America's National Pastime is the once deeply pure and widely beloved, and now often cynically regarded and business oriented business of baseball. Once a sport and a game, it is now very clearly dominated by a corporate identity, with enormous wage figures and heavy advertising stakes rendering baseball a crass shadow of its former self. Indeed, with the revelations of major steroid abuse in the sport across the last decade and a half, it is challenging to look at the sport as though its reputation has not been drastically tarnished. Indeed, it has been, with the disillusioning impact of this realization that many of our most cherished heroes have for all intents and purposes cheated their collective way to the top of the record books, quite impossible to return to the pristine impressions of the ballgame that tie it into the trappings of classic America. In two works on the subject of America's deep and sentimental relationship with baseball, we are presented with the mythology of

1. Executive Summary The modern goals of the members in the business community have drastically changed during the past recent years, being now centered on establishing a favorable reputation, achieving territorial expansion to other countries or reducing the employee turnover. However, the ultimate goal remains the never ending desire to register profits. And this has materialized in a superior analysis of the industries in order to identify those that stand increased chances of retrieving revenues and where the demand will never cease. Such an industry is the pharmaceutical one. The new pharmaceutical store to be opened is based on the partnership of two associates and will be funded through personal transfers and a bank loan. The company aims to address and satisfy the needs of a wide customer palette and to increase their satisfaction will also offer complementary services. A strategy implemented also for the benefit of the customers revolves around the promotion of lower reta

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "The Burning Season: The Murder of Chico Mendes and the Fight for the Amazon" by Andrew Revkin. Specifically it will contain a summary of the book. "The Burning Season" tells the story of Chico Mendes, the leader of the Brazilian rubber-tappers union who was brutally murdered by opposing factions in Brazil. The 2004 edition of the book opens with a new Forward by the author, which basically explains what has gone on since the first edition of the book came out, and discusses the growing problem of climate change and global warming. In the Forward he writes, "The notion was finally beginning to emerge that humans around the world, from those driving cars in Detroit to those burning trees in Brazil, were wedded through their shared ability to alter the dynamics of the atmosphere and climate" (Revkin xiv). This then, is the real thesis of this book that chronicles the man who has become a martyr to his countr

A comparison of leadership styles among the 2008 US presidential candidates and which styles have been most successful in business and politics in the past: The 2008 elections in the United States are considered to be one of the most important elections in the recent history of the US. This assessment has two main considerations. On the one hand it represents an important moment from the point of view of the political spectrum, as the future of the United States and of the world is also decided upon. On the other hand, from the point of view of the candidates at the moment in the Democrat's race there is an increase battle for nomination. Still, this competition makes them stronger and more willing to learn and help. Indeed, the 2008 elections represent a character statement and preference. Therefore, this is why it is important to have a personal style of conflict and of dealing with such issues. This is largely due to the fact that the electorate is seeking individuals that w

Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, is the quintessential twentieth-century tragic hero because he has a terrible, fatal flaw – he is blind to reality. He is also a tragic hero because, even though he is responsible for his own life, we feel sorry for him. Willy believes the lies he tells himself and he loves to find excuses for everything that is wrong with his life. One last aspect that makes Willy a tragic hero is the fact that he experiences a catharsis that cleanses all the dirt from his life. Sadly, Willy is a modern-day loser – our generation's tragic hero. We can look at Willy as a modern tragic hero because he is blind to reality. He lives in a dream and cannot face the fact that he is a failure. Beca

The creative responsibility of an actor is obliged to carefully study the text, scene by scene, elucidating the general and immediate concern of the character, along with the objectives they have as well as the tactics that the character employs to achieve them. In Act I, Scene 5, Hamlet's overarching motivation is to find out the identity and the nature of the ghost. Is it his father? Why the ghost is haunting the castle? At the beginning of the scene, Hamlet has been lured, against Horatio's better judgment, away from his friends to a remote place. Hamlet said in the scene before that he did not value his life, but he clearly has some reservations as he begins the scene by saying "Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further." He is essentially bargaining with the mysterious ghost, hoping that the ghost will reveal his mission rather than force him to perhaps risk his life by going to the edge of the castle wall. After all, the ghost might be a devil. The ghost of Hamlet's f

Mexicans may have had one of the longest relationships with the United States of all nationalities and immigrated to this country in the largest numbers, but that by no means equates to how they have been treated over the centuries. Latinos account for the largest wave of immigration in this country, surpassing the 14.4 million Europeans arriving from 1901 to 1920, and accounting for more than 50 percent of immigration since 1960. Growing over seven times as fast as the rest of the nation during the 1980s, Latinos are expected to become the largest minority group in the country by the year 2010. Yet, from the very beginning, as seen in the book Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez, they have been treated as second-class citizens in more ways than one. The overriding theme of the book is America's imperialistic power over its years since forming as a nation. In the first section, Gonzalez portrays the history of the colonial period, called "R

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae along with Shigella, Yersenia, Klebsiella, Salmonella, and Proteus spp. These are microbes that are normally seen worldwide in soil, water, vegetation, and even as normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract (Cohen, Powderly, Opal, Berkley, Calandra, Clumeck, Finch, Hammer, Holland, Kiehn, McAdam, Maki, Norby, Holland, Solberg, and Verhoef, 2004). The commensal E. coli normally inhabits the human intestines and may even be beneficial to man by participating in digestive processes. However, commensally and pathogenic E. coli strains can cause illnesses that manifest with mild to severe symptoms such as diarrhea, meningitis, urinary tract infections (UTI), or fatal septicemia. E. coli is a gram-negative, non-spore forming short to ovoid, rod-shaped bacteria. Like other enterobacters, its cell wall has several components: an inner cytoplasmic membrane, a peptidoglycan layer, an outer membrane that consists of an in

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Suggestions for Thought" by Florence Nightingale. Specifically, it will discuss insight into the personal philosophy and spirituality of the author. Florence Nightingale is most known as a nurse and the founder of modern nursing principles. However, she was also a spiritual woman, as this volume indicates. She initially wrote it for friends and acquaintances that were not religious as an alternative to atheism, or no religious belief at all. . While this book has a strong religious and spiritual theme, the author also discusses several other portions of her life very candidly, including her unhappy family life, and the rigid differences between men and women in Victorian society. For example, she writes, "The connexion between parents and children, in its present state of transition, is a miserable one" (Nightingale 105). Her spirituality is great, but her outlook is still realistic, if somewhat skewed from her own unhappy family life. Many people would think that a nurse an

Hundreds of years ago, Christopher Columbus returned from the New World to the Old World to declare that the world was not flat, but round. Now, in the 21st century, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman returns from the developing world to the developed world to declare that the world is flat, as "flat as that screen" on which a budding Indian entrepreneur can "host a meeting of his whole supply chain" (Friedman 7). By flat, Friedman means that globalization has created a level playing field for more and more of the nations, industries, and individuals in the modern, technologically forward-thinking world. Friedman sees globalization, for all of its problems, as a force for good. It has the power to unite more than it has the power to divide, and to create equality rather than increase the tensions between the haves and the have-nots, as is sometimes alleged. However, although his enthusiasm and vibrant prose is at times infectious, ultimately Friedman seems fr

In the article "McCain Sees King Speech as Chance to Mend Ties" from the New York Times, Michael Cooper draws attention to the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, an event which even today continues to inspire and influence many Americans to seek out ways to "mend the ties" between the races. For John McCain, the "presumptive Republican presidential nominee" for the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections, the assassination of Dr. King prompted him to think about how the life and times of Dr. King have evolved in his own mind since 1983 when "as a freshman in Congress, he voted against establishing a national holiday" to honor the memory of King," a vote which he now regrets and admits to being a mistake. After much thought on this topic, McCain decided to support the estab

The ghost in William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet," has a clear mission. He knows that the King's death must be avenged, he knows that Hamlet must do it, and he is very clear about how it should be done. The ghost knows that he must first convince Hamlet that he is who he says he is, and then he must convince Hamlet to avenge his death. His concerns are related primarily to Gertrude and Claudius but he also thinks that all of Denmark should be aware of the terrible deed that has been done. The ghost of Hamlet has a strong sense of self and he is very aware of the immediate surrounding as well as the bigger picture. He also has a plan, and Hamlet is the only person who can carry out the plan. The ghost exhibits extreme self-control throughout the entire play. We can see an example of this when the ghost and Hamlet talk at the end of Act I. The ghost is very well aware of who he is, although Hamlet expresses much doubt about his identity. When the ghost tells H

Hearing is a complex sense that is tantamount to the development of a child's cognitive, linguistic, and social traits. However, there are people in our society who have hearing impairment. Approximately 28 million Americans have a hearing impairment, while 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children born in the United States are deaf National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [NIDCD], 2008). Some lose their hearing due to ear infections, aging, or genetic abnormalities. Fortunately, scientific advancement has led to the invention of cochlear implants. Fifty-nine thousand people have received cochlear implants worldwide. In the United States, about 13,000 adults and nearly 10,000 have received cochlear implants (NIDCD, 2008). The invention of this device was hailed as a positive advancement in medical technology. Cochlear implants are used as a "cure" to sensorineural hearing loss by bypassing the outer ear through electrical stimulation of the auditory ner

There has been an alarming concern towards violence in the society. Whether it is in a developed or industrialized country, or if it is a society crippled by war, man is surrounded by different forms of violence. In the streets alone, a child may potentially witness death from gang encounters. Schools should have been a place where children can safely spend a majority of their time. However, even schools could not escape from the ill effects of violence and violent behavior from its students. In 1999, two high school seniors in a public school in Colorado had acted out a year long plan to kill hundreds of their peers: at the end of the day, they had killed twelve students, one teacher, and the two armed students had killed themselves. The Columbine massacre is one of the most disturbing acts of school violence done by children. At present, it has been the concern of parents, teachers, government officials and social workers to deter violence in schools. Violence in schools these past y

Confucianism and Buddhism are two of the major Eastern religions today. Both incorporate a very strong ethical code according to which adherents are expected to live. In striving to keep the principles of these codes, the respective founders of these religions or ways of life propose that society will function in a peaceful and effective manner. While there are several similarities between Confucianism and Buddhism, there are also differences, as will be seen below. According to Pat Zukeran (1996-2008), Confucianism is not a religion in the traditional sense of the word. The reason for this is the emphasis upon the practical. Even in the ethical code of Confucianism, the basic premise of conduct is promoting harmony among people and in this way creating a society that functions peacefully and effectively. The focus is therefore ethics in inter-human relationships rather than spirituality or the relationship between human and divine. Confucius, according to Zukeran, believe

1. The controversy over animal rights is one of the most contentious in the field of ethics and morality. Many people believe animals do not have rights, and that the people who support animal rights are liberals who need to find other outlets for their beliefs. Others feel it is our moral obligation to nurture animals as they cannot speak or act for themselves. Clearly, animals have a right to life, and a right to life without suffering. In the natural world, animals are hunter and hunted, but we have removed many of the habitats and areas where animals can survive, and we have driven many to extinction, so it is a moral obligation to make sure those that are left can survive and thrive in their environments. Animals also have the right to live without cruelty and abuse, and it is our obligation to make sure these things do not occur. We have domesticated many animals for our own pleasure, like dogs, cats, and birds and we have a moral obligation to care for these animals, and to remove them from homes where they do not receive this good care. These rights have implications in how we care for animals,

While great literature is timeless, it is important to examine the historical context of literature to gain a greater understanding of people, places, and events. This insight allows us to see not only the characters clearly but it also brings us closer to understanding why people behave the way they do. When authors capture elements of history and place them into their works, we feel as if we are somehow closer to experiencing that history as reality. In mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we have a novel that demonstrates how historical context explains characters and events with clarity. In his novel, Twain demonstrates how issues such as slavery and folklore affect individuals in almost every way. In fact, historical events and societal traditions shape the characters we encounter in this novel. The Civil War, Reconstruction, and a country torn between right and wrong make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a masterpiece for capturing a slice of Americ

In the game of baseball, dreaming big, working hard and showing individual effort in an atmosphere of teamwork and fair play are all American ideals. These ideals hide the realities of drug abuse, and fixed games, just like these dreams hide the ugly reality in America that not everyone who dreams and works hard succeeds. In Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, major leager Jose Canseco chronicles his experience as a professional player for Major League Baseball. An unapologetic user of steroids to enhance his sport, Canseco claims that drug use can be managed by a physician to improve players' game and raise the bar of the sport itself. To Canseco, steroid use is not the problem when all players have access to safe steroids and doctor-managed regimes of performance-enhancing drugs. In Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball, Howard Bryant offers a more critical perspective of the steroid crisis in Major Leag

Latin America is a historical land marked by numerous features, such as long standing traditions, strong culture, broken or respected human rights, criminality, wealthy and poor individuals. In other words, Latin America is the place where civilization meets savagery and third world countries meet first world countries, creating a world of contrasts and variations, with proof standing the high income inequality "Latin America's experience with economic growth has been a disappointing one. Despite having similar levels of per capita GDP than the British colonies in the Western Hemisphere at the beginning of the nineteenth century and attaining independence at roughly the same time, the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean fell rapidly behind the U.S. and Canada in terms of economic performance. Latin America experienced no growth in per capita GDP during the nineteenth century – a time during which the GDP per capita of the US grew between four and sixfold. Alt

This story, "Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs", depicts the relationship of a child, Tommy, with his grandmother and great-grandmother. This story speaks of death and the understanding of a child about death. It revolved around Tommy's special relationship with his great-grandmother who was bedridden. The author describes of their special bond as seen in the scenes where Tommy would visit his great-grandmother and they would both be tied up in their own chairs so they could have their talk. H

1.There can be no moral or ethical justification for discrimination against openly gay and lesbian persons in the areas of military service and marriage. Consider: The discrimination against gay persons is just another manifestation of the deep-rooted prejudice against the minorities in most societies; it has nothing to do with 'ethics.' It reflects the same kind of prejudice that was exhibited against the minority black population (and the women) for a long period of American history. Some opponents of homosexuality justify discrimination against gay marriages on the grounds that "it is against God's will" and the Bible considers homosexuality as sinful.1 This religious condemnation by no means makes homosexuality "immoral." Consider the fact that the Bible considers several other activities such as "eating of shell fish" (Leviticus 11:10), "working on Sundays" (Exodus 35:2), and even "playing football" (Leviticus 11

1.Although the origins of Shinto1 can be traced to the pre-historic times, this uniquely Japanese religion did not have a historical founder, a fixed dogma, moral precepts, sacred writings, holy places for worship, or even a name during its early history. It emerged naturally within the historical development of an indigenous culture and in a relatively insulated environment of closely-located islands. Japan, however, could not remain isolated from foreign influence, especially that of its giant neighbor, China, which had a highly developed civilization. The relatively unsophisticated Shinto philosophy was soon confronted with the formidable Chinese doctrines of Confucianism, Taoism, and in particular, Buddhism2. Faced with the onslaught of the clearly advanced culture of the Chinese, the Japanese felt intimidated, but were equally determined to keep their separate identity marked by their own religion. Hence it was only in the late 6th century AD that the name &qu

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in both the social and political arena today. The two main arguments for and against the issue is based upon whether the unborn fetus can be seen as human or not, and whether this humanity can be compared to the humanity of the mother. It should also be recognized however that the abortion issue has many more subtle issues that are attached. A person who has been raped and falls pregnant as a result, for example, could not be seen in the same light as a person who had consensual sex without some form of protection. Also, a mother whose life is endangered by the pregnancy, or a baby whose quality of life will be severely impeded by deformity are also considered as cases in which abortion is more permissible than in the case of a problem free pregnancy. In considering the moral status of the fetus, one should therefore also consider additional problematic factors, such as rape, particularly. While I therefore do believe that the mor

One of the first hints that something is rotten in the state of Denmark is when the viewer of Shakespeare's tragedy of "Hamlet" spots the appearance of Old Hamlet, haunting the castle at night. Hamlet's father, walking the balustrades, looks as he did when he lived, but he is motivated by only one concern now-revenge. When the former king is finally able to open his heart to Young Hamlet, Old Hamlet tells his son that he is a spirit that comes from purgatory. During the day he must burn "fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/Are burnt and purged away" while during the night he walks, hungry for revenge. The reason the former king is consigned to purgatory is that he died without making a full confession of his sins, as is required of all believing Christians. While he was sleeping in his orchard, his brother poured poison in his ear, murdering him while he slept. To spur his son onto revenge for his murder, the ghost plays upon Hamlet's alre

Introduction: The globalization and changes in the demand for labor, and services have redefined employ-ability and have retrenched many who would other wise have been gainfully employed even in their age of seniority. The Aging of the population is a global process and a problem faced by all countries. Poverty results from aging when the person reaches an age considered unemployable and also is not having resources to meet the ever growing needs that aging brings with it. The problem was anticipated decades ago, and the attempt to classify the issue began in the last few decades. The aging society must be viewed in a new light. The new aging reflects a change that must be brought in to the definition of aging and revamp the system with which we have attempted to provide for the elderly over sixty years of age. The vision of the community to the old people will alter the community life style and family values. The interpersonal relationships will also be redefined. The new aging scen