The Rocking Horse Winner Essays - The Rocking-Horse Winner, Luck

The Rocking Horse Winner The Rocking Horse Winner Lucky. That's what this whole story is about, being lucky. It seemed that to be successful in this society you had to have a certain amount of luck about you to be able to make money to survive. Paul seemed to be the first to realize it when he asked his mother why don't we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use Uncle's, or else a taxi? When she replied that it was because they were poor he asked why and she said Because your father has no luck. I believe it was from this conversation that he realized that to be rich you had to be lucky, what he could not figure out was how you got lucky. His mother thought you had to be born with it but Paul was convinced that he could find his own luck. His drive to find luck was fueled by the whispers that he heard throughout the house There must be more money. He thought that if he found luck he would be able to make enough money to make the whispers stop. His method of searching for luck was rather unusual and eventually led to his downfall. While everyone was going about their regular business Paul would ride like crazy on an old rocking horse he had in his bedroom. He thought that if he rode long enough he would eventually find luck. Eventually it seemed as if Paul found what he was looking for, he developed a habit of betting on horse races. When his Uncle noticed that he was getting very lucky at choosing whom the winner would be(even if there were big odds against a horse, Paul wou ld bet on it if he thought it would win) he approached his nephew about his lucky streak. Paul said that all he did was ride his rocking horse until something in his head told him who the winner would be. His Uncle did not question his methods and eventually started betting on the horses that Paul did. They went on living like this for a long time with Paul riding his horse until he knew the winner and then they would make more and more money off his decisions. When Paul was older there were a couple of races where he did not know who the winner would be and he got really worried. He should have been happy with the money that he had but he had become obsessed with gambling and winning money so he rode even harder on his rocking horse. When the biggest race of the year came around he rode his horse all night like a madman, for that is what he had become. He eventually knew who would win but ended up dying during the night without having been able to enjoy the eighty thousand pounds t hat he had won for being lucky. As you can see, the recurring theme in this story was luck, a thing some people call a gift but in this case it ended up being a curse. Paul did prove to his mother that you could find luck but what he did not realize then was that there would be a terrible price to pay for it. The Rocking Horse Winner Lucky. That's what this whole story is about, being lucky. It seemed that to be successful in this society you had to have a certain amount of luck about you to be able to make money to survive. Paul seemed to be the first to realize it when he asked his mother why don't we keep a car of our own? Why do we always use Uncle's, or else a taxi? When she replied that it was because they were poor he asked why and she said Because your father has no luck. I believe it was from this conversation that he realized that to be rich you had to be lucky, what he could not figure out was how you got lucky. His mother thought you had to be born with it but Paul was convinced that he could find his own luck. His drive to find luck was fueled by the whispers

Religion vs. Nationalism Throughout the Ages essays

Religion vs. Nationalism Throughout the Ages essays Historians can never agree on anything. Whether it be debating the disappearance of the Anasazi Indians in the west or whether George Washington really did chop down the cherry tree, they always seem to leave us hanging. In the New York Times article Religion and Nationalism, Historians Trace and Unholy Alliance, four historians debate the fundamental causes of war. Most of the wars in pre-enlightenment Europe were heavily rooted in religious differences but as the world progressed, conflicts became less about religion and more about cultural difference. Historians Anthony Marx, a political science professor at Amherst College, and Linda Colley, a historian at the London School of Economics believe that nationalism begins with an act of demonizing a religious other. Pre-enlightenment Europe was a very turbulent time in the continents history. Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants not were not only happening in the streets but between the governments as well. The clash between Henry VIII and the Catholic church where Henry wanted an annulment and the Catholic church didnt want to compromise its power demonstrated how demonizing religious others can bring a country together. The same goes for the French Wars on Religion. The St. Bartholomews Day Massacre is the quintessential clash between Protestants and Catholics not only in the streets but also between members of the royal family. The Edict of Nantes, granting Protestants freedom of religion in France is by far the quintessential law granting religious freedom in France. Historians Eugene Webber, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, and David Bell argue, Early modern states were fundamentally different...entities in which the sense of a nation had not yet been firmly established. However, most countries masked their political conflict with that of religion. This statement encapsulates t...

Assessment of Basketball in Lexington, Kentucky

Assessment of Basketball in Lexington, Kentucky As an amateur anthropologist, I was to participate in my observation, which I did to the best of my ability. Choosing my topic was the most difficult for me. Coming to America there are so many options that I could choose to research. So what was I to do? Well, being in the state of Kentucky, Lexington at that, I decided to research a sporting event in which Americans call basketball. As soon as I stepped of the big metal bird, I saw a picture of a wild cat holding a round orange ball. I remember thinking, I could never hunt these animals, they are too smart, they are nothing similar to the ones in the Outback of Australia. So I stopped the person that rode next to me on the metal bird, What is that animal doing with that ball? He remarked, We are in Lexington, home of the Kentucky Wildcats. With that he walked away. How could Kentucky be considered the home of the wildcat? We have many in the Outback. So, I continued down the nest where the birds drink and rest. Then it finally hit me, the name of the basketball team were the Wildcats. I was well on my way to find these Kentucky Wildcats. I arrived where they house the wildcats that play ball. The name of the cage was Rupp Arena. Apparently, I was not the only one interested in watching these trained animals play the sport of basketball. The price to watch these animals were extremely expensive; thirty dollars in American currency which would translate into 300 of my own currency. Once inside the cage I found that it was not at all what I thought it to be. There was an enormous amount of people present. In my observation this event is the biggest that people in this culture attend. In this cage you could smell a variety of things. Some smells were all too familiar from home; the urine smell as you walked into the place where people went to relieve themselves reminded me of the Hole. They had many different foods that smelled nothing like anything that I have ever smelled before. They had a brown thing that was twisted into a weird design; they had something that was in the form of a triangle that looked like a piece o f bread with cheese on top and round meat. I later learned that this food was called pizza. I was introduced to sweet dirty water that they call Pepsi. They gave me little square chunks of ice to keep my Pepsi cold while I watch these animals play basketball. I was ready to go watch the animals. What a weird event that brought an extreme amount of people. As I enter the main room of the cage I find that the floor is made of wood with writing on it and there are two weird looking trees, one at each end of the court. I was overwhelmed by what I saw, I had to go down there and see what was going on. I figured there are a lot of people down there looking at the weird trees and the wood flooring with writing on it so why not join them. But what I was confused about was the fact that there were twenty-six people on this floor throwing orange balls into a ring attached on the trees. Maybe this was a ritual before the wildcats were brought out. As I try to take my first step onto the floor a man that was wearing a yellow coat with black lettering stopped me. He tried to explain that only payers could be on the floor. The expression on my face may have shown him that I was an outsider and he explained that the game was about to begin and I should take my seat. So before I found the correct seat after sitting in three other peoples seats, a man wearing a blue vest finally showed me to my seat. After sitting for ten minutes the villagers began standing. In order to attempt to fit in I did this also. After I stood, music began to play and for awhile it appeared that everyone was staring at me, but after a few moments I realized that they were looking at a flag which represents the United States. After the song was over, I did as the rest and sat down. I was ready to see the wild cats play basketball. To my surprise 10 of the twenty-six people that was throwing the orange ball into the rings on the trees walked out wearing their tribal colors, five on each tribe. Then thre e guys that were dressed like zebras walked out on to the floor with the two different tribes carrying the same orange ball that the tribal men were throwing up earlier. After everyone walked out onto the floor everyone began to yell as loud as they could and stomp their feet and clap their hands yelling, Go Wildcats. In absolute joy I stand up expecting to see the animals playing basketball, but instead it is the tribal men. They are running back and forth with the orange ball. Several of the men would throw the ball to the ground and it would bounce back up to them, as they would run with it. The tribal men would group themselves up in pairs and take turns standing in front of them waving their arms like they are crazy. I think that it was a ritual to do this to each other as to show respect for one another. The zebra looking men never touched the orange ball except when the made a loud noise through a little black thing they blew into. The zebras controlled tempers that both trib es would let explode into anger. Every time a tribe man would get hit by an opposite member of the tribe the zebra would blow his little black thing and hold up fingers towards the villagers in the bleachers. I noticed that this culture would use hand motions to communicate. As a participant I would mimic their actions and throw my hands in the air when they did. It was strange because the same motion would show either disgust or joy for their tribe. Some would even display their middle finger, which I took as a demeaning gesture. After twenty minutes of the tribes playing basketball, a loud horn sounded calling the tribes off the court. At this time all the villagers got up from their seat and go to the cages meeting place, where one could get food and beverage or urinate. Some would even put a small white stick to their mouth and proceed to catch it on fire. After thirty minutes everyone shuffled back into the stomping grounds in which were for before the big horn blew again. Once again the two tribal men took to the big wooden floor and the weird trees. I noticed that the chief was not wearing the same garments as his followers. He wore clothes that covered all his body except his face. The tribe men wore shirts with the sleeves ripped off and pants with half the legs cut off. I think that maybe the tribes men have battled prior to this meeting and this was the reason for their ragged garments. The chiefs never stepped onto the big wood floor. He did however wave his hands like a crazy man and even jumped up and down like the followers under him. Some of the men would even dive into the villagers to see if they were paying attention to what was unfolding before them. The assortment of the villagers was amazing. It seemed no matter if you had colored or you were pale you were accepted if you did well for the tribe and considered a disgrace if you hurt the tribe. Both tribes had people of different colors and ages. Some had graybeards and wrinkly skin and oth ers were too young to talk and show their approval for their tribe. All come out to show support and to encourage their respected tribe. After spending a Thursday night in a cage called Rupp Arena I learned that the tribes name is called the Wildcats and it is a competitive sporting event and nothing more. However, some of the villagers always think that they can do better than who represent them. I have found that if I live by these three rules in Rupp Arena one can successfully fill his/her role in compiling data; one- go along with the crowd, they have been around for awhile and know the ropes; two- yell loud for the tribe that traveled the least amount to get to Rupp Arena; three- smile and hit others hands when the orange ball goes through the ring on the tree. It is wise to yell for the tribe that you sit amongst. I would always have a person helping me to learn the game of basketball as Barbara Anderson had someone show her the ropes in the bathhouse. And to find out information about what was happening, I would ask just as she did to find out more about the culture in Denmark. As I just sat there observing the actions I found that everything was universal, the yelling, the hand gestures, and the jumping up and down. They were all actions that showed either disgust or joy for what was happening on the floor. This is a way that people can enjoy life and kick back and enjoy the actions that took place in front of them or it was a way for them to live their past through the current competitors. The weird trees I found out later are called goals in which the players would shoot the basketball. They would pass and dribble and the coach would teach his players to play defensive on the other team. I found it very hard to be just an observer and sometimes I would catch myself enjoying my surroundings and not doing the thing that I was there to do in the first place. I enjoyed it though because it enabled me to sit back and catch some people doing idiotic things that I probably sometimes do. Overall this was a fun project to take part in and I am glad that I was able to do it at a University of Ke ntucky basketball game.

Seminar on Marketing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Seminar on Marketing - Personal Statement Example Again, the key is on strategic planning and execution of the plan. Marketers should be able to draw a specific image of their products or service offerings and be able to implement them efficiently. For a typical customer like me, it never occurred to me that marketers are designing each touch point in order to create the brand image that they desire. Yes, I have had spent countless hours chatting and socializing with colleagues at Starbucks but never really understood how the specialty coffee retailer orchestrate everything in order for me to enjoy my stay and differentiate itself from another coffee house like Dunkin Donuts. Through the concepts and tools I have learned in class, I am now able to grasp while Starbucks invest in "green coffee beans," why the place really looks laid back, why they don't offer quick meals, and most importantly why their products are priced at least $3 while I can get coffee from McDonalds are less than 50 cents. Marketing has opened a new road to discovery and understanding for a consumer like me. I hope to utilize everything that I have learned from the seminar discussions in my future career.

Explaining a concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Explaining a concept - Essay Example Perennialism can be understood to be the â€Å"conservative† approach in that it argues that the same tried and true methods and subject matter should continue to be taught to the next generation of students do the fact that it is both tried and true and has informed the preceding generations. On the other hand, progressivism takes the more â€Å"liberal† approach in positing that individuality, progress, and change are key cornerstones of a truly great education (Labaree 281). As a means of providing an explanation for the concept of progressivism, this brief paper will to approach this particular educational approach in a way which will seek to shed light on whether such a concept is in fact the best concept to engage students with and to provide a higher degree of educational success and interaction. The progressivist concept of education places a high degree of emphasis upon the experience of the individual as well as the changing ways in which new material and old material alike can help to better hone the quality of education that the student is able to achieve. At its core, the concept engenders the belief that individuals will most benefit by studying those materials which most directly impact upon their own lives. Although such an approach is most certainly less concrete than that of the perennialist’s approach to education, it nonetheless is able to take into account the transforming needs that our society and the world in general is placing upon the educational system and the individual student. A secondary component of the concept is the understanding that it is necessarily a more visual concept than that of the perennialist’s approach. This is mainly due to the fact that the perennialist’s approach hinges upon the primary data sources and methods of learning that have been in existence since the dawn of knowledge. However, the fact of the matter is that these rather stodgy and non-visual means to engage the pupil have

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Example for Free

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Introduction The National Football League (NFL) strikes of 1982 and 1987 were considered groundbreaking events in the NFL but not because it succeeded in its aims. On the contrary, they can justifiably be called abysmal failures. In its failures, the two events gained notoriety and a place in history as: the shortest season in the history of football; the first time replacements were used in a professional football game; and focused on the issue of free agency among football players. This paper will provide an overview of the actual events and discuss the how it went wrong. Background In order to understand the NFL strikes of 1982 and 1987, it would be important to give a background on the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). The union formed with the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns agreed to join up in 1956 to demand minimum wage and other benefits of NFL players. They were helped in getting the rest of the players of the 28 teams in the NFL sign in by Don Shula (Baltimore Colts), Frank Gifford and Sam Gifford (New York Giants) and Norm Van Brocklin (Los Angeles Rams). (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) The NFLPA was not blessed with much influence with the owners of the league, and were pretty much ineffective in pushing their aims and goals through. An attempt to strike prior to the start of the 1956 season did not even get off the ground. Prior to 1982, players operated under a very loose arrangement with team owners; signing bonuses were unheard of and often there were no contracts. The pay scale was far from standard; rookies could be earning more than players of several years standing, unbeknownst to either player. Usually, it was no big deal, until players found out about, usually during shower conversations. (Forbes, 2001) Players also had the most rudimentary of health insurance and training support in terms of finances from the team owners. It was not a given that player uniforms were paid for by the team owners and that they were paid even when injured and unable to play. Because team owners refused to take the calls of the NFLPA for meetings seriously, declining even to show up, the union leaders threatened to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, emboldened by the a recent ruling the Supreme Court in which it denied immunity of the NFL from antitrust laws. The union milked this for all it was worth in the ensuing years, succeeding in winning small victories such as pension and health plans. However, it was not until 1968, twelve years after it was first formed that it became recognized as the official labor union of the NFL. Players went on strike duriong training led by the Cleveland Brown’s Bernie Parrish at the instigation of a major labor union, and the team owners retaliated by locking down the training camps. Afyet a brief interval, a compromise was rached the the NFLPA gained its union contract, such as it was (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007). The contract was one-sided at best, leaving players with very little leverage during subsequent strikes in 1970, 1974 and 1975 and they were plagued by players crossing the picket line, breaking up the solidarity (Staudohar, 1988). III. The strike of ‘82 The impetus for the 1982 strike was a combination of several factors. After the aborted 1974 strike, lawyer Edward Garvey took over a executive director of the NFLPA. Formerly from the firm representing the NFLPA, Garvey was not new to collective bargaining, and he was determined that the players would get the concessions they have been asking for. It was also at this time that the news spread about an agreement with a television station would almost tripled the owners’ television revenues compared to the previous year. Moreover, the United States Football League (USFL) was slated to start in 1983, effectively breaking the monopoly of the NFL and giving football players more bargaining leverage. All these factors led to the declaration of a strike by the NFLPA on September 19, 1982 and it would last 57 days until November 16 of the same year. The union demanded that players get 55% of the gross revenues of the league. (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) Despite the solid front displayed by the players, the NFL refused to give in, opting to shave 7 games off the 16-game season, which was the period in which the strike was ongoing. In the meantime, union leaders organized several â€Å"all-star games† but these did not fare well with the fans nor did it generate sufficient interest for television coverage. In the end, with the networks failing to support the players and the NFL standing fast, the strike ended without the players getting their 55%. When the USFL started in 1983, players were able to bargain for better terms or leave the league. (Staudohar, 1988) The 1987 strike In the interim between the 1982 and 1987 strike, developments in the professional sport led to the demands for better pay as well as the right to free agency. The contract between the NFL and the union was set to expire on August 31, 1987. In 1986, the USFL ceased to operate, emboldening the NFL to allow the strike to happen without fear of the players going to the USFL. The NFLPA had also managed to publish the first NFLPA Base Salary Directory, which provided the basis for salary negotiations for players. (Forbes, 2001) The actual strike was again triggered by a television contract, this time increasing the NFL owners’ revenues to $17,000,000. This time, the union negotiators, Jack Donlan and football player Gene Upshaw have had experience in collective bargaining prior to the strike, and worked well with each other. However, the negotiators had bosses, and the there were a lot of dissenting voices. This is not surprising considering that there was one representative from each of the 28 teams, forming them union’s labor policy making team called the Management Council led by executive director Jack Donlan and another six delegates to form the Council Executive Committee. It was Donlan’s responsibility to promote cohesion in the demands of the union as well as ensure that negotiations keep to limits set by the Council members. Some of the union demands were as follows: minimum salaries severance pay right to free agency elimination of artificial turf (Staudohar, 1988) A football player’s professional life is short, less than four years before becoming too injured to continue playing. Therefore, it is logical that they try to get as much money as they are able to during their productive seasons. However, the 1987 strike did not really emphasize this. What was emphasized by the players who were interviewed and in the subsequent negotiations of union leaders was the right to free agency. Free agency is about a professional player’s right to negotiate with any number of teams for the sale of their services once their contract expires provided they had fulfilled some conditions of tenure. There are five categories of free agency: unrestricted (UFA); restricted (RFA); exclusive-rights (EFA); franchise (FFA); and transitional (TFA). In UFA, a player with at least four years under his belt can change teams without restrictions. RFA dictates that a player of at least three years standing can negotiate for his transfer to another team, but his previous team has the right to match the other team’s offer and retain rights to the player if they do so. If the previous team declines to match the offer, the new team will have to give compensation to the previous team in the form of draft picks. EFA players have less than three years with the league and his team will have to make an offer before the NFL deadline or the player becomes a UFA player. A player designated as FFA is a UFA player for whom a new team, if the previous team declines to match the offer, must remit compensation to the previous team. The TFA player receive an offer from the previous team for minimum higher amount based on last salary i.e. 120% of salary and the previous team has seven days to make the offer. If the offer is not made, the player can sign on with the new team which does not need to compensate the previous team. (â€Å"Free agency definitions explanations,† 2004) The strike was announced on September 22, 1987 and almost immediately, things started to go awry. Because Upshaw as one of the union negotiators was not always present during the bargaining for the new contract, NFL officials complained to the National Labor Relations Board that this was a deliberate ploy to justify a strike due to non-progression in the talks, and claimed bad faith. This strengthened the position of the team owners, and they decided to outface the strikers by bringing in replacement players to play in their stead. The season’s games continued as planned. Replacement players, also referred to as â€Å"scabs† are usually former college football players, or those players who got cut during the draft. This was an unprecedented move by the NFL team owners and was considered a â€Å"dirty† trick. (Farsnworth, 2002) However, the public relations of the NFL got busy in representing the NFL as being in the right, and the fact that by the first week of the strike major players crossed the picket line seemed to reinforce this impression. The break in solidarity, and the failure of union leaders to get the team owners to comply with their terms, led to the ending of the strike on October 15, 1987. The same day, the NFLPA filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL team owners, an arena in which they have been more successful before, much more than on the picket line. Eventually, though the 1987 suit was dismissed, another lawsuit filed in 1989 which was more successful and the courts ruled in favor of the players. After going back to negotiations, the team owners agreed to permit free agency with certain conditions based on a player’s tenure on a particular team. (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) Discussion The NFL strikes of 1982 and 1987 were interesting because it illustrated how a weak union can do as much damage or even more than no union at all. The NFL owners understood this, which is why they maintained the NFLPA as the official representation of the NFL players even after numerous attempts at strikes and antitrust lawsuits. (Staudohar, 1988) From the beginning, the NFLPA was considered of no account by the team owners, who did not even bother to show up for meetings in the early days. The only recourse that seemed to work was to enlist the help of the judicial system in the form of antitrust lawsuits. The aim of the 1982 strike was primarily to get a piece of the television revenues, and the union leaders believed they were in a position of strength with the USFL soon to provide competition to the NFL. Apparently, they overestimated their strength as the NFL stonewalled them and simply cut the season to nine games until the NFLPA ended the strike. In the end, their desire for higher salaries for the players was realized through the normal course of events and as a result of market forces. There was no real rhyme or reason for the 1982 strike. It was ultimately the players who suffered, who went 57 days without pay or health coverage. Moreover, the failure of the NFLPA to produce results only hurt their prestige and credibility as effective negotiators in the eyes of the team owners as well as the union members. The incredible thing is history repeated itself in 1987. The same kind of circumstances prevailed, perhaps slightly different in details but the same in context, with one important exception. What were the same? The aim was to get a piece of the television revenues. The union leaders thought they were in a position of strength with the recent arbitration decision against baseball team owners who were accused of collusion to control player salaries by halting all signing of free agents filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association. This is even shakier ground than the USFL scenario. At the very least, the USFL was a reasonable proposition because it is based on market forces. The collusion decision against baseball team owners could not reasonably be used against football team owners because free agent signing is so infrequent that collusion would be difficult to prove. The team leaders had nothing to lose in stonewalling the players’ union. As in 1982, the union failed to adequately prepare for the 1987 strike in terms of financial support for the players. Players were once again bereft of their pay and benefits, and the union had no Striker’s funds to dip into for emergencies. It is no wonder that the former solidarity in 1982 melted in the first week of the 1987 strike. The players, at least, had learned the first time around. One important difference is the supposed main aim of the strike: the granting of free agency to players. The tragic thing about this is that as early as 1975, it could have been theirs for the asking with no need to go on a strike at all. At the time of the 1987 strike, the standard in the NFL for player exchange was based on the Rozelle Rule on free agency, named after NFL Commissioner Peter Rozelle. The rule allowed the NFL commissioner to dictate what kind of compensation the new team of a newly-transferred player would have to award the player’s new team. This put acquiring teams at a disadvantage and only four players were traded prior to 1987. The Rozelle Rule was deemed unreasonable restraint under the Sherman Antitrust Act when the Baltimore Colts’ John Mackey filed a complaint   to the Federal courts. This was a golden opportunity for players to become free agents at the end of their contracts because the constraints to trading had been lifted. Incredibly, however, the NFLPA signed away this advantage by signing an agreement with the NFL team owners in 1977 which stipulated compensation payments for signing free agents. This provision was not challenged in the 1982 contract and remained intact. The whole point of the 1987 strike was supposedly to gain the right to free agency which had already been signed away by the union 10 years ago. It is the epitome of irony that even with the strike they failed to regain that which they had foolishly lost themselves. Worse yet, public opinion during the 1987 strike tended to favor the side of the owners, perhaps because the players themselves seemed unhappy about the whole idea themselves. The television stations also signified disapproval by covering the replacement games, which had come to be known as Replacement Sunday, as if they were the regular games. A consequence of the 1987 strike that is still a matter of interest is the use of replacements in the three weeks of the strike. By most accounts from players who were there, no real animosity was directed at the replacement players, or â€Å"scabs† themselves, but it was still considered â€Å"unthinkable† of the team owners to make use of the tactic to undermine the striking players. Some players recall how they were pulled out from construction jobs and stockbroker interviews in â€Å"scavenger hunts† to fill the positions in the 22-player game. For many, it was an opportunity to play professional football that was too good to be missed. Some stayed on even after the strike ended, and in the case of former college football player Tim Burnham, who played left tackle on the Seahawks replacement team, he was invited to train for the summer. For the â€Å"real† players, all rancor ended when the picket line was pulled down (Farsnworth, 2002). Conclusion From a historical perspective, it seems clear that both strikes should not have happened. The pros and cons were not properly evaluated and it appeared that the NFLPA made a habit of going off half-cocked when it came to striking. The tragedy of such miscalculations is that it is the players who suffer, both immediately i.e. loss of income during strikes and in the long term i.e. loss of collective bargaining advantage. Today, football players get impressive salaries and have the right to free agency. They have sign-up bonuses, health benefits and insurance, and all the trappings of fame and glory. Undeniably, some concessions can be directly linked to union efforts on behalf of the players. The strikes of 1982 and 1987, however, were not among the NFLPA’s most shining moments. References Farnsworth, C. (2002, October 4) NFL crossed the line on Replacement Sunday. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved July 8, 2007 from   http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/89817_replace04.shtml Forbes, G. (2001, June 8) ’82 strike changed salary dealings forever. USA Today.   Retrieved July 8, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/sports/comment/forbes/2001-06-08-forbes.htm Free agency definitions and explanations (2004, March 1) Detroit Lions. Retrieved July 7, 2007 from   Ã‚  http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=332893 National Football League Players Association. (2007, June 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:16, July 8, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Football_League_Players_Associationoldid=139999742 Staudohar, P. (1988, August) The football strike of 1987: the question of free agency. Monthly Labor Review Online,   vol 111, no. 8. Retrieved July 8, 2007 from http://stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1988/08/rpt1full.pdf

Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird Essay -- Racism Race Kill Mockingbi

Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird The United States has been dealing with the issue of racism ever since Columbus landed on Plymouth Rock. The Indians were the first to endure harsh racism in this country. Pilgrims moving west ran them off their land wiping out many tribes and destroying many resources in their path. However, when many think of racism today, the issue of blacks and whites is the first to come to mind. African Americans have come a long way in today’s society as compared to the society their ancestors had to overcome. But just as far as we have come, there is still a long way we must go. Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, clearly depicts racism and what it was like in the nineteen-thirties through the trial of Tom Robinson and the only white man that supports him, Atticus Finch. The whole town of Mycomb becomes overwhelmed by a crime that a poor, â€Å"white trash† young woman named Mayella Ewell, accuses Tom Robinson, a black field laborer, of committing. This is very similar to the case of the Scottsboro Boys where nine black men were also wrongfully accused of a crime only because of the color of their skin. The fictional story, To Kill A Mockingbird, seems to depict actual events that happened throughout the nineteen-thirties in the south, during a time when whites dominated the legal system and blacks had no rights. The nineteen-thirties was a time of great hardship for many Americans in the south and around the country. The great depression was in full effect and was especially hard on those Americans who were involved in agriculture. The south played host to a higher degree of segregation than any other region of the country at this time. Many states and cities reinforced segregat... ...as usually taken care of outside of the courtroom, left dangling from a tree or beaten to death by angry mobs. â€Å"White Justice,† was the only thing that mattered to the white southerners during the nineteen-thirties. And that was the only thing that the blacks would get. Works Cited Braziel, Jana. History of Lynching in the United States. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992. Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Linder, Douglas. The Trials of â€Å"The Scottsboro Boys.† http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/SB_acct.html Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site Interpretive Staff. â€Å"Jim Crow† Laws.† January 5, 1998. http://www.nps.gov/malu/documents/jim_crow_laws.htm. Stewart E. Tolnay and E.M. Beck, A Festival of Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930.

Grade and Grading Curve Scenario

————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- New Perspectives excel 2010 ————————————————- Tutorial 10: Case Problem 1 High Desert University Skills Define a scenario View scenarios Edit a scenario Create a scenario summary report Find an optimal solution using Solver Activate Solver Set up Solver to find a solution Create a Solver answer report Save and load Solver models Project overviewProfessor Karen Reynolds teaches calculus at High Desert University in Tempe, Arizona. The class has 220 students who are distributed among dozens of sections and discussion groups. Professor Reynolds wants to use Excel to determine the appropriate cutoff points for her grading curve. Generally, she wants to set the cutoff points so that the following distribution of grades is observed in the student body: F 5% D 10% C 35% B 35% A 15% Professor Reynolds has five possible grading curves. For example, in Grading Curve 1, she will assign As to test scores from 80 to 100.She wants you to evaluate each grading curve scenario and determine which one results in a distribution of grades closest to her proposed distribution. After you choose which of the five scenarios fits the data the best, she wants you to use Solver to determine whether there is a grading curve that is even closer to the desired distribution of grades. STUDENT start FILE NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_1. xlsx (Note: Download your personalized start file from www. cengage. com/sam2010) Instructions Open the file NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_1. lsx and save the file as NP_Excel2010_T10_CP1a_FirstLastName_2. xlsx before you move to the next step. Verify that your name appears in cell B4 of the Documentation sheet. (Note: Do not edit the Documentation sheet. If your name does not appear in cell B4, please download a new copy of the start file from the SAM Web site. ) 2. The Test Score worksheet contains a table of individual student scores and a table for the grading curve. In the Test Score worksheet, the range F4:G8 will contain the lower and upper ranges for each letter grade.Add the missing upper range values in the range G4:G7 by inserting formulas in each of those cells that calculates the upper range for each letter grade as being one point lower than the lower range of the next letter grade. Any changes to the numeric values in F5:F8 should result in changes to the calculated values in G4:G7. 3. In cell D4, enter the VLOOKUP function to return the letter grade for the first student in the list. The lookup value is the studentâ⠂¬â„¢s final score, the table array is the cell range $F$4:$H$8, the column index number is 3, and the lookup should find the closest match in the first column of the lookup table.Copy the formula in cell D4 into the range D5:D223 to calculate the grades for the rest of the students’ scores. 4. In cell I4, use the COUNTIF function to count the total number of letter grades in the range $D$4:$D$223 equal to the value in cell H4 (e. g. â€Å"F†). Copy your formula into the range I5:I8 to count the total number of the other letter grades assigned under the current grading scale. In cell I9, calculate the total number of all letter grades, verifying that the total equals 220. 5. In the range J4:J8, calculate the percent of each letter grade assigned to the student body.In cell J9, calculate the total percentage of all letter grades, verifying that the total percentage equals 100 percent. 6. In the range L4:L8, use the ABS function to calculate the absolute value of the dif ference between the observed percentage of each letter grade and Professor Reynolds’ optimal percentage. In cell L9, calculate the total value of these absolute differences. 7. Assign the following range names: a) LowF, LowD, LowC, LowB, and LowA for the values in the range F4:F8. b) HighF through HighA for the values in the range G4:G8. c) PercentF through PercentA for the values in the range J4:J8. ) DifferenceFromCurve to the value in cell L9. 8. Enter the values of the five grading curve scenarios named Grading Curve 1 through Grading Curve 5 shown in the chart below into your scenarios. Use the range F4:F8 as your changing cells. Scenario Name Low F Low D Low C Low B Low A Grading Curve 1 0 20 40 60 80 Grading Curve 2 0 30 50 70 90 Grading Curve 3 0 50 65 80 95 Grading Curve 4 0 40 60 75 85 Grading Curve 5 0 60 70 80 90 9. Create a scenario summary report evaluating the results from each of the five scenarios, displaying the values from the range J4:J8,L9 as your result cells. Note: The closeness of each grading curve to Professor Reynolds’ optimal grading curve is expressed in the value of cell L9. If there is perfect correspondence, the value of cell L9 would be zero. ) 10. Create a Solver model to minimize the value in cell L9 by changing the values in the range F5:F8, subject to the constraint that all of the values in the range F5:F8 must be integers. Save the Solver model, selecting cell L13 as the top cell holding the solver model data. Save your changes, close the workbook and exit Excel. Follow the directions on the SAM Web site to submit your completed project.

Review Idealism and Realism in International Relations.

Question: – Review idealism and realism in international relations. Introduction When studying international relations as an academic discipline studying about Idealism and realism is a major concern. These two approaches are used widely when it comes to decision making procedures. In idealism the decisions are made using ideas. Institutions such as League of Nations, United Nations as well as Local organizations like Organization of African Unity are developed according to the idealist tradition. This was introduced as a educational thought in 400 BC by Plato.He thought that the humans could be improved from within by correcting their thoughts and discovering knowledge already lies within since birth. The more perfect our ideas are the better we can serve the world. In realism world politics are driven my competitive self- interest. This further details that all states operate under as the greatest factor in causing nations to diverge from morally guided behaviour. Until Worl d War II the actual theory of realism did not came about. Realism theory has been introduced from historical writers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Thucydides and Sun Tzu.But Hans J. Morgenthau and E. H. Carr are considered most instrumental in establishing the tenets of classical realism theory in modern age. This theory differs from all considerations of legality and moral guidance from state policy that holds that all states are capable of violating laws if there is any necessity to advance their interests and power. These two different theories created a significant change in International Relations all over the world. Most political, economical decisions are taken by using Idealism and realism as reference to analyze and understand the facts.Idealism Idealism is a term applied to any idea, goal or practice considered to be impractical. As examples entrusting international security to the UN, creating an African union on the model of European Union, global eradication of poverty a nd injustice, etc. can be pointed out. Idealists usually rest on a pessimistic perspective towards human nature along with an historical judgment to achieve a change in world affairs. Idealists emphasize the power of reason. They strongly believe in the effectiveness of ideas. Through this they see the possibility of establishing a political system rimarily on morality. This will lead the humans to remove their selfish ideas and helps to build a nation that forms peace, prosperity, cooperation and justice. When a person looks at war in an idealist view, it can no longer be considered by anyone as a suitable way to achieve goals. It is because it affects both parties severely. Former President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson is considered to be one of the key founders of Idealism. He presented the â€Å"Fourteen points† proposal that was contained on his speech to a joint session of congress on 1918.The address was intended to assure the world that the Great War (World War I) was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar peace in Europe. One of the most well known outcomes of Idealism is the democratic Peace Theory. This states that similar modes of democratic governments do not clash each other. As an impact of Idealism on International Relations Organizations like League of Nations. This was resulted in the covenant of the League of Nations with 42 original members. But this was ineffective because it had no power to enforce its decisions and issues in security.Due to these reasons the league was dismantled in the year 1940 but it had served as a model for the United Nations. Following the failure of League of Nations and the outbreak of the Second World War, descendent theories like Liberalism and Neo-conservatism were created. Through Liberalism organizations like United Nations, NATO, International regimes like Bretton Woods System were built. Neo-conservatism was drawn from Liberalism and focused more on universal values such as Human rights, democracy, free trade, minority protections etc. nlike other theories Neo-conservatism is willing to use force if necessary to push for its goals. Realism This is a theory that world politics is driven by competitive self- interest. It implies that realists see that humankind is self-centered and competitive. Also they believe that the principal actors in the international system are sovereign states. The basic assumption of Realism is that man is wicked, aggressive and bad and also state struggles for power. This implies that realism possesses a pessimistic, negative and a suspicious behavior.This was originated after the Second World War. But its primary assumptions were noted in its earlier writings. People like Thucydides, Sun Tzu, and Otto Van Bismarck can be pointed out as examples. It began as a wide field of research after the war. People like Hans J. Morgenthau, Carl von Clausewitz are considered as the modern thinkers of the classical realism. This theory ha s been associated with thinkers like Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbes. Hans J Morgenthau described about six principles of Political Realism. 1.Political realism believes that politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature. 2. The main signpost of political realism is the concept of interest defined in terms of power, which infuses rational order into the subject matter of politics, and thus makes the theoretical understanding of politics possible. Political realism avoids concerns with the motives and ideology of statesmen. Political realism avoids reinterpreting reality to fit the policy. A good foreign policy minimizes risks and maximizes benefits. 3.Realism recognizes that the determining kind of interest varies depending on the political and cultural context in which foreign policy is made. It does not give â€Å"interest defined as power† a meaning that is fixed once and for all. 4. Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. It is also aware of the tension between the moral command and the requirements of successful political action. Realism maintains that universal moral principles must be filtered through the concrete circumstances of time and place, because they cannot be applied to the actions of states in their abstract universal formulation. . Political realism refuses to identify the moral aspirations of a particular nation with the moral laws that govern the universe. 6. The political realist maintains the autonomy of the political sphere; he asks â€Å"How does this policy affect the power and interests of the nation? † Political realism is based on a pluralistic conception of human nature. The political realist must show where the nation's interests differ from the moralistic and legalistic viewpoints.

Apartheid essays

Apartheid essays After researching apartheid I found many points relating to the matter. First of all, let me give a proper definition for apartheid. It is a policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa. It is an Afrikaans word meaning separateness. One main point that I received from my research was that the Afrikaner Nationalists believed that although South Africa was an undivided state, its people did not make up a complete state. This is an important point because it showed the basic philosophy of apartheid. There were thirteen different nations in South Africa. These included the Whites, Coloureds, Indians, and ten black African groups. They had done this because it was their observation that whenever people of different races, religions, or cultures came in contact with one another, friction would occur. So the solution they had to this problem was to create a society in which contact between races was avoided as much as possible. Without race contact there would be no race friction, therefore separation was the key to peace for all South Africans. So laws were created to make sure that members from different social groups did not socialize together, marry, sleep together, or share any public facilities. In my opinion, this twisted system could never work. It is one thing to separate different groups from one another to avoid problems, but it is another to use this method to purposely hold other groups down while elevating your own. This is exactly what the whites had done in South Africa. They refused to let any of the other groups receive any social, economic, or political power under the system of apartheid. They did this by any means necessary, especially force. I think that their main reason for implementing these rules under apartheid was because of their fears. The Afrikaners, who were the white Dutch settlers, were always ...

Skin Deep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Skin Deep - Essay Example A recent newspaper article in the New York Times by Natasha Singer, dated October 4, 2007, titled "SKIN DEEP; Is the 'Mom Job' Really Necessary" reveals an interesting trend in this regard. This essay shall analyze the mentioned article and study its relevance, and the way in which the article corresponds to the ideas and issues discussed by Emma Goldman in "Love and Marriage" and "Woman Suffrage." The essay shall argue that, while the article is well presented in terms of the main argument, the limitation of the article is that the empirical evidences cited by Singer do not present the dangers of the surgical treatment adequately. The article is indeed very relevant to the thoughts expressed by Goldman. Natasha Singer reports about the cosmetic changes that are brought about in a women's body by means of plastic surgery. She discusses the work of Dr. Stoker in California, who promises a "surgical cure for the ravages of motherhood" called "Mommy makeover." Singer sets the reader thinking with her title "Skin Deep; Is the Mom Job Really Necessary" Providing adequate information about what the surgery actually does on the women who go in for the treatment, and why women agree to take the treatment in the words of Dr. Stoker, Singer then begins her attack on such extreme steps taken by women, despite the involved risks of high cost and danger to life. The main argument of Singer as can be understood in two parts: a) women who had altered bodies after childbirth, lost their self-esteem regarding their attractiveness and femininity because of the changed definition of beauty in modern times, with media pressure exacerbating the problem. b) They resorted to the readily available technology to modify their bodies in order to fulfill their cosmetic aspirations even at the risk of hefty expenditure, and danger to life. Singer supports first part of her argument well, and the cost factor in the second part. She states that "narrowing beauty norms are recasting the transformations of motherhood as stigma" and examines the role of the media in accentuating the situation: "...unforgiving standards are the offspring of pop culture and technologyGossip magazines excoriate celebrity moms who don't immediately lose their ''baby weight'' a luxury parenting magazinedescribed post-pregnancy breasts as ''the ultimate indignity'' and promoted implant surgery;" (Singer 1) Citing Diana Zuckerman, the president of the National Research Center for Women and Families, Singer further supports her argument of pressurized mothers, stating that the "the post-pregnancy body" was transformed ''into a socially unacceptable thing," (Singer 1) to suit the marketing goals of plastic surgeons, who could profit from the operations. She provides statistics from the Society of Plastic Surgeons, to point to the increasing numbers - "325,000 ''mommy makeover procedures'' on women ages 20 to 39, up 11 percent from 2005" (Singer 2). Singer cites Dr. Stoker and Dr. Huffaker to give the reader of the cost -ranging from $10,000-30,000. However, the empirical evidences of the women operated, like "Katie Helein" and "Ms. Sharlotte Birkland" (Singer 3) presents only the positive side of the

Geologic Hazard Risk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geologic Hazard Risk - Research Paper Example The most notable area that is likely to suffer from landslide is on the east side of the slough along lake Washington, Boulevard. Most Geological Investigations to date have focused almost extensively on this area (Elliot et al., 53). Different investigations and aerial photographs document extensive pavement damage in these areas; these evidences can only suggest that Washington is likely to suffer Landslides in the future. Aerial Photographs from 1936 to 2004 indicates significant dredging along the lake Washington shoreline and within the Mercer Slough channel proving the possibility of landslides in the future. The past evidences of landslides in Sherwood Boulevard also provide concrete evidence of potential landslides in the future. For instance, in January 2009, Washington state residents discovered a landslide completely blocking South West Sherwood Boulevard in Washington Park. This landslide was approximately forty cubic yards in length and approximately two feet deep. Actually, the landslide not only covered Sherwood road completely, but also blocked normal rain drainage in the area. Besides landslide, other types of geological hazards that can affect Washington are earthquakes (Lynn, 201). Recently, a small earthquake was reported in Southwest Washington in Wednesday. Though there were not immediate reports of injuries and damages, this earthquake proved that if no action is taken soon, then Southwest Washington might suffer another earthquake in future. According to a geological investigation initiated by the Washington State Department of Transport, there are several potential causes of landslides and earthquakes in Washington (Washington Department of Transportation news release and news report, 133). Different areas such as mercer flow have been subjected to intensive studies and various potential factors for earthquake occurrence have been identified. This investigation found out that the major