The Face of Battle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Face of Battle - Essay Example I’ve been through two wars and I know. I’ve seen cities and homes in ashes. I’ve seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you, war is Hell! General Sherman had seen war up close and his admonition rings horribly true, and bears the ring of truthfulness gained through his heart experiences. However, the knowledge of the actual experience of war that most people have gained is most likely through secondhand exposure by way of literature or newspaper accounts or military histories. In his book â€Å"The Face of Battle" John Keegan, a respected military historian and lecturer on war at the Royal military Academy at Sandhurst, attempts to put a human face upon the experience of war in ways perhaps never attempted before. The purpose of his book is to describe experience of war, the most extreme of all human experiences, for those who have not experienced it firsthand. Paradoxically, Keegan himself is strictly in an academic who has had no personal experience of war himself, but only knows it secondhand through readings and personal information gained from relatives. Keegan points out in the poignant and illuminating introduction to the books main thesis that the writing of history there has been a paucity of descriptions of war which can give to a reader any sort of realistic and visceral understanding of the process and all of its horrible mechanisms. In his overview of the worlds literature on war he shows that almost all writings on the subject can be pigeonholed into a number of distinct categories. They can either be described as poetic and imagistic, desiccated and academic, wholly inaccurate and useless for gaining understanding, vague and confusing, too temporal, local and subjective, and perhaps worst of all of a self-serving. For a prime example of the poetic and imagistic style of the war literature the author provides a spectacular example written by General Sir William Napier concerning a

Food production Essay Example for Free

Food production Essay There are staggering numbers of people all over the world who experience hunger. Many people believe that hunger is caused by the insufficient supply of food. More importantly, it is assumed that due to the large population of the world, an inadequate amount of food is produced. However, this is a completely false assumption for as Robbins said, â€Å"There is enough food in the world to feed 120 percent of the world’s population on a vegetarian diet. † (Robbins, p. 178) This fact then brings about the question, if there is enough food, then why do so many people go hungry? The answer lies in the economics of food production. Food is now a capitalist commodity. Therefore, the production of food must be seen as the production of any other market commodity. Food production is not driven by global need, it is driven by market demand. As Robbins mentioned, â€Å"Food production is not determined necessarily by the global need for food; it is determined by the market for food. † (Robbins, p. 186) Looking at food production from this perspective will reveal the factors that affect the production of food. The market for food refers to the number of people that have the means to buy and pay for food. However, since a large segment of the population lives in poverty, there are very few people who can afford food. Since it is demand that determines the amount of food to be produced, the lower demand translates to lesser food production. Producers do not want to produce at a maximum level because it will mean an over-production. This will result to lower prices and ultimately lower productivity. Another factor that affects food production is the fact that farmers tend to use land to produce non food crops such as tobacco and corn as well as for crops that are marginally nutritious. (Robbins, p 186) The choice of what crops to plant relies on what the market demands. For instance, farmers tend to prioritize planting coffee for there is a large global demand for this. Coffee produced in agricultural countries in Africa is not necessarily for local consumption; it is produced because the more affluent nations demand it. Farmers consider the profitability of producing certain crops and coffee production is considered to be more profitable than vegetable production. Another example is soy bean. Soy bean is not as nutritious as vegetables. However, since there is a market for this crop in the more developed countries, farmers tend to plant this rather than vegetables. A more concrete and evident example of how market demand drives food production is the production of beef. Robbins discussed why Mexican farmers tend to concentrate on beef production. â€Å"People in Mexico go hungry because land is devoted to the production of beef, which few Mexicans can afford, but which brings high prices in the United States. † (Robbins, p. 186) The rationale behind this is that food production is driven by the demands of the markets that have the money to buy food. There is no question that there is enough food to feed the world. Hunger cannot be attributed to the inadequate amount of food. Hunger is a result of an economic problem. Lack of food on the plate is a result of the lack of money to buy food. Food production is no longer determined by the need for it by everyone. It is driven by what people who have the means to buy food demand and want. Food has become a commodity rather than a necessity. The solution of the problem of hunger lies not in production but in distribution. As Robbins (p. 187) said, â€Å"Rather than seeing hunger or famine as a failure of production, we can focus on a failure of distribution†¦ The goal is simply to establish, reestablish, or protect entitlements, the legitimate claim to food. † Reference: Robbins, R. (2007). Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. pp 177-187.

Personal Interview of a Friend Essay -- Interviews essays research pap

I interview my friend, Tim F. Mr. F was born on January 08, 1976 Cleveland, Ohio to M. J. and J. F. Mr. F. prefers to be addressed as Tim. He is mixed, Tim’s mother is mixed with black and white and his father is black. His dad left them when he was twelve years old but still came around every now and again. She remarried when he was eighteen. He is an African American male at the age of twenty-eight. He came from a middle class family, but his had more money than she leaded him believe. He was an only child but he had plenty aunt and uncles to go around. His mother came from a big family. She had three older brothers, two younger sisters and a younger brother. She was the middle child. Having three older brothers they always were harder on her she said, because she was the oldest of the younger girls. That’s why he felt that his mother was so hard on him. Mr. F is a kind-hearted person. I thought I knew Mr. F very well until I did this interview. He showed a side that I never knew he had. Mr. F attends New Harvest Church. Mr. F currently stays here in Montgomery, Alabama with his daughter Nicole. Instead of going to college Mr. F joined the Marines at the age of twenty-three. He wanted to make a better life for his self because he said that he was going to end up dead or in jail and that is two places that he did not want to be. Mr. F felt like the Marines would be the best route to not only developing him into manhood but also providing him with the best thing to do. â€Å"I wanted to be a better person and open up doors of opportunity for myself. I wanted to provide for my family, buy a house and be able to live comfortably. During the four years he was in the Marines, Mr. F traveled thought the United States and around the world to Japan, Australia, Korea, Panama and the Philippines while traveling he was available to get numerous certification in computer programming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. F lives in Town Lakes in Montgomery, Alabama upper class area. He is one of a few black neighbors in the whole neighborhood. Sometimes he feels that he should have not moved out there, because he wants his daughter to feel what it is like to not be handed everything in life. Mr. F loves his daughter to no end, but Nicole’s mother on the other hand, he say he could just live without. Mr. F weakness is he gives into his daughter too easily. As a child Mr. F he often found himsel... ...the question. That is one thing that I feel that I did not do enough of, is to keep on and stay on track of the answering of certain questions. He had seemed to be in a fun mood the day we did the interview. Earlier that week he and his mother got into a disagreement about something. He did not say what it was at the time but now I know it was because Mrs. J-F was upset because she has not seen her grand-daughter in almost a year. I was pleased to that he agreed to do the interview, after having a bad week earlier. When I told him that I would be video taping him he was ecstatic. He was in a playful mood. I listened to everything my client had to say and wanted to say. I also took notes on some things that we should have talked about in our next meeting. I showed good body language to my client. He knew I was paying attention to him because I was nodding my head and restating some of his comments to him answer. Some of the things I need to work on would be is to just let him continue talking and not cut him off so much. I feel that because Mr. F and I are very good fri ends and that is why I feel that cut him off so much, but I think I can and will do much better next time.

King Thrushbeard and Lessons Behind Fairytales Essay examples -- essay

To Be a Domestic Woman†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Grimm’s Fairytales,† although never intended to be in text form, are some of the most influential methods in teaching young children morals and to be productive citizens of society. While children enjoy the mere esthetics of fairytales and interpret them at their face value, s are aware of the didacticism hidden beneath the appealing plots and characters of the stories. Unlike s, children would not be able to extract any metaphorical meaning out of fairytales even if fairytales were intended to have distinct messages. For this very reason, fairytales have been studied along with a branch of child psychology to determine whether or not a message that is ual is actually retained in the subconscious of the child. Grimm’s fairytale, â€Å"King Thrushbeard† enforces the importance of modesty in s, teaches them to be less concerned with their own needs, and instead, to be concerned with the needs of others. It keeps us aware of the costs of this teaching. The first evidence of this underlying, didactic theme in â€Å"King Thrushbeard† comes in the second paragraph. The princess’ father, the Old King, reveals being aware of his daughter’s tendency to ridicule and be unappreciative of those to whom he offers her. He is angered by her behavior. What the King doesn’t seem to realize is that his daughter has probably not reached puberty. We can assume that she’s around ten to twelve years old and that her understanding of males is different of that of a sixteen or seventeen year old . As pre- , a she does not yet understand or even know of qualities in men that are pleasing. At this stage she would not have the ability to look for qualities in a man that are ually satisfying for a woman who is ready to marry. The only traits the princess takes note of and relates to are the immediate physical characteristics of the men, which are common things for pre-teens to focus on. There was never an initial attracti on or subsequent attractions to follow with any of the men because of the fact that she was not aware of her own ual nature. At the middle school level it is common for s of this age to still have an ill understanding of men because of their inexperience as ual beings. They often have difficulties in dealing with males because of this lack of understanding. Because the princess has yet to even reach the transition period o... ...love for the princess despite her lack of domestic skills. This teaches s to make individuals out of themselves, and that there is no standard of being â€Å"domestic.† That means that there also wouldn’t be a standard for men in choosing their wives. This fairytale moves s ahead a step in overcoming men’s expectations in a wife. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that this fairytale, â€Å"King Thrushbeard,† does not teach s to conform to a standard way of life. What it does teach is that s should not be discouraged by the disapproval of men who prefer to view a standard way of life. It teaches s to be confident and assertive in making decisions, and to be appreciative of those who are appreciative of them. However, I do not feel as though each and every feature of the fairytale could be yzed to produce a solid, coherent idea. There are many occasions in which features of the story are assumed to be a specific teaching, when, on the other hand, after being yzed do not hold together in producing a second or third didactic theme. This is my reasoning for not including many features of the fairytale. I found some to be misleading and often time irrelevant to the issue being discussed.

Bus 475 Value Alignment

Value Alignment Paper Edleen English BUS/475 March 13, 2013 Carol Sommers Value Alignment Paper This paper analyzes individual values and the organization, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ’s, values as reflected by their plans and actions. It includes the origin and subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values. The paper explains how individual values drive actions and behaviors while analyzing the alignment between values and actions and behavior. The paper will demonstrate analysis of the degree of alignment between HealthCare Synergy, Inc. s stated values and their actual plans and actions. It will attempt to explain the differences and analyze the degree of alignment between your values and the organization’s values as reflected by the organization’s plans and actions. Origin of Personal and Workplace Values After careful analysis of the origin of my personal values, I realize a great amount of my values are directly influenced by the upbringing I receiv ed from my parents and other close family members and friends, teachers throughout my education, and maybe even television and movies.Culture, tradition, and social standards helped in nurturing values such as accountability, consistency, commitment, integrity, leadership, and respect to name a few. After considering the origin of my workplace values, I realized these too were in direct correlation with culture, tradition, and social standards learned from personal experiences with people I considered close and valued throughout my life, including previous job positions and employees I’ve worked with in the past.Subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values have a lot to do with exposure to different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and social and political influences. As my personal and workplace experiences increase, so do my expectations. Actions and Behavior Driven by Individual Values My individual values drive my actions and behavior. Personal morals and val ues add balance and stability to my life and allow me to exist as a well-rounded individual, both in my personal space and my workplace.Without core values such as commitment, dedication, consistency, leadership, loyalty, and respect, it would prove difficult to fit or mold into business settings and adapt to an organization’s business cultures. I analyzed how my personal values alignment with my actions and behavior by predicting the outcome should my values be non-existent. If I display the inability to possess personal qualities employers look for in the workplace- commitment, accountability, loyalty, integrity, leadership, consistency and respect- I will not be trusted or seen as an asset to the company when it comes to achieving their overall goals and objectives.Degree of Alignment: Corporation’s Stated Values Versus Plans and Actions HealthCare Synergy, Inc. prides itself in providing their customers with multiple options for office automation solutions, superio r products and services, and a high level of customer service and technological skill. In order to achieve this, the company must make plans and take the appropriate actions necessary. The company must hire administrative personnel who are versed and knowledgeable in the home health industry.They must also employee software technicians who can fix glitches and trouble shoot software as well as work well with clients and prospects different cultures and ethnicities in order to assist their diverse client base. Medicare billing experts, clinical staff, and a development team are needed in order to keep the software compliant with state and federal health regulations. HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ill not be able to provide superior products and services and high levels of customer support that have kept them in the business for over years without staff who display commitment, dedication, accountability, integrity, consistency, respect, and leadership qualities. Individual Values Versus Cor poration’s Values Based on Plans and Actions To gain market share in the home health industry, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. must set themselves apart from other software vendors by having a competitive advantage. They’re competitive advantage is they not only offer one type of oftware, they offer a variety by working closely with other software vendors who do not mind sharing the market share and developing interfaces. In order for HealthCare Synergy, Inc. to offer these types of tools and automation solutions, they have to work with business people who are also dedicated and committed to doing what it takes to obtain the market share. Networking with the right vendors, working with the right consultants, employing the right technical support, training, marketing, accounting, and development teams is crucial to the company’s success.These individuals will need to display qualities such as loyalty, commitment, dedication, perseverance, accountability, responsibility, integrity, consistency, and leadership outside of knowledge of the industry and how to gain the confidence and trust and cater to the wants and needs of home health agency owners. This paper analyzed my individual values and the organization, HealthCare Synergy, Inc. ’s, values as reflected by my plans and actions and their plans and actions.It includes the origin and subsequent evolution of my personal and workplace values. The paper explained how my individual values have driven my actions and behaviors while analyzing the alignment between values and actions and behaviors of HealthCare Synergy, Inc. The paper also attempted to explain the differences and analyzes the degree of alignment between my values and the organization’s values as reflected by the organization’s plans and actions.

The Yellow wallpaper essays

The Yellow wallpaper essays In Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow wall-paper there are many associations with to sunlight and moonlight. Daylight is associated with logic and rationality while moonlight is irrational and definitely not logical. Gilmans perception of daylight and moonlight is closely related to her views on men and women in society. Daylight represents masculinity. Gilman uses the analogy of John, the husband, laughing at Jane for the way she is acting (Gilman 658) and how the sunlight made the pattern appear to laugh at Janes actions (Gilman 668), to describe this connection. In the sunlight everything is clear and seen, which is why the woman in the wallpaper never crept around in it, society was able to see her and a woman creeping around was not accepted by society. In the daylight the yellow wallpapers pattern did not move, in the narrators eyes, because she knew that it was not accepted to see such things. In the moonlight, when everyone was sleeping and could not see, the pattern of the yellow wallpaper would come to life. In the moonlight it is dark and everything is hidden, nothing can be seen by society. The narrator sees the woman in the wallpaper shake the bars of it trying to get out and creeping around the garden at night, because the moonlight hides her. The narrator also sees strangled heads of other women that have tried to squeeze through the bars but did not succeed, representing all the other women in the world who have suffered as the narrator has and were not able to escape from the limits and rules of the society. Sunlight and moonlight in Charlotte Gilmans The Yellow wall-paper are just as hey are perceived in real life, complete opposites. In the sunlight everything is proper and is how it should be. In the moonlight the unheard of occurs and is hidden. ...

Difference Between Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method Essays

Difference Between Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method Essays Difference Between Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method Paper Difference Between Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method Paper Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method These are the two oldest methods for teaching foreign languages. Grammar Translation Method first appeared in the 18th century and was originally used for teaching old languages like Greek, Latin then failed in teaching communication skills. After that, the Direct Method was built with the attempts to overcome the weakness of the Grammar Translation Method. As a result of that, there are many differences between the principles of these two methods which will be summarized into three following main ones. Direct and grammar-translation method: advantages and disadvantages The first and foremost difference between the Direct Method and The Grammar Translation method is the goals of the teachers using them. In Grammar Translation Method, the teachers’ fundamental purpose is to help the students read and appreciate literature written in the target language. To be able to do this,students have to learn a lot about the grammar rules and vocabularies. On the contrary, the teachers who use the Direct Method intend that the students learn how to communicate in the target language. It is very important that the students are believed to think in the target language. In addition, due to the different teaching goals, there is a great disparity in teaching and learning process of the Grammar Translation Method and the Direct Method. In a typical Grammar Translation Method class, students are taught to translate from one language to another. They are also asked to memorize the native language equivalents for the target language vocabulary words. In contrast, the native language should not be used in the classroom. The students need to associate the meaning and the target language directly. To help the students to do this, the teacher demonstrates the meanings through pictures, realia, or pantomime. In other words, translation is never used in this type of class. Another obvious difference between the two methods is the dealing with grammar. Whereas grammar is taught deductively in the Grammar Translation Method, the Direct method uses an inductively way so the students are given examples and they figure out the rules or generalization from those examples. It might happen that the explicit grammar rule is never given. In Grammar Translation method, grammar rules are presented with examples. The students are asked to memorize those rules and then apply to other examples and exercises. To conclude, I can rightly say that both methods have advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to the teachers to choose or combine the methods according to their teaching situation so that their students will get the most benefit. In my own teaching context, I use the principles of the Direct Method more due to the needs of my students. I am teaching a class of international students who come from different countries and their native languages are different from mine. Therefore, translation is impossible. To make the meaning clear, I usually use pictures, realia, or pantomime. The target language is the mean of every communication taking place in the classroom. I believe that this very good environment for their language learning.