Earth Catastrophes Essay

Doomsday: catastrophes that could end the Earth Many people throughout the world think that natural disasters, asteroid impacts, and pandemics do not have a great and long term effect on life on Earth; however this is not true. Today I’ll be only telling you about 3 of these possible disasters. One of the main possibilities of a catastrophe is an asteroid impact. For many years asteroids have come within 1000km of the Earth’s surface and then are pushed back. The chances of an asteroid slamming into Earth are a mere 450 to 1. If an asteroid does hit the Earth, it will send a shock wave all over the Earth and will destroy everything. Temperature will soar to 200â„Æ', everything will burn to ashes and the ocean will become steam. Planet Earth will become a giant fireball! In Yellowstone National Park there are many volcanic springs that erupt every hour sending out a large column of boiling water into the air. A few million years ago Yellowstone was alive with tremendous volcanoes spewing out lava uncontrollably for a few years. The carbon dioxide levels soared, and the surface temperature on Earth increased by 6â„Æ'. Scientists studying Yellowstone calculated that the magma beneath the surface is starting to rise fast. The disaster it will cause if it does happen will be apocalyptic to our modern world. Natural disasters may wreck cities, but what about a pandemic? In 1918 a pandemic swept across the world by ships and killed between 20 & 40 million people around the world. Today there are many forms of travel around the world; therefore a disease is likely to rapidly spread. Although antibiotics repel bacteria, there is a chance that one day we may not be so lucky! We can all help protect ourselves from these apocalyptic disasters, if we create awareness about them. NASA has already started to prepare for an asteroid impact by building a probe to gently push the asteroid of its path. More scientists from institutes all over the world have taken interest in Yellowstone’s volcanic activity. Every day in laboratories across the world medical scientists are searching for cures to diseases to help prevent a pandemic. So relax it’s not all doom and gloom! Farhaan Ahmed Grade 7 Dalgarno * For millions of year’s great ice ages, super volcano eruptions, gigantic earthquakes and plate tectonics shaped the Earth. * In the last 100 000 years no disaster has struck the Earth. * Scientists all over the world are discovering that there is pattern of catastrophic events across time. * Within the next 30 years or so, we headed for a huge natural disaster. * One of the main possibilities of a catastrophe is an asteroid impact. * For many years asteroids have come within 1000km of the Earth’s surface and then are pushed back. * Chances of an asteroid slamming into Earth mere 450 to 1. * I fan asteroid hit the Earth, it will send shock waves, magma and rock will shoot into the sky, temperatures will soar and oceans will boil. * In Yellowstone National Park there are many volcanic springs that erupt sending out a column of boiling water. * Millions years ago Yellowstone was alive with tremendous volcanoes. * The carbon dioxide levels soared, surface temperatures increased. * Scientists studying Yellowstone calculated that the magma beneath the surface is rising. * In 1918 a pandemic swept across the world killing between 20 & 40 million people. * Today there are many forms of travel; therefore a disease is likely to spread rapidly. * Chances of a pandemic aren’t so high because there are so many medical cures for diseases. * Studies in Denmark have shown too many antibiotics repel bacteria * We can all help protect ourselves from these apocalyptic disasters by creating awareness about them. * NASA has prepared for an asteroid impact by building a probe to push the asteroid. * Scientists from institutes all over the world have taken interest in Yellowstone’s volcanic activity to help us know more about volcanoes. * In labs across the world medical scientists are searching for cures to diseases to help prevent a pandemic.

Acquiring and Using Funds to Maximize Value Essay

Review Questions 1. What is the key goal that guides the decisions of financial managers? What challenges do financial managers face when they try to find the best sources and uses of funds to meet this goal? The financial mangers goal is acquisition, financing, and management of assets. The challenges are investment, financing, and asset management decisions. 2. List the four basic types of financial ratios used to measure a company’s performance, give an example of each type of ratio and explain its significance. Liquidity, Solvency, Profitability, and Efficiency are the basic types of financial ratios. The liquidity ratio is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. Profitability ratios indicate management’s ability to convert sales dollars into profits and cash flow. Solvency ratios indicate financial stability because they measure a company’s debt relative to its assets and equity. Two common efficiency ratios are inventory turnover and receivables turnover. Business manager needs to determine what the financial health of the firm, he would use liquidity ratio. A business needs to figure out how to pay off the debt to the bank, they would use solvency ratio. A company makes paper plates; they need to know how much profit they can make. They would use profitability ratio. For example, if the bank cost totaled $5,000,000 and its revenues totaled $10,000,000, then using the formula above, we can calculate that bank’s efficiency ratio is $5,000,000 / $10,000,000 = 50%. This means that it costs the bank $0.50 to generate $1 of revenue. This is an example of efficiency ratio. 3. What are the key questions financial planning must answer? What role does the budgeted income statement and budgeted balance sheet play in finding answers to these questions? What are your long term goals for the business? What are the most significant risks you are facing? How have you mitigated these risks? How do you expect your market to evolve over the years to come? Those are the four questions. They provide the answers to these questions. It is a plan to predict and show what can happen in time, it is a prediction for theses questions. 4. What is the purpose of a cash budget? How can this tool help firms with rapidly increasing sales? Cash budgets are often used to assess whether the entity has sufficient cash to fulfill regular operations. They can use it to figure out where money needs to go or where they need to gain money. It helps financial managers determine when the firm is likely to need additional funds to meet short term cash shortages, and when surpluses of cash will be available to pay off loans or to invest in other assets. 5. Name and describe 4 commonly used sources of short-term financing. Trade credit, advances from customers, commercial banks loans, and financial institutions are types of short-term financing. Trade credit is a loan in the form of goods. An advance from customers is the reputed business houses receive a part of the price or payment from the buyers before the supply of goods. The finance institutions can help the business by providing short term funds. 6. What is equity financing and what are its major sources? What advantages and disadvantages of are associated with equity financing? Equity financing is the sale of an ownership interest to raise funds for business purposes. Personal savings, life insurance policies, home equity loans, and venture capital are major sources of equity financing. The advantages are it doesn’t have to be repaid. They share the liabilities of company with the investors. The disadvantages are you have to share some of the ownership, and you have to also share your profits. 7. What is financial leverage? How, and under what conditions, can financial leverage benefit a company? How, and under what conditions, can it harm a  company? Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money to increase production volume, and sales and earnings. The use of financial leverage also has value when the assets that are purchased with the debt capital earn more than the cost of the debt that was used to finance them. If a company’s variable costs are higher than its fixed costs, the company is said to be using less operating leverage. 8. Is it possible for a firm to have too much money? Explain. What role does cash equivalents play in a financial manager’s strategy to manage cash balances? Yes because it means there can be problems in the future. They get taxed more and they don’t know what to invest the money in. They use it to show the company’s strengths and weakness. The can use it to make balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement. 9. Why is the $1,000 you receive today worth more than $1,000 you receive next year? What concept does this illustrate? Why is this concept particularly important when firms evaluate capital budgeting proposals? It is worth more this year rather than next year because if you receive it this year and you decide to invest in it you will gain interest on the thousand dollars you received this year. It illustrates the concept of interest. It is important for firms because it benefits them in terms of long term investment. 10. What is the net present value (NPV) of a long-term investment project? Describe how managers use NPVs when evaluating capital budget proposals. The NPV of an investment proposal is found by adding the present values of all of its estimated future cash flows and subtracting the initial cost of the investment from the sum. The managers use NVP’s when evaluating capital budgeting by most likely approving a positive NPV because this means the present value of the expected cash flows from the project is greater than the cost of the project. And a negative NPV means that the present value of  the expected future cash flows from the project is less than the cost of the investment. Application Questions 1. Your company has been struggling financially for quite some time now. You have a chance of making a profit this quarter, which is sure to bolster your stock’s sagging price. But it depends on your using a low cost waste disposal practice. The disposal practice is legal but you’ve also seen some studies indicating that it is likely to harm the environment. What would you decide to do and why? 2. Choose a company and obtain a copy of its most recent annual report. (In most cases, you can access annual reports simply by clicking on the link for investors, usually found on the company’s home page. You can also try the IRIN Annual Report Resource Center at www.irin.com, or Annual Reports.com at http://www.annualreports.com.) Using the financial statements, calculate three of the ratios described in this chapter. What conclusions can you draw from these ratios about the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses? 3. Your small company has $25,000 in surplus cash right now. You don’t want to commit these funds to any long-term investments because you know of some expenses coming up in about 8 months that will require the use of this cash. But you would like to find some safe, liquid interest-earning investments where you could park your cash until it is needed. You’ve decided that T-bills and money market mutual funds are your best options, but you want to find out more about both. Use the Internet to do some research about these cash equivalents, and then answer the questions below. How do you purchase T-bills? If you want to invest in T-bills, what is the minimum amount you can invest? Can you sell these bills before they mature? How do you receive the interest on T-bills? What is the interest rate earned on the most recent T-bills? How do you purchase money market mutual funds? How do these funds differ from money market accounts? What are the different types of money funds? Are  there any drawbacks to investing in these funds? Investigate two specific money market mutual funds. What interest rate does each currently offer is the minimum required investment for each? Based on your research, how much of the $25,000 would you invest in T-bills and how much in money market mutual funds? Why? 4. Suppose that soon after earning your bachelor’s degree you are accepted into an MBA program at a prestigious university. It is an intensive program that would require you to be a full-time student for about eighteen months. What are the major financial costs and benefits of enrolling in this program? (Hint: be sure to consider not just the out-of-pocket costs, but also any other financial sacrifices you might have to make if you became a full- time student.) Describe how you could evaluate whether enrolling in this program is a good financial decision. (Hint: Keep in mind that the benefits of your education will be in the form of higher cash flows over your entire career.) 5. Visit the sites of at LendingClub.com and Prosper.com to find out more about peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. How do these sites match small lenders and borrowers? How are the sites similar, and how do they differ? Do some additional research to find out what others are saying about the pros and cons of these sites. Would you be willing to participate in this type of arrangement as a borrower? Would you participate as a lender? Why or why not? Team Project Select 4 or 5 companies in the same basic market or industry, and print their most recent financial statements before class. Break the class into small groups, give each group the financial statements for one of the firms and have them work together to compute basic financial ratios for that firm. (The formulas for several common ratios are given in Exhibit 9.1. If you have a large class you can assign the same company to more than one group  and have the groups compute different ratios.) Then have each group report their results. Compare the ratios reported by each group. In cases where ratios differ significantly among the firms, discuss the implications of these differences. Case Connections Avoiding a Cash Crash Your company’s sales are strong and have been growing rapidly, and your recent income statements show that you’ve earned a solid profit each of the past three years. But despite this good news your firm has faced a series of cash flow problems in recent years. On several occasions you’ve had to scramble to find cash to pay your bills. You feel like you’ve been pushing your luck and you realize unless you make some changes in how you manage your cash and other current assets your problems are likely to continue. In fact, you’ve already identified three major concerns. You believe that once these concerns are addressed you will have gone a long way to reducing the possibility of a real cash crisis. Your first challenge is to find some way to get a better handle on how your cash flows are likely to vary over the year. In the past you’ve just made â€Å"seat of the pants† estimates about the amount of cash you’ll receive each month and the payments you’ll have to make. These estimates haven’t always been accurate, which is a key reason you’ve had to scramble for funds. You want to develop a more rigorous way to predict when you’ll have shortages of cash so that you’ll have more time to make adjustments or find additional sources of funds. A second problem you have concerns your credit customers. You know that offering credit to customers is a necessity; a â€Å"cash only† policy would likely cause many of your customers to take their business elsewhere. But during the recent recession many of your customers began paying late—and some didn’t pay at all. The slow payments clearly contributed to your cash flow problems. You wonder if there are some ways you could still offer credit while doing a better job of collecting payments in a timely fashion. Finally, even though cash is tight in some months, you know that there are other months when your business generates substantial cash surpluses. You’ve been reluctant to invest these surpluses in the past because, with all of the cash flow problems and uncertainties you’ve faced, you didn’t want to tie up funds. But now you are beginning to realize that such a policy has an â€Å"opportunity cost.† You wonder whether there are some safe, liquid assets where you could temporarily invest your excess cash. You Decide: How is it possible for a profitable and rapidly growing company like yours to experience cash flow problems? What can you do to improve its forecast of cash shortages and surpluses? How can your firm deal with its credit customers? What trade-offs are involved if you make changes in your credit policies? Is there any other way you could turn your credit sales into cash more rapidly? What is the â€Å"opportunity cost† of holding cash? What are some short-term investments that would be good choices when your firm has temporary surpluses of cash? Describe these investments and explain why they are good places to temporarily â€Å"park† your cash. Source: â€Å"What Are Cash Equivalents?† Wise Geek website: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-cash-equivalents.htm; â€Å"Cash and Cash Equivalents,† Wikinvest website: http://www.wikinvest.com/metric/Cash_And_Cash_Equivalents; â€Å"Cash Budget,† Investopedia website: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cashbudget.asp#axzz1VEzc8Z9U; Cash Budgets/Cash Budgeting,† Accounting for Management website: http://www.accountingformanagement.com/cash_budget.htm; â€Å"Credit Policy,† Entrepreneur.com website: http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82124.html; â€Å"How to Create a Smart Credit Policy,† Inc. magazine website: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090301/how-to-create-a-smart-credit-policy.html

History of Life Through Time Essay

1. The website shows the basic phylogeny of the three main lineages of life forms. They are â€Å"Archaea,† â€Å"Eubacteria,† and â€Å"Eukaryotes. † It also shows â€Å"Viruses† outside of the tree, with a question mark indicating that its place in the tree is undetermined, if it belongs in the tree at all. 2. This site attempts to show the two alternative phylogenies of the major lineages of life forms. The â€Å"archaea tree† distinguishes two variations of archaea, and shows that archaea are more closely related to eukaryotes than to eubacteria. In the â€Å"eocyte tree,† archaea are not specified at all, but eukaryotes are shown as most closely related to crenarchaeota-eocytes, which was a derivation of archaea in the previous tree. 3. Viruses are not listed in these two phylogenies because they are not proven to be actual life forms. Where archaea, eubacteria and eukaryotes are classified as â€Å"life forms† due to their ability to transfer genes, viruses have not been determined to be living. They are therefore not included on these two phylogenetic trees. At the other website, , a detailed phylogeny of the Eukaryotes is provided. From this it is evident that Fungi are more closely related to Animalia than to Plantae. 5. Both sites show that the major life classifications are â€Å"Bacteria,† â€Å"Eukaryotes,† and â€Å"Archaea. † The â€Å"Tree of Life† site shows the alternatives to how closely the lineages are related, giving two examples of how the three domains may be nested within each other instead of being derived equally. The University of California site breaks down the systematics of each domain separately and more specifically, leaving the three domains as separate entities entirely. Works Cited History of Life Through Time. 2009. University of California Museum of Paleontology. 3 June 2009 . Tree of Life Web Project. 1997. Life on Earth. Version 01 January 1997 (temporary). 3 June 2009 in The Tree of Life Web Project, .

Midterm Paper Rewrite Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Midterm Paper Rewrite - Essay Example Does this reflect the true picture of what beauty stands for today Definitely not! The "Curse of the Fashionista" will rob you of your identity and will steal the personality that makes you uniquely appealing. We express our shock when a model publicly dies on the runaway from the culmination of years of anorexia. Yet, thousands more suffer in private, away from the public's eye while celebrities promote this disease and its disastrous consequences. The recent case of the Ramos sisters brought only a fleeting glance at the fashion industry's policies that condone and promote an unhealthy body weight. The lure of stardom is quickly traded away, and the unethical practices continue. Cosmetics can be an instant cover-up or a dynamic enhancement for a woman's natural beauty. However, the long-term effects of these chemicals on the skin are mostly unknown, potentially damaging, and may be fatal. The women of England began to paint their faces with powdered white lead to imitate the pale complexion of Queen Elizabeth I. The product worked wonders while the women fell ill to lead poisoning. Today, women taking oral tyrostat for skin whitening have little information about its unforeseen side effects. Recent events indicate that drug companies may have trouble detecting side effects even after years of rigorous testing.

Sociology - Discuss the argument that the family is in decline Essay

Sociology - Discuss the argument that the family is in decline - Essay Example school of thought contests this view and a third argument states that nothing has changed and that the family unit remains largely unchanged (Gillies, 2003). This paper explores the argument that the family is in decline. Firstly, a definition of family will be provided. Secondly, three theoretical perspectives will be presented in regards to the family being in decline. Finally, a conclusion will synthesize the main points raised in this paper, and provide recommendations for future research. Defining what a family is is a highly contentious issue. In 1949 George Murdock defined a family as a group of people that includes two of both sexes, at least tow of who have a legally sanctioned relationship, and one or more children. This view was upheld by functionalist theorists such as Parsons and Goode (Parsons & Bales 1955, Goode 1963 cited in Levy, Widmer, & Kellerhals, 2002). However, over time the variety of families in industrialised societies has increased dramatically, hence its definition has been modified. Macionis and Plummer (2002) define a family as a social institution that can be found to exist in all societies. The function of the institution being to unite people into a cooperative group, to enable survival and raising of children, socialization of children and a regulation of the sexual activity of the people within the group. The family unit being a social group of two or more people who may be related through blood or marriage, or through adoption or by vir tue of cohabitation or family by choice, and so share in the economic and social responsibilities (Macionis & Plummer, 2002). In 21st globalised society numerous forms of family structure exist: the nuclear family remains, with two parents and children, although the term has been extended to include same sex couples who may not be married; the reconstituted family that combines two one-parent families; single-parent families; and the extended family which may be â€Å"vertical† in that

Journal Entries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal Entries - Assignment Example I do not like the way the drugs make me feel. Although my mother ensured that I took my medicine at the stated time, I felt sick to the stomach but I did not expel them. I had a healthy meal as prescribed by my doctor; the vegetarian lasagna was just great. Sometimes after taking the medication, I had a slight headache. I could not log onto my computer to obsess over their lives. Moreover, I got the sleep that I had missed for days. I admit I had a good night rest. Taking lithium and Clozapine makes me feel nauseated, drowsy, and fatigued. Furthermore, I have been taking a lot of naps, and I miss using my computer, I can only use it for a limited time span as I have blurred vision. Also, I cannot get outside as my eyes are sensitive to the sun. However, I am taking my treatment plan as positively as ever. I am still happy, and I do understand why I am still taking this medication, but I have to. I woke up at dawn for a run, to get rid of the excess vigor. My doctor advised me that exercising is great, that is why I choose to go for a run. After the run, I took my medication and had a nap. So far, I have been watching what I eat- no junk food for me. I can admit that I feel great and cannot wait for the next day to reach do that I could do the same. However, I have a desire to quench my thirst now and then; my water bottle has been my faithful

G Protein Coupled Receptor Function in Bipolar Disorder Type Research Proposal

G Protein Coupled Receptor Function in Bipolar Disorder Type - Research Proposal Example The paper tells that bipolar disorder is a complex psychiatric disease having genetic basis. This is mainly due to the chemical imbalance bipolar disorder affects up to 3 percent of the total population. According to World Health Organization report of 2001, bipolar disorder stands fifth for the cause of disability among the adults. Male and female are affected by this disease in equal ratio. This disease can develop at any age and takes several years for complete development in the individual. Bipolar disorder is a family disease. It is the combination of stigma, disability and cognitive impairment. Depression causes the emergence of this disease in people. The lacks of neurotransmitters at the brain are found to be associated with the bipolar disorder. The symptoms of bipolar disorder are elevated mood, different thoughts, pressurized speech, less need for sleep, increase in the goal directed activity, poor judgment and tangential speech. Bipolar disorder is associated with long te rm morbidity, co morbidity, disability and increased mortality rates due to suicide accidents etc. G- Protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprises a super family of cell membrane receptors with many common features having a single polypeptide with many membrane spanning domains. GPCRS have seven transmembrane proteins with hetero-trimers. There is an alpha sub unit which binds to guanine nucleotides. GPCRs play important role in the development and regulation of cellular physiology. They participate in the diversified physiological functions and are the targets of many drugs. The ligands are very diverse such as amides, peptides, proteins, lipids, nucleotides and photons. GPCRs have many alternating signalling pathways and interact mainly with the proteins such as arrestins and kinases. 90% of the nonsensory GPCRs are present in the brain and they play many important neuronal functions. There are five dopamine receptors D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 divided into two groups based on the seque nce and functional similarities. D1 like (D1 and D5) and D2 like (D2, D3, D4). (Pompili et al., 2011).These dopamine receptors are believed to be involved in the brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, addiction, and Huntington’s disease. The D4 receptor is activated by the dopamine receptor present in the brain. The mutations in the GPCRs have resulted in a number of diseases in human. The mutations may be activating mutations or inactivating mutations. D1, D2 are shown to have a greater interaction with the bipolar disorder. All the antipsychotic drugs block the dopamine D2 receptors and are

The Concept of Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Concept of Property - Essay Example The elusive concept of property leads to the difficulty of defining what is property, and thus creates complexity for courts to use the concept of property as an analytical tool for deciding cases.2 In this paper I will discuss a frequently cited concept of property - the 'bundle of rights' theory of property formulated by theorist Wesley Hohfeld3 and complimented by theorist A.M. Honore4 and assess whether or not property is a bundle of rights. Section I of this paper will examine the difficulty of defining property and the sources of its elusiveness. Section II will examine what the 'bundle of rights' theory is and how property can be seen as a 'bundle of rights'. Section III will examine how the 'bundle of rights' theory is limited in defining the concept of property. Section IV will examine the effect that conflicting conceptions of property have on court decisions about property. Specifically I will use three cases to illustrate the effects of differing conceptions of property - Yanner5, Wily6 and Moore7. Wesley Comb Hohfeld described property as a bundle of rights. Hohfeld presents us with an analytical framework that splits rights into four different jural relationships. The main aim of his schema is to present an analytical description of rights. Simply put, Hohfeld aimed to provide a conceptual understanding for our use of right and duty in practice, thus facilitating a better understanding of the nature of our rights. His framework precludes informing us what rights, duties are or should be or what their moral foundation is or what is necessary for something to count as a right, duty etc. He does not, therefore, say anything about the justification of rights. Specifically, Hohfeld's table presents a distinction between four different sets of juridical relationships. (See Figure 1). Figure 1: Hohfeld's Table of Entitlements and Burdens: Right(Claim-Right) Liberty[ Power Immunity Duty No-Right Liability Disability The table above presents four sets of Hohfeldian jural relations. The top row contains four types of Hohfeld's legal rights, while the bottom row indicates the legal position entailed for the other party in each of the types of right. These are jural correlatives. On the other hand, the pairs of diagonally opposite elements in the first two columns (duty/liberty and right/no-right) and those in the last two columns (liability/immunity and power/disability) are jural opposites, i.e. two legal positions that negate each other. (Lazarev 12:1-2). All of the Hohfeldian rights (in the top row) represent entitlements against a specific person. In a sense, each Hohfeldian right resolves only one issue between two specific parties.We start with a simple discussion of rights. One has to be very specific here. He who has the right must be able to pinpoint another person with a correlative duty either in terms of shield or assistance. Hohfeld's explained that every right is a relation between no more than two persons To say that X has a legal claim-right means that he is legally protected from interference by Y or against Y's withholding of assistance with respect to X's project Z. Conversely, Y, who is to abstain from interference, or is required to provide assistance in

Db1 strategic management of human assests Research Paper

Db1 strategic management of human assests - Research Paper Example Mission statements are considered as one of the most widely used management tools, which help an organization to achieve those important goals and objectives for necessary conditions of long- term activity and market success (Bart, 2001). One of the leading nutrition, health and wellness companies in the world food market is the Swiss Nestle, which aims to provide its consumers with the best nutritious and tasting food and beverage for all occasions. To be the best food company, Nestle invests greatly into the development of its people, using one of its principles for each employee to have an opportunity to develop to the maximum of their potential. It conducts learning in literacy and local and international trainings for its employees, has apprenticeship programs worldwide and gives the possibility to the managers to take part in the external management training. The company actively supports work and life balance of its employees, encouraging them for flexible working conditions if possible. To retain talents within an organization, Nestle should think over the improvement of its strategy towards its employees. Thus, certain surveys will give better vision of what employees expect from the company and how the rela tionship between the management and its staff can be improved. Brodowsky, G. H. (1998). The effects of country of design and country of assembly on evaluative beliefs about automobiles and attitudes toward buying them: A comparison between high and low ethnocentric consumers. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 10(3),

Transcendental Deduction Essay Example for Free

Transcendental Deduction Essay Kant’s Transcendental Deduction of the categories of the analytic concepts presents an analysis of the mental activities as well as the analysis of knowledge and self.   Kant discussed these mental activities using two sets of terms such as manifold representations and intuition as well as understanding and sensibility (p.76).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Representation to him means the various concepts pulling together into unity and can be given in an intuition that is merely sensible.   For Kant, intuition means a perception or knowledge (a priore) or insight.    Kant associated knowledge to intuition and also to perception (p.82).   He said, â€Å"The pure concepts of understanding even when they are applied to a priori intuition provide knowledge only to the extent that these are priori intuition, and through them, the concept of understanding is applied also.   He further noted that â€Å"empirical intuition serves only for the possibility of empirical knowledge. Sensible on the other hand, means either having or demonstrating sound reason and judgment or able to be perceived through the senses.   Synthesis is the result of combination, a process of combining different ideas, influences or objects into a new whole.   In view of transcendental deduction of Kant, the combination of concepts is act of â€Å"active department† of understanding which disguised it from the passive department which he called sensibility.   He concludes this statement that â€Å"all combining is an action of the understanding whether or not we are conscious of it† (p.75).   Kant further discussed the understanding self using another set of terminology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The â€Å"I think† which refers to that something was represented that could not be thought at all; He introduced three bits of terminology in order for us to grasp of the self-awareness (p76), that is expressed in the representation â€Å"I think.†Ã‚   These three bits about self-awareness according to Kant are: (1) the pure self-awareness which presupposed by all thought and intuition; (2) the basic self-awareness which is the self-consciousness that produces the representation of the â€Å"I think;† (3) Transcendental which is the unity of self-awareness. Clarifying the Aim of Transcendental Deduction of the Categories of the Analytical Concepts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant’s aim of transcendental deduction is to seek to generalize what he has said about self-awareness to all conceptual thinking.   The author pointed out that what Kant must have meant is that, â€Å"a property combines with other properties† or that a â€Å"representation of a property combines with the representation.†Ã‚   This according to him, Kant infers about analysis is being possible if there has previously been synthesis. In the discussion of analytic concept, Kant used such terms as I, I think, I can, I couldn’t do it.   He said that each of this representation is accompanied with consciousness that when combined with different representation can on finally say â€Å"I can† that means he is now aware of the intended action or he calls it â€Å"self-awareness.   In his discussion of synthesis, he said that it is an act of the mind.   Here, what he meant is act of mentally combining distinct intentional representations. Important Argumentative Elements      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first argumentative element about transcendental deduction is that, our concept about an object is associated with self awareness.   The mind must have representations of that concept to make it pure concept.   In my own interpretation, this representation could be experiences that connect representation of concept, since self has one identity.   Therefore, all other perception must be belonging to one consciousness or attributing to one identity in which the central grip is the self-employed knowledge. In this sense, we can conclude that the self identifies object based on consciousness and awareness.   Usually, the experiences help shape the self’s concept of things.   Kant emphasize that there must be a unity of consciousness and self-awareness which underlies the relations of representations to an object, which makes their objective validity and consequently their status as an item of knowledge (p.78).   What he meant by this is that the unity of self consciousness and the synthetic unity of self awareness are the bases for all uses of the understanding and it has nothing to do with any sensible intuition. Kant also emphasized that â€Å"understanding must related through more understanding to objects of intuition (p.83).   In other words, concepts that are not sensible cannot be transformed to reality and cannot be understood.   An act of the understanding results from self-awareness that leads to thinking something that is necessary condition not only for our identity as experiencing minds, but also for anything that is to be an object of sensible intuition (p.83).   These forms of thought of thoughts must come to have objective reality.   In my idea, Kant is discussing these matters for us to understand how our thoughts are formed and come into reality.   The object is self-awareness and self-consciousness of our actions, thoughts, and words. On of the argumentative elements in Kant’s discussion of deduction of pure concepts of understanding that I find is his statement about the multiplicity of intuition which he labeled synthesis.   He said that it reminds us that we cannot represent to ourselves anything as combined in the object unless we ourselves have previously combined it.   I find this statement somehow contradicting in a sense that synthesis is natural work of the mind which we may not be conscious how it is working. He said synthesis is â€Å"mind self activity† (p.75), and can only be carried out by mind itself.   In this case, it appears that we have no control of this activity.   If what he meant is that we can be aware of all these intuition pure concept and synthesis.   Then, we can guide our thoughts towards right expression of reality.   If this is the case, the expression of self-awareness and self-consciousness would have high effect.   But since this is a mental act, it can only be carried out by the mind itself which we are not conscious.   There I would say that it certainly cannot represent to us anything. Kant presented another interesting discussion of the pure concept and forms of thoughts.   He said that â€Å"pure concept of understanding is related through mere understanding to objects of intuition of any kinds as long as it is sensible† (p.103). Here, Kant relates pure concept of understanding with intuition of any kinds as long as it is sensible regardless of the nature of those objects whether they are corrupt or bad character.   He pointed out that because of this application; the intuition become a form of thoughts convey us information about determinate object.   What quite interesting in this is that, he said that pure concept of understanding is related to intuition which is sensible.   The pure concept to intuition is mere forms of thoughts with no determinate object related to intuition which is sensible. Thus, the discussion centers on how our mental faculties are working in so far as to have self-awareness which must be the basis of all these.   Kant pointed out that there is in us a certain basic form of a priori sensible intuition that depends on our passive faculty representation.   What he meant is that we have intuition of space and time which is also the pure intuition.   But this intuition according to Kant is either pure intuition or empirical intuition.   The pure intuition is about space and time while empirical those sensations that immediately represent to us as real in space and time.   Kant noted that â€Å"thing in space and time are given as perception† (p.82). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant’s discussion of transcendental deductions was quite very difficult to understand.   But in so far as my understanding is concerned, Kant presented a detailed discussion of how our mental faculties are working towards a formation of thoughts about the self from what he calls manifold representation.   He said that we have basically a priori knowledge yet it needs to be combined to the manifold representations which he calls this combination as synthesis or synthetic unity.   This according to Kant leads to self awareness or self consciousness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant also discussed pure concept of knowledge which according to him is related to understanding objects of intuition.   Here he discussed that before a concept becomes a thought it has to be identified with intuition of any kinds as long as it is sensible.   In other words, a concept that is identified with sensibility can be concrete and can be grasped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But what is important in this discussion is the aim of this presentation.   Kant was able to clarify to us how our mental faculties are working towards the making of mere thoughts and concepts to become words and pure concepts of knowledge to express consciousness and awareness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I would say that knowing all these, must help us to be more careful of our self-expression as well as of our attitude in dealing with others.   The transcendental deductions has helped us know our selves, therefore it must help us too in expressing our own selves in the everyday events and circumstances of our lives.

Okonkwo As A Tragic Hero

Okonkwo As A Tragic Hero Essay Question. Is Okonkwo a tragic hero? To answer this question, one must first know the definition of the tragic hero. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions. In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he meets all of Aristotles criteria by being a tragic hero by being a successful and respected leader in Umuofia, having a tragic flaw, and discovering his fate soon after his action. The first Aristotles criterion of the tragic hero requires that the character must be noble or a man of high status. In that sense, as described by Achebe, Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements (Achebe, 3). Starting as a sharecropper with no inheritance from his father, Okonkwo works very hard and makes his way to a wealthy and respected man of titles in Umuofia. From his hard work, Okonkwo has 3 wives with many children, a large compound with obi for each of his wives and a large stock of yams. Okonkwo earns himself respect from people both inside his clan and outside his clan through many of his achievements. When he is a young man of eighteen, he brings honor to his village by throwing the Amalinze the Cat, a wrestler who is undefeated for 7 years. In addition, Okonkwo is one of the nine Egwugwu, a respected judge in the community who is believed to be the spirit of the ancestor. Furthermore, Okonkwo is also chosen by his village to be their representative to negotiate with Mbaino village about the murderer of an Umuofia girl in Mbaino market. With ease, Okonkwo successfully brings back a boy and a virgin as compensation and ends the conflict peacefully, without any confrontation. Similar to other tragic heroes, Okonkwo also has a tragic flaw, which is a fear of weakness and failure. While the fear of failure and weakness drives Okonkwo to work hard and helps him earns his fame and achievements, on the other hand, it also causes him many problems. Many times throughout Okonkwos life, his fear of failure and weakness leads him to act harshly, violently and impulsively toward other people, including his family members. Okonkwo is always harsh and violent with his family members because he doesnt want to be seen as a weak person. Okonkwo solves his problems only by the use strength and violence and it is this attitude that leads Okonkwo to several conflicts within his family, his failings and ultimately, his downfall. For instance, Okonkwo violates the clan rule and beats his youngest wife during the week of peace and almost shoots his second wife who comments on his gun skill. Moreover, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, Nwoyes close friend whom Nwoye calls brother who as ks for Okonkwos help because He was afraid of being thought weak (Achebe, 43). By trying to be a strong person and deciding to kill Ikemefuna and beats his wives, Okonkwo not only weaken his relationship with his wives and Nwoye, but also hurts himself mentally. Most important, his violent and impulsive characteristics lead him to kill a court messenger from the British during the clan meeting which soon after leads Okonkwo to the discovery of his own tragic fate. The last Aristotles criterion for being a tragic hero requires that the character must discover his fate by his own actions. Okonkwos self-realization starts when he comes back to Umuofia after his seven years exile with a great plan. However, after his arrival, he realizes that Umuofia is much changed and he is not as important and famous as he used to be before his exile. His arrival doesnt attract as much as attention as he expect and he loses his place in the Egwugwu to the another man as soon as he leaves the clan. Moreover, he also has to wait for another two years to imitate his two sons into the ozo society. But most important, Okonkwo discovers that the white men have settled down in the village. The white men establish a church and a school in the village, and then start converting Igbo people into Christian and attacking Igbo customs and faith. Okonkwo is strongly unhappy with this situation and by his violent nature; he persuades his clan to use violence to drive the whit e men out of the village. However, the clan disagrees and reminds Okonkwo that the white men also have some of the clan members supporting them. Although there is no war between white men and Igbo people, the conflicts between these two groups still often occur, including the unmasking of Egwugwu, the burning of the church and the deceptive meeting held by the white men which results in the capture and humiliation of the five clan members, including Okonkwo. However, despite these failings, it is not until when Okonkwo kills one of the five British court members, who are sent to stop the clan meeting that he discovers his tragic fate. When Okonkwo beheads the messenger during the clan meeting and sees that none of his clan members go after the escaping white men, He knew that Umuofia would not go to war (Achebe, 144). He realizes that he will never be able to drive the white men out of Umuofia because his clan will not fight with him. Realizing that he is defeated and cannot save hi s village from the white men influences, Okonkwo decides to hang himself, which is consider as an abomination in Igbo culture. Okonkwos character greatly fits the Aristotles definition of the tragic hero. From nothing, he rises to the honorable and successful leader of Umuofia. He also has a tragic flaw of a fear of weakness and failure that leads to him to several failings and ultimately, his suicide. Finally, he discovers his own tragic fate because of his impulsive murderer of the British court messenger during the clan meeting. Although Okonkwo starts his life as a successful man of Umuofia but because of his violent and impulsive characteristics, even the most successful man like Okonkwo can still falls from his grace. Work Cited Achebe, Chinua.  Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. Print.

Beginners Guide To Orchids

Beginners Guide To Orchids Orchid is one of the most fascinating, beautiful and peculiar variety among the flowering plants. They have always been considered difficult to grow. But given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. These plants belongs to the Orchidacae family, with all the difference in size, shape, color, scent or lack of it. They are the most rapidly changing group of plants on earth with over 880 genera and 28,000 species. Understanding Orchids Orchids have been considered a plant difficult to grow because of lack of knowledge about these fascinating plants. Taking a closer look at the plant will help us understand it better and take away our hesitation to nurture them in our gardens. Basic Characteristics: Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident apomorphies. Among these, bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic), many resupinate, one petal (labellum) is always highly modified, stamens and carpels are fused, and the seeds are extremely small. Orchids belong to the most diverse family of plants known to man. There are over 880 genera, 28,000 species and well over 300,000 registered cultivars currently documented. These numbers only begin to tell the true story behind the evolutionary success of modern day orchids. Orchids are the most rapidly (genetically) changing group of plants on earth and more new species have been discovered over the last few thousand years than any other plant group known. Orchids produce seed pods with literally hundreds of thousands of seed that are released and scattered by the wind. Orchid seeds must establish a symbiotic relationship with a special fungus to survive its first year of life. The fungi gathers water and minerals for itself and the seedling, and the seedling shares its sugars from photosynthesis with the fungus. Only one or two orchid seeds will ever germinate and survive on that perfect crevice or depression that is both moist and has the fungus present. Even then, its chances to survive in the wild long enough to bloom are slim. Orchid Stem and Roots: All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure. Orchids can grow according to two patterns: Monopodial and Sympodial. Monopodial orchids have a central stem which grows continuously from the tip. They have no pseudobulbs, but produce new growth from the crown of the plant. Flowers are produced from the stem between the leaves, usually alternately from side to side. Monopodial orchids often produce copious aerial roots along their stems. The aerial roots have green chlorophyll underneath the grey root coverings, which act as additional photosynthetic organs. These aerial roots attach themselves to any surface they meet, thus providing support to the plant. In the older parts of the roots, a modified spongy epidermis called velamen has the function to absorb humidity. It is made of dead cells and can have a silvery-grey, white or brown appearance. In some orchids the velamen includes spongy and fibrous bodies near the passage cells. These structures are named tilosomes. Sympodial orchids possess a rhizome which sends out a shoot. This develops into a stem and leaves and eventually produces flowers. In time, from the base of this growth, a new shoot develops and so on in a continuous cycle. The buds are often, though not always, protected by a sheath. Sympodial growth is more common among orchids. Most of these orchids have pseudobulbs which function as storage reservoirs for food and water. The plant will hold pseudobulbs vertically and send out new growth horizontally between the pseudobulbs. They function very much like rhizomes on terrestrial plants, although they are part of the plant rather than a root. The growth begins at the base of the pseudobulb and is called a lead. Both the shoot and roots will grow from this lead. Many times more than one growth at a time will be present. Leaves can last for several years and provide nourishment to the plant until they turn brown and die. Even without a leaf, the pseudobulb will continue to support the plant and provide nourishment for growth and flowering. Some sympodial terrestrials, such as Orchis and Ophrys, have two subterranean tuberous roots. One is used as a food reserve for wintry periods, and provides for the development of the other one, from which visible growth develops. In warm and humid climates, many terrestrial orchids do not need pseudobulbs. With ageing, the pseudobulb sheds its leaves and becomes dormant. At this stage it is often called a backbulb. A pseudobulb then takes over, exploiting the last reserves accumulated in the backbulb, which eventually dies off too. A pseudobulb typically lives for about five years. Comparison of Sympodial and Monopodial Orchid Growth Pattern Orchid Leaves: Like most monocots, orchids generally have simple leaves with parallel veins, although some Vanilloideae have a reticulate venation. Leaves may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate, and very variable in size. Their characteristics are often diagnostic. They are normally alternate on the stem, often plicate, and have no stipules. Orchid leaves often have siliceous bodies called stegmata in the vascular bundle sheaths (not present in the Orchidoideae) and are fibrous. The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the plant. Species that typically bask in sunlight, or grow on sites which can be occasionally very dry, have thick, leathery leaves and the laminas are covered by a waxy cuticle to retain their necessary water supply. Shade species, on the other hand, have long, thin leaves. The leaves of most orchids are perennial, that is they live for several years, while others, especially those with plicate leaves, shed them annually and develop new leaves together with new pseudobulbs, as in Catasetum. The leaves of some orchids are considered ornamental. The leaves of the Macodes sanderiana, a semiterrestrial or lithophyte, show a sparkling silver and gold veining on a light green background. The cordate leaves of Psychopsiella limminghei are light brownish green with maroon-puce markings, created by flower pigments. The attractive mottle of the leaves of Ladys Slippers from tropical and subtropical Asia, (Paphiopedilum) is caused by uneven distribution of chlorophyll. Also Phalaenopsis schilleriana is a pastel pink orchid with leaves spotted dark green and light green. The Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor) is grown more for its colorful leaves than its fairly inconspicuous white flowers. Some orchids, as Dendrophylax lindenii (Ghost Orchid), Aphyllorchis and Taeniophyllum depend on their green roots for photosynthesis and lack normally developed leaves, as do all of the heterotrophic species. Orchid Flowers: Orchids are well known for the many structural variations in their flowers. Some orchids have single flowers but most have a racemose inflorescence, sometimes with a large number of flowers. The flowering stem can be basal, that is produced from the base of the tuber, like in Cymbidium, apical, meaning it grows from the apex of the main stem, like in Cattleya, or axillary, from the leaf axil, as in Vanda. As an apomorphy of the clade, orchid flowers are primitively zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), although in some genera like Mormodes, Ludisia, Macodes this kind of symmetry may be difficult to notice. The orchid flower, like most flowers of monocots, has two whorls of sterile elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and the inner whorl has three petals. The sepals are usually very similar to the petals (and thus called tepals), but may be completely distinct. The upper medial petal, called the labellum or lip, is always modified and enlarged. The inferior ovary or the pedicel usually rotates 180 degrees, so that the labellum, goes on the lower part of the flower, thus becoming suitable to form a platform for pollinators. This characteristic, called resupination occurs primitively in the family and is considered apomorphic (the torsion of the ovary is very evident from the picture). Some orchids have secondarily lost this resupination, e. g. Zygopetalum and Epidendrum secundum. The normal form of the sepals can be found in Cattleya, where they form a triangle. In Paphiopedilum (Venus slippers) the lower two sepals are fused together into a synsepal, while the lip has taken the form of a slipper. In Masdevallia all the sepals are fused. Orchid flowers with abnormal numbers of petals or lips are called peloric. Peloria is a genetic trait, but its expression is environmentally influenced and may appear random. Longitudinal section of a flower of Vanilla planifoliaOrchid flowers primitively had three stamens, but this situation is now limited to the genus Neuwiedia. Apostasia and the Cypripedioideae have two stamens, the central one being sterile and reduced to a staminode. All of the other orchids, the clade called Monandria, retain only the central stamen, the others being reduced to staminodes. The filaments of the stamens are always adnate (fused) to the style to form cylindrical structure called the gynostemium or column. In the primitive Apostasioideae this fusion is only partial, in the Vanilloideae it is more deep, while in Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae it is total. The stigma is very asymmetrical as all of its lobes are bent towards the centre of the flower and lay on the bottom of the column. Pollen is released as single grains, like in most other plants, in the Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae and Vanilloideae. In the other subfamilies, that comprise the great majority of orchids, the anther, carries and two pollinia. A pollinium is a waxy mass of pollen grains held together by the glue-like alkaloid viscin, containing both cellulosic stands and mucopolysaccharides. Each pollinium is connected to a filament which can take the form of a caudicle, like in Dactylorhiza or Habenaria or a stipe, like in Vanda. Caudicles or stipes hold the pollinia to the viscidium, a sticky pad which sticks the pollinia to the body of pollinators. At the upper edge of the stigma of single-anthered orchids, in front of the anther cap, there is the rostellum, a slender extension involved in the complex pollination mechanism. As aforementioned, the ovary is always inferior (located behind the flower). It is three-carpelate and one or, more rarely, three-partitioned, with parietal placentation (axile in the Apostasioideae). Orchid Fruits and Seeds: The ovary typically develops into a capsule that is dehiscent by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits, while remaining closed at both ends. The ripening of a capsule can take 2 to 18 months. The seeds are generally almost microscopic and very numerous, in some species over a million per capsule. After ripening they blow off like dust particles or spores. They lack endosperm and must enter symbiotic relationship with various mycorrhizal basidiomyceteous fungi that provide them the necessary nutrients to germinate, so that all orchid species are mycoheterotrophic during germination and reliant upon fungi to complete their lifecycle. As the chance for a seed to meet a fitting fungus is very small, only a minute fraction of all the seeds released grow into an adult plant. In cultivation, germination typically takes weeks, while there is a report of one paphiopedilum that took fifteen years. The main component for the sowing of orchids in artificial conditions is the agar agar. The substance is put together with some type of carbohydrate which provides qualitative organic feed such as banana, pineapple, peach or even tomato puree or coconut milk. After the cooking of the agar agar, the mix is poured into test tubes or jars where the substance begins to jelly. The seeds have to be put in the dish above boiling water, in the steam because that secures sterile conditions. The test tubes are put diagonally after that. Reproduction: Orchids have developed highly specialized pollination systems and thus the chances of being pollinated are often scarce. This is why orchid flowers usually remain receptive for very long periods and why most orchids deliver pollen in a single mass; each time pollination succeeds thousands of ovules can be fertilized. Pollinators are often visually attracted by the shape and colours of the labellum. The flowers may produce attractive odours. Although absent in most species, nectar may be produced in a spur of the labellum, on the point of the sepals or in the septa of the ovary, the most typical position amongst the Asparagales. In orchids that produce pollinia, pollination happens as some variant of the following. When the pollinator enters into the flower, it touches a viscidium, which promptly sticks to its body, generally on the head or abdomen. While leaving the flower, it pulls the pollinium out of the anther, as it is connected to the viscidium by the caudicle or stipe. The caudicle then bends and the pollinium is moved forwards and downwards. When the pollinator enters another flower of the same species, the pollinium has taken such position that it will stick to the stigma of the second flower, just below the rostellum, pollinating it. The possessors of orchids may be able to reproduce the process with a pencil, small paintbrush, or other similar device. Some orchids mainly or totally rely on self-pollination, especially in colder regions where pollinators are particularly rare. The caudicles may dry up if the flower hasnt been visited by any pollinator and the pollina then fall directly on the stigma. Otherwise the anther may rotate and then enter the stigma cavity of the flower. The labellum of the Cypripedioideae is poke-shaped and has the function to trap visiting insects. The only exit leads to the anthers that deposit pollen on the visitor. In some extremely specialized orchids, like the Eurasian genus Ophrys, the labellum is adapted to have a colour, shape and odour which attracts male insects via mimicry of a receptive female. Pollination happens as the insect attempts to mate with flowers. Many neotropical orchids are pollinated by male orchid bees, which visit the flowers to gather volatile chemicals they require to synthesize pheromonal attractants. Each type of orchid places the pollinia on a different body part of a different species of bee, so as to enforce proper cross-pollination. After pollination the sepals and petals fade and wilt, but they usually remain attached to the ovary. Gallery of Common Orchids There are over 25,000 types of orchids and, in fact the Orchidaceae family is the most numerous in the plant world. These beautiful plants have been around for over 100 million years and plants can range from microscopic to reaching several feet in height. The flowers have a distinctive look with 3 inner petals surrounded by 3 outer petals and a cupped petal that is distinct from the others. Some orchids even resemble other creatures like bees, moths and lizards. Although we think of orchids as a tropical flower they can actually grow in almost any climate. They can grow on the ground or on trees and even rocks. Orchids are classified depending on their water requirements. Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium and Odontoglossum need a moist environment all year long. Cattelya, Oncidium and Dendrobium only need water when they are actively growing and the vanda Ascocend doesnt really need water at all. Below you will find pictures of some of the commonly found orchids. It is easy to identify them by their flowers. Aceras antropophorum Anacamptis pyramidalis Barlia robertiana Cephalanthera longifolia Cephalanthera rubra Coeloglossum viride Cypripedium calceolus Dactylorhiza elata subsp. sesquipedalis Cephalanthera damasonium Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. meyeri Corallorhiza trifida Dactylorhiza sambucina subsp. insularis Epipactis atrorubens Epipactis helleborine subsp. muelleri Epipactis palustris Goodyera repens Gymnadenia conopsea Himantoglossum hircinum Limodorum abortivum Neottia nidus-avis Listera ovata Neotinea maculata Nigritella nigra subsp. nigra Ophrys apifera subsp. apifera Ophrys insectifera subsp. insectifera Ophrys catalaunica Ophrys fusca Ophrys omegaifera subsp. dyris Ophrys lutea subsp. lutea Ophrys scolopax subsp. apiiformis Ophrys speculum Ophrys scolopax subsp. scolopax Ophrys sphegodes subsp. litigiosa Ophrys sphegodes subsp. sphegodes Ophrys tenthredinifera Orchis conica Orchis coriophora subsp. fragans Orchis coriophora subsp. martrinii Orchis laxiflora subsp. laxiflora Orchis mascula subsp. mascula Orchis morio subsp. champagneuxii Orchis militaris Ophrys sphegodes subsp. passionis Orchis coriophora subsp. coriophora Orchis ustulata Orchis provincialis subsp. provincialis Serapias lingua Orchis simia Platanthera bifolia Platanthera chlorantha Pseudorchis albida Spiranthes spiralis Serapias vomeracea Growing Orchids Tips for Beginners Orchids have always been considered difficult to grow. Once the cultural needs of these fascinating plants are understood, growing orchids is relatively simple, and it becomes a deeply satisfying activity. If given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. Some species of orchids may flower two or three times a year and some flower annually. The following is a brief guideline of the role of essential and beneficial mineral nutrients that are crucial for growth. Eliminate any one of these elements, and plants will display abnormalities of growth, deficiency symptoms, or may not reproduce normally. Macronutrient Nitrogen is a major component of proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, vitamins and enzymes essential for plant life. Nitrogen metabolism is a major factor in stem and leaf growth (vegetative growth). Too much can delay flowering and fruiting. Deficiencies can reduce yields, cause yellowing of the leaves and stunt growth. Phosphorus is necessary for seed germination, photosynthesis, protein formation and almost all aspects of growth and metabolism in plants. It is essential for flower and fruit formation. Tropical orchids are no more difficult to grow than other plants, but because most of them are epiphytes (tree dwelling plants) their culture is different from that of other types of plants. British orchid growers failed in the early 1800à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s when they attempted to grow tropical orchids under dark, hot, and steamy conditions. They succeeded only when they realized that most tropical orchids grew at higher, cooler elevations and in the upper branches of trees where they got considerable light and perfect drainage. Lighting In the greenhouse, most orchids require some shading to prevent the leaves from overheating. In the home, however, orchids need the maximum light available. Placing them outside under the shade of tall trees during the summer months is very beneficial. Do not place them in full sun, however, or the leaves will burn. Also, do not place the plants on the ground, for insects and slugs (snails) can enter the pots and damage the plants. Pot hangers can be used to suspend the plants from tree branches, chains, strong trees, or other structures. Temperature In the home, placing the orchids in a room with relatively cool temperatures will help guard against dehydration. Most orchids are actually most happy at temperatures below the comfort level of humans, especially at night. Orchid greenhouses are usually maintained at 55-65 degrees at night. Soil Potting mixes for tropical orchids are loose mixtures of organic material such as fir bark (not pine bark), tree fern, osumda fiber, with small amounts of peat, perlite, cork, or charcoal added. The object is to have a mix that drains well, but holds some moisture. Most commercial orchid growers supply ready-to-use orchid mixes in small quantities. Orchids usually need repotting only once every two to three years. Moisture In watering orchids, it is best to soak the potting mix thoroughly and wait until the surface is relatively dry before watering again. Most orchids in fir bark based mixes will need watering no more than once every 5 to 7 days. Fertilizer All plants can be fertilized safely with a water-soluble urea free fertilizer such as Growmore 20-10-20 about once a month. Some orchid growers prefer to mix water-soluble fertilizers weaker than indicated on the package instructions and to use them every second or third watering. Always water before fertilizing and remember that it is best to under-fertilize rather than to over-fertilize. With the lower light and drier conditions in the home, orchids cannot use as much fertilizer as they can use in the greenhouse. Some growers like to increase the humidity around their orchids in the home by using humidity trays or trays of wet gravel around or under the plants. Pots should not touch the surface of the water. Water One of the big mistakes that people make is over watering their orchids. People assume that since they are tropical plants they need a lot of water and this is not necessarily the case. While they do appreciate the humid environment, over watering can kill them. The amount of watering necessary depends on the temperature any type of orchid a general rule of thumb is to water once a week. You may want to water more frequently in the summer and a little bit less in the winter. The Cymbidium, Miltonia, Odontoglossum and Paphiopedilum varieties like to be kept with the soil a bit moist even between wanterings while the Ascocenda, Vanda and Phalaenopsis prefer to have their soil become dry in between. Which Orchid Plants Are Easy to Grow? We have seen what orchids are and how to take care of them. The obvious question is which of these orchids can I grow at home, and which ones are easy to grow. As a novice to the world of orchids, you only need to concern yourself with the name of the genus. Most plants within the same genus will require similar growing conditions, so if you want to keep things simple, dont worry about the species or variety at this point. Orchid Genera for the Novice Novice orchid growers should start with members of the following genera, since these are relatively easy to grow orchids: Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, and Oncidium. Phalaenopsis Orchids Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchids, are one of the easiest orchids for beginners to grow, as well as one that is commonly found in stores. Members of this genus have multiple large, showy flowers on each spike; flowers that may remain open for six weeks or longer. Often when a spike is cut after its blooms are gone, a secondary spike will develop on the old stalk below the original flower head, thus extending the blooming season. Phalaenopsis is a genus of approximately 60 species of orchids. The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal. Phalaenopsis shows a monopodial growth habit. An erect growing rhizome produces from the top one or two alternate, thick and fleshy, elliptical leaves a year. The older, basal leaves drop off at the same rate. The plant retains in this way four to five leaves. If very healthy, they can have up to ten or more leaves. They have no pseudobulbs. The raceme appears from the stem between the leaves. They bloom in their full glory for several weeks. If kept in the home, they usually last two to three months, which is considered quite a long time. Some Phalaenopsis species in Malaysia are known to use subtle weather cues to coordinate mass flowering. Caring For Phalaenopsis: In nature, they are typically fond of warm temperatures (20 to 35  °C), but are adaptable to conditions more comfortable for human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30  °C). At temperatures below 18  °C watering should be reduced to avoid the risk of root rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. Flowering is triggered by a night-time drop in temperature of around 5 to 6 degrees over 2 to 4 consecutive weeks, usually in the fall. Phalaenopsis prefer to be potted in medium fir bark. They can also be potted in sphagnum moss or mounted. Keep them in pots with a lot of drainage. Keep the potting media fairly moist but not wet. Water when the potting media is just approaching dryness, but still a bit moist and never allow the potting media to become bone dry. Do not let water flow into the center of the plant or it can potentially die from crown rot. One of the most numerous blunders that new growers make is to rot the roots. Overwatering and poor drainage cause the roots to deteriorate, therefore killing the plant. Being careful to water when you feel the soil is dry through and through is the safest thing to do. Light is quite vital to the well-being of the phalaenopsis orchid. Keep it in indirect light near a southern window. Be sure the sun does not directly reach the leaves, which will cause burning and brown marks. If the leaf feels hot to the touch, move it away immediately. On the other hand, phalaenopsis grown in poor dark areas tend to grow floppy dark green leaves and rarely flower. Phalaenopsis roots are quite thick, and the green point at the ends signifies that the root is actively growing. It is okay for them to climb out of the pots. Plant may be fertilized with a 1/4 diluted strength balanced fertilizer three times out of four waterings. The flower spikes appear from the pockets near the base of each leaf. The first sign is a light green mitten-like object that protrudes from the leaf tissue. In about three months, the spike enlongates until it begins to swell fat buds. The buds will thus bloom. Usually you can tell what color the phalaenopsis is by looking at the bud color. After the flowers fade, some people prefer to cut the spike above the highest node (section). This may produce another flower spike or more rarely a keiki (a baby orchid plant that can be planted). Paphiopedilum Orchids Paphiopedilum is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of approximately 91 species. Paphiopedilum, the so-called Venus Slipper orchid, is easily recognizable. Most have a single flower per stalk, but there are varieties with multiple flowers. They are relatively easy to coax into bloom if you provide the plant with the right temperature range: mottled leaves need warmer conditions than do solid green leaves. Paphiopedilum (sometimes colloquially referred to as Paphs) are considered highly collectible by growers due to the curious and unusual form of their flowers. Most naturally grow in humus layers as semi-terrestrials on the forest floor, in rocky outcroppings or in trees. Caring For Paphs: Most paphs are intermediate growers and do well in medium to medium-high light. Most paphs should be kept evenly moist year-round. There are exceptions to these general guidelines, especially among the Chinese paphs some of which encounter winter temperatures near freezing, so it is important to research the cultural needs of a specific paph, especially if growing species. All paphs need a fresh environment and benefit from good air circulation and frequent repotting. The rule of thumb for paphs is to repot them every year, usually after flowering or in the spring so they can establish themselves before hot weather sets in. Paphs benefit from high humidity. Dendrobium Orchids Dendrobium, abbreviated as Den in horticultural trade, is a large genus of tropical orchids that consists of about 1200 species. Dendrobium inflorescences are loaded with blossoms and are also long lasting. These plants can often be split when mature, since small additional offset plantlets are frequently produced. When an offset has produced several aerial roots, it can be cut from the parent plant and will frequently flower after one year of growth. The species are either epiphytic, growing on a tree, or occasionally lithophytic, growing over a rock. They have adapted to a wide variety of habitats, from the high altitudes in the Himalayan mountains to lowland tropical forests and even to the dry climate of the Australian desert. The orchids in this genus often develop pseudobulbs, which unite into a long reedlike stem with a typical length of more than 30 cm. Some appear densely covered with short white hairs. The short, ovate leaves grow alternately over the whole length of the stems. The axillary flower buds develop into short flower stalks with one or two terminal flowers. The orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a long rest during winter. In the spring, new shoots are formed from the base of the main plant and the dormant buds come back into action. The blooming flowers are found on pseudobulbs formed in the previous year. Caring For Dendrobium: Care depends on specific species. Plants generally require a reduction of watering or with holding of water during the winter due to dormancy period. Plants grow in a variety of temperature ranges and lighting ranges which is dependent on the species. Plants can usually be mounted. Oncidium Orchids Oncidiums, commonly referred to as the dancing girls orchid, are also easy to grow. Abbreviated as Onc in horticultural trade, Oncidium is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subfamily Epidendroideae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Since this is a large genus with different species originating in a wide variety of climates, it is helpful to know the growing requirements of the particular species you select. Still, these hardy plants generally flower well even under adverse growing conditions. The flowers of the Oncidium genus come in shades of yellow, red, white and pink. The petals are often ruffled on the edges, as is the lip. The lip is enormous, partially blocking the small petals and sepals. Caring For Oncidium: Oncs grow in cool to warm conditions with moderate to bright light. Water the plant right before the potting mix starts to dry. Plants should be potted in a well drain medium such as medium fir bark. Tips for Choosing a Healthy Orchid Plant Orchids are found in a variety of climates, so choose an orchid that closely matches the growing conditions of your environment. This means assessing your light sources, available space, temperature range, and humidity. Armed with this information, do a bit of research to find out which orchid plants match your environment. These will be the easiest types of orchid plants to grow and your success will encourage you to develop more skil

Brave New World Essay - Societys Moral Decline :: Brave New World

Brave New World   Society's Moral Decline    Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World out of fear of society's apparent lack of morals and corrupt behaviour during the roaring twenties. Huxley believed that the future was doomed to a non-individualistic, conformist society, a society void of the family unit, religion and human emotions.   Throughout the novel, Huxley predicts many events for the future, most of which concentrate on a morally corrupt society.   The most important of these predictions include:   greater sexual freedom, over-population, brain-washing/sleep-teaching, and the use of mind altering drugs.   Aldous Huxley's Brave New World warns of a possible future dystopia, based on social attitudes and medical advancements of his time.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley's future dystopia is created largely by perverted sexual freedoms, which in turn cause corrupt individuals, entirely lacking ethics and morals.   Sexual promiscuity appears to be a much more frequent activity now then it was in the Thirties.   Critics blame "...the advent of the pill for declining morality and indiscriminate sexual activity."   Many believe that each time medicine reduces the risk of unwanted diseases and pregnancies, society, on the whole, will increase its sexual activity.   Huxley's prediction of promiscuity is based on his iron law of sexuality:   "As political and economic freedom diminishes, sexual freedom tends compensatingly to increase."   A current example of Huxley's belief is China. China is the last   remaining communist regime, it also suffers from having one fifth of the world's population within its borders.   Needless to say, China's large population is a direct result of a very sexually active society.   Aldous Huxley's fears of the future caused him to write about sexual freedom and the resulting over-population in Brave New World.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over-population is another problem which is addressed by Huxley, and is the direct result of sexual freedom.   The fear which Huxley addresses concerning population control is:   "Food supplies cannot grow as fast as people can, and population growth in underdeveloped countries will jeopardize the world order."   Simply stated the growing population of earth will consume more than it will be able to produce, unless some form of regulating births can be created.   This is an obvious truth today, as millions of people are starving each day.   The brave new world that Huxley speaks of, is a warning to mankind concerning its destruction of the laws of nature. For example, marriage is forbidden, as well as, pregnancies, and mothers are non-existent because possible children result in abortion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     

journeyhod Journey into Hell in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Ess

The Journey into Hell in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   In Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness the environment is often symbolic as well as literal. The novel contains both the "frame" narrator, an anonymous member of the "Nellie", representing the dominant society, and more importantly the primary narrator, Marlow, who too, is a product of the dominant society. For the novel's narrator, Marlow, the journey up the Congo River to the 'heart of darkness' is reminiscent of Guido's journey into hell in Dante's Inferno, with these literary allusion always present, through forms of intense imagery. The landscape takes on a hellish nature and the wilderness is personified. Death is omnipresent and this is reflected in the death imagery used to describe the cities of Brussels and London, the Congo region and Kurtz' station. The hypocrisy of 'society' and 'civilization' is reflected in the author's description of the "sepulchral city".    The novel begins with the narrator, Marlow, and some of the ship's crew waiting at dusk for the tide to change so that their "cruising yawl" the 'Nellie" may enter the London harbour. The frame narrator expresses quite optimistic views on colonialism especially pertaining to London, which is described as the greatest city on earth, yet these opinions are then challenged by both marlow and the use of imagery. The coastline is described as being shrouded in "diaphanous folds" of fog... ...cityscape provide a physical setting which serves to reflect the psychological state of the narrator, Marlow and the evils of life, as well as forgrounding the journey of the narrator - mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. The environment particularly that of the Congo and of Brussels, reflect death, hypocrisy and even human's "profound heart of darkness".    Bibliography    Conrad, J. (1995). Heart of Darkness. London: Penguin Group.    Maes-Jelinek, H. Notes on Heart of Darkness    Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966.    Ed. Marvin. Conrad: Collection of Critical Essays. Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972.   

21st Century Hero vs Beowulf Essay

Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon hero who fought many battles and proved his physical strength. Today, in the 21st century, a hero can be described as someone who is strong willed or strong minded. In our comic books that are now becoming movies our heroes are strong and very brave. Heroes in the 21st century don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to be strong minded and strong willed. The heroes in our comics are extremely strong. Take Superman for example, his only weakness is kryptonite. He is big and strong and he always saves the world. He may have a lot of enemies but all super  heroes do. Then again he has super powers that make him strong. He survived an attack on his home Planet Krypton and because he gained his super strength. Because of his alien like super strength people didn’t know how to react to him until they found out that he was a good man. Now he is America’s favorite superhero. The same goes for other comic superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman and Ironman. They all have a super power. Spiderman is most like Superman because he had something ‘terrible’ happen to him and gained his super powers. Spiderman was bit by a radioactive spider and acquired spider like senses. He can ‘feel’ when something is wrong with the city and can shoot webs. Batman is most like a normal human being. He is just a rich man powered by the fear of a previous experience with bats. He disguises himself as a human-bat combination and he uses his father’s tools and resources to create everything he uses to save the world. Ironman is similar to Batman in that they both don’t have super powers and they’re both rich. Ironman made a suit of iron with many different ‘superpowers. ’ He can fly and shoot energy from his suit. Our real life 21st century heroes are those that don’t have a superpower that children dream of. Their superpower is that they have faith and they are strong willed or strong minded. The people you automatically think of are those who are battling a terrible life threatening disease but still stay happy and do all that they can at all times. People who have cancer are often the first of our thoughts when thinking of this type of heroes. On CMT’s Worlds Strictest Parents two high strung kids go and live with the Sheffield family. They help a close family friend, Brocker, who is battling cancer. The man has a 14year old daughter and lives on a huge farm. The kids were originally angry that they had to help him until they heard his story. The fact that he had such an illness and still works as much as he can on his farm and takes care of his daughter inspired the two kids. He said people were helping him and when he said they didn’t need to they would say â€Å"remember when you helped me with†¦this is for that. † The people who stay positive while in the worst possible condition are the real heroes. When everything is going wrong and they still keep their head up and smile and try to get through it, they show real and true inner strength and they are heroes. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is strong according to the scops. They are the story tellers and poets. All of the scops use hyperboles and litotes to show exaggeration and understatement. A hyperbole is an exaggeration. An example of his strength in a hyperbole is on page 22 line 156 when â€Å"For hours he sank through the ways. † This describes the strength of his lungs while fighting Grendels mother. A litote is an understatement. An example of this is on page 293 line 202 saying â€Å"He was weary. † This understates how tired he must be after fighting a huge sea serpent like monster. Both of these statements describe how overall strong Beowulf is. Strong could have different meanings depending on what you mean and how you use it. Beowulf is physically strong in the Anglo-Saxon time period but the type of hero he is, is a fake one. He is just a man in a story saving the town. Beowulf is like the modern day heroes in our comic books. Not real and full of surprises. The real modern day heroes are those fighting for their life. Everything could be going wrong and they still are happy and stay strong and smiling. 21st century heroes don’t necessarily have to be physically strong but they do have to have a strong mind and heart.

King of Hearts

The film â€Å"King of Hearts† directed by Philippe De Broca, is a quirky and humorous comment on the futility of war and a reflection on who is more insane, the inmates of an insane asylum or the sane people of the outside world where men kill men for seemingly no reason.This film is an anti-war allegory, set towards the end of World War I that depicts the madness of war. It clearly illustrates the futility of war through the use of humor. Charles Plumpick is a Scottish soldier who is sent to a French village to diffuse any active bombs that may have been planted by the retreating Germans. He finds the village populated by quirky villagers who are actually the inmates of a mental asylum.They crown him the â€Å"King of Hearts† and present him with a bride and readily accept him into their midst. War is raging outside the walls of the village where death and conflict abound. The pointlessness of the war outside is made more poignant by the fantasy world inside the villa ge walls. If insane people from a mental asylum can live harmoniously then the world at large definitely has no use for war.The viewer is left wondering as to who is more insane, the inmates of the asylum or the warring people of the world. In this story of the madness of war, the inmates of the asylum seem more rational. The film uses a lot of symbolism to depict this strange world we live in. Even the heroine of the film with whom the hero falls in love with is a tight-rope walker, symbolizing the tight-rope that people straddle in trying to make sense out of this seemingly sane world. Quirky humor is tellingly used to drive home the point.The people are amiably mad but not crazy. Although they happily live out their cloistered lives, they are not unaware of the grim reality of the outside world. At one point Plumpick does try to ride outside on horseback to look for help but the people call him back. Towards the end of the film the people, weary of the game they were playing in t rying to populate the village, discard the costumes they had donned and walk back into the asylum. This is a serious quiet scene where the asylum inmates reject the madness of the sane world. A chastened Plumpick also joins them, symbolically divesting himself of all paraphernalia and clothes that bind him to the sane world.The world outside is a world without reason where men killed men. The senseless killing of wartime is illustrated when the two warring sides kill off each other in the streets of the village. The opposing forces symbolically wipe out themselves. The fantasy world inside the walls of the village with its child-like innocence and wonder further drives home the unreasonableness of the outside world where hostile warring forces are unleashing terror. The many philosophical moments in the film force the viewer to think deeply of the possibility of a world where harmony and peace reigns.This story of the madness of war would hold true in all times and societies where i t may be based. The innocence and startling wisdom of the insane also make a viewer reflect on the pressing need for a saner and more peaceful world. The film is ultimately a profound film where gentle humor is effectively used to drive home the futility of war.References :The Internet Movie Database. Roi De Coeur, Le (1966). Retrieved on Aug 14, 2008, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060908/

Character of Curley’s wife and how she reacts to others Essay

In Of Mice and Men, we see various different sides of Curley’s wife. We are first introduced to her near the beginning of the book and she plays a big role towards the conclusion of the book. Her flirtatious character leads to her being killed by Lennie, in a confused state. Candy, the old swamper, introduces us to Curley’s wife during his first discussion with George and Lennie. Candy tells them that Curley’s wife is a â€Å"tart†. The fact that Curley’s wife is introduced to us with having â€Å"the eye† tells us that she is very flirtatious with other men in the ranch despite having a husband (Curley). The fact that we, the readers, are introduced to Curley’s wife through malicious rumours means that already the reader has a negatively biased opinion on Curley’s wife and women in general at those times. Curley’s wife is first physically introduced to us in the doorway of the bunkhouse where George and Lennie are at, asking for the whereabouts of her husband. She is described as wearing â€Å"a cotton house dress and red mules† which had â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† on the insteps. In the description of Curley’s wife’s clothes the colour red is repeated and emphasized many times. Red is often referred to as the colour of love and passion, which further emphasizes her sexual and flirtatious personality. Also the â€Å"bouquets of red ostrich feathers† on her insteps would have probably been very expensive at the time of the Great Depression and the fact that she wears them in the middle of a dusty and dirty environment where they could easily be ruined tells us that she is desperate to catch the attention of the workers and to also impress them despite having a husband, further emphasizing her character as a â€Å"tart†. Curley’s wife is hated by the ranch workers . When she enters the room of Crooks, Candy and Crooks are â€Å"scowling down away from her eyes†. This tells us that they are either afraid of of Curley’s wife or that they are aware of the fact that anything involving Curley’s wife can bring no good. Either way  the use of the word â€Å"scowling† tells us that the presence of Curley’s wife displeases Crooks and Candy. This tells us that all of the ranch workers dislike Curley’s wife as they know that there will be trouble if they ever speak to her. Curley’s wife is not only described as being flirtatious but she is also shown to be cruel at times. Since Crooks and Candy keep ignoring her she gets frustrated and explodes when Crooks stands up for himself by saying threatening comments like â€Å"I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny†. This causes Crook to realize his place in society and causes him to become very weak. This tells us that at the time the words of a white woman were superior to that of a black man. This also emphasizes the amount of racism during the Great Depression. During the same scene, you start to see a new side of Curley’s wife and start to see the loneliness she feels. We see this when Curley†s wife says to Crooks, Candy and Lennie saying that she is talking to â€Å"a bunch of bindle stiffs†¦ an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else†. This makes us understand the reason why she acts flirtatiously around the ranch workers. This is because she feels lonely as she is the only woman on the ranch and even though she has a husband he barely spends any time at home or with her. This shows that even though Curley’s wife married Curley, he thinks of her as nothing more than an object. Curley’s wife’s last appearance has a big impact on how we see her. While the other ranch worker’s were playing horseshoe, Curley tells Lennie about the time which could have changed her life totally. She tells him that she could have been â€Å"in the movies†. In this line Steinbeck uses very clever irony. The fact that she wants to be under the spot light is unrealistic as all she ever does is cast shadows on herself and attract negative attention. Although, Lennie is not very interested in her stories, we learn about the true presonality of Curley’s wife, her innocence and her desperate need to escape the situation she is in. At the scene of her death her pure personality is emphasized. This is  conveyed to us when her face is described as being â€Å"sweet and young† and that her â€Å"ache for attention was all gone for her face†. The word ‘ache’ tells us that Curley’s wife’s desperate need for attention was so strong that it began to hurt her. When she dies she is no longer potrayed in a negative light but is instead shown in a very positive light. When she dies also the atmosphere in the ranch changes. This is shown to us when in the book it says the â€Å"sun streaks were high on the walls† and the barn was light again. This could be that John Steinbeck is trying to use pathetic fallacy by trying to tell us that the positive change in the weather reflect the positive changes in the mood and appearance of Curley’s wife. Despite all the positive changes in her personality there are lots of different things that made her death inevitable. We see this when even though Lennie says he likes petting soft things and that most of the things he pets dies she still lets Lennie touch her hair. This tells us that her never ending want for attention, in the end, foreshadowed her death and ultimately lead to it. We can see that the reason for Curley’s wife’s hostility towards the ranch workers is because of constant betrayals from them (eg. Curley because he married her but never showed any signs of affection towards her.) and because her needs for attention weren’t met. To Curley, Curley’s wife is just a trophy which he shows off to people. The fact that her real name is never mentioned tells us that people on the ranch showed no signs of interest in Curley’s wife. The fact that she lives in the boss’s house and that she is married to the boss’s son makes her a woman of power even though she is treated as one of the lowest in the hierarchy of people at the ranch in terms of freedom and rights. This loneliness causes Curley’s wife to make people who are in a low position feel worse so that she feels more important, powerful and authorative. We see this when she enters Crooks room and says â€Å"They left all the weak ones here†. This tells us that she thinks that she is superior to Crooks, Candy and Lennie even though Steinbeck doesn’t give her the dignity of having a name. In conclusion, I think that even though she is a complicated and cruel character sometimes, she never planned on or thought herself to be a flirtatious person. Even though she often acted like one, there were hints telling us why she was acting this way and that her real personality was nenver clearly shown.

Descriptive Paper About Grand Canyon

The great view of the Grand Canyon At the summit of the canyon, I can feel the clouds that are drifting are really closed to me and I can touch the clouds in the sky if I stretch my arms out. The color of sky is various from bright blue to dark blue depending on each individual’s viewpoint. Looking upward, I can see skies splashed with cotton white clouds and the peaks of the canyon are wrapping in clouds. Even though there are clouds a lot in the sky, the sun drawing water is so beautiful. There is also a small plane for tourists who want to enjoy sightseeing the scenery from the sky.The canyons stretch as far as the eyes can see. The canyons that were very deep and steep have a lot of vertical and horizontal stripes and its color is not same each other. The color of canyon is overall brown but the top part of canyon is red, the middle is yellow, and the bottom part seems to be gray or black color. I think the reason the color of the canyon looks different is the sunlight, be cause the sunlight has all different colors of light in it. As the time goes on, I can see more various colors of the canyons. Even shadow of the light also creates beautiful scenes.The view of plunging cliffs also seduces visitors far away. At the bottom of the Grand Canyon, there is a little bit huge boat floating on the river that winds its way through the valley and it seems to move little bit fast. I am gazing down on the liver leaning over the railing and thinking. I could sit and watch the river all day long for admiring the scenery. The sunlight bounced off the river and dazzled me and the canyon casts its sharply defined reflection on the river. I am thinking that the water of the river is so clear I could almost see the gravel on the bottom.Around the river, beautiful trees line the river road. Some tops of canyon are hidden from sight behind lots of trees. However, trees are more located on the bottom of the canyon than the top of it actually and the trees throw long shad ows across the enormous river. The land except for the river on the bottom is covered with all green color because of numerous trees. I am standing drinking in the peaceful landscape at the top of the Grand Canyon, admiring the view and feel my spirit seems to have been purified.I think about myself and set achievable goals with the landscape seen from the top of here. The weather is pretty good to see a view even though there is a cold wind blowing slowly. The sunshine, beautiful scenery, and the sounds of nature make me feel fresh and give energy boost. I can feel complete peace of mind while seeing manifest view. The scenery here looks like monotonous, but the scenery is beautiful beyond all description. I am so engrossed in admiring the view that I lost track of time.