they reminded me of clowns! Inside, the plane was pretty cramped, and during the take off, my ears hurt and I felt sick. Since we were stopping in Turkey for a break, and changing planes in Russia, I had to go through this six times before we even landed in India. On the plane journey, my family were relaxing, listening to music, and reading magazines, but I was working away, struggling to get my homework finished before we reached India, so I could feel free without the stress of having to catch up there. Although we would be so busy I wouldn't even have time. The whole journey lasted two days, the second plane was even worse. Russia is so cold, that there was ice forming inside the plane! It was brilliant when we actually landed in Delhi. The sun was out and the people at the airport were so welcoming. After we came out through customs, we were re-united with my sister's water gun, and mother's almond hair oil, which had been confiscated in Birmingham. I had to laugh. Then we came across a big problem. One of our suitcases was missing. It contained all of my Ricky's clothing. We could claim the contents on insurance, but had to take him shopping for new clothes as soon as possible. I was thirsty, and wanted a drink, but there was one thing that stood in my way, no rupees. While my parents sorted out the lost property forms, l sneaked over to one of the currency exchange bureaus and decided to test the Indian in the office. I got out one pound and put it on the desk. He said, â€Å"is that all? † grinning. I replied,† it's all I've got. † Then he said, â€Å"well only for you then! † I got my sixty-five rupees, and went straight to get a coffee. My mother and I went to the arrivals lounge, where we met my uncle. They were hugging each other, and they all started chatting in Punjabi. The poor man had been waiting for ages, as he hadn't known about the delay, so I went to get the rest of my family. I whispered to my mum â€Å"Mum, he looks nothing like you. † Then she told that he was her cousin, not her brother. We somehow managed to pack everything into the Sumo, which is like a type of jeep or taxi. I was squashed in the back, it was very uncomfortable, but I concentrated on everything around me. There were loads of children coming back from school in their mopeds. Apparently, the timing for our trip had been brilliant for the weather, but our cousins would be taking their exams at this time. In India, the children have to take an exam at the end of every school year; the result of this exam determines whether they will be allowed into the next class. If they fail, they will have to repeat the year. I felt a bit like an intruder when I heard this, because they would have vital work to do, and I would be expecting them to show me around or getting bored. We arrived at the village we would be staying at, Gureh in Ludhiana, Punjab for the next week at around about midnight. I was surprised; could say shocked at the state of the house. The standard was better than the housing in England. The layout is not quite the same, but there was a toilet, a decant shower area, separate bedrooms, and they even had a car. I met my aunt, and my cousin Manjit, who's eighteen years old. He seemed quite shy, and always walked with his head down. His sister who is my age was already gone to sleep. We dumped our bags in our room, and after about an hour, went to sleep. The next day, we got up late and relaxed the whole day. When I met Pardeep, I remembered her from seven years ago straight away. She was pretty cheeky, and sometimes a bit spoilt, but she showed me around the village. I felt ever so conscious of my clothes. I was wearing trousers and a top, but everybody else, in their salwar kameez (type of Indian suit) just smiled. For the next the day of two, we visited relatives from villages that lived near Ludhiana. My uncle drove us. I felt a bit rude, as I didn't remember many of them. One day that week, we took the car ourselves, and I was told I was going to go to Mussayala. This village I could not forget. Last time Ricky and I had great fun chasing after the chickens, feeding the cows the chapattis we refused to eat, running around with our uncles and aunts. They're actually our age, but it's one of the funny age differences that happen a lot in our family tree. At this village lived my great granddad, which gave me something to talk about at home. The only way I can think of to describe Mussayala is that it is one of those ancient forgotten old places in the middle of nowhere. The village had a single toilet, which was sometimes pretty embarrassing. As I thought about how many times we had watched the home video we made from last time, I grew more exited. But when we arrived, in the evening, my â€Å"cousins† acted as if they couldn't figure out who we were. Okay, so maybe my Punjabi wasn't great, but they were so shy. I hoped that this would not carry on. Because my parents had arranged to see an architect about the building on the plot of land for my grandmother. The only architects we knew of were in Chandigardh, the capital of Punjab. I didn't really have any expectations of the city at first, but was very impressed. We got there on the bus, which isn't the best way of travelling in India. We were out in the town, and got to travel in the rickshaws. The roads were a lot cleaner than those in the villages. It was practically like England. We went an actual fast food restaurant, but it didn't sell meat so we just ordered chips and pizza. I wasn't anticipating there would be so many young college students, who wore the same sort of trousers and top I did. I immediately regretted my decision to wear a traditional suit that day. This was the one time I would have felt comfortable in my normal English clothes, and I'd just wasted that chance. The architects had a proper office, and were very professional, not just some back room of a shop, and didn't take long to find. It wasn't a very long meeting, as my parents didn't have enough information about the plot to make a plan. The data had to be really detailed, such as which direction the sun rises. I didn't realise that little things like this affected the construction of a house. We wandered around the centre of the town for a while, and the things I saw made me sure I would have felt comfortable staying here for a few days. But the problem of having too many things to do and too little time to do it in always got in the way. The city is really quite modern and developed; in fact, the whole of the country has really progressed in the last seven years. The shantytowns still lie on the outskirts of the towns, but technology is more advanced and the nation has noticeably prospered. Some people in the farm villages were even walking around with mobile phones. I think that which area of India you see that affects the overall impression. If you compared somewhere like Mussayala to Gureh, you can really see the change. The original plan had been to spend one week in Punjab, two weeks in U. P. where my mums family lived, and go to somewhere like Goa or Bangalore for the remaining week, before heading back towards Delhi. Since we had spent so long in Punjab because of this plot business, this was no longer possible. My dad said that it was silly that we thought we could get everything done in only a month. I was delighted that my cousin Pardeep had holidays and could come to U. P. with us. We really couldn't afford to be lazy the day we were leaving, we got ready early that day, but were still delayed, as the Sumo we had hired had to go back and get a roof rack for all of our luggage. My mum gave the servants some money, and we left with everybody waving goodbye. I was very grateful for their hospitality. This trip took the whole day. Me, Pardeep, Ricky and Amrit sat at the back, parents in the middle and drivers at the front. I just read a magazine, my brother and sister played, and my cousin listened to the Walkman. We stopped off at a few of what would be the equivalent to cafes a few times, bought a supply of crisps and some drink, and went to the latrines while we had the chance. On the route to U. P. , we had to go through a beautiful rural state called Haryana. This is the sort of place where you meet village maids milking cows, there was green grass everywhere and the landscape was beautiful. I had never seen anywhere like it, not even in the Hindi films. On the map, the state was just a small chunk of land. As we came nearer to the heart of U. P. (my mum's family lived south of UP) we saw many women wearing cloths over their heads, there were many more Muslims living here. I also noticed that the signs were written in Hindi. It was annoying, because I couldn't understand what they said, and felt quite ignorant. In Punjab, the main language was Punjabi. Even when the people here spoke Punjabi, they did with a Hindi accent which was difficult to understand fully. I didn't realise that such a change could happen only across states. As it grew dark, we were just approaching the town nearest to my mum's village, Kashipur. We stopped here to buy some bottles of coke. It was here that I began to get exited, we were so near. Pardeep kept telling us how far we were. My mum had already warned me, that most of my cousins my age, would be at their boarding schools, but the younger ones would be here. I was a bit worried, but also enthusiastic. We were all half asleep when we arrived. As we approached the house, I saw a huge a mass of people waiting to welcome us. I never realised I had such a big family. We got out, and everyone was hugging everybody else. It felt good, even if you didn't know who was who. My mum began telling how I was related to everyone else which sometimes got a bit confusing. My older cousins were joking, telling me how they were planning to marry me off some overweight drunk from India. They were also joking about my brother, because he doesn't speak much Punjabi. â€Å"He wouldn't know if we were swearing at him though, would he? He'd just ignore it. † This made me laugh. During the next week, some of cousins came from boarding school for a bit, but there was only one day where everyone was there together, and that was on Ricky's birthday that was celebrated with a couple of party poppers. In the middle of the last week, me and my family, Pardeep, my mum's brother and his son, Jatinder, my mum's sister's daughter, Kuldeep, and my mum's late brother's daughter, Amandeep, who is a bit bratty went on a day trip to Nainital, a village on the foothills of the Himalayas. This is the place my parents visited when they first bought Ricky and me to India. My brother and I of course couldn't remember the place at all, and didn't understand why they were so keen to go back there again. But when we actually got there, we soon found out. We were all crammed into the back of a jeep, and arrived in two and a half hours. During which Jatinder, who was sitting opposite me, flicked nuts at me, tapped me continually and succeeded in annoying me, although he is a year older. Nainital was BRILLIANT. It reminded me of Nepal. The people looked Nepalese and spoke in a Nepalese accent. We even dressed in Nepalese costume and took photos. We went on a few rides, and rode on some horses up the mountains. The view on the ski lift was spectacular, and the scenery of the Himalayas was amazing. Me, Ricky, Jatinder and Pardeep went to on a paddleboat on a large lake for an hour or so. This was tiring, yet relaxing at the same time. It was shortly after this, that we left to go back to UP. I was disappointed when we returned to Delhi for our last night. I didn't miss England at all, not even the tele. There were tears as we left the village. I felt sick at the bottom of my stomach when we waved goodbye. I'd got a little gift for each of my cousins, and made my uncle promise he'd make sure they got them. † See you in four months† I said to him, as we dragged our entire luggage to the x-rays. I knew there wasn't much chance of my parents letting me come back in the summer holidays, even though I told them I was willing to go alone. Apparently, it was so hot, that I wouldn't be able to survive, and would get ill quickly. When Kuldeep asked me when I was coming back, I jokingly told her on her wedding day, though she is only seventeen, but I was surprised when she made keep it as a promise to her. I had picked up many skills throughout the holiday. These include: milking a cow, driving a tractor, making ghee, and insulting somebody in Punjabi, many of which are pretty useless to me in Britain, but it was the experience of learning theses things from my relatives that I treasure. When the plane landed in Britain, I don't think I've ever felt so down. I still want to turn around and go straight back. The weather suited my mood perfectly, it was pouring down. My friends at school and family said there were three things that had changed about me. My skin colour was darker, or as my friend Shona said, â€Å"glowing†. (This sounded much nicer. ) I had also lost a bit of weight, which I have unfortunately regained. I think the change that most people especially my relatives noticed was, that I spoke much nicer Punjabi, and my words flowed better. I think this is because, in England, I could get away with thinking in English, translating the words into the other language, and then letting them out. Whereas in India, you must think sharply and reply quickly, so I had to train my mind to think, as well as speak in Punjabi, which is why it has improved so much. Leaving Home It was the last time I saw my Mother. My grieving pain for my mothers love infinitely grew. She was god in my eyes but was I the god given daughter she had hoped for? Everyday I had run to her absorbing her warmth as I wrapped my long limbs around her waist. The waist that had carried me for nine months, but was I worth the wait? Mother's predictable great force would transfer into my weakened bones forcing me to collapse onto the striped wooden floor. I would land with a thud hoping that the chances of me receiving a hug the next day would increase. Maybe my accidental escape was for the best. Perhaps I was destined for this moment, this was fait in the palms of my hand, waiting for me to reach out and snatch the opportunity. Mother had snatched my rights to live as a normal human being away. It was forbidden for me to even talk to her. I needed permission. I told my self through every breath that everything would end up right, I was right. Rain, rain everywhere. Summer had died out, until next year. Autumn had approached me. My memory remained in the happy days but my solidified body moved on with life. My inner self, deep down, stands proud and fearless to this world creation signed to god. I always believed that if god brings you to it, he will bring you to it. I was eight. I was blessed with the perfect parents. Both their hearts were fulfilled with love and care. Every moment was heavenly. I lived in an averaged sized, 3-bedroom apartment in what was considered ‘normal. ‘ It was good enough for me. The oval shaped window revealed its outer secrets, the growing towers bordered with a beautiful skyline. Father was a man of great expectations. A man of many wise words. His broad shoulders would easily swing me from side to side like a wild hungry lion ripping and swinging his possession; his raw meat. In my case I was the loving prey for my Father, the predator, the bread winner of the family. I was his little princess. Mother was a lady, petite sized with a facial appearance carved from the clouds up above, the clouds in heaven. Mother was a woman who glowed with love for me. Her greatest asset was her silky, black locks that matched her thinly waxed eyebrows which also complimented her brown tan. One day, for the first time every Mother and Father were in their bedroom raving. It wasn't a common sign which usually are positive. I could hear smashing and slamming against the walls. My ears sensed danger. They were noises that I had never heard before. The sense of love that flowed like a river through the air had shattered into broken pieces like corrupted glass which were non-fixable. I could barely make out what was being said. My distraction towards the aromatic spices and herbs from the kitchen flew up my tempted nose. The cuisine had blended with my tears of sadness. I couldn't understand, everything used to be perfect, what could have happened? Before the argument I had thought of Mother's voice as a relaxing tone, music being played from a magical flute that only she could master. Then the tables had turned. My voice seemed as sweet as sugar compared to mothers. Hers was now flat and dull. The lifeless mono-tone wasn't Mother at all. It was as if a Hoover had vacuumed out the energy, the encouragement, the enthusiasm. I thought that the past argument was normal for all married couples until it became a trend. To see physical fighting would be less painful than my pain. It felt as if a needle had attempted to pierce its way through my heart but got stuck leaving never ending pain. The trend became daily. The light ore around both my parents, especially Mother, had faded into the dark shadows. As everyday passed the hatred between the two grew and grew. Mother's once soft, tanned skin mounted with make up for affect had altered to a yellow, pale colour. I preferred Mother without make up but it was far better then seeing Mother like this. She didn't even attempt to make her self look better. You could tell by the way that she lounged around the house that she was too lazy to even care. Mother would sit on the Indian decorated sofas which stood out. The black, long shiny hair had also moved on to knotted tangles. Personally I blame the bottles containing alcohol that Mother used to wash down accompanied with her finger-sized cigarettes. I would watch her drown her sorrows as the booze over took her mind flooding her inner self with this poison. Mother's behavior began to really show. As much as I detested my life I loved it. Half of my heart, the candy half, told me everything would be fine and to carry on loving Mother but the other half, the cold half, would send messages to my brain whispering in my ears for me to leave. To escape! Escape to where though? All the pressure from my parent's constant arguments was too much for me to handle. My sensitive brain was over powered. The repeated parrot phrase ‘leave home' would haunt me in my dreams. Everyday before bed time I would bend my legs, clasp my hands tightly together so pearls of sweat would form. I would pray to god with devotion asking for him to solve my problems. I wished to exit my world of stress and tension. I never gave up. I waited and waited and waited†¦ The day came unexpectedly. With care I would drift pass Mother's negative energy. Deep down my love grew towards Mother no matter what she was. Mother was soft and sweet like gum on the inside but her hardened shell took over on the outside. She was brainwashed. I was always alert of every sharp movement she made, every sligh glance she gave me in the corner of her beady camera eyes, every snarl she would utter under her rotten breath. I quickly limped across the carpet like a sneaky mouse to find my self in front of the powerful door. I called it the ‘deciding door' as it decided weather I should leave the house and never return. On the way I had passed the rose red, ribena stain from when I spilt my glass on the floor. Mother had rescued me from injury. The memories were so fresh in my mind. It was as if it were yesterday. As I opened the door, the invisible wind flew in and out of my ears sending shivers up and down my spine as if an elevator were traveling to different floors. I would stand there shivering, imagining myself in Mothers arms. The whole of my Indian coloured skin would cover in goose bumps, each individual one containing a hair all stood up equal sized looking like they were under commandment in an army. My first step onto the African rug could have been my last. I wished. My long legged limbs would co-operate together so I could travel to where I wished to travel. They were under my instructions. I reached the pavement on the sides of the roads. As the first car lead the rest my heat rotated at a ninety degree angle to the right. No cars in sight. As I reached mid point in the road an internal feeling of sickness approached me. I looked down to find no blood. My consciousness was fading vastly. As I tried to demand my legs to get up they laid there lifelessly. I blinked once, the blue sky. I blinked twice, half the sky. I blinked 3 times, nothing†¦ Leaving Home It was the last time I saw my Mother. My grieving pain for my mothers love infinitely grew. She was god in my eyes but was I the god given daughter she had hoped for? Everyday I had run to her absorbing her warmth as I wrapped my long limbs around her waist. The waist that had carried me for nine months, but was I worth the wait? Mother's predictable great force would transfer into my weakened bones forcing me to collapse onto the striped wooden floor. I would land with a thud hoping that the chances of me receiving a hug the next day would increase. Maybe my accidental escape was for the best. Perhaps I was destined for this moment, this was fait in the palms of my hand, waiting for me to reach out and snatch the opportunity. Mother had snatched my rights to live as a normal human being away. It was forbidden for me to even talk to her. I needed permission. I told my self through every breath that everything would end up right, I was right. Rain, rain everywhere. Summer had died out, until next year. Autumn had approached me. My memory remained in the happy days but my solidified body moved on with life. My inner self, deep down, stands proud and fearless to this world creation signed to god. I always believed that if god brings you to it, he will bring you to it. I was eight. I was blessed with the perfect parents. Both their hearts were fulfilled with love and care. Every moment was heavenly. I lived in an averaged sized, 3-bedroom apartment in what was considered ‘normal. ‘ It was good enough for me. The oval shaped window revealed its outer secrets, the growing towers bordered with a beautiful skyline. Father was a man of great expectations. A man of many wise words. His broad shoulders would easily swing me from side to side like a wild hungry lion ripping and swinging his possession; his raw meat. In my case I was the loving prey for my Father, the predator, the bread winner of the family. I was his little princess. Mother was a lady, petite sized with a facial appearance carved from the clouds up above, the clouds in heaven. Mother was a woman who glowed with love for me. Her greatest asset was her silky, black locks that matched her thinly waxed eyebrows which also complimented her brown tan. One day, for the first time every Mother and Father were in their bedroom raving. It wasn't a common sign which usually are positive. I could hear smashing and slamming against the walls. My ears sensed danger. They were noises that I had never heard before. The sense of love that flowed like a river through the air had shattered into broken pieces like corrupted glass which were non-fixable. I could barely make out what was being said. My distraction towards the aromatic spices and herbs from the kitchen flew up my tempted nose. The cuisine had blended with my tears of sadness. I couldn't understand, everything used to be perfect, what could have happened? Before the argument I had thought of Mother's voice as a relaxing tone, music being played from a magical flute that only she could master. Then the tables had turned. My voice seemed as sweet as sugar compared to mothers. Hers was now flat and dull. The lifeless mono-tone wasn't Mother at all. It was as if a Hoover had vacuumed out the energy, the encouragement, the enthusiasm. I thought that the past argument was normal for all married couples until it became a trend. To see physical fighting would be less painful than my pain. It felt as if a needle had attempted to pierce its way through my heart but got stuck leaving never ending pain. The trend became daily. The light ore around both my parents, especially Mother, had faded into the dark shadows. As everyday passed the hatred between the two grew and grew. Mother's once soft, tanned skin mounted with make up for affect had altered to a yellow, pale colour. I preferred Mother without make up but it was far better then seeing Mother like this. She didn't even attempt to make her self look better. You could tell by the way that she lounged around the house that she was too lazy to even care. Mother would sit on the Indian decorated sofas which stood out. The black, long shiny hair had also moved on to knotted tangles. Personally I blame the bottles containing alcohol that Mother used to wash down accompanied with her finger-sized cigarettes. I would watch her drown her sorrows as the booze over took her mind flooding her inner self with this poison. Mother's behavior began to really show. As much as I detested my life I loved it. Half of my heart, the candy half, told me everything would be fine and to carry on loving Mother but the other half, the cold half, would send messages to my brain whispering in my ears for me to leave. To escape! Escape to where though? All the pressure from my parent's constant arguments was too much for me to handle. My sensitive brain was over powered. The repeated parrot phrase ‘leave home' would haunt me in my dreams. Everyday before bed time I would bend my legs, clasp my hands tightly together so pearls of sweat would form. I would pray to god with devotion asking for him to solve my problems. I wished to exit my world of stress and tension. I never gave up. I waited and waited and waited†¦ The day came unexpectedly. With care I would drift pass Mother's negative energy. Deep down my love grew towards Mother no matter what she was. Mother was soft and sweet like gum on the inside but her hardened shell took over on the outside. She was brainwashed. I was always alert of every sharp movement she made, every sligh glance she gave me in the corner of her beady camera eyes, every snarl she would utter under her rotten breath. I quickly limped across the carpet like a sneaky mouse to find my self in front of the powerful door. I called it the ‘deciding door' as it decided weather I should leave the house and never return. On the way I had passed the rose red, ribena stain from when I spilt my glass on the floor. Mother had rescued me from injury. The memories were so fresh in my mind. It was as if it were yesterday. As I opened the door, the invisible wind flew in and out of my ears sending shivers up and down my spine as if an elevator were traveling to different floors. I would stand there shivering, imagining myself in Mothers arms. The whole of my Indian coloured skin would cover in goose bumps, each individual one containing a hair all stood up equal sized looking like they were under commandment in an army. My first step onto the African rug could have been my last. I wished. My long legged limbs would co-operate together so I could travel to where I wished to travel. They were under my instructions. I reached the pavement on the sides of the roads. As the first car lead the rest my heat rotated at a ninety degree angle to the right. No cars in sight. As I reached mid point in the road an internal feeling of sickness approached me. I looked down to find no blood. My consciousness was fading vastly. As I tried to demand my legs to get up they laid there lifelessly. I blinked once, the blue sky. I blinked twice, half the sky. I blinked 3 times, nothing†¦