Odyssey years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Odyssey years - Essay Example It describes the same as a wandering age (Brooks 2012). This is because it possesses a blur definition. It is a generation of mixed ideals. This exists in the articulation of trying to establish an identity out of a fading generation. This generation faces different contexts of evaluating their own direction. The writer accords notable instances out of the same. To begin with, the writer provides the example of careers. The odyssey age entails individuals that try various careers. This is because they are varied ways of self expression. A relevant example relates to the case of IT that has opened up many forms of careers. IT has also split traditional careers into technology oriented forms thereby suiting into the information vast age. Besides, the offices have transformed to include informal forms such as home offices. In their schooling, the members of the odyssey age go to school and take breaks from the same. This differs from the notion of having specific period of schooling. A member of this age can spend five years before deciding on a master’s degree. A more intriguing element relates to their social relationships. Such individuals are frantic in the sense that they can live with their respective families and friends at the same time. The consistent worry of parents has existed in the view that the odyssey age tends to be hesitant in starting up their families. This is because they believe in the traditional transformation from student life to adult responsibilities. This transition consumes unimaginable periods of five to seven years. This is coupled with the idea that these parents do not perceive a clear sense of articulation in their offspring’s life. It is vital to highlight that these arguments are propped by a profound sociological explanation. This is eminent in their delay of marriage, having children and attaining reasonable employment. In the previous age, individuals defined adulthood by common milestones. This entailed

The Impact of Martin Luther King’s Philosophy of non-violence Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Martin Luther King’s Philosophy of non-violence Essay Introduction Martin Luther King Jnr. is perhaps one of the greatest and most remembered black leader to have walked the face of America. He was and still is one of the most revered public figure not only in America, but across the world as well. He is credited greatly to the end of racial segregation in America.   Ã‚   King was born on 15th January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia and was the son Reverend Martin Luther King. He played a very instrumental in bringing to an end racial segregation on all public transport especially after the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. King is credited for the speech â€Å"I had a Dream† that was delivered to close to a quarter a million people who had assembled at the Lincoln Memorial Park in Washington in 1963 during the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. The â€Å"I have a dream† speech is classified as on of the finest speeches in America’s history. King’s eventful and fruitful carrier in the civil rights was characterized by many instances of resistance to the effects of racial segregation, this would eventually lead to his life being cut short by an assassin’s bullet at Memphis on 4th April 1968. The world lost one of the most valuable renowned persons. Despite of his short carrier, King left a mark that has continued to impact the world even today almost half a century after his death. Therefore much of his legacy has continued to impact and influence the direction of some world events even today. The philosophy of non-violence resistance is one of the legacies that King left behind. At this time and age the ideology of non- resistance has been exposed to so much resistance and criticism especially from scholars who see it as a term that is often hijacked by â€Å"social opportunists and unethical politicians† who threaten to end any form of civil liberties in America. (http://www.mcsm.org/disease.html). Non-violence as practiced by Gandhi or King they argue has no place in the contemporary world. Analogues are even drawn to even prove indeed that non-violence does not necessarily bring about desired change, in fact sometimes it does harm than good. For example Fred Handschumacher illustrates this with the HIV virus that eventually causes great harm to the victim (http://www.mcsm.org/disease.html) To be able to understand clearly the non-violence resistance ideology, it is important first to understand the history behind it and especially how it is related to Martin Luther King. Non- violence had always been considered by many across the world as on of the many options to bring about change in the social, political and economic environment. Martin Luther King on his part saw it as â€Å"the only road to freedom†. Martin Luther King saw 3 ways of responding to any form of injustice, first was to accept it, the second was to resort to brutality and use of force and the third was to practice non- violence resistance. The power behind the third option depended so much on the power of the moral conscious. (http://www.ncs.pvt.k12.va.us/ryerbury/king-12/king-12.htm ) It was while he was still a student at Crozer Theological Seminary in September 1948 that he came to learn about the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi the great Indian leader. In Gandhi’s ideology of Satyagraha that espoused the need for resistance without violence, Kings saw the answer to his quest o eliminate the economic and social injustices not only in America, but in the world as well. After this encounter King laboriously studied this ideology that advocated the virtues of â€Å"turning the other cheek† and today has become the â€Å"predominant way in which people overthrow tyrannical governments and make their lives better†. (King, 1958) Soon afterwards Kings was to successfully implement the theoretical aspect of the ideology during the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. Racial segregation by the end of the boycott was done with, without any form of violent resistance or confrontation. The ideology as developed by Gandhi and practiced by King had six principal points that the resister had to adhere to, they included: One can always resist evil without using or being violent Non- violence chooses to win the â€Å"friendship and understanding† of the opponent and not humiliate him (King, 1958) Oppose evil itself not the person(s) committing the evil acts Suffering is very redemptive and anyone committed to non-violence must be ready to suffer without any form of retaliation. At all costs the non-violent resister should both avoid hurting the opponent and himself. To avoid hurting oneself spiritually. Love should always be the sole motivator not to revenge. â€Å" The universe is on the side of justice† ((King, 1958)) thus for the resister to persevere he/ she must have great faith for the future King was so much indoctrinated in these virtues and this is what made him so successful in utilizing this method of resistance to an extent it has such a level of impact across the globe. Democracy The major impact where the non-violent resistance bore much fruit is in America itself. It was through the civil rights movements during King’s time that would eventually bring to an end racial segregation. Previously the blacks did not have the opportunity to elect directly or even participate in important issues regarding their nation. Blacks today have King’s form of non- violent resistance to thank for what they enjoy today. It is only through such ideals that today Barrack Obama (an African- American) can pursue the dream to become the president of the world’s super power without any form of discrimination. Democracy in way is a non-violent way of changing the way things a run in any government. America being one of the major proponents of democracy has continued to influence the world over to adopt this nonviolent way of giving the masses the opportunity to express their choice of leadership and exercise their rights. In America also although overall success is sometimes hard to quantify, nonviolence was the only way or option to for the blacks to retain their jobs, lives or even homes and thus retain their â€Å"dignity and still fight for what they believed in† (http://www.ncs.pvt.k12.va.us/ryerbury/king-12/king-12.htm). The Caucasian majority at that time possessed all the resources and they were the majority. The blacks could have easily been wiped out if they resorted to any form of violence because it would have been a perfect excuse to fight them back. http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4794 The situation that faced the blacks at that time can be equated to what is happening in the Israel/ Palestinian conflict today. The Israel Government has an obvious upper hand in this conflict because of its resources and strength. It has continued to engage in acts that clearly border on human abuse, the Palestinians use violence to retaliate, usually with deadly results. The Israelis use this as a very perfect excuse to continue suppressing the Palestinians. Conclusion Non-violent resistance as practiced by Martin Luther King contributed greatly towards the liberation of the minority groups the US. America could not have achieved its superpower status if it its leaders chose to ignore the wind of change that was flowing in its direction. Probably US would still be yoked in the chains of racial segregation if ignored the calls for change even though they were non-violent. Nevertheless, probably today America would not be what it is if King resorted to violent means of achieving the desired change. The conflict in the Middle East would likely be the scenario America would be facing today; but thanks to Martin Luther King Jnr.(http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4794)             REFERENCES Martin Luther King Jnr, (1958) Stride Toward Freedom,. http://www.ncs.pvt.k12.va.us/ryerbury/king-12/king-12.htm: Accessed on 24th February 2008     http://www.mcsm.org/disease.html Accessed on 24th February 2008   http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4794 Accessed on 24th February 2008

The Battle of Dunkirk

The Battle of Dunkirk Rami Redha The Battle of Dunkirk lasted from around May 25 to June 3, 1940. After the Phony War, the Battle of France began on 10 May, 1940. German armour burst through the Ardennes region and advanced rapidly driving north in the so-called sickle cut. To the east the Germans invaded and subdued the Netherlands and advanced rapidly through Belgium. The combined British, French and Belgian forces were split around Armentià ¨res. The German forces then swept north to capture Calais, holding a large body of Allied soldiers trapped against the coast on the Franco-Belgian border. It became clear to the British that the battle was lost and the question was now how many Allied soldiers could be removed to the relative safety of England before their resistance was crushed. From May 22 preparations for the evacuation began, codenamed Operation Dynamo, commanded from Dover by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay. He called for as many naval vessels as possible as well as every ship capable of carrying 1,000 men within reach. It initially was intended to recover around 45,000 men of the British Expeditionary Force over two days, this was soon stretched to 120,000 men over five days. On May 27 a request was placed to civilians to provide all shallow draught vessels of 30 to 100 feet for the operation, that night was the first rescue attempt. A large number of craft including fishing boats and recreational vessels, together with Merchant Marine and Royal Navy vessels, were gathered and sent to Dunkirk and the surrounding beaches to recover Allied troops. Due to heavy German fire only 8,000 soldiers were recovered. Another ten destroyers were recalled for May 28 and attempted rescue operations in the early morning but were unable to closely approach the beaches although several thousand were rescued. It was decided that smaller vessels would be more useful. The Allied held area was reduced to a 30 sq km by May 28. Operations over the rest of May 28 were more successful, with a further 16,000 men recovered but German air operations increased and many vessels were sunk or badly damaged, including nine destroyers. On May 29, the German armour stopped its advance on Dunkirk leaving the operation to the slower infantry, and the Luftwaffe (Hermann Gà ¶ring, then in great favour with Adolf Hitler, had promised air power alone could win the battle) but due to problems only 14,000 men were evacuated that day. On the evening of May 30 another major group of smaller vessels was dispatched and returned with around 30,000 men. By May 31 the Allied forces were compressed into a 5 km deep strip from La Panne, through Bray-Dunes to Dunkirk, but on that day over 68,000 troops were evacuated with another 10,000 or so overnight. On June 1 another 65,000 were rescued and the operations continued until June 4, evacuating a total of 338,226 troops aboard around 700 different vessels. Source 8 was an artists of the Dunkirk evacuation by Charles cundall, an official war artist. In the painting you can clearly see the smoke from the bombed out harbour there is enough evidence in source 8 to support the interpretation: â€Å"Dunkirk was a great deliverance and a great Defeat†. Source 8 shows how it was deliverance and how it was a Defeat. The source is a painting by Charles Condell he shows lots of ships and people getting to these ships but also show a lot of explosions and mayhem. The deliverance in this painting would be the fact that so many troops are boarding the ships and getting home alive. The disaster in this painting is the fact there are so many dead on the beaches and there are ships on fire. This source cannot however be completely reliable because the painter could not have been on the beach painting this picture so he was either far away or this painting is an image he had remembered from the day. He was also an official war artist so this pa inting could have been used by the government as propaganda to show the British people that despite the bombing and strafing of the beaches the British people never gave up in saving the B.E.F. Source 19 is an account by an RAF pilot of what he saw when he reached the beaches. He mentioned the air attacks on the beaches and said things like

Neurobiology of Harmony :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neurobiology of Harmony How sound waves produced by instruments become sensible representations in the brain, and how the perceptions become meaningful are interesting questions for neurobiology to ask, as well as necessary ones if knowledge of the brain is to account for all behavior. The brain is able to discern harmony because the inner ear is capable of differentiating between different frequencies. The brain's differentiation between pitches and chords corresponds to the physical, "real," differences between notes and chords, although our sense of music built from perception of harmonies through time, is more subjective and variable. Our faculty of hearing derives from the anatomy of the inner ear and the brain, as well as from the existence of external stimuli in the outside world. Sound is both the mechanical energy of waves and the sensation produced by receptors in the brain (1). Each wave has an amplitude and a frequency. The amplitude of a vibration corresponds to its volume and is measured by decibels on a logarithmic scale. Frequency is logarithmic, as well, but corresponds to differences in pitch. Greater frequency results in a higher pitch. Mathematically, pitch is represented as the number of vibrations per second (1) (2) . Vertebrates hear sound through their neurobiological makeup. The ear's tympanic membrane, or eardrum, vibrates as a result of being subjected to sound waves. The waves then travel to the inner ear or cochlea which is the site of sound's transduction into chemical energy. Within the cochlea, sound waves travel through fluid which stimulates the stereocilia, small hair-like projections of hair cells along the basilar membrane. The actions of the stereocilia cause the release of K+, potentially depolarizing the cell (1). The flexibility of the basilar membrane allows stereocilia to move back and forth in response to the waves in the Cochlear fluid. Each stereocilium is linked to another through structures called "tip links" (1) , (3) As the stereocilia move towards the tallest ones, the tip links cause ion channels to open, depolarizing the cell and allowing free K+ to move into the cell (1). Importantly, the stereocilia move in direct response to the sound waves and are cumulative rath er than spiking. Neurotransmitter release corresponds to the frequency and amplitude (pitch and volume) of a sound input. Sounds must be sufficiently loud and within a given range in order to cause action potentials. Different sounds will produce different outputs, allowing for discrimination of harmony on a neural level (1).

Smoking Should be Banned in All Public Places Essay -- Papers Argument

Smoking Should be Banned in All Public Places Every year thousands of people die because of having cancer or other tobacco related illnesses due to smoking. Smoking is seen everywhere from our own television screens to even the world wide web; the internet. Tobacco is the substance that is in these cigarettes. These tobacco products are promoted through tobacco ads that are found almost everywhere you turn. They are in magazines, television screens, on the internet and even on cigarette boxes themselves. Alas, their tobacco ads do not tell the whole truth. Thus, many people fall prey to these tobacco cigarettes and once they try one cigarette, they are hooked on it. The reason this is so is the nicotine present in it, which is a kind of drug. So now, as you can see many have been addicted to the habit of smoking. Nowadays in almost all parts of the world has much controversy because people some people agree about smoke in public areas, but others who do not smoke complain about that; so much so that it has now become an issue. So, should smoking be banned in all public places? I would say yes, they should. Firstly, when many smokers smoke in public places, the people around them who do not smoke breathe in the smoke and they become passive smokers. These smokers can even get very ill due to the consequences of passive smoking. Researchers have even discovered that the onslaught of that kind of cigar smoke causes ninety-seven gases to malfunction. The Environment Protection Agency also reported that passive smoking causes 2500 to 3500 lung cancer deaths a year among non-smokers in just the U.S. alone. We may not know this but we... ...something that should be put into action. It is the only way smokers may reform their ways and start afresh. Although many others may also argue that air pollution does occur due to other factors, smoking is also a factor encouraging air pollution. So why not try stopping it while we can right now by taking a stand that smoking should be banned in all public places and turn it into a action that would prove the best all round? Smoke is very bad and the government should not authorize smoking in public places at all. It not only affects the people who smoke but also other innocent people. Moreover, if you smoke, you would have to think more about not only your own health but also for the other people whom you live with and who are around you. So, all in all, I conclude that smoking should be banned in all public places.

health care Essay -- essays research papers

Health care, what some consider being a basic human right, what our country considers to be a privilege to those who have the funds to support it. Unfortunately, today’s American health care system is no longer only negatively affecting the poor and uninsured, but is now affecting middle class suburbia. This paper will focus on the cause and possible solution to the recent upswing in bankruptcy filings due to medical health care costs. Harvard professors Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein, along with Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren and Ohio University sociology and anthropology professor Deborag Throne compiled statistically accurate data on bankruptcies in the United States. Their published study found that between 1981 and 2001, medical related bankruptcies have increased by an astounding 2,200 percent. This when compared to the 360% growth in all personal bankruptcies during the same period, is simply a figure that cannot go ignored. â€Å"About twenty-five years ago, filing for bankruptcy because of debts from medical problems was virtually unheard of.† (Frosch, 2005) Today medical costs are the second leading cause of personal bankruptcy, topped only by job loss. One factor affecting this rise in personal bankruptcies relating to medical costs is the dramatically increasing health care costs in the United States. â€Å"In 2002 American paid an average of $5440 in medical expenditures, up $419 from the previous year alone.† (Frosch, 2005) The major increases in medical costs can be attributed to technological advancements and the high costs associated with break-through drugs. Capitalism is the driving force of the medication industry. Higher medical costs are the first major factor increasing health care costs. â€Å"What you’re seeing in the bankruptcy numbers is a function of the fact that there is a very thin social safety net in this country in terms of health care.† (Frosch, 2005) Another major factor is the huge spike in the past fifteen years of uninsured Americans. In 2005, there are 45 million uninsured Americans, a jump of 10 million since 1990. The uninsured have always been a humanitarian issue heavily considered when dealing with political reform. There is however a segment of the American population that gets more attention, the middle-class. &... ...ming up with solutions to solve it is very difficult. â€Å"The only real cure for the medical bankruptcy epidemic, according to Physicians for a National Health Program, is national health insurance – a system where coverage isn’t linked employment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Frosch, 2005) I will not claim to understand the economic ramifications in the institution of a nationalized health care system. I will however say that humanity is lacking in American culture. Selfishness continues to be a pervasive force. One argument supporting privatized health care is the quality of care that one receives. Another argument for it is that by having it privatized and as a function of a capitalized system, competitions force drives medical breakthrough rates much higher than anywhere else in the world. I will make my position clear. When it comes to the issue of healthcare, I do not value one human life more than another. I rather see everyone receiving mediocre to good care as compared to our current situation which leaves a tremendous amount of Americans suffering. Frosch, Dan. "Your money or your life: when getting sick means going broke† The Nation, Feb. 21 (2005): v280 i7 p11

Life of Pi Essay Essay

Many people that are religious look to God for guidance and comfort. Especially in disastrous situations. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, the theme of will to survive is presented and demonstrated as having faith, letting animal instincts take over, and determination. Pi keeping his faith shows how strong his faith in God is. He discusses some Hindu symbolism to describe how insignificant he feels, then â€Å"mumbled words of Muslim prayer and went back to sleep†(177). Praying is a sign of hope for Pi. Pi is hoping to live through the night and he is trusting God to keep him safe. Instead of being terrified, he trusts God enough that he is able to be comforted in a very vulnerable state. Describing religious rituals he practices, he says that â€Å"Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love-but sometimes it was so hard to love†(208). In Pi’s situation it is only natural to question God and fear that no one is watching out for him. If he loses his belief then there is nothing holding him back from just giving up and dying. Pi is afraid of dying; even though he throws away a lifetime of vegetarianism, it does not mean that he will throw away a lifetime of faith in God. But after this, he says that his faith always remained â€Å"a shining point of light in my heart†(209). Even when he is contemplating the existence of God and his faith, he is determined to not lose faith and keep moving forward. His faith is what is keeping his confidence intact and not be filled with despair. The instinct of survival and letting go of Pi’s moral human self shows his determination to survive. In Pi’s darkest moment he explains that â€Å"This was the terrible cost of Richard Parker. He gave me a life, my own, but at the expense of taking one. He ripped the flesh off the man’s frame and cracked his bones. The smell of blood filled my nose. Something in me died then that has never come back to life†(255). Pi is not only talking about killing  another person, but he is talking about himself. Each time Pi took a life he was killing a piece of Pi’s old self. When he killed the Frenchman that is when all of Pi’s old self was killed and pure instinct took over. Pi can only bear to remember so much; he can list the sensations but he does not go into the awful event’s effect on his psyche. This moment, more than any other in the text, seems to mark an absence of God because of his hopelessness and guilt. It is also the moment where Pi’s life is most explicitly threatened. If Richard Parker is seen as a symbol of the pure survival instinct, this is the one moment in the text where that instinct wins out completely over morality and control. Describing the scarcity of food and water, Pi realizes â€Å"of how low I had sunk the day I noticed, with a pinching of the heart, that I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate†(225). He is starting to connect Richard Parker and himself. Pi’s subconscious makes up Richard Parker because he does not want to connect and accept responsibility for his animal-like actions. But when he starts connecting Richard Parker and himself, his is starting to realize that there is a connection and that in order to survive he must act animal-like. Even though he was vegetarian, he threw it away and ate viciously because he wanted to survive. Determination is key to Pi’s survival and is what keeps him going. Pi says, â€Å"Didn’t I have here a perfect circus ring, inescapably round, without a single corner for him to hide in? . . . Wasn’t this an ideal source of treats with which to condition him to obey?†. Then he goes on asking if there was â€Å"any reward greater than life?†. This all shows how determined he is for survival. He starts showing confidence during the most chaotic and disastrous event of his life. Pi decided to â€Å"tame† Richard Parker so that he could â€Å"trick him into dying first, if we had to come to that sorry business†(165). This also makes Pi have a dominant attitude towards Richard Parker. By taming Richard Parker, Pi is basically saying that he is the alpha male. It makes him feel in control of his situation and himself. In the second story, Pi is talking about controlling his wild self. Restraining his instincts makes him seem more human. Eith er way, each story has determination to survive. His strong belief of God, his superior tone,  the determination to live on, all support the presence of the will to survive. People must sacrifice things in order to remain alive. For Pi it was to sacrifice his morals and vegetarianism. For others it might be something different. But for survival, people have to sacrifice something in order to exist.