Parallel Motivations in the Iliad and the Odyssey Essay

The Iliad and the Odyssey were poems written by Homer about events in Greek mythology. The Iliad detailed the final year of the Trojan war, which pitted the Greeks against the Trojans, and this poetic story described the outcome of the war. Homer’s Odyssey describes the adventures of Odysseus (Ulysses, as he was known in Roman mythology) as he tries to return home, to Ithaca, following the Trojan War. But there is one them that is present in both of these poems, and that is that when everyone is longing for home, disaster and further complications always arise. In the Iliad, the Greeks are trying to wrap up the war quickly, because many of the men miss their homes, but the bloody battle is claiming lives form both sides, and in the Odyssey, Odysseus only wants to return home, to his wife and son, but he is delayed by a series of events and catastrophes that for some time, only leads him further and further from home. The Iliad details the final year of the Trojan War, which was waged by the Greeks on the Trojans over Helen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus, who was the brother of the Greek commander, Agamemnon. Paris of Troy was told he could be granted one wish by Aphrodite, the love and beauty goddess, and he decided that he wanted Helen, who he though was the most beautiful woman in the world. The Trojans were able to get Helen, and hold her in Troy, and the Greeks attacked Troy over Helen, according to the myth. But in the final year of the War, it had been drawn out, and many Greek combatants only wanted to return home. At the beginning of the Iliad, Achilles, a Greek warrior who was extra fearsome (due to his nearly-immortal status- as the only place on his body that could be harmed was the back of his heel), was not participating in the battle, because Agamemnon had agreed to return a war prize of Achilles, who was a young girl, to Sparta, and Achilles was upset. So with Achilles out, Paris of Troy’s older brother Hector, the Trojan Prince, was the greatest warrior in the war, and he did some serious damage to the Greek forces. Achilles’ friend Patroclus goes into battle, disguised as Achilles, and Hector kills him, thinking he has killed Achilles. Achilles is angered by the slaying of his friend, and kills Hector in combat, and drags his body around the besieged city of Troy for days, but King Priam, the King of Troy, comes out to the Greek camp and negotiates with Achilles for the body, so that he could give his son proper burial. Achilles lets him have the body, and the Iliad ends with Hector’s funeral. The Odyssey is Homer’s work that details the plight of Odysseus as he tries to return home after the Trojan War. After the Iliad, Achilles was slain by Paris, who was able to strike him in the heel with a single arrow, which killed him, but the Greeks were victorious due to the wisdom and cunning of Odysseus. He came up with the plan for the Trojan horse, which was a war prize that the Greeks built for the Trojans, as they pretended defeat, but when the Trojans brought it into the city, some Greeks jumped out, and opened the gates to their comrades, and the Greeks overwhelmed the Trojans from inside the city’s walls. After the war, Odysseus and his men set off on their twelve vessels, headed for Ithaca, but disaster did not wait long to strike. The actual poem begins in the middle of the storyline of the Odyssey, which is at the point where Odysseus has been held captive by the nymph Calypso for seven years, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is preparing Telemachus, Odysseus’ young son, for a voyage that will act as a search for his father. At the same time, Odysseus’ wife, Penelope is fending off suitors, who wish to marry her, and take over as king of Ithaca, and Odysseus’ replacement, but she is able to delay them. At that time, Odysseus is very worn out, and wishes to return home to see his wife and son, because he has been away for decades, fighting in the Trojan War, and then encountering disasters, and spending time as Calypso’s unwilling companion on her island. But Zeus sends Hermes, the messenger god to tell Calypso that she must let Odysseus go free to his family, and she gives him food, and he builds a raft to set off. And here is another recurring theme of the story, which is of hope, as throughout the Iliad and Odyssey there are times when everything seems like it is going to be alright, but them further disasters and complications occur. But Poseidon, father of a Cyclops that he had killed, named Polyphemus, wrecks his raft, and Odysseus swims ashore to another island. Odysseus reveals his story to Demodocus, the ruler of the land where he washed ashore, after the story of the end of the Trojan War was told to him. This is where Odysseus explains what had happened to him from the end of the war until the end of his stay on Calypso’s island. It was an act of betrayal by Odysseus’ crew that most delayed his return to Ithaca following the Trojan War. He had gone to the island of Aeolus, the master of the winds, who had given him a bag of winds, which he was told to use wisely, to aid in his return home. Odysseus told his crew never to touch the bag, but thinking that it contained gold, they opened it when Odysseus slept, and the winds blew the ships back away from Ithaca as it was coming into sight, to near where their voyage had began. After that, Odysseus and his men encountered malevolent nymphs and cannibals, all of whom further delayed Odysseus as he tried to return home. He stayed with one nymph, Circe, for a year, where he and his crew feasted and drank, but then they set off again for Ithaca, and Circe helped them get started. There were countless times in the Odyssey when it seemed like everything was going alright, and that the men would be to Ithaca in just a few days if everything went on course, but it never did. Some disaster always arose that made it harder for the men to return home. After leaving Circe, Odysseus had been told that he had to visit a dead poet in the underworld for instructions to get back to Ithaca. When he went to the underworld for advice, he saw his mother there, and Agamemnon’s spirit, along with those of other Greek companions who had been slain during or after the war. When he left the underworld, Odysseus sailed back to Circe’s island again. Before left again, the Circe warned him about some of the dangers that he would still have to go through on his return, and she instructed him on how to safely survive them and continue to Ithaca. The first danger that he was to face were the Sirens, which were evil sea nymphs who lured sailors to their deaths with beautiful singing, and made the sailors jump overboard when they heard the voices of the nymphs. Odysseus ordered his men to plug their ears with wax to make it so that they would not hear the Sirens’ singing, which would lead to their deaths. But he wanted to hear their songs himself, so he had his men tie him to the ship’s mast so that he could not be led away, and he cut himself trying to break free of his restraints. Odysseus and his men then passed through the narrow cavern between Scylla, a monster with many heads, and Charybdis, a dangerous whirlpool, and they landed on the land of Thrinacia. But his men there, ignoring the warnings of Circe, killed some of the sacred cattle that belonged to the god Helios, and after they set off, he caused the ships to run aground, killing everyone but Odysseus, who washed up on Calypso’s island, taking the reader back to the point that the beginning of the story began at. This detailed all of the problems that Odysseus had encountered so far in his quest to return home, after a seemingly never-ending war. People in the Iliad were of the same mind state, which was that they could never return home, as the war was always full of complications and divine interventions that prolonged the Trojan War, and Odysseus found that his journey back after the war had many of the same characteristics. This is the biggest similarity between the two poems: as people are exhausted, and longing for home, complications always delay there return, and make life for the Greeks (and for Odysseus, in the Odyssey) more miserable. The Phaeacians, of whom Demodocus, who he was telling his story to, was the king, decided to help Odysseus, and being skilled navigators, they sailed him to a hidden harbor at Ithaca, and Odysseus then stayed at the hut of one of his former slaves, who was a swineherd. There, with the help of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who had always admired and tried to help Odysseus, he planned his entrance into Ithaca, and how he would reveal himself to his wife and son, and how he would defeat the suitors of Penelope. But as Odysseus is preparing for his fight with the suitors, who would certainly try to kill him, he maintains that he is not himself at all, and with the help of Athena, he disguises himself as an elderly beggar, and tells the herders he is staying with a fictitious tale about he came from Crete. At that time, Athena helps Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, return home from Sparta, where he had gone to ask about his father’s whereabouts, and after returning to Ithaca, he meets Odysseus, who reveals his identity, but maintains his disguise, and tells no one else of his true identity. This represents another theme that is present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, which is that patience and wisdom are more valiant than strength and brute force, and when it comes down to it, wisdom usually prevails. As after nearly a decade of fighting, the Trojan War was still going strong, it took an act of guile and wisdom and patience, on the part of Odysseus to secure a Greek victory. And here, as Odysseus decided to maintain his new identity until every threat had been neutralized, he was again exhibiting the same kind of patience and wisdom that he had used to win the Trojan War for the Greeks. Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus returns to his old house that he had not seen in over two decades, and sees that it is overrun by rowdy, disrespectful suitors, who aim to marry his wife so that they can take over as King of Ithaca. But Odysseus has other plans, and calculates the strategies that he will use to defeat the suitors as Eumaeus, the swineherd, and former slave of Odysseus escorts him through the house. He meets his wife Penelope, and is able to maintain his disguise, but a house keeper, who washes the beggar Odysseus’ feet notices a scar that Odysseus had received from a boar hunt many years before he left to fight in the Trojan War, but he convinces the house keeper to remain silent. The next day, Penelope has the suitors come into a room to compete for her in an archery competition that uses the bow of Odysseus. None of the suitors are strong enough to string the bow, so Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, steps forward, and as the suitors are laughing at him, he strings it. Then he, his son, and some of his former slaves turn on the suitors, and kill them all. After that, some of the supporters of the slain suitors decide that Odysseus has caused the deaths of too many men from Ithaca, blaming him for the deaths of the men he went to war with, and who were shipwrecked do to their own disobedience, in addition to the deaths of the suitors. But Athena convinces everyone to accept Odysseus again as the King of Ithaca, and the Odyssey is finished. There are many parallel themes that are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, but perhaps the most notable theme is the longing for home, which can only be satisfied by wisdom. During the Trojan War, Greek forces find themselves exhausted, and longing for home, but complications are only prolonging the war. Whenever they have a major accomplishment, catastrophe results in the story of the war. After Achilles was able to defeat Hector, Paris defeats Achilles. And in the end, it was the wisdom and patience of Odysseus that one the war for the Greeks. And in the Odyssey, things go much the same way. As Odysseus and his men are trying to return from Troy, and head back to Ithaca, whenever they have a significant gain, a setback seems to follow. When Odysseus got the back of winds that would allow him to control the winds and safely, and quickly navigate the vessels back to Ithaca, his disobedient men cause a problem, sending the ships back the way that they had come from. But in the end, it was Odysseus alone who returned, as he was able to ignore temptations, and find his way home to Ithaca, and to his family. And in the very end of Homer’s story, Odysseus used his wisdom to defeat his final enemies, as he was able to maintain his false identity until every threat had been nullified. This is how the Trojan War was won by Odysseus and the Greeks, and how he was able to finally find his way back to his family. Works Cited Homer. The Iliad. trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990. Finley, M. I. The World of Odysseus. New York: Signet, 1974. Myrsiades, Kostas, ed. Approaches to Teaching Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. New York: MLA, 1987.

Racial Profiling Essay

Racial profiling is a big issue. Many people have been victimized because of cops and other high authorities’ senseless attitudes on how to handle the law. What people have to realize is that racial profiling does happen to innocent people who are mostly targeted or pursued because of their race or sometimes even because of their religion. These things can also cause citizens to become very angry and unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement. Racial profiling has been the cause of many outbreaks of riots. There has even been many riots because of innocent people being racial profiled against; causing citizens to become antagonistic, bitter, and hateful towards the law. This can be a problem because they even target good police. The cause of racial profiling can start not only hostile attitudes, but a shift in the views of how police treat citizens. Racial profiling is a method that police and other law enforcement agents use to catch someone who has committed a crime or is about to commit one. It is a controversial method. In fact, even the meaning of racial profiling is controversial† (Kops, Pg. 9). Racial profiling is a very controversial topic, because this topic makes people uneasy to talk about. It’s especially hard for victims who have been racial profiled against because of the memory of their terrible experience. â€Å"In 1942, over 120,000 American were stripped of their business and their homes and incarcerated for the duration of World War II. They had committed no offense. They were convicted of no crime. They were suspected, subjected to curfews, arrested, had their property confiscated, and finally imprisoned because of the color of their skin and their national origin or the national origin of their parents† (Meeks, Pg. ). Situations like this can cause a shift in the government where they have constant issues on how to approach citizens because of the fear of being accused of discriminating against people. This sometimes has citizens wondering is it okay for police to check you if they â€Å"think† you are committing a crime? Well there have been mixed answers when the law is confronted with this question. Also this can cause tension between cops and the law enforcement because of all the animosity and stress of being constantly accused of racial profiling. There have been retired cops who have written books talking about their experience as a cop. Some give details that outsiders wouldn’t know about the cop’s secret jobs. Is it possible that good police are afraid? This could be the reason why; they could also be afraid that if they tell too much they could possibly lose their job. But just as there are good cops, there are also bad cops. Like the ones who harass people for no reason; simply because of the physical features. â€Å"An officer’s daily duties require them to violate the rights of others, without question, on a repeated basis (see video – 2min in). Police routinely fine or jail, at taxpayer expense, people whose crimes lack an actual victim. Whether it is for driving without a license, disorderly conduct or illegal drugs, police are the ones enforcing such laws. More surprisingly is it seems they do so only because they are told to, and believe such violations are acceptable to keep others safe (this doesn’t even include officers who blatantly and knowingly abuse their power)† (Freeman). Is it a thing of giving law enforcement too much power? Many people have many complaints that the law has access to how they suspect if the person is in the wrong. This is a prime example of why there can be a separation between cops. However, often many good cops are targeted for a crooked cop’s bad deed. With this happening it scares away potential cops; who are afraid of this horrible thing happening to them, which has citizens and other authorities on edge. The lack of law enforcement would be a huge problem; without the law the crime rate could possibly reach an ultimate high. Law enforcement is supposed to be put in place as a security, and protection for citizens. But how can you trust them when they also commit crimes. It makes it even harder for citizens to report a crime because they are afraid of what might happen to them. Bad cops are considering somewhat professionals at pulling big schemes. They can pull off these schemes because of the connections they have with even high authorities. Some schemes could be tied to drug trafficking and many other things. But are once they are accused of such heinous crime, why are these issues sometimes forgotten about? It’s like the process of prosecuting these police are constantly kept quiet. Well it’s about time that it’s brought public. â€Å"Negative stereotypical biases of African-American males overshadow any appearances that they are law-abiding citizens. Indeed, in the eyes of many law enforcement officers, an African-American male driving a Mercedes-Benz projects the presumption of illegal activity, not the presumption of a hard working citizen† (Weatherspoon). Keeping these things private can cause more attention to what are they really doing. But no one is taking a stand and asking questions; simply because of fear of becoming a target of the police. â€Å"The term driving while black has been used to describe the practice of law enforcement officials to stop African-American drivers without probable cause. The practice particularly targets African-American males. African-American males are not only singled out while driving, but also while schooling, eating, running for political office, walking, banking, serving as a juror, getting a taxi, shopping, and just being black and a male. The mere fact of being black and male in America is sufficient cause for governmental and private law enforcement officials to abridge the rights of African-American males. This is not to suggest that law enforcement officers can never consider race when performing their job† (Weatherspoon). African American males are not the only people who are targeted. For example, during the Holocaust Jews were killed, beaten, starved, and a lot of other horrific things all because of their religion and race. â€Å"The European Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s, which cost millions of Jews (and other ethnic groups) their lives, led many Jews and non- Jews alike throughout the world to believe that a Jewish homeland was necessary. During and after World War II, many Jewish refugees found themselves without a nation and with nowhere to go† (Jones, Johnstone, Pg. 358). Racial profiling seems to never have an end. Many cases you hear about how racial profiling still exists ‘til this very day. The question that everyone should be asking is, â€Å"why should a person race, religion, or beliefs determine how they are judged? â€Å"Racial profiling is an abusive practice that targets innocent citizens solely because of the way that they look. It is not an effective law enforcement strategy. Research shows that racial profiling diverts officers’ attention from using actual, objective signs of suspicious behavior to effectively assess situations. Racial profiling erodes trust between law enforcement and its community. As a result, people are less likely to report a crime or work with the police to give information that could apprehend an actual criminal† (Elliot). This statement is true; racial profiling really is not a strategic method. Since this method has been put in place it has done nothing but cause an upset to the community. Communities have had negative feelings towards racial profiling. So why is this still a method? No one seems to ask this important question that could change the law enforcement system. Changing the system could make a better relationship between citizens and law enforcement. Because more citizens may be willing to open up more to the law, without feeling like they can’t trust police. Before this solution could be an option the law enforcement should make an extra effort with making sure that the community knows that they can trust they are truly secured. â€Å"While there have been attempts to end racial profiling in Congress, no bill has successfully been passed. Communities across the country have been subjected to this useless, degrading tactic for too long. Now is the time for Congress to reintroduce and pass comprehensive legislature to end racial profiling† (Elliot). Congress has yet to make any decisions about eliminating racial profiling. But that doesn’t mean that change won’t happen. Racial profiling as stated in within this research paper is a very controversial topic, but it also a sad topic. The way a person can be mistreated just because of the color of their skin. When reading the facts about racial profiling it is saddening to know that a person can be humiliated and tortured over nothing. Victims of racial profiling are caught off guard, because they have no clue of why they have become a target. Some people are targeted because of their religion; for example a Muslim lady could become a target of racial profiling because of her head wrapped. Muslims have became targets ever since the 9/11 incident. â€Å"Since September 11, 2001, members of Arab, Muslim, and South Asian communities have increasingly been searched, interrogated and detained in the name of â€Å"national security†, often times labeled â€Å"terrorism suspects† when in reality many were only charged with misdemeanors or minor immigration violations, if they were charged at all† (Racial Profiling: Face the Truth Campaign). African-American males are also targeted, because of how they present themselves. This can make some African- American males uneasy to go out in public, because of the fear of being watched and seen for the clothes they wear. â€Å"As a result, community members become less likely to assist with criminal investigations or seek protection from police when they themselves are victimized, which makes everyone less safe† (Racial Profiling: Face the Truth Campaign). Communities are now starting to stick together, by not helping the police. Some feel that they should not help the police when the police attack innocent people.

Eth 316 Individual Assignment Week 1 Essay

Utilitarianism is a theory that suggests that an action is morally right when that action produces more total utility for the group than any other alternative.aka The greatest good for the greatest number pg 153 Deontology is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations—such as the consequences of the action. Because of this nonconsequentialist bent, deontology is often contrasted with utilitarianism that defines the right action in term of its ability to bring about the greatest aggregate utility. In contradistinction to utilitarianism, deontology will recommend an action based upon principle.â€Å"Principle† is justified through an understanding of the structure of action, the nature of reason, and the operation of the will.The result is a moral command to act that does not justify itself by calculating consequences. Virtue ethics is also sometimes called agent-based or character ethics. It takes the viewpoint that in living your life you should try to cultivate excellence in all that you do and all that others do.These excellences or virtues are both moral and nonmoral. Through conscious training, for example, an athlete can achieve excellence in a sport (nonmoral example). In the same way a person can achieve moral excellence, as well. The way these habits are developed and the sort of community that nurtures them are all under the umbrella of virtue ethics.

Technological Determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technological Determinism - Essay Example d since that society plans itself to endorse and further develop technology right after it has been introduced (Thurlow, Crispin, Lengel, Laura, Tomic 44). This paper will discuss how might technological determinism can be applied to the way that the news media, advertisers and individuals talk about the emergence of certain new communication technologies and also how technology determinism shapes how people use these technologies. This paper will generally address new technologies such as the Internet, social media services, IPTV (Internet protocol television, like Apple TV), video games, cell phones or other specific examples of your choosing. Journalists are normally overly occupied. In the field, when, at times, there is gunfire plus ever-present danger/risk, a journalist or reporter has a lot on his or her hands (Thurlow et al. 44). Not only are there demands for survival, but also there are worries concerning how the equipment will work, will internet be there and how will the report go about attempting to comprehend something maybe in a language that they do not comprehend, for instance, English journalists/reporters reporting an Arabic clash with the U.S. military (Thurlow 23). However, the social media has made this all easy. A journalist can take pictures for a far or even use already-uploaded picture of, for example, a war situation so that the public can know the matter at hand (Thurlow et al. 44). The social media has made this more effective using mobile technology wherein media houses can circulate images and anyone using a mobile can view them anywhere even without a television. Technological determinism can also be applied by advertisers and individuals to talk about the emergence of new communication technologies but advertising their products or even job vacancies to jobseekers (Thurlow 23). Today, more people use Facebook and Twitter more than they read newspapers. The normal portal, in the past, for advertising products has been through TV,

External Financing Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

External Financing Essay - Assignment Example Several factors such as weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and agency costs should be considered in choosing an external funding source. The weighted average cost of capital is the minimum rate that a company is supposed to earn from the existing asset base in order to satisfy the owners, creditors and other capital providers. Agency costs restrict the leverage of a firm. Taking financial risks leads to higher leverage. This also increases the agency cost of debt and leads to lower debt capacity. Leverage helps to reduce the loss in terms of firm value. Therefore debt becomes advantageous especially in firms that have few opportunities of growth or high percentage of assets in place (Trigeorgis, 1995).This report explores the advantages and disadvantages of some of the major external financing options that Acme can employ. Equity The company can raise funds through issuing shares. They can either be common or preferred shares. Owners of common stock are partial owners of the com pany. They have the right to share company profits or dividends and vote at the company’s general meetings. Dividends paid to shareholders vary depending on the profits that the company is making. They also have preemptive rights to maintain the ownership of the company when gives another stock offering. However, common stock shareholders are the last to receive dividends after all the preferred stock shareholders. Owners of preferred stock also own the company partially but do not have any voting rights. Preferred stock pays fixed dividends. Preferred stock shareholders are the first to receive dividends and incase the company goes bankrupt, they will be paid before the common stock shareholders. Stock shares are advantageous because they are a permanent source of funding for the company and share capital cannot be redeemed. The disadvantage of this external financing method is that the ownership of the company is shared with the shareholders and they might make decisions th at might negatively affect the progress of the company (Davidson, 2002). Hire purchase Acme can also get external funding through hire purchase. The organization can acquire assets without investing the full amount in buying them. This agreement allows the company to use an asset for a certain period of time before it can fully purchase them. The firm is able to acquire an asset quickly without paying the full price and after the specified period of time, the company can either return it or purchase it a reduced price. This method is advantageous since the company can pay for the equipment through manageable installments from funds generated by the equipment. The disadvantage is that the total amount of installments exceeds the original cost of the equipment (Giovanelli, 1998). Bonds The company can also get external funding through issuing of bonds. The company offers loans in the form of debt securities. This method does not require companies to give up partial ownership of the co mpany. Bonds have either fixed interest rates or floating rates. More leveraged companies obtain more funding through bonds relative to stocks. This external funding method has several advantages. Issuing bonds is a cheaper method than bank overdrafts or equities since the interest from the debt is tax-deductable while equity dividends are paid out of taxed company’s profits. This strategy also helps companies to monitor their financial stability.

Gestures and Facial Expressions Experiment Essay

Gestures and Facial Expressions Experiment - Essay Example This paper will study the basis of gestures and facial expressions. Since these gestures and facial expressions have so much to do with a person’s individuality, I wanted to know how it could affect me in different ways. The same happened when I stopped making use of these gestures and facial expressions for a week. I realized that my best friend was unable to understand the change in my attitude. Even though he was listening to what I said but he asked for my confirmation on quite a few issues time and time again. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with me or that if a circumstance has altered my perspectives a little bit. I was not anywhere close to telling him the exact reason. The gestures and facial expressions had become strangers for me for an entire week, and I started to see life from a completely different tangent. It brought about a positive as well as a negative impact on my personality. The point of optimism was that I was willing to forego serious aspects which could trigger positive or negative emotions within me. T hus I was aloof of the world around me. The negativities that came about included the fact that my words were not being taken seriously by the people around me because these gestures and facial expressions were not in line with what I was saying. I believe that the impact of gestures and facial expressions is such that it can make or break a conversation and the same must have happened to me a lot of times but it only came about as a revelation to me during the last few days that I remained quiet and stopped making use of the gestures and facial expressions. It was indeed a very different experience for me to start living my life without getting happy or sad. Most important aspect was that I had to show a straight face at all times. I tried my best to be like this for the entire week and my perseverance paid rich dividends as I kept a low profile during this

ELO reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

ELO reflection - Essay Example The heightening of the adrenaline that comes with the speeding of the motorized vehicles is the best feeling. I have therefore developed interests in Play Station games that imitate the sport like ‘Need for Speed’. The excitement has also made me have an ever growing passion on movies such as ‘The Transporter’, ‘Need for Speed’ and ‘Fast and Furious’ (Crossroads Dragway, 2014). I have an interest in both the racing and non racing Motorsport activities. I am more propelled by the speeding effects that come with Motorsport thus making me to enjoy both kinds. I have an interest in automatic car racing, motorcycle racing and motor rallying when it comes to racing type of Motorsport. The non- racing Motorsports events that interest me include drifting, motorcycle trails, tractor pulling, freestyle Motorcross, and regulatory rallies. I have spent several moments in the past years just to get a glimpse of what is happening in these events. Even though I have passion with the Motorsports, I have never developed interest in knowing the participants. The case is different from that of movies since the elevating experience is also more captivating in the latter’s scenario (Crossroads Dragway, 2014). I have been captivated by the Motorsports, but the level differs when it comes to drag racing. The part of drag racing that interests me most is the fact that the competition is usually between two people at a time. In addition, most of the races are normally more competitive with the parties having a small gap as they go through the finish line. Due to the small difference that is experienced, the drag race employs the use of speed sensing systems and electric timing to record the results. The fact that the race course is normally on a straight short course of approximately a quarter mile in length elevates me more. It enables one to be able to see the whole competition

The Battle of the Somme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Battle of the Somme - Essay Example Public support was in jeopardy of waning while contemplating a war with no end. The Allied plan was to launch three major offensive campaigns in 1916 and the Battle of the Somme was chosen as the site of the Western Front war effort. In February 1916 the Germans initiated the offensive on Verdun. This major assault drained French forces that were intended to participate in the Somme offensive. With the French concentrating their efforts at Verdun, operational planning fell to the British under Haig. Haig took great care in planning a detailed attack with the aid of General Rawlinson of the Fourth Army who was to lead the attack. Originally planned to commence on August 1, 1916, the date was moved up to July 1 in an effort to pull the German army from Verdun and take pressure off the French forces. The Western Front of World War I is often characterized as a long running stalemate and a war of attrition with no clear turning point. It was highlighted by battles and engagements that often had no clear victor and offered little advancement for either side. The Battle of the Somme, designed to drain the German forces, was a success from that standpoint but was only realized at a very high cost. By the end of World War I, the allies had won the economic war.... Many battles on the Western Front added to the German defeat, but the Somme offered other and more intangible gains, such as redefined tactics and the tank. By 1916 more modern weapons, naval power, and air power had altered the face of warfare. These contributions to the war were countered with newer battlefield tactics on both sides. The British perfected trench warfare with a central command at Yrpes. The inability of the Germans to gain ground against the British necessitated a reassessment of battlefield tactics by the Germans. Meanwhile the German's had lost precious men and resources. The battle at Verdun in 1916 was yet another drain on German resources. The German plan was to "bleed white" the French army. Repeated attacks were launched against the heavily fortified Verdun with no follow up attacks. After five months of intense slaughter, the French loss was 460,000 and the Germans had lost 300,000. Though the French lost more men, the Germans lost many of their best troops and were not in a position to stand the loss. The reduction in German forces put them at a disadvantage at the Battle of the Somme. As the stalemate drug on through 1917 and 1918, the German homefront had been cut off by blockades and the population was hungry and tired of the war. German troops were underfed and ill equipped. The final allied assaults at Rheims and Argonne, the turning points toward victory in 1918, were against an overpowered and weary German army worn down by the war of attrition that began in Somme. The Germans had been economically defeated by the tactics and tanks developed at Somme. With the continuous wearing away at the enemy, its difficult to recognize a defining moment when the balance tipped, but the resolve and innovation

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS OF Essay

ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS OF TOYOTA - Essay Example 8 million cars were recalled globally which has put the firm in a financial crisis. Moreover, Liker and Hoseus (2007) add that sine the brand’s reliability is now in question especially in the US; it is bound to face many financial challenges even though it is financially more table than rivals Ford and General Motors. Morgan (2010) adds that rrecently Toyota’s shares have fallen 17% since January 2010 which means that the firm is losing its customers due to such episodes. However, being one of the largest in the world, the firm can handle such financial crisis, however, with the economy downturns, and the malfunctions in their models have aggravated the problem and have added to their financial difficulties. Kotelnikov (2010) adds that they plan to alleviate the losses with their innovativeness and attracting new customers with their attractive new models, however, the recall has damaged their reputation and they have the customer trust which in turn has affected their financial position. Their financial position has been affected in the US and Europe though its repercussions will be felt r global sales as the consumers lose their trust in the brand. As per Liker and Hoseus (2007) Toyota is working globally and thus has operations in various parts of the world that include for both manufacturing and assembling lines in Japan Canada, Indonesia, Canada, Poland, South Africa , Turkey, UK, US Brazil France, India, Pakistan, Malaysia etc . They are manufacturing and assembling their different brands across the markets as per the needs of the markets. However, Morgan (2010) explains that Toyota has been known for using it’s just in time inventory which has made their production process much more efficient. Due to strong relations with its supplier Kim and Smith (2001, pp. 211-222) add that Toyota has been able to keep

Harts version of legal positivism and Dworkins attack of Harts Essay

Harts version of legal positivism and Dworkins attack of Harts particular version - Essay Example Also associated with positivism is the discretion thesis, which describes the fact of judicial decision as such: when there are gaps left by legal rules (i.e., in the so-called â€Å"hard cases†), judges make new laws in the exercise of their discretion. This emphasis on the part played by judicial discretion when courts have to decide open questions of law runs through positivistic jurisprudence from John Austin to H. L. A. Hart. The positivist discretion thesis has, however, been challenged by theorists like Ronald Dworkin, Rolf Sartorius and others. This paper explores the arguments of both the positivist and non-positivist camps and discusses whether an acceptance of the positivist thesis will cause one to adopt a different outlook with regards to the judicial process in hard cases. Due to space constraints, this paper focuses only on Hart’s version of legal positivism and Dworkin’s attack of Hart’s particular version. These two theorists are chosen be cause of the prominence of the Hart/Dworkin debate. Part II of the paper summarises the ideas of Hart. Part III provides an explanation of Dworkin’s attack on legal positivism. Part IV then moves into an analysis of whether adopting a positivist outlook will make a difference as to how one views the process of adjudicating hard cases.

Shopping Mode Choice Essay Example for Free

Shopping Mode Choice Essay This study aims to explore how consumers evaluate these time attributes; i. e. the value of time, when they are facing a shopping mode choice between physical store shopping and e-shopping. For this purpose, it conducts an experiment to acquire data on respondents’ stated preference choices between physical bookstore shopping and online bookstore shopping. It is finally found that the value of delivery time for a purchased book from an online bookstore to a consumer is approximately $0. 53 per day, which means an online bookstore will have to lower a book’s price by price by $0.. 53 to attract a physical bookstore shopper if the delivery is delayed for one day. It is also found that in terms of monetary values, avoiding a shopping trip produces far more benefits than bearing waiting for the delivery of books for an online purchase. Keywords * E-shopping; * Shopping mode choice; * Stated preference experiment; * Value of travel time; * Value of product delivery time 1. Introduction In the past decade, the way people shop has dramatically changed. Besides shopping at physical stores, with the aid of information and communication technologies (ICT), consumers are able to shop via the Internet. This new type of shopping mode, coming in different names like e-shopping, online shopping, network shopping, Internet shopping, or Web-based shopping, featuring in freeing consumers from having to personally visit physical stores, is anticipated to greatly change people’s everyday lives. Such a high anticipation towards e-shopping has provoked multitudinous studies on this topic. Most of the existing literature, however, has focused on the advantages and disadvantages of Internet marketing. Such a psychological perspective has been widely adopted in the marketing and information management areas in particular. Comparatively, very little of the existing literature has concerned about how consumers make the choice between e-shopping versus store shopping ( [Lee and Tan, 2003]  and  [Farag et al. 2007]). One of the reasons for this may be attributed to the intricate nature of the shopping activity. It has been widely recognized that shopping activity is conducted not only for the goal of goods acquisition. The appeal of traditional store shopping is multifarious, including social interaction, entertainment, movement, and trip chaining (Mokhtarian, 2004). Much of the appeal cannot be easily displaced by e-shopping, making traditional store shopping still quite competitive over e-shopping. In a conceptual analysis of the transportation impacts of B2C e-commerce, Mokhtarian (2004) reviewed the comparative advantages of store shopping and e-shopping, and conclude that neither type uniformly dominated the other. Because of such an intricate nature of shopping behavior and the relative dominances of e-shopping versus store shopping, modeling the relationships between these two shopping modes has been not an easy task. The referable literature on this issue, from Koppelman et al. 1991) who modeled consumers’ choices between store shopping, catalog shopping and teleshopping, Lee and Tan (2003) who developed an economic model of consumer choice between on-line and in-store shopping, to Farag et al. (2007), who applied the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to model the relationships between e-shopping and store shopping, is appreciably limited. This motivates this study to address the choice behavior between e-shopping versus store shopping rather than e-shopping alone. Another noticeable point at issue is how ICT leads to changes in the allocation of individuals’ time and money resources. It is generally believed that the ongoing advancement of ICT is leading to a reorganization of activities in time and space (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). The ‘fragmentation’ concept introduced by Helen Couclelis means the interruption of one activity by another and the subsequent continuation of the former enabled by the use of ICT (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). This then leads to increased transport demand, as activities are no longer imperatively bound to particular times and/or particular places (Lenz and Nobis, 2007). For instance, e-shopping could lift the time and space constraints of the shopping process, leading ultimately to a fragmentation of the shopping activity in time and space ( [Couclelis, 2004]  and  [Farag et al. , 2007]). Such a ‘fragmentation’ of activities should end up leading individuals to reallocate their time and money resources, and eventually change the way they value time. This motivates this study to address the role time and cost attributes play in consumers’ shopping mode choice behavior. For shopping activities, two fragments of time may be worth exploring further. First, e-shopping frees consumers from having to go in person to the shopping place, and as a result saves them travel time. Second, e-shopping requires consumers to wait for the product delivery after online purchases, and as a result generates waiting time for delivery (or product delivery time).

System of Inquiry Essay Example for Free

System of Inquiry Essay The need for an organized manner of operating can never be ignored by any organization that is truly focused on the development and implementation of policies that will see it through trying times and help it achieve its goals (Alpha Kappa Delta, 2004). Operations entails coming up with a code that will act as a guideline for all members in an organization and be a reference for the strategic directions that should be adopted when dealing with problems. The success of the system or organization largely depends on the control mechanism implemented which in turn depends on the code and the structures put in place to ensure its implementation (Alpha Kappa Delta, 2004). Therefore, having a good code of ethics that is clear, well defined and lacking of any ambiguity is very important to the success of an organization in its operations and thus the eventual success of the organization as a whole. The organizations employees are committed to the development of a good system where the customers and the consumers of the companys services can be rest assured of the worth of their money and expectation. The employees are expected to respect and protect not only their rights but those of the customers be it human or civil for it is central to the freedom of the employees in inquiring and expressing their view in the areas of research, planning and in other operations. This ethics code is a set of principles and standards that acts as a basis for strategic planning and operations, management in the organization. The code is aimed at providing a set of standards and guidelines that address some of the situations met by the organizations personnel. The goals of ethics are aimed at protecting the welfare of individuals and teams within and without the organizations operational environment with regards to the operations of the organization. The development of a set of ethics that is dynamic enough to handle the varied nature of the problems faced by organization worker requires the will and commitment of all the workers in the organization. General Ethics i. Principle A The workers strive to ensure that their conduct benefit the organization and are not harmful. All workers should in all their actions ensure that they safeguard the welfare of all the people they interact with in the course of executing their duties as per the organizations needs. In dealing with conflicts, the set of rules attempt to find the solution to the problems or conflict in a manner that ensures that the harm is minimized. The workers should be more aware of the effects of their own abilities on the people they deal with. ii. Principle B The workers should at all time establish a good trust filled relationship with those they work with. They should be aware of their responsibilities to the organization and to the customers. The workers should consult and cooperate with other professionals to the level that will best address the needs of the organization. The workers should be concerned about the professional conduct and ethical compliance of their colleagues. They should be ready to contribute a considerable portion of their time for no considerable advantage or personal gains. iii. Principle C The workers should promote accuracy, honesty and uphold all the social virtues in their activities. They should not engage in the social vices like lying, subterfuge and intentional representation of records or facts. The workers are obliged to put into consideration the needs, consequences and responsibility in all their actions to ensure they do not result in mistrust. The organization recognizes that a fairness and justice principle entitles all workers to access the benefit of their work and to equality in quality of process or procedures. The workers should therefore exercise judgment and take measures to ensure that any form of bias that they are prone to, the limits of their competences and their professional skills and competences do not condone or in any way lead to unjust practices. v. Principle E The workers should at all time endeavors to respect the dignity of all people and show great respect to their rights to privacy and confidentiality. The workers should appreciate the fact that there are individual who due to some disadvantage are placed in situations where their right to autonomous decision making is impaired. The workers should respect the cultural and role differences based on gender, race, culture, socio-economic status and sexual orientation. The workers should try to discard all the effects of their work that lead to bias based on these factors and should not in any way condone activities that are based on prejudice.

Australias National Identity and Wartime Experience

Australias National Identity and Wartime Experience Analytical Response Analyse, evaluate and compare the language used to represent Australias National Identity through wartime experience. For Australians, their national identity was forged through adversity and struggle. From federation, Australian troops have been involved in all major wars. It is this involvement that has shaped the image of Australians to both Australians and foreigners. Many different works have been represented Australians involvement in the First and Second World Wars as well as Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. Two of these works include the films Gallipoli (1981) by Peter Weir, as well as Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008). Not only have films represented Australias identity, but also books including: Kokoda by Peter FitzSimons and True Blue? On being Australian, edited by Peter Goldsworthy. Peter Weirs Gallipoli (1981) was a film that is like no other. Instead of portraying the Turks soldiers as the enemy, Weir places the British in that position. In fact, in the film, the Turkish are rarely seen. This is completely juxtaposed to other texts written about the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. So one could say that weirs intent was not to accuse the Turkish as the enemy, but the British. To portray this, weir used many techniques to establish and demonstrate their meaning. One theme in the film is Australias coming of age. This is shown throughout the film but is shown early on through the scene when Uncle Jack is reading by The Jungle Book and how Mowgli has grown up and has to leave his family; the pack of wolves that have raised him all his life. Just as Mowgli, Australia has grown up and no longer has to seek protection from England. In his interview on the special features of Gallipoli (1981), Mel Gibson said â€Å"Gallipoli was the birth of a nation† (Weir, 1981); this idea is also shared by many others including the British Generals at Gallipoli. â€Å"Though many were shot to bits, without hope of recovery, their cheers resoundedThey were happy because they knew that they had been tried for the first time and not found wanting.† (Manne, 2007). Loyalty is a value that Australians hold very dear. Weir links this value and waste of potential that Australia suffered. Weir draws a parallel between Australias sporting ability and their loyalty to the war effort, with a recruiter for the Light Horse calling the war the greatest game of them all (Weir, 1981). The opening scene shows Archie undertaking his pre-race routine; he then practices the 100 yard dash in record time. This image shows the potential that Archie could have had, yet he is loyal and joins the war effort. Then in the final scene, Archie is in the trenches at Gallipoli when the whistle for them to charge was blown. It shows Archie leaving his most prized items in the trench; his medal and his watch. The medal is symbolises Archies potential, what life could have been like and the watch symbolises that Archies time has run out and how he is now sacrificing his life for his country; the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate act of loyalty. Peter FitzSimons also refers to the sacrifice that is made by the diggers in Kokoda. †¦They died so young. They missed so much. They gave up so much: their hopes; their dreams; their loved ones. They laid down their lives that their friends might live. Greater love hath no man than this. (FitzSimons, 2008) This next scene depicts Archie running unarmed across the battlefield. This run is metaphorical, and is used again to show the potential of Archie. When Archie is shot, there is a freeze frame which creates the appearance that as though Archie is breasting tape. Another text that represents the Australian national identity is Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008). Australia follows the life of an English aristocrat that travels to Northern Australia in 1939 to force her husband to sell his failing cattle property. However before she arrives, he is murdered for his 1,500 head of cattle. The story then continues on with her taking over ‘Far Away Downs and competing for the Army beef contract. The film continues through the struggles of the outback and then finds the cattle ending up in Darwin and loading the cattle on the ship. It then moves into the segment that provides the war time experience; the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in 1942. Courage is the biggest value that is demonstrated inn Luhrmanns film. After the bombing raid by the Japanese, the drover and Magarri sail across to Mission Island to investigate whether Nullah survived. Though this is not historically correct, the Japanese never actually set foot on Australian soil, the act by the drover and Magarri was courageous because in the film this area was inhabited by two Japanese carrier divisions. The idea of courage as an aspect of the Australian identity is also shared by other composers in their representations of Australian identity. Robert Manne wrote that: â€Å"General Birdwood told the writer that he couldnt sufficiently praise the courage, endurance and soldierly qualities of the Colonials† (Manne, 2007). It was the courage shown by all ANZACs on the battlefields of Gallipoli that earned that the title of courageous and it has stuck with Australians through to present times. Courage was shown through the struggles that Australian diggers faced in World War Two; especially Kokoda. Alister Griersons film Kokoda also focuses on the topic of courage when the Australian diggers held of the advances of the Japanese army. It is commonly accepted that their bravery and courage helped to stop Australia from being invaded Japan. Through the works of many composers since Australias federation, Australias national identity has been represented and forged through wartime experience. From World War One to the present time; courage, loyalty and bravery have represented Australians. This has been shown through Australians willingness to protect their country and to rather die than surrender the ground they had so dearly fought for. The final aspect and most likely the most important, is Australians willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice. REFERENCES Barrowclough, A. (2008, November 18). Video Review: Australia,The Movie . Retrieved August 10, 2009, from Times Online: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article5178513.ece FitzSimons, P. (2008). Kokoda. Sydney: Hodder Australia. Grierson, A. (Director). (2006). Kokoda [Motion Picture]. Luhrmann, B. (Director). (2008). Australia [Motion Picture]. Manne, R. (2007). A Turkish Tale. In N. A. Limited, True Blue? On Being Australian (pp. 63-65). Crows Nest: Allen Unwin. OHara, M. (2008). Australia Study Guide. Melbourne: Australian Teachers of Media. Weir, P. (Director). (1981). Galliopoli [Motion Picture]. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. (2009, August 1). Gallipoli (1981 film). Retrieved August 11, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_(1981_film)#Themes CONTEXT STATEMENT STRAND CONNECTION: Strand connection is English Communications Project TEXT CONNECTION: Text sources are Australia, Baz Luhrmann (Director), Gallipoli, Peter Weir (Director), Kokoda, Alister Grierson (Director), Kokoda, Peter FitzSimons and True Blue? On Being Australian (Editor Peter Goldsworthy) DECLARED PIECE: Critical Analysis SELECTION OF FORM: Essay INTENTIONS OF THE PIECE: The purpose of my response is to record my current understanding of the focus question in the strand: Australias national identity as represented by many composers in works about Australias wartime experiences. Reflective Response Which texts that represent Australias national identity through wartime experience had the greatest effect on me? There are many texts that focus on the topic of an Australian national identity. These range from colonial texts through to contemporary texts like Baz Luhrmanns Australia (2008) and Peter FitzSimons Kokoda (2008). One thing that is commonly mentioned throughout the texts is that Australias national identity has been forged by wartime experiences. All but a few of the texts that I studied for this topic had a profound effect on me, whether they are fiction of nonfiction. From Gallipoli to Afghanistan, Australia has played a crucial part in every major world conflict since federation in 1901. Peter Weirs movie, Gallipoli (1981) is a good example of a text that represents Australias national identity and is a text that has a great impact on me. When Archie signed up to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), I thought about the potential that is being wasted and then thought about my potential in life, and whether it is being wasted.

Dinosaur Fossils in Antarctica :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Dinosaur Fossils in Antarctica Millions and millions of years ago the continents lay together as one super-continent known as Pangea. As time went on and the plates underneath the Earth began to separate, the continents land moved towards the poles where glaciation occurred. Glaciation is the process in which glaciers were formed during the ice age. Glaciation causes a drop in temperature which in turn causes water to freeze and form many layers of ice (http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/intro.html, 1). Due to this layering of ice that has occurred at both poles it has not been easy to discover new dinosaur fossils. However, in a press release of the National Science Foundation researchers, working in two distinct sites of Antarctica found what seem to be fossil remains of two different dinosaurs that had previously never been introduced to the world of science (http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/newsroom/pr.cfm?ni=52, 1). The two different dinosaurs were found in opposite areas of Antarctica. The first dinosaur found was uncovered on the James Ross Island off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula while the second dinosaur was discovered on the Antarctic interior on a mountain elevating nearly 3900 meters near the Beardmore Glacier. The discovery of these two dinosaurs was important for a couple reasons. First off, dealing with the dinosaur carnivorous dinosaur found off the James Ross Island the discovery was important was because not many dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Time Period had been uncovered in Antarctica. The second reason the finding of this fossil was important was because in the James Ross region of the Antarctic Peninsula there had previously only been six uncovered dinosaur fossils and this finding adds to that number. Lastly, it is a very uncommon to find a dinosaur that was so well preserved considering it died roughly 70 million years ago. In order for it to be in such good shap e it had to float out to sea and lie in the bottom of what was then an extremely shallow part of the Weddell Sea (www.sciencedaily.com, 2). When it comes to the plant-eating dinosaur found on the interior of Antarctica the discovery of this dinosaur was also important because of its rarity. William Hammer, who led the research team said from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois said, â€Å"This site is so far removed geographically from any site near its age, it’s clearly a new dinosaur to Antarctica.

The Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Joyce Carol Oates Where

The Transition from Childhood to Adulthood in Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" All people experience changes in their life. Some of these changes are small such as the passing from one grade to another in school. Other changes are more intense, such as the transition from childhood to adulthood. In Joyce Carol Oates? ?Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?? Oates goes into depth regarding the transition from being a carefree, innocent child to adulthood. In the short story ?Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?? two separate worlds are drawn to the reader?s attention. The first is the normal daily life of Connie, a fifteen year old girl living in a home with her parents. Connie?s daily life is simple childhood. The second is the day Arnold Friend shows up at her doorstep and brings with him the difficulties of what the future holds. Connie is described as being an attractive fifteen year old girl whose actions are stereotypical of what one might expect from a girl her age. She spends her time listening to music, shopping, daydreaming, having fun, and trying to meet boys. Her friends share the same interests and when they are together they, ?would lean together and whisper and laugh secretly?. ( ) Connie puts on two different shows, one to her friends and a completely separate one to her family. ?Everything about her had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home.?( ) Connie does not show any real affection ...

Violence :: social issues

Violence The last five years have seen an increase in the stand on violence in movies. As action movies with their big stars are taken to new heights every year, more people seem to argue that the violence is influencing our country’s youth. Yet, each year, the amount of viewers also increases. This summer’s smash hit Independence Day grossed more money than any other film in history, and it was full of violence. The other summer hits included. Mission: Impossible, Courage Under Fire, and A Time to Kill. All of these movies contained violence, and all were highly acclaimed. And all, with the exception of Independence Day, were aimed toward adults who understood the violence and could separate screen violence from real violence. There is nothing wrong with having violence in film. If an adult wants to spend an evening watching Arnold Schwartzenager Save the world, then he should have that right. Film critic Hal Hinson enjoys watching movies. In fact, he fell in love with movies at the same time that he remembers being afraid for the first time. He was watching Frankenstein, and, as he described in his essay â€Å"In Defense of Violence,† it played with his senses in such a way that he instantaneously fell in love with movies. . The danger was fake, but Hinson described that it played with his senses in such a way that he almost instantly fell in love. Hinson feels that most movie lovers were incited by the same hooks as himself. Movies were thrilling, dangerous, and mesmerizing (Hinson 581-2). Hinson says that as a culture, we like violent art. Yet this is not something that is new to today's culture. The ancient Greeks perfected the genre of tragedy with a use of violence. According to Hinson, they believed that "while violence in life is destructive, violence in art need not be; that art provides a healthy channel for the natural aggressive forces within us" (Hinson 585). Today, the Greek tragedy is not often seen, but there are other shows movies that embody and use violence. Tom and Jerry, The Three Stooges, and popular prime time shows including the highly acclaimed NYPD Blue and ER are all violent. There is a surplus of violent movies in Hollywood. Usually, the years highest moneymakers are violent. Even Oscar winning movies, those movies that are "the best of the year," have violence in them.

Dramaturgical Perspective

Dramaturgical Perspective The dramaturgical perspective was developed primarily by Sociologist, Erving Goffman who recast the theatrical metaphor dramaturgy into a sociological term, meaning that social life is like a drama or stage play where intricacies of social interaction could be observed and analyzed, and people can perform in a manner that communicates how they would like others to perceive of them. Goffman stated that, â€Å"All actions are social performances that aim to give off and maintain certain desired impressions of the self to others† (Crossman, 2012).Central to dramaturgy are the front and back regions. The front region is in essence the stage where the performance occurs. Examples of the front region are the teacher’s classroom, the public speaker’s podium, and the waiter’s restaurant dining room. It’s what the audience sees and the setting for a carefully choreographed and ordered performance. The back region is where all the ac tivity that audience does not see, that is crucial to the front region performance occurs (Monnier, 2010).Symbolic interactions are more related to how people look at things and how their perception affects their behavior. In America it is considered rude to blatantly stare at another individual, in certain parts of Africa, for example, that is not the case. Curiosity is a norm and it is not considered rude to stare (Henslin, 2011). Americans also have a much larger personal space bubble than many other cultures. An American doesn’t stand close enough to a stranger to accidentally brush up against them if they can at all help it.Someone from South America, who is accustomed to standing in close proximity to an individual he/she is conversing with may take offense if the individual they’re speaking to continues to move away. On the other hand, an American will likely feel quite uncomfortable participating in conversation with an individual standing closer than approxima tely two feet (Henslin). Therefore, symbolic interactions happen without much thought, which is different from dramaturgy, which is a well thought out and prepared way of conducting oneself.Ethnomethodology is the study of how people use their perceived commonsense to make sense out of life (Henslin, 2011). It’s the background assumptions individuals take for granted about the world that determine our behavior in our social life. They are culture driven, unstated rules that people tend to stand by and violate only with risk of offending or concerning others. For instance, a young man would probably not take a first date to a strip club.There’s no written rule covering that issue, but commonsense would tell him that would not be an acceptable behavior. Although ethnomethodology does involve some thought, it still differs from dramaturgy as it is largely influenced by societal norms rather than just what image they’re desiring to portray to others. A recent intera ction I had that involved dramaturgical concepts was an appointment with administration at my son, Vinnie’s school regarding his classroom placement for next year.Vinnie tests on the lower end of the reading spectrum and all of his teachers, past and present have commented that he has trouble staying focused and is easily distracted, but never causes any trouble; therefore, he tends to fall through the cracks. Having trouble with his current teacher holding him accountable for work completion has been an issue; therefore, I’m quite concerned about Vinnie’s placement next year. I carefully utilized the back region and prepared a spread sheet of my concerns along with specific examples, and readied myself to express them in a confident, respectful, but determined manner.I’d thought about questions and/or statements that would potentially be posed to me, and prepared as best I could on how to respond appropriately without wavering from the outcome I desired, which was a specific teacher. Along with myself, the Academic Director, Curriculum Specialist, and the Intervention Specialist were present at the ‘front region‘ meeting. Everyone was prepared with appropriate data. I stated my concerns, which were both acknowledged and validated, everyone was extremely courteous and showed appropriate concern for Vinnie and the issues I disclosed.Each person in attendance discussed issues pertaining to their own expertise regarding Vinnie and a consensus was reached. Everyone left the meeting feeling something positive had been accomplished, and each individual’s social performance seemed to accomplish exactly what they’d desired. A deeper sociological significance that resulted is that administration now knows that I am a concerned and very involved parent, but not overtly demanding without reason and/or the willingness to discuss and negotiate.I learned that administration is truly concerned about individual students an d will accommodate to the best of their ability in order to ensure the success of each. References Crossman, A. (2012). About. com: Sociology: Dramaturgical perspective. Retrieved from http://sociology. about. com/od/D_Index/g/Dramaturgical-Perspective. htm Henslin, J. M. (2011). Essentials of sociology: A down to earth approach (9th ed. ). Pearson. Monnier, C. (2010). Global Sociology: Social interaction. Retrieved from https:// globalsociology. pbworks. com/w/page/14711252/Social%20Interaction

Determining the Right Quantity of Food (Home Remedy) To Give a Diabetic Patient In Case Of a Hypoglycaemic Episode

Introduction This project is concerned with an innovation that would enhance care delivery in the community. The area of focus is the hypoglycaemic effects on diabetes patients and the use of home remedies to manage hypoglycaemia. Diabetic patients know what kinds of food they have to consume to keep healthy, and how to restore their blood sugar levels in case of a hypoglycaemic episode. According Frier and Schernthaner (2011), people may know the right food to give or take, but most do not know the right quantity. The biggest challenge, however, lies with those family members who may not even be aware of the right food and quantity of carbohydrates that push the blood sugar to the accepted levels (Ali, 2011; Boughton, 2011; Onwudiwe et al., 2011). Usually, it is recommended that patients take fast-acting carbohydrates with 15-20 gms of carbohydrates. The blood sugar level is rechecked after 15 minutes, which prompts another dose of 15-20 gms if the blood sugar level is still low (Fonseca, 2010). Determining the right quantity of food that contains 15-20 gms of fast-acting carbohydrate is a challenge (Onwudiwe et al., 2011; Ali, 2011). Consequently, an innovation that can easily guide people on how to handle instances of hypoglycaemic attacks at home using the right quantity of household ingredients will ensure that such attacks are handled appropriately. The Innovation Health care delivery can be enhanced through a variety of means depending on available resources, ideas and the patient’s health conditions. In this research, focus is on diabetic patients who suffer from hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia is a condition of low sugar levels than the recommended (Boughton, 2011). These patients can suffer from hypoglycaemic episodes anytime and anywhere. Because of that, their families, friends and other people around them should be aware of a quicker way to handle the situation. There are proposed means of getting out of the hypoglycaemic episode which includes taking foods and drinks that have fast acting carbohydrates (15-20gms). This is the best home remedy to the condition. Foods always recommended include; coke, table sugar, fruit juice, raisins, Lucozade, and many more (Boughton, 2011). The problem is, people may be aware of these fast-acting carbohydrates, but do not know the right quantity to take or give the patient suffering from hypoglyca emia (Boughton, 2011). The new idea is to provide a leaflet containing the quantity of fast-acting carbohydrates that these patients should receive. Examples are; eight ounces of skimmed milk, four ounces of soda or fruit juice, and five-six life savers candies. Hypoglycaemia Hypoglycaemia is the state of low blood sugar in the body. For diabetic patients, it is the episodes of abnormal low plasma glucose concentration that can cause harm to the patient. It occurs when there is too much insulin or too little glucose in the body all which may be due to; eating less than usual, taking too much insulin, more exercise than normal, eating later than usual, and medication interaction or due to an illness (Frier, Heller & McCrimmon, 2013). According to Yakubovich & Gerstein (2011), hypoglycaemia can either occur with or without symptoms. If the blood glucose level of a diabetic patient is ?70 mg/dL, then the patient should be concerned about hypoglycaemia and take necessary measures to increase the blood glucose level (Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011), since they are likely to suffer from life threatening conditions such as insulin shock. Hypoglycaemia is a common problem among diabetic patients. Boughton (2011) posits that both diabetes type I and II patients can experience hypoglycaemic episodes several times a week. Briscoe and Davis (2006) also postulate that about 90% of patients who use insulin experience hypoglycaemic episodes. Hypoglycaemia is commonly a complication of diabetes treatment. Current treatment guidelines recommend intensive glycaemic control. Hypoglycaemia, however, is a threat to the achievement of this state, both because of its occurrence and incidence. The need for intensive glycaemic control prov ed that some microvascular complications and some macrovascular complications could be reduced by comprehensive metabolic control. This kind of control cannot be achieved when the available treatment regimens cause hypoglycaemia (Briscoe and Davis, 2006). Because of the regularity of occurrence and the high likelihood of such episodes occurring at home, school or far away from the hospitals, diabetic patients should have a quick way of managing them. A common way of managing hypoglycaemic episodes is by administering fast acting carbohydrates. This will ensure increased body sugar levels (Briscoe and Davis, 2006). Leaflets provide access to such information easy and quick. They also act as health promotional devices. Why Is It An Innovation? People may have the needed ingredients to stop a hypoglycaemic attack around them, but making use of these ingredients can be limited if they lack knowledge. There are health sources with information about fast-acting carbohydrates and the right quantity that should be taken in case a diabetic patient suffers a hypoglycaemic episode at home. The main problem is that these foods may be available randomly, and not all their quantities can be remembered easily. Additionally, one may think that he/she has the right quantity to give the patient, yet such a quantity can be confused by the other. It is from such a problem that the proposition to develop a leaflet containing the recommended quantity was developed. With such leaflets at home, anybody can help the patient. The Need for the Innovation This innovation is one of the ways of preventing the damaging effects of hypoglycaemia. If a diabetic patient can detect low blood glucose levels early enough, the detrimental effects of hypoglycaemia that have been documented can be reduced. Hypoglycaemia has been associated with increased risk of mortality (Kalra et al., 2013; Werner, 2013; Mccoy et al., 2012; Cryer, 2012; Frier, Schernthaner & Heller, 2011; Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011, Heller, 2008). There are studies that have directly found links between hypoglycaemia and high mortality rates in diabetic patients and those that link it directly through other complications. According to Mccoy et al., (2012), severe hypoglycaemia has been associated with 3.4 times increased threat of death. This was a conclusion obtained from self-reports on hypoglycaemia. Additional information from patient-reported hypoglycaemia from hospitals could only mean that the risk is higher (Mccoy et al., 2012). Any health management officer would think of preventing hypoglycaemia so that this increased risk is reduced. One way of preventing it is through access to relevant information about its management. This proposed idea will contribute to the reduction of severe hypoglycaemic cases that may then lead to death. The same information about 3.4 fold risks is communicated in Cryer (2012). The study also indicates that hypoglycaemia is an impeding factor in the glycaemic management of diabetes. It damages the defences that can protect an individual from subsequent hypoglycaemia, therefore, causes recurrent hypoglycaemia. It causes morbidity in many with advanced type II diabetes and in most people with type I diabetes. It prohibits the maintenance of euglycemia and reduces the quality of life; the benefits of glycaemic control are never realized by the patient. Cryer (2012) also reviewed information from various reports about hypoglycaemia and found out that one in every ten or one in every twenty-five people with type I diabetes die from hypoglycaemia. It concluded that hypoglycaemia episodes need not to be life threatening for them to cause devastating effects (Cryer, 2012). This only emphasises the impact that this proposed innovation may have on diabetes patients. It has the potential of preventing any devastating effects, including death. Hypoglycaemia also has other health effects, for example, the effect on the cardio -vascular system, which in turn contributes to increased mortality. According to Frier, Schernthaner and Heller (2011), hypoglycaemia cause hemodynamic changes such as peripheral systolic blood pressure, and increased heart rate, reduced peripheral arterial resistance, a fall in central blood pressure and increased stroke volume, myocardial contractility and cardiac output. If such high work load finds an already weakened heart, like the ones found in type II diabetic patients with coronary heart disease, dangerous consequences should be expected. Hypoglycaemia has also been associated with abnormal electrical activity in the heart, therefore, has high chances of causing sudden death (Frier, Schernthaner & Heller, 2011; Yakubovich & Gerstein, 2011). All these evidences support the importance of preventing hypoglycaemia, at all levels. Prevention or good maintenance of blood glucose levels can enhance t he quality of life. Risks and Benefits of the Innovation Provision of the leaflets is a way of providing high-quality information recommended for self-care and helps in decision-making. In this case, there will be a variety of fast-acting carbohydrates with the right quantities. A patient may get tired of taking non-diet soda all the time, and decide on other options such as fruit juice, glucose tablets, and honey. The leaflets will improve: health literacy, clinical decision making, patient safety, care experience, self-care, service development, and access to health advice for both the patient and the family members (Greenwood, 2002). Research evidence has shown that chronic conditions cause anxiety, but understanding of the condition and how to manage and treat it improves the ability of the patient to cope with the condition or to recover from it. It is for this reason that the leaflets with information on what to take when attacked by an episode of hypoglycaemia are very important for diabetic patients. Patient information leaflets merge information (Lowry, 2005). The leaflets also act as health promotion devices and will assist nurses in their health education and promotional activities (Greenwood, 2002). This innovation has other advantages, such as they contain information relevant for the individual, ensure consistency of information, are cheap and easy to produce and can be easily updated. This proposed innovation would also allow readers to work through their own pace. According to Lowry (2005), they provide the carer and the patient with a focus for shared knowledge and discussion, and can also be used as a resource to healthcare organizations for informing their new staff members. In order to ensure that the leaflets have specific information specific to an individual patient, it will make use of a structure that allows for a variety of options to be included. Disadvantages of Leaflets Some are usually produced for general issues, therefore not individualised. This may be a problem to diabetic patients who need special attention or have specific restrictions when it comes to taking some fast acting carbohydrates. Some may be allergic to some foods. This may not be a problem in this case since the leaflet will provide a variety of food and their quantities. The leaflets can remain unused unless those they are meant for are motivated to use them. In the case of managing hypoglycaemia among diabetic patients, for those who do not suffer hypoglycaemia, these leaflets may remain unused. To avoid this problem, here will be monitoring of the use of the leaflets (Lowry, 2005). The leaflets may do more harm than good if they are badly produced. There are specific recommendations on how to produce a health information leaflet. If the leaflets are, for example, produced in a manner that can lead to the misconception of information, they may not achieve their aims as expected (Lowry, 2005). This will be avoided by a series of tests with the draft leaflet to ensure they are not misunderstood. Leaflets can be lost or misplaced easily. A proposed idea to eliminate this is to encourage the users to stick some of them on walls where they can easily be seen and have others in their bags, or wallets. Those that require professional attention may take longer to update and may also be costly. It needs some groundwork done before the resource is developed. As in the case of the proposed leaflet, there will be the groundwork needed to determine those with diabetes in the community, the number of the patients, and complications that they suffer. Groundwork will also find out about the family members around, their current self-care practices, and other important information that can inform the development of this health promotional resource (Lowry, 2005). Potential Resources Needed to Implement the Innovation A research study will be conducted on the community to find out the number of people with diabetes, what they know about hypoglycaemia and how they currently manage the episodes. There is also need to prepare for an education program for these people and their family members on how to manage such episodes and get the neighbours, and friends involved. One can experience a hypoglycaemic episode unexpectedly and can need help. It is important to know how to relay relevant information, and quick to the person that the patient may seek help. Resources needed, therefore, are; Field researchers or interviewers Health educators or just nurses Financial resources to undertake the research and educational program activities The innovation development and implementation have about five main stages. There is the planning stage, the writing stage, conducting final checks, the consultation, and finally the distribution stage. Planning This is the initial preparation stage where the leaflet developer will consider the kind of information he or she will need, and for what purpose, the kind of resources, needed and the people who will be involved. It will entail identification of those who will be involved and how each of them will be involved, for example, the research will need interviewers who will seek specific information from the patients. The person has to state why specific information is needed from a clinician, patient or carers. It is while planning that the individual should review all relevant and available information from relevant sources, for example, the NHS, peer-reviewed journal articles and Diabetes associations. He or she should also think of distribution methods, for example, if the leaflets will be given to the patients directly, placed on the rack where they can easily be accessed, emailed, or even just posted (NHS, 2008). Writing This stage involves writing down patient information and assessing its effects. One can look for recommended frameworks to guide the development of patient information. With the evidence from previously conducted research, the leaflet should contain the right information and should be easy to read. It involves a series of writing and testing until the right product is finally produced. When assessing readability, the developer can check the draft against leaflet development guidelines, and then check with team members, and maybe members of the public. When assessing whether it is good for patients, the developer can test it on people who are not familiar with the condition. The draft can also be checked by clinicians, patient support groups, experts, to confirm that it is right for the targeted patients (NHS, 2008). Conducting Final Checks Whatever is to be done in this stage depends on the contents in the leaflet and the purpose of producing such leaflets. In this proposed innovation, the leaflets are meant to improve patient self-care. Final checks may include confirming the patients’ and family members’ numbers and checking if the information conflicts with other information from influential and reliable health sources (NHS, 2008). Consultation In this stage, the draft is given to the patients and interested groups for feedback. Changes can be made depending on the responses received from the parties (NHS, 2008). Distribution This stage is all about identifying the right distribution strategies in relation to the aim of developing the leaflets. For example, if the leaflets are meant for improving self-care, the healthcare professional will have to think of how these leaflets will reach the targeted patients. The perfect method is to deliver each leaflet to each patient and family members after consultation with them, and educating them on its benefits. They should also be informed about the whole project of improving health care delivery. The stage also involves monitoring to identify how the information is used, and if there is a need for any improvements (NHS, 2008). Additional resources that will be needed are; writing materials, human resource for distribution, and financial resources for distribution and other project activities such as testing the leaflet draft. Implementation Difficulties There are no current implementation difficulties except for finding adequate resources to conduct the research in the community and identify the patients. It may also be difficult to convince all diabetes patients to come to educational programs on how to manage hypoglycaemia alongside the management of diabetes. According to the NHS guideline, the best approach is educating the patients and their families on a one-on-one basis, but this is expensive and time consuming. It may depend on the patients’ visit to the hospitals, which is an unsure way of reaching the patients. Leadership and Management Skills Needed The leadership and management skills belong to one category of management which is; project management. Under this category, these skills can again be classified under technical project management skills, general management skills, and leadership skills (Hallows, 2002). Technical project management skills are such as project planning and execution skills. Planning skills gives one the ability gather and assess information for estimates, identify dependencies, develop a work breakdown structure, assign and level resources, and analyse the risks among other abilities. Project execution skills give one the ability to develop estimates at completion, gather and evaluate data, prepare meaningful reports, and monitor the progress of the project (Hallows, 2002). These technical skills are very important for planning and execution of the proposed project. Project leadership skills involve managing the expectations and relationships of the participants. Hallows (2002) indicates that project m anagement leadership requires the ability to engage the main stakeholders involved in the project in each phase. An example, is, in the planning stage, the project manager has to get all the relevant departments involved, and any other parties that will be involved. Like in the leaflet development case, the project manager has to find a way of engaging the patients, the carers, family members and the health care organization supporting or sponsoring the project. The project manager can decide when it is necessary to share ideas, and the communication strategy that is necessary for attainment of the objectives of the project (Hallows, 2002). The project manager of this proposed project should have the ability to convince others about the benefits of the project, and explain the value of their roles. General management skills are such as; the ability to listen, delegate, goal setting, time management, communications, negotiation, and meeting management. There is also the need for huma n resource management skills. Project planning and implementation will require people to perform different duties. The performance of the project depends on the employees’ activities, without good management skills, the outcome of the project may be affected negatively (Hallows, 2002). References Ali, Z. H. (2011). Health and Knowledge Progress among Diabetic Patients after Implementation of a Nursing Care Program Based on their Profile. Journal of Diabetes and Metabolism, 2:121. Boughton, B. (2011). Patients with Diabetes Lack Knowledge about Hypoglycemia. Medscape Medical News. Retrieved from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/740881 Briscoe, V. J. and Davis, S. N. (2006). Hypoglycemia in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Management. Clinical Diabetes, 24 (3): 115-121. Cryer, P. E. (2012). Severe Hypoglycemia Predicts Mortality in Diabetes, Diabetes Care. 35(9): 1814-1816. Fonseca, V. (2010). Diabetes: Improving Patient Care. New York: Oxford University Press. Frier, B. M., Heller, S. and McCrimmon, R. (2013). Hypoglycaemia in Clinical Diabetes. (3rd Ed.). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons. Frier, B. M., Schernthaner, G. and Heller, S. R. (2011). Hypoglycemia and Cardiovascular Risks. Diabetes Care, 34(2): S132-S137. Greenwood, J. (2002). Employing a Range of Methods to meet Patient Information Needs. Nursing Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingtimes.net/employing-a-range-of-methods-to-meet-patient-information-needs/200054.article. Hallows, J. E. (2002). The Project Management Office Toolkit. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Heller, S. (2008). Sudden Death and Hypoglycaemia. Diabetic Hypoglycemia, 1(2): 2-7. Kalra, S., Mukherjee,J. J., Venkataraman, S., Bantwal, G., Shaikh, S., Saboo, B., Das, A. K. and Ramachandran, A. (2013). Hypoglycemia: The Neglected Complication. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 17(5): 819–834. Lowry, M. (2005). Knowledge that Reduces Anxiety: Creating patient information leaflets. Professional Nurse, 10 (5): 318-320. Mccoy, R. G., Van Houten, H. K., Ziegenfuss, J. Y., Shah, N. D., Wermers, R. A. and Smith, S. (2012). Increased Mortality of Patients With Diabetes Reporting Severe Hypoglycemia. Diabetes Care. 35(9):1897-1901. NHS. (2008). Quality and Service Improvement Tools. Retrieved from: http://www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/patient_information.html Onwudiwe, N. C., Mullins, C. D., Winston, R. A., Shaya, F. T., Pradel, F. G., Laird, A. and Saunders, E. (2011). Barriers to Self-management of Diabetes: A qualitative Study among Low-income Minority Diabetics. Ethnicity & Disease, 21: 27-32. Werner, J. (2013). Diabetic Status, Glycaemic Control & Mortality in Critically Ill Patients. ESICM News. Retrieved from: http://www.esicm.org/news-article/Article-review-ESICM-NEXT-Diabetic-status-Glycaemic-Control-Mortality-WERNER. Yakubovich, N. and Gerstein, H. C. (2011). Serious Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetes: The Role of Hypoglycemia. Circulation, 123: 342-348.

Giovanni Boccaccio Essay

Im going to write an essay on Giovanni Bocccaccio and tell about him and his works and their affect to the middle-age literature and the literature today. As my sources Im going to use the illustrated history of Europe, wikipedia, http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/giovanni-boccaccio.htm and http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Giovanni_Boccaccio.aspx. Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? When did he live? What is he known of? How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Who was Giovanni Boccaccio? Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian Renaissance humanist, author and a poet. He lived during the years 1313-1375. Giovanni Boccaccio was born near Florence in Italy. His father was a successful banker, who wanted him to have a practical education and to follow his footsteps as a wealthy businessman. His father often took Giovanni with him to business trips, so he could see what his life will be like when he grows up. Giovanni Boccaccio studied banking and religious law, although he was not very interested in them. Later on he even said that he regretted the time that was lost in these studies. He was more interested in literature and classical learning. His father never supported or accepted his plans on literature. He always thought that Boccaccio should have been a respected businessman. It is believed that Boccaccio was tutored by Giovanni Mazzuoli and received an early introduction to the works of Dante from him. When Boccaccio and his father moved to Naples in 1326, Boccaccio found many teachers at the university and at the court. He learned Italian poetry, ancient mythology, astronomy, and Greek. He also began to do what he really wanted to do, which was writing. Boccaccio and his father left Naples in 1341, because they escaped the plague and because Boccaccio`s father had to go work to Florence. Boccaccio did not want to leave Naples, because he didn’t like Florence that much. However, he spent the rest of his life in or near Florence. There he composed his most famous works such as the Decameron and the Famous Woman which were revolutionary at the time. In the autumn of 1350 Boccaccio received Francesco Petrarch as his guest in Florence, whose biography he had written shortly (De vita et moribus, F. P.). It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. He supported and encouraged Boccaccio to go on with his passion for literature. Giovanni Boccaccio was also influenced by many others. In his lifetime he had three children, even though he was never married. Mario and Giulio were born in the 1330s. Violente was born in the 1340 ´s. Giovanni Boccaccio died in 1375 from the causes of various illnesses, obesity and finally heart failure. By the time he died he had made many works that even today affect our lives. When did he live? Giovanni Boccaccio lived during the late middle-age period to the very early renaissance. Boccaccio was ahead of his time. He was one of the first humanists with Patrarch. Renaissance was a cultural movement that was roughly in the 14th to the 17th century. As a cultural movement, it was all about literature, science, art, religion, and politics, and a resurgence of learning based on classical sources. Giovanni Boccaccio was one of the first writers of renaissance. This shows how revolutionary his work was already in the 1330 ´s. What is he known of? Giovanni Boccaccio was a very revolutionary figure of the time, because he used females in his works as main characters, which was a new idea. Later other authors copied this idea. His work are very precious to us, because they tell us a reliable picture of the life in the late middle-ages as it was. Giovanni Boccaccio’s most known work is the Decameron, that he made between the years 1348–1351. It tells about ten young men and women, that escaped the plague to a remote villa near Florence. The word Decameron is translated to ten-days, which refers to the fact that they spent ten days telling stories in the villa. During the ten days they share 100 tales about topics such as love, trickery, and fortune. These tales form a larger story which can also be read alone. The Decameron was very popular at the time. Readers enjoyed its lively speeches, wordplays and intense plots. Giovanni knew how to mix humor and romance into one working piece. In this work Boccaccio gathered material from many sources: the French fabliau, Greek and Latin classics, folklore, and observations of contemporary Italian life. The prose of the Decameron, in its balanced, rhythmic cadences, became the model of Italian literary prose. Many other writers later used the Decameron in different ways in their own works. The church did not like the Decameron. On Famous Women he wrote about women who became learned, wrote, and even had battles and ruled kingdoms. Boccaccio’s moral approach to history suited both medieval and Renaissance readers. Which is also a reason that he was so famous and respected. Later renaissance writers used the books as sources for their own works once again. His most famous poem is probably II Filostrato, published in 1335. It tells about Calcas, a Trojan prophet who had foreseen the fall of the city and joined the Greeks. Shakespeare got the inspiration for Troilus and Cressida from the II Filostrato. Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy that Shakespeare made in 1602. Boccaccio was also a very well educated man. Boccaccio shared his knowledge and love of the ancient world with others. In Genealogy of the Pagan Gods that he wrote between the years (1350–1373), he created a complete catalog of pagan mythology. This book became a major reference work for much of the Renaissance. Giovanni Boccaccio also had a huge respect to the study of ancient Greek literature. He established a position for a professor of Greek at the University of Florence. He encouraged the new professor to translate the great Greek writers Homer and Euripides into Latin. Through his writings and his share to the study of the ancient world, Boccaccio had a lasting impact on the Renaissance and on the rest of the western history. Some selected example ´s from Giovanni Boccaccios works: II Filostrato (1335), Filocolo (1337), Teseida (1341), Comedy of the Florentine Nymphs (1342), The Amorous Vision (1343), La Fiammeta (1344), Life of Dante (1355), Fates of Illustrious Men in Latin (1360), The Decameron (1348-1351), The Famous Women (1374) How did he affect the late middle-age literature and the literature today? Giovanni Boccaccio ´s affect to the literature of that time and today is huge. He wrote about things that nobody else had the courage to write about at the time. For example about woman as the main characters that had power to decide about important decisions and had a high position in the community. The Famous Women is a good example of his revolutionary way of thinking. It is a collection of biographies of 106 historical and mythological women, as well as some of Boccaccio’s Renaissance contemporaries. Giovanni Boccaccio had a big impact on other authors and poets, who used his work as source material. For example Geoffrey Chaucer ´s, Shakespeare ´s, and John Dryden ´s works were influenced by Boccaccio ´s works. He and Petrarch are said to be the founders of humanism. Giovanni Boccaccio was a man that basically protested against the morals at that time by writing about woman and other revolutionary things. He was ahead his time and was respected by many fellow authors. His works were famous and are is still precious to us, because we can take a realistic view of the late middle-ages through his work. Many other authors also got inspired by Boccaccio ´s work and still do.