Longer Lonely Essays - Lakota People, , Term Papers

No Longer Lonely The sun shone and the children gleefully played as the lonely man in the worn blue sweater sat feeding the birds. He sat there every day, just feeding the birds and watching the children have their fun. As I ran around the paths in the park, I could see him sitting there, always alone. I slowly jogged around the path and as I rounded the sharp corner, I looked for the man who usually sat on the old bench in the far corner of the park. I could see him sitting there, one ankle, clothed in a shocking white athletic sock, crossed over his knee. He wore the same thing every day, the clothes looked like they had seen better days. His muddy brown pants were threadbare and looked like they belonged to a giant. To hold them up he had to use suspenders, on this bright morning he had chosen a crimson red pair. Covering his stooped shoulders was a worn blue sweater, the color made me think of cornflowers. Navy and dirty white canvas sneakers adorned his feet. His white sock could be seen through a gaping hole in the sole. These shoes had taken him to many different places. They were like an old friend that he couldn't say goodbye to. On this particular day the sun was shining down, warming the earth and lake, so many children played on the wooden swing set. From where I stood on the path, I could hear their cheerful shouts, but could not see them. What I could see was the old man's face. He had strong features: a broad nose, deep-set eyes, and pronounced cheekbones. They had all sunken into a deep sea of wrinkles over the years. You could tell that he had once been a handsome young man. He was of an average height, but appeared taller as he sat with a ramrod straight back. His eyes were an aquatic blue color, like the water off of the coast of Puerto Rico. His hair was receding and had turned a pure white instead of burnished silver. He appeared to be a distinguished gentleman. He watched the children swing and slide on the rickety swing set. From where I stood there appeared to be a look of nostalgia on his face. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. Was it a memory of his own childhood? Whatever the memory was, it made him appear to be missing something. While he sat looking at the children, he reached beside him and pulled out a brown lunch bag, spotted with grease marks. Slowly, with liver spotted hands, he reached into the bag. The act of curling his fingers around something inside made him wince in pain. I could imagine the pain that his body was wracked with, thanks to arthritis. I wanted to run up and help him, but the look of determination on his face stopped me from approaching him. Carefully extracting his hand, he pulled out a handful of birdseed and bread crumbs. With a wide sweep of his arm, he spread the mixture all over the ground. He repeated this act several times, until a few gray pigeons came to feast. With a small smile on his face, he watched the birds eat their meal. It was the happiest I had ever seen him. Slowly, so as not to disturb the birds, I approached the balding man. Sitting down next to him I introduced myself. Nodding his head, he mentioned that he often saw me running. Spreading birdseed from the mixture he offered me, I felt relaxed. Smelling the warm earth and listening to the children's cries mixed with the sounds of nature was wonderful. I could feel the tension easing out of me. As I sat next to him I observed his facial expressions. He appeared to be oddly at peace. Curious about what he was thinking to appear so content, I asked him what he was thinking. His response surprised me, something that rarely happens. He told me that he was no longer lonely; he now had me. A lonely old man in the park taught me an important lesson. Sometimes the greatest things are overlooked. I only saw him as a lonely old man missing something from his life. Then I sat down next to him. Next time, instead of observing, maybe I'll sit with him again. Sometimes, sitting next to someone and keeping them company, is all the happiness they will

rough case reveiw Essay

rough case reveiw Essay rough case reveiw Essay Daniel Pelka was murdered by his mother and stepfather in March 2012. For a period of at least six months prior to this, he had been starved, assaulted, neglected and abused. His older sister was expected to explain away his injuries as accidental. His mother and stepfather acted together to inflict pain and suffering on him and were convicted of murder in August 2013, both sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment Jurors were told Daniel weighed just 1st 7lb when he was discovered by paramedics, 15lb below the average weight for a child of his age. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead in hospital on March 3, 2012. Prosecutor Jonas Hankin QC said the state of the boy's tiny body had left even experts in child death shocked. He said: 'Daniel was subjected to a campaign of incomprehensible and escalating cruelty. His body was described as â€Å"shockingly thin† by doctors and an expert in child deaths said a lay person would compare it to a child starving in a concentration camp in the Second World War. When doctors tried to measure his BMI (body mass index) it was too low to be measured on the scale.' Missed opportunities to protect Daniel and potentially uncover the abuse he was suffering occurred:- at the time of his broken arm in January 2011, which was too readily accepted by professionals as accidentally caused. when the school began to see a pattern of injuries and marks on Daniel during the four months prior to his death, these were not acted upon. at the paediatric appointment in February 2012 when Daniel’s weight loss was not recognized, and child abuse was not considered as a likely differential diagnosis for Daniel’s presenting problems. Public opinion: How on earth can the Headmaster think this poor boy had a medical condition when he saw him scrounging for food in a waste

647 W5 assign Fish Bone Diagram Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

647 W5 assign Fish Bone Diagram - Essay Example 183). The diagram was noted to be useful during brain storming sessions, as well as in investigating the root cause of how the particular event turned out that way. Through scrutinizing sequence of transpired endeavors in clearly categorized elements, the diagram eventually assists in illuminating the cause and the ultimate effect/s of a challenging situation (American Society for Quality (ASQ), n.d.). The example of the fish bone diagram is shown in the figure below: The fish bone tool can be used in project management through enabling project managers and the project management team to accurately identify potential risks in various facets of the project. As emphasized, there are â€Å"three categories of project risk are controllable known risks, uncontrollable known risks, and unknown risks†¦ Root cause analysis not only makes known project risks more understandable but also shows you how to manage each risk† (Kendrick, 2003, pp. 184-185). Thus, the fish bone tool enables enhancing awareness of project risks in various categories to develop strategies that would mitigate and manage these risks. The fish bone tool is created following these prescribed six (6) steps: â€Å"(1) Draw Problem Statement; (2) Draw Major Cause Categories; (3) Brainstorm Causes; (4) Categorize Causes; (5) Determine Deeper Causes; and (6) Identify Root Causes† (Fishbone Diagram Cause and Effect Analysis, 2015). For the problem that was encountered by Great University (GU) in the previous paper, the system failure could be more closely evaluated using the fish bone diagram. The diagram is created with the six (6) steps and shown below: Under brainstorming stage, the project manager and team members could think of all possible causes of the system failure using the major categories. These causes could be as simple, deep, bizarre, unique, or diverse, as members of the project team could think of. These causes could be voluminous and thus, should be streamlined according to

Describe what you have learned from your experience as a member of a Essay

Describe what you have learned from your experience as a member of a team whose project was not completed successfully - Essay Example Compared to my previous successes, my first project is marked with a failure that I will never forget. On March of 2004, I have been given the privilege for an internship with XYZ Company in their Analytical laboratory. During my first day of work, I am quite challenged and enthusiastic to find that I will be working with two other new interns. Also, there will be no full time analytical chemists to assist us except my supervisor. These circumstances made me realize that my duties are going to be very challenging as well as interesting. Being able to prove our commitment, dedication, and skill, our group has been offered to work on a project, which would be very tedious for us as interns due to our lack of experience. However, we consider the task as a huge opportunity to further improve our skills and further our competencies. Because the current method is time consuming, tedious and requires continuous attention due to the usage of hazardous chemicals our project is to create a short method to analyze an element in one of the raw materials by using modern instrumentation. The group merrily took the project, albeit the very tight time constraint. We only have few more weeks for final exams and we are required to invest more effort to meet the short deadline. After a short discussion with the group, everyone agreed to contribute the best of his ability to accomplish the project within the allotted time. Two weeks later, my team and I have come to realize that we will not be able to finish the project on time, since we were working two days a week. The month passed and the shortage of time coupled with our lack of experience makes it impossible for us to complete the project. Pressing further, we ask for an extension of one week because we have already gathered all the necessary data for the completion. However, to our dismay, the project has been transferred to another analytical group within the company. This has been very disappointing for me. I have learned a lot from being a member of a team whose project was unsuccessful. This experience taught me to be a good team player and to manage my time more efficiently. Being a senior in the group, I had learned to manage and deal with the team who knew that we will not be able to finish the project on time. I have been instrumental in absorbing the stress my team and I were going through because of the short deadline. From this whole experience, I had also learned to recognize my strengths and the requirements of the task before accepting it. Even though my group failed to finish the project on time, we were still recognized for our work, and I took it as a reward. Therefore, I can say that even though our project was unsuccessful, the work and the effort was still recognized. As for me, I was able to gain knowledge from it and I consider it as an essential aspect of learning process. Failures should not be taken with disappointment. Each of us are strengthened and molded by ou r failures, they enable us the areas where we should improve and humble our hearts to be receptive to important lessons in life. A famous writer Rita Mae Brown had once said "Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from

Flat Tax in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Flat Tax in UK - Essay Example Central government, however, generates its revenues mainly from income tax, national insurance contributions, value added tax, corporation tax and fuel duty. Definition: "A flat tax, also called a proportional tax, is a system that taxes all entities in a class (typically either citizens or corporations) at the same rate (as a proportion of income), as opposed to a graduated, or progressive, scheme. The term flat tax is most often discussed in the context of income taxes."(Expert Report 2005) At first confined to academic conversation and a few small islands, the flat tax has lately been introduced in numerous of the ex-communist countries of middle Europe, counting latest members of the European Union. Additionally, Poland has announced its intention to adopt a flat tax system. As a result far none of the 'old' EU nations has taken this step, though Ireland is introducing a flat tax for companies (Feldstein). Hypothetically we could calculate an average rate of tax under the current multi-rate system, and charge everyone this rate under the flat tax. Though this would consequence in taxpayers (mainly the lower earners) paying more tax. In practice so most flat tax systems propose a single rate approximately the similar as, or lower than, the existing standard rate. This means that no-one will pay additional tax on the transition to a flat tax. Remove most tax allowances and deductions One of the advantages of the flat rate is its minimalism, in that taxpayers and collectors only have to use one rate of tax in their calculations. This straightforwardness is usually extended by removing mainly of the exact tax deductions surrounded by the accessible system that try to give stipend for exact circumstances or incentives for exacting activities. In part this removal of allowances is sensible since once a single low flat rate is introduced they turn out to be less important (HM Treasury, 2003). Greatly increased personal allowance The individual allowance is the basic amount that every taxpayer is allowed to earn free of tax. The majority flat tax proposals engage an important augment in this amount, first and foremost to make sure that all low earners are better off under the flat tax system (in lots of cases by being taken out of the tax net in total), even subsequent abolishing a lot of the precise allowances (Richard Teather). Apparently a flat tax will decrease the largely tax take, at least originally, unless it is set at the present average rate (in which case a lot of taxpayers would pay additional under the reforms than they do at present). Certainly raising the individual allowance considerably will also result in a substantial loss of tax revenue. But how much The majority people

Hybridity Concept In Postcolonial Studies Cultural Studies Essay

Hybridity Concept In Postcolonial Studies Cultural Studies Essay Introduction This chapter seeks to examine key concepts that underpin this study. Hybridity, otherness and stereotyping in postcolonial studies are discussed in relation to the central argument of this thesis which is the roles teachers and students play at aiming for the construction of shared Malaysian identity in multicultural classrooms. The intention of this literature review is to identify the significance of hybridity, otherness and stereotyping in post colonial studies to my research and how Bhabhas notion of The Third Space helps to formulate the establishment of collective identity in students zone of development (Gutierrez, Baqudano-Lopez and Tejeda (1999). Hybridity concept in Postcolonial studies The flow of information and the movement of people in this ever evolving, interconnected and interactive world have been a profound reason in the creation of new cultures in the form of mixing of local and foreign ideas and values. This kind of mixing is a tiny part of the loose and slippery meaning of hybridity. The term hybridity is used in many areas such as hybrid economy (the mixture of private enterprises and government active participation in global economy) (Koizumi,2010); hybrid cars, hybrid language (creole and patois), and most importantly in relation to this study is in the arena of hybrid cultures (Tomlinson,1999; Coombs Brah,2000). Easthope (1998) contends that hybridity can have three meanings; in terms of biology, ethnicity and culture. In biological science, hybrid could mean the composition of genetic component in human being, animals or plants. In the second and third definitions, hybridity can be understood to mean an individual who possesses two or more ethnic and cultural identities. However de Toro emphasises that the meaning of hybridity in modern cultural theory has nothing to do with the biological and zoological origin of the term (de Toro, 2004). Hutnyk (2005) on the other hand reveals that the term hybridity and syncretism seem to serve the inner cultural aspects of colonialism and the global market. Several key thinkers in the realm of hybridity includes among others Homi Bhabha, Robert Young, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy, who draw upon related concepts from Deleuze, Derrida, Marx, Fanon and Bakhtin to name a few.(Ref) In particular, Bhabha has developed his concept of hybridity from literary and cultural theory to describe the construction of culture and identity within conditions of colonial antagonism and equity (Meredith, 1998; Bhabha, 1994; Bhabha, 1996). In socio-cultural milieu, hybridity is used as an explicative term and hybridity became a useful tool in forming a discourse of racial mixing which was seen as an aberration in the end of 18th century. The kind of hybrid during this era was largely referring to inter marriage of black and white and the offspring were identified as the hybrid product. It has also been referred to as an abuse term in colonial discourse for those who are products of miscegenation or mixed-breeds. Papastergiadis in Werbner Modood (2000) on the other hand asserts that the positive feature of hybridity is that it invariably acknowledges that identity is constructed through a negotiation of difference and that the presence of fissures, gaps and contradictions is not necessarily a sign of failure. (ibid:258). Therefore hybridity can be seen in both negative and positive forms. Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin (2006) assert that hybridity occurs in post-colonial societies as a result of economic and political expansion and control and when the coloniser diluted indigenous peoples (the colonised) social practices and assimilate them to a new social mold. They also further explain that hybridity extends until after the period of imperialism when patterns of immigrations from rural to urban region and from other imperial areas of influence; such as Chinese and Indian labourers coming in into the Malay Peninsula during the labour intensive period. However, with the end imperialism, with the rising of immigration and economic liberalisation, the term hybridity has profoundly been used in many different dimensions and is one of the most disputed terms in postcolonial studies. It can take many forms including cultural, political and linguistics. It is important to note that hybridity can be interpreted in many different accounts from a slight hybrid to the extreme of culture clash. In the postcolonial studies the term hybrid commonly refers to the creation of new trans-cultural forms within the contact zone produced by colonisation (Ashcroft et al.,2003). One other dimension of this term is the hybrid talk which is associated with the emergence of postcolonial discourse and its critique of cultural imperialism.(elaborate) Easthope (1998) on the other hand asserts that in his discussions of hybridity, it has no fix definition except in relation to non-hybridity: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that the opposition between difference and absolute presence needs to be relativised by introducing more than one concept of identity, that a coherent, speaking subject cannot live in the gaps between identities. (p.347). Pieterse (2001:221) maintains that New hybrid forms are significant indicators of profound changes that are taking place as a consequence of mobility, migration and multiculturalism. In addition, cultural diasporization (Hall, 1990) signifies a new form of identity as a result of interculturality and diasporic relations (Anthias,2010). However, Anthias (ibid:620) postulates that: If hybrid social identities are now the characteristic identities of the modern world, then struggles over cultural hegemony and the underlying mechanisms that support it, become increasingly empty signifiers; merely to occupy the space of the hybrid constitutes an emancipator human condition. In addition, de Toro (1991,1996a) contends that hybridity is always inherent to culture, identity and nations but it is the object of reflections and definitions of different settings and also applied in very different fields. Correspondingly, de Toro suggests that one has to understand the notion of hybridity in a broader metacontext and has to see hybridity as mixing systems at the base of the combination of different models and processes. The discussion of hybridity in this study focuses on the contemporary debate about culture, ethnicity and identity which underpins de Toros model of hybridity as a cultural category. The main argument of this study is the problematic nature of managing the differences of cultural, ethnical and religious groups in Malaysias plural society in the quest for the construction of shared Malaysian identity. The discussion of hybridity in the Malaysian context in this study therefore is not about finding a midway to the solution of differences in cultures and identity but to identify a space where cultural, religious and ethnic difference can be celebrated. In as much the arguments in the succeeding sections deal with ethnicity, culture and religion, this study does not attempt to explicate an in depth discussion of the cultural theory concept. However, cultural theory will be reviewed at a surface level. In the linguistics setting, Bakhtin (1981) puts forward the notion of linguistic hybridity. He, according to Young (1995) delineates the way in which language, even within a single sentence, can be doubled-voiced. Bakhtin affirms that linguistic hybridity mixes two social languages within the limits of a single utterance but differentiated by other factors of those social utterances. Simplistically, it describes the ability to be simultaneously the same but different (ibid:20). Young further postulates that for Bakhtin, hybridity describes the process of the authorial unmasking of anothers speech, through a language that is double-accented and double-styled. Bakhtin (1981) divides his linguistic hybridity into two; intentional hybridity and unconscious or organic hybridity. The former occurs when a voice has the ability to ironise and unmask the other within the same utterance. The organic hybridity , on the other hand occurs when two languages fused together: . the languages change historically primarily by hybridization, by means of a mixing of various languages co-existing within the boundaries of a single dialect, a single national language, a single branch, a single group of different branches, in the historical as well as paleontological past of languages. (Ibid:358). The language hybridity phenomenon is one of main discussions in this current study as the multicultural society evolves in Malaya then Malaysia respectively, languages evolve in tandem. The discussion involves the emergence of Malaysian English or Manglish in social interactions of the populace within ones own ethnic community or with the other communities at large. This is argued in the discussions and findings chapter of this current study. The section that follows discusses in greater detail of hybridity in the light of Bhabhas (1998) work on cultural diversity and cultural difference. Understanding Bhabhas concept of hybridity in relation to cultural diversity Bhabhas conception of hybridity is developed from literary and cultural theory by which he identifies that the governing bodies (coloniser) translate the identity of the colonised (the other) in tandem with the essentialist beliefs. This action of translation however does not produce something that is known to the coloniser or the colonised but essentially new (Papastergiadis, 1997). Bhabha believes that it is this new blurred boundaries or spaces in-between subject-position that are identified as the locality of the disruption and displacement of predominant influence of colonial narratives and cultural structures and practice. Bhabha (1994) claims that the difference in cultural practices within different groups, however rational a person is, is actually very difficult and even impossible and counterproductive, to try and fit together different forms of culture and to pretend that they can easily coexist. As he affirms: The assumption that at some level all forms of cultural diversity may be understood on the basis of a particular universal concept, whether it be human being, class, or race, can be both very dangerous and very limiting in trying to understand the ways in which cultural practices construct their own systems of meaning and social organisation (ibid:209) There is truth to a certain degree to the statement above in terms of the universality of cultural diversity applied in many pluralistic countries including Malaysia. However, to a larger extent, this present study, at a later stage would render the limitations of that statement amidst difficulties and multitudes of problems in inter-ethnic relationship; Malaysian society has proven its ability to be one of the select few which are able to prove that the differences in cultural practices could be the catalyst not hindrance or counterproductive amongst different groups to coexist. This concept of the third space is central and useful in analysing this current study in terms of its interstitial positioning between cultural and ethnic identity with that of a negotiated identity (shared identity) in the Malaysian context. Bhabha believes that the process of cultural hybridity gives rise to new and unidentifiable, a new era of negotiation of meaning and representation. For him controversies are inevitable and unavoidable in a multicultural society as negotiations happen almost in all circumstances including socio-politics and economy down to minute affairs such as in classrooms context. The implication of western colonial legacy which had changed cultural ideology of a former colonised nation is central to the modern discourse of negotiation and instead of questioning the legality of certain cultural status assigned to immigrant cultures, it is inevitable but to accept, admire and celebrate diversity in ways which are appropriately befitting the society as a whole. The significance of the hybridity concept Post-colonial cultural politics assertions: integration and assimilation to unification As a result of hybridisation, dominant culture becomes diluted and more dispersed; less integrated and can then be negotiated. The process of cultural hybridisation allows greater opportunity for local culture to be emphasised thus presents a greater likelihood for more people to feel the sense of belonging. (Canclini,1995;Pieterse,2004). Hybridity needs to be considered as a continuous transaction of renewals and compromise of the practices of identity A more analytical perspective that reviews the assumption about culture and identity from us-them dualism to a collective sense of both. Therefore acceptance and conciliation of both difference and similarity. 5.0. The Third Space Appropriation of The Third Space to the study Otherness Stereotyping in Post Colonial Studies 9.0 Applying hybridity, otherness and stereotyping to the construction of shared identity Identity in Plural Society Propagating and espousing a new conception of shared identity New opportunities, new challenges to develop a collective sense of identity Identity is multiple, overlapping and context-sensitive (Kwame Appiah in Koizumi) New conception of self hybrid self rejects singular identity and adopt a fluid context-dependent identity Classification of identity formation: inherited and acquired (social and psychological) The Construction Malaysian Identity Summary

Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - Women in The Wife of Bath

Women in Chaucer's The Wife of Bath Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" is a medieval legend that paints a portrait of strong women finding love and themselves in the direst of situations. It is presented to the modern day reader as an early tale of feminism showcasing the ways a female character gains power within a repressive, patriarchal society. Underneath the simplistic plot of female empowerment lies an underbelly of anti-feminism. Sometimes this is presented blatantly to the reader, such as the case of Janekin's reading aloud from "The Book of Wikked Wives" (The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale 691). However, there are many other instances of anti-feminism that may not scream so loudly to the reader. This is shown in the disappearance of the rape victim and the happy ending for the Knight. While the overall story is one of supposed feminism shown through women's empowerment, there are many aspects of "The Wife of Bath" that are anti-feminist in nature. The main character, Alison, or the wife of Bath, is representative of most of the feminist ideals in the work. She is strong, independent, and to be respected as a woman of great courage. Alison has suffered a great deal in her lifetime, indicative of life for women at this time. She has survived five husbands; some of whom beat her, others were unfaithful. She was married off at an early age of twelve and from then on knew what marriage was about: money. "Marriage is the key to survival, and that is what Alisoun seeks and finds" (Carruthers 214), argues Mary Carruthers, justifying Alison's five marriages. Alison equates money with power. With this power comes respect and honor. A more careful analysis of both the "General Pro... ... maiden, the knight is turned into the hero of the tale, with the reader hoping for a happy ending for him. "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" can be seen as both a legend of women's empowerment as well as a reminder of the struggles women encountered daily. Works Cited Abrams, M.H., ed. Norton Anthology of English Literature, v,1. W.N. Norton & Company: 1993 Carruthers, Mary. "The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions" The Geoffrey Chaucer Page. 30 June 2000 Chaucer, G. "General Prologue" 81-100. Chaucer, G. "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" Abrams 117-144. Lee, Brian S. "Exploitation and Excommunication in 'The Wife of Bath's Tale.' Philological Quarterly, v74. (1995): 17(19) O'Brien, Timothy D. "Troubling Waters: The Feminine and the Wife of Bath's Performance" Modern Language Quarterly, v53. (1992): 377(15).