The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 18

A Hive Full of Green Bees â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† I sit up, my heart pounding. When my eyes focus, I see my dad standing at my bedside with his hands above his head; he's wearing his number 5 McNabb jersey. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!† he continues to scream, until I get out of bed, raise my hands, and say â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† We do the chant, spelling the letters with our arms and legs. â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† When we finish, instead of saying good morning or anything else, my father simply jogs out of my room. I look at the clock, and it reads 5:59 a.m. The game starts at one o'clock. I promised to join Jake's tailgate party by ten, which gives me two hours to lift and an hour to run – so I lift, and Tiffany is outside at 8:00 a.m. just like she said she would be. We do a short run – maybe only six or seven miles. After a shower, I put on my Baskett jersey and ask my mom for a ride to the PATCO station, but she says, â€Å"Your driver is waiting for you outside.† Mom kisses me on the cheek and hands me some money. â€Å"Have fun, and don't let your brother drink too much.† Outside, I see Dad in his sedan; the engine is running. I get into the car and say, â€Å"Dad, are you going to the game?† â€Å"I wish I could,† he says, and then we back out of the driveway. The truth is that my father is still serving a self-imposed ban and is therefore not allowed to attend Eagles games. In the early eighties, Dad got into a fight with a Dallas Cowboys fan who dared to sit in the 700 Level, which were the cheap seats at the Vet, where the die-hard Eagles fans sat. The story I heard from my since-deceased uncle was this: When the Cowboys scored a touchdown, this Dallas fan jumped up and began cheering real loudly, so people started throwing beers and hot dogs at him. The only problem was that my dad was sitting in the row in front of this Dallas fan, so the beer and mustard and food rained down on Dad too. Apparently, Dad lost it, attacked the Dallas fan, and beat him within an inch of his life. My father was actually arrested, convicted of aggravated assault, and incarcerated for three months. If my uncle hadn't made the mortgage payments, we would have lost the house. Dad did lose his season ticket and has not been to an Eagles game since. Jake says we could get Dad in, since no one actually checks IDs at the gate, but Dad won't go back, saying, â€Å"As long as they let the opposing fans in our house, I can't trust myself.† This is sort of funny, because twenty-five years after Dad beat the hell out of that Dallas fan, he is just a fat old man who is not likely to beat up another fat old man, let alone a rowdy Dallas fan with the guts to wear a Cowboys jersey to an Eagles game. Although my father did hit me pretty hard in the attic just a few weeks ago – so maybe he is wise to stay away from the games. We drive over the hospital-green Walt Whitman Bridge, and he talks about how this just might be an important day in Eagles history, especially since the Giants won both games last year. â€Å"Revenge!† he keeps yelling indiscriminately. He also tells me I have to cheer real loudly so Eli Manning – who I know (from reading the sports pages) is the Giants' QB – will not be able to talk or hear during the huddles. â€Å"Scream your goddamn lungs out, because you're the twelfth man!† Dad says. The way he talks at me – never really pausing long enough for me to say any-thing – makes him sound crazy, I know, even though most people think I am the crazy person in the family. When we are stopped, waiting in line to pay the bridge toll, Dad quits his Eagles rant long enough to say, â€Å"It's good that you are going to the games with Jake again. Your brother's missed you a lot. You do realize that, right? You need to make time for family no matter what happens in your life, because Jake and your mother need you.† This is a pretty ironic thing for him to say, especially since he has hardly said anything to me since I have been home and never really spends any time with me or my mother or Jake at all, but I am glad my father is finally talking to me. All the time I have ever spent with Jake or him has always revolved around sports – mostly Eagles – and I know this is all he can really afford emotionally, so I take it, and say, â€Å"I wish you were going to the game, Dad.† â€Å"Me too,† he says, and then hands the toll collector a five. After taking the first off-ramp, he deposits me about ten blocks away from the new stadium so he can turn around and avoid traffic. â€Å"You're on your own coming home,† he says as I get out. â€Å"I'm not driving back into this zoo.† I thank him for the ride, and just before I shut the door, he raises his hands in the car and yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† so I raise my hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhh!† A group of men drinking beers out of a nearby car trunk hear us, so they raise their hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† Men united by a team, we all do the Eagles chant together. My chest feels so warm, and I remember how much fun it is to be in South Philly on game day. As I walk toward the west Lincoln Financial Field parking lot – following the directions my brother gave me on the phone the night before – so many people are wearing Eagles jerseys. Everywhere green. People are grilling, drinking beer from plastic cups, throwing footballs, listening to the WIP 610 pregame show on AM radio, and as I walk past, they all high-five me, throw me footballs, and yell, â€Å"Go Birds!† just because I am wearing an Eagles jersey. I see young boys with their fathers. Old guys with their grown sons. Men yelling and singing and smiling as if they were boys again. And I realize I have missed this a lot. Even though I do not want to, I look for the Vet and only find a parking lot. There's a new Phillies ballpark too, called Citizens Bank Park. By the entrance ripples a huge banner of some new player named Ryan Howard. All of this seems to suggest that Jake and Dad weren't lying when they said the Vet was demolished. I try not to think about the dates they mentioned, and I focus on enjoying the game and spending time with my brother. I find the right parking lot and begin to look for the green tent with the black Eagles flag flying from the top. The parking lot is full – tents and grills and parties everywhere – but after ten minutes or so, I spot my brother. Jake's in his number 99 Jerome Brown memorial jersey. (Jerome Brown was the two-time Pro Bowler defensive tackle who was killed in a car crash back in 1992.) My brother is drinking beer from a green cup, standing next to our friend Scott, who is manning the grill. Jake looks happy, and for a second I simply enjoy watching him smile as he throws an arm around Scott, whom I haven't seen since the last time I was in South Philly. Jake's face is red, and he looks a little drunk already, but he has always been a happy drunk, so I do not worry. Like my father, nothing makes Jake happier than Eagles game day. When Jake sees me, he yells, â€Å"Hank Baskett's tailgating with us!† and then runs over to give me a high five and a chest bump. â€Å"What's up, dude?† Scott says to me as we too exchange high fives. The big smile on his face suggests that he is happy to see me. â€Å"Man, you really are huge. What have you been lifting – cars?† I smile proudly as he punches my arm, like guys do when they are buddies. â€Å"It's been years – I mean, um – how many months has it been?† He and my brother exchange a glance that I do not miss, but before I can say anything, Scott yells, â€Å"Hey, all you fat-asses in the tent! I wanna introduce you to my boy – Jake's brother, Pat.† The tent is the size of a small house. I walk through the slit on one side, and a huge flat-screen television is set up on milk crates stacked two by four. Five really fat guys are seated in folding chairs, watching the pregame show – all of them in Eagles jerseys. Scott rattles off the names. After he says mine, the men nod and wave and then go back to watching the pregame show. All of them have handheld personal organizers, and their eyes are rapidly moving back and forth between the small screens in their hands and the large screen at the far side of the tent. Almost all have earpieces in, which I guess are connected to cellular phones. As we exit the tent, Scott says, â€Å"Don't mind them. They're all trying to get last-minute info. They'll be a little more friendly after they've placed their bets.† â€Å"Who are they?† I ask. â€Å"Guys from my work. I'm a computer tech now for Digital Cross Health. We do websites for family doctors.† â€Å"How are they watching television out here in the parking lot?† I ask. My brother waves me around to the back of the tent, points to a small engine in a square of metal, and says, â€Å"Gas-powered generator.† He points to the top of the tent, where a small gray plate is perched, and says, â€Å"Satellite dish.† â€Å"What do they do with all this gear when they go into the game?† I ask. â€Å"Oh,† Scott says with a laugh. â€Å"They don't have tickets.† Jake pours a Yuengling Lager into a plastic cup and hands it to me, and I notice three coolers loaded with beer cans and bottles, probably four or five cases. I know the plastic cup is to keep away the police, who can arrest you for having an open beer can in your hand but not for holding a plastic cup. The bag of empties just outside the tent suggests that Jake and Scott are way ahead of me. As Scott finishes grilling breakfast – thick sausages and eggs scrambled in a pan he has placed over the gas flames – he does not ask me many questions about what I have been up to, which I appreciate. I'm sure my brother has already told Scott all about my time in the bad place and my separation from Nikki, but I still appreciate Scott's allowing me to reenter the world of Eagles football without an interrogation. Scott tells me about his life, and it turns out that while I was in the bad place, he married someone named Willow, and they actually now have three-year-old twins named Tami and Jeri-Lyn. Scott shows me the picture he keeps in his wallet, and the girls are dressed alike in little pink ballerina outfits – tutus, tights – their hands stretched up over silver tiaras, pointing toward heaven. â€Å"My tiny dancers. We live on the Pennsylvania side now. Havertown,† Scott says as he loads a half dozen sausages onto the top rack of the barbecue, where they will keep warm while the next batch cooks. I think about Emily and me floating over the waves only the day before, and again I promise myself I'll get busy making my own daughter just as soon as apart time is over. I try not to do the math in my head, but I can't help it. If he has twins who are three years old and he was married sometime after I last saw him – but before his wife got pregnant – it must mean that I have not seen Scott for at least four years. Now maybe he knocked up his girlfriend and then married her, but of course, I can't ask that. Since his daughters are three, the math indicates he and I have not talked for at least three or four years. My last memory of Scott is at the Vet. I had sold my season ticket to Scott's brother Chris a season or two before, but Chris often went away on business conferences and allowed me to buy my seat back for the few home games played when he was out of town. I came up from Baltimore to see the Eagles play Dallas; I don't remember who won or what the score was. But I remember sitting in between Scott and Jake – up in the 700 Level – when Dallas scored a rushing touchdown. Some clown behind us stood up and began cheering as he unzipped his jacket, revealing a throwback Tony Dorsett jersey. Everyone in our section started booing and throwing food at this Dallas fan, who smiled and smiled. Jake was so drunk he could hardly stand, but he charged after this guy, climbing up over three rows of people. The sober Dallas fan shoved Jake away easily, but when Jake fell back into the arms of drunken Eagles fans, a cry went up, and the Tony Dorsett jersey was forcibly removed from the visiting fan's back and ripped into many pieces before security arrived and threw out a dozen people. Jake was not thrown out of the game. Scott and I were able to get Jake up and away from the mayhem, and when security arrived, we were in the men's room splashing water onto Jake's face, trying to sober him up. In my mind, this happened last year, maybe eleven months ago. But I know if I bring up this incident now as we are grilling in front of the Linc, I will be told that the memory occurred more than three or even four years ago, so I do not bring it up, even though I want to, because I know Jake's and Scott's responses will help me figure out what the rest of the world believes about time. And also, not knowing what the rest of the world believes happened between then and now is terrifying. It's better not to think too much about this. â€Å"Drink some beers,† Jake says to me. â€Å"Smile. It's game day!† So I start drinking, even though the little orange bottles that my pills come in have stickers forbidding me to drink alcohol. After the fat guys in the tent are fed, we eat off paper plates, and then Scott, Jake, and I begin throwing the football around. In the parking lot people are everywhere, not just tailgating, but roaming. Guys selling stolen or homemade T-shirts, moms parading around little girls in cheerleading outfits who will do a cheer if you donate a dollar to their local cheerleading booster club, crazy bums willing to tell you off-color jokes for free food and beer, strippers in short pants and satin jackets handing out free passes to the local gentlemen's clubs, packs of little kids in pads and helmets collecting money for their peewee football teams, college kids handing out free samples of new sodas or sports drinks or candy or junk food, and of course the seventy thousand other drunken Eagles fans just like us. Basically, it's a green football carnival. By the time we decide to have a catch, I've had two or three beers, and I'd be willing to bet Jake and Scott have each had at least ten, so our passes are not all that accurate. We hit parked cars, knock over a few tables of food, beam one or two guys in the back, but no one cares, because we are Eagles fans in Eagles jerseys who are ready and willing to cheer on the Birds. Every so often, other men will jump in front of one of us and intercept a pass or two, but they always give back the ball with a laugh and a smile. I like throwing the football with Jake and Scott because it makes me feel like a boy, and when I was a boy, I was the person Nikki fell in love with. But then something bad happens. Jake sees him first, points, and says, â€Å"Hey, look at the asshole.† I turn my head and see a big man in a Giants jersey, maybe forty yards away from our tent. He is wearing a red, white, and blue hard hat, and the worst part is that he has a little boy with him who is also wearing a Giants jersey. The guy walks over to a group of Eagles fans who give him a hard time at first but eventually hand him a beer. Suddenly my brother is walking toward this Giants fan, so Scott and I follow. My brother starts chanting as he walks, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† With every syllable, he throws his index finger at the hard hat. Scott is doing the same thing, and before I know it, we are surrounded by twenty or so men in Eagles jerseys who are also chanting and pointing. I have to admit it feels sort of thrilling to be part of this mob – united in our hatred of the opposing team's fans. When we reach the Giants fan, his friends – all Eagles fans – laugh, and their faces seem to say, â€Å"We told you this would happen.† But instead of acting remorseful, the Giants fan puts his hands up in the air, as if he has just performed a magic trick or something; he smiles widely and nods his head like he is enjoying being called an asshole. He even puts his hand to his ear, as if to say, â€Å"I can't hear you.† The kid with him, who has the same pale skin coloring and flat nose – probably his son – looks terrified. The little guy's jersey hangs down to his knees, and as the â€Å"ass – hole† chant intensifies, the kid holds on to his father's leg and tries to hide behind the big man's thigh. My brother transitions the crowd into a â€Å"Giants suck† chant, and more Eagles fans come to join in. We now are at least fifty strong. And this is when the little kid breaks into tears, sobbing. When we Eagles fans see that the kid is really upset, the mob chuckles and respectfully disperses. Jake and Scott are laughing as we walk back to our tent, but I don't feel so great. I wish we did not make that little kid cry. I know the Giants fan was stupid to wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game, and it is really his own fault that his son was made to cry, but I also know that what we did was unkind, and this is the sort of behavior Nikki hates, what I am trying – I feel his hands explode through my back, and I stumble forward and almost fall down. When I turn around, I see the big Giants fan. He is no longer wearing his hard hat; his son is not with him. â€Å"You like making little kids cry?† he says to me. I'm too shocked to speak. There were at least fifty men chanting, but he has singled out me. Why? I wasn't even chanting. I wasn't even pointing. I want to tell him this, but my mouth won't work, so I just stand there shaking my head. â€Å"If you don't want a problem, don't wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game,† Scott says. â€Å"It's just bad parenting to bring your son down here dressed like that,† Jake adds. The mob quickly forms again. A circle of green uniforms surrounds us now, and I think this Giants fan must be crazy. One of his friends has come to talk him down. The friend's a small man with long hair and a mustache – and he's wearing an Eagles shirt. â€Å"Come on, Steve. Let's go. They didn't mean anything. It was just a joke.† â€Å"What the fuck is your problem?† Steve says, and then shoves me again, his hands exploding through my chest. At this point the Eagles fans begin chanting, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† Steve is staring into my eyes, gritting his teeth so the tendons in his neck bulge like ropes. He also lifts weights. His arms look even bigger than mine, and he is taller than me by an inch or two. I look to Jake for help, and I can see that he looks a little worried himself. Jake steps in front of me, puts his hands up to suggest that he means no harm, but before he can say anything, the Giants fan grabs my brother's Jerome Brown memorial jersey and throws Jake to the ground. I see him hit the concrete – my brother's hands skidding along the blacktop – and then blood is dripping from his fingers and Jake's eyes look dazed and scared. My brother is hurt. My brother is hurt. MY BROTHER IS HURT. I explode. The bad feeling in my stomach rockets up through my chest and into my hands – and before I can stop myself, I'm moving forward like a Mack truck. I catch Steve's cheek with a left, and then my right connects with the south side of his chin, lifting him off the ground. I watch him float through the air as if he were allowing his body to fall backward into a pool. His back hits the concrete, his feet and hands twitch once, and then he's not moving, the crowd is silent, and I begin to feel so awful – so guilty. Someone yells, â€Å"Call an ambulance!† Another yells, â€Å"Tell 'em to bring a blue-and-red body bag!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whisper, because I find it hard to speak. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† And then I am running again. I weave through the crowds of people, across streets, around cars, and through horns blaring and cursing drivers screaming at me. I feel a bubbly feeling in my midsection, and then I am puking my guts out onto the sidewalk – eggs, sausage, beer – and so many people are yelling at me, calling me a drunk, saying that I'm an asshole; and then I'm running again as fast as I can, down the street away from the stadiums. When I feel as though I am going to throw up again, I stop and realize I'm alone – no more Eagles fans anywhere. A chain-link fence, beyond it a warehouse that looks abandoned. I vomit again. On the sidewalk, outside of the puddle I am making, pieces of broken glass glint and sparkle in the sun. I cry. I feel awful. I realize that I have once again failed to be kind; that I lost control in a big way; that I seriously injured another person, and therefore I'm never going to get Nikki back now. Apart time is going to last forever because my wife is a pacifist who would never want me to hit anyone under any circumstance, and both God and Jesus were obviously rooting for me to turn the other cheek, so I know I really shouldn't have hit that Giants fan, and now I'm crying again because I'm such a fucking waste – such a fucking non-person. I walk another half block, my chest heaving wildly, and then I stop. â€Å"Dear God,† I pray. â€Å"Please don't send me back to the bad place. Please!† I look up at the sky. I see a cloud passing just under the sun. The top is all electric white. I remind myself. Don't give up, I think. Not just yet. â€Å"Pat! Pat! Wait up!† I look back toward the stadiums, and my brother is running toward me. Over the next minute or so, Jake gets bigger and bigger, and then he is right in front of me, bent over, huffing and puffing. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I say. I'm so, so sorry.† â€Å"For what?† Jake laughs, pulls out his cell phone, dials a number, and holds the small phone up to his ear. â€Å"I found him,† Jake says into the phone. â€Å"Yeah, tell him.† Jake hands me the phone. I put it up to my ear. â€Å"Is this Rocky Balboa?† I recognize the voice as Scott's. â€Å"Listen, the asshole you knocked out – well, he woke up and is super pissed. Better not come back to the tent.† â€Å"Is he okay?† I ask. â€Å"You should be more worried about yourself.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"We played dumb when the cops showed up, and no one was able to identify you or your brother – but ever since five-o left, the big guy's been searching the parking lot, looking for you. Whatever you do, don't come back here, because this Giants fan's hellbent on revenge.† I hand the phone back to Jake, feeling somewhat relieved to know I did not seriously hurt Steve, but also feeling numb – because I lost control again. Plus, I'm a little afraid of the Giants fan. â€Å"So, are we going home now?† I ask Jake when he finishes talking to Scott. â€Å"Home? Are you kiddin' me?† he says, and we start walking back toward the Linc. When I don't say anything for a long time, my brother asks if I'm okay. I'm not okay, but I don't say so. â€Å"Listen, that asshole attacked you and threw me to the ground. You only defended your family,† Jake says. â€Å"You should be proud. You were the hero.† Even though I was defending my brother, even though I did not seriously hurt the Giants fan, I don't feel proud at all. I feel guilty. I should be locked up again in the bad place. I feel as though Dr. Timbers was right about me – that I don't belong in the real world, because I am uncontrollable and dangerous. But of course I do not say this to Jake, mostly because he has never been locked up and doesn't understand what it feels like to lose control, and he only wants to watch the football game now, and none of this means anything to him, because he has never been married and he has never lost someone like Nikki and he is not trying to improve his life at all, because he doesn't ever feel the war that goes on in my chest every single fucking day – the chemical explosions that light up my skull like the Fourth of July and the awful needs and impulses and †¦ Outside the Linc, masses form thick lines, and with hundreds of other fans, we wait to be frisked. I don't remember being frisked at the Vet. I wonder when it became necessary to frisk people at NFL games, but I do not ask Jake, because he is now singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† with hundreds of other drunken Eagles fans. After we are frisked, we climb the steps and have our tickets scanned, and then we are inside of Lincoln Financial Field. People everywhere – it's like a hive full of green bees, and the buzz is deafening. We often have to turn sideways just to squeeze between people as we walk the concourse to get to our section. I follow Jake, worrying about getting separated, because I would be lost for sure. We hit the men's room, and Jake gets everyone inside to sing the Eagles fight song again. The lines for the urinals are long, and I am amazed that no one pees in the sinks, because at the Vet – at least up in the 700 Level – all sinks were used as extra urinals. When we finally get to our seats, we are in the end zone, only twenty or so rows up from the field. â€Å"How did you get such good tickets?† I ask Jake. â€Å"I know a guy,† he replies, and smiles proudly. Scott is already seated, and he congratulates me on my fight, saying, â€Å"You knocked that fucking Giants fan out cold!† which makes me feel awful again. Jake and Scott high-five just about everyone in the section, and as the other fans call Scott and my brother by name, it becomes obvious that they are quite popular here. When the beer man comes around, Scott buys us a round, and I am amazed to find a cup holder in the seat in front of me. You would never see such a luxury item at the Vet. Just before the Eagles' players are announced, clips from the Rocky movies are shown on the huge screens at each end of the field – Rocky running by the old Navy Yard, Rocky punching sides of beef in the meat locker, Rocky running up the steps of the art museum – and Jake and Scott keep saying, â€Å"That's you. That's you,† until I worry that someone will hear them, understand that I just fought the Giants fan in the parking lot, and tell the police to take me back to the bad place. When the Eagles' starting lineup is announced, fireworks explode and cheerleaders kick and everyone is standing and Jake keeps on pounding my back with his hand and strangers are high-fiving me, and suddenly I stop thinking about my fight in the parking lot. I begin to think about my dad watching the game in our family room – my mother serving him buffalo wings and pizza and beers, hoping the Eagles win just so her husband will be in a good mood for a week. I again wonder if my dad will start talking to me at night if the Eagles pull out a victory today, and suddenly it's kickoff and I am cheering as if my life depends on the outcome of the game. The Giants score first, but the Eagles answer with a touchdown of their own, after which the whole stadium sings the fight song – punctuated by the Eagles chant – with deafening pride. Late in the first quarter, Hank Baskett gets his first catch of his NFL career – a twenty-five-yarder. Everyone in our section high-fives me and pats me on the back because I am wearing my official Hank Baskett jersey, and I smile at my brother because he gave me such a great present. The game is all Eagles after that, and at the start of the fourth quarter the Eagles are up 24 – 7. Jake and Scott are so happy, and I am beginning to imagine the conversation I am going to have with my father when I get home – how proud he will be of my yelling whenever Eli Manning was trying to call a play. But then the Giants score seventeen unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia fans are shocked. In overtime, Plaxico Burress goes up and over Sheldon Brown in the end zone, and the Giants leave Philadelphia with a win. It is awful to watch. Outside of the Linc, Scott says, â€Å"Better not come back to the tent. That asshole will be there waiting, for sure.† So we say goodbye to Scott and follow the masses to the subway entrance. Jake has tokens. We go through the turnstiles, descend underground, and push our way onto an already packed subway car. People yell, â€Å"No room!† but Jake mashes his body in between the other bodies and then pulls me in too. My brother's chest is against my back; strangers are smashed against my arms. The doors finally close, and my nose is almost touching the glass window. The smell of beer resurfacing through everyone's sweat glands is pungent. I don't like being this close to so many strangers, but I don't say anything, and soon we are at City Hall. After we exit the train, we spin another turnstile, climb up into center city, and begin walking down Market Street, past the old department stores and the new hotels and The Gallery. â€Å"You wanna see my apartment?† Jake asks when we get to the Eighth and Market PATCO stop, which is where I can hop a train over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Collingswood. I do want to see Jake's apartment, but I am tired and anxious to get home so I can do a little lifting before bed. I ask if I might see it some other time. â€Å"Sure,† he says. â€Å"It's good to have you back, brother. You were a true Eagles fan today.† I nod. â€Å"Tell Dad the Birds will bounce back next week against San Fran.† I nod again. My brother surprises me by giving me a two-armed hug and saying, â€Å"I love you, bro. Thanks for getting my back in the parking lot.† I tell him that I love him too, and then he is walking down Market Street singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† at the top of his lungs. I descend underground, insert the five my mother gave me into the change machine, buy a ticket, stick it into the turnstile, descend more stairs, hit the waiting platform, and begin to think about that little kid in the Giants jersey. How hard did he cry when he realized his father had been knocked out? Did the kid even get to see the game? A few other men in Eagles jerseys are sitting on the chrome benches. Each nods sympathetically at me when they see my Hank Baskett jersey. One man at the far end of the platform yells, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds!† and then kicks a metal trash can. Another man standing next to me shakes his head and whispers, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds.† When the train comes, I choose to stand just inside the doors, and as the train slides across the dusk sky, over the Delaware River, across the Ben Franklin Bridge, I look at the city skyline, and – again – I start to think about that kid crying. I feel so awful when I think about that little kid. I get off the train at Collingswood, walk across the open-air platform and down the steps, stick my card into the turnstile machine, and then jog home. My mother is sitting in the family room, sipping tea. â€Å"How's Dad?† I ask. She shakes her head and points at the TV. The screen is cracked so that it looks like a spiderweb. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Your father smashed the screen with the reading lamp.† â€Å"Because the Eagles lost?† â€Å"No, actually. He did it when the Giants tied the game at the end of the fourth quarter. Your father had to watch the Eagles blow the game on the bedroom television,† Mom says. â€Å"How's your brother?† â€Å"Fine,† I say. â€Å"Where's Dad?† â€Å"In his office.† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"I'm sorry your team lost,† Mom says, just to be nice, I know. â€Å"It's okay,† I answer, and then go down into the basement, where I lift weights for hours and try to forget about that little Giants fan crying, but I still can't get the kid out of my mind. For whatever reason I fall asleep on the rug that covers part of the basement floor. In my dreams the fight happens again and again, only instead of the Giants fan bringing a kid to the game, the Giants fan brings Nikki, and she too is wearing a Giants jersey. Every time I knock the big guy out, Nikki pushes through the crowd, cradles Steve's head in her hands, kisses his forehead, and then looks up at me. Just before I run away, she says, â€Å"You're an animal, Pat. And I will never love you again.† I cry through my dreams and try not to hit the Giants fan every time the memory flashes through my mind, but I can't control my dream self any more than I could control my awake self after seeing the blood on Jake's hands. I wake up to the sound of the basement door being closed, and I see the light streaming in through the small windows over the washer and dryer. I walk up the steps, and I cannot believe the sports pages are there. I am very upset about the dream I had, but I realize it was only a dream, and despite everything that has happened, my father is still leaving me the sports pages after one of the worst Eagles losses in history. So I take a deep breath. I allow myself to feel hopeful again and start my exercise routine.

Academic Coaching

Academic coaching classes are becoming more and more popular as the schooling system becomes increasingly competitive. Parents desperate to get their children into good quality schools will go to great lengths to help them pass entrance exams and excel in interviews. However, it is unclear how effective coaching classes really are. Here are some advantages regarding coaching classes: Coaching classes use different methods to those utilized in the classroom.This means alternative approaches to learning that could be more suitable to your child are made available. Various teaching methods can be beneficial to different children; if your child is being exposed to two kinds, there is a very good chance one will be effective for them. Children receive more individual tuition at coaching classes, meaning teaching is catered to their abilities more directly. If your child does not eceive one-on-one tuition in coaching classes, they will at the very least be in very small classes.They will h ave a learning plan tailored to their needs, allowing them to succeed at an increased pace. Coaching classes can be provided specifically for certain entrance exams. This gives your child a head start in the admissions process, placing them above candidates that have not had coaching classes. Therefore they are more likely to gain a place. On the other hand, coaching classes do have a umber of disadvantages: They are, in most cases, unsubsidized and very expensive.They can pile pressure onto your child, who is likely to already feel nervous about upcoming exams. Your child may worry that even after the coaching classes they won't pass, which will leave them feeling stupid and unmotivated to learn. Coaching classes could artificially boost your child's performance. This may not be in their best interest as they could be placed in a school not suited to their abilities.

Philosophy Study Questions

PHI 101C HW6 10/18/2012 Qiansongzi Chen 1. How might the constructive nature of your perceptions play a role in what you experience while you’re walking at night through a graveyard said to be visited by spirits of the dead? Constructive perception is in part something that our minds manufacture. Thus what we perceive is determined, not only by what our eyes and ears and other senses detect, but also by what we know, what we expect, what we believe, and what our physiological state is.Just because something seems or feels real doesn’t mean that it is real. 2. What are some of the factors that could influence the accuracy of your memory of an event that happened three years ago? Our memories are also constructive and easily influenced by all sorts of factors: stress, expectation, belief, and the introduction of new information. Added to all this is the selectivity of memory. We selectively remember certain things and ignore others, setting up a recall bias. No wonder the recall of eyewitness is often unreliable. 3.Let’s say that an incredible coincidence occurs in your life, and your friend argues that the odds against the occurrences are so astronomical that the only explanation must be a paranormal one. What is wrong with this argument? Just because something seems not so realistic, doesn’t mean it can only be explained by paranormal reasons. It’s an example of the appeal to ignorance. Just because you can’t show that the supernatural or paranormal explanation is false doesn’t mean that it is true. Unfortunately, although this reasoning is logically fallacious, it is psychologically compelling. 4.How is it possible for the prophecies of Nostradamus to appear to be highly accurate and yet not be? Prophecies of Nostradamus can be highly accurate when they predict very general and broad things, when they predict a specific thing, it usually fails to be accurate. Also, people tent to only notice the things prophecie s predict and turn out to be true, and ignore the things turn out to be false. 5. What is the principle that explains how much trust we should put in personal experience as reliable evidence? It’s reasonable to accept personal experience as reliable evidence only if there’s no reason to doubt its reliability.Personal experience alone generally cannot establish the effectiveness of a treatment beyond a reasonable doubt. 6. What is confirmation bias? How does it affect our thinking? Not only do we have a tendency to ignore and misinterpret evidence that conflicts with our own views; we also have tendency to look for and recognize only evidence that confirms them. We tend to look for confirming rather than disconfirming evidence, even though the latter can often be far more revealing. 7. What is the availability error? How does it affect our thinking?The availability error occurs when people base their judgments on evidence that’s vivid or memorable instead of reli able or trustworthy. 8. How do confirmation bias and the availability error lead to superstitious beliefs? The availability error not only leads us to ignore the relevant evidence, it also leads us to ignore relevant hypotheses. For any set of data, it is, in principle, possible to construct any number of different hypotheses to account for the data. In practice, however, it is often difficult to come up with many different hypotheses.As a result, we often end up choosing among only those hypotheses that come to mind, that are available. In the case of unusual phenomena, the only explanations that come to mind are often supernatural or paranormal ones. Many people take the inability to come up with a natural or normal explanation for something as proof that it is supernatural or paranormal. â€Å"How else can you explain it? † they often ask. 9. What is the argument from unnecessary restrictions? How can it be used to undercut supernatural or paranormal claims?Unnecessary res triction also called unwarranted design, because the phenomena observed are more limited or restricted than one would expect if the hypothesis were true. To be acceptable, a hypothesis must fit the data: this means not only that the hypothesis must explain tha data, but also that the data explained must be consistent with what the hypothesis predicts. If the hypothesis makes predictions that are not borne out by the data, there is reason to doubt the hypothesis. 10. What is the representativeness heuristic? How does it affect our thinking?We sometimes led astray by the representative heuristic, the rule of thumb that like goes with like. And we are generally poor judges of probabilities and randomness, which leads us to erroneously believe that an event could not possibly be a mere coincidence. 11. Why can’t personal experience alone establish the effectiveness of a treatment? Case studies alone generally cannot establish the effectiveness of a treatment beyond a reasonable d oubt. The reality is that personal experience alone generally cannot establish the effectiveness of a treatment beyond a reasonable doubt, but controlled scientific studies. 2. What is the placebo effect? A peculiar fact about people is that sometimes even if they are given a treatment that’s inactive or bogus, they’ll respond with an improvement in the way they feel. This response , called the placebo effect, is not all in the mind, it can involve both psychological and physiological changes. What exactly is behind this effect isn’t clear, but many experts say it depends on suggestibility, operant conditioning (previous experience with healing act), expectation, and other factors.

Alcohol abuse in Victoria, South Australia Essay

Alcohol abuse in Victoria, South Australia - Essay Example According to the Victorian Drug Statistics Handbook of 2007, the majority of the people related to alcohol abuse are the young adults of ages 18-24, with 64% drinking yearly. Out of these, the majority of the drinkers are adult males. Even in the younger demographics, the ratio of people using alcohol to get drunk is a high one in five. Role of Health Professionals: The issue of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs has wide spread ramifications in the society, effecting many sectors and involving many structures and organizations. One of the most important role in this regard is played by the health professionals. The health professionals have a two-pronged involvement on this issue: the treatment of the effected individuals through the process of rehabilitation and counseling, and the spread of awareness campaigns aimed at prevention of this abuse so that there is an over all decline in the abuse of alcohol by the youth. Let us examine each role of the health professionals one by one. The most potent job that the these professionals are expected to perform is that of the treatment of the patients who are suffering from the effects of alcohol abuse.... ire treatment through the use of drugs by the doctors, although it is considered to be one according to the modern medical literature (Department of Health, 2011). The only possible treatment is that of rehabilitation and psychological therapy (Department of Health, 2011). The current statistics put the number of inpatient visits dedicated to alcohol abuse patients at more than twenty four thousand seven hundred (Rood, 2009). Considering the nature of the disease, in that it is purely preventable, this is a huge percentage of visits to be dedicated to such a cause. This statistic alone shows the prevalence and the gravity of this issue in the South Australia. It is unfortunate that the success rate of these habilitation centers is not as high as would have been expected or desired (Biondo, 2010). This is not due to negligence or incompetence on the part of the health professionals, rather this is inherent in the nature of the treatment itself. The success of therapy greatly and subst antially depends upon the willingness and will power of the patient himself (Biondo, 2010), and there is little that a doctor can do if this willingness is absent in the patient that he is treating. The prevalence of this social issue in Victoria means that the youth is greatly at risk of social and moral deconstruction (Biondo, 2010), and if the rehabilitation programs fail to handle the situation, the society at large would be at risk. Therefore, the health professionals in this area shoulder a particularly great responsibility. The other limb of the role of health professionals in this regard is their active participation in anti-drinking campaigns and awareness programs of targeted at the youth. It is generally viewed that such campaigns are particularly weak in Victoria (Biondo, 2010),

Education of Physically Disabled Child Coursework

Education of Physically Disabled Child - Coursework Example This education consists of six or seven years. The children enrolled in primary education are of the age of five or six years. According to UNESCO (UNESCO, 1994) almost 70 % of children enroll for primary education. This report also suggests that most governments in all parts of the world are ready to achieve a full universal enrollment of all children in primary schools by the year 2015. Disability is defined as an impairment, which can be either physical or mental that limits a human being from performing activities performed by an ordinary person. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 2005) defines disability as a mental or physical limitation that has a substantial long term negative effect on the person and limits his/her ability to perform day to day duties. With respect to this definition, 'substantial' indicates that the disability can be minor or major. 'Long term' means that its effects can last for one year minimum. The activities that the disabled person is unable to perform include, but not limited to, speech, hearing, sight, manual work, movement and reasoning power. According to research conducted by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, 2001), the areas affected by disability include, performance of general task, communication impairment, limited or no mobility, lack of self care, limited learning ability, inability to carry out domestic function, inability to have relationships with other people and the community as a whole. Some of the most common disabilities among human beings include, deafness, which is the inability to hear, blindness which is the inability to see, lameness which is the inability to walk or perform other physical tasks and mental retardation or cognitive disability which is the inability to reason or solve problems normally. According to a report by UNESCO (UNESCO, 1994), the implementation of inclusive education would be more advantageous to the disabled children in the long run. The report highlights that the inclusion of disabled children will lead to the enhancement of a cooperative spirit between the disabled children and the other able bodied children. This will help the other children to accept the disabled children as part of the society. The other children will also help them in adapting to the ordinary system of learning. Implementation of inclusive education is considered to be beneficial to all the children in the long run. Initially the disabled children may feel a little different from other children, but with time the children accept their differences. The children with disabilities will also learn how to tolerate and accept each others differences. SPECIAL SCHOOLS These are schools, specially designed and staffed with specially trained and experienced tutors in order to cater for the educational needs of disabled children. In these schools the children are given more attention by the teacher. The student/ teacher ratio is less than 6:1. In addition, these children have special facilities e.g. sensory

Why can't pioneering innovative companies sustain their first mover Essay

Why can't pioneering innovative companies sustain their first mover advantages - Essay Example The breakthrough product for this Canadian company has remained to be the BlackBerry (Sweeny 2009). However, the arrival of iPhone in the market has overturned everything for Research in Motion leaving the company struggling to cope with the fast follower’s challenge. Rivals such as Google and Apple which performed well in the market have led to a downward performance in the company’s stock prices. Apple first launched iPhone, a device which took a dominant position in the market and more so in the consumer segment and is now taking leads in the corporate market where BlackBerry’s were dominant.... That is, the company has recorded ups and downs of 15% over the last 3 years when it comes to its share prices. This is because of the existence of stiff competitors in the market competing for the same market share with Research in Motion Ltd. The ups and downs in the share prices of Research in Motion Ltd may also be attributed to consumption of its market share by the competitors and especially in the consumer market. The introduction of new and improved products in the market by the competitors has made BlackBerry’s less competitive making RIM Ltd loose its significant number of consumers. Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/BB:CN/chart When the BlackBerry’s become less competitive, the stocks also become less competitive a situation which has led to the reduction in stock prices. The increased competition and a reduction in market share have led to a reduction in the total volume of stocks traded in each trading day. Analysts also attributed the drop in stock pr ices in the company to the increased prices of the new BlackBerry mobile phones, a price which is too high for the emerging markets. With the increased prices, the company has been having huge problems attracting customers away from Androids by Google and iPhone platforms by Apple Inc. Source: https://www.google.com/finance?cid=663276 2. First mover advantages of Research in Motion’s BlackBerry BlackBerry was the first brand to be introduced in the market with mobile email which was highly compatible with the corporate requirements. BlackBerry then become the market leader and has continued being the market leader. BlackBerry was the brand in the market to integrate mobile communication, corporate email and internet capabilities

Managing Communications Knowledge and Information Assignment

Managing Communications Knowledge and Information - Assignment Example For better understanding and incorporation of decisions within the business, an organisation named Coral-Electronics has been established. For building a successful retail business, many things are needed to be analysed with the aim of having a better understanding about market conditions as well as making effective decisions. In this competitive business world, market condition is changing in a continuous manner and accordingly, a change in market condition will have a huge difference for the business to operate. Therefore, it can be ascertained that as an electronic retail organisation, the company has to incorporate and regularly update its information and knowledge for serial improvement in decision strategy of the business. On the other hand, Coral-Electronics is needed to have an understanding about its market competitors and market conditions (Stucki, 2009). In this respect, market information is crucial for the company, as it has to competing with other existing companies in the field of electronic market. Consequently, Coral-Electronics is needed to obtain adequate information and knowledge about its competitors and market trends, Coral-Electronics would able to ensure effective decisions for the development as well as growth of the company. In addition, Coral-Electronics always needed to have effective information about the customers and market trends. The company with the assistance these information and knowledge will be facilitated with the opportunity of performing operations in a profitable manner.

Flexible Budgets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Flexible Budgets - Essay Example This paper will outline the difference between the two methods of budgeting. Flexible budget records and outlines different information than static budget since it records the daily activities of budgeting and accommodates the accountings entries and activities that are new to the budget system. Unlike static budget which is prepared before the beginning of accounting period, flexible budget is prepared daily and continues till the end of the period (Mowen, 2012). Static budget ensures comparison and variance analysis is done due to presence of actual budget and estimated budget while the flexible budget does not involve comparison of budgets as there is only one budget. A flexible budget is not always better as it does not involve many activities like variance analysis to evaluate the performance of the company. Static budget is usually preferred where a business estimates the budget and wants to compare the difference between the estimated budget and actual budget (Mowen,

Bend It Like Beckham and 10 things I Hate about You - comparison Essay

Bend It Like Beckham and 10 things I Hate about You - comparison - Essay Example That being said the themes of the two movies are a lot more similar despite their obvious differences. Both films include theme of stereotyping and labeling, a depiction of personal values, conformity, accepting differences, domesticity vs. freedom, parents vs. children, self definition and change (Lawson, 2003). These themes are highlighted and portrayed through the central characters of these films. The character of Jasminder Bhamra, the British-born daughter of orthodox Sikh parents, who is perceived by others to be very much like any other Indian girl; polite, family oriented and spiritual. It is presumed that she will fall into her parent’s plans of completing school, learn to prepare a full traditional Punjabi dinner, and then marry a proper Indian boy. However appearances can be deceptive as Jess has other plans for her life. She loves David Beckham. Her room was a partial shrine dedicated to the Manchester United star. Her love for Beckham was not due to his good looks but she herself happened to be a footballer, and she admired his athletic skills in particular. â€Å"Nobody can bend it like Beckham,† she often beamed, referring to his extraordinary ability to get the ball to the goal and wishing one day her dream of scoring for Manchester United alongside him could come true. She takes every opportunity she can to play, away from her parents scrutinizing gaze who highly disapproved of her soccer playing and her mother often described her idol as ‘this skinhead boy.’ This brings us around to the fact that the only thing keeping Jess from fulfilling her ambition was her heritage (Fuchs, 2003). Katerina Stratford from ’10 things I hate about you’ is the central character of the movie whose character is analogous with that of Jess. She also does not fall into the typical category of a high school girl. Based in the American city of Seattle, in Padua High School the society which Kat Stratford is a part of is create d in this high school and it â€Å"mimics and exaggerates aspects of a main stream, late 20th century, American high school† (Nebo literature, web). Conformity is an issue that is a lot more prevalent in ‘10 things I hate about you’ than in ‘Bend it like Beckham’. As a character Michael from ‘10 things I hate about you’ uses the terms ‘basic beautiful people, coffee kids, white Rastas, cowboys, future MBA’s, yuppie breed’ to class the various students at Padua (Nebo literature, web). Kat Stratford did not fall into any of these categories she was strong, independent, and feministic and rejects boys who did not have any relevance to her feministic style. She had a sense of style and was attractive but did not show it to the outside world simply because it did not fit in with her behavior and how she was perceived. Her dream was to get through high school and go to a university far away from her home, something her fath er disapproved of. Personal values are what both the main characters in these two movies have in common. Jess bound by her heritage and yet hopeful and struggling to fulfill her dream while at the same time striving to not incur her parent’s disapproval. Kat on the other hand dreamt at excelling at her education, standing up for what she believed in and was indifferent to high school norms. Both these women did not conform and stood out from everyone else. However

Messy People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Messy People - Essay Example Interestingly, I usually feel that I can normally do extraordinary things compared to my organized friends. Friends and classmates have always complained to me to slightly minimize my level of messiness but I still believe that I am in the right truck. I feel that messiness makes life very easy because it does not require seriousness in almost every element. Nevertheless, I have also had several praises from my other friends for being unique, hardworking and intelligent. Because I do not normally clear my table before I start working because I treat it as a waste of time, I normally do things and achieve my targets very fast. I do not normally pan for the clothes I wear or even rigidly plan for what to do the next day in the office since anything new or emergency may crop up. I have been criticized by a friend whom I think is extremely organized. Organized people tend to be more efficient and always act and think more logically compared to the messy people. Also, organized people kno w exactly what they are doing and what their next step should be. Organized people usually plan for everything they do and have very minimal chances of making mistakes. This really wastes a lot of time. It may be right that getting organized is a waste of time and therefore an individual who is naturally messy should not waste time in trying to get organized. Organizing especially data or any other important information in a particular place may be a bit risky as it covers an inner chaos and insecurity. Additionally, sorting and organizing things in an orderly way may greatly waste a lot of time. I may be able to do a lot of work by utilizing time that would have been wasted in doing organization. I do not have to take longer time trying to do filling or even finding a piece of information from a file. Nonetheless it should be noted that messiness does not mean being disorganized (Freedman Web). I tend to think that planning and scheduling events as it is done by my extremely organi zed friend is a sign of rigidity in the way he does his work. I think that it is still logical to schedule events by the hour as this creates room for surprises. Blending flexibility in organizing work gives a room to plan around every curve that may appear ahead. However, Messy people may easily make mistake and are increasingly inefficient. I believe that messiness should not be extreme as this may be dangerous in some instances. On the other hand, a very messy individual may not be as productive as moderately messy or organized individuals because they may not take things seriously (Freedman Web I have noted that messiness should have a limit especially when I consider state of another friend of mine. In most cases, the friend has to search for valuable materials from accumulated garbage which also occupies a very large space in his table. Not once has he ever complained about missing possessions which he later realizes that mixed with trash. Moreover, he normally looks out of co ntrol both personally and professionally. He seems lazy and ignorant or rather very forgetful. I suggested to him that he should organize himself and set reminders otherwise his messiness may turn up to be a serious and dangerous mess. Hanging around him especially in his room may be very boring and hazardous. There may be small pins on the floor that constantly injure him or even stepping on some crucial documents or gadgets (Freedman

Hitler’s Life and what he did Essay Example for Free

Hitler’s Life and what he did Essay Adolf Hitler was a German politician who was born in Austria. He fought for the German army during the First World War, becoming one of the most decorated veterans. After the war, he joined a political movement that was later to become the infamous Nazi Party (Kershaw 5). That was in the year 1919; and by the year 1921, he had become the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, abbreviated as NASDAP or simply the DAP from its German name (Giblin 52). Adolf Hitler was later to become a very instrumental figure during the build-up to the Second World War, and during the war itself. He is remembered in bad faith as one of the main architects of the holocaust. In this paper, I aim to discuss his life in detail and how his rise to power influenced world affairs. Early Life Adolf Hitler was born in a town known as Braunau-am-inn in Austria near the German border to Alois, a customs officer and Klara on the 20th of April, 1889 (Kershaw 5). At the age of six, he was already attending school around the town of Linz, which is located to the east of his birthplace. Hitler’s performance in school was however pathetic, and this forced him to abandon school without completing his courses with the ambition of becoming an artist (Kershaw 6). Between the ages 16 and 18, Hitler did not have any employment. He solely depended on his mother for his upkeep since his father Alois had died when Adolf was merely thirteen; but at eighteen years, he had acquired a keen interest in politics and managed to successfully apply for admission at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts (Kershaw 7). Adolf Hitler the Orphan When Adolf Hitler was 19 years old, his mother died of cancer (Kershaw 9). He had no relatives either able or willing to support him; and his predicament prompted him to move to Vienna hoping that he would somehow manage to make ends meet. That was in the year 1909; and in Vienna, things did not go so well for the young vagrant. Within a year, he was sleeping in shelters for the homeless (Kershaw 9). He had vehemently refused to accept any form of regular employment but readily took up any menial jobs that would come his way and also sold some of his paintings so that he could provide himself with subsistence. Adolf Hitler in the First World War By the year 1913, Adolf Hitler was still homeless and broke. In the hope of bettering his life, he moved to Munich, Southern Germany (Welch 5). This relocation coincided with the outbreak of the First World War that broke out in 1914. Adolf Hitler volunteered to serve in the German military and was accepted into the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regimen (Welch 31). His tenure into service of the state had officially begun, and no one could imagine that he would once rise to lead his nation into war against the world. During the course of the war, Adolf Hitler fought so bravely that he became widely recognized. He was duly promoted into Corporal, getting decorated with the military honors of the Iron Cross Second Class and the Iron Cross First Class (Giblin 54). He wore the latter up o until the day he died; but the irony was that the officer who recommended him for the second award was a Jewish regimental, a race he was going to persecute severely after his rise to power. In 1981, he was temporarily blinded by a gas attack orchestrated by the British. He however made a quick recovery and returned to his regiment, based in Munich, in December 1918. Adolf Hitler Ventures into Politics (Welch 24) Adolf had his first stint in politics between December 1918 and March 1919 while he was working at a camp for prisoners of war before returning back to his regiment in Munich (Housden 66). After his return, he witnessed an incident in which local communists attempted to take over political authority before the army effectively quashed their attempt. During the proceedings of an investigation, which was established to inquire into the incident, Adolf Hitler was called in as a witness. Afterwards, he was appointed into a local organization within the army whose function was to persuade soldiers who were returning from the war not to convert into either communism or pacifism (Housden 67). While serving in the organization, Hitler greatly developed his oratory skills. His job description also involved him conducting espionage activities on some political groups, which were mushrooming in the background of the Munich political scene (Welch 41). One day, he attended a meeting organized by the German Workers’ Party and when one of the members stood to deliver a keynote address, Adolf Hitler was so infuriated that he burst out, delivering a charged harangue to the speaker. The founder of the German Workers’ Party, Mr. Anion Drexler, was so impressed with Hitler’s outburst that he spontaneously asked him to join their party. Hitler, though hesitant at first, agreed to join the organization and became its seventh official in the September of 1919 (Welch 41). Hitler became a vocal official of the German Workers’ party and addressed a crowd of over two thousand people in Hofbrauhaus, Munich in February 1920 where he managed to get the attention of the people (Welch 41) . Leader of the Nazi Party Involvement with the DAP meant that Adolf was discharged from the army. He then engaged into an extensive campaign increasing his influence inside the party, raising funds for its mechanisms and winning in supporters and sympathizers (Hauner 32). He increased the strength of the Nazi party and even attempted to overthrow the government. In the melee, he and other leaders of the National Socialist German Workers Party, which was now the name of the Germany Workers’ Party, were arrested and detained. Upon his release after six months in Jail, the mechanism of the Nazi party had been crippled. Hitler himself found out that he had been banned from delivering any public speeches. However, the great depression in the mid-1920s brought a new opportunity for Hitler and his party to convince the people of Germany. He participated in the 1932 election but lost, even though the winner of the election did not last long owing to external pressure (Housden 71). Adolf Hitler’s party formed a coalition after securing a parliamentary majority and used their bargaining power to prevent the formation of any other government until Adolf Hitler was named chancellor in 1933 (Kershaw 17). Having secured the highest political seat in the nation, Adolf proceeded to consolidate his grip by convincing the German people that he was their savior from the economic woes external aggression and other undesirable minorities. He and the Nazi party eliminated opposition to their rule. Hitler and the Build-up to the Second World War  The Nazi regime immediately embraced aggression as a foreign policy to stamp its authority in the world. It formed alliances that were later to group nations during the war. Adolf denounced the treaty of Versailles and made an alliance with Austria. In international peace forums, Hitler would preach peace and claim that the destruction of the First World War made Germany need a lot of time before she could be in a position to re-arm for war; but back home, he placed priority in military armament (Victor 59). He could not even allow funds to be diverted to creating employment if his military budget was not satisfied. It is this arms race that was later to lead to the greatest war mankind had ever known, the Second World War. Hitler and the Holocaust Hitler embraced a philosophy known as racial hygiene that was based on the concept of racial purity under which all â€Å"life unworthy of life† was to be exterminated from the face of the earth (Victor 63). Through a program named Action T4, he ordered for the killing of all children with developmental and physical disabilities. These were his first victims. Because of public outcry, Hitler created an impression that the killings had been stopped, but in a period spanning six years from 1939, between 11 and 14 million people were killed (Hauner 71). Among these were six million Jews. Many victims died from diseases and starvation while enslaved in national and private German ventures while others were either gassed or burned. Among the Jews, other population groups targeted in the holocaust were political opponents, gays and lesbians, the physically disabled and mentally retarded, trade unionists and psychiatric patients.

The opening sequence of the Simpsons Essay Example for Free

The opening sequence of the Simpsons Essay Analyse the opening sequence of the Simpsons. How does the opening sequence appeal to a variety of age groups? Is this a successful title sequence? Matt Groening changed television forever when he brought animation back to primetime with this immortal nuclear family. It was first screened on 14th January 1990 and it has become one of the worlds most famous cartoon as it always captured a regular audience of 24 million each week. It has also established itself as an award-winning international pop culture phenomenon. It is the longest-running sitcom of all time and it is also one of the most literate television programs on the air. It contains many references to subject matter and scholars from various academic fields. It also contains over a hundred instances of mathematic ranging from arithmetic to geometry to calculus. Most episodes of The Simpsons contain significant math that relates to material we normally cover in our classes. The programmer is also an ideal source of fun. The show is funny with bad language and offensive things! At the opening sequence the Simpsons appear out of clouds, and then it shows us Homer in the Nuclear Power Plant and after that throws the little piece of fuel out of the car on his way home. Secondly it shows us Bart writing on the skating board and when bill rings he jumps out of the school skating on air and then crosses the traffic. Thirdly it shows us the mother, Marge Simpson doing her shopping and it also shows us that Maggie got scanned. After that Lisa Simpson comes up in her music class playing her saxophone and also she got kicked out of the class. The sequence ends in a funny way as the whole family sets on sofa watching T.V. The town of Springfield is full of places that the Simpsons family go and which most of the scenes occur. The Nuclear Power Plant is where Homer Simpson works in as the safety inspector. The school where Bart Simpson does his detention and writes silly quotes on the board with the chalk, For example: No one wants to hear about my sciatica, I cant see dead people, I did not win the Nobel Fart Prize, I have neither been there nor done that, etc The music store is where Lisa goes and looks for some music equipment as she is fascinated by music equipments and musicians. She is also in the school music team and a saxophonist. T.V store in which Bart like to miss around as he is known as a naughty boy! The shopping centre which Marge Simpson goes with Maggie does her shopping for her family and buys food We learn that Homer works in a nuclear power station in which he makes radioactive metals. He drops it while he was on his way home which means that he is careless and stupid! He nearly got ran over by a car which means he is clumsy and got a slow reflex action. We also learn that he is a slacker who is completely unqualified for his job. We also learn that he is a pig when it comes to food!! Marge Simpson doesnt appear a lot in the opening sequence as she only appears twice. First time is when she was shopping with little Maggie and funnily Maggie got scanned. The second time she appeared was when the whole family gathered around the sofa to watch T.V. which means that she is a good mother and she is looking after her familys needs. Bart Simpson is simply a rule breaker, he always gets in trouble and he stays at school to do detention and he writes some silly words on the board, e.g. I will not encourage others to fly, I will not fake my way through life, I will not sell my kidney on eBay. He also appears when he was skating, and when he crossed the street and almost got hit by a car. He is a poor student who enjoys comic books and television and hates girls. Lisa Simpson only appeared once when she was playing her saxophone in the band and she didnt follow the note and so she got sent off. So she is kind of a role breaker as well but she is not as bad as her brother! She can be described as an excellent student who is completely the opposite of Bart except they both enjoy violent cartoons. The cartoon shows the family always gets in little arguments. It also shows that its impossible to be good all the time. E.g. when theyre eating at home they use no table manners and when they go to church they try to be like normal families. There are also times in the show when they change from comedy and give a meaningful message about family values, or friendship, etc.. There are also some funny situations where they cant take the correct action at the beginning of the problem but they manage to get through it by the end of the show. Here is a little description of each character of the Simpsons family: Homer Simpson is a man who can only be described in one word overachieving. For a man with no brain, athletic, logical, social, or any other kind of skills, he has done a lot, including having three successful kids, a loving wife, and a steady job as the safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He is also an alcoholic!!! Marge Simpson is the glue that holds the Simpsons together. Without her continuous cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, the family would fall apart. Marge is always there to keep her husband in check, motivate Bart, cheer up Lisa, and just keep Maggie satisfied. She is very proud of her husband and she also has strong relations with her sisters. Bart Simpson is, first and foremost, a rebel. He is well-known across the city as a troublemaker and an underachiever, calling in prank calls, working in burlesque houses, etc However he got a sense of humour as he always cracking jokes and always up for an adventure. Lisa Simpson is straight student, a brilliant saxophonist, and an amateur philosopher. She is full of great thoughts and talents. She is always happy with herself. She is only 8; however she cant wait for collage. Maggie Simpson is a silent staple in the Simpsons family. She is always seen with the family, never speaking, but always secretly thinking. Bart Simpson writes on the blackboard. The writing changes every title sequence and it actually shows us what Bart does in his everyday life. E.g. I will not sell my kidney on e-bay, this quote tells us that Bart tried to sell his kidney on the Internet. The opening sequence also tells us that Bart is usually misunderstood. Wrongly pegged as an underachiever and troublemaker as he is always in detention. It also tells us that he is careless and doesnt care about his life or doesnt look out for dangerous things such as when he crossed the road and almost got hit by a car, this is also tells us that he is a bit stupid!! Homer Simpson was doing his little experiment on the Nuclear Power Plant with the radioactive piece of fuel and then it went in his hood and then he throws it out of the car. This tells us that he only cares about food because when teatime came he left his job in a hurry and that piece of fuel went in his hood and then he didnt recognise that it was a radioactive thing when he threw it out of the car window which tells us that he is very careless. We also saw Lisa in the music class playing her saxophone and she the teacher sent her out because she didnt follow the note and went on playing her own note, the funny bit was when she kept on playing with the saxophone after the teacher sent her off. It sounded like she was just trying to get the teachers off. Another funny situation when Marge Simpson was shopping and Maggie wondered off and got scanned by the machine and then she suddenly appeared at one of the bags on the trolley. And finally when the whole family sat on the sofa watching T.V which shows us how important T.V is in their life. Its also funny when they were rushing to sit on the sofa and then they crashed and fell on the floor I think the opening sequence suits every age-group. E.g. when Bart Simpson was in detention and he was writing his quotes on the blackboard I will not sell my kidney on eBay, they are laughing at me, not with me, garlic gum is not funny, I will not Xerox my butt, I will not do that thing with my tongue all these things appeal to the teen-agers in which it grabs the people in my age group to watch The Simpsons. Another example, little kids like 3-6 years old might like Maggie Simpson as she does some funny moves, like when she wandered of her mum, or when she feeds the dog. She also wandered the town of Springfield all by herself, and shes shot Springfields richest man because he attempted to steal her lollipop!!! She also tries to walk without falling which the younger kids might like to see. Here comes the most interesting part of all, the Simpson cartoon was also very successful in grabbing the eldest attention. The Simpsons makes the family sit on the sofa together watching the Simpson which rarely happens in our lives as older people usually watch shows and films which younger children dont see. and they dont watch cartoons either. However Matt Groening had the ability to make a cartoon which parents like to watch. Families and older people like to watch the Simpsons because it discusses problems in our lives sometimes and it shows us the argument between the family and how they solve it. It also shows us the father telling something to his son like giving him advice; he is also very funny and sometimes cracks jokes and acts funnily. Also Mr. Groening was successful to make something to show that the mothers always play the most important part in the family. Therefore he created the perfect character of all, the mother, Marge Simpson; she is like the glue that holds the Simpsons together. Without her constant cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, and gentle nagging the family would fall apart. Marge always keeps her husband in check, motivate Bart, cheer up Lisa or keep Maggi satisfied. She stands up against cartoon violence and she can also be trusted in taking ethical decisions.

How To Build And Maintain Stakeholder Relationships Management Essay

How To Build And Maintain Stakeholder Relationships Management Essay Organizations change constantly, a projects stakeholder set will change as stakeholder change roles within the organization, move into different roles or leave the organization to take up roles in other organizations. For whatever reason, the ability of individual stakeholder to influence the project may increase or decrease. Most project management methodologies define ways to identify project stakeholder, and then base their entire communications strategies on this initial, and only, identification. Many projects fail because stakeholders do not continue to support the vision or objectives of the project. In many cases this is because the team does not recognize changes in the relative power or position of key stakeholder and fails to make appropriate adjustments in their stakeholder management activities. This study reported upon in this paper is focused on support for project managers in building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholder. This is accomplished through using a practical methodology that allows the project team to identify and priorities the projects stakeholder and then stakeholders needs of the project to develop an appropriate relationship management strategy. The underlying assumption for this research is the stakeholder management is extremely difficult, the project manager and his/her project team members must identify, engage and sustain relationships with a diverse set of groups and individuals (including themselves) who can impact the project in many ways. HOW TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS GOTTA QUIRK (1999 2012): Communication and trust is the main source for creating a lasting relationship between stakeholders. Through effective communications and building trusting relationships, organizations should be committed to ensure that all stakeholders are involved in shaping the decisions of organizations in a meaningful manner. The commitment to actively build and maintain long-term relationships with stakeholders is based on two fundamental guiding principles communication and trust.   These two principles shape the development of stakeholder relations philosophy which includes: ENMAX Corporation (2012): Encouraging stakeholder participation in the decision-making process Providing timely information Open, and honest communication Listening to stakeholder concerns Respecting diverse opinions Seeking mutually beneficial solutions Learning from each other Moreover, stakeholder relationships that are unmanaged or mismanaged have a number of less than favorable consequences for companies. These include unnecessary expenses, and a lack of buy-in to processes and initiatives aimed at transforming the company. However, stakeholder management is a difficult undertaking for organizations because it requires investment and commitment to a long term structured process. While there are a number of efficient information management tools available through marketing, it is important to start with the big picture who are we going to be speaking to and how? BY IDENTIFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS Particularly in larger organizations, this process is a critical one because the network of stakeholders with an investment or interest in a business is broader than we would originally have imagined. Consider that likely stakeholders include the board, management, other employees, customers, suppliers and the community within which we operate. It is important when making this list that we gather and collate as much information as possible about the individuals and groups on it. This will enable us to start thinking through appropriate and targeted communication with them. BY PRIORITIZING THE STAKEHOLDER However noble our intentions regarding stakeholder relationship management are, there unfortunately have to be some individuals and group whos needs are more important and who require prioritization if we intend maintaining their support. While this sucks for the interns, the chairman of organizational board will be pleased to know that you have his best interests at heart. Prioritizing begins with segmenting a list into groups and then listing them in order of importance. This process needs to be completed with the organizational goals and the level of stakeholder information in mind. Ultimately, this will ensure personalization and consistency across communication channels at a later point in the process. BY UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS Stakeholders require consistent and regular communication and service. However, their individual distinctiveness requires that this communication be personalized and targeted. This is difficult enough in the corner store but is universally impossible across larger organizations; the number of individuals is just too great. The next thing is to understand each group. A key part of this is to know what information they have, how accurate it is, how it aligns with the organizational goals and what information they need. This should align with the process of prioritization, with the groups at the bottom needing the least amount of information and the groups at the top needing the most. BY BUILDING TRUSTIN RELATIONSHIPS Collaborative partnerships depend on trust. Partners must communicate effectively and resolve conflicts, especially about sensitive issues like distribution of rewards and the involvement of host organizations the in laws. As in any relationship, attention must be given to renewing the relationship and sustaining the commitment of the partners by building and maintaining support of the parent organization, evaluating progress and celebrating success. BY ENCOURAGING THE STAKEHOLDERS This is the act of giving someone support, confidence, or hope that it is well even though they do not see it. When we encourage our stakeholders, it makes them feel the company do have plans for them and that would make them hold on. BY SATISFYING THE STAKEHOLDERS Satisfaction is important in maintaining a good relationship because when one is not satisfied, they would always look for a place where they would be satisfied. Even the study of economics makes us to understand that man is insatiable. So as a company, lets look for a way to satisfy the stakeholders needs. BY ENGAGING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS Now the easy part is over and you actually have to find an innovative and efficient manner in which to communicate with these stakeholders. Whatever tactics you use, it is helpful to have a communication plan in place so that the process runs smoothly without negatively impacting on productivity. Using a collaborative software package could be the answer, particularly if you want to keep a specific group up to date about a specific project. Regular status reports are useful and email newsletters are very effective for those individuals who are not privy to sensitive information. Going one step further, these can be divided into an internal and an external newsletter; the first being only for staff and the second for clients and interested parties. For small groups and occasionally large ones, meetings are a good way to get a message across and invite buy in and feedback. Remember that in order to be effective, this engagement should be two-way. Stakeholders need a forum to air concer ns and grievances while having the comfort of knowing they will get a response. Neglecting this element of communication is bound to undermine the ultimate goals of your organization. Regardless of tactics though, the important part of this aspect of the process is to understand and manage stakeholder expectations. The stakeholders need to know when to expect communication and what sort of communication to expect. MONITORING THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS There is little point in engagement with the stakeholders if it is perceived to be token or ineffectual. While its admirable that you are trying, this lack of efficacy is not going to encourage buy-in and may undermine your company, particularly if the negativity spreads. It is thus important to track and monitor your efforts and gauge the response to them. Speak to individuals directly, encourage feedback and through email tracking assess whether people are reading the information that are been disseminated. Tweak your efforts accordingly. Part of this is keeping a finger on the pulse of the companys reputation which is also important. Conduct surveys if necessary and establish who thinks what and why. Knowing what the perception is will go a long way toward finding the necessary means to turn it around. ISSUES THAT MAY AFFECT STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS AND THE POSSIBLE AREAS OF CONFLICT CIM (1998): The issues that may affect relationships are likewise the same as the areas of conflict, and this is certainly the opposite of the factors that builds relationship. For example, when a stakeholders interest in an organization is different from that of other stakeholders group, this may affect the relationship between stakeholders or cause conflict to an extent. Another example is trust, when there is no trust in an organization; it could also affect a relationship or cause conflict. Also consider when there is no: Control mutuality (think mutual control) the degree to which parties agree on who has the rightful power to influence one another. Trust one partys level of confidence in and willingness to open ones self to the other party. Commitment The extent to which each party believes and feels that the relationship is worth spending energy to maintain and promote. Satisfaction The extent to which each party feels favorably toward the other because positive expectations about the relationship are reinforced. Exchange relationships In an exchange relationship, one party gives benefits to the other only because the other has provided benefits in the past or is expected to do so in the future. Communal relationships In a communal relationship, both parties provide benefits to the other because they are concerned for the welfare of the other even if they get nothing in return. STRENGTHENING AND RESOLVING CONFLICT IN RELATIONSHIPS ASSESS THE STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONSHIP The first thing is to survey the stakeholder group using some variant of the questionnaire, this will reveal how weak or strong the relationship is and where it is weak or strong. For example, in one project I did, we learned the organization had excellent scores with all stakeholder groups on all but one of these six factors. So improving stakeholder relationships in that case was a matter of focusing on that one factor. BUILD STAKEHOLDERS TRUST IN THE ORGANIZATION Consistently treat stakeholders fairly. Whenever the organization makes important decisions take stakeholder opinions into account and otherwise demonstrate concern for stakeholders. Keep organizational promises. Demonstrate competence by doing what was proposed.   PAY ATTENTION AND RESPOND TO WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SAY AND DO Demonstrate the belief that stakeholder opinions are legitimate by responding to them. Give stakeholders a say in the organizations decision-making process, especially in those areas that affect the stakeholder group. DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO STAKEHOLDERS Show stakeholders that the organization wants to maintain a long-term relationship with them. Engage stakeholders to build loyalty to the organization. SATISFY STAKEHOLDERS Identify and enhance the ways stakeholders benefit from their association with the organization. Make interacting with the organization a delightful experience. Make stakeholders feel they are important to the organization. MOVE BEYOND AN EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP TO A COMMUNAL RELATIONSHIP As noted above, exchange relationships are those in which two parties in a relationship expect a benefit in return for a benefit tit for tat. These relationships are the basis of most for-profit businesses. That is, a customer expects a certain quality product in exchange for the money he/she spends, and the organization expects the money in return for the product. Employees expect pay, benefits and a sense of fulfillment and organizations expect work and engagement.   A communal relationship goes beyond that. One party in the relationship believes the other will give benefits with no expectation of a return. An example of this is corporate social responsibility programs, such as when a bank goes beyond the basic business exchange to give back to the community by supporting programs that benefit neighborhoods.  Some argue that this corporate giving is not really selfless in that the organization expects good will in return for the benefit it bestows on the community. And this may be. Nevertheless, when a stakeholder believes an organization helps people without expecting anything in return, the relationship is at a different level than if the stakeholder believes the organization only trades benefit for benefit. THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING AND REVIEWING DIY Committee Guide (2012) Both research and common sense support the notion that we need to monitor the performance of stakeholder on an ongoing basis. If we are ever to know how we are doing, the management committee should use reports against its annual operational plans to review progress towards meeting the strategic aims and objectives. Therefore, they must ensure that whoever is doing the work is keeping appropriate records so that progress can be assessed. This will involve, at the implementation stage of the plan, being clear what systems and structures are required. The things you decide to measure will give an indication of how well youre doing, hence, the name indication or performance measures. Before completing your plan, you need to agree how and when it will be monitored and reviewed and what information the Management Committee needs to receive in order to review progress. When reviewing progress towards achieving the strategic aims and objectives, the Management Committee should: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ensure that activities are kept within the parameters of the agreed strategic aims and objectives; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ensure that activities are consistent with organizations vision, mission and values; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢keep under review internal and external changes which may require changes to the organizations strategy or affect their ability to achieve their objectives. GETTING FEEDBACKS The quality of a partnership can be analyzed by getting feedback from the stakeholders through questionnaires or interviews CONCLUSION In closing, Id like to re-emphasize the importance of assessing the strength of the relationship at the outset. That there are six factors to manage when building relationships is a great insight. But to manage we must be able to measure. This tells us not only where to focus our efforts but also whether we have succeeded.

Jourody Journey of Homers Odyssey, Joyces Ulysses and Walcotts Omer

The Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omeros      Ã‚   This essay explores how the theme of the journey, pervasive in Homer's Odyssey, find expression in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Derrick Walcott's Omeros (1990), epics written in very different historical periods.   Common to all three epics is a plot structure that involves a protagonist who longs for home but who must first endure a life-altering change before he returns. The theme of the "journey" provokes an image of both a natural and spiritual quest occurring simultaneously, both significantly viable because each passage contributes equally to the manifestation of the maturing male identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homer's Odyssey, captures the essence of the "journey", a word signifying the movement from one place to another, by juxtaposing Odysseus's palpable journey against his spiritual one. Odysseus attempts to navigate at sea the ships and crew from Troy to Ithaca while a number of nymphs and demons make obstacles that impede his success. Both visible and invisible, the journeys produce a change in Odysseus that ensure his maturity into manhood before he returns to his wife, Penelope, in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus's journey begins at home where a summons to war prompts him to leave Ithaca for Troy. Odysseus and Penelope have a newborn son they name Telemachus. The war lasts ten years. Ending when Odysseus leaves a belly full of soldiers in a wooden horse at the beach before the enemy's compound. Thinking it a gift from the Greeks, the Trojan's roll it in and before dawn, a final siege occurs that ends the war. Smug and accomplished about the downfall, Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca. War inflicts Odysseus with a primordial disposition, and ... ...ort van he names the "Comet." Philoctete, a native African-Caribbean nurses a festering wound on his shin caught by a rusty anchor while timbering. A journey in a metaphor that denotes the survival and recovery of the African-Caribbean culture, spirit and mind after colonialism.          Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. Mythic Worlds, Modern Words: On the Art of James Joyce. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Mamner, Robert D. Epic of the Dispossessed: Derek Walcott's Omeros. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997. Hexter, Ralph. A Guide to The Odyssey: A Commentary on the English Translation of Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1993. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1990. Joyce, James. Ulysses. New York: Random House, 1986. Walcott, Derek. Omeros. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.    Jourody Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omer The Journey of Homer's Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses and Walcott's Omeros      Ã‚   This essay explores how the theme of the journey, pervasive in Homer's Odyssey, find expression in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Derrick Walcott's Omeros (1990), epics written in very different historical periods.   Common to all three epics is a plot structure that involves a protagonist who longs for home but who must first endure a life-altering change before he returns. The theme of the "journey" provokes an image of both a natural and spiritual quest occurring simultaneously, both significantly viable because each passage contributes equally to the manifestation of the maturing male identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Homer's Odyssey, captures the essence of the "journey", a word signifying the movement from one place to another, by juxtaposing Odysseus's palpable journey against his spiritual one. Odysseus attempts to navigate at sea the ships and crew from Troy to Ithaca while a number of nymphs and demons make obstacles that impede his success. Both visible and invisible, the journeys produce a change in Odysseus that ensure his maturity into manhood before he returns to his wife, Penelope, in Ithaca.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Odysseus's journey begins at home where a summons to war prompts him to leave Ithaca for Troy. Odysseus and Penelope have a newborn son they name Telemachus. The war lasts ten years. Ending when Odysseus leaves a belly full of soldiers in a wooden horse at the beach before the enemy's compound. Thinking it a gift from the Greeks, the Trojan's roll it in and before dawn, a final siege occurs that ends the war. Smug and accomplished about the downfall, Odysseus sets sail for Ithaca. War inflicts Odysseus with a primordial disposition, and ... ...ort van he names the "Comet." Philoctete, a native African-Caribbean nurses a festering wound on his shin caught by a rusty anchor while timbering. A journey in a metaphor that denotes the survival and recovery of the African-Caribbean culture, spirit and mind after colonialism.          Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. Mythic Worlds, Modern Words: On the Art of James Joyce. New York: Harper Collins, 1993. Mamner, Robert D. Epic of the Dispossessed: Derek Walcott's Omeros. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1997. Hexter, Ralph. A Guide to The Odyssey: A Commentary on the English Translation of Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1993. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Random House, 1990. Joyce, James. Ulysses. New York: Random House, 1986. Walcott, Derek. Omeros. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.   

Analysis of Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros Essay examples -- Caramelo His

Analysis of Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros Caramelo has been quite an interesting novel. It describes a Hispanic family to the tee. Sandra Cisneros chose her title perfectly for this book. Life’s hardships and possibilities are explored throughout this fascinating novel. The author describes the word caramelo in different ways and in two different occasions. The first occasion was to describe Candelarias’ skin color. Celaya quoted: â€Å"Her skin a caramelo. A color so sweet, it hurts to even look at her.† (p.37). She also says: â€Å"Her skin is as smooth as peanut butter and deep as burnt-milk candy. The other occasion caramelo is mentioned was to describe the awful grandmothers’ rare, old, unique, and unfinished silk rebozo. â€Å"The grandfather pulls out a cloth from the walnut-wood armoire of caramel, licorice, and vanilla stripes.† (p.58) These two events are mostly connected by the description of color. The author describes Candelarias’ skin color being so sweet it hurts, much like a very sweet candy would. Much like the candy is sweet, so is Candelaria and her personality. I believe Cisneros chose Caramelo because a caramelo or candy cane has dark and bright long stripes on it. To me the stripes indicate a person’s life span. They also symbolize the dark, dreadful times we all go through and the bright stripes would tell the joyous, wonderful times we have in life. In addition, the stripes twirl around and around similar to our lives. Everyone’s life has a curve or tu...