Ancient Persia and the Persian Empire

Ancient Persia and the Persian Empire The Ancient Persians (modern Iran) are more familiar to us than the other empire builders of Mesopotamia or the Ancient Near East, the  Sumerians,  Babylonians, and  Assyrians, not only because the Persians were more recent, but because they were amply described by the Greeks. Just as one man, Alexander of Macedon (Alexander the Great), ultimately wore the Persians down quickly (in about three years), so the Persian Empire rose to power quickly under the leadership of  Cyrus the Great. The extent of Persia varied, but at its height, it extended southwards to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean; to the east and northeast, the Indus and Oxus rivers; to the north, the Caspian Sea and Mt. Caucasus; and to the west, the Euphrates River. This territory includes desert, mountains, valleys, and pastures. At the time of the ancient Persian Wars, the Ionian Greeks and Egypt were under Persian dominion. Western Cultural Identity and the Persian Army We in the West are accustomed to seeing the Persians as the them to a Greek us. There was no Athenian-style democracy for the Persians, but an absolute monarchy that denied the individual, common man his say in political life. The most important part of the Persian army was a seemingly fearless elite fighting group of 10,000, known as The Immortals because when one was killed another would be promoted to take his place. Since all men were eligible for combat until age 50, manpower was not an obstacle, although to ensure loyalty, the original members of this immortal fighting machine were Persians or Medes. Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great, a religious man and adherent of Zoroastrianism, first came to power in Iran by overcoming his in-laws, the Medes (c. 550 B.C.)- the conquest made easy by many defectors, becoming the first ruler of the Achaemenid Empire (the first of the Persian Empires). Cyrus then made peace with the Medes and cemented the alliance by creating not just Persian, but Median sub-kings with the Persian title khshathrapavan (known as satraps) to rule the provinces. He also respected area religions. Cyrus conquered the Lydians, the Greek colonies on the Aegean coast, the Parthians, and Hyrcanians. He conquered Phrygia on the south shore of the Black Sea. Cyrus set up a fortified border along the Jaxartes River in the Steppes, and in 540 B.C., he conquered the Babylonian Empire. He established his capital in a cold area, Pasargadae (the Greeks called it Persepolis), contrary to the wishes of the Persian aristocracy. He was killed in battle in 530. The successors of Cyrus conquered Egypt, Thrace, Macedonia, and spread the Persian Empire east to the Indus River. Seleucids, Parthians, and Sassanids Alexander the Great put an end to the Achaemenid rulers of Persia. His successors ruled the area as the Seleucids, intermarrying with native populations and covering a large, fretful area that soon broke up into divisions. The Parthians gradually emerged as the next major Persian power ruling in the area. The Sassanids or Sassanians overcame the Parthians after a few hundred years and ruled with almost constant trouble on their eastern borders as well as to the west, where the Romans contested the territory sometimes through to the fertile area of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) until the Muslim Arabs conquered the area.

Online Selection of Printable Graph Paper

Online Selection of Printable Graph Paper Do you need to print some graph paper? This is a selection of different types of graph paper in pdf format that you can save and print as needed. Standard Printable Graph Paper - 5 x 5 graph paper grid, 10 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper with X-Y Axis - 5 x 5 grid graph paper, centered X-Y axis, 10 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper with 5 Lines per Inch - 5 x 5 grid graph paper, 5 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #4 - 5 x 5 grid, centered X-Y axis, 5 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #5 - 4 x 4 grid, 8 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #6 - 4 x 4 grid, centered X-Y axis, 8 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #7 - 8 lines per inch (no grid) plain graph paper Printable Graph Paper #8 - 8 lines per inch, centered X-Y axis Printable Graph Paper #9 - 10 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #10 - 10 lines per inch, centered X-Y axis Printable Graph Paper #11 - 5 lines per inch Printable Graph Paper #12 - 5 lines per inch, centered X-Y axis

The adventure of sherlock holmes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The adventure of sherlock holmes - Essay Example Components such as plot, character and narrator make understanding of the stories quite easy. While a number of publications do not have all the components, others employ all for the purpose of drawing meaning. Doyle uses plot, narrative and character to help simplify the stories and ensure clear understanding of the stories (Doyle, 3). In the ‘Adventure of Red Headed League’, Doyle uses plot, narrator and character to help open up the story to the reader for a better consumption (Doyle, 45). With respect to plot, the sequence of events from one issue to another helps the reader to connect the dots and relate the content of the story. This is what brings an understanding to the reader. For instance, Holmes and Watson are vastly mentioned in the adventure. In the plot, the lines reveal multiple sides of Holmes while being silent on Watson. The plot of the story is choreographed in such a way that Holmes is portrayed as all knowing and tries to jargon through a number of issues. Through this, Doyle makes the story to be understood through the interactions between Watson and Holmes. Holmes as in the story has a character that is questionable (Doyle, 65). Throughout the story, the reader is left pondering on how Holmes is to behave in the next coming lines. Flipping over the pages is eminent as the readerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s attention is drawn to the events. The plot of the story makes it possible to understand the wellbeing of the individuals in the adventure to the extent that it becomes easy to understand the essence of everyone’s role and background. Consequently, in the Red-Headed League, there are events that are characteristics of the use of a plot (Doyle, 80). Mr. Holmes in the story is met by a man disturbed man whose descriptions in the definition of a joke. His concern is to get to the bottom of the messages going about claiming that he is a joker. From this point, his search for the truth makes him to move from one step to the other with Holmes being

Change model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Change model - Assignment Example This paper is aimed at discussing the change process in an organization, including Health Safety and Environment change model and its application. The change process There are various models of the change process available today. Examples of models of change include the HSE; Kotters’ eight- step change model; Kurt Lewin’s model; Meta model among others. Kotter's eight-step model is a general organization-wide change management model where management initiates change (Beckhard 1969). It starts with increasing the urgency and building a guiding team. One must have the right vision and ensure you appeal to as many people as possible. Also, one must ensure that all obstacles against that vision are removed, maintain persistence and make the change last. Kurt Lewin’s model is based on the three processes of unfreezing, change and then freezing. Lewin’s theory, though appearing as impractical, is still relevant and has been adopted by most modern change process models (Almaraz 1994). The Meta change model, on the other hand, is based on the provision of understanding of the principles of the change process that is better than the other models. It achieves this by ensuring identification of the common themes in a broader perspective, ranging from individual to organization based changes (George & Jones 2000). First, one needs to study the patterns of change, which enables him or her get the stimulus for adapting to the change. The next step involves the rationalization of the necessity for change, preparing and adjusting to change that now becomes the normalcy. The Meta change model is renowned for its coverage of a broader range of fields thus diversifies the perspectives to the change process Rationale for the change model selected. The selected change model is HSE, which is the Health Safety and Environment change model. It is used in managing safety, health and environmental impact issues. The approach applied in the HSE model includes a combination of the project management and organizational development. This is essential as it facilitates implementation of discipline and structure to the change process (Kotter 2011). The HSE change model was used over more detailed change processes for instance the Kotters' eight-steps change model because the staff at the radiology department initiated the need for change. This eliminated the need for increasing the urgency as the radiology staff already wanted a better system. In addition to this, successful transition and adaptation to the change process requires the interaction and good relations between parties involved, in this case the hospital staff and patients (Bradford & Burke 2005). HSE model is a preferable choice as it encourages the recognition of people involved in the change process and this promotes successful transition (George & Jones 2000). HSE thus promotes team work, which is paramount to change the process. Being a health-care change (IHE), the HSE chang e model was the most suitable as it is geared more for managing change in the health-care provision which is driven more by the staff and patient needs at the radiology department. The IHE implementation change is taking place only at the radiology department and given the need for change originated from radiology staff, the HSE change model was chosen as more suitable for the health-care change. Conclusion For an organizational change to occur, the

White Denial-Strong Response Essay Example for Free

White Denial-Strong Response Essay In the article, (Proto)Typical White Denial: Reflections on Racism and Uncomfortable Realities, written by Tim Wise he informs his readers that the article is not his first about white denial. He also reminds his readers that when talking about white denial, someone is bound to get offended. Wise received an email from a man claiming that Wises article was racist against whites and that Wise stating that whites are in denial would be like him making the broad generalization that all blacks are criminals. Wise informs his readers that a generalization based on stereotypes in racism and if the generalization is based on actual proven facts, it is not. Wise proves his point within his article by showing his readers the facts. He gives his readers the surveys and experience that either he has found on his own or that he has found in doing research on the subject. As Wise wraps up his article he explains that until whites that until whites can prove in these tests and surveys that they are not automatically putting blacks in one category and hispanics into another, whites are in fact in denial about being judgmental towards other races. For instance, after reading Wises article it brought back a specific memory I do not particularly enjoy. It was when I realized that some people hold themselves higher than others. In this case, she was better because she was white, I was better because I was white, and someone who had a dark skin tone was a criminal. White privilege was very apparent. I was in the eighth grade and my best friend Codee Ricks was half black and half white; which meant absolutely nothing to either one of us. One morning after a sleepover we decided to walk over to the gas station across the street from my house to get some donuts. We had gone there before plenty of times but this time was much different. There was a new person working, she was a fairly young white woman, we walked in and smiled, she half smiled and from the moment we walked in watched Codee like a hawk. I did not understand what was going on, I was pretty oblivious until the woman told me to come up to the counter for a second. In Wises article he reports of a study he did on his own where he asked different types of questions, When asked to envision a criminal,[ ] almost all white participants[ ]respond that their first image was that of someone who was black or Latino/a. (Wise 96) After I walked up to her counter she acted like she was showing me some kind of deal when she whispered, Watch your friend, I do not want her stealing anything. It was right there that she expressed white privilege to me. She showed how she believed she was better for being white, as well as I. I did not say a word to the lady behind the counter, I was shocked someone could be so ignorant. I told Codee the story as we walked back to my house; I had never seen my friend so sad. White privilege is very vivid in the study, and in the story. In the story the woman at the counter assumed I was not going to steal and that my friend, who was of color would, she was holding whites to a higher standard when I had done nothing to prove or earn that assumption and neither had Codee. In the same study of Wises mentioned earlier, most whites, and even large numbers of participants of color held whites up to a higher standard by assuming that the criminals were of color. In the same study another question asked reaffirmed white privilege, if I ask people to envision an all-American boy or girl, or even worse, God, they invariably admit to envisioning white images(Wise 96). At the gas station the clerk pictured a criminal being black and pictured a young girl of innocence as white. This is similar to what people automatically think when they think of the all-American boy or girl or Santa Claus. Incidents like the picturing of someone as a certain color, is what causes white privilege, and white privilege often leads to white denial. Whites automatically have some sort of unearned power that leads to them feeling as though they are superior to those of different races. Although they normally do not recognize it. For instance, I have a roommate from Kansas City, shes upper middle class, gets whatever she wants and judges whoever she can whenever she can. Just the other day I was sitting in my room talking about Dillards and how I like to go and visit my mom and occasionally shop. My roommate interrupted me with, I do not really like Dillards. When I asked her why she stated, Well, where I come from thats where the, well I am not racist or anything but the blacks and mexicans normally shop. When I asked her why that mattered she said, Well, normally, they do not make very much money. At that point I left the room. This was not the only occasion I had heard I am not racist or anything but leaving me to the conclusion that white denial, as well as white privilege are related. In the case of Codee the lady made a generalization about Codees race in the fact that she felt Codee was going to steal. While my roommate believes that those of color other than white are poor. My roommate holds whites above other races by making the assumption that those of color make less money than those who are not. Although I agree that whites are in denial, Wise himself made a broad generalization about whites, similar to the clerk and my roommate. Later within Wises article he writes of the events during Hurricane Katrina which, suggested that black folks were raping and killing people en masse and goes on to complicate things by stating, Needless to say, were a hurricane to take out Nantucket, or destroy the summer homes of the white and wealthy[ ], and were the media to broadcast rumors to the effect that rich white folks were raping and killing people []no one would believe them without evidence(Wise 97). I do not agree with no one, the reason that I do not agree is because I know for a fact that there would be a lot of people of all sorts of colors, even white, that would believe it, no one is a large statement to make. As well as it is a assumption; he does not provide any other sort of factual evidence when he makes this statement. I know that there are plenty of people who would believe it, like my one roommate, but that is one out of four. Not four out of four, which leads me to believe that there are more good people out there then no one. There are a lot of good people in the world, people who do not look at the color someone is. Like my friend Codee, who even after that incident happened to her does not hold a thing against upper class white people or white people in general. I know that I do not think of color being a difference, I do not think that I should be more privileged than Codee or anyone else for that matter. If I were to see that upper class whites were raping and killing, I would think it would be just as horrible if I could even remember the rumors about the people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. There are plenty of people in the world who do not think in terms of poor=black or rich=white. When there are stories of serial rapists here in Manhattan, I do not automatically think or picture the rapist as someone of color, I actually picture a creepy older white man; which would be me stereotyping and proving that judgment in general happens about someones own race, or a different race; as Wise and I have both shown. I do not think that it is fair for Wise to state, no one would believe them without evidence(Wise 97). As I stated above, no one is just too broad of a term. Although there should not be anyone out in the world making broad assumptions about a certain race, everyone unfortunately does. Until proven, most people in the world will not believe the the fictional, and often times even the non-fictional. Making it difficult for white denial, and white privilege to completely disappear. Throughout Wises article he makes valid points, shows his readers that is a problem by not only proving it with evidence, but also by showing us in the article that he himself makes judgments about certain types of people. Before reading this article I would not have recognized when people, including myself were judging people solely on there appearance. Not just skin tone but down to the way a person presents themselves. Looking at personal experience with Codee and my roommate, I believe that there will always be some form of white privilege and white denial. If more people were to read Wises articles and others similar to his, there would be some hope that it would go away some more.

Hostage Rescue :: essays research papers

Hostage Rescue As a terrorist, your role in a hostage rescue level is to prevent counter-terrorists (CTs) from leading the hostages from where they are being held to the hostage rescue zone. Terrorists win hostage rescue rounds by eliminating the counter-terrorist force while preventing them from rescuing hostages. CTs win a round by finding the hostages and leading more than half of them to freedom. CTs can get the attention of a hostage by moving near him then pressing their ‘Use’ key (see Controls, Use). The hostage will now follow the CT back to the rescue zone. If a CT wants the hostage to stop following, they need to press ‘Use’ again and the hostage will stay put. Sometimes when you have a group of hostages following you, they may block you into an area; you can push them out of the way by simply walking into them. CTs can also win a round by eliminating the terrorists. Bomb/Defuse In a bomb/defuse map, the goal of the terrorist is to plant a C4 bomb in the designated area then prevent the CTs from defusing the bomb. Players must remember to stay well clear of the bomb when it explodes, as it has a large and deadly blast radius. The bomb is randomly assigned to a terrorist at the start of the round. Team members can identify the bomb carrier by the backpack they are wearing and the player with the bomb will see an icon on their Heads Up Display (see HUD, bomb carrier). To plant the bomb, the carrier must be in the vicinity of the bombing target. While having the bomb as their currently selected item, the player must then press and hold their fire key (see Controls, Fire) for three seconds for the bomb to be planted. The bomb will go off after a set period of time has passed (45 seconds by default). The level is won by the terrorists when the bomb explodes (maximum payoff) or if the CT team is eliminated (smaller payoff). CTs can win a defuse map in two ways: by defusing the bomb or by eliminating the Terrorists (if the Terrorists managed to plant the bomb before being eliminated, CTs must still defuse the bomb to win the round). To defuse the bomb, CTs must stand near the bomb, target it then press and hold their ‘use’ key until the bomb is defused.

Filipinos Before the Spanish Era

Long before the Spaniards came, the Philippines was already inhabited by natives. And among the natives of the Island were the Negritos. Characteristically, the Negritoes were short and dark skinned people. They had curly hair, small nose and were thick-lipped. These natives were barely clothed as clothing for them consists of the bahag and a jacket-like upper for men. They wore neither shoes nor slippers but go about barefooted. Their women adorn themselves with ornaments while their men usually tattoo themselves.The natives of the Island lived in small huts more popularly known as bahay kubo. These small huts were usually made of bamboo and the roofs made of nipa, resources that are readily available and abundant in the Philippines. For their livelihood, the natives depended on fishing since the Philippines is mostly coastal. However, the natives also went hunting for food. This is because the Philippines is known for being rich in natural resources. Thus, food was never a problem for the natives as the island is abundantly endowed.Like any tribe or group of people, the natives were very communal and thus lived in small communities known as the balangay. Each balangay was headed by a leader called the datu or raj. The Datu or the Raj was usually a brave and respected leader who is expected to protect his community from outside attack. It is also the leader’s responsibility to maintain peace and order within the community. Thus, the Datu or the Raj resolves whenever conflicts arise between and among his constituents.This system is the earliest known form of government which has now been carried over to the present day Barangays. Even before the Spaniards came and who claimed to have civilized the inhabitants of the island, the natives were already literate and civilized people. Manifestations of their civilization and literacy can be seen from the rules that govern the balangay. And there have been many other indications especially in their communities that these natives were literate people.

Smart Grid Resolution, London Waste Dump Site and Maladroit’s Cosmetics Essay

One of the benefits of investing in this $100 million project includes rerouting power around bottlenecked lines. This allows Xcel Energy to deliver electricity to areas in Boulder that have a very high demand that the previous conventional electrical grid was unable to service effectively. This smart-grid system also enables Xcel Energy to detect and reduce power outages, identify false alarms more quickly and read customer meters remotely. This in return will lead to a reduction in the number of times the service crews are sent out to those locations, thus making the service crews more productive. Combining the efficiency of the smart-grid electrical system and the reduction of outages will allow Xcel Energy to capture cost-savings more appropriately. Additionally, this electrical smart-grid allows customers to monitor their individual power use reducing household usage by up to 30% in some cases, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction. Although this may lead to a decrease in revenue for Xcel Energy, the smart-grid system enables integration of renewable generation, an increase in overall system efficiency, a more robust electrical system and an ability to recover under-utilized and wasted energy. We can’t say for sure, but this may actually benefit Xcel Energy in the long-run as they will recover lost revenue through their decreased operational costs using the smart-grid electrical system. What conflicts do you suspect might have occurred between all the different stakeholders in this project? In any project there are four main stakeholders. This includes Client, Parent Organization, Project Team and the Public. In the case of Xcel Energy’s smart-grid project, both the client and public would be the population of Boulder, CO. The Parent Organization is Xcel Energy and the project team includes representatives from Accenture consulting for engineering, energy industry consultants, leading technologists, business leaders and IT experts. Accenture provides consulting solutions in many major industrial sectors. According to the text, Accenture consulting for engineering was hired. Additionally, IT experts were also brought onto the team. Accenture provides IT solutions as part of their consulting portfolio so there may be some conflict between the two parties due to their different backgrounds and methods of doing business. Also security and privacy were of utmost importance to protect intellectual property, so it is in the best interests of the project team and the parent organization to control how much information they gave to the public and local media. However, the latter of the two recipients may have wanted more information, specifically, how this affects their electricity costs and demands in the long run causing another source of conflict. Internally, members of the project team will experience conflict caused by belonging to two different teams – their project team and functional team. Often, the head of the teams are two different people with different motives and goals, and the members have the responsibility to report to both and are therefore pulled in two different directions. The members of the project team experience almost total conflict as they compete for project resources and leadership roles. This is caused in part by the different backgrounds, attitudes and biases of each member. This would be especially apparent in the Xcel project where members from many different companies and departments are brought together, each with a unique way of accomplishing the tasks and work packages of the project. Turning London’s Waste Dump into the 2012 Olympics Stadium Which of the â€Å"triple constraints† seems to be the uppermost here? Which constraints was Crockford trading between? The text says Crockford â€Å"quickly† assembled a project team of over 1000 individuals in order to meet the mid-2011 completion date. A constant referral to time is also observed. The start date of construction was noted as May 2008 and although there was a delay due to re-designing the roof, the text ends by stating that the project was still on track to be completed by mid-2011. Therefore, Schedule is the triple constraint uppermost here. The design team for the 2012 Olympics Stadium planned a highly-compact field of play requiring a steel-beamed roof and on discovering that the steel-beamed roof as designed would create turbulence on the compact field, a lighter, more flexible roof was redesigned, which was made in part from recycled materials. This roof required less steel and cost less than the initial steel-beamed roof designed. Thus, Crockford traded between the Scope (Required Deliverables) and the Cost (Budget limit). Was the life cycle for this project S-shaped, J-shaped, or something else? Considering just the purpose of the river dredging as a project itself, what was the shape of its life cycle? The completion of London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium consisted of selecting the project team (consisting of over 1000 members), cleaning up the chosen site, design of the stadium, construction, delays and finally construction until completion. Therefore, the project life-cycle most likely followed a stretched S-shape curve similar to housing construction projects. The S-shaped curve is categorized by a slow start, followed by a quick build-up and a slow finish. This is a result of the changing levels of resources used during the successive stages of the life-cycle. The slow start in this case would be the clearing of the site and design of the stadium. Construction would also begin slowly but would quickly ramp up once all the raw materials are shipped to the location and base infrastructure completed. There is a delay (not uncommon – almost expected) when the team realizes the steel-beamed roof would create turbulence on the compact field. Finally, construction will slow down as specialized parts are ordered for the final touches (luxury spectator rooms, confectionary stands etc). The river dredging project followed a J-shaped curve. This is characterized by a slow start followed by an exponential increase in project completion over time. Moreover, the expenditure of resources has little correlation with overall progress. The team removed 30,000 tons of silt, gravel and garbage from the river. Getting the cranes and other heavy machinery used to remove garbage from the river would take time, but once there, they can quickly and effectively remove the waste from the river. Were there any ancillary goals for this project? What might they have been? The Olympic Delivery Authority’s goal to use recycled materials in the building of the 2012 Olympic Stadium can be considered as an ancillary goal. The use of recycled materials to build a lighter, more flexible roof creates opportunities whereby a stadium can be completely built from recycled materials in the future. An ancillary goal of making 55,000 of the 80,000 seats temporary would create a profitable stadium in the future because the cost of maintaining the area containing the seats is grossly reduced. Furthermore, a successful stadium results in a successful 2012 Olympics and ultimately increases tourism in England. Finally, Ian Crockford has greatly increased his reputation and experience as a project manager (as well as his subordinates and parent company too) which drastically increases his chances of managing future projects on this scale and beyond. Which of the project-defining factors in Section 1. 1 were active here. The project was identified as important by the Olympic Delivery Authority composed of politicians and other high-ranking members of society. The scope was clearly defined from the beginning of the project and was divided into sub-tasks to achieve the project goals. The due date of the project is also clearly defined as Mid-2011. Many interdependencies were at play such as the recycled metal from the police department and dredging of the river. The project was unique in that it had a temporary seating design, a lighter more flexible roof and designed specifically for the 2012 London Olympics. The budget was limited to ? 32 million and not unlike the Xcel Energy case detailed above; conflicts existed between the different stakeholders of the project. Therefore, all 7 of the project defining factors were active in the construction of the 2012 Olympics stadium. Maladroit Cosmetics Company Which of the three choices do you recommend and why? The third choice, that is, the company that manufactures the machines can handle the installation project for a fee close to what the installation would cost Maladroit is recommended for a number of reasons. The first being hat Maladroit becomes the customer in this transaction, and the company installing the machines would be performing the job and would have to do it according Maladroit’s specifications including any unseen delays not identified in the scope. We are also unsure of the qualifications of the members of her staff and if they capable of undertaking such a high risk project worth $4 million. Finally, she cannot handle the project informally out of office because the project is very important and she would not be able to devote as much time to the project as well as her current duties. If the project was one small machine at a total cost of $4,000, would your answer be different? Yes, we would recommend that she assigns the project to a member of her staff that could potentially be suited for a managerial role in the future. This low risk project would be an excellent test to see how well he or she is able to complete the project deliverables in a cost-effective and timely manner. Discuss the relative importance of the capital investment required versus the role of the investment in machinery. Capital investment can be defined as a commitment of the owner’s money to land, buildings or machinery. In this example, it is the commitment of the owner’s money to the installation of 6 machines worth $4million (note: the plant manager does not necessarily own the machines, rather, the shareholders or owners of the actual company do). The role of the investment in machinery is to replace the filling machines that have become obsolete within 6 months so that the company can continue to produce cosmetic products and generate revenue.

Bend It Like Beckham Essay Example

Bend It Like Beckham Essay Example Bend It Like Beckham Paper Bend It Like Beckham Paper Dont be misunderstood by title! Bend it Like Beckham actually has little to do with David Beckham. The main character of the film is an eighteen-year-old Indian girl, Jess who lived in West London. Jess lived in a traditional Sikh family, which her parents expect her to become a top solicitor and marry a nice Indian boy as soon as possible. But Jess herself would rather kick a football with her friends than be dolled up in make-up and clothes. She had a strong passion for football and idolised David Beckham  One day, Jess amazing soccer potential was spotted by Jules, an British young girl who, as Jess did was soccer-mad. Jules then invited Jess to join the Hounslow Harriers, the local girls football team. Jess swiftly agreed without the permission from her parents. Jess and Jules soon became best friends. While Jess kept her playing in the football team a secret from her parents, Jules mother was worried that her tomboy daughter would not be able to score a boyfriend and even thought that she had become a lesbian.  To add insult to injury, Jess sister Pinky was dead set on marrying her boyfriend on the day which clashed with a crucial match for Jess team. Jess was then forced to face with choosing to upset her team or her family. Her choice was soccer. Sneaking out in the middle of her sisters wedding to attend the match. With the splendid performance of Jess and Jules, their team won the match, and was even provided with a scholarship to America to play as a professional footballer while studying in university.  In the end, Jess family finally realised that what Jess really want was playing football, there was point forcing her to do things she did not like. And the best friends went to America to finally fulfil their dreams to become a full time footballer. Unfortunatly she comes from a very strict Indian family who feel that playing football is a waste of time the rest of the story is relatively stereotypical, but the nature of the film means that you dont really notice. The story, using very amusing and differing characters, pokes fun at the Indian lifestyle in comparison to that of the English lifestyle and sexism and sexuality in football, and it does it very, very well. For all you football fans out there, (and I know there is a few of them! ) you will enjoy this film, there are many football related jokes which had me splitting my sides, but dont be discouraged girls his is a real girl-power film which will really make you feel good. Overall it is really hard to say anything bad about this film, the only thing i could really see was the predictable storyline, which weve already seen in East is East, etc. However its a really well-produced British feel-good film, which the public seems to eat up nowadays, (eg. Billy Elliot, Full Monty) and the public should eat up this one, especially as it follows all the hype of the World Cup, and the fact that it is indeed a very good film See it!

Why Many Americans Fail to Vote in Elections

Why Many Americans Fail to Vote in Elections Why dont more people  vote? Lets ask them. The California Voter Foundation (CVF) has released the results of a statewide survey on the attitudes of infrequent voters and citizens eligible to vote but not registered. The first-of-its-kind survey sheds new light on the incentives and barriers to voting, along with the sources of information that influence people when they do vote. Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. Since the 1980s voter turnout has been decreasing steadily in the United States, as well as most other democratic countries worldwide. Political scientists generally attribute falling voter turnout to a combination of disillusionment, indifference, or a sense of futility – the feeling that an individual’s vote will not make a difference.   â€Å"For election officials and others working to maximize voter participation, these survey results provide clear direction on the messages most likely to get infrequent voters to participate in the upcoming election, and on the messages that will motivate more nonvoters to register,† stated the CVF, noting that there are 6.4 million Californians who are eligible but unregistered to vote. It Just Takes Too Long â€Å"Too long† is in the eye of the  waiter. Some people will stand in line for two days to buy the latest, greatest cell phone or concert tickets. But many of the same people will not wait 10 minutes to exercise their right to choose their government leaders. Besides, a 2014 GAO report suggests it doesn’t really take â€Å"too long† to vote. Just Too Busy The survey found that 28% of infrequent voters and 23% of those unregistered said they do not vote or do not register to vote because they are too busy. â€Å"This tells us that many Californians may benefit from more information about the time-saving advantages of early voting and voting by absentee ballot,† the CVF  said. Voter registration forms are available in post offices, libraries and the  Department of Motor Vehicle  offices in most states. The CVF said the survey’s findings might also benefit those campaigns trying to reach infrequent and new voters in advance of the election. The perception that politicians are controlled by special interests is widely shared among two-thirds of the survey’s respondents and represents a significant barrier to voter participation. A feeling that candidates don’t really speak to them was cited as the second leading reason why infrequent voters and nonvoters do not vote. Even Non-Voters Say Voting is Important Still, 93% of infrequent voters agreed that voting is an important part of being a good citizen and 81% of nonvoters agreed it is an important way to voice their opinions on issues that affect their families and communities. â€Å"Civic duty and self-expression provide strong incentives to get potential voters to the polls, despite pervasive cynicism about the influence of special interests,† said the organization. Family and Friends Encourage Others to Vote The survey found that family and friends influence how infrequent voters decide to vote as much as daily newspapers and TV news. Among infrequent voters, 65 percent said conversations with their families and local newspapers were influential sources of information when it comes to making voting decisions. Network TV news rated as influential among 64%, followed by cable TV news at 60%, and conversations with friends at 59%. For more than half of the infrequent voters surveyed, phone calls and door-to-door contact by political campaigns are not influential sources of information when deciding how to vote. The survey also found that family upbringing plays a strong role in determining voting habits as adults. 51% of nonvoters surveyed said they grew up in families that did not often discuss political issues and candidates. Who are the Non-Voters? The survey found that nonvoters are disproportionately young, single, less educated and more likely to be of an ethnic minority than infrequent and frequent voters. 40% of nonvoters are under 30 years old, compared to 29% of infrequent voters and 14% of frequent voters. Infrequent voters are much more likely to be married than nonvoters, with 50% of infrequent voters married compared to only 34% of nonvoters. 76% of nonvoters have less than a college degree, compared to 61% of infrequent voters and 50% of frequent voters. Among nonvoters, 54% are white or Caucasian compared to 60% of infrequent voters and 70% of frequent voters. Voter Turnout in 2018 Soared   On a positive note, voter turnout in November 2018 reached the highest level of any midterm election in over a century. According to the non-partisan, non-profit United States Elections Project, 49.3% of all eligible voters cast more than 116 million ballots nationwide. It was the best turnout since 1914 when 50.4% voted and surpassed the previous high turnout of 48.7% in 1966.   Better yet, 2018 reversed a troubling downward turnout trend. Turnout in the 2010 midterms was 41.8% before dropping to a miserable 36.7% in 2014- the lowest since 1942.   Of course, voter turnout in midterm elections will always lag far behind that of presidential election years. For example, in 2012, when President Obama was elected to his second term, the turnout was 58.6%. Turnout then jumped to 60.1% in 2016, when Republican Donald Trump defied the polls to be elected president over Democrat Hillary Clinton after an especially contentious campaign.

Answer the question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer the question - Assignment Example The Declaration of Independence that proclaimed that all humans were equal in the new nation, became a motivation for the Black people to claim their equality (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 80). The Black leaders started to point out that the principles of the new nation were â€Å"incompatible with slavery† (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 81). This response showed that Black people were gradually absorbing the enlightenment values and they saw the War and independence of the nation as the way ahead to attain equality and freedom (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 77-95). 2. In 1775, the first anti-slavery association was formed in the North with Benjamin Franklin as its president (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 101). Such societies spread across the nation soon and all of them together formed a loose network as well, the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 101). In the Upper-South, on the other hand, â€Å"manumission, self-purchase and freedom suits† resulted in the formation of the early free Black communities (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 103). Free Black communities gradually emerged in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Newport, Richmond, Norfolk, New York etc. (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 107). The earliest Black institutions were mutual aid societies providing charitable support to Black people, among which Free African Society and black Freemasons stood out (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 107). Then the Black churches and schools evolved (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 110-115). 3. As early as from â€Å"mid-1600s†, there were a few African American slave owners in America (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 128). Most of them had become slave owners â€Å"to protect their families from sale and disruption† (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 128). Sometimes to protect a relative from forced migration, a Black man with money would buy his freedom (Hine, Hine and Harrold, 128). These

What benefits does a childrens hospice service provide Essay

What benefits does a childrens hospice service provide - Essay Example Parents' perception about the children's hospice services play crucial role in determining the qualities of such palliative care providers, since the number of families obtaining the services of hospice homes are increasing. Thus the benefits derived from children's hospice services are awaiting the feedback from parent consumers to continuously change the shape and identity of services. The medical prognosis may assess the nature of a terminal illness but cannot ascertain the actual time of end of a patient. This being the strength of medical science, the palliative care cannot be rejected outright as redundant. It is an opportunity to provide a very special care to the loved kids, who face death in the near future or at a distance, thereby implying the acceptance of a poor prognosis. The National Academies' Institute of Medicine, USA, has boldly suggested that all physicians in paediatric medicine should well be trained in the field of palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care to children. (National Academies Institute of Medicine, USA). There exists a hairline demarcation between hospice services and palliative care services. Hospice services are based on the philosophy of providing comfort and support to terminally ill patients and their families when the life expectancy of the patients is in months. Hospiceprovides support for the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and family through a team-oriented approach of specially trained professionals. Most hospices have a set of defined services, team members, rules and regulations. Hospice programs generally offer counselling and bereavement services to patients and families both before and after a patient's death. Palliative care services are rendered on the same principles as hospice care for patients with life-threatening illness. Palliative care looks at the emotional and social issues that occur as a result of a serious illness and the effect on the family as well as the patient. Palliative care for patients and their families also involves the comprehensive management of physical, psychological, social, spiritual and existential needs. Palliative care ideally begins at the time of diagnosis of a life-threatening or debilitating condition and continues throughout the person's life. Although palliative care may be an appropriate part of treatment of any complex or serious illness or injury, it is vital in the care of life threatening and/or incurable, progressive conditions. Palliative care is also integral to all health care delivery system settings like hospital, emergency department, home care, outpatient and non-traditional environments such as schools. The interdisciplinary team collaborates with all caregivers in each of these settings, in order to ensure coordination, communication, and continuity of palliative care across institutional and home care settings. Palliative care services generally provide Access to an interdisciplinary team Strategies to optimise pain and symptom management Help with communication between family and the primary care team Enhancing quality of life with emphasis on meaningfulness Assistance with decision-making Coordination of inpatient, outpatient, and home care