Ethical dilemma, analysing the dilemma using different ethical Essay

Ethical dilemma, analysing the dilemma using different ethical theories (utilitarianizm, liberty, virtue) - Essay Example According to Catherine Berglund (2007) ethics is â€Å"a process of reflection†. Reflecting on what is right and what seems to be wrong. Arguments are looked at and analysed in order to come to a conclusion. It is due to medical ethics, that the right to consent and confidentiality have been identified (Holland, 2007). Ethical decisions are made every day, by every person. Is it right to park on disabled parking space when you rushing your child to the hospital? Or, is it fair to lie to your partner even if you know that it would make him happy? This is just the tip of the moral dilemmas’ iceberg. In December 2011 the conjoined twins Jesus and Emmanuel were born in Brazil; each one have their own head, brain, nervous system, and spine. They share heart, lungs, liver and all lower body organs. Few days before their birth Chilean conjoined twins Maria Paz and Maria Jose were separated followed by the death one of the girl a week later. The question is, should the conjoine d twins be separated? Utilitarianism refers to the ethical theory, which postulates that taking an appropriate course of action increases the chances of perfection (Manuel, Claire, Shanks & Meyer, 2011). Its moral worthiness is based on the consequences of actions (Rawls, 2011). Proponents of this theory are J.S. Mill and Jeremy Bentham (Rawls, 2011). The virtue theory, in this respect, emphasizes on the role of an individual’s character along with such virtues embodied by one’s character in the evaluation and determination of ethical behaviour (Crisp & Slote, 1997). Arguably, the virtue ethics is among the key approaches to the normative ethics, which more often than not is contrasted to deontology (Stephen, 2003). Liberty theory, on the other hand, holds that the fundamental moral concepts are the individual human rights (Devettere, 2002). It holds that rights to be respected are the ONINTERFERENCE rights (Devettere, 2002). Generally, these are categorized under righ ts to property, to life, and to liberty. In the spirit of liberalism, the proper limit to an individual’s enjoyment of such rights is her or his duty to respect similar rights of other people. A non-interference or negative right is an individual’s legitimate claim, which holds that other individuals should not interfere with her or him in any way. A positive right is the individual’s legitimate claim that society or possibly the government provide her or him with that which he/she requires (Devettere, 2002). Clearly, there are considerable differences in the approaches of the three theories to be applied in this case. Utilitarianism might be considered as an ethical approach that is quantitative and reductionist (Stephen, 2003). It considerably differs from other ethical theories such as deontological ethics, virtue ethics, pragmatic ethics and other consequentiality approaches (Stephen, 2003). While deontological ethics differ from utilitarianism in their disr egard for consequantialism, pragmatic, virtue and other consequentiality ethics differ from utilitarianism through their considerable regard of character as an aspect that determines the achievement of pleasurable ethical results (Crisp & Slote, 1997). Utilitarianism theory is arguably the greatest principle that allows achieving happiness and felicity (Rawls, 2011). While applying the utilitarian theory to this case, it can be argued that

Sport Obermeyer Essay Example for Free

Sport Obermeyer Essay From a quality standpoint, production in Hong Kong would be ideal considering the repair rate in China is five to ten times greater than it is in Hong Kong. Although the costs of repair are relatively low, Obermeyer is a high quality apparel company, and its customers in all likelihood want durable products. Not only would this keep customers happy in the short term, but it would greatly increase the chance that they would return for more Obermeyer products in the future. Thinking strategically in the long term, Obermeyer may want to begin training workers in China to bring them to the quality of workers in Hong Kong. Despite the fact that there would be training costs involved, the improvement in long run quality and productivity of the workers would be balanced considering their wage is more than twenty times lower. If these workers were then able to produce faster, Obermeyer could produce fast enough at the low cost and ship product before the import quota is filled. Since there is an import quota in goods coming from China, it may be more beneficial in the long run to have the first round of orders produced in China before the quota runs out. On that same note, the minimum order quantity in Hong Kong is half that of China, and so there is a less likely chance that Obermeyer would have unsold products at the end of the season. One benefit from a materials procurement standpoint is the fact that six of the nine components needed to produce a parka are manufactured in Hong Kong. By assembling the parkas in the same country, transportation costs and lead times could be decreased, minimizing the possibility of the bull whip effect for those products. Also, the preparation for manufacturing in China takes longer than in Hong Kong, another benefit to having first round orders produced in China and second round in Hong Kong. One of the major advantages of producing in China is the fact that the total landed cost is less than the cost of production in Hong Kong. In the example of the Rococo Parka, TLC was $60. 08 in Hong Kong compared to $51. 92 in China, the difference being $8. 16. This number is important to look at relative to the cost of the loss on unsold parkas, which is 9 dollars. This means that the cost of an unsold product produced in China is a mere 84 cents as compared to the full 9 dollars in Hong Kong. Clearly the cost of overproducing in China is far less than in Hong Kong, in fact, it is than 1 percent Obermeyer’s price.

Tunnels used in War Zones :: essays research papers

Tunnels The first characteristic of a tunnel complex is normally superb camouflage. Entrances and exits are concealed, bunkers are camouflaged and even inside the tunnel itself, side tunnels are concealed, hidden trapdoors, and dead-ends where used to confuse the attacker. Trapdoors were used extensively, both at entrances and exits and inside the tunnel complex itself. There where several different types of trapdoors, concrete covered by dirt, hard packed dirt reinforced by wire, or a basin type consisting of a frame filled with dirt. This latter type was particularly difficult to locate in that probing would not reveal the presence of the trapdoor unless the outer frame was actually struck by the probe. Trapdoors covering entrances were generally 100 meters apart. Booby traps were used both inside and outside entrance and exit trapdoors. Tunnels found in the War Zones were generally better constructed than those found in other areas. In some cases these complexes were multileveled, with storage and hiding rooms generally found on the lower levels. Entrance was often gained through concealed trapdoors and secondary tunnels. In the deeper complexes, foxholes were dug at intervals to provide water drainage. These were sometimes booby-trapped as well as containing punji-stakes for the unwary attacker. Average tunnel size was 2-feet wide and 2.5 to 3-feet high. They also used air or water locks that acted as firewalls, preventing blast, fragments or gas from passing from one section of the tunnel to another. A trained tunnel exploitation team was essential to the expeditions of VC tunnels since untrained people may have missed hidden tunnel entrances, taken unnecessary casualties from concealed mines and booby traps . To facilitate this, teams were trained, equipped and maintained in a ready status to provide immediate assistance when tunnels were discovered. Hiding VC attempted to evade and avoid all contact with government forces for any one of many reasons and this was the normal reaction for a VC unit when confronted with a superior government force. Frequently however, GVN tactics or time/distance considerations made it necessary for the VC to evade by physically hiding in villages, or becoming one of the local population. This article is concerned with this one aspect of VC escape and evasion technique and is especially oriented to the situation presented when search operations were made more difficult because they were conducted in the presence of a friendly or passive populace. Protection of equipment was equally important, if not more so, than protection of personnel.

Introducing Constance Essay

In Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), the audience is swept into the playful subconscious of the protagonist, Constance Ledbelly. Before she speaks, her imaginative nature is introduced by way of Act I, The Prologue. The chorus enters giving an intriguing monologue in which the first stages of an exciting transformation begin to unfold. The Prologue is so useful in that it gives indications of plot, theme, conflict and so on. All of which carry a heavy dramatic significance. However, Ann-Marie Macdonald suggests that the biggest use of The Prologue is in developing the character of Constance. The chorus begins by asking â€Å"What’s alchemy? The hoax of charlatans?† (5) In other words, is alchemy a transformation of base metals into gold, or just the trick of a fraud or phony? Can such transformation exist, not just in the mind, but also in reality? Such a statement indicates that there shall be a changing of sorts. This change is seen literally as Constance’s fountain pen is later transformed to solid gold. But this change is also seen as a transformation of character. From something plain, to something miraculous. Constance begins as a flighty, insecure, and somewhat foolish daydreamer. Some might call her a push-over. She is full of eccentricities and is not taken too seriously, dressed in her frumpy clothes. However, later after her encounters with Desdemona and Juliet, she becomes strong and opinionated. She opens herself to the possibility of embarrassment and mochary by speaking her mind, and interfering where she deems fit. The Prologue gives the audience a clue of the changes Constance will endure. Thus setting up her character. In The Prologue the chorus speaks of opposites coming together. He mentions the ‘merging of unconscious selves’ and the ‘marriage of true minds.'(6) These unconscious selves perhaps are actually Desdemona and Juliet living within Constance’s unconscious. They are parts of her. Desdemona represents the driven and somewhat violent side, and Juliet is the hopeless romantic side of Constance. These two selves are about to be brought together and made aware to Constance for the first time. â€Å"Unite these lurking shards of  broken glass into a mirror that reflects one soul.† (6) The chorus says to bring together these two sides of Constance in a way that she will see they are her own within herself. Two references are made to the Philosopher’s Stone in The Prologue. This is yet another indication of change. The Philosopher’s Stone was once believed to turn other metals into gold. The chorus announces the Gustav Manuscript as the key to Constance’s Philosopher’s Stone. â€Å"Here is the key to her Philosopher’s Stone – the psychic altar that will alter fate.† (6) Constance uses the manuscript, and her forced exploration of two of Shakespeare’s plays, (Othello, Romeo and Juliet), to discover herself. The manuscript and the events in it lead to Constance’s journey of self discovery. She accepts her likeness to the characters of Desdemona and Juliet. She realizes that the three of them are all one in the same. Gemini is the sign of twins and is often associated with split personalities. Also having two different sides to one. After removing the discard items from the wastebasket and replacing them on Constance’s desk, the chorus says, â€Å"Swift Mercury, that changing element, portrayed as Gemini, hermaphrodite and twin, now steers the stars of Constance Ledbelly, and offers her a double-edged re-birthday.† (6) Another tease that Constance’s two sides that will soon come together, and be revealed to her. Act I, The Prologue is full of dramatic significance. However it seems to be directly related to the characterization of Constance Ledbelly. By toying with the use of metaphors and clever wit, Ann-Marie MacDonald fully succeeds in her use of The Prologue to set up the main character of her play.

International Project Manager Training Plan

Finally, emphasis Is placed on building a support system for the International Project Manager that consists of tenured Ms, language support and senior leadership. Keywords: international communication; project management: intercultural communication; training 3 groups of people understand and interpret the world. These differing interpretations that cultures give to their environment are critical influences on the interactions between working and managing across cultures. – L.Hocking: Managing cultural differences: Strategies for competitive advantage In order for a Project Manager to effectively manage a project that requires intercultural interaction and communication, it is critical that he is provided with a solid foundation that introduces him not only to the project and desired outcomes but also to the culture with which he will be working. The recommended training plan included here will provide the experience and exposure necessary for successful project management.Be fore examining how best to prepare to Project Managers for international projects, it is important to understand how successful intercultural interaction occurs. Intercultural communication, or the communication that occurs between two people of differing cultures, has many layers. Prior to the communication even occurring, ACH person brings his or her own constructs that exist as a result of the culture one is a part of.These schemata, or mental categories that humans create in order to make sense of the world around them, are fluid ideas that can begin as assumptions and grow with continued exposure. (Verne & Beamer, 2011, p. 36) This means that an initial perception that one may have about a different culture, while important, can be developed through additional exposure and education. Once two people begin an interaction, each individual also contributes his or her own experiences, values, demeanor and language.You & Saner, 2007, p. 191-219) These driving forces can cause one in teraction to be perceived in multiple different ways depending on the backgrounds of each individual. Understanding the delicate nature of communication cross-culturally and how it can be strengthened by exposure to and education about the different culture provides insight in 4 to the importance of effectively trained Project Managers who can avoid unintentional missteps as a result of the communication's complexity.Due to the critical nature of the role of International Project Managers, it is important o invest in their success through a 3 step phased introduction to both the role of International Project Manager as well as the culture with which they will be engaging. Phase 1: EX. Cultural Immersion Location: Corporate Office Duration: 1 to 4 weeks, depending on project complexity Details: There are two cultures into which new International Project Managers will need to be integrated – EX. Corporate Culture and the International Culture for which they will be leading.The purpose of Phase 1 is to integrate the PM in to EX. Culture. Throughout this 1 to 4 week phase, the PM will be introduced to our immunization systems, processes and procedures. Additionally, they will be provided exposure to our timeliness and interoffice communication. Finally, they will be introduced to the project that they will be leading and given an opportunity to work with key staff members on establishing initial timeliness.Expected Outcome: Project Manager gains fluency in EX. Corporate culture and their assigned Project Phase 2: Cultural Immersion Location: Both Corporate Office and International Offices 5 Attendees: New PM, Training Manager, Cultural Communication Consultant, Translator, Cultural Host Duration: 2 weeks (depending on project and cultural complexity) Details: This is a new phase in the International Project Manager training that has been incorporated as a result of previous missteps by Imps which have resulted in lost business and lost time.Previous cultura l exposure for Imps was limited to short training sessions and â€Å"on the Job† learning in host countries. Field experts in the business of Intercultural Project Management have determined that this kind of training is not sufficient and does â€Å"not meet the needs of managers who want answers to their particular expectations. † (Gale Group, 2004) Phase 2, will begin with 1 week of cultural education. This week will be tailored to the specific IMP and the country with which they will be working.A cultural communication consultant will facilitate the first week of training with focus on understanding the ‘M's perception of the culture with which they will be working. Then, together, the IMP and the cultural anthropologist with identify the key differences between the new culture and the ‘M's own. â€Å"The Lewis Model† will be used to help the IMP understand how to relate with the specific ultra and what obstacles may be presented. (Lewis, 2014) I mps will spend the second week in their host country. During this time, they will focus entirely on the new culture with which they will be working.Cultural Hosts in culture and customs. Depending on where the IMP will be located, exposure could consist of tours of the city; classes with local business 6 professionals; practice shopping, eating and negotiating as well as language exposure. If a translator will be used, this week will also provide ample opportunity for the IMP to build a relationship with the translator to ensure effective immunization is occurring between the two. Expected Outcome: Project Manager becomes comfortable in new Culture and becomes aware of any potential cultural obstacles that may need to be addressed.Phase 3: Putting it Together Location: Training Site Attendees: New PM; Training Manager; Senior International Program Manager Duration: 1 Week Details: This is a new phase in the International Project Manager training that provides the IMP with the opport unity to see another project at work. The IMP will be paired together with a Senior IMP whose project also crosses similar cultural lines. This week is designed to provide the IMP exposure to a successful project at work so that he can ask questions and understand how the relationship was developed.The schedule throughout this week will be designed to give the new IMP to both Senior IMP and his team but also to cross-cultured team members on the team. Through a strategic roundtable and facilitated two-way discussion, the new IMP will be able to build best practices and recommendations that can be incorporated in to his project. This time will also serve to build the relationship between the IMP and one of his errs, thus strengthening the support system available for the new IMP. Expected Outcome: IMP develops best practices and support system that he can use when taking over his new project. In conclusion, when done correctly, expanding business operations in to a culture that is di fferent can be rewarding and lucrative. Intercultural interaction is a delicate endeavor that must be handled with care and precision to ensure that unintentional missteps do not permanently damage a working relationship. The social constructs that Project Managers and contract workers bring can be diametrically opposed to hat of a host country's cultural customs and expectations.In order for International Project Managers to be successful, it is critical that their immersion in to EX. Company culture is thorough and streamlined so that time and resources are not wasted on adapting to that culture instead of the international culture with which the IMP will be engaging (Phase 1). Additionally, the IMP must be provided with adequate exposure and training that supplies them with culturally specific guidelines that they can use when beginning their project (Phase 2).Finally, the IMP must also be revived with exposure to Ex.'s expectations of a successful project while also providing a support system that can be leveraged in times of stress or dissent. The Three Phased Training Plan presented satisfies each of these requirements and is the first step in revolutionize Ex.'s international business organization. References Hocking, L. (1995) . Managing Cultural Differences, Strategies for Competitive Advantage. Boston, MA: Addison Wesley Publishing Company. Verne, I. & Beamer, L. (2011) . Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace.

Introduction to Gross Domestic Product

Introduction to Gross Domestic Product In order to analyze the health of an economy or examine economic growth, its necessary to have a way to measure the size of an economy. Economists usually measure the size of an economy by the amount of stuff it produces. This makes sense in a lot of ways, mainly because an economys output in a given period of time is equal to the economys income, and the economys level of income is one of the main determinants of its standard of living and societal welfare. It may seem strange that output, income, and expenditure (on domestic goods) in an economy are all the same quantity, but this observation is simply the result of the fact that there is both a buying and a selling side to every economic transaction. For example, if an individual bakes a loaf of bread and sells it for $3, he has created $3 of output and made $3 in income. Similarly, the buyer of the loaf of bread spent $3, which counts in the expenditure column. The equivalence between overall output, income and expenditure is simply a result of this principle aggregated over all of the goods and services in an economy. Economists measure these quantities using the concept of Gross Domestic Product. Gross domestic product, commonly referred to as GDP, is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time. Its important to understand precisely what this means, so its worth giving some thought to each of the definitions components: GDP Uses Market Value Its pretty easy to see that it doesnt make sense to count an orange the same in GDP as a television, nor does it make sense to count the television the same as a car. The GDP calculation accounts for this by adding up the market value of each good or service rather than adding up the quantities of the goods and services directly. Although adding up market values solves an important problem, it can also create other calculation problems. One problem arises when prices change over time since the basic GDP measure doesnt make it clear whether changes are due to actual changes in output or just changes in prices. (The concept of real GDP is an attempt to account for this, however.) Other problems can arise when new goods enter the market or when technology developments make goods both higher quality and less expensive. GDP Counts Market Transactions Only In order to have a market value for a good or service, that good or service has to be bought and sold in a legitimate market. Therefore, only goods and services that are bought and sold in markets count in GDP, even though there may be a lot of other work being done and output being created. For example, goods and services produced and consumed within a household dont count in GDP, even though they would count if the goods and services were brought to the marketplace. In addition, goods and services transacted in illegal or otherwise illegitimate markets dont count in GDP. GDP Only Counts Final Goods There are many steps that go into the production of virtually any good or service. Even with an item as simple as a $3 loaf of bread, for example, the price of the wheat used for the bread is perhaps 10 cents, the wholesale price of the bread is maybe $1.50, and so on. Since all of these steps were used to create something that was sold to the consumer for $3, there would be a lot of double counting if the prices of all of the intermediate goods were added into GDP. Therefore, goods and services are only added into GDP when they have reached their final point of sale, whether that point is a business or a consumer. An alternate method of calculating GDP is to add up the value added at each stage in the production process. In the simplified bread example above, the wheat grower would add 10 cents to GDP, the baker would add the difference between the 10 cents of the value of his input and the $1.50 value of his output, and the retailer would add the difference between the $1.50 wholesale price and the $3 price to the end consumer. Its probably not surprising that the sum of these amounts equals the $3 price of the final bread. GDP Counts Goods at the Time They Are Produced GDP counts the value of goods and services at the time they are produced, not necessarily when they are officially sold or resold. This has two implications. First, the value of used goods that are resold doesnt count in GDP, though a value-added service associated with reselling the good would be counted in GDP. Second, goods that are produced but not sold are viewed as being purchased by the producer as inventory and thus counted in GDP when they are produced. GDP Counts Production Within an Economy's Borders The most notable recent change in measuring an economys income is the switch from using gross national product to using Gross Domestic Product. In contrast to gross national product, which counts the output of all of an economys citizens, Gross Domestic Product counts all output that is created within the borders of the economy regardless of who produced it. GDP Is Measured Over a Specific Period of Time Gross Domestic Product is defined over a specific period of time, whether it be a month, a quarter, or a year. Its important to keep in mind that, while the level of income is certainly important to the health of an economy, its not the only thing that matters. Wealth and assets, for example, also have a significant effect on the standard of living, since people not only buy new goods and services but also get enjoyment from using the goods that they already own.

buy custom The Three Strikes Law essay

buy custom The Three Strikes Law essay The justification for this law is the fact that recurrent law breakers seem to be the hardest criminals to manage. They seem to be impassive to internment for behavior change which leaves the three strikes law as the only fair option to deal with such criminals. First, lets start from examining the different motives of law offenders, assuming the fact that these are serious violations. If the law hunts them down and they still manage to repeat violations after serving their terms, then the three strikes law comes out as very fair. The law simply sums up all the possible sentences. This is because the first sentence did not work, the second one failed to correct the offenders, leaving the three strikes law as the only option that could protect society from danger. Continuous law breaking through committing serious felonies should deny the criminals some if not absolute degree of freedom. The Three Strikes Law and Constitutionality The constitutionality of the three strikes law may be challenged because of the level of disproportion in the sentences. According to Chemerinsky (2004), the punishment may seem cruel, unusual and in violation of the eighth amendment to the United States constitution. This is in regard to the state of California where the state department of corrections does not need third offence to be that serious to apply the law. According to Packel (2002), courts give life sentences to violations as petty as mere shop lifting. The law may seem unfair in this case, though it is not for the reason being that subsequent offenders need it because they do not seem to learn from previous corrections. The possibility of subsequent law breakers reforming seems to be null. The reason is that they continuously break the law starting with serious violations. If the third offence is not that serious, it is not a surety that the fourth one may not also be serious, it could be a murder. For one to commit seri ous violations more than twice without rehabilitation after conviction leaves room for the thought that the person may never change. The three strike law simply aims at repeat offenders who refuse to change from their criminal behavior which makes the law very fair. The law simply leaves no room for regrets, and reduces the frequency of crime in the states considerably. The fact that the law does not give judges the discretion on the term of incarceration to impose on criminals eliminates favoritism. This is one of the reasons why the law is fair and should be implemented fully. The frequency, persistence and depth of felonies should remain as the ones dictating the length of imprisonment. The administration of law to defendants does not rely only on the last offence, but also on the detainees previous crime history. Furthermore, the law acts as a physical incapacitation measure to habitual offenders (Helland Tabarrok, 2007). The effectiveness of this law in incapacitation is that it enhances crime reduction as it keeps habitual offenders off the streets, and deters repeat offenders from committing crimes, which would otherwise earn them long jail terms including life imprisonment. Passing of three strikes laws proves that the states have been tough on crime. The law has significantly reduced the level of crime in United States of America since implementation. This is a fair law because it has led to reduction of prison population as it serves as a deterrent to potential repeat criminals. This is more psychological as the criminals decide to think twice before involving themselves in crime. The point is that the law is fair as it makes potential repeat criminals to think twice and, in essence, it checks prison population. The main idea is fear of crime, which will make repeat offenders to reform. It has definite differentiations as to which crime is seious and violent, and which one is violent and not serious. Helland Tabarrok (2007) argue that a violent offence includes physical injury. In California, one is applied the three strike law, if the first two crimes are serious or violent violations. The third need not be necessarily serious, it can be a felony. F airness in this application is that the law has a broader definition of serious and violent violations. This makes it very effective in crime reduction and eradication. Although one can question cost effectiveness of the law regarding the source of money to enforce it and the cost of the law versus effects on crime, it does not affect and touch fairness or unfairness of the law. It simply targets high rate offenders in the state, making them have a seriously modest impact on crime. The society needs to be crime free and this is what this law strives for. For this reason, the law is ethically fair and effective. Given the fact that some criminal violations like shoplifting in California earn offenders longer imprisonments because of prior criminal records, it makes three strikes law look harsher (Caulkins, 2001), considering the fact that the criminals fail to learn and go on committing violations even after having faced jail terms, and makes the laws effective in dealing with hard core criminals, regardless of the depth of crime they commit. In California, though all violations are strikes, three of them earn one long sentence. Let us consider a case involving a California resident, Santos Reyes (Erin, 2005). He committed a burglary in his young ages, then committed a robbery which was nonviolent. He later cheated in a drivers test. This led to application of three strikes law and convicting him to 26 years of imprisonment. The fairness of the application of three strikes law could be questioned here. However, it can be justified because of the fact that Reyes had become a habitual offender. The fact that he began when he was still a juvenile makes him very dangerous, because no one knows what offence he would have committed next. While agreeing with Helland Tabarroks (2007) argument that administration of the law does not help in deterrence, it also does not make punishment cruel and unusual. However, the continuous committing of the violations remains cruel and unusual. The eighth amendment was not violated in this case and ruling was not cruel and unusual. Criticism of the three strikes sentencing is high based on the possibility of a multiple third strikes in a single charge, where a defendant gets two separate sentences running concurrently. This can extrapolate the sentence to 50 and more years or life imprisonment. Organizations representing human rights criticize the law seeking reverse on some of its sections. They mostly base their arguments on the ethical implications for families of the defendants. While critically analyzing their basis, it is a hypocritical take because the fact that the defendants commit violations makes them unethical. To make things worse, they do it repeatedly. The only remedy could be application of the three strikes law which will bar them from committing more violations, whether minor, serious or violent ones. Considering a case example involving Leandro Andrade who stole video tapes in an Ontario store and two weeks later went on to steal others in a mart in Montclair. Horn (2004) writes that the man had previously been convicted of other crimes like petty theft, burglary, drug transportation and prison escape. This means that he was a habitual offender. For the fact that this man was not willing to give up crime even after several imprisonments and jail terms, he earned the three strikes law application. The reason for that is the fact that he would not change and even after release, he got himself into another crime. Therefore, the three strikee law is fair and is the only way through which the society can get rid itself of crime. If anyone was to argue that punishment that courts impose on the habitual law breakers is cruel and unusual, then they would be simply endorsing continuous criminalization. They would be siding with criminals to tell them that they should go on with crime as others including human rights activists, who come in and argue on their behalf that the sentences are unusual. The essence is that crimes characterized by their repetitive nature are unusual. The three strikes law considers age factor but still bears in mind the societal safety. Minors under juvenile court receive care, treatment and guidance consistent with their best interests holding them accountable for their behavior and appropriate for their circumstances. This means that no matter how harsh the law may sound, it is still fair and considerate. The most important factor in this case, is public safety. The longer the habitual crime offenders stay in prison, the safer the public. Civil rights campaigns advocating against three strikes law should put public safety first. This is because the law only applies to habitual offenders who endanger the society. They should bear in mind that it is not easy to predict the nature and time of a particular crime. With this, there is room for shielding the society against crime that could be predictive because offenders are kept behind bars. This strengthens the fact that the law is fair to the society at large. The basis of my affirmative argument is that serious and violent felony offenders with continuity to commit the same crimes should be incapacitated. This could be through imposition of the three strikes law to them. In California, a juvenile burglary of a resident counts only if adjudicated in combination with another felony like armed robbery (Helland Tabarrok, 2007).This makes the law fair as it gives the law breakers a second chance, which they break again. By putting aside this law simply because it does not consider the civil rights of defendants, one ignores safety of the public, which also has rights to be protected against danger from potential criminals. Owing to the fact that three strikes law gets underway after the defendant has committed three violations, it means the offender has totally refused other ways of rehabilitation and redemption (Packel, 2002). Leaving such a defendant to go on living in the society leaves room for another offence which will still take them back to court and subsequently to prison. It will end up being a cycle and the only way of cutting it is through application of the three strike law to offenders. Conclusion The three strike law is the most effective and fair way of protecting the society from danger. Kieso (2003) writes that the law ensures that people committing serious and violent violations the third time get 25 and more years imprisonment without the possibility of bail. It is fair because the shorter periods of previous prison confinement did not change them, thus their absence from the society will ensure social safety and comfort. Generally, it is better to exclude a few individuals from the society and save the rest by ensuring that habitual criminals stay behind bars for the longest time possible. According to Bazelon (2010), implementation of law ensures a great percentage reduction of serious felonies committed by adults. This law has the ability to eliminate or reduce serious and violent crimes from the society like rape, murder and other assaults in the society. The law is very fair in terms of safety of the society but considerably harsh to the criminals. One has to bear in mind that criminals have to be dealt with harshly in order to protect the society, because they commit crimes knowing their consequences. Buy custom The Three Strikes Law essay

The Skys the Limit with Airline In-Flight Magazines

The Skys the Limit with Airline In-Flight Magazines Oh, did I mention they pay up to $1/word? Air Canada’s EnRoute magazine pays $1 Canadian/word, for example, and Alaska Airline’s Horizons magazine pays $150 $250 for short articles (300 – 800 words) and $700 for 2,500 word features.  Airline magazines’ web sites don’t make the guidelines easy to find.   Be prepared to hunt and peck.   Here are 10 tips to make your pitch fly:  1.  Ã‚   Consider the airlines’ customer demographics and include in your pitch why your story will appeal to them.   Find the demographics under the â€Å"advertising† section of the magazine’s web site.  2.   If submitting a destination article, make sure the airline flies to that destination!  3.   Pitch â€Å"evergreen† stories, or stories that allow for the magazines’ long lead times.   Time-sensitive events are likely to get your pitch ditched.  4.   Mention if you have accompanying photos. Airline magazines ar e primarily visual vehicles.  5.   Check out the magazine’s editorial calendar, usually found under the â€Å"advertising† section on the web site. You’ll find some surprises!   For example, Alaska Air’s Horizons magazine is publishing a special on Tahiti as a destination in their February 2013 issue.  6.   Keep your story short.   Most pieces are 600 words or less;   â€Å"longer† features usually run under 2,500 words.  7.   Read the magazine! The magazines’ web sites often have archived copies to download. Match their style.  8.   Pitch a specific column. You’ll be more likely to get an assignment if your pitch matches the magazine’s format – and the editor will be more likely to read your pitch if she doesn’t have to guess where it might fit.   Many of the web sites list the specific departments for which the editors solicit submissions.  9.   Keep your ideas positive, not challengi ng. In-flight magazines want to keep their readers calm and relaxed. 10.   Forget poetry, fiction or â€Å"how I spent my summer vacation† travelogues.  OK, where to start?   Here are some on-line resources:  A comprehensive list of 101 in-flight magazines from AirArabia to Wizz Air (many with links directly to the magazine’s web site) is: itravelnet.com/publications/inflightmagazines.html      Many of these web sites have archived copies for your perusal.  Cision Navigator lists the top-ten in-flight magazines http://navigator.cision.com/news/news.aspx?nid=571   United’s Hemispheres leads the list with a circulation of 800,000.  Kelly Kyrik’s excellent article in Writers Weekly lists the needs of 7 major in-flight magazines.   (http://writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/002792_07062005.html)  So get those fingers flying!  

History of Western Tradition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Western Tradition - Essay Example The Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation are a unified, interconnected whole since the former brought about a new exchange of knowledge and ideas, and with the invention of the printing press enabling the dissemination of these knowledge, individuals start to challenge their devotion and belief to the Catholic Church finally resulting in the Protestant Reformation. The Renaissance and Protestant Reformation brought about numerous changes which marked the way people view various features of modern life. The revival of religion, architecture, and art encouraged the most important developments in the world. The Renaissance ignited developments in architecture and arts. Individuals learned the concept of individualism; they demanded to gain personal recognition of their own actions rather than gaining credit for their dedication to God. Numerous architectural styles were created during the Renaissance period. The Renaissance created questions concerning the way to salvation by intr oducing new insights, specifically the importance placed on individualism, which was a belief that individuals have the capability of differentiating right from wrong, and deciding whether to act morally or immorally. The Catholic Church, passionately promoted the knowledge that salvation can only be attained through the Church, but when Martin Luther read the passage in the bible declaring ‘just shall live by his faith’1 to imply that genuine belief or faith is the only way to salvation he started to question the all-powerful foundation of the church. In one of Luther’s table talk, against Catholicism in 1535, he stated one of his major disputations: The chief cause that I fell out with the pope was this: the pope boasted that he was the head of the Church, and condemned all that would not be under his power and authority; for he said, although Christ be the head of the Church, yet, notwithstanding, there must be a corporal head of the Church upon earth. With th is I could have been content, had he but taught the gospel pure and clear, and not introduced human inventions and lies in its stead.2 The Christian cleric Luther was very troubled over the existence of indulgences, or the religious practice of giving money to the church, hence he created his book of disputes referred to as the ‘Ninety-Five Theses’.3 This document is an effort to explain and elaborate on the issue. Yet, because of the invention of the printing press during the Renaissance period, the document of Luther became a general text and was quite interesting to thinkers and philosophers who also oppose the religious institution. The Renaissance also contributed greatly to the Protestant Reformation when Luther attributed his interpretation of the Bible to his personal perspective of religion, thus he persevered to translate the Bible into the German language in order for more people to understand it. Yet again, the Renaissance printing press helped in the dissem ination of the translated Bible, and also in the circulation of guides that persuaded many to follow the teachings of Luther and Protestantism. The Renaissance basically was a period where new knowledge was recognized, and was still accepted after it ended. This acceptance of knowledge enabled the principles of Luther to cope, alongside a large number of Protestant branches to emerge. A French intellectual, John Calvin, abided by the teachings of Luther but instead of giving emphasis on salvation he persuaded the population to acknowledge the justice,

Evaluate the novels as works of literature and compare and contrast Research Paper

Evaluate the novels as works of literature and compare and contrast them. Discuss the political and psychological aspects of eac - Research Paper Example Through the dystopian novel the writers expresses their opinion regarding the evil society more dramatically and its influence on the minds of the people. The protagonist of the novels who are victims of political oppression and sufferers from a psychological complexity carry a political message as designed by the author. The novel Nineteen Eighty-four, written by George Orwell, illustrates the central character Winston as a victim of the present political autocracy. Winston dreams of an ideal world where the difference between public and private life existed. He idealizes a world which is drastically different from the evil controlled society of 1984. Winston’s craving to go back to his childhood to the private world was similar to the mental condition of Orwell who longed to return to his past. The author states that the political and spiritual condition of the late forties was complex. He detests the totalitarian mentality that gave birth to the cruel Inner Party to attain the power in the fifties and sixties. (Gottlieb, 271, 278-279) Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is also a victim of the totalitarian society. The complexities faced by Winston and Alex both politically and psychologically, experienced in the dystopian society reveal the mental conflict of both the characters to adjust with the prevalent regime of the government. In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four, Winston who is the protagonist of the story is an epitome of sanity in the society which diverges completely from the perception of reality. O’Brien, who was an orthodox government agent remarked about the star that, â€Å"they are bits of fire a few kilometers away. We could reach them if we wanted to. Or we could blot them out.† (Plank 118) Winston’s character possessed different feeling that was a mixture of self destruction and insanity. The entire story centers on Winston and O’Brien. O’Brien plays a cat and mouse game with Winston. Both the characters complete each other by their roles and activities that they play in the course of the story. This novel comprises of both political historical as well as psychological moral side. Characters suffer from a psychological disturbance due to the effect of the Big Brother, a dictator leader of the state Oceania. Big Brother is the representative of God and is assumed that similar to the powers of God, this leader also has the power to control the lives of people. There is an indirect challenge that people should worship Big Brother like the way they worship God. The author has compared the activities of God with that of Big Brother. As people are ignorant about the intentions of God, similarly the intention and motivation of Big Brother and its party is completely vague in the minds of the people. Winston secretly hates the government and the Party. Through the characters Orwell expresses his own feeling that he possesses in his sub conscious mind. He expose s his feelings in such manner that it is easily accepted by the character by introducing a whole culture of Oceania so that the characters may â€Å"blend into the woodwork† (Plank 119). Canetti remarked on Orwell’s depiction of Winston as an inferior man than he was himself, â€Å"if one is nothing oneself, there is a peculiar kind of servile gratification to be got from ending in the belly of power† (Plank, 119). The power of the autocratic government ruled the entire life of Winston and invoked immense torture to him. Orwell presented Oceania as a gigantic state which had no

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategic Management - Essay Example The key which we can derive from this description is that strategy is of foreseeing and planning for the future in order to optimize the performance of a certain group or entity in order to achieve a long term goal. It is the positioning of that certain entity which will transcend into an immediate outcome into a wider and greater scheme of things and objectives. As many a definition people view what ‘strategy’ is, they do not entirely deviate from the real essence of the word. When we translate ‘strategy’ in the matters of business, it is best defined as a specific way a firm competes in the industry, as said by Collis & Rukstad. There is no such thing as general template when it comes to strategic management. There are no pre-defined methods and ways. Every scenario differs from another and each requires a different strategy in order to navigate the complexities and the many variables of the world of business. In order achieve a good strategy, the crucial component is the management. By assessing what components are involved in the formulation of a strategy and discerning how each are related and how one and each of them fit in the larger picture requires an adept management team and skill. Herein comes then the concept of strategic management. This is a field which concerns itself with the course of action that the management section of the company acts on behalf of its owners in order to better utilize its resources so as to enhance the performance of the company when it is pitted in the external environment. It involves itself on the very primal building blocks of the company, which are defining the scope of its objectives and missions and visions (Nag et al., 2007, p. 935). The management should also have a sound and workable policies and plans that are also capable of being flexible in order to cope up with the ever changing and volatile times of the business battlefield. It also oversees how the company equips and gears itself in order to grasp the fruition of its objectives and long term goals. In a more simple definition, strategic management provides the overall direction in reference with and in limitation of what the company has and will have, its liabilities, and its faults, and potential failure points. By creating harmony and orchestrating the performance of the whole company, it shall then function as an efficient organism, capable of covering up its weaknesses with adjustments that will then be played by the strengths and advantages of the company. As many would put it, â€Å"strategic management is an on-going process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets the goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassess each strategy annually or quarterly to determine its effectiveness’ (Lamb, 1984, ix) One very popular and popular tool in order to come up with a good strat egy for the management is the SWOT analysis (Chapman, 2007). This is a very helpful framework for identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (which is also the standing meaning of the acronym). For this paper, the author will evaluate the SWOT of the Starbucks

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans Assignment

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans - Assignment Example It will show that history can reflect the time it is written in, and that word choice and grammar can influence the reader's attitude toward the subject. The overwhelming attitude towards Native Americans is, in the earliest extract (1877), one of hatred and violence. Words like savage and hostile abound, amongst descriptions of the Native American attack on Jamestown and other settlements as massacre, murder and exterminate (in-class exercise). The author writes that his contemporaries are fighting against Native Americans in Arizona and Montana (the Apache Attacks and Nez Perce War), which is almost something the reader does not need to be told, given how intense and hateful this piece seems. There is no mention of Native American culture, although the author does (begrudgingly) admit that the tribes could build shelters, grow crops, and hunt. Any reference to an exchange between European and Native American culture is hidden in whining laments that Native Americans appear to be in nately hostile to European culture, called here 'civilization'. By contrast, the 1885 piece comes across as slightly less impassioned. Whereas the 1877 text ends by saying that it is certain that Native Americans will have disappeared from the American continent within a few years, the 1885 text expresses hopes that the Native Americans will be 'Christianized' rather than dying out. The 1885 piece attempts to be fairer to the indigenous tribes, but still makes incorrect assumptions, such as the 'fact' that Native Americans lived very simplistic and uncivilized lifestyles. Non-neutral language is used to claim that the Native Americans were inferior to the settlers in the fields of arts and inventions, progress and education, disposition, and religion, and had been since their collision with European culture two hundred years before. The only area in which Native Americans are not lesser is 'endurance,' yet this achievement is still couched in terminology which makes these people see m not quite human. It is easy to suspect that the writers of the textbook 'knew' this through experience. The two extracts from nineteenth-century textbooks neither mention individuals, whether European or Native American nor refer to any sort of cultural exchange. Admittedly, this would be hard given that neither text admits the existence of a Native American culture. Nor does either piece suggest any possible explanation for the failure of the Jamestown settlement other than Native American savagery. Therefore these earliest passages reflect the real-life hostilities occurring at the time between Europeans and Native Americans. The Apache Attacks lasted until 1900 when the last fighting tribe surrendered, so it is understandable – if despicable – that the textbooks adhered to the image of Native Americans as an enemy which must be destroyed. It is more difficult to completely exterminate an enemy if there is evidence of the enemy's humanity, or that a valuable part o f human cultural history might be lost in their destruction, so it makes sense that contemporary textbooks were unconcerned with these subjects. The 1927 text is the first to recognize that at least some of the Native American tribes were fairly advanced and cultured.  

Civilizations of the Ancient Near East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Civilizations of the Ancient Near East - Essay Example The life and loves of Cleopatra VII, the Queen of Egypt from 5 to 30BC (Shaw,2003,p.403) had been celebrated in numerous films starred by top actresses like Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, Theda Bara, Claudette Colbert, Janet Suzman; in plays such as those written by Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw and John Dryden; TV series; some 20 novels; a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham; hundreds of paintings the most memorable being that of Michelangelo's and sculptures (Streissguth,199,p.101-5). Indeed she is one of the most popular women figures in world history. Most importantly she acutely epitomizes the exalted position reserved for women in ancient Egypt. Together with such powerful Egyptian queens as Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Nefertari and Tiye, Cleopatra VII's life was a testament of the power and equality granted by ancient Egyptian society to its women during those times when practically most societies relegated women to mere childbearing and other inferior roles in society. In these modern times, women also carry in their grasp the same power, equality to men and exalted position as women like Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Harlem Brundtland, Gloria Arroyo and Hillary Clinton among others. But the power they hold are not absolute unlike the queens of Egypt. Queen Hatshepsut ruled ancient Egypt with absolute powerAncient Civilizations 3 for 21 years and earned for herself the title (as ascribed to her by famed Egyptologist James Henry Breasted) "the first great woman in history of whom we are informed" (Joseph & Lewis,1986,p.87). She was also a warrior queen who vanquished the Nubians and then later established trade with them. She was considered "one of the most successful Egyptian rulers of either sex" (Weiss & Rinear,2001,p.24). Another Egyptian warrior queen who scratched and clawed her way to absolute power using her guile, charms and brains was Cleopatra VII who had to eliminate her brothers/husbands Ptolemy XII and XIII and sister Arsinoe to grab unopposed power. Historian Antonia Fraser described her as ascending to the throne of Egypt "through sheer genius for power" and was a master of "power politics" (Fraser,1989,p.1X) having enshrined herself to absolute power by beguiling Julius Caesar and Mark Antony with the use of her wit, beauty and charms. It is important to emphasize that while the great queens of Egypt were lording it over with unhampered power, women from most civilizations

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans Assignment

The Relationship between Colonists and Native Americans - Assignment Example It will show that history can reflect the time it is written in, and that word choice and grammar can influence the reader's attitude toward the subject. The overwhelming attitude towards Native Americans is, in the earliest extract (1877), one of hatred and violence. Words like savage and hostile abound, amongst descriptions of the Native American attack on Jamestown and other settlements as massacre, murder and exterminate (in-class exercise). The author writes that his contemporaries are fighting against Native Americans in Arizona and Montana (the Apache Attacks and Nez Perce War), which is almost something the reader does not need to be told, given how intense and hateful this piece seems. There is no mention of Native American culture, although the author does (begrudgingly) admit that the tribes could build shelters, grow crops, and hunt. Any reference to an exchange between European and Native American culture is hidden in whining laments that Native Americans appear to be in nately hostile to European culture, called here 'civilization'. By contrast, the 1885 piece comes across as slightly less impassioned. Whereas the 1877 text ends by saying that it is certain that Native Americans will have disappeared from the American continent within a few years, the 1885 text expresses hopes that the Native Americans will be 'Christianized' rather than dying out. The 1885 piece attempts to be fairer to the indigenous tribes, but still makes incorrect assumptions, such as the 'fact' that Native Americans lived very simplistic and uncivilized lifestyles. Non-neutral language is used to claim that the Native Americans were inferior to the settlers in the fields of arts and inventions, progress and education, disposition, and religion, and had been since their collision with European culture two hundred years before. The only area in which Native Americans are not lesser is 'endurance,' yet this achievement is still couched in terminology which makes these people see m not quite human. It is easy to suspect that the writers of the textbook 'knew' this through experience. The two extracts from nineteenth-century textbooks neither mention individuals, whether European or Native American nor refer to any sort of cultural exchange. Admittedly, this would be hard given that neither text admits the existence of a Native American culture. Nor does either piece suggest any possible explanation for the failure of the Jamestown settlement other than Native American savagery. Therefore these earliest passages reflect the real-life hostilities occurring at the time between Europeans and Native Americans. The Apache Attacks lasted until 1900 when the last fighting tribe surrendered, so it is understandable – if despicable – that the textbooks adhered to the image of Native Americans as an enemy which must be destroyed. It is more difficult to completely exterminate an enemy if there is evidence of the enemy's humanity, or that a valuable part o f human cultural history might be lost in their destruction, so it makes sense that contemporary textbooks were unconcerned with these subjects. The 1927 text is the first to recognize that at least some of the Native American tribes were fairly advanced and cultured.  

Thomson TUI Offline e-Tourism Strategy Case Study

Thomson TUI Offline e-Tourism Strategy - Case Study Example Hotelopia has made its presence prominent enough in the travel industry, which has resulted in its being the subject of news articles as well, which offer free publicity for itself. An example is the article that appeared on 10th September in newspapers (Dromore Leader) A favourable newspaper article about a business/company has the kind of credibility, which even the best crafted advertisement cannot have, since the reader views the article as written by an impartial observer, while the ad is a case of blowing one's own trumpet. This, notwithstanding the reality that newspaper articles on companies often are the result of a well-orchestrated publicity plan done by it, with much of the content of such an article being provided by the business concern itself to the writer. LateRooms provide customers with last minute accommodation, a facility which is not easily available offline, as a real-time offline facility covering destinations across the world is a physical impossibility. LateRooms charge the hotels a commission and not the customer. Besides, with last minute bookings, hotels are glad to provide accommodation below rack rates in order to maximise capacity utilisation, and minimise losses on account of rooms not hired out. LateRooms has been sufficiently prominent in the field, having won the award of the Hitwise UK Annual Online Performance in the Travel-Destination and Accommodation category (LateRooms Website) Winning an award is a strategy to automatically generate more business. LateRooms, by wresting the award from Lastminute.com this year, has enhanced its credibility. This is a strategy similar to the one employed by Hotelopia-getting a third party to certify the business quality, which beats putting an ad through the print media/ hoardings or online. Of course, it may be argued that a company cannot with certainty strategise to ensure winning an award. But we may reasonably assume that the company certainly can make a concerted attempt to win one. In the B2B sector, the divisions are split geographically into two, Hotelbeds and Portfoloio Incoming. Hotelbeds offers accommodation services on-line and destination services off-line to tour operators and travel agents. It has the brands Meetings, Events, Incentives and Conferences (MICE) in Asia, and Intercruises (the largest world provider of goods handling services to cruise liners). The Portfolio Incoming division "operates through a network of destination agencies worldwide", which includes separate brands for some countries-e.g. for Spain and for Greece (p 16- Results-Sept 2008) The strategies used by Thomson in its e-tourism business are world-wide coverage, excellent performance-reflected in awards won, and publicity-both self-generated and through liaising with the print media to have articles published on it. All this has resulted in enhanced returns to the company from e-tourism (p 16- Results-Sept 2008)Works Cited Dromore Leader dt. 10th Sept 2008, retrieved 10th Dec. 2008,

Aeromodel Guidelines Essay Example for Free

Aeromodel Guidelines Essay Since the dihedral angles vary from model to model, bend the wing upward until the angle is identical to the angle indicated in the assembly instructions for the particular model When gluing the main wing and horizontal stabilizer to the fuselage, make sure that the center line is properly aligned lengthwise with the center of the fuselage. You will find that if you glue the stabilizer onto the fuselage before gluing the main wing onto the fuselage, assembly will be much easier. the Challenge Ahead! Meeting SAEINDIA Student Activities Student Convention Enjoy Learn and align with Curriculum September 2008 Paper Wings Guidelines The importance of gluing the main wing firmly to the fuselage cannot be overemphasized. In order not to leave any gap between the main wing and the body, press down firmly on the center of the main wing about 5 – 6 minutes after gluing. After gluing the main wing and stabilizer onto the fuselage, let it dry thoroughly for 3 – 4 hours. Finishing Touches To make a truly high performance plane, it is important that the cross section of the main wing be curved in such a fashion as to minimize drag, or air resistance, and maximize lift, the upward draft of air. To make the proper curve, bend the main wing slightly in the manner shown in the figure (this is called cambering the wing). This shape is necessary for top performance. Use the figure on the right as a guide to give an appropriate camber to the main wing. The maximum camber point should be between a distance of 30% and 40% from the front edge of the main wing. Only the main wing is to be cambered. The stabilizer should be left flat. Placing the dihedral angle gauge on the middle of the wing, once again make sure that the dihedral angle is the required one. To test to see if the center of gravity is properly aligned or not, take an open pair of scissors or tweezers and balance the plain on the two tips at the mark as shown in the figure. All the planes in the Heritage series are designed to have the center of gravity located at the mark. In some cases, however, due to an excess of glue or lacquer on the plane, your may find that the center of gravity is not properly located at the mark. When this the Challenge Ahead! Meeting SAEINDIA Student Activities SAE Page 6 of 31 SAEINDIA SAE Student Convention Enjoy Learn and align with Curriculum September 2008 Paper Wings Guidelines Happens, it becomes necessary to add some additional weight. To do so, attach a small scrap of the remaining white wings paper lightly to either side of the plane nose or the rear of the fuselage and secure it temporarily with a small amount of glue. Vary the position or size of the attached paper until the center of gravity is located properly and then glue the attached paper firmly to the fuselage. The center of gravity should be located within 1 mm (1/24†) of the mark. If your paper plane is coated with lacquer, it will become water resistant. Therefore when it lands on wet grass, if you quickly wipe the water off with a soft cloth, you are ready for another flight for preserving the beauty of the white paper, clear lacquer is good, but if your want your plane to be a different colour, your can use colored lacquer. It doesn’t matter whether you spray it on or paint it on with a brush, but in order to keep the plane light and preserve its balance and center of gravity, be careful to coat the plane as thinly and evenly as possible. 2. Flight Instructions One of the secrets of flying a paper plane well is to view the plane closely from ahead on position and straighter out all warps, bends or twists with your fingers. Inspect your plane thoroughly from the front: (1) Is the fuselage bent? (2) Are both the right and left main wings straight, perfectly matched and are both inclined at the same angle? (3) Is the horizontal stabilizer warped or bent? (4) Is the vertical stabilizer warped or bent? the Challenge Ahead!

the disease and choice of drug addiction

the disease and choice of drug addiction Disease vs. Choice Have you ever battled with the idea that maybe being a drug addict is a disease and not a choice? Or that it is a choice and not a disease? This topic is one of the most controversial subjects to discuss because there are many different opinions when it comes to deciding whether its a disease or choice. Some researchers have taken a stance and reported that drug dependence is a disease while other researchers report it as being a choice. My stance with this, even after researching, is that being a drug addict and or abuse is ultimately a choice. The moment we are born we all are born with free will. The things we choose to do at what ever age or time in our life is a choice. We make our own decisions to either say yes or no. Whenever those boundaries are crossed thats a choice being made. By taking into account a first hand story and interview from a woman that used to be addicted to drugs along with the information presented by researchers on both views of addiction as a brain disease and as a choice, I will argue against drug addiction being labeled a brain disease. In todays society it is almost impossible for anyone to say that they do not know someone who is involved in drugs in some sort of capacity. Some of us may know of someone that is a drug addict, ex- drug addict, or even someone that is contemplating drug use. However, no one gets involved with drugs at any point in time without first choosing to do so. With just that first decision and act of actually using, many people ultimately find themselves addicted to drugs or even drug abusers. Several people dont know that there is a difference in being addicted to drugs and being a drug abuser. Although neither of the two is any better than the other, there is still a difference. According to Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior the thirteenth edition by Carl L. Hart, Charles Ksir, and Oakley Ray, drug addiction is when someone compulsively uses a substance, despite its negative and sometimes dangerous effects. Drug abuse is when someone is using a drug excessively, or for purposes which it was not medically intended (Hart, Ksir, Ray). However, someone can abuse drugs without being addicted but the opposite is not true. It is not possible to be addicted to drugs without abusing them. Once that imaginary line has been crossed that spiral downward begins to take place in ones life unless the individual chooses to not take that path. Drug use, like all other choices, is influenced by preferences and goals. It is not gender specific and affects people of all age groups and economic levels. Continued drug use alters good judgment and leads to other risky behavior such as making a decision to drive a vehicle, have unprotected sex, or participate in activities one would not normally undertake, if not for being under the influence of drugs. Those who are addicted or are abusers fail to fulfill their obligations at school, at work, to friends, and even family members. This is all a familiar scene for Kathy Thomas, a woman that used to be addicted to drugs and now have been clean for twenty- one years. She recalls upon the time when she first tried cocaine. Kathy states in the interview that she had just gotten into a fight with her husband, at that time, and as a result of that fight and how she was feeling she made a choice to let someone easily convince her to try cocaine. Eventually Kathy wanted to try the drug agai n and from there on allowed for her self to become hooked on the drug. She chased that high constantly for two years. Throughout the two years she struggled with the idea of wanting to quit but still wanting to feel that first high again. She remembers inheriting some money from her grandfathers estate and blowing approximately one thousand dollars on cocaine within a matter of twenty-four hours. She became very neglectful towards her kids along with her other responsibilities. Kathy states that the circumstances that lead up to her going into rehab was the scare she received from being involved in a drug raid and realizing that if anything happened to her then she would have no one to care for her kids. Those two things frightened her enough to get clean and remain clean. In the interview with Kathy she was asked if she believes whether drug addiction is a disease or choice. Kathy responded by saying that she believes it is a choice because she was not forced into using drugs and t hat she made those choices to do the drug each and every time while realizing how she and her family were being affected. Ultimately it was something she wanted to do and because of her drug use she allowed for her life to be turned upside down. When asked if she accepts full responsibility for her actions she answered, â€Å"yes, because it would be wrong to actually blame others for my actions or on the idea that it may a brain disease when in the end it was all by choice just as it was my choice to get clean† (Thomas). While taking into account real life circumstances from an ex- drug addict on drugs as a choice, lets look into what some researchers have founded. Authors of Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior report that until the 20th century, the most common view was probably that dependent individuals were weak willed, lazy, or immoral, then medical and scientific studies began of users. Through those studies they believed that it seemed as if something more powerful than mere self-indulgence was at work, and the overall view began to be that dependence is a drug induced illness (Hart, Ksir, and Ray 34). But to add insult to it all, Alan Leshner, the former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, compares having an addiction, although knowing that it begins with a clear voluntary decision, to that of someone with schizophrenia because they cannot control their hallucinations and delusions as well as to someone that has Parkinson disease because they cannot control their trembling (Leshner). First lets get an understanding of what disease means. Disease is a particular destructive process in an organ or organism, with a specific cause and characteristic symptoms; specifically; an illness or ailment (Webster). With this in mind how can one compare any disease to that of a drug addict? Someone with a heart disease, schizophrenia, Parkinson disease, or any other disease does not choose to wake up one day and say that they want to have their diseases however a drug addict does choose to use drugs. No matter how it ultimately affects the user they were affected because of their choice to use. Jeffrey Schaler, a psychologist and author of Addiction is a Choice, views drug addiction as a choice and is very critical of treatments that â€Å"teach† patients that they are not in control of their behaviors (Schaler). However, the Drug Addiction Support website states that the person is no longer in control of it and cannot break free of the diseases power and that â€Å"thing† that says stop isnt there anymore (Drug). If this were true then what about those that voluntarily decide to get clean? And if this were true then we wouldnt have stories like Kathy Thomas. Stanton Peele, a psychologist and source used in the Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior the thirteenth edition, argued that substance dependence does not have many of the same characteristics of some classic medical diseases. He states how we cant X-ray or blood test to reveal the underlying cause or even that there is an underlying cause because all that is present as far as symptoms is excessive involvement. Peele suggests that if substance abuse is a disease then gambling, excessive sexual intercourse, and overeating should also be seen as diseases, but in this sense it demoralizes our normal understanding of the concept of disease. Therefore, stating that substance abuse is like a disease in many ways is ultimately different from insisting that it is a disease (40). Society labeling drug addiction as a brain disease gives drug addicts a way out of taking responsibility for their own actions. My position with this is that they will likely continue to use because they will fall int o the stigma that they use because they have a disease and they cant stop. There are so many things that happen to a human in life that are truly out of our control but unless one is actually held at gunpoint to use drugs then this is one thing that we can control. But even in this scenario if one is forced to use drugs then once free of the torment the victim ultimately has a choice of continuing to use or to quit. Schaler believes that most of the drug addicts resort to using drugs because of problems in their life that they are trying to run away from. Therefore, if one brings forth their problems that they are trying so hard to avoid and learn different ways of coping with them then they are more likely to have a successful outcome (Schaler). The Drug Addiction Support group suggests that whatever the drug of choice, intervention and treatment are necessary for addicts to return to a healthy lifestyle (Drug). When looking back into Kathys story and interview she expressed that there are factors that a drug addict needs to put in place in order to remain clean and drug free. She stated how she had to make choices to change the type of people she hung out with, the type of places she went to, and the things that she did that lead her to use drugs (Thomas). In summary using drugs is a willful commitment or dedication, just like joining an exercising club or committing your self to complete a college education. While heavy consumption of drugs is often foolish and self-destructive, it is still a matter of personal choice. Drug dependence has no specific preference on which person is affected. Bad people are drug addicts, weak people, good people, nice people, well-educated people, the blue collar, the rich, and the poor. People decide their own fate when it comes to drug usage. Labeling drug addicts as having a brain disease is not fair to those that truly do have diseases and made no choice to contain their conditions. Those that are addicted to drugs need to accept responsibility for their choices. Every single time someone picks up drugs and does them then they are choosing to do so. No one else chooses that for them. Those that have successfully gotten themselves into a treatment center or sought other ways of rehabilitating themselv es have done so because they chose to. Just as well, when one relapses it is because they chose to go and use drugs again. Once it is understood that drug addicts are choosing to do drugs and that it is not some â€Å"force† keeping them from stopping then maybe there will be more drug addicts taking responsibility for their action. However it may be, I will still hold my stance in saying that being a drug addict and or abuser is still a choice.

The Love Song of J, Alfred Prufrock Essay -- Literary Analysis, T.S. E

The poem â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† written by T.S. Eliot is a depiction of sadness and a disillusioned narrator. While reading this poem, one senses that the narrator is disturbed and has maybe given up hope, and that he feels he is just an actor in a tedious drama At the very beginning of the poem, Eliot uses a quote from Dante’s â€Å"Inferno†, preparing the poem’s reader to expect a vision of hell. This device seems to ask the reader to accept that what they are about to be told by the poem’s narrator was not supposed to be revealed to the living world, as Dante was exposed to horrors in the Inferno that were not supposed to be revealed to the world of the living. This comparison is frightening and intriguing, and casts a shadow on the poem and its narrator before it has even begun. J. Alfred Prufrock is anxious, self-concsious, and depressed. The first half of the poem creates a sense of place. The narrator invites us to go â€Å"through certain half-deserted streets† on an evening he has just compared to an unconscious patient (4). To think of an evening as a corpselike event is disturbing, but effective in that the daytime is the time of the living, and the night time is the time of the dead. He is anxious and apprehensive, and evokes a sense of debauchery and shadows. Lines 15-22 compare the night’s fog to the actions of a typical cat, making the reader sense the mystery of a dark, foggy night in a familiar, tangible way. One might suppose that â€Å"In the room the women come and go/ Talking of Michelangelo† refers to a room in a brothel, where the seedy women for hire talk about elevated art between Johns (13). The narrator creates a tension in the image of dark deserted streets and shady activities in the dark. Then t... ...but the world of the living is too busy with the meaningless details of life to care what he has to say about it. This despair is evident in the repeated lines â€Å"That is not it at all/ That is not what I meant at all† (109). â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† is hardly a love song at all. That irony is clear in that the narrator’s voice is anxious, self-conscious, and depressed. It seems he has wasted his life or that life was wasted on him, and he regrets not being born as a creature that lives on the bottom of the sea. The very last lines of the poem, â€Å"we have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.† (29-131) ask the reader to acknowledge that humanity has the capacity to imagine and create, and that it is sometimes the boredom of humanity that destroys that potential.

Hemingway: The Relevance of Biography to Interpretation Essay

Even a cursory examination of the literature addressing Hemingway’s writing and his life can seem overwhelming. The purpose of this paper, however, is to demonstrate that some of Hemingway’s writing can be best understood through reference to his own life experiences. This is not meant to suggest that the text does not at times provide some internal textual evidence regarding the meaning of the piece as a whole, for it most certainly does, but that external biographical evidence must also be considered and weighed when interpreting Hemingway’s work. In this paper it will be suggested that an examination of the external evidence, as it relates to Hemingway’s own life experiences, is particularly relevant to any interpretation of Ten Indians or Hills like White Elephants and that in these short stories a reconciliation of the external biographical evidence with the internal textual evidence may better aid in understanding the stories themselves. Significant Biographical Characteristics: Machismo and Gender Relations In order to better understand Hemingway’s writing it is necessary to know about the man himself and some of the major events and experiences which shaped his thought process. With reference to the short stories specifically addressed in this paper there are two biographical characteristics which seem to aid in efforts to interpret meaning or to otherwise try to make sense of the text. The first biographical characteristic is often referred to as Hemingway’s extremely masculine lifestyle or what some scholars have referred to as his macho orientation. It is well-established among scholars and historians, for instance, that Hemingway thoroughly enjoyed rigorous physical activities and pursuits; it has been noted that Hemingway was known for his â€Å"highly developed skills in such ‘manly’ fields as hunting, fishing, boxing and sailing. ( Harry Sylvester, who used to box with Hemingway frequently, once told me that Hemingway was the strongest man he had ever known. )† (McCaffery 12). He was, in short, an independent-minded writer whom enjoyed physical exertion, challenging himself through a variety of pursuits, and outdoor activities. While some scholars, such as McCaffery, have viewed Hemingway’s manliness in a positive light there are some whom have viewed him in a less flattering light; indeed, as a leading Hemingway scholar has pointed out â€Å"Others view his masculinity as negative machismo. They consider him the worst example of a sexist, racist, homophobic man, and often refuse to read or teach Hemingway, or make apologies when they do. † (Moddelmog 2). Whether loved or hated, therefore, scholars seem to agree on his manliness and his abrasively macho view of life. For purposes of interpretation, this informs us that though a gifted writer, and an artist, Hemingway was not the sort of intellectual that was confined to a library or a desk at home; quite the contrary, unlike many other writers, he actually did live in many respects the very type of life which he wrote about. His were not speculative musings, or romantic idealizations, but reflections and comments on situations and characters with which he was intimately familiar. Any attempt to understand or interpret his written work, therefore, must to some extant take note of Hemingway’s own life experiences and philosophical mind-set.. The second biographical characteristic which can aid in the interpretation of Hemingway’s text more specifically, with respect to Ten Indians and Hills like White Elephants, involves his personal experiences with women and how he dealt with gender issues such as relationships and fatherhood in his writings. Hemingway, to put it mildly, experienced the company of many women and seemed almost forever to have troublesome or difficult relations with the opposite sex. He loved women and yet he seemed to struggle to understand them in reference to his own lifestyle and psychology. Referring to Hills like White Elephants, one researcher has observed that â€Å"the subtle and dramatic dialogue in ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ reveals a clear, sensitive portrait of two strong personalities caught in a pattern of miscommunication due to gender-linked language patterns† (Smiley 92); another researcher, referring to Hemingway’s writing more generally, has argued that he must be understood as a human being whom was never quite comfortable about â€Å"his own failed or failing marital and/or extramarital relations. † (Spilka 299). Gender communication or the lack thereof, particularly that dealing with romantic relationships, is pervasive in Hemingway’s writing and can to some degree be related to his own life. In sum, external biographical evidence is extraordinarily relevant when attempting to interpret Hemingway’s writing and it must be considered alongside the internal textual evidence of each written piece of work. Ten Indians An initial and superficial reading of Hemingway’s Ten Indians suggests a rather common plot in which a young boy falls in love, in which he is subsequently betrayed, and in which innocence is lost or diminished in the process. In the instant story, the protagonist is Nick Adams and he falls in love with a young Indian girl whom he apparently adores and whom he trusts feels the same as he does; the twist is that she has been spotted with another boy and that Nick is forced to confront the betrayal. The betrayal, however, is not easily predicted; it is not easily predicted because Hemingway creates a pleasant setting and a happy family atmosphere within which to develop his more depressing plot. Indeed, the protagonist Nick Adams returns home to his father after spending a happy Fourth of July with his friends the Garners. Over a late meal of cold chicken and huckleberry pie the father, who â€Å"made a big shadow on the kitchen wall,† informs Nick that his Indian girlfriend Prudence Mitchell spent her Fourth of July â€Å"threshing around† in the woods with one Frank Washburn (Carter 103) Everyone had seemed quite happy. The Fourth of July is a joyous occasion for friends and family, and young Nick Adams is in love. Although scholars have debated Hemingway’s intentions, because of different conclusions discovered in preliminary and final drafts of the manuscript, it is true that â€Å"In the final part of the published story, Nick goes into his room after the conversation with his father, gets undressed, and climbs into bed, lying with his face in the pillow and thinking, ‘My heart’s broken†¦. If I feel this way my heart must be broken'† (Nolan n. p. ). Thus, the story would appear to be a familiar one of trust, betrayal, and heartache. Further and more careful readings of the text, however, suggest deeper and, possibly, more metaphorical intentions by Hemingway. If from a superficial point of view the story appears to characterize the fallen world of young love then from a more careful examination of the text, reference to the aforementioned biographical characteristics and the relevant scholarly literature the story may also be said to characterize the fallen world of a man’s sense of orderly nature itself. This notion of metaphor, that the text sets forth a young boy’s broken heart to represent a larger type of destruction, is persuasive given the context in which Hemingway set the story and given the way in which the destruction of the wilderness is simultaneously presented in the text. As an initial matter, it is important to understand that Ten Indians was one of many short stories written by Hemingway which detailed and explored the coming of age of Nick Adams. Some scholars have suggested that the protagonist, Nick Adams, was in many ways a personal reflection of Hemingway’s own coming of age story and that he was an autobiographical figure for Hemingway in certain respects. Indeed, there are several interesting connections between Hemingway’s personal history and the people and places created in the short story, Ten Indians. First, although Hemingway was born in Illinois, it is commonly understood that he considered his spiritual home to be in Michigan. This area served as the setting for this particular short story. Second, he relied upon the local Indians of the region to create some of his important characters; in fact, he drew upon his real life observations of the Ottawa and Ojibwa Indian tribes. Indeed, the Indians and their country had a profound effect on Hemingway’s imagination. From his first attempts at fiction and in his later Nick Adams stories, he would draw upon his experiences at Walloon Lake, using Indian characters and wilderness settings. (Nagel 108) Together, these real life experiences helped Hemingway to create both the setting and many of the main characters for his short stories. In addition to providing inspiration for his setting and characters, there was a deeper conflict which Hemingway’s real-life experiences contributed to his writing design in Ten Indians; more specifically, drawing upon Indian tribes whose lives had become fundamentally changed through close contact and interaction with a different American culture, Hemingway was able to cleverly depict a metaphorical illustration of innocence lost through the betrayal of Nick Adams by the Indian girl. Nick’s innocence, it can be argued, has been destroyed in much the same way as the Indian wilderness. Hemingway lamented the modernization which infringed on the forests of northern Michigan and the parallels between the destruction of the wilderness and the destruction of Nick Adams’ heart are striking. These parallels have been noted by one scholar whom has suggested that: Hemingway shows the wilderness being destroyed and, with the loss of the trees, the end of the Indian way of life. This fallen world is the setting of â€Å"Ten Indians,† a story that centers on the adolescent Nick Adams’s first disappointment in love as he learns that his Indian girlfriend, Prudence Mitchell, has been unfaithful (Nagel 108-109) When examining the text of Ten Indians, therefore, it is important to note these important parallels, Hemingway’s love of nature and his view of man’s place in nature. Literally speaking, Hemingway drew on a familiar and beloved setting and populated much of the story with the type of Indian characters that were well-known to him. Figuratively speaking, or metaphorically speaking, Hemingway managed to link the fallen world of the pristine natural wilderness with the fallen world of a young man’s broken heart. It is against this contextual framework that any analysis of Ten Indians must proceed. This is not meant to suggest that either fallen world was the predominant theme; to be sure, both the text and the scholarly literature would seem to demonstrate that Hemingway found both the destruction of the wilderness and the destruction of a first love as betrayals that would inevitable shatter an individual’s innocence and mark another stage in the coming of age of young boys. A young boy, reconciling the external evidence with the internal evidence, might be better advised enjoying the beauty of the forests than the beauty of insincere wiles of young girls. Hills like White Elephants Although a comparatively short story, Hemingway’s Hills like White Elephants is full of tension and moral dilemma; more specifically, the text appears to suggest that the man and the woman are debating whether the woman should have an abortion and what the implications will be depending on whether the abortion is done or not done. What is most striking, from a textual analysis, is the contrast between the rather relaxed atmosphere or setting and the deeply personal nature of the discussion. On the one hand, for instance, the man and the woman are relaxing at a train station, drinking alcohol, and waiting for a train. This would seem to imply a happy couple, an anticipated journey, and a relationship that will endure at least until the train arrives. These contextual clues, however, are sharply betrayed by the underlying discussion regarding whether the woman, Jig, will undergo an operation to have an abortion. One might anticipate some form of closure, some final decision arrived at by the main characters, but instead Hemingway leaves the reader grasping for answers as the story comes to a conclusion. He leaves them grasping for answers because rather than stating what decision has been made, and whether the American and Jig will actually ever see each other again, Hemingway finishes his story without a definitive declaration in either respect. With respect to the operation for the abortion, the woman states that she is willing to have the operation; the American man, however, doubts her sincerity. The reader is therefore forced to wonder, as the American wonders, whether the woman is agreeing or temporarily attempting to placate her partner and lover. With respect to the relationship itself, the reader desiring a firm and resolute statement is left grasping for straws. This is because, rather than departing on the train to Madrid together as planned, the American places their bags or luggage at different positions on the platform before rejoining Jig. The story then finishes up with the man being suspicious of the woman’s true motives and convictions and with the placement of the bags providing a possible clue that the relationship is doomed. The couple is together and yet the bags are separate; this is where Hemingway leaves his readers and scholars themselves have grappled with both the meaning of the story and the likely outcomes. The scholarly analysis of Hills like White Elephants has traditionally tended to focus upon the use of internal textual clues to determine whether Jig intended to have the operation and the fate of the relationship between Jig and the America; more recently, however, some scholars have begun to analyze whether and to what extant the short story may have been influenced or otherwise inspired by Hemingway’s own life. This bifurcated focus has been summed up, analyzed, and synthesized by one leading Hemingway scholar whom has stated the scholarly emphasis thusly: â€Å"Two recurring themes in analyses of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ are the debate over whether or not Jig will carry her pregnancy to term and the search for biographical experiences that may have inspired and influenced the story. † (Wyche n. p). This section will examine each of these scholarly inquiries in turn. The traditional scholarly interest has involved an examination of the text for clues in order to determine whether an abortion was actually pursued and the fate of the couple. A review of the literature reveals at least four possibilities: Three different scenarios have been seriously considered: the girl will have the abortion (albeit reluctantly) and stay with the man; the girl will have the abortion and leave the man; or, the girl will not have the abortion, having won the man over to her point of view. However, there is strong support in the narrative for a fourth outcome that fits in, with the dark overall prognosis presented in other scholarly interpretations: the girl will indeed have the abortion, expecting in this way to stay on with the man, but after the operation has been performed, he will abandon her. Various verbal and non-verbal indications found in the story support this interpretation of the narrative, as does the very symbolism of the title itself. (Hashmi n. p. ) Although an extended analysis of each scenario is beyond the scope of this paper, a rationale for selecting the most plausible outcome based upon the text is not. The most persuasive outcome would appear to be the fourth; more specifically, a superficial reading of the text suggests that Jig will indeed have an abortion and that the American will abandon her despite her attempt to maintain the relationship. First, the American places their bags in different parts of the platform. Analyzed literally, this seems to suggest that he doubts her sincerity regarding the abortion and that he is preparing for a separation. Second, they stand together and Jig tells the American that despite the strain of the abortion decision she remains fine. The man has made the decision to separate the bags whereas Jig would appear to believe that things will work out in such a way as to maintain the relationship. The man’s actions represent separation whereas Jig’s actions and words represent togetherness. It is therefore plausible to argue that she will pursue togetherness by having the abortion and that the man will pursue separation by encouraging the abortion and then abandoning or otherwise terminating the relationship. Although never explicitly stating such a conclusion, the fourth scenario is supported by the aforementioned textual clues. Other scholars have instead focused on Hemingway’s own life in order to understand the story; in this way, the abortion issue is treated figuratively rather than literally. As one scholar pursuing this biographically-oriented type of analysis explains â€Å"While the figurative abortion in ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ can be understood on the basis of internal evidence, the concept of abortion as metaphor invites consideration of a number of biographical influences on the story,† (Wyche n.  p. ). While such an analysis requires a reconciling of certain parts of the text with information known about Hemingway’s personal life there are interesting parallels. One illustration involves the fact that Hemingway has been reported to have said that the birth of his first child led to the dissolution of his first marriage, that he was at the time too young to have become a father, and that â€Å"the author’s ambivalence toward fatherhood is well-documented† (Wyche, n. p. ). Against this larger framework, comparing the author’s real life with his written work, it may become plausible to argue that the scholarship dealing with the outcomes regarding the abortion and the relationship are in actuality tangential or irrelevant concerns insofar as the author was concerned; more precisely, it might be argued that Hemingway was merely incorporating difficult moments from his own coming of age experience without intending to offer concrete conclusions. In the final analysis, while it is both challenging and interesting to explore what Hemingway may have intended as a conclusion, it is perhaps more enlightening to view Hills like White Elephants as a writer’s reflections about his own past in which firm and absolute conclusions were never intended. Hemingway was placing the reader in his own shoes and asking what the reader might do, what the reader ought to do, in similar circumstances. Such an interpretation is consistent with the biographical data known about Hemingway and makes the story more powerful and personal by forcing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions rather than being force-fed a set of conclusions by the author. Conclusion In conclusion, what makes Hemingway so alluring is that he actually lived the type of life that he wrote about. It is therefore impossible to completely separate his own life from his writing as one might be able to do with other writers. As a consequence, interpretation must necessarily involve a balancing act in which external biographical evidence is weighed and considered alongside the internal textual evidence. It is this interplay, between real life and fiction, that perhaps makes Hemingway appear larger than life.