Plesiadapis Facts

Plesiadapis Facts Name: Plesiadapis (Greek for almost Adapis); pronounced PLESS-ee-ah-DAP-iss Habitat: Woodlands of North America and Eurasia Historical Period: Late Paleocene (60-55 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 5 pounds Diet: Fruits and seeds Distinguishing Characteristics: Lemur-like body; rodent-like head; gnawing teeth About Plesiadapis One of the earliest prehistoric primates yet discovered, Plesiadapis lived during the Paleocene epoch, a mere five million years or so after the dinosaurs went extinct- which does much to explain its rather small size (Paleocene mammals had yet to attain the large sizes typical of the mammalian megafauna of the later Cenozoic Era). The lemur-like Plesiadapis looked nothing like a modern human, or even the later monkeys from which humans evolved; rather, this small mammal was notable for the shape and arrangement of its teeth, which were already semi-suited to an omnivorous diet. Over tens of millions of years, evolution would send the descendants of Plesiadapis down from the trees and onto the open plains, where they would opportunistically eat anything that crawled, hopped, or slithered their way, at the same time evolving ever-larger brains. It took a surprisingly long time for paleontologists to make sense of Plesiadapis. This mammal was discovered in France in 1877, only 15 years after Charles Darwin published his treatise on evolution, On the Origin of Species, and at a time when the idea of humans evolving from monkeys and apes was extremely controversial. Its name, Greek for almost Adapis, references another fossil primate discovered about 50 years earlier. We can now infer from the fossil evidence that the ancestors of Plesiadapis lived in North America, possibly coexisting with dinosaurs, and then gradually crossed over to western Europe by way of Greenland.

Essay Sample on Changing The Notions of Change

Essay Sample on Changing The Notions of Change Change is an ongoing process that involves the alternation of one state to another. However, the way individuals respond to that change is largely determined by their perspective, of how they see and understand things as well as their underlining psychological, social and ideological constructions. The process of change may be spontaneous and it involves pre-change, catalyst and outcomes. In studying â€Å"Looking for Alibrandi† by Melina Marchetta, this concept of change is shaped in terms of the central character Josie’s experience and lessons. Not only that, this universal theme is also observable in texts as diverse as â€Å"The Door† by Miroslav Holub, â€Å"American History X† by David McKenna, â€Å"My father began as a god† by Ian Mundie and â€Å"Student finds enlightenment in an embrace with her heritage†, an article out of the SMH written by Cynthia Banham. Collectively, various composers utilise a range of textual forms as well as stylistic techniques to convey the notions of change. Initially, the protagonist Josie of â€Å"LFA† takes a melancholic stance towards her position in the society. Her psychology is affected by her insecurity and confusion towards her cultural identity. â€Å"As far as the Italians were concerned, we weren’t completely one of them†¦We weren’t completely Australians.† The use of â€Å"we† brings the reader closer to Josie by speaking as if the responder belongs to her own social context, thus achieving empathy. Josie’s perceptions and ideology is shaped by her social background â€Å"At St Martha’sbrains didn’t count as much, money prestige and what your father did for a living counted†¦it makes me feel that I will never be part of their society.† First person narration is used in compliance with the confession style direct speech which effectively creates empathy as Josie never lies about her inner feelings. Being illegitimate and belonging to a lower-middle class , Josie’s ideology is strongly affected by the microcosm of a rich school society. Her envious tone conveys her self-discriminative feelings â€Å"Being stuck at a school dominated by rich people, rich parents†¦Anglo Saxon Australians who I cant see as having a problem in the world.† As can be seen, Josie’s initial confused perspective is effectively shaped by her psychological, social and ideological constructions. Progressing from the pre-change phase, Josie faces many catalysts initiated by herself and external influences. Her first encounter involves the entrance of Michael Andretti, her long lost father into her life. However, being neglected for seventeen years, she holds a mutually furious and confused attitude towards his presence. Her impulsive and angry tone demonstrates this:† How dare you think that I want to be in your life!† This however, contrasts to a later event where she utilises the external catalyst and initiates it as her own after she seeks Michael’s assistance with the Carly Bishop conflict. When Michael rescues her, she admits that â€Å"For a few minutes I knew how it felt to walk alongside one’s father, it was a great feeling.† her tone changes as she is no longer confused thus showing change, when self inflicted may lead to positive consequences. Another event which alters Josie’s perspective is the annual walkathon where she disregarded her responsibilities as the vice captain of school to lead the juniors. Her confessional tone conveys that she is maturing from the lesson â€Å"Deep down I knew I was wrong†¦I think my emancipation began at that moment.† Later on the day, she also discovers the truth about her captaincy that she was in fact voted the school captain. Her initial negative view about her social standings in the school takes a positive turn â€Å"and I was voted the school captain. Socially we weren’t as shitty as we thought we were.† One of the strongest catalysts which influence Josie is those of John Barton’s death. It effectively acts as the denouement of the novel, where the climax resolves all the conflicts. During the event Josie’s envious perspective on the rich and successful is challenged â€Å"How dare he kill himself when he’s never had any worries?† Her anxiety is resolved by her father that â€Å"A person doesn’t necessarily have to be happy just because they have social standings and material wealth, Josie.† John’s death is tragic but it allows Josie to mature from her naÐ ¿ve ideological perspective on the rich microcosm of the society. It can be therefore argued that change, whether initiated by self or external forces will allow people to positively progress. Every change has its outcomes. Josie’s confused perspective on her heritage is effectively resolved by â€Å"I’m an Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins.† Her change of tone also shows the change of perspective when she initially mocks religion by reading a â€Å"hot pants† magazine in religion class. â€Å"It’s full of rubbish†¦do you think that they have a column named â€Å"are you a good Christian†?† the naÐ ¿ve and arrogant tone changes to a much more serious and mature one â€Å"I’ll believe in god and I won’t let any church rules take that away from me.† To allow changes to be easily observable, Marchetta uses chronological narrations where Josie’s life is told through the period of one year. â€Å"You know, a wonderful thing happened to me when I reflected back on my year, â€Å"one day† came because I finally understood.† Marchetta’s use of Intertexuality effectively highlights Josie’s emancipation â€Å"I’m not seventeen anymore, the seventeen where Janis Ian sang about where one learns the truth, but what she failed to mention is that you keeping learning truths after seventeen and I want to keep learning truths until the day I die.† This therefore conveys the notion that change is an ongoing process, not merely from point A to B. Miroslav Holub’s poetry â€Å"The Door† depicts the change as a process. The poem begins with the imperative â€Å"Go and open the door† which actively encourage the responders to explore change. â€Å"The door† symbolises the barriers which enclose and restrict people’s perspective to those of present. It also symbolises an entry into a new world of possibilities to gain a new perspective. The use of â€Å"Maybe† in italics and its repetition conveys that change has no certainties, but its results are dependent on the person’s perspective and interpretations â€Å"Maybe outside there’s a tree, a wood†. However, the use of an optimistic tone persuades the reader that â€Å"If there’s a fog, it will clear.† The use of figurative language describes the worst possibilities of change â€Å"even if there’s only the darkness tickling, even there is only the howling wind† then builds to a climax with a reductive sentence structure â€Å"even if Nothing Is there† This technique effectively forces the responder to read slower, until the last stanza, the coda which contains the theme of the poem â€Å"at least there’ll be a draught†. It shows that whatever the possibilities, whether good or bad, people will ultimately benefit from change. The similar notions are conveyed in â€Å"LFA† where the process of Josie’s change begins with obstacles, but she is able to successfully embrace change thus directing it to the best results, seen through her emancipations. Similar concepts of change are represented in the film â€Å"American History X†. The Protagonist Danny is brother to the leader of a fascist gang (D.O.C.), Derek who is imprisoned for the killing of a black American. Initially, Danny lives in a troublesome part of the America where racial tension is wide spread. Naturally, his psychological, social and ideological construction is based around white domination over the ethnic groups. His prejudice views however, radically changes as Derek is released from prison years later. His confrontation with Danny describes his experience in the prison thus highlighting that not one race is more superior. There are many techniques in the film that shapes meaning for change. The story, much like â€Å"LFA† is narrated in chronological order in the form of an essay. It effectively shows the processes of change as organised and structured. It also allows the responders to witness the perspectives of before â€Å"Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, those perils are polluting our beautiful country† and an after â€Å"we must be tolerant of each other’s differences, what separates us is not the culture, but good and evil.† Symbolism of swastika is highly effective in showing Derek’s initial fascist perspective towards the ethnics. However, later as he tries desperately to wash it off, it remains as it was tattooed showing Derek’s resentments for being a fascist. Changing perspective is evident in Danny’s act of ripping the Nazi flags off his room, which symbolises his movement away from the Nazi ideology. Intertexuality is employed to highlight Dannyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s change of perspective. Near the end of his film he quotes from Abraham Lincoln to convey his new perspectives â€Å"We are not enemies, but friends, we must not be enemies, though passions may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic cords of memory will swell when again touched as surely they will be by the angels of our nature.† Technique of denouement is employed to convey Danny’s final perspective, that of tolerance â€Å"Life’s too short to be pissed off all the time.† It concludes the film with the death of Danny by the gun of a black youth. The film conveys the notion that change is a process which will ultimately allow empathy into another perspective. However the outlook for further change is bleak for Danny whose process terminates at his death. This contrasts to Josie of â€Å"LFA† whose outlook is long and broad. Both texts explore the cultural crisis and universally convey that positive change of perspective needs to be self- directed to achieve greater balance in the society â€Å"My father Began as a God† conveys the notion of change through many ways. It is similar to â€Å"LFA† as it is narrated in first person chronologically. The responders are then able to observe the changes of perspective from the narrator from young to old. The first two stanzas describes the father in a toddler’s eyes, with figurative language and biblical allusion to Moses â€Å"My father began as a god†¦as if bought down from Sinai† Proceeding to the third stanza, an obvious change in tone shows the change of perspective of narrator to an adolescent â€Å"until by my time of adolescence, he had become a foolish small man.† This effectively contrasts to the previous stanza and allow the responders to empathise with the narrator of a gigantic god transforming into a small man. The arrogant tone changes as the narrator matures on the next stanza, reaching empathy â€Å"his faults and his intolerances, scaled away into the past revealing v irtues.† The process of change ends for the father, but continues for the narrator in the last stanza â€Å"how the deeper he recedes into the grave the more I see myself as just one of all the little men.† The empathetic tone conveys that change is an ongoing process, and perspective alters after experience thus reaching ultimate empathy. This poem contrasts to â€Å"The Door† as it represents change as a definite and predicative process, whereas â€Å"The Door† coveys change as a more ambivalent kind. The idea of outlook is bleak in this poem where it shows the ultimate outcome is death but the message conveyed in â€Å"LFA† as well as â€Å"The Door† is those of infinite possibilities for further change. Finally, â€Å"Student finds enlightenment in an embrace with her heritage† is a feature article that explores the changing perspectives of ethnical Australian culture. Thao Nguyen’s initial perspectives are shaped by her aspiration of childhood that she â€Å"prayed to God that one day she’ll wake up with blonde hair and blue eyes.† Living in a society where the white Anglo-Saxons claims majority, her ideology is shown in direct quote â€Å"You seem more accepted when you are white.† Her confused psychological state is highlighted by her â€Å"try to surround herself with only ‘white’ friends.† When she was young However, the catalysts for the change occur after she discovers on her passport that she is an Australian. Her thoughts were that â€Å"I thought Australian was white and I never called myself Australian.† Due to this revelation, her perspective begins to mature through time, especially after her humanitarian wor k in Vietnam. She claims that â€Å"It was a very enlightening experience and a turning point where I realised who I was.† It can be seen in this case that experience shapes new perspectives. The outcome of change is conveyed through the pull quote which is situated at the centre of the article, highlighting the theme â€Å"I wasn’t completely Vietnamese in an Australian society, nor completely Australian in a Vietnamese society. I was a hybrid of both and that was ok.† To a further extent, the result of change is positively portrayed by the photograph of Thao smiling, looking relaxed and attractive. The caption is integrated to convey the acceptance of change, of Thao being â€Å"Happy to be Australian†. The headline of the article also suggests that change is embraced. The final result is always dependant on the person’s ability to direct change to their advantage. This article makes some uncanny resemblance to â€Å"LFA† as both texts explore the cultural identity crisis. Although some psychological factors between Josie and Thao are different; where Josie has only â€Å"wog† friends and Thao befriends with the white Australians; Both characters are able to open â€Å"The Door† thus finding self definition. Therefore, although the styles and form may be different, both texts are able to sustain a universal theme of change. In conclusion, change is definitely a process that can sometimes be spontaneous in nature. However, different people’s psychological, social and ideological construction shapes their perspectives that reflect on the way they respond and direct that change. The different stages of change are universally shaped by different texts and techniques by characters like Josie in â€Å"LFA†, Danny in â€Å"American History X† and the personas/narrators in â€Å"The Door† and â€Å"My father began as a God† as well as Thao Nguyen in â€Å"Student finds Enlightenment in an embrace with her heritage†. It then can be said that change, although come in many forms all explores similar universal themes. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on Changing Perspective topics at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Christian worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christian worldview - Essay Example God blessed them and ordered them to multiply in number, fill and control the whole earth. Humans were also to have dominion over all the created things, both living and non-living (Genesis 1:26-28) (Version, 2011). According to the Bible, God has chosen humans to be the leaders and rulers of the world. They have the authority to rule over all the living creatures on land and in the sea. Humans have more dignity than all the created animals in the sea and on land. Despite the fact that humans are more rational and have been chosen to be rulers over all other creatures, this does not give them the authority to harm other animals or living creatures. A suitable rationale for all human beings is created by the biblical worldview. One of the common problems in the Christian worldview is suffering. The vast population of the universe assumes that suffering results from human sin. The issue of personal suffering is widely addressed by Jesus in John chapter nine. In this chapter, the disciples assumed that the man’s blindness was because of his sins. In the chapter, Jesus explained that the blindness of the man was not as a result of the sins of the man’s parents but a way through which God’s works were to be demonstrated (John 9:3). Jesus argued that man’s suffering would not go to waste, but would instead be used to glorify God in his life. The illustrations reveal that man’s suffering is not because of his or her sins. However, God utilizes suffering to remind human beings that sins have adverse consequences. In conclusion, human value, suffering and authenticity play a significant role in the thoughts, beliefs and existence of human beings. The faith on which Christianity is based is cogent and practical. It offers solutions to varied questions that relate to the heart and mind. All human beings survive by faith. People may have faith in themselves, the government or a supernatural being. Other people have faith in

Life Cycle Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Life Cycle Assessment - Essay Example In these way sustainable enterprises, therefore is one that contributes to sustainable development by delivering simultaneously economic, social and environmental benefits so called triple bottom-line (Elkington, 1994). The global challenges associated with sustainability, viewed through the appropriate set of business lenses, can help to identify strategies and practices that contribute to a more sustainable world and simultaneously, drive share holders value (Hart and Milstein, 2003). The sustainable value framework developed by Hart & Milstein (2003) creates four- quadrant contains sustainability vision clean technology, pollution prevention and product stewardship. Now to sustain the business on the long term basis, products must be more energy efficient, reduce end of life waste, decrease pollution etc. To develop this kind of product, we have to promote environmentally conscious design which promotes energy efficient and environmentally sensitive energy generation. Environmentally conscious design works within the economic and technological constraints to develop and use new technologies that are sustainable in the long run. Environmental conscious designs of the products are the necessity of the time and to develop these products, we face could face numerous problems as well as challenges. Now to develop a product this is environmentally conscious and have the design to support it is the subject of various areas. The process of designing such products is very cumbersome. There is continuous process to improve the design of the products. In the process of development of products, industries are including the waste handling in the scope of process and marking efforts to reframe or design processes which can use the existing waste facilities and to avoid the need to invest in new treatment facilities. In the process of design reevaluation, some efforts have been taken to integrate materials integration techniques as a cost effective ways of reducing pollutant emissions. In the process of developing environmentally conscious subjects, one must assess environmental impacts through life cycle assessment. In the lifecycle assessment (LCA), we must evaluate environmental impacts on the every stage of development of the products i.e., from starting to end. More and more academics have applied life cycle assessment to all the development of industry in Europe. LCA has represented by life cycle problem. Recently LCA represents a new way of thinking about the industries results into most cost effective development. The use of natural products, new way applied to produce time, use of raw materials and natural resources which ultimately minimize waste and adverse impact on people as well as natural environment. In the life cycle process, products entire life cycle from design to final uses and disposal as well as reuse of raw materials has been included. LCA shows a new way to think about manufacturing of the produc6ts which includes the most efficient and productive use of raw materials and natural resources. It is a process which depends on minimizing wastes, avoiding adverse impact on workers and on the natural environment. In the LCA application, we analyze the complete life of the product i.e. from design, raw material and natural resou

Fast Plants Materials and Methods Essay Example for Free

Fast Plants Materials and Methods Essay When first preparing our fast plants we had to set up four different systems that would dictate our variable of fluorescent light. Each system would provide light to our fast plants for different amounts of time per day. Our systems were set up for 0 hours of light, 6 hours of light, 12 hours of light, and 24 hours of light. To setup the lab we began to setup our lighting system with fluorescent a timer for each set of fast plants. Our 24 hours was set up in the classroom with a lighting system directly above it. For our 0,6, and 12 hours we placed the fast plants inside of a cabinet to prevent the fast plants from being exposed to outside light. Once our plant light houses were setup we began preparing the growing systems and plants. We started by using a thoroughly wet water mat and wick. We fed our wicks up through the bottom part of our plant pots, which were made out of Styrofoam. After the wick was fed through we placed the water on top so the top 3cm of the wick was touching the water mat. After preparing the wick and water mat we then placed the prepared soil and blue crystalized fertilizer in the plant pots. After the soil was placed we distributed 4 plant seed evenly throughout the plant pots. After we labeled each Styrofoam plant holder accordingly to date and variable used, we covered the plant seeds lightly with fertilizer. Once the seeds were planted we placed the Styrofoam holders on top of a container of water with bottoms of the wicks placed in the water. Then we placed four different Styrofoam pots under each of our lighting systems. Once the plants were placed we made sure the plants were about 10cm below the light. After the growing system and plants were complete we set the timers for the light systems to four different times: 0hrs, 6hrs, 12hrs, and 24hrs. After four days of growing we observed and measured each plant that grew in our 8 pots (4 seeds per pot). Once measured and the data was recorded, we removed the 3 smallest plants from each pot, which left us with 32 different fast plants. This method of removing plants to prevent overcrowding is called â€Å"thinning†. Each day we replenished the nutrient solution and replaced the plants so they were about 10cm from the light source. On day 18 we terminated and new buds or flowers so that the plant can focus on seed growth. Then on day 37 we removed our plants from our watering system and allowed them to dry until brown and crispy, which was about one week. Then we cut off our stems and seed pods and crushed the seed pods to acquire our seeds.

Sonia and Raskolnikov in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

Sonia and Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment    Sonia and Raskolnikov are two characters that interact with each other in the novel, Crime and Punishment. They interact on multiple levels, sharing several likenesses. Both of these characters are at-times self-sacrificing, both are struggling for meaning in a dreary existence, and both are generally unhappy people, but brighten and seem to enjoy each other's presence--even when Raskolnikov is berating her religion. What is self-sacrifice, for which these characters and so many people around the world engage in? It is a desire to help those around us more than we wish to help ourselves. This is not normal human state, although it can be brought about easily by societal pressures, and sometimes even political societies can compel this attitude. Sonia practices a form of altruism for her family however. She acquires a yellow card and takes her body off to the moral slaughter by sacrificing it to others for money--money that will go to her starving, poor family. Though not his predomin ant state of mind or action, Raskolnikov does have temporal tendencies towards self-sacrifice. It seems that part of his state of mind when considering the murder of the pawnbroker is that he will be helping society as a whole--definitely a motive that comes from outside the self. Sonia and Raskolnikov share many characteristics that make them an interesting encounter for each other. A tendency to self-sacrifice for one, and a life of it for another, provides for an amalgam of psychological likenesses which help the characters relate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due in part to their self-sacrificing lives, both characters are also trying to search for meaning in the dreary existence which they are subjected to. Sonia finds this meaning in the Bible, in a belief in God. Raskolnikov writes a theory. He finds solace in thinking that he himself is a god-like creature, he believes he is extraordinary. A belief in being a subject of the Divine and thinking that there are two divisions of men is extremely close. Both of these characters also have their meaning attacked. Porfiry Petrovich attacks and picks for holes in the theory of Raskolnikov. Perhaps as a reaction to this, Raskolnikov picks holes in the support for meaning in Sonia's life--God, the Bible, and her faith. The final glues that continually attracts these two characters is the fact that all their morbid similarities bring them together so that they actually enjoy each other's presence.

In the National Gallery

In the short story In the National Gallery by Doris Lessing we follow a narrator, which gender is unknown for the reader. The story line takes place in the National Gallery – therefore the name of the short story. The narrator’s intention in the gallery is to find a picture big enough to be able to sit in the middle of the room looking at it, which is succeeded. An old man joins the narrator on the bench together with a younger man, also with the intention of looking at the picture.The old man lectures the younger man about Stubbs’ picture which shows that the old man already familiar with the picture, â€Å"How much I would have liked to know as much as he did[†¦]†(p. 2 ll. 15-16) However it does not interest the younger one, and he walks away while looking, â€Å"†¦ a bit rueful, like a pupil chidden by a teacher†(p. 2 ll. 21-22). The narrator makes up a relation between the young and the elderly man, which is shown in the following quot e, â€Å"†¦ as if saying, â€Å"Oh, let’s kiss and make up†Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 2 ll. 29). It shows how the narrator makes up an abnormal relationship between the two of them.As if they are boyfriends. It is not abnormal if they are homosexuals but the abnormal thing about the assumable relationship is the big generation gap. Another example of a big generation gap in the short story is when a group of young French girls steps into the gallery. The narrator mentions how the girls’ entrance creates a contrast to the normality in the National Gallery. In the group there is a sort of leader â€Å"a package to be admired† (p. 3 line 41-42) as the narrator says. The narrator explains to the reader how the old man on the bench is gazing intensely on the leader of the girl group.Of course the reader is not 100% reliable in the things he/she observes, but the old man’s interest in the young girl is patent in a quote, which is when the old man addresses the na rrator, â€Å"†She’s like a girl I was in love with once. (p. 3 ll. 71). He tells the narrator about how the girl from the past walked out on him, and this arouses old, hidden feelings in the old man. Throughout Doris Lessing’s In the National Gallery the reader follows the progress in the short story through a 1st person narrator. He/she acts passively and is just observing throughout the whole short story.The narrator attaches importance to the relationship between the elderly and the young man and also especially the relationship between the elderly man and the young French girl. The only time the narrator acts actively in the short story is when he/she talks to the old man about his first love that the French girl looks like. Because of the 1st person narrator the short story does not necessarily correspond with what is happening in reality. The group of girls and the two men is characters we only hear about through the narrator. It means that what the narra tor tells the reader about the characters is not necessarily true.We experiences them as the narrator do. This is show by this quote, â€Å"In the space of a moment the scene had turned ugly. †(p. ll. 24), this is just the way the narrator experiences the situation, but she/he doesn’t know how the young man and the old man is used to talk with each other and does not now their body language. It is also shown how the narrator is quick to judge in the beginning when the two men are having a discussion. He/she only hears few parts of the conversation between the two, and yet there is an immediately judgment, that the relationship between them are student and teacher, â€Å"A son?A younger brother? Certainly a pupil [†¦] (p. 1 ll. 12). However some of the comments between the two of them, as earlier mentioned creates some a kind of love affair. A 1st person narrator can never be looked at as a trustworthy narrator. Doris Lessing maybe uses this kind of narrator to ma ke her points more indirect and discreet. The short story would have been told in a whole different way, if she had used a third person omniscient point of view. With a first person narrator the reader is forced to think about what the narrator tells us if we want to get a deeper meaning of what is being told.An example of this is in the end of the short story. The group of girls is leaving the National Gallery and the narrator assumes that the old man is following them, â€Å"Slowly, he followed. Oh no, I was thinking [†¦] There was a wildness in the air, unexpressed, and raw, and dangerous. † (p. 5 ll. 151-154). What the narrator experiences in this quote do not correspond with the environment that usually is in a museum. The narrator gets carried away with his/hers lively imaginations since the narrator has these associations.On the other hand, a 1st person narrator gives a subjective, detailed description of the characters. In this short story the narrator for instan ce sympathize with the elderly man but also thinks that it is repulsive that he looks so intensely after the French girl â€Å"The man next to me was staring hard at her(p. 3 ll. 51). Because of the detailed description of the characters, the reader does not need to think about the underlying information about them. But again, a 1st person narrator is unreliable which the reader needs to be attentive about.

Morton Handley Case Study

Morton & Handley Case Study a. What are the four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money, or the general level of interest rates, in the economy? The four most fundamental factors that affect the cost of money are: production opportunities, time of consumption, risk and inflation. The interest rate given to savers is based on: the rate of return on invested capital, savers time preferences for current versus future consumption, the riskiness of the loan, the expected future rate of inflation. High inflation and high risk will result in high interest rates. b. What is the real risk-free rate of interest (r*) and the nominal risk-free rate (rRF)? How are these two rates measured? The real risk-free rate of interest is the rate that would exist on default-free securities when there is no inflation. The nominal risk-free rate is equal to the real risk-free rate plus an inflation premium. The inflation premium is equal to the average expected inflation rate over the life of the security into the rate they charge. These rates are measured in percentages. . Define the terms inflation premium (IP), default risk premium (DRP), liquidity premium (LP), and maturity risk premium (MRP). Which of these premiums is included when determining the interest rate on (1) short-term U. S. Treasury securities, (2) long-term U. S. Treasury securities, (3) short-term corporate securities, and (4) long-term corporate securities? Explain how the premiums would vary over time and among the different securities listed. Inflation premium is a premium added to the real risk-free rate of interest to compensate for potential inflation. The default risk premium is a premium based on the probability that the person who issues the loan will not follow through; this is measured with the difference between the U. S. interest rate on a Treasury bond and a corp. bond of equal maturity and marketability. A liquid asset can be sold at a predicted price in a short amount of time. A liquidity premium is added to the rate of interest on securities which are not liquid. The maturity risk premium reflects the interest rate risk. Long-term securities have more interest rate risk than short-term securities and the maturity risk premium is added to represent the risk. Short term long term treasury securities include an inflation premium. Long-term treasury securities also contains a maturity risk premium. Short-term rates on corporate securities are equal to the real-risk free rate plus premiums for inflation, liquidity and default risk. Premiums will alter based on the financial strength of the company and the degree of liquidity. Long term rates on corporate securities includes a premium for maturity risk. Corporate securities typically yield the greatest gains out of the four types of securities. . What is the term structure of interest rates? What is a yield curve? The term structure of interest rates is the relationship between interest rates, or yields, and maturities of securities. A yield curve shows the relationship between bond yields and maturities. e. Suppose most investors expect the inflation rate to be 5% next year, 6% the following year, and 8% thereafter. The real risk-free rate is 3%. The maturity risk premium is zero for bonds t hat mature in 1 year or less and 0. 1% for 2-year bonds; then the MRP increases by 0. % per year thereafter for 20 years, after which it is stable. What is the interest rate on 1-, 10-, and 20-year Treasury bonds? Draw a yield curve with these data. What factors can explain why this constructed yield curve is upward sloping? Average expected inflation rate over year 1 to year 20 Yr. 1: Interest Premium= 5% Yr. 10: IP= (5+6+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8)/10= 7. 5% Yr. 20: IP= (5+6+8+8+8+8=8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8+8)/20 =7. 75% Maturity risk premium in each year: Yr. 1: MRP= 0% Yr. 10: MRP= . 1% x 9 = 0. 9% Yr. 20: MRP= . 1% x 19 = 1. 9% Sum the IPs and MRPs, and add real risk-free rate: r*=3% Yr. 1: rRF= 3%+5%+0%= 8% Yr. 10: rRF= 3%+7. 5%+. 9%= 11. 4% Yr. 20: rRF= 3%+7. 75%+1. 9%= 12. 65% The shape of the curve depends on the expectations about future inflation and relative riskiness of securities with different maturities. In this situation the yield curve would be sloping upward which is because of the expected increase in inflation and maturity risk premium. f. At any given time, how would the yield curve facing a AAA-rated company compare with the yield curve for U. S. Treasury securities? At any given time, how would the yield curve facing a BB-rated company compare with the yield curve for U. S. Treasury securities? Draw a graph to illustrate your answer. The AAA rated curve, the BB rated curve and the U. S. treasury curve are all parallel to each other. The BB rated accumulates the most interest rate, then comes the AAA company and then the U. S. treasury. The yield normally slopes upward because short term interest rates are typically lower than long term interest rates. Corporate yield curves will always be above government yield curves. The riskier the corporation the higher the yield curve. The distance between the corporate yield curve and the treasury curve increases as the corporate bond’s rating decreases. g. What is the pure expectations theory? What does the pure expectations theory imply about the term structure of interest rates? The pure expectations theory is the theory that investors establish bond prices and interest rates on the sole basis of expectations for interest rates. The term structure of interest rates describes the relationship between long and short term rates. The investors are indifferent about maturity expectations of short-term and long-term bonds. The investors perceive long-term bonds to be riskier than short-term. h. Suppose you observe the following term structure for Treasury securities: MaturityYield 1 year6% 2 yrs. 6. 2% 3 yrs. 6. 4% 4 yrs. 6. 5% 5 yrs. 6. 5% r on 1 yr. securities one year from now: (1. 062)2= (1. 06)(1 + X) 1. 1278= (1. 06)(1 + X) 1. 1278/1. 06= 1 + X 6. 4%= X **Securities will yield 6. 4% r on 3 yr. securities two years from now: (1. 065)5= (1. 062)2(1 + X)3 (1. 065)5/(1. 062)2= (1 + X)3 1. 3701/1. 1278= (1 + X)3 (1. 2148)1/3 – 1= X 6. 7%= X. **Securities will yield 6. 7%

Free Essays on Comparing The Details

â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis† by James Hurst and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allen Poe are both about conflicts between other characters; however, one story has a tone of anger and meanness, while the other has a tone of sadness and sorrow. First and foremost, both stories are alike because one of the characters in both stories kills another character. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the killing that takes place is intentional. Montresor kills Fortunato because he seeks revenge against him. The reason Montresor seeks retaliation against Fortunato is because Fortunato commits an intolerable attack, which is unstated. Montresor mortars Fortunato in an underground cellar because of the attack that Fortunato commits against Montresor. Once they get in the cellar, Montresor chains Fortunato up without any food or water. He then begins to mortar Fortunato in, leaving him to die. In â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis,† the narrator, which is Doodle’s brother, unintentionally kills his brother. In the last part of the short story, there is a lightning storm and the narrator leaves Doodle behind. Knowing that his brother cannot stay up to pace with him he begins to run as fast as he can. When the narrator ca nnot hear his brother anymore, he retraces his steps and finds Doodle with his head buried in his arms with drawn-up knees. He discovers that Doodle is dead. Doodle is bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt are stained red. He causes the death by trying to be mean in the first place. Even though Doodle is not normal, the narrator is trying to force Doodle to be a normal human being like everyone else. One reason he wants him to be normal is because when they go out in public Doodle embarrasses his brother. He does not do it on purpose though. There is a similarity in these stories because they both include one character killing another character. Moreover, both stories are different because they have di... Free Essays on Comparing The Details Free Essays on Comparing The Details â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis† by James Hurst and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allen Poe are both about conflicts between other characters; however, one story has a tone of anger and meanness, while the other has a tone of sadness and sorrow. First and foremost, both stories are alike because one of the characters in both stories kills another character. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the killing that takes place is intentional. Montresor kills Fortunato because he seeks revenge against him. The reason Montresor seeks retaliation against Fortunato is because Fortunato commits an intolerable attack, which is unstated. Montresor mortars Fortunato in an underground cellar because of the attack that Fortunato commits against Montresor. Once they get in the cellar, Montresor chains Fortunato up without any food or water. He then begins to mortar Fortunato in, leaving him to die. In â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis,† the narrator, which is Doodle’s brother, unintentionally kills his brother. In the last part of the short story, there is a lightning storm and the narrator leaves Doodle behind. Knowing that his brother cannot stay up to pace with him he begins to run as fast as he can. When the narrator ca nnot hear his brother anymore, he retraces his steps and finds Doodle with his head buried in his arms with drawn-up knees. He discovers that Doodle is dead. Doodle is bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt are stained red. He causes the death by trying to be mean in the first place. Even though Doodle is not normal, the narrator is trying to force Doodle to be a normal human being like everyone else. One reason he wants him to be normal is because when they go out in public Doodle embarrasses his brother. He does not do it on purpose though. There is a similarity in these stories because they both include one character killing another character. Moreover, both stories are different because they have di...

Major General Benjamin Grierson in the Civil War

Major General Benjamin Grierson in the Civil War Benjamin Grierson - Early Life Career: Born July 8, 1826 in Pittsburgh, PA, Benjamin Grierson was the youngest child of Robert and Mary Grierson. Moving to Youngstown, OH at a young age, Grierson was educated locally. At the age of eight, he was badly injured when he was kicked by a horse. This incident scarred the young boy and left him afraid of riding. A gifted musician, Grierson began leading a local band at age thirteen and later pursued a career as a music teacher. Traveling west, he found employment as a teacher and band leader in Jacksonville, IL during the early 1850s. Making a home for himself, he married Alice Kirk on September 24, 1854. The following year, Grierson became a partner in a mercantile business in nearby Meredosia and later became involved in Republican politics. Benjamin Grierson - The Civil War Begins: By 1861, Griersons business was failing as the nation descended into the Civil War. With the outbreak of hostilities, he joined the Union Army as an aide to Brigadier General Benjamin Prentiss. Promoted to major on October 24, 1861, Grierson overcame his fear of horses and joined the 6th Illinois Cavalry. Serving with the regiment through the winter and into 1862, he was promoted to colonel on April 13. Part of the Union advance into Tennessee, Grierson led his regiment on numerous raids against Confederate railroads and military facilities while also scouting for the army. Displaying skill in the field, he was elevated to command a cavalry brigade in Major General Ulysses S. Grants Army of the Tennessee in November. Moving into Mississippi, Grant sought to capture the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg. Seizing the town was a vital step towards securing the Mississippi River for the Union and cutting the Confederacy in two. In November and December, Grant began advancing along the Mississippi Central Railroad toward Vicksburg. This effort was cut short when Confederate cavalry under Major General Earl Van Dorn attacked his main supply depot at Holly Springs, MS. As the Confederate cavalry withdrew, Griersons brigade was among the forces that mounted an unsuccessful pursuit. In the spring of 1863, Grant began planning a new campaign which would see his forces move down the river and cross below Vicksburg in conjunction with efforts by Rear Admiral David D. Porters gunboats. Benjamin Grierson - Griersons Raid: To support this effort, Grant ordered Grierson to take a force of 1,700 men and raid through central Mississippi. The goal of the raid was to tie down enemy forces while also hampering the Confederates ability to reinforce Vicksburg by destroying railroads and bridges. Departing La Grange, TN on April 17, Griersons command included the 6th and 7th Illinois as wells as 2nd Iowa Cavalry regiments. Crossing the Tallahatchie River the next day, the Union troops enduring heavy rains but met little resistance. Eager to maintain a fast pace, Grierson sent 175 of his slowest, least effective men back to La Grange on April 20. Learning of the Union raiders, the commander at Vicksburg, Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, ordered local cavalry forces to intercept them and directed part of his command to guard the railroads. Over the next several days, Grierson used a variety of ruses to throw off his pursuers as his men began disrupting the railroads of central Mississippi. Attacking Confederate installations and burning bridges and rolling stock, Griersons men created havoc and kept the enemy off balance. Repeatedly skirmishing with the enemy, Grierson led his men south towards Baton Rouge, LA. Arriving on May 2, his raid had been a stunning success and saw his command only lose three killed, seven wounded, and nine missing. More importantly, Griersons efforts effectively distracted Pembertons attention while Grant moved down the west bank of the Mississippi. Crossing the river on April 29-30, he embarked on a campaign that led to Vicksburgs capture on July 4. Benjamin Grierson - Later War: After recovering from the raid, Grierson was promoted to brigadier general and ordered to join Major General Nathaniel Banks XIX Corps at the Siege of Port Hudson. Given command of the corps cavalry, he repeatedly skirmished with Confederate forces led by Colonel John Logan. The city finally fell to Banks on July 9. Returning to action the following spring, Grierson led a cavalry division during Major General William T. Shermans abortive Meridian Campaign. That June, his division was part of Brigadier General Samuel Sturgis command when it was routed by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest at the Battle of Brices Crossroads. Following the defeat, Grierson was directed to take command of Union cavalry in the District of West Tennessee. In this role, he took part in the Battle of Tupelo with Major General Andrew J. Smiths XVI Corps. Engaging Forrest on July 14-15, Union troops inflicted a defeat on the daring Confederate commander. On December 21, Grierson led a raiding force of two cavalry brigades out against the Mobile Ohio Railroad. Attacking a dismounted part of Forrests command at Verona, MS on December 25, he succeeded in taking a large number of prisoners. Three days later, Grierson captured another 500 men when he attacked a train near Egypt Station, MS. Returning on January 5, 1865, Grierson received a brevet promotion to major general. Later that spring, Grierson joined Major General Edward Canby for the campaign against Mobile, AL which fell on April 12. Benjamin Grierson - Later Career: With the end of the Civil War, Grierson elected to remain in the US Army. Though penalized for not being a West Point graduate, he was accepted into the regular service with the rank of colonel in recognition for his wartime achievements. In 1866, Grierson organized the new 10th Cavalry Regiment. Composed of African-American soldiers with white officers, the 10th was one of the original Buffalo Soldier regiments. A firm believer in his mens fighting ability, Grierson was ostracized by many other officers who doubted the African Americans skills as soldiers. After commanding Forts Riley and Gibson between 1867 and 1869, he selected the site for Fort Sill. Overseeing the new posts construction, Grierson led the garrison from 1869 to 1872. During his tenure at Fort Sill, Griersons support of the peace policy on the Kiowa-Comanche Reservation angered many settlers on the frontier. Over the next several years, he oversaw various posts along the western frontier and repeatedly skirmished with raiding Native Americans. During the 1880s, Grierson commanded the Departments of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. As in the past, he was relatively sympathetic to the plight of Native Americans living on the reservations. On April 5, 1890, Grierson was promoted to brigadier general. Retiring that July, he split his time between Jacksonville, IL and a ranch near Fort Concho, TX. Suffering a severe stroke in 1907, Grierson clung to life until finally dying at Omena, MI on August 31, 1911. His remains were later buried in Jacksonville. Selected Sources HistoryNet: The Grierson RaidTSHA: Benjamin H. Grierson Hard Party: Benjamin Grierson

Moral Responsibility of a Leader Research Paper

Moral Responsibility of a Leader - Research Paper Example Intercultural impacts and massive communication facilities are leading us towards next major evolutionary step in human history, the world citizenship. Every individual involved in this process is required to lead an interconnected group in a subtle way. Hence every citizen of the planet is required to hone their leadership abilities like never before. Their leadership quality should be governed by ethics more than personal or group oriented preferences (Schmidt, 2007). But, the way the world works show we are treading in the exact opposite direction. No one ever takes responsibility of any mishap. Rush Kidder pinpoints the lack of this major moral responsibility as â€Å"Ethics Recession†. We will discuss the reasons for the situation, its adverse affects and the means to change into better leaders in this paper. Introduction Every moral leader is responsible not only for their actions but also the dealings they could have prevented doing for the welfare of everyone. Huge corporate companies and conglomerations which will lead this technological era should have iron willed leaders capable of choosing the best for both their company as well as the world in general. This is where ethics come is picture. Every good leader considers all the given options and its alternatives before taking any major decision. They analyze the consequences and the emotional impacts that might affect his crew and others in general. They take firm decisions which are profitable to the company and his employees. They also take the moral responsibility for any discomfort caused by this action (Taylor, 2000). They compensate groups or people affected in the required way and convince them to co-operate in the big picture of development, putting aside their personal grievances. This is exactly how moral leaders behaved for centuries. But the question here is ‘Why is there a sudden decline in such effective leadership?’ Every problem the world faces today, from economical recession to, terrorism and infiltration are a result of this lack of moral leadership (Anello, 2006). The US housing bubble, a major reason for the recession is the best example for what lack of work ethics will do. What happene d to our modern and moral citizens? Will world citizens be well dressed cannibals eating others opportunities whenever possible? If so is it development or a path to destruction? To find suitable answers to these questions we should first define â€Å"Morals† and â€Å"Ethics† The Enormous Responsibility of Leadership The word â€Å"Value† refers to something of importance. A commodity or a products value is determined based on its importance. Similarly the â€Å"Value† of a person is also determined based on his position or status. The decision taken by the ruler or the leader has more â€Å"Value† than the decision taken by a normal man. But every leader including the King was expected to follow some moral conducts known as â€Å"ethics† to maintain this â€Å"value† or their position in the ancient world. When the mob refused to follow its ethics, dictators arouse. When Kings failed to add â€Å"Value† to their decisions thr ough non ethical conduct, the church condemned them and revolutions arouse. The higher the position is the necessity to follow the code of conduct or ethics increases. Hence most of the nobles, church dignitaries and Kings

History of Taxation in Britain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of Taxation in Britain - Research Paper Example The twentieth century started with high spending, which was based on war spending. The First and Second World Wars both lead to very large increases in public spending and rather smaller increases in tax. The Korean War is reported to have a discernible effect, but neither the Falklands (1982) nor the Gulf (1991) conflict seems to have had an impact on spending. The need for more revenue during the war led to increases in tax rates, increases in the coverage of existing taxes and the introduction of wholly new taxes. Perhaps the most dramatic change was to income tax. Prior to the war, income tax had never been a mass tax. It was first introduced in 1799 and was permanently in place from 1842, but there were still fewer than 4 million taxpayers in 1938. By the end of the war, the number of taxpaying families had increased to over 12 million, an increase which was sustained into the following decades. The two marked periods of growth in the last quarter of the century, in the early 1980s and the late 1980s / early 1990s; both the period experienced turmoil in the economic activities of the country, which led both to shrinking GDP and to higher cyclical government spending as unemployment increased gradually. ... pretend as, for each UK household the government allocated 14,000 and 15,000, the amount is equivalent to the post-tax income a childless couple would need to be in the middle of the income distribution, or the amount required by the retired UK national. Local taxes have been an important type of revenue for the UK economy, it accounted for one-third of total revenues, however, its importance declined after World War I and II. 'In the early twentieth century, these accounted for up to a third of total revenues, but their importance declined as the taxes required to pay for both World Wars were raised at the national level', (A. Dilnot and C. Emmerson, 'The economic environment', in A. H. Halsey with J. Webb, Twentieth Century British Social Trends, Macmillan, Basingstoke, 2000). Revising the British history of tax returns, local taxes, (chiefly a property tax called 'rates', which had both business and household components) was estimated to be seven percent of GGR. However, after 196 0, the local taxes represented more than 10 percent of GGR, and have remained consistent throughout. However, from 2000 onwards, local taxes have again become much less significant, representing only between 3 and 4 percent of revenues in the last decade of the twentieth century.  Ã‚