Press Release Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Press Release - Essay Example Simultaneously a warrant was served on Weinman’s mother’s house. The police searched the mother’s house, plus a shed in the backyard according to The Miami Herald. No reports are available on what, if anything, the cops seized. Weinman hired attorney David Macey, who spoke with WSVN-Channel 7 according to The Miami Herald. David Macey proclaimed his client’s innocence. Macey will be ready for the arraignment tentatively set on Monday. Weinman’s bail was set at $154,500, which has not yet been met. Weinman’s downfall occurred when he signed up for a Facebook group called â€Å"Catch the Cat Killer† reports The Miami Herald. More than 1,000 members had joined this group in hopes of catching the cat killer. A news conference was held this morning. Three police agencies worked this case. One Miami-Dade Police Major was Julie Miller. Apparently Miller tracked Weinman on tips from the local communities’ posts on Facebook, YouTube, and MySpace. What led to the arrest is the community talking and bringing us information, Miller said The Miami Herald states. No motive was suggested for the horrible attacks. Weinman’s parents are divorced living in the area. Apparently the teen felt comfortable in the area where the cats were found mutilated, since his mother and father lived in the areas. A report had been mentioned at a community meeting about a teen living between two homes in the two communities where the attacks occurred. Weinman’s parents have not released any comments. Weinman has had several run in with the laws before reports The Miami Herald. Apparently Weinman had been arrested twice as a juvenile on unknown charges. As recently as May 29, Weinman was arrested for possession of marijuana. Profilers advised the police to look for a loner, Jeffery Dahmer type. So the whole community was surprised by Weinman’s arrest. Weinman was a Swim Gym Aquatic Summer Camp counselor, a class

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employment Law - Assignment Example An employee is deemed to have been wrongfully dismissed if there is no adequate notice by the employer as per their employment contract. Notwithstanding a breach of contract, unfair dismissals occur if they do not fall under one of the six fair reasons allowed by law. Besides, unfair dismissal occurs if the employer has not followed a fair procedure and has acted unreasonably in the dismissal of the employee. Under certain circumstances, employer must comply with the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure failing which the Employment Tribunal will find for the employee. The Tribunal has the discretion to increase the award by 25 % if the employer has not complied with the Code. Employees have the right to insist on reasons for dismissal in writing under section 92(1) of the Employment Rights Act 1996. (ERA) since a written statement can serve as evidence in any subsequent Tribunal proceedings. If the employer has not shown lawful reasons for dismissal, not foll owed the set procedure and not given sufficient notice, the employee can claim unfair or wrongful dismissal. Requirement of a notice depends on the terms of employment contract i.e whether the employment is for a fixed period or an indefinite period. If indefinite, the contract must have a provision for the period of notice by the employer or employee. In case of notice period mentioned in the contract, a reasonable notice is a must though the length of notice can vary according to circumstances and industry norms. However, an employer is required to give a statutory minimum period of notice i.e one week’s notice if the employee has worked continuously for one month or more but less than two years. If the period of service is two years or more but less than 12 years, one week’s notice is required for each year of continuous employment. If the employee has worked for 12 years or more, employee is entitled to minimum 12 weeks’ notice. This is regardless of any sho rter period mentioned in a contract, though longer period than statutory period is allowed. A notice already issued cannot be withdrawn without a mutual consent. If there is no notice given by the employer, it will amount to wrongful dismissal entailing payment of damages equivalent to the wages and benefits for the stipulated period of notice. In case of a PILON (payment in lieu of notice) clause in the employment contract, it will not amount to breach of contract if the employer has given money to the employee in lieu of notice. However, if the employee has committed serious or gross misconduct, summary dismissal without notice with immediate effect is justified. The seriousness or gross nature of misconduct will depend upon the circumstances. Theft, fraud, physical violence, serious negligence or serious breaches of health and safety rules are instances of serious misconduct. Examples are usually illustrated in the disciplinary procedure prescribed by the employer. For claiming w rongful or unfair dismissal, an employee must have put in one year of continuous employment with the employer. The qualifying period of employment has been increased to two years from the date of 6 April 2012. This will not apply to those employees whose qualifying period commences before 6 April 2012. A fair dismissal exists in the following circumstances as mentioned in section 98 (1) of the ERA: Lack of skill or qualifications. 2. Misconduct by the employee. 3. Redundancy. 4. Retirement. 5 Breach of an Act in case of continued employment. 6. Any other reason of substantial nature. Even then, it is expected of an employer to follow a fair procedure to dismiss the employee as mentioned in section 94(4) of the ERA. Of these reasons, conduct on the part of the dismissed employees herein is of immediate relevance. In order to decide whether the employer has acted fairly in dealing with his employee’

Health Issues in Urban Areas

Health Issues in Urban Areas HEALTHY SETTING INTRODUCTION Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in an urban area. It is estimated that by 2050, more than two-third of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities (WHO 2015). Rapid urbanization leads to significant changes in our standards of living, lifestyles, social behaviour and health. Living in urban area offer many opportunities, including potential access to better health care. However, today’s urban environments can concentrate health risks and introduce new hazards. Health problems in cities include issues of water, environment, violence and injury, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol. (Eckert Kohler 2014; WHO 2015). The prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases are worsened by pollution. Urban air pollution kills around 1.2 million people each year around the world (WHO 2015). A major proportion of urban air pollution is caused by motor vehicles, although industrial pollution, electricity generation and in least developed countries household fuel combustion are also major contributors. Mass marketing in urban areas, availability of unhealthy food choices and accessibility to automation and transport all have an effect on lifestyle that directly affect health (WHO 2015). These environments tend to discourage physical activity and promote unhealthy food c onsumption. Community participation in physical activity is poor due to by a variety of factors including overcrowding, high-volume traffic, and heavy use of motorized transportation, poor air quality and lack of safe public spaces and recreation or sports facilities (WHO 2015). Apart from that, urbanization affects the spread of diseases including tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. Incidence of tuberculosis in New York City is four times the national average. While in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 83% of people with tuberculosis live in cities. Setting like recreational park in urban area is supposed to be a place for healthy activities such as jogging, exercise and some sports. However, for some people they use this park for negative behaviour such as sexual misconduct including indecent exposure, offensive touching, sexual acts, or prostitution. This behaviour may lead to unintended pregnancy and subsequently some of them will desperately dump the baby especially among teenagers. THE CONCEPT STRATEGY OF HEALTHY SETTING Healthy Settings as one of health promotion approaches, involve a holistic and multi-disciplinary method which integrates action across risk factors. The goal is to maximize disease prevention via a whole system approach. This approach begins in the WHO â€Å"Health for All† strategy and, more specifically, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Key principles of Healthy Settings include community participation, partnership, empowerment and equity. The best-known example of a successful Healthy Settings programme is Healthy Cities. This programme initiated by WHO in 1986 and have spread rapidly across Europe and other parts of the world. Building on this experience, a number of parallel initiatives based on similar principles were established during the late 1980s and early 1990s within a number of smaller settings such as villages, schools, or hospitals. The Healthy Settings movement came out of the WHO strategy of â€Å"Health for All† in 1980. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) clearly explained this approach. These documents were important steps towards establishing the holistic and multifaceted approach embodied by Healthy Settings programmes, as well as towards the integration of health promotion and sustainable development. Then, in 1992, the Sundsvall Statement called for the creation of supportive environments with a focus on settings for health. The Jakarta Declaration in 1997 subsequently emphasized the value of settings for implementing comprehensive strategies and providing an infrastructure for health promotion. Nowadays, various settings are used to facilitate the improvement of public health throughout the world. Figure 1: Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO 1986) WHO defined setting for health as the place or social context in which people engage in daily activities in which environmental, organizational, and personal factors interact to affect health and wellbeing (Health Promotion Glossary 1998). A setting is where people actively use and shape the environment and it is also where people create or solve problems relating to health. Settings can normally be identified as having physical boundaries, a range of people with defined roles, and an organizational structure. Examples of settings include schools, work sites, hospitals, villages and cities. Health promotion through different settings can take many forms and these often involve some changes to the physical environment or to the organizational structure, administration and management. Settings can also be used to promote health as they are vehicles to reach individuals, to gain access to services, and to synergistically bring together the interactions throughout the wider community. Healthy setting programmes took off predominantly in Europe and the Americas following the Ottawa Charter and Jakarta Declaration. The primary form of implementation has been the Healthy Cities programmes. Through pilot projects and expansion efforts, many other Healthy Settings have been established throughout the two regions. Today, efforts have been made in all WHO regions to expand the movement. Other settings include villages, municipalities and communities, schools, workplaces, markets, homes, islands, hospitals, prisons, universities and healthy ageing (Figure 1). Approach in healthy settings involves a focus on both structure or place and agency or people. It should be understood that a setting not only as a medium for reaching ‘captive audiences’ but also as a supportive context and environment which directly and indirectly impacts wellbeing. Apart from that, it is a commitment to integrating health and wellbeing within the culture, structures and routine life of settings. Healthy City is defined as a one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential (Hancock and Duhl 1988). Healthy Cities Initiative features political commitment in multi-sector to health and well-being in the most ecological sense; commitment to innovation; community participation; and the resultant healthy public policy. Health and well-being must be planned and built ‘into’ cities and presented as everyone’s business. Political endorsement is important in ensuring inter-sectorial collaboration. Systems for participatory decision-making must be developed to ensure that all voices are heard, especially those of marginalised people (Baum 1993). Healthy Cities is essentially an empowerment process that embeds the Ottawa Charter’s core definition of hea lth- â€Å"The process of enabling people in a community or city to increase control over and improve all the many different factors that affect their health† (WHO 1986). Healthy Cities is based on the recognition that city and urban environments affect citizens’ health, and that healthy municipal public policy is needed to effect change (Ashton 1992). In the early stages of the Healthy Cities approach, 11 key parameters were identified for healthy cities, communities, and towns (Hancock and Duhl 1988): A clean, safe, high-quality environment (including housing). An ecosystem that is stable now and sustainable in the long term. A strong, mutually supportive and non-exploitative community. A high degree of public participation in and control over the decisions affecting life, health, and well-being. The meeting of basic needs (food, water, shelter, income, safety, work) for all people. Access to a wide variety of experiences and resources, with the possibility on multiple contacts, interaction, and communication. A diverse, vital, and innovative economy. Encouragement of connections with the past, with the varied cultural and biological heritage, and with other groups and individuals. A city form (design) that is compatible with and enhances the preceding parameters and forms of behaviour. An optimum level of appropriate public health and sick care service accessible to all. High health status (both high positive health status and low disease status). Hancock (1993) conceived of a Healthy Cities and Communities model in which human health and wellbeing – or human capital – is the ultimate outcome of a sustained, integrated effort to build community (social) capital, environmental capital and economic capital (See Figure 2). Figure 2: Healthy Cities Model Healthy Cities approach built on community involvement; political commitment, in which the local government is a major player; partnerships between sectors; and enabling, healthy public policy to create conditions for health. These approaches build on local capacity, by building on assets, strengths and resources. The application of the concepts, principles and practice of health promotion at the local level is important. Central to local health promotion is the key role played by local government. Many of the major determinants of health are within the scope of local government. WHO (1997) offers a systematic strategy for progressing through three phases of development of a Healthy Cities initiative in their document, Twenty Steps for Developing a Healthy Cities Project. Three main phases are start-up, initiative organisation and areas for action and strategic work. Twenty Steps makes it clear that the role of a Healthy Cities initiative is to offer effective advocacy to promote healthy public policy. Figure 3: Twenty Steps for Developing a Healthy Cities Project LESSONS LEARNED Healthy Cities Europe As the site of the first pilot Healthy Cities initiatives by WHO in the mid-1980s, Europe has in many ways served as the engine house of Healthy Cities concepts and approaches. WHO Europe has developed a legacy of theory and practice; strategy and methodology, buttressed by a huge bureaucratic initiative. Typically, the European approach has featured large cities, in which local governments play a key role as both planner and health provider. Many HC initiatives are administered at the senior corporate level of a city (such as Copenhagen or Dublin). The European Healthy Cities approach has typically involved the establishment of a peak intersectoral working group, supported by a project team. The European Healthy Cities approach has progressed through several phases: First phase 1986-1992; Second phase 1993-1998; Third phase 1998-2002; Fourth phase (2002 onwards). Only the European region of WHO has had rigorous entry requirements to the Healthy Cities initiative. For all phases of HC initiative, member cities have had to demonstrate: (i) a political commitment to Health for All and the Healthy Cities vision; (ii) that they have adequate resources to employ a full-time initiative coordinator and support staff in a HC office; and (iii) commitment to specific objectives leading to development of local health policies (De Leeuw, 2001). During the first phase of the Healthy Cities initiative, a primary objective for all cities was to establish an Urban Health Profile through completion of a Healthy Cities Questionnaire. This phase produced the well-regarded document, Twenty Steps for setting up Healthy Cities Initiative which is described in detail below. The second phase objective for cities was to create a City Health Plan. ‘A City Health Plan is a policy document including the Health Profile identifying health challenges, their determinants, and roles various actors should play in targeting those challenges’ (de Leeuw, 2001, pp. 37-38). This phase produced a plethora of case studies and models of good practice. The third phase objectives were to produce a City Health Development Plan, and engage in rigorous internal and external monitoring and evaluation. A City Health Development Plan builds on Phases I and II in that it ‘identifies strategic development issues, incorporating also urban planni ng, sustainable development and equity concerns on a longterm basis’ (de Leeuw, 2001, p. 38). In Phase III of European HC initiatives, City Health Development Plans were required to embody a more rigorous internal and external monitoring and evaluation process to identify the impact of actions identified in Health profiles and City Health Plans. WHO established an extremely comprehensive (some would argue over-bureaucratic and unwieldy) requirement that HC initiatives would assess their performance against ‘health determinants analyses, and sound and responsible approaches towards influencing determinants of health’ (De Leeuw, 2001, p. 41). Initial annual reports were eventually received from 25 out of 40 cities: many struggled with the human resources needed to complete the reports. Over 1000 HC-related activities were reported. However, ‘very few of those activities showed a strategic perspective, thus underscoring [a] degree of ‘projectism’ in cities†¦ that would hinder the development of healthy urban policies’ (De Leeuw, 2001, p. 42) and thus City Health Development Plans in Phase III. It was anticipated that the requirement to produce these Annual Reports might help create a cultural shift away from ‘projectism’ towards a more strategic planning approach. Phase IV of Healthy Cities (2003 – 2007) has attempted to address health development comprehensively, with an emphasis on partnerships, determinants and governance. This phase has also focused on developing knowledge, tools and expertise on core developmental themes of healthy urban planning, health impact assessment and healthy ageing: Healthy urban planning. Urban planners should be encouraged to integrate and supported in integrating health considerations in their planning strategies and initiatives with emphasis on equity, well-being, sustainable development and community safety. Health impact assessment. Health impact assessment processes should be applied within cities to support intersectoral action for promoting health and reducing inequality. By combining procedures, methods and tools, health impact assessment provides a structured framework for mapping how a policy, initiative or initiative affects health. Healthy ageing. Healthy ageing works to address the needs of older people related to health, care and the quality of life with special emphasis on active and independent living, creating supportive environments and ensuring access to sensitive and appropriate services. (WHO 2003) Healthy Cities and Communities USA The Healthy Cities scene in Europe compares interestingly with that in the United States. Leonard Duhl noted that whilst the Europeans made Healthy Cities a bureaucratic initiative, the Americans have seen it as a pseudo-anarchic process (personal correspondence, 10 September 2004). The approach adopted in the United States, for instance, has been driven more at a grassroots level, reflecting the realities of an individualistic cultural tradition of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ and small government (National Civic League, 1998: 287), from which the collective notions of the Ottawa Charter may be viewed by some with suspicion (Baum, 1993). Furthermore, with a somewhat chaotic private health care system, much government attention in the US is focused on ensuring access to basic health care, rather than addressing, at the intersectoral community level, the social determinants of health advocated in Healthy Cities (Wolff, 2003). The long and ‘embeddedâ €™ history of the involvement of health care industry in US health policy also needs to be considered. Wolff argued that the term ‘healthy communities’ is a problem in a country like the US, in which ‘health’ is dominated by privatized health care industry. Although many community organizations may be working along the lines of the Ottawa Charter to enhance population health through civic engagement and community building, they may not in fact identify ‘health’ as a primary goal of their efforts. Intersectoral collaboration has frequently been harder to achieve in the US than in countries such as Australia or Canada, in which government is expected to provide some sort of leadership (Twiss and Duma 2003, Wolff 2003). Taiwanese and Chinese examples In contrast to European, American and Australian experiences, the Taiwanese expression of Healthy Cities reflects a strong Confucian tradition of the integration of politics and academe. Many senior government personnel met during Dr Iain Butterworth’s visits to Taiwan in 2004 and 2005 – including the Ministers for Health and Culture had held academic positions. As a result, strong national government support existed for forging collaboration across sectors. As a relatively new democracy with a culture evolving as a reaction to mainland China, there also exists a strong commitment to grass-roots civic engagement and participation. In comparison, Chinese Healthy Cities-style initiatives might be characterised by central government-mandated edicts to establish initiatives and for various sectors to participate. Western notions of democratic participation led by grass-roots activists with the potential to advocate and dissent do not translate readily or easily into a desc ription of a Healthy Cities initiative led and driven by a more centralised, interventionist state. In Shanghai, one of the approaches for healthy setting includes availability of Healthy Path Building and people were encouraged to do ‘Walking 10,000 Steps Everyday’. Apart from that, there were constructions of exercise sites in communities and training personnel for sports instruction. Other activities include ‘Healthy Rhythm’, ‘Stair Climbing’, ‘Three calisthenics’ and ‘Three Balls’ Activities During the 3rd round of Shanghai Healthy City Initiative evaluation conducted in 2011, the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered among 3,999 Shanghai residents. The result showed that 81.2% of the respondents were physically active (37.0% were highly active), and 73.6% of the residents investigated were active in walking (13.4% were highly active). REFERENCES Eckert, S. S. Kohler 2014. Urbanization and health in developing countries: a systematic review. World Health Population 15(1): 7-20. WHO. 2015. Urbanization and health. World Health Organization, Bulletin of the World Health Organization (BLT). http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/4/10-010410/en/ (Accessed 1/3/2015). WHO (1986). Ottawa charter for health promotion. Available: http://www.euro.who.int/AboutWHO/Policy/20010827_2. Accessed 3 March 2015.

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace :: Quid pro quo harassment, hostile environment

The phrase â€Å"sexual harassment† became highly publicized in 1975 as activists and writers began addressing the problem. Shortly after 1980, articles and publications in regards to sexual harassment spread rampantly as the result of congressional hearings, increased litigation, and the adoption of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act 1964. Title VII states, â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment consists of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, imposed on the basis of sex, by an employee or agent of a recipient that denies, limits, provides different, or conditions the provision of aid, benefits, services or treatment protected under Title VII.† [1] Sexual harassment is categorized as a form of sexual discrimination, which constitutes this behavior as illegal under existing federal and state laws. To enforce these laws, Congress has mandated federal agencies accountable for ensuring the full compliance of workplaces and educational establishments. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established to enforce Title VII and to investigate allegations of discrimination. In November 1980 the EEOC published specific guidelines on sexual harassment, which lucidly states that sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination. The EEOC uses a very complex definition, but everything in regards to sexual harassment is covered within the confines of these guidelines. These guidelines cover many key points. These key points, plus court decisions provide the legal definition of sexual harassment and spell out the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. Section A of the guidelines states, that unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment. Sexual Harassment In The Workplace :: Quid pro quo harassment, hostile environment The phrase â€Å"sexual harassment† became highly publicized in 1975 as activists and writers began addressing the problem. Shortly after 1980, articles and publications in regards to sexual harassment spread rampantly as the result of congressional hearings, increased litigation, and the adoption of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act 1964. Title VII states, â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment consists of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, imposed on the basis of sex, by an employee or agent of a recipient that denies, limits, provides different, or conditions the provision of aid, benefits, services or treatment protected under Title VII.† [1] Sexual harassment is categorized as a form of sexual discrimination, which constitutes this behavior as illegal under existing federal and state laws. To enforce these laws, Congress has mandated federal agencies accountable for ensuring the full compliance of workplaces and educational establishments. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established to enforce Title VII and to investigate allegations of discrimination. In November 1980 the EEOC published specific guidelines on sexual harassment, which lucidly states that sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination. The EEOC uses a very complex definition, but everything in regards to sexual harassment is covered within the confines of these guidelines. These guidelines cover many key points. These key points, plus court decisions provide the legal definition of sexual harassment and spell out the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. Section A of the guidelines states, that unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment.

My work2 Essay

INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT The earliest civilizations formed on fertile river plains. These lands faced challenges, such as seasonal flooding and a limited growing area. Geography What rivers helped sustain the four river valley civilizations? POWER AND AUTHORITY Projects such as irrigation systems required leadership and laws—the beginnings of organized government. In some societies, priests controlled the first governments. In others, military leaders and kings ruled. Geography Look at the time line and the map. In which empire and river valley area was the first code of laws developed? SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Early civilizations developed bronze tools, the wheel, the sail, the plow, writing, and mathematics. These innovations spread through trade, wars, and the movement of peoples. Geography Which river valley civilization was the most isolated? What factors contributed to that isolation? INTERNET RESOURCES †¢ Interactive Maps †¢ Interactive Visuals †¢ Interactive Primary Sources 26 Go to classzone.com for: †¢ Research Links †¢ Maps †¢ Internet Activities †¢ Test Practice †¢ Primary Sources †¢ Current Events †¢ Chapter Quiz 27 Why do communities need laws? The harvest has failed and, like many others, you have little to eat. There are animals in the temple, but they are protected by law. Your cousin decides to steal one of the pigs to feed his family. You believe that laws should not be broken and try to persuade him not to steal the pig. But he steals the pig and is caught. The law of the Babylonian Empire—Hammurabi’s Code—holds people responsible for their actions. Someone who steals from the temple must repay 30 times the cost of the stolen item. Because your cousin is unable to pay this fine, he is sentenced to death. You begin to wonder whether there are times when laws should be broken. 1 The Babylonian ruler Hammurabi, accompanied by his judges, sentences Mummar to death. 2 A scribe records the proceedings against Mummar. 3 Mummar pleads for mercy. EXAM I N I NG the  ISSU ES †¢ What should be the main purpose of laws: to promote good behavior or to punish bad behavior? †¢ Do all communities need a system of laws to guide them? Hold a class debate on these questions. As you prepare for the debate, think about what you have leaned about the changes that take place as civilizations grow and become more complex. As you read about the growth of civilization in this chapter, consider why societies developed systems of laws. 28 Chapter 2 1 City-States in Mesopotamia MAIN IDEA INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT The earliest civilization in Asia arose in Mesopotamia and organized into city-states. WHY IT MATTERS NOW The development of this civilization reflects a settlement pattern that has occurred repeatedly throughout history. TERMS & NAMES †¢ Fertile Crescent †¢ Mesopotamia †¢ city-state †¢ dynasty †¢ cultural diffusion †¢ polytheism †¢ empire †¢ Hammurabi SETTING THE STAGE Two rivers flow from the mountains of what is now Turkey, down through Syria and Iraq, and finally to the Persian Gulf. Over six thousand years ago, the waters of these rivers provided the lifeblood that allowed the formation of farming settlements. These grew into villages and then cities. Geography of the Fertile Crescent TAKING NOTES A desert climate dominates the landscape between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Asia. Yet within this dry region lies an arc of land that provided some of the best farming in Southwest Asia. The region’s curved shape and the richness of its land led scholars to call it the Fertile Crescent. It includes the lands facing the Mediterranean Sea and a plain that became known as Mesopotamia (MEHS†¢uh†¢puh†¢TAY†¢mee†¢uh). The word in Greek means â€Å"land between the rivers.† The rivers framing Mesopotamia are the Tigris (TY†¢grihs) and Euphrates (yoo†¢FRAY†¢teez). They flow southeastward to the Persian Gulf. (See the map on page 30.) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooded Mesopotamia at least once a year. As the floodwater receded, it left a thick bed of mud called silt. Farmers planted grain in this rich, new soil and irrigated the fields with river water. The results were large quantities of wheat and barley at harvest time. The surpluses from their harvests allowed villages to grow. Identifying Problems and Solutions Use a chart to identify Sumer’s environmental problems and their solutions. Problems Solutions Environmental Challenges People first began to settle and farm the flat, swampy lands in southern Mesopotamia before 4500 B.C. Around 3300 B.C., the people called the Sumerians, whom you read about in Chapter 1, arrived on the scene. Good soil was the advantage that attracted these settlers. However, there were three disadvantages to their new environment. †¢ Unpredictable flooding combined with a period of little or no rain. The land sometimes became almost a desert. †¢ With no natural barriers for protection, a Sumerian village was nearly defenseless. †¢ The natural resources of Sumer were limited. Building materials and other necessary items were scarce. Early River Valley Civilizations 29

Tartuffe: Truth and Religious Teachings

Dana Epstein Professor Morris ENG 2850 TR54C October 13, 2009 The Illusions That Define Us: Appearance versus Reality â€Å"Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration. † That quote by Nicollo Machiavelli is simply defined as, what you see is not always what you get and few men have the gift of being able to see through an appearance. In Tartuffe and Monkey, appearances are far from reality in many instances. Even though both texts were written in different milieus both societies focus strongly on religion and material value.Both characters are deceived by power, desires and the need to prove themselves. Spiritually is used to enlighten and religious teachings help Monkey to see the truth. However, Orgon needs to trust his senses because spirituality is used to deceive. The realization that is difficult for the audience to distinguish the difference between appearance and reality in both stories is very evident. In Tartuffe, Orgon is deceived by the holy zealous Tartuffe solely based on his false piety of religion. His need for power and prestige blinds his ability to see the truth about Tartuffe.He is so enthralled by Tartuffe because he enriches Orgon with power by appealing to his desires. Tartuffe is claiming to be a traditional figure of authority by presenting himself as a holy man and Orgon foolishly goes against everyone’s feeling towards Tartuffe and falls for his act. The audience is not told that Tartuffe is a liar or hypocrite but, through his words and the actions that follow, it allows the audience to differentiate between the lying Tartuffe and the honest family. In the first scene, Dorine states her feelings toward Tartuffe. You see him as a saint. I'm far less awed; In fact, I see right through him. He's a fraud. † Tartuffe, the hypocritical fraud, does no appear until act three, allowing the audience to see the other characters as honest witnesses to Tartuffe lies. As soon as he arrives, he over zealously informs Dorine that she is showing too much cleavage. His actions are seen as forced rather than genuine. Orgon is so blinded by Tartuffe that he does not even believe his own son when he tells him that Tartuffe is trying to seduce his wife Elmire.Orgon responds with â€Å"Ah, you deceitful boy, how dare you try to stain his purity with so foul a lie? † Orgon finally needs to perform a scientific experiment by hiding under the table to actually hear Tartuffe try and seduce his wife. Orgon’s mistake is that he needed to trust his senses rather then his spirituality and need to prove himself. His desire to be all powerful Orgon and control his children’s lives ended him in a bind where all his belongings were in the hands of Tartuffe. Orgon was deceived by religion and his desires to be all knowing and all powerful.The appearance of a â€Å"holy man† that Tartuffe presented completely blinded the reali ty that he was a con artist. Orgon chose to go against the intuitions of those he loves and trusts and is left struggling to define his own reality and truth in what spirituality means to him. The religious teachings and spirituality in Tartuffe leave Orgon to pick up the pieces of his fallen life and proves that trusting his senses was the key to defining reality. On the contrary, the religious teachings in Monkey help him to see the truth and define reality.Monkey’s journey consisted of many encounters where appearance is deceiving. The evil wizard is one of the most deceiving characters throughout the story. Through changing his appearance, he is able to disguise his true self as a lion of the gods to complete his task in teaching the king a lesson for being unkind to a beggar who was asking for help. The evil wizard pretended to help the king of the Crow-Cock Kingdom but instead shifts his form into the king and steals his throne. When Monkey confronts the evil wizard abo ut this change he then again shifts his form into Tripitaka so that Monkey cannot attack him.Through these appearances, the evil wizard was able to hide the reality that he was truly a lion on a mission. Though the evil wizard was one of the most manipulative characters, Pigsy and the Dragon both deceived reality with their appearances. Pigsy fooled those of the woman he married into believing he was a hard working young man, but once his true identity of a pig was known they soon became fearful of him. Another instance was when the white dragon was punished for eating the white horse so he was then transformed into Tripitaka's white horse for the journey.The appearances that deceived were all to complete their own missions and ultimately teach a lesson. Throughout the stories Monkey by Wu Ch`eng-en and Tartuffe by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere, appearance versus reality is a key theme. The audience can see the demise that Tartuffe had in store for Orgon all along. As for Monkey, t he reality throughout the story is layered between illusions and the supernatural, reality and truth. Both characters were deceived by opposite forces in which the quest for power and to meet their desires blinded their inability to decipher truth from false.

Elvis death essays

Elvis' death essays Most people know that the king of rock n roll was Elvis Presley, but do they know when he died? On August 16, 1977, at 3:30 PM he was pronounced dead, due to a heart attack, according to the Washington Post. He accomplished many things in music, some that people never would have thought of. At the age of 42 he was at the peak of his career, or so he thought. What did the doctors say? What did his fans say? How big of a surprise was it? All of these questions are asked regarding Elvis death, and the answers are as follows. First, a little background on his accomplishments as a singer. Through his whole career, he sold more than 500 million records worldwide and made 33 films. He was a millionaire living in his Graceland Mansion behind locked gates. He had more money then anyone could ever dream of having. Elvis appealed mostly to young people living in the 1950s, and influenced their whole way of life including the way they dressed, the way they behaved, and their attitude. He was recognized all over the world as the creator of rock n roll by almost everyone. Although, people like Jackie Gleason said, he cant last....... he wont be popular for long. Others like former Beatle John Lennon said that he will live forever and his music will never die. Finally a comment from Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys said, his voice was a total miracle in the music business. Many people liked Elvis, very few did not. So, how did Elvis Presley die at the age of 42? According to Dr. Jerry Francisco, an autopsy, done on August 16, showed that he died of cardiac arrhythmia, which he described as a severely irregular heartbeat and just another name for a form of heart attack. The autopsy was three hours long and reportedly uncovered no sign of any other diseases and no sign of drug abuse. Althoug...