Of Mice And Men By Steinbeck Success Essays - English-language Films

Of Mice And Men By Steinbeck Success Title: Of mice and men Author: John Stienbeck Category: Fiction Author John Stienbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His first three books were financial failures and he worked at various kinds of jobs to survive, including fruit picking. His first success was Tortilla Flat in 1935 which was followed by a number of shorter works, leading up to his great masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. In 1962, Stienbeck became the sixth American to win the Nobel Prize for literature. He died at his home in New York on December 1968. I found the writing style of this book to be really slack and basic. The English in this book was elementary, very easy to understand and follow. There were definitely no metaphors or similes. The only figures of speech I could find were when he describing the landscape at the very beginning. For the exception of the description at the first, the entire book was straight dialogue between the characters in the novel. One thing the novel was full of though was local color and jargon. Throughout the book he wrote and spelled words as if they would have been said them. He also added expressions and local slang to add to the atmosphere of the novel. I don't really have any major likes or dislikes to the novel. I would have to say I liked it tough. There was no complex plot to figure out or involved characters to understand. The book just told a story. It didn't even explain the thoughts or get involved in the feelings of the characters. They only thing you know is what is spoken aloud. I somewhat feel the author could have done more with the story expand on it or go further into detail of what happened during the story but even though it was so short I still think it is a good book. The novel takes place during the early 40's in the United States. It is based on a fictional story of two men who travel from state, working on ranches and scrounging for money. One of men named Lennie was mentally retarded but incredibly strong. The second, George was explained as Lennie's friend who takes the responsibility of keeping his friend, Lennie out of trouble. The story starts out with the two main characters walking down a dirt road toward their next job. They realized they couldn't make the trip so they decided to spend the night by the river. That night we learn for the first time about one of the major themes of the novel. As George and Lennie sit at the campfire, George tells a story about their dream. He explained in detail about how they were now, that they have no home, anywhere that they belong and that all that they really want is a place to themselves. A place where they could live without anyone bothering them. We only realize later that this place really does exist but it costs too much money than they can afford alone but with the help of an older man who has money saved they realize their dream may happen. Soon after the old man's dog has to be put down, he argues with the other men not to shoot the dog but finally agrees that he must be put down. The story continues with little else happening before the climax. The characters contiune interacting with each other and a few minor incidents happen before the climax. At the climax the main character Lennie who is unweary of his strenght accidently kills someone when he got scared. This killing brings on a mob of men who are set out to kill Lennie for his crime. His friend George pleads with them not to but they leave to kill him anyway. George realizes that they are going to kill him and he feels that if he must die he should do it himself instead of the argry mob doing it. Since he knows already where lennie would hide he takes a gun with him and as he's telling lennie the story of how its going to be when they get their own place where they can live he shoots him in the back of the head before the angry men shoot him. This is what happens but it is impossible to describe the meaning behind it or even why it happens without explaining the entire

How to Teach English Using Newspapers

How to Teach English Using Newspapers Newspapers or magazines are a must-have in every classroom, even beginner classrooms. There are a number of ways to use newspapers in the classroom, ranging from simple reading exercises to more complex writing and response assignments. Here are suggestions on how to use newspapers in class arranged by linguistic objective.   Reading Straight forward reading: Have students read an article and discuss.Ask students to find articles from different nations on a global topic. Students should compare and contrast how different nations cover the news story. Vocabulary Focus on word forms using colored pens. Ask students to circle different forms of a word such as worth, worthy, worthless, etc. in an article.  Ask students to find various parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs.Make a mind-map of an article relating ideas through vocabulary.Focus on words related to certain ideas. For example, ask students to circle verbs that are related to finance. Have students explore the differences between these words in groups. Grammar Discuss the use of present perfect for recent events that have an effect on the current moment by focusing on truncated newspaper  headlines that use the past participle such as  XYZ Merger Done Deal, Law Approved In SenateUse colored pens to focus on grammar points. For example, if you are studying verbs that take the gerund or the infinitive, have students highlight these combinations using one color for gerunds and another color for infinitives. Another option is to have students highlight different tenses in different colors.Photocopy an article from a newspaper. White out key grammar items that you are focusing on and have students fill in the blank. For example, white out all the helping verbs and ask students to fill them in. Speaking Break students up into groups and read a short article. Students should then write questions based on this article, and then exchange articles with another group providing questions. Once groups have answered the questions, get students into pairs, one from each group, and have them discuss their answers.Focus on ads. How are the ads pitching their products? What messages are they trying to send? Listening / Pronunciation Ask students to prepare two paragraphs from a newspaper article. First, students should all the content words in the passage. Next, have students practice reading the sentences focusing on using correct intonation of the sentence by focusing on content words. Finally, students read to each other asking simple questions for comprehension.Focus on an IPA symbol or two through the use of minimal pairs. Ask students to underline example of each phoneme practiced. For example, have students compare and contrast the phonemes for the short /I/ sound and the longer ee of /i/ by looking for representative words with each phoneme.Use a news story that has a transcript (NPR often does provides these on their website). First, have students listen to a  news story. Next, ask questions about the main points of the story. Finally, ask students to listen while reading the transcript. Follow up with a  discussion. Writing Have students write short summaries of news stories they have read.Ask students to write a newspaper article of their own for a school or class newspaper. Some students can do interviews, others take photos. Alternately, use the same idea to create a class blog.Lower level students can use photos, charts, pictures, etc. to begin writing descriptive sentences. These can be simple sentences describing what someone is wearing to practice related vocabulary. More advanced students can write about the back story of photos such as why the person was in a certain situation shown in a photograph.

BMW Differentiates Itself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BMW Differentiates Itself - Essay Example BMW is one of the first firms to incorporate the idea in its vehicles in Europe and Asia markets. Its continued research has led to the adoption of efficient dynamics technology. The enhancements have led to the production of vehicles producing less than 140g of carbon dioxide per kilometer. The technology incorporates the interaction of electric motors and combustion engines in the vehicles as a strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The differentiation has increased its competitive advantage against rival firms because most customers are cautious about the pollution levels while purchasing vehicles (Mahnken, 2012). BMW has also launched the e0drive model that runs on electricity making it its first vehicle to use green energy. The BMW hydrogen runs purely on hydrogen fuel in an approach to conserving the environment. The differentiation took place in 2004 before most of the rivals had invested in environmental saving techniques in their production of automobiles. Secondly, BMW has employed latest technological enhancements in its vehicles. It has installed onboard diagnostics systems that can be used to monitor the car’s operational and management modes remotely. The company had a time advantage of installing the technology before most of its rivals. Moreover, the firm has used the knowledge to come up with strong and light vehicles to enhance speed through the use of carbon fiber materials. Technology has also facilitated changes in aerodynamics, transmission and safety of its customers; hence having a competitive advantage. Thirdly, BMW has integrated human emotions and with the production of its vehicles. Its designs awaken customer emotions and passions through providing the tastes and preferences of the customers. The automobile company has mostly ventured in luxury vehicles. Clients can customize their vehicles through by changing features such as color and physical looks while making their orders. The customer-firm connection is not found in

Leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership Development - Essay Example Companies do have Training and Development programmes for lower level management. There is evidence of Mentoring but when it comes to placing the women at the top side by side with the men there appears to be a lack of confidence. Is it created by men only or are the women responsible for it too? It is firmly believed that Training and Development within a company is important as it Improves individual’s performance and therefore the company as a whole benefits from reduced performance problems and it can motivate the staff so they will be more productive. The question is why it does not translate into more women rising to the top? This is an obvious case of discrimination. But, at whose hand? The men, or the women, or both? 2.1 Development of Source Materials Having raised the above questions, the quest now began for finding materials to find answers. This has been a highly debated question over the past decades and there was ample material about it both in the Library as well as on the World Wide Web. The entire group divided the responsibility amongst themselves the responsibility of finding answers to the above questions. Several models of this process were examined with the help of various journals and writings of eminent personalities to arrive at a consensus of how to find answers to the above questions. The team went through the material meticulously to locate the answers from a maze of diverse views. 2.2 Application of Source Material

Mrs. Dalloway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mrs. Dalloway - Essay Example Love, literature and life are shown to be inextricably linked together in this novel written by a woman who was born in a literary family, whose house was a haven for the artistically inclined, and who married a man of letters. In Mrs Dalloway, Septimus Warren Smith, Clarissa Dalloway, Peter Walsh and Sally Seton are, despite all their tribulations, amply rewarded by their love of letters. Although Richard Dalloway is no reader, his patent love for his wife and his concern for her onetime suitor, emphasizes his humanity and redeems his soul. Characters like Sir William Bradshaw, Lady Bruton and Hugh Whitbread, for all their material prosperity are seen to lack spiritual grace because they, at best, do no more than try to manipulate language for their own ends. At the opening of the novel, Clarissa Dalloway takes upon herself the task of buying flowers for the party at her house because the servants would have plenty on their hands. It is a beautiful June morning-" fresh as if issued to children on a beach"(5) and Clarissa's thoughts flow back to the time when she was eighteen and perhaps in love with Peter Walsh who was in love with her: "Musing among the vegetables"--was that it--"I prefer... , she forgot which, for his letters were awfully dull; it was his sayings one remembered; his eyes, his pocket-knife, his smile, his grumpiness and, when millions of things had utterly vanished--how strange it was!--a few sayings like this about cabbages. (5-6) It had been assumed at the time that Peter would 'write'-that he would go on to be a writer-but he cheerfully reveals to Sally Seton at the end of the novel that he had written "Not a word!" (207). However, he had always been a good and judicious reader, and a good and judicious critic of life and letters and men and women, as well as an excellent conversationalist. It was his private grief that, because Clarissa had rejected him, he had fallen for all the wrong women and made a mess of his life, but even so, at the end of the novel, the very sight of Clarissa from afar "fills" him "with extraordinary excitement" (215). One character who seems to live more in the rarefied world of letters than in the real world of life is the relatively young Septimus Warren Smith whose noble mind has been broken by the death of a beloved friend at his side in the war. The world fills him with apprehension, and empathetically we feel, rightly so: Septimus Warren Smith, aged about thirty, pale-faced, beak-nosed, wearing brown shoes and a shabby overcoat, with hazel eyes which had that look of apprehension in them which makes complete strangers apprehensive too. The world has raised its whip; where will it descend (17) Septimus lives in a world of his own populated by his own anxieties and fears and by the voices and sounds that speak to him and to him only, and which he feels compelled to record: Men must not cut down trees. There is a God. (He noted such revelations on the backs of envelopes.) Change the world. No one kills

Communist Insurgency In The Philippines History Essay

Communist Insurgency In The Philippines History Essay The idea of Communism has come a long way, since its early Marxist conception. In its very sense, Communism is concerned with the abolishment of the ruling class and the right to private property. Basically, it connotes social justice to everyone residing in a given territory. Social justice in this sense would mean that every constituent, regardless of the social strata to which they belong, would be treated with equal importance in terms of human rights and property and be given access to the resources that the state should provide to its people. Communism in the Philippines is basically synonymous to the ideals and principles that classic Marxists uphold. The inequality between the ruling and working class paved the way for communism in the country to develop. Throughout the previous decades, advocators of the ideology (particularly the CPP-NPA-NDF) proliferated all over the island and have continued to uphold the belief that everyone inhabiting this country should be given equal opportunity to access resources that the country owns. They have continued their struggle of fighting the bureaucrat-capitalism, feudalism, imperialism, corruption, and other forms of social injustice that continue to haunt the country from the Pre-World War II era until the present time. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) indeed, made significant impacts in Philippine society. Although declared illegal by the government, the forces of the CPP nevertheless manifested itself in various parts of the archipelago. They have managed to resist the military forces which constantly work for their downfall over the years. Why is this so? Why, in spite of the downfall of Soviet Union, communism in China, and many other socialist countries, the CPP managed to endure as a political organization? To answer these questions, this paper intends to enumerate the several factors that contributed to the emergence and persistence of communist insurgency in the country. From the original communist party, which is the PKP, this paper will discuss how it was re-established along with the internal and external crises that contributed to the present state of the movement. Furthermore, a brief discussion of the partys strategy of a protracted peoples war, as well as the different counter-insurgency programs implemented by the government to combat the rebels will be presented. A thorough report of the facts behind the pervasive endurance of the Communist insurgents here in the Philippines will be explicated. Hence, this paper is timely as it could contribute to the shaping of public awareness and opinion regarding on a very substantial issue in the country. The long-time struggle of the working class to achieve a society that will cater equality and justice among people who belong to various socio-economic strata has resulted to the formation of revolutionary movements (Dela Cruz, 2006). Even before the Philippines managed to achieve its independence from foreign colonizers, communist insurgency has started. According to Cusi (1996), the Communist insurgency in the Philippines had its early beginnings when a number of supporters of Tan Malaca, an Indonesian Communist leader, started to recruit and organize members during the early 20s. The recruited members, most of them labourers, were then formally set up on August 26, 1930 as the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP, Philippine Communist Party) at the Templo del Trabajo which was then the most important place of gathering for the labor elements of the city during the early 30s. With its original 60 members, it was then officially proclaimed as the Communist Party of the Philippines (C PP) by Crisanto Evangelista on November 7, 1930 at the Plaza Moriones, Tondo which is known to be the center of the working-class district of Manila (Saulo, 1990). The establishment of the PKP as a genuine party of the working-class has aimed to uphold the unfinished revolution of Andres Bonifacio, the Great Plebeian. Though Bonifacios struggle is more of the anti-colonial type of revolution, his example was seen by the PKP as the Proletarian hero for them to advocate their struggle of class equality through armed revolution. According to Jose Lava, former general secretary of the party, the PKP will serve as the workers instrument of upholding their rights against the exploitative tendencies of the bourgeoisie. Through the movement, it will be easier for the working class to make their sentiments known aside from the fact that they comprise the class with the highest percentage in the society. It is but proper to create a group that will promote the welfare of the class that sustains the other members of the society (Saulo, 1990). During the 26th day of December 1968 however, a group of disgruntled young members of the PKP led by Jose Maria Sison re-established a Marxism-Leninism-Maoist leaning CPP in a small barrio somewhere in Pangasinan. Sison, who was then a student of the University of the Philippines, criticized the leadership of the Lava brothers whom he blamed when the Huks were defeated during the 1950s. He was expelled from the PKP then took the leadership of re-establishing the Communist Party of the Philippines together with 90 other cadres (Gutierrez, 2001). On the other hand, some Red fighters and Commanders of the dwindling peoples liberation army along the countryside of Central Luzon also loss confidence with the way their leaders are acting. Due to greediness and corruption, the army became inhumane and anti-people. Bernabe Bucayno (Commander Dante), together with his group of peasant guerrillas, then decided to go to Manila to seek for the group of Sison who was then beginning to strengthen the re-established CPP. Together with this group of young students and professionals, Commander Dante founded and became the Commander-in-chief of the New Peoples Army (NPA) which became the armed wing of the Communist Party. The decision of coming up with a new military group transpired from the need of an armed force that will pursue the proletariat war in the Philippines (Cusi, 1996). On April 24, 1973, the CPP-NPA established its legal front the National Democratic Front (NDF). NDF is an alliance of 15 underground democratic mass organizations led by the CPP that aims to wage a national democratic revolution that will uphold the goal of achieving a socialist state. The establishment of the NDF, along with its 10 point program, is a manifestation of the CPPs formal declaration of war against the Philippine government. Its connections with the different sectors of society including the religious, teachers (ACT), farmers (KMP), students (LFS), and the labor sector (KMU) helped the CPP a lot on its goal of expanding its influence and power primarily through winning the hearts and minds of the masses (Ferrer Raquiza, 1993; Cusi, 1996). Meanwhile, Sison was capture by the military in 1977 a year after Commander Dante was captured in 1976. However, the capture of the two leaders did not encumber the continuous growth of the CPP-NPA. Its strength grew exponentially throughout the years and reached its peak in 1987 with 25, 200 members and 15, 500 firearms (Adriatico, 2000). Up until the present time, the party continues to grow and manages to endure the numerous counterinsurgency programs implemented by the different administrations from Marcos until Arroyo. In further analyzing the persistence of the CPP-NPA and the implications that it may bring to the Philippine society, it is necessary to outline the different crises that lead to the restructuring of the original communist party as well as the effects of the faction groups that occurred within the party. These factors being mentioned are vital in this study for they have contributed to the overall objectives and present structure of the movement as well. The internal crises are indeed significant to the continued existence of the insurgents for it helped the members of the movement learn from previous mistakes as well as in determining their goal of accomplishing a protracted peoples war. The main problems that occurred and that caused great division among the members of the party might be traced back to its founding roots. In 1968, a document was published by the Congress of Re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines wherein the main errors and weaknesses of the Party were enumerated. In this document entitled Rectify Errors and Rebuild the Party, the four drawbacks of the Party, namely: 1) ideological weaknesses; 2) political errors; 3) military errors; and 4) organizational errors, were enumerated and discussed thoroughly how it affected the insurgents struggle. Subjectivism on the previous leaders ideologies has caused a great trouble on the original communist partys goals and objectives. Because most of the leaders and members came from affluent clans, they carried with them their primary bourgeois ideas. The partys leaders relied on the subjectivist and opportunist idea of competing or cooperating with the bourgeois parties and groups in the city as a means of achieving socialism. The party became incorrectly city-based and city-oriented that they have neglected the revolutionary initiative and force of the peasants located along the countryside. Furthermore Sison, as cited by Dela Cruz, said that the failure of the original party to come up with a definite strategy that will serve a revolutionary and thoroughgoing proletarian world outlook has lead to the partys paralyzation once the US Imperialists and running dogs came into the Philippine picture (Dela Cruz, 2006 ; CPP 1968). Aside from subjectivism in ideology, political errors that have been committed also affected the insurgents progression. Political errors, in this sense, refer to the right opportunism and left opportunism that the party leaders have committed. Instead of pursuing their aspiration to abolish differences in social strata, the party leaders became opportunistic in the sense that they pushed for subordination of the working-class movement to their enemies by surrendering to them totally through peaceful agreements and compromise. Moreover, rejecting the idea of a socialist revolution and bringing up the concept of class cooperation was advocated by the leaders. This lead to further discrepancies on what does the communist party really advocate. The Party suffered from political disasters because it maintained its urban, parliamentary, and open character and failed to arouse and mobilize the peasants in the rural areas to coordinate with them as a main force for the revolution. Emanating from the subjectivist world outlook, the leaders of the party became consumed with the idea of being regarded as Left opportunists by the bourgeoisie and failed to enact their illegal activities simultaneously with the legal ones. Furthermore, the party leaders became corrupt and greedy resulting to the loss of confidence of other members and also the masses as well (Weekley, 2001). Another flaw that caused the downfall of the first communist party is military error. The party leaders failed to assimilate an armed struggle, agrarian revolution, and rural base-building in the countryside, of which according to Maoist thought are the three crucial and indispensable components in waging a peoples war (Mercado, 1989; CPP, 1968). According to Adriatico (2000), the absence of an armed struggle alone has a big impact on their failure because arms, supposedly, will serve as their main weapon towards a democratic revolution. Their failure to established one crippled the movement when US Imperialists and Japanese troops colonized the land. One more lapse that the party has suffered is the weakness of its organization. According to Sison, the main [organizational] disability of the Communist Party of the Philippines has been its failure to build up an organization that has a broad mass character and that is national in scale. This means that the party was not able to expand thoroughly in number. They were not able to recruit members all over the archipelago that could have helped them in the planned revolutionary war. The party did not able to mobilize other groups belonging to the working class which could have added a significant number to their force (CPP, 1968). The four main errors and weaknesses that led to the re-establishment of the first communist party in the Philippines have been briefly discussed above. These drawbacks have served as lessons to the members of the reformed communist party the CPP-NPA. However, the CPP-NPA is still facing a lot of crises within the boundaries of its sphere. Throughout the years of their existence, there still exist a number of difficulties that challenged their persistence as a party that will uphold the welfare of the working-class and peasants. In an interview with Professor Benjamin Mangubat, a History professor of the University of the Philippines Manila, he said that the CPP-NPA-NDF insurgents have experienced factions within the movement some time during 1990s. The two main groups include the Re-affirmists and the Rejectionists. The Reaffirmists, from the term itself, affirm the basic principles of Maoism-Leninism-Marxism thought of an armed struggle in order to achieve the main goal of a classless the society. The group asserts the need of coercive power towards the strategy of a protracted peoples war.. On the other hand, the Rejectionists are the ones who abandon the need for an armed struggle. They also reject Sisons view of the Philippine society as a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country. Furthermore, they have also retracted Maos thesis of anti-revisionism as well as the idea of a peoples democratic leadership. For this group, achieving a socialist-communism like that in the Soviet Union is not possible. They have given up on the idea of democratic revolution but instead focused themselves in improving the elite democracy that the Philippine society has been experiencing for the past and present regimes. Elite democracy, like that in the Philippines is not a true democracy. It is a democracy in the most superficial level because it is the rule of very few powerful and affluent political clans, more like aristocracy as such. Essentially, the Rejectionists goal is to change the power relations prevailing in the society through counter-hegemony by the means of ideological state ap paratuses. These include educational discussions, basic mass integrations and organic intellectuals who stay in rural areas to teach the masses regarding the current situation of Philippine society. Like the Reaffirmists, the Rejectionists also want change in the Philippine society. But as to what that change is, and how it would be attained, there remains not only the question, but a divide. The number of internal crises that transpired within the old and new communist party has been concisely discussed above. These problems have indeed affected the insurgents organization as well as their dynamism as a group. The fragmentation of the movement into two factions with contrasting beliefs has brought out the ideological discrepancies and weaknesses among the members which in turn crippled the overall undertakings of the party as well as the weakening of their political hold in the Philippines. However, some notable positive consequences arouse from the split. Dr. Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, former head of NDF and a Rejectionist himself, enumerated several benefits of this split. In an interview conducted by Emere Distor of the online publication Kasama, Quimpo said that the most positive consequence has been the emergence of a more pluralist Left and there ´s no more hegemony on the part of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People ´s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA). We have a Left which is now more plural. This pluralism had produced many other small groups that are relatively stronger and influential in certain sectors compared to the monopolized Left by the CPP before. The groups Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) of the labour sector for example, has contested the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). Moreover, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), a peasant group aligned with the CPP, is also challenged by other bigger peasant organizations. With these situations of the different sectors of the working-class, the pluralized Left could act in a strategically specific manner of upholding their privileges as marginalized sectors thereby creating greater possibilities of being heard by the government. Aside from the pluralism of the Left, the disintegration of the Communist Party became the key for them to rectify, look back and learn from their previous errors in order to build a stronger party that will cater to the goal of every member. At this point, the different events that happened within the internal affairs of the CPP-NPA have been discussed thoroughly by the researcher. The crises and struggles that contributed to the re-establishment of the communist party as well as the fragmentation and clash of ideologies along with its adverse and favourable consequences have been briefly explicated. Now, this paper will address the external factors that contributed to the persistence of the communist insurgents in the Philippines. According to Dela Cruz (2006), there are three main factors that contributed to the persistence of the communist insurgents in the country. These three include the political, economic and social factors directly or indirectly observed in the Philippine society. From the CPPs perspective, these three factors are seen as the root cause of the widespread exploitation of the working class. Jose Maria Sisons view of the Philippine society as semi-colonial and semi-feudal depicted his purpose of leading the working class towards a struggle that will benefit the majority of people being exploited by the upper-middle class. The political factors, basically, refer to the unequal distribution of power in the country. The existence of an abusive ruling class, who only comprise a very minimal percentage of the countrys population, has paved the way for severe oppression of the working class. These political factors composed of semi-colonialism, imperialism and bureaucrat capitalism. Semi-colonialism and imperialism refers to the indirect control of the United States to Philippine affairs. Though nominally declared as independent on the 4th of July 1946, the shadow of the US imperialists have still remained within the structures of the country haunting every powerless Filipino. Even if these foreign entities do not exist physically in the land, their power is implicitly felt by the workers and peasants through the traditional politicians, elites and the comprador big bourgeoisies (Rocamora, 1994). Bureaucrat capitalism on the other hand is the use of public office as an instrument of acquiring private assets and land. The concept mirrors those traditional politicians who make use of their position for business opportunities in order for them to increase personal profit and capital. Basically, it is a form of graft and corruption in the sense that these politicians use public funds, which is supposedly for public services, for their own self-interest setting aside the welfare of the poor people who are in need (Dela Cruz, 2006). Aside from the political factors mentioned above, another aspect that contributed to the continued persistence of the CPP-NPA are the economic factors which include semi-feudalism, sham land reforms, unemployment and foreign monopoly capitalism. The concept of semi-feudalism has been defined by Sison as an economic term that refers to an economy whose internal forces of production are mainly and essentially agrarian and pre-industrial, and whose relations of production are dominated by the combination of the comprador big bourgeoisie in the cities and the landlord class in the countryside (Dela Cruz, 2006). This condition of the Philippine society has made the life of the Filipino masses, particularly the peasant workers who till hectares of land in exchange of a very low wage, a miserable one. The landlords and business elites become richer while the peasant farmers stay poor without even experiencing a secured and stable life. In connection to this are sham land reforms which are p retentious modification of existing land laws. These land reforms are formulated to deceive the farmers but in reality, these will just give more benefit to the landed elites once implemented. Furthermore, the widespread unemployment and the inability of the government to provide basic social services are also some of the factors that provoked the persistence of the insurgents. In addition, foreign monopoly capitalism, which refers to the dominance of foreign monopolies in capitalist economies, made use of the Philippines as a source of cheap raw materials and as a free market where they can dump all surplus products at a very low price. Another factor that should be considered in answering the question why do the communist insurgents continue to persist is the social factors. In this aspect, the existence of social inequality, injustice, poverty and deprivation in the society are being regarded as a critical contributor to the existence of revolutionary movements. Social injustice and inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources and services, to delayed administration of justice, and greed for power and wealth that lead to violation of human rights. Furthermore, it includes the inefficiency of the government bureaucracy to implement laws that will protect the environment and will cater to the needs of the marginalized and indigenous cultural communities. Moreover, the lack of respect and recognition to ancestral domains as well as to indigenous cultural and political systems are also included here (Cusi, 1996). In a society where tremendous changes and advancement of technology is highly observable and practiced, tremendous exploitation of indigenous beliefs and ethnic practices is highly probable to occur. Such as in the case of the Philippines, the long-time experience of foreign colonial rule has been a big influence to our adherence to a Westernized type of culture leading us in patterning our own system of rules and beliefs to theirs. This in turn has caused the downfall of our native practices and the exploitation of indigenous peoples rights by the elites who are Filipinos themselves. Many rural places have been neglected by the national and local governments. Many people suffer from deprivation of basic services such as education and health. With these reasons, many Filipinos living in the countryside cannot surface themselves from the deepening roots of poverty for they do not have any alternative and choice. With the number of factors being mentioned above, the emergence and continued existence of the CPP-NPA insurgents is likely to occur. What other means is possible in order for the working class to be heard by this unjust society? For the party, no other way is effective enough but to form a revolutionary movement. The dream of the insurgents to achieve a classless society where people are equal, where people are given respect and dignity, where there is no foreign intervention, where people are able to achieve their highest possible esteem as a human being, where people are treated with reverence and exploitation is definitely out of the picture has motivated them to continue the struggle that they have been fighting for the past decades. In spite of the numerous crises that the party has been through, they have managed to continue their fight for a democratic revolution. With this, it is but necessary to enumerate and explain the strategies that the CPP-NPA has done throughout the years of their fight for a protracted peoples war. The overall objective of the communist insurgency movement is to overthrow the semi-colonial and semi-feudal system prevailing in the country. Apparently, the primary means seen by the party towards achieving such goal is through a democratic revolution. Sison (1971), as cited by Saulo, followed Mao Tse Tungs idea that a democratic revolution will only be successful through the involvement of three primary organizations namely: 1. a party that will provide the brain and overall leadership (CPP); 2. an army that will serve as the military force during armed encounters (NPA); and 3. a united front that will extend political influence, support and that will mobilize the masses (NDF). Weekley (2001) mentioned the primary strategy of the CPP-NPA-NDF which is composed of two major categories: 1. general strategies pertaining to the protracted war as a whole, and 2. particular or tactical strategies pertaining to individual counter campaigns covering a specific base area. The protracted armed struggle is the primary means of the movement to offset the government force, particularly the military which have the advantage of monopoly over firearm resources. This is done through conducting limited armed conflicts with the government troops in different localities, mostly mountainous area chosen by the insurgents themselves to ensure victory (Cusi. 1996; Kintanar, 1999). According to Weekley (2001), the strategy of a protracted peoples war involves 3 stages namely strategic defensive, strategic stalemate and strategic offensive. The initial strategy in conducting the protracted war starts at the countryside wherein the NPA forces try to establish as many rural bases as possible. They try to encircle the rural areas, where bulk of the peasant farmers and workers reside, so that they would be able to recruit more members that will strengthen their force. This strategy stemmed from the idea that people in remote areas are more vulnerable to radical thoughts and revolutionary ideas since most people living in there are poor and exploited because they can hardly feel the presence of government programs (Hoeksema, 1990). The strategic defensive stage is the critical part of party building, army building, base building and united front organizing. In this stage, the NPA initiates offensive steps by provoking the military troops to an armed encounter for the purpose of accumulating firearms and also to show the population that they have the capability of engaging in a war, to boost self-confidence and build up support perhaps. Also included in this stage is the strategy of conducting militant mass actions in urban centers simultaneously with the initiation of larger scale tactical offensiveness launched in the countryside (Cusi, 1996; Weekley, 2001). The strategic defensive stage basically aims to destabilize the military forces so that the insurgents could easily penetrate and mobilize the masses. On the other hand, the strategic stalemate stage is reached when the NPA forces reach parity with that of the military group. The NPA launch offensive operations in the form of ambush, attacks on AFP installations or captures of town halls. At this point, the NPA aims to match the manpower of the AFP since their attention is subdivided into the different disorders occurring all over the country (Cusi, 1996; Saulo, 1990). Finally, in the strategic offensive stage, the NPA conduct simultaneous military offensive techniques accompanied by general strikes, massive demonstrations, and sabotage activities in major cities while the AFP is on the defensive side trying to protect the towns, cities and major military installations. Aside from the general strategy of conducting a protracted peoples war, another one include those particular or tactical strategies pertaining to individual counter campaigns covering a specific base area. The members that are assigned to different areas carry the responsibility of enticing the people to join the movement. In this technique, cadres (mostly college graduates) educate the people about the prevailing system as well as the social injustices and inequality that are occurring in the country (Cusi, 1996). At this point, the researcher has already presented the different strategies that the CPP-NPA has done to achieve their main objective of a socialist society. The CPP-NPAs side has been thoroughly discussed in the above sections. How they manage to persist and continue their struggle up until the present time has always depended on the type of society that the Philippines adapt. Looking at the other side, the government on the other hand did not remain as mere passive observers of the insurgents existence. Using the AFP as the primary machinery, the government has been trying its best to combat the party through the conduct of counter-insurgency (COIN) measures (Ferrer Raquiza, 1993). The dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos is the first administration to initiate counter-insurgency programs through security and development. Security, in this sense, refers to the efforts of the military to destroy the insurgents through clearing, mopping-up, and ranger-type operations. Because Marcos considered the insurgents as a threat to his regime, he used the iron hand technique in destroying the insurgents spreading forces. Development, on the other hand, refers to the measures implemented by Marcos which primarily addressed the root causes of insurgency. He strengthened the economic and socio-political structure of the society through programs that catered to development. The Republic Act 1700 or commonly known as the Anti-Subversion Law was implemented. Through this law, all communists, even those who are just suspected by the military, were put into prison. The Oplan Katatagan was another program implemented by Marcos that addressed belligerency primarily through gainin g the support of the people against the insurgents. However, the program failed because of military abuses thus paving the way for insurgency to grow extensively (Rocamora, 1994). After the martial rule of Marcos, the new set of AFP under the Aquino administration assessed the previous regimes strategy of combating insurgency. Hence, the Oplan Mamamayan counter-insurgency program was carried out. Under the said program, civilian volunteer organizations, territorial forces consisting of the PNP and paramilitary forces, and the mobile forces of the AFP were combined to form the Three-Tiered Defense System against the CPP-NPA (Cusi, 1996). According to Adriatico (2000), the joined forces of the three would have been effective if not again for the abuses of the AFP. In addition to the Oplan Mamamayan, the National Ceasefire Committee (NCC) was established and several ceasefire agreements between the insurgents and government have been tried to enact but apparently failed due to the instability of the AFP during those times (Ferrer Raquiza, 1993). The Ramos administration went one step farther in achieving peace and stability in the countryside. He debunked Marcos Anti-Subversion Law and released amnesty proclamations to the alleged rebels imprisoned during Marcos regime. The National Unification Commission (NUC) was formed whose task is to investigate all concerned sectors and then recommend probable peace negotiations to the Office of the President (Ferrer Raquiza, 1993). However, Ramos was not able to destroy the forces of the CPP-NPA due to a variety of reasons. The failure of the different regimes to address the problems of insurgency has added to the strength of the CPP-NPA. The insurgency continued to prevail along the remote areas adding more desperation to the AFP. In this light, the AFP came to the point of spreading black propaganda techniques against the party. But still, the CPP-NPA was able to counter those techniques and is still managing to continue their struggle for a socialist society (Dela Cruz, 2006). More than just a threat to national security, the emergence and continued persistence of the said organization could lead to other problems that may be more difficult to address if the government will not initiate genuine reforms. The persistence of the CPP-NPA i

The Origin of Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

How life arose is a question that is fundamental to both philosophy and science. Responses to it enable one, in turn, to answer such questions as, â€Å"Who am I?†, â€Å"Why am I here?†, and â€Å"How do I make sense of this world?† This secondary set of questions can be answered in a myriad of ways for a variety of reasons, but the answer to the first question has only two responses. As Douglas Futuyuma says, â€Å"Creation and evolution, between them, exhaust the possible explanations for the origin of living things† (197). Either we are the product of the chemical and physical laws of nature operating over time, or we have been formed, at least in part, by some supernatural Force or Deity. The acceptance of one of these options as a foundation will determine how one will establish a belief system to determine his place in the world. This is a matter of crucial importance, yet in most biology classes offered at U.C. Davis, we learn that life c ame from nonlife by strictly natural (as opposed to supernatural) processes. The possibility that perhaps the origin of life cannot be explained by a natural mechanism is ignored, and this is disturbing. For if we limit what explanations we are willing to accept for the origin of life, we could be closing our eyes to reality. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA, has said that â€Å"the origin of life appears to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have to be satisfied to get it going† (Horgan 27).2 Noted evolutionary astronomer Frederick Hoyle has described the chances of life having evolved from nonlife to be about as likely as the chances that â€Å"a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein† (Johnson 106). Why do respected scientists doubt what textbooks teach as fact? It would appear that these scientists know something that current theories describing the origin of life fail to explain. While current theories describe scenarios in which genetic material such as RNA becomes entrapped in a protective cell membrane as a likely recipe for the formation of life, they generally do not focus on the difficulties of forming and concentrating all of these components in the first place.3 To clarify, current theories suffer from what I call the â€Å"cookbook mentality.

Foreign Literature Essay

We are committed to a cosmopolitan and multicultural syllabus. As part of this commitment, all our single-subject students take one module in a foreign literature, studied at least partly in the original language. Modules are normally available in modern Arabic, Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Latin, as well as French, German, Italian and Spanish literature. A detailed description of the available foreign literature pathways and modules is sent to new entrants in August. If you’re a combined course student, you don’t have to take a foreign literature pathway, though you will be welcome to do so. Pathways We offer two distinct pathways, leading either to a Literature and Language module (in the second year) or to a Foreign Literature module (in the second and third year). You can choose your pathway based on a combination of your own interests and your prior language learning, either improving your skills in a language you already know or learning a new one. Each pathway offers formal teaching in both language and literature in the second year of study, and the Foreign Literature module extends into the third year. Why study foreign literature? Investigating foreign literature will offer you a different sense of the contexts in which English literature has been produced and studied. Although foreign literatures can (and, on occasion, will) be fruitfully studied in translation, there is no substitute for engaging with a text in its original language. You’ll gain a richer understanding of the text and a particular awareness of the politics of translation, and your understanding of grammar, and developing alertness to vocabulary and ambiguity, will be essential critical skills that will inform your study of English as well. Employers look positively on the language skills our students have added to their CVs, and external examiners have praised their cosmopolitan and sophisticated literary sensibilities. The training provided by the department was fantastic and it really is a major feat being able to read foreign literature in its original language. Steve, English.

Ethical language is meaningless Essay

Ethics is concerned with what is right and what is wrong. Meta-ethics however looks at the language, it asks â€Å"What does it mean to say that something is right or wrong†. In the words of Pojman, â€Å"normative ethics is a philosophical examination of morality, meta-ethics is philosophising about ethics -that is, about the very terms and structure of ethical theories.† I aim to explore the claim that all ethical language is meaningless by looking at some of the common statements used in the ethical language and what they actually mean. Firstly let me take the question itself- what exactly is ethical language? Dr Richard Paul defines ethics as â€Å"a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behaviour helps or harms sentient creatures†. Paul also states that most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with people’s religious beliefs and the law, and don’t treat ethics as a stand-alone concept. However, according to the dictionary ethics is defined as the â€Å"study of morality’s effect on conduct: the study of moral standards and how they affect conduct†. With people defining ‘ethics’ in different ways, ethical statements would have contrasting meanings depending on how you viewed the actual term ‘ethical’. This idea of looking into the language of a statement before determining whether the outcome/notion would be right or wrong is called meta-ethics. This view of language limits its meaning to something that can be verified by sense experience (i.e. proven true or false). This view can be found in the works of Wittgenstein in ‘Tractatus’ (1921). This initial view went on to influence a group of philosophers known as the ‘Vienna Circle’ who developed the idea of ‘positivism’. This then influenced A J Ayer who claimed in his publication of ‘Language, Truth and Logic’ that there are only two kinds of proposition being the truths known by definition, and the truths known by reference to sense experience. For example, to Ayer ‘all bachelors are unmarried’ would be known as a tautology because this is correct by definition and thus claims nothing. However, ‘That man is a bachelor’ can be either proven false or true by using external facts (i.e. does he wear a wedding ring etc.). To  Ayer both these statements would be meaningful as they can be proven true. However, an ethical statement such as ‘abortion is wrong’ cannot be verified analytically or synthetically (like the examples before could be) and so aren’t meaningful. On the other hand, F H Bradley argued that the supreme good for mankind was self-realisation, meaning that we choose to go one way or another in life, so that we can join the wider community. Morality to Bradley is about the actions you take which express the character that you are. This is known as metaphysical ethics and is often referred to as depending on two abstract ideas. The first being the world as a whole and the second being self-realisation. Neither of these ideas can be reduced to the sort of empirical evidence that the logical positivists such as Ayer would say, can determine whether it has meaning. Therefore Bradley would say that ethical statements are meaningful. I agree with Bradley in that I can see how you can investigate the world as a whole and individual people’s inner characters I have to disagree with the overall opinion that for a statement to have meaning it must fit into one of two categories. Not everything can be proven through science or experien ce, but that is not to say it does not have meaning to some people. R M Hare agreed with my thoughts as he put forward his approach of ‘Prescriptivism’. He argued that an ethical statement ‘prescribes’ a course of action and tells you what one ought to do. It is stronger than just a suggestion of how to behave, but at the same time is more than a command because commands are related to specific things at specific times, i.e. ‘you should tidy your room’ would have meaning. An ethical statement is a general command of how to behave, making it both prescriptive and universalisable. Therefore one can apply logic to the statement and can deduce whether they should follow the statement or not. Hare would not make the decision so black and white that the statement is either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but would instead say ‘yes I think I agree with the statement and I intend to follow what it says’. Therefore these statements are full of meaning as they prescribe how one should act. Having said that, many people would not be happy with the above outcome as it is down to the individual and could arguably make excuses for actions that people may do. By following Ayer’s argument it is much simpler and universal as it is not down to the individual, it is either right or wrong through science and facts. Ayer, an emotivist, also felt that ethical statements are not just expressions of the individual person’s emotion but also of their attitude towards the situation. A good example to use- if I say capital punishment is wrong, it’s because I have an attitude opposed to capital punishment which is formed due to my beliefs. Therefore Ayer compared these ethical statements to the ‘laughs’ and ‘boos and hisses’ the ‘cheers’ and the ‘screams’ that people may voice in the audience of a debate. The statements are meaningless and add no weight to the situation. For example, saying that charity is good you are saying â€Å"hoorah for charity work† and nothing more. We would simply be expressing our attitude towards that topic or situation, and in the words of Ayer â€Å"I am not making any factual statement†¦ I am merely expressing certain moral sentiments.† Moral and ethical arguments serve no real purpose as everyone has their own opinion but who are we to say which opinion is right? We cannot know from people’s own expressions whether a moral statement is right or wrong, and therefore will come to no outcome so all ethical statements are meaningless. C.L Stevenson took this further and developed Ayer’s emotivism. Stevenson felt that whilst People’s subjective opinions are often based on objective facts so meaningful ethical discourse could take place. For example; if I say war is wrong it is my opinion and purely subjective. However if we say that war is wrong because 10000 people were killed innocently that is objective and factual evidence as to why so many people believe war is wrong. Therefore ethical statements can be meaningful. Ethical statements also include a persuasive element, which encourages other people to adopt the same attitudes/beliefs as us. Here Stevenson bridges both prescriptivism and emotivism together, and believes that ethical statements are meaningful. My opinion, however, would be that most people in society would be able to recognise that an ethical statement such as â€Å"It is wrong to murder† is prescribing a course of action that will benefit the rest of society. I  agree with R M Hare that an ethical statement is meaningful as it provides a guide as to how you should go about your daily lives. Language in general can have several meanings, but this still means each has a meaning. Ethical statements are made up of language, therefore each statement in my opinion is meaningful. You cannot make the decision of whether ethical language has meaning purely based on logic and evidence through experience- some things cannot be reduced to these categories, but that does not mean some people don’t consider this language as meaningless.

Synopses of Starbucks

Synopses of Starbucks Synopses of Starbucks PAGE 6Running head: SYNOPSES OF STARBUCKSSynopses of StarbucksMMPBL/590 - Strategies for Competitive AdvantageUniversity of PhoenixSynopses of StarbucksThe Threat of SubstitutesAccording to Strategy Leadership (2010), the threat of substitutes refers to identifying the likelihood that customers to a particular industry will switch to purchasing an alternative product from outside this industry. "A substitute product can decimate an industry overnight or may have little to no long term impact" (‚Â ¶ 2). The competition within the coffee industry can be affected by this threat and influence Starbucks profitability when the consumer chooses an available substitute over the company's. Substitutes can increase competition and decrease profits because each company offering the product or service may need to offer discounts or price cuts. It appears that Starbucks specialty coffee is itself a substitute product, threatening established brands such as Maxwell Hou se and Folgers.A display of Starbucks Ethos water."People try to classify us as a restaurant company or a specialty coffee company, but that focus is just too narrow. It's important to recognize that what we have built is one of the most powerful consumer brands in North America," (Papiernik, 1996, p. 1). Coffee bars fill a lifestyle need and Starbucks has become known as a popular gathering place. Though it may be said there is no substitute for a good cup of coffee, Starbucks is facing a substitution threat in the form of alternative distribution outlets such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts whom have become skilled at brewing a premium cup of coffee (McKay, 2010). McDonald's has expanded into the gourmet-coffee market and is trying to directly compete with Starbucks (Gutierrez, 2008). There is also the threat of substitutes that compete with baristas, supermarkets because they offer additional forms of distribution channels which Starbucks might see as...

Music paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music paper - Essay Example There is no doubt that the outward appearance of these two is very dissimilar to each other, however, both are alike. Starting from the basic elements of the two, they are analogous. The elements of music can be taken to be different manifestations of the elements of visual arts. For example, color in visual arts can be comparable to harmony in music. Color is a very important element of visual arts – use of color is what makes the piece of art stand apart: the amount as well as the technique in which color is applied to a visual art piece will definitely go a long way in qualifying and categorizing it. Moreover, if color is not properly or appropriately used, it can have a devastating effect in visual arts. Similarly, in music, harmony is what sets a piece of music apart from the rest. Harmony, or lack of it, can make a certain piece of music enjoyable or unpleasant. Also, harmony can also help in classifying music, just like color does in visual arts. Moreover, value, a way of analyzing the intensity of color in visual arts, can be parallel to timbre in music, which analyzes the intensity of tone in music. Often, visual artists use the intensity of color, or lack thereof, to portray a certain feeling through the piece they are creating. Such is the case in music as well: musicians also take advantage of timbre in their musical piece to portray certain emotions or to give a certain feel or effect to their creation. The use of space in visual also has its parallel in music. There is a certain sense that visual arts can give with their use of space, not only in helping in its classification but also in the overall effect or feel of the piece. Varying use of space can make the same subject matter have different feels in various manifestations of visual arts. In music, the counterpart of use of space can be rhythmic sense. It is through rhythmic sense or rhythm that music is often arranged. And just like use

Critically assess your placement's view of the doctrine of God to Essay

Critically assess your placement's view of the doctrine of God to demonstrate how it helps or hinders the missional engagement of your church within its local context - Essay Example The support and the quality interactions provided to be the Churches in the local communities has therefore, always been considered beneficiary in the Christian society. However, the type of interaction and teaching being imparted by different Churches depend on their understanding of the Doctrine of God and the concept of Trinity according to which, God exists in three forms, namely father, son and the Holy Spirit2. Taking all these aspects into consideration the discussion in this study will remain focused towards understanding the concepts of Doctrine of God. In addition, the discussion will also elaborate on the question that whether the Doctrine concept hinders or helps interaction of the Churches with the local communities. Accordingly, the discussion will also comprise of the evaluation of ‘four part missional theology analysis method’ with the intention to develop a succinct understanding regarding the non-existence of Churches in the absence of the Holy Spirit. Before understanding the impact of ‘Doctrine of God’ on the interaction of Churches with the local communities, a brief understanding needs to be attained regarding the theological concept. Contextually, it can be stated that different cultures have varied patterns of projecting their belief in God. For instance, in Christianity, the divineness of God has been elaborated in two specific forms. The first form of God has been projected to be ‘transcendent’, whereas the second form of God is projected as ‘immanent’. In the transcendent form, God has been elaborated as the divine power free from any dependence on this world3. Likewise, in the immanent form, God has been described as an active participator within all the happenings in the world. Correspondingly, the necessity of understanding this fact resulted in the emergence of the Doctrine of God concepts wherein the statements and attributes made by God were evaluated4. For instance, attributes, such as