Two theories of aging Essays

Two theories of aging Essays Two theories of aging Paper Two theories of aging Paper For this assignment I am going to discuss two theories of aging. During our life we engage with other people and engage in different activities. One of these theories suggested by two people called Cumming and Henry in 1961 was called the disengagement theory. This theory suggests that when people get older they naturally tend to withdraw from social involvement, they will also reduce their physical activity and this among other reasons will amount in loss of social opportunities and become increasingly individual. 1974 another theorists called Bromley also agreed with Cummings hypothesis. I am now going to discuss the reasons why Cummings came up with this theory: Travel and technology As we age we may lose access to cars, mobile phones and more recent technologies such as the internet. This can limit the opportunities for social contact. Ill health of friends and relatives If relatives and friends have disabilities or poor health and mobility they may have reduced social contact. Retirement When we age we will retire from our working status, in doing so we will lose contact with work colleges, etc. Geographical mobility In this day and age due to the vast amount of travel families and friends dont always tend to live in a close proximity together and as we get older we may find it harder to travel to visit friends and family, therefore interaction may become more difficult. Ill health This is the biggest factor affecting disengagement, things such as problems with vision and hearing can make it hard to interact with things such as computers and phones. Becoming immobile will also create a problem with travelling to see family and friends. When Cummings and Henry ibid first proposed this theory of disengagement it was 1961 when they had no mobile phones used for text messaging. They may not have even had a phone in their home never mind the internet. They may also not have access to a car and therefore this theory may not be accurate for todays modern world were car access and the use of modern technologies (mobile phones and internet) is much more available. I have completed my work placement in a disability hospital and I have a number of service users and patients that fir into the disengagement theory, I am going to discuss one mans activities on a typical day. In my placement they offer an art class every day, a bus excursion and there is also a television room available. These facilities are available for all members of the hospital, however not all people take advantage of these opportunities as they prefer to disengage. One particular patient chooses to sit in his room by himself and listen to music rather than interact with other people. He does so as he feels he is getting old and this is the best method for him. Therefore, he fits into the disengagement theory. In 1966 Bromley agreed that people need to disengage as they get older but he also suggested they need to keep active to prevent disengaging from going too far that it turns into isolation and inaction. He argued it was important to stay mentally active and to maintain an interest in life and enjoy the company of friends and family. He said that too much disengagement would lead to the loss of mental capability and physical skills. This theory is known as an activity theory which argues that people need to stay active to reduce the risks associated with disengagement. I am now going to discuss ways in which we can stay active both physically and mentally: How to stay physically active Taking part in regular physical activity will improve your physical health in later life and we are advised to continue this in our elder years to maintain our physical health we can do this through a number of ways such as walking, yoga, gardening and swimming. How to stay mentally active Our brain is like a muscle and needs exercised regularly to keep it mentally active, some experts have suggested that having poor physical health can lead to loss in mental ability in later life. We can prevent this by doing some of the following challenging your brain everyday with things such as study, community activates such as book clubs, engage in regular discussion and crosswords and puzzles help to keep the brain active. Health services, residential, day and home care will provide opportunities for physical, mental and social activities. I have recently worked in a care home for the elderly and they provided a number of different activities for them to help keep them both mentally and physically active. The activities include some for the mind such as: * Bingo * Sudoku * Reading * Art * Knitting Then the physical side is: * Yoga * Swimming * Walking In the setting a number of people choose to take part in these activities and they want to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible. They fit into the active theory. Overall I think it is best to stay active for as long as you can, it means a better social life and a healthier body and mind. It may even increase your life expectancy. I feel the disengagement theory would be very hard to do and feel it is very exclusive and lonely; however people will choose this lifestyle as it is their preferred choice, other people may be forced into disengagement theory for example the brain injured or disabled.

Definition and Examples of Cleft Sentences

Definition and Examples of Cleft Sentences In English grammar, a cleft is a construction in which some element in a sentence is moved from its normal position into a separate clause to give it greater emphasis. A cleft is also known as a  cleft sentence, a  cleft construction, and a  cleft clause. A  cleft sentence  is a sentence that is cleft (split) so as to put the focus on one part of it. The cleft sentence is introduced by  it, which is followed by a  verb phrase  whose main verb is generally  be. The focused part comes next, and then the rest of the sentence is introduced by a  relative pronoun, relative  determiner, or  relative adverb. If we take the sentence  Tom felt a sharp pain after lunch, two possible cleft sentences formed from it are  It was Tom who felt a sharp pain after lunch  and  It was after lunch that Tom felt a sharp pain. Take, for example, the simple declarative sentence, Jerry went to the movie yesterday. If you would want to emphasize one element or another, the sentence could be rewritten in several different ways: It was  Jerry  who went to the movie  yesterday.It was to the  movie  that Jerry went  yesterday.It was  yesterday  that Jerry went to the movie.   English has many different varieties of cleft constructions, but the two major types are it-clefts and wh-clefts.  Wh- clefts use  wh words, which is most often what in the construction. However, why, where, how, etc. are also possibilities. Examples and Observations It-Clefts It was only last month that  I decided to go back to school.It was my father who  sent Dyer out to proselyte.  It was my father who  had the blue-ice eye and the beard of gold.It was Roosevelt who impetuously blurted out the unconditional surrender ultimatum at a press conference in Casablanca, to the surprise of Winston Churchill, who was sitting at his side and who had no alternative but to nod approval. Wh-Clefts What I needed was a weapon. Other people, hitchhikers, told me they always carried a little something, a knife or a can of Mace, and Id laughed, thinking there was no greater weapon than the human mind. You idiot.Strange, but  what I really wanted was  a dad who would come down to the police station, ​yell his head off, and then take me home to talk about what happened, to come up with a new plan for how Id act in the future, etc. All the other guys had that. But not me. My dad left me alone in jail for the night. Sources Douglas Biber et al.,  Longman Student Grammar. Pearson, 2002George N. Crocker,  Roosevelts Road to Russia. Regnery, 1959David Crystal,  Making Sense of Grammar. Longman, 2004Zane Gray,  Riders of the Purple Sage, 1912Sidney Greenbaum,  Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996David Sedaris,  Naked. Little, Brown Company, 1997Michael Simmons,  Finding Lubchenko. Razorbill, 2005

Comparision of ceramic and acrylic teeth Research Paper

Comparision of ceramic and acrylic teeth - Research Paper Example The ceramic or porcelain teeth were the first to be used for making denture or false teeth. Porcelain teeth are comparatively hard and likely to fracture as they are made of ceramic materials. For instance, the hardness of the material may cause a loss of occlusal vertical dimension as the ceramic exerts its direct forces to the underlying bones; and its continuous touch with tongue during speech my cause disturbing clicking sound (Rahn, Plummer, and Ivanhoe,11). Obviously the hardness of the ceramic teeth will cause damage to remaining natural teeth and underlying residual ridge. Other disadvantages include its higher potential for marginal staining due to capillary leakage, possibility of dangerous abrasion to natural teeth or gold crowns etc; and as far as its feasibility is concerned, it is difficult to implant where available space is minimal (Sarandha, 107). However, there are certain factors that make ceramic teeth unique. For instance, the hardness of the ceramic teeth is less likely to cause occlusal vertical dimension caused by wear of denture teeth (Rahn, Plummer, and Ivanhoe, 11). In addition, these teeth are clinically efficient and will maintain communication efficiency for years and will ensure better retention of surface polish and finishing. Porcelain teeth can also be made with a metal assimilation which usually known as metal-ceramic restoration of denture. Other practices include all-ceramic restoration, porcelain-gold restoration, and metal crown restoration. Acrylic teeth or resin teeth are made from polymers and are comparatively softer than ceramic teeth. The most important ingredient contained in acrylic teeth is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin. Multiple methyl methacrylate molecules are joined by a linking agent and forms resilient plastics (PMMA) which has a net like structure. Therefore, they are less wear resistant and cause little damage to the

Personal Perspectives of Death and Dying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Personal Perspectives of Death and Dying - Essay Example She has even ready to celebrate his death and sold the exclusive rights of capturing her final moments to some media. â€Å"Death begins when the heart stops beating. Deprived of oxygen, a cascade of cellular death commences, beginning with brain cells and ending with skin cells. Death is a process rather than an event. Specifying the moment of death usually involves deciding on a point from which there can be no return.† (What is Death?) Most of the children may not think much about death since childhood is filled with many other activities. The confusing things about death life may not influence them much during that stage. But the religious learning centers such as Sunday school and church related activities may sometimes force them to think in terms of death also. Moreover they may get lot of information about life and death through the literatures they might have read during their childhood. The parents may not talk much about death since the children may ask confusing questions regarding the death which may not be easy for them to answer. But it is necessary for the parents to talk about death if the child asks anything about it to know his interpretations about death. If his interpretations are misleading, then the parents must try to clear his confusions about death. The thought about death was an irritating thing for me even from my childhood. After grown up, I often tried to analyze the meaning of life personally. The science topics which I learned during my studies were not convincing enough to clear my doubts about life and death. I tried to compare the scientific knowledge about death with my religion’s interpretation of death. Though scientifically not proved, I confirmed that religious beliefs cannot be written off. Science often gives us information about material things. Though science was successful in providing us much knowledge about the non material things energy and forces which exists on

An Expatriate Tour in El Salvador Essay Example for Free

An Expatriate Tour in El Salvador Essay The case provides that John Lafferty has accepted an opportunity to be a Program Officer of the United Nations based in El Salvador. John has previously worked as development economist in different parts of Latin America and his experience and passion for helping refugees make his adjustment to this new environment easy. However, John has recently been married to Joanna, a Human Resource Management consultant based in Toronto, Canada. Although, the couple both agreed to move together to El Salvador, the challenge of the case lies on how Joanna would be able to adjust to a new environment. In preparation for her departure, Joanna studied Spanish and studied Salvadoran history and politics as much as she could. She also contacted a friend, Joan, an expatriate in Guatamela for two years to get feedback about the conditions of living abroad. In a study of Luthans in 2002, he emphasized the importance of cultural learning to avoid premature return by an expatriate. In this case, Joanna should have undergone cultural learning that is specifically tailored for Salvadoran expatriates. This could have prepared her in understanding and accepting the culture and values of Salvadorans. She could have expected living with a housemaid who would serve her and do all the house chores for her. Joanna could have been more comfortable understanding that â€Å"barrios marginales† are generally accepted in their neighborhood and receives only $6 a day. Joanna can mend her situation by learning more about the culture of El Salvador to make her feel more comfortable in her new environment. Upon adjustment, she could find a career opportunity in the UN that is also based in El Salvador where she could practice her HR skills. Joanna’s experience can be valuable in developing a cultural learning program that will help other expatriates. The new employment for John is a great opportunity for him to advance in his career. John’s skills in relating with refugees and his passion to protect them are valid arguments why he should accept the position in El Salvador. John and Joanna may be newly married but their career fulfillment should not be sacrificed. They have to discern well and balance the advantages and disadvantages of moving to El Salvador together or separately. Joanna can decide to stay in Canada and pursue her career as HR consultant. However, the opportunity to experience a different culture and the prospect of gaining a new knowledge in the field of training expatriates are both promising. Joanna should embrace this chance to advance her learning in Human Resource Management. In an article written by Varner and Palmer in 2002, they have identified three factors that can make expatriation successful. These are: 1) integration of expatriation with international operations to attain the organization’s strategic objectives, 2) the training and development of expatriates integrated with organizational goals and 3) the management of the international knowledge expatriates acquired. In this case, the organization that employed John should have provided training to him and to his spouse, Joanna. The training should explain carefully to John and Joanna the situations they may encounter within the organization and its surrounding environment. Further, the organization should have a program for spouses like Joanna that can track her adjustment and assist her in finding a career in a foreign land. It is the responsibility of the organization to ensure that the employee’s spouse and children are comfortable and well adjusted in their new environment. If the employees would have a problem in their families, there is a great possibility that they will discontinue their service with the employer and go back to their home country. Gravenkemper and LaPla (2008) suggested several measures for successful expatriation of the employee’s families: 1. The family of the employee should be interviewed and examined for overseas assignments. 2. Prior to settlement, the family of the employee should be given the chance to visit the foreign land. 3. The organization must select only those employees whose spouse and children are willing to relocate. List of References Gravenkemper, S. and LaPla, L. (2008) Expatriate Assessments. Universal Advisor Issue No. 2. Available from http://www. plantemoran. com/Services/Consulting/OrganizationalDevelopmentPersonnelAssessment/Resources/Articles/Expatriate+Assessments. htm 9 April 2009 Luthans, K. W. (2002) Expatriate development: the use of 360 degrees feedback. Journal of Management Development 21, 10 Varner, I. and Palmer, T. (2002) Successful expatriation and organizational strategies. Entrepreneur. Available from http://www. entrepreneur. com/tradejournals/article/87211787. html 9 April 2009

The Implicit Intimacy of Dickinsons Dashes Essay -- Emily Dickinson a

The Implicit Intimacy of Dickinson's Dashes The dash in Emily DickinsonÂ’s poetry, initially edited away as a sign of incompletion, has since come to be seen as crucial to the impact of her poems. Critics have examined the dash from a myriad of angles, viewing it as a rhetorical notation for oral performance, a technique for recreating the rhythm of a telegraph, or a subtraction sign in an underlying mathematical system.1 However, attempting to define DickinsonÂ’s intentions with the dash is clearly speculative given her varied dash-usage; in fact, one scholar illustrated the fallibility of one dash-interpretation by applying it to one of DickinsonÂ’s handwritten cake recipes (Franklin 120). Instead, I begin with the assumption that Ââ€Å"text† as an entity involving both the reading and writing of the material implies a readerÂ’s attempt to recreate the act of writing as well as the writerÂ’s attempt to guide the act of reading. I will focus on the former , given the difficulties surrounding the notion of authorial intention a.k.a. the Death of the Author. Using three familiar Dickinson poems—Ââ€Å"The Brain—is wider than the Sky,† Ââ€Å"The Soul selects her own Society,† and Ââ€Å"This was a Poet—It is that,†Ãƒâ€šÃ¢â‚¬â€I contend that readers can penetrate the double mystery of Emily DickinsonÂ’s reclusive life and lyrically dense poetry by enjoying a sense of intimacy not dependent upon the content of her poems. The source of this intimacy lies in her remarkable punctuation. DickinsonÂ’s unconventionally-positioned dashes form disjunctures and connections in the readerÂ’s understanding that create the impression of following Dickinson through the creative process towards intimacy with the poet herself. This implicit intimacy becomes clear ... ...ickinsonÂ’s highly personal notations. Ironically, what at first seems an idiosyncratic stylistic effect operates to create a deep sense of intimacy between the reader and the creative process of a highly reclusive individual. Far from distancing the reader, the dash actually provides a gateway between the act of reading and the poetÂ’s moment of creation, only possible if we view the text as a shifting co-creation of reader and poet. Works Cited: Edith Wylder, The Last Face: Emily Dickinson's Manuscripts (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1971). Jerusha Hall McCormack, Ââ€Å"Domesticating Delphi: Emily Dickinson and the Electro-Magnetic Telegraph,† American Quarterly 55.4 (2003) 569-601. Michael Theune, Ââ€Å"Â’One and One are One’†¦and Two: An Inquiry into DickinsonÂ’s Use of Mathematical Signs,† The Emily Dickinson Journal 10.1 (2001) 99-116.

Did Jose Rizal Retract? Essay

Dr. Jose Rizal has been a national iconic hero for over a hundred years. He has been the symbol of our country’s freedom, the epitome of nationalistic patriotism. He emanates martyrdom with every fiber of his being and everything else that he left the country to strive upon. His story has been narrated in countless books and articles. He became an extension of education where he was the main course in a classroom, an honorable feature of Rizal. His totality as a person, essentially as a Filipino has been studied a hundredfold by researchers and students alike. For years, the Filipino race glorified respect for Jose Rizal because of his sacrifices as a citizen, his beliefs as an honest propagandist, and all his talents that have been appreciated because of their effectiveness in the process of gaining equal rights as a united nation. However, his reputation as an unwavering bayani has been doubted due to lingering issues that contradict the very core reason why we Filipinos learned to gratify his efforts, his existence in our history. The issue of Jose Rizal’s so-called â€Å"retraction† has been around since both Manila and Spanish newspapers published claiming his retraction right after his execution. In some sources, they state that Rizal’s alleged retraction did not actually happen. These sources say that the friars who visited him within twenty four hours prior his execution convinced him to confess the sins they accused him of committing. [1]â€Å"The Jesuits, on the other hand, were with him practically every minute of the time, six priests going in relays, usually two at a time, in an attempt to bring about Rizal’s conversion.† [2]â€Å"The main motive, of which, is to make Rizal admit his errors against religion and retract them. If the friars of the future could state with authority that Rizal’s expressed views on the friars were not what he really believed, it would cast an element of doubt over everything he had written, making people hesitate to believe it. At least seven Jesuits visited Rizal at various times during the course of the day.† But Rizal stood his ground and even refused to mark his signature onto the notification given to him declaring the statement of his execution. In spite of his conviction, he eventually submitted and signed for his death sentence. [3]â€Å"He was ordered by the judge to sign the notification of sentence as required by law. He refused to sign and was resigned to do so.† In this issue of Rizal’s alleged retraction incident, the previously mentioned indicates the belief of Rizal not committing such declaration of withdrawal and confession. While the other stands for the contradicting, that of which claims Rizal of actually signing a statement of his retraction. There are sources indicating that there are proofs of Rizal not actually retracting. An example of such is his burial. He was not buried within a Catholic cemetery and was listed as a suicide (criminal) case, a neglected body along with the heaps of cadaver with unknown causes of death. If he did retract and admonished Masonry, then the Church, claiming his retraction and his reconciliation with the religion, would have had the decency of giving him a proper Catholic burial and declare his death under the list of Catholics, to acknowledge the confession the friars claimed they witnessed Rizal committed. The alleged retraction papers also only were revealed about thirty (30) years after Rizal’s death. A matter of concern was uprooted when two statements of the declaration were recognized, both of which had a great deal of differences. Some claim that one of these was fabricated, and some claim that the â€Å"original† copy aged and rotted in the grasp of the Spanish Catholic friars. [4]What they saw was a copy done by one who could imitate Rizal’s handwriting while the original (almost eaten by termites) was kept by some friars. There are also those who strongly believe that Rizal could not have had any reason to retract, arguing that Rizal was a noble man who would not stoop so low as to follow those whom he initially was writing against. Such a believer is Gumersindo Garcia, Sr., M.D., stating: [5]â€Å"I find it inconceivable that a man of his character with such devotion and patriotism to his country and, moreover, willingness to die for her would break down in a moment and write the alleged retraction for no other reason than to abjure masonry and return to the Roman Catholic Church for fear of the damnation of his soul in case he did not do it. In my humble opinion, Rizal was a sincerely religious man who knew what he believed in and could not be cowed by threat of eternal damnation from anybody. Besides, he could remain a mason and a Catholic at the same time just as many masons in the Philippines†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I myself would want to believe that Rizal had not retracted. Since it is still a boiling issue for over far too many years now, this just exemplifies the ambiguity of the information accumulated regarding this issue. If Rizal did retract, his pedestal as this country’s national hero can stumble and Filipinos can lose touch with the roots of their blood, with the thinking that our hero in actuality may have been a coward a liar, or any adjective that can tarnish his image of idealistic nature. We may not entirely understand Rizal’s complex personality, but our country can at least look back and appreciate the hardships our forefathers went through so that we, the children of this country can be treated as human beings with justice and equal rights. All we have to do now is to simply follow in their conviction and to not let their efforts be put to waste. ———————– [1] An excerpt from â€Å"The Life and Writings of Dr. Josà © Rizal† Chapter 16: Did Rizal Retract paragraph 2 [2] An excerpt from â€Å"The Last Hours of Rizal† by Coates, as cited by www.geocities.com/rizalretraction paragraph 3 [3] An excerpt from â€Å"The Last Hours of Rizal† by Coates, as cited by www.geocities.com/rizalretraction paragraph 2 [4] An excerpt from www.joserizal.ph â€Å"The Retraction† paragraph 25 [5] A statement by Gumersindo Garcia, Sr., M.D., as cited by Maria Stella S Valdez, from the book â€Å"Dr. Jose Rizal and the Writing of His Story†

Did the Crusades Advance the Cause of Christ?

The reasoning behind the creation of the Crusades has always been thought of as to take back Jerusalem, the Holy Land, from Muslim hands through the use of military force. To which it tried to do so in numerous military campaigns that resulted in both success and defeats. What must be wondered is did the Crusades through military force really advance the cause of Christ or was it simply misguided slaughter? Historical accounts have stated that when the Crusaders laid siege to cities within the region of Jerusalem and even to Jerusalem itself it was common practice to ransack the city and slay all the inhabitants therein.Roger Bacon, an English Philosopher and a Franciscan monk, criticized the Crusades stating that the survivors of the ransacked cities were more embittered against the Christian faith than they were for it. This is technically true since the indiscriminate killing of people and the ransacking of cities as practiced by the Crusaders at the time wouldn't exactly hold the m in high esteem with the local populace . Another aspect of the crusades that must noted was that those who participated in it were granted plenary indulgences by the pope.Indulgences can be described as exemptions from sin that allowed a person who participated in the Crusades to be exempt from the sins they committed in life upon death. It is this particular aspect of the crusades that actually lead to even greater atrocities since individuals were under the assumption that any act they committed would be forgiven. What this paper will seek to do is examine the reasons behind the Crusades, the instances where it deviated from the doctrine of Christ and to answer the question of whether or not it truly advanced the cause of Christ.Political Reasons Though the reason for the Crusades was supposedly to retake the Holy Land the original for the start of the Crusades can actually be traced to 2 factors. The first would be the direct request of the Byzantine emperor Alexio the first to Pope Urban the 2 for help in repealing the encroaching Muslims who were invading his territory at the time . The second would be the fact that Catholic missionaries and pilgrims who went to Jerusalem in order to pray and pay their respects were regularly killed by the Muslims at the time.This resulted in the pope justifying the potential violence of the Crusades with the need to protect the pilgrims making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The resulting propaganda advertising the need to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims started a religious fervor that resulted in many joining the Crusade. While it must be noted that the reasons were justifiable with the need to protect the pilgrims on their journey the resulting massacres of innocent people that came as a result of the Crusades could have been avoided if the invading army actually took the lessons of Christ to heart instead of devolving in mindless savagery.Massacre of the Jews and Arabs An unfortunate consequence of the Crusades was the indiscriminate massacre of civilians whenever a city was captured. Jews and Muslims alike were killed along with their children which resulted in literal rivers of blood flowing on the streets of the city. Such actions were justified under the pretext of waging a Holy War against the Muslims. The teachings of Christ emphasized the need for tolerance regarding your fellow man. In this regard the Crusaders actually fail since instead of tolerance they instilled the fear of death and instead of helping their fellow man they killed him.The end result of such actions was that those who lost loves ones. , friends, family or close acquaintances were more embittered against Christianity than they were for it. The result was those affected by the slaughter chose to fight against Christianity in revenge for the atrocities that were committed against their friends and family in the name of Holy War . Today the actions of the Crusaders would not constitute a Holy War rather it could be considered the systematic genocide of Muslims and Jews in a region in order to instill their own doctrines instead cooperating and coexisting.Up till today the region is still rife with anti catholic sentiment and this goes to show that the actions of the crusaders at the time were a far cry from the teachings that they supposedly were suppose to adhere to. Granting of Indulgences It was during the Crusades that the granting of plenary indulgences became a customer in order to recruit more soldiers to the cause. The idea behind it was that if a person went on a Crusade and died all his sins in life would be forgiven.This practice can be compared to the creation of St. Peter's Basilica where in order to raise funds to build it plenary indulgences were sold to the general public in the form of written letters stating the indulgences that they were exempt to. The reason why this is comparable to that is due to the fact that as a result of the granting of these indulgences soldiers in a Crusade were more likely to heinous acts such as the brutal murder of an entire family and justify to himself that he would be exempt from the sin.It was through the indulgences that violent measures involved during the Crusades actually escalated since more and more brutal acts were justified under the holiness of their cause and that they would be exempt from the sin . In the teachings of Christ it doesn't state that sin can be exempted via large forms of money nor does it make sense that a person can be cleansed from the sin of murder when that person doesn't regret it at all under the false belief that what they do is justified under some cause greater than themselves. Military conquestThe end result of the first Crusade was both the conquest of Jerusalem as well as several of the outlying regions close to it. The Crusades that came after also conquered numerous territories at the expense of more blood and civilian lives. The end result was instead of spreading the word of Chri st the Crusaders wound up conquering and pillaging numerous territories while supposedly under a â€Å"Holy† cause . The original purpose of the Crusades was to capture Jerusalem and prepare safe passage for pilgrims but what happened was the mindless ransacking of cities and the conquering of territories.In the Hollywood film â€Å"Kingdom of Heaven† we see can see that some Crusaders did not join the war for the sake of a religious cause rather it was due to the fact that to the victor goes the spoils. The numerous territories that were captured as shown in the film were given to the Crusaders as their own territories. This created a culture wherein people believed that they could make new fortunes for themselves if they fought in the crusades.The film wasn't a far depiction from reality with numerous territories in the region put under the control of high ranking crusaders and their numerous allies. Conclusion Based on the fact that as a result of the Crusades numer ous innocent people were slaughtered, that soldiers indiscriminately butchered people under the belief that what they were doing would be forgiven immediately, that in the end people joined the Crusades not for any sort of religious vindication but for the chance to make new fortunes.It can be said the Crusades did not advance the cause of Christ at all due to the fact that the more the Crusades came the more innocent people they killed and the more embittered the people in the region became towards Christianity. The Crusades actually set back the cause of Christ from being willfully accepted by the people. Instead of creating converts what the Crusades did was create more enemies instead.

Biography of Sobhuza II King of Swazi

Biography of Sobhuza II King of Swazi Sobhuza II was paramount Chief of the Swazi from 1921 and king of Swaziland from 1967 (until his death in 1982). His reign is the longest for any recorded modern African ruler (there are a couple of ancient Egyptians who, it is claimed, ruled for longer). During his period of rule, Sobhuza II saw Swaziland gain independence from Britain. Date of birth: 22 July 1899Date of death: 21 August 1982, Lobzilla Palace near Mbabane, Swaziland An Early LifeSobhuzas father, King Ngwane V died in February 1899, at the age of 23, during the yearly incwala (First Fruit) ceremony. Sobhuza, who was born later that year, was named as heir on 10 September 1899 under the regency of his grandmother, Labotsibeni Gwamile Mdluli. Sobhuzas grandmother had a new national school built in order that he obtain the best possible education. He finished school with two years at the Lovedale Institute in Cape Province, South Africa. In 1903 Swaziland became a British protectorate, and in 1906 administration was transferred to a British High Commissioner, who took responsibility for Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland. In 1907 the Partitions Proclamation ceded vast tracts of land to European settlers this was to prove a challenge for Sobhuzas reign. Paramount Chief of the SwaziSobhuza II was installed to the throne, as paramount chief of the Swazi (the British did not consider him a king at that time) on 22 December 1921. He immediately petitioned to have the Partitions Proclamation overturned. He traveled for this reason to London in 1922, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. It was not until the outbreak of World War II that he achieved a breakthrough obtaining a promise that Britain would buy back the land from settlers and restore it to the Swazi in exchange for Swazi support in the war. Towards the end of the war, Sobhuza II was declared the native authority within Swaziland, giving him an unprecedented level of power in a British colony. He was still under the aegis of the British High Commissioner though. After the war, a decision had to be made about the three High Commission Territories in southern Africa. Since the Union of South Africa, in 1910, there had been a plan to incorporate the three regions into the Union. But the SA government had become increasingly polarized and power was held by a minority white government. When the National Party took power in 1948, campaigning on an ideology of Apartheid, the British government realized that they could not hand over the High Commission territories to South Africa. The 1960s saw the beginnings of independence in Africa, and in Swaziland several new associations and parties formed, eager to have their say about the nations path to freedom from British rule. Two commissions were held in London with representatives of the European Advisory Council (EAC), a body which represented the rights of white settlers in Swaziland to the British High Commissioner, the Swazi National Council (SNC) which advised Sobhuza II on traditional tribal matters, the Swaziland Progressive Party (SPP) which represented the educated elite who felt alienated by traditional tribal rule, and the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress (NNLC) who wanted a democracy with a constitutional monarch. Constitutional MonarchIn 1964, feeling that he, and his extended, ruling Dlamini family, were not getting enough attention (they wanted to maintain their hold over traditional government in Swaziland after independence), Sobhuza II oversaw the creation of the royalist Imbokodvo National Movement (INM). The INM was successful in pre-independence elections, winning all 24 seats in the legislature (with the backing of the white settler United Swaziland Association). In 1967, in the final run up to independence, Sobhuza II was recognized by the British as a constitutional monarch. When independence was finally achieved on 6 September 1968, Sobhuza II was king and Prince Makhosini Dlamini was the countrys first Prime Minister. The transition to independence was smooth, with Sobhuza II announcing that since they were late coming to their sovereignty, they had the opportunity to observe the problems encountered elsewhere in Africa. From the beginning Sobhuza II meddled in the governance of the country, insisting oversight on all aspects of the legislature and judiciary. He promulgated government with a Swazi flavour, insisting that parliament was a consultative body of elders. It helped that his royalist party, the INM, controlled government. He was also slowly equipping a private army. Absolute MonarchIn April 1973 Sobhuza II abrogated the constitution and disbanded parliament, becoming an absolute monarch of the kingdom and ruling through a national council which he appointed. Democracy, he claimed, was un-Swazi. In 1977 Sobhuza II set up a traditional tribal advisory panel the Supreme Council of State, or Liqoqo. The Liqoqo was made up from members of the extended royal family, the Dlamini, who were previously members of the Swaziland National Council. He also set up a new tribal community system, the tiNkhulda, which provided elected representatives to a House of Assembly. Man of the PeopleThe Swazi people accepted Sobhuza II with great affection, he regularly appeared in traditional Swazi leopard-skin loincloth and feathers, oversaw traditional festivities and rituals, and practiced traditional medicine. Sobhuza II maintained a tight control on Swaziland politics by marrying into notable Swazi families. He was a strong proponent of polygamy. Records are unclear, but it is believed that he took more than 70 wives and had somewhere between 67 and 210 children. (It is estimated that at his death, Sobhuza II had around 1000 grandchildren). His own clan, the Dlamini, accounts for almost one quarter of the population of Swaziland. Throughout his reign he worked to reclaim lands granted to white settlers by his predecessors. This included an attempt in 1982 to claim the South African Bantustan of KaNgwane. (KaNgwane was the semi-independent homeland which had been created in 1981 for the Swazi population living in South Africa.) KaNgwane would have given Swaziland its own, much needed, access to the sea. International RelationsSobhuza II maintained good relations with his neighbors, especially Mozambique, through which it was able to access the sea and trade routes. But it was a careful balancing act with Marxist Mozambique on one side and Apartheid South Africa on the other. It was revealed after his death that Sobhuza II had signed secret security agreements with the Apartheid government in South Africa, giving them the opportunity to pursue the ANC camped in Swaziland. Under Sobhuza IIs leadership, Swaziland developed its natural resources, creating the largest man-made commercial forest in Africa, and expanding iron and asbestos mining to become a leading exporter in the 70s. Death of a KingPrior to his death, Sobhuza II appointed Prince Sozisa Dlamini to act as chief advisor to the regent, the Queen Mother Dzeliwe Shongwe. The regent wasa to act on behalf of the 14 year old heir, Prince Makhosetive. After Sobhuza IIs death on 21 August 1982, a power struggle erupted between Dzeliwe Shongwe and Sozisa Dlamini. Dzeliwe was ousted from the position, and after acting as regent for a month and a half, Sozisa appointed Prince Makhosetives mother, Queen Ntombi Thwala to be the new regent. Prince Makhosetive was crowned king, as Mswati III, on 25 April 1986.

All About Gargoyles and How to Use Them

All About Gargoyles and How to Use Them A gargoyle is a waterspout, usually carved to resemble an odd or monstrous creature, that protrudes from a structures wall or roofline. By definition, a real gargoyle has a function- to throw rainwater away from a building. The word gargoyle is from the Greek gargarizein meaning to wash the throat. The word gargle comes from the same Greek derivation- so think of yourself as a gargoyle when you swish your mouth, gurgling and gargling with your mouthwash. In fact, the word spelled as gurgoyle was commonly used in the 19th century, most notably by British author Thomas Hardy in Chapter 46 of Far From the Madding Crowd (1874). The function of a gargoyle is to spit out excess water, but why it looks the way it does is another story. Legend has it that a dragon-like creature named La Gargouille terrorized the people of Rouen, France. In the seventh century A.D., a local cleric named Romanus used Christian symbolism to neutralize La Gargouilles threat to the townspeople- its said that Romanus destroyed the beast with the sign of the cross. Many early Christians were led to their religion by the fear of the gargoyle, a symbol of Satan. The Christian church became a protective haven for the mostly illiterate people. Romanus knew the legends that the townspeople of Rouen did not know. The oldest gargoyles have been found in present-day Egypt from the Fifth Dynasty, c. 2400 B.C. The functional and practical waterspout has also been found in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Gargoyles in the shape of dragons are found in Chinas Forbidden City and imperial tombs from the Ming Dynasty. Medieval and Modern Gargoyles Waterspouts became more ornate toward the end of the Romanesque architectural period. The Middle Ages was a time of Christian pilgrimage, often with the pillaging of sacred relics. Sometimes cathedrals were specially built to house and protect sacred bones, such as those of Saint-Lazare dAutun in France. Protective animal gargoyles, in the shape of pigs and dogs, are not only waterspouts but act as symbolic protection at the 12th century Cathà ©drale Saint-Lazare dAutun. The mythical Greek chimera became a popular figure stonemasons used as gargoyles. The sculpting of the functional gargoyle became especially popular in the Gothic building boom across Europe, so gargoyles have come to be associated with this architectural era. French architect Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) extended this association to Gothic-Revival as he creatively restored the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral with many of the famous gargoyles and grotesques seen today. Gargoyles can also be found on American Gothic Revival buildings such as the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In the 20th century, Art Deco style gargoyles can be seen atop the 1930 Chrysler Building, a well-known skyscraper in New York City. These more modern gargoyles are made of metal and look like heads of American eagles- protrusions that have been called hood ornaments by some enthusiasts. By the 20th century, gargoyle functionality as waterspouts had evaporated even if the tradition lived on. Disney Gargoyles Cartoon Between 1994 and 1997, Walt Disney Television Animation produced a well-received cartoon called Gargoyles. The main character, Goliath, says things like It is the gargoyle way, but dont let him fool you. Real gargoyles dont come alive after dark. In 2004, ten years after the first episode aired, DVDs of the animations were released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. To a certain generation, this series is a remembrance of things past. Grotesques As the functional waterspout aspect of gargoyles diminished, the creatively monstrous sculpting grew. What is called a gargoyle may also be called a grotesquery, meaning that it is grotesque. These grotesque sculptures can suggest monkeys, devils, dragons, lions, griffins, humans, or any other creature. Language purists may reserve the word gargoyle only for the objects that serve the practical purpose of directing rainwater from the roof. Care and Maintenance of Gargoyles and Grotesques Because gargoyles are by definition on the exterior of buildings, they are subject to natural elements- especially water. As slender, sculpted protrusions, their deterioration is imminent. Most of the gargoyles we see today are reproductions. In fact, in 2012 the Duomo in Milan, Italy created an Adopt a Gargoyle campaign to help pay for upkeep and restoration- which makes a lovely gift for the person who has everything. Source: Gargoyle entry by Lisa A. Reilly, The Dictionary of Art, Vol 12, Jane Turner, ed., Grove, 1996, pp. 149-150

The Kings Rhetorical Prowess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kings Rhetorical Prowess - Essay Example In accordance with the issues discussed in the paper although both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were eager to fight for the rights and freedom of African Americans, it was only the former who believed that this dream could be achieved through nonviolent means or by not troubling, disrupting, or angering the White people. Apparently, both speeches were powerful and persuasive. However, King’s speech was more persuasive because of the manner he presented his arguments; his was more charismatic than the speech of Malcolm X. King was diplomatic, whereas Malcolm X was exceptionally radical. King called for unity between the Black and White people, whereas Malcolm X strongly advocated complete independence from White supremacy, and a land for African Americans. King’s diplomatic tone is more suitable to the political and social environment of the 1960’s, which is a period marred by bitter racial conflicts. The 1960’s is the ultimate spin-off of the clas h between the Emancipation Proclamation and Jim Crow laws. However, despite the oppression and maltreatment experienced by the Black people in America, they chose to continue their struggle for freedom and dignity in a peaceful, compromising way. They detested bloodshed. In the tumultuous period of the 1960’s, civil rights advocates chose to exercise nonviolent means, such as lobbying, civil disobedience, rallies, and so on, to bring about their desired reforms. Opportunely, the federal government responded to these pressures by ratifying several major reforms such as the 1968 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. This event alone attested to the fact that the fight for the freedom and rights of the Black people can be won through diplomacy; no bloodshed, no revolution, is needed. The strength of King’s speech rests in his stylistic techniques and rhetorical devices. In his speech, he effectively used metaphors, personifications, and euphemism. He used metap hors to highlight the African Americans’ historical plight and struggles, and the possibility of uniting two very different races. Some of the stirring metaphors he used were as follows: â€Å"This is not time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism† (King para 8); â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice† (King para 10); â€Å"With this faith we [Black and White people] will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood†

Social media in recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media in recruitment - Essay Example For organizations, social media recruitment involves the application of social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to hire new staff. For job seekers, social media recruitment also involves the use of social media tools, but to find employment (Hegebarth, 2012:34). Overall, social media means harnessing the power of social media to identify and exploit opportunities in the employment industry. Unlike traditional methods of recruitment, social media introduces a new dynamic that involves virtual interaction. With social media, employers and prospective employees do not have to meet physically until the signing of contracts. This is a marked change when compared to traditional techniques in which physical contact was compulsory (Paik & Navarre-Jackson, 2011:479). Ernst & Young is an example of a company that is using social media to facilitate recruitment. The company has built an employer brand on social networks and successfully positioned itself as the premier place to work. It also uses social media like Skype to conduct interviews for job seekers. Finally, the firm uses its social media presence to update job seekers on latest trends in job searching. Job seekers are probably the biggest beneficiaries of social media. Over the years, they have learnt to exploit the power of social media in their quest to find the right employer (Brown & Swain, 2009:45). Currently, job seekers submit CVs online and interact with companies that have a social media presence. Job seekers take time to monitor pages and handles of companies with a social media presence to get updates on job recruitment, new opportunities, and industry status. It is now common for job seekers to hear about vacancies on social media and then apply, get interviewed (on social media) and start working. Another often underrated use of social media among job seekers is in learning how to conduct themselves in interviews. Of course there are other sources of this information in