Great Gatsby 15 Short Essays Essays - , Term Papers

Great Gatsby 15 Short Essays Have you ever felt that there were two of you battling for control of the person you call yourself? Have you ever felt that you weren't quite sure which one you wanted to be in charge? All of us have at least two selves: one who wants to work hard, get good grades, and be successful; and one who would rather lie in the sun and listen to music and daydream. To understand F. Scott Fitzgerald, the man and the writer, you must begin with the idea of doubleness, or twoness. Fitzgerald himself said in a famous series of essays called The Crack Up, "the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." Everything about Fitzgerald is touched by this idea. For example, he both loved and hated money. He was attracted to the life of the very rich as an outsider who had very little, and at the same time he hated the falseness and hypocrisy and cruelty of their lives. He was disciplined, knowing that he had to have great mental and physical self-control to succeed as a writer, but he was often unable to exercise those very qualities he knew he would need in order to succeed. He loved his wife Zelda more than anything in his life, and yet he hated her for destroying his talent. Part of him lived a dazzling life full of parties, gaiety, and show; and part of him knew that this sort of life was a complete sham. All of this doubleness Fitzgerald puts into the novel you are about to read: The Great Gatsby. As you begin reading think about Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, and Jay Gatsby, the hero of the novel, as the two sides of Fitzgerald. Think of Fitzgerald as putting into his two main characters both of the people that he knew he had within him. As you read, ask yourself whether or not you have these two people within you: Nick, the intelligent and disciplined observer; and Gatsby, the passionate and idealistic dreamer who wants his dream so much that he will sacrifice everything for it. Fitzgerald himself seemed genetically destined for doubleness. His mother's father, P. F. McQuillan, went to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1857, at the age of twenty-three. In twenty years he built up--literally from nothing--an enormously successful wholesale business. He was a totally self-made man, and from him Scott inherited a sense of self-reliance and a belief in hard work. The Fitzgeralds, on the other hand, were an old Maryland family. Scott himself--Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was his full name--was named for his great, great, great grandfather's brother, the man who wrote "The Star Spangled Banner." And Edward Fitzgerald, Scott's father, was a handsome, charming man, but one who seemed more interested in the family name than in hard work. The McQuillan and the Fitzgerald in Scott vied for control throughout his childhood. He was a precocious child, full of energy and imagination, but he liked to take short cuts, substituting flights of fantasy for hard work. On his seventh birthday in 1903 he told a number of the older guests that he was the owner of a yacht (perhaps the seeds of Gatsby's admiration for Dan Cody's yacht in the novel). As an adolescent he loved to play theatrical games--pretending to be drunk on a streetcar or telephoning an artificial limb company to discuss being fitted for a false limb. He was an excellent writer and a vivid satirist of his classmates, but his marks were not good; so, like so many Midwestern boys, he was shipped East to boarding school, where he would be taught discipline and hard work. In September of 1911, with the words and music of Irving Berlin's new song "Alexander's Ragtime Band" uppermost on his mind, he enrolled at the Newman School in Hackensack, New Jersey, a popular Roman Catholic school among Midwestern families. Here he was to have two years to ready himself for a good Ivy League College, preferably Princeton or Yale. Scott chose Princeton, but Princeton very nearly didn't choose him. The doubleness in Scott is beautifully illustrated by the way in which he maneuvered himself into Princeton. An avid writer and reader, Fitzgerald tended to read what he liked and ignore his school work, and therefore he failed his entrance exams during his senior year. After a "summer of study," he

Free Essays on B. F. Skinner

The Man On March 20, 1904, in a Pennsylvania railroad town known as Susquehanna, one of the world’s most famous Behaviorist’s was born. This man would go on to revolutionize the field of Behavioral Psychology with his experiments, inventions, and ideas. This man was named B. F. Skinner. Burrhus Frederick Skinner grew up in a rather â€Å"warm and stable home,† with a lawyer father, a housewife mother, and a younger brother (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). Throughout his childhood years, Burrhus loved to build things: cabins, steering carts, dams, and even a perpetual motion machine (which did not work). He spent much of his childhood building all sorts of contraptions (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). He spent all 12 grades of school in the same building, during which he displayed a knock for learning and a curiosity for life (Boeree, 1998). Even early in life, Skinner proved to be questioning of his surroundings and of knowledge taught in school. His eighth grade teacher, Ms. Mary Graves, told him that Shakespeare had written As You Like It, despite his opposing view that it had been written by a man named Francis Bacon. Being dead set in his ways, Skinner did his research, and for months afterwards, made the life of his teacher miserable with his newfound knowledge which proved him the victor (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). He went on to receive his B.A. in English from Hamilton University in New York, and attempted a career as a writer, but failed. This led to a temporary unconventional lifestyle and a trip to Europe. Following this break in his life, Skinner attended Harvard University, where he managed to receive his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Psychology. He remained at Harvard, doing research, until 1936. He then took up a teaching position at the University of Minnesota. Here, he met his wife, Yvonne Blue. Their union bore two daughters, the youngest becoming famous in one Skinner’s experiments, the... Free Essays on B. F. Skinner Free Essays on B. F. Skinner The Man On March 20, 1904, in a Pennsylvania railroad town known as Susquehanna, one of the world’s most famous Behaviorist’s was born. This man would go on to revolutionize the field of Behavioral Psychology with his experiments, inventions, and ideas. This man was named B. F. Skinner. Burrhus Frederick Skinner grew up in a rather â€Å"warm and stable home,† with a lawyer father, a housewife mother, and a younger brother (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). Throughout his childhood years, Burrhus loved to build things: cabins, steering carts, dams, and even a perpetual motion machine (which did not work). He spent much of his childhood building all sorts of contraptions (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). He spent all 12 grades of school in the same building, during which he displayed a knock for learning and a curiosity for life (Boeree, 1998). Even early in life, Skinner proved to be questioning of his surroundings and of knowledge taught in school. His eighth grade teacher, Ms. Mary Graves, told him that Shakespeare had written As You Like It, despite his opposing view that it had been written by a man named Francis Bacon. Being dead set in his ways, Skinner did his research, and for months afterwards, made the life of his teacher miserable with his newfound knowledge which proved him the victor (â€Å"The History of,† 2004). He went on to receive his B.A. in English from Hamilton University in New York, and attempted a career as a writer, but failed. This led to a temporary unconventional lifestyle and a trip to Europe. Following this break in his life, Skinner attended Harvard University, where he managed to receive his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Psychology. He remained at Harvard, doing research, until 1936. He then took up a teaching position at the University of Minnesota. Here, he met his wife, Yvonne Blue. Their union bore two daughters, the youngest becoming famous in one Skinner’s experiments, the...

Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Anorexia Nervosa - Research Paper Example Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder portrayed by food restriction, rational fear of gaining body weight, and body self-perception distortion. Anorexia Nervosa typically involves loss of excess body weight and is mainly common in females than in males (Garrett, 2008). Because of fear of gaining more body weight, people with Anorexia Nervosa disorder restrict the type and amount of food they eat. This food intake restriction cause hormonal and metabolic disorders. Outside medical literature, people frequently use the term Anorexia and Nervosa interchangeably; nevertheless, Anorexia is a medical term that simply means lack of appetite, although, patient with such disorder do not, actually, lose their appetite (Fonagy, 2005). Patients with this disorder may experience headache, lack of energy, drowsiness, and dizziness. Anorexia Nervosa associates with inappropriate eating habits, losing body weight, obsession to have a slender body figure, and fear of increasing body weight mostly with females. Anorexia Nervosa often couples with self-image distortion, which is maintained by a range of cognitive biases that change how the patient evaluates and thinks about his or her body, food, and eating (Hoek, 2008). People suffering from Anorexia Nervosa often term themselves as â€Å"too fat† even when they are extremely underweight. They may perform repetitive measuring, weighing, mirror gazing, and other obsessive practices to be sure that they remain thin. This practice commonly refers to â€Å"body checking† (First & Tasman, 2011). ... Anorexia Nervosa is a serious mental disorder with a high Co morbidity incidence and higher mortality rates of psychiatric disorders. Individuals suffering from Anorexia Nervosa have tremendously high ghrelin levels (hunger hormone that signals the physiological need for food). This ghrelin high level proposes that such individuals’ bodies are desperately trying to cause hunger to them; however, these individuals suppress, ignore, or override that hunger call (Neinstein & Neinstein, 2008). Nevertheless, a certain research found that ghrelin intravenous administration to the patients’ bodies’ increases intake of food by 12% to 36% during the trial period. Signs and symptoms Anorexia Nervosa Most individuals keep on struggling with how their body shape should be at a time, and it is generally for people to discuss about exercise and dieting. Anorexia Nervosa disorders are dangerous since they are not gym exercise attempts to lose weight (Lock & Le, 2013). Such diso rders are serious, and therefore, it is crucial to identify the symptoms for one to be able to support the affected ones to get the necessary help that they require. Discussed below are some of the signs and symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa (Sadock, Sadock & Sadock, 2008). Recent body weight changes- Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa disorder are normally underweight but may as well be overweight. Rapid and significant change in body weight can be an Anorexia Nervosa warning symptom. It is vital to understand that some individuals with this disorder also have normal weight (Petit & Adamec, 2005). Fear of body weight gain/ body image problems- People with Anorexia Nervosa disorder

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison - Essay Example The narrator then walks away thinking that the man is not seeing him and he was almost killed by â€Å"figment of his imagination. According to the author another concept of invisibility comes out when was in a hole thus separated from the society and chooses to remain in the cave the narrator become invisible when he went underground mainly because he felt betrayed in the outside world and now he comes out not as an invisible person who always heeds the Whiteman’s instructions but on his own dignity and senses to get the power and a since of self-respect (Wells 34). Thus this brings out the fact that invisibility means separation from society. And also the fact that he lives underground and he is consuming the manipulated light and power company and lives for free consuming the power with his light bulbs (Wells 35). Invisibility is also brought up when the invisible man is accused by Dr.Bledsoe for betraying his trust to Jim Truebood and thus being given the an impression different from the true one in a way being told to value the white fox (Wells 75). He is then suspended from the university indefinitely in the true sense not to be taken back. He is invisible since he is called an enemy of the college and given an empty hope. The Author is also invisible in a way that when he is seriously injured at the hospital the doctors doesn’t seem to see who he is and out of ignorance they use him as a guinea pig for their electric machine, clearly indicating that Dr.bledsoe and the medical personnel are not adhering to the principle of equal respect to all meaning other figures in the society and especially the blacks were not seen or given full consideration in society (Wells 34). The narrator is invisible because he lacks the ability and powers to help him and is given empty hopes when in the real sense he was expelled (Wells 58). The invisible man is invisible since after

Discussion 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion 5 - Essay Example mally held at the home of the elder family members, this is the one time during the year when the whole year when the clan is expected to gather to partake of a dinner normally composed of chicken and fish. The strange part is that the chicken and fish dishes are not consumed but are instead meant as offerings. I have often had to explain to our foreign guests that the chicken and fish are meant to honor the Chinese pun that says â€Å"every year have chicken and fish left over† or â€Å"have profit every year† for businesses, and for families, it could mean â€Å"be blessed every year†. I realize that it is a waste of perfectly good food not to partake of the dishes served specifically for the â€Å"pun† purpose. However, it is Chinese tradition and culture that dictates we must do it. It is a tradition that has the best of intentions and has never brought harm to anyone. Which is probably why my family also continues to honor the tradition to this very day and we find ourselves constantly having to explain ourselves to our foreign guests who, in the process, learn more about Chinese cultures and

The shrinking world due to Globalisation

The shrinking world due to Globalisation The world is getting smaller day by day in terms of business perspectives, communications, relationships, decision making etc. Globalization makes narrower to the people as well. Now-a-days the multinational companies are introducing their brand in globally with their variety of products and services. Companies are focusing the demographic issues and cultural barriers when they designed their products or service. With their prior concern regarding the management structure specially deal with public relation and government legislation like Import rules, duty and vat, customs process and others related new company entry rules and licensing stuffs. For example, Unilever are spreading its products every where in the world, its popular beauty soap Lux is every where in the world almost. The product colour and flavour are not exactly same as well. Beside bar soap they are now more focus on liquid soap with different flavour and colour. Its because of increasing competition in the market. I n every minute one leading companys are struggling to keep their position in the market. Developing new strategy and approaches, cost minimization, making most of the companys resources. Case study: In uk Waitrose supermarket is one of the leading food retailers and for the quality of foods and services is renowned. Waitrose is a part of John Lewis partnership and Greenbee also its another wing called name. John Lewis has 28 department stores and one John Lewis at home. 69,000 partners have in john Lewis (all staffs are called by partner) and the first profit scheme which called partnership was established in 1920. For best service and success of the organization, continuous improvement is very essential for the Partners because they are directly interacting with customers and facing noble situations. In John Lewis they have some unique motivation key like increment, Partnership bonus and many kind of reward that motivate partners and management leading their team in good way and its effect we saw in 2009 due to financial crisis Waitrose did very well without any job cut. Yes there was some hour cut in branch and for thats why they faced some difficulty like, for a customer it w as bit difficult to find out available staff in shop floor for help. Strong leadership, motivated hard working team and effective organizational culture is the main pillar to become Waitrose successful retailer in the UK. In 1937 John Lewis partnership acquired Waitrose and in 1955opened first supermarket. In present Waitrose have 222 supermarkets, catalogue and an online business in the UK and also they have branches in UAE. Partnership turnover was  £6bn In 2009/10 report and second half of this year they increased their sales 11.4%% and sales are 1.3% lower in John Lewis. In Dubai 5137sq meter with 150 employees in Dubai mall operating with Spinney company. At November 2008 First Waitrose established in Dubai and around 2010 there will be open 20 more stores and also one in Bahrain will have by 2010. Waitrose has today announced that it will open its first smaller format convenience store this summer as part of its plans to increase its presence in the UKs convenience sector. The first of the new format stores, which will offer shops with sales areas ranging from 2,000-4,000 sqft, will open in Fitzroy Street, Cambridge in early summer and create up to 40 new jobs. It will be the first of four initial trials of the format planned for this year and will become the first Waitrose shop in its core estate to measure under 3,000sqft.The smaller convenience shops will help the supermarket in bringing its brand to the 6.5 million potential customers it has identified who are currently unable to easily access Waitrose. To read this above paragraph we can see that organizations are constantly changing day by day. Employees are affected by this change and need to adapt, learn new skills, knowledge in order to be able adapt and keep up with the pace in the market. However, due to the changing of business climate and Technology Company should provide the entire knowledge and skills make a competent workforce. There are many external factors which can be identified, which affect the working culture and environment of the company and in this case Waitrose. Here we look at the various external factors under various heads in the analysis such as Political, Legal, Socio-cultural, and Environmental. Change facts: Organizational change occurs when a company makes a transition from its current state to some desired future state. Managing organizational change is the process of planning and implementing change in organizations in such a way as to minimize employee resistance and cost to the organization, while also maximizing the effectiveness of the change effort. And also compete with competition in the market. Organizational change initiatives often arise out of problems faced by a company. In some cases, however, companies are encouraged to change for other, more positive reasons. Change commonly occurs because the organization experiences some difficulty, or sometime for more efficiency with resources. But sometimes the most constructive change takes place not because of problems but because of opportunities. The Bateman, Thomas S., and Carl P. Zeithaml (1990) used the term performance gap to describe the difference between a companys actual performance and the performance of which it is capable. Recognition of a performance gap often provides the impetus for change, as companies  strive  to improve their performance to expected levels. This sort of gap is also where many entrepreneurs find opportunities to begin new businesses. Analysis: World is getting smaller day by day and every thing is changing in this planet. Business is also affected by these changes. To meet the government new legislation or develop their new product they are changing their organizational system, characteristics structure and sometime business environment as well. To do these changes there is a lot of resistance and here we will analyse how to reduce this resistance. PESTL analyse and SWOT analyse is the easiest way to do this analyse. PESTL analysis makes the companies understandable about external environment where they are operating their business and they can establish their future plan (Blery Sfetsion, 2008). On the other hand to find out the relationship between the external and internal appraisals in strategic analysis we need SWOT analysis. SWOT analysing the key factors of the environment and the fundamental internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization will help dictate the strategies appropriate to the firm. PESTL Analysis on Waitrose: Its very important for any organisation to give attention of there external environmental factor. External environmental analysis can help to identify the direction of the industry and thus predict the future. Waitrose may use PESTLE analysis as various benefits. It is useful for Waitrose when used as a checklist, from when little deduction can be maid. It may enable the identification of key pressures and drivers of change. When Waitrose has workout which elements are most important which are less and their differential impact may change over time. (Ray Donnelly, 2000) Political-factors: Law and political stability is the most common political issues. Law is very important for any business State. The Government is always changeable. All the politicians come from different level so they may have indifferent views. They will create the Law from their different views. So business industry will be affected by that Law. As an example in UK, 1996 they introduce a law about restriction of selling and marketing Knives. Australia also band automatic weapon. Belarus obstructs to sell some foreign product. (Chee and Hassis, 1998). It may as well include the legal aspect and is composed of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence and limit various organizations and individuals. These laws may often create new opportunities for businesses. Economical- factors: Economic conditions have enormous implication for business strategy. The interface between the business and its economic environment are several. Economic factors affects cost, consumer demand, financing option, raw materials availabilities, pricing and many more matters. (Roger Bennett 1999) United Kingdom has very strong economic growth and high GDP trends. Bank Rate to raise towards 5.75% by the end of 2007, Interest rate futures in the United Kingdom. The effective exchange rate for Sterling fell almost 2%, the growth of credit and broad money remained rapid. UK domestic products increased by 0.7% then 2006. Markets require purchasing power as well as people. The available purchasing power in an economy depends on current income, prices, savings, debts, and credit availability. Waitrose one of the biggest retailers in UK has managed to retain its competitiveness within the market and its demand for products has been high ever since. Market expansion Employment Inflation Exchange Rates Interest Rates Trade balance Structure and structural change Socio-Cultural- factors: A social issue is an important factor for a business. Day by day people are become internationalists. People are involved with different business. They are changing their life style. UK in 1960 if any non-smoker gives complain against smoker its abnormal, in 1980 non- smoker were the majority and become common in office and in 1990 smoker was atypical. Now it is anti-social and prohibitten on public transport and work place. A countries culture effect on there residence lifestyle and there behaviour. UK is one of the country where the life style rapidly change it may cause for unstable market. It also focuses on: What people buy Who does the purchasing and Overall pattern of consumer buying behaviour. Human rights Career Expectations of people Employee Motivation Growth of population Age distribution of population Regional shifts in population Technology- factors: Technology spends on RD, innovating new product, new service, electronic point of sales; online shopping. As the technological advancement is going faster in UK the e-business is moving concurrently. Introducing the Fibber optical, V-set installation, Radio Link and Broadband are available in UK. The people are using the online to buy their daily necessary. Very frequently Waitrose can expand their online shopping business where they earned their most of the revenue. Quality of product will take customer demanded as well as those products that has the latest up-gradation from the distributors predicting its demand in near future. Research and Development Computerise processing system Online Shopping Payment protection system Use of new Technology Legal factors: The company is regulated by federal, state and international environmental laws governing their utilization of substances and control of emissions. These laws have a direct impact on the development of its products. The company is required to comply with air emission standards which are applicable to internal combustion engines. SWOAT analysis for Waitrose: Robson believes that a SWOT analysis defines the relationship between the internal and external appraisals in strategic analysis. Analysing the key factors of the environment and the fundamental internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization will help dictate the strategies appropriate to the firm. Strengths: The firms main strength is its solid revenues which are generated from its presence all around the world and help the organization to survive now and in future. It has set out standards and policies which are used to approach different markets appropriately. It also has techniques to retain markets against its competitors. It has managed to remain competitive in the market. It has established a multi brand differentiation strategy which has accordingly been adopted to meet different needs in different countries. It has maintained strong and steady relationship with the government. Ability to manage highly qualified and motivated human resources Weaknesses: Instability of foreign exchange rates makes planning of budgets and profits difficult. It engages in heavy costs of production especially in Europe due to excessive tax deduction requirements in some of the countries. Product information website is not clear Operation performance is poor HR strategy is not to strong Opportunities: The establishment of common business process and information systems allow the company to collect data and making decisions for overseas markets more easily. Although, Waitrose is a recognised brand, its current process of innovation and development of new products, indicates a rapid growth in the highest potential markets around the globe. Owner by John Lewes Globally online business. Marketing sales Outbound Logistic Goods Issue Threats: Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates mean a high risk for the company. Fluctuations in demands especially the increased demand in overseas markets make the planning process more tough, and hence a continuous price pressure arises from various markets. Another threat is its rising labour and health care cost, owed to the increasing number of employees working for the company. Risk of strikes from trade unions and new country policies are another major threat to the organization.

Cultural Purity and the Refute of the Inevitable Momentum :: essays papers

Cultural Purity and the Refute of the Inevitable Momentum In the introduction to â€Å"The Pure Products Go Crazy,† James Clifford offers a poem by William Carlos Williams about a housekeeper of his named Elsie. This girl is of mixed blood, with a divided common ancestry, and no real collective roots to trace. Williams begins to make the observation that this is the direction that the world is moving in, as Clifford puts it—â€Å"an inevitable momentum.† Clifford believes in that, â€Å"in an interconnected world, one is always to varying degrees, ‘inauthentic.’† In making this statement, Clifford is perhaps only partially accurate. In the western hemisphere, where Williams was located, perhaps it can be said directly that the influence of modern society has attributed to the lack of general ancestry, as one culture after another has blended with the next. Perhaps it can be said as well that, as Clifford puts it, â€Å"there seem no distant places left on the planet where the presence of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œmodern’ products, media, and power cannot be felt† (Clifford, 14). The intention of this paper is to contend first that there is essentially such a thing as â€Å"pure† culture, and contrary to Clifford’s belief, that there are â€Å"pure† unblended cultures that remain (while not altogether untouched by foreign influence), natural within themselves. It will be argued as well that the influence of modern society does not necessarily lead to a loss of cultural soundness itself, but rather that a presence of certain cultural practices within the respective cultures has attributed to the lasting â€Å"purity† of certain cultures. In this case, we will be discussing the cultures that exist in Haiti and Bali. To address the first part of my argument, we fist must take in hand what exactly is this â€Å"pure† culture that has been mentioned thus far. Clifford believes that cultures, for the sake of the argument being made can be said to be impure cultures, â€Å"have had to reckon with the forces of ‘progress’ and ‘national’ unification,† and that essentially this has led to â€Å"many traditions, languages, cosmologies, and values [being] lost, some literally murdered† (Clifford, 16). He argues that inevitably, all cultures either will, or have experienced this, and in the end have transformed into an alternate version of themselves. I propose that a â€Å"pure† culture is one that has either not had to deal with such circumstances, or has dealt with outside influences, without altering what is wholly exclusive about itself.

From Dancing Shoes to A High School Diploma Essay

I have always believed that something great was destined for each and everyone of us. No matter how hard we try, there are still certain things that we take for granted. Sometimes, these little things are the ones that matter in the end. From being the average student to the extraordinary dancer, these experiences have definitely helped shape who I am today. I am originally from Korea, where I finished my elementary and high school. School has always been a challenge for me, making me finish the elementary level with just average grades. I did not belong to the group of students who brought honor and pride to their parents because of exemplary performance in school. I was just an average student who would sit in class and listen to the lessons taught by the teachers. Middle school became another challenge for me. I was growing older, and wanted so much to fit in the crowd. I became more interested in hanging out with my friends rather than attending school and preparing myself for the real world. My grades started to deteriorate, and my teachers and my parents were alarmed with what was happening to me. I became clueless with what my goals in life should be. All I know was that I wanted to enjoy life and be with my friends. While I was still able to pass middle school, my grades were nowhere near impressive. I was still my old self–uninterested with school and dependent on what my peers would say. One day, a high school student approached me and asked me to join the dance club. I guess all of those dancing stints during parties paid off. I was accepted and was forever changed by my experience in the club. The few sessions I had with the dance club made me realize a lot of things. I learned the basics of hard work and determination. Dancing became a big part of my life. Whether it was daytime or night time, I was always dancing. Unfortunately, my grades were greatly affected again. They started to deteriorate, and this prompted my teachers to open my eyes to reality. My homeroom teacher constantly explained to me that dancing is a good hobby, for I am able to express myself creatively. However, she told me that I should pay more attention to my studies so that I may be able to enter a reputable high school. I ignored these statements and went on with the kind of lifestyle I was used to. The last year of middle school meant that we had to apply in different high schools. Together with my friends and peers, we started applying to the prestigious schools in our district. My friends were able to get accepted in some of these schools, unfortunately, I was not one of them. My unimpressive school transcript prevented me from being accepted in a reputable school. In short, I was rejected most of the time. My homeroom teacher became concerned with the situation, so she suggested that we enter a dance competition in order to get extra curricular points that may be included in our application forms. My friends and I thought that this was our last option to prove ourselves, so we decided to enter the said competition. I could definitely say that we gave our best, practicing until our bones and muscles hurt. Unfortunately, we were defeated in the preliminaries. I was greatly affected with the decision, making me cry my heart out. After all the hard work and dedication I gave for this competition, still it was not enough. I decided to live a new life from then on. Eventually, I was able to attend a high school away from my friends and family. I became determined more than ever to study hard and be someone. My lack of knowledge in middle school has made high school difficult for me. Being accepted in a reputable university was the hardest part of all. My hopes and dreams of actually succeeding in life started to diminish. With these in mind, I decided to learn a particular skill, no matter how difficult it was. Currently, I am in the United States hoping to somehow fulfill my dreams and aspirations. I am determined more than ever to study and learn to the best of my abilities, and avoid the mistakes that I have committed in the past. I learned that work and play should be balanced, and that there should be a set of priorities that should not be taken for granted. I am now aware that everything happens for a reason and that no time should be wasted. As I look back and recall my days in middle school, I cannot help but be disappointed in myself. If only I can go back in time and correct the mistakes I have committed in the past, I would do it. I have realized that opportunity only knocks once in a lifetime, and you can never go back to redo the things of the past. The said experience has helped me rise up and always be thankful that I am given another chance to fix my life.

Definition and Examples of Infinitive Phrases

Definition and Examples of Infinitive Phrases Definition In English grammar, an infinitive phrase is a  verbal construction made up of the particle to and the base form of a verb, with or without modifiers, complements, and objects. Also called an  infinitival phrase and a to-infinitive phrase. An infinitive phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb, and it can appear in various places in a sentence. Examples and Observations The only way to never fail is to never attempt anything.â€Å"To laugh  is  to live profoundly.†(Milan Kundera,  The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, 1979)The specific images presented on film are often hard to remember in the same way that dreams are hard to remember.(J. F. Pagel, The Limits of Dream. Academic Press, 2008)[N]ot everyone has the same ability to remember dreams.(Peretz Lavie, The Enchanted World of Sleep. Yale University Press, 1996)In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.(Winston Churchill, quoted in Churchill by Himself by Richard Langworth. PublicAffairs, 2008)Im Luke Skywalker. Im here to rescue you.(Mark Hamill as Luke in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977)Jane and Frank had driven cross-country to rescue you from the paint-peeling orphanage in Lovelock.(Charles Stross, Rule 34. Ace, 2011)Im honored to be the first woman to have the opportunity to command the shutt le.(U.S. Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, July 1999) I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.(Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854)Yes, yes, the past gets in the way; it trips us up, bogs us down; it complicates, makes difficult. But to ignore this is folly, because, above all, what history teaches us is to avoid illusion and make-believe, to lay aside dreams, moonshine, cure-alls, wonder-workings, pie-in-the skyto be realistic.(Graham Swift, Waterland. Poseidon Press, 1983) Infinitives With Delayed Subjects There is a relationship between it and the infinitive phrase in the sentence It took so long to get there? One role that an infinitive can fill is that of the delayed subject. Sentences with delayed subjects always begin with the dummy it, a dummy element that takes the place of some word(s) in a sentence. . . . In the callers sentence, the dummy it fills the place of the subject to get there. The true subject, the infinitive phrase, is delayed till the end of the sentence. To verify that this is truly a delayed subject, replace the dummy it with the infinitive phrase. To get there took so long. The infinitive phrase moves easily from its place at the end as a delayed subject to the front of the sentence where it becomes a normal subject.(Michael Strumpf and Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible. Owl Book, 2004) Infinitives With For [A] variant of the infinitive phrase begins with for and is often followed by a personal noun or pronoun. Examples for these are: [INFINITIVES WITH FOR] Physicians are generally eligible for independent licensure to practice primary care specialities at this point. Federal officials said they leave time for parents to make arrangements for their children, and refer them to a social service agency if necessary. I said all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the magicians. In general speech and writing, we tend to shorten infinitives to the particle plus verb base for general reference. a. [INFINITIVE PHRASE] I said, all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the magicians. b. [HI/INFINITIVE PHRASE REDUCED] I said, all right; then the thing . . . to do was to go for the magicians. However, if the reference is specific to a person, thing or topic, it is necessary to include it. a. [SPECIFIC NOUN INFINITIVE PHRASE/HI]​​ It was no new thing for David to play the sunset. By the end of a fortnight David had brought his fathers violin for Joe to practice on. Whichever way it was, there was always sure to be something waiting at the end for him and his violin to discover. Because the reference is made specifically to David, Joe, and him and his violin, the infinitive phrase cannot be shortened without losing part of the meaning of the sentence. (Bernard ODwyer, Modern English Structures: Form, Function, And Position, 2nd ed. Broadview, 2006)

Free Essays on The Effective Of A Positive Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Identity On Depression In Homosexual College Students

In psychology, depression can be defined as: a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, hopelessness, and thoughts of death. Depression grows more and more common each and every day. Anti-depressant sales continue to rise, and psychologists’ rates are following right along with them. The demand for these â€Å"fixes† to depression is rising because of the newfound freeness to experience and embrace one’s own emotions. In the 1950s and 60s, it was much more common to see a housewife hiding her feelings and doing everything in her power to make her husband believe she could not be happier. Now, however, disturbing childhood memories, divorce, low self-esteem, paranoia, anxiety, and so on all are encouraged to be talked about and dealt with. America’s youth is currently at highest risk for depression. Societal rules, school, peer pressure, parental pressure, it all takes its toll in the forms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and some more dangerous forms such as rage, drug use, and others. One particularly highly depressed age group is first year college students. The separation of student from his immediate family can sometimes cause the onset of serious depression and/or anxiety because of the loneliness and absence of the comfort that family brings. This, on the other hand, is a time full of changes because of the absence of constant parental scrutiny as well. For example, most people try their first drug, have sex for the first time, and even have sex with the same sex for the first time. This last â€Å"first experience† is one of particular interest in this case because depression in homosexuals of this age bracket tends to exist in fairly high numbers. In general, the correlation between homosexu als and depression is much stronger than heterosexuals and depression during the college years. It appears that homosexuals, especiall... Free Essays on The Effective Of A Positive Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Identity On Depression In Homosexual College Students Free Essays on The Effective Of A Positive Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Identity On Depression In Homosexual College Students In psychology, depression can be defined as: a psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, hopelessness, and thoughts of death. Depression grows more and more common each and every day. Anti-depressant sales continue to rise, and psychologists’ rates are following right along with them. The demand for these â€Å"fixes† to depression is rising because of the newfound freeness to experience and embrace one’s own emotions. In the 1950s and 60s, it was much more common to see a housewife hiding her feelings and doing everything in her power to make her husband believe she could not be happier. Now, however, disturbing childhood memories, divorce, low self-esteem, paranoia, anxiety, and so on all are encouraged to be talked about and dealt with. America’s youth is currently at highest risk for depression. Societal rules, school, peer pressure, parental pressure, it all takes its toll in the forms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and some more dangerous forms such as rage, drug use, and others. One particularly highly depressed age group is first year college students. The separation of student from his immediate family can sometimes cause the onset of serious depression and/or anxiety because of the loneliness and absence of the comfort that family brings. This, on the other hand, is a time full of changes because of the absence of constant parental scrutiny as well. For example, most people try their first drug, have sex for the first time, and even have sex with the same sex for the first time. This last â€Å"first experience† is one of particular interest in this case because depression in homosexuals of this age bracket tends to exist in fairly high numbers. In general, the correlation between homosexu als and depression is much stronger than heterosexuals and depression during the college years. It appears that homosexuals, especiall...

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example Who is a Leader Though there are various different views and definitions about leader and leadership, to come to a specific consensus about who is a leader may be a difficult task. To be very simple, a leader is one who has leadership quality. A leader can either be a man or woman who has the ability to get other people to do what he likes them to do even if they don’t like to do it. As Howard Gardner noted, a leader is a person â€Å"who could get other people to what they don’t want to do and like it† (Parker and Begnaud , p. 3). A leader is expected to be able to create interaction between him and his followers involving a structuring or restructuring of the situation, perception and expectations of the his followers. When it comes to a bit broader view about leaders, they come in all different shapes and sizes. They may be young or old, men or women and regardless of caste, region, religion and so on. they are found in all different levels, like Church, Polit ics, Government, Business, House, Community and sports (Corcoran, p. 3). All different leaders at different levels possess more or less different qualities, like transformational, charismatic, situational etc. A leader is one who listens to his people, supports and encourages them to get them involved in decision making process as well as problem solving processes (Holbeche, p. 72). Based on this view, a leader is one who influences his subordinates or followers by supporting them and encouraging them so that they will be motivated to get involved in all the relevant decision making and problem solving activities. He not only listens to the concerns of his followers, but also suggests possible solutions and finds better ways to help them by solving their issues. A leader tries to get his people to follow him or her to a specific objective. A political leader has his own specific objectives or destination that he likes to motivate his people to move towards that destination. A busine ss or political leader has thus certain objective and his activities or leadership attempts will be largely influenced by his intention to lead his people towards the ultimate goal. Contemporary perspectives on Leadership Leadership is basically a quality, necessarily an inborn quality according to some academic researchers and not so according to some others. Though there are various theoretical perspectives regarding leadership, trait theories are widely discussed and are considered to be highly important in contemporary business and political landscapes. In recent years, Warren Bennis contributed much to leadership studies and researches and has strongly disagreed with the concept that leadership is an inborn quality. In contemporary leadership literatures, Warren Bennis is perhaps the most widely discussed name. According to him, â€Å"leadership is the capacity to translate vision in to reality† (Corcoran, p. 3). Warren Bennis is the founding director of American Leaders hip Forum and he has authored more than 26 books in leadership and its very related functional areas. Leaders (1986) and On Becoming a Leader (1989) are some of his best-selling book about leadership (Thomas, p. 4). Warren Bennis tried to avoid the traditional view associated with leadership thinking and the concepts of trait-theories. He argued that leaders are not just born, but are made or created through training, developmental program and

How Free Should Speech Be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Free Should Speech Be - Essay Example Nat Hantoff writes, â€Å"But nowhere in the First Amendment does it say that freedom of speech is limited only to ideas and symbols that further freedom, dignity and nonviolence.† Freedom of speech remains the pivotal assurance for the American society given by the founders of the constitution. Freedom of speech is like the double-edged sword and it is the twice-blessed responsibility. It blesses the receiver and it blesses the giver. Often the authorities have to walk on the razor’s edge to enforce the provisions of the freedom of speech when interests and cross interests of the different communities are involved. As such it is necessary to understand the scope of the word ‘freedom’ in the correct perspective. Its connotation also varies from one area to another. Philosophical freedom includes the ability to make choices without limitations, while political freedom is the state of being free to practice the choice of one’s political philosophy. Nat Hantoff quotes Aryeh Neier, â€Å"As a Jew, and a refugee from Nazi Germany, I have strong personal reasons for finding the Nazis repugnant. Freedom of speech protects my right to denounce Nazis with all the vehemence I think proper. Despite my hatred of their vicious doctrine, I realize that it is in my interest to defend their right to preach it.† Many positive developments have taken place in the area of freedom of speech for an individual or for a group of individuals professing and practising identical ideals.