The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima free essay sample

the Miracle Of Our Lady Of Fatima is a feature film made in 1952. It was promoted as a fact-based treatment of the events surrounding the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. It starred Susan Whitney as Lucia dos Santos, Sammy Ogg as Francisco Marto, and Sherry Jackson, as Jacinta Marto, with Gilbert Roland as a fictional character named Hugo, a kindly but agnostic friend of the three children, who rediscovered his faith in God through the Solar Miracle of Fatima. The musical score by Max Steiner received an Academy Award nomination. The film was released on DVD on April 4, 2006. Story It is 1917, and Portugal is feeling the aftereffects of a storm of Masonic, anti-religious sentiment and the violent overthrow of the government by socialist forces in its October 5, 1910 revolution. Churches in Lisbon are boarded up. Many priests, monks and friars are shown being fingerprinted, photographed and registered as (possible) criminals before being jailed. We will write a custom essay sample on The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The rural town of Fatima is small enough to have escaped much of this persecution; their church remains open, and most of the people are reasonably devout. Watching their flocks and playing in a field outside town on May 16 (the actual date of the first apparition was May 13), Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto decide to pray their version of the Rosary by yelling out, Hail Mary! but not finishing the prayer. In the midst of this activity they hear a clap of thunder and see a flash of lightning. Thinking it is about to rainm, the children gather their sheep and head for home. Another flash of lightning causes them to run straight into an unusual cloud of light surrounding a little tree on which a lady stands. Speaking slowly and gently, the lady asks them to return on the 13th of each month and to offer their sufferings to God for the salvation of sinners. She entreats them to say the Rosary for world peace. Later, they encounter their agnostic friend Hugo who tells them it is best not to reveal the vision to anyone else, but of course on returning home, Jacinta immediately divulges her sightings. Jacinta and Franciscos parents believe the story, but Lucias mother reacts with disgust and subjects her daughter to emotional and physical abuse. She forbids Lucia to return to the Cova, but Lucia does so anyway on the next months appearance (June 13), and is told then that her cousins will die and go to heaven soon, while she will live a long life in holy service. The church father suggests the visions might be from Satan. The local authorities close the Fatima church until its father can convince the parishioners that no visions have or will happen. The next month, on July 13, the lady appears again, predicting another and worse war (WWII) will happen if the world doesnt stop sinning. She also predicts evil will come from Russia if that country is unconverted. Kidnapped by provincial administrator Arturo Santos, the children are threatened with death if they dont change their story. Trying to frighten them, he has first Jacinta, then Francisco dragged into another room. Jacintas terrified screams convince Lucia that her cousins are dead, but she refuses to deny what shes seen. Warning her that shes about to experience the full treatment, Santos reunites her with her cousins, who are very much alive, then throws them all in jail. There they find Hugo, who stands by them as they convince all the prisoners to join in the Rosary. Unable to find any prosecutable evidence, Arturo frees the children, who find that the entire population of Fatima has been standing outside waiting for them. On October 13, when the lady promised a sign that will make them believe, about forty thousand people arrive, waiting through a torrential downpour. At precisely noon the clouds part and the sun shines brightly upon all the people—then the sun shifts through a rainbow of colours and appears to drop toward the ground. Many people panic, some pray or watch calmly, and a few disabled people are healed. As the sun returns to normal we see Hugo standing in the middle of the kneeling crowd, his hat still on. Removing it, he says Only the fool sayeth there is no God. A short epilogue shows the huge basilica where the tree once stood. Inside, Lucia is a nun praying before the tomb where her cousins are buried, with the converted Hugo at her side.

Crime in our Culture essays

Crime in our Culture essays Crime refers to many types of misconduct forbidden by law. Crimes include such things as murder, stealing a car, resisting arrest, possessing or selling illegal drugs, appearing nude on a public street, drunken driving, and bank robbery. The list of acts considered crimes is constantly changing. For example, at one time, people were charged with witchcraft, but this is no longer illegal. Today, it is becoming a serious crime to pollute the air and water. In colonial days, pollution received little attention because it caused few problems. During the 1700's in England it was not a crime for people to steal money entrusted to their care by an employer. Today, this type of theft, embezzlement, is a crime. Crimes may be classified in various ways. For example, they sometimes are grouped according to the seriousness of the offense, according to the motives of the offenders. Such crimes may include economic crimes, political crimes, crimes of passion, organized crime, and white collar crime. Crimes are often divided between acts that most people would consider evil and acts that lawmakers decide should be regulated in the interest of the community. The first group includes such major crimes as arson, assault, breach of the peace, burglary, kidnapping, larceny, murder, rape, and robbery. The second group includes crimes of a "rapidly growing urban society." These crimes include violations of income tax laws, liquor control regulations, pure food and drug laws, and traffic laws. Crimes in the first group usually involve severe punishments while crimes in the second group are generally punished by fines, notices to follow the court's orders, or other relatively light penalties. Crimes are frequently classified according to their seriousness as felonies or misdemeanors. Generally, felonies are more serious than misdemeanors. Under the federal criminal law system, felonies are crimes for which the pun...

Documentación Para Niños Que Viajan Solos en EE.UU.

Documentacià ³n Para Nià ±os Que Viajan Solos en EE.UU. Cuando un nià ±o menor de 18 aà ±os  ingresa o sale de los Estados Unidos sin estar acompaà ±ado por sus dos padres o se dispone a viajar solo en un vuelo domà ©stico surge la duda sobre quà © documentacià ³n necesita. En este artà ­culo se explican cules son los documentos oficiales que pueden ser utilizados por los menores de edad estadounidenses para ingresar y salir  de Estados Unidos y tambià ©n se brinda un ejemplo de declaracià ³n jurada voluntaria, que puede ser conveniente para evitar problemas, y quà © puede suceder cuando el menor viaja con solamente un progenitor y se sospecha que puede no tener la autorizacià ³n del otro para salir del paà ­s. Asimismo, se informa sobre las reglas y directrices que aplican a los vuelos domà ©sticos de menores que viajar sin estar acompaà ±ados por un adulto. Finalmente y teniendo en consideracià ³n que cuando se cruzan aduanas internacionales hay que respetar las leyes del paà ­s de entrada y del de salida, se explica el caso de Mà ©xico debido a la frecuencia de viajes entre ese paà ­s y Estados Unidos por parte de menores. Documentacià ³n para viajes de nià ±os estadounidenses a otros paà ­ses En primer lugar, destacar que el menor estadounidense necesita estar documentado, asà ­ viaje por sà ­ solo o con sus padres. Entre la documentacià ³n aceptada para salir e ingresar a los Estados Unidos el  pasaporte americano es el documento por excelencia  para todos los  ciudadanos americanos, incluidos los nià ±os. Pero sacar un pasaporte americano para un nià ±o est sujeto a sus propias reglas que difieren un poco de las que aplican a los pasaportes de adultos. Por ejemplo, es necesaria la presencia de ambos padres y si uno  de los padres no quiere sacar el pasaporte para el hijo/a  solo caben excepciones muy particulares. Tambià ©n es necesario  llevar al infante a solicitar el pasaporte. Adems, si bien es cierto que el documento por excelencia es el pasaporte americano lo cierto es que adems se admiten otro tipo de papeles, dependiendo de la edad del menor, de si se llega por mar o tierra y del paà ­s de procedencia. Lo cual es especialmente à ºtil para los casos de cruce de aduanas terrestres entre Mà ©xico y Estados Unidos.   Las mismas reglas que aplican para que el menor salga de Estados Unidos sirven para que regrese. En el caso de que el pasaporte caduque estando en el exterior ser necesario solicitar otro nuevo en una embajada o consulado estadounidense. El nià ±o deber estar presente en la entrevista para el pasaporte. Documentacià ³n adicional cuando el nià ±o no viaja acompaà ±ado de ambos padres Es muy frecuente que un menor viaje al exterior o regrese a los Estados Unidos acompaà ±ado de sà ³lo el pap, sà ³lo la mam, otros familiares como abuelos, hermanos mayores, tà ­os, padrinos e incluso amigos, grupos escolares o religiosos, etc.  ¿Quà © dice la ley en estos casos? El gobierno federal de los Estados Unidos no establece obligatoriamente la necesidad de que estos adultos que acompaà ±an a los nià ±os lleven ninguna justificacià ³n de por quà © estn los nià ±os viajando con ellos. Sin embargo, la Policà ­a de Aduanas y Fronteras (CBP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) puede pedirle al adulto que pruebe con un documento que puede viajar internacionalmente con el nià ±o.  ¿Quà © documento prueba  que el adulto que acompaà ±a al nià ±o cuenta con la autorizacià ³n de los dos padres? Segà ºn la CBP una declaracià ³n jurada firmada ante notario. Si el nià ±o viaja con un sà ³lo progenitor, el otro ha de firmarla. Y si viaja sin ninguno de los padres entonces en la declaracià ³n ha de estar la firma de los dos. La à ºnica excepcià ³n a esto es cuando uno de los padres tiene la custodia en exclusiva del menor. Como por ejemplo cuando es viudo/a, una corte ha establecido esa custodia en exclusiva o en el certificado de nacimiento consta sà ³lo el nombre de uno de los padres. En estos casos es suficiente la declaracià ³n con la firma del padre que tiene custodia, si bien  es bueno llevar tambià ©n la documentacià ³n que asà ­ lo acredita (birth certificate, death certificate, court decision, etc).   Ejemplo de declaracià ³n para justificar que un nià ±o no est viajando con ambos padres I (y a continuacià ³n escribir el nombre del pap y/o de la mam) acknowledge that my (poner aquà ­ la relacià ³n con el adulto que acompaà ±a al menor y su nombre, como por ejemplo wife, husband, father, mother, friend, etc) is travelling out of the country with my (son, daughter). He/She/they (segà ºn sea el caso)  have my permission to do so. Lo que en espaà ±ol vendrà ­a a decir que Yo, (y a continuacià ³n mi nombre) reconozco que mi (esposo/esposa, amigo, pap, mam, etc) viaja a otro paà ­s con mi (hijo, hija). El/Ella tiene mi permiso para hacerlo. Elegir las opciones correctas, firmarlo y fecharlo ante notario. Recordar que si ninguno de los paps acompaà ±a al nià ±o, debe haber dos declaraciones juradas, una por el mam y otra por el padre. Si el adulto que acompaà ±a al nià ±o en su guardin legal establecido asà ­ por una corte entonces no precisa de la autorizacià ³n de ninguno de los paps, pero es recomendable que viaje con el papel donde se le nombra guardin.  ¿Por quà © Estados Unidos puede pedir esta declaracià ³n certificada? El objetivo es proteger al nià ±o, particularmente en casos de secuestro internacional de menores, donde es frecuente que uno de los padres, sà ³lo o con ayuda de amigos o familiares, intente cruzar una frontera con un nià ±o a escondidas el progenitor con el que comparte custodia. Esto es un delito muy serio, incluso aunque el que lo haga sea uno de los padres y tenga la mejor de las intenciones. Viajar con esa declaracià ³n notarizada no es obligatorio. Pero si un agente la pide y no se tiene lo que va a pasar es que el adulto que acompaà ±a al menor va a ser retenido hasta que se puede demostrar que tiene permiso del otro padre o de ambos padres -segà ºn el caso- para viajar internacionalmente con el menor. Requisitos aerolà ­neas y de otros paà ­ses: el caso de Mà ©xico Cuando se viaja por avià ³n hay que verificar de antemano los requisitos de cada aerolà ­nea, ya que dependiendo del caso pueden ser incluso ms severas que las de las autoridades americanas. Adems, no olvidar que cuando se cruza una frontera hay que cumplir con las leyes de dos paà ­ses, no sà ³lo las de Estados Unidos. Asà ­ que verificar quà © pide el otro paà ­s para poder ingresar/sacar a un menor por sus fronteras cuando no est acompaà ±ado por ambos padres. Por ejemplo, las reglas de Canad son muy estrictas y las de Mà ©xico, tambià ©n.  Por ejemplo, si se viaja entre  Mà ©xico y Estados Unidos,  las de esas 2 naciones, destacando que  Mà ©xico  es un paà ­s que exige requisitos serios  en el caso de viajes de menores sin estar acompaà ±ados por su padre y su madre, al pedir que se llene el  Formato de Salida de Menores  (SAM). Documentos para nià ±os extranjeros ingresando en EE.UU. Los menores extranjeros deben tener pasaporte y documento que permita el ingreso que depender del caso de cada uno, por ejemplo, la tarjeta de residencia, una visa de turista o estudiante, una ESTA, etc. Documentos para nià ±os que viajan solos en vuelo domà ©stico en EE.UU. Como regla general la ley dice que los menores de 18 aà ±os no tienen que mostrar identificacià ³n para pasar por el control de seguridad. Sin embargo, cada aerolà ­nea est capacitada para establecer sus propias reglas. Por ejemplo, es comà ºn que exijan algà ºn tipo de identificacià ³n para permitir la compra del billete y emitir la tarjeta de embarque. Adems, sà ­ que se pide al adulto que acompaà ±a al menor al aeropuerto o lo recoge que muestre un I.D. con foto tipo licencia de manejar del estado. Adems, aunque no es necesario se surgiere que los menores que ya han alcanzado los 12 aà ±os de edad y, particularmente, si parecen muy grandes que lleven consigo una identificacià ³n con foto que no contenga su direccià ³n. El pasaporte, de Estados Unidos o de otro paà ­s, es la identificacià ³n ideal pero no la à ºnica que puede servir este propà ³sito. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso concreto.

Toyota SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota SWOT Analysis - Essay Example Toyota’s mission statement, â€Å"To sustain profitable growth by providing the best possible customer experience and dealer support† embodies the reasons behind the company’s success: sustainability, quality and customer satisfaction (Hino, 2006). II. Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses A. The â€Å"Toyota Way† Strategy Toyota has successfully implemented their widely recognized â€Å"Toyota Way† strategy in all its global business operations. This strategy is based on operational excellence through a 4-P model; philosophy, process, people and problem solving. Philosophy is anchored on long-term thinking; process on waste elimination; people on respect, growth and challenge; and problem solving through the concept of continuous improvement. The resultant effect of this strategy is organizational performance and excellence due to sustenance of high quality that not only attracts customers but also makes them loyal (Liker, 2004). The â€Å"Toyot a way† is a clear strength since it is tailor-made for the company as evidenced by the fact that most of the other operational excellence strategies pursued by organizations around the world were developed from it including the popular â€Å"lean manufacturing†, â€Å"just in time† and â€Å"six sigma† philosophies. ... The â€Å"Toyota way† only works due to the successful uptake by the employees and the Toyota culture of hard work and continuous improvement is possible through the quality of employees present (Liker and Hoseus, 2008). Toyota’s excellent workforce is a major strength especially considering the fact that the company operates on principles based on continuous improvement, high quality and organizational performance appraisal which would prove strenuous and overwhelming to weak employees. It is not unknown for companies to adopt noble strategies and policies only for them to fail due to difficulties in adoption by the workforce. C. Product Quality Concerns Toyota’s large size as a company means that any errors in manufacturing result in numerous faulty vehicles availed to the market which leads to customer dissatisfaction and aloofness to future car models. This is particularly damaging to reputation as evidenced by the recent recalls of vehicles due to failed bre aking systems; concerns on safety are enough to cause virtually irreparable harm to a company such as Toyota. To maximize on quality, a Total Quality Management system should be carefully implemented besides much emphasis on batch testing since this is perhaps the only way Toyota can mass produce with quality assurance. D. Lack of Customer Involvement Toyota focuses a great deal on the internal aspects of its operations in terms of management and workforce performance optimization and fails to take into consideration the views and interests of the customers. This has resulted in some of its car models being ranked among the ugliest automobiles on roads; unenviable

Publix Brand Products And Name Brand Products Term Paper

Publix Brand Products And Name Brand Products - Term Paper Example This emanates from the fact that rival competitors may opt to retail widely known brands while Publix presumes to use solely packaged brands and ends up confusing the consumer (Davis, Melissa, and Jonathan Baldwin 233). Opportunities: The retail chain has the potential capabilities to grow the demand for its superior brands. For example, with an employee tally of over 100,000 in the 1,400 outlets, Publix management should focus on the employees for consumption of the brands, who reach the public (Plunkett 216). Threats: With Publix ranking 14th amongst the retail chains, competition seems vulnerable. Further, there are other packaging companies with stronger brands than the supermarket, and this poses a threat to the company’s operations (Plunkett 245). It faces giant outlets, for example, Wal-Mart, and other dairy and grocery brands. The most pressing issue to the outlet is the longevity taken for a brand to tame the desired consumer market (Davis, Melissa, and Jonathan Baldwin 248). Competitors: Publix’s brands compete in two distinct dimensions. First, the dairy, deli, and bakery products compete with widely recognized brands from specialized companies. These rivals pose threats to the growing retail chain as they generate enough revenue, which they can use to compete effectively. The competitors include BI-LO, Piggly Wiggly, and Ingles among others (Plunkett 249). The fact that these competitors have diversified throughout considerable American markets implies stiff opposition for market entrants thus; Publix may be harbored from entering new markets on a future date. On the retail chain platform, Publix competes with giants, for example, Target, Wal-Mart, and Costco who also owns in-house brands. These competitors pose drawbacks to Publix operations. Product offering: The chain store giant ranked among the most competitive chain stores in the U.S.A because of its continuous urge to produce and avail healthy nutrition to the clientele group. For example, the Aprons’ branding criteria have continuously won consumer loyalty as Americans find it salient in the provision of various delicacies for use in their homes and food kiosks (Plunkett 250).

Pearl Harbor Essay Example for Free

Pearl Harbor Essay â€Å"Injustice any where is a threat everywhere,† as Martin Luther King stated. It varies from bullying to unjust workers. The Holocaust is a great example of injustice. Innocent Jewish people were killed for just being of their faith. Racial Discrimination and bullying are a few other examples of injustice that are prevented. This could have been prevented, granted people did not act as fast as they did to follow Hitler. Such injustice should keep from happening in the future. Injustice comes in many ways and forms. From bullying to unfair judging of others. The Holocaust was a great example of injustice. The Jewish community did not deserve such torment for being Jewish. In World War 2 Adolph Hitler wanted to clear Germany of all Jews and turn Germany into a communist country. The injustice that was happening in Germany was spreading across Europe. Eventually other countries like Italy and Russia were under the influence of communism. This injustice was spreading across Europe . The United States found this to be unjust and had to interfere because they found this to be a threat to them. War crimes such as this are perfect examples of injustice. Another example is the racism of the 60’s. There was so much fighting towards the Black population and it was unfair. The African-American population had been seeking freedom and equal rights since slaves were freed. Dr. Martin Luther King tried to make equal rights true for all. He did such and succeeded, which led to equal rights and no more racial discrimination. There are many more ways that injustice shows up in history but these are some main examples. Even from a simple shove to a kid you do not like to something as upscale as the Holocaust, injustice should be prevented. Injustice may be widespread, but it can be stopped. The Holocaust and Racial Discrimination were unjust, but they were stopped, which proves that any injustice can be stopped. You could do something as little to tell a bully to stop. Whenever given the chance stop injustice, take it. It can be prevented in large organizations also. Such groups come together to talk about and help others experiencing injustice in their lives. People can do much more to prevent injustice than they think. Always speak out against injustice because you could save a life. Those who dared to speak out in the Holocaust were killed, but their death was not in vain. These people led to the freedom of the Jews. This proves that speaking out against injustice can save people. In conclusion, injustice can be prevented in many different ways. You can do anything from stopping a bully to starting an organization. Injustice comes in many ways and forms. No matter what way injustice is seen, you should do what you can to prevent it.

Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain Essay -- Christopher Columbus

Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain A national holiday celebrating achievements of an individual reflects a nation’s appreciation for that person’s deeds. Christopher Columbus’s Day is an official national holiday in the United States of America. However, a careful examination of Columbus’ expeditions and his methods of settlement in the so-called New World should change the nation’s opinion about the necessity of the holiday. In my way of thinking, Columbus’ arrival to the Indies has brought destruction and death. His motives, such as prosperity by means of exploiting the native population, were immoral, and therefore I cannot accept the idea of celebrating Columbus’ Day as a National Holiday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbus is credited with finding the new world, but did he really discover it? In my opinion, it is not possible to discover land that was already there, occupied by native people. When Columbus claimed to be a founder of the new land, he did not take in consideration a very important aspect about the existing civilization, its customs and traditions that were practiced in that area for thousands of years. Blinded by the idea of prosperity, he ignored the moral beliefs and introduced slavery as a compensation of promised numerous amounts of gold to the Spanish sovereigns. Irving Rouse, the author of the book Tainos, states: â€Å"When the crown complained about the lack of income from the colony, Columbus sent a shipload of captives to Spain to be sold as slaves in a desperate attempt to satisfy that complaint† (Rouse p.151). This serves as a perfect example of how low he thought of natives, not taking in consideration their right to live. Having established goldmines throughout the colony, Columbus found it necessary to take advantage of a local population, Tainos, as means of a cheap labor that was needed for work in goldmines. Rouse states: â€Å"When Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola in the summer of 1498, he placated Roldan by authorizing him to seize Indians in the chiefdom of Xaragua and divide them among his followers to use as forced laborers at the goldfields.† (p.153) In his point of view, Taino people deserved to be treated in such a manner, because they constantly rebelled against his rule, not realizing the fact that he was the one that intruded their way of life and caused so many innocent people to suffer. The re... ... point where we stand now. My opponents have tendency to glorify our nation despite the fact that it was build on suffering and extinction of almost entire civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to point out the misinterpretation of Columbus’ actions during the settlement in North America. His arrival to the â€Å"New World† brought along destruction and death. Columbus, after failing to comply with his promise to the King and Queen about increasing their revenues by bringing enormous amounts of gold, introduced the idea of slavery. He also became responsible for extinction of Taino population by forcing them to work in goldmines. Refusing to give up after several attempts to prosper from the â€Å"discovered land† and obvious lack of administrative ability causes even more devastating results described as genocide. After what I have said, the question, whether or not Columbus Day should be a National Holiday in the United States, should not be an issue, since honoring the man who is responsible for elimination of the whole race would be a sin. Such an example of misleading National Holiday left me with a d oubtful feeling about the origin of the rest! Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain Essay -- Christopher Columbus Columbus: A Great Discoverer or Villain A national holiday celebrating achievements of an individual reflects a nation’s appreciation for that person’s deeds. Christopher Columbus’s Day is an official national holiday in the United States of America. However, a careful examination of Columbus’ expeditions and his methods of settlement in the so-called New World should change the nation’s opinion about the necessity of the holiday. In my way of thinking, Columbus’ arrival to the Indies has brought destruction and death. His motives, such as prosperity by means of exploiting the native population, were immoral, and therefore I cannot accept the idea of celebrating Columbus’ Day as a National Holiday.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbus is credited with finding the new world, but did he really discover it? In my opinion, it is not possible to discover land that was already there, occupied by native people. When Columbus claimed to be a founder of the new land, he did not take in consideration a very important aspect about the existing civilization, its customs and traditions that were practiced in that area for thousands of years. Blinded by the idea of prosperity, he ignored the moral beliefs and introduced slavery as a compensation of promised numerous amounts of gold to the Spanish sovereigns. Irving Rouse, the author of the book Tainos, states: â€Å"When the crown complained about the lack of income from the colony, Columbus sent a shipload of captives to Spain to be sold as slaves in a desperate attempt to satisfy that complaint† (Rouse p.151). This serves as a perfect example of how low he thought of natives, not taking in consideration their right to live. Having established goldmines throughout the colony, Columbus found it necessary to take advantage of a local population, Tainos, as means of a cheap labor that was needed for work in goldmines. Rouse states: â€Å"When Christopher Columbus returned to Hispaniola in the summer of 1498, he placated Roldan by authorizing him to seize Indians in the chiefdom of Xaragua and divide them among his followers to use as forced laborers at the goldfields.† (p.153) In his point of view, Taino people deserved to be treated in such a manner, because they constantly rebelled against his rule, not realizing the fact that he was the one that intruded their way of life and caused so many innocent people to suffer. The re... ... point where we stand now. My opponents have tendency to glorify our nation despite the fact that it was build on suffering and extinction of almost entire civilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I would like to point out the misinterpretation of Columbus’ actions during the settlement in North America. His arrival to the â€Å"New World† brought along destruction and death. Columbus, after failing to comply with his promise to the King and Queen about increasing their revenues by bringing enormous amounts of gold, introduced the idea of slavery. He also became responsible for extinction of Taino population by forcing them to work in goldmines. Refusing to give up after several attempts to prosper from the â€Å"discovered land† and obvious lack of administrative ability causes even more devastating results described as genocide. After what I have said, the question, whether or not Columbus Day should be a National Holiday in the United States, should not be an issue, since honoring the man who is responsible for elimination of the whole race would be a sin. Such an example of misleading National Holiday left me with a d oubtful feeling about the origin of the rest!

Different Biomes

Our family always looks forward every vacation time because of so many places we visited and how we learned a lot from it.   It’s just like an educational tour.   As we traveled along we learned of different biomes in the world.   The world contains different kinds of Biomes.   Biome is a kind of large ecosystem where animals, insects, plants and human beings live in certain type of climate.   The following are some of the places we visited: 1.   Northern Alaska. In Northern Alaska, you will find their frosty biome called the Arctic Tundra.   The earth’s coldest Biome.   The Arctic tundra is a cold, vast, treeless area of low, swampy plains in the north around the Arctic Ocean.   An example of tundra is the Alpine Tundra that is at the tops of high mountains.   The type of climate affects plants and animals living on that area because of the availability of food supplies.   Examples of animals are the polar bears, arctic foxes and caribou.   Plants include the cushion plants, small shrubs and the lichen. 2.   Asia Tropical rainforests are found in Asia particularly along the equator.   It receives rains each year, approximately 70 inches.   Most of the species of plants and animals are found in this type of biome.   Many of its plants are used in medicines.   However, rainforests are considered an endangered biome because of the rapid growth of people who have cut the trees and contributed to the so called global warming.   Some of the animals of the tropical rainforest are the anteater, jaguar, brocket deer, lemur, orangutan, marmoset, macaw, parrot, sloth, and toucan. Among the many plant species are bamboo, banana trees, rubber trees, and cassava. 3.   Russia Taiga is the name of biome found in Russia.   It is a land dominated by conifers, like spruces and firs.   It has a limited variety of animals and plants compared to the temperate deciduous forest. References http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769052.html                                             

Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Legal System Essay

â€Å"World order† is the term given to the balance of power among the nation states of the world. Differences between these nations can lead to a power imbalance, which affects world order. It can best be achieved through agreements between states and other international instruments that set out the ideal international standards of behavior for states on a number of issues. But conflicts arise between countries due to differences in cultural attitudes and the desire for extra territory. In order to settle such disputes the international community has legal bodies such as the United Nations to cooperate with countries to find solutions and be a leader in settling and spreading ethical standards. Their prime aim is to promote world order. But for society not only the autonomy of nations and the lack of enforcement power but also a range of other factors limit the effectiveness of such an organisations. Each country has its own perspective on world order and not all meets eye to eye. But it can be argued that world order is a necessity in today’s society. There are many conflicts between majorities and minorities or nation against nation that can take many forms such as guerilla, military and nuclear warfare. An example of a military conflict was the Gulf war between Iraq and the UN lead forces concerning the occupation of Kuwait. But not all conflicts fit into the category of direct confrontation; some arise when a group ignores the needs of another or exploits them. For example after a long civil war in 1996 when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Many measures severely restricted women’s rights and alienated other Afghans. Due to an imbalance of economic power further conflicts can arise such as when a third world country cannot compete with developed nations because of the lack of capital they possess. When a dominant group expands its power by taking over territory and increasing its population and its resources, it is called expansion, which affects the international power structure that can possibly threaten world order. Even though it can be achieved through peaceful practices it mainly takes form in a conflict. In a stable global environment, interdependence, this means that nations rely upon others, can have favorable outcomes. But in an unstable world order, it can lead to conflict and the possible subjugation of weaker nations. Throughout history, local communities and indigenous people have suffered dramatically from conflict and expansion as more dominant groups have both directly and indirectly damaged their culture through the loss of customs, social structure and language. International crimes are criminal acts that have international repercussions on people, state, peace, law and enforcement of international law. The ICC has the jurisdiction over some international crimes. Such international crimes include apartheid (South Africa), genocide (Rwanda), Crimes against humanity (Former Yugoslavia), war crimes (Kosovo), piracy and hijacking. In the international sphere, force plays an important role in maintaining law and order which are critical in the success of world order. The use of force is seen as the most obvious way to maintain order and prevent or resolve conflicts. But it comes with such negatives as being highly expensive and costly in terms of the civilians and soldiers lost. Over the last century two world organisations have been established to prevent war and have legal authority to use force in certain circumstances. After World War One in 1920 the League of Nations was created as a place where governments could bring their disputes. But the L of N had no automatic right to intervene and most governments didn’t agree in bringing disputes before it. With limited membership and those that were members weren’t accustomed to working together, it was flawed. It was however able to make progress in the suppression of slavery, world health, the protection and care for refugees and settling minor disputes. But once the 1930’s began it cease to have any political relevance. After the failure of the League of Nations the United Nations formed, which founded a charter that outlined its purpose and methods of achieving it’s goals. The Un charter (1945) enshrined the idea that force or the threat of force should not be the norm in international relations. Although they were realistic enough to realise that force would sometimes be used. The UN was deliberately created as a more ambitious organisation and has six main organs: The Security Council, the General Assembly, Secretariat, the Security Council, Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice and Trusteeship Council. Membership is based on whether the nation state is â€Å"peace loving† and willing to accept all the obligations of the UN Charter. The Security Council consists of fifteen member states with only five permanent members, which have the power to veto majority decisions. These five permanent members are Britain, France, USA, China and Russian Federation, which reflect the dominance each has in the world order (except Russia). The UN gives the Security Council, which is responsible for international peace and security, two ways of dealing with a threat to world peace. The first involves the use of peaceful methods such as economic sanctions. The second involves the use of armed forces. Peacekeeping is defined by as: The maintenance of international peace using formed troops under UN control to prevent the outbreak or renewal of fighting or by stabilising a situation sufficiently to promote peace. † – Butterworths Australian Legal Dictionary. The Un Peacekeepers are an assembly of a very diverse, international group of soldiers and civilians, which assists in settling disputes that restores the peace in an area. However it doesn’t constitute an army as often they are made up of doctors, nurses and pilots. In many situations UN peacekeepers help clear landmines, train civilians and even monitor elections. For example in Namibia, the UN peacekeepers supervised a democratic election, which lead to the county’s sovereignty. The presence of peacekeepers can have positive affects such as the limit in the spread of violence in Haiti and Cyprus, but in other places they have been less successful i. e. the UN peacekeeping in Somalia in 1992. As Somalia fell into clan-based civil war, the country collapsed and the UN was unable to restore peace and eventually departed as Somalia remained in chaos. Originally the five permanent members of the Security Council were meant to coordinate the peacekeeping forces. But in reality they are conducted outside the UN’s regular budget, where national governments deployed troops to the peacekeeping efforts. Much of the peacekeeping is done by Ireland, Sweden and Australia. Australia has contributed either military forces or police to 54 peacekeeping forces and in 1999-2000 Australia played a leading role in reestablishing order in East Timor. Australia has also conducted peacekeeping efforts outside of the UN’s operation in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. On the other hand the UN peacekeepers are limited in their effectiveness as they can only use force in self-defense, therefore they cannot directly intervene unless they are shot at and made themselves targets of conflict. Due to the dominance of some states in the world order, there is no equal treatment between nations states, which are members of the UN. Even though the UN charter states that there must be equality, in practice it does not exist. Due to the nature of certain UN bodies it is inevitable that smaller states are marginalized. However the situating of the United Nations in New York enables every member to sit side by side and have an immediate translation of languages, which breaks down barriers to communication. The UN has successfully raised the conscience of human rights through its conventions and the attention to specific abuses through its resolutions. But its ability to function is hampered by its financial problems as it is expected to govern the country on $8 billion per year, which is less than the amount of money the world spends on defense each week. It is resource ineffective as it ahs gone deeper in to debt as countries are slow to pay. Its enforceability is limited as it lacks the power to sufficient apply equal force to every nation should members ignore UN resolutions. War is not the only means of ending a conflict; a more peaceful method is through international tribunals. The International Court of Justice is an arm of the UN and is therefore one of the worlds main judicial bodies. Established in 1946, it is sometime referred to as the ‘world court. With its jurisdiction applies when it is in accordance with international law. Its primary role is to decide matters submitted by countries and to advise on the matters. It can also apply its authority when there is a special agreement about a dispute in which the parties to a treaty nominate the ICJ as the mechanism for resolution. The ICJ is a permanent court where 15 judges are elected by the UN Security Council and the General assembly. Not only can the ICJ resolve disputes by making a ruling, it can also generate political pressure to persuade countries to alter their behavior. In theory, the courts decisions are binding and without appeal. However in practice the losing party unwilling to abide by the ruling and the Security Council often limits its effectiveness is restricted to enforce the ruling. For example in the case of the US versus Nicaragua (1984), the decision stated that the US had to cease unlawful terrorist activities against Nicaragua and ordered that the US pay reparation. However they refused to pay and subsequently withdrew from the ICJ. But one of the main limitations the ICJ has is that only states can be parties to cases before the court. No individual, organisation or company can bring forth a matter. Plus both parties need to agree to have the court hear the matter. This is a dilemma in itself as the rulings are final and no country is going to openly dispute the matter where there is a possibility of losing. Its restrictive power reduces its ability to take initiatives and its lack of power to enforce and police its decisions has become a major criticism. The International Criminal Court ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for committing genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes. The ICC is a treaty based, legal entity independent from the UN. Despite this autonomy it works closely with the UN to promote the rule of law. The ICC has the power to imprison the offender if found guilty for life but does not offer the death penalty. One of the main objectives to the ICC is that some countries believe that there is little supervision of the court’s apparatuses and the verdicts may become subject to political matters. For the ICC, it has taken four years for the required sixty signatures to be gained and the treaty ratified. The United States of America can undermine the proceedings of the court by refusing to supply evidence and witnesses, like any other country can. During the 1990’s several atrocities where occurring in the Balkans and Africa. This resulted in specialist tribunals developed to deal with the specific investigations. War crimes and crimes against humanity were happening in former Yugoslavia. Thus in 1993 the UN Security Council created a new war crimes tribunal. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) had the jurisdiction over breaches of the Geneva Conventions and international customary law. On 12 February 2002, Slobodan Milosevic, the former president of Yugoslavia was charged of the planning and implementing, on a widespread and systematic scale and attack on the civilian population of Kosovo. Kosovo, which was a province of Serbia, had a majority population of Muslim Albanians and Slobodan was accused of leading a campaign of â€Å"ethnical cleansing†. This was the first time a former head of state had faced charges of crimes against humanity. Unfortunately Milosevic died in 2006 before his trial concluded. The fact that the ICTY tried Slobodan, illustrate that justice can be achieved when nations cooperate with the international community. In Africa, more specifically Rwanda, genocide was occurring between the two main ethnic groups the Hutu and Tutsis. Based on the ICTY model in 1994 the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established to prosecute those responsible for genocide in the republic. This tribunal was instated in response to over whelming pressures and has started a series of trials. These Ad Hoc tribunals have one specific purpose and may take time to be established which could mean the loss of thousands of lives. It is not a permanent body and will disband once trials have concluded. Sometimes as in the case with the ICTY where the main target is one person, it can suppress other investigations as most of its resources may be deployed in trailing that one person. The nature of Ad Hoc has proved to be cost ineffective and time consuming. International instruments such as treaties and customary law form the principle source of international law and are some measures of achieving world order. Treaties, which can also be called conventions, statutes or charters, are binding agreements. They formalise the process where by governments through international agencies work together on common problems. The two types of treaties are bilateral and multilateral treaties in where states agree on terms and the parties are therefore bond by it. Since 1945 there has been some significant treaties signed that are an indispensable part of the current world order

6 really smart answers to the toughest interview questions

6 really smart answers to the toughest interview questions You’re in a job interview, and have been rocking all the usual questions that come your way. What’s your five-year plan? Tell me about your last job. What brought you to this industry in the first place? Then there’s a question that stumps you a little, and you pause. Uh oh, they’ve hit a gap in your prep, or touched on an uncomfortable subject. How do you deal with questions that you didn’t anticipate? Let’s look at some of the toughest interview questions, and some sample responses.I know everyone has a go-to â€Å"weakness† in these job interviews, but what’s your real biggest weakness?I tend to take on too much myself, because I have high standards and get impatient when others don’t meet them. But I’m working on my delegating skills and learning how to let others do their jobs while I do mine.Why do you have so many jobs on your resume? Do you consider yourself a â€Å"job hopper†?No, I don’t thi nk of it that way. I have been very faithful to my vision when it comes to my career. I have very specific goals, long-term, and have taken advantage of growth opportunities along the way when certain jobs started to feel stagnant. For example, I left XYZ Corp because there was no room for professional development, no chance to be promoted. That’s why I was so excited to hear about your opening here. This is the kind of place I can see myself growing and evolving for a long time.Looking at your resume, you’re awfully senior for this junior-level job. How do we know you won’t jump ship as soon as something else comes along?I’m a big believer that you can’t always take a linear approach to your career, that it’s about the quality of experience rather than the quantity. This job appeals to me because it’s a chance to learn and grow in an area that interests me for the future, so to me that step back in seniority is an investment.It looks like you have a significant gap on your resume, and your cover letter mentioned that you took time off to start a family. Will you be having more kids in the near future?Taking time off was a choice that worked best at the time, but now I’m ready to move forward with the next phase, and focus fully on the next steps in my career. [Note: it’s illegal for interviewers to ask about your family status, so if you get a sneaky question like this one, it’s best to turn it into a general answer without giving specific information about your spouse, your family, your personal plans, etc.]Do you think you’ve peaked in your career?Oh jeez, I hope not! But seriously, I don’t think of a career as an uphill/downhill thing. I try to keep learning new things and finding new and better ways to do my job. So it’s less about being on the way up or on the way down, and more about keeping things moving forward, no matter what.How would you deal with a colleague who threw you under the bus for something that was their fault?Office politics are always fun, right? Seriously, though, I’d start by taking it up with the person directly. I don’t think there’s anything to gain from publicly humiliating anyone, even if they just tried to do it to me. I’d also make sure that my boss privately understands the reality of what went on- what my role was in the issue, whether I shared any of the blame, or what I did to help resolve the problem.If you’re facing challenging questions, don’t stress out too much, and don’t let yourself get that â€Å"deer in headlights† look. The most important thing is to pivot the question into familiar territory- especially if you can use it to highlight one of your strengths, or emphasize your goals.

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons The ability to read is one of the most powerful tools teachers and parents can give students. Literacy is strongly correlated with future economic  and professional success. Illiteracy, on the other hand, exacts a steep price.  The National Center for Education Statistics notes that 43 percent  of adults with the lowest reading levels live in poverty, and according to the National Institute for Literacy, 70  percent of people on welfare have extremely low literacy. Furthermore, 72  percent of children of parents with low literacy will themselves have low literacy, and are more likely  to perform poorly in school and drop out.   Early and elementary education offers  a key opportunity to break this cycle of economic hardship. And while the mechanics of reading and writing are essential building blocks, reading comprehension allows students to move beyond decoding and into understanding and enjoyment. Understanding Reading Comprehension The easiest way to explain reading comprehension is to put a reader in the position of someone who is deciphering letters and words rather than comprehending (attaching meaning to) them. Try reading this: Fà ¦der ureà °u à °e eart on heofenumsi à °in nama gehalgodto-becume à °in ricegeweorà ¾e à °in willa on eorà °an swa swa on heofenum.Urne ge dà ¦ghwamlican hlaf syle us to-deagand forgyf us ure gyltasswa swa we forgifaà ¾ urum gyltendumane ne gelà ¦de à °u us on costnungeac alys us of yfle. Using your knowledge base of phonetic sounds, you might be able to â€Å"read† the text, but you would not understand what you’d just read. You most certainly would not recognize it as The Lord’s Prayer. What about the following sentence? Fox grape grey shoe on land title base. You may know each word and its meaning, but that doesnt give the sentence meaning. Reading comprehension involves three distinct components: processing text (sounding out the syllables to decode the words), understanding what was read, and making connections between the text and what you already know. Vocabulary Knowledge vs. Text Comprehension Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension are two vital elements of reading comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge refers to understanding individual words. If a reader doesn’t understand the words he is reading, he won’t understand the text as a whole. Because vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading comprehension, children should  be exposed to a rich vocabulary and should always be learning new words. Parents and teachers can help by defining potentially unfamiliar words that students will encounter in texts and teaching students to use contextual clues to understand the meaning of new words. Text comprehension builds on vocabulary knowledge by allowing the reader to combine the meanings of the individual words to understand the overall text. If you’ve ever read a complicated legal document, a challenging book, or the previous example of a nonsensical sentence, you can understand the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension. Understanding the meaning of most of the words does not necessarily translate into understanding the text as a whole. Text comprehension relies on the reader making connections with what hes reading. Reading Comprehension Example Most standardized tests include sections that assess reading comprehension. These assessments focus on identifying the main idea of a passage, understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, and identifying the author’s purpose. A student might read a passage such as the following about dolphins. Dolphins are aquatic mammals (not fish) well-known for their intellect, gregarious nature, and acrobatic abilities. Like other mammals, they are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, feed their babies milk, and breathe air through their lungs. Dolphins have a streamlined body, a pronounced beak, and a blowhole. They swim by moving their tail up and down to propel themselves forward.A female dolphin is called a cow, a male is a bull, and the babies are calves. Dolphins are carnivores that eat marine life such as fish and squid. They have great eyesight and use this along with echolocation to move about in the ocean and locate and identify objects around them.Dolphins communicate with clicks and whistles. They develop their own personal whistle, which is distinct from other dolphins. Mother dolphins whistle to their babies frequently after birth so that the calves learn to recognize their mothers whistle. After reading the passage, students are asked to answer questions based on what they read to demonstrate their understanding of the passage. Young students might be expected to understand from the text that dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. They eat fish and communicate with clicks and whistles. Older students might be asked to apply information gleaned from the passage to facts they already know. They could be asked to infer the meaning of the term carnivore from the text, identify what dolphins and cattle have in common (being identified as a cow, bull, or calf) or how a dolphin’s whistle is similar to a human fingerprint (each is distinct to the individual). Methods of Assessing Reading Comprehension There are several ways to evaluate a student’s reading comprehension skills. One method is to use a formal assessment, like the example above,  with reading passages followed by questions about the passage. Another method is to use informal assessments. Ask students to tell you about what they read or retell the story or event in their own words. Put students in discussion groups and listen to what they have to say about the book,  watching for areas of confusion and  students who are not participating. Ask students for a written response to the text, such as journaling, identifying their favorite scene, or listing the top 3 to 5 facts they learned from the text. Signs That a Student Is Not Able to Comprehend What Hes Reading One indicator that a student is struggling with reading comprehension is difficulty reading aloud. If a student struggles to recognize or sound out words when he’s reading orally, he’s likely encountering the same struggles when reading silently. Weak vocabulary is another indicator of poor reading comprehension. This is because students who struggle with text comprehension may have difficulting learning and incorporating new vocabulary. Finally, poor spelling and weak writing skills may be a signal that a student isn’t able to comprehend what he’s reading. Difficulty spelling may indicate problems remembering letter sounds, which means that the student is likely also having trouble processing text. How to Teach Effective Reading Comprehension It might seem as though reading comprehension skills develop naturally, but that’s because students gradually begin to internalize the techniques. Effective reading comprehension skills must be taught, but it’s not difficult to do. There are simple strategies to improve reading comprehension that parents and teachers can employ. The most important step is to ask questions before, during, and after reading. Ask students what they think the story is going to be about based on the title or cover. As you’re reading, ask students to summarize what they’ve read so far or predict what they think will happen next. After reading, ask students to summarize the story, identify the main idea, or highlight the most important facts or events. Next, help children make connections between what they’ve read and their experiences. Ask them what they would have done if they had been in the main character’s situation or if they’ve had a similar experience. Consider reading challenging texts aloud. Ideally, students will have their own copy of the book so that they can follow along. Reading aloud models good reading techniques and allows students to hear new vocabulary in context without disrupting the flow of the story. How Students Can Improve Reading Comprehension Skills There are also steps that students can take to improve their reading comprehension skills. The first, most basic step is to improve overall reading skills. Help students select books about topics that interest them and encourage them to  read at least 20 minutes each day. It’s okay if they want to start with books below their reading level. Doing so can help students focus on what they’re reading, rather than on decoding more challenging text, and improve their confidence. Next, encourage students to stop every so often and summarize what they’ve read, either mentally or aloud with a reading buddy. They may want to make notes or use a graphic organizer to  record their thoughts. Remind students to get  an overview of what they’ll be reading by first reading chapter titles and subheadings. Conversely, students can also benefit from skimming over the material after they’ve read it. Students should also take steps to improve their vocabulary. One way to do so without disrupting the flow of reading is to jot down unfamiliar words and look them up after they’ve finished their reading time.

Harvard Referencing quiz , Table of academic References 1&2, Academic Assignment - 1

Harvard Referencing quiz , Table of academic References 1, Academic Journal entries AJ1 and AJ2 - Assignment Example r market statistics for September 2013 identify that the employment rate from May to July for 16 to 64 year olds was 71.6%; up 0.2 percentage points on the previous quarter to April. This represents 29.84 million people in employment aged 16 and over, up 80,000 from February to April 2013. Management and coaching practices in the UK tend to revolve around dictatorship versus listening, or otherwise control versus consensus. According to Dave Brailsford of Team Sky, it is important to allow individuals within a team to have their own opinion (Neville, 2014). However, he quickly points out that individualized opinions may fail to provide a solution but a collective opinion is best in dealing with most situations. In the case where there is no collective opinion, Brailsford suggests that the leader has to make a call (Neville, 2014). It is important to involve members of the team in order to have an understanding of their opinions and to encourage them to exploit their potential. According to Riches (2013), one way to improve team performance is to establish agreed norms or rules for how the team is to operate and rigorously stick to them (Mullins, 2013). Norms could address the obligations of individual members to the team, how it will assess its performance, and how it will work together. In addition, the motivation systems to be used could also be addressed, with a clear picture of its relation to the customers drawn. Lastly, these norms would be important in determining the mechanisms required to facilitate an honest exchange about the team norms and behavior (Mullins,