The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 18

A Hive Full of Green Bees â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† I sit up, my heart pounding. When my eyes focus, I see my dad standing at my bedside with his hands above his head; he's wearing his number 5 McNabb jersey. â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!† he continues to scream, until I get out of bed, raise my hands, and say â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† We do the chant, spelling the letters with our arms and legs. â€Å"E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!† When we finish, instead of saying good morning or anything else, my father simply jogs out of my room. I look at the clock, and it reads 5:59 a.m. The game starts at one o'clock. I promised to join Jake's tailgate party by ten, which gives me two hours to lift and an hour to run – so I lift, and Tiffany is outside at 8:00 a.m. just like she said she would be. We do a short run – maybe only six or seven miles. After a shower, I put on my Baskett jersey and ask my mom for a ride to the PATCO station, but she says, â€Å"Your driver is waiting for you outside.† Mom kisses me on the cheek and hands me some money. â€Å"Have fun, and don't let your brother drink too much.† Outside, I see Dad in his sedan; the engine is running. I get into the car and say, â€Å"Dad, are you going to the game?† â€Å"I wish I could,† he says, and then we back out of the driveway. The truth is that my father is still serving a self-imposed ban and is therefore not allowed to attend Eagles games. In the early eighties, Dad got into a fight with a Dallas Cowboys fan who dared to sit in the 700 Level, which were the cheap seats at the Vet, where the die-hard Eagles fans sat. The story I heard from my since-deceased uncle was this: When the Cowboys scored a touchdown, this Dallas fan jumped up and began cheering real loudly, so people started throwing beers and hot dogs at him. The only problem was that my dad was sitting in the row in front of this Dallas fan, so the beer and mustard and food rained down on Dad too. Apparently, Dad lost it, attacked the Dallas fan, and beat him within an inch of his life. My father was actually arrested, convicted of aggravated assault, and incarcerated for three months. If my uncle hadn't made the mortgage payments, we would have lost the house. Dad did lose his season ticket and has not been to an Eagles game since. Jake says we could get Dad in, since no one actually checks IDs at the gate, but Dad won't go back, saying, â€Å"As long as they let the opposing fans in our house, I can't trust myself.† This is sort of funny, because twenty-five years after Dad beat the hell out of that Dallas fan, he is just a fat old man who is not likely to beat up another fat old man, let alone a rowdy Dallas fan with the guts to wear a Cowboys jersey to an Eagles game. Although my father did hit me pretty hard in the attic just a few weeks ago – so maybe he is wise to stay away from the games. We drive over the hospital-green Walt Whitman Bridge, and he talks about how this just might be an important day in Eagles history, especially since the Giants won both games last year. â€Å"Revenge!† he keeps yelling indiscriminately. He also tells me I have to cheer real loudly so Eli Manning – who I know (from reading the sports pages) is the Giants' QB – will not be able to talk or hear during the huddles. â€Å"Scream your goddamn lungs out, because you're the twelfth man!† Dad says. The way he talks at me – never really pausing long enough for me to say any-thing – makes him sound crazy, I know, even though most people think I am the crazy person in the family. When we are stopped, waiting in line to pay the bridge toll, Dad quits his Eagles rant long enough to say, â€Å"It's good that you are going to the games with Jake again. Your brother's missed you a lot. You do realize that, right? You need to make time for family no matter what happens in your life, because Jake and your mother need you.† This is a pretty ironic thing for him to say, especially since he has hardly said anything to me since I have been home and never really spends any time with me or my mother or Jake at all, but I am glad my father is finally talking to me. All the time I have ever spent with Jake or him has always revolved around sports – mostly Eagles – and I know this is all he can really afford emotionally, so I take it, and say, â€Å"I wish you were going to the game, Dad.† â€Å"Me too,† he says, and then hands the toll collector a five. After taking the first off-ramp, he deposits me about ten blocks away from the new stadium so he can turn around and avoid traffic. â€Å"You're on your own coming home,† he says as I get out. â€Å"I'm not driving back into this zoo.† I thank him for the ride, and just before I shut the door, he raises his hands in the car and yells â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhh!† so I raise my hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhh!† A group of men drinking beers out of a nearby car trunk hear us, so they raise their hands and yell â€Å"Ahhhhhhhhhh!† Men united by a team, we all do the Eagles chant together. My chest feels so warm, and I remember how much fun it is to be in South Philly on game day. As I walk toward the west Lincoln Financial Field parking lot – following the directions my brother gave me on the phone the night before – so many people are wearing Eagles jerseys. Everywhere green. People are grilling, drinking beer from plastic cups, throwing footballs, listening to the WIP 610 pregame show on AM radio, and as I walk past, they all high-five me, throw me footballs, and yell, â€Å"Go Birds!† just because I am wearing an Eagles jersey. I see young boys with their fathers. Old guys with their grown sons. Men yelling and singing and smiling as if they were boys again. And I realize I have missed this a lot. Even though I do not want to, I look for the Vet and only find a parking lot. There's a new Phillies ballpark too, called Citizens Bank Park. By the entrance ripples a huge banner of some new player named Ryan Howard. All of this seems to suggest that Jake and Dad weren't lying when they said the Vet was demolished. I try not to think about the dates they mentioned, and I focus on enjoying the game and spending time with my brother. I find the right parking lot and begin to look for the green tent with the black Eagles flag flying from the top. The parking lot is full – tents and grills and parties everywhere – but after ten minutes or so, I spot my brother. Jake's in his number 99 Jerome Brown memorial jersey. (Jerome Brown was the two-time Pro Bowler defensive tackle who was killed in a car crash back in 1992.) My brother is drinking beer from a green cup, standing next to our friend Scott, who is manning the grill. Jake looks happy, and for a second I simply enjoy watching him smile as he throws an arm around Scott, whom I haven't seen since the last time I was in South Philly. Jake's face is red, and he looks a little drunk already, but he has always been a happy drunk, so I do not worry. Like my father, nothing makes Jake happier than Eagles game day. When Jake sees me, he yells, â€Å"Hank Baskett's tailgating with us!† and then runs over to give me a high five and a chest bump. â€Å"What's up, dude?† Scott says to me as we too exchange high fives. The big smile on his face suggests that he is happy to see me. â€Å"Man, you really are huge. What have you been lifting – cars?† I smile proudly as he punches my arm, like guys do when they are buddies. â€Å"It's been years – I mean, um – how many months has it been?† He and my brother exchange a glance that I do not miss, but before I can say anything, Scott yells, â€Å"Hey, all you fat-asses in the tent! I wanna introduce you to my boy – Jake's brother, Pat.† The tent is the size of a small house. I walk through the slit on one side, and a huge flat-screen television is set up on milk crates stacked two by four. Five really fat guys are seated in folding chairs, watching the pregame show – all of them in Eagles jerseys. Scott rattles off the names. After he says mine, the men nod and wave and then go back to watching the pregame show. All of them have handheld personal organizers, and their eyes are rapidly moving back and forth between the small screens in their hands and the large screen at the far side of the tent. Almost all have earpieces in, which I guess are connected to cellular phones. As we exit the tent, Scott says, â€Å"Don't mind them. They're all trying to get last-minute info. They'll be a little more friendly after they've placed their bets.† â€Å"Who are they?† I ask. â€Å"Guys from my work. I'm a computer tech now for Digital Cross Health. We do websites for family doctors.† â€Å"How are they watching television out here in the parking lot?† I ask. My brother waves me around to the back of the tent, points to a small engine in a square of metal, and says, â€Å"Gas-powered generator.† He points to the top of the tent, where a small gray plate is perched, and says, â€Å"Satellite dish.† â€Å"What do they do with all this gear when they go into the game?† I ask. â€Å"Oh,† Scott says with a laugh. â€Å"They don't have tickets.† Jake pours a Yuengling Lager into a plastic cup and hands it to me, and I notice three coolers loaded with beer cans and bottles, probably four or five cases. I know the plastic cup is to keep away the police, who can arrest you for having an open beer can in your hand but not for holding a plastic cup. The bag of empties just outside the tent suggests that Jake and Scott are way ahead of me. As Scott finishes grilling breakfast – thick sausages and eggs scrambled in a pan he has placed over the gas flames – he does not ask me many questions about what I have been up to, which I appreciate. I'm sure my brother has already told Scott all about my time in the bad place and my separation from Nikki, but I still appreciate Scott's allowing me to reenter the world of Eagles football without an interrogation. Scott tells me about his life, and it turns out that while I was in the bad place, he married someone named Willow, and they actually now have three-year-old twins named Tami and Jeri-Lyn. Scott shows me the picture he keeps in his wallet, and the girls are dressed alike in little pink ballerina outfits – tutus, tights – their hands stretched up over silver tiaras, pointing toward heaven. â€Å"My tiny dancers. We live on the Pennsylvania side now. Havertown,† Scott says as he loads a half dozen sausages onto the top rack of the barbecue, where they will keep warm while the next batch cooks. I think about Emily and me floating over the waves only the day before, and again I promise myself I'll get busy making my own daughter just as soon as apart time is over. I try not to do the math in my head, but I can't help it. If he has twins who are three years old and he was married sometime after I last saw him – but before his wife got pregnant – it must mean that I have not seen Scott for at least four years. Now maybe he knocked up his girlfriend and then married her, but of course, I can't ask that. Since his daughters are three, the math indicates he and I have not talked for at least three or four years. My last memory of Scott is at the Vet. I had sold my season ticket to Scott's brother Chris a season or two before, but Chris often went away on business conferences and allowed me to buy my seat back for the few home games played when he was out of town. I came up from Baltimore to see the Eagles play Dallas; I don't remember who won or what the score was. But I remember sitting in between Scott and Jake – up in the 700 Level – when Dallas scored a rushing touchdown. Some clown behind us stood up and began cheering as he unzipped his jacket, revealing a throwback Tony Dorsett jersey. Everyone in our section started booing and throwing food at this Dallas fan, who smiled and smiled. Jake was so drunk he could hardly stand, but he charged after this guy, climbing up over three rows of people. The sober Dallas fan shoved Jake away easily, but when Jake fell back into the arms of drunken Eagles fans, a cry went up, and the Tony Dorsett jersey was forcibly removed from the visiting fan's back and ripped into many pieces before security arrived and threw out a dozen people. Jake was not thrown out of the game. Scott and I were able to get Jake up and away from the mayhem, and when security arrived, we were in the men's room splashing water onto Jake's face, trying to sober him up. In my mind, this happened last year, maybe eleven months ago. But I know if I bring up this incident now as we are grilling in front of the Linc, I will be told that the memory occurred more than three or even four years ago, so I do not bring it up, even though I want to, because I know Jake's and Scott's responses will help me figure out what the rest of the world believes about time. And also, not knowing what the rest of the world believes happened between then and now is terrifying. It's better not to think too much about this. â€Å"Drink some beers,† Jake says to me. â€Å"Smile. It's game day!† So I start drinking, even though the little orange bottles that my pills come in have stickers forbidding me to drink alcohol. After the fat guys in the tent are fed, we eat off paper plates, and then Scott, Jake, and I begin throwing the football around. In the parking lot people are everywhere, not just tailgating, but roaming. Guys selling stolen or homemade T-shirts, moms parading around little girls in cheerleading outfits who will do a cheer if you donate a dollar to their local cheerleading booster club, crazy bums willing to tell you off-color jokes for free food and beer, strippers in short pants and satin jackets handing out free passes to the local gentlemen's clubs, packs of little kids in pads and helmets collecting money for their peewee football teams, college kids handing out free samples of new sodas or sports drinks or candy or junk food, and of course the seventy thousand other drunken Eagles fans just like us. Basically, it's a green football carnival. By the time we decide to have a catch, I've had two or three beers, and I'd be willing to bet Jake and Scott have each had at least ten, so our passes are not all that accurate. We hit parked cars, knock over a few tables of food, beam one or two guys in the back, but no one cares, because we are Eagles fans in Eagles jerseys who are ready and willing to cheer on the Birds. Every so often, other men will jump in front of one of us and intercept a pass or two, but they always give back the ball with a laugh and a smile. I like throwing the football with Jake and Scott because it makes me feel like a boy, and when I was a boy, I was the person Nikki fell in love with. But then something bad happens. Jake sees him first, points, and says, â€Å"Hey, look at the asshole.† I turn my head and see a big man in a Giants jersey, maybe forty yards away from our tent. He is wearing a red, white, and blue hard hat, and the worst part is that he has a little boy with him who is also wearing a Giants jersey. The guy walks over to a group of Eagles fans who give him a hard time at first but eventually hand him a beer. Suddenly my brother is walking toward this Giants fan, so Scott and I follow. My brother starts chanting as he walks, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† With every syllable, he throws his index finger at the hard hat. Scott is doing the same thing, and before I know it, we are surrounded by twenty or so men in Eagles jerseys who are also chanting and pointing. I have to admit it feels sort of thrilling to be part of this mob – united in our hatred of the opposing team's fans. When we reach the Giants fan, his friends – all Eagles fans – laugh, and their faces seem to say, â€Å"We told you this would happen.† But instead of acting remorseful, the Giants fan puts his hands up in the air, as if he has just performed a magic trick or something; he smiles widely and nods his head like he is enjoying being called an asshole. He even puts his hand to his ear, as if to say, â€Å"I can't hear you.† The kid with him, who has the same pale skin coloring and flat nose – probably his son – looks terrified. The little guy's jersey hangs down to his knees, and as the â€Å"ass – hole† chant intensifies, the kid holds on to his father's leg and tries to hide behind the big man's thigh. My brother transitions the crowd into a â€Å"Giants suck† chant, and more Eagles fans come to join in. We now are at least fifty strong. And this is when the little kid breaks into tears, sobbing. When we Eagles fans see that the kid is really upset, the mob chuckles and respectfully disperses. Jake and Scott are laughing as we walk back to our tent, but I don't feel so great. I wish we did not make that little kid cry. I know the Giants fan was stupid to wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game, and it is really his own fault that his son was made to cry, but I also know that what we did was unkind, and this is the sort of behavior Nikki hates, what I am trying – I feel his hands explode through my back, and I stumble forward and almost fall down. When I turn around, I see the big Giants fan. He is no longer wearing his hard hat; his son is not with him. â€Å"You like making little kids cry?† he says to me. I'm too shocked to speak. There were at least fifty men chanting, but he has singled out me. Why? I wasn't even chanting. I wasn't even pointing. I want to tell him this, but my mouth won't work, so I just stand there shaking my head. â€Å"If you don't want a problem, don't wear a Giants jersey to an Eagles game,† Scott says. â€Å"It's just bad parenting to bring your son down here dressed like that,† Jake adds. The mob quickly forms again. A circle of green uniforms surrounds us now, and I think this Giants fan must be crazy. One of his friends has come to talk him down. The friend's a small man with long hair and a mustache – and he's wearing an Eagles shirt. â€Å"Come on, Steve. Let's go. They didn't mean anything. It was just a joke.† â€Å"What the fuck is your problem?† Steve says, and then shoves me again, his hands exploding through my chest. At this point the Eagles fans begin chanting, â€Å"Ass – hole! Ass – hole! Ass – hole!† Steve is staring into my eyes, gritting his teeth so the tendons in his neck bulge like ropes. He also lifts weights. His arms look even bigger than mine, and he is taller than me by an inch or two. I look to Jake for help, and I can see that he looks a little worried himself. Jake steps in front of me, puts his hands up to suggest that he means no harm, but before he can say anything, the Giants fan grabs my brother's Jerome Brown memorial jersey and throws Jake to the ground. I see him hit the concrete – my brother's hands skidding along the blacktop – and then blood is dripping from his fingers and Jake's eyes look dazed and scared. My brother is hurt. My brother is hurt. MY BROTHER IS HURT. I explode. The bad feeling in my stomach rockets up through my chest and into my hands – and before I can stop myself, I'm moving forward like a Mack truck. I catch Steve's cheek with a left, and then my right connects with the south side of his chin, lifting him off the ground. I watch him float through the air as if he were allowing his body to fall backward into a pool. His back hits the concrete, his feet and hands twitch once, and then he's not moving, the crowd is silent, and I begin to feel so awful – so guilty. Someone yells, â€Å"Call an ambulance!† Another yells, â€Å"Tell 'em to bring a blue-and-red body bag!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I whisper, because I find it hard to speak. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† And then I am running again. I weave through the crowds of people, across streets, around cars, and through horns blaring and cursing drivers screaming at me. I feel a bubbly feeling in my midsection, and then I am puking my guts out onto the sidewalk – eggs, sausage, beer – and so many people are yelling at me, calling me a drunk, saying that I'm an asshole; and then I'm running again as fast as I can, down the street away from the stadiums. When I feel as though I am going to throw up again, I stop and realize I'm alone – no more Eagles fans anywhere. A chain-link fence, beyond it a warehouse that looks abandoned. I vomit again. On the sidewalk, outside of the puddle I am making, pieces of broken glass glint and sparkle in the sun. I cry. I feel awful. I realize that I have once again failed to be kind; that I lost control in a big way; that I seriously injured another person, and therefore I'm never going to get Nikki back now. Apart time is going to last forever because my wife is a pacifist who would never want me to hit anyone under any circumstance, and both God and Jesus were obviously rooting for me to turn the other cheek, so I know I really shouldn't have hit that Giants fan, and now I'm crying again because I'm such a fucking waste – such a fucking non-person. I walk another half block, my chest heaving wildly, and then I stop. â€Å"Dear God,† I pray. â€Å"Please don't send me back to the bad place. Please!† I look up at the sky. I see a cloud passing just under the sun. The top is all electric white. I remind myself. Don't give up, I think. Not just yet. â€Å"Pat! Pat! Wait up!† I look back toward the stadiums, and my brother is running toward me. Over the next minute or so, Jake gets bigger and bigger, and then he is right in front of me, bent over, huffing and puffing. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I say. I'm so, so sorry.† â€Å"For what?† Jake laughs, pulls out his cell phone, dials a number, and holds the small phone up to his ear. â€Å"I found him,† Jake says into the phone. â€Å"Yeah, tell him.† Jake hands me the phone. I put it up to my ear. â€Å"Is this Rocky Balboa?† I recognize the voice as Scott's. â€Å"Listen, the asshole you knocked out – well, he woke up and is super pissed. Better not come back to the tent.† â€Å"Is he okay?† I ask. â€Å"You should be more worried about yourself.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"We played dumb when the cops showed up, and no one was able to identify you or your brother – but ever since five-o left, the big guy's been searching the parking lot, looking for you. Whatever you do, don't come back here, because this Giants fan's hellbent on revenge.† I hand the phone back to Jake, feeling somewhat relieved to know I did not seriously hurt Steve, but also feeling numb – because I lost control again. Plus, I'm a little afraid of the Giants fan. â€Å"So, are we going home now?† I ask Jake when he finishes talking to Scott. â€Å"Home? Are you kiddin' me?† he says, and we start walking back toward the Linc. When I don't say anything for a long time, my brother asks if I'm okay. I'm not okay, but I don't say so. â€Å"Listen, that asshole attacked you and threw me to the ground. You only defended your family,† Jake says. â€Å"You should be proud. You were the hero.† Even though I was defending my brother, even though I did not seriously hurt the Giants fan, I don't feel proud at all. I feel guilty. I should be locked up again in the bad place. I feel as though Dr. Timbers was right about me – that I don't belong in the real world, because I am uncontrollable and dangerous. But of course I do not say this to Jake, mostly because he has never been locked up and doesn't understand what it feels like to lose control, and he only wants to watch the football game now, and none of this means anything to him, because he has never been married and he has never lost someone like Nikki and he is not trying to improve his life at all, because he doesn't ever feel the war that goes on in my chest every single fucking day – the chemical explosions that light up my skull like the Fourth of July and the awful needs and impulses and †¦ Outside the Linc, masses form thick lines, and with hundreds of other fans, we wait to be frisked. I don't remember being frisked at the Vet. I wonder when it became necessary to frisk people at NFL games, but I do not ask Jake, because he is now singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† with hundreds of other drunken Eagles fans. After we are frisked, we climb the steps and have our tickets scanned, and then we are inside of Lincoln Financial Field. People everywhere – it's like a hive full of green bees, and the buzz is deafening. We often have to turn sideways just to squeeze between people as we walk the concourse to get to our section. I follow Jake, worrying about getting separated, because I would be lost for sure. We hit the men's room, and Jake gets everyone inside to sing the Eagles fight song again. The lines for the urinals are long, and I am amazed that no one pees in the sinks, because at the Vet – at least up in the 700 Level – all sinks were used as extra urinals. When we finally get to our seats, we are in the end zone, only twenty or so rows up from the field. â€Å"How did you get such good tickets?† I ask Jake. â€Å"I know a guy,† he replies, and smiles proudly. Scott is already seated, and he congratulates me on my fight, saying, â€Å"You knocked that fucking Giants fan out cold!† which makes me feel awful again. Jake and Scott high-five just about everyone in the section, and as the other fans call Scott and my brother by name, it becomes obvious that they are quite popular here. When the beer man comes around, Scott buys us a round, and I am amazed to find a cup holder in the seat in front of me. You would never see such a luxury item at the Vet. Just before the Eagles' players are announced, clips from the Rocky movies are shown on the huge screens at each end of the field – Rocky running by the old Navy Yard, Rocky punching sides of beef in the meat locker, Rocky running up the steps of the art museum – and Jake and Scott keep saying, â€Å"That's you. That's you,† until I worry that someone will hear them, understand that I just fought the Giants fan in the parking lot, and tell the police to take me back to the bad place. When the Eagles' starting lineup is announced, fireworks explode and cheerleaders kick and everyone is standing and Jake keeps on pounding my back with his hand and strangers are high-fiving me, and suddenly I stop thinking about my fight in the parking lot. I begin to think about my dad watching the game in our family room – my mother serving him buffalo wings and pizza and beers, hoping the Eagles win just so her husband will be in a good mood for a week. I again wonder if my dad will start talking to me at night if the Eagles pull out a victory today, and suddenly it's kickoff and I am cheering as if my life depends on the outcome of the game. The Giants score first, but the Eagles answer with a touchdown of their own, after which the whole stadium sings the fight song – punctuated by the Eagles chant – with deafening pride. Late in the first quarter, Hank Baskett gets his first catch of his NFL career – a twenty-five-yarder. Everyone in our section high-fives me and pats me on the back because I am wearing my official Hank Baskett jersey, and I smile at my brother because he gave me such a great present. The game is all Eagles after that, and at the start of the fourth quarter the Eagles are up 24 – 7. Jake and Scott are so happy, and I am beginning to imagine the conversation I am going to have with my father when I get home – how proud he will be of my yelling whenever Eli Manning was trying to call a play. But then the Giants score seventeen unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia fans are shocked. In overtime, Plaxico Burress goes up and over Sheldon Brown in the end zone, and the Giants leave Philadelphia with a win. It is awful to watch. Outside of the Linc, Scott says, â€Å"Better not come back to the tent. That asshole will be there waiting, for sure.† So we say goodbye to Scott and follow the masses to the subway entrance. Jake has tokens. We go through the turnstiles, descend underground, and push our way onto an already packed subway car. People yell, â€Å"No room!† but Jake mashes his body in between the other bodies and then pulls me in too. My brother's chest is against my back; strangers are smashed against my arms. The doors finally close, and my nose is almost touching the glass window. The smell of beer resurfacing through everyone's sweat glands is pungent. I don't like being this close to so many strangers, but I don't say anything, and soon we are at City Hall. After we exit the train, we spin another turnstile, climb up into center city, and begin walking down Market Street, past the old department stores and the new hotels and The Gallery. â€Å"You wanna see my apartment?† Jake asks when we get to the Eighth and Market PATCO stop, which is where I can hop a train over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Collingswood. I do want to see Jake's apartment, but I am tired and anxious to get home so I can do a little lifting before bed. I ask if I might see it some other time. â€Å"Sure,† he says. â€Å"It's good to have you back, brother. You were a true Eagles fan today.† I nod. â€Å"Tell Dad the Birds will bounce back next week against San Fran.† I nod again. My brother surprises me by giving me a two-armed hug and saying, â€Å"I love you, bro. Thanks for getting my back in the parking lot.† I tell him that I love him too, and then he is walking down Market Street singing â€Å"Fly, Eagles, Fly† at the top of his lungs. I descend underground, insert the five my mother gave me into the change machine, buy a ticket, stick it into the turnstile, descend more stairs, hit the waiting platform, and begin to think about that little kid in the Giants jersey. How hard did he cry when he realized his father had been knocked out? Did the kid even get to see the game? A few other men in Eagles jerseys are sitting on the chrome benches. Each nods sympathetically at me when they see my Hank Baskett jersey. One man at the far end of the platform yells, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds!† and then kicks a metal trash can. Another man standing next to me shakes his head and whispers, â€Å"Goddamn fucking Birds.† When the train comes, I choose to stand just inside the doors, and as the train slides across the dusk sky, over the Delaware River, across the Ben Franklin Bridge, I look at the city skyline, and – again – I start to think about that kid crying. I feel so awful when I think about that little kid. I get off the train at Collingswood, walk across the open-air platform and down the steps, stick my card into the turnstile machine, and then jog home. My mother is sitting in the family room, sipping tea. â€Å"How's Dad?† I ask. She shakes her head and points at the TV. The screen is cracked so that it looks like a spiderweb. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"Your father smashed the screen with the reading lamp.† â€Å"Because the Eagles lost?† â€Å"No, actually. He did it when the Giants tied the game at the end of the fourth quarter. Your father had to watch the Eagles blow the game on the bedroom television,† Mom says. â€Å"How's your brother?† â€Å"Fine,† I say. â€Å"Where's Dad?† â€Å"In his office.† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"I'm sorry your team lost,† Mom says, just to be nice, I know. â€Å"It's okay,† I answer, and then go down into the basement, where I lift weights for hours and try to forget about that little Giants fan crying, but I still can't get the kid out of my mind. For whatever reason I fall asleep on the rug that covers part of the basement floor. In my dreams the fight happens again and again, only instead of the Giants fan bringing a kid to the game, the Giants fan brings Nikki, and she too is wearing a Giants jersey. Every time I knock the big guy out, Nikki pushes through the crowd, cradles Steve's head in her hands, kisses his forehead, and then looks up at me. Just before I run away, she says, â€Å"You're an animal, Pat. And I will never love you again.† I cry through my dreams and try not to hit the Giants fan every time the memory flashes through my mind, but I can't control my dream self any more than I could control my awake self after seeing the blood on Jake's hands. I wake up to the sound of the basement door being closed, and I see the light streaming in through the small windows over the washer and dryer. I walk up the steps, and I cannot believe the sports pages are there. I am very upset about the dream I had, but I realize it was only a dream, and despite everything that has happened, my father is still leaving me the sports pages after one of the worst Eagles losses in history. So I take a deep breath. I allow myself to feel hopeful again and start my exercise routine.

Children and adults Essay

The Effective Early Learning Project based at Worcester University highlights two ways in which adults can help children progress; The first is the way the adult encourages the child to be autonomous, to get on and try new things; The second, is the way the adult offers experiences which are stimulating, challenging and interesting. Adults need to be a supporting factor when the child is in a ‘risky’ environment. Children and adults alike enjoy climbing trees; adults know when they are too high as do children. This is a whole other debate in terms of nature or nurture debate. This is where we could explore the idea of children learning to be safe when risk taking or is it already ‘there’. Stephenson (2003) wrote about a child on a swing, ‘Swinging was very popular with these younger children, but more often than the older children their reactions indicated that they felt unsafe and wanted the swing slowed down’. Therefore the child has taken the risk, has agreed a boundary, enjoyed the activity and acknowledged the safety aspect. The adult was there to ensure the safety and also make the activity a positive one by being readily available. Children must face all different kinds of risks in order to support their development and learning. Stine (1997) wrote that to support their learning and development is a complex issue. There always has to be provision for a physical challenge. More and more educational settings are using outdoor play/activity to challenge the children. Although, what is an acceptable risk to one person, may be completely the opposite of another. Bruce and Meggitt (2002) write that ‘outdoor space needs to be available most of the time’; They continue that, safety is the only consideration for keeping children in doors. Children can feel safe in ‘risk taking’ environments and activities in many ways. Initially the adult to child ratio, with a high number of adults’ children can be supported and helped to achieve. Secondly by minimising, if possible, the risk aspect. This could be ensuring the activity is a positive and acceptable environment. Thirdly by giving the children all the opportunities available for physical risk taking, children need a stimulating and challenging environment. And finally, a well maintained balance between the child’s safety and the challenge of the activity. In an educational setting, an adult carer will go to the ‘risk area’ and carry out an assessment. They will check the route to be taken, dangers in the area and also any area that poses extreme concern. An adult carer should also think about the child to adult ratio. A local nursery allows children to climb trees. Due to the child to adult ratio, the nursery feels that the level of risk posed can be curtailed by having by having the children supervised and supported through the activity by adults. The children are therefore enjoying the activity of risk taking, as well as feeling safe in knowing an adult is available to help at any time. Another factor that the adult carer should be aware of is the idea of making a child’s environment completely hazard free. Therefore taking away any risk or danger. Walsh (1993) thought that children in an environment that is completely ‘safe’ could become bored and this could lead to self initiated risk taking that could be dangerous. Durberry (2001) felt that children who grow up in an ultra safe environment would ‘lack confidence in their own physical ability’. This would be due to the poor opportunities for the children to build and extend upon their exiting knowledge. He continued that children had to be both confident and competent physically in order to feel competent emotionally. The ideals on risk taking vary from culture to culture. Although the main aim remains the same. The child needs to remain safe, but feel they are being challenged and stimulated. To minimise hazards there needs to be a high adult to child ratio. Children need opportunities to explore and do so independently. Over the last decade, the child’s freedom of choice has been limited. Adult carers are sometimes over anxious about letting the child experiment with risk taking. The procedures and guidelines that are in place give the adult carer a frame work on which to base their activities upon. The adult carer should exploit and become fluent in the procedures and guidelines in place. This in turn will provide groundwork for safe risk taking. Bibliography Smith, P., Cowie, H. & Blades, M. (2003) Understanding Children’s Development, London: Blackwell Publishing.  Bruce, T. & Meggitt, C. (2002) Childcare & Education, London: Hodder & Stoughton.  DfEE (2003) Early Years (Volume 23, Number 1), London: Taylor & Francis

Online shopping vs. Traditional Shopping Essay

Shopping is an exciting part of American culture, whether you participate or not. With a boost from cyberspace, a person can buy just about anything without leaving the couch. Both types of transactions coexist with one another, yet window-shopping is a distinctly different experience from Internet shopping. Shopping is no longer as simple as it used to be, especially if you’re picky. Whether it’s web-based or face-to-face browsing, there are some benefits and downfalls to both methods that differentiate the two, even though they each accomplish a common goal. When shopping traditionally there is a limitation to some extent, whether it’s a variety of size, color, brand, or availability. Shopping at the store can be convenient, yet frustrating. Finding what you need takes patience and sometimes a little help. Also, depending on the demand, a store may not always have a product in stock. Even more irritating is finding what you need, just not the right size. Each of these situations makes online shopping the more appealing option. When shopping on the Internet, there are endless options and variety to choose from. Online customers can search for any product; browse by category, color, size, brand, etc.; or just take a peek at everything in a matter of minutes. Another appealing factor to Internet shopping is the availability to choose from additional colors, styles, or sizes because of the mass compiling of inventory. Additionally, a benefit from buying from huge online retailers is that pricing may be more competitive because it is coming from the direct or discount supplier, which minimizes the middlemen. Lastly, and most obviously, customers shopping over the web have no geographic limits. A person can enjoy any good around the world without having to go the distance to retrieve it, which makes Internet shopping so unique. Despite the fascination with online shopping, there is only so much an Internet connection and domain can do for you. Browsing a website’s product listing is in no way comparable to being able to physically touch, see, smell, or feel a product when making a purchase. Looks can be deceiving, as well as luring descriptions. No matter what angle its viewed from, pictures only provide a two-dimensional detail of a product in the most attractive lighting, with the happiest people enjoying it, or the best looking person  modeling it. Making a decision based on these intentionally placed marketing methods can alter a consumer’s perception of the true quality of a product, more than likely resulting in dissatisfaction. What makes traditional shopping more appealing in this aspect is that a consumer is more than likely aware of what their buying into, rather than blindly buying into a false belief. A person is capable of fully experiencing the true quality of a product without a bias on it’s presentation. By witnessing a product in material form, consumers are given the opportunity to make a judgment without having to dodge marketing obstacles. A person’s five senses assist in getting to the bottom of the misunderstanding created by deceptive showcasing techniques and assure the best decision. Likewise, when deals in cyberspace seem too good to be true, they usually are. A person’s susceptibility to scam is increased when shopping on the Internet. The occurrence of personal information theft, such as credit cards, is alarmingly high. When shopping traditionally, a person is not faced with as high of chances of this happening. Due to the existence of many untrusted or sketchy websites, a person may not want to be so quick to hand over method of payment. Also, even if a website is trusted, there is always room for error, especially when a computer is the main coordinator of the order processing. The possibility of receiving the incorrect item from the supplier is a risk that is taken each time a person resorts to Internet shopping. Making Internet order returns are an even trickier task, whereas returning an item to a traditional store is just as simple as the way you bought it. Internet merchandise returns can take several weeks to process and refunds can come in exchanges, full refunds, or store credit, adding to the inconvenient complications. Nevertheless, nobody usually enjoys spending long hours at the store, making a trip to a mall out of town, or doing anything generally shopping related. Traditional shopping can take a lot of energy and effort, inflict stress, and lead to impulse purchases. All of these results are undesirable and easily avoided through Internet shopping. With a computer or smartphone, a person has access to millions of online stores as well as websites to favorite traditional stores. All of these options are available from the  comfort of any home (with internet of course.) You can shop on your own time rather than the hours of operation of a traditional store. Heck, you can even shop naked if you desire. Not only can using this alternative make shopping convenient and easy, shipping of products is extremely affordable and sometimes free. Money and time usually spent on transportation and food when shopping formally can be saved, on top of the savings one can find online. Finding deals on the web is just as easy, if not easier, than traditional shopping. Also, buying gifts and other personal items can be done in privacy/secrecy when necessary. In conclusion, both methods of shopping are full of differences and similarities that make them unique in some approach. Traditional shopping allows for inclusion of the five senses, quick and safe transactions, and a more formal experience that includes the customer; whereas Internet shopping is convenient and easy, provides increased option, and helps to save money. Due to the variation in execution, both methods have an appropriate time and place to occur, yet in the end, internet shopping and formal shopping are interchangeable, despite the discrepancies.

Business Model and Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Model and Strategic Plan - Essay Example Through this combo-meal product, the larger number of consumers can be enticed to try out the new Starbucks product. A significant amount of advertising would have to be included in this strategy in order to inform the target population of the new product (Cravens and Piercy, 2008). These advertising can simply come in the form of posters displayed in front of the Starbucks stores, and made visible to everyone. Advertisements would also have to be taken out in newspapers, magazines, and the social media. Television advertisements would also help inform a larger population about the new Starbucks product (Cravens and Piercy, 2008). The advertisement would also have to emphasize on the uniqueness of the new product for Starbucks, and all the perks and benefits it can offer the clients. It is important for the new product to stand apart from other combo-meals of other business establishments (Rust, et.al., 2004). The advertisement can present a variety of combination meals of sandwiches and coffee for the customers to choose from. The advertisement can also appeal immediately to individual consumer tastes, including the vegetarians, the vegans, or those who have cultural preferences in their meals. The bottom line of the advertisements is that the new product for Starbucks is one which serves the needs of the consumers satisfactorily (Rust, et.al., 2004). It is also important to test the new product and its viability in the market. This can be done through research. A research can be carried out covering the possible target population. This target population would be invited to Starbucks and would be invited to test the new product. Posters of the new product would be displayed outside the stores (Zeithaml, et.al., 2006). The research would note if the respondents would opt for the combo meal, and what type of meal they would choose. Feedback on the quality and the value for money

Small essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Small - Essay Example It also entails maximizing the marginal costs and the marginal revenue perspectives depending on the total profit where it reaches the marginal revenue and costs. Therefore, in this situation, the monopolist can maximize his business profits by choosing his outputs in that the marginal revenues will be equal to the marginal costs. Alternatively, the monopolist can decide to charge high prices since he is not experiencing real competition in the market (Spate, 1983). It is quite common to see many business owners still keeping their businesses open despite the deterioration instead of shutting the business down. The main answer to this is because of the total revenue and the total variable costs (Spate, 1983). Most business owners who are not in a hurry to shut down their business tend to be enjoying the total revenues, which are always greater as compared to the total variable costs. However, the biggest disadvantage of this situation is the fact that the profitability will not last forever. The profits and in this case the total revenues would be diminish with time (Spate,

Tattooed Soldier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tattooed Soldier - Essay Example Antonio Bernal, a Guatemalan refugee is traumatized by the brutal death of his wife and only one son. He flees to Los Angeles to find solace, forget the problems and redeem his life. ‘When he first came to Los Angeles, Antonio thought of it as the place where he would redeem himself, undertake a new beginning’. Being a middle class civil servant once, seven years down the line, Antonio is wandering like homeless tramps in the city. He has been evicted from a rental house for failing to clear rent. The bitter truth that Los Angeles is no better than Guatemala reveals itself. He finds that life in the city is much more difficult and all his hopes abort. Guillermo Longoria is an ex-military soldier, an perpetrator of Antonio’s family and a member of death squad, the jaguar battalion of the Guatemalan army. He has tattooed his forearm with a yellow menacing jaguar as a mark of ruthless executor. Having contributed to the genocide that burnt the Guatemalan highlands and participated in the assassination of many Guatemalan citizens, he also flees to Los Angeles. He hopes to rid off the feelings, memories and the guilty consciousness he is suffering from as a result of his actions. He believes Los Angeles is not infected with the filth and pandemonium like that in Guatemala. Unfortunate for him, he learns that the city is even worse. ‘This place, this Los Angeles, is a cloud of filth, even the sky is muddy brown†¦ no one in Los Angeles seemed to care about trespassing, about people breaking the law†... Unfortunate for him, he learns that the city is even worse. ‘This place, this Los Angeles, is a cloud of filth, even the sky is muddy brown†¦ no one in Los Angeles seemed to care about trespassing, about people breaking the law† (Tobar, 34). The two men have been brought up in humble backgrounds. Both are haunted by past experiences and hopes for bright future in America. Antonio, seven years ago a middle-class civil servant, married and with one son comes home from work to meet his wife and son killed. The memories and fear ignites cowardice and he is fighting with self esteem in the move to avenge his family murderer. Longoria was a peasant before being coerced to join the army, a profession he eventually came to love. Luckily, his military experience earns him a job and is able to have his own home in America. Having committed crimes in Guatemala, he believes to find peace in Los Angeles, where he thinks is crime free. â€Å"He would not be swallowed by the uncle anliness around him’ (Tobar, 34) The book is a story of exiles, outsiders, the marginalized, and the powerless. Immigrants have very high expectations about America. Unfortunately, when they move in, especially elites, their profession and social statuses are reduced. Tobar says’ Women with medical degrees became laboratory assistants, accountants became ditch diggers.† (Tobar, 51). the social inequalities are very visible. Only a few like longoria can survive in the city because of its diversity. But immigrants have a hard time being assimilating in the American cultures. The powerless have no option but to concede injustice. Longoria has gotten away with so many crimes but his military experience earns him a

Website plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Website plan - Essay Example In fact, e-commerce is believed to the most important and attractive internet supported ideas appeared in the recent times. In this scenario, electronic commerce engages carrying out business over the web with the help of computers that are connected to each other in order to form a network. In simple words, ecommerce deals with selling and buying products and services and transferring funds by making use of digital communications (EcommerceEducation, 2007; Hendershot, 2013). In addition, both the trends e-commerce and e-business are used interchangeably. However, e-business is about the development of businesses which can be run on the Internet, or using Internet systems and technologies to enhance the profitability or productivity of a company. In other words, this term can be employed to explain some structure of electronic business: that is to say, a business that makes use of a computer. This practice is somewhat out-of-date, though, and in most of the cases e-business refers completely to an Internet based business. In this scenario, the most frequent use of this term is for demonstrating a business which offers and sells products and services online, an e-business allows a firm to get access to a huge customer base than some customary brick-and-mortar store could ever expect for. Additionally, e-commerce is believed to be a significant component of e-business. Moreover, e-business can as well make use of the Internet to obtain wholesale products o r supplies intended for in-house manufacturing. This side of e-business is occasionally recognized as online or e-procurement, as well as provides the businesses an excellent opportunity to reduce their costs radically. However, the majority of e-businesses that work without an electronic business platform at the present utilize e-procurement as a key mechanism to effectively track and run their purchasing (McGuigan, 2013). This report

Describe and analyse in detail the dramatic importance and visual Essay

Describe and analyse in detail the dramatic importance and visual impact of the Mediterranean setting in Et Dieu cra la femme - Essay Example It played a great part in the conceptualization of the premise of the movies. To fully comprehend the effect of the different elements of the movie, the impact of the points has to be analyzed in its total form. The formation of the script is important and the Mediterranean settings play an instrumental role in the setting. The classical conceptualization of the plot is one of the strong points. The impact of the Mediterranean setting on the movie can be comprehended form the overall complicity of the movie with the settings. The film has all the element of the modern day cinema and even pushed the boundaries in terms of the classical representation. This ensured the fundamental nature of the movie. STORY SYNOPSIS The central characters of the film are justified by the Mediterranean settings in the movie. The central plot of the movie is based on this situation of the movie. The Mediterranean settings added a certain degree of charm to the surroundings. This is seen in the heightened sense of sensuality of the movie. The overall development of the movie was seen to be a result on that stress on sensuality. The elements of drama have been seen in the movie and this has endeared the movie to the watchers. The movies were made in the golden age of French drama. It was seen to have all the elements of the genre in place. The progression of the story is significant in terms of the elements involved in the characterization of the movie. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and starred Brigitte Bardot in it. It is the film that is widely credited to have led to the rise of stardom of Bardot. The conceptualization and the development of the story have a touch of sensuality to it. The story has all the elements that glamorize the settings. If the plot is very keenly observed, it can be seen that the story has concordance with the Mediterranean settings. The sensuousness of the story has been helped by the concept that the story has shown. This is one of the primal parts of the story that is of significance. The film has a very heavy content of sexuality, which has helped in the formation of the concept of the movie. The film is responsible for pushing the boundaries of American cinema when it comes to the representation of sensuality in the European cinema. The film has multiple elements that have ensured that the core elements of the movies are represented in the best manner. The film has the narration of the experience of Juliette, an orphan that has very high degree of sexual energy present in her. She does not conform to the rules present in the society in every manner. This is representative of the fundamental elements of the film. There is no effort in the hiding of innate sensuality that is present in all the characters. This becomes even more profound from the habits that have been shown in the movies. She lies naked in the backyard, does not wear the shoes and also does not follow any of the rules and the regulations that need to be follo wed by the people in the society. There is no regard for the men around in her life in terms of the sexuality. Eric Carradine was one of the earliest suitors in of her. He wanted to build a casino, but the plans are laid to waste by the efforts of the Tardieu family, who are blocking the efforts to build the casino in town. The creation of all the characters is seen as a part of the natural progression of the

Drug testing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drug testing - Research Proposal Example There is a need to assure the publics safety when lives are placed in the hands of a pilot or a policeman. There is also a need to protect the privacy and rights of the individual that are a part of the American way of life. How do we reconcile public safety against the backdrop of the principle of presumed innocence? For most occupations drug testing is an excessive intrusion into privacy that violates the constitutional principles of self-incrimination and legal search and seizure. The constitutional guarantees that protect our privacy and require probable cause are illegally suspended when employers require mandatory and random drug testing. According to the US Department of Labor guidelines, "The current law in the private sector generally permits non-union companies to require applicants and/or employees to take drug tests" (Drug Testing). The long lasting remnants of drug residue and the possibility of false positive results erodes the reliability of these tests. Constitutional rights and the liability for poor results should not be a condition of employment in America. Schools have often been at the forefront of drug testing, but students also are protected by the constitution. Random testing should be eliminated in favor of the same laws that require probable cause that a crime has been committed. "Reasonable suspicion/cause testing involves a school requiring a student to provide a urine specimen when there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the student may have used an illicit substance" (What is drug testing). These are the same rules, laws, and constitutional protections that are granted to all Americans. Eliminating random drug testing in schools is simply abiding by our laws and constitution. Critics will argue that random drug testing is the surest and best way to eliminate drug use from the workplace and schools. They contend that the mere possibility of being tested greatly reduces drug use. However, the

Explain how blood diamonds have helped prolong conflict in Africa Essay

Explain how blood diamonds have helped prolong conflict in Africa - Essay Example mer Zaire (now conveniently known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC-Kinshasa) and from Sierra Leone to Liberia, diamonds have fuelled civil wars by armed insurgents seeking both revolutionary social change and vast riches through the illicit diamond trade. According to the United Nations, conflict diamonds are used to fund military action on behalf of insurgents and the trade of said diamonds is illegal. Seeking to explore the linkages between diamonds in Africa and modern insurgency, this essay will provide a holistic analysis of the conflict diamond phenomenon and will begin by defining conflict diamonds as well as explore historical antecedents to this trend. This will be followed by a brief discussion of the role of conflict diamonds in modern instances of civil war, including in Liberia, Angola, the DRC and Sierra Leone. Our case analysis will focus primarily on Sierra Leone and the role of diamonds in perpetuating civil war in one of the poorest countries on the plan et. We then turn to an exploration of the international response to conflict diamonds, including the Kimberly Process, and in the case of Sierra Leone, the establishment of international criminal tribunals to bring the perpetrators of armed conflict and extreme violence, often funded through the illicit diamond trade, to justice. By exploring efforts to curb the illicit trade of conflict diamonds, we hope to shed light on the international efforts and will conclude with questions regarding the future of armed conflict in Africa and the role that diamonds and other precious resources may play in fuelling future conflict (Goldsmith, 1987) The exploitation of Africa is a historical fact with its roots in the colonial enterprise and Western encroachment onto the continent. Colonialism has had a lasting impact on many countries of the developing world. Few countries of the world were immune to colonial penetration and the enduring influence of the colonial legacy can be found in

The Electoral College is a critical tool in American electoral Essay

The Electoral College is a critical tool in American electoral system.Define and assess the Electoral College and how it has or has not encouraged political participation by the citizenry - Essay Example A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. The state’s entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its congressional delegation. Electoral College has not encouraged political participation by citizens especially since it is inherently undemocratic and gives the small states additional powers to prevent politicians from focusing only on issues which affect the larger states. The fear being without power, politicians would completely ignore small states and focus only on big population centers. The Electoral College favors the smaller states with disproportionate voting power in electing the President and the Vice President. On the other hand, advocates of the system say that this uneven power forces politicians to pay attention to smaller states which would otherwise be ignored. Except in closely fought swig states, voter turnout is largely insignificant due to entrenched political party domination in most states. The Electoral College decreases the advantage a political party might gain from encouraging voter turnout, except in those swig state (Hewson 15). In conclusion, the Electoral College is a critical tool in the electoral system of America. Even though the Electoral College does not encourage political participation by the citizenry, the electors are an important component of the Electoral College and each vote cast for the President and the Vice President determines the future exercise of power in the

Fruit Ripening Essay Example for Free

Fruit Ripening Essay Placing fruit in a bag will help hasten the ripening for only a few fruits. Most fruits will not ripen (ever) once they have been picked. The only fruits that ripen once theyre picked are bananas, avocados, pears, mango, and kiwifruit. Ripeness in fruits is based on sugar content, not color, thus most tomatoes in grocery stores have no flavor because they were picked green and exposed to ethylene gas to induce color change. Tomatoes are what are known as a climacteric fruit which means theyll change appearance based on climactic conditions but they dont ripen. Yes, they continue to soften but thats simply the process of cell deterioration know as decomposition. Some fruits such as peaches, plums, etc. will seem to develop more sweetness as they sit on the counter but thats because theyre also losing moisture and the residual sugars are concentrating in the cell walls. Placing fruit in a paper bag helps to concentrate the levels of ethylene gas which is what helps induce the ripening of the above mentioned fruits (bananas/avocados, etc.). In fact, avocados and pears must be picked in order to ripen. Pears that are left on the tree will simply rot. As mentioned previously brown paper bags used to be something everyone had around their house so it was a commmon item before the switch to plastic bags. Have you ever noticed some people like red bell peppers and not green ones? The reason is due toripeness. Plant tissues communicate by means of hormones. Hormones are chemicals that are produced in one location that have an effect on cells in a different location. Most plant hormones are transported through the plant vascular system, but some, like ethylene, are released into the gaseous phase, or air. Ethylene is produced and released by rapidly-growing plant tissues. It is released by the growing tips of roots, flowers, damaged tissue, and ripening fruit. The hormone has multiple effects on plants. One is fruit ripening. When fruit ripens, the starch in the fleshy part of the fruit is converted to sugar. The sweeter fruit is more attractive to animals, so they will eat it and disperse the seeds. Ethylene initiates the reaction in which the starch is converted into sugar. Iodine solution binds to starch, but not to sugar, forming a dark-colored complex. You can estimate how ripe a fruit is by whether or not is is darkened after painting it with an iodine solution. Unripe fruit is starch y, so it will be dark.

Strategic management and information systems at Tesco

Strategic management and information systems at Tesco Outsourcing ICT is quite commonly used by organisations as an approach to strategic management. Assess the advantages and disadvantages that outsourcing can bring in developing effective uses of information systems in an organisation such as Tesco. What do you understand by knowledge management and knowledge management systems? Analyze how useful such a system could be to Tesco and why it is often difficult to persuade employees to use such systems. As markets evolve the companies that are in the top seats are the ones that excel in organizing human resources and materials, also forecasting the possible changes in markets. To manage this many companies use the help of other companies to grow in this straggle of competition. This is called Outsourcing. If a firm does not want to use its internal resources to build or operate information systems, it can hire an external organization that specializes in providing these services to do the work. The process of turning over an organizations computer center operations, telecommunications networks, and/or applications development to external vendors is called outsourcing (Laudon Laudon, 2005). This definition covers the greatest part of Outsourcing, but what happens when we refer to ICT Outsourcing? First of all, what is ICT? Information Technology (IT) is probably one of the most used terms in business nowadays. Information shouldnt be confused with knowledge, unfortunately this happens occasionally. The term information is used extensively in no formal speech. This, and the different meanings used, makes it hard to define. From my point of view after studying on this subject, information covers data to which meaning is assigned, according to context and assumed conventions. Knowledge is derived from information. (Miller, 1999) Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the automatic and digital acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. The term information technology includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. Taking under consideration the above we conclude that ICT Outsourcing can be defined as follows. Information Technology outsourcing is the concept of an organization contracting-out IT activities to a third party vendor, who in return provides and manages the services for a certain period of time in exchange for a monetary fee. The deal can include the transfer of IT assets and people involved with IT to the external entity. (Roland Booijen 2006) The main trend in international businesses nowadays is to outsource their production process as well as some of their services outside of their base country. The term outsourcing basically refers to the process of subcontracting goods and services from an outside supplier, usually from a different country. Most companies choose to outsource because of its many advantages over the traditional process of production. This article will show you some advantages that outsourcing can do for your business. Most companies choose to outsource because it lowers the cost of production and other expenses such as IT services and customer services. China and Vietnam, popular off shoring countries do not have strict labor laws allowing relatively cheaper wages. This guarantees that the company will get the most out of the capital invested in the business. A consequence of the advantage mentioned, outsourcing will reduce the overhead cost of maintaining the business. Outsourcing will allow you to reduce the number of your employees which will lead to savings in utilities, a save in taxes and less insurance among others. This will increase the funding of your company that can be invested in any other parts of the business. Another advantage of outsourcing is gives you better control of your business. Outsourcing can significantly reduce the number of your employees, thus making the rest of the staff easily manageable. By that, you can increase the responsibility of your workers inside your company and make them feel like a part of the business, something they have put their effort to bloom. Outsourcing gives you the chance to focus on other business aspects like the marketing process. By taking other parts of the business like production and other process away, you have more time to plan others steps of your company like how to sell you r products in a more efficient way. This can give you the weapons to become a recognizable marketing power company. Another advantage of outsourcing is that it allows you to choose professional level of processing or utilization according to the needs of your company. Since you choose expertise in their field, the quality of your service will also improve. Outsourcing would mean to expose your production to external procedures that you may not know or considered looking into. This can provide innovation capabilities for your business. This provides useful information on how to improve your products by using the earned technological info and professional production means. These are some of the benefits that outsourcing can brink to your business. In companies like Tesco using outsourcing can benefit in many ways as this huge business colossus always needs innovation, using outsourcing provides fresh ideas for them and also can keep them focused on other parts of the business like promotion or marketing. As you study your way through using outsourcing you will have to keep in mind that there are advantages to outsourcing and disadvantages of outsourcing. Some of the disadvantages of outsourcing are the following: One disadvantage is loss of management Control .Whether you sign a contract to have another company perform the function of an entire department or single task, you are turning the management and control of that function over to another company. True, you will have a contract, but the managerial control will belong to another company. Your outsourcing company will not be driven by the same standards and mission that drives your company. They will be driven to make a profit from the services that they are providing to you and other businesses like yours. Another disadvantage is hidden costs .You will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Anything not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. Additionally, you will experience legal fees to retain a lawyer to review the contacts you will sign. Remember, this is the outsourcing companys business. They have done this before and they are the ones that write the contract. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage when negotiations start. Yet another drawback may be the threat of Security and confidentiality .The life-blood of any business is the information that keeps it running. If you have payroll, medical records or any other confidential information that will be transmitted to the outsourcing company, there is a risk that the confidentiality may be compromised. If the outsourced function involves sharing proprietary company data or knowledge, this must be taken into account. Evaluate the outsourcing company carefully to make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs. One more disadvantage may be quality problems. The outsourcing company will be motivated by profit. Since the contract will fix the price, the only way for them to increase profit will be to decrease expenses. As long as they meet the conditions of the contract, you will pay. In addition, you will lose the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment. The contract will be very specific and you will pay extra for changes. Another disadvantage is to be tied to the financial well-being of another company. Since you will be turning over part of the operations of your business to another company, you will now be tied to the financial well-being of that company. It wouldnt be the first time that an outsourcing company could go bankrupt and leave you holding-the-bag. One more disadvantage is bad publicity and Ill-will .The word outsourcing brings to mind different things to different people. If you live in a community that has an outsourcing company and they employ your friends and neighbors, outsourcing is good. If your friends and neighbors lost their jobs because they were shipped across the state, across the country or across the world, outsourcing will bring bad publicity. If you outsource part of your operations, morale may suffer in the remaining work force. Companies like Tesco can use ITC outsourcing in their intercompany communications, by using a system of comlinks or anything like that. Another possible use is better organizing stock and storage of items by using computer based systems, databases for storage and self items would be a great effective way of ICT usage etc. 2. Knowledge management and Knowledge management systems ( KMS) are a class of informational systems that refer to the application of managing informational knowledge in an organization. That is, they are IT-based systems developed to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation, storage/retrieval, transfer, and application. Although not all KM initiatives involve an implementation of IT, and admonitions against an emphasis on IT at the expense of the social and cultural facets of KM are not uncommon (Davenport and Prusak 1998; Malhotra 1999; O.Dell and Grayson 1998), many KM initiatives rely on IT as an important enabler. While IT does not apply to all of the issues of knowledge management, it can support KM in many ways. A very common application of knowledge management systems is the creation of knowledge networks (Ruggles 1998). For example, when Chrysler reorganized from functional to platform based organizational units, they quickly Knowledge management a nd Knowledge management systems (KMS) are a class of informational systems that refer to the application of managing informational knowledge in an organization. That is, they are IT-based systems developed to support and enhance the organizational processes of knowledge creation, storage/retrieval, transfer, and application. Although not all KM initiatives involve an implementation of IT, and admonitions against an emphasis on IT at the expense of the social and cultural facets of KM are not uncommon (Davenport and Prusak 1998; Malhotra 1999; O.Dell and Grayson 1998), many KM initiatives rely on IT as an important enabler. While IT does not apply to all of the issues of knowledge management, it can support KM in many ways. A very common application of knowledge management systems is the creation of knowledge networks (Ruggles 1998). For example, when Chrysler reorganized from functional to platform based organizational units, they quickly realized that unless the suspension speciali sts could communicate easily with each other across platform types, expertise would deteriorate. Chrysler formed Tech Cul, bringing people together virtually and face-to-face to exchange and build their collective knowledge in each of the specialty areas. In this case, the knowledge management effort was less focused on mapping expertise or benchmarking than it was on bringing the experts together so that important knowledge was shared and amplified. Providing online forums for communication and discussion may form knowledge networks. The idea of a KM system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organizations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions. For example a typical claim justifying the creation of a KM system might run something like this: an engineer could know the metallurgical composition of an alloy that reduces sound in gear systems. Sharing this information organization wide can lead to more effective engine design and it could also lead to ideas for new or improved equipment. A very good example in Tescos case is when they decided to implement an online ordering system that connected the customers with the warehouses and the suppliers. Some of the benefits of KMS systems are: Increased order processing capacity, Reduced hardware cost , Increased flexibility in maintaining supplier relationships , Better integration of programs, increased reliability in day to day operations. The key aspect of KM and KMS is to convince existing long term employees to make use of such systems in order to produce/sell more and drive profits upwards. Such a challenged is described in the Tesco Case Study as far as the living service scheme is described in the context of making employees comfortable with the new changes in the way they operates so far. This was achieved by implementing their managers in the process, in order to encourage employees that they have some ownership over their workplace and was achieved with 3 day workshops. However one of the major drawbacks was that the managers had to face was the skepticism of the employees who viewed the whole scheme as suspicious. Trilogy, the group of companies that was outsourced for this purpose made sure that the whole process would like a completely internal Tesco-like procedure to ensure that they had the employees full trust on the living service program. that unless the suspension specialists could communicate easily with each other across platform types, expertise would deteriorate. Chrysler formed Tech Cul, bringing people together virtually and face-to-face to exchange and build their collective knowledge in each of the specialty areas. In this case, the knowledge management effort was less focused on mapping expertise or benchmarking than it was on bringing the experts together so that important knowledge was shared and amplified. Providing online forums for communication and discussion may form knowledge networks. The idea of a KM system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organizations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions. For example a typical claim justifying the creation of a KM system might run something like this: an engineer could know the metallurgical composition of an alloy that reduces sound in gear systems. Sharing this information organization wide can lead to more effective engine design and it could also lead to ideas for new or improved equipment. A very good example in Tescos case is when they decided to implement an online ordering system that connected the customers with the warehouses and the suppliers. Some of the benefits of KMS systems are: Increased order processing capacity, reduced hardware cost, Increased flexibility in maintaining supplier relationships, Better integration of programs, increased reliability in day to day operations. The key aspect of KM and KMS is to convince existing long term employees to make use of such systems in order to produce/sell more and drive profits upwards. Such a challenged is described in the Tesco Case Study as far as the living service scheme is described in the context of making employees comfortable with the new changes in the way they operates so far. This was achieved by implementing their managers in the process, in order to encourage employees that they have some ownership over their workplace and was achieved with 3 day workshops. However one of the major drawbacks was that the managers had to face was the skepticism of the employees who viewed the whole scheme as suspicious. Trilogy, the group of companies that was outsourced for this purpose made sure that the whole process would like a completely internal Tesco-like procedure to ensure that they had the employees full trust on the living service program.

Discrimination and prejudices against Chinese women

Discrimination and prejudices against Chinese women This paper will be focusing on the discrimination and prejudices again gender especially females in China. It will give readers details on how they are being treated and discriminated in the past as well as the present time. This paper will also cover solutions on how this problem could be reduced by cooperating with the government by educating the people throughout the country and make males and females to have equal rights. SECTION II THE ISSUES AND WHO ARE INVOLVED According to Matt Rosenberg, 2010, the population of China is around 1.3 billion; this figure is based on the registered citizens that we know. Until now we are uncertain of the actual figure of China population as there are babies that are not registered yet with the government due to the one-child policy that China has. One-child policy (Matt Rosenberg, 2010) was created in the year 1979, to limit the growth of communist in China by ensuring every couple having one child only (Jeffery Hays, 2008).Females are being discriminated in traditionally Chinese culture as males are thought to be important because they will be looking after property; inherit land; and passing on the family name. But females have less benefit than males as they will be married off from the family. In China (Adam Brookes 2001), female babies are being discriminated even before they are being born. Researchers did an annual statistics report showing that a million of girl fetuses are being aborted, prior to tha t, tens of thousands of girl infants are being abandoned as well. From ancient practices (Eric Baculinao, 2004) , if a Chinese family without son will face poverty and neglect as Chinese believe that male offspring symbolize continuity of lineage and protection in old age! With advances in medical technology there was a widespread of cheap and portable ultra-sound scanner in the 1980s, that allowed parents to choose their baby sex, this kind of practices are called pre-natal sex selection. If the parents discovered that their baby is a girl they will choose to abort it and try again for a boy. Researched done by (Eric Baculinao, 2004) on Missing Girls, showing the trend of boys and girls being born from a Chinese-tank report. We can see huge significant difference in number of boys and girls being born in recent years. And by looking at the table we can see that parents prefer boys than girls. Year Boys Girls Ratio ( Boys against Girls) Early 80s 108.5 100 1.09 : 1 1990 111 100 1.11 : 1 2000 116 100 1.16 : 1 Present 120 100 1.2 : 1 (According to a Chinese-tank report) SECTION III WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT IT? According to Eric Baculinao, 2004, in the year 2002 a survey conducted in a central China village shows that out of 820 women there are more than 300 of them undergo abortion before. And one third of them admitted that they were trying to select their babys sex. (Sheryl WuDUNN, 1992) In a few decades China has made everyone richer but in some ways, China also made life difficult for the nation 565 million women. In China, women are being discriminated in the area of jobs, housing and land location. For example, whenever company is hiring women they usually look for physical attractiveness of the women as they can be used as an ornament in offices or lure businesses for the company. And they usually have lesser chances to get promoted to higher position in their working life. A survey conducted by (Peoples Daily Online, 2010) on females graduates, showing that 21 percent of female students graduating this year found jobs by end of February, much lower than the male student percentage which is 29.5 percent. From the percentage we can obviously see that females are lagging behind in the employment rates. Beginning of 2009 (China Human Rights, N.D), Jiangsu provincial education department did a random survey on 100 employer unit to find out which gender they prefer to hire. The result was 53% will hire male graduates and 35% 36% wanted female graduates, the rest did not have any gender restriction. From the percentage from the survey, we can see that out of 100 companies more than 50 companies prefers to hire males than females. They are being discriminated even further, as even if they have outstanding grades and having many qualification certificates it is no better than an identification card of a male graduate. And i feel that the discrimination against females in China is addressed. Beside from being denied access to good jobs even though they had good qualifications, there have been cases of domestic violence against females in China. According to some survey on domestic violence (Jeffery Hays, 2008), there is around 30 percent occurring in families. The All China Women Federation (ACWF), (Cheng Yingqi, 2010), annually received 40,000 to 50,000 complains since 2004, usually this cases involved husbands acting violently towards them. (Percentage of Females Domestic Violence Victims) From the table, we can see that out of 473 females domestic violence victims around 37.6 percent are between the ages of 31-40 years old and 33 percent of them only had Middle school education background. And they usually suffer physical, psychological and sexual abuse an average of 7.4 times a year (Cheng Yingqi, 2010). SECTION IV WHERE CAN WE START TO FIX THE PROBLEM? There are several ways that the discrimination and prejudice against the females in china can be improved. Example, the All-China Womens Federation (ACWF) was created in April 3, 1949, and dedicated for Chinese women of all ethnic groups in all walks of life. (ACWF, N.D) The federation created laws and regulations with the help of government to safeguard women rights and promote equal rights among men and women in all areas. The China Law center hosted a workshop on anti-discrimination laws with Sichuan University law school. (Yale Law School, 2008) The workshop explore ways which that American approach combating against discrimination, this would provide helpful insight for Chinese academics, lawyers, and activists  seeking to reduce discrimination in China.   Several other organizations in the world are also trying to help females in China. For example the UN Action for women (Department of Public Information, 1996), in 1995 after the Womens conference China provided training for 10 million women in rural area. These training give women in rural area some basic education as most of them are illiterate. The Anti-Domestic violence Network of China law (N.D), specialized in domestic violence against women and eliminating gender based violence. They also promote gender equality as well as social development in the community. SECTION V CONCLUSION Having research about the discrimination of females in China and what has been done so far to help ease the problem. I feel that there is still much effort needed on the China governments enforcement in discrimination against females. Even though there are organizations lending a helping hand for women in China there will still be discrimination against them. The possibility of removing discrimination against females in China is still not possible yet, even though there are laws created to aid them as well as campaigns prompting not to discriminate girls. For example, the Family planning propaganda sends a message saying Boy or girl, it is the same Both can carry on the family name (Research-China.Org, 2005) and the message is far most prominent. With all this aids and campaigns helping females in china, I still strongly believe that discrimination against females in China is still an issue and cant be solved so easily. SECTION VI REFERENCE LINK By Matt Rosenberg (2010), China Population, Available from: http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/chinapopulation.htm By Matt Rosenberg (2010), Chinas One Child Policy, Available from: http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/onechild.htm By Jeffery Hays (2008), Preference for Boys in China, available from: http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=126HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=126catid=4subcatid=15HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=126catid=4subcatid=15catid=4HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=126catid=4subcatid=15HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=126catid=4subcatid=15subcatid=15 By Adam Brookes (2001), Chinas Unwanted Girls, available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1506469.stm By Eric Baculinao (2004), Chinas grapples with legacy of its missing girls, available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5953508/ns/world_news By Sheryl WuDUNN (1992), Women face increasing bias as china focuses on profits, available from: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/28/world/women-face-increasing-bias-as-china-focuses-on-profits.html By Peoples Daily Online (2010), Sexual Discrimination still exist in Chinas job market, available from: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/6909178.html By China Human Rights (No Date), Gender Discrimination, available from: http://www.chinahumanrights.org/CSHRS/Magazine/Text/t20100520_593164_1.htm By Jeffery Hays (2008), Problems face by women in china, available from: http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=104HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=104catid=4subcatid=21HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=104catid=4subcatid=21catid=4HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=104catid=4subcatid=21HYPERLINK http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=104catid=4subcatid=21subcatid=21 By Cheng Yingqi, China Daily, (2010), Experts urge curbing domestic violence, available from: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/26/content_11612576.htm By All-China Womens Federation (ACWF),No Date(N.D), available from: http://www.women.org.cn/english/english/aboutacwf/mulu.htm By Department of Public Information (1996), UN actions for Women, available from: http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/dpi1796e.htm By Yale Law School (2008), The China Law Center Co-Hosts Workshop on Anti-Discrimination Law, available from: http://www.law.yale.edu/intellectuallife/6198.htm By Anti-Domestic Violence Network of China Law Society, No date (N.D), Strive for a world without violence for women, available from: http://www.stopdv.org.cn/en/about.asp By Research China.Org (2005), Why Girls Are Abandoned in China, available from: http://research-china.blogspot.com/2005/10/why-girls-are-abandoned-in-china.html ~END~

Back In My Day :: essays research papers

Back in My Day…   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Back in my day, people just didn’t do stuff like that.'; In addition to hearing about how bread used to cost a nickel, that quote is what you hear it from the elders of most generations when talking about violence, especially on television in the present time; they say that the violence seen just did not seem to exist back then. However, when one thinks about it, violence that extreme has existed throughout the ages, whether it was as early as the Iliad and the Odyssey during the Greek era, the Aeneid in the Roman era, or even in Christian stories in the Bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first example of historic extreme violence is back in the time of the Iliad and the Odyssey during the Greek era, which happened during the eighth or ninth centuries BCE. These two epics, which are considered by many scholars to be very fine works of art, are filled with gratuitous acts of violence and other such acts of immoral behavior. In the Iliad, especially in Book 5, where Homer tells of Diomedes’ aristea, a detailed account of how a man battles and injures both man and gods is given. In lines 72-75, for example, Homer gives us a terrifyingly graphic description of the battle scene: “Now the son of Phyleus, the spear-famed, closing upon him struck him with the sharp spear behind the head at the tendon, and straight on through the teeth and under the tongue cut the bronze blade, and he dropped in the dust gripping in his teeth the cold bronze.'; Examples of aggression and viciousness are also given in the Odyssey. In this, most say that Odysseus was justified in doing what he did, but it is still brutal fighting. The best example of viciousness is given when Odysseus finally returns home and has to defeat the suitors: “Odysseus’ arrow hit him [Antinoos] under the chin and punched up to the feathers through the throat. Backward and down he went, letting the winecup fall from his shocked hand. Like pipes his nostrils jetted crimson runnels, a river of mortal red, and one last kick upset his table knocking the bread and meat to soak in dusty blood.'; These two examples might not be the same as a gang war or a drive-by in the middle of the streets in New York, but they are still brutal and gory nonetheless.

Computer Ergonomics In The Workplace :: Workplace Health and Safety

Business strive for high production at low cost. This would result in the highest profit for a company. To many businesses, this is only a mirage. This is because the 'low cost' of the business usually results in a 'high cost' for the employees. This high cost is lower quality workplace items, lower salaries, less benefits, etc. These costs create an upset workplace environment. Companies understand that the more efficient their workers are, the more productive their business will become. Although this will take lots of money at first, the result will be extreme success. There exist many different things in the workplace that add to stress and injuries. They range from lifting heavy boxes to typing too much on the keyboard. This paper will be focusing on the principals of ergonomics in the computer workstation. According to the Board of Certification for Professional Ergonomists (BCPE), the definition of ergonomics "is a body of knowledge about human abilities, human limitations and human characteristics that are relevant to design. Ergonomic design is the application of this body of knowledge to the design of tools, machines, systems, tasks, jobs, and environments for safe, comfortable and effective human use."(BCPE, 1993) In the average computer workstation, employees are prone to over a dozen hazards. There exist two factors that can prevent this: forming good work habits and ergonomically designed computer workstations. We will discuss these preventions throughout the paper. First, a few terms may need defining. Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) takes place from the repeated physical movements of certain body parts which results in damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. If these injuries are not taken care of immediately, permanent damage could be done. A few common results of RSI's that were not taken care of right away are injuries like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendentious, Tenosynovitis, DeQuervain's Syndrome, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome etc. All of these are able to be prevented by the use of good working habits and ergonomic engineering.i Usually, ergonomically designing a computer workstation would cost about $1000. This expense could be eliminated by the formation of good work habits. This is essential for the safety of computer terminal employees. There exist a number of precautions that can be taken into consideration when dealing with a computer workstation. We shall discuss six of them. First, the whole body must be relaxed. The correct posture is shown in Figure 1. Notice that the arms and thighs are parallel to the floor and the feet are flat on the floor. Also notice that the wrists are not bent in any way. This is one of the most damaged parts of the body when

Edward R. Murrow & Socrates Essay

Indestructible courage, persistence and public service drove both Socrates and Murrow to live their lives with unwavering commitment for truth, critical thinking and unbendable integrity. With these values, Socrates and Murrow made their own lives as vivid examples of truth and veracity. They set the standards for all subsequent Western philosophy and the ideal broadcast journalism respectively. Nevertheless, their enduring courage may have brought them also to make half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or perhaps, self-centered intellectuals. Socrates’ pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the current course of Athenian politics and society. During his time, Socrates appears to have been a critic of democracy wherein some scholars had interpreted his trial as an expression of political infighting. He boldly face the charges made by the jury as seen in Plato’s â€Å"Apology,† an account of Socrates’s (unsuccessful) speech in his own defense before the Athenian jury. Socrates’s speech includes a detailed description of the motives and goals of philosophical activity as he practiced it, together with a passionate declaration of its value for life. I was really struck when Socrates purposefully gave a defiant defense to the jury because â€Å"he believed he would be better off dead. † With this statement, we can say that Socrates really happens to be a man of truth and valor similar to his modern counterpart, Edward Murrow. According to Wadleigh, â€Å"†¦ Murrow, at every juncture, did what he thought was right. He took risks that at the time seemed outrageous†¦ and he was not afraid of anything. † Furthermore, his exceptional courage is seen when he let Senator McCarthy hang himself with his open criticism program- but without any â€Å"expose† (Wershba & Hottlelet). It was found out that Socrates’s works are often philosophical or dramatic texts rather than straightforward histories. Parallel to Murrow, â€Å"†¦ his voice made the words catch fire! The way he could add drama to the simplest looking text made him amazing! † (Wershba & Kalb). Murrow offered himself to public service analogous to the teaching life of Socrates. Socrates pointedly declined to accept payment for his work with students whereas Murrow fearlessly did his job as a broadcaster. â€Å"†¦ He was a driven reporter – truly driven to tell people what was going on. He do it with intensity! † (Hottlelet) Plato refers to Socrates as the â€Å"gadfly† of the state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action, so Socrates stung Athens), insofar as he irritated the establishment with considerations of justice and the pursuit of goodness. If Socrates stung Athens, then Murrow stung America: â€Å"†¦ using his charisma, integrity and personal standards† (Wershba). It is Socrates and Murrow’s critical thinking that made themselves â€Å"men of worth. † Socrates showed this (critical thinking) through his philosophical works while Murrow made this appear through his jobs as a writer and broadcaster. These two men were really exceptional by committing themselves in pursuit of truth. However, their deep thinking and boldness has somehow conflicted their commitment to truth thus making half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or self-centered intellectuals. It was supported by the reasons why Murrow left his job at CBS: â€Å"Then there was the other side of Murrow, the driven news reporter. Murrow made Harvest of Shame and showed the rotten spots of American life. [CBS Chairman William] Paley didn’t like that. It scared away sponsors. Paley wanted it tame. Murrow wanted it real. † (Hottlelet) Another statement was from Hewitt telling that â€Å"†¦ Murrow would talk with his Person to Person guests beforehand†¦ Murrow felt that for entertainment some discussion to prepare the subjects was legitimate. Paley disagreed, so Murrow left. † He has that hidden pride in his self. Like what I’ve said earlier, he did what he thought was right†¦ which is to leave CBS. Another thing I noticed about Murrow is his sense of egoism or perhaps, self-importance. It was stated in one of the interviews that â€Å"Murrow selected very good people, who, in his presence, got better. Those around him never wanted to disappoint or embarrass Ed—so they pushed themselves to their outer limits†¦ He set the pace; he was the example. † (Kalb) This statement was further supported by Hottlelet – â€Å"He never gave instructions. He knew his worth. I think he just expected the trained reporters he hired to follow his example. † The life of Socrates appears to be really parallel to the life of Edward Murrow. By following what they thought was right and by pursuing the truth, they made half of themselves as the greatest and the most defiant men in history but half as conceited and egoistic individuals of all times.