The Appeal of Home :: Essays Papers

The Appeal of Home In the Greek camp at the end of the Iliad, we see Achilleus arrive at the conclusion that is the theme of the entire poem—that to be mortal is to suffer. However, Homer leaves unanswered the logical question regarding this conclusion: If to live is to suffer, then why live at all? This then becomes the central question of the Odyssey, in which we are given an entirely different kind of character who rejects two distinct possibilities—an immortal relationship and a utopian community—for his own â€Å"wife and his homecoming† (I, 13). The question we are then compelled to ask is, what could Penelope and his Ithakan household possibly offer that is worth more than utopia and immortality? To illustrate what Odysseus could’ve had, Homer shows us a contrast for each aspect of Odysseus’s longing—a couple and a community. Through these contrasts, we are shown just why these options don’t measure up for Odysseus. The immortal couple is embodied in the marriage of Helen and Menelaos, who have been promised the equivalent of eternal bliss in the Elysian Fields. While Menelaos had his homecoming delayed, he never had to resist temptation along the way. The Trojan War and the journey back are nostalgic stories for him, to be recounted for guests as a means of recapturing the past glory of fighting. And Helen, unlike Penelope, certainly has never been one to spurn attractive men and remain loyal to her husband, or to anything at all for that matter. She could not even choose a side in a war fought ostensibly for her sake (IV, 250-284). It is meaningful that, rather than have to deal with the guests’ weeping, she slips something in their drinks to prevent their show of emotion (IV, 219-227). Helen avoids connection with men while her husband wants only to connect with the past. Once guaranteed immortality, there is no pressing need for either of them to attempt the extraordinarily difficult task of truly understanding one another because there is always time for that later. This is the marriage that Odysseus could’ve had had he stayed with Kalypso, but he understands its emptiness and refuses it, instead choosing a woman whom he knows has spent the interceding years resisting men whom Helen would’ve jumped right into bed with. But Odysseus returns for more than just the single meaningful relationship between himself and Penelope.

Challenges of Public education

America needs solutions Immediately because the gap represents Its future leaders of tomorrow. If thing Is done soon to correct the disturbing trend, the united States will be In danger of falling even further behind other developed countries. The many challenges are frightening: (1 ) too many high school students quit school before graduation, (2) too many high school students graduate without the ability to read or write well, (3) too many high school students are not prepared for the workforce, and (4) too many high school students are not prepared for college.In this short essay, the writer will explain some of the consequences, causes and possible solutions for America's educational dilemma. Consequences of the Problem First, if America's public school leaders don't devise a plan to improve the nation's troubling schools, the consequences will be devastating. Normally, consequences can be traced back to the student's level of education and usually comes to light when making choi ces or decisions.Furthermore, certain characteristics come In play such as a lack of motivation, which may prevent someone from securing a Job because the person wasn't motivated enough to take classes or gain the skills needed for a job. The lack of motivation is a problem in my hometown of Lenore, NC, located in Caldwell County. The county has seen substantial job losses lately because many workers were unqualified to enter into advanced manufacturing methods. As a result, many jobs have been shipped overseas resulting in high unemployment rates within the region.Although the graduation rate in Caldwell County has been rising over the past decade, that wasn't always the case decades ago. The county high school dropout rate was significantly higher approximately 20 years ago, well above the national average. One of the mall reasons was that many furniture factories didn't require a gig school diploma for low-paying and unskilled labor. This statistic isn't to say the workers weren' t Intelligent, only that they weren't motivated enough to Improve themselves when educational opportunities were available.As a result, most of the uneducated factory workers will face high unemployment rate for the rest of their life Probably the most important consequence of failing public schools is that students are not prepared for college upon high school graduation. My dad, a department chair and instructor at a local community college, tells me that a majority f students come to the college unprepared for college-level classes. Most students have to be placed in so-called developmental classes, which don't count as college credit. Plus, the more developmental classes students have to take, the less likely it will be for them to graduate.Therefore, many students drop out of college because they either can't do the college-level work or determine that it will take them too long to graduate. Causes of the Problems Second, in order to address America's public school crisis, it i s first necessary to understand the underlining causes of the problem. For many students, the reason for poor academics can be traced to their own self-esteem. Thus, it is quite possible that the student wasn't challenged enough in school or encouraged enough by the teacher or parent.Without a doubt, a poor teacher has a tremendous impact on the academic achievement of a student. As an example, â€Å"how many times have you heard of students who credit their teacher for their success in life because the teacher believed in them? † Likewise, a dysfunctional home life has a negative effect, as conditions around the home may not conducive to student learning. For instance, if a student can't find a quiet place to read or study without distractions, then it makes it more difficult to learn the subject matter, usually resulting in a lower grade.On the other hand, Sam Dillon of The New York Times concluded that the blame for America's sagging academic achievement does not lie solel y with public schools, but also with dysfunctional families and a culture that undervalues education. Schools are inheriting an over-entertained, distracted student (3). Moreover, first-generation students whose parents never attended college also face numerous obstacles making t more difficult for them to be successful in the classroom. It's really sad that many parents don't care about their child's grades.In doing so, it's the students who suffer at no fault of their own. In addition, low academic standards are a major problem in public schools. Often, too many school systems have set the graduation bar so low that nearly everyone graduates from high school, whether the student is ready or not. Furthermore, many teachers assign students â€Å"busy-work† that's not very challenging. This type of work does nothing to develop critical thinking skills. In laity, low academic standards Oust like student cheating) will only hurt the student in the long run.This loss of knowledge is literally slipping through the student's fingertips without them knowing the harm it causes. Thus, not only is the student harmed, the reputation of the school might be as well. No doubt the academic reputation of a school influences the parent's decision on whether to move into or out of school districts. To the contrary, friends from private schools have told me their academic standards are much higher than public schools, and that their SAT scores are higher on the average too. Perhaps, the main cause of public school failure can be blamed on poverty.Without a doubt, people living in poverty have more important things on their mind than making good grades in school. Parents may be more concerned about rent, groceries, car payments, and less concerned about their children's education. My dad has always told me that there is a direct correlation generally have lower Gaps, while students from wealthier families tend to have higher Gaps. † Unfortunately, this disturbing tre nd has plagued this country for decades, and it doesn't appear to be getting any better. Solutions for ProblemsAlthough the writer suspects that many possible solutions have already been tried to improve our failing public school systems, the state public schools systems may want to try the following innovative solutions: (1) provide students free college tuition for the first two years of college if the student maintains a certain high school GAP (say a B average) and is also able to maintain that same â€Å"B† average in college, and (2) base teacher's bonus on a combination of evaluations done by the students, other teachers, and their own student scores on standardized test.To begin, if the state loud add a motivator or incentive like free college tuition for the first two years of college for any student who maintains a â€Å"B† average in high school, it would greatly improve high school graduation rates. Not only that, more people would graduate with higher-leve l reading, math, and writing skills. Moreover, student debt levels would be much lower (at least 50%) if they attended a four-year college, or have no debt if they went to a two-year community college. It's a win-win situation for the student and school.Also, the state can base a teacher's bonus pay on a combination of students, other cheer evaluations, and their own student scores on standardized test. Initially, students get to evaluate their own teachers. Next, teachers get to rate or evaluate other teachers teaching the same subjects (I. E. , English teachers rating English teachers), since they would probably know which teachers are most respected among their peers. Lastly, the other part of the teacher's bonus could be based on student achievement on standardized test. Combining all three factors together helps determine the teacher bonus for that year.By doing it this way, those superior searchers will be rewarded with higher bonuses, while the underperforming teachers will g et little or no pay bonuses. Then, maybe the underperforming teachers will consider switching Jobs, as students deserve only the best. Likewise, since teachers are considered the backbone of the education systems, the school systems should do all they can to retain the good teachers. While the new pay standard for teacher's bonuses might be difficult to pass (especially with teacher unions and lobbying organizations), the reward may outweigh the risk because outstanding teachers will produce better students.Conclusion America's public educational standards are low compared to other international educational systems. In short, America's high school students Just aren't prepared for college or even high-tech Jobs after entering the workplace after high school. At the very least, public schools need to set the educational bar higher in terms of reading, writing, and math skills. In addition, schools need to hold underperforming teachers accountable. As discussed above, many challenges and factors make it difficult for the school and student to succeed in the classroom.

Ethos Outline Essay

When you write you must believe that people will wonder and question your authority. g. Maybe not scientific expertise, but personal experience. . Having profession titles also can endorse trust. i. Small signals of authority can be picked up almost subconsciously IV. Establishing Credibility j. Humor puts a listener at ease, and helps them identify k. Listen to people confident enough to make fun of themselves. l. Move quickly to reasonable claims after and back it up with evidence. m. Audiences respond to how you present yourself as a person. n. Using language to show that you respect, not talking about nor below them. o. Citing respectable sources to show that you have done your work. p. Using conditions of rebuttal. V. Coming Clean about Motives q. Readers will ask how it benefits the narrator of the idea. r. Stating blanking how, and potential conflicts of interest will cause gained trust. s. In political circles, it is almost sport to assume the worst about motives. t. Admission of uncertainty helps build a bridge. After reading about the appeal of Ethos I mostly reflected on the fact that there was a lot I had never thought about with natural human tendencies. Mostly what was interesting to me was the fact that we mostly base our trust on the character of a person. Maybe if they back up their statements with facts we will believe, but it all starts with the character of a person. I also had never thought that people started with humor because they needed to connect, and bring themselves to a trusting level with their audience. Another thing I had not thought of was that readers will always question their writers, even subconsciously, about many different subjects. One main point I did not understand completely was talking about motives, and how saying conflicts of interest would help you connect to your reader, besides just on a trust level. Besides that I thought this chapter was very interesting, and contained many things that made sense, but I had never thought about or questioned before.

Written Analysis Final Project

Getting along with same sex marriage by EYE written Analysts Ms. Bawd I have read a few articles. I have had many discussions with some of the very conservative religious students I work with. I have been trying to figure out if the main front of the opposition to same sex marriage has a logical argument or if it is just a knocker reaction because religious conservatives think everyone that participate or even allows it is going to hell. I had the chance to interview Mr.. James, a student of a local Baptist college on his viewpoint of the subject.He indicates he eels that it is a sin and against Gods will, but that God gave man free will and he can choose his own fate. And, while he feels the need to try to help and educate homosexuals, if they disagree with those ideas, forcing the issue will only drive them further away. In his words, â€Å"forcing the Bible down someone's' throat is no way to build a flock†. The impacted population of the opposition to same sex marriage is all of the gays and lesbians of our country, studies estimate around 3. % or roughly 9 million people. Monsoons) Studies suggest lower general health among same sex peoples, one theory is this is due to one partner who has health insurance from their employer that cannot cover the other because they are not married and therefore not legally related. (Miller) Why we have this issue is because many people, notably Christians, feel that homosexuality is a conscious decision rather than an emotional attraction, because God said it was a sin.Leviticus 20:13, states, â€Å"If a man also lie with mankind, as he elite with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death† (KAVA). This was reaffirmed by the Pope, leader of the arrest group of Christians, who ironically dresses like Liberace stunt double. The problem here is 79. 5% of the U. S. Is Christian. Or close to 247 million people. (Fairchild) This seriously outnumbers the numbers of homose xuals looking to marry. Some feel it as a personal attack on their beliefs; others feel the need to save the homosexuals from the impending doom of eternity in hell.Although they are probably taking things out of context, I feel the bible was written to speak to the people of the day, and customs were different; there was less understanding of the perversity of the world then. Conservative folks back off the legal tactics. Laws that target only one group are unconstitutional. Former President Bill Clinton recently made a statement, â€Å"When I signed the bill, I included a statement with the admonition that ‘enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination. Reading those words today, I know now that, even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, the law is itself discriminatory. It should be overturned. (Weber) Our First Amendment protections on the free dom of speech and religion, apply to all. By all means speak your minds, tell others how you feel about the issue. This is what is so great about this country, you can do that. Realize though, that same law that gives you the right to speak your mind, also give others the right to not listen. Please, the same law that protects you also protects everyone else.While you have the right to speak your mind, most will agree your rights stop at interfering with others' rights. Christian conservatives, you are so intent on having our way, but the more you push your views upon everyone the more you push them away! Remember Mr.. James, the Baptist student ministers' statement about forcing the Bible down someone's throat is no way to gather a flock. Yes, convey your ideals, but you cannot educate someone if they do not want to listen. And, offending them is a good way to close their ears and minds.In the argument about everyone's rights there was a compromise offered of a â€Å"civil unionâ € . This gave same sex couples some of the rights they were looking for, becoming a family making health insurance extendable to the partner, child custody between partners, survivorship of property in the event of one partner's death. This was not upheld at the federal level, only a handful of states accommodated. Somehow this was not enough; you had to have â€Å"marriage† and not a â€Å"civil union†. (GLAD) Same but separate somehow. It is not so much the word as it is the idea.I was hung up on why â€Å"marriage† was so important; the civil unions were on the right track. But if you were to say to me that Which was not a real religion, I would very likely go off on the discrimination of conservatives. Like many things, though, it takes time. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified December 1865 to abolish slavery. There are still pockets of racists who would chain up blacks if they could. â€Å"Only' two years ago, Which was recognized by the Veterans Adm inistration, then the rest of the government as a legitimate religion.Still there are evangelical types who still get in my face and try to save me from imaginary (to me) monsters. I was raised in a catholic household. Since the majority against this are Christians and I know what it means to be Christian, I want to know how you can UT this much energy into complaining about same sex marriage when there are still homeless people, starving children, all over our country and the planet to take care of. How can you put complaining about homosexuals on a higher priority than starving children?I think even Jesus would say homosexuality is wrong, but spend his time feeding the children, preach but not force. Homosexuals, Offer a compromise, take the unions and get your foot in the door. Even though one law wiped out slavery, the civil rights movement took a long time, and it came in stages. Even when other regress was made, interracial marriages still had to be overcome. Get the civil uni ons, push to get it to the federal level, get more equal footing, then when it is almost the same, push to call it marriage.I think you have to work on people a few at a time. Pushing against that many people all at once isn't going to get you far. Logically, why should same sex marriages be outlawed? How many religions are out there, and how many claim to be the one true way to God? There are a few that don't recognize only one god, then there are the atheists who believe there is no god. If we re not going to dictate a religion, we cannot endorse any religions views on marriage.If our laws state that government and religion must be separate, why then, are we even debating the notions that the marriage defined in the bible is the only acceptable definition, when marriage is a legal institution? Unfortunately humans are an emotional creature. Some people so believe there is going to be hell to pay for homosexuality, those people have that right. Others believe that first group is ou t of their minds, they are within their rights. People are beginning to realize the ideals of he past don't hold up to intellectual scrutiny.Some, well many, people are trying to hold on to a tradition, one that they have believed in since they can remember. Every step we move away from that as a society, chips away at the foundations of their beliefs. Change is hard for some; they may have to accept the changes reluctantly. We are getting there though, these same people who are trying to hold on to outdated ideas, which are thousands of years old, have accepted women are out of the kitchen and the colored are out of the fields and the earth is round and goes round the sun.

Negative Effects of Computer Usage on Eye Sight

Although the computer has crucial importance in our lives but still it has some negative effects upon our health. It effects the eyesight of an individual if there is maximum exposure to the computer screen. It might develop the long or the short sightedness if the frquency of the use is high. It may results in headache relatively for the larger time span and in turns effect the brain cells of the human being.It incorporates a wide variety of the knowledge in itself and when the viewer come across the new phrases and techniques,it definitely demands and requires time and thus in turn result in the stress condition which is not good for the health of the human being. Distance of the screen of the computer from the eye also have the negative symptoms as the particular level being defined by the doctor is not been followed.In children it is flourishing more day by day as they are more exposed to the entertainment side of the computer and that is games which are being installed in the co mputer. Eyes of the children gets affected when they put a load on their eyes while focussing on a particular task and it may effect their eye sight. It is necessary not to work constantly on the computer.It is important to take the short breaks so that the effect of continously looking at the screen could get minimized. It is quite important to preserve the vision by taking different eye exercises. Continous and the frequent use of the computer sometimes results in the vision that is blur and the things doesnot look as they are in real. In short while using the computer it is necessary to follow the instructions of the doctor and have regular check ups of the eyes.

LVMH’s company Essay

Strengths LVMH has a strong brand positioning meaning that the company strongly placed itself as a leader in the luxury sector. The company offers more than 60 brands of high value perception and identity to their customers. Due to high customer loyalty, image of their brands and value perception those brands are less affected by economic cycles. Most evidently, LVMH expressed resilience against the economic conditions specifically in 2009 and 2008. This is an indicator that the strength of their brands enables their revenues to sustain growth even through touch economic situations. This is due to their huge customer base across the globe accompanied by their loyalty; thus, making their penetration to new markets with quick. The associations of LVMH with celebrities and major events have enabled them to enhance their luxury positioning. For example, Charlize Theron represents the J’adore perfume by Dior, while Moet & Chandon positioned their communications platform to events like the Oscars and the Golden Globe. Those marketing strategies were aimed in order to increase their brand visibility and recall. Moreover, their customers are targeted successfully through enhancing their brands images. All in all, those associations would eventually augment the luxury and its value that LVMH aims at building. Weaknesses A shortcoming in LVMH’s company is their limited presence in the retail division. This means that the company is highly dependant on sales to retailers. This in turn has caused the company’s luxury goods vulnerable to destocking by their retailers in order to avoid losses. Most evidently, the wines, jewelry, and watches departments were highly affected negatively by the retailers destocking. Therefore, this has made LVMH’s revenues in danger of destocking made by retailers. There is also a weakness evident in the conflict of interest within the company, where LVMH would be categorized into two major segments: fashion vs. liquor markets. However, the company’s broad acquisition of the art  auction market Pury & Luxemborg has been questioned due to some criticism that it adds more burden to LVMH. This is yet another criteria to the conflict of interest believed to be internally dealt within the company. Opportunities The luxury market is believed to be a growing market in the emerging economies. The growing high net worth individuals (HNWI) in a lot of countries across the globe is an indicator that the sales of luxury products are estimated to increase. In effect, LVMH has been focusing in increasing their investment in emerging countries, such as the Middle East, in their hopes that higher growth rates will be evident. Moreover, LVMH was able to assess the trends in those markets specifically in Asia’s market in order to succesfully penetrate them. Hence, the growth of the HNWI’s wealth accompanied by the structure of investments to reach to a broader customer base would intensify and diversify LVMH’s revenue flow. LVMH owes a great deal of their market share to their products on women’s accessories. This would include their brands in handbags, jewelry, and watches amongst many others. Although the fashion accessories has seen a downfall during 2009; nevertheless, it is hinting that it is uprising to a recovery into growth since 2010. Most notably, women handbags were the most notable in the accessories market growth inversely reacting to the market’s decrease during the same time. Those leather goods have been a great indicator in both the men and women’s categories in the market share that there is a high growth of sales and revenue. Even if key markets have been experiencing low growth due to the economic collapse and recovery, the accessories market proves as an opportunity to LVMH for growth. Selective retailing provides an opportunity to LVMH in one of the most growing markets in the world: China. Even though selective retailing has seen a decline in growth due to restrictions in spending due to less amount of travelers; however, China tourism is predicted to show a robust expansion. The economic liberalization; as well as, the constant development and transformation in China boosted their tourism industry. Some indicators  have been predicting that China would be a leading tourism destination by 2020. Therefore, LVMH has been focused on launching its selective retailing in China in order to take an advantageous stance from this growing tourism in terms of revenue.

Technology and Jobs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Technology and Jobs - Essay Example In the article Roberts argues that Obama is mistaken to say that the loss of jobs is partly to be blamed on technology. With the era of globalization, outsourcing has been a necessary tool for several companies including American corporations. This is a major factor which contributed to the rise in unemployment in the United States. This, more than technology may be blamed for such economic woes. If a country stifles technological advancement because of the fear that it may result in job losses, then it just might come true. But it is true to the extent that it losses jobs to other countries only because it has refused technological change. The trend now is to go global and a country cannot achieve it without the latest technologies. In the case of Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy, they were not able to cope with technological innovations, which resulted in a slow growth in the economy. This then resulted to huge debts, low investments and therefore few jobs were created. There was no confidence in the government. Like Roberts, one agrees that technology does not impede the growth of jobs; rather, technology creates jobs and makes the economy more