Hemingways Themes Essay -- Essays Papers

Hemingways Themes â€Å"Hemingway’s greatness is in his short stories, which rival any other master of the form†(Bloom 1). The Old Man and the Sea is the most popular of his later works (1). The themes represented in this book are religion (Gurko 13-14), heroism (Brenner 31-32), and character symbolism (28). These themes combine to create a book that won Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and contributed to his Nobel Prize for literature in 1954 (3). â€Å"Santiago’s ordeal, first in his struggle with the big fish, and then in fighting against the sharks, is associated by Hemingway with Christ’s agony and triumph,† (Bloom 2). When Santiago sees the second and third sharks coming, he shouts â€Å"Ay,† and Hemingway notes: â€Å"There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just such a noise as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hand and into the wood† (Waldmeir 28). â€Å"Santiago is often regarded [as] a Christ figure, and his love for all living creatures and forbearance in physical pain are attributes that support this [idea]. However, Santiago shares few traits with Christ (Brenner 38). In his book The Old Man and the Sea: Story of a Common Man, Gerry Brenner states: Christ is a fisher of men, but Santiago is merely a fisherman; Christ is a figure with a divine mission, Santiago one with a secular mission (to bring back an oversized fish); Christ is a martyr who willingly but reluctantly dies for his convictions, Santiago is a persevering champion who is willing to die only to win a battle with a fish; Christ is a teacher of spiritual and ethical wisdom, Santiago is a professional with skill and slogans to impart (38). The Hemingway hero is often religious, but their religion is rarely central to their lives (Gurko 13). Santiago is Cuban, at once devout and credulous (13). However, neither his religion nor his superstitious beliefs play a role in his ordeal with the great marlin (13). God is sometimes prayed to by the Hemingway hero in a time of crisis, but He is never depended upon (Waldmeir 29). When Santiago says his prayers, he also says, â€Å"I am not religious,† even as he says his prayer (29). After forty-five hours of struggle have passed, Santiago says, â€Å"I’ll say a hundred Our Fathers and a hundred Hail Mary’s. But I cannot say them now.† (Waldmeir 29-30) For those ... ..., Mrs. â€Å"Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea† Lecture: 2000. Timms, David. â€Å"Contrasts in Form: Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Faulkner’s ‘The Bear’† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Wagner, Linda W. â€Å"The Poem of Santiago and Manolin† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Spreng 8 Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Waldmeir, Joseph. â€Å"Confiteor Hominem: Ernest Hemingway’s Religion of Man† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Wilson Jr., G.R. â€Å"Incarnation and Redemption in The Old Man and the Sea† Modern Critical Interpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52. Young, Philip. â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea: Vision/Revision† Modern CriticalInterpretations: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Ed. HaroldBloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999: 45-52.

Finding Inner Peace :: Personal Narrative Essays

Finding Inner Peace "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." I am thinking about the time when my best friend died, and when I stopped being myself and my life started going to hell. It happened maybe two or three years ago. The day is very clear in my memory. The weather was cold and nasty. The monotonous rain made everything outside look gray. I was at home, waiting for my girlfriend to arrive. I was sitting on the couch drinking hot tea and feeling warm and cozy. My dog was there too, I remember. We were watching a talk show, but I was not paying much attention to what was going on. All I cared about was my girlfriend was coming home and that we would be able to see each other again. She had left only four weeks earlier, but I had already missed her greatly. We had been friends since the 9th grade. In the beginning we were enemies; we hated each other. Oh, how we fought! One time she accused me of taking her purse, knowing what a notorious prankster I was, even though I had no idea what she was talking about. Later she found her purse in her friends locker. It seems she had forgotten she had put it there. This turned out to be the first, but not the last, accident that would occur. What didn't we argue about? After about, four years, we became the best friends ever. We were perfectly compatible with each other. We began spending all our time together. We were vital to each other. I came to know each and every detail about her life as she did about mine. It was the most enduring friendship of my life. I looked at the clock above my head. Six fifty. She was supposed to arrive at five o'clock. I felt uncomfortable, some weird feeling crawled around my heart. I did not understand it. I waited and waited. It was dark already and I was afraid of being in solitude. I couldn't stand it anymore. Seven o'clock. The phone rang and it startled me. Who might it be? I wasn't expecting a phone call from anyone. I got up from the couch and picked up

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 19

Damon wouldn't have thought a sadistic old fool who whipped a woman to pieces for not being able to pull a cart meant for a horse would have any friends. And Old Drohzne, indeed, may not have had any. But that wasn't the issue. Neither, strangely, was murder the issue. Murder was an everyday affair around the slums and the fact that Damon had initiated and won a fight was of no surprise to the inhabitants of these dangerous alleyways. The issue lay in making off with a slave. Or perhaps it went deeper. The issue lay in how Damon treated his own slaves. A crowd of men – all men, no women, Damon noticed – had indeed gathered in front of the doctor's building, and they did in fact have torches. â€Å"Mad vampire! Mad vampire on the loose!† â€Å"Drive him out here for justice to be done!† â€Å"Burn the place down if they won't turn him out!† â€Å"The elders say to bring him to them!† This seemed to have the effect the crowd desired, clearing the streets of the more decent people and leaving only the bloody-minded sort who'd been hanging about at a loose end, and were only too glad of a fight. Most of them, of course, were vampires themselves. Most of them were fit vampires. But none of them, Damon thought, flashing a diamond-bright smile around the circle that was closing in on him, had the motivation of knowing that the lives of three young human girls depended on him – and that one of them was the jewel in the crown of humanity, Elena Gilbert. If he, Damon, was torn to pieces in this fight, those three girls would lead lives of hell and degradation. However, even this logic didn't seem to help him prevail as Damon was kicked, bitten, head-butted, punched, and stabbed with wooden daggers – the kind that slice vampire flesh. At first he thought he had a chance. Several of the youngest and fittest vampires fell prey to his cobra-quick strikes and his sudden strafes of Power. But the truth was that there were simply too many of them, Damon thought, as he snapped the neck of a demon whose two long tusks had already scored his arm almost through the muscle. And here came a huge vampire, clearly in training, with an aura that made Damon feel bile at the back of his throat. That one went down with a foot in the face, but he didn't stay down; he came up, clinging to Damon's leg and allowing several smaller vampires with wooden daggers to dart in and hamstring him. Damon felt black dismay as his legs went out from under him. â€Å"Sunlight damn you,† he grated through a mouthful of blood as another tusked, red-skinned demon punched him in the mouth. â€Å"Damn you all to the lowest hells†¦.† It was no good. Dully, still fighting, still using great swaths of Power to maim and kill as many as he could, Damon realized this. And then everything became dreamlike and dazed – not like his dream of Elena, whom he seemed to see constantly in his side-eye, weeping. But dreamlike in a feverish, nightmare sense. He could no longer use his muscles efficiently. His body was battered and even as he healed his legs, another vampire scored a great cut across his back. He was feeling more and more as if he were in a nightmare where he could not move except in slow motion. At the same time, something in his brain was whispering for him to rest. Just rest†¦and it would all be over. Eventually, the greater numbers bore him down, and somebody appeared with a stake. â€Å"Good riddance to new rubbish,† the stake bringer said, his breath reeking of stale blood, his leering face grotesque, as he used leprous-looking fingers to open Damon's shirt so as not to make a hole in the fine black silk. Damon spat on him and had his face stamped on hard in return. He blacked out for a moment and then, slowly, came back to pain. And noise. The gleeful crowd of vampires and demons, drunk on cruelty, were all doing a stomping, rhythmic, improvised dance around Damon, roaring with laughter as they thrust imaginary stakes, working themselves into a frenzy. That was when Damon realized that he was actually going to die. It was a shocking realization, even though he'd known how much more dangerous this world was than the one he'd recently left, and even in the human world he had only escaped death by a hairsbreadth more than once. But now he had no powerful friends, no weaknesses in the crowd to exploit. He felt as if seconds were suddenly stretching into minutes, each one of incalculable worth. What was important? Telling Elena†¦ â€Å"Blind him first! Get that stick blazing!† â€Å"I'll take his ears! Someone help me hold his head!† Telling Elena†¦something. Something†¦sorry†¦ He gave up. Another thought was trying to break into his consciousness. â€Å"Don't forget to knock out his teeth! I promised my girlfriend a new necklace!† I thought I was prepared for this, Damon thought slowly, each word coming separately. But†¦not so soon. I thought I'd made my peace†¦but not with the one person who mattered†¦yes, who mattered the most. He didn't give himself time to think about that subject further. Stefan, he sent out on the most powerful but clandestine jettison of Power he could manage in his foggy state. Stefan, hear me! Elena's come for you – she'll save you! She has Powers that my death will let loose. And I am†¦I am†¦s – At that moment there was a stumbling in the dance around him. Silence descended on the drunken revelers. A few of them hastily bowed their heads or looked away. Damon went still, wondering what could possibly have stopped the frenzied crowd in the very midst of their revelry. Someone was walking toward him. The newcomer had long bronze hair that hung in separate unruly tangles down to his waist. He was naked to the waist, too, exposing a body that the strongest demon might envy. A chest that looked as if it had been carved out of gleaming bronze stone. Exquisitely sculpted biceps. Abs – a perfect six pack. There was not a spare ounce of fat on his entire tall leonine frame. He wore unadorned black trousers with muscles rippling under them at every step. All along one bare arm he had a vivid tattoo of a black dragon eating a heart. Nor was he alone. He held no leash, but by his side was a handsome and uncannily intelligent-looking black dog that stood at alert attention every time he paused. It must have weighed close to two hundred pounds, but there was not an ounce of fat on it, either. And on one shoulder he carried a large falcon. It wasn't hooded as most hunting birds were on forays out of their mews. It also wasn't standing on anything padded. It gripped the bare shoulder of the bronze young man, digging its three front talons into the flesh and sending small streams of blood down his chest. He didn't seem to notice. There were similar, dried streams beside the fresh ones, undoubtedly from previous journeys. In the back, a single talon made a lonely red trail. An absolute hush had fallen on the crowd and the last few demons between the tall man and the bloody, supine figure on the ground scrambled out of his way. For a moment, the leonine man was still. He said nothing, did nothing, emitted no trace of Power. Then he nodded at the dog, which padded forward heavily and sniffed at Damon's bleeding arms and face. After that it sniffed at his mouth and Damon could see the hairs go up on its body. â€Å"Good dog,† said Damon dreamily as the moist, cool nose tickled his cheek. Damon knew this particular animal and he knew also that it did not fit the popular stereotype of a â€Å"good dog.† Rather, it was a hellhound who was used to taking vampires by the throat and shaking them until their arteries spouted blood six feet high into the air. That kind of thing could keep you so occupied that having a stake slipped into your heart might seem an afterthought, Damon mused, holding perfectly still. â€Å"Arrtez-le!† said the bronze-haired youth. The dog obediently backed off, never taking its shining black eyes off Damon's, who never took his own eyes off it until it was some feet away. The bronze-haired youth glanced over the crowd briefly. Then he said with no particular vehemence, â€Å"Laissez-le seul.† Clearly, to the vampires no translation was necessary, and they began to edge away immediately. The unlucky ones were those who didn't edge fast enough and were still around when the bronze young man took another leisurely look about him. Everywhere he looked, he met downcast eyes and cringing bodies, frozen in the act of edging but apparently turned to stone now in an attempt not to attract attention. Damon found himself relaxing. His Power was returning, allowing him to make repairs. He realized that the dog was going from individual to individual and sniffing at each one with interest. When Damon was able to lift his head again, he smiled faintly at the newcomer. â€Å"Sage. Think of the devil.† The bronze man's brief smile was grim. â€Å"You compliment me, mon cher. You see? I'm blushing.† â€Å"I ought to have known you might be here.† â€Å"There is infinite space to wander, mon petit tyran. Even if I must do it alone.† â€Å"Ah, the pity. Tiny violins are playing – † Suddenly Damon couldn't do it anymore. He just couldn't. Maybe it was because of being with Elena before. Maybe it was because this hideous world depressed him unutterably. But when he spoke again, his voice was entirely different. â€Å"I never knew I could feel so grateful. You've saved five lives, though you don't know it. Though how you stumbled on us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sage crouched down, looked at him with concern. â€Å"What is it that has happened?† he said in a serious voice. â€Å"Is it that you hit your head? You know: news travels fast here. I heard you arrived with a harem – â€Å" â€Å"That's true! He did!† Damon's ears caught a bare whisper of sound at the edge of the street where he'd been ambushed. â€Å"If we take the girls hostage – torture them – â€Å" Sage's eyes met Damon's briefly. Clearly, he had heard the whisper as well. â€Å"Saber,† he said to the dog. â€Å"Just the speaker.† He jerked his head, once, in the direction of the whisper. Instantly, the black dog jumped forward, and faster than it took for Damon to describe it in his own mind, had sunk his teeth into the throat of the whisperer, flipped him over once, causing a distinctive crack, and was bounding back, dragging the body between his legs. The words: Je vous ai inform au sujet de ceci! blasted by on a surge of Power that made Damon wince. And Damon thought, yes, he did tell them before – but not what the consequences would be. Laissez lui et ses amis dans la paix! Meanwhile, Damon was slowly getting up, only too glad to accept Sage's protection for himself and his friends. â€Å"Well that certainly should have done it,† he said. â€Å"Why not come back and have a friendly drink with me?† Sage peered at him as if he'd gone mad. â€Å"You know the answer to that is no.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I told you: no.† â€Å"That's not a reason.† â€Å"The reason I will not come back for a friendly drink†¦mon ange†¦is that we are not friends.† â€Å"We pulled some pretty scams together.† â€Å"Il y a longtemps.† Abruptly, Sage took one of Damon's hands. There was a deep and bloody scratch on it, which Damon hadn't got around to healing. Under Sage's gaze it closed, the flesh turned pink, and it healed. Damon let Sage continue to hold the hand for a moment, and then, not ungently, retrieved it. â€Å"Not such a very long time ago,† he said. â€Å"Away from you?† A sarcastic smile formed on Sage's lips. â€Å"We count time very differently, you and I, mon petit tyran.† Damon was full of befuddled cheer. â€Å"What's one drink?† â€Å"Along with your harem?† Damon tried to picture Meredith and Sage together. His mind balked. â€Å"But you've made yourself responsible for them anyway,† he said flatly. â€Å"And the truth is that none of them are mine. I give my word on that.† He felt a twinge when he thought about Elena, but his word was true. â€Å"Responsible for them?† Sage seemed to be reasoning it out. â€Å"You pledged to save them, then. But I only inherit your pledge if you die. But if you die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The tall man made a helpless gesture. â€Å"You have to live, to save Stefan and Elena and the others.† â€Å"I'd say no, but that would make you unhappy. So I'll say yes – † â€Å"And if you don't perform, I swear I'll come back to haunt you.† Sage regarded him for a moment. â€Å"I don't think I've ever been accused of being unable to perform before,† he said. â€Å"But of course that was before I became un vampire.† Yes, Damon thought, the meeting of the â€Å"harem† and Sage was bound to be interesting. At least it would be if the girls discovered who Sage really was. But maybe no one would tell them.

Emily Dickinson Comparative Poems Essay

Emily Dickinson was a religious person, but she always questioned faith and religion in her poetry. She seems to not take a solid stance in the debate between science and faith. However, Dickinson seemed to particularly struggle with the idea of â€Å"faith† and what it really meant. This is evident in most of her poetry, but two poems that indicative of this are â€Å"Faith is a fine invention† and â€Å"I heard a Fly buzz–When I Died†. â€Å"Faith is a fine invention† is a short poem comparing faith and science. I see this poem as a concise and truly accurate claim. Dickinson is basically portraying that religion is okay, just as long as the individual is aware of when it is appropriate to depend upon it. I think this poem does mock religion a bit. She never says that all people who put their trust in their religion are ignorant, but I do believe that she is implying that some may be consumed by their faith, to the point of blindness. Faith cannot solve everything, and those who believe it does are somewhat ignorant to believe so. Dickinson also refers to â€Å"faith† as an â€Å"invention† in the first line of the poem. I feel that to imply that something has been invented would be to suggest that it’s artificial and not concrete. Maybe man has invented religion as a means of a scapegoat in situations, so that’s why faith, to Dickinson, is â€Å"†¦ a fine invention / When Gentlemen can see–† (Dickinson 1-2). It is an invention, because religion sometimes may become a tool to draw attention away from immorality. This is true about those who claim to have strong faiths, but are very quick to find faults in others. Faith should not be way of taking the blame off of oneself. If someone cannot view their own behavior as immoral, are they completely blind? This poem somewhat satirically mocks how people use faith in situations where it may prove to be completely useless. Certain life problems, health ailments especially, cannot be solved by reliance on faith. In a crisis, religion can’t be relied upon to save an individual. I feel that the â€Å"microscope† in line 3 holds multiple meanings. The microscope a tangible tool to help us see things that we cannot see with just the naked eye. This is a metaphor for humans being able to see the truth and reality of a situation. This presents a realness in the poem, as opposed to the â€Å"invention† of faith. â€Å"In an emergency† (Dickinson 4) science would prove to be useful while faith would not. I would argue that this poem definitely forces readers to contemplate her faith. The poem is short, but conveys a clear message. Many individuals turn to god when they are in the midst of a life crisis. However, faith is not the answer â€Å"in an emergency† (Dickinson 4). God cannot always save us, so we must open our eyes and take a closer look to realize this. We must save ourselves sometimes, despite the trust many people have put in their faith. The poem â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz – When I Died† is a poem about death. The speaker has already died, and speaking from the grave, they describe the last few moments of their life. Before the speaker is about to reach â€Å"the light† (Dickinson 14), the buzzing fly that is in the room comes between the speaker and the light. The conclusion of the poem is truly ambiguous and leaves the reader wondering whether or not the speaker reached what would seem to be heaven. It also causes the reader to question if heaven, to Dickinson, is even real or not. The fly coming between the speaker and heaven is representative of reality. The speaker was hoping that before they died, they would be greeted by god, or perhaps Jesus. Dickinson really seems to question god’s existence in this poem. She conveys the fact that many humans try to console themselves with stories about god and heaven. Even when the speaker is about to die, they are hopeful to be greeted by god or jesus, but this is really not the case. Heaven does not provide an afterlife, if heaven really even exists at all. Life is the only tangible thing. The fly interrupting the silence illustrates the ordinary, the average, every day tangible things. Although Emily Dickinson was a religious woman, I did interpret this poem as having an agnostic theme about it. It even leads me to believe that Dickinson was unsure herself if there was truth to faith, and if god was real. She recognized that people liked to almost fantasize about a softer side of death. I believe that people who claim to have very strong faith are guilty of that. Knowing, or at least hoping that you will be taken to heaven by god when you die is a comforting thought. People don’t like to think about the harsh reality of death. As in â€Å"Faith is a fine invention† Dickinson points out that faith is something that man has created. If man has created it, can it actually be real? The way she questions faith in many of her poems would convey to the audience to believe that she had very deep struggles with her own faith and religion.

Rbi on Discipline

One thousand words on discipline, one thousand words on the Army Values, and one thousand words on what being a Soldier means to me, not counting words that are less than three letters in length, which i dont uderstand because they are words too, poor little guys, just cause theyre small , they don't exist? Discipline, this part of the rbi is being written and discussed on discipline. I am condudcting this rbi because myself along with a few other soldiers in the platoon fucked up today and since i am on profile and cannot conduct the pushup and the sittup, my profile states that i can only walk at my own pace a distance for Physical Training, which is now called PRT standing for Physical Readiness Training, therefore writing this rbi is the punishment my leaders deemed neccesary for corrective action toward myself and others that fucked up in the platoon. RBI's are given to soldiers for corrective action sometimes because we need trining on writing essays esspecially if a soldier is getting out of the army soon, like myself, i get out of the army in july of this year therefore i am actually kind of glad that i have to do this becaue i need to sharpen my essay skills anyway, so thankyou. Disciline means control gained by enforcing obedience or order. It also means orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior. Discipline is important in all situations by everyone young and old, big or small, short or tall, white or black, or hispanic, or asian. so any race religion hieght or weight, no matter who you are or what job you have, whether it be in the army navy airforce marines or even if you work at wal-mart, or k-mart or chuckee cheeze, or even mcdonalds, but most importantly in the military, army, and military police corp, discipline is one of the most important traits a person can have. Discipline can vary from keeping yourself from eating the last piece of pizza or doing the wrong thing, such as not going to a class you are told to show up at, (even if you have a valid reson for not showing up and the person your tryng to explain it to wont listen to you and keeps interupting you, which is rude as fuck, but oh well, its the army, what can i say. hats why i usually dont even bother trying to explain myself wheter i do or not i am still going to get into the same amount of trouble because some people just dont give a shit what you have to say when they are having a bad day, i like how when some people have bad days they take it out on everyone else, or when leaders dcide one day to be super hooah when they usually are pretty laid back. thats also one of the reasons hat i am getting out of the army, that and at least one thousand other reasons) to even killing someone. Without discipline, the united states army every state in the united states of america and every oth er country in this world would be way way more chaotic than what it is now, i could not even imagine the world and the army being more chaotic than it is now. Jim Rohn said once, â€Å"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. Discipline is applied to each activity in our lives. The discipline in the One Seventyth Military Police Company has been worsening since weve begun reintegration into the United States, personally I believe that has happened because the leaders in the company are not enforcing discipline, mostly because over in Afghanistan while we were deployed we bacame such a tight nit family that we saw eachother more as family than soldiers and non-comissioned Officers. Discipline down-range was still there just not as much as the Army expects it to be. So that being said, I also believe that discipline in this company has dropped because soldiers feel as though our leaders do not care about the welfare of the soldiers, maybe they do but it doesnt show.. Prime example, yesterday SPC Snyder asked Staff sergeant Holenbach if he would give her a counseling on requesting leave and the procedures she needs to follow. Staff sergeant Hollenbach then told her that he would get it done, later on he told her that he would be off the followng day and to have her get with SGT Quirarte and have him give her a counseling. The next morning, SPC Snyder found out that SGT Quirarte was on leave and coud not counsel her. SPC Snyder then came to me thinking I was the acting Squad leader and the next leader she should come to in her chain of command and then asked if I would counsel her on requesting leave and the procedures she needs to follow since Staff sergeant Hollenbach was off, From what she said, i understood that Staff sergeant Hollenbach told her to get her leave packet done first thing in the morning, i understand that SPC Snyder and I did not show up to class at 0900, i was in charge, so i was therefore, i was taking charge, as the saying goes â€Å"When in charge, take charge† which i am sure every soldier in the United States army has heard more than once. I understand that i probably should have chosen a different time to complete the counseling but i figured since her own team leader isnt here and wasnt going to complete the counseling on his day off and not take care of his soldier then i should be the one to take care of her, since her team leader wasnt going to be able to do so, when i deem neccessary, it is definatley absolutley one hundred and ten percent my fault that i chose a bad time to complete to complete SPC Snyders counseling, you might even choose the saying, the wrong time to complete SPC Snyders counseling, rather than a bad time to complete SPC Snyders counseling, but i was not sure when the classes would be over, classes we did a couple weeks ago if i remember correctly. mind you. nd if the classes did take all day then the leave packet would not have been complete in time to turn it in that day, and therefore would take alot longer to get passed up through the chain of command and get approved or dissaproved. So, m y bad, this type of incedent from me will not happen again, and this type of behavior from me will not be seen again. Also discipline comes in the same catigory as attitude. In that i mean from what i see, higher leaders, such a platoon sergeants dont have there prorities in order, i believe taking care of soldiers comes first in my mind, i do not see that in our senior leaders. i always take care of my soldiers issues first, i could not care less anout mne until my soldiers issues are resolvled. Leave packets sitting on the same desks for days does not say good things, deamening sldiers, does not say good things, and getting upset when (HOly shit, i am only at six hudred words, and this has to be done by tomorrow morning? This is bullshit) and even denying a soldier theyre right to attend an appontment when a soldier has an appointment whether it interfres with work or not, that does not say that a Non comissioned officer cares about the health and welfare of there soldiers. Overall i believe that the soldiers discipline in this company has dropped because the soldiers in this company feel as though theyre Non-comissioned officers do not care about the health and welfare of them. The mentality in this company seems to be, â€Å"If the Non-comissioned Officers in this company dont care, then why should I? 1006 The seven Army Vaues. This RBI is being written to discuss the seven army values, which consist of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Persanal Courage . Integrity is not just a word that defines honesty and trust, but it is also one of the words that makes up and defines the Army Values. Integrity is probably, in my mind, one of the most important, valuable and worth meaning words the United states Army uses. The united states Army defines Integrity as doing what is right always, mentally, morally, and physically. Doing what is right always, means being able to do everything you are supposed to the correct way when no one is around to watch you or being able to do the things you are tasked out to do the right way without having anyone be there to supervise you, being able to have people trust and believe in you that you will do what your told the right way, like from a Non-comissioned officer. Being able to do even little missions and have every one trust you to get it done the right way is a very important aspect of being in the united states Army. If no one can trust you to do things the right way when they tell you to conduct a mission, you wont be asked to do anything, you wont be put in charge of anything, and you wont get to go to any schools, especially any schools you actually want to attend. Integrity also works the same way when you are at a school or away from your company or even on leave or a four day pass. While at the school or class or even on leave or a four day pass or whatev er you might be at. Letting your company, or team leader or squad leader or platoon sergent know what is going on with you at your school or class is a must and you also must be honest and tell your team leader, or squad leader, platoon sergeant the truth, like maybe if you get counseled for something while at your school for any reason at all you just might let your team leader squad leader or platoon sergeant know about this so that they know what is going on with you, being truthful with everyone will show them that you can be trusted even if things are not going good for you in school or class or at home on leave or whatever it is that you are doing while you are away from the company or base, they might even say they will try and help you out with your class, but maybe as soon as you go in to talk to them for help, you most likely get yelled at and also get talked down to like youre an idiot, and you feel like you wished you wouldnt have even let them know you were having trouble because now you lo ok like a fool and an idiot, so next time you dont tell them that you need help and then you get into even more trouble because now they say you cant be trusted and that you dont have any Integrity. You earn integrity by doing what you are told and doing it without having to be supervised and getting whatetever it is that you were told to get done finished the right way without messing it up. if you continue to do everything that is asked of you the right way and more every time your supervisors will learn and come to trust you because they can count on you to do what they ask, they wont question your word or integrity. Then there is integrity like good conduct. Good conduct can be described as conducting yourself in a professional manor at all times, being in the united states Army you must conduct yourself in a professional manor at all times whether you are working, on post or off post on leave or not, during the weekend and even if you are at a school or class, especially for being part of the united states army Military Police Corps, we always have to be conducting ourselves in a professional manor at all times whether you are working, on post or off post on leave or not, during the weekend and even if you are at a school or class, we always must maintain professionalism, because we are always being watched. If you screw up and do not conduct yourself in a professional manor you will pay for it, esspesially if you screw up and dont tell your team leader, squad leader, or platoon sergeant about the incident and they somehow find out later on, your punishment will be even worse then. and it wont be very nice in most cases. For example if you are failing a class and you decide to take a drop make sure you know what you are doing or getting yourself into, because every one that sent you to that class or school is expecting you to finish, if you take the drop you will not be conducting yourself in a professional manor. MENTALY MORAL: This one may be a little hard to discuss and describe and write about because I haveno idea what to say or write, but I will do my best, besides moral integrity is at stake once again. Being mentally moral really doesnt have too much to do with anyone else but you. In my opinion being mentally fit or having mental integrity is a big part of being in the united states Army or in whatever professional field you might be working in, wheteher it be in the army, navy, airforce, marines, or even if you are a lawyer or car salesman, is really important. If you cant be mentally honest or true with yourself then how can you be honest and true with anyone else? If you dont trust yourself and be honest or true with yourself then how are you going to be honest and true with anyone else, you cant be honest and true if you are not mentally fit and that you are in denial and that is not good because then everyone will think you are a basket case and just write you off as some idiot and someone that they will never trust to do anything the right way, because you lie to yourself and everyone else will think of you as a liar. For example if something is wrong and you keep telling yourself verything is all good, and everyone around you can see that something is w rong but you wont admit it then you show everyone else that you cant handle the truth with yourself then how can you handle being truthful and honest with anyone else. Kind of a messed up situation you would find yourself in. If this part didnt make much since then it was a good paragraph because I have no idea what to say about this, couldnt even find it on line to help with this part of the essay. Hell everyone says they are good when they are really not, maybe money, or spouse or something, in that case every one is a victim of not being in a mentally fit or mental integrity position. So basically being good in your head and having your melon in good shape and believing and trusting your self will greatly help you and others to see that you are actually mentally fit and you have good mental integrity which will then help them have trust in you and task you out for missions because they will trust that you will get the mission complete the right way. 1018 What it means to me to be an american soldier in the united states army. In this section of the rbi i will be writing and discussing what it means to be an american soldier in the united states army to me, i will mostly basically be describing the united states army's Soldiers creed in my own words. A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary. The majority of cognates of the word â€Å"soldier† that exist in other languages have a meaning that embraces both commissioned and non-commissioned officers i n national land forces. The word soldier entered modern English in the 14th century, from the equivalent Middle English word soudeour, from Anglo-French soudeer or soudeour, meaning mercenary, from soudee, meaning shilling's worth or wage, from sou or soud, shilling. The word is also related to the Medieval Latin soldarius, meaning soldier (literally, â€Å"one having pay†). These words were ultimately derived from the Late Latin word solidus, referring to an Ancient Roman coin used in the Byzantine Empire. In most armed forces use of the word soldier has taken on a more general meaning, due to the increasing specialization of military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill-sets or what the united states army would refer to as Military Occupational Specialty. As a result, â€Å"soldiers† are referred to by names or ranks which eflect an individual's military occupation specialty arm, service or branch of military employment, their type of unit, or operational employmen t or technical use such as: trooper, tanker, commando, dragoon, infantryman, marine, paratrooper, ranger, sniper, engineer, sapper, medic, or a gunner. So what does it mean to me to be a soldier you ask? Hmm†¦ There are many sections to the soldier's creed which all influence my life, both the way I live and the way I think. All soldiers whether old or new, should try their hardest to abide and live by the soldier’s creed. The soldier’s creed has taught me many things that make me who I am today. â€Å"I am an American soldier,† To me, that means I have the right to say this anywhere and everywhere I go. As an American I have Freedom of speech, religion, and pursuit of happiness. As a soldier in the united states army I defend these rights. â€Å"I am a warrior and a member of a team,† I will fight and give my life for my country, and as a member of a team I know I will never be alone because i will always have my battle buddy to my left and my right, right next to me, there to fight the battle and complete the mission just as i am. â€Å"I serve the people of the United States, and live the army values† When I recite this I stand proud that I am one of few that chose to serve and protect the United States of America. Now, as a soldier I not only follow the rules of the Bible, but I live the seven army values. Loyalty, I will and always will stand by my fellow comrades, soldiers and battle buddies, always being loyal and trustworthy. Duty, I will perform my job to the best of my ability. Respect, something earned, not given. I respect everyone that serves this nation proudly with me, but i believe that respect is a two lane road, meaning, if i give you the respect i think you deserve but dont get the respect i deserve in return then i will never give you that respect again. Example, if i give a Non-comissioned officer the greeting of the day and the just continue walking without saying a word back, then i will never give that non-comissioned officer the greeting of the day again. Selfless Service, I don't want to die, but I will if it keeps my fellow comrades and soldiers and battle buddies and family back home safe and continues the freedom they have always known. Honor, every day when I put on the uniform of the united states army I have great pride and honor in myself and others who also where the same uniform. Integrity, learned from our parents as kids, enforced as service members, always do what’s right no matter what, wheteher you are on post or off post on duty or off duty on leave or a four day pass or not. And last but not least, Personal Courage, if my country calls on me to do something and complete a mission, I have the personal courage to do whatever they ask of me. The Warrior ethos are the best and most important part to me in the soldier’s creed. I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit, and I will never leave a fallen comrade. † No matter where I am on duty or not, on post or no t, on leave or a four day pass or not, the mission will always come first (right after my family) or I will die trying, if that is neccesary. Part of being a soldier in the united states army is always being accountable and being on time, that is also very important. As a soldier in the United States Army we are accountable for any responsibilities we are given. Many responsibilities are given to us and there are also many situations where time is of the utmost importance. As a soldier in the united states army we have responsibilities such as, following the Army values in our daily lives, in and out of uniform, on or off post, on duty or not, because we are soldiers twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Keeping our barracks clean our rooms and the common areas and always be ready for inspection. We are responsible for knowing about the United States Army, its regulations, rank structure and knowing our military occupation specialtys. With some military occupation specialty we have security clearances and are given a lot more responsibility than soldiers without security clearances. Everyday those with clearances are around sensitive information to the United States Army which could have a negative and detrimental effect on the united states of america and the united states army. We have the responsibility to protect this information and make sure the wrong people don’t get access to it. We have responsibility to look out for our fellow battle buddies in and out of uniform as well. We should always be looking out for them during the duty day and even in and out of uniform, on or off post, on duty or off duty, because as i said erlier, we are soldiers twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, making sure they are doing the right thing, keeping their uniform squared away and helping them when they need the help. Being stationed in another country where English isn’t the first language brings about more dangers which in turn creates more responsibilities as a battle buddy. Soldiers stationed in like say Korea also have the responsibility of representing the United States whenever tey step outside the gate or even go through the checkout line at the P. X. How we act is how the people of Korea will view the United states army and the United stated as well. We are responsible for leaving a good impression. As a soldier in the united states army we are trained to follow orders and always held accountable for this as well as carrying out any mission we are handed. All actions we take as a soldier we are held accountable and we have to be able to answer for everything we do, wheteher the person you are answering to wants to listen or not, which in most cases they dont want to hear what you have to say because leaders are right no matter what. 1003 -THE END-

SIDS: A Traumatic and Tragic Disease

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a traumatic and tragic disease that affects thousands of babies throughout the world every year. There is no way of explaining the death of a child that has SIDS and there are no real ways of predicting if it could happen to any baby. What makes SIDS even worse is that the source of what exactly may be the cause of it is still unknown. Advanced research in the last 30 years has dramatically reduced the number of deaths. SIDS not only affects the infants but also the families of the infant and it proves to be a very tough and emotional experience for them. So what exactly is SIDS? The term SIDS was finally defined in 1969 as the sudden death of an infant or child, which is unexpected by history and in which a through post-mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause of death (Culbertson 3). Basically this is another way of saying that it is not known why these babies die. SIDS is not a new disease contrary to what some people might believe, but it has been happening throughout time, unexplained deaths of babies are even recorded in the bible. SIDS was probably the most neglected disease ever recorded in history of man. It wasn†t until recently that major steps were taken to figure out why babies were dying so unexpectedly and what could we do to prevent it from happening. So what exactly causes SIDS and is there anything we can do to prevent it? Well as of right now, the cause of SIDS is unknown. We do not know what causes SIDS and there are no consistent warning signs that might alert us to the risk of it. However, scientists and researchers have discovered many things that might attribute to the causes of SIDS. SIDS almost always occurs at night when the infant is sleeping. A higher incidence of SIDS is seen among premature and low birth weight children. Women who smoke and let their children be exposed to smoke give their children a higher risk of SIDS. Low birth rates among children have a higher chance of getting SIDS. Finally there is a much higher rate of SIDS when infants are placed on their stomach to sleep. (Culbertson, 8-10) One of the biggest recommendations physicians make to new parents today is to let their babies sleep on their back. Putting them on their back greatly decreases the risk of SIDS to their children. These are just some of the things that have been THEORIZED by scientists and researchers that are possibilities that could be attributing factors to SIDS. But of course these are all theories that have been developed by researchers by statistics. Statistics is one of the greatest tools we have today to help us learn about the characteristics of SIDS. Since we don†t know what it is, seeing how it works and what things we can do to help slow it down are obviously good. Throughout history, before SIDS was defined, the accepted explanation was that either the baby choked on itself or was rolled on by the parents during sleep. Possibly an accepted answer due to the lack of knowledge in the past but know we know that most of the time they were wrong. Since there is no cure for SIDS, scientists and researchers have been studying new ways of possibly preventing it from happening to infants. New nursing techniques developed over the last 30 years have actually dramatically reduced the number of infant deaths caused by SIDS. But still we must not forget the fact we still don†t know what causes SIDS itself. That is what makes this so terrible, that researchers have all these techniques to help prevent SIDS but we still don†t know what we are preventing. Death by SIDS leaves a traumatic and terrible effect left on the parents and family members. A SIDS death usually promotes intense emotional reactions among surviving family members. After the initial shock and disbelief, parents often fall into a prolonged depression usually of self-denial about if they killed their baby. This depression can affect their sleeping, eating, ability to concentrate, and general energy level. (Culbertson 190-193) Crying, weeping, incessant talking, and strong feelings of guilt or anger are all normal reactions. Many parents experience unreasonable fears that they or someone in their family is in danger. Over protection of surviving children and fears for future children is a common reaction. As the finality of the child†s death becomes a reality for the parents, recovery finally occurs. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries often trigger painful memories of the loss (Culbertson, 186-188). Children can also be affected by the loss. Many children may develop a fear that they themselves might die. In many cases children will also feel guilty about the death feeling that possibly it was their fault. However, children may deny being upset and try to hide their emotions which is a reason why most parents have to talk with their children and assure them it is not going to happen to them. (Culbertson,190-193) One of the true bright spots about the fight against SIDS is that in the last 20 years, deaths caused by SIDS have dropped dramatically in the United States and the rest of the world. Currently the average in the world among SIDS deaths is between 0. 5-3. 0 deaths per thousand (Culbertson,11). When comparing to that when it was first studied at about an average of 15-20 deaths per thousand(Bergman,10-11), a major improvement has been seen. However, though it isn†t that high of a number, it still accounts for 20 percent of all deaths between the ages of one month and one year and 95 percent of that between 2 months and 4 months. Guntheroth,70-73). It is important to point out that most all statistics of SIDS come from developed countries, countries that have the money to perform autopsies on infants. We can only assume that in undeveloped countries, which have a very high infant mortality rate to begin with, the presence of SIDS is there and probably have a much higher rate than in developed countries because throughout the world, SIDS rates are very constant with one another wherever studies have and can be conducted. SIDS ranks only second to injuries as the greatest cause of death to children who are less than 15 years of age and it takes more lives than leukemia, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy in that age period. ( Bergman, xi). So in conclusion to all of this, there still is very little information on what exactly causes SIDS. Unlike other diseases, which we know the cause of, SIDS is the one that we don†t have any knowledge on what the source is that causes it. One of the most important statements but disheartening is that SIDS is a â€Å"disease of theories†(Bergman, 12). Everything we know, all the information that is produced and published is all just a theory because we don†t even know what happened and what caused the death. So where do we go from here? What can be done to stop this terrible disease? Who knows. All we can do is sit back and hope someone†s â€Å"theory† is the right one and be thankful that this disease only affects 1-3 infants per thousand born. There are so many questions but not nearly enough answers and until that day we can only do what the experts tell us to do and hopefully the SIDS disease will almost become non-existent.

Target Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Target Company - Case Study Example The primary business units of Target are Target Financial Services (Target Sourcing Services/The Associated Merchandising Corporation and Target stores. Target is a privately owned company headed by Greg Steinhafel, and Bob Ulrich, a chairman. The main products are clothing, housewares and food (Target. Corporation 2008). At Target, consumers also hold images of institutions. Images of retail-store characteristics or personalities affect shopping behavior. Sensory impressions result in consumers' attributing distinct personality characteristics to retail units. Some stores reflect the bargain basement, discount atmosphere, whereas others reflect an atmosphere of elegance, luxury, affluence, and sophistication. The store image stems from such diverse factors as advertisements, sales personnel, merchandise, services, pricing strategies, physical plant, and layout. Research findings seem to indicate that consumers choose to shop at stores and purchase brands consistent with their own pe rsonalities. Since 1971, Target has provided huge acquisition policy which helps it to expend and grow as a leading US retailer. Suring 1982-2000, target organized its new campaign and opened new stores in the West and East coast. In 2006, target opened its store in India (Target. Corporation 2008). Currently, Target employs 366,000 (2008) people. ... Globalization changes the nature of demand and preferences of potential customers (www.target.com). The main internal factor include organizational goals and strategic intent of Target based on current market situation. The revenue of the company is $63.367 billion and net income is 2.849 billion (2007) (Target. Corporation 2008). The customer based of target consists of low and middle class citizens who value good quality but low price. This fact, combined with shared universal wants, needs, desires, and fantasies (for name brands, novelty, entertainment, trendy, and image-oriented products), make it possible to reach the global teen segment with a unified marketing program. In Target's price competition takes form of branding, advertising, promotion, and additional services to customers and product innovation. In relation to minor competitors, the Target provides comparable buyer value but perform the activities more efficiently so as to attain a cost advantage, or perform the activities in a unique way which raises the value to the consumer and thus allows them to command a premium price - the concept of low cost. I want to work for Target Corporation because it proposes great opportunities for employees and develops personal skills and knowledge of every employee. For me, target is a chance to apply my professional knowledge and skills into practice and grow with the company. Target employs excellent managers and experts I would like to work with. This function is concerned with dividing work and allocating it among employees and determining their responsibilities and relations. At Target, all employees come from different cultural and social environment;