Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Personal statement - Essay Example First, I could tell her absolutely everything. For the first time in my life, Ive found someone with whom I could share my deepest, darkest secrets. She also did the same and revealed personal details about her family and everything else in her life. It was so good for me to be able to share everything with someone else who is not only close to me emotionally but also physically for a great portion of the day, and that I could always go to. Second, she became a wonderful source of support for me. No matter what I told her, no matter what I was going through, she is always there to support me, show her empathy and caring, and do whatever she can to help me and encourage me in everything I do and in every decision I make. She is also great in giving me advice, consulting me on what I should no. I cant even count the times that I relied on her great advice which helped me so much. Third, with her remarkable sense of humor, she can always make me laugh. Regardless of what Im going throug h or how sad or depressed I might be, she always succeeds in making me laugh and smile and be cheered up. Then and only then I can relate to my problems and think about them, of course with her assistance.

Civil Rights Movement Essay Example for Free

Civil Rights Movement Essay Gandhi was an Indian civil rights leader. Throughout life he was misunderstood, defied in death and was taken to the point of error. Gandhi took down the British Empire, he improved the governments of the three nations, and he imbued the spirits of a global network of neo-Gandhians, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If anyone could be described as the most adequate civil rights movement leader of the 20th century, it would be Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 and died January 30, 1948. Mohandas Gandhi was the last child of his father and his father’s fourth wife. In his youth years Gandhi was shy, he always spoke in a soft or gentle voice, and wasn’t a neither good nor bad student in school. Although he was an obedient child, one time Gandhi tried eating meat, smoking, and stole a little, which he later regretted. When Gandhi was 13, he married a girl named Kasturba in an arranged marriage. Kasturba and Gandhi had four sons and she supported Gandhis endeavors until her death in 1944. When Gandhi was 23 years old he set-off for South Africa once again, he arrived in British governed Natal in May 1893. Though Gandhi was hoping to earn a little bit of money and gain more knowledge about law, it was in South Africa that Gandhi changed from being a very quiet and shy man to a dedicated leader against discrimination. The beginning of this change happened while he was on a business trip that was taken a little while after he arrived in South Africa. Gandhi was in South Africa for about a week when he was asked to take the long trip from Natal to Transvaal, the province of South Africa for his case. It was supposed to be a several day trip, including transportation by train and by stagecoach. When Gandhi went on the first train of his journey at the Pietermartizburg station, railroad officials told Gandhi that he needed to move to the third-class passenger car. When Gandhi refused to move because he was holding first-class passenger tickets, a policeman came and threw him off the train. That wasn’t the end of the unfair treatment that Gandhi suffered on this trip. Gandhi wen and talked to the other Indians in South Africa. He found out that his experiences with the policemen were not rare mistakes, but instead these types of problems were common. During that first night of his trip, he sat in the cold outside of the railroad station after being thrown off the train, Gandhi debated whether he should go back home to India or fight the discrimination for all people. After thinking it through, Gandhi decided that he could not let the discrimination continue and that he was going to fight so that he could change the discrimination in South Africa forever. Gandhi spent the next twenty years working on improving Indians rights in South Africa. During the first three years, Gandhi learned more about Indian complaints that were made, studied the law, wrote letters to officials, and organized petitions. On May 22, 1894, Gandhi created the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). The NIC started as an organization for rich Indians, Gandhi worked hard and long to expand its membership to all classes and people who were in a high position. Gandhi became known for his activism. His acts were covered by newspapers in England and India. In a few short years, Gandhi had become a leader of the Indian community in South Africa. In 1896, after living three years in South Africa, Gandhi took a trip to India with the intention of bringing his wife and two sons back with him. In India, there was a deadly plague outbreak. Since back then they believed that poor health and hygiene were the cause of the plagues, Gandhi offered to help search for toilets, especially ones on a military base and offer suggestions for better supplies. Others were willing to search the toilets of the wealthy; Gandhi personally searched the toilets of the untouchables as well as the rich. He found that it was the wealthy that had the worst hygiene and health problems. After spending twenty years in South Africa helping fight discrimination, Gandhi finally decided it was time to head back home to India on July 1914. When World War I broke out during his journey, Gandhi decided to stay and help by forming another ambulance corps of Indians to help the British. As World War I reached its finale, it was time for Gandhi to focus on the fight for Indian politics. In 1919, the British gave Gandhi something worth fighting for the Rowlett Act. This Act gave the British in India nearly no restrictions to root out revolutionary elements and to restrain them for sure without trial. In addition to this Act, Gandhi organized a huge protest, which began on March 30, 1919. Even though Gandhi called off the protest, once he heard about the violence, over 300 Indians had died and over 1,100 were injured from British war in the city of Amritsar. The violence that formed from the protest showed Gandhi that the people didn’t fully believe in the power of Satyagraha. On March 1922, Gandhi was jailed for rebellion and was sentenced to six years in prison. After two years, Gandhi was released due to illness and needed surgery to treat his appendicitis. Upon his release, Gandhi found his country mixed up in violent attacks between Muslims and Hindus. As self-punishment for the violence, Gandhi began a 21-day fast, known as the Great Fast of 1924. Still ill from his recent surgery, many people thought he would die on day twelve, but he pulled through. The fast created a temporary peace treaty. Also during this decade, Gandhi began giving support as a way to gain freedom from the British. Unfortunately, not everyone was too happy with this peace plan. There were a few basic Hindu groups who believed that India should never have been divided. They blamed Gandhi for the separation. On January 30, 1948, the 78year old Gandhi spent his last day like all the other days. The majority of the day was spent debating problems with numerous groups and individuals. A few minutes past 5 p.m., when it was time for the prayer meeting, Gandhi started the walk to Birla House. A crowd had surrounded him while he walked; he was helped by two of his grandnieces. In front of him, a young Hindu boy named Nathuram Godse stopped before to greet him by bowing. Gandhi bowed back. Then Godse rushed forward with a gun and shot Gandhi three times with a black, semi-automatic pistol. Although Gandhi had survived five other assassination attempts, this time, Gandhi fell to the ground, dead.

America in 1934 Essay -- American History

America in 1934 In the Midwest, farmers were losing their land to mortgage foreclosures. American tourist deaths were attributed to a terrorist attack. A president known for his effective use of the media governed the United States. The U.S. cooperated in a change of government in the Philippines. Parents and churches criticized motion pictures for eroding American morals. And Appalachian State, after setting a new enrollment record, received favorable publicity in a national magazine. Sound familiar? Think again; you're 55 years off. The year was 1934 in the U.S.A. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, provided relief funds to just under seventeen million Americans to offset "the hardships and suffering caused by unemployment" in the Great Depression. Leading the state relief parade was North Dakota, 34% of whose population received federal funds. In New York just under two million were on the dole (Lyman 71-72). By manipulating gold and silver prices, President Roosevelt hoped to cut Depression inflation. The Gold Reserve Act established a maximum limit of 60% for the gold value of the U.S. dollar. It allowed the President to set the price of gold at $35 per ounce. The Silver Purchase Act directed the Secretary of the Treasury to buy silver until the metal reached 25% of U.S. money reserves or until its price reached $1.29 per ounce (Leuchtenburg 13). On 9 February President Roosevelt ended all government air mail contracts with airlines and ordered the Army to fly the mails. Roosevelt took this measure to deprive commercial airlines of scandalously high financial arrangements, but his plans failed because of the Army Air Corps' inability to handle the job. After the ... ...t Record at A.S.T.C." Watauga Democrat 4 Oct. 1934: 1. "Normal Child." Time 27 Aug. 1934: 50. "North Carolina Builds Shrine to First Colony." New York Times 1 July 1934: 18. Old Gold. Advertisement. (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 14. "Poor White's Art." Time 10 Sept. 1934: 33. Phillips, Cabell. The New York Times Chronicle of American Life: From the Crash to the Blitz 1929-1939. New York: Mac Millan, 1969. "Receive Honorary Degrees." (Raleigh) News and Observer 13 June 1934: 1. Reichler, Joseph L., ed. The Baseball Encyclopedia. 4th ed. New York: Mac Millan, 1979. Shale, Richard, comp. Academy Awards. New York: Ungar, 1978. "Ruth's Record of 700 Home Runs Likely to Stand for All Time in Major Leagues." New York Times 14 July 1934: 8. "Sophisticates Abroad." Time 16 April 1934: 77. Stern Brothers. Advertisement. New York Times 1 July 1934: 10.

Battle of Waterloo

The Battle of Waterloo stands as a very important episode in the whole of Napoleon Bonaparte’s wartime adventures. It was the fierce fighting that occurred in the muddy field closed to Brussels in 1815 between the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon that finally sealed Napoleon’s fate in his bid to rule the world. The theatre of battle was in an area closed to the Belgian Capital Brussels. (Bourne 1915, 118) This battle has been considered by many as one of the most crucial battle in history and the battle claims responsibility for reversing the trend of European history.As Brian Bond pointed out: â€Å"Waterloo was a ‘decisive battle' by almost any criterion. † (1998, 3) Our research aims to define factors and conditions which caused Napoleon failure on the battlefield and mistakes he made that led to his demise. The battle of Waterloo is analyzed in detail, because it is the most typical example of Napoleon's strategy, otherwise military narrative limited to the essential minimum. A whole host of reasons are responsible for Napoleon’s misfortune on the day of Waterloo.We are going to begin with political reasons. The failure of Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo could be linked to his failure to disunite the states of Europe that had stood against him. He had tried to negotiate separately with each of the allied sovereign but these negotiations proved futile. It is worth noting that there were signs of willingness to cooperate with Napoleon from the Russians and Austrians but this did not last long.These early signs of willingness to cooperate with napoleon came as a result of the fact that during a substantial part of 1813 and 1814, the allied powers had been at loggerhead with one another over the sharing of the territories they had acquired during the previous year. (Creasy 1908, 353) It was this situation that Napoleon tried to exploit. This plan was brilliantly understood by Talleyrand, the French representative at the Congr ess of Vienna, as a result he did everything possible to prevent this kind of manipulation.(Creasy 1908, 354) Talleyrand had realized how necessary and important it was to see that no member of newly created European alliance needed one another to if they had to succeed to control the excesses of Napoleon whom they considered their old time enemy. This situation played a significant role in the defeat of Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. Napoleon himself understood that if he could create a situation that could make him get involved in separate battles with the British and the Russians that would have been synonymous to success.(Creasy 1908, 357) Success here would not have been only among his strongest opponents but it would have also been against the other masses who were already gathering momentum against his Eastern dominions. The point here is that the failure of Napoleon to disunite his opponents before the battle of Waterloo meant he was going to have a difficult battle aga inst a united opponent. In this regards, Napoleon lost at Waterloo partly because he had failed to hold to his war time commitment of keeping the forces of his opponents separated.Also the main loop hole in Napoleon’s expedition in the battle of Waterloo lay in France itself. Returning from exile in Elba the Emperor easily gathered his troops, as the Government in 1814 was faced with a difficult problem in demobilizing the Army, still more loyal than the Marshals to Napoleon. (Rosebery 1900, 98) The troops were restive at the news of Napoleon's approach. When his small force found an infantry regiment barring the road, Bonaparte advanced alone in his familiar grey overcoat, he shouted: â€Å"Kill your Emperor, if you wish.† A single shot would have finished the adventure; but the regiment, ignoring all commands to fire, broke ranks and surrounded Napoleon with acclamations of `Vive l'Empereur'. (Rosebery 1900, 99) He was greeted enthusiastically by the peasants and sol diers, but the upper classes were hostile to Napoleon. French citizens were opposed to war and this situation had a serious impact on Bonaparte’s adventure. (Veve 1992, 214) He remarked to Mole, one of his former Councillors:Nothing astonished me more, in returning to France, than this hatred of priests and nobles, which I found to be as widespread and violent as at the beginning of the Revolution. They have reopened everything which had been settled. (Rosebery 1900, 123) Political situation in France was not favorable too. Napoleon could not make up his mind to give the responsibility of coming up with a new constitution to a representative assembly. Such an assembly would have provided for a constitution that would guarantee a free government.Such an assembly also would not have given him the opportunity to carry out the expedition which according to him will guarantee safety and victory over his foreign opponents. In this circumstance he fell in love with dictatorship and normally a dictatorship would not have had the support of French citizens. This had an impact on the morale of French soldiers. Moreover, Napoleon bids for discipline in French soldier came with came with little results and his attempt to keep these secrets unknown to foreign missions was never achieved.All this had a role to play in the battle of Waterloo. French soldiers were less prepared for war. Most French soldiers were longing for rest. Even the most hardened warriors wanted rest. They had been very busy under the reign of Louis XVIII. Most of them had just begun enjoying the pleasures of resting when napoleon called them to return to their barracks. With this situation a good number of the French army pointed out that they love napoleon better than Louis XVIII but if they most go to fight all Europe again then it will be better to take back Louis XVIII.(Cowin 1903, 608) This situation put the French army in a delegate and difficult situation and the battle of Waterloo just c ame as a confirmation. Napoleon didn’t have enough officers to complete skeleton of army as the choice of available Generals was dangerously limited. Napoleon's only ally was the unreliable Murat, to whom Napoleon wrote at the end of March: â€Å"I will support you with all my forces. I count on you. † (Andrews 1939, 251) Apart from Murat, four of the Marshals, including Berthier, were struck off the list for leaving Paris with Louis XVIII.In his choice of leaders, Napoleon's judgement was poor. Grouchy was said to be a great General but he was out of his depth as a Marshal. He showed little initiative and was tardy in his pursuit of the Prussians, giving them time to regroup. He failed to keep the Prussians separate from the other Allies and, although engaged in battle with the Prussians at Wavre, he failed to prevent a corps being deployed at St. Lambert. His battle at Wavre continued until he had defeated the Prussians but, by that time, Napoleon was on his way back to Paris.Ney also proved unreliable as a leader failing to take advantage of his situation in the precursory battle at Quatre-Bras. Napoleon made a mistake that left the tactical handling of the battle to Ney. It was also a serious misfortune for Napoleon that Drouot, the great artillery expert, had to replace Marshal Mortier, commander of the Guard, who was ill. (Knoph 1979, 224) In embarking on the Continental System Napoleon underestimated the toughness and resilience of the English economy and society. Napoleon had not grasped the speed or the scope of the industrial revolution in England.By 1800 Boulton and Watt had built and installed hundreds of their steam-engines, particularly in the all-important textile industry. When Watt died in 1819, Lord Liverpool rightly acknowledged that ` England could not have survived the Napoleonic Wars without the steam-engine'. (Veve 1992, 168) Wellington's somewhat cryptic judgment that `the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields o f Eton' (Veve 1992, 14) presumably refers to one side of the picture: the toughness of the English leadership. It would be equally true to say that the battle was won in Boulton's engine-making works at Birmingham.With these set backs, Napoleon was covered with gloom as one of his councilors noted: He was full of anxiety, the self confidence that use to be heard in his utterances, the tone of authority, the lofty flight of thought all had disappeared. He seemed already to fill the weight of the hand of misfortune which was soon to be laid on him so heavily and no longer counted on his star. (Cowin 1903, 699) Some citizens even described Bonaparte as exhausted and suffering, due to the frequent hot bath he took while other described him as suffering from a secret disease, therefore should go to sleep.Overview of military strategy should be given at the beginning speaking of military factors determined Napoleon’s failure at Waterloo. By the outbreak of the Revolution, the staff of the French Army already possessed a coherent doctrine of offensive strategy and tactics. How much did Napoleon's strategy and tactics owe to his predecessors? To explain the origins of Napoleonic strategy is not, of course, to belittle his genius. As he said at St Helena: â€Å"Everything is in the execution. ‘ The planning which preceded a battle was an intense and painful process.I am like a woman in labour. † (Abbott 1855, 408) Also Bonaparte pointed out: Few people realize the strength of mind required to conduct, with a full realization of its consequences, one of these great battles on which depends the fate of an army, a nation, the possession of a throne. Consequently one rarely finds Generals who are keen to give battle. I consider myself the boldest of Generals. (Abbott 1855, 421) It is known that he took Guibert's and Bourcet's writings with him to Italy; he also sent to Paris for the account of Maillebois' campaign in Piedmont in 1748.It would not be far wrong to say that Napoleon's Italian campaigns were Guibert and Bourcet in action. Their influence was a great deal more important than Napoleon's general reading of Plutarch, Caesar, and Frederick the Great. (Esdaile 2001, 42) In discussing the principles of strategy at St Helena, Napoleon asserted, `I have fought sixty battles, and I have learnt nothing which I did not know in the beginning. ‘ (Abbott 1855, 581) The essence of Napoleon style of fighting is mobility.Marechal de Saxe in his Reveries, written in 1732, gave some valuable lessons about mobility; he anticipated Napoleon when he said `the whole secret of manoeuvres and of combats lies in the legs'. (Markham 1954, 21) The scholars define flexible nature of this new war: Greater mobility allowed Napoleon’s armies to concentrate their superior forces at specific points – in space and time – over a wide area. This gave Napoleon the capacity to keep reconfiguring the deployment of his troops in bat tle, take less mobile and more predictable opponents by surprise, outmanoeuvre them, and prevent them from even locating his own troops.(Doz and Konosen 2007, 102) This is the strategy of his first campaign in Piedmont, and also of his last campaign of Waterloo. The tactics of the Waterloo has tended to produce an exaggerated antithesis between the `thin red line' of the English infantry and the massed column attack of the French. Ney's massed columns at Waterloo were exceptional, and a poor example of French tactics. In 1772 Guibert, wrote his Essai General de Tactique, which was widely read and discussed. Guibert strongly advocated an ordre mixte, in a flexible combination of line or column according to circumstances.(Black 1994, 171) Normally the French in the revolutionary and Napoleonic period used column formation for approach and changed to line for the actual attack: but it appears that at the battle of Maida in 1806 and frequently in the Peninsular War battles, they were ta ken unawares by the English method of concealing their infantry behind a rising crest of ground, and were caught by the English volleys before they could open out their columns. (Black 1994, 186) Napoleon explained at St Helena that this again happened at Waterloo.Napoleon himself seldom interfered in the tactical handling of infantry, which varied according to the skill of his Marshals and Generals, because he had to keep his attention for the general handling of the battle. But one of his first orders to the Army of Italy was to confirm the use of the ordre mixte. He, of all people, was aware of the importance of fire-power. At St Helena he said: `It is with artillery that war is made. ‘ `The invention of powder has changed the nature of war: missile weapons are now become the principal ones; it is by fire and not by shock that battles are decided today.‘ (Abbott 1855, 523) With a divided and apprehensive nation Napoleon dare not risk a defensive campaign. So, one of t he reasons why Napoleon Bonaparte failed in battle of Waterloo was the fact that he himself failed to maintain his own tactics. His only chance was a quick and resounding victory which might rally France behind him and shatter the allied unity. In contrast with 1814 Napoleon in 1815 had plenty of veterans, including the returned prisoners of war. The National Guard battalions could be used for fortress duty, to release every available man for the fieldarmy.In March the army had barely two hundred thousand men in service; in June its strength still did not reach three hundred thousand. Of these Napoleon had to leave nearly a hundred thousand, supported by National Guards, to hold the Alps, Pyrenees, Alsace, and even La Vendee, where a royalist resistance movement broke out in May. His available striking force at the beginning of June was no more than 130,000 men. (Esdaile 2001, 80) The allied forces within reach were strung along the Belgian frontier–30,000 English and 70,000 Belgian, Dutch and Hanoverian under Wellington, and 120,000 Prussians under Blucher.So the British forces also had numerical advantage over Napoleon’s troops. Marshall Blucher the Prussian war commander was in Belgium with one hundred and sixty Prussians. Also, in the middle of 1815, the Duke of Wellington had also brought in some one hundred and six thousand troops. Some of the troops brought in by Wellington were British Nationals while the others were paid by the British government. On the other hand Napoleon had stationed close to a hundred and thirty thousand men with well prepared artillery, with state equipments of commendable standards discipline and efficiency.These men were under the command of Napoleon himself. The disparity in the number of troops stationed by Napoleon’s opponent and those of Napoleon was great and favored the allied forces. In this circumstance Emperor was bound to have to tough battle, but the Russian and Austrian armies could not reach t he eastern frontiers before July. Napoleon's problem, with markedly inferior numbers, was to prevent a junction of the two allied armies in the north, and to beat them separately. He hoped to surprise them while they were still dispersed; and the concentration of his Army was as brilliantly conceived as ever.(Esdale 2001, 86) At June 16th it became clear to Napoleon that Blucher was concentrating in force round Ligny. Napoleon intended to tie down the Prussians by a frontal assault, and then smash their right wing, forcing them on a line of retreat eastwards away from Wellington. By 8 pm Napoleon had put in the Guard at Ligny, and had broken and partially routed the Prussians. Napoleon could either complete the rout of the Prussians, or move to the left wing and smash Wellington while the Prussians were still out of action. Yet within a few hours Napoleon had lost the initiative.(Rothenberg 1977, 95) On the morning of June 18 Napoleon with seventy-four thousand men faced Wellington with sixty-seven thousand men. Wellington had chosen his favorite defensive position on a rise, where the reverse slopes would shelter his infantry from plunging artillery fire, and he carefully distributed his English divisions to stiffen the Belgian-Dutch. Napoleon ignored the warnings of his Peninsular War Generals about the fire-power of the English infantry, and decided on a frontal attack on the centre. `I tell you that Wellington is a bad General, that the English are bad troops, and it will be a picnic.‘ He was in no hurry to start the battle, and Drouot advised him to let the ground dry out till midday, so that the twelve-pounder batteries could get into position. (Black 1994, 211) Napoleon intended to smash Wellington before the Prussians could intervene. Britain found it difficult to unite her might with Prussian war effort. The situation at Waterloo was a completely different scenario. At Waterloo, Wellington succeeded to pin down Napoleon leading a situation Napol eon regarded as one of his nightmares in his bid to conquer the world.At this stage of the war, the joint forces of Britain, Holland, Belgium and later on Russia pulled their might together to crush the French forces at Waterloo. Moreover, his efforts to keep Russia away from the battle failed. He had sent one of his commanders with 3000 men to keep the Russians busy thereby keeping them away from the forces of Britain, Holland and Belgium, but this mission never succeeded as the Russians ended up re-enforcing the allied forces at Waterloo. In this regards, Napoleon lost at Waterloo partly because he had failed to hold to his war time commitment of keeping the forces of his opponents separated.Napoleon did not take seriously the possibility that Blucher would recover from Ligny in time to join Wellington. By his underestimate of Blucher, the more surprising because be had experienced his pertinacity in 1813 and 1814, Napoleon had allowed himself to be strategically outmanoeuvred. Th e British forces had some tactical advantages over those of the French. To begin with, the British forces were well trained to withstand cavalry which was a significant part of Napoleon’s war efforts. The British mounted three line deep square with soldiers at the forefront kneeling and those behind firing.Moreover the British army had what it took for this system to succeed and that was discipline. This discipline put the British soldiers in a superior position when compared to the French. In fact, the British always struggled to keep their lines in tact even when they faced threats from advancing French troops. Moreover, while the British fought in line formation, the French held to their column system and this had a severe weakness as the French forces could only attack the British from the sides and in front.(Webster 1931, 74) In addition, the British took a superior position over the French following their rapid musket fire, a rolling fire across the line that went on in a constant manner and the Britain army had been trained to be fast and fire as soon as the command was made. Everything could still be retrieved by a tactical triumph on the field of Waterloo, but Napoleon made a mistake that left the tactical handling of the battle to Ney as he was too imprudent. When Ney launched the first main attack four densely massed infantry columns were repulsed with heavy loss by the English volleys.After that Ney sent in the cavalry alone. For two hours the superb French heavy cavalry were worn down against the unbroken English squares, and were unable even to spike the guns which the enemy had temporarily to abandon. (Rothenberg 1977, 110-112) In the evening Napoleon had been forced to use fourteen thousand men of his general reserve to bold up Bulow's Prussians. That’s why there were no troops for a final decisive assault on the English centre. As Wellington put in his cavalry, the French Army broke in panic and rout. Barely eight thousand men es caped in fighting formation.(Knoph 1979, 187) Ney's fundamental error was in first sending in the infantry column unsupported by cavalry, and then the cavalry unsupported by infantry. After the tremendous artillery preparation, a combined assault of all arms would have forced the enemy to form into squares, which could then have been ripped to pieces with caseshot from the horse and divisional artillery. Wellington wrote on the day after the battle: It was the most desperate business I ever was in: I never took so much trouble about any battle, and never was so near being beat.Our loss is immense, particularly in the best of all instruments, the British infantry. I never saw the infantry behave so well. ‘ (Markham 1974, 261) Wellington fought his last battle at Waterloo and became a hero as his popularity all over Europe became great and in the process crating a legacy for himself and the world. He was Commander-in-Chief during the occupation of France and advocated a non-puni tive peace deal. He organized loans to restore French finances and advised the withdrawal of troops after three years. He returned home in 1818 and became Prime Minister in 1828.Main military reason why Napoleon failed in the battle of Waterloo was the fact that the British forces had some tactical advantages over those of the French. To begin with, the British forces were well trained to withstand cavalry which was a significant part of Napoleon’s war efforts. The British mounted three line deep square with soldiers at the forefront kneeling and those behind firing. Moreover the British army had what it took for this system to succeed and that was discipline. This discipline put the British soldiers in a superior position when compared to the French.In fact, the British always struggled to keep their lines in tact even when they faced threats from advancing French troops. Moreover, while the British fought in line formation, the French held to their column system and this ha d a severe weakness as the French forces could only attack the British from the sides and in front. In addition, the British took a superior position over the French following their rapid musket fire, a rolling fire across the line that went on in a constant manner and the Britain army had been trained to be fast and fire as soon as the command was made.(Webster 1931, 74-78) Delay in the deployment of Napoleon’s troops also played a dominant role in the defeat of France at the battle of Waterloo. To begin with, delay in the deployment of troops meant; Napoleon gave his opponents the opportunity to further increase the already existing numerical superiority to the detriment of his own forces. Secondly delay in the deployment of troops meant the aspect of surprise attack was no longer a dominant part of the game. This is because the allied forces had the time to prepare for an impending attack from which ever angle Napoleon chose to attack from.The failure of Napoleon at the ba ttle of Waterloo could also be blamed on the organization of his opponents. For instance, the forces mounted by the Duke of Wellington were well organized and disciplined, a situation that gave him the opportunity to be able to station his forces at any one moment on any of the many roads that lead to Brussels so as to check any impending danger or advancement of napoleons forces. (Veve 1992, 214) That means the allied army was made present for movement to any direction necessary. An important factor that led to the defeat of the French was weather.This was during the wet season because the ground was wet and muddy thereby making it difficult for soldiers to move freely, Napoleon was pushed to postpone some major attack till one p. m. on the grounds that he was waiting for the field to get dry. In fact the muddier the ground remained meant the more difficult it became for napoleon’s army to move as their and wheels of their war vehicles kept sinking in to the mud and in the p rocess Napoleon’s men and army were bound to get tired faster than would have been the case if the ground was dry. Postponement and delays in launching major was not a good thing for napoleon to do.For instance, delay meant the advancing Prussian army was left unchecked likewise attacking earlier would have meant the advancing Prussian army who had been delayed due to the muddy nature of the terrain would have been delayed further and thereby keeping them far from the battle ground. To conclude we should say that a whole host of reasons are responsible for Napoleon’s misfortune on the day of Waterloo. In the final analysis, Napoleon was bound to crumble in that battle. Main political reason is Emperor’s failure to hold to his war time commitment of keeping the forces of his opponents separated.Situation in France was not favorable too as upper classes were opposed to war and this situation had a serious impact on Bonaparte’s adventure. Main military reaso n why Napoleon failed in the battle of Waterloo was the fact that the British forces had some tactical advantages over those of the French. Also Napoleon made a mistake that left the tactical handling of the battle to Ney. Ultimately, Emperor shoulders much of the responsibility for the failure or defeat of France in the battle of Waterloo. Napoleon had not grasped the speed or the scope of the industrial revolution in England.The fact that he was the overall leader and his inability to make correct judgments meant France was doomed to fail in the battle of Waterloo. He remained very confident or better still arrogant, believing he could win back the support of France and overcome the Allies. Defeat at The Battle of Waterloo ended Napoleon’s hundred days reign. He was left with no choice than to move to the island of St Helena where he died in 1821. BIBLIOGRAPHY Andrews, Gordon. Napoleon in Review. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1939. Abbott, John S. C. Napoleon at St.Helena: Or, Interesting Anecdotes and Remarkable Conversations of the Emperor during the Five and a Half Years of His Captivity. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1855. Bourne, Henry Eldridge. The Revolutionary Period in Europe: 1763-1815. New York: The Century Co.. , 1915. Black, Jeremy. European Warfare, 1660-1815. London: UCL Press, 1994. Bond, Brian. The Pursuit of Victory: From Napoleon to Saddam Hussein. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Brett-James, A. The Hundred Days: Napoleons Last Campaign from Eye-Witness Accounts. New York: St. Martins Press, 1964. Cowin, Margarete Bacon.Napoleon the First: A Biograph. New York: Henry Holt, 1903. Creasy, Edwards. The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1908. Doz, Yvez and Kosonen, Mikko. Fast Strategy: How Strategic Agility will help you stay ahead of the game. New York: Wharton Pearson, 2007. Esdaile, Charles J. The French Wars 1792-1815. London: Routledge, 2001. Forrest, A. Napoleon’s Men. New York: London: Hamb ledon, 2002. Howarth, D. Waterloo: Day of Battle. New York: Atheneum, 1968. Knoph, A. A. (L. Chalfont, Ed. ) Waterloo: Battle of the Three Armies. New York: Book Club Edition, 1979. Markham, F. M.H. Napoleon and the Awakening of Europe. London: English Universities Press, 1954. Muir, R. Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon 1807-1815. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1996. Rosebery. Napoleon, the Last Phase. London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1900. Rothenberg, Gunther E. The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon. London: Batsford, 1977. Veve, Thomas Dwight. The Duke of Wellington and the British Army of Occupation in France, 1815-1818. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1992. Webster, C. K. The Foreign Policy of Castlereagh, 1812-1815: Britain and the Reconstruction of Europe. London: 1931.

Casino Industry Essay

Find out why the Macau gambling scene is so important -The company intends to use the proceeds from this sale to pay off part of their debt -â€Å"The stock has traded significantly higher since the announcement of the deal, but we believe that this is a huge missed opportunity for the company in a new, booming market and will hurt the company over the long-term as competition continues to expand in this area† (2). -Caesars is the largest casino operator in the U.S -Properties include: Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and several other states More on the Macau opportunity, this may be a little outdated: -Only major casino company without a location Macau -â€Å"Caesars bought the 175-acre site in 2007 for $578 million, with plans to develop a hotel and casino, but the company did not apply in the early 2000s for one of the limited number of gambling licenses in Macau, and it never gained a gambling concession from the Macau government† (2) -â€Å"As of July 31, 2013, growth in Macau has increased to over 20% on a year over year basis boosted by an increase in the number of Chinese visitors to the country’s only legal casino gambling hub. July’s 29.5 billion patacas ($3.7 billion) revenue was the third strongest figure this year, according to government data, as more middle-class gamblers visited Macau, eclipsing the growth in the number of high rollers. The slowdown in China’s economic growth has kept away some wealthy customers, who often spend 1 million yuan ($160,000) per bet, but it failed to push away Macau’s appeal for China’s rapidly expanding middle-class and their higher disposable incomes† (2) →what are pacatas Why Maccau Is Attractive for Casino Industry -The number of visitors to Macau rose 4.2 percent during the first half of the year (in 2013) -â€Å"Visitors form mainland China, who account for two thirds of the total numbers, soared 20 percent in July year over year numbers. High rollers account for about 70 percent of gaming revenues, but the share of the middle-class gamers is growing at a much faster rate and Macau’s casinos are trying to diversity entertainment options to attract more of these visitors† (2) -Minimum table bets start at around 300 patacas  ($38), compared to a year ago when offering bets for 100-200 patacas ($20) -â€Å"In the end, investors should not have seen the sale of this property as a catalyst for the stock, but instead as the huge missed opportunity to diversify the company’s core business and expand into an explosive new market† (2) -because the stock price went up when they sold Macau location -Macau casinos and hotels are now showing strong September gaming revenue -à ¢â‚¬Å"At the current rate, gambling revenue for the month of September so far is tracking 25.7% higher than the same month a year ago. Macau generates annual gambling revenue topping $38 billion, larger than any other casino district in the world, about five times the annual take of U.S. gambling in Las Vegas† (3) -Macau, a special gaming district on China’s southern coast, is the only place in China where gambling is legal – -â€Å"We believe that the run up in CZR shares has been on the coattails of the other gaming and hotel companies and that the buying has been way overdone. Investors should loko for the stock to pull back substantially after the recent rally† →research if all of this stuff is still true The most Recent Quarter- Focusing On the Important Aspects of This Business -Most recent quarter is Q2, net revenue was reported by Caesars as $2.2 billion -A decline in casino revenue was â€Å"largely offset by increases in F&B, rooms, and managed revenue† -â€Å"The company attributes this decline to a combination of macroeconomic conditions, competition, and a shift in marketing strategy. The company has lost market share in gaming to competition, despite the company’s positioning with the World Series of Poker brand† (4) ^ this is about gaming competition -Alpha research believes that revenue and profits have peaked and will be on the decline next year (2014), they were correct -Income form operations: $125.3 million in 2013, down $63.8 million compared to the prior year, 33.7% decline was driven by higher asset impairment charges (learn more on this) -â€Å"Adjusted EBITDA declined 8.2% to $470.5 million and property EBITDA declined 4.9% to $492.8 million compared with the year-earlier period† (4) -Investors should focus on the lower gaming revenue -â€Å"Casino revenue in Las Vegas declined approximately 15.5% year-over-year, primarily due to loss of market share and visitors and weaker gaming volumes† (4) -The same trends are occurring in the Atlantic City region -Gaming revenue was down due to lower visitation driven by primarily new competitive threats -CZR market volume in Atlantic city has declined, and market share has declined overall →my suggestion is that they should look more to online gaming, because technology and internet are booming, maybe consider joining with another casino industry- why is competition doing better -The company is facing increased competition in certain areas like Louisiana/Mississippi, Tunica, and Las Vegas and Atlantic City -Find specific competitors -Problem: â€Å"The company’s investments in current properties and new construction may prove to be too little, too late, as the projects have become increasingly costly over the last two years† The Debt Burden→ get more up to date information -At the quarter end (Q2 2013) for Caesars Entertainment, Inc. was $23.7 billion. -Debt, net of $1.8 billion of cash, was $20.9 billion -Total debt repurchased was only around $275 million during last quarter -Reports of a possible bankruptcy, have been increasing since Moody’s downgraded the company’s credit rating to one of its lowest levels in April 2013 -Cash flow growth is not expected to increase in 2013, â€Å"as a result of a demand drop fueled by customers spending less at casinos† (5) -Major concern because competitors gaming revenue are continuing to thrive -â€Å"The company has consistently poured money into new construction and the remodeling of existing structures, but significant measures need to be taken in order to improve the company’s current capital structure. If the company cannot spur major cash flow generation over the course of the next year, the company will be facing some major problems in early 2015 -Why is January 2015 important? Because that is when $4.4 billion of mortgage-backed securities are scheduled to mature for CZR (figure out more what this means) â †’ opportunity, cash flow generation, how? Competitors are outbeating them -Recent report from July 2013, Caesars planned to beef up its product  offering in Las Vegas and enter in the Maryland casino market, breaking group in Baltimore Major Areas of Concern for the Future: (direct quotes) -No unique value proposition built on approach, scale, geographic reach, brands and loyalty -Not positioned to drive value creation and significant revenue upside -Huge investments made in trying to expand core of business—declining revenues in many areas of business will lead to serious problems if the capital structure is not re-vamped by 2015 -Not executing on development pipeline, expanding domestic distribution and social/mobile gaming platform—the company claims that social gaming has a bright future, but the uncertain regulatory condition on a state and federal level pose a serious threat to the future of this revenue source -Failure to capitilze on pipeline while competitors continue to thrive on an international level (failure in Macau and Korea are significant) -Failed focus on managing costs and improving capital structure -Sustained economic recovery has not provided an additional tailwind to the efforts of the company COMPETITORS: EPS Change (%), Sales growth % CZR: -92.74, .16 WYNN: -1.34, -2.19 LVS: 18.29, 18.28 MGM: -165.10, 16.71 →large concern is the significant decline in EPS and sales growth over the recent history for CZR and at such a fast rate -â€Å"Considering the country has been seeing an economic recovery, consumer spending on gaming and entertainment in Las Vegas has not kept up. With no exposure to Macau, CZR will continue to underperform its peers in the future. The company’s current strategy is failing domestically and trying to transition to anything internationally is impossible. The EPS Change of -92.74% and 0.16% Sales Growth is just the beginning of a negative trend for Caesars. With massive amounts of debt and important maturity dates approaching, investors should look for a significant decline in shares as nervousness continues to build.† (5) -Based on the cash flow and margins, the quality of the most recent CZR earnings quarter was very poor overall -Negative cash flow per share: company is borrowing a significant amount of money to keep operating, and at some point the banks will stop lending and want to be repaid –bad position -â€Å"Cash is king† and companies that don’t generate cash are not around for a long time Problem: no cash flow -major debt obligations are due in 2015 and they have no cash, running out of time USE ALL THE CHARTS FROM THIS PDF! Very good for 2013 competitors, etc Potential Bankruptcy: -Important to look to the Book Value/ Share of CZR -this indicates the dollar value remaining for common shareholders after all assets are liquidated and all debtors are paid Financial Strength -Look at PDF -Use of leverage can be a double-edged sword for companies -â€Å"In the case for CZR, it has tried to generate returns above its cost of capital, for investors benefits. However, with the added risk of the debt on tis books, CZR is a company that has been hurt by this leverage and is unable to generate returns above the cost of capital. The company’s losses have been and will continue to be magnified by the use of leverage in the company’s capital structure, while they continue to renovate existing properties and continue with new construction domestically. With $20.91 B of long-term debt and a large debt to equity ratio of 1.04, Caesars will need to significantly overhaul their capital structure if they want to compete and survive in this highly competitive industry† (6) →compute d/e current ratio for 2014, google their financial statements Problem: too much debt, no cash -ROA: -4.44%, the company cannot operate efficiently based on the firm’s generated profits from total assets

Jack Johnson essays

Jack Johnson essays Arthur John (Jack) Johnson (1878 -1946) was the first black, and first Texan, to win the heavyweight boxing championship of the world. Johnson was born in Galveston on March 31, 1878. He was the second of six children of Henry and Tiny Johnson. Henry was a former slave and his family was poor. After leaving school in the fifth grade, Johnson worked odd jobs around South Texas. He started boxing as a sparring partner and fought in the "battles royal," matches in which young blacks entertained white spectators who threw money to the winner. I think that Johnson never realized that these men just wanted the young Negroes to fight so they could have fun. To my point of view, the white men knew that some day one African American was going to make it big and they just wanted to belittled them as much as possible so they would feel left out and no where to go. White men put barriers in front of great African Americans and the ones who overcame them were champions and great men to the African American history and people. Johnson turned professional in 1897 following a period with private clubs in Galveston. His family's home was destroyed by the great hurricane of 1900. A year later he was arrested and jailed because boxing was a criminal profession in Texas. He soon left Galveston for good. I think that he wanted to get away from the white people who had harmed him and didnt want him to be a profesional like he became. Johnson was a glamour tall black man and white females followed him around because they knew that he was way out of their league. Johnson believed that he could do anything thing he wanted just because he was Jack Johnson. He fought Bob Fitzsimmons, the ex-heavyweight champion in 1906 and knocked him out. But the boxers who succeeded Fitzsimmons refused to fight Johnson because of his color. Instead, another white boxer, Tommy Burns, fought Marvin Hart and ...

Piri Thomas essays

Piri Thomas essays Throughout the literary life of New York, many writers have concentrated their works on the influence that the atmosphere of the city has had on their lifestyle. There is hardly a major American, English, Irish, French, or Spanish writer who hasnt poured their heart out in an autobiography that reflects their personal experience as a New Yorker. In the past few years, an enormous number of books about New York have appeared which represent a close look at the city as it is poised to defy all expectations and change in a new way. Piri Thomas was born of Puerto Rican and Cuban parents in New York Citys Spanish Harlem in 1928. The vicious street environment, racism, and crime caused Thomas to struggle for survival, identity and recognition at an early age. Poverty in the ghetto led him to drugs, youth gangs, and a series of criminal activities for which he served seven years in prison. There he began his life of rehabilitation and rose above his violent background of drugs and gang warfare by using his street and prison experience to turn youths away from the lives of crime. In 1967, Piri Thomas career and fame as an author were launched with the fascinating autobiography, Down These Mean Streets. In his writing, which he began while in prison during the 1950s, Thomas introduces the stereotypes that the society imposed on his Puerto Rican and black heritage. The undeniable power of the book claims the readers attention and emotional response because of the honesty and pain of a life in outlaw, where the dream is always to escape even in the heart of our city. Writing Down These Mean Streets forced Piri Thomas to go back into time and relive certain traumatic experiences of growing up on the rough streets of the Spanish Harlem. The book combines urban street talk and Spanish phrases with a poetic technique by giving a powerful reflection of the ghetto subcult ...

Plus ça Change - French Expression

Plus à §a Change - French Expression Expression: Plus à §a change, plus cest la mà ªme chose Pronunciation: [plu sa sha(n)zh plu say la mem shoz] Meaning: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Literal translation: more it changes, more its the same thing. Register: normal How to Use Plus à §a Change The pessimistic French expression plus à §a change, plus cest la mà ªme chose is very often cut down to just the first clause: plus à §a change... / the more things change... The shortened French expression is often used in English too, particularly British English.In either language, plus à §a change indicates a certain disillusionment or resignation regarding whatever is being talked about. A company makes all kinds of policy changes, for example, but the personnel issues are unaffected. A couple go to marriage counseling, but continue fighting about everything. A new sheriff comes to town, but there is no noticeable impact on crime. New people, new promises, but the same old problems - plus à §a change.... Variations: Plus à §a change, plus cest pareil: The more it changes, the more its the same.Plus à §a change (et) moins à §a change: The more it changes (and) the less it changes

International Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Accounting - Essay Example As the first step, the fourth and seventh company law directives obliged the companies and group of companies to prepare accounts on a harmonised basis (Accounting Harmonisation). The main aim of the IASB/IASC was to overcome the international trade barriers arising out of different national laws. As Akyuz, Bulca, and Mustafa (n.d.) opine, the IASB/IASC thought that accounting harmonisation process would bring coordination in accounting procedures across the Europe and subsequently it would lead to the establishment of a single market. In order to harmonise the international accounting practices as a whole, the IASB/IASC firstly gave emphasis on the community law harmonisation. It is essential to note that a harmonisation programme at community had not been experimented until IASB/IASC did it. Forex News (2010) reflects that the accounting harmonisation process had been mainly practiced through policies which might drive member states to achieve the proposed objectives. Similarly, th e multinational companies were facing troublesome challenges to prepare coordinated financial statements at the end of the year since they might have branches across the globe and each branch would have distinct accounting practices in accordance with respective nation’s law. ... As a result of these differences in opening and closing of financial periods, IASB/IASC faced cumbersome difficulties in launching the proposed harmonization process simultaneously across the Europe. Heterogenic accounting philosophies prevailed in different countries were some other barriers which the IASB/IASC had to deal with. In the opinion of Fritz and Lammle (2003) some specific environmental factors play crucial role in moulding the accounting practices of each country and these factors vary from country to country. In most parts of Europe, professional accounting organisations did not have the authority to fix accounting standards; it was completely left to the choice of governmental authorities. Likewise, the vague interpretations and ineffective supervision of IAS/IFRS caused further problems toward the harmonisation process. They could not ensure the convergence of various interpretations of standards. It can be seen that height of IASB’s aims also adversely affecte d the effectiveness of IASC/IASB. It targeted the formulation of a single global market with common accounting practices in its premature stage and it seems to be highly challenging. Similarly, acceptance of IAS/IFRS at SEC was a major challenge to IASC/IASB. Moreover, national standard-setter, governments, and companies tried to influence the operations of IASB in order to defend their own interests. Support from IOSCO and IFAC International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO) is the security regulators’ organisation that represents more than 80 countries and it works for enhancing cross border capital accumulation. Similarly, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) aims at initiating of a world-wide

Setting up for urology procedure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Setting up for urology procedure - Essay Example To properly set up the theatre, the nurses and doctors should work together. The surgery room for the urology procedure needs to have all the equipments ready. This indicates that every item needs to be readily available in the room to avoid the doctors and nurses from running around trying to get the equipments once the procedure starts. The equipment also needs to be placed in a place that is within reach for the surgeons. This will facilitate running of the procedure efficiently. Surgeries are usually timed and it is important that all the equipment required be easily accessed by the surgeons with assistance from the nurses. The people chosen to set up the theatre for the urology procedure should have adequate knowledge of the procedure and what is expected of them. This means that not everyone in the hospital can be tasked with setting up the theatre because some of them may not have the required knowledge. When setting up the theatre, the people involved are encouraged to ask questions in case they need clarifications. This helps to avoid mistakes that may take place in the theatre during a procedure. Mistakes in the theatre pose a great risk to the patient, doctors, surgeons and the nurses involved. The individuals setting up the theatre should ensure that there is enough space to accommodate the patient, surgeons, assistants and all the equipments. Space also helps to facilitate easy movement in the theatre (Dasgupta, Fitzpatrick, Kirby & Gill 2010). Analysis of a situation also needs to be conducted (Ely & Scott 2006). This helps to understand why things happened as they did. In the event that a mistake happened, this process helps to understand why it did and the ways that it can be avoided in future situations. After setting up the theatre, it is important for the process be evaluated (Quinn & Hughes 2007). This means that the nurses or the leader of the surgery can check to make sure that all the set

Business Research for Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Research for Decision Making - Essay Example both of his sons are not keen to follow in his footsteps and the debate ensues over the implications of family control on the overall performance of the Larouche Candy Company (Bougie and Sekaran, 2013). For this reason, they hired an external consultant, Paul Thomas Anderson, to conduct a business research on the company. A business research is a process that is objective and systematic where one gathers record and analyzes data with the aim of making an informed business decision. The project done on the company is a research project because it will study the pros and cons of running a family business. Paul will provide evidence to show the difference in performance between family owned business and non-family owned business. The truth is that family owned businesses still remain competitive in the market and their performance is almost similar to the other businesses (Barontini and Caprio, 2005). It is good that they decided to hire an external consultant to research on the Larouche Candy Company. External consultants are able to give an informed decision that is not biased. Luc can provide data on the business performance in the years it has been handed down the generations. This will assist Paul as he compares the data with other competing businesses. The basic research can help Paul solve the problem in the company. This is because research shows that family owned businesses perform when the family member does not hold an executive position (Allouche, 2008). Therefore, one of Luc’s sons can take control over the business, but let another person make decisions about its

Analytical paper on either Daisy Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analytical paper on either Daisy Miller - Essay Example The heroine of the story Daisy miller is a typical representative of American life. Winter Bourne first meet this girl of beauty of charm in Vevey , Switzerland. At the first sight itself Winterbourne is attracted towards her and thinks that all Americans are like her. After a few talks with her he remarks that the young lady is â€Å"really not in the least embarrassed.† Winter Bourne came to know about her father that he is veryrich and does not like European culture. The free will of Daisy is exploited by Winter Bourne though he knows that such advancement in behavior is not polite. He continues to keep in relation with her against the opposition of his aunt Mrs. Costello. She considers Daisy as a disgraceful character only because that she agrees with Winterbourne to visit the Chateau de Chillon immediately after they have known each other for only half an hour. â€Å"I haven’t the least idea what such young ladies expect a man to do. But I really think that you ha d better not meddle with little American girls that are uncultivated, as you call them. You have lived too long out of the country. You will be sure to make some great mistake.† What the readers feel at this moment is about the absolute innocence of the character Daisy Miller. She is incautious and behaves according to her own impulses instead of vigilance and rule. This is the typical nature of the Americans. She was bold enough to break the barriers of the European culture even if it happens unknowingly. During their visit Winterbourne informs her about his coming visit to Geneva the next day. Daisy expresses freely to him her sadness of the event and asks him meet her later. The lack of knowledge and experience, both the leading characters face in the story is also a mindful attempt from the writer .In Rome Daisy and Winterbourne meet meeting the parlor of Mrs. Walker. When he comes to know about the relation between Daisy and Giovalli, he doubts whether he failed to unders tand Daisy. It is more clear when he sees the two sitting their in colosseum and Winterbourne is unable to understand the right and the wrong. One of the main themes of the story is Winterbourne s question about Daisy’s innocence. It can also be considered as ignorant or untamed etc. At first he considers Daisy as merely ignorant and harmless. But when the story progress he even doubts her mindset, lack of concern for modesty etc. The problem of communication is also a major theme with regards to the relation between Daisy and Winterbourne. Daisy reacts on impulses to the world around her without bothering about the response and felling of the public. Winterbourne on the other hand who is a typical representative of European American culture often feel inwardly. He always thinks about how to view Daisy. He even applies the known conventional rules. Towards which Daisy seems to be ignorant. The incapability of Winterbourne to come deep in the life of Daisy is due to his lack o f compassion. Sometimes we feel that fate of Daisy is due to Winterbourne and he himself is the leading character of the novella. His waiting and trying to find a proper answer to the questions in his mind about life seems to of misuse at the end of the story. Daisy is affected by ‘roman fever ‘and dies at the end. Only at that point Winterboune comes to understand that Daisy is innocent. The author himself says that the theme of this novel is innocence

IMPORTANT TO HAVE TWO GUARDS PER SHIFT AT KINDER MORGAN Essay

IMPORTANT TO HAVE TWO GUARDS PER SHIFT AT KINDER MORGAN - Essay Example rmation (2012), â€Å"Kinder Morgan monitors and inspects its pipeline system 24-hours a day from its state-of-the-art System Control Center† (Kinder Morgan: Pipeline, 2012, p. 3). Likewise, the organization enjoined the public to assist in ensuring safety and security of the noted assets through reliance on â€Å"neighbors, contractors and government and safety officials to help local field personnel protect the pipeline and identify possible damage or suspicious activity† (Kinder Morgan: Request, 2012, par. 1). It is therefore justifiable that more than one security guard per shift, particularly two security guards per shift, would man identified organization’s physical assets and perimeter due to the following reasons: (1) assets and resources to be guarded are highly volalite and flammable; very costly and any disruption due to theft, pilferage or damage would be detrimental to the organization and to the community it serves; (2) security personnel should be strategically located in diverse sites to ensure that critical risk areas are covered at all times; (3) as noted in the company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, specifically under the provision of Protection of Assets, it was noted that â€Å"company property or equipment may not be removed from the premises without advance authorization from the employees supervisor. Personal use of Company tools or equipment is prohibited except in case of prior supervisory approval† (Kinder Morgan: Code, 2012, p. 17); th erefore checking and verifying approval protocols necessitate the assistance of an additional security personnel, if and when, immediately required; (4) if one guard needs to be excused at one point in time due to any valid reason (for personal hygiene or to eat, drink or take a quick and much needed snack), there is another one who could fully assume the position which was temporarily left. An organization such as KM, which reportedly discloses that safety, environmental protection, and the

Analytical paper on either Daisy Miller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analytical paper on either Daisy Miller - Essay Example The heroine of the story Daisy miller is a typical representative of American life. Winter Bourne first meet this girl of beauty of charm in Vevey , Switzerland. At the first sight itself Winterbourne is attracted towards her and thinks that all Americans are like her. After a few talks with her he remarks that the young lady is â€Å"really not in the least embarrassed.† Winter Bourne came to know about her father that he is veryrich and does not like European culture. The free will of Daisy is exploited by Winter Bourne though he knows that such advancement in behavior is not polite. He continues to keep in relation with her against the opposition of his aunt Mrs. Costello. She considers Daisy as a disgraceful character only because that she agrees with Winterbourne to visit the Chateau de Chillon immediately after they have known each other for only half an hour. â€Å"I haven’t the least idea what such young ladies expect a man to do. But I really think that you ha d better not meddle with little American girls that are uncultivated, as you call them. You have lived too long out of the country. You will be sure to make some great mistake.† What the readers feel at this moment is about the absolute innocence of the character Daisy Miller. She is incautious and behaves according to her own impulses instead of vigilance and rule. This is the typical nature of the Americans. She was bold enough to break the barriers of the European culture even if it happens unknowingly. During their visit Winterbourne informs her about his coming visit to Geneva the next day. Daisy expresses freely to him her sadness of the event and asks him meet her later. The lack of knowledge and experience, both the leading characters face in the story is also a mindful attempt from the writer .In Rome Daisy and Winterbourne meet meeting the parlor of Mrs. Walker. When he comes to know about the relation between Daisy and Giovalli, he doubts whether he failed to unders tand Daisy. It is more clear when he sees the two sitting their in colosseum and Winterbourne is unable to understand the right and the wrong. One of the main themes of the story is Winterbourne s question about Daisy’s innocence. It can also be considered as ignorant or untamed etc. At first he considers Daisy as merely ignorant and harmless. But when the story progress he even doubts her mindset, lack of concern for modesty etc. The problem of communication is also a major theme with regards to the relation between Daisy and Winterbourne. Daisy reacts on impulses to the world around her without bothering about the response and felling of the public. Winterbourne on the other hand who is a typical representative of European American culture often feel inwardly. He always thinks about how to view Daisy. He even applies the known conventional rules. Towards which Daisy seems to be ignorant. The incapability of Winterbourne to come deep in the life of Daisy is due to his lack o f compassion. Sometimes we feel that fate of Daisy is due to Winterbourne and he himself is the leading character of the novella. His waiting and trying to find a proper answer to the questions in his mind about life seems to of misuse at the end of the story. Daisy is affected by ‘roman fever ‘and dies at the end. Only at that point Winterboune comes to understand that Daisy is innocent. The author himself says that the theme of this novel is innocence

Stem Cell Research in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Paper

Stem Cell in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Research Paper Example Medical science has no doubt about the ability of stem cell research in finding answers to some of the genetic and physical diseases. â€Å"A stem cell is a generic cell that can make exact copies of itself indefinitely. A stem cell has the ability to produce specialized cells for various tissues in the body, such as heart muscle, brain tissue, and liver tissue† (RightHealth Results for What Is Stem Cell). The major advantage of stem cell is that it can be saved for longer periods under suitable conditions and used later to cure some of the chronic diseases. Stem cells are usually taken from aborted fetuses (Embryonic stem cells) and from the bloods, intestines, skin, and muscle of people including children and adults (Adult stem cells). Embryonic stem cells seem to be more effective than the adult stem cells in treating chronic diseases. However, killing fetus for taking stem cell is an ethical issue which is causing barriers in the development of stem cell research. Stem cel ls are capable of renewing themselves in to different types of cells through division. It can be used to replace or repair malfunctioning or inactive cells. The above ability of stems cells in renewing and repairing inactive cells and tissues has caught the attention of medical sconce recently. Some of the major diseases which haunted medical science for years, are believed to be treated with the help of stem cells. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its adult stem cell protocol to conduct Phase I clinical trials to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), TCA Cellular Therapy, LLC announced. This is the second FDA-approved protocol for the treatment of ALS using stem cells in the country; and the first using adult stem cells from the same patient. The aim of the Phase I study is to assess safety of IND 13729, as a stem cell therapy for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Stem cell therapy IND 13729 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in clinical trials: TCA Cellular) Most of the Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s etc are believed to be treated effectively with the help of embryonic stem cells. These diseases are often occurred because of the malfunctioning or inactiveness of certain cells and stem cells can repair or regenerate these cells and bring back the patient into his normal life. These diseases are often caused by the loss of structure or death of neurons. According to Inou (2010), Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers' is caused by problems in cortical neurons whereas in dementia, Lewy bodies, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration is causing the disease. Parkinson disease is caused by dopaminergic neurons whereas upper and lower motor neurons cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Inou, p.2560). Neurons are responsible for gathering data from the senses and sending to the brain for analysis. The instructions from the br ain are transferred to the body organs by the neurons. If neurons fail to do its duty correctly, brain may not get the data and the body organs may not get instructions from the brain. Thus a person with neuron fault cannot lead a normal life. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS is another disease which is caused by neuron problems and it can be treated effectively with the help of stem cells. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. In about 10% of cases, ALS is caused by a genetic defect. In the

Allegory of the Cave and Narrator Essay Example for Free

Allegory of the Cave and Narrator Essay As the philospoher Seneca once said, â€Å"It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable. † Raymond Carver’s Cathedral is a story about a man who started out as a closed-minded man but, throughout the story his character changes as he begins to bond with his wife’s friend, Robert, a man who is blind. Plato’s Allegory of the cave is a story about a prisoner who is freed from being locked in chains living all of his life underground and finding out a different perspective about a lie he’s been living his whole life, being told as a conversation between Socrates and Glaucon. In the stories, â€Å" Cathedral† by Raymond Carver, and â€Å" Allegory of the Cave† by Plato, both authors argue that a person’s reality is not always what is seems to be. In â€Å" Cathedral,† Raymond Carver uses irony between the narrator and Robert when they talk about the cathedral. The narrator tries to explain how a cathedral looks like with words when he says â€Å" To begin with, they’re very tall. I was looking around the room for clues. They reach way up. Up and up. Toward the sky. They’re so big, some of them, they have to have these supports. To help hold them up, so to speak† to Robert who is blind and can’t really apprehend what is being said. (Carver, page 24, lines 448-451). Until Robert asks to be drawn a cathedral when he says â€Å" Hey, listen to me. Will you do me a favor? I got an idea. Why don’t you find us a pen and some heavy paper. Go on, bub, get the stuff† the narrator realizes that Robert sees by touching around the paper. (Carver, page 25, lines 492-495). What the narrator doesn’t understand is that the blind man can’t see what he sees even though he thinks that by describing with words about how a cathedral looks, helps. The irony Carver is trying to show is that the narrator is the one who is blind, not Robert, because he perceives his reality to be similar to Roberts but instead really isn’t. In â€Å" Allegory of the cave† Plato uses metaphor about the message that is being compared to an imaginary prisoner’s life. Socrates explains to Glaucon â€Å" Behold! Human beings living in a underground cave, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the cave; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and neck chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turing round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets† to imagine a person who is living a certain kind of way for a long period of time. (Plato, page 8, lines 5-14). Then they are told that what they are living is a lie when Socrates says â€Å" And now look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error. At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and wlak and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distrees him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive some one saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, -what will be his reply? † (Plato, pages 8-9. Lines 42-51). Socrates then says â€Å" And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him† to explain that the prisoner will want to believe what he is already accustomed not to what has just been told to him. (Plato, page, lines 57-61). The metaphor that the story compares to is a prisoners life and perspective of reality, once you are told that the way you have been living for your whole life is wrong, you are most likely to be scared of the truth that has just been told to you since the reality that you have been living isn’t what it seems to be. In both stories, â€Å" Cathedral† by Raymond Carver and â€Å" Allegory of the cave† by Plato, both authors use imagery to descibe how the characters in the story are lead to a new reality that has been bestow upon them. In â€Å" Cathedral† the narrator learns the way Robert sees things when he says â€Å" He ran his fingers over the paper. He went up and down the sides of the paper. The edges, even the edges. He fingered the corners. All right, he said. All right, let’s do her. He found my hand with the pen. He closed his hand over my hand. Go ahead, bub, draw, he said. Draw. You’ll see. I’ll follow along with you. It’ll be okay. Just begin now like I’m telling you. You’ll see. Draw, the blind man said. † (Carver, page 26, lines 508-514). Carver reveals that by being very desciptive using imagery, the reader can understand how the narrator is getting really tense in a good way when he is shown that his perspective of reality of blind people just being blind and nothing else is about to change. In â€Å" Allegory of the cave† the prisoner is being taken to see a new perspective of the way he used to think when Socrates says â€Å" And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he’s forced into the presence of the sun himslef, is he not likely to be pained and irritated? When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities. † (Plato, page 9, lines 63-68). Plato shows that by using imagery in his story, people can notice that the prisoner is in a lot of pain when he is being shown that his perspective of reality of the shadows being his reality is about to change for the rest of his life. In both stories â€Å" Cathedral† and â€Å" Allegory of the cave† both charcters of the story are being shown a different way of thinking. This new way of thinking evolved them into a better self being. Both charcters, the narrator and the prisoner were challeneged into a new way of thinking, both stuck to it till the end, and both became more of a fulfilled person.

Renaissance in 12th Century Culture and Thought

Renaissance in 12th Century Culture and Thought How appropriate is the label renaissance, when applied to twelfth century thought and culture? Introduction During this essay we shall be exploring the period of the Twelfth Century in Europe. We are concerned with the extent to which this period, which was one of extraordinary social, economic, and political change, with profound developments in thought and culture can be considered a Renaissance. First it is necessary to examine the true meaning of the label ‘renaissance’. What are the most important features of a renaissance that mark it out from other periods of time? In the first part of our work we shall attempt to define the parameters of what a ‘renaissance’ is. The Second part of our work will examine the historic background of the Twelfth Century. We shall briefly examine the most important developments during a period that has done much to shape the modern world, including the rise of humanism, the individual, the reform of the Church, the creation of Universities and the development of legal codes throughout Europe. Why was the Twelfth Century such an important period in medieval history and did these profound changes and developments constitute a renaissance in the manner of the renaissance of the 15th Century? In our final Chapter we will present the case that using the term ‘renaissance’ for the Twelfth Century is misleading, unsuitable and inappropriate. Although the twelfth century was extremely important, with profound developments in many fields, this does not necessarily make it a ‘renaissance’. Many historians would also argue that applying such labels is detrimental to the study of history; in this chapter we will examine some of their arguments. In our conclusion we will conclude on whether it is accurate, useful or appropriate to apply the term ‘renaissance’ to the Twelfth Century. The term ‘renaissance’, or re-birth is usually associated with the Italian Renaissance in the 14th and 15th Centuries which later spread throughout Europe.[1] This period saw a revival in classical texts and sources of knowledge in a variety of fields, mathematics, law, philosophy, art and education to name but a few. Educational reform spread these ideas throughout Europe, leading to developments in knowledge, technology and agriculture, as well as social changes which saw a population shift to towns and cities.[2] In essence renaissance is referring to a revival, in this case the classic texts and teachings of the Ancient Greeks. It is generally accepted by historians today that there were several ‘renaissances’ in Europe, in the Ninth, Twelfth and 14th Centuries, where increased access to classical texts and other social factors led to artistic, technological and social developments throughout Society.[3] When referring to the Twelfth Century Renaissance most historians mean the period between 1050 and 1250, and unlike the early period of the later Renaissance, developments happened throughout Europe and did not begin in one region or Country.[4] Chapter One The Twelfth Century was arguably one of the most important in medieval times, if not in the whole of European History. The rediscovery of many Latin and Greek texts following the fall of the Greek Empire and increased contact with Islamic scholars led to an increase in scientific knowledge, and to developments in all intellectual fields. The Twelfth Century saw great advances in technology, which combined with a warmer climate and greater stability led to an agricultural surplus, an improved quality of life and new opportunities. This more dynamic European Society invented spectacles, paper, developed the use of gunpowder, more accurate clocks and printing methods.[5] For a period the Latin and Greek texts were simply re-produced by an increasing number of European Scholars. Gradually once all these works were discovered and thoroughly absorbed, many Scholars began to build upon this knowledge and adapt it for contemporary use, no more so than in the field of law. Roman law and a revival of jurisprudence spread throughout Twelfth Century Europe, replacing traditional, custom based law and helping create stability. One of the best examples of this was in Henry II of England’s legal reforms. Like in many parts of Europe trial by ordeal or battle was still common, and the application of the Kings justice was not uniform throughout his British territories. Henry II established trial by jury and set up magistrate courts so that his representatives could administer legal rulings on his behalf. This was the beginning of the Modern day justice system, it made the legal system fairer and helped establish the authority of the Church and State throughout Europe.[6] The artistic pursuits flourished during the Twelfth Century, the fields of poetry, architecture, music, and literature all developed greatly. This was partly a result of the increased wealth and security in many parts of Europe, but it was also an indication of the self confidence, creativity and curiosity of a more dynamic European Society eagerly absorbing new sources of knowledge from the Latin and Greek texts, the Islamic and Byzantium worlds.[7] This artistic revival also had some links to the more humanist philosophies and teachings from the great Twelfth Century scholars and teachers. Humanist thought also developed in the period around the Twelfth Century, and many academics, such as Morris, believe that the Twelfth Century saw the beginnings of the discovery of the individual and the origins of rational thought.[8] The rise of the individual led to a wider interest in self expression, human relations and self discovery, it was a point when man became interested in the positi on of the individual in relation to Society and its institutions.[9] This apparent rise of rational thought however did not coincide with a decline of the powers of the Church. Indeed during this period the Christian Church went through a period of dynamic reform, strengthening its influence and power to a point where the Pope would attempt to exercise power and influence over Monarchies and Empires. It was Innocent III, a proponent of both religious and secular legal codes, who called for a Crusade against the infidels in 1198, and he who made the English King John his vassal.[10] The Twelfth Century remained a period of faith where to even question whether there was a God was considered madness. How then was the knowledge gleaned from the classical Greek and Latin texts disseminated throughout Europe? The establishing of Universities in places such as Paris, Oxford and Bologna was perhaps one of the greatest events of the Twelfth Century. Students from all over Europe travelled to these centres of learning, and helped to spread their new scholastic thought and ideas back to their homelands.[11] The Universities not only helped to re-introduce classical knowledge back into Europe but helped build upon and adapt the works to better serve the very different European Society that they inhabited, a Society that was rapidly changing and beginning to explore the world outside the European frontiers. We have established then that the period of the Twelfth Century, which for many academics means 1050-1250, was a period of great economic, social, political and religious change. In our next chapter we will argue that the label Renaissance is worthy of such a profoundly important era. Chapter Two The Twelfth Century did indeed contain many of the features that defined the 15th Century Renaissance in Italy. The discovery of Latin and Greek texts allowed for great advances in the scientific, social, political and legal fields as well as other intellectual pursuits. After the long process of absorbing the vast array of texts, Twelfth Century Scholars built upon that knowledge just as some of the great Italian minds in Florence did several hundred years later. The adoption of Roman legal canons and the revival of the arts are two examples of a European re-birth a fundamental change in Society for the better inspired by the classical works.[12] If anything the Twelfth Century was perhaps even more open minded than its later Italian Renaissance, adopting and learning from cultures previously regarded as heathens and heretics. A Renaissance cannot be defined simply as an interest in classic texts or the adoption of some aspects of ancient Intellectual ideas into Society. The Italian Renaissance was a flowering and development of ideas that were inspired by classical texts and sources. The Twelfth Century saw rapid developments in virtually every intellectual pursuit as a result of the re-discovery of Latin and Greek texts. It helped lead to the rise of new towns and helped spread vernacular literatures. As Haskins demonstrates it was in many ways the early beginnings of the modern world, surpassing the achievements of the authors of those ancient texts. ‘It saw the culmination of Romanesque art and the beginnings of Gothic, the revival of the Latin classics and of Latin poetry and Roman law: the recovery of Greek science, with its Arabic additions, and of much of Greek philosophy: and the origin of the first European universities.’ Another main feature of the Italian Renaissance is the spread of humanist ideas and philosophy. We have previously demonstrated that Humanist thought and philosophy flourished in the Twelfth Century, and the origins of the Individual, an important Western concept, arose in this period of intense intellectual change and development. The supremacy of the Church was not challenged, but a philosophy of rationality and of valuing the human spirit that so defined the Italian Renaissance and indeed the later Enlightenment flourished in the newly created schools and Universities of Twelfth Century Europe.[13] It is irrelevant to compare the relative contributions of each Renaissance in a bid to establish which is more important or which period contributed more to the formation of modern, secular Europe. We are merely concerned with whether the label ‘renaissance’ is a suitable label for the Twelfth Century. Academics such as Haskins and Brooke do clearly believe it was a Renaiss ance and have given clear evidence to support their claims.[14] In our final chapter we will examine the theories of other academics who argue that it is neither appropriate nor relevant to describe the Twelfth Century as a Renaissance. Chapter Three For many historians, such as Panofsky and Chenu, it is inaccurate to describe the Twelfth Century as a true ‘renaissance’.[15] There are several different reasons for this approach. Scholars like Panofsky believed that although Latin and Greek works were re-discovered and that this led to a degree of development, the change was limited to a small range of Intellectual pursuits. Although many in the Twelfth Century imitated the texts and borrowed some of their teachings, they failed to truly appreciate the fact that the ancient world was a completely different culture from their own, their understanding of the works and of the time itself was limited and narrow and unlike the scholars, artists and philosophers of the Italian Renaissance they did not seek to return to classical age or change the society in which they lived, merely adapt some classical teachings to suit their environment.[16] Other historians are not quite so dismissive of the huge range of achievements in the period around the Twelfth Century, and historians like Chenu recognise the importance of the era whilst believing that the label of renaissance does not do the period justice. The engine of artistic, economic and political growth was not the re-discovery of the Latin and Greek texts but the improving economic and social conditions. The true re-birth was the revitalization of the Christian Church, which inspired a new hunger for learning, discovery, and invention and created an atmosphere in which the ancient texts could be adapted to improve the conditions of a newly invigorated Christian Society which was increasingly placing rationality and reason at the heart of its teachings. The Twelfth Century was a unique, profoundly important era that should be studied in its own right, not as a mere pre- Renaissance but an age that helped usher in the beginnings of Modern Western Society.[17] Conclusion In conclusion then, how appropriate is the term ‘renaissance’ to describe Twelfth Century thought and culture? This essay has demonstrated that the Twelfth Century was a period of momentous social, economic, political and religious change. Those developments had a major impact in shaping the modern Western World. Increased prosperity and security created new opportunities and a seemingly universal desire for learning and advancement led to new inventions, the formation of new institutions and the adoption of philosophy which facilitated the rise of humanism and the individual as the centre of Western thought. The contribution of classic Latin and Greek texts cannot be underestimated, the knowledge revealed and subsequently built upon spurred developments in medicine, law, philosophy, technology, theology and art. Unlike the Italian Renaissance Twelfth Century men did not hark back to the ancient times, nor did they wish to re-order Society, merely make it better, more Ch ristian and more humane. It is our conclusion then that using the label ‘renaissance’ for this period is useful in initially expressing the profound importance of this period both in Medieval history and in the effect it has had on the development of Western culture itself. Through its usage we demonstrate that the 14th and 15th Century Renaissances were not as unique as many historians would have us believe, and that the so called dark ages were not the continuous period of ignorance and backwardness so often imagined. But the Twelfth Century is more than a pale imitation of the Italian Renaissance, it is a period of time worthy of separate study and analysis, in the future it maybe that Society will regard this period as the true Renaissance and the later Italian period a development on the achievements and work of a dynamic, original and inspired Century. Bibliography Benson R L Constable G (eds.), ‘Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century’ (Cambridge Mass., Harvard University Press, 1982, 1991). Brooke C N L, ‘The Twelfth Century Renaissance’ (London, Thames Hudson, 1969) Chenu M-D, ‘Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth Century ‘(Chicago, Chicago UP, 1968, 1997) Constable G, ‘The Reformation of the Twelfth Century’ (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1996). Cook W R Herzman R B, ‘The Medieval World View: An Introduction’ (Oxford, OUP, 1983) Duby G, ‘The Europe of the Cathedrals’ (Geneva, Skira, 1966) Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927) Hollister C W, ‘The Twelfth Century Renaissance’ (New York NY, Wiley, 1969) Holmes U T, The Idea of a Twelfth-Century Renaissance Speculum 26 (1951) Morris C, ‘The Discovery of the Individual 1050-1200’ (Toronto, Toronto UP, 1987) Packard S R, ‘Twelfth Century Europe’ (Amherst Mass., Massachusetts UP, 1973) Panofsky E, ‘Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art’ (New York NY, Harper Row, 1970) Southern R W, ‘Medieval Humanism and Other Studies’ (Oxford, Blackwell, 1970, 1984) Stiefel T, ‘The Intellectual Revolution in Twelfth Century Europe’ (London, Croom Helm, 1985) Swanson R N, ‘The Twelfth Century Renaissance’ (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1999) Treadgold W (Ed), ‘Renaissances before the Renaissance: Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages’ (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) Trevor-Roper H R, ‘The Rise of Christian Europe’ (London, Thames and Hudson, 1965) Wolff P, ‘The Awakening of Europe’ (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1968, 1985) Footnotes [1] Ferruolo, Stephen C, ‘The Twelfth-Century Renaissance’ in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance: Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p.114 [2] Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927) p.5 [3] Cook W R Herzman R B, The Medieval World View: An Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 1983) p.212 [4] Swanson R N, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1999). [5] Packard S R, Twelfth Century Europe (Amherst Mass., Massachusetts UP, 1973) [6] Haskins C H, The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century (classic) (Cambridge Mass., Harvard UP, 1927) pp193-224 [7] Brooke C N L, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (London, Thames Hudson, 1969) [8] Morris C, The Discovery of the Individual 1050-1200 (Toronto, Toronto UP, 1987) [9] Ferruolo, Stephen C, ‘The Twelfth-Century Renaissance’ in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance: Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p.126 [10] Cook W R Herzman R B, The Medieval World View: An Introduction (Oxford, OUP, 1983) p.203 [11] Stiefel T, The Intellectual Revolution in Twelfth Century Europe (London, Croom Helm, 1985) [12] Hollister C W, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (New York NY, Wiley, 1969) [13] Ferruolo, Stephen C, ‘The Twelfth-Century Renaissance’ in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance: Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) pp122-132 [14] Brooke C N L, The Twelfth Century Renaissance (London, Thames Hudson, 1969) [15] Chenu M-D, Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth Century (Chicago, Chicago UP, 1968, 1997) [16] Ferruolo, Stephen C, ‘The Twelfth-Century Renaissance’ in Treadgold W (ed), Renaissances Before the Renaissance: Cultural Revivals of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Stanford Ca., Stanford UP, 1984) p116 [17] IBID, P.134

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? For years, scientists have sought to find an explanation for the placebo effect. Although many hypotheses exist, there is no one reason defining why or how the placebos work. Some researchers argue that the phenomenon doesn't even occur; that the placebo effect is merely random error and that any improvement said to be caused by a placebo is simply a spontaneous recovery in the patient's condition (2)(3). Other scientists argue that Pavlovian conditioning supports an explanation for the effect: If patients have previously shown improvement from being in a medical setting or from taking medicine, they are conditioned to experience positive effects every time they are in the same situation (1). A second explanation for the placebo effect is that any drug (or placebo) given to a patient will reduce their stress levels. Because many illnesses begin under high-stress circumstances, or exhibit more extreme symptoms under stressful situations, many of the patient's symptoms are likely to im prove (2)(4). The first question that must be answered before delving into the hypotheses behind the placebo effect is whether or not the phenomenon even exists. Certain physicians and scientists claim that "positive effects" of a placebo are, in actuality, just the body's natural ways of healing itself and the immune system's defenses kicking in soon after the placebo is taken (2). Basically, these researchers argue that improvement in a patient's condition after being administered a placebo is merely a coincidence. Negative effects that are often blamed on placebos are viewed by these researches in the same way: nausea or headaches that are claimed to be a placebo's side effects may be spontaneously occurring symptoms (3). It has been established that colds, nausea, headaches and flus will indeed go away eventually, regardless of whether we take drugs or not. But how can studies that show that placebos have an effect on more serious and chronic illnesses, or potentially fatal conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia be explained? One theory comes from Pavlov's experiment on conditioned reflexes. In this experiment, Pavlov rang a bell before giving food to a dog. After a numerous trials, no food was given after the bell rang, but the dog still salivated and expected the food. This reflex was an involuntary bodily response to an outside stimulus. Similarly, many people have experienced relief after visiting a physician or taking a medication.