Where Evil Is essays

Where Evil Is essays This novel was a fictional story. Everything and Everyone in this story were not based on a true story. It was written by Carol Beach York. It was published in 1987 by Pocket Books in New York. There are many characters and settings in this novel. It is full of suspense and it kept me wondering. The story took place in Larrimore Hills Michigan. The main characters are Marjorie and Charlene. Marjorie goes to spend the summer at Charlene and David Kensingtons home. Marjorie found a newspaper on Charlenes table with a headline that read Inmate Escapes Asylum. That newspaper article began the suspense of this story for me. As time went on and Marjorie enjoyed her summer with Charlene and David, the people of Larrimore Hills Michigan had begun reporting a mysterious figure in the woods and they started to fear for their lives. One Monday morning something very strange had happened, Charlene had received a letter that read Ask your husband if the accident at Greenwood Lake was really an accident. Charlene told Marjorie that is where Davids first wife had drowned. Charlene thought it was very rude for someone to write that letter and suspect that David had something to do with his wifes death. The next couple days they were waiting for a second letter and finally on Thursday it had a rived. Meanwhile David is off on a business trip. This time letter was not so brief and was not easy to dismiss as a harmless joke. The letter read The accident at Greenwood Lake was not an accident. Your husband murdered his first wife, and he is going to murder you. He has already tried and he will try again. Charlene and Marjorie both had gotten a little frightened. Later on that week Charlene and Marjorie headed up to that very lake for a little vacation. One night Charlene and Marjorie spotted two men in the woods. Marjorie wanted to get out of there but Charlene said they probably wouldn&ap...

Battle of Plassey in Indian History

Battle of Plassey in Indian History Battle of Plassey - Conflict Date: The Battle of Plassey was fought June 23, 1757, during the Seven Years War (1756-1763). Armies Commanders British East India Company Colonel Robert Clive3,000 men Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud DaulahMohan LalMir MadanMir Jafar Ali Khanapprox. 53,000 men Battle of Plassey - Background: While fighting raged in Europe and North America during the French Indian/Seven Years War, it also spilled over to the more faraway outposts of the British and French Empires making the conflict the worlds first global war. In India, the two nations trading interests were represented by the French and British East India Companies. In asserting their power, both organizations built their own military forces and recruited additional sepoy units. In 1756, fighting began in Bengal after both sides began reinforcing their trading stations. This angered the local Nawab, Siraj-ud-Duala, who ordered military preparations to cease. The British refused and in a short time the Nawabs forces had seized the British East India Companys stations, including Calcutta. After taking Fort William in Calcutta, a large number of British prisoners were herded into a tiny prison. Dubbed the Black Hole of Calcutta, many died from heat exhaustion and being smothered. The British East India Company moved quickly to regain its position in Bengal and dispatched forces under Colonel Robert Clive from Madras. The Plassey Campaign: Carried by four ships of line commanded by Vice Admiral Charles Watson, Clives force re-took Calcutta and attacked Hooghly. After a brief battle with the Nawabs army on February 4, Clive was able to conclude a treaty which saw all British property returned. Concerned about growing British power in Bengal, the Nawab began corresponding with the French. At this same time, the badly outnumbered Clive began making deals with the Nawabs officers to overthrow him. Reaching out to Mir Jafar, Siraj Ud Daulahs military commander, he convinced him to switch sides during the next battle in exchange for the nawabship. On June 23 the two armies met near Palashi. The Nawab opened the battle with an ineffective cannonade which ceased around noon when heavy rains fell on the battlefield. The Company troops covered their cannon and muskets, while the Nawabs and French did not. When the storm cleared, the Clive ordered an attack. With their muskets useless due to wet powder, and with Mir Jafars divisions unwilling to fight, the Nawabs remaining troops were forced to retreat. Aftermath of the Battle of Plassey: Clives army suffered a mere 22 killed and 50 wounded as opposed to over 500 for the Nawab. Following the battle, Clive saw that Mir Jafar was made nawab on June 29. Deposed and lacking support, Siraj-ud-Duala attempted to flee to Patna but was captured and executed by Mir Jafars forces on July 2. The victory at Plassey effectively eliminated French influence in Bengal and saw the British gain control of the region through favorable treaties with Mir Jafar. A pivotal moment in Indian history, Plassey saw the British establish a firm base from which to bring the remainder of the subcontinent under their control. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of PlasseyModern History Sourcebook: Sir Robert Clive: The Battle of Plassey, 1757History of Islam: Battle of Plassey

Get Your Goat

Get Your Goat Get Your Goat Get Your Goat By Maeve Maddox Until a reader asked me about it, I hadn’t encountered the eggcorn â€Å"to get one’s goad.† eggcorn: the reshaping of a common word or expression in a way that makes sense to the speaker. The expression is â€Å"to get one’s goat† (not goad). The earliest documentation in the OED is dated 1910. In modern usage, the usual meaning is â€Å"to annoy,† â€Å"to make angry,† â€Å"to cause someone to display emotion.† Here are examples: After Ferrer took office, when opponents really wanted to get his goat, they taunted him as â€Å"Stanley Ferrer.† The name made him seethe. Extreme left liberals and ultra-right conservatives both  get his goat. What seems to get his goat the most is that the recession seems to have knocked away people’s interest in the environment. Maitreya is famous for having subdued his temper through learning ‘patience under insult.’ You simply can’t upset him. Insults, curses, even blows will not get his goat or shake his equanimity.   The origin of the expression is, as they say, â€Å"obscure.† Various creative explanations have been put forth, including one that suggests the expression derives from the practice of giving racehorses goats as companions to keep them calm. The convoluted reasoning is that if someone were to â€Å"get† the goat before a race, the horse would be too upset to run well. If the expression does in fact derive from some connection with the animal–and not from some forgotten slang meaning for the word goat–I think it may relate to one of several associations with goats that exist in our culture. I won’t go into all of them now, but one characteristic is liveliness. The wild playful way goats jump about with sudden leaps and turns gives us the words caprice and capricious. It’s not much of a stretch to associate â€Å"to get one’s goat† with this aspect of goat behavior. I once watched someone try to get her pet goat under control. She looked like someone trying to catch a grasshopper without a net. The expression â€Å"to get one’s goat† could have something to do with comparing the struggle to control turbulent emotions to the difficulty of trying to catch a goat. I have found a quotation that bears out this explanation. It predates the one in the OED. In this example, a union president is taken by surprise when presented with a beautiful commemorative gavel: At the last meeting of No. 16 ex-President Colbert proceeded to get the goat of President Knott. [] Mr. Knott was taken completely by surprise, and it was some moments before he could get his â€Å"goat† under control and thank the members of No. 16 for such a magnificent gift. –The Typographical Journal, Volume 35 (1909). Human beings want things to make sense. Speakers who replace goat with goad are making an interesting mental leap. A goad is a pointed object used to prod animals; ergo, a person prodded with a goad would become angry. Nevertheless, the idiom is â€Å"to get one’s goat.† Related post: The Sands and Hands of Time Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesWhen to Form a Plural with an ApostropheSentence Adverbs

The History of Skyscrapers

The History of Skyscrapers The first skyscrapers- tall commercial buildings with  iron or steel frameworks- came about in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Chicago Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is generally considered the first modern skyscraper, although it was only 10 stories high. Later, taller and taller buildings were made possible through a series of architectural and engineering innovations, including the invention of the first process to mass-produce steel. Today, the tallest skyscrapers in the world approach and even exceed heights of 2,000 feet. Skyscraper History A skyscraper is a tall commercial building with an iron or steel framework.  They were made possible as a result of the Bessemer process of mass production of steel beams.  The first modern skyscraper was created in 1885, the 10-story Chicago Home Insurance Building.Early extant skyscrapers include the 1891 Wainwright Building in St. Louis and the 1902 Flatiron Building in New York City.   First Skyscraper: Chicago Home Insurance Building The first tall building supported by structural steel was the Chicago Home Insurance Building, which was finished in 1885. The building was 10 stories tall and reached a height of 138 feet. Two additional stories were added in 1891, bringing the height to 180 feet. The building was demolished in 1931 and replaced with the Field Building, an even taller skyscraper with 45 stories. Early Skyscrapers The Flat Iron Building, NYC. Barry Neal/Getty Images Although the first skyscrapers were relatively small by todays standards, they marked an important turn in urban construction and development. Some of the most notable early skyscrapers were: Tacoma Building (Chicago): Constructed using a riveted iron and steel frame, the Tacoma Building was designed by the major architectural firm Holabird Root.Rand McNally Building (Chicago): The Rand McNally Building, completed in 1889, was the first skyscraper built with an all-steel frame.The Masonic Temple Building (Chicago): Featuring commercial, office, and meeting space, the Masonic Temple was completed in 1892. For a time it was the tallest building in Chicago.Tower Building (New York City): The Tower Building, completed in 1889, was the first skyscraper in New York City.American Surety Building (New York City): At 300 feet tall, this 20-story building broke Chicagos height record when it was completed in 1896.New York World Building (New York City): This building was home to the New York World newspaper.Wainwright Building (St. Louis): This skyscraper, designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, is famous for its terracotta facade and ornamentation.Flatiron Building (New Yor k City): The Flatiron Building is a triangular, steel-frame marvel that still stands in Manhattan today. In 1989, it was made a National Historic Landmark. Mass Produced Steel Allows Construction of Skyscrapers Henry Bessemer. clu/Getty Images Construction of skyscrapers was made possible thanks to Henry Bessemer, who invented the first process to mass-produce steel inexpensively. An American, William Kelly, had held a patent for a system of air blowing the carbon out of pig iron, but bankruptcy forced Kelly to sell his patent to Bessemer, who had been working on a similar process for making steel. In 1855, Bessemer patented his own decarbonization process, utilizing a blast of air. This breakthrough opened the door for builders to start making taller and taller structures. Modern steel today is still made using technology based on Bessemers process. While â€Å"the Bessemer process† kept Bessemer’s name well-known long after his death, lesser known today is the man who actually employed that process to innovate the first skyscraper: George A. Fuller.  In the 19th century, construction techniques called for outside walls to carry the load of a building’s weight. Fuller, however, had a different idea. He realized that buildings could bear more weight- and therefore soar higher- if he used Bessemer steel beams to give buildings a load-bearing skeleton on the inside of the building. In 1889, Fuller erected the Tacoma Building, a successor to the Home Insurance Building that became the first structure ever built where the outside walls did not carry the weight of the building. Using Bessemer steel beams, Fuller developed a technique for creating steel cages that would be used in subsequent skyscrapers. The Flatiron Building  was one of New York Citys first skyscrapers, built in 1902 by Fullers building company. Daniel H. Burnham was the chief architect. Taller buildings were also made possible by the invention of the electric elevator in 1883, which reduced the amount of time it took to travel between floors, and the invention of electric lighting, which made it easier to illuminate larger spaces. Chicago School of Architecture Many of the earliest skyscrapers were built in an architectural style that came be known as the Chicago School. These steel-frame structures often featured terra cotta exteriors, plate glass windows, and detailed cornices. Architects associated with the Chicago School include Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan (who designed the Old Chicago Stock Exchange Building), Henry Hobson Richardson, and John Wellborn Root. Buildings in the Chicago style were built in places as far away as Florida, Canada, and New Zealand.

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Project Management - Essay Example Restaurants solve this problem and provide consumers with cooked food items. The time required to obtain cooked food does decrease but the decrease depends on the type of restaurant. Fast food restaurants have cooked food that is ready to serve with minimal need for service making them the fastest food providers. In essence, fast food restaurants have greater chances of being a business success than other larger and more exquisite restaurants for two reasons. The first advantage is that the consumer base for fast food restaurants is large and the second advantage is that the initial investment is small. In addition, fast food restaurants are more environmentally friendly since the processed food requires far less raw materials than exquisite dining options. On another note, the waste produced from fast food joints is also lower since lower amounts of food items are processed and so lower amounts of waste is produced. The other major benefactors from a fast food restaurant would be th e consumers being served and the investors backing the project. The consumers would be provided with fresh varieties of fast food in order to provide a diverse eating experience. Alternatively, the appeal of new varieties of fast food are expected to bring in attractive returns for the people investing in the proposed project. Project Risks The proposed project stands to get affected from a number of internal and external risks. For one thing, a fast food restaurant is a business that faces stiff competition at start since there are a lot of different fast food restaurants already present in the market. The presence of well established competitors means that the new business will have to create a loyal customer base and then expand it while old and new competitors exist in the market. Moreover, customers in the fast food category have already developed tastes for fast foods being offered at various kinds of fast food restaurants. This is comparable to the beverage industry, where fo r example, a Pepsi customer will not ask for Coca Cola and vice versa. There is a risk that when the new fast food restaurant opens, it may take a lot of time to develop consumer’s taste in new varieties of fast food. In the short run, this could mean a prolonged principal amount recovery period but in the long run this strategy would result in a loyal customer base. Another thing that must be kept in mind is the fragile state of the overall economy. When the economy is performing well, it could be expected that new business survival would be easy since people would be spending with an open hand. In more restrictive fiscal situations, such as the current state of the economy, consumers have smaller disposable incomes and they are less willing to take risks with their money. A consumer would prefer to take fast food from a restaurant whose taste they are already familiar with rather than trying out a new fast food restaurant. The opening up of a new business also poses some mo re familiar risks such as finding the right kind of labor and ensuring retention of good workers. For a fast food restaurant, highly capable chefs would be required to churn out recipes that can be produced in no time and that would cater to the tastes of the target market. In addition, fast food requires that the business have a committed supplier base who can deliver products at the most optimal prices. Larger fast food chains such as McDonalds and KFC have the distinct advantage of ordering in bulk and having many

RETIREMENT ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

RETIREMENT ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example The benefit is based on the ending salary. This means that the real dollar value of the retirement benefit will reduce during retirement. Imagine the same situation as above, but now you work for two employers during your career: You work for Employer A for the first 24 years, and Employer B for the second 24 years. Everything else in the problem is the same. Calculate your retirement salary from Employer A, from Employer B, and the total of the two retirement salaries. (Note that throughout your career, you receive a raise of 5.0% every year, even if you change employers, and you never loose salary when you change employers. Is a defined benefit a good plan if you do not stay with the company for your whole career? A defined benefit is not good if you do not stay with the company for your whole life because once you leave before the benefits are they vested, you may even lose the whole benefits or part of it if you worked for less than five years. If you work at a company for a whole career, you retire on your defined benefit salary, and the firm goes bankrupt, can the firm’s obligation to retirees like yourself be lowered, i.e. can retirees be left with a lowered retirement salary by the bankruptcy judge? Once the employer decides to offer the defined befits the company has no obligation to take back the benefit since it belongs to the retirees, hence incase the company goes bankruptcy, the retirees retirement benefits will not be

Historical Perspectives in Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Historical Perspectives in Christianity - Essay Example However, the Lutheran church was further divided into several denominations due to doctrinal differences. Some retained some rituals conducted by catholic faith while some did away with them altogether. Divisions continued and up to date many denominations continue to crop up. The birth of Pentecostalism however, can be attributed to the Azusa street revival led by William J. Seymour an African American preacher in 1906.2 Seymour was born in a catholic family but was later converted into born again Christian owing to his numerous travels. He believed in the baptism of individuals with the Holy Spirit and the filling of individuals with the Holy Ghost as stated in the book of Acts: 2 by Apostle Luke.3 The Pentecost was thus a renewal of the church and was referred as a revival. There are many events that led to the Azusa street revival that affected and continue to influence the church even today. These will be the focus of attention in this paper but first, a short history of the chu rch will be given. The rest of the paper will be based on the events in the life of William Seymour which led to the revival. Brief History of Christianity The early church mostly was comprised of the Jews hence was regarded as Jewish Christianity. Its roots can be traced in the New Testament where Jesus used to walk with His disciples preaching the gospel to all nations. When He ascended to Heaven, He promised the Apostles He would send them a helper in the name of the Holy Spirit to enable them to preach the gospel widely and this was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.4 The apostles established a church and spread the gospel far and wide. However, they were all persecuted for holding on to their faith but this did not stop the gospel from spreading. These early churches practiced hymn singing and also believed in miracles such as healing. According to Noll, the Jews were attacked by Romans on 66AD and the war continued for seven years.5 This resulted in taking over of Jerusalem wh ich was the centre of Christianity’s communication, organization and authority and consequently replacing it with Rome. This according to Noll served to expand Christianity from Jewish Christianity to universal Christianity, that is, from Judaism to Christianity. The church became independent and creeds were established to â€Å"mark out boundaries of Christian faith.† 6 Christian reform did not end with transformation from Judaism to Christianity; rather, more reforms were in the offing. The Roman Catholic was the dominant denomination and followed the structure that was used by the apostles with the pope as the head of the church. However, the church entangled itself with politics and materialism leading to decay of some moral values. The congregation was supposed to pay taxes, women were not allowed to preach, indulgencies.7 Besides, some people were not happy with the doctrine of celibacy. As such, the protestant movement cropped up and led to reformation of the ch urch. In the protestant church, women were allowed to preach and clergy were allowed to marry. The doctrine of repentance or confession was done away with as people could communicate directly with God instead of confessing sins to priests.8 The protestant church also differed on several issues leading to formation of many other denominations such as Calvinists, Anabaptist, Lutherans and Anglicans.9 The ruling king decided on the denomination to be adopted by the country; some countries were

Psychology at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychology at Work - Essay Example The value of well-being programmes as an organisational investment is explored in this study. Reference is made, as an example, to the case of BGL Group. The specific firm is well established in the UK market, being involved in the provision of insurance and legal services. The firm has emphasized on the well-being of its employees so that their motivation and commitment to the organisation are secured. The review of the elements and the effects of this programme can hep to understand whether such programmes could be a good investment for organisations in the modern market. The well-being programme of BGL Group will be checked and evaluated using the concepts of work psychology as included in relevant literature, with particular reference to the work of Anna Sutton. As a theoretical framework work psychology is rather wide, being able to incorporate different themes, such as ‘psychopathology and organisational development’ (Sutton, 2014: 6-7). Various approaches have been used for describing work psychology. According to one of these views, the work psychology ‘facilitates change towards improved work and working conditions’ (Milward, 2005: 1). From another point of view, work psychology aims to provide to managers necessary information in regard to ‘the application of psychological principles to running a business’ (Hodson, 2014: 6). In any case, work psychology has to support organisational development. This fact indicates the close relationship between work psychology and organisational change (Sutton, 2014). I t should be noted that work psychology can be related to different priorities, depending on the geographical area involved: in USA the limitation of costs is of primary importance while for firms based in UK work psychology would be most related to the increase of firms’ profitability (Sutton, 2014: 10). The second approach will be

My essay of mice and mMen Essay Example for Free

My essay of mice and mMen Essay In the novel Of Mice And Mice Lenny and George are on there travels to look for work but everything seems to go wrong Because Lenny can not control his anger or his strength and George is all ways there to get Lenny out of trouble but George treats Lenny like it his is own brother. The novel is set in Weed and it is very hard to find work and live a living so Lenny and George set them selves of to look for work Lenny on his journey who has a heart of gold would never hurt any one or hurt anything finds a mouse a dead mouse he wants t play and tamper with the mouse but George says no and grabs the mouse and throws the mouse into the bushes but then Lenny gets really upsets and starts crying and shouting out load all I want to do is tamper and play with the mouse because I like tampering animals George says . Never mind Lenny I will get you a puppy you can tamper and play with no Lenny says I want a mouse ok then George says what about if we get a job on the farm you cam tamper some rabbits , can I can I said Lenny of course you can just as long as your good and dont pick up dead mousse which might have dieses and we wont want you catching something. Has Lenny and George carry on with there journey there become hungry and they settle down by the river and they drink the water and then they start a fire and has Lenny collects wood for the fire George prepares the food. Or they have is beans which Lenny starts getting angry I only want beans with tomato ketchup if we have no ketchup I dont want any but we dont have none said George you will have to do with what we have ok , but I want ketchup , we have not got none so stop moaning. George starts getting mad with Lenny and says to Lenny I bet you if I was on my own I would have a job and nice food but no I am stuck with you moaning all the time can I tamper the rabbits can I tamper the rabbits you just get on my nerves Lenny gets upset and says if you want me to go I will, I will go up in the mountains and find a cave and live in there I will be ok then I wont get on your nerves no Lenny you will never survive with out me it is best if we stick together. There one more thing I have to tell you if you get in any trouble all I want you to do is to run to this bush here and hide till I come for you ok. Lenny and George carry on with there travels they come to a farm to have a interview for a job they get there and meet up with a man called Candy who is very old and needs very good looking after and takes them to the manager to see if there have the job. They get they job and Lenny and George are very excited but the only thing that keeps coming out of Lennys mouth is now can I tend the rabbits George says if you are good. The job they are given is to pick wheat bags up and stack them on to the carriage but they are very and it takes two men to lift one bag, but then every one is stunned to watch has Lenny picks up one bag all by himself but no one knows how strong Lenny is. George lets Lenny tend the rabbits but has Lenny is tending the rabbits in the barn the managers son Curly HE goes to work and Curly wife follows Lenny into the barn. She starts talking to Lenny telling him that she hates Curly and she hates working here and that she wants to become a Hollywood star and then she asks Lenny what hw would like to do he says have a big house for him and George and have there own business and also he would love to tend the rabbits. But has she was going to reply Curly walked in and says to Lenny why are you not doing you work get out there and finish of your job then George walks in whats happening says George then Curly and his wife walks out. Lenny if you have any trouble of him or any one you tell me then they all get back to work. George gives Lenny a puppy for his hard work Lenny is very excited and goes in the barn on his own and starts tending the puppy and guess who walks in Curlys wife sorry for my husbands behavior I dont want to talk to you says Lenny why says Curlys wife , George has told me to stay away from you we dont want any trouble so go away, but im friendly I only want to make friends no says Lenny. She walks away but seconds later she comes back and then Curly walks in I have told you hundreds of times to stay away from my wife then George walks in again to see Curly hitting and arguing with Lenny, Lenny stays there and George shouts out Lenny defend yourself and has Lennys face is pouring with blood and cut eyes half way closed Curly goes to punch him and curlys little hand is trapped between Lennys big hand and Lenny squeezes his hand and hurts Curly badly. Then Lennys says to George can I still tend the puppy of course you can you did nothing wrong says George. They are getting along with there lives fine carrying on with there work keeping them selves to them selves then Lenny asks George can I tend the puppy George says yea sure, Lenny is in the barn tending the puppy and then he tends the puppy so hard he kills the puppy and then barn door opens so Lenny is frightened so he quickly hides the puppy under the hay, and Curlys wife walks in hello Lenny and she noticed he had hidden something under the hay so she removes the hay to find that Lenny had hidden the puppy and she saw the puppy was dead, Lenny says dont tell George it was an accident. I was tending it to hard she says ok then she starts to talk to Lenny and she starts to get all emotional with Lenny she goes to kiss him and Lenny kisses her back and then he hugs her but with out him knowing his own strength he was hugging her to tight and he snaps her neck and she dies . Lenny is scared and frightened so he remembers what George said if you are in a lot of trouble run to this bush and hide until I find you so Lenny runs and hides. Curly has noticed that his wife has been killed and he knows who his responsible the first name he say is Lenny and George says how you know Curly says look my wife has been killed and Lenny is know where to be seen we need to find and I am going to kill him no says George you dont know the whole story. As everyone at the works are looking for Lenny, George goes to the bush and he sees Lenny sitting there, Lenny is very upset and dont know what to say George says I know what you have done it was an accident Lenny says. George says Lenny look over the river were we was drinking and keep looking down, George pulls out a gun at the side of his pocked holding it down between his spine join and then up to his head Lenny want to go to a nice place were we have loads of money loads of food and loads of animals and a big farm were no one can hurt us and you can not hurt any one yes please says Lenny can we go now Lenny says with excitement , yea of course just keep looking at the river , ok Lenny says. Georges gut is hurting but without a word he presses the trigger BANG Lenny just lowers his body with out a noise and just lays there. George is upset for what he had done bur he knew that Lenny was safe now and that he is living the life that he has always wanted to live. George has learnt that you can not get anything that you wish for in life you just have to grab it why you have the chance. Eben if you loose the closes friend you have. THE END Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

The Employment Non Essay Example for Free

The Employment Non Essay On Wednesday November 7, 2007, a landmark bill was passed in the house. A bill that will guarantee equal treatment of gays and lesbians in the workplaces. This bill is referred to as the Employment Non discrimination Act and is a climax to the aspirations pursued by gays and lesbians since 1974(www. alternet. org/workplace/67650/). It is indeed a journey that has taken over two hundred years, since the ratification of the United States constitution, which categorically guarantees every individual in the United States equal access to facilities regardless of gender, race, creed or any other basis, whatsoever. The human rights commission in its creeds vows to champion for equality in the society by rooting out all forms and manner of discrimination. Despite the key statements by the constitution and Human Rights Commission, inequality still thrives in our midst. The different societal norms and orientation have shaped peoples minds such that they are dead set against people who may display certain different characteristics from them. Inequality in the society is not only based on gender, race or creed but it also extends to sexual orientation. Discrimination against homosexuality has raged on for years and the debate on the topic is as thorny as they can get. Past legislations against discrimination have not been categorical when it comes to homosexuality. This is a fact that emerges from deep down in the society and from the conservative nature of the values that are closely guarded by people. Despite the massive campaigns conducted by human rights and gay movements, the society is yet to reconcile that gays and lesbians are normal and that they deserve equal rights just like the so called â€Å"straight people. † Homophobia thrives in the society and despite any legislation it is bound to rage on for long till the sexual stigma wanes gradually (Gerald H, 38). The public is mindset about gays and lesbians such that anything close to respecting their rights is not easily taken. There are a number of reasons why homophobia thrives in the society and why people will discriminate against them in the workplaces, friendships and even in the family. There is a common belief among most heterosexuals that homosexuality is not natural. They believe that it is a weird trait that only befits animals. People do not accept the fact that this sort of orientation has been there deep in history even in the biblical times. Homosexuals are believed to be sexual perverts who should be avoided at all costs. It is hence hard to find heterosexuals in the society who accord equal treatment to those that they suspect having a homosexual orientation. Very few heterosexuals will employ people they believe of possessing homosexual tendency no matter their credentials (Ronni L. Sanlo, 17). Religious fanatics are the ones that mostly have been dead set against gays. Despite their being a separation of state and religion, rarely will you find those in authority appreciating the sexual orientation disparities that exist in the society and champion for equality along those lines. Religion has played a great role in imparting a negative sentiments and treatments against its own rank. The Catholic Church and the Anglican have failed to embrace unanimity on the issue of ordaining gay priests despite the practice being evident among priests. Africa has nigh broken away from the Anglican mother church and mainstream for its ordination of gay priests. Most religions in spite of their liberal nature preach hatred against gays and lesbians in the belief that their teachings prohibit same sex relationships. Followers of these religions become fanatically set by the religious dogmas and cease to see the gay and lesbian as their equal. They believe that homosexuality is against Gods commandments as His first creations were of both gender rather than unisex. This is the root cause of all forms of discrimination and sexual orientation inequality in the society, as these values further shape both social and professional relations. Discrimination against lesbians in the belief that they are disgusting is rife and it mainly originates from schools. In most learning institutions, it almost escalates to a point of turning physical. Verbal harassment however is the most prevalent. A poll for example conducted by CBS in 1999 indicated that over 28% of all those polled admitted to making remarks that can be considered offensive and discriminatory to the gay community (Michael B and A. W. Brown, p31). Societal norms and cultures are passed on from one generation to another. These values include the long held beliefs and prejudices held in regarding to the core issues affecting the society. For example a look at the history of inequality and discrimination of the African American and the Hispanics population reveals that the negative sentiments expressed against these two races in the United States have their root to the early times. Slavery was perpetrated and perpetuated as a way of life. It was not unusual for people to own slaves and yet claim that they respected and stood for equality. U. S is full of such past leaders who were great and led the nation to greater heights but they still owned slaves. This is because slave ownership was the norm and failure to own one was an exception. Blacks and women in America took long before they could get an equal footing to their white males counter parts. The struggle for blacks civil rights lasted for two centuries before law could grant them equal access to public facilities in terms of employment and other vital services. This culture of discrimination against the blacks had taken root and become entrenched deeply into the way of life. The same case is happening today only this time discrimination is not along racial or religious backgrounds, it is based on sexual orientation. Majority of the people are dead set that heterosexual is the only way of life, it is the only acceptable norm and any deviation from such a norm is frowned upon. People are not open minded enough to accept other ways of living. This form of discrimination and unequal access to opportunities is imparted in children in their formative stage. Schools are the most important agents of socialization. It is where positive or negative values are imparted. Beliefs and attitudes towards various topics life are shaped in schools (Donald Moss, 22). Learning institutions and families have a long impact on how people view various subjects in life. Homophobia is one such subject that becomes sensitive in schools. Discrimination against gays and lesbians starts early in childhood especially in high schools where the students suspected to be gays are verbally and physically attacked. This discrimination may later extend to the teachers and staff who might be dismissed on mere suspicious of being lesbians or gays hence making it clear to the students that such a sexual orientation is unacceptable in life (Bruce Galloway, 22) Homophobia has also been further perpetuated by the school curriculum. Most sex education syllabuses ignore homosexuality, describing it using negative connotations. In a sex education class; sex is only taken to mean intercourse between a man and a woman while disregarding any form of sexual interactions between people of the same sex. This develops a negative attitude in people, meaning that homosexuality is a form of an abnormality or disability. Intense studies have not been conducted to get to the root cause of the negative attitude and the hostility for people who are homosexuals. Most research conducted focuses on how it can be avoided rather than how the society can be taught to integrate such a community. Homosexuality is seen as a psychopathological case as most of those who exhibit homosexually traits are advised to seek psychiatric help (John P, 2). The gays and lesbian movement also experiences problems when trying to meet and consult with each other. Some gay organizations decry lack of conference halls whenever they would want to meet. They experience open rejection, as not many people would want to be associated with them. This means that there are few forums through which the public can be taught on how to relate with homosexuals (Samantha W, P. 16). As mentioned before about socialization in schools as one source of discrimination even the educators themselves conform to this notion, viewing and accepting that homophobia is the right attitude and then imparting on the students. (Ronnil S. , 13). Homophobia is a culture that has been imparted from one generation to the next deeply entrenched into our social organization systems. It emanates from the belief that is an act of perversion that should not be tolerated by heterosexuals and hence the prevalent discrimination against those suspected or known to be gays or lesbians. Discrimination is a way of societies reaction towards people they view as outcasts. There are no enough forums through which heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals can interact with each other to create more understanding due to the preconceived ideas held against each other. Works cited Deb Price, Gay? U. S houses that’s okay creators syndicate.November 12, 2007. Retrieved on 13/11/2007 from http://www. alternet. org/workplace/6760 Bruce, Galloway. Prejudice and pride: discrimination against gay people in modern Britain. Rout ledge, Taylor and Francis Group. 1984: 19-34 Gerald Hunt, Laboring for rights. Unions and sexual diversity across nations. Temple University Press 1999 32-42 John P. De Cero, Homophobia an overview, Haworth Press Inc. 1984;2 Samantha Wehbi: Community organizing against homophobia and heterosexism the world through rainbow colored. Glasses, Haworth Press. 2004; 16-24 Gail Mason, The spectacle of violence: Homophobia, Gender and Knowledge. Rout ledge 2001; 17-32 Warren J. Bluefield. Homophobia: how we all pay the price. Beacon press, 1992: 46-9 Ronni L. Sanlo, Unheard Voices: The effects of silence on lesbian and gay educators. Bergin Goerly Greenwood. 2004; 13-24 Donald Moss, Hating in the first person, plural: psychoalytic essays on racism, homophobia misogyny and terror. Other press LLC . 2003; 20-29

Music Gives Me the Blues Essay -- Music History

Music Gives Me the Blues â€Å"The Blues are the roots; everything else is the fruits†-Willie Dixon. The blues has deep roots in American history, particularly African-American history. How can something so simple become a massive tree whose roots transcended through different genres? According to Biography.com, W.C. Handy, â€Å"the father of the Blues,† brought the Blues to the mainstream in1912 with the hit â€Å"Memphis Blues.† After the public heard the twelve note structure with the deep bass lines, the tree began to bear fruit. The Blues tree produced pioneers in all forms of music, from the haunting sound of Robert Johnson to the â€Å"King of the Juke Box† Louis Jordan. After all, where would other forms of music be if the â€Å"Carter Family† did not hook up with Lesley Riddle, Jelly â€Å"Roll† Morton did not get the message, and the â€Å"King† did not have the Blues? Art Menius said, â€Å"The African-American music of the rural south provided the source for gospel, jazz, and blues, while the often ignored black contribution to country music and hillbilly music went far beyond providing the banjo and Charley Pride.† In 1928, A.P. Carter, the patriarch of the legendary Carter Family, the first family of country music, met a blues guitarist by the name of Lesley â€Å"Esley† Riddle. Lesley Riddle had created a unique picking and sliding technique on the guitar while he was recovering from an accident on the job. The Carter Family was looking for a new sound of music, and they were so overwhelmed by the sound that Lesley produced, they wanted him to teach them how to play that way. Lesley Riddle influenced Maybelle Carter’s style of guitar playing called the â€Å"Carter Scratch,† which became legendary. According to birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, Riddle’s influe... ...ey cannot deny that the Blues has influenced different genres from the cotton fields to the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. Works Consulted â€Å"African American Roots.† Birthplaceofcountrymusic.org Web. 14 Nov. 2010 â€Å"A History of Blues Music.† Scaruffi.com. Web. 14 Nov. 2010 â€Å"Rock ‘n’ Roll Timeline 1877 to 1959.† Digitaldreamdoor.com. Web. 28 Nov. 2010 â€Å"Jazz/Blues Crossover.† Allmusic.com. 28 Nov. 2010 â€Å"Jelly Roll Morton.† Redhotjazz.com. 28 Nov. 2010 â€Å"Jazz History Lyrics-Jazz History.† 28 Nov. 2010 â€Å"The History of Rock and Roll.† History-of-rock.com. 28 Nov. 2010 Newfield, Jack. â€Å"Who Really Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll?† New York Sun. New York Sun, 21 Sep. 2004. Web. 28 Nov. 2010 Berlin, Edward A., A Biography of Scott Joplin. Scott Joplin International Ragtime Foundation, 1998. Web. 28 Nov. 2010 â€Å"The Classic Blues, 1900-1920s.† Calliope.org.Web. 28 Nov. 2010

Han and Roman Empires Essay -- History, Huan Tan

From the 2nd century BCE through the 1st century CE, both the Han and Roman empires were dealing with the production of advancement in technology. Since the empires were from separate time periods each empire had different attributes when it came to creating technology and what they built with their technology. In the Han Empire, technology had been a luxury part of their empire because it was essential to their wealth and productivity. In the Roman Empire, their thought on technology had been it is a necessity to build their empire and to conquer land wherever they saw weakness. Technologies in both empires were not only used as tools to fight in war and to build but in the Roman Empire they were used to collect mineral wealth in silver mines. As for the Han Empire they had used their technology for tilling soil to collect salt. In the Roman Empire, people had believed that technology was necessary to gain further control and they also thought it was informative for them, while in t he Han Empire it had been a way to show off their civilization. A Han government official felt that technology is such an important part of their empire for its new creations, that it should be maintained by other government officials and engineers. During 20 CE in (Doc 1) the Han government official had said â€Å"there should be one high official and one on duty with just enough workers to meet the need†. This clearly shows that as a government official he felt that in the best interest for technology and the people the government should have some control. As well as putting experienced workers to do the task of maintaining their technology and city as an over all to keep a presentable empire. So other empires will start to borrow and use there means o... ...ked at the use of there technology in different ways. Such as the Roman Empire used their technology to their advantage, by conquering different people to gain more control. As for the Han Empire had used their technology for improvements within there empire and they let other regions use there ideas which showed off there empire. But in some cases both empires had used technology to improve economic growth for trading, like roads or the water power blowing engine. Both of the empires have had different emperors that have ruled. During each empire they both were able to gain control and pass on tools to other regions. The Roman’s thought more of the tools as weapons and building supplies. As for the Han believed the tools to be a creation that had been invented by a person with a sharp mind, and the tools were a luxury for the empire because it made work easier.

Hilti cut or Fasten? Essay

This case review was executed about a case study that was discussed in class on the operations of Hilti and its surroundings – Hilti is a global corporation based in Lichtenstein that is a market leader in drills, saws and fastening products. The analysis looks at the development of Hilti ever since it was founded, and the different strategies which have been implemented to get them to where they are now. For a company that has been very successful which is now going through a period of recession, with sales decreasing which has been caused by a global financial crisis – a question for the CEO whether to hold fast and risk an investment loss, or cut costs to reduce the impact of a drop in profits. This report will provide an idea of Hilti’s current strategies and will look at the key strategic issues both internally and externally, and in conclusion will provide recommendations for what the CEO at Hilti should do moving forward. Hilti’s Business Strategy – Current The Current Business Strategy for Hilti has been quite successful since Michael Hilti took over from his father. Michael introduced the Champion 3C’s (Customer, Competence and Concentration) strategy in order to measure performance both internally and externally and saw the importance for a focus on the customers (external) and the product ranging (internal). â€Å"Hilti has set itself the goal of being a great company. The priorities set to achieve it are growth, differentiation, productivity and employee development† (Hilti Annual Report 2008) After conducting a Porters Generic Value Chain Analysis (Appendix C) it can be seen that the HR strategy in place at Hilti is very strong and must be working well. This finding can lead to assume that this strategy allows the company successfully look after their customers needs, being able to attract the right employees into the firm who bring along a positive attitude, good values and knowledgeable expertise. Eventually this will allow them â€Å"†¦to convert distinctive competence into competitive advantage† (Andrews, 1987). Hilti is known for utilising the most innovative technology and makes this a key focus during its R&D phase on emerging particular products. This helps Hilti to meet the company’s value proposition when the 2 pillars of ‘Customers’ and ‘Competence are also met (See Appendix 2). Looking at the analysis from Appendix 2 – It is highlighted that there are a number of resources that the company can influence to strive a competitive advantage. The value is added to the firm by aligning its strong value proposition with its strategy Strategic Issues (Internal/External Analysis) Unfortunately Hilti is currently challenged with a few strategic issues as the company is confronted with the current economic downslide. To identify the strategic issues both internal and external analysis was conducted by using the Business system tool (De Wit & Meyer 2010) which breaks down the resources and capabilities, activity system and their product offering (Appendix 1); Barneys VRIE model was used to assess the value, rareness, imitability and exploitation of key resources/capabilities (Barney 1995), Porters Five Forces model (Porter, 1985) was used to view the competitive environment and lastly a value chain analysis was conducted by means of Porters Generic Value Chain Analysis (Porter, 1985). Looking at the VRIE model (Value, Rareness, Inimitability & Exploitable) shown in Appendix 2 – although there are many resources and capabilities that Hilti does capture well for a competitive advantage, however when a closer look is taken you are able to see that there are many resources and capabilities which can be easily copied by a similar firm within the industry which leads to suggest that Hilti may possibly be able to be more competitive in its strategy. The findings from the VRIE are reinforced from Porters Supply Chain Analysis and the Business System Tool Model; as Hilti has built long-lasting customer relationships from being within the industry over a long period of time. From Porters Five Forces analysis in Appendix 3, it is evident that Hiltis’ surrounding environment is ever-evolving and fast moving and to stay and remain competitive in this field Hilti must keep up and with its research and product development to keep improving with innovation and technology. By staying ahead, continuously evaluating and improving Hitli can outperform competitors within the industry. Hilti is confronted with the following issues: Without a stable economy the value created may not be as effective within the industry – See Appendix 1) because if consumers don’t have the financial capacity to spend, then value to the consumer may change. Hilti must keep up or ahead with the innovation and technology that competitors are using within the industry – by looking at a sales approach from a social media sense, moving into E-business and shop-in-shop) as the current direct sales method is becoming out-dated. Hilti must look at aligning its Internal and external strategies as the economic crisis caused a decline in sales because customers were not confident to spend during this period (external), for this reason Hilti must work on improving its internal strategies such as HR, R&D, Sales etc Strategic Options and Recommendations The misfit gap between Hilti’s internal and external strategies increases over time and this gap needs to be reduced. For this to occur, Hilti must go through a process of strategic renewal. The below chart illustrates how strategic drift increases over a period of time, and only when strategic renewal strategies are implemented can this gap be decreased. Strategic Renewal Process De Wit & Meyer, 2010 Due to the changing nature and constant fluctuations within the strategic drift, regular strategies must be implemented to minimise the size of this gap. The Strategic integration Model (Fuchs et al, 2000) states the desire to make sure that all strategies complement each other. Many internal and external factors affect the strategic drift, such as competitors. These factors require Hilti to utilise and capitalise on techniques which are evolutionary, else the decline or delayed absence will be detrimental. After reviewing the above analysis the following recommendations are made; New innovative networks with the introduction of E-Business sector to make sure the sales strategy is getting out to as many potential customers as possible Authorise management to be able to make small changes immediately (revolutionary) – this will in order to keep costs down and increase profits Keep evolutionary changes to a low when it comes to the activity system to maintain the key attributes Keep employee levels at where they are now – disrupting this will affect the morale. The idea is to maintain a positive work culture and relaxed environment. The HR strategy should change to make sure no additional people are hired, instead the attention should be on growing and improving the current employees – this is to set the company up, so when the market recovers the company is in a better position. If these above recommendations are applied – Hilti can increase its competitive advantage and in turn alleviate the effects of the current Global Financial Crises. This will set Hilti up so eventually when the market does recover, the company will be stable and ready. Appendix 1: Business System Model Appendix 2: VRIE – Value, Rareness, Imitability & Exploitable Appendix 3: Porters 5 Forces Analysis Source: Porters 5 Forces: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.html Appendix 4: Value Chain Analysis The Generic Value Chain (Porter, 1985), (De Wit & Meyer, 2010) Primary Activities Support Activities Hilti Annual Report 2008, De Wit & Meyer 2010. Reference List Andrews, K, 1987, The Concept of Corporate Strategy, McGraw Hill, Chapter 2. Barney, JB, (1995), Looking inside for competitive advantage, Academy of Management Executive, 9 (4), 49-61. De Wit, B. & Meyer, R.J.H. (2004), Strategy – Process, Content and Context: An International Perspective, 3rd edition, London: Thomson De Wit, B. & Meyer, R.J.H. (2010), Strategy – Process, Content and Context: An International Perspective, 4th edition, London: Thomson Fuchs, P., Mifflin, K., Miller, D. & Whitney, J. (2000). Strategic integration: competing in the age of capabilities. California Management Review, 42 (3), pp.118-147 Hilti Annual Report 2008 – Viewed online 30th July 2013 http://www.hilti.com/fstore/holcom/LinkFiles/Unternehmensbericht_2008_en.pdf Porter, ME (1985), Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance, Free Press, New York Porter Five Forces model – Viewed online 31st July 2013 http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.html

Using information and communications technologies for teaching and learning

E-learning is by and large regarded as utilizing information and communications engineerings for learning and larning. These engineerings may include, but are non limited to, the followers: presentation engineerings ( e.g. , PowerPoint ) , the Internet, videoconferencing, e-mail, specialist disciplinary package, larning direction systems such as WebCT, simulations, and educational games. E-learning may affect such hardware as computing machines, personal digital helpers, and cell phones. The media used can unite sound, picture, images and text in a assortment of combinations and utilizing a scope of attacks. E-learning should be regarded as a installation or set of tools, non a peculiar instruction method. Indeed, e-learning may be used to back up about any sort of instructional attack, positive or negative. Examples of utilizing e-learning constructively include attacks which combine more traditional instruction patterns with information and communications engineerings. For illustra tion, an teacher might utilize the Internet during his or her talk to entree on-line lifes that supplement the category presentation. A class web site might incorporate activities that facilitate active acquisition. Communications applications such as on-line treatments groups might be used to enable collaborative job work outing among groups of pupils who have trouble scheduling meetings. Teachers of to the full on-line classs typically use small if any face-to-face direction and depend about wholly on e-learning. The grade to which e-learning is used by teachers varies widely due to a figure of factors including their personal instruction penchants, the nature of the capable affair, the pupils involved every bit good as the handiness of proficient and instructional design support. Quality direction remains the paramount end and e-learning should ne'er be used for its ain interest. The E-Learning Committee identified the undermentioned factors that contribute to the demand to transform instruction and acquisition in higher instruction: germinating nature of â€Å" basic accomplishments † required to be competent professionals the chances provided by the increased effectivity and decreased costs of information and communications engineerings ; permeant usage of information engineering by pupils taking to alterations in larning penchants ; synergism of learning and research ; turning demand for alternate acquisition theoretical accounts to better acquisition and increase handiness ; greater handiness of electronic learning resources and scholarly publications. The combined effects of these five factors make it paramount for the University to reassess and update its scheme for e-learning. E-learning enables greater flexibleness in footings of where and when pupils can take part in larning activities. As a consequence, those involved in discoursing the advantages of utilizing e-learning frequently concentrated on how it reduces barriers to accessing educational plans. However, from a pedagogical point of position, the focal point of e-learning is non on entree, but on larning. E-learning provides scholars with the chance to be more active and to take greater duty for their ain acquisition. It besides gives module a wider assortment of tools for easing engagement and coaction. The E-Learning exists in the context established by the vision, mission, and ends of the University. Information and communications engineerings are praised for their capacity to cross distance, connect communities, provide information, and quickly convey immense volumes of informations. E-learning is an incorporate application of these engineerings. As such it has the possible to act upon how all the academic subjects of the University are realized. Need for Reforms in Tertiary Education to Address New Challenges. Quality confidence can play a cardinal catalytic function in originating reforms to regenerate weak third instruction systems. Despite fluctuations in cultural and political penchants, differences in leading manners within authoritiess every bit good as changing phases of development, there is emerging consensus that traditional academic controls are unequal for reacting to today ‘s challenges and that more expressed confidences about quality are needed ( El-Khawas, DePietro-Jurand, and Holm-Nielsen 1998 ) . New Methods of Delivery Challenge Traditional Approaches to HE Development. Recent progresss in information and communicating engineerings ( ICTs ) have prompted alterations in the manners of bringing for instruction. The usage of different signifiers of Open and Distance Learning ( ODL ) is on the rise, doing it possible to learn and larn from anyplace in the universe irrespective of one ‘s geographical location relation to the beginning of bringing. On-line instruction is turning, even within regular â€Å" brick and howitzer † establishments. These new methods besides render third instruction â€Å" borderless † -students have options for entree to higher instruction beyond their national boundaries and suppliers of HE can make pupils anyplace in the universe without holding to procure clearance from any local authorization. This is a positive development, particularly for states which can non afford to put in brick and howitzer establishments ( for illustratio n, little states, weak economic systems ) to run into the turning societal demand. However, in the absence of an effectual QA system, consumers lack a dependable footing for taking between different borderless offers, and authoritiess would non hold a mechanism for keeping these suppliers accountable for the quality of their plans. In Africa this tendency is expressed in the turning attending accorded to constructing capacities for distance instruction. The part now hosts four unfastened universities, with programs to set up at least two more in the close hereafter. Likewise, the proviso of instruction â€Å" at a distance † by traditional universities is steadily spread outing. In Tanzania, the Open University of Tanzania ( OUT ) is now the largest university in the country-only 15 old ages after its constitution. The African Virtual University which was ab initio incubated in the World Bank is now a good recognized leader in unfastened and distance e-learning ( ODEL ) in Africa with a web that spans over 20 English and French-speaking states. Though some acquaintance with quality confidence processes for traditional ( print-based ) distance larning systems has been acquired on the continent, the new manners of bringing pose a challenge because there neither criterions nor expertness are presently avail able to modulate quality.1.2 Research Aim and AimsPurposeThe purpose of this thesis is to â€Å" To research the quality confidence in e-learning and its effectivity in footings of bettering the quality of acquisition, and to urge schemes for effectual quality confidence in e-learning for the colleges and universities.AimsThe aims in order to accomplish this purpose are as follows: Review the developments in quality confidence in e-learning and analyze the e-learning facets of quality confidence. To analyze the quality confidence criterions in e-learning and their effectivity. Study the effectivity of quality confidence in an e-learning context, and place the chief challenges and the critical success factors. Develop appropriate schemes for the execution of effectual quality confidence in e-learning.1.3 Problem StatementThe current survey purposes to reply the following overall job. Is at that place important difference in the effectivity of quality confidence in e-learning in the public and private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain in footings of their course of study design, class design, and class bringing? To reply this inquiry, the undermentioned sub-problems shall be addressed: To what extent does effectivity of quality confidence in e-learning occur in the higher instruction establishments ( HEIs ) in footings of course of study design, class design, and class bringing as perceived by its module members, pupils, and stakeholders? What are the jobs or barriers encountered by the respondents on the quality confidence in e-learning? What success factors in e-learning perceived by the respondents in the private colleges and universities? What challenges and schemes in e-learning observed by the respondents on the execution of the quality confidence in the university? What possible suggestions/recommendations to better e-learning in the colleges and universities?1.4 Research ApproachThe primary informations aggregation will be conducted through study questionnaires and unstructured interviews nevertheless, the secondary informations aggregation through extended literature reappraisal taken from books, diaries, magazines, and other related reading stuffs in e-learning. The informations collected from both the beginnings will be integrated and so analysed. Qualitative analysis will be used for the informations being collected from both the attacks. However, quantitative analysis will be done by the research worker after roll uping the information for analysis and reading to cognize the findings of the survey on the quality confidence in e-learning hence, carry throughing the purpose of this research. Furthermore, the Primary Data Collection will be taken from the Survey Questionnaires and informal ( unstructured ) Interviews from the respondents of the selected colleges and universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. However, the Secondary Data Collection will be taken from the literature reappraisal such as books, diaries, magazines, internet links, and other related readings on e-learning facets. After the information is being collected from the primary and secondary beginnings, the Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis Approach will be used to analyze the research information. The analysis will be done after the retrieval of the study questionnaire. However, the informations will be analysed and interpreted utilizing textual or tabular presentation based on the consequences of the statistical analysis. Hence, in the reading of informations deductions is needed and besides supported with related literature or surveies to beef up the analysis and reading of informations which are important to the findings of the survey.1.5 Outline of the DissertationChapter 1: Introduction and Background. The intent of this chapter is to present the job on the effectivity of the quality confidence in e-learning, its challenges and schemes. It besides presents the principle behind the determination of prosecuting this research, based on the observations made by the research worker and other wri ters. It concludes with the word picture of the attack adopted in the structuring of the thesis. Chapter 2: Reappraisal of Related Literature. The intent of this chapter is to present and examine exhaustively the bing literature in the country of the quality confidence of higher instruction establishments ; e-learning quality confidence ; and e-learning success factors ; and other related surveies on e-learning facets. Besides, a theoretical research theoretical account has been proposed and research hypotheses have been developed. Chapter 3: Research Methodology. The intent of this chapter is to show the research design and methodological analysis of the survey. It besides includes the respondents of the survey, proof of research instrument, informations aggregation method, and informations analysis. Chapter 4: Datas Analysis and Findings. The intent of this chapter is to show the analysis and reading of the information, and besides the treatment on the effectivity of the quality confidence in e-learning, problems/barriers encountered, success factors, and quality confidence challenges and schemes. However, the descriptive-survey attack will be employed in this survey. However, tabular and textual signifier will be used in showing the information analysis. Chapter 5: Drumhead, Conclusions, and Recommendations. This chapter is a sum-up of the whole thesis. It provides an appraisal of the importance of the research done and it is an lineation of possible future research strands.DrumheadThis chapter provides an debut to the thesis along with brief treatment of the background on the construct of e-learning in the Kingdom of Bahrain peculiarly in the HEIs – Higher Education Institutions. It besides presented the Aim and Objectives and briefly discusses the country of research, literature reappraisals and provides principle for carry oning this survey. The research purpose and aims are made clear and the research attack is presented.

Fair Value Accounting Essay

This paper attempts to answer the question: â€Å"Is it reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess? † This paper in effect settle whether the use of fair value accounting by listed companies in the major stock exchanges in the US, particularly those found in Wall Street, which the caused fall in prices of the stocks of these companies, was required of companies without justification; hence, it should be blamed for the mess. 2. Analysis and Discussion Any mess in the Wall Street is defined for this paper as one causing the stock prices of companies list in major stock exchanges of the US to fall and that it resulted to losses to investors. To have reasonable basis to blame fair value accounting for any Wall Street mess, does not simply mean that fair value accounting was the necessary cause of fall in the prices of corporate stocks but that the requirement of fair value accounting must not be fair. The question that must be decided therefore is whether fair value accounting is fair as basis of valuing corporate assets, liabilities and equity. A situation or condition is fair if it gives what is due to a person. If the concept of fair value is used in the context of an asset purchased or liability assumed in business, fair value implies that said asset or liability must neither be overpriced nor underpriced whether perceived or otherwise. The law of economics would have fair value as one representing that market price or that equilibrium price of a product or service (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 1992) which is also the value of something from a seller that is not forced to sell or from a buyer that is not forced to buy. Investors, creditors, and other persons expect to be treated fairly as they enter into transactions in terms of value that they will give in exchange to what they will receive. To illustrate, a person or company planning to invest in stocks will appreciate what is fair if the said person or company will earn sufficient return above cost of capital in exchange for the risks being faced by such person or company (Brigham, 2002). To have what is fair, the investors must know the accurate and reliable information about of the company to guide them about their chances of gaining or losing money. These users deserve to have the opportunity to have the true or accurate value of asset, liability or equity being dealt with in a business transaction as basis for valuing the stocks that they will invest with. Financial reports prepared companies, as guided by Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) accounting standard under fair value accounting, will provide these users the opportunity. Specifically, fair value accounting was made pursuant to FAS 157 as issued by US FASB for companies to reflect the accounting information on the real values of assets, liabilities and equity in the balance sheet as contrasted with presenting the information using the historical cost accounting (Meigs and Meigs, 1995). A group of analysts and portfolio managers actually formed part of those who influenced the passage of the fair value accounting for more relevant information in decision making (Chasan, 2008). Under FAS 157 defines fair value is defined as the price that would be received â€Å"to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in a measurement date† (Sortur, 2007). If companies have restated their financial statements from historical cost accounting to fair value accounting, the purpose was laudable since in simple terms, the intention is to make the information more relevant, more accurate and more reliable for decision makers. If stockholders got affected in terms of lower price of stocks as a result of restatement of financial statements, the error was when they were made the purchase of their investments under the historical cost accounting. Since fair value accounting may also increase the value of the stocks if fair value is higher than cost, it could not be asserted that it should be blamed for the fall of prices but not praised for increased in price increase of stock prices. 3. Conclusion It can be concluded that it is not reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess since fair value accounting is only bringing out what is fair to investors who deserved to know accurate and reliable information for making decisions. Fair value accounting is an accounting standard made by FASB that was made as a requirement from the corporation which must present truthful and reliable information for investors. As an alternative to historical value of accounting, fair value is expected to have present company more reliable information about their assets and liabilities in accordance with market prices. Its implementation may have caused companies to present their financial information and if the information presented were more truthful, the consequence of causing problems to companies should only be secondary to the purpose of providing objective and more reliable financial information. Any fall in stock prices from Wall Street may in fact have been caused by companies having to restate their financial statement pursuant to fair value accounting but the intention was to reflect to truer value of assets and liabilities of the corporations whose stocks got affected. Losers should not blame fair value accounting since the latter is just a guide to have more truthful information and they would have a change also of higher stock prices under fair value if warranted by market forces. If there was no basis for such more truthful information, then restatements of financial information using fair value would not have been made in the first place. If buyers and sellers are not being compelled to complete their transaction, fair value accounting must be held as fair and cannot be blamed for the mess. In fact, fair value accounting should have been introduced years ago for it could have saved some abuse and a lot of problems (Rees-Mogg, 2007). References: Brigham and Houston (2002), Introduction to Financial Management, Thomson-South Western, USA, 2002 Chasan, Emily (2008), Is fair value accounting really fair? {www document} URL, http://www. reuters. com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN1546484120080226, Accessed November 21, 2008 Meigs and Meigs (1995), Financial Accounting, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Rees-Mogg (2007), Why FAS 157 strikes dread into bankers, {www document} URL http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article2852547. ece, Accessed November 21, 2008. Samuelson and Nordhaus (1992), Economics, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Sortur (2007) Fair Value Measurement, The Chartered Accountant {www document} URL, http://icai. org/resource_file/96471564-1574. pdf, Accessed November 21, 2008

Mayan Civilization with citations!

The Mayans were an extremely advanced Micronesian civilization. They were located near modern day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico,l on the Yucatan Peninsula. They were skilled in art and architecture. This is evident by the many pyramids they constructed. 3 This civilization also utilized a great deal of technology. They built magnificent cities with huge stone temples and pyramids. They also developed an advanced system of writing, mathematics and astronomy, which they used to calculate an curate calendar. Another example of how the Mayans were advanced is their agricultural technology. For example, they used the slash and burn method on their crops in order to clear plots of land and fertilize the soil. 2 Mayans used certain building techniques which is a part of what makes their civilization unique as well as successful. Because there were such large supplies of limestone and flint available, plaster and cement was easily produced. This allowed the Mayans to bu ild impressive temples and stepped pyramids.Flat roofs made of cedar beams overlaid with mortar were also common in this area, along with murals often displaying religious figures in vibrant colors. L Certain cities were particularly famous for this typical Amman architecture. One of these cities is Diktat. It was the largest city in the empire, home to over 100,000 people. There were eight pyramids built in the city. 2 This civilization also had its own interesting religious beliefs. The Mayans were polytheistic and worshipped hundreds of gods, each of whom played a different role n the creation of the earth.The religion seems to have been made up of thirteen heavens and nine underworlds ruled by the nine lords of the nights, whose names are not known. Of all of the gods worshipped in this civilization, the sky god was the most important to the Mayans. The god of the sky was also the most frequent to appear in their ancient art, which included sculptures, ceramics, murals and archi tectural structures. It is evident that many of the structures built by the ancient Mayans were built in honor of the gods.Certain compounds were built with large open areas, from which all the citizens could view religious ceremonies, such as sacrifices that were held on elevated platforms. L The Mayans had an advanced language that they used to communicate with each other. Their alphabet was composed of glyphs rather than letters. 2 Not all inscriptions of this text can be deciphered yet. However, analyzing the written language became easier in the 1950 when a Russian ethnologist named Yuri Valedictorian Morrison proposed that the Amman script was at least partly phonetic.His theory was later proved correct, which was a breakthrough for all those studying this ancient civilization. 4 Another impressive feature of the Mayans was their strategic military. The empire was once thought to be peaceful, and held military forces solely for defensive purposes. Eventually, population growth increased competition with others, resulting in heightened levels of violence. Military action became involved in order to gain political control of people, land and resources. Some scholars have suggested that the capture of sacrificial victims was another driving force behind warfare.Mayans also had a decentralized government which made it more difficult to defeat, in turn protecting the nation from becoming over-ruled. 6 Overall, the Mayans were an extremely successful civilization. They made many significant discoveries in math and science. They also flourished artistically. After experienced a golden age lasting five centuries (300 to 800 AD), the Mayans suddenly and mysteriously abandoned their cities. The cause could have been from disease, natural disaster, deforestation, or even revolt but it is unknown to this day.

Emerging IT

Emerging IT The 21st century is marked by the development of information technology (IT) and the emergence of IT-related technologies. The growth of the internet as a platform for development, coupled with advances in technology has resulted in a slew of ethical dilemmas from individual and organizational levels.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Emerging IT-Related Technology’s Ethical Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Subsequently, organizations have been compelled to ensure a balance between freedom and privacy of employees while at the same time ensuring that they observe ethical standards associated with emerging technologies such as cloud computing. However, the rapid growth of technology has resulted in multiple ethical challenges. Consequently, there are constant conflicts between personal and organizational beliefs in the workplace which has resulted in new ethical dilemmas created by emerging technologies as noted by Baase (2012). As a matter of fact, as new technology gives room for technological activities to be performed in new ways, circumstances may emerge in which adequate policies lack to guide us. The current paper is an attempt to explore emerging IT-related technology and the related ethical issues. The ethical dilemma under research is privacy and confidentiality on the application of emerging technology such as online retailing or e-commerce.  Large amount of consumer data is often given out to commercial entities to be stored for future use. For example, when we purchase goods online using visa cards or store discount cards, such information as consumer’s names, their home address, bank account names, and other private information are left with the commercial entities. Moreover, online e-commerce sites often use cookies with the aim of tracking down consumer’s buying habits. As such, the collection of these cookies into the companies’ database is aki n to revealing consumers’ private information. These systems are risky because when the information is released to third parties, it may be considered as risky as it creates an ethical dilemma (Moor, 2005). For example, the exposure of personal information to third parties as a result of data collection via cookies in the process of e-commerce results in ethical ramifications such as undermining of the first amendment and privacy rights (Baase, 2012). This is because the information is collected without the consent of the consumers. The issue of security also emerges since when personal information is left on the internet or e-commerce sites it could be accessed by a third party and this is a form of infringement on personal privacy and confidentiality.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Based on the analysis, the ethical question that emerges is; which information and data should be collected by online retailers and to what extent should the information be exposed? (Gilroy, 2012). This has created policy vacuums as it is not covered by the existing ethical policies (Moor, 2001). To counter this, there is need to replace the vacuum created by emerging information technology with good policies which can be sustained by reasonable justification. The need to safeguard the first amendment and privacy rights while carrying out computer transmissions such as online purchases is also important. Moreover, the mushrooming of massive data on the internet needs to be safeguarded to prevent it being exposed to third parties such as hackers or government spies. In conclusion, ethical issues are deemed to increase as technology advances thus creating ethical dilemmas. For instance, the adoption of e-commerce in the 21st century has resulted in compromised ethical issues such as the issue of privacy and confidentiality. Therefore, there is need to develop stringent policies which address these ethical issues as they emerge. This way, the policy vacuums created will be eliminated thus addressing new technological ethical dilemmas. Reference List Baase, S. (2012). A gift of fire: social, legal, and ethical issues for computing technology. (4th edn). Japan: Pearson. Gilroy, W. G. (2012). Emerging ethical dilemmas in science and technology. Science Daily. Web. Moor, J. H. (2001). The future of computer ethics: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!. Ethics and Information Technology, 3(2), 89–91.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Emerging IT-Related Technology’s Ethical Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moor, J. H. (2005). Why we need better ethics for emerging technologies. Ethics and Information Technology, 7, 111–119.

How to Conjugate the Verb Stare in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb 'Stare' in Italian â€Å"Stare† is used to talk about all things, from how you’re doing to where you’re at in Italy, so it’s best if you feel comfortable using this word in all its forms. What’s more, it’s an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the typical -are verb ending pattern. Below, you’ll find all of its conjugation tables as well as examples, so you can become more familiar with using stare. Definitions of Stare To beTo stayTo remainTo standTo be situatedTo liveTo be about to Stare in Italian It’s an intransitive verb, so it does not take a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"stare.†The participio passato is â€Å"stato.†The gerund form is â€Å"stando.†The past gerund form is â€Å"essendo stato.† Indicativo/Indicative​ Il presente io sto noi stiamo tu stai voi state lui, lei, Lei sta loro, Loro stanno Esempi: Sto bene, e tu? I’m good, and you? Maria sta buttando la pasta, ti fermi a pranzo con noi? Maria is about to cook pasta, are you going to have lunch with us? Il passato prossimo io sono stato/a noi siamo stati/e tu sei stato/a voi siete stati/e lui, lei, Lei à ¨ stato/a loro, Loro sono stati/e Esempi: Sono stata a Bologna ieri sera. I was in Bologna last night. Marco e Giulio sono stati davvero carini! Marco and Giulio were extremely nice! L’imperfetto io stavo noi stavamo tu stavi voi stavate lui, lei, Lei stava loro, Loro stavano Esempi: Che stavi facendo? What were you doing? Stavamo per partire quando ci ha chiamato Giulia. We were about to leave when Giulia called us. Il trapassato prossimo io ero stato/a noi eravamo stati/e tu eri stato/a voi eravate stati/e lui, lei, Lei era stato/a loro, Loro erano stati/e Esempi: Ho vissuto in Italia per 12 anni e non ero mai stato a Roma. I lived in Italy for 12 years and I had never been to Rome. Ero stato anche all’aeroporto, ma era gi partita. I also was at the airport, but she had already left. Il passato remoto io stetti noi stemmo tu stesti voi steste lui, lei, Lei stette loro, Loro stettero Esempi: Nel 1996, stetti a Londra per due settimane. In 1996, I stayed in London for two weeks. Stettrero ospiti a casa di Sandra durante il loro soggiorno a Milano. They stayed at Sandra’s during their stay in Milan. Il trapassato remoto io fui stato/a noi fummo stati/e tu fosti stato/a voi foste stati/e lui, lei, Lei fu stato/a loro, Loro furono stati/e This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it only in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io starà ² noi staremo tu starai voi starete lui, lei, Lei star loro, Loro staranno Esempi: Sà ¬, infatti, lui à ¨ malato, perà ² star bene fra un paio di giorni. Yes, in fact, he is sick, but he will be better in a couple of days. Starà ² pià ¹ attento, te lo prometto. I will pay more attention, I promise. Il futuro anteriore Io sarà ² stato/a noi saremo stati/e tu sarai stato/a voi sarete stati/e lui, lei, Lei sar stato/a loro, Loro saranno stati/e Esempi: Ho dimenticato di prenotare i biglietti? Sarà ² stato davvero stanco ieri sera. I forgot to book the tickets? I must have been really tired last night. Dov’era Giulia a sabato? Sar stata con suoi amici. Where was Giula on Saturday? She must have been with her friends. Congiuntivo/Subjunctive​ ï » ¿Il presente che io stia che noi stiamo che tu stia che voi stiate che lui, lei, Lei stia che loro, Loro stiano Esempi: Non so perchà © lui stia qua. I don’t know why he is here. Non penso che tu stia preparando abbastanza piatti. I don’t think you’re preparing enough dishes. Il passato io sia stato/a noi siamo stati/e tu sia stato/a voi siate stati/e lui, lei, Lei sia stato/a loro, Loro siano stati/e Esempi: Penso sia stato meglio cosà ¬. I think it was for the best. Credo proprio che siano stati accompagnati in taxi all’aereoporto. I really think they had been taken by taxi to the airport. L’imperfetto io stessi noi stessimo tu stessi voi steste lui, lei, Lei stesse loro, Loro stessero Esempi: Non pensavo che lui stesse alla festa. I didn’t know that he was at the party. Pensavo che stesse a dormire a casa tua. Sarei stato molto pià ¹ tranquillo! I thought she was sleeping at your place. I would have been a lot more relaxed! Il trapassato prossimo Io fossi stato/a noi fossimo stati/e tu fossi stato/a voi foste stati/e lui, lei, Lei fosse stato/a loro, Loro fossero stati/e Esempi: Se quel giorno fossi stato con lui, non sarebbe stato cosà ¬ triste. If I had been with him that day, he wouldn’t have been so sad. Se fossimo stati amici in quel periodo, ci saremmo divertiti un sacco! If we had been friends during that time, we would have had so much fun! Condizionale/Conditional​​ Il presente io starei noi staremmo tu staresti voi stareste lui, lei, Lei starebbe loro, Loro starebbero Esempi: Se io abitassi in Italia, starei meglio. If I were to live in Italy, I would be better. Se aveste finito i vostri compiti a quest’ora stareste al mare! If you had finished your homework, by this time you would be at the seaside! Il passato io sarei stato/a noi saremmo stati/e tu saresti stato/a voi sareste stati/e lui, lei, Lei sarebbe stato/a loro, Loro sarebbero stati/e Esempi: Sarei stata contenta se lui mi avesse regalato dei fiori. I would have been happy if he had given me some flowers. Non sarebbe stato possibile senza l’aiuto di Giulia. It wouldn’t have been possible without Giulia’s help. Imperativo/Imperative​​ Presente stiamo sta/stai/sa’ state stia stiano Stai zitto! Be quiet (informal)! Stia attenta! Pay attention (formal)!

Organization of the Federal Government of Canada

Organization of the Federal Government of Canada Canadian Federal Government Organization Chart A simple way to understand how the Canadian parliamentary system of government is organized is to take a look at its Organization Chart. Canadian Federal Government Institutions For more in-depth information, the Federal Government Organization category covers the major Canadian government institutions - the monarchy, governor general, federal courts, the prime minister, parliament, government departments and agencies. A quick way to find your way around the thousands of pages of information put out by the Canadian government is to use the Canada Online Subject Index to federal government departments and agencies. Once you find the relevant department, most government sites have a search function that will guide you from there. Canadian Federal Government Employees Another valuable piece of information on the Web is the Canadian federal government telephone directory. You can search for individual federal government employees, by department if you like, and it also provides useful inquiry numbers, as well as organization information. Continue: How the Federal Government Works Canadian Federal Government Operations Eugene Forseys How Canadians Govern Themselves is an important introduction to how government works in Canada. It covers the origins of the Canadian parliamentary system and its day-to-day operations, and explains the major differences between the federal and provincial governments in Canada. It also highlights some of the differences between the Canadian and American systems of government. Canadian Federal Government Public Policy For information on public policy and how it is made, try the Policy Research Initiative (PRI). The PRI was started by the Clerk of the Privy Council to strengthen public policy development and information sharing. The Privy Council Office, the public service organization that provides support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, is a useful source of online publications and information resources on a wide range of current Canadian public policy. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is another good resource for information on the inside operations of the Canadian federal government. Its Web site posts many of the policies and regulations covering human resources, financial management and information technology of the federal government. As an example, this is where youll find information on the Government On-Line Project, the federal governments effort to put its most frequently used services on the Internet. The Speech From the Throne opening each session of Parliament outlines the legislative and policy priorities for the government for the coming session of Parliament. The Prime Ministers Office announces major public policy initiatives introduced by the federal government. Canadian Federal Government Elections To get an overview of Canadian elections, start with Elections in Canada. Youll find additional reference information in Federal Elections, including the results of the last federal election, information on who can vote, the National Register of Electors, federal ridings and Members of Parliament. Continue: Federal Government Services The Canadian federal government provides many different services to individuals and to business, both inside and outside Canada. Here is just a small sample. For more information, check the Government Services category. Citizenship and Immigration Canadian CitizenshipInformation on becoming a Canadian citizen, including applications, test and fees.Immigration to CanadaInformation for those planning to come to Canada, including requirements, how to apply and visas. Contracts and Purchasing Selling to the Canadian Federal GovernmentThe information you need to get the federal government as a client.Government PurchasingAdditional information on both federal and provincial government purchasing policies. Employment and Unemployment Federal Government Employment ServicesGovernment services to help you find work, from job banks to labour market information.Canadian Employment InsuranceIf you lose your job in Canada, youre probably eligible for Canadian Employment Insurance. Heres how to apply and how it works. Retirement Canadian Government PensionsThe Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) and other Canadian government retirement, survivor and disability pensions.RRSPsOne of the biggest breaks youll get from the Canadian federal government. Taxes Personal Income TaxesInformation to help you complete your Canadian personal income tax return.Business TaxesCanada Revenue Agency information for business. Corporate income tax, Business Number, payroll deductions, importing, and exporting. Travel and Tourism Canadian Travel and TourismFederal government services including border protection, travel safety regulations, tourism offices, management of national parks and government funded museums.Canadian PassportsInstructions on how to apply for a Canadian passport.Canada Customs at the BorderCanadian government customs regulations and services when you or your goods cross the Canadian border. Weather Weather in CanadaEnvironment Canada provides weather forecasts across Canada, as well as safety information on extreme weather conditions and research on climate change.

Fact and Fiction About the Origins of Thanksgiving

Fact and Fiction About the Origins of Thanksgiving Among the origin stories of the United States, few are more mythologized than the Columbus discovery story and the Thanksgiving story. The Thanksgiving story as we know it today is a fanciful tale shrouded by myth and omissions of important facts. Setting the Stage When the Mayflower Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 16, 1620, they were well-armed with information about the region, thanks to the mapping and knowledge of their predecessors like Samuel de Champlain. He and untold numbers of other Europeans who had by then been journeying to the continent for well over 100 years already had well-established European enclaves along the eastern seaboard (Jamestown, Virginia, was already 14 years old and the Spanish had settled in Florida in the mid-1500s), so the Pilgrims were far from the first Europeans to set up a community in the new land. During that century the exposure to European diseases had resulted in pandemics of illness among the natives from Florida to New England that reduced Indian populations (aided as well by the Indian slave trade) by 75% and in many cases more - a fact well known and exploited by the Pilgrims. Plymouth Rock was actually the village of Patuxet, the ancestral land of the Wampanoag, which for untold generations had been a well-managed landscape cleared and maintained for corn fields and other crops, contrary to the popular understanding of it as a â€Å"wilderness.† It was also the home of Squanto. Squanto, who is famous for having taught the Pilgrims how to farm and fish, saving them from certain starvation, had been kidnapped as a child, sold into slavery and sent to England where he learned how to speak English (making him so useful to the Pilgrims). Having escaped under extraordinary circumstances, he found passage back to his village in 1619 only to find the majority of his community wiped out only two  years before by a plague. But a few remained and the day after the Pilgrims’ arrival while foraging for food they happened upon some households whose occupants were gone for the day. One of the colonists’ journal entries tells of their robbery of the houses, having taken â€Å"things† for which they â€Å"intended† to pay the Indians for at some future time. Other journal entries describe the raiding of corn fields and of â€Å"finding† other food buried in the ground, and the robbing of graves of â€Å"the prettiest things which we carried away with us, and covered the body back up.† For these findings, the Pilgrims thanked God for his help for how else could we have done it without meeting some Indians who might trouble us. Thus, the Pilgrims’ survival that first winter can be attributed to Indians both alive and dead, both witting and unwitting. The First Thanksgiving Having survived the first winter, the following spring Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to harvest berries and other wild foods and plant crops the Indians had been living on for millennia, and they entered into a treaty of mutual protection with the Wampanoag under the leadership of Ousamequin (known to the English as Massasoit). Everything we know about the first Thanksgiving is drawn from only two written records: Edward Winslow’s â€Å"Mourt’s Relation† and William Bradfords Of Plimouth Plantation. Neither of the accounts is very detailed and certainly not enough to conjecture the modern tale of Pilgrims having a Thanksgiving meal to thank the Indians for their help that we are so familiar with. Harvest celebrations had been practiced for eons in Europe as thanksgiving ceremonials had been for Native Americans, so its clear that the concept of Thanksgiving was not new to either group. Only Winslows account, written two months after it happened (which was likely sometime between September 22 and November 11), mentions the Indians’ participation. In the exuberance of the colonists’ celebration guns were fired and the Wampanoags, wondering if there was trouble, entered the English village with around 90 men. After showing up well-intended but uninvited they were invited to stay. But there wasnt enough food to go around so the Indians went out and caught some deer which they ceremonially gave to the English. Both accounts talk about a bountiful harvest of crops and wild game including fowl (most historians believe this refers to waterfowl, most likely geese and duck). Only Bradfords account mentions turkeys. Winslow wrote that the feasting carried on for three days, but nowhere in any of the accounts is the word â€Å"thanksgiving† used. Subsequent Thanksgivings Records indicate that although there was a drought the following year there was a day of religious thanksgiving, to which Indians werent invited. There are other accounts of Thanksgiving proclamations in other colonies throughout the rest of the century and into the 1700s. There is a particularly troubling one in 1673 at the end of King Phillips war in which an official Thanksgiving celebration was proclaimed by the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony after a massacre of several hundred Pequot Indians. Some scholars argue that Thanksgiving proclamations were announced more often for the celebration of the mass murder of Indians than for harvest celebrations. The modern Thanksgiving holiday America celebrates is thus derived from bits and pieces of traditional European harvest celebrations, Native American spiritual traditions of thanksgiving, and spotty documentation (and the omission of other documentation). The result is the rendering of a historical event that is more fiction than truth. Thanksgiving was made an official national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, thanks to the work of Sarah J. Hale, an editor of a popular ladies magazine of the time. Interestingly, nowhere in the text of President Lincoln’s proclamation is any mention of Pilgrims and Indians. For more information, see â€Å"Lies My Teacher Told Me† by James Loewen.