Growing Up :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

I stumbled out into the yard, my flimsy tennis shoes wrapped in plastic bags and secured with tape. The Great Blizzard of Chattanooga had almost subsided, but snow still lay thick on the ground. The cold air invaded my lungs and stung every inch of exposed skin. My parents were trapped out of town at the state basketball tournament, and my three sisters and I had a baby-sitter that was staying with us. She went to our church, and had known my parents for years. We had enough food to last a while, and our family owned enough sleeping bags and blankets to ensure that we didn't freeze. We also had a fireplace in the den, but no wood. Tracy, our baby-sitter, approached me one day while I was reading a book by the window. "Jeff," she said, "Do you know how to chop wood?" The correct answer to the question was no, for I had only handed logs to my father and watched him smite them in two with a vicious swing. I tried once, but I could not swing the heavy maul hard enough to snap a splinter. "Sure," I answered. "How much do you need?" I knew full well that it would be extremely unmanly to confess that I could not break a log in two, and the realization that she probably could have done it never hit me. I trudged back into my room with a sense of sorrowful duty, like a soldier going on a suicide mission to save his brothers. I allowed my baby-sitter to tie the bags on my feet, imagining her as my page readying my trusty sword before battle. "Just yell if you need any help, you hear?" she told me as I headed for the door. I brushed this off as senseless babble, for everyone knew that only men could chop wood. I trekked across the yard with my head down, snowflakes blowing into my eyes and the cold wind biting at my nose. The large logs were stored under the deck, and the planks were very high up, allowing me to chop the wood without having to stand in the snow. I rolled a log into position, not without a good deal of difficulty, but I reasoned that the log would not be quite so ornery once I had broken it into little pieces.

The United States Should Leave Iraq Essay -- Iraq War Terrorism Violen

The United States Should Leave Iraq The United States is in a tough situation. This country has gone to war without the UN's approval, and now has more casualties than when the war 'officially' ended. Now, the war could cost taxpayers $87 billion dollars, and more if the war drags on. The situation is at the critical point. If the Bush Administration does not leave Iraq, we will lose thousands of troops, spend billions sending more troops to Iraq, and we will lose the faith of the international community. This war will have larger repercussions than the casualties occurring every day. If the Bush Administration gets the $87 billion dollars to pay for Iraq's reconstruction it has asked for, the country's economy is not likely to recover. To add to this problem, the administration has also asked for a $400 billion dollar tax cut. That's almost $500 billion dollars being spent during an economic recession. The choice of going to Iraq may have looked sound in the administration?s short-term thinking, and the administration may have thought that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but the future effects of this war will be disastrous. The administration?s reasoning seemed rational at the time; but we will be paying for this war long after it is over, simply because it was so ill-conceived. The reason that the American people were given for going to war was false in the first place. In his 2003 State of the Union address, George Bush stated that, "Evidence fr...

Many saw the wall street crash as a disaster, with 6 million unemployed by 1933

Many saw the wall street crash as a disaster, with 6 million unemployed by 1933. Despite this Hitler and his Nazi party saw this as an opportunity to gain support. They believed that if they could solve the issue with unemployment they could win the votes and secure their place at the top in the Reichstag. The only question was, could Hitler achieve this? Adolf set about providing job creation schemes which would have a knock on effect. He did this by spending government money on public projects. Hitler knew that if he provided Germany with autobahns and the like he would need workers to construct such developments, they would need supplies and so the ‘domino effect' went on. The program had such a positive feedback that by the end of 1933 the Nazis had fed 5,000 million Reich marks directly into construction. Thousands that were once without work were now employed and the economy began to pick up, if people had money they were more likely to buy consumer items. To target peoples new found income Hitler reduced motor vehicle tax to encourage investment in the automobile, therefore boosting car production which doubled from 1932-33. Once a work force had been assembled the Nazis wanted organisation. Millions found themselves in the RAD (Reich Labour Service) and were put to work. By 1935 it become compulsory for both women and men aged 18-25 to do 6 months work in the RAD an extremely well disciplined workforce. In an addition to this The German Labour Front was set up to replace the free trade unions banned previously in 1933. The pay and working times were regulated and compared to many occupations workers did a lot of work for a small amount of pay. Despite this there was no alternative except a poverty that nobody wanted to endure once again, so on went Hitler's firm hold on those that worked within the union. To prevent any outbreaks of protest or a revolt, Adolf created two organisations to help support the workers, to boost mood and productivity. The first of these was the ‘Beauty Of Labour' which aimed to improve conditions at work, the theory was that if the workplace was a pleasant place, the employees would not mind working hard. The second initiative was called ‘Strength through Joy' a reward scheme that provided cheap holidays and leisure facilities to reward those that earned it. The most popular offer was a where workers could put a bit away each time they received wages to buy a car. Despite the innocence behind such an idea, nobody ever received an automobile. The money was infact fed into the Re-armament of Germany. Many of the organised rewards that were offered to employed Germans had the sinister aim to re arm the country for war. When the Nazis were elected into power Germany had no air force, tanks or basic military equipment. Secretly the Military registration had a register of 2800 companies with whom they placed orders with. Yet again jobs were produced from a sudden surge of requests of components for war. In 1935 72,000 workers were employed in air craft production more as apposed to the meagre 4000 that were in work in 1933. Slowly Hitler slowly began to gather soldiers by introducing conscription for males between 18 and 25 and by 1939 there were over 1. 4 million men in the armed forces.

Is Curleys wife a tragic figure? Essay

Throughout the book ‘Of Mice and Men’, Steinbeck portrays the character of Curley’s wife as unfortunate and a bit of an outcast. ‘Well you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if ever I seen one’. But to what extent can she be regarded as a tragic character? The first time we hear about Curley’s wife, she is described as a ‘tart’ by another farm worker. This is because she is lonely so she hangs around the other farm workers wearing ‘red mules’ with ‘red ostrich feathers’ and ‘red finger nails’. Steinbeck uses the colour red to show she is dressing like a ‘tart’ because the colour red at the time was associated with prostitutes. ‘I ain’t never seen nobody like her’. The ranch hands, however, want nothing to do with her, so they ignore her, and so she becomes an outcast. ‘Curley’s wife can sure move quiet. I guess she’s had a lot of practice, though’. The reason they do not want to be seen with her is because she is married to Curley, a ‘pugnacious’ little man, who is very possessive. ‘†Have you seen a girl around here?† he demanded angrily’. The fact that Steinbeck never gave Curley’s wife a name other than ‘Curley’s wife’ is to show that she belongs to Curley. It shows her as his possession rather than a separate person. To get attention, she dresses up and hangs around the workers when Curley is not there. However, none of the farm workers want to fight with Curley, because he is the boss’ son and could get them fired. ‘She looked from one face to another, and they were all closed against her’. Curley’s wife seems unhappy in her marriage. ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella’. He treats her badly, and even though he is married, he still goes to a ‘cathouse’, and she knows this ‘Think I don’t know where they al went? Even Curley!’ She also admits she is happy that Curley got ‘bust up’, because she resents Curley for the loneliness and for being ‘stick in that house alla time’. Curley’s wife has no children to keep her occupied or keep her company, and she has nothing to do with her time. Steinbeck uses language to show how frustrated she is at being unloved and unwanted. ‘Wha’s the matter with me?’. Even when she is dead she is unloved by Curley, who is more angry that someone â€Å"broke† HIS possession than the fact that his wife is dead. ‘I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch!’ Curley’s wife spends most of her time scheming ways to get attention and company from the other men. There are no other women on the ranch, and this is because men’s lifestyles at the time meant they were always travelling and never settled down and got married. This is why none of the other ranch workers have wives for her to talk to, and therefore no one else on the ranch understands her, or her situation. ‘Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her!’ Throughout the book, the reader does learn a little about Curley’s wife’s past, and about how a guy ‘who was in the pitchers’ said he was ‘gonna put [her] in the movies’ once he was back in Hollywood, and how she never received the letter. Curley’s wife says that she thought her ‘ol’ lady stole it’, and this shows the reader how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and easily led she is, and also the reason she was so desperate to leave home, and why she married Curley. Even though Curley’s wife is so lonely and craving attention, she is still rude and has a short temper, and throughout most of the book is not liked by the reader. ‘ you keep your place then nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easily it ain’t even funny’. ‘She demanded, â€Å"You listenin’ to me?†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. When she is left alone with the ‘weak ones’ she treats them badly, as if she is taking out her frustration on them. ‘ Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs – a nigger, an’ a dum-dum an’ a lousy ol’ sheep, an’ liking it cause there ain’t nobody else!’ She is jealous that even though she counts them as the ‘weak ones’, some of them can talk to the other men, and are not all forced into the same solitary confinement that she is in. Steinbeck shows just how tragic this character is, by the fact that she has to take her anger out on people she herself counts as ‘weak’, and that is how bitter her lifestyle has made her. Finally once she has died, Steinbeck uses language to show just how tragic she is, even in death. ‘All the meanness and the planning and discontent and the ache for attention’ were all gone from her face. This extract gives us clues as to what Curley’s wife what thinking while she was alive, and how much of her life these things took up. It explains her behaviour and finally makes the reader feel sorry for her, because in the rest of the book this is difficult, despite her tragically horrible situation. I think that Curley’s wife is an incredibly tragic character. The fact that she was so desperate to escape from home that she married Curley, and she was so naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and had no one to tell her and advise her that it was such a bad idea. Also she had no purpose in life, no one to talk to, or to love and treat her well, that she turned so sour and bitter that she ruined the few moment s of company that she could snatch at. Even the fact she is not loved and wanted by the reader and is seen as ‘trouble’. The only time her worries and problems are over is in death! These are all reasons to show to the high extent that Curley’s wife was shown to be a tragic character.

A Whole New World

This week I attended a one-time screening for a movie called Derby Baby. It was a documentary film on women who play roller derby. It was a small screening in a town called Wilmette. Over the past year I have been introduced to the culture and world of roller derby by my girlfriend. I have been able to experience many different events related to the culture, but this movie brought a different life to the culture of roller derby. I never looked at the sport or hobby as a culture but have realized what a culture it is for many people. The clothing that is worn, the love, the passion, the life, the commitment; these are all so different that my lifestyle. People who love roller derby commit their lives to it, their free time; their friends are all in roller derby or volunteer. The sport is volunteer ran, the games, the practices, the players, no one is paid for what they do. Not many cultures of sports are like this, which makes them very unique. I used to find myself judging the people in roller derby, assuming they were all outgoing and spontaneous people, but over the past year and from this movie I have learned it is an outlet for many. It is a place where quiet people can bring out a different side of them and a place where the outgoing can be more crazy and exciting. Roller derby is not just a game for entertainment; it is a way of life for many. The level of commitment depends on the individual. A player not only plays but volunteers, joins a committee within the league, coaches, trains, parties, they do it all. You can also have a love for derby and not play; you can be a referee or a fan who is highly involved. The possibilities are never ending. It is a passion that many do not know about, like many other cultures it is waiting to be found. A whole new world The world has gone far from what it was a century ago. As the world grows old, things on it, around it, and under it have changed considerably; many were even replaced by new ones.   As time goes on, man has invented and innovated much on four major human activity sectors: industry, energy, transportation and agriculture. (B Goldstein, 2002)Humans have been blinded by the dramatic changes and improvements on their ways of living brought about by technological advancements, industrialization and the transformation of almost everything in this whole new world For all of these, man has sacrificed his most precious wealth: his health. If we are to unveil the mask of this whole new world, we will see that what we actually have is a set of whole new pollutants- the gravest threat to human health.In the two independent studies conducted in California relative to the health hazards of exposure to the soot in diesel emissions, researchers has released alarming result figures. In 2005 half a million of work and school absences, and at least 1,100 premature deaths were caused by breathing emissions from old diesel equipment. (Union of Concerned Scientists) So this is our prize for desiring to have this whole new world a highly industrialized one. The birth of high rise buildings, the construction of hospitals and transportation facilities, comes the birth of soot. Soot particles come directly from the tailpipe of engines and contribute to the unhealthy levels of particulate matter (PM) (UCS p.20).The fine particulate matter â€Å"lodges like tiny razor blades deep in human lungs† according to Kevin Hamilton, who have led one of the two studies in California. Particulate pollution as Don Anair of the Union of Concerned scientists puts it is a â€Å"silent killer†. What the world gets from industrialization are heart diseases, asthma and cancer. The compensation of development is hundreds of different chemicals from the diesel soot: sulfates, ammonium, nitra tes, elemental carbon, condensed organic compound, carcinogenic compounds, arsenic, selenium cadmium and zinc. If one thinks that he can get rid of this pollution by going out of the city, he is wrong. The study even found out 2that soot particles is present at the South Pole.Suggestions as to solving this problem include basically replacing the old equipment with new ones. The sad thing about this is that most of these equipment last for 20 to 30 years. That would mean humans still have to have themselves exposed to this pollution for two to three decades before they will be replaced with less-emitting machines. Taking this fact: 3for every additional 10 micrograms of soot in a cubic meter of air is equivalent to 4.5% increase in heart attacks, how many lives will still be sacrificed in three decades? Being also a cancer-causing agent, soot pollution is not supposed to be taken for granted.  The California Air Resources Board reported that soot is responsible for 70% of the risk of cancer from airborne toxics. No one is safe and exempted from the deadly effects of diesel pollution, especially those who are living in soot-polluted areas like California. In fact, the 26% increase in mortality rate in such areas is attributed to soot-pollution.One does not have to be an environmentalist in order to know what is actually going on with the air we all breathe. We do not have to be scientifically inclined in order to understand what these research studies figures are all about. We just have to have a little concern of the future, especially the lives of the children who have no chance of altering their future. Their only choice, if it is a choice, is to live in the world where their parents brought them up: a polluted world brought about by industrialization. I am not against development, nor am I against industrialization. I am against the carelessness of the proponents of this development who obviously have overlooked the long term health effects of these proces ses.There is no escape to industrialization- the world, being governed by the laws of the material-driven humans, is inclined to be there. What has been done can no more be undone, and that is the sad truth. But there is a means of deterring the worst scenario: laws that will regulate the further use of soot-emitting engines or equipment.The government has to genuinely work hard to ensuring the safety of their people, as they are expected to do so. The human health and the environment can no more wait. The best time to act is now. The chance of this growing old world of getting a better place to live in is declining. We can no more turn back time, what has been lost is lost forever. Let us not lose what we still have today.WORKS CITEDWilson, Janet. â€Å"The Dire Health Effects of Pollution Reported.† The Los Angeles Times. December 05, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.topix.net/content/trb/3412963485317685650330925717330288178910 on February 20, 2007Environmental Health Persp ectives. â€Å"Seeing Through the Soot†. Retrieved from http://www.ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2002/110-8/innovations.html on February 20, 2007 Union of Concerned Scientists. â€Å"Clean Vehicles. Diesel Pollution Primer†. Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/big_rig_cleanup/life-of-soot-diesel-pollution-emissions-and-health.html on February 20, 2007 Goldstein, Bernardo (2002). â€Å"Pollution Health Article†. Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health. The Gale Group, Inc. Macmillan Reference USA. New York. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/pollution on February 20,2007

The sound of my alarm clock started ringing

The sound of my alarm clock started ringing.   I tried to stop it in my half-awake state, looking at the clock; it read 7:30 in the morning. I tried to push myself up and prepare for work.   Once I got up, I opened the curtains and felt the sun’s rays touch my eyes.I felt that it’s going to be beautiful day. As I proceed to the kitchen, the smell of brewing coffee aroused my senses and captivated me to drink a cup before heading for the bathroom and prepare for work.After I finished fixing myself, I headed out of my unit and went outside. The sights of the place seem to indicate that fall is fast approaching.   It is when leaves starting to turn to brown, birds chirping and the winds slowly building.As I walk on the sidewalk towards the subway, I glimpsed at children laughing and playing while their parents reprimand them of staying put. Even though the sun is exhibiting its brightness and warmth, the wind seems to overpower him as it sends chills in my body. Afte r a couple of strides, I arrived at the park.There the trees sway as if they are encouraging the wind to never stop. The usual visitors were there doing their own thing. The jogger, as I want to call her, was doing her laps.   The old couple was at their usual places reading the morning papers with each one giving me a smile as I headed my way.There was nothing unusual about this but the weather seemed to indicate otherwise. People looked more calm and cheerful while the birds are as if chirping their last and the wind seemed to blow an aura of happiness to every individual.   As I approached the subway station, I again took the liberty to look at town, seeing that everything seems to be in their proper order, I started to head down.Sitting in the train and recalling the instances that greeted me awhile back, I started to show a glimpse of a smile.   After all that happened, I know for a fact that today is going to be a beautiful day for everyone.

Nosocomial Infections. What are they and how do you prevent them Research Paper

Nosocomial Infections. What are they and how do you prevent them - Research Paper Example On an average, it is estimated that the nosocomial infections affect up to 6 people out of every 100 patients who are admitted. In the year 1995, it was recorded that 88000 people succumbed to these infections and died. In the same year it was estimated that these infections served a burden of $4.5 billion of economic burden (Weinstein 1998). Nosocomial infections are preventable and there are many measures which can be implied. The first and foremost recommendation is that cleaning of the hands is very important and hand washing should be stressed upon. It is necessary to carry out invasive procedures like catheterization only in the instance if it is very important and proper methods are supposed to be used to prevent any infection. When urine is obtained for testing, it is necessary that cleanliness and proper hygienic measures are taken. The infected patients should be kept away from other patients to prevent spread of infection. Awareness regarding catheterization and hand washing should be stressed upon regularly. Sterilization of the instruments that are used on patients is important. Proper hygiene and cleanliness of the healthcare providers plus the patients should also be stressed upon. The hospital should be clean. Usage of gloves and masks should be employed where necessary. Aseptic conditions should be devel oped before drawing blood to prevent infections (Soule and Huskins 1997). Soule, B. M., & Huskins, W. C. (January 01, 1997). A global perspective on the past, present, and future of nosocomial infection prevention and control.  American Journal of Infection Control,  25,  4,