...Crawford’s book is one that at first glance I thought would be some boring story-telling book about a guy who made a drastic change in careers. Basically about a guy who has a mid-life crisis and needed help finding his way back. The book, while on the surface seems like a little bibliography about Crawford’s life is actually more about human excellence and why it is undervalued today. According to the author Americans have lost the appreciation and value for hands on work because of the belief that the only valuable work is work that is performed intellectually. Crawford argues that high schools made a mistake by dismantling shop-class programs and instead preparing students to become “knowledge workers.” He says that our society believes...
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...somebody” and this is exactly what “paying it forward” is. Kant says that morality is not just doing the right thing by helping other people, but doing it for the right reasons as well: simply because it is the right thing to do. He holds true that for an action to be moral, it must be done out of a principle which can be applied to everyone equally, a maxim that can be willed to become a universal law. The movie and the book, Pay it Forward, progressively rises towards the moral standards of Kant as the characters come to understand the meaning of this movement and their duty to the world. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, “Think globally, act locally.” That is what the kids in Mr. Simonet’s class are really being assigned to do and that is what the Pay it Forward movement demonstrates. We are all connected to each other. The world may be broken but in watching and helping those around us for the right reason, the benefits spread worldwide. Kant agrees that the world is broken, that the human condition is flawed or Trevor in the beginning says, “the world is shit.” Trevor looks at all the bad around him; the trailer homes, the bullies, all the starving homeless people. His mom is a drunk and working as a stripper, his dad is abusive and it is no mystery why an eleven year old would see all this and think the world sucks and there’s nothing he can do. When the children in Mr. Simonet’s class are given the assignment to “think of an idea to change our world and put it...
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...One of the worlds greatest literary figures, William Shakespeare, voiced the truth about desired knowledge by saying that “ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven”. One must presume that Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451, learned from this. Ray Bradbury’s distopian novel shares a similar representations towards knowledge. In the novel the protagonist, Guy Montag, becomes aware of the fact that he is living in a world were knowledge and individuality is lost. People tolerate and abide by the rules and limitations specified by the government. There is nothing except for books in this society to cause people to wonder about how valuable and important knowledge and identity are. Guy Montag is a fireman whose job is to search for books and burn them. Most of the people in Fahrenheit 451 are convinced that books are a waste of time and are useless. Montag also believes this up until a change of...
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...Crystal Loree Pols 230 Book Review 12/3/15 What does it mean to be an American citizen? Have you ever really thought about that question? Do you know the right answer? Is there even a correct answer to that question? I don’t think there is; I think being an American citizen has a different meaning to every one of the millions of people in the United States that call themselves American’s. To me being an American Citizen used to mean freedom; freedom to be a person, freedom to get an education, freedom to vote. Being an American citizen I am free to vote, to dress how I want, to get an education, to hold a job, even though I am a women. There are many countries around the world where those freedoms I have are illegal for women. There is more to being an American citizen than having freedom, although that is a huge perk. American citizen are supposed to be fighters, to stand up for what we believe in and to fight for our basic human rights. We are supposed to fight for the country, as well as ourselves. Can we still say how we feel when we disagree with how the government is being run? Are we allowed to protest in the street to get change? I will discuss the book (give me liberty), along with freedom and fighting, the foundation of America. Give me liberty: A handbook for American Revolutionaries by Naomi Wolf published by Simon & Schuster in New York. Naomi Wolf really delved deep into what it means to be an American citizen and how most American’s have become lazy and...
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...athletic, most hardworking or the most charismatic individual at AMP, but I have learned a thing or two during my high-school career. I just want to say that these opinions are based on my high school experiences only, so if you feel differently, it is probably because your high school experience was better than mine. Another thing to keep in mind, some of these may seem logical to most people, but I had to learn these things along the way, so bear with me. First off, I want to say that you should never get too carried away with anything. Never get over-excited about something because life doesn’t go the way it is supposed to. It is impossible to plan out everything and nothing ever goes according to plan. There are two main ways to go about life: Either you believe in destiny and no matter what, your life will end up the way it is supposed to or you don’t believe in destiny and you live life by the moment, in which case nothing you do spontaneously matters, because your whole life is spontaneous. I try to plan out every little detail of my life and something ALWAYS gets screwed up. I will admit that it is important to stay positive about certain aspects in life, but always try to keep things realistic. It is important to know your limits and assure that your dreams don’t interfere with your reality. Secondly, I want to talk to you guys about high school in general. I’ve come to realize that High School is identical to the movies, only karma doesn’t always help us out. In...
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...If I was to host a ball, and could invite five leaders I would want to invite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and Patricia Harris. I would choose these five people because they have made a difference in this world and changed it forever and if it was not for them who would know how the world would be now. I know it would be probably way different. I would want to ask them a lot of questions about their life, work and what would they change or do different or why would they not change anything.I choose these people because I know they made a difference when a lot of people thought they were doing something wrong or was crazy for stand up for what they believe in. I would want to meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, so I can ask him how it was back in his time and how different it is now. I would also like to thank him for giving us freedom not only my race but all races. He made a big difference all across the world, and without him marching and fighting for rights without violence. He is a major hero, and I look up to him his dream was able to come true so it gives everyone hope that your dream is not impossible, it’s possible. With hard work, and people encouraging you and on your side believing in you. His quotes are uplifting “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that my four little children...
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...those criticisms? MNCs have been criticized for allowing the abuse of cheap labor by letting poor countries do the job for cheap as opposed to a more expensive alternative. They have been known for allocating the local resources when it costs them hardly anything. Although this may seem highly unethical at first, one has to ask themselves what would happen to the poor citizens of the country if the company were to offshore elsewhere. Perhaps this is their only opportunity of work, even if it is for much cheaper than what the company normally gives. 4) What do you think should be the role of MNCs toward human rights issues in other countries? What are the major human rights concerns at this time? What ideas do you have for dealing with these problems? What is the role of corporate codes of conduct in dealing with these concerns? I believe that MNCs have a major role in regards to human rights. 6) As a manager in a foreign subsidiary, how can you reconcile local expectations of questionable payments with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? What is your stance on the problem of “payoffs?” How does the degree of law enforcement in a particular country affect ethical behavior in business? 8) What do you think are the responsibilities of MNCs toward the global environment? Give some examples of MNC activities that run counter to the concepts of ecological interdependence and sustainability. Nike’s CSR Challenge Last decade, Nike had a serious problem. It was discovered...
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...scientific evidence that climate change is caused by human influences, that it is deadly and real, and that we must act swiftly to fix the problem. Gore begins his speech by mentioning the fact that he has a purpose, but he doesn’t immediately tell us what that purpose is. He says that “I pray what I am feeling in my heart will be communicated clearly enough that those who hear me will say, “We must act””, but he hasn’t yet told us what it is we must do. He tells us that “The distinguished scientists with whom it is the greatest honor of my life to share this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures.” Gore makes the claim that these scientists are the ones who have such strong opinions on this topic. His job is simply to make their opinions well known. After introducing climate change and giving plenty of scientific evidence that this problem exists, he reveals the second part of his speech’s purpose: “We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve that has previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war.” He wants us to accept the need to fix this problem now. In order to motivate us towards change, he hopes that his speech will release “a mighty surge of courage, hope, and readiness to sacrifice for a protracted and mortal struggle.” An additional and important message Gore conveys is an argument against those in favor of trusting the “invisible hand” of the market to handle a problem such as this. He tells us that “we must...
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...widen on the subject “How the world became this way?” Of course before reading this my mind was already set on the fact that us, humans, were the reason for this terrible tragedy. However studying this book further I have begun to learn more about how we are heading into chaos. At first I thought we were only causing minor damage but after reading “Ishmael” I have learned that we are doing so much more and why. In my essay I will explore my opinion of how we are gluttonous, brainless, human beings harming our own lives and how Ishmael wants us to fix it. I will examine how we have a mass contribution to destroying our planet and how I think Daniel Quinn...
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..."It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action.” - Al Batt Al Batt’s quote "It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action” can mean only mean one thing. It means to stop sitting back and watching what is going on around you to actually doing something about it. Batt uses a serious tone to make his readers think about making a change. His quote sounds a little like a lecture from our moms trying to get us to stop complaining about something that we think is unfair and decide to do something to try to fix it. Most people want things to change but it’s not easy for them to actually do it because it takes time, work, and effort. Batt uses his quote to remind us...
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...and how to improve upon what already exists. Aerospace Engineering is interesting because it involves exercise in one’s knowledge of how something is supposed to work and how to evaluate what is wrong with a prototype and how to fix it. My interest in technology has led me to like engineering as a career choice, and my want and need to help the world advance technologically has led me...
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...is inspired by a friend’s journey, beginning last year, to finally get his relationship with women and other people handled after an incident in his life distorted his world view, as well as emotional baggage he carried from the relationship with his parents and loved ones back at home. The main character, we’ll call him Levi, is highly confident in himself and seems to have, what some may consider, it in terms of affect on people. He’s also highly motivated and focused on a goal in his life; qualities that are considered a must for a man and someone who will be highly regarded in his social circle. However, in terms of his relationship with other people, something is both missing and taken away from him. Levi’s outlook on the relationship of his parents has left him confused and lost in the world. This even causes Levi to go into an episode of serious depression and suicide. But one day, something happens to him. While out with his friends, he’s offered a couple of grams of psychedelic mushrooms. Only knowing a part of the drugs effect, Levi takes this psychedelic plant. While under the influence, the experience leads him down a journey of both self-reflection and dissolution. However, what he gains is the overwhelming desire to fix the emotional problems he has with himself and fix his perspective on the world....
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...HOW TO LIVE THE BEST LIFE YOU CAN Crystel Santos 1. Start off by looking at yourself. Not in comparison to anyone else, but just look at yourself. Ask yourself these questions. * Who am I? * Where do I currently stand in my life? * What role do I play in others’ lives? (Sister, mother, friend, role model, teacher, partner, etc..) * Am I living to my fullest potential? * Am I happy? Fulfilled? At peace? * Why, or why not? 2.One huge mistake people make in their lives is sheltering themselves from pain. Hiding from the truth. Denying reality. DEATH exists. Become at peace with that. MURDERS and RAPE and DISEASES happen. Accept it. Once you face the facts that life isn't all rainbows and butterflies, you will be more prepared to handle tough situations, and you won't take disappointment as such a shock. 3.Determine which people in your life are actually worth your care. Eliminate all the fake friends and the users from your list, and list only those who make you feel happy when you're around them. Now make an effort to spend more time around those people, and less time around the people who do no good for you or your life. It's okay to be a little selfish in this sense every once in a while. Just be sure you give back an equal amount to what you take (and that doesn't only mean physical things, but emotional needs, as well). 4.Look on the dark side. Yes, this isn't a typo, the DARK side. Because often times, when dealing...
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...being Deaf, something which isn’t wrong, just like racism and sexism. The word disability is socially constructed, and that we should stop using it because putting labels on people isn’t right or morally correct. Before reading this article I didn’t even know about the word Audism. To be fair, a lot of hearing people are quite ignorant on the subject they think one thing but they won’t try to understand or educate themselves....
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...Coca-Cola in India 1. What aspects of U.S. culture and of Indian culture may have been causes of Coke’s difficulties in India? Something that could have been a problem right from the start is communication. Countries have different ways of communication, and something could be translated completely opposite of what was meant. Communication problems could have been a cause of the problems in India. Also, the different styles of communication could have been an issue because the United States and India do not use the same styles. Another big problem is that something could be accepted in India and be completely wrong in the United States. What some people don’t understand is that every culture has their own way of doing things, and their own “rights and wrongs”. This is where businesses need to decide whether they are going to keep their rules and regulations and bring them into the foreign country (ethnocentric). Or, they need to consider the fact that every culture is different and they need their own practices (polycentric). Whichever way the business decides could bring up problems because if they do us the polycentric approach, then consumers living in the home country are going to see their practices as wrong, when indeed the company is allowing their cultural ways to occur. 2. How might Coca-Cola have responded differently when this situation first occurred, especially in terms of responding to negative perceptions among Indians of Coke and other MNCs? Coca-Cola...
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