The Duality of Human NAture essays

The Duality of Human NAture essays Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, left us a very important heritage giving knowledge and understanding of the ancient Greek way of thinking that can be applied to modern world. One of the most memorable words of wisdom, Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live, shows the duality of human nature. This saying is a depiction of how people can be divided into two categories by interpretation of their views on life. In the first part of the quote what Socrates means by bad men is that those men have as their only goal in life to prosper materiality; therefore they only live to accumulate wealth. These people are greedy and ignorant, being blind to anything else related to the enrichment of human existence, such as compassion, self-sacrifice, feelings of love and friendship. They are not willing to better their minds and souls, but living just for the moment, never thinking of the implication their actions might have in the future. Their lives do not consist of tomorrow, but only today. These men wonder aimlessly through the days, taking for granted the full spectrum of opportunities such as exploring the world of knowledge and improving their minds and souls by learning and sharing that knowledge with others. Socrates value system was critically built not just on doing good but on a commitment to a hierarchy of good. According to Socrates the purpose of living is not taking something from society, but the opposite. John F. Kennedy says Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. Great words of wisdom, coming from two different great leaders, even though many centuries separate them they try to deliver the same message. That is what Socrates says in the second part of the quote; the essence of, he thinks, being alive really means. In his eyes, good men ...

How To Write Blog Post Introductions That Hook Readers

How To Write Blog Post Introductions That Hook Readers There are eight  other people reading this post along with us. In just a few minutes, there will only be the two of us. Dont believe it? The challenge was already insurmountable.  People read about 18% of your blog post. Readers are overwhelmed with information and are  purposefully not reading  for their own sanity.  Heck, weve been bemoaning the death of reading since 1991, and even again in 2007. So what to do about getting readers to read? How do you keep people reading to the end? Master The Art Of Blog Post Introductions And Keep Your Readers Reading via @JulieNeidlinger A  Blog Post  Introduction Must Have A Hook Let me introduce you to introductions.  Introductions are first impressions.  You get to make them once. Your blog post introduction must have a hook. Here are six good hooks to use in your blog post introductions. 1. Start with an interesting fact. "Niagara Falls has traveled  7 miles upstream in the past 12,000 years. Let's hope you're growing your web traffic at a faster rate." Start with a fact that is interesting, because not all facts are. Facts that are uninteresting are facts that: Are overused and often repeated. Too common in your niche. Related perfectly to your topic in an unsurprising way. Pick facts that have nothing obviously to do with your topic (Niagara Falls and website traffic?), or are perfectly in line with your topic and thesis, but are so shocking as to be gasp-worthy.  Unrelated facts make the reader think "how is this bozo going to tie that into the topic at hand?" while shocking facts make the reader think "that CANNOT be true, can it?!" Either way, it's a hook. 2. The end of the story first. There are two ways to tell the end of the story first and have a successful hook. Find a way to tell the end of the story without giving away the surprise. "The 20,000 customer registered in our system, and the team let out a victorious yell. We'd hit our goal, thanks to the red button." How does the story end? Because that's a perfect place to start. In this example, the introduction tells the reader what happened, but it doesn't do so in a way that ruins the surprise. There's a lot of action, both by the final customer and the team. There's the suggestion of a competition and success (a goal was met). And there's a cryptic suggestion that a red button did something amazing. Plus, 20,000. That's impressive for anyone wanting lots of customers. This would be a less effective version of the introduction for that post: "After five months of intense A/B testing in which we tested different CTA button colors, we finally hit 20,000 customers. Red was the winning color." Yawn. There is jargon. There are unexplained acronyms. An inanimate button has become the winner instead of the people (customers and the team). What little action there is, is passive.  And you spilled the beans on what the post was about: A/B testing colors. Give a heads-up summation without giving away the surprise. This method gives your reader some respect by saying "hey, this is what I'm going to talk about with you today. If this is interesting, stick around."  Derek Halpern tends to get right to the point with his blog posts, and often introduces them by telling readers what they can expect if they keep reading. Adding "a quick request" is a fine bit of intrigue for the reader. "What in the world could Halpern want from me?" the reader thinks, and keeps on reading. Knowing what's coming and how things will end is helpful for readers. It gives them an idea of whether or not they should take the time and what expectations to have. The danger for you, the writer, is if you have an unexciting topic and give your readers a heads-up  to that. "Today I am going to talk about the value proposition of going paperless at your office, and ultimately prove that you will want to buy a small scanner and ban the paper." Meh. That's not an introduction to remember for all eternity. Halpern's version has a bit more intrigue and zip, though, admittedly, some readers will appreciate the above example. It has its place, but isn't the greatest hook. 3. Use an anecdote. "I once wrote a newspaper story that killed a man." That's the actual blog post introduction I wrote on a post for this blog. It's a one-sentence anecdote. That's an extremely short anecdote; most anecdotes are longer, like those you find in this post about social proof in which several anecdotes are used. Anecdotes are wee bitty stories that put a larger idea or thesis in a different context. Speakers know that starting with a story instead of a philosophical or fact-filled lecture is a sure-fire way to get people's attention. It's the same for your readers. What makes a good anecdote? Something that happened to you, in your life. This makes you the expert on how to apply the story and what it means. I would rather hear an anecdote about your trials and failures rather than the tired anecdote of how many times Edison tried to invent the lightbulb. Something either funny or poignant. Make 'em laugh or make 'em cry (or somewhere close). At the very least, end at a different level than where you started. You start at ground zero with your reader. Your anecdote can't end there. It's no hook if it does. Something related to your thesis. Don't be that speaker that tells a random joke or story and then segues with an "but I digress" and launches into Yawnville. Your anecdote should illustrate your thesis in a new way, or start leading the reader's thought patterns towards where you want to take them with your thesis. A quote can work. Quotations can work, and sometimes make a fine opening. But people quickly get in the habit of using the words of others to boost their own, so watch out for overuse of this technique. And avoid quotations that are overused for your niche. Steve Jobs had some good things to say,  but after a while, those excellent words lose their power because they are overused. Find new quotations from surprising sources. And avoid quotations that are overused for your niche. Steve Jobs had some good things to say, but after a while, those excellent words lose their power because they are overused. – @JulieNeidlinger 4. Ask a (worthwhile) question. Yes, there are stupid questions, and a good share  of them are rhetorical. In their best use, asking a question is a fine way to force the reader to identify with the problem you are about to solve. Questions can be powerful. But some questions are a waste of time. Go easy with  rhetorical questions.   "What are we going to do about your low-performing blog?" Rhetorical questions cannot be answered by the reader. They are asked not to prompt thinking or discover knowledge, but to make a point. They are often dramatic. They can be insulting. "Have you stopped beating your dog yet?" is a classic example. The question assumes someone is being cruel to an animal. It can't really be answered. Or "How do you solve a problem like Maria?", which assumes first that Maria is a problem. It's similar to what I see  being used a lot in lead generation and calls-to-action where one button says "Yes, I want more traffic. Take my email!" while the other button says "No, I want to see my website die a painful slow death." Rhetorical questions set up the reader in a similar, psychological way. The reader has to accept the underlying assumption in order to answer. It can work, but if you make an offensive or insulting assumption, your reader leaves. Use rhetorical questions carefully. Don't ask questions intended to limit the answer. Pet peeve alert: I despise  when people speak in questions so they can pre-empt any difficult or real questions and give softball answers. Here's how it works (and I'm sure you'll recognize the technique): "Do I love web traffic? Yes. Did I mean to send my disgruntled blog readers a skunk in the mail? Of course not." By asking the questions you, the writer, want to answer instead of providing the answers the reader wants, you can create the appearance of forthright and complete discussion without actually doing so. Plus, you slip into passive voice of sorts, where you don't own the action and behavior. How does that work in an introduction? "Do I love web traffic? Yes. Do I know the secret to building it? You bet." Ok, we get it. But what a waste of your reader's time. "My love of web traffic is bested only by my ability to build it." Kind of a silly  example, but you get the idea: be direct, not passive. Do you want more traffic on your blog? Write better blog post introductions with these tips.Don't ask obvious questions. Every time I find myself tapping out an introduction that starts with "do you want more traffic on your blog?" I'm sure somewhere a philosopher dies. What I'm trying to do is tell the reader "yes, this is the post you were looking for" but what I'm really telling the reader is "I don't know how to write." "Do you want more traffic on your blog?" Really? That's your Bob Woodward? "98 percent of blog owners want more traffic. Yeah, we don't understand that remaining two percent, either." You can identify with your reader without asking them obvious questions that they skim over. 5.  Go for the  cliffhangers. Robert Bruce  (who is someone else entirely than Robert the Bruce)  is a writer and a tease. Once in a while but not too often, mind you he sends out an email of Unusually Short Stories. He also posts them on his web site. He is all sparseness and tortuous brevity, his unusually short stories impeccable. They hook, and leave you hanging off the cliff. One of Robert Bruce's unusually short stories. Take a page from Bruce's book: these are the introductory paragraphs that get readers hooked. I know, because I've sat and stared at them willing the next sentence to appear (which  will not happen). I'm a firm believer mimicking and dissecting the successful work of others as a form of practice. Artists often paint from the masters to learn about color, light, and technique (I've done it). While at a writers' conference a few months ago, best-selling author James Hall told of a class he taught his graduate students (which included Dennis Lehane) where they were instructed to find a novel they loved and write their own novel based on the structure of it. He later turned this class into a book called Hit Lit: Cracking The Code Of The 20th Century's Biggest Best Sellers. So let's look at Bruce's example. What makes it work? It's only two sentences, and I'm dying to read the next paragraph. The setup tells us there is a competition known only to us (we have exclusive knowledge). There is a setting, both in place and time. And we know the startling end result. The cliffhanger isn't what happened next, but what happened in between. How do you get from intriguing point A to hilarious and startling point Z? So. A cliffhanger can be either "what happens next" or "what happened in between." Let's say your headline was: How We Went From Zero To 10,000 Customers In Just One Year.   Here's an example of a "what happened in between" cliffhanger: "We started with  three team members  and a plant in the window. One year later, we were taking sledgehammers to the office walls." The rest of the post talks about how you grew your customer base, and how it meant your team grew, too, and you had to expand your office space. (Or how things went poorly and you demolished the office in a fit of rage, but let's hope not.) 6. Gentle confrontation can be a friend. "You were getting 100 new sign-ups a week, and thought your email conversion rate was as good as it could get. But you were wrong, and I'll tell you why." Confrontation is sure to get a reader's attention. Of course, not all confrontation is created equal.  There is insulting and trollish confrontation (always wrong), and there is gentle confrontation. A gentle confrontation takes a soft  swipe at a controversy, or pokes a long-held belief of the reader in a way that encourages them to read on and reconsider. What happens when you do that? The reader feels indignant and keeps reading if only to prepare to prove you wrong. Or the reader is intrigued and keeps reading to see if it's true. The reader skips to the end and leaves a ranting comment never having read your post, meaning you have to gently say "but I said that later in my post." So in the case of the first reaction, gentle confrontation can be a friend. In the case of the second reaction...less so. Either way, introductions that are confrontational can often lead to active comment sections.

How Pulp Fiction can be read as postmodern Essay

How Pulp Fiction can be read as postmodern - Essay Example The term post-modernist, often used to refer to art and architecture, was applied to this film, and there was even a new word made specially to reflect this, namely â€Å"pulpmodernist.†1 The phrase pulp fiction refers to popular novels which are bought in large numbers by less well educated people and enjoyed for their entertainment value. The implication is that the film concerns topics of interest to this low culture, but as this essay will show, in fact the title is ironic and the film is a very intellectual presentation of issues at the heart of contemporary western culture and philosophy. Writing ten years before Tarantino made Pulp Fiction, the academic and critic Frederic Jameson identified some of the key features of postmodernism, and debated whether these were a true departure from modernism, or just a continuation of the same rebellious themes. His paper on postmodernism2 tends towards the latter view, but at the same time prophetically pinpointed the essential dep artures that postmodernism has made from what has gone before. Tarantino’s film does not continue the debate in an academic way, but instead presents a virtuoso visual performance of the ideas that Jameson could only dimly perceive. These ideas include pastiche, a crisis in historicity and a blurring of the distinction between high culture and low culture. One way that Tarantino uses pastiche is when he introduces very evocative settings, like for example the restaurant setting of Jackrabbit Slim’s Diner. The decor is flamboyantly 1950s style, which is not in keeping with the more modern setting of the main action in the film. The film set is exaggerated, with customers actually sitting in cars, and the waiters and waitresses dressed up as famous 1950s characters like Elvis Presley and Marylin Monroe. On another level the film plays with the cultural connections that the actor John Travolta has with the 1950s. The musical film Grease which is perhaps Travolta’s most famous film, takes place in this kind of setting. When Travolta’s character in Pulp Fiction encounters this scene, playing a much older character, and in a much more adult and violent film, it causes an ironic ripple. The audience makes an instinctive connection with what they know outside the film, and this explodes the usual time and action frame of film. In Pulp Fiction Vegas begins to dance and this again brings in a whole host of meanings related to the famous dance between Travolta and Olivia Newton John in Grease. In the later film, however, this is no innocent flirting between teenagers. The new context is a dangerous flirtation with the wife of a deadly killer, and both of the participants are adults who know the consequences of their actions. Critics have noted that this, also is ironic, quoting elements of older film styles: â€Å"The story of the flirtatious boss’s wife draws on established elements from the gangster genre, while her overdose provides an unexpected Gothic reference.†3 The trickle of dark blood from the pale body of Mia (Uma Thurma) is what recalls the Gothic horror genre. These evocative touches characterise Tarantino’s exuberant style. The scene where Vincent takes Mia to Jackrabbit Slim’s Diner and then home is therefore like a pastiche of Grease, and also of old gangster movies, and then also horror films, using exaggerated and deliberate quotation of key visual features to add new and unexpected layers of meaning to the story. This layering of images from earlier artistic works creates a pastiche with a particularly nostalgic affect. Jameson remarks that this is an

International trade theory and policy Term Paper

International trade theory and policy - Term Paper Example Before the end of World War II, countries had their own protectionist measures in place in terms of tariffs to safeguard their domestic manufacturers and businesses since a long time. The high tariffs were becoming a great hindrance to global trade. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in first six rounds from 1948 through 1967 provided the basic framework for tariff reductions. All first six rounds were mainly devoted on reducing tariffs and other barriers to trade and eliminate or lessen discriminatory treatment to promote global growth in trade (World Trade Organization). While there were only 23 participating countries in the first round of discussion, this numbers increased to 62 during the sixth Kennedy Round of negotiation. The 23 founding members of the GATT were also part of a group who were negotiating the ITO Charter as a specialized body of the United Nations. The ITO Charter was quite ambitious as it covered rules on employment, international investment, res trictive business practices, and commodity agreements. Early provisions of GATT did mention about accepting some of the trade rules of the ITO draft; however, the ITO Charter could not be ratified due to serious opposition within the US Congress. This resulted into the early death of the ITO charter and GATT remained only instrument that governed international trade (World Trade Organization). Through intensive talk and deliberations right from the first to the sixth round of negotiations, the participating countries could arrive at the consensus to reduce effective tariff rates from 38% in 1947 to just 9 percent by year 1972. Apart tariff reduction, the major turnaround came in the sixth round of negotiation when anti-dumping agreement came into effect. It should be noted that first five rounds were focused on item-by-item negotiation for the reduction of tariffs while the sixth round took some bold approach reducing tariff across the board; however, it is important to keep in mind that these rounds had little success in achieving non-tariff trade relations among the nation. The sixth round also called the Kennedy Round lasted over 3 years and provided tariff concessions to the tune of $40 billion. In view of the strong global protectionism prevailed at that time, achievements in the Kennedy Round were noteworthy. The Kennedy Round was the first of its kind that went beyond tariff reduction discussions and advanced the idea of non-tariff barriers besides highlighting the concerns of the developing world; however, trade in services, intellectual property rights were never discussed in the first six rounds of negotiation (World Trade Organization). Q: Discuss the global economic conditions in the mid-70s, and the anti-trade policies that became common despite the GATT. Motivate by worry about these policies, the 7th (Tokyo) Round was called to start in 1973. How can this Round be simultaneously considered a â€Å"success† (by the GATT Secretariat) and a â€Å"failure† by most international economists. Answer Those were the tumultuous years in mid-‘70s when Bretton Woods system based on fixed exchange rate collapsed. The system failed because the US dollar came under tremendous pressure to devalue. In the process of financing the Vietnam War and implementing public welfare programs during those years, the US government had increased its spending substantially that eventually resulted into increased money

Fun at School Essay Example for Free

Fun at School Essay Is a conspiracy theory defined primarily by its internal narrative characteristics or by its external discursive position? The answer to this quote is because the term â€Å"conspiracy theory† is not a neutral descriptor; it is commonly deployed as a term of disqualification for narratives that may, on their qualities, deserve thought. Further, when attached to a writer or thinker, the label â€Å"conspiracy theorist† can carry a shame similar in kind (if not degree) to that suffered by those designated â€Å"mentally ill. † I dont think that I am paranoid that much because I dont have to believe what other people say about their theories. I see others paranoid though every day. I think some conspiracy theorist could have a bad rap because people do not like what they have to say. For example 9/11 people say terrorist flew into the twin towers. Conspiracy theorist say there where bombs planted throughout the building and that the attack was plotted by our own government. Of course this is going to give these people a bad rap. If our society believes our own government is attacking us and they dont want to believe its true then it falls back on the conspiracy theorist giving him a bad rap. I do agree America is more paranoid then other countries because of the hype of conspiracy theories like sandy hook, 9/11, and all the deaths of famous people like Tupac, and JFK. Other countries may have more problems than us like war and food and water and they need more help than us, so why are we the ones paranoid and they are not. To me this shows America has only a few things to believe and one of those things being conspiracy theories. other countries have to worry about sustaining a life and living when Americans are thinking is Tupac really dead? Is this right for us to think like that? Do we really have problems here in the U.S.?

Huanting Of Hill House Essay example -- essays research papers

THE HAUNTING ON HILL HOUSE Eleanor Vance has always been a loner shy, defenseless, and angrily resentful of the 11 years she lost while nursing her dying mother. She had spent so long alone, with no one to love, never had a real home and without any happiness in her life. Eleanor has always sensed that one day something big would happen, and one day it does. She receives an unusual invitation from Dr. John Montague, a man fascinated by "supernatural manifestations." He had been looking for a haunted house all his life. Then He heard about Hill House and he knows that he couldn’t let it go. His intentions with Hill House, was to go there, live there for a while and take notes of everything that occurs within the house, kind of like ghost hunting. So he rents Hill House for three months, organizes a ghost watch, inviting three people who have been touched by unearthly events. A psychic event from Eleanor's childhood makes her qualify to be a part of Montague's unusual study, along with stub born Theodora who was the not thing like Eleanor, and Luke who is the nephew of the owner of Hill House. The reason for him being there is because the family lawyer told Dr. Montague that he couldn’t rent the house without the confining presence of a member of the family during his stay. They all meet at Hill House an estate in New England. This is where i...

Changes and continuities of Roman empire Essay

Between 500 BCE and 500 CE, the Roman civilization experienced changes both politically and culturally. Firstly, Rome’s government transitioned from a Republic to an Empire. Later, that empire was split into two parts; east and west. In terms of changes in culture, it was impacted by the shift in religion, as the Romans shifted from polytheism to monotheism. Despite all the changes, Rome still remained culturally diverse. The Romans overthrew the Etruscans in 509 B.C.E. The Etruscans had ruled over the Romans for hundreds of years. Once free, the Romans established a republic, a government in which citizens elected representatives to rule on their behalf. The highest positions in the government were held by two consuls who ruled the Roman republic. A senate composed of Patricians elected these consuls and at this time, lower-class citizens, or plebeians, had virtually no say in the government. Both men and women were citizens in the Roman Republic, but only men could vote. Under certain circumstances, the senate and the consuls could appoint a temporary dictator to rule for a limited time until the crisis was resolved. One of the innovations of the Roman Republic was the notion of equality under the law. In 449 B.C.E., government leaders carved some of Rome’s most important laws into 12 great tablets. During the last three centuries of the republic, Rome experienced a long series of civil wars, economic as well as political issues, and civil crisis caused by the dictatorship of Julius Caesar. After Caesar’s death, another civil war broke out destroying what was left of the Roman republic. Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, joined forces with a general named Mark Antony and a politician named Lepidus. They took control of Rome for ten years as the Second triumvirate. The alliance ended in violence and jealousy. Octavian forced Lepidus to retire and then became rivals with Mark Antony. Octavian believed Mark Antony was plotting to rule Rome from Egypt, and another civil war erupted. Octavian defeated Antony and became the unchallenged ruler of Rome. Rome was at the height of its power from the start of Augustus’s rule in 27 B.C to 180 A.D. For 207 years, peace and prosperity resided over the Roman Empire, known as the Pax Romana. During this time, the empire spread 3 million square miles, and its population was between 60 and 80 million. The borders were also stable, since there were not any wars going on between Rome and other civilizations. Since Rome was now an empire, this meant that the government would now be ruled by a single emperor instead of two  consuls. Since one person was in full control instead of two, so there was no conflict over power, and there was no need for citizens to constantly elect people to rule. However, during Octavian’s reign he set up a civil service system. He paid workers to manage the affairs of government. Although the senate still functioned, civil servants from the plebeians and even former slaves actually administered the empire. The Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks in various ways. One facet being religion, the Roman’s were polytheistic due to Greek influence and worshipped many of the same gods. The classical Greek and Roman gods rewarded excellence over mediocrity and did not truly offer any sort of meaningful after-life. However, around 300 CE a new religion started to spread throughout Rome. This new religion being Christianity, a monotheistic religion, and a religion that believed that there was life after death and hailed Jesus as the son of God as well as the incarnation of God. In regards to life after death in the Christian religion, as long as you followed the faith and lived a virtuous life doing good deeds you would be rewarded heaven. But if one has led a life of sin, they would be doomed to spend the afterlife in hell. Those meek and seen as inferior in the Roman empire, the poor, slaves, and women felt elevated and empowered as everyone is equal in the eyes of God, in Christianity. When Christianity began to emerge, it was largely disliked as Christians refused to take part in the worship of emperors as the Romans did. It was this refusal that caused its practice to be illegal and those who chose to stick with the faith were prosecuted. Although people were being killed for practicing, Christianity started to become even more popular. After seeing Christian martyrs risk their lives for the sake of Christianity, many Romans were compelled and attracted to the faith. Also, there were Apostles who traveled around the empire spreading the message of Christianity. Then in 312 CE, Emperor Constantine proposed the Edict of Milan that banned all laws against Christianity. That allowed people to freely worship, without the fear of harsh punishment. He eventually converted on his deathbed. Then in 392 CE, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of Rome. Christianity went from being an illegal religion to the official religion of the Roman Empire. At the height of its power, Rome controlled the greatest empire ever seen in Europe at that time. Many of the conquered nations benefited  from Rome. Roman public baths, roads, water supplies, all appeared in Western Europe. The sheer size of the empire was a major reason for the collapse of Rome. In AD 284, the Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in two parts to make it easier to rule. He created the Western Empire and the Eastern Empire, each with its own leader. Diocletian faced more than just administrative problems. More and more military defenses had to be built across the whole empire. Maintaining an army to defend the border of the Empire from barbarian attacks was a constant drain on the government. Military spending left few resources for other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining quality roads and aqueducts. Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the Empire. The empire had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs or worse from foreign countries. Such an army was unreliable and very expensive. The emperors were forced to raise taxes and coin more money frequently which in turn led again to increased inflation. To add to that in AD 307, Constantine became emperor. He moved the capital of the empire to a new city –Constantinople. Constantinople was much further east than Rome and firmly in the eastern empire. This left the western empire very vulnerable to attacks. The eastern empire was closer to the rich soil fertile crescent and was much easier to defend. The west began to deteriorate and went through what was known as a Dark Age. During this time there were no advances in technology, there was turmoil throughout the empire, and literacy declined dramatically. The Roman Empire went from being a thriving world power to two fragmented empires, with the west doing awful and the east maintaining some resemblance of its former glory. Despite the fact that Rome faced numerous changes throughout the centuries it still remained culturally diverse. The start of the Republic was shaped around many cultures. The idea for arches were taken from the Etruscans. The language was derived form the Latin speaking people in the area. The religion, literature, and architecture were influenced by the Greek. During the heights of the empire, war was still ever present. The influence of Rome was spreading to nearby territories and new land was acquired. With the increase in land and population it was only natural for the spread of new ideas to occur. The emergence of Christianity would prove to be a defining feature of the Roman Empire. The fall of the empire produced two weaker half’s of a once  formidable empire. The western side of the empire retained the Latin language and the eastern side chose Greek instead. The resulting wars with neighbors and influx of refugees contributed even more to exchange of languages and cultures. From the beginning of Republic, to the expanding empire, to the halves; east and west, Rome remained multi-cultural. Ancient Rome went through dramatic changes from 500 BCE to 500 CE. It first underwent a change of government; shifting from a republic to an empire. Rome then changed culturally, from being polytheistic and believing in the Greek gods, to being monotheistic and believing in one deity and adhering to the guidelines of Christianity. Furthermore in 476 CE, the Roman Empire collapsed and split into two parts, and was governed by two emperors. Although Rome encountered a these alterations it still remained a multi-cultural civilization.

Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction Essay

†¢Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: concerned with the end of civilization either through nuclear war, plague, or some other general disaster. Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after such a disaster. The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of survivors, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in an agrarian, non-technological future world, or a  world where only scattered elements of technology remain. There is a considerable degree of blurring between this form of science fiction and that which deals with false utopias or dystopic societies. †¢ †¢Dark fantasy: a subgenre of fantasy which can refer to literary, artistic, and filmic works that combine fantasy with elements of horror. The term can be used broadly to refer to fantastical works that have a dark, gloomy atmosphere or a sense of horror and dread and a dark, often brooding, tone. †¢Gnome, being of earth (gnomus). He describes them as two spans high, very reluctant to interact with humans, and able to move through solid earth as easily as humans move through air. [4] [5] †¢Undine or nymph being of water Undines are almost invariably depicted as being female, which is consistent with the ancient idea that water is a female element. [8] They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls,[9] and their beautiful singing voices[10] are sometimes heard over the sound of water. †¢Sylph, being of air (sylevestris) is a mythological spirit of the air †¢Salamander, being of fire (Vulcanus).

Free sample - Ethical Standards. translation missing

Ethical Standards. Ethical StandardsMoral and ethical aspects of human life are very important for the personal development and statement. These life values determine attitude towards people, God and family. They are not regulated by law or other governmental documents, and there is no determined punishment for their violation, but still breaking ethical rules means breaking own personality and acting against oneself. 1. Ethical standard in majority of cases is taken from the parents’ family, social life, religion and historical period. Also, some people think that social groups, mentality and corporate culture, make impact on ethical standards formation. In other words, it is possible to consider the social environment as a major factor, which influences the ethical and moral standards of the personality. 2. According to the respondents’ point of view, those standards of personal ethics, which were grounded by parents in the childhood, are completely impossible to change because personality makes all important life decisions and actions, according to these standards. In some cases, it is possible to make some impact for the personal ethics while changing environment and religious- person would have to adapt to the new life conditions and to the people, surrounding him or her with their life principles. 3. In most cases ethical standards consider God as the main judge of all our actions. The God is also represented for many people as the personal example on how people should live and act. Family values are the core principle of ethics and people think that it is impossible to be fair with him/herself without being fair in own family. Parents, kids and beloved are the sense of life. Belief in afterlife time – one more important issue in following all ethical norms and standards. Respondents consider the afterlife time as the remuneration for the fair and faithful life, for acting, according to the ethical norms. References: Auditing Practices Board (2010) Ethical Standards. [Online] (Updated 17 July 2010) World Health Organisation (2010) Ethical standards and procedures for research with human beings

Siege of Fort Erie in the War of 1812

Siege of Fort Erie in the War of 1812 Siege of Fort Erie- Conflict Dates: The Siege of Fort Erie was conducted August 4 to September 21, 1814, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815).   Armies Commanders: British Lieutenant General Gordon Drummondapprox. 3,000 men United States Major General Jacob BrownBrigadier General Edmund Gainesapprox. 2,500 men Siege of Fort Erie - Background: With the beginning of the War of 1812, the US Army commenced operations along the Niagara frontier with Canada.   The initial attempt to mount an invasion failed when Major Generals Isaac Brock and Roger H. Sheaffe turned back Major General Stephen van Rensselaer at the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812.   The following May, American forces successfully attacked Fort George and gained a foothold on the west bank of the Niagara River.   Unable to capitalize on this victory, and suffering setbacks at Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams, they abandoned the fort and withdrew in December.   Command changes in 1814 saw Major General Jacob Brown assume oversight of the Niagara frontier.          Aided by Brigadier General Winfield Scott, who had relentless drilled the American army over the previous months, Brown crossed the Niagara on July 3 and quickly captured Fort Erie from Major Thomas Buck.   Turning north, Scott defeated the British two days later the Battle of Chippawa.   Pushing ahead, the two sides clashed again on July 25 at the Battle of Lundys Lane.   A bloody stalemate, the fighting saw both Brown and Scott wounded.   As a result, command of the army devolved to  Brigadier General Eleazer Ripley.   Outnumbered, Ripley withdrew south to Fort Erie and initially desired to retreat across the river.   Ordering Ripley to hold the post, a wounded Brown dispatched  Brigadier General Edmund P. Gaines to take command. Siege of Fort Erie - Preparations: Assuming a defensive position at Fort Erie, American forces worked to improve its fortifications.   As the fort was too small to hold Gaines command, an earthen wall was extended south from the fort to Snake Hill where an artillery battery was emplaced.   To the north, a wall was built from the northeast bastion to the shore of Lake Erie.   This new line was anchored by a gun emplacement dubbed the Douglass Battery for its commander Lieutenant David Douglass.   To make the earthworks more difficult to breach, abatis were mounted along their front.   Improvements, such as the construction of block houses, continued throughout the siege. Siege of Fort Erie - Preliminaries: Moving south, Lieutenant General Gordon Drummond reached the vicinity of Fort Erie in early August.   Possessing around 3,000 men, he dispatched a raiding force across the river on August 3 with the intention of capturing or destroying American supplies.   This effort was blocked and repulsed by a detachment of the 1st US Rifle Regiment led by Major Lodowick Morgan.   Moving into camp, Drummond commenced building artillery emplacements to bombard the fort.   On August 12, British sailors mounted a surprise small boat attack and captured the American schooners USS Ohio and USS Somers, the latter being a veteran of the Battle of Lake Erie.   The next day, Drummond commenced his bombardment of Fort Erie.   Though he possessed a few heavy guns, his batteries were sited too far from the forts walls and their fire proved ineffective. Siege of Fort Erie - Drummond Attacks: Despite the failure of his guns to penetrate Fort Eries walls, Drummond moved forward with planning an assault for the night of August 15/16.   This called for Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fischer to strike Snake Hill with 1,300 men and Colonel Hercules Scott to assault the Douglass Battery with around 700.   After these columns moved forward and drew the defenders to the northern and southern ends of the defenses, Lieutenant Colonel William Drummond would advance 360 men against the American center with the goal of taking the original part of the fort.   Though the senior Drummond hoped to achieve surprise, Gaines was quickly alerted to the impending attack as the Americans could see his troops preparing and moving during the day. Moving against Snake Hill that night, Fischers men were spotted by an American picket who sounded the alert.   Charging forward, his men repeatedly attacked the area around Snake Hill.   Each time they were thrown back by Ripleys men and the battery which was commanded by Captain Nathaniel Towson.   Scotts attack in the north met a similar fate.   Though hiding in a ravine for much of the day, his men were seen as they approached and came under heavy artillery and musket fire.   Only in the center did the British have any degree of success.   Approaching stealthily, William Drummonds men overwhelmed the defenders in the forts northeast bastion.   An intense fight erupted which only ended when a magazine in the bastion exploded killing many of the attackers.    Siege of Fort Erie - Stalemate: Having been bloodily repulsed and having lost nearly a third of his command in the assault, Drummond resumed the siege of the fort.   As August progressed, his army was reinforced by the  6th and 82nd Regiments of Foot which had seen service with the Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars.   On the 29th, a lucky shot hit and wounded Gaines.   Departing the fort, command shifted to the less resolute Ripley.   Concerned about Ripley holding the post, Brown returned to the fort despite having not fully recovered from his injuries.   Taking an aggressive posture, Brown dispatched a force to attack Battery No. 2 in the British lines on September 4.   Striking Drummonds men, the fighting lasted around six hours until rain brought it to a halt. Thirteen days later, Brown again sortied from the fort as the British had constructed a battery (No. 3) that endangered the American defenses.   Capturing that battery and Battery No. 2, the Americans were finally compelled to withdraw by Drummonds reserves.   While the batteries were not destroyed, several of the British guns were spiked.   Though largely successful, the American attack proved unnecessary as Drummond had already resolved to break off the siege.   Informing his superior, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, of his intentions, he justified his actions by citing a lack of men and equipment as well as the poor weather.   On the night of September 21, the British departed and moved north to establish a defensive line behind the Chippawa River. Siege of Fort Erie - Aftermath: The Siege of Fort Erie saw Drummond sustain 283 killed, 508 wounded, 748 captured, and 12 missing while the American garrison incurred 213 killed, 565 wounded, 240 captured, and 57 missing.   Further reinforcing his command, Brown contemplated offensive action against the new British position.   This was soon precluded by the launching of the 112-gun ship of the line HMS St. Lawrence which gave naval dominance on Lake Ontario to the British.   As it would be difficult to shift supplies to the Niagara front without control of the lake, Brown dispersed his men to defensive positions.   On November 5, Major General George Izard, who was commanding at Fort Erie, ordered the fort destroyed and withdrew his men into winter quarters in New York.   Selected Sources Siege of Fort Erie, War of 1812Niagara Parks: Old Fort ErieHistoryNet: A Bloody Stalemate at Fort Erie

Successful Reintegration into the General Education Setting Research Proposal

Successful Reintegration into the General Education Setting - Research Proposal Example Teachers and parents of these students will help in providing necessary information such as the challenges that are deemed to hinder reintegration process. The proposed study will span for three months whereby participants who are students with special needs will be undergoing the normal intervention therapies provided by their respective educational organizations. Students with special needs learn for five days with majority of them being in boarding schools and the researcher will try as much as possible not to disrupt the normal school schedule. Therefore, researches will be conducted from break time up to lunchtime. Participants will receive training as a group for three hours per day in five days, which will be an additional training since they are taken through such sessions by their trainers. The researcher will have a team of trained personnel who will assist him in providing this training to the children with special needs. Training sessions will be starting immediately after the introduction and familiarization whereby the team of IEP will be beginning to train the students using the approaches explained under subheading â€Å"analysis†. Effective application of these approaches will help in evaluating the teachability of these students among other behaviors that the research team might find important to monitor. Various approaches will be used so that the research team can analyze them later and establish the most effective one. The researcher will get information from agencies taking care of these students by requesting them to answer questions that will be submitted via email. After these three months sessions, the researcher will recommend students who will be found to be ready for reintegration to the general education. Assessment of the programs for students with special needs will be administered by researchers who are not