A Sample Instructional Essay (Process Analysis)

A Sample Instructional Essay (Process Analysis) The purpose of an instructional essay is to instruct the reader as to how to perform some action or task. Its an important  rhetorical form which students must learn.  How successful do you think the writer has been in converting a set of instructions into a process analysis essay? How to Break in a New Baseball Glove Breaking in a new baseball glove is a time-honored spring ritual for pros and amateurs alike. A few weeks before the start of the season, the stiff leather of the glove needs to be treated and shaped so that the fingers are flexible and the pocket is snug.To prepare your new glove, you will need a few basic items: two clean rags; four ounces of neatsfoot oil, mink oil, or shaving cream; a baseball or softball (depending on your game); and three feet of heavy string. Professional ballplayers may insist on a particular brand of oil or shaving cream, but in truth, the brand doesnt matter.Because the process can be messy, you should work outdoors, in the garage, or even in your bathroom. Do not attempt this procedure anywhere near the carpet in your living room.Using a clean rag, begin by gently applying a thin layer of oil or shaving cream to the external parts of the glove. Be careful not to overdo it: too much oil will damage the leather. After letting the glove dry overnight, take th e ball and pound it several times into the palm of the glove to form a pocket. Next, wedge the ball into the palm, wrap the string around the glove with the ball inside, and tie it tightly. Let the glove sit for at least three or four days, and then remove the string, wipe the glove with a clean rag, and head out to the ball field. The end result should be a glove that is flexible, though not floppy, with a pocket snug enough to hold a ball caught on the run in​ the deep center field. During the season, be sure to clean the glove regularly to keep the leather from cracking. And never, no matter what else you do, never leave your glove out in the rain. Comment Observe how the writer of this essay has guided us from one step to the next using these terms: Begin by . . .After . . .Next . . .And then . . . The writer has used these transitional expressions to direct us clearly from one step to the next. These signal words and phrases take the place of numbers when turning a set of instructions into a process analysis essay. Questions for Discussion What was the focus of this instructional essay? Did the author succeed?Did the author include all necessary steps in their instruction?How could the author have improved this essay?

Simple Web Page Hit Counter Code Using PHP and MySQL

Simple Web Page Hit Counter Code Using PHP and MySQL Website stats provide important information to a website owner about how the site is doing and how many people visit. A hit counter counts and displays how many people visit  a webpage. The code for a counter varies depending on the programming language used and the amount of information you want the counter to collect. If you, like many website owners, use PHP and MySQL with your website, you can generate a simple hit counter for your webpage using PHP and MySQL. The counter stores the hit totals in a MySQL database. The Code To get started, create a table to hold the counter statistics. Do that by  executing this code: CREATE TABLE counter ( counter INT( 20 ) NOT NULL );INSERT INTO counter VALUES (0); The code creates a database  table named  counter with a single field also called counter, which stores the number of hits the site receives. It is set to start at 1, and the count increases by one each time the file is called. Then the new number  is displayed. This process is accomplished with this PHP code: ?php// Connects to your Database mysql_connect(your.hostaddress.com, username, password) or die(mysql_error()); mysql_select_db(Database_Name) or die(mysql_error());//Adds one to the countermysql_query(UPDATE counter SET counter counter 1);//Retrieves the current count$count mysql_fetch_row(mysql_query(SELECT counter FROM counter));//Displays the count on your siteprint $count[0]; ? This simple hit counter doesnt give the website owner valuable information such as whether the visitor is a repeat visitor or a first-time visitor, the location of the visitor, which page was visited, or how much time the visitor spent on the page. For that, a more sophisticated analytics program is necessary. Counter Code Tips Wanting to know the number of people who visit your site makes sense. When you are comfortable with the simple counter code,  you can personalize the code in several ways to work better with your website and gather the information you seek. Customize the database, table, and code to include other informationHold the counter in a separate file and retrieve it using include ()Format the counter text using regular HTML around the include functionCreate different rows on the counter table for additional pages on your website

Online retailing business model company analysis Essay

Online retailing business model company analysis - Essay Example Lack of physical retail stores except their studios and warehouses enables them to devote their time and resources to the virtual operations. In this manner, they are able to maximize their revenue while cutting costs that involve setting up of retail shops. With the vision of inspiring and getting their inspiration from cool girls all over the world, Nasty Gal intends to provide their customers with truly unique items exclusive to their brand. Online retailing is a fast growing sector of the commerce world as a result of a fast growing consumer base. Increase in access to internet services has made it possible for most people to access the services of Nasty Gal. Customers can purchase clothes, shoes and accessories directly from the web page, which they receive through shipment to their location anywhere in the world from New York to Australia. Their â€Å"about us† page provides information about the history of its establishment as well as providing information about the founder and other team members behind its operations. It also provides information about their clothes, shoes and accessories, and gives instructions on how to search and make purchases (Nasty

Information systems role in Ernest and Young's on-line consulting Essay

Information systems role in Ernest and Young's on-line consulting service - Essay Example It was later converted in to a pay and use to web users for accessing all the consulting strength of E&Y (Webizus 2003). Business models have taken on greater importance recently as a form of intellectual property that can be protected with a patent registration (Rappa 2006). In this case, the tax-payer (the consumer) is helped by the model called 'Consumer Direct'- transactions involving products, services, or information between businesses and consumers, here the expert consultants enrolled with Ernest & Young, and the client company's employees; the product - tax-management solutions (Adapted from IBM 1996). The tool used here are the Decision-support systems - interactive computer-based tools used since the 1960s by decision-makers to help answer questions, solve problems and support or refute conclusions (Hall 2005). The advantages of 'Distance Consulting' involved in this model, in this case study of Ernst & Young may be listed as follows: a) The cost: They are more economical. b) A large resource base like panel of direct access to E&Y's national network of tax specialists, FAQs, self-educating information tools to decide on the right solution. c) The guaranteed rapid turnaround and the get-back time. d) Ernie's email consulting helps clients' articulate problems when they write to consulting firms thus leading to faster solutions. Disadvantages include a) May be perceived as too impersonal in a business based on relationship and trust. b) Developed to answer technical tax questions with a limited scope. c) Some large-scale consultations which involve handling large data-base systems, still require on-site assessments for best results. d) Possibility of servicing unknown clients, and risk of oversight of information leading to inappropriate conclusions, very high (Millard 1999). Discuss Knowledge management systems and decision support systems. How are these ideas related to Ernie and Tax Advisor The definition of Knowledge is given as "a function of information, culture, and skills" (Rampersad, 2002).The storing and sharing of such information and acquired knowledge to benefit all the members of the organization paved way for Knowledge Management. In the 1990s, E&Y created three knowledge centers, with three goals: the Center for Business Innovation for creating new knowledge through research, the Center for Business Technology for the use of existing knowledge to create predefined methods and automated tools, and the Center for Business Knowledge for gathering and storing E&Y's internal and external knowledge and information resources. The services included a library, a call centre for answering consultant requests, and a database of consultant skills (NHS 2005). Interactive information systems using data and models to help managers analyze semi-structured problems were developed in the 1970s. These diverse systems were all called Decision Support Systems. In the 80s Executive Information Systems (EIS) was born, from single user model-driven Decision Support systems and improved relational database products (Power 2003). And in the 1990s, data warehousing and On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) started expanding the domain of EIS and defined a broader category of Data-Driven DSS (cf., Dhar and Stein, 1997). E&Y started in 1996 On-Line

United States Economy since November 2004 to November 2007 Essay Example for Free

United States Economy since November 2004 to November 2007 Essay The distinction of the United States as the only remaining super power in the world may not only apply in their military force but in their economic might as well. But historically, according Bernard Baumohl, it was only during the early 1970s that the U. S economy was open to international market following the collapse of the Bretton Woods Agreement, which was intended to establish a stable foreign exchange system. As a result, Baumohl said â€Å"currency values in the world financial market began to float freely, sometimes moving wildly up and down† (p. 240). The immediate impact of this is that the world trade grew faster than ever. Baumohl point out that this development resulted to the influx of cheaper foreign goods which were often of better quality and â€Å"increasingly found their way into the U. S market and started to pose serious competition for US producers† (p. 240). As this was the case, American companies responded by operating more efficiently, and lower their prices while also seeking new market overseas. Baumohl noted that since then, trade has evolved to become one of the most important forces shaping the US economy† (p. 240), the United States economy soared so high that in the short span of time they became one of the most if not the wealthiest economy in the world. Price stability in the United States As the US economy soar high in the international arena and the purchasing power of the US dollar remains strong against the euro, the US has maintained a stable price. The OECD economic outlook noted that inflation in the US has remained with in a desirable range through the help of the long-term household survey measures. Inflation, the OECD noted â€Å"have remained well anchored, even if indexed-bond have drifted somewhat† (p. 24). The article point out that this stability has helped â€Å"limit the second-round effects from the oil price and exchange rate shocks, but it is all the more important that further policy action validate the still serene expectation† (p. 24) In the OECD Economic Surveys United States 2004 article, it noted that in price stability, firmly anchored long term inflation expectations are especially important , not only to maintain public confidence in the durability of low inflation achieved over the past two decades, but also to limit the risk of a potentially self- reinforcing deflationary spiral in the face of hypothetical negative shock (p. 46). Unemployment . Nazimudeen Saleem stated that unemployment in the US soared to a record high in 2004 at 5. 6% reaching over the threshold of 5%. An internet article from entitled Unemployment noted that in April 2007 unemployed adult men stands at 4. 0 percent while adult women, at 3. 8 percent, Caucasians, 3. 9; Hispanic (all races, at 5. 4 percent; African American, 8. 2 percent, and teenagers with the highest number of unemployed at 15. 3 percent. Amadeo noted that the weakest year-by-year employment was 1. 2% in 2004 indicating a trend of decline since 2006. She point out that unemployment is not worsening at all, but it indicate declining trend as unemployment was up at 4. 7% from 4. 4% in October and only slightly up by one percent in May 2007 at 4. 5 percent. Indeed there is a trend of slight decline in the unemployment rate from 2004 to 2007. Healthy Economic Growth In the report to congress on International Economic and Exchange rate policies in December 2006, it cited that the United States has made substantial progress in reducing the federal fiscal deficit from 3. 6 percent of gross Domestic Product in 2004 to 1. 9 percent in fiscal year 2006 Gross Domestic Product, posting an improvement of 1. 7 percent. The report also cited that the United States economy has experienced continuous healthy economic growth in 2005 up to the third quarter of 2006, but during the last quarter economic growth slowed down up to the most recent quarter. From the first quarter of 2004, Gross domestic product or GDP stands at 3. 9% and slightly up by one percent during the second quarter of the same year at four percent. But it slowed down during the third and fourth quarter registering only 3. 1% and 2. 6 percent respectively. However during the first quarter of 2005 GDP was up again jumping to 3. 4% but down by 1% at 3. 3% on the next quarter. The third quarter of 2005 posted a highest growth rate since the first quarter of 2004, at 4. 2 but drastically fell to 1. 8 percent during the last quarter. According to the report of the U. S. Economic Recovery and resurgence as of march 2007, economic analysis of the GDP for the last quarter of 2006 indicates that growth rate has accelerated from 2. 0 percent on an annual basis to 2. 5 percent. The report further cited that although there were difficulties in GDP during the first, second, and third quarter of 2006 but the economy still registered a growth rate of 3. 4 percent, which is still in line with the real growth rates in past few years. According to an article entitled United States Economy 2007, GDP growth rate was under girded by the significant gains in labor productivity that despite of the damage caused by hurricane Katrina it had caused only a minor impact on overall GDP, which stand in 2005. Even the soaring oil price in 2005 to 2006 had only limited impact though it threatened inflation and unemployment. The Purchasing Power Parity GDP in2006 stands at $12. 98 trillion while official exchange rate GDP is $13. 22 trillion, Per Capita GDP $43,500. The graph at the bottom page of this paper shows the economic performance of the United States economy pertaining to the discussion above (see Figure 1). Healthy Balance of Payment (Export/ Import) Francisco Carrada-Bravo pointed out that the best way to learn about the country’s balance of payments statistics is to â€Å"take a careful look at them for a particular period† (p. 110). Bravo noted that the balance of payments of the United States, and other balance of payments from any country in the world, encompasses several main accounts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 110). Bravo explained that the value of current account is determined, at large extent by the result of trade, service, and transfer of sub accounts. Bravo further explained that â€Å"the United States shows a current account surplus, when the sale of US goods and services to the rest of the world exceeds the US acquisition of these items from other countries. How ever, the United States has a deficit in the capital account when US corporations invest abroad in excess of what foreign multinationals invest in the United States. Translating the above explanation to the US balanced payment, Export promotion, which is managed by the Ministry of Finance, provides subsidies in forms of interest rate support, direct financial support, and export rewards and bonuses. In a report made by OECD staff, the total number of firms of exporting goods was 238,284. Out of the total number of firms, 97% percent of that is SME or small-medium enterprise (p. 365). The success of this export sector is through the assistance of government since it has assistance programs and overseas trade offices to help them their small business with â€Å"market research and local assistance (p. 365). Another factor for steady rising of the economy is a policy issued on November 19, 2004, which â€Å"blocked state and local governments from taxing connections that link consumers to the internet for the next three years (OECD, p. 367). This is because the Federal government believed that e-commerce is â€Å"a growth engine for exports and international expansion. Figure 2 of this paper (see bottom page) explains the balance of payment, which includes details on American economy that includes the year 2004, 2005, and 2006. Main Macro economic Policies by the United States John Atlee in his executive summary of the Macro Economic Agenda Recovery Now and Democratic Comeback 2004 outlined macro economic policies that the US government used during the last three years. First is the Analytical Policy Focus, which features an Adopt a growth trend standard of reference for economic policy and analysis. This policy also denies economic recession instead suggest that the country is just experiencing a mild recession. Significant recovery is yet to begin and maintaining structurally balanced growth with unemployment below 4% should be the aim of this policy with reference fro the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978. Another macro economic policy, which the United States government employed during the last three years, is the Budget and Management. John Atlee noted that Bush economic policy is quite weak in its budget, and that this budget vulnerability must be understandable to the voters as well as to the investors who are demanding transparency in government. This policy also instructs that deficit projections and budget should not be based on ever changing and unreliable economic forecast. Furthermore it also to keep deficit close to zero, and eliminate economic forecasts, which is unreliable and ever changing. The government also used Social Security policy making it financially sound to effectively discredit the privatization campaign as this privatization mover promulgates falsehoods perhaps, against the capacity of the government. Taking Social Security (SS) can help finance non-SS deficits. Monetary Policy is one of the key macro economic policies of the government as this is where everything can be fluid. This policy is to recognize the creation of checkable-deposit money by bank, which finances GDP growth through eighteen to one monetary multiplier effect. The policy also aims to eradicate the pretense of interest rate control by increasing reserve requirements and direct control to the Fed. The government also used the Systematic Coordination of Monetary and Fiscal Policy over the last three years. Atlee reports that Fiscal policy is separate from budget management as it is mainly concerned with the over all effect on the economy of the budget. In Atlee’s executive summary of these macro economic policies, he pointed out that the main engine of recovery is the reformed monetary policy, which is facilitated by flexible fiscal policy. Tax Policy is another very important measure that the Bush government had utilized to encourage new businesses in the form of entrepreneurial incentives to new high tech industries and small businesses. This incentive is an exemption from the undistributed profit tax and some measures to avoid unsustainable and excessive stock price increases. These policies aim to sustain the momentum of economic growth experienced by the country since 2004 to 2007. Demand Policy and Supply Side Policy Demand policy is a government policy based on the extremity of the need of a certain sector of the government or society such as the labor sector or the energy sector. Demand policies in the labor sector is increasing the number of quality jobs Mark Rank noted that this policy approach â€Å"has assumed that the labor market by itself will generate enough jobs to meet the needs of those seeking work—that, as the supply of labor increases, the labor market will in turn respond by generating more jobs to meet the demand† (p 204). Thus, Rank suggested various labor demand policies are needed in order to generate a more â€Å"robust rate of job growth† (p. 204) Egbert Tellegen and Maarten Wolsink pointed out that supply-side policy and demand side management â€Å"require widely different abilities from the organization† (p. 184) They contend that the main challenge of supply-side management is â€Å"to develop and manage facilities of the highest technical quality at the lowest possible costs in order to fulfill customers’ needs under all circumstances† (p. 184). Conclusion/Summary American economy since November 2004 to November 2007 despite of ups and downs in the economic performance, yet it remained a steadily growing economy. The 2004 saw its drastic economic decline but it was able to rebound during the first quarter of 2005 to the third quarter of 2006; registering at steady GDP growth rate of three to four percent. Unemployment was also declining as more jobs opportunity is created each year. In general, the United States economy are performing strong up to the recent quarter of 2007 despite of their current internal debt of about 1. 3 trillion and about ten billion dollars in external debt. They remained economically powerful despite the current depreciation of the dollar against Euro and other foreign currencies. Moreover, US economy has purchasing power of about 12. 98 trillion while official exchange rate GDP is $13. 22 trillion, Per Capita GDP $43,500, which continuously grows in the preceding year.

The Death of My Best Friend Essay -- friendship essay, my best friend

I remember an old saying my mother used to tell me, â€Å"Never say never†. Is this true? I would have never expected this to be true till something happened to me that changed my life till this very day. Growing up I was oddly very cold hearted. I guess I was never the gurly girl always crying after a finger nail broke or the kind of person that wore her heart on her sleeve. I would always keep things to myself and let it be the day someone saw me cry. Most people just thought I wasn’t human. Crying wasn’t something I was used to but I didn’t know one instance would make me shed oceans. I guess I was the only dry eyes at every funeral I ever attended. My uncle’s funeral, my grandfather’s funeral, pretty much everyone’s funeral, I would just sit in the back and pray for it to be over. Everyone had so much grief that to a certain point I felt jealous I couldn’t feel such raw emotion. I think I should be put in Ripley’s World Record for attending the most funerals in a lifetime yet not shedding a single tear. It was like I was a regular customer at funerals. Everyone around me was dying and crying and it didn’t phase me one bit. I remember attending every single funeral with my best friend. We were so close she was peanut and I was jelly. She would always cry and sympathize for everyone. If I ever told her about a death she would always cry in my arms didn’t matter if she knew them or not. I was always there for her and she was always there for me. At the funerals we attended she would joke after sobbing for hours that m aybe I should go to the bathroom and pour water going down my eyes. She used to always make me laugh. I remember specifically in my grandfathers funeral she told me, â€Å"Johanna would you cry if I died?† I said â€Å"Hell no u... ...lieve she would wake up and still be with us. I’ve never cried for anyone or ever in my life and it was a shock to me. She meant the world to me and I guess you never know what you have till it’s gone. I still shed tears for her and I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing so. I never knew id cry so much for someone else or feel like my world was ending. I never expected that would happen to me, my best friend committing suicide without any notice. I never expected to react the way I did on that day. I used to be so cold hearted and emotionless and not a care in the world. After my best friend passed away, it opened a door of emotion I never thought I had. Now it’s so easy for me to sympathize with people who have lost loved ones and to console them through their grief. Katherine Peralta is the reason why I shed tears every night when I fall asleep.

World History-High Middle Ages

WORLD HISTORY – UNIT 3: THE MEDIEVAL WORLD HIGH MIDDLE AGES: MONARCHIES AND THE CHURCH In the midst of this setting, medieval countries began to emerge. England and France began to develop strong monarchal systems of government. Spain and Portugal emerged as monarchies near the end of the Middle Ages. Germany and Italy never developed strong monarchies. Here are your goals for this lesson:  ·Identify key political leaders, especially of France and England, during the High Middle Ages.  ·Identify key personalities of the Christian church during the High Middle Ages. interdict[->0]|In a religious sense, to cut off church functions or privileges. | [->1][->2] [->3][->4] France. As the Carolingian Empire declined and the rulers weakened, a split occurred in the region of France between two factions. One faction supported Charles the Simple; the other supported the Count of Paris. This second faction eventually won out and a new family of Capetian kings ruled the kingdom of Fra nce. The Capetian kings ruled France for over three hundred years from 987[->5] to 1328[->6]. Hugh Capet, the Count of Paris, was elected king by the French nobles in 987[->7].Capet formed alliances with other nobles and began extending his territory through warfare. His strength was in his feudal alliances and in the support given him by the church. He insured Capet succession by crowning his eldest son associate king. The early Capetian kings ruled as lord among other lords rather than a sovereign. The anointing of each king by the church set them apart from the others. The first strong Capetian king was Louis VI (Louis the Fat). Louis VI ruled from 1108[->8]-1137[->9] and established the strong leadership needed to lay the foundation of royal power in France.He gained complete control over the lle de France, the area around Paris, and established it as the center of royal law. Philip II (Philip Augustus) grandson of Louis VI, ruled from 1180[->10]-1223[->11] and began expanding t he kingdom. He captured Normandy, Anjou, and some of the other English territories in France. Philip Augustus also founded the University of Paris, and in 1200[->12] began construction of the Louvre, the palace of the French Kings. The Capetian kings proved themselves stronger than the feudal lords. They encouraged the development of towns so that king and townspeople could be allies against the feudal nobility.Another Capetian king, Louis IX (St. Louis), ruled from 1226[->13] to 1270[->14] and was considered the ideal king of his age. He is famous for enacting judicial reforms that allowed both rich and poor to receive equal justice. He also led the Seventh and Eighth Crusades. He was considered a saint during his lifetime and was canonized by the Roman Church in 1297[->15], less than thirty years after his death. In 1328[->16], the Capetian dynasty ended because the king left no male heir. The house of Valois claimed the throne because Philip VI , of the house of Valois, was the n ephew of Philip the Fair.Ap World History Units 1-3 Study GuideHowever, Edward III of England, also claimed the throne because he was the grandson of Philip the Fair. Edward III paying homage to Philip VI This double claim to the throne led to The Hundred Years' War, which lasted from 1338[-;17]-1453[-;18]. Many long and bitter battles were fought between England and France, all on French soil. The English dominated the war until 1429[-;19], gaining large territories in France. In 1429[-;20], however, a young girl, Joan of Arc, led an army to break the English siege at Orleans and insured the coronation of Charles VII. Joan was captured by pro-English Frenchmen, led by the Duke of Burgundy.She was then turned over to the English, who returned her to the French for a trial. She was burned at the stake in 1431[-;21]. During a second trial in 1456[-;22], she was re-tried and declared innocent. The events of 1429[-;23] were the turning point of the Hundred Years' War for France. From th is point France regained territory and won the war in 1453[->24]. France had gained a true national spirit by this time. The monarchy was firmly established. Louis XI, who ruled from 1461[->25] to 1483[->26], finally achieved a united France in 1477[->27] when he defeated Charles the Bald of Burgundy.England. King Alfred's successors ruled England until 1016[-;28]. In 1013[-;29] and 1014[-;30] England was overrun by the Danes once more when the king, Ethelred the Unready, fled to Normandy. The English Witan accepted the Dane Canute (Cnut) as king of England in 1016[-;31]. Canute ruled a united Danish kingdom that included Norway, Denmark, and England. During his reign, 1016[-;32]-1035[-;33], England was peaceful. When Canute died, however, his two sons were incompetent and tyrannical. When the last son died in 1042[-;34], the English Witan chose Edward, the son of Ethelred the Unready, as King.Edward, the Confessor, ruled from 1042[-;35] to 1066[-;36]. The power, however, rested lar gely with the strongest earl, Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and later with his son, Harold Godwinson. When Edward died leaving no heir, Harold became king. Shrine of Edward, the Confessor Harold was not the only claimant to the English throne. Both William, Duke of Normandy, and King Hardrada of Norway planned to invade England. William was a distant relative of Edward, and was officially approved by the pope. William raised an army, invaded England, and defeated Harold at the battle of Hastings in 1066[-;37].William ruled from 1066[-;38] to 1087[-;39]. He brought the feudal system to England from Normandy, but he modified it so that all vassals were subject directly to him. He granted smaller parcels of land to prevent consolidation of power. William used much of the Anglo-Saxon legal and military systems. Two main factions, the Normans and the Saxons, split England for several years. After William and his successors, England was ruled by a new line of kings, the Plantagenets. Henry II w as first in the line of Plantagenet kings. The Plantagenets ruled England from 1154[-;40] to 1399[-;41].Henry II has been called one of England's greatest kings because of his extensive judicial reforms. Henry hoped that he could unify England by making the royal law the law of the land. This royal law was the foundation of English common law. English common law became the basis for most of the United States law, and legal procedures. Henry also initiated a circuit court system and developed the jury system that led gradually to the jury trial system. Henry II had difficulty with the church because he attempted to put clergy under common law and because his legal reforms interfered with the church court system.The culmination of Henry's problem with the church was his argument with his friend and advisor Thomas a' Becket over these church-state concerns. The murder of Becket by some of Henry's knights brought public anger and hurt Henry's attempt to unify England. Henry's son, Richa rd the Lionhearted, spent so many years fighting in the Crusades that he had little affect on England as king. His cruel brother, John, plotted often to overthrow Richard between 1189[-;42] and 1199[-;43], but did not succeed. John finally took the throne when Richard died. His reign from 1199[-;44] to 1216[-;45] is often called the worst in English history.His cruelty led to defeat on all fronts. His wars with Philip Augustus lost most of the English holdings in France by 1214[-;46]. His disputes with the pope, led the pope to place England under interdict in 1208[-;47] and to excommunicate John in 1209[-;48]. His ruthless ways at home caused the English nobles to revolt in 1215[-;49]. At Runnymede in the year 1215[-;50], John was forced by his nobles to sign the Magna Carta (the Great Charter). The Magna Carta was a document which protected feudal rights and limited the power of the king by stating that even the king was under the rule of law.Before this time, the king was not bou nd by any law; he was the law. John did not honor the Magna Carta for long. The principles in the Magna Carta, however, influenced later developments such as fair trials, representative government, and taxation only by consent of the people. John's refusal to abide by the Magna Carta led to further unrest. When John died in 1216[->51], he left a country torn by civil wars. The Plantagenet kings following John were largely responsible for the formation of English Parliament. Edward I, who reigned from 1272[->52] to 1307[->53], was the first to use Parliament effectively.He called together an assembly of people's representatives made up of knights, nobles, clergy, and burgesses. Initially this group was called together to make monetary decisions, especially concerning taxes. In the beginning the representatives met as separate groups, knights meeting with nobles, clergy and burgesses meeting by themselves. In later years the clergy no longer joined the group. The knights and burgesses met together forming the basis for the House of Commons, and the nobles met together in what became known as the House of Lords. Edward I tried to conquer both Wales and Scotland.He succeeded in conquering Wales in 1284[-;54], but he could not conquer Scotland. The high cost of these wars forced him to collect money through taxes. This need for tax revenue led to the calling of Parliament. Edward II (1307[-;55]-1327[-;56]), Edward III (1327[-;57]-1337[-;58]), and Richard II (1377[-;59]-1399[-;60]), were the last Plantagenet rulers. Edward II and Edward III further developed Parliament making it an integral part of English government by the end of the fourteenth century. The Hundred Years' War had taken its toll and continued beyond the Plantagenet reign.Richard II was only ten years of age when he took the throne. His uncle, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, held the real power until Richard was of age. The costs of war, the unrest among the peasants that led to the Peasants Revolt of 1381[->61], and the seizure of John of Gaunt's lands after his death made Richard unpopular. In 1399[-;62], Richard II was forced to abdicate when John of Gaunt's son Henry of Bolingbroke led a revolt of nobles against the king. Henry of Bolingbroke became Henry IV, the first king of the House of Lancaster. His son, Henry V, was a strong king who reigned between 1413[->63] and 1422[->64].Henry V fought bravely in the Hundred Years' War and won the famous Battle of Agincourt in 1415[-;65]. After Henry V's death, England again was torn by civil wars. When Henry died, his son was only nine months old, and was named Henry Vl. Before Henry VI came of age in 1437[->66], England had suffered severe losses in the Hundred Years' War, and the country was dominated by rival factions, primarily by the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VI's weak and disastrous reign led England into a second war that began just two years after England's loss of the Hundred Years' War.This new war lasted th irty years (1455[->67]-1485[->68]), and was called the Wars of the Roses because the red rose was the symbol of the House of Lancaster, and the white rose was the symbol of the House of York. The Wars of the Roses finally ended in 1485[->69] when Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster defeated King Richard III in the battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor became Henry VII and began the reign of the Tudor kings, a reign that lasted until 1603[->70]. Holy Roman Empire. In the kingdoms of Germany and Italy, strong monarchies did not develop as they did in England and France.Germany had the opportunity to establish a strong government but the choice to seek power and conquest prevented them from doing it. After the last Carolingian king of east Frankland died, the kingdom of Germany was split into four duchies. In 919[->71], a Saxon noble, Henry the Fowler became King Henry I. Henry I established a strong government and began to increase the territory of the kingdom of Germany. His son Ot to, called Otto the Great, became one of the strongest kings in Europe. During his reign from 936[->72] to 973[->73], Otto created a united Germany by dominating the nobles.He stopped the Magyar and Slav invasions, and united German church leaders under his power. Once he had united Germany, Otto turned to Italy. On an expedition to Italy (961[->74]-964[->75]), Otto saved the pope, deposed the Italian king, and added north and central Italy to the German kingdom. In 962[->76], the pope crowned him Roman Emperor of the West, and Otto became the first emperor of what was called the Holy Roman Empire. This title gave Otto power not only over Italy and Germany, but also over the papacy.Otto and the German emperors who followed him became ambitious and desired to live as the Roman emperors had lived before them. While they wasted their efforts trying to hold the Italian states and to live as emperors, the German nobles regained power and established their own feudal states. Some of the s trongest German kings could have reunited Germany, but the lure of Italian power kept them divided. One of the most famous kings, Frederick Barbarossa (Redbeard), first of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, extended the empire to Burgundy, Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland.His reign from 1152[->77] to 1190[->78] was successful, but he spent twenty-five years trying to reconquer Italian lands. Frederick died in Asia Minor on the Third Crusade. Spain and Portugal. After 711[->79] when the Muslims invaded Spain, civil wars split the Muslim factions. The Umayyad Kingdom of Cordoba became the center of culture and power in Spain from the eighth to the eleventh century. Tenth century Cordoba was the great intellectual center of Europe. Small groups of Christians had scattered during the Muslim invasions.After 711[->80] Christians fought both Muslims and other Christians and established small kingdoms. By the tenth and eleventh centuries independent Christian kingdoms were well established. Muslim power had begun to disintegrate. The Christian reconquest, or Reconquista, as it was called, began in the eleventh century and continued for nearly four hundred years. Rodrigo Diaz of Vivar, known as El Cid, was the great hero of the early Reconquista movement. He conquered the Muslims in Valencia in 1094[->81] and became its ruler until his death in 1099[->82].In 1139[->83] Alphonso I of Portugal defeated the Muslims. Portugal was declared a free kingdom in 1143[->84]. In 1212[->85] the Spanish Christians defeated the Muslims in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. All that remained under Muslim control was Granada. The Reconquista finally ended in 1492[->86] when Ferdinand and Isabella captured Granada. THE CHURCH The Roman Catholic Church of the High Middle Ages was one of the only unifying factors in Europe. Europe was often called Christendom because the church was so much a part of life.The church controlled many legal and political functions and during this period promised protectio n as well as salvation. People depended on the church first of all for salvation. Roman Catholics believed in certain basic doctrines, the most important of which were the seven sacraments: baptism confirmation penance the Holy Eucharist (Lord's Supper) matrimony (marriage) holy orders extreme unction The sacraments covered every aspect of Roman Catholic life from birth with baptism to preparation for death with extreme unction. The sacraments were considered essential to salvation and could only be administered by clergy.The church structure was similar to earlier church structures. In the High Middle Ages, however, bishops were often upper class, equal to the nobles in wealth and power. Parish priests, especially in the villages, were often poorly educated, but were concerned with the salvation of their people. The church began to develop a more highly structured ritual, or liturgy. The liturgy was not the same all over Europe, but the essential Eucharistic ritual was central to i t. Church fathers and later poets composed elaborate hymns for church services. Observance of religious festivals and special seasons increased.The church regulated certain aspects of warfare. Knights who killed innocent people or who pillaged churches or monasteries were banned from the sacraments in accordance with a document known as the Peace of God (990[-;87]). Another document, the Truce of God, prohibited fighting during certain religious seasons and on specified days of the week. The church courts tried those who ignored these rules as well as members of the clergy who were guilty of offenses. Heretics were also tried by church courts. A fear of heresy led to the creation of a court to search out and to try heretics.This court became known as the Inquisition. The church could impose severe penalties, such as interdiction and excommunication. The Church could also depose unfit rulers. Religious orders. The medieval church was not without controversies. The increased wealth of some church leaders and of some monasteries led to reforms from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries. The primary reforms were monastic. Many monasteries had become part of the feudal system, accepting lands in return for protection. The land brought further involvement with the world, along with wealth.Many monks, vowed to poverty, found this acquisition of land unacceptable and set out to find new, reformed orders with stricter rules. The monastery of Cluny, founded in 910[-;88], was such a reformed monastery. The monks of Cluny refused land grants that tied them to lay leaders. The movement spread, and Cluny eventually had 300 monasteries under the abbot at Cluny. These monks were responsible directly to the pope. Two other reform groups were the Carthusians, who lived as hermits, and the Cistercians, who were a stricter branch of the Benedictines and who were led in the early twelfth century by St.Bernard of Clairvaux (1091[-;89]-1153[-;90]). In the twelfth and thirteenth cent uries new orders, known as mendicant orders, began to appear. The members of these monastic orders took vows of poverty and were forbidden to own property. They were supported by alms (begging). Two of these orders were begun by Francis of Assisi (1182[-;91]-1216[-;92]) and Dominic (1170[-;93]-1221[-;94]). These two men organized groups of friars, or brothers, who did not live in monasteries, but went out as missionaries, earning or begging for their food and shelter as they went.These orders, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, were founded to fight the spread of heresies. In addition to a vow of poverty, the friars' rule forbade them to marry. Papacy. As papal powers and secular powers became more closely linked, problems arose between church and state in all matters. Both church and state claimed sovereign powers in cases that did not concern them, especially in legal matters. The outcome was usually determined by the stronger leader, either pope or king. From 962[->95] to 1149[- >96], Otto the Great and the other emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, had declared themselves above the pope.They deposed and named popes at will. The Clunaic Reforms under Pope Leo IX (1049[->97]-1054[->98]) gave the papacy independence. Gregory III, who was pope from 1037[->99] to 1085[->100], tried to establish church authority over state authority by standing against the German emperors. Although he was driven from Rome, he established a precedent of opposition to the Germans which spurred future popes to similar action. Pope Innocent III had greater success over secular rulers during his papacy from 1198[->101]-1216[->102].He was victorious over both Philip Augustus of France in 1198[->103], and King John of England in 1213[->104]. In the latter case, he forced John to pay tribute to the papacy and to acknowledge that England was a fief of the papacy. In the thirteenth century, Pope Gregory IX was unable to defeat Frederick II of Germany, but he created considerable opposition that led eventually to the downfall of the Hohenstaufens. In 1302[->105] Pope Boniface VIII (1294[->106]-1303[->107]) declared that all states were subject to the pope.This action resulted in controversy, especially with Philip the Fair in France, and led to the Avignon Captivity, a group of French popes who reigned in the city of Avignon from 1305[->108] to 1376[->109]. From 1378[->110] to 1417[->111], the Great Schism, an era when the church was ruled by two rival popes, dealt a severe blow to papal supremacy and severely split the church. The schism ended in 1417[->112] when the Council of Constance deposed both popes and elected a new pope, Martin V. Philosophy. One of the major intellectual developments to rise out of the church at this time was a serious study of philosophy.Medieval philosophy began to examine the relationship between faith and reason. The introduction of many of Aristotle's works into medieval Europe combined with knowledge of church teachings led to the deve lopment of a religious philosophy known as Scholasticism. Scholasticism attempted to apply Aristotle's logic to church teachings. The greatest scholastic philosopher was St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican who lived from about 1224[->113] to 1274[->114]. His twenty-one volume Summa Theologica carefully studies the relationship between faith and reason. Thomas spoke of reason and faith as gifts of God.He concluded that reason could understand certain truths and that faith perceived the truths of Christians, which could not be understood by reason. Scholasticism was not immediately accepted, but eventually Thomas' works were adopted officially by the church. The Crusades. In the period from 1096[-;115] to 1291[-;116], eight Catholic Crusades were launched to drive the Muslim â€Å"infidels† from the Holy Land. The Crusades were military failures. They did, however, stimulate the growth of trade in Europe, which, in turn, led to the growth of cities, trade centers, and monetary syst ems.They also led to advances in armor and weaponry. The Crusades were very costly and many nobles were forced to sell their lands to finance military campaigns. This led eventually to a decline in the feudal system because the sale of the lands lessened the power of the lords, and it released the serfs who then moved into the towns. Major Crusades:| The First Crusade (1096[-;117]-1099[-;118]) called by Pope Urban II at request of the Byzantine emperor;| The Second Crusade (1147[-;119]-1149[-;120]) called by St.Bernard of Clairvaux at the request of Pope Eugenius II;| The Third Crusade (1189[-;121]-1192[-;122]) called by European leaders after the fall of Jerusalem;| The Fourth Crusade (1202[-;123]-1204[-;124]) called by Pope Innocent III;| The Fifth Crusade (1218[-;125]-1221[-;126]) called by Pope Innocent III;| The Sixth Crusade (1228[-;127]-1229[-;128]) led by Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire;| The Seventh Crusade (1248[-;129]-1254[-;130]) called by Louis IX of France;| The Eighth Crusade (1270[-;131]-1272[-;132]) called by Louis IX of France. |The Crusades diminished the power of the church somewhat because they failed to defeat the â€Å"infidels. † The Crusades were responsible, however, for the growth of chivalric and monastic orders of knights, such as the Knights Templars, the Teutonic Knights, and the Knights Hospitalers. Three other Crusades are often mentioned. The first is the People's Crusade of 1096[->133] composed of about fifty thousand peasants and their families who set out for Asia Minor. They pillaged their way through Europe and killed many Jews. Led by a man called Peter the Hermit, about twelve thousand reached their goal, only to be slaughtered by Turks.The second was the Children's Crusade of 1212[-;134]. This Crusade led to disaster and was a tragic memory for families across the continent. Most of the idealistic children either died or were captured and sold as slaves. The third crusade was officially called by Pope Greg ory in 1274[-;135] and would have been the Ninth Crusade, but it never began. Pope Gregory died in 1276[-;136] and preparation for the Crusade ceased. 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My Journal Entry Week Essay

â€Å"Well that’s what we did with my kids and they turned out just fine.† Is a phrase that I have heard plenty of times over the years. I tend to be a very honest person no matter the situation or consequences so I have ticked off a lot of people over the years and have lost many of friends for being such an honest opinions or advice. I have three handsome and polite little boys. Well at least most of the time. Over the years I have been approached by parents of their friends that they go to school with and were asked if my boy could stay the night with their boy. Now don’t get me wrong I love sleepovers when they are done at my house or it is at a house of responsible mature parents. My oldest son just became a teen ager. How exciting right? Yea right now he constantly wants to go and stay with friends. These friends that he has are rotten, mean and ignorant boys. I know that it is not their fault but, their parents fault for how they are raised. I also know these parents as well and know what kind of parents they are and how they live their lives. One of the fathers to the boys called me a while back and wanted my son to come and stay the night with his boy. Not only did he call me while he was intoxicated but he lets his son drink as well. I told him no. He asked me why I was being so difficult about my son staying over I decided just to be brutally honest with him. He actually said these same words. â€Å"Well that’s what we did with my kids and they turned out just fine.† He must have thought I did not have access to a television because a few weeks earlier his oldest son was on the evening news for being drunk and being involved in a stabbing. I most certainly do not think they turned out just fine. For a case that this saying may be true in some cases would be if the parent was talking about their child taking an extra class or volunteering at shelter of some kind. When I was fourteen my parents always had me work in the summer to earn my own money. Not only did it not bother my future any but, made it much better by teaching me responsibility. Why is it important to utilize problem-solving techniques in exploring developmental issues, grounded in child development theory to explain and/or demonstrate a foundational knowledge of the children’s developmental continuum, from conception? Because there are many questions that need to be answer starting from birth until old age. Does baby dream? To stress at an older age. If scientist investigate all these  questions to find answers you may discover how to keep a baby calm when nothing else seems to work to how to help an aging parent hoe to remember simple things such as where they left their eye glasses. What makes scholarly research different from anecdotal evidence (or personal experience) in explaining child and adolescent development? [Hint: Consider the methodology of the articles you are reading.] Anecdotal evidence is evidence that comes from anecdotes. Anecdotal evidence is known to be suspicious and is not to be relied on. Scholarly research is research that is done by scholars and professionals that can show evidence that can be relied on. Identify and briefly describe the key points of one theory and why you feel that theory is applicable to child and/or adolescent development. I agree with the Erik Erikson that conflict is the major concept of human development when it comes to establishing an identity in life. If a child does not deal with the conflicts they may not be able to establish their role in life as easily as others or maybe not at all. This leads to a lot of confusion. Finally, relate the value of continued learning with a concluding reflection on why we should incorporate both personal experience and scholarly research grounded in theory to help support any statements made in this class or any other professional setting. I think it is important to have any and all evidence no matter what it may be. The more research and life lesson we learn the better we will learn in the future by learning from school and past mistakes. Mossler, R.A. (2011). Child and adolescent development. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Endless Questions video About.com Psychology

Mediation Morality and Aurelius Essay

Mediation Morality and Aurelius Essay Mediation: Morality and Aurelius Essay Barry Nesmith Teacher Name Class Name 4 June 2013 â€Å"Meditation† "Meditations" written by Marcus Aurelius, is best summarized as being the best person you can be. In being the best person, one must be moral and unchanging in their peaceful state of mind. The author mains concept about mediation is being at an equable temper even when the going gets rough. Although people may test you they will be defeated because you have the true capability of controlling yourself. To help explain his thoughts on meditation, Aurelius uses three main key points. According to Aurelius, â€Å"Every man has three relations to acquit himself in; his body, God, and his neighbors.† Marcus Aurelius' philosophy of proper behavior includes being candid and able to control your temper, modesty, having a regard for religion, and taking pleasure in helping others. However, the most common themes are probity and the ability to control your temper. When examining Aurelius’ philosophy it imposes a deeper meaning then just the shell. Not only does this philosophy help you be a good person it also shows you how to control yourself and is a guideline to how better yourself in everything that you do. First, to help support his argument, Aurelius tells the readers stories of the influences that helped him become molded into the person he is today. Based off of this argument, in order to be a good moral person, Aurelius states that you need help from others. In the opening paragraph, Aurelius list people who were close to him and explained in what way they affected his life. However, each person contains their own special characteristics. For example, the author says, â€Å"The example of my grandfather Verus taught me to be candid and to control my temper (Aurelius).† But he then adds, â€Å"By the memory of my father's character I learnt to be modest and manly. My mother taught me regard for religion, to be generous and open-handed, and neither to do an ill turn to anyone nor even to think of it. She bred me also to a plain and inexpensive way of living (Aurelius).† In this manner, the author tells the reader before the conclusion of the first paragraph that there a re many influences that helps mold a person life. Not only does the author thank the people closest to him for his moral ways but he also thanks the gods. â€Å"I thank the gods that my grandfathers, parents, sister, preceptors, relatives, friends and domestics were almost all persons of probity and that I never happened to disoblige any of them. By the goodness of the gods I was not provoked to expose my infirmities (Aurelius).† With this statement Aurelius proves that above all he thanks else he gods before anyone else. He feels that without the gods his would not have been blessed to heave such moral people in his life to teach him their ways. In advanced to the help of others close to you, in order to be moral it takes yourself to have the free will to want to do what is moral. No matter how much goodness is installed in you, you have to actually want to be good. If you do not practice the ways of the moral how will you ever expect to be moral? This is the important question that arises to help one detect their morality. When putting your mind to do something all it takes is for you to take action. No one can make you be a moral person it is a choice that only you can make. For

3 Steps to Take Before You Quit Your Job

3 Steps to Take Before You Quit Your Job Ever dream of walking out and never looking back? Often wonder if you could ever pursue a career, degree, or dream you think might be too risky? Now might be the time. We spend too much of our lives afraid to make the big decision. But the vast majority of Americans aren’t fully engaged or enriched at work. Furthermore,  studies show that most pay raises come after a job switch. You could be happier and make more money, if only you were brave enough to take the leap!1. Make a financial planOf course, you’ll have to take a comprehensive look at your finances. If you don’t have a safety net to get you through a few months unemployed, then the time is not yet right. Consider making a quitting fund for next year, and start dreaming up what you’d rather be doing with your life. But if you do have the liquid to take the big risk, the possible rewards are overwhelming.2. Make a logistical planDo your homework. How long can you make it without work? What’ s your worst-case scenario should it all go wrong? Talk to the people who would be affected by your decision- spouse, kids, parents, business partners. Most importantly, start to rejigger your career identity so you won’t succumb to feeling like a drifter. Craft a preemptory answer to the dreaded cocktail party question, â€Å"So what do you do?† If you have an answer prepared, you’ll start to feel strong enough to use it.3. Don’t leap blindlyDo the usual networking and job searching, but make sure to make room in your schedule for some soul-searching. What did you actually love about the work you were doing? What are some features of your ideal job? What would you like to do with your life if you had one more chance and one big re-set button?There’s always time to make your life better. So go ahead and give yourself the option of being more fulfilled. One day, it might be too late for you to change, for one reason or another- but today is not that day.

Addictive Behaviours Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Addictive Behaviours - Essay Example There is immense research on the mechanisms of addiction as far as substance abuse and alcohol addiction are concerned. As of now, there is very little research into this aspect with reference to addictive behaviors like gambling. Though many researchers argue similar pathogenesis in all addictive behaviours, research into this perspective is warranted. Acute and chronic stress have been incriminated in the mechanism of development of addiction in all types of addictive behaviours. However, it is yet unclear as to what type and extent of stress, timing of stress and coping strategies against stress cause such negative implications towards ones behaviour. In this essay, mechanisms involved in the development of addictive gambling will be elucidated through review of appropriate literature and with reference to pathophysiology of addiction of substances and alcohol. There are several substances which are addictive in nature. Of these, marijuana is the most widely consumed illicit drug in the world (Maxwell, 2003). According to the statistics on drug abuse published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2002 (based on National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 2001), marijuana constituted 33.1% of the illicit drugs ever used. It also constituted 12.9% of the drugs recently used. The mean age of initiation was 18.5 years. The consumption of marijuana overseas was most prevalent in New-Zealand (20%) and least in Canada (8.9%). The prevalence in U.K and U.S was same (9%) (Maxwell 2003). Most often it is consumed with other illicit drugs like cocaine (called ‘blunts’) or tobacco. It is taken in mainly for the mental effects like altered state of consciousness, perceptual changes like hallucinations and heightened sensory experiences. The main active chemical having psycho-activity in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocann abinol) (Astolfi et al, 1998). Other than euphoria and hallucinations, marijuana has other effects

Virtues that pharmacists should possess 2 Literature review

Virtues that pharmacists should possess 2 - Literature review Example Many of the decisions that pharmacists make are life and death ones, and so we require a strong code of ethics from them. Like many other important professions they are respected but they are also held to high standards. According to Peterson (2004), virtues are core characteristics that are valued by philosophers and religious thinkers which add value to the character possessed by an individual to make them suited to perform in a task, vocation or leadership position. Peterson suggests that although the virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, humanity, temperance and transcendence may be in conflict in the psyche of an individual, these virtues add to the character of a person to make them suited to a position or a vocation. Peterson goes further to state that character strengths are the psychological ingredients that are represented in virtues. For example, wisdom depends on creativity, curiosity, love of learning, open mindedness and having a big picture of life. The nature of professional roles demands a virtue ethic, which emphasises doing good based on the nature and moral significance of such a role. A virtuous agent in a professional role must be able to act in a way that improves society (Oakley, 2003). Oakley argues that a ‘regulative ideal’ is desirable and actions in situations are right only if an agent with a virtuous character would do the same in the circumstances. Thus, according to Oakley, the virtue of benevolence is desirable in pharmacist, a doctor or a health worker because such a virtue results in a desire to save lives. Clearly, a practising pharmacist who deals with patients in need of drugs that can cure, but also kill due to dangerous side effects, needs to act in the best interest of a patient in a wise, benevolent and tempered manner. The Kantian Categorical Imperative presents standards of correct behaviour for professional agents. Indeed, under this scheme, only certain