The Death Of My Grandfather - 1542 Words

When a relative dies, there is no other feeling like this one. Whether it is an immediate relative or not, it still hurts. A question that pops into the human mind is, Why did this happen to my relative? or, What could I have done to prevent this from happening? Many times, as humans feel that there is an answer to everything, even when there is not. Even before I was born, my grandfather loved me. It was so hard for my mother to conceive me that I was known as a miracle baby to not only my mom and dad, but my grandparents as well. I was born two months early and stayed in the hospital for eleven weeks. After that, at the age of two, I caught pneumonia and was admitted back into the hospital for another long stay. My grandfather†¦show more content†¦When I would wake up, he would run to the bathroom. With me not being fully coherent, I would get scared and run to my grandmother who would then tell me that he had laid back in the chair the whole time I was sleep, having to use the bathroom. He did not want to get up because he did not want to wake me. Even then, I knew that he had always put me before his self, and that was one of the most important things I would come to remember about him after he was gone. We spent much of our time together sitting outside watching the people go down the street, while he told me stories about my mom and how similar we were. I loved watching him speak because his words flowed so gracefully as if he had practiced and memorized them for weeks before that day. My grandmother would bring us some lemonade, or a piece of freshly fried chicken and tell us that it was getting dark and we needed to come inside. He would grab my banana seat bike and wheel it into the garage as I gathered my hula-hoop and jump rope following him into the garage. Inside as we would get ready for bed, he would make me a cup of warm milk flavored with just a hint of orange to taste. My grandmother would tuck me in as my grandfather bent over to give me a goodnight kiss right in the middle of my forehead. Around the neighborhood, myShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of My Grandfather844 Words   |  4 Pagespossibilities but in order to make life a little easier is by giving up. Sacrifice is something important or value for the sake of other respect. The sacrifice I had made, was the death of my grandfather. My grandfather was the only person I look up to very closely because he understood me like no other. My grandfather lived in Puerto Rico and since I was six years old, we have done everything that he and I could have possibly think about such as, every night we would go to the beach, the park, theRead MoreMy Grandfather700 Words   |  3 PagesAs a young man, I was raised by my Grandparents. It was from my Grandfather that I learned how to be a man. From him, I acquired the value of a great work ethic, the importance of truthfulness, and of living a life that not only you but, of one that your family could be proud. My Grandfather would always say something impressing that having a good name would carry me further than anything else in life. There is an essay in Ideas Across Time: Classic And Contemporary Readings For Composition, by IgorRead MoreMy Views On Death And Death1263 Words   |  6 PagesSpeaking about death in any aspect is something that my family does not speak in conversation at all. We avoid this conversation because it is a sensitive subject that is not thought about as we focus more on living life instead. Living life, going through experiences, cherishing the moments and memories, are the things we focus on as a family; not wondering how death will come upon us. As much as we live life to the fullest potential, it is important to understand that death will happen one dayRead MoreBaseball Memoir Essay1352 Words   |  6 Pagesspend countless hours in the backyard with my grandfather, or even by myself, tossing, hitting and fielding a baseball. When I wasnt in the yard pretending to be  Nomar Garciaparra  I would watch the Boston Red Sox gam es on TV with my Grandfather.   Even in my early adolescence, as impatient as most are, I had the patience to sit there and watch the Sox.With my  eyes glued to the screen with a look of anticipation fixed on my face ready to  mimic my grandfather  with the  excitement  of a home run hit orRead MoreMy Grandfather Eulogy901 Words   |  4 Pagesthe next. I have experienced the death of some very important people in my life, my grandfather being one of them. At the beginning of this year my great grandfather died, and after his death I realized that I took his life for granted. From this horrible experience, I have learned to appreciate the time I have with the people I love, and I have learned to show people my love rather than have people assume my love for them. My family and I lived with our grandfather after our grandmother passed awayRead More Vietnam War Essay578 Words   |  3 PagesVeteran I interviewed was my grandfather; he was 27 years old during the time of the war. He volunteered to go to Vietnam because he didn’t like picking fruits and vegetables in the hot sun with his father. That’s when he decided to join the service and he volunteered to go to Vietnam. My grandfather only served one tour, because he wanted to go home to his family. So, his younger brother Rick who was single volunteered to go to Vietnam. My grandfather told me that Rick had a death wish so it didn’t reallyRead MoreSmoking Cigarettes Should Be Banned1012 Words   |  5 Pagesthose around him or her. I cannot stress this enough. At the age of six, I had lost my grandfather to lung cancer. Even though I was at such a young age, I still vividly remember the pain that my grandfather was experiencing while he was in the hospital. Every tim e I heard him cough, my heart would sink. From hearing his cough, one would be able to tell that his lungs were poor and were badly damaged. My grandfather would have to muster all of his strength in order to let out one wheezing cough. HeRead MoreThe Darko Farms853 Words   |  4 Pagesgrandparent during the 1960, and this became one of the biggest family job for my family. however, out of the struggle and success the family was established and it grew large. my great parent were married in back in the 1915 with 5 children were born at in the Ashanti region in Ghana and three children at Cleland. One of these children were my grandfather Albert adu boahen, Boahen was my grandfather s mother s name, five children were born at the northern part of the countryRead More The Chamber: A Look Into The Novel And Film Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pageswho tries to save his grandfather is on death row. This story is now a major motion picture. This story carries a strong emotional following to it because it both questions and supports the death penalty in different ways. Grisham shows this when he writes: quot; ‘ Ive hurt a lot of people, Adam, and I havent always stopped to think about it. But when you have a date with the grim reaper, you think about the damage youve done. quot; The messages about the death penalty are brought aboutRead MoreLifespan Reflection Paper865 Words   |  4 Pagesunderlie human behavior. I will be analyzing my development through the psychoanalytic theory. Everyone is born with the knowledge to breathe, but not everyone knows how to breathe properly.When I was the age of five, I had a difficult time breathing. The natural position for healthy breathing is always with a closed mouth, inhaling and exhaling through the nose. I was unable to perform that action, the only comfortable way I knew how to breath was through my mouth. It might seem like a silly thing to

tragoed Essay on the Tragic Flaws of Oedipus the King...

The Tragic Flaws of Oedipus Rex nbsp; At one time in our lives there is a moment that we may think of ourselves as better than someone or something else. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a great error in judgment. In the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, both of these characteristics can be seen in the main character. These characteristics are known as tragic flaws. These flaws are known as hubris meaning excess pride, leading to overconfidence, and hamartia meaning errors and weakness in judgment. Both of these characteristics are the main reason of destruction and downfall in mankind and the tragic hero in this play. The tragic hero is unable to escape his misfortune that is destined to happen.†¦show more content†¦It ends sorrowfully and disastrously, and this outcome seems inevitable. In a tragedy, the main character can also be seen as the tragic hero. The tragic hero in this play is Oedipus. He is neither good nor bad. Due to the flaws in his actions and behaviors, he will fa ll from the good graces of everyone surrounding him. nbsp; The first incident where Oedipus shows an error in judgment, is when he disregards Teiresiass warning. He is too hardheaded to even listen to what Teiresias has to say to him. In doing this, he creates his own downfall. He disregards all the information given to him because he believes he knows his own destiny, he believes he has done everything in his power to change his misfortune. nbsp; Another incident where there is an error in judgment, is when Oedipus runs from his own homeland including his mother and father. He is trying to escape of fate. He was told by the gods above that he would, in his future, kill his father and marry his mother. By moving somewhere else, he believes the gods will be unable to touch him. As seen throughout the play, nothing Oedipus does or will do, can change his fate. nbsp; A moment in Oedipuss behavior where hubris can be seen is when he is talking to Teiresias. He treats the man with such disrespect and acts as if the man is inflicted with some sort of horrible disease. He also acts as though he is on a different level then him. To him, Teiresias has no feelings and

Far From The Madding Crowd Essay Example For Students

Far From The Madding Crowd Essay Robert Cormier is known for not taking a morraly simplistic postition when reagarding the right and wrong of the terroists and patriotes. This is shown with Miro as Cormier often reminds the reader that he is still human. He does this by initially relating him with negativity as he feels anger, fear, and frustration. This makes the reader perseave him as heartless and with no consideration toward others, as the only times he feels excitment is when the action and killings. His human side is protrayed as he interacts with Kate, as he always seems to come away from her feeling anoyed with himself as his defences has been let down. These standard feelings makes the reader feel shocked as their perseption of terroists are played with and twisted. However, a sterio-typical feature of a terroist is loyalty towards its leader; Miro never fails to demonstrate this towards Artkin throughout the novel. Miro is always looking out to impress Artkin, on the contary, Miro seems to doubt who Artkin really is on occasions, for example, in Chapter 10, Kate: Those two men who were with you are dead, the one you called Antibbe and the black guy. And Artkin. Whos left? Nobody. Your brothers dead. And now your father. Miro:He looked at her, startled. His breath, stale and rancid, entered her mouth, her nostrils. My father what do you mean? Now my father? Kate: Artkin. He was your father, wasnt he? Miro:Its not possible. Artkin his father? He could not acknowledge that truth, if it were truth. The develpoment that Cormier creates of the characters during the novel effects the reader in such away which makes them feel drawn into the characters progress rather than the plots progress. Inevitably, this creates a deep connection between them and the characters. I can conlcude that due to the Terroist situation of our time now, After the First Death, will therefore hold more relevance the the modern day reader. However, Far From the Madding crowd, is much more complexed and cultured yet is meily tackle industrial problems of the eighteenth centuary, which may appeal to the elder reader, but this depends on a personal preference. The authors of each novel have included a geat involvment of characters; each containing a sterio-typical aspect to their characters used, which is a technique enabling the reader the relate to certain qualities. Robert Cormier creates a deeper relationship and involment between reader and personality of the character. Thomas Hardy has a very srong and involved narrative voice, unlike Robert Cormier, who leaves the description of events and ideas through the development of the characers and the plot. The intended audience is obviously to be different as they are written in completely different centuarys. In my opinion, After the first Death appeals to the younger generation, as it has less complex language and a stronger type of adventure in the plot which appeals to them. In comparison, Far from the Madding crowd, appeals to the more rustic concerned characters, who enjoy the courtyside imagry. I personally feel that both novels are successul in fufilling their aims to achieve the type of enjoyment intended audinces require.

The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor Essay Example For Students

The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor Essay The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor an accurate portrayal of how the villages of a small village situated in Derbyshire called Eyam coped with the arrival of the plague in 1665. In the civil war Charles I had little understanding of Scotland. The Scottish church was Presbyterian it was against having bishops. Charles I tried to force the Scots to follow English forms of worship. In 1638 the Scots drew up a petition, the national covenant, rejecting his demands. Charles I went to war with the covenanters in 1639 and 1640, but was forced to make peace. Charles I now tried to come to an agreement with the English parliament, but failed. In 1647 he fled to the isle of white. He made a secret deal with his former enemies in Scotland, promising them the reforms they desired. The Scots marched on England and there were royalist risings in Wales, too. However all were defeated and by 1649 Charles was imprisoned. On 30 January 1649, Charles I was marched from saint Jamess palace to Whitehall. At one oclock the king stepped to the scaffold. When the axe had fallen, his head was shown to the ranks of soldiers and the crowd. We will write a custom essay on The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The nation was now republic. The parliament ruled the land instead of a king or queen. It governed through a council of state, made up of 40 members. However as far as the army was concerned, parliament was much too cautious in its reforms. In 1653 power was handed over to one man, Oliver Cromwell, who was appointed lord protector. His rule was harsh but effective. He attempted to bring in military rule, and in 1556 he was even offered the crown. Oliver Cromwell died on a stormy night in 1658. His son Richard know as tumbledown dick was made lord protector, but had little taste for power. The revolution was over. After eleven years of Oliver Cromwell and his puritan government, Charles II is restored to the throne. In the village of eyam, the tensions created by the civil war continue, and an uneasy peace has settled over the village. Then a deadly disease arrives and the play tells us of how it took the lives of many innocent villagers. The plague was supposedly brought into Eyam by a man called George Vicars. He came to Eyam in August, 1665 and found lodging with a lead miners widow called Mary Cooper. Around the end of August a box of material was sent to him. Tradition says that it came from London. When he opened the box, he found that the clothes were damp and so he laid them out to dry. The disease struck quickly and within about 5 or 6 days of his first symptoms, Vicars died. 15 days later, Edward Cooper, son of Mary Cooper, also died, quickly followed by several of their neighbours. Now the villagers knew that a deadly disease was spreading, and that they could not escape it. William Mompesson, the new rector of Eyam, asked the villagers to stay in the village in fear of the infection spreading. Food parcels were delivered to the boundaries of the village, and the villagers would collect them from there. They were paid for by coins which were dipped in vinegar to disinfect them. The grim task of burying the dead fell to the village sexton and the victims were often buried hurriedly in graves which were scattered around the village. Usually there was no funeral service, for gatherings of people were discouraged for fear of spreading the infection. When the plague ended in 1666, eyam had a population of approximately 73, 277 people had died. .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .postImageUrl , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:hover , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:visited , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:active { border:0!important; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:active , .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6 .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc13215ce746a76ee08981c0e86d078d6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare and contrast 'The Darkness Out There' by Penelope Lively and 'The Red Room' by H G Wells EssayThe recently appointed rector William Mompesson, who I have already mentioned, moved to the village with his family, his wife Catherine and two children of four and five and he is looking upon it as a positive step. He is a well educated man who has spent 10 years at Cambridge. My intelligence could have made me a civil servant or a diplomat I chose Christ because of a visionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In eyam I shall lay the first foundation of Gods houseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ He is first shown around the village by his patron, George Saville who thinks the village itself is bleak. He gives Mompesson advice that 200 people n the village are still friends with the former rector so they are his enemies Thomas Stanleyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ he was the old rector here under Cromwellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there are about three hundred and fifty people in this village perhaps two hundred of them are still his friends; which means that theyre your enemies It will be a real test, William, dont undervalue it Shortly after his arrival he has his first meeting with the former rector. It takes place at a wake being held for Emmot and Rowlands wedding. The stage directions used when Stanley enters gives us a description of him and what he used to do: Thomas Stanley enters. He is a rather down-at-heel looking puritan preacher in his fifties, an imposing man with a mane of white hair, seeming to bring on stage with him, in his very appearance, a memory of the puritan revolution at its most positive and idealistic stage. Stanley is very bitter towards mompesson, when he introduces himself. He immediately dismisses any thing the new rector says. Then you will have learned that there is Wright and wrong and that oil and vinegar in the same jar wont mix without a beating. You build your palace and I will build mine, and let god decide which of us has constructed a tomb. My thanks for your kindness sir shortly after this meeting there is word that George vicars has become sick and the village seem scared and now do seem to look up to mompesson more because they are scared. Quote Mompesson is unsure about seeing the sick villager but eventually goes to see him. Once mompesson has realised it is the plague he talks to his wife about leaving but she reassures him and tells him to stick it out and do all he can to help. Quote This is where we are first introduced to Catharine properly and through out the play she supports he husband but she had a turning point in act three. She is having doubts and is worried about her children as they are only four and five and she doesnt want them to die. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must I go in to our children and say to them, my darlings, youre only four and five , but your father says you must be strong, so if you die neat week without having had any life you mustnt mind, because thats what god wantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Also at the time of this conversation we have an example of stage craft as there are two conversations at the same time. His one between mompesson and Catherine and Stanley having second thoughts about shutting up the village. However both of these are resolved as mompesson decides to send his children away and Stanley talks to mompesson about his doubts and they are resolved. As we reach the end of the play all of these characters have changed in a way. Stanley decides to put aside his dislike for the new rector and helped to rid the village of the plague. Mompesson had doubts at the beginning and thought about leaving but he stuck it out and helps to get rid of the plague, and Catherine is very positive at the beginning supporting mompesson but even she shows she has doubts about the village.

All the College Ranking Lists You Should Read

All the College Ranking Lists You Should Read SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips People love ranking lists. It seems that the majority of articles posted on social media and television shows on basic cable are ranking something, from the prettiest celebrities to the best songs of the 1980's. The fascination with college ranking lists has been around for over 30 years since the U.S. News World Report debuted its list in 1983. There are quite a few college ranking lists out there, but which ones are the best ones? Which ones should you look at? Honestly, all overall college ranking lists are flawed, and you should spend more time researching and visiting colleges than obsessing over college rankings to determine which college you should attend. However, in this article I will detail the pros and cons of different college ranking lists and of college ranking lists in general. You can obtain some worthwhile information from these lists, so you shouldn't completely dismiss them. The Benefits of Using College Ranking Lists From looking at college ranking lists, you can discover colleges you may not have been familiar with that could be a good fit for you. By looking at these lists, you may find a school that matches what you're looking for in a college. College ranking lists provide extensive data in one place for you to compare schools. In one list, you can see statistics for different colleges like average class size, high school GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and cost. Also, these lists give you a rough idea of the reputations of different colleges. While these lists are subjective, they do tend to reflect how colleges are regarded in the academic and professional worlds. There is probably little difference between a #1 and a #5 school in terms of reputation, but the #1 school in a list is going to have a better reputation than #100. Finally, these lists can give you an idea of what you need to do to make yourself competitive for admission to a specific college. These ranking lists often give you the average GPA, standardized test scores, and the percentage of students who graduate in the top 10% and 25% in their high school classes. From these numbers, you can determine what you should accomplish to make yourself a qualified applicant. Your numbers should compare favorably to those of the average student at a particular collegeif you want to give yourself a realistic shot at gaining admission. Why You Should Avoid Basing Your College Decisions on the Rankings Some of the criteria these lists use to compile their rankings are highly subjective and are based on survey responses. "Quality of life" and "academics" can be major factors for rankings and both are often based on opinions from surveys. The primary problem with these survey results is that they don't seem to be representative; they suffer from voluntary response bias and nonresponse bias. For example, Princeton Review ranks colleges in 62 categories. Often, a college alerts the student body that the Princeton Review surveys are available online and then students choose to complete the surveys. Those students who volunteer to take the surveys are likely to not be representative of the student population as a whole. Typically, those who would volunteer have stronger opinions than those of the average student. Similarly, U.S. News World Report determines the academic quality of an institution based on survey responses from top academics and administrators from other colleges and from high school counselors. Are those who choose to respond to the surveys necessarily representative of all college representatives and high school counselors? Some top academics and knowledgeable high school counselors who are sent surveys choose not to submit responses. Additionally, some colleges, like Reed College, may have their rankings affected because they choose not to submit information because they do not want to participate in college ranking lists. Students can get too focused on the rankings instead of figuring out which school is the best fit for them. There's probably not much difference in the quality of education at a #5 school vs. a #10 school. The #10 school may be a much better fit for a student who could excel academically at both. Furthermore, colleges are motivated and influenced by the rankings. Colleges understand that these rankings are popular and influential. They'll spend money on things the lists consider important or aggressively recruit students who have little chance of gaining admission just to raise their selectivity rating to increase their rank. Finally, and perhaps most disturbingly, schools cheat to improve their rankings. Colleges have lied (and probably do lie) when reporting their numbers to college ranking lists to get a better rank. Colleges have cheated to improve their rank. How Should Reputation Factor Into Your College Decision? As much as some of us like to discount the importance of reputation, it can play a significant role. Colleges that are ranked more highly often have more motivated and academically gifted students, and colleges that do well in the rankings tend to have influential alumni and professional connections that can have a positive impact on your future. Similarly, graduates from well-ranked schools are often favored when they apply to professional or graduate schools. Keep in mind that your work ethic and aptitude will have a far greater influence on your future success than the college you attend. You can be highly successful regardless of the college you go to; however, going to a highly ranked school will offer you undeniable advantages. Now, let's take a look at some of the better and more well-known lists. U.S. News World Report The U.S. News college rankings are viewed as the gold standard of college ranking lists. Its list is the most well-known and referenced. Here is a basic overview of how U.S. News determines its rankings: A total weight of 30% is given to factors related to student retention and graduation rates. It gives a 22.5% weight to a school's academic reputation based on survey responses from peer institutions and high school counselors. The remaining 47.5% is devoted to objective statistics about the school including measures of selectivity, faculty information, financial resources, and alumni giving. Pros U.S. News separates colleges into four categories for its rankings: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. The categories allow for more direct comparisons and prevent ranking a large public college with 40,000 undergraduate students against a small liberal arts college with less than 1,000. Because U.S. News surveys top academics and college administrators to determine academic reputation, the rankings do provide a general idea of how well regarded a school is in academia. U.S. News rankings heavily emphasize student retention rates and graduation rates. Both are important factors to consider when choosing a college. They provide some clues about the quality of the support services and the student satisfaction level at different colleges Finally, because the U.S. News rankings are the most prestigious of all the ranking lists, they are the most influential and help shape public opinion. The top-ranked schools in U.S. News are generally considered to be the best schools by employers, academics, and admissions committees. Graduation rate is an important factor in the rankings. Cons Not all colleges are ranked in the U.S. News rankings. For the latest rankings, 148 colleges are listed as "unranked" within the four categories of schools. Schools are unranked because they lack regional accreditation, fewer than 200 students are enrolled, they don't use the SAT or ACT in admissions decisions, or they didn't get enough responses on the U.S. News peer assessment survey. Therefore, if you're interested in a very small school or a college that doesn't use standardized tests in admissions decisions, this rankings list won't be very helpful for you. Also, in the U.S. News rankings, there is little emphasis on quality of life. The most important criteria for the U.S. News rankings are the surveys regarding academic quality and the rates for student retention and graduation. This rankings list is less helpful than others in indicating how much students enjoy their experience at a particular college. While I previously mentioned some of the problems with relying on survey responses in U.S. News to determine academic reputation, there is an additional major problem. Many of those who respond to the surveys may not even be qualified to assess the academics at different colleges. The typical respondent grades about half of the colleges in his or her category. There are 262 National Universities. Are respondents knowledgeable enough to evaluate the academic programs of over 100 colleges, or are they simply relying on reputations generated from earlier rankings? Prominent writer Malcolm Gladwell addresses this point in a New Yorker article: (W)henU.S. Newsasks a university president to perform the impossible task of assessing the relative merits of dozens of institutions he knows nothing about, he relies on the only source of detailed information at his disposal that assesses the relative merits of dozens of institutions he knows nothing about:U.S. News...The U.S. News ratings are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Furthermore, the criteria used in U.S. News rankings seem to favor private colleges almost by default while disadvantaging public schools. Private schools often score higher in selectivity because public schools are more focused on being accessible to qualified in-state applicants. Similarly, because private colleges tend to have significantly lower student populations, they can offer smaller classes and their student-faculty ratio is lower. However, public colleges can offer advantages that are not measured nor reflected in the rankings. Public colleges can have larger and more diverse student bodies, more academic programs and majors, and more extracurricular activities. Finally, U.S. News rankings don't directly consider the salaries of graduates nor the likelihood of getting the job you want after graduating. Many people go to college specifically to prepare for a certain career or to get a well-paying job after they graduate. U.S. News rankings may not be as beneficial in helping you to decide which college is most likely to help you reach your professional goals. U.S. News doesn't consider the salaries of graduates. Forbes The Forbes college rankings list is newer and less prestigious than the U.S. News list, but the Forbes list is still very popular and Forbes is considered to be a reputable publication. Forbes emphasizes student outcomes from colleges to determine its rankings. Rankings are heavily dependent on post-graduation success, freshman retention rates, and graduation rates. Here is a general breakdown of the factors that determine the Forbes rankings: A weight of 25% is given to Student Satisfaction, which is determined from student evaluations from RateMyProfessors.com (7.5%), freshman retention rates (12.5%), predicted freshman retention rates compared to actual rates (2.5%), and a school satisfaction survey conducted by Forbes via Facebook (2.5%). A full 32.5% of the rankings is based on post-graduate success, which is determined from alumni salary statistics gathered from Payscale.com (10%) and rewarding the alma maters of those who are on the Center for College Affordability and Productivity's America's Leaders List (22.5%). America's Leaders List is composed of people who are at the top of their fields, including Nobel and Pulitzer winners, Guggenheim and MacArthur fellows, those elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and winners of an Academy Award, Emmy, Tony, or Grammy. A weight of 25% is given to student debt, which is determined by average federal student loan debt (10%), student loan default rates (12.5%), and predicted vs. actual federal student loan debt (2.5%). Graduation rate counts for 7.5% of the rankings. Graduation rate is divided into the four-year graduation rate (5%) and the predicted vs. actual four-year graduation rate (2.5%). Finally, academic success makes up the final 10% of the rankings. Academic success is based on students who receive prestigious academic awards like the Rhodes Scholarship (7.5%) and alumni who get PhDs (2.5%). Pros "Student Satisfaction" is an important component of the rankings.The Forbes listmay be more beneficial than the U.S. News list in determining the quality of life at different colleges. Because you'll probably be spending at least four years at the college you attend, you want to not only choose a school that will educate you well and prepare you for your future, but also you want to be happy during those years. You want to enjoy your living environment, your peers, and the time you spend outside of class. By emphasizing post-graduate success, the Forbes list may give you a better indication of the impact of a specific college on your attaining your future professional goals. Finally, the emphasis on student debt in the Forbes rankings separates it from most of the other college ranking lists. By measuring the average federal student loan debt and the student loan default rate, the Forbes list may give you an idea of the affordability of a school, the generosity of a school's financial aid, and whether students are capable of paying back their loans after they graduate. Cons Unlike U.S. News, Forbes does not separate colleges into categories. There is no distinction between the different types of colleges in the Forbes rankings. It's extremely difficult to effectively compare schools that vary tremendously in size, degree options, and research capabilities. Because some of these colleges are so different from one another, it's impossible to determine which school is "better" for everyone. For example, how can you rank Penn State University, which has over 40,000 undergraduates and more than 160 majors against Wesleyan College, which has fewer than 700 undergraduate students and only 31 majors? Additionally, the Forbes list can favor schools that have wealthy student bodies. A college's student debt grade may not reflect the generosity of the school's financial aid or whether students get high-paying jobs after they graduate. Students from affluent families are less likely to have to take out loans and are more likely to be able to pay back loans. Therefore, schools that have more wealthy students are likely to do well in the "student debt" component of the rankings. There is still only a small emphasis paid to the actual student experience. The student satisfaction survey given to students is only a very small component of the rankings. Additionally, information from Rank My Professors is hardly a reliable source to determine how happy students are with their classes at a particular school. Teacher evaluations from Rank My Professors are not representative because they suffer from nonresponse bias. Most students don't use that website. Furthermore,Forbes rankings provide little information about what life is like on campus. Finally, Forbes has a very narrow definition of success. "Student Success" is based on the salary of alumni and whether students obtain prestigious positions and awards. Schools with pre-professional programs in potentially high-paying fields like accounting and business may get a bump in the rankings. That doesn't mean much to you if you're not interested in pursuing accounting or business. Similarly, colleges who have more alumni who go into less lucrative fields like teaching or non-profit work may score poorly in "Student Success." However, that is no indication that a college isn't good or that its alumni aren't successful. Niche Niche is a website that has been around since 2002. It provides rankings and reviews for neighborhoods, cities, and schools. The Niche college rankings are less well-known than those of U.S. News and Forbes. However, the Niche college rankings list does provide some information and advantages that the other ranking lists don't have. Niche rankings are based on the overall experience at traditional 4-year colleges and universities. How does Niche determine the "overall experience" at a school? The academics grade counts for 35% of a school's ranking. The academics grade is based on objective statistics like acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, research expenditures, 6-year graduation rate, professor salary index, admissions yield, freshman retention rate, freshman National Merit Scholars, and faculty awards. Additionally, Niche incorporates survey responses from students regarding the quality of academics at their college and statistics and survey responses about diversity on campus to determine the academics grade. Then, 12% of the rankings are based on student survey responses about the overall experience at the college they currently or recently attended. Additional factors that influence the rankings are statistics and student survey responses based on campus quality (8%), loan default rate (6%), athletics (5%), average net price (5%), diversity (5%), local area (5%), endowment per full-time student (4%), "guys and girls" (4%), health and safety (4%), party scene (4%), and private gifts/grants per full-time student (3%). Niche grades colleges' party scenes. Pros Niche relies on many more factors to determine its rankings. The rankings are based on more than 50 statistics and survey responses on 20 topics from almost 300,000 current students and alumni. Niche tries to incorporate every factor that could possibly influence the college experience, from the acceptance rate to the attractiveness of guys and girls on campus. It seems to be a more well-rounded ranking list instead of just using factors that it deems important. Also, the Niche rankings place a much higher emphasis on factors that are related to quality of life. Student survey responses about the quality of the overall experience at the college count for 12% of the rankings. Additionally, Niche gives scores for "campus quality," "athletics," and "party scene." Besides overall college rankings, Niche also provides college rankings in 54 different categories. Some of those ranking lists include "best campus food," "best academics," "best party schools," and "safest campus." You can focus on the ranking lists in categories that are important to you instead of just looking at the overall rankings that may utilize criteria that don't matter to you. Another positive of the Niche rankings is that they incorporate average net price. Net price is the average cost of a school after financial aid for students receiving grants or scholarship aid. Unlike metrics such as average amount of federal loans and loan default rate, net price doesn't favor schools with more wealthy students. Finally, Niche is one of the few ranking lists that factors in diversity in its rankings. Diversity doesn't just refer to the ethnic and racial breakdown of the student body. Niche uses "diversity" to mean that a school "fosters a community that accepts and promotes a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses." Also, a diverse school has a significant percentage of international students and students that represent every geographic region of the United States, and the faculty is diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity. Cons Niche is not as well-known asU.S. News or Forbes. Because its rankings are not as prestigious or referenced, they have much less of an impact on the reputations of different colleges. Additionally, because Niche uses many more factors in its rankings, it's likely to use criteria that don't matter to you in a college. You may not be very concerned about a school's party scene, the athletics, or how the girls rank. Those are all factors in the Niche rankings. Final Thoughts Use college ranking lists to determine the reputations of different colleges. The ranking lists do tend to reflect and shape public opinion. While the exact ranking of a school will vary from list to list, the colleges that are consistently ranked highly do offer advantages while you're in college and after you graduate. Browse college ranking lists to discover new colleges that may be a good fit for you. You may not be familiar with Amherst College, Bowdoin College, or Pomona College, but Forbes ranks all three of them within their top 20 colleges. There are literally thousands of colleges, and ranking lists can introduce you to excellent schools that may match what you're looking for in a college. Instead of just looking at overall college ranking lists, pay attention to lists that focus on criteria that matter to you. You can look at lists from Niche that rank schools based on "best technology" or "best food" if you care about those things. Overall college rankings vary from list to list because there are so many factors that go into the college experience, and there is no exact science to determine if one school is better than another. U.S. News ranks the University of Chicago as the #3 National University while Forbes ranks it as the #18 college. Don't get too caught up in the specific ranking of a school. Each list focuses on the criteria that it deems important. When you're looking at a college rankings list, you should also be familiar with how the rankings are determined. Finally, college rankings should only be one small tool you use to help determine your college decision. More important than a college's ranking is figuring out whether or not the school is a good fit for you. Does it have the extracurricular activities you want to pursue? Does the school excel in the academic areas that most interest you? Are there appropriate support services that will allow you to be successful? How's the social climate? Make sure you know how to choose a college. What's Next? Instead of solely relying on ranking lists, use the best college search websites to help you find the right college for you. Also, learn more about the differences between public and private colleges. If you need to improve your grades to help get into the college of your choice, check out this post on how to raise your GPA in high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Grow Epsom Salt Crystals

How to Grow Epsom Salt Crystals You can find Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) in the laundry and pharmacy sections of most stores. Epsom salt crystals are safe to handle, easy to grow and form quickly. You can grow clear crystals or add food coloring if you prefer. Heres what you need to know to make your own crystals. Difficulty: Easy Epsom Salt Crystal Materials 1/4 cup Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate)1/2 cup watershallow bowl or dishsponge (optional)food coloring (optional) Heres How Boil the water in a microwave or on the stove.Remove the water from heat and add the Epsom salts. Stir the mixture until the salt is fully dissolved. If desired, add food coloring.If you have floating sediment (common if using impure Epsom salt), you can pour the liquid through a coffee filter to remove it. Use the liquid to grow the crystals and discard the coffee filter.Pour the mixture over a piece of sponge (optional) or into a shallow container. You need just enough liquid to cover the bottom of the container.For larger crystals, place the container in a warm or sunny location. Crystals will form as the water evaporates. For fast crystals (which will be smaller and delicate-looking), cool the liquid quickly by placing the container in the refrigerator. Cooling the crystals produces thin needles within half an hour. Tips The sponge provides an extra surface area to allow the crystals to form more quickly and helps make them a bit easier to view and handle.Compare the appearance of the Epsom salts before stirring them into the water with the appearance of the crystals that are produced.

Social Influence- Organization Behavior Case Study

Social Influence- Organization Behavior - Case Study Example   This is particularly true if the super-powerful leader becomes the organization’s brand, as observed in the case of Oprah Winfrey. Most stakeholders may, therefore, support the organization because of her presence and image and should these fade, the stakeholders would withdraw their support irrespective of the nature of a new leader. Another danger of a single super-powerful leader in an organization is limited room for growth of other leaders. This is because of actual lack of growth opportunities as the leader assumes most responsibility or because other leaders may feel inferior and shy away from assuming challenging responsibilities. Another potential danger of the arrangement is negative effects of inefficiencies of the powerful leader because such inefficiencies may go unchallenged, and the effects uncorrected. Since it is associated with centralized management, a single power center is likely to threaten advantages of decentralization such as high level of commitment and communication among employees (Gupta 138). Winfrey might ensure her succession through three strategies: rational persuasion, inspirational appeal, and consultation. Rational persuasion might help her to convince stakeholders that perceived power gap between her and other leaders is not real. In succeeding in this, Oprah might ensure that all stakeholders, especially other leaders in the organization, are acceptable and have equal opportunities to succeed her. This might also develop a sense of equality between her and other leaders to make the leaders acceptable should her personality fade or she leaves the organization. The inspirational appeal is another effective way in which Oprah might ensure effective succession because of possible effects of grooving new leaders who can rise to take her place and, like her, develop their own  brands that command an audience.  

Healthcare System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Healthcare System - Research Paper Example The earliest ones only offered coverage against accidents related from travel by rail or steamboat. The plans did, however, pave way for more comprehensive plans covering all illnesses and injuries. The first group policy giving comprehensive benefits was offered by Massachusetts Health Insurance of Boston in 1847. Insurance companies issued the first individual disability and illness policies in about 1890 (www.neurosurgical.com). What we recognize as modern medicine, Cohn writes, began in the 1920s, wherein doctors and hospitals, having only during the previous decade learned enough about disease that they could be reliably helpful in treating sick people, began charging more than most individuals could easily pay (qtd. in Noah). This demand on expensive medical and hospital assistance paved way for the first modern group health insurance plan in 1929. A group of teachers in Dallas, Texas, contracted with Baylor Hospital for room, board, and medical services in exchange for a monthly fee (www.neurosurgical.com). This was well known as the Blue Cross. The Blues were essentially non-profit health insurers who served local community organizations. In exchange for a tax break, Blue Cross organizations kept premiums reasonably low (Noah). As the modernization continued so did the sophistication of medical knowledge and technology. This led to healthcare assistance to cost more and for private insurers to be interested in the business of healthcare insurance. The competition between several insurers broke down the non-profit advantage of the Blues. Private insurers went to a direction where they go for healthier, less risk customers resulting to difficulty for people much in need of the services to afford getting healthcare insurance. There have been many attempts to solve the problems on the cost of healthcare assistance. One of which was the Committee on the Cost of Medical Care or the CMCC. Karen Palmer stated that the committee

Typhoons Case Essay Example for Free

Typhoons Case Essay Being raised in a country where typhoons are frequent has helped me a lot. It made me the type of person who is always on his guard and very vigilant. Typhoons strike our country practically every month and it could last for days. On the first few signs of a typhoon coming, my instincts become to protect my family, all our belongings, and myself. And that feat is not very easy when you come face to face with a rather catastrophic natural disaster. Typhoons have also made me a quick-thinker. Typhoons would require you to think on the spur of the moment as lives can either be saved or lost. Everything you have worked for can be gone in an instant. Saving others in times of typhoons is critical. There has been an instance that the typhoon became so strong and it blew our neighbor’s roof away. I was faced with a scenario wherein I can help them by asking them to come into my house and stay there until after the storm subsides, but I can endanger myself in that process. Or I can just protect myself and wait for them come to my door. This simple instance has helped realize that typhoons could bring out the best and the worst in a person. And I did go out and helped. Typhoons are a natural calamity. If you look at it on one side, it is nothing but an inconvenience to our lives and our livelihood. But if you look at it harder, it is some sort of a test a test of will and strength. Only a person who has come so near to a life-shattering event can view life differently. He will not be careless or irresponsible. Typhoons are strong forces. No man can make it or will it to go away. The only weapon you have against it is your strong will and determination that after it has passed by, the sun will surely shine once more.

Essay --

The Christian view of theology is found in two ways: general revelation and special revelation. General revelation is available to all people at all times and can be found in the nature and design of the entire universe. Special revelation is given to specific people at specific times and places and can be found in Christ and the Scriptures. These two types of revelation show something very important to the cornerstone of Christian theology, it shows that God is personal. Through the revelation it can be seen that God is self-aware, self-determining, and He has emotions, the characteristics of a person. Another key idea to Christian theology is the fact that God is triune, He exists in the Father, Son, and the Spirit. Each one of the three branches serves a different purpose, but all are equally important and equally powerful. Matthew 28:19 affirms the idea of the Trinity by saying â€Å"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost:†, mentioning every part of the trinity. God is a loving God who gave us His own Son in order to save us from our sins even though we didn’t deserve to be saved. Our Christian theology is based on this idea that Christ came and died for our sins, with this idea Christianity either stands or falls. Philosophy is also a major part in the Christian worldview even though some people use the first part of Colossians 2:8, which tells us not to be deceived by philosophy, as a way to say our faith doesn’t need to have reason and doesn’t have to be defended. These people negate the second part of the verse which says to not fall prey to philosophy based on man’s ideas. One question directed towards Christianity is the question of how is it po... ...volution in order to create humans. This idea however, is ridiculous and inefficient, and with an understanding Christians are able to defend the idea that God created all things. One of greatest arguments for Creationism is the idea of teleology, because there is design in the universe there must be a designer. We can see this in DNA, which has an incredible amount of order and information in just a small space, and functions as the blueprint for life. The gene pool is another thing that supports the idea of Creationism because it shows that macroevolution, not microevolution, is impossible. Creatures aren’t able to breed outside of their own gene pools, and we can see that this didn’t happen because of the many gaps in the fossil record. The Christian view of Creationism provides a good explanation for the origins of life, which points back to an all-powerful God.

Homelessness and Solutions Homeless People

Let’s all help the homeless During the past decade there may have been an increase in homelessness due to the struggles of daily life. People have many ideas on ways that the government or communities can help improve these situations. It is not easy to help the homeless but any help can improve their lives and our streets. It may not take them completely off our streets but it can help them to get back on their feet.In a New York Times article, â€Å"Rooms of Their Own† on January 21, 1990 by Anna Quindlen, she reports that after observing people on the streets that all they want it a safe place to live to call home where they can have some privacy. She describes that many are mentally ill that the government cannot support any longer. Some homeless are former inmates that just need a little help getting back into society. Anna argues that the government should have to help by housing them in small studio like room to help them get back on their feet.By doing this it m ay get them back in the community and working soon to be on their own and not need the help any longer. Stuart D. Bykofsky complains in Newsweek, â€Å" No Heart for the Homeless†, on December 1, 1986 that he is fed up with the homeless laying around in the streets and making his community disgusting and unsafe to walk. He argues that why should individuals settle for these kinds of people living on there property for free and get away with it. He believes that it is not fair that they get to live on the streets for free and whileRivas 2 tax payers are getting fined for any reason. Stuart explains that the homeless need no excuse to live on the streets if there is a shelter to go to. It is their choice to go but if they choose not to then they should be fined for it as well. Not all homeless are the same because they all have different situations on why they have become homeless. Some of them have gotten laid off and simply cannot find w a job to support their families. This is all a part of Steven’s Vanderstaaty claim in his book, â€Å"Solutions Homeless People Seek†.He reveals that these unemployed people just want to work so they can get back into the community, but believe they shouldn’t have to go through all different kinds of training and programs for a job that they already have experience in. He points out that what homeless need is help getting back to society by their certain situations they may face of drug and alcohol programs or resources to help each individual that may need help mentally, physically or financially.After reading all three essays I find that any help would it be, donating time or money would help the homeless. It would show that the community does care for them as well as their surroundings to make it a cleaner and a safer place to live. Homeless or not everyone needs help may it be financially, emotionally or physically the government should have resources to help everyone!

Development and Analysis – Case study

The case study is about the challenge in the classroom in my working experience. It is about two twin boys who were in my class, whereby I was the class teacher. The boys were really bullies, rude, lazy and very abusive. They used to abuse me, their teacher, other teachers and the other pupils. These boys really stressed me to a point that I was not even concentrating in what I was supposed to do. The father of the twins was a member of the school board and taking complaints to him all the time about the bad behaviors of the boys could cost me my job.The twins could interrupt many learning sessions by making noise, abusing and beating other children, and even saying that if I report them to their father, nothing could be done as he was a member of the board. The behaviors of the twins affected the other children who went home and told their parents about it. The parents responded by calling me and coming personally to school to complain on how the twins are affecting their children f rom learning and how the class teacher and the school management had been unable to contain twins.The case was challenging to my career and was degrading the name and status of the school in general. A quick and faster action had to be taken to contain the situation. Decisions had to be made whether for better or for worse since a lasting solution was needed. The boys had to be counseled and their behaviors modeled and at the same time the pupils in my class had to be counseled. The best solution for this was to apply the behavioral modeling to the twins whereby model looks closely at the behaviors of the victims, by going back by collecting data on their behavioral history.The behavioral modeling is meant to assess at the behavioral patterns of an individual from the past and relate to them to the present, know why individual is behaving in that strange manners, whether the causes for the behavior change could be the family, environment, the friends, the workplace or the community and then look for strategies that can assist in correcting the behavior and was done in the following ways; a) Initiating a session-the counselor should first initiate a session for discussion. He/she should introduce him/herself to the twins so that they could be aware of who they are going to discuss with.The initial rapport will determine on how the discussion will flow. The counselor should tell the twins what he/she expects from them and the boys should be given time to decide if they will be willing to talk but should be given options. b) Isolation- the twins should be isolated from other children. The counselors should in isolation with the twins study their behaviors and know what is really happening. He/she should dig deep into the past history of the twins, the behaviors of the family and the circumstances that have made them to behave like so.This information can only be gotten from the twins when they alone with the counselor whereby they have the freedom of expressing t hemselves freely. When victims of the same circumstance are mixed with people of the same problem it becomes very difficult to get information from them because those who are with them may influence their answering to the questions asked. Isolation does not mean that the twins should be completely isolated from other children or the family but put in isolation when talking to the counselor.The counselor must also make sure that the isolation process does not affect the twins but improves their concentration during the discussion exercise. c) Find out about the historical background of the family/ information gathering- the consultant should critically look at the behavioral patterns of the twins’ family before making conclusions. Are there other members of the same family who are still in school and have the same behavior? The counselor should find out whether if the had been counseled previously and if there was any impact.It will be necessary to know the behavioral patterns of their parents and then relate them to those of their children. d) Show the paternal and maternal love-the counselor should at his/her level best the paternal and maternal love to the twins. The twins may be missing the love and attention of the one or both parents, and this has made the twins to become uncontrollable as there is no one to control them and show them love and affection. Every person needs the love of both parents to grow and develop normally and if the twins are missing the love and absence of their father or mother or both of them, their mind set and behavior will change.e) Become closer to the boy- the counselor should develop a very close relationship with the twins. He/she should make sure that the twins are comfortable with him/her all the time they will be spending together. The counselor should not be sympathetic to the twins as this will worsen the situation but should make sure that they understand that what they are doing is wrong and they should be read y to change their behaviors so that they will be able to interact and mix freely with the rest of the other children.They should be told that their behaviors are affecting the whole class and that parents of the other children are complaining of their behaviors. The counselor should also involve the friends of the twins to find out more about the twins behavior when they are together. The friends should be encouraged to talk to them on changing their behavior pattern and they should at the same time tell them the consequences of their bad behavior in a friendlier manner.If the twins feel that they are insecure when they are being counseled, they should be taken to a place of their choice, but should be given options or else they will dictate the situation. This will give them more freedom to express themselves and will build confidence and trust between them and the counselor. The consultant must also involve the family members who should be urged to become closer to the twins. The parents should be told Without any fear of the bad behaviors of their children and how this has had a negative impact to the other children and to the school.The family members and friends should play a bigger role in modeling the behavior of the boys through being closer and talking positively to them on how good behaviors and manners come with good rewards. Having gone through all these steps, the twins in their minds will be in a position to condemn their bad behaviors and see the need to reform for the better. Behavioral change is a long term process which needs a lot of patience and perseverance. The above actions will help solve this crisis and also create a good learning environment for the other children and at the same time ease my work as the class teacher.

A General Approach to the Air-Conditioning System essays

A General Approach to the Air-Conditioning System essays Human beings are born into a hostile environment, but the degree of hostility varies with the season of the year and with the geographical locality. For removing these effects of environment and changing outdoor conditions to the conditions we feel comfortable we use mechanical systems. Air conditioning system is the most developed system using for this purpose. Automotive air conditioning systems are used for controlling the conditions of air using in automotive. After investigations, negative effects of this system on the automotive are minimized and with using safety devices the usage area of the system are broaden. Now automotive air conditioning system are one of the most needed systems in automotive. Full air conditioning implies the automatic control of an atmospheric environment either for the comfort of human beings or animal or for the proper performance of some industrial or scientific process. The adjective full demands that the purity, movement, temperature and relative humidity of the air be controlled, within the limits imposed by the design specification. Air conditioning is always associated with refrigeration and it accounts for the high cost of air conditioning. The ability to counter sensible and latent heat gains is, then, the essential feature of an air conditioning system and, by common usage, the term air conditioning means that refrigeration is involved. Human beings are born into a hostile environment, but the degree of hostility varies with the season of the year and with the geographical locality. This suggests that the arguments for air conditioning might be based solely on climatic considerations, but although these may be valid in tropical and subtropical areas, they are not for temperate climates with industrialized social structures and rising standards of living. Air conditioning is necessary for the following reasons. Heat gains from human bodies, sunlight and el...

College Essay Help Online

College Essay Help Online College Essay Help Online If you are applying for admission in to university this year or applying for higher studies, the chances are that you are going to need some solid college essay help.A college application essay is usually of around 500 words and it is really your only chance (apart from the interview-if there is one)- to tell the admissions committee why you are the ideal candidate for admission in to your chosen course and why. Are you looking for free college admission essays? Do you want to know how to write good college essays? Get college entrance essay outline for free at our site! We provide professional college essay help for students online! Custom college application essay written by professional writer wins attention of the readers immediately! Some colleges offer you the freedom to zero in on yourself to discuss your dreams, values and achievements Other colleges may specify that your college essay should center around a particular incident, theory or book. Your Choice of Essay Matters Choosing topic B over topic A can tell the admissions committee so much about yourself. You obviously prefer one choice over the other due to the kind of person you are; so if you are looking for somecollege essay help let me tell you that the choice of a college application essay also plays a crucial role in your assessment. It is not only the content, but the way in which you present it. What ever you write in your college application essay should showcase your ability to persuade, organize and lucidly write about your chosen topic. What and How What you prefer: Are you artistic or do you have a scientific bent of mind? This will clearly be reflected in the choice of essay. E.g. If you choose to write an essay on Michael Angelo then you are obviously a creative person. If you choose to write about Air Pressure then you quite obviously have a scientific bent of mind. What you believe How you think: your choice also offers college essay helpby indicating the type of person you are to the admissions committee. You must let them know you are an organized, hardworking and sincere person. If you make a point and leave it hanging while jumping to another unrelated sentence then this will show that you are a confused thinker. A more organized thinking pattern shows that you are dependable and methodical. Read also: Human Rights Law Business Essay Good Essay Example of Argumentative Essay Essay Term Paper on Doing Business in China Concept Paper

Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict Essay

Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict - Essay Example Since the end of the first World War, the land known as Palestine had been under British Colonial rule. In the early years of Palestine, there were a much greater amount of Muslims than Jews occupying the land at almost seven to one. (Wikipedia.com, 2006) As further persecution came in the time of the second World War, the aftermath resulted in an even larger influx of Jewish people in Palestine. Instead of the more lopsided difference in Muslims to Jews, it was now a two to one difference. In 1948, Britain pulled out of Palestine, at the same time recognizing the State of Israel and splitting the land between Jews and Arabs. This decision was further agreed upon by the United Nations. However other Arab nations did not agree, thus starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel won this war and many other conflicts after that. As a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, however, many Palestinian Arabs lost, or were forced out of, both their homes and livelihoods. The Israeli government, after the war, created the Absentee Property Law which allowed Israel to confiscate the property of the Palestinian Arab refugees who were not in the country at that time. (Nabulsi, L., 2006) With the Palestinian Arab refugees having no home-state, this issue leads us to more current issues that face Israel and Palestinians to this day. Recent Issues Much of the recent conflicts in Israel are due to disagreements between government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as to the future of a Palestinian state, the fate of the Palestinian refugees and the survival of an Israeli state (Wikipedia.com, 2006). Terrorist activities brought about by the formation of groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the area have made life difficult for both Palestinian and Israeli people. Life is a daily struggle between normality and chaos. Peace has been brokered by almost every President of the United States since the late 1970's. "Roadmaps" were written to lead the two sides to an agreement, but a terrorist attack against Israeli people by Palestinian suicide bombers would lead to retaliation by Israeli military forces, so on and so forth. Organizations such as the Palestinian Liberation Organization, now the Palestinian Authority (PA) led at one time by Yasir Arafat, did some good in leading the Palestinians to an agreement with Israel. The Oslo Peace Accords were the most recent attempt to come to agreement. However, due to many Palestinians desire to have no Jewish state, and in turn no Israel, it is with great difficulty that any agreement may ever hold. Solution In the current setting of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it seems there will never be a solution to the problem or an end to the violence. From the street level, with violent attacks at times a daily occurrence, it is clear that an agreement is far off. "The Palestinian street has definitively rejected Oslo [Peace Accords], and top officials of the PA now say that UN resolutions must form the basis for future status talks," (Beinin & Hajjar, 2000).  

Ancient Art created between 30,000 BCE500 CE Essay

Ancient Art created between 30,000 BCE500 CE - Essay Example Masks in ancient Mexico came in all shapes and sizes. They ranged from those that depicted human faces to those that were almost supernatural. Specifically, this mask was associated with the site of Tlatilco in the Basin of Mexico. The mask was characterized by a twisted simian like face with simple, serpentine curves for ears, protruding eye sockets with crisply outlined eyelids and very broad eyebrows (Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver, 1926). However, as seen from the picture above, the mask was too small to cover the entire face. It is worth noting that paired holes that appeared below the years suggest that the mask was being tied on the lower face or onto some bundle or sculpture. Basically, this art was important because it was a sign of transformation (Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver, 1926). This piece of art was made during the late second millennium B.C. commonly described as fertility figurines, this art was depicted women (Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver, 1926). The arts’ attenuated limbs and sometimes the disturbing facial features were interpreted to be a sign of abnormalities indicative of special access to the supernatural realm. However, such interpretations are not exclusive. Most of the details reflect regional traditions whereby facial and body treatments can be precisely recognized. This piece of work was meant to show a social status in the society. For example, the narrow eyes and mouth of the art can be regarded to a representation of the so-called pretty lady figures from Tlatilco (Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver, 1926). Both the female figure and the mask were as a result of rich history of Mexico. They are both ceramic products, painted and well sculptured in a 3D format (Historical and Scientific Association of Vancouver, 1926). The color (brown) of the two pieces of art is the similar maybe because they are all products

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Essay

Unit 2 HA499 Capstone Project Research On A Real-Life Healthcare Organization - Essay Example population, as of February 15, 2012, 25% of this actually belong to the so-called baby boom generation, which has already reached retirement (Rogers, 2012). In 2009, the number of American individuals aged 65 and above was almost 40 million, and this statistics is projected to become 72.1 million in 2030 based on the numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau (Rogers, 2012). With the increasing number of the aging population, the medical wing of the U.S. faces a great challenge of addressing this proliferating number, which needs to be prioritized in terms of therapies, medicines, and other forms of medical support. In improving access to health care, there are lots of factor to be considered, such as addressing contextual and individual determinants (Andersen et al., 2011). The contextual determinant refers to the â€Å"circumstances† and â€Å"environment† in which healthcare is accessible, such as the availability of healthcare organizations including medical research facilities (Andersen et al., 2011, p. 4). On another perspective, writing theoretical research concerning the health care industry only generates solutions to problems that may or may not be applied in actuality. For instance, a research published by Anderson, Crabtree, Steele, and McDaniel, Jr. (2005) posed a question regarding the practicality of suggested solutions generated by hundreds of researches to the medical practice. Simply saying, the results earned out from prolific researchers remain abstract and a theory all throughout because physicians, nurses, and other health care workers failed to institute and implement those suggestions (Anderson et al., 2005). A lot of researches characterized the health care industry as a â€Å"mechanistic† organization (Anderson et al., 2005, p. 670). This means that the industry is a simple structure and can be predicted using a relational approach that a particular action is predicted to cause this effect (Miller, 1993 as cited in Anderson

Theories in Nationalism

Theories in Nationalism Introduction Nationalism, a term which has been defined in various ways and still continues to nurture the debate around it, is one of the strongest forces in the world as we know it today. Despite its strong influence during the last centuries, it has remained long neglected by academia (Hutchinson Smith 1994: 3). One of the first scholars to address this academic shortcoming was Elie Kedourie, a British scholar of the Middle East, who offered a conservative challenging theory against nationalism in his thought-provoking book entitled Nationalism. In this sense, it is safe to say that most scholars concerned with this field of study have been influenced, to some extent, by the work of Kedourie and have taken issue with it. Kedourie has dealt with nationalism in a number of books, presenting his passionate dissent against the spread of nationalism as an ideology in Europe. His book Nationalism identifies nationalism as a doctrine invented in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century (1960: 9) that divides humanity into separate and distinct nations (1960: 73). As a scholar who spent a large proportion of his life teaching, Kedourie emphasized the importance of understanding the philosophy of history and the value of its practice, and criticized academics for meddling with political affairs (Kedourie, 1998a: 51; Minogue, 2008). A fervent advocate of strong, long-lasting empires, he argued, that nationalism as an ideology had caused global wars, destruction, and great misery (Sieff 2006). The objective of this paper is to critically assess Kedouries contribution to the study of nationalism. For this purpose, this essay is structured as follows; firstly, it sets the context by briefly introducing the life and works of Elie Kedourie. This is important as, growing up an Iraqi Jew, Kedourie personally experienced the negative impacts of Arab nationalism which caused him as most other Jews to flee his home country. Kedourie blamed British policy for the rise of nationalism in the Middle East, a policy he later criticized in his works. The essay then proceeds to identify and explain his concept of, and arguments against nationalism; next, it explores Elie Kedouries dialogue with three theorists who were influenced by and developed Kedouries ideas; and finally, it presents a critique of his theory and concepts. In summary, this paper demonstrates Kedouries unique attitude towards and his innovative theory of nationalism, but also the flaws in his theory based on which led ma ny of his followers and critics to charge him with intellectual determinism (Lawrence 2005: 132). Kedourie and His Works Kedourie was undoubtedly a man of great achievement. An Iraqi-Jew, he was born in Baghdad on January 25, 1926, but migrated to Great Britain as part of the post-1948 Jewish mass departure from the Arab world (Minogue 2008). In his doctoral thesis, England and the Middle East (1956), which he wrote at Oxford University, he, for the first time, systematically criticized the British foreign policy and its inter-war role in Iraq (Kramer 1999). Accordingly, his controversial thesis was not only much debated, but Kedourie was asked to change it. However, Kedourie felt so strongly about his writings that rather than modify it, he withdrew it! Throughout his life, Kedourie offered a seminal analysis that expounded the state of world affairs and exposed the evil of nationalism. Although he published his most important book entitled Nationalism decades ago, Kedouries ideas still resonate today and are being studied by a number of critics and theorists of nationalism. Kedourie was brought back into academia by his colleague Michael Oakeshott, and consequently held a chair in Politics at the London School of Economic for 40 years. He was an expert on Middle Eastern history, founder and editor of the journal Middle Eastern Studies (1964), and the author and editor of many outstanding books, especially on the Middle East. In contrast to many other scholars of and on the Middle East, Kedourie was able to see it in a wider world context (Mango 1993: 375). This interest led him from Arab nationalism to his study of nationalism as a universal phenomenon. The significance of this, was that it changed the traditional thinking of nationalism and brought to awareness its disastrous influence and its major potential in threatening world order. Besides the book Nationalism, his published works also include Afghani and Abduh: An Essay on Religious Unbelief and Political Activism in Islam (1966), the famous The Chatham House Version (1970), Nationalism in Asia and Africa (1970), and Arabic Political Memoirs and Other Studies (1974). Among his later books are In the Anglo-Arab Labyrinth (1980), The Crossman Confessions (1984), Politics in the Middle East (1992), and Hegel and Marx: Introductory Lectures, his posthumous book published in 1995. Kedourie impressed with his sharp intellect and his rather eloquent, clear and coherent writing style. Although English was his third language, his works were written in an excellent English style worthy of one of the greatest orientalists and scholars of our time (Moreh 1998: 2). Especially in his book Nationalism, he manages to draw a clear and red line from the sometimes very abstract explorations of the foundations, on which he then builds his theory, to the explanation of his approac h itself. In addition, Kedouries personality stood out in academia. As opposed to many academics, Kedourie neither locked himself in the so-called academic ivory tower, nor did he fall into the circle of self-adoration. Kedourie, more than anything else, was a mentor and father figure to his students (Salibi 1994)! Although he was sometimes referred to as idealistic, most of his students and scholars alike remember Kedourie as humble, dignified, kind, and a generous scholar with quiet and gentle courtesy which one could always count on (Salibi 1994). Kedouries Concept and Critique of Nationalism After the two World Wars, a grouping of independent states created the United Nations and other international bodies, such as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) or theEuropean Economic Community (EEC), and forged multilateral treaties (for example Treaty of Paris, NATO, Warsaw Pact) to sustain peace and worldwide cooperation in the hope of preventing another global conflict. Kedourie believed that many calamitous global events, such as war, destruction, poverty, famine and genocide, were caused by a doctrine of nationalism, which justified the division of nations. Kedourie (1993b: xiii) viewed nationalism as an ideology and believed that it had been made a contrived religion by governments to justify their actions and to maintain their so-called right to national self-determination (Kelidar 1993: 5-6). Kedourie laid out his controversial theory against the nationalism doctrine in his book Nationalism. In the first chapter, Politics in a New Style, he explains his pessimism about ideological and constitutional politics, which presupposes nationalism as an effective force to strengthen and preserve the identity and authority of a nation (Spencer Wollman 2002: 49). In the following chapters, he tackled the concept of self-determination, which the intellectuals, particularly Immanuel Kant, brandished as the supreme political good (Kedourie 1993a: 22); the relation of state and individual, wherein he criticized the influence of Kant on modern thinkers and the effects of dangerous political ideas on individuals; diversity, which spread the world over as a result of the propagation of nationalism; and national self-determination, which has caused the division of states into nations, disorders and wars. In the last two chapters, he addressed the relationship between nationalism and politi cs and its negative consequences. Kedourie was the first theorist who addressed nationalism systematically and identified it as (an historically erroneous) doctrine. His path-breaking theory introduced new standards to the traditional studies of the phenomenon which saw in granting self-determination the only acceptable way to deal with nationalism. Kedourie relied on historical accounts of global events and on this basis identified three strong arguments against nationalism. Firstly, he claimed that nationalism as a political ideology was impotent and had no significance to reality. Secondly, he asserted that the divisive character of nationalism caused and will continue to cause wars and man-made catastrophes. Finally, he saw nationalism as being about the enshrinement of the concept of sovereignty or self-determination as the fundamental force of global order (Kedourie 1993b: xvi). With regards to his first argument, nationalism was seen as being a political ideology due to its extensive relation to politics. He observed that the doctrine was first conceived and then propagated in Europe in the last century (Deol, 2000: 12). It was an era when nationalism was systematically turned into kind of religion to inspire the people and make them believe that they had a duty and responsibility to serve their homeland. According to Kedourie, the purpose of ideological politics was to impose political culture, legal principles and moral standards on people by means of force (1986: 47-48). When a government seeks to establish an ideology, it can only do so through the use of force and arbitrary powers. He identified the platonic character of this strategy, which posits that a state or society has to eliminate the ideology of the people so as to impose its own political culture or ideology (Kedourie 1993b: xiv). Kedouries argument is clear: ideological politics in the last century has caused many horrific events because of the ideologists attempt to change the status quo and to enforce their own ideology on the masses. As an example he mentioned the case of Yugoslavia. Following its creation after the First World War, Yugoslavia sought to attain unity in order to establish an independent state, but such a national ambition was waylaid when the Yugoslavs fell into the oppressive hands of the Hungarians, Austrians and Ottomans. Another argument he made against ideological politics was that a state that espoused nationalism caused the division of its individual subjects and separation between the government and the governed. Kedourie asserted that a society that adopted certain kinds of principles deprived the people of their rights. A group of people treated as mere ciphers by their rulers would be led to treat their fellow men in the same way. Turning to his second argument nationalism will lead to war and manmade disasters- Kedourie explained that nationalism supports the division of humanity into a number of states and thus also supports the division of men in terms of race, tradition, religion, and political ideology (1986: 71-73). Since nations are divided into many categories, Kedourie argues that wars and disasters are inevitable. He argued that conflicts and chaos ravaged the whole of Europe between 1848 and the end of World War II because of the concept of nationalism (Kedourie 1993b: xvi). However, he rejected the argument that poverty is somehow linked to nationalism. Since most poor countries have prevalent nationalist ideology, he believed that poor economic conditions might bring about social displeasure, which may lead to the propagation of nationalism (Kedourie 1974c: 19). However, he claimed that the rise of nationalism in Czechoslovakia and Italy was not due to evident poverty. Furthermore, Kedourie believed that the development of nationalism in Asia and Africa was basically a reaction to invasion and foreign occupation (1974: 21). Lastly, he criticized socialism as an ideological obsession that caused great destruction in the last century. He states (1993b: xvii) that socialism has produced not happiness or spiritual fulfilment, or even material prosperity, but, on the contrary, unparalleled oppression and misery, and it has sunk by the weight of its own misconceived ideals. Moreover, he suggested that the collapse of Soviet Russia in 1991 had led to a precarious disproportion of power among its former constituents and their neighbours. Hence, he warned that this power vacuum could lead to war. He concluded that nationalist ideology did not evidently ensure economic success or honest and responsible government. Kedouries condemnation of nationalism and by extension his path-breaking theory, was seen by many theorists on nationalism that followed as a milestone in the evolution of the theoretical debate (Ozkirimli 2000: 32). As a consequence, the vast majority of these theorists took issue with his theory in one way or another. Kedouries Influence on other Theorists of Nationalism Kedouries passionate arguments against nationalism gained both the admiration and support of a coterie of loyal followers but also drew some harsh criticism. Undoubtedly, he contributed enormously to the great debate about the origins and nature of nationalism. As a man of exceptional intellectual reputation with exacting standards in his thinking and scholarship, Kedourie was immensely influential on many modern scholars and his students alike (Salibi 1994: 4) and thus, achieved to transform and revolutionize the understanding of nationalism (Minogue 2008; Kelidar 1993: 5-6). Three distinguished theorists of nationalism who admired Kedourie, but took issue with his ideas are Ernest Gellner, Anthony Smith, and Benedict Anderson. All of these theorists built on the works of Kedourie, and this made for a great contribution to the debate about the nature and roots of nationalism that dominated the European community in the nineteenth century (Gellner 1996: xix). Smith openly elaborated on the intellectual depth of Kedouries seminal arguments against the concept of nationalism, saying that the latters works continue to exert a wide influence on modern thinkers like him (2007: 213). Similarly, Gellner credited Kedouries work but also attributed a lot of critique to Kedouries ideas (Gray 2004). This paper will now examine in more depth some of these issues in order to provide a critical evaluation of the strengths as well as limits of Kedouries arguments. Anthony D. Smith For his part, Smith agreed with Kedouries concept of nationalism as an ideological crusade that seeks the achievement and maintenance of national sovereignty, harmony, and distinctiveness, on behalf of a particular group of inhabitants (2007: 214). Smith reiterated Kedouries argument that although nationalism was sparked by the myth of the French Revolution, this ideological movement was inspired by Kant, which then in turn influenced Johann Gottlieb Fichte. Smith claimed that the main proponent of nationalism was Fichte, a Kantian, who, in his Addresses to the German Nation (1808), established an agenda for the creation of a German national education (Choueiri 2000: 6). Smith concurred with Kedourie that this secular ideological movement was inspired by the declaration of independence, which states that sovereignty resides exclusively in the state. Smith (2007a: 217) also regarded nationalism as a secular form of religion, and concluded that traditional religions like Judaism preserve their character and that they contribute to the propagation of nationalism by serving as agents of collective sentiments. Smith thus supported Kedouries statement that Judaism is a religion that accentuates the value of land and language and national feeling (1993b: 76) and suggested that there are cultural similarities between modern nationalism and biblical Israel and its covenant. This being said, in his Theories of Nationalism, Smith criticized Kedourie for selecting only the extreme features of nationalism, thus overlooking the civilizing and empowering influence of the doctrine (Jinadu 1972: 646). Benedict Anderson In his Imagined Communities: Reflection on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism, Benedict Anderson, a modernist theorist like Kedourie, identifies the rise of capitalism at the beginning of industrialization era as the main reason for the emergence of nationalism: peoples literacy level increased due to the emergence of printing press capitalism. No longer were they dependent on the church for getting information. As a result, member of various communities became aware of each other and hence it helped them imagine the nation and the feeling of being a nation (Capmack 2005). In complete contrast to Kedouries hostility to the idea of nationalism, Anderson posits that nationalism contributes to a better society and encourages good behaviour: You follow the laws because they are your laws (2005). However, he agrees with Kedourie on the importance of history, arguing that such doctrines as nationalism or nationality are like cultural relics that can only be understood by tracing their historical roots, nature and motivations (1991: 4). He thus stated that eighteenth century Europe was not simply marked by the beginning of nationalism but by the end of religious forms of thought. Changes in the religious community, according to Anderson, gave rise to the belief that nationalism was a secular solution to the question of continuity that had been answered previously by religious faith. He wrote: What I am proposing is that nationalism has to be understood by aligning it, not with self-consciously-held political ideologies, but with the large cultural systems that preceded it- out of which, as well as against which- it came into being (1991: 11). Hence, in many ways, Anderson simply complements the arguments raised by Smith and Kedourie that the form of nationalism that dominates the world today is a combination of traditional religions and of secular political ideologies based on national self-determination. Another similarity arises by looking at their views on nationalism and language. Anderson suggested that language could be used as a cohesive force to nurture peoples love of their country. For example, songs, poetry, and national anthems are used as effective agents of nationalism (1991: 145). Accordingly, the use of language is a significant reason for the emergence of independent, divided states and the proliferation of print-word (Mar-Molinero Smith 1996: 70). Similarly, though more pessimistic and with almost sad undertones, Kedourie elaborates that language is a strong expression of ones individuality and thus the most important criterion for a nation to be recognized and to exist (1986: 64). The emphasis on language with regards to nations, and by extension of states, has had many negative side-effects among which language has been transformed into a political issue for which men are ready to kill and exterminate each other (1985: 71). Ernest Gellner Gellners Nations and Nationalism was a direct response to Elie Kedouries theory, which Gellner believed lacked any real comprehension of the reality of nationalism, as a result of its overly intellectual focus (Gellner 1983). He dissented on the idealist argument of Kedourie that nationalism was the consequence of a historical anomaly and intellectual blunders, and suggested that it was rather an unavoidable by-product of economic and technical progress (Gray 2004). Moreover, Gellner rejected the premise that the concept of nationalism was based on the philosophy of Kant, and then spread by inept philosophers and intellectuals. He defended Kant, maintaining that there is no relationship, other than a verbal one, between individual self-determination and national self-determination, and that Kant was a very model for that allegedly bloodless, cosmopolitan, emaciated ethic of the Enlightenment which romantic nationalists detested (OLeary 1997: 198). Similar to Kedouries pessimistic view, Gellner perceived nationalism as the strongest principle of political legitimacy in the modem world and stated that nations should be collectively and freely institutionally expressed, and ruled by its co-nationals.Nationalism invents nations where they do not exist. (1964: 168). Apart from nationalism, Gellner (1985: 1) believed that reformism and industrialization were the two enormous forces that were changing the world. This was his main departure from the concept suggested by Kedourie. Gellners derisive arguments against nationalism perturbed secular rationalists, socialists, and conservatives. He agreed with Kedourie that nationalism presupposes that such important concepts as social justice, material progress, utility and reason, rational principles and law are merely consequential doctrines in supporting and imposing an established and justifiable socio-political order, thus inciting unrelenting denunciation from socialists and liberals for about two centuries (OLeary 1997: 192) Although it appears that Gellner presented similar views to those expressed by Kedourie, he did, however, criticize Kedourie for omitting the sociological analysis in his study of nationalism. Gellner believed that nationalism became a sociological necessity in the modern world, whereas Kedourie rejected any sociological explanation as a form of reductionist economism (Kramer 1999: 637-638), and maintained that history has no depths to be plumbed or main lines to be traced out, and that history does not need explanatory principles, but only words to tell how things were (Kramer 1993). I believe that the differences between Gellner and Kedourie are rather of an epistemological nature than of a fundamental one. Although they dissent on origins of nationalism and on the type of their analysis, the basic concepts of their theories, however, do have significant similarities. For instance, they both recognize nationalism as a modern doctrine. Moreover, they both share a pessimistic view of nationalism and point out its dangerous consequences. Perhaps the similar nature between Gellners and Kedouries theories might be attributed to the significant influence that Kedourie had on Gellner. Lawrence (2005: 132) supports this idea when he writes: his focus on the links between nationalism and modernization certainly inspired later theorists such as Gellner and Hobsbawm. Critique / Conclusion Kedouries basic contention was one of enormous skepticism and suspicion especially vis-Ã  -vis third world nationalism, which he perceived as a reaction to European nationalism (1974: 1-153). It appears that his personal experiences greatly influenced his pessimism towards nationalism in general, and more specifically his rather hostile attitude toward a nations self-determination, leading to one of the main flaws in Kedouries theory. He was certain that the idea of national self-determination was not only absurd, but also destructive, immoral and could only lead to violence and discord in domestic politics (Minogue, 2008). Kedourie further postulated that the origins of self-determination were the Age of Enlightenment, which led men to discover the law of nature and rational principles, and its philosophical corollary-the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This declaration states that a nation must exercise autonomy and that no man or group of men can go beyond the ambit of the law. Kedourie (1993: xiv) wrote: The law was universal, but this did not mean that there were no differences between men; it meant rather that there was something common to them all which was more important than any differences. While taking this rather skeptical stance, Kedourie failed to really develop his arguments on this particular issue any further, and thus left himself open to criticism based on philosophical and historical concerns. He successfully presented a path-breaking theory against the perils of nationalism. Historical events tell us that extreme nationalism has caused global disasters, wars, and massive poverty in the past. He was right in arguing that both conservative and socialist governments subscribed to the ideology of nationalism to achieve their national goals. Kedourie and other nationalist critics exposed nationalism as a dangerous political ideology that must be rejected. Smith, Anderson, and Gellner developed Kedouries theory by presenting the causes, historical origins, and consequences of nationalism. Furthermore, today one might argue that some collectivist countries like North Korea, China, Cuba, among others have made nationalism a secular religion. However, Kedouries theory was not flawless as the section above has to some extent already shown. Kedourie may have raised valid arguments against nationalism; however, as Smith pointed out, the relationship between ideology and nationalism is not always a negative one. In fact, for example, in the case of the periphery countries of the former Soviet Union, history has shown that a nationalist ideology enabled and mobilized people to free themselves from factors which enslaved them. Kedouries somewhat one-sided and hostile portrait of nationalism ignores its constructive aspects and its vital role in creating, as well as controlling, social and political change. Another major flaw in his work is of epistemological nature. Throughout his book one question repeatedly comes to mind: How does he know that? For instance, looking at the question of origin, he connects nationalism with the French revolution as mentioned above. However, why, accordingly to Kedourie, was there no nationalism before the modern era? He does not take issue with this and thus fails to give sufficient evidence for his argument and against more primordial views on nationalism. Moreover, Kedourie perceives nationalism as a (secular) form of religion and thus he suggests that it may substitute the traditional religions. According to him, the religious origins of nationalism are used merely for political purposes. However, he neglects the relationship between religion and pre-modern ethnic identities in many areas of the world and then overlooks religious and secular roots of modern nationalism and, thus over-simplifies the relation between religion and modern nationalism (Hutchinson Smith 1994: 70). Finally, it appears that his views on ideology and nationalism were heavily influenced by his personal experiences, as well as the British academic attitudes of that time, which were fundamentally skeptical of any ideology per se (personal conversation with lecturer). For instance, Michael Oakeshott, a mentor and colleague of Kedourie, doubted the political action and questioned the assertions made in defence of political ideology (Kedourie 1998a: 111). Kedourie was exposed to the teachings of early British scholars like Oakeshott who dismissed the notion of a science of politics. This is one of the reasons behind his pessimistic view on ideology and his scorn of the academics interference in politics. In the final analysis, however, I agree with Kedouries skeptical contention as, looking at the world today and how nationalism as portrayed by Kedourie has infected and affected many countries towards the negative, his warning proved to be valid. 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