What Is the Difference Between Ecosystem and Ecology free essay sample

Ecosystem is the physical system (an open system) in which the mutual interaction between biotic and aboitic component motored by the energy component is studied. While the Ecology is the science which study the interrelation between Abiotic (inorganic) and Biotic (organic) components as well as the interaction among the biotic component. To make it more clear, ecosystem is the fundamental unit of ecological study. Ecology and ecosystem are two confusing concepts for those who are not aware of them. Ecology is sometimes called study of nature. Well, it is, but it is much more than life sciences like biology and physics, and includes geography, environment, oceanography etc. It is a comprehensive study of organisms and their relation with the environment they live in and interact with one another. It includes the amount and spread of organisms and how and why their distribution is affected by their relationship with the environment. An ecosystem on the other hand is a subset of ecology and refers to a system that includes all the organisms in an area along with the physical environment they live in. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is the Difference Between Ecosystem and Ecology or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are many more differences between ecology and ecosystem that will be discussed in this article. What is Ecosystem? As described above, an ecosystem is the entire biological community in an area along with the physical and chemical environment that includes the non living, or abiotic components. An ecosystem boundary is not fixed in any way though sometimes they are obvious like a pond. However, those involved in studies of ecosystems generally demarcate the boundaries of an ecosystem for their convenience. The main focuses behind study of ecosystems are the processes that link the living organisms in an ecosystem with the non living things or components. The energy transformations and biogeochemical cycles are the two processes between biotic and non biotic components that make up the subject matter of any study of an ecosystem. Transformation of energy in an ecosystem begins with input of energy from the sun. This energy is utilized by plants through photosynthesis to make food. Herbivores eat these plant and carnivores eat herbivores for their energy requirements. This is an oversimplification of food chain really, and there are many food chains existing in an ecosystem that have cross links. These linkages are referred to as food web. Biogeochemistry is a study that includes elements of biology, chemistry and geology. It is a detailed study of how living systems influence and in turn are themselves influenced by geology and chemistry of earth. Thus it includes many aspects of both biotic as well as abiotic world. What is Ecology? We often hear phrases like ecologically bad or something that is not good for ecology. However, ecology is not a normative subject and is a purely an academic discipline. The vast subject of ecology is divided into 4 categories namely physiological ecology, population ecology, community ecology, and ecosystems ecology. Physiological ecology has to do with the response and effect of environmental conditions on a specific species. Population ecology studies the amount and distribution of species and the environmental factors affecting this distribution. Community ecology is concerned with particular number of species found in an area and their interactions, and ecosystems ecology studies the structure and function of entire population of living (biotic components) things, abiotic components, and their interactions. What is the difference between Ecology and Ecosystem? †¢ An ecosystem is a natural unit comprising all living and non living things in the area and how biotic and abiotic components function together while influencing each other. Thus it talks about not just the living organisms but also abiotic factors that affect life inside the system†¢ Ecology is the study of relationships between different organisms and their environment†¢ Ecosystem is thus a subset of ecology which is a vast subject area| Ecosystem is an ecological unit which includes all the organisms living in a particular area and all the abiotic (non living) features of the local environment. Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their natural environment. The environment of an organism includes physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors such as insolation (sunlight), climate, and geology, and biotic ecosystem, which includes other organisms that share its habitat.

Beloved Adenuga Essays (1159 words) - Economy, Unemployment, World

Beloved Adenuga Essays (1159 words) - Economy, Unemployment, World Beloved Adenuga Professor Seifert ENGW 102 sec 10 13 September,2017 Unemployment of Graduates in Nigeria Nigeria is currently faced with a lot of problems which includes but not limited to Boko Haram insurgencies in the northern part of Nigeria, poor infrastructures, unemployment, bad road s , irregular power supplies , inadequate health system s , environmental pollution s , disunity as some are fighting for a division of Nigeria into two separate countries-Biafra war. These problems are so numerous that it will take years of collective effort s on the part of individual Nigerians to br ing this country into actualization as the giant of Africa. However, t his research will focus majorly on the issue of graduate u nemploy ment in Nigeria. It will answer the questions about the causes, effect s and solution s to this problem . The cause s of Graduate unemployment include corruption of political office holders, lack of investments in industrialization and inadequ ate job skill s of most graduates due to the poor educational system in Nigeria. Unemployment has majorly led to increased crime rate , prostitution and poverty. Unemployment also has psychological effects on the unemployed such as depression, low self-esteem and increased stress level. To solve this problem , there needs to be improvement in the quality of education at tertiary institutions to enable students to acquire the skills needed to make them employable , government policies should be made to encourage foreign investors and to favor the growth of small scale companies. There should also be enforcement of laws against corruption to prevent embezzlement of funds by government officials. To emphasis the need for the research on this topic, it is important to get an insight into the current trend of graduate unemployment in Nigeria. The graduate unemployment r ate in Nigeria increases exponential as about 200,000 people graduate from tertiary institutions yearly with no job opportunities available for them. The massive number of these graduates get compounded over time. In other words, majority of people that graduate in a year end up not get employed therefore adding to the number of unemployed graduates from previous years. This is proven by the usual massive turnout of graduates whenever there are little job opportunities available. Since the number of applicants for a job is massive, it makes it difficult to select people that are well qualif ied for the job. Employees are then forced to look beyond qualifications and employ people based on favoritism. Due to frustration, graduates take jobs that pay below their qualificatio ns or not even related to their field of study just to earn a living . That is, graduates that are meant to be working in factories, hospitals, business enterprises are found working in stores, in elementary schoo ls or doing other low pay jobs. In other cases, some graduates engage in criminal ac tivities and i llegal activities to make money majorly robbery, online scam, prostitution and drug trafficking. There are various factors that cause the m assive unemployment in Nigeria. This research will help answer the question: What are the causes of unemployment in Nigeria? It is very important to know the root of this problem because it will help makes the solution easy. One major cause of unemployment is the corruption of the government. The government embezzle funds and resources that are meant to create more job opportunities . Instead of investing m oney into building industries that will employ thousands of people, government officials prefer to use that money for personal enri chment. To reduce corruption the Economic and Financial crime commission(EFCC) in Nigeria must be strengthened and strict punishment should to given to political officers that are found guilty. In the research paper other causes as listed in the thesis will be discussed and solutions will be given to each of them. Unemployment has made the youth s to think of dubious and negative ways to make money. There is a term referred to as "419" in Nigeria, this is a corrupt practice in which the victim is convinced to give mo ney to a stranger. Unemployed young men usually engage in this practice to extort money from ladies overseas by disguising to be

René Descartes Proofs of Gods Existence

Renà © Descartes Proofs of Gods Existence Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) Proofs of Gods Existence is a series of arguments that he posits in his 1641 treatise (formal philosophical observation) Meditations on First Philosophy, first appearing in Meditation III. of God: that He exists. and discussed in more depth in Meditation V: Of the essence of material things, and, again, of God, that He exists. Descartes  is known for these original arguments that hope to prove Gods existence, but later philosophers have often critiqued his proofs as being too narrow and relying on a very suspect premise (Hobbes) that an image of God exists within mankind. In any case, understanding them is essential to understanding Descartes later work Principles of Philosophy (1644) and his Theory of Ideas. The structure of Meditations on First Philosophy - whos translated subtitle reads in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated - is fairly straightforward. It begins with a letter of dedication to The Sacred Faculty of Theology in Paris, where he submitted it originally in 1641, a preface to the reader, and finally a synopsis of the six meditations that would follow. The rest of the treatise is meant to be read as if each Meditation takes place a day after the one prior. Dedication and Preface In the dedication, Descartes  implores the University of Paris (Sacred Faculty of Theology) to protect and keep his treatise and posit the method he hopes to ascribe to assert the claim of Gods existence philosophically rather than theologically. In order to do this, Descartes  posits he must make an argument that avoids critics accusations that the proof relies on circular reasoning. In proving the existence of God from a philosophical level, he would be able to appeal to non-believers as well. The other half of the method relies on his ability to demonstrate that man is sufficient to discover God on his own, which is indicated in the Bible and other such religious scriptures as well. Fundaments of the Argument In preparation of the main claim, Descartes discerns thoughts could be divided into three kinds of operations of thought: will, passions and judgment. The first two cannot be said to be true or false, as they do not pretend to represent the way things are. Only among judgments, then, can we find those sorts of thoughts representing something as existing outside of us. Descartes examines his thoughts again to discover which are components of judgment, narrowing his ideas into three types: innate, adventitious (coming from the outside) and fictional (produced internally). Now, adventitious ideas could have been created by Descartes himself. Although they do not depend on his will, he might have a faculty producing them, like the faculty that produces dreams. That is, of those ideas that are adventitious, it might be that we produce them even if we do not do so willingly, as it happens when we are dreaming. Fictional ideas, too, could have clearly been created by Descartes himself. For Descartes, all ideas had a formal and objective reality and consisted of three  metaphysical principles. The first, nothing comes  from nothing, holds that in order for something to exist, something else must have created it. The second holds very much the same concept around formal versus objective reality, stating that more cannot come from less. However, the third principle states that more objective reality cannot come from less formal reality, limiting the objectivity of the self  from affecting the formal reality of others Finally, he posits that there is a hierarchy of beings that can be divided into four categories: material bodies, humans, angels, and God. The only perfect being, in this hierarchy, is God with angels being of pure spirit yet imperfect, humans being a mix of material bodies and spirit, which are imperfect, and material bodies, which are simply called imperfect. Proof of Gods Existence With those preliminary theses at hand, Descartes dives into examining the philosophical possibility of Gods existence in his Third Meditation. He breaks this evidence down into two umbrella categories, called proofs, whose logic is relatively easy to follow. In the first proof, Descartes argues that, by evidence,  he is an imperfect being who has an objective reality including the notion that perfection exists and therefore has a distinct idea of a perfect being (God, for example). Further, Descartes realizes that he is less formally real than the objective reality of perfection and therefore there has to be a perfect being existing formally from whom his innate idea of a perfect being derives wherein he could have created the ideas of all substances, but not the one of God. The second proof then goes on to question who it is then that keeps him - having an idea of a perfect being - in existence, eliminating the possibility that he himself would be able to do. He proves this by saying that he would owe it to himself, if he were his own existence maker, to have given himself all sorts of perfections. The very fact that he is not perfect means he would not bear his own existence. Similarly, his parents, who are also imperfect beings, could not be the cause of his existence since they could not have created the idea of perfection within him. That leaves only a perfect being, God, that would have had to exist to create and be constantly recreating him.   Essentially, Descartes proofs  rely on the belief that by existing, and being born an imperfect being (but with a soul or spirit), one must, therefore, accept that something of more formal reality than ourselves must have created us. Basically, because we exist and are able to think ideas, something must have created us.

A Discussion of Corporate Tax Evasion and Legal and Ethical Research Paper

A Discussion of Corporate Tax Evasion and Legal and Ethical Considerations - Research Paper Example Firstly,understanding the means by which the tax base exists and funds public goods that benefit each and every citizen is a starting point upon which the reader should consider. Firstly, these tax dollars are ultimately not sent into oblivion to fund pork only pork barrel spending projects that many of the news outlets would have the citizen believe; rather, they are utilized as a means to provide highways, schools, equip law enforcement and firefighters, and provide for the national security of the nation. In such a way, the reader can seek to understand the severe implications of seeking to deprive the system of these funds and the way that it is ultimately reflected back into the community or region in which the corporate entity operates, draws from the labor pool, and provides for the education that it relies upon to recruit talented individuals. Whereas tax evasion is most commonly thought of on a personal basis, the fact of the matter is that personal tax evasion pales in comp arison to the untold millions, billions, even possibly trillions of dollars that go unaccounted for due to intricate accounting mechanisms, offshore accounts, and outright dishonesty with regards to the level of profits that many firms are willing to admit to the government. Although it is not the purpose of this research to identify the core level and underlying reason why this practice is so often engaged and to such a degree, it does not require a great deal of research or analytical thinking to categorize the answer to such a question within the framework of the rational actor approach.Within such a framework, the self interest of profit maximalization and/or greed comes to be seen as the main reason why such a practice is engaged with. (Slemrod 880). One of the most famous and primary ways that corporations seek to shirk their tax burden and responsibility is by utilizing offshore tax havens to hide and/or minimalize their profits (Martinez-Vazquez & Rider 56). This serves two functions. The first is of course to reduce the overall tax burden that will be affected for the fiscal year; whereas the second is to outright hide millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars outside of the purview of the tax system (Tzur 58). Such an approach is utilized by a great many corporate entities within the United States due to the fact that it is not expressly illegal to utilize tax havens as a means of minimizing the total amount of taxes paid. Such a level of tax dodging has meant that firms such as Google and Pfizer have been able to dodge billions in tax bills within just a few years

Analyzing and Discussing Primary and Secondary Source Documents Essay

Analyzing and Discussing Primary and Secondary Source Documents - Essay Example Both the South and the North American sub- continent were very actively involved in slave trade and the slaves themselves who they relied on so much to work on their farms during the period of the agrarian revolution in America. Most slaves were drawn from the African continent due to the rise in the price of the slaves from the European continent (Olmsted, 1997). The next available opportunity therefore lied in Africa and as a result, a large bulk of slaves were drawn from the African continent to work on the American cotton farms that were rapidly expanding in size and increasing in demand as more industries set up their operations across the continent. Many of these slaves were kept and transported under very pathetic conditions. The slaves had totally no rights for their lives and their daily lives were determined by their masters who were as well very cruel and inhuman in the way they dealt with the slaves. However, there was a sharp and stern contrast in the manner in which sla ve trade and slavery was practiced in the southern and the northern parts of the American continent. This document will look at the underlying differences which existed in the manner in which slaves were handled in the southern as well as in the northern parts of America and the underlying factors which led to the abolition of slave trade in America in line with the views of Calhoun. As Calhoun argues slavery in North America in a rather harsh and a cruel manner that no human he says should ever be subjected to. The harsh treatment which the slaves in North America were undergoing as they went about carrying out their duties on the Americans’ farms was rather pathetic and could be ranked at the greatest point in the analysis of human injustices ever committed by man against his fellow man in the world. The slaves in North America had no rights at all and were treated by their masters as if they were animals and not human beings at all. Their masters went round in their workin g places with whips in their hands and anytime would be dreadful to any slave if at all these masters decided to use their whips on them. As DeBow notes comparing slavery in the north and that in the south during this time, he notes that the slaves in the South were treated in a better way as compared to those in the North (DeBow, 2003). That the Southern slave masters rarely used their whips on their slaves unless it was very necessary and could only be used as the last resort in case of any problem. In this was then he argues that the slaves who were working on the southerners’ farms had more freedom than those on the Northern farms. Rush justifies Calhoun’s observations by quoting the following statement â€Å"lay in northern industrial cities where exploited workers ‘toil their weary way from the cradle to the grave, and whose worn, emaciated frames†¦sink into that quiet rest never known in life† (Rush, 2002). On the other hand the slaves in the s outhern parts as Ira Berlin notes were a bit ell treated and the conditions in which they were subjected at their work places moderately better, by justiying the conditions in the southern farms, Calhoun tries to claim that the southern slavery has no problem as it is in line with human ethics (Ira Berlin et al., 1985). Having good respect and curtessy for the southern slaves would therefoe mean that the made of slavery and slave trade was actually not a crime aginst hunanity but rather the northern slavery. By Olmsted saying that the blacks

Letter to Charlemagne Essay Example for Free

Letter to Charlemagne Essay His Majesty King Charlemagne:  With utmost diligence regarding the king’s instruction to go forth and inspect governments, administer justice, and reawaken all citizens to their civil and religious duties, herewith is the detail account concerning the outcome of this noble undertaking. Indeed, the kingdom under his majesty’s rule enjoys great peace and an enduring justice as the King’s officials such as the kingdom’s archbishops and abbot, the dukes and counts are doing their duties well, thanks to his majesty’s missi dominici which effectively performs their own duties of visiting every courts throughout the kingdom and to ensure that taxes were properly collected and that all the king’s decree were followed. His majesty’s victories against the Lombards and the Saxons as well as against the Avars have brought the kingdom stable peace (McDonald, p. 95) and genuine respect from the very citizens who were proud of his majesty’s victories. His majesty’s unexpected coronation by Pope Leo as â€Å"an Augustus† confirms his majesty’s â€Å"formidable power† (Brown 2004, p. 435), that certainly added much respect to the Kings court which prompted them to render their duties satisfactorily. However, despite of the general peace that the kingdom enjoyed as well as of the fine performance of civil duties, many people especially from the ranks of peasants and the nobility are poor and illiterate. In general, life was â€Å"brutal and harsh† (The History Guide) for the peasants as many of them were in abject poverty. Religion was less important as many of them were illiterate. This was also the case of the nobility who were mostly illiterate. Concerning religion, both the peasants and the nobility have little regard for religion for two reasons; the first one is that, since most of these groups were illiterate they cannot understand Christianity as their access to the Christian Bible were very limited. Second, most of the nobility spend their life in fighting. Given this problem, it is hereby presented to his majesty some solution to the problem in order that an enduring justice and peace will continue to flourish throughout the Kingdom. First is, the establishments of more schools so that everyone who can afford its cost whether they are peasants or nobility can have the opportunity to improve their condition. In matters of religion, the nobility were the most numbers of people who have no religious beliefs were in darkened by illiteracy because they spent much of their time in fighting. They mostly land less although compared to the peasants, they were quite better. With this situation, it is hereby noted that those soldiers who were given lands in recognition of their efforts in war were the most loyal of the king’s subjects and were ready to accept whatever is the king’s instruction, whether to encouraged them to embrace Christianity or to faithfully obey all the king’s decrees. In general, everything was under the king’s control although there also some isolated cases of dissatisfaction, everything were fine. The king should continue to promote religion as well as the establishment of more schools so that people can learn reading and writing in order for them to gain understanding which would open their minds to embrace Christianity and to their civil duties satisfactorily. References Brown, P.R.L. (2004) The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D†¦., Parts 200-1000 UK: Wiley Blackwell â€Å"Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History† The History Guide http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture20b.html Macdonald, M.H. (1996) Europe: A Tantalizing Romance: Past and Present Europe for Students and the Serious Traveler USA: University Press of America

Burning Out in Tom Stoppards Arcadia :: Stoppard Arcadia Essays

Burning Out in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia Humanity has no intention of fading away, but rather has designed, by its nature, a flash before death, a burning out, if you will. Inherent in the human character is a desire to fight until the end, whether it be physically, or intellectually. In Arcadia, Septimus describes life as a processional march, telling Thomasina, "The procession is very long and life is very short. We die on the march" (Stoppard 38). But as we die, we don't simply allow ourselves to pass into the distance. We push our muscles to the limit, breathing harder and harder until we fall. The people of this earth do not follow the uncomplicated universal pattern of slowly giving up hot for cold. Despite human understanding of this pattern, and the ultimate fate of ending up cold even after the flash, our "noise," as Valentine calls it, love and sex and other various distractions, affects our life equation, and makes Thomasina's death in a fire all too appropriate. As Hannah and Valentine discuss the mysteries of Sidely Park, Valentine argues that everything in the universe progresses from heat to cold. He illustrates, "It's a one way street. Your tea will end up at room temperature...[it] is happening to everything everywhere. The sun and the stars...we're all going to end up at room temperature" (Stoppard 78). Hannah, appearing to support Valentine's statement, recites a section of Lord Byron's "Darkness": I had a dream that was not all a dream The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air... (Stoppard 79) Hannah, however, is refuting Valentine's statement, not supporting it, as is evidenced by the rest of Byron's poem, which goes on to say: ...all hearts Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light And they did live by watch fires... The habitations of all things which dwell Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed, And men were gather'd round their blazing homes To look once more into each other's face... Forests were set on fire - but hour by hour They fell and faded - and the crackling trunks Extinguished with a crash - and all was black... (Byron 31) Â   "Darkness" implies that as the universe gets colder, humanity, in an effort to stay alive, burns the earth for warmth.

Gustav Vassa the Book

Gustav Vassa Plot Summary Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard. He is kidnapped and taken as a slave while still very young and soon finds that he has a talent for the sea and for trading. By being very frugal, he is able to save enough to buy his freedom after only a few years, though his master initially refuses to honor their agreement for the sale.He does gain his freedom and soon returns to the sea, seeing there a greater opportunity for financial gain than any other he can find. He spends his time also in pursuit of an acceptable religious affiliation and eventually finds himself ready to become a missionary. Gustavus Vassa Summary and Analysis Gustavus Vassas was born Olaudah Equiano in the African province called Essaka in 1745. He was the youngest son of seven surviving children and was very close to his mother. He describes a happy childhood during which he learned – as all his people did – to work hard.He recalls little of any true religion though he describes briefly some ceremonies in which dancing and feasting were important. He write that his people were circumcised, one of many similarities to the Jewish religion. Chapter three begins when, at age eleven, Gustavus and his sister are alone at their house while the adults worked at their agricultural pursuits. While alone, they are kidnapped by slavers. They are soon separated and Gustavus is sold to several masters for various reasons over the next six or seven months. He encounters his sister briefly during that time but notes that she was soon taken away and he never saw her again.At the end of those months, Gustavus was taken to the coast where he is put aboard a slave ship. He promptly faints. When he wakes, he asks if the strange looking people aboard are going to eat him and is reassured that he won't be eaten. He remains on that ship for several days until a new ship arrives. He says that the whites aboard were happy to see the other ship and those who, like Gustavus, had never seen a ship in motion under the power of sails were convinced it was magic. In chapter three, Gustavus is first taken to Barbados where he is among the few who aren't sold.He is then sold to a plantation owner in Virginia but stays only a short period of time before being bought by a man named Michael Henry Pascal who intends him as a gift. At that time, Gustavus is called Jacob but Pascal refuses to call him such and renames him Gustavus. On the voyage to England aboard Pascal's trading ship, Gustavus meets a young educated white boy named Richard Baker who sees past the slavery issue and becomes friends with Gustavus – a situation that lasts until Richard's death. Gustavus spends about two years in England, mostly traveling by shi p with his master.He talks of the kindness of the people – especially two women named Guerin – who care for him at various times while his master is away. In chapter four, Gustavus talks about his emerging self-confidence and his waning fears. In 1759, Gustavus has learned about Heaven and requests baptism. In February, he is baptized at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster. Over the coming months, Gustavus is involved in many battles as the French and English clash. Eventually, Gustavus's master is released from his service and plans to return to private business. Gustavus has now met a man named Daniel Queen who has taught Gustavus many things.Gustavus regards him as a father figure and often spends his meager earnings on sugar or tobacco for Daniel. Gustavus plans to go into business with Daniel as soon as he is released from his military service but his master refuses to release Gustavus and instead sells him to another ship's captain, James Doran. Several of Gusta vus's former shipmates vow to redeem him as soon as they are paid but he is, in the meantime, at Doran's mercy. As chapter five begins, Gustavus writes that his current situation is a punishment for having said he planned to spend an entire day in London on â€Å"rambling and sport. He is initially forlorn but comes to believe that God gives suffering of this kind for a reason. In the West Indies, Gustavus learns that Doran has sold him to a Quaker named Robert King who says Gustavus will learn to be a clerk. Gustavus learns to handle almost all aspects of his master's businesses which include shipping. King is kind and Gustavus knows that several other plantation owners make offers for Gustavus. When King turns them down, Gustavus always works harder and thanks God for putting him in this place.Gustavus describes the cruel treatment of most slaves and says that he was once threatened by a man who says he will shoot Gustavus and then pay for him. Gustavus offers up the typical argu ments in favor of slavery saying that men who say they believe these arguments are fooling themselves. He also points out that those with kind masters and plenty of food work harder and live longer than those who are mistreated, and that those with cruelty as a daily part of life are more likely to simply give up and kill themselves. Gustavus points out that the slave trade is a study in avarice, and that slavers lie and cheat the slaves.He says that if slaves were treated â€Å"as men† they would be â€Å"faithful, honest, intelligent and vigorous. † As chapter six begins, Gustavus says that he could list many more instances of cruelty, but that to list them all would be â€Å"tedious and disgusting. † He is soon given the opportunity to become a sailor on one of his master's vessels and chooses to do so, trading a little to make some profit for himself. He notes that he is anxious to earn money and that escape and freedom is, of course, the ultimate goal thoug h he wants it to be by honest means.Gustavus prepares to go to Philadelphia with the captain. Gustavus's master hears a rumor that he is going to try to run away once they reach American but Gustavus points out that he's had opportunities and hasn't done so. His master sees the wisdom of the words, provides Gustavus credit for some goods to sell on his own in an effort to earn money and promises that he can buy his freedom if he earns forty pounds sterling money. He goes on the voyage to America though he is ill treated by the whites who would buy his items for sale.In Savannah, Georgia, he is beaten by a white overseer and left for dead but the captain finds him and with the help of a capable doctor, Gustavus recovers. In chapter seven, Gustavus earns enough money to buy his freedom. His master is initially upset, saying that he hasn't expected Gustavus to earn the money so quickly; but the captain intercedes and Gustavus is freed in return for forty pounds. Gustavus agrees to anot her voyage as a freed man for a wage and wants to buy bullocks to take back with him for sale but the captain refuses and insists that Gustavus buy turkeys instead.He does so against his wishes and the bullocks all die on the crossing though his turkeys survive. The captain takes ill on the voyage and also dies and Gustavus safely takes the ship to port. He's offered the captain's position but refuses though he agrees to yet another voyage under the new captain, William Phillips, who runs the ship aground. They are stranded on an island for days and then find themselves at the mercy of a crew who picks them up. Phillips sells some of the slaves that had been cargo on the ship and buys passage to Georgia with plans to sell the rest, parting here from Gustavus.It's in Georgia that Gustavus reluctantly agrees to perform a burial ceremony for a child and he notes that it's the first time he serves as parson. In chapter nine, Gustavus begins working his way toward his goal of reaching Lo ndon. There, he encounters the Guerins and Pascal and notes that Pascal seems indifferent of the way he treated Gustavus even after being confronted about it. Gustavus begins learning hairdressing as a means of supporting himself and begins studying the French horn and arithmetic.He soon learns that he can earn very little money in this way and decides to go to sea again, this time with a desire to see Turkey. He hires on as a hairdresser with John Jolly on a ship called the Delaware. He remains with that ship and captain until 1771, seeing and being enchanted with Turkey but declining the offer there of two wives and eventually parting ways to join Captain William Robertson on the ship Grenada Planter and then on the Jamaica under Captain David Watt. He later ends up on the North Pole, trapped for a period of time by ice.As chapter ten begins, Gustavus continues his travels, going to Turkey for awhile, then London again and then to Spain. In chapter eleven, he is appalled by the bu ll baiting and eventually returns to Plymouth. In chapter twelve, Gustavus spends more time with the Quakers and is impressed by their actions and their church activities. He wants to become a missionary and says that the rest of his life is to be spent with an eye toward assisting â€Å"the cause of my much injured countrymen. † —- Gustavus's story begins with descriptions of his own people.He notes that they possess slaves that are usually captured in battle or are people among his own tribe who broke specific laws. However, he writes that those slaves are not treated badly. They are required to work, but their masters work just as hard. The slaves are typically given their own house to live in and the only difference appears to be that those people are not free to leave. He doesn't go into this discussion to any great depth. Though Gustavus couldn't have known the horrors that awaited him aboard the slave ship, he notes that he is immediately afraid.He mentions a fe ar that he'll be eaten, but doesn't explain. It seems likely that his people were among those who commonly told their children that kidnappers were frequently cannibals. In any case, Gustavus writes that, had he had entire worlds of his own at that moment, he would have traded them all for the chance to swap places with the lowest slave in his country. Gustavus talks at length about the fact that his people believed in cleanliness and that they were circumcised, and that many of the rituals seem to indicate that the Jewish and the African tribes of that region were related.He quotes a writer who believes that to be true and says the writer indicates that climate is the reason for the dark-skinned appearance of the Africans compared to the traditional light-skinned appearance of the Jews. Gustavus also points out that men with higher degrees of education have discussed the matter and that he isn't the person to answer the question definitively. As Gustavus writes about his early trav els, he seems to flit from one incident to another. He relates the story of a man who got something in his eye and then lost the eye. He talks of being hospitalized for chilblains and small pox.He also mentions a man who saved him from being flogged for fighting with a â€Å"gentleman,† but does not go into any additional details. Gustavus seems to expect that his master is going to simply release him once the military stint is over and goes so far as to make plans for his future. He admits to being heartbroken upon the completion of his sale to a new master. It's interesting that Gustavus, having encountered so many kind and generous people at this point, has ceased to believe himself a slave. He points out that he's served his master well for many years and has earned nothing for it, and seems to expect that to be sufficient.He has become somewhat educated and expects a slave owner to have a moral responsibility to allow him to leave when he wants. At one point, Gustavus is enamored with a tribe of the Mosquito Coast. He talks at length about their customs, including that they love the color red and that they enjoy their ceremonies. Gustavus seems to enjoy the actions of the people. He also talks of the fact that they seem similar to his own family of his childhood. Important People Gustavus Vassa Born Olaudah Equiano and sometimes called â€Å"The African,† he was born in the African province of Essaka is 1745.Gustavus says that he'd been given another name in the early days of his slavery and had initially refused to answer to the name â€Å"Gustavus,† but eventually gave in. He is an intelligent man and adept at trading. His services are coveted because he is so capable and hardworking. When he's purchased by a master who has land and shipping ventures, Gustavus wants desperately to go to sea. He's learned much about shipping and knows that he has the potential to make enough money there to buy his freedom. He accomplishes saving that money in a matter of only a few years, though there are some pitfalls along the way.When he then asks his owner to release him, the owner initially refuses but is convinced by an employee – a ship's captain – who has taken a liking to Gustavus and prevails on the man's sense of fair play. Gustavus loves to learn and devotes as much of his time as possible to learning a variety of things ranging from the Bible to the French horn. He says that he hates to be idle and will take on some new endeavor rather than spend evenings with nothing to occupy his hands and mind. He comes to love London and Turkey as his two favorite destinations among all those he visits.Gustavus finds an array of friends during his travels and learns from many of them. He seems often overly trusting and occasionally finds himself in trouble when he trusts someone to make good on a promise, especially with regard to money. He says that there are those who defend slavery and that they are delusional in their arguments. Gustavus eventually applies to become a missionary. Themes The Desire for Freedom The desire for freedom is an overriding theme and the slaves who wrote these stories are each determined to find freedom, regardless of the cost.This can be seen clearly in the fact that slaves are brutally beaten if caught in a runaway attempt, yet many continue to take the chance. One of the best examples of this desire for freedom is seen in Harriet Jacobs' brother, William. William has been purchased by Harriett's lover and the father of her children, Mr. Sands. Mr. Sands is subsequently elected to Congress and takes William along with him. William has the opportunity to travel through many states and to see many things, and it's noted that Mr. Sands is not a cruel master.Despite the fact that William is treated well with enough to eat and has the promise of eventual freedom, he seizes an opportunity to run away. In his case, there's little cause for worry about reprisal because Mr. Sands isn't cruel and isn't likely to track him down. By contrast, Harriett's Uncle Benjamin runs away, is captured and brought back where he is treated severely, and still runs away again. In the case of Gustavus, he had a master who was willing to allow him time at sea where he was able to make money on his own, but spent a great deal of money to buy his freedom.This willingness to work for many years at jobs in addition to their regular tasks is another common theme in the quest for freedom and those who achieve that freedom are often then working to â€Å"buy† their family. Style Perspective Each of the stories is written in first person from the perspective of the author. It should be noted that three of these have two different names. For example, Gustavus Vassa was named Obaudah Equiano at birth and was later named Gustavus Vassa by a master. Because Gustavus used that name more frequently than the name given to him by his parents, he is referred to as Gustavus th roughout the story.Fredrick Douglass is a well-known name, though he was born Fredrick Augustus Washington Bailey. He took the name Douglass upon his arrival in the free states of the north, though he insisted on retaining his first name as some link to his true identity. For the sake of familiarity, he is referred to throughout this text as Fredrick Douglass. The same is true in the case of Harriett Jacobs who is writing as Linda Benton, and this author is referred to as Harriett Jacobs throughout the text. It should be noted that Jacobs admits at the beginning of the story to having changed the names of some of the people in her book.In fact, research shows that she changed many of the names and it therefore seems appropriate that she would have changed her own name for the purposes of the story. Writing in first person seems the only possible option available to each of these authors because the stories are presented as factual events in the lives of each. Tone The story is writt en in a straight-forward manner but it should be noted that there are some graphic scenes that may be offensive to some readers. They are, however, a part of the history of these people and it seems appropriate that they should be presented.For example, Gustavus Vassa describes the cruelties visited on the slaves of the Jamaican Islands. Those people were routinely beaten but the tortures often took the form of tying them in impossible positions where they were at the mercy of elements and creatures. In the case of each, the stories of separations of family members are a common theme and will likely touch the reader. It's interesting to note that all three of these use words that may not commonly be associated with people of little formal education.In most parts, the meanings of words are easily discerned but it should not be assumed that the level of writing is that of an uneducated person. Of the four stories, the messages of all are aptly conveyed but it seems that Harriett Jacob s' story has a more personal slant, possibly because her story is of a more personal nature and involves her family and friends on a deeper level whereas the others, especially Gustavus Vassa, tells more of his travels and how other people treated him. The tone is often hopeless and a sensitive reader may find himself feeling pity for those involved.

Good Manger

Chapter 1 Summary Laura Chase is killed instantly in a car accident. Laura's sister must go to the morgue to identify the body, and readers are given an idea of the woman Laura's sister is. She is careful, deliberate, and knows that she must dress appropriately in case newspaper reporters are nearby. She must do anything fitting her position as the wife of Mr. Richard E. Griffen. Especially since the car in which Laura Chase died belonged to Mrs. Richard E. Griffen.Laura's sister decides to wear black, of course, and she must also wear gloves, a veil, and should bring a handkerchief. When Laura's sister opens a drawer in her dressing room, she comes across a stack of school examination notebooks that have been bound in kitchen string. When she lifts the notebooks out, the shock of Laura's death hits her. Chapter 2 Summary Sub-Novel There are two main characters in the sub-novel: the man and woman. Clandestine meetings occur between them and the relationship is in its infancy. The wom an is described as â€Å"nervous. She is married but he is single. Details are dropped into the narrative like toppings on an ice cream sundae – the color of the woman's dress, the kind of tree that sits outside her bedroom window – and these things will be clues to the identities of the man and woman later on. Additionally, news clips, interspersed between vignettes, keep readers on a linear time path with the main novel. Also in this chapter are stories within stories. The woman and man meet several times and in varied places: over lunch, in a park, at night under a bridge.Chapter 3 Summary Main Novel It is June, 1998 and Iris Chase Griffen is about to present the Laura Chase Creative Writing Award to a graduating senior at Port Ticonderoga High School. Readers get to know Iris a bit better throughout the narrative. The death of her sister Laura, which she describes as being as close to a suicide as the word damn is to swearing, is an old wound that still bleeds. He r representation of the Chase family in the presentation of this monetary award is very difficult for her.Iris reminisces about her sister's life, how the story in the sub-novel created a town furor worthy of book banning, and how Iris has withstood the worst of this upset for the past 50 years. Yet, Laura is also seen as a genius taken in the prime of her life – a genius that Iris wears like a hair shirt. Chapter 4 Summary Sub-Novel The man and woman continue to meet in secret. At a cafe, she is uncomfortable because of the part of town in which it is located, and he is uncomfortable with the â€Å"fancy† way she is dressed.Their togetherness, for him, is about sex; their togetherness, for her, is about what is missing in her marriage: love and respect. The two of them leave the cafe and go to a room he is borrowing from a friend. It is threadbare, worn, and shabby. The woman is again uncomfortable in this environment but is so needy for what the man can give her that she stays. They make-love and he continues telling her the science-fiction tale about the residents of Sakiel-Norn. In another instance, at another time, the man and woman meet in a friend's apartment where they again make love, and again, he continues telling the story. Chapter 5 SummaryMain Novel This chapter volleys between present-day and the mid-1920s through the late 1930s in the history of the Chase family. Readers are permitted the chance to know Iris as an old woman and also get to know how Iris came to be that old woman. It is 1925 and Liliana Chase has died after the premature birth of her third child. Iris is saddled with caring for Laura and knows that it is going to be a full-time job. Even though Reenie acts in a motherly fashion toward both girls, it is Iris who tends to Laura's everyday needs. They must be each other's best friend, because they are not permitted to go off the grounds of Avilion alone.It is during this time that Iris tries to figure out why her moth er died as well as how to explain to Laura what happened to the â€Å"unfinished† baby t Chapter 6 Summary Sub-Novel The man and woman continue to meet in a variety of borrowed places: a dingy room, an opulent apartment and a janitor's storeroom in the basement of a building. The woman is clearly out of her element and comments so to herself while she goes to meet the man. She feels out of place in body and spirit: her clothes are too fancy, her walk is too refined and her attitude is too uptown for the downtown surroundings.However, she clearly loves this man, or certainly loves the image of him. He tries to appear nonchalant, but even he grows restless when he thinks she is not coming to meet him. Theirs is a relationship that starts out purely physical but melds into one of need. In addition, as the book continues, readers are left to wonder who this woman is: Laura or Iris? Chapter 7 Summary Main Novel More of Iris's mystery begins to unravel with the opening of Chapter 7 . She possesses a steamer trunk – one from her 1935 honeymoon trip to Europe with Richard Griffen – full of handwritten text and a couple of first edition books.It is hinted that Laura wrote these, but the question does arise: did Iris actually write stories, including the sub-novel? Many have written to Iris in hopes of interviewing her about her dead sister but she has steadfastly refused. She keeps the existence and contents of the steamer trunk a secret from the world. On a trip into Toronto to see her lawyer, Iris asks Walter to drive her past her old home – the one she shared with Richard as a newly married woman. It is still there, and now has tendrils of ivy fingering up the brickwork. Chapter 8 Summary Sub-Novel The man and woman continue meeting and telling each other stories.They debate over the ending of the story of the blind assassin and the tongueless girl. The woman wants a happy ending, where the two will live out their years together; the man w ould like to see everyone, including the lovers, annihilated. The storytelling between the man and woman is intellectual foreplay. At another rendezvous, the man tells a nicer story, at the urging of the woman. It is about the Lizard Men of Xenor and their coupling with women of Earth to create a super race. The woman tells the man that she is going away on the maiden voyage cruise of the Queen Mary.It is becoming clearer that the woman is Iris Griffen. Chapter 9 Summary Main Novel The elderly Iris is losing the battle all older people fight: to maintain independence at home. Iris's mind is still sharp but her body is letting her down. She cannot even do her own laundry in the basement without fearing she will fall and be hurt. Elderly Iris is also fighting off the ministrations of Myra who dotes on her as though she inherited her from her mother, Reenie. Myra means well but smothers Iris all the same. Her latest idea is to hire someone to clean Iris's house and do laundry for her.H owever, Iris does not want a stranger touching her underwear. It is the spring of 1936; the Civil War had begun in Spain, King Edward had abdicated the throne for the Duchess of Windsor, and Laura had headed off to school. T Chapter 10 Summary Sub-Novel The woman misses the man desperately and looks high and low for some sign of him; something to tell her that he is safe. She finds their story, The Lizard Men of Xenor, in a newsstand at a train station. She secretly sneaks it home and cherishes it as though he were reaching his hand out to her and her alone.Waiting for him to return from Spain seems interminable and, to pass the time, she imagines him imagining her. In her mind's eye, she sees him on trains, in stations and in diners. Her salvation is that he is on his way home to her, only her, and that he will soon emerge through the mist of a departing train to save her from her own life. Chapter 11 Summary Main Novel As the story progresses, readers are treated to little hints, tiny secrets here and there. Iris likes to visit the middle stall in the washroom of a local doughnut shop.That is where the best graffiti is written (including some about Laura) — and where she would like to add some of her own. She checks into that stall regularly to see what has been written there, as one would get a weekly update to a news item. Laura was sent to a different school — same temperament, different uniform — and plans were laid by Winifred for Laura's debut the following year when she turned eighteen. Laura grudgingly attended school but hated it. Once Laura started to be a bigger burden than Winifred wanted Richard to bear, it was decided that Laura should be married.Chapter 12 Summary Sub-Novel The man returns from the war in Spain and is greeted at the train station by the woman. Because he has not yet rented a room, they go to a seedy hotel to be alone together after such a long time apart. The room in the hotel is the worst place they have ever been together. It smells bad, the furniture is tacky and ripped and there is no fresh air. She tells him that she found The Lizard Men of Xenor and waited, impatiently, for the next episode so that she knew he was all right. She had worried about him dying in the war, and he tells her that nearly happened.Chapter 13 Summary Main Novel, the 1930s Just before World War II, Iris' marriage to Richard was getting worse. She had suffered two miscarriages and learned that Richard had enjoyed his share of mistresses. She assumed these dalliances were with his secretaries who were always very young and very pretty. They kept up marital appearances by going to parties and gatherings and Iris was grateful that Richard was no longer bothering her for marital obligations. Once World War II broke out, Richard and his business were in a bad place.He had been too friendly with the Germans prior to the war and stood to lose a lot of money. Following the end of the war, Iris receives a call from Laura. Back in Toronto, Iris sees Laura at Diana Sweets, one of Iris's favorite shops. Chapter 14 Summary Main Novel, the late 1940s Iris finds old school exercise books after Laura dies. In the mathematics book, there appears a long column of numbers with words opposite some of them. Iris recognizes the numbers as dates. The first date coincides with Iris's return from Europe and the last day was just a few months before Laura was sent to Bella Vista.Iris concludes that these are the dates Richard raped Laura. Iris was grateful that Laura had never seen Aimee because she would have known right away that Aimee was Alex Thomas's daughter and not Richard's. Iris keeps all of Laura's notebooks, bound together with string, plus other manuscript pages in the steamer trunk once used in her wedding trousseau. After Laura's funeral, Iris leaves Richard. She sends the steamer trunk out to Port Ticonderoga and then takes Aimee away while Richard is gone on business. Chapter 15 Summary Sub-No velIris is seen cherishing the photo of her and Alex Thomas at the Button Factory picnic that hot, humid Labor Day in the mid-1930s. The picture was of happiness, but the ensuing story was not. Just before her death, Iris has one last daydream. It is of reuniting with Sabrina, one in which Sabrina does not blame her for her fate. Sabrina calls Iris, comes to her house and sits with her. On May 29, 1999, Iris Chase Griffen dies at the age of 83. Shortly thereafter, Sabrina returns from traveling abroad to see to her grandmother's affairs

o brother essays

o brother essays Have you heard of LivePerson? What do they do? Here's an illustration: Lessay you're an online storeowner, and you check your logs and notice that a lot of your customers check pages but don't buy. You figure that the reason they're not buying is because they're not sure of their purchase. As the store in online, they can't talk to a clerk and have questions answered like they can at Best Buy, so they leave your site to check out some other site, or buy the item offline. You could always put a ask us a question form up which takes the users' questions and emails them to you. This is good, but its often too slow for a casual peruser who is long gone from the site before you even see the question, much less answer it. A few years ago, someone realized that if you had an instant way to get and respond to these questions, you might be able to give a bit more of that in-store feel to the online purchasing experience, and increase your sales rate. Chat is instantaneous. A user can click on a button and ask questions and get responses immediately. With the instant resolution to their question, they are more likely to buy than those that don't talk to a person before their purchase. According to Land's End, they have over 5 times the sales rate with people that ask questions with their chat system than those who do not. To that end, LivePerson and several others pioneered this process. The system works by placing a button on every page of the storeowner's website (using templates, this is even easier). After the button is placed, a user will be able to look at the image and see if a customer service representative is available or not. If available, the user can click on the button and have a window pop up, allowing the store owner and user to communicate. This really only requires a basic chat server and some Javascript or Java know-how. A few years ago, there were as many as 40 companies that doing thi ...

Origami and Geometry Lesson Plan for Grade 2

Origami and Geometry Lesson Plan for Grade 2 Help students practice origami to develop a knowledge of geometric properties. This is meant for a second-grade class for the duration of one class period, 45-60 minutes. Key Vocabulary:  symmetry, triangle, square, rectangle Materials origami paper or wrapping paper, cut into squares of 8 x 8a class set of 8.5 x 11 paper Objectives Students will use origami to develop an understanding of geometric properties. Standards Met 2.G.1. Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes. Lesson Introduction Show students how to make a paper airplane using their squares of paper. Give them a few minutes to fly these around the classroom (or better yet, a multipurpose room or outside) and get the sillies out. Step-By-Step Procedure Once the airplanes are gone (or confiscated), tell students that math and art are combined in the traditional Japanese art of origami. Paper folding has been around for hundreds of years, and there is much geometry to be found in this beautiful art.Read The Paper Crane to them before starting the lesson. If this book cant be found in your school or local library, find another picture book that features origami. The goal here is to give students a visual image of origami so that they know what theyll be creating in the lesson.Visit ​a  website, or use the book you selected for the class to find an easy origami design. You can project these steps for students, or just refer to the instructions as you go, but this boat is a very easy first step.Rather than square paper, which you usually need for origami designs, the boat referenced above begins with rectangles. Pass one sheet of paper out to each student.As students begin to fold, using this method for the origami boat, stop t hem at each step to talk about the geometry involved. First of all, they are starting with a rectangle. Then they are folding their rectangle in half. Have them open it up so that they can see the line of symmetry, then fold it again. When they reach the step where they are folding down the two triangles, tell them that those triangles are congruent, which means they are the same size and shape.When they are bringing the sides of the hat together to make a square, review this with students. It is fascinating to see shapes change with a little folding here and there, and they have just changed a hat shape into a square. You can also highlight the line of symmetry down the center of the square.Create another figure with your students. If they have reached the point where you think they are able to make their own, you can allow them to choose from a variety of designs. Homework/Assessment Since this lesson is designed for a review or introduction to some geometry concepts, no homework is required. For fun, you can send the instructions for another shape home with a student and see if they can complete an origami figure with their families. Evaluation This lesson should be part of a larger unit on geometry, and other discussions lend themselves to better assessments of geometry knowledge. However, in a future lesson, students may be able to teach an origami shape to a small group of theirs, and you can observe and record the geometry language that they are using to teach the â€Å"lesson.†

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Criminal law - Essay Example In one hand we have the punishment of the aggressor and in the other we have the guarantee of the victim’s protection, care, assistance and compensation.2 To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights in the light of changes in society, social progress and scientific and technological developments by making those rights more visible in a Charter. The dignity of the human person is not only a fundamental right in itself but constitutes the real basis of fundamental rights. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined this principle in its preamble: Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. It results that none of the rights laid down in this Charter may be used to harm the dignity of another person, and that the dignity of the human person is part of the substance of the rights laid down in this Charter. The right to life is nowadays universally acknowledged as a basic or fundamental human right. It is basic or fundamental because "the enjoyment of the r ight to life is a necessary condition of the enjoyment of all other human rights."3 As indicated by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in its Advisory Opinion on Restrictions to the Death Penalty (1983), the human right to life encompasses a "substantive principle" whereby every human being has an inalienable right to have his life respected, and a "procedural principle" whereby no human being shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life4 Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it represents a right which the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other international worldwide charter of rights, proclaiming universal and fundamental freedoms, which transcend national, religious, cultural and ideological