Dementia Care Pathway-People with Learning Disability Essay

The Psychiatrist is responsible for making the decision with regards to diagnosis; they will be reliant on the information and assessments of other professionals to assist in this process. The Psychiatrist will then decide on the most appropriate treatment for treating. The key role of the community nurse is to maximise the health and wellbeing of an individual. Looking at the individual from a holistic perspective the nurse will promote good health with proactive strategies, minimise health risks through assessment and care planning. The primary goal of Occupational Therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational Therapists engage with clients using activities that are meaningful and purposeful to them to assess and treat the physical, psychological and social needs of the individual and their environment to enable them to reach or retain their optimum potential. OTs use a range of different assessment methods, looking at functional and cognitive skills, for activities of daily living, activity levels sensory needs and well-being. Physiotherapists are responsible for promoting mobility to the optimum level for as long as possible and then for assessing and providing additional support and mobility aids when necessary. Speech and Language Therapists working with individuals with learning disabilities who have developed dementia cover two main areas: Communication: The Speech and Language Therapist’s role is to assess the communication needs of the individual with dementia, identify means for supporting these, and advising carers and support workers regarding improved, or successful communication. Eating and Drinking: The role of the speech and language therapist is, in liaison with others, to assess the individual and advise regarding strategies to improve safety of eating, drinking and swallowing or to suggest strategies to support the maintenance of adequate oral intake. Clinical Psychologists can be involved in diagnosing dementia, often when the person’s difficulties are complex and the diagnosis unclear. Once a diagnosis has been made psychologists would intervene where there are problems such as challenging behaviour, depression and anxiety, or where there are issues to do with loss, illness and disability.

Beach water

The beaches are considered as important recreational resources. The recreational activities performed at beaches involve a physical contact with water, such as sail-boarding and swimming. There is always a risk of having an accidental injury but apart from that people also face major health problems because of the contamination the beach water. The biggest concern is the microbial contamination by microorganisms such as protozoa viruses and bacteria. The extremely dangerous sewage that comes from urban areas has a number of disease causing organisms in it.Storm drains also contribute to microbial contamination because they sometimes bring the pet waste with them and deposit it into the beaches. Humans are exposed to bacteria and dangerous viruses through the ingestion of the contaminated water which occurs through the entry of water from nose, eyes or ears. Some types of illnesses that are associated with the contamination of the water are some respiratory illnesses that are caused b y the entry of contaminated water into the lungs and Gastro-intestinal disorders; caused by the entry of contaminated water into stomach.There are also some infection associated with the beach water contamination which are minor and are caused through the contact of contaminated water with eyes, nose and ears. Fecal Coli-form bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of animals and are passed out of the body through fecal waste. Fecal waste is present in the sewage and when that poorly treated sewage is drained into the beaches, it contaminates the water. Swimming in the water in which coli-form bacteria is already present, increases the chances for human to develop certain illnesses such as nausea, stomach cramps, hepatitis and typhoid fever.One way to fight with the fecal coli-form bacteria is to wash with soap after swimming in the contaminated water. In order to save people from the contaminated water there was a treaty signed by the United States and Canada, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. It argues that â€Å"recreational waters should be substantially free from bacteria, fungi, and viruses that may produce enteric disorders or eye, ear, nose, throat and skin infections or other human diseases and infections† (EPA, Para. 5). To prevent the recreational water from being contaminated, there are many water quality control programs conducted in every state.Microbial standard exceedances are used to measure the risks associated with the contaminated recreational water but â€Å"due to the limitations in frequency comparison of exceedances it’s been a challenge to evaluate the recreational water quality† (EPA, Para. 9). (NRDC) National Resources Defense Council’s watch dog monitors the quality of beach water and warns the authorities to take actions. â€Å"NRDC identified 131 beaches in 23 states that violated public health standards† (NRDC, Para. 4). The most important challenge that we face is that the water quality standards recommended by EPA are said to be 20 years old.They do not meet today’s health standards because there are many other diseases identified now. There is an annual report by NRDC's annual watchdog, â€Å"Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,† which has called for several improvements in monitoring beach water† (NRDC, Para. 3). Improvement in the treatment of sewage also will help in avoiding the health risks. Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved on 08/22/08 from http://www. great-lakes. net/humanhealth/other/bacteria. html National Resources Defense Council, retrieved on 08/22/08 from http://www. nrdc. org/water/oceans/nttw. asp? gclid=CIer1c-KpJUCFROA1QodGBoJjw

Case study of the Web Index

The renowned organization called World Wide Web Foundation produced and designed the Web Index. The purpose of the Web Index is to measure contribution of World Wide Web to economical, social and political development within nations across the world[1]. In order to make the people understand how the nations maximize the impact of the web, Web Index compiles data across several different Web healths’ dimensions and makes it available free. The annual country-ranking format continuously improves the understanding of the people regarding the Web’s value for humanity[2]. The study includes the description of the Web Index in accordance with Singapore. Singapore ranked 22 nd in the Web Index ranking and has the value of 75.16. Every key areas of the Web Index are described in detail in the study. The provided recommendation implies that there are five things that Singapore must carry out in order to achieve better ranking. Universal access is a sub-index and it measures that countries have devoted in reasonable access to high quality internet infrastructure[3]. In addition to that, it also suggests that countries are investing in skills and education that its people require to make use of the Web well. Figure 2: Universal Access in Measurement Singapore is in ninth position in the list of Universal Access as per the data of Web Index.   The score of the country is 91.69 [6]. This score clearly says that the Singapore has clearly provided extreme interest in its Web Usage. There are various regains within which Singapore need to improve. As per the definition of the Universal access, Singapore devoted in reasonable access to high quality internet infrastructure. The facts and figures support this statement. In order to make most use of the Web Infrastructure of a country, the people must be able to improve the skills. In addition to that, having the proper knowledge is also crucial. The country can categorize the web users into three categories such as academics, professional and entertainment usage. The most of the use is done for the entertainment purpose. It can be assumed that almost all the countries within top fifty make same amount of use of the web for the entertainment purpose. This suggests that the use of the w eb for the academic and professional purpose places it at 9 th position in the list. These sub-index, freedom and openness, refers to the extent to which the people of a country enjoys privacy online, rights to information, expression and opinion[7]. On other orders, it can be stated this sub-index is the measure of the interaction of the citizens with the Web. Figure 3: Freedom and Openness Graph of Singapore Figure 4: Freedom and Openness Measure of Singapore The score of Singapore in this sub-index is very low relative to the other sub-indexes. The country is in the 41 st position in the world ranking in this category [10]. The citizens of Singapore are not that much interested in interacting with the Web. It is may be because of their conserved nature but it is none of the concern of the study. Singapore, needs to make its citizens more educated and skilled so that they can also share their thoughts, believes and opinions. As the people of Singapore will learn to accept the views of the others, they can argue on different things. Social media sites like, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and many more provide the great opportunity to all the people of the world share their knowledge and views. Singapore, has to make its citizen more enthusiastic regarding interact with the Web. The relevant content is the sub-index that uses both the factors, content present within each country and the Web utilization by the people. These two factors must be residing within a prominence on the amount to which several stakeholders can be able to access information. In addition to that, the data must be relevant to the purpose of use of the people[11]. The content must be in the form of that language within which the people of the specific country is most comfortable. These contents can be accessed through the channels and platforms that available broadly. Figure 5: Relevant Content Graph Representation of Singapore Figure 6: Relevant Content measurement of Singapore The score of Singapore within this category of sub-index is 76.48. The country is in the 21 st position, followed by Estonia (75.72) [14]. These score is slightly more than average. Still Singapore has managed to produce content that most of its people can make use of. It will foolish to consider all the people within the region of the Web using category. It has be assumed that a certain amount of people actually make use of the Web. The people who make use of Web for entertainment and professional works are tend to use content that are written in English, not all but for majority. The reason this Country is lacking behind other countries is its mother tongue. There are very smaller chance of growing within this rank. As per the definition of the Relevant Content provided in the above section, the country’s content must be within the particular region so that the citizen can access the contents easily. In addition to that, the content, the citizen will be making use of and co nsidered while measuring score, must be relevant for the targeted audience or people of Singapore. This sub-index reflects the most powerful and complex activity of the Web that is empowerment reflects the difference that the Web is bringing with the lifestyle and thought process of people of a country. This sub-index is also used for reflecting the impact of the Web on the society, politics, economy and environment[15]. Empowerment relates to these key four areas of any Country in a strange way. Figure 7: Empowerment Graph Representation of Singapore Figure 8: Empowerment Measurement of Singapore Singapore has raked 19 th and 15 th in the empowerment respectively in the political area and economical area. The rank of Singapore in the overall empowerment is 18 th [18] .   The score of this country in empowerment is 75.17. It says that the impact of Web on the social, economic, environment and political regions. The most of the impact of the Web on this country can be viewed in the economical areas as it makes use of the Web for communicating with the whole world. The Web can be a very good tool for making some move in the political region. One citizen can connect to different citizen who is hundreds of miles away and share their view on some political agenda. This way a thought or view of one person can grow from one region to completely region in a very rapid pace. In terms of evaluating the four sub-indexes of the Web Index regarding Singapore, it is important to analyze all the sub-indexes. The biggest lack in the freedom and openness is the restricted mind of its citizen. The government is required to provide sufficient amount of knowledge to the citizen so that they can empower their view upon the citizen of other countries. This will allow Singapore to score more on the freedom and empowerment sub-index. There is not much limitations regarding universal access and the score reflects it. Gaining the ninth position in the world list is a significant matter. There are various areas that can be utilized the government for making more score in the empowerment area. The empowerment consists of four key areas and impact of Web on these regions is different. Universal Access: The universal Access of Singapore is 91.69 and has the world fastest internet average speed. The country has invested a lot in the internet infrastructure for providing internet service to its citizens. Nowadays internet is considered as a most essential service for public and facilitates for management of the utility services in the country. The citizens should have a reliable internet access and it is essential for the access of knowledge, finance and agriculture. Increasing the universal accessibility decreases the gap of governance and provides public access to the internet. It is recommended that a good technology is required to be selected and the integration issues are required to be identified for the improvement of the universal access. Relevant Content: The relevant content of Singapore is 76.48, i.e. the stakeholders and the citizens can search the web in the language they prefer and find the most relevant content. The posting of the unnecessary web content and increase in the awareness can be used for the improvement of the relevant content. The online resources must not contain any junk files that the user does not find useful and maintain a good relationship with the citizens for understanding their requirement and providing them the most relevant content they needs. The establishment of a good trust is also important for engaging the user to use trusted sources of information. Freedom and Openness: In freedom and openness Singapore have the value of 42.24 and there are lots of possibilities of improvement. The freedom and openness can be improved with maintaining transparency with the government rules and regulations. The management of the economic methodology and aligning the regulatory efficiency with the economic freedom criteria is also important for the increase in the freedom and openness of the internet access of the citizens and the stakeholders of the country.   Controlling the financial sector and public investment programs can also eliminate the inefficiency of the current system. Empowerment: The current empowerment value of Singapore is 75.17 and it is used for the measurement of the self determination in the citizens using the internet. The internet is making a huge difference for making a positive change in the society, politics, environment and economy. It is recommended that the all the information regarding the social life, economy and others mentioned in the key areas for bringing a positive change in the country must be available in the internet. The users should have access to all the resources that can bring a change in their life and the government authorities must monitor the web content and take an initiative to increase the digital literacy of the country. From the above study, it can be concluded that Singapore is a strong country according to Web Index. According to the results of the organization, various countries are making the use of the Web significantly more than other countries. The Web can be seen as a great source of medium that can generate power and economy. The use of the interact can allow the citizen of Singapore to communicate freely with the citizen of the other countries. Keeping in mind the end goal to comprehend the connection amongst correspondence and worldwide understudy streams in the data society, it is basic to research the impacts of the Internet. The Web Index is the main multidimensional measure relating the World Wide Web to worldwide improvement and human rights. The pointers of Web Index incorporate zones of widespread get to, flexibility and openness, pertinent substance and strengthening. The people who make use of the internet for entertainment purposes do the most use of the Web in the Singapore. Th is scenario can be seen in other countries too. Instead of this fact, it can be strongly stated that the most of the interactions with the Web is done for knowledge gathering and sharing purpose. "About | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/about/. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Web Index: Empowerment: Political | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Empowerment-Political/bcgb-g3xx. "Web Index: Freedom & Openness | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Freedom-Openness/43nm-is4c. "Web Index: Relevant Content | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Relevant-Content/v3pg-t68t. "Web Index: Universal Access: Access & Affordability | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Universal-Access-Access-Affordability/ndvd-qsv6. Gaftea, Viorel. "Socio-economic Major Risks Related to the Information Technology."  Procedia Economics and Finance  8 (2014): 336-345. Gayo, Jose Emilio Labra, and Jose M. Alvarez Rodr?guez. "Validating statistical index data represented in RDF using SPARQL queries." In  RDF Validation Workshop. Practical Assurances for Quality RDF Data, Cambridge, Ma, Boston. 2013. Jiang, Ke. "International student flows between Asia, Australia, and Russia: a network analysis."  Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia  13, no. 1 (2014): 83-98. Ojino, Ronald, Luisa Mich, Patrick Ogao, and Simon Karume. "The Quality of Kenyan University Websites: A Study for the Re-engineering of the Masinde Muliro University Website."  Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society  9, no. 3 (2013). "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. Jiang, Ke. "International student flows between Asia, Australia, and Russia: a network analysis."  Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia  13, no. 1 (2014): 83-98. "About | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/about/. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Web Index: Universal Access: Access & Affordability | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Universal-Access-Access-Affordability/ndvd-qsv6. "About | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/about/. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Web Index: Freedom & Openness | Open Data". 2017. Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Freedom-Openness/43nm-is4c. "About | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/about/. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Web Index: Relevant Content | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Relevant-Content/v3pg-t68t. "About | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/about/. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Data | The Web Index". 2017.  Thewebindex.Org. https://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGPhttps://thewebindex.org/data/?indicator=INDEX&country=SGP. "Web Index: Empowerment: Political | Open Data". 2017.  Socrata. https://idp.nz/Global-Rankings/Web-Index-Empowerment-Political/bcgb-g3xx. With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Structure of the suggested Central Bank for GCC and How might this Assignment

Structure of the suggested Central Bank for GCC and How might this bank be similar or different from the European Central Bank - Assignment Example They would only majorly borrow traits from systems like that of the EU central Banking system. Formulation of the likely structure is therefore of fundamental and of primary concern and ensuring that the structure is the most suitable and applicable is paramount. Proper systems would ensure that the costs of banking within the region are highly regulated and that tight controls are ensured of money and money operations. Introduction Our main task in this assignment is to discuss the likely structure of the suggested GCC Central Bank. We are also required to its similarity and differences with the European Central Bank. Furthermore, we have to find the arguments supporting and those against such a system and most importantly the objectives of the system. The GCC central bank has the main aim of bringing together the operations of the 5 central banks within the U.A.E in a regulatory manner. It would therefore be modeled in a closed system of financial accounts; this means that the equi librium volume of banks intermediation between the households and corporate would show structural measures like preferences to households, cost structures, loan demand by corporate (Cobham & Dibeh 2011). Inclusive in the structure would be the integration of the differences in borrowing and deposit rates of the central banks of the five countries (Grauwe & Dewachter 1999). The structure also is inclusive of the width of the central bank standing facilities corridor as well as the stance of the monetary policy. This is to enable the system be in the position of cushioning the U.A.E against any form of financial crisis (Rajan & Zingales 1998). The banking systems of the GCC countries is mostly dominated by a very small number of both domestic and foreign commercial banks making any dealing involving finances to be quite of an uphill task. This system is designed in manner to help provide better and more information to enhance decision making hence enhance the efficiency of the U.A.E e conomy in terms of resource allocation hence general improvement of welfare (Hamori & Hamori 2010). It has a monetary policy unit mandated with the task of designing monetary policy for the promotion of price stability, sustainable economic growth and a stable financial system within the UAE. Policies established have the impact of reducing by a wider margin a level of uncertainty and the established monetary policy unit is expected to reduce the noise because of policy makers in an economic environment (Levine & Renelt 1992). The proposed GCC central bank is formulated by an act prepared by the 5 member countries. This is due to the desire of the countries to form one central bank body for the sake of uniformity in the monetary and fiscal policies governing their financial systems. The Acts confers the GCC central bank with the responsibilities of formulating monetary policy, ensuring price stability, issuing a common currency and performing any other functions conferred to it by t he Act (Rajan & Zingales 1998). It has a central head office with branches located in each of the countries that have come together to form this form of financial organization. The system will also run currency centers in specified locations within the UAE region. The suggested arrangement will have assistant governors to support the activities and decisions by a central governor (Smits 1997). The directors will still be there with the governor at the head office to help in the daily

Questionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Questionaire - Essay Example competitiveness in the market, logistic issues, communication, price fluctuations, and worker strikes as some of the challenges facing the copper industry. The operations that the companies involve in include mining and processing with some companies undertaking trading of the finished products. The respondents are also satisfied with the quality of the final products from copper companies. All the companies record a profit from their operations and elimination of the challenges would enable the copper companies to increase the profits (Jessop, 2002). None of the respondents feels that his company contributes effectively towards the international copper market. Two of the respondents strongly disagree that their companies have an impact on the copper industry. Transportation of the raw material and finished products is beneficial to all the companies. The most influential as voted by more than one respondent are road and sea transport. The least significant mode of transport is air transport with railway transport being crucial to one company. Private copper operates have a small effect on the global copper industry which can not be neglected when evaluating the challenges affecting the copper industry (Jessop,

Why was the Nile River important for the rise of successful states in Essay

Why was the Nile River important for the rise of successful states in North Africa - Essay Example The river flows for more than 4000 miles through the Sahara desert, farmlands, swamps, villages, and large cities. Across its length, the Nile divides into several streams to form a delta before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is regarded as international waters shared among countries along its source, flow, and mouth including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. Since time in memorial, rivers have shaped the course of human history creating and sustaining great civilisations along its banks. River Nile is the birthplace of the greatest civilisations in the ancient world in Northern Africa and its importance remains vital to date. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of the Nile River for the rise of successful states in North Africa. The Nile forms large water basin along its length that has proven essential to nations in North Africa. The Sahara desert extends to nations serviced by river Nile including Egypt and Sudan creating varying climate regions. In North Africa, Egypt and Sudan receive sparse rainfall while as the south receives heavy downpour, contributing flooding in the north. The floodwaters drain to the north carrying with them fertile soil that formed the foundation of life in North Africa. The regular flooding of the Nile River emptied in valleys leaving them highly fertile and ready for growing season. Ancient civilisations established farming techniques to cater for their population, providing enough food for consumption and excess for trade purposes. Besides the fertile lands, river Nile provided water for irrigation purposes in farms along the river during the dry season. Farmers practised basin irrigation, which was a prolific adjustment of the natural rise and fall of the river where they regulated the flow of floodwaters into the basin through a network of earthen banks along the river. Irrigation allowed cultivation of large tracks of land even during the dry summer to provide food fo r the emerging civilisation. This saw a significant expansion of agricultural practices making Egypt and surrounding settlements the breadbasket for other civilisations such as the Roman Empire. Agricultural production received a boost with the construction of the Aswan High Dam, which saw the water harnessed for irrigation purposes leading to increased food production (Awulachew et al 12). The farmers cultivated wheat, barley, flax, and vegetables while rearing fowl, cattle, sheep, and goats. Agriculture played an important role in the economies of countries along the Nile basin by providing food to sustain the population. The existing government became wealthy and strong among the neighbouring nations leading to prosperity among its population. Owing to the increased production of food, there was an influx of population along the river valleys. The increase in population necessitated amicable governance for a harmonious existence. In addition, the population increase strained avai lable resources leading to the expansion of the existing settlements to accommodate new families. This contributed to the establishment of towns and cities along the fertile valleys of river Nile and with the intensified population growth, the leaders established territories governed through stratified government organs. The Nile River provides a stable source of water for both domestic and industrial use, which ensured a low cost of production of goods and services translating to increased efficiency and level of production. In regard to this, the economy thrives owing social security creating unlimited potential in terms of growth. This is especially because the government can focus on other economic sectors by committing large

HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN PERSPECTIVE Class Research Paper

HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN PERSPECTIVE Class - Research Paper Example They generally determine the human overall composition which includes the positives and the negatives that accompany the traits. Miguel (n.d) gives an overview of the genetic composting and defines the application of the genetic concept to the world’s scientific innovation and application. The genetic composition and the similarities that from the matter and antimatter concept is what generates the assumption of the human behavior Black and white photography is a definition of the human nature focus on limited aspect of life. It single out the grey aspect of the color spectrum. It gives the untold reality of life as the color version of the photography describes the positives that lives provide. The concept of black and white photography depends majorly on the shape and from rather than the general outlook. The description of the form eventually determines the similarity that the colored photograph and the black and white photography define. It relates to Sheldon’s model on human as it describes the nature of classification to be based on ‘somatotype’ which describe the physical appearances and the personal traits an individual posses (Scandalon, n.d). Our focus on the creation myth will lead us to the Mesopotamian myth of creation (Enuma Elish). It describes the cosmic and order and describes the origin of the two. It states the nature in which the god of fresh water (Apsu) marries to the goddess of the sea (Tiamat). They bear children that are ill behaved that their father contemplates on killing them (Bratcher, 2013). The grandson (Ea) kills the god of fresh water and the generation change that accompanied the kills was the source of the chaos and order that the world today experiences. The creational story describes how the human culture is composed of the two characteristic. The opposite paring is evident between the two is what crates the LÃ ©vi-Strauss argument. In the same creational story there

U.S.Involvement in the Vietnam War and the Effects Today Essay

U.S.Involvement in the Vietnam War and the Effects Today - Essay Example U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War got initial support from the Vietnam government, but later, the government opposed the involvement of United States in the war. Demonstrations opposing the United States involvement in the Vietnam War began in 1964 up to 1970. When John F Kennedy appeared in office, for his first year, he drafted a plan, which clearly depicted the chief objective of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The main objective of the involvement was to prevent domination of communists in South Vietnam; in order to create a viable, democratic society (Hall 8). The United States aimed at achieving this objective through military, economic, and political support. The United States also wanted to spread their capitalist ideologies. There were different reasons for opposing the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. One of the reasons was opposition to the draft. The draft threatened low and middle class registrants (Hall 12). Those opposing the draft argued that the draft did not represent them fairly. Apart from the opposition of the draft, protestors made moral influence against U.S. involvement in Vietnam War. The moral argument was mostly opinions of American college students. The students opposed the U.S. involvement and termed it as immoral due to the number of civilian deaths, encountered in the war. Another opposing element against U.S. involvement was that the threat of communism by the United States was not legally justifiable. The U.S. withdrew its military in August 1973. In the Vietnam War, I learnt that, involvement of the United States in the war was opposed by the Vietnam government and some Americans. The chief reason for opposing the U.S. involvement in the war was due to the effects that the war left (Kissinger 32). There was immense loss of life; involving American troops, Vietnam soldiers and Vietnam civilians. This led to a high number of casualties. It is estimated that 58,148 were killed in Vietnam; 75,000 disabled

The problem of debt crisis and the concept of its solutions in Mexico Dissertation

The problem of debt crisis and the concept of its solutions in Mexico - Dissertation Example The debt crisis is one of the major concerns of any less developed country or any developing country. Starting from the year 1980, every developing country has gone through the phases of debt crisis. Generally, when there economy was performing well lots of private banks and foreign investors invest money. But, as these countries’ economies were based on mainly one or two sectors, any kind of downfall in the demand of the finished products of those sectors ensures the downfall of their economy. As their economical growth was slowing down continuously, they were facing a monetary crisis. Moreover, as the interest rates started to grow, they have to repay more to the borrowing country/institutions. In the case of Mexico, the same thing was happening. Demand for their manufacturing goods started to slow down with the developing economical crisis in the world. As a result their income from export was affected and hence they were not in opposition to repay their loans. That trigger s the debt crisis. To overcome this situation they have to ask for the intervention of the IMF. The intervention of IMF brings about monetary as well as trade names reformation in the country. As the time goes by, Mexico was able to get rid of the crisis. ... INTRODUCTION In finance debt is referred as the purchasing power of tomorrow, in view of today without earning the same. A debt crisis can be defined as a situation when a country or an institution or an individual is overwhelmed by a huge financial borrowing, which in their present financial condition they are unable to overcome. It can be in terms of real goods or money. In any country it is a situation where the concerned country is not in a position to repay the borrowing they have taken from outside the country (from the World Bank or any private banks) and it is surpassing the earnings of the nation. Generally any country can ask for borrowings by means of long term loans (Commercial Bank), short term loans (Commercial Bank), loans from security market by means of bond and debentures and official grants and loans (low interest rate and high repayment term). In Latin America, the debt crisis of 1980s was due to their official grants and their Long their long term loans from comm ercial banks (Oliveri, 1992). The debt crisis is an issue of major concern for any less developed or developing country. Generally these less developed countries have to borrow money from different leading countries or the private banks or World Bank for their growth and economic sustenance. While giving them these advances the lenders take into consideration the current economic condition of the country, future growth prospects, political stability, inflation etc. But in the due course of time due to several reasons which may be political or may be economical that particular nation may face a situation where they are not in a position to repay the loan within stipulated frame of time. Then that particular country is supposed to be in a debt

Hedda Gabler Essay Example for Free

Hedda Gabler Essay Throughout the years people have developed an image of how a particular gender should act. In the play Hedda Gabler, the characters that are involved challenge and conform the gender stereotypes through verbal and non-verbal text. The author â€Å"Henrik Ibsen† has displayed characters such as Hedda Gabler and Julianne Tesman to challenge their stereotypical gender behaviors. Hedda Gabler, the play’s main character, challenges the common gender stereotype of a woman by portraying Gabbler as a person who has a thirst for being free. Gablers father, General Gabler is one of the main influences of her behavior challenging her feminine role. An example is ‘Tesman- â€Å"My old morning shoes, my slippers look! †¦ I missed them dreadfully. Now you should see them†. Hedda- â€Å"No thanks, it really doesn’t interest me†. This portrays Gabler showing no affection to Jorgen Tesman’s slippers. The way Hedda is not interested in Tesman’s slippers shows her little care for affection towards Tesman. This challenges the common gender stereotype because women are stereotyped to be affectionate and sensitive. Hedda Gabler is furthered portrayed by having masculine traits by non-verbal aspects of her character by having a pistol, Hedda-â€Å"[lifting the pistol and aiming] I’m going to shoot you, sir!† Brack- â€Å"No, no, no! Don’t stand there aiming that at me.† This quote represents the gun symbolically representing her masculinity and at this point, Hedda using it empowers her and used to gain some sought of power over Brack. The gun seen as a non verbal aspect of the play clearly representing Hedda Gabbler in a masculine way challenging the common stereotype of her gender. The gun, a phallic symbol, is Hedda projecting her masculinity. The way she always shows the gun, aiming it at Brack and talking about the gun to Tesman alarming him. Brack towards the end of the play blackmails Hedda about the death of lovburg and to avoid he being publically disgraced must tend to the will of Brack, â€Å"Brack-â€Å" Willingly every single evening, Miss Tesman. We shall have a very pleasant time here you and I† Hedda – â€Å"Yes that is what you are looking forward to isn’t, Mr. Brack? You as the only cock in the yard.† Hedda then kills herself representing her making sure Brack does not get the upper hand over her and gets the ultimate freedom from men trying to dominate her. Hedda Gabler also shown to hate thought of pregnancy rejecting the common gender stereotype. This is shown through a conversation between Julie Tesman and Hedda Gabler: Tesman – â€Å"Yes but have you noticed how plumped she’s grown, and how well she is? How much she has filled out on her travels?† Hedda – â€Å"I’m exactly the same as I was when I went away.† This quote represents that Hedda resents the idea of her being pregnant and will avoid the topic completely. Through this Hedda further rebels against her gender stereotype by not wanting to have kids which all women at that time where expected to have. She further rebels against this concept by ultimately her death by suicide. Through killing herself it shows the ultimate rejection of society’s expectation for a female and projects Hedda’s resent to conform. Julie Tesman is a character in the play that conforms to the female gender stereotype. Julie Tesman portrays this in the paly by constantly asking Tesman if Hedda is pregnant â€Å"Yes but have you noticed how plumped she’s grown, and how well she is? How much she has filled out on her travels?† which is important because she believes she should be. The fact that Julie Tesman serves Jorgen Tesman implements that she works for men a common female gender stereotype that women work for men. The fact that Julie Tesman will sacrifice everything for Jorgen shows her as mother figure toward Jorgen. Julie is seen as a mother figure, which shows that she is conforming to a female gender stereotype. In the play Hedda gabbler the author has created characters that challenge and conform to the common gender stereotypes. Hedda gabbler through being portrayed as masculine and always not wanting to be controlled sows how she challenges the female gender stereotype. Julie Tesman portrayed as a caring, old mother figure conforms to a female gender stereotype because of her show of affection, fragility and seen as a mother figure. Through the use of verbal and non-verbal aspects the author has projected these two characters to conform and the other to rebel against the common gender stereotype.

Main Stages Involved In Capacity Management Tourism Essay

Main Stages Involved In Capacity Management Tourism Essay Capacity management in the tourism industry is measured by the available seat-miles per month. Capacity management is an important factor within hospitality operations as it tests activity for the manager and therefore gives them an indication of the maximum level of value-added over a period of time, so they can see what the operation could achieve in normal conditions. According to Armistead and Clark (1994, p6) Capacity management is the ability to balance demand from customers and the capability of the service delivery system to satisfy the demand. This places an emphasis on understanding first, the nature of demand by forecasting and second, the options for managing capacity to meet the expected demand. The process consists of forecasting and managing capacity, these are made up from smaller components which will be discussed in further details in this report. 2. Forecasting Forecasting is used to identify capacity gaps between product demand and the current capacity. It is an important process in all management decisions not just tourism management; although each situation is different you can apply the same procedures to make realistic capacity decisions within any business. Forecasting methods can be divided into qualitative and quantitative categories which are based on the availability of historical time series data. Establishing the level of demand when forecasting is of the upmost importance as failure to do so can cause over booking and overcrowding. Other eventualities from inaccuracy of forecasting can include incorrect numbers for staff and lack aircrafts which was one of the factors which effected American airlines development in 1990 (Krajewski and Ritzman, p275) . It helps to understand product life cycle as it will impact the capacity. It is also important for a manager to look at external factors such as trends as they will have an effect on the supply and demand of a product or service, these can include; Ageing population- this will affect the quantitative forecasting as our current population is living longer, so you cant use historical data to establish relationships as its continuously changing. Seasonal trends- They can depend social, economic and environmental impacts. This would be best measure by qualitative forecasting. Disposable income- Due to the recession people will have less disposable income. 2.1 Forecasting Techniques There are various different forecasting techniques that cover various timescales, the two most common techniques are: Long-term capacity management For large projects Usually planned over several years In tourism this will involve several departments Short-term capacity management Plan and order resources Usually a monthly, weekly or daily basis Tourism short term capacity management would involve the cleaning of an aircraft Long term planning requires demand forecasts for an extended period of time, the decisions made are often concerned with strategic decisions to ensure achievement of their desired objectives. Short-term capacity management focuses on relatively small time durations and specific processes; they are specifically for smaller levels of operation. Unfortunately, forecast accuracy declines as the forecasting time lengthens. Forecasts also dont allow for competitors actions however waiting line models and decision trees do. 3. Types of forecasting Forecasting methods can be divided into two broad approaches, these are; Qualitative Quantitative The majority of forecasting techniques use past or historical data in the form of time series. One single method is never used on its own as they are both usually interlinked. 3.1Qualitative Forecasting The Qualitative method generally uses the judgment of experts in the appropriate field to generate forecasts. An advantage of this is that experts can generate a forecast if there isnt any historical data available. The main challenge to qualitative data analysis is that there is no clear and accepted set of conventions for analysis corresponding to those observed with quantitative data (Robson, 1993, p.370). The most popular methods of qualitative forecasting are: Delphi technique Scenario writing Subject approach Expert opinion Life cycle analysis 3.2 Quantitative forecasting The Quantitative methods use historical data; the methods consist of analyzing historical data concerning the time series of the particular variable of interest and other time series if they interlink with the area concerned. There are two main methods used within quantitative forecasting, the first method bases the future forecast on a past trends, these are known as time series methods. The second method also uses historical data. But the forecaster examines the cause and effect relationships of the variable with other relevant variables such as; Disposable income Interest rate Unemployment rate The state of the economy e.g. the recession This type of forecasting uses past time series, forecasting techniques that are under this category are called casual methods. 4. Capacity management After deciding what products and services should be on offered, management should then plan the systems capacity. The first step in the Capacity Management process, forecasting, is the best way to judge attendance and understand product life cycle. Therefore Capacity Management itself is used to make sure the capacity, from a tourism managers point of view, meets the targets set. The capacity of an airline usually depends on the location and the available seats per miles, as well as staff, time and other resources which are used. 4.1 Measuring Capacity According to (Krajewski and Ritzman, p276) No single capacity measure is applicable to all types of situations Every manager will have to take other factors into consideration before they measure their capacity. If there is an insufficient capacity it wont be possible to meet all of the demand, therefore to much capacity is provided and this will result in resources not being used to their maximum capability. 4.2 Coping with Demand The need for accurate forecasts of tourism demand to assist managerial decision making is highly important as the tourism product is perishable and if it doesnt meet the demand they lose revenue as an aircraft still has to fly without the demand being met. There are several ways of coping with demand and these are; Keep the activities level of resources constant and ignore any fluctuations. Adjust capacity to match demand. Change the demand to fit the capacity. 4.3 Queuing Theory Queuing theory is important to an as its one of the important factors in meeting their attendees needs. Queues arise when a demand for a service has exceeded the capacity, the customer doesnt get the service straight away upon arrival so they must wait for the service to be ready. This is an important for an airport as they have a random system which customers can arrive at any time; it isnt difficult for an airport to experience queues, but it is important that they deal with them sufficiently. These queues will often build up, disappear in quieter periods and then reappear all the time as there are always flights departing and arriving. Airports offer departing guests waiting rooms and shops to deal with queues and when they arrive they must go through customs which is a slow but easy method for managing the mass amount of people. 4.4 Queue Discipline Most managers will employ a simple queuing method to ensure a positive experience for the customer. These can be; Priority system for certain customers FIFO First In First Out LIFO Last In First Out 5. Conclusion This report has looked at the three main stages involved in capacity management and the different methods available to any manager. Although forecasting isnt always accurate, there is a wide variety of techniques in the first stage which can be used for any method. It is highly important to consider past experience as well as modern trends for more of a refined forecast, failure to do so could lead into an inaccurate forecast. The capacity management stage can then deal with the demand if it is insufficient or too high, then the queuing theory may be taken into consideration. In an airport due to the nature of the business it is unpredictable to measure the amount of customers as people can come and go as they please. This means the queuing theory may or may not make the service time, however if the demand has been manipulated to help predict the expected demand then it will reduce the waiting time and overall give the customer a positive experience. All of the stages combined prepare a tourism manager for any unforeseen outcomes in a tourism service and will allow them to successfully manage any outcome.

Originality Of Philosophy :: essays research papers fc

Originality of Philosophy Feb.25.1997   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is philosophy? What does a philosopher really do? Questions like these can be answered in a review of Philosophy Now. What can possibly be answered.....questions which have them. And what is it that philosophers study? Generally, most philosophers study questions in which there is no rational or justifiable answer. And the type of articles in the magazine are very interesting because they elighten the reader to question the answers. Some of the articles in this issue are â€Å"Bakunin: Anarchist or Antichrist?†, â€Å" Practical Solipsism†, â€Å"Introduction to Ontology†, â€Å"Orwell and Philosophy†, some other brief articles, an Internet page, and even some classifieds. The overall view of this magazine was very intellectual and professional because it did not contain any advertising throughout the magazine. The articles are more in the manner meant for either philosophers or someone in school studying Philosophy, or even anyone interested in a very different approach to society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An idea in the article â€Å"Practical Solipsism† reads: â€Å"Solipsism - the idea that only I exist and that you, and all other material things in the world are mere figments of my imagination - is one of those peculiar notions that make everybody realize just how barmy philosophers truly are.† Philosophy is often translated as the love of wisdom or the love of truth. One way to get a vague idea as to what philosophy is about is to dissect the subject and investigate its skeleton. there are many branches in philosophy. Metaphysics is†(after- physics, after Aristotle's book of physics.)†, and has questions about the nature of time, categories of existence, including god. Epistemology asks what is knowledge? what is the difference between knowledge, belief and opinion? Can we really know anything? How could we know that we did? Logic questions the truth and even now employs a sort of algebra which is used to crunch logical problems. There is Philosophy of mind, which asks questions about the human mind, how it thinks, and how is it related to the body. Ethics is like how are we living, what is good and bad, what is unethical, and what is happiness. Aesthetics asks mostly about beauty and how to define it. In particular though, there is political philosophy, and it asks questions like What would Utopia be like? Is Utopia possible? How should social life be organized? In my opinion this philosophy is not one related to our government but is very interesting to me. As I was reading, many questions arose about our society and what I thought should be changed. Another Article that I went over was called â€Å"Ontology for

God and the Sea of lust :: essays research papers

A man and a woman fall in love and make promises to love each other and uphold each other in times of need, to love and to protect each other during whatever storm may crash upon their beach of love and peace. This is what God intended for us. A good husband will give his wife a place to live in this world and a place in his heart; a place that she may call home. He will be held up with her in front of God and will never leave her side. A good husband must trust his wife when he is at work. He must also trust himself to let her be alone and to always trust her no matter what she does to him to make him think other wise, no matter if she kills her husband’s best friend and lies about it and hides the bloody knife under his own pillow. He must trust her in every way. A husband knows he must always protect his loved one and family. He must also show her that he cares by giving his time and love. He must be able to hold her when she cries and tell her that it will be o.k., even if they are both doomed. He must even give up his pride. Pride is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You will not know it until you see it; If you do not spot the wolf in time and send him away, he will come between you and what you hold dear to your heart. If a man does not give all of his heart and soul to the woman he picks as his wife, then their relationship will have its problems, but what marriage does not have it little bumps from time to time?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wife, nature’s Rubics cube, is the one thing that puzzles men to this day. Puzzle or not, all men hope to fall in love with that one. Man, all over the world, hope that she will fulfill his ever dream and fulfill his every need. A wife and her love mean a lot to a man. Men hope that she will share that love with him until she dies. Men hope that their wives will show love and compassion for them when a day has gone bad, and men hope that they can tell her about their bad day, and she will comfort him, no matter if the bad day was just a small thing.

Women, Words, Writing :: Gender Literature Papers

Women, Words, Writing During my morning commute, I cut myself off from the world around me and think. The last thing I see before "shutting off" generally starts a process of free association that is carried on by memory. For instance, this morning a woman sat beside me, reading The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia Williams. Williams is someone I have heard of and read. I remembered her essay "And We Are Not Married"-a wonderful sample of women's writing. For the rest of the time I traveled by subway, I thought of pieces of writing I have read that, somehow, bear the mark of their writer's gender. Now I'm home, at my desk, and I am re-reading the texts I have thought of in the morning, trying to understand why and where I feel the mark of gender. Take, for example, Williams's essay; as I go along, I am fascinated by its complexity, by its huge network-or should I say labyrinth?-of ideas, so huge that the reader can easily get lost, become powerless, and abandon the struggle. Williams argues, among other things, that the practice of certain forms of rhetoric constitute acts of ideology, that style is never neutral, so that types of writing and behavior are always suffused with political content. One of her primary rhetorical tropes is the telling-and retold-anecdote, which always requires interpretation. With each story she relates, new possible paths appear, and one doesn't know which of them is the right one: the "Benetton incident," with its three consecutive versions. Then Tawana Brawley. Maxine Thomas. Mrs. Williams, her mother. Herself. Professor Bell and Geneva Crenshaw. Mr. Williams. Finally, the dream. The stories are presented at length, and commented upon; each affirmation is supported-either because of the author's juridical experience or because of her exactness-by footnotes. This makes the overall structure of the essay a bit confusing. For example, the listing of opinions expressed about Maxine Thomas is backed up by eighteen footnotes. The reader's eye has to go back and forth in order to read everything, and going back and forth eighteen times can be very challenging. In addition to that, the language is sometimes difficult; at times even impenetrable: "the rhetoric of increased privatization, in response to racial issues, functions as the rationalizing agent of public unaccountability, and, ultimately, irresponsibility" (696). One has to stop reading and figure out what she means, to figure out the idea behind that gathering of legal (and thus certainly esoteric) terms.

Positive Regard Essay

Unconditional Positive Regard is a central concept in the theories of Carl R. Rogers, both for psychotherapy and for interpersonal relations. A universal need for positive regard by others appears at about the same time a person begins to experience awareness of self (Rogers, 1959). In therapy, UPR is a quality of the therapist’s experience toward the client (p. 239). Rogers’ writing sheds light on various aspects of this construct: Unconditional One experiencing UPR holds ‘no conditions of acceptance . . . It is at the opposite pole from a selective evaluating attitude.’ (p. 225) Positive One offers ‘warm acceptance . . . a â€Å"prizing† of the person, as Dewey has used that term . . . It means a caring for the client . . . ’ (p. 225). Regard One regards ‘each aspect of the client’s experience as being part of that client . . . It means a caring for the client, but not in a possessive way or in such a way as simply to satisfy the therapist’s own needs. It means caring for the client as a separate person, with permission to have his [or her] own feelings, his [or her] own experiences.’ (p. 225) Theoretically, the importance of UPR lies in its power to build up or restore the recipient’s unconditional positive self-regard. Unconditional positive regard requires that a person be warm and accepting even when another person has done something questionable. While most parents attempt to give their children unconditional love, few grant their children unconditional positive regard. Many therapists advocate giving their clients unconditional positive regard as part of the therapeutic process. UPR is most notably associated with person-centered therapy, or Rogerian therapy. Carl Rogers (1951) viewed the child as having two basic needs: positive regard from other people and self-worth. How we think about ourselves, our feelings of self-worth are of fundamental importance both to psychological health and to the likelihood that we can achieve goals and ambitions in life and achieve self-actualization. Self-worth may be seen as a continuum from very high to very low. For Carl Rogers (1959) a person who has high self-worth, that is, has confidence and positive feelings about him or her self, faces challenges in life, accepts failure and unhappiness at times, and is open with people. A person with low self-worth may avoid challenges in life, not accept that life can be painful and unhappy at times, and will be defensive and guarded with other people. Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father. As a child grows older, interactions with significant others will affect feelings of self-worth. Rogers believed that we need to be regarded positively by others; we need to feel valued, respected, treated with affection and loved. Positive regard is to do with how other people evaluate and judge us in social interaction. Rogers made a distinction between unconditional positive regard and conditional positive regard. Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the person for what he or she is. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake. The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it worse at times. People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood. Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise and approval, depend upon the child, for example, behaving in ways that the parents think correct. Hence the child is not loved for the person he or she is, but on condition that he or she behaves only in ways approved by the parent(s). At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child. How Unconditional Positive Regard Works in TherapyRogers believed that it was essential for therapists to show unconditional positive regard to their clients. He also suggested that individuals who don’t have this type of acceptance from people in their life can eventually come to hold negative beliefs about themselves. The demonstration of UPR from a therapist can encourage people to share their thoughts, feelings, and actions without fear of offending the therapist. A therapist might simply ask a client to expand on why he or she behaved in a particular manner, rather than condemning the person’s action or inquiring as to how the other person might have felt. Some therapists believe that UPR can serve as a temporary substitute for parental love that may help clients gain confidence to explore their issues. This belief is heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud and is not popular among contemporary mental health professionals. Through providing unconditional positive regard, humanistic therapists seek to help their clients accept and take responsibility for themselves. Humanistic psychologists believe that by showing the client unconditional positive regard and acceptance, the therapist is providing the best possible conditions for personal growth to the client. David G. Myers says the following in his Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules: People also nurture our growth by being accepting—by offering us what Rogers called unconditional positive regard. This is an attitude of grace, an attitude that values us even knowing our failings. It is a profound relief to drop our pretenses, confess our worst feelings, and discover that we are still accepted. In a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate friendship, we are free to be spontaneous without fearing the loss of others’ esteem. Drawbacks of Unconditional Positive Regard UPR can be especially problematic in couples counseling, where couples often desire a referee who will tell them when they are doing something detrimental to the relationship. When clients feel that UPR in therapy is contrived, it may backfire. For example, some people want a therapist to tell them when they are doing something wrong, to bring awareness to the behavior. UPR can be difficult for a therapist to sustain, particularly when a person is making negative or unhealthy choices on a recurring basis. Consequently, many therapists attempt to strike a balance by remaining positive, upbeat, and nonjudgmental while at the same time pointing out when a person’s actions are harmful to himself or herself or to others.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 44~45

44 Revealed: The Perfect Couple Back at his bungalow, an argument went on in the still-sober brain of Tucker Case. I am scum. I should have told them to shove it. But they might have killed you. Yeah, but I would have at least had my integrity. Your what? Get real. But I'm scum. Big deal. You've been scum before. You've never owned a Learjet before. You actually think they'll give me the jet? It could happen. Stranger things have happened. But I should do something about this. Why? You've never done anything before. Well, maybe it's time. No way. Take the jet. I'm scum. Well, yes, you are. But you're rich scum. I can live with that. The dog tags and Jefferson Pardee's notebook lay on the coffee table, threatening to set off another fusillade of doubt and condemnation. Tuck lay back on the rattan couch and turned on the television to escape the noise in his mind. Skinny Asian guys were beating the snot out of each other in a kickboxing match from the Philippines. The Malaysian channel was showing how to fillet a schnauzer. The cooking show reminded him of surgery, and surgery reminded him that there was a beautiful island girl lying in the clinic, recovering from an unnecessary major surgery that he could have prevented. Definitely kickboxing. He was just getting into the rhythm of the violence when the bat came through the window and made an awkward swinging landing on one of the bungalow's open rafters. Tuck lost his breath for a minute, thinking there might just be a wild animal in his house. Then he saw the sunglasses. Roberto steadied himself into a slightly swinging upside-down hang. Tuck sighed. â€Å"Please just be a bat in sunglasses tonight. Please.† Thankfully, the bat said nothing. The sunglasses were sliding off his nose. â€Å"How do you fly in those things?† Tuck said, thinking out loud. â€Å"They're aviators.† â€Å"Of course,† Tuck said. The bat had indeed changed from rhinestone glasses to aviators, but once you accept a talking bat, the leap to a talking bat with an eyewear wardrobe is a short one. Roberto dropped from the rafter and took wing just before he hit the floor. Two beats of his wings and he was on the coffee table, as awkward in his spiderlike crawl as he was graceful in the air. With his wing claw, he raked at Jefferson Pardee's notebook until it was open to the middle, then he launched himself and flew out the window. Tuck picked up the notebook and read what Pardee had written. Tuck had missed this page when he had looked at the notebook before. This page had been stuck to the one before it; the bat's clawing had revealed it. It was a list of leads that Pardee had made for the story he had been working on. The second item read: â€Å"What happened to the first pilot, James Sommers? Call immigration in Yap and Guam.† Tuck flipped through the notebook to see if he had missed something else. Had Pardee found out? Of course he had. He'd found out and he'd followed Sommers to the last place anyone had seen him. But where was Pardee? His notebook hadn't come to the island without him. Tuck went through the notebook three more times. There were some foreign names and phone numbers. Something that looked like a packing list for a trip. Some notes on the background of Sebastian Curtis. Notes to check up on Japanese with guns. The word â€Å"Learjet† underlined three times. And nothing else. There didn't seem to be any organizational form to the notes. Just random facts, names, places, and dates. Dates? Tuck went through it once more. On the third page in, all by itself, was printed: â€Å"Alualu, Sept. 9.† Tuck ran to the nightstand drawer, where the Curtises had left him a calendar. He counted back the days to the ninth and tried to put events to days. The ship had arrived on the ninth, and the morning of the tenth he had made his first flight. Jefferson Pardee could be lying in the clinic right now, wondering where in the hell his kidney was. If he was, Tuck needed to see him. Tuck looked in the closet for something dark to wear. This was going to be different than sneaking out to the village. There were no buildings between the guards' quarters and the clinic, no trees, nothing but seventy-five yards of open compound. Darkness would be his only cover. It was a tropical-weight wet suit – two-mil neoprene – and it was two sizes two big, but it was the only thing in the closet that wasn't khaki or white. In the 80-degree heat and 90-percent humidity, Tuck was reeling from the heat before he got the hood on. He stepped into the shower and soaked himself with cold water, then peeled the hood over his head and made his escape through the shower floor, dropping onto the wet gravel below. In the movies the spies – the Navy SEALS, the Special Forces, the demolition experts – always sneak through the night in their wet suits. Why, Tuck wondered, don't they squish and slosh and make squeaking raspberry noises when they creep? Must be special training. You never hear James Bond say, â€Å"Frankly, Q, I'll trade the laser-guided cufflink missiles for a wet suit that doesn't make me feel like a bloody bag of catsick.† Which is how Tuck felt as he sloshed around the side of the clinic and peeked across the compound at the guard on duty, who seemed to be looking right at him. Tuck pulled back around the corner. He needed a diversion if he was going to make it to the clinic door unseen. The moon was bright, the sky clear, and the compound of white coral gravel reflected enough light to read by. He heard the guard shout, and he was sure he'd been spotted. He flattened against the wall and held his breath. Then there were more Japa-nese from across the compound, but no footsteps. He ventured a peek. The guard was gesturing toward the sky and brushing his head. Two other guards had joined him and were laughing at the guard on duty. He seemed to get angrier, cursing at the sky and wiping his hand on his uniform. The other guards led him inside to calm him down and clean him up. Tuck heard a bark from the sky and looked up to see the silhouette of a huge bat against the moon. Roberto had delivered a guano air strike. Tuck had his diversion. He slipped around the front of the building, grabbed the doorknob, and turned. It was unlocked. Given Beth Curtis's irritation at being buzzed and the amount of wine she'd consumed, Tuck had guessed that she'd get tired locking and unlocking the door. What did Mary Jean always say? â€Å"Ladies, if you do your job and assume that everyone else is incompetent, you will seldom be disappointed.† Amen, Tuck thought. He squished into the outer room of the clinic, which was dark except for the red-eyed stare of a half-dozen machines and the dancing glow of a computer screen running a screen saver. He'd try to get into that later, but now he was interested in what, or who, lay in the small hospital ward, two rooms back. He sloshed into the examination/operating room by the light of more LED eyes and pushed through the curtain to the four-bed ward. Only one bed held a patient – or what looked like a patient. The only light was a green glow from a heart monitor that blipped away silently, the sound turned off. Whoever was in the bed was certainly large enough to be Jeffer-son Pardee. There were a couple of IVs hanging above the patient. Probably painkillers after such major surgery, Tuck thought. He moved closer and ventured a whisper. â€Å"Pst, Pardee.† The lump under the covers moved and moaned in a distinctly unmasculine voice. â€Å"Pardee, it's Tucker Case. Remember?† The sheet was thrown back and Tuck saw a thin male face in the green glow. â€Å"Kimi?† â€Å"Hi, Tucker.† Kimi looked down at the other person under the covers. â€Å"You remember Tucker? He all better now.† The pretty island girl said, â€Å"I take care of you when you sick. You stink very much.† Tuck backed off a step. â€Å"Kimi, what are you doing here?† â€Å"Well, she like pretty thing, and I like pretty thing. She tired of having many means and so am I. We have a lot in common.† â€Å"He the best,† Sepie added with an adoring smile at Kimi. Kimi handed the smile off to Tuck. â€Å"Once you be a woman, you know how to make a woman happy.† Tuck was getting over the initial surprise and began to smell the smoke of his beautiful island girl fantasy as it caught fire and burned to ash. He hadn't realized how much time he'd spent thinking about this girl. She, after all, was the one who had revived his manhood. Sort of. â€Å"You right,† Kimi said. â€Å"Women are better. I am lesbian now.† â€Å"You shouldn't be doing this. This girl just had major surgery.† â€Å"Oh, we not doing nothing but kissing. She very hurt. But this make it better.† Kimi held his arm up, displaying an IV line. â€Å"You want to try? Put in you arm and push button. It make you feel very very nice.† â€Å"That's for her, Kimi. You shouldn't be using it.† â€Å"We share,† Sepie said. â€Å"Yes, we share,† Kimi said. â€Å"I'm very happy for you. How in the hell did you get in here?† â€Å"Like you get out. I swim around mimes and come here to see Sepie. No problem.† â€Å"You don't want to let them catch you. You've got to go. Now.† â€Å"One more push.† Sepie held the button, ready to administer another dose of morphine to Kimi. Tuck grabbed it from her hand. â€Å"No. Go now. How did you know about the mines?† â€Å"I have other friend. Sarapul. I teach him how to be a navigator. He know a lot of things too. He a cannibal.† â€Å"You're a cannibal lesbian?† â€Å"Just learning. How come you have rubber suit? You kinky?† â€Å"Sneaky. Look, Kimi, have you seen a fat white guy, an American?† â€Å"No, but Sarapul see him. He see the guards take him from the beach. He not here?† â€Å"No. I found his notebook. I met him on Truk.† â€Å"Sarapul say he see the guards bring him to the Sorcerer. He say it very funny, the white man wear pigs with wings.† Tuck felt his face go numb. All that was left of Pardee was a pelvic bone wedged in the reef, stripped of flesh and wrapped in flying piggy shorts. Oh, there might be the odd kidney left alive in someone in Japan, a kidney that he had delivered. Had the fat man died on the operating table during the operation, the surgery too much for his heart? Or was he put under and never meant to wake up? Tuck suddenly felt that getting into the doctor's computer was more important than ever. He grabbed Kimi's arm and pulled the IV needle out of his vein. The navigator didn't resist, and he didn't seem to feel it. â€Å"Kimi, see if you can get that back in Sepie's arm and come with me.† â€Å"Okay boss.† Tuck looked down at the girl, who had evidently picked up on the panic in his voice. Her eyes were wide, despite the morphine glaze. â€Å"Don't buzz the doctor until after we're gone. This button will let you have only so much morphine, and Kimi's used some of yours. But if it hurts, you still have to wait, okay?† She nodded. Kimi crawled out of the bed and nearly fell. Tuck caught him by the arm and steadied him. â€Å"I am chosen,† Sepie said. â€Å"When Vincent comes, he will give me many pretty things.† Tuck brushed back her hair with his fingers. â€Å"Yes, he will. You sleep now. And thank you for taking care of me when I was sick.† Kimi kissed the girl and after a minute Tuck pulled him away and led him through the operating room to the office section of the clinic. In the glow of the computer screen, Tuck said, â€Å"Kimi, the doctor and his wife are killing people.† â€Å"No, they not. They sent by Vincent. Sepie say Vincent come from Heaven to bring people many good things. They very poor.† â€Å"No, Kimi, they are bad people. Like Malcolme. They are taking advantage of Sepie's people. They are just pretending to be working for a god.† â€Å"How you know? You no believe in God.† Tuck took the boy by the shoulders. He was no longer angry or even irritated, he was afraid, and for the first time ever, not just for himself. â€Å"Kimi, can you swim back around the mines?† â€Å"I think.† â€Å"You've got to go to the other side of the island and you can't come back. If the guards find you I'm pretty sure you'll be killed.† â€Å"You just want Sepie for yourself. She tell me you follow her.† â€Å"I'll check on her and I'll meet you at the drinking circle tomorrow night – tell you how she's doing. I won't touch her, I promise. Okay?† â€Å"Okay.† Kimi leaned against the wall by the door. Tuck studied him for a moment to try and determine just how fucked up he was. It wasn't a difficult swim. Tuck had done it stone drunk, but he'd been wearing fins and a mask and snorkel. â€Å"You're sure you can swim?† Kimi nodded and Tuck cracked the door. The moon had moved across the sky throwing the front of the clinic in shadow. The guard across the compound was reading a magazine by flashlight. â€Å"When you get outside, go left and get behind the building.† The navigator stepped out, slid down the side of the building and around the corner. Tuck heard him trip and fall and swear softly in Filipino. â€Å"Shit,† Tuck said to himself. He glanced at the computer. It would have to wait. He slid out the door, palming it shut behind him, then followed the navigator around the building. He heard the guard shout from across the compound, and for once in his life, Tuck made a definitive decision. He grabbed the navigator under the arms and ran. 45 Confessions Over Tee Tucker Case dreamed of machine-gun fire and jerked as the bullets ripped into his back. He tossed forward into the dirt, mouth filling with sand, smothering him as the life drained out of a thousand ragged wounds, and still the guns kept firing, the rhythmic reports pounding like a violet storm of timpanis, like a persistent fist on a rickety door. â€Å"Just let me die!† Tuck screamed, most of the sound caught by his pillow. It was a persistent fist on a rickety door. â€Å"Mr. Case, rise and shine,† said a cheery Sebastian Curtis. â€Å"Ten minutes to tee time.† Tuck rolled into the mosquito netting, became entangled, and ripped it from the ceiling. He was still wearing his wet suit and the fragile netting clung to it like cobwebs. He arrived at the door looking like a tattered ghost fresh out of Davy Jones's locker. â€Å"What? I can't fly. I can't even fucking walk. Go away.† Tuck was not a morning person. Sebastian Curtis stood in the doorway beaming. â€Å"It's Wednesday,† he said. â€Å"I thought you might want to play a few holes.† Tuck looked at the doctor through bloodshot eyes and several layers of torn mosquito netting. Behind Curtis stood one of the guards, sans machine gun, with a golf bag slung over his shoulder. â€Å"Golf?† Tuck said. â€Å"You want to play golf?† â€Å"It's a different game here on Alualu, Mr. Case. Quite challenging. But then, you've been practicing, haven't you?† â€Å"Look, Doc, I didn't sleep well last night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Could be the wet suit, if you don't mind my saying. Here in the tropics, you want fabrics that breathe. Cotton is best.† Tuck was beginning to come around, and as he did, he found he was focusing an intense hatred on the doctor. â€Å"I guess we know who got laid last night.† Curtis looked down and smiled coyly. He was actually embarrassed. Tuck couldn't quite put it together. The doc didn't seem to have any problem with killing people or taking their organs – or both – but he was blushing at the mention of sex with his wife. Tuck glared at him. Curtis said, â€Å"You'd better change. The first tee is out in front of the hangar. I'll go down and practice a few drives while you get dressed.† â€Å"You do that,† Tuck said. He slammed the door. Twenty minutes later Tuck, his hair still wet from the shower, joined Curtis and the guard in front of the hangar. He was feeling the weight of three nights with almost no sleep, and his back ached from dragging Kimi across the compound, then towing him in the water to the far side of the minefield. The guard had never caught up to them, but he had come to the edge of the water and shouted, waving his machine gun until Tuck and Kimi were out of sight. â€Å"We'll have to share a set of clubs,† Curtis said. â€Å"But perhaps now that you've decided to stay, we can order you a set.† â€Å"Swell,† Tuck said. He couldn't be sure, but he thought the guard might be the same one that had chased them to the beach. Tuck sneered at him and he looked away. Yep, he was the one. â€Å"This is Mato. He'll be caddying for us today.† The guard bowed slightly. Tuck saluted him with a middle finger. If the doctor saw the gesture, he didn't comment. He was lining the ball up on a small square of Astro Turf with a rubberized pad on the bottom. â€Å"We have to hit off of this. At least until someone invents a gravel wedge.† He laughed at his own joke. Tuck forced a smile. â€Å"The Shark People covered this entire island with gravel hundreds of years ago. Keeps the topsoil from being washed away in typhoons. This first hole is a dogleg to the left. The pin is behind the staff's quarters about a hundred yards.† â€Å"Doc, now that we've come clean, why don't we call them the guards?† â€Å"Very well, Mr. Case. Would you like honors?† â€Å"Call me Tuck. No, you go ahead.† Curtis hit a long bad hook that arced around the guards' quar ters and landed out of sight in a stand of palm trees behind the building. â€Å"I have to admit that I may have a bit of an advantage. I've laid out the course to accommodate my stroke. Most of the holes are doglegs to the left.† Tuck nodded as if he understood what Curtis was talking about, then took the driver from the doctor and hit his own shot, a grounder that skipped across the gravel to stop fifty yards in front of them. â€Å"Oh, bad luck. Would you like to take a McGuffin?† â€Å"Blow me, Doc,† Tuck said as he walked away toward his ball. â€Å"I guess not, then.† The pins were bamboo shafts driven into the compound, the holes were lined with old Coke cans with the tops cut off. The best part about it was that Tuck was able to deliver several vicious high-velocity putts into the shins of Mato, who was tending the pins. The worst part was that now that Curtis considered Tuck a confidant, he decided to open up. â€Å"Beth is quite a woman, isn't she? Did I tell you how we met?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"I was at a transplant symposium in San Francisco. Beth is quite the nurse, the best I've ever seen in an operating room, but she wasn't working as a nurse when I met her.† â€Å"Oh, good,† Tuck said. Curtis seemed to be waiting for Tucker to ask. Tucker was waiting for the guard to rat him out for sneaking out of the compound last night. â€Å"She was a dancer in North Beach. An exotic dancer.† â€Å"No shit.† Tuck said. â€Å"Are you shocked?† Curtis obviously wanted him to be shocked. â€Å"No.† â€Å"She was incredible. The most incredible woman I had ever seen. She still is.† â€Å"But then, you've been a missionary on a remote island for twenty-eight years,† Tuck said. Curtis picked his club for the next shot: the seven iron. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Looks like blood and feathers,† Tuck said. Curtis handed the club to Mato for him to clean it. â€Å"Beth did a dance with surgical tubing and a stethoscope that took my breath away.† â€Å"Pretty common,† Tuck said. â€Å"Choke you with the surgical tubing and use the stethoscope to make sure you haven't done the twitching fish.† â€Å"Really?† Curtis said. â€Å"You've seen a woman do that?† Tuck put on his earnest young man face. â€Å"Seen? You didn't notice the ligature marks on my neck when you examined me?† â€Å"Oh, I see,† Curtis said. â€Å"Still, I, at least, had never seen anything like it. She†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Curtis couldn't seem to return to his story. â€Å"The wet suit this morning. Was that a sexual thing? I mean, most people would find it uncomfortable.† â€Å"No, I'm just trying to lose a little weight.† Curtis looked serious now. â€Å"I don't know if that's such a good idea. You're still very thin from your ordeal in getting here.† â€Å"I'd like to get down to about eight pounds,† Tuck said. â€Å"There's a big Gandhi revival thing going on back in the States. Guys who look like they're starving have to beat the babes off with a stick. Started with female fashion models, but now it's moved to the men.† Curtis look embarrassed. â€Å"I guess I'm a bit out of touch. Beth tries to keep up with what's going on in the States, but it, well, seems irrelevant out here. I guess I'll be glad when this is all over and we can leave the island.† â€Å"Then why don't you just leave? You're a physician. You could open up a practice in the States and pull down a fortune without all this.† Curtis glanced at the guard, then looked back to Tuck. â€Å"A fortune maybe, but not a fortune like we're accumulating now. I'm too old to start over at the bottom.† â€Å"You've got twenty-eight years' experience. You said yourself that the people you take care of are the healthiest in the Pacific. You wouldn't be starting over.† â€Å"Yes, I would. Mr. Case – Tuck – I'm a doctor, but I'm not a very good one.† Tuck had met a number of doctors in his life, but he had never met one who could bear to admit that he was incompetent at anything. It was a running joke among flight instructors that doctors made the worst students. â€Å"They think they're gods. It's our job to teach them that they're mortal. Only pilots are gods.† This guy seemed so pathetic that Tuck had to remind himself that the good doctor was at least a double murderer. He watched Curtis hit a nice hundred-yard bloodstained seven iron to within ten feet of the pin, which was set up on a small patch of grass near the beach. Tuck chased down his own skidding thwack of a nine iron that had landed between the roots of a walking tree, an arboreal oddity that sat atop a three-foot teepee of tangled roots and gave the impression that it might move off on its own power at any moment. Tuck was hoping that it would. The caddie followed Tuck, and when they were out of earshot of the doctor, he turned to face the stoic Japanese. â€Å"You can't tell him, can you?† The guard pretended not to understand, but Tuck saw that he was getting it, even if only by inflection. â€Å"You can't tell him and you can't fucking shoot me, can you? You killed the last pilot and that got you in a world of trouble, didn't it? That's why you guys follow me like a bunch of baby ducks, isn't it?† Tuck was guessing, but it was the only logical explanation. Mato glanced toward the doctor. â€Å"No,† Tuck said. â€Å"He doesn't know that I know. And we're not going to tell him, are we? Just shake your head if you're getting this.† The guard shook his head. â€Å"Okay, then, here's the deal. I'll let you guys look like you're doing your job, but when I wave you off, you're gone. You hear me? I want you guys off my ass. You tell your buddies, okay?† The guard nodded. â€Å"Can you speak any English at all?† â€Å"Hai. A rittle.† â€Å"You guys killed the pilot, didn't you?† â€Å"He tly to take prane.† Mato looked as if the words were painful for him to form. Tuck nodded, feeling heat rise in his face. He wanted to smash the guard's face, knock him to the ground, and kick him into a glob of goo. â€Å"And you killed Pardee, the fat American man.† Mato shook his head. â€Å"No. We don't.† â€Å"Bullshit!† â€Å"No, we†¦we†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was searching for the English word. â€Å"What?† â€Å"We take him, but not shoot.† â€Å"Take him where? To the clinic?† The guard shook his head violently. Not saying no, but trying to say that he couldn't say. â€Å"What happened to the fat man?† â€Å"He die. Hospital. We put him water.† â€Å"You took his body to the edge of the reef, where the sharks would find it?† The guard nodded. â€Å"And the pilot? You put him in the same place?† Again the nod. â€Å"What's going on. Are you going to hit or not?† Tuck and the guard looked up like two boys caught trading curses in the schoolyard. Curtis had come back down the fairway to within fifty feet of them. Tuck pointed to his ball. â€Å"Kato here won't let me move that out for a shot. I'll take the penalty stroke, Doc. But hell, we don't have mutant trees like that in Texas. It's unnatural.† Curtis looked sideways at Tuck's ball, then at Mato. â€Å"He can move it. No penalty. You're a guest here, Mr. Case. We can let you bend a few rules.† Curtis did not smile. Suddenly he seemed very serious about his golf. â€Å"We're partners now, Doc,† Tuck said. â€Å"Call me Tuck.†

Chinese Philosophy Essay Essay

Three areas of philosophy emerged amidst the chaos and constant warring of the Zhou era. The three were called Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism. They were Chinese philosophies that were thought to be the best ways to rule and achieve order in the society. Confucianism believed that a ruler’s job was to set a good example, and not order. Since people were thought of as naturally good, they would following the right path based on their own conscience. Legalism was a more harsh way of ruling, led by Hanfeizi. They thought people were evil, and needed strict laws and punishment to keep them in line. Daoism was very different from either of the other two. It was led by Laozi, who taught that the best kind of government was one who governed the least. They allowed things to simply take their natural course and work themselves out. Although both Daoism and legalism were working philosophies, Confucianism was the most effective in obtaining order. At the time of the three philosophies, Ancient China was in a state of complete chaos. The duration of anarchy was named The Warring States Period, a period in which small feuding kingdoms or fiefdoms struggled for supremacy. It took place in the Zhou dynasty from 403 bc. to 221bc. The period was dominated by seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms. It was the age of Confucian thinkers Mencius and Xunzi, and the time when many of the government institutions and cultural patterns that would characterize China for the next 2,000 years were established. Legalism achieved what all the other philosophies strove for, unification of China. The Qin Dynasty, operating under the Legalist philosophy, finally unified China in 221 BC. Legalism was a success. However, the Qin Dynasty dissolved only 14 years after it’s founding. The Qin emperor was ruthless in his use of Legalism, punishing even small crimes with decapitation or the loss of a hand or foot. Han Feizi, legalisms founder, did not believe in gaining the respect of the people. He stated † Those who are ignorant about government insistently say: â€Å"Win the hearts of the people â€Å"† (Document H). To uphold his beliefs books and scholars which held beliefs against Legalism (such as Confucianism) were destroyed. The people were heavily taxed and forced into labor on major government projects. He successfully put the fear and respect of the law and government into the people, but it was too much. After his death, peasant rebellions caused the end of Legalism as the ruling philosophy of China. The harshness of the Legalist Qin would be remembered afterwards, and in response the following dynasty, the Han, distanced itself from Legalism and made Confucianism the official philosophy. Daoism adds spirituality to the otherwise melancholy world of Chinese philosophy. The quote â€Å"Look to simplicity; cleave the uncarved block; Diminish self and curb desires† (Document G) is a perfect example of the views held by Daoist followers. Its teachings appealed to those who wished to withdraw from the politics and deception of society. Daoism’s concepts of harmony and relativity make a lot of sense even today. The idea of using nature as the model, which people look up to, is reflected in the religion. Because of its anti-society attitude, Daoism obviously never made its way into any systems of government. It survived among the private citizens and to this day, Daoist monks still exist in China. Daoism was founded by Laozi in the sixth century BC. His teachings were passed down orally before they were compiled in the third century BC in a book called the â€Å"Classic of the Way and Its Power. † Dao means â€Å"way. † It is understood that the Dao is the underlying pattern of the universe, which can neither be described in words nor conceived in thought. The goal of Daoism is to bring all elements of existence- heaven, earth, and man- into harmony. To be in accordance with the Dao, the individual must empty himself of doctrines and knowledge, act with simplicity and humility, and above all seek Nature. The idea of turning to Nature for peace and harmony had a great effect on East Asian cultures, especially in the arts, where idealized and imaginary landscapes and natural art forms are profoundly linked to the beliefs of Daoism. At first, Confucianism was unsuccessful and Confucius, during his lifetime only managed to collect a few followers. After his death, however, his followers passed on the Confucian tradition. It survived, with a few changes, to the Han dynasty (221 BC) and became established as China’s official philosophy. From then it was firmly well established in Chinese culture, and its values can still be seen today. The Five Classics of Confucianism were works from the Zhou Dynasty, which preceded the Warring States Period. They were collected and edited by members of the original  Confucian school. After Confucianism became the official state philosophy, one had to know the philosophy well in order to gain the coveted position of government official. The Analects are a collection of sayings by Confucius, recorded by his disciples. As a result, the Analects are not a widespread proposal of Confucianism. Rather, it is a collection of quotations and stories. Because of this, Confucianism according to Confucius is open to interpretation. The main idea of the philosophy is, righteousness, relationships and generosity towards others. Since the time of the Han dynasty (206 CE) four life passages have been recognized and regulated by Confucian tradition. There are approximately 6 million Confucians in the world. About 26,000 live in North America; almost all of the remainder are found throughout China and the rest of Asia. In Chinese tradition, filial piety was the key duty. In one of Confucious’ analects he stated, † The superior man while his parents are alive, reverently nourishes them; and when they are dead, reverently sacrifices to them. His chief thought is how, to the end of life, not to disgrace them† (Document B). Being a filial son meant absolute obedience to one’s parents during their lifetime and as they grew older, taking the best possible care of them. After their death the eldest son was required to perform ritual sacrifices at their gravesite or in the ancestral temple. A son could also express his devotion to his parents by passing the Civil Service examinations, winning prestige for the whole family. Most important of all, a son had to make sure that the family line would be continued. Dying without a son therefore was one of the worst offenses against the concept of filial piety. If a marriage remained barren, it was a son’s duty to take a second wife or adopt a child in order to continue the family. Since Chinese women became part of their husband’s family through marriage, filial conduct for a woman meant faithfully serving her in-laws, in particular her mother-in-law, and giving birth to a son. By fulfilling these duties, she also gained prestige for her own family. If the mother and daughter-in-law did not get along, filial piety demanded that a man should get rid of his wife in order to please his mother. He could always get another wife, but he would only have one mother. These social rules in the culture helped in the unification of families in China Some might argue that Daoism and Legalism were more efficient ways of acquiring harmony. Legalism was the most effective way of governing a society. The legalist tradition derives from the principle that the best way to control human behavior was through written law rather than through ritual, custom or ethics. The legalist tradition was derived from the principle that the best way to control human behavior was through written law rather than through ritual, custom or ethics. Daoism shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. Daoism placed emphasis upon individual freedom and impulsiveness, non-interventionist government and social primitivism and ideas of self-transformation, and so represents in many ways the reverse of Confucian concern with individual moral duties, community standards, and governmental responsibilities. Both philosophies add up many pros, but fall short of Confucianism’s vast accomplishments. The inner pole of Confucianism was reformist, idealistic, and spiritual. It generated a high ideal for family interaction: members were to treat each other with love, respect, and consideration for the needs of all. The school of thought founded by Confucius has had the biggest impact on Chinese culture. It has lasted throughout the ages and literally pulled the Han Dynasty out of ruin and chaos. Even to this day, the influence of Confucianism can be espied in many matters of China.