America and the challenges of religious diversity Essay

Religion and Theory Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world today is dynamic such that there is need to recognize the diversity of the people that live in it. People across the world are different in terms of culture, religion and race. However, there are few people that have consistently failed to accommodate diverse beliefs and opinions. One of the diversity factor that has come under sharp focus is religion. All over the world, there are people with special religious sensitivities and thus the need to accommodate diverse opinions when it comes to religion. Such people should be allowed to promote and practice their religious beliefs and practices with little or no interference. However, this freedom should be limited to the fact that the said religious beliefs and practices do not infringe on the rights of other people in the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The practice of religious persecutions started man7y years ago when certain religious beliefs and practices were discouraged. The consequences of practicing the discouraged religious practices included harassment and illegal persecution. Today, it is very difficult to identify individuals with special sensitivities and sensibilities from the street. However, there are certain factors that are common with certain religious following. Different religious groups have different code of dressing. This might make it easier to identify an individual with religious sensitivity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Wuthnow, (2011), religious groups such as the Islamic faith require that women dress modestly. Inn more conservative Muslims, women are required to wear veils covering most of their body. This is to reinforce their religious beliefs regarding chastity and behaviour. Muslim men also wear long flowing gowns which also would make them easy to identify. Almost every ethno-religious subcultures ranging from mainstream religious following such as the Hindu to smaller ethno-religious subcultures such as the Amish have a specific dress code. However, the dressing code is not the only way that one can identify people with religious sensitivities. The important thing for every individual in the society is to learn and respect the divergent opinion of the general populous when it comes to religion. References Wuthnow, R. (2011). America and the challenges of religious diversity. Princeton University Press. Source document

20th Century World Literature a Madman’s Diary Essay

In this paper we will research the Chinese Revolution of 1911. Talk about how is Lu Xun’s A Madman’s Diary a reflection of China’s revolutionary history, explain how In Diary, who the madman was and what he represented. Also we will look at and explain what cannibalism represented. And then we will discuss how this can be applied to our lives. The Revolution of 1911 was a period of time during Chinese history which overthrew China’s last imperial dynasty, and established the Republic of China. It was made up of many fights and uprisings. What changed it all was the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911, which was the result of the Railway Protection Movement. This ended with the resignation of the â€Å"Last Emperor† on February 12, 1912, which marked the end of the Imperial rule and set up the China’s Republican era. A Madman’s Diary promoted China’s education and progress similar to the style of Western civilization thorough first-person fiction that is obscenitively satirical. At the end of the piece, the madman says,† Perhaps there are still children and future generations who have not yet fully adopted Confucian values are the likely candidates for social change. The have not yet read the history books pounding in the ideas of age-old morality and piety and social cannibalism. Their parents have not yet corrupted their belief system. Save the children, and save China. The exact words from the book says that the madman: was one of two brothers: Two brothers, whose names I need not mention here, were both good friends of mine in high school; but after a separation of many years we gradually lost touch. Some time ago I happened to hear that one of them was seriously ill. pg. 131 The Longman Anthology World Literature 2nd Ed The brother that was seriously ill was considered the madman and the only illness he was suffering from was a persecution complexity issue within himself. The madman’s ideas represents the changes sought by the Revolution of 1911 which were a spirit of progress and reform at both social and personal levels; the rejection of an tyrannical traditionalism, conformity and ignorance. The madman respects writing as the source of apparent truth but is trying to gain true wisdom through the making of this novel literary. As cannibalism is metaphor for the unfeeling nature of Chinese feudalism, the madman is Lu Xun’s ideal persona. Furthermore, Lu Xun personifies his own ideals through his career choice to pursue writing in an effort to bring about the spiritual awakening that he believes the Chinese are in need of. In the end, Lu Xun effectively places himself as the â€Å"madman† and revolutionary of modern Chinese literature. This story has taught me a lot and I am glad that it was a piece of literature that we had to read. It taught me that no matter how crazy we think we are sometimes we are really the smartest ones in the bunch and it generally is just a persecution complex issue that we have with ourselves which we need to find a way to overcome.

Australian Society in the 1950s and 1960s Essay

During the 1950s-1960s Australia’s popular culture was heavily influenced by American culture, trends and images. The 50s and 60s was the era of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Hippies, Rebellious teenagers, and drugs. These themes were all part of America’s culture and were portrayed to the rest of the world as important elements of American culture. These important elements of culture heavily influenced the growing nation of Australia – particularly during this period. Teenagers were the prominent generation of this time, with the consumers market aimed strait at them. The 60s saw the uprising of a new generation who strived to be different from their elders. During the 1950s-1960s American artists, American themes and American styles of music dominated the Australian music scene. Australian charts were packed with foreign American hits, Australian acts rarely making it into the Australian top ten. Radio stations devoted much less time to talking so they could fit in more American music, because that is what the Australian people wanted to hear. American artists such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley (and his band ‘The Comets’) we hugely popular in Australia and were idols for the teenagers generation. During this time, Australia’s most notorious rock ‘n’ roll singer rose to fame – Johnny O’Keefe, Heavily influenced by American rock ‘n’ roll artists. The 50s and 60s saw the birth of a new generation – hippies. Hippies were a generation mainly composed of young people, either in their teens or early twenties. A generation of ‘free spirits’, whose main goals in life was to just be one with Mother Nature and promote peace and love. Hippies were looked down upon by older people because most hippies did not seem to care much about a stable, settled-down life. Hippies were usually involved in drugs (LSD was popular) and also believed in free love. Influenced by the growing American trends of hippy culture an Australian hippy culture began to emerge. The generation of hippies sometimes formed anti-government groups. This was evident in Australia when hippy anti-Vietnam war groups and hippy anti-communist groups started to appear. Aussie hippies spent a lot of time surfing and the stereotype of an Australian hippy included a VW Kombi, painted colorfully with peace signs with surfboards in the back. Australian hippies were following many of the movements of American hippies, especially  supporting the psycadelic and folk music scenes. In the mid 1950s television was introduced into the home and became a part of typical Australian households. Television was a gateway for Australians into American culture, since most of the earliest television shows were American. The Australian public was constantly watching American ways and American trends and began to adapt to those trends because the TV shows portrayed the American way of life as ‘cool’. Actors such as Elvis Presley playing rebellious teenagers in motion pictures influenced teenagers to be rebellious, because their own idol was. Australia’s own film industries did not kick off until the mid-80s, although film was a major part of Australian culture during the 50s and 60s. Families would regularly go to the movie theatre to watch American films on a Saturday night or go to the new American inventions – drive-ins. Drive-ins at that time were a symbol of American culture, and were a popular Saturday night entertainer. The reason why Australia was so heavily influenced by America during the 1950s and 1960s is because Australia was a young country, without any real identity that had to look abroad for influence. In comparison to America and the United Kingdom, Australia was still a very undeveloped nation. John Douglass Pringle, a Scottish journalist living in Sydney in the 50s and 60s said this about Australia’s outside influences; â€Å"Some Australian nationalists find a painful irony in the circumstance that, having fought against the British influence all their lives, they have won their battle only to find that American influence has taken it’s place†. It seems as though as Australia was striving to be different from its mother country, Great Britain, it became more and more like America without even realizing. Nowadays, in our multicultural society, it is difficult to stereotype a particular country as every country now influences countries across the globe. Popular culture in mega countries such as Australia, Great Britain and America is now very similar, because many companies and trends can easily spread across the globe due to better communication, although these countries are not without an individual and unique popular culture.

Define what is meant by industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Define what is meant by industrialization - Essay Example This could be denoted as sustained economic expansion based on division of labor, factory production, deliberation of industries and people in certain geographical regions, and urbanization. For example, industrialization is at a time when a nation produces infrastructure that can assist industry (Kiely 4). This is wide and can be the construction of rails, roads, airports or industries/factories. Historically, the industrialization procedure involves the development of the secondary subdivision in an economy at first dominated by primary-sector practices (Kiely 4). Industrialization has a huge influence on several aspects of a certain nation and/ or urban (Kiely 4). It generally gives jobs for population and therefore augments the economy, but with the fresh technology of current universe industrialization also refers to new technology which substitutes the people that used to be in charge for a given occupation (Sutton 1-2). The policies of periphery and core have converged about industry for overseas export got from the Caribbean. All the way through the CBI (Caribbean Basin Initiative), America has tried to stimulate manufacturing venture in and exports from Caribbean region (Sutton 1-2). To accomplish this, the US has provided manufacturers situated in Caribbean Basin nations special entrance to its markets. Development is normally acknowledged as a complex multifaceted procedure of political, social, environmental, economic and cultural transformation that results in boosts in the well-being of citizens and widens their rights and options in the current without compromising the capacities of future populations to enjoy these advantages (Sutton 1-2). In the Caribbean the social, economic, and political entities of growth have held centre phase in the previous fifty years. Characteristically they have been and are provided in

The Relation Between Faith And Reason In St. Augustine's Confessions Essay

The Relation Between Faith And Reason In St. Augustine's Confessions - Essay Example God allows the famines to kill thousands of hungry people in some parts of the world. God allowed the killing of innocent civilians during the September 2001 Osama Bin Laden attack on New York and the Pentagon. God allowed the Muslim Extremists to capture jet planes as battering rams during the fateful ground zero disaster. God also allowed the assassination of John F. Kennedy. God allowed the Watergate scandal. God has a reason for allowing the surprise Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor. God allowed the hurricane Katrina to wreak havoc on Florida’s coastlines. God has a reason for inflicting death and sorrow among the innocent civilians. Faith shows that people should never doubt God’s reason for inflicting such disasters. Likewise, the verse â€Å"What I then did was worthy reproof; but since I could not understand reproof, custom and reason forbade me to be reproved.†2 The verse clearly indicates that Saint Augustine had faith reproof or rebuke is a reasonable a lternative for violations of moral law, ethical standards, and other societal rules and regulations. Society implements the regulations to create harmony in society. Policies are have been proposed, scrutinized, studied, and approved to preserve the peace and harmony of the state. Policies and regulations contain corresponding penalties to deter or eliminate the actualization and continuation of crimes against the residents. For example, a worker caught sleeping during duty time is initially reprimanded. Another employee is terminated for stealing company property. The courts will jail a speeding car owner for running over an ailing 70-year-old pedestrian crossing the street. The company is closed down for engaging in the selling of heroine within school premises. The court penalized Dr. Murray with a 40-year sentence of intentionally injecting a deadly sleeping medicine on world-famous Michael Jackson. Saint Augustine reminds us that people must have faith in the reasons for implem enting punishment for violating rules, regulations, policies, and other legal documents. Another verse states, â€Å"Human friendship also is endeared with a sweet tie, by reason of the unity formed of many souls.3 Saint Augustine dictates the people must have faith in the reasons for unity. People live to have someone to hear to their boring stories. One of the reasons for loving another person is to receive love in return. The people are stronger if they bind together. It is not customary for a person to live a hermit life all alone in the mountains of California. It is customary for people to marry and have a family. It is customary for the parents to bring up their child in the best possible way. Saint Augustine expresses the importance of having faith in a person’s reasons for preferring do whatever it takes uniting the people. In terms of faith, the faith verse â€Å"Thou alone art God exalted over all... †4. Whoso enters into Thee, enters into the joy of his Lo rd: and shall not fear, and shall do excellently in the All-Excellent. I wandered, O my God too much astray from Thee my stay, in these days of my youth....†5 The verse shows that people must praise and worship God at all times. Saint Augustine insists that all human beings must spend some portion of their times praying for God’s blessings, help, and protection from the elements and evil persons. Saint Augustine insists that people should have faith in God’

Green Thumbs in the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green Thumbs in the Family - Essay Example This paper will study the connections between these aspects of the plant and how exactly they correlate to both the Younger family and their internal dynamics. The significance of the flower pot can be seen as an encompassing support. It is what keeps the necessary components together for the continuation of life. This directly parallels the family unity that all the characters exhibit to different degrees in varying ways from Walter's need to provide stable income for the family to Beneatha's drive to become a doctor, thus helping other people while providing security for her own. The most direct representation of this surrounding support can be found in two main examples, however: Walter Sr.'s insurance money and Lena's purchase of a new house for the family. The first of these is a result of a lifetime of hard work to support his family - and, despite to what extent the work may have killed Walter Sr., his efforts have extended beyond his own lifetime to support the family after his passing. The example of the new house is Lena's own contribution to nurture and provide for the family, for they have essentially overgrown their current ab ode and must be transplanted into a new vessel. This proves to be an additional aspect of the flowerpot's symbolism, for it allows the life within to be easily transported to new environments. It is the support of the external flowerpot that contains the spirit of the earth inside - the full combination of heritage and environment which allows life to thrive. The earth within the Youngers' vessel contains the soil from everyplace they have ever been: from Africa to Southern America to Chicago. These aspects are paralleled through the characters. Beneatha carries a fascination of Africa, Lena carries all the memories of the South and it's racism. And as much as Beneatha rails against assimilation (ignoring the hypocrisy of her own plans to study Western medicine), both she and her brother Walter have done so to an extent. Lena is correct when she observes that her two children talk about things her and her husband never thought about - for their concerns are the concerns of a new day and a new environment. It is important to always remember the soil that initially nurtured one's life yet is also inevitable that some of the soil must be replenished, for whatever reason. Lif e needs a replenishment of nutrients; these come from what is most conducive to the current environment. Thus, the family must use the surrounding support of their heritage and family (the pot) to contain and combine the influx of new conditions ('assimilation' of new and old soil) in order for the life of the family to thrive. There are two quotes from Lena in Act Two, Scene Three, where she first explains her actions with the plant as that she is "Fixing my plant so it won't get hurt none on the way" and then defending her plant by claiming that "It expresses ME!" Lena's consistent overtures to gardening (and the family's acknowledgement of it through their gardening gifts to her) are fitting, as she has nurtured the life of her family for so long. Yet her identification with it is somewhat incomplete, as revealed by her connecting her own children with it in Act One, Scene

ITM422 - Administering IT Infrastructure - Mod 1 Session Long Project Essay

ITM422 - Administering IT Infrastructure - Mod 1 Session Long Project - Essay Example ws analysis, blog postings, InformationWeek reports, careers, editor’s articles, product reviews, and advertisements related to network technologies. From the home page, one can also access the site’s technical sections which include SOA, Data Center, 802.11n, Data Privacy, APO, Virtualization, NAC, Security, Network Management, Enterprise Applications, and Storage & Servers. On the less academic or technical matter, there are buttons on the home page to get to news, blogs, forums, events, research, newsletters, white papers and careers, all related to network technologies. The home page of Network Computing has an upper banner which points to TechWeb that brings you to pages of InformationWeek. This is quite confusing to the first time site visitor of Network Computing because one gets confused as to what button to click for network computing – related sections. The navigation buttons at the bottom of the page also pertain to InformationWeek, so clicking those will take you away from Network Computing, which adds to the confusion for the first time visitor. The Network Computing website per se is a professional support website for networking technology professionals. It is especifically targeted to knowledgeable or experienced people in this field who already have an appreciation of the technology it deals with. One should already be familiar with network computing terminology and related technological developments in this particular field to be able to appreciate the variety of information that the site provides. A neophyte may get lost in the site and miss the import of the wealth of information it provides. As earlier mentioned, the site has a wealth of information about network computing, from technological resources related to technological developments, news, products and interaction with other network computing professionals through the blogs, as well as career opportunities and career-related news. Also, as earlier mentioned, the site is not for

Financial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Economics - Essay Example Over time the option can gain a lot of value if the price of the stock rises since the employee has the right to purchase the stocks at the predetermined price. Since the objective for the employee is to gain the maximum monetary benefit possible as a beneficiary of a stock option plan I would encourage the company to implement financial and investment strategies that will increase the value of the firm. In order to learn the best strategy to optimize the value of the stock option plan we must evaluate the potential effects of the company choosing increased dividend payout strategy vs. stock repurchase program. The dividend payout policy of a firm refers to the decision regarding the magnitude of the dividend payout which is the percentage of earnings paid to the stockholders in the form of dividends (Referenceforbusiness). The owner of a company’s common stock will always prefer to have the highest dividend payout possible. One of the main reasons people like dividends so much is because they are obtaining an immediate financial return instead of waiting for the sale of the stock to achieve a capital gain. In order to better understand the effect of dividend we must recognize the existence of retained earnings. At the end an accounting period when profits are determine the board of director can either declare dividends or kept the profits in the form of retained earnings. When money is not distributed and it is kept as retained earnings the company can utilize these funds to make the business grow. If a company is able to invest its money wisely in high yield projects, the firm can achieve internal grow that will raise the market value of the company. During bad financial times such as the current global recession it is common for companies to reduce their payout of cash dividends in order to maintain its liquidity and to keep its cash balance as high as possible (Bigda). A sector that has been horribly as far as reduction in

Distribution Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Distribution Systems - Essay Example The success of an organization is highly correlated with the management expertise and ability to streamline and integrate all other parts and players of the organization into a comprehensive enterprise supply chain system in order to create a true corporate enterprise. The main goal of the Supply Chain Management is actually to maximize the synergies and add the highest possible value to the core operation of the businesses. This is achieved by the integration of all parts of the chain so as to provide efficient service to the final customer and/or consumer more effectively. Supply chain not only involves reduction in costs but also creates a value chain where at each level; certain value is added to the product without over-lapping the operations of other phases of production. The cost reduction may be achieved via less frequent transactions, reduced unpredictability of demand and lesser transportation costs and/or inventory holding. Value may be added in the course of customized services, by developing distinctive competencies throughout the whole chain and by helping both the consumers and suppli ­ers, to make save/earn more in terms of economic benefits and revenue by better understanding the business. Usually, the supply chain, despite being highly critical is not the core function of the organizations. Many organizations understand and likewise either outsource or separate the supply chain functions from the corporate head quarters. This gives birth to the concept of second tier and third tier supply chain management. Many companies are actively investing to secure acres of land for the purpose of building their logistics and supply chain network to serve the different regions of the country. The second tier relocation is targeted mainly in the less developed, cheaper areas but with a reliable road network (Sowinski,2007). Companies are making strategies to

Second Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Second Life - Essay Example No doubt, it has a significant meaning for businesses and economy today. Second Life is more user centred, where the user is no more a person operating and navigating from outside but can get in and be themselves yet control the environment in SL. It is built on Web 2.0 which a decade old technology that still getting the attention of developers. It brought about major changes in the website development and World Wide Web. For example, wikis and blogs would not have been possible without this technology. They allow their users to create their own content, and to customize the page (O’Reilly, 2005). In Second Life, teens can create and customize a digital self called an "avatar," fly through an ever-changing 3D landscape, chat and socialize with other teens from all over the world, and build anything from skyscrapers to virtual vehicles. It’s a boundless world of surprise and adventure that encourages teens to work together and use their imaginations (Teen Second Life, n.d.) Also, SL depends on â€Å"user –created content†; the software is â€Å"open source† (Watte & Macedonia, 2009). Second life has similar attributes like any other synthetic learning environment with a few improvements like enabling the users to create their own content, edit and control the environment. Web 2.0 technologies are about participation, convergence, interaction, usability and data driven (Kemp, 2009). These are just a speck of the whole lot of features of Web 2.0 that SL exploits to create a virtual world. This new technology addresses the growing requirement for more open and interactive online virtual worlds. SL is a successor of one of the popular virtual worlds of the 90’s- Active Worlds. With the help of Web 2.0 technologies, SL offers user controlled options and allows the user to get immersed in the virtual world. This is the

John Berger Essay Essay Example for Free

John Berger Essay Essay While in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, I traveled through the different galleries and their various cultures; discovering all sorts of arts from Contemporary art, to American art, Japanese art, and even the Egyptian art where I could appreciate the complexity of mummies. Throughout all these diverse cultures of art, I was questioning myself and started to wonder how I could understand art beyond others’ opinion about them. Moreover, I realized that it was a question John Berger, critic of art and author of the Ways of Seeing, raised in his essay, and it is a question that will always be raised while demanding how to understand a certain art. Walking through a room where various French artists had their paintings exposed, I fell in front of the artwork (see above) painted by Paul Gauguin. I did not choose a French artist to make me remember the French culture that I am missing here in Boston, nor to pretend that the French are advanced in art, but a way to analyze and understand, with the experience of a famous art critic, an artwork from an artist who astonished me in my previous art classes. Dou venons-nous, Qui sommes-nous, Ou allons-nous? By Paul Gauguin I chose a painting that had a warm expression, and complex story emanating from it. As the title of my essay indicates, the title of the painting translated in English is â€Å"Where are we from? Who are we? Where are we going? So many questions in the title and the painting, but there were as much coming through my mind while studying this image. This artwork is very ambiguous because I do not know how to start looking at it. I can observe people appearing half naked in the foreground, but we cannot really tell why they appear there. The statue in the back makes the questioning more obscure. It seems like an Ora cle that gives people their destiny, and that is maybe why they all look so sad. Truly, I felt that this image was a representation of my origin country, West Indies, by the color Gauguin used. He used the blue to symbolize the ocean surrounding the island, and the mixed race of the habitants by the warm and beige color or the characters. I felt as if I was in the center of the painting, more precisely in the position of the child being observed in the right corner, and waiting to be reassured. I also felt like the person in the middle of the painting, standing up and waiting for answers while traveling through this painting. Gauguin’s artworks are extremely complicated to decipher, so are they to analyze. Gauguin is an artist I studied back in France in my art classes. Consequently, I had seen many of his works, and even the painting I chose; However, I had never asked myself how knowing about his life could help me study his paintings. I was taught in my art classes how to analyze art in a more technical way than in an analytical way like Berger supported. Indeed, when we were looking at the entire structure of the painting with my art class method, we were focusing on the brush strokes, the color, the tone, lines and forms, and the composition of the painting. If I had to describe the work of art I chose based on technical features, I would examine the painting saying that the brush strokes could express many emotions at the same time, and describe the painter style and art movement. Gauguin was also part of the post-impressionist painters with artists such as Paul Cezanne or Van Gogh. Post impressionist art was more focused on color, lines, outlines and perspective. Concerning Gauguin, the complexity of shapes is very important in his paintings due to their abstract significations. In fact, the lines were not straight; they were round and suggesting bodies that we did not see in art before. Moreover, the color had its importance. Post impressionist artists like Gauguin used color and color combination in order to create ‘vulgar’, ‘calm’ or ‘bold’ impressions (Robert Hughes). The analysis of the painting I just did was very technical and structural, but in no sense relevant for understanding the thought process as Berger explained. I was subject to mystification as John Berger explained in his essay as â€Å"the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident† (103). Indeed, mystification appeared while I was looking at the painting. I could sense a certain limit of my understanding due to the previous art classes I had. In other terms, it meant for me that words were coming before seeing whereas seeing should come before words as Berger deciphered in his essay. My mind was already set for a certain critic about the painting based on the knowledge I had; Consequently, I could not have another point of view vis-a-vis the painting I was staring at. Although I learned a lot from my art classes, especially how to describe an artwork contextually, the observations and point of view of Berger about art gave me enough elements o have a complete analysis of an image, both contextually and historically. Using Berger as a guide for art description helped me to learn more about the painting historically, and much more about the painter himself to have a complete understanding of the artwork. Prior to this assignment, it had never occurred to me to use the biography and the background of the painter in order to facilitate my understanding of the painting. When Berger quoted â€Å"When we see a landscape, we situate ourselves in the it. If we saw the art of the past, we would situate ourselves in history. † (100) in the essay led me to start the analysis of Gauguin’s painting in a very different way. Actually, when I focused more on the painter’s life, and follow Berger’s analysis, I learned that Gauguin wanted to commit suicide after he painted this image. Plus, even though there was a caption under the image saying that it was his last painting, I would not have noticed that it was his last painting, which refers to what Berger described when he talked about Van Gogh’s last painting. Berger cited â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). Clearly, it means that the details you know about a certain painting will prevent you from analyzing it innocently. Based on the art experience I acquired in class, I would have said that the image implies sadness because of the choice of colors, which were darker than his previous works. However, I think that the title gives us more details about his thoughts while he was painting. Through reading of artistic reviews or even my art book, named Shock of the New by Robert Hughes, I discovered that this work of art should be read from right to left, with the three main groups of people illustrating the questions that are asked in the title. The first group with the three women looking at the child represents the beginning of Gauguin’s life, making a reference to his parents, then there is the group in the middle which symbolizes all the experiences he went through while being a young adult. The last group shows an old lady close to death because of the darker color he used, moreover, there is an odd white bird at her feet, which could represent the guide to heaven. In the background of the painting, there is a blue statute, which represents what Gauguin described as the hereafter. This painting seems like a flash back of his life, and these three questions lead us to comprehend him better. Gauguin left a lot of non-answered questions about this painting, considered as a testimony to his life by many critics of art. Indeed, this painting is very complex. I learned by reading my previous art book, that Gauguin wrote a letter to his friend stipulating the reasons of the painting. In this letter, Gauguin said that he had decided to commit suicide in December; therefore, he wanted to paint on a huge canvas all the things he had on his mind for so long. Things he absolutely wanted to paint before his death. In this letter, Gauguin also confessed that the value of this painting is so much ahead of his precedents, and that it was a one of a kind that he could not nor would not try to produce a better painting. This sentence clearly explains that he reached the height of his life, and that now he drew this painting, there was nothing else he could do better or similar except terminate his life. Gauguin was wondering a lot about the existence of the world, and this perpetual questioning led him to the entitlement of this painting. As I said earlier in my essay, each group of people appearing in this painting is applied to a specific question of the title. Those questions made me think about my own life. Indeed, the questions he used are somehow important to everyone to really understand the meaning of their lives. Berger said â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). While looking at this painting, I could recognize some events of my life, for instance, I could recall where I am from and what are my origins, as well as how I did to accomplish such academic success and arrive in the United States. Furthermore, due to my art background, I could understand better the expression and feelings Gauguin was trying to deliver in this painting with his powerful colors and thick traits. Approaching art is not easy at first glance, thus approaching it with different methods makes it more difficult to understand. Throughout my life, I have been able to view art in many different context, either artistically speaking when I was in art classes in France, or analytically this year when I had to analyze art with the support of an art critic opinions. For me, both ways were complementary to each other and drastically improved my understanding of art. Complementary in the sense that I could rely on my technical knowledge of art to understand the structure of a painting, and also analyze the story of the painting as Berger mentioned to fully understand the underlying message of an artwork.

Study or Stock Market Essay Example for Free

Study or Stock Market Essay Dr. Pushpa Bhatt and Sumangala J. K (2011) studies Impact of Book Value on Market Value of an Equity Share – An Empirical Study in Indian Capital Market. They attempt to find the explanatory power of book value in explaining the variations in equity market value. Then attempt is made to compare the same with the same of earning per share (EPS). They have collected and analyzed data about book value and market value of equity share of 50 companies for 5 years from 2006-07 to 2010-2011. Jimoh Ezekiel Oseni (2007), Determinants of stock prices in the capital market. There are over 130 companies whose shares are being traded in the Nigerian capital market. The Banking sector in the last five years has dominated the market in terms of trading volumes and market performance. The earning per share (EPS) and dividend per share (DPS) of twelve companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and (average) annual GDP, crude oil price (OIL), lending interest rate (INT), inflation rate (INFL) and foreign exchange rate (FX) are used are analysed for effect on the stock price. The period covered by the data is year 2001 to 2007. Mohammed Belal Uddin (2009) Determinants of market price of stock: A study on bank leasing and insurance companies of Bangladesh. The population size is 86 listed companies in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and chosen 68 companies as sample on probability sampling basis. In this study the dependent variable is â€Å"Market Price of Stock (MPS)† in Bangladeshi taka. The independent variables are: (1) Net Asset Value per Share (NAVPS) in Bangladeshi taka; (2) Dividend percentage (DIV); (3) Earnings per Share (EPS) in Bangladeshi taka Dr. Sanjeet Sharma (2009) Determinants of equity stock prices in India. This study has been undertaken to examine the empirical relationship between equity share prices and explanatory variables such as: book value per share, dividend per share, earning per share, price earning ratio, dividend yield, dividend payout, size in terms of sale and net worth for the period 1993-94 to 2008-09. Dr. Bidyut Jyoti Bhattacharjee (2012), the determinants of market price of share of Indian companies. This study makes an attempt to examine that whether market price of share of the company influenced by important determinants like size, growth, risk, profitability, leverage and dividend decision of the company considering Indian industries enlisted in Bombay Stock Exchange of India. In Uwalomwa Uwuigbe, Olowe and Olusegun, Agu (2012) An Assessment of the Determinants of Share Price in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Listed Firms. This study basically seeks to investigate the effects of financial performance, dividend payout and financial leverage on the share price of firms operating in the Nigerian stock exchange market. To achieve the objectives of this study, the Nigerian stock exchange fact book and the corporate annual reports for the period 2006-2010 were analyzed. In addition, using the judgmental sampling technique, the study considered a total of 30 listed firms in the Nigerian stock exchange market. The choice of these industries arises based on the size, and the decline in the share prices of the stocks of these firms. Dwi Martani, Mulyono and Rahfiani Khairurizka (2009), the effect of financial ratios, firm size, and cash flow from operating activities in the interim report to the stock return The objective of this study is to examine the value relevance of accounting information in explaining stock return. The study uses profitability, liquidity, leverage, market ratio, size and cash flow as proxies of accounting information. The samples of the study are listed companies in manufacturing industries that actively trading between 2003-2006 in Indonesia Stock Market. The study finds that profitability, turnover and market ratio has significant impact to the stock return. P. S. irmala, P. S. Sanju and M. Ramachandran Determinants of Share Prices in India the focus of this study is to identify the determinants of share prices in the Indian market. The study uses panel data pertaining to three sectors viz., auto, healthcare and public sector undertakings over the period 2000-2009 and employs the fully modified ordinary least squares method. The results indicate that the variables dividend, price-earnings ratio and leverage are significant determinants of share prices for all the sectors under consideration. Further, profitability is found to influence share prices only in the case of auto sector

The Role Of Accountants In Todays Business Organizations Accounting Essay

The Role Of Accountants In Todays Business Organizations Accounting Essay In the past ten years, a significant amount of research attention was focused on recognizing, analyzing, contradicting, favoring, and critiquing the changing roles of accountants. In the past ten years, we witnessed accountants assuming additional tasks such as strategy formulation, systems development, organizational re-design and a whole lot more. In the 21st century, we have seen accountants devoting much less of their time to routine financial analysis, transaction processing, auditing and statutory reporting. The roles of accountants in the business environment have become business oriented.  [1]  These changes posed crisis for accountants as the professions credibility has been questioned.  [2]   In this paper, we look into the traditional roles of accountants and compare such to that of the roles of the modern accounting profession. I discuss some ethical concerns binding these roles and express my opinion regarding these changes. This discussion leads to the main point of this paper- the importance of accountants in todays business environment along with the demands for new roles of the accountants. Moreover, I also discuss various sources and types of information available to the accountants and the quality that this information should possess. Information, an increasingly important asset for all business organization, is necessary for accountants to satisfy these new demands for their expertise. The Roles of Accountants Accountants face dilemma as they face two contrasting roles at the same time. First, they are seen as watchdogs for top management while they are also seen as helpers of the management. However, the second role seemed to have increased its importance in the recent years and accounting systems was seen as impetus for organizations improvement.  [3]   Specifically, the traditional roles of accountants include: auditing, managerial accounting, and tax accounting. These roles are the most basic functions that accountants are trained for as early as undergraduate education. On the other hand, the additional or modern roles of accountants are financial planning, business analysis and strategy, technology planning and consulting. Within these roles, the accountants serve more specified tasks. These are usually assumed in the actual practice; hence skills are acquired in the actual practice. Auditing. This is theoretically, the basic and most important role of an independent accountant. The tasks of the accountant as an auditor are to check the organizations estimate is in accordance to formulas that are used consistently every year.  [4]  However, the importance of auditing as a business process has decreased recently. In a survey done among academicians, practitioners and students, audit preparation only received a moderate rank in terms of importance of this task by accountants.  [5]   Managerial Accounting. This is usually the role of in-house accountants who act as either controllers or internal auditors. The task of an in-house accountant is to give the most accurate picture of the economic status of the company and to respect the truth about the report.  [6]   Tax Accounting. This is the role of a book keeper or tax preparatory. The tasks of the book keeper include: determination and estimation of tax liabilities of the clients whether individual or corporate.  [7]   Financial Planning. This is a rising role for accountants. The demand for this new role is brought about by their knowledge and expertise on taxation laws and financial investment markets.  [8]  Additional tasks under this role include: performing due diligence, organizing share-holder meetings, supervising cash management and payroll handling.  [9]   Business Planning and Strategy. This is the role of accountants to translate raw financial numbers into usable business information. Project accounting and knowledge management are also additional tasks under this new role for accountants. Under this role, accountants guide managers and business owners to improve productivity and maximize profitability.  [10]   Technology Planning. With the automation of various business processes, accountants also become involved in development and implementation of new information systems. Now, owners and managers rely on accountants to choose the most suitable technology solutions for financial and business management.  [11]   Consulting. Accountants also become consultants for financial management, income distribution, accounting and auditing functions as well.  [12]   The Key Drivers of Role Changes It has been made clear in the literature that the roles of accounting have changed in the recent years and these changes are expected to continue. The roles of accounting shifted from information provision to extended information facilitation. Specifically, this shift in roles made accountants from book keeping, data analysis, and tax preparation into much wider range of duties in management.  [13]  This is to say that the roles of accountants shifted into business oriented or entrepreneurial roles. This shift is brought about by the following key drivers: changes in business market conditions, re-designing organization, new managerial philosophies, more complex business processes, systems development, innovations in management techniques, and human resource development.  [14]   Because of these key drivers, changes in the roles of accountants are more likely to continue in at least another ten years. No longer bounded by numbers and formulas, accountants can feel free and rely on their creative and strategic side. The Challenge for Accountants Accountants will always be as important to business enterprises today. While others argue that change in orientation of accountant is a blow to the credibility of the profession, I believe this is rather a challenge that accountants need to glorify. Business oriented or entrepreneurial roles for accountants call for additional skills in these fields. In order to achieve credibility again, as others claim that the profession has lost it, accountants should master these additional fields to be considered experts of the field. Hence, this does them not mere practitioners of these new fields but experts as well. This is a call to the accounting education research to dwell more on these additional fields so accountants may gain more in sights as to how these fields may be associated firmly with the traditional accounting practices. This is also a call to the academe to train the aspiring accountants to be flexible and well rounded ones in order to for them to satisfy the demands that awaits them in the actual practice. This is also a call for students to be open minded and be willing to accept these changing roles not as insults but rather a challenge and opportunity to become more significant in todays business environment. Lastly, this is a call for certified and practicing accountants to get out of numbers and formulas and be willing to use their creative minds to do more analysis and strategizing- and more opportunities that may prove that accountants can satisfy the demands of the present business environment to them; without sacrificing of course, the core ethics of the traditional acco unting profession. Accountants should hold on traditional ethics and values. It is the roles, skills, and practice that will change and re-oriented. Sources and Quality of Accounting Information Moreover, in order to satisfy the present demands for accountants, information is also a necessary. Now, information is a vital resource for the survival of all contemporary business organizations. It has become of the basic and most important resource for business intelligence and achievement of competitive advantage. In this section, I discuss the sources of information and the quality of this information needed by accountants. In everyday business, various types and quantities on information flow to decision makers and users to meet internal organizational needs. The sources of information for the accountant may come from any of the components of information flow system within an organization. These include top management sources, middle management sources, operations management sources and operations personnel sources. This information flow is an exchange of performance information, day-to-day operations information and budget information and instructions.  [15]   Moreover, in order to be useful, accounting information should have each of the following qualities at a minimum degree: Understandability. Accounting information should be comprehensive and understandable to users who have reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and economic information. This quality serves as a link between decision makers and the accounting information at hand. Decision Usefulness. Decision usefulness is also a qualitative characteristic needed to judge quality of accounting information. This is dependent on the availability of information and ability of the user to process the information for it to be used in decision making. Relevance. Accounting information should also be relevant in order to help the user of information analyze the outcomes of the past and present and predict the outcome of the future events according to prior expectations. In order to be relevant, the information must have predictive and feedback value and timeliness. Reliability. Accounting information will also be useful if it is reliable. This is to say that information must be free from error and bias; hence presenting faithfully what is intended to be presented. Verifiability. Accounting information must also be verifiable for measures to agree with the selected method without error or bias. Verification is useful in reducing measure bias because the same method can be used to repeat measurements to reduce intentional and unintentional errors. Comparability and Consistency. Lastly, accounting information must be comparable because information becomes more useful when compared with information from other companies. This allows accountants to identify and explain similarities and differences between two or more economic facts.  [16]  

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet Sonnet 107 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 107 Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul Of the wide world dreaming on things to come Can yet the lease of my true love control, Suppos'd as forfeit to a condin'd doom. The mortal moon hath her eclipse endur'd, And the sad augurs mock their own presage; Incertainties now crown themselves assur's, nd peace proclaims olives of endless age. Now with the drops of this most balmy time My love looks fresh; and Death to me subscribes, Since spite of him I'll lime in this poor rhyme While he insults o'er dull and speechless tribes: And thou in this shalt find thy monument When tyrants' crests and tombs of brass are spent. This has been an important sonnet in trying to date the sonnets. Several words and phrases have prompted readers to ponder on the year it was written, ranging from 1588 to 1603. The main areas of concentration rely on the following: 1) the "eclipse" of the "mortal moon," in line 5; 2)who the "sad augurs" are and their "presage," in line 6; 3) allusion in lines 7 and 8, and if "confin'd doom" is in refernce to a certain event and which event that is. Of these, the most supported responses to 1 are: the Spanish Armada, 1588 (Butler, Hotson); the Queen's Grand Climacteric , 1595-6 (Harrison); the Queen's illness in 1599-1600 (Chambers); Essex's rebellion in 1601 (Tyler); the Queen's death in 1603 (eg. Massey, Minto, Lee, Beeching); a lunar eclipse, 1595 (O.F. Emerson); or an eclipse of the Queen's favour (Conrad). Answers to the second problem relate closely with the first, that is, with the addition of a fear of civil war as a result of Elizabeth's death and also the usual forecasts of political (and other) disasters that were forecasted from the eclipse. The third problem cites the confidence seen in lines 7 and 8,a dn therefore the overshoot of the proclaimed disasters. The fourth seems to refer to the imprisonment of some specific individual, eg. Southampton, who was released after James I accession to the throne. 1-4: 'Neither my own fears nor the foreshadowing of worldly disasters can control the extent of my only love, supposing [invented by fears] that it is a "confin'd doom." Lines 4 and 5 evoke a sense of death, saying that all will eventually die, and reading line 6 with stresses on "augurs" and "own" gives the sense that the prognosticators jeer their own predictions due to time being so joyous.

Human Cloning Essay -- essays papers

Human Cloning There are many opinions on the topic of cloning, particularly on the controversy of human cloning. Lots of people have many fears over if we should continue this form of study, whereas others think that this technology should be pushed forward with high hopes. However, no side should rule out the other, but instead, should compliment one another. Both arguments should be heard and acknowledged before any decision is made towards this new area of study. For example, many people think that their fears are unanswerable and should cause the absolute ban on cloning. Although many scientists are in the field of cloning, many other people have scientific reasons why this shouldn’t happen. One reason is that if a human clone were ever successfully made, it wouldn’t be an exact clone anyway; Einstein wasn’t smart solely because of his genes, but the environment that he was surrounded by. However, a positive side to this is that since another exact copy wouldn’t be made, another Hitler could also not be created, as many may fear. In fact, twins are closer to one another that any clone that could be made because of a seemingly special bond created during pregnancy. New techniques are also feared, such as with Dolly. Another group of reasons concern Dolly. Originally an attempt at creating a sheep that produced a special quality of milk, Dolly was created from a group led by Dr. Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute in Scotland on July 5, 1996. They used a different method for mammals than used previously by starving the pre-cloned cells into hibernation, and then using nuclear transfer (copying the nucleus of the cell). Some say that if we continue with cloning, it would be extremely risky, because it is known that it took 277 tries to create Dolly. However, bans have been made to prohibit public uses of cloning. It is also known that Dolly was born with short telomeres. Telomeres power the successful reproduction and division of cells, and are found in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of genes found in chromosomes. When she was tested, it was discovered that her telomeres were shorter than other non-cloned sheep her age. However, scientists say that this mistake could be useful for treatment of cancer. By giving cancer cells in the body short telomeres and putting them back into the body, other cancer cells would be infected, and would die qui... ...ning should not happen if it endangers any living being or if it causes loss of respect for the lives of humans and animals. This new technology has the power to do some very serious damage to mankind. On the other hand, the positive possibilities are staggering, and with the correct precautions, cloning will become a very powerful force in the scientific world as you know it. Bibliography: â€Å"Cloned Baby of Dead son in the Works.† The Province 18 Feb. 2001: A p.37. â€Å"Cloned DNA a Cure for Rare Immune.† The Vancouver Sun 23 Dec. 1998: B p.6. Cloning. (Online). Available http://members.tripod.com/~cloning/intro.htm, March 15, 2001. History of Cloning. (Online). Available http://vparker.home.texas.net/Thinkquest/Manipulating/Experimentation/Cloning/longdoc.htm, March 15, 2001. Hyde, Margaret O., and Lawrence E. Hyde. Cloning and the new Genetics. U.S.: Enslow, 1984. Jeffens, David. Cloning: Frontiers of Genetic Engineering. Ontario: Megatech, 1999. â€Å"Monkeys Cloned in Oregon.† The Province 3 Mar. 1997: A p.13. â€Å"More ORE. Cloned Monkeys on Way.† The Province 4 Mar. 1997: A p.18. Pollack, Robert. â€Å"Beyond Cloning.† The New York Times 17 Nov. 1993: A p.27.

Orphans in Nineteenth-Century England Essay -- Eurpean History Papers

Orphans in Nineteenth-Century England    There is no denying that the nineteenth century in England was a time of tremendous changes throughout the social and economical spectrums. As the adults adjusted to these changes prompted by the Industrial Revolution as best they could, many children, in particular orphans, were faced with poor living conditions that limited their successes later in life. Although most orphaned children were fortunate enough to be placed into sufficient living circumstances, many of them were not as privileged. By discussing the various living conditions of orphans in nineteenth-century England, one can better understand their position in the English society and realize why their later successes were so limited. As is true today, the majority of children lived with their parents in the nineteenth century. Many, however, were unable to do so for any number of reasons. These reasons ranged from overcrowding in the home to extended relatives needing aid from a young individual to children being orphaned. Although orphaned children were definitely an exception to the norm at that time in England, the number of children who had lost one or both of their parents was quite high in comparison to today’s standards. One estimate states that in 1861, 11 percent of Victorian children had lost a father by the age of ten, 11 percent had lost a mother, and 1 percent had lost both parents (Horn 63). A major contributor to this number was the prevalence of diseases, such as typhus and tuberculosis, which greatly affected the poor and working classes in the busy factory towns. The most common fate of orphaned children was to be "adopted" by another family. This allowed for the orphans to remain a part of a fami... ...fortunate. Although orphans could go on to earn adequate livings as adults, becoming an orphan in nineteenth-century England was all too often a sentence for failure. The English government and citizen volunteers attempted to aid the growing number of orphans as the nineteenth century progressed; however, the attempts to improve their unsatisfactory conditions were seldom enough.       Works Cited Horn, Pamela. The Victorian Town Child. Thrupp, UK: Sutton, 1997. Jordan, Thomas E. Victorian Childhood. Albany: State U of New York P, 1987. Mitchell, Sally. Daily Life in Victorian England. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996. Nord, Deborah Epstein. "‘Orphans and Republicans’: Social Policy and Morality in Victorian Britain." Dissent 42 (1995): 167-8. Peters, Laura. Orphan Texts: Victorian Orphans, Culture and Empire. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2000.

Data Collection Activities in Algebra 1

Algebra has long been taught in the same way. This usually means teachers rely heavily on the textbook. Though some textbooks have changed in recent years, the central focus is till on paper and pencil, memorization of rules, and use of algorithms. The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989) asks mathematics teachers to seek activities that â€Å"model real-world phenomena with a variety of function† and â€Å"represent and analyze relationships using tables, verbal rules, equations, and graphs†.The standards also urge teachers to give students the opportunity to be actively involved in math through data analysis and statistics that are integrated into the curriculum. My hope is to show that these types of activities can be incorporated into an algebra I course as a way of teaching slope, y-intercept, and linear equations. I plan to teach a unit on linear equations during the third nine weeks of an eighth grade algebra I course next semest er.The project will begin with one class learning the material typically covered in most algebra textbooks. I do not plan to pretest the students because this is new material for them. This class will also go to the computer lab and complete a lesson on the computer covering linear equations. In addition, they will work in pairs using T1-82 graphing calculator to explore slope and y-intercept. All of these methods are what I have typically taught over the past 5 years.Another eighth grade class will be given several data collection activities as a unit of study for linear equations. The primary resource for this class will be Algebra Experiments I by Mary Jean Winter and Ronald J. Carlson. My focus will begin with a whole class participation data collection activity. The class will perform â€Å"the wave† in small sections at a time until the entire class has completed it. As a group will record the number of seconds it takes (for example) 3, 5, 8, 13, 15, 20, etc. to complet e the wave.Students will then use a prepared activity sheet that requires them to draw a diagram of the experiment, describe the procedure, identify the independent and dependent variables, create a table of data, graph data, choose two representative points to connect and create a â€Å"line of best fit†, find the slope and y-intercept of this line and describe it algebraically and verbally, then interpret the data through certain questions designed to create understanding of the purpose of the data and using the data to make predictions. This same format will be used for all subsequent activities uring the unit of study. The authors of the book say â€Å"Algebra Experiments I reflects the basic philosophy of the NCTM standards for learning, teaching, and assessment. Students have an opportunity to work collaboratively, to interact, and to develop communication skill. † The whole idea is to â€Å"bring the real world into your algebra classroom. † I plan to req uire the class that does the experiments to keep a daily journal. It will include hot they felt about the daily activities, a description of any specific new topic or topics they learned and a list of questions they still have.Each day the class will address any concerns from the previous day's activity. After several activities have been done by hand, I will instruct the class on how to analyze the data on the T1-82 graphing calculator. They will then be given the opportunity to use the calculator on another experiment. This class will also do the same graphing calculator activity on slope and y-intercept that the other class will do. I will give each class the same test and compare scores. I will also give each class a survey to compare attitudes, interest and understanding of the use of the material in a real-world application.My hope is that the students in the experiment class will have grasped the basic concepts of linear equations as well if not better than the other class an d be able to relate this knowledge in a very real way. My search for articles about my proposed topic was lengthy and I have chosen to comment on a few. My goal next semester is to read and use each of these articles in my actual action paper. I have only read one article in its entirety. What I gathered from the abstracts was the importance of using real-world applications and incorporating the use of the graphing calculator.Since my goal is to show that data collection activities can provide a way to teach the basic concepts of linear equations in a real-world setting, I tried to find articles that would bear this out. Mercer (1995) presents lessons that teach slope-intercept concepts of linear equations through the use of the graphing calculator. Held (1995) uses Computer-Intensive Algebra (CIA) to focus on the use of technology and real-world settings to develop a richer understanding of algebraic concepts. Dugdale (1995) has written about technology and algebra curriculum refor m. She focuses on â€Å"current issues, potential directions, and research question†.Assessment issues are addressed. Algebra is â€Å"a way of reasoning involving variables/functional relationships, generalizations/modes of representation and mathematical investigation/argument. Harvey (1995) was the keynote speaker at the Algebra Working Group of the Seventh International Conference on Mathematical Education in Quebec City, Canada. He spoke of how important technology was in new algebra curriculum reform based on the NCTM standards. Bell (1995) was also a speaker at the Quebec conference. He suggest curriculum modifications and reviews research on students' performance.Menghini (1994) â€Å"claims that, to be meaningful, algebra must be linked to real-work problems. † Wallace (1993) offers a data collection activity similar to one I have used in the past. I would like to include this one in my lesson plans. It â€Å"compares the trends of women's and men's world re cords for the 800-meter run using the linear and power Regression capabilities of a graphing calculator. A very promising article by Magidson (1992) â€Å"addresses the challenges, risks, and rewards of teaching about linear functions in a technology-rich environment from a constructivist perspective.Describes an algebra class designed for junior high school students that focuses on the representations and real-world applications of linear functions. † I hope this will help me next semester as I begin to encounter problems. References Bell, A. , (1995). Purpose in school algebra. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 14 (1), 41-73. Dugdale, S. and others, (1995). Technology and algebra curriculum reform: current issues, potential directions, and research questions. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 14 (3), 325-57. Harvey, J. nd others. (1995). The influence of technology on the teaching and learning of algebra. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 14 (1), 75- 109. Heid, K. (1995). A technology-intensive approach to algebra. Mathematics Teacher, 88 (8), 650-56. Magidson, S. (1992). From the laboratory to the classroom: a technology-intensive curriculum for functions and graphs. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 11 (4), 361-37. Menghini, M. (1994). Form in algebra: reflecting, with Peacock, on upper secondary school teaching. For the Learning of Mathematics, 14 (3), 9-14.Mercer, J. (1995). Teaching graphing concepts with graphing calculators. Mathematics Teacher, 88 (4), 268-73. Wallace, E. (1993). Exploring regression with a graphing calculator. Mathematics Teacher, 86, (9), 741-43. Example 2 Use of Algebra Tiles to Enhance the Concept Development of Operations on Polynomials and Factoring in Ninth Grade Algebra Students The purpose of this action research project is to find out if the use of Algebra Tiles will enhance the concept development of operations on polynomials and factoring in ninth grade algebra students.Mathematics teachers a re guided by the Arkansas State mathematics Framework. The following three student learning expectations are covered by this research project. 2. 1. 5 Describe, visualize, draw and construct geometric figures in one, two, and three dimensions. 2. 3. 7 Represent problem situations with geometric models and apply properties of figures in meaningful context to solve mathematical and real-world problems. 2. 3. 8 Represent one, two and three-dimensional geometric figures algebraically. Algebra Tiles allow students â€Å"hands-on† experience with polynomials.The tiles give students the opportunity to model, to create a mental image, to draw, and to then symbolically manipulate polynomials. They are based on area and multiplication concepts that students are familiar with. Howden (1985) states â€Å"It is generally recognized that understanding the meaning of a mathematics concept, as opposed to merely performing the associated computation, is an essential element of true learning and achievement† and â€Å"research shows that modeling and visualization promotes such understanding†.Two units on polynomials will be taught in ninth grade algebra. One focusing on operations on polynomials and the other focusing on factoring. Two teachers will teach the same material using the same methods and tests. No pre-test will be given because ninth grade students have had no previous experience with these concepts. Both teachers will teach two of their own classes each of these two polynomial units. One class will receive traditional instruction by symbolic manipulation only. The other class will use the Algebra Tiles along with the traditional method.The student's scores for each unit using Algebra Tiles will be compared to the scores based on the traditional method only. Differences will be compared and noted. In addition, students receiving instruction with the tiles will keep a journal each day describing how they feel about using the tiles. According to Sharp (1995), students using algebra tiles â€Å"found it easy to think about algebraic manipulations when they visualized the tiles† and â€Å"the majority of students stated that the tiles added a mental imagery that made learning `easier. † Another possible comparison will be to see if there is any difference in scores or perception between boys and girls using the tiles. The goal of this research project is to see if Algebra Tiles or â€Å"modeling† will enhance the understanding of polynomials and make the process of factoring â€Å"easier†. References Howden, Hilde. Algebra Tiles for the Overhead Projector. New Rochelle, NY: Cuisenaire Company of America, 1985. Sharp, Janet M. Results of Using Algebra Tiles as Meaningful Representations of Algebra Concepts, ERIC search, 1995. Related article: â€Å"Study Guide Algebra†

Deception Point Page 18

â€Å"My God,† she whispered. What is this place? 20 The CNN production facility outside of Washington, D.C., is one of 212 studios worldwide that link via satellite to the global headquarters of Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta. It was 1:45 P.M. when Senator Sedgewick Sexton's limousine pulled into the parking lot. Sexton was feeling smug as he got out and strode toward the entrance. He and Gabrielle were greeted inside by a pot-bellied CNN producer who wore an effusive smile. â€Å"Senator Sexton,† the producer said. â€Å"Welcome. Great news. We just found out who the White House sent as a sparring partner for you.† The producer gave a foreboding grin. â€Å"I hope you brought your game face.† He motioned through the production glass out into the studio. Sexton looked through the glass and almost fell over. Staring back at him, through the smoky haze of her cigarette, was the ugliest face in politics. â€Å"Marjorie Tench?† Gabrielle blurted. â€Å"What the hell is she doing here?† Sexton had no idea, but whatever the reason, her presence here was fantastic news-a clear sign that the President was in desperation mode. Why else would he send his senior adviser to the front lines? President Zach Herney was rolling out the big guns, and Sexton welcomed the opportunity. The bigger the foe, the harder they fall. The senator had no doubt that Tench would be a sly opponent, but gazing now at the woman, Sexton could not help but think that the President had made a serious error in judgment. Marjorie Tench was hideous looking. At the moment, she sat slouched in her chair, smoking a cigarette, her right arm moving in languid rhythm back and forth to her thin lips like a giant praying mantis feeding. Jesus, Sexton thought, if there was ever a face that should stick to radio. The few times Sedgewick Sexton had seen the White House senior adviser's jaundiced mug in a magazine, he could not believe he was looking at one of the most powerful faces in Washington. â€Å"I don't like this,† Gabrielle whispered. Sexton barely heard her. The more he considered the opportunity, the more he liked it. Even more fortuitous than Tench's media-unfriendly face was Tench's reputation on one key issue: Marjorie Tench was extremely vocal that America's leadership role in the future could only be secured through technological superiority. She was an avid supporter of high-tech government R D programs, and, most important-NASA. Many believed it was Tench's behind-the-scenes pressure that kept the President positioned so staunchly behind the failing space agency. Sexton wondered if perhaps the President was now punishing Tench for all the bad advice about supporting NASA. Is he throwing his senior adviser to the wolves? Gabrielle Ashe gazed through the glass at Marjorie Tench and felt a growing uneasiness. This woman was smart as hell and she was an unexpected twist. Those two facts had her instincts tingling. Considering the woman's stance on NASA, the President sending her to face-off against Senator Sexton seemed ill-advised. But the President was certainly no fool. Something told Gabrielle this interview was bad news. Gabrielle already sensed the senator salivating over his odds, which did little to curb her concern. Sexton had a habit of going overboard when he got cocky. The NASA issue had been a welcome boost in the polls, but Sexton had been pushing very hard lately, she thought. Plenty of campaigns had been lost by candidates who went for the knockout when all they needed was to finish the round. The producer looked eager for the impending blood match. â€Å"Let's get you set up, senator.† As Sexton headed for the studio, Gabrielle caught his sleeve. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,† she whispered. â€Å"But just be smart. Don't go overboard.† â€Å"Overboard? Me?† Sexton grinned. â€Å"Remember this woman is very good at what she does.† Sexton gave her a suggestive smirk. â€Å"So am I.† 21 The cavernous main chamber of NASA's habisphere would have been a strange sight anywhere on earth, but the fact that it existed on an Arctic ice shelf made it that much more difficult for Rachel Sexton to assimilate. Staring upward into a futuristic dome crafted of white interlocking triangular pads, Rachel felt like she had entered a colossal sanatorium. The walls sloped downward to a floor of solid ice, where an army of halogen lamps stood like sentinels around the perimeter, casting stark light skyward and giving the whole chamber an ephemeral luminosity. Snaking across the ice floor, black foam carpetrunners wound like boardwalks through a maze of portable scientific work stations. Amid the electronics, thirty or forty white-clad NASA personnel were hard at work, conferring happily and talking in excited tones. Rachel immediately recognized the electricity in the room. It was the thrill of new discovery. As Rachel and the administrator circled the outer edge of the dome, she noted the surprised looks of displeasure from those who recognized her. Their whispers carried clearly in the reverberant space. Isn't that Senator Sexton's daughter? What the hell is SHE doing here? I can't believe the administrator is even speaking to her! Rachel half expected to see voodoo dolls of her father dangling everywhere. The animosity around her, though, was not the only emotion in the air; Rachel also sensed a distinct smugness-as if NASA clearly knew who would be having the last laugh. The administrator led Rachel toward a series of tables where a lone man sat at a computer work station. He was dressed in a black turtleneck, wide-wale corduroys, and heavy boat shoes, rather than the matching NASA weather gear everyone else seemed to be wearing. He had his back to them. The administrator asked Rachel to wait as he went over and spoke to the stranger. After a moment, the man in the turtleneck gave him a congenial nod and started shutting down his computer. The administrator returned. â€Å"Mr. Tolland will take it from here,† he said. â€Å"He's another one of the President's recruits, so you two should get along fine. I'll join you later.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"I assume you've heard of Michael Tolland?† Rachel shrugged, her brain still taking in the incredible surroundings. â€Å"Name doesn't ring a bell.† The man in the turtleneck arrived, grinning. â€Å"Doesn't ring a bell?† His voice was resonant and friendly. â€Å"Best news I've heard all day. Seems I never get a chance to make a first impression anymore.† When Rachel glanced up at the newcomer, her feet froze in place. She knew the man's handsome face in an instant. Everyone in America did. â€Å"Oh,† she said, blushing as the man shook her hand. â€Å"You're that Michael Tolland.† When the President had told Rachel he had recruited top-notch civilian scientists to authenticate NASA's discovery, Rachel had imagined a group of wizened nerds with monogrammed calculators. Michael Tolland was the antithesis. One of the best known â€Å"science celebrities† in America today, Tolland hosted a weekly documentary called Amazing Seas, during which he brought viewers face-to-face with spellbinding oceanic phenomena-underwater volcanoes, ten-foot sea worms, killer tidal waves. The media hailed Tolland as a cross between Jacques Cousteau and Carl Sagan, crediting his knowledge, unpretentious enthusiasm, and lust for adventure as the formula that had rocketed Amazing Seas to the top of the ratings. Of course, most critics admitted, Tolland's rugged good looks and self-effacing charisma probably didn't hurt his popularity with the female audience. â€Å"Mr. Tolland†¦,† Rachel said, fumbling the words a bit. â€Å"I'm Rachel Sexton.† Tolland smiled a pleasant, crooked smile. â€Å"Hi, Rachel. Call me Mike.†

Leisure studies in Canada.

The city of saint Luc City is a beautiful city that has a lot of leisure opportunities such as parks, libraries, and Samuel Moskovitch arena. The city is very accessible as it has well constructed roads and paths that link each and every part of the city. There has been paths that have been constructed of late for example the four Heart paths that was officially opened on 30th September 2007. These paths are meant to make Pierre Elliot Tradeau park accessible. (Heart in Motion Walking Paths, Cote Saint Luc City)These walking paths one which is a kilometer long, another of 3km, 5km, and the last one is of 8km. The heart in motion paths was extended from the city sidewalk by the Quebec stroke foundation. All these paths are clearly marked with distinct blue and yellow colors. These are supported with motion signs after a span of each one and a half kilometer so as to keep tourists who visit this city in the right track. All these city paths branch from the Pierre Elliot Tradeau Park on the southern corner.The construction of the four walking paths had some health benefits to the residents and visitors who come to this city. The paths allow those who want to do walking exercise a classic opportunity for doing so. This is according to the mayor of this city Anthony housefather. Construction of walking paths has been done in other places like Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and German and as thus it is not without precedence. It is something that is feasible as it has been tested and proved that city paths like those in Cote Saint Luc city help in keeping the city dwellers physically fit.Within the city there is a place that people can visit to enjoy themselves and one of these places is the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park, which is located at Mackle road and next to the Samuel Moskovitch arena. It is situated at the northern side of the city. The park is just beautiful and you cannot afford not to visit it. Inside there is a base ball field, soft ban field there is a nd there is also an artificial lake called Contennial Lake where you can enjoy pedal boat rides at a small fee in summertime. There is a picnic area that is very beautiful in winter especially when it’s covered with ice. The parks scene is extremely beautiful with a green covered landscape. (Samuel Moskovitch Arena, 6985 Mackle Road.)The fees that are charged in this park are pocket friendly in fact the cost cannot exceed $25.00 U.S dollars. For example you can access the Baseball diamond with only one dollar, the second baseball diamond with 2 U.S dollars the third one with 3 U.S dollars. There is also a hotel where you can rent a room. These two rooms are equipped with a mini fridge and microwave. (Lesson 6)Also in the city of Cote saint-Luc, there is an arena called Samuel Moskovitch that is located at the Mackle road. This arena is a home to the ice surface that is used by the minor Hockey group, the skating club, hockey schools and adult as well as the youth leagues. Wit hin the arena there is a studio room and a conference room which are good for private rentals. The two rooms are well equipped with basic set up as well as clean up. They also have chairs and table making them ideal for holding conferences.The studio room is equipped with a freezer and not forgetting that there is also enough parking area that can accommodate over two hundred vehicles. For those who might be interested in renting these places it’s good to know their exact measurements to avoid disappointments. The Ice Rink is 200feet in length and 85 feet wide, the studio is (36.5 x 25) feet that can accommodate 85 people when arranged in banquet style and while arranged in theater style it can hold one hundred and seven people. The conference room is 25 feet long and 12 feet wide and can hold twelve people while standing.All these rooms are rented for only two hours and any time on top of that is charged separately. The conference, studio and the studio room for partners are charged 50, 100 and 150 U.S dollars respectively. The ice is suitable for those who are holding birthday parties and has two dressing units. Those people who want to rent both the ice and the studio room are charged according to the set charges.The city has also a public library where you can go to read books, novels, magazines and newspapers. The library is well equipped thus making it ideal for conducting researches. This library is called Eleanor London public library. It offers some games like the classic board game. The library crew consists of skilled people who guide people on how to fully utilize the library materials. The library offers a scavenger hunt play where the winner merits some prizes. This library is also equipped with audio visual devices for storing information for example there is a number of musical as well as artistic works from the Baroque times that are free to all.Though the government has made sure that there are enough recreational places in Canada for all, there might be some barriers that may limit or prevent one from enjoying these sites. If you have some physical disabilities or limitations you might not enjoy these recreational facilities to the fullest. For example if you are crippled then you cannot be able to maneuver through the region. The park has three-baseball field which cannot be of any importance to the physically challenged people especially those who do not have legs and hands. But still arrangements can be made for them to be taken there to relax and enjoy the cool environment. For those who cannot access the park because they cannot walk, alternative means can be used such as airlifting these people to the designated places that are of importance to them. T they can also be driven to these places using vehicles but with a risk of not physically exercising their bodies.Taking a leisure walk helps one to improve the circulation of blood and thus making your heart strong. There are also pedal boats that are found in TheTradeau Park but people who have leg problems cannot be able to use pedals so they can’t enjoy the boat rides. (Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park). The governments of Canada in easing the burden of those who are physically impaired under a tourist and leisure companion sticker are allowed to access to all recreational places for free. If you are visually impaired you cannot have an access all the information that you might need. Some information is stored in magazines, books and journals and it is obvious they cannot be of any use to a blind person. (Lesson 5)In Canada this problem is well taken care of by the library management who has diversified information storage devices. Some library materials are audio visual. This means a blind person can have access to the needed information by listening. A blind person can also have some difficulties in accessing the recreation places as they are marked with colors and motion signs that guide the walkers but they are of no use to a b lind person.Anybody who is knew to a particular place finds it hard to access the recreational places. This person must be guided on how to access them. Proper maps should be provided to these people assuming they know how to read maps. For these maps to be of beneficial to the map readers, then labeling of the features on the ground should be well labeled to avoid confusion. This is something that the government has taken care of; it has provided people who need to visit these places with posters and other signs to guide them. For example in the Cole Saint Luc City the paths are clearly marked with yellow and blue colors after every 500 meters, to keep the walkers on the right track.The government of Canada also uses the motion signs on the paths to guide those seeing these recreational places for this reason even people who are new to Canada can access these places without facing difficulties in locating them. It should not be forgotten that these can be of help to only those that are literate and who have no visual impairments. Sign language solves the language difficulty. Where people cannot communicate in one language then signs prove to be useful. But still you may not be able to enjoy these places as you should. If you do not speak the same language you may be limited to access places and information that you need.Lack of enough financial resources also limits people from enjoying their leisure to the maximum as not all these places are accessible for free. To access some of these you must part with some money. Lastly you may fail to have an excellent leisure time if you are not used to the climate of that particular region. For example, in the Trudeau Park pedal boats that are only available in summers and ice during the winter so if you go during other times apart from summer and winter respectively then you cannot enjoy your leisure time. Therefore climate can also be a limitation.In short, Canada offers people with one of the best recreational place s in the world. The Cote Saint Luc City is a home to these places for example there is a public library, Samuel Moskovitch Arena, walking paths and Trudeau Park where some are freely accessible for free or at a fee. There are some barriers that may prevent one from enjoying these leisure places. These are factors like culture, language, physical disabilities and unfamiliar ness with a new place.Reference:6985 Mackle Road. Samuel Moskovitch Arena.Lesson 6: Commercial Recreation, Economics of recreation.Lesson 5: Travel and Tourism study materials.Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park, 6975 Macle road.Heart in Motion Walking Paths, Cote Saint Luc City.

Black Rage-Book Report Essay

The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed and thickly coated with ethnic, racial conflicts ask a crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven -like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—these alone are enough! When an individual or a people of a particular race are constantly nagged and abused, condemned and ostracized by the society, they become bitter and cynical individuals. Heartfelt care and concern, an understanding approach and tender regard for their feelings are necessary pre-requisites to heal their inner wounds. Adequate opportunities need to be created for their ‘reformation’ and ‘rehabilitation’ into the mainstream of the society. The authors feel that it is not an easy task. Each and every molecule of the Negro race is surcharged with the hidden grudge as for the inhuman treatment meted out to them in all walks of life, from the cradle to the grave and from the womb to the tomb and this process continued for centuries. They were branded from birth as ‘niggers. ’ This insult on their personality is difficult to condone. Brief summary of the book: This is a classic work on black identity. This is also criticized as one of the sexiest books. Slavery is no ordinary crime against humanity. The book explains the race relations and its dynamics in the day to day living of the blacks vs. whites. How at each step of the ladder the blacks were pulled down, how they were made to stumble at deliberately created hurdles by the whites, how slavery dynamics deeply impact the cross-racial sexual relationships etc. It is one thing to have freedom and protection for the essential human dignity of the individual legally. It is good to have uniform constitutional rights for whites and blacks. But what mattes is the interpretation of the laws and their applicability to the ground level situations, concerning the blacks. The book is an authentic source of inspiration to the educated younger generation of blacks, and for the African psychologists of the day. The book cites case studies and they are properly dealt with. The point by point analysis of the â€Å"intra-psychic† dynamics of Black life in every day America is extremely informative and an eye-opener. Blacks, in many parts of the world where the whites were the dominating community, suffered, and in USA they suffered intensely. The authors are psychiatrists by profession and they are eminently suited to treat this subject. The inner conflicts and the desperation of back life, how they carry on with their back to the wall existence—all these have been highlighted, with the zeal of pursuing the truth. As the black race is exposed to various social situations related to the individual growth through education, employment, achievement of status in life, the intra-racial problems have begun to crop up with great intensity. The authors cite the case of an educated school teacher, marrying a laborer. They explain: â€Å"†¦She was embarrassed by his poor education. He felt that she and her friends were â€Å"phony† and that she was preoccupied with maintaining senseless appearances. Their mutual hostility led to verbal and later physical assaults. Divorce was the result. This pattern is so common in Negro marriages that it deserves special study, which might shed light on the broader problems of how in America choice of mate and marriage in general is influenced by a person’s blackness. †(p. 75) The authors put forth strong arguments that black people living in a racist, white dominated society have suffered and are suffering psychological pressure by the effects of racist oppression. This sometimes, has the telling effect in on the day to day disposition and black people act in unpredictable manner. The thesis of the book: Will the country ever awake in to that heaven of freedom, and when it will be free from the division of narrow domestic walls created by race prejudices? What you do to mitigate the mental barrier of racial discrimination on so many counts is not important. How you do, what you do is indeed important. More acts and legislations have helped to create a stir in the minds of whites and blacks. But the problem eludes permanent solution. This is so, because the feeling of superiority within the minds of the whites has to change. When the thought process will change, the action process will also change! When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the Nation is changed. Then only we can way that plenty and prosperity engulfs USA, not otherwise! The contents and arguments in the book contain too much sex, much more than required by the literary standards. But some times, these issues are beyond the control of the authors. Firstly the book must sell. This is the prime objective of the publisher. Fortunately or unfortunately, sex sells. If it is handled well, it sells well. This could be one of the reasons for the extra dose of sex in the book—this may not be as well! This book has about 230 pages with 10 chapters, Who’s angry, the shadow of the past, achieving womanhood, acquiring manhood, marriage and love, character traits, the â€Å"Promise† of education, mental illness and treatment, and how come there’s so much hate and black rage. In a nutshell, the contents of the book discuss and analyze the bitter past of slavery in USA, the tension-ridden race relations in USA today, and the future of black and white race relations which have the possibilities to turn worst, on the slightest provocation, when the black race is making its presence felt strongly, in political, social, and economic spheres. In sports, blacks are dominating! The blacks accepted the domination of the white race-will the whites accept the domination of the black race in times to come? Will the law of divine retribution work in this context? Identify the evidence used by the author to support his/ her thesis That which is evident requires no introduction, elaboration, or appreciation. Light is bright and it is evident. Milk is white and it is evident. Simply say black race in America, and everything is evident. The saga of suffering of the Negro race, the era of slavery, violence and cruelty to subdue their legitimate aspirations rotates on the curtain of one’s mind. The authors of Black Rage do not mince words when it comes to condemning the atrocities committed on the black race. â€Å"The voice of black America has been heard in the explosions of Watts, Newark, and Detroit,† they warn. (p. 3) They assert their aspiration in strongest terms. â€Å"Black people continue to revolt against laws and customs that are deadly and humiliating†¦Aggression leaps from wounds inflicted and ambitions spiked. It grows out of oppression and capricious cruelty. †(p. 3). The younger generation of Negroes is not willing to wait and accept ‘the tactful handling of the situation’ by the whites when their interests matter. The white race is not willing to travel in the boat where the rudder is controlled by the black. The blacks are aware, by their bitter past experiences that the whites will go to any extent when their own interests matter. This causes more frustration and apprehension in the black community and adversely affects their psyche. The example cited in the text is that of Jimmy, a twelve year old boy. â€Å"His face was jet-black, and his expressions ranged from somber to sad. Whether relating stories of home, school, or the streets, he disguised his true feelings. At twelve he had learned one of his first lessons–always play it cool. As much as possible, he worked to hide his inner life. One day he stared long and hard at his fist and said: â€Å"I want to hit a white man. †(p. 59) State your own opinion and ideas about this book. The book contains tough opinions about the white race. To tell a black youngster to forget the past, say that he is constitutionally protected and enjoys equal rights as applicable to whites or any ethnic group is as good as telling him a story. The suffering of the Negro race is something very special and closely linked to the destiny of America. The black can condone the past; they can not ignore or forget it. The whites are not obliging the blacks by the present stance of understanding them. They have no other alternative. They must accept their newfound social position—equal in every respect as compared to the black people and it is their duty to say that the black-brother is first among the equal. They must attempt and secure the transformation within. The writers put it crisply and authoritatively. â€Å"After all, the thoughts begin, the Negro is also an American and if he is different it is only matter of degree. Cliches are brought forth and there is a lengthy recitation of the names of famous Negroes. Long association has bred feelings of familiarity which masquerade as knowledge. But there remain puzzles about black people; all is not understood; something is missing. †(p. 23) â€Å"It is better to have a world united than a world divided; but it is better to have a world divided, than a world destroyed,† said Sir Winston Churchill at the time of II World War. Presently, does this quote apply to the solution for the race problem in USA? USA will never be divided in geographical terms, the Constitution of USA is strong enough, the political leaders have enough foresight, but the example given in the book is shocking and is the definite pointer, how the division of the hearts is complete. How Come There’s So Much Hate? â€Å"When the man died, his wife of forty years was pitied by her friends. The widow was a stern New Englander; her dead husband was a black. In spite of strong social disapproval of their marriage, they had raised children and prospered. There had been some discord between them, but they handled it discreetly and the children had never heard them comment on racial matters. Even when a racial incident was prominent in the news, not a word was said about it. The children assumed that their mother had long since accepted the realities of marriage to a black man. They were completely unprepared for her words when her husband died: â€Å"Thank God that nigger is gone! â€Å"(p. 181) Spirituality, not religion, seems to be the only answer to this vexed problem of race relations. Once a human being crosses the mind barrier, all differences all tensions, cease! Mind is a bundle of negative and positive thoughts. The usual methods of suppressing the thoughts and emotions are not going to bring permanent peace. If the Negro race has to surrender at any point, it has got to be the dynamic surrender, of a supreme and brave human being. They should not accept the supremacy of the white race, nor demand the pound of flesh for the historical misdeeds of the whites. If the revengeful attitude persists, it will take them and the Nation nowhere. If the Nation does not survive how will the black and white races survive?