Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Ancient Greece Essay Temple of Apollo at Didyma The Greeks built the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, Turkey (about 300 bc). The temple supposedly housed an oracle who foretold the future to those seeking knowledge. The predictions of the oracles, delivered in the form of riddles, often brought unexpected results to the seeker. With Ionic columns reaching 19. 5 m (64 ft) high, these ruins suggest the former grandeur of the ancient temple. Bernard Cox/Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York Greek Mythology, set of diverse traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the exploits of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary mortals. The ancient Greeks worshiped many gods within a culture that tolerated diversity. Unlike other belief systems, Greek culture recognized no single truth or code and produced no sacred, written text like the Bible or the Qur’an. Stories about the origins and actions of Greek divinities varied widely, depending, for example, on whether the tale appeared in a comedy, tragedy, or epic poem. Greek mythology was like a complex and rich language, in which the Greeks could express a vast range of perceptions about the world. A Greek city ­state devoted itself to a particular god or group of gods in whose honor it built temples. The temple generally housed a statue of the god or gods. The Greeks honored the city’s gods in festivals and also offered sacrifices to the gods, usually a domestic animal such as a goat. Stories about the gods varied by geographic location: A god might have one set of characteristics in one city or region and quite different characteristics elsewhere. II PRINCIPAL FIGURES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Poseidon, Ruler of the Sea Ruler of the sea and brother of Zeus, Poseidon was one of the Olympian gods of Greek mythology. He is usually represented in Greek art wielding a fishing spear known as a trident. In this large bronze statue from about 460 bc, Poseidon seems poised to strike with his trident, which today is missing. The statue is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece. Nimatallah/Art Resource, NY Greek mythology has several distinguishing characteristics, in addition to its multiple versions. The Greek gods resembled human beings in their form and in their emotions, and they lived in a society that resembled human society in its levels of authority and power. However, a crucial difference existed between gods and human beings: Humans died, and gods were immortal. Heroes also played an important role in Greek mythology, and stories about them conveyed serious themes. The Greeks considered human heroes from the past closer to themselves than were the immortal gods. A Gods Given the multiplicity of myths that circulated in Greece, it is difficult to present a single version of the genealogy (family history) of the gods. However, two accounts together provide a genealogy that most ancient Greeks would have recognized. One is the account given by Greek poet Hesiod in his Theogony (Genealogy of the Gods), written in the 8th century BC. The other account, The Library, is attributed to a mythographer (compiler of myths) named Apollodorus, who lived during the 2nd century BC. A1 The Creation of the Gods According to Greek myths about creation, the god Chaos (Greek for â€Å"Gaping Void†) was the foundation of all things. From Chaos came Gaea (â€Å"Earth†); the bottomless depth of the underworld, known as Tartarus; and Eros (â€Å"Love†). Eros, the god of love, was needed to draw divinities together so they might produce offspring. Chaos produced Night, while Gaea first bore Uranus, the god of the heavens, and after him produced the mountains, sea, and gods known as Titans. The Titans were strong and large, and they committed arrogant deeds. The youngest and most important Titan was Cronus. Uranus and Gaea, who came to personify Heaven and Earth, also gave birth to the Cyclopes, one ­eyed giants who made thunderbolts. See also Creation Stories. A2 Cronus and Rhea Rhea and Cronus In Greek mythology, Cronus was the ruler of the universe. Here, his wife Rhea hands him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes in place of their son, Zeus. The portrayal, created between the 1st and 3rd centuries, is on the base of a stone statue at the Museo Capitolino in Rome, Italy. Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY Uranus tried to block any successors from taking over his supreme position by forcing back into Gaea the children she bore. But the youngest child, Cronus, thwarted his father, cutting off his genitals and tossing them into the sea. From the bloody foam in the sea Aphrodite, goddess of sexual love, was born. After wounding his father and taking away his power, Cronus became ruler of the universe. But Cronus, in turn, feared that his own son would supplant him. When his sister and wife Rhea gave birth to offspring—Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon—Cronus swallowed them. Only the youngest, Zeus, escaped this fate, because Rhea tricked Cronus. She gave him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes to swallow in place of the baby. A3 Zeus and the Olympian Gods Bust of Zeus In Greek mythology Zeus was ruler of both the Olympian gods and the human race. Sometimes he is portrayed as a just and merciful defender of the weak. At other times he appears to be passionate, inconstant, and vengeful. This ancient Greek bust of Zeus is in the National Museum in Naples, Italy. THE BETTMANN ARCHIVE/Corbis. When fully grown, Zeus forced his father, Cronus, to disgorge the children he had swallowed. With their help and armed with the thunderbolt, Zeus made war on Cronus and the Titans, and overcame them. He established a new regime, based on Mount Olympus in northern Greece. Zeus ruled the sky. His brother Poseidon ruled the sea, and his brother Hades, the underworld. Their sister Hestia ruled the hearth, and Demeter took charge of the harvest. Zeus married his sister Hera, who became queen of the heavens and guardian of marriage and childbirth. Among their children was Ares, whose sphere of influence was war. Twelve major gods and goddesses had their homes on Mount Olympus and were known as the Olympians. Four children of Zeus and one child of Hera joined the Olympian go ds Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Ares. Zeus’s Olympian offspring were Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Athena. Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. A4 The Offspring of Zeus Zeuss Consorts and Offspring Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, had many relationships with Greek goddesses and mortal women that resulted in offspring. Zeus even gave birth to a child without a mother—Athena, the goddess of wisdom, sprang from his head. Metis is considered to be Athena’s mother because, as one story relates, she was Zeus’s pregnant wife when he swallowed her just before Athena emerged from his head. Zeus married his sister Hera after Metis’s death.  © Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Zeus had numerous children by both mortal and immortal women. By the mortal Semele he had Dionysus, a god associated with wine and with other forms of intoxication and ecstasy. By Leto, a Titan, Zeus fathered the twins Apollo and Artemis, who became two of the most important Olympian divinities. Artemis remained a virgin and took hunting as her special province. Apollo became associated with music and prophecy. People visited his oracle (shrine) at Delphi to seek his prophetic advice. By the nymph Maia, Zeus became father of Hermes, the Olympian trickster god who had the power to cross all kinds of boundaries. Hermes guided the souls of the dead down to the underworld, carried messages between gods and mortals, and wafted a magical sleep upon the wakeful. Two other Olympian divinities, Hephaestus and Athena, had unusual births.

Social Inclusion Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Social Work Essay

Social Inclusion Of Adults With Learning Disabilities Social Work Essay I am a student of the HNC in Social Care and I work with an organisation that promotes social inclusion of Adults with Learning Disabilities with social support through group work and one to one befriending. Throughout this paper I shall also refer to our service participant as Dan and our service as the Group. This is not the real name of our client or our group. By doing this I am complying with our organisations policy of confidentiality. This policy was designed to conform to the (ref 1) Data Protection Act of 1998. This Act ensures client confidentiality, that any information written about a client is accurate, truthful and any opinions are objective, substantiated by factual evidence. The Act also allows the individual to make a formal application to see the information held on them by the Group. To complete this piece of work I have assessed Dan`s needs and planned out a piece of work which has addressed an identified need. I read his existing activity plan as a starting point as it had his medical information included, this allowed me to update the information at Dan`s assessment. This first assessment had been done by my manager a few months ago and so I discussed Dan`s case with her before I met with him. Our activity plans are flexible allowing for the changing needs of our clients. The task undertaken also complied with our organisations constitution which concentrates on social inclusion of adults with learning disabilities. The assessment of needs is the first stage in the care planning process. Our organisation takes a person centred planning approach. A person centred care plan is devised to empower people, to support their social inclusion, and to ensure people are not devalued within society. It was necessary for me to listen to what my client needed, to differentiate his needs from his wants and to ensure that I could take action to deliver a positive outcome. A need is something he has to have as opposed to a want which is something he would like to have. Assessing a person for needs is the method of collecting information, recording the information and interpreting the information. The assessment took place at our office just after his one to one art session as he was comfortable and felt safe here. Under (Ref 2) the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 Dan has a right to feel safe and secure. I did a Risk Assessment of our areas which complied with the (Ref 3)Health and Safety at work Act 1974. It was important for me to continue gaining his trust and use good communication skills. I used the SOLER technique which had us both sitting squarely facing one another showing that I was being involved, I had an open posture implying that I was non defensive, I leaned forward slightly showing a personal interest, I had regular eye contact also conveying an interest in Dan and I had a relaxed manner. I used active listening which involved me trying to understand the real issues affecting Dan and had a meaningful conversation with him. Our meeting was timed to last no longer than twenty minutes as his attention span can be short if he is bored. I ensured that board maker signs and visual aids where available, to direct his attention if he did get bored. I used both open and closed questions which allowed me to get factual answers from the closed questions and his opinions and feelings from open questions. I observed his behaviour at all times and I spoke to him in a way he understood. I wrote the information collected in a concise manner in the form stated in our organisations policy and procedures. As we do not supply a care service, we are not required to register with the Care Commission, but we ensure all our policies and procedures meet their standards. As all clients under these standards are legally allowed an assessment of needs and an individualised care plan, the form I used was called the Activity Plan. The Care commission was set up under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. This Act came about to regulate the care and social work force and set out the principals of good care practice. During our meeting I was conscious that I had to explain the care planning process to Dan, and I used the visual aids when necessary. Dan was born in 1949 into a society that had introduced the IQ test in 1930, whereby those scoring low had been considered mentally defective. By 1946 and the introduction of the NHS, this term was changed to mentally handicapped and so required treatment in institutions. Dan was considered as being in this category. There is no generally acknowledged definition of a learning disability and there is a continued argument of the definition. However, there are certain features that are agreed upon. Those with a learning disability have difficulties with educational success and growth. An uneven pattern of their human development is noticeable i.e. physical, perceptual, educational and language developments..(Ref 4) The (Ref5)NHS and Community Care Act of 1990 implemented in 1993 and (Ref6)the Human Rights Act of 1998., saw the closure of these institutions. This saw the movement of adults with learning disabilities out of institutions into being cared for in the community, either by their own families or in small supported housing being cared for by the voluntary sector. The Same as You strategy of 2000(Ref 7) by the Scottish executive is committed to providing fairness, equality and social inclusion for adults with learning disabilities. As a result of this strategy the local community set up the Group to provide socialisation to help with social inclusion of adults with learning disabilities through one to one befriending and group activities. Dan lived within a nuclear family unit where he was given the basic human requirements of food, shelter, clothing, love and socialisation to live until the age of 6. He was born into a society where it was common for young children with learning disabilities especially those with Downs Syndrome to be institutionalised. There was also a social stigma assigned to those with learning and physical disabilities. Dans family insisted in caring for him at home until school age, but his educational needs where not met. He also suffers from anxiety attacks which his father says he developed at the age if six, when taken into the car for the first time. He reacted by lashing out and pulling hair. The anxiety attacks were given by his father as an excuse for Dan`s disruptive behaviour. His behaviour was tempered by his mother, who had to be consistently by his side cuddling him and holding his hand during his anxious moments. His parents did everything for him, until he was institutionalised. Here, he grew up where privacy, choice, dignity where lacking and he was not allowed to take risks. Life skills, education and road work where not given. More often than not in the past, these patients where drugged if they showed any signs of disruptive behaviour. Being locked up living in Nightingale wards with communal living and toilets may have also contributed to his anxiety attacks. These anxiety attacks still causes Dan to behave in a challenging manner if he feels hemmed in, especially in crowded places with no obvious means of escape. After 1995, when government strategies of closing large institutions were implemented through the(Ref8) Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and its amendments of 2003 Dan was given a home within supported accommodation as his father was elderly. Dan did not like to go out unless his father was with him and tended not to interact with anyone when introduced. His anxiety attacks causes him to be agitated when his routines change. He finds it difficult to make choices unless they are limited and is not keen on trying anything new. He is unable to read or write, he has no life skills e.g unable to make a cup of tea, make a slice of toast, shop or clean his home, he is unable to cross the road without help. The physical developmental stage Dan has reached is that of an adult but the emotional stage is that of childhood between 2-12 years of age, probably nearer the age of seven or eight. He has been living out with the large institution for six years now but has not learned to change his behaviour accordingly. This may be as a result of being told by his support workers that he cannot do certain things as they deem certain activities to be a risk. Staffing problems also contribute to the lack of his change in behaviour as time constraints in helping Dan learn new skills are often given as an excuse for staff not being able to assist Dan attempt new things. So, I believe he is still institutionalised although he lives in smaller community shared accommodation. He was given no choice as to where he would live, who he would be sharing with or who would be supporting him. With the help of his family, before being institutionalised he was able to meet the bottom three stages as seen in Maslow`s hierarchy of needs pyramid. (Ref9) Abraham Maslow was a humanist psychologist who developed this model between the 1940s and 1950`s. He stated that human needs can be arranged in a step ladder pyramid and that the lower level needs must be satisfied before higher levels can be met. This model consisted of eight stages. He stated that we are all motivated by need as evolved over thousands of years. He stated that we must satisfy these needs in turn, starting with the first. The first need is the physiological need which is e.g having food, oxygen, water, etc, the needs to allow our bodies to survive. The second need is that of physiological and physical security, whereby there is protection from possible hazardous circumstances and objects. The third need is belonging and love, which is being part of a group of family and friends in a loving situation with trust acceptance and affection. The fourth need is esteem which is respect of self and others. The fifth need is self actualisation which is realising personal potential. The fifth need is Cognitive needs with knowledge and understanding. The sixth need is Aesthetic needs which is the appreciation of symmetry, beauty, order and form. The seventh need is self- actulisation which is realising ones full potential and the eighth need is transcendence which is helping others to fulfil their potential. Dan, as functionalist sociologist (Ref10) Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) argued, will have gained his primary socialisation and emotional stability within a nuclear family of two parents, a mother and father, plus his siblings. Primary socialisation can be defined as a means by which the norms and values of society are taught to children and they learn to accept these values within the family. The functionalist sociologists believe that society can be compared to a living body, with different organs (institutions) having different functions yet all working together to keep the body (society) alive.They consider the family to be a small version of society which operates as a social, economic and emotional unit. The conflict theorist believe that society is separated into two classes, with the bourgeoisie and the proletariat who are at odds with one another. The family, conflict theorists state is just another social institutions which contribute to the acceptance of social inequality. Every member takes difference roles at certain times in the family life cycle and conflict happens within the family when a person challenges those roles, e.g teenagers challenging parental authority. Dan lived in an institution from the age of six so his secondary socialisation was to learn to live within the confines of the institution. This socialisation would have been radically different from a family situation. (ref11) Research showed that concerns grew about the care given by institutions quality of care provided by these institutions in terms of gross physical deprivation (overcrowding, poor food, clothing and environment), abuse (ill-treatment, theft of possessions and over-use of medication and restraint) and neglect and inactivity (lack of care, lack of contact and stimulation and extensive periods of disengagement and isolation staff and client interaction and engagement in meaningful activities would have been poor . As a result, no chances where available to allow Dan to move to the next level of Maslows Pyramid of Needs of self esteem. (Ref 12) Dan was the youngest member of the family and so according to Alfred Adler this would have affected the type of personality that he would develop later on in life. The youngest are known to get their own way and to have a stronger parent bond, which Dan did Have as he was overprotected and indulged before hospitalisation. But, this cocooning can also be claustrophobic. But, by being institutionalised, according to Erikson, his environment would also have affected Dan`s development and have had an impact on his behaviour . The behaviour Dan often displays can be explained by the behaviourist theory, which was named (Ref 13)Learned Helplessness. While experimenting on dogs using Pavlov`s theory of Classical Conditioning, which shows links between the stimulus and the response. Seligman discovered that learned behaviour is a results of the belief that the person`s actions are futile. People who have lived in Institutions have learned not to expect to have any control over their lives. Behaviourist theorists believe that if behaviour is learned, then it can be unlearned. Lev Vygotsky and Russian cognitive psychologist believed that development was guided by culture and interpersonal communication with significant adults. Being institutionalised will have reduced Dan`s chances of having regular important communication with a significant adult. Vygotsky stated that to learn a range of tasks that are too difficult on their own, a child must be shown or guided by someone who is more knowledgeable. This became known as the Zone of proximal development. This assumes that the child has the ability to memorise and the capacity to recall the learned experience. This is not always possible in some with a learning disability. In the care setting where Dan spent his life, the chances of a child being challenged to learn new skills would have been diminished or non- existent. Vygotsky was the first to observe that social isolation caused a delay in both social and cognitive development. The anxiety attacks Dan suffers from can also be explained via Operant Conditioning suggested by B.F.Skinner (1953). Operant Conditioning is where behaviour is followed by a consequence. His behaviour of lashing out when he is anxious is a result of positive reinforcement where initially this bad behaviour was rewarded by receiving physical and emotional contact from his mother before institutionalisation and later attention from nursing staff in the institution. Positive reinforcement is where the consequence is a positive outcome. Now, Dan`s support staff try to ensure that Dan does not come into a situation that may make him anxious. After the death of his elderly mother Dan relied totally on his elderly father for any continued socialisation, as his siblings had long left home to set up their own family life. (stats to be put in) His father feared Dan would become isolated, especially as his father was becoming less able to take Dan out. Dan was introduced to join the Group by his father in an attempt to introduce him to new friends, increase his confidence and improve his self esteem. His time at the group has seen his confidence increase. After moving out into the community, Dan was rather introverted and shy and would only go out in the company of his father. This concerned his ninety year old father greatly, and so his father came to our organisation in the hope that we could increase Dan`s social circle. Dan was assessed by being asked a number of questions using PIES to establish what his Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social needs were. This information was put into his activity plan which we use instead of a Care Plan. As under the NHS and Community Care (Scotland) Act 1990 everyone is entitled to a care plan. Dan will have such a plan set up by the social work department. To increase his social circle as requested by his father, we included him in a number of activities which has expanded his scope of social activity and made him less isolated. Dan`s physical needs are met by social services, but his intellectual needs of mental stimulation, his emotional needs of needing to increase his self esteem and his social needs of social interaction require attention. Dan has already improved his social skills through art by now communicating well with our staff and is keen to take his work home to show to his family and carers. His father has commented on how the communication skills of Dan have improved and his confidence has increased. Remembering Maslow`s Hierarchy of Needs, I had assessed that Dan would benefit from reaching the fourth stage Esteem Needs. I felt an activity that would help to improve his confidence, his communication skills and make him less anxious in a large group situation would be beneficial. I spoke to him and observed him answer my questions .One of my questions gave him a choice of activities to try, I found that the activity he was most interested in was art. I mentor both at the art group and on an individual basis, which helps adults with learning disabilities gain new skills, gain confidence, improve self esteem, socialisation and self actualisation through creativity. Carl Gustav Jung a Swiss psychiatrist B.1875 to D. 1961 encouraged patients to use art to convey their unconscious emotions. He stated that (Ref14) drawing, painting, and modeling can be used to bring unconscious material to light. Once a series has become dramatic, it can easily pass over into the auditive or linguistic sphere and give rise to dialogues and the like. (1941) My aim was to try to put coping mechanisms in place to allow him to be able to take part in the graded unit activity which was to allow him to create a work of art and to exhibit at our Malawi Awareness Evening, which we expected to be busy. This activity is to take place some weeks away so it was important for me to arrange new art activities over a period of time, to allow him to gain confidence in being part of a large group. My goal through these activities was to allow Dan the chance to increase his confidence and communication skills and to develop coping mechanisms to allow him to deal with his fear of large groups. I have used the (Ref 7) task-centred model in planning this exercise; this is a short-term problem solving approach over a short period. This had five phases- Problem Identification (assessment), Agreement, Planning goals, Achieving Tasks and Evaluation. Here, the client takes concrete action to solve the problem. The Initial interview or phase allowed Dan to express his need to have more confidence when in a room with more people in order to be able to enjoy more activities. He wanted to complete a painting and to be present at its exhibition. To achieve these goals, we agreed on the steps and tasks t hat allowed Dan to attain his goal. We emphasised the tasks that were required to be completed to allow Dan to exhibit his work of art and agree on timescales for the tasks. Other interviews will took place to ensure that we were on track and that Dan felt safe and confident doing the agreed tasks. With Dan`s agreement we decided to have an hourly one to one befriending art session of three one hour sessions per week over four weeks and to increase these sessions to become a group session. To do this I needed to slowly introduce more and more people to the group. These were other service users, staff and volunteers. With agreement of everyone involved I brought people in one at a time each session. I did this by giving each individual a date and time to join us at the Group premises. I hoped that by the end of the four weeks he would be able to sit in a room happily with at least twelve noisy people. He had to have a positive experience and to have a positive association with the group. Dan enjoyed a regular cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit, so I introduced this positive experience to him in the group setting while he was painting. I ensured he sat facing the door and informed him that he was able to leave the room at any time. I sat him at the end of the table to ensure that he did not feel hemmed in.

Zoot Suit Riots Essay -- American History Sleepy Lagoon Affair

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zoot suits, associated with the Mexican race, consisted of a long jacket that reached almost to the knees, pants with a â€Å"tight stuff cuff†, a â€Å"wide, flat hat, and Dutch-toe shoes† (Berger 193). These zoot suits were worn by the Mexican youth who were accused of murder on August 2, 1942. People claimed that Jose Diaz was murdered by a gang that had broken up a party at Sleepy Lagoon ranch located close to Los Angeles. However, even though the lower court did convict them of murder, two years later the district court of appeals took that decision back by stating that there was not enough good evidence and that most of that decision was made based on prejudice issues. This incident became known as the â€Å"Sleepy Lagoon Affair† and was made an international topic, especially when it was made to look like Americans were making it a point to harm Latin-American citizens. Afterwards, the â€Å"Sleepy Lagoon Affair† opened the door way to much more discrimination against Mexicans and brought many more riots to Los Angeles between Mexicans and Americans (Gorn 183).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mexican-Americans were highly offended when American citizens, mostly the marines and soldiers, attacked any Mexican they saw on the street wearing a zoot suit. Some of the time these Mexicans were not part of a gang, but were attacked as revenge from that August night in 1942. Police officials were watching servicemen beat the Mexicans on the street then arresting the victims, saying that they provoked the riot (La Op...

The Importance of Leadership in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

The Importance of Leadership in Lord of the Flies There are always people who, in a group, come out with better qualities to be a leader than others. The strongest people however, become the greater influences which the others decide to follow. However, sometimes the strongest person is not the best choice. Authors often show how humans select this stronger person to give an understanding of the different powers that people can posses over others. In William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies Ralph though not the stronger person, demonstrates a better understanding of people than Jack which gives him better leadership qualities. Ralph displays these useful human qualities as a leader by working towards the betterment of the boys' society. He knows the boys need stability and order if they are to survive on the island. He creates rules and a simple form of government to achieve this order. Jack does not treat the boys with dignity as Ralph does. Ralph understands that the boys, particularly Piggy, have to be given respect and must be treated as equals. This makes Ralph a better leader as he is able to acknowledge that he was not superior to any of the other boys. Ralph's wisdom and ability to look to the future also make him a superior leader. Ralph has the sense to keep his focus on getting off the island. He insists on keeping the fire burning as a distress signal. Ralph's leadership provides peace and order to the island while Jack's leadership makes chaos. Under Jack's rule, the boys become uncivilized savages. They have no discipline. Ralph, however, keeps the boys under order through the meetings which he holds. At these meetings a sense of order is instilled because the boys have to wait until they hold the conch to speak. When Ralph says, "I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking." (Golding 36) he enforces his role of leader by making rules and gives the boys the stability of an authority figure, mainly himself. By doing this he wins the boys respect and confidence in his leadership abilities. Ralph uses his authority to try to improve the boys' society. By building shelters he demonstrates his knowledge of the boys' needs. When he says to Jack, "They talk and scream. The littluns.

Alternative Energy Essay -- Environment, Fossil Fuel, Wind Energy

A topic that has been in discussion throughout the years was the use of alternative energy. Alternative Energy is being increasingly used due to â€Å"The threat of global warming.† (Tom Udall, â€Å"Clean Energy,† par. 3). The result of the burning of fossil fuels and fossil fuels are soon depleting and alternative energies will be the ways that people will be living in the near future. As the positives of alternative energy will provide a healthier and cleaner future, cost is something people underestimate. The price of alternative energy will increase our national deficit as well as the people’s taxes, as manufacturing these products that will create alternative energy is expensive. As the economy of the United States continues to fall apart, Americans continually overuse fossil fuels and increasing the chance of global warming. As this epidemic continues to rise, the government issued a bill asking for change to the way fossil fuels are being used up. As the government started dealing with this problem, some influential senators have designed a bill called â€Å"S.3813: Renewable Electricity Promotion Act of 2010 stating by 2021, power plants will be run by 15% alternative energy.† (Reuters, â€Å"US renewable energy bill,† par. 2). This is the debate of how the future will end up. This measure "will help protect and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and keep America in the clean energy race." (Par. 6). As this debate continues to persuade other members of Congress, the bill will be persuaded by interest groups who were made to promote or demote the bill. Interest Groups will use all the resources they can possibly use to find ways to beat the other interest groups to help promote its ideas. As the bill is going through Cong... ...passed the Senate, where the Senate need to collaborate in where certain amendments fit, the last time someone was looking at S. 3813 was â€Å"Sept 21, 2010,† shows that slow progression of the bill. â€Å"The bill was considered in committee which has recommended it be considered by the Senate as a whole.† (Gov Track, â€Å"S. 3813,† par. 1). The most influential group that has made the most impact would be the American Petroleum Institute, where they have the expertise of 270 staff members, where each work on a different aspect of the bill and find ways for the bill to be past. The government hasn’t resolved the problem yet because the bill is still being placed under amendments that apply to the bill. It is being carefully examined by the Senators so that mistakes in the bill are not passed and are revised and which will help the economy and the people of the United States. Alternative Energy Essay -- Environment, Fossil Fuel, Wind Energy A topic that has been in discussion throughout the years was the use of alternative energy. Alternative Energy is being increasingly used due to â€Å"The threat of global warming.† (Tom Udall, â€Å"Clean Energy,† par. 3). The result of the burning of fossil fuels and fossil fuels are soon depleting and alternative energies will be the ways that people will be living in the near future. As the positives of alternative energy will provide a healthier and cleaner future, cost is something people underestimate. The price of alternative energy will increase our national deficit as well as the people’s taxes, as manufacturing these products that will create alternative energy is expensive. As the economy of the United States continues to fall apart, Americans continually overuse fossil fuels and increasing the chance of global warming. As this epidemic continues to rise, the government issued a bill asking for change to the way fossil fuels are being used up. As the government started dealing with this problem, some influential senators have designed a bill called â€Å"S.3813: Renewable Electricity Promotion Act of 2010 stating by 2021, power plants will be run by 15% alternative energy.† (Reuters, â€Å"US renewable energy bill,† par. 2). This is the debate of how the future will end up. This measure "will help protect and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and keep America in the clean energy race." (Par. 6). As this debate continues to persuade other members of Congress, the bill will be persuaded by interest groups who were made to promote or demote the bill. Interest Groups will use all the resources they can possibly use to find ways to beat the other interest groups to help promote its ideas. As the bill is going through Cong... ...passed the Senate, where the Senate need to collaborate in where certain amendments fit, the last time someone was looking at S. 3813 was â€Å"Sept 21, 2010,† shows that slow progression of the bill. â€Å"The bill was considered in committee which has recommended it be considered by the Senate as a whole.† (Gov Track, â€Å"S. 3813,† par. 1). The most influential group that has made the most impact would be the American Petroleum Institute, where they have the expertise of 270 staff members, where each work on a different aspect of the bill and find ways for the bill to be past. The government hasn’t resolved the problem yet because the bill is still being placed under amendments that apply to the bill. It is being carefully examined by the Senators so that mistakes in the bill are not passed and are revised and which will help the economy and the people of the United States.

Limit of Power: the End of American Exceptionalism

The Limit of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism In The Limit of Power by Andrew J. Bacevich, he argues about the major flaws Of United States with a general theme of â€Å"freedom† and how the U. S has an imperial ambition that uses military to try and guarantee ongoing consumption by the public for the economic power of the elite. Also he says that the fundamental flaw of American Foreign policy lies in the Imperial Presidency and the permanent Nation Security that controlled the formulation and executive of American Foreign Policy throughout the Cold War.This partnership grew and it is now entrenched in our bureaucracy since that time. From this Bacevich identifies three crises that the United States is facing: crisis of profligacy, political crisis, and Military crisis; but the current crisis presents an opportunity to fundamentally address our course or face certain and dramatic decline. First the author introduced the title â€Å"The Limit of Power† as Unite d States search for freedom that has raised responsibility and surged the country with mass amount of increasing debt; without a solution to pay it off.Then he ties that in with the crisis of profligacy, where he discusses the ascendancy of the United States after World War II economic world order and the fundamental economic strength derived from the victory in the context of European and Japanese destruction. Earlier the United States achieved a stand of live that became the envy of the world, then that began to shift in the late Vietnam War period. This happened because post World War II the United States had been the number one producer of petroleum and later the companies determined the price of oil.Then there developed a decline that was irreversible and the price setting of crude oil became the responsibility of a new producing group, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) (p. 29). He moves on to talk about the economic decline and President Carters choice of en ergy dependency challenging Reagan’s optimism for the economy. This resulted in Reagan’s victory and a period of spending that was not supported by fundamental economic strength. Instead the trends then have only continued and debt has supplemented earning power in American life.Then the bills for the â€Å"profligacy’ eventually came due and the American way of life has outstripped the means available to satisfy it. In account to the political crisis, Bacevich argues that in the post-World War II, Congress renounced its role in the checks and balance system, allowing for the creation of the Imperial Presidency. The National Security rendered this situation intolerable by displacing the voters as the final conciliators of the American policy. Many Presidents come and go, but the National Security stays in place, much to the detriment of any President coming to Washington thinking they will actually change anything.Bacevich substantiates this with many examples of Presidents that become suspects of advisors. He also interposes the political crisis with a discussion about NSC-68; it provided the United States with an early sense of how the postwar habits of deferring to the Wise Men has wrought. The foreign policy exemplified by the two World War II era leaders, Henry Stimson and James Forrestal, showed their different styles; both were Wall Street republicans and served under Franklin D.Roosevelt, but yet they both had different traditions. When Stimson served, he exemplified the conservative reaction to circumstances and that meant that he was cool and measured. On the other hand James Forrestal was more of a pessimist and tended to emphasize potential threats as always imminent. Unfortunately it got to him so much that he broke down and committed suicide. Bacevich explained that while Stimson remained respected, the majority of advisors emulated Forrestal (p. 107).For the military crisis Bacevich builds on the previous crisis of profliga cy and political crisis and moves into the area of his greatest strength of military policy. He puts together the various forms of conventional wisdom as they emerged at various times. Also he think that’s the endless War on Terror represents a clear over-extension of American capability and if continued will accelerate decline. Financially, the sputtering War on Terror and the unrealistic expectations of the American electorate will combine to continue unrealistic policies that solve nothing.Bacevich then lays out that the axiom that all â€Å"Small Wars† are wars of empire, and that is not what we should be engaged in prosecuting. Bacevichs argument blamed the military and the Bush administration for the crises that is occurring in the United Sates as merely irrational. The crisis cannot be solved by sending men and women of this country to a war that is constantly degrading them. The author also mentions the Department of Defense for not doing their job and what the y actually do has nothing to do with their job description; instead it specializes in power protection (p. ). Bacevich sees no relevance for the Department of Defense with the exception of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq since September 11. He criticizes the government for reflecting its decision on the September 11 events. When the underlying problem is America’s failure to recognize that all our problems cannot be solved by replaces things like our head executive (president). The only way the U. S can move forward is realize that it is a hardworking, striving, independent country that long accomplished many things by working together to make American a place that it once was.Bacevich continues on his criticism of the Department of Defense for being more accurately described as the Department of Power Projection and it needs to get back to doing defense. Furthermore, he ends the military crisis chapter by stating that the essential problem is not the size of our Army, but wh at we are asking it to do. Military capability does not make up for age old fixed costs of conflicts. Moreover, any foreign policy needs to be grounded in sound fiscal policy otherwise it is unsustainable in the long run.For the most part I agree with Andrew Bacevichs viewpoints about the three of crisis that the United States is facing. He make a great point about how America and its citizens are a completely culture and have an entirely different mindset than just many decades ago. I completely applaud Bacevich for not holding back in diagnosing the problems that have long plagues the nation bust but are only now manifesting them to the public. This book is a must read because it is incumbent upon American people to arm themselves with what is happening to this country and what they can do as citizen.The focus is to first recognizing our limits then we can change the course of the United State. To an absolute great way to sum everything up Andrew Bacevich said â€Å"To hard-core nationalists and neoconservatives, the acceptance of limits suggests retrenchment or irreversible decline. In fact, the reverse is true. Acknowledging the limits of American power is a precondition for stanching the losses of recent decades and for preserving the hard-won gains of earlier generations going back to the founding of the Republic†

Introduction Speech Essay

Fall seven times get up eight is an old proverb my grandma and mom use to tell me. Hello, my name is Nicole and I would like to tell you some details about myself. First of all I would like to start with my family. I have a brother (age 9) and a sister (age 12). My parents were in the middle of getting a divorce right around the time when my dad passed away. I consider my mom one of my best friends and she is one of the few people I can go to whenever I need advice. I have not lived with them since my senior year in high school because of some family issues. I moved around a lot my senior year and the dorm is the most stable place I have at the moment. My mom, my sister and I have a lot in common especially when it comes to hobbies. We all three enjoy to read outdoors and helping others whenever we have the chance. I love anything that deals with music. I sometimes feel like I wouldn’t be able to live without it. I like singing, dancing, and playing the piano and saxophone. I have played each of those since around the age of eleven. I also enjoy spending time with my boyfriend and friends any chance I get. At times they are all I have to make me feel wanted. After my dad passed I have depended a lot on them. My friends and boyfriend will always be important to me because I believe that my dad should have known who I will marry, who I hang out with, and what I want to do. I told him before he passed that I wanted to be a nurse, and because of that, I am determined to succeed and be a nurse so I will not let him down. To be honest I am really scared I will fail, But then I remember the old Japanese proverb my grandma and my mom would always tell me, and I have enough courage to keep going no matter how many times I make a mistake. In conclusion, if one falls seven times he should get up ei ght.