Stick and Stones

†Sticks and Stones† by Trezza Azzopardi (2006) In the short story, we follow a man named Lewis. Lewis is the primary character, who continues dreaming about something very similar again and again. He longs for him at the strand. He used to have a horrendous encounter there. He moved deeply of England, to escape from the horrible injury. In any case, presently he has come back to his mother’s house, where he gets clear pictures in his psyche. Lewis is an educator, in the content it says, â€Å"The second envelope contains a note from the Headmaster†¦come in and talk about matters† This statement underpins the announcement about Lewis being a teacher.He is by all accounts an individual who needs to change the status quo, however he has been instructed by his mom, that he needs to mix in, and she likewise says â€Å"it’s the endurance of the fittest†. The earth he has been brought up in has prevented him from doing the things, which he needed to do. That is communicated in the content where it says, â€Å"Sometimes he envisions he’s the sort of individual that challenges instructors like Stott and Walker, the benevolent that the Headmaster pays attention to. † He isn't the sort of individual who sticks out. He was presumably harassed in school when he was more youthful, in light of the fact that Lewis gets the opportunity to distinguish himself in a kid called Paul Fry.Paul Fry is a kid who gets tormented by certain young men. Lewis consistently wants to support him. Nobody had helped Lewis, back in the days; he likewise quit advising about his issues to his mom, since he felt it was miserable. She had revealed to him that he just should fit in. In the content it says, â€Å"But he took her words truly, got master at running away†¦ † He doesn’t face his concern, since that is how he is raised. The creator has utilized flashbacks in the content. The utilization of flashbacks makes the per user progressively educated. By utilizing flashbacks, the story turns out to be all the more intriguing and dynamic.The flashbacks additionally give the story a timetable and they broaden the time. The story starts with a flashback about Lewis’ awful experience. This flashback is about him ending it all. He is tumbling from the hills at the strand. Another flashback is the place he sees Paul Fry getting harassed, by some folks. The flashback influences the story. They give the story an importance and uncover data about the character also. By perusing the flashbacks, we become more acquainted with Lewis better. His past explains to us concerning why he is how he is currently, it characterizes him. E. g. Lewis needs to enable Paul To sear, in light of the fact that Lewis once where casualty like Paul Fry. In the consummation of the story there is a statement, â€Å"Lewis places his stones in his pocket. He will quit running he thinks. He has made due after all† This stat ement shows that he is presently prepared to relinquish his rocks that he used to lick. He likewise goes to the strand when things are troublesome as it says in the content, â€Å"When things were troublesome, he would go to the strand and discover his mom another bit of quartz† He has now halted is past conduct and he is evolving. The topics in the short story is harassing and confronting significant problems.The tormenting part is on the grounds that both Lewis and Paul Fry get tormented, and it winds up with them needing to end it all. This is a major issue, which Lewis is attempting to escape from. He gets running far from his concern. That has become his tendency, due to the manner in which his mom brought him up. That was the main arrangement he knew, however toward the finish of the story he arrives at the resolution that he should acknowledge things and face them. By doing that he can proceed onward. â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â⠂¬Ã¢â‚¬ [ 1 ]. pg. 2 ll. 36-37 [ 2 ]. pg. 3 ll. 67 [ 3 ]. pg. 2-3 ll. 61-62 [ 4 ]. pg. 5 ll. 126-127 [ 5 ]. pg. 3 ll. 91-92

Filipino Accounting Education Essay Example for Free

Filipino Accounting Education Essay This Statement is given by the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC). The AECC was delegated in 1989 by the American Accounting Association and bolstered by the Sponsors Education Task Force, speaking to the biggest open bookkeeping firms in the United States. Its goal is to be an impetus for improving the scholastic arrangement of bookkeepers with the goal that participants to the bookkeeping calling have what it takes, information, and mentalities required for accomplishment in bookkeeping profession ways. The Commission energizes proliferation and circulation of its announcements. The Commissions first Position Statement, on the destinations of instruction for bookkeepers, stressed the significance of educating. The Statement refered to the requirement for preparing in instructional strategies, perceiving and compensating commitments to educating and educational program structure, and estimation and assessment frameworks that energize constant improvement of instructional techniques and materials.1 Without progress in these essentials to successful instructing, the targets of that Statement can't be figured it out. Also, progress is required in components for sharing thoughts and procedures and in the way of life and hierarchical atmosphere that sets up and keeps up the insightful status of instructing inside the professoriate. Every single invested individual (e.g., college sheets of trustees, officials, councils, governors, guardians of understudies, and different backers of instruction) should help build up a need on educating and in any case improve its adequacy, yet personnel and authoritative pioneers bear the best obligation. Qualities OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING The qualities of compelling encouraging must be recognized if their essence is to be estimated and enhancements imagined. Understanding the quality of viable educating is basic for workforce (so they realize what is normal) and heads (so they can survey execution). Five attributes of successful instructing are recorded underneath. Educational program Design and Course Development. To adequately structure educational plans and create courses the educator must: set fitting targets; build up a valuable system for the lead of courses and projects; conceptualize, sort out, and appropriately grouping the topic; coordinate courses with other related courses, orders, and ebb and flow look into; and be inventive and versatile to change. Utilization of Well Conceived Course Materials. Powerful course materials improve introduction abilities, satisfy course targets, are predictable with current turns of events and new innovation in the field, make a base whereupon kept learning can be constructed, challenge understudies to think, and give them the devices to tackle issues. Introduction Skills. Compelling introduction aptitudes invigorate understudies premiums and their dynamic interest in the learning procedure, react to study hall improvements as they happen, pass on authority of the topic, accomplish clearness of work, ingrain polished skill, and draw in understudies with various learning styles. All around Chosen Pedagogical Methods and Assessment Devices. Viable academic techniques (e.g., tests, cases, little gathering exercises) fluctuate with conditions (e.g., size of class, nature of the subject, capacity or ability being created). Appraisal gadgets (e.g., assessments, ventures, papers, introductions) ought to be equipped both to course goals and to the advancement of the course and ought to have an educational part (e.g., fixing in the understudies mind what is generally significant, realizing by considering an issue, recognizing shortcomings to be revised, strengthening procured aptitudes). Direction and Advising. A viable instructor controls and prompts understudies as fitting to the degree of study and research (e.g., a freshmans investigation of potential vocations, a seniors work situation, or a doctoral understudies deal with a thesis). THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASK Directors ought to guarantee that the prize structure invigorates powerful instructing. They ought to likewise concentrate on the other managerial issues that can influence the nature of instructing. These include: The schools or divisions framework for learning. This framework incorporates, for instance, study halls, EDP and projection gear, library offices, and study space. Sending of optional assets (e.g., accessibility of secretarial help, printing and copying, travel assets for educating meetings). Proper class sizes and showing loads, given the instructive crucial assets of the school. Executives ought to consider how every one of the variables above is affecting the nature of educating at their foundations and whether upgrades can be made. At long last, directors ought to be happy with the nature of the methodology set up in their foundations to assess educating and constantly improve it. Remunerating EFFECTIVE TEACHING Workforce and chairmen have a joint obligation to create motivator frameworks that produce the best instructive results for understudies. Nobody reward framework or set of remuneration rules can serve all foundations, yet all should make sufficient motivating force for powerful instructing. The motivation frameworks should remunerate successful educating in deed just as in word. Powerful instructing ought to be an essential thought in the residency, advancement, and legitimacy assessment process. Adequacy and advancement are not free, and it would be a mix-up to expect that in the long haul basically staff pride and philanthropy are adequate to achieve nonstop change and improvement in the instructional capacity. Procedures FOR EVALUATING AND IMPROVING TEACHING There is a cozy connection among assessing and improving instructing. Data about execution gives criticism on where upgrades may be made. Evaluations of execution need not have an absolutely managerial capacity of deciding pay rates and advancements; they can be dedicated to improving educating. The strategies beneath outline the scope of what is accessible. Notwithstanding the strategy picked, evaluations of instructing ought to be methodical and steady. Self-appraisal. Each educator ought to routinely survey their work so as to improve. Self-appraisal requires an assessment of what was powerful, what was not, why a few things were generally progressively successful, and what changes are attractive. Self-appraisals can incorporate documentation of purposes and strategies gave to associates as a feature of formal assessments and are a characteristic reason for casual conversations of educating methods. Perceptions by Colleagues. Staff ought to be basically answerable for assessing the showing execution of partners. The assessment procedure ought to be methodical and ought to take a stab at objectivity. An organized methodology loans consistency to perceptions, which can mention resulting objective facts less distressing. All perceptions by associates ought to have as a significant reason to make suggestions for development, regardless of whether the event for the perception is managerial. Experience ought to be considered in allocating personnel spectators. Understudy Evaluations. Understudy assessments give direct proof of understudy mentalities toward the study hall experience. Understudies can report responses to course outstanding task at hand; to the course materials; to the educators homeroom energy, attitude and control; and to their own cooperation with the instructor. They can likewise appraise their own scholarly development in the course. Graduated class Input. Graduates can give an account of the exhaustiveness of their arrangement, the handiness of explicit instructive encounters in their lives and professions, and memories of powerful courses and instructors. Total information on graduated class results (e.g., work information) can be joined with data on educational plan structure and instructing viability to assess how both a bookkeeping project and training approaches may be improved. Instructional Consultants. Specialists can break down showing methods and styles and give proposals to progress. Once in a while it is valuable to work with a specialist and a workforce associate, with the partner concentrating on course content and the expert on educating procedures. Instructing Portfolios. An encouraging portfolio is a real depiction or assortment of an educators showing accomplishments (i.e., an all-encompassing instructing resume). The training portfolio is to an educators instructing what arrangements of distributions, awards, and scholastic distinctions are to look into. A portfolio may incorporate documentation of ones showing experience and reasoning, prospectuses, proof of understudy learning, understudy and workforce assessments, tapes, and documentation of work on educational program structure and course improvement. An instructing portfolio might be basic to giving the showing vita the convenientce and outer survey delighted in for such a long time by the distributing vita. End Each gathering with a stake in improving bookkeeping instruction has a stake in improving bookkeeping educators instructing, yet staff and directors can do the most to achieve it. They can work to guarantee that instructing is suitably remunerated and bolstered, that grounds conditions are helpful for successful educating, that compelling encouraging systems are imparted to other people, that sound components for criticism on training adequacy are set up and working, and that techniques for assessing instructing are refined and seen as solid by the individuals who assume key jobs in the assessment and prize procedure. Chosen BIBLIOGRAPHY Angelo, Thomas A. what's more, K. Patricia Cross. Study hall Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (second Edition) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993 Boyer, Ernest L. Grant Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. Princeton, N.J.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1990. Blackburn, Robert T. what's more, Judith A. Pitney. Execution Appraisal for Fa

The Best Books of 2014 So Far

The Best Books of 2014 So Far And by best, we mean  favorite. Lets be real. Share your best reads of 2014 so far with us in the comments! Adam  by Ariel Schrag A straight cisgender teen boy visiting his gay college sister in New York for the summer meets the girl of his dreams… who is gay… so he pretends to be trans… and hilarity and tragedy ensue. This book is EVERYTHING. Gorgeously observed, sharp-tongued, big-hearted, fearless. I can’t wait for the HBO series (this is not like a thing Nikki Finke has reported, this is just my Dreamland Hollywood Development Slate). Schrag forever and ever.   Kit Steinkellner All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews Miriam Toews is best-known in Canada for crafting novels drawn from her own life experience that deal with the Mennonite experience and its intergenerational effects. She has been feted as best we fete anyone in Canada Governor General Awards and Canada Reads selections and Giller nominations are only the tip of her award iceberg.  All My Puny Sorrows  is her seventh book and is not for the faint of heart, but if you stick with the emotional torment it will unleash within you, you will discover one of the most beautiful novels of the year. You see, Elf and Yoli are sisters. On the surface, Yoli is the fuck-up: kids from different fathers, no money, no plan. One the surface, Elf is perfection: a world-celebrated concert pianist with a devoted partner. But Elf wants very much to die. And Yoli wants very much for her sister to want to live. And as the two navigate these competing wants against the backdrop of their father’s faith and suicide, their mother’s desire for happiness, an d the world of psychiatric medicine, Yoli must answer the impossible question: if you love someone, do you really let them go? This novel will break your heart in a thousand different ways, and then it will show you that a broken heart can heal. Knowing that the story was Toews way to heal after her own sister’s suicide in 2010, almost 12 years to the day after her father’s, makes the narrative feel so honest that you sometimes will feel like a voyeur. But you will also feel like living someone else’s pain can help to relieve it. I can’t say enough about the magic of this novel: I just need you to read it. Brenna Clarke Gray All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr It’s been a year of strong historical fiction about the two World WarsThe Secret of Raven Point also stands outbut All the Light We Cannot See is something special. It’s is a beautiful book, sharply detailed enough to ground you in a moment but ethereal enough to move you along smoothly through time, through story. It’s a rare piece of historical fiction able to reach out and encompass historical detaillike natural history and mineralogy in interwar Paris, 1930s radio technology, educational practices under the Third Reich, and morewithout being bogged down by them. Indeed, the details are woven into the lives of the characters in ways that make the book rich without distracting from, or overdetermining, its plot. Tracking back and forth and time, and back and forth between two characters whose lives converge at the close of World War Two, All the Light We Cannot See is both expansive and nimble. And the writing. It’s sensual, physical, precise. When, for example, a bathtub i s emptied at a pivotal, dread-filled moment: “The drain moans; the cluttered house crowds in close.”   Derek Attig Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer It’s been decades since Area X, an edenic but mysterious wilderness, sprang up and cut itself off from civilization. The Southern Reach, a government organization tasked with understanding Area X, have sent in eleven expeditions and each of them have fallen to madness, death, or simply did not return. Now, the Twelfth Expedition is across the border: four women a psychologist, a surveyor, an anthropologist, a biologist and with them, we head into Area X. Since the moment this book came out, I’ve been shoving it into the hands of everyone I know, hell, anyone who can read! Annihilation is a short novel, but it’s as dense as the swamps and thickets of Area X, with a delicious sense of dread and wonder that twine themselves throughout the tale. A character study of our narrator, the Biologist, while simultaneously casting light on a strange new world that rings of ancient intent, Annihilation asks questions of us, of both a personal nature and of Mother Nature, while building to a climax mired in horror and truth of self. And this is only book one! Not only is this not a book to miss, but book two, Authority, is already out, and the final book in the Southern Reach Trilogy, Acceptance, will be in stores in September. No matter what I’ve read so far this year, my eyes still manage to find that green and tan book on my shelf, if only to make sure Area X isn’t staring back. Marty Cahill Be Safe I Love You  by  Cara Hoffman There are many books about soldiers returning home from war, but there are two things that set Be Safe I Love You by Cara Hoffman apart. First, Hoffman gets inside the head of the returning soldier. While there’s no way those of us who haven’t served can truly understand the horrors of war, Hoffman somehow makes us able to really see how it can damage a person’s psyche. Second, it’s about a woman. There are so few novels that deal with female soldiers, much less those who went to war for the money (the main character, Lauren, feels as though she doesn’t have the right to PTSD because of this). Hoffman excels at writing the other, the Lauren that has returned in physical form but can’t quite make sense of the normality of the life she’s returned to. It’s such a gorgeous novel that it hurts to read. Swapna Krishna Bird Box by Josh Malerman The world of Josh Mallermans Bird Box  is shrouded in darkness. Something terrible has happened, something so horrifying, it can make a person go suicidally mad with only a single glance. Nearly everyone is dead, and remaining survivors do not leave their homes without wearing a blindfold. As the book opens, however, Malorie (our heroine) is leaving that safety, and she is taking her two young children with her. The novel weaves back and forth between past and present events, building the world as it goes. It is a world filled with an unseen danger that cannot be seen, because the very act of seeing  is  the danger. Horror films and stories often fall apart at the reveal, because the  actual  threat pales in comparison to the  image  of the threat conjured by our mind. Bird Box  succeeds, and is so chilling, because we, the reader, are kept in the dark. Just like the characters, we want to see what we are so afraid of, but we know that doing so will be our undoing. Mallerman breaks the Show, dont tell rule, and creates a uniquely terrifying novel.  A dark room is scarier than a lit room, and Bird Boxs darkness is absolute. Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun If you’re looking for a book that is all about the uncanny and dreamlike, Black Moon is right up your alley. It refuses to give us the satisfaction of a beginning or an ending; rather, it drops us into the middle of an insomnia epidemic so severe, people are going insane and dying and no one knows what to do about it. It reminds me, in fact, of an Octavia Butler story (“Speech Sounds,” 1984), in which a mysterious illness wipes out a large segment of the population and leaves the survivors without speech or the ability to read or write. Butler, too, dispenses with beginnings and endings, and the illness continues. And it’s this dizzying sense that keeps the reader on her toes, searching for clues about the epidemic in every sentence and on every page. We follow each character as he or she looks for a loved one, a friend, a safe place to hide from the zombie-fied neighbors. Calhoun is a deliberate, talented writer and I can’t wait to see what he unleashes on us next. Rachel Cordasco Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn The fantastically creepy follow-up to Kuehn’s magnificent debut, Charm Strange, Complicit is a twisty, terrifying, and intricately plotty thriller that takes “unreliable narrator” to a level that would do Gillian Flynn proud. Sixteen-year-old Jamie Henry thought he was in the clear when his deeply troubled older sister, Cate, was sentenced to juvenile detention for burning down a neighbor’s horse barn. But suddenly Cate is out and back in town, and she has more than a few surprises up her sleeve. Complicit combines Kuehn’s characteristically gorgeous prose with riveting plot twists and rich, complicated characters to create an unputdownable thriller with style and substance to spare. Sarah McCarry Console Wars by Blake Harris Although I don’t play many video games, I have a soft spot for books about video games, especially about the business side of how games get made. Console Wars is the story behind the “battle” for supremacy between Sega, the quirky underdog, and Nintendo, the establishment, during the early 1990s. The book is full of engaging characters and great tidbits about the early years of Sega, including the story of how we got the Sonic the Hedgehog we know today. Apparently the original Japanese version of Sonic was “villainous and crude, complete with sharp fangs, a spiked collar, an electric guitar and a human girlfriend whose cleavage made Barbie’s chest look flat.” Details like that made this book and kept me turning the pages.  Kim Ukura Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull Catmull was one of the handful of people who made Pixar what it is: the most consistently commercially and critically successful film studio of our time. This is in part the story of Pixar, but it’s also the story of how Catmull understands Pixar’s success. I use that phrase intentionally because Catmull’s message is to be OK with uncertainty, be aware that you have blindspots, and recognize that you don’t always see things clearly. Catmull’s commitment to build a creative company that lasts drove him to think, over decades, about how to manage people and construct a business so that it can consistently create good work. It’s an unbelievable story with compelling characters, but more than that, it’s a testament to the value of humility, experimentation, and drive. Jeff ONeal The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison Graywolf Press knew what they were doing when they placed this brilliant book of essays in the hands of booksellers and reviewers many months before its release: By the time the book came out, it had been being raved about for so long, so many people were eager to read it that it debuted on the NYT best sellers list, and was in its sixth printing by the end of its second week of sales. It’s refreshing to see a book of essays get so much attention, and there is no question as to why it was this one: Jamison’s personal accounts, tied to the subject of empathy, are fascinating and gorgeously written. She writes about subjects such as her time as a medical actor; supporting her brother at his endurance race; visiting a prisoner in Virginia; a support group for Morgellons sufferers (people afflicted with Morgellons think small fibers are coming out of their skin); and the West Memphis Three. This book should be taught in school. There isn’t a single essay that isn’t incredible, an d there isn’t anyone who shouldn’t read this book. Unless you’re a toddler. Maybe wait until you’re a little older, in that case. Liberty Hardy The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld The Enchanted is a book that I read in one day because I was completely entranced by it, and then haunted me for days afterward. The writing is definitely the best thing about this book, it completely pulls you into the story and it is hard to escape its grasps. The story takes place at a prison and follows a variety of characters: a female investigator who works to get prisoners off death row and is hired by a firm to help a prisoner who does not want to be set free, a former priest who works as a counselor in the prison with the death row inmates, the warden of the prison, and more. Denfeld herself works as an death row investigator so the situations in this book feel just as real and complex as you would expect from a prison story. I would warn that this book is a little violent, to the point where I had to put the book down to give myself a break from some of the scenes, so if you are hesitant toward that this may not be the best book to pick up. However, I think that the story a nd perspective is unique and completely worth the read. Rincey Abraham The End of Eve by Ariel Gore Ariel Gore’s memoir details the last years of her mother’s life. You’d think that such a work would be sappy and sentimental, but once you get to know Eve, you’ll see that’s not the case at all. The End of Eve had just about everything I ever want in a memoir: WTF plot events, almost-over-the-top characters that you never doubt are real, gorgeous and breathtaking moments of introspection, and wry humor. Bonus points for it being written by a lady who likes ladies, if only because we don’t have enough of those stories. Susie Rodarme Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng On the surface, this is about a mixed-race Asian-American family dealing with and trying to solve the mysterious death of their favorite teenaged daughter in ‘70s Ohio (this isn’t a spoiler, it happens in the first sentence). What it’s really about all the ways we can be an “other”- in society, in our own marriages, in our jobs, and to our parents or children. It’s also about pressure- the pressure to be with people who are like ourselves, and to fit in, and to be everything our parents want us to be. It’s about giving up your career to become a wife and mother, and what that means and doesn’t mean. It’s about dealing with prejudice. It’s about secrets and happiness and misery, and all the things we never tell the people we love. It’s about everything, is what I’m saying, and not a single word is wasted or superfluous.   Amanda Nelson The Fever by Megan Abbott This was my favorite read in February, as I was lucky enough to read it in advance. My favorite thing about it is how Abbott so perfectly captures the feelings and worries and paranoia of the teenage years, specifically the teen-girl years, and, as I tried to convey in February, The Fever reads as though Abbott writing memories through the haze of those feelings rather than in sharp and exact detail. This book is everything I love about reading. Jeanette Solomon Guy In Real Life by Steven Brezenoff Look, I know you aren’t supposed to judge a book by the cover or whatever. That’s what my mom always told me. But when I first spotted Brezenoff’s Guy in Real Life, with its incredibly charming pixelated artwork that looked like it was straight out of an old school Sierra or LucasArts role playing game… well, I knew this book was for me. In fact, I felt like this book was written specifically for me. The sections where the narrative jumps into video games, the romance between the two mismatched protagonists, the geekery that just oozes out of the pages. Reading Guy In Real Life was less like reading a book, and more like spending time with a good friend. Bottom line, it’s an amazing, geeky, beautifully written coming-of-age story with memorable characters and a unique narrative. Pick it up. Don’t wait for the inevitable movie.  Eric Smith Hollow City by Ransom Riggs My memories of reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children were idyllic, because I read the majority of it sitting outside in the sun, oblivious and lost inside this weird old world that was haunting and dangerous and incredibly sweet. That I had to wait so many years for a follow-up novel was maddening, but also left me worried I would expect too much and would be left disappointed. Fortunately, Hollow City didn’t disappoint in the slightest. We pick up almost exactly where book one left off and the pace rushes along even faster than the first book as the world of Miss Peregrin’s Peculiar Children (or, as I jokingly referred to them, “Retro X-Men”) expands and the threats they face also grow more numerous and detailed and dangerous. The strange, old-timey photos don’t integrate into the narrative quite as fluidly as they did in the first book, but I never minded in the slightest. I was enjoying the story far too much. The book ends as excellently as the first one did, and now I’m mostly left hoping I don’t have to wait quite so long for the third book. This is fun stuffs. Peter Damien Little Failure by Gary Shteyngart Like his fiction, Gary Shteyngart’s memoir is funny in the most heartbreaking way possible. Or is it heartbreaking in the most funny way possible? Hmm. In any case, laughs and eye-widening awkwardness abound. Shteyngart is caught between two countries, two languages, two sets of values, and two sets of expectations (his parents’ and his own) for much of his young life, and his desire (and inability) to reconcile these widening gaps provides both much of the book’s humor and its pain. Along the way, young Igor (yep, he’s even disconnected from his own name), figures out that he likes telling stories, which is great for all of us who like reading his books, though even the discovery and development of his talents as a writer create about as many problems as they solve. Little Failure paints an achingly personal picture of immigrant experience, family tension, American culture, and identity, all while tossing in a fair few laughs. In other words, it’s Shteyngart to a T. Josh C orman The Love Bunglers by Jaime Hernandez I mean. That title alone, right? A culmination of the Love Rockets “Locas” storyline he’s built since the early 80s, this comic collection may represent Jaime Hernandez’s Maggie opus. Especially fulfilling for longtime readers, it’s also remarkably succinct and suitably self-contained for first-time visitors to the “Locas” world. Thirty years on, middle-aged Perla Luisa “Maggie” Chascarillo manages a San Fernando apartment complex. Her major claim to fame remains that newspaper clipping from a teenage summer in Huerta, California, heralding her as a child prodigy, “Maggie the Mechanic.” In the decades between, she loved and lost, with an inexplicable balance toward the latter. Hernandez chronicles the key turning points in her relationships, affording much attention to her adolescence, and a previous summer when infidelity and abuse led to the dissolution of her family. The title itself refers to our human capacity to fumble what seem, in retrospect, the simplest of layups. One of the western world’s most gifted and nuanced cartoonists renders this charming, tragic, thoughtful soap opera in exquisite black and white, more akin to a Sunday comic strip. Maggie’s kiss haunts every man and woman she’s touched. They’re spellbound. Just as she finds her own solace in life and love in this deeply satisfying volume (an ending, if not the series’ definitive conclusion), I find myself shadowed by a reading experience I’ll be hard-pressed to match in the months to come. Paul Montgomery Lovecraft’s Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow Lovecraft wasn’t the greatest of prose writers. He had some truly original ideas and made them come alive in his world, but today his writing feels a little …. clunky. Lucky for us, his ideas live on and a great deal of writers honor him by writing stories that take place in his world. Which brings us to Lovecraft’s Monsters, a collection of Lovecraft-inspired stories and poems written by some of today’s greatest genre writers. Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Bear, Caitlín R. Kiernan and Joe Lansdale, too name a few. I’ve long been a Lovecraft fan (his stories, remember, not his prose and certainly not the man himself) and this collection is a pleaser for those of use who like the dark stuff. There’s a story in the anthology by Brian Hodge, The Same Deep Waters as You, that is the stand-out for me and still gives me shivers just thinking about it. If you like Lovecraft even a little bit, this collection is a must.  Johann Thorsson The Martian by Andy Weir Of the many genre descriptions of Andy Weir’s novel adventure, sci fi, survival none of them quite encapsulate the appeal of The Martian. On the surface, it is a story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who is left by his team on Mars after a nasty wind storm and an accident leaves them to believe he is dead. He’s not, however, and we get to watch him survive on Mars by the grace of potatoes, poop, and a seriously optimistic attitude. Optimistic and sarcastic and funny and inventive, Mark Watney is exactly the kind of “hero” you want him to be. He’s a botanist and an engineer, which means he’s ideally positioned to come up with ways to keep himself alive until NASA can work some of their magic to rescue him. Weir’s genius is that Watney is a guy we want to root for. He’s smart, but it never seems easy, and we get to see his predicament through his daily logs, filled in equal amounts with problem solving and with wry commentary about his unusual situation. We also get to w atch NASA figure out that Watney is alive and come up with a plan to get him home. It’s a simple concept guy stuck on a planet trying to stay alive that is absolutely perfect in its execution. The Martian is that novel you just want to give to everyone you know.   Rachel Manwill The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary GrandPré Much like Kandinsky breaking free of the artistic realism of the day to create abstract art, The Noisy Paintbox takes a less conventional approach to non-fiction, freeing itself from biographical minutiae to paint a compelling portrait of an artist’s journey.   And if the spellbinding illustrations (equal parts moody and quirky) look vaguely familiar, it might be because the formidable GrandPré also did the iconic covers for the Harry Potter books.   Which is appropriate, because isn’t an artist creating worlds with a paintbrush just as magical as a wizard wielding a wand? Minh Le Open Road Summer by Emery Lord Its hard to get attention in YA if your characters arent dying or wishing that they were, but for me that just makes a novel that achieves emotional depth without being an issues book all the more welcome. Open Road Summer is an exactly perfect coming-of-age story, a romance, and the answer to the eternal question What would it be like to be Taylor Swifts best friend? From this point on Im going to go out of my way to read any/ everything Emery Lord writes.  Cristin Stickles The Orenda by Joseph Boyden What’s so refreshing about The Orenda, Joseph Boydens fresh take on the old story of the European encounter with the Americas, is the way it normalizes its First Nations characters. They dont speak with the archaic, oracular diction that is the stock representation of “Indian-ness, but in a straightforward conversational style. They aren’t a homogeneous bunch, either. Their beliefs, personalities, and opinions are as varied as those of any group of people you’d meet in real life. All this makes for a fast-moving read that’s hard to put down, but be warned that it isn’t always pleasurable. The Orenda is replete with episodes of brutal violence and torture that are all too historically accurate. It’s a testament to the author that these horrific acts aren’t gratuitous and that those who perpetrate them don’t come off as monsters but as complex human beings. The darkness Boyden unflinchingly examines makes his novel all the more illuminating. James Crossley Pointe by Brandy Colbert A black elite ballerina’s best friend who was abducted four years ago returns home and when he does, suddenly, Theo’s world is turned upside down again. It’s not just that she’s reprocessing the grief, but it’s that she realizes she has to face the truth of who abducted Donovan: a man with whom she’d had a relationship and who’d taken advantage of her. This is a dark but honest contemporary YA novel with a powerful voice. It’s sophisticated and layered, incorporating the challenges of navigating the very white world of ballet, of eating disorders, of grief, of sexual abuse, and more without ever once feeling like an “issue” novel nor one that relied too heavily on problems to allow readers to discover the driving forces behind Theo. But perhaps what makes it most memorable is that it never feels too smart or too polished Theo makes poor choices and the cast of friends she spends time with are themselves dynamic and flawed. There’s something about teen character s who are allowed to be imperfect and work through their problems despite these imperfections that is refreshing. Kelly Jensen Red or Dead  by  David Peace After reading Red or Dead, I bought every single book David Peace has ever written including one I had to send away to the UK for. This is one of the strangest novels I’ve ever read and, despite my absolute ignorance in regards to the English Premier League, one of the most interesting. Peace has created weird and wonderful fiction out of the life of famous coach Bill Shankly; it’s a hypnotic reading experience, a spot-on portrayal of what it’s like to be part of a dedicated community, and a fascinating portrayal of a man obsessed. Jenn Northington Robot Uprisings edited by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams The book that has done the most to catch my attention so far this year is a collection of short stories about robots that raise up against their human creators. There are stories by some of my favorite writers of the last five years, including Ernest Cline and Cory Doctorow, so I knew I was going to be getting into some good stuff when I started flipping through the pages, choosing the story that I would read first. I had no idea that I would find such variety.   There’s drama, suspense, humor. There are robots with a conscience, worried about the actions that they intend to take against their owners and creators. There is one story that stands out from the others as truly chilling.   “Spider the Artist” by Nigerian-American Nnedi Okorafor still makes its presence felt in my dreams, with giant robotic spiders and people running from flames. Any story that stays with you months after you read it is a story that works.   And its inclusion in Robot Uprisings is just one of the rea sons that this is a collection that should find a home on your shelves. Cassandra Neace Saga, Volume 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Two soldiers on opposite sides in an interstellar war meet over the shared love of a romance novel. I probably shouldn’t even have to continue, but if you’re not quite convinced, consider that there’s also plenty of badassery (both of the weaponry and magical kind), a diverse set of characters, bounty hunters living by their own values, gorgeously drawn worldscapes, and sexual tension like woah. I can’t stop recommending it to everybody I knowboth those who already actively read comics and those who are looking to try. It’s just, simply, damn fun to read. Volume 2 was also recently nominated for a Hugo for Best Graphic Story (Volume 1 nabbed the award in 2013) and Staples for Best Professional Artist.  Nikki Steele Shotgun Lovesongs  by Nickolas Butler Fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings will love this tale of mid-30s childhood friends who reunite in their small Wisconsin town, Little Wing. The story is told from alternating points of view of the five charactersâ€" the fancy Chicago stockbroker who returns to Little Wing with his wife to have a baby, the farmer and his wife who never left, the now famous musician who is marrying a famous actress, and the damaged former alcoholic. As these characters’ lives have gone in different directions, it’s fascinating to see who remains loyal to whom, and how their shared experiences growing up inform their choices as adults. This is a novel that snuck up on me, tapped me on the shoulder, and then reared back and punched me in the gut. I loved it!   It’s one of the better debut novels I’ve ever read.  Greg Zimmerman Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball This book is bananas beautiful. The sort where you go “Oooh, I didn’t know books could do that!” After his wife suddenly stops speaking, a character named Jesse Ball becomes immersed in the story of Oda Sotatsu, a young Japanese man on death row who takes a vow of silence after signing a confession to a crime he didn’t commit. But who is Sotatsu protecting, and why won’t he speak up to save his own life? The story fits together like an Escher painting, playing with writing forms from the exactingly journalistic to the heartstabbingly lyrical, and the whole thing is a big gorgeous mindfuck by the end. Just when I think I’ve read it all, a book like this comes along and shows me I don’t know a thing. Rachel Smalter Hall An Untamed State by Roxane Gay Its been months since I first read this incredible novel, and I still think about it all the time. This is the story of a privileged Haitian-American woman who is kidnapped and held for ransom while visiting her parents in Haiti. Mireille is held captive for thirteen days, during which she is tortured and raped and treated exactly as horribly as youd expect a woman to be treated in such circumstances, while her father refuses to pay the ransom on principle and her husband scrambles to find a way to free her. Gay takes an unapologetic look right at the ugliest things humans do to each other, and she never falters. This is a difficult book, but  its also  a remarkably engrossing one. I found myself holding my breath, feverishly turning pages, unable to put the book down until I knew what would become of Mireille. Gay understands how much readers can handle, and she breaks up the story at the perfect moments to give us breaks.  An Untamed State is an emotionally challenging but ultimate ly hopeful read, and its rewards are immense. Rebecca Joines Schinsky Utopia or Bust: A Guide to the Present Crisis by Benjamin Kunkel When someone eventually writes a history of the Millennial generations political evolution (and boy, do I not envy whichever Sisyphys gets stuck pushing that boulder), Utopia or Bust may prove to be a defining document. Until then, it is still one of the most eloquent and cogent studies of the financial meltdown which has done so much to define the age in which we live. When Benjamin Kunkel, co-founder of n+1 and author of the novel Indecision, announced that his career was transitioning into that of a Marxist public intellectual, the general reaction could best be summarised as thats adorable. Amidst the cheap shots however, few mentioned how extraordinarily brave the declaration was, or how ably Kunkel surpassed the bar he set himself. Utopia or Bust is not only a brilliantly provocative collection of essays,   but also a fascinating literary memoir of one mans ideological coming-of-age, relatable even to those who dont share Kunkels politics. If I have any criticism of the book, its that these personal aspects are given insufficient space, but thats a tribute to Kunkels lack of narcissism: he has bigger things to discuss than himself. Theory, and writing about theorists, brings no victories by itself, Kunkel writes, a line which serves to highlight the vast gulf between his book and the coma-inducing academic disciples of critical theory who tend to cover similar intellectual ground. Utopia or Bust is, by contrast, funny, poetic, angry, incisive and very, very relevant. Essential reading for anyone who cares about the state of our economic, political, journalistic and literary culture. Sean Bell The Weirdness by Jeremy Bushnell There are books that I just dislike as a general rule. It’s not so much judging a book by its cover as its subject matter or genre. For example, the middle-aged man reflecting on the mediocrity of his life. No thanks. Or the somewhat younger and douchier version, the   young-male-writer-in-Brooklyn-who-doesn’t-really-do-much genre. Hate it. And yet, The Weirdness is my favorite book of 2014 so far despite the fact that its main character is Billy Ridgeway, an aspiring writer in Brooklyn who does very little besides his dead-end job in a Greek deli. Fortunately it is something totally different because while Billy is a guy who doesn’t really do much, this is not a book where very little happens besides brooding on art and love. No, this book doesn’t even get through the first chapter before the Devil himself has made an appearance. It only gets weirder from there, as one would expect from the title. There is nothing predictable about this book. It manages sharp satire on the l iterary scene even while it throws in plot developments such as hellhounds and a Starbucks run by demons. I am really grateful for the Big Machine shout-out from the publisher. It’s an apt comparison, both books consistently deliver the unexpected, and it’s why I read a book that normally I wouldn’t have touched with a ten-foot pole. Jessica Woodbury The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie About two weeks before this comic came out I started to get anxious. It wasnt a patience thing; I was genuinely afraid I wouldnt like the book as much as I wanted to. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (along with colorist Matt Wilson) are one of the best creative teams in comics. They are also, far and away, my favorite creators. So it was hard not to get caught up in the pre-release excitement. With my expectations pretty high, it was not unreasonable to fear disappointment. Now I feel terrible for ever doubting.  The premise of The Wicked + The Divine is that every 90 years an assorted pantheon of gods are reincarnated as pop stars. Its a sleek and savy examination of celebrity culture and cross-media archetypes. And not only is this comic gorgeous to look at, I swear you can actually hear itthe crashes and snaps and classic rock n roll One-two-three-four!!. Its not the first time Ive said this creative team is doing the work of their careers, but they really do get better and better with each book. The talent and creativity in The Wicked + The Divine is at fever pitch, and I will gladly follow these guys down any rabbit hole they wish to take me.  Ali Colluccio The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon I dont tend to like scary, but I got caught up in this one. It was the most fun Ive had readig a book in awhile. Flipping back and forth in time. McMahon tells the story of what happens in a small town (and in particular in an old farmhouse on an isolated lane). It will take you most of the book to figure out what is happening to these missing people, and you will be rushing to turn pages to find out. Not to discount her beautiful storytelling and the fact that, while wanting to know the answer you dont really want the story to end. I cant tell you anything more It might give something away. Let me just say that youll be eyeing your closet for a few days after reading this one. Be sure to pick this up and make sure you dont have anywhere to be youll want to devour it in one sitting!  Wallace Yovetich The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon A clever, well-crafted techno thriller about a disease called word flu that’s spread with the next generation of smart phones. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun reading a book on my phone. I loved all the characters, especially Bart with his gratuitously Brobdingnagian words (see what I did there?) and his unrequited love for Ana, his boss’s daughter. I also loved the “hidden” New York City of pneumatic tubes and secret passages depicted in the novel. The ending was kind of drawn out and emotionally somewhat unsatisfying, but overall I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone who’s a bibliophile. Tasha Brandstatter

The Chernobyl And Piper Alpha Case Studies - 1470 Words

Peyman Alizadeh Professor M. Gaboury LAWS 1038-41 Date November 25, 2016 Compare and Contrast the Chernobyl and Piper Alpha Case Studies Introduction: Chernobyl and Piper Alpha Case studies are two of the engineering failures that has happened in the world. The world worst civilian disaster happened when the Chernobyl nuclear power explode in soviet plant located in Ukraine. Soviet nuclear plant was one of the most advanced facilities that included four reactors. The Chernobyl accident happened on 26 April 1986 when the technician wanted to test the backup cooling system for the reactor number four without following the safety procedure. Due to explosion in reactor number four, eight tons of radioactive debris spread into the atmosphere that caused 115000 people to evacuate from 30 kilometers around the area. As a result of this explosion, thirty-one of the plant personnel and the initial fire workers who involved in extinguishing the fire were died shortly from acute radiation sickness. The main issue causes Chernobyl disaster is complex since some people blame the Chernobyl tragedy on the power plant operator, the other blame on the design of the reactor itself (UNSCEAR, 2008). Piper Alpha platform explosion and massive fire happened on July 6th, 1988 and located on the North Sea offshore. This disaster was also one of the most significant disaster in human history and the history of the North Sea. In this incident 167 people killed and most of the properties wereShow MoreRelatedExplain The Term Safety Culture 1481 Words   |  6 PagesResource Management related policies and practices could successfully maximize the human resource contribution, this may incur a significant cost for employees. The deleterious effect of ‘human resource maximizing policies’ was all too apparent in the case studies of airline cabin crews and call centre workers, in which various policies and practices were intimately linked to work intensification and work related illness and injuries. Based on these findings, it could be argued that employee health is aRead More Human Error Essay2183 Words   |  9 Pagescatastrophes puts human error in the spotlight. Some ex amples of human error catastrophes include: the Tenerife runway collision in 1977, Three Mile Island in 1979, the Bhopal methyl isocyanate tragedy in 1984, the Challenger and Chernobyl disasters of 1986, and the Piper Alpha oil platform explosion in 1988. While these catastrophes put human error concerns in the spotlight, the human error impact on manufacturing operations can be just as detrimental. All of the catastrophes that were describedRead MoreNebosh Idip Unit a (Qa)3756 Words   |  16 Pages NEBOSH INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY UNIT IA – International management of health and safety January 2011 Question 1 (a) Giving reasons in EACH case, identify FIVE persons` who could be interviewed to provide information for an investigation into a workplace accident. (5) (b) Outline the issues to consider when preparing the accident investigation interviews for workers from within the organisation. (5) SECTION A * The injured personRead MoreSafety Culture vs Safety Climate5255 Words   |  22 Pagescan be traced back to the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986 in which a â€Å"poor safety culture† was identified as a factor contributing to the accident by both the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Agency. The Chernobyl disaster was the worst accident with regard to nuclear power generation. The recognition of the importance of safety culture based from this experience and to prevent future accidents has led to a plethora of studies attempting to define and assess safety culture

Grit Is The Only Thing That Separates The Most Successful...

According to Dr. Travis Bradberry, â€Å"Grit is that extra something that separates the most successful people from the rest. It s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality† (â€Å"Travis Bradberry Quotes†). Having grit in life is essentially the same as having hope and being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Grit is the ability to remain strong in the face of adversity and the backbone to stand firm. At times, grit is the only thing that pushes one forward in life. In the face of suffering and fear, women have overcome adversity, abuse, trauma, and tragedy through their strength, survival, resiliency, determination, and true grit. Frida Kahlo,†¦show more content†¦Frida painted herself with tears streaming down her face, her torso impaled with a rod, and a bleeding heart lying at her feet. In her painting Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, Frida painted herself with short hair, wearing a men’s suit while holding scissors in her hand, thus illustrating the abandonment of her femininity. This art piece serves as a statement of determination, courage, and independence depicting strength. Kahlo broadened beauty standards by embracing her individuality and translating it into her art (â€Å"Frida Kahlo Biography†). When Bethany Hamilton went surfing with her best friend in Kauai on Halloween morning of 2003, her life was changed forever. Bethany was attacked by a fourteen-foot shark and lost her entire left arm. Losing over half of her blood supply and in hypovolemic shock, Hamilton’s attack had the potential to be fatal (Bora). However, Bethany was not going to let the shark attack or losing a limb keep her from pursuing her true passion of surfing. Hamilton aimed to return to the water as soon as possible and her physical recovery was top priority for her. She had to work diligently in order to gain physical stamina to surf ag ain (Kimmel). To everyone’s amazement, one month after her attack, Bethany was back out on the water (Viti). At first, Hamilton used a surfboard specially made for her. The board was slightly thicker and longer than average. Bethany’s surfboardShow MoreRelatedSkies the Limit: Chris McCandless1117 Words   |  4 PagesSkies the Limit Imagine being stuck in the wild, on the verge of dying from either starvation or freezing to death. There are not enough resources, not enough food, all you have left is to hope. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, is a story written of a man named Chris McCandless who overall did not like his life. He thought society corrupted his dreams that he previously set, and he wanted to get away from all of societies norms. 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China’s Terra-Cotta Army Free Essays

In March of 1974, while drilling a well, a work brigade of farmers discovered a subterranean chamber nearby the royal tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Emperor of China (Encyclopedia Britannica). The superstitious old women of the village believed that the digging would disturb the Earth God. Therefore, due to these spiritual beliefs, they did not report the discovery right away. We will write a custom essay sample on China’s Terra-Cotta Army or any similar topic only for you Order Now Eventually, archeologists came to Xi’an in droves to study and extend the digs. This led to the uncovering of three vast pits to the east of the burial tomb. In these pits, chariots, weapons and over 7,000 terracotta soldiers and horses were unearthed (Roberts p. 25). After extensive research, historians and archeologists concluded these terracotta soldiers were buried there to protect Emperor Qin (pronounced Chin) and his underground kingdom in the afterlife. Ying Zheng was born in 260 BC. He was a member of the Qin Dynasty and ascended to the throne in 247 BC at the age of thirteen. The Qin rule became the most powerful during the Warring States Period, a hectic, brutal, and unsafe time in Chinese history where the seven states were at constant war with one another. After conquering the rival states, King Zheng, ruling over a now unified state he called China, renamed himself Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor (Man p. 28). Under Emperor Qin’s rule, China, which is a derivative of his name, was ruled by strict law. He was a cruel ruler who readily killed or banished those who opposed him or his ideology. He is notorious for burning virtually all the books that remained from previous regimes and burnt over 460 alchemists because they failed to provide him a life prolonging elixir. After many attempts on his life were made, including one from his own mother, Emperor Qin ruled with a schizophrenic mind (China’ First Emperor). â€Å"It was perhaps his insatiable desire for security in an uncertain world that drove him on. † (Man p. 28) Emperor Qin undertook many projects in his organization of China. He is accredited for connecting existing farming walls to defend his kingdom from outside barbarians creating the first adaptation of the Great Wall of China. He constructed an extensive network of roads and canals for travel and trade throughout his empire. Perhaps the two key changes that ensured the unity of Chinese culture were the standardization of currency and the written script (China’s First Emperor). One of his projects was the construction of his mausoleum at Mount Li, which took 700,000 workers an estimated 11 years to finish. It is believed to contain a model of his empire and includes rivers of mercury and booby traps, as well as many buried treasures and sacrificial objects. It is speculated that in order to guard its secrets, the workers who constructed it were also entombed. This is said to be one of the last examples of mass human sacrifice in Chinese history. Although the location of the emperor’s tomb has long been known, it has yet to be excavated (Roberts p. 25). Another of his projects, which was unknown until the 1974 discovery, was the three vast pits containing the terracotta army. The first pit measures 252 yards long, 68 yards wide and 16 feet deep. There are over 6,000 terracotta warriors and horses, of which 1,000 have been unearthed. The soldiers were assembled from separately kiln-fired sections of terracotta; the lower halves of the bodies are made of solid terracotta clay and the upper halves are hollow. The warriors vary in height ranging from 5’8† to 6 1/2’ tall. They were given individually detailed faces which were believed to be based on the faces of the Emperor’s actual soldiers. However, it has since been proved that all the soldiers are based on ten basic designs (Travel China Guide). The figures are assembled into a well-organized battle array composed of the infantry and cavalry. The vanguard bowmen include 210 foot soldiers divided equally into three lines. The cavalry and war chariot follow close in line, forming the main body of the battle formation. The foot soldiers are alternated with the chariots drawn by horses, lined into 38 columns. On both the northern and southern sides of the war formation stand 180 warriors which serve as flank guards. The rear guards are on the western end, with two lines facing east and another facing west. Some soldiers are armed with battle robe, and some are equipped with armor. The war formation is elaborately set in a line and is poised as if prepared for battle at any moment (Travel China Guide). The second pit is the most spectacular of the three. The combat formations are more complex, and the units of armed soldiers are more complete. There are over 80 war chariots, about 1,300 terracotta warriors and horses, and thousands of bronze weapons. It is here where the terracotta general, the kneeling archer and the warrior with a saddled horse were discovered (Travel China Guide). The third pit is believed by experts to be the command center for all the groups in the other two pits. The unearthed artifacts include 68 terracotta warriors, four horses and one chariot all arranged in a unique layout. Upon entering the pit, there is a passageway where the 68 warrior figures stand orderly along the two sides (Travel China Guide). During the excavation and repair work on the terracotta warrior figures, experts discovered many names carved or printed on the bodies of these figures. So far 87 different names have been recognized. They were found hidden in such places as the hips or under the arms of the terracotta warrior statues. Further research has shown that these 87 people were the master craftsmen, and that these craftsmen had assistants of their own. In all, it is estimated that about a thousand people participated in the making of the terracotta warriors (Travel China Guide). The compound was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1987. After more than two decades of work on the site, archaeologists in the 1990’s anticipated that it would take many more years, perhaps several generations, to unearth the remainder of the tomb complex. In 1978, the former French president, Jacques Chirac visited the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses. He called the Qin warriors â€Å"the eighth wonder of the world†. From then on, the Qin terracotta warriors became famous all over the world. In the years since its discovery, the tomb of the terracotta warriors has become one of China’s most important tourist destinations, drawing thousands of visitors to Xi’an each year (Encyclopedia Britannica). Emperor Qin’s terracotta army is a remarkable demonstration of the First Emperor’s ambition to rule, not only in his lifetime but also in his afterlife. How to cite China’s Terra-Cotta Army, Essay examples

Should Homosexuality be Legalized

â€Å"It is better to be black than gay because when you are black you don’t have to tell your mother† (Barbetta 6). This is the type of attitude that has defined homosexuality for years. There have been debates on whether homosexuality is natural or learnt. Since then, there have been several developments on the issue of gay relationships.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Homosexuality be Legalized? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most states, discrimination of people based on their sexual orientation has been outlawed. This paper intends to argue that legalization of homosexuality does not negatively affect the societal moral fabric or cause any imbalance in relationships. This is because homosexuality is inborn and hence cannot be reversed, it is just like any other expression of love and interest and finally, it cannot be discouraged by law. Most religious organizations have based thei r arguments on religious writings and argued that legalization of homosexuality has contributed to moral decay within the American society. This ethical approach has played great roles even during political campaigns where family values have over ridden the desire to legalize homosexuality especially in school boards and religious organizations. In their arguments, religious bodies argue that marriage is holy union and sacred. They therefore argue that God created man and commissioned him to fill the earth through his union with a woman and not people of the same gender (Ayers and Brown 15). Secondly, anti homosexuality lobbies argue that marriage between two people of the same gender beats logic because it lacks purpose and objective. They argue that marriage between man and woman has a principle purpose of procreation. Marriage between people of the same gender does not have this objective. In addition to procreation, same marriage can be done for the major purpose of property sha ring and companionship. The anti-homosexuality groups argue that these can be achieved without having to get married. There are laws that would comfortably address the issues of property sharing and inheritance (Sherman 14). These arguments however, have not been able to convince pro-homosexuality groups. The latter have also their arguments for homosexuality. First, they argue that homosexuality is natural and inborn. While anti homosexual lobbies argue that this is a behavior learnt from the environment. Science has proved that homosexuality is an inborn affair (Garber 16). Le Vay’s 1991 study pointed out that there are structural differences within the brain of homosexual men and their heterosexual counterparts. According to the study, it was identified that interstitial nuclei situated in the anterior hypothalamus of human brain showed structural differences in the two groups of men.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get yo ur first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In homosexuals, the structure was smaller as compared to the heterosexuals. He concluded that the size of this structure had a role to play in determination of a person’s sexual orientation. This means that homosexuality is not a learnt behavior but a natural phenomenon. It is therefore necessary that such people are given freedom just like other people with genetic deformations that lead to physical disabilities. For instance, should there be rights to protect autistic people, and then there should be rights to protect people with homosexual tendencies because the root cause of these two is similar. In other words, if policy makers come up with rules to discourage people from inclining towards homosexual tendencies, then there should be developed rules to discourage people from being born autistic. This would be a sure expression of inconsideration. Just like heterosexual relationships can be immoral when abused, homosexual rel ationship become immoral if abused (Garber 53). When two grown ups come up with a mutual consent to honestly and sincerely set up a family, there is no tangible or visible form of immorality. Any relationship that is founded on love, understanding, consensus and monogamy is moral. Branding homosexuality immoral is immoral in itself. What would be the verdict in a case where two families are brought before a judge where one family is made up of people of same gender while the other is made up of a man and woman. In the case of the family made up of man and woman, the man is accused of beating up the woman, drinking silly until he forgets to uphold his responsibilities, bedding any woman where opportunity avails itself and doing all sorts of ugly things. On the other side, the homosexual couple is accused of engaging in an illicit and unholy union of people of the same gender. On questioning, it is discovered that the homosexual couple lives peacefully with each member performing his obligations without strain. They love each other completely and are faithful. If the judge has to imprison or tag one of the two families as immoral and a bad example to the young generation, which of the two will bear the tag? Will the homosexual family bear the tag just because it is believed to be unholy while the family where the father commits all forms of crime is taken to be moral? The truth is that morality can only be defined by the ability of the action to be replicated elsewhere and lead to happiness. Every moral action must lead to general happiness. This leads to the issue of law and homosexuality. Homosexuality is a natural and irreversible process that cannot be discouraged by restrictions. Criminalizing and discriminating against homosexuals is a counter productive venture. Criminal penalties are imposed on an act so as to discourage continual participation in this act (Kamiat 230; Borg 33). Therefore, imposing penalties and discriminative laws in relation to homosex uality is meant to discourage people from engaging in this act.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Should Homosexuality be Legalized? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, is it possible to reverse autism? Can a child born with autistic genes be reformed into a normal human being undertaking his roles normally? The truth is no. once a person is born with certain genetic deformations; he remains with the deformations forever. There is no way that these could be reengineered to become normal. Similarly, homosexual tendencies are inborn and cannot be reversed. If an individual is born with relatively small interstitial nuclei, there is no way he can reengineer himself to enlarge this structure of the brain. That means that it is the society that should adjust towards accommodating this individual because once born a homosexual, one will remain a homosexual forever. Regardless of how many laws and regulations discr iminating them, homosexuals cannot change. Putting up laws against them is like discriminating people with other physical disabilities. Specifically, putting a notice at the gate of an organization reading â€Å"no vacancy for homosexuals† is similar to saying â€Å"No vacancy for the physically disabled.† This is discrimination and should be banned. In conclusion, it has been argued by conservatives and religious organizations that homosexuality should not be legalized. Sadly, this article argues against this position. It has argued that legalization of homosexuality does not negatively affect the societal moral fabric or cause any imbalance in relationships. Instead of incriminating homosexuals, the society should look for ways to understand them and make use of this productive group of people in economic development of the country. One Christian woman who sought to understand why his son turned to gay practices found out one thing that could be of great importance t o the society (White 18). She said that the only way people can understand the gay people is not through looking for solutions from legal sources or spiritual books. Neither can their solution be found in science. One can only understand homosexuals by speaking to them. Giving them an ear and understanding their every sentiment. Instead of running up and down arguing from a position that heterosexuals do not really understand, it would be more constructive if we all accepted that homosexuality is structural deformation or inclination with which an individual is born. This means that it is impossible to reverse what has already been made. Instead of trying to force them to desist from the activities, we should encourage them to construct moral families bound together by love, honesty and responsibility. As a society, we should aim towards constructing a positive picture of homosexuals so just like we have constructed a positive picture of other physically disabled people. Policies an d laws discriminating homosexuals should be considered retrogressive and be abolished so that these people fit in the society and contribute positively to the attainment of personal, family, society and nationwide goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Ayers, Tess, and Paul Brown, The Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994. Print. Barbetta, Francine. A Pebble in his Shoe – The Diary of Straight Spouse. New York: Xlibris, 2008. Print. Borg, Marcus. Reading The Bible again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but not Literally. New York: Harper Collins, 2002. Print. Garber, Marjorie. Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing and Cultural Anxiety. London: Routledge, 1992. Print. Kamiat, Arnold. â€Å"A Psychology of Asceticism,† Journal of Abnormal and Social  Psychology, 23 (1928): 223-231. Sherman, Suzanne. Lesbian and Gay Marriage : Private Committments, Public  Ceremonies, Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992. Print. White, Mel. Stranger at the Gate – To be Gay and Christian in America. New York: Plume/Penguin Group, 1995. Print. 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