The Mongols Essay Example for Free

The Mongols Essay The Mongols swept across Asia and Europe in a bloody rampage. Killing over 6,107,000 people from the years 1220-1258. Treating women like a piece of meat meant to fulfill the pleasure of men. But how Barbaric were the Mongols on a scale of one to ten? Well the Mongols were very barbaric because they were uncivilized, brutal, yet conquered much territory. â€Å"Come out so that we may count on you according to our custom.† And when the people come out to them they seek out artisans among them and kept these. But the others with the exception of those they wish to have as slaves, they kill with the axe†¦This statement proves in many ways that the Mongols were uncivilized. Also soldiers would execute prisoners by shooting them with arrows or by burying them alive upside down in the dirt and tying there arms so they cant dig themselves out. Causing a slow excruciating bereavement of suffocation. Even the Mongol Yasa (laws) and Bilik (rules) were barbaric men were allowed to cheat on women having as many wives as they please but women could only have one husband and if a dad was to die then it was okay to marry all of his wife’s except for his own mother. Could you imagine our society if Mongols were in control? (Doc: 5, 10) â€Å"†¦Severed the heads of the slain from their bodies and heaped them up on piles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sounds Brutal doesn’t it? Can you imagine the people who could kill someone cut there heads of then pile them up like some piece of rubbish? Well the Mongols sure were brutal no doubt about it. They were so brutal they killed over 6,107,000 people from the years 1220-1258. In fact, it was commanded that the town of Nishaphur should be laid waste in such a manner that the site could be ploughed upon; and that †¦. Not even cats and dogs should be left alive. Also thief’s, did not exist in the Mongol life because they were so scared of the consequences of robbery that even the poorest sole wouldn’t dare think about steeling. Could you imagine how scary it must have been to be a Mongol or even one of there rivals? (Doc: 4,7) Finally, Under Genghis Khan the Mongols were great conquerors. They subjugated over 4,860,000 square miles. The Mongols had revolutionary war tactics such as, before a fight they would surround the enemy. Having there people (men, women, children, and some times dummy’s) on horses to make the other army think they were fighting a huge crowd causing panic among them as the Mongols came closer and closer attacking their enemy. With this tactic and many others Mongols both brought an onslaught and conquered a large amount of Asia and Europe. No wonder why the Mongols ruled the largest empire known to men for nearly 300 years. (Doc: 1, 6, 3) In conclusion the Mongols on a scale of one to ten were about a seven when it came to how barbaric they really were. Mostly Because of there strategies of war, laws, rules, execution of prisoners, conquest, and finally how brutal all together they were as a group of people. This is true due to the fact the Mongols were crude, atrocious, yet conquered a great deal of terrain.

Effects of Excessive Petroleum Use

Effects of Excessive Petroleum Use Researches shown that in 2014, the world’s oil consumptions would reach 90, 78 million barrels per day. This indicates the importance of the oil in every country, both developing and developed countries. But in the same research, the supply of oil in one day in the world’s only estimated about 89, 74 million barrels per day, which means the supply will soon can’t afford the usage of oil in the world. This lack of supply can easily cause the exhaustion of petroleum and then it may lead to the power crisis. Petroleum supply exhaustion is one of the biggest problems in every country in the world, governments and scientists are trying to find ways to solve this issue. Amongst some effort that have been done to solve the supply exhaustion problem, this essay will argue about the degradation of the oil’s quality in some area and improve the quality is one of the best way to put an end to the hardness. Litten by oil was shown to have been used in the ancient Chinese. In the 8th century, the oil production had appeared in Iraq where people use pitches, a waste of petroleum to cover the streets. The first oil drilling was said to be around Baku, Azerbaijan. But it was not until the beginning of the 19th century that oil exploitation was strongly developed. At that time, the main fuel was the spermaceti but it was too expensive, none can afford it except the rich people. Although the price was very high but it had a very bad smell so that people want to find a replacement. In the middle of the 19th century, scientists found many ways to exploit the crude oil efficiently. The first modern drilling was in 1859 in Pennsylvania and it put a start to our current petroleum industry. As the crude oil is becoming one of the most important thing for our lives, it is being overexploited that lead to the supply exhaustion, one of the biggest and the most significant problem in petroleum industry. Over two centuries, trillion of oil barrels have been exploited, this number is not decrease but it increase significantly in the last two centuries and it’s becoming more and more. In some researches, scientists have pointed out that people used 30 billion barrels of oil per year; this horrible number shows that people are using too much oil but the supply and the reserves do not enough for us to use. According to the chart posted by Michael Morrison, the world supply and demand change repidly from 2008 to the first quarter of 2012, in 2008 and 2009, the demand and supply are very similar, but from the first quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2012, the demand always higher than the supply, even in some times, the differences reach 3 million barrels per day. With those evidences, the exhaustion of petroleum is becoming more and more serious. It is said that the lack of petroleum supplement is becoming more and more severe, and the causes of this problem is observable. Supply exhaustion come from both subjective and objective reasons. One of the reason why the petroleum supplies deficiency than the need is the usage of everybody in the world. As we have known, oil is used in most aspect of our life. People use petroleum or at least its waste to process it into products such as all leather foot, aspirin, waxen, chewing gums, and the most important apply of oil is fuel and gas; two of the most important power resources in the world. Since oil has become so important and the products which made of oil are becoming more useful, its high usage is understandable. We all know that it is easier to use than make, so that the supply always have to follow the need. The next main reason is about the use of the low quality crude oil. Low quality oil contains a great amount of sulfur, a toxic. According to Greg Karras, low quality oil can increase the greenhouse gas emission by as much as 17 %-40 %( Environ. Sci. Technol, 2010, 44). Some statistics have shown that Middle East is the region which has the most oil reserves in the world, but in some others statistics; the Middle East’s oil has the worst quality (G. Houlton, 2010). Most of the imported oil in the world comes from Middle East, which means we are using the low quality oil; this can cause significantly bad effects to our health and our environment. This can cause severe damage to the supplement of oil. Petroleum industry is not the only one that suffers from this, industries, people, social and even some governments also have trouble with this hardness. The aspect which will be affected the most serious is the economics. The most adverse effect is price of petroleum will have to be increased. If the price of petroleum is increased, since some industries have to use the products of petroleum as its materials, those industries will be in difficulty and with the higher and higher prices of crude oil, the producer’s prices raised significantly. It is followed by every other product must increase their price which lead to the restructuring of the economics and damage directly to the life of the social groups, products excess and even economics crisis ( Kiseok Lee, Shawn Ni, 2002). Plus, the countries those who focus on export petroleum such as Russia, Arabia, UAE, etc†¦ will be suffered from the raise of the price of petroleum for some countries can’t afford it. Furthermore, some countries have the intensifying unemployment rates and the taxes collected from citizens are lower because of the low employment and with the raise of the petroleum, those countries now have to face a very pernicious problem. To sum up, the lack of supply of petroleum has many causes. Although the impact of this problem at the present is not so serious and some solutions have been given out. However, people have to overcome this soon to prevent the problem from being severely. In the case of the lack of supply, people have to take action to control this problem, not only during the event but also after it. These are the most fundamental solutions. First, the government should control the usage of petroleum in each country. There are four main ways I want to suggest to reduce the usage of petroleum. Petroleum is known to have been the most used fuel in the world and most of the products of petroleum are used to make fuel. In the event of the number of the vehicles are rising, the world need more and more fuel to run those vehicles, which lead to the explosion of the oil demand. In order to solve this, the scientists have found some replacements for the petroleum such as biofuel, power source from sticks; carrots; †¦ (R.J.Kopp, 2006). Apply those replacements in the real life will surely ease the pressure on the petroleum supplement. The next way to reduce the usage of petroleum in life is the change in people’s using habits. People have used some organic, green products instead of products made from oil. Avoid using personal vehicles to travel from place to place and replace it by cycle or public transport, using packaged without plastic products; recycle and re-use bottles, etc†¦ (J. Lucie, 2010). Plus, some industries which use petroleum as its raw materials should decrease the usage of petroleum and manipulate some others resources as the main raw materials (NASEO). It will followed by the lowered of the demand. In addition, to reduce the use of petroleum in the world, scientists should find alternatives to petroleum products. There are many sources that can replace the petroleum and petroleum-based products like electric, natural gas, hybrid gas, bio-diesel; a little known replacement to diesel fuel which is made out of used vegetable oil and can be burned in diesel cars and in home oil burners (Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends, Story Run, 5116 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210). I would add that photovoltaic, passive solar, wind turbines and some others renewable fuels can be used to replace fuel. These are some alternatives for petroleum fuel which people can use it to reduce the usage of petroleum. However, most of those alternatives are little-known ones, only a little people know about it, then how can they use it There should be some propaganda campaigns that help the people know about the situation of the petroleum supplement then show them the advantages of using the alternati ves for oil, this could help people reduce using petroleum as their most important power source. Last but not least, a very effective way to reduce the use of petroleum in people and teen is some programs that the government should set up such as â€Å"weekend without oil†. This is a program which was set up by dosomething.org, an organization help young people to tackle against some impact from their own behaviors and habits. These programs should aim to helps people to recognize the ways that their daily routines help increase the oil consumption and provide the people how to avoid it (C. Tackett, 2010). This is not only help to reduce the use of oil but also make the people to be more active with some outdoor activities such as walk or ride a bike,†¦ Although all these solutions are very effective, but it’s also have some disadvantages. There’s one most optimal solution that I have given, and it is:† people should use alternatives fuel†. This is the most effective way to restrict the usage of petroleum; it’s also the best way to improve the quality of our environment which is being severely damage by the over-using of petroleum. In this solution, people can reduce their petroleum usage by using others kind of power source such as solar energy, power of the wind, biofuel, biodiesel†¦ and especially fuel for driving vehicles. As most of the amount of petroleum is used as the fuel to run the vehicles, changing the fuel of the vehicles is the best ways to reduce the petroleum usage, which biodiesel and solar energy can be the best one. Using these alternative can help reduce the reliance on petroleum of most of the country in the world. Plus, some alternatives are renewable resources while petroleum is non-renewable resources, which mean we can use as much as we can without worry about the exhaustion of those resources. Furthermore, those alternatives’s bad effects are extremely small while petroleum can cause huge damage for our environment, every year; using and exploiting petroleum emit 381.740.601lbs of toxic air pollution, 3.3 trillion lbs of CO2 (J.Sandry,2013). Using alternatives for petroleum is very useful and it’s also the easiest way to reduce our reliance on petroleum so that we can solve the petroleum-exhaustion problem, and even the environment problems. Biofuels is an example, these are result from the photosynthesis of plants which convert solar energy into chemical energy, its green and renewable though their slightly less energy than oil and gasoline but much cleaner (ecoreps). Some researches shown that using solar energy instead of petroleum in 25 years can help reduce 199.679lbs of CO2, 2316 trees can be planted with the surplus and help the drivers saving 208.166 miles driven (RGS energy,2014). This way is not being limited in any country but for every country in the world, everyone can use these replacements, it’s even cheaper than the cost of the petroleum, then why shouldn’t people use these alternatives, for both themselves and the world. However, the only downfall of this solution is that it can’t be spread through some dev eloping countries, people should find some way to widespread these alternatives to developing countries to help them. In order to reduce petroleum usage and saving our environment, replace petroleum in most of aspect in our lives is the best way to achieve our goal. In conclusion, supply exhaustion in petroleum is a significant problem in every phase of petroleum industry, but this is a most severe time when the surplus between supply and demand is at the highest ever. Industries, power, products, etc†¦ now have to rely too much on petroleum and its waste which is the most fundamental reason for this problem. This reliance does not damage the petroleum industry with the depletion of supply but also damage the economics with the raise of the cost of petroleum. However, the most significant effect is the damage our environment with the use and the waste of petroleum. In that consequence, people have to reduce their use of petroleum to save them from the reliance on petroleum. The best way to reduce the use is using alternatives, solar energy; wind energy; biofuels†¦ are very effective alternatives that people should consider to use them instead of using too much petroleum. This is not only to save the petroleum industry but also our envi ronment. Everyone should join hand to solve this problem.

Toyota Motor Vehicles: SWOT Analysis

Toyota Motor Vehicles: SWOT Analysis Toyota Motor Vehicles Background Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the worlds second largest automaker of automobiles. The founder of Toyota is Kiichiro Toyoda, who born in 1894, and the son of Sakichi Toyoda, who was popular in the invention of the automatic loom. Toyota motors became a mainstay of Japan economy 1n 1960. And it get great growth in this time. And the annual sale of TMC in Japan was about one million dollar I 1962 Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation, being a multinational is the worlds largest automaker in terms of sales volume. As of 2008, Toyota employs approximately 316,000 people around the world in comparison to second ranked automaker General Motors 266,000 employees. The company is mainly engaged in automobile business and financial business. In end of 1989, Toyota started its manufacturing in Europe by having two main manufacturing plants working in UK. It provides all ranges of cars from mini vehicles to big trucks. Toyota Philosophy Toyotas management philosophy has evolved from the companys origins and has been reflected in the terms Lean Manufacturing and Just In Time Production, which it was instrumental in developing. The Toyota Way has four components: 1) Long-term thinking as a basis for management decisions, 2) a process for problem-solving, 3) adding value to the organization by developing its people, and 4) recognizing that continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning. They deals in wide range of cars like: Avensis Previa Dyna CBU Camry Coaster Land cruiser Prado Fortuner Toyota Motors main competitors: General Motors (GM): It was the worlds largest selling vehicle producer but their market shares were decline in the 80s and mid 90s. Ford: It was the second largest motor car selling and profit making company in the world right behind the GM Company. Chrysler: It was the third main competitor of Toyota. The company was almost gone bankrupt during the 80s but their government support their company and saved them. Main Body SWOT Analysis (S)trengths One of the main biggest strengths of Toyota is the JUST IN TIME concept. Just in Time spirit implies to the two opposing forces of providing fast and flexible response, and yet building mechanisms and systems that are efficient and waste-free. The concept is to provide the right product and information, at the right time, in the right amount, in the right manner, while maintaining high standards of efficiency and cost control. JIT has resulted in ZERO inventory and enormous saving in the cost. The company has recorded a strapping financial performance in recent years. Toyota Motors revenues increased at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1% during 2004-08.The Company also had witnessed a considerable increase in profitability. During 2004-08, the average operating profit margin and net profit margin of the company stood at 9.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The strong financial performance of the company has contributed to its market domination. This, in turn, enhances investors confidence in the company for investment. Toyota is one of the top leading automotive brands in the world. In the annual ranking of top 100 global brands by BusinessWeek and Interbrand in 2008, Toyota figured in the sixth position. According to the survey, Toyotas brand value has increased by 6%, to reach $34.1 billion in 2008. In addition, it is the highest ranking automotive brand name in the world. It is ranked well ahead of its competitors like Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Ford, Hyundai, Porsche and Nissan. For instance, in the same period, Ford has been faced with a number of troubles, including a failure to meet its goals for SUV mileage gains or to exploit its well-regarded Escape hybrid; subsequently, the brand value of Ford fell by 12%, to $7.9 billion in 2008. Toyotas luxury car, Lexus, also has an independent ranking in the top 100 global brands. The brand value of Lexus was around $3.6 billion, with a ranking of 90. Some of the other popular product brands of the company include Corolla, Camry, Sienna, Prius and Scion. The companys strong brand image gives it considerable competitive advantage and helps the company to register higher sales growth in domestic, as well as in international markets. In 2003 Toyota has beaten its rival Ford into third spot, to become the Worlds second largest carmaker with 6.78 million units. The company is still behind rivals General Motors with 8.59 million units in the same period. Its strong industry position is based upon a number of factors including a diversified product range, highly targeted marketing and a commitment to turn manufacturing and quality. The company makes a large range of vehicles for both private customers and commercial organizations, from the small Yaris to large trucks. The company uses marketing techniques to identify and satisfy customer needs. Its brand is a household name. The company also maximizes profit through efficient manufacturing approaches (e.g. Total Quality Management). (W)eaknesses Usually big setup faces problems during oversupply as in it the company need to make sure that it is the models that consumers want. Toyota markets most of its products in the US and in Japan due to which they are always exposed to fluctuating economic and political conditions. Perhaps that is the reason that now the company is beginning to shift its attentions to the emerging Chinese market. Toyota Motor provides pension benefits and other post-retirement health and life insurance benefits to employees. During the Year 2008, the company incurred post retirement benefit expenses of approximately $709.1m. The company also paid a total of approximately $671.5m for the post retirement benefit plans during 2007. Furthermore, by the end of March 2008, the companys projected pension and post-retirement benefit obligations stood at approximately $14,865.9m as compared to the planned assets of approximately $11,256.4m, resulting into an unfunded status of approximately $3,609.5m. Sizeable unfunded post retirement benefits would force the company to make periodic cash contributions towards bridging the gap between post retirement benefits obligations and planned assets, which would reduce cash available for growth plans. The company needs to keep producing the cars in order to retain its operational efficiency. Car plants represent a huge investment in expensive fixed costs, as well as the high costs of training and retaining labor. So if the car market experiences a down turn, the company could see over capacity. If on the other hand the car market experiences an upturn, then the company may miss out on potential sales due to under capacity i.e. it takes time to accommodate. This is a typical problem with high volume car manufacturing companies. (O)pportunities Worldwide demand for light hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) is estimated to reach 4.0 million units by 2015. Rising energy costs and increased emissions regulations are likely to increase the demand for HEVs, as hybrid engines are more fuel efficient and less polluting than conventional gasoline and diesel engines. The primary markets for HEVs will be within Triad countries (the US, Western Europe and Japan), although the quickly growing Chinese market is also expected to experience relatively strong demand for these fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. Toyota Motor Company is keen to capitalize on the growing demand for hybrid electric vehicles. The company has spent a large amount of money for the development of hybrid vehicles over the years. The accumulative total of Toyota Motors hybrid vehicle sales reached 1.5 million in June 2008. Furthermore, the company plans to expand its hybrid lineup and achieve annual sales of one million hybrid vehicles by early 2010. For this, the company plans to introduce demand-creating products. The company also launched models such as the Prius and LS600h hybrids at the 2008 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, held at the new China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. The companys emphasis on hybrid technology will enable it to capitalize on the positive market trends in this segment to enhance its market position Lexus and Toyota now have a reputation for manufacturing environmentally friendly vehicles. Lexus has RX 400h hybrid, and Toyota has it Prius. Both are based upon advance technologies developed by the organization. Such moves can only firm up Toyotas interest and investment in hybrid RD. Toyota Motor has launched several new models in year 008. For example, in April 2008, Toyota Company has displayed a total of 50 concept vehicles at the 2008 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The company has launched its models including the compactYaris, the new Vios and Lexus LX570 SUV, along with concept cars such as the iQ compact and the personal mobility vehicle ‘i-REAL. The company also displayed models such as the Prius and LS600h hybrids and the GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) collision-safety body represented by a Camry and Crown models. Besides helping to garner additional revenues, new models will also help the company to revamp its aging model line up Toyota is going to target the urban youth market. The company has launched its new Aygo, which is targeted at the streetwise youth market and captures (or attempts to) the nature of dance and DJ culture in a very competitive segment. The vehicle itself is a unique one. Convertible, with models extending at their rear! The narrow segment is notorious for it narrows margins and difficulties for branding. (T)hreats The worldwide automotive market is highly competitive. Toyota Motor Company is facing tough competition from other automotive manufacturers in its various markets. The competition among various auto players is likely to exaggerate in light of continuing globalization and consolidation in the worldwide automotive industry. The factors affecting competition include product quality and features, the amount of time required for innovation and development, pricing, reliability, safety, fuel economy, customer service and financing terms. Increased competition may lead the company to lower vehicle unit sales and increased inventory, which may result in a further downward price pressure and can negatively affect the companys financial condition and results of operations. The European Union (EU) Commission and the EU Parliament have adopted a directive that establishes increasingly stringent emission standards for passenger and light commercial vehicles for model years 2005 and thereafter. Under the directive, manufacturers will be responsible for the emission performance of these vehicles for five years or 100,000 kilometers, whichever occurs first. A more stringent Emission standard (EURO 5) is also on the table of the EU legislative bodies and is likely to be effective from 2009. This will create more tough competition to work in EU as they would require more to concentrate on quality which will increase their cost and will lead to increase in prices by which the other competitors in the area would take advantage as their home land? As with any other car manufacturer, Toyota is facing great deal of competitive rivalry in the car market. Competition is increasing almost on the daily basis, with new entrants coming into the market from China, South Korea and new plants in Eastern Europe. The company is also exposed to any movement in the price of raw materials such as rubber, steel and fuel. The key economies in the Pacific, the US and Europe is also experiencing slowdowns. These economic factors are potential threats for Toyota. PEST Analysis (P)olitical Toyota had a lot of help from the local government, including tax breaks. The company is likewise linked closely to the policies ofgovernments, the earnings of banks. Toyota is currently dominated by little more than a handful of firms, each wielding colossal financial, emotional and political power. The companys approach to dealing with political institutions has not always been brilliant. It tends to be good on technical issues, although it has not always fully presented the longer-term options, in order to make the choices and their implications clear. Toyota is expected to sell Indiana and its assets to the world. (E)conomic For much of the developed world, Toyota Company is a pillar company in auto mobile business, a flag of economic progress. The Toyota Company has been a core company, a unique economic phenomenon, which has dominated the twentieth century. However, the automobile industry including the Toyota now suffers from a series of structural schisms and has become riddled with contradictions and economic discontinuities. For the capital markets and the finance sector, it has lost a lot of its significance, as a result of ever declining profits and stagnant sales. The proliferation of products means that it has become hopelessly wasteful of economic resources. While all these and more sound like a very gloomy assessment of such a vast economic phenomenon, the industry is not in the end despondent. A different future is possible for the industry, a highly desirable one. (S)ocial and Cultural Toyotas ability to bring to market world-class vehicles depends, in large part, on the craftsmanship and hard work. As part of the development in automotive industry, the Toyota Company actually affects the society as a whole. It employs millions of people directly, tens of millions indirectly. Its products have transformed society, bringing undreamed-of levels of mobility, changing the ways people live and work. The social value of the additional mobility that this industry brings involves the value of the people being able to commute over longer distances easily, among many others. There are, on the other hand, particular social issues to address in many developing countries, often those that are the result of an undertone of religious faith. Toyota company has the role to play in helping develop the mobility of such countries and it can be achieved at an acceptable social cost of the country is prepared to learn the necessary lessons from those who have traveled this route before it, and to make the necessary investments. (T)echnology In 1994, the Toyota Company had given its employees the challenge to bring up with new technological change in cars. The car for the 21st century. For this purpose a special team was developed to make the car. This team was named as G21 team. In 1997; Toyotas G21 team made a car which is both fuel efficient and environment friendly as well. They made a hybrid car named as Prius. This car was a major success in Japan at that time. Till that time Toyota hasnt introduced this technology outside Japan. In 2001 Toyota introduces hybrid cars worldwide. Hybrid car can be run on engine or battery or both. The production of first hybrid car in Europe was started in 2010. Success of hybrid car can be shown by the fact that over 3,000,000 cars were sold worldwide. There are different models of hybrid cars had been made so far which are as follows, NHW10 Model (1997-2000) NHW11 Model (2001-2003) NHW20 Model (2004-2009) NHW30 Model (2009-till present) Recommendations Toyota is being one of the top motor vehicle producers in the world still needs to do a lot more improvements regarding their quality and services by taking seriously the consumer complaints Since last few months the company is facing some quality issues which need to be rectify soon because some researchers are also pointing out these which is creating a bad impact for the company and its market share. Toyota also had added some experts containing both consumers and experts. They had been recommended by their union back in Japan to review their quality but they are not directly affiliated with the Toyota Company. They also need to review these members and had to directly affiliate them with Toyota. Toyotas main hazard in their success had been their big recall of its cars all over the world. The company had failed to identify and solve this issue and this can create big impact in their sales and perception of their customers while purchasing car. So they need to rectify and solve this problem quickly so that the image of the company can be retained. Moreover they also should make a proper consumer profile on their website as well. This will enable them to easily identify its consumers and make the strategy for marketing according to that. The company had used social media like face book and twitter for the consumers. It is the demand of the time of these days but the problem is that they are not making good use of it. Their participation through these is almost zero. If they improve on that participation and make it more active then that will help the company a lot and can be a good marketing source as well.

Definition Essay - The Meaning of Love -- Expository Definition Essays

The Meaning of Love One can love a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and friends, strangers, pets, the sunlight on a warm evening, reflecting through a prism, held by fishing line stuck to a little suction cup to a dusty window. You can love food from cake to roast beef, even those tiny individual candy bars that are never enough but just give you a taste of chocolate before you pop in the second one. One is able to love the feeling of carpet between toes or the tension in a hammocks string when you lay in that 'u' position swinging delightfully with each motion of your body. We can declare love for sounds coming from a stereo, love for that particular sound wave in coordination with other sound waves that make it to the inner ear as that thing we call music. Some of us love to feel a little pain, love feeling that edge of life that lets us know we're alive, nerves tingling with the sensation that something is not quite right, mind ablaze with the knowledge t hat the power to commit more pain or to stop it is in grasp. One might love a particular spot in the world, a city, a hill, a nook, a field of sunflowers swaying in the breeze. From flying an airplane at sound-breaking speeds or laying near comatose, the only movement the flipping of pages and the flitting of eyes as words are dragged into a brain to organize, recognize, and realize their meaning in correlation to each other. Love is all around us, continually exuding from ourself and others. When what someone does not love is near, or when it's something they hate, we are quick to learn it. The disgust in the face as a lump of food falls out of the mouth that tried something new or something forgotten. The shying away from a cer... ... anyone . . . then love must simply be everything else. For one, a scritch of fingernails across green blackboard is a loathsome, marrow scraping experience. For another, the drunken footsteps upon a staircase pounding higher and higher, closer and closer to the bedroom door. Maybe being touched on the nose or those little prickly seeds that hold on like velcro to anything they touch. At the same time another could love those little spiky balls, or enjoy owning drunken feet, the world a blur with head so heavy. Love is so ready to include that anyone is hard-pressed to find something the world excludes and places in a bin called "hate." So I ask you to love, to experience this feeling throughout every nerve of your body, every electric-impulse of a brain cell, every beat of your heart and blink of the eye. Because that's what love is to me. Simply everything.

The Health Care Puzzle :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Health Care Puzzle Health care in the United States has improved immensely during the past century. Improved technology has finally allowed us to eliminate deadly disease from our society. Unfortunately, the technology is expensive and has put monetary burdens upon the care receivers. No longer can a middle class American afford the astronomical fees for lifesaving operations in the hospital. Because of this, health insurance, like car insurance, flood insurance or fire insurance, has been established to assure its participant that he or she is able to be provided with the best care possible. Many horrible stories by normal people have shown that it hasn't happened. Deserved health care has not been provided, and many "insured participants" have suffered because of this. The problems of health care in the United States include: questioning of cost reduction techniques, allegations of death and injury, competition between hospitals themselves, and legal loopholes in the system. It's no wonder that medic al care systems are under such scrutiny. One system in particular that has violated the system is the HMO, or Health Maintenance Organizations, a public provider which forces their patient to choose from an assortment of their physicians. Since their establishment, HMOs have gradually decreased the quality of patient health care significantly, especially in hospitals. Debates over the health care provided by HMOs have arisen in many cases. For an alarming majority, organizations like the HMO are the only affordable option for providing health care. Since most people could never afford such costs as expensive surgeries, they have turned to HMOs to provide them with care, paid via a monthly premium. A variety of services can be offered to patients in one familiar place. In addition, the doctors are good because they are screened before acceptance by other qualifying physicians. Procedures are also given more objectively, because of no extra fee incentives for the physicians in prepaid programs, where the goal is to lower costs. Also, costs are about the same for every visit, and claim forms are kept at a minimum. Another advantage of companies like HMO is that there is a familiarity between the physicians of the HMO group. Specialists of all kinds can relate to each other because they are in a cooperative working environment. In contrast, disadvanta ges exist with these health providers. Since patients depend on them for care, they must trust the HMO also. This means that their health can be damaged because of a doctor's faulty decision making, instead of the patient's.

History Of Soccer :: essays research papers

Soccer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soccer is a great sport that has influenced nations. Millions gather to watch skilled athletes compete in a game of soccer. It is an international sport, so popular that physical education programs have soccer integrated into their plans. Many local communities also have soccer organizations for youths. Soccer has an interesting history going back as far as ancient Rome and Greece. Some other interesting topics that deal with soccer are my personal feelings about the sport and my opinions on the future of soccer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There in not much to be told about the origin of soccer. In ancient Rome and Greece, football and kicking games were played. In 1863, the London Football Association developed the first set of rules. Towards the end of the 19th century, soccer was brought to the United States. But people didn?t start to take a liking to the sport until WWI. In 1908, soccer was made an official Olympic sport. Since then, soccer?s popularity has spread like fire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To me, soccer is an outstanding sport. I love the strategic planning that occurs in the game of soccer. To play soccer, you need to be quick and agile, and your footwork must be meticulous. I like soccer because it comes natural to me. There?s nothing like waking up early on Saturdays and playing a competitive game. When I score goals, which I do often, I get the best feeling. I am contributing to my team winning. That?s why I like soccer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the future, I believe soccer will stay the weekend sport. I doubt that it will ever become as popular as basketball i.e.. NBA. It is increasing in popularity in the United Sports though. But you see, that?s in the United States. I visited Mexico last summer for a month and observed that soccer was the main sport. People would play pick-up games of soccer on basketball courts, as parks and grass space were limited. I say this only to show that soccer?s waning popularity in the US is minuscule compared to the popularity in other countries. So we never know, more people in the future may tune their TV sets to the

Caribbean Literature 1900-1929 Essay

In the Caribbean, specifically Jamaica, during the year of 1900-1929 there were two poets whose work truly stood out and made a statement. Those poets were Thomas Redcam (1870-1933) and Claude McKay (1878-1972). Thomas Redcam was a Jamaican poet who came from Irish ancestry. Throughout his life he promoted Jamaican literature and was a notable poet. He was seen as helpful and encouragement to younger poets during that time period including Claude McKay. Both poets had such a love for their country and made it clear in their poems. They spoke about the beauty of Jamaica, how through thick and thin Jamaica would always be their heart and homeland. The themes of nature, faith, and love are very present within the six poems we read. In Thomas Redcam’s poem â€Å"My Beautiful Home† is where we first see the predominant themes of nature, faith, and love. In this poem he speaks of Jamaica in such vivid terms, making mention of the land only using words such as beautiful. He al so speaks of how the beauty of his homeland is the main reason he loves his land. He speaks of this love as being like none other, a love that is strong and rooted in heart and faith. He makes the idea clear that even when not there his love will always be there and living strong â€Å"Whenever I wander, for thee my love is abiding and strong† (Redcam, 45). This idea for love of country and nature continues in his next poem â€Å"O’little Green Island. Far Over the Sea† In this poem he speaks of the English rule throughout Jamaica and how it affects the people in one aspect but not at all in the other. Not once does he speak negatively about England but rather Redcam glorifies and praises their rule, â€Å"For England is England, brave, patient, and true.† (Redcam, 46) He speaks of how no matter who is ruling they are themselves and their love will always be for their own land Jamaica, â€Å"But my little Green Island, far over the sea, At eve-tide Jamaica, my heart turns to thee.† (Redcam, 46). Redcam makes it clear through his statement that living under the English rule does not change them but rather strengthens their love for their own homeland, Jamaica. Lastly but not least once again the themes of love and nature continue in Redcam’s last poem, but the theme of faith also becomes present in â€Å"Jamaica’s Coronation Ode†. Here more than in his other poems we find the idea of love for the country and how our love along with the idea of a strong faith helps us stand true to our country. He speaks of the war and hard times the people of Jamaica went through during this time period and although he speaks of hardship not once does he mention the idea of negativity. He speaks of positive thoughts and how their love and faith in Jamaica will carry them through the war and as a matter of fact anything in life. He speaks positive thoughts of the moving forward and the future to come after the war â€Å"We are marching to conquer the Future, We are sons of Jamaica the free, We are true to our King and our Country, We are heirs of the ages to be† (Redcam, 47) . This quote is mentioned throughout the poem which really shows the true faith and how they truly believed they could conquer it all with their strong love for Jamaica. Although in this poem the idea of faith in love is more predominant Redcam still mentions the nature he always speaks so highly of. A few years after the poems of Redcam came those of Claude McKay. Claude McKay was a Jamaican- American poet who inspired and guided by the work of Redcam. He was the author of four novels during the time of the Harlem Renaissances. During that time he also wrote short stories and poems, which he is noted for all around the world. McKay being under the guidance of Redcam had the same predominant themes in his poems which were that of nature, love, and faith. In McKay’s first poem â€Å"My Native Home Land† the theme of love is instantly noticeable. He speaks of his love and how he feels Jamaica has made him the man he is. He speaks of how through thick and thin he will stand by his country and defend her. â€Å" Though you cas’ me from your breas’ An’ trample me to deaf; My heart will trus’ you none de less, My land I won’t forget† (McKay, 64). McKay makes it clear that he will never lose his faith in Jamaica as well. In this poem Jamaica McKay believes that his country Jamaica is one that can do no wrong. Once again the ideas of nature, faith and love continue in his next poem â€Å"Flame Heart† but this time the idea of nature becomes the more predominant one. In this work Mckay speaks how he returns back to Jamaica. Throughout the poem he mentions aspects of nature in the land that he can not recall but then mentions the one part of the land he remembers so vividly. McKay speaks of poinsettia plants he remembers so well. He speaks of their beauty and color, â€Å"I have forgotten much, but I still remember The poinsettia’s red, blood-red in warm December† (McKay, 70). He speaks so vividly of this one aspect of nature and not only does he mention the beauty of it, he dives even deeper when mention of climate comes in. This statement about the poinsettia is mentioned a few times in the poem giving off a strong vibe and conviction. Everything to the speaker is a blur but through his blurs he is able to remember that red-blood poinsettia plant in warm December month. In his last poem â€Å"I Shall Return† McKay touches upon all three themes in such strong points. This poem speaks of someone who has left Jamaica but has intentions of returning. It speaks of how their love for their country has encouraged them to return, but also their faithfulness. It speaks of how they truly miss the nature and beauty of their homeland. The speaker believes that when they return they will save themselves pain. â€Å"I shall return, I shall return again, to ease my mind of long, long years of pain† (McKay, 71). Jamaica is their home and they feel it is where they belong no matter where life takes them. Their faith and love will always bring them back home. These 6 poems are the perfect example of the three themes mentioned. Not one of them speaks of negative thoughts of Jamaica but instead glorifies all its beauty and the faith and love the Jamaican people truly have for their land. Both poets have such strong and impacting words when speaking of their land and truly believe that there is no land like theirs. They speak from the heart and truly give their readers vivid ideas of what things were like. These poets are have left a good impact on not only the people of their homeland but of people around the world through their poems. Works Cited Donnell, Alison, and Sarah Lawson Welsh. Routledge Reader in Caribbean Literature. London: Routledge, 1996. Print.