Terms You Might Not Know Are Considered Racist

Some racist terms have been included in the American vocabulary for so long that many who use them are often clueless about their origins. Boy In most situations, the word boy is not a problem. Used to describe an African American man, however, the word is troublesome. Thats because historically whites routinely described black men as boys to suggest African Americans werent on equal footing with them. Both during and after slavery, African Americans werent viewed as full-fledged people but as mentally, physically, and spiritually inferior beings to whites. Calling black men boys was one way to express the racist ideologies of yesteryear. Despite its widespread use as a racial putdown, in Ash v. Tyson Foods, the U.S. Court of Appeals  decided that boy cannot be considered a racial slur unless its prefaced with a racial marker such as black. This decision has sparked controversy, considering that whites typically didnt call African American black boys during Jim Crow, but simply boys. The good news, according to Prerna Lal of Change.org, is that the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the holding, ruling that the use of the word boy on its own is not enough evidence of racial animus, but that the word is also not benign. That means the court is willing to consider the context in which boy is used to determine if its being uttered as a racial epithet. Gypped Gypped  is arguably the most commonly used  racist term  in existence today. If someone buys a used car that turns out to be lemon, for instance, he may complain, â€Å"I got gypped.† So, why is the term offensive? Because it equates the Gypsy, or Roma peoples, with being thieves, cheats and con artists. When someone says that they â€Å"got gypped,† they are essentially saying that they were conned. Explained Jake Bowers, editor of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ezine  Travellers Times, to the British newspaper the  Telegraph: â€Å"Gypped is an offensive word, it is derived from Gypsy and it’s being used in the same context as a person might once have said they ‘jewed’ somebody if they did an underhand business transaction.† But don’t take Bowers’ word for it. If you’re still debating whether or not to use the verb â€Å"gypped,† consider that Philip Durkin, the principal etymologist at the  Oxford English Dictionary  told the  Telegraph  that there is a â€Å"scholarly consensus† that the word originated as a â€Å"racial slur.† No Can Do and Long Time No See These two phrases have probably rolled off the tongues of most Americans at some point in time. However, the sayings are only mocking the attempts of Chinese immigrants and Native Americans, for whom English was a second language. Uppity Most people have no idea that the term uppity has racist connotations when applied to black people in particular. Southerners used the term for black people who didnt know their place and that term was usually followed by another racial slur. Despite its negative history, the word is regularly used by various races. Websters dictionary defines uppity as putting on or marked by airs of superiority and likens the word to arrogant and presumptuous. In 2011, the word got some national coverage when Rush Limbaugh said that Michelle Obama showed uppity-ism. Considering the Shyster Many people have come to believe that shyster is an anti-Semitic, but the origins of the word are linked to a Manhattan newspaper editor in 1843–1844. According to an article on Law.com, at the time, there was a crusade against legal and political corruption in the city, and the editor derived the term shyster from the German word scheisse, which means excrement. There are several reasons for the anti-Semitic confusion including the closeness to Shakespeares Shylock, and belief that the term came from the proper name of Scheuster, who some think was a corrupt lawyer. The etymology of the word indicates it was never intended as a racial slur, and that it was applied derogatorily to lawyers in general, and not to any one ethnic group.

Plato s Classical Athenian Architecture, Drama, And Arts

Plato Plato was born around 428 B.C., Both of Plato’s parents were from distinguished aristocratic families. Besides being born into an illustrious family, Plato was born into an illustrious city. He was born in the wake of Athens’s Golden Age, the period that had witnessed Athens’s the beginning of the strongest Greek power, the birth of classical Athenian architecture, drama, and arts. His father Ariston died when he was a child. His mother Perictione remarried the politician Pyrilampes. He was educated in philosophy, poetry and gymnastics by distinguished Athenian teachers including the philosopher Cratylus. It was also at an early age, probably in adolescence, that Plato began to hear Socrates, who engaged a variety of people in Athens†¦show more content†¦Plato what is at stake is a clash between what we might call comprehensive world-views; it seems that matters of grave importance in ethics, politics, metaphysics, theology, and e are at stake. Plato agrees that Homer is indeed the educator of Greece, and immediately adds that Homer is â€Å"the most poetic and first of the tragic poets.† Plato is setting himself against what he takes to be the entire outlook in contemporary. Since Homer shaped the popular culture of the times, Plato is setting himself against popular culture as he knew it. Plato has in his sights all of â€Å"poetry,† contending that its influence is pervasive and often harmful, and that its insite about nature and the divine are mistaken. It is not easy to understand what Plato means by poetry, whether it is dangerous because of its form or content or both. These questions are complicated by the fact that Plato was not thinking of poetry as a written text read in silence; he had in mind performances, often experienced in theater. When Socrates and Plato conducted their inquiries, poetry was far more influential than what Plato calls â€Å"philosophy.† Few people today would imagine that there is any interesting relation between poetry and rhetoric. To think of great poets as â€Å"rhetoricians† seems weird, and most rhetoricians do not seem to know the first thing about poetry. Yet Plato himself associates the two very closely: at Gorgias he characterizesShow MoreRelatedAncient Greece : A True Civilization1507 Words   |  7 PagesSouth Eugene High School Classical Greece A True Civilization Joshua Soifer and Remy Dunn Eurasian History Mr. Yamada October 6 2017 As the politician and bishop Stephen Gardiner once claimed, â€Å"The center of Western culture is Greece, and we have never lost our ties with the architectural concepts of that ancient civilization†. In many ways, through their academic pursuits, philosophical ideologies, or advanced trade systems, Ancient Greek culture has proven to be theRead MoreAncient Greek Culture2704 Words   |  11 Pageshave chosen the field that I am studying right now. I feel that it was always interesting to learn about Ancient Greece and its culture in music and poems. Not only does it set music apart, but it also tells an interesting tale with its art, literature, architecture, important people, and historical significance or relevance. Now you know that I am a girl who enjoys a great tune and also enjoys delving in the history and culture of many ancient cities. Now let’s get started. One thing that sets AncientRead MoreThe Golden Ages : Greece, Rome, and China Essay1360 Words   |  6 PagesThe Golden Ages : Greece, Rome, and China The Golden Ages of Greece, Rome, and China were periods when certain cultures reached many achievements in certain fields. These fields could include drama, poetry, sculpture, philosophy, architecture, math or science. Their achievements in education, technology, and government have greatly influenced modern society. The artistic and literal legacies of these periods continue to instruct and inspire people today (Beck 120). In Ancient Greece, theRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 Pages  The  predictions  of  the  oracles,  delivered  in  the  form  of  riddles,   often  brought  unexpected  results  to  the  seeker.  With  Ionic  columns  reaching  19.5  m  (64  ft)  high,  these  ruins   suggest  the  former  grandeur  of  the  ancient  temple.   Bernard  Cox/Bridgeman  Art  Library,  London/New  York   Greek  Mythology,  set  of  diverse  traditional  tales  told  by  the  ancient  Greeks  about  the  exploits  of  gods   and  heroes  and  their  relations  with  ordinary  mortals.   The  ancient  Greeks  worshiped  many  gods  within  a  culture  that  tolerated  diversity

Electronic surveillance free essay sample

Electronic surveillance in the workplace Electronic Surveillance in the Workplace: Concerns for Employees and Challenges for Privacy Advocates Anna Johnston and Myra Cheng Paper delivered 28 November 2002 International Conference on Personal Data Protection Hosted by Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee, Korea Information Security Agency Seoul, Korea Ms Anna Johnston is the NSW Deputy Privacy Commissioner. Ms Myra Cheng is a Research amp; Policy Officer with Privacy NSW, the Office of the NSW Privacy Commissioner. The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr Ben Searle, Macquarie University, in providing an overview of the relevant literature from the field of organisational psychology. Introduction This paper takes up the challenge of talking about privacy in the workplace a site of potential conflict in which there may be co-existing radically different views on whether workers can or should have any expectations of privacy. As long as there has been employment, employees have been monitored. Nebeker D M amp; B C Tatum, The effects of computer monitoring, standards and rewards on work performance, job satisfaction and stress (1993) 23(7) Journal of Applied Social Psychology 508 at 508. We will write a custom essay sample on Electronic surveillance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, in recent years, with an environment of affordable technology, the availability of less easily observable or detectable monitoring devices, and a lack of adequate regulation, there has been an explosion in the use of electronic monitoring and surveillance in the workplace. A recent study by the American Management Association (AMA) found that almost 80% of the largest companies in the US had engaged in some form of electronic surveillance over the previous year. American Management Association, Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance Survey, (New York: 2001). This figure is more than double the rate recorded only five years ago: 35. 3% in 1997. Ibid. Yet for some years now, concerns have been raised about the negative impact of electronic surveillance on employees and, by default, their employers. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is know as Privacy NSW. the issue of workers’ privacy has long been a concern. We have published three research reports Privacy Committee of New South Wales, Invisible Eyes: Report on Video Surveillance in the Workplace (Sydney: 1995), Privacy Committee of New South Wales, Drug Testing in the Workplace (Sydney: 1992), Privacy Committee of New South Wales, The Privacy Aspects of Employment Practices in the Private Sector: Employment Guidelines, (Sydney: 1979). and advocated for law reform to protect employees’ privacy rights. Workplace privacy has been of particular concern to us because vast amounts of personal information are passing into corporate hands where it is far more comprehensive, detailed (although not necessarily accurate), intrusive and difficult to challenge than information held by the state. Currently, workplace practices which may affect employee privacy fall into four categories: (i) monitoring and surveillance; (ii) physical and psychological testing (including pre-employment testing, drug-testing and the use of DNA data); (iii) searches of employees and their property; and (iv) the collection, use and disclosure of workers’ information. Victorian Law Reform Commission, Workplace privacy: issues paper (Victoria: 2002) at xii. Monitoring and surveillance includes: * video and audio surveillance and monitoring; * monitoring of employees’ computer use and content (eg email usage, internet connection, computer files and keystroke speed); and * biometric monitoring and surveillance. Ibid, at xii. This paper focuses on the use of electronic surveillance technologies, and the conflict arising from the rapid adoption of such technologies in the workplace. Part 1 provides an overview of the development of workplace surveillance practices and the ethical and legal challenges they present for society. Part 2 discusses the arguments put forward by privacy advocates and the concerns they raise regarding electronic performance monitoring in particular. Part 3 analyses two industrial conflicts which have critically shaped the debate regarding the regulation of workplace surveillance. This paper concludes with an argument that electronic monitoring and surveillance should not remain a managerial prerogative, and that employee participation and government intervention is crucial in determining the appropriate balance to be struck between employees’ expectations of privacy and employers’ legitimate interests in undertaking workplace surveillance. I. Electronic Surveillance in the Workplace: An Overview Today almost all jobs have the potential to be subjected to some type of electronic surveillance. Some jobs more than others are particularly susceptible to monitoring practices. Above n 4, at 6. These can range from the office worker whose supervisor reads his or her e-mail messages to the grocery store cashier whose bar code scanner records the speed at which he or she is working. Ibid. For the employees of call centres in particular, monitoring has become an essential feature of the workplace. While in earlier times surveillance was primarily limited to the information that a supervisor could observe and record firsthand, in the computer age, surveillance can be all-encompassing, constant and instantaneous. Workplace surveillance can take many forms. Of those 78% of American firms that admitted to conducting surveillance on their employees in the recent AMA study, almost half said they monitored employee phone calls, either by recording the information about calls made (43. 3%), or by actually listening to the calls themselves (11. 9%); 7. 8% stored and reviewed voice mail messages and 46. 5% stored and reviewed electronic mail of employees. Above n 2. A large percent monitored employees’ computers, either by recording computer use (time logged on, key strokes, time between entries etc – 18. 9%), by storing and reviewing employees’ computer files (36. 1%), or by monitoring Internet connections (62. 8%); 15. 2% admitted to video taping employee job performance and 37. 7% to videotaping for security purposes. Ibid. As a result of these findings, Eric Rolphe Greenberg, director of management studies at the AMA, described workplace privacy as an oxymoron. This paper began by taking up the challenge of talking about privacy in the workplace. We suggest it is a challenge precisely because ‘the workplace’ is not an homogenous concept. It involves blurred and culturally-relative boundaries between the ‘public’ and the ‘private’ domain. The very nature of the employment relationship is inherently that of unequal power, and hence the workplace may be a site of conflict. Even within the one workplace, therefore, there may be co-existing radically different views on whether workers can or should have any expectations of privacy. In dealing with this challenge, we have argued that privacy advocates must look beyond their traditional liberal and human rights-based discourse and engage with disciplines as diverse as organisational psychology, industrial relations and management theory. However it should be noted that the conclusions to be drawn from those other fields will be familiar to privacy advocates, in the sense that legislated accountability frameworks, built around the core privacy principles developed by the OECD and the ILO, are the key to ensuring an appropriate balance between the protection of privacy and the conduct of surveillance.

The Story of King Shahryar Essay Example

The Story of King Shahryar Essay Story of King Shahryar and his brother by all accounts is a story beginning a story. It begins with two brothers of a king ruling over their own perspective countries. Infidelity between Shah Zaman and his wife come to rise as he finds her in bed with another man, ultimately killing them both. Taking his mind off things he visits his brother King Shahryar, and witnesses more infidelity by his older brothers wife. Showing him the wild ways of his wife and setting out to think they come across a Jinni and his supposed chastened stolen bride. After forcing the men to have their way with her (or she her way with them) the men conclude never to marry, women being pegged as evil. A virgin bride every night and a dead body to cart off in the morning, the Kings Wazir has nothing else to find his king but one of his own daughters. As smart as his daughter is her plight reminds him of the tale of the Bull and the Ass, another story inside a story. The Bull and The ass is a story about a man who can understand animals. One day he overhears a ass tell a complaining bull to feign sickness in order to get a few days of rest. The ass is then put to work instead of the bull, and regrets the advice. So much so that he advises the Bull to work again less he be taken to the butcher and slaughtered. The farmer having heard this laughs and his wife demands to know what is so funny. Not wanting to tell her in fear he will be put to death she threatens to leave him so he gives in. Overhearing a rooster tell the dog a good beating will shut the wife up he does so and learns family discipline. We will write a custom essay sample on The Story of King Shahryar specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Story of King Shahryar specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Story of King Shahryar specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These two stories, without a doubt made me angry. All over infidelity of a woman, kill every woman after having taken her maidenhead? Is that the moral here, powerful man take what you like and the woman without scruples (a woman whom you married and youve taken) should be killed? The sad thing is some people still think this way, and justify (metaphorical) killing

Manets A Bar at the Folies Bergere essays

Manets A Bar at the Folies Bergere essays Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergre Manet's painting, A Bar at the Folies-Bergre, was an integral factor in the rise of a new era in art; through the emergence of a contemporary Parisian city, Modern art began to flourish during the late 1800's. Being a painting of extreme complexity and ambiguity, many art critics have commented on the formal aspects of the painting, as well as the social reactions to this specific, and novel form of art. The purpose and meaning of the mirror behind the lady and the disparity of reality versus reflections, pose immense controversy and are discussed in Robert Herbert's essay, Impressionism: Art, Leisure, re", and T.J. Clark's, The Painting of Modern Life. Moreover, these authors's united their interpretations of this painting with the idea of a new Parisian lifestyle and conduct. Presented in this painting is the scene of a young, engaging barmaid at the Folies-Bergre music hall. She is standing behind a marble counter, which is covered with wine bottles, fruits, and flowers. Behind her are the essential element of the painting; the mirror that reflects the setting in which she is serving, as well as a peculiar man with a moustache. The barmaid, is confined to the narrow space behind the bar, however in the reflection, Manet introduces the new recreational activities of the elite, and sophisticated Parisians. Despite her lack of expression, Herbert clearly states that Manet has given the barmaid facing the audience a feeling of dignity and self-worth, contrary to the Parisian customs. It was thought that women were hired to increase the sales of drinks, and were made as vehicles for sexual favors, and other kinds of business. Herbert also says that barmaids at the time were known for "loose morals." He s...

Clauses that need companionship

Clauses that need companionship Clauses that need companionship Clauses that need companionship By Michael Independent clauses can stand on their own, even if they are joined together in one sentence. Subordinate clauses, on the other hand, arent supposed to stand on their own. Because they depend on another clause in the sentence, an independent clause. That last sentence, beginning with because, was a subordinate clause that I forced to stand on its own. It would have fallen flat on its face if you hadnt automatically connected it to the sentence before it. The word because is an example of the kind of word that often introduces subordinate clauses. The word because answers a question and your reader has to know what the question is, or it wont make sense. In informal writing, in conversational writing, you can often get away with putting a period after a subordinate clause, even though it isnt technically a sentence by itself. In fact, its often a good thing to do simply because it makes it sound conversational, as long as our reader understands what the subordinate clause is referring to. In formal writing, however, dont put a period after anything but a sentence. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should KnowPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Child Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Child Abuse - Research Paper Example very reality that all these kinds of violence not only leave indelible destructive imprints upon their innocent minds, but also such kind of obnoxious behavior may put their future in grave jeopardy. The researches reveal the very fact that domestic violence and child abuse not only adversely tell upon the process of cognitive development among children, but also they wide open the avenues towards juvenile delinquent behavior and perversion for the future years to come. Exposure to violence can result in ‘regressive’ symptoms such as increased bedwetting, delayed language development and more anxiety over separation from parents (cited in Margolin & Gordis, 2000). Researches also show that sexual exploitation of the innocent children, at the hands of the adult members of society, destroys their mental capabilities, and remain as the terrifying part of the bitterest memories of their life, which haunt their minds and cause their psychological collapse even during their adulthood and later part of their life. Researches also prove the bitter reality that the individuals, who had become the victim of physical or sexual abuse in their childhood, lead mentally retarded and highly disturbed life in their grown years. They remain prey to some invisible danger hanging like a sword on their head, which takes long time for recovery. Hence, the convalescence procedure of the victims of child abuse is technically very difficult and time-taking one. The psychologists suggest counseling, medicines consumption, therapeutic measures and consoling from family members, teachers and friends for the complete recovery of the victims of child abuse. Hence, child abuse serves as an infamous mar as well as a shameful curse on the very face of society, which may produce perverts, offenders and criminals to challenge the very peace and stability of the social establishment at large. In the nutshell, children become victim of abuse at the hands of family members, teachers, peers,

Human Services using technology to overcome barriers Essay

Human Services using technology to overcome barriers - Essay Example Impediments may arise on the planning, funding, empowerment and in the execution of the service and these obstacles differ from a certain kind of human service to another. Obstacles may have different faces on each and every type of human service clientele but the barrier that gives the one of the most substantial effects is the adjustment to the trend in a certain demographic. Say for example, people who were born during the baby boomer period which is between 1946 and 1964 have contributed to a significant increase in the United States population during that time. And ever since the start of the baby boomer period, most companies and businesses have been using the age bracket as a trend to which product or service will benefit the big lot of the population and would also bring to them considerable profits. It goes the same way with human services, the rising number of a particular age group compels human service providers the need to expand and improve their services to be able to accommodate this demographic. If you count the years, the people born during the baby boomer period are now retired professionals or those who are already bidding for retirement. More and more people in the United States are getting older by the minute, meaning that these people are now prone to a rapid loss of cognition and physical handicap. Let’s take a look at the case of sidewalks and transit. In a recent news report, the aging boomers have been causing considerable traffic along sidewalks and local transit that were built for the younger ones. This has been a challenge for most cities in America because their communities are designed for a youth-oriented society. There have been local initiatives for some cities like New York who is now recognized by World Health Organization as a leader in promoting age-friendly communities. Other cities have also followed the footsteps of New York. Philadelphia aims to create a walk-able community which can help older adults to be hea lthier. In Portland, Oregon, there has been planning for new zoning policies to fit senior citizen’s concerns. In this situation we might be asking, how is the US going to cope up in this situation better than relying on mere local initiatives? The answer is sustaining and empowerment. This may be the second barrier identified in this particular type human service. By the year 2050, 20% of the American population will be seniors. And across the globe, roughly 2 billion people will be 60 years old or older and 400 million of them are over the age of 80. The United States should prepare for this situation and should promote an environment that would allow the older people to participate. Another barrier that human services might be facing for a long time is the financial structure of these types of organizations. The eagerness of human service organizations to improve the services they offer may not be equivalent to the actual financial resources they have. To be able to increa se their efficiency and

The Cold War Essay Example for Free

The Cold War Essay The foundations for the Cold War were laid in the closing days of World War II, as Western and Soviet armies met in the ruins of Germany. America’s wariness of the Soviet Union resulted in part from Stalin’s attempt to capture as much territory as possible with total disregard for the lives of his soldiers. Many Americans perceived Stalin’s actions to be land grabs rather than liberations. The Cold War in Europe was focused mainly on the frontline of Berlin. Here the superpowers stood face to face, and the Berlin Wall came to be the physical representation of the Iron Curtain that cut off Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe from the West. Throughout the Cold War, American leaders adopted the premise that a massive deterrent military force must remain in Europe to prevent the Soviet Union from invading and dominating Western Europe. This doctrine, first articulated by Truman with his adoption of NSC-68, was known as containment. In Asia, the Cold War centered on China after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in 1949. For decades, American leaders mistakenly assumed that the CCP was subservient to the Kremlin. The CCP, while technically allied with Moscow early on, had its own interests. The CCP was the dominant force in mainland Asia, and when American armies intervened in Korea and Vietnam, the CCP aimed to drive Americans from the border regions of China. In general the Cold War in Asia was bloodier than the Cold War in Europe. Korea and Vietnam were two large scale Cold War conflicts in which over 100,000 Americans and millions of Asians died. There was no comparable bloodshed in Europe during this period. The Cold War’s effect on the world was far-reaching. After World War II and the Chinese Civil War, the lines were essentially drawn in Europe and mainland Asia. The rest of the world, however, was emerging from European and Japanese colonialism. These newly independent nations were where much of the Cold War would be played out, as both superpowers aimed to add new nations to their respective spheres of influence. Some scholars argue that the Cold War has not ended yet, since China, Indochina, North Korea, and Cuba are still nominally communist countries. The Cold War in Europe, however, ended with the demise of the Soviet Union from 1989 through 1991. When a new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, made it clear that he would not use force to keep the Soviet empire together, it dissolved in a matter of months. The speed and peaceful nature of the collapse shocked many. The most common explanation for the collapse of the Soviet Union is the inefficiency of the communist system, which could neither provide for its people nor keep pace with Western military buildups. The Cold War had immeasurable effects on America both domestically and internationally. Domestically, the American republic was changed beyond recognition. The National Security Act of 1947 created the Pentagon, the National Security Council, and the CIA. America had never had a standing peacetime army before. It had never had a permanent intelligence service, which was necessarily very secretive. It had never had such a powerful executive, and it had never entered into foreign alliances, which it did with NATO in 1949. In terms of international relations, the Cold War put the United States on the world stage in a way it had never been before. During the Cold War, the United States was far more popular than it is today. Partly this is because during the Cold War many people felt that the American system was far preferable to the Soviet system, and they believed that the United States valued freedom. After the Cold War, the United States found itself the lone superpower. Without the Soviet enemy to contain, many former allies of America came to see it as a domineering and arrogant nation.

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating -- Expository Pr

Process Essay - How to Reduce Plagiarism and Cheating Recent studies have shown that a steadily growing number of students cheat or plagiarize in college -- and the data from high schools suggest that this number will continue to rise. A study by Don McCabe of Rutgers University showed that 74 percent of high school students admitted to one or more instances of serious cheating on tests. Even more disturbing is the way that many students define cheating and plagiarism. For example, they believe that cutting and pasting a few sentences from various Web sources without attribution is not plagiarism. Before the Web, students certainly plagiarized -- but they had to plan ahead to do so. Fraternities and sororities often had files of term papers, and some high-tech term-paper firms could fax papers to students. Overall, however, plagiarism required forethought. Online term-paper sites changed all that. Overnight, students could order a term paper, print it out and have it ready for class in the morning -- and still get a good night's sleep. All they needed was a charge card and an Internet connection. One response to the increase in cheating has been to fight technology with more technology. Plagiarism-checking sites provide a service to screen student papers. They offer a color-coded report on papers and the original sources from which the students might have copied. Colleges qualify for volume discounts, which encourages professors to submit whole classes' worth of papers -- the academic equivalent of mandatory urine testing for athletes. The technological battle between term-paper mills and anti-plagiarism services will undoubtedly continue to escalate, with each side constructing more elaborate countermeasures... ...tter grades and more advantages with less effort. Honest students lose grades, scholarships, recommendations and admission to advanced programs. Honest students must create enough peer pressure to dissuade potential cheaters. Ultimately, students must be willing to step forward and confront those who engage in academic dishonesty. Addressing these issues is not a luxury that can be postponed until a more convenient time. It is a short step from dishonesty in schools and colleges to dishonesty in business. It is doubtful that students who fail to develop habits of integrity and honesty while still in an academic setting are likely to do so once they are out in the "real" world. Nor is it likely that adults will stand up against the dishonesty of others, particularly fellow workers and superiors, if they do not develop the habit of doing so while still in school.

Effects of War Presented in Journey’s End Compared with Impact of War Shown in Strange Meeting Essay

Explore the ways in which the effects of war on the individual are presented in ‘Journey’s End’. Then compare the ways in which Sherriff presents the effects of war on the individual with the ways in which Hill shows the impact of war on characters in ‘Strange Meeting’. The character most obviously affected by the war in ‘Journey’s End’ is Stanhope. We learn early on in the play that Stanhope drinks very heavily when Osborne and Hardy have a conversation about him. â€Å"I never did see a youngster put away the whisky he does. This is the first we see of the effects that the war has had on an individual and although there are other characters that are also affected, Stanhope appears to be the most prominent. It becomes apparent that Stanhope made a conscious decision to drink as a coping mechanism to deal with the war. â€Å"It was after I came back here- in that awful affair on Vimy Ridge. I knew I’d go mad if I didn’t break the strain. I couldn’t bear being fully conscious all the time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here we learn that it wasn’t until a particular attack within the war that Stanhope began to feel the strain and the pressure, and alcohol becomes an escape for him. He says â€Å"There are only two ways of breaking the strain. One was pretending I was ill- and going home; the other was this. [He holds up his glass]†. Sherriff could have shown us a minor character so deeply affected by alcohol that he had given up, whereas Stanhope appears quite the opposite, whereas in ‘Strange Meeting’ Hill gives us a minor character affected by alcohol. It is also worth noting Raleigh’s reaction to his alcoholism is completely different to how Stanhope fears he will react, and in a way, our reaction too. Rather than look to Stanhope as a weak man who has taken the easy route by drinking excessive amounts, we seem to view him as courageous and strong willed. We later learn when he is talking to Hibbert, that Stanhope isn’t as strong and resistant as we were originally led to believe. â€Å"Sometimes I feel I could just lie down on this bed and pretend I was paralysed or something- and couldn’t move- and just lie there till I died- or was dragged away†. The effects of war on Stanhope are presented both subtly and obviously. His drinking habits are continually referred to throughout and although we learn early on that it is something that the war has forced him into, his hatred for the war or his weak moments aren’t made clear to the reader until now when he admits his loathing to Hibbert. Hill’s character, Colonel Garrett in ‘Strange Meeting’ is similar to Stanhope in the sense that both characters are driven to excessive drinking by the effects of the war. Colonel Garrett has changed and also turned to drink, we know this as the prose reads that â€Å"Hilliard was appalled; he had not dreamed that this could happen and so quickly to a man like Garrett†. Despite this scene being the first time we are introduced to Colonel Garrett; Hill manages to present the impact the war has had on him through Hilliard’s reaction to Garrett’s new state of character. In contrast to Hill, Sheriff is less subtle in his presentation of Stanhope and the character himself admits his change. It is interesting to note that Garrett is minor within the novel whereas Stanhope is a major character in the play which shows the different ways in which each author chose to present the effect of alcohol within their text. At the beginning of the play, Raleigh appears to be optimistic and enthusiastic. Even when he is ordered to go on a raid he seems proud to have been chosen and eager to get out there; â€Å"I say- it’s most frightfully exciting! † however, this raid then triggers a change in Raleigh. After Osborne’s death, Raleigh becomes distant and resentful towards the other officers. â€Å"Good god! Don’t you understand? How can I sit down and eat that- when- when Osborne’s- lying- out there†. Not only is he struggling to cope and raising his voice; which he hadn’t done before, but he is also shouting at Stanhope. Prior to this, Raleigh had always treated Stanhope with the utmost respect. Similar to Sheriff’s character of Raleigh is Hill’s character of Barton in ‘Strange Meeting’ who also changes after the impact of experiencing a death. â€Å"That his face had changed, in the space of a day and a night that his eyes have taken on the common look of shock and misery and exhaustion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As with Raleigh in ‘Journey’s End’, Barton also began the novel full of optimism and energy. However, Sheriff presents the effects of the war on Raleigh by having his character lashing out and blaming others. This contrasts with Hill’s presentation of Barton, who takes on a more morose, downhearted way of coping. â€Å"You cannot and must not spend any more time blaming yourself, saying if only this and if only that. It’s useless†. However, the parallel is that both characters change due to another soldier’s death which affects the impact on the reader. The effect of the war on Hibbert (Journey’s end), another officer in the company, is firstly presented subtly, in the way that he speaks of his neuralgia preventing him from carrying on in the war. We soon learn that he wants to go home and is willing to make up any excuse in order to do so. This shows how the war has taken away his pride and dignity as he admits that he would rather die. â€Å"Go on, then, shoot! You won’t let me go to hospital. I swear I’ll never go into those trenches again. Shoot! – and thank god-â€Å". The war has affected Hibbert so deeply that he is prepared to die rather than continue fighting. The character, Harris in ‘Strange Meeting’ is very similar to Hibbert. Harris has a breakdown when their battalion arrives at ‘Feuvry’; â€Å"Then Harris lurched up, and forwards, his head touched his knees and he began to cry, not lifting his hands to wipe his face†. However, where Sheriff presents us with a man so desperate to depart that he is willing to lie about an illness and is prepared to die rather than continue in the war, Hill presents us with an ironic situation. The irony of the situation is that when Harris eventually comes out of the basement; he is killed. Both writers choose to present us with individuals so affected by the war that they actually suffer from a breakdown in one way or another. Coulter from ‘Strange Meeting’ and Trotter from ‘Journey’s End’ can also be compared. These two characters are similar in the way that they don’t seem to have been affected by the war as they show no signs of degeneration. These two characters are an important contrast to the likes of Barton and Stanhope, whose changes are quite obvious. I feel that not to have changed notably is their response to the war. Coulter and Trotter both appear to be staying as close to their normal, original selves as possible as a coping mechanism for the war. It is interesting to note the genre difference between the two texts. Strange Meeting’ being a novel means that there is far more supportive background and descriptive text for each character whereas ‘Journey’s End’ which is a play, must rely on dramatic encounter in order to demonstrate the development of a character. A lot of things which Hill would tell us in her prose must be relayed to the reader through dialogue or actions in the play. Hill could tell us that Barton came to the war excited and enthusiastic, whereas Sherriff would either have his character say how he felt or the stage directions would have to navigate the actor into getting this feeling across through actions. This makes each author’s presentation of the effects of the war on the individual different automatically. Hill and Sherriff both present the effects that the war has on individuals through similar characters. They present to the reader how the death and destruction within the war can affect even the most strong and positive of men. In both the novel and the play, the authors portray how some men cannot cope with the imminence of what is to come and therefore would rather do anything but deal with it. Both writers examine how war can push men into drinking excessively in order to escape the desperate reality of their situation and use similar characters to highlight the ways in which war affects individuals, however the difference is in the way that the changes are presented. Hill is often more subtle in her presentation of her characters whereas Sherriff more blunt. Despite these differences, the negative effects of war on the individual characters are consistent in both works.

50/50 Movie Review Essay

When we first saw the trailer for the film 50/50 starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogan, we knew this was a must-see. The film’s rough story of a 20-something year old battling with â€Å"stage five back cancer† taught us that life is too short to sweat the small stuff. People go through tragic battles like disease and the possibility of dying when all we do is find ourselves complaining about small, narrow problems in life. Adam demonstrated true optimism and showed the audience that accepting an issue is one of the biggest hurdles, but once it is accepted, anything can be taken on head-first. 0/50 is the story of how life can be taken on as â€Å"glass half empty† or â€Å"glass half full. † Throughout the film, Adam had many disappointments like his long-term girlfriend cheating on him. His mother’s overbearing attitudes were to drive anyone crazy. His father was even battling Alzheimer’s disease. Yet he pushed past all those downfalls and began therapy with talented actress Anna Kendrick (Katherine). At first he thought the idea of therapy wouldn’t help him. As he started opening up, he realized that Katherine was there for him, acting as a good friend and therapist. Even though he was at first reluctant, he realized that there were good people out there in the world that truly care for him and his well being. The night before his major surgery, Adam had a mental breakdown in his car. He realized that he didn’t want to die this young. With the help of Katherine and his best friend Kyle, he got the support that he was looking for. In the scene where he was about to go in to surgery, I was terrified for him. Seeing him cry like that made me realize that I should never take anyone or the simple pleasures of life for granted. Some people do not get the choice to live a full life, and I find myself constantly worrying about small, trivial, and unimportant things. This film was an emotional roller coaster. Although we all could not stop laughing at Kyle (played by Seth Rogan) and Adam’s witty humor, some of us have also never cried that hard in a movie theater. This film taught us that we need to appreciate all the people that are in our lives and appreciate all the sacrifices that they make for us. We need to laugh more. We need to let people know that we appreciate all the things they go out of their way to do for us. We need to realize that life really is beautiful and not all people are selfish as they seem to be. We also need to stop worrying so much. We need to appreciate life’s beauty and all the wonderful things people can offer us. This film was top-notch and would recommend anyone to go see this flick, male or female.

Global Capitalism -- Critiques from Sociologists

Global Capitalism Critiques from Sociologists Global capitalism, the current epoch in the centuries-long history of the capitalist economy, is heralded by many as a free and open economic system that brings people from around the world together to foster innovations in production, for facilitating exchange of culture and knowledge, for bringing jobs to struggling economies worldwide, and for providing consumers with an ample supply of affordable goods. But while many may enjoy benefits of global capitalism, others around the world in fact, most do not. The research and theories of sociologists and intellectuals who focus on globalization, including William I. Robinson, Saskia Sassen, Mike Davis, and Vandana Shiva shed light on the ways this system harms many. Global Capitalism is Anti-Democratic Global capitalism is, to quote Robinson, â€Å"profoundly anti-democratic.† A tiny group of global elite decide the rules of the game  and control the vast majority of the world’s resources. In 2011, Swiss researchers found that just 147 of the world’s corporations and investment groups controlled 40 percent of corporate wealth, and just over 700 control nearly all of it (80 percent). This puts the vast majority of the world’s resources under the control of a tiny fraction of the world’s population. Because political power follows economic power, democracy in the context of global capitalism can be nothing but a dream. Using Global Capitalism as a Development Tool Does More Harm than Good Approaches to development that sync with the ideals and goals of global capitalism do far more harm than good. Many countries that were impoverished by colonization and imperialism are now impoverished by IMF and World Bank development schemes that force  them to adopt free trade policies in order to receive development loans. Rather than bolstering local and national economies, these policies pour money into the coffers of global corporations that operate in these nations under free trade agreements. And, by focusing development on urban sectors, hundreds of millions of people around the world have been pulled out of rural communities by the promise of jobs, only to find themselves un- or under-employed  and living in densely crowded and dangerous slums. In 2011, the United Nations Habitat Report estimated that 889 million people- or more than 10 percent of the world’ population- would live in slums by 2020. The Ideology of Global Capitalism Undermines the Public Good The neoliberal ideology that supports and justifies global capitalism undermines public welfare. Freed from regulations and most  tax obligations, corporations made wealthy in the era of global capitalism have effectively stolen social welfare, support systems, and public services and industries from people all over the world. The neoliberal ideology that goes hand in hand with this economic system places the burden of survival solely on an individual’s ability to earn money and consume. The concept of the common good is a thing of the past. The Privatization of Everything Only Helps the Wealthy Global capitalism has marched steadily across the planet, gobbling up all land and resources in its path. Thanks to the neoliberal ideology of privatization, and the global capitalist imperative for growth, it is increasingly difficult for people all over the world to access the resources necessary for a just and sustainable livelihood, like communal space, water, seed, and workable agricultural land. The Mass Consumerism Required by Global Capitalism is Unsustainable Global capitalism spreads consumerism as a way of life, which is fundamentally unsustainable. Because consumer goods mark progress and success under global capitalism, and because neoliberal ideology encourages us to survive and thrive as individuals rather than as communities, consumerism is our contemporary way of life. The  desire for consumer goods and the ​cosmopolitan way of life they signal is one of the key pull factors that draws hundreds of millions of rural peasants to urban centers in search of work. Already, the planet and its resources have been pushed beyond limits due to the treadmill of consumerism in Northern and Western nations. As consumerism spreads to more newly developed nations via global capitalism, the depletion of the earth’s resources, waste, environmental pollution, and the warming of the planet are increasing to catastrophic ends. Human and Environmental Abuses Characterize Global Supply Chains The globalized supply chains that bring all of this stuff to us are largely unregulated  and systemically rife with human and environmental abuses. Because global corporations act as large buyers rather than producers of goods, they do not directly hire most of the people who make their products. This arrangement frees them from any liability for the inhumane and dangerous work conditions where goods are made, and from responsibility for environmental pollution, disasters, and public health crises. While capital has been globalized, the  regulation of production  has  not. Much of what stands for regulation today is a sham, with private industries auditing and certifying themselves. Global Capitalism Fosters Precarious and Low-Wage Work The flexible nature of labor under  global capitalism  has put the vast majority of working people in very precarious positions. Part-time work, contract work, and insecure work are the norm, none of which bestow benefits or long-term job security upon people. This problem crosses all industries, from manufacturing of garments and consumer electronics, and even for  professors at U.S. colleges and universities, most of whom are hired on a short-term basis for low pay. Further, the globalization of the labor supply has created a race to the bottom in wages, as corporations search for the cheapest labor from country to country and workers are forced to accept unjustly low wages, or risk having no work at all. These conditions lead to poverty, food insecurity, unstable housing and homelessness, and troubling mental and physical health outcomes. Global Capitalism Fosters Extreme Wealth Inequality The hyper-accumulation of wealth experienced by corporations and a selection of elite individuals has caused a sharp rise in wealth inequality within nations and on the global scale. Poverty amidst plenty is now the norm. According to a  report released by Oxfam  in January 2014, half of the world’s wealth is owned by  just one percent  of the world’s population. At 110 trillion dollars, this wealth is 65 times as much as that owned by the bottom half of the world’s population. The fact that 7 out of 10 people now live in countries where economic inequality has increased over the last 30 years is proof that the system of global capitalism works for the few at the expense of the many. Even in the U.S., where politicians would have us believe that we have â€Å"recovered† from the economic recession, the wealthiest one percent captured 95 percent of economic growth during the recovery, while  90 percent of us are now poorer. Global Capitalism Fosters Social Conflict Global capitalism  fosters social conflict, which will only persist and grow as the system expands. Because capitalism enriches the few at the expense of the many, it generates conflict over access to resources like food, water, land, jobs and others resources. It also generates political conflict over the conditions and relations of production that define the system, like worker strikes and protests, popular protests and upheavals, and protests against environmental destruction. Conflict generated by global capitalism can be sporadic, short-term, or prolonged, but regardless of duration, it is often dangerous and costly to human life. A recent and ongoing example of this surrounds the  mining of coltan in Africa for smartphones and tablets  and many other minerals used in consumer electronics. Global Capitalism Does the Most Harm to the Most Vulnerable Global capitalism hurts people of color, ethnic minorities, women, and children the most. The history of  racism  and gender discrimination within Western nations, coupled with the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, effectively  bars women  and  people of color from accessing  the wealth generated by global capitalism. Around the world, ethnic, racial, and gender hierarchies influence or prohibit access to stable employment. Where capitalist based development occurs in former colonies, it often targets those regions because the labor of those who live there is â€Å"cheap† by virtue of a long history of racism, subordination of women, and political domination. These forces have led to what scholars term the â€Å"feminization of poverty,† which has disastrous outcomes for the world’s children, half of whom live in poverty.

11 Top Wordpress Plugins To Inspire Visitors To Take Action

11 Top Wordpress Plugins To Inspire Visitors To Take Action I hope inspiring visitors to take action ranks atop the reasons you chose to host a WordPress blog. Of course, your primary focus should be to publish educational content  to help your readers tackle the tasks thatll contribute to their success. Let’s assume you’ve got that down. And now, let’s look at a list of killer WordPress plugins to help you master some of the tricks of the trade, aimed at magnifying reader engagement. 11 WordPress Plugins to Inspire Visitors to Take ActionThere’s no shortage of WordPress plugins. A thread on Quora suggested there are at least 20,000 freebies. In fact, access to free plugins is one of the reasons WordPress is the dominant content management system (CMS) in play today. There’s also no shortage of posts, e-books, and sites that list and recommend WordPress; however, I’ve found many of them overkill. I don’t mean to suggest this article is your end-all, be-all rundown of effective WordPress plugins, but my aim was- based on my experience and research- to create a short and super useful list of plugins thatll help you inspire visitors to take action. You’ll find some plugins here that you haven’t yet experimented with, and should. Enjoy. Keep Your WordPress Plugins Safe (And Amplify Your Content) Download the guide to keeping your WordPress plugins and blog safe. Youll discover the best practices to keeping your blog secure. Youll also get the  e-book I made with ,  Amplify Content The Complete Insiders Guide To Promote Your Content And Reach A Larger Audience. You dont  want to miss out! Plugin #1. MaxButtons:  Create Something That Begs To Be Clicked Taking action online calls for clicking. In your content, you need to call attention to where you want readers to point their mouse or finger. An attention-getting call-to-action button will increase conversion rates on your landing pages, sales pages, or any pages. You can quickly create attractive buttons on your WordPress website with MaxButtons from Max Foundry. The plugin puts you in the graphic designer’s seat with an editor offering options to choose fonts and colors, apply shadows to the text or box, gradients, and borders of your button. With the Pro version, over 5,000 buttons are ready made, and you can add all kinds of icons to make your buttons stand out. Various integrations are offered as is Google Analytics event tracking. MaxButtons offers pre-made buttons for all popular social media platforms and every other action you can think of. Get MaxButtons or the pro version here. Plugin #2. Leadin:  Subscription Forms With Marketing Automation Features I’ve been experimenting with free and paid opt-in forms for years and am blown away with the capabilities of Leadin, a feature-rich freebie from HubSpot. Leadin not only helps you capture leads by creating and placing opt-in and contact forms, but it also delivers insights for everyone who fills out any  form on your website. â€Å"All Contacts† is a free CRM system that shows you the pages your contacts have visited and the social networks they use. You can setup  Leadin to sync to your email tool (and it need not be HubSpot), and there’s no need to replace existing forms. The plugin even features an analytics tool to show you what sources of traffic and content are driving your contacts. The service can also send you an email with a link to the new contact record with all of their visit history. Checkout Leadin here. Recommended Reading: 5 Plugins Guaranteed To Help You Collect More Leads Plugin #3. Bontact:  The Ultimate Conversation Starter Can you think of a better way to qualify prospects and win business than conversing with them? Bontact is both a free and affordable subscription-based plugin that enables your sales and service employees  to talk to customers on any device at any time. Visitors choose their preferred channel: chat, voice, text, email, Facebook Messenger, Skype, video call, or screen share. Bontact offers a mobile app so you can serve site visitors from anywhere. See how the Bontact plugin and app works. Plugin #4. Share From SumoMe:  Make It Stupid-Easy For Visitors To Share Ever found a blog post or piece of content you absolutely had to share with your followers, but couldn’t find the button you needed to do so? It makes you crazy, right? What do you do? Nothing. Some publishers place their share buttons or bars atop the page in hopes you’ll (1) share it before you read it or (2) scroll after reading. Not smart. Recommended Reading:  What Is The Best Placement For Successful Social Media Buttons? Some place their share buttons at the bottom of the page hoping you’ll read every word, make your way to the bottom and then share it. Another mistake, or at least, a risk. Many still stash their sharing app in a sidebar on their blog post pages. Bad call. On mobile, they get bumped down and appear beneath the article. The smart thing to do is to install a plugin to create a share bar that remains on-screen at all times. Share from SumoMe does just that. On a desktop, the vertical share bar is onscreen as you scroll. And for mobile, it’s always onscreen at the bottom- whether the reader holds the smartphone vertically or horizontally. SumoMe’s Share is: Free Connected to 16 social services Ultra-easy to setup Smart How can a share bar be smart? Turn on the SumoMe share smart mode and your share bar shows shares in â€Å"most to least† order, either vertically or horizontally. Share is just one of more than 10+ tools designed to grow your website traffic offered by SumoMe in free and paid versions. SumoMe tools are available here. Plugin #5. Image Widget:  Make Your Sidebar More Magnetic Images attract eyeballs. Images pull. Images inspire clicks. Don’t make me repeat research findings you’ve read 100 times. So†¦ What are WordPress users to do when they want to display an image in their sidebars? Most WordPress developers would say, â€Å"Write code.† Most WordPress users would respond, â€Å"Blech.† But because you read this post, you’ll have a better answer: Image Widget. This plugin, by Modern Tribe, makes it easy to add image widgets using the WordPress media manager you know (and may or may not love). Once installed, the widget guides you through the process of selecting an image to display and linking it to your destination page. Image Widget also makes it easy to include alt text (for SEO), add a caption, resize and/or align your image. Recommended Reading:  How To Boost Traffic With 27 Important SEO Tips You Need To Know (+ Free Checklist) Here’s an example from the ClickWP blog on how to use Image Widget to create an affiliate link in your sidebar. I’m not sure why the image is cropped incorrectly, but the widget makes resizing an easy task. Get Image Widget here. Plugin #6. Contextly:  Inspire Longer Visits Contextly is an affordably priced plugin created by publishers, for publishers. It’s tempting to label it a â€Å"related content† widget because it does indeed serve readers recommended content at the end of posts and in sidebars. However, unlike recommendation engines you commonly find on news sites, Contextly links are entirely internal. So visitors aren’t inspired to go away; they’re invited to stay onsite and consume even more content. The idea is to turn new readers into regulars. Shortly after its launch in 2014, Contextly added functionality to point visitors to videos and products as well. Here’s a look at the Contextly recommendation module, which can highlight articles or any content on your website. You can program the plugin to rely on its own algorithm or curate recommended content manually. Learn more about Contextly here. Plugin #7. Social Locker:  Trade Content For Shares Social Locker’s concept is simple. It asks visitors looking for access to your content to share it first. On the WordPress plugin directory page, the authors suggest you ask people to â€Å"pay† with a like, tweet, or +1, to: Access content Get a discount Watch a video View a funny picture Social Locker is free, however a paid version collects leads and unlocks extra themes and additional social buttons. Here’s the plugin page for Social Locker. Plugin #8. :  Make Tweeting Ultra-Easy Want to make it easy for your visitors to tweet about your content? Do the work for them. With , a free  plugin from , you can create tweetable content while creating your post or page on WordPress. A little bird shows the reader a ready-made tweet is just a quick click from appearing in their Twitter stream. Wow... a great list of plugins to inspire your readers to take action.Get this popular plugin here. Recommended Reading: How To Use Hashtags Effectively Without Being Annoying Plugin #9. Inbound Now:  Hello Marketing Automation Marketing automation is an explosive area. While it’s proven its merits, many of the companies offering marketing automation platforms (MAPs) have proven it takes time and resources to implement it effectively. Inbound Now is a panacea. While it operates as a plugin, it’s really a suite of plugins that will help you  take advantage of essential marketing automation functions: Calls to action Landing pages Lead tracking A/B testing Email Recommended Reading:  How To Write A Call To Action In A Template With 6 Examples Inbound now makes it simple to increase conversion on your WordPress site with a series of plugins for creating landing pages and CTAs. Inbound now offers a basic package for free and access to a library of templates and more features with its paid packages starting at $99/year. Check out the suite, its options, and library templates here. Plugin #10. Disqus:  Your Blog Commentary Creator You have quite a few plugin options for adding comment features to your WordPress blog. In my opinion, Disqus is the cream of this crop. With Disqus, readers can join the discussion thread on your blog simply by granting access to one of their social media profiles. Users are given a variety of options including subscribing to receive updates when the stream has new content via email. The plugin’s social media integration makes it less of a hassle to leave comments and also displays the commenter’s avatar, which I believe helps inspire readers to chime in. Disqus has additional features to inspire interactivity such as threaded replies, a voting system, and the ability to add images and video. The plugin is set to automatically adapt to your site’s design and color scheme. And my favorite feature: Disqus instantly gives your blog a â€Å"Recommended Content† feature. Recommended Reading: 10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments Notice how Disqus adds a suggested content section to my blog? That'll help inspire readers to click around and stick around. It even previews the commentary stream from the suggested posts. Here’s where you get started with Disqus. Plugin #11. Fanciest Author Box:  Sign-Off With Style Your posts should have author boxes to encourage interaction with readers. While you can easily tackle the task with your basic WordPress functionality, the Fancier Author Box plugin enables you to step it up and become something more compelling. Fancier Author Box presents your photo, title, and bio beneath your post as well as a tabbed system of social profiles and links you select. Here’s a Fancier Author Box demonstrated by the creator of the plugin. Here’s mine. Note that in addition to social profiles, I’ve also  included a tab that showcases my latest posts. And here’s where you get the Fancier Author Box plugin. Now You're Ready To Inspire People To Take Action With these plugins in your toolbox, you've got what it takes to have a super great website and an awesome audience who will take action for you.

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant Essay - 1

Personal Development Planning (PDP) Assignmant - Essay Example After completing the thirty two questions on line, I received feedback indicating that I should seek further assistance with time-management, concentration, note-taking skills, test preparation and test taking skills and writing skills. Thinking about this I wrote up a personal SWOT analysis with the aim of trying to find out exactly where I was falling short and where I needed to improve. I found a downloadable example from Bristol Business School, belonging to the University of Western England, which helped me with the questions I should ask myself. I found it very difficult to determine my strengths except that I think I am imaginative and very personable at a social level. My weaknesses however, were easier to determine. I know I have trouble with writing, especially long assignments or reports - this PDP assignment is not too difficult because it is broken into different parts. I am very disorganized and never seem to have enough time to finish my assignments on time or have enough time to review the day's or week's lessons. My performance in seminars is not good enough because I am not properly prepared nor positively alert or motivated. I also worry a lot about whether or not I can finish everything and whet her or not I will pass. The main opportunities I could think of were gaining a good job in a good company after graduation and making my family happy by studying hard and graduating. Threats were easier to think about. The biggest threat, gaining a qualification, is obviously dependent solely on me and relates to my weaknesses. Only I can fix things but I believe I have the strength to overcome my weaknesses and prevent them from stopping me taking advantages of my opportunities. At least now I have thought about my strengths and weaknesses and understand that I need to develop in the following areas: time-management, applying myself to study by acquiring appropriate study habits and learning strategies and determining clear goals and objectives. Next I completed a simplified version of a learning approaches questionnaire (based on Approaches to Study Inventory (Tait & Entwistle 1996) and provided by Bristol Business School.Results indicated that I had a surface/passive approach to learning and that I tended to reproduce information and tried to memorize subject matter rather than delving further or seeking to extend that information; that I kept closely to the syllabus provided by the lecturers and did not follow up interest of my own, and that although I really tried and wanted to pass in order to gain a qualification, sometimes I did not do so well.At this point I wanted to know more, so because learning styles is one component of this PDP assignment, I decided to spend time researching learning styles and strategies. I wanted to take the first step in the challenge of changing from a surface learner (not questioning) to a deep learner, and find out more about what learning styles and strategies were, before determining w hich best suited me. (Refer to essay below on Learning Styles.) My second step was to find out more about time-management, not only because it was a component of this PDP assignment but also because I obviously needed to improve this skill. Again, I began with research in the area to acquire as much information as possible, from which I could then develop the most appropriate

The importance of history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The importance of history - Essay Example Sports teams often analyze the previous performance history of the opponents before preparing themselves for the coming matches. History can also help politicians in deciding about the relationship of a country with other countries. â€Å"When you understand history, you understand basic concepts and ideas. You will learn about cause and effect, relationships and human nature† (Chin, n. d). At present we have enough knowledge about what is electricity or what is energy. We are indebted to the efforts of ancient scientists for our current knowledge about these things. Same way histories give us important lessons about the past which will help us to make conclusions while facing similar situations at present. History gives us the idea about the hierarchy of all the natural events happening in this world. For example, history helps us to understand at what time the monsoon comes or at what times the weather or season changes. In short, history plays an important role in shaping e very aspect of present and future human life on earth. During the initial half of twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in getting freedom to his country India from the colonial rules of Britain through peaceful means. The core philosophy of his freedom struggles was the theory of non violence which motivated other leaders like Nelson Mandela later in the history.

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

Drama - Essay Example In this paper I will argue how on many occasions in Oedipus the King, Oedipus and other prominent characters make such comments which emphasize varying levels of power each of them is awarded with. Facts and discussion presented in this essay are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that though Oedipus is presented as the absolute ruler of the city of Thebes by Sophocles, he is actually overtaken or even thwarted at some points in moments of hotheadedness by other influential characters who in a discreet way have more polished sociopolitical and spiritual understanding. It is evident that Oedipus has at least sufficiently more power than his wife (or mother) Jocasta because no amount of pleading or persuasion from her inflicts any effect on him and he maintains an inexorable, persistent, and adamant attitude about hearing the truth from Tiresias who is the oracle of God Apollo. Jocasta does not have enough power which could make her stand up resolutely against Oedip us in order to stop him from going to Tiresias upon listening from Creon that the plague existed in the city because the murderer of Laius remained in the city. Their spiritual ideologies also set in contrast to each other because unlike Oedipus who is moved after being condemned by Tiresias, Jocasta bluntly expresses that he should not worry in the least because all prophets are flawed or phony which is something very controversial or notorious to be said about the spiritual or religious matters for those times. Also, the political power that Oedipus has surpasses that of Jocasta’s because even though she tries to talk him into not punishing Creon on any account, he refuses to second guess his decisions and goes on to banish his royal colleague (Creon) from Thebes because he says, â€Å"my one-time friend Creon attacks me secretly for wealth and power† (li. 452, Bartel). The title of king and the associated power is desired by Creon even more than Oedipus and he comes across as a shrewder politician with more reasonable social vision than King Oedipus who is often hotheaded, frenzied, and exposed unlike the secretive, calm, and manipulative attitude of Creon. But, that does not mean that Oedipus does not get his share of miseries or defeats in the play only because is the sole ruler of the city who could not be intimidated by anyone else. Tiresias, for example, is one character who is not at all influenced or scared by the political power of Oedipus. When Oedipus accuses Tiresias that â€Å"you are blind in mind and ears/as well as in your eyes† (li. 370-5, Goldhill 219) after listening from him that the plague existed in the city because of himself, the oracle without considering the fact that he is in the presence of a king replies pointblank, â€Å"you are a poor wretch to pile upon me insults which everyone soon will heap upon you† (li. 370-5, Goldhill 219). He also fearlessly tells Oedipus that â€Å"although you are the rule r, we have equal power to speak. I am not a slave to you, but I serve Apollo. You insult my blindness, but you, who are not blind, cannot see your own suffering† (li. 410, Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus). The powerful functions of the Chorus or Choragos are also very prominent in Oedipus Rex. The Chorus have sufficient power over Oedipus in that they try to contribute wisdom by telling him to stay clam like a smart ruler and stay away from seeking trouble. The Chorus have

A Midsummer Nights Dream Drama Essay

A Midsummer Nights Dream Drama Essay A point to consider before bringing the individual character interpretations into play is how to contextualise the performances within the text as a whole. In other words, the characters are not mutually exclusive entities, rather, they are interactive and woven into the landscape of the play. Therefore, I would like to propose a general outline for the overall performance. There are many ways to perform A Midsummer Nights Dream, and the way I choose will affect elements of the characters. There have been many performances of Shakespearean drama, where the play is brought into the modern day. I however, would like to perform the play in its classic setting. I would like the play to retain its archaic time setting. It is a very self-reflexive play it is a play about staging a play. This highlights the idea of drama at its root the reheasrsal and work that goes into a play. I would like to leave the play in an olden day setting because it consolidates the idea of drama being detached from life through its artifice, and the play being set in a by-gone era further consolidates the idea of detaching drama from everyday life. (a) The first character I would like to look at is Lysander. He refuses to yield to Demetriuss demand for Hermias hand, and risks the wrath of Theseus by eloping with Hermia. This demonstrates not only the depth of his feeling for Hermia, but also his conviction in his own beliefs, and the courage to carry out these beliefs. The comic arc of Lysanders performance hits its climax after Puck has sprinkled the love potion into his eyes and he falls in love with Helena. I would perform the character with some hyperbole at this point, in order to convey the comic element of the text to the audience. The idea of Lysander challenging Demetrius to a duel in order to win Helenas hand is an example of the excessive behaviour and heightened action that brings much of the comedy into the play. It is a humour that comes from the reversal of the natural order Helena has gone from being desperately in love with Demetrius and being scorned by him to being the object of both mens affection, for example. This reversal in the behaviour of Lysander is something Id like to highlight in performance. I think a change in demeanor, and in vocal qualities could highlight this. At the beginning of the play, Lysander is portrayed as a romantic hero. I would convey this to the audience through his appearance; ideally, the role would be filled by a tall, handsome man. I would like him to wear a costume of light material symbolising the innocence of the true lovers (Hermias description of themselves). As I would like to keep the play true to its chromatic origins, I would like Lysander to wear a type of Athenean costume, which he could change when he enters the wood. I would like all the characters to change their costumes when they enter the forest, to represent the immense change in their environment. I would like him to don a more earthy, swarthy coloured robe, such as green, to convey the pastoral environment to the audience. I would like to focus on how the character of Lysander should be performed during the sequence in which he challenges Demetrius to a duel. The interpretation that I would like to convey to the audience is one of escalating absurdity, which contributes to humour. This would be done through the props, delivery, vocal quality, paralinguistic features and a demonstration of how Lysander relates to Demetrius in this section: Lysander Helen, I love thee. By my life I do. I swear by that which I will lose for thee To prove him false that says I love thee not. Demetrius I say I love thee more than he can do. Lysander If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too. (Scene III, Act II, lines 251-256) There is a strong sense of rhythm in these lines, and also rhyme, which contribute to the tension and sense of heightened action. I would like the actor to highlight the rhythm in his delivery. I would like Lysander to adopt a masculine stance, and to circle Dimitrius, expanding his movement around the stage, owning the stage, as it were, using the entire stage to convey to the audience that he feels he owns the space, as he prowls around it. Demetrius A character trait that emerges from the text is the point where he tells the infatuated Helena that when he says, Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;/For I am sick when I do look on thee. (Scene II Act I, lines 211-212). This utterance evokes a sense of his cruel nature, a pejorative view of Demetrius which is further consolidated when we examine the first first scene of the first act. When Lysander and Hermia are told that they cannot marry, Demetruis tells them they should let him have his certain right. (Scene I Act I line 92). There is subsequently a huge change in Demetruis when he falls back in love with Helena at the end of the play. This is indicative of a softening of his character a change which I feel should be represented visually in performance. In order to convey Demetruiss somewhat cruel, righteous nature to the audience, I think the actor should appropriate a certain demeanor. Body language could be used to demonstrate his confident, cocky side. For example, he could strut, use large gestures and also make use of all of the stage space exercising his self imposed right to the stage space in the same way that he wants to exercise his right to Hermias hand. I would like his costume to be dark colours such as a rich red and flamboyant design, to contrast with Lysanders. The vocal qualities should also demonstrate these traits. He only has two lines in scene I, act one, so it is very important how these are represented, as they will be the first impression the audience have of him. Demetriuss lines are: Relent, sweet Hermia; and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. (Scene I, Act I, lines 91-92) The way in which this line is performed is very important. As the tormented lovers, the audience feels very strongly for Hermia and Lysander, to whom the presence of Demetrius is an invasive one. I would therefore also like to convey to the audience this sense of invasion. When Demetrius says, Relent, sweet Hermia I would like him to walk up to Hermia, and put his arm around her, caressing her with his other hand, turning them both away from Lysander. When he speaks to Lysander, Demetrius should keep his back to Lysander, but turn his head to face him, so that his line is like an aside, as if he does not respect him. The words crazed title should be accompanied by paralinguistic features, such as an outstretching arm to convey to the audience how much Demetrius does not want Lysander and Hermia to marry. Finally, the word my should be over emphasized to convey that Demetrius strongly feels that Hermia should be his, whether she loves him or not, because of the wishes of her father. His character, and especially his behaviour towards Helana changes at the end of the play. Whilst in the earlier stages of the play, he is confident, using large gestures and a lot of stage space, at the end of the play, I would like him to express a more tender side to the audience, to convey the development of his character: That we are awake? It seems to me That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think The duke was here, and bid us follow him? (Scene IV, Act I, lines 192-194) This line should be used to convey character development to the audience as it contrasts so strongly with his opening line the use of you in contrast to my for example. There is also a confusion in this utterance, which contrast with the confidence in the first lines. Helena At the beginning of the play, Helena is portrayed as hapless; the scorned lover who has been wooed by Demetrius and then ignored in favour of Hermia. However, like Demetrius, Helena demonstrates a massive character development and transformation. Like Lysander, the arc of her character trajectory reaches its crescendo after Puck has sprinkled the love potion in Lysander and Demetriuss eyes. When they both try to woo her, she feels they are mocking her, and gets angry. To best convey the transformation in her character between before and after the love potion has been dispensed, Id like to consider how vocal quality and demeanor can be used in two of her utterances: Call you me fair? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! Sickness is catching. O, were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. O, teach me how you look, and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius heart. (Scene I, Act I, lines 181-194) This except is from a long speech in which Helena proceeds to extol the virtues of Hermia, with whom Demetrius is infatuated. The key message I would like to convey to the audience from this speech is the idea that Helena is confused, upset and slightly jealous of Hermia. She is asking Hermia how she won the heart of Demetrius. In order to convey this dejection to the audience, I think the delivery of this speech should involve some rhetoric while Helena is asking Hermia how she wooed him, and saying how fair Hermia is, my interpretation of this speech is that it is a melancholy meditation on the loss of her love. She is not looking for external answers, rather internal answers, and so it is questions she is asking herself. This could be expressed to the audience by the character of Helena distancing her self physically from the group this would be a visual symbol of her isolation. Her demeanor and body language would be hunched and dejected, and her voice subdued and hushed The other speech that is a seminal moment in the performance of Helen is when she feels she is being mocked by the two men, and gets angry. Clearly her relationship with Demetrius is changed when he falls in love with her. While she may be unaware of it, the hierarchy of the relationship has been overturned, and she has now adopted a position of power. In her speech, she says: O spite! O hell! I see you are all bent To set against me for your merriment. If you were civil and knew courtesy You would not do me thus much injury. (Scene III, Act II, lines 145-148) This speech can be used to great effect to demonstrate the performance possibilities of this role. The demeanor and vocal qualities performing this speech would require differ hugely to the earlier one with a louder voice, delivery directed at the other characters and inflated body language required. Hermia Hermia is represented in the play as a strong, defiant young woman, prepared to take risks in order to fulfil her own desires. This is exemplified in her refusal to bow down to her fathers wish that she marry Demetrius. In the face of a death sentence, or life in a nunnery, she escapes with Lysander into the forest. Lysanders love for Hermia, along with Demetriuss desire, demonstrate that she is an attractive and desirable young woman. These are two important points Id like to consider when constructing the performance of Hermia. I would like to convey to the audience her inner strength and determination, alongside her physical attractiveness. The notion of physical attractiveness could be conveyed primarily through costume and appearance. As Hermia is clearly a woman of considerable charm (illustrated when Helena asks her what charm she used to capture Demetruiss heart), her costume should reflect this. As it is believed that she unwittingly won over Demetrius (this is an ambiguity in the text it is possible that Demetrius loves her because her father is so impressed by him) I would also like to impress upon the audience a sense of naivete and innocence. The obvious symbolic colour of this is white. White would also look striking under the stage lights. I would use floaty fabrics for the costumes, such as organza, to communicate the ethereal quality of not only Hermia herself, but also the forest, and the magic contained within it. When Hermia leaves Athens and escapes to the forest, I would like her to adopt a robe over her dress, of green, to convey to the audience, through her change in costume, that a change is impending in the play. While the charm and beauty of the character of Hermia will be communicated visually, the inner strength and courage that I interpret as being key elements of her character, will be communicated through her demeanor. It is commonly understood in the study of body language that confident people stand up straight, unlike shy people, who hunch up, in a subconscious decision to take up less space. In this way, stage space becomes an important indicator of personality. I have mentioned before that I would, at certain points in the text like characters to use the whole space of the stage to convey a sense of confidence. I would like the performance of Hermia to adopt a comfortable use of the entire stage space. More specifically, I would like to refer to one speech that I feel is very important in the text, in Scene I, Act I, when Hermia is talking to Theseus with regards to her desire to marry Lysander: So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent up Unto his lordship whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give soveregnity. (Scene I, Act I, lines 79-82) This speech is an important point at the text because Hermia makes clear her intentions to avoid marriage to Demetrius. It is a very dramatic, sensitive piece. This speech should be delivered with intensity, to convey to the audience the depth of Hermias feelings for Lysander. The performance should include some paralinguistic features such as moving around the stage, facial expressions and hand movements to express her feelings visually. Theseus My understanding of Theseus is that he is a very complex character there is conflicting evidence in the text as to his true nature. There is one utterance in the text that brings up questions regarding his true nature, when he is talking to Hippolyta and he says that: Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key: (Scene I, Act I, lines 16-18) My interpretation of this line is that Theseus raped Hippolyta. The implications of this in terms of how the character should be performed are vast. In much of the text, Theseus is represented as a pensive, thoughtful man. He kindly advises Hermia to Take time to pause (Scene I, Act I, line 83) when discussing the situation with her father Egeus. This scene presents him as rational and kindly. The suggestion of rape in line 16 makes the line highly important, the suggestion I would like to convey to the audience is the idea that Theseus is warning Hippolyta. In bringing the issue of the rape to the forefront, he is reminding her of the power balance in their relationship. There is also possibly some penitence in this admission. This could be communicated to the audience through the use of certain vocal qualities, demeanor and stage space. Back to: Example Essays I would like Theseuss sense of power to be conveyed to the audience in a visual way, so he would deliver this speech standing, and walking around, whilst the character of Hippolyta would be sitting down. The discrepancy in their heights would be a visual representation of the hierarchy, which would further consolidate what Theseus was saying. This is such a patriarchal power play that props could be used to represent a sense of phallocentricity such as a sceptre a regal and phallic symbol. The use of this prop could convey to the audience my interpretation of Theseus as being the patriarchal and dominant force in the opening of the play. His kingdom is run on a set of rigid rules for example, Egeus invoking the ancient law of Athens as Hermia wants to marry Lysander. This is in stark contrast to the forest the mysterious, feminine arena which is the binary opposite of Athens. In terms of demeanor, Theseus should be calm, and considered in his movements. I would like his costume to be of dark colours, and of neat, clean lines. This operates in contrast to Hermias costume the white of her costume is a symbol of innocence while the dark of Theseuss costume is aligned with the dark side he hints at in this speech.

Compare And Contrast Two Alternative Systems Of Resource Allocation In

Compare And Contrast Two Alternative Systems Of Resource Allocation In The Economy Economics can be said to be the science which studies the relationship between scarce resources, with alternative uses, and consumers’ unlimited wants. Therefore the ‘problem’ of resource allocation can be seen to be central to the basic economic problem. In this way , how resources are allocated throughout an economy is of great importance and different types of economies employ different methods to achieve this allocation. All economies have this same basic economic problem of ‘what’ to produce, ‘how’ to produce it, and ‘for whom’ to produce it. Deciding what to produce involves choosing a certain allocation of resources, in order to produce a particular combination of goods. The method of choosing the resource allocation varies, according to the economy in question. There is also the question of how to produce the goods which you require. ‘Any particular output can usually be produced by several different techniques, ranging from ones using a large quantity of labour and only a few simple machines, to ones using a large quantity of automated machines and only a few workers.’ (R.G.Lipsey; 1989) Different economies also vary in the way that national product is distributed throughout the individuals and groups within the society. The methods which a society uses in order to tackle these questions determines the type of economy it is. There are various methods of resource allocation and the two most extreme cases are the contrasting methods of the ‘free-market’ and the ‘command’ economies. ‘In a market economy, the allocation of resources is the outcome of millions of independent decisions made by consumers and producers, all acting through the medium of the market’ (Lipsey; 1989) The free-market economy depends upon the interaction of consumers and producers, all acting in their own self interest. The allocation of resources throughout the economy occurs via the ‘price system’ a system which sets the free-market economy aside from the command economy. This system works in conjunction with the theory of demand and supply, that is, price is a function of the demand and supply of goods and services. An example of this could be illustrated using the markets for beef and pork. Let us say that, due to the recent British Beef crisis, the market demand for beef has ... ...ice of a good, are those for whom the goods and services are produced. In a command economy the central authority decides what, how, and for whom to produce in order to create the best economic situation. In practice, however, there are no purely command or free market economies, all economies are mixed with a tendency towards either extreme. The U.K may be said to be free-market, yet the government intervenes in order to combat the inequitable free-market attitude by monitoring resource allocation through benefits, taxation, subsidies and other policies. There are arguments or and against both free-market and command economies, however the modern trend of former planned economies moving towards the free-market attitude, despite problems during transition, seems to indicate that perhaps the advantages of the free-market outweigh the disadvantages and that the ‘free-market based’ modern mixed economy is more attractive than command based economies. BIBLIOGRAPHY Beggs, Fischer, Dornbusch (1997) : Economics 5th Edition. R.G.Lipsey (1989) : An Introduction to Positive Economics. C.Weststrate (1963) :Types of Economy. A.Eckstein (1973) : Comparison of Economic Systems.

Character, Dignity, and Self-Respect Essay

This paper will summarize the movie Glory and relate one or two characters to Aristotle, Epictetus, and Saint Augustine on character, dignity, and self-respect. Alina Campbell This paper will summarize the movie Glory and relate one or two characters to Aristotle, Epictetus, and Saint Augustine on character, dignity, and self-respect. The movie Glory is based on a true story about the Commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry which was the first black regiment to be listed in the service of the United States. It is based on the letters by Col. Robert Shaw. Col. Shaw felt he was involved in something that he was not completely sure about, considering he had previously lost a lot of soldiers to battle. He was now faced with survivor’s guilt which he knew would heal in time. Shaw later became a mighty leader that lead the black regiment to take on the battle in Fort Wagner. Aristotle Character is mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Aristotle believed character to be neither a feeling or a capacity or a mere tendency to act in certain ways (Sommers & Sommers, 2010). He believed instead that character was a settled condition we are in when we are well off in relation to our feelings and our actions. The virtues of character are dispositions to act in a certain way in response to similar situations. Good conduct arises from habits that in turn can only be acquired by repeated action and correction. Col. Robert Gould Shaw fits Aristotle’s view of Character best in my opinion. He was not only the commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, their voice. The black men that fought with Shaw were slaves that wanted to fight for their freedom. When Shaw was told of the United States Government planning to form this regiment of black soldiers he agreed to take the Commanding position. He then asked his best friend Major Cabot Forbes to fight along with him and Forbes accepted. At one point Shaw fights for these men to get the proper uniform and boots. He also refuses pay along with them after finding out that they are paid less than the white soldiers. Both Shaw and Forbes strongly connected with this group of men: the angry Private Trip (Denzel Washington); Private Jupiter Sharts (Jhine Kennedy); Corporal Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), a very smart and educated man that grew up with Shaw and worked for Shaw’s father, and Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), a runaway slave who speaks with the voice of wisdom and reason. Dignity is the state of quality of being worthy of honor or respect. Aristotle’s view on dignity consists of the consciousness that we deserve honors, not in processing them. You cannot earn dignity through external awards; instead it is something you bestow upon yourself. â€Å"Dignity consists not in possessing recognition from others, but in consciousness that we deserve recognition from others† (Sommers &Sommers, 2010). The character played by Morgan Freeman, Rawlings, knew that being a slave was not worth much, so he decided to help Shaw fight the battle at Fort Wagner. Forbes also displayed dignity in the movie. Forbes was Col. Shaw’s best friend and is who told Col. Shaw of this regiment. Due to the type of relationship the two had, Col. Shaw asked Forbes to come along with him to prepare the black slaves. Forbes agreed and stood by Col. Shaw and these black men through the name calling, getting the proper shoes, and receiving their uniforms like the white soldiers had while fighting in the Civil War. Aristotle describes the position of character, dignity and self- respect as character being a state concern with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, that this is determined by reason and in such a way that a man of wisdom would determine it. It is a mean between two vices that depends on excess that depends on defect (Sommers & Sommers, 2010) Aristotle feels neither a feeling nor a capacity nor a tendency to behave in specific ways. It is the settled condition we are in when we are well off in a relation to our feelings and actions when we are in a mean or intermediate state in regard to them. Meaning we have a vicious character that we are badly off in relation to feeling and actions, and we fail the means in regards to them. The character that I felt showed this type of role would be Denzel and Andre’s characters, known as Trip and Thomas. Trip was a runaway slave that was very angry. He didn’t have anybody and had been previously beaten several times. Trip had specific thoughts of the white man and they were that the slaves were seen as monkeys. He thought that the slaves should be dressed up in uniform and fight, since the white men would only get themselves killed and wouldn’t be able to win. Andre Braugher played Thomas. He was an educated man that had worked for Col. Shaw’s father. He believed that black men should know how to read and have pride within themselves. In the movie Glory, Thomas had learned to take a lot. Thomas assumed that since he and Col. Shaw were close friends that he would be treated a bit differently, but to his surprise, he was called out by his best friend to train a lot faster than he was and then yelled at. Thomas learned much at the end of the movie, including self-respect. Thomas had been shot in a previous battle and he asked Col. Shaw to promise that he wouldn’t send him back, which Shaw didn’t allow Thomas to continue in battle. Later in the movie, Col. Shaw asks who would be willing to standin the place of the flagman, should something happen, and Thomas stated that he would and did. Epictetus Epictetus held the Orthodox Stoic view that everything in the universe is directed by divine will. Epictetus was different from the early stoics in that he believed happiness was found in maintaining one’s moral character as opposed to striving for moral excellence. He emphasized self-knowledge and keeping one’s moral character in order as the way to achieve a happy life. Epictetus warned his students to expect persecution since their actions and attitudes would be different from those around them. He encouraged them to view life as an athletic challenge, a festival or a short military service, where success would come from a combination of correct choices and skill. Epictetus believed that â€Å"grief was the most offensive emotion; he considered the suffering of grief as an act of evil. It was a willful act, going against the will of God to have all men share happiness† (Stockdale, 1995). Col. Robert Shaw, through his personal growth and internal realizations fulfilled his leadership duties on the battlefield, as well as beyond. He chose to take the beliefs he had from his life prior to war to another level. Shaw struggled with the question of equality among the races yet he recognized the character and desires of the Black Americans and chose to act on their behalf as well as the Unions. Shaw felt that his soldiers, regardless of color, deserved respect just as much as the white soldiers. Shaw was willing to not take pay to make a point that his soldiers deserved the same pay as their fellow white soldiers. He stuck his neck out to make sure they received the proper gear in order to fight. Shaw had finally decided to not let the grief from the prior battle to control him, he chose to help in the happiness of the slaves and continue to fight for their freedom. Saint Augustine Augustine’s approach was not just brilliant, it was practical. His insight is intellectually credible and emotionally satisfying in that it gives hope and offers meaning to the Christian trying to make sense out of life in a fallen world (Sommers & Sommers, 2010). To Augustine, anything that had being was good. Good as the ground of being was perfectly good, along with everything he brought into being. This goodness was a property that came in varying degrees. The obstacles that Col. Robert Gould Shaw had to overcome is the fact that he failed in battle another time. He had to pick himself back up, and he then led the black regiment in the Civil War and was refused to let these black soldiers be treated with any less respect than the white soldiers. Another hardship that Col. Shaw and his black soldiers had to endure was the fact they were getting under paid, they were not given the proper shoes to march in, and the fact they were not given the proper uniforms like the other soldiers. Col. Shaw had shown a life of character, dignity and self- respect by being the honorable Commander that he was. Col. Shaw never let others views get in the way of his personal view of his soldiers. Col. Shaw had self- respect even though he had been defeated, prior to leading the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry soldiers with dignity and never gave up on them.  He was a man that believed in faith and that the black soldiers were no different than any others.