Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and Church Architecture

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and Church Architecture American architect Bertram G. Goodhue (born April 28, 1869 in Pomfret, Connecticut) was an innovator who combined Gothic and Hispanic designs with modern ideas. He revolutionized church (ecclesiastical) architecture by reawakening Medieval traditions, with a focus on modern detailing within traditional designs. His fanciful Spanish Churrigueresque buildings for the Panama-California Exposition brought new energy to Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the United States. Later in his career, Goodhue moved beyond Gothic ornamentation to explore classical forms, designing landmark buildings such as the Nebraska State Capitol. Goodhue could not afford to attend college, although he was a known sketch artist throughout the New Haven military academy he attended. Instead of college, at age fifteen he went to work in the New York office of Renwick, Aspinwall and Russell. For six years he studied under James Renwick, Jr., architect of many public buildings and churches, including Smithsonian Institute Castle in Washington, DC and Grace Church and St. Patricks Cathedral in New York City. In 1891, he joined Ralph Adams Cram and Charles Wentworth in a Boston partnership that later became Cram, Goodhue Ferguson. The firm opened a branch in New York City, which by 1913 Goodhue had made his own. Although Goodhues early works were noted for their high Gothic style, he later adopted a Romanesque style. By the end of his career, his work tended toward simple, classical lines. The Los Angeles Central Library, completed after his death, has elements of Art Deco design. Today Goodhue is considered an American modernist. Youve probably seen his work, without knowing it. Goodhue is said to have invented two font styles: Merrymount, designed for the Merrymount Press of Boston; and Cheltenham, designed for the Cheltenham Press in New York City; Cheltenham was adopted by The New York Times for their headline typeface and by the L.L. Bean company for their distinctive logo. Goodhue died in New York City on April 23, 1924. Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Architectural Drawings and Papers, 1882-1980 are archived at Columbia University in New York. Selected Projects Attributed to Goodhue: Bertram G. Goodhue was a known collaborator in architectural projects. The 1910 Cadet Chapel at West Point in New York is attributed to Cram, Goodhue, and Ferguson, although Goodhue was the lead architect. Projects from his own New York City office took advantage of a growing United States market of public and ecclesiastic architecture from coast to coast. His most notable works include the First Baptist Church (1912) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Church of the Intercession (1915) and St. Bartholomews Church (St. Barts, 1918) both in New York City. California works include the 1915 Panama-California Exposition Buildings in San Diego, the 1926 Los Angeles Central Public Library (LAPL), and the 1924Â  Master Plan for the California Institute of Technology. In between New York and California look for the 1922 Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska and the 1924 National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. In the Words of Goodhue: ...the trouble in our houses today is that we want everything to seem rich and extravagant- we want money, and then we want to show it in our surroundings. - from The New York Times, A Renowned Architects Home of His Own by Christopher Gray, January 22, 2006 [accessed April 8, 2014] Learn More: Bertram Goodhue: His Life And Residential Architecture by Romy Wyllie (2007)Buy on AmazonBertram Grosvenor Goodhue by Richard Oliver, MIT Press, 1983Buy on AmazonAlice in Wonderland - A Play With Illustrations by Bertram GoodhueBuy on AmazonA book of architectural and decorative drawings by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, 1924Buy on Amazon Source: The Alexander S. Lawson Archive, Ithaca Typothetae at www.lawsonarchive.com/april-23/ [accessed April 26, 2012]

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School Functional life skills are skills that we acquire in order to live a better, more fulfilling life. They enable us to exist happily in our families, and in the societies in which we are born. For more typical learners, functional life skills are  often directed at the goal of finding and keeping a job. Examples of typical functional life skills topics for curricula are preparing for job interviews, learning how to dress professionally, and how to determine living expenses. But occupational skills are not the only area of life skills that can be taught in schools. Kinds of Life Skills The three major life skills areas are daily living, personal and social skills, and occupational skills. Daily living skills range from cooking and cleaning to managing a personal budget. They are the skills necessary for supporting a family and running a household. Personal and social skills help nurture the relationships that students will have outside of school: in the workplace, in the community, and the relationships they will have with themselves. Occupational skills, as discussed, are focused on finding and keeping employment. Why Are Life Skills Important? The key element in most of these curricula is a transition, preparing students to eventually become responsible young adults. For the special ed student, transition goals may be more modest, but these students also benefit from a life skills curriculum- perhaps even more so than typical learners. 70-80% of disabled adults are unemployed after graduating from high school when with a head start, many can join the mainstream of society. The list below is intended to provide teachers with great programming ideas to support responsibility and life skills training for all students. In the Classroom Help with taking down or putting up bulletin boards.Care for plants or pets.Organize materials such as pencils, books, crayons, etc.Hand out completed assignments.Distribute newsletters or other materials.Help with checklists for money for trips, food, or permissions forms.Clean chalk- or whiteboards and brushes. In the Gym Help with any setup.Prepare the gym space for assemblies.Help to keep the gyms storage room organized. Throughout the School Pick up and deliver audio/visual equipment to classrooms.Help in the library by returning books to shelves and repairing damaged books.Wipe down computer monitors and shut them down each day.Clean the computer keyboards with slightly damp paintbrushes.Distribute the attendance records back to classes for the morning.Help keep the teachers lounge tidy. Help in the Office Bring mail and newsletters to the staff mailboxes or deliver to each of the classrooms.Help photocopy materials and count them into their piles as per need.Collate photocopied materials.Alphabetize any files that need sorting. Supporting the Custodian Help with regular school maintenance: sweeping, floor polishing, shoveling, window cleaning, dusting, and any outdoor maintenance. For the Teacher Everyone needs life skills for daily, personal functioning. However, some students will require repetition, redundancy, review and regular reinforcement to become successful. Dont take anything for granted.Teach, model, let the student try, support and reinforce the skill.Reinforcing may be required on each new day the child performs the skill required.Be patient, understanding and persevere.

Business environment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business environment - Coursework Example was formed in order to help the process of international collaboration and it seems the plan is working while, airlines are getting specifically benefitted as cross border trade amongst European nations gets facilitated (Naor, Linderman and Schroeder, 202). The barriers to trade are falling apart and in this way, the airlines such as Virgin Atlantic can reduce its processing speeds of a plane to mere hours now. The plan of EU is to create a unified and integrated economic zone in Europe so that region’s cultural identity can be saved from unconstructive influences of Americanization and during the process; the one of the biggest European airlines is getting back to life. VAA is an English company which makes it European in identity and because of this reason; people of Europe like to travel with a European service provider rather than taking services of other cultures. England is not a part of European Union but it is indeed the part of Europe and no one can deny this fact (Jay, 45). Being European is currently proving to be a good influence of Virgin Atlantic. The relaxation regarding VAT regulations, cross-border trade and closer approximation of excise duties allow the company to consider Europe as a unified country where policies are similar. The company’s employees are rather safe from experiencing cultural and legal shock while travelling to the various countries of the Euro net. However, this not the whole story because England can regain its political position in the Europe by using VAA as a strategic tool in this regard (Casanova, 421). The companies have been known to carry their country of origin’s identity wherever they go in the world. By offering generous discounts and great level of service, the company can create goodwill about its country in other European nations. Additionally, humans have the habit of over generali zing about nations and if airline’s staff can behave admirably and warmly to people then it may go a long way in terms of

The role that Competition authorities may play in correcting market Essay

The role that Competition authorities may play in correcting market failures and facilitate competition - Essay Example Moreover, with the promulgation of more liberal trade, consumers can now enjoy better deals from various producers as the myriad of local and international firms increasingly compete on the basis of better pricing and more quality. Moreover, as more and more firms enter the market, companies are really forced to innovate in order to serve their market better. Central to this is competition. Basically, the globalization has greatly helped in levelling the trade barriers wherein the location is now hardly a source of competitive advantage. This has also been greatly helped by the leaps and bounds of technology which has facilitated vast improvements in transportation and communication. However, despite of these innovations, locations remain important when industries cluster on these areas. These industries amass in certain areas which can strengthen the various industries within them in order to be more productive and by directing and concentrating innovation as well as the stimulation of the birth of new business ventures in the area (Porter, 1998). Still, central to this endeavour is the competition or more accurately the presence of competition. Chang and Harrington (2003) recognize the importance of the level of competition that can be brought about by firms that are able to innovate greatly and maintain a global presence. Prior to the dawn of globalization, many companies are snugly operating within their realms and cuddled by their governments. However, nowadays, many multinational firms have far reaching capabilities globally which encourages innovation to bring about quality and at the same time bring down costs. Again, all these are only possible if firms can compete freely and fairly. Hence, there are various competition authorities that tries to ensure that competition remain healthy within a country. Section A Competition Authority Among the foremost issue that most competition authorities try to tackle is the problem of antitrust. In other words, alt hough innovation is greatly encouraged in the free market and that growth of companies are generally favourable to the economy, certain firms can amass greater market and control thru mergers and acquisitions that, if left unchecked, could result to a consolidation of the industry to only one major player. In such a scenario, there is an effective destruction of competition which can lead to inefficiencies. There are cases when cartels are formed or the dominant player induces practices that may hurt competition such as predatory pricing. Ginsburg and Wright (2010) relate about two deterrents to such practices which are the traditional and penalty deterrence. In their analysis, it can be gleaned that the force of penalties and regulation play crucially in order to maintain balance in a market and to ensure the health of the competition within that industry. UK and Competition The United Kingdom (UK) remains as one of the most competitive countries in the world except for a slight re spite in the past years when the country was reeling from the effects of the Great Recession. Recently though, the country has reclaimed its spot in the top ten along with other European countries. Looking at the list which includes Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands clearly Europe is a center for competitiveness. Although the UK was temporarily ousted from the top ten, the country was able to bounce back fuelled by its strong

[Art subject] Olympic Sculpture Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

[Art subject] Olympic Sculpture Park - Essay Example Two sheets of identical weathering steel make the curvy objects that are called Ws or Wiggles. In order to fully appreciate the transcendent beauty of the work, one needs to walk the spaces between the Ws. The space between the two enclosing objects will constantly morph to give a unique experience to the walker. I much enjoyed this novel idea of travel through space. Love & Loss is intended public utility. It is an aesthetically designed public sitting space. The seats and benches are crafted to the shapes of letters forming Love & Loss. Sitting there and simply gazing at the surrounding scenery is a relaxing experience that I quite enjoyed. This work of art was made by Roy McMakin and installed in OSP in 2004. Concrete, paint and enamel are the basic building material. The constant wear and tear of this construction has led to several refurbishing, which have taken the sheen off its original beauty. The Father and Son statue work installed in the midst of a water fountain is poetry and philosophy wrung into sculpture. This masterpiece by Louise Bourgeois is made of a conglomeration of metals steel, aluminum and bronze. The water fountain is conceptually the key, as it reveals and hides the statues of the father and the son to various degrees dynamically. Working to a pre-programmed schedule, the two fountains installed beneath the statues will rise and fall showing either the father or the son at a time. It attempts to symbolically show the innate difficulty in a father-son relationship, where strong bonds are seldom seen. Perhaps the Oedipal impulse in the boy-child never lets him connect strongly with the father. The outstretched arms of the two statues is a moment frozen for eternity and shall never consummate the underlying intent, namely to reach and hold the other figure. This work made me think a lot and I took pleasure in the intellectual stimulation it offered via the dynamic visual

Effect of Disabilty of Child Socialisation Processes

Effect of Disabilty of Child Socialisation Processes ‘Being born or acquiring an impairment has an impact on the childs socialization process’. Discuss this statement and state whether you agree with it or not. Make reference to literature and to the lecture debates. Draw from your professional experience. The first few years of life are important in developing physically, psychologically and also in forming relationships, initially with the primary caregivers (Diem-Wille, 2011). Socialization is â€Å"the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, skills and character traits that enable them to participate as effective members of groups and societies† (Berns, 2013, p.6). The process of socialisation during childhood years is a crucial aspect in life which enables an individual to fulfil his goals, needs and wishes throughout his lifetime. Factors that affect the socialisation process in children, namely family, school, peers and the disabling condition will be discussed. Family According to Talcott Parsons, Primary Socialization occurs when a child is developing personality characteristics, beliefs and values in relation to their upbringing. This initially occurs at home, thus being based on beliefs of family members. This process develops as a child grows and starts to learn what is acceptable and what is not acceptable (Owens, 2010). The family plays a crucial role in whether having an impairment, both congenital or acquired, impacts the child’s socialization process. This includes the values that they pass to their children as well as the socio-economic factors. In a study conducted to research the quality of mother and child interactions between preterm- and term-born children at age 5, and whether this interaction is effected by socio-demographic characteristics and child disability (Potharst, Schuengel, Last, van Wassenaer, Kok, Houtzager, 2012), it was found that mothers of pre-term children were more intrusive into their child’s auton omy resulting in decreased socialization. This relationship was also found to be poor with a child with a disability, especially if the mother has a low education background. Many times parents of children with disability are more over-protective of their children, which can result in these children finding it more difficult to interact with others and also impeding that child to fully developing his or her potential. Some parents of children with disability have discussed with me, that there were times that their children were invited to peer’s birthday parties, and have not taken their son to it. A particular parent questioned what will his son gain by going to this party and still not participate in the games since he uses a wheelchair. My reasoning with this father was that his son might have been included in different games, as they can be adapted or he can be helped to participate by another friend. I believe that it is not just the participating in a game that is the m ost important aspect of attending such social events, but the interaction with his peers, the being part of a group of friends, to continue strengthen the child’s socialisation process. When adults control their disabled children, they are limiting them in developing appropriate social skills and self-confidence. With this comes a lack of experience of what childhood is, which might lead to being more dependent in adulthood. This supports the medical model of disability which believes in the dependency of individuals. This however can also be the opposite, where parents still help their disabled children to achieve and hence giving the opportunity for their children to become independent adults (Shah, Arnold, Travers, 2004). In Rana (2011) it is cited that it is the parents’ duty to provide care, protection and proper upbringing of their children. â€Å"Such a belief is predicated on age-long traditions and norms of societies that children must be properly socialized at home and at school to prevent them from engaging in antisocial or improper behavior† (p.44). I believe that under any circumstance, proper family upbringing is of major importance when discussing a child’s socialisation process. Hence this makes no difference as to being born or acquiring the impairment later in childhood. In fact, a Maltese 16 year old adolescent with cerebral palsy has now acquired good socialization skills, thanks to his family in providing appropriate upbringing. Despite being dependent in nearly all aspects of his daily life, having received appropriate education and nurturing, he has some good friendships, is able to understand the norms of society and participate within his community to the bes t of his abilities. Schools and Peers Children with disabilities in schools are more at risk of being bullying and of being socially excluded. They are often seen as being different and with less confidence. Having an accepting social environment will promote healthier friendships and this is important in developing appropriate social skills (Lindsay McPherson, 2012). In the Conventions of the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989), it is stated that Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child. In fact, a group of children with cerebral palsy were interviewed to understand their views on how to minimize social exclusion. A point they brought up is that they feel that their classmates should be informed about their condition, and that there is nothing wrong with being different, but one should focus on their abilities (Lindsay McPherson, 2012). Through this learning of knowledge non-disabled peers will understand how a communication book is used for example. During my experience at a special school in Belgium, which mainly caters for children with physical disabilities, having some of its classes that follow mainstream education, it was so refreshing to see social bonds between each kid in class. It did not matter to them whether someone uses a wheelchair or a walking aid, they helped propel each other or carry things for each other. They even helped each other play games, like helping a kid with limited hand function, to still throw a small sized ball at a target, and henc e participate in the same activities. The school system, staff, parents and hence the children all share the idea that everyone should be given the opportunity to participate according to their capabilities. Social Identity Development Theory (SIDT) is based on research that indicates that childhood is identified by children as being part of social groups, and hence developing their social interaction. It states that the way children display prejudice is distinctive to each social situation rather than to chronological or cognitive age. Schools also form a secondary role in a child’s socialization process, where children are taught how to behave in society. In a study by Nesdale and Lawson (2011), it was found that school norms and beliefs leave a significant impact on young children’s group attitudes. This leads to imply that children understand the importance of listening and responding appropriately to adults in authority, hence in understanding attitudes and behavi ours considered as appropriate or inappropriate (Nesdale Lawson, 2011). I believe that in Malta schools should also instil in their students the idea that we should focus on each other’s abilities, as this will help to increase the socialisation skills of children with disabilities. When the teachers and learning support assistants help to involve all the children in helping each other out in tasks that one might encounter a difficulty in, enhances such peer bonds. From school visits that I have carried out, one notices differences in the school attitudes and how peers relate to individuals with disabilities. This was easily be observed from a simple aspect like the class layout; when the disabled child was on a separate table at the back of the class, he was easily forgotten and excluded, whereas when the child was integrated with his peers, it led to him being included during break times, social events etc. It has also been found that children with cerebral palsy attending a mainstream school in Canada were different from their peers in the number of friendships and social isolation behaviours amongst others (Nadeau Tessier, 2006). Inclusion in mainstream education does not necessary mean that children with disabilities are socially included (Meyer 2001), thus it is important that good education is given to children both from school and from home and that these children with disabilities are supported and given opportunities to socialise and relate to their classmates. Impairment The condition or impairment itself can affect a child’s socialization process. It is known that children and young adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report feelings of loneliness or the need to have more meaningful friendships, as many times they lack the social competence to feel at ease with typical peers. Therapy interventions should include involving these individuals in activities that are around their preferred interests, to help develop typical peer relationships. This can be linked to a child with ASD, aged 3 and a half, to whom I offer Occupational Therapy intervention, who is fascinated by insects. His socialising with his class mates and interacting in simple crafts activities was limited. It was suggested that pictures of butterflies or caterpillars are included within the classroom setting, and to involve such subjects during crafts activities. This child is now seen to participate and interact more with peers, as lessons and tasks are more about thi ngs he can relate to. A study by Koegel, Kim, Koegel and Schwartzman (2013) also showed these findings, were adolescents who were engaged in activities that related to their interests, were able to socialize with typical peers more appropriately following intervention. Such activities included a Basketball club, Cooking Club and also Computer Graphics club. Intellectual disability is another impairment that may hinder a child’s socialization process. In a study conducted by Baurain, Nader-Grosbois and Dionne (2013), a group of pre-schoolers with intellectual disability and other typical developing children were studied to understand the socio-emotional regulation and also their adjustment to society. The latter includes relationships and development of social skills. The teacher’s perspective was taken using two tests. It resulted that children with intellectual disability did not differ in their social adjustment in relation to typically developing children. However difficulty was found when intellectually disabled individuals had to adopt others’ perspective in social relations. This was stated to be due to some difficulties in social behaviour or behavioural disorders. The level of the intellectual disability is of course an important aspect when discussing whether being born with this disability impacts socializ ation. This can be linked with two clients (both 7 year old) I provide therapy too. Their families are friends, and thus children also spend some time together. One of them is intellectually disabled due to a congenital condition (which is not yet known) which is quite severe. In fact it is difficult for this child to understand society’s norms and thus has difficulty to participate adequately in society, as she just screams in public and just throws everything to the ground, for no particular reason. On the other hand, the other child with a mild intellectual disability is able to participate well in his society, being able to understand what is acceptable in the different contexts that he is exposed to (no particular behaviours observed). Both kids have so far been brought up in approximately the same family values and hence primary socialization; however their impairment severity level has an influence on their socialization process. Having a physical disability, both born or acquired, will have an effect on the child participation at school. This does not only include physical limitations that the child might encounter on a daily basis. Child/individual characteristics also play an important role. Having the motivation, will and also the knowledge to be able to perform in the context and appropriate social skills, most often compensates the physical limitations (Egilson Traustadotti, 2009). All these are other important factors in line with socialization process. Acquiring the disability at a particular age, the child might have a stronger will or motivation to strive to achieve the most their abilities, as they know life prior to the disability. On the other hand, this can also be the case of a child with a born impairment, who would still have high motivation to achieve and develop good socialization. Taking a step further and looking at whether born or acquired disability in relation to the socialisation process and how it will eventually be transferred to adult life Michelsen, Uldall, Hansen, and Madsen (2006) conducted a study of adults with cerebral palsy, compared to adults without a disability to identify the level of social integration and independence. Being born with a disability impacted the socialization process; however 68% of those studied where living independently with 28% of them cohabiting. However when compared to the non-disabled individuals, this resulted to only half the amount to be socially integrated. This difference can be due to cognitive difficulties, which ultimately does effect how much one can fully integrate with society at any age throughout the course of the lifetime. Thus it is important that all aspects that lead to acquiring good socialisation skills are provided to children from a very young age, to help them develop and reach their full social potential by adulthood. I believe that the way our society is built with its norms, values and thoughts with regards to impairments and disabilities, does effect children’s socialisation process. Being born or acquiring the impairment does have an effect; however the other constructs and points mentioned above define this impact further. Thus the socialisation process of a child is acquired when a mixture of the entire above are provided within a child’s life. It is important that children are given the right opportunities to experience, to be empowered and to engage with the rest of their community to develop socialisation to the fullest. Bibliography Baurain, C., Nader-Grosbois, N., Dionne, C. (2013). Socio-emotional regulation in children with intellectual disability and typically developing children, and teachers’ perceptions of their social adjustment.Research in Developmental Disabilities,34(9), 2774-2787. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.03.022 Berns, R. M. (2013).Child, Family, School, Community.Socialization and support(9th ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning. Diem-Wille, G. (2011). The Emergence of Body-Ego Individualisation through the experience of separation and closeness.The early years of life: Psychoanalytical development theory according to Freud, Klein and Bion(pp. 35) Egilson, S. T., Traustadottir, R. (2009). Participation of students with physical disabilities in the school environment.The American Journal of Occupational Therapy,63(3), 264-72. Koegel, R., Kim, S., Koegel, L., Schwartzman, B. (2013). Improving socialization for high school students with ASD by using their preferred interests.Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders,43(9), 2121-2134. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1765-3 Lindsay, S., McPherson, A., C. (2012). Strategies for improving disability awareness and social inclusion of children and young people with cerebral palsy.Child: Care, Health Development,38(6), 809-816. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01308.x Meyer, L. H. (2001). The impact of inclusion on Children’s lives: Multiple outcomes, and friendship in particular.International Journal of Disability, Development and Education,48(1), 9-31. Michelsen, S. I., Uldall, P., Hansen, T., Madsen, M. (2006). Social integration of adults with cerebral palsy.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology,48(8), 643-9. Nadeau, L., Tessier, R. (2006). Social adjustment of children with cerebral palsy in mainstream classes: Peer perception.Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology,48(5), 331-6. Nesdale, D., Lawson, M. J. (2011). Social groups and childrens intergroup attitudes: Can school norms moderate the effects of social group norms?Child Development,82(5), 1594-1606. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01637.x Owens, B. R. (2010). Producing parsons reputation: Early critiques of talcott parsons social theory and the making of a caricature.Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences,46(2), 165-188. Potharst, E. S., Schuengel, C., Last, B. F., van Wassenaer, A.,G., Kok, J. H., Houtzager, B. A. (2012). Difference in mother-child interaction between preterm- and term-born preschoolers with and without disabilities.Acta Paediatrica,101(6), 597-603. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02599.x Rana, H. (2011). Academic reflections on family fragmentation and child socialization.Journal of Educational Research,14(2), 40-48. Shah, S., Arnold, J., Travers, C. (2004). The impact of childhood on disabled professionals.Children Society,18(3), 194-206. doi:10.1002/CHI.789 United Nations. (1989).Convention on the rights of the child.( No. 44/25). doi:http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf 1

The Character of Casey in The Grapes of Wrath :: Grapes Wrath essays

The Character of Casey in The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck passionately describes a time of unfair poverty, unity, and the human spirit growth in the classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath. The novel tells of real, diverse characters that experience growth through turmoil and hardship. Jim Casy, a personal favorite character, is an ex-preacher that meets with a former worshiper, Tom Joad. Casy continues a relationship with Tom and the rest of the Joads as they embark on a journey to California with the hopes of prosperity. Casy represents how the many situations in life impact the ever-changing souls of human beings and the search within to discover one's true identity and beliefs. Casy, however, was much more complex than the average individual. His unprejudiced, unified, Christ-like existence twists and turns with every mental and extraneous disaccord. Jim Casy is an interesting, complicated man. He can be seen as a modern day Christ figure, except without the tending manifest belief in the Christian faith. The initials of his n ame, J.C., are the same as those of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was exalted by many for what he stood for and was supposed to be, Casy was hailed and respected by many for simply being a preacher. Casy and Jesus both saw a common goodness in the average man and saw every person as holy. Both Christ and Casy faced struggles between their ideals and the real world. Despite Casy's honesty, goodness, and loyalty to all men, he would not earn a meal or warm place to stay. Although Jesus had many followers, still others opposed his preaching until the very end.   These prophets attempted to disengage man from the cares of the world and create a high spiritualism that stemmed joy from misery. All the migrants found pleasures along their trips and kept their hope and spirit throughout the journey. Thanks to Jesus, the saddest, dullest existence has had its glimpse of Heaven. Casy once remarked, I gotta see them folks that's gone out on the road. I gotta feelin' I got to see them. They gon na need help no preachin' can give 'em. Hope of heaven when their lives ain't lived? Holy Sperit when their own sperit is downcast an' sad?" (page #)   Casy wished to reach out to others in spite of his own troubles. He wanted to give them sprit; hope and he wanted to rejuvenate their souls.

Bad Drivers

Please note that the drivers used in this rant are full driving license and know the ‘Do's and Don't of driving! What is a bad driver? A bad driver is the moron who lacks the brain capacity to drive like a normal person. Instead of looking at a situation and thinking about it logically, the driver chugs along In their own little world blissfully unaware of the world around them. It Isn't that they don't want to care about the others around them, the problem Is that their brains are actually so tiny that they are enable to comprehend more than one thing at a time.This Is why you will often spot a bad driver stopping in the middle of the road. What has happened, Is that In the middle of attempting a maneuver that requires them to think about multiple things at the same time, their brain and body has suffered a complete overload and shut Itself down. A few weeks ago I suffered a mentally disturbing experience. As usual I was running late for my football class, so I decided to ask my parents If I can go by car. Surprisingly they agreed.After a fairly peaceful Journey, possibly the worst possible outcome occurred. It was a minor road and 2 cars have met. What should have happened is either one of the drivers reverse into an opening to clear the way, saving everyone loads of time; however neither one of the drivers had the decency to clear the way and soon enough a 2 car roadblock became a bundle of cars all mindlessly honking at each other. What have we become? Human Being†¦ Seriously, is there some kind of driving epidemic going on that I haven't heard about?

Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War

Battle of Monterrey in the Mexican-American War The Battle of Monterrey was fought September 21-24, 1846, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and was the first major campaign of the conflict conducted on Mexican soil. Following the initial fighting in southern Texas, American troops led by Major General Zachary Taylor crossed the Rio Grande and pushed into northern Mexico with the goal of taking Monterrey. Nearing the city, Taylor was forced to launch assaults against its defenses as he lacked the artillery to conduct a siege. The resulting battle saw American troops capture the city after taking heavy casualties as they fought through Monterreys streets. American Preparations Following the Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, American forces under Brigadier General Zachary Taylor relieved the siege of Fort Texas and crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico to capture Matamoros. In the wake of these engagements, the United States formally declared war on Mexico and efforts began to expand the U.S. Army to meet wartime needs. In Washington, President James K. Polk and Major General Winfield Scott commenced devising a strategy for winning the war. While Taylor received orders to push south into Mexico to capture Monterrey, Brigadier General John E. Wool was to march from  San Antonio, TX to Chihuahua. In addition to capturing territory, Wool would be in a position to support Taylors advance. A third column, led by Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, would depart Fort Leavenworth, KS and move southwest to secure Santa Fe before proceeding on to San Diego. To fill the ranks of these forces, Polk requested that Congress authorize the raising of 50,000 volunteers with recruitment quotas assigned to each state. The first of these ill-disciplined and rowdy troops reached Taylors camp shortly after the occupation of Matamoros. Additional units arrived through the summer and badly taxed Taylors logistical system. Lacking in training and overseen by officers of their choosing, the volunteers clashed with the regulars and Taylor struggled to keep the newly-arrived men in line. General Winfield Scott. Photograph Source: Public Domain Assessing the avenues of advance, Taylor, now a major general, elected to move his force of around 15,000 men up the Rio Grande to Camargo and then march 125 miles overland to Monterrey. The shift to Camargo proved difficult as the Americans battled extreme temperatures, insects, and river flooding. Though well-positioned for the campaign, Camargo lacked sufficient fresh water and it proved difficult to maintain sanitary conditions and prevent disease. The Mexicans Regroup As Taylor prepared to advance south, changes occurred in the Mexican command structure. Twice defeated in battle, General Mariano Arista was relieved from command of the Mexican Army of the North and ordered to face a court-martial. Departing, he was replaced by Lieutenant General Pedro de Ampudia. A native of Havana, Cuba, Ampudia had started his career with the Spanish but defected to the Mexican Army during the  Mexican War of Independence. Known for his cruelty and cunning in the field, he was ordered to establish a defensive line near Saltillo. Ignoring this directive, Ampudia instead elected to make a stand at Monterrey as defeats and numerous retreats had badly damaged the morale of the army. Battle of Monterrey Conflict: Mexican-American War (1846-1848)Dates: September 21-24, 1846Armies and Commanders:AmericansMajor General Zachary Taylor6,220 menMexicoLieutenant General Pedro de Ampudiaapprox. 10,000 menCasualties:Americans: 120 killed, 368 wounded, 43 missingMexicans: 367 killed and wounded Approaching the City Consolidating his army at Camargo, Taylor found that he only possessed wagons and pack animals to support around 6,600 men. As a result, the remainder of the army, many of whom were ill, was dispersed to garrisons along the Rio Grande while Taylor began his march south. Departing Camargo on August 19, the American vanguard was led by Brigadier General William J. Worth. Marching towards Cerralvo, Worths command was forced to widen and improve the roads for the men following. Moving slowly, the army reached the town on August 25 and after a pause pressed on to Monterrey. A Strongly Defended City Arriving just north of the city on September 19, Taylor moved the army into camp in an area dubbed Walnut Springs. A city of around 10,000 people, Monterrey was protected to the south by the Rio Santa Catarina and the mountains of the Sierra Madre. A lone road ran south along the river to Saltillo which served as the Mexicans primary line of supply and retreat. To defend the city, Ampudia possessed an impressive array of fortifications, the largest of which, the Citadel, was north of Monterrey and formed from an unfinished cathedral. The northeast approach to the city was covered by an earthwork dubbed La Teneria while the eastern entrance was protected by Fort Diablo. On the opposite side of Monterrey, the western approach was defended by Fort Libertad atop Independence Hill. Across the river and to the south, a redoubt and Fort Soldado sat atop Federation Hill and protected the road to Saltillo. Utilizing intelligence gathered by his chief engineer, Major Joseph K. F. Mansfield, Taylor found that while the defenses were strong, they were not mutually supporting and that Ampudias reserves would have difficulty covering the gaps between them. Attacking With this in mind, he determined that many of the strong points could be isolated and taken. While military convention called for siege tactics, Taylor had been forced to leave his heavy artillery at the Rio Grande. As a result, he planned a double envelopment of the city with his men striking at the eastern and western approaches. To carry this out, he re-organized the army into four divisions under Worth, Brigadier General David Twiggs, Major General William Butler, and Major General J. Pinckney Henderson. Short on artillery, he assigned the bulk to Worth while assigning the remainder to Twiggs. The armys only indirect fire weapons, a mortar and two howitzers, remained under Taylors personal control. Major General William J. Worth. National Archives and Records Administration For the battle, Worth was instructed to take his division, with Hendersons mounted Texas Division in support, on a wide flanking maneuver to the west and south with the goal of severing the Saltillo road and attacking the city from the west. To support this movement, Taylor planned a diversionary strike on the citys eastern defenses. Worths men began moving out around 2:00 PM on September 20. Fighting began the next morning around 6:00 AM when Worths column was attacked by Mexican cavalry. These assaults were beaten off, though his men came under increasingly heavy fire from Independence and Federation Hills. Resolving that these would need to be taken before the march could continue, he directed troops to cross the river and attack the more lightly defended Federation Hill. Storming the hill, the Americans succeeded in taking the crest and capturing Fort Soldado. Hearing firing, Taylor advanced Twiggs and Butlers divisions against the northeastern defenses. Finding that Ampudia would not come out and fight, he began an attack on this part of the city (Map). A Costly Victory As Twiggs was ill, Lieutenant Colonel John Garland led elements of his division forward. Crossing an open expanse under fire, they entered the city but began taking heavy casualties in street fighting. To the east, Butler was wounded though his men succeeded in taking La Teneria in heavy fighting. By nightfall, Taylor had secured footholds on both sides of the city. The next day, the fighting focused on the western side of Monterrey as Worth conducted a successful assault on Independence Hill which saw his men take Fort Libertad and an abandoned bishops palace known as the Obispado. U.S. Army troops attack through the streets of Monterrey, 1846. Public Domain   Around midnight, Ampudia ordered the remaining outer works, with the exception of the Citadel, to be abandoned (Map). The next morning, American forces began attacking on both fronts. Having learned from the casualties sustained two days earlier, they avoided fighting in the streets and instead advanced by knocking holes through the walls of adjoining buildings. Though a tedious process, they steadily pushed the Mexican defenders back towards the citys main square. Arriving within two blocks, Taylor ordered his men to halt and fall back slightly as he was concerned about civilian casualties in the area. Sending his lone mortar to Worth, he directed that one shell be fired at the square every twenty minutes. As this slow shelling began, the local governor requested permission for noncombatants to leave the city. Effectively surrounded, Ampudia asked for surrender terms around midnight. Aftermath In the fighting for Monterrey, Taylor lost 120 killed, 368 wounded, and 43 missing. Mexican losses totaled around 367 killed and wounded. Entering surrender negotiations, the two sides agreed to terms that called for Ampudia to surrender the city in exchange for an eight-week armistice and allowing his troops to go free. Taylor consented to the terms largely because he was deep in enemy territory with a small army that had just taken significant losses. Learning of Taylors actions, President James K. Polk was irate stating that army’s job was to â€Å"kill the enemy† and not to make deals. In the wake of Monterrey, much of Taylor’s army was stripped away to be used in an invasion of central Mexico. Left with the remnants of his command, he won a stunning victory at the Battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847.

Analysis of A Pair of Tickets Essays

Analysis of A Pair of Tickets Essays Analysis of A Pair of Tickets Paper Analysis of A Pair of Tickets Paper Essay Topic: Literature Analyzing A Pair of Tickets of Amy Tan by Using the Technique Setting Family love is one of the most valuable kinds of love in our society from past to present. For some reasons, our family can be separated. No matter who we are or where we are, we always try our best to protect our family love. A Pair of Tickets of Amy Tan is a very emotional story that is about a reunion of a Chinese family. It also tells us the true value of family love. And analyzing this story by the technique setting, the backdrop against which the action of story takes place can help us to understand this value clearly. A Pair of Tickets is a short story of Amy Tan that tells us a reunion of a Chinese family after a long time separation because of war. The main character, Jing Mei, is a Chinese-American who comes back to her hometown in China with her father to find her twin sisters whom her mother abandoned in wartime. Jing Mei and her fathers first stop is in Guangzhou, China where her father can reunite with his long lost aunt. After visiting with her for a day they plan to take a plane to Shanghai, China where Jandale will meet her two half-sisters for the first time. The story was written in 1989 when China became a developed country. It has main scenes in China in 1980s and some scenes in China in the 1940s. In 1940s, China was a very poor country that was destroyed by war. First, in Jing Meis memory, China is a slow-motion film in which her mother came to her house to find her relatives in hopelessness after a bomb fell on her house. China was in ruin, all was in ruin and underneath her mothers feet were four stories of burnt bricks and wood, all the life of our house (P. 124). All Jing Mei can feel was the sufferings of her mother when she found each pieces of her house in turn. There was a bed used to sleep in, really just a mental frame twisted up at one corner, a book which every page had turned black, a teacup which was unbroken but filled with ashes, my doll, with her hands and legs broken, her hair burned off (P. 124). It looks like whenever Jing Mei thinks about China, her heart feels a stinging pain from her mothers pain and an unclear definition of family in her mind. Jing Mei just knows that China is where her grandparents, her uncles, and their wives and children lived and all killed in the war. Through her mothers telling about her doll that she gave to her youngest niece, If she was in her house with that doll, her parents were there, and so everybody was there, waiting together, because thats how our family was (P. 124), in Jing Meis head is just a vague imagination of a traditional Chinese family that all members in the family were always gathered together happily. Moreover, through her fathers telling, The roads were filled with people, everybody running and begging for rides from passing trucks. The trucks rushed by, afraid to stop (P. 30), everything in China was a chaotic pile when everybody just wanted to leave at any cost. On the other hand, in 1980s, when her father and she comes to China to find her twin sisters, China wears quite different clothes which are more beautiful and modern. It sometimes brings some familiar feelings to Jing Mei and her father but it sometimes gives her alien, surprising feelings. The first scenes, the familiar setting, come to Jing Meis eyes are a sectioned field of yellow, green, and brown, a narrow canal flanking the tracks, low rising hills, and three people in blue jackets riding an ox-driven cart (P. 21) when she is on the train with her father. Those scenes not only slowly awake her memory that she had almost forgotten (P. 121) but also make her father younger and excited like a young boy, so innocent and happy (P. 120-P-121). And when she first sets foot on Chinese soil, she feels so strange about the names of cities such as is Chongquing, and Guilin (P. 121) and about the landscape which has become gray, filled with low flat cement buildings, old factories, and then tracks and more tracks filled with trains like our passing by in the opposite direction (P. 23). No more trucks and wagons, there are just taxies, buses, and cars. No more immigrants in hurry to run away, there are just a stream of people rushing, shoving, pushing us along, until we find ourselves in one of a dozen lines waiting to go through customs (P. 123). Those are alien setting that makes her feel strange because her hometown is so different from what she remembered. This setting of modern China also makes her confused as if like she were in US now, I feel as if I were getting on the number 30 Stockton bus in San Francisco (P. 123). Then, Jing Mei gets more surprising things on the way to Garden Hotel. China seems to be a mix between the Orient and the Occident. China looks like a major American city, with high rises and construction going on everywhere, with scores of little shops, dark inside, lined with counters and shelves (P. 126). The modern characters of China are also expressed by Garden Hotel that has elevator, bellboys. Moreover, the rugs, drapes, bed-spreads, color television, refrigerator stocked with Heineken beer, Coke Classic, and Seven-Up (P. 127) also makes Jing Mei cannot believe in her eyes. And even hamburgers, French fries, and apple pie a la mode (P. 127) can be found there. But China still keeps its specific traditional characters with little children wearing pink and yellow, red and peach (P. 123) and these character occurs clearly when Aiyi, an old women in a yellow knit beret is holding up a pink plastic bag filled with trinkets (P. 124), comes to the air port with her crowded family. Through those alien and familiar settings, the story says that although the changes of the country from traditional to modern, from old to new value, the relationship among family members cannot be changed. And this issue of the story can be expressed clearly by the symbolic setting, China. It does not simply mean a country, it is the valuable bridge to connect the relationship between Jing Mei and her twin sisters. It is where the permanent family love begins. Finally, like John Denver used to sing Country Roads take me home to the place I belong, everybody in this world will find his or her origin one day because it is the value of family love and love never fails. And the short story A Pairs of Tickets is a very emotional and successful to story that tells us the true value of family. To me, learning about family value is something people do not always understand, like Jing Mei used to distrust her past and the past of her families. But when she understands her family s past, she can connect her rest family. Now she can meet her sisters, she can feel peaceful because she has fulfilled her dreams and the dreams of her mother. Cherishing the family love we have is an essential thing we can do and have to do.

Un-redd programme on forest management in Cameroon Thesis

Un-redd programme on forest management in Cameroon - Thesis Example It uses the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN-REDD Programme has 29 partner countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America; of these 13 receive support to National Programme activities. The Central African Republic including Cameroon, besides other countries such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, and several others not receiving direct support to national programmes engage with the Programme in a number of ways such as observers to the Programme’s Policy Board, and through participation in regional workshops and knowledge sharing enabled by the Programme’s interactive online workspace (UN-REDD 2009). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the UN-REDD Programme in developing countries, particularly in Cameroon in Central Africa. The UN-REDD, its goals, objectives and targets in Cameroon, the UN-REDD in relation to governance, corruption and sustainable development in Cameroon, as well as the challenges or shortcomings in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Cameroon will be examined. Reform in the Rainforests of Cameroon Cameroon, is a tropical country in Central Africa and part of the Congo Basin. â€Å"It contains the largest piece of rainforest on the African continent and the second largest area of contiguous moist tropical forest of the world† (Westholm, Henders, Ostwald & Mattson 2009: 44). Cameroon continues to have vast forest resources, and is at the forefront of forestry sector reform in Africa. It is expected that the country will play a constructive role in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). Cameroon has a population of 16.5 million inhabitants, of which about 30,000 indigenous people live on an area of 4,75,000 square kilometers. A part of the vast 198 million hectares Congo Basin rainforest is in Cameroon, covering 16.9 million hectares, forming 40 percent of the national territory. This forest is rich in fauna and flora providing â€Å"food, medicines, fuel wood and construction materials for about 8 million rural Cameroonians† (Aronsen, Lindhjem & Braten 2010: 7). The forestry sector forms the core of the Cameroonian economy, generating about 13,000 formal and 1,50,000 informal jobs, thus becoming the largest employer outside the public sector. Timber is the second largest source of export revenues after petroleum, accounting for 4.8 percent of non-petroleum GDP in 2004 (Aronsen et al 2010). â€Å"The deforestation rate is 1,53,700 hectares per year, or 0.72%, according to the National communication, although latest assessments ha ve yielded much lower rates† (Westholm et al 2009: 44). From the year 1994, Cameroon regulated access to its rainforests, balanced public and private interests in those forests, and combined a broad range of economic, cultural, and environmental approaches to the value of the forests, by introducing regulatory and market-based reforms. According to Topa, Megevand and Karsenty (2009), reports based on evidence from historical data and extensive interviews indicate that the reforms brought order among the most highly competing interests, and addressed vital environmental and social issues; however a significant part of the agenda remains incomplete. The reports provide information to the public on the boundaries, ownership, use rights, and management of Cameroon’s rainforests, together with detection and prosecution of illegal activities. There has been

Bachelor's degree is helpful to increasing personal skills Research Paper

Bachelor's degree is helpful to increasing personal skills - Research Paper Example 27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZFDfU7PiDIj54QSDr4CYAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=PDmMpwbs_CsC&pg=PA15&dq=bachelor%27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BXXfU5vTNarB7Aaq8IG4BA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=dH2nB1CX2SMC&pg=PA327&dq=bachelor%27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=j47fU82-CLLQ7Aaw9IG4Cg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=AHsqIFnnn1YC&pg=PA92&dq=bachelor%27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=j47fU82-CLLQ7Aaw9IG4Cg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=xrnPJcb7c54C&pg=PA90&dq=bachelor%27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n5XfU6LhAqXB7AbujYHgDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=aSiCCLKHOL0C&pg=PA138&dq=bachelor%27s+degree+is+helpful+to+increasing+personal+skills&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n5XfU6LhAqXB7AbujYHgDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bachelors%20degree%20is%20helpful%20to%20increasing%20personal%20skills&f=false The book gives details on the kind of training required for public health professionals. It expounds on the relevant skills required.