Travel and Don George Essay Example for Free

Travel and Don George Essay The writer, Don George, gets a surprise every time he travels. Even though he has been a certain place before, he still gets surprised. He calls travelling his â€Å"mental picture-puzzle of the world†. The reason he has been travelling around the world was because he would like to understand everything by experiencing it. After some of his first trips, he got a job as a travel writer so he could continue travelling and writing about it. Now Don George has a daughter which globe he uses to point out how many countries he has travelled to – which is more than sixty countries. As he travels he keeps on gathering more pieces to his picture-puzzle. He believes that the travels bring him closer to God. Don George ends up believing that maybe the puzzle is God and all his travels and learning’s are incantations, prayers and koans. He thinks that the best thing we can do in life is to learn the things into ourselves and then give it back to all the new places and new people we encounter. If you keep travel and live enough, you would contain everything inside you. Travelling For me, travelling are many things and it can include recreation, vacation, tourism and many other possibilities. Travelling for me also means stepping out of my comfort zone. It means expanding my horizon, literally and figuratively. I’m also very amazed and surprised every time I travel. There are so many different cultures and people have so many different traditions. I always learn something when I travel. I can chose to let it slip away or I can choose to take my experiences and learn it into myself. It’s about challenging the things I thought I knew. Travelling is lying down at the pool relaxed with a cold drink, it? s feeling welcome somewhere, even if I don’t know anyone. Travelling means taking my camera with me everywhere I go. Travelling is walking so much that my feet hurts but you keep saying to yourself â€Å"there are so much more to experience†. I don? t have to go to another country to experience something new. Travelling can be local, regional or international. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, I will always come home with new wisdom. But travelling can also be something else. I live in a small provincial town where the possibilities for youngsters to experience and get educated are limited. After I’ve graduated high school I would like to move to Copenhagen to study. For me, going to Copenhagen to be educated and live there would be a travel. Frederikshavn and Copenhagen are from my point of view totally different. Even though I’ve been to Copenhagen many times, I still see it as a travel. I can go there as a tourist, I can go there to be in a tournament, it can be a business travel or I can go visit my family and friends. And if I lived in Copenhagen I would travel around the city experiencing, learning and seeing new things everyday. For me traveling can also be boring. Travelling by train, bus, plain, ship, cars such as public transport can be a downside. I don’t like to sit in a train for several hours getting bothered by the person besides or in front of me talking about the party the have been to or about their grandkids or asking me a thousand questions – Jesus am I going to hear your ignorant voice for five more hours? Besides that I absolutely love to travel. It doesn’t matter if it’s near me or far away, whether the climate is cold or warm, it is about living and learning. Soon I’m travelling to USA for two weeks, I can’t wait to experience the culture and the pulse of the land of opportunities. The best times in my life has been while travelling, alone, together with my family, with friends, classmates or my teammates. So the wise words of the great Danish author – Hans Christian Andersen: â€Å"to travel is to live† are 5 words covering my attitude to travelling.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

MACBETH The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare contains many interesting themes; Shakespeare has taken a time of great change in Scottish history and used it to suit his of purposes. He uses the rise to power of a man to examine issues and ideology of Elizabethan times. The people of the Elizabethan timer believed in the divine right of kings, to put simply the king is gods chosen representative on earth, he speaks to god, to kill a king would bring about horrendous repercussions an turn a peaceful world into chaos. A good example of this chaos is when Macbeth kills Duncan; the day after Ross tells us That the day became as dark as night, a falcon was killed by an owl and that Duncan's horses turned wild and ate each other. Another theme from Macbeth, which is linked to the idea of divine right of kings, is Individuals disrupting the natural order of events. Unnatural acts such as murder and witchcraft are linked to unnatural events in nature. Using the example of duncan's horses, we see, after Macbeth committed an unnatural act (killing Duncan) we learn that his horses ate each other an act that is not natural to horses. Considering both of these, Macbeth had to decide whether it was right for him to change events, but also if he kills Duncan will it mean he, himself may fall victim to someone's vaulting ambition. "Bloody instructions which, being taught, return to plague the inventor" Macbeth Act 1 scene 4 Macbeth is also plagued with the idea of kingship. A bad leader will always equal unhappy times. When Maclom lists the qualities in a king ( Act 4 scene 3)he lists Justice, Verity, Temperance, Stableness, bounty, Perseverance, Mercy, lowliness, Devotion, Patience, Courage, Fortitude. How many of these qualities do we see in Macbeth? The role of good and evil, another major theme in Macbeth is important, because although Macbeth and lady macbeth are comsidered evil, they show weaknessess. It is clear they have got in to deep. I consider the witches to be evil as they corrupted a good man leading him from the values he was brought up to respecthowerve, I do not see Banquo as good. For the reason he did not voice his beliefs that macbeth was the killer, nor Macduff, although he appears as a good man he did abandon his family, leaving them to the wrath and injustice of Macbeth Macbeth :: essays research papers MACBETH The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare contains many interesting themes; Shakespeare has taken a time of great change in Scottish history and used it to suit his of purposes. He uses the rise to power of a man to examine issues and ideology of Elizabethan times. The people of the Elizabethan timer believed in the divine right of kings, to put simply the king is gods chosen representative on earth, he speaks to god, to kill a king would bring about horrendous repercussions an turn a peaceful world into chaos. A good example of this chaos is when Macbeth kills Duncan; the day after Ross tells us That the day became as dark as night, a falcon was killed by an owl and that Duncan's horses turned wild and ate each other. Another theme from Macbeth, which is linked to the idea of divine right of kings, is Individuals disrupting the natural order of events. Unnatural acts such as murder and witchcraft are linked to unnatural events in nature. Using the example of duncan's horses, we see, after Macbeth committed an unnatural act (killing Duncan) we learn that his horses ate each other an act that is not natural to horses. Considering both of these, Macbeth had to decide whether it was right for him to change events, but also if he kills Duncan will it mean he, himself may fall victim to someone's vaulting ambition. "Bloody instructions which, being taught, return to plague the inventor" Macbeth Act 1 scene 4 Macbeth is also plagued with the idea of kingship. A bad leader will always equal unhappy times. When Maclom lists the qualities in a king ( Act 4 scene 3)he lists Justice, Verity, Temperance, Stableness, bounty, Perseverance, Mercy, lowliness, Devotion, Patience, Courage, Fortitude. How many of these qualities do we see in Macbeth? The role of good and evil, another major theme in Macbeth is important, because although Macbeth and lady macbeth are comsidered evil, they show weaknessess. It is clear they have got in to deep. I consider the witches to be evil as they corrupted a good man leading him from the values he was brought up to respecthowerve, I do not see Banquo as good. For the reason he did not voice his beliefs that macbeth was the killer, nor Macduff, although he appears as a good man he did abandon his family, leaving them to the wrath and injustice of Macbeth

Morality of Homosexuality According to Rachels

The ethics and morality of homosexuality and homosexual acts have been debated and questioned by many groups of people using several moral approaches to argue their point. It seems that the group of people who are most against homosexuality are religious groups, specifically Christians. Homosexuality however is not morally wrong and many arguments will be presented to refute the claims by those who do believe that homosexuality is unethical and morally wrong.The approaches that is used the most to argue that homosexuality and the acts that are involved are morally wrong which is used most by Christians is the Theory of Natural Law. Now there are three main points to this theory and the first point is that it is believed that â€Å"everything in nature has a purpose† (Rachels & Rachels, 2012). Aristotle, who is very well known and respected stated that if everyone believes that nature makes objects for a specific purpose, and that this believe is correct, then, nature makes thi ngs for the sake of man.Christians believe that God created things in nature for a specific plan and so if that specific plan can not be carried out, then it should not be done and therefore is morally wrong. To connect this part of the Theory of Natural Law to thoughts about homosexuality, one of the main arguments against homosexual acts is that it is â€Å"unnatural. † Christians believe the act of homosexual sex is immoral because it does not end in the production of life, which according to them are the main purposes of sex, to create life.This argument is easily refuted however. When using the evolutionary sense of the term â€Å"unnatural,† which is how most Christians use it in their arguments, they mean that homosexuality is morally wrong because it involves the unnatural use of body parts. It is believed by some, that because God had created genitals and the act of sex for procreation, and homosexual sex can not end in procreation, that those individuals enga ging in those acts are using their body parts for something it they were not intended for. Therefore, what they are doing is wrong.However, there are many couples that are sterile, who will never have the opportunity to procreate, and yet as long as the sex is heterosexual, Christians do not condemn them. The Roman Catholic church who does not agree with the use of birth control, still allows couples to have sex if they are infertile or during pregnancy (Mappes, Zembaty & DeGrazia, 2012). Therefore the Catholic church can claim that if the body parts are not being used for the purpose of procreation then it is unnatural and immoral otherwise they would be contradicting their own practices.Besides, as pointed out in the book by Mappes, Zembaty & DeGrazia (2012), we have multiple purposes for our organs and body parts. Just because we use our mouths to not only breath, consume nutrients and communicate, but also to chew gum and lick stamps, does not mean that those acts are immoral. E ven though our moths were not originally intended to chew gum or lick stamps, does not mean that those acts are unethical. Besides, it is also recognized by Christians that a second purpose of heterosexual sex is to bond and connect with your partner and to express love.Homosexuals use their genitals during sexual acts for those same reasons as well. So, it stands to show that Homosexuality and Homosexual sex are not immoral and unethical due to the â€Å"unnatural† use of their sex organs. A second part to the Theory of Natural Law is the belief that all things unnatural are bad and that what is and what ought to be should be the same or else it is morally wrong. The example that Rachels & Rachels (2012) gives is that Beneficence is morally right. That we should always act in the best interest of others because we care.If we do not care and therefore are not working in the best interest of others, then were are not being beneficent and that is morally wrong. Those who do not care and do not practice beneficence are often regarded as wrong. For example, these such individuals may be diagnoses with a mental illness called antisocial personality disorder because those who do not care, couldn't possibly be well. It is believed that these individuals ways of thinking are wrong and therefore should be fixed. So, because society believes that people ought to be beneficent and therefore if they are not, then their actions are morally wrong.Rachels & Rachels (2012) then points out that sex produces babies, that is fact. But does it then follow that sex ought to produces babies? Not necessarily. Those who have genetic mutations that could produce offspring with those same genetic mutations or diseases could be said ought not to have babies because it would perpetuate pain and suffering. Should it follow then those individuals ought not to have sex at all? It is not considered morally wrong for those with genetic illness to have sex, but it maybe thought to be mo rally wrong for them to produce a child.So, what is and what ought to be are different. In regards to Homosexuality, some believe that those individuals ought not to have sex because it is not an innate desire and therefore is unnatural. And as stated before that in which is unnatural ought not to occur according to the Theory of Natural Law. It is argued that References Rachels, J. , & Rachels, S. (2012). The elements of moral philosophy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Mappes, T. A. , Zembaty, J. S. , & DeGrazia, D. (2012). Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Identity in contemporary society Essay

How does class influence identity in contemporary society?The class structure involves some degree of shaping our identities. Income and paid work are important sources of individual and collective identity. Social class is a means of classifying the economic and social divisions of a society, which involve some degree of inequality. For example classifying some people as poor, working class or middle class. We may adopt or contest these representations. People define their economic position through ideas about the incomes and opportunities of others, therefore identities are influenced by income, whether we imagine peoples incomes to be in the middle or if we see it as between the rich and poor. There are two main traditions within the concept of social class and its effect on identity. These traditions are in the works of Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Max Weber (1864-1920). While they differ in the understanding of class and society, they share views on classes structured out of economic relationships. The Marxist theory of class shows that the class a person belongs to is a fundamental part of their identity. For Marx, society generated two main classes, a capital-owning class and a property less class. They called these the ruling class and the working class or the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Class is rooted in the economic organization of production i.e. those groups who own factories, farms, coal mines or raw materials. These groups look after their own interests, live in similar surroundings and send their children to similar schools. Marx believed that class consciousness is particularly important to our understanding of identity. This is an awareness of a shared class interest and the existence of classes with opposing interests. Class consciousness would emerge through solidarity and collective action. For Marx, the key factor is private ownership of economic resources. Max Webers theory saw class as important when forming an identity. Weber saw class as a group of individuals who have certain interests in common; this  is known as market position, for example having similar opportunities for earning income through work or trade. Weber recognised that status is also important within social groups. Status is the different amounts of prestige, honour or social standing that is attached to different social groups. So where we live, manner of speech, our schooling and leisure habits decide our social class. This would suggest maybe status could have as much influence on identity as class. Webers theories would suggest that although, like Marx, agreed that different classes exist, Status was the key factor in deciding our identities and which group we belong to. Class is becoming more diverse with wider reference points within the structures. Some sociologists have gone as far as to say class is dead; (Pakulski and Waters, 1996), although a survey in 1996 showed that two thirds of those interviewed felt that there is one law for the rich and one for the poor (Adonis and Pollard, 1998, p.11)Sociologists and political scientists have argued that there has been a shift from collective to individual identities and also a shift from occupation to consumption patterns. It was argued that well paid working class were adopting middle class values, therefore eroding class identity. A study at Vauxhalls Luton car plant (Goldthorpe et al., 1969), on car workers attitudes and class identity showed signs of a fragmenting working-class identity and a new one developing. This would suggest that work based identities are becoming less important. The change in employment structures as well as job stability has maybe caused this shift. Peter Saunders put forward that consumption and lifestyle are now more important in shaping identities than occupation-based class. He argued that there was a growing division between those who could satisfy their consumption needs, through housing, cars and private health care and those who relied on public transport and state provided housing and health care. Saunders was criticized for being unable to prove that consumption influences peoples identities. To conclude, social class can provide us with a sense of belonging and how we can relate to the world around us. Who we are and what we do and have, change over time and economic structures such as inequality have an effect on our ideas of who we are and can be. However, although societies exist and function within class structures it does not mean that all members of that society identify with a class. It seems as class is becoming more diverse, it is becoming less important within identity as individuality becomes more valued and encouraged. REFERENCE Adonis, A. and Pollard, S. (1998) A Class Act, Harmondsworth, Penguin. Goldthorpe, J., Lockwood, D., Bechhoffer, F. and Platt, J. (1969) The Affluent Worker: Industrial Attitudes and Behaviour, Cambridge, Cambridge University PressPakulski, J. and Waters, M. (1996) The Death of Class, London, Sage.

25 Coups de Plume

25 Coups de Plume 25 Coups de Plume 25 Coups de Plume By Mark Nichol What, exactly, is a coup, and how many kinds of coups are there? This post describes a variety of phrases using the word, plus an array of related terms. Coup, a word for a sudden bold and/or brilliant act it also serves as a truncation of â€Å"coup d’à ©tat† comes from the French word coup, meaning â€Å"stroke† or â€Å"blow†; ultimately, it’s from the Greek term kolaphos by way of the Latin borrowing colaphos. Few of the following expressions have been widely adopted into English, but they’re all available for literal and/or idiomatic use: 1. Coup la porte (â€Å"knock on the door†): a signal or summoning 2. Coup bas (â€Å"low blow†): a cheap shot 3. Coup d’archet (â€Å"stroke of the bow†): contact of the bow with one or more strings on a violin or a similar instrument 4. Coup d’chance (â€Å"stroke of luck†): a fortunate event 5. Coup d’eclat (â€Å"stroke of glory†): a glorious feat 6. Coup d’à ©tat (â€Å"stroke of state†): the overthrow of a national government by a government faction usually, elements of the nation’s military 7. Coup d’oeil (â€Å"stroke of the eye†): a survey taken at a glance 8. Coup de coeur (â€Å"blow to the heart†): an intense but short-lived passion 9. Coup de crayon (â€Å"stroke of the pencil†): an expression of artistic creativity 10. Coup de destin (â€Å"blow of fate†): a tragic event 11. Coup de foudre (â€Å"stroke of lightning†): an unexpected sudden event; also, love at first sight 12. Coup de glotte (â€Å"stroke of the glottis†): a method in singing and speaking technique in which the glottis, the space between the vocal folds, is suddenly manipulated by muscular contraction 13. Coup de grà ¢ce (â€Å"stroke of mercy†): a blow or shot to end the suffering of a mortally wounded person or animal; a figuratively similar act; or a decisive act, event, or stroke 14. Coup de l’amitià © (â€Å"stroke of friendship†): one (drink) for the road 15. Coup de main (â€Å"stroke of the hand†): a sudden, full-scale attack, or assistance 16. Coup de plume (â€Å"stroke of the pen†): a witty or masterful turn of phrase 17. Coup de poing (â€Å"stroke of the fist†): a punch, or a shock 18. Coup de pouce (â€Å"stroke of the thumb†): a helping hand, or a nudge 19. Coup de repos (â€Å"stroke of rest†): a chess move in which a player prepares for a blow against the player’s opponent 20. Coup de sang (â€Å"stroke of blood†): extreme anger 21. Coup de thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre (â€Å"stroke of theater)†: a sudden twist in a stage play’s script, or, in general, a sudden turn of events or a sudden effect; also, a successful stage production 22. Coup du ciel (â€Å"stroke from heaven†): sudden good fortune 23. Coup dur (â€Å"stroke of difficulty): a tough blow, or something difficult to accept 24. Coup en traà ®tre (â€Å"stroke of treachery†): a stab in the back 25. Coup montà © (â€Å"stroke of fitting†): a frame-up or con Many other phrases and expressions include the word coup; those listed above are just most of them that begin with it. Among the others are coup pour coup (â€Å"blow for blow,† or â€Å"tit for tat†) and coup sur coup (â€Å"in quick succession,† or â€Å"time after time†). Coup appears in other usages, and related terms abound. A coup injury is one in which the head strikes an object, causing injury to the brain; the accompanying countercoup injury to the brain occurs when the head strikes a fixed object, causing the brain to impact against the skull as well. Counting coup is the act of dominating or defeating an opponent in single combat without causing injury; in some Native American cultures, a warrior won such prestige by striking a foe or an enemy position with a hand, a weapon, or a coup stick, or by stealing an opponent’s weapon or his horse. Success in counting coup, which required the honoree to withdraw without injury, was acknowledged by notches cut in the coup stick or eagle feathers worn in the honoree’s hair. Coupage has four distinct meanings: blending two types of wine to alter flavor, mixing drugs with other substances, removing hair from a hide, and tapping on the thorax to help dislodge secretions, such as in treatment for tuberculosis. Decoupage, unrelated to any of these senses, describes decoration of an object with paper cutouts and other materials. Other terms with the root word coup include recoup, which originally meant â€Å"to deduct,† though now the general sense is of compensation for a loss, and beaucoup, a French term meaning â€Å"many, a great number.† The latter entered general usage in American English by way of military personnel who had served in Vietnam, which had until recently been part of French Indochina. Coupà ©, the word for a type of carriage and, later, a style of car, is related; the sense is of something cut (with a stroke) down to a smaller size. So, too, is coupon, from the French word for â€Å"piece.† They are cognate with the verb cope, frequently seen in the phrase â€Å"cope with† and meaning â€Å"deal with challenges† and, less often, â€Å"prevail in combat or competition.† A coping saw, meanwhile, is a tool with a small, thin, saw blade set in a U-shaped frame, and a coppice (also rendered copse) is a thicket of trees cultivated for cutting. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesDifference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Honorary vs. Honourary

Fords Profitability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fords Profitability - Essay Example The research work will help in giving an explanation on why the company is making 24 billion in losses. A competitive advantage may be created in producing similar products to Toyotas’ models with lower costs. The output produced should be according to what the consumers need, and not according to what it is used to producing (Close, 2012). They can completely change the company strategies and structure on how it carries out its operational activities. This can be achieved by changing the objectives, target and mission statements of the company. Introduction of process engineering skills, tight cost control and reports that are more frequent. The management should be able to give the company a new purpose and direction, by motivating the workers, and improving the culture of the organization (Canary, 2012). In extreme circumstances, the firm may also consider taking action on the management structure by considering the option of reducing on the number of employees both in the management level and in the operational levels. This will act as a direct way of reducing on the production and operational

Causes for adoption of Chinas early modern period trading policies Essay

Causes for adoption of Chinas early modern period trading policies - Essay Example In order to find a probable explanation, the study of the economic history and the trading policies of China in the early modern period are very important to establish a relation with the present trading policies of the country and the causes for adoption of the same. The economic history of China ranges over the last two millennia. Although the Chinese economy was the largest for a major part of the history consisting of the pre-imperial, early imperial and the late imperial era, the wealth of the Chinese economy remained average due to the intermediate periods of prosperity and downfall. The late imperial period has been referred to as the early modern period that ranges from 1368-1911. This period was under the rule of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) followed by the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Causes for adoption of China’s early modern period trading policies The collapse of the feudal system in China towards the end of imperial period led to the rise of merchant class in the e arly modern period in China. The rise of the merchant class led to the increase in trading. The introduction of paper money, technological advancements led to widespread economic transactions and the increase in trade. The state’s control over the Chinese economy diminished and this allowed the merchant class to engage into higher scale of investment in their zeal to attain higher profits. The Ming dynasty under Zhu Yuanzhang that ruled from 1368-1644 in the early modern period in China is considered to be the most prosperous periods and one of the Golden periods in the economy history of China. After leading the rebellion against the Mongol rule, Zhu Yuanzhang set up the Ming dynasty in the early modern period that encouraged the growth of private industries and replaced the state owned enterprises. The trade policies adopted by the Ming dynasty led to the increase in foreign trade supported by privatization policies. This led to increased trading between the East and the We st. This resulted in the growth of Chinese economy and GDP due to the trade policies that were adopted. Trade contacts were developed initially with India and Africa with state regulations. Slowly and gradually, the restrictions on foreign trade were removed. The Europeans, Japanese importers started to pay for the Chinese goods in exchange of silver which helped in monetizing the Chinese economy (Stearns 68). The end of the Ming dynasty saw the rise of the Qing dynasty towards the end of the early modern period. The Qing dynasty believed that their country is rich with resources and there was no need of foreign trade. This brought about stagnancy in the economy. After the warfare ended, the prohibition on foreign trade was lifted in 1684. This led to massive increase in foreign trade mainly with the European countries. This trade policy led to the development of the economy which in turn raised domestic demands in the early modern period. The prosperity of the Chinese economy, the rise in domestic demand, increase in gross domestic product observed in the early modern period due to the trade policies of increasing foreign trade backed by privatization are the major causes that led to the adoption of those trade policies that prevailed in the early modern period. Conclusion The probable explanation for the adoption of trade policies of the early modern period of China has been the effective decision making of the government to bring back the Golden days in the Chinese economy. After the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the trading policies have not been much effective due to the excessive control of the state. In order to modernize the economy and bring sustainable