Internet as General Addiction in Present Times an Example of the Topic Science and Technology Essays by

Internet as General Addiction in Present Times Why is internet addiction on the rise? Internet has truly been regarded as the greatest innovation of the 21st century. It is used greatly and has been hailed for its cost-effectiveness, convenience and the uses and innumerable advantages. Need essay sample on "Internet as General Addiction in Present Times" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Communication Internet is the ultimate and the inevitable tool for communication and the meeting of people. Through the means of chatting and other instant messaging services as well as the use of the email system that includes the yahoo, msn, AOL and gmail and others. It allows people to make and maintain contacts with acquaintances and friends and also a means and an important way to form new friendships and contacts. The internet, therefore, is seen as a socialising tool by many. Apart from the instant messaging services and all, the internet now offers a variety of options in terms of social networking. Its a new phenomenon in the world of internet and has the ability to take the internet and the social world by storm and it has already done so to a large extent. The introduction of websites like orkut, multiply and hi five and the others of the same ilk has given life a new meaning. People now make friends on internet and talk to them there too. Social life has been limited to the internet. Online Earning Another means of internet usage is the availability and opportunities of earning online. People are now able to make money through online jobs such as the freelance writing and writing content for websites. Apart from the above-mentioned opportunities there are students that could be taught online and other such opportunities that are taken up by people due to the easy money they offer and the convenience that is present in the form of earning from home. Blogging and Social Activism and Expression Another present phenomenon is that of blogging. Blogs are personal diaries in which people can talk about any and everything. They could be based on a particular theme, for example, sports or could be general. Blogging is another reason why people are badly addicted and hooked onto the internet. It allows one to express oneself freely and thus, is highly popular amongst masses especially youth. Its important because its free and most people are devoid of an outlet to express their feelings and ideas. Social activism is another aspect of internet. Through blogs and websites such as CHOWK that allow interaction and discussion of ideas and serious political talk and analysis, its now possible to campaign for causes one feels passionate about. All the above-mentioned causes become great motivators for people to become addicted to the internet. But as any addiction has its accompanying disadvantages, so is the case with the internet. Internet addiction has been a cause of grave concern with sociologists, teachers, and social analysts and most importantly with parents. The excessive use of internet is likely to result in the loss of concentration and also inflicts some negative consequences also on the health like poor eyesight and back pains. Besides if children and/or teenagers are exposed to the kind of content on the internet that is not suitable and reasonable for their age, grave moral and social consequences shall follow. Children are said to become violent and have destructive tendencies if they are exposed to violent images and graphics which are rampant and abundant on the internet. Same is the case with the wide and easy availability of sexual images and content on the internet that are said to wreak havoc on the behavioural patterns and psychology of the children and young adults in the advices and opinions of the psychologists and psychiatrists and even cause destructive sexual tendencies in them. Reasons of Spread of Internet The changing societal set-up has given rise to the idea of internet addiction. The present times are such that everyone has multiple duties to perform. There is a dearth of time and people find it hard to juggle successfully their personal and professional lives. All of the hectic schedules leave little room and time for other activities of life such as socialising. Internet thus replaces real-life interaction because it is convenient and one does not have to make any special efforts to talk to people. On the other hand, the cost options are much better. Internet interaction and communication is free to a great extent. Its an awesome way to connect to people that live abroad and are hard to talk to in other ways. Besides internet is a great way to collect and gather information. Internet possesses great loads of information about almost all topics which is almost a click away in many cases or requires extremely little effort in comparison to other sources like books and libraries. It is also cost-effective and the existence of search engines such google and yahoo facilitates matters a great deal. All sorts of information is available that mainly helps and aids the students and scholars alike in their assignments and studies and in the ever-lasting pursuit and quest of information. Many leading universities of the world like Oxford, Cambridge and Princeton have their online libraries that have information and books that were otherwise present only in the libraries of their colleges and university campuses. Similarly many public libraries too have their online portals making it easier for students to manage their workload easily. There are numerous earning opportunities also available online and through outsourcing. it gets cheaper for the international companies due to costs and other benefits. The lifestyle coupled with the advantages of internet makes it into an addiction. Many are concerned because of that but there is cause not to as internet is a tool for useful interaction of ideas and has much to offer by way of academic knowledge. There are also e-books available online and that enhances internet utility. There are zillions of books available online free for both academic and non-academic topics. This greatly attracts and allures the students as well as the casual and occasional reader. Internet is an inevitable tool for communication and entertainment and slowly, it is turning into a force that cant be controlled. References ClickZ Internet Marketing Solutions for Marketers www.clickz.com Accessed, March 28 2007 Google Directory - Computers > Internet www.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet Accessed, March 28 2007 internet.com - the Internet and IT Network from Jupitermedia Corp. www.internet.com Accessed, March 28 2007 Internet Society (ISOC) www.isoc.org Accessed, March 28 2007 Internet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet Accessed, March 28 2007 How Stuff Works - Learn how Everything Works! Howstuffworks.com Accessed, March 28 2007

Bacteria Outline Essays - Microbiology, Biology, Bacteriology

Bacteria Outline Essays - Microbiology, Biology, Bacteriology Bacteria Outline Bacteria - Oldest, structurally simplest, most abundant forms of life - Only organism with prokaryotic cellular organization - The only members of the kingdom Monera (4800 different kinds) - Characteristics change depending on growth conditions - Maintenance of life depends on them - play vital role of productivity and as decomposers - Capable of fixing atmospheric N for use by other organisms - Used in production and fermentation of various food and as antibiotics and is being tested for insect control - Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes - Multi-cellularity - All bacteria fundamentally single celled - Sometimes cells adhere within a matrix to form filaments - Activities of bacterial colonies less integrated and coordinated than in multicellular eukaryotes Eukaryotes Bacteria Cell Size 10x size of bacteria 1 micrometer (m) diameter Chromosomes Membrane bound nucleus w/ chromosomes w/ nucleic acid & proteins No nucleus/chromosomes w/ DNA DNA contained in cytoplasm Cell Division and Genetic Remcombination Mitosis involving microtubules Sexual reproduction - meiosis/syngamy Binary fusion Lack of sexual reproduction - no equal participation Internal Compartementalization Respirational enzymes packed into mitochondria Corresponding enzymes bound to cell membranes Cytoplasm - no internal compartments/organelles (except ribosomes) No cytoskeleton Flagella Complex 9+2 structure of microtubules (whip-like motion) Simple w/ a single fiber protein flagellin Spins like a propellar Autotrophic Diversity Enzymes for photosyn. Packed in membrane-bound organelles (plastids) Only 1 type of photo. - release of O2 Enzymes bound to cell membrane Several patterns of aerobic/anaerobic photo. w/ formation of S, O, sulfate Chemosynthesis - process where certain bacteria obtain energy from oxidation of inorganic compounds and obtain C from CO2 - Bacterial Structure - Lypopolysaccharide - polysaccharide chain with lipids attached - Molecules of it deposited over layer of gram positive - forming outer membrane - Makes gram negative bacteria resistant to many antibiotics to which gram positive bacteria are susceptible - Capsule - gelatinous layer surrounding cell - Bacilli - straight, rod-shaped bacteria - Cocci - spherical bacteria - Spirilla - spirally coiled bacteria - Spores - single-celled bodies that grow into new bacterial individuals - Some bacteria change into stalked structures, grow long, branched filaments or form erect structures that release spores - Bacterial cells have simple structures - 2 kinds of cell walls - gram negative/positive - Cytoplasm of a bacterium contain no internal compartments/organelles & is bound by a membrane encased w/i a cell wall composed of 1/more polysaccharides - Pili - other kinds of hairlike outgrowths that occur on some bacteria cells - shorter than flagella - Help bacterial cells to attach to appropriate substrates - Endoscopes - resistant to environmental stress; may germinate & form new bacterial individuals after decades/centuries - Bacterial Variation - 2 processes lend variability to bacterial reproduction - Mutation - Because of the short generation time of bacteria whose populations often double in a few min., mutation plays important role in generating genetic diversity - Genetic Recombination - Transfer of genes from one cell to another as portions of viruses, plasmids, other DNA fragments *Intestinal bacterium: typhoid, dysentry, other diseases - Bacterial Ecology and Metabolic Diversity - Bacteria most abundant organisms in most environments - Obligate anaerobes - organisms cannot grow in presence of O2 - Facultative anaerobes - organisms that function as anaerobes/aerobes - Aerobes - organisms that require O2 - Autotrophic bacteria - Heterotrophs - get energy from organic material formed by other organisms (most bacteria) - Autotrophs - obtain energy from nonorganic sources - Photosynthetic bacteria - contain chlorophyll but not held in plastids *Cyanobacteria, green/purple sulfur bacteria, purple nonsulfur bacteria - Different colors caused by photosynthetic pigments - Chemoautotrophic bacteria - derive energy from the oxidation of inorganic molecules (N, S, Fe compounds, gaseous H) - Heterotrophic bacteria - Saprobes - bacteria that obtain nourishment form dead organic material - Autotrophic bacteria, capable of making their own food, obtain energy from light or the oxidation of inorganic molecules - Heterotrophic bacteria obtain energy from breaking down organic compounds made by other organisms - By-products of bacterial metabolism - Antibiotics - valuable - Botulism - food poisoning - Salmonella - gastrointestinal disease - N-fixing bacteria - N fixation - carried out by nodule-forming bacteria - Bacteria releases fixed N (when they break down proteins) - N cycle carried out exclusively by bacteria - Bacteria as plant pathogens - Most plant diseases caused by bacteria - Most bacteria that cause plant diseases are from a group of rod-shaped bacteria called pseudomonads * Citrus canker (Florida) - destroy citrus seedlings - Bacteria as human pathogens - Cholera, leprosy, tetanus, bacterial pneumonia, whooping cough, diptheria - Many diseases dispersed in food/water - Legionnairess Disease - Severe pneumonia - fatal in 15-20% of victims if untreated - Caused by legionella - small,

An Escape

An ascent through a long narrow corridor of pines, tiny fox prints underneath my own, an abandoned campsite with a forgotten soda can sitting on a picnic table. Fierce orange leaves scattered amongst fallen berries floating down the stream to my right. A reprieve for my muscles provided by the flat, open field inhabited by my moose friend. For a few precious strides our feet hit the ground simultaneously as we travel parallel to each other—together and apart. She soon darts off, leaving me with a raised spirit embodied in a bittersweet half-smile. The geese above me watch awhile, but they too have better places to be. They honk staggered farewells as they fly south. On my own again, ascending, slipping, sliding, I forge through thick mud. Behind me I catch a glimpse of footprints I leave through a curtain of blonde ponytail. They don’t look quite like I thought they would; they’re much smaller. Nostalgia seizes me. I recall months ago, when someone juxtaposed my stride with the stride of a doe, springy and lithe. The sudden flapping of a grouse’s wings yanks me back, and my pulse quickens as I pinpoint where it came from. I laugh and keep pushing upwards, until trail intersects dirt road. My legs anticipate the descent, and I quicken my pace until the brush that crowds the sides of the road blurs into an audience, their branches skimming my shoulders like miniature pats on the back. When I reach the crest of the hill, I stop for a moment to catch my breath, only to lose it again at the wonder of my surroundings. On my right a crescent moon rises over a harvested field, and to my left the brilliant setting sun forces me to squint and shield my eyes. Caught amid the transition of night and day, my head bobs back and forth between the two as their silent battle for ownership of the sky continues. My feet start to move again, and I catch a glimpse of the waning sun in the side mirror of a dusty ’64 Impala parked on the side of the road. I am only racing the moon now. And race I do, for as the rose-colored sky surrenders to a deep eggplant peppered with stars, the residual warmth from the sun falls to the night’s chill. The city lights below wink at me as I descend and scraggly bushes morph into mailboxes. Eventually, tall birches are replaced by homes and childrens’ boot prints overtake raccoon tracks. The evening news is going unwatched in the living room of one house; a family is gathered around a dinner table at another. The headlights of a car cause me to slow my stride and shield my eyes as I reach the bottom of the hill and trot a few hundred yards on the sidewalk to my home. The porch light greets me and I linger under its glow awhile. My chest heaves and sweat begins to tickle the back of my neck as I turn and glance back to the trail, now shrouded in darkness. I open the door and my retriever waits for me, her tail hitting the wall like a metronome. She tells me with her amber eyes that I have been gone for too long.

Main Messages Conveyed to the Indians by Clarks Address Essay - 2

Main Messages Conveyed to the Indians by Clarks Address - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the language Clark uses in addressing the Indians is significant. He refers to them as â€Å"children†. This was done to establish a position of authority over them. He indicates that the Great Chief would take care of them, just like a father would care for his child, but only if they are obedient to the Great Chief. In modern times, this type of speech would be considered very demeaning if directed from one culture to another. In defense of Clark, he probably was mimicking the type of speech he thought the Indians would understand and react to in a positive manner. The researcher states that some of the Indians probably did react in a positive way to Clark’s message. The lure of more luxury items and better housing would have been a great incentive for some Indians. But other Indians would have been resistant to the message. Not all Indian cultures were the same. Some place a greater value on acts of bravery and warfare t han on having luxury items. They would have probably rejected the offer to visit with the Great Chief. President Jackson justifies the removal of the Cherokee Nation to the lands west of the Mississippi River in several ways. He argues that this removal will be good for the United States and the Cherokee Nation. It will be good for the Cherokee Nation because it will allow them to be free of the control of the states. They will be removed to lands that they can inhabit and call their own. They will be able to run their own governments, practice their own traditional religion and preserve their culture from destruction by the white man. He also argues that the Indians will benefit because the government is going to pay for the entire cost of their resettlement. He goes on to state that through philanthropy, the United States had attempted to help their tribes, but they would not respond to the help.

Self-Designed Coaching Course of Independent Training for Industrial Research Paper

Self-Designed Coaching Course of Independent Training for Industrial Supervision - Research Paper Example One of the most fundamental skills that can be provided to newly hired supervisors on an industrial work site is understanding how to build a positive, unified organizational culture in order to gain follower commitment to the achievement of strategic goals and imperatives. Whether a safety culture committed to zero incidents or whether a culture of ethics designed to provide human capital advantages in relation to establishing a corporate name positively linked with social responsibility, supervisors must maintain knowledge in sociological and psychological domains to facilitate more effective interpersonal relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. This report describes the rationale and intention behind a proposed independent training program with an emphasis on coaching in order to provide newly-hired supervisors with the skills and attitudes necessary to become more effective leaders. Coaching, in this context, is defined as recurrent conversations betwe en organizational stakeholders emphasizing opportunities for improvement and development, â€Å"aimed at exerting a positive influence on awareness, performance, and behavior† (CCMI 2010, p.2). 2. The rationale for Undertaking Supervisory Training Coaching establishes a partnership perception between trainees and the instructor, unlocking the potential for maximizing managerial performance and establishing clarity for how to overcome behavioral barriers to effective management processes. Industrial management differs from many other business industries, as industrial workplaces require more stringent control systems to ensure compliance as a matter of reducing liabilities (safety fulfillment), to meet oftentimes inflexible deadlines for work completion, and often require the supervisor to maintain centralized, top-down authority systems that negate shared decision-making. Concurrently, the supervisor will require blended knowledge of psycho-social, human behavioral characteri stics in order to gain followership and commitment to achieving short- and long-term strategic goals. The managerial demands imposed on supervisors on an industrial worksite require that the manager is given training that will construct or enhance pre-existing knowledge regarding managerial psychology in order to facilitate the development of an appropriate, cohesive organizational culture. Under respected models of human behavior, in order to gain meaningful commitment from stakeholders, managers must establish a priority sense of social belonging and enhance self-esteem development in order to gain inherent desire to achieve the maximum of individual performance (Maslow 1998; Morris and Maisto 2005). However, at the same time, much of the tangible work conducted on an industrial site demands stringent compliance measures to remove risks from the business model and ensure strict adherence to project deadlines. This is what complicates the process of industrial supervision over that of other industries, as the supervisor must maintain diverse and flexible leadership philosophies that effectively blend autocratic management with human-centric characteristics. This is why training on an industrial worksite is so critical for newly-hired supervisors.

The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Example for Free

The Welcome Table vs Country Lovers Essay Have you ever experienced discrimination and/or racism? It is my belief that, sadly, most of us have; for this paper I have chosen to compare and contrast the literary works, â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker, and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer. Both of these literary pieces give the reader awareness of the pain and suffering endured by the two African-American characters that were subject to racial discrimination and the superior mentality of those that participated in the discrimination. Discrimination and racism is the core issue in both of these short stories; I will address the subject of racism in various ways. A similarity of both short stories is that the narrator reveals the characters through observation which means both stories are told in the third-person omniscient point of view. I will explore how the narrator drew me in when reading each of the stories. I can relate to to each through experiences in my lifes journey, and will explore those emotions a bit as well. The stories authors will also be compared and contrasted and compared. â€Å"The Welcome Table† Storyline â€Å"The Welcome Table† story was intriguing to me because the author describes the old woman as one who does not have emotional ties with the people around her. â€Å"The Welcome Table† theme is racism. I was moved deeply by The Welcome Table, in which an old, dying black woman is evicted by bodily force from a white church, but then meets-up with Jesus on the highway. I believe the old woman is bitter from the days she was a slave to the white people. Because of this, it appears she has focused only on Jesus for some time now; she knows it will soon be time to join Him. The old woman in the story is a spiritual woman, but bitter, and is so looking forward to her day of meeting with her Lord Jesus Christ, it appears she cares little about anything else at this point in her life. For example, in â€Å"The Welcome Table†: â€Å"The old woman stood with eyes uplifted in her Sunday–go–to–meeting clothes: high shoes polished about the tops and toes, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from the many oily pigtails underneath. Perhaps she had known suffering. There was a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue–brown eyes. But for those who searched hastily for reasons in that old tight face, shut now like an ancient door, there was nothing to be read. And so they gazed nakedly upon their own fear transferred; a fear of the black and the old, a terror of the unknown as well as of the deeply known. Some of those who saw her there on the church steps spoke words about her that were hardly fit to be heard, others held their pious peace; and some felt vague stirrings of pity, small and persistent and hazy, as if she were an old collie turned out to die.†. â€Å"Country Lovers† Storyline The â€Å"Country Lovers† storyline was captivating as well; the theme is racism also. In this story the characters are young; â€Å"Country Lovers† follows the evolving relationship between a white, well to do farm-owners son, Paulus, and the black daughter of a farm-worker, Thebedi. â€Å"Country Lovers† is set in South Africa, and focuses greatly on the product of the star-crossed lovers union. Example in â€Å"Country Lovers†: â€Å"For the first time since he was a small boy he came right into the kraal. It was eleven oclock in the morning. The men were at work in the lands. He looked about him, urgently; the women turned away, each not wanting to be the one approached to point out where Thebedi lived.† Apartheid Regime At the time this story happens, South Africa was under a strict apartheid regime. The white population of South Africa was in charge of the country, and even though they were the minority they oppressed the rest of the inhabitants, mostly the black population. In â€Å"Country Lovers†, we see how distinct the differences between blacks and white were. The fact that Paulus was found ‘not guilty’ of murder, even though there was enough evidence against him, shows how the white people protected each other at all costs. The story also tells how the white children get to go to school, while the black children are not considered when it comes to education. In my opinion, you have to know something about the apartheid period in South Africa in order to understand the short story fully. The educational value is definitely present. And TodayDiverse Opinions â€Å"In post-apartheid South Africa we speak about race extensively. It permeates our workplace, weaves a thread through the fabric of our professional and personal lives, as well as our private conversations and public interactions with others. From within psychoanalytic theory, the thread weaves through the unknown content of our radicalized unconscious. When there is a focus on race in the South African psychoanalytic context it largely takes the form of the struggle to articulate the complexities of working with difference, as Swartz notes, or the struggle to map out issues of race. Such struggles are not localized in South Africa, but strongly reflect a much broader struggle within the global psychoanalytic community, as mirrored in the expanding focus on race.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) â€Å"Fourteen years after apartheid, is the ideal of a rainbow nation fading? Not at all. South Africa has come a long way since the days of institutional racism. Its transition to democracy has been remarkably smooth, set against the countrys bitter past. You hear of few incidents of racially motivated violence. The vast majority of South Africans want a non-racial democracy that respects peoples differences. There are laws to punish unfair discrimination, and black economic empowermenta positive-discrimination policyseeks to redress past injustice.† (Knight, Z. G. (2013)) Theme and Characters As you can see already, there are many differences, but there is but one meaningful theme in both stories, racism. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the main character is an old woman, ready to meet her maker; it is apparent the pain the woman has endured throughout her life just by the description of the condition of her appearance, â€Å"beaten by king cotton and the extreme weather†, the condition of her clothing items â€Å"a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an elegant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from many oily pigtails underneath†, and the emptiness conveyed by her to the outsiders â€Å"a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue brown eyes.†. The descriptiveness, the symbolism drew me in when reading this story. Racism and Spirituality Black liberation theology is a theological perspective found in some Christian churches in the United States which contextualizes Christianity in an attempt to help African-Americans overcome oppression. Black liberation theology seeks to liberate people of color from multiple forms of political, social, economic, and religious subjugation and views Christian theology as a theology of liberation- a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential situation of an oppressed community, relating the forces of liberation to the essence of the Gospel, which is Jesus Christ, writes James Hal Cone, one of the original advocates of the perspective. African-American theology has come from biblical faith to cultural captivity dogmatic texts from the patristic period to the Reformation. Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true Theme and Characters In â€Å"Country Lovers†, the main characters are young, and see the beauty in life for a time. I sympathize more with Thebedi throughout the story; I believe she leaves herself vulnerable when she chooses to give herself to Paulus; I believe him to know more what the outcome of their relationship will be; I believe she secretly wants for her lover to be with her and their child. I see women to be more unrealistic because of their deep emotional attachments. I believe Paulus was a bit full of himself as well. He is heartless to call the baby it, and then to kill her himself? In both stories, there is the knowledge of racism by the characters, but in â€Å"The Welcome Table†, although the old woman is aware, she does not consider what others will think at this point, and in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the threat of what others may think means very much. Heart-breaking Realities In both stories I see the reality of broken-hearts. In â€Å"The Welcome Table† the old woman has been through much because of racism in her day; in â€Å"Country Lovers†, the heart-break is just beginning. Both stories are culturally rich, but in diverse ways. While â€Å"Country Lovers† tells of how it is acceptable to test the waters to see if your wife to be is able to bare your fruit, â€Å"The Welcome Table† implies that the old woman was accepted as grandma or auntie when raising a white mans children, but when it came to entering their church there was no acceptance what-so-ever. To me, these short stories have very different endings. The ending in â€Å"Country Lovers† was absolutely heart-breaking compared to the ending of â€Å"The Welcome Table†, which had a rather happy ending in my way of thinking. Authors Many authors have written essays, stories, and poems about negative judgmental and biased views of people in hopes to understand unfair treatment towards mankind and promote changes in human behavior that will bring solutions of peace. These authors are no different; both authors have been rewarded many honorary awards for promoting peace. Ironically, Nadine Gordimer is a white woman born and raised in South Africa and Alice Walker is an African-American from Eatonton, Georgia, but both authors have kindred spirits and are celebrated for their commitments to fight racism. These authors have a twenty year age difference, and have experienced racism in very diverse ways, in their very diverse lives. Nadine Gordimer grew-up in a privileged family, while Alice Walker grew-up poor. Her mother worked as a maid to help support the familys eight children, while Nadine Gordimer is an only child, whose mother imagined her to be ill, weak, throughout her childhood. Both authors began writing at an early age, each for different reasons I believe. Alice Walker started writing age eight, and Nadine Gordimer at nine. Alice Walker, who also wrote The Color Purple, started writing after listening to her grandfathers stories, who was the inspiration for Mr. in The Color Purple; With my family, I had to hide things, she said. And I had to keep a lot in my mind.. Nadine Gordimers first writings were that of apartheid on the lives of South Africans; Gordimer witnessed government repression firsthand when still a teenager; the police raided her family home, confiscating le tters and diaries from a servants room. Personal Thoughts and Feelings on Racism I have had mostly bi-racial amorous relationships in my lifetime; I am Caucasian, and my romantic relationships have been with African-American and Hispanic men. Even in this day and age I believe many people frown on this. Many of the people of either race whole-heartily approves of this in my opinion. The struggle to eliminate racism from our world is an important one. Understanding what it is, understanding the key role it plays in dividing people, and how to challenge it, in ourselves and others, is central to our understanding of how oppression works and how, ultimately, we can free all humanity from it. Racism is ignorance. There are no rational conflicts of interest between any peoples on this planet. There is not rational need for the artificial borders that have been erected over the years to separate different groups of humans. All people deserve an equal share in and access to food, shelter, education, health care and the other necessities of life. The false divisions created by racism only serve the short-term interests of systems which constantly try to divide us and distract us from seeing the underlying economic exploitation that feeds greed. Some have minds that are full of misinformation and confusions about people who have a skin color that is different to our own. Many have been left with irrational fears about countless aspects of other peoples’ and their cultures. The Solution? Nadine Gomier and Alice Walker both wrote what they lived; both stories are laced with racism and discrimination. Where does the solution to this basic human problem lie? The simple answer is in helping people consider an alternate course of action. How? Here is where it gets complex. Let me present several complementary models. First, a basic premise: Racism in its essence is the refusal to accept the other as an equal. To do so, one will have to share in the societal rewards of social wealth, political power, and structural privilege. If racism has nothing to do with biology, but has everything to do with socially structured beliefs and behavior, then it can also be socially unlearned and unstructured. How people proceed, however, depends on how they see themselves when confronted with evil. The great Karl Marx spoke of â€Å"the haves and the have nots†; I see that to be very accurate still today. In â€Å"The Welcome Table and â€Å"country Lovers We cannot change yesterday, and we cannot predict tomorrow, but we can live today. So, do not allow anyone to make you feel less than or hurt you.

Comparing Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bro

Comparing Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte In the novels Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the theme of loss can be viewed as an umbrella that encompasses the absence of independence, society or community, love, and order in the lives of the two protagonists. They deal with their hardships in diverse ways. However, they both find ways to triumph over their losses and regain their independence. The women in both novels endure a loss of personal freedom, both mental, and physical. Jane Eyre, in her blind infatuation with Mr. Rochester, allows her emotions to enslave her. She realizes her obsession when she states, "My future husband was becoming to me my whole world; and more than the world: almost my hope of heaven. He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sun. I could not, in those days, see God for his creature: of whom I had made an idol" (Bronte 241). By design, Rochester seduces Antoinette and deliberately makes her depend on him. Christophine, Antoinette’s servant, in a conversation with Rochester accusingly contends â€Å"you make love to her till she drunk with it, no rum could make her drunk like that, till she can’t do without it. It’s she can’t see the sun any more. Only you she see. But all you want is to break her up (Rhys 153). After becoming totally enslaved by her feeli ngs for him, Rochester adds insult to injury by physically abusing Antoinette. Her complete and total love for Mr. Rochester, who is passionless and devoid of any empathy, causes her to lose her mind. She realizes her mistake in marrying this cold, calculating man and vehemently states, â€Å"You see. That’s how you are. A stone. But it serves me right†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rhys 148). Jane and Antoinette’s uninhibited desire to please those whom they love becomes detrimental to their peace of mind. Jane does everything she can to please St. John, her cousin, which ends with her completely paying no heed to her own thoughts and feelings. She realizes her dependence on his opinion, declaring â€Å"As for me, I daily wished more to please him: but to do so, I felt daily more and more that I must disown half of my nature, stifle half my faculties, wrest my tastes from their original bent, force myself to the adoption of pursuits for which I had no natural vocation. He wanted to train m... ...'I scorn your idea of love,' I could not help saying, as I rose up and stood before him, leaning my back against the rock. 'I scorn the counterfeit sentiment you offer: yes, St. John, and I scorn you when you offer it'" (Bronte 359). Jane similarly leaves Rochester when she finds out about his deceit. When Antoinette realizes Rochester does not love her, she scorns him, saying â€Å"my mother whom you all talk about, what justice did she have? My mother sitting in the rocking chair speaking about dead horses and dead grooms and a black devil kissing her sad mouth. Like you kissed mine† (Rhys 147). Although the two women are fundamentally different people, they face many similar challenges throughout their lives. Jane and Antoinette respond to each type of loss they experience differently, and these choices ultimately demonstrate Jane’s inner strength and Antoinette’s inherent vulnerability, resulting in two very different endings, one happy and the other tragic. Work Cited Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. Ed. Angela Smith. London: Penguin, 1997. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Penguin Books Ltd.: 1996. (Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Mason).