The Perfect Blend free essay sample

Banana. Spinach. Greek yogurt. Honey. Soy milk. Separate, these ingredients are just average- but blend them together and they form the perfect combination for a smoothie. Like every individual, we all have our own distinctive elements that make up who we are. Success depends on how each is utilized. Banana. Endurance. Four seasons of tennis, twenty-five mile Ride for the Arts, Tosa Fest 5K run. These challenges have encouraged me to persevere and work harder than I ever thought possible. Spinach. Strength. Becoming an only child after my brother went to school meant stepping up my academics. By raising the bar and putting more time and effort in my education, I was able to fill the gap he left behind. Greek yogurt. Bold. Whereas regular classes would suffice for most people, AP classes were challenges I dared to take. The rigor of normal high school courses was never enough; I preferred going above and beyond of what was considered average. We will write a custom essay sample on The Perfect Blend or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Honey. Sweet. â€Å"Kristen, you are the sweetest grandchild.† Although she shouldn’t, Grandma always tells me this. Not only do I mow their lawn each week, but I take the time to sit and catch up with them afterwards. Soy milk. Unique. Being the only vegetarian in my immediate family, I’m the one who has to step out of the box to figure out a complete and nutritious meal without the meat. Just like the ingredients in a smoothie, each separate trait in a person makes up for whom that individual is. However, having the right blend positions me for even greater achievements.

First amendment Essays - Supreme Court, United States Constitution

First amendment Essays - Supreme Court, United States Constitution First amendment Reflections on the First Amendment The first amendment to the United States Constitution states that no law can be made to create a national religion, or imped the free practice of any or no religion. It also states that no one can infringe on the freedom of speech, freedom of press, and that no one can interfere with the right to peaceably assemble. This paper will cover the rights of privacy the first amendment protects, why so many cases need to be interpreted by the Supreme Court, and how those decisions made by the Supreme Court affect the rights of Americans today. Rights of Privacy. The United States Constitution was written to be an instruction guide for what America?s government can do, not what the American citizens can do. The Constitution does not clearly express any right to privacy. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of the Rights, reflects the concerns brought up during the ratification process of the Constitution, specifically reflected the rights and privileges of the American citizen. Amendment rights are not always protected. The notable court case of Garcetti v. Ceballos questioned the privacy of an employee, in which the Supreme Court decided ?When public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, they are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline? (Garcettu v. Ceballos, 2006).It is clear from the Constitution that the Post Office was established to keep correspondence private and not to be opened by anyone except the recipien t, but the envisioned right to privacy is still very debatable. In the fourth amendment citizens are protected from any reasonable searches and seizers, but in recent years airport scans, wiretapping, and many other means to protect American citizens are put to the test of what is the right of privacy. Supreme Court. The Constitution?s Article III established the federal judiciary that would serve as a check of power to the executive and legislature but also as a national institution that could settle disputes among states and try to unify the laws of America. The Supreme Court?s most important power was not part of the Constitution. In the case Marbury v. Madison in 1803 where Chief Justice, and Federalist, John Marshall set the precedence for the Supreme Courts power of judicial review. Judicial review gave the Court the right to review and take action against any legislation; local, state, or federal, and deem it unconstitutional. Congress later created the lower courts to ease the burden of the Supreme Court. The lower courts consist of the United States District Court, the United States Court of Appeals. With only a fraction of cases heard by the Supreme Court these lower courts have tremendous power over how laws are interpreted. The Supreme Court clears up matters where the lower courts ca nnot agree or by exhausting the lower court?s rulings. The Supreme Court changes with the American people. New appointments to the Court by new presidents and the temperament of the American public make a difference in how the Constitution is interpreted. The Supreme Court has reversed or drastically changed around 40 cases in its history. Rights of citizens. When the Supreme Court hears a case and makes their ruling, a precedent is set. The Court works toward a balance of the rights of the individual and the needs of society at large. When the Court issues a ruling the rights of all American citizens are changed or clarified. These rulings also affect all courts, previously laws passed, and being create. The most recent ruling from the Supreme Court is met with mix emotions. For six years the various states have tried to put laws into effect regarding violent video games, and each time these have been taken to court, they have lost. June 27, 2011, the Supreme Court ruled in agreement with the lower courts that such laws are unconstitutional restrictions on the first amendment. ?If there were a longstanding tradition in this county of specially restricting children?s access to depictions of violence, but there is none? (Justice Alito, 2011). This ruling is upsetting to those that feel these types of games should not be marketed to childre n, but precedence has been

How Buffer Achieves Continuous Growth Through Content Marketing

How Buffer Achieves Continuous Growth Through Content Marketing In the world of content marketing, there are few startups out there that have it more figured out than Buffer. With an average of 1900 shares per post, they have to be doing something right. For Buffer, though, content marketing is more than a mere marketing tactic – its a channel for growth. In fact, its their primary channel for growth. In the early days of Buffer, co-founder Leo Widrich was known for conducting  an  aggressive guest blogging campaign as a way to stimulate early growth. It worked, and now Buffer has a dedicated team of two carrying the torch forward. We caught up with Content Crafter Kevan Lee to see if we could learn more about the secrets to Buffers success. 1. Tell us about yourself. Why did you start  doing content marketing? I have the privilege of creating content for Buffer. My daily duties include writing helpful blog posts about social media and productivity, sending emails to our awesome customers, and sharing updates on the Buffer social media accounts. I’ve been writing in one form or another ever since I can remember. My journey took me to journalism school, traditional marketing, and then content marketing. I’ve been blogging, sharing, and creating online for the past eight years. 2. How big is your content marketing team? We’re fortunate at Buffer to have a team of 26 who can all write amazing stories and create awesome content. Our content marketing team of two – me and Courtney, our head of content marketing – love being able to lean on others for help as we fill our calendars with content and stories. On a day-to-day basis, the two of us take the majority of the content tasks, with helpful advice from Leo, our co-founder and the original voice on the blog. 3. What has been the most noticeable effect for Buffer from content marketing? Early on, we gained all of our new customers from content marketing. I believe it was right near 100 percent of new users who arrived via the content marketing tactics that Leo employed–guest blogging being one of the main routes. 4. What is the biggest challenge you have when it comes to your team’s workflow, communication, and content creation? Our challenge is one I love havingthere are so many different things we want to do and just not enough time to do them all! As as a team of two, we’ve chosen to focus on the aspects that have the biggest impact on our goals. As the team grows, we’d love to explore some additional avenues for content. 5. Do you set specific goals as far as to what your content marketing would look like, and what kind of measurable results you’d get? We’ve tried to identify the biggest opportunities for growth in our metrics, e.g. low traffic and high conversion where we can see great growth by bumping up the traffic side. Specifically, we’ve put a lot of emphasis on email marketing. Since making this a goal, we’ve seen great growth in this regard, doubling our signups month-over-month this summer. We’ve put an emphasis on email marketing. Since making this a goal, we’ve seen great growth6. What were you hoping would happen once you began content marketing? When I began content marketing, I was simply hoping to have an outlet to write, to help others, and to share online. I think all of those wishes have been fulfilled, and more. I think the element that took the longest to happen was feeling that I was helping others, simply because it takes a bit of an audience to get to that point. From day one at Buffer, I was so encouraged by the response and the feeling of helpfulness that comes with the Buffer blog. 7. What changes have you noticed in content marketing over the past year or so? We’ve noticed a big push toward visual content. On the Buffer blog, we’ve tried to stay ahead of the curve in this regard by creating an original image for every post we publish. It’s interesting to note that as we’re seeking stories to share via Buffer’s content suggestions, the ones with image stand out well above those without. Visual content is so much easier to share. We’ve noticed a big push toward visual content. Visual content is so much easier to share.8.What changes and trends do you think will occur in content marketing in the upcoming year? I expect marketers will continue to find new avenues to deliver their content. Visuals have been a huge step forward. Maybe the next will be SlideShare or micro-videos or snippets. Or maybe it will swing the other way where the longform, in-depth posts will be the ones that get the most attention. It seems that as content permeates the web that consumers are interested in separating the signal from the noise. That’s one area where I’m particularly interested to push forward. 9. What are the most common mistakes you see people making when it comes to content marketing? It might sound cliche, but I think that one of the most important reminders for content creators is to be helpful.  And this extends to the motivation behind a piece of content: Is it designed or written to help others or is it designed and written to bring in traffic or make a sale? You can tell the type of content that is based on the latter. Interestingly enough, content that is helpful will end up meeting the other goals, too.

The Difference Between Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan Essay

The Difference Between Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan - Essay Example Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan too used different philosophies in delivering their mandate. The two former presidents of the United States of America led the two most influential presidencies of post-war United States of America. It is, therefore, the intention of the paper to provide a detailed analysis of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan concerning their philosophies of governance. Lyndon Johnson believed that was the responsibility of the big government to offer solutions to a number of problems facing American citizens (Langston, 1992). Concerning this, Lyndon believed that the social problems the Americans faced could only get a solution from the tax and the government. Johnson valued the program of the great society that aimed at giving quality life to all Americans. The program involved itself in ensuring a better education for the Americans and jobs. In addition, the program could help in fighting poverty as well as empowering the civil societies. The notion behind this was that, the civil societies could help in speaking for the poor through demonstrations and dialog. On the other hand, Ronald Reagan, believed that the big governments were the problem concerning valid solutions for the problems facing the Americans. In this regard, therefore, Reagan believes so much in the delegation of responsibilities. Reagan believes that delegation of duty helps bet ter the lives of miserable Americans than it being the role of the big federal government. In addition, Reagan had the ability to communicate convincingly concerning his vision for the Americans. The eloquence compensated for inadequacy in Reagan’s intellectual ability. Reagan’s conservative nature of wanting to uphold strategies that never worked contradicts Lyndon’s liberal nature. Lyndon remained open to trying new strategies in delivering to the American people, as Reagan believed in the delegation of duty. The delegation had failed severally and yet Reagan embraced it. In

Minimum Test Battery for Assessing CANS Function Essay

Minimum Test Battery for Assessing CANS Function - Essay Example The following general points should be considered when choosing tests to assess CANS. The sensitivity of central auditory tests is important and can be determined by testing patients with well-defined lesions of the central auditory nervous system (CANS). Using a decision matrix model, the test results from these patients can be analyzed in reference to scores (Musiek 81-82). Test selection should be guided by the intended use of the results. Specific tests may be preferred for differential diagnosis and monitoring disease progression or recovery, whereas other tests may be used to reveal functional deficits, to guide intervention planning, and to determine counseling efforts. There should also be a careful consideration of the population for testing (Katz, Stecker & Henderson 12-44). The various populations for central testing should be divided into categories. This will enhance overall test efficiency because the best tests for a target population can be used. Therefore, the test b atteries for assessing CAPD are presented under several categories (Stapells & Oates, 257-280). The auditory test batteries that are used to assess CANS function or dysfunction as the case may be, falls into two major categories: Behavioral tests and Electrophysiological tests. The behavioral tests are usually divided into four subcategories: monaural low-redundancy speech tests, dichotic speech tests, temporal patterning tests, and binaural interaction tests (Picton 225). The selection of tests will depend upon a number of factors, including the age of the individual being assessed, the specific auditory difficulties the individual displays, the individual’s native language, and cognitive status, and so forth. Electrophysiological tests are measures of the brains response to sounds (Blattner et al 179-183).

Analyze the impact of geography and economic Essay Example for Free

Analyze the impact of geography and economic Essay Geography and economic activity often determine the future of any civilization. Here, one is forced to admit that most of the obvious differences among the ancient civilization can be drawn based on their geographical location and, of course, their economic history (Wells, 561). Let us take the example of Roman and Mesopotamian civilizations. Roman civilization is centered on a powerful city situated on the Capitoline Hills. In the beginning of Rome’s history, most of the people were either farmers or small-scale traders. When Rome expanded into central and southern Italy at the beginning of the Punic Wars, its policy-makers were faced with this fundamental question, â€Å"How do we protect our trade interests? † The answer was expansionism. Rome acquired territories in the East either by conquest or forced capitulation of kingdoms (for example, Bithynia and Pergamum). Rome’s economic interests led to the expansion of the Roman Republic. When this republic was becoming larger and larger, the need for a more despotic, efficient form of government was becoming a reality. From 88 B. C. to 31 B. C. , the Republic became an avenue of power struggle between powerful public officials. (Such necessity was never a probabilistic tendency, rather a deterministic one) Rome, in 100 B. C. was not yet a center of trade and commerce. As such, only by expansion can Rome protect its economic interests (Wells, 585). The Mesopotamian civilization is situated on the so-called ‘Fertile Crescent’ or the junction of the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers. Its geographical location was suited for trade and commerce. In fact, it was the center of trade in the Middle East, controlling the flow of goods from the ‘Far East’ to the Pillars of Hercules (Toynbee, 266). Hence, most of the city-states founded on the Fertile Crescent were prosperous and relatively peaceful. Wars usually occurred as a means of settling disputes among rulers of city-states. Expansionism was never an important issue. Unlike Rome, most of the city-states preferred to negotiate rather than engage in costly wars. For example, when Uruk defeated a powerful city-state in 1560 B. C. , it was faced with an important fundamental question, â€Å"Is it necessary to occupy the city-state? † The answer was an obvious no. Occupation only entailed increased cost and resentment from the local population. It was more rational to keep the city under constant political surveillance than to actually occupy it. Only at the time of Sargon that was political view radically altered. 2. What do surviving works (art or architecture) tell us about culture? Compare pagan art to Christian art and Greek art to Roman art. Art and architecture define the ideology and prevailing beliefs of particular historical periods (Zaide, 419). Historical periods here do not simply refer to space and time, rather to actual events conforming to specific ideologies (Zaide, 420). Art and architecture also define the way of life of particular groups of people located in specific milieu. Hence, one may argue that works of art generally reflect the exterior and interior tendencies of people; that is, works of art define the psychology and behavior of peoples. For example, the painting ‘The Night watch† (by Rembrandt) reflects the ideological resistance of the Dutch nation against Spanish imperialism. Christian art is essentially different from pagan art in two respects. First, Christian art rests on the twin principles of equality (not to be confused with the ‘equality’ espoused by the French Revolution) and simplicity (Zaide, 549). Early Christian art depicted the symbolic reign of Christ on earth; this is symbolic of the simplicity of Christian life. During the reign of Constantine the Great, Christian art (although still rests on the concept of simplicity) became the emblem of imperial authority and the Divine Trinity (note that early Christian art only depicted the image of Christ). Constantine the Great ordered the construction of great basilicas to proclaim this new interpretation of Christian art. Second, Christian art centered on a single set of ideology. Christian art and philosophy centered on the nature of the Divine Trinity, the simplicity of Christian life, and the majesty of the Roman Church. Pagan art was a ‘hot spot’ of eastern, Greek, and Roman religious philosophy. Pagan art was simply the result of the mixture of pagan philosophies. Roman art is different from Greek art in two respects. First, Roman art was generally a modification of Greek art. The invention of concrete during the 1st century A. D. greatly advanced Roman art and architecture. For example, the simple amphitheatre of the Greeks was transformed into a colosseum. Concrete allowed the construction of more complex structures. Second, Greek art was essentially religious in character (this is assertion is debatable for some historians). Roman art and architecture was a mixture of religious and political philosophies. Works Cited Toynbee, Arnold. A History of the World. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1964. Wells, Herbert. An Outline of History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1947. Zaide, Gregorio. History of Art. Manila: Manila Publishing Company.

Hypoxia-mediated Selection of Cells with Diminished Apoptotic Potential

Cancer: Necrosis vs. Apoptosis Cancer is the second leading cause of death in humans. A cancer cell is a cell that has mutated from its original form and will often grow at a more rapid rate than normal. The body has built certain mechanisms to protect itself from these types of cells. One of the physiological processes the body uses to kill off these cells is apoptosis. Apoptosis is sometimes called "cell suicide". When the body detects that a cell's DNA has mutated and cannot be repaired, the cell will somehow trigger itself to self destruct. Up until 1972, scientists hadn't really looked carefully at how cells die. Once they did, it was apparent that two things could happen: necrosis or apoptosis. Necrosis was the term used to describe all cells that had died. However scientists have found that necrosis and apoptosis are two different processes. Necrosis is a result of outside forces acting upon a cell, causing it's destruction. Upon destruction of the cell in this manner, the internal contents of the cell are leaked into the local environment, which can be extremely harmful. In contrast, a cell dying by apoptosis does not release it's contents and potentially harm neighboring cells. Apoptosis is actually an active process within the cell. A process triggers some other process (which is not quite clear) inside the cell and tells the cell to start disassembling itself. When this happens, instead of releasing harmful chemicals into its environment, the cell is thought to send parts of itself to other surrounding cells to digest it. Roles of p53 and bcl-2 in Apoptosis The authors above and other scientists believe that the expression of the p53 gene is required for apoptosis. The p53 gene has been labeled as the tumour su... ... increases as oxygen is reduced, those cells with mutated p53 have a slower increase in death rate in hypoxic regions, compared to those cells that have normal p53 expression. This seems to point to the fact that the hypoxic regions are actually setting up a natural selection for the p53 deficient cells, and possibly other mutations resistant to death. Treatment Problems This can cause a problem when treating these cells with radiation and chemotherapy. These treatments attack the cells and attempt to destroy the DNA within the cell. This will usually cause an increase in the rate of apoptosis within the area treated. However if the cells in the area have built up a resistance to apoptosis they have built up an effective resistance to the chemotherapy and radiation. These facts could explain why the p53 gene is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer.

Business Strategy and the Importance of Data-Driven Decision Making Essay

Good decision making is arguably the most important skill a successful manager can possess, but the ability to make intelligent decisions on an on-going basis requires not only intuition and experience, but also the right data. In fact, Garrison, Noreen, and Brewer (2012) identify intelligent, data-driven decision making as a business leader’s most basic managerial skill. That basic skill plays a critical role in helping a manager formulate and execute a successful business strategy. Manager’s need access to relevant historical data and projections to make intelligent, fact based decisions. The use of business intelligence and analytics has become the cornerstone of strategy formulation and execution across corporations around the globe. Access to relevant data is a necessity in not only formulating a business strategy, but in monitoring the execution of that strategy. The use of data for effective decision making is not a new concept, but since the introduction of the balanced scorecard by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1996, the use of data to support decision making has taken off. In addition, the adoption of enabling technologies has accelerated the use of data-driven decision making. Whether it’s an operations manager monitoring key operational indicators or a sales manager forecasting sales revenue, appropriate data and the technologies which enable its most effective use, are key necessities in making intelligent and timely decisions. Formulating and executing a business strategy is a basic requirement for just about any business, but making good decisions is the difference between a successful business and one that goes bankrupt. The key to making those intelligent decisions that aid in the formulation and execution of a successful business strategy is the use of data to support those decisions. As an encore to their balanced scorecard concept, Robert Kaplan and David Norton (2001) describe how to successfully execute a business strategy by creating an organization where everyone is focused on strategy. At the heart of their approach was their original balanced scorecard which provides a summary of relevant data for managers. In their next book, they expand their original concept by making strategy a priority for everyone involved in the organization (2001). Although, Kaplan and Norton focused on business strategy, what they really succeeded in doing was putting data at the heart of every business process in every organization that adopted their approach. They enabled data-driven decision making as a by-product of designing a successful mechanism for executing business strategy. Kaplan and Norton understood that having access to relevant data was the key to successful decision making. Since Kaplan and Norton, the use of data-driven decision making has expanded. Today, aggregating, displaying, and analyzing data is referred to as business intelligence and analytics. Laursen and Thorlund (2010) contend that the deployment of business analytics and a business’ strategy are tightly linked. Analysis of important data sources and methods are a critical component of overall strategy development and decision making (2010). Today, successful business leaders not only recognize the use of data to make effective decisions, but they demand it. Although companies are capitalizing on the use of business intelligence and analytics today, it’s clear the use of data as a tool for decision making had its roots in Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard (1996). The balanced scorecard concept was originally proposed by Kaplan and Norton (1996) as a way to measure a company’s performance and execute the company strategy. It was an improvement on the traditional method of using financial systems to track performance (1996). Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard became the norm for not only measuring performance, but also as the preferred method for executing business strategy (1996). Although the use of data was nothing new in business, the balanced scorecard gave way to an era of using data for making critical business decisions. I have been involved in business meetings for a number of years with business leaders from operations managers to senior executives. Each meeting from operations reviews to performance or strategy always includes the review of some form of scorecard with critical business data. Simply adopting the balanced scorecard approach is not sufficient though. Managers must choose a method for implementing the approach that is efficient and gets the right data to the right people when they need it; the use of business intelligence can accomplish this goal (Paladino, 2008). Businesses have recognized the value of critical business intelligence, but some have taken the approach a step further. The most successful companies have adopted helpful business intelligence technologies available today to optimize the use of the balanced scorecard approach. Leading business intelligence tools on the market optimize the use of data for intelligent decision making by taking volumes of data and making it easy to access, organize, and augment to quickly fit the needs of the business. These enabling technologies allow a company to efficiently use data to formulate and execute a sound business strategy. Business Intelligence offerings from SAP, IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft represent more than half of the tools available in the market and are often tailored to specific industries (Henschen, 2012). For example, iLog is a business rule management system product from IBM that enables an insurance company to build a list of business rules that make a decision on whether or not an individual is approved for coverage based on user input (IBM ILOG, 2009). An individual enters all pertinent information into a form on the insurance company’s web site (powered by the ILOG product), and a decision based on coverage is immediately provided. An insurance company whose business strategy outlines process and operational optimization and improving customer acquisition is better positioned to execute that strategy with such a product. ILOG however is geared toward a more specific purpose. The more common business intelligence technologies take volumes of company and market data and organize it in such a way that provides a summary of valued business indicators. These technologies enable managers to make more informed decisions by having the right data readily available. Intelligent decision making is a complex process that requires a combination of experience and intuition, but most importantly, the use of the right supporting data. The formulation and execution of a successful business strategy requires managers to make a number of intelligent decisions. Having access to relevant data to make those intelligent decisions is the key to success. Integrating the balanced scorecard into the heart of a business’ management system as outlined by Kaplan and Norton (2001) is, in fact, a way to integrate data into every business process within an organization. More recent business intelligence and analytics technologies have made adopting these methodologies much easier for businesses. Managers are finding that an investment in enabling technologies yields significant financial results through efficiency and optimization. There is a common element that exists within any organization that has developed and executed a sound business strategy. Within each business, you will find a manager or team of business leaders who recognized and implemented the use of data to drive their decision making. References Garrison, R. H., Noreen, E. W., & Brewer, P. C. (2012). Managerial Accounting (14th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. Henschen, D. (2012). Advanced analytics. InformationWeek, (1351), 7-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1220681098?accountid=7083 IBM ILOG Solutions for Insurance. (2009, July). IBM Software Group Solution Brief. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www-304.ibm.com/easyaccess/fileserve?contentid=193615 Kaplan, Robert S., and David P. Norton. The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 1996. Print. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2001). The Strategy-Focused Organization: How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Laursen, G. H., & Thorlund, J. (2010). Business Analytics for Managers: Taking Business Intelligence Beyond Reporting. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Paladino, B., & Williams, N. (2008). Moving strategy forward: Merging the balanced scorecard and business intelligence. Business Performance Management Magazine, 6(2), 12-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218349922?accountid=7083

Islam CCOT Essay

During the post classical era, we find the world evolving by expansion and intense communication along many regions. With expansion and communication, trade and culture travels such as West Africa being introduced to Islam. Moving into western African, between 1000ce-1450ce, the introduction of Islam has brought a great increase in slave trade and rose literacy rates, creating literate officials in state administration. However, no rigorous conversion was made, some traditional practices remained. The increase of slaves was obtained through conquest and the impact of Islam created religious power to officials in state administration due to appeal of legitimacy of rule. However distant ruling centers would be least likely affected by Islam. West Africa’s economy was greatly stimulated by the appearance of Islam. They were able to trade, not only across the Sahara, as they had in Europe and the Middle East. Prior to the influence of Islam, West Africa interacted through regional trade and with help from Tran Saharan route they were able to connect to North Africa. With the Muslims, the bringing of Islam enlarged the amount of concubines, sex slaves, in West Africa. Although concubines were not Muslim, because Muslims believed that they couldn’t enslave their own people. We see that within Muslim ancestry they’ve always been nomadic, always relocating in spite of gaining new resources. The establishment of Islam led to the development of 1st regular trade across the Sahara. The impact of Islam turned Africa into a focal point of trade, linking Africa to Eurasian world trade. The Islamic Civilization gave rise to many centers of culture and science, producing notable doctors, nurses, scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, and philosophers. Monarchies and their courts now have literate officials to assist in state administration. A quantity of West African cities had become centers of Islamic intellectual life, increasing literacy rates and legitimacy in state administration. Muslims did not seek to convert West Africans; they did practice their religion while traveling. As time passed Muslim traders were accompanied by Clerics and scholars, these men interacted with local rulers on matter relating to trade, security, and governing. Until the leader of the kingdom converted, with full support would influence citizens to convert to Islam. Although Islam made a very large impression on West Africa, no through religious transformation was made. Being the fact they were rural there was no interaction with Muslims  or deepening influence of Islam. Practice such as permission for women to appear in public almost naked, being able to roam freely with unrelated men and the sparkling of dust on one’s head as a sign of respect. Other traditions also remained even though some converted to Islam due to the monotheistic belief related so closely to their belief in one creator God. While in West Africa, Islam rose slave trade along trade routes, increased literacy rates leading to conversion of literate state officials. Albeit, no religious transformation was made. Being the fact that Muslims were nomadic by ancestry they sought to carry out concubines in the slave trade. They believed that it was wrong to enslave their own people so they looked to Africans, their resource, to help them. In effect to the introduction of Islam, many aspects were imposed upon West Africans causing the conversion of monarchy. People found favor in Islam if the leader of the kingdom converted. Also religious legitimacy was brought to the attention of those who would gain status by pilgrimages to Mecca. But aside from the very large impact, no religious transformation was made because most of the cultures were rural and very distant to the places where Islam had interactions with.

Anthony Burgess essays

Anthony Burgess essays John Burgess Wilson, better known to the reading public as Anthony Burgess, is regularly lauded by critics and peers for his imagination, his humor, his varied knowledge and his sheer productivity. Abundantly reflected in Burgesss fiction is his Roman Catholic background, which is part of an ancient regional and family heritage. Mr. Burgess says, I was brought up a Catholic, became an agnostic, flirted with Islam and now hold a position which may be termed Manichee...I believe the wrong God is temporarily ruling the world and the true God has gone under. It is through his Manichean position that Burgess uses his novels as a social commentary, based on his desire for free will and free thought. While the novels written by Anthony Burgess contained (at times) deplorable violence, they also conveyed his points accurately and intelligently. For example, in A Clockwork Orange, a form of teenage dialect (nadstat) was used to downplay the actual violent crimes being committed while still shocking the educated reader (Malafry 1). Burgesss novels are entertaining, shocking and amusing, but, more importantly, they revel ever deepening shades of meaning as they are reread, meanings that challenge the imagination as they force readers to consider the human plight (De Vitis 89). One such plight, which is a central theme in many of Burgesss works is his resentment towards the state. Urged through several protagonists is the defense of self, no matter how twisted it may be. Condemned is the state, no matter how benevolent it pretends to be (Coale 14). An additional important factor that explains why Burgess feels the way he does about the state and society in general is his firm belief in Manichee. Shockingly, his vision of the world as one of constant reversals and repetitions within the ongoing conflict between good and evil reveals an essentially conservative Catholic eschatology...

How to Find Your GED Records

How to Find Your GED Records Every state in the U.S. has official General Education Diploma (GED) records for  everyone who  has earned a GED in that state. Records can be accessed by the GED holders themselves or by others who have obtained their consent. Reasons to Locate GED Records If you are applying for a job, for example, you will likely need to provide your GED completion date as verification of your education history. You may also need to provide this information as part of a background check if you volunteering at an organization. Finally, you may need to locate GED records if you are a hiring manager and you need to verify the information provided by a job applicant. How to Find GED Records Whether you need a copy of your own GED records  or you want to verify that a job applicant truly earned a GED, there are several steps you need to take: Determine in which state the GED credential was earned.Check the states education website to determine that states requirements for records requests.Get authorization from the GED holder. Most states require:Full name and all past last namesDate of birthSocial Security number (some require only last four digits)Date of records requestSignature of GED holderEmail or mailing address where verification is to be sentSend required information by whichever means the state requests (some have online request forms, but all require the GED holders signature). The turnaround time in many states is only 24 hours, but requests should be made as early as possible. Remember that the only information that will be sent is verification that an official credential was earned and the date on which it was earned. For protection of privacy, no scores are provided. Common Challenges In some cases, you may encounter challenges when you request GED records. Each state has its own guidelines for storing and accessing this information, and some are more compliant than others when it comes to granting requests. The date of testing may affect how easy it is to obtain GED  records. Recent records are more likely to be stored in a digital archive, accessible by computer, while older records are more likely to be found in a physical archive that is less easily searched. To help archivists locate older records, you should be prepared to provide as much information as possible, including past names. Fulfilling requests for older records may take additional time, even up to several weeks. You should take this into account when submitting a  records request. If you are looking for your GED records but missing some of the information listed above, you may still be in luck. In Texas, for example, File IDs are attached to records without  Social Security numbers. GED holders can work with the state education agencys help desk to find out their File IDs and access their complete records.

International Tourism In The United States Of America Essay

International Tourism In The United States Of America - Essay Example A number of factors made it possible for people to increasingly visit different places and enjoy a change of scene from their usual environment. Among the factors is the rise of a middle class economy as workers benefited from income generated by working in new industries. This group of citizens had extra income to spend on vacations to different areas of the country occasionally taking a number of days (Shaffer, 2001). Additionally from the late eighteenth century, there were extensive developments in the transport and communication sectors within the US making it easy for people to travel and access information about specific areas they were interested in visiting. The construction of the railroad to link major cities by 1860 was an important step in furthering the increasing interest in tourism especially from entrepreneurs such as Walter Raymond who travelled to California to identify new areas of investment in the area of resort hotel in 1883. Following these developments, there were important developments in tourism as new destinations such as in San Francisco where the Cliff House became an area of interest as well as other places such as Yosemite national Park developed as a tourist attraction from the late 1850s (Shaffer, 2001). The developments in tourism industry from the 18th up to around 1940s majorly benefited the upper class and a few groups of people from the middle class. Additionally, tourism services offered by different players were disintegrated with service providers such as transport agencies, hotels keepers, tour operators and travel agents working as distinct groups within the sector. Each of the service providers worked independent of the other without closer collaborations with those running the hotels strictly being concerned with beds while those in transportation were only concerned with offering passenger services. However, the reality in